Daily Briefing: Why does Trump think he deserves immunity?

Former President Donald Trump will attend D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals arguments Tuesday over his request to dismiss federal charges that he tried to overturn the 2020 election. Also in the news: Information has been released in piecemeal fashion since late last week involving Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s hospitalization and Michigan bested Washington 34-13 for the national championship.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Venus, Mercury and Mars met up with the moon early Tuesday.

Here is the news to know Tuesday.

Trump to appear in federal courthouse to address presidential immunity

Former President Donald Trump contends he is immune from federal charges he tried to overturn the 2020 election because he was president at the time.

His lawyers will make this argument to three Biden-appointed judges in a D.C. appeals court hearing Tuesday. Trump won't be taking the stand, but he is expected to appear at the hearings as he balances a busy campaign and courtroom schedule.

• He also argues that when the Senate acquitted him at an impeachment trial on charges he incited the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, lawmakers also blocked a criminal prosecution.

• The case could eventually reach the Supreme Court − which has already agreed to hear another Trump case, about whether he can appear on the ballot in Colorado.

• The appeal puts a hold on Trump’s election interference trial tentatively scheduled for March. Trump has sought to push this and three other criminal trials he faces until after the November election, as he campaigns again for the White House.

Related: Nikki Haley narrows a gap with Trump in New Hampshire, but he's still far ahead and Democrats in the state are more worried about democracy than the economy, new polling shows.

Pentagon probing botched disclosure of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's illness

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s chief of staff on Monday ordered an investigation into the events surrounding his hospitalization, his transferring authority to his deputy and the delayed notification of senior Pentagon leaders, the White House and Congress, the Pentagon announced late Monday. The investigation comes after intense bi-partisan scrutiny for the secrecy surrounding Austin’s illness and delayed disclosures. Read more

More news to know now

• 21 people were injured after a possible gas explosion at a historic Fort Worth, Texas, hotel.

• Blinken says Middle Eastern nations have a "real" interest in working with Israel.

• Florida GOP chairman Christian Ziegler, accused of rape, was removed from his job.

• For subscribers: The Mississippi River is an iconic part of America. Why doesn't it get more love?

• On today's The Excerpt podcast, why finding a remote job is getting harder. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

Here's how a Boeing 737 MAX 9 lost a panel midair

A left door plug that expelled from an Alaska Airlines flight had disengaged from the fuselage, "allowing it to blow out," the National Transportation Safety Board said late Monday, offering further details on the midflight blowout. The flight was forced to return to Portland, Oregon, shortly after takeoff when a section of the fuselage separated from the plane. None of the 177 passengers and crew were seriously injured and the plane landed safely in Portland. A missing door plug, which was discovered in a backyard in Portland on Sunday, is a key piece in the ongoing investigation of what happened during the flight. Read more

• These graphics show how the panel dislodged from the plane.

• An iPhone fell thousands of feet from the Alaska Airlines flight and still works.

Red Cross: Blood shortage at emergency levels

The American Red Cross has announced the organization faces a blood shortage so severe it cannot provide enough blood to some hospitals that need it for patients. The nonprofit, which collects and distributes about 40% of the nation's blood donations, said the shortage means some patients may get less blood than they need. Other blood donation organizations also report inventories are running low and say this is a challenging era for collecting blood due to changes since the pandemic. Employer-based blood drives are becoming a less robust source of blood donations as more Americans work from home. And fewer high schools and colleges are holding blood drives for eligible students, experts say. Read more

Keep scrolling

• Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel obliterated Aaron Rodgers in a new monologue.

• Is Pat McAfee trouble for ESPN?

• Christopher Nolan addressed that harsh Peloton "Tenet" review.

• This Florida resort gives critically ill children the chance to just be kids.

•  New satellite images show the East Coast is sinking faster than we thought.

Wolverines beat Huskies for national championship

Michigan beat the Washington Huskies, 34-13, in the College Football Playoff national championship game Monday night to win their first title since 1997. Michigan jumped out to a quick lead and didn’t look back, never trailing in the title game at NRG Stadium in Houston to capture its 12th national championship in program history. The Michigan defense didn’t crack against a team that went into the game with a top 10 offense and the best passing offense in the country. Read more

Photo of the day: Winter weather coats the US

After a pair of winter storms slammed both coasts with heavy snow, a massive cyclone is threatening the central and eastern United States with extreme weather as it continues to move across the country into the Midwest Tuesday. Read more

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.

Associated Press contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump immunity, Lloyd Austin, Boeing, blood donations, winter weather: Daily Briefing