Podcast: The Daily

For months, President Trump has tried to dismiss questions about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, notably denying that he had been the author of a lewd birthday message to the financier and sex offender.

On Monday, Congress released the message — and many more like it.

David Enrich, a deputy investigations editor at The Times, explains how the book, and an investigation into Mr. Epstein’s finances, reveal how Mr. Epstein leveraged his rich and powerful friends to fund a yearslong criminal conspiracy.

Over the weekend, Russia bombarded Ukraine with the largest drone assault in the war thus far.

It’s the latest in a relentless Russian offensive that keeps escalating, despite President Trump’s efforts to negotiate peace.

Anatoly Kurmanaev, who covers Russia for The Times, discusses the economic war machine that’s driving Russia’s success on the battlefield, and making it so hard for anyone to get President Vladimir V. Putin to back down.

One month after sending the National Guard into Washington, D.C. saying they would fight crime there, President Trump is so pleased with the results that he is discussing how to put federal troops onto the streets of cities across the country — from Chicago to New Orleans. It’s a potentially dramatic expansion of what has already become an unprecedented military deployment on domestic soil.

Today, we hear from residents of Washington about what life is like with the National Guard in town.

As kids across America head back to school, Gilbert Cruz, the editor of The New York Times Book Review, is thinking about the books he read when he was in school.
On today’s Sunday Special, Gilbert talks with the Book Review editor Sadie Stein and the author Louis Sachar (“Wayside School” series, “Holes”) about the books they read when they were students, and ways to encourage young readers today to keep reading.

The author and podcaster wants to apply her old ideas about vulnerability and empathy to the workplace.

In an extraordinarily tense showdown on Thursday, senators of both parties confronted Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over his vaccine policies, his firing of the director of the C.D.C., and the growing list of federal health officials who have resigned in protest of his leadership.

Sheryl Gay Stolberg, who covers health policy for The Times, explains what it was like in the room and describes what seems like a turning point in the relationship between Congress and Mr. Kennedy.

For decades, the government has struggled with how to police monopolies in the tech industry.

This week, a landmark ruling in a case against Google became the most aggressive attempt in the modern era to level the playing field.

David McCabe, who covers tech policy for The Times, explains who won, who lost and what it all means for the race to dominate artificial intelligence.

In the last few weeks, the Trump administration has turned its sights on the Smithsonian, the latest target in a campaign to remake cultural institutions in its image.

Officials are trying to change exhibits at the center of the country’s culture wars and reshape American history at one of the largest museum complexes in the world.

Robin Pogrebin, who covers cultural institutions for The Times, discusses the clash over who gets to tell the American story.

In a series of extraordinary deals, President Trump has muscled himself directly into the business of corporate America.

The U.S. government has been made the largest shareholder of Intel, one of the most iconic companies in the country. Senator Bernie Sanders has praised the move, while conservatives have criticized it as socialism.

Andrew Ross Sorkin, a columnist at The Times, explains how Mr. Trump’s deal could reshape America’s approach to capitalism.

Welcome to the Sunday Special, running now through the end of the year. Every Sunday, Gilbert Cruz, the editor of The New York Times Book Review, will talk with a rotating cast of Times critics and culture and lifestyle reporters about “the fun stuff”— pop culture, movies, TV, music, fashion and more.On today’s inaugural episode, Gilbert sits down with Jon Caramanica, a pop music critic at The Times, and Madison Malone Kircher, an internet reporter at The Times, to recap their cultural highs and lows of this summer.

The acclaimed writer has a new memoir, and a warning.

Over the past 24 hours, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been plunged into turmoil.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tried to fire the agency’s director, Susan Monarez, igniting a standoff that prompted three other senior officials to resign.

One of those officials, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, explains why he chose to take a stand.

A curious news story emerged in New York last week. It involved the mayor’s race, a reporter from the news outlet The City and a bag of chips.

Michael Forsythe, a reporter on the investigations team at The New York Times, explains how the episode fits into a larger story about how China has been attempting to influence American politics.

President Trump’s decision to try to fire a member of the Federal Reserve’s governing board is his most audacious attack yet on the independence of the central bank.

Ben Casselman, chief economics correspondent for The New York Times, discusses why Mr. Trump’s route to controlling the Fed passes through the governor, an economics professor named Lisa Cook.

Seemingly overnight, Americans have become obsessed with pumping as much protein as possible into every drink, snack and meal.

Elizabeth Dunn, a writer and contributor to The Times, explains the origins of this latest nutrition craze.

The race to dominate artificial intelligence has become a scramble for talent, with tech companies offering pay packages of $250 million and poaching their competitors’ best employees.

Mike Isaac, who covers the tech sector for The Times, explains why all the hype is raising fears that A.I. could become the next big bubble.

Stories of romantic love are everywhere, but the actor, singer and comedian Bridget Everett says that friendships deserve our attention, too. Onscreen and in everyday life.
Last Fall, Everett appeared on Modern Love to talk about her HBO Original series “Somebody Somewhere,” which centers on a close friendship. Now she’s nominated for an Emmy Award for writing the show, along with Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen.
In “Somebody Somewhere,” Everett stars as Sam, a woman struggling with grief and self-doubt after losing her sister. As Sam grows closer to her friend Joel — played by Jeff Hiller, an Outstanding Supporting Actor nominee — the future starts to look more bearable.
In this episode of Modern Love, Everett tells Anna Martin why she’s looking for a friendship like the one Sam and Joel have on the show. She also reads a Modern Love essay called “When Your Greatest Romance Is a Friendship,” by Victor Lodato. Lodato was in his 40s when he fell into a platonic life partnership with an artist in her 80s, who lived across the street.

In April 2024, Lodato published “Honey,” a novel inspired by Austin Brayfield, the friend he wrote about in his essay.

The former evangelical star on waking up halfway through her life.

Texas is about to gerrymander five new house seats, and California is ready to retaliate. Gov. Gavin Newsom says that his state will also redraw its congressional maps to create five new districts, effectively fighting fire with fire.

Laurel Rosenhall, who covers California’s government and politics, discusses whether the state’s voters will actually go for this plan, whether it’ll work if they do, and what is at stake either way.

Warning: This episode contains strong language.

In President Trump’s second term, Laura Loomer has emerged as the most influential outside adviser, telling the president whom to fire and shaping major policy decisions.

Ken Bensinger, who covers media and politics, explains how a social media provocateur became Mr. Trump’s favorite blunt instrument.