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Amazon’s purchase of the movie ‘Melania’ under investigation for bribery charges

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Amazon’s purchase of the movie ‘Melania’ under investigation for bribery charges

Democratic lawmakers are questioning Amazon over concerns that its contract with first lady Melania Trump’s documentary film production company does not comply with federal anti-bribery laws.

In a March 15 letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, ​​shared exclusively with USA TODAY in advance, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and other members of Congress asked Amazon to answer questions about how the deal came to be.

Amazon MGM Studios acquired “Melania” and its accompanying documentary series for $40 million, and spent an additional $35 million on marketing, according to the New York Times. The film follows President Trump in the weeks leading up to her husband’s second inauguration. Despite poor reviews and little new information about the first lady, the film had a strong opening weekend, grossing $7 million.

Lawmakers now say in a letter that they want to know whether Amazon paid “exorbitant amounts” to win President Donald Trump’s support.

“The fact that Amazon is paying well above market prices to produce and promote the Trump family’s film, while seeking preferential treatment from the Trump administration, raises questions about Amazon’s exposure under federal anti-bribery laws,” the letter said. “When giant corporations send tens of millions of dollars to the family of a sitting president, it not only raises questions about corporate governance but also risks undermining public confidence in the fairness of our economic and political systems.”

more: “Conflict is born of ignorance.” Melania Trump chairs Security Council meeting

The letter says Amazon stands to benefit from preferential treatment from the Trump administration.

Trump frequently attacked Amazon and its founder Jeff Bezos during his first term, but by the time Trump was reelected, it became clear that the two had developed a better relationship. Amazon donated $1 million to President Trump’s inaugural fund, and Bezos himself attended Trump’s swearing-in ceremony.

When President Trump announced widespread tariffs in April 2025, reports surfaced that Amazon planned to show higher retail costs due to the tariffs, drawing the ire of the White House. But Amazon quickly clarified that it would no longer display tariff breakdowns on its products, and Trump said he had spoken directly to Bezos about it.

“Jeff Bezos has been very nice. He’s been great. He resolved issues very quickly,” Trump told reporters about the call, according to the pool report. “He did the right thing. He’s a good guy.”

The lawmakers’ letter to Amazon alleges that the company has a financial stake in the Trump administration’s decisions, including its online retail monopoly, tariff and trade agreements, and FTC lawsuits alleging tax cuts. (Amazon’s legal representatives said at the time that the FTC’s lawsuit was “false on the facts and the law.”)

The letter also cites a USA TODAY report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited one of the Bezos’ Blue Origin space facilities in February 2026. The company has received billions of dollars in defense contracts and was cited in the letter as another potential financial benefit for good relations with the Trump administration.

Lawmakers asked Amazon to respond to a series of questions about the Melania deal by March 30 to “help Congress understand the circumstances surrounding this deal and assess Amazon’s compliance with applicable federal anti-bribery laws.”

“Big companies should not be able to bribe their way out of paying taxes and fines imposed for breaking the law,” she said in a statement in response to questions. “If Amazon bribed the Trump administration, the company and its executives should be subject to criminal penalties.”

In the letter, Amazon is asked to explain the commercial basis for the film’s rights and marketing spending, its interactions with the Trumps and other officials related to the film, Amazon’s bribery and corruption compliance framework related to “Melania,” and all financial arrangements related to the film.

In addition to Warren, the letter was co-signed by Rep. Hank Johnson (R-Ga.), Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.). Warren has issued similar letters of inquiry to companies, including another recent letter to Amazon over concerns about overcharging schools for essential items.

‘Melania’ could break documentary acquisition record

“Melania” is widely considered to be one of the most expensive non-concert documentaries of all time. The film was controversial from the start because it was directed by Brett Ratner, who hasn’t directed a movie since he was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women in 2017, although Ratner denies the allegations.

This is the first project for President Trump’s production company, Muse Films. The Times reported that Disney was the next bidder for the rights, offering about $26 million less than the $40 million paid by Amazon-MGM Studios. In another documentary comparison, the 2022 Oscar winner for Best Documentary, Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Wasn’t Televised), was acquired for a record-breaking sum of over $12 million, Variety reports.

USA TODAY reached out to Amazon and representatives for Melania Trump regarding questions in the March 15 letter, but did not receive a response in time for publication.

Lawmakers are not the first to raise allegations of bribery. Amazon has responded to such accusations in the past, saying, “The only reason we licensed this movie is because we thought our customers would love it.”

Little is revealed about the first lady in the documentary.

The film spans just 20 days, including the first lady’s dress fittings, meetings with designers, and travel between the Trumps’ homes, but not much was revealed about the first lady, who was not featured in her 2024 memoir of the same name. Instead, the focus was on picturesque visuals and an upbeat soundtrack. She described it as something other than a documentary.

“Some people say this is a documentary, but it’s not,” she said at the Trump Kennedy Center premiere, the day before the film’s theatrical release. “My films are very deliberate acts of authorship, inviting us to witness events and emotions through the window of rich images.”

The Atlantic reported, “Mr. Ratner seems desperate to find action, but nothing has come of it,” while Variety called it “state-sanctioned propaganda from Communist China in the 1960s.” As of March 13, Rotten Tomatoes gave it an 11% rating on the Tomatometer, but a 98% on the viewer-driven Popcornmeter.

This movie is available on Prime Video.

Contributors: Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Jay Stahl, USA TODAY

Kinsey Crowley is a Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Please contact KCrowley@usatodayco.com. follow her X (Twitter), blue sky and TikTok.

Michael B. Jordan, Timothée Chalamet and Elordi’s behind-the-scenes Oscar moments

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Michael B. Jordan, Timothée Chalamet and Elordi’s behind-the-scenes Oscar moments

USA Today was all over the place at the 98th Academy Awards. What I missed on TV during the ceremony.

LOS ANGELES — At Sunday’s 98th Academy Awards, television viewers were treated to a spectacular selection of film adaptations.

One Battle After Another was a huge winner, winning six Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson. “Sinners” earned four wins, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan, whose acceptance speech soared to a rapturous standing ovation at the Dolby Theater.

However, the real drama was not broadcast on television.

USA TODAY takes a look at what you saw behind the scenes, including the backstage media room, the audience seats, and the Oscar bar, and what you missed on the ABC broadcast hosted by Conan O’Brien (currently streaming on Hulu).

Michael B. Jordan wins Best Picture Oscar for ‘Sinners’

Jordan fared well to win his first Oscar, overtaking previous strong contenders including Timothée Chalamet (“Marty Supreme”) and Leonardo DiCaprio (“One Battle After Another”). When Jordan stepped out of the Dolby Theater’s raucous audience into the backstage media room, normally jaded journalists gave him a thunderous standing ovation, prompting an elated Jordan to ask, “What’s going on?” Then hold your chest for a while.

Jordan said he felt “very blessed” with his win at “Sinners.”

“Hey, I feel great,” he said, looking at the Oscar statue.

Later, Jordan posted a tender photo on his Instagram Stories of his mother Donna proudly holding her son’s historic Oscar envelope.

But winning wasn’t everything. Earlier in the show, when Weapons veteran Amy Madigan won Best Supporting Actress, Jordan jumped out of her seat during a commercial break and hugged her Sinners co-star Wunmi Mosaku, who lost in the category.

Chalamet receives support from Elle Fanning and Adrien Brody

For every winner, there are four other losers in the Oscar category. That includes Chalamet, who won the Best Actor award. The aspiring actor fought hard for that honor during awards season. However, on Oscar night, Chalamet came under fire in O’Brien’s monologue for past comments about ballet and opera, ultimately falling short of Jordan. It was a long night.

Most of the audience stood up when Jordan’s name was announced, but Chalamet remained seated in the front row next to his date, Kylie Jenner, for nearly 10 seconds before slowly rising to his feet and applauding.

During the next commercial break, “Sentimental Value” star Elle Fanning rubbed Chalamet’s shoulder from the row behind him. Her boyfriend, Gus Wenner, also supported her. Last year’s winner, Adrien Brody, who presented the award, pulled Chalamet close for a long handshake before the ceremony resumed.

Chalamet and Jenner breezed through the ceremony in good spirits, exiting hand-in-hand and skipping the Governors Ball post-party and heading straight to the Vanity Fair party across town.

Jacob Elordi hangs out with ‘Frankenstein’ staff member’s mother Mia Goth at a bar

Jacob Elordi of “Frankenstein” lost the race for Best Supporting Actor to Sean Penn of “One Battle,” but Sean Penn did not appear at the Academy Awards ceremony and did not accept his third win. During a commercial break, Elordi quickly left the theater and headed to the lobby bar with her Oscar-era girlfriend, her mother Melissa, leaving a small group in the corner of the bar.

The pair were later joined by their Frankenstein co-stars, including Mia Goth (who perused the complimentary cocktail menu with Melissa), Felix Kammerer, who played Frankenstein’s brother William, and Mike Hill, who won an Oscar for Best Makeup. The group grew louder and happier throughout the night, even as Elordi drank what looked like ice water.

Stellan Skarsgard, who missed out on Best Supporting Actor for his acclaimed role in Sentimental Value, also greeted Elordi before seeking bar relief for himself.

“We parted the ocean and went to the bar,” Skarsgård said as he and his wife, Megan, pushed their way through the crowd.

Kate Hudson greatly fears missing out on Oscar moment with Goldie and Kurt

Kate Hudson joyfully exited the theater during the first commercial break, having an animated conversation with Emma Stone about their respective costumes. The “Son San Bleu” nominated star had cocktails with her parents Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, but Hudson suddenly realized at the lobby bar that she might miss out on the Best Actress win. Concerned, Hudson hurried to the director, who was wearing headphones, and asked about his schedule with a concerned look on his face. She was given good news to adjust her schedule.

“It’s okay,” Hudson shouted to his parents, relieved, before heading back to the bar. The family finished their drinks and slowly made their way back to the show.

Grogu becomes obsessed with Oscar’s quick exit.

One of the night’s cutest surprise guests, Grogu, aka Baby Yoda, didn’t stay in the theater long after appearing in the audience with his beloved Hudson. As soon as the show cut to commercial, a green doll was carried out of the theater on a red cushion. Grogu did not appear at Governor’s Ball.

Paul Thomas Anderson faces ‘situation room’ after winning Best Picture

“One Battle” creator Paul Thomas Anderson, who won three Oscars as a writer, producer and director, was impressed by the international journalists gathered backstage. “This is cool. This is like a situation room,” said the first-time winner.

Anderson wasn’t too keen on getting into behind-the-scenes politics when asked about global climate.

“I thought we were supposed to have a party,” he said, adding: “We don’t know where it’s going to go, but we do know that at the end of our movie, our hero Willa will continue to fight the forces of evil.”

