Daily Briefing: 'We’ve been sent here to finish the job'

Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY
·6 min read

President Joe Biden delivered his second State of the Union address in a packed House chamber Tuesday night when he encouraged bipartisan legislation and American steadfastness over division. Also in the news: How a FedEx and Southwest plane came within 100 feet of colliding and LeBron James has broken the NBA's all-time scoring record.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Remember these iconic past Super Bowl commercials?

Now, here we go with Wednesday's news.

Biden tells Americans economy is roaring back, spars with GOP over debt

In his second State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Joe Biden took credit for what he said was the country's economic revival while pushing an agenda of reducing prescription drug costs, protecting abortion rights and banning assault weapons.

In a preview of an expected reelection campaign announcement, he noted that the unemployment rate was at a 50-year low while inflation has been easing. "We’ve been sent here to finish the job," Biden said, invoking a phrase he used several times in his speech.

  • Blue-collar pitch: Promoting his economic plan, Biden assured Americans that he wants to invest in "places and people that have been forgotten," arguing that "too many people have been left behind or treated like they’re invisible."

  • Abortion; Ukraine; teacher pay; trafficking of fentanyl: Biden stressed bipartisanship and touched on a range of his administration's accomplishments so far and also mapped out his priorities for the next two years.

  • The president prompted protests from Republicans when he repeated his accusation that the GOP was trying to cut Social Security Medicare entitlements. When the protests continued, Biden said he wasn’t arguing that all Republicans back reviewing entitlement programs every five years. "But it’s being proposed," he said.

👉 Read our columnist's analysis: Dark Brandon shows up at State of the Union, mops the floor with lost Republicans.

📷 Photo of the day: GOP reacts to 2023 State of the Union address 📷

While President Joe Biden called for bipartisanship in his State of the Union address, Republicans made clear they will try to thwart him on any number of contentious issues – from the Biden debt ceiling plan to his re-election prospects in 2024. Read more about the official Republican response to Biden's address and click here to see more photos from the 2023 State of the Union address.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-GA, yells in the chambers as President Joe Biden speaks during the State of the Union address from the House chamber of the United States Capitol in Washington.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-GA, yells in the chambers as President Joe Biden speaks during the State of the Union address from the House chamber of the United States Capitol in Washington.

Turkey, Syria quake deaths pass 11,000; deadliest in decade

The death toll from a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Turkey and Syria has passed 11,000, making the quake the deadliest in more than a decade. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is visiting the quake zone Wednesday where thinly stretched rescue teams worked through the night, pulling more bodies from the rubble of thousands of buildings toppled by the catastrophic quake. He said the fatalities in Turkey alone have passed 8,500. He conceded shortfalls in the response during the first day but said the situation has improved since then. Erdogan vowed no one would be left in the streets. Read more

An aerial view shows smoke billowing from the scene of collapsed buildings on February 08, 2023 in Hatay, Turkey.
An aerial view shows smoke billowing from the scene of collapsed buildings on February 08, 2023 in Hatay, Turkey.

More news to know now

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

Ex-Memphis police officer took photos of Tyre Nichols after beating, documents say

After Memphis police officers brutally beat 29-year-old Tyre Nichols, one took photos of the bloodied and injured man with his personal cell phone and sent it to multiple people, newly released official documents show. Former officer Demetrius Haley "took two photographs while standing in front of the obviously injured subject after he was handcuffed." He then "admitted [he] shared the photo in a text message with five people; one civilian employee, two MPD officers, and one female acquaintance." Haley is one of six officers fired from the police department in recent weeks. He is also one of five who were indicted on multiple criminal charges, including second-degree murder and aggravated assault. Read more

  • Push for police reform: Biden spoke in his State of the Union address about the police killing of Tyre Nichols.

Tyre Nichols' parents, Rodney and RowVaughn Wells, were invited to the State of the Union by U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nevada, the head of the Congressional Black Caucus. The camera focused on the Wells several times throughout Biden's remarks.
Tyre Nichols' parents, Rodney and RowVaughn Wells, were invited to the State of the Union by U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nevada, the head of the Congressional Black Caucus. The camera focused on the Wells several times throughout Biden's remarks.

