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Platner, Daily Briefing’s “Toy Story”

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Platner, Daily Briefing’s “Toy Story”

Welcome to the daily briefing. Start your day by reading the articles below.

nicole farato Here, we bring you the news you need to know Wednesday from yesterday’s busy primary results and Taylor Swift’s “Toy Story” days.

Platner said he would work to earn Mines’ trust, faith and support.

In yesterday’s most high-profile primary, Maine Democrat Graham Platner, whose embarrassing revelations about his personal life threaten to upend his bid to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins, won the Democratic Senate primary.

Other key points: In South Carolina, Sen. Lindsey Graham survived among five primary challengers. South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace’s bid for governor failed after she lost the support of President Donald Trump. The battleground state of Nevada is focused on a statewide race, and in North Dakota, Trump is pitted against the state’s Republican Party over an open seat.

USA TODAY has key results from around the country.

More news you need to know right now

movie

Taylor Swift’s ‘Toy Story’ era

After a standing ovation at the screening of Toy Story 5, the curtains at the Dolby Theater rose to reveal Taylor Swift seated at the piano center stage. Needless to say, the audience went completely wild.

pet

Are New World screwworms dangerous to pets now?

Pet owners are asking how they can protect their dogs and cats from the New World screwworm after a dog in New Mexico became the first non-domestic animal to become infected with the current coronavirus outbreak in the United States this week. Veterinarians told USA TODAY to prevent infection and to check your pet for any wounds that could harbor screwworms. Check the wound regularly for unusual swelling, discharge, or a bad odor, as there may be fly larvae in the wound. Also, watch for changes in behavior, as your pet may feel pain, lick or chew the wound, and experience loss of appetite or lethargy.

before you go

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

15 great US destinations that capture the American spirit

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15 great US destinations that capture the American spirit

These scenic, historic and quirky destinations offer an unforgettable way to experience this country’s story.

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America is celebrating its 250th anniversary, but some of its greatest treasures are not behind museum glass. In fact, some people do. But breathtaking reminders of our country’s beauty are hidden along winding roads, tucked into mountain valleys, perched atop sea cliffs, and preserved in places that tell us who we are.

From a castle built by the Sherlock Holmes actor in Connecticut to a lava field in Idaho that helped train astronauts, these destinations showcase the beauty, ingenuity, and delightful weirdness that makes America unique.

To celebrate our nation’s 50th anniversary, the USA TODAY Network has compiled 15 places that capture the spirit of America in hopes of inspiring travelers to see all of our land, unforgettable scenery, roadside attractions, historic buildings and natural wonders all at once.

Gillette Castle State Park in Connecticut

Gillette Castle State Park feels like a storybook story perched above the Connecticut River. William Gillette’s quirky handcrafted mansion, with its carved doors, custom glassware and remnants of a private railway, invites visitors to explore a world as eccentric as the actor who defined Sherlock Holmes.

Stroll along forest trails, relax by the river, discover charming Osaki cottages or take a ride on the historic Chester Haddream Ferry. Set on 184 scenic acres dotted with gardens, bridges, and tranquil picnic spots, this park combines mystery, beauty, and adventure to make every visitor feel like they’ve discovered a hidden New England treasure. Plan your visit at ctparks.com/parks/gillette-castle-state-park.

— Sandy Meindersma, Norwich Bulletin

Old New Castle in Delaware

The few square miles just south of Wilmington and the Delaware Memorial Bridge feel like a time capsule to an era centuries ago. Visitors to New Castle, Delaware are greeted by cobblestone streets, alleyways, dense urbanism, and rich history.

Stunning views of the Delaware River stretching across the bay and north toward Philadelphia serve as the backdrop for a unique experience. This small downtown is home to a museum as part of First State National Historical Park, one of the only sites operated by the National Park Service, although there are several sites in the state.

— Shane Brennan, Delaware News Journal

Cumberland Falls in Kentucky

This Kentucky gem is often referred to as the “Niagara of the South.” This natural wonder features a 45-foot curtain of water flowing into a rocky gorge. Cumberland Falls is spectacular both day and night, and it’s the only place in the Western Hemisphere where you can see a lunar rainbow, a lunar rainbow created when moonlight refracts through the waterfall’s mist.

Cumberland Falls State Park also offers hiking, bird watching, camping, and fishing. The park also has an old fire tower that is available for tours and gem mining.

—Maggie Mendersky, Louisville Courier-Journal

Virginia Museum of Frontier Culture

At the Museum of Frontier Culture in Staunton, visitors can learn about the lives and customs of Virginia’s Native American tribes through costumed historical interpreters. German, British, and Irish settlers arrive along the Great Wagon Road. And the arduous journey of enslaved Africans to become the first British permanent colony in North America.

The Shenandoah Valley’s largest outdoor living history museum is scheduled to expand to include indoor gallery space by 2027. The 40,000 square foot facility includes permanent exhibition galleries, rotating exhibition areas, a research library, flexible teaching rooms, and an indoor/outdoor pavilion.

— Patrick Hite, Staunton News Leader

Louisiana Wild Rhododendron Trail

Pine forests, upland hardwood forests, swamps, seeps, and open natural areas feature the longest continuous trail in Louisiana, known as the Wild Azalea Trail. The 45-mile trail between Lake Valentine and Woodworth is located within the 600,000-acre Kisatchee National Forest. This trail is popular with hikers and cyclists, especially during the cooler months from October to May.

March and April are the best months to look for wild rhododendrons. The trail has been recognized by the Forest Service Commissioner for its “outstanding scenic value” and has been designated a National Recreation Trail.

— Melinda Martinez, Alexandria Town Talk

Pella, Iowa

Situated in the rolling farmlands of central Iowa, the picturesque Dutch-influenced Pella is a postcard-perfect town known for its festivals and carefully preserved architecture. Founded in 1847 by immigrants seeking religious freedom, Pella still feels like a slice of Holland in the Midwest.

Visitors stroll the brick streets, admire the gabled roofs, and stop for pastries at a Dutch bakery that’s been loved for generations. Every spring, the colorful tulips bloom all over the city, attracting tourists from all over the world. Blending old world charm with modern hospitality, Pella offers a charming getaway filled with culture, history and a warm community spirit.

— Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register

Grand Hotels in Michigan

The Grand Hotel has been welcoming guests since 1887, but perhaps its most famous feature is its 660-foot porch, the longest hotel porch in the world.

Perched above the Strait of Mackinac, this National Historic Landmark offers sweeping views of Lake Huron, the Mackinac Bridge, and Mackinac Island’s horse-drawn carriages, a reminder that motor vehicles are still prohibited on the island.

Beyond the iconic porch, this historic building features 388 uniquely decorated guest rooms, 14 dining options, live entertainment, and golf. Visitors can arrive at the hotel by ferry and experience a destination that seems frozen in time.

— Tanya Wildt, Detroit Free Press

World’s largest sisal ball in Kansas

Thousands of people visit the world’s largest sisal ball each year, located under an outdoor gazebo in Coker City, a community of about 450 people in north-central Kansas.

The ball of twine is at least 11 feet tall, weighs about 29,000 pounds, and has a circumference of at least 46 feet. This unlikely tourist attraction was inspired 73 years ago when a farmer saw twine strewn across his barn floor. He started rolling with it and the rest is history.

— Tim Lentil, Topeka Capital-Journal

Mount Rushmore in South Dakota

“Great face, great place,” sings the infamous South Dakota jingle. But who doesn’t know about the granite busts of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt? Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the Black Hills is known as an “Icon of America” ​​for its massive structure, but it also attracts 2 million visitors a year for its nightly lighting ceremonies, ranger-led activities, and half-mile presidential trail just below its 20-foot nose.

Mount Rushmore is South Dakota’s national treasure and is monitored four times a day for even 0.0001 inch movement to ensure maximum preservation. Still, make time early to take that iconic family photo.

— Angela George, Sioux Falls Argus Leader

Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho

You don’t need a spaceship to go to the moon, or at least somewhere similar. Craters of the Moon National Monument Preserve, located on the Snake River Plain in Idaho, is home to three vast lava fields and sagebrush meadows that have been described as “bizarre and scenic,” according to the National Park Service.

Volcanic activity has occurred in this region for millions of years, most recently around 2,100 years ago. The preserve is also part of the ancestral homeland of the Shoshone-Bannock people and serves as a research site for NASA. The Apollo 14 astronauts “explored lava terrain and learned the basics of volcanic geology in preparation for future trips to the Moon,” NPS said on its website.

— Nathan Diller, USA TODAY

Monument Valley, Arizona

Monument Valley is one of the most iconic landscapes in the Western United States. The unique red Rock Butte is often featured in movies, calendars, and magazines. But Navajo Nation Park’s rock formations are more than just beautiful and unusual. You can get a glimpse of the power of nature and time.

For more than 50 million years, erosion has shaped the landscape into the impressive geological formations we see today. Ride a 17-mile scenic loop, stopping to take in the majesty of Mitten Butte and Merrick Butte, or sign up for a guided tour off the beaten path. Plan your visit at navajonationparks.org/navajo-tribal-parks/monument-valley.

— Shelby Slade, Arizona

Arches National Park in Utah

At first glance, the rusted sandstone rock formations of Arches National Park seem impossible. Intricate arches perfectly frame patches of sky and distant mountains. It took 300 million years to carve each of the elegant arches that characterize this national park.

As you walk among the towering structures, you’re reminded of how much has changed in that time. As the rock eroded and wore into iconic shapes, indigenous people hunted, gathered, and farmed alongside it. You can see the piles of rubble and the petroglyphs they left behind. These artifacts stand as reminders of those who came before and an indication of what life was like in this part of the country’s western desert.

— Shelby Slade, Arizona

Timberline Lodge in Oregon

Timberline Lodge, located 6,000 feet above snow-capped Mount Hood east of Portland, Oregon, was built between 1936 and 1938 using volcanic stone and nearby giant trees. It was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the style of early national park lodges. The building is part ski resort, part private hotel, part adventure basecamp.

On any given day, wealthy lodge guests and gruff thru-hikers mingle just off the Pacific Crest Trail, enjoying stunning views of the 11,249-foot volcano. In the summer, skiers can enjoy Palmer Snowfield through August (North America’s longest ski season), and hikers can trek from the Timberline parking lot to wildflower meadows and rustic cabins.

