Throughout the pandemic, long Covid — symptoms that occur after the initial coronavirus infection — has remained something of a medical mystery.

Now, amid the latest surge of infections, a series of major studies are shedding light on the condition.

Guest: Pam Belluck, a health and science reporter for The New York Times.

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Background reading: 

• Long Covid has become one of the most daunting legacies of the pandemic.
• Some research has shown that lingering symptoms are more prevalent in people in their 30s and 40s — when workers are often in the prime of their careers.

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

In the post-Trump era, some red states have moved aggressively to rebuke the Biden administration at the local level and signal to voters what a Republican-led country might look like.

In Texas, immigration is a key battleground. Today, we speak to Hunter Schuler, a member of the National Guards, about why Gov. Greg Abbott has sent him and thousands of other security officers to the U.S.-Mexico border.

Guest: Lulu Garcia-Navarro, a Times Opinion podcast host; and J. David Goodman, the Houston bureau chief for The New York Times. 

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Background reading: 

• Operation Lone Star is an expensive and unusual effort to reinforce border security. But after a year, there is little to show for it.
• Soldiers sent to patrol the border have complained of difficulties and a seemingly rudderless mission.

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