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How to spot a fake IRS call about unpaid taxes

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March 5, 2026

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How to spot a fake IRS call about unpaid taxes

The IRS will always contact you first by U.S. mail, not by phone or text message.
Scammers can pose as tax officials and steal your money and personal information.
The IRS does not ask for gift card payments, threaten to report you to law enforcement, or accept payments on social media.

The phone is an alarming sound. You are behind on your taxes and need to resolve it immediately.

This call will be from the Tax Mediation and Resolution Agency, the Tax Resolution Supervision Bureau, or other likely public agency.

they don’t exist.

“We are receiving a large number of reports of telephone scams claiming that you are delinquent on your taxes,” the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Alert said. “But it’s not the IRS calling, it’s the scammers calling.”

First of all, know this. Initial communication from the IRS regarding all matters, including taxes, will always be by U.S. mail and never by phone or text message.

What are tax fraudsters aiming for?

According to the FTC, scammers typically want money, personal information, or both.

“They will say you don’t pay your taxes, do a ‘red flag check’ on your credit, and offer to connect you with a ‘tax resolution officer’ who can help you apply for the ‘IRS Liability Reduction Program.’ But they are not real programs, and that is a sign to end the call,” the FTC said.

Often, they will ask for your social security number or attempt to charge you an “illegal upfront fee” that can amount to thousands of dollars to reduce your tax liability. The FTC says these services rarely resolve debts and may not even send the IRS documentation for the hardship programs they advertise.

Be wary of scammers trying to accept payments online, especially those asking for gift cards or prepaid debit cards.

How can I tell if a call or text message is from the IRS?

The IRS will only send you an email or text message if you have your permission, the agency said. The IRS or a private collection agency may call you to address an issue with your account. In some cases, the IRS uses automated messages that simply direct you to IRS.gov to safely manage your account, make a payment, or resolve an issue without sharing your specific details.

The IRS will not:

Send direct messages or get paid on social media
Accept gift cards or prepaid debit cards as payment
Calls with automated messages that threaten or direct you to websites that are not IRS.gov
Threaten to call law enforcement or immigration officials
Obtain citizenship status, driver’s license, or business license.
Mail tax debt resolution advertisements

What should I do if I receive a call regarding unpaid taxes?

According to the FTC:

Never give out personal or financial information to an unexpected caller. It’s probably a scammer aiming to drain your bank account or steal your personal information.
hang up. Do not return voicemails.
Please check through IRS.gov. For reliable information about your tax situation, contact the IRS directly. Need to talk to someone? Use only the phone numbers on the IRS website. Never use it from a phone call or text message.
Read more about government fraud techniques. Start at ftc.gov/imposters, and if you see a scam, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

IRS fraud must also be reported to the IRS. On February 26, the IRS launched a new webpage that makes it easier for taxpayers to report suspected tax evasion, fraud, evasion, or other tax-related misconduct.

Where is my refund?

According to the IRS, if you choose direct deposit when applying, you should receive it within five days of processing. Refunds by mail may take several weeks.

More than 9 out of 10 refunds are issued within 21 days, according to the IRS website.

Your return may be delayed if there are errors or omissions in the information, or if you make changes after submission.

You can check the status of your return at irs.gov/wheres-my-refund or by using the IRS2GO mobile app.

If you filed an amended return, visit irs.gov/filing/wheres-my-amended-return.

As of Feb. 20, the IRS had processed more than 41.03 million returns and refunded nearly $110 billion, with an average refund amount of $3,804, the agency reported.

CA Bridges is a journalist on the service journalism Connect team at USA TODAY Network-Florida. Sign up for our free newsletter, Florida TODAY, to get all of Florida’s best content straight to your inbox every weekday.

Will Newsom support Bass in LA mayoral race? this is what he said

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March 5, 2026

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Will Newsom support Bass in LA mayoral race? this is what he said

Gov. Gavin Newsom has expressed support for Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ re-election bid, but it remains to be seen whether his comments will help the mayor in a race disrupted by the last-minute entry of City Councilwoman Nitya Raman.

In an interview with “Good Luck America” published on March 2, Governor Newsom was asked if he supported Bass’ re-election as mayor of Los Angeles, and Newsom said he “generally” supported her, adding that he had known her for many years.

“We have a great working relationship,” Newsom said in a clip shared by “Good Luck America” host Peter Hamby.

He said Bass had a “great ability to do good” and believed in her.

In response to Gov. Hamby’s question about one of President Newsom’s orders regarding homelessness and Gov. Bass’ opposition to the housing bill, the governor said “I can touch on some of the benefits” of “the position she was in on some of the housing bills and homelessness issues.”

Hamby did not provide details of the executive order he was referring to, but Bass criticized Newsom’s July 2024 executive order that partially required local governments to clear homeless encampments, according to a statement reported by the Desert Sun, part of the USA TODAY Network. The following month, California’s governor threatened to cut state funding to counties that were not successful in combating homelessness.

Bass also asked Newsom to veto Senate Bill 79 in September 2025. California Inbee, a housing advocacy group, announced that new housing would be allowed to be built near transit stops such as train stations. In a letter to Newsom, Bass supported building more housing near transportation hubs, but not in ways that “erode local control, reduce community input in planning and zoning, and disproportionately impact low-resource neighborhoods.” Newsom signed it into law the following month.

Newsom added that he and Bass “will continue to work on issues like fire recovery and permitting rights every day, not every week” regarding the Palisades fire, which destroyed dozens of homes in Pacific Palisades, which is under the city’s jurisdiction. President Donald Trump issued an executive order in January aimed at speeding up rebuilding after the Palisades and Eaton fires, criticizing permitting at the local and state level.

“But those are areas that we address,” Newsom said.

Bass has been criticized for his response to the January 2025 Los Angeles fires, including by mayoral candidate and “The Hills” alum Spencer Pratt, and is under intense scrutiny for his role in watering down the after-action report on the Palisades fire published in 2025, according to an investigation by the Los Angeles Times. The Times reported that Mayor Bass’s office “denied any changes to the draft document,” citing the after-action report, and that since the mayor had been critical of the response to the fire, there was “no reason to request any details be changed or erased.”

Raman, a Los Angeles City Council member and urban planner, joined the mayor’s race just before a key filing deadline on Feb. 7, a move that comes as other big-name candidates have dropped out. Former Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner withdrew from the race on February 5 following the death of his daughter, and billionaire developer Rick Caruso confirmed he would not run, according to multiple reports in early February.

More than 40 people submitted expressions of interest for the position. March 4 was the deadline for candidates to file nomination petitions if they wanted to appear on the June ballot.

Other candidates include Mr. Pratt, who rose to fame on reality TV. He lost his home in the Palisades fire and calls himself Bass’ “worst nightmare.”

When will you vote in the 2026 Los Angeles mayoral election?

The mayoral election will be held on June 2, 2026. The election comes as voters across the state decide which two candidates will appear on their ballots in November’s gubernatorial election.

Newsom recently commented on the race to replace him, saying people don’t talk about the governor’s race when he’s out in the community.

“I think it was tough to focus on that race,” Newsom said, noting the focus on President Donald Trump, redistricting and other issues.

Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. please contact her pbarraza@usatodayco.com.

Cheesecake Factory expands menu including bowls and matcha

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March 5, 2026

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Cheesecake Factory expands menu including bowls and matcha

The Cheesecake Factory is expanding its menu once again with 18 new additions, including four new bites and six new bowls. ”

The restaurant said the new range offers “fresh, craveable options at attractive price points that bring great value to the menu.” The new menu will be fully rolled out on Friday, March 6, and will be available nationwide, the restaurant said.

“With the addition of these menu items, The Cheesecake Factory’s menu now has more than 250 dishes, ensuring we offer something for every guest who visits,” the restaurant said, adding that it “updates the menu twice a year to keep it fresh and interesting.”

What new menu items have been added to The Cheesecake Factory?

The menu includes new foods such as:

Pickle fries: Hand-breaded and crispy fries are served with a spicy lunch.
asian chicken nachos: Wonton chips, melted cheese, Thai peanut sauce, green onions, sesame seeds, wasabi cream.
BBQ pork belly buns Comes with coleslaw, crispy onions, and pickles.
Baja Bowl: Choose from grilled chicken, pork carnitas, or chipotle honey shrimp. Served with rice, beans, roasted corn salsa, guacamole, sour cream and crispy tortilla strips
Asian tenderloin: Serve the tender steak with green beans, broccoli, green pepper, onion and sesame seeds. Served over garlic noodles
Smoked tuna fire: Sushi grade yellowfin tuna with soy sauce, sesame, And garlic. Serve with white rice or mixed vegetables such as edamame, avocado, cucumber, carrot, onion, and ginger.
Veggie burger: Homemade veggie burger with brown rice, farro, mushrooms, black beans, avocado, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, and vegan cheese. Served with special sauce on toasted brioche bread.
little gem lettuce salad: Roasted apple, blue cheese, candied pecans, vinaigrette
spicy jambalaya arancini: Crispy spicy Creole rice stir-fried and served with andouille sausage, green pepper, and onion.

