Things to Know: State vaccination talks being held privately

Here’s what’s happening Wednesday with the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.:

THREE THINGS TO KNOW TODAY:

— As the nation’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign accelerates, governors, public health directors and committees advising them are holding key discussions behind closed doors, including debates about who should be eligible for the shots and how best to distribute them. A review by The Associated Press finds that advisory committees created to help determine how to prioritize vaccine doses have been holding private meetings in at least 13 states that are home to more than 70 million people. In at least 15 other states, such meetings are open to the public. But even in those states, governors and health officials can modify or override committee recommendations with little or no public explanation.

— President Joe Biden is telling House Democrats he’s not married to all the specifics of the $1.9 trillion COVID rescue plan. But he wants them to “go big” and not let the size or scope shrink. Biden delivered private remarks to the Democratic caucus on Wednesday, and followed with a meeting with Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and top senators at the White House. Biden says his proposed $1,400 direct payments to Americans must stay in the bill. Biden has panned a slimmer Republican alternative as insufficient. But he’s confident he will win GOP support. He’s told Democrats he’s “got your backs” as Congress prepares for votes on the sweeping deal.

— San Francisco has sued its own school district to try to force a resumption of in-person instruction. The lawsuit filed Wednesday, which may be the first of its kind in the U.S., comes as school systems are coming under increasing pressure from parents and politicians to reopen classrooms that were shuttered because of the pandemic....