— Zach Arness, Salem Statesman Journal

Juneau, Alaska

Juneau is the only U.S. state capital that is not accessible by road, and offers a unique combination of nature, history, and culture that makes Alaska unique. Surrounded by mountains, the Inside Passage, and the Tongass National Forest, this city is your gateway to whale watching, glacier adventure, and rainforest exploration.

Visitors can marvel at Mendenhall Glacier, ride the Mount Roberts Tramway, and spot bears along Steep Creek. Juneau reflects layers of Native American, Russian, and Gold Rush history. A quirky local stop, Glacier Gardens Rainforest Adventure features the famous upside-down “Flower Tower,” where fallen spruce trees are transformed into colorful works of art.

— Josh Rivera, USA TODAY

rainbow drive in hawaii

A visit to the Rainbow Drive-In offers a taste of Hawaii’s history through the iconic Plate Lunch, a hearty meal born from the fusion of the cultures of immigrant plantation workers in the late 1800s.

Opened in 1961 and still family-owned, the Honolulu restaurant is popular with locals and tourists alike, serving classic combinations of rice, macaroni salad, and protein-packed appetizers.

Plate lunches reflect Hawaii’s multicultural heritage. Travelers can dine at Rainbow Drive-In and head to nearby Diamond Head Beach Park for a scenic picnic away from the crowds of Waikiki.

— Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY

Companies are cashing in billions of dollars in tariff refunds. Can I get you something?

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Companies are cashing in billions of dollars in tariff refunds. Can I get you something?

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American companies stand to receive billions of dollars in tariff refunds from the U.S. government, but a USA TODAY analysis of regulatory filings finds that only a minority of the nation’s largest companies have pledged to pass that money directly to consumers.

These refunds were made available after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Other tariffs still apply.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has begun processing $166 billion in potentially pending refund claims.

A USA TODAY analysis reviewed more than 630 Securities and Exchange Commission filings referencing the Supreme Court ruling and found that at least 90 publicly traded companies have disclosed plans to seek refunds, providing the most detailed account yet of companies’ efforts to recover billions of dollars.

The largest company, Ford, is expected to pay $1.3 billion in refunds. General Motors, $500 million. UPS is worth $500 million, according to the filing.

Of the three companies, only UPS announced plans to refund customers. “UPS will issue refunds 60 to 90 days after receiving funds from CBP,” the company said on its website.

Most companies say they are keeping the money to pay down debt, reduce supply costs and invest in their businesses.

Only a handful of companies claim to donate a portion of their funds to customers. Even for these companies, it’s unclear whether any of them will ultimately reach consumers, leaving them with limited options for what to do.

“Companies will only pass on tariff refunds to consumers if they decide to do so or if forced to do so by a court,” said Alfredo Carrillo Obregon, a policy analyst at the Cato Institute.

Do some companies pass on customs duty refunds to their customers?

Take Cardinal Health, for example. The medical supplies distribution giant paid about $200 million in tariffs and passed some of the costs on to customers.

The company now says in an SEC filing that it will refund customers a portion of the price increases incurred during the tariff period.

But Cardinal Health’s customers are businesses, hospitals and pharmacies, and it’s unclear whether the savings will ultimately reach consumers. Cardinal Health did not respond to a request for comment.

FedEx also expects to recover the amount, but did not disclose the amount in its filing. Like UPS, the company plans to pass the money on to customers.

FedEx communications advisor Amelia Ables told USA TODAY in an email that supporting consumers remains a priority. “As the U.S. government reimburses FedEx for IEEPA duties, we remain committed to reimbursing applicable duties, including interest, received from Customs and Border Protection.”

Still, it’s unlikely that much of the $166 billion being negotiated will end up in U.S. consumers’ pockets. Previously, President Trump even floated the idea that the proceeds from these tariffs could be used to send $2,000 checks to Americans, but that plan never materialized.

“The only remedy really is if you have contractual rights,” said Stephen Reisinger, a partner at law firm Norton Rose Fulbright. “Generally, everyday consumers like Joe and Sally don’t have contractual rights against the companies they buy from.”

These duty refunds are focused on companies that imported goods into the United States, meaning they paid duties to the government.

“Importers vary greatly in what they do with the tariff costs,” said Ted Murphy, a partner at law firm Sidley Austin. “Some importers may have simply eaten up the tariff costs, while others may have passed them on to their customers.”

There is no general right to refunds to consumers, so some may file claims against importers who have increased costs. For example, both Costco and Nike have been sued.

But some say that even if companies don’t explicitly give refunds back, they use them to indirectly benefit consumers.

John David Rainey, Walmart’s executive vice president and chief financial officer, said on an earnings call in May that the company would invest the refunds into lowering prices.

“We’re using the process to get refunds, and given what we’ve seen so far, both in terms of the pressure on consumers from fuel prices, we’re definitely going to be biased to prioritize price investments for that,” Rainey said.

Rainey said on the call that the refund amounts to less than half of 1% of the company’s annual U.S. sales. CNBC estimated the amount at about $2.42 billion.

Similarly, Home Depot said in its filing that it has begun receiving refunds, but the company did not disclose the total amount of duties it paid or how much it expects to recover.

Sarah McDonald, a company spokeswoman, told USA TODAY in a statement that the company’s goal is to maintain the best value for customers.

“In May, we began receiving non-material refunds and may receive more refunds this quarter. These refunds will be used to offset costs from additional tariffs and other cost pressures,” McDonald said.

Still, the impact on consumers is clear. The Fed’s April study of the impact of tariffs on consumer prices showed that steep tariffs have kept prices of core goods, including cars, furniture and other products, high, but exclude volatile prices for food and energy.

Despite President Trump’s warnings, major companies continue to push for refunds of tariff payments. When Trump appeared on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” in April, he was told that Apple had initially refrained from requesting a refund. President Trump responded that it’s “great” for companies to choose not to apply.

“In fact, if they didn’t do that, they would know me very well. I’m very honored to say what I’m saying now,” Trump told CNBC. “If they don’t, I’ll remember them.”

But that hasn’t stopped America’s biggest companies from pursuing what they’re owed. Customs and Border Protection launched a tariff refund portal on April 20 and is rolling out refunds in phases. An agency spokesperson told USA TODAY in a statement that as of May 22, the agency had processed more than 15 million entries and accepted $85 billion worth of claims.

Apple said in its May filing that it was seeking a refund, but did not specify how much it expected to collect. The company previously said it paid $3.3 billion in tariffs during the second Trump administration.

Sell ​​refund rights at a discount

USA TODAY’s analysis also uncovered several examples of companies selling refunds to investors. These companies reported selling their refund rights outright to financial companies and receiving less than the full amount in exchange for immediate cash.

Children’s clothing retailer Children’s Place sold its $38.2 million claim to an investment firm for $25.7 million ($1.67) and used the proceeds to pay down debt. Medical device company Accuray sold a $9 million claim to a third party for $6.6 million. Camera maker GoPro sold about $19.4 million in refund rights to lenders.

But it’s not just multibillion-dollar companies that are hurting, but small businesses as well.

The Justice Department is appealing a court order forcing the U.S. government to compensate companies. The appeal does not affect cases currently being processed by Customs and Border Protection, but if successful it could force some companies to sue individually, a process that could be costly.

IEEPA tariffs are also just one set of tariffs that they deal with. Following the Supreme Court’s ruling invalidating these, President Donald Trump announced other significant tariffs (some of which were recently deemed invalid).

“Ultimately, the government received money from U.S. importers pursuant to a series of tariffs that the Supreme Court declared illegal,” Carrillo Obregon said. “It shouldn’t be too difficult for the government to return the funds that these companies are rightfully entitled to, so it is extremely disappointing to see the return process not proceeding as smoothly as it should, and will likely raise further hurdles along the way.”

JD Vance talks blind ambition, Catholicism, and President Trump’s faith

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JD Vance talks blind ambition, Catholicism, and President Trump’s faith

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WASHINGTON – Vice President J.D. Vance has always struggled with his personality.

A siren song of power and prestige. The urge to be better than others. The question that lingers: Am I doing this for myself?

Of course, there are good reasons to aspire to higher office, including a desire to serve the country and steer public policy in the right direction, Vance told USA TODAY in a phone interview.

And then there’s what he calls “the bad stuff.”

“There’s a desire to have power. There’s a desire to influence or control other people,” says Vance, 41. “And I think my Christianity is trying to mentor me and force me to focus on the good.”

For Vance, one of the youngest vice presidents in American history and a possible presidential candidate, Catholicism has been an anchor in a sea of ​​responsibilities, from marriage to fatherhood to counseling the commander-in-chief. He explores these themes in his latest book, Communion, a memoir focused on his Christian faith.

Exclusive: Usha Vance wants a normal life. Is that possible for the vice president’s spouse?

That hunger is the same as Vance’s when he pursued a law degree at Yale University. Because that’s what he thought society expected of him. At the time, he wrote in Communion, that he was blindly pursuing his ambitions.

In an interview ahead of the memoir’s June 16 release, Vance called this a natural “flaw.”

“That drive within me, that desire for fame, that desire to be better than others, is something that’s probably always just been part of who I am, and it’s something that my faith tells me to fight against, push back against, and focus on the good,” Vance told USA TODAY.

a person who converted to Catholicism

His religion doesn’t always come out on top. Since becoming vice president last year, Mr. Vance has clashed with not one but two popes and broken with the Vatican over mass immigration and the war with Iran.

Vance wouldn’t go so far as to say that his beliefs have been tested by the choices he’s made since becoming the nation’s second-in-command. Instead, he says, he tries to make “wise decisions and moral decisions.”

A relatively new Catholic who converted in 2019 after spending several years rediscovering Christianity, Vance is wary of telling others how to apply the faith to their lives.

This includes his Hindu wife Usha and their four soon-to-be-born children. They are expecting a baby boy in July.

The couple’s young children attend Catholic schools in Washington, D.C., but the couple has allowed them to choose their own religion. The oldest member of the Vance family, 9-year-old Ewan, chose to be baptized.

The vice president sparked intense criticism last October when he said he wanted to see his spouse convert to Christianity. He has since acknowledged that it is unlikely that will happen, writing in his book that his wife encouraged him to reconnect with his religion.

