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NOAA releases predictions for spring 2026, much like summer

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NOAA releases predictions for spring 2026, much like summer

According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, the spring temperature outlook calls for warmer-than-normal temperatures across much of the United States.

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Spring officially arrived on Friday, March 20, and new forecasts say it’s shaping up to be a warm few months for most Americans.

The news comes as much of the western United States is already enduring the preview of a record-breaking summer of massive heat domes that sent tens of millions of people rushing to their air conditioners and swimming pools.

Meanwhile, NOAA’s Spring Outlook for April to June released on March 20 predicts that drought conditions will worsen or become more severe in many areas of the Western and South Central Plains.

What’s the forecast for spring in America?

According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC), the temperature outlook for April, May, and June 2026 is for most of the continental United States to have above-average seasonal temperatures, except for the northern Plains, upper Mississippi Valley, Great Lakes, and parts of the Northeast.

“The highest probability (more than 60%) of above-normal temperatures will be in the central Great Basin and parts of the Rocky Mountains to parts of the southwest,” the Chinese Communist Party said in an online forecast.

Regarding precipitation, the April-May-June 2026 outlook shows below-normal seasonal precipitation in the Pacific Northwest, much of the Western West and Rocky Mountains, and areas of the high plains and central Great Plains.

Meanwhile, above-normal precipitation is expected in areas including much of western Alaska and parts of the eastern Great Lakes, mid-Atlantic and southeastern regions, CPC said.

Which region in the country will be the hottest this spring?

John Gottschalk, NOAA Climate Prediction Center’s director of operational forecasting, said in an email to USA TODAY that the greatest chance of above-normal temperatures, including potential heatwave episodes, is in the Interior West, south-central Rockies, Southwest, and south-central Plains.

What about spring floods?

NOAA said in a statement that the overall flood risk for most of the continental United States for spring 2026 is currently assessed as normal or below normal. This risk determination was primarily based on a dry, warm winter that dried soils across much of the eastern United States, reducing the threat of rainfall-induced flooding. In addition, much below normal snowfall in most areas of the country will reduce the risk of flooding from snowmelt.

However, the northern Red River and lower Ohio Valley typically flood annually. Therefore, flooding is expected in these watersheds again this year, NOAA said.

“While typical spring flooding is expected in parts of the greater Mississippi River Basin this year, the risk of widespread major flooding is low,” NOAA National Water Center Director Ed Clark said in a statement. “However, it is important to remember that heavy rain can cause major flooding.”

Typical spring pattern in the Midwest and Northeast with heat dome expansion in the West

For now, AccuWeather says, the Midwest and Northeast will see multiple alternations of cold and warm air over the next few weeks, a typical spring pattern.

The next temperature rebound has already begun in parts of the Midwest and will spread to parts of the Northeast over the weekend as the edge of the Southwest’s giant record-breaking heat dome expands.

With temperatures in the 90s and above 100 degrees in some cities, typical levels of late spring and early summer, the Western Heat Dome has already broken the record for the hottest March day in U.S. history, AccuWeather said.

Will this be the end of winter weather and an arctic explosion?

“No, not completely. In fact, areas near the Great Lakes and parts of the Northeast are expected to experience below-normal temperatures by the middle of next week, with short periods of low temperatures in the upper teens to low 20s in some areas, lower wind chills, and the potential for snow,” Gottschalk said.

“But we certainly don’t have the bitter Arctic air that we had earlier this year.”

“That being said, as we look beyond next week, temperatures will be above normal in most parts of the country, and by that point, by mid-April, we are unlikely to see a period of large-scale, widespread-impact cold air,” Gottschalk said.

What is a heat dome?

Heat domes, like the one currently burning up the West, are vast areas of high pressure that promote hot, dry conditions for days to weeks at a time.

“Heat domes are a lot like balloons,” explains AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alan Reppert. “It expands and contracts as the day goes on, so it gets very warm when you’re inside it.”

Heat domes can also prevent clouds from forming, allowing abundant sunlight to increase temperatures and potentially reach record levels.

As temperatures rise, the demand for cooling will also increase, potentially increasing the strain on power grids across the region. AccuWeather said in an online report that extended periods of extreme heat and sunshine could lead to further or worsening drought conditions.

AccuWeather meteorologist Tom Kines told USA TODAY in an email: “One of the concerns we have about this early season heat wave across Southern California is that the ground cover is turning brown much faster than normal. If we get a Santa Ana event sometime in April or May, that could cause trouble and increase the fire risk.”

What are the dangers associated with heat domes?

As with other heat waves, heat stroke, heat exhaustion and heat cramps are common risks, Cains said. “Drink lots of fluids, ideally water, and wear light-colored, lightweight clothing. Wear a hat with a visor or preferably a wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun off your head.”

“If possible, do any outdoor work or strenuous activity during the day or early evening, when it’s not as hot and the sun isn’t as strong. Two of the best ways to beat the heat are air conditioning and a pool.”

Is this a good example of a heat dome?

This is definitely an example of a heat dome. Heat domes are associated with stagnant air masses and record heat, Cains said.

“The records that are being broken in this heat dome are not being broken one degree at a time, they are being erased by several degrees, and in some cases by many degrees. This heat is happening early in the season, so most people’s bodies have not yet adapted to the heat,” he added.

How long will this heat dome last?

Cains said the heat dome will begin to break down early the week of March 23rd. However, temperatures are likely to remain above historical averages.

Will we see more “heat domes” this spring?

“Yes, that’s likely. Short-term climate prediction numerical models not only broadly support above-normal temperatures as predicted, but there is strong agreement across many models on this, with higher than normal agreement,” Gottschalk told USA TODAY.

more: Can we blame El Niño or La Niña for March’s extreme weather?

Elon Musk offers to pay TSA payroll after partial government shutdown

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Elon Musk offers to pay TSA payroll after partial government shutdown

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Elon Musk said in a social media post that he wants to pay the salaries of Transportation Security Administration employees who are working without pay during the partial government shutdown and as spring break travel increases.

Approximately 50,000 TSA employees have not been paid as the shutdown continues for more than a month, impacting the Department of Homeland Security’s cash flow. Security lines at airports across the country have been chaotic, with some extending outside the terminals. Some TSA employees are not reporting to work, and officials have warned that small airports could be closed if the situation persists.

“During this funding gridlock that is negatively impacting the lives of so many Americans at airports across the country, I would like to propose paying the salaries of TSA employees,” Musk wrote in a post on X on the morning of March 21.

It is unclear whether there is a legal way for donors to pay government salaries. USA TODAY has reached out to the Office of Management and Budget for comment.

Musk, who was found liable to Twitter shareholders in March in a fraud lawsuit over the takeover of the platform now known as X, is the world’s richest man. He did not say how much it costs to pay TSA salaries. USA TODAY has reached out to the TSA for comment.

Are you traveling this weekend? Here’s what you need to know about flying during the government shutdown

Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said workers are not expected to receive their second full paycheck on March 27. Under the 2019 law, TSA employees who continue to work during the shutdown will receive back pay after the shutdown ends and funding resumes.

According to DHS, the TSA no-show rate reached 10% last weekend, well above the standard rate of less than 2% during normal operations. Some airports have much higher no-show rates, with New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport having a 29% no-show rate, Atlanta 32% and New Orleans 27% as of March 18, the agency reported.

DHS says 366 TSA employees have retired since the shutdown began.

Contributions to the government are accepted by the Treasury Department, which stores government cash, and are disbursed like other federal funds based on Congressional appropriations (the rules set by Congress on how contributions are distributed).

“All money donated to the federal government goes into the Treasury Department. That doesn’t mean government agencies have the authority to withdraw it,” Philip Candreva, a professor of national security policy and budgeting at Duke University, previously told USA TODAY.

Contributions: Zach Wichter, Eve Chen, Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY. Reuters

We geek out with Andy Weir as ‘Project Hail Mary’ hits theaters

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We geek out with Andy Weir as ‘Project Hail Mary’ hits theaters

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NEW YORK – I should have known that taking Andy Weir to a science museum would be like taking your child to a candy store and asking him to keep his hands in his pockets.

A few days before the movie “Project Hail Mary” was released, the science fiction writer and I met at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The film adaptation of Weir’s 2021 novel stars Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a former middle school science teacher and sole survivor of a last-ditch mission to save humanity from a sun-eating microbe.

The book may be chock-full of what Gosling calls “space math,” but even right-brainers will find something to love through the blood pressure-boosting missions and lovable lumpy alien Rocky.

Therein lie Weir’s hallmarks as a writer: difficult mathematics, humor, and high-stakes gambles. Before his first novel, The Martian, landed at Penguin Random House in 2014, he self-published it for free on his blog. Today, Weir’s novels enjoy a cult following among science geeks and general readers alike. I can confidently say that I have never seen a book as widely read as Project Hail Mary on the New York City subways.

“I thought I was writing for a niche audience of people who wanted to know about mathematics,” Weir tells me. “I thought I was writing for 0.001% of people, but I found that a lot of people enjoyed it. They were like skimming through the math. They were like, ‘I believe in you.'”

He has no interest in cutting down on the science to make it easier to read. That said, he is careful to include only the information readers actually need to understand the plot (“You don’t have to pass the test later,” he says.) His main purpose, after all, is to entertain.

Watch Andy Weir become a nerd at the Science Museum

Andy Weir is distracted. Of course it is. The museum houses an impressive collection of scale models, factoids, and images from the James Webb Space Telescope. Upstairs at the Hayden Planetarium, a new short film narrated by Pedro Pascal is showing. Wearing a tan fedora and his hands in his pockets, Weir always has a half-smile, as if he’s telling a geeky joke. We look up at the dangling planet models and remember the days before Pluto was demoted from the planet lineup. He told me about a Pluto shirt he once saw that made him laugh along with the words, “I was big enough for your mom.”

We’re joined by Dr. Ruth Angus, the museum’s associate curator of astrophysics. they speak the same language. I feel like I’m on a tricycle. The two soon begin exchanging trivia and analogies of relative distance. Weir performs a very complex math problem on one of these when prompted. He looked off into the distance as he calculated, and his unwavering smile appeared on his face.

“You’re really surprising me right now,” she tells him, and I agree. He missed my number by about two digits.

Both Weir and Angus learned science through fiction. Weir grew up reading his father’s “Boomer science fiction.” His “Holy Trinity” are writers Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Robert A. Heinlein. The movie Apollo 13 was also a big inspiration.

Angus, who describes himself as a “super nerd” and Weir fan, believes the author is helping to inspire a new generation of science enthusiasts.

“I think your book does what a lot of science communicators want, which is to write something compelling enough that you want to read it, and maybe pick up some science along the way,” Angus says. “Many science communicators just want to get people’s attention.”

Weir humbly counters that the job of science communicators is much more “difficult” because they actually want to educate.

