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Biden's domestic agenda, Germany's election, the Tonys: 5 things to know this weekend

House Budget Committee to discuss Biden's domestic plans

The House Budget Committee meets Saturday to assemble pieces of President Joe Biden's domestic priorities such as universal prekindergarten and community college and an expansion of Medicare – and the taxes to pay for them – from 13 committees. Once that panel is done, the House Rules Committee will determine how it will be debated on the House floor. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced Thursday that they and the chairmen of the tax-writing committees had agreed to a menu of options for how to pay for the legislation. But they refused to say whether the bill will remain $3.5 trillion or which potential tax hikes could be chosen that haven't already been approved by the House Ways and Means Committee. Pelosi said Friday the legislation would be on the House floor during the next week.

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Manhunt in Florida for Gabby Petito's fiancé to continue

Search crews will resume the manhunt for Brian Laundrie in Florida's wetlands this weekend after Friday's search in the Carlton Reserve, a Sarasota County wilderness park in , was called off. The search comes a day after after the FBI issued a federal arrest warrant for Laundrie over events that occurred following the death of his fiancé Gabby Petito. Laundrie's parents told investigators he went camping in the park on Sept. 14 after returning home from a cross-country trip without Petito on Sept. 1. The search for Laundrie, who has been missing for more than a week, turned into a manhunt Thursday after a grand jury indicted him for alleged unauthorized use of a Capital One debit card and several accounts. Petito's body was found last weekend at a campground near Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park and preliminary results from an autopsy concluded her death was a homicide. Laundrie is considered a person of interest in Petito's death.

Germany's election marks end of Merkel era

With Chancellor Angela Merkel stepping down after 16 years in power, Germany will hold a national election Sunday that will determine the composition of parliament. The strongest party usually ends up leading a new government and will name a new chancellor, who needs to be confirmed by a majority of lawmakers. The race to replace Merkel was wide open going into the weekend. Polls show the longtime leader's center-right Union bloc, with Armin Laschet as its candidate for chancellor, a little behind or nearly level with the center-left Social Democrats, who have Finance Minister Olaf Scholz seeking the chancellorship. The Greens, with Annalena Baerbock making the party's first run for chancellor, are trailing in third place but could end up playing the kingmaker. Experts say one reason why this year's election is tighter and less predictable than usual is the candidates are relative unknowns to most voters.

The Tonys honor productions that hit Broadway before COVID shutdown

With the unpredictability of the theater world, it's often "a year like no other." This time, it sure feels that way. The 74th annual Tony Awards will air Sunday night, honoring productions that hit Broadway prior to the COVID-19 shutdown in March 2020. The Tonys, originally set for June 2020, became an afterthought as the world grappled with the deadly pandemic and the theater industry fought for its survival. Eighteen months later, Broadway is opening back up and it's time to take a moment to celebrate. With limited shows to pick from, some standout nominations include Aaron Tveit being the sole nominee for best leading actor in a musical and five plays in the running for Best Original Score, a category normally dominated by musicals. Six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald will host the live ceremony from 7 to 9 p.m. ET — streaming exclusively on Paramount+.

Harry and Meghan to speak at global event in New York City

Prince Harry, 37, and Duchess Meghan, 40, will speak at Global Citizen Live in New York City's Central Park Saturday about the importance of achieving global vaccine equity, according to a press release. Global Citizen Live is a 24-hour event broadcast around the world in an effort "to unite the world to defend the planet and defeat poverty," according to its website. The event, which will feature performances on six different continents, can be seen on several platforms starting at 1 p.m. ET Saturday. During their trip to New York Thursday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex met with Mayor Bill de Blasio at One World Observatory. They also stopped by the neighboring Sept. 11 memorial plaza where they looked out over a reflecting pool where one of the towers stood and then visited the Sept. 11 museum. The couple visited students a Harlem public school Friday, where Meghan read her children's book, "The Bench," to about two dozen students.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden's agenda, Germany's election: 5 things to know this weekend