Welcome to the Daily Briefing. Start with these reads:
- The Russia-Ukraine war is "coming to an end," Putin says.
- Pot is kind of, sort of ... not really legal in the U.S.
- Robot umpires were supposed to take the power away from the guys in blue.
Nicole Fallert here. Start Monday with USA TODAY's News Quiz. Then dive into today's news, from the hantavirus outbreak to a trend in tick bites.
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Passengers positive for hantavirus
A French and a U.S. national are among two positive cases for hantavirus following evacuations from a cruise ship at the center of an outbreak.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Sunday that one of the 17 Americans being repatriated had tested mildly positive for the Andes strain of the virus, while a second had shown mild symptoms.
Meanwhile, some critics have accused the Trump administration of being ill-prepared to handle another pandemic, saying the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's response to the hantavirus outbreak has been muted. A senior U.S. health official pushed back against criticism, stressing that the public health risk is low.
More news to know now
- Can our politics get any more polarized? (YES). Redistricting wars are raging. Eight states have redrawn their congressional districts over the past year in search of a political edge. And there's no ceasefire yet.
- Trump calls Iran response to peace plan "unacceptable." Iran's proposal included a demand for compensation for war damages and an emphasis on Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, state media said.
- This tick season could be the worst in a decade. Federal data shows weekly tick‑bite emergency room visits are higher than historic averages in every U.S. region except the South Central states, with the Northeast recording the highest levels so far in 2026. Here's how to stay safe.
AAPI Heritage Month
Stars light up Gold Gala
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Gold House's star-studded fifth annual Gold Gala lit up downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, with a glitzy evening celebrating accomplishments by leaders from across the Asian diaspora. Throughout the evening, honorees including Charles Melton, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Jet Li and Simu Liu took the stage to accept awards for their efforts to improve representation in Hollywood.
NCAA Sports
SEC tops NCAA softball bracket
The NCAA Softball Tournament bracket has been finalized. Sixty‑four Division I softball teams — 31 automatic qualifier bids and 33 at‑larges — learned the paths they must take to Oklahoma City following the NCAA Tournament bracket reveal Sunday. The SEC came out with the most of any Power Four teams, with Alabama edging out Texas and Oklahoma for the No. 1 overall seed.
Before you go
- Martin Short opened up about the "nightmare" of his daughter's death.
- Caitlin Clark walked onto Morgan Wallen's stage.
- The "Dungeon Crawler Carl" author teased a "super heavy lore reveal" in Book 8.
Have feedback on the Daily Briefing? Shoot Nicole an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Daily Briefing: American positive for hantavirus
