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8:50 PM ET, May 12, 2025

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 Top Items: 
New York Times:
U.S. and China Agree to Temporarily Slash Tariffs in Bid to Defuse Trade War  —  The 145 percent U.S. tariff on Chinese goods will come down to 30 percent for 90 days, while the two sides continue talks aimed at resolving their differences.  —  The United States and China said Monday …
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Axios:
Despite China trade deal, Trump maintains 120% tariff on cheap goods  —  Small packages from China are still subject to tariffs of 120%, a White House official confirmed Monday — a major blow for U.S. consumers seeking cheap goods from e-commerce retailers like Shein and Temu.
Janna Brancolini / The Daily Beast:
Markets Celebrate Total Trump Surrender on Signature Policy  —  WHITE FLAG  —  The U.S. agreed to temporarily lower tariffs on Chinese products while the two sides negotiate.  —  Investors welcomed the news on Monday that President Donald Trump was backing away from at least …
David Frum / The Atlantic:   The Ultimate Bait and Switch of Trump's Tariffs
Associated Press:
US and China reach a deal to slash sky-high tariffs for now, with a 90-day pause
Jack Jenkins / RNS:
Episcopal Church refuses to resettle white Afrikaners, ends partnership with US government  —  (RNS) — In a striking move that ends a nearly four-decades-old relationship between the federal government and the Episcopal Church, the denomination announced on Monday (May 12) …
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The Episcopal Church:
Letter from Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe on Episcopal Migration Ministries  —  Office of Public Affairs  —  English  —  Dear People of God in The Episcopal Church:  —  I am writing today with some significant news about Episcopal Migration Ministries, the organization that leads The Episcopal Church's refugee resettlement ministry.
Washington Post:
White South Africans arrive at Dulles as refugees under Trump order  —  The arrival of 49 Afrikaners under allegations of racial discrimination restarts a U.S. refugee program that has been suspended for all other groups.  —  A group of nearly 50 White South Africans landed …
Axios:
Trump naming his former defense attorney as acting Librarian of Congress  —  President Trump will name deputy attorney general Todd Blanche to be the acting Librarian of Congress, a Justice Department official confirmed to Axios.  —  Why it matters: Blanche, who represented Trump in his hush money trial …
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Politico:
Hill leaders question Trump's attempted Library of Congress takeover  —  Top congressional leaders are pushing back against President Donald Trump's attempt to replace to Library of Congress leaders, with the dispute over presidential powers over the institution leaving its future in question Monday.
Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Todd Blanche, DOJ No. 2, is now acting Library of Congress chief  —  The Justice Department's No. 2 official now has a second job: running the Library of Congress.  President Donald Trump has appointed Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as the acting librarian, a DOJ official said Monday.
Associated Press:
Deputy attorney general who defended Trump in hush money trial is named acting librarian of Congress30 minutes ago
Politico:
Trump's free plane is not so free  —  The Boeing aircraft that Qatar may give the president would require a pricy and complicated overhaul to serve as Air Force One.  —  President Donald Trump insists he's getting a “free, very expensive airplane” from Qatar's royal family.
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Garrett M. Graff / Doomsday Scenario:
Corruption and a Security Catastrophe in Plane Sight  —  Of course a foreign government would love to give the US president a plane....  I will admit that as a presidential historian and national security nerd one of my first thoughts last November after Donald Trump won office was, “Ugh” …
Discussion: Fox News
Edith Olmsted / New Republic:
Trump Melts Down Over Damning Report on Qatar Giving Him a Private Jet
Lisa Mascaro / Associated Press:
House Republicans unveil Medicaid cuts that Democrats warn will leave millions without care  —  House Republicans unveiled the cost-saving centerpiece of President Donald Trump's “ big, beautiful bill ” late Sunday, at least $880 billion in cuts largely to Medicaid to help cover the cost of $4.5 trillion in tax breaks.
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President Donald J. Trump / The White House:
Delivering Most-Favored-Nation Prescription Drug Pricing to American Patients  —  By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:  —  Section 1.  Purpose.  The United States has less than five percent …
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NBC News:
Trump's drug pricing move shows his second-term reluctance to try bipartisanship: From the Politics Desk
Discussion: Des Moines Register
New York Times:
Why Trump Suddenly Declared Victory Over the Houthi Militia … President Trump has never bought into long-running military entanglements in the Middle East.Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times  —  When he approved a campaign to reopen shipping in the Red Sea by bombing the Houthi militant group …
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Barak Ravid / Axios:
Hamas to release Israeli-American hostage as gesture to Trump
New York Times:
Auction to Dine With Trump Creates Foreign Influence Opportunity … The sale of face-to-face access to President Trump using the Trump family's own cryptocurrency has done more than benefit him financially, though it has certainly done that.  —  Mr. Trump announced last month that leading buyers …
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Andrew Beaujon / Washingtonian:
Rock Creek Isn't Safe to Swim In.  RFK Jr. Did It Anyway.  —  Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went for a swim in Rock Creek yesterday.  —  Health officials typically advise against swimming in that DC waterway, because sewage from the city's aging system flows into it.
Discussion: Washington Times, Raw Story and WCNC-TV
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Amanda Friedman / Politico:
DHS terminates temporary protected status program for Afghans  —  The move follows the Trump administration's decision last month to not renew such protections for Afghans residing in the U.S.  —  Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced on Monday that the U.S. will terminate …
RELATED:
Department of Homeland Security:
DHS Terminating Temporary Protected Status for Afghanistan
Discussion: Axios and UPI
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Taragallegos / Governor of California:
Governor Newsom releases state model for cities and counties to immediately address encampments with urgency and dignity
Emanuel Maiberg / 404 Media:
Republicans Try to Cram Ban on AI Regulation Into Budget Reconciliation Bill  —  Republicans try to use the Budget Reconciliation bill to stop states from regulating AI entirely for 10 years.  —  Late last night, House Republicans introduced new language to the Budget Reconciliation bill …
Discussion: Vital Art and The Hill
Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Rule of law is ‘endangered,’ chief justice says  —  Speaking at Georgetown Law, Chief Justice John Roberts denounced “ad hominem” criticism of the justices.  —  Chief Justice John Roberts described the rule of law as “endangered” and warned against “trashing the justices,” …
Discussion: Bloomberg
 
