The Stunning Rise of the Democratic Socialists of America

This summer, the Democratic Socialists of America have mounted their biggest and most successful attempt yet to redefine the Democratic Party. They have defeated its candidates in primary after primary from coast to coast. As its electoral success grows, the organization is confronting big, unresolved questions about what it stands for and what level of compromise is required to become a lasting political force. Charles Homans, who talked to more than 30 D.S.A. candidates, organizers, members and volunteers across the countries, discusses the rise and limitations of the D.S.A.  Guest: Charles Homans writes about national politics for The New York Times and The Times Magazine. Background reading:  Moderates see socialists as a threat to the Democratic Party. Socialists agree. Photo: Dave Sanders and Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times; Joe Raedle/Getty Images For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In a dramatic decision, the prime minister of Canada abruptly cut off negotiations with the United States, delivering the message to President Trump that he would rather engage in an ugly trade war than submit to an unfair deal. Matina Stevis-Gridneff, the Canada bureau chief for The New York Times, explains how the two countries reached a breaking point and describes Canada’s plan to withstand economic warfare. Guest: Matina Stevis-Gridneff, the Canada bureau chief for The New York Times. Background reading:  Here’s what to know about the trade war. This is how the U.S.-Canada talks collapsed. The tariffs could price Canadian firms out of the United States and threaten thousands of jobs. Photo: Cole Burston/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Natalie Harp is a constant presence at President Trump’s side. She’s a 35-year-old gatekeeper, deciding much of what he sees. She stays up late with him to draft his social media posts and even texts with world leaders on his behalf. Today, Maggie Haberman, a White House correspondent for The New York Times, covers what we know about Trump’s closest aide and why people inside and outside the White House are questioning her devotion to the president. Guest: Maggie Haberman, a White House correspondent for The New York Times. Background reading: President Trump’s White House aide Natalie Harp is always by his side. What, exactly, does she do? Photo: Doug Mills/The New York Times For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jesse and Emily Cole created the Savannah Bananas with a simple mission in mind: to make baseball as entertaining as possible. They introduced some innovations to America’s pastime, including twerking umpires, stilt-walking pitchers and TikTok-ready choreographed dance numbers. They tinkered with the rules of baseball, making a game that was shorter and faster, with plenty of opportunities for fan engagement. The result? A sports sensation. In the 10 years since its founding, the team has become one of the most popular sports organizations in the world, reaching tens of millions of fans online, with a waiting list of millions of others hoping to see a game in person. For many, the Bananas are the ultimate sports success story, one that shows a path forward for teams and leagues concerned about fan retention in an era of shortened attention spans and endless entertainment options. But others take a less rosy view of the Bananas and their hyper-energetic brand of baseball, seeing them as an existential threat to a game that fans have loved for more than a hundred years. On today’s show, our host Natalie Kitroeff talks with Jonathan Abrams, a Times reporter who covers culture news, about the Bananas phenomenon, and then heads to a Banana Ball game to see things for herself.   On Today's Episode Jonathan Abrams is a reporter for The New York Times covering national culture news.   Background Reading A Broadway Star Is the Savannah Bananas’ Phantom of the Bullpen As Savannah Bananas pursue ‘a billion fans,’ are they real competition for MLB?   Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The author Priya Parker says the key to human connection is to lean into the fight. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] Watch our show on YouTube: youtube.com/@TheInterviewPodcast For transcripts and more, visit: nytimes.com/theinterview For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Last week, the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers announced he was selling the basketball team for $12.5 billion — the highest price ever paid for a professional sports team. The deal has shocked the sports world and drawn new attention to a growing trend: Big groups of investors have been buying up professional sports teams as the franchises chase skyrocketing valuations. Today, Pablo Torre, the host of “Pablo Torre Finds Out,” explains the deal and how big money is transforming our relationship with the sports we love. Guest: Pablo Torre, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the host of “Pablo Torre Finds Out.” Background reading:  The deal for the Los Angeles Lakers valued the team at a record $12.5 billion, eclipsing the $10 billion paid for the franchise just last year. The transaction for the Lakers reflects the huge profit potential of major sports franchises. Photo: Logan Riely/NBAE, via Getty Images For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For the past 18 months, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has remade the top ranks of the U.S. military — dismissing or sidelining many whose rise he believes was aided by D.E.I. and replacing them with officers who fit his definition of merit. In the process, many argue he’s prioritizing loyalty to him and his ideas over loyalty to the military itself. Today, Greg Jaffe, a New York Times reporter who covers the Pentagon and the U.S. military, takes us inside the hiring and firing for a single job that has become a case study for Hegseth’s approach. Guest: Greg Jaffe, a reporter covering the Pentagon and the U.S. military for The New York Times. Background reading:  Before he was picked to lead the Navy, Adm. Daryl Caudle found ways to signal his support for Mr. Hegseth’s anti-diversity goals. Mr. Hegseth fired the Navy’s top officer, Adm. Lisa Franchetti, who spent roughly half of her 40-year career at sea, commanding a destroyer, two carrier strike groups and the U.S. Sixth Fleet. Photo: Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The global chaos agent known as El Niño is back, and this year it’s already on track to be, by far, the strongest and most severe on record, wreaking havoc on weather across the world. Today, Chico Harlan, the global climate reporter for The New York Times, goes over El Niño’s history, its inner workings and its increasingly destructive fallout. Guest: Chico Harlan, the global climate correspondent for The New York Times. Background reading:  El Niño, the Pacific climate shift that comes around once or twice a decade, is back, warming tropical oceans and setting off consequences worldwide. It’s expected to peak later this year but is already causing dry spells and crop failures on three continents. Photo: Bay Ismoyo/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For the past two weeks, family members of sailors have been raising alarms about the conditions aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, which has a crew of about 5,000 and has been at sea for almost nine months straight. Today, John Ismay, a New York Times reporter who covers the Pentagon with a focus on armed conflict and the defense industry, discusses what went wrong on the ship and how it could affect the U.S. military’s ability to fight wars. Guest: John Ismay, a New York Times reporter who covers the Pentagon with a focus on armed conflict and the defense industry. Background reading:  The U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln has been deployed for nearly nine months. Members of Congress are worried about the crew’s well-being. Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, acknowledged the difficulty of the carrier’s lengthy deployment but said mental health issues were lower than on other vessels. Photo: Jason Waite/Agence France-Presse, via Navy Office of Information For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the two years since a masked man shot and killed a health care executive, the national spotlight has turned to the primary suspect, Luigi Mangione. The overwhelming evidence has pointed to his guilt, and the question on most minds has been: What might the defense of one of the most famous murder suspects in America look like? At a hearing on Friday, we got our first glimpse at an answer, one that appears to include a full-throated embrace of his guilt. Today, Benjamin Weiser, a reporter covering the justice system for The New York Times, and Hurubie Meko, a criminal justice reporter for The Times, discuss the risky defense strategy and why an admission of guilt might be Mr. Mangione’s best bet. Guests:  Benjamin Weiser, a reporter covering the justice system for The New York Times. Hurubie Meko, a criminal justice reporter for The New York Times. Background reading: Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty to federal charges, and still faces a state case. Photo: Pool photo by David Dee Delgado For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.