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Daily Briefing: 'Battle for the soul of the nation'

Nicole Fallert
USA TODAY

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 in the U.S. 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.Whew 🏎 we've reached the end of the week! It's been a ride of breaking news, deeper-dives and some seriously good tennis. But before you close your phone and switch on the weekend, how did you like receiving Daily Briefing instead of 5 Things to Know this week? Share your impressions via this form here! Now 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 offense.
  • 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.
Biden claims 'MAGA forces' determined to 'take country backwards' in speech from Philadelphia

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 U.S. 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 first round of US Open doubles tournament.
  • Analysis: Like Serena Williams, Candace Parker is turning back the clock in the WNBA playoffs.
Sept. 1: Serena Williams and Venus Williams play Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova in women's doubles .

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

A video of former White House counsel Pat Cipollone is shown as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds a hearing at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, July 12, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Economy adds 315,000 jobs in August despite slowing economy

Friday’s jobs report for August shows employers added 315,000 jobs in spite of softer consumer spending gains, rising interest rates and a sputtering economy. The portion of Americans working or looking for jobs jumped from 62.1% to 62.4%, matching the recent peak in March but still well below the pre-pandemic level of 63.4%. That share had been rising as workers returned to a hot labor market after caring for children or staying idle because of COVID-19 fears. But it broadly edged down in recent months, suggesting widespread labor shortages could persist and push pay increases higher. That likely would further fuel inflation that’s close to a 40-year high. Read more 

  • A new gender gap: Men have recovered all jobs lost during the pandemic. Women have not.
Hiring sign is displayed at a restaurant in Highland Park, Ill., Thursday, July 14, 2022. Fewer Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week as the labor market continues to shine despite weakening elements of the U.S. economy. Applications for jobless aid for the week ending Aug. 27, fell by 5,000 to 232,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday, Sept. 1.

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Argentine government officials quick label assassination attempt 

A man was detained Thursday night after he aimed a handgun at 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 when a man could be seen extending his hand with what looked like a pistol. The vice president ducked. Her supporters have been gathering outside her home for days after a prosecutor called for a 12-year sentence for Fernández in a case involving alleged corruption in public works. Read more

This still image taken from a video provided by Television Publica Argentina shows a man pointing a gun at Argentina´s Vice President Cristina Fernandez during an event in front of her home in the Recoleta neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022.

📷 Photos 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.

Penn State wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley (5) celebrates his touchdown in the second quarter against Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium on Thursday night.

A little less heavy

What happened this week? 🤔 Serena Williams shining at the U.S. Open, NASA's scrubbed rocket launch and a Nebraska man's record-breaking pumpkin paddle. Test your memory with this week's News Quiz.

Did you pay attention to the news this week? 📰 Take the USA TODAY news quiz to test your knowledge.

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 NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.

Associated Press contributed reporting.

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