'Eyes of the nation are on you,' California
Good morning, Daily Briefing readers! Californians will go to the polls today to vote on whether to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom. Hurricane Nicholas, now a tropical storm, made landfall along the Texas coast. And will Apple's new iPhone 13 be unveiled? Fans will soon find out.
It's Steve and Jane with Tuesday's news.
🔴 New this morning: Leaked data and emails reveal the federal civil rights agency’s internal triage system. These documents detail a secret reality: Some Black workers who complain about discrimination are being discriminated against by the EEOC itself.
😷 Changed by COVID: For millions, COVID-19 won’t quit. Doctors are striving for answers on how to ease long-hauler misery. And kids can be long-haulers, too.
📲 Do you own an iPhone or iPad? Update it right now. Researchers uncovered a security flaw that could allow hackers to secretly install spyware on your Apple devices.
🌎 "California, the eyes of the nation are on you": Speaking at a rally Monday night, President Joe Biden called California Gov. Gavin Newsom one of the best governors in the country and warned that removing him from office would carry consequences that would reverberate around the nation and the world.
🔵 Former San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints linebacker Parys Haralson has passed away, the 49ers announced Monday. He was 37.
🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, hear about last-minute attacks before the California recall election closes. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker.
A historic California recall election gets underway
California voters will decide Tuesday who of the more than 40 candidates on the ballot will replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in a recall election that could mark only the third time in U.S. history that a sitting governor is removed from office by voters. The push against Newsom began in February 2020 as proponents justified the recall based on the governor's position on a number of political issues, including taxes and immigration. The process is unlike other elections. The ballot will ask voters two questions: Do they want to recall Newsom, yes or no? And if more than 50% of voters agree, then who should replace him? The election says whoever gets the most votes wins – even without a majority.
Nicholas makes landfall on the Texas coast
Hurricane Nicholas, now a tropical storm, made landfall along the Texas coast early Tuesday, bringing the threat of up to 20 inches of rainfall to parts of the Gulf Coast, including the same area hit by Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and storm-battered Louisiana. Eric Blake, of the National Hurricane Center, forecasted Nicholas will pound parts of the middle and upper Texas coastline with 8 to 16 inches of rain, and isolated maximum amounts of 20 inches are possible. The worry with Nicholas will be how slowly it moves. Storms are moving slower in recent decades, and Nicholas could get stuck between two other weather systems, said Jim Kossin of The Climate Service. In flood-prone Houston, officials worried that heavy rain expected to arrive by Tuesday could inundate streets and flood homes.
What else people are reading:
🏡 "Right away, I knew something was wrong": A home appraisal increased by almost $100,000 after a Black family hid their race.
🔵 "Decisive moment": An abortion provider in Mississippi is urging the Supreme Court to remain faithful to its precedents in a case that directly challenges the landmark Roe v. Wade decision.
💉 "If I get vaccinated it won't for the Met": Nicki Minaj says she refused to get vaccinated for the Met Gala.
💉 "She was preceded in death by more than 4,531,799 others": The family of a fully vaccinated COVID-19 victim sent a message to doubters in her obituary.
Democrats to propose tax hikes for wealthy
House Democrats are expected to propose a series of tax hikes on the wealthiest Americans and corporations. The effort comes as Democrats search for ways to fund their spending proposals, including a large-scale expansion of the social safety net touching on family care, public education and climate policies. Taken together, the changes would raise about $2.9 trillion in revenue. The proposals would bring back a tiered system for corporate taxes, raising the rate from 21% to 26.5% for corporations that have more than $5 million in annual revenue, while lowering it to 18% for companies that make less than $400,000. Individuals would experience the rate at $400,000; households at $425,000; and married couples at $450,000.
📸 Photo of the day: Remarkable looks for celebs at the Met Gala 📸
Billie Eilish, 19, looked like the belle of the ball in a blush Oscar de la Renta gown that channeled American icons Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly and the Holiday Barbie Doll, which Eilish called her "favorite thing in the world."