FedEx, Southwest and 'potential catastrophe'

The FedEx and Southwest Airlines flights that nearly collided at an Austin airport over the weekend came within 100 feet of each other, federal investigators say. The FedEx plane was attempting to land on the same runway the Southwest Airlines flight was scheduled to depart from before the FedEx flight aborted its landing. Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, told CNN she was proud of the the FedEx flight crew and pilot for avoiding the collision, while also telling Reuters the Southwest Airlines pilots would not have known what was going on. “They saved, in my view, 128 people from a potential catastrophe," Homendy said. Read more

A Southwest Airlines passenger jet takes off from Chicago's Midway Airport. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
A Southwest Airlines passenger jet takes off from Chicago's Midway Airport. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Just for subscribers:

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

LeBron James breaks NBA’s all-time scoring record

LeBron James is the NBA’s king of scoring. The Lakers star became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387 career points, on Tuesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The record-setting points, his 35th and 36th of the game, came on a fadeaway mid-range jumper with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter. As sons Bronny and Bryce and daughter Zhuri looked on, James set one of sport's most hallowed records, one Abdul-Jabbar had held for nearly 40 years. Read more

LeBron James tosses powder in the air prior to playing the Oklahoma City Thunder.
LeBron James tosses powder in the air prior to playing the Oklahoma City Thunder.

One more thing

Dancer Brandon Mathis revealed on his Instagram Story earlier this week that the stage "started spinning in reverse" from the direction everyone had rehearsed.
Dancer Brandon Mathis revealed on his Instagram Story earlier this week that the stage "started spinning in reverse" from the direction everyone had rehearsed.

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: State of the Union, Tyre Nichols, FAA, LeBron James, Harry Styles: Daily Briefing

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • Remains of Officer Killed in Line of Duty Flown to Dallas for Organ Donation

    The body of a Corpus Christi police offer who died after being shot in the line of duty was flown to Dallas, Texas, on Thursday, April 25, in order for the officer’s organs to be donated.Footage released by Corpus Christi Police Department shows the arrival of the coffin of Officer Kyle Hicks at Dallas Love Field.Hicks was shot in the line of duty while responding to a domestic disturbance on April 10, police and local media reported.He died on April 24, Corpus Christi Police Department said.Hicks was transported to the Southwest Transplant Alliance, local media reported, after police said his organs would be donated as a “last act of service”. Credit: Corpus Christi Police Department via Storyful

  • Pfizer Now Rivals The World's Most Expensive Medicine After FDA Approves Gene Therapy

    The FDA approved Pfizer's hemophilia gene therapy on Friday, putting the pharma giant on track to rival the world's most expensive drug.

  • Sweden should spend more on defense and increase the number of conscripts, lawmakers recommend

    Sweden should increase its military budget by nearly 54 billion kronor ($5 billion) until 2030 to strengthen its air defenses and beef up the number of conscripts, a Swedish parliamentary committee recommended Friday. The report by the Defense Committee which is made up of representatives of the eight political parties sitting in the Swedish parliament, said that NATO membership and the serious security situation require higher ambitions. “An armed attack against Sweden or our allies cannot be ruled out,” the commission said in its report entitled “Strong defense capability, Sweden as an ally.”

  • Jensen Ackles cast in Tracker

    The Supernatural alum will officially share the screen with Justin Hartley in the new CBS series Tracker. Hartley shared the casting news on Thursday 25 April, revealing on Instagram that Ackles is set to play his character Colter's brother, Russell Shaw. "We finally came up with what I think is the perfect casting choice. This person knocks it out of the park every time.", Justin Hartley / Instagram. "We agreed to do this together, but apparently he's in the middle of something," he quipped as he panned the camera over to reveal Ackles playing an arcade game.

