Before the Arab Spring, Seif al-Islam el-Qaddafi, the second son of the Libyan dictator Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, was establishing himself as a serious figure internationally. Then, the Arab Spring came to Libya.His father and brothers were killed and Seif himself was captured by rebels and taken to the western mountains of Libya.For years, rumors have surrounded the fate of Seif. Now he has re-emerged, touting political ambitions, but where has he been and what has he learned?Guest: Robert F. Worth, a contributor to The New York Times Magazine. Love listening to New York Times podcasts? Help us test a new audio product in beta and give us your thoughts to shape what it becomes. Visit nytimes.com/audio to join the beta.Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: In his first meeting with a foreign journalist in a decade, Seif al-Islam Qaddafi described his years in captivity — and hinted at a bid for Libya’s presidency.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

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Qaddafi's Son is Alive, and He Wants to Take Back Libya

Chicago is in the midst of a crime wave — but there is also a question about whether police officers will show up for work.That’s because of a showdown between the mayor, Lori Lightfoot, and the police union over a coronavirus vaccine mandate.Some 30,000 city workers are subject to the mandate, but no group has expressed more discontent than the police.Guest: Julie Bosman, the Chicago bureau chief for The New York Times. Love listening to New York Times podcasts? Help us test a new audio product in beta and give us your thoughts to shape what it becomes. Visit nytimes.com/audio to join the beta.Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: The clash over coronavirus shots in Chicago intensified last week, when the city filed a complaint against the police union.Across the United States, there is friction between city governments and law enforcement unions over vaccinations. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

A Showdown in Chicago

The Clean Electricity Program has been at the heart of President Biden’s climate agenda since he took office.But passage was always going to come down to a single senator: Joe Manchin of West Virginia.With Mr. Manchin’s support now extremely unlikely, where does that leave American climate policy?Guest: Coral Davenport, a correspondent covering energy and environmental policy for The New York Times. Love listening to New York Times podcasts? Help us test a new audio product in beta and give us your thoughts to shape what it becomes. Visit nytimes.com/audio to join the beta.Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat from coal-rich West Virginia, has told the White House that he is firmly against one of the most powerful parts of President Biden’s climate agenda.Faced with the likely demise of the program, the White House and outraged lawmakers are scrambling to find alternatives.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

How a Single Senator Derailed Biden’s Climate Plan

Colin Powell, who in four decades of public service helped shape U.S. national security, died on Monday. He was 84.Despite a stellar career, Mr. Powell had expressed a fear that he would be remembered for a single event: his role in leading his country to war in Iraq.We look back on the achievements and setbacks of a trailblazing life. Guest: Robert Draper, writer for The New York Times Magazine and author of “To Start a War: How the Bush Administration Took America into Iraq.”Love listening to New York Times podcasts? Help us test a new audio product in beta and give us your thoughts to shape what it becomes. Visit nytimes.com/audio to join the beta.Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: Colin Powell was emblematic of the ability of minorities to use the military as a ladder of opportunity — one that eventually led him to the highest levels of government. He died of complications of Covid-19, his family said.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

The Life and Career of Colin Powell

In 2020, Virginia epitomized the way in which Democrats took the White House and Congress — by turning moderate and swing counties.But President Biden’s poll numbers have been waning, and in the coming race for governor, Republicans see an opportunity.Guest: Lisa Lerer, a national political correspondent for The New York Times. Love listening to New York Times podcasts? Help us test a new audio product in beta and give us your thoughts to shape what it becomes. Visit nytimes.com/audio to join the beta.Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: Republicans in Virginia are saying what their nominee for governor, Glenn Youngkin, will not: The governor’s race is a proxy for Donald Trump’s grievances.Though Virginia is getting bluer, the former governor Terry McAuliffe is straining to motivate Democratic voters for his comeback attempt.After months of closed classrooms and lost learning time, Republicans are making schools the focus of their final push.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Why Are All Eyes on the Virginia Governor’s Race?

When the Hirshhorn Museum told Laurie Anderson that it wanted to put on a big, lavish retrospective of her work, she said no.For one thing, she was busy and has been for roughly 50 years. Over the course of her incessant career, Ms. Anderson has done just about everything a creative person can do. She helped design an Olympics opening ceremony, served as the official artist in residence for NASA, made an opera out of “Moby-Dick” and played a concert for dogs at the Sydney Opera House. And she is still going.On top of all this, Ms. Anderson had philosophical qualms about a retrospective. She is 74, which seems like a very normal age to stop and look back, and yet she seems determined, at all times, to keep moving forward.This story was written by Sam Anderson and recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.

The Sunday Read: ‘Laurie Anderson Has a Message for Us Humans’

Throughout the pandemic, businesses of all sizes have faced delays, product shortages and rising costs linked to disruptions in the global supply chain. Consumers have been confronted with an experience rare in modern times: no stock available, and no idea when it will come in.Our correspondent, Peter Goodman, went to one of the largest ports in the United States to witness the crisis up close. In this episode, he explains why this economic havoc might not be temporary — and could require a substantial refashioning of the world’s shipping infrastructure.Guest: Peter Goodman, a global economics correspondent for The New York Times.Love listening to New York Times podcasts? Help us test a new audio product in beta and give us your thoughts to shape what it becomes. Visit nytimes.com/audio to join the beta.Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: An enduring traffic jam at the Port of Savannah reveals why the chaos in global shipping is likely to persist.This week, President Biden announced that major ports and companies, including Walmart, UPS and FedEx, would expand their working hours as his administration struggles to relieve growing backlogs in the global supply chains.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

