The Daily

‘Thugs’: The Moderate Democrat Railing Against ICE

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada is nobody’s idea of a partisan firebrand. She’s a moderate, swing-state Democrat with a résumé steeped in law enforcement — all of which makes her an unlikely leader of the Democratic-led shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, which has now entered its sixth day. But over the past few months, Senator Cortez Masto said she was horrified by the conduct of federal immigration enforcement agents in her own state and across the country. By last week, she and many of her Democratic colleagues in the Senate decided to act on their outrage. In an interview with her on “The Daily,” Senator Cortez Masto talks about why she decided to support withholding homeland security funding, the political perils for her party in blocking that funding and why she believes most Americans support the strategy. Guest: Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada Background reading:  * Democrats and the White House traded offers, but a deal to reopen the Department of Homeland Security remained elusive [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/us/politics/trump-dhs-shutdown-democrats.html]. * A polling memo circulated among centrist senators urged Democrats to talk tougher on crime, while noting an opportunity for the party to appeal to voters with criticism of ICE [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/us/politics/democrats-immigration-talks-crime.html]. Photo: Eric Lee 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.

Can A.I. Already Do Your Job?

“Vibecoding,” or using artificial-intelligence tools such as Claude Code to generate code for websites or apps, is the newest A.I. trend, and it could transform the software-development industry. Kevin Roose, a technology columnist for The New York Times, takes us inside the process. Guest: Kevin Roose [https://www.nytimes.com/by/kevin-roose], a technology columnist for The New York Times in the San Francisco Bay Area and a host of the Times tech podcast, “Hard Fork [https://www.nytimes.com/column/hard-fork].” Background reading:  * Here is the website [https://nataliekitroeff.com/] Kevin and Natalie built during the episode. * Here are five ways [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/23/technology/claude-code.html] people are using Claude Code. * With “vibecoding," A.I. can help anyone build an app [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/business/ai-vibecoding.html]. Photo: Photo illustration by 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.

After Venezuela, Is Cuba Next?

For more than six decades, the United States has tried to topple the regime in Cuba. After ousting President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela, who was one of Cuba’s closest allies, the Trump administration is closer than ever to forcing radical change on the island. The New York Times reporters Frances Robles and Michael Crowley discuss how the latest escalation is pushing Cuba to the brink, and whether this time the United States will get what it wants.  Guest: * Frances Robles [https://www.nytimes.com/by/frances-robles], an international correspondent covering Latin America and the Caribbean for The New York Times. * Michael Crowley [https://www.nytimes.com/by/michael-crowley], a reporter covering the State Department and U.S. foreign policy for The New York Times. Background reading:  * Cuba’s government has lasted 67 years. Will it fall under Mr. Trump [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/08/world/americas/cuba-communist-government-trump.html]? * Can Cuba survive without Venezuela’s oil [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/17/world/americas/cuba-venezuela-oil-power-blackouts.html]? Photo: Yamil Lage/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images 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.

When A.I. Comes to Town: The Backlash Over Data Centers

Tech companies are racing to build thousands of huge data centers to power the artificial intelligence revolution. To find the land they need, they are barreling into rural communities across the United States with the promise of good jobs. But not everyone is buying that pitch. Karen Weise, a technology correspondent for The New York Times, tells the story of one county pushing back against Big Tech.  Guest: Karen Weise [https://www.nytimes.com/by/karen-weise], a technology correspondent for The New York Times. Background reading:  * What exactly are artificial intelligence companies trying to build? Here’s a guide [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/technology/what-exactly-are-ai-companies-trying-to-build-heres-a-guide.html]. * How large tech companies are offloading the risks of the A.I. boom [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/15/technology/ai-risks-debt.html]. * At this big Amazon data center in Indiana [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/24/technology/amazon-ai-data-centers.html], everything is supersized for A.I. Photo: AJ Mast 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.

Boos, Rivalries and Records: Inside the 2026 Olympics

In this episode of “The Sunday Daily,” the host Rachel Abrams is joined by her New York Times colleagues Motoko Rich, Shawna Richer and Juliet Macur, who are all covering this year’s Olympic Games. They discuss how the geopolitical climate may or may not be influencing the competition, and talk about some of the extraordinary athletes who are pushing the limits of physical achievements. On Today’s Episode Motoko Rich [https://www.nytimes.com/by/motoko-rich] is the Rome bureau chief for The New York Times. Juliet Macur [https://www.nytimes.com/by/juliet-macur] is a national reporter covering sports for The New York Times. Shawna Richer [https://www.nytimes.com/by/shawna-richer] is an editor at The New York Times, working on coverage of sports in America. Photo Illustration by The New York Times; Images: Sarah Stier/Getty Images 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.