In a major new campaign poll from The New York Times and Siena College, former President Donald J. Trump leads President Biden in five of the six battleground states likeliest to decide the 2024 presidential race. Widespread discontent with the state of the country and growing doubts about Biden’s ability to perform his job as president threaten to unravel the diverse coalition that elected him in 2020. Nate Cohn, The Times’s chief political analyst, explains why the results are less a reflectio...
Nov 06, 2023•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast The beginning of the story was strangely familiar, like the opening scene in a shopworn police procedural: A woman runs screaming down a street in Oak Beach, a secluded gated community on Long Island’s South Shore, only to vanish, it seems, into thin air. It was almost dawn on May 1, 2010. Hours earlier, Shannan Gilbert traveled from New Jersey to see a man who had hired her as an escort from a Craigslist ad. By the time the police arrived, she was gone. They talked to the neighbors, the john an...
Nov 05, 2023•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast As the Israeli-Palestinian conflict enters its darkest chapter in decades, both sides are evoking the same foundational moment in their past: the events of 1948. David K. Shipler, a former Jerusalem bureau chief for The New York Times and the author of a Pulitzer Prize-winning book about the conflict, discusses the meaning and reality of what happened that year. Guest: David K. Shipler, author of “Arab and Jew: Wounded Spirits in a Promised Land.” Background reading: Recent violence in an Israel...
Nov 03, 2023•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast The mass shooting in Maine last week, which killed 18 people, was the country’s deadliest of the year. It may have also been one of the most avoidable. More than five months earlier, the Army Reserve and a Maine sheriff’s department had been made aware of a reservist’s deteriorating mental health. Just six weeks before the killings, he had punched a friend and said he was going to carry out a shooting spree. Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, a national reporter for The Times, explains why so many warnin...
Nov 02, 2023•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast In late September, one of the world’s most intractable conflicts ended suddenly and brutally when Azerbaijan seized the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh and tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians fled their homes. Andrew Higgins, the New York Times bureau chief for East and Central Europe, explains how the conflict started, why it lasted for more than 30 years, and what its end can tell us about the nature of seemingly unsolvable disputes. Guest: Andrew Higgins , the East and Central Europe bureau chi...
Nov 01, 2023•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast A wave of strikes that has paralyzed the auto industry came to an end on Monday, when the last of the three big car manufacturers, General Motors, reached a deal with the United Automobile Workers union. Neal E. Boudette, who covers the auto industry for The Times, discusses the historic deal and why it was such a big win for workers. Guest: Neal E. Boudette , an auto industry correspondent for The New York Times. Background reading: Autoworkers scored big wins in new contracts with carmakers , ...
Oct 31, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Over the weekend, the Israeli military appears to have begun an invasion of the Gaza Strip, with tanks rolling into the enclave and Israeli soldiers fighting Hamas inside. But the operation remains shrouded in secrecy, and Israel is revealing little about its actions. Raja Abdulrahim, a Middle East correspondent for The Times, and Patrick Kingsley, the Jerusalem bureau chief, discuss the latest escalation in the war. Guests: Raja Abdulrahim , a Middle East correspondent for The New York Times, b...
Oct 30, 2023•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast On Oct. 19, 2021, Armando Linares López was writing up notes from an interview when his cellphone buzzed with an unknown number. Linares, 49 and stocky with black hair that was just starting to show gray streaks, ran an online news site in a small Mexican city called Zitácuaro. He knew his beat so intimately that calls from unfamiliar phone numbers were rare. But the man on the other end spoke in a way that was instantly familiar. Linares had come to know that pitched, menacing tone from years o...
Oct 29, 2023•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hurricane Otis, which killed more than two dozen people in southern Mexico this week, exemplified a phenomenon that meteorologists fear will become more and more common: a severe hurricane that arrives with little warning or time to prepare. Judson Jones, who covers natural disasters for The Times, explains why Hurricane Otis packed such an unexpected punch. Guest: Judson Jones , who covers natural disasters and Earth’s changing climate for The New York Times. Background reading: On Tuesday morn...
Oct 27, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast As the Israel-Hamas war intensifies, fears are growing that the conflict could spread beyond Gaza. And with an expected Israeli ground invasion, the coming days are likely to have enormous consequences. To meet this moment, The Times has started a daily afternoon report, hosted by Lulu Garcia-Navarro. “The War Briefing” is available in the New York Times Audio app, which is available to Times subscribers. If you’re not a subscriber, become one: nytimes.com/audioapp. Unlock full access to New Yor...
