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Daily Briefing: Over 5,000 dead in Turkey-Syria quake

A complex rescue effort is taking place along the Turkish-Syrian border, a region already battered by 12 years of the Syrian civil war and the refugee crisis it has created. Also in the news: President Joe Biden will deliver his State of the Union speech tonight to a divided Congress and we have everything you should know from Super Bowl opening night.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Someone has finally won the $754.6 million lottery.

Now, here we go with Tuesday's news.

Over 5,000 dead after massive earthquake rocks Turkey, Syria

The death toll surged to more than 5,000 early Tuesday after a powerful, pre-dawn earthquake and series of strong aftershocks collapsed thousands of buildings along the Turkish-Syrian border. The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 7.8 quake struck in the very early morning Monday about 20 miles from the city of Gaziantep. Hours later, a 7.5 magnitude quake struck more than 60 miles away.  An untold number were believed trapped under the rubble of thousands of collapsed buildings, and the injury and death toll was expected to rise as rescue workers dug through the wreckage. Thousands of survivors were left homeless in the cold rain and snow. Read more

📷 Photo of the day: Rescue efforts across Turkey and Syria 📷

Rescuers were racing frantically to find more survivors but their efforts were being impeded by temperatures below freezing and some 200 aftershocks, which made the search through unstable structures perilous. Click here to see more photos from the scene of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

Civil defense workers and residents search through the rubble of collapsed buildings in the town of Harem near the Turkish border, Idlib province, Syria, on Feb. 6, 2023.
Civil defense workers and residents search through the rubble of collapsed buildings in the town of Harem near the Turkish border, Idlib province, Syria, on Feb. 6, 2023.

Biden to deliver State of the Union address

Delivering the second State of the Union of his presidency, Biden will tout his successes and lay out what more he wants Congress to do if given the chance, although he is facing dim prospects for more major legislative wins, a looming showdown over the federal budget and a GOP House investigating his administration and family.

Setting the stage for this year and beyond: The speech will begin to lay out the case Biden will make both in his two-year battle with House Republicans and for his likely reelection bid in 2024.

  • Full House: Biden will face a full House chamber – COVID-19 restrictions that brought limited attendance are gone. Unlike last year, lawmakers are allowed to bring a guest. Click here to read more about guests in the chamber tonight.

  • What will be his opening words to House Speaker Kevin McCarthyGiven today's polarized politics and Biden's often-stated commitment to bipartisanship, he may choose to acknowledge the other side in a way that signals at least the possibility of working together.

  • The Hunter Biden of it all: The day after Biden delivers his address, the House Oversight Committee plans to hold a hearing on the computer once owned by the president's son which was found at a Delaware repair shop.

👉 Here's everything you need to know about how to watch the SOTU.

President Joe Biden speaks at the Democratic National Committee Winter Meeting, Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, in Philadelphia.
President Joe Biden speaks at the Democratic National Committee Winter Meeting, Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, in Philadelphia.

More news to know now

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Economy added 517,000 jobs despite recession risk

Employers added a booming 517,000 jobs in January as hiring unexpectedly surged despite high inflation, rising interest rates and the prospect of a weakening economy. The unemployment rate fell from 3.5% to 3.4%, lowest since 1969, the Labor Department said Friday. Unemployment for Black people declined to 5.4%, the lowest on record dating to 1972. The blockbuster jobs total will likely not be welcomed by a Federal Reserve looking for job gains and wage growth to slow to further reduce high inflation and bolster its plan to pause its aggressive interest rate hike campaign in coming months. Read more

In this file photo taken on June 27, 2022, a worker walks along a path at Google's Bay View campus in Mountain View, California. Google's parent company Alphabet announced about 12,000 job cuts globally on January 20, 2023, citing a changing "economic reality", becoming the latest US tech giant to enact large-scale restructuring.
In this file photo taken on June 27, 2022, a worker walks along a path at Google's Bay View campus in Mountain View, California. Google's parent company Alphabet announced about 12,000 job cuts globally on January 20, 2023, citing a changing "economic reality", becoming the latest US tech giant to enact large-scale restructuring.

Crews successfully release toxic chemicals from derailed Ohio train cars

Crews in Ohio have released toxic chemicals from five cars of a derailed train near the Pennsylvania state line to reduce the threat of an explosion. Flames and black smoke billowed high into the sky from the derailment site. Norfolk Southern Railway confirmed Monday evening that the cars were draining and that burning was underway as planned. Authorities were monitoring the air quality to make sure that toxic fumes weren't spreading. Ohio's governor earlier ordered residents near the site to evacuate because of the risk of death or serious injury. Read more

A man takes photos as a black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk and Southern trains on Monday
A man takes photos as a black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk and Southern trains on Monday

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Lessons from Super Bowl opening night

Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs jerseys were well represented at the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix for Super Bowl Opening Night. The Eagles' Jalen Hurts and Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes discussed their history-making play as the first Black quarterbacks to go head-to-head in a Super Bowl. “It can be done. The game has evolved. Times are changing," Hurts said. "I don’t know if I really have digested and kind of understand what’s going on just yet. But maybe later on. But obviously for my parents and my grandparents, this is something that isn’t normal. It’s special.” Read more from our recap of opening night.

  • Super mom: Donna Kelce delivers homemade cookies to sons Jason and Travis at Super Bowl Opening Night

  • Super Bowl Central: Super Bowl 57 odds, Eagles-Chiefs matchups, stats and more

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes chat on stage during Super Bowl Opening Night.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes chat on stage during Super Bowl Opening Night.

One more thing

Samara Joy accepts the award for best new artist.
Samara Joy accepts the award for best new artist.

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.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Turkey-Syria earthquake, State of the Union, Super Bowl, inflation, Harry Styles: Daily Breifing