“Love Story,” the FX limited series about John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s relationship, has taken audiences by storm. Its unstoppable wave of ’90s nostalgia has swept through the world of fashion, revitalized iconic New York landmarks and set off a yearning for simpler days before smartphones and dating apps. The series has also drawn significant backlash, with criticism ranging from bad reviews to accusations of inaccuracy and even harm.

Today, Rachel Abrams talks to Alexandra Jacobs, a critic for The New York Times Book Review, about why America can’t seem to look away from “Love Story.”

On Today’s Episode:

Alexandra Jacobs, a critic for The New York Times Book Review and occasional features writer.

Background Reading:

The Lasting Appeal of John F. Kennedy Jr.

Daryl Hannah: How Can ‘Love Story’ Get Away With This?

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For the past week, travelers flying across the United States have waited in security lines that snaked through airports and parking lots as Transportation Security Administration officers called out of work because of a partial government shutdown.

Karoun Demirjian, a breaking news reporter for the The New York Times, explains what has led to the extraordinary delays, and Michael Gold, a congressional correspondent for The Times, discusses the negotiations in Congress to bring an end to the crisis.

Guest:

• Karoun Demirjian, a breaking news reporter for the The New York Times.
• Michael Gold, a congressional correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading:

• Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have arrived at airports. Many lines are still long.
• Talks to reopen the Department of Homeland Security hit a snag as Democrats demanded ICE restrictions.

Photo: Antranik Tavitian/Reuters

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Subscribe today at 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. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

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Since the war in Iran began, President Trump has insisted that rising energy prices would be temporary. But strikes on natural gas facilities in the Persian Gulf last week have made the prospect of a quick recovery seem less and less likely.

Patricia Cohen, the global economics correspondent for The New York Times, explains why the impacts may be felt for years.

Guest: Patricia Cohen, the global economics correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading:

• Energy attacks in the war in Iran could turn economic shock into long-term damage.
• Here is why Iran’s attack on an energy hub in Qatar spooked investors.

Photo: Hannibal Hanschke/EPA, via Shutterstock

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Subscribe today at 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. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

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About a year into President Trump’s global trade war, China hasn’t just survived. It has emerged stronger than ever on the world stage.

Keith Bradsher, the Beijing bureau chief for The New York Times, discusses the domination of China’s robot-powered superfactories and how the country essentially made itself tariff-proof.

Guest: Keith Bradsher, the Beijing bureau chief for The New York Times.

Background reading:

• China’s secret weapon in the trade war is an army of factory robots.
• Beijing announced a record trade surplus in January as its exports flooded world markets.

Photo: Qilai Shen for The New York Times

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Subscribe today at 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. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

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The war in Iran has created strong divisions among President Trump’s supporters. An anti-interventionist wing of the Republican coalition and some senior administration officials partial to Mr. Trump’s criticism of long overseas conflicts have quickly become uneasy about the war, which has shown no immediate signs of ending.

Robert Draper, a domestic politics journalist for The New York Times based in Washington, discusses Mr. Trump’s justification for the war and whether he is explicitly violating a pact he made with his base not to start another.

Guest: Robert Draper is a journalist based in Washington, D.C., who writes about domestic politics for The New York Times.

Background reading: Joe Kent, a top U.S. counterterrorism official, resigns over the Iran war.

High gas prices, driven up by the war, loom over the midterms.

Photo: Eric Lee for The New York Times

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Subscribe today at 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. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

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If you’ve spent any time on social media recently, you’ve probably come across a video of a young, square-jawed influencer calling himself Clavicular. He has become the face of an internet subculture called looksmaxxing, in which men do almost anything — like taking steroids and hormones or bashing their jaws with a hammer — to try to become more handsome.

In this episode, Natalie Kitroeff talks with reporter Joseph Bernstein about the world of looksmaxxing and how what might seem like a fringe phenomenon is actually the culmination of a digital culture that rewards physical perfection with status and algorithmic power.

On Today’s Episode

Joseph Bernstein covers digital subcultures for the Styles desk at The New York Times.

Background Reading

Handsome at Any Cost

Young Men Seek Answers to an Age-Old Question: How to Be Hot

The Suffix That Tells Us to Ruthlessly Optimize Everything

Photo Credit: Cassidy Araiza for The New York Times

Subscribe today at 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. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

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