Thomas, who has two Oscars under his belt, added that he hopes “common sense and decency will return to fashion.”

“KPop Demon Hunters” songwriters finished their acceptance speech backstage

One of the most controversial moments of the TV broadcast was when the winner of the Best Original Song award (“Golden” by “KPop Demon Hunters”) had his group’s acceptance speech cut off on stage.

In the media room they had to finish their speeches.

Yu Han Lee called the victory an “incredible honor” and thanked his family. Mark Sonnenblick also thanked his family, husband, and “everyone who worked on this film.”

Severe weather, tornado warnings along East Coast ahead of powerful storms

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Severe weather, tornado warnings along East Coast ahead of powerful storms

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Tens of millions of Americans were under severe weather warnings on March 16 as a winter storm threatened to bury the Great Lakes region in more snow and mid-Atlantic states braced for thunderstorms that could bring damaging winds and tornadoes.

According to the National Weather Service, the greatest risk extends to the eastern half of the United States from central Florida to New York, while the most severe risk of severe weather is concentrated from Georgia to Maryland.

Forecasters said the powerful thunderstorms could bring hurricane-force winds, heavy rain and tornadoes to much of the Mid-Atlantic region, including Washington, D.C., Virginia and North Carolina. The National Weather Service has issued a “moderate risk” rating of 4 out of 5 from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay.

Forecasters warned that the storm could disrupt flights, uproot trees and cause power outages across the region. School districts in several states have canceled classes or adjusted school hours in the face of bad weather. In Maryland, Governor Wes Moore declared a “state of readiness.”

Meteorologists say the worst of the storm is expected in the afternoon and evening.

The expected storm is associated with a cold front extending east from a strong winter storm that will bring blizzard conditions to the Great Lakes region.

The powerful cyclone is expected to dump an additional 8 to 10 inches of snow in Wisconsin and Michigan, and up to 18 inches in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, bringing the region’s two-day snowfall total to 2 to 3 feet.

The winter storm left more than 120,000 Michigan homes and businesses without power, according to USA TODAY power outage tracking.

Forecasters expected powerful storms to develop across parts of the Southeast, including states such as Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky.

Flash flooding was possible in South Florida, with more than 5 inches of rain falling in parts of the Everglades, the weather service said. Rainfall of 2 to 4 inches per hour is possible through the morning, increasing the risk of flash flooding.

According to the National Weather Service in Louisville, Kentucky, Flaherty, Kentucky, suffered extensive damage overnight, with trees falling on several buildings and downed power lines. Wind gusts of 127 mph were reported in Sevier, Tennessee.

USPS raises interest rates and seeks more authority to take out loans to stay afloat

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USPS raises interest rates and seeks more authority to take out loans to stay afloat

Congressional hearings will be held to discuss its priorities as the U.S. Postal Service faces huge losses and could run out of funding next year.

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Six months after taking over a new postmaster general, the U.S. Postal Service faces significant challenges as it seeks to cut costs and stem massive losses while hand-delivering mail to nearly every address six days a week.

The service’s woes come as President Donald Trump continues to attack mail-in voting, linking it to “massive voter fraud.” But there is no evidence of widespread mail-in voting fraud, and voting rights groups worry that his attacks will undermine overall confidence in the Postal Service. President Trump has previously floated the idea of ​​privatizing the service or merging it with other federal agencies.

Congress is holding an oversight hearing on the Postal Service on March 17, where postal officials are expected to protect their authority to raise rates and ask the agency to allow them to borrow billions of dollars to stay open through 2027. Unlike the military or the Department of Homeland Security, the Postal Service is supposed to cover its own costs, but often falls short.

“The financial situation is dire, with billions of dollars in losses,” said Leo Raymond, managing director of Mailers Hub, a Virginia-based trade group. “Congress must decide what the Postal Service should do in the 21st century, because private ratepayers can no longer support all of the Postal Service’s costs. The economic landscape is changing, and no one is willing to address it.”

The Postal Service’s internal inspector general has repeatedly identified financial failures within the system, including spending nearly $19 million last year on unexpectedly high labor costs as part of other cost-cutting measures. Last fall, the service reported an annual loss of $9 billion, a slight improvement from the $9.5 billion loss the year before.

For many Americans, the Postal Service is their most visible connection to the federal government, with 640,000 employees working every day to deliver holiday cards, deliver packages, and pick up prescription drugs. And it remains one of the most beloved government agencies. A 2024 Pew Research Center survey found that 72% of Americans have a favorable opinion of the service, second only to the National Park Service and 10 points ahead of NASA.

The Postal Service is under pressure from the growth of online retailers like Amazon and a decline in first-class mail volumes. Since the late 1990s, first-class mail volume has declined by 80%. Unlike UPS or FedEx, the Postal Service must charge the same amount to send a letter anywhere in the United States, regardless of distance. This service is not funded by taxpayers for ongoing operating costs.

Mail volume peaked at 213 million pieces in 2006, but fell to about 112 million pieces in 2024, the latest year for which data is available.

The postal service is overseen by the five-member Postal Regulatory Commission, which is appointed by the president. Congress also has authority over the service, and lawmakers often intervene to halt post office closures or other proposed cost-cutting measures in their districts.

Other groups representing paper companies, greeting card companies, and magazine and newspaper publishers say the Postal Service should improve first-class mail service and try to stabilize rates.

Postmaster General commits to continued reform

Postal Service leaders said they are committed to continuing at least some of the reforms they initiated in 2021 under their “Delivering For America” ​​plan, which included significant increases and consolidation of first-class postage rates and, in some cases, delays in mail delivery.

The price of a first class stamp is currently 78 cents, up from 55 cents for most of 2021. Businesses that rely on mailing large volumes of letters argue that the 41% surcharge is unfair, especially when first-class letters are often delivered slower than usual.

Postmaster General David Steiner acknowledged the challenges ahead during a meeting of the Postal Service Board of Directors last month. Mr. Steiner, a longtime FedEx board member, had been criticized by unionized postal workers who feared his appointment as postmaster general would be too aligned with private delivery services. The board appointed Mr. Steiner in May, and he took office in July.

“You can’t choose whether the market changes or not. The only choice you can make is whether you have enough flexibility to respond to the market. And, as I’ve said before, you can’t cut costs to prosper,” Steiner told the board.

The Postal Service is currently on target to deliver first-class mail on time 88% of the time, well below the 2023 goal of 92.5%. Part of the challenge, previously reported by the inspector general, is that the Postal Service has not properly adjusted its systems to compensate for the decline in first-class mail volumes while maintaining its legal obligation to deliver to all addresses.

Former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy signed a cost-cutting review agreement with Elon Musk’s DOGE team before resigning in spring 2025.

Changes Mr. Steiner is exploring include whether the Postal Service can help Americans profit from things like shopping on Amazon, and whether it can allow small businesses to sign delivery contracts, as Amazon and other big retailers have done in the past.

Steiner told reporters earlier this month that funding could run out next year unless the Postal Service gets approval to borrow billions more to cover costs. According to the U.S. General Accounting Office, the Postal Service has lost money nearly every fiscal year since 2007. Losses totaled about $109 billion from fiscal 2007 to fiscal 2024, according to the watchdog.

The post office declined an interview request. Steiner is scheduled to appear before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on March 17.

Mr. Raymond, of the business trade group Mailer’s Hub, said he would pay close attention to how Mr. Steiner would be received by Congress. He said DeJoy’s “Delivering For America” ​​plan has not been widely accepted in Congress, but acknowledged that the Postal Service needs to rethink how it operates as fewer people are sending first-class mail. Raymond said those changes could include anything from reducing delivery frequency to changing union contracts to allow the company to hire more part-time workers.

“There’s a romanticized view of what the postal service should be based on what it used to be,” he said. “But the world has changed.”

Union members are concerned about privatization

The majority of postal workers are unionized, and the American Postal Workers Union is fighting efforts to privatize parts of the postal service. The union insists the service is a service to the American people, not a company intent on extracting every last penny from its customers.

The union said President Trump’s privatization proposals would only enrich private investors and weaken one of the federal agencies specifically created by the Constitution.

“Such a move would lead to price increases, service cuts, and threaten the very concept of affordable mail and package service for everyone, no matter where they live. This is a dagger aimed at America’s heartland, especially rural areas and seniors who rely on the mail for prescriptions,” the union said in a statement.

Postal voting debate and the role of the post office

The ongoing financial challenges facing the Postal Service come as President Trump has repeatedly cast doubt on mail-in voting, which is common in most parts of the country. President Trump has claimed that mail-in voting is unreliable, but has offered no evidence that mail-in voting is widely unsafe.

In his State of the Union address in February, President Trump said, “There will be no more fraudulent mail-in voting, except for those due to illness, disability, military, or travel.” “none.”

The Postal Service warned voters in January that the way ballots are postmarked would change, impacting whether they were counted in the election. About 48 million people voted by mail in the last presidential election, according to the Center for United Democracy, a nonpartisan voting rights group.

Previously, voters who mailed their ballots on Election Day could be confident that they would be postmarked immediately and counted later, even if election officials didn’t receive them for several more days. Under the new process, ballots may not be postmarked and counted for several days after they are mailed. The Postal Service recommends mailing your ballot at least one week before the election deadline.

Tammy Patrick, chief program officer at the nonpartisan National Association of Election Officials, said Trump’s comments about mail-in voting disrupt the landscape in a way that reduces confidence in both elections and the Postal Service. Millions of Americans vote by mail, but even if President Trump were successful in banning mail-in voting, the volume would not be large enough to have a financial impact on the Postal Service.

“We constantly hear that there are problems with mail-in voting, that there are various frauds, that voters can’t trust the Postal Service. But the truth of the matter is that millions of Americans have received their ballots from postal workers for years and have chosen to return them the same way,” Patrick said. “People should trust the way they vote… but that’s hard to do when you’re constantly fed information that isn’t factual. The problem is, when the president of the United States speaks like this, some people may question whether they can trust the Postal Service.”

These states have the highest and lowest income tax rates

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These states have the highest and lowest income tax rates

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Taxes have never felt more like a burden than tax season, which continues for another month in 2026.

And if you live in Oregon, you may be feeling that burden more than others.

According to a report by personal finance site FinanceBuzz, Oregon has the highest effective tax rate of all states. The report uses median income and state and federal tax rates to measure the combined average tax rate for all 50 states.

According to FinanceBuzz, Florida has the lowest overall tax rate, followed by Nevada. These two states have no income tax.

This report shows how tax rates and income interact. States with the highest effective tax rates tend to have higher tax rates and larger median incomes. States with the lowest tax rates generally have no income tax and have lower incomes.

The “effective” tax rate is the percentage of your annual income you pay in taxes, or your total taxes divided by your income.

