Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition

Listen for today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes. Get informed from Bloomberg's 3,000 journalists and analysts.

  1. 5 HR AGO

    Trump Announces Putin War Summit; NYC Mayoral Candidates Spar at Debate

    On today's podcast:1) President Trump said he would hold a second meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin “within two weeks or so” aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. Trump and Putin agreed to meet in Budapest during a two-hour phone call on Thursday. Later, Trump expressed optimism that the summit could result in a ceasefire breakthrough even though an August meeting in Alaska failed to yield one. The conversation took place a day before Trump’s White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday, who has pressed the US president to sell his country long-range Tomahawk missiles that can strike deeper into Russian territory.2) Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo sparred over experience and integrity in a heated New York City mayoral debate, while Republican Curtis Sliwa took aim at both rivals. Cuomo attacked Mamdani’s policies as radical, while Mamdani hit back over the former governor’s pandemic handling and harassment allegations. With the presence of President Trump looming large, candidates also clashed over public safety, antisemitism, and political credibility.3) Three weeks into the federal government shutdown, President Trump has avoided direct involvement in talks to end the stalemate, despite Democratic calls for him to lead negotiations. Republican leaders continue to resist linking health care subsidies to any funding deal, while the administration pushes forward with unilateral budget cuts and federal layoffs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    18 min
  2. 2 DAYS AGO

    Trump Threatens Chinese Cooking Oil; Shutdown Program Cuts

    On today's podcast:1) President Trump said he might stop trade in cooking oil with China, injecting fresh tensions into the relationship between the world’s two largest economies. Trump on Tuesday cast the potential move as retaliation against Beijing for its refusal to buy American soybeans, which he said “is an Economically Hostile Act” that is purposefully “causing difficulty for our Soybean Farmers.” China remains well supplied with the oilseed, largely thanks to South American purchases. 2) President Trump pledged to release a list of federal programs slated for cuts later this week, the White House’s latest threat to slash the federal bureaucracy and put pressure on Democrats to end the impasse over the shutdown. The threat is the latest effort from the White House to make the shutdown — now in its 14th day — as painful as possible for Democrats. It also marks another end-run by the administration around Congress, which determines how federal funds are spent. The White House has already terminated more than 4,000 federal workers and suspended funding for clean energy and transportation programs in Democratic-run states, escalating the standoff with Democrats.3) Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled the central bank may stop shrinking its balance sheet in the coming months, an important shift necessary to preserve liquidity in overnight funding markets. The Fed chair also indicated labor-market prospects continue to worsen, a message that supports investors’ expectations for another interest-rate cut this month. Fed officials have been winding down the central bank’s balance sheet since 2022 — a process known as quantitative tightening — reversing trillions of dollars of asset purchases designed to stimulate the economy after the pandemic struck. Earlier this year, the Fed slowed the pace by reducing the amount of bond holdings it lets roll off every month. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    15 min
  3. 3 DAYS AGO

    US-China Trade Tensions Flare; US Shutdown Enters Day 14

    On today's podcast:1) China has signaled it’s keeping communication channels open with the US after a series of tit-for-tat moves that intensified a confrontation between the world’s two biggest economies. The Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday reiterated “the door is open” to talks even as it defended China’s decision to implement export curbs on rare earths amid escalating trade tensions in recent weeks. The remarks came just hours after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Beijing had failed to respond to US inquiries over the weekend following China’s announcement of export controls on products containing traces of certain rare earths. It marked China’s first major attempt to exercise long-arm jurisdiction over foreign companies that target the chip industry.2) President Trump used a one-day tour of Israel and Egypt to soak in the praise from fellow leaders and lay out a vision for broader Middle East peace after the success of US-led mediation efforts to end the fighting in Gaza. Yet the nascent ceasefire remains fragile, with many key details left to be worked out. Trump said food and aid has begun to flow into Gaza, which has been devastated by the conflict. “Numerous countries of great wealth” have pledged reconstruction funds, Trump added, though he did not name them. 3) House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is calling Democrats in his chamber back to Washington Tuesday - the 14th day of the government shutdown - despite GOP leadership nixing votes, according to a Democratic lawmaker and two leadership aides. House Republican leaders announced Friday that the chamber will stay out, after originally having been scheduled to be in session. This is the third week in a row Johnson has canceled votes, keeping House lawmakers in their districts amid the government shutdown. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    15 min
  4. 4 DAYS AGO

