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American Rescue Plan, Andrew Brown Jr., Israel-Palestinian conflict: 5 things to know Tuesday

American Rescue Plan rolling out stimulus payments to local governments

State, city and county governments are set to begin receiving their first infusion of direct aid Tuesday — two months after President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan into law, which mandated the Treasury Department deliver the assistance within 60 days. The $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package included $350 billion in direct aid to states and cities designed to replenish governments that experienced tax revenue shortfalls as businesses locked down during the coronavirus pandemic. Most will receive money in two tranches — one this year, the second in 12 months — but states that have seen their unemployment rates increase by 2% or more since February will receive funds in a single payment. Money received must be spent by the end of 2024.

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Andrew Brown Jr.'s family scheduled to see limited footage of fatal shooting

The family of Andrew Brown Jr., a Black man who was killed by sheriff's deputies in North Carolina last month, will be shown limited footage of the fatal shooting. Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten II said Brown's family "agreed to their suggestion to view the videos." North Carolina Superior Court Judge Jeff Foster also said he would specify in a written order which portions the family could view. The ruling limits the family to viewing less than 20 minutes of the nearly two hours of video that was recorded before and after Brown was killed. During a April 27 hearing, Foster said the video must remain out of public view for at least 30 days, but he would consider releasing it after that point if investigations are complete. So far, family members have only been allowed to view a 20-second clip from a single body camera.

Families of murdered veterans will confront nursing assistant responsible for deaths

The families of veterans who were murdered by a nursing assistant at a Veterans Affairs hospital in West Virginia will confront their loved ones' killer in court Tuesday. Reta Mays, 46, admitted to giving seven veterans, aged 81 to 96, lethal doses of insulin, according to court records. The family members will deliver victim impact statements during Mays' sentencing hearing in federal court. Mays pleaded guilty last year to seven counts of second-degree murder for a string of killings from mid-2017 through June 2018 at the U.S. Veterans Affairs hospital in Clarksburg. Also on Tuesday, the VA inspector general is expected to share results of an investigation into shortfalls at the medical center that allowed Mays’ deadly spree to continue without detection. She could receive seven life sentences plus an additional 20 years in prison.

Palestinian militants, Israel trade new rocket fire and airstrikes

Palestinian militants launched dozens of rockets from Gaza and Israel unleashed new airstrikes against them early Tuesday, in an escalation triggered by days of soaring tensions at the iconic Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Health officials said at least 24 people, including nine children, were killed in Gaza overnight, most of them in Israeli strikes, making it one of the bloodiest days of battle between the bitter enemies in several years. More than 700 Palestinians were hurt in clashes with Israeli security forces in Jerusalem and across the West Bank, amid tensions over the threatened eviction of Palestinian families from homes in east Jerusalem by Israeli settlers. The Israeli military said six Israeli civilians were injured by rocket fire Tuesday morning. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the fighting could drag on, despite calls for calm from the U.S., Europe and elsewhere.

Biden to brainstorm with governors on how to get more people vaccinated

President Joe Biden on Tuesday will talk with three Democratic and three Republican governors about innovative ways to get more people vaccinated. He will meet virtually with the leaders of Ohio, Utah, Massachusetts, Maine, Minnesota and New Mexico to share best practices as the administration moves toward its goal of getting 70% of adults at least partially vaccinated by July 4. More than half of all residents in Massachusetts, Maine and New Mexico have gotten at least one shot, ranking those states in the top 10. Ohio and Utah are in the bottom half of states for vaccination rates. The president plans to acknowledge the important role governors have played in vaccination efforts and how their efforts are critical for continued progress.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: American Rescue Plan, Andrew Brown Jr.: 5 things to know Tuesday