I do not see a lot of differences myself except social media icons for Facebook and Twitter connected to each story so you can share your favorites on those networks.
However, I take USA Today at their word that changes have been made and according to their announcement they have made significant changes:
First, we are simplifying the top of the page and enhancing the navigation to make it easier for you to find the content you’re looking for. These navigational changes will spread throughout the rest of the site in the weeks and months ahead.
Next, we are highlighting the main stories of the day, including the unique content only we have. That includes a listing of our most popular stories, the latest news from the financial markets, and our well-known and well-loved Snapshot.
Below that is a row of our multimedia content. This is some of our most popular work, so we want to make it easy for you to find and explore it. This row includes our interactive graphics, videos, photo galleries and more.
As you move down the page, you’ll notice we’ve grouped content by our famous sections: News, Life, Money and Sports, plus our special online-only content: Better Life, Weather, Tech, Travel, and Opinion. This will make it easier for you to find the content you’re interested in, and see the main stories from each section.
On the right side of the page, you can see what is happening beyond the day’s news. This includes our "Community Buzz" area, which highlights recent posts from our award-winning blogs; "You Said It," which points out recent comments left on the site; plus daily polls and more.
Finally, you will see an increase in performance. This new page will load 25 to 35% faster than the current homepage, getting you the news you need as quickly as possible.