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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.

Joe Biden’s 30-Year Quest for Gun Control

The Daily

  • 1.5K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 23:08

In less than a week, the United States has seen two deadly mass shootings: one in Boulder, Colo., and another in the Atlanta area.These events prompted President Biden to address the nation on Tuesday. In his speech, he said it was time to ban assault weapons.Mr. Biden has been here before. He has tried several times in his political career to bring in gun-control legislation, all to little avail.How likely is this latest attempt to succeed, and what lessons can Mr. Biden take from his decades-long effort?Guest: Sheryl Gay Stolberg, a Washington correspondent for The New York Times. Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: A deadly shooting at a Boulder supermarket left 10 people dead and a state full of grief and anger.After the second mass shooting in a week, President Biden has said tighter gun laws should not be a partisan issue, but Republicans in Congress have shown little interest in Democratic proposals.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

A Food Critic Loses Her Sense of Smell

The Daily

  • 1.7K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 23:44

For Tejal Rao, a restaurant critic for The Times, a sense of smell is crucial to what she does. After she contracted the coronavirus, it disappeared. It felt almost instant.“If you’re not used to it, you don’t know what’s going on,” she said. “It’s almost like wearing a blindfold.”We follow Tejal on her journey with home remedies and therapies to reclaim her sense. Guest: Tejal Rao, a California restaurant critic and columnist for The New York Times.Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: Regaining a sense of smell is tedious and slow, but Tejal is using the only therapy proven to work.Listen to our Sunday Read about how the coronavirus could precipitate a global understanding of the sense of smell, which has long been disregarded as the least important sense.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

The Cruel Reality of Long Covid-19

The Daily

  • 2K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 27:40

This episode contains strong language.Ivan Agerton of Bainbridge Island, Wash., was usually unflappable. A 50-year-old adventure photographer and former marine, he has always been known to be calm in a crisis.Soon after testing positive for the coronavirus this fall, he began experiencing psychosis. He spent Christmas in a psychiatric ward.Today, we hear from Ivan and look at the potential long-term neurological effects of the Covid-19Guest: Pam Belluck, a health and science reporter for The New York Times. Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: A small number of coronavirus patients have reported severe psychotic symptoms. Most had no history of mental illness.Some people experiencing long-term Covid-19 symptoms are feeling better after getting the vaccine, but it is too soon to tell whether the shots have a broad beneficial effect on patients with continuing issues.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

The Sunday Read: 'Beauty of the Beasts'

The Daily

  • 2.1K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 53:37

The bright elastic throats of anole lizards, the Fabergé abdomens of peacock spiders and the curling, iridescent and ludicrously long feathers of birds-of-paradise. A number of animal species possess beautifully conspicuous and physically burdensome features.Many biologists have long fit these tasking aesthetic displays into a more utilitarian view of evolution. However, a new generation of biologists have revived a long-ignored theory — that aesthetics and survival do not necessarily need to be linked and that animals can appreciate beauty for its own sake.Today on The Sunday Read, a look at how these biologists are rewriting the standard explanation of how beauty evolves and the way we think about evolution itself. This story was written by Ferris Jabr and recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publishers like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.

Bonus: The N-Word is Both Unspeakable and Ubiquitous. 'Still Processing' is Back, and They're Confronting it.

The Daily

  • 1.9K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 03:42

Introducing the new season of “Still Processing.” The first episode is the one that the co-hosts Jenna Wortham and Wesley Morris have been wanting to make for years. They’re talking about the N-word. It’s both unspeakable and ubiquitous. A weapon of hate and a badge of belonging. After centuries of evolution, it’s everywhere — art, politics, everyday banter — and it can’t be ignored. So they’re grappling with their complicated feelings about this word. Find more episodes of “Still Processing” here: nytimes.com/stillprocessing

The Ruthless Rise and Lonely Decline of Andrew Cuomo

The Daily

  • 1.5K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 36:55

Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York is known as a hard-charging, ruthless political operator.But his power has always come from two sources: legislators’ fear of crossing him and his popularity among the electorate.After recent scandals over bullying allegations, his administration’s handling of nursing home deaths and accusations of sexual harassment, the fear is gone.But does he still have the support of voters?Guest: Shane Goldmacher, a national political reporter for The New York Times. Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: As he tries to plot a political survival strategy, Andrew Cuomo is an object lesson on the dangers of kicking people on the way up.Nearly all of the Democrats in New York’s congressional delegation, including Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, have said that Mr. Cuomo has lost the ability to govern. But the governor has said that he will not bow to “cancel culture.”For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

