Were the Covid Lockdowns Worth It?
The Daily20 Mar 2025

Were the Covid Lockdowns Worth It?

Five years ago, at the urging of federal officials, much of the United States locked down to stop the spread of Covid. Over time, the action polarized the country and changed the relationship between many Americans and their government.

Michael Barbaro speaks to Stephen Macedo and Frances Lee, two prominent political scientists who dispute the effectiveness of the lockdowns, to find out what they think will be required when the next pandemic strikes.

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.

Guest: Stephen Macedo and Frances Lee, authors of In Covid’s Wake: How Our Politics Failed Us

Background reading:

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Photo: Hilary Swift for The New York Times

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.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episoder(2850)

Inside the Five Days That Remade the Supreme Court

Inside the Five Days That Remade the Supreme Court

For the past decade, the Supreme Court has relied on a rushed and secretive system to make major rulings on issues from immigration to the presidential power. Now, a New York Times investigation bring...

20 Apr 32min

Dating on the Spectrum

Dating on the Spectrum

The reality show “Love on the Spectrum” — which just released its fourth season — has become a big hit; it’s currently one of the most watched shows on Netflix in the United States. The show follows a...

19 Apr 35min

How Charlize Theron Overcame Her Dark Family Past

How Charlize Theron Overcame Her Dark Family Past

The Oscar-winning actress reflects on pain, healing and becoming an action hero.  Thoughts? Email us at theinterview@nytimes.com Watch our show on YouTube: youtube.com/@TheInterviewPodcast For tra...

18 Apr 59min

A Week of Scandal, Reckoning and Resignations in Congress

A Week of Scandal, Reckoning and Resignations in Congress

Warning: This episode discusses suicide. This week, Congress was on the cusp of doing something that has never happened in U.S. history: forcibly removing four House members. Two of those members resi...

17 Apr 26min

Trump vs. the Pope

Trump vs. the Pope

This week, an unusual disagreement broke out between the president of the United States and Pope Leo XIV. The New York Times Rome bureau chief, Motoko Rich, explains why President Trump cares so much ...

16 Apr 34min

Trump’s Risky Strategy to Blockade Iran’s Blockade

Trump’s Risky Strategy to Blockade Iran’s Blockade

Over a month into a war with Iran that has no clear end, President Trump has enforced a blockade, which went into effect on Monday at the Strait of Hormuz. The New York Times reporters David E. Sanger...

15 Apr 27min

The Workers Letting A.I. Do Their Jobs

The Workers Letting A.I. Do Their Jobs

Since the release of generative A.I., questions have been raised about how it would change our lives and jobs. Now, many software developers who were early adopters of the technology have outsourced s...

14 Apr 36min

Why U.S.-Iran Negotiations Failed

Why U.S.-Iran Negotiations Failed

After negotiations over the weekend between the United States and Iran ended without a breakthrough, the temporary cease-fire appears to be increasingly precarious. The New York Times journalists Rone...

13 Apr 31min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
forklart
stopp-verden
popradet
fotballpodden-2
nokon-ma-ga
rss-gukild-johaug
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
det-store-bildet
rss-ness
aftenbla-bla
hanna-de-heldige
rss-espen-lee-usensurert
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-dannet-uten-piano
rss-utenrikskomiteen-med-bogen-og-grasvik
grasoner-den-nye-kalde-krigen
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk