The Excerpt

USA TODAY Supreme Court Correspondent Maureen Groppe discusses what's at stake in a major redistricting case. President Donald Trump says he's considering strikes on land to combat Venezuelan drug cartels. Plus, the Trump administration has authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to conduct covert action in Venezuela. A judge temporarily halts Trump shutdown layoffs. USA TODAY National Security & World Affairs Reporter Cybele Mayes-Osterman tells us about military families waiting for a paycheck during the government shutdown. Have feedback on the show? Please send us an email at podcasts@usatoday.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

High costs. Limited supply. No insurance coverage. All of these are motivating some patients to cook up unregulated “gray GLP-1” drugs at home. Health experts are worried. Why are people willing to risk injecting homemade drugs in an unregulated, non-sterile medical environment and what needs to change before access and safety improve? USA TODAY Wellness Reporter Nicole Fallert joins The Excerpt to share her reporting on this alarming trend. Have feedback on the show? Please send us an email at podcasts@usatoday.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 'perhaps violently.' USA TODAY White House Correspondent Bart Jansen recaps the move to award the late Charlie Kirk the Medal of Freedom. The Supreme Court rejects Alex Jones' appeal of a $1.4 billion Sandy Hook judgment. USA TODAY Senior National Political Correspondent Sarah D. Wire tells us what to expect from this weekend's 'No Kings' protests. Have feedback on the show? Please send us an email at podcasts@usatoday.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page puts President Donald Trump's role in recent Israel-Hamas peace proceedings in context. USA TODAY Congressional Reporter Zach Schermele has the government shutdown latest, as the Education Department lays off roughly 20% of its workforce. The collapse of coral reefs has driven the world across its first climate tipping point. Have feedback on the show? Please send us an email at podcasts@usatoday.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

All remaining living Israeli hostages have been released, while some 2,000 detained Palestinians are released. Plus, President Donald Trump speaks to Israel's Parliament. USA TODAY Money and Personal Finance Reporter Medora Lee takes a look at recessions on the state level. Little progress emerges toward getting out of a government shutdown. USA TODAY Domestic Security Correspondent Josh Meyer gives us some of the historical context behind the Insurrection Act. Have feedback on the show? Please send us an email at podcasts@usatoday.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 subscribers with videos that routinely get hundreds of millions of views. MrBeast is literally at the top of the YouTube food chain. But off platform, one of his ventures appears to have stalled out. In 2022, he announced a partnership with East Carolina University to offer a credentialing program to help teach students how to create captivating money-making content. So, what happened to it? USA TODAY Investigative Reporter Chris Quintana went looking for answers and joins USA TODAY’s The Excerpt to discuss. Have feedback on the show? Please send us an email at podcasts@usatoday.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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, as Trump plans a visit to the Middle East amid a ceasefire. USA TODAY White House Correspondent Joey Garrison breaks down President Donald Trump's mass layoffs of federal workers. Trump announces an additional 100% tariff on China imports. 19 people are unaccounted for after an explosion at an explosive manufacturing plant in Tennessee. The Las Vegas Aces are WNBA champions. Where do they rank among the all-time best teams? The Seattle Mariners win an epic extra innings game to make their first ALCS since 2001. It's National Coming Out Day. Have feedback on the show? Please send us an email at podcasts@usatoday.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 institution. Israeli forces start pulling back from parts of Gaza. USA TODAY Breaking News Reporter Michael Loria has the latest from Chicago as President Donald Trump's National Guard deployments face legal tests. The Trump administration airs a video at U.S. airports blaming Democrats for the government shutdown. USA TODAY Senior Crime Reporter Amanda Lee Myers explains why a Texas court stopped Robert Roberson's execution over questions about shaken baby syndrome. Listen to or watch our conversation with the lead investigator from the case here. Have feedback on the show? Please send us an email at podcasts@usatoday.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 shelves. Who gets the final word, not on which books should be read, but on access? And what’s been the impact on those caught in a fight they didn’t start – our teachers and librarians? USA TODAY Books Reporter Clare Mulroy joins USA TODAY’s The Excerpt to discuss the banning of books. Have feedback on the show? Please send us an email at podcasts@usatoday.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 in Gaza, and securing the release of hostages. USA TODAY Breaking News Reporter Michael Loria has the latest from Chicago, where residents say a Trump immigration blitz is upending daily life. A 29-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the Palisades Fire. USA TODAY Domestic Security Correspondent Josh Meyer breaks down the case against former FBI Director James Comey, after he pleaded not guilty to making false statements. Have feedback on the show? Please send us an email at podcasts@usatoday.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 office. Hundreds of thousands of employees who have been deemed non-essential have been furloughed and there’s little movement in Washington toward an agreement that would get the wheels churning again. Some would argue that the gridlock in Washington was already a form of government shutdown with Congress deadlocked and not negotiating on many issues of substance as to how we run this country. Where are with the shutdown and what are the key takeaways so far? USA TODAY White House Reporter Bart Jansen joins The Excerpt to unpack the issues. Have feedback on the show? Please send us an email at podcasts@usatoday.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

