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7:05 PM ET, May 12, 2025

memeorandum

 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 …
RELATED:
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
William Kristol / The Bulwark:
A Garish, Outlandish, Stunningly Corrupt Act
Discussion: Raw Story
Washington Post:
U.S., China agree to lower most tariffs for 90 days amid trade talks
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) …
RELATED:
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 …
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.
The Guardian:
Trump administration offers refugee status to 49 white South Africans
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 …
Discussion: Associated Press and NPR
RELATED:
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.
Kate Knibbs / Wired:
Two Men Claiming to Be Trump Appointees Blocked From Entering US Copyright Office
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 and Forbes
RELATED:
Alex Gangitano / The Hill:
Trump: I'd be a ‘stupid person’ saying no to Qatari plane  —  President Trump on Monday called it “stupid” for him to turn down the gift of a luxury Boeing jet from Qatar, praising the free present from the Arab nation as a “great gesture.”  —  Boeing has had a contract with the U.S. government …
Associated Press:
Trump's plan to accept free Air Force One replacement from Qatar raises ethical and security worries
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.
RELATED:
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 …
RELATED:
Wired:
A VIP Seat at Donald Trump's Crypto Dinner Cost at Least $2 Million
Discussion: Reuters and New Republic
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 …
RELATED:
David Lim / Politico:
Trump promises to slash drug costs, tying U.S. prices to those paid abroad  —  The push will likely draw lawsuits from the pharmaceutical industry.  —  President Donald Trump on Monday revived a plan to tie prescription drug prices in the U.S. to what other nations pay for medicines.
Barak Ravid / Axios:
Hamas to release Israeli-American hostage as gesture to Trump  —  Hamas said Sunday it will release Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, who has been held for over 550 days, as part of an effort to reach a ceasefire deal and resume humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.
RELATED:
New York Times:
Trump Heads to the Middle East Focused on Business Deals, Not Diplomacy
Elizabeth Crisp / The Hill:
RFK Jr. goes swimming in DC's Rock Creek despite NPS guidance on bacteria  —  Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. revealed Sunday that took a dip in Washington, D.C.'s Rock Creek with his grandchildren, despite longstanding warnings that the Potomac River tributary isn't safe because of high bacterial levels.
RELATED:
Andrew Beaujon / Washingtonian:
Rock Creek Isn't Safe to Swim In. RFK Jr. Did It Anyway.
Discussion: Washington Times, WCNC-TV and Raw Story
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
Taragallegos / Governor of California:
Governor Newsom releases state model for cities and counties to immediately address encampments with urgency and dignity  —  What you need to know: Governor Newsom today released a model ordinance for cities and counties to immediately address dangerous and unhealthy encampments …
RELATED:
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: The Hill
Courtney Kube / NBC News:
Pentagon spent at least $21 million on flights to Guantanamo, which currently holds 32 migrants  —  Democrats condemned the Guantanamo effort as a wasteful “political stunt” by President Donald Trump and his allies.  —  The Trump administration spent at least $21 million transporting migrants …
New York Times:
Here Is Everything That Has Changed Since Congestion Pricing Started in New York  —  Fewer cars.  Faster travel.  Less honking.  And some questions we still can't answer.  —  The reporters sought information from everyone they could think of, including the M.T.A., the Fire Department …
Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money
Taylor Lorenz / User Mag:
Hasan Piker detained at the border and questioned for hours over politics  —  “They straight up tried to get something out of me that I think they could use to basically detain me permanently” … Hasan Piker, the biggest progressive political streamer in America, was detained by Customs …
 
 
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 More Items: 
John L. Dorman / Business Insider:
Trump's ‘big, beautiful bill’ includes $1,000 ‘MAGA accounts’ for kids
Discussion: Semafor and Raw Story
New York Times:
Why Trump Suddenly Declared Victory Over the Houthi Militia
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
Eric Katz / GovExec.com:
Trump administration tells court publicly releasing its mass layoff plans would hurt recruiting and retention
Discussion: E&E News
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
 Earlier Items: 
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
Josh Dinner / SPACE.com:
NASA celebrated this employee's story of resilience, then tried to scrub it from the internet. Then fired her.
Discussion: NASA
Noah Berlatsky / Public Notice:
The new pope is latest sign that the world rejects Trumpism
Discussion: New York Post
Ian Millhiser / Vox:
The Federalist Society is surprisingly ambivalent about Trump
 

 
From Mediagazer:

Bloomberg:
Sources: WBD begins exclusive talks with Netflix to sell its film and TV studios and HBO Max; Netflix is offering a $5B breakup fee if the deal isn't approved

The Guardian:
Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, and the Netherlands exit Eurovision after Israel received an all-clear to compete; the BBC and Germany's SWR plan to participate

James Faris / Business Insider:
Kalshi strikes a deal with CNBC that will integrate Kalshi's prediction data into CNBC's channel, site, and app starting in 2026, days after striking a CNN deal
 
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