“If someone comes away from there remembering science, I’m happy for that, but I know my place in the world. It’s just to entertain people and have a good time when they’re reading,” says Weir. “But I’m not good at science, so I do it my way.”

Weir says Ryan Gosling brought ‘nuance’ to ‘Project Hail Mary’

As a film, “Project Hail Mary” is surprisingly faithful, recreating many important scenes moment by moment. Unlike The Martian, which starred Matt Damon, Weir was the producer. His only job was to “cash checks.” This time he was there for filming and making important decisions.

“Actually, I have something important to say,” he quipped.

He was the resident expert on the “nitty gritty” of movies, which makes sense considering some of the science he made up. He makes it clear that most of it is accurate, but he’s proud to say that “you have to go down to the quantum level to find the bullshit.”

“I was the only source of information on that,” he says.

When you see Gosling’s character writing on a cosmic whiteboard, pay attention. Before shooting these scenes, Weir wrote down the calculations to copy, and Gosling worked hard to memorize them. Then, while the cameras were rolling, the directors gave him the exact numbers through earphones.

According to Weir, Gosling was not very interested in science, but Gosling cared that the film was as accurate as possible. Gosling flies solo for much of the film, a demanding role.

“He added a lot of nuance to the character just with body language and alternate lines. He came up with other lines, and of course he had to improvise. So he ended up with a version of Ryland that was much deeper and more nuanced than anything I’d ever written,” says Weir. “I think my biggest weakness as a writer, in my opinion, is the depth and complexity of my characters. I’ve come up with interesting plots and interesting pseudoscience, but my characters are kind of shallow, so I’m working on that. I want to be better.”

Create your alien buddy Rocky in “Project Hail Mary”

Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller brought Weir’s vision of Rocky to life. Puppeteers, rather than CGI, brought Ryland’s best friend to life. In a separate interview with USA TODAY, Gosling called the engineering-minded alien who travels with a glamorous team of six puppeteers “a bit of a diva.”

Weir said his interest in working with Lord and Miller stemmed from their experience animating films such as “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” He praised Rocky’s execution, saying it was “exactly what it says in the book.”

“I couldn’t have done a better job,” Weir said. “They know how to create animation. You need animation to make a faceless rock interesting. It all has to be done through body language and movement.”

Forget about saving humanity. This unexpected friendship is the true gem of this story. If you’re a reader of Project Hail Mary, you know how much this little alien can tug at your heartstrings. I point out that Weir shouldn’t sell himself short. Indeed, this duo has a lot of emotion and personality.

“This is me working hard. This is me working hard. This is my best!” he said to me as he bowed.

Claire Mulroy is USA TODAY’s books reporter, covering hot releases, chatting with authors, and diving into reading culture. please find her on instagramsubscribe weekly book newsletter Or tell her what you’re reading cmulroy@usatoday.com.

“I did it.” How much does gas cost under Trump vs. Biden?

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“I did it.” How much does gas cost under Trump vs. Biden?

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  • Gasoline prices have increased by more than $1 a gallon since early February.
  • President Trump has said a temporary increase in gas prices is worth it to eliminate the Iranian threat.
  • A sticker once used against Joe Biden and blaming the current president for rising gas prices now appears with an image of Trump.

President Donald Trump has long touted lower gas prices as an improvement of his administration compared to that of former President Joe Biden.

As of March 20, the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline is higher than it will be in October 2022, according to AAA. AAA is $3.912, indicating that gas prices have increased by more than $1 per gallon since early February. In response to a question about rising gasoline prices, President Trump said eliminating the threat from Iran is worth the temporary increase in gasoline prices.

But Trump will run on the cheap in 2024, and Democrats are now campaigning on the issue, even though Trump has called it a “fraud.” But even before gas prices started rising, President Trump had been performing poorly in polls on this issue in recent months.

“Gasoline prices were a real saving grace for President Trump in January,” Charles Franklin, director of polling at Marquette Law School, told USA TODAY in an interview. “The combination of inflation and existing cost-of-living concerns has turned this factor, which was a bright spot in January, into a very dark spot today.”

more: Gasoline prices per gallon will increase by 27 cents per AAA. President Trump: ‘I’m not concerned’

What was the price of gas during Biden vs. Trump?

President Trump and his allies have used high gas prices under the Biden administration as a campaign talking point, often taking credit for low gas prices during the president’s first term.

Gas prices fell throughout the end of 2018 as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries contributed to the market’s oversupply.

Prices also fell in 2020 as travel around the world came to a screeching halt due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. At the same time, fears of a looming economic recession sparked price wars among major suppliers, driving prices below $2 a gallon in many states.

Then, as pandemic shutdowns were lifted, gas demand returned. As gas prices rose throughout 2021, Biden poured money into emergency oil reserves, which did little to stop gas prices from rising. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, impacting global supplies and further increasing prices. In the month following the invasion, U.S. prices rose on average by nearly $1 a gallon. To bring those prices down, Biden has ordered the release of up to 180 million barrels of oil from the nation’s emergency stockpile, the largest release in the stockpile’s history.

The highest price per gallon of regular gasoline was $5.016 on June 14, 2022, according to AAA, which also shows that gas prices have increased by more than 70 cents as of March 19 during President Trump’s final year.

Below is the evolution of gas prices over the past 10 years between President Biden and President Trump, according to AAA.

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“I did it” stickers are back

Experts typically say gas prices are a result of global markets, and a president alone can do little to influence prices. However, this scenario is a little different.

“I think what’s clear is that the president is actually controlling the international gas market by attacking Iran and closing the Strait of Hormuz,” Franklin said. In other words, there is little that can be done to bring prices down significantly, but rising prices were a predictable outcome of being involved in conflicts in the Middle East.

When gas prices dominated the messaging at the 2024 Republican National Convention, Franklin told USA TODAY that gas prices are often viewed through a partisan lens. When gas prices rise, parties that are not in power are likely to pass the increase on to parties that are in power.

Under the Biden administration, gas stations featured stickers with Biden’s photo and the caption “I did it.”

Now it’s Trump’s turn. Etsy sellers, TikTok Shop, and Amazon are all selling President Trump’s “I Did It” stickers. Social media users posted photos of stickers on pumps across the country. According to AAA, one commenter shared a photo of a sticker on a gas pump in the battleground state of Arizona. The state is one of the most expensive regions in the country, with gasoline prices averaging $4.459 as of March 20.

What is President Trump saying about gas prices?

On March 18, the Trump administration announced a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act in hopes of easing the disruption to the oil market caused by the Iran war.

President Trump said from the Oval Office on March 3, “Oil prices are going to be a little bit high for a while, but I believe that once this is over, prices will come down and they’ll be lower than they’ve been in the past.” In an exclusive interview with Reuters on March 5, he said he was “not worried at all” about the rise in gasoline prices, adding that military operations were “much more important than a slight increase in gasoline prices.”

In a post on Truth Social on March 8, President Trump called rising prices “a very small price to pay for the security and peace of America and the world.”

President Trump also said the United States stands to benefit from higher gas prices.

“The United States is by far the world’s largest oil producer, so we stand to make a lot of money when oil prices go up,” Trump said in a March 12 post on Truth Social. “But my far greater interest and importance as president is to stop the evil empire, Iran, from acquiring nuclear weapons and destroying the Middle East and indeed the world. I will never allow that to happen!”

“Americans are feeling it now. Americans will be feeling it for several more weeks,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on March 15. He also said there is a “good chance” gas prices will fall below $3 a gallon by summer.

Contributors: Carissa Wadick, Philip M. Bailey, Michael Collins, Sarah Chernikov, Mike Snyder, Nathan Bomy, Jazmine Goodwin, Joey Garrison, Rachel Barber, america today

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

Katie Couric talks aging, becoming a grandma and early cancer screening

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Katie Couric talks aging, becoming a grandma and early cancer screening

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Katie Couric is getting older and enjoying the joy of becoming a grandmother. She just wants her late husband, Jay Monaghan, to experience that too.

“He missed watching his daughters grow up. He missed watching Ellie get married. He missed Carrie, who was Phi Beta Kappa at Stanford University. He would be very proud of them both,” Couric told USA TODAY. “When you lose someone like that, you’re so grateful to be there for every chapter of their life, and I think there’s actually more than one chapter to be grateful for and enjoy.”

Couric was hosting the “Today” show in 1998 when Monaghan died at age 42. The whole country mourned her death, as well as her two young daughters, Ellie and Carrie, who were only 6 and 2 years old at the time.

Years later, Couric continues to advocate for early colorectal cancer screening, by broadcasting her own colonoscopies on TV, like on the Today show in 2000, and by attending events like the Cologuard Classic PGA Tour Tournament of Champions for Colon Cancer Awareness in Tucson, Arizona, to help other young people avoid the same grief her family endured.

“We’re seeing people in their early 40s, 30s and even 20s being diagnosed with this disease,” Couric said. “It’s absolutely important that people see their doctor at the first sign of any symptoms and talk and ask questions about whether it could be colorectal cancer.”

According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths overall and the deadliest cancer among people under age 50. Colon cancer is back in the spotlight, with actor James Van Der Beek being the latest celebrity to die from the disease. Although preventable, symptoms such as bloating, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, and bloody stools often go unnoticed. That’s why getting tested early is so important, Couric said. In recent years, the American Cancer Society has lowered the recommended age for starting routine screening for colorectal cancer to 45, but people with a family history of the disease can get tested even earlier. Couric said his daughters, who are in their early 30s, have been tested.

more: She thought it was a stomach ache. I was 26 years old and had stage 3 rectal cancer.

“It’s shocking and heartbreaking to have someone you know or love diagnosed with this disease when you have everything in life right in front of you,” Couric said.

Katie Couric’s ‘biggest regret’ while caring for sick husband

Looking back on her time as a caregiver, Couric said she was too shocked to properly prepare for life without her husband.

“I think my biggest regret, frankly, is that I never talked about my husband potentially dying. We never had those difficult conversations,” she said, adding how traumatic the diagnosis was for both of them. “Honestly, I wish I had gone to someone who could have facilitated those conversations, because the only way to deal with Jay’s illness was to stay hopeful and keep saying, ‘We’ll figure it out.'”

Couric said hope is important and can keep people going “even under the worst circumstances imaginable.” At the same time, living in denial that someone may not recover can prevent families from making plans for the future, she said.

“There’s a lot of things I didn’t talk about with Jay because I couldn’t handle bringing up the possibility of him not being around,” she said. “As a caregiver, that’s probably my biggest regret.”

She also emphasized the importance of caregivers taking care of themselves while caring for everyone else in their lives to avoid burnout.

“You need to accept help and ask for help,” Couric said. “For my own physical and mental health, I need to rest. During Jay’s illness, I tried to do that. I felt guilty at times, but I knew if I didn’t I would explode.”

