Happy Friday! Today, there are special guests at our daily briefings!
Finish the week with Friday news:
Even if you haven’t seen it recently, you know your “chin”
Hello! I’m Brian Truitt, USA TODAY film critic and the guy behind the Watch Party newsletter. With Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” turning 50, it’s a big weekend for movie lovers. From the infamous John Williams two-note musical theme to several girly shark attacks, it continues decades later. We look at its killer fish flick, “Jaws” legacy in our rankings of shark movies, and delve into all the overviews of our best summer blockbuster since 1975. Here’s why he didn’t overcome “Jaws.”
Should we go to war with Iran or support Israel from afar?
President Donald Trump said there will be a “substantial opportunity” for US negotiations with Iran and that within two weeks it will decide whether to keep the US out of the ongoing Israeli-Iran conflict.
The possibility of us being involved is the growing debate between elected leaders and American voters. Some Republicans want limited involvement in the escalating conflict. Meanwhile, the elected leaders of both parties hope to stop the all-out war.
More news you need to know now
What’s the weather today? Check out your local forecast here.
Dodger Stadium is the flash point for ice cream
The Dodgers in Los Angeles say immigrants and customs enforcement agents have been denied entry to the stadium premises. Meanwhile, Ice says the agency is “never there,” and the Department of Homeland Security claims that masked agents were with customs and border patrols. The Dodgers were to announce “plans to support the immigrant community,” but club president Stan Kasten said the organization would delay the announcement after federal agents appeared. A boiling conflict arises when protesters appeared at Dodger Stadium on Thursday to condemn the Dodgers’ silence amid immigrant raids and unrest in Los Angeles.
Mega Rocket explodes another SpaceX retreat
What the company called “a massive anomaly,” SpaceX’s spaceship exploded late Wednesday, shooting giant fireballs and giant wreckage into the Texas night sky. The explosion is not SpaceX’s first, but comes right after a series of setbacks this year with a 400-foot rocket system. Founder Elon Musk said no danger has been raised to residents of the community surrounding Brownsville via social media, and initial inspections say it is “first for this design.” The final explosion of the spaceship was over a month ago.
Today’s speaker
The longest day of 2025 is here
Summer hasn’t officially started yet. According to the National Weather Service, the summer solstice occurs on Friday at 10:42pm (10:42pm ET), marking the longest and shortest nights of 2025. Meanwhile, the southern hemisphere is winter on the winter solstice. During the summer solstice, the slope brings the northernmost tip of the Earth closer to the sun, bringing more sunlight. Bliss itself only lasts a moment, but is widely celebrated at festivals.
Today’s Photo: Celebrating freedom
This week, Americans across the country celebrated in June, commemorating the day when the last group of enslaved African Americans was informed of freedom.
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer for USA Today and sign up for your email here. Want to send a note to Nicole? Please email her at nollert@usatoday.com.