USA TODAY White House Correspondent Joey Garrison has some of the latest from the federal government shutdown, including the president's controversial remarks about furloughed workers. Attorney General Pam Bondi is grilled by and insults Democrats in a Senate hearing. Supreme Court Correspondent Maureen Groppe breaks down oral arguments over Colorado's ban on 'conversion therapy.' All four divisional series are in action Wednesday in the MLB Postseason. Have feedback on the show? Please send us an email at podcasts@usatoday.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

USA TODAY National Security & World Affairs Reporter Cybele Mayes-Osterman discusses the Trump administration's approach on deploying National Guard troops to U.S. cities. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says the government shutdown is adding stress to air traffic controllers. USA TODAY National News Reporter Karissa Waddick takes a look at the Virginia's governor's race and the potential impact of the ongoing shutdown. The Supreme Court rejects an appeal from Ghislaine Maxwell. President Trump says Sean 'Diddy' Combs asked him for a pardon. Have feedback on the show? Please send us an email at podcasts@usatoday.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A federal judge temporarily blocks President Donald Trump from deploying 200 Oregon National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon. USA TODAY Supreme Court Correspondent Maureen Groppe looks at the upcoming term for the high court. Trump is warning of 'complete obliteration' if Hamas insists on staying in power in Gaza. USA TODAY Government Accountability Reporter Erin Mansfield talks about the Trump administration's push for control over agencies like the FCC. In this month's edition of Kind Time, hear about a tiny goat who was given a chance to thrive - with the help of a couple of sheepdogs. For more, visit USA TODAY's Humankind. Have feedback on the show? Please send us an email at podcasts@usatoday.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 response, Israel unleashed a military campaign that has brought death and devastation to Gaza. Now President Trump, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by his side, has unveiled a 20-point plan he says will bring a lasting peace to the region. On Oct. 3, Hamas said it agrees to release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, under the terms of Trump's plan and signalled readiness to immediately enter mediated negotiations to discuss the details. Michael Oren, a former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. and a military historian joins The Excerpt with my colleague USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page to discuss the new peace plan. * Note: This conversation was recorded on October 1, 2025. Have feedback on the show? Please send us an email at podcasts@usatoday.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

President Donald Trump is calling on Israel to stop its Gaza bombing campaign to secure the safe extraction of remaining hostages, after Hamas agreed to portions of his peace plan. USA TODAY White House Correspondent Bart Jansen has the latest as lawmakers fail to get out of a government shutdown. The shutdown is delaying a key jobs report. USA TODAY White House Correspondent Zac Anderson tells us about Trump's move to freeze funding for Chicago, amid a broader push to withhold funds from blue cities and states. Diddy has been sentenced to 50 months in prison. Have feedback on the show? Please send us an email at podcasts@usatoday.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 curveballs. How is it that the characters he created so poignantly reflect how we experience other people and the world around us? And why do a ragtag group of comic strip kids who debuted in newspapers in 1950 post-war America, still resonate with children and adults around the world? Andrew Blauner, author of “THE PEANUTS PAPERS: Writers and Cartoonists on Charlie Brown, Snoopy & the Gang, and the Meaning of Life,” sat down with USA TODAY’s The Excerpt to discuss the 75th anniversary of the Peanuts gang and its enduring impact. Have feedback on the show? Please send us an email at podcasts@usatoday.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

President Donald Trump's approval ratings are historically low compared to other presidents, but have mostly plateaued in recent months. USA TODAY First Amendment Reporter BrieAnna Frank breaks down a ruling against the Trump administration that found Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem misused their authority “to target non-citizen pro-Palestinians for deportation. The White House is encouraging leaders at nine universities to sign a compact committing their schools to adopt President Donald Trump's policy agenda for higher education in exchange for preferential access to federal funds. The Pentagon tells Congress Trump has determined the U.S. is in 'armed conflict' with cartels. USA TODAY National Music Writer Melissa Ruggieri chats about Taylor Swift's new album - "The Life of a Showgirl" - out today. Have feedback on the show? Please send us an email at podcasts@usatoday.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Once known simply as a gossip guru, Charlamagne tha God – who reaches over 7 million monthly “Club” listeners – still gets "the tea.” USA TODAY Politics Reporter Jay Stahl joins The Excerpt to share excerpts from his sit-down with the political influencer. Have feedback on the show? Please send us an email at podcasts@usatoday.com. 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.

USA TODAY White House Correspondent Francesca Chambers takes a look at how the federal government shutdown is playing out politically, and gives us some insight into how Americans are being impacted. FBI Director Kash Patel says he won't partner with the Anti-Defamation League over a James Comey link. USA TODAY White House Correspondent Bart Jansen explains how concerns over tariffs might loom over 2026 races. We remember Jane Goodall. Jews observe Yom Kippur. Have feedback on the show? Please send us an email at podcasts@usatoday.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.