Daily Briefing: All eyes on Auckland

World Cup players held a moment of silence before the tournament's opening games after shooting early Thursday left two people dead and injured five others. Also in the news: Plaintiffs delivered emotional testimony in a hearing that serves as a major test to Texas' abortion ban and Israel's president called out U.S. lawmakers who skipped his Congressional address.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Could you see the northern lights tonight?

Now, here we go with Thursday's news.

Gunman New Zealand kills two people hours ahead of World Cup

The first games of the World Cup tournament in New Zealand continued on schedule mere hours after a man stormed a high-rise construction site in downtown Auckland early Thursday morning, shooting at terrified workers and killing two people.

The male shooter, a 24-year-old who is believed to have worked at the building where the shooting took place, is dead, and police have determined there's no threat to national security.

• Eight teams, including the U.S. women, are based in Auckland for the group stage and most are staying at hotels close to where the shooting occurred. U.S. Soccer said all players and team staff were "accounted for and safe."

• The shooting brought a somber note to the start of the tournament for USWNT players, who had to shelter in place until the area was cleared.

• There were moments of silence before both openers Thursday night. New Zealand opened against Norway at Auckland's Eden Park while Australia was playing Ireland at the Olympic Stadium in Sydney early Thursday. The USWNT takes to the pitch Friday evening against Vietnam.

First public testimony of two IRS agents assigned to Hunter Biden case

Two whistleblowers provided Congress with their side of the story from the yearslong investigation into Hunter Biden, who has become a lightning rod for Republican allegations about a two-tiered justice system in the United States. Speaking to leaders of three powerful House committees, who held a joint hearing Wednesday, Internal Revenue Service employees Greg Shapley and Joseph Ziegler − who was previously known as "whistleblower x" − alleged U.S. Justice Department officials slow walked the investigation into President Joe Biden's youngest son. Read more

More news to know now

• What happened to Carlee Russell? Police say many details of her story can't be verified.

• Amid Elon Musk's Twitter changes, why 2024 presidential election threats now pose bigger risk.

• Trump got detained Americans back from North Korea. For Biden, it won't be so easy.

• Summers are always hot. But here's how we know climate change is making summer 2023 hotter.

• On today's 5 Things podcast, leaked emails allege Texas patrol agents were ordered to push migrants into the Rio Grande. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

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

Texas women, doctors ask Austin judge to clarify exceptions to state's abortion ban

Proceedings are expected to continue through Thursday in front of state District Judge Jessica Mangrum in a hearing that represents a major legal test to the state’s abortion ban. In the first day of the hearing, Texas women who were denied abortions testified in a court Wednesday of carrying babies they knew would not survive and continuing pregnancies that put their health in worsening danger. Their detailed accounts in a crowded Austin courtroom were often emotional. At one point, the judge called a recess when a woman whose daughter died within hours of birth became ill and overcome on the witness stand. Read more

• Mangrum is a Democratic judge who is likely to issue a written ruling in the coming weeks. But no matter what she decides, the highly politicized case seems destined to be decided by the state's Republican-dominated Supreme Court.

• These men tried a period pain simulator. Their wild reactions carry an important message.

• Texas is ranked the worst state to live in the U.S. See where others stand.

Israel's president addresses criticism in Congressional address

Israeli President Isaac Herzog pushed back against criticism of Israel from some progressive Democrats, after the lawmakers vowed to protest his address to Congress and sparked a firestorm in recent days. "I am not oblivious to criticism among friends, including some expressed by respected members of this House," Herzog said during his speech on Wednesday. Republicans − and fellow Democrats − have targeted some members of Congress' left flank over their criticism of Israel's human rights record. Several progressive Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., announced they would boycott Herzog's address over Israel's treatment of Palestinians. Read more

• Video: Herzog calls out lawmakers that skipped his address to Congress.

• Biden and Netanyahu: Israeli leader gets coveted White House invitation after tensions.

• ''The whole country is stuck'': Israel's protests reignite as overhaul to judiciary resumes.

Just for subscribers:

• They bonded over having breast cancer under 40. Now they're helping prevention in others.

• Iowa clinics rushed to squeeze in abortions before a new 6-week ban. Here's how they managed it.

• ''Small miracles'' and a long recovery: After a skydiving accident, this man is walking again.

• An Ohio Lego enthusiast gained a TikTok following for his massive collection.

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

Advocates, Biden administration spar over new asylum rules

Immigrant rights groups told a federal judge Wednesday the Biden administration’s push to limit the number of migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border is illegal, the latest step in a brewing court battle that has pit those groups against the Democratic president amid a steep decline in border crossings. At issue is a policy Biden unveiled in February that, in part, requires migrants heading to the U.S. border to first seek protection in Mexico before attempting to do so in the United States – a strikingly similar idea to one proposed by President Donald Trump and repeatedly shot down by federal courts in the past. Read more

Quick hits

• CMT pulled a Jason Aldean video: What to know about ''Try That In A Small Town'' controversy.

• 10 things to keep in your carry-on in case of flight cancellation or delay.

• Mandy Moore revealed she earned ''pennies'' in ''This Is Us'' residual checks.

• Ex-Northwestern University football players detailed a ''toxic culture'' of hazing.

• ''Oppenheimer'' review: Christopher Nolan's epic is a crafty blast of nuclear doomsday dread.

Photo of the day: Vingegaard takes huge lead at Tour de France

Jonas Vingegaard is on course to bring the yellow jersey to Paris for a second straight year after the Danish rider took a huge lead over his main rival at the Tour de France. Vingegaard finished the 17th stage in fourth place and almost six minutes before an exhausted Pogacar crossed the finish line. There's just one tough stage remaining on Saturday in the Alsace region. But with such a big gap between the Tour’s main contenders it’s unlikely to have a significant impact. See more photos from the race here.

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: World Cup, New Zealand shooting, Texas abortion ban, Israel, IRS, asylum, Tour de France: Daily Briefing