Today's Headlines: Trump and Putin Put on a Show of Friendship but Come Away Without a Deal

D.C. Police Chief Retains Control of City Police After Court Hearing

View in browser August 16, 2025, 4:10 a.m. Eastern time Top News Trump and Putin Put on a Show of Friendship but Come Away Without a Deal President Trump gave President Vladimir Putin a warm public reception, effectively ending his diplomatic isolation over the past three years for his invasion of Ukraine. But Mr. Putin did not agree to stop the war. D.C. Police Chief Retains Control of City Police After Court Hearing After a judge threatened to block an order federalizing Washington's police, the Justice Department issued a new directive leaving the city's police chief in charge, for now. California Lawmakers Release a Proposed House Map Favoring Democrats The plan would help Democrats flip five seats, offsetting the gains Republicans hope to make by redrawing maps in Texas. Editors' Picks The Woman to See About Your Face Melinda Farina, known as the Beauty Broker, sends Hollywood actresses and everyday women to doctors around the globe. In her world, the knives are always out. Opinion | What Was the Trump-Putin Meeting Even About? Few East-West meetings have ended with less clarity than Friday's Trump-Putin summit in Alaska. What was clear, though, was that Vladimir Putin was well satisfied. World How the Trump-Putin Summit Signals a Return to Imperial Thinking The two leaders are bringing some old-world approaches to bear on a 21st-century conflict. For Some Venetians, This Overgrown Island Is Paradise A citizens' group is now in charge of the island of Poveglia, where they will create a park for anyone who wants to leave Venice's maddening crowds of tourists behind. The Last Refugees Let Into the U.S. Wonder if Their New Country Wants Them After President Trump suspended the refugee admissions program, some new arrivals found themselves out in the Wisconsin cold. With help, they have survived. See more world news U.S. Trump Rails About Youth Crime, a Focus of D.C. Leaders for Decades Concerns came to a head during the pandemic, when carjackings surged and many of those arrested were children. Carjackings and other crimes have declined considerably. Traffic Stops, Gun Busts and a Soccer Game: Feds Try City Policing in D.C. In the nation's capital, federal agents have operated a sobriety checkpoint, made gun and drug busts and carried out other day-to-day police work. Some residents are uneasy. With a Shovel and a Dream, a Woman Finds a 2.3 Carat Diamond in Arkansas After three weeks, with bug bites and tattered hiking boots, Micherre Fox found the stone at Crater of Diamonds State Park. See more U.S. news Politics How Ambitious Democratic Governors Are Navigating Trump's Redistricting War Some have emerged as a front line against Trump's push to grab more seats in Congress, putting the issue at the center of their party's politics. Others are ceding the spotlight. Newsom's Gerrymander of California Has a Formidable Foe: Schwarzenegger The actor-turned-governor helped overhaul how California draws political maps. In an interview with The New York Times, he said he would fight to preserve that legacy. Mayor of New Orleans Is Indicted on Corruption Charges LaToya Cantrell was charged with going to criminal lengths to carry out, and cover up, a romantic relationship with a city police officer assigned to protect her. See more political news Business Why Hands-Off Investing Pays Off Put money into low-cost stock and bond funds, but don't forget the rest of the recipe: Leave your investments alone. Stocks Keep Climbing Past Bad News Strong corporate earnings, mostly stable tariff rates and the expectation of interest rate cuts have eased worries of a market reckoning. Judge Blocks F.T.C. Investigation of Media Matters The agency began looking into the liberal watchdog group's research critical of Elon Musk and his social media platform, X, in May. See more business news Technology Senator Begins Child Safety Investigation Into Meta's A.I. Bot Josh Hawley, Republican of Missouri, said he would look into whether the social media company's artificial intelligence technology endangers children. They're Stuffed Animals. They're Also A.I. Chatbots. New types of cuddly toys, some for children as young as 3, are being sold as an alternative to screen time — and to parental attention. See more technology news Arts $5,000-Per-Plate Dinner Tests Museum Ban on Political Fund-Raisers Carnegie Museums employees objected that a fund-raiser for a nonprofit with ties to a senator had violated museum policy against renting space for partisan political events. Priscilla Presley Locked in Feud With Former Business Partners Elvis's ex-wife has traded lawsuits in a financial dispute with former advisers that has grown ugly with an allegation that she prematurely "pulled the plug" on her late daughter, Lisa Marie. Sarah Jessica Parker on 'And Just Like That …' and Carrie's Legacy The "Sex and the City" revival reached its bittersweet end this week. Does the actress like where Carrie Bradshaw landed? "Absolutely." See more arts news New York Governor Hochul Pardons Laotian Immigrant to Stop His Deportation The man had been convicted of manslaughter as a teenager after he admitted to fatally shooting a man during a pool hall confrontation in Brooklyn, arguing it was self-defense. They're Losing Their Vision. They Still Love Playing Tennis. For