Oregon and Massachusetts have the highest overall tax rates.

The median income for Oregonians is relatively high: $65,249 for individual taxpayers. Considering that income and relatively high state taxes, the typical Oregonian faces a total tax burden of $15,925, or 24.4% of their income, the report found.

The February report examines each state’s tax rates in 2025 and estimates how much tax a typical individual or couple will pay on their 2026 return.

map visualization

For clarity, we will primarily focus on personal tax rates.

Massachusetts has the second-highest individual tax burden, totaling $18,538, or 23.5% of the state’s median personal income of $78,811.

“Massachusetts has one of the highest median incomes of any state in the country, which makes it one of the highest taxes,” said Josh Cobert, a data scientist and researcher at FinanceBuzz.

“Oregon, on the other hand, is at the top only because its state taxes are significantly higher than others,” he says.

The effective state tax rate in Oregon is 7.9% for individual filers with median income, according to the report. This is nearly 3 percentage points higher than Hawaii’s next highest effective tax rate of 5.1%.

Florida and Nevada have the lowest tax rates.

Florida has the lowest personal tax rate. With an average income of $54,375 and no state taxes, the typical Floridian would pay $8,557 in taxes, or 15.7% of their income.

Nevada has the second lowest tax burden. The state also has no income tax, but the median income is slightly higher than Florida at $54,796.

Oddly enough, for married couples, the lowest overall tax rate is not in Florida or Nevada, but in Tennessee. The average income for married couples in the state is $105,402. With no state income tax, the average combined tax burden for married couples is 15.7%.

President Donald Trump has called for tax cuts. In response, a “tax race” has erupted among states, particularly Republican-led states, according to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation.

Eight states lowered their income tax rates in 2026, according to a report from the Tax Foundation. Ohio has adopted a flat tax, joining 14 other flat tax states, which is also a trend.

“A lot of states are trying to flatten taxes to simplify things,” Koebert said. “This will make it easier for everyone to understand that they are responsible for paying state taxes.”

FinanceBuzz analysis uses U.S. Census median income data to determine state-level tax rates based on 2025 state and federal tax laws.

These states have the highest overall tax rates

The 10 states with the highest effective tax rates for individuals are:

  1. Oregon: With a median income of $65,249 and an effective state tax rate of 7.9%, Oregon’s total effective tax rate is 24.4%.
  2. Massachusetts: Median income is $78,811. The state’s effective tax rate is 4.7%. The total effective tax rate is 23.5%.
  3. Maryland: Median income is $74,296. The effective state tax rate is 4.3%. The total effective tax rate is 22.4%.
  4. New York: Median income is $70,122. The state tax rate is 4.6%. The total tax rate is 22.1%.
  5. New Jersey: Median income is $73,606. The state tax rate is 3.4%. The total tax rate is 21.5%.
  6. Minnesota: Median income is $66,826. The state tax rate is 4.6%. The total tax rate is 21.4%.
  7. Virginia: Median income is $67,034. The state tax rate is 4.5%. The total tax rate is 21.4%.
  8. Illinois: Median income is $65,318. The state tax rate is 4.7%. The total tax rate is 21.3%.
  9. Hawaii: Median income is $60,531. The state tax rate is 5.1%. The total tax rate is 21.2%.
  10. Colorado: Median income is $71,700. The state tax rate is 3.4%. The total tax rate is 21.16%.

. . . And these states have the lowest tax rates

And the 10 states with the lowest effective tax rates for individuals are:

  1. Florida: Median income is $54,375. There is no state income tax. Total tax rate 15.7%
  2. Nevada: Median income is $54,796. There are no state taxes. Total tax rate 15.77%
  3. Tennessee: Median income is $55,245. There are no state taxes. Total tax rate 15.8%
  4. South Dakota: Median income is $55,597. There are no state taxes. The total tax rate is 15.82%.
  5. Wyoming: Median income is $56,994. There are no state taxes. The total tax rate is 15.9%.
  6. Texas: Median income is $58,229. There are no state taxes. The total tax rate is 16%.
  7. North Dakota: Median income is $60,086. There are no state taxes. The total tax rate is 16.1%.
  8. Alaska: Median income is $66,828. There are no state taxes. The total tax rate is 16.9%.
  9. New Hampshire: Median income is $69,187. There are no state taxes. The total tax rate is 17.3%.
  10. Louisiana: Median income is $52,496. The state tax rate is 2.3%. The total tax rate is 17.9%.

Contributor: Medora Lee.

New Coronavirus: On January 6th, a letter attempting to expose President Trump’s secrets was flashed.

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New Coronavirus: On January 6th, a letter attempting to expose President Trump’s secrets was flashed.

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Reporters want to know what the president was first told about the coronavirus, researchers want to know more about the text messages from the January 6 riot, and some want to know who covered the president’s ears.

On January 20, five years after President Trump first left office, the National Archives began accepting requests for records from President Trump’s first term. More than 200 applicants lined up that day.

The request touches on key moments in Trump’s presidency, including his relationship with the Trump Organization, major geopolitical events such as the Iraq airstrike that killed Qasem Soleimani, and inside scoops on the coronavirus pandemic. Also targeted were players who eventually became big names, including Jared Kushner, Omarosa Manigault Newman, and Cassidy Hutchinson.

The initial, wide-ranging demands focused on the impeachment effort and behind-the-scenes of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

In celebration of Sunshine Week, a national effort to “educate the public on the importance of open government and the dangers of excessive and unnecessary secrecy,” USA TODAY analyzed more than 200 requests made to the National Archives for Trump-era information on the first day of public access, Jan. 20, 2026.

Within minutes of the process starting, 20 people submitted Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) letters via email. The log includes each filer’s name and the requests made by each filer.

Archivists typically respond to requests in a “first in, first out” order, so it’s beneficial to be first in line.

Bloomberg investigative reporter Jason Leopold can claim that title. His first request came shortly after the stroke in the middle of the night on January 20th. A prolific requester, Leopold writes a weekly newsletter and hosts a podcast about FOIA.

“I get excited every time a president’s records are subject to FOIA,” Leopold said. “I already knew what I was going to request, so I was ready. I’m on the West Coast, so it was only 9 p.m. here when NARA started accepting requests for President Trump records.”

It will likely be years before some of Leopold’s demands are returned. He said he is still waiting on records from the Obama and Bush eras and just received records on 9/11 detainees more than a decade after he requested them.

Leopold and others agreed with reports that White House staffers occasionally discovered wads of printed paper in toilet clogs, and requested that the documents be “crumpled in the trash, torn, shredded, or flushed down the toilet.”

Several requesters asked for records not in Trump’s own hands but from the Presidential Daily Diary (PDD), an official record that shows the president’s movements and discussions minute by minute, every day.

President Trump’s PDD was announced on January 6th as part of a Congressional investigation. But strangely, there was a gap of 7 hours and 37 minutes when the Capitol was stormed.

Some demanded “memcon and telcon,” short for conversation memos, important records of meetings with foreign leaders. The requesters specifically focused on calls and meetings with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, China’s Xi Jinping, and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Nate Jones, the Washington Post’s FOIA director, is close to the front lines making his demands. He’s still waiting for records from the Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Obama libraries. In 2023, Jones pried open a cache of photos from the day Osama bin Laden was killed.

In this effort, the first request focused on President Trump’s knowledge of the 2018 death of Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi.

“This shows that this is a top priority for the Post in the history of the first Trump administration,” Jones told USA TODAY. “The public will have a better understanding of these events by viewing the complete records in the Trump Library.”

President Trump’s plans for a physical library are in the early stages but are moving forward in South Florida with millions of dollars from a legal settlement.

Not all of the more than 200 requests submitted on the first day were from journalists. The records include requests from the conservative Heritage Foundation, the left-leaning nonprofit American Oversight, and Canadian UFO hunter Grant Cameron.

“The records we seek are critical to understanding who made the decisions, how power was exercised behind closed doors, and what was planned,” said Chioma Chukwu, executive director of American Oversight. “Preserving and making them publicly available is essential for true oversight, meaningful accountability, and public records that allow the state to understand what happened and respond accordingly.”

British journalist Martin Rosenbaum has requested President Trump’s records relating to Prime Minister Theresa May and Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Rosenbaum said the U.S. FOIA process generally provides more information than the U.K. FOIA process, but it comes with trade-offs.

“Confidentiality appears to be less of a concern, and less is being hidden,” Rosenbaum wrote in USA TODAY. “On the other hand, a delay of several years for this kind of information is extremely extreme and, in my opinion, completely unjustified. By the time the material is published, it will probably be much less relevant and valuable.”

Average Americans interested in records are also in line, like frequent FOIA requester Shannon Berlant, who is near the front of the line for records related to President Trump’s alleged consideration of pardoning Julian Assange.

“I’m happy to be one of the first, but realistically I’m not going to hold my breath. It’s probably going to be years before I receive my record,” Berland said.

If claimants do not want to wait patiently for months or years, they may also consider litigation to speed up the process. That’s the path taken by National Security Advisor Kel McClanahan. Eight of his demands are already in litigation, including one involving former national security adviser John Bolton.

“Look at the chaos unfolding around us right now, and consider how the stage for much of it was set during the first Trump administration,” McClanahan wrote in an email to USA TODAY. “Having the record of what they did then will help us understand and fight back against their excesses today.”

After the unthinkable, Rachel Goldberg Pollin helps grieving people

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After the unthinkable, Rachel Goldberg Pollin helps grieving people

“I think I did what anyone in my position would have done, which is what your mother did for you and what my mother did for me.”

Rachel Goldberg Pollin is one of USA TODAY’s 2026 Women of the Year, which recognizes women who have made a significant impact in and outside of their communities. Here are this year’s winners.

Perhaps Rachel Goldberg-Pollin will be able to grieve for the first time after her son’s death.

Or so she told her therapist.

But how can this happen?

Goldberg-Polin imagines herself in a grocery store. I found a box of “Captain Crunch” sitting on a shelf in the aisle. Her son’s favorite peanut butter cereal would cause some kind of flashback. Then, without warning, she fell to the floor of the Kroger screaming.

That’s how her grieving scene plays out, Goldberg-Polin deadpans telling USA TODAY, “Because that’s what happens on TV.”

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How Rachel Goldberg Pollin became a global advocate

Rachel Goldberg Pollin, one of USA TODAY’s Women of the Year, became an advocate for victims of the Oct. 7 attack after her son’s death.

According to her friend, the item delivered was a vintage Goldberg Pollin. But she still hasn’t been able to go to the grocery store. It’s too difficult to go out in public. People easily recognize her petite frame even under the hat, hoodie, and big glasses.

“I remain a symbol of pain and a trigger of trauma for many people,” Goldberg-Pollin says.

