US to send more troops to Middle East after Israeli strikes in Lebanon

Helene has weakened to a post-tropical cyclone after killing dozens and leaving millions in the dark.Israel's military says it has killed Hezbollah's leader.USA TODAY National Political Correspondent David Jackson discusses the Trump campaign's approach to getting out the vote.The Justice Department charged three men for allegedly hacking the Trump campaign on behalf of the Iranian government in order to hurt former President Donald Trump's election prospects.USA TODAY Personal Finance Reporter Daniel de Visé breaks down why child care costs more than rent in some cities. Check out our deep dive episode from June on the child care crisis in America.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hurricane Helene made landfall on Florida's Big Bend coast as a Category 4 storm Thursday.USA TODAY Senior National News Reporter Rebecca Morin breaks down new exclusive USA TODAY/Suffolk University polling from Arizona.The Biden administration announces new military aid for Ukraine, including bombs with the range to reach inside Russia.There's a $20 million reward in a plot targeting former national security adviser John Bolton.New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted. Dan Morrison, an editor in USA TODAY's Washington bureau, puts the charges in context.Check out The Excerpt on YouTube.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There have now been not one, but two assassination attempts on Trump’s life. Both candidates now speak behind bullet proof glass at outdoor events. And after falsely claiming that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio are eating pet dogs and cats, shooting and bomb threats have skyrocketed. Has political violence surrounding US elections become the new normal? USA TODAY Domestic Security Correspondent Josh Meyer joins The Excerpt to unpack the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

New York City's mayor has been indicted on federal criminal charges. The indictment remained sealed Wednesday night.Hurricane Helene is set to make landfall as a Category 4 in Florida.USA TODAY Pentagon Correspondent Tom Vanden Brook discusses the implications of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's push for U.S.-supported long-range missiles to reach deeper into Russia.The U.S. and other nations call for an immediate 21-day cease-fire on the Israel-Lebanon border.U.S. officials and lawmakers say Iran is trying to assassinate former President Donald Trump, and other political figures.USA TODAY Democracy Reporter Erin Mansfield reports on state election officials in several battleground states who say they would sue counties that won't certify the 2024 election result.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This year, for just the seventh time since the start of the HIV pandemic, a person was cured of the virus. That patient, along with the others cured, had received stem cell transplants to treat another life-threatening disease, blood cancer. But because these transplants carry a significant mortality risk, they're simply not a viable cure for the roughly 40 million people globally living with the virus. Dr. Sharon Lewin, Professor of Medicine at Doherty Institute at the University of Melbourne, Australia joins The Excerpt to discuss why, in the 40 years since the onset of the HIV pandemic, we still don't have a cure.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tensions continue along the Lebanon-Israel border.USA TODAY Congress, Campaigns and Democracy Reporter Karissa Waddick talks about the importance of young blue collar voters this election.A government watchdog blames leadership at the Education Department for a bungled FAFSA rollout.Tropical Storm Helene is forecast to become a Category 3 hurricane as it hits Florida Thursday.The Justice Department files an antitrust lawsuit against Visa.Former USA TODAY Investigative Reporter Emily Le Coz talks through some of the other deadly incidents involving the ship operator in the Baltimore bridge collapse.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Monday was the deadliest day in Lebanon since 1990 after Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets.USA TODAY White House Correspondent Joey Garrison takes a look at the different approaches to masculinity by the Trump and Harris campaigns.Vice President Kamala Harris leads former President Donald Trump in Michigan polling, but Trump leads in several other battleground states in a separate poll.President Joe Biden will defend his legacy and U.S. involvement in the world, in a farewell speech to the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday.USA TODAY National Correspondent Elizabeth Weise has the latest from the Coast Guard Titan submersible hearings.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A search is underway for the gunmen involved in Saturday's Birmingham shooting.USA TODAY Breaking News and Education Reporter Zach Schermele talks about how shootings have upended schools nationwide.A dormant nuclear power plant may soon be reactivated.USA TODAY National Correspondent Trevor Hughes discusses threats against election workers and how they're preparing for November.Numerous studies find bird migration is changing in response to warmer temperatures for some migrating birds.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Connie Chung was a groundbreaker. She was just about the only ‘girl on the bus’ during the McGovern campaign in 1972, then chased the Watergate scandal. She reached her dream job when she became the first woman to co-anchor the CBS Evening News, and the first Asian American to anchor a program on any of the networks. But it wasn’t easy, from the sexual harassment to what she calls the “big shot-itis” of most male anchors. In her new memoir, "Connie," she reveals how she would discover — decades later — how consequential her legacy really was.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tensions continue along the Lebanon-Israel border, as Israel strikes Beirut.USA TODAY Justice Department Correspondent Bart Jansen discusses what the Secret Service says it got wrong in the July shooting of former President Donald Trump.Donald Trump is making a renewed effort to secure a Nebraska Electoral College vote that could decide who wins the White House in November.The Federal Trade Commission sues pharmacy benefit managers over high insulin prices.USA TODAY Personal Finance Reporter Daniel de Visé breaks down polling that shows Americans agree there's a retirement crisis - regardless of political party.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.