A new documentary could redefine our understanding of the pop icon Prince, but it probably won’t be released.
By Michael BarbaroSasha WeissRob SzypkoAsthaa ChaturvediDiana NguyenMichael BenoistBrendan KlinkenbergSusan LeeDan PowellMarion LozanoElisheba IttoopDiane Wong and
Plus, how to win the lottery.
By Tracy MumfordWill JarvisIan StewartJessica Metzger and
“I think Google realizes that this is a once-in-a-generation chance to reinvent the search experience”
By Kevin RooseCasey NewtonWhitney JonesRachel CohnRachel DryChris WoodDan PowellSophia Lanman and
And other new music for your weekend.
By Alex BarronWendy DorrRowan NiemistoDan Powell and
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How Tariffs Are Shaking Up the War on Fentanyl
Mexico said it was doing all it could to crack down on production of the drug. President Trump’s tariff tactics have tested that claim.
By Michael BarbaroNatalie KitroeffCaitlin O’KeefeClare ToeniskoetterCarlos PrietoNina FeldmanLisa ChowLexie DiaoDan PowellPat McCusker and
Partisan Taunts and Defiant Protests: Trump’s First Speech to Congress
President Trump’s highly partisan victory lap, and the reactions to it in the room.
By Michael BarbaroMaggie HabermanMooj ZadieAsthaa ChaturvediMichael Simon JohnsonEric KrupkeRachel QuesterDan Powell and
Why the claims of Elon Musk’s government-cutting team are not what they seem.
By Rachel AbramsDavid A. FahrentholdAnna FoleyOlivia NattMary WilsonCarlos PrietoM.J. Davis LinPatricia WillensPat McCuskerRowan Niemisto and
The Fallout From Zelensky and Trump’s Oval Office Meltdown
A clash between presidents, and its consequences.
By Michael BarbaroPeter BakerWill ReidMooj ZadieLiz O. BaylenDan Powell and
The Sunday Read: ‘The Cryptocurrency Scam That Turned a Small Town Against Itself’
How did a successful, financially sophisticated banker gamble his community’s money away?
By David Yaffe-BellanyTally AbecassisJohn WooAaron Esposito and
Inside Trump’s Deportation Push, and the U.S. Holds Talks With Hamas
Plus, Dolly Parton’s love story.
By Tracy MumfordWill JarvisIan StewartJessica MetzgerZolan Kanno-Youngs and
Trump’s Defiant Victory Lap, and the Dept. of Education’s ‘Final Mission’
Plus, the sky-high cost of concert tickets.
By Tracy MumfordWill JarvisIan StewartJessica Metzger and
The Tariffs Are On, and Trump Suspends Ukraine Aid
Plus, women’s rugby gets a boost.
By Tracy MumfordWill JarvisIan StewartJessica Metzger and
The Scramble After a White House Showdown, and R.F.K. Jr.’s Measles Response
Plus, “Anora” has a big night at the Oscars.
By Tracy MumfordWill JarvisIan StewartJessica Metzger and
Iowa Moves to Eliminate Trans Rights, and Zelensky Heads to the White House
Plus, Conan O’Brien on hosting the Oscars.
By Tracy MumfordWill JarvisIan StewartJessica Metzger and
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Anthropic’s C.E.O., Dario Amodei, on Surviving the A.I. Endgame
“I’m just worried that it’ll be a shock to people when it happens.”
By Kevin RooseCasey NewtonRachel CohnWhitney JonesRachel DryAlyssa MoxleyDan PowellElisheba IttoopRowan Niemisto and
How ‘Based’ Is Grok 3? + Robinhood C.E.O. Vlad Tenev on Markets for Everything + Vibecoding 101
“Elon Musk is willing to spend a phenomenal amount of money and basically do everything he can to stay with the head of the pack on A.I. progress.”
By Kevin RooseCasey NewtonWhitney JonesRachel CohnRachel DryAlyssa MoxleyDan PowellElisheba IttoopMarion LozanoRowan Niemisto and
A.I. Accelerates in Paris + Can A.I. Fix Your Love Life?
It’s a Valentine’s Day Special!
