5 Things

Hurricane Helene made landfall on Florida's Big Bend coast as a Category 4 storm Thursday.USA TODAY Senior National News Reporter Rebecca Morin breaks down new exclusive USA TODAY/Suffolk University polling from Arizona.The Biden administration announces new military aid for Ukraine, including bombs with the range to reach inside Russia.There's a $20 million reward in a plot targeting former national security adviser John Bolton.New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted. Dan Morrison, an editor in USA TODAY's Washington bureau, puts the charges in context.Check out The Excerpt on YouTube.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There have now been not one, but two assassination attempts on Trump’s life. Both candidates now speak behind bullet proof glass at outdoor events. And after falsely claiming that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio are eating pet dogs and cats, shooting and bomb threats have skyrocketed. Has political violence surrounding US elections become the new normal? USA TODAY Domestic Security Correspondent Josh Meyer joins The Excerpt to unpack the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

New York City's mayor has been indicted on federal criminal charges. The indictment remained sealed Wednesday night.Hurricane Helene is set to make landfall as a Category 4 in Florida.USA TODAY Pentagon Correspondent Tom Vanden Brook discusses the implications of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's push for U.S.-supported long-range missiles to reach deeper into Russia.The U.S. and other nations call for an immediate 21-day cease-fire on the Israel-Lebanon border.U.S. officials and lawmakers say Iran is trying to assassinate former President Donald Trump, and other political figures.USA TODAY Democracy Reporter Erin Mansfield reports on state election officials in several battleground states who say they would sue counties that won't certify the 2024 election result.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This year, for just the seventh time since the start of the HIV pandemic, a person was cured of the virus. That patient, along with the others cured, had received stem cell transplants to treat another life-threatening disease, blood cancer. But because these transplants carry a significant mortality risk, they're simply not a viable cure for the roughly 40 million people globally living with the virus. Dr. Sharon Lewin, Professor of Medicine at Doherty Institute at the University of Melbourne, Australia joins The Excerpt to discuss why, in the 40 years since the onset of the HIV pandemic, we still don't have a cure.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tensions continue along the Lebanon-Israel border.USA TODAY Congress, Campaigns and Democracy Reporter Karissa Waddick talks about the importance of young blue collar voters this election.A government watchdog blames leadership at the Education Department for a bungled FAFSA rollout.Tropical Storm Helene is forecast to become a Category 3 hurricane as it hits Florida Thursday.The Justice Department files an antitrust lawsuit against Visa.Former USA TODAY Investigative Reporter Emily Le Coz talks through some of the other deadly incidents involving the ship operator in the Baltimore bridge collapse.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Monday was the deadliest day in Lebanon since 1990 after Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets.USA TODAY White House Correspondent Joey Garrison takes a look at the different approaches to masculinity by the Trump and Harris campaigns.Vice President Kamala Harris leads former President Donald Trump in Michigan polling, but Trump leads in several other battleground states in a separate poll.President Joe Biden will defend his legacy and U.S. involvement in the world, in a farewell speech to the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday.USA TODAY National Correspondent Elizabeth Weise has the latest from the Coast Guard Titan submersible hearings.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A search is underway for the gunmen involved in Saturday's Birmingham shooting.USA TODAY Breaking News and Education Reporter Zach Schermele talks about how shootings have upended schools nationwide.A dormant nuclear power plant may soon be reactivated.USA TODAY National Correspondent Trevor Hughes discusses threats against election workers and how they're preparing for November.Numerous studies find bird migration is changing in response to warmer temperatures for some migrating birds.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Connie Chung was a groundbreaker. She was just about the only ‘girl on the bus’ during the McGovern campaign in 1972, then chased the Watergate scandal. She reached her dream job when she became the first woman to co-anchor the CBS Evening News, and the first Asian American to anchor a program on any of the networks. But it wasn’t easy, from the sexual harassment to what she calls the “big shot-itis” of most male anchors. In her new memoir, "Connie," she reveals how she would discover — decades later — how consequential her legacy really was.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tensions continue along the Lebanon-Israel border, as Israel strikes Beirut.USA TODAY Justice Department Correspondent Bart Jansen discusses what the Secret Service says it got wrong in the July shooting of former President Donald Trump.Donald Trump is making a renewed effort to secure a Nebraska Electoral College vote that could decide who wins the White House in November.The Federal Trade Commission sues pharmacy benefit managers over high insulin prices.USA TODAY Personal Finance Reporter Daniel de Visé breaks down polling that shows Americans agree there's a retirement crisis - regardless of political party.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Israel unleashed strikes against Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon late Thursday, adding to fears of an escalation in conflict along the border.USA TODAY Justice Department Correspondent Aysha Bagchi discusses the latest controversial measure being considered by Georgia's Election Board.A-list celebrities gave Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris a boost Thursday night during a livestreamed town hall in the battleground state of Michigan.USA TODAY Chief Political Correspondent Phillip M. Bailey discusses how Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is going after Kamala Harris' racial identity.Shohei Ohtani makes baseball history, joining the 50-50 club.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s been nearly a decade since the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, or SAKI, has been put into place, a relatively new grant program that takes aim at the decades-old problem of unprocessed sexual assault kits. Since its founding in 2015, SAKI has handed out nearly $350 million dollars in grant money to 90 local and state agencies across the U.S. But for many rape survivors, the program's promise of justice has fallen short. Thousands of kits still went untested and in many communities, there were few arrests or convictions. What went wrong? USA TODAY Investigative Reporter Tricia Nadolny joins The Excerpt to discuss what she learned in her investigation into what really happened with America’s rape-kit backlog.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

