Friday, March 13, 2026

Four more US service members killed

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The Daily Briefing

YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP

Fri Mar 13 2026

Nicole Fallert
Newsletter Writer & SEO Editor

Welcome to the Daily Briefing. Start your morning with these stories:

•	Wild weather wallops much of the nation.
•	Would the SAVE Act affect married women?
•	The Pussycat Dolls are back.

Nicole Fallert here. Friday's news includes four more U.S. service members killed in the war with Iran. Plus: A look at the reality of having kids in America today.

US service members killed in plane crash

Four more U.S. service members have been killed in the Middle East and rescue efforts are ongoing for two more whose military refueling aircraft crashed, officials said on Friday, as the war in Iran approaches the two-week mark with few signs of slowing down.

The military said the incident over Iraq involved another aircraft, but was not the result of hostile or friendly fire. The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. An armed group allied to Iran previously claimed responsibility for the incident.

More about the war from USA TODAY: Explosive underwater devices in the Strait of Hormuz are left behind to detonate when a ship passes. Clearing these mines is slow, expensive and dangerous.

More news to know now

•	One day, two shootings: Authorities called a Michigan synagogue attack a "targeted act of violence against the Jewish community." Meanwhile a deadly Old Dominion University shooting is being probed as an act of terrorism.
•	TSA agents are sleeping in cars. "Numerous employees have reported to me that their bank accounts are at zero or negative," Johnny Jones, Secretary-Treasurer of AFGE TSA Council 100 and a Dallas-based TSA worker, told USA TODAY . "No funds for daycare, no funds for food."
•	Even with $100K, they can't afford another baby. Kailah Brewer is a 32-year-old teacher in Chesapeake, Virginia. She and her husband planned for a second child. But they're strapped amid student loan debt, child care costs and medical bills . She balks at President Donald Trump urging women to have more babies.

98th Academy Awards

Oscars weekend kicks off Hollywood style

(L-R) Emma Watson and Macaulay Culkin attend as W Magazine and Dior host intimate dinner ahead of the Academy Awards at Mr Chow on March 12, 2026 in Beverly Hills, California.

Emma McIntyre, Getty Images for W Magazine

Okay now we're nostalgic: Emma Watson and Macaulay Culkin are among movie favorites gathering in Hollywood this weekend for a slew of star-studded events leading up to Sunday's 98th Academy Awards. Prep your Oscars watch party with your own glamBOT videos and don't forget to sign up for USA TODAY's Style Meter to vote for your favorite red carpet look!

2026 March Madness

Selection Sunday is almost here!

In-between watching the Oscars, you'll be flipping channels to Selection Sunday, when both the men's and women's brackets will be officially revealed, giving fans the full 68-team field for this season's NCAA Tournaments. The men's tournament tips off Tuesday, March 17, with the First Four games, while the women's tournament will get going with its own First Four games just a day later. Get your printable bracket.