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| Good morning, Daily Briefing readers! Ukraine officials say Russia has continued its attacks even after promising to scale back military action. President Joe Biden is planning to tap oil reserves to control rising gas prices. After an amazing run in the NCAA tournament, Shaheen Holloway is leaving Saint Peter's to coach at his alma mater, Seton Hall. |
| It's Steve with Thursday's news. |
| 🎤 "How was your weekend?" Just three days after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, the comedian briefly addressed what happened while performing during a sold-out stand-up show Wednesday night in Boston, his first since the altercation. | Additional reactions: Wanda Sykes called the incident "sickening." |
 | | Chris Rock is seen backstage during the 94th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 27, 2022. | | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences photo via Getty Images; USA TODAY Life graphic | |
| 📽 More Oscars fallout: Will Smith refused to leave the Oscars after slapping Chris Rock, the Academy says. He is expected to face disciplinary action. |
| 🎤 Rise in interest: Chris Rock's comedy tour ticket prices are soaring following Sunday's incident at the Oscars. |
| 📽 "A really challenging time": "Die Hard" and "Pulp Fiction" star Bruce Willis is stepping away from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, his daughter Rumer Willis announced on social media Wednesday. Here's more on what aphasia is. |
| 🔵 'Immeasurable value': Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has signed a bill outlawing abortions in most cases after 15 weeks. |
| ⚖ Bipartisan support: Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins said she will vote for historic Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, noting in a statement that Jackson "possesses the experience, qualifications, and integrity to serve." |
 | | Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, right, meets with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. | | Associated Press file photo; USA TODAY graphic | |
| ⚽Officially official: Despite a 2-0 loss to Costa Rica Wednesday night, the United States' men's soccer team clinched a spot in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Americans will return to the world's biggest soccer tournament after failing to qualify for the 2018 event. |
| 🔵Trump appointee and TV star fired: Dr. Mehmet Oz, a candidate for U.S. senator and host of the long-running "The Dr. Oz Show," was terminated from the Presidential Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition by President Joe Biden's administration. |
| 💉 Just the FAQs video: Here's what to know about the second COVID-19 booster shot and if you are eligible for it. |
| 🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, national correspondent Romina Ruiz-Goiriena reports on the fentanyl death crisis. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker. |
| Here's what's happening today: |
Ukraine: Russia continues attacks after promising to scale back military action |
| Earlier this week, Moscow announced plans to dial back its military activity in and around Kyiv, but Ukrainian authorities said the city continues to be battered by artillery assaults , and the Pentagon said less than 20% of the forces have been removed. Soon after Russia's announcement, Ukrainian authorities said Russian forces began bombarding homes, stores, libraries, and other civilian sites in and around Chernihiv and on the outskirts of Kyiv. A British intelligence update also said heavy fighting continues in the southern port of Mariupol, which has been besieged by Russia for weeks, but that Ukrainian forces remain in control of the center of the city. Also, a Red Cross warehouse in Mariupol has been struck amid intense Russian shelling. Satellite pictures analyzed by the Associated Press Thursday show clear damage to the warehouse's roof. |
| 🌍 Wednesday recap: Russia taking heavy losses, Brits say; US intelligence says Putin being misinformed by his advisors. |
| ✅ Fact check: Video shows graves from 2021, not new graves for Russian soldiers. |
Just for subscribers: |
| 🔵 Treatment or enforcement? Record fentanyl deaths – including more than 100,000 last year – spark a new debate over the War on Drugs. |
| 💦 A new threat emerges for U.S. lakes and rivers: Your lawn or toilet may be partly to blame for what's happening. |
| 📱 Can TikTok trigger 'tics' in teens? This is what the doctors we talked to said. |
| 🦠 Column from former U.S. surgeon general Dr. Jerome Adams: I saw national problems in 2020 that helped the COVID pandemic spread. |
| 👰 From Doordash to egg donations: Couples are putting in extra work to pay off wedding costs, especially as prices are forecast to balloon in 2022. |
 | | Kristen Kluin and fiance Robert Samuel during their engagement shoot. | | Kristen Kluin | |
Biden planning to tap oil reserve to control rising gas prices |
| President Joe Biden is preparing to order the release of up to 1 million barrels of oil per day from the nation's strategic petroleum reserve , according to two Associated Press sources, in a bid to control energy prices that have spiked as the U.S. and allies have imposed steep sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The announcement could come as soon as Thursday. The duration of the release hasn't been finalized but could last for several months. The AP's sources spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the decision. The president has seen his popularity sink as inflation reached a 40-year high in February and the cost of petroleum and gasoline climbed after Russia invaded Ukraine. |
| ✅ Fact check: Viral post overstates increase in crude oil prices |
Stunning development: Bruce Arians steps down as Buccaneers' head coach |
| Super Bowl-winning head coach Bruce Arians won't be on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sidelines next season, as he will retire from coaching and take a position in the team's front office, the team announced Wednesday night. Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles has been named as Arians' successor. More on the big NFL news: |
