The Excerpt
Episodes
Which blockbuster movies defined 2025's year in film?
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The books we couldn’t stop reading in 2025
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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? ...
Now just plain Andrew. The former Prince’s fall from grace.
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 negotiatio...
US military strikes against Venezuelan vessels face legal and operational scrutiny
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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?
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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
27 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
Politicians are fighting to redraw congressional maps across the country
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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?
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Before a Supreme Court ruling in 2018 opened the flood gates to legalized sports betting across the country, the proposition bet or prop bet – picki...
Why are young voters drawn to Mamdani?
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 y...
Will the remaining Epstein files ever see the light of day?
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Teens are turning to AI for connection, with dangerous results
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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?
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 dr...
The government shutdown caused a lot of pain for Americans
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 dis...
Migrants are heading south now, not north
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After record highs in 2024, border crossings have collapsed. ICE raids, deportations and new asylum limits are now driving a wave of reverse migration...
How an unlikely alliance saved the U.S. fishing industry
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It wasn’t so long ago that America’s fisheries were in a state of collapse, with cratering fish stocks and well-meaning but impractical government...
Are Trump's tariffs legal? The Supreme Court hears arguments
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
By imposing sweeping tariffs on foreign imports, President Donald Trump has turned US trade policy on its head. The question now before the Supreme Co...
Democrats escape the political wilderness with Mamdani win
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the Nov. 4 election not only makes him the leader of the Big Apple; It also turns him, for better or worse, into one of ...
How SNAP became a political pawn in the government shutdown
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — or SNAP — feeds 42 million Americans. But during the ongoing government shutdown, it’s been caug...
Thoughts on America's 250th birthday
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On July 4th 2026, America will celebrate its 250th birthday. The United States is the world’s oldest and still-evolving experiment in democracy. Fro...
Love gore and horror, the dark and scary? There’s a scientific reason why.
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
True crime, horror movies, even haunted houses — psychologist Coltan Scrivner says they all tap into a survival instinct. He explains how morbid cur...
At 28, Malala Yousafzai is finally finding her way
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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, target...
Government shutdown enters week five with no end in sight
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It has been 29 days since the federal government entered a shutdown, now just a week away from this becoming the longest government shutdown in US his...
Is the AI boom fueling the next stock market bubble?
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The stock market is surging again, led by a handful of tech giants betting big on artificial intelligence. But is this genuine growth or déjà vu fro...
The NBA is reeling from an explosive gambling scandal
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What do you get when you mix the NBA with the Italian mafia and then add in some poker? Perhaps one of the most explosive gambling scandals the sports...
Adult sleepaway camp and the high cost of feeling like a kid again
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Who doesn’t like a weekend getaway? A nice hotel room, spa treatments, room service, sure – but a cabin with strangers? Adult sleepaway camps are ...
Will changes to the H-1B visa program preserve jobs for Americans?
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The H-1B visa program — a key pipeline for skilled foreign workers in tech — has recently been upended by President Donald Trump. A recent executi...
Why do US students continue to fall behind in reading and math?
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
America’s high school seniors are falling behind. The decline in math and reading scores is more than a statistic. It’s a warning sign about our f...
WNBA hits a new peak, but money is still a sticking point
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the contract deadline of October 31st approaches, negotiations are at a standstill, and players and fans alike are contemplating the very real poss...
California Prop 50 voting underway. Will the decision neutralize Texas redistricting?
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
California voters are already casting ballots in what is likely the most important contest of 2025, one that will play a substantial role in deciding ...
John Bolton indicted
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
USA TODAY Justice Department Correspondent Aysha Bagchi breaks down the indictment of Trump critic and ex-National Security Adviser John Bolton in a d...
SPECIAL | Is Trump's deployment of the National Guard about order or overreach?
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Since June of 2025, thousands of National Guard troops have been deployed to four US cities – Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Chicago and Memphis. And...
Voting Rights Act threatened in Supreme Court redistricting case
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
USA TODAY Supreme Court Correspondent Maureen Groppe discusses what's at stake in a major redistricting case.President Donald Trump says he's consider...
SPECIAL | Why Americans are making homegrown GLP-1s
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
High costs. Limited supply. No insurance coverage. All of these are motivating some patients to cook up unregulated “gray GLP-1” drugs at home. He...
Another Senate vote fails as the shutdown rolls on
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The federal government’s partial shutdown has reached its 15th day.President Donald Trump says Hamas will disarm or the U.S. will force them 'perhap...
A triumphant Trump basks in Mideast praise
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page puts President Donald Trump's role in recent Israel-Hamas peace proceedings in context.USA TODAY Congress...
All remaining living Israeli hostages released
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
All remaining living Israeli hostages have been released, while some 2,000 detained Palestinians are released. Plus, President Donald Trump speaks to ...
