good morning!🙋🏼♀️ I’m Nicole Fallato. Do you have a bad cold? Your medicine may not work.
Let’s take a quick look at Wednesday’s news.
Senate unanimously agrees to release records
The Epstein File Transparency Act heads to President Donald Trump’s desk for signature after passing the House and Senate on Tuesday.
meaning: The measure would require the federal government to release as much information as possible about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
- An overwhelming bipartisan House vote: All Democrats and nearly all Republicans voted in favor of the bill.
- However, the file may still not come out. Attorney General Pam Bondi could cite the ongoing investigation into Democrats connected to Epstein as a reason not to release them.
- Epstein’s survivors helped draft the bill. The law includes measures to protect survivors, including the redacting of personal information.
President Trump woos Saudi prince at the White House
President Donald Trump welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, a much-criticized human rights figure, to the White House on Tuesday for a heated meeting filled with promises of military and economic deals.
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Obamacare enrollees brace for rising costs
“We’re real people with real lives and real families. Our mortgage is going up because of property taxes. Utilities are going up. Groceries are going up. The cost of living has gone up overall. We don’t know what we’re going to do.”
~ Dawn Wheeler, 59, of Edwardsville, Kansas, is one of the millions of Americans who buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act’s Marketplace, and her premiums could rise next year unless Congress extends the COVID-19 era ACA tax credits.
Who should schedule your child’s vaccinations?
Most Democrats say they are health care providers. Most Republicans say it’s their parents. But a new survey of thousands of adults by the Pew Research Center shared with USA TODAY finds that both parties agree that they are very confident that childhood vaccines can help prevent serious illnesses in children. This political division has been brewing for some time.
today’s speaker
UEFA World Cup qualifying playoff teams decided
Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be held in North America this summer, here’s what’s going on. Twelve teams have already qualified directly for the tournament, with four more spots available for UEFA’s qualifying play-offs in March 2026. The 16 teams will be divided into four brackets in the European playoffs, with two semi-finals and one final in each bracket. While the four winners will qualify for the World Cup, everyone else must turn their attention to qualifying for 2030. Which teams will participate in the UEFA Playoffs?
Photo of the day: Thanks to Love Bus
No one can escape the love bath pop culture trend. That’s evidenced by the anticipated debut of a shiny new Love Bus-themed float at this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. See what else is new for the parade’s 99th year.
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer for USA TODAY. Sign up for emails here. Want to send a note to Nicole? Email NFallert@usatoday.com.
