The Excerpt
Kanalinformation
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.
Seneste episoder
333 episoder
Why America's longest border is suddenly a major crisis
At more 5,500 miles, the U.S.-Canada border is the longest international border in the world. As a new bridge opens between Detroit and Canada amid ri...
Why millions of young adults are stuck before they start
Millions of young adults are not working, not in school and not in training. A new RAND report looks at why so many 18-24-year-olds are disconnected f...
The rise of pet hospice means more choices, better goodbyes
Most people are familiar with hospice, a compassionate, holistic approach to caring for someone who is terminally ill and has no chance of recovery. B...
How biological warfare could trigger a global catastrophe
Biological weapons are illegal, but the threat of an intentional release or catastrophic lab accident remains. Investigative journalist and best-selli...
Who regulates AI when Washington won’t?
AI is increasingly shaping decisions about health care, employment, prices and other parts of everyday life. But while the European Union has adopted...
What Elon Musk reaching trillionaire status says about America
Elon Musk becoming the world's first trillionaire is the kind of milestone that says something about making it in America. After all, this is a countr...
Iran war costs in blood and treasure soar as mission remains unclear
The human and financial costs of the U.S. war in Iran continue to rise as the number of service members killed rises to at least 18 and President Dona...
America’s workforce is shrinking. What’s going on?
The unemployment rate fell in June, but beneath that encouraging headline are signs that the U.S. job market may be losing momentum. Employers added j...
Is Trump losing his grip on working-class voters?
President Donald Trump built his political coalition with overwhelming support from white working-class and rural voters. But rising grocery prices, h...
College costs are rising. Is the degree still worth it?
The question of whether college is worth it has gotten more complicated as costs rise and students weigh other paths after high school. USA TODAY Pers...
As antisemitism spikes, how can America tackle the hate?
Antisemitism is spiking in the U.S. and around the world. Will Carless, USA TODAY national correspondent and host of Extremely Normal, talks to two ex...
Trump’s IRS settlement draws criticism at Blanche confirmation hearing
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche may be one of the most divisive nominees President Donald Trump has nominated in recent weeks and his fingerprint...
The Cat in the Hat is back in a lost Dr. Seuss book
A completed, unpublished Dr. Seuss manuscript was recently discovered in author Theodor Geisel’s archives at UC San Diego. How was the book found, and...
Liberal progressives are remaking the Democratic party in 2026
The Democratic Party’s left wing is no longer knocking on the door—it’s kicking it in. The same energy that helped elect Zohran Mamdani has fueled a s...
Is FEMA ready for the coming hurricanes, floods and fires?
An historic El Niño is forming in the Pacific that could cause catastrophic weather around the world. Add to that the hurricanes, fires and floods tha...
Are prediction markets democratizing information or gamifying war?
Who will be the Democratic presidential nominee in 2028? What will the price of gold be at the end of the week? Who will win the World Cup? All of the...
Crafting’s comeback and the science behind it
Crafting is having a moment. From knitting and crochet to embroidery and quilting, more people — especially younger adults — are picking up hands-on h...
How do you love a forest? Ethan Tapper has thoughts.
With climate change, the threat of wildfires, and human encroachment among other things, our trees and forests are in desperate need of guardians. Fro...
Inside the push to modernize the US nuclear arsenal
It’s the worst-cast scenario no one wants to talk about: what happens if America's nuclear missile silos are attacked? The Minuteman III is a powerful...
Doomscrolling alert: The Atlantic current may be headed for collapse
A large-scale and delicate system of ocean currents that has been active for millions of years and that’s responsible for our warm climate is in dange...
We hit the road for USA 250
To mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, USA TODAY sent reporters out on the road, and into history, to follow the journeys that built Amer...
House Speaker Johnson on housing, relationship with Trump and Iran war
There’s no shortage of news coming from Washington these days: The war in Iran, disputes between the president and Congress over legislation such as t...
Birthright citizenship survives in major SCOTUS ruling
Another Supreme Court term has wrapped with major rulings that reshape key national debates. The court upheld birthright citizenship, rejecting a cent...
Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce: The big wedding date is finally here!
It’s being called the wedding of the century! Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are getting married, and it looks like it’s going to be big! New York City...
Will the midterm elections be free from interference from bad actors?
A bipartisan group of secretaries of state is warning that the federal government may no longer be a reliable hub for election threat information, acc...
SCOTUS ruling on TPS will lead to deportation of Haitians and Syrians
The Supreme Court has ended a humanitarian program that let many Haitian and Syrian immigrants stay in the United States temporarily, a decision that...
Everyone except Trump seems to agree, affordable housing is a crisis
Americans are stretched thin and you probably know why: Housing. It’s become increasingly, persistently unaffordable, and for many, simply out of reac...
Trump and GOP lawmakers are sitting down to hash out their drama
President Donald Trump is testing his own party’s patience on Capitol Hill. Last week, he told Senate Republicans to cancel a major confirmation heari...
Does AI mark an inflection point for civilization?
In “The God Test,” Robert Wright argues that the real challenge of AI isn’t just building smarter machines—it’s deciding whether we can evolve, morall...
BookTok is turning favorite books into real-life trips
BookTok helped readers find community online. Now, some fans are taking that connection into the real world through literary tourism. USA TODAY Books...
Obama dedicates his new presidential center on Chicago’s South Side
Foreign and national dignitaries, former presidents, acclaimed musicians and actors, friends, neighbors and family joined Former First Lady Michelle O...
As Trump nears agreement to suspend war in Iran, big questions remain
President Donald Trump wrapped up his attendance at the G7 yesterday, sharing news of a 14-point agreement with Iran. Does this realistically signal t...
Do social media bans actually protect kids?
As concerns grow over children’s mental health, addictive algorithms and age-inappropriate content online, governments around the world are considerin...
Are young people locked out of power in the US?
America spends a lot of time talking about age in politics: how old is too old to lead, whether younger candidates are getting shut out, and if member...
Much of Trump’s legacy is tied up in the courts
From immigration to elections, ballrooms to tax immunity, much of President Donald Trump’s second term agenda is mired in the courts. While a Republic...
PCB cleanup workers claim they were left unprotected from carcinogens
PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, were built to last. So, beginning in the late 1920’s billions of pounds of it were produced across the country for...
Forget night clubs. Morning raves are where it's at.
What’s it like to party not TILL but AT the break of dawn? In an era when so many interactions happen through screens, a growing number of people have...
Is the 2026 World Cup about to change soccer forever?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is here, and it is unlike anything the sport has staged before. Spanning three countries and expanding in size, this tournamen...
They rejected Biden’s 2020 win. Now they’re running for office.
Among the Republicans running for governor of politically competitive states in 2026 are people like Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jo...
Turmoil at ’60 Minutes’ after Pelley and two others are fired
For over 50 years, CBS’ legendary “60 Minutes” has been a stalwart of the investigative reporting tradition. But a recent shakeup to leadership and on...