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President Trump asks Supreme Court to throw out E. Jean Carroll’s $5 million victory

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President Trump asks Supreme Court to throw out E. Jean Carroll’s million victory

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WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is making a final challenge to revoke the $5 million jury award he was ordered to pay in 2023 for sexual abuse and defamation of author E. Jean Carroll.

President Trump is asking the Supreme Court to reconsider the verdict upheld by the appeals court, a spokesperson for Trump’s legal team said on November 11.

A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team reiterated their claim that the incident was part of a Democratic witch hunt against the president and part of “liberal legislation” against him.

What is President Trump arguing in his Supreme Court appeal?

The 314-page filing alleges that Carroll waited more than 20 years after Trump took office to file charges. The complaint also alleges that the allegations match the plot of her favorite TV show, “Law & Order.”

“President Trump has clearly and consistently denied that this supposed incident actually occurred. There is no physical or DNA evidence to support Carroll’s story,” the filing states. “There were no witnesses, no video evidence, no police report or investigation.”

What have federal appeals courts previously ruled?

The appeals court rejected Trump’s argument that the trial judge made procedural errors, ruling that Trump “has not met his burden of showing that the alleged error, or combination of alleged errors, affected his substantive rights as required to justify a new trial.”

“Furthermore, he has not carried the burden of showing that the alleged error, or combination of alleged errors, affected his substantive rights as required to warrant a new trial.”

In September, a separate panel of judges from the New York-based 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an $83.3 million jury award against Trump over his statements challenging the truth of Carroll’s claims.

The appeals court upheld a jury’s decision that Trump would not stop defaming Carroll unless he was fined a hefty financial penalty.

The court also rejected Trump’s argument that he could not be sued because of a 2024 Supreme Court ruling that said presidents have at least a presumption of presumed immunity for acts of official conduct while in office.

What did E. Jean Carroll allege in the lawsuit?

Carroll said in 2019 that Trump sexually assaulted her in a New York City department store in 1996, but Trump fired back, accusing her of making up the story to sell a book.

Carroll sued him a few months later and won an $83.3 million judgment.

Trump reiterated the denial in a social media post in 2022, when he was not yet president and the first lawsuit was underway. Carroll then sued Trump again under the special period granted to sexual abuse victims by New York City, and in 2023, a jury found Trump responsible for sexually abusing Carroll. This resulted in a $5 million judgment.

Why is it so cold? And when will it get warm?

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Why is it so cold? And when will it get warm?

“Florida’s air comes from the North Pole, near the North Pole.”

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Millions of you will be waking up this morning asking two questions: Why is it so cold? And when will it get warmer?

Here are your answers:

The weather is fickle and coming soon.

Read below for more information.

Polar vortex?

Weather Trader meteorologist Ryan Maue said on the X show that the blast was thanks to our winter enemy, the polar vortex, while the cold weather is coming all the way from disastrously volatile places like Greenland, the Canadian Arctic, and even the North Pole!

According to meteorologists at MyRadar.com, “Florida’s air comes from the North Pole, near the North Pole. That’s why it’s going to be so cold. Temperatures are 20 to 25 degrees colder than average!”

However, this particular fad is a bit out of season, as the most intense cold snaps are usually reserved for mid-winter. For example, Miami’s all-time low temperature of 27 degrees was recorded on February 3, 1917, according to the National Weather Service.

How long will the cold wave last?

“If this cold is coming too soon, the good news is it won’t last very long,” Weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Erdman said in an online forecast.

He said calm air will return to the central part of the country on Tuesday, Nov. 11, “and that calm air will spread across much of the South and the Midwest for the remainder of this week.”

However, according to Weather.com, it could be somewhat stubborn for the cold air to leave the Northeast as another strengthening cold front pushes in from Canada.

Meteorologist Ben Knoll agreed, pointing out in X that the arctic blast won’t last long: “It doesn’t mean winter is coming early. The air will return to milder conditions.”

Overall, AccuWeather’s long range experts note that temperatures are expected to continue to improve as the month progresses, as “a wave of cold air moves in early December.”

Doyle Rice is a national correspondent for USA TODAY and writes about weather and climate.

What you need to know if you’re traveling this week

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What you need to know if you’re traveling this week

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  • Travelers should expect continued flight cancellations and delays this week, even if the government shutdown ends.
  • Experts say it will take several days for airline operations to return to normal after the grounding due to the evacuation of crews and aircraft.
  • Travelers are advised to check flight status, arrive at the airport early and consider purchasing travel insurance.

The government shutdown could end as early as this week after the Senate voted to move forward with a temporary deal, but travelers with flights scheduled in the next few days should still brace for cancellations and delays.

Tiffany Funk, co-founder and president of point.me, which specializes in points-based travel, said: “We can expect some very bumpy operations and a pretty tough travel experience, at least through this week.” “Even if funding magically came back today, it would take a long time to reset this.”

Here’s what hopeful travelers need to know.

This week’s predictions

Thousands of flights have been suspended since the Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to reduce operations at 40 U.S. airports to deal with a shortage of air traffic controllers.

The reduction rate was scheduled to start at 4% on Nov. 7 and gradually slide to 10% by Nov. 14, but some airports have already significantly exceeded that since the cuts began.

“We have an out-of-place aircraft, an out-of-place crew, an out-of-place pilot,” Funk said. “And unlike storms and hurricanes, this is impacting all types of airports.”

“Maintenance will also be a factor,” said Robert Mann, a former airline executive and current president of independent aviation consultancy RW Mann & Company. “The longer the shutdown lasts, the more aircraft will not be properly transported for needed maintenance. You can’t put an aircraft back into service without an airworthiness test. That’s job number one. Getting the aircraft back for profit is job number two,” added Robert Mann, a former airline executive who is now president of RW Mann & Company, an independent aviation consultancy.

It’s not a quick fix.

When will flights return to normal?

“The pace of recovery will likely vary by airport and airline, and will often unfold on a case-by-case basis over several days after a formal resolution,” Ahmed Abdelghani, associate dean for research at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s David B. O’Malley School of Business, told USA TODAY in an email.

Furthermore, the problem of a shortage of air traffic controllers still remains.

“The FAA has clearly had issues with attendance for air traffic controllers, who have been required to work six days a week and in some cases overtime for years, even before the pandemic,” Mann said.

“Do we think all air traffic controllers won’t be rehired and will just come back ready to work 60 or 80 hours a week? Probably not,” Funk echoed.

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Nov. 9, “Previously before the shutdown, we were retiring about four air traffic controllers a day. Now we’re up to 15 to 20 controllers retiring a day. So it’s going to be difficult to get more controllers to come back and control the airspace after the shutdown. So that’s going to continue in the air travel industry well beyond the period of this administration’s reopening.”

The FAA is hiring and training new air traffic controllers, but Mann noted that this is a time-consuming process, with high turnover and a lot of stress.

What should travelers do?

In the meantime, Abdelghani encouraged travelers to constantly monitor flight status through airlines’ mobile apps and websites and arrive at the airport “well in advance” in case of long waits at security. He said if flyers are able to travel at another time, it’s worth considering rebooking options or taking out travel insurance that will cover some of the cost if something goes wrong.

“This continued volatile situation may lead to further disruption, especially within high-traffic hubs. We therefore recommend that travelers remain flexible and prepared when planning their travels,” he said.

If you don’t need to travel right away, consider postponing your trip.

“As a very frequent traveler (I’ve been to 100 countries and own a travel company), my recommendation is to stay home this week,” Funk said. “It’s going to be stressful, and most people aren’t prepared for that kind of stress to be built into their trip. ”

Can you get fired for posting on social media? What does freedom of speech protect?

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Can you get fired for posting on social media? What does freedom of speech protect?

Johnny C. Taylor Jr.
| USA TODAY Special Feature

As part of USA TODAY’s series, Johnny C. Taylor Jr. tackles human resources questions. Taylor is president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, the world’s largest association of HR professionals, and author of Reset: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval.

Have a question? Please submit here.

Question: One of my colleague’s political posts on social media went viral, racking up hundreds of thousands of views. Some colleagues complained that this post contradicted our company’s values ​​and gave us a low opinion of the company. My colleague argues that it falls under personal freedom of speech outside of working hours. Where is the line between freedom of expression and professional responsibility? – Rafi

Answer: Honestly, the biggest problem today is not that employees cross the line, but that no one can even see the line anymore.

In our highly connected world, personal expression and professional responsibilities are more complex than ever. What was once reserved for dinner tables is now on the global stage, and one viral post can instantly turn someone’s “private opinion” into a public issue for their company.

So the conclusion is: The First Amendment protects you from: government censorship. Nothing can protect you from repercussions at work. And yes, private employers not only have the right, but also the responsibility, to protect their brand, maintain the trust of their team, and uphold their company’s values.

What happens when a coworker’s post goes viral and people can trace it back to your organization? It’s no longer just her post, it’s a headache for your company too. And in moments like these, intention takes a backseat to impact.

Workplace romance: Is it possible to date a co-worker without drama or prejudice? Ask HR

So where is the line? If it contains personal expressions, it will be ignored.

◾Disrupt the workplace.

◾Inconsistency with clearly stated corporate values.

◾ Damages the organization’s reputation and relationships with customers.

◾Creates a hostile or divisive atmosphere towards co-workers.

Simply put, social media is not a free pass. You can’t throw a digital grenade on Monday and expect business as usual on Tuesday. I’d go so far as to say that you can’t claim to value a company’s culture while undermining it online. Employees who dive into controversial topics and engage in risky behavior online are playing with fire and need to carefully and proactively consider the big picture.

Human Resources is never intended to be a “people’s police”. But let’s be honest: that reputation is not entirely earned, and has dogged the profession for years. But, and this is an important distinction, they are responsible for facilitating the processes and setting the rules that allow humans to be humans while protecting the best interests of their employers.

Human resources departments need to provide clear guidance when it comes to social media and broader workplace behavior. This means establishing policies that are clear, legal, and consistently enforced. Not to the police. It’s not to silence them. But to set reasonable expectations. Guardrails should be introduced, not gags.

