The Excerpt

Flock cameras capture license plates and vehicle details, creating a searchable record of where cars have been seen. USA TODAY Investigative Data Reporter Austin Fast explains how USA TODAY's analysis of 75 million searches uncovered troubling patterns, including officers repeatedly tracking the same vehicles, and why the findings are intensifying concerns about privacy, surveillance and oversight.
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Opposition to Big Tech is creating a rare point of agreement across the political divide. USA TODAY National Reporter Christopher Cann explains why communities are resisting massive data centers, AI-powered surveillance, Flock cameras and the rapid spread of artificial intelligence.
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Being White House press secretary means long days, constant travel and being available almost around the clock. For parents of young children, those demands can come with a high cost. Karoline Leavitt is leaving the role months after having her second child, saying she wants more time with her family. But she isn't the first. USA TODAY Government Accountability Reporter Erin Mansfield found that several recent press secretaries who were mothers described similar pressures. She joins The Excerpt to explain why mothers have tended to spend less time in the job than their predecessors and what their experiences reveal about a broader challenge facing working mothers.
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The end of Temporary Protected Status for many Haitian immigrants has transformed Miami's Little Haiti. Businesses are quieter and churches are emptier, while many families weigh impossible choices. USA TODAY National Correspondent Chris Kenning joins The Excerpt after reporting from the heart of the community to explore the economic and human toll of losing deportation protections.
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Democrats sharply criticized President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act. But many are now championing one of its biggest health care investments: a $50 billion Rural Health…. Why the change? And can the funding make a meaningful difference as millions of Americans confront rising healthcare costs? USA TODAY White House Correspondent Joey Garrison joins The Excerpt to explain what the program does and whether it can offset looming Medicaid cuts.
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Episode transcript available here.
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