The Daily

The star of “The Chosen” discusses his early struggles in Hollywood, fans who conflate him with his character and how his own faith informs his work.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Weeks before his inauguration, President-elect Donald J. Trump is pushing the federal government toward a shutdown, corporate titans are flocking to Mar-a-Lago to gain his favor and a major media company has capitulated to Trump’s legal strategy of suing those who cross him. The Times journalists Michael Barbaro, Maggie Haberman, Catie Edmondson and Andrew Ross Sorkin try to make sense of it all. Guest:  * Maggie Haberman [https://www.nytimes.com/by/maggie-haberman], a senior political correspondent for The New York Times. * Catie Edmondson [https://www.nytimes.com/by/catie-edmondson], a congressional correspondent for The New York Times. * Andrew Ross Sorkin [https://www.nytimes.com/by/andrew-ross-sorkin], a columnist and the founder and editor-at-large of DealBook [https://www.nytimes.com/section/business/dealbook]. Background reading:  * The government is lurching toward a shutdown [https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/19/us/politics/trump-johnson-spending-bill-shutdown.html] after the House tanked Trump’s spending plan. * The billionaire rivals Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are said to have dined with Trump at Mar-a-Lago [https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/19/us/politics/trump-elon-musk-bezos-mar-a-lago.html]. 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. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts [http://nytimes.com/podcasts] or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Since Donald J. Trump won the 2024 election, cryptocurrency has surged to its highest level ever.  David Yaffe-Bellany, a technology reporter for The Times, explains how a small, renegade industry that began as a challenge to the financial system ended up on top of it. Guest: David Yaffe-Bellany [https://www.nytimes.com/by/david-yaffe-bellany], a technology reporter for The New York Times. Background reading:  * Earlier this month, Bitcoin hit a milestone: $100,000 [https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/04/technology/bitcoin-price-record.html]. * Eric Trump has promised the “most pro-crypto president” in history [https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/10/us/politics/eric-trump-cryptocurrency-conference.html]. 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. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts [http://nytimes.com/podcasts] or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of sexual violence. After months of testimony, verdicts are expected as soon as this week in a rape trial that has both horrified and captivated the people of France. Catherine Porter, who has covered the trial, discusses the woman at the center of the case and how, with a single decision, she has turned the power dynamics of the #MeToo era on their head. Guest: Catherine Porter [https://www.nytimes.com/by/catherine-porter], an international correspondent for The New York Times based in Paris. Background reading:  * France’s horrifying rape trial has a feminist hero [https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/25/world/europe/france-rape-trial-gisele-pelicot.html]. * Dominique Pelicot says he invited men to rape his wife, whom he had drugged. The French media call them “Mr. Every Man” because they come from such ordinary backgrounds [https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/27/france-mass-rape-pelicot.html]. 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. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts [http://nytimes.com/podcasts] or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Warning: This episode contains descriptions of torture and death. It also contains audio of death and grief. Under Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian government set up a vast network of prisons and torture chambers that swallowed up tens of thousands of people. For years, those perceived as enemies of the regime would disappear into the system, and their families would have no idea what happened to them. Christina Goldbaum, who has covered the events in Syria, takes us inside one of those prisons and tells the story of one man who survived to tell the tale. Guest: Christina Goldbaum [https://www.nytimes.com/by/christina-goldbaum], the Afghanistan and Pakistan bureau chief for The New York Times. Background reading:  * Families of the missing are hoping that they may be reunited with loved ones or at least learn what happened to them [https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/11/world/middleeast/syria-prisoners-dead.html]. * Amid the celebrations after the ouster of Mr. al-Assad, Syria has also found itself in the opening chapter of a nationwide reckoning [https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/14/world/middleeast/syria-sednaya-prison-assad-atrocities.html] over the horrors that his government inflicted. 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. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts [http://nytimes.com/podcasts] or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.