The goal is not to silence voices. It’s about balancing freedom and responsibility, expression and accountability, and allowing employees to be themselves without compromising the culture they work for.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.

Workplace drama: Is it okay to discuss company issues on social media? Ask your HR department

Shutdowns, Veterans Day, the Supreme Court, and lung cancer: Daily briefing

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Shutdowns, Veterans Day, the Supreme Court, and lung cancer: Daily briefing

Enjoy your coffee. 👋🏾I am Jane, Daily Briefing Author. Here’s why Prince William might buy his son a ‘brick phone’.

Let’s take a quick look at Tuesday’s news.

Is the shutdown over?

Not so fast. The Senate passed a funding measure Monday to end a record government shutdown and put the federal government on track to reopen within days.

A group of eight Democrats leaves the party again. Their party sent the bill to the House on a 60-40 vote, where it is likely to pass later this week. The bill has since been sent to the desk of President Donald Trump, who has indicated he intends to sign it into law.

Celebrate America’s Veterans

Veterans Day is Tuesday. The celebration of Veterans Day, a federal holiday, dates back to November 11, 1918, when the “Suspension of Hostilities”, or armistice, between the Allies and Germany went into effect at 11 a.m. on November 11. Here’s what you need to know about banks, post offices, and delivery services, and whether they’re open on Veterans Day.

More news you need to know right now

How’s the weather today? Please check the local weather forecast here.

Supreme Court rejects same-sex marriage challenge

The Supreme Court has decided not to revisit the landmark decision that legalized same-sex marriage across the country, leaving in place a decade-old decision that LGBTQ+ couples have relied on to legalize relationships and start families, despite opposition from some conservative justices. There is no more conservative movement to restore same-sex couples’ right to marry than the movement to strip away their constitutional right to abortion.

women who get lung cancer

“It was really unfair. I do everything I can to take care of myself… It didn’t make sense for me to have anything associated with unhealthy people or unhealthy habits.”

~ Kristi Uvolas, a 36-year-old mother of two from Huntington, West Virginia, was diagnosed with lung cancer in July. Currently, up to 20% of new diagnoses are made in people who have never smoked, and most occur in women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cancer experts told USA TODAY that radon levels in the home, air pollution and genetic mutations are primarily driving this trend.

today’s speaker

FDA lifts black box warning on hormone therapy for menopause

For the past decade, Dr. Heather Hirsch has been trying to convince women that hormone therapy drugs are the best way to treat menopausal and perimenopausal symptoms. But warning labels about estrogen scare many women away from getting the care they need. Now, the Food and Drug Administration is asking drug companies to remove these labels, known as black box warnings, on hormone therapy drugs that contain estrogen. This change will be a breakthrough in helping more women cope with the symptoms of menopause and perimenopause.

Photo of the day: Border chief’s photo shoot draws the ire of Chicago’s mayor

The chief enforcer of President Trump’s Operation Midway Blitz crackdown on immigration crackdowns posed for photos in the snow Monday in front of Chicago’s iconic The Bean sculpture, sparking the ire of city and state leaders. Mayor Brandon Johnson called the photo shoot “evil and despicable.” Johnson has publicly complained about the use of force by federal agents during the Midway raids and called on the United Nations to investigate federal immigration raids in which police sprayed chemical agents on residential neighborhoods and detained childcare workers in front of stunned families.

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His father lost $400,000 in a complex scam. he is not alone.

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His father lost 0,000 in a complex scam. he is not alone.

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James Yancey said his 67-year-old father hinted that he was “going through something” that he couldn’t talk about before finally opening up on Halloween.

Yancy’s father gestured toward his cell phone, “giving the impression that he thought he was being listened to or watched,” the 33-year-old said. Outside, away from his cellphone, his father tells Yancey that his identity has been stolen and that the FBI and IRS are working together to protect his life savings.

Yancey’s father had liquidated accounts worth about $400,000 and moved the cash into gift cards, Bitcoin and gold.

Yancy immediately knew it was a scam.

The scammers presented themselves as federal employees, received gift cards and Bitcoin in advance, took the money directly, and told the father they would pay the money back in the form of a check if the imposters were found.

“I told him as gently as I could, ‘That’s fake,'” Yancey said.

Amy Nofziger, senior director of fraud victim support at AARP, said online scams targeting seniors are not new, but they are changing. Scammers are getting more creative, demanding payments that cannot be traced to them, such as cryptocurrencies or gold. Romance scams are also changing and targeting older adults. Until now, scammers have used traditional dating sites. But now they find their victim on social media and start a friendship, not just a romantic ploy. Nofziger said older people are more attractive to scammers because they tend to have more money.

“It’s the same reason why criminals rob banks or try to rob the Louvre, right?” Nofziger said. “They go where the money is.”

Nofziger said that because awareness of online scams has increased in recent years, more people are reporting online scams when they occur. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reports $16.6 billion in losses in 2024, with people 60 and older suffering the most losses and filing the most complaints.

“Celebrities” are also being used in elderly fraud

Jennifer Daley’s mother is also a target.

Daley never expected her mother to become romantically involved with a scammer. But looking back, she can understand how it happened.

The mother likely felt alone, Daly said. She doesn’t go out much. Daly’s parents live in rural Illinois, and her mother spends a lot of time shopping online.

When Daley’s father told him in September that her mother had made friends through Facebook Messenger, she became suspicious. Within a few weeks, her mother bought gift cards for this friend, John, and began spending more and more time exchanging messages with him online. Her mother ended up sending John more than $8,000.

Soon, messages between John and Daly’s mother became romantic, Daly said. Then he started asking for even more money.

Daley has not yet been able to separate her mother from the relationship.

Like Yancey, Daly has been posting updates on TikTok, where thousands of commenters have offered advice, prayers and shown compassion by sharing their own scammer stories.

One user commented: “I think my mom has an online relationship with Eric Clapton.” “It’s been over a year and she hasn’t heard anything. Good luck!”

“My grandmother is getting married to Morgan Wallen next month,” another wrote.

Daly said John claimed to be a famous musician who had a second home in Ireland and owned a private jet. Daley and her family believe her mother’s mental health may be deteriorating, which may be contributing to her poor judgment, and are consulting a doctor. But it was difficult.

“You can’t force someone to help themselves if they don’t want to be helped,” Daly said.

‘willing to listen’ to victims of online fraud

When Yancey’s father talked about his financial situation, Yancey did his best to remain calm.

“I wasn’t at peace inside,” Yancey said. “But I’m good at hiding it.”

Nofziger said that’s exactly how the situation should be handled.

“Be willing to listen with kindness and empathy. Don’t criticize, shout, or argue,” Nofziger said. She suggests telling parents: “I’m really sorry that this happened. Together we will figure out next steps.” Then stop talking to the scammer and call the police.

Yancey said he helped his father file a report with the FBI and local police department. However, his father was “distraught” over the whole incident and used up his entire life’s savings. Yancey launched a GoFundMe to help replenish her father’s bank account and said she is taking steps to jointly own her father’s assets to protect him from future fraud.

How to spot online scammers

Although scammers are becoming more sophisticated, Nofziger says there are still red flags people should be aware of.

Here are signs that the person you or your loved one is talking to online is actually a scammer.

  • they ask for money. Especially if it’s through non-traditional payment methods like gift cards, cryptocurrencies, or gold bars.
  • If they lie to you or ask you to keep the relationship secret.
  • They tell you that if you don’t follow the plan, you’ll be arrested or else you’ll cause fear.

Adults can protect their elderly parents from scams by setting alerts on bank and brokerage accounts, so they can know when their parents are withdrawing large sums of money. Nofziger said families should be prepared by having “non-authoritarian” conversations with parents about money and role-playing scam situations.

“This is very similar to other role-playing conversations we have in life, like where would you gather if there was a fire? What would you do?” she said. “So if that happens, they’re not necessarily caught off guard and don’t know what to do. In the back of their minds, they’re like, ‘Oh, I remember this.'”

Madeline Mitchell’s role covering women and the care economy for USA TODAY is supported by partnerships such as: extremely important and Journalism funding partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.

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

Air traffic controllers are at the center of delayed and canceled flights.

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Air traffic controllers are at the center of delayed and canceled flights.

Air traffic controllers are rarely seen in the public eye but are essential to air travel, and they worked for weeks without pay during the shutdown.

DENVER – They sit in dark facilities and high towers, surrounded by dilapidated computers and speak in clipped, cryptic phrases. And the pieces of paper they pass to each other represent the lives of millions of Americans who travel safely every day with their help.

For air traffic controllers across the country, the ongoing federal government shutdown is the latest insult to a high-stress, high-stakes job that requires them to retire at age 56, severely restrict cell phone access during work hours, get just 10 hours of vacation between shifts, and undergo multiple unannounced alcohol and drug tests a year.

Before the shutdown, the country’s air traffic control system had just under 11,000 fully certified controllers, 30% fewer than the government needed. This means air traffic controllers are already required to work overtime six days a week, up to 10 hours a day, and vacation time is severely limited.

Now they don’t even get paid.

Nick Daniels, president of the National Association of Air Traffic Controllers union, said in a statement: “This situation is a significant distraction for individuals who already work in an extremely stressful job.” “The economic and emotional strain increases risk within the national airspace system, making it less safe with each continued closure.”

President Trump tells air traffic controller who took leave: ‘I’m not happy with you’

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Nov. 6 ordered airlines to reduce traffic by 10% at the nation’s 40 busiest airports, saying this would ease pressure on air traffic controllers during the closure. The order inconvenienced millions of travelers as flights were reduced or rescheduled weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Congress now appears ready to reopen the government and restore salaries (including advances) to air traffic controllers. Some of the air traffic controllers were working part-time jobs during the closure. The median salary for air traffic controllers is $144,580 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

President Donald Trump said in a Nov. 10 social media post that he is recommending a $10,000 bonus for air traffic controllers who survive the shutdown without taking sick leave.

