Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, the second Black justice to sit on the court after Thurgood Marshall, has spent years opposing affirmative action. When the high court struck down the policy last month, Justice Thomas was one of the most influential figures behind the ruling. Abbie VanSickle, who covers the Supreme Court for The Times, explains the impact affirmative action has had on Justice Thomas’s life and how he helped to bring about its demise. Guest: Abbie VanSickle , a Supreme Cour...
Jul 14, 2023•34 min
Two weeks ago, the United States Supreme Court struck down affirmative action, declaring that the race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina were unlawful. Today, three people whose lives were changed by affirmative action discuss the complicated feelings they have about the policy. Guest: Sabrina Tavernise , a co-host of The Daily. Background reading: For many of the Black, Hispanic and Native Americans whose lives were shaped by affirmative action, the m...
Jul 13, 2023•36 min
Tens of millions of Americans changed jobs over the past two years, a rare moment of worker power as employees demanded higher pay, and as employers, short on staff, often gave it to them. The tidal wave of quitting became known as the “great resignation.” Now, as the phenomenon seems to have fizzled out, the Times economic writer Ben Casselman discusses whether there have been any lasting benefits for American workers. Guest: Ben Casselman , an economy correspondent for The New York Times. Back...
Jul 12, 2023•24 min
For months, President Biden has been wrestling with one of the most vexing questions in the war in Ukraine: whether to risk letting Ukrainian forces run out of the artillery rounds they desperately need to fight Russia, or agree to ship them cluster munitions — widely banned weapons known to cause grievous injury to civilians, especially children. On Friday, the Biden administration announced that it would send the weapons, which have been outlawed by many of Washington's closest allies. David E...
Jul 11, 2023•23 min
Last week, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, released Threads, a social media platform to compete with Twitter. In just 16 hours, Threads was downloaded more than 30 million times. Mike Isaac, who covers tech companies and Silicon Valley for The Times, explains how Twitter became so vulnerable and discusses the challenges Meta faces to create a less toxic alternative. Guest: Mike Isaac , a technology correspondent for The New York Times. Background reading: Threads is on pace t...
Jul 10, 2023•33 min
The wave of scandals that would engulf Spain began with a police raid on a wooded property outside Madrid. It was Nov. 3, 2017, and the target was José Manuel Villarejo Pérez, a former government spy. Villarejo’s name had been circulating in the Spanish press for years. He was rumored to have had powerful friends and to have kept dirt on them all. The impressive variety of allegations against him — forgery, bribery, extortion, influence peddling — had earned him the nickname “king of the sewers....
Jul 09, 2023•35 min
Last week, the Supreme Court struck down President Biden’s sweeping plan to cancel billions of dollars in student loan debt. Stacy Cowley, a finance reporter for The New York Times, explains what the decision means for borrowers now facing their first payments since a coronavirus pandemic-related pause and how an alternative plan could still ease their burden. Guest: Stacy Cowley , a finance correspondent for The New York Times. Background reading: The proposed debt cancellation of more than $40...
Jul 07, 2023•24 min
Last month, a rebellion inside Russia left lingering questions about what really happened and about what the ramifications would be for President Vladimir V. Putin. Anton Troianovski, the Moscow bureau chief for The Times, discusses what Mr. Putin has done since the mutiny and looks at how those actions might reveal how vulnerable the president is. Guest: Anton Troianovski , the Moscow bureau chief for The New York Times. Background reading: Mr. Putin is rewarding loyalty among the ruling elite ...
Jul 06, 2023•30 min
Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, has become a sensation on YouTube for ostentatious and sometimes absurd acts of altruism. Today, Max Read, a journalist and contributor to The Times, discusses what the rise of one of YouTube’s most popular star tells us about the platform and its users. Max Read is a contributor to The New York Times Magazine and writes about technology and internet culture in his newsletter “ Read Max .” Background reading: Why do so many people think Mr. Donaldson is ...
Jul 05, 2023•30 min
The patients in this story came to the Yale Fertility Center to pursue pregnancy. They began their I.V.F. cycles full of expectation and hope. Then a surgical procedure called egg retrieval caused them excruciating pain. Some of the patients screamed out in the procedure room. Others called the clinic from home to report pain in the hours that followed. But most of the staff members who fielded the patients’ reports did not know the real reason for the pain — a nurse at the clinic was stealing f...