By Kevin RooseCasey NewtonRachel CohnWhitney JonesRachel DryChris WoodDan PowellMarion Lozano and
The Musketeers Take Washington + Spotify’s Ghost Music + Tool Time
“The way to control government is to control the computers”
By Kevin RooseCasey NewtonWhitney JonesRachel CohnRachel DryChris WoodDan PowellElisheba IttoopMarion Lozano and
DeepSeek Deep Dive + Hands-On With Operator + Hot Mess Express!
“DeepSeek is a really odd duck.”
By Kevin RooseCasey NewtonRachel CohnWhitney JonesRachel DryDaniel PowellDan Powell and
Governor Maura Healey Wants Democrats to Put Up a Fight
The Massachusetts leader, whose influence goes well beyond her state, discusses how the Democratic Party can pick its battles and rebuild its brand.
By
Ed Yong Wants to Show You the Hidden Reality of the World
The Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer talks about burnout from covering the pandemic and how bird-watching gave him a new sense of hope.
By
Senator Ruben Gallego on the Democrats’ Problem: ‘We’re Always Afraid’
The Arizona lawmaker diagnoses what he thinks needs to change in the way his party communicates with men, Latinos and Trump voters.
By
Denzel Washington Has Finally Found His Purpose (It’s Not Acting)
The legendary actor discusses the prophecy that changed his life, his Oscar snub and his upcoming role starring alongside a “complicated” Jake Gyllenhaal in “Othello” on Broadway.
By
Digital Drugs Have Us Hooked. Dr. Anna Lembke Sees a Way Out.
The psychiatrist and author of “Dopamine Nation” wants us to find balance in a world of temptation and abundance.
By
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Who will win? Who should win?
By Alex BarronKate LoPrestiTina AntoliniWendy DorrCarole SabouraudMelissa KirschKyle Buchanan and
Selena Gomez Whispers a Love Song
Plus more new music for your weekend.
By Kate LoPrestiTina AntoliniRowan NiemistoDan Powell and
A playlist to accompany her revealing memoir.
By Tina AntoliniFrannie Carr TothRowan Niemisto and
50 Years of ‘Saturday Night Live’
Revisiting our favorite eras.
By Alex BarronKate LoPrestiWendy DorrSonia HerreroJames PoniewozikPeter KeepnewsJason ZinomanAlexis SoloskiMargaret LyonsDave ItzkoffNikita Richardson and
How ‘Babygirl’ Flips the Script on Middle-Aged Sex
Our panel dissects the erotic thriller setting group chats on fire.
By Kate LoPrestiFrannie Carr TothSonia HerreroElisheba IttoopDan PowellMelissa KirschAmanda Hess and
David Brooks on Why the Democrats Are Losing to Trump
The columnist shares his thoughts on Donald Trump’s second term.
By Patrick HealyDavid Brooks and
Elon Musk and the Useless Spending-Cut Theater of DOGE
The columnist David French speaks with a fellow fiscal conservative about what the Department of Government Efficiency should actually be doing.
By David French and
What Man’s Man Politics Is Doing to America
And why Democrats shouldn’t try to “out-cowboy” Donald Trump.
By Patrick HealyTressie McMillan Cottom and
The Most Important Lesson in Sex Ed Isn’t Actually Sex
How would my life have been different if I had learned about consent?
By Hillary Frank and
What an F.B.I. Under Patel and Bongino Might Mean for America
The columnist Michelle Goldberg explains how this latest appointment by President Trump could lead to a collapse of the liberal order.
By Michelle Goldberg and
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Your Questions Answered, and a Big Announcement
This mailbag episode is full of surprises.
By Michelle CottleRoss Douthat and
We’re More Secular Than Ever. How’s That Going?
America has changed and so has its faith.
By Michelle CottleRoss Douthat and
Don’t Be Fooled, ‘Trump Is a Weak President’
He lacks the skill to govern in the way the founders intended.
By Michelle CottleCarlos LozadaJamelle Bouie and
Protesting Trump isn’t enough this time.
By Michelle CottleRoss DouthatLydia Polgreen and
The Government Knows A.G.I. Is Coming
The Biden administration’s A.I. adviser Ben Buchanan discusses how the U.S. government is preparing for artificial general intelligence — and all the challenges that remain.
