The Daily: Washington Edition

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October 18, 2019

By Michael Barbaro

Our colleague Julie Hirschfeld Davis at her desk in the D.C. bureau, telling Michael and producer Clare Toeniskoetter what else you need to know today.Rachel Quester/The New York Times

By midweek, as the breaking news alerts, closed-door testimonies and jaw-dropping leaks piled up around us, producers Rachel Quester and Clare Toeniskoetter and I realized we had chosen the right time to be in Washington.

We knew it would be a big week in the impeachment inquiry. But it turned out to be momentous.

Our plan was to record a week's worth of shows from The Times's D.C. bureau — home to dozens of reporters covering the White House, the intelligence agencies and the federal government — and simultaneously build toward a special Friday episode. We envisioned a documentary that would capture what the impeachment investigation actually sounds like.

Nicholas Fandos, a congressional reporter, agreed to let us follow him around the Capitol as he reported on the parade of witnesses testifying before impeachment investigators. Clare and Rachel worked at all hours, meeting up with Nick in the morning and shadowing him late into the night as he staked out the secure chambers of the House Intelligence Committee and chased down lawmakers during rare breaks in testimony.

Clare, a selfie artist, in the Capitol with the congessional reporters Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Nicholas Fandos, and producer Rachel Quester.Clare Toeniskoetter/The New York Times

As we worked on Friday's episode, we debated how to make the rest of the week's shows capture the energy and personality of the Washington bureau. Rachel had an idea: What if we asked our colleagues to deliver the news summary that I usually say at the end of each show?

We gave it a try on Tuesday, showing up at the desk of Eric Schmitt to ask him about news out of Syria. On Wednesday, we tried again, this time with Mike Schmidt. On Thursday, it was Julie Hirschfeld Davis, and on Friday, Sheryl Gay Stolberg. In classic "Daily" fashion, we made the request on the spot. You can hear busy reporters' genuine reactions: surprise and curiosity, followed by acceptance and, in the end, enthusiasm.

By Thursday, Clare and Rachel had gathered all the field tape they needed, and we sat down with Nick for a final 90-minute interview in the Capitol that would help stitch together a week's worth of audio. We commandeered the only truly quiet room we could find: an empty TV studio, designed for news conferences, featuring a wooden podium that read "U.S. House of Representatives."

A final interview with Nick, conducted by Michael and the producers in a room they had no business taking over for seven hours, but somehow did anyway.Clare Toeniskoetter/The New York Times

On our way out of the Capitol at 10 p.m. on Thursday, Clare had an idea: to read the show's credits, identifying every member of the "Daily" team, as we walked out of the building through a series of doors and marble hallways. In the final moments of Friday's episode, if you listen carefully, you can hear Rachel, Clare and me emerging into the cold night air of downtown Washington, marveling at the moon.

Clare was excited about this rental scooter. Rachel had mixed feelings.Michael Barbaro/The New York Times

Talk to Michael on Twitter: @mikiebarb.

Interrogating the moderator

"And the field of candidates is this big!" From left: Marc Lacey, The Times's National editor, with producer Monika Evstatieva and CNN's Anderson Cooper and Erin Burnett.Sam Dolnick/The New York Times

You heard our National editor, Marc Lacey, at the top of Wednesday's episode about the biggest presidential primary debate in American history. Marc has been around for many debates during his 20-year tenure at The Times, but Tuesday was his first time moderating one, alongside CNN's Anderson Cooper and Erin Burnett. We asked him what it was like to be on the other side of the cameras:

"Sure, I was somewhat nervous. I'd have been crazy not to have been. But I must say that my two co-moderators were calming. We would glance at one another during breaks in the action — we couldn't speak, because we were hooked up to mics — and send good vibes. One bit of wisdom that Anderson offered me beforehand: 'You're going to feel great when it's over.' He was right."

On 'The Daily' this week

Monday: How did the Kurds come to be seen as allies to the United States and terrorists to Turkey? Ben Hubbard explains.

Tuesday: "Generally, we don't pay that much attention to ambassadors." Sharon LaFraniere on why we're paying attention now to the former American ambassador to Ukraine, who found herself at the center of the impeachment inquiry.

Wednesday: The fourth Democratic debate showed us who the candidates see as their front-runner. Alex Burns and Maggie Haberman give us the rundown.

Thursday: "Sometimes the worst-case scenario is even worse than you can imagine." David Sanger on how the withdrawal of American troops from Syria led to a crisis that was completely foreseeable and foreseen.

Friday: Nick Fandos with the latest from Washington: Congress is back from recess. The impeachment investigation is in full swing. And this week, several diplomats broke their silence.