The Daily

Sunday Special: The Best Movies of 2025

As 2025 comes to an end, The Sunday Special is looking back on the year in culture. This week, on our final episode of the podcast, we’re talking about movies. The potential acquisition of Warner Brothers by Netflix has dominated entertainment news in recent weeks, but the year in movies has been about a lot more than corporate mergers. Alissa Wilkinson, a movie critic for The New York Times, and Nicole Sperling, a culture reporter based in Los Angeles, join Gilbert Cruz to talk about what really matters: the movies we loved this year. Movies discussed in this episode include: “One Battle After Another” “Sinners” “A Minecraft Movie” “Superman” “Weapons” “Wicked: For Good” “Zootopia 2” “Avatar: Fire and Ash” “Marty Supreme” “It Was Just an Accident” “The Testament of Ann Lee” “Come and See Me In the Good Light” “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning”   On Today’s Episode: Alissa Wilkinson [https://www.nytimes.com/by/alissa-wilkinson] is a movie critic at The Times. Nicole Sperling [https://www.nytimes.com/by/nicole-sperling] is a reporter covering Hollywood for The Times.   Background Reading: Netflix vs. Paramount: Inside the Epic Battle Over Warner Brothers [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/podcasts/the-daily/netflix-paramount-warner-brothers.html] The 25 Most Notable Movies of 2025 [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/17/movies/best-movies-2025-kpop-demon-hunters-roofman.html] Best Movies of 2025 [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/movies/best-movies-2025.html]   Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures; 20th Century Studios; Disney 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.

Marriage and Sex in the Age of Ozempic: An Update

This week, The Daily is revisiting some of our favorite episodes of the year and checking in on what has happened in the time since. In the past few years, GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound have been radically reshaping the people’s lives, changing appetites and health. But the drugs also have the power to affect other parts of consumers’ lives, including their romantic relationships. Lisa Miller, who writes about health for The New York Times, tells the story of how these drugs upended one couple’s marriage. Guest: Lisa Miller [https://www.nytimes.com/by/lisa-miller], a domestic correspondent for the Well section who writes about personal and cultural approaches to physical and mental health. Background reading:  * Listen to the original version of the episode here [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/podcasts/the-daily/marriage-sex-in-ozempic.html]. * Weight-loss drugs have lesser-known side effects on relationships [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/02/magazine/weight-loss-side-effects-sex-ozempic.html]. Photo: Katherine Wolkoff 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.

Trump Goes After Venezuela’s Oil

In it escalating campaign against Venezuela, the Trump administration has gone from shooting drug boats to trying to seize oil tankers in the Caribbean. Anatoly Kurmanaev, a foreign correspondent for The New York Times who has spent years covering Venezuela, explains why President Trump is shifting his strategy, and what that might tell us about his true endgame. Guest: Anatoly Kurmanaev [https://www.nytimes.com/by/anatoly-kurmanaev], a reporter for The New York Times covering Russia and its transformation following the invasion of Ukraine. Background reading: Venezuela’s oil exports have plummeted after the United States took action against three tankers [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/world/americas/trump-tankers-venezuela-oil-industry.html] carrying crude. Photo: Satellite image ©2025 Vantor, via Associated Press 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.

The Origins of Jeffrey Epstein

The latest release of files related to the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein left key questions unanswered about his rise to power and his connections to the president. David Enrich, an investigations editor at The New York Times, explains how he worked with a team of reporters to fill in those mysteries and reveal the truth about Mr. Epstein’s origins. Guest: David Enrich [https://www.nytimes.com/by/david-enrich], a deputy investigations editor for The New York Times. Background reading:  * The release of the Epstein files revealed new photos [https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/12/19/us/epstein-files-release], but many files were withheld. * This is the untold story [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/magazine/jeffrey-epstein-money-scams-investigation.html] of how Mr. Epstein got rich. 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.

The Messy Reality of ‘Made in America’

The construction of a giant factory complex in Arizona was supposed to embody the Trump administration’s ability to bring manufacturing back to the United States. But undertaking big projects is not as simple as it seems. Peter S. Goodman, who writes about the intersection of economics and geopolitics for The New York Times, explains why. Guest: Peter S. Goodman [https://www.nytimes.com/by/peter-s-goodman], who covers the global economy for The New York Times. Background reading:  * Read about the 18,000 or so reasons [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/04/business/tsmc-phoenix-fab.html] that make it so hard to build a chip factory in the United States. Photo: Loren Elliott 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.