Daily Briefing: Sleeping with a teacher?

There were no clear winners at the end of the showdown among GOP presidential candidates in the crowded field that Donald Trump is leading by a landslide. Also in the news: The federal government is likely headed toward a shutdown unless lawmakers can pull together a last-minute spending deal and a new California law protects local doctors who send abortion pills to other states.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. When does being a "girl's girl" go sour?

This is the news to know Thursday.

Second GOP debate was feisty, even without Trump

In a spirited second GOP presidential debate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley struck aggressive stances, lashing out at their opponents on stage and even at Donald Trump, the party's frontrunner who chose to skip the event.

No candidate obviously came out on top after the debate at the Ronald Reagan presidential library, but DeSantis and Haley stood out as among GOP candidates as the most aggressive on the debate stage.

• DeSantis took aim at Trump early in the debate. The governor accused President Joe Biden of being “missing in action,” especially as the nation faces a looming government shutdown, the United Auto Workers strike and other challenges.

• Haley shot back at entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy after he defended his use of the popular video app TikTok. Haley told Ramaswamy “TikTok is one of the most dangerous social media assets that we can have.”

• Sleeping with a teacher? In a riskier approach, Mike Pence made a joke about sleeping with his wife.

Here's how a government shutdown would affect you

Congress has two days to cut a deal and prevent a government shutdown that would impact millions of Americans. While it wouldn't be as far reaching as the debt ceiling threat in late May, a shutdown would deeply impact those who need the most help: newborns who rely on WIC for infant formula, children who need nutrition assistance, low-income families who rely on Head Start programs for preschool, college students who receive federal grants to pay for their education, people who receive food stamps and more. Here's the latest from Washington.

• New dress code: The Senate unanimously passeed bipartisan business attire policy.

More news to know now

• Travis King, an American solider detained in North Korea, has arrived back on U.S. soil.

• Sen. Bob Menendez pleaded not guilty in a federal bribery case.

• The U.S. tried to ''trigger panic'' in Russia with attack on Crimea base, the Kremlin said.

• For subscribers: A new rule cracks down on Sepsis prevention in hospitals.

• On today's 5 Things podcast, dozens of arrests were made in Philadelphia after a looting spree. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

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

Tropical Storm Philippe strengthens

Tropical Storm Philippe strengthened slightly in the Atlantic Ocean Wednesday, forecasters from the National Hurricane Center said. They also warned that residents of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands could see heavy rain and potential flooding from the storm. In addition to Philippe, forecasters were also watching a tropical wave that was even further out in the Atlantic. That wave is likely to become Tropical Storm Rina over the next couple of days. Read more

California governor signs law to protect doctors who mail abortion pills to other states

Ahead of International Safe Abortion Day on Thursday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a law protecting doctors and pharmacists who mail abortion pills to patients in other states. The law signed Wednesday seeks to prevent other states from prosecuting or fining doctors and pharmacists in California who provide legally protected health care. That includes abortions and medication that affirms a person's gender identity. The law only protects doctors and pharmacists who reside in California. Read the latest on the national fight over the abortion pill.

• Arizona's abortion-rights initiative drew questions in the second GOP debate.

• Ohioans are preparing to vote in November on whether to enshrine abortion access in the state constitution.

• Kerry Washington details an abortion in her 20s in her new memoir ''Thicker Than Water.''

Quick hits

• Is upgrading to the iPhone 15 worth it?

• To rent or buy a house? The good option just got better.

• Travis Kelce shouted out Taylor Swift on his podcast for ''seeing me rock the stage.''

• Mel Tucker crossed an obvious line. How did he think this would end?

• Her son died, and she felt alone. In her grief, she found YouTube.

• The first international game of the 2023 NFL season is this Sunday in London.

UAW to announce next round of strike targets Friday

The UAW is planning to announce its next round of strike targets on Friday on Facebook Live, and "everything is on the table," according to a union source familiar with the situation. United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain is scheduled to make the announcement with the next group of workers set to strike at noon that day if there is not substantial progress in ongoing contract negotiations. The expansion comes after both President Joe Biden and Donald Trump visited Michigan this week to appeal to workers. Read more

• UAW's VP for GM had strong words about Trump’s visit to Michigan.

• Here's why the Hollywood strikes are not over even after screenwriters and studios reached an agreement.

• Zillennials, notorious for their work-life balance demands, are searching for something widely desired.

Photo of the day: 'Dancing With the Stars' twists with Scandoval

"Dancing With the Stars" dove right into Scandoval with "Vanderpump Rules" star and reality dance contestant Ariana Madix. Madix exploded onto the dance floor in a tango to “Love Myself (Riddler Remix)” by Hailee Steinfeld, which had the crowd cheering and the judges unleashing supportive superlatives. 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: Second GOP debate, government shutdown, weather, abortion, UAW strike, Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce: Daily Briefing