The Daily
Hosted by Michael Christopher Barbaro, Natalie Kitroeff & Rachel Abrams · 175 decoded episodes · newest Oct 7, 2026
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, Rachel Abrams and Natalie Kitroeff. Twenty minutes a day, six days a week, ready by 6 a.m. 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.
Episodes 175
- Oct 7, 2026 · 23 minIranian drone threat forces U.S. bombers out of BritainThe episode shows how an uncertain proxy threat can reshape military operations, strain Britain’s role as a host, and deliver Iran a strategic gain without an attack.
- Oct 6, 2026 · 28 minAI agents trade convenience for controlThe episode tests whether delegating sensitive tasks to autonomous software saves time without sacrificing privacy, reliability, or human judgment.
- Oct 5, 2026 · 28 minCandidate quality scrambles the Senate mapThe episode examines whether Democrats can overcome a difficult Senate map as weak presidential approval and unusually strong or vulnerable candidates reshape familiar partisan advantages.
- Oct 4, 2026 · 37 minRestaurants face a profitability crisis despite packed dining roomsThe episode shows why higher prices and strong demand cannot resolve restaurants’ worsening cost structure, and examines whether hospitality can survive outside conventional profit models.
- Oct 3, 2026 · 1h 3mChris Rock makes the case for context and second chancesRock connects comedy, therapy, artistic insecurity and racial progress to a broader argument that accountability should leave room for empathy and change.
- Oct 2, 2026 · 31 minCornell case tests consent, trauma and due processThe disputed allegation exposes how evolving accounts, incomplete investigations and competing definitions of fairness can shape public judgment and legal decisions.
- Oct 1, 2026 · 30 minCongress moves to cap college sports spendingThe proposed rules could bring financial order to college athletics while limiting how freely athletes transfer and negotiate compensation.
- Sep 30, 2026 · 24 minFBI personnel breach exposes the danger of granular dataThe stolen information could endanger employees and their families even if the hackers never publicly release it.
- Sep 29, 2026 · 31 minPrediction markets challenge the rules of gamblingCourt decisions over Kalshi and Polymarket could determine whether states or federal regulators shape the next phase of betting culture.
- Sep 28, 2026 · 31 minThird-country deportations test the limits of due processRoberto Vázquez’s imprisonment in Eswatini shows how deportation deals can move people beyond the reach of American courts, lawyers, and family.
- Sep 27, 2026 · 1h 0mTV’s canon wrestles with comedy, antiheroes and omissionThe ranking reveals how critics and industry figures weigh artistic ambition, cultural influence and the changing boundaries of television.
- Sep 26, 2026 · 1h 20mStallone confronts the wounds behind Rocky and RamboSylvester Stallone connects childhood trauma, fame, family loss, and changing views on violence to the characters and career that defined him.