Welcome to the Daily Briefing. Start the day with these headlines:
Nicole Fallert here, recovering from the Taylor Swift “Toy Story” countdown saga. Transportation Security Administration agents can work Friday knowing they’ll get paid. And we meet a Kentucky Derby horse.
It felt as long as a winding airport security line: A 75-day Department of Homeland Security shutdown ended Thursday when the House of Representatives passed a funding bill for the agency with seemingly unanimous support, sending it to President Donald Trump’s desk.
The ordeal, which exposed fierce acrimony between House and Senate Republicans, left thousands of workers without pay, upended air travel and jeopardized Americans’ safety.
The impasse was prompted by congressional Democrats’ demands for immigration enforcement reforms after the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good in Minnesota earlier this year. Yet the big changes they wanted, such as a ban on masks for officers and judicial warrant requirements for immigration raids, never materialized.
Hollywood
They’re not just costars; they’re also family. Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt together earned their stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday a day before “Devil Wears Prada 2” releases in theaters. Read our review.
2026 Kentucky Derby
The horse named So Happy, who sold for a modest $20,000 at a yearling sale, is headed for the Kentucky Derby this weekend. He is listed at 15-1 by TwinSpires.com for the race May 2 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, and So Happy also stands at the center of a heartbreaking and heartwarming story. And here’s how to make a mint julep for the race.
Have feedback on the Daily Briefing? Shoot Nicole an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.