Americans' views on immigration took a positive swing this year . USA TODAY Senior National Political Correspondent Sarah D. Wire discusses how states are scrambling for funds after President Trump's cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. Trump says the U.S. will send Patriot missiles to Ukraine . New flooding hits Texas. USA TODAY Money Reporter Bailey Schulz breaks down the Federal Trade Commission's crackdown on 'Made in USA' claims . Chelsea have won the FIFA Club World Cup . Please let us know what you...
Jul 14, 2025•10 min
WNBA player Caitlin Clark is a phenomenon. It has changed women's basketball, women's sports and sports. Period. But what makes her tick? How did a kid from Iowa become one of the most recognizable athletes in the world? And what does her presence mean for the future of the WNBA and how we talk about it? USA today sports columnist Christine Brennan has covered the beginning of Clark's career, and recently took a step back to write about this superstar in a new book "On Her Game: Caitlin Clark an...
Jul 13, 2025•16 min
USA TODAY National Correspondent Rick Jervis reports on the shift to recovery in the wake of Texas floods. Plus, President Donald Trump visited the state Friday. Federal immigration agents and protesters clashed during a raid at a California cannabis farm . The State Department will lay off more than 1,300 people . USA TODAY White House Correspondent Francesca Chambers speaks with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang days after the company reached a historic $4 trillion valuation . The FIFA Club World Cup Fi...
Jul 12, 2025•14 min
USA TODAY Chief Political Correspondent Phillip M. Bailey discusses some of the latest friction between President Donald Trump and parts of the MAGA movement . Texas flood victims are being remembered by families and communities. The Secret Service has suspended six staff members after the Trump assassination attempt, amid policy changes . USA TODAY White House Correspondent Francesca Chambers breaks down the current relationship between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin after...
Jul 11, 2025•15 min
Devastating rains in Texas Hill County on the morning of July 4th created deadly floods that have now claimed over 100 lives and counting. The catastrophic rains took place in a region that's known as "flash flood alley," causing the Guadalupe River to rise from less than a foot on July 3 to more than 34 feet by the morning of July 4. Experts say that warming temperatures over land and especially in the Gulf are stoking extreme rainfall events across the United States, largely due to climate cha...
Jul 10, 2025•14 min
USA TODAY National Correspondent Trevor Hughes breaks down a part of the recent tax bill that adds new ships to the Coast Guard's fleet in the Northwest Passage , and the broader context in that region amid an ongoing cold war with China. President Donald Trump announces new tariffs - for copper, Brazil and more. Death tolls rise in the flooding disasters in Texas and New Mexico . Measles was eradicated in the United States 25 years ago. Cases this year have reached a new high. Tennessean Educat...
Jul 10, 2025•12 min
After a furious few weeks of debate, closed door negotiations, open floor debate and deal-making, the Republican-controlled legislature has finally passed a final version of President Donald Trump’s budget priorities referred to by Republicans as “One Big Beautiful Bill.” It is likely going to be the most significant legislative accomplishment of Trump’s second term. And as with most bills, this one has its winners and its losers . But make no mistake, it will impact every American one way or an...
Jul 09, 2025•12 min
USA TODAY Supreme Court Correspondent Maureen Groppe breaks down the high court's move to lift a federal judge's order pausing the Trump administration's large-scale staffing cuts . The death toll continues to rise in the aftermath of Texas flooding . Plus, USA TODAY National Correspondent Dinah Voyles Pulver looks into the forecasting ahead of the storm and whether budget cuts played a role. The massive tax and spending bill is about to deal Harvard and other Ivy League schools a major blow . A...
Jul 09, 2025•13 min
USA TODAY National Correspondent Rick Jervis reports from Texas on what he's seen in the aftermath of devastating flooding . Plus, Rick reported on how warnings for the flash flooding came with little time to act . And flood survivor Chrissy Eliashar tells us her story . President Donald Trump announces tariff hikes on 14 countries . USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page takes a look back on the assassination attempt of President Donald Trump as we near its one-year anniversary. Let us kn...
Jul 08, 2025•16 min
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Camp Mystic was "horrendously ravaged in ways unlike I’ve seen in any natural disaster." USA TODAY National Correspondent Dinah Voyles Pulver discusses how the NOAA budget spells out plans to reduce spending and abandon climate research , and the potential impact on hurricane forecasting. Elon Musk announces a new political party after slamming President Donald Trump's megabill. USA TODAY National Correspondent Trevor Hughes talks about the preparations underway for t...
Jul 07, 2025•15 min
It is the fodder of science fiction plots: implanting a device into the human brain... the blockbuster franchise “The Matrix” comes to mind. Here in the real world, though, it’s actually happening. While tiny computers have been implanted into less than 100 brains so far, their impact has been life-changing. Brain-computer interfaces, or BCIs, have done everything from allowing increased mobility to helping with speech. Could these devices become more mainstream and help the disabled do even mor...
Jul 06, 2025•14 min
The Kerr County Sheriff's Office in Texas said Friday flooding was catastrophic . President Donald Trump spoke with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week. USA TODAY National Correspondent Elizabeth Weise looks at the latest science around black holes. Chelsea and Fluminense advance in the FIFA Club World Cup. USA TODAY Books Reporter Clare Mulroy talks about some of the best comfort reads . Let us know what you think of this episode by sendin...
Jul 05, 2025•14 min
The House has sent Republicans' sweeping bill to President Donald Trump for his signature. The unemployment rate fell slightly in June. Plus, should you take a buyout ? The Supreme Court will take up a major case on transgender athletes joining girls' teams . USA TODAY National Correspondent Elizabeth Weise talks about the dangers of fireworks . USA TODAY Movie Critic Brian Truitt gives us his top 10 films of the year . Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to podcasts@u...
Jul 04, 2025•14 min
AI chatbots are being used for mental health support — and it’s raising red flags. From offering bad advice to encouraging self-harm, some mental health chatbots are crossing dangerous lines. Vaile Wright, senior director of health care innovation for the American Psychological Association, joins The Excerpt to talk about what’s at stake—and how regulation could protect users. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to podcasts@usatoday.com. Episode transcript available he...
Jul 03, 2025•10 min
The House has cleared a hurdle on President Donald Trump's bill of legislative priorities. USA TODAY National Correspondent Marco della Cava puts Diddy's trial in context after a verdict . A federal judge has blocked President Trump's asylum ban at the U.S.-Mexico border . Kilmar Abrego Garcia experienced "severe beatings" and "psychological torture" at a prison in El Salvador , according to a new court filing. USA TODAY Youth Mental Health Reporting Fellow Rachel Hale discusses why LGBTQ+ youth...
Jul 03, 2025•13 min
Walls. We all navigate them whether they be the walls throughout our homes, neighborhoods, and the places we choose to frequent, or the internal walls that allow us to maintain our distance from others. To what extent is divisiveness baked into our infrastructure, politic, and psyche? Anand Pandian, Professor of Anthropology at Johns Hopkins University, joins USA TODAY’s The Excerpt to discuss his new book “Something Between Us.” In it, he explores the walls that divide us as a nation. Let us kn...
Jul 02, 2025•13 min
USA TODAY Chief Political Correspondent Phillip M. Bailey gives some of his biggest takeaways after the Senate's passage of President Donald Trump's bill of legislative priorities . Paramount settles with Trump over a ‘60 Minutes’ interview. The University of Pennsylvania has agreed to prohibit transgender athletes from competing in women's sports and strip the record of former swimmer Lia Thomas. A big summer of soccer rolls on. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to ...
Jul 02, 2025•13 min
The Senate early this morning was still voting and negotiating on President Donald Trump's bill on tax cuts, Medicaid and more . USA TODAY Supreme Court Correspondent Maureen Groppe discusses the court's move to hear a GOP challenge to a campaign spending limit . The Justice Department sues Los Angeles to end 'sanctuary' immigration policies . Trump penned a handwritten note to Fed Chair Jerome Powell demanding lower interest rates . The man accused of killing four University of Idaho students i...
Jul 01, 2025•12 min
Senators on Monday will vote on President Donald Trump's legislative priorities . USA TODAY Investigative Reporter Nick Penzenstadler discusses how mentally ill detained immigrants are being forced to fight in solitude . Canada rescinds its digital services tax amid newly stalled U.S. trade talks. A sniper in Idaho started a blaze and killed two responding firefighters in an ambush attack before being found dead hours later, authorities say. USA TODAY Senior Reporter Jessica Guynn tells us why s...
Jun 30, 2025•13 min
True crime is a cultural obsession. But beneath the gripping stories of ghastly crimes and elusive perpetrators are tough questions about ethics, representation and respect. Who gets to tell these stories? Whose voices are amplified and whose are left out? And how can creators avoid retraumatizing victims? Journalism professor and true crime author Kate Winkler Dawson joins The Excerpt to unpack where the genre goes wrong, how it can do better, and why responsible storytelling matters now more t...
