A curious news story emerged in New York last week. It involved the mayor’s race, a reporter from the news outlet The City and a bag of chips.

Michael Forsythe, a reporter on the investigations team at The New York Times, explains how the episode fits into a larger story about how China has been attempting to influence American politics.

Guest: Michael Forsythe, a reporter on the investigations team at The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• In the past few years, community organizations have quietly foiled the careers of politicians who opposed China’s authoritarian government.
• Times reporters witnessed supporters of the New York mayor, Eric Adams, handing out cash-filled envelopes. Sometimes, that money went to reporters from Chinese-language outlets.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Photo: Shuran Huang for The New York Times

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.