The Daily

Britney Spears is one of the biggest celebrities on the planet — she makes millions of dollars performing, selling perfumes and appearing on television. At the same time, however, her life is heavily controlled by a conservatorship, which she has been living under for 13 years. Soon, a court will decide whether to remove Mr. Spears as conservator or terminate the conservatorship altogether. We explore the details of Ms...

This episode contains strong language. Brig. Gen. Khoshal Sadat, a former Afghan deputy minister for security, has held some of the highest ranks in the Afghan security forces and government. From the moment Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, the United States has put much of the blame of Afghan security forces — a force that President Biden said gave up without a fight. “The reality is that we’re not cowards,” said General Sadat...

Increasing numbers of Haitian migrants have been traveling to the border town of Del Rio, Texas, recently, in the hope of entering the United States. Border Patrol took action — in some cases, sending the migrants back to Haiti; in others, taking them into custody or releasing them as they await trial. Why did so many thousands of Haitians come to the border in the first place? And what was behind the Biden administration’s reaction? Guest: Michael D...

Throughout 2020, multiple strangers came at Monthanus Ratanapakdee seemingly out of nowhere. An old man yelled at her in Golden Gate Park — something about a virus and going back to her country. When she discussed these incidents, her father would ask, “Is it really that bad?” Her father, Vicha Ratanapakdee, 84, was a lifelong Buddhist, the kind of person who embraced the world with open arms. During the coronavirus pandemic, he usually left the house before 8 a.m...

After 16 years in power, Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany, is walking out of office one of the most popular politicians in the country. In those years, Ms. Merkel has not only served as the leader of Germany, but also as a leader of Europe, facing down huge challenges — such as the eurozone and the refugee crises — all while providing a sense of stability...

New York, like many other states, is enmeshed in the process of redrawing legislative districts. The outcome of the reconfiguring could be crucial in determining which party takes control of the House of Representatives next year. Clearly aware of the stakes, New York Democrats are considering a tactic that is usually a preserve of the Republican Party: gerrymandering. Guest: Nicholas Fandos, a political correspondent for The New York Times.

The recent U.S.-British deal to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines might look relatively inconsequential. But it signifies a close alliance between the three countries to face off against China. It is also notable for another reason: It has greatly angered the French. Why? Guest: Mark Landler, the London bureau chief for The New York Times.

When he visited the site of an American drone strike in Kabul, Matthieu Aikins, a Times journalist, knew something wasn’t adding up. He uncovered a story that was quite different from the one offered up by the United States military. We follow The Times’s investigation and how it forced the military to acknowledge that the drone attack was a mistake. Guest: Matthieu Aikins, a writer based in Afghanistan for The New York Times.

Annie Correal, a reporter for The Times, has family in Indian Valley, in Northern California, roots which extend back to the 1950s. This summer, as wildfires closed in on the area, she reported from her family’s property as they sought to fend off the flames — and investigated the divided opinions about what had caused the devastating blazes. Guest: Annie Correal, a reporter covering New York City for The New York Times.

You have almost certainly heard Nicholas Britell’s music, even if you don’t know his name. More than any other contemporary composer, he appears to have the whole of music history at his command, shifting easily between vocabularies, often in the same film. His most arresting scores tend to fuse both ends of his musical education...