USA TODAY Economics and Jobs Reporter Paul Davidson breaks down what the Fed rate cut means for the economy.Lebanon is on edge after a wave of handheld device detonations.USA TODAY White House Correspondent Joey Garrison puts the Teamsters decision not to endorse Kamala Harris or Donald Trump in context.The FBI reveals details of a Trump campaign hack, as Iran ramps up a 2024 election meddling campaign.Flu deaths in children reach troubling highs amid drops in vaccinations, according to the CDC.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the cusp of an historic election, where partisan divides are tearing both families and communities apart, USA TODAY went out looking for hope in America. Over the course of the summer, USA TODAY reporters visited six towns, all named Hope, to gauge the mood of the voters. Podcast host Dana Taylor's visit to Hope, Arkansas was among them and was featured in part one of this series on Hope in America, which aired last Sunday. Following our reporting on the ground, USA TODAY conducted an exclusive poll with voters. USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page joins The Excerpt to share her insights.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At least nine people were killed, and thousands injured, including Hezbollah fighters, when pagers exploded in Lebanon. Hezbollah has blamed Israel as tensions continue along the Lebanon-Israel border.USA TODAY Democracy Reporter Erin Mansfield breaks down polling from the nonpartisan World Justice Project on whether or not Americans will accept election results.Grassroots organizations in Georgia are working to register voters of color to push back against what they call voter suppression efforts.USA TODAY Sports Columnist Nancy Armour explains how footage for Simone Biles' Netflix documentary could be the smoking gun in Jordan Chiles' medal appeal.STI rates are skyrocketing among older Americans.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

USA TODAY Domestic Security Correspondent Josh Meyer discusses the Secret Service measures on Sunday surrounding the apparent assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump, and what's next for the suspect.A range of celebrities 'love' Taylor Swift after Donald Trump's 'hate' comment.USA TODAY White House Correspondent Joey Garrison takes a look at how Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris fare in a new exclusive USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll from Pennsylvania.The Coast Guard's Titan submersible hearing has begun.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Former President Donald Trump is safe after another assassination attempt.USA TODAY Democracy Reporter Erin Mansfield takes a closer look at Democrats' voting rights agenda.GOP officials say states could punish colleges that divest from Israel. Could they?USA TODAY Health Reporter Karen Weintraub breaks down the new FDA mammogram guidelines.'Hacks' and 'Shogun' win big at the Emmys.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

America has always been the land of promise. For a better life for yourself and your family. For a better world, for your neighbors and countrymen. For a better future for all of humanity. But does America still have hope? Amid bitter partisan divides throughout our country, USA TODAY recently visited six small communities to gauge the mood of the voters. What do they all have in common? They’re all named Hope. For this episode, Dana Taylor visited the largest and most diverse of them all - Hope, Arkansas. (Bill Clinton clip courtesy of The Clinton Foundation)Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

USA TODAY National Political Correspondent David Jackson discusses how former President Donald Trump has approached the days since Tuesday's debate.Russia pulls the credentials of six British diplomats in Moscow.Boeing workers go on strike.USA TODAY Reporter Andrea Riquier discusses dropping mortage rates, and what might be around the corner for the housing market.Astronauts left behind by Starliner share updates from the International Space Station.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

USA TODAY Domestic Security Correspondent Josh Meyer explains what experts are saying about police failures to see the suspected Georgia school shooter as a threat.Former President Donald Trump held his first post-debate rally in Arizona Thursday. Plus, he says he won't debate Vice President Kamala Harris a second time. We also hear about some new developments to his legal issues.A judge overturns North Dakota's abortion ban.USA TODAY Personal Finance Reporter Daniel de Visé talks about the surgeon general's warning on parenting.The Pac-12 adds four Mountain West schools.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 2023, Mississippi Today reporter Anna Wolfe was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for reporting that exposed how former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant used his office to steer millions of dollars from a welfare fund to his family and friends, including former NFL quarterback Brett Favre. In response, the former governor sued her for defamation. Wolfe now risks jail time for refusing to reveal her sources for the story. Could this lawsuit be a warning to other reporters who might not be able to afford a good lawyer? Kelly McBride, Senior Vice President and Chair of Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership at the Poynter Institute, a global non-profit focused on strengthening democracy through journalism, joins The Excerpt to discuss the impact of the case on local journalism.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.