A Murderous Rampage in Georgia

The Daily

  • 1.9K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 28:39

The pandemic has precipitated a rise in anti-Asian violence in the U.S. However, the full extent of this violence may be obscured by the difficulty in classifying attacks against Asian-Americans as hate crimes. A recent shooting at three spas in the Atlanta area, in which the eight victims included six women of Asian descent, has heightened anxiety in the Asian-American community. Many see this as a further burst of racist violence, even as the shooter has offered a more complicated motive. Today, a look at why it’s proving so difficult to reckon with growing violence against Asian-Americans and whether the U.S. legal system has caught up to the reality of this moment. Guest: Nicole Hong, a reporter covering New York law enforcement, courts and criminal justice for The New York Times.  Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: The suspect in the Atlanta spa attacks has been charged with eight counts of murder. Six of the people killed were women of Asian descent, setting off a new wave of outrage and fear.The killing of eight people in Atlanta and suburban Cherokee County has come amid a rising tide of anti-Asian incidents nationwide.Hate crimes involving Asian-American victims soared in New York City last year.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

The Fight for (and Against) a $15 Minimum Wage

The Daily

  • 1.6K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 26:29

The passage of the stimulus package last week ushered in an expansion of the social safety net that Democrats have celebrated. But one key policy was not included: a doubling of the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.  Today, we look at the history of that demand, and the shifting political and economic arguments for and against it. Guest: Ben Casselman, an economics and business reporter for The New York Times. Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: Earlier this month, a group of senators from both sides of the aisle declined to advance a federal minimum wage increase to $15 an hour.The politics of a higher minimum wage are increasingly muddled, but some Republicans are gravitating toward the idea, citing the economic needs of working-class Americans.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

A Wind Farm in Coal Country

The Daily

  • 1.5K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 28:19

Wyoming has powered the nation with coal for generations. Many in the state consider the industry part of their identity.It is in this state, and against this cultural backdrop, that one of America’s largest wind farms will be built.Today, we look at how and why one local politician in Carbon County, Wyo. — a conservative who says he’s “not a true believer” in climate change — brought wind power to his community.Guest: Dionne Searcey, a domestic correspondent for The New York Times. Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: The tiny town of Rawlins, Wyo., will soon be home to one of the nation’s largest wind farms. But pride in the fossil fuel past remains a powerful force. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Life After the Vaccine in Israel

The Daily

  • 1.2K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 27:13

Just a few months ago, Israel was in dire shape when it came to the coronavirus. It had among the highest daily infection and death rates in the world. Now, Israel has outpaced much of the world in vaccinating its population and hospitalizations have fallen dramatically. Today, how it is managing the return to normality and the moral and ethical questions that its decisions have raised. Guest: Isabel Kershner, a correspondent in Jerusalem for The New York Times. Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: Israel’s “Green Pass” creates a two-tier system for the vaccinated and unvaccinated, raising legal, moral and ethical questions.The pandemic lockdowns brought tensions between Israel’s secular and ultra-Orthodox communities to the boiling point. The political consequences could be felt for years.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

The Sunday Read: 'The Case for the Subway'

The Daily

  • 1.7K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 01:02:00

Long before it became an archaic and filthy symbol of everything wrong with America’s broken cities, the New York subway was a marvel.In recent years, it has been falling apart.Today on The Sunday Read, a look at why failing to fix it would be a collective and historic act of self-destruction. This story was written by Jonathan Mahler and recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publishers like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android. 

Odessa, Part 2: Friday Night Lights

The Daily

  • 1.7K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 48:13

In 1988, a high school football team in Odessa, Texas, was so good that it had the power to lift an entire city out of its depression, making Odessa the setting of the television series “Friday Night Lights.” And in the decades since, as West Texas has weathered the nauseating undulations of the oil industry, football has remained steady.So when the pandemic hit, the town did what it could to make sure the season stayed on. And at Odessa High School, where the football team struggles to compete against local rivals, that meant ensuring that their award-winning marching band could keep playing.In part two of Odessa, we follow what happened when the season opened — and how the school weighed the risks to students’ physical and mental health.

Odessa Part 2: Friday Night Lights

The Daily

  • 1.4K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 45:49

In 1988, a high school football team in Odessa, Texas, was so good that it had the power to lift an entire city out of its depression, making Odessa the setting of the television series “Friday Night Lights.” And in the decades since, as West Texas has weathered the nauseating undulations of the oil industry, football has remained steady.So when the pandemic hit, the town did what it could to make sure the season stayed on. And at Odessa High School, where the football team struggles to compete against local rivals, that meant ensuring that their award-winning marching band could keep playing.In part two of Odessa, we follow what happened when the season opened — and how the school weighed the risks to students’ physical and mental health.