The newly added drink menu is as follows.

fresh cucumber martini
Matcha latte hot or iced
southern peach lemonade
old fashioned spanish

Cheesecake Factory is known for its extensive menu.

The Cheesecake Factory is known for its extensive menu, so when the new menu additions were announced, there was no shortage of comments on social media. TikTok creator @snachwithzach posted about it, with one user commenting, “14 new menus? Isn’t there already 20 pages of menus? 🤣,” and another user saying, “The menu bible just got bigger.” The Cheesecake Factory also responded to the post with the question, “Which one will you try first?! 👀.”

Cheesecake Factory’s latest TikTok post is a video that says, “We started a book club. Our first book is The Cheesecake Factory Menu.”

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact her at sshafiq@usatodayco.com and follow X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.

Ryan Millsap claims Antifa attacked businesses. Here’s what we know happened

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March 5, 2026

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Ryan Millsap claims Antifa attacked businesses. Here’s what we know happened

Georgia’s 10th Congressional District has a new surprise candidate in the midterm elections.

Ryan Millsap, a film executive and real estate investor, announced his candidacy as a “MAGA warrior” and political outsider on his way to Congress to “challenge the status quo” and “fight back against the radical left and RINOs.”

Millsap is the former chairman and CEO of Blackhole Studios, now known as Shadowbox Studios, where projects such as “Venom,” “Blockers” and “Loki” were filmed in Georgia.

The Hollywood-adjacent businessman will enter the race during qualifying week, his last chance to officially appear on the ballot in Georgia’s May primary. He will face popular Republican state Rep. Houston Gaines, who has taken a rapid path to political leadership. Millsap will also have to address allegations in 2024 that he shared racist and anti-Semitic messages via text message, despite working closely with Atlanta’s Black and Jewish communities.

In his campaign launch, Millsap said one of the events in his life that fueled his political ambitions was an attack on his business by Antifa. He says he stood up to “antifa and the radical left when they tried to burn down everything he built.”

USA Today reached out to Millsap’s campaign for clarification on these claims, but had not received a response as of 1 p.m. March 5.

Here’s what we know happened:

Blackhall Group expands real estate near ‘Cop City’

The conflict between Blackhall Group and environmentalists began several years ago, when the company wanted to expand its studio in DeKalb County.

A QuitClaim deed was signed in 2021 between Blackhall and DeKalb for a land swap that included land that was part of Weelauney People’s Park.

The agreement was at the center of a 2021 lawsuit, with opponents claiming it was illegal and blocked access to public parks. Other legal challenges, including a “stop work order”, have delayed development, with activists claiming Blackhall failed to obtain the necessary permits to remove trees from land that was previously part of the park. This land was also adjacent to an area that would later be known as “Cop City.”

The $90 million, 85-acre site was developed into the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, allowing “the South’s largest city with the largest police and fire departments” to focus on training while increasing recruitment and retention, according to the Atlanta Police Foundation.

The plan faced widespread criticism from those who believe the facility would militarize police and threaten marginalized populations. They were joined by environmentalists, including members of the group Save Atlanta’s Forests, who feared the facility would damage the tree canopy and natural environment of Atlanta, colloquially known as the “City in Trees.” The protests, dubbed “Stop Cop City,” escalated and eventually led to violence with police, and in September 2023, 61 people were arrested in RICO cases.

The charges in the Cop City case ranged from extortion to arson, money laundering and domestic terrorism, many of which are still pending in court.

Escalating protests cause property damage in Black Hole

In the summer of 2022, Black Hole Group contractors directly clashed with protesters, resulting in property damage.

“We had some contractors come out to work on private property. They were there doing maintenance and cleanup in preparation for development,” Millsap told WAGA in 2022. “When the police arrived on the scene, about 40 people came out of the woods. They started throwing rocks and bottles and cans at the police, at us, and at the cars. While one of my men was operating the excavator, they jumped on the excavator and smashed all the windows.” ”

Milsap said protesters burned a Ram 5500 pickup truck, damaged an excavator and spray-painted threatening text on the sidewalk, including, “If this park isn’t safe, neither is Milsap.”

According to the 2024 report, the total damage caused by activists during the protests amounted to $10 million. The figures span multiple stakeholders, including Blackhall Group and Birmingham-based construction firm Brasfield & Gorey.

“These guys are real,” Millsap said at the time. “I think they’re a credible threat.”

Were the protesters members of “Antifa”?

In 2025, the Trump administration designated Antifa (anti-fascist) a domestic terrorist organization. The White House called the group “a militarist and anarchist organization that unequivocally calls for the overthrow of the United States government, law enforcement, and our nation’s legal system.”

However, the definition of what “antifa” actually is remains a matter of debate. The main reason is that Antifa does not have a centralized organization.

Antifa is not a group, but rather an ideology, according to the nonprofit Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED).

“Just as there is no widespread Antifa organization, there is not necessarily a specific shared ideology among those who call themselves antifascists. Many people associate the Antifa label with socialists, communists, and anarchists, but not everyone who uses the term identifies with any of these ideologies,” ACLED said. “Similarly, the label has grown increasingly mainstream over the past decade and therefore cuts across a wide range of ideologies, although some anti-fascists subscribe to more radical extremist activities.”

Some of the protesters were charged with domestic terrorism, but the attorney general’s office did not designate all of them as “Antifa” in the 2023 indictment.

Instead, the AG said, “Save the Atlanta Forest (one of the groups participating in the protests) frequently uses symbols associated with the anarchist movement, including, but not limited to, a capital ‘A’ in a circle, a raised fist, the Antifa flag, symbols associated with the anti-fascist movement, and other iconography.”

“Save Atlanta Forests posted many of its invitations to join the movement on various social media platforms, including Twitter and Telegram,” the attorney general said in the indictment. “Many violent anarchists and extremists come from out of state to join the Save Atlanta Forest movement, knowing that their posts are followed and reposted by other decentralized extremist groups, especially Antifa.”

“Antifa” was not defined in the indictment.

Eileen Wright is an Atlanta Connect reporter for USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. X Find her at @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.

Lost package could end up in Alabama

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March 5, 2026

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In “Unclaimed Baggage,” it was revealed that strange finds such as a Japanese sword, gold nuggets, and fake human bones were found in a lost flight bag.

Unclaimed Baggage in Alabama resells baggage items that airlines have not been able to reunite with their owners after 90 days.
T-shirts were the most commonly found lost items this year, followed by pants, jewelry, and electronics.
Unusual finds included a suitcase containing rat poison, a Japanese sword, and solid gold bars.

What do 200,000 T-shirts and a suitcase full of rat poison have in common?

Last year, passengers on a plane lost their luggage and all ended up in Scottsboro, Alabama.

Collecting these shirts is a natural fit for Unclaimed Baggage, a family-run business that has been taking and reselling (or donating) items left in airline baggage for more than half a century.

The company’s third annual Found Report details some of the strangest things we’ve uncovered over the past 12 months, highlighting the broad trends that have emerged from people’s belongings.

“It’s hard to be surprised by things these days, but it makes you wonder how something like a samurai sword comes across,” Matt Owens, Unclaimed Baggage’s senior vice president of commercial strategy, told USA TODAY in an exclusive interview.

Owens stressed that while airlines generally have a good record of tracking bags, thousands of bags are still delivered as unclaimed bags each year.

“Airlines do a great job of reuniting items with their owners,” he said. “What ends up reaching us is only a percentage of what accompanied us on the trip.”

trendy travel items

The most common piece of luggage lost this year was T-shirts, of which approximately 210,000 were found in suitcases sent to Unclaimed Baggage, according to Found Report. The airline will attempt to reunite the item with its owner for at least 90 days before sending it to reclaimed baggage.

“Men’s T-shirts topped the most frequently seen item category, closely followed by active and layered styles, reflecting how travelers prioritize comfort and versatility,” the report states.

Other commonly acquired items include:

Electronic equipment and its accessories

Owens said books, like trendy collectibles, are common in checked baggage.

