The Daily

The holiday season is here, which means it’s the time to think of great gifts for everyone on your list. While it can feel like a daunting task to choose thoughtful, personalized presents, we’ve got a fix for you: books. On this edition of The Sunday Special, Gilbert is joined by Joumana Khatib and Sadie Stein, editors at the Book Review, for a conversation about the best books to give your family and friends. Joumana and Sadie will share what excited them most this year and also provide recommendations for giftees in very specific categories. Books mentioned in this episode: “The Colony,” Annika Norlin“Perfection,” Vincenzo Latronico“Things: A Story of the 60s,” Georges Perec“The Bee Sting,” Paul Murray“The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny,” Kiran Desai“The Director,” Daniel Kehlmann“Playworld: A Novel,” Adam Ross“A Marriage at Sea,” Sophie Elmhirst“Entertaining is Fun!,” Dorothy Draper“The Thursday Murder Club,” Richard Osman“The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels,” Janice Hallett“Roald Dahl’s Revolting Recipes,” Roald Dahl“Mrs. Manders’ Cook Book,” Sarah Manders, edited by Rumer Godden“Halleluja! The Welcome Table,” Maya Angelou“The Pat Conroy Cookbook: Recipes of My Life,” Pat Conroy“Les diners de Gala,” Salvador Dalí“Diaghilev’s Empire: How the Ballets Russes Enthralled the World,” Rupert Christiansen“Finishing the Hat and Look I Made a Hat,” Stephen Sondheim“Tonight in Jungleland: The Making of Born to Run,” Peter Ames Carlin“The Uncool: A Memoir,” Cameron Crowe“The Gales of November,” John U. Bacon“The Journals of Ralph Waldo Emerson,” Ralph Waldo Emerson“Cats in Color,” Stevie Smith“Archie and the Strict Baptists,” John Betjeman“Stories 1,2,3,4,” Eugène Ionesco“Trip: A Novel,” Amy Barrodale

Transcribed - Published: 30 November 2025

The competition-TV judge changed the music industry. Now he says he’s changed too.

Transcribed - Published: 29 November 2025

Here at “The Daily,” we take our annual Thanksgiving episode very seriously. A few years ago, we rang up an expert from the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line, who told us that yes, in a pinch, you can cook a turkey in the microwave. Last year, we invited ourselves over to Ina Garten’s house to learn the timeless art of holiday entertaining (Ina’s tip: flowers that match your napkins complete a table.). This year, determined to outdo ourselves, we traveled to Montana to hunt our very own food. Our guest, Steven Rinella — perhaps the country’s most famous hunter — is an avid conservationist and a lifelong believer in eating what you kill. What first drew us to Rinella was the provocative argument he put forth in his best-selling book, “Meat Eater.” “To abhor hunting,” he wrote, “is to hate the place from which you came, which is akin to hating yourself in some distant, abstract way.” So, a few weeks ago, we spoke with Rinella at his podcast studio in Bozeman, Mont, about the forces that turned him into what he describes as an “environmentalist with a gun”. The next morning, we hunted ducks with him, and then, inspired by Rinella, we ate what we had killed.

Transcribed - Published: 27 November 2025

When President Trump’s peace plan to end the war in Ukraine was leaked last week, many felt as though Russia had written the proposal, and to a large degree, it reflected the Kremlin’s demands. The plan set off a global outcry that has forced American officials to revise their approach in the days since. Kim Barker and David E. Sanger explain the process that led to the contentious plan and why it comes at a vulnerable moment for Ukrainian leadership.

