Five Things You Need to Know to Start Your Day

The Senate passes a sweeping bill to help the U.S. compete with China. Bitcoin’s approaching a “death cross.” Problems at the world’s largest vaccine maker leave countries short of shots. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.

The Senate passed by a wide margin an expansive bill to invest almost $250 billion in bolstering U.S. manufacturing and technology to meet the economic and strategic challenge from China. The 68-32 vote on the legislation was a rare spot of bipartisanship in an otherwise polarized Senate and a clear indicator of the concern in both political parties that the U.S. risks falling behind its biggest global competitor. However, the bill’s fate in the House is uncertain. The vote came after the White House’s top official for Asia, Kurt Campbell, said China has only itself to blame for a global backlash against its policies. “Over the last year or two the country that has done the most to create problems for China is not the United States, but China,” he said.