Daily Briefing: An address to the nation

President Joe Biden will deliver the State of the Union address on the five-month anniversary of the war in Gaza. Alabama lawmakers approved legislation protecting in vitro fertilization providers and patients. The House passed a $460 billion funding deal averting a government shutdown, again.

👋🏾 I'm Jane, Daily Briefing author. Super bloom 2024? California wildflowers are shaping up to be spectacular.

Now, here's Thursday's news.

Biden awaits cease-fire in Gaza as he readies for State of the Union

Just one week ago, President Joe Biden, ice cream cone in hand, signaled a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas could be in place in a matter of days − a political victory he desperately needed.

Not only did the breakthrough fail to happen, but cease-fire negotiations appear to have stalled and conditions in Gaza have deteriorated to the point that the U.S. has begun airdropping food to Palestinians.

• For Biden, the elusiveness of a deal means he will deliver his State of the Union address on Thursday, the five-month mark of the war, without the benefit of a crucial political victory and a key talking point.

• Biden is expected to use the high-profile speech before a joint session of Congress to promote the achievements of his first three years in office and to make the case for his vision for the future as he prepares for a rematch with former President Donald Trump in November.

• The themes he will touch on will include lowering health care premiums and the cost of prescription drugs, making the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share, protecting women’s reproductive health, curbing fentanyl abuse, helping veterans and ending cancer.

Alabama legislature passes IVF protections, paving way for fertility clinics to reopen

Alabama lawmakers gave final approval Wednesday to legislation protecting in vitro fertilization providers and patients, less than a month after the state Supreme Court upended fertility practices with a ruling that frozen embryos are legally protected as children. Members of the House passed the bill 81-12, and the Senate voted to concur, 29-1. The bipartisan legislation provides civil and criminal immunity to fertility clinics and doctors for the "death or damage to an embryo" during the IVF process. The only legal recourse in the event of a destroyed embryo would be civil lawsuits against manufacturers of IVF-related goods. Read more

• After "grueling" IVF journey, Rep. Lori Trahan has an eye on Biden's SOTU, Alabama ruling.

• Alabama court rules frozen embryos are children, chilling IVF advocates.

• Alabama justice invoked "the wrath of a holy God" in IVF opinion. Is that allowed?

More news to know now

• Who is Katie Britt? What to know about the GOP senator delivering the State of the Union rebuttal.

• "Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

• First fatalities from "reckless attacks" by Houthis on commercial ships.

• LinkedIn goes down on Wednesday, following Facebook outage on Super Tuesday.

• On today's The Excerpt podcast, Alabama lawmakers passed IVF protections. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

House passes $460 billion government funding deal, temporarily dodging shutdown

The House passed the first six spending bills needed to fund the government on a long-term basis, signaling the beginning of the end of constant government shutdown scares on Capitol Hill. The legislation easily cleared the lower chamber by a bipartisan vote of 339-85. In what has become a familiar sight for the House, far more Democrats than Republicans supported the bill, despite the GOP's majority in the lower chamber.  A chunk of House Republicans voted against the spending bill because it didn’t have many of the conservative policy wins some members wanted, such as stricter border polices. Read more

How Nikki Haley defied all expectations – except one

Last summer Nikki Haley arrived at the Iowa State Fair sporting jeans and a navy T-shirt with a cautionary message in all caps: “UNDERESTIMATE ME − THAT'LL BE FUN.” But in mid-August, she was in the middle of a 13-person primary field, her support stagnant at 4% nationally. Then, Haley surged ahead of her competitors at the first GOP debate later that month. She emerged as the last rival standing against former President Donald Trump. Her exit from the 2024 race marks the beginning of what is expected to be the longest and most expensive general election in history. Read more

• A rematch nobody wanted: But some big differences define Biden vs. Trump in 2024

• "Dismay and disbelief": What U.S. allies are saying about the chance of another Trump presidency.

• Nikki Haley's 2024 presidential campaign may be over, but it still made history. Here's how.

Keep scrolling

• Opinion: Nick Saban's candid thoughts on the state of college football are truly worth listening to.

• Ranking all the winners of the Academy Award for best actor over the past 25 years.

• How to keep bananas from turning brown? Store them properly.

• Nine creative ways to celebrate Ramadan with kids.

• This little girl couldn't believe who was waiting for her at the airport.

Fire chief in Texas city hit hard by wildfires dies

A Texas fire chief whose small town was among the hardest hit last week by historic blazes sweeping across the state's panhandle died Tuesday while fighting a house fire, authorities said. The blaze that Fritch Fire Chief Zeb Smith, 40, responded to wasn't caused by a wildfire, but Smith had been battling the wildfires for over a week, authorities said. Firefighters are still trying to extinguish wildfires that have been burning across rural areas around Amarillo, which officials say have destroyed as many as 500 structures. Those wildfires include the Smokehouse Creek fire, which is the largest wildfire in Texas history. Read more

Photo of the day: Billboard Women in Music 2024

Musical powerhouses gathered in Inglewood, California, on Wednesday for the 2024 edition of Billboard Women in Music, celebrating the accomplishments of female artists.

Scroll through the gallery to see more glamorous shots of stars on the carpet.

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Associated Press contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: SOTU, Alabama IVF, Nikki Haley, Billboard: Daily Briefing