We Need to Talk About Covid, Part 2: A Conversation with Dr. Fauci

We Need to Talk About Covid, Part 1: It appears that the United States may be at a turning point in the pandemic. The contagiousness of the Omicron variant has many people resigned to the fact that they probably will be infected; this variant is, relative to its predecessors and in most cases, milder; and there is universal vaccine access for those old enough to receive a shot. So, The Times commissioned a poll of 4,400 Americans to discover how they are thinking about the pandemic and gauge how, and when, we might pivot to living with the virus. We explore the results of this poll — and the divides in opinion by age, vaccination status and politics. by The Daily

27 min listen

Could the U.S. See Another Covid Wave?: More than two years into the pandemic, coronavirus infections are surging in China and nations in Europe. The reason: BA.2, a highly contagious version of the Omicron variant. At the same time, the United States is doing away with a number of pandemic restrictions, with mask mandates ending and businesses no longer requiring proof of vaccination from customers. We explore what these BA.2 surges look like and ask whether the U.S. is ready for a new wave of Covid cases. Guest: Apoorva Mandavilli, a science and global health reporter for The New York Times. by The Daily

19 min listen

Most of Us Have Had Covid: This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new data that showed around 60 percent of Americans — more than half of adults and three quarters of children — have now been infected with the coronavirus. But herd immunity looks likely to remain elusive, and many people are still at high risk from Covid-19. What do the C.D.C. figures mean for immunity in the United States, and for the future of the pandemic? Guest: Apoorva Mandavilli, a science and global health reporter for The New York Times. by The Daily

24 min listen

Biden Gets a Supreme Court Pick: On Wednesday, it was revealed that Justice Stephen Breyer, the senior member of the Supreme Court’s liberal wing, will retire from the bench. Democrats, and many on the left, will have breathed a sigh of relief. His decision has given President Biden the chance to nominate a successor while Democrats control the Senate. We take a look at the legacy of Justice Breyer’s time on the court, why he chose to retire now and how President Biden might decide on his successor. by The Daily

26 min listen

The Sunday Read: ‘The Joys (and Challenges) of Sex After 70’: Today, Maggie Jones explores the overlooked topic of geriatric intercourse. Profiling older couples for whom sex is still important, she considers the obstacles and joys of having intercourse over the age of 70, and the way society has begun to talk more openly about it in recent years. As bodies change, Jones writes, good sex in old age often requires reimagining and expanding: a conscious inclusion of more touching, kissing, erotic massage, oral sex and sex toys. Along with pleasure, other benefits are linked to sex: a stronger immune system, improved cognitive function, cardiovascular health in women and lower odds of prostate cancer, along with improved sleep, stress reduction and a cultivation of emotional intimacy. The subset of older people who are having lots of sex well into their 80s could help shape those conversations and policies, while doctors can also do their part by attending to individuals’ physiological by The Daily

50 min listen

The Acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse: This episode contains strong language. On Aug. 25, 2020, Kyle Rittenhouse, a teenager, shot three men, two of them fatally, during street protests in Kenosha, Wis., over the shooting of a Black man by a white police officer. Mr. Rittenhouse’s trial, which began on Nov. 1, revolved around a central question: Did his actions constitute self-defense under Wisconsin law? Last week, a jury decided that they did, finding him not guilty on every count against him. We look at key moments from the trial and at how the verdict was reached. Guest: Julie Bosman, the Chicago bureau chief of The New York Times. by The Daily

34 min listen

What’s Happening with the American Economy?: The U.S. economy is doing better than many had anticipated. Some 80 percent of jobs lost during the pandemic have been regained, and people are making, and spending, more. But Americans seem to feel terrible about the financial outlook. Why the gap between reality and perception? Guest: Ben Casselman, a reporter covering economics and business for The New York Times. by The Daily

25 min listen

Is ISIS Back on the Rise?: A recent ISIS attack on a prison in northeastern Syria became the biggest confrontation between the terrorist group and the United States and its allied forces since 2019. The attack raises a question: Could the Islamic State group be on the cusp of a resurgence? We explore what the attack means, why the prison was so vulnerable in the first place and what has become of the thousands of fighters and families left behind after the fall of the Caliphate. by The Daily

24 min listen

‘Who Do You Want Controlling Your Food?’: During the pandemic, the price of beef shot up. Wholesale beef prices increased more than 40 percent — more than 70 percent for certain cuts of steak. The conventional wisdom was that price increases simply reflected the chaos that the coronavirus had caused in the supply chain. But there’s evidence that they were in fact a reflection of a more fundamental change in the meatpacking business. We speak to ranchers about the consolidation of the industry and explore what it can show us about a transformation in the American economy — one much bigger than beef. by The Daily

54 min listen

A Delicate Compromise in the Capitol: President Biden and Democratic leaders say they have an agreement on a historic social spending bill that they have spent months negotiating. But liberals in Congress demanded assurances that the package would survive before they would agree to an immediate vote on a separate $1 trillion infrastructure bill. Today, we explore why compromise remains a work in progress. Guest: Emily Cochrane, a correspondent based in Washington. by The Daily