Diana and Meghan

The Daily

  • 1.3K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 34:38

This episode contains references to suicide, self-harm and eating disorders.In 1995, Diana, Princess of Wales, made a decision that was unprecedented for a member of the British royal family: She sat down with the BBC to speak openly about the details of her life.On Sunday, her younger son, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan, told Oprah Winfrey of their own travails within the family.Today, we look at the similarities between these two interviews.Guest: Sarah Lyall, a writer at large for The New York Times. Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: A quarter-century after Diana broke her silence about life among the British royals, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, did the same. Their stories were remarkably similar.The Sussexes have accused the royal family of failing to protect them, both emotionally and financially. Here’s what we learned from Meghan and Harry’s interview with Oprah Winfrey. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

‘I Thought I Was Going to Die’: A Capitol Police Officer Recounts Jan. 6

The Daily

  • 1.4K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 33:39

When Officer Harry Dunn reporter for work at the Capitol on the morning of Jan. 6, he expected a day of relatively normal protests. But the situation soon turned dangerous.Today, we talk with Officer Dunn about his experience fending off rioters during the storming of the Capitol.Guest: Officer Harry Dunn, a Capitol Police officer who was on duty during the storming of the Capitol. Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: “Black officers fought a different battle” on Jan. 6, Officer Harry Dunn said. Here is what he saw and heard when rioters, including white supremacists, stormed the Capitol.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

The Sunday Read: 'The Lonely Death of George Bell'

The Daily

  • 2.2K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 01:04:20

Thousands die in New York every year. Some of them alone. The city might weep when the celebrated die, or the innocent are slain, but for those who pass in an unwatched struggle, there is no one to mourn for them and their names, simply added to a death table.In 2014, George Bell, 72, was among those names. He died alone in his apartment in north central Queens.On today’s Sunday Read, what happens when someone dies, and no one is there to arrange their funeral? And who exactly was George Bell?This story was written by N.R. Kleinfield and recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publishers like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.

How Close Is the Pandemic’s End?

The Daily

  • 1.4K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 30:39

It’s been almost a year since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.And the virus is persisting: A downward trend in the U.S. caseload has stalled, and concern about the impact of variants is growing. Yet inoculations are on the rise, and the F.D.A. has approved Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine, the third to be approved in the U.S.Today, we check in on the latest about the coronavirus. Guest: Carl Zimmer, a science writer and author of the “Matter” column for The New York Times.    Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: After the Johnson & Johnson vaccine approval, President Biden vowed that there would be enough vaccine doses for “every adult in America” by the end of May.For more information about the emerging mutations, check out The Times’s variant tracker. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Can Bill Gates Vaccinate the World?

The Daily

  • 1.5K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 33:36

When the coronavirus pandemic hit, the Microsoft founder Bill Gates was the most powerful and provocative private individual operating within global public health.Today, we look at the role he has played in public health and his latest mission: procuring Covid-19 vaccines for countries in the developing world.Guest: Megan Twohey, an investigative reporter for The New York Times; Nicholas Kulish, an enterprise reporter for The Times. Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: Bill Gates is working with the World Health Organization, drugmakers and nonprofits to tackle the coronavirus, including in the world’s poorest nations. Can they do it?An operation to supply billions of vaccine doses to poorer countries got underway last week. But as rich countries buy most of the available supply, stark inequalities remain.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Texas After the Storm

The Daily

  • 1.2K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 30:20

Even as the cold has lifted and the ice has melted in Texas, the true depth of the devastation left by the state’s winter storm can be difficult to see.Today, we look at the aftermath through the eyes of Iris Cantu, Suzanne Mitchell and Tumaini Criss — three women who, after the destruction of their homes, are reckoning with how they are going to move forward with their lives.Guest: Jack Healy, a Colorado-based national correspondent for The New York Times. Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: Even with power back on across most of the state and warmer weather forecast, millions of Texans whose health and finances were already battered by a year of Covid-19 now face a grinding recovery from the storm.Here’s an analysis of how Texas’s drive for energy independence set it up for disaster.As the freak winter storm raged, historically marginalized communities were among the first to face power outages.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

The Sunday Read: ‘Sigrid Johnson Was Black. A DNA Test Said She Wasn’t’

The Daily

  • 1.6K views
  • about 3 years ago
  • 48:21

It all started when Sigrid E. Johnson was 62. She got a call from an old friend, asking her to participate in a study about DNA ancestry tests and ethnic identity. She agreed.Ms. Johnson thought she knew what the outcome would be. When she was 16, her mother told her that she had been adopted as an infant. Her biological mother was an Italian woman from South Philadelphia, and her father was a Black man.The results, however, told a different story.Today on The Sunday Read, what the growth in DNA testing, with its surprises and imperfections, means for people’s sense of identity.This story was written by Ruth Padawer and recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publishers like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.