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The Daily

The New York Timeswww.nytimes.com
This is what the news should sound like. The biggest stories of our time, told by the best journalists in the world. Hosted by Michael Barbaro. Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, ready by 6 a.m. 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. Listen to this podcast in New York Times Audio, our new iOS app for news subscribers. Download now at nytimes.com/audioapp

Episodes

‘The Dreams We Had Are Like a Dream’

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan last year, thousands of women and girls who were in school or had jobs were forced back into their homes. The Daily producers Lynsea Garrison and Stella Tan have been talking to women and girls across the country about their lives under Taliban rule — and about what kind of future they now face. Background reading: The Taliban has reneged on its promise to open Afghanistan’s girls’ schools . The reversal could threaten aid as international officials ...

Mar 25, 202241 min

Ukraine Puts Putin’s Playbook to the Test

From the outside, Russia’s relentless bombardment of Ukraine looks indiscriminate and improvised. But the approach is part of an approach devised decades ago in Chechnya. The Times journalist Carlotta Gall, who covered the Chechen conflict, explains why wars fought by Russia some 30 years ago could inform what happens next in Ukraine. Guest: Carlotta Gall , the Istanbul bureau chief for The New York Times. Have you lost a loved one during the pandemic? The Daily is working on a special episode m...

Mar 24, 202230 min

The Confirmation Hearing of Ketanji Brown Jackson

Democratic support for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who could become the first Black woman to serve as a Supreme Court justice, was never in much doubt. Less certain was the depth of Republican opposition. To analyze how the arguments have played out so far in her confirmation hearing, we look at four key moments. Guest: Adam Liptak , a reporter covering the Supreme Court for The New York Times. Have you lost a loved one during the pandemic? The Daily is working on a special episode memorializin...

Mar 23, 202231 min

Will Sanctioning Oligarchs Change the War?

Among the actions taken by the West to punish Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine is the blacklisting of the incredibly rich and politically connected Russian businessmen known as oligarchs. But how could sanctions on Russia’s superwealthy increase the pressure on President Vladimir V. Putin to end the war? Guest: Matt Apuzzo , a reporter for The New York Times, based in Brussels. Have you lost a loved one during the pandemic? The Daily is working on a special episode memorializing those we have ...

Mar 22, 202225 min

Could the U.S. See Another Covid Wave?

More than two years into the pandemic, coronavirus infections are surging in China and nations in Europe. The reason: BA.2, a highly contagious version of the Omicron variant. At the same time, the United States is doing away with a number of pandemic restrictions, with mask mandates ending and businesses no longer requiring proof of vaccination from customers. We explore what these BA.2 surges look like and ask whether the U.S. is ready for a new wave of Covid cases. Guest: Apoorva Mandavilli ,...

Mar 21, 202219 min

The Global Race to Mine the Metal of the Future

In the high-stakes competition to dominate the business of clean energy, the Democratic Republic of Congo is a major arena: The country is the source of more than two-thirds of the world’s cobalt, a key component of electric-car batteries. In recent years, China has established a strong presence in Congo, while the United States has lost ground. We went to the African country to understand how that happened. Guest: Dionne Searcey , a correspondent for The New York Times. Have you lost a loved on...

Mar 18, 202227 min

Four Paths Forward in Ukraine

It has been three weeks since the war in Ukraine began. The fighting grinds on and there is no clear end in sight. But what are the potential paths forward in the coming days and weeks? On Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an address to Congress, proposed one such path, though it is an incredibly unlikely one: a no-fly zone over Ukraine. Elsewhere, Times reporting has suggested four other potential scenarios — a diplomatic end to the conflict; protracted monthslong fighting; China comi...

Mar 17, 202228 min

Inflation Lessons From the 1970s

With prices on the rise in the U.S. economy, the Federal Reserve is expected to announce on Wednesday an increase in interest rates, essentially pouring a cold glass of water on the economy. Why would the central bank do that? The answer lies in the inflation crisis of the 1970s, when a failure to react quickly enough still looms large in the memory. Guest: Jeanna Smialek , a reporter covering the Federal Reserve and the economy for The New York Times. Have you lost a loved one during the pandem...

Mar 16, 202229 min

The Story Behind a Defining War Photo

This episode details graphic scenes and contains strong language. The image shows four people lying on the ground — a woman, a man and two children who had been fleeing from a suburb of Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. The woman and her children had been killed by a mortar moments earlier. Around them are Ukrainian soldiers attempting to revive the man. The picture was taken by the photojournalist Lynsey Addario, alongside Andriy Dubchak, a Ukrainian videographer. When it was published by The Times,...

Mar 15, 202223 min

How Russians See the War in Ukraine

Russians and Ukrainians are deeply connected. Millions of Ukrainians have relatives in Russia. Many have lived in the country. But Moscow has taken steps to shield its people from open information about the war, even as its bombing campaign intensifies. When Ukrainians try to explain the dire situation to family members in Russia, they are often met with denial, resistance, and a kind of refusal to believe. Guest: Valerie Hopkins , a correspondent for The New York Times, currently in Ukraine. Ha...