Transcribed - Published: 26 November 2025

A federal judge on Monday tossed out separate criminal charges against the former F.B.I. director James B. Comey and New York’s attorney general, Letitia James. The manner in which the judge dismissed the Comey indictment could now lead to a legal fight over whether the government can try to refile the charges with another grand jury. Devlin Barrett, who covers the Justice Department and the F.B.I. for The New York Times, discusses President Trump’s campaign of retribution against his perceived enemies and walks us through the judge’s rulings

Transcribed - Published: 25 November 2025

Once primarily limited to severely disabled people, autism began to be viewed as a spectrum that included children and adults far less impaired. Along the way, the disorder also became an identity, embraced by college graduates and even by some of the world’s most successful people, like Elon Musk and Bill Gates. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has called the steep rise in autism cases “an epidemic.” He blames theories of causality that mainstream scientists reject — like vaccines and, more recently, Tylenol — and even instructed the C.D.C. to abandon its longstanding position that vaccines do not cause autism. Today, Azeen Ghorayshi explains what’s really driving the increase in diagnoses.

Transcribed - Published: 24 November 2025

“Wicked” was one of the biggest movies of 2024. It was culturally ubiquitous, a box office smash and an Oscar nominee for Best Picture. Now, a year later, “Wicked: For Good” arrives in theaters to finish the tale of the complicated friendship between Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. Can “Wicked: For Good” be the sensation that its predecessor was? Will it inject new life into a movie business that has suffered a historically bad business year? Will it satisfy the legions of “Wicked” fans who have been waiting to see their favorite musical brought to the big screen? Gilbert Cruz is joined by Kyle Buchanan, a pop culture reporter for The New York Times who profiled the stars of “Wicked,” and Madison Malone Kircher, a reporter for the Styles desk and affirmed “Wicked” fanatic, to discuss what “Wicked: For Good” means for the movies.

Transcribed - Published: 23 November 2025

The writer and YouTube star on trying to get back to the experiences that make us feel alive.

Transcribed - Published: 22 November 2025

Since starting his second term, President Trump has thrown the full weight of the federal government behind the denying the idea of transgender identity, and pushing to prevent trans minors from getting gender-affirming medical care. Two parents of a trans child discuss facing the scramble of supporting their child, and their fears of becoming targets of the government.

Transcribed - Published: 21 November 2025

After years of soaring optimism and colossal investment, Wall Street has begun to seriously question whether the frenzy for A.I. is justified. Cade Metz, who covers technology for The New York Times, explains why Silicon Valley companies believe so fervently in A.I. and why they’re willing to take enormous risks to deliver on its promise.

Transcribed - Published: 20 November 2025

Congressional Republicans on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a bill to release all of the files related to the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — a bill that President Trump spent months trying to kill. The Times correspondents Anni Karni and Carl Hulse explain how a rebellion started by a handful of Republican lawmakers became a partywide mutiny, and Representative Thomas Massie talks about his role in bringing about the vote.

Transcribed - Published: 19 November 2025

For the first time in 30 years, the annual U.N. conference on climate change is taking place without top government representation from the United States. China has emerged as the top dog at the summit and is poised to become the world’s supplier of green energy technology. David Gelles and Brad Plumer explain the growing showdown between global superpowers over the future of energy.

Transcribed - Published: 18 November 2025

When President Trump proposed the introduction of a 50-year mortgage, he challenged a bedrock of the American housing market and financial system. He also revealed how desperate the administration is to lower prices for consumers. Conor Dougherty, who covers housing and development, explains what’s attractive about the idea and its potential drawbacks — and why housing affordability is such an intractable problem.

