A photo of lifeless One Direction star Liam Payne published by TMZ disturbed fans and raised ethical questions. Election tensions were center stage at a Catholic charity dinner. The Eras Tour returns tonight in Miami, Florida.
🙋🏼♀️ I’m Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Why do I love Moo Deng so much?!?!
Liam Payne, a damaging photo and a search for answers
It’s not yet clear what happened to One Direction star Liam Payne, other than that he was on a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, then he was on the ground below. And at 31, he is dead.
Many learned the news late Wednesday from gossip website TMZ. But fans who clicked on an alert, a tweet or even a link shared via text, were shocked to see a cropped image of Payne’s lifeless body alongside TMZ’s reporting on the singer’s death.
- The site later took the image down. But people were stunned by the graphic image of the deceased, raising the question of how much is too much?
- What happened to Payne? Authorities revealed a preliminary cause of death on Thursday, saying the singer died from “polytrauma” and “internal and external hemorrhage” after falling from his third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur hotel in the Argentine capital.
- Payne was candid about his struggles with addiction before his death. A 911 call made before Payne’s death released on Thursday reveals the hotel’s reception head can be heard, in Spanish, calling for medical assistance for “a guest who is intoxicated by drugs and alcohol.”
👉The band speaks out: One Direction members shared this joint statement in reaction to Payne’s passing.
Election tensions at a charity dinner
Former President Donald Trump used his spotlight at a Catholic charity dinner Thursday to hurl insults and attacks on targets ranging from the absent Vice President Kamala Harris to former New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio. Trump drew some groans and boos from the white-tied audience at the 79th annual Al Smith dinner, including what even he called a “nasty” joke about the breakup of the first marriage of Harris’ spouse Douglas Emhoff. Harris, who declined an invitation to the Al Smith dinner to campaign in the battleground state of Wisconsin, delivered milder barbs at Trump in a brief video presentation. Read more
📰 Follow USA TODAY’s live election updates: Trump and Harris are both focusing on Michigan on Friday, where early in-person voting opens this weekend.
More news to know now
What’s the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
Is the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar a key to end the war?
The Biden administration seized on Thursday’s death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar as an opportunity to revive talks between Israel and Hamas for a long-discussed temporary cease-fire and push for an end to the war in the Middle East. Yet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – despite expressing new optimism about a hostage deal – gave no indication he plans to ease Israel’s military assault in Gaza. Read more
Texas Supreme Court halts Robert Roberson’s execution
Death row inmate Robert Roberson is still alive on Friday after the Texas Supreme Court granted a rare stay of execution — as prison officials were poised to administer his lethal injection. The Supreme Court’s decision came after days of legal wrangling and a furious effort by a bipartisan group of Texas lawmakers to stop Roberson’s execution for the death of his 2-year-old daughter Nikki in 2002. Strong evidence suggests that Roberson is innocent and was convicted based on Shaken Baby Syndrome, which has been largely debunked. Read more
Keep scrolling
Would you give up sleep for an Eras Tour t-shirt?
Handfuls of Swifties arrived early at Hard Rock Stadium on Thursday to purchase Eras Tour hoodies, t-shirts and other merchandise ahead of Taylor Swift’s three nights in Miami Gardens. Charmaine Brown boarded a plane in Charlotte, North Carolina, but was determined to grab merchandise at the official Eras Tour store before checking into her hotel. “I got on the plane at 6 o’clock this morning,” Brown told USA TODAY’s Taylor Swift reporter Thursday outside of the stadium holding two plastic bags of hoodies and T-shirts. The shop reopens on Friday at 4:30 p.m. ahead of Swift’s return to the Eras Tour stage tonight.
🎤 Don’t miss any Taylor Swift news:Sign up for the This Swift Beat newsletter.
Photo of the day: A hurricane doesn’t stop the vote
Several counties effected by Hurricane Helene saw a large turnout of residents for the first day of early voting in Western North Carolina. Here is where early voting stands across the U.S. right now.
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.