“I don’t know how many lovebuses and roughfuss, fake lovebuses, came,” he said.

Gold is increasingly found in lost luggage as travelers seek to avoid widespread financial uncertainty. One of the missing bags contained 99.99% pure gold bars manufactured by the Perth Mint in Australia.

“We’ve seen a notable rally in gold in a variety of forms and factors,” Owens said.

strangest find

While most of what Unclaimed Baggage received last year were typical items like T-shirts and charging cables, there were also plenty of quirky one-off items.

“Every day is like a treasure hunt,” Owens said.

Among the most exotic items were:

The aforementioned suitcase filled with rat poison

10k gold and diamond grill

A suitcase filled with fake human bones

White diamond earrings with an estimated value of $43,000

“We’re taking whatever travelers have taken on their trips over the past year,” Owens said, adding that the company rarely knows why people had such items in the first place. They still worry about rat poison.

Tips for travelers

As Owens noted, airlines are usually very good at returning checked luggage to travelers, but if you don’t want your luggage to end up in his family’s store, there are some things you can do to make that even less likely.

“Some tried-and-true tips that we’ve found to be consistent over the years are to label both the inside and outside of your bag, especially the inside in case something gets caught and falls on the outside,” Owens said. “Add something that stands out, like flare or color.”

He added that trackers like Apple AirTags can help track down bags if they’re misplaced, but they may not be able to prevent problems from occurring in the first place.

The discovery report also suggests that bags checked at the gate are more likely to be left behind than standard checked bags.

“Baggage checked at the gate bypasses the normal tagging process, making it more susceptible to routing issues,” the report said. “When gate checking, make sure the tag matches your destination and ask the agent to keep a photo of your bag and tag.”

How to purchase checked baggage

The Unclaimed Baggage store is located at 509 West Willow Street in Scottsboro, Alabama, but if you’re not planning on traveling, you can also purchase some of our inventory online.

The company will also be holding a pop-up in New York City from March 6th to 8th.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and can be reached at zwichter@usatoday.com.

Brookshire Grocery CEO Brad Brookshire retires

Economy

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March 5, 2026

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Brookshire Grocery CEO Brad Brookshire retires

Brad Brookshire, chairman and CEO of Brookshire Grocery Company, is retiring after a 49-year career.
During his leadership, the company expanded from 152 to 222 stores across four states.
Brookshire also spearheaded community initiatives such as the Heroes Flight program for veterans.
Jerry LeClair, the company’s chief operating officer, has been named interim CEO.

Brookshire Grocery Company announces the retirement of Chairman and CEO Brad Brookshire, ending a 49-year career with the family-owned company with roots in East Texas.

Brookshire, the grandson of founder W.T. Brookshire, served as chairman for 20 years and CEO for 10 years, helping the company expand from 152 stores to 222 stores across Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma. During his tenure, the company grew multiple store brands including Super 1 Foods, Spring Market and Fresh by Brookshires, with a focus on customer service, innovation and community engagement.

“It is my greatest honor to serve as Chairman and CEO of Brookshire Grocery Company,” said Mr. Brookshire, crediting the company’s long-term success to its employees, customers and community.

Brookshire has held roles across all areas of the business, including store director, vice president, executive vice president, and president. He also helped launch the Super 1 Foods banner more than 40 years ago and oversaw acquisitions such as Leather’s in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Beyond business growth, Brookshire led community-focused initiatives such as the Heroes Flight program, which took nearly 600 veterans on a trip to Washington, D.C., and the Focus on the Future Scholarship program, an endowment of more than $1 million to support students across the company. He also represented the grocery industry during the COVID-19 pandemic as a member of Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Open Texas Strike Force.

Brookshire was inducted into the Food Industry Hall of Fame in 2020 and received the Food Industry Association’s Sidney R. Love Award in 2024.

The company has appointed Jerry LeClair as interim CEO. Mr. Leclair, who joined Brookshire Grocery Company in 2019 and most recently served as Chief Operating Officer, has more than 40 years of experience in the grocery industry.

Company officials said a celebration honoring Brookshire’s leadership and decades of accomplishments will be held later this spring.

Savannah Guthrie visits ‘Today’ show, plans to return eventually

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March 5, 2026

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Savannah Guthrie visits ‘Today’ show, plans to return eventually

Savannah Guthrie returned to the Today studio to thank colleagues for their support as the search for her 84-year-old mother Nancy Guthrie continues.

A spokesperson for “Today” said Guthrie, who had been off the NBC morning show for more than a month while authorities in Arizona searched for her missing mother, visited the “Today” studio on Thursday, March 5, but she did not appear on the broadcast. NBC’s statement also confirmed Guthrie’s intention to return to the show. No timeline was provided.

“Savannah Guthrie stopped by the studio this morning with her TODAY colleagues to express their gratitude,” the statement said. “She plans to return to the show while it’s on the air, but right now she’s focused on supporting her family and bringing Nancy home.”

Jenna Bush Hager became emotional while discussing the visit on Thursday’s broadcast, sharing that Guthrie “talked to all of us” and “hugged everyone in this room.”

“She said she’s willing to come back to the show, even though it feels like the hardest thing to do, it’s also her home and it’s a place where she feels so loved, and she’s loved even more than she’s loved here,” Hager said. “So we’re glad she’s coming home. We don’t know when she’s actually going to come back to the show, but she’s here. It was great to be able to hug her.”

Hager added that Guthrie said he feels the prayers of his colleagues and viewers. Meanwhile, Shinelle Jones said she was “proud” of Guthrie and praised her strength in being able to return to the studio.

“I think we’re in a storm and we’re not out of it yet, but even in the midst of a storm, there’s light somewhere,” Jones said. “For her to be here and be with us and for us to be able to hug her, I think it’s a step, right? We don’t know what’s ahead of us. We don’t know what’s ahead of us. But all I know is that it’s a step. And for me, any time you can take a step, I celebrate it.”

Jones also recalled telling Guthrie, “You know what? You’re here, and we love you. Everyone loves you. And whenever you’re ready, we’ll be here.”

Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, was reported missing on Sunday, February 1, and Arizona authorities said they believe she was taken from her home against her will. The search continues, and Guthrie’s family is offering a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to his recovery.

Former “Today” anchor Hoda Kotb was filling in for Guthrie, who left the show to spend time with his family and withdrew from NBC’s Olympic coverage.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Office continues to search for Nancy Guthrie, but no major developments in the case have been announced in recent days. In February, the FBI released an image of a masked suspect standing on Guthrie’s doorstep before she disappeared, but the person has not been identified.

Guthrie has regularly shared statements on social media during the search for her mother. In a video posted on February 24, she acknowledged that her mother “may have already passed away,” but said her family still believes in “miracles.” Today’s cast members have continued to support the search for Guthrie, wearing yellow ribbons and decorating their studios with yellow flowers.

“For the national collective, this is our missing mother,” Carson Daly said last month.

Judge orders U.S. Customs to refund Trump’s illegal tariffs

Economy

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March 5, 2026

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Judge orders U.S. Customs to refund Trump’s illegal tariffs

David Lowder and Tom Hulse
|Reuters

WASHINGTON, March 4 (Reuters) – A U.S. Trade Court judge on Wednesday ordered the government to begin issuing billions of dollars in refunds to importers who paid tariffs that the Supreme Court last month said were illegally collected.

Judge Richard Eaton of the U.S. Court of International Trade in Manhattan ordered the government to finalize the cost of bringing millions of shipments into the United States without assessing customs duties, according to court filings. He ordered the money to be returned with interest.

When goods are brought into the United States, the importer pays the estimated amount upon entry, with final payment approximately 314 days later. This is a process known as liquidation. Eaton directed Customs and Border Protection to finalize the cost of entry for the shipment without customs valuation, resulting in a refund.

“Customs knows how to do this,” he said during a court hearing Wednesday, according to a recording posted on the court’s website. He said authorities should be able to program the system to provide periodic refunds if importers overpay estimated duties.

“They’re doing it every day. They’re clearing entries and issuing refunds,” he said.

Eaton also set a hearing for Friday to seek an update on CBP’s refund plan. In his order, he said the court’s chief justice had indicated that Mr. Eaton would be the only judge to hear tariff refund cases.

Customs and Border Protection said in a court filing that the task of finalizing entry fees without assessing customs duties is “unprecedented” and could require manual completion of more than 70 million entry checks. In other court filings, the agency said it was seeking up to four months to evaluate refund options.

CBP did not respond to requests for comment.

