Best The Daily episodes upvoted by the community

The Coronavirus Goes Global

February 27, 2020 • 25m

What began as a public health crisis in China is well on the way to becoming a pandemic. And while there is a lot of news about the coronavirus, there is also a lack of understanding about the severity of the threat. As officials warn of a potential outbreak in the U.S., we ask: How bad could the coronavirus get? Guest: Donald G. McNeil Jr., a science and health reporter for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.Background reading:President Trump sought to reassure the country that the U.S. government was controlling the spread of the coronavirus after his administration weathered days of criticism.Here are the latest updates on the illness’s sweep around the world, with cases in at least 44 countries.What can you do to protect yourself and your family from the virus?

The California Wildfires

November 12, 2018 • 22m

One of the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in California history is raging in the north of the state, as two others burn simultaneously in the south. Devastating wildfires have already become the new normal for the state. We look at why this feels different. Guest: Kirk Johnson, a New York Times correspondent who covers the American West and is reporting from Paradise, Calif. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.This episode includes disturbing language.

The Battle for Europe, Part 1

June 10, 2019 • 24m

The decades-long plan to stitch together countries and cultures into the European Union was ultimately blamed for two crises: mass migration and crippling debt. Together, those events contributed to a wave of nationalism across Europe. In a five-part series this week, we take a look at some of the movements aiming to disrupt the E.U. from within. Guest: Katrin Bennhold, the Berlin bureau chief for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: Before the European Parliament elections last month, Katrin Bennhold and producers of “The Daily” set out on a 10-day trip to find out what Europe means to Europeans today.The results of the elections indicated that the struggle over the future direction of the European Union would only intensify.

Why Uber Still Can’t Make a Profit

August 29, 2019 • 28m

Uber transformed American transportation and changed the United States economy. But a decade after its founding, the once-swaggering company is losing more money and growing more slowly than ever. What happened? Guest: Mike Isaac, a technology reporter for The New York Times and the author of “Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber.” For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.Background coverage:The Uber of 2019 displays little of the braggadocio of its past, and competitors and critics are moving in.

Why the American Approach Is Failing

March 24, 2020 • 30m

So far, the United States has been losing the battle against the pandemic, with a patchwork of inconsistent measures across the country proving unequal to halting the spread of the virus. Today, we ask: What will it take to change the course of the crisis?Guest: Donald G. McNeil Jr., a science and health reporter for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.Background reading:President Trump has played down the threat of the virus, while at least 16 states institute stay-at-home orders. Here are the latest updates.The rampant spread of the coronavirus has left a trail of loss across most people’s lives. Here is some advice on how to cope.

What Actually Happened to New York’s Taxi Drivers

May 28, 2019 • 31m

In the past year, many New York City taxi drivers have fallen deeper into debt, even as the city moved to rein in ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft. Our colleague explains how the rush to blame those apps shielded those who were really behind the crisis. Guests: Brian M. Rosenthal, an investigative reporter on the Metro desk of The New York Times, and Nicolae Hent, a taxi driver in New York City.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: A spate of suicides by taxi drivers in New York City over the past year has highlighted in brutal terms the financial plight of those with ownership permits. Officials blamed the crisis on competition from ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft.But thousands of immigrants who were chasing the dream of owning a New York taxi were trapped in reckless loans by bankers who made huge profits, The Times found. Despite years of warning signs, government agencies did little to stop it.

How a Secret U.S. Cyberweapon Backfired

June 04, 2019 • 25m

A criminal group has held computer systems for the city of Baltimore hostage for nearly a month — paralyzing everything from email to the real estate market to the payment of water bills. But what residents don’t know is that a major component of the malware used to shut down the system was developed nearby by a federal government agency. Guest: Scott Shane, who covers national security and the U.S. intelligence community for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading:People involved in the investigation say the N.S.A. tool, EternalBlue, was found in Baltimore’s network by four contractors hired to restore computer services. The N.S.A. says that’s not the case. Cybercriminals have been targeting other vulnerable American towns and cities, from Pennsylvania to Texas, in ways that could disrupt local governments for months.

The Day That Shook Beirut

August 06, 2020 • 24m

A mangled yellow door. Shattered glass. Blood.A devastating explosion of ammonium nitrate stored at the port in Beirut killed at least 135 people and razed entire neighborhoods on Tuesday. This is what our correspondent in the Lebanese capital saw when the blast turned her apartment “into a demolition site” — and what happened in the hours after.Guest: Vivian Yee, our correspondent based in Beirut. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedailyBackground reading:As the shock of the blast turns to anger in Lebanon, this is what we know so far about the explosion.In a land conditioned by calamity, Vivian wrote about what it felt like to emerge from the debris into the kindness of strangers and friends.

What the 2020 Campaign Sounds Like

August 22, 2019 • 30m

Song playlists at presidential campaign rallies can be about more than music — they can reflect a candidate’s values, political platform, identity and target audience. We examine the role of these playlists in the 2020 campaign. Guest: Astead W. Herndon, who covers national politics for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.Background reading:The Times analyzed playlists used by nine Democratic candidates and President Trump to see how they help set the tone for each campaign. Turn your sound on.

