eNewspaper | Crosswords | Horoscopes

The Daily Briefing

YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP

Wed Apr 3 2024

Nicole Fallert | Newsletter Writer

@nicolefallert

Is Florida now in play for Biden?

A woman votes at the polls in Florida. Florida's Supreme Court made a ruling that allows a six-week abortion ban to go into effect, but voters get to weigh in on the issue on the ballot.

Abortion on the ballot energizes a Democratic push in the state.

Ballot measures on abortion access and recreational marijuana may jolt election season in Florida. Also in the news: The deaths of seven aid workers by an Israeli airstrike could worsen the already critical food crisis in Gaza. Taylor Swift may be a "Tortured Poet," but she's also a billionaire.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Do you have an eclipse watch plan ?

Here's the news to know Wednesday.

Abortion measure raises 2024 hope for Democrats in Florida

Florida is the new ground zero in the nation's battle over abortion access following a pair of decisions by the Florida Supreme Court that have major ramifications for the 2024 election. The state's Supreme Court on Monday upheld Florida's strict abortion laws − allowing a ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy to go in effect in May − but in a separate decision ruled that a constitutional amendment to guarantee the right to an abortion can go before voters on the November ballot. Giving voters the power to decide hot-button issues like reproductive rights could change the profile of who's going to the polls — and the Biden campaign is already making the case that Florida is fair play. Read more

•	Wisconsin voters approved measures that will change the way their elections run.
•	Is Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon walking back his abortion stance?

Former US President and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Hyatt Regency in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on April 2, 2024.

ALEX WROBLEWSKI, AFP via Getty Images

Sea route for aid imperiled by deadly airstrikes

Cyprus, which helped provide a new sea route bringing aid to Gaza, said more than 200 tons of undelivered aid intended for millions of starving people was turned away after the death of seven World Central Kitchen workers in an Israeli airstrike. The United Arab Emirates, a primary financier of aid sent via the sea route, paused its involvement pending a full investigation of the tragedy.

The impact: WCK's desperately-needed aid operations are paused for now, leaving millions of people at the brink of starvation while humanitarian actors ensure their workers will be safe to operate on the ground.

•	The White House expressed outrage by the workers' deaths and President Joe Biden said Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers or civilians in Gaza.
•	Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said an investigation into "a tragic case of our forces unintentionally hitting innocent people" was underway.
•	Meanwhile, the Biden administration said Tuesday it did not know ahead of time about an attack that killed two generals at the Iranian embassy complex in Syria, and U.S. officials warned against retaliation as fears of a wider Middle East conflict heighten near the six-month mark of the war in Gaza.

A car used by US-based aid group World Central Kitchen that was hit by an Israeli strike the previous day in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on April 2, 2024.

-, AFP via Getty Images

More news to know now

•	Business leaders have called for immigrant worker protections in the wake of the Baltimore bridge tragedy.
•	Oregon's Gov. signed a bill reintroducing criminal penalties for drug possession.
•	A 12 year old was detained after a school shooting in Finland.
•	At least 27 are dead in Istanbul after a fire broke out during nightclub renovations.
•	A FAFSA mess threatens the Education Department's credibility.
•	On today's The Excerpt podcast, 2023 was a record year for Islamophobia. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

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

Taiwan hit by strongest earthquake in 25 years

A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake rocked Taiwan on Wednesday. It was the strongest tremor to hit the island in at least 25 years, killing at least four people, injuring dozens, and sparking nearby Japan to issue a brief evacuation advisory for coastal areas. Rescue operations are ongoing, and aftershocks have caused residents to flee their homes and remain outside, officials said, and more than 87,000 homes in Taiwan experienced power outages. Read more

A view of a damaged apartment following an earthquake offshore, in New Taipei City, Taiwan April 3, 2024.

Fabian Hamacher, REUTERS

Could one immigration law flip the GOP hold on Texas?

A federal appeals court on Wednesday will weigh a legal challenge to a controversial Texas law that would allow police to arrest migrants accused of crossing into the country illegally. The lawsuit, which was combined with a legal challenge brought by El Paso County and Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, asserts that immigration is the sole purview of the federal government. Texas contends the federal government has been derelict in border enforcement and the state has a right to enforce its own border. Though it hasn't taken effect yet due to a court injunction, S.B. 4 is mobilizing Texas communities in unprecedented ways to advocate for immigrant protections. Read more

•	Her murder attracted little attention until Trump made it part of the immigration debate.

U.S. National Guard troops install new fencing at the U.S.-Mexico border to prevent migrants from crossing the Rio Grande River into El Paso, Texas, U.S., April 2, 2024.

Cheney Orr, REUTERS

Keep scrolling

•	LSU settled a lawsuit with 10 women over mishandled sexual assault cases.
•	Minnie Driver was denied a wetsuit while filming so the cameras could "see my nipples."
•	Watch these professional soccer players' kind gesture for young fans in the pouring rain.
•	Stir up the best new cookbooks of the year.
•	Tesla sales are way, way down.
•	No, Lizzo isn't leaving music.
•	Here are four essential online dating safety tips.

Taylor Swift lands on Forbes' World's Billionaires list

"Tortured Poet" and pop superstar Taylor Swift has landed on Forbes' World's Billionaires list. Among other celebs who made the cut – including Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey and "Star Wars" creator George Lucas – Swift was ranked at No. 14 with a net worth of $1.1 billion. Swift has made history with her economic achievement. The "Is It Over Now?" singer is the first person to reach billionaire status "based solely on songwriting and performing," according to Forbes. Read more about Taylor's billionaire status and check out SiriusXM's new Swift-only channel.

Photo of the day: Goodbye to Las Vegas' Tropicana

One of Las Vegas' longest-standing Strip casinos shuttered its doors for good. Tropicana Las Vegas closed Tuesday, just two days shy of its 67th anniversary. Once a crown jewel on the Strip, the aging property has struggled to stand out in recent decades amid a sea of megaresorts. Read more

A view of the Tropicana hotel-casino in the summer of 1957, just a few months after its opening.

LVCVA Archive

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. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.