The Daily

As President Trump has rolled out his economic agenda, the assumption has been that he would quickly scale back his most aggressive policies once they began to scare consumers and the financial markets. But that assumption turned out to be wrong. Ben Casselman, who covers economics, and Maggie Haberman, who covers the White House, explain why Mr. Trump’s economic plan may be backfiring and why he doesn’t seem to mind. Guest:  Ben Casselman, the chief economics correspondent for The New York Times. Maggie Haberman, a White House correspondent for The New York Times. Background reading:  Mr. Trump has said a recession might be worth the cost. Economists disagree. Investors thought they had Mr. Trump figured out. They were wrong. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images 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.

Five years ago, at the urging of federal officials, much of the United States locked down to stop the spread of Covid. Over time, the action polarized the country and changed the relationship between many Americans and their government. Michael Barbaro speaks to Stephen Macedo and Frances Lee, two prominent political scientists who dispute the effectiveness of the lockdowns, to find out what they think will be required when the next pandemic strikes. 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. Guest: Stephen Macedo and Frances Lee, authors of In Covid’s Wake: How Our Politics Failed Us Background reading:  As the coronavirus spread, researchers worldwide scrambled to find ways to keep people safe. Some efforts were misguided. Others saved millions of lives. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Photo: Hilary Swift for The New York Times 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.

President Trump’s showdown with the courts reached a new milestone on Tuesday, when he called for a federal judge to be impeached and the chief justice of the Supreme Court publicly scolded the president in response. Luke Broadwater, who covers the White House for The Times, discusses the deportation case at the center of the confrontation — and whether the constitutional crisis that many have feared has now arrived. Guest: Luke Broadwater, who covers the White House for The New York Times. Background reading:  A judge ordered deportation planes to turn around. The White House didn’t listen. The order has made the judge in the deportation case a target of Republican anger. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Photo: Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times 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.

After engaging in a campaign of retribution against his enemies within the federal government, President Trump is turning to those outside of it. Michael S. Schmidt, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, explains what that retribution has looked like for a single law firm — and the impact it has had on the entire legal profession. Guest: Michael S. Schmidt, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, covering Washington. Background reading:  The law firm Perkins Coie has sued the Trump administration over an executive order that would make it all but impossible for the firm to advocate for its clients. The president’s use of government power to punish law firms is seen by some experts as undercutting a basic tenet: the right to a strong defense. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Photo: Maansi Srivastava for The New York Times 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.

Warning: This episode contains strong language. Over the past few days, a routine debate over government funding has exploded into an angry showdown over the Democrats’ identity in the Trump era, and whether their current leadership is right for the moment. Catie Edmondson, who covers Congress, and Shane Goldmacher, who covers national politics, discuss a weekend that rocked the Democratic Party. Guest:  Catie Edmondson, a congressional correspondent for The New York Times. Shane Goldmacher, a national political correspondent for The New York Times. Background reading:  Senator Chuck Schumer broke with his party to clear a path for a Republican spending bill that kept the government open. Young Democrats’ anger boiled over as Mr. Schumer retreated on a shutdown. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Photo: Eric Lee/The New York Times 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.

The Senate minority leader discusses the backlash to his vote on the Republican spending bill, how he sees his role within the party and his new book.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.

In just a few weeks, the Trump administration has taken a hard line with allies such as Mexico and Canada. Now, a trade war is on the horizon with Europe. Mark Landler, the London bureau chief of The New York Times, explains how a fracturing alliance with Europe could affect global political dynamics. Guest: Mark Landler, the London bureau chief of The New York Times. Background reading:  The European Union responded to American steel and aluminum tariffs with its own levies on boats and bourbon. Europe expected a transactional President Trump. It got something else. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Photo: Clemens Bilan/EPA, via Shutterstock 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.

A gloves-off trade war with the United States is uniting Canadians against their southern neighbor. Matina Stevis-Gridneff, the Canada bureau chief for The New York Times, explains how the dispute is shifting the country’s politics, culture and place on the global stage. Guest: Matina Stevis-Gridneff, the Canada bureau chief for The New York Times. Background reading:  President Trump intensified statehood threats as he increased tariffs on Canada. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Photo: Amber Bracken/Reuters 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.

A measles outbreak continues to spread in Texas. More than 200 people have been infected. One child has died. And health experts are now concerned that low vaccination rates will make it harder to contain. Teddy Rosenbluth, a health reporter at The New York Times, explains the rapid outbreak — and asks whether the government’s response will signal a turning point in how America views public heath. Guest: Teddy Rosenbluth, a health reporter at The New York Times. Background reading:  The Texas measles outbreak shows signs of a riskier future for children. Here’s where measles is spreading in the United States. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. linked the outbreak to poor diet and health, citing fringe theories. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Photo: Desiree Rios for The New York Times 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.

In his recent address before Congress, President Trump talked once again about his big ambitions for Greenland. He told the icebound island’s “incredible people” that he supported their right to determine their future. But he ended his message with a threat, declaring, “One way or the other we are going to get it.” Jeffrey Gettleman, an international correspondent for The New York Times who recently traveled to the island, explains what Mr. Trump wants from Greenland, and whether he may actually get it. Guest: Jeffrey Gettleman, an international correspondent for The New York Times, based in London and covering global events. Background reading:  Trump said the U.S. would “get” Greenland. Greenlanders were not impressed. Jeffrey Gettleman spent 12 days reporting around Greenland about its big moment. The harsh reality behind the glittering promise of Greenland’s minerals. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Photo: Ivor Prickett for The New York Times 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.

