Daily Briefing: The last day of a hopeless search
Hope is fading as search and rescue efforts after a migrant boat sank off the coast of Greece fail to find any more survivors. Also in the news: Jurors return to deliberations Friday to determine the fate of the gunman in the 2018 synagogue mass shooting in Pittsburgh and the Kansas City Chiefs celebrated their Super Bowl bling.
🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Father's Day is more about family than gifts for this third-generation Georgia business owner.
Now, here we go with Friday's news.
Final day of search for missing migrants in Greece
Greece’s coast guard launched its third and final day of a search in the area where a large fishing boat crammed with migrants sank. Hundreds of passengers are missing and feared dead as Greek authorities have been met with protest for their handling of the wreck. The round-the-clock effort continues Friday off the coast of southern Greece despite little hope of finding survivors or bodies. None have been found since Wednesday, when 78 bodies were recovered and 104 people were rescued. Greek authorities and European Union border protection agents were first alerted about the boat Tuesday, which was heading for Italy from eastern Libya. Read more
Jurors deliberate charges against gunman in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting
Jurors are set to resume deliberations Friday in the federal trial of a truck driver who slaughtered worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in the nation’s deadliest attack on Jews. Robert Bowers is charged with 63 criminal counts after he entered Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue in October 2018 and opened fire, ultimately killing 11 people and injuring several others. He was motivated by his hatred of Jewish people when he turned a sacred house of worship into a “hunting ground,” a federal prosecutor told the jury before the start of deliberations. The government is seeking the death sentence. Read more
More news to know now
The alleged Pentagon leaker of classified defense documents was indicted on six counts.
A woman was killed on I-95 in Philadelphia after being hit by a ''large piece of debris.''
The next COVID vaccine booster shot should target new variant and not original virus, FDA panel says.
A GLAAD report says Twitter is the "most dangerous" social media platform' for LGBTQ users.
The Denver Nuggets win the NBA title, Pat Sajak retires and a big settlement from a search engine. What happened in this week's news?
On today's 5 Things podcast, we put a ruling on Native American adoption in context. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.
What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
Tornado hits Texas Panhandle city
One person was killed in a mobile home park that took a “direct hit” from a tornado and at least 30 trailers were damaged or destroyed. Firefighters were rescuing residents from the rubble. Read more
Forecasters say another round of intense thunderstorms are possible on Friday after a destructive tornado struck a Texas Panhandle city, killing at least 3 people and injuring dozens more. Local officials said there will be a curfew from through early Friday morning due to the widespread destruction and downed utility lines.
The tornado hit the area Thursday evening. The National Weather Service in Amarillo confirmed that it struck the city of Perryton.
Meanwhile, a tropical wave is forecast to travel off the west coast of Africa into the Atlantic early Friday — but there's a long way to go before we have to worry about anything.
In other world weather news, over 100,000 people were evacuated as Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall in Pakistan and India.
Biden to ramp up 2024 campaign over the weekend
The first political rally of President Joe Biden's reelection campaign will be held Saturday at a union gathering in Pennsylvania, punctuating just how much the president is counting on labor support to carry him to a second term. Rallying labor activists at Philadelphia’s Convention Center may eventually boost Democratic voter turnout in the city’s fast-growing suburbs and other key parts of battleground Pennsylvania, which in 2020 helped him flip the state four years after it backed Donald Trump. Read more
The first female Muslim federal judge in U.S. history has been confirmed by the Senate.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has joined the 2024 presidential race.
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These articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here.
Play underway at the 123rd U.S. Open
It's also the first major tournament since the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf announced a partnership, and it is sure to be a topic of conversation throughout the weekend. One of the more intriguing storylines is the groupings, one of which features PGA Championship winner and LIV golfer Brooks Koepka with Rory McIlroy, who has been one of the most vocal critics of LIV. Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele sit atop the leaderboard after day one Thursday at 8-under after each matched a major record by shooting 62. Read more
Rory McIlroy maintained his media silence after a chip shot blunder on the final hole at the US Open.
Quick hits
Why Beyoncé may be to blame for an inflation spike in Sweden.
UFC star Conor McGregor has been accused of sexual assault after the NBA Finals game in Miami.
Ray Lewis III, son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Ray Lewis, has died at 28.
Pixar's first rom-com ''Elemental'' talks frankly about racism.
Photo of the day: Kansas City Chiefs receive Super Bowl 57 championship rings
The Kansas City Chiefs again celebrated their Super Bowl 57 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles when they received their championship rings during a team ceremony Thursday night. Much like Patrick Mahomes' stats most Sundays, the rings are eye-popping.
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: Greece migrant boat search, Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial, Texas tornado, Biden 2024: Daily Briefing
