A $1.8 trillion plan for American families

• By a vote of 660 to 5, with 32 abstentions, the European Parliament overwhelmingly affirmed the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), the first post-Brexit trade deal between Britain and the EU. The vote ends years of contentious exit negotiations  following the British electorate's vote to leave the EU in 2016. [Reuters / Philip Blenkinsop]
• Overwhelming support for the trade deal cannot be taken as a sign of a particularly close relationship between the EU and its former member country, however. In a statement accompanying their vote, EU legislators again called Brexit a “historic mistake.” Since Britain left the EU single market at the turn of the year, the two sides have squabbled over the Northern Ireland Protocol and Covid-19 supplies. [AP / Samuel Petrequin]
• David Frost, the UK’s chief negotiator, said the treaty could serve as the first step in “a new chapter together as Europeans, characterised by friendly cooperation between sovereign equals.” By contrast, the chief negotiator on the EU’s side, Michel Barnier, called it “a divorce” and "a warning." [BBC]
• And sticking points remain. Financial services and foreign security were left out of the deal, and EU legislators have little faith in British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ability to stick to the deal, particularly as it relates to his handling of the Northern Ireland Protocol. [NYT / Steven Erlanger]
• Still, Johnson cast the vote as a turning point in British and European relations, signaling his government is ready to turn the page. “This week is the final step in a long journey, providing stability to our new relationship with the EU as vital trading partners, close allies and sovereign equals,” Johnson said. “Now is the time to look forward to the future and to building a more global Britain.” [Guardian / Daniel Boffey]

[AP / Hassan Barise]

• The Navy SEAL program is getting a major overhaul, shifting its efforts from counterterrorism to countering global threats like China and Russia. SEAL platoons will be cut by 30 percent, with their respective sizes increased, and the process to join will be far more intensive than in years past. [Al Jazeera]
• A New York Post reporter resigned after she said she was ordered to write a fake story about a children's book authored by Vice President Kamala Harris being given to children at the newly set up child migrant processing centers. [The Hill / Jordan Williams]
• The 2020 Census appears to have resulted in undercounts, especially in the Sunbelt states, where burgeoning Hispanic populations were likely overlooked. The implications are important: New York lost a House seat. So did Illinois. Texas only gained two. [Politico / Zach Montellaro and Ally Mutnick]
• Embattled British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing a formal investigation from a UK political watchdog over how he paid to renovate his apartment at 10 Downing Street. Any funds used on the apartment needed to be declared publicly, something Johnson allegedly did not do. [CNN / Ivana Kottasová and Lindsay Isaac]