Trump delivers his State of the Union. These were the takeaways.
President Trump delivered his State of the Union. NBC News’s Sahil Kapur was in the press gallery and gives us his takeaways. Deadly cartel violence in Mexico has raised concerns over security at the upcoming FIFA World Cup. The Athletic’s Felipe Cardenas explains what officials are saying about the risks and why FIFA is standing behind Mexico. Voters in Switzerland could soon vote to cap the country’s population at 10 million people as a way to restrict immigration. Bastian Benrath-Wright of Bloomberg joins to discuss why major businesses in Switzerland oppose the measure. Plus, FedEx is suing the Trump administration for a tariff refund, why the director of the Louvre quit, and how an innocent snowball fight turned political. Today’s episode was hosted by Cecilia Lei and Gideon Resnick.
20H AGO
Gavin Newsom says the Democratic party “must fight fire with fire”
Gavin Newsom is in his final year as governor of California. He’s also widely considered a potential presidential candidate for 2028—a possibility he has not ruled out—and he sees himself as a leader of Democratic opposition to President Donald Trump, often mocking his brash style on social media. The governor sat down with NPR for an interview ahead of the release of his new memoir, Young Man in a Hurry. He talks about his early life as a kid in the San Francisco Bay Area, his strategy of simultaneously engaging with right-wing voices and ridiculing the president, and he explains why he refuses “to be a bystander to this moment.”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.This episode was produced by Connor Donevan and Jonaki Mehta. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
20H AGO
Lawsuit alleges DHS intimidates observers
People who film immigration operations in their cities say federal agents are surveilling and intimidating them. In some cases, they say agents have threatened to add them to a list of domestic terrorists. A new lawsuit filed in Maine against the Department of Homeland Security argues this pattern violates the First Amendment. NPR’s Jude Joffe-Block reports. Support NPR and hear every episode of Trump's Terms sponsor-free with NPR+. Sign up at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
12H AGO
What an Epstein recording reveals about how elites get jobs
What do the latest batch of documents tell us about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and elite networking? Quite a bit. Today on the show, we analyze one exchange between Epstein and a former world leader to find out how the revolving door works for the rich and powerful. FYI, we are going on a book tour! Planet Money’s first ever book comes out in April. We’ll be celebrating in about a dozen cities. There’s a limited-edition tote bag included with your ticket, while supplies last. Details, dates and how to get your ticket at planetmoneybook.com. Related episodes: Gilded Age 2.0? How close is the US to crony capitalism? For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Vito Emanuel. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
12H AGO
Mexico’s Cartel War
With President Trump’s urging and support from CIA drones, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s more confrontational approach to the drug cartels culminated in the death of “El Mencho,” the most wanted man in both Mexico and the United States. Guest: León Krauze, Mexican journalist and author covering politics and the cartels. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across 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 Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
10H AGO
Ukraine’s defiance, four years on
This week marks four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the largest and deadliest conflict in Europe since WW2. Ukraine has put its official losses at 55,000 soldiers, and the BBC has verified the deaths of more than 180,000 on the Russian side, although the true toll is likely to be much higher. Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed or wounded, and millions have been displaced. In today’s episode, the BBC’s international editor Jeremy Bowen, travels through Ukraine, speaking to people living on the front line, to soldiers, and to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, about what they would concede – if anything - for a peace deal with Russia. Producer: Hannah Moore Executive producer: Bridget Harney Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: A Ukrainian woman attends a memorial ceremony for fallen servicemen at the Military Cemetery in Kharkiv. Credit: Sergey Kozlov/EPA/Shutterstock.
Has the U.S. government been conducting a slow-drip UFO disclosure campaign through Hollywood movies and television for more than 70 years? The new podcast Sound, Light & Frequency tackles that mind-blowing question through an ongoing investigation hosted by two Hollywood insiders: Bryce Zabel and Brent Friedman, both successful writer/producers with hundreds of credits. Bryce and Brent publicly share, for the first time, the full account of their surreal encounter with a “Man in Black” who offered them a deal to use their primetime alien-invasion drama series, Dark Skies, to spread UFO truths. Each episode takes listeners behind the scenes of iconic films and TV series, connecting what’s been portrayed on screen to what might be happening in real life—and asking whether other creators were offered “the deal,” too.
4.9 (36)
DOCUMENTARY
Welcome to Friends Keep Secrets: a first-of-its-kind show from best friends benny blanco, Lil Dicky (Dave Burd), and Dave’s wife, Kristin Batalucco. With more than 18 hidden cameras rigged throughout Dave and Kristin’s LA home, the show brings viewers inside an intimate hang with the hosts' real-life friendships and the guests that pop in. This isn’t a formal interview show. They might cook, record a song, play a game, or simply hang out. Blending elements of a podcast, livestream, and sitcom, Friends Keep Secrets captures the magic of being in the room with the hosts and the people they cherish most.
4.7 (26)
COMEDY
Born in China, raised in the UK, Eva Brookes asks how transracial adoption has shaped her. Found in China as a newborn and adopted by a white British family 13 months later, Eva grew up in Essex feeling British. But that's not always how other people perceived her. For most of her life, Eva didn't ask how that impacted her. She just tried to fit in - as a child, that felt safer than standing out. Now, she wants to understand how her experience as a transracial adoptee has shaped her understanding of herself today. In this series, Eva explores the political, cultural and social forces that impacted her life and the lives of millions of Chinese girls like her; re-visits memories of her childhood, school and family life in the UK; and explores how to connect with her birth culture today. Through conversations with her adoptive parents and sister, fellow adoptees, journalists, academics and other experts, Eva explores what determines who we become - and how to understand ourselves when parts of our story are missing. Writer, producer and presenter: Eva Brookes Executive Producer: Peggy Sutton Sound Designer & Mix Engineer: Jeff Emtman Artwork: Ellie Walmsley Assistant Commissioner: Prabhjit Bains Commissioning Editor: Khaliq Meer Made in China is a Reduced Listening Production for BBC Sounds Audio Lab.
