Daily Briefing: Ukraine denies Putin assassination attempt

Questions have arisen after the Kremlin took hours to report what it considers a Ukrainian attack on Russian President Vladimir Putin's life. Also in the news: Multiple bills expanding or restricting abortion access have passed state legislatures this week and Jedi lovers, unite! It's Star Wars Day.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. I enjoyed reading these dumpster-diving confessions.

Now, here we go with Thursday's headlines.

Russia says drone attack on Kremlin was attempt to kill Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is visiting the International Criminal Court Thursday, which has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Zelenskyy’s visit to The Hague, Netherlands, comes as Russia claimed it foiled an attack by Ukrainian drones on the Kremlin early Wednesday.

• Russia called the attack unsuccessful assassination attempt against President Vladimir Putin and promised retaliation for what it termed a “terrorist” act. The Ukrainian president denied it, saying: “We don't attack Putin or Moscow.”

• There was no independent verification of the purported attack, which Russian authorities said occurred overnight but presented no evidence to support it. Questions also arose as to why it took the Kremlin hours to report the incident.

• Russia has staged false-flag operations to try to justify assaults on Ukraine. Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak dismissed Wednesday's claim as a Russian ruse “to justify massive strikes on Ukrainian cities, on the civilian population, on infrastructure facilities” in coming days.

Keep reading: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration is aware of the reported attack but "unable to confirm the authenticity.”

Suspect apprehended in Atlanta hospital shooting

The 24-year-old man suspected of fatally shooting one woman and injuring four others inside a waiting room at a hospital in Atlanta before carjacking a vehicle and fleeing the scene was apprehended Wednesday evening after an hourslong search, police said. The investigation for the suspect, Deion Patterson, which officials said was at times chaotic, included tips from the community and family members. Read more

• Oklahoma police confirmed a sex offender fatally shot six people before taking his own life.

• A woman accused of hiding a suspected gunman who killed 5 in Texas was arrested.

• A teen boy killed eight children and a guard at a school in Serbia's first mass shooting in 10 years.

More news to know now

• The Fed hiked interest rates another 0.25 percentage point but signaled a pause in the inflation fight.

• There won't be charges against former Memphis officer Preston Hemphill in Tyre Nichols traffic stop.

• Title 42's expiration date is near: Here's what we know about the ending of a pandemic-era border policy.

• New survey shows an increase in anti-Asian hate, discrimination. Here's how we can stop it.

• On today's 5 Things podcast, an economic checkup after the latest Fed rate hike. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

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

Bills expanding, restricting abortion

Republican lawmakers in North Carolina on Wednesday fast-tracked a package of abortion restrictions, further limiting abortion access in the state by banning the procedure after 12 weeks. Meanwhile, a sweeping bill that allows minors younger than 15 years old to get abortions without parental approval and expands state coverage of medical services for transgender individuals passed in the Oregon House Wednesday. These are the latest developments in the litany of reproductive and transgender legislation sweeping the nation since the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June left abortion access up to individual states. Republican-led legislatures nationwide have since introduced and, in some cases, passed more than 400 anti-LGBTQ bills limiting or blocking access to reproductive and gender-affirming care. Read more

• Why consider parental involvement in Oregon's abortion bill? Experts say many minors may fear parental involvement could have severe consequences.

• What to know about the PUMP Act: Law aims to protect women pumping breastmilk at work.

• Pornhub blocked Utah users from accessing site in response to state's new age verification law.

Tucker Carlson text contributed to his firing

Text messages that helped lead Fox News to part ways with star host Tucker Carlson included one in which he declared that Trump supporters beating a protester was "not how white men fight," according to The New York Times. The text was one of a trove of messages from Carlson and other Fox News hosts uncovered in a defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems against the network for airing false allegations that the company's machines were used to steal the 2020 election from former President Donald Trump. While some of Carlson's texts have been publicly released, media organizations continue to try to lift redactions on the messages. Read more

• Democratic Rep. Colin Allred launches 2024 Senate campaign to challenge Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

• A debt ceiling back-up plan? GOP lawmakers shoot down idea of a short-term extension.

Just for subscribers:

• Used EVs are growing in popularity, but watch for these issues when shopping.

• NJ Mayor Mohamed Khairullah blames terror watchlist after White House revokes invite.

• ''Fight Club'' video is key evidence in a football hazing suit against a Oklahoma school district.

• Friendship anxiety is a real problem for a lot of people. What to do about it.

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

Piles of smelly seaweed are arriving on Florida beaches

Waves filled with sargassum continue to wash up on beaches in the Caribbean Sea and southern Florida, and the stacks of seaweed are expected to get worse in the weeks ahead. This forecast comes as a record abundance of the seaweed was seen on satellite images in the Caribbean in April, according to the University of South Florida's Optical Oceanography Lab. Although sargassum can be beneficial in the open ocean, providing habitat for fish, turtles and many other creatures, it can be too much of a good thing. Piles of the seagrass on the beach smell bad and can be labor-intensive and costly to remove. Read more

• Mississippi River flooding has swamped streets and homes: Is the worst over?

• New York has banned gas stoves, furnaces in new buildings.

Quick hits

• US Olympian dies at 32: Tori Bowie was a world champion sprinter and three-time medalist.

• It's the end of the world as we know it: ''Godfather of AI'' warns the nation of trouble ahead.

• McDonald’s locations violated labor rights of over 300 minors, including two 10-year-olds.

• Coronation of King Charles III: Here's a visual guide to the royal procession route.

• George Michael, Willie Nelson and Missy Elliott landed in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Photo of the day: 'Star Wars' fans celebrate May the Fourth

Star Wars Day is upon us! Nerds will gather today to celebrate the epic universe. Carrie Fisher is receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Thursday as a May the Fourth tribute to one of the “Star Wars” franchise’s most beloved characters. And if you're looking for some "Star Wars" binge-watching today, here's our ranking of all 11 movies.

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: Ukraine, Russia, Atlanta shooting, abortion, Tucker Carlson, Star Wars Day: Daily Briefing