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About the author.
Lysa TerKeurst is president and chief visionary officer of Proverbs 31 Ministries and the author of six New York Times bestsellers, including Good Boundaries and Goodbyes , Forgiving What You Can’t Forget , and It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way . She writes from her family’s farm table and lives in North Carolina. Connect with her at www.LysaTerKeurst.com or on social media @LysaTerKeurst.
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Lysa terkeurst.
Lysa TerKeurst is president of Proverbs 31 Ministries and the author of more than twenty-five books, including It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way and the #1 New York Times bestsellers Forgiving What You Can’t Forget and Uninvited. She writes from her family’s farm table and lives in North Carolina. Connect with her at www.LysaTerKeurst.com or on social media @LysaTerKeurst.
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
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Customers find the book's content inspirational, healing, and biblically based. They also say it helps them understand the value of forgiveness and work through hurts. Readers praise the readability, honesty, and writing style. They say the book is inspiring to read with lots of insight and detail. Customers also say the author does a beautiful job of being transparent and feel acknowledged and validated.
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Customers find the book's content encouraging, practical, and relatable. They also say it provides Bible verses and guided questions to help them sort out their thoughts after each chapter. Overall, customers say the book is inspirational and healing.
"...I can't put it down! Great author! Gives reasons to reconsider things that happened in the past." Read more
"...everything and have helped me in so many ways must read amazing way to start your healing ......" Read more
"It helps you in so many ways . On how to move forward and establish boundaries that you need...." Read more
"This book and the journal you can purchase with it are a wealth of knowledge ! I have been experiencing healing I didn't even know I needed." Read more
Customers find the book easy to read and relatable. They also appreciate the author's honesty, authenticity, and grace. Readers say the book shares real-life scenarios and provides action steps.
"Great reading material. I can't put it down! Great author ! Gives reasons to reconsider things that happened in the past." Read more
" Gifted writer covering an incredibly difficult topic. Loved it and totally recommend it. Bought one for a friend before I even finished it" Read more
"...Additionally the author is candid about her own struggles and how she chose to ultimately forgive." Read more
"...The writing style is personal, the emotions are authentic , this is human in all ways. I recommend all the related materials for this study." Read more
Customers find the religious content in the book helpful for understanding the value of forgiveness. They also say it walks them through grieving, processing, and coming to a place of peace. Readers are grateful for the wisdom, grace, and hope contained within.
"...This book truly made a difference in my life. Forgiveness is key ...." Read more
"This (together with the workbook and videos) is a tremendous resource for the hurting ...." Read more
"This book is a gift. Truly, it changed my whole perspective on traumatic events and helped equip me with the tools to move on...." Read more
"...It really heals your heart from pain and suffering and opens you to forgiveness within yourself . So encouraging." Read more
Customers find the writing style inspiring, eye opening, and down to earth. They appreciate the author's transparency and simple presentation of forgiveness. Readers also say the book validates areas that needed clarity, is very deep, and heavy. They also appreciate the examples drawn from the author’s own experiences. Overall, they say the chapter 9 was life-changing.
"...It's very relatable and touches on some deep issues we experience first hand in life. Especially when you've been hurt so much in life...." Read more
"Just started reading this book and I feel like I can relate to her experiences so well ." Read more
"Life changing reading. It validated areas that needed clarity , walked me through everything I was feeling and helped uncover more." Read more
"... Chapter 9 was life-changing and I know forgiveness is possible because of this book." Read more
Customers find the book timely and necessary in a world full of issues.
"...throughout my whole journey, and I believe this book and resources are perfectly timed ...." Read more
"...This book is so very timely and necessary now, in a world full of deeply wounded and badly hurting people...." Read more
"Currently struggling with forgiveness so this book was right on time and quite helpful...." Read more
"Love my purchase. Delivery was quick . Will definitely do business again.Thanks!" Read more
Customers are mixed about the emotional impact of the book. Some find it extremely comforting and excellent to help process the lingering hurt from broken trust in relationships. They say the author can identify with their pain and betrayal. However, others say the topic can be a bit emotionally congested, religious, and not relatable. They also say the book is full of flowery, feel-good words that have little meaning.
"...It’s way too religious and not relatable for me ." Read more
"...I started to feel free , light and hopeful...." Read more
"...This book is full of flowery, feel-good words that have little meaning , and what little meaning they have is often hard to decipher...." Read more
" Sucks you right in . So much truth. So much honesty. So many eye openers. Heart felt. Love this book" Read more
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These uplifting reads are guaranteed to put a smile on your face
I love a pacy thriller or a weighty biography as much as the next person, but sometimes the books I crave are funny, charming, uplifting stories where I know nothing too bad will happen and where I'm guaranteed a happy ending. Grabbing my book and knowing I can escape what's going on in the real world for an hour or so is often sanity-saving.
If you're in need of a pick me up (and, quite frankly, who isn't?), these feel-good reads will put a smile on your face.
The new novel from the author of The Midnight Library is another life-affirming read. When newly-widowed Grace is left a house in Ibiza by a friend, she books a one-way ticket, hoping to find out more about the woman she hasn't seen for years. Once on the island she finds transformation and a new beginning.