Katie Couric says, “There’s a lot of bad things about aging.” But she is grateful.

Couric remarried financier John Molnar in 2014, around the time her daughters left home and entered the empty nest era. Twelve years later, she said the transition from the chaos of raising young children and teenagers to the quiet life of an empty nest was difficult.

“You don’t have the same rhythm anymore. When you have kids, it was very important for me to have dinner together. You have responsibilities, you have school, so all these things give your life a certain rhythm,” Couric said. “And when those things are gone, you not only have to be quiet, but you have to adapt to a different rhythm of life.”

Couric is currently preparing to welcome her second grandchild. Although she was tired of just thinking about getting older, “To be honest, there are a lot of things I don’t like about getting older,” she said. But she also appreciates the wrinkles and stiffness of her joints. “I’m so lucky to be here,” she said.

“I hope to be here for a long time for my grandchildren,” she said. “And it’s so much fun to be able to experience a little kid and see the world through his eyes and watch my daughter become a mother.”

Madeline Mitchell’s role covering women and the care economy for USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.

Contact Madeline at: memitchell@usatoday.com and @maddiemitch_ At X.

The Pluto controversy, the Oscars, and the Iran war: A look back at the week

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The Pluto controversy, the Oscars, and the Iran war: A look back at the week

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Susie Wiles receives treatment for breast cancer

Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, President Donald Trump’s right-hand man and one of the most powerful people in Washington, is battling breast cancer. Trump said on Truth Social that Wiles, 68, the first woman to hold the job, had a “good” prognosis and would begin treatment immediately and remain in the White House. Wiles acknowledged her diagnosis in a post on X, noting that nearly 1 in 8 women in the United States face similar struggles. “Every day, they continue to raise their families, go to work, and serve their communities with strength and determination. Now, I’m joining them.”

Will Pluto get back on track?

Little Pluto has some big boosters. Considered the ninth and outermost planet in our solar system until it was downgraded to dwarf planet status in 2006, this distant world now has a prominent figure pushing for its planet status to be regained, and possibly by presidential proclamation. Among them is NASA’s new administrator, Jared Isaacman, who said in an interview with the Daily Mail that he supports President Donald Trump in “making Pluto great again” with executive orders. It’s unclear whether the president can do that, and he hasn’t considered the issue.

Google Maps expands your horizons

Google Maps is now even better at getting you where you want to go. The search giant is rolling out an “Ask Maps” button on its Maps app. The button allows drivers to ask “complex, real-world questions that maps have never been able to answer,” and get answers such as recommended stops along the route, destination amenities, parking and restroom options, and more. Another new app feature is called immersive navigation, which creates a 3D view that reflects surrounding structures and terrain and highlights crosswalks, lanes, stop signs, and traffic lights. According to the company, more than 2 billion people use Google Maps every month.

“One Battle” wins Oscar

Hollywood rolled up the red carpet and wrapped up awards season in style with a frenzied 98th Academy Awards, crowning “One Battle After Another” with six trophies, including the big prize of Best Picture. Sinners entered the night with a record 16 nominations, much to the dismay of some Oscar-watchers, but only won four, with an emotional Michael B. Jordan winning Best Actor. Ireland’s Jessie Buckley won the Best Actress award for “Hamnet,” and in her acceptance speech said it was Mother’s Day in the UK and dedicated her award to “the beautiful turmoil of a mother’s heart.”

How about a hamburger with that? Watch Michael B. Jordan win Oscar for ‘In-N-Out’

Underdog Venezuela surprises US to win WBC title

The final game of the World Baseball Classic may have been tinged with political turmoil, but in the end, it was a classic. Venezuela defeated the USA 3-2 at Lawn Depot Park in Miami with a go-ahead double in the ninth inning, erasing the heroics of America’s Bryce Harper, who tied the game with a monster two-run home run in the eighth inning. Venezuela closed out the game with a perfect victory in the bottom of the ninth inning, sending the pro-Venezuelan crowd into a frenzy that brought some players to tears. “Our country needs this,” MVP Michael Garcia said. “And we need this too.” − Compiled and written by Robert Abitbol

I had a perfect credit score. Here’s how to get it:

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I had a perfect credit score. Here’s how to get it:

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For a few precious weeks last year, I had perfect grades.

Sometime during the summer, I clicked one of these credit renewal links, signed in, and saw the magical number 850.

I have never had perfect credit, and I may never have it again. After a month or two, my scores were back in the 820s. Although exceptional, it wasn’t perfect.

Full credit, or even “exceptional” credit, opens the door for American consumers. This means lower interest rates on your loan. You are more likely to rent an apartment or find a job. Insurance premiums become cheaper.

The Motley Fool reports that about 1.8% of Americans have a perfect FICO credit score. People with perfect credit are often older, like me. Many of them live in Minnesota.

My journey to perfect credit is remarkable, if only because I’ve spent most of my adult life as the epitome of imperfect credit.

I started my professional career making $17,000 a year, with five-figure student loans, and no assets more valuable than pizza coupons.

By the time I was 40, I had enough money for retirement. Student loans are gone. My wife and I owned a house. But now I had five figures in credit card debt. The balance increased year by year.

I finally kicked my credit card habit. I spent 50 years paying off cards. My credit score gradually increased.

I started writing about personal finance in 2022. I practiced what I preached. That means I saved more, borrowed less, and moved the rest of my debt to interest-free credit cards. (Yes: We also accept credit cards.)

I remember the day my credit score hit 777. The rest of the way to perfect credit was a gradual process. Once again, let’s break down the components of a credit score.

There are many credit scores. For simplicity’s sake, we’ll focus on the well-known FICO score.

Payment history: 35%

Jenelle Dito, FICO’s vice president of consumer empowerment programs and partnerships, says the most important factor in your credit score is “as simple as paying your bills on time and as agreed.”

Missing a payment by even a day or two can result in late fees and other negative consequences.

But late payments “typically aren’t reported to the credit bureaus until 30 days have passed,” said Courtney Alleb, a consumer finance advocate at Intuit Credit Karma.

If that happens, it will be a big problem.

“The reality is, one missed payment or one late payment can have a significant impact on your credit score,” Alev says.

Even if you miss a payment, “you want to pay it as soon as possible,” Alev says. If your payments are 30 to 60 or 90 days late, your credit score may drop accordingly.

An easy way to avoid missing payments is to set your payments to automatic payments. Another is to set alerts and reminders. You can often do all of these things on the website where you pay your bill.

For me, managing my bills wasn’t a big problem. But over the last few years, I’ve moved small bills to automatic payments.

I’m afraid to automate big things because my checking account balance is unstable. Instead, list all your monthly bills in a Google Drive file and mark them as they’re paid. It’s a rough idea, but it’s effective.

Amount owed: 30%

This is the second largest factor in your credit score. Measures credit utilization, or the amount of credit available.

If you have $100,000 of available credit on your card and credit line, and the total balance on those accounts is $50,000, you’re using 50% of your credit.

We often hear that keeping your credit utilization ratio below 30% is a good goal.

“But the reality is, if you want perfect credit, you want your credit score to be less than 10%, or even less than 5%,” Alev says.

FICO’s Dito says that while 30% may be good as a motivational goal, the number doesn’t mean anything special in the world of credit scores.

“Nothing magical happens at 30%,” she said. “The guidance we’re trying to provide is that lower is better.”

There are several ways to lower your credit utilization. One is to pay down your line of credit.

Others are less obvious. For example: If you are paying off your credit card, you may want to close it. However, if you leave it open, unused credits can improve your score. (And your credit history: see below.)

As I paid off my credit line, my credit score slowly increased. A few years ago, I started keeping my old credit cards.

To keep your account open, it can be helpful to make a claim every now and then. I currently have three, each covering a different monthly subscription, and all set to automatic payments.

Length of credit history: 15%

This FICO factor is self-explanatory. Credit agencies reward you for your credit history.

“The sooner you can get listed in the credit bureau’s database, the better,” said Cynthia Chen, CEO of Kikoff, a company that helps consumers build credit.

It may seem counterintuitive, but you can’t start life with perfect credit. To accomplish that, you need a credit history. The system “favors people who start building credit early,” Chen said.

It also supports the old one. That’s one of the reasons I have good credit.

New credit: 10%

This FICO component is primarily negative. Every time you take out a new car loan or credit card, you earn new credit.

It’s no big deal if you get new accounts here and there. But “if you’ve recently opened a large number of credit cards, that could be seen as a yellow flag by lenders,” Alev says.

Timing is critical with new credits.

“Let’s say you’re planning on buying a home in the next few months,” said Sarah Lassner, credit card expert at NerdWallet. “Maybe you should hold off on applying for a new credit card.”

When you apply for new credit and the creditor pulls your file, it’s a “hard search.” That can hurt your credit score, and your ability to qualify for a mortgage.

My mantra these days is “Never borrow.” And with the exception of my 2021 car loan, I’ve been living off of it. I get a new interest-free card every few years, but only to pay off debt I already have.

Credit mix: 10%

This metric looks at your ability to handle different types of credit.

Credit cards are considered “revolving” credit, meaning you can borrow, pay back, and borrow again. A mortgage is an “installment” credit, meaning that you repay a set amount of money at regular intervals over a period of time.

It’s good to have both.

How did I get a perfect credit score?

Looking back at my own credit journey, I can clearly see the path to perfect credit.

By the time my score reached 850, I had a strong payment history. My credit utilization rate was at an all-time low. My credit history is long and getting longer. I didn’t take advantage of the new credit. The credit mix also included both installment and revolving loans.

Why did I lose my perfect trust?

That’s hard to say. Credit scores are fickle. And maybe the god of trust was punishing me for doing the right thing.

When my credit score was near perfect, I got a new interest-free credit card and loaded it with debt from an old home equity loan. This move saved us hundreds of dollars in interest. But it was also new credit and it took a toll on my credit utilization rate.

As I sit here today, my FICO score is 818. It’s not perfect, but it’s good enough.

Who really stands to gain from President Trump’s SAVE Act: Republicans or Democrats? It’s complicated.

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Who really stands to gain from President Trump’s SAVE Act: Republicans or Democrats? It’s complicated.

The president said the election security bill would “guarantee the midterm elections” for Republicans. The available data are less clear. The reason is as follows

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WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is urging Congressional Republicans to pass tough new voter registration requirements, arguing the legislation will benefit the party in the upcoming election.

President Trump told Republican lawmakers gathered at a golf resort in Doral, Florida on March 9, “This guarantees we’ll have a midterm election,” urging them to make the midterm election a top priority. “My opinion is that if you don’t understand it, you’ll be in trouble.”

The fact that Republicans are so enthusiastic about the bill, known informally as the SAVE Act, suggests they are confident it will benefit in a year when Republicans expect to lose their House majority.