 
 New Item Finder: 
15 minutes ago
Jasmine Laws / Newsweek:
Millions Face Losing Health Insurance Under Republican Proposal   Find
20 minutes ago
Shane Goldmacher / New York Times:
D.N.C. Takes Step to Void Election of Hogg and Kenyatta as Vice Chairs   Find
45 minutes ago
Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Rule of law is ‘endangered,’ chief justice says   Find
45 minutes ago
Edith Olmsted / New Republic:
Trump Melts Down Over Damning Report on Qatar Giving Him a Private Jet   Find
 
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 More Items: 
Jay Nordlinger / National Review:
WFB & Co.  —  I can't remember when I first encountered Bill Buckley — in print, I mean, not in the flesh.
John L. Dorman / Business Insider:
Trump's ‘big, beautiful bill’ includes $1,000 ‘MAGA accounts’ for kids
Discussion: Semafor and Raw Story
Moriah Balingit / Associated Press:
House Republicans propose $5 billion for private school vouchers
Department of Homeland Security:
Department of Homeland Security Investigates State of California for Providing Federal Benefits to Illegal Aliens
 Earlier Items: 
Reporters Without Borders:
Radio Free Asia's Uyghur service in danger following Trump's decisions: “Without RFA, China will truly become a black hole for information”
Discussion: JURISTnews
Molly Taft / Wired:
The EPA Will Likely Gut Team That Studies Health Risks From Chemicals
Carrie Johnson / NPR:
Race to lead D.C. lawyers' association grows heated amid attacks on law firms
Discussion: Axios and Washington Examiner
Steve Benen / MSNBC:
Trump reportedly shrugs off intelligence briefings he needs, but doesn't want
Discussion: Raw Story
New York Times:
Here Is Everything That Has Changed Since Congestion Pricing Started in New York
Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money