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| Happy Hump Day, Daily Briefing readers! The stakes are high for President Joe Biden after he canceled a planned trip to Chicago to focus on budget talks. COVID-19 boosters are now available to millions of Americans – but there's little policing to ensure the shots go to the intended people. And, it's National Coffee Day! Scroll to the bottom to find out how you can get a free cup of Joe. ☕️ |
| It's Steve and Jane, with Wednesday's news. |
| 🔵 New this morning: How three Jewish and Arab families swapped kidneys, saved their mothers and made history. |
| 💉 "Right now, it's been the Wild West": Health experts say some people who don't meet the requirements are ignoring official guidelines and seeking COVID-19 booster shots. |
| 📚 "Casual dishonesty": Stephanie Grisham, one of Donald Trump's former press secretaries, says in a forthcoming book that Trump and his aides forged a culture of lying. |
| 🥊 "I never thought this day would come": Manny Pacquiao, 42, has announced his retirement from boxing. Pacquiao, who won 12 world titles in eight divisions, already has declared his candidacy for next year's presidential elections in the Philippines. |
| 🎧 Prefer audio? Listen to the 5 Things podcast. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker. |
| Here's what's happening today: |
Biden cancels Chicago trip in order to continue negotiations on key legislation |
| With his domestic agenda facing a make-or-break moment, President Joe Biden canceled a trip he planned to make to Chicago Wednesday so he can continue negotiations with members of Congress, according to a White House official. The stakes are as high as ever as Biden and the Democratic Party try to accomplish a giant legislative lift. His idea is to essentially raise taxes on corporations and the wealthy and use that money to expand government health care, education and other programs. Complicating matters, Republicans have refused to approve legislation to keep the government funded past Thursday's fiscal yearend and raise the nation's debt limit to avoid a dangerous default on borrowing. More votes are expected Wednesday and will likely head off a catastrophe, at least temporarily. |
Join USA TODAY in a conversation on civil rights |
| On March 27, 1961, nine Black students at Tougaloo College in Mississippi sat at tables at a whites-only library. They were quickly arrested, a moment that inspired young people at other historically Black colleges and universities to rally against segregation. On Wednesday, USA TODAY is collaborating with Tougaloo College in a free virtual event , "Freedom Now: How Institutions of Power Fuel and Stall Change," which looks at the roles law enforcement, media, government and education leaders serve in civil rights movements. The event is at 7 p.m. EDT; you can register at sevendaysin1961.usatoday.com. The event is part of USA TODAY's "Seven Days of 1961" project, which spotlights seven pivotal protests that fueled the civil rights movement. |
What else people are reading: |
| 🌏 "Give us a date": "Early November" was as specific as the White House got when it announced plans to broadly reopen U.S. borders to vaccinated international visitors. |
| 💉 Vaccination rates among people who are pregnant have been low, despite evidence that vaccines can prevent the "severe risk of severe disease." Tap here for the latest COVID-19 updates. |
| 🎤 "I'm truly grateful": Berritt Haynes had one wish… "to come and watch 'The Voice." The 19-year-old singer was referring to Make-A-Wish Foundation's mission to grant the desires of critically ill children. |
| 🚨 Authorities in Florida are still searching for Miya Marcano, a missing 19-year-old college student, after a person of interest in the case was found dead in what deputies said was an apparent suicide. |
| 📺 "A dangerous abuse of power": The Anti-Defamation League is once again calling for Fox News personality Tucker Carlson's ousting for his recent comments on "The Great Replacement" theory. |
 | | Fox News host Tucker Carlson is confused as to why the Anti-Defamation League is weighing on his comments regarding "The Great Replacement" theory. | | AP Photo/Richard Drew | |
Military leaders to testify in front of House committee |
| Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and U.S. Central Command Gen. Frank McKenzie will continue to testify on Capitol Hill Wednesday, this time before the House Armed Services Committee. The trio of military leaders are likely to face additional questions on their handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August. On Tuesday, Milley defended the decision to pull American troops out of Afghanistan by Aug. 31, saying risks to the U.S. military and remaining American citizens in Afghanistan were going to go "extremely high beginning in September." Additionally, Austin said the U.S. is still working on getting Americans out who wish to leave Afghanistan. |
 | | Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley testified before Congress on Tuesday. | | USA TODAY | |
Britney Spears' conservatorship case returns to court |
