DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

Ever since the discovery of whale songs almost 60 years ago, scientists have been trying to decipher the lyrics. But sperm whales don’t produce the eerie melodies sung by humpback whales, sounds that became a sensation in the 1960s. Instead, sperm whales rattle off clicks that sound like a cross between Morse code and a creaking door. Carl Zimmer, a science reporter, explains why it’s possible that the whales are communicating in a complex language.

Persons: Carl Zimmer

The first generation to be fully reliant on 401(k) plans is now starting to retire. As that happens, it is becoming clear just how broken the system is. Michael Steinberger, a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, explains. On today’s episode

Persons: Michael Steinberger Organizations: The New York Times Magazine

Donald Trump upended decades of American policy when he started a trade war with China. Many thought that President Biden would reverse those policies. Instead, he’s stepping them up. Jim Tankersley, who covers economic policy at the White House, explains.

Persons: Donald Trump, Biden, Jim Tankersley Organizations: White Locations: China

As Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tries to get on the presidential ballot in all 50 states, he’s confronting fierce resistance from his opponents. Rebecca Davis O’Brien, who covers campaign finance and money in U.S. elections for The New York Times, discusses the high-stakes battle playing out behind the scenes.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Rebecca Davis O’Brien Organizations: The New York Times

Listen and follow The DailyApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicColumbia University has become the epicenter of a growing showdown between student protesters, college administrators and Congress over the war in Gaza and the limits of free speech. Nicholas Fandos, who covers New York politics and government for The Times, walks us through the intense week at the university. And Isabella Ramírez, the editor in chief of Columbia’s undergraduate newspaper, explains what it has all looked like to a student on campus.

Persons: Nicholas Fandos, Isabella Ramírez Organizations: Spotify, Amazon Music Columbia University, The Times Locations: Gaza, New York

Listen and follow The DailyApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicWarning: this episode contains descriptions of violence and self harm. Last fall, an Army reservist killed 18 people at a bowling alley and restaurant in Lewiston, Maine, before turning the gun on himself. Dave Philipps, who covers military affairs for The Times, had already been investigating the idea that soldiers could be injured just by firing their own weapons. Analyzing the case of the gunman in Lewiston, Dave explains, could change our understanding of the effects of modern warfare on the human brain.

Persons: Dave Philipps, Dave Organizations: Spotify, The Times Locations: Lewiston , Maine, Lewiston

Listen and follow The DailyApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicLate last week, an effort to get food into northern Gaza turned deadly, as thousands of desperate Gazans descended on aid trucks, and Israeli troops tasked with guarding those trucks opened fire. Exactly how people died, and who was responsible, remains contested. Hiba Yazbek, a reporter-researcher in Jerusalem for The Times, explains what we know about what happened and what it tells us about hunger in Gaza.

Persons: Gazans, Hiba Organizations: Spotify, The Times Locations: Gaza, Jerusalem

Listen and follow The DailyApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicPresident Biden and Donald J. Trump both made appearances at the southern border on Thursday as they addressed an issue that is shaping up to be one of the most important in the 2024 election: immigration. Zolan Kanno-Youngs, a White House correspondent for The Times, discusses Mr. Biden’s risky bid to take perhaps Trump’s biggest rallying point and use it against him.

Persons: Biden, Donald J, Trump, Zolan Kanno Organizations: Spotify, Amazon Music, The Times

Listen and follow The DailyApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicIn the past few weeks, activists in Michigan have begun calling voters in the state, asking them to protest President Biden’s support for the Israeli military campaign in Gaza by not voting for him in the Democratic primary. The activists are attempting to turn their anger over Gaza into a political force, one that could be decisive in a critical swing state where winning in November is likely to be a matter of the slimmest of margins. Jennifer Medina, a political reporter for The Times, explains how the war in Gaza is changing politics in Michigan.

Persons: Biden’s, Jennifer Medina Organizations: Spotify, Democratic, The Times Locations: Michigan, Gaza

Listen and follow The DailyApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicA surprise ruling from the Alabama Supreme Court has halted fertility treatments across the state and sent a shock wave through the world of reproductive health. Azeen Ghorayshi, who covers sex, gender, and science for The Times, explains what the court case means for reproductive health and a patient in Alabama explains what it is like navigating the fallout.

Persons: Azeen Ghorayshi Organizations: Spotify, The Times Locations: Alabama

Listen and follow The DailyApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicLast week, the Russian authorities announced that Aleksei A. Navalny, Russia’s most prominent opposition leader and an unflinching critic of President Vladimir V. Putin, had died in a remote Arctic prison at the age of 47. Yevgenia Albats, his friend, discusses how Mr. Navalny became a political force and what it means for his country that he is gone.

Persons: Aleksei A, Vladimir V, Putin, Yevgenia Albats, Navalny Organizations: Spotify

Listen and follow The DailyApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicLate last month, an explosive allegation that workers from a crucial U.N. relief agency in Gaza had taken part in the Oct. 7 attacks stunned the world and prompted major donors, including the United States, to suspend funding. Patrick Kingsley, the Jerusalem bureau chief for The Times, explains what this could mean for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and how it might complicate Israel’s strategy in the war.

Persons: Patrick Kingsley Organizations: Spotify, The Times Locations: Gaza, United States, Jerusalem

is a politics reporter covering the Southeast, based in Atlanta. She covers campaigns, elections and movements in the American South, as well as national trends relating to Black voters and young people.

Organizations: Black Locations: Atlanta, American

Listen and follow The DailyApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicThe era of hybrid work has spawned a new kind of office culture — one that has left many workers less connected and less happy than they have ever been. Emma Goldberg, a business reporter covering workplace culture for The Times, explains how mixing remote and office work has created a malaise, as workers confront new challenges and navigate uncertainty, and employers engage in a wave of experiments.

