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| Happy Friday, Daily Briefing readers! Are COVID-19 booster shots "luxuries" or essential to protect against the deadly disease? The FDA will decide. Meanwhile, the mystery of the disappearance of Gabrielle "Gabby" Petito is still unresolved. And, a PSA for all Apple fans: If you're in the market for the latest smartphone, you're in luck! |
| It's Steve and Jane with Friday's news. |
| 😷 New this morning: Long-haul COVID-19 can last months. But experts are optimistic about recovery. Research is underway to decipher the disease and find treatments to help suffering long-haulers. |
| ✂️ Unauthorized haircut: The father of a 7-year-old Michigan girl whose hair was cut by a teacher without her parents' permission has filed a $1 million lawsuit against the school district, a librarian and a teacher's assistant. |
| ✨ "Moment of great emotion": A man from Brazil had the kind of magic moment most amateur astronomers can only dream of: He filmed an astronomical event on his favorite planet, Jupiter. |
| 🏈 "Arthritic hand gesture": Many Clemson football fans and alumni did not take too well to a new hand gesture that some fans held up during Saturday's win over the South Carolina State Bulldogs. |
| 📰 Did you pay attention to the news this week? Take our news quiz and find out! |
| 🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, hear the latest from R. Kelly's sex crimes trial. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker. |
| Here's what's happening today: |
FDA to determine if COVID-19 vaccine boosters are widely needed |
| A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee decides Friday whether third shots of the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and protective against infections . At root is whether the extra shots are "luxuries" or an essential part of providing complete protection against the virus, said presidential adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci. He and other federal officials, including President Joe Biden, believe it is time to begin offering third shots to compensate for what appears to be fading protection. Others, particularly the director general of the World Health Organization, argue that Americans would benefit far more by getting initial shots to the unvaccinated around the world. |
Gabrielle Petito argued with her fiancé in Utah before vanishing |
| The past few days have seen a flurry of activity in the case of the missing 22-year-old Gabrielle "Gabby" Petito, who was last seen Aug. 30 in Wyoming: A plea from Petito's father for details on what happened to his daughter; body camera footage from Moab, Utah, police showing the couple trying to work out a manic episode in the desert; and police reports revealing simmering difficulties between the two on their cross-country trip. Petito's fiancé, Brian Laundrie, 23, is being called a "person of interest" in the case. Laundrie hasn't been charged, and he's not cooperating. Laundrie's sister, Cassie Laundrie, told ABC's "Good Morning America" in part of an interview released in advance of its airing Friday that she was concerned. "Obviously me and my family want Gabby to be found safe," she said. |
 | | Bodycam footage shows Gabby Petito and her fiancé Brian Laundrie talking to police in Utah after having a fight during their cross-country road trip. | | Moab City Police Dept. | |
What else people are reading: |
| 😷 "Now we have to observe the self-isolation regime": Russian President Vladimir Putin says dozens of his staff have been infected with the coronavirus. |
| 💰 Cost-of-living adjustment: After years of puny increases in their Social Security checks, older Americans will likely get the equivalent of a big raise next year. |
| ⚖️ Secret network: A Michigan doctor is on trial on charges of performing female genital mutilation on minor girls in the U.S. She wasn't the only doctor who was cutting children, federal prosecutors disclosed. |
| 💜 It's official! Ant Anstead and Renée Zellweger are making their Instagram debut as a couple. Dating rumors first started in July. |
Newsmakers in their own words: Vindman addresses Milley's alleged actions |
 | | Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, is photographed in his home on July 29, 2021, in Woodbridge, Virginia. | | USA TODAY photo and graphic | |
| A new book claiming that Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held calls with Chinese military leaders to head off a nuclear confrontation prompted swift backlash from many allies of former President Donald Trump, and one key critic: Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman. On Twitter, the whistleblower who reported calls with Ukraine that led to the impeachment of Trump called for Milley's ouster over the top general's phone calls. |
DC lawyer indicted in Russia review to make first court appearance |
| Justice Department special counsel John Durham , who has been examining abuses during the investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election, secured an indictment Thursday against a Washington attorney accused of lying to the FBI. The charge against Michael Sussmann, a prominent cybersecurity attorney whose firm is closely tied with Democratic Party interests, is linked to a 2016 contact with the FBI when he raised concerns about a secret channel of communications between a Russian bank and the Trump Organization. Sussmann's information, according to court documents, "misled the FBI concerning the political nature of his work." Attorneys for Sussmann, who is expected to make his first court appearance Friday, have denied any wrongdoing by their client. |
