The Excerpt

A bill with cuts to public broadcasting and foreign aid will next land on President Donald Trump's desk for his signature. Trump denies a report he wrote Jeffrey Epstein a lewd 50th birthday letter. Plus, polling shows voters aren't happy with how President Donald Trump's team is dealing with the controversial Jeffrey Epstein case. USA TODAY Senior National Political Correspondent Sarah D. Wire discusses this week's anti-Trump protests. Private equity is coming to your 401(k). USA TODAY Congress Reporter Savannah Kuchar breaks down landmark bills dealing with cryptocurrency. CBS cancels "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert." Please let us know what you think of this episode by sending a note 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.

Hospitals aren’t usually known for comfort — but could bringing nature inside actually help us heal faster? Public health expert Dr. Jay Maddock joins The Excerpt’s Dana Taylor to explain how biophilic design — from leafy views to nature sounds — is changing the way we think about patient recovery, burnout, and even the immune system. From fake plants to rooftop gardens, it turns out a dose of greenery might be just what the doctor ordered. Please let us know what you think of this episode by sending a note 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.

The Senate has passed another legislative victory for President Donald Trump. USA TODAY National Correspondent Trevor Hughes breaks down a new Trump policy that will keep immigration detainees locked up longer. Gun groups want a law reversed on mailing through the postal service. USA TODAY Reporter Andrea Riquier takes a look at how the president has been amping up pressure on Fed Chair Jerome Powell and how investors are reacting. Please let us know what you think of this episode by sending a note 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.

Health and wellness trends can be found on every social platform. But what happens when the pursuit of a particular body type morphs into harmful content and risky, or even life-threatening, behavior? Across social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, it’s easy to find content from creators who push excessive weight loss goals and promote an unhealthy obsession with eating only certain types of foods. What previously trended as thinspo, short for thin inspiration, gave way to SkinnyTok. This June, TikTok banned the SkinnyTok hashtag, but social media giants are still struggling to keep up with the pervasiveness of unsafe weight loss content. USA TODAY Wellness Reporter Alyssa Goldberg joins The Excerpt to discuss the persistent trend of potentially dangerous body image mythology on social media. Please 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.

Senate Republicans are considering billions in cuts, targeting programs from public broadcasting to global health initiatives. USA TODAY National Immigration and Border Reporter Lauren Villagran discusses some of the new legnths immigrants are going to for legal fee fundraising. USA TODAY Breaking News Reporter Karissa Waddick takes a look at reparations for atom bomb victims 80 years after the Trinity Test. We take a look at the collision that created the biggest black hole merger yet. The Emmy nominations are here. Who got snubbed? Please let us know what you think of this episode by sending a note 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.

USA TODAY Supreme Court Correspondent Maureen Groppe discusses the high court's move to let President Donald Trump fire hundreds of workers from the Education Department and continue other efforts to dismantle the agency. A coalition of states is suing the Trump administration to restore billions of dollars in federal education funding. USA TODAY White House Correspondent Francesca Chambers breaks down Trump's decision to send Ukraine weapons through NATO. Plus, Senate pressure builds to sanction Russia. Some Trump loyalists are underwhelmed and upset with what's been delivered about Jeffrey Epstein. Please let us know what you think of this episode by sending a note 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' views on immigration took a positive swing this year. USA TODAY Senior National Political Correspondent Sarah D. Wire discusses how states are scrambling for funds after President Trump's cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. USA TODAY Money Reporter Bailey Schulz breaks down the Federal Trade Commission's crackdown on 'Made in USA' claims. Chelsea have won the FIFA Club World Cup. Please let us know what you think of this episode by sending a note 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.

WNBA player Caitlin Clark is a phenomenon. It has changed women's basketball, women's sports and sports. Period. But what makes her tick? How did a kid from Iowa become one of the most recognizable athletes in the world? And what does her presence mean for the future of the WNBA and how we talk about it? USA today sports columnist Christine Brennan has covered the beginning of Clark's career, and recently took a step back to write about this superstar in a new book "On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women's Sports." 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.

USA TODAY National Correspondent Rick Jervis reports on the shift to recovery in the wake of Texas floods. Plus, President Donald Trump visited the state Friday. Federal immigration agents and protesters clashes during a raid at a California cannabis farm. The State Department will lay off more than 1,300 people. USA TODAY White House Correspondent Francesca Chambers speaks with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang days after the company reached a historic $4 trillion valuation. The FIFA Club World Cup Final sees Chelsea take on PSG Sunday in New Jersey. Please let us know what you think of this episode by sending a note 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.

USA TODAY Chief Political Correspondent Phillip M. Bailey discusses some of the latest friction between President Donald Trump and parts of the MAGA movement. Texas flood victims are being remembered by families and communities. The Secret Service has suspended six staff members after the Trump assassination attempt, amid policy changes. USA TODAY White House Correspondent Francesca Chambers breaks down the current relationship between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin after Trump ripped Putin this week. Former President Joe Biden's doctor wouldn't testify in a Congressional investigation into his mental fitness. Please let us know what you think of this episode by sending a note 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.