Usha Vance dismissed gossip about her marital life in an interview with USA TODAY in December, in which she spoke candidly about her Hindu faith. The second woman said that when she was young, her family celebrated the religious importance of Christmas and exchanged gifts with friends in Southern California.

more: JD Vance says he wants his wife Usha, who comes from a Hindu family, to become a Christian.

The Vance family attends Mass with their children most weeks. This is in contrast to President Donald Trump, who is a nondenominational Christian who does not go to church.

President Trump has shared his belief that he was “saved by God” during an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on the eve of the 2024 Republican National Convention. Less than 48 hours later, he announced that he had chosen Mr. Vance, a former critic turned supporter, as his running mate.

The day after the inauguration ceremony on January 20, 2025, the two leaders and their wives attended an inauguration prayer meeting.

President Trump, who turns 80 this month, has occasionally talked about life after death. More than once during his second term, he wondered aloud whether he had done enough to earn his place in heaven.

President Trump appeared on “Fox & Friends” last August and said, “If possible, I would like to go to heaven.” “I hear you’re not feeling well.”

Excerpt from memoir: Why JD Vance was ‘hooked’ when he met his wife Usha

Vance chuckled when asked about Trump’s dignity and whether the president had ever sought spiritual advice from him.

“No, he’s not. I mean, I don’t know what to say,” Vance responded, calling himself a “very imperfect Christian in life.”

The president is joking, Vance insists. But all humor, he adds, is based on an element of truth.

“I think like all of us, he’s thinking about his relationship with God and his faith,” Vance says. “He’s a man of faith. He doesn’t talk about it much publicly, but he believes in God.”

Taylor Swift surprises audience with two songs at ‘Toy Story 5’ premiere

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Taylor Swift surprises audience with two songs at ‘Toy Story 5’ premiere

Despite speculation, Taylor Swift attended the Pixar film’s LA premiere along with Toy Story 5 stars Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. Swift sang “I Knew It, I Knew You” on the soundtrack.

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LOS ANGELES – The biggest question swirling at the star-studded Toy Story 5 premiere on June 9 had to do with the superstar not voicing a character in the long-awaited animated sequel, which opens in theaters June 19.

Will Taylor Swift show up on the red carpet and make it a “tae story”? As day turned to night on Hollywood Boulevard, the 36-year-old singer made sure to arrive at the premiere under the watchful eye of a security team. She did not go to the red carpet, instead entering the heavily guarded red carpet area through a back door, where Swift chatted with stars such as Tom Hanks, who voices Woody in the series.

“Taylor looked amazing and the whole cast looks like they’re having a ball out there,” co-director McKenna Harris told USA TODAY after emerging from the private red carpet area.

Hanks said Swift gave him an OG “Toy Story” tape to sign.

“I didn’t get a selfie, but I did sign an original VHS copy of the first Toy Story,” Hanks told USA TODAY. “I told her she should have brought the original VHS machine so she could sign it. And it might even go into the Smithsonian.”

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After a standing ovation at the screening of “Toy Story 5,” the curtain at the Dolby Theater rose to reveal Taylor Swift seated at a piano center stage. Needless to say, the audience went completely wild.

Swift performed “I Knew It, I Knew You” before giving a speech to the crowd about the importance of Pixar films.

“It means a lot to me to be a small part of the world of these movies,” Swift said. “And Toy Story 5 is my favorite Toy Story movie. I’m so happy to be a part of it.”

After his speech, legendary “Toy Story” songwriter Randy Newman appeared on stage at the piano and wreaked havoc on Pixar’s climax.

“Personally, I feel like it’s a really good day,” Swift said.

The two sang Newman’s classic “You Got a Friend in Me” from “Toy Story.” The crowd went wild again.

What was the impetus for “Tay Story”?

The 14-time Grammy winner sent Toy Story fanatics into a frenzy when she announced that she would perform an original song, “I Knew It, I Knew You,” written by Swift and collaborator Jack Antonoff, in the fifth installment.

“Ever since I was a 5-year-old kid watching Toy Story, I’ve dreamed of writing for my favorite characters,” Swift wrote to her 273 million Instagram followers on June 1. “I was lucky enough to see Toy Story 5 in its early stages and immediately fell in love with it, so I wrote this song as soon as I got home from the screening. Sometimes, you know?”

Who attended the Toy Story 5 premiere?

Many of the film’s stars were in attendance, including Hanks (Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz Lightyear), Joan Cusack (Jesse), Conan O’Brien (new character Smarty Pants), Scarlett Spears (Bonnie), Greta Lee (Lilypad), Shelby LaBara (Snappy), Mychal-Michelle Harris (Blaze), Craig Robinson (Atlas), and Lori. Alan (Bonnie’s mother), Jay Hernandez (Bonnie’s father), Kristen Schaal (Trixie), Tony Hale (Forky), John Ratzenberger (Ham).

How did the “Tay Story” mania begin?

The “Toy Story” theory began on April 30, when a countdown featuring “Toy Story”-style clouds and a yellow timer briefly appeared on Swift’s official website, then disappeared.

On May 29th, Swifties spotted billboards in Chicago, London, and Dallas with the letters TS, which could represent Taylor Swift, Toy Story, or both, set against the series’ signature blue sky.

“Toy Story 5” director Andrew Stanton addressed the rumors in a YouTube interview with co-director McKenna Harris and producer Lindsey Collins at Pixar headquarters on May 27th.

“We were surprised, too. What an honor,” Stanton said of the speculation sparked online by the countdown and Toy Story-style images on Swift’s website.

Stanton said at the time that Swift’s song did not end the film. However, the movie was later changed and “I Knew It, I Knew You” became the ending song for the movie.

“I wasn’t lying,” Stanton told USA TODAY. “In the early edits, this wasn’t the last song.”

“We were keeping a secret,” producer Lindsey Collins said.

Taylor Swift releases ‘Toy Story’ song ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’

On June 1, Swift announced song news, introducing three versions of “I Knew It, I Knew You” inspired by the journey of feisty cowgirl Jessie in Toy Story 5.

“It’s incredible how much it meant to have Taylor write and perform this song. Her connection to Jesse and her instant understanding of what the character is going through is undeniable,” Stanton said in a statement. “This song has a deep connection to Toy Story. When I first heard it, it felt like it had been there all along, like a lost family member. It was kismet.”

Contributors: KiMi Robinson and Bryan West

2026 World Cup food and drink deals at Chipotle, Buffalo Wild Wings and more

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2026 World Cup food and drink deals at Chipotle, Buffalo Wild Wings and more

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The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup begins on Thursday, June 11th, with Mexico and South Africa facing off in the first leg.

The United States will enter the tournament on Friday, June 12th, taking on Paraguay in Los Angeles. The game is scheduled to begin at 9pm ET.

Many restaurant chains are joining in on the World Soccer Tournament frenzy by offering special food and drink items and bargains. The World Cup final is scheduled to be held on Sunday, July 19th at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Here’s an overview of where consumers (soccer fans and non-soccer fans alike) can score deals and join in on the World Cup frenzy this summer.

McDonald’s unveils World Cup meals, collectible cups and toys

McDonald’s released FIFA World Cup 26 Meals on June 4th. The cup comes with one of nine collectible cups featuring soccer stars including Grimas, including current U.S. men’s soccer player Christian Pulisic, Los Angeles FC forward Son Heung-min and soccer legend David Beckham.

Customers can choose between a Big Mac or a 10-piece Chicken Mac Nugget, both of which come with Big Mac sauce in a limited edition gold package. Breakfast guests can choose between an Egg Sausage McMuffin or an Egg Sausage Biscuit. Both come with hash browns.

Starting June 9, McDonald’s will also offer FIFA World Cup 26 Happy Meals for kids. The meal comes with one of 23 Squishmallow stuffed animals, including the World Cup mascot. It comes in special packaging and includes a scannable code that unlocks an exclusive digital game on the Happy Meal website.

Chipotle offers free appetizers to fans wearing soccer uniforms

Chipotle announced on June 8 that it will be offering a buy-one-get-one entrée benefit on the first day of the World Cup. Redeeming your offer is easy. Get the jersey out of the closet.

Anyone wearing a soccer uniform at a Chipotle store after 3pm local time on June 11th will be eligible for this deal. It coincides with the kick-off of the 2026 World Cup.

Chipotle will also be releasing its own limited edition soccer jerseys, the company announced.

“From wearing a lucky jersey to coming together for a game day meal with Chipotle, we wanted to celebrate the rituals that make the experience memorable,” Stephanie Perdue, Chipotle’s senior vice president of brand marketing, said in a statement.

Buffalo Wild Wings Introduces Matchday Menu, Brings Back Pick 6 Menu For Two

Starting June 11, Buffalo Wild Wings will offer customers a new matchday menu featuring six new Heinz dipping sauces, two new cocktails and a Michelob Ultra Beer Tower.

The six new sauces feature flavors from around the world and are available for a limited time only. The lineup of sources is as follows.

  • Peri Peri (South Africa): A creamy, fiery pepper blend with bold spiciness and rich garlic flavor.
  • Yuzu Wasabi (Asia): A bright, silky citrus base with a lively spiciness of wasabi.
  • Maple sweet chili (Canada): Combining the warm sweetness of maple with a gentle kick of chili
  • Sweet curry (Europe): Pleasantly spiced with aromas of molasses, mustard and aromatic curry.
  • Smokey Elote (Mexico): Chipotles, lime, and roasted corn meld into a creamy, smoky sauce
  • Creamy chimichurri (South America): Herbal and vibrant with zesty chimichurri notes and a smooth finish.

The first new cocktail is the Red Curd Punch, featuring coconut rum, strawberry, pineapple juice and lime, finished with a strawberry sugar rim and red curd ornaments. The Yellow Card Margarita includes Casamigos Reposado, Cointreau, Mango, Vanilla, Lime Sour, Fresh Lime, and Grand Marnier Float, finished with a tagine rim and Yellow Card accoutrements.

Buffalo Wild Wings will also be offering 100-ounce Michelob Ultra Beer Towers during the promotional period.

The Pick 6 Meal for Two is also back this summer and includes two entrees, two sides and two fountain drinks, starting at $19.99. Customers can choose from options such as 10 boneless wings or an all-American cheeseburger as an entree, and fries, tots or wedges as sides.