5.0 (4)
DOCUMENTARY
In the summer of 1983, Bedford, Indiana, was visited by a mysterious figure who left food, clothing, and handwritten letters at the doors of those in need. He left his gifts along with what would be his signature - a set of purple spray-painted footprints and called himself Captain Purple. For 43 years, his true identity has remained a mystery—until now? “Are You Captain Purple?” is an investigative podcast documentary series that revisits this hometown legend with fresh leads, never-before-published notes, and interviews with those who were forever changed by his generosity. Led by Emmy-nominated journalist Nick Storm and Bedford native Derek Ingersoll, the podcast explores not only who Captain Purple was, but why he did what he did—shining a light on the power of kindness, compassion, and community. Recently featured in Apple Podcasts’ New Trailers section.
4.9 (46)
TRUE CRIME
Deeply human conversations with extraordinary humans. Raw. Relatable. Unexpected. Hosted by Emmy Award–winning storyteller David Begnaud, The Person Who Believed in Me brings together big names from every field around one powerful question: Who believed in you before anyone else did? Through vulnerable, gratitude-filled conversations, guests reflect on the mentors, teachers, family members, and quiet champions who shaped their lives long before success found them. While the names may be familiar, the stories rarely are. This is a podcast about belief, connection, and the people who change our lives without ever asking for credit.
4.9 (30)
PERSONAL JOURNALS
Boys & Girls is an absurd, burlesque, cringey take on love and marriage the Indian way. Radhika Viswanathan delves into the highs and lows of being on the arranged marriage carousel in search of forever love. Along with her friends and producers Samyuktha and Menaka, they're on a journey to talk to the boys and girls who lived through making the ‘smart life choice’ and lived to tell the tale. They’re cleaning up the cobwebs, trying to figure out what Desi love is all about, and finally, performing a shamanic dance to put to bed all their unresolved emotions around this institution that refuses to die. Get ready to finally feel seen and experience healing! 100% Made in India. Produced by Vaaka Media and iHeartPodcasts.
These are stories you were never meant to hear. The invisible but vital work of the world’s intelligence services: secret operatives playing to very different rules. The Spy Who, hosted by Indira Varma and Raza Jaffrey, takes you deep inside that shadow world to meet spies who risked everything in the national interest – or, sometimes, their own. Listen to The Spy Who ad-free on Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/the-spy-who now.
4.6 (460)
HISTORY
Twice-monthly community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale, where every conspiracy theory is true. Turn on your radio and hide. Never listened before? It's an ongoing radio show. Start with the current episode, and you'll catch on in no time. Or, go right to Episode 1 if you wanna binge-listen.
4.8 (26530)
SCIENCE FICTION
S-Town is a podcast hosted by Brian Reed from Serial Productions, a New York Times company. The story follows a man named John who despises his Alabama town and decides to do something about it. He asks Brian to investigate the son of a wealthy family who's allegedly been bragging that he got away with murder. But when someone else ends up dead, the search for the truth leads to a nasty feud, a hunt for hidden treasure, and an unearthing of the mysteries of one man's life. 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. To find out about new shows from Serial Productions, and get a look behind the scenes, sign up for our newsletter at nytimes.com/serialnewsletter. Have a story pitch, a tip, or feedback on our shows? Email us at serialshows@nytimes.com
4.6 (45687)
PERSONAL JOURNALS
Explore true stories of the dark side of the Internet with host Jack Rhysider as he takes you on a journey through the chilling world of hacking, data breaches, and cyber crime. ¿Hablas español? Escucha en español aquí ➔ https://darknetdiaries.com/es/
4.9 (7938)
TECHNOLOGY
Revisionist History is Malcolm Gladwell's journey through the overlooked and the misunderstood. Every episode re-examines something from the past—an event, a person, an idea, even a song—and asks whether we got it right the first time. From Pushkin Industries. Because sometimes the past deserves a second chance. To get early access to ad-free episodes and extra content, subscribe to Pushkin+ in Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus. iHeartMedia is the exclusive podcast partner of Pushkin Industries.
4.7 (58255)
SOCIETY & CULTURE
A charming young Czech promises staggering returns. An entire country’s oil industry is up for grabs. America’s top investors want in. Sounds too good to be true? Damn right it is. This is a story of private jets, $20,000 dinners, and suitcases stuffed with cash. It’s also a tale about the collapse of communism, the free-for-all that followed, and the birth of the oligarchs. And it’s a story of plain-old human greed...of just how far the rich may go to get even richer. Viktor Kožený smooth-talked his super-wealthy Aspen neighbors and a Wall Street titan into investing huge sums of cash to snap up Azerbaijan’s state-owned oil company. Host Joe Nocera and investigative journalist Peter Elkind follow the trail, beginning in the Bahamas, where the charismatic financial genius has been lying low. The Pirate of Prague is an Apple Original podcast, produced by Blanchard House. Follow and listen on Apple Podcasts. apple.co/pirate