Jul 04, 2023•58 min
The Supreme Court delivered another major decision this past week, ruling in favor of a web designer who said she had a First Amendment right to refuse to create wedding websites for same-sex couples. Adam Liptak, a Times correspondent who covers the court, explains what the ruling might mean for all kinds of different groups of Americans. Guest: Adam Liptak , who covers the United States Supreme Court for The New York Times. Background reading: The justices settled a question left open in 2018 ...
Jul 03, 2023•29 min
HF0, or Hacker Fellowship Zero, is a start-up accelerator that provides 12-week residencies for batches of fellows from 10 different start-ups. Their experience, which culminates in a demonstration day, is supposed to be the most productive three months of the fellows’ lives. Dave Fontenot, one of HF0’s founders, was inspired by the two years he spent living in monasteries in his 20s: While monastery life was materially ascetic, he found that it was luxurious in the freedom it gave residents to ...
Jul 02, 2023•33 min
On Thursday, the Supreme Court overturned decades of precedent by striking down affirmative action and declaring that the race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina were unlawful. Adam Liptak, who covers the United States Supreme Court for The New York Times, explains the ruling, and what it means for American society. Guest: Adam Liptak , who covers the court for The New York Times. Background reading: The Supreme Court’s vote to reject affirmative action...
Jun 30, 2023•28 min
In a San Francisco courtroom, federal regulators are fighting to block one of the biggest deals in the history of Silicon Valley. David McCabe, who covers technology policy for The New York Times, talks about Lina Khan, the F.T.C. chair who is the architect of the lawsuit, and the growing campaign to finally rein in big tech. Guest: David McCabe , a New York Times correspondent covering technology policy. Background reading: The Federal Trade Commission sued Microsoft to stop the company from cl...
Jun 29, 2023•28 min
Since its introduction less than a year ago, ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence platform that can write essays, solve math problems and write computer code, has sparked an anguished debate in the world of education. Is it a useful research tool or an irresistible license to cheat? Stella Tan, a producer on The Daily, speaks to teachers and students as they finish their first semester with ChatGPT about how it is changing the classroom. Guest: Stella Tan , an audio producer for The New York Tim...
Jun 28, 2023•29 min
Earlier this month, a group of hard-right Republicans hijacked the floor of the House of Representatives in protest against Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The mutiny, staged by nearly a dozen members of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, raised questions about whether the speaker could continue to govern his slim and fractious majority. Annie Karni, a congressional correspondent for The Times, explains how and why this small group of members made the chamber ungovernable. Guest: Annie Karni , ...
Jun 27, 2023•27 min
An armed rebellion in Russia over the weekend stunned the world and amounted to the single biggest challenge to President Vladimir V. Putin’s rule since he came to power 23 years ago. Anton Troianovski, the Moscow bureau chief for The New York Times, talks about the man who led the revolt, Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, and about what might happen next. Guest: Anton Troianovski , the Moscow bureau chief for The New York Times. Background reading: How the rebellion in Russia unfolded. The mutiny raised a ...
Jun 26, 2023•28 min
For months, much of the world has been watching and waiting as Ukraine prepares for a major counteroffensive in its war with Russia. That battle is now underway, and it’s not what was expected. Andrew E. Kramer, the Kyiv bureau chief for The New York Times, reports from the front line. Guest: Andrew E. Kramer , the Kyiv bureau chief for The New York Times. Background reading: Military analysts said it would take weeks or months to gauge the success of the attacks Ukraine mounted last week across...
Jun 23, 2023•22 min
A few days ago, when passengers set off on a deep sea expedition in the Atlantic Ocean, they were aboard a vessel that many experts had already concluded was dangerously designed. William Broad, a science correspondent for The Times, explains why he was worried from the start. Guest: William J. Broad , a science correspondent for The New York Times. Background reading: What to know about the Titan, the vessel that went missing on Sunday on its way to the Titanic shipwreck site with five people a...
Jun 22, 2023•27 min
In the decades after World War II and the atrocities of the Holocaust, Germany deliberately underinvested in its military. But that’s about to change. Katrin Bennhold, a correspondent in Europe and former Berlin bureau chief, explains why Germany is re-entering an era of militarization, and what that will mean for its national identity. Guest: Katrin Bennhold , a Germany and Europe correspondent for The New York Times. Background reading: Germany adopted a more muscular security plan in an attem...
