At the Democratic Convention, a Historic Nomination
Last night, at the Democratic National Convention, Vice President Kamala Harris accepted her party’s nomination, becoming the first woman of color in U.S. history to do so.Astead W. Herndon and Reid J. Epstein, who cover politics for The Times, discuss the story this convention told about Ms. Harris — and whether that story could be enough to win the presidential election.Guest: Astead W. Herndon, a national politics reporter and the host of the politics podcast “The Run-Up” for The New York Times.Reid J. Epstein, who covers politics for The New York Times.Background reading: Kamala Harris promised to chart a “new way forward” as she accepted the nomination.“The Run-Up”: It’s her party now. What’s different?For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Inside Ukraine’s Invasion of Russia
Warning: this episode contains descriptions of war.When Ukrainian troops crossed over into Russia two weeks ago, it appeared at first to be a largely symbolic gesture. But in the time since, it has emerged as a potentially pivotal moment in the war.Andrew Kramer, the Kyiv bureau chief for The Times, explains what’s behind the audacious Ukrainian operation, and Anton Troianovski, the Moscow bureau chief, explains how Russia’s response could reshape the conflict.Guest: Andrew E. Kramer, the Kyiv bureau chief for The New York Times.Anton Troianovski, the Moscow bureau chief for The New York Times.Background reading: Planned in secrecy, the incursion was a bold move to upend the war’s dynamics and put Moscow on the defensive — a gambit that could also leave Ukraine exposed.President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to hold Russian territory as leverage in future talks. In Moscow, many doubt the strategy.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Biden Leaves the Stage
On the first night of the Democratic National Convention, the stage belonged to the man who chose to give it up.Katie Rogers and Peter Baker, White House correspondents for The Times, discuss President Biden’s private pain since stepping aside, and his public message in Chicago.Guest: Katie Rogers, a White House correspondent for The New York Times.Peter Baker, the chief White House correspondent for The New York Times.Background reading: Biden defended his record and endorsed Kamala Harris: “America, I gave my best to you.”Analysis: The speech Biden never wanted to give.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
The Story of Kamala Harris
Over the next few days at the Democratic National Convention, Vice President Kamala Harris will accept her party’s nomination and reintroduce herself to American voters.Astead W. Herndon, a national politics reporter and the host of the politics podcast “The Run-Up,” talks through key periods in Ms. Harris’s life that explain what she believes and the kind of president she might become.Guest: Astead W. Herndon, a national politics reporter and the host of the politics podcast “The Run-Up” for The New York Times.Background reading: A vice-presidential learning curve: How Ms. Harris picked her shots.Nearly 14 years ago, Ms. Harris’s opponent in the California attorney general’s race gave an answer at a debate that was frank — and fateful for the future Democratic presidential nominee.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
The Sunday Read: ‘The Man Who Couldn’t Stop Going to College’
Benjamin B. Bolger has been to Harvard and Stanford and Yale. He has been to Columbia and Dartmouth and Oxford, and Cambridge, Brandeis and Brown. Over all, Bolger has 14 advanced degrees, plus an associate’s and a bachelor’s.Against a backdrop of pervasive cynicism about the nature of higher education, it is tempting to dismiss a figure like Bolger as the wacky byproduct of an empty system. Then again, Bolger has run himself through that system, over and over and over again; it continues to take him in, and he continues to return to it for more.
'The Interview': Jelly Roll Cannot Believe How His Life Turned Out
From jail and addiction to music stardom — the singer tells David Marchese he’s living a “modern American fairy tale.”
How Air-Conditioning Conquered America
Air-conditioning has become both our answer to a warming planet and a major obstacle to actually confronting it.Emily Badger, who covers cities and urban policy for The Times, explains the increasingly dangerous paradox of trying to control the temperature.Guest: Emily Badger, who covers cities and urban policy for The New York Times.Background reading: From 2017: How air-conditioning conquered America.Air-conditioning use will surge in a warming world, the U.N. has warned.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
A Controversial Crackdown on Homeless Encampments
In the weeks since a landmark Supreme Court ruling opened the door for cities and states to crack down on homeless encampments, California — the state with the largest homeless population — has taken some of the nation’s most sweeping actions against them.Shawn Hubler, who covers California for The Times, discusses the race to clean up what has become one of the Democratic Party’s biggest vulnerabilities before Election Day.Guest: Shawn Hubler, a reporter covering California for The New York Times.Background reading: Gov. Gavin Newsom cleared homeless camps in L.A. county, where he wants more “urgency.”Mr. Newsom ordered California officials to remove homeless encampments.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
How One Tech Monopoly Paved the Way for Another
In a landmark antitrust ruling against Google last week, another case was at the heart of the story — one from the 1990s.Steve Lohr, who covers technology and the economy for The Times, explains the influence of United States v. Microsoft and what lessons that case might hold for the future of Big Tech today.Guest: Steve Lohr, who covers technology, the economy and work for The New York Times.Background reading: How the Google antitrust ruling may influence tech competition.The ruling on Google’s search dominance was the first antitrust decision of the modern internet era in a case against a technology giant.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Harris Takes the Lead in Key States
New polls by The New York Times and Siena College find that Vice President Kamala Harris has transformed the 2024 presidential race and is now leading former President Donald J. Trump in three crucial battleground states.Nate Cohn, the chief political analyst for The Times, explains why Ms. Harris is benefiting so much.Guest: Nate Cohn, the chief political analyst for The New York Times. Background reading: Ms. Harris leads Mr. Trump in three key states, according to new surveys by The Times and Siena CollegeThe polls show that the vice president has fundamentally changed the race.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Inside the Three Worst Weeks of Trump’s Campaign
For much of the past year, Donald J. Trump and those around him were convinced that victory in the presidential race was all but certain. Now, everything has changed, after the decision by President Biden not to seek a second term.Jonathan Swan, who covers the Trump campaign for The New York Times, discusses the former president’s struggle to adjust to his new opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.Guest: Jonathan Swan, who covers politics and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign for The New York Times.Background reading: People around the former and would-be president see a candidate disoriented by his new opponent.At a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump tried to wrestle back the public’s attention.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
The Sunday Read: ‘Online Dating After 50 Can Be Miserable. But It’s Also Liberating.’