Domino’s Pizza offers emergency red card pizza

Dominos announced on May 18 that it will distribute $1 million worth of emergency pizzas if a U.S. player receives a red card during the World Cup.

For a chance to win a free emergency pizza, customers must register at dominos.com/emergency-pizzas-for-soccer by June 10th at 11:59 pm ET. If a player on the U.S. soccer team receives a red card, Domino’s Pizza will randomly select over 60,000 winners to receive a free medium two-topping pizza.

Winners must register for Domino’s Rewards and redeem their pizza by August 2, 2026, the company said in a news release.

Krispy Kreme offers Matchday Dozen this weekend

Krispy Kreme is celebrating the arrival of the World Cup with an all-new Matchday Dozen.

Available for a limited time from Thursday, June 11th to Sunday, June 14th at participating U.S. stores, the Match Day Dozen includes:

  • Kickoff donut: Unglazed shell donuts filled with cookies and cream are dipped in green cookie dough icing and decorated with soccer field lines and soccer ball pieces.
  • Soccer rainbow donut: Our original glazed donut is dipped in vanilla-flavored icing and studded with rainbow nonpareil sprinkles and flying soccer ball pieces.
  • Two fan favorites: Chocolate ice cream with original glaze and sprinkles.

To further enhance this offer, from Thursday through Sunday, Krispy Kreme will give fans a dozen of Original Glazed for just $2 when you purchase a dozen or 16-count minis at regular price.

“Soccer brings people together like no other, and fans want to share in the excitement,” Alison Holder, Krispy Kreme’s chief brand and product officer, said in a news release. “Match Day Dozen brings extra fun, flavor and color to every game, no matter where you’re watching.”

Crumble offers soccer-inspired flavors

From June 8th to 13th, Crumble will be serving cookies with an international flair. New cookies on the menu include:

  • Blue raspberry sports drink cookies: Rich and fluffy, our Chocolate Cookies & Cream Cookies are topped with two deep, icy blue swirls of tangy blue raspberry cream cheese frosting.
  • American brownie sundae cookies: A rich brownie cookie combined with fluffy vanilla mousse, gooey hot fudge, rainbow sprinkles, and a cherry on top.
  • Mexican tangy mango cookies ft. Tagine: A sweet mango sugar cookie wrapped in Tajine sugar wrapper, topped with mango marble swirls and Tajine whipped frosting, and drizzled with tangy mango Tajine sauce.
  • Nanaimo bar cookies from Canada: A chocolate cookie wrapped in a toasted graham and coconut crust, topped with a silky vanilla custard swirl, and finished with a rich chocolate ganache.
  • The ultimate peanut butter cookie: Peanut butter cookies filled with peanut butter and topped with melted peanut butter.
  • Soccer field Dubai style cheesecake: A decadent chocolate cheesecake encased in a chocolate graham crust, topped with a crunchy kataifi and pistachio filling, pistachio cream, a dollop of whipped cream, and a soccer ball topper.

The cookie chain is also offering Soccer Bundles from July 8 to July 18, where customers can choose their flavor and build a box in the Crumbl app.

Auntie Anne’s will offer pitch packs during the World Cup

Auntie Anne’s is offering customers an all-new pitch pack and limited edition soccer merchandise from June 3 to July 31, or while supplies last.

With the Pitch Pack, fans can choose two pretzel nugget flavors or two mini dogs and dip. Packs can be purchased in-store or delivered through Auntie Anne’s app or website. The pretzel chain also introduced Nugget plush toys and branded soccer scarves, available on the Auntie Anne merchandise site.

Gabe Hauari is USA TODAY’s national trends news reporter. You can follow him at X @gabehauari Or email Gdhauari@gannett.com.

President Trump leaves ‘Meet the Press’ after being insulted by reporters

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President Trump leaves ‘Meet the Press’ after being insulted by reporters

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  • Before ending his interview on “Meet the Press,” President Trump told host Kristen Welker that he was either “crooked or stupid.”
  • Mr. Welker and Mr. Trump explained that the rain made conversation difficult.
  • President Trump has previously targeted journalists, calling them “pigs” and “terrible reporters.”

President Donald Trump walked out of an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” over the weekend.

Host Kristen Welker met with President Trump in Wisconsin on June 5, but the interview, which aired on June 7, was repeatedly interrupted by heavy rain pounding the metal roof of the barn.

When Mr. Welker confronted him about the lack of evidence of election fraud, Mr. Trump removed his microphone and called Mr. Welker “crooked or stupid.”

Trump later said he was upset about the heavy rain, and Welker said after the interview aired that Trump had agreed to return to the show. However, this incident is one of the few times President Trump has spoken ill of journalists. Others include:

more: Key takeaways from President Trump’s controversial ‘Meet the Press’ interview

President Trump slams NBC News as ‘crooked and stupid’

Before leaving the interview set in Wisconsin, Trump accused NBC News of being “distorted.”

Mr. Welker replied, “To be fair, I’m not a crooked person.”

“Really? Because you’re at their mercy. Either you’re crooked or you’re stupid,” Trump continued, repeating baseless claims of election fraud and accusing other networks of crookedness. “Enough is enough, let’s stop now. Thank you, darling. Have fun.”

Welker begged her to stay because she was traveling from Washington to Wisconsin, but Trump said he sat with her in the rain for an hour.

Both Trump and Welker acknowledged after the fact that rain was a complicating factor. Sometimes interviews would be interrupted by falling onto the roof with a loud bang.

“The press needs to straighten up, because you know what? A country can never become great if there is dishonest reporting. Now, let’s go,” he said as he walked away.

President Trump tells CNN’s Caitlan Collins there is ‘hate’ in his eyes

On June 3, as CNN Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins was asking President Trump about the Anti-Weaponization Fund, Trump commented on Collins’ appearance at the time of the attack.

President Trump said of Collins: “CNN is a very corrupt organization with corrupt reporters standing there.” “She never smiles. She’s a young, beautiful woman who never smiles. I’ve never seen a smile on her face. I see her standing there with hatred in her eyes.”

Trump later told her to be quiet when she tried to interject. President Trump previously criticized her for not smiling when asked about the Epstein file on February 3. Following the June incident, CNN previously told USA TODAY:

“Caitlan Collins is an outstanding journalist who reports with real depth and tenacity from the White House and on the ground every day,” CNN said in a statement. “She expertly delivers that coverage to the Anchor Chair and CNN platforms every day, and viewers around the world know they can trust them.”

President Trump tells ABC reporter: ‘You’re a terrible reporter’

In another heated exchange in the Oval Office on Nov. 18, ABC News’ Mary Bruce asked why President Trump didn’t wait for Congress to pass the bill before ordering the release of the Epstein files.

“It’s not the question that bothers me, it’s your attitude. I think you’re a terrible reporter,” Trump said. “These are the questions I ask.”

Trump did not answer Bruce’s questions and continued to lash out at the reporter.

“This is a Democratic hoax,” Trump said, later adding, “The news coming out of ABC is so fake and so false that I think ABC should have its license taken away. And we have a great commissioner, we have a great commissioner, and we should look at that.”

Bruce addressed Trump’s response in a later segment on “Good Morning America,” saying Trump clearly didn’t like her question.

Trump calls Bloomberg a ‘quiet piglet’

On November 14, on Air Force One en route to Palm Beach, Florida, a reporter asked President Trump additional questions about the Jeffrey Epstein file.

Trump scolded her, pointing his finger at her, leaning over and saying, “Quiet! Quiet, pig.”

The reporter turned out to be Katherine Lucey of Bloomberg. Bloomberg said at the time that it was committed to fair and accurate reporting.

Contributors: Saman Shafiq, Jay Stahl, USA TODAY

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

Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau say they’re “very much in love”

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Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau say they’re “very much in love”

“There’s definitely heaven on the other side of hell,” says Katy Perry. Her boyfriend Justin Trudeau gave a pep talk at the premiere of his new concert film “Lifetimes” at the Tribeca Festival.

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NEW YORK – In a room full of Katy cats, Justin Trudeau will always be Katy Perry’s biggest fan.

The former Canadian prime minister appeared with his megastar girlfriend on June 8 at the Tribeca Festival for the premiere of Katy Perry: The Lifetimes Tour – Live from Paris, a concert film documenting her latest world travels.

During the two-hour film, Trudeau nods along to Perry’s upbeat yet emotional “All the Love” and is seen casually dancing next to her while the crowd sings her chart-topping rendition of “Firework.”

At one point, there was a power outage in the middle of the song, and fans continued to sing “Crush”. As Perry stood to watch the audience’s impromptu performance, Trudeau appeared to look up at her, clap and laugh, and reach out to shake her hand.

At the end of the film, literally, when Perry took the stage for a Q&A, Trudeau smiled warmly and joined the audience, earning a standing ovation.

Perry, 41, and Trudeau, 54, were first rumored to be dating in July last year, about a month after she and actor Orlando Bloom called off their engagement after nine years. The Grammy nominee has a 5-year-old daughter, Daisy, with Bloom.

Red carpet debut: Watch Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau chill out in Tribeca

How did Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau meet?

On stage after the screening, Perry spoke about her relationship with Prime Minister Trudeau and her personal growth since the nine-month long Lifetimes tour.

“After 91 performances, I feel like I’m a more grounded person in many aspects of my life. I love you so much,” Perry said with a grin as he looked over at Trudeau as the crowd cheered. She was first spotted having dinner with politicians in Montreal last July while in Canada for her Lifetime tour.

Tribeca Festival: Madonna reveals the honest reason she’ll never do a Las Vegas residency

“I met the love of my life, and that made me feel very safe,” the singer recalled. “I’m a bit like a rainbow kite. I fly very high…and sometimes I need to be anchored. So that anchoring is finally making me feel really complete now.”

She also alluded to her breakup with Bloom, saying that in her 40s she was better able to process difficult emotions and experiences.

“We’re all humans here,” Perry said. “Grief doesn’t discriminate. Pain doesn’t discriminate. Everyone is exposed to grief in their own way. Last year was probably one of the most difficult years of my life and I went through some really bad days. Some days were really, really hard, but I just kept moving forward because I made a promise to my fans. I made a promise to my daughter. I made a promise to myself and we got through it.”