A slice of sunshine in book form! Newly qualified London vet Charlotte takes up a fellowship on a tiny South Atlantic island to study endangered tortoises – but she’s also there to try to track down her dad. The descriptions of the island and its community are particularly gorgeous.
The author of The One Hundred Years Of Lenni And Margot returns with another wonderfully joyful read. Eddie is a 90-year-old charity shop volunteer who is still pining for his first love. When grieving Bella visits the shop, they become friends and she makes it her mission to find him love.
Reading this thoughtful, uplifting novel was like doing a really good yoga class – it left me feeling calm. After being made redundant, Holly checks into a wellness retreat, hoping for a bit of a break from real life. There, she encounters friendship and kindness – but must also face the traumas of her past.
Another warm-hearted novel from the BBC Radio 2 presenter. The story follows Josie, a fiftysomething woman at a crossroads in life who decides to leave London and move back to the Lancashire farm where she grew up. This was a delight from beginning to end.
The author of The Keeper Of Lost Things returns with another uplifting read, which contains a reminder that it’s never too late to follow your dreams. For 50 years, Venetia’s entire existence has revolved around her husband and his career. Now a widow, she’s feeling lost. Then she buys a rundown ballroom where she taught dancing years ago and finds a new passion for life.
This charming debut is an absolute joy. When developers threaten to demolish their apartment block in the Indian coastal town of Chennai, neighbours Kamala, Reva and British ex-pat Jason band together to fight for their beloved home.
The joy of finding friendship in unexpected places is celebrated in this uplifting read by the author of The Keeper Of Stories . Jo is looking for an escape after a bad break-up, so agrees to look after her Uncle Wilbur’s stationery shop, where she meets Ruth, a vicar running from a secret, and septuagenarian Malcolm, who is writing his first novel.
Decades ago, the garden of number 79 was a community project blooming with life; now Winston and his new neighbour, Bernice, share the overgrown space but barely speak. Can they come together to return it to its former glory? A heart-warming read.
Loretta has her life all planned out – challenging job, engaged to a nice but dull man – and it definitely doesn’t include children. Then, an unexpected tragedy at an airport throws six-year-old Phoebe, complete with glitter fairy wings, into her life and upends it completely. The perfect mix of funny, poignant and heartwarming.
Prepare to have your cockles warmed by this adorable book about 23-year-old Joe, who unexpectedly finds himself out of his comfort zone, with only his mum’s notebooks full of life advice to guide him through new challenges. His unique, charming voice make this a joy to read.
This grown-up take on Freaky Friday balances humour and poignancy so well. On the eve of her 40th birthday, Alice falls asleep at her father’s house and wakes up aged 16 again. This time, she’s determined to right the wrongs in her life, including a plan to save her ailing father, who is on his deathbed in the other timeline.
This reimagining of Nancy Mitford’s The Pursuit Of Love is a delight. It sees unworldly Linda leave the farm where she grew up with her family to become a fashion designer’s muse. I fell head-over-heels for the quirky cast of characters and their charming escapades.
If you want romance with edge, this is the book for you. The writing is as funny and intelligent as you’d expect from the author of American Wife . Sally Milz is a writer on a TV sketch show who has sworn off relationships – until pin-up pop star Noah comes on as a guest...
When Beca returns to the seaside town where she grew up, it’s not the happy ending she thought it would be. Her parents’ ice cream shop is under new ownership, her oldest friend Griff is keeping his distance and her dream of giving foster kids a country escape is not going to plan. This story of friendship, family and community is guaranteed to lift your spirits.
I’m a sucker for books about reading and this one is a real heart-lifter. Widower Mukesh wants to connect with his quiet granddaughter Priya and thinks books might be the answer so he heads to the local library. There he meets bored teenager Aleisha and the two form a friendship through a shared reading list. What a joyful, uplifting read!
Based on the life of real life cookbook author Eliza Acton, this is a really charming historical novel that’s full of gorgeous recipes abd descriptions of food. At its heart the uplifting story of the friendship between Eliza and Ann Kirby, her kitchen help, that crosses the class divide.
I love that there’s always something a bit magical about Winman’s books (she’s best known for When God Was A Rabbit). Set in Italy in the years after the Second World War, this joyful book about love in all its forms tells the story of Ulysses and how a chance encounter with a woman named Evelyn changes the course of his life. The cast of characters are unforgettable and the gorgeous descriptions of the sun-baked Tuscan landscape and food will warm your soul.
Lenni, 17, and Margot, 83, meet in a hospital art class, and when they realise that between them they have lived 100 years, they decide to create a project, with a painting for each year. Told through stories and memories, we learn about the pair’s pasts. This multi-generational novel about friendship is something special: moving, joyful and life-affirming.
On the day Nora decides to end her life, she discovers a magical library which offers her endless chances to rewrite the choices she’s made and try out different ways of living. This touching story, which is like a book version of It’s A Wonderful Life, is full of heart and wisdom – just what we need for these strange times.
In this funny, uplifting read Lissa Evans returns to the characters introduced in her previous novels Crooked Heart and Old Baggage . It’s the tail-end of the Second World War and Vera is scrapping a living running a boarding house in Hampstead, while looking after her charge, 15-year-old Noel. When she witnesses an accident, and has to appear in court, the deceits she’s built her life on look likely to be discovered. Wonderful stuff.
