Synopsis
This moment demands an explanation. This show is on a mission to find it. Only what you want to know, none of what you dont. Hosted by Michael Barbaro. Powered by New York Times journalism. Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, ready by 6 a.m.
Episodes
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California Strikes Back at Texas’ Power Grab
22/08/2025 Duration: 28minTexas 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.Guest: Laurel Rosenhall, a New York Times reporter covering California politics and government.Background reading: Mr. Newsom and Democratic state lawmakers moved quickly to create new districts that could help their party flip five congressional seats.The Texas House approved a congressional map intended to help Republicans win five more U.S. House seats.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Mike Blake/Reuters Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everythi
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The Right-Wing Provocateur Who Has Trump’s Ear
21/08/2025 Duration: 37minWarning: 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.Guest: Ken Bensinger, a New York Times reporter covering media and politics.Background reading: Ms. Loomer is Mr. Trump’s blunt instrument.Her role in firings at the National Security Council showed a rising sway of fringe figures on the president.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Greg Kahn for The New York Times Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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Why So Many Parents Are Opting Out of Public Schools
20/08/2025 Duration: 29minAcross the country, public schools are facing steep declines in enrollment, while the movement to use public funds for private education grows.Dana Goldstein, who covers education and families for The New York Times, explains why so many parents are using taxpayer money to privately educate their children — and what this means for American education.Guest: Dana Goldstein, a reporter covering education and families for The New York Times.Background reading: A decline in the number of children and rise in the number of choices has created a crisis for public schools.In July, Congress approved the first national school voucher plan, helping to pay for private education.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Zack Wittman for The New York Times Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and S
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Zelensky Survives Second Oval Office Meeting
19/08/2025 Duration: 30minEuropean leaders raced to Washington to show their support for President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine as he met with President Trump on Monday.It was their first face-to-face meeting at the White House since their disastrous blowup in the Oval Office in February.Michael Schwirtz, who covers global intelligence, explains how and why Mr. Zelensky’s approach has changed.Guest: Michael Schwirtz, the global intelligence correspondent for The New York Times.Background reading: Can Mr. Zelensky trust Mr. Trump? Ukraine’s fate may depend on the answer.Mr. Zelensky and other European leaders have learned a thing or two about negotiating with Mr. Trump.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Doug Mills/The New York Times Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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Republican Town Halls Turned Ugly. One Congressman Kept Doing Them Anyway.
18/08/2025 Duration: 39minFrom Iowa to New York, Republican members of Congress have struggled to answer constituents’ tough questions about their party’s agenda, with several town hall meetings turning angry and going viral.Republican leaders have told lawmakers to stop holding them all together.Representative Mike Flood of Nebraska has ignored that advice. The congressman speaks about the disappearance of an American political tradition and why he thinks it is worth preserving.Guest: Representative Mike Flood, Republican of NebraskaBackground reading: Representative Flood faced his hometown voters. It wasn’t pretty.From March: Republican House members were told to stop holding in-person town halls.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Scott Morgan/Reuters Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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‘Modern Love’: Where Did All My Male Friendships Go?
