President Trump once approached the challenge of ending Russia’s war in Ukraine as a straight-ahead deal that he could achieve easily. But after months of trying, he’s signaling that he might actually walk away.

Michael Crowley, who covers U.S. foreign policy for The New York Times, discusses the recent phone call between Mr. Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, and what it tells us about how the conflict could end.

Guest: Michael Crowley, a reporter covering the State Department and U.S. foreign policy for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• Mr. Trump’s new position on the war in Ukraine: Not my problem.
• In his call with Mr. Trump, Mr. Putin notched a diplomatic win, with an economic caveat.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Photo: Tyler Hicks/The New York Times

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Over the past few days, the health of former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. has been called into focus with the disclosure that he has an aggressive form of prostate cancer.

At the same time, Democrats are undertaking a painful re-examination of what went wrong with Joe Biden’s campaign for re-election, and the Trump White House has released embarrassing audio of Biden being interviewed.

The Times journalists Michael Barbaro, Reid J. Epstein, Lisa Lerer and Tyler Pager sit down to make sense of it all.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

For decades, white South Africans ruled with an iron fist, overseeing the country’s apartheid system of racial oppression.

Why is President Trump now welcoming them to the United States as victims?

John Eligon, the Johannesburg bureau chief for The New York Times, explains how the MAGA movement became obsessed with Afrikaners.

Guest: John Eligon, the Johannesburg bureau chief for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• The road to Mr. Trump’s embrace of white South Africans.
• White South Africans granted refugee status by Mr. Trump arrived in the U.S. last week.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Photo: Ilan Godfrey for The New York Times

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When did you realize you were falling in love? The Modern Love podcast asked listeners this question, and the voice messages came pouring in. Listeners sent in stories that happened over dinner dates, on subway rides, while watching sunsets or at concerts. They described love at first sight, love built over time and much more. 

Today, we hear some of the most moving and surprising listener messages. Then, the Modern Love editor Daniel Jones discusses how we fall in love, and what the famous “36 Questions That Lead to Love” reveal about that process. And finally, Mandy Len Catron, the writer who popularized the 36 questions in her Modern Love essay, “To Fall in Love With Anyone, Do This," tells us whether she’s still in love with the same man 10 years later. 

For more Modern Love, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday.  

Editors note: After this Modern Love episode was originally published, Mandy Len Catron got married. You can read about her wedding in the Vows section of the Times. 

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On Thursday, the Trump administration’s effort to limit birthright citizenship ended up in front of the Supreme Court.

Adam Liptak, who covers the Supreme Court for The New York Times, discusses the White House’s unusual legal strategy for defending its plan, and what it might mean for the future of presidential power.

Guest: Adam Liptak, covers the Supreme Court. A graduate of Yale Law School, he practiced law for 14 years before joining The Times in 2002.

Background reading: 

• Adam Liptak wrote about the unusual features of the birthright citizenship case.
• Adam also wrote about the Supreme Court justices across the ideological spectrum who have been critical of nationwide injunctions, which apply to everyone affected by a challenged law, regulation or executive action.
• Charlie Savage and Alan Feuer shared four takeaways from the birthright citizenship case.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Photo: Drew Angerer/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

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For years, American consumers have been able to spend next to nothing on the latest fashion trends, thanks in large part to Chinese clothing companies like Shein and Temu. These businesses have long used a loophole to send millions of packages a day into the U.S. from China tax-free.

Now, President Trump is closing that loophole, even as he de-escalates his larger trade war with China, and prices are going up.

Meaghan Tobin, who covers business and technology in Asia, discusses whether this might be the end for fast fashion.

Guest: Meaghan Tobin, a correspondent for The New York Times, covering business and technology in Asia.

Background reading

• Meaghan Tobin and Agnes Chang write about President Trump’s latest changes to taxes on small packages from China.
• Meaghan Tobin explains how a U.S. tax loophole supercharged China’s exports.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Photo: Qilai Shen for The New York Times

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

President Trump is in the Middle East on the first major international trip of his second term. At the same time, a firestorm has erupted over his plan to accept a $400 million luxury airplane from the Qatari government.

Today, Maggie Haberman, a White House correspondent, explains how the free plane may set a problematic precedent — and what Qatar might expect in return.

Guest: Maggie Haberman, a White House correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• Republicans on Capitol Hill seem unlikely to challenge President Trump, as he courts gifts and pushes guardrails.
• When pressed on the ethical implications of accepting a luxury jet, Mr. Trump said only someone “stupid” would turn down such an offer.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Photo: Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times

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Parents try everything to influence their children. But new research suggests that brothers and sisters have their own profound impact.

Susan Dominus, a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, discusses the surprising ways that our brothers and sisters shape our lives.

Guest: Susan Dominus, a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine covering a broad range of topics. Her recent article was adapted from her book, “The Family Dynamic: A Journey Into the Mystery of Sibling Success,” which was published by Crown on May 6.

Background reading: 

• Read Susan’s article about the surprising ways that siblings shape our lives.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Photo: Artwork by Kensuke Koike

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Over the weekend, top negotiators from the U.S. and China met for the first time since President Trump rapidly escalated a trade war between the world’s two economic superpowers.

Keith Bradsher, the Beijing bureau chief for The New York Times, discusses the pressures facing China, as it came to the negotiating table and why it so badly needs a deal.

Guest: Keith Bradsher, the Beijing bureau chief for The New York Times

Background reading: 

• The U.S. said ‘substantial progress’ had been made in trade talks with China.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Photo: Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.