The Daily

This episode includes an interview with the directors of the documentary "Naza," which features testimony from Israeli intelligence officers detailing the military's use of AI targeting systems and permissive civilian casualty allowances during the war in Gaza. The filmmakers discuss the intense backlash they face in Israel—including death threats and proposed legislation to revoke their citizenship—contrasted with the film's international acclaim at the Venice Film Festival. They explain their goal of forcing a reckoning within Israeli society regarding the systematic bombing of private homes and the dehumanizing language of "collateral damage" used to justify mass civilian deaths.

This episode includes a discussion of Celine Dion's triumphant return to the stage following her diagnosis with stiff person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that threatened her ability to sing. Critic Elizabeth Finchentelli traces Dion's career evolution from a critically dismissed "uncool" diva to a beloved, accessible icon, detailing the raw vulnerability captured in the documentary I Am Celine Dion and the rigorous physical and vocal therapy behind her recovery. The conversation culminates in a firsthand account of Dion's emotional Paris comeback concerts, where her enduring stage presence and deep connection with fans transcended the changes in her voice.

This episode includes an interview with Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, who warns that the world is facing the highest number of armed conflicts since World War II and that the rules of war are being dangerously eroded by leaders prioritizing "total victory" over human dignity. She details the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, the complexities of negotiating hostage releases and detainee access, and argues that the loss of negotiation skills and the rise of dehumanizing rhetoric are pushing the globe toward wider conflict. Spoljaric emphasizes that adherence to the Geneva Conventions remains the essential baseline for preventing the destruction of humanity and calls for a renewed political commitment to peace.

This episode includes a discussion of the nationwide high‑school protests in France over crumbling school infrastructure and how they intersect with the country’s deepening fiscal crisis, unsustainable pension obligations, and mounting public debt. It examines President Macron’s failed attempts at pension reform, the rise of populist candidates like Marine Le Pen and Jean‑Luc Mélenchon, and the resulting pressure on France’s bond market and the broader Eurozone. The conversation concludes with the outlook that France may be forced into painful fiscal tightening or face a potential bailout that could strain EU unity.

This episode includes a discussion of the CBS drama Cupertino, followed by an analysis of the recent botched lethal injection execution of Christopher Pike in Tennessee and its impact on the national debate over the death penalty. It covers declining public support, the influence of DNA exonerations, and contrasting state actions such as Florida’s accelerated executions.

This episode includes an investigation into a mysterious security scare at a British airbase hosting U.S. B-1 bombers, where the arrest of masked men in vans near the perimeter triggered fears of an imminent Iranian proxy attack. Based on sensitive intelligence suggesting operatives planned to launch armed drones at the aircraft—mirroring a Ukrainian strike on Russian bombers—the U.S. military executed an abrupt, chaotic withdrawal of its bomber fleet back to the United States. The report examines how this episode marks a dangerous expansion of Iran’s asymmetric warfare into Europe and raises questions about the political viability of allied nations hosting American military assets.

This episode includes a look at Meta’s new AI agent Muse, detailing how it can autonomously handle tasks such as ordering meals, managing accounts, and making phone calls, while highlighting the privacy trade‑offs and personal reliance it entails. It also explores the broader promise and pitfalls of AI agents, contrasting Muse with earlier prototypes like OpenClaw and considering how widespread use might reshape everyday interactions with technology.

This episode includes an analysis of new polling data revealing Democrats are surprisingly competitive in five traditionally red states—including Texas, Ohio, and Alaska—leading in three Senate races due to President Trump's low approval ratings and strong Democratic candidates facing flawed Republican opponents. Conversely, the polls show Democrats underperforming in blue states such as Maine and Michigan where popular Republican incumbents or weak Democratic nominees are keeping races tight. The findings suggest candidate quality and voter frustration with both parties are disrupting traditional partisan patterns in the battle for Senate control.

This episode includes an exploration of the deepening financial crisis in the American restaurant industry, where rising costs for real estate, labor, food, and fees have erased profit margins despite record-high menu prices. It examines how owners are adopting survival strategies such as counter-service models, simplified menus, and premium add-ons like caviar, while highlighting a Minneapolis diner’s radical "pay-what-you-can" experiment that evolved into a hybrid zero-profit-margin model sustained by donations. The discussion frames these shifts as a fundamental transformation of restaurants from creative enterprises into fragile community institutions struggling to preserve the core value of hospitality.

This episode includes a wide-ranging conversation with Chris Rock discussing his new film Misty Green, exploring themes of Hollywood exploitation, status anxiety, and the "expiration dates" faced by artists. Rock reflects on his stand-up legacy, the evolution of comedy culture regarding "wokeness" and forgiveness, and how therapy and a nonverbal learning disorder diagnosis have reshaped his empathy and creative process. The interview also covers his views on racial and economic disparity in America, the nature of friendship and betrayal, and finding optimism in daily routine despite systemic stagnation.

