When Book Bans Came to Small Town New Jersey
7 December 2022 - 44 mins explicitThis episode contains strong language.
In the contentious debate over who controls what happens in America’s schools, a new battleground has emerged: library books.
This is the story of what happened when parents in one town in New Jersey tried to remove a handful of books that they said were explicit and sexually inappropriate — and the battle that ensued.
Guest: Alexandra Alter, a reporter covering publishing and the literary world for The New York Times.
Background reading:
As highly visible and politicized book bans have exploded across the United States, librarians — accustomed to being seen as dedicated public servants in their communities — have found themselves on the front l...
Series Episodes
When A.I. Comes to Town: The Backlash Over Data Centers
Tech companies are racing to build thousands of huge data centers to power the artificial intelligence revolution. To find the land they need, they are barreling into rural communities across the United States with the promise of good jobs. But not everyone is buying that pitch. Karen Weise, a technology correspondent for The New York Times, tells the story of one county pushing back against big tech.
30 mins
16 February Finished
Boos, Rivalries and Records: Inside the 2026 Olympics
In this episode of “The Sunday Daily,” the host Rachel Abrams is joined by her New York Times colleagues Motoko Rich, Shawna Richer and Juliet Macur, who are all covering this year’s Olympic Games. They discuss how the geopolitical climate may or may not be influencing the competition, and talk about some of the extraordinary athletes who are pushing the limits of physical achievements.
43 mins
15 February Finished
'The Interview': The Woman at the Center of the French Rape Trial That Shocked the World
Gisèle Pelicot opens up about surviving years of secret abuse and her life today.
1 hour 3 mins
14 February Finished
The Government Shutdown Fight Over Immigration
The U.S. government this weekend is expected to find itself in yet another shutdown. This time, it is only one agency shutting down: the Department of Homeland Security. Michael Gold, a congressional reporter for The New York Times, explains why Democrats are once again picking a fight over funding with President Trump.
21 mins
13 February Finished
The Secret Plan to End U.S. Climate Regulations
The administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is expected on Thursday to repeal a scientific finding that requires the federal government to fight global warming. The move is the latest push by the Trump administration to wipe out climate regulations in the United States. Lisa Friedman, a New York Times reporter who covers climate policy, has spent the past few weeks piecing together the inside story of how a small group of activists turned its goal of rolling back environmental protections into reality.
30 mins
12 February Finished
TrumpRx Opens for Business
Last week, the Trump administration unveiled TrumpRx to try to counteract the high cost of prescription drugs. The president hailed the website as a “transformative” health care initiative. Margot Sanger-Katz, who covers health care policy, explains how the site works, and whether it will actually save Americans money.
23 mins
11 February Finished