Meanwhile, Democrats uniformly oppose the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, and voting and civil rights advocates worry that the bill will disenfranchise many voters who lack access to proof of citizenship. This risk is typically seen as a threat to Democrats, whose supporters are disproportionately young, nonwhite, and low-income.

But does the SAVE Act actually give Republicans a partisan advantage? The evidence is unclear.

The bill would require Americans to present proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, passport, or naturalization document, to register to vote in federal elections. The provisions under consideration would also significantly limit or eliminate mail-in voting and require people nationwide to show a government-issued photo ID to vote, which is currently required only in some states.

Democrats overwhelmingly say they support election security and voter ID measures to prevent noncitizens and other ineligible people from registering or voting, but note that such cases are extremely rare. But they argue that the bill’s citizenship proof requirements for registration will deter many voters.

“Under the SAVE Act, you can’t use a driver’s license to register to vote,” Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois said on the X show on March 19. “Republicans want you to buy a passport instead. If you can afford it. This is a modern-day poll tax.”

Here’s what we know, according to voting rights groups, legal analysis and other data.

“Political implications may vary from state to state.”

One of the most widely cited findings in this debate comes from a study by the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement at the University of Maryland, which has studied the issue for years.

In its March 2025 report, “Who lacks documentation of citizenship?”, the Center conducted three in-depth studies that included a nationally representative sample of the adult U.S. adult population.

The study states, “Many Americans of all political identities do not have a DPOC, a document proving their citizenship. Further research is needed to understand what impact, if any, the SAVE Act will have on election outcomes.”

National surveys have found that people who don’t have easy access to proof of citizenship are disproportionately young and people of color, two demographic groups that are more likely to vote Democratic than Republican.

But the center also conducted two state-level studies in Georgia and Texas and found that “results suggest that political influences may vary by state.”

more: What happened when Kansas tried President Trump’s version of the SAVE Act? Chaos

In the Texas survey, more Republicans than Democrats said they currently do not have any citizenship documents or do not have easy access to them, the center said. But a study in Georgia “found that roughly equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans were affected,” the authors write.

In recent elections, voters are less polarized by income. Exit polls show that in 2016, voters with annual incomes of less than $30,000 supported Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton over Trump by a 13-point margin, but in 2024, Trump lost low-income voters to former Vice President Kamala Harris by just 4 points.

Millions of Americans lack necessary documents

President Trump has said in recent weeks that he would not sign the bill until the Senate followed the House’s lead and passed the SAVE Act.

The Republican push this week faces fierce opposition not only from Democrats but also from some Republicans who are reluctant to do away with the Senate filibuster and the requirement for a de facto majority in the Senate to pass, as Trump has called for.

But if passed, tens of millions of Americans could be affected.

A 2024 study by New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice found that more than 21 million Americans do not have easy access to the types of citizenship documents required by this bill.

And at least 3.8 million people don’t have these documents at all, many because they’ve been lost, destroyed or stolen, according to a report by the Brennan Center, a collaboration between the Maryland Center for Democracy and Citizenship and two other voting rights groups, VoteRiders and Public Wise.

The Brennan Center report also found evidence of racial disparities, including that 8% of self-identified white Americans do not have ready access to citizenship documents, while nearly 11% of Americans of color are in a similar position.

A new Brennan Center report published last month by the same authors found that 8% of Democrats who said they voted in 2020 do not have easy access to these documents, compared with 7% of Republicans.

Complexity of mail-in registration

Other provisions that may be included in the new bill also further cloud the picture.

For example, the final version of the SAVE America Act will likely also require in-person proof of citizenship for registration and registration renewal, limiting or replacing existing methods such as the Internet, mail, and registration at a local state Department of Motor Vehicles.

A 2023 Brennan Center study found that millions more voters with access to citizenship documents still prefer to register using these common methods.

Key but bipartisan constituency

President Trump has long argued that the 2020 election he lost to Joe Biden cost him widespread voter fraud, especially “millions” of illegal immigrants brought into the country by Democrats to boost their political fortunes.

Mounting empirical evidence shows that President Trump’s claims are not true and that non-referendum and other forms of election fraud are virtually non-existent.

Conservatives disagree. One of them, the Heritage Foundation, maintains a database of 1,546 “substantiated cases of voter fraud.”

“The SAVE Act would prevent noncitizens from voting in American elections,” the think tank said in a Jan. 22 Facebook post. “If you’re against it, you’re probably trying to deceive.”

Could it backfire for Republicans?

On its face, the proposed law targets administrative factors such as access to documents and registration methods, rather than political party affiliation.

But analysts say it could affect voters in both parties differently nationally and state by state, given the parties’ existing election policies and protocols.

A January 2025 analysis by the nonpartisan Government Readiness Institute found that married women, older adults, young people, Hispanics, and low-income registrants will have the most difficulty registering to vote under the SAVE Act.

In a recent analysis, The Washington Post found that rural voters — the group Trump won by 30 points in 2024 — are less likely to have a passport. That unpredictability is compounded by the fact that Republicans attract more male, working-class, first-time voters who “tend to be less educated and have less access to documentation,” the Post said.

Largest Voting Group – Older Americans

Across party lines, older Americans are likely to face the most significant documentation hurdles, including discrepancies and missing records, according to the March 17 SAVE America Act Guide by the nonpartisan AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons).

AARP said in a separate report in October 2024 that it could be important because older people are a major influence in determining U.S. elections.

Turnout among voters 65 and older was the highest of any age group since 1988, with 72% voting in 2020, according to the AARP Guide. According to the report, voters over the age of 50 will account for 55% of voters in the 2024 election.

Older Americans who have moved frequently during their lifetimes or left their homes for nursing homes or assisted living facilities may have particular difficulty gathering the necessary documents to prove their eligibility, such as birth certificates.

Special challenges for women and minorities

The bills under consideration could also pose special challenges for women, especially those who take their husband’s name, which does not match the name on their birth certificate.

“For married women who have changed their names, as long as they are already registered to vote, they are not affected by the SAVE Act,” White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt said at a March 10 White House press briefing.

AARP points out that 85% of women over age 50 who married men took their husband’s last name when they married.

Women overall lean toward the Democratic Party, but married women supported President Trump by 5 percentage points in 2024.

Will the Supreme Court listen to the Catholic Church on immigration?

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Will the Supreme Court listen to the Catholic Church on immigration?

‘It’s immoral’ That’s what the Catholic Church told the Supreme Court about President Trump’s attempt to abolish birthright citizenship for some infants born in the United States. Something to watch in the upcoming showdown.

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WASHINGTON – Several Catholic bishops have taken the “unusual” step of waiving the requirement to attend Sunday Mass for parishioners who fear they will be subject to immigration detention if they leave their homes.

The entire U.S. bishops’ conference issued an unusual public condemnation of the Trump administration’s tactics against illegal immigration.

The church is now hoping its moral strength will persuade the Supreme Court to rule against the administration in two upcoming immigration cases.

Remarkably, the U.S. Catholic bishops have made not only legal but also ethical arguments in their court filings.

The church said in a brief, backed by Bible verses, that the bishops consider President Donald Trump’s attempt to abolish birthright citizenship for some children born in the United States to be “immoral.”

And allowing the federal government to turn away asylum seekers at the border is “not just a legal error, but a moral disaster,” the church wrote in a separate lawsuit scheduled to be argued March 24.

“Catholic bishops are saying that the current administration’s position is not only anti-Constitutional and anti-American, but also anti-Christian,” said Darrell Miller, a professor at the University of Chicago Law School. “This is a remarkable position that the Bishops’ Conference has expressed regarding the current government.”

more: Trump Justice Department backs Catholic schools in Supreme Court appeal over LGBTQ+ issues

Most Supreme Court justices are Catholic

This is also a view that may appeal to a uniquely receptive audience. Six of the nine justices are Catholic, and the seventh, Neil Gorsuch, was raised Catholic. (Ketanji Brown Jackson is Protestant, Elena Kagan is Jewish.)

And while religious faith considerations are not formally part of the judicial process, judges’ backgrounds are often scrutinized as indicators of their likely votes.

“Some have suggested that people of faith may have a particularly difficult time obeying the law rather than their moral views,” Judge Amy Coney Barrett wrote in her 2025 book “Hearing the Law,” noting the scrutiny she faced for her Catholic faith when she was first nominated to the federal bench. “I don’t know why.”

more: Amy Coney Barrett says, “I’m not doing anyone justice.” That includes Mr. Trump.

An analysis of cases decided by the Catholic court in the nine years since it became a majority found a clear gap between how often Catholic judges sided with the church in cases important to the church and how often non-Catholic judges sided with the church. But according to a 2015 academic paper by Kevin Walsh, a Catholic University law professor who clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia, the difference is “primarily one of ideology rather than ecclesiastical affiliation.”

Dino Christenson, co-author of a 2025 report on the influence of outside groups on courts, said research consistently highlights that judges’ ideology plays the most powerful role in decisions.

“However, reminding the justices that the court is predominantly Catholic and that the church and some parishioners are on one side may resonate with the justices,” Christenson, a political science professor at Washington University in St. Louis, said in an email to USA TODAY.

more: Texas bishop visits Vatican to discuss immigration issues. What does Pope Leo say about Trump?

Bishops take strong stance on immigration

The judges may have known they were working on this series of cases., It shows the strong stance the Catholic Church has taken against immigrants.

In November, the Catholic bishops of the United States issued a “special message” expressing concern about how immigrants are being treated in the United States.

It was the first time in more than a dozen years that the Church had spoken in such a particularly urgent manner. The last time was in 2013, when bishops criticized a provision in President Barack Obama’s health reform that required some Catholic employers to cover contraception in their insurance plans.

more: “Nationalism is growing stronger” President Trump and Catholics fight over morality

The Supreme Court sided with the church in recent cases

In a series of recent victories for the church, a court ruled in 2020 that employers with religious or moral objections do not have to cooperate in covering contraceptives under the Affordable Care Act.

In that case, after siding with the Little Sisters of the Poor, In 2021, a court ruled in favor of a Catholic social services agency that refused to recognize same-sex couples as foster parents.

Last year, the court unanimously sided with Catholic Charities of Wisconsin in a fight over unemployment tax exemptions for religious groups, but deadlocked on whether to allow the church to establish the nation’s first religious charter school in Oklahoma.

Even if the church is not directly involved in the lawsuit, U.S. Catholic bishops will participate in legal battles that “touch important tenets of Catholic teaching.”

In recent years, the church has most often done so in cases involving religious rights, abortion, marriage and sexuality, and immigration.

Church points out that Jesus Christ was a refugee

The immigration case the court will consider on March 24 concerns the government’s ability to limit the number of people seeking asylum at the border by barring them from entering the United States if their request for protection is recognized by law.

Immigrant rights groups and asylum seekers who challenge the “turnback” policy say the government falsely claims migrants are being denied entry because border crossings lack the capacity to process them.

