The Daily

When Democrats first set out to expand the social safety net, they envisioned a piece of legislation as transformational as what the party has achieved in the 1960s. In the process, they hoped that they’d win back the working-class voters the party had since lost. But now that they’re on the brink of reaching a deal, the question is whether the enormous cuts and compromises they’ve made will make...

Every once in a while a company grows so big and messy that governments fear what would happen to the broader economy if it were to fail. In China, Evergrande, a sprawling real estate developer, is that company. Evergrande has the distinction of being the world’s most debt-saddled property developer and has been on life support for months. A steady drumbeat of bad news in recent weeks has accelera...

On June 24, 2015, Dawn Dorland, an essayist and aspiring novelist, did perhaps the kindest, most consequential thing she might ever do in her life. She donated one of her kidneys — and elected to do it in a slightly unusual and particularly altruistic way. As a so-called nondirected donation, her kidney was not meant for anyone in particular, but for a recipient who may otherwise have no other liv...

Before the Arab Spring, Seif al-Islam el-Qaddafi, the second son of the Libyan dictator Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, was establishing himself as a serious figure internationally. Then, the Arab Spring came to Libya. His father and brothers were killed and Seif himself was captured by rebels and taken to the western mountains of Libya. For years, rumors have surrounded the fate of Seif. Now he has re-e...

Chicago is in the midst of a crime wave — but there is also a question about whether police officers will show up for work. That’s because of a showdown between the mayor, Lori Lightfoot, and the police union over a coronavirus vaccine mandate. Some 30,000 city workers are subject to the mandate, but no group has expressed more discontent than the police. Guest: Julie Bosman , the Chicago bureau c...

The Clean Electricity Program has been at the heart of President Biden’s climate agenda since he took office. But passage was always going to come down to a single senator: Joe Manchin of West Virginia. With Mr. Manchin’s support now extremely unlikely, where does that leave American climate policy? Guest: Coral Davenport , a correspondent covering energy and environmental policy for The New York...

Colin Powell, who in four decades of public service helped shape U.S. national security, died on Monday. He was 84. Despite a stellar career, Mr. Powell had expressed a fear that he would be remembered for a single event: his role in leading his country to war in Iraq. We look back on the achievements and setbacks of a trailblazing life.  Guest: Robert Draper , writer for The New York Times Magazi...

In 2020, Virginia epitomized the way in which Democrats took the White House and Congress — by turning moderate and swing counties. But President Biden’s poll numbers have been waning, and in the coming race for governor, Republicans see an opportunity. Guest: Lisa Lerer , a national political correspondent for The New York Times.  Love listening to New York Times podcasts? Help us test a new audi...

When the Hirshhorn Museum told Laurie Anderson that it wanted to put on a big, lavish retrospective of her work, she said no. For one thing, she was busy and has been for roughly 50 years. Over the course of her incessant career, Ms. Anderson has done just about everything a creative person can do. She helped design an Olympics opening ceremony, served as the official artist in residence for NASA,...

Throughout the pandemic, businesses of all sizes have faced delays, product shortages and rising costs linked to disruptions in the global supply chain. Consumers have been confronted with an experience rare in modern times: no stock available, and no idea when it will come in. Our correspondent, Peter Goodman, went to one of the largest ports in the United States to witness the crisis up close. I...

This episode contains strong language and descriptions of violence. A Times investigation has uncovered extraordinary levels of violence and lawlessness inside Rikers, New York City’s main jail complex. In this episode, we hear about one man’s recent experience there and ask why detainees in some buildings now have near-total control over entire units. Guest: Jan Ransom , an investigative reporter...

This episode contains descriptions of violence and a suicide attempt. When the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August, our producer started making calls. With the help of colleagues, she contacted women in different cities and towns to find out how their lives had changed and what they were experiencing. Then she heard from N, whose identity has been concealed for her safety. This is the story of...

Many Americans pay more for child care than they do for their mortgages, even though the wages for those who provide the care are among the lowest in the United States. Democrats see the issue as a fundamental market failure and are pushing a plan to bridge the gap with federal subsidies. We went to Greensboro, N.C., to try to understand how big the problem is and to ask whether it is the job of t...

An enormous infusion of money and effort will be needed to prepare the United States for the changes wrought by the climate crisis. We visited towns in North Carolina that have been regularly hit by floods to confront a heartbreaking question: How does a community decide whether its homes are worth saving? Guest: Christopher Flavelle , a climate reporter for The New York Times. Sign up here to get...

Over the past decade, Eric Coomer has helped make Dominion Voting Systems one of the largest providers of voting machines and software in the United States. He was accustomed to working long days during the postelection certification process, but November 2020 was different. President Trump was demanding recounts. His allies had spent months stoking fears of election fraud. And then, on Nov. 8, Si...

The C.I.A. sent a short but explosive message last week to all of its stations and bases around the world. The cable, which said dozens of sources had been arrested, killed or turned against the United States, highlights the struggle the agency is having as it works to recruit spies around the world. How did this deterioration occur? Guest: Julian E. Barnes , a national security reporter for The N...

The coronavirus seems to be in retreat in the United States, with the number of cases across the country down about 25 percent compared with a couple of weeks ago. Hospitalizations and deaths are also falling. So, what stage are we in with the pandemic? And how will developments such as a new antiviral treatment and the availability of booster shots affect things? Guest: Apoorva Mandavilli , a sci...

The Senate testimony of Frances Haugen on Tuesday was an eagerly awaited event. Last month, Ms. Haugen, a former Facebook product manager, leaked internal company documents to The Wall Street Journal that exposed the social media giant’s inner workings. How will Ms. Haugen’s insights shape the future of internet regulation? Guest: Sheera Frenkel , a technology reporter for The New York Times.  Sig...

The latest term of the U.S. Supreme Court will include blockbuster cases on two of the most contentious topics in American life: abortion and gun rights. The cases come at a time when the court has a majority of Republican appointees and as it battles accusations of politicization. Why is the public perception of the court so important? And how deeply could the coming rulings affect the fabric of...

Ivermectin is a drug that emerged in the 1970s, used mainly for deworming horses and other livestock. But during the pandemic, it has been falsely lauded in some corners as a kind of miracle cure for the coronavirus. What is fueling the demand for a drug that the medical establishment has begged people not to take? Guest: Emma Goldberg , a writer for The New York Times.  Sign up here to get The Da...

Jon Mooallem, the author of today’s Sunday Read, had a bad pandemic. “I began having my own personal hard time,” he writes. “The details aren’t important. Let’s just say, I felt as if I were moldering in place.” Then, The New York Times Magazine offered him the opportunity to fly somewhere for its travel issue — at that point he had spent 17 months parenting two demanding children. So, he asked: “...

This episode contains strong language. A month ago, Texas adopted a divisive law which effectively banned abortions in the state. Despite a number of legal challenges, the law has survived and is having an impact across state lines.  Trust Women is abortion clinic in Oklahoma just three hours north of Dallas — one of the closest clinics Texas women can go to.  On the day the Texas law came into ef...

The first year of a Congress is usually the best time for a president to put forward any sort of ambitious policy. For President Biden, whose control of Congress is fragile, the urgency is particularly intense. But now members of his own party are threatening to block one big part of his agenda — his $1 trillion infrastructure plan — in the name of protecting an even bigger part. We speak to Repre...

Britney Spears is one of the biggest celebrities on the planet — she makes millions of dollars performing, selling perfumes and appearing on television. At the same time, however, her life is heavily controlled by a conservatorship, which she has been living under for 13 years.  Soon, a court will decide whether to remove Mr. Spears as conservator or terminate the conservatorship altogether.  We e...

This episode contains strong language. Brig. Gen. Khoshal Sadat, a former Afghan deputy minister for security, has held some of the highest ranks in the Afghan security forces and government.  From the moment Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, the United States has put much of the blame of Afghan security forces — a force that President Biden said gave up without a fight. “The reality is that we’re...