The Daily
This is what the news should sound like. The biggest stories of our time, told by the best journalists in the world. Hosted by Michael Barbaro, Rachel Abrams and Natalie Kitroeff. Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, ready by 6 a.m. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher.
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Recent Episodes
The Cracking of the Trump Coalition
Dec 11, 2025In the year since President Trump roared back to power, one of the most surprising story lines of his second term has been a series of public ruptures between him and the movement he created. Robert ...
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In this episode, New York Times reporter Robert Draper examines the growing fractures within the MAGA movement as key figures increasingly challenge President Trump's priorities and effectiveness. From Tucker Carlson's controversial interview with white nationalist Nick Fuentes to Marjorie Taylor Greene's dramatic resignation, the episode reveals how Trump's focus on foreign affairs over domestic affordability issues has sparked unprecedented dissent within a coalition that once seemed unshakable.
- The Emergence of Cracks in Trump's Coalition
- The Tucker Carlson-Nick Fuentes Interview Controversy
The Supreme Court’s liberal minority has voted, over and over again, to oppose the court’s conservative majority in what might look like a united front of resistance. But behind the scenes, there are ...
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The Daily examines growing tensions among the Supreme Court's three liberal justices over how to counter the conservative majority's dominance. Reporter Jody Cantor reveals the stark philosophical divide between Justice Elena Kagan's diplomatic, consensus-building approach and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's confrontational strategy of public warnings, as both justices struggle to find effective ways to resist the court's rightward shift under Trump's presidency.
- The Court's Power Struggle Under Trump
- Elena Kagan's Diplomatic Strategy
Netflix announced plans on Friday to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio and streaming business, in a deal that would send shock waves through Hollywood. On Monday, Paramount made a hostile bid f...
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The Daily examines Netflix's $83 billion bid to acquire Warner Brothers Studios and Paramount's competing hostile takeover offer. The episode explores how this consolidation will reshape Hollywood, impact theatrical distribution, affect content creators, and influence what viewers watch. Three Times reporters analyze the business strategy, creative implications, and regulatory challenges of both competing deals.
- The Players: Netflix, Paramount, and Warner Brothers Discovery
- Netflix's Strategy: Acquiring Content, Infrastructure, and Eliminating Competition
Warning: This episode mentions suicide. In March, the U.S. government sent more than 200 Venezuelan men to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. Over four months, the men said they endured physic...
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This episode of The Daily investigates what happened to approximately 250 Venezuelan men who were deported by the Trump administration to a maximum security prison in El Salvador. Reporter Julie Turkowitz and her team interviewed 40 of these men after their release, uncovering widespread allegations of torture, physical abuse, sexual assault, and inhumane conditions during their four-month detention. The men were sent without trials, accused of being gang members, but evidence of such affiliations remains scarce.
- Background and Deportation Context
- The Investigation and Methodology
Sunday Special: ’Tis the Season for Cookies
Dec 07, 2025The first week of December at The New York Times is known as “Cookie Week.” Every day, for seven days, our cooking team highlights a new holiday cookie recipe. This year’s batch features flavors that ...
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Gilbert Cruz hosts New York Times food experts Melissa Clark and Vaughn Vreeland to discuss Cookie Week, the Times' annual celebration of holiday cookies. The conversation covers everything from cookie varieties and testing techniques to holiday entertaining tips, batch cocktails, and make-ahead meals. The episode features tastings, reader questions, and concludes with a festive food-themed game show.
- Introduction to Cookie Week and Its Origins
- The Great Brownie Debate: What Defines a Cookie?
The actress and director says the world of filmmaking needs a “full system break.” Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] our show on YouTube: youtube.com/@TheInterviewPodcastFor transcr...
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Kristen Stewart discusses her directorial debut 'The Chronology of Water,' exploring themes of female storytelling, artistic independence, and the challenges of navigating Hollywood's male-dominated system. The conversation delves into her evolution from Twilight star to independent filmmaker, her views on vulnerability in performance, and her critique of studio filmmaking.
- Adapting The Chronology of Water and Female Storytelling
- Masculinity, Performance, and the Male Gaze
The Lonely Work of a Free-Speech Defender
Dec 05, 2025Over the past year, the federal government has taken a series of actions widely seen as attacks on the First Amendment. Greg Lukianoff, the head of a legal defense group called the Foundation for Ind...