If you loved Dear Mrs Bird, you’ll be delighted that there’s a sequel to the story of plucky trainee journalist Emmy. In this new book we’re thrown back into Blitz-torn London where Emmy uncovers a story about a munitions factory where women are being exploited. Just as filled with humour, heart and poignancy as its prequel.
Ellie is an Instagram gardening influencer with 56.6k followers – but what they don’t realise is that she secretly suffers from agoraphobia and lives in a cottage at the bottom of her parents’ garden. Told She’s such a relatable character that you can’t help but want well for her and I was genuinely shocked when the reason for her struggles was revealed. The ending moved me to tears.
If you enjoyed The Flatshare , you’ll love this new novel from the same author. This story has everything you want to lift your spirits: laughs, romance and lovely characters you connect with emotionally. After high-flyer Leena is forced to take a sabbatical from work, she and her 79-year-old grandmother Eileen decide to swap lives. As Leena struggles to fit in with small village life, Eileen tries online dating in London.
The success of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine has blazed a trail for books about offbeat characters, and this is one of the best I’ve read. Missy is approaching 80 and is lonely, until a chance encounter. A joyful read about the power of people in saving each other.
This story of six strangers all drawn together by a notebook in which people share their secret thoughts and feelings is a lovely read. When Monica finds a notebook in her café, she discovers inside it the story of neighbour Julian, a once-famous artist who is grieving his late wife. A reminder of the importance of friendship and reaching out to others.
Once in a while, along comes a book that genuinely touches you. Days of Wonder is a bittersweet novel about a single dad and his daughter, Hannah, that made me laugh and cry in turn. Every year theatre manager, Tom, puts on a special performance for Hannah, who has a life-limiting heart condition, but as her health deteriorates and the theatre comes under threat from developers, the pressure is on him to pull off something very special. With a cast of wonderful, believable characters, this is magical story about love, hope and not giving in.
86-year-old Rosemary and 26-year-old Kate are united by their campaign to save a local swimming pool. Libby Page’s debut is heart-warming story about friendship, community and the power of believing in yourself.
Five Steps To Happy is the page turning debut novel by GH feature writer Ella Dove. The story of how actress Heidi has to find a new future after a life-changing accident is based on Ella's own experience. Lovely writing and engaging characters.
I love the idea behind this clever rom-com: Tiffy and Leon share a flat – and a bed – but have never met as she works days as an editor and he works nights as a nurse. It’s funny and charming but there are moments of real poignancy, too. Guaranteed to leave you with a smile on your face.
In wartime London, Emmy dreams of being a lady war correspondent but instead finds herself typing up the agony aunt page column at Woman’s Friend, where she can’t help but add her own advice. This charming, joyous debut is a love-letter to female friendship and the Blitz spirit. A warm hug in book form.
In this charming novel a celebrated writer spends years collecting lost objects and trying to reconnect them with their owners. On his death, he leaves it all to his assistant to carry on his work.
Funny, charming and heart-warming, this debut is a gem of a novel about a rather awkward university professor’s search for love. I loved this unconventional romance and although its sequels don't quite match the original, they're worth a read too.
One morning Harold sets out to post a letter and begins a journey that will change his life. There are moments that are unbearably moving but ultimately it's an uplifting, big-hearted read.
This comic memoir of Bryson's misadventures as he and a friend attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail is so funny it will make your stomach ache from laughing! At a time when we can't get out into nature ourselves, this is the next best thing.
Told through a series of emails and documents, this is the story of Bee and her madcap mum, who goes missing on a trip to Antarctica. Maria Semple’s novel is hilarious, hugely enjoyable – and truly original.
A bookseller who prescribes novels to his troubled customers – but can’t heal his own heartbreak – is the hero of this wonderful novella. It was a huge hit across Europe and is a must-read for anyone who believes in the transformative power of books.
A trip to Sri Lanka is Alice's last hurrah before she settles down to a life of domesticity with soon-to-be-husband, Richard. There she meets Max, a veteran recovering from a traumatic injury and soon has to make some very difficult decisions. The will-they-won't-they romance is really well done but it's the gorgeous descriptions of Sri Lanka that I especially loved.
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Are you thinking about becoming an author and wondering if it’s worth the effort?
Is writing a book profitable? This is a good question and a popular one. If you’re asking, that means you are looking beyond just having a book with your name on it. This puts you ahead of a lot of writers who are more enamored with the idea of writing a book than the reality of what it takes to be successful. After all, writing a book is a big investment of time and money, but if done the right way, it can be very profitable.
So here’s the truth: Asking if a book is profitable is like asking if entrepreneurship or selling on eBay or TikTok is profitable. Sometimes, it is. Sometimes, it’s not. Success is more likely an outcome of proper preparation, knowledge, and good timing. In this article, we’ll outline the steps you can take to improve your chances of being on the right side of profitability after writing and publishing your book.
If you are serious about making money as a writer, then understanding the book publishing landscape and how it works is a critical first step. A common mistake self-publishers make is not taking the time to understand what goes into the book publishing process and how they fit. This can include overlooking the key players and metrics like:
Without understanding who the key players are and how metrics fit into the book publishing process, it’s easy to miss opportunities to set yourself up for success. Knowing what every person does and how each key piece impacts the final product will help you choose the right team and the right strategy to maximize sales.
