The Excerpt

President Donald Trump is expanding the pool of federal law enforcement officers who can investigate and apprehend immigrants. Plus, a judge blocked Trump's birthright citizenship order. USA TODAY Chief Political Correspondent Phillip M. Bailey discusses Trump's threats of witholding federal funds amid Los Angeles fires, ahead of his trip there Friday. USA TODAY White House Correspondent Swapna Venugopal breaks down Trump's comments to the Davos World Economic Forum. Oscar nominations are out. Did your favorite get snubbed? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Deaths from fentanyl are falling. The promising news comes as the overdose antidote naloxone becomes more widely available. But are dropping death rates concealing other issues in the fight against this brutal form of addiction? Reuters Investigative Reporter Maurice Tamman joined The Excerpt to discuss what he's seeing on the ground where addiction and death are still the reality. 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 Will Carless discusses what's next for the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers after pardons this week. LA County's Hughes wildfire forces evacuations. USA TODAY Senior Reporter Jessica Guynn takes a closer look at President Trump's executive order on DEI. A quarter million LGBTQ+ youth and family members have moved to other states because of anti-LGBTQ politics or laws, a new report says. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Squirmy and Grubs are not your typical YouTube stars. One is them is able-bodied. The other is not. How they navigate the challenges that dichotomy presents is the point. So is how normal their lives as an interabled couple really are. The story of Hannah and Shane Burcaws’ relationship and others like it is captured in their new book, "Interabled: True Stories about Love and Disability." They joined The Excerpt to talk about what they hope abled couples understand about interabled love. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

USA TODAY Pentagon Correspondent Tom Vanden Brook discusses the allegations against President Donald Trump's pick for secretary of defense. A pastor told Donald Trump to 'have mercy' on migrants and transgender children at an inauguration prayer service. Wildfires prompt evacuations near San Diego. USA TODAY National Correspondent Elizabeth Weise discusses what a Trump executive order means for wind energy. 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 gives some of the biggest takeaways from President Donald Trump's Inauguration Day. Trump's new meme coin soars. USA TODAY Justice Department Correspondent Bart Jansen breaks down Trump's executive orders surrounding January 6 pardons, and the southern border. Trump Monday also signed an order on TikTok and removed the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, among other moves. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's Inauguration Day. Here's what to expect. Plus, USA TODAY White House Correspondent Joey Garrison discusses what Donald Trump plans as part of his first 100 executive actions in his second term. A ceasefire has begun between Israel and Hamas. What's next for TikTok? Trump proposes 50% U.S. ownership. Four teams remain in the NFL Playoffs, with next weekend's conference championship games now set. Santa Ana winds threaten again this week as fires continue to burn in Southern California. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As Donald Trump prepares to take office on January 20th, the cryptocurrency world awaits with bated breath. Not only has the president-elect promised to make America the “crypto capital of the planet,” he’s welcoming several devotees into his new administration. And as far as popularity goes, crypto has never had more fans. Bitcoin, by far the most popular among other cryptocurrencies, passed the $100,000 mark for the first time just last December. Could this be the year crypto goes mainstream, taking its place beside the US-backed dollar as the global currency to watch? Laura Shin, crypto journalist, and host of the Unchained podcast, joins The Excerpt to help us understand how a new Trump administration might impact the cryptocurrency market. (Note: This interview was recorded prior to the recent $TRUMP meme coin release.) 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 Chris Kenning discusses how refugees and advocates are preparing for a second term for President-elect Donald Trump. Protests are expected this weekend ahead of Trump's Monday inauguration. Crews make progress on Los Angeles-area fires. Plus, California fires are growing larger and more destructive in general. USA TODAY TV Reporter Erin Jensen tells us about her public search for Mr. Right. Nominate yourself or someone you know to win a dream date with her. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Friday that the Israeli cabinet will meet to give final approval for the truce, following newly reported Israeli strikes in Gaza. USA TODAY Congress Reporter Riley Beggin discusses the importance of the relationship between President-elect Donald Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson ahead of Trump's inauguration Monday. Firefighters are making progress against deadly Los Angeles-area wildfires. But strong winds could return next week. Filmmaker David Lynch has died at 78. USA TODAY Personal Finance Reporter Daniel de Visé breaks down the debate over the H-1B visa. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The brazen murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in broad daylight in midtown Manhattan last year has open the floodgates to an outpouring of anger and frustration with the health insurance industry. Across the country, whether it’s about skyrocketing financial costs or access to care, there seems to be a wide agreement that health insurance in America is broken. The question is how to fix it. How can policy incentivize the industry to be better stewards of the health of its members without fueling unsustainable costs or incentivizing waste? What solutions are on the table and how might they shape the future of healthcare in America? Here to help us dig into the details is Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics at Rice University. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

