The Daily

From the earliest days of the coronavirus outbreak, health officials believed that it was largely sparing children and teenagers. But the rise of a mysterious inflammatory syndrome — with symptoms ranging from rashes to heart failure — in children testing positive for the virus is challenging that belief. Guest: Pam Belluck , a health and science writer for The New York Times, spoke with Jack McMo...

Some have called the pandemic “the great equalizer.” But the coronavirus is killing black Americans at staggeringly higher rates than white Americans. Today, we explore why. Guest: Linda Villarosa, a writer for The New York Times Magazine covering racial health disparities, who spoke to Nicole Charles in New Orleans, La. about the death of her husband, Cornell Charles, known as Dickey. He was 51....

It used to be rare for a president to fire an inspector general, a position created within government agencies after Watergate and assigned to fight waste and corruption. Today, we look at what President Trump’s pattern of replacing inspectors general reveals about the nature of the independent office — and about presidential power. Guest: Maggie Haberman , who covers the White House for The New Y...

As the American economy plunges toward a recession, economists and policymakers are triaging proposals to stanch the bleeding. All of their ideas will cost money the government doesn’t have. That leaves Democrats and Republicans with two major questions: How much should be borrowed for bailouts — and what spending is needed to avoid permanent economic damage? Guest: Ben Casselman , an economics re...

Our worlds have contracted; once expansive, our orbits are now measured by rooms and street blocks. But there are still ways to travel. Today, escape to the worlds contained in three letters — one about the summer of 1910, another describing an upended misconception and a third about how superstitions can offer release. We hope they can offer you some meaning — or at least a distraction. This stor...

Note: This episode contains strong language. Today, we’re sharing Episode 5 of “Rabbit Hole,” a New York Times audio series with the tech columnist Kevin Roose. In this episode, our reporter investigates how a Swedish gamer with a webcam grew to become the biggest YouTuber in the world. We follow PewDiePie’s path to megastardom — and the war that unfolds when his reign is threatened. If you're tun...

On today’s “A Bit of Relief,” two critics at The Times share the home rituals that they're leaning on for comfort. For the television critic James Poniewozik, it’s binge-watching television with his family (“Experiencing good or even brilliantly dumb art is a form of self-care,” he reassures). And for the restaurant critic Tejal Rao, the act of rewatching cinematic food scenes is surprisingly deli...

When Louisiana’s stay-at-home order expires today, restaurants across the state can begin allowing customers back inside, at their own discretion. So how do restaurant owners feel about the decision they now face? For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily Guest: Jasmine Lombrage, a restaurant owner in Baton Rouge, La. Background reading: America’s reopening has begun in f...

Federal prosecutors are asking a court to throw out their own criminal case against the former national security adviser Michael Flynn. We look at what led to that decision. Guest: Mark Mazzetti , a Washington investigative correspondent for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: Attorney General William Barr’s extraordinary dec...

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court debated the nature of presidential power in two sets of cases regarding demands for President Trump’s personal records: one about his taxes, the other about claims that during his campaign he paid to silence women with whom he previously had affairs. This is what a constitutional clash on a conference call sounded like. Guest: Adam Liptak , who covers the Supreme Cour...

As Italy, France and Spain entered national lockdowns, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain was still shaking hands with coronavirus patients in hospitals, and then joking about it on national television. Then he was hospitalized with the virus — and by the time he returned, both his attitude and his approach to the crisis were transformed. Today, we explore why the country that was most skepti...

Ahmaud Arbery would have turned 26 on Friday. Instead of celebrating, a crowd of protesters, protected by masks, demanded justice for his death in front of a courthouse in Georgia. So what do we know about the killing of Mr. Arbery by two armed white men? Guest: Richard Fausset , a correspondent based in Atlanta. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background readi...

He was Batman. He was Iceman. Until he wasn’t. So what happened to Val Kilmer? In this weird, dark time, Taffy Brodesser-Akner tells a story about how sometimes, in the end, everything is different but everything is good. This story was recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publishers like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android . Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts...

