On Politics: The two Americans

Pope Leo XIV could emerge as a potential contrast to Trump on the world stage.

nytimes.com May 9, 2025 Good evening. A judge has ordered the release of a Tufts University student who was detained by ICE in March. President Trump has suggested he's open to sharply reducing tariffs on China. And Republicans in Congress are still struggling to figure out how to pay for Trump's agenda. We're cooking up a new way to bring you stories like these in this newsletter. For now, I hope you'll take a look at our coverage below, and send me your questions about the Trump administration. — Jess Bidgood Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times An American Pope Emerges as a Potential Contrast to Trump on the World Stage Pope Leo XIV's focus on refugees and his pluralistic background may offer a different view of U.S. values from the president's America First approach. By Tyler Pager Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times Republican Agenda Hits Familiar Obstacle: State and Local Taxes A small group of Republicans is threatening to torpedo President Trump's agenda over the state and local tax deduction, long a headache for both parties. By Andrew Duehren Graham Dickie/The New York Times A Salacious Saga Engulfs the Virginia G.O.P. and Weakens Youngkin Gov. Glenn Youngkin's failure to push out the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor over a scandal involving explicit photos showed the party's divisions and the power of its right-wing base. By Reid J. Epstein Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times Trump Seeks to Strip Away Legal Tool Key to Civil Rights Enforcement President Trump has ordered federal agencies to halt their use of "disparate-impact liability," which has been used to assess whether policies discriminate against different groups. By Erica L. Green Qilai Shen for The New York Times Trump Suggests Openness to Slashing China Tariffs Ahead of Trade Talks The president said reducing tariffs to 80 percent from the current 145 percent "sounds right," as U.S. and Chinese negotiators prepare to meet in Switzerland. By Alan Rappeport, Ana Swanson and Alexandra Stevenson Eric Lee/The New York Times How Trump Is Scrambling the G.O.P. Push to Cut Medicaid Spending The president's stated opposition to cutting the program has put Republicans laboring to enact his domestic agenda in a bind. By Catie Edmondson MORE ON THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION The New York Times Latest Polls: Do Americans Approve of President Trump? → Doug Mills/The New York Times All of the Trump Administration's Major Moves So Far → The New York Times Tracking the Lawsuits Against Trump's Agenda → Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for On Politics from The New York Times. To stop receiving On Politics, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018