On Thursday, President Trump fired Kristi Noem, his secretary of homeland security, whose agency is at the center of his second-term agenda. Hamed Aleaziz, who covers the department, explains how Ms. Noem ended up losing the president’s trust. Guest: Hamed Aleaziz, who covers the Department of Homeland Security and immigration policy in the United States for The New York Times. Background reading: Bulletproof vests and Rolex watches: the rise and fall of Kristi Noem. Mr. Trump said he would replace Ms. Noem with an Oklahoma senator, Markwayne Mullin. Photo: Nicole Hester/USA Today Network, via Reuters 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.
3D AGO
Do Trump and Netanyahu have conflicting end goals on Iran?
For Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the war on Iran is the culmination of a long-standing political ambition. On Sunday, Netanyahu said he was finally doing what he had “hoped to achieve for 40 years – to crush the regime of terror completely.” Polling suggests the war is popular in Israel too. But it’s a lot more complicated for Donald Trump. He was elected on a promise to end foreign wars, and current polling suggests the war is not supported by most Americans. We talk to the BBC’s international editor Jeremy Bowen about whether this war, which Netanyahu says is an opportunity, complements or collides with Donald Trump’s own interests. And ask if Benjamin Netanyahu has everything to gain from this war, and Donald Trump a lot more to lose? Producers: Lucy Pawle and Sam Chantarasak Sound engineer: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters. U.S. President Donald Trump points his finger towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they shake hands during a press conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 29, 2025.
3D AGO
Where is Nancy Guthrie?
No one knows. But that isn't stopping the true crime influencers. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Andrea Lopez-Cruzado, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. A flyer that reads "Nancy Guthrie Desparecida" is taped to Nancy Guthrie's mailbox in Tucson, Arizona. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3D AGO
What it’s like to get caught in ICE’s surveillance web
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is using a variety of tools to surveil folks they want to intimidate and apprehend. That web helps federal agents find people to deport. But it also allows them to identify U.S. citizens who criticize the federal government and its policies. NPR has compiled dozens of stories of people caught up in the surveillance web. Some were monitoring ICE activities and found themselves in interactions with agents who identify them by their names and home addresses. NPR’s Scott Detrow talks with Meg Anderson and Jude Joffe-Block who have been collecting the stories, and tracking ICE’s surveillance tactics. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org. Reporting from NPR’s Kat Lonsdorf contributed to this story. This episode was produced by Gabriel Sanchez and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by Alina Hartounian, John Ketchum and Sarah Handel.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
3D AGO
War in Iran, Shockwaves in Markets
When you’re sending troops to war, it seems like there are more important things to consider than how it will impact the stock market. However, it doesn’t seem coincidental that this administration waited until the markets closed on a Friday to launch its attacks on Iran. Guest: Justin Wolfers, professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
3D AGO
Iran and AI on the battlefield
For decades we have been hearing about the possibility of AI-driven warfare, and now it’s here. Anthropic's AI platform Claude has been reportedly central to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. It was used during the attack that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which involved strikes on nearly 900 targets dropped within the first 12 hours, including on a girls’ elementary school that killed at least 165 people – mostly students. Today we’re talking about AI military capabilities: how companies like Anthropic and OpenAI are working with the military, and what happens when these companies and governments start building systems that help decide who lives and who dies in a war. Heidy Khlaaf, the Chief AI Scientist at the AI Now Institute and an expert on AI safety within defense and national security, joins the show.
Former Bachelor Clayton Echard’s casual one-night fling turned into a paternity nightmare. When the news broke about the scandal, no one believed Clayton at first. He was a reality TV star, and an unpopular one at that. Clayton found himself trying to prove the truth, while trapped in a web of lies, manipulation, and threats. He would soon discover he was not the only one. At its core, this is a story about who you believe and why. It’s an epic battle that would take a group of strangers, citizen sleuths from across the world, to crack the case and finally hold someone accountable. New episodes of Love Trapped are released every Thursday, starting February 26th, 2026. If you would like to reach out to the Love Trapped team, email us at lovetrappedpod@gmail.com and follow along on Instagram @glasspodcasts.
