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2025 Kia K4 LXS Annual Review: Cheap Car

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2025 Kia K4 LXS Annual Review: Cheap Car

I think many of us would be shocked at the idea that a $25,000 sedan is like our year-rounder. kia k4 It now passes as an affordable car. Hell, I’m old enough now (barely, thank you very much) to remember when it was. price is fair The Cadillac cost over $10,000, which meant adding five digits to the car’s pricing.

When I was trying to choose the best cheap car for my long-term fleet, and I realized that the line for a “cheap car” is now $25,000, I kept thinking about the first (and coincidentally only) new car I ever bought myself, a midline 1995 Dodge Neon that I leased in the spring of ’94 and named Dr. Brill. My recollection, admittedly not the most reliable, was that a good doctor cost about half that.

When a $12,500 car is and isn’t a $25,000 car

I took out a copy of American car standard catalogAnd it turns out my unreliable memory was right, just this time. The neon sedan in mid-level Highline trim was listed for $11,240. I looked up that number U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Inflation Calculator. Adjust to date motor trend When the Kia K4 LXS is delivered, the Neon costs $25,765. So Dr. Brill was also driving a $25,000 sedan. (Well, $26,000.)

Although he didn’t, because Brillstar had a choice. The 21D package (air conditioning, center console, remote trunk release, rear defogger) added $703, plus Brilliant Blue Metallic paint (hence his name; Dr. Brill was also the dentist of my child’s father, who I went to school with. Oh, sorry, I could only find pictures of the red neon), $46 for floor mats, and a $500 destination fee. Total: $12,586. Adjusted to 2025 dollars, it’s $27,621. I’m using 2025 because a) that’s when K4 will have been achieved and b) I don’t need another reminder that inflation is still going strong.

I dove down this wonderful rabbit hole, reveling in the opportunity to avoid work while doing something that could reasonably be argued to be work. Remembering the stories of all the people I’ve heard, myself included, about how cheap cars used to be, I went back a few decades to find the spiritual ancestor of the Kia K4 from a few years back.

Were cars really that cheap in the good old days?

In the 1980s, we chose the Tempo, one of Ford’s first aero sedans. (Middle-aged people like me may remember this) 1984 commercial with tempo looping “O”.) In 1985, the midline Tempo GL sedan was listed for $7,160. Add air conditioning ($743) and an AM/FM radio (yes, I had to pay an additional $109 for the stereo, and the cassette deck is even more expensive). I can’t find the exact destination charge, so let’s assume it’s $350. Total: $8,362. 2025 price adjusted for inflation: $25,605.

1970s? It’s simple. It has to be the ubiquitous Plymouth Valiant. (It’s the same car as the Dodge Dart, but we’re already using a Dodge.) Other than the then-mandatory annual styling updates and a disastrous emissions system, this Mallards-era budget car staple remained largely unchanged since 1967, and was one year away from being retired in 1975 to be replaced by the disastrous Plymouth Volare. The six-cylinder Valiant (and Dart) became the go-to for cheap and reliable power in the 1970s.

At the time, the differences between the base model Valiant, midline Custom, and top-of-the-line Valiant Brougham were primarily trim and materials rather than comfort features, so let’s focus on the base model car, which was listed for $3,247 with the good old 225 cubic inch (3.7 liter) Slant-6 engine. Air conditioning adds $407, AM radio $64, and full-size wheel covers (equivalent to 1970s K4 LXS alloys) cost $26. Adding an $80 destination fee (hey, those were the days) brings the price to $3,744. Adjusted for inflation, that’s $23,214. Finally, a car that is (slightly) cheaper than the K4 has arrived!

In the pre-Malays era, the beat continues. (Keep in mind the $21,990 pre-destination price for the base model ’25 K4 LX, as we’re working without destination and option fees.) 1965 Dodge Dart 4-door, $2,112, adjusted to $21,868. 1955 Chevrolet 150 4-door sedan, $1,728 or $20,907. A 1946 Ford Deluxe Six (when production resumed after the war) costs $1,198, or $21,264 in 2025 dollars.

This trend continues into the 21st century. The 2005 Toyota Corolla S was listed for $15,780 with destination, equivalent to $26,731 in 2025. The 2015 Honda Civic LX cost $19,325, or $26,713.

It’s worth it because of the price

Reading my book made it much easier to call a $25,000 Kia a cheap car. But there is another aspect that we must consider. What happens to the things that come standard in modern cars that were optional or not available in yesterday’s $25,000 cars?

Let’s go back to Dr. Brill. My brave 1995 neon. I was hoping (who was?) that the K4 might be its spiritual successor. You probably already know that you had to pay extra for things that come standard on the base model Kia K4, such as air conditioning, remote trunk release, and center console. Why are so many things now the norm? It’s cheaper to make similar cars than to offer more options. Henry Ford refused to option the Model T or even paint it, but once he joined the invisible choir, Detroit went wild. Everything from the radio to the tinted band at the top of your windshield will cost extra. check out Try this 1971 Dodge Salesman’s Pocket Guide.

The Neon comes with a manual transmission (I wish the same could be said for the K4!), and an “upgrade” to an automatic would cost another $1,260, or about $2,800 in 2025. (All the cars cited above came standard with a manual transmission; those were the days.) Power locks and windows (the latter, believe it or not, were only offered on the Neon’s front doors), and a tachometer were options my Neon didn’t have. Cruise control, a tilt-adjustable steering wheel, and alloy rims were not available on the Highline, and neither keyless entry nor a telescoping steering column were available on any Neon. Things like keyless ignition, display stereos, adaptive cruise control, and lane centering had not yet been invented.

Also don’t forget about all the safety systems. The K4 LXS has eight airbags. Neon had two. Anti-lock brakes were another option I didn’t have. The Neon had rear drum brakes, while the K4 (and most new cars these days) had four-wheel discs. The K4’s stability control, rearview camera, and collision detection with automatic braking were still a long way off.

If you go back to the $24,000 1975 Plymouth Valiant, that girl would have had a three-speed manual transmission and four-wheel drum brakes (which didn’t perform well at high speeds or in the rain). Power windows and locks cost extra, as did power steering and power brakes. You know that little tab in your rearview mirror that toggles between day and night settings? Even this costs extra on the Valiant (about $8). There wasn’t even a side mirror on the passenger side.

$25,000 car turns out to be cheaper than ever

This trip down memory lane was truly an eye-opener. I was one of those people who longed to go back to the days of $3,500 darts and $12,000 neon lights. But if you take into account the staggering shrinkage in the purchasing power of our dollar, you’ll see that $25,000 cars have always existed, and if you take into account all the features now on offer (whether you want them or not), cheap cars are cheaper now than they were after World War II. Our Kia K4 is a better deal than I expected. But I definitely miss the manual transmission.

More about our long-term 2025 Kia K4 LXS Sedan:

2025 Kia K4 LXS Sedan Specifications

Basic price

$24,165

tested price

$24,440

option

Carpeted floor mats, $175. Cargo mat, $100

vehicle layout

Front-engine, FF, 5-pass, 4-door internal combustion sedan

power train

2.0L port injection Atkinson cycle DOHC 16 valve I-4

total power

147 horsepower @ 6,200 rpm

total torque

132 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpm

contagion; infection

Continuously variable automatic

Vehicle weight (F/R distance)

£2,963 (61/39%)

wheelbase

107.1 inch

Length x width x height

185.4 x 72.8 x 55.9 inches

tire

Kumho Solus TA31 205/55R16 91H M+S

EPA Fuel Economy, City/Highway/Combined

29/39/33mpg

EPA range

469 miles

MotorTrend test results

0-60MPH

8.1 seconds

quarter mile

16.2 seconds at 88.2 mph

Brakes, 60-0 mph

124 feet

lateral acceleration

0.83g

figure eight wrap

27.3 seconds @ 0.63 g (average)

ownership experience

Service life

7.5 months / 6,583 miles

real world fuel economy

30.1mpg

Energy cost per mile

$0.17

Service outage days

14

maintenance and wear

none

damage

568 miles: Fender bender, right rear door shell and wheel replaced, quarter panel repaired, $4,139. 4075 miles: Right front tire replaced, $190.95.

recall

none

Fast electric car test drive

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Fast electric car test drive

Let’s play a word association game. we say this.2026 Subaru Trail Seeker.“Thought it was a 1970s General Motors station wagon with a big-block V-8? No. Then you’re either under 50, you’ve never driven a Trailseeker, or both. Equipped with a timing gear and road tripping in Subaru’s Toyota-designed electric SUV, you’ll discover a huge V-8 with heavy-lifting power. I remember those old wagons with cylinders, and they were smartly dressed muscle cars, at least that’s what our instrumentation tests say.

For those unfamiliar, the TrailSeeker is essentially a stretched version of the Subaru Solterra EV, and in the same way that the Solterra is a rebadged Toyota bZ, the TrailSeeker is a relabeled Toyota bZ Woodland, with differences limited to minor cosmetic changes and major standard equipment changes. (Entry-level Trail Seekers can be had for less with less equipment; the example we tested was the top-of-the-line $48,000 Limited model.) Toyota did most of the engineering work, and Subaru did most of the thinking of good names (or at least that’s what we thought until Uncharted and The Getaway came along).

Silent 455 V-8?

What got us thinking about the old wagon was the Trail Seeker styling. Although it has the stance and ground clearance of a midsize SUV, the Trailseeker’s longback proportions are distinctly wagon-like.

Then we got in the car, turned it on, stepped on the gas, and… Wow. Talk about something like a wagon. This is the electric equivalent of the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser, which is powered by the aptly named 455 Rocket V-8 (7.5 liters, 300 horsepower, and 410 pound-feet of trailer-hugging torque). The Vista Cruiser was a hell of a muscle car, and so is the Trailseeker. It feels fast even by EV standards, and far more than you’d expect given the modest-sounding two electric motors’ combined rating of 375 horsepower. Trail Seeker appears calm from the start, but at mid-throttle he delivers a punch that staggers Manny Pacquiao.

We put on timing gear to see how fast the Trail Seeker is. Laying down a patch of rubber that muscle cars would be proud of, it accelerated from a standstill to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds. This was half a second faster than Subaru’s own estimates. That’s far from the most impressive number by EV standards, but it’s fast enough to outpace internal combustion engine sportsters like the Porsche Cayenne S and Volkswagen Golf R, and embarrassingly for Subaru, the brand’s own performance-oriented sports cars. WRX tS. Running the quarter mile in 12.5 seconds and with a trap speed of 110.5 mph, the Trail Seeker is in a similarly rare company, within one second of the threshold under which NHRA safety rules require the use of a roll cage.

OK, that works — how does it stop and turn?

From 100 mph, the Trail Seeker came to a stop in a respectable 123 feet. There was quite a bit of noise from the anti-lock system, but there was no pulsation in the pedals. It delivered consistently straight and true stops with very little nose dive. However, on the figure eight lap, the brakes proved to be the enemy. I found it very easy to activate the ABS. Since this is a 4,500-plus pound wagon, brake work is cut out. However, there was a lag between releasing the pedal and the anti-lock releasing its hold, which ruined my corner entry (and, let’s be honest, most of my lap).

I found that I had to brake very early to get it out of the binder well before turn-in. The trail seeker leaned in enough to do it. At the exit of the corner, I spun the inside front wheel and headed straight. Oh yeah, the time was 26.3 seconds, which is on par with sporty SUVs and only 0.2 seconds off the Volkswagen Jetta GLI we last tested.

A frozen New York road trip

The Trail Seeker reminded me of a classic old wagon, so it seemed like a natural vehicle for a road trip. We rode the Trail Seeker from New York City to Rochester on a combination of scenic highways and backroads. Our trip was hit by a late-season cold snap that was expected to wreak havoc on range and charging times. The Trailseeker has an EPA-certified range of 444 miles, but the base model has an additional 6 miles of range. That leaves trail seekers on the wrong side of a 300-mile psychological barrier. our motor trend In our road trip range test, which measures how far an EV can travel from 100 percent state of charge (SOC) to 5 percent at 110 miles per hour, we got a result of 323 miles. (Tests were conducted in warm weather.)

Since the temperature was below freezing, I found that once I charged it to 80%, I had a range of about 200 miles. Trailseeker uses a Tesla NACS port, which gives you more options for fast charging, but charging speeds vary. Preconditioning the battery for quite a while (a process initiated from the center screen) certainly helped. Of course, you would expect charging speeds to slow down above 80 percent SOC, which is typical EV charging behavior, but the only time we saw the Trail Seeker reach and maintain a charging speed of 150 kW (a mediocre number to begin with) was when the battery was nearly empty. If the SOC was slightly higher, charging was initiated and maintained at a lower rate. Subaru claims it takes 28 minutes to charge from 10 to 80 percent, but it always seemed to take about 30 minutes to reach 80 percent, no matter what the SOC was when I plugged it in.