Although this policy is currently not in use, the Department of Justice would like to keep the option open.

Catholic bishops in the United States have pointed out that Christ was a refugee, as his parents fled to Egypt to escape persecution.

“This policy violates nearly 2,000 years of Catholic faith, international humanitarian agreements, and the obligation to care for refugees, a fundamental legal and moral principle that runs through the history of this country,” the church said in a court filing.

more: Pope Francis, ‘son of immigrants’, leaves a lasting legacy

The bishops have made similar arguments in the debate over President Trump’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship, and the justices are scheduled to take up the issue on April 1 in one of the most high-profile debates of the term.

The church said in a filing that the effects of the president’s order are “immoral and contrary to the fundamental beliefs and teachings of the Catholic Church regarding human life and dignity, the treatment of vulnerable people, especially migrants and children, and the unity of the family.”

Moral arguments are “historically grounded”

Miller, the University of Chicago law professor, sees the bishops’ faith-based arguments as a wise move.

“They know that this is a Supreme Court that tends to be sympathetic to appeals that have aspects of religious discrimination,” he said. “And to say that this is a form of anti-religious bigotry … is going to be decided differently in this court than it was 20, 25, or 30 years ago.”

Adam Feldman, a lawyer and political scientist who runs a blog called Empirical SCOTUS, said the church’s emphasis on religious teachings appears to be a “major shift” from the more substantive legal arguments the church has raised in other major cases.

A focus on Judeo-Christian tradition could be persuasive for courts, which increasingly use history and tradition to discern the original meaning of the Constitution and subsequent amendments, he said.

“Moral arguments are actually historically based,” Feldman said.

Can judges be swayed by moral arguments?

Douglas Laycock, a law professor at the University of Virginia and a leading expert on religious law, said moral arguments are most important when the law is unclear.

“This is a court that claims to be textualist and often claims it is not interested in policy issues,” Laycock said in an email. “Moral arguments can help judges choose when a law can easily be interpreted in more than one way, but many judges are reluctant to acknowledge that even then.”

Laycock said he doesn’t think there’s any major ambiguity in the law in either immigration case, but the potential for supportive filings, known as amicus briefs, to make a difference is too important to ignore.

“If you care about the issue, you feel obligated to file it just in case,” Laycock said. “However, most of the court briefs turned out to be inconsequential.”

Mega Millions winning numbers for March 20th drawing: $50 million jackpot

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Mega Millions winning numbers for March 20th drawing: million jackpot

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After a lucky player in Ohio won a $60 million jackpot earlier this week, the Mega Millions jackpot has been reset to $50 million, with a $22.6 million cash option for the Friday, March 20th drawing.

The victory ended a months-long drought. There was no Mega Millions jackpot winner from December until early March, until an Illinois player won a massive $536 million prize on March 10th. A week later, on St. Patrick’s Day, the Ohio ticket holder struck gold again.

If someone wins on Friday, you have two options. You can choose a one-time lump sum payment or choose annual payments that start immediately and increase by 5% each year.

Here’s what you need to know about Friday’s Mega Millions drawing.

What are the Mega Millions winning numbers for March 20, 2026?

Friday’s Mega Millions winning numbers: 11-20-51-55-63 and the mega ball 4.

more: Which states have the most lottery winners? What you need to know.

When is the next Mega Millions drawing?

The next Mega Millions drawing is scheduled for Tuesday, March 24th at 11:00 PM ET.

Top 10 Mega Millions Jackpots

  • $1.602 billion in Florida on August 8, 2023
  • $1.537 billion in South Carolina on October 23, 2018
  • $1.348 billion on January 1, 2023 in Maine
  • July 29, 2022, $1.337 billion in Illinois
  • December 27, 2024, $1.269 billion in California
  • $1.128 billion in New Jersey on March 26, 2024
  • $1.05 billion in Michigan on January 22, 2021
  • $983 million in Georgia on November 14, 2025
  • $810 million in Texas on September 10, 2024
  • March 30, 2012, $656 million in Illinois, Kansas, and Maryland

more: We have a Mega Millions jackpot winner! Where was the ticket sold?

What is Mega Millions?

Mega Millions is a lottery that is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Each ticket costs $5 and allows players to choose six numbers from two different number pools: five different numbers from 1 to 70 (white balls) and one number from 1 to 24 (gold mega ball), or choose easy pick/quick pick.

If you match all six winning numbers in the drawing, you win the jackpot. If there are multiple jackpot winners, the jackpot prize will be shared.

How to play Mega Millions

To play Mega Millions, you must purchase a ticket. This can be done at several locations, including local convenience stores, gas stations, and grocery stores. In some states, you can purchase Mega Millions tickets online.

Once you have your ticket, you have to choose six numbers. Five of them are white balls numbered 1-70. The golden mega ball ranges from 1 to 24.

If you’re feeling particularly unlucky or don’t want to go through the hassle of picking, you can request a “quick pick” or “easy pick.” When you use these options, your computer randomly generates numbers.

Mega Millions tickets have built-in multipliers that increase your non-jackpot prize by 2, 3, 4, 5, or 10 times. Previously, players had to pay an extra dollar to add a “Megaplier”.

This story has been updated with new information.

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

New movies streaming on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and Prime Video

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New movies streaming on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and Prime Video

Need to see a new movie? Stream these 10 movies for free in your home with Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, HBO Max, Disney+, and Peacock.

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  • One of these movies is the one you should watch tonight.
  • Domestic theatrical releases include the musical sequel “Wicked: For Good” and the political thriller “Anniversary.”
  • There are also some original streaming movies, including the Netflix movie Peaky Blinders: The Immortal.

Do you like movies? Live for TV? USA TODAY’s Watch Party newsletter has all of our best recommendations, delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now and be one of the cool kids.

Another Academy Awards is upon us, and thanks to streaming services, Oscar-level talent continues to emerge.

Remember Cillian Murphy? The actor, who won Best Actor for Oppenheimer, returns to his familiar role in the Netflix film, a sequel to the long-running TV series Peaky Blinders. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande missed out on a repeat Oscar nomination for their Wicked sequel, but big fans of the musical will finally be able to check it out on Peacock. Plus, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, Amazon’s Prime Video, and more have plenty of interesting new releases to watch, including a political thriller starring Phoebe Dynevor and Dylan O’Brien, and a psychological drama starring James McAvoy.

Here are 10 hottest new movies you can stream right now.

‘Anniversary’

This political thriller stars Phoebe Dynevor as a young woman who begins dating the son (Dylan O’Brien) of a wealthy couple (Kyle Chandler and Diane Lane). The mother remembers that she was a former student who espoused a radical totalitarian ideology, and the new girlfriend begins to build a powerful following, tearing the family apart from the inside.

Where to watch: Hulu

“Fackham Hall”

“Airplane!” Give the “Downton Abbey” spin you never knew you needed. This hilariously daffy parody is set in England in the 1930s, and tells the story of the aristocratic but often incestuous Davenport family, whose daughter Rose (Thomasin Mackenzie) is torn between marrying her cousin Archibald (Tom Felton) to protect the family or staying with pickpocket-turned-servant Eric (Ben Radcliffe).

Where to watch: HBO Max

“Melania”

Director Brett Ratner’s not-so-revealing documentary focuses on the life of Melania Trump, a former fashion model and wife of President Donald Trump. The film follows the 20 days leading up to the 2025 presidential inauguration, giving behind-the-scenes glimpses into the first lady’s personal and personal life.

Where to watch: prime video

“It’s not like there’s no hope.”

Based on a tragic true story, director Joe Carnahan’s survival thriller stars Zachary Levi as one of four friends on a fishing expedition whose boat capsizes during a severe storm. Josh Duhamel is a Coast Guard captain who leads rescue missions as people face dehydration, hypothermia and other dangers at sea.

Where to watch: paramount+

“Nuremberg”

This crowd-pleasing, realistic and moving historical thriller stars Russell Crowe as Adolf Hitler’s narcissistic right-hand man, Hermann Goering (Russell Crowe). As he and others in the Nazi high command are put on trial for war crimes, Goering plays mind games with military psychiatrist Douglas Kelly (Rami Malek).

Where to watch: Netflix

“1000 Scary Women”

Scary movies aren’t just for men. A great way to jump into International Women’s History Month is to watch this documentary that delves into female pioneers in horror history, celebrates films like Jennifer’s Body and Possession, and talks with filmmakers like Mary Harron (American Psycho).

Where to watch: tremble

“Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man”

Former gangster Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) made enemies, lost loved ones and did bad things over six seasons of Peaky Blinders. In this new film, Tommy, isolated from the rest of the world, comes face-to-face with the ghosts of his past. It’s time to rescue the estranged son of a criminal (Barry Keoghan), who is caught up in a Nazi plot to destroy Britain’s economy.

Where to watch: Netflix

‘pose’

For the cover of their latest album, pop star Patricia (Aisling Franciosi) and her artist boyfriend Peter (Lucas Bravo) visit the stately mansion where their photography idol Thomas (James McAvoy) took some of his most famous work. They discover that the eccentric Thomas still haunts the place, he needs a new muse, and things get weird with psychological drama.

Where to watch: prime video

“Wicked: For Good”

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will reprise their roles as the evil witch Elphaba and her popular best friend Glinda with renewed vigor in the musical sequel. While Elphaba confronts a corrupt wizard (Jeff Goldblum), the antagonists develop relationships and stand up for what’s right, all in an unexpectedly relatable fantasy film that sings a lot.

Where to watch: peacock

“Zootopia 2”

Disney’s animated comedy sequel features bunny cop Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and feral fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman). The unlikely friends and partners must once again save the city of Zootopia by helping a fugitive Snake (Ke Huy Quan) and uncovering a long-standing conspiracy against the reptiles.

Where to watch: disney plus

Stocks fall for 4th straight week as NASDAQ and Dow near correction

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Stocks fall for 4th straight week as NASDAQ and Dow near correction

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U.S. stocks closed sharply lower on March 20, posting losses for the fourth consecutive week, pushing the tech-heavy Nasdaq and blue-chip Dow to near correction levels, or at least 10% below their recent highs.

Stocks have been reeling as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed during the war with Iran. One-fifth of the world’s oil is transported through the narrow waterway, mainly to Asia and Europe, and its blockage has significantly increased the international price of Brent crude. Brent crude oil recently rose 2.84% to $111.74 per barrel.

Because oil is used in nearly every part of our lives, from manufacturing and travel to trucking produce to grocery stores to consumers ordering online to their homes and offices, economists are concerned about how high oil prices will affect inflation and economic growth. According to the Energy Information Administration, oil prices are the main driver of retail gasoline prices, typically accounting for more than half of the total price per gallon.

Economists predicted that the longer the fighting in the Middle East continues, the worse the economy will be. At the moment, there is no easy way out.