Mar 14, 202224 min

The Sunday Read: ‘What Rashida Tlaib Represents’

Rozina Ali profiles Rashida Tlaib, the 45-year-old second-term congresswoman from Detroit, who has risen from adverse circumstances to play a significant role in American politics, most notably bringing greater awareness to the ongoing conflict over Palestine. Tlaib is the only Palestinian American serving in the House of Representatives, and the first with family currently living in the West Bank, whose three million inhabitants’ lives are, as Ali explains, “intimately shaped by American suppor...

Mar 13, 202245 min

Putin’s Endgame: A Conversation With Fiona Hill

Ending the war in Ukraine very much depends on how and when President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia allows it to end. In an interview for his podcast “The Ezra Klein Show,” the opinion columnist Ezra Klein spoke with one of the world’s leading experts on Mr. Putin, Fiona Hill, a foreign policy adviser for three United States presidents. Today, we run the discussion between Ms. Hill and Ezra Klein about how Mr. Putin is approaching this moment, and the right and wrong ways for the West to engage hi...

Mar 11, 202235 min

Inside Ukraine’s Embattled Cities

It has been two weeks since the beginning of the war in Ukraine and Russia’s high-tech army of nearly 200,000 soldiers have not taken control of any major cities, except the southern port of Kherson. The state of the war is eerily stalled and the Russians’ answer has been to encircle cities and, from a distance, bomb what they can’t control. Today, we hear dispatches on two cities in Ukraine’s south that are surrounded and under attack. Guest: Michael Schwirtz , an investigative reporter for The...

Mar 10, 202234 min

Will Banning Russian Oil Hurt Russia, or the U.S.?

On Tuesday morning, President Biden took to the podium at the White House to deliver a solemn and provocative speech. As punishment for waging war on Ukraine, he announced, the United States would cut off Russian oil imports. Mr. Biden said the move would require some sacrifice, but would be for the greater good. How much will the ban hurt Russia, and American consumers? Guest: Clifford Krauss , a national energy business correspondent for The New York Times. Have you lost a loved one during the...

Mar 09, 202223 min

Why Zelensky Poses a Unique Threat to Putin

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, no single figure has antagonized President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia as effectively or persistently as President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. His defiant videos and speeches have inspired the West into action and, by his own account, made him a target for Russian assassins. What is it about the comedian-turned-president and his rise to power that poses such a unique threat to Mr. Putin? Guest: Anton Troianovski , the Moscow bureau chief for The New York...

Mar 08, 202233 min

On the Road With Ukraine’s Refugees

This episode contains strong language. In response to Russia’s increasingly brutal campaign against Ukrainian towns and cities, an estimated 1.5 million people — most of them women and children — have fled Ukraine over the past 10 days. It’s the fastest displacement of people in Europe since World War II. While evacuating the capital city of Kyiv for Lviv in the west, a seven-hour journey that took two days and nights, the Daily host Sabrina Tavernise traveled alongside some of those fleeing the...

Mar 07, 202239 min

The Sunday Read: ‘The Waco Biker Shootout Left Nine Dead. Why Was No One Convicted?’

It was a perplexing event, with little in the way of legal closure. Seven years on from a fatal biker shootout in 2015, Mark Binelli explores the details of the event — which started as a brawl between rival “outlaw” motorcycle clubs, the Cossacks and the Bandidos, at a restaurant in Waco, West Texas, which left nine dead and 20 wounded — and the investigation that followed. The article delves into the methodology of the case’s main investigator, Paul Looney, and a trial-preparation specialist, ...

Mar 06, 20221 hr

The Death of the Competitive Congressional District

This episode contains strong language. After winning his House seat in the 2018 midterm elections, Representative Dan Crenshaw, a Republican of Texas, seemed to have found a sweet spot between full-blown Trumpism and the anti-Trump wing of the party. But after Jan. 6, and ahead of this year’s midterms, more extreme factions of the Republican Party have cast him less as a vision for the future and more as a symbol of what needs snuffing out. The once-in-a-decade redistricting process gives those ...

Mar 04, 202255 min

Why Russia Hasn’t Defeated Ukraine

After invading, Russia’s military was expected to sweep through Ukraine within a few days, quickly seizing the capital, Kyiv, and installing a pro-Moscow government. It hasn’t worked out that way. Now, with Russia’s advance stalling, there are signs that President Vladimir V. Putin is ready to wage a much darker, grimmer campaign. Guest: Eric Schmitt , a senior writer covering terrorism and national security for The New York Times. Background reading: After days of miscalculation about Ukraine’s...

Mar 03, 202230 min

How Europe Came Around on Sanctions

As Russian forces bombard Ukraine’s cities and strike civilian areas with increasingly powerful weapons, the European Union has adopted the largest package of sanctions ever imposed on a single country. The 27-nation bloc overcame a reputation for internal division to agree on the penalties — but will they be enough to help bring the war to an end? Guest: Matina Stevis-Gridneff , the Brussels bureau chief for The New York Times. Have you lost a loved one during the pandemic? The Daily is working...