By
The Dark Heart of Trump’s Foreign Policy
The journalist Fareed Zakaria discusses the worldview emerging from Trump’s foreign policy decisions regarding Ukraine, Gaza, China and beyond.
By
A Theory of Media That Explains 15 Years of Politics
Martin Gurri discusses how social media and the internet have fundamentally changed the public’s relationship to institutions and power.
By
A Democrat Who Is Thinking Differently
Representative Jake Auchincloss discusses how the Democratic Party can offer meaningful alternatives to voters.
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He Gave a Name to What Many Christians Feel
And the feeling isn’t good. Aaron Renn has gained a following by warning that the U.S. is currently a “negative world” for Christianity.
By Ruth Graham and
The Wizard of Vinyl Is in Kansas
Chad Kassem is on a mission — saving listeners “from bad sound” — at the rural factory where he pores over LPs from some of music’s most important artists.
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The Wi-Fi Code Is ‘TrumpLovesYou,’ but the Cafe’s Clients Aren’t Feeling It
At a pizza and coffee joint in Kyiv named for the U.S. president, patrons are having second thoughts about its moniker after President Trump suspended military aid to Ukraine.
By
She’s a Foot Soldier in America’s Losing War With Chronic Disease
In places like Mingo County, W.Va., where working-age people are dying at record rates, a nurse learns what it takes to make America healthy.
By Eli Saslow and
Elon Musk’s Internet: So Based, Much Wow. So Cringe?
Mr. Musk uses online slang to marshal his 200 million social media followers in support of his efforts to gut the federal government. But he might be reaching his limits.
By
If You Want This Kind of Love, Don’t Expect It to Be Easy
After a difficult divorce, Samaiya Mushtaq found the love of her life — and the courage to support his volunteer work in Gaza.
By Anna MartinReva GoldbergEmily LangDavis LandChristina DjossaAmy PearlSara CurtisJen PoyantGianna PalmerDaniel RamirezDan PowellRowan Niemisto and
Carrie Coon on What Being Worthy of Love Really Means
An actor discusses how family roles can limit our ability to love fully.
By Anna MartinReva GoldbergEmily LangDavis LandChristina DjossaAmy PearlSara CurtisJen PoyantGianna PalmerDaniel RamirezDan PowellMarion LozanoRowan Niemisto and
Why Gossiping Could Help Your Love Life
Kelsey McKinney, author of the new book “You Didn’t Hear This From Me: (Mostly) True Notes on Gossip,” talks about the joys and problems gossiping has brought to her relationships.
By Anna MartinReva GoldbergEmily LangDavis LandChristina DjossaAmy PearlSara CurtisJen PoyantDaniel RamirezDan PowellElisheba Ittoop and
How to Fall (and Stay) in Love
And an update to the famous Modern Love story “To Fall in Love With Anyone, Do This.”
By Anna MartinReva GoldbergEmily LangDavis LandChristina DjossaAmy PearlSara CurtisJen PoyantDaniel RamirezDan PowellElisheba Ittoop and
He’s Gay. She’s Straight. They’re Newlyweds.
Jacob Hoff and Samantha Greenstone call their unlikely love “a soul connection.”
By Anna MartinReva GoldbergEmily LangDavis LandChristina DjossaAmy PearlJen PoyantDaniel RamirezDan Powell and
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How Music Took Over This Year’s Oscars
On Popcast, a conversation about the smooth and bumpy ways that the Academy Awards incorporated music into its 97th annual ceremony on Sunday.
How RZA Got Wu-Tang Clan Back Together for One Final Tour
The pathbreaking New York rap group, which has rarely performed as a full unit, is hitting the road for the last time.
By Jon Caramanica and
Drake’s Tentative Comeback, Plus: New Music From the Weeknd and More
On Popcast, a survey of the biggest and best albums released recently, including Drake with PartyNextDoor, the Weeknd, Central Cee, Oklou and others.
Breaking Down Kendrick Lamar’s Drake-centric Super Bowl Halftime Show
On a postgame episode of Popcast, we react to Lamar’s performance, including the tactical deployment of “Not Like Us” and a Serena Williams cameo.
