The Daily

For decades, nuclear weapons did not figure prominently in China’s military planning. However, recent satellite images suggest that the country may be looking to quintuple its nuclear arsenal. 

Why is China changing strategy now?

Guest: David E. Sanger, a White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times. 

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Background reading: 

• Is China scrapping its “minimum deterrent” strategy and joining an arms race? Or is it merely looking to create a negotiating card?

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

This episode contains strong language.

The first hearing of the special congressional committee on the Jan. 6 riots was an emotional affair, but it was not quite the investigation that was originally envisaged.

In January, lawmakers on both sides spoke of putting aside partisanship and organizing an investigation akin to the 9/11 commission, considered the gold standard of nonpartisan fact-finding.

Why did the commission fail and what is taking place instead?

Guest: Luke Broadwater, a congressional reporter for The New York Times. 

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Background reading: 

• “A hit man sent them.” Police officers at the Capitol recounted the horrors of Jan. 6 on the first day of the House committee investigation into the event.
• In remarks before the hearing, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader, said Republicans wanted the focus of the inquiry to be on the lack of preparation for the violence and ways to prevent future attacks.

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

In the effort to raise America’s vaccination rate, some agencies and private organizations have turned to the last, and most controversial, weapon in the public health arsenal: vaccine mandates.

How have the federal government and the White House approached the issue?

Guest: Jennifer Steinhauer, a Washington reporter for The New York Times. 

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Background reading: 

• California and New York City will require vaccinations or tests for their employees, while the Department of Veterans Affairs said frontline health care workers must get vaccinated or face possible termination.
• With some health care workers still refusing to be immunized, medical centers around the country are requiring shots as cases climb once again.

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

For the past couple of weeks, some Americans have reported a curious phenomenon: They have caught the coronavirus despite being vaccinated.

Vaccines are still doing their job by protecting against serious illness and hospitalization, but the frequency of so-called breakthrough infections has surprised experts.

How do such cases happen, and what risks do they pose?

Guest: Apoorva Mandavilli, a science and global health reporter for The New York Times. 

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Background reading: 

• Breakthrough infections are still relatively uncommon, experts said, and those that cause serious illness, hospitalization or death even more so.
• While being fully inoculated protects against serious illness and hospitalization from Covid-19, no vaccine offers 100 percent protection, and vaccinated people may need to take a few more precautions. Here’s what you need to know.

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

An activist investment firm won a shocking victory at Exxon Mobil. But can new directors really put the oil giant on a cleaner path?

This story was written by Jessica Camille Aguirre and recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.