In 2018, the U.S. Air Force awarded a $3.9 billion contract to Boeing for two new Air Force One planes. For a variety of reasons, including delays tied to the need for workers with proper security clearances, Boeing may or may not be able to complete the order before the end of President Donald Trump’s second term. Meanwhile, the Qatari Prime Minister offered to gift the president a luxury 747 jet valued at $400 million. And the Department of Defense has just accepted it. There are questions about whether the Qatari plane can even be brought up to Air Force One’s safety and security standards before Trump leaves office. But the bigger question may be whether it was lawful for the president to accept it. Richard Briffault, Professor of Legislation at Columbia Law School, joins us on The Excerpt to share his insights.

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Two Israeli embassy staff members were fatally shot Thursday night in Washington.

Republican holdouts appear to have a deal with House GOP leadership to advance President Donald Trump's tax policy bill.

USA TODAY White House Correspondent Bart Jansen breaks down the news that the Department of Justice has abandoned police reform settlements over the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

The Pentagon has accepted a $400 million jet from Qatar for President Donald Trump.

USA TODAY National Columnist Suzette Hackney tells us about the Nooksack 306, who lost their tribal membership and their homes.

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For generations of Americans, the Johnson & Johnson brand has been a beloved one, as quintessentially American as baseball and apple pie. Its baby shampoo “no more tears” has been a fixture in bathrooms for decades, as has its iconic band aids and talcum power. But it’s this last item, the talcum powder, that may prove to be a tipping point in destroying its hard-won 139-year-old reputation with consumers. Author and freelance investigative journalist Gardiner Harris joins us on The Excerpt to discuss his new book “no more tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson,” which is on bookshelves now.

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President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unveiled a new missile defense system plan.

USA TODAY National News Reporter Eduardo Cuevas discusses findings that dozens of men sent to an El Salvador prison by the Trump administration entered the country legally.

A fifth inmate has been captured after last week's New Orleans jail break on the same day a maintenance worker was arrested in connection with the case.

USA TODAY Senior National Political Correspondent Sarah D. Wire tells us about some fired federal workers who are considering running for public office.

George Wendt, known by many as Norm on 'Cheers,' has died at 76.

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What's next for Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations?

USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page discusses how former President Joe Biden's cancer diagnosis is landing in Washington.

President Donald Trump signs a 'revenge porn' ban alongside First Lady Melania Trump.

USA TODAY Supreme Court Correspondent Maureen Groppe explains what a Supreme Court decision stripping more than 300,000 Venezuelan migrants of temporary protected status will functionally mean.

The family of Ashli Babbitt, a January 6 rioter killed in the 2021 Capitol attack will get $5 million from the Trump administration.

Bono talks about his revealing new film in a sitdown with USA TODAY.

Today is National Dog Rescue Day. Check out our recent episode on dog rescuer Niall Harbison who has saved 80,000 dogs and counting.

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Do you think DOGE has helped to shrink the federal government or was it all for show? We asked and you answered on Forum. The series from USA TODAY's Opinion team is dedicated to showcasing views from across the political spectrum on issues that Americans are starkly divided on. If you'd like to weigh in on a different topic, you can find more questions at usatoday.com/forum. And if your submission is selected for print, we might invite you to add your voice to a future special bonus episode like this one.

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Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

President Donald Trump's tax bill passed in a key House committee vote.

USA TODAY White House Reporter Davis Winkie talks about an understaffed nuclear agency hit by DOGE and safety worries.

Russia Sunday launched its largest drone attack on Ukraine since the start of the war, before President Donald Trump is set to discuss a proposed ceasefire with Russian President Vladimir Putin Monday.

Officials are investigating what caused a Mexican navy ship to veer off course and strike the Brooklyn Bridge.

USA TODAY Supreme Court Correspondent Maureen Groppe takes a look at some of the justices' upcoming decisions after adjourning for the summer.

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It’s well known that childcare has become extraordinarily expensive, costing many families nearly a quarter of their income. The fertility rate, as we've covered previously on The Excerpt, remains at a historic low. The Trump administration, meanwhile, is floating a range of ideas to encourage people to have more children while encouraging women to stay home to care for them. Have these trends paved the way for the pronatalism movement to gain traction? Karen Guzzo, a professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, joins The Excerpt to share her expertise on the movement.

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The Supreme Court dealt a blow to the Trump administration Friday.

USA TODAY Reporter Michael Collins discusses how a federal judge scolded the Trump administration for refusing to provide details about what it has done to return a Maryland man wrongly deported to El Salvador.

Moody's downgrades the U.S. credit rating.

Vice President JD Vance will attend Pope Leo XIV's inaugural mass. The trip could set the tone for the Trump administration's relationship with the new pope.

Some workers are job hopping for fertility benefits.

USA TODAY National Correspondent Elizabeth Weise discusses the growing popularity of driverless ride services.

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Arwa Damon, former CNN Senior International Correspondent and president and founder of INARA, joins The Excerpt to discuss the latest concerns about starvation in Gaza. Arwa wrote an essay earlier this week for the Atlantic Council detailing Gazans' famine fears.

USA TODAY White House Correspondent Bart Jansen breaks down Supreme Court arguments over President Donald Trump's efforts to limit birthright citizenship.

What can we expect from this summer's Trump birthday military parade?

Staffing cuts leave the National Weather Service scrambling to cover vital shifts.

Join The Excerpt and author Niall Harbison, whose story we featured, on Reddit for an AMA from 11:30-12:30 ET in the r/IAmA subreddit.

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