Daily Briefing: The sex and the money
Adult film star Stormy Daniels recounted a sexual encounter with former President Donald Trump. Taylor Swift excited fans with a revamped Eras Tour set list and the Biden administration is tweaking rules on asylum.
🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Northern lights this weekend? Auroras could be visible as far south as Alabama.
Stormy Daniels finishes combative cross-examination
Donald Trump stormed out of the courtroom on Thursday blasting Judge Juan Merchan, who refused to modify his gag order in a New York hush money trial so that Trump could respond to the testimony from adult film star Stormy Daniels. Daniels finished hours of heated cross-examination by Trump's lawyer Thursday, and her story of that 2006 evening formed the basis for a $130,000 hush money payment she says she got from Trump lawyer Michael Cohen less than two weeks before the 2016 presidential election. Trump denies Daniels' claims.
Taylor Swift made big changes to Eras Tour
Taylor Swift revivified her magnum opus in La Défense Arena in Paris, France, on Thursday, adding seven songs from "The Tortured Poets Department" in a new set to her global Eras Tour.
Here's what's changed: Swift rearranged the majority of the show, leaving only the "Lover," "Fearless" and "Midnights" eras in their original spots. "Folklore" and "Evermore" joined forces in one eight-song set. Swift also debuted several new outfits and cut some songs from the set list.
“Oh my god you should see your faces,” she sang to 40,000 ecstatic fans as she debuted the new "Poets" era while wearing a new Victorian-style dress with cursive poetic script.
Dancer Kameron Saunders has said "like ever" dozens of times at Swift's show and in multiple languages.
She kept the "22" hat moment, when she gives her coveted costume piece to a hopeful fan. But how does one become the chosen Swiftie to receive the tribute?
More news to know now
Trump's youngest son Barron Trump has entered politics.
Severe weather hit the Southeast with heavy rains.
Over 100 people are dead and at least 136 missing after rains triggered massive floods in Brazil.
Hospitals across the U.S. were disrupted after a cyberattack.
On today's The Excerpt podcast, what's next for Hunter Biden after a federal appeals court rejected his dismissal request in a gun case. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.
What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
Thousands flee Rafah assault
About 80,000 people have fled Rafah this week as Israeli tanks mass on the edge of the southern Gaza city and humanitarian aid is choked off by border closures, U.N. agencies said Thursday. Aid agencies said no aid has entered through the southern border crossings in two days as talks in Cairo were paused Thursday as hopes dimmed that a cease-fire agreement would be reached to end the suffering. Read more
Senate passes sweeping aviation safety bill
The U.S. Senate late on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a broad aviation bill to boost air traffic controller staffing, increase funding to avert runway close-call incidents and speed refunds for canceled flights. The $105 billion, five-year measure reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration. The bill prohibits airlines from charging fees for families to sit together and requires airplanes to be equipped with 25-hour cockpit recording devices - up from the current two-hours - and directs the FAA to deploy advanced technology to help prevent collisions. Read more
Keep scrolling
Tributes pour in for three surfers killed in Mexico.
Brooke Shields dished on downsizing, trolls and embracing her "Mother of the Bride" era.
A gay couple is suing NYC for IVF benefits. It could expand coverage for workers nationwide.
These moms are grateful to hear "Happy Mother's Day."
The Stanley collection at Target has the classics for everyone.
Changes to the asylum process could speed up rejections
The Biden administration revealed changes in the asylum process on Thursday, which will allow immigration officials to reject migrants with criminal records sooner. The Department of Homeland Security said individuals "who pose a national security or public safety risk" would be subject to the new rule, and this represents only a small portion of asylum seekers. Immigration experts questioned whether migrants applying for asylum will have access to legal representation that early in the process. Read more
Photo of the day: Politics at Eurovision
The finalists of the Eurovision Song Contest are headed to the battle of the ballads on Saturday in a continental celebration of unity and diversity that is tinged with politics — including protests over Israel's participation in the competition amid its war in Gaza.
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.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stormy Daniels, Taylor Swift, Israel, Gaza, FAA, migration, border, Eurovision: Daily Briefing