“I walked through fire,” Perry continued. “And if you’re walking through hell, keep walking, because there’s definitely heaven on the other side of hell,” she said, turning back to Trudeau as the audience applauded.

Katy Perry’s daughter Daisy says ‘just how she feels’

In the Q&A that followed, fans asked Perry about her upcoming festival setlist and her recent collaboration with rapper Chief Keef on the “Legendary Lovers” remix following their 2013 social media feud.

“I feel like something inside me has changed,” Perry said. “I feel like there’s a season for everything, a time for everything. At 41 years old, I’ve tried so many different things, and I’ve had so many privileges, and I’ve ticked so many boxes and goals. I mean, how do you climb Everest? You never have to climb it again. But you climb other mountains, too. Sometimes those mountains are just taking my daughter to school on her bike.”

Regarding his daughter, Perry revealed that he took Daisy on his first world tour.

“She tells me exactly what she thinks,” Perry said. “As moms and dads, we’re just modeling something for our kids. All we can hope for is for them to grow up to be better versions of themselves and themselves. So if I’m living my most authentic, empowering, smart, sexy life, she’ll have a model to emulate. And any parent can do that. Taking your kids to work is really worth it.”

Congress deadlocks over government spying plan as deadline approaches

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Congress deadlocks over government spying plan as deadline approaches

Congress has struggled to extend key surveillance laws, partly due to privacy concerns but also because of President Trump’s new nomination as director of national spyware.

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WASHINGTON — Congress is struggling to meet a deadline to extend the government’s main spying law that could endanger national security as the Iran war drags on.

For some lawmakers, this is a worrying prospect. For others, this is a chance to revisit 9/11-era laws that they say led to invasions of Americans’ privacy.

The issue at hand, updating Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), has created strange political bedfellows on Capitol Hill this year, drawing lawmakers into debates over privacy and security that consume much of the election-year Congress.

What is FISA? How a sweeping law to spy on foreign nationals is dividing Congress

The reasons for the impasse are complex. A major stumbling block in recent days has been President Donald Trump’s controversial pick to replace Tulsi Gabbard as the nation’s top spy director, Bill Peult.

Many Democrats, outraged that someone with no intelligence experience would lead the U.S. intelligence community, vowed to hold off on voting on the Section 702 reauthorization bill until President Trump chooses someone with a more acceptable background.

But some lawmakers’ problems with FISA run much deeper than that.

They have been negotiating for months over further structural reforms to the law that would allow U.S. spy agencies to access foreigners’ text messages, phone calls and emails without a warrant. Americans’ communications can also be caught up in these searches, according to a bipartisan group of lawmakers.

Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat and longtime privacy hawk, vowed to “fight like hell” to prevent the law from being updated again without major changes. It has already been expanded twice this year with short-term patches.

“Security and freedom are not mutually exclusive, and it appears Congress is finally beginning to understand that,” he said in a June 8 social media post.

In that post, Wyden, a staunch Democrat, sounded a lot like Florida’s Rick Scott, one of the most conservative members of the Senate. Scott similarly said in a June 5 statement that Congress “cannot give unchecked swamp power to spy on law-abiding Americans.”

The Section 702 renewal deadline is Friday, June 12th. Although the law expires after that date, FISA surveillance operates under a one-year authorization approved by the Special Court. Existing oversight authorities will continue until March 2027, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

Still, leading politicians are sounding the alarm. In a June 5 letter, Republican Sens. Tom Cotton, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, warned Secretary of State Marco Rubio to prepare for “potentially significant gaps in foreign intelligence collection.”

Replacement for Tulsi Gabbard: President Trump nominates Bill Pruitt as Director of National Intelligence to replace Gabbard

Pulto chooses “live grenade”

While criticism of FISA among rank-and-file members is widespread across the political spectrum, so is support for Section 702. The law’s more vocal supporters include the top Republicans and Democrats on the intelligence committees, as well as congressional leaders in both chambers.

“If you look at how effective FISA has been, FISA has stopped a number of terrorist attacks,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) told reporters on June 9. “We have a proven program when it comes to keeping this country safe at risk because Democrats here in the United States Senate decided to vote against it in a bloc vote.”

Even Democrats who support updating FISA Section 702 say the ball is now in Republicans’ hands. The party has been united in its opposition to Section 702 since President Trump announced that he would nominate Mr. Pruitt, the top federal official who oversees mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to oversee the national spy agency.

Subscribe to About Politics: Stay ahead of the midterm elections with our daily politics newsletter.

Rep. Jim Himes, a Democrat from Connecticut and ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, warned that unless the White House replaces Mr. Pelt, he cannot persuade other House Democrats to abandon their support.

“The president needs to calm down and realize that this is probably the worst and most dangerous of all the terrible appointments he’s made,” he said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “He doesn’t like to back down, but he also doesn’t like terrorist attacks that might happen at the same time.”

Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat and Mr. Hymes’s Senate counterpart, likened Mr. Trump’s selection of Pulte to throwing a “live grenade” into delicate negotiations on Capitol Hill.

“This was self-inflicted,” he said.

After meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson on June 9 to discuss the evolving situation, President Trump appeared unwilling to change course.

“William Prut, who works closely with Tulsi Gabbard, will be sworn in as Acting Director of National Intelligence on Friday, June 19th,” President Trump wrote on social media. “Thank you for your consideration in this matter!”

Zachary Schermele is a Congressional reporter for USA TODAY. You can email us at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and on Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social..

Shooting incident at Ohio festival was sparked by a fight between rival groups

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Shooting incident at Ohio festival was sparked by a fight between rival groups

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Twelve people were injured in a shooting at a popular neighborhood festival in Ohio last weekend, which authorities said “stemmed from a conflict involving two opposing groups.”

At approximately 5:37 p.m. ET on June 6, Toledo Police responded to a report of a shooting near the Old West End Festival. The Old West End Festival is a long-running community event that draws thousands of visitors each year to one of the city’s most historic neighborhoods. Authorities said there was already a large police presence at the scene, including off-duty police officers working for the festival, and some officers said they heard gunshots.

At a June 9 press conference, Toledo Police Chief Michael Trendle said investigators believe a dispute between two rival groups led to a “foot chase” and physical altercation, which then escalated into a “shootout between the parties.”

After multiple interviews and a review of video evidence, investigators determined that during the altercation, one person produced a firearm and fired the weapon, and someone from a rival group returned fire, Trindle said.

“While investigators believe some of the victims were intentionally targeted, the majority of those injured appear to be innocent bystanders caught up in this senseless act of violence,” Trendle said.

Police have not released the identities of the victims injured in the shooting, but said 12 people suffered gunshot wounds. Toledo Police Lt. Dan Gerken said the people shot ranged in age from 14 to 61, with most in their early 20s.

“Our thoughts are with the victims and all those whose lives have been affected by this event. We continue to look forward to their continued recovery,” Trendle said. “Right now, our focus is on finding those responsible for this violence.”

The police chief said the investigation is ongoing and investigators are working to identify the suspects involved in the incident.

Malta shooting: Passenger randomly shot to death during government security investigation

Police: ‘Multiple persons of interest’ identified but no arrests made

Authorities previously said they were searching for at least two suspects who started shooting near the Old West End festival. The suspects are believed to be two males between the ages of 18 and 24, Trindle said.

Following the incident, Trendle said police executed search warrants and identified “several persons of interest” as they pursued leads in the investigation.

“We have not made any arrests at this time,” the police chief said. “We have some very important leads as to who is involved and we hope to make some arrests here soon.”

Investigators also recovered two firearms believed to be related to the incident, Trindle said. Firearms were being processed and examined as part of the investigation.

Mayor: All victims injured in shooting expected to survive

Of the 12 people shot and killed in the incident, investigators believe three were involved in the incident and nine were “innocent bystanders,” Trendle said. Police previously said in an update on June 7 that all 12 victims were “reported to be in stable condition and continuing to improve.”

At a June 9 press conference, Toledo Mayor Wade Kapuszkiewicz said the victim was “expected to survive.” Nine of the victims have been discharged from hospital, and three remain in hospital, but their condition is not critical, it added.

“They are stable or in good condition,” Kapczkiewicz said. “So we didn’t lose our lives. It’s a blessing, if not a miracle.”

Texas stabbing: Carmelo Anthony sentenced to 35 years for murder at track meet

City officials hope to set a new date to end the Toledo festival

Organizers canceled the June 7 festival event after the shooting, as authorities asked residents to avoid the area as they searched for suspects, collected evidence and tried to determine the cause of the shooting.

Kapuszkiewicz said he thinks the city should set a date to end the Old West End Festival. He added that setting the date for late summer or early September “should close out the weekend the way it should and show that we can come together.”

Kapuszkiewicz said city officials were also discussing security changes for events such as the Old West End Festival, including a stronger curfew, the use of wristbands at entrances, and more cameras and bag checks.

“Our hearts are broken. It will take time to get over what happened and try to prevent it from happening again,” the mayor said.

Contributed by: N’dea Yancey-Bragg, Michelle Deal-Zimmerman, and Anthony Thompson, USA TODAY

Mega Millions jackpot reaches $392 million on Tuesday, June 9th

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Mega Millions jackpot reaches $392 million on Tuesday, June 9th

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The Mega Millions jackpot continues to grow ahead of the drawing on Tuesday, June 9, and now stands at $392 million, with a cash value of $173.3 million.

If someone is lucky enough to win the jackpot on Tuesday, they have two options. Take home one-time cash or get paid instantly, then receive an annual check that’s 5% larger than the previous year.

It’s been almost three months since I last won the Mega Millions jackpot. The last time a jackpot winner was drawn was on St. Patrick’s Day. In that case, an Ohio player took home a $60 million jackpot.

Here’s what you need to know about Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing, including the winning numbers.

What are the winning Mega Millions numbers for June 9, 2026?

Here are the winning numbers for Tuesday’s Mega Millions lottery drawing. 9, 30, 36, 38 and 40. mega ball is 3.

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 Friday, June 12th 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

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 players can 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”.

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_.

Platner wins Maine, Mace loses South Carolina: Key points from the June 9 election

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Platner wins Maine, Mace loses South Carolina: Key points from the June 9 election

As voters in four states cast their votes in primaries for the 2026 midterm elections, the Maine Democrat’s private life has made headlines in a key Senate race.