The Pentagon is sending thousands of additional Marines to the Middle East, and Reuters reported that Iraq has declared force majeure on all oil fields operated by foreign companies.

“We had expected higher spending due to tax refund season, but sustained gas price increases should more than offset that increase,” Michael Pearce, chief U.S. economist, and Bernard Yaros, lead economist at Oxford Economics, said in a note. They now expect consumption growth to slow to just 1.9% this year from 2.5% in February, the slowest pace since 2013 excluding the pandemic.

The S&P 500 composite index fell 1.51%, or 99.9 points, to close at 6,506.59. The Dow fell 0.97%, or 446.51 points, to 45,574.92. The Nasdaq fell 2.01%, or 443.08 points, to 21,647.611.

How worried should we be about oil prices?

So far, investors and economists are hopeful that the soaring oil prices will not continue. Analysts continue to point to oil futures contracts as a proxy for price expectations. They noted that crude oil delivery prices in recent months were much higher than in upcoming months.

“This divergence suggests that despite the severity of the short-term shock, market participants continue to expect a relatively quick resolution rather than a prolonged supply loss,” Fei Xu, portfolio manager of Vanguard’s Commodity Strategies Fund, said in a research note.

So why are stock prices still falling?

Some analysts said the uncertainty is having a negative impact on the stock market. Even if oil prices don’t continue to rise, no one knows how severe the ripple effects will be, especially from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate cuts, they said.

“When you have no idea what the rate cut environment is going to be, what the inflation environment is going to be, or even what the stock market environment is going to be, more people are going to be reluctant to put their money to work,” said Karen Rogers, portfolio manager at Wedbush Fund Advisors.

“I think at the end of the day, it’s all about the uncertainty of how long this is going to last and what that means for future inflation and any ramifications of future Fed rate cuts,” he added.

The Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged at its policy meeting earlier in the week.

“The impact of developments in the Middle East on the U.S. economy is unclear,” the Fed said in a statement explaining the decision, adding that while economic activity is expanding at a “solid pace,” job growth remains low and inflation remains modestly elevated.

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said in a post-meeting press conference that given the recent inflation shock and weak job market, the Fed is in a “difficult situation” to balance its dual mandate of price stability and maximum employment. However, he added that concerns about “stagflation” were premature.

(Updated with new information.)

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.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Nicholas Brendon dies at age 54

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Nicholas Brendon dies at age 54

Nicholas Brendon, best known for playing the beloved Xander Harris on all seven seasons of the WB television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, passed away on Friday, March 20th. He passed away at the age of 54.

In a statement posted on Brendon’s official Facebook page, Brendon’s family announced that he passed away in his sleep.

“We are saddened to mourn the passing of our brother and son Nicholas Brendon. He passed away in his sleep from natural causes,” the statement said. “As our family grieves his passing and honors the life of a man who lived with strength, imagination, and heart, we ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”

“Buffy” co-star Alyson Hannigan posted a photo of her friend and fellow Dodgers fan Alyson Hannigan on Instagram.

“Dear Nicky, thank you for all the years of laughter, love, and Dodgers,” Hannigan wrote. “I love you. Rest in peace.”

Brendon was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Genre TV Actor in 1998 and 1999, and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 2000 during the run of Buffy (1997-2003). He appeared in several episodes of Criminal Minds as Kevin Lynch, an FBI technical analyst and lover of Penelope Garcia, played by Kirsten Vangsness.

However, much of the actor’s career after “Buffy” was marked by health problems, drug abuse, stints in rehab facilities, and high-profile arrests. Brendon was arrested in October 2014 in Boise, Idaho, after police were alerted to a disturbance involving hotel employees. Four months later, in February 2015, Brendon was arrested again in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for causing extensive damage to a hotel room.

In August 2015, Brendon was scheduled to appear on “The Dr. Phil Show” to talk about his recent arrests and alcoholism. However, the actor removed his microphone during the interview and walked off the show. Brendon later explained on his Facebook page that he had consumed alcohol before the interview and did not feel ready to “reveal the darkest parts of himself on national television.”

Brendon returned to the show in November 2015.

In a statement, the family highlighted many aspects of Brendon’s life beyond his Hollywood career and public image.

“Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and the characters he has brought to life over the years. In recent years, Nicky has developed a passion for painting and art,” the statement reads.

His family said Brendon was a passionate, sensitive and “endlessly driven” man who loved sharing his talents and artwork with his family.

“Those who truly knew him understood that his art was the purest reflection of who he was as a person. It’s no secret that Nicholas had struggled with illness in the past, but he was on medication and treatment to overcome his diagnosis, and at the time of his death he was optimistic about his future,” the statement continued.

Polymarket opens a pop-up bar in Washington, DC. Click here to learn how to participate.

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Polymarket opens a pop-up bar in Washington, DC. Click here to learn how to participate.

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Predictive betting market platform Polymarket will open a pop-up bar, the Situation Room, in the capital “specialized in situation monitoring”.

The company announced its latest business initiative in an XPost on Wednesday, March 18th.

“Imagine a sports bar…but with a Live

The bar opens to the public on Friday, March 20th in Washington, DC and will remain open until Sunday, March 22nd. According to Polymarket, the Situation Room will open at 8 p.m. on March 20 and at 11 a.m. on March 21 and 22. The company did not specify when the bar would be open. However, Proper 21 K Street, where the pop-up will be held, closes at 12 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Sunday, according to the website.

Polymarket opened a free supermarket in New York City last month to promote free markets. Polymarket donated $1 million to Food Bank For NYC as part of that effort.

“Built for free food, free markets, and the people who make New York tick,” the company said in a statement.

What is polymarket?

Polymarket allows users to bet on the outcome of real-world events, from who will win the Academy Award for Best Actress to when the United States will confirm the existence of aliens.

Top trending bets on the platform on Friday, March 20 included whether the U.S. will invade Cuba in 2026 and who the 2028 Republican presidential nominee will be.

Close scrutiny of the name “Situation Room”

Polymarket has come under intense scrutiny since its founding in 2020. In January, the Nevada Gaming Control Board filed a civil enforcement action against the company. In its complaint, the board asked the court for a declaration and injunction to stop Polymarket from offering unauthorized betting in violation of Nevada law.

But Nevada isn’t the only state trying to take the platform to court. Brett Bruen, chief executive of the Global Situation Office, a public relations agency, accused Company X of allegedly using the organization’s trademarked name.

“To track the situation around the world, we are trademarking @GlobalSitRoom and related terms (check notes),” Bruen wrote. “I’m really happy. It’s a great name. But no, you can’t use it. Yes, my lawyer will contact you.”

Global Situation Room has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Polymarket, claiming that the company’s use of the name “Situation Room” creates the false impression that Global Situation Room is “in any way connected to or associated with Polymarket’s services,” CNBC reported, citing a letter from a public relations agency.

“In fact, there is a clear overlap between the uses of GLOBAL SITUATION ROOM and THE SITUATION ROOM, as both marks include ‘SITUATION ROOM’ and enable consumers to monitor and act on global events,” the letter said, written by attorney Shane Delsman of the Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based law firm Godfrey & Kahn. “In fact, the marks are very similar and the Global Situation Room has already witnessed some real disruption in the form of press requests for comment on the opening of the new THE SITUATION ROOM bar.”

USA TODAY reached out to Polymarket for comment on March 20th.

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Please contact mdelrey@usatoday.com.

Tennessee plans to execute a rare woman. She’s fighting back.

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Tennessee plans to execute a rare woman. She’s fighting back.

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Christa Gail Pike was just 18 years old when she committed a crime that dominated headlines for years. She tortured and killed a romantic rival in Tennessee and then showed part of a 19-year-old woman’s skull to her schoolmates.

The murders in the Knoxville woods displayed a brutality and callousness rarely seen in a woman, much less a woman this young. Now, 30 years later, Pike is back in the headlines as the state of Tennessee prepares to execute her.

Pike, who just turned 50 on March 10, is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on September 30, about six months later, for the murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemer. On January 12, 1995, Pike and two others lured Slemmer into the woods and carried out a ritual murder that lasted about an hour.

If the execution goes ahead, Pike will become the first woman to be put to death in Tennessee in more than 200 years, and the 19th woman to be put to death in modern U.S. history.

She is now fighting back, suing the state to halt her execution.

Pike’s lawyers filed suit in Tennessee court in January, arguing that the state’s method of execution violates her religious beliefs and constitutional rights and could cause her undue suffering. In response to Pike’s claims, the state said in a Thursday, March 19, court filing that it has presented no evidence that lethal injection poses an unconstitutional risk to her and that death row inmates are not guaranteed a painless execution.

While Pike was in prison, she took responsibility for the murder and “changed dramatically,” she said in a 2023 letter to The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY network.

“I feel sick now to think that someone as loving and compassionate as I was was capable of committing such a crime,” she wrote.

USA TODAY examines Pike’s arguments for a stay of execution, the state’s view of them and the feelings of the victim’s mother.

What was Christa Gail Pike convicted of?

Krista Gail Pike and Colleen Slemer were students at the Knoxville Job Corps, a career training program, where Pike began dating a 17-year-old boy. She then became afraid that Slemer was trying to steal from her, prosecutors told jurors at trial.

According to court records, her friend and boyfriend, Pike, lured Slemmer out of the Job Corps Center into the woods before the attack, which was primarily carried out by Pike on January 12, 1995.

Pike later bragged about killing Slemer, telling another student at the center that he slashed the teen’s throat six times with a box cutter, slashed his back with a butcher knife, carved a pentagram on his chest and continued the assault despite Slemer’s “begging” to stop, according to court records.

Pike said he “threw a large piece of asphalt at the victim’s head,” causing what appeared to be the fatal injury, and kept the skull fragments, which he later showed off to other students, according to court records.

Pike was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. Pike’s boyfriend, Tadaril Shipp, was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison, but was recently denied parole. Pike’s friend Shadra Peterson, who prosecutors say was watching during the attack, testified against Pike and was sentenced to probation.

Who is Christa Gail Pike?

Christa Gail Pike, 50, is the only woman on Tennessee’s death row and has lived there for 30 years since her sentencing in April 1996. Pike and her mother, Carissa Hansen, sobbed uncontrollably in the courtroom during the sentencing, according to archived news reports.

According to archival reporting in the Knoxville News Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network, Ms. Pike’s trial attorneys tried to reduce her charges by portraying her as an abandoned child from a dysfunctional family who bounced back and forth between the homes of her divorced parents, depending on who was fed up with her at the time.

Hansen told jurors that she was a bad mother who smoked marijuana with her daughter and even allowed 14-year-old Pike to have a live-in boyfriend. “I should be in her seat. She should be punished for her crimes,” Hansen said.

A University of Tennessee police officer disputed sympathetic testimony, telling jurors that after Slemmer’s body was discovered, Pike returned to the crime scene and “seemed amused.”

