The Daily

Warning: This episode contains descriptions of rape, sexual abuse and death. As an epidemic of fentanyl use continues in America, causing tens of thousands of deaths each year, lawmakers and law enforcement agencies are holding one group increasingly responsible: drug users themselves. Eli Saslow, a writer for The Times, tells the story of a man whose friendship ended in tragedy and a set of laws that say he is the one to blame. Guest: Eli Saslow, [https://www.nytimes.com/by/eli-saslow] a writer at large for The New York Times. Background reading: * Two friends [https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/25/us/fentanyl-murder-charge.html?smid=pc-thedaily] bought $30 worth of fentanyl before making it into rehab. One overdosed. The other was charged in his death. * Harsh fentanyl laws [https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/21/health/fentanyl-overdose-crisis.html?smid=pc-thedaily] ignite a fierce debate. Critics say, the approach could undermine public health goals and advances in addiction treatment. 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.

Warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence. The relationship between two democratic allies fell to its lowest point in history this week, after Canada accused India of assassinating a Sikh community leader in British Columbia in June. Mujib Mashal, The Times’s South Asia bureau chief, explains this stunning accusation — and what India’s reaction to it tells us about the era of its leader, Narendra Modi. Guest: Mujib Mashal [https://www.nytimes.com/by/mujib-mashal], The New York Times’s bureau chief for South Asia. Background reading: * Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada said agents of India [https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/18/world/canada/canada-india-sikh-killing.html?smid=pc-thedaily] had assassinated a Sikh community leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was fatally shot in British Columbia in June. * Mr. Nijar was a prominent advocate [https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/19/world/canada/who-is-hardeep-singh-nijjar-india.html?smid=pc-thedaily] of the creation of an independent Sikh nation that would include parts of India’s Punjab State. * The charge, which the Indian government has strongly rejected, may fuel a rift [https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/20/world/canada/hardeep-singh-nijjar-killed.html?smid=pc-thedaily] between Canada’s Sikhs and Hindus. 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.

New research and polling show that more and more Americans now doubt a previously unquestioned fact of U.S. life — that going to college is worth it. Paul Tough, a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, explains why so many high-school students and their parents are souring on higher education and what it will mean for the country’s future. Guest: Paul Tough, a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine who has written several books on inequality in education. Background reading: * Americans are losing faith in the value of college. Whose fault is that? [https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/05/magazine/college-worth-price.html?smid=pc-thedaily] * In December, Colby-Sawyer in New Hampshire reduced its tuition to $17,500 a year, from about $46,000. The cut was a recognition that few pay the list price [https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/14/us/college-universities-college-tuition-reset.html?smid=pc-thedaily]. 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.