The Daily

The New York Times

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. 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. Listen to this podcast in New York Times Audio, our new iOS app for news subscribers. Download now at nytimes.com/audioapp

  • 36 minutes 30 seconds
    The Workers Letting A.I. Do Their Jobs

    Since the release of generative A.I., questions have been raised about how it would change our lives and jobs. Now, many software developers who were early adopters of the technology have outsourced so many tasks that they barely program at all.

    Clive Thompson, who writes about technology and science, interviewed about 75 software developers at major tech companies, small businesses and start-ups. He explains what it looks like when programmers invite A.I. to help them do their jobs.

    Guest: Clive Thompson, who writes about technology and science for The New York Times Magazine, Wired, Smithsonian and other publications.

    Background reading: 

    Photo: Adam Glanzman for The New York Times

    For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

    Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


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    14 April 2026, 9:45 am
  • 31 minutes 7 seconds
    Why U.S.-Iran Negotiations Failed

    After negotiations over the weekend between the United States and Iran ended without a breakthrough, the temporary cease-fire appears to be increasingly precarious.

    The New York Times journalists Ronen Bergman and Mark Mazzetti explain why Israel is one of the biggest questions looming over the truce.

    Guest:

    • Ronen Bergman, a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine based in Tel Aviv.
    • Mark Mazzetti, an investigative reporter for The New York Times based in Washington.

    Background reading: 

    Photo: Pool photo by Jacquelyn Martin

    For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

    Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


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    13 April 2026, 9:45 am
  • 41 minutes 49 seconds
    One Reporter’s Life-Altering Psychedelic Trip

    The first time Robert Draper heard about the psychedelic drug ibogaine, it was from an unlikely source: the retired U.S. senator Kyrsten Sinema. As a political reporter for The New York Times, Draper often talks to figures like Ms. Sinema. But on this occasion, he said, she wanted to tell him about how she had tried ibogaine, which is illegal in the United States. She’d become such a believer in the drug that she was pushing her home state of Arizona to fund clinical trials for veterans with combat-related trauma.

    Draper found that Ms. Sinema wasn’t the only politician to take up the cause. Rick Perry, the former Texas governor, Republican presidential candidate and Trump energy secretary, has also advocated for research into ibogaine in recent years and taken the drug himself. In 2025, because of Mr. Perry’s efforts, Texas became the first state to dedicate public funds to ibogaine research with veterans.

    Recent studies of ibogaine at Stanford University and elsewhere suggest that it might prove effective in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries, addiction and a range of other conditions. As Draper reported on ibogaine’s transformative effects on others, he wondered: Could it help him, too?

    Today, on “The Sunday Daily,” Natalie Kitroeff talks to Robert Draper about what drew him to travel to Mexico to try ibogaine, and how his trip changed his life.

    On Today’s Episode: 

    Robert Draper (usually) writes about domestic politics for The New York Times.

    Background Reading:

    It’s an Obscure Psychedelic Used to Treat Trauma. Could It Help Me?

    The Long, Strange Trip of Rick Perry

    Art Credit: Illustration By Melissa Santamaría

    Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


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    12 April 2026, 10:00 am
  • 1 hour 3 minutes
    'The Interview': Lena Dunham Is Still Trying to Figure Out Why People Hated Her So Much

    The writer, actor and lightning rod is not done sharing yet.

    Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


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    11 April 2026, 10:00 am
  • 31 minutes 4 seconds
    The Miracle Unfolding in Mississippi Schools

    Mississippi has seen a stunning turnaround in national test scores in the past decade, even as they have fallen almost everywhere else.

    Sarah Mervosh, an education reporter, explains what the state can teach the rest of the country about how to educate students.

    Guest: Sarah Mervosh, an education reporter at The New York Times, focusing on K-12 schools.

    Background reading: 

    Photo: Rory Doyle for The New York Times

    For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

    Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


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    10 April 2026, 9:45 am
  • 39 minutes 28 seconds
    She Risked Her Voice to Become a Mother

    Lise Davidsen is one of the greatest opera singers of our time — a soprano with a voice so rare, critics reach back a century for comparison. This spring, she has been starring in a sold-out new production of Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” at the Metropolitan Opera. But she’s also at a crossroads: Her first performance as “Isolde” on the Met stage came just nine months after giving birth to twins.

    Today on The Sunday Daily, Natalie Kitroeff talks with the Times writer Zachary Woolfe about his recent conversation with Davidsen, and the unexpected emotional weight she felt while returning to the stage as a new mother. They discuss how a production centered on birth, death and renewal gave Davidsen a way to work through this seismic shift in her life, all while tackling the role of a lifetime.

    On Today’s Episode:

    Zachary Woolfe is a writer and editor for The New York Times.

    Background Reading:

    With Twin Babies, the Opera Star Lise Davidsen Wonders What Comes Next

    The Met Opera’s Desperate Hunt for Money

    Photo credit: Amir Hamja for The New York Times

    Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


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    5 April 2026, 10:00 am
  • 34 minutes 7 seconds
    Our Enduring Fascination With the Kennedys

    “Love Story,” the FX limited series about John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s relationship, has taken audiences by storm. Its unstoppable wave of ’90s nostalgia has swept through the world of fashion, revitalized iconic New York landmarks and set off a yearning for simpler days before smartphones and dating apps. The series has also drawn significant backlash, with criticism ranging from bad reviews to accusations of inaccuracy and even harm.

