The Daily

The World Cup Final Is Here

After a month of competition across North America and 103 matches, the 2026 World Cup is down to its final game. Spain and Argentina will meet this afternoon in a match expected to draw over one billion viewers around the world.  Spain is hoping its well-oiled machine and young star can bring it its second World Cup win. Argentina is looking to Lionel Messi, its longtime star, to secure victory in what could be his last game at the World Cup. On today’s episode, Tariq Panja traces the road to this historic final and explains what to know before kickoff. Tariq Panja, a global sports correspondent for The New York Times. Background Reading Why Everyone Cares About This World Cup [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/29/podcasts/the-daily/world-cup-iran.html]   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.

Zohran Mamdani Knows He Has Political Capital. And He Intends to Spend It.

Lulu Garcia-Navarro sits down for an interview with the mayor of New York City. * Thoughts? Email us at theinterview@nytimes.com * Watch our show on YouTube: youtube.com/@TheInterviewPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@theinterviewpodcast] * For transcripts and more, visit: nytimes.com/theinterview [https://www.nytimes.com/column/the-interview] 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 President, His Plane and the Press

Last Friday night, F.B.I. agents showed up at the homes of several New York Times journalists and summoned them to testify before a grand jury. The move was a response by the Trump administration to an article about the safety of the new Air Force One. Tyler Pager, one of the journalists, discusses the story and the subpoenas. Guest: Tyler Pager [https://www.nytimes.com/by/tyler-pager], a White House correspondent for The New York Times. Background reading:  * Several Times journalists were subpoenaed [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/11/business/media/new-york-times-trump-subpoenas.html] as Trump escalates pressure on the media. * Officials said the new Air Force One plane lacks defensive countermeasures of previous model [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/us/politics/new-air-force-one-defensive-countermeasures.html]. Photo: Doug Mills/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.

ICE Ramps Back Up, With Deadly Results

Two fatal shootings by federal immigration agents in Texas and Maine have put the spotlight back on the Trump administration’s deportation tactics. Hamed Aleaziz, who reports on immigration policy, explains how these killings signal a return to a more aggressive form of enforcement. Guest: Hamed Aleaziz [https://www.nytimes.com/by/hamed-aleaziz], who covers the Department of Homeland Security and immigration policy in the United States for The New York Times. Background reading:  * The ICE killing in Houston [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/10/us/ice-immigration-arrests-surge.html] put focus on a surge in immigration arrests. * ICE was ordered to cease most vehicle stops after two killings in a week [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/14/us/ice-agents-traffic-stops.html], but then President Trump demanded [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/15/us/politics/trump-ice-traffic-stops.html] that the officers continue to stop vehicles. Photo: Meridith Kohut 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.

From Trump’s Attorney to Attorney General: The Rise of Todd Blanche

To be confirmed as the next attorney general, Todd Blanche must convince members of the U.S. Senate that as political as the Department of Justice has become, it would be even worse without him on top. As his confirmation hearing begins, Glenn Thrush, a Justice Department reporter for The New York Times, recounts the unlikely story of how Mr. Blanche became President Trump’s legal enforcer. Guest: Glenn Thrush [https://www.nytimes.com/by/glenn-thrush], a Justice Department reporter for The New York Times. Background reading:  * A single Republican vote against Mr. Blanche on the Senate Judiciary Committee could effectively sink his confirmation [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/12/us/politics/todd-blanche-attorney-general-confirmation.html], giving Republican senators leverage to extract concessions from him. * Mr. Blanche’s cooperation in Mr. Trump’s campaign to identify, investigate and punish those who had once pursued him and his supporters will be a flashpoint in his confirmation hearing [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/14/us/politics/todd-blanche-trump-enemies-emails.html]. Photo: Demetrius Freeman 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.