5.0 (756)
TRUE CRIME
The production team behind the Peabody-nominated "Lost Patients" returns with a new investigative series: "Adults in the Room." Episodes will come out Tuesdays at midnight Pacific Time. Seattle, 1999. At Garfield High School, Mr. Hudson is a legend. With a thundering voice and imposing stature, Mr. Hudson — or “Tom” as select students call him — teaches biology and leads an elite outdoors program. But when teen reporters at the school paper start exploring a rumor that he sexually abused students, all hell breaks loose. Adults close ranks, and schoolmates turn on the young journalists. And then one day, a voice on the school intercom announces that Mr. Hudson is dead. Isolde Raftery is one of the students who first hears about and reports allegations against Mr. Hudson. Three decades later, she is an investigative journalist in Seattle. In "Adults in the Room," Raftery re-reports the story to understand what really happened in 1999. Was a whole school community groomed by a charismatic predator? Or was she part of a whisper campaign that cost the life of a great teacher? "Focus" is KUOW’s home for immersive audio documentaries. Each season zooms in on a single story that challenges commonly held narratives about life in the Pacific Northwest and reveals something bigger about American society.
4.8 (1069)
DOCUMENTARY
When London boutique owner Bridget Hutchcroft befriends a glamorous client at her Knightsbridge dress agency, she believes she has met a Russian socialite with vast wealth and powerful connections. Ekaterina Barrett glides through luxury apartments, London’s finest hotels and European high society dinners with unwavering confidence. Chauffeurs wait outside. Extravagant goods pile up. Money, it seems, is no object. Until it vanishes. Bridget generously lends her wealthy new friend more than a million pounds, but it proves to be a disastrous mistake. When Ekaterina refuses to pay the money back, Bridget’s loyal circle of friends step in. Journalist Vicky Baker joins them in a frantic search for answers. It turns out Bridget is not the only one claiming to be severely out of pocket thanks to the broken promises of her mysterious former friend. What follows is an international investigation stretching from London to Vienna, the Netherlands and Monaco. Courtrooms, casinos and opera houses all reveal fragments of an increasingly bizarre story. Witnesses describe charm turning into control. Court appearances descend into farce. Documents emerge that challenge everything Ekaterina has claimed under oath. At the centre of it all is a burning question. If Ekaterina now insists she owns nothing, who is funding the lavish life she continues to live? Fraudacious follows Bridget’s fight for justice as the legal battle intensifies and Ekaterina’s world begins to fracture while she continues to maintain her innocence. Each episode peels back another layer of performance, power, and deception, revealing how easily wealth can be manipulated and how devastating the cost can be for those who are lured in. This is a story about trust and illusion. About how the promise of wealth can be as potent as the real thing. And about whether the truth can finally catch up with someone who has spent a lifetime trying to stay one step ahead of everyone on her trail.
5.0 (1)
TRUE CRIME
On a December night in a small town on the Jersey shore, the discovery of an abandoned car on a bridge touches off a search for the missing driver. 19-year-old Sarah Stern, an aspiring artist, has seemingly vanished. Friends tell authorities she might have jumped, or fled to Canada. But troubling statements, omissions and the discovery of a partially-burned cache of money doesn’t sit right with investigators. As they begin to suspect foul-play, an up-and-coming filmmaker’s daring undercover sting operation cracks the case wide open. A six-part series from 20/20 and ABC Audio. New episodes Tuesdays.
