The Excerpt

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Kinship families raise millions of children. Where is the support? May 26, 2026

Show notes

Millions of children in the U.S. live with grandparents, aunts, uncles and other relatives, often after a family crisis. But many kinship families take in children with little help navigating housing, legal rights or financial support. USA TODAY Investigative Reporter Jayme Fraser joins The Excerpt to discuss her three-part series, “Caring for Kin,” what families told her and why the systems intended to help children can leave relatives largely on their own.

Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to podcasts@usatoday.com.

Episode transcript available here.

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Memphis defined American music. How did it miss out on the money? May 25, 2026

Show notes

You can’t tell the story of American music without the blues, which means you can’t tell it without Memphis. From Beale Street’s blues bars to the Stax Museum of American Soul Music to Graceland – the city’s influence on nearly every genre of music is immense. But for a city that helped shape the sound of America — why hasn’t it fully shared in the wealth it created? USA TODAY National Correspondent Chris Kenning joins The Excerpt to discuss efforts to revitalize the modern Memphis music scene, its rich music history and how the story of music in Memphis is being written today.

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.