President Joe Biden leveled accusations at “MAGA Republicans” in an address the White House says wasn’t about the midterms. Serena Williams is back on the court tonight for another battle at the US Open. Reading this from the airport? Keep scrolling to know what to do if your flight is canceled or delayed during the long weekend.
🙋🏼♀️ I’m nicole fallert. happy friday Let’s do the news.
🌅 Up first: A Dolly Parton wig for dogs? here’s how Doggy Parton could turn your pet into The Queen of County.
Political analysts question the impact of President Biden’s speech
President Joe Biden said “MAGA forces are determined to take this country backwards” in a prime-time address to the nation Thursday, urging Americans to “stand up” to defend democracy and “choose a better path forward.” The White House claimed the speech (located in battleground state Pennsylvania) wasn’t in light of the midterm elections less than 70 days away. Read more
One takeaway: The president focused less on the winning message of abortion rights and more on his predecessor and those who subscribe to the Make America Great Again movement.
- Biden may have been better off casting Democrats as the party for abortion rights, analysts say. The Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade in June has been the biggest motivator for voters and has cross-party appeal.
- bad timing: The speech coincided with college football in a state that really, really loves college football. Biden’s offense was likely lost on other offenses.
- Will the speech have any political impact? By taking aim at “semi-fascist” MAGA Republicans in “the continued battle for the soul of the nation,” Biden is following a path that hasn’t worked well for other Democrats in battleground states.
Serena plays in third round of US Open
Serena Williams will try to stretch her last Grand Slam tournament, facing Ajla Tomljanovic, Friday in a third-round matchup at the US Open. It’s the opening match of the night session at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the same spot from which Williams won her first two matches after saying she was preparing to end her tennis career. Tomljanovic, a 29-year-old Australian, is ranked 46th and a self-proclaimed fan of Williams — and facing Serena is not easy for Open opponents who look up to her. Read more
- Last night’s match: Serena and Venus Williams fall in the first round of the US Open doubles tournament.
- Analysis: Like Serena Williams, Candace Parker is turning back the clock in the WNBA playoffs.
More news to know now:
Lawyers in Trump White House to appear before Jan. 6 grand jury
Pat Cipollone, White House counsel under former President Donald Trump, and his top deputy are set to appear Friday before a federal grand jury investigating efforts to undo the 2020 presidential election, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday. Cipollone would be the most senior known member of the Trump White House to be called before the grand jury, a significant step in the federal investigation. The former White House official testified last month before the House committee in its separate examination of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack. Read more
August jobs report: Can anything stop blockbuster US job growth?
If Friday’s jobs report for August were to show a significant hiring slowdown, the Federal Reserve — and even the White House — would likely welcome it as a balm to raging inflation. The government is expected to report that employers added 300,000 jobs last month, according to a survey of economists by the data provider FactSet. That would be down sharply from a blockbuster gain of 528,000 in July and an average of about 440,000 over the past three months. A weaker pace of hiring should help moderate wage increases and lift hopes that inflation pressures are starting to ease. Here’s our recap of the July jobs report
- A new gender gap: Men have recovered all jobs lost during the pandemic. Women have not.
Just for subscribers:
These articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here. Already a subscriber and want premium content texted to you every day? We can do that! Sign up for our subscriber-only texting campaign.
Argentine government officials quick label assassination attempt
A man was detained Thursday night after he aimed a handgun at a point-blank range toward Argentine Vice President Cristina Fernández in what President Alberto Fernández called a homicide attempt. He said the gun didn’t fire and she is unharmed. In a video aired on local broadcast, Fernández is seen exiting her vehicle surrounded by supporters outside her home de ella when a man could be seen extending his hand de ella with what looked like a pistol. The vice president ducked. Her supporters of Ella have been gathering outside her home of Ella for days after a prosecutor called for a 12-year sentence for Fernández in a case involving alleged corruption in public works. Read more
📷 Photo of the day: Best photos from Week 1 of the 2022 college football season 📷
Thursday night brought wins and losses for the early days of this year’s college football season. Penn State scored 35-31 win at Purdue, one of the top teams from the Big Ten West, prepping the team to focus on upcoming games against Ohio, Auburn, Central Michigan and Northwestern. click here to check out who else played last night.
See more incredible photos from Week 1 of the college football season.
A little less heavy
What happened this week? 🤔 Serena Williams shining at the US Open, NASA’s scrubbed rocket launch and a Nebraska man’s record-breaking pumpkin paddle. Test your memory with this week’s News Quiz.
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 [email protected] or follow along with her de ella musings de ella on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.
Associated Press contributed reporting.
www.usatoday.com
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism