The Excerpt
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The Excerpt
Get context, not just headlines. Every weekday The Excerpt brings USA TODAY's award-winning journalists from across the nation together to unpack America's most pressing stories — from politics and culture to sports and entertainment — with host Dana Taylor.
Episoade Recente
181 episoade
Why losing trust in expertise threatens democracy
From “follow the science” during COVID to universities accused of activism, the gap between experts and the public is widening. Roger Pielke Jr. expla...
Cannabis drinks are surging in popularity
A new beverage has been showing up in bars and on store shelves: the cannabis cocktail, a hemp-derived drink that contains CBD and oftentimes THC as w...
A look ahead to the momentous decisions awaiting SCOTUS in 2026
2025 was a big year for the Supreme Court, as it repeatedly handed win after win to the Trump administration. Emergency Orders, also known as the shad...
America's fastest growing homeless population? Kids.
America’s housing affordability crisis has led to a sharp increase in homelessness. And, according to the latest count by the US Department of Housing...
What home means to people whose lives were reshaped by displacement
Home isn’t just a structure. It’s memory, identity and belonging. USA TODAY National Columnist Suzette Hackney joins The Excerpt to discuss her year-l...
At 28, Malala Yousafzai is finally finding her way
At 28, Malala Yousafzai’s life so far has been anything but ordinary. When she was just 15, she was shot by the Taliban on her way to school, targeted...
Peanuts turns 75 and still speaks to the child in all of us
For 75 years, Charles Schulz’s Peanuts gang has reflected our humor and hope, as well as our struggle to navigate some of life’s everyday curveballs....
Dr. Eric Topol shares a new vision for living longer and better
What if the second half of life could be just as healthy, active, and fulfilling as the first? Drawing on the latest science, world-renowned cardiolog...
The 'dirtbag' who built Patagonia — and gave it away
Patagonia is worth billions. But founder Yvon Chouinard never wanted the title of billionaire. From his days as a dirtbag climber to his reluctant rol...
How do you define American cuisine?
What is American cuisine and who gets to define it? Is it barbecue or blueberry pie, hot dogs or lobster rolls, chili or gumbo? American food culture...
In 2025, music fans got Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift – and AI.
From Bad Bunny’s massive streaming numbers to Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl,” 2025 electrified music fans across the globe. There was a wild...
Can Baltimore finally turn the corner on vacant homes?
Baltimore has spent decades trying — and often failing — to solve one of its most stubborn problems: thousands of vacant homes hollowing out neighborh...
Beloved director Rob Reiner leaves behind a legacy of iconic films
Tributes to the beloved Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele have poured in since their tragic deaths on Sunday sent shockwaves througho...
As ICE ramps up enforcement across the country we asked: Who are they?
Masked ICE agents have become the face of President Donald Trump’s nationwide deportation campaign, as viral videos of violent arrests captivate audie...
In exclusive interview, Nancy Pelosi shares bullish outlook for House
In 2007, she became the first woman to hold the position of Speaker of the House. She led Democrats in the House for two decades and was crucial in pa...
Which blockbuster movies defined 2025's year in film?
2025 showcased A-list movie stars, long-awaited finales and a K-Pop smash that no one saw coming. From “Sinners” to “Wicked: For Good,” “One Battle Af...
The books we couldn’t stop reading in 2025
From romantasy fever to dystopian deep dives, 2025 delivered a year of midnight book parties, big feelings, bold worlds and stories that became cultur...
Younger progressive Democrats will challenge older incumbents in 2026
After losing all 3 branches of power in 2024, progressive Democrats are hungry for the opportunity to reshape the party along ideological, generationa...
RFK Jr. succeeds in changing hepatitis B recommendation
Last Friday, Centers for Disease Control vaccine advisers changed the recommendation of a routine hepatitis B shot for all newborns, a change widely v...
Trump gets his peace prize at FIFA 2026 World Cup draw
The much-anticipated draw for the 2026 World Cup took place at the Kennedy Center in DC on Friday. Did Team USA end up with a favorable grouping? A to...
Now just plain Andrew. The former Prince’s fall from grace.
As Prince Andrew loses his titles and royal privileges, new questions are rising about accountability, secrecy, and the future of the monarchy. Histor...
A US-backed peace plan to end Russia's war in Ukraine stalls
A leaked Trump administration plan to end Russia’s war in Ukraine has triggered debate among U.S. allies and sharp pushback from Kyiv. As negotiations...
US military strikes against Venezuelan vessels face legal and operational scrutiny
There have been 21 U.S. military strikes against Venezuelan vessels since September, with a total of 83 casualties, all without Congressional approval...
Inside the dismantling of the Education Department
The Trump administration has begun carving up the Education Department, signing six new agreements that shift major K-12 and higher ed programs to oth...
DOGE is done. What did the agency accomplish?
After less than a year, the Department of Government Efficiency, better known as DOGE, is done. The controversial cost-cutting initiative was initiall...
For Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, truth has always been a matter of trust
Since its inception back in 2001, Wikipedia has become a trusted source for information. The online encyclopedia took hold despite initially being a p...
The enduring hope of Dr. Jane Goodall
In 1960, 26-year-old Jane Goodall arrived with her mother at Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve in western Tanzania. What followed was truly a story for...
DOJ charges against James Comey and Letitia James dismissed
On Monday, a judge ordered that charges against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, both targets of President...
Army investigates Fort Hood OBGYN accused of abusing patients
A woman told USA TODAY that nearly a year ago she walked into the OBGYN's office in Fort Hood, an Army base in Texas, because she wasn't sure what to...
Politicians are fighting to redraw congressional maps across the country
In states like Texas, California, Kansas and beyond, politicians are fighting to redraw congressional maps that could shape power in America for years...
Dick Cheney’s power, controversies and legacy
Former Vice President Dick Cheney was remembered this week at a Washington memorial as a defining figure in modern Republican politics. USA TODAY Wash...
When preventable infections turn deadly behind bars
A USA TODAY exclusive investigation found thousands of in-custody deaths that could have been easily prevented. USA TODAY Investigative Data Reporter...
Can sports survive prop betting?
Before a Supreme Court ruling in 2018 opened the flood gates to legalized sports betting across the country, the proposition bet or prop bet – picking...
Why are young voters drawn to Mamdani?
If the meteoric rise of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani illustrates one thing, it’s this: affordability, or a lack thereof, has energized you...
Will the remaining Epstein files ever see the light of day?
The Epstein files are back in the news, with fresh speculation about how deep President Donald Trump’s involvement goes. A new trove of 20,000 pages r...
Teens are turning to AI for connection, with dangerous results
Teenagers are increasingly using AI chatbots for friendship, emotional support, and even romance. When 14-year-old Soul Setzer III formed an intense b...
What drives us to carry out acts of kindness for total strangers?
In honor of World Kindness Day — we’ve partnered with the Humankind team at USA TODAY for a deeper exploration on the topic of compassion. What drives...
The government shutdown caused a lot of pain for Americans
Nobody seems to have gotten everything they wanted out of the longest shutdown in U.S. history. Not the Democrats. Not the Republicans. And definitely...
Golden parachutes for failed college football coaches become the norm
College football season this year is…. different. How so, you ask? It’s not just the breakout success of Indiana’s Hoosiers and the crushing disappoin...
Migrants are heading south now, not north
After record highs in 2024, border crossings have collapsed. ICE raids, deportations and new asylum limits are now driving a wave of reverse migration...