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| Good morning, Daily Briefing readers! Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer plans to step down, paving the way for a Black woman to be elected to the high court for the first time in history. People around the world are remembering the millions of lives lost to hate on International Holocaust Remembrance Day. And, there's a new "Jeopardy!" champ in town: Chicago librarian Rhone Talsma has ended the epic winning streak of Amy Schneider, the most successful woman in the show's history. |
| It's Steve and Jane, with Thursday's news. |
| π° The Fed held its key interest rate near zero but said it will "soon be appropriate" to raise it, hinting that a rate hike in March is all but certain. |
| π΄ A body was found amid an ongoing search in a swath of the Atlantic Ocean the size of New Jersey for 38 people missing from a boat that capsized off the Florida coast. |
| πΊ Peter Robbins, the original voice of Charlie Brown in beloved classic Peanuts cartoons, has died. He was 65. |
| π As Buffalo Bills fans are recovering from their loss in Sunday's game, Kansas City Chiefs fans are rallying together to donate thousands to the Patricia Allen Fund, which benefits a children's hospital in Buffalo. |
| πΈ Request granted: Spotify said it is working on removing rock legend Neil Young's music from the platform in response to his claims it spreads COVID-19 vaccine misinformation. |
 | | Neil Young's request has been granted. | | USA TODAY | |
| π Goldie Hawn writes for USA TODAY Opinion: COVID trauma is hurting a generation of kids. We've failed them as a nation. For the latest COVID updates, tap here. |
| π€ Nearly 50 years into her career, Janet Jackson is still exhibiting the "Control" that turned her into a cultural icon. |
| π§ On today's 5 Things podcast, Supreme Court correspondent John Fritze looks ahead as Justice Stephen Breyer is set to step down. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker. |
| Here's what's happening today: |
Biden mulls Supreme Court pick as Breyer appears set to retire |
| Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer will step down by the end of this term after nearly three decades on the high court, a source told USA TODAY Wednesday. His retirement would hand President Joe Biden his first opportunity to nominate a jurist whose influence could be felt for decades. Biden and Breyer are expected to hold an event Thursday to formally announce Breyer's plans to retire, the Associated Press reports. |
| Breyer's announcement will kick off a frenzied process of confirming a successor, typically a monthslong ordeal that is likely to end with a groundbreaking nominee: Biden promised during his presidential campaign to name a Black woman to the high court for the first time in American history. USA TODAY Supreme Court correspondent John Fritze notes D.C. Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, whom President Barack Obama considered for the court in 2016, is a leading candidate. The AP reports U.S. District Judge J. Michelle Childs and California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger are being discussed as well. |
 | | Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer will step down after nearly three decades on the high court at the end of this term, several outlets reported Thursday. | | USA TODAY | |
UN marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day |
| Thursday is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, created by the United Nations General Assembly to commemorate the date that the Auschwitz concentration camp was liberated by the Red Army in 1945. The day is also to remember the 6 million Jews and other victims killed during the Holocaust. A United Nations virtual ceremony will include testimonies from Holocaust survivors from Canada, Israel, South Africa and the United States. The ceremony, which begins at 11 a.m. EST, will be livestreamed worldwide via UN Web TV. The day comes amid a rise in antisemitism, Holocaust denial, and discrimination against minorities. |
Just for subscribers: |
| π΅ Respect, fear, power: What's motivating Vladimir Putin to threaten Ukraine? |
| π³ In 1902, a postal worker challenged Jim Crow Alabama. Jackson Giles fought for his right to vote. |
| πΎ Gotta catch 'em all: PokΓ©mon still has a hold on all of us. Will Nintendo's new game live up to the billion-dollar expectation? |
