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Pressure on Biden over Gaza, Capitol security, Lollapalooza: 5 things to know Wednesday

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Pressure on Biden mounts as conflict in Gaza continues

As violence in Gaza continues Wednesday, the pressure on President Joe Biden from lawmakers also continues to mount. On Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined other Democrats in calling for a cease-fire in the region, ratcheting up the pressure on the Biden administration to intervene more forcefully. Earlier this week, Biden expressed his support for a cease-fire in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but has not insisted on one publicly. That same day, 29 Democratic and independent senators filed a statement calling for a cease-fire. Israeli airstrikes killed at least six people across the Gaza Strip and destroyed the home of a large extended family early Wednesday. The military said it widened its strikes on militant targets to the south amid continuing rocket fire from the Hamas-ruled territory.

House could complete two key votes related to Capitol insurrection

The House is poised to vote on a 9/11-style commission on the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, a first step toward creating an independent, bipartisan panel that would investigate the siege and try to prevent it from happening again. Despite the objections of Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, the House is expected to approve the measure Wednesday. But the commission will be a more difficult sell in the Senate. The House could also vote on a $1.9 billion spending bill to reimburse authorities who responded to the riot and to increase security against future attacks. Some of the spending includes $39.5 million for U.S. attorneys and the Justice Department to prosecute suspects, $520.9 million to reimburse the National Guard for the costs in helping to secure the Capitol and $21.5 million to improve security for lawmakers.

Opening arguments set in trial of man accused of murdering University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts

Opening arguments will begin Wednesday in the trial of the man accused of murdering Mollie Tibbetts. The University of Iowa student, 20, went out for a jog in July 2018 in her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa, and never came back. Her body was discovered about a month later, hidden in a cornfield. Cristhian Bahena Rivera, 26, is accused of stabbing her to death. Rivera, a Mexican national and farm laborer, is suspected of entering the country illegally as a teenager. His arrest inflamed anger over illegal immigration, with then-President Donald Trump accusing him of exploiting lax immigration laws. Legal experts say ensuring a fair trial for Rivera will be difficult, the Associated Press reported. The proceedings at the Scott County Courthouse are expected to last for two weeks.

Warriors-Lakers highlights NBA's play-in tournament action

In what could be considered the most intriguing matchup in the short history of the NBA's play-in tournament, fans will get a treat as LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers host NBA scoring champion and MVP candidate Steph Curry and the No. 8 seed Golden State Warriors Wednesday night (10 p.m. ET, ESPN) as part of the Western Conference seeding games. The winner will advance to face the No. 2 seed Phoenix Suns. In the early game, the No. 10 seed San Antonio Spurs will travel to face the ninth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) with the winner moving on to Friday's game. The play-in tournament got off to a sluggish start in the Eastern Conference Tuesday night as the Indiana Pacers routed the Charlotte Hornets and the Boston Celtics pulled away from the Washington Wizards to earn a date with the Brooklyn Nets in the next round.

Lollapalooza to announce 2021 return lineup

Lollapalooza, the massive Chicago music festival, is set to announce its 2021 lineup Wednesday morning after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down live events in 2020. The festival typically welcomes 100,000 daily attendees to see more than 170 acts perform across eight stages. Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said its return was made possible by the “tremendous progress” Chicago has made in containing the spread of the coronavirus, with the “leading metrics” either stable or declining. The event will return with full capacity to Grant Park downtown July 29 to Aug. 1. All festival-goers will need to be fully vaccinated or provide proof of negative COVID-19 test results within 24 hours of attending Lollapalooza each day.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gaza, House votes, Mollie Tibbetts, Lollapalooza: 5 things to know Wednesday

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