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In this episode, Natalie Ketro-Eff interviews Greg Lukianoff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), about the state of free speech in America. Lukianoff, a self-described free speech absolutist, discusses his journey from defending controversial cases on both left and right, his battles with progressive campus culture, and his current fight against Trump administration overreach. The conversation explores the philosophy of free speech, its relationship to mental health, and why both political sides repeatedly betray its principles despite claiming to champion it.
- Origins of a Free Speech Warrior
- Building FIRE and Defending Unpopular Speech
President Trump on Tuesday delivered blatantly xenophobic public remarks, which included attacking Somali immigrants in Minnesota and calling them “garbage.” Ernesto Londoño, a reporter based in Minn...
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The Daily examines President Trump's xenophobic attacks on Somali Americans during a cabinet meeting, where he called them 'garbage' and demanded they leave the country. The episode traces how a massive fraud scandal in Minnesota's pandemic aid programs—largely perpetrated by members of the Somali community—became a catalyst for Trump's immigration crackdown, and explores how Minnesota's fear of appearing racist allowed billions in fraud to flourish unchecked.
- Trump's Shocking Attack on Somali Americans
- Climate of Fear and ICE Deployment
Did a U.S. Boat Strike Amount to a War Crime?
Dec 03, 2025Over the past three months, the U.S. military has been firing on boats from South America, killing more than 80 people and prompting Democrats to raise urgent questions about their legality. Now, one...
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This episode of The Daily examines the Trump administration's military strikes on boats in the Caribbean suspected of drug trafficking, focusing on a September 2nd attack where a second missile was fired to kill survivors of the initial strike. The episode explores the legal questions surrounding these operations, including whether they constitute a war crime, and discusses the renewed congressional investigation prompted by a Washington Post report revealing that the second strike was ordered specifically to eliminate survivors.
- The Washington Post Story That Reignited Scrutiny
- The Legal Framework: Armed Conflict vs. Murder
The ‘Clean’ Technology That’s Poisoning People
Dec 02, 2025Lead is an essential but toxic element of car batteries. The U.S. auto industry promotes the recycling of it as an environmental success story. An investigation by The New York Times and The Examinati...
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An investigation by The New York Times and The Examination reveals how recycled lead batteries powering American vehicles come at a devastating human cost. While the U.S. auto industry promotes battery recycling as environmentally friendly, the reality involves dangerous, unregulated lead smelting operations in Nigeria that are poisoning entire communities, with testing showing contamination levels 20 times worse than America's worst lead disaster.
- The Origins of a Hidden Supply Chain Investigation
- Witnessing Environmental Devastation on the Ground in Nigeria
The Fallout From the National Guard Shooting
Dec 01, 2025What began as a horrific shooting of two National Guard members in downtown Washington last week has now led to a set of far-reaching changes to the U.S. immigration system. The suspect, Rahmanullah ...
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This episode examines the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington D.C. by an Afghan immigrant, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, and the Trump administration's sweeping immigration policy response. The Daily traces Lakanwal's journey from CIA-backed Zero Unit operative in Afghanistan through his asylum in the U.S., ultimately exploring how this single incident triggered unprecedented reviews of asylum grants, green cards, and immigration pathways affecting hundreds of thousands of people.
- The Shooter's Background in Afghanistan's Zero Unit
- The Chaotic U.S. Withdrawal and Vetting Process
Sunday Special: Gifting Books for the Holidays
Nov 30, 2025The holiday season is here, which means it’s the time to think of great gifts for everyone on your list. While it can feel like a daunting task to choose thoughtful, personalized presents, we’ve got a...
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Gilbert Cruz hosts a holiday gift guide episode with Book Review editors Jumana Khatib and Sadie Stein, discussing the best books of 2025 and providing tailored recommendations for every type of person on your gift list. They share their personal reading preferences, highlight standout titles from the year's 100 Notable Books list, and play a Family Feud-style game about reading habits and preferences.
- Reading for Pleasure: What the Editors Love
- Standout Books of 2025: The Colony and Perfection
Inside 'The Morgue' at The New York Times
Nov 30, 2025In this subscriber-only episode, the host Rachel Abrams ventures deep into the basement of The New York Times in Manhattan to visit a place affectionately known by staff members as “the morgue.” Ther...
