SPECIAL | As it turns out, Americans are still full of hope

Close to 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s today. However, that number is expect to balloon to 13 million by 2050 which will put strains on families and the healthcare system. What can you do to prepare for a potential future with Alzheimer's? We ask Dr. Joanne Pike, CEO of the Alzheimer's Association to help explain the challenges and hopes when it comes to this debilitating disease. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

House races will still be counted through the weekend, as the GOP nears control of the chamber.USA TODAY Trending News Reporter Kinsey Crowley discusses how voters approached a number of ballot issues. Plus, what does this election mean for the transgender community?Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly congratulated Donald Trump, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Trump earlier this week to congratulate him.Three men have been charged in a murder-for-hire plot, including one accused of trying to kill Donald Trump in revenge for the death of a top Iranian military commander.USA TODAY Education Reporter Zachary Schermele breaks down what a new Trump administration might mean for higher education.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

USA TODAY Congress & Campaigns Reporter Riley Beggin discusses what a GOP trifecta in Washington would look like.President-elect Donald Trump pledged to follow though with mass deportations, in an interview with NBC News.USA TODAY Justice Department Correspondent Aysha Bagchi breaks down several reasons why President-elect Donald Trump may never be sentenced in his New York criminal hush money case.The Federal Reserve lowered its key interest rate by a quarter percentage point Thursday. What does that mean for mortgages and more?Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Department of Justice is accusing the tech giant of maintaining an illegal monopoly in its search and advertising sectors. If Google is dismantled, how might that impact the way Americans access information? Florian Ederer, a professor at Boston University's Questrom School of Business, joins The Excerpt to discuss what happens next in the federal case that could lead to an historic breakup.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Vice President Kamala Harris has conceded. Plus, USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page takes a look at what's next.How did President-elect Donald Trump win?USA TODAY Personal Finance Reporter Daniel de Visé explains how business leaders could influence the next Trump presidency.Stocks rallied to record highs Wednesday.The Justice Department is weighing how to drop charges against Donald Trump.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bob Manson is a retired teacher from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He’s also a superfan of independent bookstores. So much so that he has now visited over 600 of them across the country. At each one, he talks with the owners and some regulars and then writes about what makes that particular bookstore special in his ongoing blog, The Indie Bob Spot. While he wasn’t named as anyone’s running mate on the presidential ticket, Bob’s story of a small-town regular guy who took a passion and made it his own, is now inspiring book lovers and readers all over America. Bob Manson joins us on The Excerpt to discuss his travels and why he finds independent bookstores so captivating.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Former President Donald Trump will return to the Oval Office after winning several critical battleground states. Find the full results here.USA TODAY Senior National Political Correspondent Sarah D. Wire reports from Philadelphia on how Pennsylvania voters viewed the candidates and the polarizing politics in their state.Republicans have won control of the Senate.Americans voted to protect abortion rights in several states, while a ballot amendment in Florida failed.USA TODAY National News Reporter Lauren Villagran relays what some voters said about their experiences at the polls.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Election Day has arrived. How are the candidates spending their final hours on the campaign trail?USA TODAY White House Correspondent Joey Garrison discusses some of the things that could swing today's outcome.Whatever happens, Donald Trump will leave behind a changed Republican Party.USA TODAY National Music Writer Melissa Ruggieri looks at the musical legacy of Quincy Jones.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris made some of their final pitches to voters over the weekend.USA TODAY Congress & Campaigns Reporter Riley Beggin talks through the allies Kamala Harris or Donald Trump would have in Congress if elected.Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says Donald Trump would seek to remove fluoride from water if elected.Quincy Jones has died.USA TODAY National Correspondent Elizabeth Weise gives us some surprising facts about apples.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There's have been two assassination attempts, a last-minute candidate switch. There are not one, but two global wars, both of which are heating up. The news is overflowing with dire predictions of dictatorship and death threats against election workers. And all of this, sits atop an economy that almost no one feels is going well, despite record stock market gains, low unemployment and rising wages. Americans are feeling anxious. What’s happening? USA TODAY National Correspondent Trevor Hughes has been talking with voters and poll workers across the nation and shares stories from the frontlines of the 2024 election.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.