Whatever your budget, self-publishing is an investment. Whether small or large, you want to ensure that your choices maximize every dollar; otherwise, you will lose money in the long run. For example, since editing impacts your reader’s overall experience of the finished product, finding a quality editor should be a priority. Unfortunately, some authors think they can skimp on this part of the process by either editing themselves or finding the cheapest editor possible. This might save you a few dollars initially, but how will it impact your book sales in the long run?
If you get reviews that point out poor editing (and readers will point it out), future buyers may bypass your book for another one in the same genre that offers a better reading experience. When this happens, you may feel the pressure to unpublish your book and have it professionally edited, which takes more time and more money to fix something that could have been avoided. Now, your chance at a good first impression has been tainted.
Creating a book that sells has a lot to do with timing and genre . Some genres sell better than others. This can be a direct reflection of societal shifts along with many other factors that play into a category’s popularity. For example, in 2023, romance was the bestselling genre. This doesn’t mean you should jump on the bandwagon and write whatever is popular. You should write what works for you; however, understanding where top sales are being generated within the market will help temper your expectations. While there are outliers, the books that generate the most money tend to fall into specific genres and categories.
Here’s a snapshot from Statista that shows the best-selling print books in the United States in 2023 based on unit sales. As you can see, most of the top 10 are fiction, and 3 out of the 10 originate with one author—Colleen Hoover. While she has contributed much of her success to BookTok, the popular TikTok hashtag, this shows how trends can impact sales. You don’t have to be in the top ten of overall book sales to be profitable, but it’s wise to keep these trends in mind when getting a realistic picture of how your book will do in the market.
Do you want to know which genres are selling the best? Search your favorite bookseller’s websites, like Amazon, or check published lists like New York Times Best Sellers or Publisher’s Weekly .
How you position your book in the market impacts purchases and profitability. Understanding book marketing and implementing the right strategy can make a difference in how potential buyers receive your book and whether or not it will sell.
A solid book marketing strategy will include the following:
Your marketing strategy can make or break book sales. If you miss any one of the above elements, sales could drop off the cliff; however, having a solid book marketing strategy can boost sales now and in the future.
Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, knowing how to tell a good story matters. Great marketing might get buyers to pick up your book, but the story will impact their loyalty to your author brand.
How do you write a good story? By honing your writing skills. There’s an art to great writing. For some people, it comes naturally. For others, professional support from a book coach or developmental editor can get you on the right track. Whatever you need to do to make sure your book shines, do.
Here are some tips for improving your writing:
Do you know which type of publishing would be best for you—traditional, hybrid, or self-publishing? It’s not always a clear-cut decision. You want to consider the pros and cons of each choice and which option provides the greatest return on your investment of time and money.
Book publishing is a numbers game, so having your revenue goals and budget set early on is crucial to developing a strategy that will get you from where you are now to where you want to be. Without a game plan, it’s easy to make careless mistakes and lose a lot of money in the process.
Can writing a book be profitable? Sure, if it’s done correctly and all outcomes are considered. For authors who want to make money, this means understanding how the publishing market works, selecting the best publishing options for their book, and knowing important numbers like royalties, profit, book sales, distribution and printing costs, and more.
Ultimately, authors who treat writing as a business will have the best chance of success, including profitability. Do you want to learn more about self-publishing and the most profitable path for your book? Talk to one of our team members today .
Join 100,000 other aspiring authors who receive weekly emails from us to help them reach their author dreams. Get the latest product updates, company news, and special offers delivered right to your inbox.
Vice President Kamala Harris and the dozens of speakers that preceded her at Thursday's Democratic National Convention attacked former President Donald Trump on an array of fronts, including abortion, diplomacy and his litany of criminal charges.
Not all of it was true.
The USA TODAY Fact Check team followed along to sort fact from fiction and add context where it was missing.
More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page
Trump tariffs ‘"would raise prices on middle-class families by almost $4,000 a year ."
This overstates the impact economists project from Trump’s proposed 10% tariff on imported goods.
While Trump has described it as a way to raise revenue , economists say it would mostly be passed along to consumers , effectively making it a tax.
A study by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center found the tariff, along with a 60% tariff on Chinese goods also proposed by Trump, would lower the average post-tax incomes of American households by about $1,800.
That’s mostly in line with projections from the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a think tank that says the tariff would cost households roughly $1,700 each year , and the conservative American Action Forum, which projects additional household costs between $1,700 and $2,350.
– Joedy McCreary
We've fact-checked key speakers throughout the Republican and Democratic conventions. Catch up here on what was false, what was true and what was in between from Donald Trump, JD Vance, Tim Walz and a host of others.
What's true and what's false? Sign up for USA TODAY's Checking the Facts newsletter.
“Consider the power he will have, especially after the United States Supreme Court just ruled that he would be immune from criminal prosecution.”
In July, the Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision that presidents, including Trump, are at least partially immune from prosecution for crimes committed while in office. But the court’s decision isn’t as clear cut as Harris’ remarks make it seem. It declares that “official” acts by presidents are protected, but steps taken as a candidate are not.
