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Families are maxing out their credit cards and stressing out over finances, just to afford basics like gas and groceries. 💸 😖 |
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President Donald Trump reportedly rode in a decoy plane amid security concerns over Air Force One. That's not the first time a president surreptitiously switched planes. ✈️ |
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez revealed she's freezing her eggs, and talked about the choices between career and parenthood that many women face. ⏲️ |
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But first: "Ma'am, this is not a Wendy's. But you can still eat here." Check out this video about kindness, fast food and fast friendship. 🥤 🫶🏼
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Maxed out credit, stressed out families 😖 💸
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Alexandra Thompson and her husband both work full time, but the cost of groceries and other daily essentials, such as gas, has risen so much that the Tennessee couple maxed out their credit cards just to afford the basics for them and their 9-year-old son. And they're not alone: A new survey found more Americans are using credit cards for necessities like food, gas and utilities ‒ and they blame companies for inflating prices more than necessary and politicians for not doing enough to address the problem.
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"There's no joy in living this way," Thompson told USA TODAY.
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A grocery store in Washington, DC, on Jan. 24, 2026.
Nathan Howard/Reuters
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Switching the presidential plane ✈️
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USA TODAY White House Bureau Chief Susan Page writes about another surreptitious swap. 🔄 |
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Photos: What happened when the president switched planes. 📸 |
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Watch: Secretive presidential plane changes. 🛫 🛬 |
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U.S. Marine Robert Gilman has been released after four years in a Russian prison and will soon return home, President Donald Trump announced. 🎗️ |
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It's Primary Day in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Alabama, Connecticut, Vermont and South Carolina. 🗳️ |
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Contractors building the border wall are bulldozing portions of Big Bend National Park in Texas, sparking fresh outrage from longtime area residents and environmental groups. |
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Rescue and recovery efforts continue in Colombia after the country was rocked by a powerful earthquake. |
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After Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez revealed she's freezing her eggs, the comments and criticism came rolling in. But AOC, no stranger to online trolls, responded in a way that resonates with a lot of women who are forced to weigh how to balance motherhood and careers.
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"There is so much negative messaging that is directed towards women around our family choices. Period. Kind of no matter what choice you make − if you have kids, when you have kids, whatever," the Democratic congresswoman from New York said on Instagram.
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., speaks with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on July 22, 2026.
Eric Lee, REUTERS
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She was a viral sensation, beloved by people around the world who were captivated by her family, her struggles and her triumphs: Jackie, a bald eagle who starred with her mate Shadow on the Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam, died Monday after weeks of intensive care following an altercation with two juvenile raptors.
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"It is with profound sadness that we share that Patient 26-519 passed away in the early hours of this morning, following more than three weeks of intensive medical care," said Ojai Raptor Center, where Jackie has been receiving treatment for almost a month,. "Our team is heartbroken. It has been an extraordinary privilege to care for her."
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Jackie and Shadow are pictured in December 2022 shortly before Jackie laid her first egg of the season in January.
Courtesy of Friends of Big Bear Valley
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Phaedra Trethan is a national correspondent at USA TODAY. I’d love to hear from readers about The Short List, story ideas from across the nation and your favorite "Daily Show" correspondents (mine are Lewis Black, Ronny Chieng and Samantha Bee). Email her at ptrethan@usatoday.com.
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The move came a week after the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. dropped felony vandalism charges against former Olympic athlete David Hearn.
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A developing system in the Atlantic could become Cristobal in the next few days. Its future track and intensity are currently uncertain.
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President Trump’s approval rating has fallen to yet another low for his second term in the White House, according to a new Economist/YouGov poll.
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Taylor Farms produces much of the lettuce and jalapeños sold in America’s supermarkets and fast food restaurants. Many consumers want to know which ones.
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Travelers may not realize these seemingly innocent items are banned by TSA. What to know.
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The psychiatrist who treated Lindsay Clancy in the months before her children's killings testified in her trial. Here's what she said.
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Luciano Frattolin was found guilty of murdering his 9-year-old daughter, Melina, according to reports.
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Legal groups are challenging President Trump's latest executive order attempting to restrict birthright citizenship.
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Just a couple of days remain before the NFL preseason kicks into full swing. Here are the latest updates from all 32 teams' training camps.
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Kaia Gerber reflects on how comparisons to her mother Cindy Crawford's body fueled harmful eating habits: "Negativity has never saved someone's life."
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Play Your Way to a Relaxing Break
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Unwind with crosswords and challenges that recharge you.
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Crosswords, Puzzles, Comics & Horoscopes
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