Daily Briefing: Pre-dawn quake throttles parts of Turkey, Syria

A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday, toppling hundreds of buildings and killing more than 1,300 people. Also in the news: The story behind the suspected Chinese spy balloon shot down over U.S. waters and Beyoncé makes history at the Grammys.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. This writer's book signing flopped and now her titles are flying off shelves.

Now, here we go with Monday's news.

Quake smashes regions packed with people displaced by Syria's civil war

Hundreds were still believed to be trapped under rubble after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday, killing hundreds of people. On both sides of the border, residents jolted out of sleep by the pre-dawn quake rushed outside on a cold, rainy and snowy winter night, as buildings were flattened and strong aftershocks continued. The quake, felt as far away as Cairo, struck a region that has been shaped by more than a decade of civil war in Syria. The swath of Syria affected by the quake is divided between government-held territory and the country’s last opposition-held enclave, which is surrounded by Russian-backed government forces. Read more

US shoots down suspected Chinese spy balloon

A U.S. warplane shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the South Carolina coast Saturday afternoon, sending its surveillance gear into relatively shallow water where recovery efforts began immediately, Pentagon officials announced. The balloon was downed after it passed into U.S. territorial waters, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.

What it means: The balloon, which carried a large payload of spy gear according to U.S. officials, had soared over several strategic sites, including nuclear missile silos, and became the latest flashpoint in tensions between Washington and Beijing.

• The U.S. tracked the balloon for five days before shooting it down. Defense officials said late Thursday that they had "very high confidence" the large white balloon belonged to China and that its purpose was surveillance. One of the sites was Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, Montana, where the Air Force maintains 150 intercontinental ballistic missile silos.

• How the U.S. shot down the balloon:  An F-22, the most sophisticated warplane in the U.S. arsenal, flying at 58,000 feet, fired a single AIM 9X sidewinder air-to-air missile and struck the balloon, officials said. The balloon had been flying at about 65,000 feet when the shootdown occurred off the South Carolina coast in U.S. territorial waters, according to one of the officials.

• China's Foreign Ministry said Friday that the balloon is a civilian weather balloon that was blown off course by westerly winds and entered the U.S. by accident.

👉 Keep reading: Biden's downed China spy balloon deepens political fight ahead of State of the Union.

More news to know now

• 🚬 Majority of Americans support blocking sales of all tobacco products, CDC study says.

• 🌐 Russia is gaining ground near the crucial city of Bakhmut.

• 😷 The COVID emergency declaration is ending: Here's what that means for tests, vaccines and treatment.

• ⚫ Tyre Nichols' death is the latest example of a minor traffic stop turning deadly, experts say.

• 🔥 Ohio Gov. DeWine warned of a possible ''major explosion'' at a train derailment site.

• 🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, USA TODAY Education Reporter Alia Wong looks at new college degrees in DEI.You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker.

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

Democrats approve 2024 primary calendar that boosts South Carolina

Democrats on Saturday approved a plan to reorder their 2024 presidential primary calendar in an effort to amplify diverse voices earlier in the presidential selection process. Overruling objections from two states that have traditionally held the first contests, Iowa and New Hampshire, the national party green-lit a schedule that moves South Carolina to the front of the line. The revamped calendar elevates Nevada to the second position alongside New Hampshire and welcomes Georgia and Michigan to the early primary window for the first time. Read more

• ''Four more years'': Biden hints at 2024 as he rallies Democratic Party leaders in Philadelphia.

• Biden, Trump, Pence aren't alone: Millions access sensitive documents, mishandling is common.

• Hunter Biden's laptop to be tossed into the Republican investigation machine with a hearing this week.

After brief respite, Texas is in the path of another storm

Texans have had a few days to warm up following last week's brutal ice storm that froze roads and led to hundreds of wrecks. The break will be short-lived, as a cold front from the Pacific is expected to reach parts of the state in the coming days, though its impact won't be as dramatic as last week's system. Central and southern Texas cities such as Austin, Waco, San Antonio and Houston may be impacted by severe weather, including lightning, thunderstorms and wind gusts of 50-60 mph, Accuweather said. The storm is expected to move northeast Wednesday toward Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee. Read more

Just for subscribers:

•  🚨 The state medical board failed to protect Ohioans from a doctors' sexual misconduct.

• ✔ Tent city bans haven't solved America's homelessness crisis.

• 🍅 Everyone knew extra federal food stamp allotments would end. But the timing couldn't be worse.

• 👀 My boyfriend is constantly talking to another woman. Has he crossed the line?

These articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here. 

Grammys 2023: Harry Styles wins album of the year, Beyoncé breaks all-time record

Harry Styles won album of the year, the biggest prize at Sunday's 65th Grammy Awards, though it was Beyoncé who made history, taking four honors and becoming the most-winning Grammy artist of all time. Music's biggest night also gave fans some nice surprises, including Bonnie Raitt taking home song of the year, Lizzo winning record of the year and jazz singer Samara Joy being named best new artist. Check out all the winners and highlights from the Grammys.

• Kim Petras becomes first transgender woman to win Grammy award for Sam Smith hit.

• Brutally honest reviews of every 2023 Grammys performance, including Harry Styles, Sam Smith and Stevie Wonder.

• LL Cool J, Queen Latifah and other hip-hop greats joined forces for an epic 50th anniversary Grammys tribute.

• Gallery: See Taylor Swift, Harry Styles and more stars rock the red carpet.

📷 Photo of the day: Must-see photos from music's biggest night 📷

The primetime ceremony with 13 major awards was hosted by Trevor Noah, while an afternoon Premiere Ceremony featured dozens of winners in other categories. Click here to see highlights from the night, from Beyoncé accepting her record-smashing Grammy to all the musical performances.

One more thing

• 🤝 Men, the ''epidemic of loneliness'' and how it got this bad.

• 🌊 The Coast Guard rescued a man after a yacht capsized. He's also wanted for a bizarre fish incident at the ''Goonies'' house.

• ♥ Eight of the best handmade Valentine's Day gifts from Etsy.

• 🏀 No. 22 Indiana's upset of No. 1 Purdue highlighted a busy day of men's college basketball.

• 😱 Mo Bamba, Austin Rivers and Jalen Suggs are suspended after a Magic-Timberwolves brawl.

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: Syria, Turkey, China spy balloon, Democrats, winter weather, Grammys: Daily Briefing