Daily Briefing: Underwater noises detected
Underwater noises prompted remotely operated vehicles to search for their origin in the hunt for a missing tourist submersible that was heading to the wreck of the Titanic. Also in the news: Key Republican lawmakers say Hunter Biden's plea agreement with the Justice Department will spur them to dig even deeper and today marks the official start of summer.
🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Don't believe the AI conspiracies.
Now, here we go with Wednesday's news.
Less than a day left in search for vanished underwater submersible
A Canadian aircraft heard "underwater noises in the search area" of the North Atlantic Ocean where U.S. and Canadian crews are searching for a small vessel carrying five people that vanished Sunday in a dive to the Titanic wreckage site. As few as 40 hours of oxygen supply could be left in the submersible, officials said, meaning the supply could run out by Thursday morning. The high-stakes effort has involved international air and sea forces searching a span totaling 10,000 square miles. Read more
- Reporter who rode Titanic submarine says there were ''many red flags.''
Takeaways from Hunter Biden's plea deal
Hunter Biden's agreement Tuesday to resolve federal tax and gun charges culminated a five-year criminal investigation and likely averted prison.
But the deal opened the door to an intensified congressional inquiry and further political attacks against President Joe Biden.
- A U.S. attorney for Delaware who has investigated Hunter Biden for five years announced he was charged with two counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax. The Justice Department is expected to recommend probation, according to the Associated Press.
- Biden also agreed to a pretrial diversion program related to a gun charge, which could eventually lead to the dismissal of the charge.
- Republican lawmakers and presidential contenders are not satisfied by the plea agreement. The GOP have kept a drumbeat for years that Biden represents a corrupting force in his father's inner circle.
Keep reading: What probes into Hunter Biden will continue?
More news to know now
- China, classified documents: What to know about Donald Trump's Fox News interview.
- Biden targets Tuberville as he blocks military promotions over abortion policy.
- Police vow to fight NYC subway crime after a man attacked three women.
- Andrew Tate and his brother have been charged with human trafficking and rape in Romania.
- On today's 5 Things podcast, a federal judge strikes down as unconstitutional Arkansas's ban on gender-affirming care for children. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.
What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
US sees sharp decline in learning among nation's 13-year-olds
There’s yet more evidence that students have lost significant ground following the wobbly shift to pandemic-era remote classes that stretched for months: New data show the nation’s 13-year-olds are struggling with basic math and reading skills. The results from a version of the Nation’s Report Card known as the long-term trend assessment, published Wednesday, show an especially notable slide in math that continues a trend predating the pandemic. Read more
Heat wave scorches Texas with no end in sight
There is little relief in sight for sun-scorched states such as Texas and Louisiana from blistering, dangerous heat, forecasters say. Experts expect a heat dome that has caused temperatures to skyrocket throughout June will continue to jeopardize heat records for at least the next several days. Tens of thousands of people across the south-central U.S. remained without power Tuesday as a result of big storms late last week and over the weekend, adding to the heat misery. Read more
Just for subscribers:
- Advocates fear a ''dark money'' blitz after a $82.5M transfer fuels DeSantis' presidential race.
- Kroger is caught in the middle of the nation's cultural and social debates.
- Why Garth Brooks' response to Bud Light backlash is the right move.
- He was on death row for 29 years. His case pingponged through the courts. Now, he's free.
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White House to welcome India's leader
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has kicked off a four-day visit to the United States. He'll meet with business and technology leaders, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk. He will stop by the United Nations on international yoga day (an annual event he persuaded the U.N. to adopt), have the red carpet rolled out for him at the White House as part of an official state visit and talk with President Joe Biden. Modi will also address, for the second time in his career, a joint session of Congress, on Thursday. Read more
Quick hits
- Paxton Whitehead, prolific actor known for ''Friends,'' Broadway, has died at 85.
- French authorities searched the Paris 2024 organizing committee headquarters in a corruption probe.
- ''Zoey 102'' trailer sees Jamie Lynn Spears reunite with the ''Zoey 101'' cast for her wedding.
- With these suitcase hacks you'll never have to pay baggage fees again.
- See Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, Zendaya, more celeb photos from Pharrell Williams’ debut Louis Vuitton show.
Photo of the day: The first day of summer
The official start of summer in the Northern hemisphere was marked by celebrants at Stonehenge, England, on Tuesday night, who greeted sunrise on Wednesday to mark the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere. Read more
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at Paste BN, 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 Paste BN here.
Associated Press contributed reporting.