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The Excerpt

USA TODAY
Donald Trump
Hunter Biden
Joe Biden
D-Day
World Happiness Report
Naomi Biden
U.s.-Mexico Border
Mexico
USA Today
Biden Administration
Gaza
Israel
New York Hush Money Trial
Ukraine
World War II Veterans
Greg Abbott
Covid-19
Catholic Church
Inclusive Policy
Hamas

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.

PublishesDailyEpisodes127Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Daily NewsNews

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Latest Episodes

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Recent Guests

Jarrett Bell
Senior NFL columnist for USA Today
USA Today
Episode: Super Bowl LX sets up Patriots Seahawks rematch
Melani Sanders
Creator of the We Do Not Care Club
Episode: Why “We Do Not Care” became a rallying cry for menopausal women
Brian Stelter
Chief media analyst with CNN and longtime reporter on the media business.
CNN
Episode: What’s really at stake in the battle for Warner Bros?
Stacey Gruber
Director of the Marijuana Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery Program and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Episode: Why losing trust in expertise threatens democracy
Staci Gruber
Director of the Marijuana Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery Program and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Episode: Cannabis drinks are surging in popularity
Andrew Blauner
Author of The Peanuts Papers, Writers and Cartoonists on Charlie Brown, Snoopy & the Gang, and The Meaning of Life
Episode: Peanuts turns 75 and still speaks to the child in all of us
David Gelles
Best-selling author and journalist
Episode: The 'dirtbag' who built Patagonia — and gave it away
Felicity Cloake
British food writer and author of From Peach Street to Lobster Lane
Episode: How do you define American cuisine?
Andrew Lownie
Historian and expert on the Royal Family, author of "Entitled, The Rise and Fall of the House of York"
Episode: Now just plain Andrew. The former Prince’s fall from grace.

Host

Dana Taylor
Host of The Excerpt, with a focus on unpacking America's most pressing stories.

Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars from 1.7k ratings
  • Very good, informative article podcast

    Dana Taylor does a very good job. I did prefer the format with the top five stories however, still enjoying the new format which is going deeper into just one story. at first I was disappointed but now I enjoy this podcast and have a separate podcast where I get the latest on multiple stories

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Nickname, nickname, nickname
    United Statesa month ago
  • Miss Taylor Wilson as Host /What Was Once a Very Good Pod Changed Formats

    This was my go-to morning news podcast for 10 years but with Taylor Wilson gone, the new format is just terrible. Taylor has a fantastic voice and I looked forward to hearing him every morning. He had a great rapport with the journalists/guests. I was so sad to hear he is no longer the host. I’ve listened to him for years and loved that I could get the news headlines in a quick concise manner to start every day. The new format no longer serves me. Moved on.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    NewsKnut
    United States2 months ago
  • Dana makes show hard to hear

    While i really like the show for the most part, Dana’s commentary is making it difficult to remain a listener. She is very left leaning and it shows up in her reporting. I get so much good info from the show but after almost 2 yrs of listening i may have to take a break bc there seems to be no end in sight for her reporting. The other podcasters stay very neutral and the reason ive stuck around but one would have thought after the election it would be been more about the news vs her opinion and ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Tplan
    United States3 months ago
  • I’d give it a zero if I could

    Been listening to this podcast for as long as I can remember, back when it was five things. I enjoyed the single subject versions on the weekend, but to do it every day has just ruined this podcast for me. After looking at the other reviews, I believe everyone else is just as disappointed, I understand that producers and announcers leave, but to change the whole premise of the podcast is ludicrous. I hope that you guys learn from this mistake and I wish you nothing but luck.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Countryjoemcdonald
    United States3 months ago
  • Disappointed in new format

    I’ve listened to this podcast since it was 5 Things and loved starting my mornings with a quick rundown of the top headlines. It used to keep me informed without feeling overwhelmed. The new format feels like a completely different show. One long deep dive instead of several short, balanced updates. I appreciate the effort to do something new, but it’s just not what I came here for. I really miss the concise, daily snapshot of what’s happening in the world.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    julie65927
    United States3 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

There is a consensus that the previous format was more informative and accessible compared to the current style, leading many to seek alternatives.
Long-time audience members miss the previous host, Taylor Wilson, while others appreciate the engaging content from Dana Taylor.
Listeners express disappointment over significant format changes, particularly the shift from concise news summaries to in-depth single-topic discussions.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#46
United States/News/Daily News
Apple Podcasts
#145
Canada/News/Daily News
Apple Podcasts
#167
Australia/News/Daily News
Apple Podcasts
#191
Italy/News/Daily News
Apple Podcasts
#213
France/News/Daily News
Apple Podcasts
#35
Ireland/News/Daily News

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

A partial government shutdown looms
Q: What's the bottom line here, Zach? Are signs pointing to another prolonged, even partial government shutdown?
The main difference between this shutdown and the last one is that there seems to be a willingness to negotiate from Republican lawmakers in the White House to address some of Democrats' concerns.
A partial government shutdown looms
Q: Zach, of course, the most recent government shutdown wasn't that long ago. What will we be looking at in terms of government furloughs and federal employees working without pay?
This will be a partial shutdown, so some portions of the federal government will continue to operate, but we could see disruptions in areas like the TSA if the shutdown is prolonged.
A partial government shutdown looms
Q: Is the current threat of a partial government shutdown really about DHS Fundings Act? Or is it about lawmakers running out of ways to force accountability regarding immigration enforcement that's led to the death of two Americans?
It's a matter of how Democrats are using the shutdown as leverage to enforce accountability on immigration policies, especially after the incident involving Alex Pretti.
A partial government shutdown looms
Q: Tell me about some of those provisions.
The spending package includes a lot of reversals to cuts made by the Trump administration, which is a significant win for Democrats and some Republicans who support federal programs.
A partial government shutdown looms
Q: Zach, Thursday afternoon saw a failed Senate vote on passing a previously agreed upon funding deal. What happened there?
All Democrats and seven Republicans in the Senate just failed to advance what was originally a bipartisan funding package that included six of the federal government's 12 annual appropriations bills.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Excerpt

What is The Excerpt about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The content focuses on unpacking some of America's most pressing stories across a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, sports, and entertainment. Each episode features insights from award-winning journalists, who provide in-depth discussions that go beyond mere headlines, offering listeners a more comprehensive understanding of current events. Recently, there have been notable shifts in format, with an emphasis on longer deep dives into single topics rather than the previous style of quick summaries of multiple news stories, which has generated a mixed response from the audience.

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These podcasts share a similar audience with The Excerpt:

1. Apple News Today
2. Start Here
3. CNN 5 Things
4. WSJ What’s News
5. Up First from NPR

How many episodes of The Excerpt are there?

The Excerpt launched 11 years ago and published 127 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Excerpt?

Recent guests on The Excerpt include:

1. Jarrett Bell
2. Melani Sanders
3. Brian Stelter
4. Stacey Gruber
5. Staci Gruber
6. Andrew Blauner
7. David Gelles
8. Felicity Cloake

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