“She was giggling,” he testified, according to the newspaper.

Pike’s current lawyers argue that if she were tried today, she should never have been sentenced to death because of her young age at the time of the murder, her mental illness, and her disturbing history of childhood sexual abuse, which began before she could speak. They believe she deserves a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Pike’s website, created by his supporters, says he does not want to use his childhood trauma as an excuse for killing Slemer.

“There is no excuse for what I did…I take full responsibility for my actions and regret everything that happened that night,” she says. “All I want is for you to look at your current situation with the eyes of logic, not anger, and answer the question: Do I deserve to die for the crimes these three people committed?”

Christa Gail Pike sues Tennessee authorities over execution

In a lawsuit filed against the state in January, Pike’s lawyers argued that Tennessee’s lethal injection method caused her unnecessary suffering, was likely to cause her further fear and suffering, and violated the U.S. Constitution’s protections against cruel and unusual punishment.

Citing a report from an anesthetist, they claim that one of Pike’s conditions, thrombocytosis, causes abnormal bleeding that could cause him to “drown in his own blood and die.” Additionally, Pike cannot request to be executed by electrocution, the only other method allowed by the state. Her lawyers argue that doing so would violate her Buddhist beliefs, which prevent her from “participating in the dying process.”

They also say the state could botch the lethal injection of Mr. Pike, citing concerns about the state’s new execution procedures.

Tennessee began using the new protocol in 2025, three years after the state halted all executions due to a “technical oversight” in injecting death row inmate Oscar Franklin Smith. The new lethal injection protocol uses a single drug, pentobarbital, compared to three drugs in the previous method.

Pike’s lawyers cite a number of “failed” executions that used only pentobarbital, including the 1988 execution of Tennessee’s Byron Black, who killed his ex-girlfriend and her two daughters.

Reporters who witnessed the execution, including a Tennessean, reported that the black man appeared to be in pain and suffering during the lethal injection, which is required under the U.S. Constitution to avoid cruel and unusual punishment.

“It hurts so much,” Black told a psychiatrist at one point during the execution, The Tennessean reported.

Pike’s lawyers charged that the state’s new lethal injection protocol suffers from “the same problems that have characterized failed executions for decades: secrecy, deliberate omissions, inattention to detail, and untrained and unauthorized prison staff attempting to perform medical functions.”

What the state is saying about Pike’s lawsuit

Regarding Pike’s claims of cruel and unusual punishment, established case law states that “the Eighth Amendment does not guarantee a prisoner a painless death,” and that “any method of execution, no matter how humane, involves some degree of risk of pain,” according to the state’s response to Pike’s lawsuit, filed on Thursday, March 19.

The state also defended its lethal injection protocol, citing its “overwhelming history favoring the use of lethal injection in general and pentobarbital in particular.”

In addition, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Scumetti said that after Pike “lured Colleen Slemmer into the woods to torture and kill her, he carried part of her shattered skull in his pocket and showed it to his friends as a trophy.”

“Ms. Pike has only speculated that the established constitutional lethal injection method poses unique risks in her case,” he said in a statement to USA TODAY. “I wish Pike’s commitment to the sanctity of life had been there in time to save Colleen Slemmer.”

Slemer’s mother, Mae Martinez, is a vocal supporter of the death penalty for Pike. She has been fighting for decades to get the last part of her daughter’s skull so it can be buried with the rest of the teenager’s remains. Investigators are keeping it as evidence in the case.

“My heart breaks every day because I remember it over and over again. I can’t do this anymore. I hope it happens before I die,” Martinez told WBIR-TV in 2021.

“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about Colleen and how she died and how difficult the circumstances were,” Martinez continued. “I just want Krista to calm down, get it over with, and put my daughter at ease so she can finally rest.”

How many women have been executed in America?

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, only 18 women have been executed in the United States since 1976, compared to 1,623 men. That means women account for only 1% of all executions in the United States today.

Pike is not only Tennessee’s only female death row inmate, but also one of only 48 female death row inmates in the nation. By comparison, the male population is just under 2,100, or about 2%.

The last woman executed in the United States was Amber McLaughlin in 2023. McLaughlin, the first transgender person to be executed in the United States, was found guilty of raping and stabbing 45-year-old Beverly Guenther to death on November 20, 2003. Guenther was McLaughlin’s ex-girlfriend.

How many women were executed in Tennessee?

Pike’s lawyers cite information from the Death Penalty Information Center and say only three women have ever been executed in Tennessee.

They list the hangings of three black women in 1807, 1808, and 1819, but their crimes are not specified. The only known woman’s name is Molly Holcomb in 1807. Two of them are listed as slaves by deathpenaltyusa.org, which labels the crime as murder, but many slaves commit suicide due to wrongful charges or for no reason at all.

Pike was the last person to be sentenced to death in Tennessee for a crime she committed when she was 18 years old, and the last woman to be sentenced to death in the state, The Tennessean reported.

Contributors: Evan Mealins and Kelly Puente, The Tennessean

Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter covering breaking news, cold cases and capital punishment for USA TODAY. Follow her on X at @amandaleeusat.

What are the requirements for tax exemption? Eligibility and options

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What are the requirements for tax exemption? Eligibility and options

Although “IRS tax relief” is a commonly used term, it does not refer to a single tax relief program. Depending on your financial situation, the IRS may provide relief through an offer in compromise (OIC), penalty reduction, or currently uncollectible status. Each option has its own rules, and eligibility typically depends on your income, assets, expenses, and overall ability to pay.

If you’re dealing with tax debt, understanding these requirements is the first step. This guide details how IRS tax exemptions work, who is eligible, and what the IRS considers when reviewing exemption applications.

What does “IRS tax exemption” mean?

IRS tax relief is not an official IRS program. Instead, it is a broad term used to describe several types of tax relief provided by the IRS to help taxpayers manage or reduce the amount they owe. Official tax relief programs available through the agency include:

  • Compromise (OIC): Allows eligible taxpayers to settle their tax debt for less than the full amount owed if they meet strict financial requirements.
  • Reduced penalties: Certain IRS penalties may be reduced or eliminated for eligible taxpayers, including taxpayers who have a valid reason for being delinquent.
  • Currently Not Collectable (CNC) Status: Suspends IRS collection efforts for taxpayers facing financial hardship
  • installment agreement: Monthly payment plans spread out your tax liability over time and make it easier to manage, but it doesn’t reduce your total balance.

The key difference is that not all options reduce your tax liability. Some things, such as OIC and certain penalty reductions, can reduce the amount owed, but CNC status and installment agreements only change how and when payments are made and do not, by themselves, reduce the balance.

Compromise requirements

According to Jason W. Stanfield, Ph.D., CPA, a member of the American Accounting Association, “An OIC is an offer to settle taxes that are less than the full amount owed. Such offers are generally accepted only when the IRS determines that it is unlikely that the full amount owed will be collected, that paying the full amount owed would create financial hardship for the taxpayer, or that the IRS determines that collection is unlikely.”

To qualify, you typically must meet the following requirements:

  • Keep all required tax returns up to date
  • Keep your estimated tax liability up to date (if applicable)
  • Not in public bankruptcy proceedings
  • Employers must keep payroll tax deposits current

To apply, you need:

  • File IRS Form 656
  • Include Form 433-A (Individual) or Form 433-B (Business)
  • Pay the $205 application fee (exempted for eligible low-income applicants)
  • Include the first payment (usually 20% of the offer or the first installment)

You must also meet the IRS’s financial evaluation standard known as Reasonable Collectability (RCP).

Reasonable recoverability (RCP)

The IRS calculates the reasonable collectability (RCP) using your income, assets, and allowable expenses to estimate the amount you can reasonably collect. An offer in compromise usually needs to be at least this amount or it may be rejected.

IRS penalty reduction requirements

IRS penalty relief is a form of tax relief that can reduce the total amount owed by removing certain penalties. However, the basic tax balance will not be eliminated. When a penalty is removed, the interest associated with that penalty is typically removed as well.

If you have made a good faith effort to comply with tax laws but were unable to do so due to circumstances beyond your control, you may be eligible for reduced penalties. The most common types of relief include initial reduction, reasonable cause, and statutory exceptions.

To request penalty relief, follow the instructions in the IRS notice. Some requests can be fulfilled over the phone, but if not, you can formally request relief by filing Form 843.

First time penalty reduction

First Abatement (FTA) typically applies to penalties for failure to declare, fail to pay, or fail to make a deposit.

To qualify, you must:

  • Have a good tax compliance history
  • You have not been penalized (or your penalty has not been removed for any reason other than initial abatement) in the past three years.

valid reason

If you are not eligible for initial relief, you may request a reduction of the penalty on reasonable grounds.

The IRS evaluates these requests on a case-by-case basis. You must prove that your failure to comply was due to circumstances beyond your control, such as:

  • serious illness
  • natural disaster
  • death in the family

Generally, penalty reductions are not available in the following cases:

  • Rely on a tax expert
  • lack of knowledge of tax law
  • mistakes or oversights
  • Funds alone are not enough

Statutory exemption

Reduction of penalties through statutory exemptions is also available under certain circumstances, such as:

  • Taxpayer relied on incorrect written advice from the IRS
  • Tax return was mailed by the due date
  • The taxpayer lived in a federal disaster area during the period the penalty applied
  • The individual was engaged in military operations in a combat zone

Requirements that cannot currently be collected

Currently Not Collectible (CNC) status is a form of hardship relief that temporarily halts IRS collection efforts. It won’t reduce your tax liability, but it will provide short-term financial relief.

To qualify, you must prove that you cannot cover your essential living expenses by paying taxes. The IRS evaluates your income against the allowable expense standard to determine whether you meet this standard.

To apply, you must submit detailed financial information using one of the following:

  • Form 433-A (individual)
  • Form 433-B (Corporations)
  • Form 433-F (simple case)

Installment contract requirements

Installment agreements are not eligible for tax relief as the amount payable is not reduced. However, you can make your tax debt more manageable because you can pay it over time.

The IRS offers several types of payment plans.

  • Short-term payment plan: Please allow up to 180 days to pay your balance in full. There are no setup fees, and you’ll need to pay less than $100,000 in taxes, penalties, and interest.
  • Long-term installment contract: Monthly payments are typically available over extended periods of up to 72 months. Setup fees apply and typically require a payment of less than $50,000 to qualify for streamlined processing.
  • Streamlined installment agreement: A type of long-term plan with simplified approval requirements. Detailed financial statements are not required and balances from $10,000 to $50,000 are available.

To apply, you can use Form 9465 or apply online through the IRS.

If you owe more than $50,000 or don’t qualify for a streamlined plan, you typically need to provide detailed financial information to the IRS as part of your application.