But he also threatened air traffic controllers who became ill or went on vacation after Oct. 1. Since the shutdown began, multiple airports have been forced to limit arrivals and departures due to a lack of air traffic controllers.

FAA Administrator Brian Bedford said in early November that between 20% and 40% of air traffic controllers were not at work on any given day, Reuters reported.

Air traffic controllers who take sick leave during the shutdown can be compensated, but air traffic controllers are also allowed to take sick leave for sickness or fatigue.

Federal law prohibits air traffic controller strikes. President Ronald Reagan fired 11,000 air traffic controllers in 1981 when he laid them off amid a dispute over pay and working conditions. Historians say President Reagan’s decision to fire air traffic controllers sparked a wave of union busting across the country.

“To those of you who complained and took time off when we all knew you would be paid your full salary in the near future, I’m not happy with you,” Trump wrote.

Air traffic controllers at the center of government shutdown

Former air traffic controller David Riley said putting air traffic controllers in the middle of the government shutdown reflects the important role they play in the American economy.

From passenger travel to cargo flights, U.S. commercial aviation accounts for about 5% of the country’s annual gross domestic product and supports about 10 million jobs, according to the Airlines for America trade group.

“They used (air traffic control slowdowns) as a weapon against the flying public,” said Riley, a former U.S. Marine who worked in air traffic control for 32 years.

Reilly said all promises of pay ring hollow for air traffic controllers who regularly work just one day off a week in a job where even a moment’s lack of attention can be fatal for hundreds.

Becoming a certified air traffic controller requires years of training, typically starting at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, followed by several years of closely supervised on-the-job training.

Applicants must meet vision and health standards, undergo a mental health evaluation, and undertake high-stakes, high-stress work physically isolated from the travelers they serve every day. They must be prepared to respond to midair fires, hijack reports, or medical emergencies at 36,000 feet or just a few feet from the terminal.

And there is no margin for error.

“You make money in the short term, but working six days a week literally kills your life,” Riley said. “This closure has highlighted how poor staffing is and how close to breaking point it is.”

“I still believe Americans should fly safely.”

Air traffic controllers typically work in towers that control the movement of planes landing at or taking off from airports, or in regional centers known as “tracon”s that guide planes between airports.

Surrounded by radar screens and GPS displays, air traffic controllers keep planes at a safe distance for takeoff and landing, keep engines from colliding with each other on the ground, and help avoid turbulence in the air.

Reilly, who worked in both the control and observation towers, said being without pay, like during the first Trump shutdown, increases the mental strain on air traffic controllers as they are distracted by thoughts of bills and unpaid mortgages. Air traffic controllers have already received two zero-dollar paychecks during the shutdown.

“How much do you have in savings? Does your spouse work?” he said controllers ask themselves.

Zachary S. Gorwitz, an attorney with the Florida-based Podhurst Orsek law firm, said there continues to be a shortage of air traffic controllers, increasing the risk to the traveling public. The firm represents victims of multiple fatal crashes around the world, and is currently representing a client in a lawsuit over the Jan. 29 mid-air collision between American Airlines and a Black Hawk military helicopter in Washington, D.C.

In the crash that killed 67 people, Congressional testimony revealed that one air traffic controller was monitoring both the plane and the helicopter that night, a job typically performed by two people, Gowitz said. He said that while air travel remained one of the safest forms of transportation, it was largely due to the hard work of highly skilled and trained air traffic controllers, that continuing to stress them would inevitably have an impact.

“I still believe Americans should fly safely, but it’s critically important that our government reopens and begins treating federal employees with the respect they deserve,” Gorwitz said. “The problem is, we need to put these people in positions to succeed, and with the way things are going, that’s just not the case.”

Cat and TJ Leahy, who were waiting for their snowboards at Denver International Airport to leave for a week-long ski trip, said their trip from Tampa had gone well, but they were concerned about the mental health of the air traffic controllers.

As a veteran, TJ said he is used to the idea that those who serve others take their responsibilities seriously.

He said he had no safety concerns about flying during the government shutdown, but said he was concerned about the long-term effects of forcing people to travel without pay, both for air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration agents who conduct security checks.

“I’m more worried about them as humans,” he said. “They’re real professionals and they’re going to do their job, but I’m worried they won’t get paid. So is TSA.”

Trevor Hughes covers national news for USA TODAY.

Student loan forgiveness is limited to some areas. Some people become President Trump.

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Student loan forgiveness is limited to some areas. Some people become President Trump.

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President Donald Trump’s student loan forgiveness plan may forgive some people but not others, creating uncertainty for borrowers, experts say.

In a big win for borrowers, last month the Department of Education (ED) reached an agreement with the American Federation of Teachers to process student loan forgiveness applications for borrowers who have met the payment threshold for an income-contingent repayment (ICR) or pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) plan for as long as the plan remains in effect. President Trump plans to phase out this plan by July 1, 2028. Income-based repayment plans are also eligible for forgiveness.

The celebratory mood quickly dissipated less than two weeks later when the department released rules criticized for curbing Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). The rules come into effect from July 1 and allow the ED to exclude pardons for people working in organizations believed to be involved in “criminal activities”.

The nonprofit consumer advocacy group Protect Borrowers said in a statement that the rule would allow ED to target “sanctuary jurisdictions as well as nonprofit organizations that provide assistance to immigrant families, gender-affirming care, diversity and equity in the workplace, and protection of protesters’ First Amendment rights.”

What is PSLF?

Created in 2007, PSLF cancels a borrower’s remaining federal student debt after 10 years of repayment for students who work for “public service” employers, generally defined as government or nonprofit organizations. It is intended to reward people who work in the “public interest,” including firefighters, police, public educators, military personnel, and public health workers.

Why does ED redefine who is eligible for PSLF?

The ED said the eligibility criteria that constitute eligible civil servant employers were not adequately monitored. As a result, certain organizations that “engage in illegal activities that harm local communities or the public interest” are now eligible, the statement said.

“Taxpayer funds should not be directly or indirectly subsidizing illegal activities,” said Education Under Secretary Nicholas Kent. PSLF “is intended to support Americans who dedicate their careers to public service, not to give grants to organizations that violate the law, such as harboring illegal immigrants or performing prohibited medical procedures that attempt to separate children from their biological sex.”

What will happen to PSLF?

PSLF is not over, but the rule is likely to be resolved by the courts after a flurry of lawsuits were filed shortly after the publication of the exposure draft.

Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia sued the Department of Education over new rules limiting PSLF eligibility.

“Public Service Loan Forgiveness was created as a promise to teachers, nurses, firefighters, and social workers that their service to their communities would be honored,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. “Instead, this administration has created a political loyalty test disguised as regulation.”

A coalition of cities, unions, and nonprofits across the U.S. also filed suit with similar claims.

How will this affect borrowers?

Experts said to stick to the policy but to act flexibly.

Ken Ruggiero, CEO of lender Ascent, said borrowers should focus on keeping their loans in good standing with consistent payments and maintaining documentation and payment history.

“At the same time, it is wise to build flexibility into your long-term plans,” he said. “Federal forgiveness programs are valuable, but they are also subject to political and legal changes. Think of PSLF as one possible path, not the only path. If forgiveness happens, it’s a big win. But if it doesn’t, we need to make sure we’re still on track for financial independence and don’t rely solely on government discretion for relief.”

Kent Smetters, director of the Penn Wharton Budget Model, said other changes in the ED to student loans next year mean that borrowers should be prepared to pay off even more loans.

If you borrow after July 1st, there are only two types of repayment plans. One is the Standard Repayment Plan, which repays the loan over 10 to 25 years depending on the amount borrowed, regardless of income, and the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), which repays 1 to 10% of the borrower’s discretionary income every month.

As an example of how much more a borrower could end up paying, Smetters said, consider a college student borrower with $30,000 in debt at a 6.4% annual interest rate and a starting salary of $45,000 with a 3% annual increase.

  • In the most generous SAVE plan, which protects more income than any other plan, this person pays $42 per month in the first year, reaching $116 per month by year 20. The average monthly payment for 20 years will be approximately $75. Total payments over 20 years will be $17,938. However, this is waived as the graduate will be left with a balance of $30,000 in year 20. Unlike some debt forgiveness, this option is not considered reportable income under SAVE. Taxpayers are being asked to pay the remaining balance.
  • With RAP, monthly payments start at $169 in year one and reach $519 by year 20. The average monthly payment will be $217. Total payment will be $51,964. The loan is expected to be fully repaid by the end of 2016. Therefore, there is no cost to the taxpayer.

“Many people who would have received significant subsidies under the SAVE plan will no longer receive them,” Mr Smetters said.

How many Americans have student loans?

More than 40 million Americans have student debt totaling more than $1.6 trillion. More than 9 million borrowers could qualify for PSLF, according to Protect Borrowers’ 2022 estimates.

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 morning.

Confusion over ‘falsified’ Trump speech

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Confusion over ‘falsified’ Trump speech

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LONDON – Accusations regarding President Donald Trump’s ‘fabricated’ speech. Allegations of systemically biased reporting and news decisions. Long-time senior executives were forced to resign and apologize.

Britain’s historic BBC news agency was plunged into crisis on November 9 after a leaked internal memo revealed that a documentary aired on its flagship current affairs program had misled viewers. The BBC Panorama documentary is a compilation of two parts of President Trump’s speech before the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

BBC director-general Tim Davie and BBC News chief executive Deborah Turnes resigned after the Daily Telegraph first published details of the leaked memo. The memo was written by a former journalist who was an independent external adviser to the broadcaster’s Editorial Standards Board.

BBC crisis: Boss, news chief resigns after criticism of Trump’s documentary editing

How serious are the BBC’s problems? Let me briefly explain the uproar.

What are the BBC’s allegations relating to Trump’s January 6 speech?

The leaked memo concludes that the BBC Panorama documentary Trump: A Second Chance?, which was first broadcast in the UK in October last year, misleadingly arranged President Trump’s statements as if he had explicitly encouraged the storming of the Capitol.

In a speech in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021, President Trump said, “We’re going to walk to the Capitol and cheer on our brave senators, congressmen and women.”

