News Wrap: Tropical cyclone leaves 60,0000 people homeless in Madagascar

Judy Woodruff:

In the day's other news: Several states moved to end COVID mask mandates in public schools.

New Jersey Democratic Governor Phil Murphy announced his state's mandate will expire one month from now. He cited declining infections. But Murphy said those who want to continue wearing masks are free to do so.

Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ):

A district reserves the right to keep something in place. And secondly, I think most importantly, an individual, based on their own health, reserves that right. And we cannot stigmatize a decision like that.

Judy Woodruff:

New Jersey is one of a dozen states with a current mask mandate for schools. Another one, Connecticut, announced today that its requirement will end on February 28. And Delaware said its mandate will end March 31. We will return to this issue later in the program.

A second man will plead guilty to plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer over COVID restrictions. In court documents filed today, Kaleb Franks said that he and five others planned to abduct Whitmer. The FBI arrested the men in 2020, before the plot could be carried out. Four of them still face trial.

The U.S. Supreme Court late today blocked a lower court's order rejecting a Republican-drawn map of congressional districts in Alabama. The 5-4 action means that the new map will govern the November elections. The lower court found the map allows for only one majority black district out of seven in a state where more than a quarter of the population is black.

In Madagascar, more than 60,000 people were homeless, with 21 dead, after a tropical cyclone struck over the weekend. The cyclone made landfall late Saturday and weakened as it moved southwest across the island nation. Thousands of homes and government buildings lay in ruins, along with crucial rice crops. It was a second tropical cyclone to strike Madagascar this year.

Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai has again denied that she accused a Chinese official of sexual assault or that she's in danger. She told a French newspaper that it was all — quote — "an enormous misunderstanding."

Meanwhile, officials at the International Olympic Committee would not say today if they believe Peng is under duress.

Mark Adams, Spokesperson, International Olympic Committee:

We, as a sports organization, are doing everything to ensure that she is happy, and I don't think it's up for us to be able to judge in one way, just as it's not for you to judge either in one way or another, her position.

Judy Woodruff:

The IOC also said that its president, Thomas Bach, had dinner with Peng over the weekend.

United Nations experts say North Korea has intensified its cyber-stealing from banks and cryptocurrency exchanges. The Associated Press reports that the North stole $400 million in cryptocurrency last year. Investigators say the funds are being used to fund North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

Back in this country, Spotify says that it will go on streaming commentator Joe Rogan's podcasts, at least for now. That's after Rogan apologized for using racial slurs. He was already under fire for anti-COVID vaccine comments. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek told employees on Sunday that silencing Rogan is not the answer. He said — quote — "Canceling voices is a slippery slope."

On Wall Street, stocks spent the day searching for direction. The Dow Jones industrial average ended with a gain of one point to close at 35091. The Nasdaq fell 82 points. The S&P 500 slipped 16.

And at the Winter Olympics, a tough day for an American star. Defending gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin skied off course early in the women's giant slalom and was disqualified. The U.S. did win the silver medal in team figure skating, with Russia taking gold.