Comfortable ride, constant nagging, lots of button presses

The Trailseeker proved to be a comfortable SUV on the road, but like all Subarus, it can also be stubbornly noisy. As we turned around and admired the view for more than a few seconds, the Trail Seeker sounded an alarm warning of driver inattention. Placing your hand over the steering wheel stop blocks the camera on the column and alerts you to sit down. (Fortunately, Subaru alerts you with a beep rather than an audible sound; you can imagine your mom saying, “Sit down! Don’t slouch!”) To its credit, Trail Seeker uses touch sensors to detect your hands on the steering wheel when lane centering is engaged. This is good. Because all you have to do is loosen up for a few seconds before warning about that too.

Another annoyance: The Trailseeker doesn’t remember your driver settings when you turn it off. When cruising around town, I wanted to drive with automatic hold-on and regen at their highest settings. Every time I turned on the car, I had to press the power button, then the brake hold button, then pull the steering wheel paddles three times. That meant I had to press the button five times instead of one. Oh, and speaking of regen, it’s one of the biggest pain points for trail seekers. Regenerative braking is powerful, but it doesn’t work until you come to a complete stop. To stop Trailseeker, you must press the pedal.

On the plus side, the instrument panel is set close to the windshield and is designed to be visible from beyond, rather than through, the steering wheel, so we quickly got used to it. In contrast to the Toyota bZ Woodland’s round wheels, the Subaru uses square wheels to improve panel visibility. But we still think the wide center console with two phone charging pads is a waste of space. Especially for long drives, a narrower console and more room for knee movement would be preferable. When it comes to legroom, the Trailseeker’s rear seats, like many electric SUVs, suffer from a high floor and limited toe room under the front seats. Kids are fine, but adults may not be too happy about making such a long journey.

I want to go farther than go faster

On this road trip, we didn’t take advantage of one of the Trailseeker’s incredible off-road capabilities that we tested on our first drive. The Trailseeker features 8.5 inches of ground clearance and X-Mode, which Subaru developed for both the Trailseeker and bZ Woodland. There’s no doubt that the Trail Seeker will take on more off-road challenges than you’d expect from an electric SUV. But with a range of 445 miles, how far are you going to go off the beaten path? So far, no one has invented a way to deliver cans of electricity to remote areas. (Portable power supplies are available, but larger container. )

The Trailseeker’s range may be the biggest barrier to its claim as a new-age Olds Vista cruiser. (Again, the old Rocket V8 only got around 12-14 mpg, so range wasn’t all that great.) We’ve been complaining for a while that Toyota and Subaru EVs need longer tethers, and we think cutting back on the Trailseeker’s prodigious power might be one way to get more than 300 miles of range on the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive version. With longer range, faster charging, and perhaps a little more consideration to the rear seats and center console, the Trailseeker could be a contender for the ultimate family truckster.

But then again, the Trailseeker stays put and can dust off a Camaro or Mustang at a stoplight, just like your mom could with her rocket-powered Vista Cruiser back in the day. Who can deny that joy to suburban parents?

2026 Subaru Trail Seeker Touring Specification

Basic price

$48,005

tested price

$48,800

vehicle layout

Front and rear motors, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door electric SUV

power train

F: Permanent magnet motor, 224 hp, NA lb-ftR: Permanent magnet motor, 224 hp, NA lb-ft

total power

375 horsepower

total torque

that

transmission

2×1 speed fixed ratio

battery

74.7kWh NMC Lithium Ion

Vehicle weight (F/R distance)

£4,556 (52/48%)

wheelbase

112.2 inches

Length x width x height

190.8 x 73.2 x 65.9 inches

tire

Bridgestone Tranza EL450235/50R20 100V M+S

EPA Fuel Economy, City/Highway/Combined

125/103/114mpg-e

EPA range

444 miles

70 mph road trip range

353 miles

MT quick charging test

120 miles in 15 minutes, 190 miles in 30 minutes

On sale

Q2 2026

MotorTrend test results

0-60MPH

3.9 seconds

quarter mile

12.5 seconds at 110.5 mph

Brakes, 60-0 mph

123 feet

lateral acceleration

0.81g

figure eight wrap

26.3 seconds @ 0.72 g (average)

Russian drone crashes into apartment in Romania, NATO vows to defend alliance

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Russian drone crashes into apartment in Romania, NATO vows to defend alliance

George Kalin, Louisa Illie, Ekaterina Golubkova
|Reuters

GALATY, ROMANIA – NATO on May 29 condemned the Russian government’s reckless actions and pledged to “defend every inch of the Allied territory” after Romania said a Russian drone crashed into an apartment building in an alliance member state during an attack on neighboring Ukraine.

Romania’s Ministry of Defense announced that a woman and child sustained minor injuries overnight in Galați, near the border with Ukraine, after radar tracked a Russian drone that entered Romanian airspace.

Photos from the scene showed scorched and damaged bricks on the roof of the 10-story apartment building, and Romanian authorities said the drone exploded upon impact, tearing apart the top-floor apartment.

Russia’s TASS news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that President Vladimir Putin had been informed about the incident.

Separately, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s powerful Security Council, warned European leaders that drones would continue to invade their countries and disturb their citizens’ peaceful sleep.

This is the first time Russia has attacked a populated area in a NATO member state resulting in injuries during Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the incident is likely to heighten tensions in the eastern flank of the alliance, as member states fear the war will spread across their borders.

“Russia’s reckless actions are a danger to us all,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told X after speaking by phone with Romania’s President Nixor Dan, which is a member of both the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union.

“I have confirmed that NATO stands ready to defend every inch of Allied territory,” he said, but did not mention invoking NATO’s mutual defense clause. “We continue to strengthen our preparedness to deter and defend against all threats, including drones.”

Dunn said the Russian consulate in the southeastern city of Constanta would be closed and its consul expelled.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow would respond quickly to the decision to close the consulate in Bucharest, TASS reported.

“NATO needs to do something”

Romania, which shares a 400-mile land border with Ukraine, said Russian drones have violated its airspace 28 times since Russia began attacking Ukrainian ports across the Danube following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Stephen Evelyn, 44, an American citizen who lives in Galati, called it “a new provocation by the Russians.”

“I don’t think this was an accident. Things like this have happened so many times that it’s hard to believe that the Russians could have done this by accident,” he said. “Either that or they have a very low capacity to wage war, but NATO needs to do something about this.”

Since Moscow invaded Ukraine, there have been multiple violations of NATO airspace, most notably on the night of September 9-10, when more than 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace.

In recent weeks, Ukrainian drones have entered the Baltic state’s airspace, causing chaos and escalating tensions with Russia.

Romania has asked its NATO allies to equip Romania with additional anti-drone capabilities, with official sources saying Bucharest needs low-altitude radar and interceptor drones. A NATO spokesperson said on May 29 that “possible additional defensive measures are being considered.”

Romania scrambles F-16 fighter jets

Local authorities in southern Ukraine announced that the port of Izmail in the Odesa region, across the border from Galati, was attacked by a drone in the early morning hours of May 29th.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Kiev was ready to support Romania “in all necessary ways.”

Romania’s Defense Ministry said two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled, a military helicopter was sent to monitor the attack, and pilots were authorized to shoot down the drone without endangering populated areas. Residents of the border counties of Braira, Galati and Tulcea were warned to evacuate.

Romanian Brigadier General Gheorghe Maxim said the drone remained in Romanian airspace for four minutes and flew 10.2 miles at a low altitude, making it difficult to detect by radar.

He told a news conference that the US anti-drone system Merops, although operational in Romania, has not yet been fully integrated with the country’s air defense and would be too dangerous to be used in cities.

In addition to the woman and her child who were taken to hospital with minor injuries, two other people were treated at the scene for panic attacks and 70 people were evacuated from the apartment complex, local authorities said.

Deputy Interior Minister Raed Arafat, who is in charge of the emergency response agency, told commercial broadcaster Digi24 that the drone affected two stairwells and an elevator shaft of the building and damaged five vehicles.

In April, a drone also damaged a utility pole and a residential annex in Galati.

In a separate incident, a drone without explosives was found in northwestern Romania, state broadcaster TVR reported late on May 28, citing local authorities.

Is an Alaska cruise worth it? Why companies are investing in their ships.

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Is an Alaska cruise worth it? Why companies are investing in their ships.

As competition intensifies in Alaska, cruise lines are refreshing their ships and adding immersive programs.

play

  • Alaska is expected to welcome 1.7 million cruise passengers this year.
  • Cruise lines are renovating ships and adding destination-specific programs for Alaska.
  • The Alaska market is experiencing increased competition from new and revived cruise lines.

HOONAH, Alaska – There were only two ships at Icy Strait Point during the departure: Celebrity Solstice and Holland America Line’s MS Eurodam. This small port was specifically designed as a cruise ship stop, and even with two ships anchored at once, it never felt crowded. An eagle has also joined us!

Although the season is still early, 1.7 million passengers are expected to visit Alaska this year, according to the Cruise Lines International Association.

For decades, Alaska cruising has been defined primarily by a handful of giant ships ferrying travelers from one bucket-list port to another. They were mainly there for the glaciers, whales, and bald eagles, but if the boat itself happened to be good, that was a bonus.

Was it just a facelift? Sailing Celebrity Solstice after renovation

Now, with increased competition, cruise lines are betting that travelers are looking for something more.

From Celebrity Cruises’ newly refurbished Celebrity Solstice to MSC Cruises’ refurbished MSC Poesia to the Alaska debut of Virgin Voyages’ Brilliant Lady, cruise lines are pouring money into ships and destination-specific programs that target travelers willing to pay premium prices for a more immersive experience.

The strategy reflects Alaska’s enduring appeal and increasing competition among travelers who want more upscale cruises without paying full price for luxury items.

Why Cruises Bet on Alaska Cruises

Alaska remains one of the most reliable attractions for the cruise industry. Few destinations combine such dramatic scenery with the convenience of seeing multiple locations without having to unpack your bags once.

“You’ll see glacier formation, wildlife, and killer whales,” AAA spokesperson Matthew Cox told USA TODAY. “And it’s going to be a great place (for tourists).”

For Cox, Alaska continues to resonate with AAA members because it offers bucket-list experiences that many travelers have saved for years.

So are Ian and Lynne Le Vallee, a couple from the British island of Guernsey who had originally booked a trip to Alaska with Celebrity Cruises during the pandemic, but had to cancel. Years later, they finally set out on their journey, boarding a ship from the English Channel to Hawaii for a month-long vacation.

“I wanted to do it while I was healthy enough to enjoy it,” Lynn Le Vallee told USA TODAY.

Alaska cruise demand is also shaping new expansion decisions at Celebrity Cruises, MSC and Virgin Voyages.

“Alaska continues to be extremely important to us,” Celebrity Cruises President Laura Hodges Bethge told USA TODAY while aboard the Celebrity Solstice in Alaska. “We always feel like we need more ships because there are other places our guests want to go.”

Beyond simply increasing capacity, cruise lines are rethinking what travelers want from the ships themselves.

“They called it modern luxury, we just call it upper premium experience,” Cox said, adding that AAA members are overindexing in bookings for Celebrity’s Aqua Class cabins, the line’s onboard concept. “Our AAA members are really drawn to ships they can trust. There’s a real sweet spot every time a cruise line reinvents a tried-and-true favorite.”

Celebrity’s $250 million-plus renovation of Celebrity Solstice is a prime example. The 15-year-old ship has undergone extensive renovations and new venues have been added, including The Parlor, a board game and sports bar concept. Boulevard Lounge is an all-day entertainment space. Sunset Park, an upgraded top deck retreat, and Trattoria Rossa, a new Italian restaurant.

“When a ship reaches halfway through its lifespan, you take a step back because consumer preferences are still the same. How is the ship performing?” Hodges-Besge said.

New players, new ideas

Celebrities are not alone. New ships sailing in Alaska include MSC, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, and Virgin Voyages. According to CLIA, a major industry group, Crystal and Windstar have returned to Alaska after a hiatus.

MSC Cruises will begin its first Alaska season this summer by setting sail from Seattle on the newly refurbished MSC Poesia. The move will give the Europe-based line a foothold in one of North America’s most popular cruise markets and introduce U.S. travelers to the brand’s premium onboard experience.

Meanwhile, Virgin Voyages will bring its adult-only brand Brilliant Lady to Alaska for the first time, starting sailings in the Pacific Northwest in May. The ship includes cold-climate adaptations such as panoramic glass walls in the Athletic Club, cozy seating throughout The Roundabout, and an indoor version of the line’s signature Scarlet Night celebration.

I ate what I wanted to eat, I drank what I wanted to drink. You won’t lose your routine or gain weight on this cruise

Virgin also leans heavily into destination immersion. New Alaska-exclusive cast members include a lumberjack leading an ax-throwing demonstration, a field ecologist as a naturalist, and an Alaska Native Voice cultural heritage guide who will provide workshops and storytelling onboard.

Celebrities have similar ideas.

