Top Stories this AM: A tentative infrastructure deal is struck; a COVID outbreak at a maskless crypto conference; elf ears are in

Good morning and welcome to your weekday morning roundup of the top stories you need to know.

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What's going on today:

• Infrastructure - we've got it? Bipartisan Senate group strike early $1.2 trillion infrastructure agreement as Democrats grow impatient. The tentative deal faces a steep climb in both parties. Democrats want tax hikes, while Republicans are likely to balk at fresh spending.
• Ears the thing. People in China are paying to have their ears elongated into 'elf ears' because they think it makes their faces look slimmer. The procedure can be done by placing cartilage behind the ear to make the ear protrude, or injecting the ear with hyaluronic acid.
• Sending secret messages with ... bugs. QAnon followers think a cicada landing on Biden may be a veiled communication from Q. A QAnon post linked the cicada swarm's natural emergence once every 17 years to "comms" from Q. Mmhmm.
• New job, same old boss. Longtime Trump aide Jason Miller is leaving his role to lead a tech company that could become a new Trump platform. Miller, who worked on Trump's 2016 and 2020 campaigns, has served as the former president's spokesperson since he left office in January.
• Another FDA panel member bites the dust. A third member of a prestigious FDA panel has resigned over the approval of a controversial new Alzheimer's drug. Dr. Aaron Kesselheim said the agency's decision to approve Biogen's new drug "was probably the worst drug approval decision in recent US history."
• A COVID outbreak at the crypto conference. Several crypto influencers say they tested positive for Covid-19 following the massive bitcoin conference in Miami. Over 12,000 people attended the Bitcoin 2021 Conference in Miami last weekend. Photos from the event show packed nightclubs and no one wearing masks.
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  That's all for now. See you Monday.

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