Oct 26, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Warning: this episode contains strong language. After 21 days without a leader, and after cycling through four nominees, House Republicans have finally elected a speaker. They chose Representative Mike Johnson of Louisiana, a hard-right conservative best known for leading congressional efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Luke Broadwater, a congressional reporter for The Times, was at the capitol when it happened. Guest: Luke Broadwater , a congressional correspondent for The New York Times. B...
Oct 26, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Almost immediately after Israel was attacked on Oct. 7, it began preparing for a ground invasion of Gaza, drafting hundreds of thousands of its citizens and amassing forces along its southern border. But more than two weeks later, that invasion has yet to happen. Patrick Kingsley, the Jerusalem bureau chief for The Times, explains why. Guest: Patrick Kingsley , the Jerusalem bureau chief for The New York Times. Background reading: U.S. advised Israel to delay a Gaza invasion, officials said . He...
Oct 25, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Over the past few days, two of the lawyers who tried to help former President Donald J. Trump stay in power after losing the 2020 election pleaded guilty in a Georgia racketeering case and have agreed to cooperate with prosecutors against him. Richard Faussett, who writes about politics in the American South for The Times, explains why two of Mr. Trump’s former allies have now turned against him. Guest: Richard Fausset , a correspondent for The New York Times covering the American South. Backgro...
Oct 24, 2023•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Over a year, the federal deficit — the gap between what the U.S. government spends and what it earns — has doubled, to nearly $2 trillion. That figure seems to validate the worries of congressional Republicans about government spending, which have been at the center of the messy fight over who should be House speaker. Jim Tankersley, who covers economic policy at the White House for The Times, explains the Republicans’ concerns — and why their plans would not come close to solving the problem. G...
Oct 23, 2023•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Kihekah Avenue cuts through the town of Pawhuska, Okla., roughly north to south, forming the only corridor you might call a “business district” in the town of 2,900. Standing in the middle is a small TV-and-appliance store called Hometown, which occupies a two-story brick building and hasn’t changed much in decades. Boards cover its second-story windows, and part of the sign above its awning is broken, leaving half the lettering intact, spelling “Home.” One winter day in February 2021, Jack Fisk...
Oct 22, 2023•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Warning: This episode contains strong language and descriptions of violence. When Hamas attacked Israel, they took two hundred hostages back with them into the Gaza Strip, including grandparents and children as young as nine months old. It was one of the largest mass abductions in recent history. Now, the fate of those hostages is at the center of a deepening crisis in the Middle East, and a looming ground invasion of Gaza. Today, we hear from the mother of one of these hostages. Guest: Rachel G...
Oct 20, 2023•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast When the governor of Texas announced an extraordinary plan to use local law enforcement to try to deter migrants from crossing from the border with Mexico, few communities were more receptive than the city of Eagle Pass, where residents had become fed up with the federal government’s approach. Now, two years later, people who once welcomed the plan are turning against it. Edgar Sandoval, who writes about South Texas for The New York Times, and Nina Feldman, a producer on “The Daily,” traveled to...
Oct 19, 2023•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast A devastating blast at a hospital in Gaza on Tuesday killed hundreds and ignited protests across the broader Middle East, deepening the crisis in the region. As President Biden visits Israel looking to ease tensions and avoid a broader conflict, Edward Wong, a diplomatic correspondent for The Times, discusses the narrow path the American leader must navigate. Guest: Edward Wong , a diplomatic correspondent for The New York Times. Background reading: Palestinians and Israelis blamed each other fo...
Oct 18, 2023•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast The House of Representatives still has no speaker, crippling a vital branch of the government. And the Republican who seems to be in the strongest position to take the role, Jim Jordan of Ohio, was once called a “legislative terrorist” by a former speaker of his own party. Catie Edmondson, who covers Congress for The Times, talks through the latest turns in the saga of the leaderless House. Guest: Catie Edmondson , a congressional correspondent for The New York Times. Background reading: Allies ...
Oct 17, 2023•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Warning: This episode contains descriptions of death. As the conflict continues, Israel has blocked food, water and electricity from entering Gaza and has bombarded the area with airstrikes that have killed more than 2,600 Palestinians. Late last week, Israel ordered people in the north of Gaza, nearly half the enclave’s population, to evacuate to the south ahead of an expected Israeli ground invasion. Many in Gaza now fear that this mass expulsion will become permanent. Last week we told the st...
