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Oprah Winfrey

'I didn't want to be alive': Meghan in bombshell interview with Oprah

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USA TODAY

Good morning, Daily Briefing readers! Today is International Women’s Day – how will you be celebrating?

Shockwaves are reverberating this morning from Harry and Meghan's bombshell interview with Oprah that aired on CBS yesterday. It’s Jane, with Monday’s news.

This is what people are reading right now:

🎧  On the 5 Things podcast, national correspondent Tami Abdollah tells us what to expect in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer charged in the death of George Floyd.

Here's what's happening today:

Shocking revelations in Prince Harry, Duchess Meghan interview

Weeks of media hype reached a crescendo when CBS aired Oprah Winfrey's interview with Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan, who said she was so close to suicide during her time in the palace that she couldn't be left alone. "I didn't want to be alive anymore," she said, tearing up. "I was ashamed to admit it to Harry but I knew if I didn't say it, I would do it. I just didn’t want to be alive anymore." Other bombshell revelations in the interview included that Meghan, 39, and Harry, 36, were secretly married three days before their 2018 royal wedding, by the Archbishop of Canterbury in their backyard. The couple also revealed that their second baby, due this summer, will be a girl: a sister for Archie, who turns 2 in May.

Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan exposed royal friction during an interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Death of George Floyd: Derek Chauvin's trial begins

Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd that sparked nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism. On May 25, 2020, Chauvin was seen on video kneeling on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes as Floyd, 46, cried out that he couldn't breathe. Chauvin, 44, is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter, and may face a third-degree murder charge as well. Three other officers involved in the incident, J. Alexander Keung, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao, have been charged with aiding and abetting those charges. They are scheduled for trial together in August. 

Des Moines Register reporter arrested while covering a protest faces trial

The trial of Des Moines Register reporter Andrea Sahouri, who was arrested covering racial justice protests last summer, will be going to trial Monday in what experts say is a rare criminal prosecution of a journalist on assignment in the USA. Sahouri faces charges of interference with official acts and failure to disperse. If convicted, she could be sentenced to 30 days in jail and fined $625 for each offense. In a video filmed from a police vehicle immediately after her arrest, Sahouri said she told officers she was a reporter and was leaving the area. “I was saying, ‘I'm press, I'm press, I'm press,’” Sahouri said in the video, her eyes still burning from pepper spray. At least 126 journalists were arrested or detained in 2020, but only 13 still face charges, according to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker. 

#ChooseToChallenge is the theme for International Women's Day 2021

Change comes from challenge – and that is the message organizers of International Women's Day 2021 hope to trumpet Monday. "A challenged world is an alert world," the International Women's Day website says. Gender parity in government, workplaces, health care, sports and media coverage is achievable through individual change, organizers say. They hope this year’s theme for International Women's Day – #ChooseToChallenge – will inspire individuals to challenge biases, question stereotypes and celebrate the achievements of women around the world. International Women’s Day has been observed for more than a century since it began in 1911. The day recognizes the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women globally, and it's a call to action for gender parity.

In other news:

Schools in England reopening

Schools across England are reopening to all students Monday, part of what Prime Minister Boris Johnson described as a plan to get the country to “start moving closer to a sense of normality.” Students and staff in English secondary schools, colleges, and universities will have to wear face coverings indoors – including in classrooms – unless social distancing can be maintained. Twice-weekly COVID-19 tests will also be recommended – but not required – for those returning to in-person instruction. After a steep rise in cases over the holidays partially caused by the rise of the infectious B.1.1.7. COVID-19 variant in the U.K., daily new cases have fallen to pre-winter levels. 

ICYMI: Our top stories from yesterday 👀

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