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As the critical midterms approach, we’re taking a look at how Trump’s numbers may be influencing voters. At stake: 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats, 39 governorships -- and the nation's political direction for the next two years. USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page joins The Excerpt to share her insights. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to [email protected].  Episode transcript available here.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The fight over renaming The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts has led to a reckoning about the meaning attached to presidential memorials and arguments about who we are. From marble monuments to cultural institutions, what do presidential memorials tell us about not only our past, but our present? For Presidents Day we decided to dig into that with one of the nation’s leading voices on memory and memorials, James E. Young, professor emeritus of English and Judaic & Near Eastern Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.  Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to [email protected].  Episode transcript available here.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chocolate wasn’t always sweet — or romantic. Once a ceremonial drink and even a form of currency, cacao has a long history before becoming a Valentine’s Day staple. Harvard Professor Carla Martin explains how marketing, industrialization and chemistry helped turn chocolate into a symbol of love — and why men buy the most chocolate one week a year. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to [email protected].  Episode transcript available here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Attorney General Pam Bondi clashed repeatedly with Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday in a fiery hearing. Among other heated topics was the release of the Epstein documents and the redactions and lack thereof on those files. Top House Committee Democrat, Representative Jamie Raskin, accused the Justice Department of redacting the names of multiple men for political reasons. USA TODAY Justice Department Correspondent Aysha Bagchi joins The Excerpt to share her reporting. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to [email protected].  Episode transcript available here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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. captured and extracted Maduro, netted the anonymous investor who made it $400,000. Are prediction markets democratizing information as some argue or are we monetizing reality in a way that incentivizes perverse motives? Alex Goldenberg, Fellow at Rutgers University, joins The Excerpt to explain how these markets work and the risks they pose financially and politically. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to [email protected].  Episode transcript available here.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For the first time in over half a century, there are no nuclear arms controls in place between the world’s two largest nuclear powers, the US and Russia. With a rising China growing its nuclear arsenal while it continues to assert its power on the international stage, we ask, is this the beginning of a new Cold War era? Ankit Panda, a senior fellow with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, joins The Excerpt to dig into the critical geopolitical, economic and military concerns at the heart of this story. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to [email protected].  Episode transcript available here.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It started with the banning of the Associated Press from certain White House events over its refusal to use the term “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico.” Then there was a recent FBI search of a Washington Post reporter’s home. And then in January two journalists, including former CNN host, Don Lemon were arrested following an immigration protest at Cities Church in St Paul, Minnesota. What’s happening to freedom of the press? First Amendment scholar RonNell Andersen Jones, professor of law at the University of Utah, joins The Excerpt to dig into all of it. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to [email protected].  Episode transcript available here.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Two recent elections-related developments are playing out today that have some election officials concerned. The first relates to the FBI’s seizure of election documents in Georgia, a state whose election President Donald Trump continues to falsely claim he won in 2020. The second involves recent public comments made by the president that elections should be nationalized in 15 states. Both of these actions may be illegal. Has the Trump administration crossed a line USA TODAY Justice Department Correspondent Aysha Bagchi joins The Excerpt to unpack the story. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to [email protected].  Episode transcript available here.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We are now just one day away from the roar of the opening ceremonies of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy. Team USA is on the hunt for gold as figure skater Ilia Malinin – who some have dubbed the ‘quad god’ - pushes the sport of ice skating to dizzying heights. USA TODAY National Sports Columnist Christine Brennan and Olympic Gold Medalist Brian Boitano, the hosts of USA TODAY’s Milan Magic podcast and vodcast, join The Excerpt to share what they're most excited about. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to [email protected].  Episode transcript available here.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Since the Supreme Court widely legalized sports wagering in 2018 the nation’s appetite for bets has exploded. U.S. betters made over a billion dollars worth of bets in 2025 on sports alone. This year’s Super Bowl is expected to attract $1.7 billion in legal U.S. wagers. But investigators are finding that there’s also been a surge in illegal betting by minors. Are sportsbooks putting our children in harm’s way? USA TODAY Investigative Reporter Nick Penzenstadler joins The Excerpt to share his reporting. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to [email protected].  Episode transcript available here.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The 2026 Grammys saw major wins for artists like Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga, and also served up an impressive number of live performances. But beyond the spectacle and the awarding of Grammy statuettes, the night also highlighted the bridge between headlines about immigration policy and ICE and how music often defines our most challenging cultural moments. USA TODAY National Music Reporter Melissa Ruggieri joins USA TODAY’s The Excerpt to discuss the biggest night in music. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to [email protected].  Episode transcript available here.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A landmark trial asks whether social media giants like Instagram and YouTube knowingly designed addictive platforms, and if they can be held legally responsible. Clay Calvert, nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, joins USA TODAY’s The Excerpt to break down the case. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to [email protected].  Episode transcript available here.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis last Saturday, Democrats have taken a stand against the Trump administration’s immigration policy. While the Senate did reach a short-term deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security, because the House is out of session, a partial government shutdown could still begin on Saturday. USA TODAY Congressional Reporter Zach Schermele joins The Excerpt from the Capitol with the latest. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to [email protected].  Episode transcript available here.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The NFL playoffs are now in the books. After a dramatic day of games last weekend, we now know the New England Patriots will face off against the Seattle Seahawks for Super Bowl LX. What kind of drama can we expect to see on the field? USA TODAY Senior NFL Columnist Jarrett Bell joins The Excerpt to dig into all things NFL. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to [email protected].  Episode transcript available here.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are everywhere — but thousands of users now allege the medications caused severe, life-altering injuries including everything from stomach paralysis and colon ruptures to sudden blindness. Drugmakers deny the allegations and say the medications are safe when used as directed. USA TODAY investigative data reporter Austin Fast explains what patients are alleging in court, how widespread GLP-1 use has become and how drug companies like Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are responding.  Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to [email protected].  Episode transcript available here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.