  • Humza Yousaf cancels Glasgow speech as speculation grows over political future

    Allies of Scottish first minister say he ‘will come out fighting’ after Greens say they would back no confidence motion

  • Aon first-quarter profit grows on gains from investments, funds

    Interest income rose nearly six times to $28 million in the first quarter ended March, primarily due to interest earned on $5 billion investment of debt proceeds used to fund the purchase of NFP. Last year, Aon agreed to buy privately held NFP in a deal valued at about $13.4 billion to tap the fast-growing middle-market segment of insurance brokerage, wealth management and retirement plan advisory. Fiduciary investment income, which rose to $79 million in the quarter from $52 million a year ago, refers to interest earned on funds held in a fiduciary capacity by entities acting in a custodial role.

  • Wales is becoming a safe haven for trans extremists

    For years, parents, teachers, clinicians, women’s-rights groups and others across the UK challenged, quite reasonably, the assumptions behind diagnoses of “gender dysphoria” in the young – and the evidence base for the treatment being prescribed.

  • Edinburgh council urges residents going to BBL surgeries offered online to contact them

    A council has warned residents set to undergo a 'Brazilian Butt Lift' (BBL) to contact them over concerns about cosmetic surgeries being offered through social media. According to the NHS, a BBL has the highest death rate of all cosmetic surgeries. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) has previously advised its members not to carry out the procedure.

  • Girl accused of school stabbings remanded to youth detention

    The 13-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons will appear at Swansea Crown Court on May 24.

  • Daimler Truck faces imminent strike by over 7,300 US workers

    Daimler Truck must reach a new labor contract with over 7,300 hourly workers at six facilities in the U.S. South by the end of Friday or face a possible strike by the United Auto Workers (UAW) union members. The workers are seeking higher pay, institution of cost-of-living adjustments and greater job security from the heavy-truck maker, UAW President Shawn Fain said during an online speech earlier this week. "Workers' wages at Daimler have not kept up," he said on Tuesday.

  • FTSE 100 Live: Index hits another record, shock Darktrace buyout, Anglo rejects BHP

    Darktrace’s three year stay on the London stock market is set to end after the cybersecurity firm backed a £4 billion takeover by a US private equity firm. The developments came as mining giant Anglo American said it had rejected BHP’s “opportunistic” £31 billion bid approach.

  • Shut down the asylum system until we figure out what the hell is going on

    How incredibly tolerant we’ve been, led to believe our security measures are robust, yet the mainstream media remains silent, they won’t speak about it and the political class are seemingly indifferent.

  • WEX First Quarter 2024 Earnings: EPS: US$1.57 (vs US$1.58 in 1Q 2023)

    WEX ( NYSE:WEX ) First Quarter 2024 Results Key Financial Results Revenue: US$652.7m (up 6.7% from 1Q 2023). Net...

  • Dow Jones Futures Rise As Microsoft, Google Jump; New Market Rally Still Must Do This

    Microsoft and Google jumped on earnings late after the market rally attempt showed resilience Wednesday amid Meta's sell-off.

  • Q4 2024 Accolade Inc Earnings Call

    Q4 2024 Accolade Inc Earnings Call

  • General Motors First Quarter 2024 Earnings: Beats Expectations

    General Motors ( NYSE:GM ) First Quarter 2024 Results Key Financial Results Revenue: US$43.0b (up 7.6% from 1Q 2023...

  • Jack Whitehall reacts after Prince William calls his jokes 'dad-like'

    The future King said on Thursday: ‘I’ve been asked to produce a dad joke, so I’m trying to channel Jack Whitehall’

  • UPDATE 1-China's Shein set to face tougher EU online rules

    The European Union designated Chinese-founded fast-fashion company Shein as a very large online platform (VLOP) after it reported a huge number of users, the EU said in a statement on Friday. Companies with more than 45 million users are regarded as VLOPs under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), facing stricter rules on online content that require them to do more to fight illegal and harmful content as well as counterfeit products on their platforms. The online retailer said it was committed to comply with the rules.

  • American Airlines Group First Quarter 2024 Earnings: EPS Misses Expectations

    American Airlines Group ( NASDAQ:AAL ) First Quarter 2024 Results Key Financial Results Revenue: US$12.6b (up 3.1% from...

  • 'What's Her Billie Jean?': Neil Tennant Has Some Big Opinions About Taylor Swift's Pop Dominance

    The Pet Shop Boys singer has admitted he's a little "disappointed" by Taylor's musical offerings.