The ruling also leaves room for presidents to be prosecuted under a narrow set of circumstances, related to responsibilities “within the outer perimeter” of presidential duties, or to unofficial acts, as USA TODAY previously reported .
“The parties before us do not dispute that a former President can be subject to criminal prosecution for unofficial acts committed while in office,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the 6-3 majority that divided along ideological lines. “They also agree that some of the conduct described in the indictment includes actions taken by Trump in his unofficial capacity.”
In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that the court gave Trump “all the immunity he asked for and more.” Trump is the first president – former or current – to be criminally charged.
-Chris Mueller
“Kamala Harris has delivered more benefits to more veterans than ever before and has achieved the lowest veterans unemployment rate in history.”
The Department of Veterans Affairs said it has granted benefits to 1.1 million veterans and their survivors so far in fiscal year 2024, an all-time record.
The VA said it’s been able to deliver more care and benefits than ever before largely because of the PACT Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law in August 2022. The White House has described the law as the “most significant expansion of VA Health Care in 30 years.”
It helps deliver more timely health care benefits and services to over five million veterans who may have been exposed to toxic substances – such as through burn pits – while serving the country, the White House said.
But the claim overreaches by giving direct credit to Harris for actions taken by an administration led by Biden. In public remarks in 2022, Harris credited Biden’s leadership for the passage of the PACT Act.
The issue is close to Biden, who has drawn a connection between burn pits and his late son Beau’s fatal brain cancer.
The Department of Veterans Affairs website says the PACT Act is “is perhaps the largest health care and benefit expansion in VA history.” The Veterans of Foreign Wars , a nonprofit veterans service organization, considered the bill the most significant piece of veterans legislation in history.
On unemployment, the jobless rate among veterans fell to 2.1% in April 2023 – during the Biden-Harris administration – the lowest mark since 2000 when the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking monthly unemployment for the group, the Military Times reported . For all of 2023, the rate was 2.8%, the lowest rate since at least 2000 , the outlet reported.
The veterans unemployment rate was 3% in July, up from 2.9% the previous month, according to the Department of Labor .
But as with the veterans benefits, referring to this veterans unemployment rate as something Harris has “achieved” overstates her role in the process. USA TODAY found no record of Harris leading initiatives that would justify such a description.
-Andre Byik
“He plans to create a national anti-abortion coordinator and force states to report on women’s miscarriages and abortions.”
This claim does not appear to reference any plan or platform endorsed by Trump, but rather aspects of Project 2025 , a political playbook created by the Heritage Foundation and dozens of other conservative groups.
The project calls for increasing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s surveillance of abortion information by forcing states that don’t currently provide this information to the CDC, such as California, Maryland and New Hampshire, to do so.
Page 455 of the plan explains this would be done by allowing the Department of Health and Human Services to “use every available tool, including the cutting of funds, to ensure that every state reports exactly how many abortions take place within its borders, at what gestational age of the child for what reason, the mother’s state of residence, and by what method.” It also calls for information about miscarriages to be collected from the states.
As Harris alludes to, the plan also calls for appointing someone who is “unapologetically pro-life” as the “Senior Coordinator” of the “Office of Women, Children, and Families.”
While Democrats have insisted Project 2025 is Trump’s plan if elected president, he has attempted to distance himself from it. In a July 5 Truth Social post , Trump wrote that he disagrees with parts of the plan and has “no idea who is behind it.” Notably, Trump embraced many of the Heritage Foundation’s policy proposals during his first administration, and some of his allies were involved in Project 2025, as USA TODAY previously reported.
- Brad Sylvester
"Donald Trump tried to cut Social Security and Medicare."
This is a slightly softened version of a claim Harris’ campaign has made before , including a tweet from her campaign claiming Trump attempted to do this "every single year." It oversimplifies a series of budget maneuvers.
Trump didn’t attempt to cut general Social Security retirement benefits, but he attempted – and failed – to reduce spending for Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income, according to The Washington Pos t. About 8.5 million people receive such disability benefits, but that’s only a fraction of the number who receive retirement and survivor benefits.
Trump did propose cuts to Medicare in his budgets for the fiscal years 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, The Post noted. But an analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget found that 85% of his proposed Medicare savings would come from healthcare providers and would lower costs for seniors.
Trump’s last budget, released in February 2020, had about $500 billion in net Medicare spending reductions over 10 years, but most would come from reduced payments to hospitals and other healthcare providers, Forbes reported, citing the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities .
- Chris Mueller
“Trump on the other hand threatened to abandon NATO. He encouraged Putin to invade our allies. Said Russia could, quote, ‘Do whatever the hell they want.’”
This claim popped up earlier in the evening by Sen. Mark Kelly, and by President Joe Biden at his State of the Union . Here’s what we reported when Kelly said it:
The quote Harris cited here is technically accurate but significantly oversimplified.
Trump, speaking at a Feb. 10 campaign rally in Conway, South Carolina, suggested he might not come to the aid of NATO members attacked by Russia if they weren’t contributing enough money to the alliance, as USA TODAY previously reported .
“One of the presidents of a big country stood up and said, ‘Well sir, if we don’t pay and we’re attacked by Russia, will you protect us?’" Trump said . “I said, ‘You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?’ He said, ‘Yes, let’s say that happened.’ No, I would not protect you.”
