The Excerpt

Shlomi Berger's 20-year-old daughter Agam was taken hostage by Hamas militants on October 7th, 2023. She was at a remote outpost of the Israeli Defense Forces and it was the beginning of her second day as a soldier. Her family hopes and prays she is still alive, though It has been months since the last sign of life. Nour Swirki is a Palestinian journalist and young mother of two who is now stranded in Gaza alongside her husband. Her two children, parents and siblings all crossed into Cairo when the border was briefly opened. Nour hoped she could follow soon after but that plan was scuttled when the border was abruptly closed again. Shlomi and Nour are just two of the many thousands whose lives have been upended by the events of October 7th and the year of war that followed. For both, it has been a year of agony punctuated by small moments of joy that somehow carried them through it all. This the story of that year, in their own words. 

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USA TODAY Trump Campaign Reporter Zac Anderson reports on how former President Donald Trump has referred to the July assassination attempt, as he returns Saturday to the same Pennsylvania town where the shooting happened.

The death toll from Hurricane Helene reaches at least 226.

The U.S. gets some positive news from the jobs market.

USA TODAY Trending News Reporter Jonathan Limehouse explains what new evidence in the Menendez brothers' case might mean for them going forward.

The European Union's top court rules that every member country must recognize official changes to gender identity acquired elsewhere within the bloc.

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A massive strike at U.S. East and Gulf Coast ports has ended.

Former Memphis police officers have been found guilty of witness tampering in Tyre Nichols' fatal beating.

Tennessean Investigative Reporter Kelly Puente reports from North Carolina, where the National Guard is working to assist devastated communities.

Two California dairy workers have been infected with bird flu.

Barbie releases a new doll for Diwali.

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Who will win this razor-tight presidential election in November? Well, it depends on who you ask. Historian Allan Lichtman has accurately predicted the outcome of 9 out of the last 10 presidential elections, and he’s done it without the use of polling data. Instead, he uses a set of 13 keys to make his predictions. And, yes, he is almost always right. Who does he predict will win in November? Allan Lichtman, historian and professor at American University, joins us on The Excerpt to discuss his prediction and why his pick almost always emerges the winner.

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USA TODAY National Correspondent Chris Kenning reports from North Carolina, where residents are relaying harrowing stories of survival and recovery after Hurricane Helene.

Special counsel Jack Smith argued in a Wednesday filing that former President Donald Trump is not immune from election subversion charges.

Commercial Appeal Criminal Justice Reporter Lucas Finton has the latest from the trial surrounding the former officers involved in the beating of Tyre Nichols.

A third person has pleaded guilty in Matthew Perry's death.

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Hollywood has long been enamored with end-of-the-world science fiction where asteroids play the leading role. But the reality is that asteroids did in fact lead to the end of the non-avian dinosaur era sixty-six million years ago. Could it happen again? How at risk is mankind and what steps are scientists taking to avert a potentially catastrophic collision? Robin George Andrews, author of "How to Kill an Asteroid," joins The Excerpt to discuss how scientists are working to literally save the planet.

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USA TODAY Chief Political Correspondent Phillip M. Bailey puts the vice presidential debate in context.

Search and rescue efforts continue in North Carolina and elsewhere after Hurricane Helene.

USA TODAY National Immigration Reporter Lauren Villagran discusses the mental health toll border patrol agents are facing.

The ACLU is suing for information about the federal government's capacity to massively detain and deport immigrants.

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USA TODAY Breaking News Reporter Christopher Cann explains how people are using social media to locate missing loved ones after Helene.

A judge strikes down Georgia’s restrictive abortion ban.

California bans legacy preferences in college admissions.

East and Gulf coast dockworkers strike.

USA TODAY National Political Correspondent David Jackson discusses former President Jimmy Carter's ongoing impact on politics, as he celebrates his 100th birthday.

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Millions are still without power after Hurricane Helene destroyed swaths of the Southeast.

Hamas says an Israeli airstrike has killed its leader in Lebanon.

Des Moines Register News Director and Politics Editor Mike Trautmann discusses a USA TODAY Network project that zoomed in on seven counties in seven battleground states that will likely decide the election.

MLB's playoff race continues Monday.

USA TODAY Consumer Travel Reporter Eve Chen discusses how Indigenous voices are sharing the history and connection to American lands through guided travel.

Note: IATA's website is NativeAmerica.travel, not NativeAlaska.travel, as mentioned in the piece.

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In 2002, Robert Roberson brought his very sick 2-year-old daughter Nikki to the emergency room. She died the next day. After doctors diagnosed SBS, or shaken baby syndrome, Roberson was arrested and later convicted. He now sits on death row in Texas, scheduled for execution on October 17th. The man largely responsible for putting him there is Brian Wharton, the former police detective who led the investigation and subsequent arrest of Roberson. Wharton, now an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church, says he made a mistake and Roberson is in fact innocent. Will it be enough to save his life? Brian Wharton joins The Excerpt to share what made him, after all these years, change his mind.

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