Why We (Still) Think the Grammys Are Good Now
Big wins for Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar and Chappell Roan. Standout performances from Doechii and Sabrina Carpenter. A conversation about why the 2025 awards worked.
Spring Preview: A Few Books We’re Excited For
Every season brings its share of books to look forward to, and this spring is no different. On this episode Gilbert Cruz and Joumana Khatib talk about a dozen or so titles that sound interesting in the months ahead.
Book Club: Let’s Talk About Samantha Harvey’s ‘Orbital’
Harvey’s novel about six astronauts living and working on the International Space Station won the 2024 Booker Prize.
Celebrating 100 Years of Edward Gorey
The great author and illustrator was born on Feb. 22, 1925. Gilbert Cruz talks with the Book Review’s Sadie Stein about his distinctive talent and sensibility.
Meet the writer who helped turn a book into a cultural phenomenon.
By Alex BarronKate LoPrestiWendy DorrSophia LanmanDaniel RamirezElisheba Ittoop and
Adapting the Twists and Turns of ‘Conclave’
How the novel became an Oscar-nominated film.
By Tina AntoliniAlex BarronWendy DorrDaniel RamirezElisheba Ittoop and
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Elon Musk’s Mindset: ‘It’s a Weakness to Want to Be Liked’
In an interview, the tech billionaire slams advertisers for pulling back from X and discusses his emotional state.
By Andrew Ross SorkinEvan RobertsElaine ChenDan Powell and
Kamala Harris on Polling and Polarization
In an interview, the vice president discusses the extent to which she follows polls and why social division is like a virus.
By Andrew Ross SorkinEvan RobertsElaine ChenDan Powell and
Jamie Dimon on Why He Thinks We Are Living in One of the Most Dangerous Times
The JP Morgan chief on E.S.G., the dire state of the global economy and Elon Musk.
By Andrew Ross SorkinEvan RobertsElaine ChenDan Powell and
Bob Iger of Disney on Culture Wars and Streaming
The chief executive talks about returning to the company’s roots while adapting to changing times.
By Andrew Ross SorkinEvan RobertsElaine ChenDan Powell and
How Anti-Obesity Drugs are Redefining Pharma and Wellness
Listen to our interview with David Ricks and Fatima Cody Stanford.
By Andrew Ross SorkinEvan RobertsDan PowellKelly PiekloZachary Mouton and
What Democrats Think Went Wrong
A political autopsy. A focus group. A return to Herndon family hospitality.
By Astead W. HerndonAnna FoleyElisa Gutierrez and
The Man in Charge of Trump’s Border Policy
An interview with Tom Homan.
By Astead W. HerndonElisa Gutierrez and
One Voter to Understand Trump’s Win
For one woman in Michigan, it wasn’t an obvious decision, but in the end it came down to this: “frustration and self-Interest.”
By Astead W. HerndonAnna Foley and
A Final Dispatch From America’s Bellwether
These Washington State voters have picked winners since 1980. This year, what everyone agrees on is anxiety.
By Astead W. HerndonCaitlin O’Keefe and
Tailgating in Wisconsin With the Bros Trump Needs
Gender is a main dividing line in 2024. And young swing-state voters know it.
By Astead W. HerndonAnna Foley and
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Unnecessary and outrageous falsehoods.
The screenwriter Peter Straughan has become adept at taking well known — and beloved — books and adapting them for the big and small screens. He was first nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay of the 2011 film “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” based on the classic John le Carré spy novel, and then adapted Hilary Mantel’s “Wolf Hall” trilogy into an award-winning season of television, with an adaptation of the third novel coming out soon. Now he has been nominated for a second Oscar: for his screenplay for “Conclave,” based on Robert Harris’s political thriller set in the secret world of a papal election.“It’s almost like mosaic work,” Straughan tells Gilbert Cruz, the editor of The New York Times Book Review, about adapting books. “You have all these pieces; sometimes they’re going to be laid out in a very similar order to the book, sometimes a completely different order. Sometimes you’re going to deconstruct and rebuild completely.” In this episode of our special series devoted to Oscar-nominated films adapted from books, Cruz talks with Straughan about his process of translating a book to the screen, and about the moments in ‘‘Conclave” that he found most exciting to adapt.
