How Pam Bondi Got Fired, and a Flood of Deadly New Drugs

About this episode

<p>Plus, your Friday news quiz. </p> <p>Here’s what we’re covering:</p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/02/us/politics/pam-bondi-attorney-general-trump.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pam Bondi Wanted a Graceful Exit. But Trump Wanted Her Gone.</a>, by Glenn Thrush and Tyler Pager</p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/02/us/politics/hegseth-fires-general-randy-george.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hegseth Fires Army Chief Amid Battle With Its Leaders</a>, by Greg Jaffe, Helene Cooper and Eric Schmitt</p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/02/us/politics/house-dhs-funding-shutdown.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">House Punts on Homeland Security Funding, Prolonging Shutdown</a>, by Carl Hulse and Michael Gold</p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/02/business/economy/trump-budget-spending.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trump Faces a Tough Fight With His New Budget</a>, by Tony Romm</p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/31/science/drugs-psychoactive-nitazenes.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How the Internet Became the ‘Cookbook’ of the Drug Trade</a>, by Matt Richtel</p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/02/business/hershey-reeses-recipe-real-chocolate.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hershey’s Promises to Use Only Real Chocolate After Backlash</a>, by Alice Callahan</p> <p>Tune in every weekday morning, and tell us what you think at: <a href="mailto:theheadlines@nytimes.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">theheadlines@nytimes.com</a>.</p> <p><p>Subscribe today at <a href="http://nytimes.com/podcasts">nytimes.com/podcasts</a> or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher">https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher</a>. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.</p></p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>