USA TODAY World Affairs Correspondent Kim Hjelmgaard breaks down what a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas means for the conflict going forward. President Joe Biden says farewell to the nation. USA TODAY White House Reporter Zac Anderson recaps a busy day of Senate confirmation hearings. President-elect Donald Trump is considering issuing an executive order after he takes office to try to save TikTok in the U.S. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Citizen assemblies involve ordinary people participating in crafting policy solutions to community problems and have been around for over fifty years. Is this potentially a solution to restoring faith in our democratic institutions and reinvigorating healthy debate? Linn Davis, a program director at Healthy Democracy, a non-profit organization that promotes this innovative method of public engagement, joins The Excerpt to share recent learnings about how we can keep the public's engagement in our government both robust and accountable. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

USA TODAY Pentagon Correspondent Tom Vanden Brook recaps a Senate grilling for Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to run the Defense Department. Schools are trying to get ahead of Donald Trump's plans for undocumented students. There's been increased containment to two major fires in Southern California, but high winds pose new threats. USA TODAY White House Correspondent Joey Garrison takes a look at President Joe Biden's defining legacy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Special counsel Jack Smith's bombshell final report was released early Tuesday. Winds again pick up strength in Southern California, amid wildfires. USA TODAY White House Correspondent Francesca Chambers puts President Joe Biden's comments about his foreign policy record in context. USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page has some new exclusive USA TODAY/Suffolk University polling numbers, ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House. Can you read cursive? The National Archives is looking for you. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

High winds are expected to complicate firefighting efforts in California this week. Plus, groups rescue dozens of animals from fire-ravaged areas. USA TODAY Chief Political Correspondent Phillip M. Bailey breaks down the race for the next Democratic party chair. President Joe Biden spoke Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, amid cease-fire talks. USA TODAY Reporter Andrea Riquier takes a look at the future of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Over fifty million people work on our oceans around the world and over 80% of the goods we consume are delivered by vessels navigating them. But when it comes to maintaining law and order on the high seas, is there anyone really in charge? Journalist Ian Urbina has spent over a decade trying to get to the bottom of this and other pressing questions. The result is The Outlaw Ocean Project, a multiplatform reporting effort whose goal is to support and encourage ethically sourced accountability journalism of all that takes place in or atop our vast oceans. Director and Founder Ian Urbina joins The Excerpt to talk about his work trying to bring accountability to the high seas. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Los Angeles area fires are turning entire neighborhoods into ash. USA TODAY Justice Department Correspondent Bart Jansen puts Donald Trump's hush money sentencing in context. The Biden administration extends protections for nearly 1 million immigrants. USA TODAY Supreme Court Correspondent Maureen Groppe breaks down Friday arguments over TikTok. Earth passed a critical climate change threshold in 2024. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At least 10 people have been killed in Los Angeles area wildfires, while more than 10,000 structures have been destroyed. USA TODAY Money Reporter Bailey Schulz talks about the insurance impact from this week's California wildfires. Plus, we hear from some of the people forced to flee their homes. USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page recaps late President Jimmy Carter's funeral, and discusses his lasting legacy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The practice of profiting from prison labor, both inside prisons and outside for private industries is complex and fraught. Last month in Alabama, a Hyundai supplier ended its work release program following intense pressure to do so. But, in California, Proposition 6, which would have banned involuntary prison labor, was defeated last November. Are laws that allow private industry as well as state governments to profit from prison labor constitutional? Darrick Hamilton, the Henry Cohen Professor of Economics and Urban Policy at The New School, and Chief Economist of the AFL-CIO joins The Excerpt to explain the way some of these programs work and to share what both proponents and detractors of the practice say about them. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.