28 min listen

Trump’s Involvement in a Plan to Seize Voting Machines: Since the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, a clearer picture has emerged of the steps that President Donald J. Trump and his allies took to try to keep him in power and overturn the 2020 election. One of the biggest questions, however, has been how far was Mr. Trump willing to go in using the apparatus of the federal government to stay in power? The Times has uncovered that in the weeks after Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s victory, Mr. Trump considered using the levers of the federal government to seize voting machines in swing states. What exactly did Mr. Trump do, and will this revelation tip the scales of the congressional effort to hold him legally accountable? by The Daily

24 min listen

Why Do So Many Traffic Stops Go Wrong?: This episode contains strong language and scenes of violence. Over the past five years, police officers in the United States have killed more than 400 unarmed drivers or passengers — a rate of more than one a week, a Times investigation has found. Why are such cases so common, and why is the problem so hard to fix? Guest: David D. Kirkpatrick, a national correspondent for The New York Times. by The Daily

24 min listen

Why Spending Too Little Could Backfire on Democrats: When Democrats first set out to expand the social safety net, they envisioned a piece of legislation as transformational as what the party has achieved in the 1960s. In the process, they hoped that they’d win back the working-class voters the party had since lost. But now that they’re on the brink of reaching a deal, the question is whether the enormous cuts and compromises they’ve made will make it impossible to fulfill either ambition. Guest: Jonathan Weisman, a congressional correspondent for The Times. by The Daily

24 min listen

The Saga of Congress’s Jan. 6 Investigation: This episode contains strong language. The first hearing of the special congressional committee on the Jan. 6 riots was an emotional affair, but it was not quite the investigation that was originally envisaged. In January, lawmakers on both sides spoke of putting aside partisanship and organizing an investigation akin to the 9/11 commission, considered the gold standard of nonpartisan fact-finding. Why did the commission fail and what is taking place instead? Guest: Luke Broadwater, a congressional reporter for The New York Times. by The Daily

30 min listen

The Perilous Politics of Rising Inflation: Inflation in the United States is rising at its fastest rate so far this century. At 4 percent, according to one index, it is double the Federal Reserve’s target. We look at why prices are on the rise and at the tense political moment they have created. Guest: Jim Tankersley, a White House correspondent for The New York Times. by The Daily

24 min listen

Bonus: A Major Ruling on Guns: In the most sweeping ruling on firearms in decades, the Supreme Court struck down a New York law today that had placed strict limits on carrying guns outside the home. The decision has far-reaching implications, particularly for six other states that have similar laws limiting guns in public. This evening, we revisit an episode from November 2021 that tells the story behind one of the most significant gun cases in American history. Guest: Adam Liptak, a reporter covering the Supreme Court for The New York Times. by The Daily

28 min listen

Vacationing in the Time of Covid: Charles Falls Jr., known as Chillie, loves to take cruises. But Covid, as it has done for so many, left him marooned at home in Virginia. As he told Cristal Duhaime, a producer at the Times podcast First Person, as soon as restrictions eased, he eagerly planned a return to the waves. But for Chillie, who suffers from prostate cancer, resuming his beloved travels — particularly aboard the cramped quarters of a cruise ship, most people’s idea of a pandemic nightmare — was especially perilous. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. by The Daily

30 min listen

Who Else Is Culpable in George Floyd’s Death?: Almost two years ago, a shocking nine-minute video was released showing a Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, fatally kneeling on the neck of George Floyd. Mr. Chauvin is now serving a long sentence for murder. A few weeks ago, a trial began in the case of the three other officers who were on the scene that day. They are charged with violating Mr. Floyd’s civil rights during the arrest that caused his death. Guest: Kim Barker, an enterprise reporter for The New York Times. by The Daily

36 min listen

The Complicated Future of Student Loans: Last week, the Supreme Court struck down President Biden’s sweeping plan to cancel billions of dollars in student loan debt. Stacy Cowley, a finance reporter for The New York Times, explains what the decision means for borrowers now facing their first payments since a coronavirus pandemic-related pause and how an alternative plan could still ease their burden. Guest: Stacy Cowley, a finance correspondent for The New York Times. by The Daily

24 min listen

The Killing of Ahmaud Arbery Goes to Trial: In the coming days, a trial will begin to determine whether the fatal shooting of Amaud Arbery, an unarmed Black man, by two armed white men is considered murder under Georgia state law. Today, we explore why that may be a difficult case for prosecutors to make. Guest: Richard Fausset, a correspondent based in Atlanta who writes about the American South. by The Daily