The Great Supply Chain Disruption

This episode contains strong language and descriptions of violence.A Times investigation has uncovered extraordinary levels of violence and lawlessness inside Rikers, New York City’s main jail complex. In this episode, we hear about one man’s recent experience there and ask why detainees in some buildings now have near-total control over entire units.Guest: Jan Ransom, an investigative reporter for The Times focusing on criminal justice issues, spoke with Richard Brown, a man detained at Rikers.Love listening to New York Times podcasts? Help us test a new audio product in beta and give us your thoughts to shape what it becomes. Visit nytimes.com/audio to join the beta.Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: Here’s more reporting on how a staffing emergency has disrupted basic functions of the jail system, giving detainees at the Rikers Island jail complex free rein inside.Now, amid the chaos, women and transgender people are expected to be transferred.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

‘No Crime Is Worth That’

This episode contains descriptions of violence and a suicide attempt.When the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August, our producer started making calls. With the help of colleagues, she contacted women in different cities and towns to find out how their lives had changed and what they were experiencing.Then she heard from N, whose identity has been concealed for her safety.This is the story of how one 18-year-old woman’s life has been transformed under Taliban rule.Guest: Lynsea Garrison, a senior international producer for The Daily, spoke with N, a young woman whose life changed drastically after the fall of Kabul.Love listening to New York Times podcasts? Help us test a new audio product in beta and give us your thoughts to shape what it becomes. Visit nytimes.com/audio to join the beta.Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: “When we think about our future, we can’t see anything.” This is what some Afghan girls said when they were asked about life under the Taliban.Four Afghan women who sought refuge in the United States talk about their lives now and everything they gave up.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

‘The Decision of My Life’

Many Americans pay more for child care than they do for their mortgages, even though the wages for those who provide the care are among the lowest in the United States.Democrats see the issue as a fundamental market failure and are pushing a plan to bridge the gap with federal subsidies.We went to Greensboro, N.C., to try to understand how big the problem is and to ask whether it is the job of the federal government to solve.Guest: Jason DeParle, a senior writer for The New York Times.Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: Democrats are moving to bring in the most significant expansion of the U.S. social safety net since the war on poverty in the 1960s, introducing legislation that would touch virtually every American’s life, from cradle to grave.Some fear the plan would raise taxes and create additional red tape on private services. Here’s more information about what the bill proposes.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Is Child Care a Public Responsibility?

An enormous infusion of money and effort will be needed to prepare the United States for the changes wrought by the climate crisis.We visited towns in North Carolina that have been regularly hit by floods to confront a heartbreaking question: How does a community decide whether its homes are worth saving?Guest: Christopher Flavelle, a climate reporter for The New York Times.Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: For the first time, there is bipartisan acknowledgement — through actions, if not words — that the United States is unprepared for global warming and will need huge amounts of cash to cope.Homeowners in the Outer Banks of North Carolina are facing a tax increase of almost 50 percent to protect their homes. Is this the future of coastal towns?For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Which Towns Are Worth Saving?

Over the past decade, Eric Coomer has helped make Dominion Voting Systems one of the largest providers of voting machines and software in the United States.He was accustomed to working long days during the postelection certification process, but November 2020 was different.President Trump was demanding recounts. His allies had spent months stoking fears of election fraud. And then, on Nov. 8, Sidney Powell, a lawyer representing the Trump campaign, appeared on Fox News and claimed, without evidence, that Dominion had an algorithm that switched votes from Trump to Joe Biden.This is the story of how the 2020 election upended Mr. Coomer’s life.This story was written by Susan Dominus and recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.

The Sunday Read: ‘He Was the “Perfect Villain” for Voting Conspiracists’

The C.I.A. sent a short but explosive message last week to all of its stations and bases around the world.The cable, which said dozens of sources had been arrested, killed or turned against the United States, highlights the struggle the agency is having as it works to recruit spies around the world. How did this deterioration occur?Guest: Julian E. Barnes, a national security reporter for The New York Times. Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: Counterintelligence officials said in a top secret cable to all stations and bases around the world that too many of the people it recruits from other countries to spy for the U.S. are being lost.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

A Troubling C.I.A. Admission

The coronavirus seems to be in retreat in the United States, with the number of cases across the country down about 25 percent compared with a couple of weeks ago. Hospitalizations and deaths are also falling.So, what stage are we in with the pandemic? And how will developments such as a new antiviral treatment and the availability of booster shots affect things?Guest: Apoorva Mandavilli, a science and global health reporter for The New York Times. Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: The authorization for booster shots applies to groups of people in the United States fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, but about 45 percent of the country’s fully inoculated people received Moderna or Johnson & Johnson doses.Merck said it would seek authorization for molnupiravir, an antiviral pill that the company says is effective against Covid. Experts said such treatments could be a powerful tool against the virus.Despite a fall in new cases, hospitalizations and deaths, public health officials said the pandemic remained a potent threat.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

The State of the Pandemic

The Senate testimony of Frances Haugen on Tuesday was an eagerly awaited event.Last month, Ms. Haugen, a former Facebook product manager, leaked internal company documents to The Wall Street Journal that exposed the social media giant’s inner workings.How will Ms. Haugen’s insights shape the future of internet regulation?Guest: Sheera Frenkel, a technology reporter for The New York Times. Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: Ms. Haugen told how Facebook deliberately made efforts to keep users — including children — hooked to its service.Here are other key takeaways from her testimony.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

The Facebook Whistle-Blower Testifies

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