The United States and China reached a 90-day agreement aimed at relieving trade tensions between the two countries. Here’s what we know about the deal. 
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| “The art of music, above all the other arts, is the expression of the soul of a nation.” |
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The United States and China reached a 90-day agreement aimed at relieving trade tensions between the two countries. Here’s what we know about the deal.
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A total of 1,800 Florida Highway Patrol troopers are the first in the nation to receive federal credentials under an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agreement allowing them to arrest illegal immigrants on their own.
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President Trump raised the possibility of flying to Turkey later this week to join planned peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
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💉U.S. officials are recommending that adults aged 60 and up not receive the only available chikungunya vaccine after reports that older individuals who received the shot suffered severe symptoms typically associated with the chikungunya virus. Two of the patients died.
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🍵 Health: The Rise and Fall of Synthetic Food Dyes
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| Ivan Pentchoukov
National Editor |
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Containers are stacked at a port in Nanjing, in eastern China's Jiangsu Province, on May 12, 2025. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) | The United States and China reached a 90-day agreement aimed at relieving trade tensions between the two countries. Starting on May 14, both countries will significantly reduce certain components of their tariffs against one another, according to a joint statement attributed to both the United States and the Chinese communist regime published by the White House.
The two countries pledged that they would “establish a mechanism to continue discussions about economic and trade relations.” The move will reduce U.S. duties on Chinese goods to 30 percent from 145 percent. China, for its part, will drop its counter-tariff to 10 percent from 125 percent.
The U.S. duty of 30 percent is based on a combination of a 20 percent tariff imposed on China earlier in the year and a 10 percent tariff that is generally being placed on all U.S. trade partners. The 20 percent tariff was assessed as a penalty for China’s role in the international trafficking of fentanyl, according to the United States.
The 10 percent tariff is on par with the United States’ global baseline tariff on imports that remains in place as President Donald Trump and his Cabinet work to renegotiate trade agreements worldwide. China is matching the global baseline tariff rate with its own 10 percent duty on U.S. imports. Separate U.S. tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, steel, and aluminum remain in place. (More) More Politics: |
- President Donald Trump signaled that he may speak with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the end of the week, a further sign of progress in trade talks between the world’s two largest economies.
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The president signed an executive order on Monday reviving a prescription drug pricing policy aimed at requiring drug makers to charge American consumers the same price as the lowest paid by other comparable nations.
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The president’s first major foreign trip, a four-day visit to the Middle East, begins today.
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The House Ways and Means Committee released the long-awaited text for the multi-trillion-dollar Republican tax plan on Monday. The legislation, which President Donald Trump called “the one big beautiful bill,” proposes lowering taxes by more than $4 trillion and cutting spending by $1.5 trillion over a decade.
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Dozens of white South Africans arrived in the United States after being granted refugee status under the Trump administration’s new admission program.
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A federal judge refused to block the Internal Revenue Service from sharing the data of taxpayers facing criminal investigation with immigration authorities, rejecting arguments from advocacy groups that the move would violate federal privacy protections and chill tax compliance by illegal immigrants.
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The Trump administration is taking aim at automatic engine start-stop systems—technology installed in millions of U.S. vehicles to reduce fuel use and emissions—with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin signaling plans to roll back incentives for the feature that he says drivers despise.
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The Department of Homeland Security formally moved to revoke a temporary immigration shield for Afghan nationals living in the United States, citing improved conditions in the country.
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Florida officials announced that 1,800 state Highway Patrol troopers are the first in the nation to receive federal credentials under an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agreement allowing them to arrest illegal immigrants on their own.
The Florida Highway Patrol entered into a deal with the federal government that gives them the power to arrest foreign nationals who are in the country illegally and place detainers on them during routine policing, such as traffic stops. In essence, it allows local law enforcement to operate as an extension of ICE under federal supervision. DeSantis encouraged other states to support President Donald Trump’s efforts to deport illegal immigrants, noting the success of Operation Tidal Wave. The recent joint federal-state operation led to the arrests of more than 1,100 illegal immigrants.
Some of those arrested included members of gangs such as MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, both designated as terrorist organizations by the Trump administration. (More) More U.S. News |
- U.S. stocks rallied after the United States and China agreed to temporary tariff reductions.
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom released a model ordinance for cities and counties to address homeless camps and called on local officials to adopt and implement the policies without delay.