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  • Maine Democrat Graham Platner won the primary despite recent scandals involving his personal life.
  • South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace did poorly in the state’s Republican gubernatorial primary.
  • South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham won the Republican primary, avoiding a runoff.

On June 9, Americans across the country were treated to a busy primary election, with the main event being a personality test of Maine Democrat Graham Platner.

The 41-year-old political newcomer’s populist campaign has shocked the Democratic establishment, but has hit a snag after embarrassing revelations about his private life came to light. Still, Mr. Platner is on his way to victory and will face Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a key race for control of the Senate.

The Maine Democratic Party also held an important House election in November, with votes to determine the successor to U.S. Rep. Jared Golden in a Republican-leaning district that will be a battleground district. In South Carolina, Rep. Nancy Mace’s bid for governor failed in a test of whether a Republican who doesn’t necessarily align with President Donald Trump has a future in Republican politics.

There was also a significant primary campaign in the Palmetto State, led by Sen. Lindsey Graham, who fended off a challenge from anti-war conservatives.

Here are the key takeaways from Tuesday’s election.

Platner avoids large-scale protest vote amid scandal

Mr. Platner’s victory in the primary against Gov. Janet Mills, who suspended her campaign in April, was widely expected, even though Mr. Platner’s personal life was the focus of the final days of the primary campaign.

For example, ahead of the election, a University of New Hampshire Research Center poll released in May showed the progressive first-time candidate with a 66 percentage point lead. The investigation came before a New York Times article in which several ex-girlfriends described their past relationships with him as “unsettling” and “toxic.”

“If you believe in the politics of change, you have to believe in people’s ability to change,” Platner said in a June 9 sit-down conversation with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), a key supporter in Congress.

The NDP is holding its breath for signs that a large-scale protest vote could further escalate tensions.

With 48% of votes counted, Mr. Platner, an oyster farmer and former Marine, won 72% to Mr. Mills’ 20%.

Mr. Plattner has denied allegations by a conservative activist he was dating that he grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm, but other controversies dogged him during the campaign, including sending sexually explicit text messages to a woman while they were married. He also continues to face intense scrutiny over the tattoo, which he repeatedly denied knowingly resembled a Nazi symbol before covering it up last year.

“The allegations against Graham Platner are very disturbing and serious, and he owes the people of Maine detailed answers,” Collins told reporters on June 9. “I have not heard of any such thing.”

Which liberals will Democrats nominate in key House races?

The fight for control of Congress this year could involve several seats, including Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, where moderate Democratic Rep. Jared Golden is retiring.

For this reason, much attention was focused on the high-stakes primary race in which all four Democratic candidates ran to Golden’s left in a rural district that voted for Trump three times.

Early results show state Sen. Joe Baldacci. State Auditor Matthew Dunlap; With about 31% of votes counted, former Congressional staffer Jordan Wood was within four points of winning.

Social worker Paige Loud came last with about 10% of the total votes cast.

But this will be a close race because of Maine’s ranked-choice voting system in rural districts. The Cook Political Report rates a “high chance” of a Republican flip this fall.

The winner will face former Gov. Paul LePage, an ardent conservative who ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

Mace finishes underground in South Carolina gubernatorial primary

South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace’s gubernatorial bid fell far short of the top ranks of the Republican Party, even as outspoken conservatives tried to stay close to the president.

With about half of the votes counted, she only received about 11% of the vote, far behind Trump-backed Lt. Governor Pam Evette and State Attorney General Alan Wilson. These two candidates will face a runoff election on June 23rd.

Mace once referred to himself as “Trump in heels” and was at one point rumored to be the 2024 vice presidential pick.

But she and the president have had an on-and-off friendship over the years, most notably because she was one of four House Republicans, along with Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, to vote to force the U.S. Department of Justice to release files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Greene resigned from the House after becoming an outcast among Trump allies, and Massey lost the recent Kentucky primary to a Trump-backed opponent.

“As a survivor, I have chosen to stand on principle and oppose Epstein’s cover-up,” Mace said in her concession speech. “I chose to expose a child abuser, but clearly I made the wrong choice if my goal was to win an election. I am at peace with that.”

During that speech, Mace specifically supported Wilson, saying he would “mop the floor” with Evette.

Lindsey Graham fights off challenger

Sen. Lindsey Graham led his five main opponents by a wide margin, but faced a real possibility of being forced into a runoff on June 23, with multiple polls showing him barely above or below the required 50% threshold. The veteran lawmaker escaped that fate, winning about 59% of the vote at a time when most media outlets reported the race was in his favor.

The four-term congressman’s support for the U.S.-Israel war against Iran has infuriated some in the “Make America Great Again” movement and galvanized the largely self-funded campaign of leading challenger Mark Lynch.

“Endless wars and endless spending are Lindsay’s legacy. Never forget that,” Lynch said in a post on X on Monday, June 8, which included a photo of Graham shaking hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Mr. Lynch also tried to cast Mr. Graham as disloyal to the president in campaign ads, but thanks to Mr. Trump’s support and the roughly $18 million the senator and his allies poured into his campaign, he was able to clear the South Carolina election hurdle.

Becerra, Hilton expands to California

California’s gubernatorial election was held on June 2nd, but it took a week for the results to be determined. Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton are expected to advance to the general election.

Both parties avoided fear of being shut out as early polls showed two Republican candidates at the top of the state’s nonpartisan “jungle” primary system, and more recent polls showed billionaire Tom Steyer (D) could overtake Hilton.

Becerra, a former Biden administration cabinet member, received nearly 28% of the vote, followed by former Fox News host Hilton with nearly 25%, according to the Associated Press.

Steyer was third with 22.6%, followed by Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco (R) with 10.2%.

Both Mr. Becerra and Mr. Hilton are seeking to succeed current Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is rumored to be a 2028 presidential candidate and will retire at the end of his eight-year term in January.

Contributors: Margie Cullen, Terry Collins

Research shows that even moderate drinking poses risks. How much is too much?

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Research shows that even moderate drinking poses risks. How much is too much?

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A “less is more” approach to alcohol could be replaced by a “best for nothing” approach to alcohol if you want to avoid diseases like cancer, according to a new study that contradicts recent federal guidelines.

If you want to avoid the worst health effects associated with alcohol, adults should limit one drink a day (typically 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, and 1.5 ounces of spirits), or a total of seven drinks a week, according to a study published June 8 in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. And even that rate is not without risk, the study authors cautioned.

In an extensive review of more than 7,200 studies on alcohol-related diseases, the authors found that the risk of serious illness and death from alcohol begins with drinking habits that Americans generally consider “moderate.” If you drink seven drinks a week, your lifetime risk of death is 1 in 1,000, but adding just two more drinks for a total of 9 drinks increases that risk to 1 in 100.

If you follow the old federal guidelines of two drinks a day, or 14 drinks a week, your risk of death jumps to a whopping 1 in 25 people. These proportions were fairly consistent between men and women, with relatively little variation.

What’s even worse for those who enjoy a glass with dinner is that the old wisdom that “a little red wine is good for you” is a myth. This study shows that no matter how much you drink, the health benefits do not outweigh the harms.

“We did not observe any protective effects of alcohol use, even at low levels,” study co-author Katherine M. Keyes, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, said in a news release from the university. “…even moderate intakes increase the risk of early death and disability.”

Even if you drink just one drink a day, or seven drinks a week, you are more likely to develop and die from related diseases such as liver cirrhosis, cancer (including esophageal cancer, oral cancer, and especially breast cancer), cardiovascular disease, and related injuries (such as car accidents) than people who don’t drink at all. The risk of developing some of these diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, is reduced by adhering to the one drink a day rule, but it still remains higher than for non-drinkers.

The bottom line? Drinking alcohol, even in small amounts, increases the risk of negative health effects. At least according to this study, the more you drink, the more likely it is, and the faster it spreads.

What do federal guidelines say about drinking alcohol?

The new findings contradict previous federal health guidelines, which recommended a maximum of 14 drinks per week for men and one drink per day or seven drinks per week for women. They are also presumably absent from the new dietary guidelines developed in January by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Department of Health and Sanitation, which do not specify or define intake limits, instead opting for a vague suggestion to “reduce alcohol intake to improve overall health.”

The study, originally commissioned by the Biden administration and funded in part by the Department of Health and Human Services for this purpose, was “sidelined” amid criticism from the alcohol industry, former HHS official Robert Vincent wrote in an accompanying editorial. The draft, which was first published last year, languished until it was published this week, instead of announcing the new guidelines as originally planned.

HHS spokeswoman Emily Hilliard told The Washington Post and NBC in a statement that the implication that the study was “shelved” is “inaccurate.”

“HHS and the Department of Agriculture considered this study alongside the broad range of available scientific evidence and followed an established process to develop the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The guidelines are informed by the entirety of the scientific record, rather than by a single report or analysis,” she said.

The study, which some alcohol industry groups had previously criticized as being written by “anti-alcohol activist researchers,” suggests that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is, after all, updating its guidance telling Americans to limit their drinking to a maximum of one drink a day.

Recalls for dog and cat food expand. See affected products

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Recalls for dog and cat food expand. See affected products

A product that can cause life-threatening nutritional deficiencies has been added to the list of recalled pet foods.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an updated notice on Monday, June 8, regarding certain freeze-dried and frozen raw pet food products manufactured by GO Raw LLC. The company announced a voluntary recall in February after its food products were found to contain extremely low concentrations of thiamin, also known as vitamin B1.

Thiamine is an essential nutrient for dogs and cats, who use thiamin to maintain normal nerve function and properly digest and metabolize carbohydrates. Without this, pets, especially cats, can experience deficiencies that can lead to neurological problems, seizures, and even death.

The company said it believed the product had been removed from shelves and the recall was done “out of an abundance of caution,” but the long expiry date means the food may still be in the pantry or freezer.

Here’s what you need to know about the recall.

Pets and cost increases: Pet adoption is slowing down – and the big reason is money

Which pet food products will be recalled?

Since GO Raw first initiated the recall on February 17, one more product has been added to the list.

