Congress Failed to Extend the Health Care Subsidies. Now What?

With anxieties building over affordability, President Trump made a push to reassure Americans just as the government released long-awaited data that raised new questions about the economic health of the nation. Tony Romm, who covers economic policy for The New York Times, discusses how Mr. Trump is trying to take control of the issue, and Ben Cassleman, The Times’s chief economics correspondent, explains what the latest numbers tell us about why people are still so frustrated.

Rob Reiner, the classic film director, and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were killed on Sunday at their home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. On Tuesday, prosecutors charged the couple’s son, Nick, with first-degree murder. Julia Jacobs, an arts and culture reporter for The New York Times, explains what we have learned about the deaths, and Wesley Morris, a critic at The Times, discusses why many of Rob Reiner’s films are so beloved.

Warning: This episode contains strong language. Palantir, a data analysis and technology company, has secured federal contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars during President Trump’s second presidency, including to develop software to help Immigration and Customs Enforcement deport people. Michael Steinberger, who spent six years interviewing Palantir’s chief executive, Alex Karp, for the book “The Philosopher in the Valley,” explains how Mr. Karp went from a self-described lifelong Democrat to a champion of Mr. Trump, and the impact this transformation could have on American democracy.

A New York Times review of President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s actions on immigration showed that decisions he and his closest advisers made created an opening for a more aggressive Trump administration agenda. Christopher Flavelle, who interviewed more than 30 former Biden administration officials who worked on immigration and border policy, explains how Mr. Biden fumbled the immigration issue, and what the Democratic Party can learn from his missteps.

As 2025 comes to an end, The Sunday Special is looking back on the year in culture. This week, we’re listening to the songs and albums that defined the year, for better or worse. Gilbert Cruz is joined by Caryn Ganz and Lindsay Zoladz from The Times’s pop music desk to discuss some of the biggest and best releases of 2025.Albums and songs mentioned in this episode: Bad Bunny, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” Lady Gaga, “Mayhem” Justin Bieber, “Daisies” Chappell Roan, “The Giver” and “The Subway” Sabrina Carpenter, “Manchild” Doechii, “Alligator Bites Never Heal” Taylor Swift, “The Life of a Showgirl” Morgan Wallen, “I’m the Problem” Ghost, “Skeletá” Dijon, “Baby” Geese, “Getting Killed” Water From Your Eyes, “It’s a Beautiful Place” PinkPantheress, “Fancy That” Lily Allen, “Tennis” Ella Langley, “Choosin’ Texas” Sleigh Bells, “Bunky Becky Birthday Boy” Hayley Williams, “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party” Turnstile, “Never Enough”