Stars' new movies arriving this weekend: |
| 🎥 "Cry Macho": Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood's latest directing/starring vehicle is a familiar one: A grizzled former rodeo star (Eastwood) is hired by his ex-boss (Dwight Yoakam) to travel from Texas to Mexico to bring back his son (Eduardo Minett). The film will be in theaters and on HBO Max. |
| 🎥 "The Eyes of Tammy Faye": After years of being a 1970s and '80s TV holy woman, Tammy Faye Bakker became a pop-culture laughingstock, but Jessica Chastain gives her a redemption story – and vaults into Oscar contention. The film charts the rise and fall of Jim Bakker (Andrew Garfield) and his wife's popular religious broadcasting network. Check out USA TODAY movie critic Brian Truitt's ★★★½ out of four review. |
 | | Tammy Faye (Jessica Chastain) gives a joyful noise while Jim Bakker (Andrew Garfield) looks on with his cat in "The Eyes of Tammy Faye." | | DANIEL McFADDEN | |
iPhone 13 available for pre-order |
| Consumers can pre-order the iPhone 13 , the latest version of Apple's popular smartphone, starting Friday. Along with the typical upgrades to processing speed, display and battery life, the iPhone 13 adds a Cinematic Mode, which uses an automatic focus to shift between subjects in a video, similar to Portrait Mode for photos. Apple offers four models: a standard version with a 6.1-inch display, a Mini model and Pro and Pro Max models with larger screens and better battery life. Shipping begins Sept. 24, although depending on demand, it's likely eager consumers might have to wait longer for their new smartphone to arrive. The new phone also means the arrival of iOS 15, which launches as a free software update on Sept. 20. |
NFC East rivals put on a show on 'Thursday Night Football' |
| 🏈 WFT pulls out a back-and-forth affair over the Giants: WFT backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke out-dueled the 2019 sixth overall pick, Daniel Jones, survived a couple of close scrapes and saw his Washington Football Team win 30-29 over the New York Giants on a second-chance, last-second field goal. |
| 🏈 "We truly believe we can win with him": Columnist Mike Jones writes that while WFT head coach Ron Rivera could have altered his course after starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick went down with a hip injury, he stuck with Taylor Heinicke, who was already on the team. Heinicke rewarded Rivera for his endorsement, playing a great game and leading the game-winning drive. |
 | | Taylor Heinicke threw for 336 yards and 2 TDs in the Washington Football Team's win against the Giants. | | Patrick Semansky, AP | |
| 🏈 "Hard Knocks" news during 'TNF': The NFL revealed Thursday that its popular docuseries will finally trail a team during the regular season. "Hard Knocks In Season: The Indianapolis Colts" will debut Nov. 17, on HBO and HBO Max. It will highlight the Colts through the end of the regular season and into the playoffs if the team qualifies. |
Lil Nas X's debut album drops for the masses |
| Social media erupted this spring when Lil Nas X released the video for "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)", which includes sexually explicit biblical and Satanic imagery. While some felt he went too far, fans celebrated the video's queerness. The artist released his full-length debut album, called "Montero," early Friday morning. USA TODAY's Melissa Ruggieri writes that while his 2019 EP "7" personified a quick cash-in to capitalize on the popularity of "Old Town Road," "Montero" showcases a young man who hurts and feels and seeks and celebrates — an honest portrait of Lil Nas X at 22." |
ICYMI: Some of our top stories Thursday |
| 🎤 "America's Got Talent": Magician Dustin Tavella won Season 16 in a star-studded finale. |
| 📣 Rolling Stone updated its list of the 500 greatest songs of all-time – its first update in 17 years. And there's a new No. 1. |
| 🔵 Alex Murdaugh, the prominent South Carolina lawyer at the center of multiple state investigations, turned himself into police. Here's what we know. |
| 🏡 Should I rent or buy a home right now? Well, that depends on where you want to live. |
| 👩🍳 "I basically hit rock bottom": Ree Drummond is taking her "Pioneer Woman" alter ego to another level as she explores her new lifestyle changes. |
📸 Photo of the day: The astronaut-less SpaceX launch 📸 |
 | | The launch of a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket on the Inspiration4 mission launched from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center with an all civilian crew who plan to orbit the earth for three days before returning. The crew was launched at 8:02 p.m. Wednesday evening.View from the Beachline with the Canaveral Lock in the foreground, | | MALCOLM DENEMARK, FLORIDA TODAY/USA TODAY Network | |
| The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket on the Inspiration4 mission launched from Florida's Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday night. The astronaut-less rocket blasted off into the night sky and dazzled the crowds of spectators who came to watch – it produced some visually stunning photos and videos, too. |
| Head here to see more remarkable photos from the day of the launch of the SpaceX Inspiration4, the first all-civilian mission to orbit. |
| The Daily Briefing is free, but several stories we link to in this edition are subscriber-only. Please support our journalism and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today. |
| Contributing: The Associated Press |
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