  • Steve’s Real Food Chicken Recipe Freeze Dried 1.25 lb bag, lot code C26022, UPC 6-91730-164 02-7, expiration date January 22, 2028.
  • Quest Cat Food Chicken Recipe Freeze Dried Nuggets 10 oz bag, lot code C25288, UPC 6-91730-18103-1, expiration date October 15, 2027.
  • Quest Cat Food Chicken Recipe Frozen Diet 2 lb and 12 lb bags with lot codes MCD25350 and MCC25321, UPC 6-91730-17104-9, best before dates 5/17/2027 and 6/16/2027.

Where was the recalled pet food sold?

The recalled pet food products are sold in 21 states and have a best-before date of 2028.

  • colorado
  • Utah
  • washington
  • Oregon
  • pennsylvania
  • rhode island
  • Michigan
  • California
  • texas
  • illinois
  • georgia
  • north carolina
  • south carolina
  • florida
  • minnesota
  • new york
  • ohio
  • wisconsin
  • pennsylvania
  • idaho
  • montana

What to do with recalled pet food

Consumers who purchased affected products should stop feeding their pets and return them to the place of purchase for a full refund or replacement. Consumers can contact the company at cs@gorawllc.com or 801-432-7478.

Thiamine deficiency can be life-threatening, so pet owners should contact their veterinarian if they see any of the following signs of thiamine deficiency:

Early signs:

  • Decreased appetite.
  • vomiting.
  • Excessive salivation.
  • Weight loss.
  • Poor growth.

Late symptoms of persistent deficiency include:

  • Ventral flexion of the neck (bending the head towards the floor).
  • Mental sluggishness (confusion, lethargy, unresponsiveness, failure to interact, low energy).
  • Vision changes.
  • Walking unsteadily, turning, and falling.
  • Seizure.
  • Weakness and lethargy.

Food safety and raw pet food

Commercial raw pet foods, or pet food products made from uncooked animal ingredients, have become increasingly popular in recent years as a “healthier” option for devoted pet parents. One selling point is that the product doesn’t go through the same heat treatment as kibble, which theoretically preserves more nutrients, but it also means there’s one less step to kill bacteria between the time the food leaves the factory and the dinner bowl, according to the CDC.

Raw pet food is a regular on FDA-issued recall lists. Listeria and salmonella, food poisoning bacteria that can be killed by cooking, are often behind the problem.

Other diseases like avian influenza can also be transmitted to pets through commercial raw pet food. According to the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, there have been more than a dozen cases reported since 2024 of cats, which are highly susceptible to H5N1, contracting the virus from commercially available food. Some companies, like Wild Coast Law, have issued multiple recalls after animals became sick or died from food contaminated with avian influenza.

In May, an Oregon jury awarded more than $800,000 in damages to a local man whose cat became ill and died after eating raw pet food.

Southern Baptists consider new immigration resolution at meeting

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Southern Baptists consider new immigration resolution at meeting

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Twenty years ago, Southern Baptist leaders like Richard Land set the tone for the denomination to adopt a compassionate, Biblical immigration policy that they considered not only moral and just, but also a wise move given the nation’s changing character.

Times have changed. Ruth Melkonian Huber, a political science professor at Gordon College in Wenham, Mass., said major evangelical voices that were once silent and uncritical on the issue are now spouting harsh words and rhetoric.

As the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual convention draws to a close in Orlando, Melkonian-Hoover, co-author of “Evangelicals and Immigrants: The Fault Between Believers,” said the changes “should give everyone pause.”

The issue is just one in a lineup of SBC statements that representatives of the nation’s largest Protestant denominations are expected to consider Wednesday, but it’s just one of the most important. The proposed resolution draws a line between evangelicals who say border security is important but seeks to achieve it with compassion.

The resolution, titled “On Immigration, Human Dignity, and the Rule of Law,” acknowledges the need for strict immigration enforcement, “including deportation and expulsion of those who the government has formally prioritized for accountability for criminal activity, human trafficking, and illegal employment practices.”

The bill rejects amnesty and specifically omits any mention of a clear path to legal status for undocumented immigrants, a priority of previous SBC leaders.

At the same time, the resolution calls for humane immigration policies that uphold justice and mercy and strongly reject xenophobia, discrimination, and racial and ethnic hostility.

“We urge governments to insist on respecting the God-given worth and dignity of every person, and to give special consideration to children and families,” it reads.

On Tuesday, delegates from the annual conference, known as the Messengers, elected Willie Rice, senior pastor of Calvary Church in Clearwater, Fla., as the Nashville-based congregation’s new president. Rice’s victory by a margin of 58% to 42% indicates that the SBC’s rightward shift is likely to continue.

Messengers also could face consideration of a constitutional amendment proposed by Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler that would ban women from holding major church leadership roles within the denomination.

Changing views on immigration

A 2024 survey conducted by LifeWay Research found that evangelicals are increasingly concerned about immigration levels, but are committed to the Christian responsibility to care for those in the United States illegally and support policies that allow them to pursue legal residency.

“Many evangelicals believe there are economic challenges associated with immigration and also see the arrival of immigrants as a missionary opportunity,” Matthew Soerens, national director of the Evangelical Immigration Table, told Baptist Press at the time.

A report released last month by World Relief and the National Association of Evangelicals estimates that if the current administration’s immigration policies continue, more than 1.3 million spouses and children will be separated from their families.

“This is the equivalent of every spouse being separated from their partner and every child being separated from their parents in moderate-sized states like South Carolina and Kentucky,” the report said.

Trump supporters within the Southern Baptist Convention, particularly the Center for Baptist Leadership, a nonprofit headed by William Wolf, a self-described Christian nationalist, have advocated a tough stance on immigration.

The events of the past year, particularly the aggressive deportation campaign conducted by ICE, may have reshaped views within the SBC.

But anti-ICE efforts also faced backlash from evangelicals after protesters disrupted a service at the Southern Baptist Congregational Cities Church in St. Paul on Jan. 18, claiming that the Rev. David Easterwood was acting director of the city’s ICE field office.

Nine people were initially arrested, including former CNN anchor Don Lemon, and 30 more people have since been indicted on federal charges related to the incident. St. Paul City Attorney Eileen Cao announced on June 3 that she would not pursue state charges in the case.

Melkonian-Hoover said it was “frustrating” that the SBC’s immigration resolution did not include any mention of a path to legal residence, given that the denomination has historically supported such programs as part of comprehensive immigration reform efforts.

That’s why she was pleased to discover that this statement connects to the Christian belief that humans are created in the image of God. As such, they are expected to “exhibit justice, mercy, hospitality and love towards the weak and strangers” and affirm “the worth and dignity of all people, regardless of their ethnicity or national origin,” the statement said.

“That was great to see,” she said, along with the defense of human enforcement and the condemnation of nativism. “What happened with ICE gave people pause. People were saying, ‘This is not why I voted for Trump.’ So for a lot of people, this is the time to talk.”

Angelina Jolie’s child Zahara files petition to remove Brad Pitt’s name

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Angelina Jolie’s child Zahara files petition to remove Brad Pitt’s name

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter Zahara Marley Jolie Pitt has filed a legal request to have Pitt removed from her last name.

The 21-year-old filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court to change her name to simply Zahara Marley Jolie, according to court records obtained by USA TODAY.

Zahara Jolie has already stopped using the “Super Express” actor’s last name in recent years. The legal petition comes after his sister Shiloh Jolie, 20, legally changed her last name from Jolie-Pitt to Jolie.

A source close to Pitt said that Jolie is behind Pitt’s estranged relationship with Zahara, adding that it’s sad when one parent keeps their child away from the other parent.

USA TODAY has reached out to Pitt and Jolie’s representatives for comment.

Pitt, 62, and Jolie, 51, have six children. Pax, 22 years old. Zahara, 21 years old. Shiloh, 20 years old. and 17-year-old twins Vivian and Knox. The “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” stars divorced in 2016, and the tumultuous divorce process was finalized in 2024.

Zahara Jolie’s name ‘Pitt’ excluded from university graduation ceremony

Zahara Jolie’s name change came after she graduated from Spelman College in Atlanta with a bachelor’s degree in psychology on May 17, according to a video on social media.

The video shows her walking across the stage wearing a black graduation cap and gown and a blue and white stole. The announcer pronounces her name as Zahara Marley Jolie.

She attended the historically black private university in Atlanta in 2022 and was a member of the sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha.

They adopted “Maleficent” actress Zahara Jolie from Ethiopia in 2005, and have long discussed their desire to ensure their daughter remains connected to her roots. The two visited Ethiopia in 2019 and met with Salework Zewde, Ethiopia’s first female president, to discuss ways to help girls continue their schooling.

Contributors: Taijuan Moorman and Swasti Singhai, USA TODAY

Kroger’s digital price tag raises pricing concerns. The reason is as follows

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Kroger’s digital price tag raises pricing concerns. The reason is as follows

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  • Kroger has installed electronic shelf labels in many of its stores.
  • Critics and some politicians have raised concerns that digital tags could be used for “surge prices.”
  • Kroger says it does not engage in surge pricing and that the labels help reduce costs and improve price accuracy.

Kroger is installing cutting-edge price tag technology in several stores last month, the grocer told the Cincinnati Enquirer, part of the USA TODAY network.

Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL) allow grocery stores to change the prices of items in the store via computer without requiring store staff to change pasted labels. Kroger says these stores are in nearly a quarter of its stores nationwide.

The Cincinnati-based supermarket giant said the move will save countless hours and allow employees to serve more customers.

Critics of the technology worry it could open the door to predatory pricing practices, such as increasing prices during busy periods, known as “surge pricing.”

Kroger defends technology, provides new details

Last fall, Kroger quietly began rolling out the label at about a dozen local stores, mostly in the local suburbs. Company officials have generally defended its use but have previously declined to answer questions about when and where the technology will be introduced.

In case you missed it: Instacart charges shoppers different prices for the same item, report says

Kroger officials said in a statement that all but one of the company’s 104 stores in the Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and Dayton areas have implemented the labeling technology. It has been deployed in “nearly all” of 21 retail departments across the country, and “rollout continues.”

The company did not say how far along the rollout in other divisions is or when it will be completed. Kroger divisions span the country from California to Georgia and Michigan to Texas. The retailer operates stores under the Kroger banner, as well as stores such as Fred Meyer, Ralphs, Harris Teeter, Pick ‘n Save, Dillons, King Soopers, Mariano’s, Fry’s and QFC.