Transcribed - Published: 17 November 2025

There was once a time when documentaries could be found only on public television or in art-house cinemas. But today, documentaries are more popular and accessible than ever, with streaming services serving up true crime, celebrity documentaries, music documentaries and so much more. On today’s Sunday Special, Gilbert is joined by The New York Times’s chief television critic, James Poniewozik, and Alissa Wilkinson, a Times film critic, to talk about the documentaries that are worth your viewing time. Discussed on this episode: “The American Revolution,” 2025, directed by Ken Burns “The Alabama Solution,” 2025, directed by Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst,” 2015, directed by Andrew Jarecki “Making a Murderer,” 2015, directed by Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos “The Yogurt Shop Murders,” 2025, directed by Margaret Brown “The Perfect Neighbor,” 2025, directed by Beet Gandbhir “The Last Dance,” 2020, directed by Jason Hehir “Copa 71,” 2023, directed by Rachel Ramsay and James Erkine “Cheer,” 2020, created by Greg Whiteley “Last Chance U,” 2016, directed by Greg Whiteley, Adam Ridley and Luke Lorentzen “Pee-wee as Himself,” 2025, directed by Matt Wolf “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin,” 2024, directed by Benjamin Ree “Ladies & Gentlemen … 50 Years of SNL Music,” 2025, directed by Questlove “Cameraperson,” 2016, directed by Kirsten Johnson “An American Family,” 1973, created by Craig Gilbert “Look Into My Eyes,” 2024, directed by Lana Wilson “When We Were Kings,” 1996, directed by Leon Gast

Transcribed - Published: 16 November 2025

The longtime editor and chronicler of the elite says she’s liberated and is letting it rip.

Transcribed - Published: 15 November 2025

Drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound have revolutionized weight loss. And starting next year, the drugs are going to become more affordable for Americans because of a deal struck with pharmaceutical companies by the Trump administration. Eshe Nelson, who covers economics and business news, explains how the change has its origins in a huge business blunder from the creator of Ozempic, Novo Nordisk.

Transcribed - Published: 14 November 2025

Thousands of pages of newly released emails between Jeffrey Epstein and his associates have put the convicted sex offender’s relationship with President Trump back in the spotlight. David Enrich and Michael Gold, who have been covering the story, explain what the new documents tell us and discuss whether they could prompt the release of the rest of the Epstein files.

Transcribed - Published: 13 November 2025

Warning: This episode contains strong language. As the Trump administration ramps up its crackdown on illegal immigration, it has turned to Gregory Bovino, a Border Patrol official, to try to increase deportations. He has been at the center of some of the most aggressive raids and tactics being used in American cities. Hamed Aleaziz, who covers immigration policy, speaks to Mr. Bovino about his career and why his militaristic approach may be here to stay.

Transcribed - Published: 12 November 2025

On Monday night, a small group of Senate Democrats broke from their colleagues and struck a deal with Republicans to try to end the government shutdown. The vote signaled a break in the gridlock that has shuttered the government for weeks. Catie Edmondson and Shane Goldmacher discuss the agreement, and the rift in the Democratic Party.

Transcribed - Published: 11 November 2025

Twenty years ago, a genocidal campaign in the Darfur region of Sudan shocked the world. Now, videos and images of new atrocities have captured global attention once more. Declan Walsh, who has been covering Sudan, discusses one of the worst humanitarian conflicts in decades, and how gold is fueling it.

Transcribed - Published: 10 November 2025

The story of how this extraordinary situation in the Lehigh Valley came to light — because it almost didn’t.

Transcribed - Published: 9 November 2025

The pugnacious conservative late-night host on his "hierarchy of smears" and the risks of being a scold.

Transcribed - Published: 8 November 2025

Over the past few days, Republicans have suffered some major losses at the ballot box, Supreme Court justices have expressed skepticism about tariffs and Congress’s refusal to end the government shutdown will result in thousands of canceled flights. It adds up to a very bad week for the Trump White House. In a special round-table episode, The Times’s national political correspondent Lisa Lerer, the White House correspondent Tyler Pager and the congressional editor Julie Davis try to make sense of it all.

Transcribed - Published: 7 November 2025

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard arguments about whether President Trump had the authority to impose the highest tariffs that the United States has seen in a century. Adam Liptak, who covers the Supreme Court for The Times, explains why it seems that the justices might be prepared to say no to the president.

Transcribed - Published: 6 November 2025

In the first big elections of the new Trump era, Democrats triumphed in New York City, Virginia and New Jersey. They also won up and down the ballot across the country. Shane Goldmacher, a national political correspondent, explains what the voting tells us about President Trump’s status and discusses whether Democrats have finally found their footing.

