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The Daily Briefing

YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP

Mon Jun 5 2023

Nicole Fallert | Newsletter Writer

A sonic boom over the nation's capital

Saint Mary's Wilderness area is the site of rescue crews searching for a Cessna that crashed nearby on Sunday, June 4, 2023.

F-16 fighters chased an unresponsive plane near DC.

F-16 fighters from the D.C. National Guard scrambled Sunday at supersonic speed to intercept a private plane whose pilot was unresponsive. Also in the news: A federal judge has tossed out a Tennessee anti-drag law and Prince Harry will finally have his day in court.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Dollywood is Dolly Parton's dream come true.

Now, here we go with Monday's news.

No survivors found in crash on unresponsive plane

No survivors were found and Virginia State Police suspended search efforts Sunday night after an unresponsive plane crashed near the George Washington National Forest in Virginia. The aircraft was intercepted by F-16 fighters Sunday afternoon, causing sonic booms heard across the Washington region, and the fighters also fired flares to get the pilot's attention, according to officials. The plane departed from Tennessee and was bound for Long Island MacArthur Airport in New York, but turned around and flew a straight path down over D.C. The pilot never responded to attempts to establish communication. Read more

Mine Bank trail head, off the Blue Ridge Parkway. On Sunday June 4, 2023 a small plane crashed in the area.

Randall Wolf / Special to The News Leader

Biden signs debt limit deal to avoid catastrophic economic disaster

The nation will be able to pay its bills Monday after President Joe Biden on Saturday afternoon signed a bipartisan debt limit package, avoiding a calamitous default.

Biden has called the agreement he negotiated with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., a necessary compromise that protected Democrats' key priorities while cutting some of the spending Republicans oppose.

•	The deal is a political boost for Biden whose road to re-election would have been a lot harder with a shaky economy.
•	McCarthy is perhaps the biggest political winner out of the debt-ceiling fight, but unrest among hardline conservatives remains and the fight over his speakership might not be over.
•	The deal will cut $1.5 trillion from the federal budget over the next decade. It also spends more, not less, on food stamps – the exact opposite of Republicans' goal.

President Joe Biden addresses the nation on the budget deal from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Friday, June 2, 2023.

Andrew Harnik, AP

More news to know now

•	China has accused the U.S. of provocations in Taiwan.
•	A Ukrainian counteroffensive expected to crank up soon is going to attack depleted Russian forces.
•	GOP candidates pitched themselves as the future at an Iowa ''Roast and Ride.''
•	Christian financial advisor Dave Ramsey has been sued for $150 million over an endorsement.
•	On today's 5 Things podcast, hear how a new Florida law limits transgender adults' access to health care. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

Federal judge tosses Tennessee's controversial anti-drag law

In a significant win for LGBTQ advocates, a federal judge has tossed out Tennessee's controversial law restricting drag performances, after hearings in which the law's necessity and broad language were questioned. Judge Thomas Parker issued his ruling late Friday, writing the court found the law to be an "unconstitutional" strike against free speech. The bill restricting "male and female impersonators" from performing in public spaces was signed into law by Gov. Bill Lee at the start of March. Read more

•	How one quiet Illinois college town became the symbol of abortion rights in America.
•	Russian tennis player Daria Kasatkina is showing true bravery by coming out.
•	Where it's a crime to be gay: A visual guide to where LGBTQ rights are repressed.

'Harshest punishment' vowed in India train crash

An error in India's electronic signaling system was blamed Sunday for sending a passenger train jammed with workers and students into a head-on crash with a freight train, triggering one of the world's deadliest train crashes in decades. Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised the "harshest punishment" for anyone found responsible in Friday's wreck. A preliminary investigation revealed the tragedy in the eastern India state of Odisha began when a signal was initially given to the high-speed express train to run on the main track line. But the signal changed, sending the Coromandel Express into a freight train. Read more

An aerial view of the site of the passenger trains derailment.

Arabinda Mahapatra, AP

Just for subscribers:

•	Legal outcome murky in a privacy ruling against abortion doctor Caitlin Bernard.
•	An Oklahoma white supremacist gang probe is shrouded in secrecy as a list of the missing and dead grows.
•	Biden's brand and the cost of compromise: Debt-ceiling deal signals 2024's battle.
•	Inside the scathing report about abuse in the Catholic Diocese of Peoria.

These articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here.

Prince Harry gets his day in court

Prince Harry is going where other British royals haven't for more than a century: to a courtroom witness stand. The Duke of Sussex is set to testify in the first of his five pending legal cases largely centered around battles with British tabloids. Opening statements are scheduled Monday in his case. The lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mirror is one of three Harry has brought alleging phone hacking and other invasions of his privacy, dating back to when he was a boy. Read more

•	Princess Lilibet turned two this weekend: Here's a look at her life.

Quick hits

•	Incorporate the Barbiecore trend into your home with these pink home décor finds.
•	The Golden Knights' Adin Hill makes save of the playoffs as Vegas won Game 1 vs. Panthers.
•	Robot farmers? Machines are crawling through America's fields. And some have lasers.
•	After a baby bison was euthanized, Yellowstone visitor pleads guilty to federal offense.

Photo of the day: Miami Heat steal Game 2 in Denver to even NBA Finals

The Heat unlocked the door to victory, beating the Denver Nuggets 111-108 in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, tying the best-of-seven series 1-1 and adding intrigue. The Heat were more aggressive, made more 3-pointers, shot 20 free throws, 18 more than they did in Game 1, and limited the scoring of Denver players. The series moves to Miami for the next two games with Game 3 on Wednesday. Read more

Denver Nuggets forward Bruce Brown (11) shoots the ball against Miami Heat forward Kevin Love (42).

Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.

Associated Press contributed reporting.