Dystopic skies persist

Thursday will be another day of strange skies and poor air quality for millions of Americans as a smoky blanket caused by Canadian wildfires continues to blow across the U.S. Also in the news: 2024 presidential candidate Mike Pence followed Donald Trump at a CNN Town Hall last night and the Nuggets made history in the NBA Finals Game.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Tom Sandoval said what?!

Now, here we go with Thursday's news.

How long will the poor air quality last?

The smoky blanket billowing across the U.S. and Canada from wildfires in Quebec and Nova Scotia should persist into Thursday and possibly the weekend, officials and experts say.

That means at least one more day of dystopian orange skies that have already derailed air travel, cancelled major sports events and threatened public health.

• The cause: On Tuesday, 238 out-of-control wildfires across Canada helped blanket multiple Canadian provinces, much of the Great Lakes region and parts of the northeastern U.S. A northerly flow of air funneled the smoke south into the U.S. from Canada.

• Officials have listed air as "unhealthy" in areas up and down the East Coast and in parts of the Midwest, including New York, Ohio, Michigan, Vermont, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, and advised residents to cut down time spent outdoors.

• The smoky air will work its way west Thursday and Friday, with the worst of the effects arriving in cities such as Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Detroit today.

Ukraine dam collapse leaves thousands without drinking water

Ukrainian authorities are rushing supplies of drinking water to areas affected by flooding from a collapsed dam in southern Ukraine. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said the multitude of threats presented by the massive dam breach in a Russian-controlled area of Kherson province are impacting more than 80 settlements. They include not just a lack of drinking water and power outages but dislodged mines, infectious bacteria and chemicals in the floodwaters, he added. While the cause of the dam's collapse remains unclear, some researchers theorized that the Russians have more to gain from the flooding despite damage to their own defensive positions. Read more

More news to know now

• Biden vetoed a bill gutting student loan forgiveness; The plan's fate now rests with the Supreme Court.

• House GOP reaches compromise with FBI over Joe Biden document, averting a contempt vote.

• The gunman who opened fire after a Virginia high school graduation targeted a graduate, police say.

• The Class of 2023 lost everything to COVID. Then they fought back.

• On today's 5 Things podcast, USA TODAY National Correspondent Elizabeth Weise has the latest on Canadian wildfires that have sent smoke into several U.S. cities. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

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

Mike Pence goes after Donald Trump in CNN Iowa town hall

Mike Pence capped his first day as a 2024 presidential candidate by again going straight at the biggest issue of the Republican race: Donald Trump, the man who made him vice president. Echoing comments he made throughout his opening day, Pence used a CNN town hall in Iowa to hit Trump over federal spending and entitlement reform, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and, most especially, Trump's actions prior to the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021. Pence, who is in single digits in most polls, also made clear that Trump's legacy will be a big part of his longshot presidential campaign. Read more

• Does Mike Pence support a federal ban on gender-affirming care for kids? "You bet," he says.

Here's what the Supreme Court's new disclosures reveal

A new round of financial disclosure reports from the Supreme Court released Wednesday shows that three of the justices were flown to Italy for conferences, three earned outside income for teaching at law schools and one received a congratulatory bouquet of flowers from Oprah Winfrey worth more than $1,000. This year the annual disclosures will be subjected to added scrutiny given a series of recent ethics scandals unfolding on the nation's highest court, most notably involving Justice Clarence Thomas. Read more

Just for subscribers:

• A 132-year sentence doomed him to die in prison. Then something unexpected happened.

• ''Our numbers are screwy'': Cyber Ninjas CEO admits he couldn't tally hand count of Arizona ballots.

• Memphis may be the largest majority-Black city in the U.S. Where does it go from here?

• Small bird populations are declining. Here's what researchers on Cape Cod are doing.

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

Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray make history in Nuggets' Game 3 win

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray got back to their effective two-man game, and the Denver Nuggets' re-commitment to defense led to a 109-94 victory over the Miami Heat and a 2-1 series lead in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Jokic recorded the first 30-point, 20-rebound triple-double in Finals history, finishing with 32 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists, and Murray notched a triple-double by putting up 34 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds. This is the first time in NBA history ― playoffs or regular season ― that teammates had 30-point triple-doubles. Read more

Quick hits

• CNN fired its CEO. Here's why the network needs to get it together.

• Jay Johnston, actor from ''Bob's Burgers,'' charged with storming U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

• Pregnant and over 40? You aren't alone. More women are becoming later-in-life moms.

• How ''golf's ultimate power broker'' helped facilitate PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger.

• Lionel Messi to MLS: ''I made the decision that I'm going to go to Miami.''

Photo of the day:  Every 'era' of Taylor Swift's outfits at NYC museum

An exhibition in New York City is spotlighting Taylor Swift’s ever-changing style “eras” for devoted fans to witness up close.  Music videos, award show and tour outfits worn by Swift throughout her career were unveiled last month by the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD). Read more

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: Daily Briefing: Dystopic skies persist