The Daily Folgen

Early in his presidency, Donald J. Trump called for a federal commission to investigate an issue that was personal for him: voter fraud in the 2016 election. The de facto leader of that commission is Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state and a leading advocate of restrictive voting laws. Here’s what you need to know about Mr. Kobach, his beliefs and what he has accomplished in Kansas. Guests: Michael Wines, a Times correspondent who has written about the president’s commission; Elaine Bowers, a Republican state senator in Kansas. For more information on today’s episode, visit http://nyti.ms/2gMxzr0. 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.

Donald Trump Jr. sends an email. Hours later, his father gives a speech. Conspiracy or coincidence? We unpack the timeline of events in June 2016. Plus: A group of international scientists plans to send messages into space to see if we’re alone. But what if we’re not? Guests: Peter Baker, our chief White House correspondent; Douglas Vakoch, the leader of a new group that will beam messages into space; Steven Johnson, who wrote about Mr. Vakoch’s efforts for The New York Times Magazine. For more information on today’s episode, visit http://nyti.ms/2uFcX9q. 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.

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. 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.