Persons: Emma Goldberg Organizations: Spotify, The Times

Listen and follow The DailyApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicOnly five members of the U.S. House of Representatives have ever been expelled from the institution. This week, Representative George Santos, Republican of New York, could become the sixth. In a damning ethics report, House investigators found that the congressman spent tens of thousands of dollars in political contributions on Botox, Ferragamo goods and vacations. Grace Ashford, who covers New York State politics and government for The Times, explains why, after a year in office, so many of Mr. Santos’s colleagues have had enough.

Persons: George Santos, Grace Ashford, Santos’s Organizations: Spotify, U.S . House, Representatives, Republican, New, The Times Locations: New York, New York State

Listen and follow The DailyApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicOne of the most highly anticipated diplomatic events of the year took place this week in a mansion outside San Francisco. President Biden and Xi Jinping, China’s top leader, met to repair their countries’ relations, which had sunk to one of their lowest points in decades. Edward Wong, a diplomatic correspondent for The New York Times, discusses the effort to bring the relationship back from the brink.

Persons: President Biden, Xi, Edward Wong Organizations: Spotify, The New York Times Locations: San Francisco

Listen and follow The DailyApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicIn late September, one of the world’s most intractable conflicts ended suddenly and brutally when Azerbaijan seized the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh and tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians fled their homes. Andrew Higgins, the New York Times bureau chief for East and Central Europe, explains how the conflict started, why it lasted for more than 30 years, and what its end can tell us about the nature of seemingly unsolvable disputes.

Persons: Andrew Higgins Organizations: Spotify, Music, New York Times, East Locations: Azerbaijan, Nagorno, Karabakh, Central Europe

Listen and follow The DailyApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicOver the weekend, the Israeli military appears to have begun an invasion of the Gaza Strip, with tanks rolling into the enclave and Israeli soldiers fighting Hamas inside. But the operation remains shrouded in secrecy, and Israel is revealing little about its actions. Raja Abdulrahim, a Middle East correspondent for The Times, and Patrick Kingsley, the Jerusalem bureau chief, discuss the latest escalation in the war.

Persons: Raja Abdulrahim, Patrick Kingsley Organizations: Spotify, The Times Locations: Gaza, Israel, East, Jerusalem

Listen and follow The DailyApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicOver a year, the federal deficit — the gap between what the U.S. government spends and what it earns — has doubled, to nearly $2 trillion. That figure seems to validate the worries of congressional Republicans about government spending, which have been at the center of the messy fight over who should be House speaker. Jim Tankersley, who covers economic policy at the White House for The Times, explains the Republicans’ concerns — and why their plans would not come close to solving the problem.

Persons: —, Jim Tankersley Organizations: Spotify, White, The Times

Listen and follow The DailyApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicAfter 148 days on strike, writers of movies and television are returning to work on Wednesday with an agreement in hand that amounts to a major win for organized labor in Hollywood. John Koblin, a media reporter for The Times, explains why the studios acquiesced to writers’ demands and what the deal means for the future of American entertainment.

Persons: John Koblin, ’ Organizations: Spotify, The Times Locations: Hollywood

Listen and follow The DailyApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicIn one of the most serious political corruption cases in recent history, federal prosecutors have accused a senior U.S. senator of trading the power of his position for cash, gifts and gold. Tracey Tully, who covers New Jersey for The Times, tells the story behind the charges against the senator, Robert Menendez, and his wife, Nadine, and describes the role played by Wael Hana, an Egyptian American businessman at the center of the allegations.

Persons: Tracey Tully, Robert Menendez, Nadine, Wael Hana Organizations: Spotify, The Times Locations: U.S, New Jersey, Egyptian American

Listen and follow The DailyApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicOn Tuesday afternoon, the U.S. government recommended that almost every American begin taking a new annual vaccine for Covid, a milestone in the nation’s three-year battle against the virus. Apoorva Mandavilli, a science and global health reporter for The New York Times, explains why the era of booster shots is now over and how to navigate this latest uptick in infections.

Organizations: Spotify, The New York Times Locations: U.S

Later this week, as many as 150,000 U.S. autoworkers may walk out in a historic strike against the three Detroit automakers, General Motors, Ford and Stellantis. The United Auto Workers union and the Big Three are still far apart in talks, and have only two days left to negotiate a new labor contract before the deadline. Neal Boudette, who covers the auto industry for The New York Times, walks us through a tangled, decades-long dynamic and explains why a walkout looks increasingly likely.

Persons: Neal Boudette Organizations: Detroit, General Motors, Ford, United Auto Workers, The New York Times

Last week, India landed its spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 on the moon, becoming the first country to land such a craft near the south pole, where scientists believe vital reserves of water could be found frozen. The landing also revealed just how much the international space race has changed. Kenneth Chang, a science reporter for The Times, explains why a new set of players are dominating the space race and what is motivating their groundbreaking missions to the moon.

Persons: Kenneth Chang Organizations: The Times Locations: India

Warning: This episode contains descriptions of death. When fires swept West Maui, Hawaii, many residents fled for their lives — but soon discovered they had nowhere to go. Thousands of structures, mostly homes, have been reduced to rubble. Husks of incinerated cars line the historic Front Street in Lahaina, while search crews nearby make their way painstakingly from house to house, looking for human remains. Ydriss Nora, a resident of Lahaina, recounts his experience fleeing the inferno and Mike Baker, the Seattle bureau chief for The Times, explains how an extraordinary set of circumstances turned the city into a death trap.

Persons: Ydriss Nora, Mike Baker Organizations: The Times Locations: West Maui, Hawaii, Lahaina, Seattle

Search resuls for: "Sydney Harper"

25 mentions found