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| Good morning, Daily Briefing readers. And Happy Earth Day! President Joe Biden will observe the day with other world leaders at a major climate summit – virtually, of course. Daunte Wright, who was shot by police in Minnesota, will be laid to rest two days after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd. |
| Steve and Jane are here with Thursday's news. |
| Let's get started with some other items that people are talking about today. |
| 🌎 New this morning: A USA TODAY investigation revealed the Peace Corps is failing to manage the threat of sexual assault against its volunteers, at times placing them in dangerous situations and inflicting further trauma by bungling its response to assaults. |
| 💉 India reported a global record of more than 314,000 new COVID-19 infections Thursday as a grim coronavirus surge sends more and more sick people into a fragile health care system. Head here for the latest COVID-19 updates. |
| ⚖ Nicole Poole Franklin, of Des Moines, Iowa, pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to two hate crime charges after a string of incidents on Dec. 9, 2019, during which police said she hit a 12-year-old boy, who is Black, and a 14-year-old girl, who is Latina, with her car. |
| 🌎 When asked as part of a survey about which issue concerned members of Generation Z the most, the environment and climate change had the second-highest percentage at 47%, behind racism and social justice at 62%. |
| 💔 Country singer Jana Kramer has filed for divorce from former NFL player Mike Caussin less than a year after the two co-authored a book on strengthening relationships. |
| 🎶 Wednesday night's super-sized, two-hour episode of Fox's "The Masked Singer" featured two celebrities being eliminated from the competition, including one singer who has had a long and storied R&B career. |
| 🎧On today's 5 Things podcast, listen for updates on recent police shootings, as Daunte Wright is laid to rest. 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 honor Earth Day with virtual climate summit |
| People across the globe are celebrating our planet's very own holiday Thursday. Overall, more than 1 billion people in 192 countries participate in each Earth Day "to build environmental democracy and advocate for sustainability," according to EarthDay.org. The Biden administration is observing the 51st Earth Day with a global virtual climate summit Thursday and Friday with 40 world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi King Salman. The summit is meant to signal a renewed U.S. commitment to leading the global fight against climate change after four years in which the Donald Trump administration played down the threat. EarthDay.org will be hosting events virtually and will run parallel to the Biden event. "Our four-hour event will be action-packed," Olivia Altman of EarthDay.org promised. |
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Daunte Wright will be laid to rest, days after the end of the Derek Chauvin trial |
| The Black community in Minneapolis celebrated with a rally outside the courthouse after a jury convicted former police officer Derek Chauvin of murder charges in the death of George Floyd. On Wednesday, they renewed their mourning for 20-year-old Daunte Wright, who will be laid to rest Thursday. Wright, a Black man, was killed by police during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, on April 11. Rev. Al Sharpton, who will give the eulogy at the funeral, addressed mourners Wednesday at a public viewing for Wright and promised he and other national civil rights leaders would seek justice for Wright's family, including his 2-year-old son. The officer accused of killing Wright, Kim Potter, said she accidentally drew her handgun instead of a Taser. She has been charged with second-degree manslaughter. |
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What else people are reading: |
| 🔵 A Michigan father has transferred his 7-year-old biracial daughter to a new school after her classmate cut off one side of her hair and, two days later, a library employee cut off the other side. |
| 🟢 Church & Dwight has recalled some of its vitafusion gummy products because they may contain metal. The firm is not aware of any reports of illness or injury, but in "some severe cases, ingesting a metallic material could lead to damage of the digestive tract." |
| 🟣 Former "American Idol" contestant Cecil Ray was arrested and charged with burglary of habitation in Texas. The arrest came less than a week after he was eliminated on April 11 from the ABC singing competition. He made the top 24. |
| 🔵Prosecutors in Minnesota may have secured a conviction against Derek Chauvin, but legal experts say the case against the three other former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd's death is the harder one to prove. |
| 🔵 A shouting match ensued between Reps. Val Demings and Jim Jordan during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on a hate crimes bill this week. The lawmakers from opposing parties argued over using law enforcement for political gain. |
 | | Florida Democratic Rep. Val Demings in 2020 | | USA TODAY graphic | |
More protests expected after another Black person shot by law enforcement |
| As anger grows over the deadly police shooting of 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant in Ohio – 20 minutes before the announcement of Derek Chauvin's guilty verdict Tuesday for murdering George Floyd – the death of yet another Black man at the hands of law enforcement has sparked more outrage. Andrew Brown Jr. was fatally shot in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, by a sheriff's deputy while executing a search warrant Wednesday. District Attorney Andrew Womble has promised "accurate answers and not fast answers." He did not offer a timetable. Protesters took to the streets in Elizabeth City after the shooting and they have vowed to return while staying peaceful Thursday. "When is it going to stop?" said Keith Rivers, president of the Pasquotank County chapter of the NAACP. |
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Newsmakers in their own words: Brett Favre on Derek Chauvin |
 | | Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre in 2020 | | USA TODAY graphic | |
| Favre also added that Chauvin's actions "were uncalled for." He also said, "I don't care what color the person is on the street. I don't know what led to that video that we saw where his knee is on his neck, but the man had thrown in the towel." |
| Favre said last week he wanted politics out of sports and he was aware of the backlash his comments received but stands by them. |
Biden works to combat vaccine hesitancy |
| As public health officials work to overcome COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among millions of Americans concerned about the safety and effectiveness of the shots, a scathing inspection report from the FDA cited multiple concerning observations at a drug manufacturing plant blamed for ruining 15 million doses of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine. The report said the Emergent BioSolutions plant was dirty, too small and poorly designed, and that employees – who were not adequately trained – did not handle ingredients correctly. Production at the facility was halted last week. President Joe Biden is working to convince those who are vaccine-hesitant that the shots are safe and effective. The president is also urging employers to give workers paid time off to get vaccinated and, if necessary, to recover from side effects. |
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📺 TV talk: Other stories trending this morning |
| 1️⃣ The first two episodes of the Freeform thriller series "Cruel Summer" premiered this week. The show has received positive reviews with a Fresh rating of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes with words like "addictive" and "compelling" being used by some critics. |
| 2️⃣ The world of "How I Met Your Mother" will continue on Hulu with "How I Met Your Father," a sequel to the original CBS comedy that will star Hilary Duff. |
| 3️⃣ Actor LeVar Burton has been tapped to join the final round of "Jeopardy!" guest hosts who will preside over the iconic game show through the rest of this season. He says he's "really, really, really" serious about wanting to takeover as permanent host. |
ICYMI: Some of our other top stories published Wednesday |
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