17/08/2025 Duration: 01h03minSam Graham-Felsen never imagined being lonely. Throughout his childhood and as a young man his life revolved around his friends. But when Sam got married and then had kids, going out with his friends almost felt like a luxury. After years of focusing on everything in his life except friendship, Sam began to realize he was missing something essential, and he decided to get his friends back.On this episode of “Modern Love,” Mr. Graham-Felsen describes how he went from being a boy with a wealth of deep friendships to finding himself feeling lonely as an adult, and what he did to bring friendship back into his life.Read his essay “Where Have All My Deep Male Friendships Gone?” in The New York Times Magazine.Find new episodes of Modern Love every Wednesday. Follow the show wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube |iHeartRadio Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple
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Chris Voss Says Trump's Secret Weapon Is Empathy
16/08/2025 Duration: 41minThoughts? Email us at theinterview@nytimes.comWatch our show on YouTube: youtube.com/@TheInterviewPodcastFor transcripts and more, visit: nytimes.com/theinterview Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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What Hangs in the Balance of Trump's Meeting With Putin
15/08/2025 Duration: 27minToday, President Trump and the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, are meeting on U.S. soil for the first time, to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine.David E. Sanger, the White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times, discusses the wide range of possible outcomes and why, no matter what happens, the meeting is a win for Mr. Putin. Guest: David E. Sanger, the White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times.Background reading: Mr. Trump said he was going to the meeting to see what Mr. Putin “has in mind.”The U.S. president is pushing to end the war in Ukraine, but analysts say the Russian leader could turn a hastily planned meeting to his advantage.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Doug Mills/The New York Times Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts
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The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century
14/08/2025 Duration: 40minWarning: This episode contains strong language.This summer, The New York Times put out a list of the top 100 movies of the past 25 years. It prompted furious debate about what movies stand the test of time, why they matter and what those movies tell us about ourselves.Kyle Buchanan, a pop culture reporter for The Times, discusses how the list came to be, and actors and directors including Celine Song, Molly Ringwald and Ebon Moss-Bachrach speak about their votes.Guest: Kyle Buchanan, who is a pop culture reporter and serves as The Projectionist, the awards season columnist for The New York Times.Background reading: Read the list of the 100 best movies of the 21st century so far.Here’s how The Times decided on the list.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Jake May/The Flint Journal-MLive.com, via Associated Press Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop
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The Sprawling Government Effort to Prosecute Barack Obama
13/08/2025 Duration: 27minOver the past few weeks, the most senior intelligence officials in the federal government have released a series of new documents which they claim shows that, starting in 2016, President Barack Obama and his deputies carried out a criminal conspiracy against President Trump.Michael S. Schmidt, an investigative reporter for The Times, explains what’s behind the sudden re-emergence on the Trump-Russia saga, and what happens when heads of the C.I.A., F.B.I. and Justice Department all turn their attention to the president’s domestic enemies.Guest: Michael S. Schmidt, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, covering Washington.Background reading: In targeting Mr. Obama, Mr. Trump’s retribution campaign has taken another turn.A spokesman for Mr. Obama said that Mr. Trump’s accusations were ”ridiculous” and “weak.”For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Kenny Holston/The New York Times Unlock full ac
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Trump Sends the National Guard Into Washington, D.C.
12/08/2025 Duration: 23minPresident Trump said on Monday that he would take control of the Washington, D.C., police department and send hundreds of National Guard troops to the city.Devlin Barrett, who covers the F.B.I. for The New York Times, explains why the president says this is necessary and how it fits into his broader strategy for dealing with cities run by Democrats.Guest: Devlin Barrett, a New York Times reporter covering the Justice Department and the F.B.I.Background reading: Trump ordered the National Guard to Washington and a takeover of the capital’s police.But crime is down in Washington.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Kent Nishimura for The New York Times Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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What C.E.O.s Really Think About Trump’s Tariffs
11/08/2025 Duration: 28minLast week, President Trump hit many countries with yet another round of punishing tariffs. So far, the economy has been resilient in the face of his trade war, but it’s unclear how long that will last.Andrew Ross Sorkin, editor-at-large of DealBook, discusses what C.E.O.s are telling him about the president’s tariffs, and where they think all of this is headed.Guest: Andrew Ross Sorkin, a columnist and the founder and editor-at-large of DealBook for The New York Times.Background reading: Staggering U.S. tariffs began last week as Mr. Trump widened his trade war.From DealBook: Mr. Trump’s higher tariffs are here. Now what?For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Jim Watson/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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‘Modern Love’: The Kind of Pain She Wanted
10/08/2025 Duration: 48minFor her entire life, Grace Hussar has been an overthinker. No matter how much she wanted to be in the moment, she always felt as if she was just outside it. But when she took up endurance running, she realized something: Extreme pain turned her thoughts off. She wanted more of that feeling — more pain and less overthinking. As a mother of two with a happy partnership and a career in finance, what she explored next surprised her.On this week’s episode of “Modern Love,” Hussar talks about her essay, “The Kind of Pain I Wanted.” Hussar shares the story of how she discovered that rope play and kink were the keys to newfound presence and pleasure in her life.Find new episodes of Modern Love every Wednesday. Follow the show wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube |iHeartRadio Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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Jonathan Greenblatt on Antisemitism, Anti-Zionism and Free Speech
09/08/2025 Duration: 01h02minHow the head of the A.D.L. thinks about the line between legitimate protest and anti-Jewish hate. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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Every Eight Minutes: Uber’s Alarming Sexual Violence Problem
08/08/2025 Duration: 33minFor years, Uber has said it is one of the safest ways to travel. But a New York Times investigation found that the company has been contending with a major problem: Hundreds of thousands of people reported that they were sexually assaulted or harassed during Uber rides.Emily Steel, who broke the story, discusses what executives knew about the problem and how they failed to take certain steps that were supposed to make riders safer.Guest: Emily Steel, an investigative reporter for the business desk of The New York Times.Background reading: Read the investigation into Uber’s festering sexual assault problem.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Amy Osborne/The New York Times Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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Trump Said Family Separations Would End. They’re Happening Again.
