 |
| |
 | | | Is this a new Cold War? | | NATO leaders will hold an "extraordinary virtual summit" on Ukraine, CDC to announce new mask guidelines and more news to start your Friday. | | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| Good morning, Daily Briefing readers. Russian troops were advancing on Kyiv Friday, the second day of the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine that has already killed hundreds. President Joe Biden has reportedly made a decision on his first nomination to the Supreme Court, after pledging to name a Black woman to the nation's highest court for the first time. And, most Americans will no longer be advised to wear masks in indoor public places as the CDC unveils new COVID-19 guidelines. |
| Jane and Steve are here with Friday's news. |
| 🚨 Ukraine's Defense Ministry said some Russian troops had broken through to several districts on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Follow the latest updates on Russia's invasion on usatoday.com. |
| 📩 The latest news on the Russia-Ukraine crisis, straight to your inbox. Sign up for the newsletter here. |
| ⚖️ Three former Minneapolis police officers were found guilty of violating the civil rights of George Floyd. Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao were convicted of depriving Floyd of his right to medical care as Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into his neck. |
| 🔴 District attorneys representing five of Texas' largest counties said they will not treat gender-affirming procedures for transgender youth as "child abuse," defying a push by the state's attorney general and governor to target the medical treatments. |
| ⚖️ A judge ordered James and Jennifer Crumbley to stand trial for their alleged roles in the deadly Michigan high school shooting, concluding they could have stopped the rampage that was carried out by their son. |
| ⚽ Russia loses key international sports event: The Champions League final has been pulled out of St. Petersburg. The match will still take place May 28, but in Paris. |
| 🎥 Sally Kellerman, the Oscar-nominated actress who was the original Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the 1970 film "M*A*S*H*," has died. She was 84. |
 | | Sally Kellerman has died, her manager and publicist Alan Eichler confirmed to USA TODAY. She was 84. | | USA TODAY | |
| 📚 Niecy Nash and wife Jessica Betts are "making herstory" as first queer couple on the cover of Essence magazine. |
| 🗞 How well have you been following the news this week? Test your knowledge here! |
| 🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, hear from Ukrainians on the ground as they try to flee war. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker. |
| Here'd what's happening today: |
Russia presses Ukraine invasion to outskirts of capital, NATO leaders to hold 'extraordinary virtual summit' |
| Russia pressed its invasion of Ukraine to the outskirts of the capital Kyiv where explosions sounded before dawn Friday, following a day of fighting that left 137 Ukrainians, a mixture of soldiers and civilians, dead. Britain's defense secretary told his country's media Friday that Russia has lost about 450 military personnel. President Joe Biden was to meet Friday morning with fellow leaders of NATO governments in what the White House described as an "extraordinary virtual summit." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his government had information that "subversive groups" were encroaching on Kyiv, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the city "could well be under siege" in what U.S. officials believe is a brazen attempt by Russian President Vladimir Putin to install his own regime. Biden unveiled a new raft of economic sanctions against Moscow Thursday as part of an international rallying cry to respond to Russia's attack. Biden also issued a chilling warning that he believes Putin "has much larger ambitions" that extend beyond Ukraine's borders. "He wants to, in fact, re-establish the former Soviet Union," Biden said. "His ambitions are completely contrary to the place where the rest of the world has arrived." |
| 🔵 "We now have war": Read NATO's full transcript in response to Russia's attack. |
 | | A child on a swing outside a residential building damaged by a missile on February 25, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Russia began a large-scale attack on Ukraine, with Russian troops invading the country from the north, east and south, accompanied by air strikes and shelling. | | Pierre Crom, Getty Images | |
Biden appears poised to name Breyer's Supreme Court replacement |
| President Joe Biden has made a decision on his first nomination to the Supreme Court to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer, two sources told USA TODAY Thursday night. They declined to name the candidate. Biden's search has centered on U.S. Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger and U.S. District Judge J. Michelle Childs. The decision, first reported by CNN, could be revealed as soon as Friday. As a presidential candidate, Biden pledged to name a Black woman to the Supreme Court for the first time in history during a debate in South Carolina on Feb. 25, 2020 – two years ago. The decision comes as the window narrowed for Biden to meet a self-imposed deadline to announce his pick by the end of this month. Vice President Kamala Harris, whom the president said would play a key role in the search, postponed a scheduled visit to Louisiana set for Friday. |
| 🔵 New USA TODAY/Suffolk poll: A majority of Americans say diversity should be a factor for the Supreme Court nomination. |
Just for subscribers: |
