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2 DAYS AGO

US-Russia nuclear treaty called START expired. Should we be worried?

For the first time in over half a century, there are no nuclear arms controls in place between the world’s two largest nuclear powers, the US and Russia. With a rising China growing its nuclear arsenal while it continues to assert its power on the international stage, we ask, is this the beginning of a new Cold War era? Ankit Panda, a senior fellow with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, joins The Excerpt to dig into the critical geopolitical, economic and military concerns at the heart of this story. 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.

2 days ago

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18 min
1 DAY AGO

Are prediction markets democratizing information or gamifying war?

Who will be the Democratic presidential nominee in 2028? What will the price of gold be at the end of the week? Who will win the World Cup? All of these are relatively benign bets you can make today. But there are other bets that maybe aren’t so benign, like will Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro be removed from office by the end of January? That well-timed bet, made in the hours before the U.S. captured and extracted Maduro, netted the anonymous investor who made it $400,000. Are prediction markets democratizing information as some argue or are we monetizing reality in a way that incentivizes perverse motives? Alex Goldenberg, Fellow at Rutgers University, joins The Excerpt to explain how these markets work and the risks they pose financially and politically. 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.

1 day ago

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17 min
3 DAYS AGO

Is the Trump administration eroding freedom of the press?

It started with the banning of the Associated Press from certain White House events over its refusal to use the term “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico.” Then there was a recent FBI search of a Washington Post reporter’s home. And then in January two journalists, including former CNN host, Don Lemon were arrested following an immigration protest at Cities Church in St Paul, Minnesota. What’s happening to freedom of the press? First Amendment scholar RonNell Andersen Jones, professor of law at the University of Utah, joins The Excerpt to dig into all of it. 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.

3 days ago

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16 min
6 DAYS AGO

Was the FBI’s raid of Georgia’s Fulton County elections office legal?

Two recent elections-related developments are playing out today that have some election officials concerned. The first relates to the FBI’s seizure of election documents in Georgia, a state whose election President Donald Trump continues to falsely claim he won in 2020. The second involves recent public comments made by the president that elections should be nationalized in 15 states. Both of these actions may be illegal. Has the Trump administration crossed a line USA TODAY Justice Department Correspondent Aysha Bagchi joins The Excerpt to unpack the story. 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.

6 days ago

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16 min
10 JAN

Meet the 'Quad God' Ilia Malinin + Your insider guide to the winter games | EP 1

Milan Magic is here! Olympic champion Brian Boitano and USA TODAY Sports columnist Christine Brennan launch their new show by sitting down with U.S. figure skating star Ilia Malinin, known worldwide as the “Quad God.” Malinin talks pressure, preparation, and chasing Olympic gold, while Boitano and Brennan also break down the biggest storylines and athletes you need to know as the road to the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics begins. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

10 Jan

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28 min
2 DAYS AGO

How Ilia Malinin, Chock and Bates secured gold for Team USA in figure skating competition | Ep 7

In this episode of Milan Magic Christine Brennan and Brian Boitano break down the Team USA figure skating competition and how every individual performance helped the Americans reach gold. They explain how Amber Glenn and Ilia Malinin will take what they learned last night and apply it to their individual events in the coming days. Plus, Christine and Brian weigh in on Lindsey Vonn's devastating injury after she announced she would compete in Cortina despite a torn ACL. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

2 days ago

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18 min
2 FEB

Remembering Flight 5342 and how the figure skating community is rallying around Maxim Naumov | Ep 4

One year ago 28 members of the figure skating community perished in Flight 5342. Christine Brennan and Brian Boitano speak with family and coaches about this tragedy and how they hope those victims are remembered. They also recall how this is not the first time a plane crash has devastated the figure skating community. They look back on how a crash in 1961 affected U.S. Skating and elevated then up-and-coming skater, Peggy Fleming. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

2 Feb

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38 min
3 FEB

Bad Bunny dominates Grammys in lead up to Super Bowl Sunday

The 2026 Grammys saw major wins for artists like Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga, and also served up an impressive number of live performances. But beyond the spectacle and the awarding of Grammy statuettes, the night also highlighted the bridge between headlines about immigration policy and ICE and how music often defines our most challenging cultural moments. USA TODAY National Music Reporter Melissa Ruggieri joins USA TODAY’s The Excerpt to discuss the biggest night in music. 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.

3 Feb

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15 min
4 FEB

Illegal sports betting by minors puts their mental health at risk

Since the Supreme Court widely legalized sports wagering in 2018 the nation’s appetite for bets has exploded. U.S. betters made over a billion dollars worth of bets in 2025 on sports alone. This year’s Super Bowl is expected to attract $1.7 billion in legal U.S. wagers. But investigators are finding that there’s also been a surge in illegal betting by minors. Are sportsbooks putting our children in harm’s way? USA TODAY Investigative Reporter Nick Penzenstadler joins The Excerpt to share his reporting. 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.

4 Feb

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9 min
5 FEB

Brian Boitano, Christine Brennan on 2026 Winter Olympics and Team USA

We are now just one day away from the roar of the opening ceremonies of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy. Team USA is on the hunt for gold as figure skater Ilia Malinin – who some have dubbed the ‘quad god’ - pushes the sport of ice skating to dizzying heights. USA TODAY National Sports Columnist Christine Brennan and Olympic Gold Medalist Brian Boitano, the hosts of USA TODAY’s Milan Magic podcast and vodcast, join The Excerpt to share what they're most excited about. 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.

5 Feb

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22 min

Get context, not just headlines. Every weekday The Excerpt brings USA TODAY's award-winning journalists from across the nation together to unpack America's most pressing stories — from politics and culture to sports and entertainment — with host Dana Taylor.

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