Read the complete guide: IRS Installment Agreement Guide: How IRS Payment Plans Work

How to know if you qualify for tax exemption

Tax relief typically comes into play after you receive an IRS notice regarding unpaid taxes. This is different from a tax credit, which is claimed when filing a return, or a tax refund, which is issued as a payment or advance credit.

When reviewing a tax relief application, the IRS evaluates your financial situation, including your income, allowable expenses, assets, and filing compliance. There is no single universally accepted standard. Each case will be reviewed individually.

Although eligibility is not guaranteed, you may be eligible for tax relief if:

  • Files the necessary tax returns
  • Have experienced significant financial hardship, such as job loss, natural disaster, or medical emergency
  • If you pay taxes, you won’t be able to cover your basic living expenses.
  • Not currently bankrupt
  • Keeping the required estimated tax payments up to date

Who generally qualifies for IRS tax relief?

The type and amount of remedies available will vary from case to case and are not guaranteed. However, taxpayers in the following situations are more likely to qualify if they meet IRS requirements:

  • Individuals who are experiencing financial hardship and have a fixed income, such as retirees.
  • People facing or recovering from significant financial hardship
  • people in long-term unemployment
  • Business owners who have gone out of business or experienced large-scale bankruptcy

Who generally does not qualify for IRS tax relief?

Some taxpayers are not eligible for relief, especially those who:

  • Have a large amount of disposable income or accessible assets
  • Failure to meet basic compliance requirements, such as filing returns and paying estimated taxes
  • currently in bankruptcy

In these cases, we recommend that you consult a qualified tax professional.

Find a tax relief professional: Best tax saving companies of 2026

How to apply for IRS tax exemption

To claim IRS tax relief, you must first receive a tax bill from the IRS. From there, you can choose to work directly with the IRS or hire an agent such as a CPA, tax accountant, or tax relief company.

Work with a tax relief company

Some taxpayers choose to hire a tax relief company to help manage their case and communicate with the IRS. Companies such as Optima Tax Relief, Anthem Tax Services, Alleviate Tax, BC Tax, and Priority Tax Relief offer tax resolution services and may assist you in certain situations.

Legitimate companies exist, but it is important to understand their role and limitations.

Tax relief companies can:

  • provide education and guidance;
  • Prepare and submit documents
  • We will communicate and negotiate with the IRS on your behalf.

However, you cannot:

  • provide false or misleading information;
  • guarantee a particular result or approval

The IRS makes all final decisions regarding tax relief applications.

Apply directly to the IRS

If you apply for infringing offer relief, you must submit the following:

  • Form 656
  • Form 433-A (Individual) or Form 433-B (Corporate)
  • Financial document support

Stanfield said the process could take more than a year. The IRS also offers assistance through its Taxpayer Advocate Service, which can help guide you through the process.

conclusion

The IRS does not offer a single tax relief program. Instead, it offers several forms of tax relief, each with its own requirements and consequences. Eligibility for IRS relief programs is determined on a case-by-case basis and depends on factors such as income, assets, expenses, and overall ability to pay.

Although you can work directly with the IRS, in more complex situations, such as large tax obligations, persistent defaults, or aggressive collection efforts, you may benefit from the guidance of a qualified tax professional to understand your options and avoid errors during the process.

Use the map below to compare your options before seeking help.

Frequently asked questions about IRS tax exemption requirements

How difficult is it to qualify for an offer in compromise?

Qualifying for an offer in compromise is difficult because the IRS will only approve your application if it determines that you cannot reasonably collect the full amount owed. Approval rates are estimated to range from 24% to 40%. However, taxpayers have 30 days to appeal a rejected OIC application.

Can the IRS forgive unpaid taxes?

The IRS may allow some taxpayers to settle for less than they owe through an OIC or reduce certain penalties through abatement. However, it does not offer total forgiveness. Most relief is based on financial hardship or insolvency, and approval is determined on a case-by-case basis.

What income qualifies for IRS hardship status?

There is no fixed income standard for poverty. Instead, the IRS compares your income to the allowable cost of living based on national and local standards. If your income does not cover these required expenses, you may currently be in non-collectible status, which will temporarily halt collection efforts.

Can I apply for an IRS exemption myself?

Yes, you can apply directly to the IRS by submitting the required forms and financial documents. Many taxpayers handle simpler cases themselves. However, in more complex situations, such as large amounts of debt or multiple years of unfiled returns, some people may choose to work with a tax professional or tax relief company.

Publix will open five new stores by the end of April. Find out which state you are in.

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Publix will open five new stores by the end of April. Find out which state you are in.

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Publix plans to open five new stores in three states by the end of April, bringing its iconic green logo to customers across the Southeast.

According to the company’s New Store Openings page, five new stores are scheduled to open by the end of April, including three in Florida, one in Tennessee and one in North Carolina.

As of March 2026, the chain operates more than 1,400 stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Publix was founded in 1930 by George W. Jenkins in Winter Haven, Florida, and currently has more than 260,000 employees, according to its website. The store was also ranked No. 9 in the nation on USA TODAY’s 2025 Best Grocery Stores list.

Here’s what you need to know about the grocery store chain’s upcoming openings.

more: Costco will open six stores in March and April. See complete list

Where is Publix opening stores?

The following five stores are scheduled to open from March 26th to April 30th.

  • 13123 Kingston Pike, Farragut, TN – March 26
  • 1975 Silverleaf Parkway, Ste 101, St. Augustine, FL – March 26
  • 160 Mariner Blvd., Spring Hill, FL – April 2nd
  • 4628 Guess Road, Durham, NC – April 11th
  • 4267 Dundee Road, Winter Haven, FL – April 30th

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

Katie Couric, Savannah Guthrie face heartbreak on ‘Today’ show

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Katie Couric, Savannah Guthrie face heartbreak on ‘Today’ show

Katie Couric is no stranger to being in the spotlight during difficult times. But even she can’t imagine what current Today host Savannah Guthrie is going through as authorities continue to search for her missing mother, Nancy Guthrie. Guthrie was last seen on January 31st.

“This is a very unique and unique situation for Savannah,” Couric told USA TODAY. “My heart broke into a million pieces for her.”

more: Savannah Guthrie, her missing mother, and why so many feel her pain

In 1998, Couric lost her husband, Jay Monahan, to colon cancer. At the time, she was anchoring the “Today” show and had to take care of her two young daughters. Ms. Couric continues to be a leading advocate for early colorectal cancer screening because Ms. Monaghan’s death has had such a profound impact on her and her family.

Couric posted on Instagram on February 3, “I can’t stop thinking and worrying about Nancy Guthrie, Savannah, her siblings, and their children. There is so much sadness and fear in the world and so much cruelty.” “I send my love and support to them and all of you, and I pray for the safety and well-being of this wonderful mother and grandmother. And, frankly, for an entire country that seems lost right now.”

Couric told USA TODAY that she felt her situation was very similar to that experienced by “Today” host Sheinelle Jones when she lost her husband to glioblastoma in May 2025.

more: Shaynel Jones emotionally talks about husband Uche Ojie’s death on ‘Today’ show

“She was trying to take care of her husband and deal with his devastating diagnosis and his illness while also continuing to work on the Today show and taking care of her children,” Couric said. “She and I have talked a lot about it. I’ve been trying to be helpful.”

But what Guthrie is currently experiencing is “very unusual and very heartbreaking,” Couric said.

“I can’t imagine the pain she and her family went through,” Couric said.

Law enforcement is asking anyone with information about Nancy Guthrie’s case to contact them at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the Pima County Sheriff’s Office tips.fbi.gov. (520-351-4900) or 88-CRIME.

Madeline Mitchell’s role covering women and the care economy for USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.

Contact Madeline at: memitchell@usatoday.com and @maddiemitch_ At X.

President Trump calls actor ‘great supporter’ and ‘tough cookie’

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President Trump calls actor ‘great supporter’ and ‘tough cookie’

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This person was one of the supporters President Donald Trump didn’t want to fight with.

The president responded on Friday, March 20, to the death of martial artist and action movie icon Chuck Norris. Norris’ family announced the “Walker, Texas Ranger” star’s death on March 20, but did not specify the cause of death.

The president seemed shocked to hear of Norris’ death, initially saying, “Oh, really.”

Asked about Norris’ death as he was leaving the White House, President Trump said: “He was a great guy. A really good, tough guy.” “You didn’t want to fight him.”

President Trump also paid tribute to Norris’ family, calling him a “great supporter.”

Mr. Norris is a longtime Republican and has been involved in presidential politics throughout his career.

He supported Trump during the 2016 election. In 2016, Norris wrote in an op-ed for the right-wing website WND.com that if “reluctant Republicans and other freedom-loving citizens don’t rally now to support Republican candidate Donald Trump,” then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton would win.

During the 2008 election, Norris urged voters to support then-Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Additionally, in 1992, he attended an event with President George H.W. Bush at a Houston school aimed at “eliminating drugs from schools,” and awarded him an “Honorary Black Belt.”

Sarah Huckabee Sanders says she was asked to quit her job at an Arkansas restaurant.

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Sarah Huckabee Sanders says she was asked to quit her job at an Arkansas restaurant.

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A restaurant in Little Rock, Arkansas has become embroiled in controversy after the state’s Republican governor, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said she had been asked to leave.

“Last week, I was having lunch at a restaurant with two other mothers when the owner approached a member of the State Police Executive Protection Unit and told me that my presence made the employees feel threatened and I asked them to leave,” Sanders said in a statement to USA TODAY.

The restaurant in question, The Croissant Terry, responded to Sanders’ comments in a statement to local news station THV 11, saying that employees and other customers “question” the governor and his team’s continued presence at the restaurant.

“Leaving her in place risks being seen as lacking support for the community, which makes up a large part of our team, and their families and friends,” it said in a statement. “Ultimately, we made the decision to support the employees and guests who expressed their displeasure.”

The restaurant said in a statement that it “does not recall any comments made to indicate that anyone felt threatened,” adding that on two occasions, employees quietly asked the governor’s security personnel to leave and once offered drinks to the traveling team.

“We regret that we have been put in this position and had to make this difficult decision,” the store said in a statement. “However, we stand by our choice to support our employees and guests.”

USA TODAY contacted The Croissanterie on Friday, March 20, but did not receive a response.

more: Street preacher who yelled “whore” at a group wins in Supreme Court case

Sanders’ 2019 incident at a Virginia-based restaurant

The incident at The Croissantry was not the only time Mr. Sanders was asked to leave a restaurant.

Back in 2019, when Sanders was White House press secretary during President Donald Trump’s first term, USA TODAY previously reported that the owner of a small restaurant in Virginia kicked him out of the business.

Red Hen co-owner Stephanie Wilkinson said in a Washington Post op-ed that she was harassed by Sanders after she asked him to leave the store.

“We balked when faced with the prospect of providing a fine meal to someone whose actions we felt in service to our country violated basic standards of humanity. We couldn’t do it,” Wilkinson said.

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

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