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| Happy Hump Day, Daily Briefing readers! A new analysis has delivered the sobering reminder that the coronavirus pandemic still is going strong. And, Secretary of State Antony Blinken will continue his maiden trip to the Middle East as the U.S. seeks to fix its ties with Palestinians. |
| Steve and Jane are here with Wednesday's news. |
| 🌎New this morning: Six women reported a Louisiana college student for sexual misconduct. One by one, those in charge of protecting students ignored or skirted a law designed to rid campuses of sexual predators. |
| 🔴 "We are not quite out of the woods yet." While coronavirus cases continue to trend down, the CDC's director is cautioning Americans ahead of Memorial Day. Tap here for the latest COVID-19 updates. |
| ⚖ Major development: The prosecutor overseeing the criminal probe into former President Donald Trump and his close orbit has convened a grand jury, signaling that indictments could be coming. |
| 📺 Another wild twist: Season 5 of NBC's "This is Us" wrapped up. You weren't expecting a straightforward wedding for Kevin and Madison, were you? |
| 🎤 And the winner is...Cam Anthony was crowned the Season 20 champ of "The Voice," handing Blake Shelton his eighth win since joining the competition in 2011. |
 | | Cam Anthony was crowned the winner of "The Voice" during Tuesday's finale. | | USA TODAY Life | |
| 🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, listen as Adam Toledo, who was killed by a Chicago police officer, would have turned 14. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker. |
| Here's what's in the news today: |
Coronavirus cases in 2021 are already higher than in 2020 worldwide |
| Even with 1.7 billion COVID-19 vaccines administered, the number of reported coronavirus cases across the globe in 2021 is already more than all of 2020 , a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. Through Sunday, the world reported 83.62 million cases this year, up from 83.56 million cases last year. The early months of 2020 reflect the gradual rise and spread of the virus around the world. But since the fall of 2020, the global pace of infections hasn't abated. |
George Floyd's family meets with Biden, Harris |
 | | Gianna Floyd, the daughter of George Floyd, walks into the West Wing at the White House, Tuesday, May 25, 2021, in Washington. Members of the Floyd family were meeting with President Joe Biden. | | Evan Vucci, AP | |
| The family of George Floyd met with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and congressional leaders Tuesday to mark one year since Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Attendees included Floyd's daughter Gianna , 7, and her mother, Roxie Washington; Floyd's sister Bridgett; and Floyd's three brothers and nephew. |
Blinken continues maiden Mideast trip as US seeks to fix Palestinian ties |
| Secretary of State Antony Blinken will on Wednesday visit Egypt and Jordan, which have acted as mediators in the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants. Egypt succeeded in brokering the Gaza truce after the Biden administration pressed Israel to wind down its offensive. While in Israel on Tuesday, Blinken said the Biden administration would reopen its consulate in Jerusalem, which had served as a de facto embassy for Palestinians until former President Donald Trump shuttered it in 2019. |
What else people are reading: |
| 🔵 "They were done": The IT company that was in charge of running the hand recount of nearly 2.1 million Maricopa County, Arizona, ballots is no longer involved. |
| 🔵 "I made a mistake": After referring to Taiwan as a country while promoting "F9," the latest "Fast & Furious" film, John Cena issued an apology – and not everyone approved. |
| 🔵 Mark York, known for playing Billy Merchant on the NBC comedy "The Office," has died. He was 55. |
| 🔴 "What did you expect?" Joe West got booed in Chicago as he broke an 80-year-old record by appearing in his 5,376th game as an umpire. |
| 🔵 After having their hopes dashed in 2016, some AAPI groups want President Biden to lay the groundwork for an Asian American high court justice. |
Adam Toledo's family creates sanctuary for at-risk youth in honor of 14th birthday |
| Adam Toledo would have celebrated his 14th birthday on Wednesday . His family announced the creation of Adam's Place, a rural sanctuary for at-risk youth in honor of Adam, who was fatally shot by a Chicago police offer on March 29. "This year, as they struggle with their grief, Adam's parents and siblings are dedicating themselves to helping other families prevent the excruciating sorrow that comes from the loss of a child," said the lawyers for the Toledo family. Adam's Place will provide a "safe and nurturing haven" where youth ages 10 to 14 can "develop skills, values, and self-worth by learning to care for the natural world, others, and themselves," the lawyers said. |
Also happening on Wednesday: |
| 🌕 The sky spectacle of the year: Early today, a full "supermoon" will brighten the night sky over the U.S., and a total lunar eclipse will be visible across the West during the predawn hours. |
| 🍟 Supergroup BTS is back with the BTS Meal at McDonald's. It includes a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets and a dipping sauce offered in the U.S. for the first time. |
Record temps possible as heat wave scorches Southeast |
| For much of the South, midsummer-like heat will peak Wednesday , bringing the greatest chance to break daily record highs. More than 70 daily heat records may be broken as a high pressure system dominates the eastern half of the country. "The heat will challenge daily record highs for several days in a row in cities such as Charlotte and Raleigh with afternoon highs around or even slightly above what they normally peak at in July or August," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said. Parts of the Southeast could stay hot right through the end of the work week, according to Weather.com. |
Newsmakers in their own words: Reflecting on George Floyd's death |
 | | Darnella Frazier | | PEN America photo; USA TODAY graphic | |
| On the anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, Darnella Frazier, who recorded the incident, said she was still traumatized. |
| Frazier, then 17, was visiting a Minneapolis store when she saw then-police officer Derek Chauvin and several others restraining Floyd. Her recording was key evidence in Chauvin's murder trial. |
ICYMI: Some of our top stories published Tuesday |
| ⚖ "Vitriol" and "partisan politics": A prosecutor resigned days after his office announced it would no longer handle the case against the former police officer charged in the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright. |
| ⚖ President Joe Biden's Justice Department is appealing an order to release the full contents of a 2019 memo that recommended President Donald Trump not be charged with obstructing special counsel Robert Mueller's probe. |
| 🌊 It was a little intimidating, honestly ..." Thousands of cannonball jellyfish have piled up on the shores of Tybee Island in Georgia. |
📸 Photo of the day: How the U.S. honored George Floyd 📸 |
 | | Hundreds of protestors walk over the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan in to Brooklyn May 25, 2021 on the one year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. The protestors closed off the Brooklyn bound side of the bridge. | | Seth Harrison, The Journal News/USA TODAY Network | |
| Protests, marches, moments of silence and musical performances were among the ways people across the country honored George Floyd and marked the year since he died at the hands of Minneapolis police. |
| Head here to see the powerful photos. |
| Contributing: The Associated Press |
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