When Maggie Jones’s marriage collapsed after 23 years, she was devastated and overwhelmed. She was in her 50s, with two jobs, two teenage daughters and one dog. She didn’t consider dating. She had no time, no emotional energy. But then a year passed. One daughter was off at college, the other increasingly independent. After several more months went by, she started to feel a sliver of curiosity about what kind of men were out there and how it would feel to date again. The last time she dated was 25 years ago, and even then, she fell into relationships mostly with guys from high school, college, parties, work. Now every man she knew was either married, too young, too old or otherwise not a good fit.That meant online dating — the default mode not just for the young but also for people Ms. Jones’s age. Her only exposure had been watching her oldest daughter, home from college one summer, as she sat on her bed rapidly swiping through guy after guy — spending no more than a second or two on each.Ms. Jones tells her story of online dating in later adulthood, and what she learned.
'The Interview': Vince Vaughn Turned This Interview Into Self-Help
I went in expecting a swaggering, overconfident guy. I found something much more interesting.
The Long Shadow of Julian Assange’s Conviction
Warning: this episode contains strong language and audio of war.When the long legal saga of Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, came to an end this summer, it marked the first time that the U.S. government had convicted anyone for publishing classified material.Charlie Savage, who covers national security and legal policy for The Times, discusses what the conviction means for journalism and government accountability in a world where publishing state secrets can now be treated as a crime.Guest: Charlie Savage, a national security and legal policy correspondent for The New York Times. Guest host: Natalie Kitroeff, Mexico City Bureau Chief for The New York Times. Background reading: Mr. Assange’s plea deal sets a chilling precedent on the ability of journalists to report on military, intelligence or diplomatic information that officials deem secret.To some, Mr. Assange was a heroic crusader for truth. To others, he was a reckless leaker endangering lives.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
An Escalating War in the Middle East
Warning: This episode contains audio of war.Over the past few days, the simmering feud between Israel and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, has reached a critical moment.Ben Hubbard, the Istanbul bureau chief for The New York Times, explains why the latest tit-for-tat attacks are different and why getting them to stop could be so tough.Guest: Ben Hubbard, the Istanbul bureau chief for The New York Times.Background reading: Israel says it killed a Hezbollah commander, Fuad Shukr, in an airstrike near Beirut.The Israeli military blamed Mr. Shukr for an assault on Saturday that killed 12 children and teenagers in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
The V.P.’s Search for a V.P.
Warning: This episode contains strong language.Although Vice President Kamala Harris has officially been a presidential candidate for only about a week, the race to become her running mate is well underway.Lisa Lerer, a national political correspondent for The New York Times, takes us inside the selection process.Guest: Lisa Lerer, a national political correspondent for The New York Times.Background reading: What’s more exciting than a veepstakes? A surprise veepstakes.Take a look at the leading contenders to be Ms. Harris’s running mate.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
A Radical Reboot of Nuclear Energy
Nuclear power, once the great hope for a clean way to meet the world’s energy needs, fell out of favor decades ago.Brad Plumer, who covers technology and policy efforts to address global warming for The New York Times, explains how one company with a radical idea is now working to bring it back.Guest: Brad Plumer, who covers technology and policy efforts to address global warming for The New York Times.Background reading: Work is starting in Wyoming coal country on a new type of reactor. Its main backer, Bill Gates, says he’s in it for the emissions-free electricity.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
The Sunday Read: ‘The Kidnapping I Can’t Escape’
On Nov. 12, 1974, Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s father’s childhood friend Jack Teich was kidnapped out of his driveway in the nicest part of the nicest part of Long Island. He was arriving home from work when two men forced him into their car at gunpoint and took him to a house where they chained and interrogated him.On the second day of his kidnapping, Jack’s wife, Janet, received a call from someone demanding a ransom of $750,000, and a few days later, Janet and Jack’s brother Buddy dropped the money off at Penn Station under F.B.I. surveillance. The F.B.I. did not catch the kidnapper, but afterward, he decided to let Jack go.Jack was home safe. He had survived his kidnapping. But the actual kidnapping is not what this story is about, if you can believe it. It’s about surviving what you survived, which is also known as the rest of your life.
'The Interview': Pete Buttigieg Thinks the Trump Fever Could Break
The Democrat talks about the election vibe shift and what a Kamala Harris win would mean for both parties.
Is One Third of Venezuela’s Population About to Flee?
For years, Venezuelans have been living through one of the most severe economic collapses in modern history — one that has caused millions to flee the country. But this weekend, an election is offering many a real hope for change.Julie Turkewitz, the Andes bureau chief for The Times, explains why, after years under a repressive government, Venezuelans think this time might be different.Guest: Julie Turkewitz, the Andes bureau chief for The New York Times.Background reading: The “Iron Lady” of Venezuela threatens to unseat its autocrat.As many as one-third of Venezuelans would consider migrating if the country’s authoritarian leader is given another six years in power, one poll showed.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.