The Excerpt

The Supreme Court has ended a humanitarian program that let many Haitian and Syrian immigrants stay in the United States temporarily, a decision that could upend the lives of hundreds of thousands of people along with the communities where they live and work. The ruling is a major win for President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration agenda, raising urgent questions about what happens next for affected families. USA TODAY Supreme Court Correspondent Maureen Groppe joins The Excerpt to walk through the decision and what happens next.
Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to 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.

Americans are stretched thin and you probably know why: Housing. It’s become increasingly, persistently unaffordable, and for many, simply out of reach. Americans are moving less, are forming fewer households and are spending too much of their income on housing according to an annual report just released by Harvard. Will Trump end up signing the 21st Century Road to Housing Act now on his desk and if he does, will it make housing any more affordable? Francis Torres, Director of Housing & Infrastructure for the Bipartisan Policy Center, joins The Excerpt to share his analysis of the crisis.
Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to 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.

President Donald Trump is testing his own party’s patience on Capitol Hill. Last week, he told Senate Republicans to cancel a major confirmation hearing, complicating their effort to renew a key antiterrorism law and adding to a growing list of frustrations for GOP lawmakers. Trump’s approach has some Republicans warning that the president is undermining the very results he wants. Will they be able to find common ground while they still have the power to execute on Trump’s agenda? USA TODAY Congressional Reporter Zach Schermele joins The Excerpt now to explain why Senate Republicans are scrambling and what it could mean for the party heading into the midterms.
Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to 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 “The God Test,” Robert Wright argues that the real challenge of AI isn’t just building smarter machines—it’s deciding whether we can evolve, morally and politically, fast enough to develop an AI that’s mutually beneficial. As these systems begin to mirror—and amplify—human intelligence, agency, and even our flaws, the stakes become existential. Humans have shown that we can evolve. The question is: Will we? Author Robert Wright joins The Excerpt to talk about his new book.
Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to 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.

BookTok helped readers find community online. Now, some fans are taking that connection into the real world through literary tourism. USA TODAY Books Reporter Clare Mulroy joins The Excerpt to talk about joining a Percy Jackson-inspired trip through Cairo, Athens and Rome, where readers visited ancient sites, completed quests and bonded over the books that shaped them. She also explains why literary tourism is growing, what readers are really paying for and how book lovers can build their own story-inspired experiences closer to home.
Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to 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.