MrBeast is hugely successful on YouTube, but with ECU, not so much
12 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you spend any time on YouTube, and most of us do, then you’ve probably watched or at least heard of MrBeast. Last check, he had 444 million subsc...
One family, seven hostages, and the end of a two-year nightmare
11 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
USA TODAY National Correspondent Michael Collins tells us about one family's fight to bring hostage loved ones home.Gazans trek to their ruined homes,...
New York Attorney General Letitia James indicted
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial insti...
SPECIAL | Who should decide which books, if any, are banned?
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is banned books week. It’s a week that highlights how a few loud voices have shaped what kinds of books are pulled from school and library shel...
Hamas and Israel set to sign deal on ceasefire and hostage releases
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Donald Trump says Israel and Hamas have agreed to implement the first phase of a White House peace plan aimed at ending Israel's onslaught i...
SPECIAL | The politics of shutdown
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re nearly at the end of day eight of the government shutdown, the first time this has happened since 2018 when President Donald Trump was last in...
Trump says some furloughed federal workers ‘don’t deserve’ back pay
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
USA TODAY White House Correspondent Joey Garrison has some of the latest from the federal government shutdown, including the president's controversial...
National Guard troops in limbo as Trump battles courts over deployments
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
USA TODAY National Security & World Affairs Reporter Cybele Mayes-Osterman discusses the Trump administration's approach on deploying National Gua...
Judge blocks National Guard deployment to Portland, Oregon
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A federal judge temporarily blocks President Donald Trump from deploying 200 Oregon National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon.USA TODAY Supreme Court ...
Peace hangs in the balance as the second anniversary of 10-7 nears
05 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been two years since the October 7th attacks on Israel. On that day in 2023, Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people and took hundreds hostage. In r...
Trump tells Israel to stop bombing Gaza after Hamas accepts portion of his peace plan
04 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Donald Trump is calling on Israel to stop its Gaza bombing campaign to secure the safe extraction of remaining hostages, after Hamas agreed ...
SPECIAL | Peanuts turns 75 and still speaks to the child in all of us
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For 75 years, Charles Schultz’s Peanuts gang has reflected our humor and hope, as well as our struggle to navigate some of life’s everyday curveba...
Trump approval ratings historically low compared to other presidents
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Trump approval ratings historically low compared to other presidents, but have mostly plateaued in recent monthsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.co...
SPECIAL | Charlamagne tha God emerges as a political force
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Once known simply as a gossip guru, Charlamagne tha God – who reaches over 7 million monthly “Club” listeners – still gets "the tea.” USA TO...
Lawmakers point fingers as the reality of a shutdown sinks in
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
USA TODAY White House Correspondent Francesca Chambers takes a look at how the federal government shutdown is playing out politically, and gives us so...
SPECIAL | Jimmy Kimmel's right to free speech is not up for debate
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the wake of the controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel's week-long suspension from "Jimmy Kimmel Live," FCC Chairman Brendan Carr issued a not-so-vei...
A government shutdown begins. What's next?
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The federal government shut down at midnight. USA TODAY Senior National Political Correspondent Sarah D. Wire gives us a better sense of one of the ke...
Trump and Netanyahu agree to a peace plan
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Donald Trump said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have reached a deal for peace in Gaza. But how do leaders in the enclave ...
FBI probing Michigan church shooting as 'targeted violence'
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
An assailant killed at least four people at a Michigan church during Sunday service.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Washington Mo...
With Comey's indictment, has the DOJ been weaponized?
28 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Former FBI Director James Comey has now been indicted. Who might be next? Is the Trump administration now weaponizing the Department of Justice in ord...
Supreme Court won't make Trump spend billions in foreign aid approved by Congress
27 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Supreme Court Friday said President Donald Trump, for now, doesn’t have to spend billions in foreign aid approved by Congress.USA TODAY White Ho...
Former FBI Director James Comey indicted on charges sought by Trump Justice Department
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted.USA TODAY National Correspondent Rick Jervis has the latest from Dallas after this week's shooting a...
SPECIAL | How Pac-Man ate his way into gaming history
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 1980, the world of arcade games got a jolt that changed the gaming world forever. That’s when a round yellow fellow with a large set of chompers ...
1 detainee killed, 2 wounded in Dallas ICE facility shooting
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A shooter opened fire on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas on Wednesday, killing one detainee and critically wounding two ...
SPECIAL EPISODE | Commercial space travel is almost here
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Living, working, even vacationing off world is no longer a distant concept. We're approaching a time when humans aren't just visitors to outer space, ...
Jimmy Kimmel returns, says he never meant to 'make light of the murder' of Charlie Kirk
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jimmy Kimmel returned to late-night television Tuesday, where he addressed his show's suspension.USA TODAY White House Correspondent Joey Garrison tak...