“Alaska is one of the places where I think we’re doing a really good job,” Hodges-Besge said. “Sometimes we involve local communities to do certain ceremonies and things like that, because there are indigenous people out there who have really beautiful ceremonies and they share them with our guests.”

Many of these ships reflect a broader sweet spot in cruising, including travelers seeking sophisticated design, better food, and more immersive programs without paying the prices associated with high-end luxury brands.

For travelers, that means Alaska itself remains the center of attention, even as more cruise lines invest in making that floating experience as memorable as the glaciers outside.

What are the main routes to Alaska?

CLIA says 23 member ships are sailing through Alaska this year. Mainstream lines include:

If you need help choosing a line, check out USA TODAY’s easy guide.

How much does an Alaska cruise usually cost?

Cruises to Alaska are now more accessible with multiple options to suit different budgets.

For a seven-night Alaska cruise in 2026, travelers can expect to pay about $1,200 to $2,500 per person before taxes, gratuities, and shore excursions for a balcony cabin on a luxury cruise line. This estimate is based on current 2026 fares advertised by luxury airlines such as Celebrity Cruises, MSC Cruises and Virgin Voyages, as well as extensive industry transaction tracking by Cruise Critic.

Keep in mind that airfare is a big part of your budget. My travel companion and I took a United economy flight from Washington, DC to Vancouver, Canada on May 2nd and returned home on May 10th. The cost is approximately $1,000 per person.

The content of the tour is wide-ranging. Many of the wildlife discoveries come from tours rather than exploring the harbor on foot. For example, a kayak tour in Ketchikan was available through Celebrity and cost about $320 per person. So, be sure to budget an additional $1,000 or more per person for excursions, depending on the number of days in port and your interests.

Luxury and suite accommodations can bring the total amount even higher. However, I think it’s a safe assumption to budget between $5,000 and $10,000 per person, knowing that this will vary depending on the traveler’s preferences and the deal. There are definitely ways to cruise Alaska for under $5,000 if you plan ahead.

This article has been updated to update the headline.

The reporter for this article received cruise access from Celebrity Cruises. USA TODAY maintains editorial control.

Josh Rivera is USA TODAY’s senior travel and consumer editor.

Expensive but cheapest sedan

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Expensive but cheapest sedan

Longer range than Tesla

Create ridiculous futuristic sounds

There’s Frank!

Hybrid models may be cheaper

Trunk is smaller than hybrid

Rear seat floor height is high

2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250+ It’s a rolling contradiction. This sleek new four-door is expensive, but it’s worth it because it’s Mercedes’ least expensive sedan. Slower than many electric cars, but surprisingly fast at the push of a button motor trend test. And depending on where you look at it, the CLA250+ is neither wider nor narrower than a Tesla Model 3.

After testing the entry-level electric version of Mercedes’ cheapest non-SUV, it’s clear that the 2026 CLA250+ is a solid choice for very specific buyers. For others, it may be better to wait. This is what we found.

Who is CLA for?

The CLA is not only the most affordable Mercedes car, but also a sedan that celebrates design. It’s part of CLA’s tradition. The original was something of a smaller, more accessible version of the long-discontinued CLS sedan, and a replacement for the more style-focused E-Class sedan.

The tech-heavy CLA now offers a choice of hybrid and electric powertrains. The two electric models include the RWD CLA250+ and the top-of-the-line CLA350, which offers AWD and quick acceleration.

A hybrid/gasoline model called the CLA220 will then join the lineup, with prices expected to be lower than the CLA250+’s nearly $50,000 base price.

CLA250’s unexpected driving becomes fun

We were driving down a Los Angeles freeway when something unexpected happened. A certain road was congested. When you press the gas pedal, the car responds with acceleration and ridiculous futuristic noises. Eventually, the passenger in the front seat started humming the theme of the movie. back to the future. perfection.

Mercedes calls them “sound experiences”, and this is a highlight of the CLA250+. We preferred the Fractal Fusion sound theme. It’s described as combining “the nostalgic sounds of ’80s arcade games and synthwave music with modern, vibrant synth textures.”

It also makes various sounds when braking, charging, and locking/unlocking the car. This technology is not unique to the electric car CLA. We’ve experienced similar sounds coming from the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, fellow electric Mercedes cars, and various other players in the luxury EV space.

0-60 MPH test

This is where the car’s 268-horsepower single-motor electric powertrain comes into play. in motor trend-Tested 0-60 mph time was 5.8 seconds, and full-throttle bursts don’t feel as wild compared to other faster EVs with more instantaneous thrust. Rather, it will gradually accelerate. Bottom line: If you want even more offline explosive power from your CLA, you should go for the dual-motor CLA350.

As for the CLA250+, the 0-60 performance we achieved was slower than the last two Model 3s we tested, reaching 60 in 4.0 seconds It’s worth noting that the Model 3 Long Range AWD is available for the same price as a rear-wheel-drive Mercedes.

Like the Model 3, the Mercedes is fun to drive down canyon roads. It’s not a sports car, so there’s some body roll, but the steering is nicely weighted. Combined with the sound experience, you’ll have plenty of time in your rear-wheel drive sedan when your favorite asphalt is empty.

Tire noise was always present in our CLA250+ test car, which wore the 19-inch AMG Line wheel and tire package. If you want the biggest wheels, go for it. The noise inside the car is louder, but still acceptable. We found that regardless of wheel choice, the CLA tends to ride over expansion joints and other road imperfections on the highway.

In our 60-0 mph brake test, the CLA250+ had solid performance. The Mercedes showed consistent stopping distances during testing, with its shortest stopping distance of 110 feet, which was 4 to 5 feet shorter than the last non-performance Model 3 we tested.

Are you ready for a road trip?

Electric vehicle range is improving, and we love watching automakers progress. Depending on specification, the CLA250+ can achieve an EPA-certified range of up to 374 miles, with a loaded vehicle range of 317 miles as tested on 19-inch wheels. Those are solid numbers, but what really impressed us was its road trip range test performance. this motor trend-A proprietary test simulates how much range you can expect to cruise at 110 mph using 95% of your car’s full charge.

In most cases, the EVs we’ve tested have ranges below EPA ratings, but that’s not the case here. The CLA250+ achieved 333 miles, well above the EPA’s 317 mile rating for this trim, and better than any Model 3 or Model Y we’ve tested thus far.

An integrated Tesla-style NACS fast charging port gives the CLA250+ the added benefit of charging at many Tesla Superchargers as well. When it comes to fast charging, in our testing, the CLA250+ added 186 miles of range in the first 15 minutes (this is a best-case test of what’s possible). Most EV charging happens overnight on slow home-based chargers, but you’ll still appreciate quick performance when you’re out on the open road.

Is CLA a good deal?

This is the difficult part. The 2026 CLA250+ does a decent job of feeling upscale with its interior quality. Our $62,480 test car was equipped with black seats featuring white accents and red stitching. The style is much better than it looks.

Don’t forget about screens either. The 10.3-inch driver display is joined by a 14.0-inch infotainment touchscreen and a 14.0-inch passenger touchscreen (in high trims). That’s…a lot. One consolation for those who don’t want information-packed screens everywhere is that the passenger screen can be programmed to display a photo of your choice. So think of it like this: You’ll never be able to travel without Luna or Max again.

The rest of the interior is a good mix of functionality and high-quality surfaces, but again, at least that’s to be expected considering our test car cost over $60,000. That’s a price that opens up a lot of possibilities, and while the Model 3’s interior is more spacious, it’s not quite as rich.

Perhaps the biggest reason to think twice about the CLA250+ is the upcoming CLA220 Hybrid. Ultimately, it could be more suited to buyers who don’t care about what’s under the hood. However, in our experience, electric cars are often quieter, faster, and more convenient than gasoline cars.

In this case, however, some CLA250+ customers may simply want a cool-looking, inexpensive Mercedes. As a bonus, the gas-powered CLA220 will likely have a lower base price and offer more trunk space.

Come to think of it, the flanks of the 2026 CLA250+ are divided into three parts, which I appreciate. This is a practical feeling that Tesla buyers have experienced for years. In this case, the 1.4 cubic feet of space feels almost essential considering there’s only 10.3 cubic feet in the trunk.

Compared to the Tesla, the Mercedes’ back seat feels more spacious, but the Model 3 has much more space for your luggage. The Tesla has a slightly narrower door frame, making it easier to exit the vehicle.

As with other Mercedes vehicles, part of the overall value equation is the ability to customize your experience. We don’t mean the sound experience, we mean the rich range of exterior and interior colors and even trim. At launch, the CLA250+ offers nine different wheel styles and six interior trim options, as well as a variety of cabin colors. So even if many buyers opt for a white exterior over a black interior, know that you have options.

Still, it’s because of you have Just because it’s $62,480 doesn’t mean you have to spend $62,480.

do this instead of that

Not everyone wants the biggest car their money can buy. Some people want something special in a compact package. That’s what Mercedes is aiming for with the 2026 CLA250+ and CLA lineup.

However, there are more viable options in the EV space and elsewhere, so it might be a good car for first-timers to try out on lease. If you want to see how it fits into your lifestyle and still don’t mind the car’s EV-specific benefits, a petrol CLA220 or GLA might be a better choice.

2027 Mercedes-Benz CLA250+ Specifications

Basic price

$49,300

tested price

$62,480

vehicle layout

Rear motor, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door electric sedan

power train

Permanent magnet motor, 268 hp, 247 lb-ft

force

268 horsepower

torque

247 pound-feet

contagion; infection

2 speed automatic

battery

85.0kWh NMC Lithium ion

Vehicle weight (F/R distance)

£4,541 (45/55%)

wheelbase

109.8 inches

Length x width x height

185.9 x 73.0 x 57.8 inches

tire

Bridgestone Tranza 6 MOF: 225/40R19 93W XLR: 255/35R19 99W XL

EPA Fuel Economy, City/Highway/Combined

112/105/109mpg-e

EPA range

517 miles

70 mph road trip range

533 miles

MT quick charging test

196 miles in 15 minutes, 294 miles in 30 minutes

On sale

now

MotorTrend test results

0-60MPH

5.8 seconds

quarter mile

14.6 seconds at 98.2 mph

Brakes, 60-0 mph

110 feet

lateral acceleration

0.85g

figure eight wrap

26.2 seconds @ 0.71 g (average)

Why these states want a bigger say in Democrats’ 2028 elections

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Why these states want a bigger say in Democrats’ 2028 elections

The Democratic Party is debating whether to reschedule the presidential primary. The decision will determine who gains early momentum in the 2028 race.

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WASHINGTON – Democrats face a familiar dilemma as they prepare for the 2028 presidential primary. It’s about which states’ voters should have the first say in choosing their party’s candidates.

New Hampshire has history and tradition. The nation’s first primaries have been held for more than a century, starting immediately after the Iowa caucuses.

But neither state is as racially, politically or geographically diverse as Democrats would like for the races leading up the primary calendar. And they won’t necessarily help the party win the battleground states that will determine the outcome of the general election.

He says Delaware still has a lot to offer. But some Democrats tasked with making the decision worry the state is too closely tied to their favorite son, former President Joe Biden.

His decision to withdraw from the race two years ago and name former Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor remains a sore topic within the Democratic Party even after his loss to Donald Trump.

Deciding which states will contest the nomination first and in what order will be one of the most difficult decisions facing national Democrats this year during the early window of primaries before Super Tuesday.

The choice could have far-reaching implications for a party struggling with its identity and seeking to retake the White House after losing elections to President Trump twice in the past decade.

Democrats on the committee have said they hope to make a decision by August so they can vote on it at the next Democratic National Committee meeting. In 2022, the battle for ranking continued until the end of the midterm elections.

Biden ultimately dictated voting order to lawmakers, expelling Iowa, downgrading New Hampshire, promoting Nevada, and adding Michigan and Georgia to the first group. He picked South Carolina first.

2028: Democratic presidential candidates face important questions. How should we approach Mr. Trump?

Now that Biden is out of the picture, the southern states that gave him his first primary victory in 2020 are on the brink as Democrats seek a fresh start.

“It’s different when you have the White House,” said Leah Daughtry, a member of the Democratic Party’s rules-making committee and chair of the party’s 2008 and 2016 conventions. “Without the White House, the decision-making process is different.”

Who will go first? Will it be South Carolina?

The first group to vote will include at least one southern state.

South Carolina faces an uphill climb to maintain its No. 1 spot and is at risk of being thrown out altogether.

This state is rich in diversity. Almost 28% of residents are Black, 8% are Hispanic, and 2% are Asian. However, the state hasn’t sent a Democrat to the White House since Jimmy Carter in 1976, and in 2024 Trump won South Carolina with an 18-point victory over Harris.

“Emotional” moment: Inside the development of Biden’s Democratic primary campaign that won South Carolina

Conversely, North Carolina elected Barack Obama in 2008. Five of the past six governors have been Democrats. And we have demographics to match. A higher percentage of the population is Asian or Hispanic.

State Party Chairman Anderson Clayton said North Carolina can also help rural voters.

