Today's Headlines: China’s Trade Surplus Climbs Past $1 Trillion for First Time
How Biden Ignored Warnings and Lost Americans’ Faith in Immigration
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The New York Times
Today's Headlines

December 8, 2025, 4:30 a.m. Eastern time

Top News

China’s Trade Surplus Climbs Past $1 Trillion for First Time

President Trump’s tariffs weren’t enough to hold back the global export flood by China, which pushed past last year’s record in just 11 months.

How Biden Ignored Warnings and Lost Americans’ Faith in Immigration

The Democratic president and his top advisers rejected recommendations that could have eased the border crisis that helped return Donald Trump to the White House.

Democrats Call for Releasing Classified Video of Deadly Boat Attacks

Top Democratic lawmakers who have seen the footage said Sunday that making the video public would provide transparency around the strikes that killed two survivors on Sept. 2.

World

Thailand Launches Airstrikes on Cambodia in New Wave of Violence

Each side accused the other of firing first. The fighting came weeks after President Trump had cast himself as a peacemaker in the decades-old border dispute.

Hong Kong Holds Vote as Officials Move Against ‘Anti-China’ Elements

The government is pushing hard to raise turnout in an election overshadowed by a deadly fire and public anger over safety lapses and official accountability.

Coup Attempt Rocks Benin, but Government Says It’s Over

A spokesman said 14 members of the military had been arrested. The West African country’s president, who was not seen for hours, appeared on television Sunday night and said the coup plot would “not go unpunished.”

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U.S.

Immigration Agents Target Family of Deported College Student

The father of Any Lucía Belloza López said agents appeared at his home in Austin, Texas, on Sunday. His daughter, 19, was deported to Honduras during a surprise trip home for Thanksgiving.

Confusion, Anxiety for Parents as Vaccine Guidelines are Upended

Conflicting recommendations leave parents with more questions than answers when it comes to vaccines for their newborn children.

This Prison Rehabilitated Inmates. Until ICE Paid to Fill It With Immigrants.

Over two decades, a minimum-security prison aimed at helping inmates prepare to leave prison was a point of civic pride. Now, state officials have converted it to ICE detention.

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Politics

Congress Gears Up to Pass $900 Billion Defense Policy Bill

Lawmakers aim to send the bill, which authorizes $8 billion more than the White House requested, to the president’s desk by the end of the year.

For Landmark Test of Executive Power, Echoes of a 1930s Supreme Court Battle

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s efforts to oust a Federal Trade Commission leader offer parallels to the current fight over President Trump’s actions.

Trump Blasts Lawmaker for Remaining Democrat After Receiving Pardon

Days after pardoning him, President Trump accused Representative Henry Cuellar of Texas of disloyalty for not switching to the Republican Party.

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Business

Should You Really Wait Till 70 to Take Social Security?

The standard advice is to hold off, but most retirees claim the benefit as soon as they can, at age 62. Here’s what to know when you’re planning the unplannable.

Your Money Could Soon Be Tied Up in This $300 Billion Crypto Market

You can use stablecoins, which are pegged to the dollar, to buy things online or send money abroad with minimal fees — and they are subject to very little legal oversight.

Netflix Always Wanted Some HBO Shows. Now It Gets All of HBO Instead.

Netflix’s blockbuster deal to buy Warner Bros., including HBO, is the latest twist in a rivalry that has reshaped the entertainment industry.

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New York

They Witness Deaths on the Tracks and Then Struggle to Get Help

After train operators are involved in fatal strikes, the agency that runs New York City’s subway often leaves them to fend for themselves.

Hundreds Rally for Boy, 6, Who Was Separated From His Father by ICE

“Taking children from their families is not normal,” a speaker told the crowd in Queens, where Yuanxin Zheng attended school until being detained.

‘I Came Right Out of the Rubber Boots I Was Wearing’

Rescued from the Jamaica Bay mud, what a camera sees overnight and more reader tales of New York City in this week’s Metropolitan Diary.

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Arts

Trump Takes a Starring Role at the Kennedy Center Honors

Past presidents have attended the marquee event, but on Sunday Mr. Trump was the first to host it, putting his cultural takeover of Washington in sharp relief.

Katy Perry Posts Photos With Justin Trudeau Amid Romance Rumors

Ms. Perry and Mr. Trudeau, the former prime minister of Canada, posed together in photos and videos on Instagram, making them “Instagram official.”

I Hit the Art Basel Superfecta

But what was the payout? A critic survives the four-season journey to the premium art fair in Hong Kong, Basel, Paris and now Miami Beach. Here are his takeaways.

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Food

We Had to Have This Chicken Pad See Ew Recipe

It’s from one of our favorite new cookbooks of 2025, and it’s so versatile and delicious.

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Science