Daily Briefing: A Supreme Court code of ethics

Republican senators called legislation that would order the Supreme Court to adopt a code of ethics "dangerous" and "unserious." Also in the news: Catch the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team in their opening World Cup game against Vietnam this evening and "Barbenheimer" weekend is finally here.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. From SZA to Aretha, check out Barack Obama's summer 2023 music and book recs.

Now, here we go with Friday's news.

Senate panel approves Supreme Court ethics measure

A Senate panel has advanced a bill that would require the Supreme Court to adopt a code of ethics after a fiery partisan debate over recent scandals involving justices that underscored the measure’s low chances of success.

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the bill on party lines, underscoring that ethics changes at the high court have become a deeply partisan issue unlikely to gain widespread support in Congress.

• The legislation would also set up a procedure for reviewing complaints against justices, creating a “judicial investigation panel” made up of five lower court judges.

• Republicans on the committee − who voted in unison against the bill − framed the legislation as an effort to “bully” the Republican-majority Supreme Court. The panel rejected GOP amendments, including one that would make it easier for federal judges to carry weapons.

• The legislation comes in the wake of a series of questionable ethical decisions by justices, especially reports of Clarence Thomas accepting luxury gifts.

USWNT will be at full strength for World Cup opener against Vietnam

The U.S. women are ready to go. Coach Vlatko Andonovski said Friday that Megan Rapinoe, Julie Ertz and Rose Lavelle are all available for Saturday's World Cup opener against Vietnam. Rapinoe and Lavelle will be on restricted minutes initially, but Ertz will have no limitations. The status of all three U.S. stars has been a question for several weeks now, especially after none of the them played in the USWNT's send-off match two weeks ago. The game might seem like a mismatch − the USWNT is the two-time defending champion while Vietnam is ranked No. 32 in the world and is playing in its first-ever World Cup − and Vietnam's coach likened the U.S. women to "a mountain." But the Americans know better than to take anything for granted. Read more

• Don't forget about time zones: While the USWNT play Saturday in New Zealand, that's 9 p.m. EDT Friday.

• Who do we root for? Why U.S. vs. Vietnam World Cup match is complicated for my family.

• Meet the 2023 World Cup players: Team USA and international stars to watch.

More news to know now

• Ukraine is using cluster bombs vs. Russia ''appropriately'' and ''effectively,'' a U.S. official says.

• What happens next in the Carlee Russell investigation? Police say they're still on the case.

• Friday is the deadline for Alabama to redraw its state congressional map. A proposal has only one majority-Black district.

• ''Number one crisis in America'': Mayors warn Congress of problem ''happening in every neighborhood.''

• On today's 5 Things podcast, an exclusive on the new DOJ guidelines for federal prisoner access. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

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

How people around the world are dealing with extreme heat

From Death Valley to Xinjiang, China, from Phoenix to Rome, Italy − intense, record-breaking temperatures from heatwaves are sweeping the world, the latest example of the threat from global warming. And the intense heat has coincided with the most popular time of the year for American tourists to travel abroad. Here's how some people around the world, in their own words, from Europe to North Africa, from the Middle East to Asia, are managing in the heat.

• Climate change's extreme heat is warming Alaska, and creating national security problems.

• A tornado heavily damaged a Pfizer manufacturing plant in North Carolina.

Should Americans be worried about rising malaria cases?

Most Americans don't worry about malaria. The disease has largely been a thing of the past in the United States for two decades. That's why reports of several new cases of the mosquito-borne illness in two separate outbreaks in Florida and Texas have garnered recent headlines. This week, the Gulf Coast county of Sarasota, Florida, reported another unusual, locally transmitted case of the disease. While malaria drugs and current vaccines are becoming less effective over time, experts say the disease is unlikely to make a comeback in the U.S. But more travel and hotter temperatures could make malaria hotspots more frequent, experts say. Read more

Just for subscribers:

• Black farmers have lived here for generations. Now, a Ford plant is changing the landscape.

• This entire New Jersey family will donate their brains. Here's what inspired their promise.

• It's not just Burmese pythons in Florida: Green anacondas may be breeding in state.

• Is your teenager narcissistic? Probably, but that’s OK.

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

'Barbenheimer’ weekend is here and full of existential crisis

"Do you guys ever think about dying?" Barbie says this line early in Greta Gerwig's subversive "Barbie" comedy. The surprisingly poignant question provides an unexpected parallel to the cerebral end-of-the-world tone in Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” a three-hour epic about the making the atomic bomb. Both films debut in theaters Friday and offer unique critiques of political systems — while also put our own existential dread at the forefront. So which one will you see first? The two films have become an unlikely double feature event fueled by internet hype, with more than 200,000 moviegoers planning to see "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" on the same day. Read more

• Is the ''Barbie'' movie appropriate for kids? Here's what parents should know.

• Heading to Barbie Land this weekend? Here’s how to save time and money on ''Barbie'' movie tickets.

• The ''Barbie'' album is the kind of stellar original soundtrack we haven't heard in years

Quick hits

• Wesleyan and other universities have ended legacy admissions policies after affirmative action's end.

• The NFL has fined outgoing Commanders owner Daniel Snyder $60 million.

• Northwestern University associate head football coach Matt MacPherson allegedly witnessed hazing.

• Whole Foods customers will soon be able to pay for their groceries with the palm of their hand.

• SJP to USA TODAY: Carrie's ''amazing'' puffer coat gown on ''And Just Like That...''

Photo of the day: Taiwanese divers encounter rare giant oarfish

A group of divers encountered a rare deep-sea fish in shallow water off the coast of Taiwan recently. Footage of a giant oarfish is rare as they are normally found at depths between 200 and 1000 feet below the surface of the sea. 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: Supreme Court ethics, USWNT, World Cup, heat, weather, malaria, 'Barbenheimer': Daily Briefing