A Conversation With Dr. Anthony Fauci

April 02, 2020 • 30m

Today, we speak with Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s leading expert on infectious diseases, about his experience in the trenches of the government’s response to the coronavirus crisis. “We are in a war. I mean, I actually think this is exactly what generals or leaders in real, you know, violent combat wars feel.”For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.Background reading:Dr. Fauci has been clear about the need to practice social distancing to contain the spread of the virus, but that stance has made him the target of online conspiracy theorists.This week, scientists with the coronavirus task force used models to deliver an update on the expected spread of the disease, projecting the coronavirus could kill up to 240,000 Americans. They pledged to do everything possible to reduce that number.

How ‘Medicare for All’ Would Work (or Not Work)

March 13, 2019 • 27m

“Medicare for all” has become a punching bag for Republicans and a rallying cry for many Democrats. But what exactly is it? Guest: Margot Sanger-Katz, who covers health care for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

‘1619,’ Episode 3: The Birth of American Music

September 07, 2019 • 36m

Today on “The Daily,” we present Episode 3 of “1619,” a New York Times audio series hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones. You can find more information about it at nytimes.com/1619podcast.Black music, forged in captivity, became the sound of complete artistic freedom. It also became the sound of America. Guest: Wesley Morris, a critic-at-large for The New York Times.This episode contains explicit language.Background reading:“The proliferation of black music across the planet — the proliferation, in so many senses, of being black — constitutes a magnificent joke on American racism,” Wesley Morris writes.The “1619” audio series is part of The 1619 Project, a major initiative from The Times observing the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. Read more from the project here.

The Battle for a Baseball Season

July 24, 2020 • 45m

This episode contains strong language.Today, we go inside the fraught weeks that led up to the opening game of the 2020 professional baseball season — from the perspective of the commissioner of Major League Baseball. Guest: Michael S. Schmidt, who covers national security for The New York Times, spoke with Rob Manfred, the commissioner of Major League Baseball. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedailyBackground reading:The schedule is short. The stadiums will be empty. This is what our baseball writer thinks the season might look like this year.

10 Years After the Financial Crisis

September 21, 2018 • 23m

A decade ago, U.S. policymakers hatched a plan to rescue a financial system in free fall. Their solution solved that crisis — but deepened another. Guest: Andrew Ross Sorkin, a financial columnist for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

Why This Recession Will Be Different

March 16, 2020 • 27m

In past financial crises, central banks across the world developed a time-tested tool kit to rescue national economies. So why don’t previous interventions seem to be working this time? Guest: Peter S. Goodman, who writes about the economy for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.Background reading:The Federal Reserve cut interest rates to near zero and said it would buy hundreds of billions of dollars in U.S. government debt, moves reminiscent of its actions during the 2008 financial crisis.The coronavirus is upending life as we know it — and news is changing rapidly. Here are the latest updates on school closings, travel restrictions and governmental directives.

Shutting Down 8chan

August 06, 2019 • 25m

At least three mass shootings this year — including one in El Paso — have been announced in advance on the online message board 8chan, often accompanied by racist writings. We look at the battle over shutting down the site. Guests: Kevin Roose, who writes about technology for The New York Times, spoke with Fredrick Brennan, the founder of 8chan. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.Background reading:Fredrick Brennan started 8chan as a free speech utopia. But the site became known as something else: a megaphone for mass shooters, and a recruiting platform for violent white nationalists.Several tech providers pulled support for 8chan, temporarily taking the site offline. The decision to do so was not a straightforward one for the security company Cloudflare.

The Making of Boris Johnson

July 22, 2019 • 31m

After trying and failing to withdraw Britain from the European Union, Theresa May will resign this week as the country’s prime minister. Here’s how the man expected to succeed her, Boris Johnson, made Brexit — and how Brexit may soon make him prime minister. Guest: Sarah Lyall, a writer at large for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.Background reading:Mr. Johnson has become one of the great escape artists of British politics.Some of Mr. Johnson’s family members, once staunch opponents of Brexit, have had to perform a complicated political jujitsu around his candidacy for prime minister.Prime Minister Theresa May is scheduled to step down on Wednesday. Only 160,000 Conservative Party members can vote for the next leader, sidelining 99 percent of registered voters.

The Trial of a Navy SEAL Chief

July 08, 2019 • 28m

The trial of Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, a decorated member of the Navy SEALs, offered rare insight into a culture that is, by design, difficult to penetrate. Our colleague tells us what he learned from the verdict. Guest: Dave Philipps, who covers the military for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.Background reading:After a key witness for prosecutors changed his story on the stand, Chief Gallagher was found not guilty of the most serious charges against him, including the first-degree murder of a captive ISIS fighter and attempted murder of civilians in Iraq.Some SEAL commanders expressed worry that the verdict would discourage others from reporting possible war crimes in the future.

Part 3: What to Expect When You’re Expecting (the Mueller Report)

March 12, 2019 • 23m

Once the special counsel’s report has been released, it’s up to Congress and its oversight committees to determine what happens next. We spoke to the head of the House Judiciary Committee, who will have to make that decision. Guest: Representative Jerry Nadler, Democrat of New York. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

Lost in the Storm, Part 2

September 14, 2018 • 32m

Even as floodwaters caused by Hurricane Harvey began to recede, Wayne Dailey was pleading with emergency services to send someone to rescue his wife. Guests: Annie Brown, a producer for The Daily, speaks with Wayne Dailey, who sought urgent medical care for his wife during Hurricane Harvey, and Sheri Fink, who reported this story for The New York Times Magazine. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.