In a dramatic Georgia court hearing, Richard Fausset, a national reporter for The New York Times, discusses the disqualification of the Fulton County district attorney and her office from the prosecution of Donald J. Trump. The opening day of testimony includes surprising elements such as a trip to Belize, a tattoo parlor, and Grey Goose vodka. The conflict of interest allegations and contradicting testimonies add to the intrigue. The potential threat and weakness of the Georgia election case are also explored.

Richard Fausset, a New York Times correspondent based in Atlanta, discusses the recent indictment of Donald Trump and 18 others for attempting to overturn the 2020 election results. The podcast explores the charges related to racketeering, the potential impact on higher-level figures, the organized criminal unit behind the mission, and the challenges of migration in the Darien Gap. It also highlights the significance of a state charge for a former president, the potential timeline of the trial, and speculates on how the court systems will handle multiple criminal trials involving Trump.

Richard Fausset, a correspondent for The New York Times covering the American South, explains why two lawyers who defended Trump in the 2020 election fraud case have now pleaded guilty and turned against him. The podcast explores the motivations behind their decision, potential implications for higher-level defendants, and the challenges they faced in mounting a strong defense. It also briefly touches on Israeli strikes in Gaza and an auto workers strike in Michigan.

As the sun came up over Florida yesterday, a fuller picture began to emerge of the destruction that Hurricane Ian had inflicted on the state and its residents.The Category 4 storm washed away roads, bridges, cars, boats and homes. The damage is so extensive that, according to the state’s governor, Ron DeSantis, it may take years to rebuild.Guests: Patricia Mazzei, the Miami bureau chief for The New York Times; Richard Fausset, a Times correspondent based in Atlanta; Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, a national news reporter for The Times; and Hilary Swift, a photojournalist.Background reading: Data from NASA reveals how warm ocean waters in the Gulf of Mexico provided the fuel that turned Hurricane Ian into such a potent force.The scale of the wreckage was staggering, even to Florida residents who had survived and rebuilt after other powerful hurricanes.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  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.

Since he left office, former President Donald J. Trump has been facing several investigations.They include the congressional inquiry into the Jan. 6 attack at the Capitol and the F.B.I.’s search of Mar-a-Lago, his club and Florida residence, as part of an investigation into his handling of classified material.Of all the government investigations, the one that is receiving the least attention — a case being made by a local prosecutor in Georgia — may end up being the most consequential.Guest: Richard Fausset, a correspondent based in Atlanta for The New York Times.Background reading: Over a year into a criminal investigation of election interference by Mr. Trump and his allies, a Georgia prosecutor is beginning to show the broad contours of her inquiry.Fani T. Willis, the Atlanta area district attorney, is seeking to build a broad conspiracy case that encompasses multifaceted efforts by Trump allies to disrupt and overturn the 2020 election.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  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.

After Hurricane Ida hit New Orleans, leaving destruction in its wake, comparisons with Hurricane Katrina were made.There are, however, big differences between the two disasters — namely that the city, in the 16 years since Katrina, has heavily invested in flood defenses. But on the ground, there is little cause for celebration.What has happened in the aftermath of Ida and what does the increasing frequency of climate extremes mean for a city like New Orleans?Guest: Richard Fausset, a correspondent covering the American South for The New York Times.Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: Hurricane veterans were stunned by Ida. “It’s never been as bad as it is this time,” said Jesse Touro, who was rescued from Jean Lafitte after riding out storms in town for the past 12 years.As hundreds of thousands of people in Louisiana faced the prospect of punishingly hot weeks ahead without electricity, officials have urged those who had fled before the onslaught of Hurricane Ida to stay away indefinitely as the long slog of recovery begins.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 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 episode contains strong language. Heading into deliberations in the trial of the three white men in Georgia accused of chasing down and killing Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed Black man, it was not clear which way the jurors were leaning. In the end, the mostly white jury found all three men guilty of murder. We look at the prosecution’s decision not to make race a central tenet of their case, and how the verdict was reached. Guest: Richard Fausset, a correspondent based in Atlanta. Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: How a prosecutor addressed a mostly white jury and won a conviction in the Ahmaud Arbery case.“It’s good to see racism lose”: The murder convictions were praised by many. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  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.

In the coming days, a trial will begin to determine whether the fatal shooting of Amaud Arbery, an unarmed Black man, by two armed white men is considered murder under Georgia state law. Today, we explore why that may be a difficult case for prosecutors to make.Guest: Richard Fausset, a correspondent based in Atlanta who writes about the American South.Love listening to New York Times podcasts? Help us test a new audio product in beta and give us your thoughts to shape what it becomes. Visit nytimes.com/audio to join the beta.Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: Here’s a look at the major moments between Mr. Arbery’s killing in a Georgia suburb and the trial of three men charged with murder.A year after his killing in Georgia, Mr. Arbery’s death has sparked a bipartisan effort to remake the state’s 158-year-old citizen’s arrest law. But a potentially divisive trial awaits.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  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.

To ensure students’ safe return to in-person learning amid a surge in the Delta variant of the coronavirus, some school districts plan to institute mask mandates.Yet that move isn’t necessarily straightforward — several of the country’s hardest-hit states have banned such mandates.We look at how this conflict is playing out in Arkansas. Guest: Richard Fausset, a correspondent covering the American South for The New York Times. Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas signed a law banning mask mandates early this year. Now, he wants to unravel it, reflecting a dilemma for Republican governors across the South, where the health crisis has deepened.School officials in Florida and Arizona say they intend to require students and teachers to wear masks in school, despite statewide bans on such policies.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  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 episode contains strong language.Rayshard Brooks fell asleep in his car at a Wendy’s drive-through. Soon afterward, he was shot. We look closely at what happened in the minutes in between — and at the unrest his killing has sparked in Georgia.Guest: Richard Fausset, a correspondent based in Atlanta. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily Background reading: Here is our visual investigation into how Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by the Atlanta police.The resignation of Atlanta’s police chief, Erika Shields, was the latest in a series of shake-ups at several large police departments. 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.