The Excerpt

May 2024 marked the twelfth straight month of record-high temperatures for the planet. Here in the U.S., temperatures across the country are likely to break records again this summer, increasing health risks to those spending long periods outdoors – from construction workers to migrants illegally crossing the border. Government and business leaders have long struggled to cope with protecting people from the heat. Kathy Bau...

USA TODAY Supreme Court Correspondent Maureen Groppe puts a high court decision surrounding gun bump stocks in context.

A judge orders Alex Jones' personal assets to be liquidated and paid to Sandy Hook families.

A Southwest Airlines jet was damaged during a flight last month after it experienced a Dutch roll manuever.

USA TODAY Breaking News and Education Reporter Zach Schermele discusses how one Montana mayor is refusing to...

USA TODAY Supreme Court Correspondent Maureen Groppe discusses the high court's decision on mifepristone, as well as a pair of other cases.

President Joe Biden signs a 10-year security agreement with Ukraine.

President Joe Biden says he won't commute any sentence given to his son Hunter Biden over gun felonies.

USA TODAY Congress Reporter Ken Tran discusses former President Donald Trump's return to Capitol Hill.

A shift in glo...

The U.S. Supreme Court has had its ethical compass called into question periodically over the decades, but not nearly as much as it is right now. From Justice Clarence Thomas’ recent disclosure of receiving millions of dollars in vacation benefits to Justice Samuel Alito’s admission of flying an American flag upside down at one of his homes, a politically charged symbol, the court’s integrity is under scrutiny and public f...

USA TODAY Congress Reporter Ken Tran breaks down the move by House Republicans to hold the attorney general in contempt of Congress.

Southern Baptists condemn the use of IVF.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court dismisses a lawsuit from survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

The Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady.

USA TODAY Network Florida First Amendment Reporter Douglas Soule discusses how one school board banned a book a...

The Roman Catholic Church hasn’t been known for its inclusive stance with the LGBTQ+ community historically. But over the past decade, Pope Francis has steered a course that is decidedly more liberal and accepting by welcoming trans sex-workers at the Vatican, for instance. Is this progressive repositioning a signal of a broader policy shift for the Roman Catholic Church? Sister Jeanine Gramick, co-founder of New Ways Mini...

USA TODAY Justice Department Correspondent Bart Jansen breaks down the guilty verdict in Hunter Biden's federal gun trial.

Rudy Giuliani posts bail in Arizona in the fake electors case.

ICE agents arrest eight foreign nationals suspected to have ties with ISIS.

A federal judge strikes down Florida's ban on transgender health care for children, and restrictions for transgender adults.

USA TODAY Health Reporter Karen Weintraub l...

A U.S. proposal for a cease-fire in Gaza gets U.N. Security Council backing with a 14-0 vote.

USA TODAY Pentagon Correspondent Tom Vanden Brook looks at numbers around soldier suicides, and what's being done to try and prevent them.

An FDA advisory panel has endorsed the experimental Alzheimer's drug donanemab.

USA TODAY Education Reporter Alia Wong discusses chronic absenteeism and its consequences in American schools.

AI emo...

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is heading to Egypt and Israel, as U.S. officials continue to push for a cease-fire in Gaza.

USA TODAY Senior National Political Correspondent Sarah D. Wire looks at the presidential campaign of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

USA TODAY National Political Correspondent David Jackson talks about former President Donald Trump's shift on mail-in balloting.

Jimmy Carter's grandson shares an update on his...

Summer movies can be an exhilarating escape. Whether you go for action-adventure, captivating thrillers, or the return of a few favorites in the world of animation, the summer of 2024 promises not to disappoint. And, as a bonus, catching a movie in theaters is a sure-fire way to beat the heat in what’s expected to be a long hot summer. Who are the biggest stars headed back to the big screen? USA TODAY entertainment reporte...

USA TODAY Network Delaware Breaking News and Public Safety Reporter Isabel Hughes has the latest from Hunter Biden's federal gun trial.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas received millions in gifts over 20 years.

USA TODAY National Immigration Reporter Lauren Villagran discusses how migrants find themselves caught in a tug-of-war between federal and Texas state authorities.

The U.S. economy added 272,000 jobs in May.

Flamin...

President Joe Biden talked of Ukraine on the anniversary of D-Day.

USA TODAY National Political Correspondent David Jackson has the latest on former President Donald Trump's search for a VP.

People with early-stage Alzheimer's disease may be able to slow their cognitive decline through diet and exercise, according to a new study.

If you want to retire in comfort, do you really need $1 million in savings?

USA TODAY Senior Repor...

These gentle giants of the ocean have long been a source of fascination for us humans. And while researchers have made huge gains in fostering a greater understanding of these majestic creatures in recent decades, the use of AI may have just cracked open the mother lode of all puzzles: their language. Could this lead to one day the possibility of talking with whales? David Gruber, the founder & president of Project CET...

The Georgia Court of Appeals has temporarily halted the 2020 election racketeering case involving former President Donald Trump and 14 others.

USA TODAY White House Correspondent Michael Collins reports from Normandy on the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

An FDA panel finds that the new COVID-19 vaccine for fall should target the JN.1 lineage.

USA TODAY Breaking News and Education Reporter Zach Schermele discusses how school civil...

Last week’s unprecedented conviction of a former president on 34 felony counts in the hush money trial continues to reverberate in political circles and across the country. New polling by several organizations shows that while Trump’s support is holding at around 31%, about half of all Americans feel the guilty verdict was correct and that he should end his campaign for the presidency. As we enter these uncharted waters of...

USA TODAY Justice Department Correspondent Bart Jansen has the latest from Hunter Biden's felony gun trial.

President Joe Biden issues a directive on the border.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul has charged Kenneth Chesebro and other Trump aides in a fake elector scheme.

What obstacles remain to President Joe Biden's Gaza cease-fire plan?

USA TODAY Reporter Sara Chernikoff talks about young adults living with their parents...

Republican lawmakers are plotting revenge after former President Donald Trump's hush money conviction.

USA TODAY National Correspondent Elizabeth Weise breaks down Dr. Anthony Fauci's testimony on Capitol Hill over the COVID-19 pandemic response.

The 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals blocked Fearless Fund from awarding grants to businesses owned by Black women.

A San Francisco program gives homeless alcoholics booze.

USA TODA...

Mexico has elected Claudia Sheinbaum as president. Listen to Saturday's episode on the candidate here.

USA TODAY Justice Department Correspondent Bart Jansen previews Hunter Biden's felony gun trial.

LGBTQ+ communities and allies around the country are taking steps to promote safety at Pride events.

Millions of children are now caregivers at home without any government recognition, pay or support.

USA TODAY Senior Reporter Jes...

With the world’s largest economy and its highest GDP, you might think the United States would have the world’s happiest citizens. But you’d be wrong. This year, when the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network released its annual World Happiness Report, the U.S. had dropped out of the top 20, landing at 23rd on the list. The reason? America's youth are deeply unhappy. What societal and cultural factors are...