The U.S. Surgeon General demanded an approach to gun violence that involves warning labels on firearms. Progressives fight a precarious battle in 2024 primaries and Evan Gershkovich, an American journalist jailed in Russia, stands trial.
šš¼āāļø I’m Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author.Ā This man was wide awake during a trailblazing kidney transplant.
Gun violence framed as a public health crisis
The soaring number of children killed by firearms has created an āurgent public health crisisā worthy of the response the government took to preventing cigarette smoking or car accidents, the nationās top doctor said in a first-of-its-kind announcement this week. Public health campaigns have provided a playbook for addressing theĀ uniquely American problemĀ of gun violence that kills nearly 50,000 people a year, said Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. Murthy’s approach involves warning labels on firearms, reinstating the ban on assault weapons and laws on safe gun storage to reduce the risk of homicides and suicides.Ā Read more
What Tuesday’s primaries meant for progressives
A handful of House and Senate primary elections in New York, Utah and Colorado delivered tough fights that have revealed intense intra-party conflicts among Democrats and Republicans ahead of the November general election. Ā
Progressive politics hung in the balance Tuesday night as far-left lawmakers faced tight races and attempted to hold their bases in highly-divided regions.
- A loss for “the squad”: Rep.Ā Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., became the first member of a progressive group of House lawmakers known as āthe squadā to lose a primary challenge in the 2024 cycle, after suffering a bruising defeat to a more moderate Democratic candidate.
- A sigh of relief for “the squad”: Ā Democratic superstarĀ Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, from New York’s 14th district, emerged victorious against a candidate positioned as a moderate alternative.
- A lock for conservatives: Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., won her first primary election after switching districts and running in a deeper-red area earlier this year.Ā
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Evan Gershkovich stands trial in Russia
The trial of U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich for espionage began inĀ RussiaĀ on Wednesday in a court whose proceedings are classified as a state secret. No reporters, friends, family members or U.S. embassy staff were allowed into the courtroom in the city of Yekaterinburg where Gershkovich, 32, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Russian prosecutors say the Wall Street Journal reporter, arrested in March last year, had collected secret evidence about aĀ Russian tank manufacturer on the orders of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Read more
The stakes of tomorrow’s debate are sky high
President Joe Bidenās challenge to debate Donald Trump in June, before the former president has even been awarded the Republican nomination, took many in his party by surprise. The 81-year-old president is battling perceptions heās too old for another term. And another faceoff with Trump could be risky. Any slip up or stumble will fuel concerns about his mental acuity and feed into fears Biden is past his prime. But with Trump leading in many polls ā even after his conviction on 34 felonies following a highly publicized criminal trial in New York ā Biden has an opportunity to remind voters of Trump’s tumultuous exit from office.
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Winners, losers and heartbreak at Olympic track and field trials
The U.S.Ā Olympic track and field trialsĀ has reached its halfway point. After four days of intense competition, the action on the track and the field will take a two-day break. But the first days were filled with athletes earning their place on Team USA for theĀ Paris Olympics. ShaāCarri Richardson captured theĀ womenās 100-meterĀ title. Noah Lyles validated that heās theĀ fastest man in AmericaĀ and Ryan Crouser added to his resume as theĀ best shot putter of all time. The trials resume on Thursday.
Photo of the day:Ā Not Mother Nature’s Manta Ray
An object visible on Google Maps appears to be the U.S. military’s new submarine drone known as theĀ Manta Ray, located at California’s Port Hueneme naval base.
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note?Ā ShootĀ her an email atĀ NFallert@usatoday.com.
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