Can the Cease-Fire in Gaza Hold?

As the American economy plunges toward a recession, economists and policymakers are triaging proposals to stanch the bleeding. All of their ideas will cost money the government doesn’t have. That leaves Democrats and Republicans with two major questions: How much should be borrowed for bailouts — and what spending is needed to avoid permanent economic damage? Guest: Ben Casselman, an economics reporter at The New York Times.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily Background reading: Jerome H. Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, has urged Congress to spend more on economic relief — even if doing so means increasing the federal deficit. He warned that the United States was experiencing an economic hit “without modern precedent.” 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.

18 Maj 202025min

Our worlds have contracted; once expansive, our orbits are now measured by rooms and street blocks. But there are still ways to travel. Today, escape to the worlds contained in three letters — one about the summer of 1910, another describing an upended misconception and a third about how superstitions can offer release. We hope they can offer you some meaning — or at least a distraction.This story was recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publishers like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android. 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.

17 Maj 202024min

Note: This episode contains strong language. Today, we’re sharing Episode 5 of “Rabbit Hole,” a New York Times audio series with the tech columnist Kevin Roose. In this episode, our reporter investigates how a Swedish gamer with a webcam grew to become the biggest YouTuber in the world. We follow PewDiePie’s path to megastardom — and the war that unfolds when his reign is threatened. If you're tuning in to “Rabbit Hole” for the first time, start with the prologue. You can find more information about the podcast at nytimes.com/rabbithole. 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.

16 Maj 202034min

On today’s “A Bit of Relief,” two critics at The Times share the home rituals that they're leaning on for comfort. For the television critic James Poniewozik, it’s binge-watching television with his family (“Experiencing good or even brilliantly dumb art is a form of self-care,” he reassures). And for the restaurant critic Tejal Rao, the act of rewatching cinematic food scenes is surprisingly delightful. 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.

15 Maj 202017min

When Louisiana’s stay-at-home order expires today, restaurants across the state can begin allowing customers back inside, at their own discretion. So how do restaurant owners feel about the decision they now face? For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily Guest: Jasmine Lombrage, a restaurant owner in Baton Rouge, La. Background reading: America’s reopening has begun in force, just weeks after the coronavirus put most of the country on lockdown. See which states are reopening and which are still shut down.Even before the C.D.C. released checklists to help businesses decide when to reopen, chefs and public officials began considering how a post-pandemic restaurant might look. 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.

15 Maj 202031min

Federal prosecutors are asking a court to throw out their own criminal case against the former national security adviser Michael Flynn. We look at what led to that decision. Guest: Mark Mazzetti, a Washington investigative correspondent for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: Attorney General William Barr’s extraordinary decision to drop the criminal case against Mr. Flynn shocked legal experts, won President Trump’s praise and prompted a career prosecutor to quit the caseThe federal judge overseeing the case has appointed a hard-charging former prosecutor and judge to oppose the Justice Department’s efforts. The dropped charges against Mr. Flynn granted him another turnabout in a life filled with them. 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.

14 Maj 202025min

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court debated the nature of presidential power in two sets of cases regarding demands for President Trump’s personal records: one about his taxes, the other about claims that during his campaign he paid to silence women with whom he previously had affairs. This is what a constitutional clash on a conference call sounded like. Guest: Adam Liptak, who covers the Supreme Court for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: Based on the court’s questions, our reporter thinks the two sets of cases may well be decided in different ways. Here are the full arguments, if you want to listen in.Aimee Stephens, the transgender plaintiff in another Supreme Court case who we spoke with on the show in November, has died of complications related to kidney failure. She was 59. 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.

13 Maj 202027min

As Italy, France and Spain entered national lockdowns, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain was still shaking hands with coronavirus patients in hospitals, and then joking about it on national television. Then he was hospitalized with the virus — and by the time he returned, both his attitude and his approach to the crisis were transformed. Today, we explore why the country that was most skeptical of the virus may be the slowest to reopen. Guest: Mark Landler, the London bureau chief of The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: Mr. Johnson announced a cautious plan for reopening over the weekend, including a new 14-day quarantine for foreign arrivals.While the British government frequently says it’s “guided by the science” in managing the crisis, the membership of its scientific advisory group, SAGE, has been a secret. 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.

12 Maj 202026min