The 7

Thursday briefing: Justice Dept. searches Biden’s beach house; Tyre Nichols’s funeral; Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance’ Tour; and more

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Updated February 2, 2023 at 7:39 a.m. EST|Published February 2, 2023 at 6:30 a.m. EST
(Jordan Robertson for The Washington Post)
6 min

1

The Justice Department searched President Biden’s beach house yesterday.

2

An emotional funeral was held for Tyre Nichols yesterday.

Rev. Al Sharpton, Vice President Harris, attorney Ben Crump and the parents of Tyre Nichols memorialized his life at a funeral service in Memphis on Feb. 1. (Video: Allie Caren/The Washington Post)
  • The scene: Family members and dignitaries, including Vice President Harris, gathered in Memphis days after the horrific footage of Nichols’s beating by police was released.
  • Calls to action: Harris and the Rev. Al Sharpton, who delivered the eulogy, urged Congress to pass a policing law that would ban certain forms of force and help track problem officers.

3

A deadly ice storm is causing chaos in Texas and parts of the South.

  • What to know: Over 350,000 customers in Texas didn’t have power yesterday, thousands of flights were canceled and at least seven people have died in traffic accidents since Monday.
  • Today’s forecast: The last wave of freezing rain will make its way across Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee, with snow possible in Central Texas.

4

Videos show evidence of a violent crackdown on protests in Iran.

  • What’s going on? The country is four months into a nationwide uprising initially sparked by the September death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, in the custody of the “morality police.”
  • What the footage shows: Arbitrary arrests, indiscriminate beatings and, in some cases, shootings, according to a new Post analysis.

5

The College Board changed its new AP African American studies course.

  • What to know: The class explores Black history and culture without shying from topics like race and racism and has been heavily criticized by Florida’s Republican governor.
  • What changed? In the final framework released yesterday, mentions of certain left-leaning figures, including political activist Angela Davis, were removed.
  • The big picture: The course should be widely available to high schools in 2024. It’s debuting as states increase restrictions on what teachers can and can’t say.

6

Beyoncé announced a world tour for her album “Renaissance.”

  • Why it’s exciting: This will be her first solo tour since 2016. It kicks off in Stockholm in May, moves to the U.S. in July and ends Sept. 27 with a concert in New Orleans.
  • But people already have questions: Ticketmaster is selling the tickets (here), which has fans worried after the meltdown that happened over Taylor Swift’s tour.

7

Workers across the world are getting the right to disconnect.

  • How? With laws that block bosses from contacting workers after hours or on weekends. Several countries, mostly in Europe, have them — and Kenya could soon pass one.
  • In the U.S.: The idea isn’t catching on. Experts say that’s mainly for political reasons, including a myth that a comfortable work life would make workers lazy.

And now … which foods are better for the planet? Chicken or tuna? Pork or beef? Rice or potatoes? Compare the impact of your choices. Plus, it’s Groundhog Day — but Punxsutawney Phil got it wrong this year.

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