A panoramic compilation of words from Trump’s speeches, delivered approximately 50 minutes apart, shows Trump saying, “I’m going to walk to the Capitol… and I’m going to be there with you. And we’re going to fight. We’re going to fight like hell.”

No Drama Certification: Four years after the Capitol riot, Trump wins

President Trump’s “fight like hell” remarks came while discussing the U.S. election and corruption allegations.

Allegations of BBC bias are broader. what are they?

The BBC has been regularly accused of bias over the past decade. Critics have also criticized the publication for avoiding reporting on stories that raise difficult questions about race, transgender issues and immigration.

The BBC is funded by taxpayers’ ‘license fees’ and commercial income.

It has been accused of being too respectful of the British monarchy, of being politically compromised by the left-liberal views of the majority on topics such as Britain’s exit from the European Union, known as Brexit, and of exhibiting a variety of tendencies, including anti-Americanism, anti-Semitism and bigotry regarding the war in Gaza.

British media regulator Ofcom ruled earlier this year that the BBC had committed a “serious breach” of broadcasting rules by failing to reveal that the narrator of a documentary about Gaza was the son of a Hamas official. The news organization was heavily criticized over the summer for not cutting off a live performance by a musician who led a chant against the Israeli military at the Glastonbury music festival.

Michael Prescott, who wrote the memo leaked to the Daily Telegraph, said the new BBC Arabic division had repeatedly given voice to local journalists who had posted anti-Semitic comments.

“Journalists sometimes get things wrong, but when they’re always looking in the same direction it’s a clear pattern of institutional bias,” Khris Middleton, a former BBC journalist turned independent author and commentator, said in a WhatsApp message. “The problem is that too many BBC journalists think of themselves as activists for a cause rather than truth tellers.”

What was the reaction and what is the BBC doing now?

White House press secretary Caroline Levitt accused the BBC of being “deliberately dishonest” in its characterization of President Trump’s speech ahead of the storming of the Capitol. And after the BBC’s Davie and Turness resigned, Trump himself posted about the matter on his Truth Social platform.

“All the top people at the BBC, including my boss Tim Davie, are resigning/fired because it has been discovered that they ‘fabricated’ my very good (and perfect!) speech on January 6th,” Trump wrote.

According to CNN, President Trump also threatened legal action against news organizations. He is seeking at least $1 billion in damages. A BBC spokesperson told CNN the company is reviewing the legal letter sent by President Trump.

In his resignation statement, Davie said the BBC was “not perfect and must always be open, transparent and accountable”. On November 10, Mr Turness further defended the news organization, saying: “I want to be clear about one thing: BBC News is not institutionally biased.”

Some of the BBC’s most senior journalists have also defended the organization in recent days.

Nick Robinson, presenter of the BBC’s flagship morning radio show Today, said on social media on November 8: “It’s clear there are genuine concerns about editorial standards and errors,” adding: “There’s also a political movement by people who want to destroy the organization… both things are happening at the same time.”

But Matthew Goodwin, a former right-wing academic and frequent critic of the news organization, wrote in his daily newsletter on November 10 that the BBC was “ignoring impartiality and imposing its parochial liberal and progressive worldview on everyone else”.

Mr Goodwin delved into one particular example, saying the BBC’s “push notifications” sent to users’ devices showed what he described as a “clear lack of balance” on immigration, which he said “coincidentally is also the most important issue in this country”.

In September 2023, Mr Goodwin said that of the 219 push news alerts sent by the BBC that month, “only four were about illegal immigrants or asylum seekers, and three of those focused on the ‘degrading conditions’ allegedly faced by people who broke the law.”

Dominic Ponsford, editor-in-chief of the British Press Gazette, who specializes in the journalism industry, said in a LinkedIn post that the BBC had “moved into action” in response to the impartiality allegations and the Panorama documentary about President Trump. Mr Ponsford also said that at a time when truth and objective facts were under “massive attack” from the Trump White House and elsewhere, “we need stronger BBC journalism than ever”.

Tesla and Intel chip partnership: 10% of Nvidia’s cost

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Tesla and Intel chip partnership: 10% of Nvidia’s cost

A potential chip partnership between Tesla and Intel could deliver AI chips at just 10% of Nvidia’s cost. This is a claim that represents a significant development in AI infrastructure that enterprise technology leaders cannot ignore.

On November 6, 2025, Tesla CEO Elon Musk publicly stated at the company’s annual shareholder meeting that the electric car maker is considering collaborating with Intel to produce fifth-generation AI chips, signaling a major strategic shift in how AI computing hardware is manufactured and distributed.

“We’ll probably do it, we’ll do something with Intel,” Musk told shareholders, according to one source. Reuters Report. “We don’t have any deals, but it’s probably worth talking to Intel.” The statement sent Intel shares up 4% in after-hours trading, underscoring how seriously the market is looking at the potential partnership.

Strategic background behind the partnership

Tesla’s consideration of Intel as a manufacturing partner comes at a critical juncture for both companies. Tesla is designing its AI5 chip to power its self-driving system.

Tesla, which is currently developing fourth-generation chips, has identified significant supply constraints that cannot be adequately addressed through traditional partnerships with Taiwan’s TSMC and South Korea’s Samsung.

“Even if we extrapolate the best-case scenario for chip production from our suppliers, it’s still not enough,” Musk said at the shareholders’ meeting. The supply gap has led Tesla to consider building what Musk calls a “Terra fab,” a large-scale chip manufacturing facility capable of producing at least 100,000 wafer starts per month.

For Intel, the potential partnership presents a significant opportunity. The US chipmaker is far behind Nvidia in the AI ​​chip race and is in dire need of external customers to provide it with the latest manufacturing technology.

The US government recently acquired a 10% stake in Intel, underscoring the strategic importance of maintaining domestic chip manufacturing capacity.

Cost and performance impact

At 10% of Nvidia’s manufacturing costs, the technical specifications Musk outlined at the shareholder meeting could reshape the company’s AI economy. Tesla’s AI5 chip consumes about a third of the power used by Nvidia’s flagship Blackwell chip and costs only 10% to manufacture, Musk said.

“As you can probably tell, I’m super into chips right now,” Musk said. “I have a chip in my brain.”

Cost and efficiency predictions could change the economics of AI deployment. Leaders of companies that have invested heavily in AI infrastructure need to monitor whether these performance goals are realized. This is because it can influence future technology purchasing decisions in the industry.

The chip will be cheap, power efficient and optimized for Tesla’s own software, Musk said.

Production schedule and scale

Tesla’s chip production roadmap provides a timeline for the company’s plans. AI5 is expected to be produced in small numbers in 2026, with mass production possible in 2027. Musk suggested in a social media post that AI6 will achieve roughly twice the performance while using the same manufacturing equipment, with mass production targeted for mid-2028.

The scale of Tesla’s ambitions is considerable. The proposed “terra fabs” would mean expanding domestic chip manufacturing capacity and could reduce supply chain vulnerabilities that have plagued the technology industry in recent years.

“So I think we might need to build a Tesla terra fab. It’s like Giga, but much bigger. I don’t see any other way to achieve the amount of chips we’re looking for. So I think we probably need to build a huge chip fab. It’s got to be done,” Musk said.

What this means for corporate decision makers

A potential chip partnership between Tesla and Intel raises several strategic considerations.

Supply chain resilience: The move to domesticate chip manufacturing addresses concerns about the concentration of supply chains in Asia. Business leaders managing technology risk must consider how changes in chip manufacturing geographies will impact their supply chains and vendor relationships.

Changes in cost structure: If Tesla can meet its cost targets, the competitive landscape for AI chips could change. Organizations should develop contingency plans for potential price pressures on current suppliers and evaluate whether alternative chip architectures are viable.

Technology sovereignty: The U.S. government’s investment in Intel and support for domestic chip manufacturing reflects broader geopolitical considerations. Business leaders in regulated industries and companies that handle sensitive data need to assess how trends will impact their technology sources.

Pace of innovation: Tesla’s aggressive schedule for multiple chip generations suggests the pace of innovation in AI hardware is accelerating. Technology leaders must factor this into their refresh cycles and architectural decisions to avoid premature commitments to current generation technologies.

broader industry context

Musk’s remarks were made against the backdrop of the technological competition between the United States and China. Export restrictions have reportedly affected Nvidia’s operations in China, with market share dropping from 95% to almost zero.

Intel declined to comment on Musk’s remarks, and no formal agreement has been announced. However, given the public nature of the statement and the market reaction, substantive discussions may begin soon.

The AI ​​chip landscape is in a period of flux. Organizations should maintain flexibility in their infrastructure strategies and monitor how partnerships like Tesla and Intel reshape the competitive dynamics of AI hardware manufacturing.

Decisions made today regarding chip manufacturing partnerships could determine which organizations have access to cost-effective, high-performance AI infrastructure in the years to come.

Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out the AI ​​& Big Data Expo in Amsterdam, California, and London. This comprehensive event is part of TechEx and co-located with other major technology events. Click here for more information.

AI News is brought to you by TechForge Media. Learn about other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars.

What are the opening hours and holidays for Veterans Day 2025? What you need to know

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What are the opening hours and holidays for Veterans Day 2025? What you need to know

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Tuesday, November 11th is the annual Veterans Day holiday, and banks and post offices will be closed on this day, but most restaurants, grocery stores, and retail chain stores will be open. Some restaurants are offering sales and discounts to celebrate veterans.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the origins of Veterans Day, a federal holiday, date back to November 11, 1918, when the Suspension of Hostilities, or armistice, between the Allies and Germany went into effect at 11:00 a.m. on November 11.

“November 11, 1918 is therefore generally regarded as the end of the ‘war to end all wars,'” according to the agency’s website. Veterans Day is still observed on November 11th, regardless of the day of the week.

When Armistice Day became a federal holiday in 1938, many states had already begun celebrating it. In 1954, Congress, with support from veterans organizations, changed the name of the holiday to Veterans Day. President Eisenhower signed the bill on June 1, 1954, according to History.com.

