The topic Trump heads to China for state visit. And, how the war in Iran has affected inflation is drawing steady attention: readers, analysts, and industry watchers are all tracking how the story may unfold in the days ahead.
This is taking place in a fast-moving context — product cycles, platform shifts, and competitive moves can reshape the outlook quickly, so the details below are worth a careful read.
What follows is a clear walkthrough of the main facts and angles you need to make sense of the news.
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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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.
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 the data 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.
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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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:
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, during an interview at NPR studios on May 7, 2026.
Ben de la Cruz
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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.
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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