    Gaza Hostage Exchange; Trump & Vance Open Door to China Deal

    On today's podcast:1) Hamas freed seven living Israeli hostages from the Gaza Strip on Monday morning, following a US-led deal reached late last week. The Palestinian militant group released them to the International Committee of the Red Cross and they were then passed over to the Israeli military. The rest of the living hostages, 13 in total, are expected to be freed later in the day. Around 10 a.m. Israel time, the Israeli military said the Red Cross is on its way to an additional meeting point in the southern Gaza Strip, where several more hostages will be handed over. The release of the first hostages came just before President Trump’s arrival in Israel for a Middle East trip to celebrate the ceasefire deal clinched last week, also with Egyptian, Qatari, Turkish mediation. Trump has said the agreement should end the devastating two-year conflict in Gaza.2) President Trump’s administration signaled openness Sunday to a deal with China to quell fresh trade tensions while also warning that recent export controls announced by Beijing were a major barrier to talks. Vice President JD Vance called on Beijing to “choose the path of reason” in the latest spiraling trade fight between the world’s two leading economies, claiming that Trump has more leverage if the fight drags on. Trump later posted a statement that hinted at a possible off-ramp for Chinese President Xi Jinping while issuing a veiled threat that a full trade war would wound China.3) President Trump said he is directing the Defense Department to use funds his administration has identified to deliver paychecks to US troops on Oct. 15 despite the ongoing government shutdown. More than a quarter of a million federal employees missed scheduled paychecks this week, with another 2 million expected to go without pay by next week, which would be the third week of the shutdown. Under current law, US troops aren’t guaranteed backpay during a shutdown, unlike civilian employees. The Pentagon’s next military payday, Oct. 15, was shaping up as a key pressure point in the ongoing standoff between Republicans and Democrats over a stopgap spending measure. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    16 min
  5. 10 OCT

    Israeli Cabinet Backs Gaza Deal; New York AG James Indicted

    On today's podcast:1) Israel’s cabinet approved a deal that will see Hamas free all remaining hostages held in Gaza in exchange for around 2,000 prisoners, a major step toward ending a two-year war that’s killed tens of thousands of people and destabilized the wider Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition gave its approval overnight, around a day after negotiators for the warring sides reached an agreement in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh. The deal is based on a plan unveiled by US President Donald Trump late last month and followed days of talks mediated by the Americans, as well as Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.2) Congressional leaders continued to blame the other party for the US government shutdown as President Trump doubled down on his threats to use the stalemate, now entering its tenth day, to make sweeping cuts to Democratic priorities and the federal bureaucracy. There was no sign of progress as government workers and military personnel prepare for missed paychecks and the general public begins to feel the effects of the closure on everything from taxpayer services to air travel. 3) New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted by a federal grand jury in Virginia, making her the second of President Trump’s perceived political enemies to be criminally charged in two weeks. James was charged with one count of alleged bank fraud and one count of making false statements to a financial institution. The indictment made public on Thursday follows allegations from Trump administration officials that James engaged in mortgage fraud. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    17 min
  6. 9 OCT

    Israel & Hamas Reach Gaza Deal; China Unveils New Rare Earth Curbs

    On today's podcast: 1) Israel and Hamas have reached a deal for the release of all hostages held by the militant group in Gaza, a major step toward ending a two-year war that’s devastated the Palestinian territory and triggered multiple conflicts in the Middle East as well as protests across the world. The agreement was reached early on Thursday after several days of indirect negotiations between the warring sides in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh. The ongoing talks were brokered by the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey and based on a plan unveiled by President Trump last week. 2) French President Emmanuel Macron said he’ll name a new prime minister by Friday evening, having for the time being avoided the need to call a snap election that would have deepened the political chaos in France. Outgoing Premier Sebastien Lecornu, who was tasked by Macron on Monday to negotiate with the political groups in the National Assembly, said sufficient progress had been made to allow work to begin on forming a new cabinet. 3) China has unveiled broad new curbs on its rare earth exports, as Beijing moves to shore up its trade war leverage ahead of a high-stakes meeting this month between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. Overseas exporters of items that use even traces of certain rare earths sourced from China will now need an export license, the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement Thursday, citing national security grounds. Certain equipment and engineering technology will also be subject to controls, according to a separate release. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    16 min

Shows with Subscription Benefits

Listen ad-free — exclusively for subscribers

About

Listen for today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes. Get informed from Bloomberg's 3,000 journalists and analysts.

More From Bloomberg

You Might Also Like