the visually impaired people who participate in blind tennis, the sport delivers joy. "This is what I've been missing," one player said. Adams Donor Avoids Prison After Admitting to Campaign Finance Scheme Months after the Justice Department abandoned the corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams, a Turkish American businessman was sentenced for crimes tied to the mayor's case. See more New York news Food This Easy Relish Is the Best Way to Use Up Any Produce Chakalaka, a South African staple of spiced peppers, tomato and beans, is a generous dish, ready to accept whatever's in your pantry. An Easy Homemade Ice Cream Recipe to Make Your Flavor Dreams Come True See more food news Science A $45 Treatment Can Save a Starving Child. US Aid Cuts Have Frozen the Supply The dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. has disrupted the global supply chain that provides a therapeutic food, leaving thousands of malnourished children at risk of dying. Plastic Pollution Talks Collapse as Oil States Oppose Tough Treaty Countries failed to bridge wide gaps on whether the world should limit plastic manufacturing and restrict the use of harmful plastic chemicals. Fed Chair Faces Scrutiny at Major Policy Speech. Also, Bats. A colony of bats recently took up residence at the storied Jackson Lake Lodge, where central bankers and economic policymakers will convene next week for an exclusive gathering. See more science news Magazine How the Democrats Became the Party That Brings Pencils to a Knife Fight Will the battle over Texas' gerrymandering lead to a new era for the party? Can You Wear Pajamas Through Lunchtime? A ruling on a dispute over the appropriate time limits for sleepwear. See more magazine news Well Finding Stillness in the World's Biggest City A photographer finds quiet refuges in Tokyo, a city known for its density and crowds. Don't Let Your Vacation Stress You Out Travel experts share their best tips for ensuring your trip is actually relaxing. See more on Well Real Estate You Can Fix Those Annoying Plug Outlets And you can do it safely, in under an hour, and for less than $50. $1.2 Million Homes in Scotland An 18th-century farmhouse in the Tweed Valley, a modern ranch house with mountain views, and a stone house designed to evoke a grain mill. See more real estate news Fashion & Style Our Marriage Includes an Emergency Backpack As an Israeli-Palestinian couple in the West Bank with family in Gaza, we have learned that love isn't enough to save us, or anyone. Carrie Bradshaw's Story May Be Over, but Her Clothes Live On Throughout the beloved series "Sex and the City" and its reboot "And Just Like That …," the protagonist's wardrobe was the most reliable through line. See more fashion news T Magazine The Ascent of the Princess Cake Plus: accessories with padlocks, a more-than-1,600-pound table and more from T's cultural compendium. On Sicily's Rocky Coast, an Event Planner Created His Own Fantasy Jean-Pascal Lévy-Trumet spent three decades designing experiences for other people. Then, he built his dream home by the sea. See more on T Magazine Obituaries Doris Lockhart Saatchi, 88, Critic and Collector of Cutting-Edge Art, Dies With her husband, Charles Saatchi, she assembled one of the world's top collections of contemporary art, featuring works by Andy Warhol, Julian Schnabel, Cy Twombly and many others. Robin Lakoff, Expert on Language and Gender, Is Dead at 82 In arguing that language enforces the power imbalance between the sexes, she inspired an entire academic field. Tommy McLain, the King of Swamp Pop, Dies at 85 Playing a blend of rock, R&B and zydeco, he had a hit in 1966 with "Sweet Dreams" and inspired Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe and many others. Frank Savage, 87, Business Leader Entangled in Enron Scandal, Is Dead He was one of the relatively few Black Americans to reach the upper echelons of global finance. He was also a competitive sailor. Masaoki Sen, Ex-Kamikaze Pilot and 'Tea Ceremony Diplomat,' Dies at 102 Spared from flying a suicide mission in World War II, he became a grandmaster of Japan's venerable tea ceremony and used his stature to speak out against all wars. See more Obituaries Opinion Guest Essay Boy Crisis of 2025, Meet the 'Boy Problem' of the 1900s It takes a village to raise a child. But some of the villagers must be men. Michelle Goldberg Trump's Attempt to Make Museums Submit Feels Familiar MAGA would fill museums with self-glorifying kitsch, the aesthetic lingua franca of all authoritarians. Guest Essay The Stock Market Is Getting Scary. Here's What You Should Do. There are troubling signs that our stock market may be overheated. Guest Essay California Democrats Are Fighting Trump's Battle for Him As an American and as a Jew, I regard the right to dissent as a patriotic duty. Guest Essay Quick! Get the Wind and Solar Discounts Before It's Too Late! Here's what states need to do: Buy renewables now while the discount is still available. Guest Essay The Most Environmentally Imaginative Country on Earth Is Under Assault Ecuador's ecological progress is threatened by a series of reforms steamrolled by its young populist president, Daniel Noboa. See more Opinion If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Today's Headlines from The New York Times. To stop receiving Today's Headlines, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. 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