“The language of this order strongly suggests a blanket approach in which importers have the right to suspend IEEPA refunds altogether,” said Ryan Majerus, a former senior Commerce Department official and current partner at King & Spalding. “The government may challenge the scope of this order, or at least ask for more time to allow U.S. Customs to accomplish what is undoubtedly a monumental task here.”

The U.S. government has collected more than $130 billion in illegal tariff payments that were a centerpiece of President Trump’s trade policy. The Supreme Court has not provided any guidance regarding refunds, leading to confusion over how to refund importers.

Eaton’s order comes in a lawsuit brought by Atomas Filtration ATMU.N, which said in a court filing that it paid about $11 million in illegal duties.

Atomas’ attorney did not respond to a request for comment.

Atomas’ case is one of about 2,000 cases filed in the Trade Court seeking to recover tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

Mr Eaton said there was no need to hear each case. “We want to come up with a way for these importers to claim the illegally applied duties.”

More than 300,000 importers paid duties. The majority of importers are small and medium-sized businesses, and they want customs officials to adopt a simple, low-cost system for disbursing refunds. Many told Reuters they might forfeit their refunds if they had to file a lawsuit or go through cumbersome customs paperwork.

“There should be no impediment to CBP issuing refunds,” said trade lawyer George Tuttle.

(Reporting by David Lowder and Andrea Shalal in Washington and Tom Hulse in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by Anna Driver and Matthew Lewis)

Georgia officials fear construction of ICE facility could make Minneapolis the next town

Politics

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March 5, 2026

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Georgia officials fear construction of ICE facility could make Minneapolis the next town

It started with a phone call from a Washington Post reporter.

When the phone rang a few weeks ago, officials in Oakwood, Georgia, about 80 miles northeast of Atlanta, had just heard that a 10,000-bed Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center was coming to another northern Georgia town.

A reporter asked if he knew Oakwood was on the shortlist for an ICE processing facility. No, this was the first time they heard about it, officials told him.

In the weeks that followed, the city of fewer than 6,000 people prepared to convert two warehouses within its boundaries into ICE processing facilities. As far as they knew, the detainees were to be taken to Oakwood after their arrest and spend several days there before being transferred to a larger, longer-term detention facility in Social Circle, Georgia.

Oakwood officials estimate the cost will be more than $2 million, as water and sewer capacity will be tested and police will require additional training. As of February 27, the town has not received any communication from the Department of Homeland Security.

DHS says ‘no negative impact’ of ICE facility — city disagrees

B.R. White, Oakwood’s city planner, said the only communication he received from Washington was from Congressman Andrew Clyde, whose district includes Georgia’s 9th District, which includes Oakwood.

Clyde said in a February statement that his office received information from ICE, which was passed on to Oakwood, identifying two warehouses on Atlanta Highway as suitable for detention processing facilities.

“The identification and fit-for-purpose of each facility included an engineering review of existing utilities and facility infrastructure. The engineering team reviewed the proposed uses and capacities for electricity, water usage, waste export, and life safety building systems (fire protection systems) water supply capabilities,” Clyde shared. “The final selection of the facility was based on the determination that there would be no harmful effects.”

But White says the costs are unavoidable and absolutely detrimental to Oakwood.

“I don’t know (who’s going to pay the utility bills),” he said in an interview with USA Today. “Oakwood does not have a wastewater treatment facility. We have pre-purchased capacity from three other jurisdictions and have secured maximum capacity from each jurisdiction through agreements.”

Additional costs to increase the jail’s sewage treatment capacity will exceed $2 million, White said. That’s money the city doesn’t need to spend.

The city of Oakwood receives about $9 million a year in ad valorem taxes, which means nearly a third of the city’s revenue must go directly to paying for water and sewer services for ICE detention centers, the construction of which the city had no control over.

“We’re at a predicament, because once the state or federal government buys the land, there are limits to what they can do to advance the point, and one of them is utility costs,” White said. “But they don’t have it until we approve it.”

Plan for the “worst case scenario”

The city’s costs go beyond utility bills.

Oakwood expects to lose about $771,072 in tax revenue because the federal government owns the warehouse rather than a private company. Other taxing entities in the region will also be affected.

The city published the estimate on its website on February 24th.

The city also plans to spend about $215,000 on new training for police officers to deal with possible protests, as well as equipment for the police station.

“We have to plan for the worst-case scenario if what happened in Minnesota happens here,” White said. The city is “preparing for any type of protest or civil disobedience.”

White said he expects people from across the region to voice their opinions on Oakwood, but said the small police force is unprepared if the situation turns physical. They hope to undergo training with state and government agency partners in the coming weeks to better support communities if protests begin.

“Our official position is that we are here for the safety of the citizens of Oakwood and the security of their rights to freedom of speech and assembly,” White said. “So if they go through the proper paperwork and everything, we will do everything we can to make them safe.”

But money is tight. Oakwood’s budget runs from calendar year to calendar year, so when the city learned of the construction of the ICE facility, the 2026 budget had just been approved, and officials now have to “squeeze the budget” to meet the police department’s needs.

“Even if (DHS) were to make a statement saying, ‘Oh yeah, the whole community benefits,’ the city of Oakwood doesn’t benefit at all,” White said. “You can massage these numbers and put them out any way you want. That’s what I suggested. Well, if (DHS) is going to come up with numbers like that and you know it’s right, make it Oakwood specific. Make it South Hall (County) specific. And, you know, I don’t think they can do that.”

Eileen Wright is an Atlanta Connect reporter for USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. X Find her at @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.

Three women’s bodies found in Wayne County, Utah, murder case. suspect arrested

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March 5, 2026

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Three women’s bodies found in Wayne County, Utah, murder case. suspect arrested

The suspect in the murders of three Utah women was arrested in the early hours of March 5, ending a multi-state manhunt but putting the community on edge as residents were urged to lock their doors and stay indoors.

The Utah Department of Public Safety said the women were found dead in separate locations in Wayne County in the state’s south on March 4 and are working with local law enforcement in the investigation.

On the afternoon of March 4, authorities received a report that two women’s bodies had been found on a hiking trail. A third woman was found dead at a home in the county. According to police, the women are in their 30s, 60s, and 80s. Officials have not said why they believe the deaths in separate locations are related.

The suspects fled in one of the victims’ cars through southern Utah, into Arizona, and eventually to Pagosa Springs, Colorado, where authorities said they found the abandoned vehicle. After a search, the suspect was safely located and taken into custody, the Ministry of Public Security said. His identity and the identity of the victim have not been released.

Authorities continue to investigate and process crime scenes in the Lyman and Torrey areas of Wayne County.

“There is no ongoing threat to the public and investigators have no outstanding suspects,” the ministry said.

The Department of Public Safety and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office previously asked the community in Torrey and surrounding areas to remain vigilant while the suspect remains at large.

The sheriff’s office announced late on March 4, “In response to recent incidents in Wayne County today, WCSO is asking all residents to take extra precautions, keep their lights on, doors locked, and stay home or with others if possible tonight.”

Authorities in neighboring Garfield County also asked residents to lock their doors on March 4, but said they had no reason to believe the suspect had traveled to the county and later said they believed there was “no longer a threat to our area.”

The Wayne County School District announced it would close schools on March 5 and 6 “out of an abundance of caution and concern for the safety of our students and the public,” and local health clinics would also close on March 5.

Britney Spears arrested – singer detained on suspicion of drunk driving

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March 5, 2026

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Britney Spears arrested – singer detained on suspicion of drunk driving

Britney Spears was arrested in California on suspicion of drunk driving and flouting the law.

The Grammy-winning pop star, 44, was arrested by the California Highway Patrol late Wednesday, March 4, in Ventura County on a charge of driving under the influence, according to Ventura County Sheriff’s Office inmate records reviewed Thursday by USA TODAY.

Spears was taken into custody around 3 a.m. Thursday and released just after 6 a.m., according to inmate records.

USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and Spears for comment.

Spears’ arrest comes five years after her conservatorship, overseen by her father Jamie Spears, was terminated by a California judge in November 2021. Spears, who was 39 at the time of her sentencing, was placed under legal arrangement in 2008 at the age of 26 after a public lapse the year before, when paparazzi captured her seemingly erratic behavior.

Spears helped define pop music at the turn of the millennium with her hit songs and dazzling live performances, but she has largely retreated from the musical spotlight since her conservatorship ended. Her latest album “Glory” was released in 2016.

The “Baby One More Time” singer has released collaborative singles with Elton John (“Hold Me Closer”) and Black Eyed Peas rapper will.i.am (“Mind Your Business”) in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

On the touring circuit, Spears embarked on the Piece of Me Tour in 2018 after completing her 2017 Britney Piece of Me Las Vegas residency. The tour reportedly grossed $54.3 million and visited various cities in North America and Europe.

