In 2023, Taylor Swift took the world by storm with her highly popular Eras Tour, which not only proved to be a business success but also became a cultural phenomenon. The demand for tickets was so overwhelming that it caused Ticketmaster's systems to crash, leaving fans eager to see the superstar in disappointment. This was just the beginning of Swift's incredible year, as she was also named Time magazine's person of the year.

Taffy Brodesser-Akner, a staff writer for The New York Times, delved into why 2023 was the year of Taylor Swift in an episode of The Daily, hosted by Michael Barbaro. She acknowledged that Swift's greatest gift is her ability to tell her own story, surpassing any journalist's efforts. However, Brodesser-Akner still attempted to provide insight into what made Swift's year so remarkable.

Meanwhile, in Texas, a major abortion case brought attention to the question of exemptions from abortion bans. While most states that have banned the procedure allow for rare exceptions, the practical application of these exceptions remains ambiguous. Kate Cox, the woman at the center of the case in Texas, and Kate Zernike, a national correspondent for The New York Times, discussed the legal process and its surprising impact in an episode of The Daily, hosted by Sabrina Tavernise. The Texas Supreme Court is currently reviewing multiple cases to clarify the limits of medical exceptions to the state's abortion bans. However, their ruling in Cox's case has left doctors uncertain about which cases would be deemed legal.

Antisemitism on college campuses became a heated topic of debate in 2023. Nicholas Confessore, a political and investigative reporter for The Times, shed light on a congressional hearing that led to the downfall of one university president and put the positions of two others in jeopardy. The hearing ignited an emotional discussion about antisemitism and free speech in universities across the country. The story unfolded in an episode of The Daily produced by Clare Toeniskoetter, Rikki Novetsky, Asthaa Chaturvedi, and Mooj Zadie. Harvard University's governing body expressed their unwavering support for Claudine Gay as the university's president, a stance that received both praise and condemnation from students, faculty, and alumni. As the campus antisemitism controversy raged on, conservatives seized the opportunity to make their voices heard.

These were just some of the compelling stories covered in The Daily, a podcast featuring in-depth reporting and analysis by a talented team of journalists and producers. With episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music, The Daily aims to provide comprehensive coverage of the most important news stories.