Jun 21, 2023•28 min
Rapid inflation has been a problem in the United States for more than two years, but the tide appears to be turning. Annual inflation is now less than half of what it was last summer. Jeanna Smialek, who covers the Federal Reserve and the U.S. economy for The Times, discusses whether the decline is a result of careful policymaking, or more of a lucky accident. Guest: Jeanna Smialek , a Federal Reserve correspondent for The New York Times. Background reading: Inflation is coming down. Is the Fed ...
Jun 20, 2023•24 min
Almost everyone who reads “American Born Chinese,” Gene Luen Yang’s groundbreaking graphic novel, is a little afraid of Chin-Kee. The book is a classic of young-adult literature, threading together stories of Asian American boyhood with a revered Ming dynasty novel. Chin-Kee’s role in it is a small one, but he is the bomb at the book’s heart. He’s a kind of Urkel character, embarrassing comic relief that isn’t so funny for the people who have to live with him — a cruel marionette pieced together...
Jun 18, 2023•24 min
This week, a historic case has landed in a Montana courtroom. A group of young environmentalists is suing the state, arguing that its embrace of fossil fuels is destroying pristine environments, upending cultural traditions and robbing young residents of a healthy future. David Gelles, a climate correspondent for The Times, explains why the case could be a turning point, and what a win in Montana would mean for the future of the climate fight. Guest: David Gelles , a climate correspondent for Th...
Jun 16, 2023•28 min
Last week, golf’s premier circuit, the PGA Tour, announced it was partnering with its rival circuit LIV Golf, an upstart league backed by Saudi Arabia, giving the country a powerful new seat at the table of international sports. Alan Blinder, who covers golf for The New York Times, explains what was behind the deal and what it means for the business of sports. Guest: Alan Blinder , a reporter who covers golf and health for The New York Times. Background reading: The deal to merge LIV Golf with t...
Jun 15, 2023•29 min
Donald Trump was arraigned in Miami yesterday on 37 criminal counts covering seven different violations of federal law, including the handling of classified documents. Three New York Times journalists covered the proceedings: Glenn Thrush was inside the courtroom, Luke Broadwater reported from outside the courthouse, and Maggie Haberman was at Mr. Trump’s home in Bedminster, N.J. Guests: Luke Broadwater , a congressional correspondent for The New York Times. Glenn Thrush , who covers the Departm...
Jun 14, 2023•32 min
When the #MeToo movement gained momentum in exposing abuses at the highest levels of power, the restaurant industry was exposed as a chief offender. In 2020, the James Beard Awards, the food world’s main kingmaker, announced that there would be no winners in either 2020 or 2021 after allegations against several top chefs. Brett Anderson, a contributing writer on The Times’s Food desk and a former member of the awards committee, discusses the attempts to hold the industry to account. Guest: Brett...
Jun 13, 2023•26 min
Last week, Donald Trump was charged with federal violations relating to his handling of classified material after leaving office. Ben Protess, who covers the government and law enforcement for The Times, discusses the indictment and walks us through the evidence. Guest: Ben Protess , an investigative reporter for The New York Times. Background reading: The Trump indictment shows critical evidence came from one of his own lawyers . The information about the yearlong inquiry contains a host of emb...
Jun 12, 2023•26 min
When the former secretary of state and C.I.A. director Mike Pompeo, a man who had dealt firsthand with autocrats like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, described Randi Weingarten as “the most dangerous person in the world” last November, it seemed as though he couldn’t possibly be serious. Weingarten is 65 and just over five feet tall. She is Jewish and openly gay — she’s married to a rabbi — and lives in Upper Manhattan. She is the longtime president of the American Federation of Teachers, which i...
Jun 11, 2023•51 min
The seven new criminal charges against Donald Trump relate to his handling of classified material upon leaving office and then obstructing the government’s efforts to reclaim them. Michael S. Schmidt, who covers national security and federal investigations for The Times, talks about what this will mean for Trump, and for President Biden, whose administration will now be prosecuting his biggest potential rival for the White House. Guest: Michael S. Schmidt , a Washington correspondent for The New...
Jun 09, 2023•18 min
Smoke from wildfires in Canada has created a crisis in the American Northeast and beyond, with air pollution in New York reaching its worst level in modern history. David Wallace-Wells, a climate columnist for The Times, explains why this happened, and why there is so little we can do to keep it from happening again. Guest: David Wallace-Wells , a climate columnist correspondent for The New York Times. Background reading: New York City experienced its worst air quality on record. Here’s how to s...
Jun 09, 2023•29 min