In an Instagram post in January, the Princess of Pop said she would “never” perform in the United States again due to “very sensitive reasons.”

“But I would love to sit on a stool with a red rose in my hair, put it up in a bun, and perform with my son…soon in England and Australia,” Spears added, without providing further details about potential concert appearances. “He’s a huge star and I’m so humbled to be standing in front of him!!! So fast, little guy!!!”

Millions of people can file their taxes for free in the United States. Here’s how:

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March 5, 2026

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Millions of people can file their taxes for free in the United States. Here’s how:

A venerable IRS program called Free File, as the name suggests, allows 70% of taxpayers to file their taxes for free. Only 2% of taxpayers used this service in 2024.

That’s what a February report from personal finance site NerdWallet found, which said the free tax program is “woefully” underutilized.

“It’s amazing how few eligible filers take advantage of this each year,” said Sam Taub, chief investment writer at NerdWallet.

The typical taxpayer spends hundreds of dollars on tax software and human preparers to complete their taxes. The Biden administration estimated that the average American will spend $270 on tax preparation in 2024.

Launched in 2003, Free File allows taxpayers with modest incomes to file their taxes for free with the help of a tax preparation partner as an alternative to paid tax preparation software.

In 2024, taxpayers filed about 3 million tax returns through Free File, according to a report by the nonprofit Tax Policy Center. An additional 140,000 returns were delivered under IRS Direct File, a pilot program that allows simplified tax taxpayers to file directly with tax authorities for free.

Trump administration abolishes Direct File

However, the Trump administration ended Direct File after the 2025 tax season, calling it wasteful and unnecessary. Commercial tax preparation companies lobbied against the program.

Taxpayer advocates have lamented the demise of Direct File, an initiative that began two years ago and had yet to expand beyond 25 states.

“I think this is a very simple case of what’s good for the average taxpayer and what’s good for these big corporations,” said David Kass, executive director of the nonprofit group Americans for Tax Fairness.

So while Free File remains the most visible IRS program that allows taxpayers to file their taxes for free, researchers wonder why so few taxpayers take advantage of it.

The creators of commercial taxes deserve some blame. A 2019 investigation by nonprofit news company ProPublica found that two IRS partners, TurboTax and H&R Block, undermined Free File by hiding their services on their websites and steering taxpayers to more expensive tax preparation products.

“For decades, giant tax preparation companies have used Free File to trick Americans into overpaying to file their taxes,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said in a statement to USA TODAY. “Americans want a tax filing system that is truly free, secure and easy to use, and with Direct File we have delivered that.”

Warren and other Democrats in Congress have introduced legislation to reinstate and make Direct File permanent.

Here we outline some of the remaining options for taxpayers who want to file for free.

IRS Free File

Free File (not to be confused with Direct File) will continue to be available to taxpayers in 2026.

To qualify for Free File, your adjusted gross income must be $89,000 or less. According to federal estimates, this means 70% of taxpayers would be eligible.

TurboTax and H&R Block have ended their partnership with Free File. Current partners include 1040Now, 1040.com, ezTaxReturn.com, FileYourTaxes.com, OnLine Taxes, TaxAct, FreeTaxUSA, and TaxSlayer.

To use Free File, please visit the website. Select a partner tax preparation firm and answer a series of guided questions to begin preparing your return. In fact, with Free File, you can use the tax preparer software for free.

Free file fillable forms

The Fillable Forms option, a variation of IRS Free File, is available to anyone, but is tailored to taxpayers who are “comfortable with preparing their own taxes using IRS forms and instructions,” the website says.

In other words, if you need help with your taxes or find yourself in trouble quickly, this option may not be for you.

AARP Foundation Taxpayer

Started in 1968, Tax-Aide is billed as the nation’s largest free, volunteer-staffed program to help people prepare and file their taxes, serving more than 82 million taxpayers.

In 2025, Tax-Aide volunteers helped more than 1.7 million taxpayers file their returns. Volunteers are IRS certified and briefed on tax laws.

“Anyone is eligible, but our focus is on low- to moderate-income individuals, and that’s where our training is focused,” Miosi Moses, AARP Foundation vice president of volunteer programs, told USA TODAY in a 2025 interview. Most customers are over 50 and low-income.

There are no hidden fees, and volunteers are trained to help taxpayers find deductions and deductions they may have missed. For example, many taxpayers qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, a tax reduction for low- to moderate-income workers.

“This is one of the most effective anti-poverty tools out there,” Moses said. “What we’re finding is that many eligible adults aren’t claiming it.”

Volunteers are accepting appointments at more than 3,600 locations across the country, including libraries, malls, banks and community centers in each state. You can ask a volunteer to prepare your return or get coaching to complete it yourself. You do not need to be an AARP member.

The service period is until mid-April. To find a Tax-Aide center, you can use AARP’s Tax-Aide Locator.

Free version of commercial tax software

Some of the most popular tax preparation services offer free versions of their software. These seem to be much more popular than IRS free files. According to the nonprofit American Taxpayer Rights Coalition, approximately 27 million tax returns were filed through free commercial software in 2024.

H&R Block Online Free Edition: H&R Block is no longer participating in Free File, but the tax preparation giant still offers free services. According to the website, 52% of taxpayers qualify for the online free version. You should get a relatively easy return. This service includes free condition returns.

TurboTax free version: TurboTax also provides free tax preparation to taxpayers with a relatively simple return. Approximately 37% of applicants qualify. NerdWallet lists other free versions of its commercial tax preparation software, as well as several other free tax options, in a handy reference page.

Watch as Marine Corps veterans protesting war are removed from Senate hearing

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March 5, 2026

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Watch as Marine Corps veterans protesting war are removed from Senate hearing

Republican senators joined Capitol Police on March 4 in forcibly removing anti-war demonstrators and Marine Corps veterans from a Senate Armed Services Subcommittee hearing.

The Marine, identified by Capitol Police as Brian McGinniss, shouted, “No one wants to fight for Israel” as he was dragged from the Readiness and Administrative Support Subcommittee hearing room.

This came days after the US and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28th. The war has so far killed the country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei and six US soldiers.

“Wednesday afternoon, an unruly man who began an illegal protest during a public hearing violently resisted and struggled with officers attempting to remove him from the room, putting everyone in a dangerous position,” the Capitol Police said in a statement.

Capitol Police said McGinniss and three other officers were treated for injuries. The nature of their injuries is unknown. Reuters reported that McGinnis’ arm was broken in the interaction.

Video of the incident shows several officers dragging McGinnis, who was wearing a Marine Corps uniform, from the room as Republican Sen. Tim Sheehy of Montana tried to intervene in the scuffle.

“He was fighting back and I decided to work together to de-escalate the situation,” Sheehy said in a post on X. “This gentleman came to the Capitol looking for a confrontation, and he won the confrontation.”

USA TODAY has reached out to McGinnis for comment.

Watch as senators and police drag protesters out of the hearing.

McGinniss, 44, has been charged with three counts of assault on a police officer, resisting arrest and three counts of crowding, obstructing or failing to stay at a demonstration, according to the Capitol Police.

In a video of the incident, McGinniss stands up from the audience and says, “Israel is the cause of this war. America doesn’t want to fight this war for Israel,” as officers try to escort him away.

McGinniss appeared to resist the officers, and video footage shows his hand getting stuck in the doorway as officers tried to remove him.

“A suspect who resisted officers and had his arm caught in a door while attempting to force his way back into the hearing room was also treated,” Capitol Police said in a statement.

The incident occurred less than 30 minutes after the hearing began. The hearing was held to receive testimony from several military leaders about the readiness of military units.

Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) called for order at the hearing amid the protests.

“As a reminder to all witnesses, the Capitol Police will escort protesters from the hearing room. We ask for calm during the hearing,” Sullivan said.

Capitol Police also said in a statement: “Protests are prohibited inside the Capitol. There are many other locations on the Capitol grounds and outside where demonstrations are permitted.”

Watch the video at the top of this story.

Anti-war demonstrator is a Marine Corps veteran running for Senate

McGinnis is a Marine Corps veteran who is running for the U.S. Senate from North Carolina as a Green Party candidate. He served in the Marine Corps from 2000 to 2004, according to his website and campaign profile.

In a video posted to X on March 4, McGinniss, wearing a Marine uniform, said he had traveled to Washington, D.C., to speak to senators about the Iran war.