07/08/2025 Duration: 28minDuring President Trump’s first term, the intentional separation of migrant child from their parents shocked the country and persuaded Mr. Trump to say he would end the practice for good.Hamed Aleaziz, who covers immigration policy for The Times, has found that in Mr. Trump’s second term, the practice has returned.Guest: Hamed Aleaziz, who covers the Department of Homeland Security and immigration policy in the United States for The New York Times.Background reading: Inside President Trump’s new tactic to separate immigrant families.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Victor J. Blue for The New York Times Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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More Money Was Supposed to Help Poor Kids. So Why Didn’t It?
06/08/2025 Duration: 24minFor many, the logic seemed unassailable: Giving poor families money would measurably improve the lives of their children. And so a few years ago, social scientists set out to test whether that assumption was right.The results of the experiment have shocked them.Guest: Jason DeParle, a Times reporter who covers poverty in the United States.Background reading: A rigorous experiment appears to show that monthly checks intended to help disadvantaged children did little for their well-being.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Andrew Seng for The New York Times Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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The Most Closely Watched Trump Firing in Washington
05/08/2025 Duration: 29minFor many Americans, the government’s monthly jobs number was a pretty dull statistic — until a few days ago, when President Trump angrily fired the person responsible for producing it, the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.Now, from Washington to Wall Street, many people are wondering whether you can still trust federal statistics if the president is willing to just get rid of people who give him facts he doesn’t like.On this episode, Ben Casselman joins The Daily to discuss how the government’s economic data suddenly turned into a national drama.Guest: Ben Casselman, the chief economics correspondent for The New York Times.Background reading: President Trump fired America’s economic data collector. History shows the perils of such a move.Until the president fired her, Erika McEntarfer was an economist with bipartisan support.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Haiyun Jiang/The New York
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Trump’s Texas Power Grab
04/08/2025 Duration: 27minIn a dramatic act of protest on Sunday, Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives began to flee the state. It is a last-ditch attempt to stop President Trump and Texas Republicans from adopting an aggressively redrawn congressional map that would eliminate Democratic seats — and could help lock in a Republican majority in next year’s elections.Shane Goldmacher, a Times political correspondent, explains this new chapter in the era of unvarnished partisan warfare.Guest: Shane Goldmacher, a political correspondent for The New York Times.Background reading: The redrawn map, unveiled by Texas Republicans and pushed by Mr. Trump, puts areas of Houston, Dallas and San Antonio that have incumbent Democrats into districts that would now favor Republicans. “We’re leaving Texas to fight for Texans,” Gene Wu, a state representative from Houston and the chair of the Democratic caucus in the Texas House, said in a statement Sunday. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from pol
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‘Modern Love’: How to Stop Asking ‘Are You Mad at Me?’
03/08/2025 Duration: 45min“Am I in trouble?” “Am I secretly bad?” These are questions Meg Josephson, a therapist and author, grew up asking herself. She was constantly trying to anticipate other people’s needs, worried that she was letting other people down. And it wasn’t until she found herself standing in the aisle of a Bed Bath & Beyond, trying to remember her favorite color, that she realized her desire to please everyone was eroding her sense of self.On this episode of Modern Love, Josephson talks about how that realization led her to confront her tumultuous childhood, and what it took to stop “people pleasing.” She then reads the Modern Love essay “My Three Years as a Beloved Daughter” by Erin Brown, about a woman who found a type of love in her best friend’s parents that she had never experienced before, and what that taught her about her own parents.Josephson’s book, “Are You Mad At Me?,” is available Aug. 5, 2025.Find new episodes of Modern Love every Wednesday. Follow the show wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcas