Hegseth in the Hot Seat

The 30 Greatest Living American Songwriters

Roughly a year ago, a team at The New York Times Magazine set about tackling a nearly impossible task: creating a list of the greatest living American songwriters. But how to take the tens of thousands of songwriters working in this country and narrow them down to a digestible list? The answer involved thousands of voting ballots, hundreds of music industry insiders and a series of closed-door meetings among a small group of music experts. The result, The Times’s list of the 30 greatest living American songwriters, was published this week. Today, Michael Barbaro talks with Sasha Weiss, a deputy editor of The Times Magazine, who oversaw the project, as well as Joe Coscarelli and Jody Rosen, two members of the cadre of critics assigned with compiling the final list. They discuss the list-making process, what defines a great songwriter and why Billy Joel didn’t make the final cut. We also hear from some of the songwriters featured on the list, including Taylor Swift, Nile Rodgers and the songwriting team of Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne.   On Today's Episode: Sasha Weiss [https://www.nytimes.com/by/sasha-weiss] is a deputy editor of The New York Times Magazine. Joe Coscarelli [https://www.nytimes.com/by/joe-coscarelli] is a culture reporter for The Times. He is a co-host of “Popcast,” a producer of the “Song of the Week” video series and the author of “Rap Capital: An Atlanta Story.” Jody Rosen [https://www.nytimes.com/by/jody-rosen] is a contributing writer for the magazine and the author of “Two Wheels Good: The History and Mystery of the Bicycle.”   Background Reading: The 30 Greatest Living American Songwriters [https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/magazine/greatest-american-songwriters-alive.html] Cast Your Vote for the Greatest Living American Songwriters [https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/04/27/magazine/greatest-american-songwriters-vote.html]   Photo credit: Stefan Ruiz for The New York Times 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.

What Does Tucker Carlson Really Believe? I Went to Maine to Find Out.

The conservative media commentator split with the administration over the war in Iran. Will the breakup last? * 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.

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.