“I want to be here in Washington, D.C., to voice my opposition to the Senate and ask why the Senate would send our people into harm’s way when our elected officials say there is no world war,” McGinniss said.

Melina Khan is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. Contact her at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

US stock futures fall as investors consider fallout from Middle East wars

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March 5, 2026

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US stock futures fall as investors consider fallout from Middle East wars

March 5 (Reuters) – U.S. stock index futures fell slightly on Thursday, after the market briefly rebounded the previous day, as investors digested the growing fallout from the escalating Middle East war.

Earlier in the day, Iran fired a new missile at Israel, just hours after Washington’s efforts to thwart a U.S. airstrike hit a wall.

Safe-haven gold and the dollar continued to rise, while U.S. Treasuries cooled, with the 10-year Treasury yield at its highest level since early February.

Oil prices soared more than 3% on the day and more than 15% this week, extending their gains as the conflict entered its sixth day, with concerns still lingering that rising energy costs could ripple through the economy and cloud the already shaky outlook of the U.S. Federal Reserve.

As of 2:40 a.m. ET, the Dow E-mini YMcv1 was down 185 points, or 0.38%, the S&P 500 E-mini EScv1 was down 14 points, or 0.2%, and the Nasdaq 100 E-mini NQcv1 was down 62.75 points, or 0.25%.

Investors have been quick to return to tech, even as nerves are frayed by the prospect of a prolonged conflict and rising fuel prices that have reignited inflation concerns. The Nasdaq is up 0.6% so far this week, as bargain hunters have driven much of this week’s decline, scavenging technology stocks that were hit hard last month. On the other hand, the S&P 500 index remained slightly lower.

Wednesday’s small rally was once again supported by tech stocks. The Nasdaq rose 1.29%, the S&P 500 rose 0.8% and the Dow finished up 0.5%. Reports that Iran was open to dialogue and US President Donald Trump’s pledge to maintain stability in the oil market helped calm the mood.

The gains were supported by new indicators that suggest U.S. economic activity is holding up, even as government officials downplayed the inflationary hit from soaring oil prices.

The market will then analyze weekly jobless claims later in the day, before turning to Friday’s nonfarm payrolls report.

Investors will also be looking for new Fed signals after a series of hawkish comments, with remarks from Fed Vice Chair Michelle Bowman expected later in the day.

(Reporting by Pranav Kashyap in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob Phillips)

Things to know before visiting Yellowstone

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March 5, 2026

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Things to know before visiting Yellowstone

In winter, Yellowstone National Park is a hidden gem with fewer tourists, steaming geysers and rare wildlife.

Yellowstone National Park offers unique experiences in both summer and winter, with fewer people in the colder months.
The park was initially established to protect geological features, similar to Old Faithful, followed by animal conservation efforts.
Unlike other popular national parks, Yellowstone does not require timed entry reservations.

I saw a wolf in the distance.

This is the best animal viewing you can do in Yellowstone National Park. The guides were also excited, saying, “This is the first time a wolf has been seen in this park in about a month.”

Although the wolves were more than a mile away (all I could do to capture the moment was very grainy cell phone video), it emphasized to me just how special Yellowstone and the entire National Park System is. There I was, in the middle of the American wilderness, watching wolves trot across the snow as steam rose around me from natural vents beneath the ground.

Yellowstone is not just about wildlife. In fact, it was the first national park in the United States established to protect the natural landscape.

Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872 to protect access to its unique geological and hydrothermal features, including Old Faithful Geyser. Animal protection efforts began later.

While summer brings visitors to the park (nearly 1 million people passed through its gates in July 2025), winter is a time when the park is much emptier. According to our guide, only about 2,000 people a day enter the park during the winter. That means you don’t have to fight your way through crowds to get the best views or spot wildlife.

In Washington, national parks like Yellowstone continue to grapple with funding uncertainty, but for visitors they remain as important, valuable, and fulfilling as ever.

If you’re considering a trip to Yellowstone, don’t rule out the idea of going when it’s snowing. Here’s what you need to know to make the most of your Yellowstone experience any time of year.

Things to see and do in Yellowstone

No matter what season you visit Yellowstone, the scenery takes center stage.

In the summer, hot springs around the area, such as the Fountain Paint Pot Trail, display vibrant colors with mats of thermophilic bacteria that thrive in the extreme environment.

Even in winter, if you’re lucky, you’ll have the chance to see animals like bison and wolves, but you’ll also get a sense of how much thermal activity is going on beneath the park’s feet. Random patches of melting snow mark areas where magma just below the park’s surface maintains temperatures in unexpected patterns.

Stop by Old Faithful, perhaps one of Yellowstone’s most famous attractions, to enjoy a nature show. One of the benefits of going in the winter is that you don’t have to fight for a front row seat at the geyser.

Despite being one of America’s most visited national parks, Yellowstone does not require timed entry reservations or permits to access popular spots, unlike other parks with restrictions.

But there’s plenty to see outside of these famous tourist spots, as long as you stay on the well-marked roads. The landscape of geysers, mud pots, hot springs and fumaroles will enchant you.

Due to Yellowstone’s unique geology, you may encounter treacherous ground if you stray from your designated area. It’s not worth getting a steam or acid burn just to take an Instagram post from a more unique angle.

“This is a place to be sensed,” said our guide Missy, but perhaps not to cover up a body with third-degree burns.

How are parks responding to record visitor numbers?

National parks continue to be very popular tourist destinations, and many of the major parks are working on infrastructure upgrades to safely accommodate large numbers of visitors.

For example, Yellowstone has a robust road infrastructure and facilities such as restrooms are scattered throughout the park. Still, my guide said the park recognizes that more can be done to improve its facilities and that some of its ongoing capital projects have been delayed.

Most of Yellowstone’s roads are closed during the winter, but during the rest of the year, vehicles can travel on the giant figure-eight roadway that runs through much of the park. Wildlife sightings can increase traffic as bison cross the road or cars stop to see other animals in the distance.

“Parks utilize a combination of seasonal staffing increases, traffic control measures, real-time visitor messaging, expanded transportation operations, and interagency coordination to safely and responsibly manage crowds,” an Interior Department spokesperson previously told USA TODAY, highlighting the National Park Service’s commitment to safe and responsible access and resource management.

How did Yellowstone deal with the National Park Service changes?

Despite staff cuts and funding uncertainty, national parks remain open.

“During the appropriations lapse, the government has kept America’s national parks as safe, clean, and open as possible,” a National Park Service spokesperson said in a statement. “Thanks to strong leadership and a well-executed emergency response plan, the National Park Service maintained essential services, minimized disruption, and prevented damage to resources.”

Still, when the layoffs were announced last year, advocates such as the independent National Parks Conservation Association and the National Parks Conservation Coalition warned that the cuts would lead to lower service levels and a diminished ability to protect and share park resources.

How to get to Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park, which straddles Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho, has multiple entrances, so getting there depends on which area you’re visiting.

Public access is restricted during the winter, and most visitors must take a guided tour.

During my trip, I flew to Bozeman, Montana. I primarily stay in Big Sky, and I was picked up from my hotel to meet up for a snowcoach tour in West Yellowstone, about an hour away.

How much does it cost to enter Yellowstone?

A standard admission pass to Yellowstone for US residents costs between $20 and $35 per visit, while an annual pass costs $70. National parks currently charge an additional fee for foreign tourists.

During the winter, most roads in the park are closed, so visitors must enter as part of a tour.

The tour I took was an 8-hour snowcoach tour from West Yellowstone operated by Yellowstone Vacations that cost $240 per person, which does not include park passes, lunch, or tips.

During the winter, Yellowstone also offers snowmobile tours, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.

This article has been updated to adjust the heading.

Contributor: Eve Chen, USA TODAY

The reporter for this article received access from Expedia and Visit Big Sky. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and can be reached at zwichter@usatoday.com.

Chick-fil-A launches new year menu featuring jalapenos and strawberries

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March 5, 2026

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Chick-fil-A launches new year menu featuring jalapenos and strawberries

Spring has already arrived at Chick-fil-A, which has ditched its seasonal menu and made jalapeños and strawberries the star of the show.

“As part of our year-long ‘Newstalgia’-inspired celebration, we are adding Jalapeno Ranch Club Chicken Sandwich and Strawberry Hibiscus-flavored drink to our menu for a limited time, blending familiar favorites with fresh twists to surprise and delight,” the fast food chain said in a statement.

“This year is all about taking the classics our guests know and love and surprising them with flavor combinations reimagined the Chick-fil-A way,” Alison Duncan, Chick-fil-A’s director of menu and packaging, said in a statement.

Chick-fil-A said this limited-time pairing offers “the perfect balance of subtle spiciness and sweetness, perfect for warmer weather.”

What’s inside the Jalapeno Ranch Club Chicken Sandwich?

The chain says the highlight of its “flavorful” spring menu is the Jalapeño Ranch Club Chicken Sandwich, which combines classic “ranch flavors with a Chick-fil-A twist.” The sandwich includes pepper jack cheese, caramelized onion-flavored candied bacon strips, lettuce, tomato, and pickled jalapeños, all housed in a buttermilk ranch bun and served with Chick-fil-A’s signature filet mignon, original, spicy, or grilled. The sandwich is served with creamy jalapeño ranch sauce for “upped heat.”

“Lunch is such a familiar flavor, so we wanted to deliver that flavor with every bite of a new sandwich, but in a way that felt new and unique with customizable heat that provides just the right kick,” Duncan said.

Chick-fil-A said its Jalapeno Ranch Club chicken sandwich will make its national debut in 2025 after a successful test in Salt Lake City.

“Enjoy spring” with strawberry hibiscus drinks

Complementing the sandwiches are four new Strawberry Hibiscus beverages offering “a fresh new way to enjoy spring.” Drinks include:

Strawberry Hibiscus & Sprite: A refreshing and refreshing mix of Sprite with strawberry and hibiscus flavors.
Strawberry hibiscus lemonade: Chick-fil-A’s classic lemonade (or diet lemonade) combined with strawberry and hibiscus flavors.
Strawberry Hibiscus Frosted Lemonade: A combination of Chick-fil-A lemonade (or diet lemonade) and the signature Ice Dream dessert, which mixes strawberry and hibiscus flavors.
Strawberry Hibiscus Sunjoy: It blends lemonade with Chick-fil-A’s Sunjoy beverages, which include freshly brewed sweet iced tea with strawberry and hibiscus flavors.

How to get Chick-fil-A’s Spring 2026 menu

Chick-fil-A’s spring menu will be available at restaurants nationwide starting March 9th.

80 years of Chick-fil-A

The year 2026 marks Chick-fil-A’s 80th anniversary.

The Georgia-based fast food chain kicked off its “Newstalgia” celebration in January and plans to celebrate “an 80-year tradition of quality, service and care” throughout 2026.

The Newstalgia campaign will offer “loved classics with fresh twists, fun guest experiences, and moments of surprise and delight, from new permanent frosted sodas and floats to classic cups, merchandise and all-new retro packaging,” Chick-fil-A said.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact her at sshafiq@usatodayco.com and follow X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.

Iran War, Gas Prices, Nancy Guthrie, Texas Primary, ICE, Lou Holtz, Basketball: Daily Briefing

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March 5, 2026

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Iran War, Gas Prices, Nancy Guthrie, Texas Primary, ICE, Lou Holtz, Basketball: Daily Briefing

I hope you are doing well. Welcome to the daily briefing. This morning’s breaking news is:

nicole farato Here’s the news you need to know Thursday, including the latest on the Iran war and Trump’s lack of support in the Texas Republican primary. Additionally, women’s college basketball is heating up.

Iran wants ‘blood’, experts say

Experts told USA TODAY that Iranian leaders decided they needed to inflict severe political and economic pain on the United States and Israel before agreeing to a cease-fire, despite the large imbalance in military power.

Meanwhile, the Senate on March 4 failed to advance the War Powers Resolution to halt military hostilities against Iran and end US involvement in the escalating regional war. As civilian and U.S. military casualties mount, other countries are drawn into the crisis, and religion is a major factor fueling the broader threat. And the war is bad public opinion for Republicans, as Americans back home are worried about rising gas prices and travel concerns.

More news you need to know right now

Who is President Trump supporting in Texas? It’s not clear yet. Remarkably, President Donald Trump has yet to endorse a candidate in the Texas Republican primary for U.S. Senate, which is currently leading up to a close (and expensive) runoff election in May.
Texas ICE Detention Center is in isolation. Sources told The El Paso Times, part of the USA TODAY Network, that a large immigration detention center in West Texas has been isolated due to a measles outbreak and is closed to visitors and lawyers.
The state could lose dozens of pharmacies. CVS announced it would close all 134 of its pharmacies in Tennessee if the state enacts legislation that targets the pharmacy giant’s business model.

memory

Lou’s Gospel

Lou Holtz, the Hall of Fame college football coach who led Notre Dame to its last national championship in 1988, died on Wednesday, March 4th. He passed away at the age of 89. He was known for the following life lessons: “Everyone wants to win. I always asked my players, ‘Can you live with losing? Can you live with failing?'” That’s what drives life. ”

college basketball

Women preparing for madness

The countdown to the 2026 NCAA Tournament for women’s college basketball has officially begun. Before March Madness begins on March 18th, conference tournaments will begin across the country. USA TODAY Sports will be tracking No. 11 Alabama taking on No. 6 Tennessee on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET. And here are the men’s games scheduled for Thursday.

before you go

Have feedback about the daily briefing? Email Nicole at NFallert@usatoday.com.

Is it ADHD or menopause?

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March 5, 2026

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First, Grace Presley sometimes forgot why she came into the room. Then she lost her mind mid-sentence. Starting simple tasks like unloading the dishwasher seemed impossible.

The 39-year-old has always been able to maintain a balance, including raising a teenage girl and a new baby. She entered perimenopause last year and started hormone replacement therapy, which was more than the brain fog that came with it.

One afternoon, she returned home from a project in the garage and discovered that she had left the kitchen sink faucet running, the refrigerator door open, and water boiling on the stove.

“I was losing my mind,” says Presley, a St. Louis nurse and program coordinator. “I’ve always been a perfectionist. When you go through perimenopause, the mask of coping falls off. Now that you have a family and manage a household, everything falls apart.”

She saw a therapist who told her what women are hearing more and more in midlife. It was that she had ADHD.

The number of women ages 30 to 49 diagnosed with ADHD nearly doubled from 2020 to 2022, according to a 2023 Epic Research study. This does not mean that women suddenly develop ADHD.

In fact, ADHD often becomes apparent or worsens during perimenopause.

“Many women lived with ADHD for years and didn’t know it. They learned how to cope and did well,” says Sasha Hamdani, a psychiatrist who practices near Kansas City, Kansas. “Then menopause happens. Menopause changes everything and takes away your ability to cope. It feels like everything is falling apart.”

Is it menopause or ADHD?

Many of Hamdani’s patients come to her with a simple question: “Is this menopause?” Or maybe I have ADHD?

This is the same question Atlanta gynecologist Dawn Mandeville hears from her patients.

“She will tell me she can’t think anymore. She used to be smart, but she can’t remember her name. She feels stupid,” says Mandeville, who organizes menopause and mocktail events to support women’s education. “The question that arises is: do I have ADHD, am I developing dementia? Or is this just menopause?”

Most women who are currently going through menopause were not diagnosed with ADHD as children. That’s because when they were young, ADHD was thought to only affect boys. Symptoms in girls often manifest differently, sometimes with anxiety, emotional dysregulation, or confusion rather than a lack of concentration. They developed coping skills.

However, during perimenopause and menopause, the decline in estrogen can reduce your ability to use coping mechanisms. Estrogen helps regulate dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in executive function and concentration. When estrogen levels drop, it becomes less effective and can cause problems with concentration.

Additionally, as hormones fluctuate, ADHD symptoms can also fluctuate.

“We have to explain to women that menopause is not the cause of ADHD,” says Mandy Dixon, a menopause therapist in Dallas. “But for women who have had ADHD all their lives, they may lose the hormonal cushion that helped them cope. Or, in the case of ADHD, it may get worse.”

Depending on the severity of their ADHD and how they have adapted their lives to cope with it, a sudden drop in estrogen can leave them unable to cope.

Some symptoms of perimenopause are similar to those of ADHD. If a patient has had symptoms for years and their symptoms worsen during perimenopause, they likely have ADHD, Dixon says.

“People said I was too sensitive.”

Hadmani says new ways to screen women are helping improve ADHD diagnosis. Now she wants to help some middle-aged women redefine ADHD.

“This is not a failure,” Hudmani said. His book Too Sensitive will be published this fall. “We need to reframe this as a neurological phenomenon.”

For Julie Murillas, understanding more about her ADHD is a relief.

“All my life I thought there was something wrong with me. I was overwhelmed. People told me I was too sensitive,” says Murilas, 49.

She was diagnosed with ADHD in college, but her symptoms worsened when she went to graduate school at age 42 while working full time. It was around the same time that perimenopause began.