4.7 (13)
TRUE CRIME
The Vikings terrified the medieval world. Yet they beguile us today. Who were they really? Welcome to Real Vikings - the new show from the award-winning Noiser Podcast Network, hosted by Iain Glen (Game of Thrones, Resident Evil, Downton Abbey). Each week we’ll take a deep dive into the Viking age… boarding longboats bound for new lands, from Greenland to North Africa, Constantinople to Canada… following mighty warlords like Eric Bloodaxe and Olga of Kyiv… meeting master navigators like Leif Erikson… and uncovering the real figures behind the legends of the sagas. With contributions from leading historians, original music and immersive sound design. Real Vikings is available for free wherever you get your podcasts or at noiser.com Noiser+ subscribers get early access to new episodes and ad-free listening. Click the Noiser+ banner at the top of the feed or head to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
3.8 (4)
HISTORY
City of Lights is a true crime podcast about real life after the crime. In 2002, in the city of Aurora, Illinois, an 18-year-old named Jeff Signorelli was killed in a completely random act of violence. His murder remains unsolved. In the years following Jeff's murder, his parents Al and Mary Ann led efforts to make Aurora a safer place. But those efforts often put them at odds with leaders in Aurora, including the mayor and chief of police. As the investigation into Jeff's murder grew cold, their grief was amplified by a growing frustration. Host Willy Nast (born and raised in Aurora) examines the lives of Al, Mary Ann, and others in Aurora who were affected by Jeff's murder. Instead of asking "whodunnit?" or "how?" or "why?," the question he seeks to answer is "what now?" All six episodes of City of Lights drop on February 4th, 2026.
On Tuesdays and Fridays The Moth’s podcast feed presents episodes of the Peabody-Award Winning Moth Radio Hour and original episodes of The Moth Podcast. Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. For information on all of our programs and live events, visit themoth.org.
4.6 (24860)
PERFORMING ARTS
Julia Louis-Dreyfus returns for Season 4 of her award-winning podcast, Wiser Than Me™. Each week, she has funny, touching, personal conversations with iconic older women who are brimming with the kind of unapologetic attitude and wisdom that only comes with age. Julia sits at the feet of some extraordinary teachers this season, and of course her 91-year-old mom, Judith. Tune in to laugh, cry, and get wise. All Hail Old Women! Photo: Ryan Pfluger and August Image
4.7 (10134)
COMEDY
"SmartLess" with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, & Will Arnett is a podcast that connects and unites people from all walks of life to learn about shared experiences through thoughtful dialogue and organic hilarity. A nice surprise: in each episode of SmartLess, one of the hosts reveals his mystery guest to the other two. What ensues is a genuinely improvised and authentic conversation filled with laughter and newfound knowledge to feed the SmartLess mind. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of SmartLess ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.
4.6 (53731)
COMEDY
Anna Sale explores the big questions and hard choices that are often left out of polite conversation.Get more Death, Sex & Money with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of DSM and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the Death, Sex & Money show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/dsmplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
4.6 (7403)
RELATIONSHIPS
Our newest podcast, “The Preventionist” is out now. Search for it wherever you get your podcasts. Serial Productions makes narrative podcasts that have transformed the medium. Sign up for our newsletter at nytimes.com/serialnewsletter to find out about new shows, get behind the scenes stories, and see photos and videos you can’t see on a podcast. To get full access to Serial Productions shows, and to other New York Times podcasts on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, subscribe at nytimes.com/podcasts. Have a story pitch, a tip, or feedback on our shows? Email us at serialshows@nytimes.com "Serial" began in 2014 as a spinoff of the public radio show "This American Life." In 2017, we formed Serial Productions when we launched the podcast “S-Town.” Since then, Serial Productions has produced every season of “Serial” along with shows like “Nice White Parents,” “The Trojan Horse Affair,” “The Coldest Case in Laramie,” “The Retrievals” and more. In 2020, we joined the New York Times Company. Our shows have reached many millions of listeners and have won nearly every major journalism award for audio, including the first-ever Peabody Award given to a podcast.
4.5 (74864)
NEWS
Normal Gossip delivers juicy, strange, funny, and utterly banal gossip about people you’ll never know and never meet. Host Rachelle Hampton discusses reader-submitted comedic gossip with guests, diving into the lives and decisions of complete strangers. The second-hand truth really is stranger than fiction. Produced by Se'era Spragley Ricks and Jae Towle Vieira. Created by Kelsey McKinney and Alex Sujong Laughlin. Show art by Tara Jacoby. https://normalgossip.komi.io/