President Joe Biden called on Americans to look to "the future" and not return to the politics of his predecessor in a State of the Union address. Also in the news: International Women's Day calls for global efforts to support progress in gender equality. Should dogs be allowed to win Oscars? | |  |
Here is the news to know Friday. |
A high-energy election year State of the Union address |
President Joe Biden delivered a combative State of the Union address Thursday, targeting Donald Trump and launching a general election already guaranteed to be brutal. In the president's annual report to Congress, a defiant Biden declared that Americans now face a choice between democracy and despotism. |
The president addressed a sweeping range of issues facing the nation and the world, from providing aid for Ukraine to expanding abortion rights. Overall, Biden told Americans from coast to coast that "The state of our union is strong and getting stronger." | Biden holds a button remembering the killing of 22-year-old Laken Riley, a nursing student whose body was found in a wooded area on the University of Georgia's main campus in Athens, Georgia. Megan Smith, USA TODAY |
International Women's Day comes amid global crisis and celebrations |
Friday marks International Women's Day, an annual opportunity to celebrate the impact and influence of women on their communities around the world, and their predecessors who paved the way to progress. This year's IWD comes against a complex backdrop in the U.S., where American women's health, work and political power have been a major focus ahead of the 2024 presidential campaign. At last night's State of the Union, President Joe Biden warned not to underestimate women's ability to change America, saying: "those bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade have no clue about the power of women in America. They found out though when reproductive freedom was on the ballot and won in 2022, 2023, and they will find out again, in 2024." Read more | Maria Shriver (L), Kate Cox (2nd L), who was denied emergency abortion care by the Texas Supreme Court, and US First Lady Jill Biden (R) applaud Latorya Beasley (2nd R), who recently had an IVF embryo transfer cancelled following the result of a recent Alabama Supreme Court decision during State of the Union address on March 7, 2024. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY |
An emergency port on the Gaza coast would stem a hunger crisis |
The U.S. is launching an emergency mission to establish a port on the Gaza coast that can receive large shipments of humanitarian aid, President Joe Biden announced in last night's State of the Union address. A "temporary pier in the Mediterranean on the Gaza coast" would accept ships carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelters, increasing the region's intake ability of humanitarian resources. U.S. military personnel will assist from vessels offshore, but the operation is not expected to involve American troops on the ground in Gaza, he said. Read more | An aircraft airdrops humanitarian aid over Gaza the northern Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Friday, March 8, 2024. Leo Correa, AP |
Is time running out for TikTok? |
New legislation could be the most significant threat yet to TikTok, a wildly popular Chinese-owned app. A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced the legislation this week that would give the app's owner ByteDance six months to sell off TikTok or face a ban in the United States. In a statement, TikTok decried the bill as an attack on the First Amendment and would "deprive 5 million small businesses of a platform they rely on to grow and create jobs." Read more |
Pups, 'Poor Things' and Paul Giamatti: Here's your 2024 Oscars guide |
The annual Academy Awards will unfold Sunday at Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre, drawing Hollywood's most glam (and talented) denizens to battle for the film industry's top awards. Jimmy Kimmel is back as host of the show, which will include a performance by Ryan Gosling of "I'm Just Ken," his signature song from the "Barbie" movie. The field of nominees is crowded with talent from a dynamic range of performances, including Emma Stone for Best Actress in "Poor Things" and "The Holdovers" star Paul Giamatti up against "Oppenheimer" star Cillian Murphy for Best Actor. Read our rundown of on the nominations, host and how to tune in. | A woman in Oscars gear takes pictures on the red carpet ahead of the 96th Academy Awards, Thursday, March 7, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. John Locher, AP |
Photo of the day: The first US woman to sail solo around the world |
In a sea of male competitors, Cole Brauer is the only woman in an around-the-world solo sailing competition that's quickly coming to a close. The 29-year-old from Long Island, New York, crossed the finish line of her 130-day voyage on Thursday in A Coruna, Spain. Read her story. | Cole Brauer as she became the first American woman to race nonstop around the world on March 7, 2024, in A Coruña, Spain. James Tomlinson, AP |
Associated Press contributed reporting. | | This 7-day newsletter course will help you be an informed voter before Nov. 5. | | | | | | |
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