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McDonald’s said it will soon undergo its largest hiring campaign in years, aiming to add up to 375,000 restaurant employees across the United States this summer, all while the fast-food giant faces declining sales and heightened competition in its home market.
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President Trump raised the possibility of flying to Turkey later this week to join planned peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
Prior to embarking on a diplomatic tour of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, Trump told reporters at the White House on May 12 that the meeting between Russia and Ukraine on May 15 could present a real opportunity for peace. “I think you may have a good result out of the Thursday meeting in Turkey between Russia and Ukraine,” he said. He also said he believes that both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend.
“I was thinking about flying over,” Trump said. “I don’t know where I’m going to be on Thursday. I’ve got so many meetings, but I was thinking about actually flying over there. There’s a possibility of it, I guess, if I think things can happen—but we’ve got to get it done.”
Putin and Zelenskyy have both signaled their support for the talks in Turkey, and although the Ukrainian leader said he’s ready to attend, the Kremlin has not confirmed whether Putin will do so.
Trump has called for a cease-fire since taking office in January and recently proposed a 30-day unconditional truce to create space for negotiations. While Ukraine has expressed support for such a proposal, Moscow has so far resisted any commitment. (More) More World News:
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- May 13 marks World Falun Dafa Day. Here’s a look at the practice that spread globally and changed the lives of tens of millions.
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After almost 585 days in captivity in Gaza, Israeli American Edan Alexander has been freed by Hamas.
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Anheuser-Busch said it will invest $300 million in its U.S. operations this year, expanding its manufacturing footprint, workforce training programs, and veteran hiring efforts amid the push by the Trump administration to onshore and boost domestic production and manufacturing.
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President Trump says he threatened to eliminate trade with India and Pakistan to compel the two nations to accept a cease-fire deal over the weekend.
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The governor of the Mexican border state of Baja California said that the U.S. visas of both her and her husband have been withdrawn.
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Poland said it will shut down the Russian consulate in Krakow on May 12 after finding evidence that the country was behind a fire that ripped through a Warsaw shopping mall in 2024.
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After days of uncertainty, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party has confirmed its intention to lay down its arms and abandon its decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.
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📷 Photo of the Day: Two children, part of the first group of Afrikaners from South Africa to arrive for resettlement in the United States, play with balloons after arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Va., on May 12, 2025. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images |
✍️ Opinion: The Hidden Hands Behind Cheap Chinese Goods by Leon Lee
🎙️ Podcast: Although Beijing lacks transparency in its economic data, three key metrics offer a realistic read on China’s economy. China Watch host Terri Wu analyzes why the country is heading in a worrying direction. (Listen)
🎵 Music: Saint-Saëns - Symphony No. 3 “Organ” (Listen)
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Composers have been especially drawn to create music for the spring season. (Biba Kayewich)
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Music about nature seems to be written only slightly less frequently than music about love or religion. Within this genre, springtime might be the most popular topic. It’s not surprising that many composers have written pieces on it. What is surprising, though, is the variety of ways they’ve found to express this season and the accompanying emotions.
Here are nine famous composers who gave us their unique renditions.
Vivaldi’s ‘Spring’ Concerto—Antonio Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” is probably the most famous work of music representing the natural world. Of all these, his “Spring” concerto is the most popular and recognizable. The opening of the first “Allegro” movement indicates spring’s arrival. Trilling violins represent singing birds.
Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’ Symphony No. 6—Ludwig van Beethoven was directly inspired by spring when he wrote one of his most memorable pieces of music, the “Pastoral” Symphony No. 6.
Delius’s ‘On Hearing The First Cuckoo In Spring’—While Beethoven used only the clarinet to represent the cuckoo, the English composer Frederick Delius chose a more complex description. He used a combination of clarinet, oboe, and strings in his piece.
Copland’s ‘Appalachian Spring’—This is probably the most famous piece associated with spring ever written by an American composer. The cover images of most recordings feature the Appalachian Mountains during this time of year.
Vaughan Williams’s ‘The Lark Ascending’—All the great composers of springtime have their own unique way of evoking birdsong. Ralph Vaughan Williams, adapting Meredith’s poem in his own “pastoral romance,” is no exception.
Johann Strauss II’s ‘Voices of Spring’—One of Strauss’s most recognizable waltzes beautifully captures the essence of springtime with its elegant, light melodies, evoking the renewal and blossoming of life. (More)
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