The Daily Folgen

It was the secret force behind stories about John Edwards’s $400 haircut and Mitt Romney’s decision to put the family dog on the roof of his car. Donald Trump Jr. says it motivated him to meet with a Russian lawyer. We discuss the dark art of opposition research. Guests: Jonathan Martin, a national political correspondent for The Times; Ben LaBolt, the national press secretary for President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign. For more information on today’s episode, visit http://nyti.ms/2vF4L6w. 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.

The Times obtains Donald Trump Jr.’s emails about an offer of help from the Russian government. “I love it,” he wrote. The story behind the story, and what we mean when we talk about “collusion.” And the scene from the Iraqi city of Mosul: What Islamic State militants left behind. Guests: Matt Apuzzo, one of the reporters who broke the story about Donald Trump Jr.’s emails; Rukmini Callimachi, who covers the Islamic State, and Andy Mills, a producer with her in Mosul. For more information on today’s episode, visit http://nyti.ms/2sPxzbb. 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.

A music producer. A lawyer from Moscow. The Miss Universe pageant. And now: the promise of help from the Russian government. We connect the dots on Donald Trump Jr.’s communications last summer. And what happens when thousands of rebel fighters try to re-enter society as civilians? Guests: Mark Mazzetti, our Washington investigations editor; Nicholas Casey, a correspondent based in South America. For more information on today’s episode, visit http://nyti.ms/2uddQ9d. 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.