She forgot words and details. She struggled to read for more than 15 minutes. She postponed the project.

“I didn’t know that ADHD could get worse,” says Murilas, now a therapist in Houston. “There was a lot of sadness involved.”

She began hormone therapy and treatment for anxiety and ADHD.

How to treat ADHD in menopause

Mandeville says many of her patients’ symptoms improve with hormone replacement therapy. She sends some to a psychiatrist for evaluation for ADHD.

The majority of Hamdani’s patients are diagnosed with ADHD during perimenopause. Some people require treatment. Some people require medication to manage anxiety and other symptoms.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that stimulant use among men and women in midlife increased “significantly” from 2020 to 2021. One of the biggest increases was among women ages 50 to 54, according to the CDC.

In Presley’s case, she was diagnosed with ADHD and started taking medication, which improved her life.

“As women and mothers, we’re taught to do nothing and just keep making ends meet the same way we’ve always done it. But we can’t do that,” she says. “When I started taking the medication, it felt like my brain was quiet for the first time in my life. I was able to focus on one task and get it done. I wasn’t in my head all the time, and I felt relieved.”

Laura Trujillo is a national columnist focused on health and wellness. She is the author of “Stepping Back from the Ledge: A Daughter’s Search for Truth and Renewal” and can be reached at ltrujillo@usatoday.com.

How cold has it been this winter? You might be shocked to see the US weather data.

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March 5, 2026

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How cold has it been this winter? You might be shocked to see the US weather data.

East Coast residents may remember polar vortex forecasts and snowstorms, but the U.S. weather data was dominated by warmer temperatures in the West.

The just-ended three-month meteorological winter period will be remembered for extreme temperature anomalies across the United States, including deadly and persistent polar blasts and eastern winter storms.

But for many parts of the country west of the Mississippi River, this winter was either the warmest or the warmest on record. In the West, temperatures could be brutally hot.

Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and founder of WeatherWest.com, said available preliminary data shows that the last three months of winter have been the warmest on record “in many parts of the American West, by a tremendous margin.”

“Overall, the West had the warmest winter on record,” Swain said on a March 3 YouTube podcast. By Swain’s calculations, you could get into your car at the westernmost tip of the coast and drive east for more than 20 hours on the highway and still be in a place that experienced one of the warmest winters on record.

Texas set a new record for the warmest winter day in the nation on February 26, when the temperature reached 106 degrees at the weather station at Falcon Dam on the Rio Grande, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures rose into triple digits that day for about 30 miles along the river. In many parts of the West, it was the second-warmest winter on record, if not the warmest on record. He said there was virtually no area in the West that was spared from the extremely unusual warmth, except for some areas in the California Valley where there was dense fog that prevented record-setting.

all over the country

Drastic changes in temperature were also observed within the Japan Meteorological Bureau’s jurisdiction. The La Crosse, Wisconsin Weather Service noted a 98-degree range between high and low temperatures, from -32 degrees near Owen on Jan. 25 to 66 degrees at Prairie du Chien on Feb. 17.

Similar fluctuations in high and low temperatures were seen in other areas, including South Bend, Indiana, where temperatures rose from a low of -10 degrees on February 1 to a high of 65 degrees on February 18. Overall, it was the 45th coldest winter in the region since records began in 1893, the weather bureau said.

This week’s summary of the period from December to February published by the local weather bureau included the following highlights:

PHOENIX – Not only was it the warmest winter on record, March started out warmer than usual. The highest temperature on March 1st was the earliest 93-degree day on record, beating the record set in 1972 by four days.
GREAT FALLS, Mont. – Five of the seven stations monitored had record 50-degree days this winter. Bozeman had 37 days with daily highs above 50 degrees, contributing to the warmest winter on record.
SHERIDAN, Wyo. – There were 44 single-day high temperatures above 50 degrees and 20 above 60 degrees, both records.

Even bigger changes are looming in early March, as we see a major pattern change in the eastern United States.

See map

An official climate summary from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the weather service’s parent agency, is expected in the coming days, but some preliminary maps show the meteorological winter season and daily temperature trends over a three-month period.

Increased risk of wildfires

In many regions, meteorologists are also concerned that the arrival of spring will increase the risk of wildfires with drier-than-normal and warmer-than-normal temperatures.

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, there have been 7,895 fires and 385,991 acres burned nationwide since the beginning of the year, far exceeding the 10-year average of 4,323 fires and 91,529 acres burned.

“Numbers don’t tell the whole story, but they do confirm an important fact: Conditions, fuels, and weather patterns vary widely across the country from time to time,” the fire center said in its Feb. 27 weekly report.

Traces of climate change

Although natural fluctuations have had an impact, Swain believes there are signs of climate change in many aspects of winter weather. Cold waves. “In the eastern United States, winters like that don’t happen very often,” he says, so winter seems more unusual to people who experience winter weather. In addition to a string of days of below-freezing temperatures, many cold-day highs were set, but this winter did not show any widespread trends among regions with the coldest winter on record.

Swain said it was also notable that temperatures in Western countries exceeded the “high threshold” of being above normal.

Without the effects of climate change, it would be nearly impossible for the U.S. to witness the extreme water vapor plumes that caused heavy snowfall and flooding in some areas, or the lack of snow in parts of the West, he said. That’s just the “not so cold, hard truth.”

Dinah Boyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, covers climate change, weather, the environment and other news. Contact dpulver@usatoday.com or @dinahvp on Bluesky or dinahvp.77 on X or Signal.

Technology companies have promised to pay for the data centers. Will my utility bills go down?

Economy

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March 5, 2026

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Technology companies have promised to pay for the data centers. Will my utility bills go down?

Seven major technology companies that rely on power-hungry data centers to train AI models have signed a pledge pledging to pay more for electricity as the Trump administration seeks to curb power rate hikes that have inflated energy bills and angered American voters ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Just as the White House is working to reduce the cost of living, data centers consume vast tracts of land as well as power and water supplies, straining power grids and driving up energy bills for homes and small businesses.

President Donald Trump has argued that data centers are essential to the U.S. economy and the AI race with China, but they face increasing pressure to cut costs for Americans struggling with his economic response.

“We’re here this afternoon for a historic signature that will help us significantly reduce utility costs and lower the cost of electricity for millions of Americans,” President Trump said at a White House event to sign the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, which he announced during his State of the Union address. “They’re not going to go up. They’re actually going to go down.”

President Trump said the tech companies that signed the voluntary commitment would pay for all the costs of powering and shipping data centers, but acknowledged that “unfortunately, it’s going to take some time to get there.”

Energy experts say the pledge is unlikely to protect ratepayers from the affordability headaches associated with rapid data center expansion. Furthermore, it does not provide immediate relief to ratepayers who are currently experiencing soaring utility costs.

“This pledge is an unenforceable document that provides no benefit to consumers,” Ari Pesko, director of the Power Law Initiative at Harvard Law School’s Environmental and Energy Law Program, told USA TODAY.

“This pledge does not affect utility bills,” he added. “In his remarks, the president acknowledged that the pledge was aimed at addressing “PR issues” in data centers. Electricity rates are set by power companies and approved by utility regulators, not through White House press conferences. ”

During a roundtable, President Trump told tech companies that they “need some (public relations) help because people think that when you put in a data center, your electricity bill goes up.”

According to the pledge, Google, Amazon, Metaplatforms, Microsoft, Oracle, OpenAI, and Elon Musk’s xAI agreed to cover the power costs for their data centers and invest in the power grid and locations to host the facilities. It also promised to negotiate different rates from residential and industrial customers in the states where its data centers are located.

Ryan Freddick of consulting firm Brattle Group said the principles outlined in the pledge, if implemented at scale, “could provide some protection to consumers” from changing costs associated with rapid data center growth.

“Their ultimate impact will depend on whether data center developers, utility companies and state regulators choose to translate these principles into concrete action,” Fredik said.

He explained that regulators have already approved a new rate structure proposed by utilities “to recover incremental costs from data centers,” and centers in many regions across the country have agreed to it.

“To the extent that pledges have an impact, they may give political momentum to these efforts,” Fredik said.

Rising power prices cut across party lines, and grassroots protests are erupting in areas where these giant warehouses powering the AI revolution are located.

Analysts have warned that U.S. electricity prices could become a key factor in voting booths, jeopardizing Republican control of Congress in the midterm elections.

A 2025 study from Carnegie Mellon University and North Carolina State University estimates that data centers and crypto mining could increase average electricity bills by 8% by 2030, and more than 25% in major data center markets such as Northern Virginia.

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