Michael Barbaro

100%.

Hey there, it's Michael. A quick request before today's show. In the past couple of years, nearly half the states in the U.S. have passed bans on gender-affirming care for kids. The Trump administration is now targeting that care, and in the coming weeks, the Supreme Court is expected to weigh in.

Hey there, it's Michael. A quick request before today's show. In the past couple of years, nearly half the states in the U.S. have passed bans on gender-affirming care for kids. The Trump administration is now targeting that care, and in the coming weeks, the Supreme Court is expected to weigh in.

Amidst all of that, some of our colleagues here on the Times audio team have been working on a project about where this care came from, who it was meant to help, and how it got pulled into a political fight that could end it altogether. The team making that show is looking to hear from kids and parents about their direct experience with gender-affirming care.

Amidst all of that, some of our colleagues here on the Times audio team have been working on a project about where this care came from, who it was meant to help, and how it got pulled into a political fight that could end it altogether. The team making that show is looking to hear from kids and parents about their direct experience with gender-affirming care.

If that's you, what has your experience been with pediatric gender medicine? How have recent government actions affected you? And how are you feeling about the future? If you're willing to share your story, please send us a short voice memo to genderstoryatnytimes.com. That's genderstoryatnytimes.com. Thank you, and here's today's show.

If that's you, what has your experience been with pediatric gender medicine? How have recent government actions affected you? And how are you feeling about the future? If you're willing to share your story, please send us a short voice memo to genderstoryatnytimes.com. That's genderstoryatnytimes.com. Thank you, and here's today's show.

From The New York Times, I'm Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. A few days ago in Rome, Vice President J.D. Vance met with the new Pope. And then he sat down with my colleague, Ross Douthat, a Times opinion columnist and host of a new podcast called Interesting Times, for an interview about faith, immigration, the law, and the partisan temptation to go too far.

From The New York Times, I'm Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. A few days ago in Rome, Vice President J.D. Vance met with the new Pope. And then he sat down with my colleague, Ross Douthat, a Times opinion columnist and host of a new podcast called Interesting Times, for an interview about faith, immigration, the law, and the partisan temptation to go too far.

Today, Ross talks us through their conversation. It's Thursday, May 22nd. Ross, thank you for being here. I know that you've had a very long couple of days, sleepless couple of days, and we appreciate you making time.

Today, Ross talks us through their conversation. It's Thursday, May 22nd. Ross, thank you for being here. I know that you've had a very long couple of days, sleepless couple of days, and we appreciate you making time.

Well, just to start, tell us how this interview, which required you to leave the country and lose a lot of sleep, how it came about.

Well, just to start, tell us how this interview, which required you to leave the country and lose a lot of sleep, how it came about.

I have to imagine that's a pretty tempting offer for any journalist, period. But for a religious Catholic like yourself, an especially tempting offer.

I have to imagine that's a pretty tempting offer for any journalist, period. But for a religious Catholic like yourself, an especially tempting offer.

And just to explain, Ross, we're going to be playing large segments of your conversation with Vance in this episode because it really helps you understand how Vance thinks. But just to understand what you're doing in this interview, what, once it's beginning, is your real overriding goal for the conversation?

And just to explain, Ross, we're going to be playing large segments of your conversation with Vance in this episode because it really helps you understand how Vance thinks. But just to understand what you're doing in this interview, what, once it's beginning, is your real overriding goal for the conversation?

And briefly, what exactly is the Pope and the Catholic Church's view on immigration, in particular on how the United States should be thinking about immigration?

And briefly, what exactly is the Pope and the Catholic Church's view on immigration, in particular on how the United States should be thinking about immigration?

And at that point, Ross, you ask the vice president how it is he measures whether or not the administration's immigration policies are actually working. And Vance says that they've secured the border, but that when it comes to large-scale deportations, it's been more challenging. And he specifically points to two obstacles.