The purpose of the day is “a celebration honoring America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and service and sacrifice for the common good,” the Department of Veterans Affairs says on its website.

Here’s what you need to know about Veterans Day business hours and closures this year.

Veterans Day sales and discounts: 2025 Veterans Day sales include free meals and restaurant discounts

Will the post office be open on Veterans Day? Will my mail be delivered?

No, as Veterans Day is a federal holiday, the post office will be closed and no mail will be delivered.

Are banks open on Veterans Day?

Branches of banks including Bank of America, Trust, PNC, Capital One, Wells Fargo, Citibank and JPMorgan Chase will be closed on Tuesday, November 11th in honor of Veterans Day.

Are delivery services like UPS and FedEx open on Veterans Day?

UPS pickup and delivery services will be available starting Tuesday, November 11th, but UPS SurePost and UPS Mail Innovations deliveries will require an additional business day of transit time due to USPS federal holidays. UPS Store locations will also be open.

FedEx pickup and delivery services will also be available on Tuesday, and FedEx offices will be open.

Is the stock market open on Veterans Day?

Tuesday, November 11th will be a regular business day for the U.S. stock market, as the market will not be closed for Veterans Day. Meanwhile, the U.S. bond market will be closed, according to the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.

Which restaurants offer deals for veterans on Veterans Day?

Restaurant chains such as Applebee’s, Chipotle, Krispy Kreme, Starbucks, Red Lobster, Cracker Barrel and Arby’s are offering perks and giveaways to veterans on November 11th.

Most Veterans Day transactions require a veteran, military, or military-dependent identification document, such as a Veterans ID card or a DD214 card showing time served. There are also many benefits exclusive to dine-in customers. Be sure to contact your local location to confirm participation.

Contributor: Mike Snider, USA TODAY

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

MNF winners and losers as Green Bay’s offense struggles

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MNF winners and losers as Green Bay’s offense struggles

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The defensive battle at Lambeau Field ended with the Philadelphia Eagles holding out for a 10-7 victory over the Green Bay Packers on November 10.

On Monday night, Green Bay’s defense was brutal until the third quarter. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that both offenses woke up a little.

After a scoreless first half, the Eagles made a successful field goal in the third quarter. In the final period, a big play from star running back Saquon Barkley and a touchdown catch from wide receiver DeVonta Smith gave the Eagles enough points.

The Packers responded with a fourth-quarter touchdown, but kicker Brandon McManus missed a potential tying 64-yard field goal, and time expired with the Eagles holding on for the win.

USA TODAY Sports takes a look at the winners and losers of the NFC matchup “Monday Night Football.”

winner

stingy defense

Both defenses were solid in the first half.

When the Eagles were in the red zone, Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper forced a fumble by Jalen Hurts.

The Eagles returned the favor with Nakobe Dean’s strip sack of Jordan Love, shutting down Green Bay’s scoring opportunities.

Standout running backs Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs didn’t have much room to work in the first half. Barkley gained 33 yards rushing and Jacobs had 38 yards on the ground. In the scoreless first half, both running backs averaged less than four yards per carry.

The defense continued to control the game after halftime. The Eagles managed to connect with a field goal after a 10-play, 50-yard drive. It wasn’t until the final quarter that both teams reached the end zone.

Green Bay gained 261 yards of total offense. Love and company averaged 4 yards per play. The Eagles weren’t much better, gaining 294 yards of total offense and averaging 4.9 yards per play.

Fittingly, Green Bay’s best chance to tie the score was stopped by some great defense in the fourth quarter. Jalen Carter and Jaelan Phillips exploded on a Josh Jacobs run from Green Bay’s 44-yard line on a fourth-and-one with less than two minutes left. Jacobs fumbled on that play.

Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith spark Eagles’ offense in 4th quarter

Both teams battled back and forth through the third quarter, until Barkley and Smith ignited the Eagles’ offense with back-to-back plays.

On a third-and-7 from Philadelphia’s own 23-yard line, Jalen Hurts threw a short pass to Barkley in the flat. Barkley caught the football, performed a wicked spin move on Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine, and raced down the field for a 41-yard catch-and-run.

On the next play, Smith caught a 36-yard touchdown pass with 10:36 left in the fourth quarter, giving the Eagles a 10-0 lead.

Barkley had 25 touches for 101 yards from scrimmage. Smith had four catches, a game-high 69 receiving yards, and one touchdown.

geran phillips

Phillips was productive in his debut with the Eagles. The edge rusher had six tackles, one tackle for loss and two QB hits in the win.

32 things we learned: Up and down, good and bad, well, trading.

loser

first half attack

In the first half, both Green Bay offenses were frozen.

Jalen Hurts fumbled the football on Philadelphia’s opening series, ending a promising drive. The fumble stopped all momentum for the Eagles. Philadelphia punted on three consecutive possessions after an initial drive turnover. They only gained 125 yards of total offense.

Hurts only completed 48 yards passing.

The Packers were worse offensively. Green Bay punted on its first four drives and went 0-for-5 on third down.

Jordan Love and the Packers offense managed only 85 total yards. Love completed just 39 yards passing and was sacked three times.

There were seven punts and one fumble in the first half. Both fumbles occurred in field goal range. According to ESPN, this was the first time since 2009 that Monday Night Football ended in a scoreless first half.

Questionable decisions by Nick Sirianni

Leading 10-7, the Eagles coach made a perplexing choice when he chose to go for a fourth-and-6 from Green Bay’s 35-yard line with 33 seconds left. A long pass from Jalen Hurts to AJ Brown fell incomplete and a turnover on downs cost the Packers a game-tying field goal.

Fortunately for Sirianni, Packers kicker Brandon McManus’ tying 64-yard field goal attempt fell just short.

NFC East

The Eagles (7-2) hold a commanding lead in the NFC East. No other team in this division has a winning record. The Dallas Cowboys (3 wins, 5 losses, 1 draw), who won a bye in Week 10, are in second place in the division. The Washington Commanders (3 wins, 7 losses) and New York Giants (2 wins, 8 losses) both lost in Week 10.

NFL playoff photos: Eagles return to first place in NFC, Packers plummet

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TylerDragon.

What are the winning numbers for Powerball’s $490 million jackpot?

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What are the winning numbers for Powerball’s 0 million jackpot?

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After no one won the top prize on Saturday, Nov. 8, the Powerball jackpot rose to $490 million in the Monday, Nov. 10 lottery drawing.

If the ticket matches all five numbers and the Powerball in the 11 p.m. ET drawing, the winner can elect a one-time cash payment of $228.9 million before taxes.

Top 10 Powerball Jackpots

  1. $2.04 billion – November 7, 2022 – California
  2. $1.787 billion – September 6, 2025 – Missouri, Texas
  3. $1.765 billion – October 11, 2023 – California
  4. $1.586 billion – January 13, 2016 – California, Florida, Tennessee
  5. $1.326 billion – April 6, 2024 – or
  6. $1.08 billion – July 19, 2023 – California
  7. $842.4 million – January 1, 2024 – Michigan
  8. $768.4 million – March 27, 2019 – Wisconsin
  9. $758.7 million – August 23, 2017 – Massachusetts
  10. $754.6 million – February 6, 2023 – Washington State

Check below to find out the winning numbers for the November 10th Powerball drawing.

Powerball winning numbers for November 10, 2025

Winning numbers for Monday, November 10th: 6-28-44-48-58 And Powerball: twenty three

The lottery winning numbers sponsors are: Jackpocket is the official digital lottery carrier of the USA TODAY Network.

Has anyone won Powerball?

Powerball winners will be posted here as soon as they are announced by lottery officials.

To find a complete list of past Powerball winners, go to Click on the link to the lottery website.

When is the next Powerball drawing?

The next drawing will take place on Wednesday, November 12th, just after 11:00 PM ET.

How to play Powerball

To play Powerball, you must purchase a $2 ticket. This can be done at a variety of locations, including local convenience stores, gas stations, and grocery stores. In some states, you can purchase Powerball tickets online.

Once you have your ticket, you have to choose six numbers. Five of them are white balls with numbers from 1 to 69. The red Powerball range is 1-26. You can also add a “Power Play” for $1, which increases your winnings on all non-jackpot prizes.

“Power Play” multipliers allow you to increase your winnings by 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or 10x.

If you’re feeling unlucky or just want to let the computer do the work for you, you can take advantage of the “Quick Pick” option, where a computer-generated number is printed on your Powerball ticket. To win the jackpot, players must match all five white balls with the red Powerball in any order.

Powerball drawings are held on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday nights. The winnings continue to increase even if no one wins the jackpot.

Where to buy lottery tickets

Tickets can be purchased directly at gas stations, convenience stores, and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online Jackpocket, USA TODAY Network’s official digital lottery delivery companythese states and territories of the United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington DC, and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to select your lottery games and numbers, place your order, view your tickets, and claim your winnings, all from your mobile phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery carrier of USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue from viewer referrals to the Jackpocket Service. Must be 18 years or older, 21 years or older in Arizona, 19 years or older in Nebraska. Not affiliated with any state lottery. Gambling problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 1-800-327-5050(MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-981-0023 (PR); 1-800-GAMBLER (ALL OTHERS). visit jackpocket.com/tos Over the entire period.

This story has been updated with new information.

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

The 2026 Social Security Earnings Test limits are:

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The 2026 Social Security Earnings Test limits are:

If you plan to work and receive Social Security benefits at the same time, remember your new number.

morley backman
|The Motley Fool

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For many people, retirement means the end of a career. However, for many older people, working after retirement makes financial and emotional sense.

Many people reach retirement without laying eggs. Working is a great way to generate additional income and supplement a small IRA or 401(k).

For retirees who don’t necessarily need the money but don’t want to be bored, working makes sense. Transitioning from a full-time career to an irregular schedule can be difficult. As a result, some older people choose to work simply because they want something to do or a reason to leave home.

Additionally, retirement can be lonely for those without large families or social networks. Getting a job may mean having the opportunity to meet different people and make new friends.