27 min listen

The Sunday Read: ‘I Had a Chance to Travel Anywhere. Why Did I Pick Spokane?’: Jon Mooallem, the author of today’s Sunday Read, had a bad pandemic. “I began having my own personal hard time,” he writes. “The details aren’t important. Let’s just say, I felt as if I were moldering in place.” Then, The New York Times Magazine offered him the opportunity to fly somewhere for its travel issue — at that point he had spent 17 months parenting two demanding children. So, he asked: “What if I drove to Spokane?” Jon had been curious about it for years. Spokane, Wash., is the birthplace of Father’s Day, the hometown of Bing Crosby and a city with a sequence of wide, rocky waterfalls pouring through its center like a Cubist boulevard. “I also knew that Spokane was a city with a history of minor-league baseball that stretched back more than a hundred years,” Jon writes. “A minor-league game felt like a manageable, belated step into the mid-pandemic lifestyle that people were calling post-pandem by The Daily

31 min listen

How Nonprofit Hospitals Put Profits Over Patients: Nonprofit hospitals — which make up around half of hospitals in the United States — were founded to help the poor. But a Times investigation has revealed that many have deviated from those charitable roots, behaving like for-profit companies, sometimes to the detriment of the health of patients. Guest: Jessica Silver-Greenberg, an investigative business reporter for The New York Times. by The Daily

32 min listen

The Cost of Haiti’s Freedom: In 1791, enslaved Haitians did the seemingly impossible. They ousted their French masters and created the first free Black nation in the Americas. But France made Haitians pay for that freedom. A team of reporters from The New York Times looked at the extent and effect of the ensuing payments. by The Daily

29 min listen

Did Democrats Make Inflation Worse?: Inflation in the United States has been getting worse. In December, prices were up 7 percent from the previous year — the fastest rise in 40 years. Americans feel terrible about the economy, imperiling the Democratic Party’s chances of holding on to power in Washington in this year’s midterm elections. While disruption caused by the pandemic is a key cause of higher prices — a situation that predates the Biden administration — a question remains: How much have the Democrats’ own policies contributed to the problem? by The Daily

26 min listen

Ukraine Puts Putin’s Playbook to the Test: From the outside, Russia’s relentless bombardment of Ukraine looks indiscriminate and improvised. But the approach is part of an approach devised decades ago in Chechnya. The Times journalist Carlotta Gall, who covered the Chechen conflict, explains why wars fought by Russia some 30 years ago could inform what happens next in Ukraine. Guest: Carlotta Gall, the Istanbul bureau chief for The New York Times. by The Daily

30 min listen

Inside Four Abortion Clinics the Day Roe Ended: This episode contains strong language and mentions sexual assault. The Supreme Court decision on Friday to overturn Roe v. Wade sent abortion clinics into a tailspin. That day Rosenda, a receptionist at a family planning clinic in Arizona, spent eight hours on the phone telling women the clinic could no longer help them. “I wanted to hug her, I wanted to help her but I know I can’t,” she said of one patient she called. “I wanted to scream.” In the hours after the decision, we spoke to clinic doctors and staff members trying to make sense of the news. by The Daily

32 min listen

The Crumbling of the N.R.A.: It had long appeared that the National Rifle Association was impervious to anything or anyone. Now, an investigation into financial misconduct accusations led by the New York attorney general’s office imperils the very existence of America’s most powerful gun rights group. We look at how a plan to circumvent this investigation through a bankruptcy filing backfired. Guest: Danny Hakim, an investigative reporter for The New York Times. by The Daily

30 min listen

A ‘Zero Covid’ Olympics: Reporters from The Times are joining athletes from around the world as they descend on Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympics, where they are encountering the strictest and most wide-ranging health requirements ever attempted at an Olympic Games. China’s leader, Xi Jinping, has made it his goal to keep the coronavirus out of the country as much as possible, and these requirements are an extension of his “zero Covid” strategy. We ask what exactly is the zero-Covid strategy, and how long can it last? And we explore what life is like inside China’s Olympic superbubble. by The Daily

27 min listen

Why Democratic Governors Are Turning Against Mask Mandates: One by one, blue states across the United States have been rolling back their Covid-19 restrictions, going against C.D.C. guidelines that are still backed by the White House. Why are governors in states like California, Illinois and New York taking those actions? And what do they say about the shifting politics of the pandemic? Guest: Lisa Lerer, a national political correspondent for The New York Times. by The Daily

23 min listen

Has Manchin Doomed the Build Back Better Plan?: Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia was always going to be the last Democrat to get on board with President Biden’s $2.2 trillion climate, social spending and tax bill. But the White House was confident that a compromise could be reached. On Sunday, that confidence was shattered: In an interview on Fox News, Mr. Manchin essentially declared that he could not support the bill as written, and he indicated that he was done negotiating all together. Where does this leave Mr. Biden’s signature domestic policy goal? Guest: Emily Cochrane, a correspondent for The New York Times, based in Washington. by The Daily

25 min listen

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We Need to Talk About Covid, Part 2: A Conversation with Dr. Fauci

We Need to Talk About Covid, Part 2: A Conversation with Dr. Fauci

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