Kroger said North Carolina-based Harris Teeter, Indiana-based Ruler Foods and its Midwest Food for Less stores are the only ones not yet labeled. All other departments are at least starting to use them.

In case you missed it: Are Walmart customers being overcharged for mis-measured meat?

The smaller the device, the bigger the controversy.

Kroger shoppers may not even notice the change. Tags are not much different from the old stick-on labels. But if shoppers look closely, they’ll notice that the tags are all housed in a white plastic case as thick as a book of matches.

Pricing technology and concerns that it could be used to gouge customers has come under intense scrutiny over the past decade, which has seen historic inflation not seen since the early 1980s. Prices in the U.S. have risen nearly 29% since March 2020 due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the invasion of Ukraine and this year’s war with Iran, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But inflation has worsened in supermarkets, with prices rising 31% over the same period.

In 2024, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) demanded that Kroger provide more information about how it would use the technology.

Kroger said in its response letter that ESL is used to lower costs, not to raise prices.

“Kroger did not and still does not engage in ‘surge pricing.’ Kroger’s business model is built on lowering prices to attract more customers,” wrote Paula Kash, the retailer’s vice president of group operations. “Using this innovative technology frees up our associates’ time so they can prioritize serving customers in our stores.”

Kroger officials noted that the company’s new CEO, Greg Foran, has made it clear that he wants to cut prices, not raise them, to accelerate sales growth. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Foran outlined plans to cut prices on “thousands of products.”

“Our use of electronic shelf labels is focused on providing accurate pricing and meaningful savings to our customers,” Kroger said in a statement to the Enquirer, noting, for example, that the labels make it easier for stores to reduce prices on items nearing their sell-by dates.

Walmart also adopts digital price tags

Kroger isn’t the only company using this technology.

Earlier this year, Arkansas-based supercenter giant Wal-Mart announced that it had installed electronic shelf labels in 2,300 stores, or half of its retail operations in the United States, and that the remaining stores would have electronic shelf labels within a year.

Kroger operates approximately 2,700 stores in 35 states and the District of Columbia. The company employs 403,000 people.

Social Security funds will run out in 2032, beneficiaries will face 22% pay cut

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Social Security funds will run out in 2032, beneficiaries will face 22% pay cut

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The trust fund, which supplements the payroll taxes that come in to pay monthly Social Security benefits, is projected to run out in the last three months of 2032, which would force an immediate across-the-board 22% benefit cut, the board’s latest report said.

For the past 16 years, the cost of Social Security’s retirement program has exceeded the amount it receives from payroll taxes, forcing it to draw down its trust fund reserves to make up the shortfall. Last year, the trust fund was projected to run out in 2033, but that deadline was moved up in August to the end of 2032 under tax provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed nearly a year ago.

If Congress does not act and allows the trust fund to be emptied, the program will only pay out what the government collects in taxes. The Nonprofit Committee for a Responsible Budget estimates that on average, beneficiaries will lose about $500 a month.

“This should be a wake-up call. Congress needs to act,” said Myekia Minter Jordan, chief executive of AARP, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group representing seniors. “Americans have worked hard and paid into Social Security throughout their lives, so it makes sense that they would rely on it in retirement.”

Why is November important to Social Security?

Analysts said the senators elected in November will be in the group that would either deplete Social Security’s trust fund or enact reforms.

“While these bankruptcy dates may seem abstract and far away, the reality is that senators elected in 2026 will be in office when Social Security reaches bankruptcy status,” said Margaret Spellings, president and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center. “The question is no longer whether these challenges need attention, but whether Washington will find the will to act.”

According to the nonprofit, nonpartisan Peterson Foundation poll, conducted jointly by the Democratic Party’s Global Strategy Group and the Republican Party’s North Star Opinion Research, in late May:

  • 96% of voters nationwide want candidates to clearly explain their plans to prevent automatic cuts to Social Security benefits.
  • This includes 96% of Democrats, 92% of independents, and 97% of Republicans.
  • It also includes at least 94% of voters in the 18-29 and 18-29 age groups. 30-44; 45-54; 55-64; and over 65 years old.

“This research shows that voters across party lines overwhelmingly want solutions from candidates this election season,” said Michael Peterson, the foundation’s chief executive officer.

How can Congress protect Social Security benefits?

It’s not that there’s a lack of ideas to “fix” Social Security so that benefits don’t get cut, there’s just a lack of will. In the past few years, these have included:

  • “Six-digit limit,” or capping annual Social Security benefits for married couples at $100,000.
  • Raise or eliminate the cap on income that can be taxed to fund Social Security benefits. In 2026, only income up to $184,500 will be taxed to pay benefits.
  • Raise payroll taxes by 12.4% on your income that goes towards paying Social Security. Payroll taxes are typically split 50-50 between you and your employer, so you each pay 6.2%.
  • Raise your Full Retirement Age (FRA) to maximize your Social Security benefits. Until the 1980s, age 65 was considered the FRA, but in 1983, when Social Security faced bankruptcy, Congress passed legislation to gradually raise the full retirement age to 67. In 2026, the FRA will be 67 years old, and some researchers believe it should be raised again.

“As in 1983, lawmakers can enact reforms that guarantee the fiscal health of the program for another 75 years or forever,” wrote Stephen Nunez, director of stratified economics at the progressive Roosevelt Institute. “In fact, we could have done so (at significantly lower cost) at any point in the last 20 years.”

“Congress has many options to close the deficit and secure the Social Security Trust Fund for future unforeseen developments. The question is not whether Social Security can be rebuilt, but who will pay for it when it is rebuilt.”

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..

Becerra stops in Los Angeles to speak about voting in California amid intense scrutiny

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Becerra stops in Los Angeles to speak about voting in California amid intense scrutiny

“I oppose any effort to restrict Californians’ right to vote,” said Xavier Becerra. This comes after opponent Steve Hilton is demanding voter ID.

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Barely a week after California’s primary election, gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra has fielded a number of questions about voting in the state under intense scrutiny from President Donald Trump.

Becerra, Democrat and the first candidate expected to advance He will face Republican and former Fox News host Steve Hilton in the November general election.

As of 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9, results released by the California Secretary of State show that the former Secretary of Health and Human Services remains in the lead with 27.9 percent, followed by Hilton at 25 percent.

Hilton invited Becerra to join his campaign. Support Voter ID in a clip shared on your Facebook page The voter ID measure, which gathered enough signatures to qualify to vote in November earlier this year, would amend the California Constitution to require voters to present a government-issued ID at the polls or the last four digits of their government-issued ID number when voting by mail, according to an official summary.

“With voter ID, you don’t have to have endless checks of signatures and verifications. All of that stuff they say takes so long,” Hilton said in a clip shared by KNX News on June 9. “Voter ID allows us to do this quickly, confidently and securely.”

Organizations such as the League of Women Voters of California and the ACLU of Northern California oppose voter ID measures in California. The former would create “new ways to reject eligible ballots and falsely target voters through error-prone citizenship tests,” it said.

Reporters asked Becerra about his position on the matter and Hilton’s invitation. In response, he asked Hilton not to join people like the president but to participate “here,” referring to Hilton’s June 9 visit to businesses at the Mercado La Paloma food hall in Los Angeles, and in his response pointed to claims the president had recently made about the California election.

Trump has made a series of accusations about the election and voting, alleging without evidence that Democrats were “trying to steal” the gubernatorial primary and calling the state’s election results “a sham.”

He went on to say that “what we want” is for every vote to be counted accurately and “we encourage everyone to vote on Election Day.” He said it would be “great” if people could vote sooner, but what’s more important is that people vote.

“I’m against voter suppression,” Becerra said. “I oppose anything that would restrict Californians’ right to vote.”

Asked if he would change anything legally to speed up California’s vote-counting process, Becerra said he was “suspicious” of “infrastructure improvements to increase ballot processing capacity.”

“I think most county registrars would say, ‘Sure, give us more money so we can hire more people and have more equipment and process ballots faster,'” Becerra said. “But again, a lot of times people vote towards the end and there’s a huge amount of votes at the last minute, so the voting gets stuck.”

“If we could get everyone to vote sooner so that we don’t end up with a big backlog, maybe all the counties would be able to process their votes more quickly,” he said.

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

New U.S. visa fast-track program lets you pay $750 to skip the line

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New U.S. visa fast-track program lets you pay $750 to skip the line

A new pilot program will allow tourists and business travelers to “move to the front of the queue” for visa interviews if they can afford it.

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For some travelers, the time it takes to obtain a visa to visit the United States may be quickly reduced, but the cost will be higher.

Starting July 1, travelers applying for B1 and B2 nonimmigrant visas for business and tourism purposes will be able to pay an additional fee to get ahead of others in line for a visa interview.

The State Department said it is part of a “proof-of-concept” pilot program aimed at assessing demand for the rapid service, which will be available through the end of the year.

Why some travelers Waiting for hours to enter Europe

According to the interim final rule, published in the Federal Register on June 9, “Applicants for designated positions will have the opportunity to move to the front of the line for appointment by paying a $750 fee without providing written justification or seeking personal intervention through the Priority Appointment Request or Referral process.”

Those who pay an additional fee can secure a visa interview appointment within 10 business days without having to wait for the next availability, which can vary by week and location. For example, the next available appointment for a B1/B2 visa interview is in 16 months in Abu Dhabi and within half a month in Istanbul.

This $750 fee is on top of the standard nonimmigrant visa application processing fee of $185 for a total cost of approximately $935.

Michael Catgliotti, a New York-based immigration attorney, told USA TODAY that this is a large amount of money for many countries. “I think it’s expensive in this country, but it’s prohibitive in many countries where people apply for visas,” he says.

The State Department says the “premium” addition is optional, in limited quantities, and available only at designated posts on its website. It further adds, “This Service does not facilitate any processing steps, including the time required for administrative processing.”

“There is no indication that they will approve these applications,” Catgliotti said, adding that it is interesting that this option is only available for B1, B2 visas. “There are many other categories where it makes sense to do it faster and speed things up, such as work visas for people who come here as international academics, people who have extraordinary ‘extraordinary ability’ in the industry, people who go into professional jobs, etc. in different fields.”

After the pilot period ends on Dec. 31, the State Department will evaluate whether it is worth continuing or adjusting the service.

This article has been updated to update the headline.

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