Transcribed - Published: 5 November 2025

Tens of millions of Americans depend on the food-stamp program known as SNAP. Without federal assistance, many of them do not know how they will provide for themselves or their families. “The Daily” visits one of the communities most reliant on food aid. The Trump administration has agreed to restore some of the funding for SNAP, but there’s still uncertainty about how much money will come through, and when. Tony Romm, who covers economic policy and the Trump administration for The New York Times, discusses the fight over SNAP as the government enters its second month of shutdown. Guest: Tony Romm, a reporter covering economic policy and the Trump administration for The New York Times, is based in Washington.

Transcribed - Published: 4 November 2025

Over the past two decades, no company has done more to shape the American workplace than Amazon. In its ascent to become the nation’s second-largest employer, it has developed an aggressive corporate culture and pioneered using technology to hire, monitor and manage workers. Now, interviews and a cache of internal strategy documents reveal that Amazon executives believe their company is on the cusp of their next big workplace shift: replacing more than half a million jobs with robots. Karen Weise takes us inside Amazon’s push toward automation and the implications for the company and potentially for the broader economy.

Transcribed - Published: 3 November 2025

This year has been a banner year for video games, with an abundance of surprise releases and unexpected hits. On this week’s Sunday Special, Gilbert Cruz talks with two fellow gamers — Zachary Small, a culture reporter, and Jason Bailey, an editor on The Times’s culture desk — about the state of the industry, the biggest releases and the games they loved playing in 2025. They also share their predictions for Game of the Year.

Transcribed - Published: 2 November 2025

At only 35, the actress has been through the celebrity wringer. Here’s where she landed.

Transcribed - Published: 1 November 2025

Representative Kevin Kiley is one of five California Republicans who are all but certain to lose their seats in the next midterm elections if voters grant final approval to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s newly drawn congressional districts. Mr. Kiley showed up to work in protest against Speaker Mike Johnson’s decision to send the House home indefinitely as the government shutdown drags on. A new poll from The Washington Post found that more Americans blame the shutdown on Trump and congressional Republicans than on Democrats. “The Daily” sat down with Mr. Kiley for a conversation about his one-man campaign to try to fix what he believes his party is getting wrong in this moment.

Transcribed - Published: 31 October 2025

Earlier this month, after Israel and Hamas reached a cease-fire agreement, the Israeli military said it would withdraw from parts of Gaza — allowing some Palestinians displaced to the south to try to return home to the north. Rachelle Bonja, a producer of “The Daily,” ​recently spoke by phone with three Gazans​ who were making or contemplating the journey home. ​One of them, Saher ​Alghorra​, is a photojournalist ​who often works with The Times; another is Nidal Kuhail​, ​a former restaurant worker ​whom The Times has spoken to over the course of the war. The third is Hussein Khaled Auda​, a former bodybuilder who ran a small gym in Jabalia. Mr. Auda’s story is about his family. His four young children were killed in airstrikes during the war, and his wife was seriously injured. He has been traveling back home in large part to find and bury the remains of two of his children, who had been in the rubble of his house after one of the airstrikes. We interviewed his wife, Rawa, and other relatives, and reviewed death certificates and video footage to help understand what happened to his family. In our reporting, The Times also learned that a cousin of Mr. Auda’s was a senior leader of Hamas in Gaza who was killed during the war last year. The Times asked Mr. Auda if he himself had any ties to Hamas. He said he was not a member of Hamas and not political, and had dozens of cousins. He said he had seen the one affiliated with Hamas just a couple of times in his life. Like other news organizations, The Times has not yet been able to send its own staff journalists into Gaza unescorted. This episode, like many other Times pieces for more than two years, seeks to help our audience understand the experiences of Gazans during a devastating war.

