The Excerpt

The 2025 NATO summit will be held in The Hague later this month. Among the topics of discussion will be defense spending, strengthening the alliance, support for Ukraine and bolstering defense capabilities. With the summit fast approaching, how might European powers fill the leadership and aid vacuum left by the U.S. as the Trump administration's appetite for foreign conflict dissipates? Max Boot, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins The Excerpt to talk through all the issues on the table.

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USA TODAY Senior Congress Reporter Riley Beggin has the latest after Elon Musk launched an attack on President Donald Trump's sweeping tax and policy bill.

A new analysis finds nearly 11 million Americans would lose insurance under Trump's tax bill.

Trump bans travel from twelve nations.

The Education Department says Columbia University fails to meet accreditation standards.

Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed retaliation against Ukraine during a call Wednesday.

USA TODAY National Correspondent Elizabeth Weise tells us how a recent Ukraine drone attack shows familiar-looking drones can be terrifying weapons.

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With AI tools like ChatGPT becoming ubiquitous on college campuses, students and educators alike are navigating a rapidly shifting academic landscape. Beth McMurtrie, a senior writer at The Chronicle of Higher Education, joins The Excerpt to talk about how students are using AI—from brainstorming and revising to outright cheating—and the ethical dilemmas that follow.

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The wife and five children of the 45-year-old suspect in the assault on pro-Jewish demonstrators in Colorado are facing deportation.

President Trump is moving forward with tariff hikes on aluminum and steel. 

USA TODAY Education Reporter Zach Schermele tells us what Harvard alumni are doing to support the university after recent federal funding cuts.

What an Instagram video could tell authorities about an escaped New Orleans inmate. 

USA TODAY Youth Mental Health Reporting Fellow Rachel Hale talks about the possible impact OnlyFans content creators could have on young girls.  

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A 45-year-old suspect has been charged with a federal hate crime in the attack on a Colorado pro-Israel protest.

Russia and Ukraine hold peace talks after Ukraine's recent drone strikes.

USA TODAY Supreme Court Correspondent Maureen Groppe takes a look at the high court's move to take up a challenge to a grace period for mail-in ballots.

A new study has found a link between chronic cannabis use and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

USA TODAY National Immigration and Border Reporter Lauren Villagran tells us about volunteers who search for migrant remains along the U.S.-Mexico border.

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People from across the country weighed in on the impact Indiana Fever's point guard Caitlin Clark is having on the WNBA and women's sports in general. Forum is a series from USA TODAY's Opinion team that 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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The FBI is investigating the attack in Colorado as an act of terrorism.

USA TODAY Senior Congress Reporter Riley Beggin discusses some potential changes to President Donald Trump's tax bill in the Senate.

Some parents are 'unschooling' their kids. What does that mean?

USA TODAY National Correspondent Trevor Hughes talks through concerns about an emerging surveillance state.

Steve Carell told students their prom expenses were paid after wildfires. Ronnie Li reports in this month's segment of Kind Time. Find more from USA TODAY's Humankind page here.

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One of President Donald Trump’s focuses during his second term is his desire to reshape the arts in America. In February, he announced that he would serve as board chair of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and dismissed half of its board members. In their place are Trump loyalists like White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Second Lady Usha Vance, among others. More broadly, Trump has targeted what he calls “woke” content. He has moved to cancel millions in federal grants previously approved for arts and culture groups. While some have questioned whether the federal government should fund the arts and to what extent, a larger question looms: Can a democracy thrive without artistic freedom? Marc Bamuthi Joseph, an internationally renowned artist and cultural strategist who recently served as the Vice President and Artistic Director of Social Impact at The Kennedy Center, joins The Excerpt to share his perspective.

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USA TODAY White House Correspondent Bart Jansen discusses President Donald Trump's sendoff for Elon Musk. Plus, Bart tells us about an obscure provision in the House bill that threatens enforcement of court rulings on Trump.

President Trump will double tariffs on foreign steel to 50%.

The Supreme Court lets Trump revoke a safe-haven program for Cubans, Haitians, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans.

The CDC still recommends childhood COVID vaccines, despite an RFK announcement earlier in the week.

Former President Joe Biden is 'optimistic' about his treatment plan for Stage 4 prostate cancer.

USA TODAY National Correspondent Marco della Cava has the latest from Diddy's trial and whether President Trump would or could pardon him.

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USA TODAY White House Reporter Zac Anderson has the latest on the trade whiplash around President Donald Trump's tariffs.

A group of Deaf Americans is suing over a lack of sign language interpreters for White House events.

USA TODAY Senior Congress & Campaigns Reporter Riley Beggin takes a look at some provisions lurking in the GOP tax bill Americans should know about.

Heavy smoke is expected to hit the U.S. as Canadian wildfires force evacuations.

Faizan Zaki pulls off a dramatic win at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

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