How Trump Is Scaring Big Law Firms Into Submission

A year after police used a genetic database to help identify a suspect in the Golden State Killer case, the same technique has been used to arrest dozens of people. Now, for the first time, one of those cases is headed to trial. In Part 1 of a two-part series, we look at the tool that is transforming law enforcement and testing the limits of privacy. Guests: Heather Murphy, a New York Times reporter, spoke with Curtis Rogers, a creator of the genealogy website GEDMatch; Peter Headley, a detective with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department; and Barbara Rae-Venter, a genetic genealogist. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.Background reading:Using a technique that relies on DNA submitted to online genealogy sites, investigators have solved dozens of violent crimes. But some question the ethics and legality of the technique.GEDMatch, a free site that began as a side project, has upended how investigators across the country are approaching cold cases.Read about how genetic sleuthing through GEDMatch helped a woman who had been kidnapped as a child recover her identity. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

6 Jun 201925min

Dr. Robert Grant developed a treatment — a daily pill known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP — that could stop the AIDS crisis. We look at why that hasn’t happened. Guests: Dr. Grant, who has been working on H.I.V. treatment and prevention for over 30 years, and Donald G. McNeil Jr., a science and health reporter for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: Gilead Sciences, the maker of Truvada, the only drug approved to prevent H.I.V. infection, will donate enough of the drug to supply 200,000 patients, but critics questioned the company’s motives.The high cost of drugs remains a major obstacle to ending the AIDS epidemic.Here’s more information about PrEP from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

5 Jun 201927min

A criminal group has held computer systems for the city of Baltimore hostage for nearly a month — paralyzing everything from email to the real estate market to the payment of water bills. But what residents don’t know is that a major component of the malware used to shut down the system was developed nearby by a federal government agency. Guest: Scott Shane, who covers national security and the U.S. intelligence community for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading:People involved in the investigation say the N.S.A. tool, EternalBlue, was found in Baltimore’s network by four contractors hired to restore computer services. The N.S.A. says that’s not the case. Cybercriminals have been targeting other vulnerable American towns and cities, from Pennsylvania to Texas, in ways that could disrupt local governments for months. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

4 Jun 201923min

In a brief but prolific career, a young writer asked whether evangelical Christianity could change. In doing so, she changed it. Guests: Elizabeth Dias, who covers religion for The Times, in conversation with Natalie Kitroeff. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: Read the Times obituary for Rachel Held Evans, the best-selling author who challenged conservative Christianity and gave voice to a generation of wandering evangelicals wrestling with their faith. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

3 Jun 201926min

A Times investigation found that doctors at UNC Children’s Hospital suspected that children with complex heart conditions had been dying at higher-than-expected rates, and even children with low-risk conditions seemed to do poorly. Secret recordings shared with our colleague reveal what was happening inside the hospital. Guest: Ellen Gabler, an investigative reporter for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading:Limited information released by UNC shows that the hospital’s cardiac surgery mortality rate from July 2013 through June 2017 was higher than those of most of the 82 hospitals that publicly report similar information.Listen to the audio recordings that provide an unfiltered look behind closed doors at the hospital. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

31 Mai 201934min

Robert Mueller, the special counsel, discussed his investigation of Russian election interference for the first time on Wednesday. He did not absolve President Trump of obstruction of justice, saying: “If we had enough confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.” Guest: Michael S. Schmidt, who has been covering the special counsel investigation for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: The news conference presented an extraordinary spectacle of a top law enforcement official publicly stating that the president’s conduct warranted a criminal investigation, even though it was impossible to indict him for any crimes.Here’s the full transcript of Mr. Mueller’s statement. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

30 Mai 201922min

From Day 1, the Trump administration has tried to dismantle regulations aimed at curbing climate change. Now officials are attempting to undermine the very science on which such policies rest. Guest: Coral Davenport, who covers energy and environmental policy for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: Parts of the federal government will no longer fulfill what scientists say is one of the most urgent jobs of climate science studies: reporting on the future effects of a rapidly warming planet. Here is a breakdown of the 1,656-page report released last fall that warns of a damaged environment and shrinking economy. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

29 Mai 201921min

In the past year, many New York City taxi drivers have fallen deeper into debt, even as the city moved to rein in ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft. Our colleague explains how the rush to blame those apps shielded those who were really behind the crisis. Guests: Brian M. Rosenthal, an investigative reporter on the Metro desk of The New York Times, and Nicolae Hent, a taxi driver in New York City.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: A spate of suicides by taxi drivers in New York City over the past year has highlighted in brutal terms the financial plight of those with ownership permits. Officials blamed the crisis on competition from ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft.But thousands of immigrants who were chasing the dream of owning a New York taxi were trapped in reckless loans by bankers who made huge profits, The Times found. Despite years of warning signs, government agencies did little to stop it. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

28 Mai 201929min