| 🔵 A new Cold War, or the start of World War III? How historians see Russia's invasion of Ukraine. |
| 💹 Financial markets across the world were rocked Thursday, after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched military action in Ukraine. |
| ⛽️ Russia's attack on Ukraine will lead to a bigger impact on the U.S. economy as it pushes gas prices and inflation higher and dents confidence. |
| 🦠 As COVID-19 cases fall, experts are optimistic. But for how long? |
| 💍 Humankind: How one TikTok video started a movement to support LGBTQ couples on their wedding day. |
| Are you already a subscriber and want all of the subscriber-only content emailed to you directly every day? We can do that! Sign up for that here. |
Newsmakers in their own words: Kyiv Mayor Klitschko isn't going anywhere |
 | | Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, Ukraine, speaks during a visit to a volunteer recruitment center in Kyiv on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. | | AFP photo via Getty Images; USA TODAY Sports graphic | |
| Hall of Fame boxer Vitali Klitschko has vowed to fight in the "bloody war" after Russia invaded Ukraine, where he currently serves as the mayor of the capital Kyiv. |
| Klitschko was sworn in as mayor and head of the Kyiv City State Administration in 2014, one year after retiring from professional boxing to take on a bigger fight in his native country. |
| Klitschko's brother, fellow Hall of Fame boxer Wladimir Klitschko, joined the Kyiv Territorial Defense Brigade earlier this month. |
Most Americans won't have to wear masks indoors as CDC eases guidelines |
| The Biden administration will significantly loosen federal mask-wearing guidelines to protect against COVID-19 transmission on Friday, two people familiar with the matter told the Associated Press, meaning most Americans will no longer be advised to wear masks in indoor public settings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday will announce a change to the metrics it uses to determine whether to recommend face coverings, shifting from looking at COVID-19 case counts to a more holistic view of risk from the coronavirus to a community. Under current guidelines, masks are recommended for people residing in communities of substantial or high transmission — roughly 95% of U.S. counties, according to the latest data. The new metrics will still consider caseloads, but also take into account hospitalizations and local hospital capacity, which have been markedly improved during the emergence of the omicron variant. |
Huge winter storm brings snow and ice misery to millions |
| A huge storm moving from the central U.S. eyes the Northeast for Friday . More than half an inch of ice could accumulate in the Ozarks through Friday morning, while another area of freezing rain was expected to hit south-central Pennsylvania and western Maryland, the Weather Service said. The storm is also forecast to cause major travel disruptions further north by spreading up to a foot or more of snow in parts of the Northeast and New England, AccuWeather said. This expansive and far-reaching storm will have impacted about 265 million people from California to Maine by the time it exits the U.S. Friday evening, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Bernie Rayno. |
| ✈️ Winter storms threaten weekend travel plans: Airlines cancel over 3,000 flights. |
James Harden expected to make his 76ers debut |
| James Harden isn't listed on the Philadelphia 76ers' official injury report for Friday's night road matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, so he is expected to make his eagerly awaited Sixers' debut. NBA insider Shams Charania also reported Harden will play his first game for the 76ers Friday. Acquired at the Feb. 10 trade deadline in a blockbuster deal from the Brooklyn Nets involving Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and Andre Drummond, Harden hasn't played since Feb. 2 due to left hamstring tightness. Harden was selected to last Sunday's NBA All-Star Game, which was his 10th, but didn't participate because of the hamstring. Harden, 32, averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 assists (second in the NBA) and eight rebounds in 44 games for Brooklyn this season. Harden's scoring, field goal percentage (.414) and 3-point percentage (.332) are his lowest numbers since joining the Houston Rockets in 2012. |
 | | James Harden had been practicing with the Sixers and is expected to make his debut when the second half begins. | | Bill Streicher, USA TODAY Sports | |
ICYMI: Some of our top stories yesterday |
| 🔵 Why is Russia invading Ukraine? Could it be the start of WWIII? Here's what we know. |
| 🌏 Will the U.S. help Ukraine in a war vs. Russia? American troops bolster NATO in Europe. |
| 🔴 Who are Russia's allies in the Ukraine conflict and what is their stance? |
| ⛽️ Will gas prices keep rising after Russia invasion of Ukraine? Here's what we know. |
📸 TikTok has spoken: See the top 10 bucket-list destinations for 2022 📸 |
 | | Magic Kingdom's Cinderella Castle got a royal makeover ahead of Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary celebrations. | | Matt Stroshane, The Walt Disney Company | |
| Travelers looking for inspiration on their next trip have plenty available to feed their wanderlust. |
| Next Vacay, which helps travelers find cheap flights, looked at factors including popularity of destinations on the social media site TikTok, Tripadvisor ratings, weather and affordable accommodation to come up with this year's top 10 bucket-list destinations. |
| Check out the gallery of their picks here. |
| Contributing: The Associated Press |
| |
| |
| |
No comments:
Post a Comment