    Today, Rachel Abrams talks to Alexandra Jacobs, a critic for The New York Times Book Review, about why America can’t seem to look away from “Love Story.”

     

    On Today’s Episode:

    Alexandra Jacobs, a critic for The New York Times Book Review and occasional features writer.

     

    Background Reading:

    The Lasting Appeal of John F. Kennedy Jr.

    Daryl Hannah: How Can ‘Love Story’ Get Away With This?

    Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


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    29 March 2026, 10:00 am
  • 37 minutes 53 seconds
    Injections, Bone Hammering and the Pursuit of Peak Male Beauty

    If you’ve spent any time on social media recently, you’ve probably come across a video of a young, square-jawed influencer calling himself Clavicular. He has become the face of an internet subculture called looksmaxxing, in which men do almost anything — like taking steroids and hormones or bashing their jaws with a hammer — to try to become more handsome.

    In this episode, Natalie Kitroeff talks with reporter Joseph Bernstein about the world of looksmaxxing and how what might seem like a fringe phenomenon is actually the culmination of a digital culture that rewards physical perfection with status and algorithmic power.

    On Today’s Episode

    Joseph Bernstein covers digital subcultures for the Styles desk at The New York Times.

    Background Reading

    Handsome at Any Cost

    Young Men Seek Answers to an Age-Old Question: How to Be Hot

    The Suffix That Tells Us to Ruthlessly Optimize Everything

    Photo Credit: Cassidy Araiza for The New York Times

    Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


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    22 March 2026, 10:00 am
  • 37 minutes 14 seconds
    To Save His Life, Our Food Critic Reset His Appetite

    For 12 years, Pete Wells had his dream job: working as the chief restaurant critic for The New York Times. The job’s journalistic mission required Wells to eat out most nights and taste nearly everything on any given restaurant’s menu. He didn’t realize it at the time, but the excessive eating had taken a toll on his body.

    Then came a health crisis, followed by his doctor’s advice to “stop doing what you’re doing right now.”

    In 2024, Wells gave up his post as restaurant critic and set out to remake his entire relationship with food.

    On today’s episode, Michael Barbaro speaks with Wells about the realities of life as a restaurant critic, and what he’s learning about the joys of home cooking, mindful eating and grocery shopping for the diet he intends to follow.

    On Today’s Episode:

    Pete Wells is a reporter covering food for The New York Times. He was formerly The Times’s restaurant critic.

    Background Reading:

    After 12 Years of Reviewing Restaurants, I’m Leaving the Table

    Our Former Restaurant Critic Changed His Eating Habits. You Can, Too.

    To Eat Healthier, Our Critic Went to the Source: His Kitchen

    To Tune Out Food Noise, Our Critic Listened to His Hunger

    To Improve How He Ate, Our Critic Looked at What He Drank

    Photo Credit:  Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.

    Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


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    15 March 2026, 10:00 am
  • 35 minutes 24 seconds
    Oscars 2026: Who Will Win, and Who Should Win?

    Today on “The Sunday Daily,” The Times’s chief movie critic, Manohla Dargis, talks with the “Daily” host Michael Barbaro about this year’s batch of Oscar nominees, which — according to her — are uncommonly good.

    They discuss the performances that Dargis believes deserve to win, the dark horses that might pull off upsets, and the ambitious films that give her hope for Hollywood’s future.

     

    On Today’s Episode:

    Manohla Dargis, Chief Film Critic for The New York Times.

     

    Background Reading:

    ‘Hamnet’ | Anatomy of a Scene

    Delroy Lindo on ‘Sinners,’ Speaking Up and the Power of Affirmation

     

    Photo: A24; Warner Bros. Pictures; Sabrina Lantos/Sony Pictures Classics

    Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


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    8 March 2026, 10:00 am
  • 35 minutes 23 seconds
    Is the Swipe Era Over?

    In 2012, Tinder revolutionized dating apps with its swipe feature. With the flick of a finger, singles could accept or reject a potential mate. While this innovation has worked for many, some have grown weary of the simple swipe, and long for a more nuanced way to find love.

    Today on “The Sunday Daily,” Rachel Abrams examines two dating tends on the rise: in-person mixers that are far from old-fashioned, and emerging A.I. technology that promises singles a ‘soul’ match. Rachel speaks with The New York Times’s dating columnist Gina Cherelus; Luke Vander Ploeg, a producer on the “Daily”; and Amanda Hess, a writer at large at The Times.

     

    On Today’s Episode

    Gina Cherelus covers dating for The New York Times.

    Luke Vander Ploeg is a producer on The Daily.

    Amanda Hess is a writer at large for The Times.

    Photo: Mila De La Torre for The New York Times

    For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

     

    Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


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    22 February 2026, 10:00 am
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