New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution.

Israeli forces start pulling back from parts of Gaza.

USA TODAY Breaking News Reporter Michael Loria has the latest from Chicago as President Donald Trump's National Guard deployments face legal tests.

The Trump administration airs a video at U.S. airports blaming Democrats for the government shutdown.

USA TODAY Senior Crime Reporter Amanda Lee Myers explains why a Texas court stopped Robert Roberson's execution over questions about shaken baby syndrome. Listen to or watch our conversation with the lead investigator from the case here.

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This is banned books week. It’s a week that highlights how a few loud voices have shaped what kinds of books are pulled from school and library shelves. Who gets the final word, not on which books should be read, but on access? And what’s been the impact on those caught in a fight they didn’t start – our teachers and librarians? USA TODAY Books Reporter Clare Mulroy joins USA TODAY’s The Excerpt to discuss the banning of books.

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President Donald Trump says Israel and Hamas have agreed to implement the first phase of a White House peace plan aimed at ending Israel's onslaught in Gaza, and securing the release of hostages.

USA TODAY Breaking News Reporter Michael Loria has the latest from Chicago, where residents say a Trump immigration blitz is upending daily life.

A 29-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the Palisades Fire.

USA TODAY Domestic Security Correspondent Josh Meyer breaks down the case against former FBI Director James Comey, after he pleaded not guilty to making false statements.

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We’re nearly at the end of day eight of the government shutdown, the first time this has happened since 2018 when President Donald Trump was last in office. Hundreds of thousands of employees who have been deemed non-essential have been furloughed and there’s little movement in Washington toward an agreement that would get the wheels churning again. Some would argue that the gridlock in Washington was already a form of government shutdown with Congress deadlocked and not negotiating on many issues of substance as to how we run this country. Where are with the shutdown and what are the key takeaways so far? USA TODAY White House Reporter Bart Jansen joins The Excerpt to unpack the issues.

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USA TODAY White House Correspondent Joey Garrison has some of the latest from the federal government shutdown, including the president's controversial remarks about furloughed workers.

Attorney General Pam Bondi is grilled by and insults Democrats in a Senate hearing.

Supreme Court Correspondent Maureen Groppe breaks down oral arguments over Colorado's ban on 'conversion therapy.'

All four divisional series are in action Wednesday in the MLB Postseason.

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USA TODAY National Security & World Affairs Reporter Cybele Mayes-Osterman discusses the Trump administration's approach on deploying National Guard troops to U.S. cities.

It's been two years since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, and the start of the latest subsequent Israeli onslaught in Gaza.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says the government shutdown is adding stress to air traffic controllers.

USA TODAY National News Reporter Karissa Waddick takes a look at the Virginia's governor's race and the potential impact of the ongoing shutdown.

The Supreme Court rejects an appeal from Ghislaine Maxwell.

President Trump says Sean 'Diddy' Combs asked him for a pardon.

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A federal judge temporarily blocks President Donald Trump from deploying 200 Oregon National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon.

USA TODAY Supreme Court Correspondent Maureen Groppe looks at the upcoming term for the high court.

Trump is warning of 'complete obliteration' if Hamas insists on staying in power in Gaza.

USA TODAY Government Accountability Reporter Erin Mansfield talks about the Trump administration's push for control over agencies like the FCC.

In this month's edition of Kind Time, hear about a tiny goat who was given a chance to thrive - with the help of a couple of sheepdogs. For more, visit USA TODAY's Humankind.

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It’s been two years since the October 7th attacks on Israel. On that day in 2023, Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people and took hundreds hostage. In response, Israel unleashed a military campaign that has brought death and devastation to Gaza. Now President Trump, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by his side, has unveiled a 20-point plan he says will bring a lasting peace to the region. On Oct. 3, Hamas said it agrees to release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, under the terms of Trump's plan and signalled readiness to immediately enter mediated negotiations to discuss the details. Michael Oren, a former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. and a military historian joins The Excerpt with my colleague USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page to discuss the new peace plan. 

* Note: This conversation was recorded on October 1, 2025.

Episode transcript available here.

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President Donald Trump is calling on Israel to stop its Gaza bombing campaign to secure the safe extraction of remaining hostages, after Hamas agreed to portions of his peace plan.

USA TODAY White House Correspondent Bart Jansen has the latest as lawmakers fail to get out of a government shutdown.

The shutdown is delaying a key jobs report.

USA TODAY White House Correspondent Zac Anderson tells us about Trump's move to freeze funding for Chicago, amid a broader push to withhold funds from blue cities and states.

Diddy has been sentenced to 50 months in prison.

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For 75 years, Charles Schultz’s Peanuts gang has reflected our humor and hope, as well as our struggle to navigate some of life’s everyday curveballs. How is it that the characters he created so poignantly reflect how we experience other people and the world around us? And why do a ragtag group of comic strip kids who debuted in newspapers in 1950 post-war America, still resonate with children and adults around the world? Andrew Blauner, author of “THE PEANUTS PAPERS: Writers and Cartoonists on Charlie Brown, Snoopy & the Gang, and the Meaning of Life,” sat down with USA TODAY’s The Excerpt to discuss the 75th anniversary of the Peanuts gang and its enduring impact.

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