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Today’s top stories
President Trump leaves for a state visit to China today. It will be his first visit to Beijing during his second term. Trade will be a major focus, as well as the ongoing conflict with Iran. China and Iran are close allies and trading partners, and there are questions about whether China has assisted Iran. The U.S. has spent weeks bombing Iran and is now blockading all ships connected to the country.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands as they depart following a bilateral meeting at Gimhae Air Base on October 30, 2025 in Busan, South Korea.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images AsiaPac
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Andrew Harnik/Getty Images AsiaPac
- 🎧 Observers expect China to announce additional purchases of soybeans and other agricultural products, and possibly even Boeing airplanes, during the trip. Announcing significant purchase agreements has become a trademark of Trump’s foreign trips, but these deals often turn out to be less substantial than they initially appear, NPR’s Tamara Keith tells Up First. Experts tell Keith that the U.S. and China want to stabilize their relationship. While previous presidents have criticized Xi over human rights and warned him about Taiwan, Trump has focused more publicly on deals and expressed admiration for Xi’s power in China. Keith says it is important to note that this is just the first of potentially four meetings between the leaders this year, depending on how their talks go.
- ➡️ A recent NPR/Chicago Council on Global Affairs/Ipsos poll reveals that many Americans see China as an economic rival seeking global dominance.
A new inflation report released this morning will show how much the war with Iran is affecting consumer prices. Higher gasoline prices are the most noticeable fallout from the conflict in the U.S. As the war enters its 11th week, the president has said he wants to temporarily suspend the gas tax — a decision that would require an act of Congress. Currently, the tax is 18.4 cents per gallon of gas and 24.4 cents per gallon of diesel. But gas isn’t the only area where American consumers are feeling the pinch.
- 🎧 One of the most obvious side effects of the conflict is the rising cost of airline tickets and baggage fees, NPR’s Scott Horsley says. Airlines are facing significantly higher jet fuel costs and are beginning to pass those costs on to customers. Ultimately, the high cost of diesel fuel could raise the prices of everything delivered by truck or train. Horsley says today’s report is also expected to show an increase in housing costs, which are a major component of the government’s cost-of-living index. Trump wants the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates, but that’s looking less likely, according to Horsley. He adds that the Fed would ordinarily raise interest rates to fight inflation, but doing so wouldn’t free up tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz or boost jet fuel supplies.
The Supreme Court yesterday gave itself more time to consider a national ban on telemedicine access to the abortion pill mifepristone. Justice Samuel Alito extended an earlier order by three more days, which means the rules for prescribing mifepristone online or by mail will remain in effect through at least Thursday. A May 1 appeals court ruling reinstated pre-pandemic regulations requiring patients to receive mifepristone in person at a doctor’s office or clinic. The Food and Drug Administration declared in 2021 that this requirement was medically unnecessary. Last fall, the state of Louisiana sued, arguing that telemedicine access undermines the state’s abortion ban. Nearly two dozen Democratic-led states submitted an amicus brief in this case, arguing that the appeals court decision put the policy choices of states with bans above the choices of states “that have made the different but equally sovereign determinations to promote access to abortion care.”
Trump has nominated Cameron Hamilton to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency, nearly one year after the administration removed him from the same position. FEMA has been without a Senate-confirmed leader since Trump took office for his second term. Hamilton previously led the agency in an acting capacity. If confirmed by the Senate, Hamilton will assume control of FEMA as it heads into the Atlantic hurricane season. Hamilton is a former Navy SEAL who worked on emergency planning for terrorism events for both the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security, according to an official biographical summary he submitted to Congress last year. He temporarily led FEMA in the spring of 2025 but was removed by the Trump administration following a dramatic public disagreement with top officials about whether the agency should continue to exist.
What’s Eating America
Richard Henderson and his wife Rachel Negro grocery shop for their family at the Aldi in Bellmawr, N.J.
Rachel Wisniewski for NPR
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Rachel Wisniewski for NPR
What’s Eating America is a special series exploring the intersection of food and the economy.
Food insecurity ballooned during the COVID-19 pandemic, and grocery prices have risen dramatically in recent years. Inflation, tariffs and corporate cost-cutting practices, such as shrinkflation, have compounded the issue. The economic pressures have pushed consumers away from traditional supermarkets and toward budget grocery stores and warehouse clubs. Here’s how shoppers and retailers are redefining how to save money on groceries:
- 🛒 Budget grocery stores like Aldi and Lidl tend to be smaller than typical supermarkets. They carry fewer items, have smaller staffs and operate with greater efficiency.
- 🛒 Warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam’s Club are popular with large families. They can offer groceries at modest prices thanks to their vast buying power.
- 🛒 Shoppers are increasingly embracing store-brand items. According to the Private Label Manufacturers Association, store-brand sales rose nearly three times faster than sales of national name-brand products last year.
- 🛒 Shoppers aren’t just looking for cheaper groceries. They’re also trying to avoid impulse buying. Grocery industry analyst Phil Lempert says people have been using shopping lists more than ever before. Consumers are also shopping online more to easily compare prices.
Saving money on food can be challenging. NPR’s latest newsletter journey will help you choose, plan and cook three affordable meals over four weeks. The guide will also give you tips on dining out. Sign up for the How to Cut Your Food Bill newsletter here.
Watch This
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, during an interview at NPR studios on May 7, 2026.
Ben de la Cruz
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Ben de la Cruz
Go face-to-face with the person of the moment. NPR’s Newsmakers video podcast brings the biggest names in politics, business, sports, arts, and culture out of the headlines and into the interview chair to discuss the mark they’re making on the world. Follow the Newsmakers podcast or subscribe to NPR’s YouTube channel to get new episodes as soon as they’re available.
In an alternate reality, María Corina Machado would be leading Venezuela. Many Venezuelans anticipated she would take over after authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro was ousted from power earlier this year following his capture by U.S. forces. Instead, the opposition leader, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for promoting democracy, finds herself on the outside looking in. Machado left the country late last year to accept her Nobel. She’s received threats of violence against her and all of the people surrounding her, delaying her return. Machado says she’s also been accused of being a terrorist and a martyr. In a conversation with NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly for NPR’s Newsmakers video podcast, Machado discussed her new book, The Freedom Manifesto, the challenging process of rebuilding from the ground up and the pressures she faces as a global figure, a human being and a mother.
Watch the conversation on YouTube, listen to the interview or read the article about their discussion.
3 things to know before you go
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and guests Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver, and Seth Meyers during Monday’s May 11, 2026 show.
Scott Kowalchyk/CBS Broadcasting Inc.
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Scott Kowalchyk/CBS Broadcasting Inc.
- Late-night hosts John Oliver, Seth Meyers and the two Jimmies — Kimmel and Fallon — joined Stephen Colbert for one of his final shows on CBS last night.
- Nonprofit organization The Cultural Landscape Foundation is suing the National Park Service, the Department of the Interior and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum over the decision to resurface the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and paint its basin blue.
- A new poll from NewsGuard/YouGov reveals that 30% of Americans believe at least one of three previous assassination attempts on Trump was staged.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
