The Daily

Vice President JD Vance met with the new pope a few days ago. He then sat down with The Times to talk about faith, immigration, the law and the partisan temptation to go too far.

Ross Douthat, an opinion columnist and the host of the new podcast “Interesting Times,” discusses their conversation.

Guest: Ross Douthat, an Opinion columnist and the host of the “Interesting Times” podcast.

Background reading: 

• Ross’s conversation with J...

President Trump once approached the challenge of ending Russia’s war in Ukraine as a straight-ahead deal that he could achieve easily. But after months of trying, he’s signaling that he might actually walk away.

Michael Crowley, who covers U.S. foreign policy for The New York Times, discusses the recent phone call between Mr. Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, and what it tells us about how the conflict could end.

Guest...

Over the past few days, the health of former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. has been called into focus with the disclosure that he has an aggressive form of prostate cancer.

At the same time, Democrats are undertaking a painful re-examination of what went wrong with Joe Biden’s campaign for re-election, and the Trump White House has released embarrassing audio of Biden being interviewed.

The Times journalists Michael Barbaro, Reid J. ...

For decades, white South Africans ruled with an iron fist, overseeing the country’s apartheid system of racial oppression.

Why is President Trump now welcoming them to the United States as victims?

John Eligon, the Johannesburg bureau chief for The New York Times, explains how the MAGA movement became obsessed with Afrikaners.

Guest: John Eligon, the Johannesburg bureau chief for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• The road to ...

When did you realize you were falling in love? The Modern Love podcast asked listeners this question, and the voice messages came pouring in. Listeners sent in stories that happened over dinner dates, on subway rides, while watching sunsets or at concerts. They described love at first sight, love built over time and much more. 

Today, we hear some of the most moving and surprising listener messages. Then, the Modern Love editor Dani...

On Thursday, the Trump administration’s effort to limit birthright citizenship ended up in front of the Supreme Court.

Adam Liptak, who covers the Supreme Court for The New York Times, discusses the White House’s unusual legal strategy for defending its plan, and what it might mean for the future of presidential power.

Guest: Adam Liptak, covers the Supreme Court. A graduate of Yale Law School, he practiced law for 14 years before jo...

For years, American consumers have been able to spend next to nothing on the latest fashion trends, thanks in large part to Chinese clothing companies like Shein and Temu. These businesses have long used a loophole to send millions of packages a day into the U.S. from China tax-free.

Now, President Trump is closing that loophole, even as he de-escalates his larger trade war with China, and prices are going up.

Meaghan Tobin, who cove...

President Trump is in the Middle East on the first major international trip of his second term. At the same time, a firestorm has erupted over his plan to accept a $400 million luxury airplane from the Qatari government.

Today, Maggie Haberman, a White House correspondent, explains how the free plane may set a problematic precedent — and what Qatar might expect in return.

Guest: Maggie Haberman, a White House correspondent for The Ne...

Parents try everything to influence their children. But new research suggests that brothers and sisters have their own profound impact.

Susan Dominus, a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, discusses the surprising ways that our brothers and sisters shape our lives.

Guest: Susan Dominus, a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine covering a broad range of topics. Her recent article was adapted from her book, “The Family D...

Over the weekend, top negotiators from the U.S. and China met for the first time since President Trump rapidly escalated a trade war between the world’s two economic superpowers.

Keith Bradsher, the Beijing bureau chief for The New York Times, discusses the pressures facing China, as it came to the negotiating table and why it so badly needs a deal.

Guest: Keith Bradsher, the Beijing bureau chief for The New York Times

Background read...

For eight years running, Finland has been rated the happiest country in the world by a peculiar United Nations-backed project called the World Happiness Report, started in 2012. Soon after Finland shot to the top of the list, its government set up a “happiness tourism” initiative, which now offers itineraries highlighting the cultural elements that ostensibly contribute to its status: foraging, fresh air, trees, lakes, sustainably ...

The world’s 1.4 billion Catholics have a new pope, and for the first time, he is from America.

Jason Horowitz, the Rome bureau chief of The New York Times, introduces us to Pope Leo XIV.

Guest: Jason Horowitz, the Rome bureau chief of The New York Times

Background reading: 

• Who is Pope Leo XIV?
• The first American pope took a global route to the role.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcript...

A 90-second failure of Newark Airport’s air-traffic safety systems, which blacked out communication to planes carrying thousands of passengers, has exposed a new level of crisis in air travel.

Kate Kelly, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, explains what the problems at one of the country’s biggest airports tell us about air-travel safety in the United States.

Guest: Kate Kelly, an investigative reporter for The New Yor...

A few days ago, Warren Buffett, the most successful investor in history, said he would retire as C.E.O. of Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate that he built into a trillion-dollar colossus.

Andrew Ross Sorkin, who has covered Mr. Buffett for many years, discusses the career of the man who both personified and critiqued American capitalism.

Guest: Andrew Ross Sorkin, a columnist and the founder and editor-at-large of DealBook.

Backgro...

As the Middle East braces for another year of extreme heat, climate change is turning the soil to dust in the landscape that has long been known as the fertile crescent — and water has become a new source of conflict.

Alissa J. Rubin, who covers the Middle East, tells the story of Iraq’s water crisis and what it means for the world.

Guest: Alissa J. Rubin, a senior Middle East correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

At a time of enormous economic upheaval and uncertainty prompted by President Trump’s trade war, we asked our listeners what they wanted to understand about this financial moment.

Ben Casselman, the chief economics correspondent for The New York Times, tries to answer some of those questions.

Guest: Ben Casselman, the chief economics correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• The U.S. economy shrank in the first qua...

When Taffy Brodesser-Akner became a writer, Mr. Lindenblatt, the father of one of her oldest friends, began asking to tell his story of survival during the Holocaust in one of the magazines or newspapers she wrote for. He took pride in telling his story, in making sure he fulfilled what he felt was the obligation of all Holocaust survivors, which was to remind the world what had happened to the Jews.

His daughter Ilana knew it was a...