Note: This episode contains strong language. Today, we’re sharing Episode 4 of “Rabbit Hole,” a New York Times audio series with the tech columnist Kevin Roose. In this episode, our reporter interviews the woman running the world’s largest and most influential video empire: Susan Wojcicki, the chief executive of YouTube. "If you're tuning in to "Rabbit Hole" for the first time, start with the prol...

Rick Steves is a travel evangelist, always in motion, traversing faraway places and inspiring others to do the same. So when the world shuts down, and Rick Steves can no longer travel, then who is Rick Steves? Sam Anderson, a writer for The Times Magazine, profiled the travel guru last year . Today, Sam asks Rick how he’s been expanding his horizons from home. Dreaming of travel, we learn, is near...

It came to the United States from Asia and first appeared in Washington State. The country was slow to recognize it. Deaths mounted as it circulated for weeks undetected. And now, if it’s not stopped, it could reshape populations and industries across the country. Today, we discuss the arrival of the Asian giant hornet. Guest: Mike Baker , a Pacific Northwest correspondent for The New York Times w...

Everyone wants to know where the coronavirus came from. In the absence of a clear explanation, several theories are circulating — including one, pushed by the Trump administration, that the pandemic started because of malpractice in a lab in Wuhan, China. But is that a secret the Chinese government is keeping, or a mystery no one knows the answer to? Guest: Julian E. Barnes , who covers national s...

The congressional doctor expressed reservations about whether it was safe for the House and Senate to reconvene. Instead, only senators have returned to Capitol Hill, bringing our new normal — elbow bumps, masks and sanitizer — with them. So why was one chamber so determined to portray its members as essential workers in the pandemic? Guest: Nicholas Fandos , who covers Congress for The New York T...

Universities across the United States have long prided themselves on bridging the differences between their students. How the coronavirus has instead reinforced inequalities that campus life can hide. Guest: Nicholas Casey , a national politics reporter at The New York Times, who spoke to faculty and students at Haverford College, a liberal arts school near Philadelphia. For more information on to...

One of the largest coronavirus outbreaks in the United States has been inside the Smithfield pork factory in Sioux Falls, S.D. Today, we speak with a worker at the plant, a refugee who survived civil war and malaria only to find her life and livelihood threatened anew. Guests: Caitlin Dickerson , who covers immigration for The New York Times, spoke with Achut Deng, a Sudanese refugee who works at...

For Aleksander Doba, pitting himself against the wide-open sea — storms, sunstroke, monotony, hunger and loneliness — is a way to feel alive in old age. Today, listen to the story of one man who chose to paddle toward the existential crisis that is life, crossing the Atlantic alone in a kayak. Three times. This story was recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publishers like The New Yor...

Note: This episode contains strong language. Today, we’re sharing Episode 3 of “Rabbit Hole,” a New York Times audio series with the tech columnist Kevin Roose. In this episode, our reporter continues to trace the journey of a young man named Caleb. Five years into a rabbit hole on YouTube, Caleb discovers a parallel universe. If you're tuning in to "Rabbit Hole" for the first time, start with the...

In this week’s episode of “A Bit of Relief,” we turn to tea and toast for comfort. First, Kim Severson, a food writer at The Times, shares her love for buttered toast sprinkled in cinnamon and sugar. Then we hear Mark Thompson, C.E.O. at The Times, explain how to brew his ideal cup of British tea: using a stovetop kettle, loose black tea leaves, a strainer and a splash of milk. It's more complicat...

Climbing on the roof to look at stars in the middle of summer. Making French toast and popcorn. Kind eyes. These are some of the memories 12-year-old Tilly Breimhorst has of her grandfather, Craig. Today, we talk to her about how she is processing sadness, anger and grief after losing him to coronavirus. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: In pe...

Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. is the first candidate in American history to wage a presidential campaign in quarantine. From his basement in Delaware, he has struggled to attain the same visibility as his opponent, President Trump. But is that a good thing? Guest: Alexander Burns , who covers national politics for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytim...