The Excerpt

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 from the paths that usually launch them successfully into adulthood . RAND Senior Economist Jennie Wenger joins The Excerpt to explain why education alone does not solve the problem, how place and poverty shape opportunity and why community connection...

Most people are familiar with hospice, a compassionate, holistic approach to caring for someone who is terminally ill and has no chance of recovery. But did you know there’s also hospice for our furry loved ones? While not exactly a new trend, the availability of pet hospice care and end of life options has dramatically expanded in recent years , giving families greater control over how their love...

Biological weapons are illegal, but the threat of an intentional release or catastrophic lab accident remains. Investigative journalist and best-selling author Annie Jacobsen joins The Excerpt to discuss her new book, “Biological War: A Scenario,” which follows how a deadly pathogen could spread, how governments might respond and why human behavior could determine whether an outbreak is contained...

AI is increasingly shaping decisions about health care, employment, prices and other parts of everyday life. But while the European Union has adopted a sweeping regulatory framework, the U.S. still has no single federal rulebook governing the technology . Instead, oversight relies on a patchwork of state laws, voluntary industry standards, existing consumer protections and lawsuits after something...

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 country that has long celebrated outsized success. But it's impossible to ignore that this moment arrives when many working Americans say simply affording a home feels out of reach. What happens when the promise of opportunity becomes less certain in a cou...

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 Donald Trump seeks an additional $67 billion in defense spending . Supporters argue the money is essential to maintain pressure, while critics point to a mission that still lacks clearly defined objectives or a clear timeline. USA TODAY White House Corre...

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 just 57,000 jobs, previous estimates were revised downward and the share of people working or actively looking for work declined. Older workers are leaving at especially high rates, while hiring burnout, return-to-office mandates, caregiving responsi...

President Donald Trump built his political coalition with overwhelming support from white working-class and rural voters. But rising grocery prices, health care costs, tariffs and frustration over the economy are testing that loyalty ahead of the midterms. USA TODAY National Correspondent Chris Kenning joins The Excerpt to explain why some Trump voters are growing disillusioned with the politics o...

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 Personal Finance Reporter Daniel de Visé breaks down what new research says about the value of a degree and the factors that can change the math. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to podcasts@usatoday.com .  Episode tran...

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 experts about hatred against Jews and how to combat rising violence and hate speech. Watch the latest episode in Will Carless's Extremely Normal series here: Antisemitism is rising and critics say influencers from the left and the right are largely to...

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche may be one of the most divisive nominees President Donald Trump has nominated in recent weeks and his fingerprints are on some of the administration's most explosive controversies—from Trump's legal battles with the IRS to the Epstein files. Those fights have earned him fierce critics, alongside the president’s loyalty. The question facing senators now is wheth...

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 what does it reveal about the author's creative process and complicated legacy ? USA TODAY Books Reporter Clare Mulroy joins The Excerpt to share her reporting. Plus, watch "Sing the 50 United States" written by Dr. Seuss. Let us know what you think...

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 string of insurgent victories, knocking off longtime officeholders and helping progressive challengers break through in New York and Colorado. Five Democratic House incumbents have already been shown the door. Party leaders are watching nervously. Th...

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 that have created disaster zones across the US just in the past couple of years and the need for a stable and robust Federal Emergency Management Agency seems like a no-brainer. But crippling layoffs at the emergency aid agency in the spring of 2025 lef...

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 these are relatively benign bets you can make today. But there are other bets that maybe aren’t so benign, like will Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro be removed from office by the end of January? That well-timed bet, made in the hours before the U.S....

Crafting is having a moment. From knitting and crochet to embroidery and quilting, more people — especially younger adults — are picking up hands-on hobbies. But this trend isn’t just about nostalgia. Research suggests creative activities may reduce stress, improve mood and even affect how our brains and bodies function. Daisy Fancourt, professor of psychobiology and epidemiology at University Col...

With climate change, the threat of wildfires, and human encroachment among other things, our trees and forests are in desperate need of guardians. From tropical rainforests, often referred to as the lungs of the planet, to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in California’s White Mountains, home to some of the oldest living organisms on earth, what is being done to protect our woodlands? Forester...

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 intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking targets on the other side of the world, and it could be our best bet. But it’s aging, and land-based ICBMs have an Achilles heel. USA TODAY Defense Reporter Davis Winkie joins The Excerpt to dis...

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 danger of collapse due to climate change. This is according to a new study published in April in the journal Science Advances. If that collapse actually happens, scientists warn, the consequences could be dire. Shane Elipot, a physical oceanographer at th...

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 America – from the Underground Railroad and Route 66 to Paul Revere’s midnight ride and beyond. USA TODAY reporters Trevor Hughes, Sarah D. Wire and Karissa Waddick join The Excerpt to share what they saw and what those stories tell us about our history...

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 the bipartisan housing bill and the 250th anniversary of country’s founding this weekend. House Speaker Mike Johnson joins The Excerpt in an exclusive interview hosted by USA TODAY White House Correspondent Francesca Chambers. Let us know what you thi...

Another Supreme Court term has wrapped with major rulings that reshape key national debates. The court upheld birthright citizenship , rejecting a central push from President Donald Trump, while also siding with states on restricting transgender athletes from competing in girls’ sports. USA TODAY Court Reporter Aysha Bagchi joins The Excerpt to unpack what these decisions mean. Let us know what yo...

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, Madison Square Garden BIG and all the clues are pointing to July 3rd. The rumors have run wild. Some say it’s a distraction. Others think MSG will be the big party “for everyone they’ve ever met,” while the actual ceremony will be somewhere privat...

A bipartisan group of secretaries of state is warning that the federal government may no longer be a reliable hub for election threat information , according to an internal memo shared exclusively with USA TODAY. The concern is that state officials will no longer have access to the kind of real-time cyber and physical threats that only the federal government can provide. USA TODAY Senior National...

The Supreme Court has ended a humanitarian program that let many Haitian and Syrian immigrants stay in the United States temporarily , a decision that could upend the lives of hundreds of thousands of people along with the communities where they live and work. The ruling is a major win for President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration agenda, raising urgent questions about what happens next for af...