The Daily

For decades, the granting of racial reparations in the United States appeared to be a political nonstarter. But Evanston, Ill., recently became the first city to approve a program of reparations for its Black residents. How did this happen, and can it be replicated in other parts of the country? Guest: Megan Twohey, an investigative reporter for The New York Times.

For Aleksander Doba, pitting himself against the wide-open sea — storms, sunstroke, monotony, hunger and loneliness — was a way to feel alive in old age. Today, listen to the story of a man who paddled toward the existential crisis that is life and crossed the Atlantic alone in a kayak. Three times. Mr. Doba died on Feb. 22 on the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa. He was 74.

Early on Wednesday morning, a group of men killed President Jovenel Moïse of Haiti in his residence on the outskirts of the capital, Port-au-Prince. It was a brazen act. Very rarely is a nation’s leader killed in at home. What does the attack means for Haiti’s future? Guest: Maria Abi-Habib, bureau chief for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean for The New York Times.

After a 20-year war, the United States has effectively ended its operations in Afghanistan with little fanfare. In recent weeks, the Americans have quietly vacated their sprawling military bases in the nation, and without giving Afghan security forces prior notice. What does this withdrawal look like on the ground? Guest: Thomas Gibbons-Neff, a correspondent in the Kabul bureau for The New York Times.

When the F.D.A. approved the drug Aduhelm, the first Alzheimer’s treatment to receive the agency’s endorsement in almost two decades, it gave hope to many. But the decision was contentious; some experts say there’s not enough evidence that the treatment can address cognitive symptoms. What is the story behind this new drug? Guest: Pam Belluck, a health and science writer for The New York Times.

The Delta variant of the coronavirus is threatening to put the world in an entirely new stage of the pandemic. The variant is spreading fast, particularly in places with low vaccination rates — it is thought to be around 50 percent more transmissible than previous versions. What can be done to stop Delta, and how will the variant hamper global efforts to return to normalcy? Guest: Carl Zimmer, a science writer and author of the “Matter” column for The New York Times.

In Loudoun County, Va., a fierce debate has been raging for months inside normally sleepy school board meetings. At the heart of this anger is critical race theory, a once obscure academic framework for understanding racism in the United States. How, exactly, did critical race theory enter American public life, and what does this debate look like on the ground?

Throughout its 115-year history, the N.C.A.A.’s bedrock principle has been that student-athletes should be amateurs and not allowed to profit off their fame. This week, after years of agitation and legislation, the rule was changed. What will this new era of college sports look like?

Recently, the government released a long-awaited report: a look at unexplained aerial phenomena. We explore the report and what implications it may have. Will it do anything to quell theories of extraterrestrial visitors?

A few years ago, engineers sounded alarm bells about Champlain Towers, a residential building in Surfside, Fla. Last week, disaster struck and the towers collapsed. At least 11 residents have been confirmed dead and 150 more are still unaccounted for. What caused the building to fail, and why are so many people still missing?