Good afternoon! It’s Monday, and I’m researching how to play the Pokémon card game because my nephew wants to play. Yes, I will do anything for my nephews, even when I have absolutely no idea what I’m getting myself into. Here’s what you need to know today.

1. The FDA is poised to authorize a second round of COVID-19 boosters as soon as tomorrow

Americans 50 years and older could soon be eligible for a second booster shot of either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccines.

The Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize the new round of boosters amid a wave of cases in Europe that has some health experts concerned about waning protection against the virus.

“We have a large number of people who are at least four to six months past their third shot,” said Dr. Eric Topol, founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, who supports the move. [NPR]

Meanwhile scientists are getting a better understanding of the mysterious “long COVID.”

Researchers have found that brain inflammation in patients struggling with long COVID looks a lot like some people who have “chemo brain” during cancer treatments. The news could pave the way for new treatments. [Washington Post]

2. Trump “more likely than not” committed felonies in trying to overturn the 2020 election, a federal judge says

A federal judge ruled today that former President Donald Trump and a lawyer who advised him on overturn the election most likely committed crimes.

“Based on the evidence, the Court finds it more likely than not that President Trump corruptly attempted to obstruct the Joint Session of Congress on January 6, 2021,” U.S. District Court Judge David Carter wrote.

The ruling came as he ordered the release of more than 200 emails from John Eastman, a conservative lawyer and Trump advisor, to be handed over to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Eastman wrote a memo that outlined how the presidential election could be overturned. Both Democrats and Republicans have condemned the memo as an attempt to create a coup. [AP]

Meanwhile, the Jan. 6 committee is seeking to interview Virginia Thomas, whose husband is Justice Clarence Thomas. Text messages obtained by the committee show Virginia Thomas repeatedly urged Trump’s chief of staff to overturn the election. [Washington Post]

3. Zelenskyy opens a diplomatic door to ending the war in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country is “ready” to discuss adopting a neutral status, a move that would end the country’s bid to join the NATO military alliance in exchange for peace with Moscow.

Russia has been sternly opposed to Ukraine joining NATO, viewing the country within its sphere of influence. But Zelenskyy said he would not give up Ukraine’s sovereignty and its “territorial integrity.” [AP]

The number of people fleeing from Ukraine has reached 4 million, but the exodus appears to have slowed down in recent days. [AP]

In eastern Ukraine, Russian forces have “increasingly focused on grinding down” Ukraine’s military in hopes of forcing Kyiv to concede the area and potentially end the war, reports The Associated Press. [AP]

NPR reports that Ukrainian military intelligence believes Moscow wants to split off Ukrainian territories in the east, what the Ukrainians call a “Korean scenario.” [NPR]

4. Biden’s budget plan calls for hiking taxes on the uber rich and boosting funding for police

President Joe Biden unveiled a $5.8 trillion budget proposal funded in part by higher taxes on corporations and the wealthiest Americans.

The “billionaire minimum income tax” would require households worth more than $100 million to pay a minimum tax rate of 20% on their full income, including unrealized appreciation, reports NPR.

The president’s budget also calls for setting aside $32.2 billion for states and cities to hire more police officers amid a surge in violence. Republicans have jumped on the crime wave as they hope to retake control of Congress in this year’s midterm elections. [NPR]

5. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences launches an inquiry after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock

The academy, which is behind the Oscars, today condemned Will Smith for slapping comedian Chris Rock during last night’s ceremony, and it has begun a formal review, reports The New York Times.

The Times reports people behind the scenes were in serious discussion about removing Smith from the theater after the incident, but they were running out of time because the best actor award, for which Smith was nominated and won, was quickly coming up.

The newspaper reports “stakeholders had varying opinions on how to proceed. There was also concern about further disrupting the live broadcast.” [NYT]

The slap will “forever tarnish what should have been a night of glory,” writes Chicago Sun-Times movie critic Richard Roeper, pointing in part to CODA being named best picture, a historic win for the Deaf community. [Sun-Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• An ice shelf the size of New York City broke off of a part of Antarctica that was considered to be less vulnerable to climate change. [AP]
• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill that bans public school teachers from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity with students. [NPR]
• Retirements at the Chicago Police Department have stabilized, but some experts worry about a “brain drain.” [Chicago Tribune]
• The Illinois State Board of Education is considering a plan that could mean students will take standardized tests three times a year. [Chicago Tribune]

Oh, and one more thing …

WBEZ’s Motive podcast is out with a new season that “investigates the hidden world of big prisons in small towns. Places where everyone knows each other and difficult truths get buried.”

Hosted by my colleague Shannon Heffernan, this week’s episode looks at how men at one Illinois prison were taken to an area with no camera and were beaten, and how no action was taken until someone died. [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

Some readers were quick to write about how they love “Africa” by Toto, which is cool. I had mentioned last week that the song fills me with a sudden, inexplicable sense of dread.

So I’d like to know what are one or two of your favorite songs.

I’ll give you two: “Blitzkrieg Bop” by the Ramones, because my nephews rock out to it, jumping on couches and running around the house.

And “Hungry Like the Wolf” by Duran Duran because it always puts me in a good mood.

Feel free to email or tweet me, and your response might be shared in the newsletter this week.