Daily Briefing: A human-sized cat and a lot of pearls

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit bash returned to celebrate late designer Karl Lagerfeld ... and his famous feline. Also in the news: Hollywood's writers will strike today for first time in 15 years and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is the second U.S. speaker to address Israel's legislature.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Sea turtle nesting season is here!

Now, here we go with Tuesday's news.

Karl Lagerfeld honored on 2023 Met Gala red carpet

Karl Lagerfeld's spirit was felt at the annual Met Gala, which serves as a glamorous fundraiser for the latest exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute.

Stars from Kim Kardashian to Brittney Griner celebrated the invite-only event's dress code, "In honor of Karl," paying tribute to the late creative director of top fashion houses including Chanel, Fendi and Chloé.

• Rihanna arrived fashionably late, gracing the Met steps with A$AP Rocky (and baby No. 2 baking) to close out the red carpet with sartorial flair.

• Lagerfeld's famous Birman cat Choupette may have declined to attend the Met Gala, but Jared Leto dressed up in a full animal suit, appearing like a massive version of the cat.

• While Lagerfeld is known for his signature style – white hair, black sunglasses, pearls and 19th-century-style shirt collars – he is also remembered for his polemical tendencies, having offered unfiltered commentary on migrants, sexual assault survivors, the #MeToo movement and gay men who want to adopt children.

Who executed the theme the best? Check out all the best photos from Met steps here.

Hollywood writers, slamming 'gig economy,' go on strike

Television and movie writers declared they will launch a strike for the first time in 15 years, as Hollywood girded for a walkout with potentially widespread ramifications in a fight over fair pay in the streaming era. The Writers Guild of America said late Monday its 11,500 unionized screenwriters will head to the picket lines Tuesday. Negotiations between studios and the writers, which began in March, failed to reach a new contract before the writers' current deal expired just after midnight Tuesday. All script writing is to immediately cease, the guild informed its members. Read more

• American Airlines pilots authorized a strike. Here’s why you shouldn’t panic.

• GM terminated hundreds of contract workers as it tries to shave $2 billion from its budget.

More news to know now

• A hearing on Supreme Court ethics Tuesday comes amid scandals that started with luxury gifts to Justice Clarence Thomas.

• A Texas family called police five times before a shooting spree that killed five.

• Two hospitals that denied emergency abortion broke the federal law, an investigation found.

• Pipe manufacturers blasted a report that claimed PVC pipes are risky for drinking water.

• On today's 5 Things podcast, the fallout after regulators seized First Republic Bank. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

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

McCarthy speaks to Israeli legislature

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy became the second U.S. speaker Monday to deliver remarks before the Israeli Knesset, the national legislature of Israel, where he reinforced U.S.-Israeli relations and announced the formation of a House-Knesset parliamentary friendship group. McCarthy led a bipartisan congressional delegation to the country to celebrate its 75th anniversary of independence. "This will be part of a new chapter of U.S.-Israel relations," he said. Read more

• On their nation's 75th anniversary, Israelis ask: Is this still a democracy?

• Biden seeks meeting with Kevin McCarthy as Treasury warns of possible June 1 default.

• South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott will make his 2024 presidential bid announcement later in May.

Seven bodies found during search for missing Oklahoma teenagers

Authorities found seven bodies, including two missing teenagers, during a search Monday in eastern Oklahoma, state officials confirmed. Okmulgee County Sheriff Eddy Rice said 14-year-old Ivy Webster and 16-year-old Brittany Brewer were found dead on a rural property near the town of Henryetta after they were declared missing. Authorities believe they also found the body of Jesse McFadden, 39, a convicted sex offender the teen girls were thought to be with, on the property. Though the bodies have not yet been identified by the medical examiner, Rice told reporters late Monday afternoon his office believed they had found "everything that we were seeking this morning." Read more

• Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr sued Republican leadership after a censure vote.

• A college baseball player was shot in the chest by a stray bullet during a game in Texas, police say.

• Jeff Bezos started a chain of free preschools. What does the Bezos Academy mean for early learning?

Just for subscribers:

• Mistaken bodies, missed murders: Did medical examiner err again in Kentucky inmate's case?

• After 5 straight crazy Kentucky Derby races, what does 2023 have in store for us?

• Hybrid work is here to stay. It's time for security to catch up to our new normal.

• Drought and storms topple urban trees. Now some cities are planting 'trees that survive in the desert.'

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

Dozens injured after dust storm causes 'horrific' pile-up on Illinois' I-55

At least six people are dead and dozens injured after a blinding dust storm caused a multi-vehicle pileup late Monday morning south of Springfield, Illinois, that Gov. J.B. Pritzker described as "horrific." As of late Monday, the Illinois State Police said 72 vehicles were involved in the crashes which included passenger cars and multiple tractor-trailers. Starrick said two tractor-trailers had caught fire. According to Montgomery County authorities, 10 helicopters were called to the scene in addition to a hazardous materials team to suppress fires, including a power-tool battery blaze on a semitrailer. Read more

• Chicago Mayor Lightfoot urged Texas Gov. Abbott to stop busing migrants.

• Do gun buyback programs work? Thousands of firearms surrendered in New York in one day.

Quick hits

• Gordon Lightfoot, legendary Canadian folk singer-songwriter, has died at 84.

• When should breast cancer screenings start? Black women aren't given a good answer.

• Want to save big on gas and groceries? We'll tell you how.

• Anna May Wong is still making history: ''Incredible for Barbie to expand my aunt's legacy.''

• King Charles III's coronation is Saturday. Here's how to watch without going to Westminster Abbey.

Photo of the day:  Would you eat this banana?

A hungry student reportedly chowed down on a banana at the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul. The only problem?The fruit was part of an art installation called "Comedian" by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan.

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: Met Gala, Hollywood strike, Oklahoma, Illinois pile-up, Israel: Daily Briefing