The Daily Folgen

Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. is the first candidate in American history to wage a presidential campaign in quarantine. From his basement in Delaware, he has struggled to attain the same visibility as his opponent, President Trump. But is that a good thing? Guest: Alexander Burns, who covers national politics for The New York Times.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: Over livestream, Mr. Biden is trying to conduct the functions of a normal presidential campaign — taking voters’ questions, fund-raising and appearing on television. Insulated from the spotlight of a normal campaign trail, he has stayed silent on an allegation of sexual assault against him, angering activists and women’s rights advocates.As President Trump’s approval ratings have dropped, his re-election campaign is working to rewrite the story of his presidency. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

She ordered Michigan to stay on lockdown through mid-May. He thinks the measures are too extreme. Today, we speak to them both. Guests: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Phil Campbell, a vice president of a pest control company whose revenues have been halved during lockdown. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: Two weeks ago, President Trump announced that governors would be on their own to decide when to ease lockdown restrictions. The day after his announcement, he called for Michigan’s liberation on Twitter. Raucous protests ensued.After becoming a prominent foil of the president, Ms. Whitmer is now being considered as a potential vice-presidential pick in the election. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

Across the United States, governors are weighing the difficult question of when, and how, to begin to lift lockdown restrictions. Without federal coordination, some are looking abroad to see what has worked in countries like New Zealand, Australia and South Korea, which have effectively controlled the spread of the virus. The answer? Widespread testing. Guest: Katie Thomas, a business reporter covering the health care industry for The Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: How flawed diagnostic tests, scarce supplies and limited access to screening have hurt the United States’ ability to monitor Covid-19.Antibody tests have been hailed as a way to identify a person’s immunity to the virus and reopen the economy. But when a team of scientists worked around the clock to evaluate 14 antibody tests, only a few worked as advertised. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.