Daily Briefing: Tower 22 is vulnerable
A mix-up at a U.S. base in Jordan may have allowed an exploding drone to elude defenses, killing three soldiers and injuring at least 40. Also in the news: Fraud damages expected to be decided in court this week represent the biggest financial threat to former President Donald Trump and his real estate empire. U.S. Olympic skaters will receive gold medals from the 2022 competition.
🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. The moon is shrinking — but it's nothing to worry about.
Here is the news to know Tuesday.
Pentagon seeks counter to 'emerging threat' of one-way drones
Attacks using one-way drones such as the one that exploded Sunday at a U.S. logistics base in Jordan are highlighting a weakness in American defenses the Pentagon is trying to address. These drones don't require an operator after launching and have become an “emerging threat,” U.S. officials said.
What happened: The hostile drone was apparently mistaken for a U.S. drone in the area at the same time, letting it detonate, U.S. officials said. The miscalculation led to the deaths of three U.S. service members and injury to dozens more.
The White House has blamed Iranian-backed militias, which have become increasingly dangerous in recent weeks. President Joe Biden pledged to "hold all those responsible to account." Iran claims that it had no role in the assault.
The Department of Defense on Monday identified the three U.S. Army Reserve soldiers: Sgt. William Rivers, 46, of Willingboro, New Jersey; Spc. Kennedy Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Georgia.; and Spc. Breonna Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Georgia were killed in Sunday's attack.
This drone hit was not the first time the U.S. military base in Jordan was targeted. It was the third attack in six months on the base known as Tower 22 and highlights a gap in U.S. defenses that the Pentagon is scrambling to fill.
Related: Three alleged conspirators were part of a criminal network targeting Iranian dissidents in the U.S.
Donald Trump awaits verdict in $370 million fraud case
Donald Trump awaits judgment this week in a civil fraud case that seeks $370 million and threatens to dissolve his real estate empire, although such a severe ruling for a business is rarely handed down and Trump has vowed to appeal. The New York state court decision is expected on the heels of last Friday’s verdict in a federal defamation case, where a jury ordered Trump to pay $83.3 million to columnist E. Jean Carroll. The Republican presidential frontrunner faces a dizzying array of four criminal trials while campaigning to return to the White House and has argued Democrats are attacking him unfairly through the courts to prevent him from regaining political power. Read more
More news to know now
The Federal Reserve meets today. Is it open to a March rate cut?
Tens of thousands of rape victims became pregnant in states with abortion bans.
Reported hate crimes at U.S. schools and colleges are on the rise.
Alex Murdaugh was denied a new murder trial, despite jury tampering allegations.
For subscribers: Ford is closing some of its higher end showrooms. Here's what that means.
On today's The Excerpt podcast, a former IRS contractor has been sentenced to five years in prison for releasing tax returns of Donald Trump and thousands of others. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.
What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
Republican senator censured for talking border deal with Democrats
The Oklahoma Republican Party approved a resolution censuring Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., and attacking the Republican lawmaker for negotiating with Democrats on a potential border deal. Lawmakers for months have been struggling to reach an agreement to address the challenges on America's southern border, and Lankford has been the lead GOP negotiator. The immigration deal – which has not yet been finalized – would reportedly make it harder for migrants to claim asylum, make it easier for U.S. officials to deport migrants who have remained in the country illegally, expand detention capacity and add Border Patrol staff. Read more
25 states with Republican governors signed a letter supporting Texas in the border control fight.
Illinois will weigh whether to include Trump on primary ballot
The Illinois State Board of Elections is expected to meet Tuesday to vote on a recommendation that former President Donald Trump's name should be removed from the Illinois primary ballot. A retired judge recommended the removal to state's election board, arguing that it was clear Trump engaged in insurrection in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The Illinois effort to keep Trump off the March ballot is similar to those filed in several other states. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments next month in an historic Colorado Supreme Court ruling to remove Trump from that state’s ballot. Read more
Keep scrolling
The U.S. issued a travel warning for the Bahamas after 18 murders at the start of the new year.
X curbed searches for Taylor Swift following viral sexually explicit AI images of the star.
Nicole Kidman couldn't shake off her ''Expats'' character.
IVF may be tax deductible, but LGTBQ+ couples are less likely to get write-offs.
Tickets, history and Taylor Swift: Here's everything you need to know ahead of the Super Bowl.
Fans are racking up expenses to see Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark.
Tax experts in your inbox: Sign up for The Daily Money newsletter for everything you need to know as you prepare to file on April 15.
US to receive 2022 Olympics team figure skating gold medals
The United States will receive the gold medal in the 2022 Olympic team figure skating competition in the wake of the suspension and disqualification of Russia’s Kamila Valieva earlier Monday. The development signals the end a nearly two-year-long saga for the athletes who were waiting to receive their Olympic medals. Valieva, then 15, led Russia to the gold medal in the Olympic team event in Beijing on Feb. 7, 2022. The United States finished second and Japan was third, with Canada fourth. But the next day, the medal ceremony for the event was canceled and the results were thrown into disarray after Valieva had a positive drug test. Read more
Photo of the day: Jannik Sinner's first Grand Slam title
Italian Jannik Sinner is a first-time Grand Slam champion and maybe the best tennis player in the world. The 22-year-old's five-set comeback win over Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final on Sunday establishes him as a legitimate superstar positioned to take over the sport. Read more
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 or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.
Associated Press contributed reporting.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israel-Hamas war, Trump fraud trial, border, migrants, Taylor Swift, Super Bowl, Jannik Sinner: Daily Briefing
