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The Daily Briefing

YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP

Tue May 13 2025

Jane Onyanga-Omara | Audience Editor

Good morning! 👋🏾 I'm Jane, Daily Briefing author. How dangerous is the New World Screwworm? In rare cases, its maggots will eat your flesh.

Quick look at Tuesday's news:

•	President Trump is in the Middle East on the first major foreign trip of his second term.
•	A jury has heard harrowing allegations as the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs' got underway.
•	California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a wide-reaching plan to tackle the state's homelessness crisis.

Trump kicks off Middle East tour

President Donald Trump has arrived in Saudi Arabia for the start of three days of summits in the Middle East, blending business and diplomacy. In addition to Riyadh, the Saudi Arabian capital, he will visit Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and and Doha, Qatar.

Trump is again diverging from U.S. presidential habit by choosing the Middle East, not Canada or Mexico, for the first foreign trip of his second term.

•	Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar are three of the world's richest nations and they invest deeply in military and security technologies.
•	Saudi Arabia has already pledged to invest $600 billion in American companies. In March, Trump said he wanted the petro-kingdom to commit to $1 trillion.
•	Trump is in talks to receive a Boeing 747 from the government of Qatar as the next presidential aircraft, which has sparked questions about foreign influence on his administration.

President Donald Trump meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he arrives at King Khalid International Airport on May 13, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Win McNamee, Getty Images

Gulf Coast to Virginia could be swamped with buckets of rain

A major storm began dumping heavy rain across the southeastern U.S. on Monday, triggering flood advisories from the Carolinas to Florida as delays piled up at airports. About 36 million people living along the Eastern Seaboard were at risk of severe thunderstorms, as well as a "tornado or two, localized damaging winds and hail," according to the Storm Prediction Center. AccuWeather forecasters say a dozen states from the Gulf Coast to Virginia could see at least 2 inches of rain over the coming days. Parts of Florida, southern Georgia and Alabama could see up to 10 inches, according to AccuWeather. Read more

More news to know now

•	New Jersey hostage Edan Alexander was released by Hamas.
•	White South Africans arrived in the U.S. as Trump's "genocide" claim is disputed.
•	A French court found actor Gerard Depardieu guilty of sexual assault on a film set.
•	Kim Kardashian is set to testify Tuesday in the trial over her 2016 burglary in Paris.
•	Mavericks and Nico Harrison struck gold in the NBA draft lottery. Wizards and Jazz struck out.

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

Diddy trial: Witnesses testify about violent incidents stretching over years

Lawyers on both sides of Sean "Diddy" Combs' sweeping federal sex-crimes trial delivered their opening statements Monday. Prosecutors alleged Combs lured women into romantic relationships, forced them to take part in days of drug-fueled sex parties and then blackmailed them with videos he recorded of the encounters. "They will tell you about some of the most painful experiences of their lives," prosecutor Emily Johnson said during her opening statement in Manhattan federal court. Combs faces sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution charges. He has pleaded not guilty. Read more

Step inside the courtroom with USA TODAY as Sean "Diddy" Combs faces sex crimes and trafficking charges. Subscribe to the newsletter.

Charlucci Finney, friend of Sean "Diddy" Combs, departs federal court in New York on May 12, 2025.

ANGELA WEISS, AFP via Getty Images

Calif. Gov. Newsom unveils plan to clear homeless encampments

California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a wide-reaching plan Monday to tackle the state's severe homelessness crisis that would direct hundreds of cities, towns and counties to effectively ban tent camping on sidewalks and parks, according to a statement. The move comes as the state prepares for a surge of funding for homelessness and mental health after voters approved a multi-billion-dollar bond measure in November and after a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2024 that opened the door to arresting and fining individuals for sleeping in public spaces. Read more

Today's talkers

•	"American Idol" reveals Top 3 contestants heading to the 2025 finale.
•	Here's when "The Office" spinoff "The Paper" will premiere: What to know.
•	Morgan Wallen addresses why he abruptly walked off "SNL."
•	Watch the moment a fireball lights up the sky in Australia.

Will the Menendez brothers be released?

After months of delays, a resentencing hearing to determine whether the Menendez brothers should be released from prison after serving more than three decades is set to begin Tuesday. Erik and Lyle Menendez were convicted for the 1989 shotgun murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, after unsuccessfully arguing that they acted in self-defense following years of physical and sexual abuse. They are serving life in prison without the possibility of parole. If Los Angeles Judge Michael V. Jesic sides with the brothers, they could be eligible for parole immediately following the two-day hearing. Read more

Photo of the day: Flower moon and micromoon light up the sky

April showers bring May flowers, but did you see this month's full moon, the Flower Moon? Last night's moon might have appeared slightly smaller than usual, a phenomenon known as a micromoon. According to NASA, this occurs when the celestial body is at its farthest point from Earth, about 251,000 miles away.