Mar 02, 202230 min

In Ukraine, the Men Who Must Stay and Fight

This episode contains strong language. As the Russian assault has intensified, the government in Ukraine has enacted martial law, requiring men to stay in the country and either join the fight or face the prospect of conscription. We tell the story of three of those men: Eugene, an I.T. worker from the northeastern city of Kharkiv; Tyhran, an animator who attempted to cross the border into Poland; and Andrew, who signed up for the territorial defense force two weeks ago. Guests: Clare Toeniskoet...

Mar 01, 202242 min

The Battle for Kyiv

This episode contains strong language. Over the weekend, the battle for Ukraine arrived at the capital, Kyiv, as Russian forces attempted to advance. Would the Russian military quickly overrun the city? Or would Ukrainians, despite being outgunned, somehow find a way to defend their capital? Guest: Sabrina Tavernise , a national correspondent for The New York Times, reporting from Kyiv. Background reading: Ukraine agreed to talks with Russia, but the fighting still rages . The roots of the Ukrai...

Feb 28, 202228 min

The Sunday Read: 'The Battle for the World’s Most Powerful Cyberweapon'

Ronen Bergman and Mark Mazzetti investigate Pegasus, an Israeli spying tool that was acquired for use by the F.B.I., and which the United States government is now trying to ban. Pegasus is used globally. For nearly a decade, NSO, an Israeli firm, had been selling this surveillance software on a subscription basis to law-enforcement and intelligence agencies around the world, promising to consistently and reliably crack the encrypted communications of any iPhone or Android smartphone. The softwar...

Feb 27, 202256 min

Ukrainians’ Choice: Fight or Flee?

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the biggest in Europe since World War II. With the full-scale assault entering its second day on Friday, Ukrainians are coming to terms with the reality that the unthinkable has actually happened. We explore the significance of this moment and speak to Ukrainians on the ground. Guest: Anton Troianovski , the Moscow bureau chief for The New York Times. Background reading: Russia continued its attack on Ukraine early Friday, one day after it invaded the country by l...

Feb 25, 202243 min

The Russian Invasion Begins

After months of escalating tensions, President Vladimir V. Putin took to state television on Thursday to declare the start of a “special military operation” in Ukraine. In the prelude to the invasion and as Russian troops launched their attacks, we spoke to our colleagues on the ground as they hunkered down to cover the fighting. Guest: Sabrina Tavernise , a national correspondent for The New York Times; Anton Troianovski , the Moscow bureau chief for The Times and Michael Schwirtz , an investig...

Feb 24, 202221 min

‘A Knife to the Throat’: Putin’s Logic for Invading Ukraine

At 10 p.m. in Moscow on Monday night, Russian state television interrupted its regular programming to air an address from President Vladimir V. Putin about the Ukraine crisis. We look back on what Mr. Putin’s hourlong speech — remarkable for his overt display of emotion and grievance — revealed about his rationale for invading. Guest: Anton Troianovski , the Moscow bureau chief for The New York Times. Have you lost a loved one during the pandemic? The Daily is working on a special episode memori...

Feb 23, 202230 min

Russian Troops Advance

This episode contains strong language. On Monday night, as tensions deepened between Russia and Ukraine, President Vladimir V. Putin sent troops into two regions in eastern Ukraine where separatist forces are friendly to Moscow. With dispatches from our reporters on the ground, we analyze why the crisis has deteriorated in the past few days and whether the orders are a precursor to a wider war. Guest: Valerie Hopkins , a correspondent based in Moscow for The New York Times. Have you lost a loved...

Feb 22, 202225 min

‘Somebody’s Got to Save Us, While We’re Saving Everybody Else’

As hospitals in the United States battled another coronavirus wave in the past few months, another crisis was steadily growing more acute: a shortage of nurses. We speak to some of the “forgotten warriors” of the nursing profession, at Pascagoula Hospital in Mississippi, to find out what life is like on the front line of the pandemic. Guest: Andrew Jacobs , a global health reporter for The New York Times. Have you lost a loved one during the pandemic? The Daily is working on a special episode me...

Feb 18, 202232 min

Why U.S. Soldiers Won’t Come to Ukraine’s Rescue

Since the beginning of the standoff with Moscow over Ukraine, President Biden has been clear that he will not allow American troops to come into direct combat with Russians. Why has the U.S., a country that has intervened all over the world in various contexts, taken that powerful option off the table? Guest: David E. Sanger , a White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times. Have you lost a loved one during the pandemic? The Daily is working on a special episode memorial...

Feb 17, 202227 min

An American-Style Protest in Canada

Canada has employed strict restrictions in its efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic. But unlike in the United States, such measures have received very little pushback or politicization — until recently. Truckers protesting a vaccine mandate have occupied the nation’s capital, Ottawa, for three weeks, leading Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to declare a state of national emergency. We ask how Canada got to this point, and hear what the protest is like on the ground. Guest: Catherine Porter , t...

Feb 16, 202235 min