She is the embodiment of every mother’s worst nightmare: losing a child. However, she didn’t just lose her son, Harsh Goldberg Pollin. he was taken. Tortured. Cripple. He was held by Hamas in underground tunnels in the Gaza Strip for 328 days after the extremist group attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. Her 23-year-old son was executed before he could be rescued. Even after Hersh was returned in a body bag, her determination to save as many of the 251 hostages as possible from the suffering of Hamas captivity never wavered. Goldberg Pollin, 56, has become one of the most famous defenders to emerge from the Israel-Hamas war, which has lasted more than two years.

Goldberg-Pollin kept a daily tally of hostages taken. She wrote the number on masking tape for everyone to see. And we counted with her.

She got on the plane. she gave a speech. She interacted with global elites in Davos, Switzerland. On the 47th day, she had an audience with Pope Francis. On Day 320, she spoke at the Democratic National Convention. She traveled to four continents. She met at an undisclosed location with world leaders who frightened her. (One time she was so scared that she wrote part of Psalm 118, “God is with me, I will not be afraid…” on a piece of paper and shoved it inside her bra.)

The first time she spoke to me was on the 694th day. We were interviewed sitting on a bench in New York’s Central Park on Day 703.

There I learned that while Goldberg-Pollin may have burst onto the geopolitical stage out of necessity, her deepest influence was at a more intimate level. Quietly, thousands of people reached out. First came the email, the Facebook Messenger one-liner. A stranger pinged her on WhatsApp. The message came from Idaho. Fiji. South Africa. Jews, Christians, Muslims. Some sent heart emojis and “Thinking of you” messages. Some shared their own stories of tragedy and loss.

Some lost children or siblings to suicide or overdose. Not all of them had lost someone, but all of them had suffered. The numbers will be different, but the notes will continue to arrive.

“Some days it’s 93 days, some days it’s 112 days,” Goldberg-Polin said. “But it always hovers around 100.”

A quick calculation shows that the number of messages is approximately 84,000.

“Some people write about losing a parent, partner, sibling, best friend, or child,” she says. “And they’re people from all walks of life and different faiths, so it feels very unified.”

The letters continued beyond the 843rd day of January 26, 2026, when the body of the last hostage, Ran Gviri, was returned to his family, completing the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.

That night, Goldberg-Polin noticed that her breathing was unusual. The next morning, for the first time in more than two years, she did not put masking tape on her heart with numbers marking the days of war.

The world has begun to move. But not Goldberg Pollin’s.

The messages keep coming in, with 103 on a recent Friday. School and nonprofit leaders continue to invite her and her husband, John, to speak.

“And I keep thinking, ‘Why?'” Goldberg-Polin asks over Zoom from her Jerusalem apartment. “The story is over. Hersh’s story ended tragically. The hostage situation for me is over. So I don’t know for sure. I’m not a story of resilience, and I’m not a story of hope.”

Her observance of Orthodox Judaism brings order to her life by praying, studying Torah, keeping kosher, and avoiding driving and using electronic devices on the Sabbath, helping her survive what she considers a story of grief. It’s a story the Chicago-born lifelong educator shares over and over again. She weaves together anecdotes, wisdom, and spiritual stories to give people a language to understand what they’re going through. She is a bereaved mother. Who doesn’t know what it’s like to experience loss? In a society that expects grief to go away, like in Hallmark movies, Goldberg-Polin offers a revolutionary proposition. It means living with sadness forever.

Her heart breaks and a prism is born that tells us something about her, but in reality, it tells us something about ourselves. And in an age of political silos, echo chambers served as centerpieces of the day, slick influencer feeds, and a cacophony of endlessly swiped quotes, her rhymes, her analogies, her stories remind us of what it’s like to be human.

Earlier this year, she found herself trying to explain grief to a group of college students. What does it feel like? they asked.

I’m always a teacher, but I didn’t give a clear answer. She taught them exercises.

Everyone, she said, remember someone. It could be your boyfriend. It could be your mother. It could be your best friend, your dog. Anyone.

She stopped and said, “They’re not in this room right now.”

“Don’t you love them anymore?” she asks. “If it’s someone who is essential to your everyday well-being, how are we going to love them and miss them in a healthy way that doesn’t hurt us?”

Her memoir, “When We See You Again,” to be published on April 21, may offer some insight into her answer.

Goldberg-Pollin insists she is not a role model, but a “really normal person” caught up in a horrific situation. The vigil and effort she put in was extraordinary, she says.

“It’s what your mother did for you and what my mother did for me,” she says.

The realism with which she looks straight into the camera draws us to her. What can help me understand her pain? And it’s ours.

“It’s very positive that pain is universal,” says Goldberg-Pollin. “It’s really symbiotic, because I think they think they’re asking for help, but they’re actually really helping me. So there’s a wave experience where we meet in the middle.”

Time is up. The Sabbath is approaching and she is without power.

Before I left, she spoke again about her beautiful son Harsh. He will never feel this pain because she lost him. Then she went back to what she had said in their last conversation over 100 days ago. Has your son decided which university he will attend in the fall? she asks.

She always shares about her son and always checks in on me too.

It is a testament to the enduring power of my mother’s love, and my own.

Romina Ruiz-Goyena He is USA TODAY’s editor-in-chief of investigations and storytelling and a former international correspondent. Follow her on X (@RominaAdi).

Krispy Kreme gives away free donuts on St. Patrick’s Day

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Krispy Kreme gives away free donuts on St. Patrick’s Day

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As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, Krispy Kreme is ready to spread the festive spirit.

St. Patrick’s Day is Tuesday, March 17th, and to celebrate the holiday, Krispy Kreme is bringing back the Green Original Glazed Donut and four other limited edition donuts. Topped with green icing and festive sprinkles, of course.

On Monday, March 16 and Tuesday, March 17, the donut chain will give away one free Green Original Glazed Donut for each customer wearing green at the store or drive-thru.

Want to get some free sweet treats? Here’s what you need to know about Krispy Kreme’s St. Patrick’s Day sale.

More news: NHL fans, go green with these new St. Patrick’s Day hockey hoodies

Wear green and get a free donut

On March 16 and 17, customers wearing green in-store or at the drive-thru will receive a free Green Original Glazed Donut. No need to purchase.

In addition, 4,000 randomly selected people will receive a “Lucky You Golden Dozen Pass” which includes a year’s supply of Original Glazed Donuts (1 dozen per month from April 2026 to March 2027).

What is Krispy Kreme’s St. Patrick’s Day Collection?

Krispy Kreme’s St. Patrick’s Day Collection includes four donuts and is available until St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday, March 17th.

  • Shoot the shamrock: Original glazed donut dipped in green vanilla icing and topped with light green icing loops and shamrock sugar
  • Over the rainbow: Unglazed shell donuts filled with fluffy cream, dipped in light green vanilla icing, and topped with shamrock rainbow sprinkles and rainbow sugar.
  • plaid party: Original glazed donut dipped in vanilla icing and topped with green icing
  • Chocolate ice cream with St. Patrick’s sprinkles: Original glazed donut dipped in chocolate icing and topped with St. Patrick’s Day sprinkles

The collection can be picked up in person or delivered for pickup or delivery through the Krispy Kreme website or mobile app.

Greta Cross is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. Story ideas? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.

When are the midterm primaries this week? Illinois goes to the polls

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When are the midterm primaries this week? Illinois goes to the polls

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The next election in this year’s election cycle is Illinois.

Voters will head to the polls on Tuesday, March 17, to cast their votes in primaries for various state and national seats. The results will determine which candidates will face off in November’s midterm elections, which are expected to send a strong signal about the country’s political climate in the midst of President Donald Trump’s second term.

Voting begins in Illinois at 6 a.m. Tuesday. If you are registered to vote in Illinois, you can find a sample ballot at the State Board of Elections.

Here’s what you need to know about the Illinois primary.

Illinois primary election

Voters in each of Illinois’ 17 congressional districts will elect one Republican and one Democrat on the November 2026 ballot to determine the winner of a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Currently, Illinois has 14 Democrats and 3 Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives.

There is plenty of room for new people to enter the House of Representatives in January 2027. Two Illinois House members, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthy and Rep. Robin Kelly, are currently running for Senate, while Rep. Jan Schakowsky, 81, and Rep. Danny Davis, 84, plan to retire. According to Ballotpedia, many candidates are in the race to fill the seat.

  • 2nd District (Kerry): 10 Democrats, 2 Republicans
  • District 7 (Davis): 13 Democrats, 2 Republicans
  • District 8 (Krishnamoorthi): 8 Democrats, 4 Republicans
  • 9th District (Shakowsky): 15 Democrats, 4 Republicans

Given the slim Republican House majority, Republicans could seek to maintain control, while Democrats could spearhead an opportunity to gain influence and rein in President Trump’s policies in his second term.

2026 Midterm Elections: Can Trump run a war and midterm elections at the same time?

Illinois US Senate Primary

A U.S. Senate seat is up for grabs in Illinois after Sen. Dick Durbin, 81, announced his retirement in April 2025. Durbin serves alongside Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who took office in 2017.

Democratic candidates have been vying for public blessings from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who endorsed Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton in April 2025. Stratton is also backed by Duckworth and Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch.

Mr. Krishnamoorthi is leading the race in fundraising by more than $30 million, according to the Federal Election Commission. Stratton raised about $4 million. Other Democrats in the race include Kelly, Steve Botsford Jr., Sean Brown, Awisi Bastos, Jonathan Dean, Brian Maxwell, Kevin Ryan and Christopher Swan.

Among the Republican candidates, Don Tracy, former chairman of the Illinois Republican Party and former chairman of the Illinois Gaming Commission, raised the most money at $2.2 million, according to the FEC. He will face Republican candidates R. Carey Capparelli, Casey Klebeck, Jeannie Evans, Dr. Pamela Dennis Long, and Dr. Jimmy Lee Tillman II.

Illinois gubernatorial primary

Pritzker is looking at his campaign to become the first Democratic governor in the state’s history to serve a third term. Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run on the same ticket. Pritzker and Christian Mitchell are running unopposed in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, but will face the Republican winner in November.

Republican candidates include Darren Bailey and Aaron Del Mar. Ted Dabrowski and Dr. Carrie Mendoza. Rick Heidner, Christina Neitzke Troike, James Mendrick, and Dr. Robert Renteria.

immigrants on the front lines

Immigration is a key issue at the center of the Illinois primary. Illinois is a “sanctuary state” and refuses to cooperate with President Trump’s federal immigration crackdown. The president has sparred with Pritzker over the Midway Blitz in Chicago and threatened to deprive the state of federal funds. And Chicago has become the site of anti-ICE protests amid President Trump’s immigration crackdown. Durbin, a longtime supporter of liberal policies, has echoed his message in the Senate as an ardent supporter of immigrant rights.

USA World Baseball Classic vs. DR victory ends in controversial decision

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USA World Baseball Classic vs. DR victory ends in controversial decision

There was no helmet or modern technology to pounce in the bottom of the ninth inning and keep the Dominican Republic’s hopes alive.

It’s a good old fashioned blown call that the most passionate team in this World Baseball Classic may have been stewing over for years.

As Team USA closer Mason Miller held on for a 2-1 lead with a game-tying single to third base in the World Baseball Classic semifinals, No. 9 batter Gerardo Perdomo squeezed eight pitches from the All-Star closer, and his 162 mph fastball started to slow down a bit.

There, Miller threw a slider on his eighth pitch, but he missed it multiple times early in the inning. And this batted ball also landed well below the strike zone, according to the pitch tracking system.

Perdomo threw his bat and prepared to jog to first base. The batting lineup changed, leadoff man Fernando Tatis Jr. got two runners, and Miller’s pitch count jumped to 22 pitches.

Home plate umpire Corey Blazer had a different outcome in mind: the game was over.

When he called Perdomo, Team USA was elated and the Dominican Republic, which entered the semifinals averaging 10 points per game, wondered what might have been if the game had continued.

Buy tickets to the World Baseball Classic!

It was the second time in three innings that the Blazers struck out a Dominican batter with a slider well below the zone. Juan Soto, one of the most disciplined hitters in the game, was caught staring down Garrett Whitlock’s slider at the top of the eighth inning. Replays showed it below the knee. Pitch tracking technology confirms that.

Blazer is usually one of the more reliable home base umpires. His 94% accuracy in 2025 was one level below elite, but in the top half of all umpires. And if this were a Major League Baseball game in 2026, the Dominican could have challenged the call with a simple tap on the helmet, assuming there was still work to be done.

That was of little consolation to them.

“I don’t want to focus on the last pitch,” Dominican Republic coach Albert Pujols said in the postgame press conference. “I don’t mean to criticize it. I didn’t mean to criticize it.”

Granted, Team USA’s pitching had a lot to do with it. The Dominican averaged 10.3 RBI in five games and hit a WBC-leading 14 home runs, double Team USA’s seven home runs. Still, Soto grounded into a bases-loaded double play in the fifth inning against reliever Tyler Rodgers, and the only score came on Junior Caminero’s solo home run against typically strong Paul Skeens.

The Dominicans ran out of Skeens pitches by the fifth inning, then threatened David Bednar in the seventh and Miller in the ninth. That made the suspicious calls even more disturbing.

Social Security checks will be mailed on March 18th. See full payment schedule.

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Social Security checks will be mailed on March 18th. See full payment schedule.

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The second round of Social Security payments for March is scheduled to be distributed this week according to the normal schedule.

The payments come amid new warnings about the program’s future. A Congressional Budget Office report predicts that Social Security’s main trust fund could be depleted by September 2032, a year earlier than the 2033 estimate released by the Trustees last year.

If the trust fund is depleted, Social Security will continue to send checks to current and future retirees, but the payments could be reduced unless Congress takes action.

Here’s what you need to know about payments this week.

more: Here’s how to increase your Social Security benefits by up to 8% in one year.

Who will receive Social Security payments this week?

Beneficiaries born between the 11th and 20th of their birth month are supposed to receive their monthly Social Security benefits on Wednesday, March 18, according to the SSA payment calendar.

When will my Social Security payments be sent?

Social Security benefits, which are paid primarily to elderly or retired beneficiaries, are typically paid on Wednesdays.

According to the SSA calendar, if the recipient’s birthday is between the 1st and 10th of the month, payments will generally be made on the second Wednesday of the payment month. Those born from the 11th to the 20th will receive the allowance on the 3rd Wednesday, and those born after the 20th will receive it on the 4th Wednesday.

more: Scheduled social security payment date for March. See schedule.

People who received Social Security benefits before May 1997 can receive their payments on the third day of the month, excluding weekends and holidays.

Individuals who receive both Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) can expect Social Security payments on the 3rd of the month and SSI payments on the 1st of the month.

Complete Social Security Payment Calendar for 2026

SSI payment schedule for the end of 2026

Recipients of Supplemental Securities Income (SSI) checks are typically issued payments on the first business day of the month. Because March 1, 2026 is a Sunday, the March payment will now be made on Friday, February 27, 2026.

Here are the SSI payment dates for 2026 according to the SSA calendar:

  • Wednesday, April 1, 2026 (confirmed in April 2026)
  • Friday, May 1, 2026 (Please check May 2026)
  • Monday, June 1, 2026 (confirmed in June 2026)
  • Wednesday, July 1, 2026 (confirmed in July 2026)
  • Friday, July 31, 2026 (Please check for August 2026)
  • Tuesday, September 1, 2026 (confirmed in September 2026)
  • Thursday, October 1, 2026 (confirmed in October 2026)
  • Friday, October 30, 2026 (Please check for November 2026)
  • Tuesday, December 1, 2026 (confirmed in December 2026)
  • Friday, December 31, 2026 (for January 2027)

USA TODAY’s Mike Snider contributed to this report.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact us at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow us at X @fern_cerv_.

Aaron Judge is shocked by American Baseball’s WBC victory and is “thrilled”

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Aaron Judge is shocked by American Baseball’s WBC victory and is “thrilled”

MIAMI — There were no fancy bat flips heading into the night.

There were no dances on the basepaths or selfies in the dugout.

There was no loud music in the clubhouse, just a simple speech from Team USA captain Aaron Judge reminding his teammates that they hadn’t accomplished anything yet.

But did you know?

The Americans managed to have the time of their lives Sunday night, in the most unique environment Judge has ever experienced, and relying on pitching to shut down perhaps the strongest batting lineup ever assembled.

America 2, Dominican Republic 1.

“It’s a game that we’ll always remember, yeah,” said Mark DeRosa, the U.S. national team coach. “We knew this was going to be a high-profile game, probably one of the most-watched games of all time. … Win or no, baseball won.”

The crowd of 36,337 at Lawndepot Park were glued to every pitch, standing to their feet and cheering passionately throughout the night. Once that was done, Team USA returned to the clubhouse and reenacted the scene.

“It was bigger and better than the World Series,” Judge said. “The passion the fans have for representing their country and their favorite players is unmatched.

“I get chills now thinking about how special that was.”

The U.S. advances to the championship game on Tuesday night and will play the winner of Monday’s Venezuela-Italy semifinal at Lawn Depot Park on Monday night.

If America wins that title game, there could be a party that will make a South Beach club look like a senior citizen’s bingo night.

The team, which has been ridiculed for treating fights like business meetings, can’t wait to let everyone know that winning the WBC title allows them to let out all their emotions and celebrate in different ways.

So Team USA, please. Please stop telling the story.

They may not have an espresso machine in the dugout or wear a customized jacket after hitting a home run.

But please don’t joke. they are having a lot of fun.

U.S. center fielder Pete Crow Armstrong said, “I think this tournament went the way we wanted it to go.” “And that feels like we’re the best team in this tournament, the best team in the world.”

Team USA finds the stories about their attitude pretty ridiculous.

“It’s a lot of fun. I think it’s interesting,” Crow Armstrong said. “I just think we pick our positions. For example, if everyone shuffled like (Juan) Soto or Vladi (Guerrero) wiggled a little bit, it would be ridiculous, but that’s about it. And if I had enough swag to do it, I probably would do it too.”

“We all have fun in our own ways, but we definitely have fun outside.”

So why not do a 40-foot bat flip, bounce around the bases, or come up with your own gimmick like Fernando Tatis Jr.?

“Maybe we should,” said Crow Armstrong. “I don’t think that’s as authentic to them as being who they are. … Everyone expresses their passion in different ways, and that’s the best thing about this tournament.”

American first baseman Bryce Harper recalls when he first reached the big leagues at the age of 19, wearing a black suit, using a different colored bat and wearing brightly colored cleats. It was shut down immediately.

“I think every country has their own way of playing, right?” Harper said. “Obviously, Latin American countries are full of talent and energy. I love seeing that because that’s how I played when I was younger.”

“That’s why I was in trouble. When I came up, I was using a gray bat. I was using different cleats. I hung up my cleats. MLB told me I couldn’t use a gray bat. I couldn’t use a black eye and all that kind of thing. I kind of got beat up for that…

“But we have the utmost respect for people from all walks of life in baseball. That’s why our games are so cool and so fun to watch…Baseball is the best game in the world because it brings together so many different styles, especially in this tournament.”

The Dominican Republic advanced to the semifinals with an average of 10 points and 14 home runs per game. In the second inning, Junior Caminero’s home run allowed them to score only one run, and the rest were shut out by Paul Skeens and five relief pitchers.

And oh, that American defense. Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. was there all night. Third baseman Gunnar Henderson had a great performance as he hit the game-tying home run in the third inning. And no play changed the game more than Aaron Judge’s pitch in the third inning.

The Dominican Republic felt threatened, and Ketel Marte hit a sharp two-out double to right field, with Tatis at first base and Soto at bat, and the capacity crowd of 36,337 roared. But instead of staying at second base, Tatis advanced to third base and was easily thrown by Judge with his most forceful throw in three years.

Please come together. The inning is over.

In the 7th inning, the Dominican Republic still couldn’t get Judge’s throw out of their heads, and they were unable to score on a single from second base to center field, and suddenly became reluctant to play on base.

“I think that pitch definitely changed things,” Crow Armstrong said. “I don’t know if it was the base coach’s fault or the players’ fault, but somewhere there was a change.”

“You love hitting home runs, but that moment was pretty cool,” the judge said.

At the end of the night, Team USA sat in the clubhouse, trying to understand how it was possible that they could hit two home runs in three at-bats in the fourth inning, only have one hit the rest of the game, and still win.

“That means our bullpen is going to come in and do the job they’ve been doing,” DeRosa said. “The Dominican Republic never stopped. The traffic was constant and never relaxed. … I’m lucky to manage them. It was really fun.”

Skens pitched a 1-2-3 first inning, but the Dominican Republic put runners on base in all but two innings after that. At least two runners were on base in the fourth inning. The bases were loaded. However, with runners in scoring position, he had only two hits in nine at-bats, and did not have a single infield hit.

The game ended when closer Mason Miller, who had already thrown 21 pitches, struck out Gerardo Perdomo along with Julio Rodriguez at third base. The pitch looked low and Perdomo screamed in frustration, but since the WBC does not have an ABS challenge system, the call was held and the match ended.

“This is just an incredible experience,” the judge said. they have passion. they love games. They respect the game. I think the coolest part of this game is that we can go into the match and fight to the end. And just seeing the respect, the love, the passion that they have for this game, it’s what you dream of as a kid.