Devastating rains in Texas Hill County on the morning of July 4th created deadly floods that have now claimed over 100 lives and counting. The catastrophic rains took place in a region that's known as "flash flood alley," causing the Guadalupe River to rise from less than a foot on July 3 to more than 34 feet by the morning of July 4. Experts say that warming temperatures over land and especially in the Gulf are stoking extreme rainfall events across the United States, largely due to climate change. These super storms are also unleashing extreme fear in young people. It's called eco-anxiety. How can we maintain the mental health of young people in the midst of our worsening climate? Caroline Hickman, a psychologist who has been treating eco-anxiety for decades and sits on the board of the Climate Psychology Alliance, joins The Excerpt to share her insights into this growing psychological issue. Please let us know what you think of this episode by sending a note 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.

USA TODAY National Correspondent Trevor Hughes breaks down a part of the recent tax bill that adds new ships to the Coast Guard's fleet in the Northwest Passage, and the broader context in that region amid an ongoing cold war with China. President Donald Trump announces new tariffs - for copper, Brazil and more. Death tolls rise in the flooding disasters in Texas and New Mexico. Measles was eradicated in the United States 25 years ago. Cases this year have reached a new high. Tennessean Education Reporter Rachel Wegner looks at some of the ongoing divisions in American education 100 years after the Scopes trial. 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.

After a furious few weeks of debate, closed door negotiations, open floor debate and deal-making, the Republican-controlled legislature has finally passed a final version of President Donald Trump’s budget priorities referred to by Republicans as “One Big Beautiful Bill.” It is likely going to be the most significant legislative accomplishment of Trump’s second term. And as with most bills, this one has its winners and its losers. But make no mistake, it will impact every American one way or another. USA TODAY Senior Congress and Campaigns Reporter Riley Beggin joins The Excerpt to explain what's in the final bill. Please let us know what you think of this episode by sending a note 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.

USA TODAY Supreme Court Correspondent Maureen Groppe breaks down the high court's move to lift a federal judge's order pausing the Trump administration's large-scale staffing cuts. The death toll continues to rise in the aftermath of Texas flooding. Plus, USA TODAY National Correspondent Dinah Voyles Pulver looks into the forecasting ahead of the storm and whether budget cuts played a role. The massive tax and spending bill is about to deal Harvard and other Ivy League schools a major blow. A Marco Rubio impersonator used AI voice to contact U.S. and foreign officials. Peter Jackson wants to help bring back an extinct New Zealand flightless bird. 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.

USA TODAY National Correspondent Rick Jervis reports from Texas on what he's seen in the aftermath of devastating flooding. Plus, Rick reported on how warnings for the flash flooding came with little time to act. And flood survivor Chrissy Eliashar tells us her story. President Donald Trump announces tariff hikes on 14 countries. USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page takes a look back on the assassination attempt of President Donald Trump as we near its one-year anniversary. 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.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Camp Mystic was "horrendously ravaged in ways unlike I’ve seen in any natural disaster." USA TODAY National Correspondent Dinah Voyles Pulver discusses how the NOAA budget spells out plans to reduce spending and abandon climate research, and the potential impact on hurricane forecasting. Elon Musk announces a new political party after slamming President Donald Trump's megabill. USA TODAY National Correspondent Trevor Hughes talks about the preparations underway for the 250th birthday of the United States. Mexico beats the United States in the Gold Cup Final. Hear about a baseball player's dream moment in this month's installment of Kind Time, from Humankind. 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.

It is the fodder of science fiction plots: implanting a device into the human brain... the blockbuster franchise “The Matrix” comes to mind. Here in the real world, though, it’s actually happening. While tiny computers have been implanted into less than 100 brains so far, their impact has been life-changing. Brain-computer interfaces, or BCIs, have done everything from allowing increased mobility to helping with speech. Could these devices become more mainstream and help the disabled do even more in the future? Dr. Iahn Cajigas, a neurosurgeon at the University of Pennsylvania who has studied brain-computer interfaces and worked with patients using them, joins USA TODAY’s The Excerpt to share his insights. 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.

The Kerr County Sheriff's Office in Texas said Friday flooding was catastrophic. President Donald Trump spoke with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week. Hear what he had to say. USA TODAY National Correspondent Elizabeth Weise looks at the latest science around black holes. Chelsea and Fluminense advance in the FIFA Club World Cup. USA TODAY Books Reporter Clare Mulroy talks about some of the best comfort reads. 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.

The House has sent Republicans' sweeping bill to President Donald Trump for his signature. The unemployment rate fell slightly in June. Plus, should you take a buyout? The Supreme Court will take up a major case on transgender athletes joining girls' teams. USA TODAY National Correspondent Elizabeth Weise talks about the dangers of fireworks. USA TODAY Movie Critic Brian Truitt gives us his top 10 films of the year. 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.

AI chatbots are being used for mental health support — and it’s raising red flags. From offering bad advice to encouraging self-harm, some mental health chatbots are crossing dangerous lines. Vaile Wright, senior director of health care innovation for the American Psychological Association, joins The Excerpt to talk about what’s at stake—and how regulation could protect users. 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.