If you are retired and collecting Social Security, you should know that you are absolutely allowed to continue working at the same time. However, if you have not yet reached full retirement age (age 67 for those born after 1960), you should be wary of Social Security’s income test. The means test determines how much money you can earn from your job before your benefits are garnished.

The good news is that Social Security’s means-tested limits will increase in 2026. Here’s what you need to know:

Introducing new revenue testing limits

One misconception about Social Security’s earnings test is that if you exceed that limit, you permanently lose your benefits. What actually happens when you exceed the means-tested limit is that your benefits are withheld but repaid once you reach full retirement age.

You won’t get your money back all at once. Rather, it comes in the form of a larger monthly stipend.

Social Security’s earnings test applies only to those who receive benefits before reaching full retirement age. So if you’re 68 and working three days a week while receiving benefits, you don’t have to worry about earning too much.

The limits on social security income testing also tend to increase year by year. 2026 is no exception.

Next year, the income-tested limit for people under full retirement age will increase from $23,400 to $24,480, and this limit will not be reached at any point in 2026. From there, Social Security is deducted at the rate of $1 for every $2 of income.

Next year’s income test limits will be different for people who reach full retirement age in 2026. The limit increases from $62,160 to $65,160. From there, $1 of Social Security is deducted for every $3 of your income.

Let’s say you don’t reach full retirement age until August 2026, but you plan to work and collect benefits starting in January. If that’s the case, you’ll need to be careful with the earnings test, but there’s a fairly high threshold to exceed $65,160 before your benefits are withheld because you’re working.

Don’t interrupt your work for profit testing

If you have a good reason, financial or otherwise, to work in retirement, don’t let the fact that it’s means-tested stop you from doing what’s best for you.

Some people may be worried that their benefits will be garnished. But remember, you don’t lose that money forever. And the fact that your benefits can be withheld means you probably earn enough to make up for it.

That said, if you don’t want to deal with a Social Security garnishment, remember next year’s means-tested limits and aim to keep your income just below the threshold that applies to you. This is especially achievable if you work freelance and have control over your own time. But even if this isn’t the case, your employer may be willing to work with you to limit your income to a certain level if you explain your concerns.

The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The Motley Fool is a USA TODAY content partner providing financial news, analysis and commentary designed to help people take control of their financial lives. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

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Enraged Democrats abandon government shutdown agreement, saying they are missing the moment

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Enraged Democrats abandon government shutdown agreement, saying they are missing the moment

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WASHINGTON — A week ago, Democrats were jubilant. They believed they were trying to rebuild trust and credibility after a wave of election victories across the country.

No more.

After a handful of moderate senators broke off a deal with Republicans to reopen the government, Democrats from across the spectrum tore the group apart, accusing it of wasting the party’s influence.

The deal brings back laid-off federal workers and funds higher levels of food assistance, but includes only a promise to vote to renew the expired Obamacare subsidies that were at the center of the shutdown. The U.S. Senate passed a funding measure on Monday to end a record government shutdown, putting the federal government on track to reopen within days.

Presidential candidates slammed Senate Democrats who crossed the aisle to support the bill. Last week’s winners, including New Jersey’s Mikie Sherrill and New York City’s Zoran Mandani, have also harshly criticized the bill. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer did not vote for the bill, but found himself in a bind anyway.

“It’s a ray of light in an otherwise pretty gloomy year,” said Joseph Guivarghese, executive director of the progressive group Our Revolution.”Leave it to the Democrats to get the moment wrong and let it pass.” “There is a fundamental disconnect between party leadership and the grassroots, and I think the agreement signed yesterday is typical of that disconnect.”

Schumer angered Democrats in March by voting to keep the government open. This time, it tried to force President Donald Trump’s hand by supporting the shutdown. Democrats held out a vote on Obamacare for more than five weeks, but on Sunday moderates released a deal that falls short of their party’s demands.

Sherrill, a moderate New Jersey lawmaker who won last Tuesday to become the state’s next governor, called the deal a “fraud” in a statement. Mamdani, who describes himself as a democratic socialist, said this would “only worsen the affordability crisis” and should be rejected.

“The voters have made it clear: Americans want leadership with backbone,” Sherrill said. “And at a critical moment when we need leaders who will stand strong under pressure, the Senate is on the brink of forcing a vote on legislation that Americans cannot afford.”

That sentiment was widely shared among politicians and activists, who accused lawmakers in Washington of being out of touch with their party’s voters.

“Conducting this transaction is illegal.” As the shutdown nears its end, it’s Democrats vs. Democrats.

“This capitulation to Trump and the Republican Party exemplifies why young people don’t trust the party system,” youth group NextGen America said in a statement from Interim President Victoria Yang. “Under the leadership of Senator Schumer, eight Democrats have capitulated and abandoned their base in the process.”

“Last Tuesday, young people showed up to vote against Democrats, and now eight Senate Democrats have betrayed that trust,” Yang said. “For many people across the country, this decision will mean higher health insurance premiums and, in some cases, the difference between life and death.”

The deal came after five Democrats not on the 2026 ballot — Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Jacky Rosen of Nevada and Tim Kaine of Virginia — agreed to flip their votes. They were joined by three other members of the Democratic caucus who had voted for the Republican bill from the beginning: Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, and independent Angus King of Maine.

Durbin is the second-ranking Democrat in the Senate. He and Shaheen both plan to retire.

“Honestly, I don’t understand why departing senators would make party-wide decisions. Why were they even negotiating in the first place?” Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, wrote about X.

Tanden, a former top adviser to President Joe Biden, said the deal “makes no sense” and warned that Republicans “are not going to negotiate with you” on health care premiums.

President Trump insisted in the Oval Office on November 10 that he would abide by the agreement.

Democratic Party hopefuls lash out

Several potential 2028 candidates within the party have also slammed the deal, including former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who called it a “bad deal” on the X Show, and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who called it an “empty promise.” California Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose redistricting initiative won at the ballot box last week, slammed the deal as “pathetic” in a social media post.

Congressman Ro Khanna went a step further, saying on X (formerly Twitter) that Schumer should be expelled from the party’s leadership.

“Senator Schumer is no longer effective and should be removed. If you can’t lead the fight to stop rising health care costs for Americans, what are you going to fight for?” Khanna wrote.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said at a news conference that he supports Schumer.

But the support did little to quell the uproar in liberal and progressive groups, where a poll of members after last Tuesday’s election found that 90% said Schumer “should resign” as party leader and 92% said they would support Schumer’s primary opponent.

Activists say Schumer voted against the bill but shares responsibility as caucus leader.

“He can’t stop spending,” Guivarghese said. “At least he should be able to unite the members, and he couldn’t. That’s not a sign of leadership. That’s incompetence.”

Tomorrow’s Voters, a Gen Z-focused group, said the eight senators had “betrayed our generation” and that, “Whether through complicity or incompetence, Chuck Schumer has proven once again that he is incapable of providing the kind of leadership that young Americans demand.” They should resign from their leadership positions.

“Young people don’t want leaders who give in in the face of battle. Young people’s support cannot be taken for granted and must be earned every day,” the group said.

Joel Payne, MoveOn’s chief communications officer, said the energy around the fighters was the reason Democrats from various wings of the party were able to win last Tuesday.

He said the group’s members are asking, “Who is fighting for us? Do these people understand the situation we are in? Do they understand how hurt we are? How scared are we? How much danger are we in?”

“And if you can’t get the people to understand that, that’s an unsustainable political position at this point. If you can’t convince the people that you’re ready to fight,” Payne said in an interview.

Starbucks will provide free coffee on Veterans Day. Here’s who can get it.

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Starbucks will provide free coffee on Veterans Day. Here’s who can get it.

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Starbucks is honoring veterans by offering free coffee on Veterans Day.

Available at participating locations through Tuesday, Nov. 11, the gesture includes a complimentary 12-ounce cup of freshly brewed coffee (hot or iced) for veterans, military personnel, and military spouses.

In addition to the giveaway, the coffee house chain is also making a $200,000 charitable donation to military-adjacent causes, including the Wounded Warrior Project and United Service Organizations.

“We are committed to supporting the military community,” Starbucks said in a statement. “Since 2013, we’ve worked with more than 40,000 veterans and military spouses at our cafes.”

more: 2025 Veterans Day sales include free meals and restaurant discounts

How to get free Starbucks on Veterans Day

Starbucks says eligible customers can only redeem one cup of coffee at a participating cafe or drive-thru. Excludes cold brew, nitro, and other customizations.

It was not immediately clear whether Starbucks would require eligible customers to present a veteran ID or DD214 card, or if they would need to make a qualifying purchase to receive the giveaway, but USA TODAY has requested more information.

Be sure to contact your local location to confirm participation. To find participating coffeehouses, use the Starbucks Store Locator.

FDA removes warning labels from hormone therapy

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FDA removes warning labels from hormone therapy

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For the past decade, Dr. Heather Hirsch has been trying to convince women that hormone therapy drugs are the best way to treat menopausal and perimenopausal symptoms. But warning labels about estrogen scare many women away from getting the care they need.

Now, the Food and Drug Administration is asking drug companies to remove these labels, known as black box warnings, on hormone therapy drugs that contain estrogen. This change could be a game-changer in helping more women cope with menopausal and perimenopausal symptoms, from increased urinary tract infections to night sweats.

“The label was outdated and harmful,” said Hersh, a physician and founder of the Brigham and Women’s Menopause Clinic who testified before the FDA this summer to remove the label. “This prevents too many women from getting the care they need.”

A 2002 Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study linked hormone therapy to a slightly higher risk of breast cancer, heart attack, and stroke in postmenopausal women. This later-recognized risk was primarily seen in women who were older when they started hormone therapy.

The impact of this research touched millions of women.

The use of hormone therapy decreased from about 40% in 1999 to about 5% in 2020, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

This caused women to unnecessarily experience symptoms such as hot flashes and brain fog, Hirsch said.

The announcement was made on November 10 by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty McCulley.

“Tragically, tens of millions of women have been denied the life-changing long-term health benefits of hormone replacement therapy because of medical dogma rooted in risk distortions,” said McCurry. “For too long, women’s health issues have been undervalued. Women and their doctors should make decisions based on data, not fear.”