“What a game.”

Oscar shock with an unusual tie — how many times has it happened?

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Oscar shock with an unusual tie — how many times has it happened?

It’s a tie!

Sunday’s Oscars ceremony featured one of the few ties in the nearly 100-year history of the awards ceremony. Two films won in the Best Live-Action Short Film category: “The Singers” and “Saliva.”

This is the seventh tie in Oscar history, and the first in the live-action short film category since 1995. The most recent Oscar tie was in 2013, when “Skyfall” and “Zero Dark Thirty” won in the sound editing category.

Prior to that, the previous Oscar win was in 1995, when the two live-action short Oscar winners were “The Wonderful Life of Franz Kafka” and “Trevor.”

Kumail Nanjiani announces Oscar win: “I’m not kidding”

The category was announced by Kumail Nanjiani, who opened the envelope and declared, “It’s a tie. I’m not kidding. It’s a tie. So everyone, calm down, we’re going to get through this.”

The comedian went on to introduce himself as “The Singers” and the filmmakers came to give a speech. Next, the winners of the short, which he dubbed “Two People Swapping Saliva,” appeared and each gave a separate speech.

“It’s ironic that it takes twice as long to make the short film ‘Oscar,'” Nanjiani joked before preparing his second speech.

Host Conan O’Brien returned to the stage shortly after and joked, “I just want to congratulate both winners. You just ruined the 22 million Oscar pool.”

In the past, Oscars have been won in categories such as Best Actor and Best Actress. In 1969, Katharine Hepburn for The Lion and Barbra Streisand for Funny Girl won the Academy Award for Best Actress.

At the 1932 Oscar Awards, Fredric March for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Wallace Beery for The Champ tied for Best Actor. However, the Academy notes that this is not a true tie as March received one more vote, but the rules were that a nominee would win the award if they came within three votes of the actual winner. That rule has since changed.

Mark Wahlberg introduced his latest Oscar tie in 2013, and the animated character Ted, voiced by Seth MacFarlane, also participated. “We’re tied,” Wahlberg said under his breath at the time. “No BS. It’s a draw.”

‘The Singers’ and ‘Salivat’ winners react to shocking Oscar draw

The Oscars may be competition, but in the press room, the filmmakers of “The Singers” and “Saliva Exchange” were all smiles as they reflected on their shocking union.

“For me, it was incredible,” said “The Singers” producer Jacques Piatt. “It was really special because I got to know all the filmmakers in the same category. To be honest, I wish the five of us could have partnered.”

Sam Davis, director of The Singers, added that the tie was an honor and praised the “two men exchanging saliva”.

“I told them if we lost, I wanted them to lose because we saw how good their film was, and no one could have imagined what the outcome would be,” Davis said. “And certainly we didn’t imagine this.”

Nathalie Musteta and Aleksandr Shin, the directors of “The Two Who Spread Saliva,” also praised the film. “We’re also a bit of Oscar buffs, so we talked about how something like this might actually happen, but we just couldn’t imagine it,” Singh said.

Contributor: Charles Trepany

Michigan’s Big Ten Tournament failure portends more March Madness sadness

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Michigan’s Big Ten Tournament failure portends more March Madness sadness

CHICAGO – It could be the Big Ten next year.

There is still no team in the conference that can win the men’s NCAA Tournament and bring the Big Ten its first title since 2000. That was evidenced by the fact that Michigan, which spent most of the season in the top three in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and spent five weeks in first place, struggled throughout the conference tournament and ultimately lost to Purdue in the title game.

Oh, and the Wolverines are still the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region. But Michigan looks like one of those teams that peaked too early, with a Sweet 16 or Elite 8 exit written all over it.

“This loss… showed us we’re not invincible. We could lose the game,” Aday Mara said after the 80-72 loss to Purdue on Sunday, March 15.

“You can’t relax during a game. You just have to keep learning, keep improving and try not to relax during a game.”

March Madness printable brackets: Enter your NCAA Tournament predictions and picks

That’s a wonderful impression. But when you need a reminder of that at this stage of the season, you’re already prepared.

So are the high hopes of ending the Big Ten title drought.

There was a time when the Big Ten was as consistently on the list of NCAA champions as Indianapolis was on the list of Final Four host cities. But with every Big Ten men’s team winning, we have to go back to the 2000 Michigan State Flintstones.

It may not seem so that long ago. But considering that was back in the quaint old days when the Big Ten still had 11 teams, it might as well be ancient history.

It’s not like the Big Ten didn’t have a chance. Since 2001, eight teams in the conference have advanced to the title game and seven more have advanced to the Final Four. But once we got there, it was clear that the Big Ten was not on the same level as the ACC, SEC, and Big East.

Michigan was supposed to be different. They have Big Ten Player of the Year in Jaxel Lendeborg, Defensive Player of the Year in Mara and elite point guard in Elliott Caddo.

The Wolverines won all but two games during the regular season and went undefeated in road conference games. They were explosive on offense and tenacious on defense.

However, Michigan did not look like a team capable of winning a title during the Big Ten tournament. The Wolverines seemed to be on the back foot in response rather than setting the tone for much of the tournament.

Against Wisconsin, the Wolverines led by 15 points with less than 10 minutes left, but needed three points from Lendeborg in the final minute to avoid overtime. In the title game, Purdue started the second half with a 13-4 run, but Michigan could not recover.

Even after Boilermakers center Oscar Clough picked up his fourth foul with 5:31 remaining, he continued to shoot low and at will, scoring seven of his 21 points in the final half.

“I think by allowing Clough to make some deep catches, he was able to score like a really easy basket near the rim,” Mara said.

Let’s think about it for a moment.

The University of Michigan had three players on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team: Lendeborg, Mara and Mores Johnson Jr. No one is going to give them easy baskets, and definitely not at this time of year.

As for Rendeborg, although he played well against Purdue — finishing with 20 points on 4-of-7 shooting from deep — he wasn’t a factor offensively in the first half against Ohio State and Wisconsin.

Michigan also lost the turnover battle in each game. The Boilermakers made all two of their shots, compared to just seven against Purdue.

“We didn’t want this to happen. We were going for three out of three things: the Big Ten (title), the Big Ten Tournament championship, the NCAA,” Nimari Barnett said. “But this is part of the process, and we’re going to use this as fuel for next month’s basketball.”

Again, it’s a little late.

As for the Big Ten’s other top teams, Nebraska, Illinois and Michigan State left the tournament without winning a game. No one eats themselves like the Big Ten, but that doesn’t bode well for the next three weeks.

Purdue may actually be the team the conference is most excited about. Purdue played this weekend like the No. 1 team it was when the season started.

“This is a great sign,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “There are a lot of teams and we were one of those teams that had been playing great and then all of a sudden come tournament time they weren’t playing as much.

“It’s a bit of a complicated situation. We have to keep trying to get better.”

That sounds like a challenge for the entire Big Ten as hopes of winning an NCAA title fade once again.

Follow USA TODAY sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

President Donald Trump says the US could soon reach a deal with Cuba

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President Donald Trump says the US could soon reach a deal with Cuba

Jarrett Renshaw and Bianca Flowers
|Reuters

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President Donald Trump said on Sunday, March 15, that the United States could soon reach a deal or take other action with Cuba, suggesting progress in the long-strained relationship could come quickly.

“Cuba wants a deal, too. We’ll either get a deal soon or do whatever we have to do,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One. “We’re talking to Cuba, but we’re going to do Iran before we do Cuba.”

The comments came as tensions between Washington and Havana remain high after years of sanctions, diplomatic tensions and disputes over migration and security, with regional allies and investors closely monitoring signs of a policy shift.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Friday, March 13, that he has begun talks with the United States as the country faces one of its deepest economic crises in decades.

“This meeting aims to find a solution to the bilateral differences between our two countries through dialogue,” Diaz-Canel said in a video broadcast on state television.

Diaz-Canel said he hoped the negotiations would move the longtime rivals “away from confrontation.”

The country’s economic crisis has been exacerbated by disruptions to imported oil, on which the island relies to operate its power plants and transportation network. Fuel shortages have forced authorities to implement rolling blackouts across the country and restrict some public services.

Cuba confirms talks with US officials. Could another historic deal be made next?

President Trump has made a series of statements in recent weeks that Cuba is on the brink of collapse or that he wants a deal with the United States. On Monday, March 9, he said Cuba could be the subject of a “friendly takeover,” before adding: “It may not be a friendly takeover.”

Despite the resumption of contacts, significant differences remain between the two governments. U.S. officials have indicated that any easing of pressure is likely to depend on political and economic concessions from Havana, while Cuban leaders insist that negotiations must respect Havana’s independence.

(Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Michael Perry)

A complete list will be available once awards are announced

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A complete list will be available once awards are announced

The 98th Academy Awards will air on Sunday, March 15th on ABC and Hulu (7pm ET/4pm PT). All 2026 Oscar winners updated in real time.

We imagine that the outstanding expression “Oscar winner” feels sensational.

The 98th Academy Awards kicked off on March 15 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood (ABC and Hulu, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT), with Hollywood’s biggest names in designer dad fashion.

Before the actors, filmmakers, and collaborators who made the films that moved us this year begin to get the recognition they deserve, returning host Conan O’Brien offers an opening quip.

“Sinners” led the night with 16 nominations, including Best Picture. Ever since Michael B. Jordan beat Marty Supreme’s Timothée Chalamet at the Screen Actors Guild Awards earlier this month, the race for Best Actor has become one we can all take seriously. And the Academy awarded Jordan an Oscar.

“One Battle After Another” had more than a fighting chance, entering the night with 13 nominations. In its first two hours, the film won three awards, including Best Supporting Actor (Sean Penn), Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Casting. The aforementioned “Marty Supreme” tied “Frankenstein” and “Sentimental Value” with nine mentions.

Speaking of ties, this night marks the seventh tie in Oscar history, dating back to 1929. The last time two nominees split the category was at the 85th Academy Awards in 2013. “Skyfall” and “Zero Dark Thirty” both won awards for sound editing.

Scroll on to see all the winners walking away with the money.

Full list of Oscar 2026 winners:

Best work

Winner: “One match, one match”

“Bugonia”

“F1: The Movie”

“Frankenstein”

“Hamnet”

“Marty Supreme”

“Secret Agent”

“Emotional value”

“Sinners”

“Train Dream”

Best Actress Award

Winner: Jesse Buckley, “Hamnet”

Rose Byrne: “If I had legs, I’d kick you.”