Transcribed - Published: 30 October 2025

President Trump’s trade war against China has so far proved harder to win than his administration ever let on. And it reached new levels of tension this month when China said it would further restrict exports of rare-earth minerals to the United States and Europe. Keith Bradsher, the Beijing bureau chief for The New York Times, discusses a potential turning point in the standoff as Mr. Trump meets this week with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in what will be their first talks since the trade war began.

Transcribed - Published: 29 October 2025

As wildfire seasons grow longer and deadlier, states are increasingly relying on private companies to provide thousands of firefighters to the front lines. Hannah Dreier, who has been covering the story, explains how lax rules and regulatory loopholes have left many of these firefighters sick, in debt and on their own.

Transcribed - Published: 28 October 2025

A federal investigation into illegal gambling has rocked the N.B.A. On Thursday, more than 30 people were indicted in the case, which involves the Mafia, high-profile players and the manipulation of professional basketball games to rig bets. Jonah E. Bromwich and Jenny Vrentas, who have been covering the story, discuss the shocking facts and the growing concern that online betting might be compromising the integrity of the sport.

Transcribed - Published: 27 October 2025

The only thing Gilbert Cruz loves more than celebrating Halloween is watching scary movies. And between the classic horror franchises that span decades and the prestige original films of the current moment, he has seen hundreds of them. On today’s episode, Gilbert puts his knowledge to use in conversation with his fellow horror aficionados Jason Zinoman and Erik Piepenburg. They comb through a century of spooks, frights and screams to crown the Top 10 franchises in cinema history. Horror franchises discussed on this episode: “A Nightmare on Elm Street” “A Quiet Place” “Alien” “The Amityville Horror” “Candyman” “Child’s Play” “The Conjuring” “The Exorcist” “The Evil Dead” “Final Destination” “Friday the 13th” “Halloween” The Hannibal Lecter films “Hellraiser” “The Hills Have Eyes” “Insidious” “Jaws” “Night of the Living Dead” “The Omen” “Paranormal Activity” “Phantasm” “Poltergeist” “Psycho” “The Purge” “The Ring” “Saw” “Scream” “Terrifier” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” The Universal monster films “V/H/S”

Transcribed - Published: 26 October 2025

The legendary actor, 87, is looking back with tears in his eyes.

Transcribed - Published: 25 October 2025

The Trump administration completed its demolition of the East Wing of the White House on Thursday to make way for a new presidential ballroom. Luke Broadwater, who covers the White House, explains who is paying for President Trump’s latest construction project and why the demolition is striking a nerve.

Transcribed - Published: 24 October 2025

For months, President Trump has been ratcheting up the pressure on Venezuela with increasingly aggressive military actions that the administration claims are about targeting drug traffickers. But behind the scenes, some U.S. officials are pushing toward a regime change. Anatoly Kurmanaev, who has been covering the story, discusses the battle in the White House over whether to topple the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

Transcribed - Published: 23 October 2025

In just under 10 minutes on Sunday, thieves stole precious jewelry from the Louvre Museum in Paris after using a truck-mounted ladder to break into a second-floor window. Catherine Porter, a New York Times international correspondent in the French capital, explains how the robbery unfolded.

Transcribed - Published: 22 October 2025

During his second term, President Trump has upended 60 years of civil rights, largely under the guise of attacking diversity, equity and inclusion. Nikole Hannah-Jones, who covers racial injustice and civil rights for The New York Times Magazine, discusses the end of an era, and the growing fears of what a post-civil rights government will mean for Black Americans.

Transcribed - Published: 21 October 2025

Tariffs are at their highest rate in nearly a century, and the labor market is weakening. These are volatile times for the U.S. economy — but the stock market keeps going up. Joe Rennison, a reporter covering financial markets for The New York Times, explains what is going on.

