In a network exclusive, Dolores Huerta tells ABC that she was raped by labor icon Cesar Chavez. As oil prices skyrocket, the Pentagon says it could need $200 billion amid the war in Iran. And Meta appears to be giving up on its plans for the “metaverse.”
Andy Weir’s first time at the Hollywood rodeo was a singular trip. His debut novel, “The Martian,” went from self-published project to blockbuster, best picture-nominated film starring Matt Damon.
His most recent book, “Project Hail Mary,” was also a sensation, and its adaptation, starring Ryan Gosling as a middle school science teacher tasked with saving humanity from slow extinction, charts warmly familiar territory: a lone man, stuck in space far from Earth, solving science problem after science problem with many a humorous aside.
Weir joined the Book Review’s podcast and spoke to the host, Gilbert Cruz, about the similarities and differences between Mark Watney and Ryland Grace (the main characters of “The Martian” and “Project Hail Mary”), his second novel, “Artemis,” and the alien character that readers have fallen in love with.
We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to thebookreview@nytimes.com.
“The Book Review Podcast” is hosted by Gilbert Cruz and produced by Sarah Diamond and Amy Pearl. The show is edited by Larissa Anderson and mixed by Pedro Rosado.
Special thanks to MJ Franklin, Dahlia Haddad, and Paula Szuchman.
Illustration by The New York Times; Photo: Taylor Glascock for The New York Times
Naomi Klein saw where our politics was headed before most people on the left. Her 2023 book “Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World” is hard to describe. But among other things, it traces the new coalitions Klein saw forming on the right, the ways they were co-opting issues long associated with the left, and finding huge audiences and influence outside existing institutions.
The people and coalitions that Klein wrote about run our world now. We are all living in the mirror world. As she put it, it’s “doppelgangers at the wheel.” So I wanted to have Klein on the show to help understand how that happened, what the left failed to see at the time and the lessons the left should take from it now.
As Klein told me: “The thing about doppelgangers is, in literature, they’re always a message telling you a warning: You have to look at yourself. There’s something about yourself that you’re not seeing.”
Note: We recorded this episode before the war in Iran.
1005. Is your company "returning" your retirement savings? In this episode, Laura answers a listener question from Jay P., who is frustrated that his contributions keep getting bounced back as taxable income.
If you’re a high earner or a diligent saver, nothing is more frustrating than seeing your hard-earned 401(k) contributions returned to your checking account. But why does the IRS penalize you just because your coworkers aren’t saving enough?
In this episode, Laura breaks down the "Highly Compensated Employee" (HCE) rules and explains exactly why your retirement plan might be failing its annual nondiscrimination tests. More importantly, she shares the specific steps you can take to keep your momentum going even when your workplace plan hits a ceiling.
Laura goes over:
The HCE Threshold: The specific 2026 income and ownership limits that trigger these IRS rules.
The "Safe Harbor" Solution: How to pitch a plan upgrade to your HR department that eliminates testing forever.
Tax Fallout: How to handle the tax liability of returned pre-tax vs. Roth contributions.
Pivot Strategies: Three powerful "Plan B" accounts—including HSAs and Roth IRAs—to house your returned cash so it stays invested for the long haul.
The Pentagon requests an additional $200 billion in funding for Trump's war in Iran. Jon and Dan discuss how Democrats in Congress should respond to the request, the administration's insistence that rising gas prices are nothing to worry about, and the resignation of a high-ranking intelligence official, Joe Kent, over the administration's decision to go to war with Iran. Then, they talk about Tulsi Gabbard's and Markwayne Mullin's explosive hearings on the Hill, AIPAC's impact on Tuesday's Democratic primaries in Illinois, and Trump's latest money-making venture — putting himself on a commemorative gold coin. Then, Juliana Stratton, the new Democratic nominee for Senate in Illinois, talks to Dan about her simple, effective anti-Trump message.
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
The Pentagon requests an additional $200 billion in funding for Trump's war in Iran. Jon and Dan discuss how Democrats in Congress should respond to the request, the administration's insistence that rising gas prices are nothing to worry about, and the resignation of a high-ranking intelligence official, Joe Kent, over the administration's decision to go to war with Iran. Then, they talk about Tulsi Gabbard's and Markwayne Mullin's explosive hearings on the Hill, AIPAC's impact on Tuesday's Democratic primaries in Illinois, and Trump's latest money-making venture — putting himself on a commemorative gold coin. Then, Juliana Stratton, the new Democratic nominee for Senate in Illinois, talks to Dan about her simple, effective anti-Trump message.
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
Apple is set to surpass $1 billion in artificial intelligence revenue this year, but much of it is derived from other companies’ AI leaps. WSJ tech reporter Rolfe Winkler explains how. Plus, the WSJ’s Jinjoo Lee asks what’s next for electric battery makers as EV demand dips. Katie Deighton hosts.