The Daily

Questions about President Biden’s age sharpened again recently after a special counsel report about his handling of classified information described him as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” Peter Baker, the chief White House correspondent for The Times, explains why Mr. Biden’s condition can no longer be ignored. Guest: Peter Baker , the chief White House correspondent for The New...

Voters in New York are choosing the successor to George Santos, the disgraced Republican who was expelled from Congress in December. Nicholas Fandos, who covers New York politics and government for The Times, explains how the results of the race will hold important clues for both parties in November. Guest: Nicholas Fandos , a reporter covering New York politics and government for The New York Tim...

When a piece of an Alaska Airlines flight blew out into the sky in January, concern and scrutiny focused once more on the plane’s manufacturer, Boeing. Sydney Ember, a business reporter for The Times, explains what has been learned about the incident and what the implications might be for Boeing. Guest: Sydney Ember , a business reporter for The New York Times. Background reading:  The Alaska Airl...

The first death happened before the academic year began. In July 2021, an undergraduate student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute was reported dead. The administration sent a notice out over email, with the familiar, thoroughly vetted phrasing and appended resources. Katherine Foo, an assistant professor in the department of integrative and global studies, felt especially crushed by the news. She...

In December, the Colorado Supreme Court issued a bombshell ruling that said Donald Trump was ineligible to be on the state’s ballot for the Republican presidential primary, saying he was disqualified under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution because he had engaged in insurrection on Jan. 6. The Supreme Court has taken on the case and on Thursday, the justices heard arguments for and against kee...

Warning: this episode contains strong language and descriptions of violence. A few days ago, for the first time, an American jury convicted a parent for a mass shooting carried out by their child. Lisa Miller, who has been following the case since its beginning, explains what the historic verdict really means. Guest: Lisa Miller, a domestic correspondent for The New York Times Background reading: ...

El Salvador has experienced a remarkable transformation. What had once been one of the most violent countries in the world has become incredibly safe. Natalie Kitroeff, the New York Times bureau chief for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, discusses the cost of that transformation to the people of El Salvador, and the man at the center of it, the newly re-elected President Nayib Bukele. Gu...

Late last month, an explosive allegation that workers from a crucial U.N. relief agency in Gaza had taken part in the Oct. 7 attacks stunned the world and prompted major donors, including the United States, to suspend funding. Patrick Kingsley, the Jerusalem bureau chief for The Times, explains what this could mean for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and how it might complicate Israel’s strategy i...

President Biden has struggled to sell Americans on the positive signs in the economy under his watch, despite figures that look good on paper. That could have important ramifications for his re-election hopes. Nate Cohn, the chief political analyst for The Times, explains why, to understand the situation, it may help to look back at another election, 76 years ago. Guest: Nate Cohn , the chief poli...

Of all the dozens of suspected thieves questioned by the detectives of the Train Burglary Task Force at the Los Angeles Police Department during the months they spent investigating the rise in theft from the city’s freight trains, one man stood out. What made him memorable wasn’t his criminality so much as his giddy enthusiasm for trespassing. That man, Victor Llamas, was a self-taught expert of t...

The Democratic presidential nomination process begins tomorrow in South Carolina, and President Biden is running largely uncontested. But his campaign is expending significant resources in the race to try to reach a crucial part of his base: Black voters. Maya King, a politics reporter at The Times, explains. Guest: Maya King , a politics reporter for The New York Times. Background reading:  In So...

For the past few weeks, Democrats and Republicans were closing in on a game-changing deal to secure the U.S.-Mexico border: a bipartisan compromise that’s unheard-of in contemporary Washington. Karoun Demirjian, who covers Congress for The Times, explains why that deal is now falling apart. Guest: Karoun Demirjian , a congressional correspondent for The New York Times. Background reading:  Divided...

In a major advance in science, DNA from Bronze Age skeletons is providing clues to modern medical mysteries. Carl Zimmer, who covers life sciences for The Times, explains how a new field of study is changing the way we think about treatments for devastating diseases. Guest: Carl Zimmer , a science correspondent who writes the Origins column for The New York Times. Background reading:  Ancient Skel...

