This cop fatally shot Breonna Taylor. He's trying to get his job back.
The former Louisville cop who fatally shot Breonna Taylor is trying to get his job back. The Supreme Court will consider whether a pastor can place his hands on a death row inmate and pray aloud during his execution. And, men's college basketball is back: The marquee matchup is Duke vs. Kentucky at New York's Madison Square Garden.
It's Steve and Jane with Tuesday's news.
🚔 Morning investigation drop: Dead rats, death threats, destroyed careers. To many in law enforcement, speaking out against another cop is a betrayal that can’t go unpunished.
🚨 What happened at Travis Scott's Astroworld 2021 that led to 8 deaths?Here's what we know now.
💉 Aaron Rodgers says he's allergic to the COVID mRNA vaccines. Is that possible?
🔵 Tech world vs. Hollywood: Jeff Bezos has his eyes on one of Hollywood’s biggest heartthrobs, following a viral video of Leonardo DiCaprio hitting it off with his girlfriend, Lauren Sánchez.
🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, health inequities reporter Nada Hassanein talks about the grassroots campaign to get children of color vaccinated against COVID-19. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker.
📢 PS: Want to access the premium content we feature in Daily Briefing – plus exclusive newsletters and more features? Now's the time: We've launched our early Black Friday sale, which is the best deal of the year.
Here's what's happening today:
Louisville cop who fatally shot Breonna Taylor wants his job back
The Louisville Metro Police Merit Board in Kentucky will begin to hear the case Tuesday of the former detective who was fired after he fatally shot Breonna Taylor and is now trying to win his job back. Myles Cosgrove lost his job in January for failing to "properly identify a target" when he shot 16 rounds into Taylor's apartment in the early morning hours of March 13, 2020 while serving a search warrant. Three officers fired a total of 32 rounds during the fatal encounter. The FBI later concluded Cosgrove fired the fatal shot. No one has been criminally charged for the death of Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, which sparked months of national protests and prompted the city of Louisville to pay her family $12 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit.
Supreme Court to weigh religious rights for death row inmate
The Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday in a case that may determine whether death row inmates are entitled to a spiritual adviser who can both pray audibly and make physical contact at the moment they are executed. John Ramirez, convicted of a 2004 murder in Texas, sued sued state officials over a policy that prohibits his pastor from placing his hands on him and praying aloud during his execution. The case sits at the intersection of the court's push to expand protection for religious exercise and its reluctance to stop executions in response to eleventh-hour appeals. The justices will hear arguments after an extraordinary series of developments, including the high court's decision to halt Ramirez's scheduled execution in September.
What else people are reading:
💃🏼 Olympic gymnast Suni Lee ran off the "Dancing With the Stars" stage just avoiding vomiting on the dance floor on national TV last week. Last night, she bounced back in miracle style.
🐦 "My wing is feeling a little sore": It started innocently enough, writes cartoonist Mike Thompson for USA TODAY Opinion. Big Bird of Sesame Street fame tweeted that he had gotten a COVID-19 vaccine. Then, all hell broke loose.
⚖️ "(I) thought I was going to die": Gaige Grosskreutz testified Monday at the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse's trial for shooting him and killing two other men during protesting last summer in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
📺 After 25 years in his leading role of Jasper "Jax" Jacks on ABC's "General Hospital," Ingo Rademacher is exiting the show because he refused to comply with the production's vaccine mandate.
🚀 A team of astronauts safely splashed down off the Florida coast late Monday, setting the stage for the next NASA and SpaceX crew to launch from Kennedy Space Center this week.
Harris heads to Paris to help shore up the US-France relationship
Vice President Kamala Harris is pitching in on the White House charm offensive aimed at French President Emmanuel Macron. Harris arrives in Paris Tuesday for a four-day visit, the latest move in an effort by the Biden administration to shore up the U.S. relationship with its oldest ally. Washington's relations with Paris hit a historic low this year after a U.S.-British submarine deal with Australia scuttled a French deal with the Australians. For the first time in about 250 years, France even briefly withdrew its ambassador from the U.S. in protest. Harris' meeting comes less than two weeks after President Joe Biden met Macron and acknowledged his administration handled the submarine deal in a "clumsy" way. Harris also faces pressure at home as progressive advocates have had their hopes dissipate after previously believing they'd have a unique ally on several key issues, including immigration, voting rights and access to abortion.
Newsmakers in their own words: Bears player calls out referee for late call
Late in Monday night's NFL game, the Pittsburgh Steelers – holding a 23-20 lead – faced a key third down on offense. Chicago Bears linebacker Cassius Marsh sacked Ben Roethlisberger, seemingly ending Pittsburgh's drive. In his celebration of the big play, Marsh took several steps toward the Steelers' sideline.
Referee Tony Corrente threw a flag on Marsh for taunting, but not until after the two bumped into each other as Marsh returned to the Bears' side of the field. The Steelers went on to score a field goal and beat the Bears 29-27, and Marsh called out Corrente for the physical contact and calling the the late penalty.
More from the NFL:
🏈 A "very painful decision": The Las Vegas Raiders released second-year cornerback, and former first-round draft pick, Damon Arnette Monday after he brandished guns in a threatening video posted on social media.
🏈 Does that mean NFL players have a drunk-driving problem? Well, yes – and no, depending on how the problem is measured.
🏈 Column from Nate Davis: Aaron Rodgers appeared destined to part with the Green Bay Packers after this season. The QB's COVID-19 ordeal, however, should make both sides reconsider.
🏈 State Farm stands by Aaron Rodgers after his vaccine comments:The insurance company "respect his right to have his own personal point of view."
🏈 Opinion from Christine Brennan: State Farm is not a good neighbor and is putting others at risk by supporting Aaron Rodgers' lies.
Men's college basketball returns with a matchup of storied programs
Men's college basketball returns Tuesday with 22 of the Top 25 teams ranked in Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll taking the floor. Although the top 5 teams in the nation will start their seasons Tuesday, the marquee matchup is No. 9 Duke against No. 11 Kentucky in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). For Duke, it will be the final season opener for legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who will retire at the end of the season. On the other side, Kentucky enters the season looking to bounce back from a 9-16 campaign in 2020-2021. The early game in New York features No. 3 Kansas taking on an unranked Michigan State team still led by Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo (7 p.m. ET, ESPN). No. 1 Gonzaga and No. 2 UCLA also open their seasons Tuesday with non-conference games.
ICYMI: Some of our top stories Monday
🔵 It's a gloomy landscape for the Democrats in the midterms as President Joe Biden's approval drops to 38% in a USA TODAY/Suffolk poll.
🚡 This abandoned ski resort stood for 20 years in Michigan. Now it's getting demolished.
⚖️ The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol subpoenaed one of former President Donald Trump’s lawyers, who wrote a memo to former Vice President Mike Pence about how to challenge the results of the 2020 election.
🍏 People swear by apple cider vinegar for weight loss.Does it actually work?
📸 Photo of the day: Loved ones reunite across the country 📸
A rush of international travelers headed into the United States Monday as the COVID-19 travel ban ended and people from dozens of countries begin flooding in, more than 600 days – that's more than 86 weeks and nearly 20 months – since they were barred from entry.
Lines began forming at the Canada and Mexico borders well before daybreak, and eager travelers boarded flights from Europe. It was a long-awaited moment for travelers from more than 30 countries and that could be seen on the faces of those seeing their loved ones again.
The Daily Briefing is free, but several stories we link to in this edition are subscriber-only. Please support our journalism and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today.
Contributing: The Associated Press