The Daily

To contain the pandemic, the U.S. government has brought the economy to a halt. Today, we explore one result of their containment efforts: one of the worst unemployment crises in American history. Guest: Jim Tankersley , a reporter covering economic and tax policy for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: The national unemploym...

On this week’s “Sunday Read,” the magazine writer Jack Hitt introduces his story of how one 1960s bondage-film actress waged legal combat with a toy company for ownership over her husband’s mail-order aquatic-pet empire. The story is as crazy as it sounds. This story was recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publishers like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android . Subs...

Today, we’re sharing an excerpt from a new Times audio series called “Sugar Calling,” hosted by the best-selling author Cheryl Strayed. Each week, Cheryl will call a writer she admires in search of insight and courage. She’s turning to some of the most prolific writers of our time — all over the age of 60 — to ask the questions on all our minds: How do we stay calm when everything has been upended...

In recent years, governors have sat on the sidelines as the federal government has commanded most of the attention and airtime. Today, we explore how the pandemic has generated a revival of state and local politics — and made governors into national heroes. Guest: Alexander Burns , who covers national politics for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/theda...

Today, we speak with Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s leading expert on infectious diseases, about his experience in the trenches of the government’s response to the coronavirus crisis. “We are in a war. I mean, I actually think this is exactly what generals or leaders in real, you know, violent combat wars feel.” For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background re...

Scientists are racing to make a vaccine for the coronavirus, collaborating across borders in what is usually a secretive and competitive field. But their cooperation has been complicated by national leaders trying to buy first claim on any breakthrough. Today, we explore how the fight to own a future coronavirus vaccine is revealing the boundaries of international solidarity. Guest: Katrin Bennhol...

States and cities across the United States are reporting dangerous shortages of the vital medical supplies needed to contain the coronavirus. Why is the world’s biggest economy suffering such a scramble to find lifesaving equipment? Guest: Sarah Kliff , an investigative reporter covering health care for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Backgr...

Across the United States, many hospitals are confronting their first cases of coronavirus. Today, we speak to New Jersey’s first confirmed coronavirus patient, a medical professional, about what having the virus was like for him, what he learned from the experience and why he thinks, “America is not ready.” Guests: Susan Dominus , a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine, spoke with James Cai...

After weeks of caring for her sick husband, our colleague wanted to write an essay about her family’s battle against the coronavirus — a warning to those in isolation who haven’t experienced the ravages of the virus intimately. Today, we read her letter from the future aloud. This story was recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publishers like The New York Times, download Audm for iPho...

Jody Rosen, a writer for The Times Magazine, transports us into his current soundtrack . From Alberta Hunter's “voice of longevity” to the “transfixing performance” of Missy Elliott, Jody shares the music that’s helping him find new rhythms — during these days stuck inside. Music discussed: “My Castle’s Rockin’” by Alberta Hunter “I’ll Get By” by Nick Lucas “Lick Shots” by Missy Elliott “Simply Be...

Over the last few weeks, children have called into “The Daily” with a lot of questions about the coronavirus: How did the virus get on earth? What color is coronavirus? And can dogs get it? Today, we try to answer them. Guest: Carl Zimmer , science reporter and author of the “Matter” column for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background read...

To rescue the American economy in the coronavirus crisis, Congress is on the verge of adopting the most expensive stimulus bill in U.S. history. But how much is the battle over this measure being influenced by the last financial crisis? Guest: Julie Hirschfeld Davis , the congressional editor of The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background rea...

Last week, President Trump called himself a “wartime president” as he faced up to the threat caused by the coronavirus. But only days later — and with the crisis escalating — he has abandoned that message. What changed? Guest: Maggie Haberman , who covers the White House for The New York Times For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: Despite the warn...

So far, the United States has been losing the battle against the pandemic, with a patchwork of inconsistent measures across the country proving unequal to halting the spread of the virus. Today, we ask: What will it take to change the course of the crisis? Guest: Donald G. McNeil Jr. , a science and health reporter for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/...

Two weeks ago, the biggest story in the country was the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Now, with the dramatic onset of the coronavirus crisis, the primary has largely gone off the radar. Today, we talk to Alexander Burns, a political reporter at The New York Times, about what happened when those two stories collided. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thed...

One magazine writer reflects on life’s unpredictability and shares her story of a hospital error that scrambled two pairs of Colombian identical twins. This is the story of how the four brothers found one another — and of what happened next. 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...

Kevin Roose, a tech reporter for The Times, shares what he’s realized after a week in self-isolation: The internet has become kinder. From virtual birthday parties and singalongs, to happy hours and yoga classes, people are pulling together on the internet, in real time, all over the world. We listen in on what that sounds like. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spot...

Across America, businesses are scaling back, firing workers and shutting their doors because of the coronavirus. New York’s Chinatown has been experiencing a downturn for weeks as anxiety and discrimination affected business. Now, the state government has mandated nonessential businesses in the city keep 75 percent of their workers home. So what did it sound like as one of the busiest cities in th...

New Rochelle, a suburb north of New York City, has one of the largest clusters of coronavirus infections in the U.S. We visited the community to find out how the containment measures were being implemented and how successful they have been. On today’s episode: Sarah Maslin Nir , a breaking news reporter at The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Bac...

New York was one of the earliest states with confirmed cases of coronavirus, and it now has the most confirmed infections in the U.S. To control the outbreak, the authorities have begun taking increasingly drastic steps, including closing schools and businesses. Today, we talk with the governor, Andrew M. Cuomo, to hear about how he is handling the crisis. For more information on today’s episode,...

On Monday, President Trump announced sweeping new guidelines to control the spread of the coronavirus. Among them: encouraging Americans to work from home and to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people. We look at a report that may have inspired the president’s change in tone — and whether U.S. hospitals are prepared for the potentially staggering projections. “ The Latest ,” from the team behind...

Italy has become the epicenter of the pandemic’s European migration, with nearly 30,000 infections and more than 2,000 deaths in just a few weeks. These numbers are soaring by the day, even after the government took extreme measures to lock down much of the country. Now, the U.S. surgeon general is warning that America is on a strikingly similar path. Today, we speak to one Italian doctor triaging...

In past financial crises, central banks across the world developed a time-tested tool kit to rescue national economies. So why don’t previous interventions seem to be working this time? Guest: Peter S. Goodman , who writes about the economy for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: The Federal Reserve cut interest rates to near...

A magazine writer for The Times reflects on her experience interviewing Tom Hanks last fall — and on the generosity he showed her in a difficult personal moment. In this time of collective stress, we wanted to bring the story to you in audio as a reminder that “contagion is real, but it doesn’t just work for viruses,” our writer said. “It works for kind words and generous thoughts, and acts of sel...

We’re in a moment that feels scary, uncertain and unsettling, and may feel this way for a while. While we’ll continue to cover the coronavirus pandemic until it’s over, we realize that this time requires more than news and information. We also need release — and relief. And we’ll do our best to provide that in the coming weeks. To start, we asked a few of our colleagues at The Times to share what’...