Inside the Republican Party, a class war is playing out between the pro-Trump base, which is ready for the nomination fight to be over, and the anti-Trump donor class, which thinks it’s just getting started. Astead Herndon, a political correspondent for The Times and the host of “The Run-Up,” explains the clash. Guest: Astead W. Herndon , a political correspondent and host of The Run-Up for The Ne...

This episode contains strong language and audio excerpts of violence. About a decade ago, police departments across the United States began equipping their officers with body cameras. The technology was meant to serve as a window into potential police misconduct, but that transparency has often remained elusive. Eric Umansky, an editor at large at ProPublica, explains why body cameras haven’t been...

On April 26, 2019, a beluga whale appeared near Tufjord, a village in northern Norway, immediately alarming fishermen in the area. Belugas in that part of the world typically inhabit the remote Arctic and are rarely spotted as far south as the Norwegian mainland. Although they occasionally travel solo, they tend to live and move in groups. This particular whale was entirely alone and unusually com...

Across the United States, millions of families are confronting a seemingly impossible question: When dementia changes a relative, how much should they accommodate their new personality and desires? Katie Engelhart, a writer for The New York Times Magazine, tells the story of one family’s experience. Guest: Katie Engelhart , a writer for The New York Times Magazine. Background reading:  The Mother...

The era of hybrid work has spawned a new kind of office culture — one that has left many workers less connected and less happy than they have ever been. Emma Goldberg, a business reporter covering workplace culture for The Times, explains how mixing remote and office work has created a malaise, as workers confront new challenges and navigate uncertainty, and employers engage in a wave of experimen...

On Tuesday, Donald J. Trump beat Nikki Haley in New Hampshire. His win accelerated a push for the party to coalesce behind him and deepened questions about the path forward for Ms. Haley, his lone remaining rival. Jonathan Weisman, a political correspondent for The Times, discusses the real meaning of the former president's victory. Guest: Jonathan Weisman , a political correspondent for The New Y...

Nominations for the Oscars are announced on Tuesday and “Oppenheimer,” a film about the father of the atomic bomb, is expected to be among the front-runners.  Catie Edmondson, a congressional correspondent for The Times, explains how the film sent her on a quest to find the secret story of how Congress paid for the bomb, and what it reveals about the inner workings of Washington.   Guest: Catie Ed...

 In the International Court of Justice, South Africa is accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. Amanda Taub, a human rights lawyer-turned-journalist at The Times, walks through the arguments of the case, and the power that the rules of war have beyond any verdict in court. Guest: Amanda Taub , writer of The Interpreter for The New York Times. Background reading:  What might happen next in...

Liz Flatt drove to Austin, Texas, mostly out of desperation. She had tried talking with the police. She had tried working with a former F.B.I. profiler who ran a nonprofit dedicated to solving unsolved murders. She had been interviewed by journalists and at least one podcaster. She had been featured on a Netflix documentary series about a man who falsely confessed to hundreds of killings. Although...

On its surface, the case before the Supreme Court — a dispute brought by fishing crews objecting to a government fee — appears to be routine. But, as Adam Liptak, who covers the court for The Times explains, the decision could transform how every industry in the United States is regulated. Guest: Adam Liptak , a Supreme Court correspondent for The New York Times. Background reading:  How a fight o...

Attacks by Houthi militants on shipping in the Red Sea, a crucial global trade route, once seemed like a dangerous sideshow to the war in Gaza. But as the attacks have continued, the sideshow has turned into a full-blown crisis. Vivian Nereim, the Gulf bureau chief for The Times, explains what cause is served by the Houthis’ campaign. Guest: Vivian Nereim , the Gulf bureau chief for The New York T...

Concerned about the effect on diversity, many colleges have stopped requiring standardized tests. New research suggests that might be a mistake. David Leonhardt, a senior writer for The Times, discusses the future of SATs and why colleges remain reluctant to bring them back. Guest: David Leonhardt , a senior writer for The New York Times. Background reading:  The misguided war on the SAT From Opin...