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The Daily Briefing

YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP

Mon Feb 3 2025

Nicole Fallert | Newsletter Writer

@nicolefallert

Beyoncé took the Grammy Awards' highly coveted prize, album of the year, for her country record "Cowboy Carter." President Donald Trump's tariffs could hike prices for American consumers and increase inflation. Air crews head to work following horrendous deadly crashes last week.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. January is finally over!!!!

Beyoncé wins album of the year at 67th Grammy Awards

By incorporating a fundraising effort with onstage salutes to firefighting heroes, the annual Grammy Awards managed to deftly walk a sensitivity line Sunday in Los Angeles, a city ravaged by numerous wildfires in recent weeks.

The takeaways: After some scandalous buzz from the red carpet (where Ye showed up with his essentially nude wife Bianca Censori to reporters brushing off Babyface for a Chappell Roan interview), the show itself stuck to its bread and butter of celebrating music with outstanding performances from the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish, Charli XCX and Doechii.

Here are some of the top moments from the night, including Beyoncé finally taking home the gold for album of the year and Roan calling out music labels for not supporting up-and-coming artists:

•	Beyoncé won album of the year and best country artist. The long-awaited recognition from the Grammy Awards comes after she was snubbed by the Country Music Association.
•	Shakira, Lady Gaga and Chapell Roan spoke up for the trans community and immigrants. Roan, winner of best new artist, sang her ode to queer sexuality, "Pink Pony Club." The song was a deliberate statement in light of recent moves by the Trump administration to restrict LGBTQ+ rights.
•	Doechii made us all cry: The breakout hip-hop star became the third woman ever to win best rap album.
•	Taylor Swift was snubbed. The chairman of the "Tortured Poets Department" went home empty-handed, despite carrying six nominations.
•	The Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake beef is bound to reach new heights. After trading diss tracks (and a lawsuit) Lamar snagged best song and record of the year for his Drake diss, "Not Like Us."

So you sound in-the-know at work this morning: Read the full list of Grammy winners and our recap of all the performances.

Beyoncé accepts her first Album of the Year award for "Cowboy Carter."

VALERIE MACON, AFP via Getty Images

Trump says Americans could feel 'some pain' amid tariffs

President Donald Trump warned there could be "some pain" for Americans' wallets after signing executive orders that imposed stark tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% duty on imports from China, targeting three key U.S. trade partners. Set to go into effect Tuesday, the new duties include a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico. The move is intended, Trump has said, to incentivize these countries to clamp down on the flow of fentanyl and migrants traveling from their borders into the U.S. Read more

More news to know now

•	Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington to visit with Trump.
•	The Palisades and Eaton wildfires are 100% contained after nearly a month of burning.
•	A Louisiana grand jury indicted a New York doctor accused of prescribing abortion pills to a teen.
•	A huge undersea volcano off the West Coast may be getting ready to erupt.

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

Flight crews continue working as they cope with tragedy

As air crew members cope with the tragedy of two recent deadly plane crashes, they're also returning to the skies. Pilots and flight attendants are highly trained professionals with safety at the core of their jobs – a commitment reinforced in the wake of crashes last week in the D.C.-area and a Philadelphia residential neighborhood. USA TODAY spoke with crew members about how they're feeling.

Global field aid work hangs in balance as more USAID staff ousted

The Trump administration put dozens more staff at the U.S. Agency for International Development on administrative leave, three sources familiar with the move said, as it moves to abolish the agency's independence and bring it under the control of the State Department. The purge follows more than a week of mayhem inside USAID, Washington's primary agency funding billions of dollars' worth of life-saving aid globally, such as field hospitals, HIV treatment and landmine clearance. President Donald Trump ordered a freeze on almost all U.S. foreign aid, saying his administration will review spending to ensure money is distributed in line with his "America First" foreign policy. The global freeze on most U.S. foreign aid is already sending shockwaves around the world.

•	The Education Department placed dozens of officials on leave over Trump's DEI order.
•	FBI staff have been ordered to reveal their role in Jan. 6 investigations by Monday.

Today's talkers

•	What cities have put in bids for a new team to join the WNBA league?
•	Is Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter" tour coming to your city?
•	People are paying thousands for "face BBLs."
•	Most people stop taking weight loss drugs within a year.
•	Here's the history behind Black History Month.

Get prepped for Super Bowl Opening Night

Welcome to Super Bowl week. Kicking off Monday with Super Bowl Opening Night, the days leading up to the big game will be full of events for fans, locals and media members alike. This year's festivities include press conferences from players and coaches, press conferences from the performers featured throughout the Big Game's production, a four-day fan experience in New Orleans, the NFL Honors awards show, a celebrity flag football game, a pre-game concert and, of course, the game itself. USA TODAY is in New Orleans so you don't miss a moment.

Photo of the day: The world's most famous groundhog has a chilly message

The legendary weather predictor Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, signaling six more weeks of winter on Groundhog Day.

Punxsutawney Phil made his prediction on how long winter will last on Sunday.

ALAN FREED, REUTERS

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.