Trump urges pregnant women to avoid Tylenol citing unproved autism link
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
USA TODAY Government Accountability Reporter Erin Mansfield breaks down the president's announcement linking autism to Tylenol.Jimmy Kimmel is returni...
Mourners celebrate Charlie Kirk
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Elected officials, faith leaders, Kirk's colleagues and his loved ones remembered the conservative activist at a service in Arizona Sunday.Top Democra...
Extremist Active Club network uses fitness to recruit its members
21 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
US-born extremism is on the rise and spreading beyond our borders. The US-based Active Club network is now taking root across the globe. Active Clubs ...
Senate votes against government funding bill, raising shutdown prospects
20 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
USA TODAY Congressional Reporter Zach Schermele has the latest from Capitol Hill where the possibility of a government shutdown looms.President Donald...
Trump suggests FCC should consider revoking TV licenses over negative coverage of him
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Donald Trump says negative coverage of him by television networks should be grounds for the Federal Communications Commission to revoke broa...
SPECIAL | Why losing trust in expertise threatens democracy
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From “follow the science” during COVID to universities accused of activism, the gap between experts and the public is widening. Roger Pielke Jr. e...
Fed announces quarter-point rate cut
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
USA TODAY Personal Finance Reporter Rachel Barber puts the Federal Reserve's latest rate cut in context.President Donald Trump will meet with British ...
SPECIAL | Could AI-generated art replace human creators?
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Generative AI is now widely used to make artwork, music and even film – valuable cultural contributions that used to be exclusively the province of ...
New revelations in Charlie Kirk murder case as suspect is charged
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
According to court documents, the 22-year-old had been planning the attack for a week.USA TODAY Government Accountability Reporter Erin Mansfield disc...
Israel launches ground assault in Gaza City
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz posted on X that "Gaza is burning."USA TODAY White House Reporter Zac Anderson has the latest after President Don...
Charlie Kirk remembered in DC vigil; Utah governor says suspect is not cooperating
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Utah Governor Spencer Cox gave some of the latest details on the Utah shooter during his appearances on Sunday news shows.USA TODAY Money Reporter Bai...
Charlie Kirk's assassination matters more than you think
14 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking before thousands at Utah Valley College. His death marks a new and unsettling ch...
White House mourns the death of Charlie Kirk
13 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
USA TODAY White House reporter Francesca Chambers discusses what Charlie Kirk’s death means in this moment for the White House. A U.S. Marine h...
Manhunt continues for Charlie Kirk shooter
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Authorities have released new video of the suspected shooter of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. In the aftermath of the shooting, USA TODAY C...
The 'dirtbag' who built Patagonia—and gave it away
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Conservative influencer Charlie Kirk fatally shot
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk was fatally shot at Utah Valley University yesterday. Poland's military ...
Can sharks help predict hurricanes? Researchers are hoping so.
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Accurately forecasting hurricanes has improved over the past few decades with the use of satellites, NOAA’s airborne Hurricane Hunters and numerical...
MAHA report on childhood health is out
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
USA TODAY White House Correspondent Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy breaks down Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his MAHA Commission’s release&...
A House committee releases full Jeffrey Epstein “birthday book”
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A slew of documents about Jeffrey Epstein with purported messages from President Trump and President Bill Clinton have been released.USA TODAY Supreme...
What keeps Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett up at night?
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
USA Today Supreme Court Correspondent Maureen Groppe shares highlights from an exclusive interview with the Supreme Court justice.Hundreds of South Ko...
The CDC is in crisis
07 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For Robert F Kennedy Jr, it was never going to be a smooth road as Secretary of Health and Human Services given the controversy surrounding his well-d...
A disappointing new jobs report reveals a slowdown in U.S. hiring
06 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
USA TODAY Money Reporter Bailey Schulz breaks down the latest disappointing jobs report. President Donald Trump says Americans should take vaccin...
RFK Jr. says he doesn't know how many Americans died from COVID as he's grilled at hearing
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was grilled during an explosive hearing Thursday.USA TODAY National Correspondent Chris Kenn...
SPECIAL | Ultrapotent nitazenes present a new front in the opioid battle
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Picture this, a powerful synthetic opioid that quietly morphs into one of the nation’s most lethal drug crises. A drug that can be slipped undetecte...
Epstein victims speak as pressure grows to release files
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
USA TODAY Domestic Security Correspondent Josh Meyer takes a look at Wednesday comments from Epstein victims, as they push for the release of more rec...
SPECIAL | New series “Extremely Normal” tackles the "manosphere"
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
America’s young men are lost. At least, that’s what they’re telling us online. From feeling disconnected in school, relationships, and even purp...
US appeals court rejects Trump's use of Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
An appeals court has rejected President Donald Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans.Military strikes killed 11 on an alleged 'dr...