The Daily

President Trump’s trade war against China has so far proved harder to win than his administration ever let on. And it reached new levels of tension this month when China said it would further restrict exports of rare-earth minerals to the United States and Europe. Keith Bradsher, the Beijing bureau chief for The New York Times, discusses a potential turning point in the standoff as Mr. Trump meets this week with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in what will be their first talks since the trade war began. Guest: Keith Bradsher, [https://www.nytimes.com/by/keith-bradsher] the Beijing bureau chief for The New York Times. Background reading:  * Chinese and U.S. officials reached a framework [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/26/business/china-us-trade.html] of a trade deal on Sunday. * Trump’s deal [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/us/politics/trump-china-trade-deal-talks.html] with China may avert a crisis of his own making. Photo: The New York Times For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily [http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily]. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts [http://nytimes.com/podcasts] or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher [https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher]. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

As wildfire seasons grow longer and deadlier, states are increasingly relying on private companies to provide thousands of firefighters to the front lines. Hannah Dreier, who has been covering the story, explains how lax rules and regulatory loopholes have left many of these firefighters sick, in debt and on their own. Guest: Hannah Dreier [https://www.nytimes.com/by/hannah-dreier], a New York Times reporter who writes in-depth stories about national issues. Background reading:  * Wildfire fighters, unmasked in toxic smoke, are getting sick and dying [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/17/us/wildfire-firefighters-masks-smoke.html]. * Read the story [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/us/wildfire-firefighter-cancer.html] about Joel Eisiminger. Just before turning 25, he was diagnosed with a cancer that usually strikes people more than twice his age. Photo: Loren Elliott for The New York Times For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily [http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily]. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts [http://nytimes.com/podcasts] or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher [https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher]. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

A federal investigation into illegal gambling has rocked the N.B.A. On Thursday, more than 30 people were indicted in the case, which involves the Mafia, high-profile players and the manipulation of professional basketball games to rig bets. Jonah E. Bromwich and Jenny Vrentas, who have been covering the story, discuss the shocking facts and the growing concern that online betting might be compromising the integrity of the sport. Guest: * Jonah E. Bromwich [https://www.nytimes.com/by/jonah-e-bromwich], a New York Times reporter covering criminal justice in the New York region, with an emphasis on federal prosecutors and judges. * Jenny Vrentas [https://www.nytimes.com/by/jenny-vrentas], a New York Times reporter covering money, power and influence in sports. Background reading:  * The United States charged an N.B.A. coach and others [https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10/23/nyregion/nba-illegal-gambling-arrests#nba-gambling-charges] in gambling schemes. * Who was the unnamed “Player 3” [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/23/nyregion/player-3-lebron-james.html] in the N.B.A. gambling case? Photo: USA TODAY Sports, via Reuters For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily [http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily]. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts [http://nytimes.com/podcasts] or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher [https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher]. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

The only thing Gilbert Cruz loves more than celebrating Halloween is watching scary movies. And between the classic horror franchises that span decades and the prestige original films of the current moment, he has seen hundreds of them.   On today’s episode, Gilbert puts his knowledge to use in conversation with his fellow horror aficionados Jason Zinoman and Erik Piepenburg. They comb through a century of spooks, frights and screams to crown the Top 10 franchises in cinema history.   Horror franchises discussed on this episode: “A Nightmare on Elm Street” “A Quiet Place” “Alien” “The Amityville Horror” “Candyman” “Child’s Play” “The Conjuring” “The Exorcist” “The Evil Dead” “Final Destination” “Friday the 13th” “Halloween” The Hannibal Lecter films “Hellraiser” “The Hills Have Eyes” “Insidious” “Jaws” “Night of the Living Dead” “The Omen” “Paranormal Activity” “Phantasm” “Poltergeist” “Psycho” “The Purge” “The Ring” “Saw” “Scream” “Terrifier” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” The Universal monster films “V/H/S”   On Today’s Episode: Jason Zinoman [https://www.nytimes.com/by/jason-zinoman] is a critic at large for The Times and the author of “Shock Value: How a Few Eccentric Outsiders Gave Us Nightmares, Conquered Hollywood, and Invented Modern Horror.” Erik Piepenburg [https://www.nytimes.com/by/erik-piepenburg] covers culture for The Times, and writes a monthly column about horror movies. Additional Reading: 25 Jump Scares That Still Make Us Jump [https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/10/25/movies/scary-movie-it-alien-smile.html] Five Horror Movies to Stream Now [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/movies/horror-movies-streaming.html] ‘Good Boy’ Review: Sit. Stay. Scream. [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/movies/good-boy-review.html]   Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts [http://nytimes.com/podcasts] or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher [https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher]. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

In a special, subscriber-only episode of “The Daily,” we go behind the scenes of the production process. Dan Powell and Marion Lozano, who compose the music for the show, discuss the D.N.A. of the “Daily” music and walk us through the process. Guest: * Dan Powell [https://www.nytimes.com/by/dan-powell], who leads the Audio team’s in-house music composition at The New York Times. * Marion Lozano [https://www.nytimes.com/by/marion-lozano], a senior sound designer and composer for podcasts at The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily [http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily]. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts [http://nytimes.com/podcasts] or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher [https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher]. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.