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A fascinating tour of the New York Times morgue, a massive archive deep beneath Midtown Manhattan containing millions of newspaper clippings and historical documents dating back to the 1870s. Rachel Abrams returns a long-overdue book to Jeff Roth, the sole keeper of this 700,000-pound collection, who shares stories about the archive's history, its crucial role in journalism, and how the internet has changed how reporters use this treasure trove of information.
- Introduction: The Overdue Book
- Discovery of Historical Treasures
The competition-TV judge changed the music industry. Now he says he’s changed too. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] our show on YouTube: youtube.com/@TheInterviewPodcastFor transcr...
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Eating What You Kill This Thanksgiving
Nov 27, 2025Here at “The Daily,” we take our annual Thanksgiving episode very seriously. A few years ago, we rang up an expert from the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line, who told us that yes, in a pinch, you can cook...
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Michael Barbaro joins renowned hunter and author Steven Rinella for an immersive Thanksgiving hunting expedition that explores the deep connection between hunting, conservation, and our relationship with food. From a pre-dawn duck hunt in Montana wetlands to butchering and cooking the kill in Rinella's kitchen, the episode examines how hunting can be understood as an act of environmental stewardship and a profound way to connect with the natural world and our food sources.
- The Making of a Hunter: Rinella's Origins
- From Anti-Environmentalist to Conservation Champion
The Ukrainian Peace Plan Written by ... Russia?
Nov 26, 2025When President Trump’s peace plan to end the war in Ukraine was leaked last week, many felt as though Russia had written the proposal, and to a large degree, it reflected the Kremlin’s demands. The pl...
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This episode examines the controversial leaked U.S. peace plan for Ukraine that appeared heavily favorable to Russia, the political turmoil surrounding Ukrainian President Zelensky due to a major corruption scandal, and the chaotic diplomatic scramble that followed as the Trump administration attempted to salvage peace negotiations.
- Ukraine's Vulnerable Position and the Leaked Peace Plan
- Operation Midas: The Corruption Scandal Engulfing Zelensky's Inner Circle
A Disastrous Day in Court for Trump
Nov 25, 2025A federal judge on Monday tossed out separate criminal charges against the former F.B.I. director James B. Comey and New York’s attorney general, Letitia James. The manner in which the judge dismisse...
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The Autism Diagnosis Problem
Nov 24, 2025Once primarily limited to severely disabled people, autism began to be viewed as a spectrum that included children and adults far less impaired. Along the way, the disorder also became an identity, em...
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The Daily examines the complex story behind rising autism diagnoses in America, revealing that while rates have increased from 1 in 150 to 1 in 31 children, the primary driver isn't an epidemic but an expanding definition of autism itself. Through the career of legendary researcher Kathy Lord, the episode explores how decades of work to broaden and destigmatize autism has created unintended consequences, leaving families of severely autistic children struggling for resources while advocates debate who speaks for this diverse community.
- The Numbers Behind Rising Autism Diagnoses
- Early Understanding of Autism as Childhood Schizophrenia
Sunday Special: Wicked, Good?
Nov 23, 2025“Wicked” was one of the biggest movies of 2024. It was culturally ubiquitous, a box office smash and an Oscar nominee for Best Picture. Now, a year later, “Wicked: For Good” arrives in theaters to fin...
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Gilbert Cruz hosts a lively discussion about the newly released Wicked for Good with Kyle Buchanan and Madison Malone Kircher. The trio examines how the second film compares to its predecessor, the challenges of adapting Act Two of the beloved musical, and why Wicked has succeeded where other movie musicals have failed. They explore the press tour phenomenon, the film's political undertones, and the powerful chemistry between stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. The episode concludes with a Wizard of Oz-themed trivia game.
- Setting the Stage: The Hosts' Wicked Credentials
- The Challenge of Act Two: Making Wicked for Good Work
The writer and YouTube star on trying to get back to the experiences that make us feel alive. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] our show on YouTube: youtube.com/@TheInterviewPodcast...
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John Green, bestselling YA author and YouTube creator, discusses his lifelong grappling with hope in the face of suffering, his eight-year break from fiction writing, and how his work in global health connects to his broader mission of finding meaning in a world full of injustice. He reflects candidly on anxiety, faith, parenting, internet fame, and why he's drawn to writing about teenagers experiencing profound emotions for the first time.
- Hope as the Antidote to Despair
- Working as a Hospital Chaplain: Confronting Suffering