Kate Hudson “Son San Bleu”

Renate Rheinwe “Sentimental Value”

Emma Stone “Bugonia”

Best Actor Award

Winner: Michael B. Jordan “Sinners”

Timothée Chalamet “Marty Supreme”

Leonardo DiCaprio “One Battle After Another”

Ethan Hawke “Blue Moon”

Wagner Moura “The Secret Agent”

Best Director Award

Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another”

Ryan Coogler “Sinners”

Josh Safdie “Marty Supreme”

Joachim Trier “Sentimental Value”

Chloe Zhao “Hamnet”

Best original song

Winner: “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters”

“Dear Me” from “Diane Warren: Relentless”

“I Lied to You” from “Sinners”

“Sweet Dreams of Joy” from “Viva Verdi!”

“Train Dreams” from “Train Dreams”

Best International Film Award

Winner: “Sentimental Value” (Norway)

“It was just an accident” (France)

“The Secret Agent” (Brazil)

“Silat” (Spain)

“Voice of Hind Rajab” (Tunisia)

Best Cinematography Award

Winner: “Sinners”

“Frankenstein”

“Marty Supreme”

“One battle after another”

“Train Dream”

Best edit

Winner: “One match, one match”

“F1: The Movie”

“Marty Supreme”

“Emotional value”

“Sinners”

best sound

Winner: “F1: The Movie”

“Frankenstein”

“One battle after another”

“Sinners”

“Sirat”

best original score

winner: “Sinners”

“Bugonia”

“Frankenstein”

“Hamnet”

“One battle after another”

Best Documentary Film Award

winner: “Mr. Nobody Against Putin”

“The Alabama Solution”

“Please come and meet me in a bright place.”

“Cut the rock”

“The perfect neighbor”

Best short documentary award

winner: “All rooms are vacant”

“My only weapon is a camera.”

“Children No More: Once There and Gone”

“The devil is busy”

“Totally bizarre.”

best visual effects

Winner: “Avatar: Fire and Ash”

“F1”

“Jurassic World Rebirth”

“The Lost Bus”

“Sinners”

Best Production Design

winner: “Frankenstein”

“Hamnet”

“Marty Supreme”

“One battle after another”

“Sinners”

Best Original Screenplay Award

Winner: “Sinners”

“Blue Moon”

“It was just an accident.”

“Marty Supreme”

“Emotional value”

Best Screenplay Award

Winner: “One match, one match”

“Bugonia”

“Frankenstein”

“Hamnet”

“Train Dream”

Best Supporting Actor Award

Winner: Sean Penn, “One Battle After Another”

Benicio Del Toro “One Battle After Another”

Jacob Elordi “Frankenstein”

Delroy Lindo “Sinners”

Stellan Skarsgård “Sentimental Value”

Best Live Action Short Award

Winner (tie): “The Singers”

Winner (tie): “Two people exchanging saliva”

“Butcher stain”

“Dorothy’s Friend”

“Jane Austen’s historical drama”

best casting

Winner: “One match, one match”

“Hamnet”

“Marty Supreme”

“Secret Agent”

“Sinners”

best makeup and hair styling

Winner: “Frankenstein”

“What?”

“Sinners”

“The Smashing Machine”

“Ugly sister-in-law”

Best Costume Design Award

Winner: “Frankenstein”

“Avatar: Fire and Ash”

“Hamnet”

“Marty Supreme”

“Sinners”

Best short animation

Winner: “The Girl Who Ringed the Pearl”

“Butterfly (Papillon)”

“Forever Green”

“Retirement allowance system”

“Three Sisters”

Best Animated Film Award

Winner: “KPop Demon Hunters”

“Arco”

“Elio”

“Little Amelie, or the rain character”

“Zootopia 2”

Best Supporting Actress Award

Winner: Amy Madigan “Weapons”

Elle Fanning “Sentimental Value”

Inga Ebsdotter Lilias “Sentimental Value”

Shigesaku Kumomi “Sinners”

Teyana Taylor “One Battle After Another”

USA vs. Dominican Republic Baseball Live Scores, Highlights, Channels

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USA vs. Dominican Republic Baseball Live Scores, Highlights, Channels

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The U.S. Baseball team will face the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic semifinals Sunday night in Miami. The right to participate in the championship match will be determined by whether the team wins or goes home.

The American team advanced 3-1 in the first round but had to fight its fate, defeating Canada 5-3 in the quarterfinals on Friday. The Dominican Republic went 5-0 in the WBC and 4-0 in pool play, defeating South Korea 10-0 and advancing to the final four.

National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skeens became Team USA’s starting pitcher after pitching four scoreless innings with seven strikeouts in the Americans’ victory over Mexico. Right-hander Luis Severino pitched for the Dominican Republic.

The winner will face either Venezuela or Italy in the final at Lawndepot Park on Tuesday, March 17th.

Follow us for live updates:

  • time: 8pm ET
  • tv channels: Fox Sports 1
  • live stream: FoxSports.com // Fubo

Watch the 2025 WBC live on FuboG

The Dominican Republic loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth inning on a double by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. against Paul Skeens. After Manny Machado singled, Skenes hit Julio Rodriguez with two outs, bringing Austin Wells to the plate. On the fifth pitch of his at-bat, Skeens sent Wells into the left field seats, striking out all three runners.

Gregory Soto was in a left-to-left matchup with Roman Anthony, but the Boston Red Sox phenom hit a go-ahead solo homer to center field, giving Team USA a 2-1 advantage.

Gunnar Henderson, who joined the batting lineup with incredible numbers against DR starter Luis Severino (7 hits for 9 total), hit a solo home run to right-center field in the top of the 4th inning, tying the WBC semifinals at 1-1.

When Severino hit his next batter, Dominican Republic manager Albert Pujols made a pitching change, bringing in left-hander Gregory Soto, who faced Roman Anthony with one out.

In the bottom of the third inning, with the top out, Fernando Tatis Jr. tried to get to first and third base on Ketel Marte’s single to right field, but Aaron Judge made a perfect pitch to put Tatis on third base and end the inning. It was the second time in the 2026 WBC that Judge caught a runner on third base from right field.

In the top of the third inning, Bobby Witt Jr.’s single and Bryce Harper’s double left Team USA with one out and men on second and third base. However, Luis Severino struck out Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber to get out of the inning.

With two outs in the bottom of the second inning, Tampa Bay Rays slugger Junior Camerino clubbed Paul Skeens’ offer over the left field wall to give Miami the lead. Camerino swung his bat and his teammates gathered from the dugout to celebrate.

Caminero, 22, finished ninth in AL MVP with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2025 with 45 home runs and 110 RBIs.

Paul Skeens needed just nine pitches to get through the first inning, sending Fernando Tatis Jr. to left field, Ketel Marte to second base, and Bryce Turan sliding to take a hit off Juan Soto to end the bottom of the first inning.

Luis Severino started the game by striking out Bobby Witt Jr. and Bryce Harper, forcing Aaron Judge to a 1-2 count, but ultimately allowed the three-time MVP to single. Severino hit Kyle Schwarber and advanced to Judge second base, but Gunnar Henderson grounded out to second base to end the threat.

starting pitcher: RHP Paul Skeens

  1. Bobby Witt Jr. – SS
  2. Bryce Harper – 1B
  3. Aaron Judge – RF
  4. Kyle Schwarber – DH
  5. Gunnar Henderson – 3B
  6. Roman Anthony – LF
  7. Will Smith – C
  8. Bryce Turan – 2B
  9. Pete Crowe Armstrong – CF

starting pitcher: RHP Luis Severino

  1. Fernando Tatis Jr. – RF
  2. Ketel Marte – 2B
  3. Juan Soto – LF
  4. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 1B
  5. Manny Chad – 3B
  6. Junior Caminero – DH
  7. Julio Rodriguez – CF
  8. Austin Wells – C
  9. Gerardo Perdomo – SS
  • bob nightengale: USA 4, Dominican Republic 3
  • Gabe Lux: Dominican Republic 6, USA 4
  • steve gardner: Dominican Republic 5, USA 4
  • Jesse Yomtov: Dominican Republic 4, USA 2

  • 2025: 32G, 10 wins, 10 losses, ERA 1.97, IP 187.2, SO 216, WHIP 0.95
  • 2024: 23 G, 11–3, 1.96 ERA, 133.0 IP, 170 SO, 0.95 WHIP

Career: 55G, 21 wins, 13 losses, ERA 1.96, IP 320.2, SO 386, WHIP 0.95

Dominican Republic Statistics vs Paul Skeens

The Dominican Republic players have struggled mightily in limited opportunities against Skenes, who made his MLB debut in 2024 and has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the game since then.

  • Fernando Tati: 0-0
  • Ketel Maas: 0-5
  • Juan Soto: 0-3
  • Vladmir Guerrero Jr. 0-2
  • Manny Machado: 0-0
  • Junior Caminero: 0-3
  • Julio Rodriguez: 3-6
  • Austin Wells: 0-1
  • Gerardo Perdomo: 0-7
  • 2025 (Athletics): 8 wins, 11 losses, ERA 4.54, G29, GS29, IP162.2, SO124, WHIP1.30
  • 2024 (Mets): 11 wins, 7 losses, ERA 3.91, G31, GS31, IP182.0, SO161, WHIP1.24
  • 2023 (Yankees): 4 wins, 8 losses, ERA 6.65, G19, GS18, IP89.1, SO79, WHIP1.65
  • 2022 (Yankees): 7 wins, 3 losses, ERA 3.18, 19G, 19GS, 102.0IP, 112SO, 1.00WHIP
  • 2021 (Yankees): 1-0, ERA 0.00, G4, GS0, IP6.0, SO8, WHIP0.50
  • 2020 (Yankees): didn’t play
  • 2019 (Yankees): 1 win, 1 loss, ERA 1.50, G3, GS3, IP12.0, SO17, WHIP1.00
  • 2018 (Yankees): 19 wins, 8 losses, ERA 3.39, G32, GS32, IP191.1, SO220, WHIP1.14
  • 2017 (Yankees): 14 wins, 6 losses, ERA 2.98, G31, GS31, IP193.1, SO230, WHIP1.04
  • 2016 (Yankees): 3 wins, 8 losses, ERA 5.83, 22G, 11GS, 71.0IP, 66SO, 1.45WHIP
  • 2015 (Yankees): 5 wins, 3 losses, ERA 2.89, G11, GS11, IP62.1, SO56, WHIP1.20

Career: 73 wins, 55 losses, ERA 3.92, 201G, 185GS, IP1,072.0, SO1,073, WHIP1.21

MIAMI — Major League Baseball players have made their voices heard through the World Baseball Classic, expressing a desire to play in the 2028 Olympics, and the players’ union may reach an agreement with MLB that would allow players to participate independent of a new collective bargaining agreement.

Players Association Secretary Bruce Meyer, who fully believes MLB will impose a lockout when the current CBA expires on Dec. 1, said Sunday that an agreement could be reached by Dec. 1 that would allow MLB players to compete in the Los Angeles Olympics for the first time.

