Politics Behind Disaster Funding Decisions

Plus, the secret to selling 150 million books. 

Here’s what we’re covering:

Denied Federal Disaster Aid, a Town in Trump Country Feels Forgotten by Campbell Robertson

U.S. Steps Up Campaign Against Maduro in Seizing Tanker Off Venezuela by Tyler Pager, Eric Schmitt and Nicholas Nehamas

Trump Administration Opens Applications for Million-Dollar Visas by Madeleine Ngo

Starting With Formaldehyde, Trump Administration Reassesses Chemical Risks by Hiroko Tabuchi

The Fed Cut Rates Again but Deep Divisions Cloud Path Ahead by Colby Smith

Louvre Heist Was Filmed Live, but the Guards Weren’t Watching by Ségolène Le Stradic

Fern Michaels, Prolific Author of Romance Novels, Dies at 92 by Alex Williams

Tune in every weekday morning, and tell us what you think at: theheadlines@nytimes.com.

Subscribe today at 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. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.