“It’s no secret to anyone that we’re not engaging with these communities, but to me, one of the biggest ways we can re-prioritize our communities is by investing in what is also the second most rural and populous state after Texas,” Clayton pitched to members of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee at a May 28 meeting in Washington, D.C.

Georgia’s advantage? Or will a new state be created to represent the South?

Georgia is also in contention for a spot in the early window. This met the Democratic Party’s diversity standards and helped tip the 2020 election in Biden’s favor.

But committee members, in questioning to state party chairman Charlie Bailey, said they were concerned about Georgia’s ability to meet other requirements.

The most pressing issue is that Democrats have been unable to persuade Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to allow early primaries to be held after Mr. Biden selected Georgia as his 2022 entry point.

Bailey hinted at keeping South Carolina early in case Georgia runs into the same problem this time.

“I think it’s time for the two southern states to work together,” Bailey told the panel.

Tennessee and Virginia are also seeking exemptions to hold their primaries early. Neither state is a battleground state, so Tennessee would need to pass a bill to reschedule its primary election. Republicans hold a supermajority in the state, which puts the state in a similar situation to Georgia.

Former Virginia governor and former DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe argued in a presentation to the committee that the state has “everything” Democrats want, including protections for women seeking abortions and easy access to absentee voting.

But South Carolina refuses to go quietly.

In a May 28 letter to the DNC, the leaders of five Southern Democratic parties urged the committee to keep South Carolina at the forefront. They cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s April ruling watering down parts of the Voting Rights Act that prohibit racial discrimination in drawing Congressional maps.

“The fight over voting rights is no longer just a court battle, it’s an election fight, and it starts in South Carolina,” the Democrats wrote.

Are you going back to New Hampshire? Replace it with Delaware?

One of the thorniest questions facing Democrats is what to do about New Hampshire. New Hampshire law requires the state to hold the nation’s first presidential primary.

After a pro-Biden calendar knocked New Hampshire out of the top spot, it broke Democratic National Committee rules and came out on top anyway in 2024. And it had no long-term effects.

This year, Democrats are considering knocking New Hampshire out of the early slots and replacing it with Delaware, which is more diverse and shares a media market with must-win Pennsylvania.

The problem with Delaware: It’s not very competitive. Delaware has voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election for the past 50 years.

“There is no doubt that whoever Delaware votes for will be the final nominee,” Vice Chairman Kobe Owens said in his pitch.

New Hampshire Democratic leaders argue that the state’s rich history of retail politics provides the perfect environment to vet presidential candidates.

“Our argument is not that we should pick a candidate, but that we should vet them and better prepare them for the states that follow,” Sen. Maggie Hassan said during a panel discussion.

The state was one of several states that distributed gift bags to attendees highlighting local businesses. It included popcorn, New Hampshire-shaped cookies, and maple syrup.

Will Nevada replace New Mexico?

New Mexico is looking to unseat Nevada early, and has brought in a hard hitter to strengthen its case. That is Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, the only Hispanic governor in the country.

The party argued that young, Hispanic, rural and indigenous voters are critical to the Democratic coalition. The state also noted the number of women and women of color elected to the dissenting bench and state legislature.

Lujan Grisham said on May 28: “We can’t afford to lose anyone. Given the shape of this country and the issues we all struggle with every day, we should win by a surprisingly large margin.” “To be clear, there shouldn’t be any conflict, and there is.”

New Mexico would need to change its law to hold primaries early, but state lawmakers say they have support for the change from Democratic candidates.

But dislodging Nevada, which has had early voting slots since 2008, will be difficult, especially after Democrats amended state law in 2021 to eliminate caucuses.

Nevada’s population is a mix of majority and minority populations, with 31% of residents being Hispanic, 11% black, and 10% Asian. Labor unions also have a strong presence.

Latino voters turned to Trump in 2024 but are now moving away from him, former House Black Caucus Chairman Stephen Horsford argued in a state pitch.

“Nevada is the only battleground state where we can really help Democrats craft a positive economic message strong enough to win back Democrats,” Horsford said.

Did the ‘no commitment’ protest hurt Michigan’s chances?

Michigan has previously represented the Midwest in early races, and the battleground state whose voters helped attack Harris is trying to stay on the front lines.

“I want to be clear that this is a request, not a demand,” state party Chairman Curtis Hertel said in a presentation.

The state has a large black population, a strong labor movement, and calls itself the “framework of America.”

But what lingered after the presentation was a revolt of more than 100,000 2024 Democrats who marked themselves as “disloyal” in the Michigan primary to protest Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

“I understand what happened in 2024,” Hertel responded. “I think we have gathered a lot of people who we can work with again.”

Illinois has also asked the commission for a waiver to hold its primaries early.

It highlighted the strength of the labor movement. its urban, suburban, and rural communities; and its role in electing the nation’s first black president.

“Illinois is where President Obama built a movement across communities, expanded the electorate and gave millions of people hope for the future of this country,” said state party chair Lisa Hernandez.

Can Iowa make a comeback?

Biden’s schedule gave him an early boost in Iowa, but Democrats on the Rules Committee have indicated they have no intention of allowing the state to return. The Iowa caucuses are not allowing the kind of voter participation that national Democrats would like. And nearly 90% of Iowa residents are white.

Addressing commissioners’ concerns, Iowa has proposed allowing absentee voting by mail ahead of in-person caucuses. The local Democratic Party also streamlined its nightly caucus process. Almost as important, the state, which is known for its slow release of election night results, has committed to hiring outside help to ensure a complete release of results that night.

Former Iowa Party Chairman Scott Brennan argued in his pitch that the state’s Republicans are guaranteed to run first no matter what, putting statewide Democratic candidates at a significant disadvantage.

Iowa law requires caucuses to be held before similar races, he told the committee.

“We are here to serve your will in good faith,” Brennan said. “We want to follow whatever the commission does. But the bottom line is, ultimately, the people of Iowa decide.”

June 2026 Social Security Payments. When will I receive my check?

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June 2026 Social Security Payments. When will I receive my check?

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June Social Security payments will follow the normal schedule, with most payments scheduled to be sent starting June 10th.

Social Security (benefits paid primarily to elderly or retired beneficiaries) is typically paid out on Wednesdays. If your birthday falls between the 1st and 10th of a month, your payment is expected to arrive on the second Wednesday of the month (June 10th in June), according to the Social Security Administration’s calendar.

If you were born between the 11th and 20th, you will be paid on the third Wednesday of each month (June 17th). According to the SSA calendar, those born on or after the 20th of the month are paid on the fourth Wednesday of the month (June 24). Social Security recipients who began receiving benefits before May 1997 will receive payments on June 3rd.

social security: Cost-of-living adjustments in 2027 could be even higher.

The social security payment schedule for June is as follows:

June 2026 Social Security Payment Schedule

The 2026 and 2027 Social Security Administration benefit payment calendars are available online. There’s also a handy calendar below. This allows you to see your schedule for budgeting purposes.

SSA says the check you receive in June will technically be your May Social Security retirement benefit, but your June benefit will be covered by the check you receive in July. The SSA schedule is as follows:

  • Wednesday June 10th: Birthdays are from the 1st to the 10th of every month.
  • Wednesday June 17th: Birthdays are between the 11th and 20th of every month.
  • Wednesday June 24th: Birthdays from the 21st to the 31st of each month.

June 2026 and Remaining SSI Payment Schedule

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is also a program administered by the Social Security Administration that benefits people with limited or no income or assets, people age 65 and older, and people who are blind or have qualifying disabilities. Eligible children with disabilities are also eligible, according to the SSA website.

SSI recipients typically have their payments issued on the first business day of the month, or June 1st in the month of June. In some cases, such as in July, the first business day of the next month (in this case August) is a weekend or holiday, so the recipient receives two checks.

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

  • Monday June 1st
  • Wednesday, July 1, 2026
  • Friday, July 31, 2026
  • Tuesday, September 1, 2026
  • Thursday, October 1, 2026
  • Friday, October 30, 2026
  • Tuesday, December 1, 2026
  • Thursday, December 31, 2026

This is a calendar showing all Social Security and SSI payments for 2026.

2026 Social Security Payment Schedule

Mike Snyder is a national trends news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, and X, and email him at: mike snyder & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com.

Jill Biden, Blue Origin, Ebola in Daily Briefing

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Jill Biden, Blue Origin, Ebola in Daily Briefing

Welcome to the daily briefing. Please read the following first.

nicole farato and Jane Onyanga Omara Here’s the news you need to know on Friday.

Jill Biden looks back on that disastrous presidential debate

When Jill Biden watched Joe Biden struggle in the presidential debates and abruptly end his political career, she knew something was going in a dire direction. “Could this be a stroke?” she wondered as she watched television near the CNN studios where President Biden was confronting Donald Trump in June 2024. “It felt like we were looking at an AI hologram of a man we knew. The hologram was glitching. Was he drugged?” Jill Biden’s memoir, “A View from the East Wing,” includes some of the standard tropes of a first lady’s memoir. There are other, less traditional notes as well.

More news you need to know right now

  • Latest US news on Ebola: The Atlanta airport has begun testing passengers for Ebola, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Meanwhile, the agency is recruiting volunteers to perform Ebola testing in response to staff cuts. This is why the United States does not treat Ebola patients at home.
  • The SCOTUS decision will be implemented soon. The court has dozens of decisions to make before its term ends, but none may be enough to disrupt the 2026 midterm elections.
  • Dear students (and parents)! Show me your America. USA TODAY partnered with SUNN, a nonpartisan organization focused on student journalism and citizen media, to participate in the “Fly Your Flag” contest to design your own American flag. Deadline is Monday, so check out the details now.

Let’s take a look

Salute to the Class of 26!

This is the time of year when high school students across the country celebrate their graduation and don their caps and gowns. Many people are taking this opportunity to put their own personal flair on the classic horned hat. Take a look at photos of impressive high school graduation cap decorations from around the country.

NCAA Sports

UCLA softball’s historic home run record-setting season

The UCLA Bruins are in Oklahoma City this week for their second straight Women’s College World Series appearance. The team features Bruins two-sport player Megan Grant, who broke Lauren Espinoza’s 31-year-old season home run record in the Big Ten Softball Tournament and reached 40 home runs, surpassing Oklahoma’s Kendall Wells. But that’s also why Texas Tech can win it all.

before going

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

Watch Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket explode

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Watch Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket explode

Jeff Bezos says today is a ‘very difficult day’ but Blue Origin will ‘rebuild everything that needs to be rebuilt and get back to flying’

A Blue Origin rocket explodes on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The 320-foot New Glenn rocket was undergoing a “hot-fire test” of its engine on Thursday, May 28, ahead of its scheduled launch of 48 Amazon Leo broadband satellites into low Earth orbit. A target release date has not been announced.

“An anomaly occurred during today’s hot fire test,” Blue Origin said in a post on X. “All personnel have been identified. We will provide an update as soon as we have more details.”

A spokesperson for Jeff Bezos’ company, Blue Origin, referred the post to USA TODAY after a reporter asked for more information about what happened.

“It’s too early to know the root cause, but we’re already working to find out,” Bezos said in a post on X.

“It’s a very difficult day, but we intend to rebuild everything that needs to be rebuilt and get back to flying,” he wrote. “It’s worth it.”

Video of the moment the New Glenn rocket exploded went viral on social media. A sudden and powerful explosion is shown followed by the rocket being quickly engulfed in massive flames. Video of the aftermath showed an apocalyptic scene, with a yellow haze in the sky surrounded by thick clouds.

What does NASA say about the explosion?

“Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capabilities is extremely difficult,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a post on X.

“We will work with our partners to support a thorough investigation of this anomaly, assess the short-term mission impact, and return to launching the rocket,” he said. “We will provide information regarding the impact on Artemis and the moon base program as it becomes available.”

Blue Origin and billionaire Elon Musk’s rival SpaceX are both racing to have separate lunar landers ready in time for NASA’s Artemis III mission in 2027. The mission itself will be an important test of each lander’s docking capabilities in Earth orbit before NASA puts boots back on the moon’s surface with next year’s Artemis IV mission.

Whichever lander is ultimately selected for Artemis IV, it will join NASA astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft in lunar orbit and carry them to the moon’s surface. After the astronauts walk on the moon and perform a series of scientific experiments, the lander will transport them to the constellation Orion and return to Earth, NASA said.

Musk, who has also dealt with his own spaceship explosion, sympathized with Blue Origin’s setback.

“It’s the most disappointing thing,” Musk said in a video of the New Glenn explosion posted on Company X. “Rockets are difficult.”

Learn more about the exploding rocket “Blue Origin”

The rocket that exploded was Blue Origin’s fourth New Glenn rocket, which was supposed to be the vehicle to carry Blue Origin’s lunar module into orbit. The company has so far launched three New Glenn rockets from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The New Glenn rocket took off on April 19 on a mission to deploy cellular broadband service provider AST SpaceMobile’s broadband network satellite into space. Although the rocket sent the satellite into the wrong orbit, Blue Origin was able to recover the first stage booster, which had been reused after the previous major spaceflight.