But everything changes if the lockout wipes out the entire 2027 season.

– Bob Nightengale

2026 WBC slot

quarterfinals

Semi-final

  • Dominican Republic vs. USA – Sunday, Miami (Buy Tickets)
  • Italy vs. Venezuela – Monday, Miami (Buy Tickets)

WBC championship match

  • Semifinal Winner – Tuesday, March 17th, Miami (Buy Tickets)

Before the semifinal game, Dominican Republic manager Albert Pujols spoke about Team USA starting pitcher Paul Skeens, who won the National League Cy Young Award in his second year in MLB.

“He’s one of the best pitchers, if not the best, in the game,” Pujols told reporters. “He’s tough to hit, but he’s not invincible. I think he can make some adjustments and I hope our guys can do that tonight.”

USA vs. Dominican Republic Baseball History

The Dominican Republic has won two of three times against the United States in the World Baseball Classic.

  • 2013 2nd round: Dominican Republic 3, USA 1
  • 2017 1st round: Dominican Republic 7, USA 5
  • 2017 2nd round: USA 6, Dominican Republic 3

“The whole country is rooting for you. The whole country is rooting for you. There’s a country that’s watched you grow and watch you become who you are these days,” Juan Soto told reporters before Sunday’s game.

“I couldn’t be more proud to be able to give back a little bit of what they have given you over the years.

“I think everyone feels that way when they play in the WBC. They’re just playing for their country, and they’re playing for their families who are there every day cheering them on. So I think that’s what makes the WBC special.”

Before Sunday’s game, Team USA manager Mark DeRosa said: “I don’t want to give away the exact strategy, but I can tell you this: I have absolutely 10 horses that have thrown high-leverage innings in their careers, so we’ll certainly act accordingly. We obviously know our opponent.”

March 15th (Sunday) (Semifinals)

  • Dominican Republic vs. United States, 8 p.m. in Miami.

March 16th (Monday) (Semifinals)

  • Italy vs. Japan, 8 p.m. in Miami

March 17th (Tuesday) (Championship deciding match)

  • Semifinal winner, Miami at 8 p.m.

Conan O’Brien targets Kid Rock at Oscar turning point USA

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Conan O’Brien targets Kid Rock at Oscar turning point USA

Conan O’Brien knows there’s only one Oscar.

That didn’t stop the comedian hosting the 98th Academy Awards from joking at Sunday night’s ceremony that conservative viewers looking for alternative programming might find Kid Rock hosting the show. The quip was in reference to an alternate Super Bowl halftime show held in February by the right-wing group Turning Point USA, which claimed the musician was the headliner.

O’Brien told the audience during his March 15 monologue, “Tonight might get political. If that makes you uncomfortable, there’s an alternative Oscar hosted by Kid Rock.” “That’s Dave & Buster’s down the street.”

The 2026 Oscars are underway as follows The host is Conan O’Brien. Follow live updates

Turning Point’s “All American Halftime Show,” which included performances by President Donald Trump’s longtime rock allies and several country music artists, was largely seen as a response to the NFL’s selection of Bad Bunny as its headliner.

Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican Latin superstar who sings primarily in Spanish, has criticized President Trump’s deportation efforts in the past. When it was announced that he would be chosen to headline the Super Bowl, several conservative pundits and Trump himself criticized the choice, arguing that he was not a popular enough artist and was a divisive choice. Bad Bunny became the world’s most streamed artist on Spotify in 2025.

In protest, Turning Point streamed a show celebrating “faith, family, and freedom” on its social channels as well as on several conservative networks, including Real America’s Voice and OAN. TPUSA was co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk. After his assassination in September 2025, his widow Erica Kirk was appointed CEO.

How to file taxes like a rich man and save money

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How to file taxes like a rich man and save money

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“Tax the rich” is a popular slogan, but changing tax laws relies on the power of others. While you wait, experts recommend getting hands-on with the tax code and paying your taxes like a rich person instead.

Putting aside questions about who contributes the most to U.S. tax revenue (according to the Tax Foundation think tank, the top 1% of taxpayers paid more in income taxes in 2022 than the bottom 90% combined), some previously leaked tax returns and conversations with tax experts could provide insight into how ultra-wealthy Americans protect, transfer, and grow their wealth.

Some tactics are probably out of reach for most people, while others are simple enough to use with enough planning.

How to avoid taxes and grow wealth with a Roth IRA

Billionaire Peter Thiel famously contributed $2,000 to a Roth IRA in 1999 and used $1,700 of that to buy 1.7 million founder shares of PayPal stock. Within 20 years, his investments, including eBay’s acquisition of PayPal and his personal investment in Facebook, all made safely within the confines of a Roth IRA, have grown to $5 billion, all of which can be withdrawn tax-free when he turns 59 1/2.

Roth IRA contributions are made with after-tax dollars and can be withdrawn tax-free after investing for at least five years at age 59 1/2 or older. In contrast, traditional IRAs are funded with pre-tax dollars for upfront benefits and taxable withdrawals.

It’s unlikely that the average person will be able to find a profitable personal investment like Thiel, but even if you earn more than the established limits, you can still use a Roth IRA.

In 2025, you will be able to contribute up to $7,000 ($8,000 if you are 50 or older) to a Roth IRA as long as your modified adjusted gross income is less than $150,000 for single filers or $236,000 for married filers filing jointly. Contributions are phased out to a maximum of $165,000 for single filers and $246,000 for joint filers.

To get around these restrictions, use a so-called backdoor Roth IRA. Here’s how:

  • Use pre-tax money to contribute to a traditional IRA
  • Transfer that money to your Roth IRA
  • pay taxes. If you received a tax benefit when you contributed to a traditional IRA, you’ll need to report it as income and return it at tax time, as well as any gains you make on that money.

There’s still time to use this trick, as 2025 retirement contributions can be made by the April 15 tax deadline.

How to use losses to lower taxes

Billionaires like Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos and Trump like to lose money because it reduces their tax burden. You can also use them on a smaller scale. Given last year’s crypto crash, this tax season might be a good time to familiarize yourself with this tactic.

If you sell investments like Bitcoin at a loss when digital assets crash in late 2025, you can use up to $3,000 a year to offset your ordinary income on federal income taxes and carry the rest forward. If you’re married and file separately, you can deduct half of that amount each year.

Unused losses can be carried forward indefinitely.

Hint: When looking for tax losses, focus on short-term losses first, because short-term and long-term losses should be used first to offset gains of the same type. According to Fidelity, these are first used to offset short-term gains, which provide the greatest benefit since they are subject to higher marginal tax rates.

caveat: The wash sale rule states that if you sell an investment at a loss and then purchase an identical or substantially identical security within 30 days before or after the sale, you will not receive tax benefits. Therefore, make sure that the investment is either no longer needed or can be easily replaced by another investment that plays a similar role in your portfolio.

Note: Cryptocurrencies and other digital assets are exempt from wash sale rules.

“Cryptocurrencies are defined and regulated as property, not securities,” said Rob Barnett, investment advisory principal and professional tax attorney at Outlook Financial Center. “If you still want to own your cryptocurrencies or take advantage of the tax benefits, you can sell or buy your cryptocurrencies instantly at a lower price.”

timing is everything

Barnett said timing large transactions can also save money. If you want to withdraw funds from your IRA for a large purchase, see if you can split the withdrawal over two calendar years.

For example, you need $300,000 to buy real estate and build a house. The land must be purchased within the next 30 days, but construction will not begin for six months, or until the next calendar year. Consider withdrawing $150,000 to purchase land. If so, wait to withdraw your next $150,000 next year.

IRA withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income for the year, so “you’re splitting your income between two tax returns,” Barnett says. “You’ll save $38,000 in taxes, plus $150,000 in benefits that weren’t immediately withdrawn.”

“Always consider the tax implications and remember it’s not about what you make, it’s about what you keep,” he said.

hire a child

If you run a business, hire kids.

You can hire them and pay them a high salary. Experts say their salaries will be deducted as business expenses and the money will be given to relatives.

If the child is a minor, there are even more tax benefits.

According to Mercer wealth advisor David Steuring, if your child:

  • Under 18: Wages are exempt from Social Security and Medicare taxes
  • Under 21 years old: Wages are exempt from federal unemployment tax

“Your child also pays no Social Security or Medicare taxes on that wage,” he wrote on his blog. “As a result, compensation paid to minor children is completely free of federal payroll taxes. Additionally, wages are fully deductible as a business expense, reducing both income and self-employment tax liability.”

Medora Lee is USA TODAY’s money, markets and personal finance reporter. Please contact us at mjlee@usatoday.com. Subscribe to our free Daily Money newsletter for personal finance tips and business news every Monday through Friday.

Israel announces brother of Michigan synagogue attacker killed in Hezbollah attack

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Israel announces brother of Michigan synagogue attacker killed in Hezbollah attack

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The Israeli military says the brother of the man who attacked a synagogue in Michigan last week was a Hezbollah commander and was recently killed in an airstrike.

Ibrahim Mohammad Ghazali, the brother of synagogue attacker Ayman Mohammad Ghazali, was killed in an Israeli Air Force airstrike in Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement on Sunday.

more: Trump aide says Iran war will be over in ‘weeks’ as gas prices soar: Live updates

The Trump administration and U.S. law enforcement officials have not released information about Ayman Mohammad Ghazali’s brother. The FBI did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.

One of Ghazali’s neighbors told the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, that the attacker’s brother was killed in the airstrike. Mo Baydoun, the mayor of Dearborn Heights, where the suspect lived, said in early March that he had “lost several members of my family, including my niece and nephew, in an Israeli attack on my home in Lebanon.”

Immediately after the war with Iran began on February 28, Israel launched attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon in response to attacks by Iranian-backed militants. Lebanon’s Health Ministry announced on March 14 that Israeli airstrikes have killed 826 people and injured more than 2,000 since the start of the conflict. Reuters, citing the Israeli ambulance service, reported that the Iranian attack killed 12 people in Israel.

more: After synagogue attack, Jewish leaders say ‘preparation was key’

Ayman Mohammad Ghazali, a 41-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen, was born in Lebanon. A man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound when he drove his truck into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, and during a shootout with two security guards, the truck burst into flames, FBI officials said.

One security guard was injured in the attack. All children and teachers at the temple school were safely evacuated.

Authorities have stepped up security around places of worship across the country in recent weeks as the war between the United States and Israel and Iran escalates.

Contributors: Andrea May Sahouri and Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press.

Kathryn Palmer is USA TODAY’s political reporter. She can be reached at the following address: kapalmer@usatoday.com And to X@Kathryn Purml. Sign up for her daily politics newsletter here.

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