Inside the Tech Company Powering Trump’s Most Controversial Policies
16 December - 39 mins explicitWarning: 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.
Guest: Michael Steinberger, a contributing writer to The New York Times.
Background reading: ...
How Biden Lost Americans’ Faith in Immigration
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.
29 mins
15 December Finished
Sunday Special: The Best Music of 2025
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”
55 mins
14 December Finished
Journalism, Interrupted: 7 Podcast Hosts on the State of the Media
explicitWarning: This episode contains strong language. In this special episode for subscribers of “The Daily,” the host Michael Barbaro moderates a panel from The New York Times’s DealBook Summit, speaking with journalists and personalities from across the industry about the state of media in 2025.
52 mins
14 December Finished
'The Interview': 3 Senators Who Quit on Why Congress Won’t Stand Up to Trump
The current and former lawmakers get candid about bipartisan politics, party leadership and the state of the Senate.
40 mins
13 December Finished
Trump’s Plan to Reorder the World
President Trump has overseen an aggressive foreign policy, including harsh words about Europe and a lethal military campaign in the Caribbean. Last week, the White House unveiled its new national security strategy, which made Mr. Trump’s true goals clear and alarmed countries around the world. David E. Sanger, who covers the White House and national security for The New York Times, explains what the strategy is and how it may change America’s global relationships for good.
35 mins
12 December Finished