The Restaurant Industry Is Broken. Can It Be Fixed?
If you dine out regularly, you might have noticed some changes in restaurants over the past few years. Perhaps you’ve found yourself ordering at a counter, scanning a QR code to see the menu, or eating … a lot more soft serve.
These changes aren’t just trends. Brett Anderson, a New York Times food reporter, says they are restaurant owners’ desperate attempts to stay afloat in an industry in crisis. According to a report from the National Restaurant Association, 42 percent of restaurant owners said they weren’t profitable in 2025. Many of them were at serious risk of closing.
In this episode of “The Sunday Daily,” Brett talks with our host Michael Barbaro about the economic realities that are forcing businesses to rethink the entire concept of a restaurant, including a radical experiment at one Minneapolis diner that stopped charging for food entirely.
Chris Rock Has Been Thinking About Forgiveness
The comedian and filmmaker on what real friendship looks like, what keeps him up at night and his new movie, "Misty Green."
The Firestorm Over a Rape Allegation at Cornell
The New York Times has reviewed a trove of documents related to the case. Our reporter explains what we know.
Why Washington Is Trying to Rein In College Sports
Money has exploded in college sports, and Congress is trying to do something about it.
Inside the Devastating Hack of the F.B.I.
The theft, which hackers said involved a vast trove of personal data, is emerging as one of the worst breaches of sensitive government information.
Are Prediction Markets Gambling? A Lot Rides on the Answer.
In lawsuits across the country, Republican and Democratic states have united to take on prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket.
He Was Deported to a Country He’d Never Heard Of
The Trump administration deported Robert Mosquera to Eswatini, and he has found himself with no way out.
The Best TV Shows of the 21st Century
The turn of the century was the beginning of a new era in television: prestige TV for the masses. Today, television is where big stars and innovative creators go to marshal sizable budgets and tell meaningful stories.
Over recent months, our colleagues at The New York Times ran a survey, asking industry insiders — on-screen talent, writers, directors, producers, executives and others — to pick their top 10 television series of the last 26 years. We compiled their responses into a list, published this week, of the best TV of the 21st century.
In this episode of “The Sunday Daily,” The Times’s canon editor, Gilbert Cruz, and our chief TV critic, James Poniewozik, talk with our host Natalie Kitroeff about what made the list, and what didn’t.
Sylvester Stallone Hid His Struggles for Decades. Now He’s Coming Clean.
The legendary actor on his disturbing childhood, his Hollywood missteps and the pain he caused to his loved ones, his body and himself.
The Life and, for Now, the Death of the Kennedy Center
The arts center has been a project of President Trump since the beginning of his second term.
What Safeguarding Nukes Can Teach Us About Safeguarding A.I.
With artificial intelligence on the agenda for talks between President Trump and Xi Jinping of China, our reporter looks at lessons from the nuclear arms race.
Health Trackers Are Everywhere. Do Babies Need Them, Too?
Parents are increasingly willing to embrace tracking and analytics for their children — part of a broader cultural obsession with health data and optimization.
Trump Banned the Media. This Time, the Media Struck Back.
The major television networks suspended their pooled coverage of President Trump, breaking a practice that dates back decades.
The Trump Administration Defangs the Endangered Species Act
A new interpretation of the law would mean that only the intentional killing of animals, not collateral harm, would be illegal.
How a 1,000-Year-Old Tapestry Took London by Storm
For the first time in centuries, the Bayeux Tapestry — a nearly 1,000-year-old piece of embroidery that depicts the invasion of England by William the Conqueror in 1066 — is on display in Britain.
It was long said by art experts to be too fragile to move. But in a development that required geopolitical persuasion, this summer the tapestry made its way from Bayeux, France, to the British Museum in London.
When the first block of tickets went on sale, the British Museum said, over 80,000 people at a time waited online to buy them.
In this episode of the “Sunday Daily,” Alex Marshall, a culture reporter for The New York Times, talks with host Michael Barbaro about why this ancient piece of embroidery matters so much to the British public.
Aaron Sorkin Goes Off Script
The Oscar-winning writer returns to Facebook with “The Social Reckoning”— and surprises us with the revelation of why he is so drawn to uplift and romance.
The Techno-Religion at the Center of the A.I. Debate
Are those calling to slow down the development of artificial intelligence in a “doomsday cult,” as some critics say? Our reporter explains.
Why Gas Prices Just Keep Going Up
Months into the war with Iran, its effects are still being felt at pumps around the world. Why?
48 Days Until the Midterms: Is a Blue Wave Coming?
At a round-table discussion, Times political journalists talk about what we can expect in November.
The Bond Market Is Flipping Out. Here’s Why You Should Care.
Just about everybody is affected by the rising interest rates caused by the turmoil. Our economics correspondent explains what’s happening.
The A.I. Researcher Whose Rebellion Is Changing Everything
Jacob Coxon, who quit his job at Anthropic, discusses his concerns about the risks of artificial intelligence.
The Good, the Bad and the Good-Bad (Movie)
When it comes to movies we love, there are the artistic masterpieces and there are the foot-stomping crowd pleasers. But there’s another particular kind of beloved movie, the one that makes our friends groan, but that we rewatch incessantly; the one that we can quote line for line, even as we giggle at the actors’ performances; the one that we’d say is great, but that we might not say is good. These are the kinds of movies that Maya Salam, a pop culture writer at The New York Times, covers in her monthly column, The Good-Bad.
This episode is a celebration of good-bad movies, timed to the release of “Practical Magic 2,” the long-awaited sequel to the 1998 cult film that Salam called “a bubbling cauldron of plot holes and tones.” Our host Rachel Abrams talks to Salam about the joys of loving a movie despite (or because of) its flaws. Then, they’re joined by The Times’s canon editor, Gilbert Cruz, and Taffy Brodesser-Akner, a Times Magazine writer, to discuss the best of good-bad cinema.
Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor Say the End of the World is Now on the Table
In a new book, the writers argue that a powerful coalition of “end times fascists” is just fine with the earth’s demise.
The Lives That 9/11 Keeps Taking
On the eve of the 25th anniversary of the attacks, Mayor Zohran Mamdani released documents that, despite assurances from officials, reveal that it was not safe to return to ground zero.
A Couple Breaks Up. Who Gets Custody of Their Embryos?
For 47-year-old Erin Millender, using embryos that were frozen during her marriage became a central question for a New York divorce court.
Trump’s War on Mail-In Voting
President Trump has long made unfounded claims that fraud is rampant among mail votes.
‘Buy Now, Pay Later’: A New Wave of Consumer Debt
Americans are increasingly using the loan model for everyday essentials.
Classical Music Is in Crisis. Gustavo Dudamel Is Here to Save It.
This week marks the start of the Gustavo Dudamel era in New York.
The superstar conductor was just 28 when he became the musical director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2009. A native of Venezuela and a product of its El Sistema musical training program, Dudamel quickly established himself not just as a great conductor, but also as a cultural force of nature. In his time in Los Angeles, he expanded the Philharmonic’s repertoire, created a successful youth outreach program, won prestigious awards and ingratiated himself with Hollywood elite.
Now, after 17 years in Los Angeles, Dudamel is taking the helm at one of the world’s most famous and storied orchestras: the New York Philharmonic. It’s a job once held by Leonard Bernstein, and Dudamel is hoping to follow in Bernstein’s footsteps to make the Philharmonic and the music that it plays a bigger part of the pop culture landscape.
On today’s episode, Joshua Barone, who covers classical music for The Times, discusses Dudamel, what he’s accomplished and the high hopes for his tenure with the New York Philharmonic.
The Intertwined Legacies of Gloria Steinem and Dolly Parton
Our writer discusses why, to her, the two icons are inescapably connected.
A.I. Is Outsmarting Its Creators
When OpenAI’s agents went rogue in July, they demonstrated ingenuity and drive beyond what many experts had imagined.
The Fight for the West Bank
We speak to a Palestinian American whose home has been encircled by extremist settlers.
How a Teenager Found Undiagnosed Brain Injuries in the Military
New York Times reporting found that rescue-boat crews in the Coast Guard showed signs of brain injuries from rough seas. A victim’s daughter helped bring the issue to light.
How Flock Cameras Took Over America
This summer, Fernando Alfonso, the Texas editor for The New York Times, got in a car with a man named Philip. They drove around the suburban streets of Dallas searching for traffic cameras — not for a red-light camera, or a speed-trap camera, but something new, an automatic license-plate reader made by a company called Flock.
Law enforcement officials say these cameras are essential to fighting crime, but Phillip and people like him, who have located 100,000 flock cameras all over the country, see them as something else: the beginnings of a surveillance state.
Today, Kashmir Hill, a technology and privacy writer at The New York Times, discusses the company behind the cameras and the mounting backlash.
Who Will Rule the 2026 U.S. Open?
The U.S. Open, the final tournament of the tennis season, is getting underway. The world’s best players are heading to the U.S.T.A. Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, N.Y., to battle it out for the chance to play a championship match at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest tennis arena in the world.
