An alarming new hack by China has penetrated the nerve center of the United States: its telephone network.

David E. Sanger, the White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times, discusses what the scope of the attack tells us about China’s growing power.

Guest: David E. Sanger, the White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said hackers listened to phone calls and read texts by exploiting aging equipment and seams in the networks that connect systems.
• Emerging details of Chinese hack have left U.S. officials increasingly concerned.

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

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On Sunday, after a fire that many feared would destroy it, and a swift renovation that defied all predictions, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame reopened to the public.

Michael Kimmelman, the chief architecture critic at The Times, tells the story of the miracle on the Seine.

Guest: Michael Kimmelman, the architecture critic of The New York Times and the founder and editor-at-large of Headway.

Background reading: 

• Critic’s Notebook: Notre-Dame’s astonishing rebirth from the ashes.
• The rebuilding took about 250 companies, 2,000 workers, about $900 million, a tight deadline and a lot of national pride.
• See photos from the reopening.

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

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Last week, the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare was shot and killed in Manhattan. A five-day search for the gunman ensued.

On Monday, a 26-year-old suspect, Luigi Mangione, was arrested in Pennsylvania after an employee at a McDonald’s recognized him and called the police.

Dionne Searcey, who covers wealth and corporations, and Maria Cramer, a crime reporter in New York City, break down what we know about the suspect, and what the case has revealed about many Americans’ contempt for insurance companies.

Guest: 

• Dionne Searcey, a reporter for The New York Times writing about how the choices made by people and corporations affect the future of our planet.
• Maria Cramer, a reporter for The New York Times covering the New York Police Department and crime in the city and surrounding areas.

Background reading: 

• The suspect was an Ivy League tech graduate from a prominent Maryland family who in recent months had suffered physical and psychological pain.
• A visual timeline of the UnitedHealthcare C.E.O. shooting.

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

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Syria has been controlled by one family for more than half a century who ruled by repression, devastation and violence.

But about two weeks ago, the regime began to falter, and then over the course of one night, it collapsed.

Carlotta Gall, a senior correspondent for The New York Times, discusses the fall of Bashar al-Assad and what comes next.

Guest: Carlotta Gall, a senior correspondent for The New York Times, focusing on the human aspect of wars and civil strife.

Background reading: 

• Live updates: The rebels who toppled Assad face stark challenges in Syria.
• With Assad gone, a brutal dictatorship ends. But the new risks are huge.

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

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The host of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast and founder of the Unwell Network discusses her interview with Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 election, her podcast’s journey from chatting about sex advice to delving into more serious subjects and how the Unwell Network’s fan merchandise became a eight-figure business.

“I don’t care if people consider me a journalist or a podcaster, or just a girl that talks online every week.”

This interview was with Andrew Ross Sorkin of The New York Times at the annual DealBook Summit and recorded live in front of an audience at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Read more about highlights from the day at https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/12/04/business/dealbook-summit-news

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.

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Warning: this episode contains strong language.

In Austin, Texas, a local businessman has undertaken one of the nation’s biggest and boldest efforts to confront the crisis of chronic homelessness.

Lucy Tompkins, a national reporter for The Times, takes us inside the multimillion-dollar experiment, to understand its promise and peril.

Guest: Lucy Tompkins, who reports on national news for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• Can a big village full of tiny homes ease homelessness in Austin?

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

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On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard a major case on the rights of transgender children that could help uphold or dismantle dozens of laws across the country.

Adam Liptak, who covers the Supreme Court for The Times, explains how the questioning played out and how the justices are likely to rule. 

Guest: Adam Liptak, who covers the Supreme Court and writes Sidebar, a column on legal developments, for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• The justices heard arguments on Wednesday over whether Tennessee can ban some medical treatments for transgender youth.
• For families of transgender children, Tennessee’s ban forces hard choices.

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

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Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have called the federal bureaucracy an “existential threat to our republic.” Now, President-elect Donald J. Trump is empowering them to drastically shrink it, by whatever means necessary.

David A. Fahrenthold, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, discusses their plans — and what it would look like if they were actually carried out.

Guest: David A. Fahrenthold, an investigative reporter for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• The so-called Department of Government Efficiency has advantages that past budget cutters did not, but laws and court challenges could still make change slow and difficult.

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

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President Biden went back on his word by pardoning his son Hunter Biden. His stated rationale for granting the pardon will inevitably muddy the political waters as President-elect Donald J. Trump prepares to take office with plans to use the Justice Department and the F.B.I. to pursue “retribution” against his political adversaries.

Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent, discusses where Mr. Biden’s decision leaves the U.S. justice system.

Guest: Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump now agree on one thing: The Biden Justice Department has been politicized.
• Mr. Biden is facing criticism for absolving his son after insisting he would not.

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

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