Author: The New York Times

The pop singer and actress Reneé Rapp has a deep love for her friends. She maintains a nonstop group chat with more than 15 close friends every day. Their lives are so intertwined that the line between platonic and romantic can sometimes get blurry, particularly since many of them have dated each other.

Rapp, best known for her role in the Broadway musical and new film adaptation “Mean Girls,” has an upcoming album, “Bite Me,” which delves into the intimacy and messiness of friendships, not just romantic relationships. Mirroring her album’s themes, Rapp walks Modern Love host Anna Martin through various vulnerable moments she has recently shared with friends, including one with her best friend and former “The Sex Lives of College Girls” co-star Alyah Chanelle Scott.

It’s no surprise that Rapp chose to read the Modern Love essay “This is What Happens When Friends Fall in Love” by Sammy Sass. The piece resonates with her own experiences of sustaining love within queer friendships. While Rapp says she doesn’t have a blueprint, she has learned to navigate misunderstandings and express genuine love to those closest to her.

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The former U.S. Labor Secretary on how complacency and corporate ties created a “bully in chief.”Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

This year, “The Great Gatsby” turns 100.

A.O. Scott, a critic at large for The New York Times Book Review, tells the story of how an overlooked book by a 28-year-old author eventually became the great American novel, and explores why all of these decades later, we still see ourselves in its pages.

Guest: A.O. Scott, a critic at large for The New York Times Book Review, writing about literature and ideas.

Background reading: 

• What the hero in “The Great Gatsby” tell us about how we see ourselves.

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

Photo: Abigail Cole/University of South Carolina Libraries

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The suffering in Gaza has reached new depths, and now finding food, which was already scarce, has become a deadly endeavor.

Israeli forces have opened fire on crowds of desperate and hungry people who were trying to reach aid sites established by a new and controversial humanitarian group. Hundreds of people have been killed, according to Gaza health officials.

Aaron Boxerman, who covers Gaza for The Times, explains who is behind the distribution system and why it has been so deadly.

Guest: Aaron Boxerman, a reporter for The New York Times covering Israel and Gaza.

Background reading: 

• Dozens were killed in shootings that took place after thousands of Palestinians gathered in the hope of getting humanitarian aid from U.N. trucks entering the Gaza Strip.
• Israel-backed aid sites in Gaza pose a lethal risk for Palestinians.

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

Photo: Eyad Baba/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

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Warning: This episode contains strong language.

An explosive whistle-blower report claims that the Justice Department is asking government lawyers to lie to the courts, and that this has forced career officials to chose between upholding the Constitution and pledging loyalty to the president.

Rachel Abrams speaks to the whistle-blower about his career in the Justice Department and his complaint saying he was fired for telling the truth.

Guest: Erez Reuveni, who filed a whistle-blower complaint against the Department of Justice.

Background reading: 

• Mr. Reuveni has warned of an assault on the law by the Trump administration.
• At the Justice Department, Emil Bove III suggested violating court orders, according to the complaint.

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

Photo: Kent Nishimura for The New York Times

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In the global fight to dominate A.I., China is quickly catching up to the United States — which is why President Trump barred the tech giant Nvidia from selling its superpowered computer chips to Chinese companies.

Then, a few days ago, Mr. Trump abruptly changed course.

Tripp Mickle, who covers Silicon Valley for The New York Times, explains how Nvidia’s C.E.O. persuaded the president that the best way to beat China at A.I. is to help them compete.

Guest: Tripp Mickle, who reports about Silicon Valley for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• Nvidia said that the U.S. had lifted restrictions on A.I. chip sales to China.
• How Nvidia’s Jensen Huang persuaded Mr. Trump to sell A.I. chips to China.

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

Photo: Pete Marovich for The New York Times

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For the past two weeks, President Trump has been trying and failing to get his supporters to stop talking about Jeffrey Epstein.

David Enrich, a deputy investigations editor for The New York Times, and Shawn McCreesh, a Times White House correspondent, explain why MAGA won’t let go of this scandal, how the president misread his own base — and what all this shows about the limits of Mr. Trump’s power.

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When we meet Rob Delaney’s character, “Neighbor Guy,” in FX’s limited series “Dying for Sex,” he’s scarfing down a burrito in an elevator, dripping food on his face and the floor. But Delaney’s performance reveals that under Neighbor Guy’s messy exterior is a man capable of deep vulnerability and empathy.

“Dying for Sex” follows a woman named Molly, played by Michelle Williams, who is dying of cancer and desperate to experience sexual pleasure before it’s too late. At first, Molly thinks Neighbor Guy is disgusting, but the two soon discover they make sense together, sexually and emotionally. Williams and Delaney received Emmy nominations for their roles.

On this episode of Modern Love, Delaney tells host Anna Martin why exposing the messy and painful parts of ourselves to other people can be rewarding and hilarious. He talks about tending his own relationship and reads a Modern Love essay about a couple who decides to try some role play to avoid getting too comfortable with each other.

For more Modern Love, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday.

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The actress discusses discrimination in Hollywood, what she’s learned about herself in her 50s and her iconic role on "Grey's Anatomy.”Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.