The Daily

The New York Times' flagship podcast that basically invented the daily news podcast format. Michael Barbaro's distinctive voice walks you through one major story each morning in about 25 minutes. The reporting is deep enough to understand context without drowning in detail. Some episodes focus on breaking news while others take a step back to explain slow-burning stories that matter. Production quality is consistently excellent. If you only have time for one news source in the morning this is a strong choice.