Blue Origin has not announced a target date for New Glenn’s next launch, but the rocket was scheduled to launch as early as June 4, according to Federal Aviation Administration operational planning recommendations.

Bezos, known as the founder of Amazon, founded the private space technology company Blue Origin in 2000.

Blue Origin, headquartered in Washington state, made its name with suborbital human spaceflights using the New Shepard spacecraft in West Texas. These missions, some of which have involved celebrities such as musician Katy Perry and actor William Shatner, have been on hiatus for at least two years while Blue Origin focuses on its moon mission.

Government education becomes more difficult as America becomes more divided

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Government education becomes more difficult as America becomes more divided

Policymakers see the nation’s 250th anniversary as an opportunity to strengthen civics education. Educators say they face challenges teaching the subject.

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ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Basking in the glare of a classroom’s fluorescent lights, Kit Vonz thought about how people her age felt about the future of the country.

“I don’t know what to do,” Vonz, 18, recently told a small group of other fourth-graders hunched over desks in his government class at Alexandria City High School.

They were discussing research on Gen Z’s attitudes toward democracy.

Bontz’s classmate, David George Fitt, said he found it difficult to escape his “hopeless mindset.” Mr Fitt, a history buff, added that he was disappointed by the political “chaos” he saw on the news.

Trust in government among young Americans is at a record low, according to the latest Harvard Youth Poll. The survey, released in April, found that only 26% of 18- to 29-year-olds felt hopeful about the country’s future.

The results reflect declining trust in the nation’s democratic institutions among young Americans across party lines.

To overcome the recession, federal and state legislators are working to strengthen civics education. Experts believe that increasing young people’s understanding of the rights and responsibilities of government and citizens could help reduce political division and conflict.

They’re looking at 250 countries in this country.th This birthday marks the beginning of a potential decade-long civic renaissance. Kindergarten students will end their education this year on the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the ratification of the Constitution.

“This is a real runway,” said Sean Healy, director of policy and advocacy at iCivics, a nonpartisan organization that provides civics resources to students and teachers.

But educators say the reality of the country’s deep divisions makes teaching students about government more difficult than ever.

Classroom in chaos

Sunday after church, community members stopped to praise Kimberly Huffman for educating local children about the Constitution. Now, when Ms. Huffman emerges from the pews after a service, her neighbors wonder if she is teaching “the correct Constitution.”

At a parent-teacher conference last fall, a mother was asked if she was teaching her child to be a Democrat, Huffman said. It was the first time she had been asked such a question in her 32 years as a lecturer on American government.

Her community in Wayne County, Ohio, has been a Republican stronghold for half a century. He voted for President Donald Trump in the past three presidential elections. Until the past few years, political resentment had not permeated Huffman’s classrooms.

Now, the calm class was starting to get tense.

Huffman’s curriculum for juniors and seniors at the county’s vocational high schools covers the four founding documents: the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and the Ohio Constitution.

Huffman sticks to the word of the document. She is not affiliated with any political party and encourages students to check their voter registration. Still, they regularly question her handling of topics such as presidential power.

“I still face accusations of being biased, even if I feel like I’m tiptoeing around. I feel like I’m being very careful,” Huffman said.

tense climate

An iCivics survey released in January found that more than half of teachers reported fearing backlash for covering something the “wrong way”, making it harder to teach basic civics concepts.

David Bobb, president of the Bill of Rights Institute, a civics-focused education organization founded by liberal Charles Koch, cited the country’s hostile political climate as the cause. Over the past decade, deep political divisions have influenced how people view this country’s history.

Democratic lawmakers at the state and federal level are pushing to expand history curricula to include more about the slave trade, the treatment of Native Americans and other marginalized groups. Republican lawmakers say these efforts needlessly disrespect Americans. They are moving to ban speaking of “divisive or anti-American ideologies.”

Policymakers of both parties have also put forward a number of proposals to invest in civics education. But like any conversation about how to tell this country’s history, many of those ideas split along ideological lines.

Conservative politicians have criticized civic initiatives that encourage student community involvement, arguing that these tactics promote activism. Democrats, on the other hand, have accused the Trump administration of being biased in its policies.

Last year, the Department of Education emphasized its focus on “patriotism education” and awarded more than $150 million in history and civics grants. The agency also helped launch the America 250 Civic Education Coalition, which brings together primarily conservative organizations to create K-12 and higher education programs.

Bob believes the arbitrary way lawmakers talk about civics has a chilling effect.

“What this means is that adults and young people alike begin to have the same aversion to civics as they do to politics,” he says. “Teachers are trying to find an antidote in the face of this situation. But young people still have some fears.”

see eye to eye

Each semester, students sit in Jennifer Klein’s classroom and predict not just the weather, but American politics.

Some say it’s sunny and bright. Some say it will be cloudy and there is a chance of heavy rain.

In recent years, the answers in Pittsburgh schools have tended to be “darker,” Klein said. She has also seen a change in sentiment reflected in students’ increasing reluctance to express their opinions at the beginning of the school year.

This is a trend that Josh Dunn, a professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has witnessed in his college classes.

“So many of our students are afraid of saying something that they can’t find a better word for and that will get them cancelled,” said Dunn, who is also executive director of the school’s American Civic Institute.

Educators like Klein and Dunn believe their classrooms play a fundamental role in helping the next generation learn how to communicate differences effectively and respectfully.

During a recent lesson on Federalist Papers No. 70, Ms. Klein saw her once shy students begin to have fun discussing each other. They were discussing Alexander Hamilton’s defense of a strong executive branch in a 1788 document.

To defend their position, students shouted examples from history and current events across the room. Some laughed as their classmates persuaded them.

“It kind of opens your mind when you realize that you don’t always have to be right and there are other points of view,” Klein says.

“An outrageous situation”‘

In a government classroom on the third floor of Alexandria City High School, Fitt and her classmates studied a white poster board featuring major projects completed throughout the yearlong course.

They researched federal agencies, interpreted judicial opinions based on their understanding of the Constitution, held mock legislative sessions, and met with city officials on public policy issues important to young people.

Fitt said the assignment helped her gain a better understanding of the country’s system and “reconcile” her anxieties.

Zeannis Granberry, 17, reflected on the mock parliament for a few minutes. In this project, she played a Hispanic Republican congressman from Texas. Granbury, a second-generation American whose grandparents immigrated from Jamaica, said she couldn’t understand how people of color could identify as Republicans before taking the job.

“When I first started researching him, I thought, ‘Well, there’s no way I can embody this person,'” Granberry said with a laugh.

So she called the representative’s office to find out more. He ended up exchanging emails with her.

“I’m glad I understood where he was coming from,” she said.

Granberry still disagrees with many of the legislators’ positions. But this project changed her perspective.

“A lot of people can have negative connotations about someone just because they’re on the red or blue side,” she says. “I don’t think the situation should be that bad.”

Carissa Wadick covers America’s 250th anniversary on USA TODAY. She can be reached at kwaddick@usatoday.com.

Unclaimed property is not a trap. it’s a solvable problem

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Unclaimed property is not a trap. it’s a solvable problem

The state is supposed to protect and return this property. But until the rightful owner comes forward and makes a claim, the state government can extract interest on your money to support the state budget.

mark lewin
|Opinion contributor

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Money is real. The people you owe money to are real. What’s really crazy is that no one has shed a bright light on this problem and leveraged artificial intelligence to solve it.

It sounds like a scammer’s email, but it’s true. State governments across the country hold about $100 billion, and some of it may belong to you or someone you know.

This unclaimed money, or “unclaimed wealth” in government parlance, is not in the form of handouts, subsidies, or taxpayer support. It’s personal money from forgotten bank accounts, unreturned deposits, unused gift cards, and other assets that are often left unattended.

The state did not earn this money. They are just supposed to protect it and return it.

However, over time, the state has become more than just an administrator. Until the rightful owner comes forward and makes a claim, state governments often end up using the interest taken from the funds to cover various costs.

Do you owe money? Texas paid billions of dollars for unclaimed property.

Countries are not doing enough to return unclaimed funds

The state can honestly say that it is trying to return unclaimed money. People can be shown on TV holding oversized checks and showing their gratitude. But these stories obscure a larger truth. Most of the money remains unreturned.

The amount is large. for example, new york has accumulated about $20 billion. California It has about $15 billion. texas It has about $10 billion.

A few years ago I found $250 waiting for me virginia‘s unclaimed property website. Then I started checking on friends and family. My wife had money. Other relatives also had money. My friend had money.

Then I found my cousin Jonathan’s property. colorado. The amount was only advertised as “over $250.”

It was over $250. Nearly $30,000 in old tax refunds.

It taught me something important. It’s great to find money for yourself. Finding money for others feels even better. Trust me. Tell your cousin you’re waiting for $30,000 and earn a lifetime of Family Brownie Points.

That’s the chance of a virus lurking in this problem. Look for yourself. Then search for your spouse, sibling, friend, church, or former employer. And when you find the money, talk about it. Please post facebook, Instagram and linkedin. Bring it up at Thanksgiving.

It’s not to brag. To inspire others to see.

opinion: We must raise our children to earn money, not idolize it. Here’s how:

Spread the wealth for you and your friends

Once you start looking into it, you’ll see that my cousin’s story is not unique. In New Jersey, philip britton Found $40,000 for the Diocese of Camden. In North Carolina, pam hathaway She found $2,345 waiting for her in Kentucky.

These are not lottery windfalls. They are about system failures. Usually, getting it back requires the owner to know where to look, provide proof of identity, and navigate a hellish path of bureaucracy.

That’s backwards.

If the government can automatically keep funds, it should make serious efforts to automatically return them.

Your turn: Most Americans pay too much in taxes. opinion forum

Design failures can be fixed. That’s why I started UnclaimedMoneyGuy.com. The first step was to create a consumer guide to help people understand, search for, and claim unclaimed money and make sense of a confusing system. A website is just the first step.

Unclaimed property is not an unsolvable problem

Solving this problem requires better data, better matching, better consumer education, better media attention, better state transparency, better federal standards, and better private sector tools.

And yes, we need AI. This is a system that checks the state database, compares names and addresses, flags likely matches, and continues to check as new records appear.

If you build a platform like this right, it has the potential to become a billion-dollar company.

Laws are also important. In April, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) began demanding answers about the state’s unclaimed property practices. A reform bill is proposed in parliament.

Opinion warning: Get columns from your favorite columnists and expert analysis on key issues delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. If you don’t have the app, download it for free from the app store.

It’s a good start, but the bigger mission can’t wait for Washington or AI. It starts with people looking for themselves and then the people they care about.

If banks were to disrupt the collections process so much and still hold $100 billion that belonged to their customers, regulators would kick down their doors. Still, this money is scattered all over the place, 50 state systemsthis has never been the national issue it deserves to be.

Because every story increases the likelihood of your next search.

That money belongs to the American people. It should be returned to the American people.

And the only really crazy plan is to act as if the current system is good enough.

Mark Lewin is a former staff writer for the Money section of Business Week and USA TODAY. unclaimedmoneyguy.com.

College graduates can expect a salary of $80,000. they may be disappointed

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College graduates can expect a salary of $80,000. they may be disappointed

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New college graduates may need to manage their expectations for their first job.

The average college student expects to earn $80,000 after graduation, according to a new study from Clever Real Estate. However, the actual starting salary for a college graduate is closer to $56,000.

The survey comes at a time when college students are spending more on higher education than ever before, taking on more debt, and graduating into a tough job market.

In Clever’s research, current students say they expect to earn an average of $80,004 a year after graduation. In contrast, the average full-time employee between the ages of 18 and 25 with a bachelor’s degree earns $56,153, according to Census data.

Most students in the study overestimated their ability to earn a degree. For example, a major in education can expect a starting salary of $75,186. Clever reports that the actual starting salary for teachers is approximately $46,500.

Engineering students expected a starting salary of $92,452. The actual starting salary for this field is $78,731.

The survey involved 769 college students and was collected in February and March.

Report author Jamie Dunaway Seale said college students may have unrealistic hopes for starting paychecks at a time when the cost of housing, consumer goods and almost everything else is steadily rising.

“I think they look at the world around them, see how much things are out there, and come up with a number that they think is fair to them,” she says.

College graduates face a tough job market. . .

College graduates face a tough job market. The unemployment rate for college graduates ages 22 to 27 was 5.6% in March, according to federal data. The overall unemployment rate was 4.2%.

The percentage of newly unemployed people entering the labor force recently reached a 37-year high, according to a report in Groundwork Collaborative and Fortune.

The job market for new graduates has been steadily deteriorating in recent years, with a hiring shortage reminiscent of the Great Recession.

In a 2025 survey by the National Association of College and Employers, about half of employers rated the job market for college graduates as “fair” or “poor.” The percentage of employers who have a pessimistic view of the job market for new graduates has increased every year since 2022.

