YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP | |
Quick look at Thursday's news: |
| • | Some Kentuckians brace for Medicaid cuts. | | • | Victims of Jeffrey Epstein urged the House to force the release of more investigative files. | | • | When is your next chance to win an eye-popping $1.4 billion? | |
Will Medicaid cuts deliver an outsized hit on Appalachia? |
In the heart of Appalachia in Eastern Kentucky, many residents are beneficiaries of the state's 2014 Medicaid expansion to low-income adults, which brought an outsized boost to some of America's poorest counties beset by disproportionately high rates of chronic disease, disability and opioid abuse. Medical visits increased. Hospital budgets eased. Health clinics expanded and hired workers, buoying local economics. And drug treatment increased. But it's now gearing up for a test of its staying power: President Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" signed in July cuts nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid and a related children's health program over a decade, with a new 80-hour-a-month work requirement. |
| • | Cuts to a federal program that Kentucky uses to pay providers means the state is projected to see a nearly $11 billion decline in rural Medicaid spending, one of the largest drops in the nation. USA TODAY examined how some Kentucky medical providers are already tightening services. | | Patient Denver Feltner talks with a physician at the Primary Care Centers of Eastern Kentucky clinic in Perry County, Kentucky. Chris Kenning / USA TODAY |
Epstein victims speak as pressure grows to release files |
Women who say they were sexually abused by the late, disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein spoke out in an emotional press conference where they called for the full release of the criminal investigative files in the case on Sept. 3. |
What this means: The demands pose a challenge for President Donald Trump and Republican congressional leaders who for years demanded more information about Epstein, a former friend of the president, but now say full disclosure could hurt Epstein's victims. |
| • | Documents will help "put the pieces of my own life back together." A newly disclosed Brazilian accuser of Epstein, Marina Lacerda, called on lawmakers and the Justice Department to not only release all of the Epstein files but to give her and other victims unredacted copies of everything connected to their cases. | | • | A House divided: House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said a vote to force the Justice Department to release more documents is no longer necessary. Meanwhile, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, and Ro Khanna, D-California are rallying an effort for a House vote. | | • | A coincidience? During the news conference, a military flyover of the U.S. Capitol drowned out some of the Epstein accusers' remarks. | | Marina Lacerda, a Jeffery Epstein survivor, speaks during a press conference in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Josh Morgan, USA TODAY |
No more NFL-style tests for soldiers |
The Army announced the cancellation of its flagship officer selection program Sept. 2 after officials in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's office directed its review. The Army's Command Assessment Program, an NFL Combine-style program, known as CAP, that put prospective battalion and brigade commanders through a series of physical and mental tests, was cancelled "effective immediately." A senior defense official familiar with CAP but not authorized to speak publicly told USA TODAY that Hegseth's office ordered the cancellation without meaningful consultation with the Army. Army experts told USA TODAY the move to cancel CAP doesn't make sense. |
Hurricane Kiko is now a Category 4 storm |
Two hurricanes are spinning in the Pacific Ocean, with Hurricane Kiko more than 1,500 miles east of Hawaii and Hurricane Lorena potentially set to cause flooding in northwestern Mexico. Kiko was centered about 1,560 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii, as of the 11 p.m. ET advisory from the National Hurricane Center on Sept. 3. Kiko had maximum sustained winds near 145 mph with higher gusts, making it a Category 4 hurricane. The storm is expected to move westward through Thursday, Sept. 4, and then begin a turn toward the west-northwest. Track Kiko's path. |
He's $130K in debt with a 1-year-old to feed |
'We're barely just coasting by. It spirals and then one thing leads to another, you can go from something good to something really bad, really fast.' |
~ Pablo Pratt, 28, was one of millions enrolled in the Biden administration's Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan who were charged interest for the first time in a year. His family in Texas was already living paycheck to paycheck when the surprise interest charge added additional stress. Gen Z told USA TODAY how they're navigating a quickly-changing student loan landscape. |
Photo of the day: How do you pick your numbers? | An electronic sign displays the $1.4 billion jackpot in the Powerball lottery drawing in Queens, New York City, U.S., September 3, 2025. Kylie Cooper, REUTERS |
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here . Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com. | | MAHA activists warned Trump that a move to shield pesticide companies could spell "peril for the Republican majority in the House" in 2026 midterms. | | As someone who fell into substance addiction, I'm wary of using medication as the first solution to behavioral or emotional challenges for my son. | | | | A ban on some gel polishes leave Americans wondering if their manicure is safe. | | | | Which is more appealing: neatly mowed grass or a 'rewilded' lawn that supports a diverse habitat? | | | | "NCIS" alum Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo return as Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo and Ziva David in the new Paramount+ series "NCIS: Tony & Ziva." | | | | Peacock's sort-of spinoff of "The Office," "The Paper," has the right tone for a show meant to succeed the classic. But it needs a little more. | | | | Noah Kahan tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend in a private Vermont ceremony. | | | | USA TODAY's daily news podcast, The Excerpt, brings you a curated mix of the most important headlines seven mornings a week. | | | | Our app gives you award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, eNewspaper and more. | | | | | Try our free Quick Cross! | Test your best time on our miniature crossword or check out one of our other games. | | | | |
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