Jun 29, 2025•14 min
USA TODAY Supreme Court Correspondent Maureen Groppe recaps the final day of the high court's term . We discuss decisions ranging from birthright citizenship to Obamacare , LGBTQ+ books in public schools and more. Undocumented immigrants face massive fines under a new Trump rule. President Donald Trump says the U.S. will end trade talks with Canada . California Gov. Gavin Newsom sues Fox News for defamation . Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to podcasts@usatoday.com...
Jun 28, 2025•14 min
USA TODAY Supreme Court Correspondent Maureen Groppe breaks down the implications of the high court's decision siding with South Carolina in its effort to cut Planned Parenthood funding . President Donald Trump's passport policy was lifted. But some Americans are still in the dark . Protests pop up in Venice before the Jeff Bezos-Lauren Sánchez wedding . Why are people upset ? USA TODAY National Correspondent Marco della Cava talks about the popularity of Formula One racing and a new Brad Pitt m...
Jun 27, 2025•11 min
In 1969, LGBTQ+ patrons at the Stonewall Inn fought back against a violent police raid — and sparked a global movement. More than 50 years later, the fight continues . Under President Donald Trump’s second term, the National Park Service quietly removed “transgender” and “T” and “Q” from the Stonewall National Monument website. USA TODAY National Correspondent Michael Collins joins The Excerpt to share his reporting on Stonewall veterans who fear history is being rewritten. Let us know what you ...
Jun 26, 2025•10 min
Iranian officials are expected to meet with U.S. officials next week. Plus, NATO leaders back a big increase in defense spending . USA TODAY Chief Political Correspondent Phillip M. Bailey discusses what Zohran Mamdani's win in New York City means for Democrats and the GOP. Feds wasted millions on tech to detect fentanyl at the border , according to a federal watchdog. USA TODAY Books Reporter Clare Mulroy breaks down the Trump administration's impact on how we read . Check out last night's NBA ...
Jun 26, 2025•14 min
Climate change, global warming – we've all heard the steady drumbeat of doom. But a recent five-year forecast, by the World Meteorological Organization and the U.K. Meteorological Office, puts it starkly: The world will likely soon break another annual temperature record and, according to the Associated Press, the heat will be deadly. What would happen if we embraced the idea that the future still rests firmly in our hands? Is it in our nature to learn, adapt and change? And, equally important, ...
Jun 25, 2025•13 min
U.S. strikes failed to destroy Iran's nuclear sites . Plus, USA TODAY Government Accountability Reporter Erin Mansfield looks back on the last 70 years of history between the U.S. and Iran . Zohran Mamdani wins a New York City primary for mayor , shaking up mainstream Democratic politics. America's housing is pulling further out of reach, according to a new report . USA TODAY Consumer Travel Reporter Zach Wichter talks about supersonic air travel and its past and present in this week's Cruising ...
Jun 25, 2025•15 min
Israel says Iran has violated a ceasefire . Plus, USA TODAY White House Correspondent Francesca Chambers breaks down how Middle East tensions will impact this week's NATO summit. The Supreme Court lifts a judge's limits on deportations to third-party countries . A judge blocks President Trump's plan to to bar foreign nationals from entering the U.S. to study at Harvard University . New York City Democrats head to the polls to vote in citywide elections that will determine their party's nominee f...
Jun 24, 2025•13 min
In May, President Donald Trump shared his vision for protecting the US from the threat of nuclear strikes by drones, and ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles. The idea? A Golden Dome which would cover the country with three layers of air defenses. Following the launch of missiles in Iran , the idea of having a robust defense system here at home is getting more attention. Tom Karako, Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, joins USA TODAY’s The Excerpt to share...
Jun 23, 2025•16 min
USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page takes a broader look at President Donald Trump's decision to order weekend strikes on nuclear targets in Iran . Plus, an Iranian spokesperson calls Trump a 'gambler.' And Trump floats the idea of regime change . The strikes could hit the U.S. economy at a fragile time . USA TODAY National Correspondent Elizabeth Weise tells us about killer bees . The Oklahoma City Thunder are NBA champions. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an emai...
Jun 23, 2025•12 min
A slew of new music documentaries recently debuted at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. The list of cultural icons with docs just released or coming soon is long – from Billy Joel to Miley Cyrus to Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder. Beyond incredible sound, what were some of the stories captured in these docs? And what will audiences see and hear as they follow documentary filmmakers in their quest to go behind the music? USA TODAY National Music Reporter Melissa Ruggieri joins The Excerpt to share insi...
Jun 22, 2025•14 min