Companies are hiring less due to economic instability, budget cuts, lower overall hiring numbers, and the intrusion of AI.

. . . However, there are signs of improvement.

However, there are signs of improvement.

NACE’s latest employment outlook, released in April, predicts that graduate hiring will increase by 5.6% this year. Of the 166 employers surveyed, 34% expected jobs to increase, while just 11% expected jobs to decline.

The report said many companies expect to hire more graduates as they are in growth mode, building talent pipelines and enjoying increased demand for their products and services.

Salaries for new graduates are rising, according to another new report from NACE. The survey shows that expected salaries are increasing in most fields. Computer science graduates are expected to earn $81,535, an increase of 6.9%. Graduates in the Department of Communication are expected to earn $63,767, an increase of 5.7%.

“We’re seeing some positive signs in the labor market,” said Mary Gatta, director of research and public policy at NACE.

Gatta said one encouraging sign is that employers are saying less about replacing entry-level workers with AI. In a recent survey, only 11% of employers said they were discussing job cuts around AI.

“The need for AI skills is increasing, which is not really surprising,” says Gatta. “But we asked employers how they want new graduates to leverage AI, and it’s really about adding jobs, not replacing them.”

Gatta offers some tips for current college students.

GPA isn’t as important to potential employers today as it once was, she says. NACE research shows that the percentage of employers screening applicants for GPA remains low, dropping from 73% in 2019 to 37% in 2023.

Instead, employers value experience and skills. Internships are especially important. Employers cite internships as the most important determining factor when choosing between equally qualified applicants.

“So from a recruiting perspective, internships are very important,” Gatta says.

Former AG Pam Bondi faces Congress over Epstein scandal. what is the problem

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Former AG Pam Bondi faces Congress over Epstein scandal. what is the problem

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Former Attorney General Pam Bondi faces potentially politically charged questioning on May 29 when she answers questions from a Congressional Oversight Committee over the Justice Department’s handling of the case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Mr. Bondi is scheduled to meet behind closed doors with the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating the alleged mismanagement of the Justice Department’s investigation into Mr. Epstein and his convicted accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. President Donald Trump fired Bondi on April 2, reportedly in part over dissatisfaction with the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein file, which has become a political thorn in the president’s side.

The May 29 meeting will not be televised, but the committee has said it will release the transcript as soon as possible, and both Bondi and lawmakers may choose to discuss it publicly.

California Rep. Robert Garcia, the committee’s top Democrat, said Bondi was allowed to sit in on a transcribed interview rather than a sworn affidavit, even though the committee rejected similar requests from former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Mr. Garcia said in his letter that, unlike a deposition, the transcript of the interview allows Mr. Bondi to be represented by a government lawyer, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, and to refuse to answer questions unless he provides a legal basis.

Bondi was diagnosed with thyroid cancer within weeks of being fired and was originally scheduled to answer questions in mid-April. But after her resignation, the Justice Department said she was no longer required to comply with a subpoena to leave office. Democrats argued that her failure to appear for the deposition amounted to a violation of the subpoena.

The committee then arranged an interview for May 29th.

Even if conducted in private, the interview is likely to be explosive. Before her expulsion from the Justice Department, multiple impeachment measures introduced by Democratic lawmakers accused her of neglecting Epstein’s victims.

The main questions that Bondi may face in the interview are:

Will it protect Epstein’s circle from liability?

Mr. Bondi is likely to be questioned about whether the Justice Department has avoided accountability for those associated with Epstein.

So far, Epstein and his ex-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, are the only people facing federal criminal charges in connection with Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking scheme. Epstein was convicted of prostitution charges involving minors in Florida in 2008 and died in a Manhattan jail in 2019 ahead of his scheduled trial on sex trafficking charges.

Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking of minors in 2021 and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.

Bondi’s Justice Department released a memo in July saying Epstein had more than 1,000 victims, but a systematic internal review of Epstein’s files did not uncover an incriminating list of Epstein’s clients. Bondi has since been accused by some of engaging in a cover-up to protect wealthy and politically connected individuals.

“This is bigger than Watergate. This spans four administrations,” Sen. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) told Bondi during a Feb. 11 hearing. “This cover-up has been going on for decades, and you are partly responsible for it.”

Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pennsylvania), who serves on the oversight committee, told USA TODAY in March that the Bondi Justice Department’s failure to take new action against Epstein associates, despite Britain’s arrests based on the Justice Department’s public disclosures, shows that America’s elites have protections that working-class Americans do not have.

“The American people are tired of seeing that two-tiered justice system,” Lee said.

“If we have information about men who have abused women, we will prosecute them,” Todd Blanche, who served as Bondi’s deputy, said on January 30.

Failed to free file

In February 2025, Bondi stoked expectations that the Justice Department would release damaging information about Epstein and his associates, telling Fox News, “My office is going to release some information about Epstein.”

But Bondi’s Justice Department issued a memo several months later stating that “further disclosure is inappropriate and cannot be warranted.”

Since then, several Republican and Democratic members of Congress have accused the Justice Department of illegally withholding documents in the face of a Congressional subpoena and subsequent bipartisan Transparency Act. Mr. Bondi has previously defended the Justice Department’s records, saying reviewing and redacting the files was a huge undertaking and missed legal deadlines to release the documents.

“Based on the law that was passed, we had 30 days to redact and release 3 million documents, which when stacked up would be the height of the Eiffel Tower,” Bondi told reporters on March 18.

The Justice Department ultimately released about 3.5 million pages of files by late January, but withheld another 2.5 million pages and heavily redacted much of what it released.

Todd Blanche, who was representing Bondi at the time, said many documents were suppressed to protect the victim’s privacy as allowed by transparency laws. But he also said the Justice Department withheld the documents for some reason not permitted by law, including to hide internal Justice Department deliberations related to Epstein.

White House involvement?

Mr. Bondi is likely to be asked whether the White House, which could include Mr. Trump personally, influenced the Justice Department’s decisions about what to release, who to investigate, and whether to indict additional Epstein associates.

For years, President Trump’s aides have urged federal authorities to release files on Epstein. After Mr. Trump returned to office, administration officials promoted the campaign by suggesting new names and new responsibilities were in place for Mr. Epstein’s alleged client list.

In February 2025, when asked by British journalist Piers Morgan if there was a “possibility of criminal activity” in connection with Epstein, Alina Haba replied, “Yes.” Haba was serving as an advisor to the president at the time. “We don’t have time for things like hiding lists and protecting political friends.”

“Today is a new day, a new administration, and everything will be revealed to the public,” Bondi told Fox News host Sean Hannity in a March 2025 interview.

But in May of that year, Bondi reportedly told Trump that his name appeared multiple times in the file. In July, the Justice Department announced that the case against Epstein was effectively closed after a “systematic review” of the files.

“No evidence was found that could form the basis for an investigation against unindicted third parties,” the Justice Department said in a memo. “Further disclosure is not appropriate or warranted.”

Trump, who was a personal friend of Epstein’s until the 2000s and has always denied wrongdoing, later said Democrats were spreading lies and urged his supporters to move on..

“Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein hoax,” the president posted on Truth Social on July 16.

Committee members may point to these events to question whether Bondi’s decisions regarding transparency and investigations were unduly influenced by the White House.

Name and image of alleged victim released

Bondi also faces questions about the department’s failure to first redact all names and images of potential victims when it released the files.

The transparency law that mandated disclosure also gave the Justice Department the power to protect the identities and personal records of victims and protect child sexual abuse material from the public. Mr. Bondi personally reiterated his commitment to protecting victims.

But when a trove of files was released in late January, the names of some Epstein accusers were made public for the first time, and even nude images were made public. Bondi told Congress on February 11 that department officials “did their best within the deadlines allotted by law to protect the victims.”

“If someone provided us with a victim’s name that was inadvertently made public, we redacted it immediately,” Bondi said.

Tilman Fertitta to buy Las Vegas icon Caesars Entertainment for $17.6 billion

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Tilman Fertitta to buy Las Vegas icon Caesars Entertainment for $17.6 billion

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LAS VEGAS – One of the Las Vegas Strip’s two largest casino operators will be sold to billionaire hospitality mogul Tilman Fertitta.

After months of reports of a sale in Sin City, Caesars Entertainment announced on May 28 that it had entered into a “definitive agreement” to be acquired by Fertitta Entertainment in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $17.6 billion.

Caesars operates more than 50 properties across the United States, including eight on the Las Vegas Strip. These properties include the eponymous The Flamingo (one of the Strip’s founding resorts) and the Vanderpump Hotel.

Fertitta owns Landry’s Inc., a dining, entertainment and hospitality company that operates the Golden Nugget casino chain (including the original location on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas), the NBA’s Houston Rockets, the WNBA’s Houston Comets, and brands such as Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, Rainforest Café and Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier.

Fertitta has an estimated net worth of $11 billion, according to Forbes.

In announcing the acquisition, Fertitta Entertainment said it will combine its loyalty programs Caesars Rewards, Golden Nugget’s 24 Karat Select Club, and Landry’s Select Club to create “the industry-leading loyalty ecosystem in the hospitality industry.”

“The combined company will offer guests an even broader range of destinations and experiences, all connected by the Caesars Rewards loyalty network,” Caesars said in the sale announcement.

The “all-cash transaction” approved by Caesars’ board of directors includes Fertitta assuming $11.9 billion in Caesars’ debt and “new commitment debt financing arranged by a group of 10 banks.” The deal is subject to a shareholder vote and a “go-shop” period during which Caesars can consider other proposals and potential regulatory scrutiny.

TD Cowen analyst Lance Vitanza told Reuters the deal was “likely not to receive the necessary approvals” because Fertitta is the U.S. ambassador to Italy and San Marino and a longtime supporter of President Donald Trump.

When asked by USA TODAY whether it would seek to block the deal, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford’s office said it had “no comment.” USA TODAY also reached out to Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo for comment.

Caesars’ first merger in 10 years

This will be Caesars’ second merger with another company since 2020.

That year, Eldorado Resorts and then-Caesars Entertainment Corp. merged in a $17.3 billion deal after a long-term effort by the Carano family led to the gaming operator’s acquisition of the gaming giant, according to the USA TODAY Network’s Reno Gazette Journal. The deal leaves Caesars Entertainment with $8.8 billion in debt amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Caesars executives, including president and chief operating officer Anthony Carano and chief executive officer Tom League, as well as real estate-level management and human resources, will continue in their roles under Fertitta’s ownership, according to the sale announcement.

The Carano family plans to convert 5% of Cesar’s outstanding shares into Fertitta Entertainment stock and take the company private upon completion of the sale.

Campaigns and unions respond

Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill, who is running against Mr. Ford in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, said in a statement first provided to USA TODAY that it would be bad for the state to have “one of Donald Trump’s friends further controlling this industry.”

“Billionaires like Tilman Fertitta and his huge corporations must start paying their fair share of taxes so that Nevadans don’t receive them every day,” she added. “Casino and hospitality workers across the state are already working in dangerous conditions, with reduced hours, no living wage, and no access to child care.”

In a statement, the leading culinary union said it had “developed a strong relationship” with both parties and would “discuss the full implications of this acquisition.”

“The Culinary Union remains committed to ensuring that workers’ rights are respected, jobs are protected and union contracts are fully enforced,” the union said.

USA TODAY has reached out to the Ford and Lombardo camps as well as other major unions in Las Vegas for comment.

Contributor: Jason Hildago, Reno Gazette Journal, Reuters

Jill Biden shares reaction to Joe’s disastrous debate in new book

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Jill Biden shares reaction to Joe’s disastrous debate in new book

Nancy Pelosi, Kamala Harris – This memoir settles some scores, but generally with a stiletto, not an axe.

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When Jill Biden watched Joe Biden struggle in the presidential debates and abruptly end his political career, she knew something was going in a dire direction.

“Is this a stroke?” she wondered as she watched television in a waiting room near the CNN studios where President Biden was facing Donald Trump in June 2024. “It felt like we were looking at an AI hologram of a man we knew, but the hologram was glitching. Was he drugged? ”

Two years later, Jill Biden still doesn’t know what happened that night. Perhaps he was overcoached and coddled, she writes in her memoir of her time as first lady, A View from the East Wing, to be published June 2 by Gallery Books. Perhaps he was given Ambien or codeine cough syrup for a persistent cough upon returning from Europe and was experiencing side effects.

“He has a stroke”: Jill Biden talks about Joe’s 2024 debate

Never mind that he started the rally right after the debate ended. It was already too late. “Will Joe Biden survive?” a USA TODAY analysis asked. The reassurances of his spouse and aides who deny that the 81-year-old president is suffering from cognitive decline may not be enough.

“Joe lost himself in that discussion,” she writes, but makes no fuss about her husband’s lack of performance. “He had lost his essence. He didn’t speak from the heart. He had lied to him over a hundred times, but it didn’t matter.”

As they left the set that night, Joe Biden whispered, “You’re really pissed off, aren’t you?”