The players come freighted with great expectations, previous victories and defeats, aches and pains, personal dramas and professional rivalries, all of which they will carry with them out on the court when they play. Tennis is a game that exposes a lot about its players, which is one of the things that makes it so beloved around the world.
In this episode of the “Sunday Daily,” the host Natalie Kitroeff talks with Matthew Futterman, a senior tennis writer for The Athletic and the author of “The Cruelest Game: Chasing Greatness in Professional Tennis,” about this year’s crop of players. They’ll dig into the biggest rivalries and dramas brewing in the tournament ahead.
Ina Garten Says You Can Either Get on Her Train or Get Out of the Way
At 78, the cookbook author and Food Network host knows what she likes, knows what she wants and isn’t stopping anytime soon.
Lindsay Clancy Is on Trial. So Is Postpartum Psychosis.
She is being tried on murder charges in the deaths of her three children. The tragedy has resurrected debates over whether such women are criminals or victims.
A Historic Settlement Over Social Media Addiction
Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, agreed to a landmark settlement and agreed to make major changes to its products.
The Stunning Rise of the Democratic Socialists of America
Democratic socialists are capturing more votes than ever before — even as they run up against the limits of their appeal.
Canada Is Done With Trump
Canada suspended trade negotiations this week, setting off President Trump’s 50 percent tariffs on a range of Canadian goods.
Natalie Harp’s Devotion to Trump
One of the president’s closest aides seems to have limitless access to him and the information he receives.
Think Baseball Is Boring? The Savannah Bananas Are Here to Fix That.
Jesse and Emily Cole created theSavannah Bananaswith a simple mission in mind: to make baseball as entertaining as possible. They introduced some innovations to America’s pastime, including twerking umpires, stilt-walking pitchers and TikTok-ready choreographed dance numbers. They tinkered with the rules of baseball, making a game that was shorter and faster, with plenty of opportunities for fan engagement. The result? A sports sensation. In the 10 years since its founding, the team has become one of the most popular sports organizations in the world, reaching tens of millions of fans online, with a waiting list of millions of others hoping to see a game in person.
For many, the Bananas are the ultimate sports success story, one that shows a path forward for teams and leagues concerned about fan retention in an era of shortened attention spans and endless entertainment options. But others take a less rosy view of the Bananas and their hyper-energetic brand of baseball, seeing them as an existential threat to a game that fans have loved for more than a hundred years.
On today’s show, host Natalie Kitroeff talks with Jonathan Abrams, a Times reporter who covers culture news, about the Bananas phenomenon, and then heads to a Banana Ball game to see things for herself.
An Expert on Conflict Says Your Relationships Are Doomed Without It
The author Priya Parker says the key to human connection is to lean into the fight.
When Private Equity Comes for Your Favorite Team
The Los Angeles Lakers have been sold for a record $12.5 billion, the latest sign that huge pools of institutional money are flooding into professional sports.
Who Moves Up, and Who's Pushed Out, in Pete Hegseth's Military
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been replacing top-ranking U.S. military officers with those who, many argue, show more loyalty to Hegseth and his ideas than to the military itself.
El Niño Is Back. And Worse Than Ever.
The recurring climate phenomenon is poised this year to enter a new phase known as a super El Niño, exacerbating the effects of climate change.
What Went Wrong on the U.S.S. Lincoln?
Families of soldiers aboard the aircraft carrier — deployed in the Middle East without a break for 270 days — have raised the alarm.
Luigi Mangione’s High-Risk Legal Strategy
Mr. Mangione pleaded guilty to stalking charges in the killing of Brian Thompson, a health insurance executive, a calculated gamble by his defense team.
What Makes a Killer Thriller?
The New York Times Book Review recently released its list of the 50 best thrillers of the 21st century.
To put it together, the team asked almost 300 authors and other experts to vote for the best heart-thumping, page-turning, white knuckle reads published since 2000.
In this episode of “The Sunday Daily,” Natalie Kitroeff talks with the Times thrillers columnist, Sarah Lyall, about how the list came together. Then, Natalie speaks with one of the greatest thriller writers of this century — with four books featured on the list — the author Tana French.
The Charming, Amusing, Surprisingly Low-Confidence Matthew Rhys
The “Widow’s Bay” star on his two Emmy nominations, his penchant for going dark and his wobbly self-esteem.
The Secret Spy Network Feeding Russia’s War Machine
Russian spies set up shop in Tokyo, using Japan as a base for routing critical electronic components back home to Russia — after being expelled by Western leaders from their capitals.