Then, Trump added, “In fact I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want.”
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the time that Trump's comments could endanger lives and undermine the security of NATO members, including the U.S.
- Chris Mueller and Andre Byik
“(I) delivered $20 billion for middle-class families who faced foreclosure.”
This refers to the settlement Harris, as California’s attorney general, negotiated with several large mortgage companies in 2012 to provide relief for struggling homeowners in her state following the foreclosure crisis.
The nation’s five largest mortgage servicers – Bank of America Corp., Wells Fargo & Co., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Citigroup Inc. and Ally Bank/GMAC Mortgage – were accused of using illicit tactics to wrongfully foreclose on homeowners, the Los Angeles Times reported in 2016 . Harris pulled California out of nationwide mortgage settlement talks in September 2011 when it appeared her state’s share would be roughly $4 billion.
In announcing the deal in 2012, her office said it totaled $18 billion , of which more than $12 billion was to go toward reducing the principal on loans or offering short sales to roughly 250,000 homeowners who owed more than their homes were worth or were behind (or almost behind) on payments. There is a discrepancy in the specific dollar amount, however. While her office announced it as $18 billion, multiple media outlets through the years used the same $20 billion figure that Harris referenced during her address.
Ultimately, about $4.5 billion of that settlement went to lower debt on primary mortgages, the Wall Street Journal reported . The rest went to reduce debt on second mortgages and to short sales, in which banks agreed to allow homes to be sold for less than the mortgage value and wrote off the difference.
“(Trump) invited Russia to do – and these are his words, not mine – whatever the hell they want.”
As P resident Joe Biden did in his State of the Union , Kelly here cites a quote that is technically accurate but significantly oversimplified.
Trump, speaking at a Feb. 10 campaign rally in Conway, South Carolina, suggested he might not come to the aid of NATO members attacked by Russia if they weren’t contributing enough money to the alliance, as USA TODAY previously reported .
“One of the presidents of a big country stood up and said, ‘Well sir, if we don’t pay and we’re attacked by Russia, will you protect us?’" Trump said . “I said, ‘You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?’ He said, ‘Yes, let’s say that happened.’ No, I would not protect you.”
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the time that Trump's comments could endanger lives and undermine the security of NATO members, including the U.S.
“(Trump) spent a small fortune on full-page ads calling for the execution of five innocent young teenagers.”
Sharpton is referring to the Central Park Five , a group of Black and Latino teenagers wrongly convicted of assaulting a white female jogger in Central Park in 1989.
Less than two weeks after the attack, Trump took out $85,000 worth of full-page ads in The New York Times, The Daily News, The New York Post and New York Newsday. The ads proclaimed in all caps, “Bring back the death penalty and bring back our police," going on to condemn a "dangerously permissive atmosphere which allows criminals of every age to beat and rape a helpless woman and then laugh at her family's anguish."
The ads did not, however, explicitly advocate for the Central Park Five to be executed .
In 2002, the group was exonerated after a convicted murder Matias Reyes confessed to assaulting the jogger, which was confirmed by DNA evidence.
Trump did not apologize for the ads when he was asked in 2019 whether he would apologize to the men.
“He started his career being sued for denying housing to Black families”
This lawsuit is real, though the quick mention leaves out how the case was resolved.
This claim from the former secretary of housing and urban development refers to a lawsuit filed more than half a century ago. Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton made the same claim during a debate with Trump in 2016.
Trump was in his late 20s in 1973 when the Justice Department sued him , his father Fred and their management company over allegations of racial discrimination at their housing developments in New York. According to testers for New York City’s human rights division, a Black woman who attempted to rent an apartment at a Brooklyn complex managed by Trump’s firm was told nothing was available, but a white woman was offered a choice of two apartments shortly after.
The case was settled in 1975 after Trump countersued the Justice Department for $100 million for making false statements. That allegation was dismissed.
As noted by NPR , Trump responded in the 2016 debate by emphasizing there was no admission of guilt in the case. Indeed, NPR reports, the Trumps took a settlement offer that included no admission of guilt but required the Trumps to place newspaper ads saying their properties welcomed Black applicants.
"Yes, when I was very young, I went into my father's company — had a real estate company in Brooklyn and Queens," Trump said. "And we, along with many, many other companies throughout the country — it was a federal lawsuit — were sued. We settled the suit with zero, with no admission of guilt."
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-Eric Litke
The days following an assassination attempt that left Republican nominee Donald Trump with an injured ear were marked by widespread calls for unity and toned-down rhetoric.
Fewer than six weeks after the shooting, the temperature has gone right back up.
When Vice President Kamala Harris formally accepts the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday night, she also will have the opportunity to respond to Trump's vow that he’s “ not going to be nice ” while peppering Harris with a series of attacks.
It marks a return to the tone that appeared to shift – albeit only temporarily – in the wake of the July 13 shooting in Pennsylvania that left one dead and two others seriously injured. Trump said he rewrote his closing remarks at the Republican National Convention in July to “bring the whole country, even the whole world, together,” he told the Washington Examiner.
The FBI identified the gunman as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania , and said Secret Service agents killed him at the scene . But officials have been unable to determine his motive, one of the key unanswered questions sparking a significant amount of misinformation.
