Welcome to the daily briefing. Start your Thursday with the article below.
nicole farato Now we are planning on changing clothes.
Fauci’s fiasco isn’t over yet.
Dr. Anthony Fauci answered every question during a three-hour Senate hearing yesterday, saying he refused to answer based on the advice of his attorney and “my rights under the Fifth Amendment.”
What’s next: Sen. Rand Paul said he plans to hold a committee vote next week on recommending contempt charges against Fauci.
However, there is a little trick. Fauci was pardoned by former President Biden for all his actions leading the nation’s coronavirus response from 2014 to 2025.
More news you need to know right now
- Why are ICE arrests happening at airports? The arrests come amid a newly unveiled agreement between the Transportation Security Administration and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
- Interest rate suspension remains: A split at the Federal Reserve left key interest rates unchanged despite President Donald Trump’s calls for rate cuts.
- Tree sit-in: Conservationists defending historic trees that stand in the way of President Donald Trump’s border wall in Arizona began a “tree sit” yesterday to stop contractors from tearing down the towering chayote trees.
NFL
Football is back!
There’s nothing better than returning to work after vacation. NFL teams across the country gathered in training camp this week to prepare for the pass ahead of the season kickoff.
america’s best bars
Enjoy a drink with USA TODAY 🍺
Creative or traditional, innovative or tried-and-true, these drinks and the camaraderie, stories and good times behind them are among the reasons food writers across the country chose them as USA TODAY Bars of the Year 2026. Whether drinking cranberry and orange juice while dancing at D’Jais in Belmar, New Jersey, or settling in for an aperitif in the hi-fi listening lounge at Potential New Boyfriend in Asheville, North Carolina, we love them all. See list
before going
Have feedback about the daily briefing? Email Nicole at NFallert@usatoday.com.