The government recommends that hormone therapy be started within 10 years after menopause or before the age of 60.

Welcome to “Meno Divorce” Why women don’t sweat marriage in a sea of ​​hot flashes

What is a black box warning?

A black box warning is the highest safety label the FDA can put on prescriptions. Since 2003, all hormone treatments (tablets, creams, sprays, and patches) containing estrogen have had black box warnings.

A black box warning does not mean the drug is unsafe. That means increased risk.

Warnings about estrogen include risks of breast cancer, blood clots, stroke and dementia.

This summer, the FDA convened a committee to discuss changes to warning labels. Some doctors have called for warnings on patches and creams to be removed, saying research suggests they are safer than pills because estrogen doesn’t enter the bloodstream. Some wanted this warning removed from all estrogen therapy.

What changes with hormone therapy?

Removing the warning label will change the way prescribers treat menopausal women. Warning labels often prevented doctors from prescribing estrogen, and even when doctors did prescribe it, they made women fear the treatment.

“This is truly a historic day and a massive re-education for everyone,” says Monica Molenaar, co-founder of Alloy, a telemedicine company that treats menopause and menopause. “Women no longer need to fear the very things that make them feel good.”

It could also help repair the doctor-patient relationship torn apart by the warning, said Dr. Colin Meng, an obstetrician-gynecologist and Alloy’s director of clinical innovation and education. “We tell our patients one thing, but the label says something else. The fear from this box has prevented patients from trusting what their doctors say.”

A wide range of medical experts, from urologists to gynecologists, traveled to Washington to show support for the announcement.

Urologist Dr. Rachel Rubin says “a whole generation of clinicians have never been taught the details” of how vaginal hormones can help treat the genital, sexual and urinary symptoms of menopause. She advocated for vaginal estrogen to be delabeled, although it does not treat hot flashes or night sweats, but does help prevent urinary tract infections and painful intercourse.

More than 40% of U.S. women are perimenopausal, menopausal, or postmenopausal. And most women’s health deteriorates during menopause. Menopause can last up to a third of a woman’s life.

Removing the label will allow more clinicians to talk to patients about hormone therapy and discuss the exact risks. Molenaar said this change will not only make a difference for women in the United States, but for women around the world, with other countries likely to follow suit.

Armed with this information, more women will be able to better advocate for themselves during medical appointments, says Hirsch, who recently published “The Perimenopause Survival Guide.” They will feel comfortable seeking hormone therapy.

Hormone therapy, which consists of estrogen and progesterone (or estrogen only for women without a uterus), is the most effective treatment for menopause and is the first recommended treatment, according to the North American Menopause Medicine Society. Women with breast cancer face increased risks from hormone therapy, and high doses of estrogen are not usually prescribed.

Research also shows that hormone therapy may benefit women’s hearts and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

“This trumps all politics,” Molenaar said. “We have real science, information and decades of evidence, and there is no reason why women should continue to be victimized.”

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

Will you save money if a new credit card swipe fee agreement is passed?

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Will you save money if a new credit card swipe fee agreement is passed?

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Visa and Mastercard are proposing to lower the fees merchants charge to accept credit cards in a bid to resolve a 20-year-old lawsuit, but some merchant groups say this is all “smoke and mirrors” and the plan won’t save anyone money.

Under the $200 billion proposal, Visa and Mastercard would lower credit card interchange fees charged to merchants for processing credit cards. Fees, which typically range from 2% to 2.5%, will average 0.1 percentage points lower over five years, compared to standard credit card fees that drop to 1.25% over eight years. Merchants have additional fee flexibility, and merchants who accept one of the network’s credit cards no longer have to accept all credit cards. The court still needs to approve the settlement.

Visa and Mastercard said the deal would reduce costs for merchants and consumers, but retail trade groups derided that consumers and merchants would end up paying more.

“No one should be fooled by the smoke and mirrors of the credit card industry,” said Lyle Beckwith, senior vice president of government relations for the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), an industry group. “This settlement supports business as usual, including allowing Visa and Mastercard to increase their own fees without restriction.”

What is the exchange fee?

Whenever you make a purchase using a credit card, the store must pay a behind-the-scenes interchange fee (also known as a credit card fee or swipe fee) to process that payment. Most of that fee goes to the bank that issues the card, but companies like Visa and Mastercard also receive a small fee for processing payments through their networks.

Fees are charged as a percentage of the total sales amount for each transaction, but each merchant is charged a different percentage, whether in-store or online. Factors that determine the percentage charged to the seller include: Seller type (department store, convenience store, gas station). The type of payment technology used by the merchant. Will the purchase be online or in person? and the type of card.

Total credit and debit card swipe fees reached a record $187.2 billion last year, according to industry group Merchant Payments Coalition (MPC).

What does this deal mean for consumers?

Industry groups, including the National Retail Federation, MPC, National Association of Convenience Stores and Retail Industry Leaders Association, said the deal offers no relief to consumers.

“The plan to limit interchange fees to a small percentage does not offset the price increases that have occurred over the past several years, let alone the past 20 years,” said Austin Jensen, RILA’s senior vice president of communications.

“Even the marginal reductions proposed in the bank fee settlement could allow Visa and Mastercard to raise their own fees without limit,” said Jennifer Hatcher, chief public policy officer at the Food Industry Association. “If Visa and Mastercard raise their fees, all the supposed savings for merchants and consumers could easily be wiped out.”

In theory, consumers could also face confusion and confusion at the checkout. The agreement allows merchants to decide whether to accept credit cards in three different categories: commercial, luxury consumer, and standard consumer. If a merchant chooses to only accept certain classes of Visa cards, such as low-fee standard cards or non-premium cards, customers with perks Visa cards will be turned away.

Why did the conflict last for 20 years?

The case began in 2005, when merchants sued Visa and Mastercard for alleged antitrust violations. They accused the two largest credit card processing companies that set exchange rates of duopoly.

Merchant associations want Congress to pass the Credit Card Competition Act. The law would require large banks to offer at least two credit card network processing options on cards, which it claims will lower fees for merchants and ultimately consumers. But Congress has not reintroduced the bill this year.

Meanwhile, Visa and Mastercard are trying to finalize agreements with merchants through litigation. The latest proposal is the third in the last 20 years. The last two are:

  • In 2016, an appeals court struck down a $7.25 billion settlement, citing a conflict of interest among the lawyers representing the sellers.
  • In 2024, a judge rejected a $30 billion settlement that would have lowered swipe fees by about 0.07 percent over five years and given merchants more room to charge additional fees. The judge said the fees remained too high and that the $6 billion a year the merchants would save would be “minor” compared to what Visa and MasterCard could continue to charge. The proposal also did not remove the “Honor All Cards” rule, which requires merchants to accept all Visa and Mastercard cards or none at all.

Is third time the charm?

The settlement still requires court approval.

Richard Hunt, president of the Electronic Payments Coalition, said it “could take up to four months” to find out whether the court would accept the settlement. The Electronic Payments Coalition includes Visa, MasterCard, and major issuers that support the settlement, including Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, and Citibank.

But he likes the chance. “It’s probably going to be a big deal because not everyone is happy,” he said. “This is very compelling,” he said, noting that merchants will save an estimated $200 billion over the life of the agreement.

“The last number a year ago was $30 billion,” he says.

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 morning.

President Trump’s Midway Raid Executive Officer poses in front of the Chicago Bean

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President Trump’s Midway Raid Executive Officer poses in front of the Chicago Bean

The Department of Homeland Security said the secretary was celebrating the impact of the raid. Locals condemned the photo shoot.

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CHICAGO – The chief enforcer of President Donald Trump’s Operation Midway Blitz crackdown on immigration crackdowns posed for a photo in front of the city’s iconic The Bean sculpture in the early hours of November, sparking outrage from city and state leaders.

Mayor Johnson called the photo shoot “evil and despicable.” Johnson has publicly complained about the use of force by federal agents during the Midway raids and called on the United Nations to investigate federal immigration raids in which police sprayed chemical agents on residential neighborhoods and detained childcare workers in front of stunned families.

Border patrol commander. Gregory Bovino’s move to pose in front of the Chicago landmark, officially named Cloud Gate, comes nearly two months after the White House blitzkrieg. President Trump said the crackdown is needed to catch the “worst of the worst” criminal immigrants. Local Democratic leaders claim the Republican president is plotting to seize power.

General Bovino of U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the central figure in Operation Trump. The short chief with a Carolina accent is frequently seen on the ground during immigration raids. The actions of the commissioner and his staff, including the use of chemicals in residential areas, have spurred federal lawsuits. On November 6, a judge said Bovino “admittedly lied” about why he used tear gas on the crowd.

Bovino responded to reports of the stunt in X: “I’m proud to report that there were no illegal aliens in the park this morning. You should have been there, haha.”

The photo, taken by photojournalist Colin Boyle of local media outlet Block Club Chicago, shows Bovino and dozens of agents posing in front of a sculpture in the city’s Millennium Park.

Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, said in response to a request for comment on the photo shoot that the secretary “joins Chicagoans in celebrating the decline in several types of crime since the Midway Blitz, including murders, shootings, robberies, and carjackings.” “Thanks to DHS law enforcement, Chicago has the lowest number of summer homicides since 1965.”

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office noted in a statement that the blitz began on September 8 after local media reported on September 3 that June, July, and August in the city were the safest summers in 60 years.

“As we have said for months, we are pleased to hear that the Trump administration acknowledges that crime is significantly down in Chicago,” Johnson’s office said in a statement. “But they have nothing to do with the job.”

Violent crime has decreased over the past 28 days compared to last year, according to Chicago Police Department data. Local leaders, including Mr Johnson, have previously said crime was down before the blitz.

Homeland Security officials did not respond to questions about what the photos would be used for.

Mayor and governor respond to ‘ugly act’

Mayor Johnson and other local leaders denounced Bovino and federal officials’ propaganda efforts.

