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| Happy Thursday, Daily Briefing readers! President Joe Biden is expected to unveil a series of executive actions to tighten gun restrictions and curb gun violence later today. On the lighter side, in a sign that spring truly has arrived, the Masters tees off this morning from Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. |
| Steve and Jane are here with Thursday's news. |
| Let's get started with some news items that are buzzing this morning. |
| ⚖ West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin reiterated his opposition to eliminating the filibuster on Wednesday, dimming Democratic hopes for changing the contentious rule. |
| 🚢 The USS Johnston, a U.S. Navy destroyer sunk during a World War II battle in 1944, has finally been found in "the deepest wreck dive in history." |
 | | USS Johnston off Seattle, Washington, 27 October 1943 a year before it sank in October 1944. | | Courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command | |
| 🏒The Vancouver Canucks said 25 players and coaches have tested positive in a COVID-19 outbreak involving a variant of the virus. |
| 📺 George Segal's final appearance on ABC's family comedy "The Goldbergs" was quintessential Pops: A mix of humor based on generational misunderstanding and folksy but legitimate wisdom, seasoned with plenty of heart. |
| 🎶Once again, Niecy Nash assumed Nick Cannon's hosting duties on "The Masked Singer" since he tested positive for COVID-19. The final reveal was iconic. |
| 😊Your morning smile:😊 Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal recently paid off the price of an engagement ring for a man who was shopping at a jewelry store. |
| 🎧On today's 5 Things podcast, enterprise editor Cristina Silva reports on how George Floyd's addiction could change how Americans talk about drug use and Black Americans. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker. |
| Here's what's happening today: |
Biden to unveil 6 executive actions to tighten gun restrictions |
| President Joe Biden is set to unveil six executive actions aimed at curbing gun violence on Thursday, following a string of mass shootings that has put pressure on the administration to act upon the president's long-held campaign promise to tackle gun control. The first action will direct the Department of Justice to propose a rule within 30 days to stop the proliferation of so-called "ghost guns," or makeshift weapons that can be constructed at home or that lack a serial number, according to a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Moreover, administration officials emphasized that the executive actions were "initial steps" they would take to address gun violence and that officials would work on additional actions in the weeks ahead. |
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Derek Chauvin murder trial resumes with more witnesses expected |
| More witnesses are expected to take the stand Thursday in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd. Jurors have heard from 30 witnesses so far, with all of them called by the prosecution. One expert witness, Sgt. Jody Stiger of the Los Angeles Police Department, testified Wednesday that the continuous pressure Chauvin exerted on Floyd "raised the possibility of death." But defense attorney Eric Nelson shifted focus back to Floyd's drug use, suggesting Floyd said the words "I ate too many drugs" during his struggle with police. He played several seconds of unintelligible police body-cam audio for witnesses. One said he couldn't make out Floyd's words, and other said he thought Floyd was saying "I ain't do no drugs." Two forensic scientists also said pills found in the SUV and police squad car Floyd had been in that day contained methamphetamine, a stimulant, and fentanyl, a synthetic opioid. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd's death in May 2020. |
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What else people are reading: |
| 🔵 Walter Olkewicz, an actor who has been seen in various movies and TV shows, including "Twin Peaks," "Seinfeld," "Who's the Boss?" and "Night Court" has died at the age of 72 following a prolonged illness. |
| 🔵 Brooke Baldwin said her father's advice encouraged her to leave her on-air job at CNN after 13 years. |
| 🔵 Tiger Woods was driving at an estimated speed of 84 to 87 mph before he crashed his vehicle in February, but authorities don't know if he was conscious when he lost control of his vehicle that day. |
| 🔵Twenty-five-year-old Travis Rudolph, a former Florida State standout and ex-NFL wide receiver, has been arrested on charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. His arrest stems from a double shooting in South Florida early Wednesday. |
| 🔵 The COVID-19 smart face mask from Razer should be available for consumers to buy in the third quarter of this year. As shown at the CES tech trade show in January, the mask promised N95 medical-grade respirator protection and had a built-in microphone and amplifier so your voice could be heard better. |
Louisiana lawmakers 'looking into subpoena' for LSU coach Orgeron |
| Louisiana lawmakers are not happy that Louisiana State University football coach Ed Orgeron has chosen not to appear Thursday before the Senate Select Committee on Women and Children to answer questions related to its probe of sexual misconduct over the years by LSU football players, and are considering subpoenaing him. Orgeron instead testified in a letter to the committee, which was one of the options he was afforded when it requested his testimony last week. However, state representative Aimee Freeman said that since part of Orgeron's salary comes from state taxpayers, him not sitting in front of a committee investigating his program is wrong. Orgeron is the highest paid state employee in Louisiana at $6 million a year after winning the 2019-20 national championship. USA TODAY's reporting revealed widespread mishandling of sexual misconduct cases by both the school's athletic department and its broader administration. |
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Also new this morning: |
| 🔴Cellist Yo-Yo Ma recently made news with an impromptu performance at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where he is a part-time resident. USA TODAY's Jill Lawrence recently spoke with the 18-time Grammy winner about the role of musicians in a pandemic and much more. |
| 🔴Virgin Voyages is the latest cruise line moving sailings abroad as the timeline to resume cruising in U.S. waters remains unclear. Its first ship, Scarlet Lady, will make its debut in August in the United Kingdom with a series of voyages open to residents of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. |
First round of The Masters tees off in Augusta, Georgia |
| The Masters, the first major men's golf tournament of the year, will begin on Thursday. Dustin Johnson is chasing history in his attempt to become the fourth golfer ever to win back-to-back Masters champion titles. Johnson, the current world No. 1, will still have to fend off challengers like Jordan Spieth, Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas to win the title. One familiar face will be missing from the tournament: Five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods, who is recovering from multiple leg injuries he sustained in a Feb. 23 car crash in Los Angeles. The tournament will begin honorary tee shots of Lee Elder, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player and coverage will begin at 8:30 a.m. ET on CBS . |
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Newsmakers in their own words: Climate change is still going strong |
| "Human activity is driving climate change. If we want to mitigate the worst impacts, it's going to take a deliberate focus on reducing fossil fuels emissions to near zero – and even then we'll need to look for ways to further remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere." |
| – Colm Sweeney of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Global Monitoring Laboratory as part of a statement released Wednesday. |
| The COVID-19 pandemic did nothing to slow the root cause of global warming. |
| In fact, the level of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere is now higher than it's been in at least 3.6 million years, NOAA scientists announced . |
Disney World to relax mask restrictions for photos |
| Starting Thursday, Disney World's mask mandate is updating to allow guests to take their masks off for photos. Masks are still required for all guests ages 2 and up, even those who have received a COVID-19 vaccine. Previously, guests were only allowed to take their masks off when they were actively eating or drinking, but starting Thursday, visitors will be allowed to take them off for outdoor photos as well. The Florida theme park reopened with COVID-19 restrictions in July and further tightened its mask mandate in the following weeks. Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park will open to California residents on April 30 for the first time since shutting down in March 2020. |
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ICYMI: Some of our other top stories published Wednesday |
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