“Yes, yes,” my wife of 47 years whispered back.

Let me be clear: that was not the message they conveyed that night. Then, reflexively, it was sugarcoated. “You did a really great job,” she told him in front of a crowd of supporters. “You answered all the questions.”

But three weeks later, under pressure from Democratic Party elders, Biden reluctantly bowed to political realities and announced he was withdrawing from the presidential race with 107 days left until Election Day.

This step will not protect him from being held responsible for Trump’s victory and the Democratic Party’s woes.

“Performance is not very good”

Yes, even Jill Biden admits, her husband is older and more tiring than he used to be. “The truth is, he wasn’t performing as well as he did when he was younger,” she wrote. “As long as he gets the job done, does that disqualify him from being president?” She didn’t think so, and neither did his aides and doctors, she says.

In fact, she encouraged him to take a cognitive test to prove the point, but the idea was shot down by his advisers.

“They argued to him that every day at work was a test of his cognitive function, and that it was foolish to think that anyone could be satisfied with the ability to count backwards by three or any other ability required on a test, given his track record otherwise.”

Questions were already circulating about his meticulous schedule, including his limping and general reluctance to hold press conferences or sit down for interviews with reporters.

Jill Biden is leaving the door open that the naysayers might be right.

“Was he too old to work and I didn’t notice?” she writes. “I didn’t think so, but can you be objective enough to be sure?”

Conspiracy theories about his mental state will ensnare her, too.

Some critics accused her of being “some kind of puppet master,” someone who secretly runs things in the White House. But others claimed she was responsible for telling her husband not to run for president in 2024 and urging him to resign amid the uproar.

It was a role she had never seen herself play before, she says.

The first debate about whether he should run for the White House in 2020 took place over a minute over an impromptu lunch after attending former President George H.W. Bush’s funeral in December 2018.

“Before I looked at the menu, I said, ‘Joe, this is it. You have to decide. Are you going to run or not?’

“‘Yes, I want to run,’ he told me matter-of-factly.”

“Okay,” she said.

Almost six years later, when the question arose of whether he would step down, she said her role had been similarly limited. She said she even refused to answer his questions about her views and offered to support whatever decision he made.

That restrained portrayal of her is at odds with her reputation as a first lady who is an ardent protector of her husband and keeper of her family’s records.

She said the defining moment for Biden was when aide Steve Ricchetti told him that a group of senators was said to be preparing a letter telling Biden it was time to step down.

“The Senate was always the institution he respected above all else,” she said, and it was where he served for 36 years. “If he had received that letter, he might have really died. He might have died of a broken heart.”

Kamala Harris calls for urgent support

When he called then-Vice President Kamala Harris to tell her of his decision, she first expressed concern. “Oh my god, Joe. What about you?” of courseThe Bidens had their phones on speaker at their beach house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Harris then switched into what Jill Biden calls “prosecutor mode” and began pressing her to immediately endorse her as the Democratic nominee to replace Biden.

When he suggested waiting until the next morning, she warned him that any delay would spark a “prank” by Democrats trying to support someone other than themselves.

“I want it sooner,” she said.

“I’ll get back to you when I figure this out,” Joe said.

“Can you do it now?” she answered. “So, in 20 minutes?”

At that point, Jill Biden says, she left the room.

Her memoirs usually settle some scores with a stiletto rather than an axe.

Some longtime Democratic allies had fair weather friends. White House doctors somehow failed to diagnose Joe Biden’s prostate cancer before it spread to his bones.

And Melania Trump.

Jill Biden pointed out, without comment, that in 2021, Melania Trump did not follow the custom of the outgoing first lady inviting the incoming first lady to tea, an opportunity to see the new home. When their positions reversed in 2024, Biden extended the invitation and Melania declined.

Biden followed another tradition by handwriting a formal letter to his successor wishing her well and leaving it on the first lady’s desk. In her final moments at the White House, she also wrote an informal message with her fingertip on a steamy window on a cold morning, she says.

It’s not clear what the message was or whether anyone saw it.

Reconciliation with Nancy Pelosi

“A View from the East Wing” features some of the standard content of a first lady’s memoir. It records the rigor of election campaigns, the scrutiny of clothing, the pomp of state banquets, and the demands of foreign travel. She spoke of her determination to continue her work as an English professor at Northern Virginia Community College, a job no other first lady has done.

There are other, less traditional notes as well. She detailed eight traumatic days in which she attended her son Hunter’s trial on drug charges related to drug addiction in Wilmington in June 2024, while taking an official visit to France and headlining a campaign event in Pennsylvania.

“You can take a shower at the airport,” Chief of Staff Anthony Bernal advised.

The word “Trump” appears only twice in this 275-page book. The first time was a reference to the “Trump family” who attended President Bush’s funeral, and the second time was a reference to Joachim Sauer, the husband of then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

In all other references, Biden’s predecessors and successors, his political nemesis, are simply described as “opponents” and “the new president.”

The book ends with a moment of reconciliation.

A year after leaving the White House, the Bidens attended the funeral in New York for Tatiana Schlossberg, the daughter of Caroline Kennedy and Ed Schlossberg, who died at age 35 from a rare, aggressive form of leukemia.

During the service, the priest encouraged members of the congregation to share the sign of peace.

Two seats behind the Bidens was former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who held difficult talks with the president as he considered whether to withdraw. It was his decision, she reportedly told him, but she believed he should be expelled. “She said Joe would be heartbroken if he heard what Democrats were saying about her,” Jill Biden wrote.

They had never spoken since that day. Now he returned to where she was sitting and held out his hand.

peace. Let’s be friends.

they hugged. At least for them, the past was the past.

Will President Trump’s portrait be on the $250 bill? What could happen?

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Will President Trump’s portrait be on the $250 bill? What could happen?

President Donald Trump could appear on a proposed new $250 bill, marking the first time in more than 150 years that a portrait of a living person has been added to U.S. currency.

The Washington Post reported on May 28 that two senior Treasury Department officials, Treasury Secretary Brandon Beach and senior adviser Mike Braun, had instructed the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to design new banknotes with Trump’s likeness. Both officials were appointed by Trump.

A federal law enacted in 1866 states that “only the likeness of a deceased person may appear on the currency and securities of the United States.”

However, a Congressional proposal for a $250 bill featuring President Trump’s likeness was introduced in February 2025 by Representative Joe Wilson (RS.C.). According to the proposal, the $250 bill would commemorate the United States’ 250th anniversary.

The proposal, HR 1761, is still pending in the House Financial Services Committee.

more: A mockup of the $250 bill features a portrait of President Trump. But there’s a catch.

What would a $250 bill look like?

If you can’t see the graphic, click here to reload the page.

Whether President Trump’s $250 bill becomes official currency will likely depend on Congress failing to pass the Republican-backed bill, USA TODAY reported.

The newspaper said printing staff told Beach and Brown that there were legal and procedural hurdles to drafting the new bill. The director was then reappointed.

The agency’s website states that testing the new banknotes “could take many years to successfully complete.”

Testing includes security features, materials, printing methods, and production scale. The banknotes are also checked to see if they can work with U.S. cash-handling machines.

Why don’t living people appear on American currency?

The 1866 law was passed after Treasury Department official Spencer Clark placed his likeness on the five-cent bill. The Congressional mandate for this memo was to honor William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

This law was most recently amended in 1982. The basic ban on U.S. banknotes for survivors remains.

Subsequent federal legislation established a unit of U.S. currency. The $250 worth of notes have not yet been approved.

What other U.S. denomination banknotes exist?

The Treasury Department issued other denomination notes for many years, but they were abolished in July 1969. The reason for this was that it was not used.

Even though banknotes are no longer printed, they are still considered legal tender. Most are collector’s items now.

The $100,000 bill with Woodrow Wilson was only used for Federal Reserve transactions. It was not in general circulation.

Who was the last person to add to the US currency?

Benjamin Franklin was featured on the $100 bill in 1914. Thomas Jefferson was featured on the U.S. $2 bill in 1869, and again in 1976 when the bill was reintroduced as the Federal Reserve Note. Sacagawea, Lewis and Clark’s Native American interpreter and guide, was added to U.S. dollar coins from 2000 to 2008.

Will President Trump appear in other currencies?

Trump’s signature will be added to all future U.S. banknotes, starting with the $100 bill, marking the first time in history that a sitting president’s signature will appear on a U.S. bill, the Treasury Department announced on March 26.

The first $100 bill, signed by President Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, is expected to be printed in June, according to Reuters.

At least two commemorative coins featuring depictions of Trump have been approved by the American Board of Fine Arts, an advisory committee whose members are selected by the president.

Contributors Joey Garrison and Carissa Wadick

SOURCE USA TODAY NETWORK REPORTS AND INVESTIGATIONS. Reuters; US Department of the Treasury. United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing

It reminded me of skinny dip chocolate. See affected items

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It reminded me of skinny dip chocolate. See affected items

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A lot of Skinny Dip Chocolate Covered Nuts was voluntarily recalled due to the possible presence of undeclared allergens.

Bazzini, LLC, a co-manufacturer used by SkinnyDipped, issued a warning “out of an abundance of caution” to consumers, especially those with peanut allergies, as consuming these products could put them at risk for serious or life-threatening allergic reactions.

Skinny Dipped Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond Bites were distributed to retail stores nationwide, according to a May 27 notice posted on the Food and Drug Administration’s website. Some of the individually packaged bites were given to consumers as free samples.

No allergic reactions or illnesses have been reported in connection with the ongoing recall. The recall was issued after consumers reported finding peanut butter in individually wrapped Skinny Dipped Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond Bites in 3.17-ounce packages of 10.

“Peanuts and peanut butter are not intended as ingredients in Skinny Dip Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond Bites,” the notice reads. Other SkinnyDipped products are not affected.

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

How to get a refund

Consumers who own recalled products are urged to return the products to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions or concerns should contact SkinnyDipped directly at 1-866-957-9907 or hello@skinnydipped.com.

Products affected

Related product details, such as lot code and expiry date, can help you determine if your Skinny Dip Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond Bites have been recalled.

Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond Bites (10 Count/3.17oz):

  • UPC (Case): 10850034219780
  • UPC (Bag): 850034219783
  • UPC (internal): 850034219776
  • Best before date: 2026/12/20, 2026/12/22, 2026/12/23, 2026/12/26, 2026/12/27, 2026/12/29
  • Lot code: B15356, B15357, B15360, B15363, B25356, B25357, B25361, B25363, B35354, B35356, B35357, B35360, B35361

Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond Bites (6 pieces/3.17oz):

  • UPC (Case): 20850034219787
  • UPC (Bag): 850034219783
  • UPC (internal): 850034219776
  • Best before date: 2026/12/26 and 2026/12/27
  • Lot code: B25361, B35360, B35361

Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond Bites (50 counts/0.53 oz):

  • UPC (Case): 10850034219773
  • UPC (bag): N/A
  • UPC (internal): 850034219776
  • Best before date: 2026/12/23
  • Lot code: B15357

Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond Bites (24 count/0.53 oz):

  • UPC (Case): 850034219998
  • UPC (bag): N/A
  • UPC (internal): 850034219776
  • Best before date: 2026/12/26
  • Lot code: B35360

Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond Bites (20 pieces/0.53oz – Easter):

  • UPC (Case): 10865797000063
  • UPC (bag): N/A
  • UPC (internal): 850034219776
  • Best before date: 2026/12/20, 2026/12/22
  • Lot code: B15356, B25356, B35354, B35356

Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond Bites (4 pieces/3.17oz):

  • UPC (Case): B0DWBMVSBV
  • UPC (Bag): 850034219783
  • UPC (internal): 850034219776
  • Best before date: 2026/12/22, 2026/12/23, 2026/12/26, 2026/12/27, 2026/12/29
  • Lot code: B15356, B15360, B15361, B15363, B25356, B25357, B25363, B35356, B35357

Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond Bites / Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups (32 pieces/shipper):

  • UPC (Case): 00850034219936
  • UPC (Bag): 850034219783
  • UPC (internal): 850034219776
  • Best before date: 2026/12/22, 2026/12/23, 2026/12/26, 2026/12/27, 2026/12/29
  • Lot code: B15356, B15360, B16041, B16042, B25263, B25344, B25350, B35357, B35360, B35361

Thunder vs. Spurs Game 6 highlights: What we learned

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Thunder vs. Spurs Game 6 highlights: What we learned

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This was the first consecutive playoff appearance for the San Antonio Spurs.

On Thursday, May 28th, something new happened. It was the first time the Spurs’ young core faced elimination in the postseason.

This is the first time they’ve gotten away with it and extended the season, and they’ve done it in emphatic fashion.

The Spurs overwhelmed the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-91 in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals, putting them in a must-win situation. Game 7 is then set for Saturday, May 30th in Oklahoma City for a chance to play the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.

On Thursday night, all eyes were on the two stars of this series, the Spurs’ Victor Wembaneyama and the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was named Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row.