| Britney Spears' legal team heads to court again Wednesday for what will likely be a pivotal hearing in the battle over her conservatorship. Coming in the wake of two new documentaries about the agreement that has controlled the pop star's finances and major life decisions for the last 13 years, it's the first hearing in which Spears' chosen attorney will argue on her behalf instead of a court-appointed lawyer. The main issue will likely be the role of her father, Jamie Spears, who has overseen the conservatorship at least in part since 2008. He currently remains co-conservator of her finances, though that may change after this hearing. |
Fact check: Let's get a few things straight |
| ✔ The claim: An audit "conclusively shows" voter fraud affected Arizona's election outcome, as former President Donald Trump said in a recent statement. Our rating: False ❌ |
| ✔ The claim: A video shows House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying she doesn't want President Joe Biden to talk. Our rating: Altered. The video was first shared in March by a comedian, who added the fake audio of Pelosi as satire. |
| ✔ The claim: COVID-19 isn't real because it doesn't affect homeless people. Our rating: False ❌ While it's difficult to determine how many homeless people have tested positive, data from the National Health Care for the Homeless Council suggests the number at more than 375,000. |
| ✔ The claim: Grindr, a popular LGBTQ+ dating app, has been banned from Apple's App Store. Our rating: False❌ |
| 🔵 We have a whole newsletter dedicated to fact checks. Make sure you have the real story and sign up here. |
Newsmakers in their own words: Man hospitalized with COVID-19 begs others to get vaccinated |
 | | Mark Green, a COVID-19 patient, spoke about his vaccine hesitancy. | | USA TODAY | |
| Mark Green from Indiana, who has an underlying lung condition, had doubts, deep ones, about the coronavirus vaccine, so strong that even an extensive talk with his doctor could not allay his fears. But about two months later, Green, 58, lay in bed in a critical care unit, battling a severe case of COVID. |
| Pausing to take deep breaths from the high flow oxygen device to which he was tethered, Green said he would like to tell everyone to "just go get the vaccine." |
Vaccinated vs. unvaccinated players a big storyline as NBA players report |
| As NBA training camps open this week, we know that just about everyone in close contact with an NBA players must be vaccinated – everyone except the players themselves. The league did not reach an agreement with the National Basketball Players Association on a vaccine mandate. But, unofficially, the league has mandated players receive the vaccine. An agent told USA TODAY Sports the league is trying to make life as difficult as possible for those players who aren't vaccinated. LeBron James revealed Tuesday he is vaccinated, but he wants to respect others who have decided not to get the shot. |
 | | Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James fields questions during the NBA basketball team's Media Day Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021, in El Segundo, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) | | The Associated Press | |
ICYMI: Some of our top stories Tuesday |
| 📮 Americans who have been frustrated with the slow service of the U.S. Postal Service won't be thrilled to hear this: The service is about to get even slower. |
| ⛳ Picking its battles: Anyone butting heads with the behemoth that is the NFL gets battered on TV and in social and traditional media circles. That's why the PGA plans on making a bold move and adjusting the schedule to one of its big events early in 2022. |
| 📺 Court is back in session: For the first time since May 2010, NBC will soon air new episodes of the original "Law & Order." A premiere date for the series' 21st season and details regarding the cast have yet to be released. |
Hot and sweet: Grabba cuppa free Joe on National Coffee Day ☕️ |
| Restaurants, convenience stores and coffee brands on Wednesday are serving up deals for National Coffee Day. Many of the nation's leading chains, such as Starbucks, Dunkin', 7-Eleven, Wawa and others are offering free or discounted brews on the made-up holiday. USA TODAY's Kelly Tyko has the complete roundup of promotions. Many of the deals require an app and being registered for a loyalty program. |
📸 Photo of the day: Kate dazzles while meeting Daniel Craig at 007 premiere 📸 |
 | | Duchess Kate meets Bond, James Bond, otherwise known as actor Daniel Craig in his last turn as Agent 007. He wore a magenta velvet jacket for the long-delayed premiere, which drew a star-studded array of celebrities and other royals on the red carpet. | | CHRIS JACKSON, POOL/AFP via Getty Images | |
| The Duchess of Cambridge didn't appear shaken nor stirred at the London world premiere of the latest James Bond film "No Time To Die" (out Oct. 8) on Tuesday, alongside Prince William, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. |
| Duchess Kate channeled a royal Bond girl on the red carpet at Royal Albert Hall in a shimmering gold Jenny Packham gown. |
| The royals, who are big James Bond fans, bonded on the red carpet with 007 himself, Daniel Craig, who stood out in a velvet pink double-breasted tuxedo jacket. |
| Head here to see more photos of Duchess Kate's style through the years. |
| The Daily Briefing is free, but several stories we link to in this edition are subscriber-only. Please support our journalism and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today. |
| Contributing: The Associated Press |
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