Popcast: Olivia Rodrigo Tried Writing Love Songs. Then Life Got Messy.

How Elon Musk Engineered the World’s Biggest I.P.O.

SpaceX, Elon Musk’s rocket and satellite maker, is set to go public and begin selling shares as soon as next week. Ryan Mac, who reports on business, explains the plan for the company’s expected record-shattering debut on the stock market, and how it is changing the rules for investing. Guest: Ryan Mac [https://www.nytimes.com/by/ryan-mac], a New York Times reporter based in Los Angeles who covers corporate accountability across the global technology industry. Background reading:  * Why sky-high I.P.O. pricing [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/29/business/spacex-openai-anthropic-ipo-invest.html] isn’t great for real people. * From April: SpaceX filed to go public [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/01/technology/spacex-ipo-elon-musk.html], setting the stage for a huge I.P.O. Photo: Steve Nesius/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.

Inside Trump’s Mad Dash to Renovate Washington

In the lead-up to America’s 250th anniversary, President Trump is spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a major renovation of the nation’s capitol. David A. Fahrenthold, who has been investigating how the projects have come together, takes listeners on a walking tour of the sites being remade. Guest: David A. Fahrenthold [https://www.nytimes.com/by/david-a-fahrenthold], an investigative reporter for The New York Times, writing primarily about nonprofit organizations. Background reading:  * See what’s wrong [https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/05/31/us/trump-reflecting-pool-problems.html] with the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. * A no-bid contract is turning the pool blue [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/08/us/politics/reflecting-pool-trump-contract.html]. * The firm building Mr. Trump’s ballroom got a secret no-bid contract for a nearby job [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/25/us/politics/lafayette-park-fountains-trump-contract.html]. Photo: Allison Robbert 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.

Popcast: Olivia Rodrigo Tried Writing Love Songs. Then Life Got Messy.

Olivia Rodrigo sat down with Joe and Jon for her first in-depth conversation about her new album, “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love,” out June 12. She discussed the many ways her creative process intersects with the extracurricular noise of pop superstardom, whether its managing relationship drama; being targeted for the way she dresses, accusations of pilfering songwriting gestures from Taylor Swift, her onetime idol, or her willingness to speak up about political and social causes in a way many of her peers won’t. 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.

Want to ‘Optimize’ Your Happiness? This Happiness Expert Says: Don’t.

Laurie Santos on what will really bring meaning and fulfillment to your life, and what won’t. 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.

Stranded in the Strait of Hormuz

While the United States and Iran have each signaled that they may be making progress toward a peace deal, the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. Thousands of crew members have been stranded in the shipping channel since the war broke out three months ago. Two seafarers who got stuck in the strait explain what it is like to be trapped in a war zone, and what it would mean to get everyone out. Guest: Capt. Virendra Vishwakarma, who managed to leave the Strait of Hormuz, and Aung Thu Khant, a seafarer who is still stuck. Background reading:  * Read the latest updates [https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/05/28/world/iran-war-us-trump-deal] on the war in Iran. * Thousands of civilian sailors have been stranded [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/01/world/middleeast/sailors-stranded-phillipines-iran.html] in waters surrounded by a conflict zone because of the war. 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.