The Daily

During months of pandemic isolation, Wesley Morris, a critic at large for The New York Times, decided to grow a mustache. The reviews were mixed and predictable. He heard it described as “porny” and “creepy,” as well as “rugged” and “extra gay.” It was a comment on a group call, however, that gave him pause. Someone noted that his mustache made him look like a lawyer for the N.A.A.C.P.’s legal defense fund...

Franco A. is not the only far-right extremist in Germany discovered by chance. For over a decade, 10 murders in the country, including nine victims who were immigrants, went unsolved. The neo-Nazi group responsible was discovered only when a bank robbery went wrong. In this episode, we ask: Why has a country that spent decades atoning for its Nazi past so often failed to confront far-right extremism?

When she was at graduate school in the 1970s, Dr. Katalin Kariko learned about something that would become a career-defining obsession: mRNA. She believed in the potential of the molecule, but for decades ran up against institutional roadblocks. Then, the coronavirus hit and her obsession would help shield millions from a once-in-a-century pandemic. Today, a conversation with Dr. Kariko about her journey. Guest: Gina Kolata, a reporter covering science and medicine for The New York Times.

The Senate passed the largest piece of industrial policy seen in the U.S. in decades on Tuesday, directing about a quarter of a trillion dollars to bolster high-tech industries. In an era where lawmakers can’t seem to agree on anything, why did they come together for this? Guest: David E. Sanger, a White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times.

In the past few weeks, some of the biggest industries in the U.S. have been held up by cyberattacks. The first big infiltration was at Colonial Pipeline, a major conduit of gas, jet fuel and diesel to the East Coast. Then, J.B.S., one of the world’s largest beef suppliers, was hit. The so-called ransomware attacks have long been a worry. But who are the hackers and how can they be stopped? Guest: Nicole Perlroth, a reporter covering cybersecurity and digital espionage for The New York Times.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has always sold himself as a peerless defender of his country. In the minds of many Israelis, he has become a kind of indispensable leader for the nation’s future. Despite that image, Mr. Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, might soon be ousted from office. What has given his rivals the momentum to try to topple him? And who might be his replacement? Guest: David M...

Andrea Smith had long been an outspoken activist and academic in the Native American community. Called an icon of “Native American feminism,” she was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her advocacy work and has aligned herself with prominent activists such as Angela Davis. Last fall, however, a number of academics, including Ms. Smith, were outed as masquerading as Black, Latino or Indigenous. While many of them explained themselves and the lies they told, Ms. Smith never did. Why?

On this episode of The Ezra Klein Show, former President Barack Obama discusses Joe Biden, aliens and what he got right and wrong during his two terms in office. Each Tuesday and Friday for The New York Times Opinion section, Ezra Klein invites you into a conversation on something that matters. Subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts.

Franco A. visited the workplaces of two of his alleged targets. We meet both targets to hear the stories of two Germanies: One a beacon of liberal democracy that has worked to overcome its Nazi past, the other a place where that past is attracting new recruits. Today, we explore how Germany's history is informing the fight for the country’s future.

Over the weekend, months of tension in the Texas Legislature came to a head. A group of Democratic lawmakers got up and left the building before a vote — an act of resistance amid the most conservative Texas legislative session in recent memory. The population of Texas is becoming less old, less white and less Republican, so why is its Legislature moving further right? Guest: Manny Fernandez, the Los Angeles bureau chief for The New York Times...