| 🏈"It was a privilege to play for you": Seven-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady thanks "true NFL legend and pioneer" Bruce Arians after the coach announced his retirement. |
| 🏈 More from Bucs Wire: This is why Bruce Arians passing the torch to Todd Bowles is a huge win for everyone. | When did Brady know Arians was stepping down? |
 | | Bruce Arians celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on Feb. 7, 2021. | | USA TODAY Sports photo and graphic | |
Convicted Rep. Jeff Fortenberry to leave office |
| The resignation of Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., takes effect Thursday after the congressman was convicted by a California jury of lying to federal authorities about an illegal campaign donation from a foreign national. In a letter to the House of Representatives last week, Fortenberry announced he was resigning from Congress , effective March 31. Fortenberry was indicted in October after authorities said he lied to FBI agents in two interviews about his knowledge of an illegal $30,000 contribution to his campaign from Gilbert Chagoury, a Nigerian billionaire of Lebanese descent. |
 | | Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., arrives at the federal courthouse in Los Angeles on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. | | Jae C. Hong, AP | |
Severe weather sweeps through the Deep South |
| Millions of people in the South were battered by another round of dangerous storms Wednesday. In northwest Arkansas, a possible tornado hit the city of Springdale, reportedly injuring seven people and causing widespread damage. The Storm Prediction Center said all of Mississippi and parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee were at the greatest risk for severe weather Wednesday. The biggest concerns were strong tornadoes, some of at least EF-2 strength, and hurricane-force wind gusts of at least 75 mph. Accuweather reported early Thursday an outbreak of severe weather is expected to be unleashed across the southern U.S. into Thursday night. Thunderstorms will linger in parts of the Southeast and Ohio Valley Thursday morning before eventually spreading from the Florida Gulf coast up through the Northeast, AccuWeather also said. |
ICYMI: Some of our top stories yesterday |
| 💉 Who can get a second Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine booster? Here's what you should know. |
| 🔵 Donald Trump wants a favor from Vladimir Putin: The former president used an interview this week to ask Russia's leader to release any information or dirt he may have President Joe Biden's son Hunter. |
| ⚖ "I believe you have served enough time for the crime you committed": A man who buried a school bus full of children for a $5 million ransom in the 19070s has been approved for parole. |
| 📱 Wordle 284: Wednesday's puzzle had two answers. We've got the reason why that is. |
| 🎶 "This is a whole different leap for me": Country star Miranda Lambert is ready for the steadiness of a Vegas residency and not waking up "in a parking lot." |
 | | Miranda Lambert kicks off a Las Vegas residency in September 2022. | | Robert Ascroft | |
Seton Hall set to introduce Shaheen Holloway as its new coach |
| Shaheen Holloway, fresh off guiding small New Jersey Jesuit school Saint Peter's to become the first No. 15 seed to reach the Elite Eight in NCAA tournament history, will be introduced Thursday afternoon as Seton Hall's new men's basketball head coach . Seton Hall athletic director Bryan Felt announced the hiring Wednesday evening. It's a homecoming for Holloway, as he was a beloved point guard for Seton Hall from 1996-2000 and later an associate head coach under Kevin Willard, who left last week to become the head coach at Maryland. Holloway, who is leaving the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for the Big East, will see a substantial salary increase; the Associated Press notes that Willard earned $2.4 million last season, about ten times what Holloway made. Holloway led Saint Peter's to upsets of No. 2 seed Kentucky, No. 7 Murray State and No. 3 seed Purdue before falling to North Carolina in the East Regional Final last week. |
| 🏀 USA TODAY Sports column: Saint Peter's proves cohesiveness, confidence are stronger than big-name brand power |
 | | Shaheen Holloway will be introduced Thursday as Seton Hall's new men's basketball coach. | | Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports | |
Also on Thursday: |
| 🚀 Another space launch: Blue Origin, the Jeff Bezos-backed private spaceflight company, is set to launch its 20th flight this morning, but without Pete Davidson aboard as the "Saturday Night Live" star withdrew earlier this month. Davidson's seat was given to Gary Lai , the chief architect for Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket. |
| ☕ Cosmetics inspired by donuts and coffee: A new Dunkin'-inspired makeup collection with e.l.f. Cosmetics launches, featuring "The Dunkin' Dozen" eyeshadow palettes, "Donut Forget Putty Primer," "Glazed for Days" lip glosses and more. |
📸 Photo of the day: Pluto images hint at possibility of life 📸 |
 | | Four images from New Horizons' Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with color data from the Ralph instrument to create this sharper global view of Pluto. The images were captured by NASA's New Horizons mission in July 2015 when the spacecraft did a flyby around Pluto and it's moons. | | NASA/Johns Hopkins University | |
| Images of Pluto's surface revealed ice volcanoes, hinting at the possibility of life, according to a new photo analysis published Tuesday in Nature Communications. |
| The images, captured by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft's flyby of the dwarf planet and its moons in July 2015, are still being interpreted by scientists. |
| Click here for more fascinating photos of Pluto. |
| Contributing: The Associated Press |
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