The Daily

Hegseth in the Hot Seat

Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, went before Congress to answer for a war in Iran that has reached a stalemate and a management style that has caused controversy at the Pentagon. Eric Schmitt, a national security correspondent, takes us inside Mr. Hegseth’s testimony. Guest: Eric Schmitt [https://www.nytimes.com/by/eric-schmitt], a national security correspondent for The New York Times in Washington. Background reading:  * Read takeaways [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/30/us/politics/hegseth-senate-hearing-takeaways.html] from Mr. Hegseth’s second day of testimony on the Iran war. Photo: Anna Rose Layden 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.

A Landmark Supreme Court Ruling on Voting Rights

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court dealt what may be a final blow to the landmark Voting Rights Act when it struck down Louisiana’s voting map as unconstitutional. Adam Liptak explains the legal logic of the ruling, and Nick Corasaniti talks about how the decision will reshape American democracy. Guest: * Adam Liptak [https://www.nytimes.com/by/adam-liptak], the chief legal affairs correspondent of The New York Times and the host of The Docket [https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/the-docket], a newsletter on legal developments. * Nick Corasaniti [https://www.nytimes.com/by/nick-corasaniti], a New York Times reporter covering national politics, with a focus on voting and elections. Background reading:  * The Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s voting map [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/29/us/politics/supreme-court-voting-rights-act.html]. * Here’s what to know about the Voting Rights Act [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/29/us/elections/voting-rights-act-explainer.html]. Photo: Angelina Katsanis 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.

Why Even Some Democrats Hate California’s Billionaire Tax Proposal

A landmark proposal for a one-time tax on billionaires in California recently reached a milestone. The labor union backing it said it had collected enough signatures to put the measure on the state’s ballot. Laurel Rosenhall, who covers California politics for The New York Times, explains how the state arrived at this moment and what it might mean nationwide. Guest: There are enough signatures to place the California billionaire tax proposal on the state ballot [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/26/us/california-billionaire-tax.html] in November, its backers say. Background reading:  * There are enough signatures to place the California billionaire tax proposal on the state ballot [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/26/us/california-billionaire-tax.html] in November, its backers say. Photo: Jae C. Hong/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. 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.

Assassination Attempt Suspect Charged

What we know about the man in custody after the shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner, and how the incident unfolded.  The man accused of storming the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner with multiple weapons was charged on Monday with trying to assassinate President Trump. Devlin Barrett, who covers the Justice Department, explains what we know about the suspect, his plan to target the president and whether the incident should be seen as a security failure or success. Guest: Devlin Barrett [https://www.nytimes.com/by/devlin-barrett], a New York Times reporter covering the Justice Department and the F.B.I. Background reading:  * ‘Shots Fired!’: Inside the pandemonium at the Washington Hilton [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/26/us/politics/shots-fired-inside-the-pandemonium-at-the-washington-hilton.html]. * Charges against the assassination attempt suspect [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/27/us/politics/trump-assassination-attempt-cole-allen-charges.html] were based on a shotgun shell and a screed. * Experts said the security at the White House correspondents’ dinner worked as intended [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/26/us/politics/security-correspondents-dinner.html]. Photo: Salwan Georges 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.

Who’s Really Running Iran?

Over the weekend, President Trump called off a trip to Pakistan by two of his negotiators for a potential additional round of talks with Tehran, leaving the fate of the cease-fire in limbo. Farnaz Fassihi, who covers Iran for The New York Times, looks at who is in charge of the country after the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and what those leaders really want. Guest: Farnaz Fassihi [https://www.nytimes.com/by/farnaz-fassihi], the United Nations bureau chief for The New York Times. She also covers Iran and how countries around the world deal with conflicts in the Middle East. Background reading:  * These are the generals who are running Iran [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/23/world/middleeast/iran-new-leadership-generals.html]. * Here’s what to know [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/26/world/middleeast/us-iran-peace-talks-pakistan.html] about the U.S.-Iran peace talks. Photo: Arash Khamooshi 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.