“This is an ugly act,” Johnson said at a press conference on Nov. 10. “It’s unfortunate that this is the kind of provocation that the president of the United States supported. We have no place in the city of Chicago. We believe that all of our neighbors deserve to be protected, loved and supported.”

The agents yelled “Little Village” as they posed, Block Club reported. Little Village is Chicago’s most famous Mexican neighborhood. Bovino and his agents raided South Side communities several times. Local Aldo. Mike Rodriguez previously told USA TODAY that the operatives had brought a “reign of terror” into the neighborhood.

Gov. JB Pritzker accused federal officials of shouting out the name of the historic Mexican District.

“It’s disgusting to make fun of our neighborhoods and communities,” Pritzker said on social media. “Greg Bovino and his undercover agents aren’t here to make Chicago safer. They’re posing for photos and staging a reality TV moment while children are tear gassed and American citizens are detained.”

U.S. District Judge Sarah L. Ellis previously tried to force Bovino to appear daily in federal court to report on the operation after agents used tear gas and disrupted a Halloween festivities at a Chicago grammar school. The appeals court ruled that Bovino was not required to perform daily check-ins.

Investigators have faced criticism for detaining American citizens in the city. A woman who was pinned to the ground and detained by federal agents during a car crash said she was “terrified” by the experience and told USA TODAY her family plans to pursue legal action.

Polestar 4 2026 Compact SUV Reshapes EV Competition

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Polestar 4 2026 Compact SUV Reshapes EV Competition

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  • The Polestar 4 EV delivers up to 544 horsepower and accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds.
  • The new Polestar 4 will be in dealers in December.

Polestar, an upstart EV brand that has stumbled due to tariffs, trade policy, and a few features that got on my last nerve, is adding attractive and sporty new models.

The 2026 Polestar 4 compact SUV aims to compete with vehicles such as the Audi Q4 e-tron, Cadillac Optique, Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, electrified Genesis GV70, Mercedes GLC with EQ technology, and Volvo EX30.

Polestar doesn’t report U.S. sales on a monthly or quarterly basis, but it’s safe to assume that’s not out of humility over its huge success. For the past few months, the brand’s entire lineup in the U.S. has consisted of just one vehicle, the larger and more expensive Polestar 3.

The four Korean-built cars (I wish Polestar would spell out their full names every time they mention it, but I have a life) are scheduled to arrive at dealers in December of this year. This is the first new model in a series that aims to give the Swedish brand a showroom full of attractive vehicles by 2028.

The sporty SUV looks great, is fun to drive, and has many nice features.

I spent a hot fall day driving a top-of-the-line 544-horsepower all-wheel-drive Polestar 4 from the Hotel Van Zandt near the river in downtown Austin, Texas, driving around town, highways, and the winding roads of the surrounding Hill Country.

Main features of Polestar 4

  • Electric range with rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive
  • 10% to 80% charge in 30 minutes at 200 kW
  • 14.7-inch head-up display with Plus Pack
  • RWD: 310 miles of range. AWD 280 miles
  • RWD: 272 hp, 253 lb-ft of torque
  • AWD: 544 hp, 506 lb-ft of torque
  • 20, 21, or 22 inch wheels
  • video rearview mirror
  • no rear window
  • tinted glass roof
  • Apple CarPlay
  • wireless device charging
  • Google speech recognition, navigation, and search

More models means more confusion

Prices for the 4 start at $56,400, which is $11,500 less than the 3. The 3 is bigger and more powerful, but the curvaceous 4 is quicker to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds versus 4.5 seconds for the most powerful model.

You may be wondering, “Why is 4 smaller and cheaper than 3?” (I know I did.)

That’s because Polestar numbers its models in order of release rather than ascending order of price, space, and features.

Even if you think you’re confused now, you’ll be even more confused.

Polestar’s growth plans include:

  • 4 – Compact performance EV SUV to be released later this year.
  • 5 – Sports sedan will arrive in 2026. It is expected to be Polestar’s most expensive vehicle.
  • 7 – Produced in Slovakia and scheduled for production in 2028, it is billed as a “premium fully electric compact SUV” and will share systems with the next-generation Volvo XC60. I think it will cost less than 4, but honestly, who knows.

It could be a new version of the now discontinued 2, Polestar’s smallest sporty coupe. Timing undetermined.

2026 Polestar 4 Trim Levels and Prices

  • Base long range single motor RWD with pilot pack: $56,400
  • Long Range Single Motor RWD (with Pilot and Plus Pack): $61,900
  • Long Range Dual Motor AWD with Pilot Pack: $62,900
  • Long Range Dual Motor AWD (with Pilot and Plus Pack): $68,400
  • Long Range Dual Motor AWD (Pilot, Plus, with Performance Pack): $72,900

All prices exclude $1,400 destination charge

Keep simple things simple

Polestars have always been fun to drive, but they were a pain to get started. Thankfully, 4 changes that. Proximity sensors replace the cumbersome process that required smart cards to be inserted in the appropriate locations to lock, unlock, and start the vehicle. The SUV locks and unlocks as you approach or depart, and starts when the key fob crosses the vehicle’s threshold.

2025 Polestar 3 Review: Testing an electric SUV on a 254-mile road trip

It’s simple, but a tech-forward brand like Polestar should have done this from the beginning. Full disclosure: A Polestar representative said owners can always use a smartphone app for these operations, but they don’t make the app available for testing.

Getting in and starting the car takes its toll on simple controls, but Polestar remains committed to adjusting everything from the steering wheel to the climate control to the drive modes through the touchscreen. I don’t know many people who don’t like this, and one of the reasons is that the vehicle remembers the settings for the positions of seats, vents, mirrors, etc.

The first adjustment may be a little more difficult than traditional controls, but you won’t need to adjust it again unless you want to reorient things like vents while driving. If so, Polestar is probably not for you.

Google’s voice recognition, navigation, search, and adjustments to features like audio and climate are standard and effective.

No rear window? no problem.

Polestar calls the 4 an “SUV coupe.” It sounds strange to American ears used to thinking of coupes as two-door cars, but it’s consistent with the history of the term, which means “cut” in French. In the car’s design, this meant a short, downward-curving roof for a sleek, stylish look that didn’t interfere with the four-door.

4 has a low nose and a high rear end for a forward-leaning stance. The truncated roofline helps distinguish it from the larger Polestar 3, which has a long, horizontal roof in keeping with a traditional SUV profile.

To ensure rear headroom even if the roof falls in, Polestar omitted the rear window.

Rearward visibility is thanks to a roof-mounted camera and a high-resolution “mirror” made by supplier Gentex of Holland, Michigan. Gentex’s latest generation video mirror provided a clear, unobstructed view on sunny drives. I’m looking forward to testing it at night when the light from headlights is a concern.

The roof is a continuous glass pane that extends all the way to the rear seats, creating an open and airy interior space. Optional electrochromatic film allows for lighter or darker shades. I found this feature to be effective on a sunny fall day in the Texas Hill Country. I think glass roofs are inconvenient on hot and bright days, so I recommend this option.

Driving impression

The all-wheel-drive Polestar 4 I tested had a sticker price of $72,900. Each axle had a 200kW motor that produced 544 horsepower and 506 pound-feet of torque.

Selecting a performance setting from the touchscreen provided instant acceleration that pushed passengers into the back of the leather seats.

The interior is spacious and comfortable. The combination of a flat floor and no rear window creates one of the most comfortable rear seats I’ve experienced in a coupe-profile vehicle.

In addition to choosing acceleration and maximizing range, there are also several settings for steering feel and response and suspension behavior. I spent most of the day with the steering at its sportiest setting and the suspension at its medium setting.

This results in direct and responsive steering when negotiating tight turns and hills. The suspension kept the car stable, with little body roll, squat or dive, and stabilized sharp maneuvers.

Curb weight is 5,192 pounds, so while the 4 isn’t light, neither is the EV. Batteries are heavy. Still, it was found to be about 140 pounds lighter than the Cadillac Optik.

Well-designed EVs tend to have most of their weight near the ground. This contributes to excellent roadholding, while the electric motor’s instant torque handles strong acceleration.

4 has a 100 kW battery and can be charged up to 200 kW DC. With this current, a 10% to 80% charge takes just 30 minutes, an attractive length for road trips. On the 240V power that most EV owners routinely use at home and work, it takes about 11 hours to go from 0% to 100%.

Polestar 4 has a CCS port for DC fast charging. Owners can purchase NACS adapters.

Why buy the 2026 Polestar 4?

The Polestar 4 is attractive, unique, advanced and fun to drive.

There have already been complaints about the lack of a rear window, but I suspect most of them are from people who have never sat in a rear window. Test drive the touchscreen and glass roof to see for yourself.

It’s not the cheapest car in its class, but it’s an attractive and unique new option for those considering a sporty electric SUV.

2026 Polestar 4 Overview

Electric luxury sports SUV with rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive

5 seater

Base price: $56,400 (all prices exclude $1,400 destination charge)

Released in December 2025

Model tested: Long Range Dual Motor with Pilot Plus and Performance Pack

Price as tested: $72,900

Power: 1 electric motor on each axle

Power: 544 hp, 506 lb-ft of torque

0-60 mph: 3.7 seconds

Top speed: 194 mph

Battery: 100kWh Li-ion

EPA estimated range: 280 miles

Maximum charging speed: 200 kW DC. 11kW 240v AC

Charging time: DC – 10% to 80% in 30 minutes. 240v – 0$-100% in 11 hours

Maximum charging rate: 200kW

Wheelbase: 118 inches

Length: 190.5 inches

Width: 81.4 inches (mirror folded). 84.2 (mirror out)

Height: 60.4 inches

Ground clearance: 6.5 inches

Cargo Capacity: 18.6 cubic feet behind rear seats, 54.2 cubic feet with seats folded. 0.5 cubic foot front trunk

Towing capacity: 3,500 lbs.

Vehicle weight: 5,192 lbs.

Assembled in Busan, South Korea

Contact Mark Phelan: mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark ferran. read more car and sign up for our service automotive newsletter. become a subscriber.

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