Transcribed - Published: 20 October 2025

On Friday, “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” will be released in theaters. Rather than chronicling Bruce’s entire life, the film focuses on the making of his stripped-down 1982 album “Nebraska” and on his concurrent mental health struggles. This movie is the latest in a long history of musician biopics featuring stars like Bob Dylan, Loretta Lynn, Eminem and Elvis Presley. Hollywood clearly loves telling the stories of influential artists. In this episode, Gilbert Cruz chats with Lindsay Zoladz, a pop music critic for The Times, and Joe Coscarelli, a Times culture reporter, about the tropes of the genre and their favorite films that break the mold.

Transcribed - Published: 19 October 2025

Attacks on the site are piling up. Its co-founder says trust the process.

Transcribed - Published: 18 October 2025

Under normal circumstances, the profound pain of a government shutdown compels both parties to negotiate a quick resolution on behalf of the American people. But, so far, nothing about this shutdown is normal. Times journalists Michael Barbaro, Tyler Pager, Catie Edmondson and Tony Romm sit down to discuss why this shutdown feels so different.

Transcribed - Published: 17 October 2025

Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani’s come-from-behind victory in this summer’s Democratic primary for New York City mayor is already the stuff of political legend. But in many ways, the most intriguing phase of his campaign has been the period since then, as he has labored, painstakingly, to win over his skeptics. How, exactly, would a 33-year-old member of the Democratic Socialists of America, with little management experience and a record of polarizing pronouncements, win over enough voters to prevail in the general election? So far, the polls suggest he’s doing just that. And so, a few days ago, “The Daily” sat down Mr. Mamdani for an extended conversation about his campaign, the forces and ideas that have animated it and his plans, if elected on Nov. 4, to deliver on his campaign promises and contend with a Republican president who has promised to treat him as an enemy from his first day in office.

Transcribed - Published: 16 October 2025

For the past few weeks, Trump officials have repeatedly dodged questions about an undercover F.B.I. investigation of the border czar, Tom Homan, and what became of $50,000 in cash that was delivered to him. Devlin Barret, who covers the F.B.I. for The New York Times, discusses the inquiry, which was closed after President Trump came to office.

Transcribed - Published: 15 October 2025

After the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, President Trump took a victory lap to Jerusalem before going on to a peace summit in Egypt. David E. Sanger, who is covering Mr. Trump’s trip, discusses some takeaways. We also hear from the Times reporter Christopher Flavelle about how the U.S. government shutdown has given the Trump administration an extraordinary amount of power over dozens of agencies.

Transcribed - Published: 14 October 2025

The Israeli military said on Monday that it had received the 20 remaining living hostages released by Hamas under the terms of the cease-fire deal. Rachel Abrams speaks to families of those hostages, and to other Israelis, about the long-anticipated moment, and Isabel Kershner, a Times reporter who covers Israel and Palestine, discusses why the hostages have been such a crucial factor in efforts to end the war.

Transcribed - Published: 13 October 2025

Broadway represents some of the best and most exciting of what American theater has to offer. But for many people, it’s inaccessible. Whether because of geography, cost or other considerations, most people will never sit in a Broadway theater and experience a play or a musical in person. For years, cast recordings have offered a way to experience Broadway shows at a remove. And now, in the streaming era, some Broadway shows are making themselves available to be watched remotely, in movie theaters and on television. Distance and expense aren’t the impediments they once were to culture lovers looking to experience world-class theater. In this episode, Gilbert Cruz talks with Jesse Green and Elisabeth Vincentelli, two of The New York Times’s culture writers, about new ways to experience some of the joys of theater from the comfort of your own home.

Transcribed - Published: 12 October 2025

On Thursday, a potentially historic agreement between Israel and Hamas began to take shape. The deal, which was brokered by President Trump, secures the exchange of all remaining Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. Leaders on both sides, and Mr. Trump himself, signaled that this was a decisive step toward the end of the two-year war in Gaza. Mark Mazzetti, who covers national security for The New York Times, discusses the deal making that got us to this point and whether it really will bring peace.

Transcribed - Published: 10 October 2025