The Excerpt: A Saturday Rundown

Introduction

Welcome to "The Excerpt," your daily dose of news and insights from USA TODAY. I’m your host, Taylor Wilson, and today is Saturday, May 10th, 2025. Let’s dive into the headlines making waves.

Pope Leo XIV’s Inaugural Mass

The Roman Catholic Church has a new leader, Pope Leo XIV, the first American Pope. He celebrated his first mass as the head of 1.4 billion Catholics at the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel. The mass began with Pope Leo XIV processing into the chapel singing in Latin, accompanied by the prestigious Sistine Chapel choir. Readings were delivered in English and Spanish.

Pope Leo XIV delivered a message of unity and faith, saying, "As we celebrate this morning, I invite you to recognize the marvels that the Lord has done, the blessings that the Lord continues to pour out upon all of us."

He also invoked the teachings of his predecessor, Pope Francis, emphasizing the importance of bearing witness to their faith in Christ. Pope Leo XIV stressed the need for missionary outreach in the modern world.

For more on Pope Leo XIV’s first days in office, find the link in today’s show notes.

Republican Rift Over Trump’s Priorities

Republicans are navigating a complex web of internal disagreements as they work on a bill addressing President Donald Trump’s priorities. Riley Beggin, USA TODAY’s Senior Congress Reporter, joins us to break down the key factions.

Beggin explains that the Republican Party is divided into three main groups. First, the fiscal conservatives, or deficit hawks, are concerned about the cost of extending Trump’s 2017 tax package and are seeking spending cuts to offset the expense.

The second group consists of moderate conservatives representing low-income districts or states with concerns about Medicaid cuts. These lawmakers are wary of changes to Medicaid benefits and have stated they will not support any bill that reduces benefits.

The third faction is the SALT Caucus, composed of Republicans from high-tax Democratic states like New York, New Jersey, and California. They are pushing for a specific tax provision and are prepared to strongly advocate for their interests.

Medicaid is a central point of contention. Lawmakers are trying to find cuts without significantly affecting low-income individuals. Republican leadership has suggested eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse, such as adding work requirements and verifying citizenship. However, these measures may not be sufficient to achieve the desired savings. Proposals like changing the federal match rate between the federal government and states or imposing a per capita cap are also being considered.

President Trump recently suggested he could accept higher taxes on the wealthy, a reversal from his previous stance. Beggin notes that this reflects the populist wing of the Republican Party. While some conservatives may support the idea of a new tax bracket for those making over $2.5 million, leadership is generally against raising taxes, citing concerns about economic growth.

Republican leaders stress that failure to reach a deal is not an option. They face a limited window of opportunity with control of the House, Senate, and White House. History suggests they may lose the House in the next election. The 2017 tax cuts are set to expire at the end of the year, and Congress must also address the debt ceiling this summer or fall.

National Science Foundation Cuts

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has canceled 73 additional grants and eliminated its Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM team. A staff memo obtained by USA TODAY indicates that the agency is laying off approximately 70 employees and plans to eliminate around 300 temporary positions. Employees who have been working remotely will need to return to the NSF headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia.

The Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM was dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM fields by removing barriers and supporting the participation of underrepresented groups.

These grant cancellations mark the third wave of terminations at the NSF in recent weeks. The agency has stopped over 1,400 projects, totaling more than a billion dollars.

India-Pakistan Conflict Escalation

Tensions are escalating between India and Pakistan, with both countries launching military strikes and counterstrikes. The moves have prompted calls from the United States for de-escalation and dialogue. There have been long-standing fears that conflict between the two nations could escalate to the use of nuclear weapons. This marks some of the most intense conflict since 1999. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has contacted both Pakistan’s army chief and India’s foreign minister, urging them to de-escalate and reestablish direct communication.

"Untested" Podcast: A Detective’s Pursuit of Justice

USA TODAY and Witness present "Untested," a new podcast that delves into a detective’s hunt for a sexual predator. Gina Barton, USA TODAY Investigative Reporter, shares a preview.

The podcast grew out of investigative reporting about the crisis of untested rape kits and federal grants used to test them. Barton followed a case in Lansing, Michigan, involving a 10-year-old case with an untested rape kit. Another woman had accused the same man of rape.

Barton attended the trial, interviewed the prosecutors, detective, victim advocate, and victims. The podcast will explore the wealth of material that couldn’t fit into the initial report.

Barton was surprised to find that after rape kits were finally tested, often nothing happened. She found that in many jurisdictions, the kits were tested and the cases were forgotten. She wanted to focus on a case where a detective actually investigated the case after getting a result and things went more as they were supposed to.

She noted that Detective Annie Harrison displayed compassion and empathy for victims of rape and sexual assault and saw her role as bringing them justice and helping bring them peace.

She also found that Annie was willing to admit when she or other police officers had made mistakes or had been wrong, and was always striving to see what can be learned from those mistakes. She was also willing to apologize to the victims. She realized that some of the tested kits still nothing happened. She was willing to find the victim survivors, go to their houses, apologize to them for how they had been treated up to that point, and Barton found that to be really unusual.

She hopes listeners will have more compassion for victims and survivors of sexual assault and that police officers and professionals will be inspired by Annie and her methods and her willingness to learn more.

Coming Up Tomorrow

Tomorrow, Niall Harbison will share his story about rescuing a golden retriever named Tina and his mission to fix the global street dog problem. You can hear that episode beginning at 5:00 AM Eastern Time.

Conclusion

Thank you for listening to "The Excerpt." You can find the podcast wherever you get your audio. I’m Taylor Wilson, and I’ll be back Monday with more of "The Excerpt" from USA TODAY.