Eilish was one of four co-chairs of the 2021 Met Gala, joining actor Timothée Chalamet, 25, inaugural poet and activist Amanda Gorman, 23, and Grand Slam tennis champion Naomi Osaka, 23.
More from the Met Gala in New York City
🌎 The best dressed: Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Lil Nas X, Kendall Jenner and Emily Blunt all made the list.
🌎 The wildest looks: Grimes wielded a sword accessory made of melted guns, Frank Ocean brought an outfit-adjacent robot baby and some said Kim Kardashian looked like a creature from the "Harry Potter" series.
👗 Kamala Harris' stepdaughter makes her Met Gala debut: Ella Emhoff, 22, stunned in a red Stella McCartney diamond mesh body suit with matching trousers and diamond studded platform sneakers.
👗 "I'm not afraid to be sexy": Megan Fox revealed her thoughts on being a Hollywood "sex symbol."
🏈 Ciara embraced this year's theme of "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion": The singer, who's been married to Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson since 2016, donned a green, backless gown with the No. 3 inspired by Wilson's jersey paired with his Super Bowl XLVIII ring from the 2013 NFL season.
👗 Powerful or pious? New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's "Tax the Rich" dress drew mixed reactions with some praising the statement and others calling it hypocritical.
Apple event: Will the iPhone 13 be unveiled?
Fans of the iPhone, mark your calendars. Apple is streaming an event on Tuesday from its California headquarters where the tech giant is widely expected to unveil its next iPhone (1 p.m. ET, apple.com). Although the invitation for the event, titled "California Streaming," did not specifically include information related to the iPhone, September is typically the time of year when the company has unveiled its latest smartphone. Last month, Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives said the iPhone 13 will likely see a significant upgrade in storage, up to a maximum of 1 terabyte. Currently, the iPhone 12 Pro has the most storage at 512 GB.
Newsmakers in their own words: NFL player Carl Nassib on his big moment
With the Las Vegas Raiders and Baltimore Ravens battling it out in overtime on ESPN's "Monday Night Football," Carl Nassib, 28, the NFL's first active, openly gay player, caused a shocking fumble – with a strip-sack of Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson – that set up the Raiders' game-winning touchdown in a thrilling 33-27 win. "I had a lot of people come before me in the LGBTQ community that helped me get to where I am, and I’m super thankful for that," Nassib said.
🏈 "When he came out, it struck a chord": Andrew Erazos, a 60-year-old self-identified gay man, attended his first NFL game Monday night and wore a Nassib No. 94 jersey to pay tribute.
Vegas, baby: More from a big night in the NFL
🏈 Living up to the marquee magic that Las Vegas is famous for: The Raiders christened their new Sin City stadium with a wild overtime win.
🏈 Column from Jarrett Bell: In the land of crapshoots and crazy odds, what fans witnessed Monday was a long-shot victory for the Las Vegas Raiders.
🏈 TV talk: Former quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning made Monday night's game a blast with ESPN2's alternate simulcast, writes Nate Davis.
Broadway reopens at full capacity
After being shuttered for 18 months, Broadway will reopen at full capacity Tuesday. Although not all shows plan to re-open in September, many fan favorites such as "Chicago," "Hamilton" and "The Lion King" are among the productions set to see a full house Tuesday. Broadway performances were initially suspended due to COVID 19 on March 12, 2020. At that time, 31 productions were running, including eight new shows in previews. Additionally, eight productions were in rehearsals preparing to open in the spring. Broadway employs nearly 100,000 people and is a critical part of New York City's economy and tourism sector.
ICYMI: Some of our top stories Monday
🍏 A delicate dance between food, exercise and weight gain: More exercise, fewer calories? Weight loss is more complicated than that.
🔵 "In a critter box": Officials in Kansas were shocked to find an invasive spotted lanternfly pinned on a student display at the state fair.
📚 The former White House press secretary known for never holding a briefing during her stint with the Trump administration takes aim at Melania Trump in a new book.
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Contributing: The Associated Press