| π΅ Alexander Vindman writes for USA TODAY Opinion: U.S. can stop the horror of a Putin war in Ukraine. But time is running out. |
| π Haley and Hanna Cavinder, twin basketball stars for Fresno State University, are the "queens" of college sports endorsements. |
| These articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here. Here is all of our subscriber content. |
Ash Barty ends drought with stellar play at the Australian Open |
| Ash Barty ended a long drought by reaching the Australian Open final with a 6-1, 6-3 win over unseeded American Madison Keys. Barty is the first Australian woman to reach the singles final of her home Grand Slam tournament since Wendy Turnbull in 1980. No Australian has won the title since Chris O'Neil in 1978. The top-ranked Barty conceded only 17 games on her way to the semifinals and continued her strong form by beating Keys. Barty will next play Saturday against either No. 7 seed Iga ΕwiΔ
tek, who hails from Poland, or American Danielle Collins, the 27th seed. That match is underway on Rod Laver Arena. Collins, 28, underwent surgery last year to treat endometriosis, which left her in severe pain while competing in 2021. "It feels incredible, especially after some of the health challenges I've had," Collins said after defeating Alize Cornet in the quarterfinal. |
 | | Ash Barty of Australia plays a forehand return to Madison Keys of the U.S. during their semifinal match at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Thursday, Jan. 27. | | The Associated Press | |
New 'Jeopardy!' champ tries to start a fresh winning streak |
| Thursday's episode of the famed game show "Jeopardy!" will look a lot different than other recent installments as viewers will see a new returning champion for the first time since mid-November. Previous champ Amy Schneider, an engineering manager from Oakland, California, finally was defeated after a 40-game winning streak during Wednesday's episode. She lost to Rhone Talsma, a Chicago librarian, just days after becoming the quiz show's second all-time winner Monday. Schneider trails only current host of the syndicated quiz show Ken Jennings, who won 74 consecutive games in 2004. Now the most successful woman in the show's history, Schneider will be back to play in the 2022 Tournament of Champions later this year. |
 | | "Jeopardy!" champion Amy Schneider | | Sony Pictures Television photo via AP; USA TODAY Life graphic | |
ICYMI: Some of our top stories yesterday |
| π¦ Omicron's new variant cousin, BA.2, has arrived in the U.S. But don't panic yet, experts say. |
| π· Free masks are on the way to pharmacies. Here's when N95 masks can be picked up at stores. |
| π² So long, Bally's; hello, Horseshoe: More than 70 years after the first Horseshoe casino emerged in downtown Las Vegas, the historic brand is returning to its hometown – this time at the center of the Strip. |
| π A South Dakota woman received quite a surprise when her food order was delivered by the police after a DoorDash driver was arrested in a viral TikTok video. |
Ford to pump the brakes on 2022 Maverick orders |
| The garage door is about to close – at least temporarily – for would-be buyers of Ford's all-new 2022 Maverick compact pickup truck. The automaker said it will stop accepting all orders on the truck on Thursday – both hybrid and gasoline versions – until summer, citing high demand. The decision is an effort to avoid customer disappointment related to potential delivery delay, Ford spokesperson Said Deep told the Detroit Free Press. The vehicle was revealed in June and consumers responded immediately to the award-winning pickup that starts at $20,000 and gets 42 mpg in the city. |
πΈ Photo of the day: Virginia Tech gets a huge dunk, but loses late πΈ |
 | | Virginia Tech forward Keve Aluma (22) dunks the ball against Miami at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Virginia, on Wednesday, Jan. 26. | | Ryan Hunt, USA TODAY Sports | |
| Kameron McGusty scored 19 points to lead five Miami players scoring in double figures and Charlie Moore hit a half-court shot at the buzzer to help the Hurricanes beat Virginia Tech 78-75 on Wednesday night. |
| Keve Aluma, seen here finishing off a dunk during the game, had 14 points for Virginia Tech (10-10, 2-7 ACC). Miami moved to 15-5, 7-2 in the ACC with the victory. |
| Head here to see more of the best photos from the 2021-22 men's college basketball season. |
| Contributing: The Associated Press |
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