Daily Briefing: Russian missile and drone attack in Ukraine kills at least 12

Two Russian cruise missiles slammed into an apartment building in central Ukraine Friday morning. Also in the news: The Senate failed to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and Alabama's Bryce Young went to the Carolina Panthers as the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author.

Now, here we go with Friday's news.

First attack against Kyiv in nearly two months

A wave of Russian missile and drone strikes killed at least 12 people and wounded some 17 more in cities across Ukraine on Friday, according to officials. The attacks came as large-scale Russian air strikes on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure had appeared to wane in recent months and expectations were growing that Ukraine's military would soon launch a counter-offensive against Russian forces. Most of the deaths occurred in Uman, a city south of Kyiv, when two missiles slammed into an apartment building, Ukraine’s interior minister, Ihor Klymenko, said. Read more

• The cause of an Army helicopter crash that killed three soldiers and injured one is under investigation.

Long-sought Equal Rights Amendment  fails in Senate

The Senate's latest effort to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment has failed 100 years after it was first introduced to Congress.

The chamber voted on a bipartisan resolution that would have removed a measure preventing Congress from enshrining the ERA to the U.S. Constitution.

• The passage and ratification of the ERA has never been as urgent as it is now, Democrats said, pointing to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and efforts to restrict access to abortion pill mifepristone as examples.

• The ERA was first introduced in Congress in 1923 and passed in 1972, triggering the requirement that 38 states ratify it before it could be enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.

• While 35 states adopted the amendment by a 1982 deadline, the required state threshold wasn’t met until 2020, when Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the ERA. But the Trump administration said the states missed the deadline, requiring Congress to restart the constitutional amendment process.

More news to know now

• Jerry Springer, the controversial daytime talk show host, has died at 79 of pancreatic cancer.

• A new COVID variant called Arcturus is linked to pink eye.

• Two train cars plunged into a river after a Wisconsin train derailment.

• The Army's Fort Lee was renamed to honor two pioneering Black military officers.

• South Korea's President Yoon, Fox News and Aaron Rodgers. What happened in this week's news?

• On today's 5 Things podcast, a look at what’s going on with unruly airline passengers. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

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

Severe weather forecast across US puts 59 million people at risk Friday

Severe weather threats have been focused on Texas and the Southeast throughout the week, and that will continue Friday, while storms are also possible to pop up in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. In total, 59 million people in 11 states will have at least  a marginal risk of severe weather. In the Southeast, the conditions that produced severe storms and tornadoes in northern Florida on Thursday are forecast to shift north on Friday, putting tens of millions in seven states at a marginal risk of severe weather. Read more

• ''The Big Melt'': California braces for flooding as heat wave takes aim at the state.

Pentagon leak suspect had an 'arsenal' of weapons

Prosecutors argued that Jack Teixeira, the Air National Guardsman accused of releasing Pentagon secrets on social media, had an “arsenal” of weapons and could flee the country if released from jail during his detention hearing Thursday. Teixeira, 21, of North Dighton, Massachusetts, is charged with unauthorized retention of national defense information and unauthorized removal of classified documents. U.S. Magistrate Judge David Hennessy didn't rule immediately whether to release Teixeira with conditions, as his lawyers requested, or keep him jailed until trial. Read more

• Ron DeSantis in Israel says US should not ''butt into'' their internal affairs.

• Rape accuser E. Jean Carroll was cross-examined in day three of trial.

Just for subscribers:

• This is how you fight hate: Dwyane Wade continues to be an ally of trans community.

• Los Angeles high school students honored slain skateboarder Tyre Nichols with art.

• Burnout, stress and retirement causing nearly 900,000 nurses nationwide to quit.

• Kentucky's governor lost his friend in a mass shooting but has said little about guns. Why?

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

Panthers nab Bryce Young for No. 1

The Carolina Panthers selected the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from Alabama with the No. 1 overall pick in night one of the 2023 NFL Draft, the first time the team has selected a QB with the top overall pick since 2011. With only 31 picks off the board, it's early yet in the draft – and the next six rounds can very much alter the complexion of each team's overall haul. But Thursday provided a snapshot – a big and vivid one – of where the 2023 NFL Draft is headed. Read our recap of last night's winners and losers.

• "We thought he has the best probability of winning Super Bowls": Panthers nab Young.

• NFL draft's most questionable first-round picks: Lions double-dip with bewildering choices.

• Looking ahead to Friday's draft rounds: Who are the best players still available heading into second round?

Quick hits

• New movies this week: Watch ''Are You There God?'' and ''Return of the Jedi,'' skip ''Peter Pan & Wendy.''

• Karl Lagerfeld is the Met Gala 2023 theme: What to know about the iconic, controversial designer.

• Here are 10 of the most popular home improvement items to buy on Amazon.

• Rihanna announced at CinemaCon 2023 she's the voice of Smurfette in the upcoming "Smurfs" movie.

Photo of the day: Brittney Griner delivers remarks

Phoenix Mercury standout Brittney Griner addressed the media Thursday ahead of her anticipated return to the basketball court. Griner appears to be nearing closer to what would mark her first appearance in a WNBA game since 2021, following her 10-month detainment in Russia for vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis allegedly found in her luggage at an airport near Moscow. 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: Russian attack, Equal Rights Amendment, severe weather, Pentagon leak, NFL Draft: Daily Briefing