USA TODAY has debunked an array of false claims stemming from the assassination attempt.
The Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, and former President Donald Trump’s alleged role in the attack, has become a focal point at this week’s Democratic National Convention .
Aquilino Gonell, a former U.S. Capitol police officer, said in a convention speech that rioters beat him with a pole attached to an American flag, and he blamed Trump for summoning protesters to the Capitol.
Trump is accused in a federal indictment of directing his supporters to march on the Capitol in an effort to pressure former Vice President Mike Pence to reject the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory.
More than 1,200 defendants have been charged in the attack on the Capitol. Trump’s case was overseen by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith . Trump has pleaded not guilty .
USA TODAY has debunked numerous claims about the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol:
– Andre Byik
Not long after the Democrats picked Vice President Kamala Harris to replace President Joe Biden at the top of their ticket, several false or misleading claims about her resurfaced.
Many of those originated four years earlier when Harris was picked as Biden’s running mate in 2020. Some question whether Harris – the daughter of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father – is eligible for the presidency . Others claim she was raised in Canada , is not African-American and as a prosecutor held Black inmates past their release dates.
USA TODAY has debunked several false claims that center on Harris’ background:
As the 2024 election draws closer, Democrats and Republicans continue to spar over concerns about the security and integrity of the voting process.
A bill passed in July by House Republicans and some Democrats would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections – even though data shows the problem of non-citizens voting is virtually nonexistent .
The measure advanced amid repeated, baseless claims from former President Donald Trump – the Republican presidential nominee – that the 2020 election was rigged against him . He referenced the claim in a video shown during his party’s convention in July. However, state-level recounts, reviews and audits of the 2022 midterm elections found no indication of systemic problems with voter fraud.
Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee led by his daughter-in-law have said they will mobilize 100,000 people in battleground states to ensure “transparency and fairness” in a move that has drawn criticism from opponents saying it has the potential to lead to voter intimidation .
USA TODAY has debunked numerous false claims about the integrity of the elections:
Vice President Kamala Harris has warned voters about what she describes as the dangers of Project 2025 in the weeks since she became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
The project is an effort by the Heritage Foundation and other conservative organizations that resulted in a 900-page playbook for the next Republican president. A full implementation of the guidance in the document would effectively overhaul the federal government .
A slew of Trump’s allies are involved in the project, though Trump has maintained that he is not.
He’s described its proposals as “extreme” and “ absolutely ridiculous ,” though he has not specified what he disagrees with.
Numerous Democratic leaders, including Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina and Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta of Pennsylvania , attacked Project 2025 and attempted to connect it to Trump in their convention speeches. Some speakers, such as comedian Kenan Thompson, used an oversized physical copy of the playbook in condemning it on stage.
USA TODAY has debunked several claims about Project 2025:
-BrieAnna Frank
In 2021, President Joe Biden announced Harris would lead the administration's diplomatic efforts with Mexico and the Central American countries of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador to slow migration to the U.S. southern border. At the time, Harris said the administration “must address the root causes that cause people to make the trek, as the president described, to come here.”
But Harris was never put in charge of the southern border or made "border czar," contrary to some posts on social media . Immigration has been a top issue for voters as encounters with migrants at the southern border have increased under Biden .
Trump, meanwhile, has promised the largest deportation effort in U.S. history if he is elected again. He also said he would reinstate strict immigration policies from his first term, limit asylum access at the U.S. southern border and eliminate automatic citizenship for people born in the U.S. to immigrant parents.
In February, Republican lawmakers blocked an immigration bill that would have revamped the country’s immigration and border policies. Biden blamed the bill's failure on opposition from Trump. Since then, Biden has issued executive orders to implement new restrictions on asylum access and speed up the process to get a green card for certain spouses and children of U.S. citizens.
- Chris Mueller
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It is a fantasy, but the book draws inspiration from the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Rape of Nanking. Crime Fiction Lover reviews Jessica Barry's Freefall, a crime novel: In some crime novels, the wrongdoing hits you between the eyes from page one. With others it's a more subtle process, and that's OK too.
4 tips for writing a book review. 1. Avoid repetition. A book review is its own piece of writing. By that, we mean your book review shouldn't just repeat the book's plot. It should add a new perspective about the book. 2. Be concise. Don't ramble in your book review.
Step 1: Planning Your Book Review - The Art of Getting Started. You've decided to take the plunge and share your thoughts on a book that has captivated (or perhaps disappointed) you. Before you start book reviewing, let's take a step back and plan your approach.
How to Write a Book Review: Consider a Book's Promise. A book makes a promise with its cover, blurb, and first pages. It begins to set expectations the minute a reader views the thumbnail or cover. Those things indicate the genre, tone, and likely the major themes. If a book cover includes a lip-locked couple in flowing linen on a beach, and ...
As you write the review, keep it vague. For example, explain that there is a major plot twist but don't go into the specifics. 7. Be transparent. Always share if you received an incentive to review the book, got an advance copy, or have any connection to the author. Your readers will appreciate your honesty.
Be sure to mention the authors of the title and what experience or expertise they bring to the title. Check Stefan Kløvning's review of Creativity Cycling for an example of a summary that establishes the framework of the book within the context of its field. Step 2. Present your evaluation.