Oct 16, 2023•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast The triumphant return to Rome of Måneskin — arguably the only rock stars of their generation, and almost certainly the biggest Italian rock band of all time — coincided with a heat wave across Southern Europe. On a Thursday morning in July, the band’s vast management team was officially concerned that the night’s sold-out performance at the Stadio Olimpico would be delayed. When Måneskin finally took the stage around 9:30 p.m., it was still well into the 90s — which was too bad, because there wo...
Oct 15, 2023•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Warning: this episode contains descriptions of death. In the week since Israel suffered the deadliest day in its modern history, fresh accounts have emerged in village after village of just how extreme and widespread the violence was. Today we hear the story of one man at the epicenter of that violence: Golan Abitbul, a resident of Kibbutz Be’eri, where more than 100 civilians were killed. Guest: Golan Abitbul, a resident of Kibbutz Be’eri, in southern Israel. Background reading: Video: a son’s ...
Oct 13, 2023•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was once dismissed as a fringe figure in the 2024 presidential race. But this week, as he announces an independent run for the White House, he’s striking fear within both the Democratic and Republican parties. Rebecca Davis O’Brien, who covers campaign finance for The Times, explains why. Guest: Rebecca Davis O’Brien , a reporter covering campaign finance and money in U.S. elections for The New York Times. Background reading: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told supporters he would e...
Oct 12, 2023•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast For years, Israel’s leaders believed that they could coexist with Hamas. After this weekend’s massacre, that belief is over. Steven Erlanger, a former Jerusalem bureau chief at The New York Times, explains what Israel’s plan to destroy Hamas will mean for Palestinians and Israelis. Guest: Steven Erlanger , the chief diplomatic correspondent in Europe for The New York Times. Background reading: The attack ended Israel’s hope that Hamas might come to embrace stability. Now senior Israeli officials...
Oct 11, 2023•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Last week, the Supreme Court began its new term, picking up where it left off on the most contentious issues of the day, with cases connected to government power, gun rights and abortion. Adam Liptak, who covers the Supreme Court for The Times, explains why, while previous terms produced major victories for the conservative legal movement, this term may be different. Guest: Adam Liptak , who covers the Supreme Court and writes Sidebar , a column on legal developments, for The New York Times. Bac...
Oct 10, 2023•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence. Over the weekend, Palestinian militants with Hamas, the Islamic group that controls the Gaza Strip, mounted a stunning and highly coordinated invasion of Israel, rampaging through Israeli towns, killing people in their homes and on the streets, and taking hostages. Isabel Kershner, who covers Israeli and Palestinian politics and society for The Times, talks about the attack and the all-out war that it has now prompted. Guest: Isabel Kershn...
Oct 09, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast The first time Tony Ford played Dungeons & Dragons, he was a wiry Black kid who had never seen the inside of a prison. His mother, a police officer in Detroit, had quit the force and moved the family to West Texas. To Ford, it seemed like a different world. Strangers talked funny, and El Paso was half desert. But he could skateboard in all that open space, and he eventually befriended a nerdy white kid with a passion for Dungeons & Dragons. Ford fell in love with the role-playing game right away...
Oct 08, 2023•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast The ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy a few days ago demonstrated how powerful a small group of hard-right House Republicans have become and how deep their grievances run. We speak to one of the eight republicans who brought down Mr. McCarthy: Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee. Guest: Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee’s 2nd Congressional District. Background reading: How have the Republicans who ousted Mr. McCarthy antagonized him before ? Although some names have started to b...
Oct 06, 2023•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast For decades, the world seemed to be winning the war against mosquitoes and tamping down the deadly diseases they carried. But in the past few years, progress has not only stalled, it has reversed. Stephanie Nolen, who covers global health for The Times, explains how the mosquito has once again gained the upper hand in the fight. Guest: Stephanie Nolen , a global health correspondent for The New York Times. Background reading: Climate change has brought disease-spreading mosquitoes to places they...
Oct 05, 2023•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast The vote on Tuesday to remove Representative Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House of Representative has left the chamber mired in chaos. Luke Broadwater, a congressional correspondent for The Times, describes what happened on an unprecedented day in American politics. Guest: Luke Broadwater , a congressional correspondent for The New York Times. Background reading: The vote to ouster the House speaker exposed once again the deep polarization in Congress . Mr. McCarthy’s demise also reflected t...
Oct 04, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