In the end, it was Wenbanyama who set the tone early on and took control of the match.

Here are the takeaways from Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals between the Spurs and Thunder.

Victor Wembaneyama brings Spurs closer to invincibility

In the first minutes of Game 6, it became clear that Wenbanyama was correcting his mistakes from Game 5.

After playing too passively two nights ago, Wenbanyama set his tone early, going 4-of-6 from the floor in the first quarter and 9-of-16 in the first half for 22 points after intermission.

Asked after the game what was different about Wenbanyama from Game 5 to Game 6, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said, “I guess it’s just his overall performance.” “It’s probably, from my perspective, it’s probably his will and intent to leave his mark on the game.”

The rest of the Spurs saw Wembaneyama shine, and his defensive and rebounding efforts also buoyed San Antonio. Wenbanyama had five rebounds throughout the first half, which was just one rebound more than his Game 5 total.

However, Wenbanyama made nine 3-point shots. And while he made three of his first four shots, he has to walk a fine line between taking too many perimeter shots. The Spurs are at their best when Wembaneyama is attacking the rim.

He finished the game with 28 points on 10-of-21 shooting and added 10 rebounds, two assists, three blocks, and two steals.

When asked what helped him move forward after a difficult Game 5, Wenbanyama said, “Trusting the game plan and discussing tactics with my staff and teammates.”

Frankly, this is his toughest test since he became a star. Gilgeous-Alexander has been consistent over the past two seasons, consistently scoring 30 or more points.

However, this postseason hasn’t been the cleanest for SGA. To be clear, he’s still an impact player, averaging 27.1 points per game in the postseason. The problem was with his efficiency, which led to a drop in production.

On Thursday night, Gilgeous-Alexander scored just 15 points on 6-of-18 shooting, his lowest total for the 2025-26 season, including playoffs.

In fact, the last time Gilgeous-Alexander scored fewer than 15 points was on May 24, 2025, in a loss to the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals, where he scored 14 points on 4-of-13 shooting.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s past four games have been marked by his uncharacteristically inefficient play. During that span, he shot just 36.2 percent, making just 25 of 69 attempts.

“Honestly, I don’t really know,” Gilgeous-Alexander said when asked why he’s having trouble hitting shots. “A lot of the shots I’m shooting, I’ve shot them many times before and have a good feel for them. They just don’t go in.”

“But it’s too late to give up my job, give up my game and myself. At the end of the season, I had to trust it and live or die by it.”

So how will the Thunder move Gilgeous-Alexander as the biggest game of the season approaches?

A lot of that will depend on how Oklahoma City manages the extra bodies and late double teams it throws into Gilgeous-Alexander when the Spurs start attacking in the paint. But Thunder coach Mark Dainot isn’t panicking.

“We were very encouraged because we got him in the last game,” Daigneault said. “Obviously, I don’t think we were that good tonight. I never trust a defense or an opponent. There’s always that. There are times when you think you can do more.”

“Our global approach tonight compared to San Antonio didn’t give us the best chance offensively.”

Dylan Harper shines decisively off the bench

The dynamic rookie has struggled over the past three games, scoring just 18 points on 5-of-16 shooting in that stretch.

In the first half Thursday night, Harper was aggressive and in rhythm, scoring 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. He finished the game with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists.

The timing couldn’t have been better, as starting point guard De’Aaron Fox went just 1-of-9 from the field and didn’t score a single point in the first half. Fox had five rebounds and seven assists, but San Antonio still needs to score from the point guard position, and there was a lot of energy off the bench, especially Harper, who isn’t afraid to break out in transition.

“When he plays with confidence, I don’t think there’s a better player his age,” Spurs guard Stephon Castle said of Harper. “We need him because he’s been a big part of the team all year. When he plays like that, it’s pretty hard for us to win.”

It’s clear that when the Spurs play with aggression and efficiency, can dictate the terms of a series, and can clamp down on defenses to force turnovers, their offense comes alive.

That’s because the Spurs have good speed and can sprint in transition to threaten Oklahoma City’s defense. The Thunder are better in the half court, so any time San Antonio can destabilize the Thunder with their fast-break offense, it’s the Spurs’ best chance to win.

That sparked San Antonio’s third 20-0 run to decide the game.

It’s no coincidence that San Antonio led in turnover contests (12-12), points off turnovers (15-11) and fast break points (18-10) before Oklahoma City took the lead.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 10 points in the first half, but only reached the goal twice. He finished the game with a season-low 15 points.

Kayson Wallace dropped 11 in the first half on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting (including three depleted triples). He did not score any extra points for the rest of the game.

But Oklahoma City needed one of its secondary stars, Chet Holmgren (10 points) or Jared McCain (13 points), to be more consistent.

Jaylen Williams played although his minutes were limited due to a hamstring injury and was not expected to be a reliable scoring threat. In Game 7, the Thunder can’t afford another offensive night like this, where they scored a season-low 13 points in the third quarter.

Walmart expands its 30-minute delivery service. Please check the location

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Walmart expands its 30-minute delivery service. Please check the location

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The competition for home delivery within 30 minutes is fierce.

Walmart announced on May 28 that it will expand its 30-minute delivery service. Initially available in seven cities, this expedited service is now available in 33 cities across the United States.

The news comes two weeks after rival Amazon announced plans to expand its 30-minute delivery service to dozens more cities and more by the end of the year.

“Customers want faster and easier ways to get what they need in the moments that matter,” Tracy Polliot, Walmart US chief e-commerce officer, said in a press release. “We’ve been delivering orders within 30 minutes for over a year, and now 26% of our express deliveries already arrive within that time frame.”

Demand for “need it now” is increasing

Walmart said the availability of 30-minute delivery “builds on Walmart’s long-term convenience strategy and broader expedited delivery services as customer demand for a faster, smoother shopping experience continues to grow.”

Walmart says customers can shop from more than 100,000 eligible items, including groceries, groceries, baby products, cold and flu medicine, household supplies, pet food, electronics, prescription delivery and more.

The company said it completed “millions of deliveries” within 30 minutes to more than 19,000 zip codes across the country in the first quarter of this year.

“We’re seeing a trend in ‘need it now’ items across categories, reflecting the variety of ways customers are using expedited delivery for immediate needs and last-minute situations,” Walmart said in a statement. The retailer said this includes items such as batteries, party supplies, dog food and last-minute meal solutions.

Neil Saunders, a retail analyst at research and analysis firm GlobalData, said fast shipping will be the new battleground.

“Such speeds are not always necessary, but consumers prefer this option in case they urgently need a product,” Sanders told USA TODAY. “Retailers who do not offer this service therefore not only lose their urgent mandate, but also run the risk of directing their customers to other platforms for another purchase.

“Walmart and Amazon are both competing in e-commerce, and each is working hard to avoid gaining an advantage over the other,” he said.

Get it now: Amazon’s 30-minute delivery expands to more cities

Where is delivery possible within 30 minutes?

The service was initially available in seven cities: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Oklahoma City, Tampa, and Salt Lake City.

It is now available in 33 of these cities, with further expansion opportunities coming soon, Walmart said. In markets where the service is available for an address, customers will see “Delivery within 30 minutes” on the Walmart website or app.

  • Allentown, Pennsylvania
  • atlanta
  • austin
  • Bozeman, Montana
  • Cape Coral – Fort Myers, Florida
  • chicago
  • dallas
  • denver
  • Dover, Delaware
  • Eureka, California
  • Fayetteville, North Carolina
  • Freeport, Illinois
  • houston
  • kalispell, montana
  • lincoln, nebraska
  • Merced, California
  • minneapolis
  • Modesto, California
  • Naples, Florida
  • oklahoma city
  • Orlando, Florida
  • philadelphia
  • phoenix
  • Reading, Pennsylvania
  • Sacramento, California
  • Salisbury, Maryland
  • salt lake city
  • st louis
  • tampa
  • Ukiah, California
  • Vallejo, California
  • Warner Robins (Georgia)
  • York, Pennsylvania

Walmart+ members can enjoy 30-minute delivery for just $10. Customers also have the option of express delivery (within 1 hour), on-demand (as little as 3 hours), and scheduled delivery (choose the delivery window that best fits your schedule).

Prior to the expansion announcement, during Walmart’s May 21 earnings call, Walmart executive vice president and chief financial officer John David Rainey said that U.S. sales using store fulfillment have more than doubled over the past two years. More than 36% of orders were delivered within three hours in the first quarter, giving retailers the potential to deliver to approximately 60% of the U.S. population within 30 minutes.

Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Contact her at blinfisher@USATODAY.com or follow her at @blinfisher on X, Facebook and Instagram and @blinfisher.bsky.social on Bluesky.. Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, breaking down complex consumer and financial news. Subscribe here.

Shree Parikh named winner of 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee

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Shree Parikh named winner of 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee

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The 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee ended with a dramatic spell-off, with Shree Parikh being named the winner.

Shree, 14, scored 32 words while runner-up Ishaan Gupta scored 25 words.

The winning word was “bromocriptine,” which is “a polypeptide alkaloid that is a derivative of ergot and mimics the activity of dopamine.”

The San Bernardino, Calif., native will take home $52,500 in cash, a Scripps Cup, a commemorative medal and other prizes.

The auditorium was filled to capacity, and cheers erupted when Schlie was named the winner.

Scripps officials presented Speller with an iconic trophy manufactured by Rookwood Pottery in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The final two competed in a spell-off to end the final match.

Spelloff was introduced in 2021. Each speller was given 90 seconds to spell as many words as possible. While one participant competed, the other was isolated with headphones on and could not hear the words being read aloud.

The judges read the same words in the same order. The winner was the participant who spelled the most words correctly.

On May 28, at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., nine finalists competed for the chance to be named spelling champion. This is the first time in 15 years that the bees have been held in the capital.

Other finalists are: Oliver Halkett in Los Angeles. Zwe Spacetime in Washington DC. Khushi Gottimukkara lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. Avishka Dudara, from Dallas. Aiden Meng lives in Danville, California. Saab Dalabane of Tucker, Georgia and Logan Bailey of Houston.

Eight of the nine finalists had competed in previous Scripps National Spelling Bees, and three had reached the finals in previous competitions, Scripps said.

Aiden opened the contest with the word “essoinee.” He was eliminated in the first three rounds after fumbling with “Catometope.” Oliver took second place, Zwe third, Avishka fourth, Logan fifth and Khushi sixth.

Some of the most difficult words of the night included cara sposa and quincke tube.

And it all came down to the last two, Ishaan and Shree.

Who is Shree Parikh?

The teenager competed in the National Bee in 2024, tied for third place, and tied for 89th in 2022, Scripps said.

His favorite word is “moonjaku,” which is “a type of small deer native to Southeast Asia.”

Speller plays a myriad of instruments, including the snare drum, bass drum, timpani, toms, break drum, triangle, glockenspiel, and marimba.

To prepare for the spelling bee, Schley practiced for five hours every day.

He told reporters that the “great community” was key to winning the title.

“They really motivated me and pushed me to get better. I’m so grateful,” Schley said, giving a shout out to his family and coaches.

It looks like the champion won’t be leaving the competition any time soon.

This year, he qualified for the California Mathematics Test, a math “bee” style competition for middle school students.

How are the Scripps National Spelling Bee finals conducted?

The finals included two spelling rounds and one vocabulary round. Vocabulary rounds were introduced as an on-stage element in 2021 to take the focus off spelling memorization. This involves giving each speller a multiple-choice question about the definition of the word.

In the spelling round, spellers were given 90 seconds to spell each word. If the spelling was incorrect, the judge rang a bell to end the competition time.

After spellers are given a word, they can ask questions about the definition, part of speech, how the word is used in a sentence, the language of origin, alternate pronunciations and repetition of the word, Scripps said.

The contest began on Tuesday, May 26th, with 247 spellers participating. They represented all 50 states. The international spellers were from Guam, Canada, the Bahamas, Ghana, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, the United Arab Emirates, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The spellers ranged in age from 9 to 15 years old.

How do I qualify for the Spelling Bee?

To be eligible for the spelling bee, students must be at least 15 years old or have passed eighth grade, Scripps said.

The children compete in the National Spelling Bee after winning the classroom and community bees. National participants will be selected based on competition results, Scripps said.

An estimated 11 million children participate in spelling bees in the United States each year, according to Scripps.

What does the champion win?

  • From Scripps National Spelling Bee: $50,000 in cash, commemorative medal, Scripps Cup, and the official Scripps National Spelling Bee winner’s trophy.
  • From Merriam-Webster: $2,500 cash and reference materials.
  • From Encyclopedia Britannica: 1768 Encyclopedia Britannica©, Replica Set, Reference materials including 3-year membership to Britannica Online© Premium $400
  • from Kennedy Space Center and visitor complex.: 2-day admission for up to 4 people, 2-night hotel stay, meet-and-greet with an astronaut, and $350 in merchandise.
  • From Delta Airlines: $1,000 flight credit

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

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