Great Listens: MAGA Beauty, Mother’s Day, Lena Dunham ~ ⛾:Kaffibolla

May 9, 2025

This week, hear why A.I. hallucinations are getting worse, find unexpected gifts for Mother's Day, and discover why the "Girls" star Lena Dunham broke up with New York City.

Plus: the first American pope, new pop music from Lorde and take our Friday news quiz.

Great Listens

A large tree in front of a building with an Oakdale mural.

As time has gone on, traditional news outlets in Oakdale, Calif., have slowly disappeared. Ulysses Ortega for The New York Times

MISINFORMATION, U.S.A.

It Was Just a Rumor on Facebook. Then a Militia Showed Up.

Inside a town where people have abandoned traditional news outlets for social media and online influencers. What could go wrong?

Erik Carter

TRUST BUT VERIFY

Four Troubling A.I. Hallucinations

Chatbots are making stuff up more than ever, and even the companies don't know why.

Antonio Austin in the repair bay of the Buy Here Pay Here car lot. His inventory and sales have been dropping. Erin Schaff/The New York Times

CAR TROUBLE

At Antonio Austin's Used Car Lot, Trump's Tariffs Sting

He's trying to hold his car business together as President Trump's tariffs drive up costs — and drive his customers deeper into crisis.

A close-up of the right half of Kristi Noem's face, showcasing the heavy styling of the hair, the makeup and the eyelashes.

Illustration by The New York Times; photograph by Chip Somodevilla/Getty

'RUNOFF KARDASHIAN'

Kristi Noem and the MAGA Beauty Aesthetic

Republican women know what they're doing.

News and Ideas

A man in ceremonial dress raises his hands to greet a crowd.

Pope Leo XIV, formerly known as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, appeared on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on Thursday. Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times

"The Daily" introduces us to Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff.

You have questions about the economy. "The Daily" has answers.
A frightening moment to fly. What problems at Newark Airport tell us about air-travel safety.

Winning strategies for Democrats? Hear from a U.S. senator with a plan to win back the working class, and three strategists who saved the party before.
The rise of the A.I. empire. "Hard Fork" explores the latest in tech.
How closely did you follow the news of the week? "The Headlines" has a quiz for that.

Unwind

NYT Wirecutter; source photo by iStock/Fugacar

WIRECUTTER

Ideas for a Memorable Mother's Day

Classic and unexpected gifts to delight mom.

Illustration by Brian Rea

MODERN LOVE

A Mother's Fierce, Extravagant Love (Encore)

How a cardboard box became a time machine that kept a mother and daughter connected.

Illustration by The New York Times; Photo: Tammie Arroyo/Variety, via Getty Images

POPCAST

A Deep Dive Into the 'Manosphere': Theo Von, Andrew Schulz, Joe Rogan

The comedians and podcasters who have created a new media mainstream for actors, musicians and politicians.

Photo Illustration by The New York Times; Photo: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters

THE CULTURE DESK

The Return of Lorde

Our critic on the latest releases from Summer Walker, Nilüfer Yanya and more.

FOR NYT AUDIO SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

Great magazines beyond The Times

Illustration by Pierre-Nicolas Riou

The New Yorker

Lena Dunham: Why I Broke Up With New York

Most people accept the city's chaos as a toll for an expansive life. It took me several decades to realize that I could go my own way.

25 MIN LISTEN

Getty Images

Wired

North Korea Stole Your Job

For years, North Korea has been secretly placing young IT workers inside Western companies. With AI, their schemes are now more devious—and effective—than ever.

23 MIN LISTEN

Illustration: New York Magazine

New York Magazine

Everyone Is Cheating Their Way Through College

In only two years, ChatGPT has unraveled the entire academic project.

39 MIN LISTEN

For more audio journalism and storytelling, visit the Listen Tab in our News app (available for iOS).

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