The Untold Story of Jeffrey Epstein’s Death

The Untold Story of Jeffrey Epstein’s Death

Warning: This episode discusses suicide. Hours after Jeffrey Epstein arrived at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, an employee expressed concern over his distraught state, saying in an email to the jail staff, “just to be on the safe side and prevent any suicidal thoughts can someone from Psychology come and talk with him.” The reporter Charles Homans details The New York Times’s major new investigation, which tries to answer the question: Did the world’s most powerful and well-connected sex offender die by his own hand or by somebody else’s? If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources [http://speakingofsuicide.com/resources] for a list of additional resources. Guest: Charles Homans [https://www.nytimes.com/by/charles-homans], a reporter covering national politics for The New York Times and The Times Magazine. Background reading: Congressional action made possible the fullest examination of Epstein’s death, and The New York Times set out [https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/06/16/magazine/jeffrey-epstein-death-final-days.html] to do it. Photo: 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.

The Battle Over A.I. in the Classroom

With the school year ending, all over the country educators and parents are taking stock of the drastic shift caused by artificial intelligence in the classroom. Today, Natasha Singer, a technology reporter, discusses the year that reshaped American classrooms and how one dedicated teacher helped his students chart their own path into an uncertain future. Guest: Natasha Singer [https://www.nytimes.com/by/natasha-singer], a technology reporter for The New York Times. Background reading:  * Teachers say they want to equip high school students to drive A.I. [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/23/technology/ai-literacy-newark-school-chatbots.html], rather than be mere passengers steered by chatbots. * A.I. companies are urging teachers to prepare students for an “A.I.-driven future.” [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/23/business/ai-literacy-faq.html] * The American Federation of Teachers recommended [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/27/technology/ai-screens-schools-weingarten.html] “no screens” at all for those in second grade or younger, and no A.I. chatbots for students in elementary school. Photo: Juan Arredondo 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.

A Gen Z Revolution at the Movies

For years, Hollywood has been trying to figure out how to get young people into movie theaters. This spring, it has happened at an unthinkable scale thanks to two low-budget horror films made by 20-something directors. Today my colleague Kyle Buchanan explains what younger audiences see in these films and how they’ve energized an entire industry. Guest: Kyle Buchanan [https://www.nytimes.com/by/kyle-buchanan], a pop culture reporter and awards season columnist for The New York Times. Background reading: The viral creator Kane Parsons, who directed “Backrooms,” has gone from YouTube sensation to A24’s youngest director. [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/29/movies/kane-parsons-24-youngest-director-backrooms.html] Photo: Focus Features 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.

Inside Trump’s New Deal With Iran

After days of promising that a cease-fire was near, President Trump announced late Sunday that he had reached a deal with Iran. Today, David Sanger, who spoke to the president, explains what is and is not included in the framework agreement, and how much closer it gets both sides to ending the war for good. Guest: David E. Sanger [https://www.nytimes.com/by/david-e-sanger], [https://www.nytimes.com/by/kyle-buchanan] the White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times. Background reading:  * Mr. Trump says the Strait of Hormuz will be “permanently toll-free” [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/14/us/politics/trump-iran-deal-strait-of-hormuz.html] under the agreement with Iran. * Washington and Tehran reach a framework for peace [https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/06/15/world/iran-war-trump-us-deal]. Photo: Arash Khamooshi/Polaris 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.

Do Aliens Exist? Steven Spielberg Believes They Do

Almost 50 years ago, Steven Spielberg directed “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” the story of an average man who discovers that humanity may not be alone in the universe. Over the decades, Spielberg has directed several movies about what would happen if humanity made contact with aliens. Would the aliens be kind like the title character in “E.T. the Extra Terrestrial”? Would they be cruel like the murderous aliens of “War of the Worlds”? And regardless of what the aliens were like, would we humans be ready to receive them? Spielberg returns to the question of whether we’re alone in the universe, and what it might mean if we’re not, with his new film “Disclosure Day.” Today, he sits down with Rachel Abrams, a host of “The Daily,” to talk about the film, and about what he has learned over five decades of making movies about aliens.   On Today’s Episode Steven Spielberg, director of “Disclosure Day.”   Background Reading ‘Disclosure Day’ Review: Spielberg Plays His Greatest Cosmic Hits [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/movies/disclosure-day-review-steven-spielberg.html] What Steven Spielberg Taught Me About Fear, Catharsis, and Being Human [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/07/magazine/steven-spielberg-movie-theater-disclosure-day.html]   Photo credit: Paolo Pellegrin/Magnum, for The New York Times 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.