This episode includes an examination of a Cornell University sexual assault case where a student alleged she was raped by multiple men at a fraternity party, detailing how her understanding of the event evolved from denial to certainty over several weeks. Newly reviewed internal investigation documents reveal critical gaps in the Title IX process, including a condensed statement provided to the district attorney that omitted the victim’s definitive assertion that she was raped, leading to an initial decision not to prosecute. The case has sparked national debate over how universities and the legal system handle allegations involving alcohol, drugs, and trauma, prompting the district attorney to reopen the criminal investigation and the governor to appoint a special prosecutor.

This episode includes a deep dive into the profound transformation of college sports over the last five years, driven by new rules allowing athletes to be paid for their name, image, and likeness (NIL) and to transfer more freely. It explores the resulting "Wild West" environment of massive spending by boosters and frequent player movement, along with a recent bipartisan congressional bill attempting to regulate these changes. The discussion also touches on the controversial aspects of these proposed regulations and how, despite the chaos, the actual games remain exciting.

This episode includes an investigation into a major cyberattack by the criminal group Shiny Hunters, who breached an FBI jobs portal and stole highly sensitive personal data on tens of thousands of current and former agents, including their covert assignments and family details. The hackers initially threatened to publish the data in retaliation for an FBI advisory but backed down following the arrest of an alleged leader by Dutch authorities, though the stolen information remains at risk of being sold to foreign adversaries. The breach raises serious concerns about the government's ability to protect its workforce decades after the OPM hack prompted vows of better security.

This episode includes an examination of the explosive growth of prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket, which now handle billions in monthly wagers but face mounting legal challenges from state attorneys general who argue they constitute illegal gambling. It details the core regulatory conflict between states seeking to enforce local gambling laws and the platforms arguing they are federally regulated financial exchanges, a dispute that has produced a federal circuit split likely headed for the Supreme Court. The discussion also covers the influence of the Trump administration and Donald Trump Jr.’s financial ties to the industry, which have aligned federal regulators with the platforms in opposition to state enforcement efforts.

This episode includes an investigation into the Trump administration’s expanded use of third-country deportations, focusing on the case of Roberto Mosqueda, a longtime U.S. resident deported to a maximum-security prison in Eswatini despite having no ties to the nation. It examines the Supreme Court’s consideration of whether these removals violate due process rights, alongside the administration’s financial agreements with countries that often have poor human rights records. The report details the plight of thousands of deportees trapped in indefinite legal limbo abroad, drawing parallels to the Guantanamo Bay detention system.

This episode includes a discussion among New York Times critics dissecting the publication's ranked list of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century, with a deep focus on the top ten entries like The Wire, Breaking Bad, and Succession. The hosts debate the interplay of comedy and drama in the rankings, analyze the cultural legacy of series such as Fleabag, Mad Men, and Curb Your Enthusiasm, and explore how the "peak TV" era shaped modern storytelling. They also address notable omissions like The Sopranos—excluded by a 2000 cutoff date—and champion overlooked personal favorites such as Hannibal and Rectify.

This episode includes a candid conversation with Sylvester Stallone about his memoir The Steps, detailing a traumatic childhood marked by parental abuse, a disfiguring birth injury, and time in a reform school psych ward that forged his "unbreakable" will. He discusses the creation of Rocky as a desperate bid for survival, his volatile relationships with his parents and rivals like Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the physical toll of action stardom including steroid use, bulimia, and numerous surgeries. Stallone reflects on profound regrets regarding fatherhood, the death of his son Sage, his evolution from a jingoistic screen persona to an anti-war stance, and facing mortality at 80 while finding late-life creative renewal in Tulsa King.

This episode includes an examination of President Trump's takeover of the Kennedy Center, detailing how he replaced the bipartisan board with loyalists, installed himself as chairman, and oversaw mass staff firings and ideological programming shifts. It covers the subsequent legal battle that forced the removal of his name from the building's signage, which preceded the center's abrupt closure over claimed structural safety concerns. The episode concludes with the fallout of the shutdown, including 25,500 lost jobs, cancelled performances, and public protests mourning the transformation of a national cultural landmark into a political instrument.

This episode includes a discussion on the meeting between President Trump and President Xi Jinping to address artificial intelligence risks, drawing a historical parallel to Cold War nuclear non-proliferation efforts as a potential regulatory model. David Sanger details the history of nuclear arms control, from the Manhattan Project to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, while highlighting why AI presents a far more complex challenge due to its speed, private sector dominance, and the difficulty of verifying compliance. The conversation concludes that while the nuclear framework is the only existing template, the rapid pace of AI development and lack of consensus on the threat level between superpowers make a similar treaty unlikely before a potential crisis occurs.

This episode includes a discussion on the rise of AI-powered health tracking technology for infants, such as smart baby monitors that analyze sleep patterns and offer parenting advice, exploring how these tools alleviate parental anxiety while potentially fostering an unhealthy obsession with optimization. It expands to the booming adult wearable market, examining how devices like Whoop and Oura use personalized metrics and "recovery scores" to drive behavioral changes, yet may also introduce new anxieties and erode natural intuition. The conversation ultimately weighs the benefits of continuous biometric surveillance against the loss of human instinct and the privacy implications of amassing lifelong health data.