Daily Briefing: 15 million barrels of oil
Just weeks ahead of the midterm elections, President Joe Biden is signaling he understands voters' woes about gas prices as he releases 15 million barrels of oil from the nation’s emergency reserves. Also in the news: Many Ukrainians are without power following Russian strikes on infrastructure, and an exclusive column for USA TODAY by Simone Biles.
🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author.
We've made it to the middle of the week. Let's get going.
🎃 Up first: A fire at a Texas pumpkin patch destroyed 73 vehicles, leaving a graveyard of burnt cars.
Biden to complete release from emergency oil reserves
President Joe Biden will announce Wednesday he’s releasing 15 million barrels of oil from the nation’s emergency reserves, one of the few actions he can take before next month’s midterm elections to show voters he feels their pain at the pump. The move completes Biden’s March directive to release 180 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the largest sale in the reserve’s nearly 50-year history. Read more
Context: Biden’s move comes about two weeks after OPEC and its oil-exporting allies announced they would cut oil production by 2 million barrels per day to boost prices.
More context: Biden first tapped the reserves last November amid a spike in gas prices and soaring inflation, later exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February. Now he's searching for "alternatives" to help lower gas prices after OPEC cut oil production.
In March, Biden ordered the release of 1 million barrels of oil a day for six months. That’s the largest release from the reserve in its nearly 50-year history. The administration stretched out the release, which will now be completed by the end of the year.
How has the pandemic and the war changed what Americans pay? The national average pump price for a gallon of gas has significantly dropped since summer but has ticked up since September and is still higher than it was last year.
Pre-winter energy crisis builds in Europe: Leading up to Thursday's start of a key summit, European Union leaders enter a crucial stretch this week to make sure runaway energy prices and short supplies don't further tank their struggling economies and foment unrest.
Russia presses on with target on Ukraine's infrastructure
Russia’s current offense on Ukraine left people without power in scores of cities and towns as the war approaches its eight-month milestone. Shelling overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday morning in Energodar, the closest city to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, reportedly knocked out the power and water supply in some of the city’s districts. Critical infrastructure was attacked with Russian S-300 missiles in the Zaporizhzhia region. Russian forces also heavily shelled two areas in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, taking out the power supply in several towns and villages. In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged people to use power sparingly. Read more
Former CIA director: Drone attacks are one of Putin's few options left, and they won't change the direction of the war.
More news to know now
🔔 A suspect was charged in three slayings in a California serial killer case.
😷 Move aside, BA.5: These new COVID variants are gaining ground in the U.S.
⚾ ''Huge swing:'' Kyle Schwarber's majestic home run lifts Phillies over Padres in Game 1 of NLCS.
📰 Danny Masterson is on trial for rape: Will Scientology play a role?
🔥 California wildfires wiped out nearly 20 years of greenhouse gas emission reductions – in 2020, alone.
🎓 Eat or pay tuition? Many community college students are forced to choose. But colleges can help.
💉 People of color are more likely to be hospitalized with the flu – and less likely to get the vaccine, CDC finds.
🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, White House correspondent Joey Garrison looks at President Joe Biden’s vow to codify Roe v. Wade in a potential expanded Democratic majority. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker.
🌤 Can we sit outside for team drinks? Check your local forecast here.
'Liar' tossed more than once at Florida Senate debate
The word "liar" and plenty of other tough language was exchanged as Florida Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and his Democratic opponent, U.S. Rep. Val Demings, met on the debate stage in a heated matchup Tuesday night on the campus of Palm Beach State College. Demings often was on the offensive as she tries to unseat a two-term incumbent and shake up a race where polls show her lagging, in a state that increasingly has trended red. Rubio deflected on some hot-button issues, such as abortion, and tried to ignore others as he sought to avoid major missteps in the home stretch. Here are five takeaways from the debate.
Republicans made inroads with South Texas Latinos last election. Now, they’re hoping for a red wave.
Will Chuck Grassley’s age hurt his reelection chances? Most likely Iowa voters have concerns.
Los Angeles City Council elects new president after leaked racist audio rocked city
A week after a leaked audio recording erupted Los Angeles in scandal and left the city in a state of uncertainty over its leadership, the city council on Tuesday elected Councilmember Paul Krekorian as its new president. In a four-hour meeting, which was held remotely due to exposure to COVID-19, councilmembers listened to hours of public comment before voting Krekorian in. He will replace Nury Martinez's empty seat following her resignation last Wednesday. He took the role of president immediately following the unanimous vote. Read more
📷 Photo of the day: Protests call for Los Angeles City Councilmembers to resign after racist remarks 📷
The demonstrators demanded the city council stop its virtual meeting Tuesday until two of its members resign over racist remarks. Click here to see more photos from the protests.
Just for subscribers:
🌡The massive 2021 infrastructure act aimed to fight climate change. Is it living up to Biden's pledge?
⛽ As global oil production is reduced, will gas prices increase or decrease? The answer is mixed.
📜 Supreme Court affirmative action cases have sparked heated debate over meaning of Brown v. Board.
🏈 Colts' win against Jaguars will be remembered for more than just Matt Ryan's late TD pass.
These articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here. Already a subscriber and want premium content texted to you every day? We can do that! Sign up for our subscriber-only texting campaign.
Simone Biles for USA TODAY Opinion: My life could have been very different
As a young adult, I can’t help but notice that people often identify me for the medals I have won. I get it: They see me on TV doing gymnastics and that is who and what I am to them. Don’t get me wrong, I am so lucky to have people who follow my career and cheer me on. They mean everything to me. I understand why they ask me about my medals, how much work I put into training and how much fun it must all be. Read the rest of Biles' column.
USA TODAY's Women of the Year: Simone Biles is an inspiration, whether competing or "pushing mental health to the forefront.''
One more thing
🏈 Rihanna is the Super Bowl LVII halftime performer. Here's what we know about her plans, new album.
🍸 Kate del Castillo on how she and ''Reina del Sur'' character are alike: ''We both love men'' (and tequila).
🎤 Keke Palmer wants ''Being Mortal'' salvaged after Bill Murray complaint: ''What we got is gold.''
📚 ''Harry Potter'' star Tom Felton recalls harrowing rehab escape and his Emma Watson bond in his new memoir.
🍎 Going apple picking? Here are 14 products to make your trip to the orchard more fruitful.
♥ A dad was moved to tears when surprised by the sister he hasn’t seen in almost a quarter century.
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: Gas prices, Ukraine, Marco Rubio, Los Angeles City Council: Daily Briefing