The Daily

ICE Ramps Back Up, With Deadly Results

Two fatal shootings by federal immigration agents in Texas and Maine have put the spotlight back on the Trump administration’s deportation tactics. Hamed Aleaziz, who reports on immigration policy, explains how these killings signal a return to a more aggressive form of enforcement. Guest: Hamed Aleaziz [https://www.nytimes.com/by/hamed-aleaziz], who covers the Department of Homeland Security and immigration policy in the United States for The New York Times. Background reading:  * The ICE killing in Houston [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/10/us/ice-immigration-arrests-surge.html] put focus on a surge in immigration arrests. * ICE was ordered to cease most vehicle stops after two killings in a week [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/14/us/ice-agents-traffic-stops.html], but then President Trump demanded [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/15/us/politics/trump-ice-traffic-stops.html] that the officers continue to stop vehicles. Photo: Meridith Kohut for The New York Times For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily [http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily]. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts [http://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 [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 [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From Trump’s Attorney to Attorney General: The Rise of Todd Blanche

To be confirmed as the next attorney general, Todd Blanche must convince members of the U.S. Senate that as political as the Department of Justice has become, it would be even worse without him on top. As his confirmation hearing begins, Glenn Thrush, a Justice Department reporter for The New York Times, recounts the unlikely story of how Mr. Blanche became President Trump’s legal enforcer. Guest: Glenn Thrush [https://www.nytimes.com/by/glenn-thrush], a Justice Department reporter for The New York Times. Background reading:  * A single Republican vote against Mr. Blanche on the Senate Judiciary Committee could effectively sink his confirmation [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/12/us/politics/todd-blanche-attorney-general-confirmation.html], giving Republican senators leverage to extract concessions from him. * Mr. Blanche’s cooperation in Mr. Trump’s campaign to identify, investigate and punish those who had once pursued him and his supporters will be a flashpoint in his confirmation hearing [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/14/us/politics/todd-blanche-trump-enemies-emails.html]. Photo: Demetrius Freeman for The New York Times For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily [http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily]. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts [http://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 [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 [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why the Cease-Fire With Iran Keeps Crumbling

After back-and-forth attacks and an exchange of fiery language between President Trump and Iran’s leaders, it appears that both sides have returned to open conflict. Today, David Sanger, the White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times, explains what brought us to this point, and what this new phase of the war tells us about how difficult it will be to end. Guest: David E. Sanger [https://www.nytimes.com/by/david-e-sanger], the White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times. Background reading:  * After several days of strikes, Mr. Trump notified Congress that fighting with Iran had begun again [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/13/us/politics/trump-iran-ceasefire.html], and he announced shipping fees that his administration previously deemed illegal. * Analysis: As the cease-fire unraveled, the president’s aides insisted that they were not in violation of the preliminary accord [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/us/politics/trump-iran-war.html]. Photo: Reuters For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily [http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily]. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts [http://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 [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 [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why Are Grocery Store Prices So High

According to the Economic Research Service at the Department of Agriculture, prices across all food categories are expected to rise 3.2 percent in 2026. Today, Jessica Cheung, a senior audio producer for “The Daily,” talks with the general manager of a food co-op in Pittsburgh about how the store is being affected by the quickly increasing costs. Guest:  * Jessica Cheung [https://www.nytimes.com/by/jessica-cheung], a senior audio producer on “The Daily” for The New York Times. * Tyler Kulp, general manager of the East End Food Co-op [https://linktr.ee/eastendfoodcoop] Background reading:  * Walmart said last week that it would lower some prices. While shoppers there and at other grocery stores may get better deals on some items, their overall grocery bill is unlikely to fall [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/business/grocery-stores-lower-food-prices.html]. * In a survey, roughly 35 percent of Americans identified food as the single biggest source of financial pressure [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/27/opinion/grocery-prices-inflation.html?searchResultPosition=3]. * A U.S.D.A. official called grocery chains to lower the price of beef. [https://www.wsj.com/business/retail/white-house-pressures-top-u-s-grocers-on-beef-prices-ae7f4822?st=k1rgUF&reflink=article_copyURL_share] Photo: Rachel Wisniewski for The New York Times For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily [http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily]. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts [http://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 [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 [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What’s Epic About the ‘Odyssey’? Everything.

This Friday, “The Odyssey,” directed by Christopher Nolan, hits theaters. Even before the movie’s release, though, it’s proving to be a cultural event. Spirited discussions of Nolan’s cinematic interpretation of the epic poem already abound online, and they are likely to intensify after the public sees the film. Why does a 12,000-line poem that is nearly 3,000 years old still feel resonant today? In this episode of “The Sunday Daily,” Natalie Kitroeff talks about the “Odyssey” with two writers who have produced some critically acclaimed and widely read modern interpretations of Greek classics: Emily Wilson, the first woman to translate the “Odyssey” from ancient Greek, and Madeline Miller, the author of the best-selling novels “Circe” and “Song of Achilles.” On Today’s Episode: Emily Wilson [https://www.emilyrcwilson.com/], a professor, classicist, author and translator of the “Odyssey” Madeline Miller [https://madelinemiller.com/], the author of “Circe,” “Song of Achilles” and other books Background Reading: We’ll Help You Find Your Next Great Book. (Spoiler: It’s the ‘Odyssey.’) [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/books/review/odyssey-homer-romantasy-ghost-story-monster-high-seas.html] The First Woman to Translate the ‘Odyssey’ Into English [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/02/magazine/the-first-woman-to-translate-the-odyssey-into-english.html] Book Review: Turning Circe Into a Good Witch [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/28/books/review/circe-madeline-miller.html] Photo: Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts [http://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 [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 [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.