One day, several decades ago, the writer Winnie Holzman was shopping in a Manhattan bookstore when a particular cover caught her eye. It showed a woman with a green face, a black hat pulled down over her eyes. The book was “Wicked” by Gregory Maguire, a retelling of L. Frank Baum’s “Oz” stories from the perspective of the Wicked Witch of the West. “When I turned it over and read the little précis on the back, it blew my mind,” Holzman said. “I thought it was such a brilliant premise.” The book ended up on Holzman’s bookshelf, with its enigmatic cover facing out. Years later, the composer Stephen Schwartz contacted Holzman to ask if she’d be interested in adapting Maguire’s book for the stage. The musical they wrote together opened in 2003, and it is now one of the most successful shows in Broadway history. The producers started talking about a movie adaptation, but Holzman was cautious: “We had to really kind of clear our minds and kind of reconceive the whole story.” The film version of “Wicked” opened in 2024, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, and with a screenplay by Holzman and Dana Fox. It is one of the highest-grossing movies of the year and is nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including best picture. Holzman joins Gilbert Cruz, the editor of The New York Times Book Review, to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of adapting your own adaptation.
Elijah Wald’s 2015 book, “Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan and the Night That Split the Sixties,” traces the events that led up to Bob Dylan’s memorable performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. The book is about Dylan, but also about the folk movement, youth culture, politics and the record business. For the writer and director James Mangold, Wald’s work provided an opportunity to tell an unusual story about the musician. “You could structure a screenplay along the lines of what Peter Shaffer did with “Amadeus,’” Mangold told The New York Times Book Review editor Gilbert Cruz. “I don’t really know what I learned about Mozart watching ‘Amadeus.’ But I do know that I learned a lot about how we mortals feel about people with immense talent.” Mangold’s film “A Complete Unknown” is a chronicle of Dylan’s early years on the New York folk scene, and it avoids easy explanations for the musician’s genius and success. “What if the thing we don’t understand, we just don’t want to understand,” said Mangold, “which is that he’s actually different? That he’s just a different kind of person than you or I?” In the second episode of our special series devoted to Oscar-nominated films adapted from books, Cruz talks with Mangold about making a film centered on one of music’s most enigmatic figures.
When the filmmaker and photographer RaMell Ross first read “The Nickel Boys,” Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about two Black boys in a dangerous reform school in the 1960s, he couldn’t help but put himself in the shoes of its protagonists, Elwood and Turner. In his film adaptation of the book, Ross does that to the audience: You see what the characters see, because it’s filmed from the main character’s point of view. “I wondered,” Ross said, “how do you explicitly film from the perspective of a Black person?” It was an experiment that has paid off in critical acclaim. “Nickel Boys” has been nominated for two Academy Awards: best adapted screenplay and best picture. In our special series devoted to Oscar-nominated films adapted from books, “The Book Review” podcast host Gilbert Cruz talks with Ross about why he made the film this particular way.
The Massachusetts leader, whose influence goes well beyond her state, discusses how the Democratic Party can pick its battles and rebuild its brand.
Watch or listen to our political round table about President Trump, the Republican budget and Ukraine.
By Michael Barbaro, Catie Edmondson, Maggie Haberman, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Carlos Prieto, Eric Krupke, Rachel Quester, M.J. Davis Lin, Diane Wong, Rowan Niemisto, Elisheba Ittoop, Dan Powell, Chris Wood, Eddie Costas, Amy Marino, Roman Safiullin, Dave Mayers, Ray Whitehouse, Pierre Kattar, Sophie Erickson and Brooke Minters
Catie Edmonson, Maggie Haberman, and Zolan Kanno-Youngs discuss two deals — one at home, one abroad — brokered by President Trump this week.
By Michael Barbaro, Catie Edmondson, Maggie Haberman and Zolan Kanno-Youngs
Catie Edmondson, Maggie Haberman and Zolan Kanno-Youngs discuss how this week, President Trump proposed two deals — one at home and the other abroad — that would require allies to put his needs ahead of their own.
In our special series devoted to Oscar-nominated films adapted from books, Gilbert Cruz, host of the “Book Review Podcast,” talks with the director James Mangold about “A Complete Unknown” — a film centered on one of music’s most enigmatic figures, Bob Dylan.
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