 |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| Good morning, Daily Briefing readers! We hope you had a great holiday weekend. President Joe Biden will visit Tulsa, Oklahoma, to commemorate a grim centenary – the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. And, it's the first of the month of June, which means that Pride Month is officially here! 🏳️🌈 |
| Steve and Jane are here with Tuesday's news. |
| 🌎 New this morning: LGBTQ advocates are still reaping rewards of a 2020 anti-discrimination ruling by the Supreme Court. But legal experts see challenges ahead. |
| 🔵 "Didn't realize it was going to be me." With a July deadline looming, some 9/11 survivors and families may miss out on the right to file a claim for benefits. |
| 🥩 "Nothing is safe": JBS USA, the world's largest meat supplier, says it was the target of an "organized cybersecurity attack." |
| 😷 "It's the right thing to do:" The World Health Organization renamed COVID-19 variants with Greek letters to avoid confusion and stigmatization. |
| 🔵 "Just the start:"A Black-led nonprofit says it has received a six-figure reparations payment from a person who discovered their great-grandfather owned slaves. |
| 🔴 RIP Lil Loaded: The Dallas rapper behind the 2019 viral summer hit "6locc 6a6y," has died. He was 20. |
| 🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, listen to what government officials are saying about UFO sightings. 👾You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker. |
| Here's what's happening today: |
Biden to visit Tulsa to mark race massacre centennial |
| President Joe Biden will visit Tulsa on Tuesday to mark the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre . The history of the massacre spotlights the formation of an affluent Black community known as "Black Wall Street," and the gruesome events that destroyed it. In 1921, a white mob attacked the area in Oklahoma, killing hundreds of people and destroying the country's wealthiest African American community. Its abrupt demise and similar incidents around the country during that period played a role in widening the racial wealth divide, experts say. |
Celebrations planned nationwide throughout Pride Month 🏳️🌈 |
| Pride Month is officially here. The month of June marks a time of celebration and reflection for the LGBTQ+ community and allies. Pride dates back to riots at Stonewall Inn in June 1969, led by Black transgender women. New York City police had raided the landmark bar in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, enforcing a law against selling alcohol to gay patrons. Thirteen people were arrested. Now more than 50 years later, Pride is celebrated with street festivals, events and parties. Looking to celebrate Pride in your area? USA TODAY compiled some of this year's biggest events. |
What else people are reading: |
| 🔵 "Acts of domestic terrorism": Police in Florida are hunting for suspects after two people were killed and 21 were injured in a shooting outside a banquet hall. |
| 💉 Vaccines 2.0: Industry leaders say the next generation of COVID-19 shots will be cheaper, easier to deliver and protect against more viruses. For the latest coronavirus news, tap here. |
| 💔 "A beautiful journey": Actors Blair Underwood and Desiree DaCosta revealed in a joint statement that they are splitting up after 27 years of marriage. |
| 👫 "Typical Irish uncle": Matt LeBlanc's smiling, arms folded couch pose during HBO Max's "Friends: The Reunion" special has Ireland claiming the star as their own. |
| 📺 "Absolutely incredible:" Sitcom actress and neurobiologist Mayim Bialik spoke with USA TODAY about being one of the "Jeopardy!" guest hosts. |
 | | Mayim Bialik's two-week turn as "Jeopardy!" host kicks off Monday, May 31. | | Jeopardy Productions, Inc. | |
Pentagon set to release government report on UFOs 👽 |
| A government-sanctioned report on unidentified aerial phenomena is expected to be released by the Pentagon and other federal agencies on Tuesday. It will include information that cannot easily be explained , according to a former top national intelligence official. UFOs are often synonymous with aliens in pop culture, but those who study the phenomenon say they should be understood by their literal name: unidentified flying objects. Often, they may have mundane explanations like weather balloons or drones. But for now, some sightings don't have accepted explanations. |
Stunning decision: Naomi Osaka withdraws from French Open |
| After receiving backlash for deciding not to partake in post-match press conferences at this year's French Open, Naomi Osaka announced she is withdrawing from the event. |
| USA TODAY Sports columnist Dan Wolken noted: "This has now become the biggest story in tennis, something that in many ways transcends sports, and the consequences are going to reverberate for a long time." |
 | | Naomi Osaka played her first-round match at the French Open on Sunday before announcing her withdrawal from the tournament on Monday. | | Susan Mullane, USA TODAY Sports | |
'Potentially hazardous'? An asteroid the size of the Space Needle will pass near Earth |
| A massive asteroid is expected to whiz by Earth in a relatively close encounter – 4.5 million miles – on Tuesday, according to NASA. The asteroid, known as 2021 KT1, is about 600 feet, the size of the New York Olympic Tower or the Seattle Space Needle. The asteroid is classified by NASA as a "potentially hazardous object" because it is larger than 492 feet and within 4.6 million miles of Earth. It will be flying near Earth at a speed of 40,000 mph, according to the laboratory. While the asteroid is not expected to make a direct hit, NASA is keeping a close watch. |
Newsmakers in their own words: NBA coach takes on fan behavior |
 | | Washington Wizards head coach Scott Brooks in 2020 | | Associated Press photo; USA TODAY graphic | |
| After a fan ran onto the court during the Washington Wizards' Game 4 playoff win over the Philadelphia 76ers, head coach Scott Brooks delivered a scathing five-minute old-school rebuke. Tap here to read Brooks' full comments. |
Hurricane season officially begins |
| Tuesday marks the beginning of hurricane season in the Atlantic, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The season, which runs through Nov. 30, typically peaks in August and September. If it follows predictions, it will be the sixth consecutive year of above-normal activity. Overall, the NOAA said 13 to 20 named storms will develop. Of the predicted hurricanes, three to five could be major, packing wind speeds of 111 mph or higher. Forecasts include storms that spin up in the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. |
ICYMI: Some of our top stories published over the weekend |
| 🗳 "We want more people to participate in our democracy ...": Texas Democrats staged a walkout to block the state's restrictive voting bill. Gov. Greg Abbott has already said he plans to call special session to try passing the bill again. |
| ⚖ Plane crash aftermath: Family members and a medical examiner in Tennessee are working to identify the remains of a crash that killed diet guru Gwen Shamblin Lara, her husband, a former actor, and five other people. |
| 📺 Baby Mae: HGTV stars Erin and Ben Napier welcomed their second child, a girl named Mae, last week. Check out the cute photos of the new addition to their home. |
📸 Photo of the day: Honoring those who served on Memorial Day 📸 |
 | | Elizabeth Spence of Cleveland visits the grave of her grandfather Edward Spence U.S. Army World War II veteran at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery on Monday May 31, 2021. Spence said her grandfather, who died in 2019, was like a father to her. | | Mike Cardew, Akron Beacon Journal/USA TODAY Network | |
| Memorial Day is a federal holiday that commemorates the lives of American troops who died in service. This year, a nation slowly emerging from social distancing measures honored generations of U.S. veterans on a holiday observed without the severe restrictions that affected it a year ago. |
| Head here to see photos of people across America honoring the fallen. |
| |
| |
| |
