The question many are asking is whether 2025’s redistricting efforts are about upholding democracy or diluting representation?

Former Vice President Dick Cheney was remembered this week at a Washington memorial as a defining figure in modern Republican politics. USA TODAY Washington bureau chief Susan Page breaks down his complicated legacy, from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to the rise of the MAGA movement. She explains Cheney’s push to expand executive power, the backlash over enhanced interrogation, and why Cheney ultimately endorsed Kamala Harris over Donald Trump. 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.

Inmates are dying from treatable infections. USA TODAY investigations explains what unredacted death reports reveal about medical neglect behind bars.

Proposition, or prop, betting invites player manipulation. How can the leagues protect the integrity of the games?

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 young voters. But that’s not the only term voters and politicians are buzzing about. Mamdani is also a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. What does that even mean in 2025? USA TODAY Chief Political Correspondent Phillip M. Bailey joins The Excerpt for more on all things Mamdani and what it might mean for the party that lost control of all three branches of government in the 2024 elections. 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.

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 released last week has everyone talking about how much Trump knew and when did he know it? Cue the coming House vote on releasing the full batch of documents that has been supposedly sitting on US Attorney General Pam Bondi’s desk since she took office. What has this latest batch of Epstein documents reveal? And what are the chances that we’ll see even more before the year is out? USA TODAY White House Correspondent Bart Jansen joins The Excerpt to discuss the fallout. 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.

Teenagers are increasingly using AI chatbots for friendship, emotional support, and even romance. When 14-year-old Soul Setzer III formed an intense bond with a character on Character AI, his mother didn’t know what was happening until it was too late. USA TODAY Wellness Reporter Alyssa Goldberg walks us through the lawsuit, the platform’s design, what her own testing revealed and new research showing how widespread — and risky — AI relationships have become for minors. If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services. 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.

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 drives us to carry out acts of kindness for total strangers and how can we actively cultivate this selflessness as a society? Abigail Marsh, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Georgetown University, joins The Excerpt to talk about empathy and altruism — why we help, even when it costs us.  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.

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 not the American people whose healthcare premiums are set to dramatically rise in 2026, whose SNAP benefits aren't yet fully funded and whose air travel has been greatly disrupted. Was it worth it? USA TODAY Congress reporter Zach Schermele joins The Excerpt to talk through the fallout. 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.

Losing college football coaches are walking away with millions. What message does that send to students drowning in debt?

After record highs in 2024, border crossings have collapsed. ICE raids, deportations and new asylum limits are now driving a wave of reverse migration. Arizona Republic Immigration Reporter Daniel González shares what he saw in Mexico and Panama — and what comes next. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 regulations threatening the livelihoods of 1.6 million people and a $180 billion dollar industry. But then, an unlikely alliance of environmental activists and commercial fishermen kind of miraculously turned things around, leaving the nation’s four million square miles of fishing grounds healthier -- and more profitable -- than they’ve been in decades. Buddy Guindon, a commercial fisherman on the Texas Gulf Coast, and Scott Hickman, a charter fisherman who once saw Buddy and his ilk as ruthless competitors for ever-more-elusive fish join The Excerpt to share their stories. 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 Supreme Court will now decide whether President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff policy is legal.

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 the most high-profile Democrats in the country. New York mayors always command national attention because of their role running America’s biggest city. Mamdani won’t take office until January. But for months, his face has been splashed across Americans’ television screens and news feeds. He’s the mayor-elect of New York. Will he also be America’s mayor? USA TODAY National Correspondent Michael Collins joins The Excerpt to explain. * This episode referred to Mamdani's generation incorrectly. He is part of Gen Y not Gen Z. 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.

SNAP, America’s food safety net, has become a bargaining chip in Washington’s standoff. Reporter Sarah D. Wire explains what’s at stake.

On July 4th 2026, America will celebrate its 250th birthday. The United States is the world’s oldest and still-evolving experiment in democracy. From a political perspective, how have the last 250 years shaped the way this nation governs itself? And how have we, the governed, evolved in how we see ourselves? USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page, a journalist who has had the privilege of interviewing ten presidents out of a total of just 45 over the course of her career, joins The Excerpt to share her thoughts on this noteworthy occasion. 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.

True crime, horror movies, even haunted houses — psychologist Coltan Scrivner says they all tap into a survival instinct. He explains how morbid curiosity evolved to help humans face threats and why those drawn to darkness might be more compassionate than we think. Episode transcript available 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.

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, targeted for advocating for girls’ rights to education. At 17, she became the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize, opening schools and speaking around the world with the Malala Fund. Now Malala is sharing a different side of herself in a new memoir, “Finding My Way.” USA TODAY Books Editor Clare Mulroy sat down with Malala to talk about her new memoir and how she feels about embracing her more ordinary self. 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.

As the government has ground to a halt, millions of Americans face financial uncertainty while essential services hang in the balance.

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 from the dot-com era? USA TODAY personal finance reporter Daniel de Visé joins host Dana Taylor to examine what’s driving record highs on Wall Street, why the “Magnificent Seven” stocks wield so much influence, and what warning signs analysts are watching. From inflated valuations to money-market hedges, this episode unpacks whether AI optimism is fueling the next great bubble and how everyday investors can prepare. 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.