In 10 Steps to a Great Book Review. Read the Entire Book. Take Notes of Said Book. Give an Idea of the Book Outline. Don't Forget the Author. Evaluate the Book Thoroughly. Don't Beat Around the Bush. Don't Be Afraid of Adverse Feedback. Support Your Views.
Learn how to write a book review with helpful formats and examples, and accurately portray the author's intent and target audience.
The real value of crafting a well-written book review for a student does not lie in their ability to impact book sales. Understanding how to produce a well-written book review helps students to: Engage critically with a text. Critically evaluate a text. Respond personally to a range of different writing genres.
1. Begin with a brief summary of the book. This is probably the best way to introduce any review because it gives context. But make sure to not go into too much detail. Keep it short and sweet since an official summary can be found through a quick google search! 2. Pick out the most important aspects of the book.
See why leading organizations rely on MasterClass for learning & development. A book review provides critique and analysis of a book for potential readers. Learn how to write a book review, so you can effectively share your opinion about a text.
How to write a book review. Note down the key points- This is an important step before writing a book review. Jot down your analysis about the characters, themes, plot, and your personal view. Also, note down the book title, author's name, and any relevant information about the book. Start with a strong introduction- Mention the author's ...
2. Writing a review will help you understand a book better. When you are going to write a good book review, you need to read the entire book carefully. By assigning a book review, the professor is seeking to help you understand the book better. A book review is a critical assessment of a book. "Critical" here means analytical.
First, how to make a reader stop scrolling and read your entire review. Second, in cases of positive reviews, how to convince them to pick up the book. Don't wait until the middle of your review to try to catch the reader's attention. Try to hook them from the very first sentence. Think about what made you pick the book up, and use that to ...
Blog - Posted on Thursday, Nov 11 The Only Book Review Templates You'll Ever Need Whether you're trying to become a book reviewer, writing a book report for school, or analyzing a book, it's nice to follow a book review template to make sure that your thoughts are clearly presented.. A quality template provides guidance to keep your mind sharp and your thoughts organized so that you can ...
I liked how the book showed ale and beer brewing as an economic activity, but the reader gets lost in the details of prices and wages. I was more interested in the private lives of the women brewsters. The book was divided into eight long chapters, and I can't imagine why anyone would ever want to read it.
5. Wrap up the review. Write a concluding paragraph or several sentences that sum up your critical analysis of the book. If your critical position has been well argued, the conclusion should follow naturally. Examine the strengths and weaknesses of the book, and discuss whether you would recommend the book to others.
Here is a step-by-step guide to on how to write a book review: 1. Read the book thoroughly. When you receive a copy of the book, the first thing you should do is read it thoroughly. Don't rush into writing a book review. You must be as thorough as possible and be familiar with the most subtle aspects of the book.
1. Start with a couple of sentences describing what the book is about. But without giving any spoilers or revealing plot twists! As a general rule, try to avoid writing in detail about anything that happens from about the middle of the book onwards. If the book is part of a series, it can be useful to mention this, and whether you think you'd ...
1. Bring Out Your Personality. First things first, book reviews are incredibly personal. Unlike literary essays, book reviews are all about what you feel about the book and how it touched you. It's a highly opinionated form of writing. Hence, you must bring out your personality while writing a book review.
An example review — good. While the above 4 steps are all well and good to describe, you can't beat an example to help you put the steps into action. Here's an example review I wrote for a third-party book review site that illustrates them. It also happened to be a darn good book! Title: Desperate. Author: Jon Ripslinger
1. Read a Book and Take Notes. The first phase of composing a book review involves reading it and taking notes on key points. Start by attending closely to the preface and introduction sections because most authors describe the reasons for writing, their views, and the perspectives of any contributors here.
Design your own book cover. Make fan art. Elements to incorporate into a review: Quick/initial thoughts (often while reading or immediately after reading), then a more in-depth review (common on Goodreads) A list of facts about the book or a character from the book. Book club questions about the book.
"I didn't enjoy the book because it was slow and uneventful." "The plot was engaging and full of unexpected twists, keeping me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire story." How to write a movie review. A good movie review should talk about the story, acting, and direction. Share your positive or negative thoughts and provide ...
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My honest review of the book, Good Inside . Fernandez Family Reviews . Videos for this product. 1:17 . Click to play video. Best Parenting Book Ever! Krissie Wateski . Videos for this product. 1:06 . Click to play video. Mom of 3 review of Dr. Becky's Good Inside! Cary Crew Family Reviews .
Readers praise the readability, honesty, and writing style. They say the book is inspiring to read with lots of insight and detail. Customers also say the author does a beautiful job of being transparent and feel acknowledged and validated. AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
The Life Impossible by Matt Haig. The new novel from the author of The Midnight Library is another life-affirming read. When newly-widowed Grace is left a house in Ibiza by a friend, she books a ...
For some people, it comes naturally. For others, professional support from a book coach or developmental editor can get you on the right track. Whatever you need to do to make sure your book shines, do. Here are some tips for improving your writing: Write every day. Practice doesn't actually make perfect, but it can get you pretty close.
But the court's decision isn't as clear cut as Harris' remarks make it seem. ... reviews and audits of the 2022 midterm elections found no indication of ... Project 2025 and that giant book.