In the coming days, President Trump is expected to sign an executive order that would follow through on one of his major campaign promises: to abolish the U.S. Department of Education. The catch is that he still needs the department to impose his vision on American schools. Dana Goldstein, who covers education for The Times, explains how Mr. Trump is balancing his desire both to dismantle and to weaponize the Education Department. Guest: Dana Goldstein, a reporter covering education and families for The New York Times. Background reading:  Here’s why Republicans want to dismantle the Education Department. Video: What does the Department of Education actually do? For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Photo: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters 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.

One thing I’ve learned from being married to my wife, Jess, who is a couples therapist, is how vast the distance is between the masks people show to the world and the messy realities that live behind them. Every couple knows its own drama, but we still fall prey to the illusion that all other couples have seamlessly satisfying relationships. The truth about marriage — including my own — is that even the most functional couples are merely doing the best they can with the lives that have been bestowed on them. This past spring, Jess and I had the first of eight sessions of couples therapy with Terry Real, a best-selling author and by far the most famous of the therapists we’ve seen during our marriage. Real, whose admirers include Gwyneth Paltrow and Bruce Springsteen, is one of a small number of thinkers who are actively shaping how the couples-therapy field is received by the public and practiced by other therapists. He is also the bluntest and most charismatic of the therapists I’ve seen, the New Jersey Jewish version of Robin Williams’s irascible Boston character in “Good Will Hunting” — profane, charismatic, open about his own life, forged in his own story of pain. 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.

The pop superstar reflects on her struggles with mental health, the pressures of the music industry and why she’s returned to the sound that made her famous.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.

Warning: This episode contains descriptions of child abuse and domestic abuse. Over the past few years, a celebrated filmmaker has tried to unlock the mysteries of the pop icon Prince. Sasha Weiss, a deputy editor at The New York Times Magazine, says that the result is a cinematic masterpiece. How is it possible that nobody will ever see it? Guest: Sasha Weiss, a deputy editor at The New York Times Magazine. Background reading:  Inside Ezra Edelman’s documentary on Prince. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Photo: Kristian Dowling/Getty Images 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.

For years, even as fentanyl has killed Americans at an astonishing rate, Mexico has claimed that it was doing everything possible to crack down on production of the drug. This week, President Trump began using punishing new tariffs to test that claim. Natalie Kitroeff, who is the Mexico City bureau chief for The New York Times, discusses the surprising result of his tactics. Guest: Natalie Kitroeff, the Mexico City bureau chief for The New York Times. Background reading:  Mr. Trump’s threats and Mexico’s crackdown have hit Mexican cartels. Mexico gave Mr. Trump much of what he wanted. That didn’t fend off tariffs. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Photo: Daniele Volpe for The New York Times 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.

In his first address to Congress on Tuesday night, President Trump took a highly partisan victory lap as Democratic lawmakers openly protested against him. Maggie Haberman, a White House correspondent for The Times, walks us through the speech, including the reactions to it in the room. Guest: Maggie Haberman, a White House correspondent for The New York Times. Background reading:  A combative President Trump taunted his political rivals during his speech. Here are six takeaways from Mr. Trump’s address to Congress. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  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.

Since President Trump took office, Elon Musk and DOGE have wielded an unprecedented level of power to help the administration cut the U.S. government, and they claim to have stopped tens of billions of dollars in wasteful spending. David A. Fahrenthold, an investigative reporter for The Times, explains why those claims are not what they seem — and what that tells us about Mr. Musk’s project to shrink the federal bureaucracy. Guest: David A. Fahrenthold, an investigative reporter for The New York Times. Background reading:  DOGE’s only public ledger has been riddled with mistakes. The group has now deleted hundreds of claimed savings, worth billions of dollars, from that ledger. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images 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.

On Friday, President Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine in an explosive televised Oval Office meeting and abruptly cut short a visit that was meant to help coordinate a plan for peace. Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for The Times, discusses the clash and its consequences. Guest: Peter Baker, the chief White House correspondent for The New York Times, covering President Trump and his administration. Background reading:  Mr. Trump berated Mr. Zelensky in a fiery exchange at the White House. The public blowup could propel President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to escalate the fight in Ukraine instead of agreeing to peace. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Photo: Doug Mills/The New York Times 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.

Jim Tucker could hardly believe what he was hearing. It sounded like fiction, a nightmare too outlandish for an unassuming town like his. It was July 2023, and Tucker was hosting a meeting of the board of Heartland Tri-State Bank, a community-owned business in a small Kansas town called Elkhart. Heartland was a beloved local institution and a source of Tucker family pride: Tucker served on the board with his elderly father, Bill, who founded the bank four decades earlier. All of the board members — the Tuckers and several other farmers and businesspeople — had known one another for years. That evening, however, they were gathering to discuss what seemed, on its face, an epic betrayal. Over the past few weeks, the bank’s longtime president, a popular local businessman named Shan Hanes, had ordered a series of unexplained wire transfers that drained tens of millions of dollars from the bank. Hanes converted the funds into cryptocurrencies. Then the money vanished. 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.

The Massachusetts leader, whose influence goes well beyond her state, discusses how the Democratic Party can pick its battles and rebuild its brand. 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.