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Book Review: Ron Chernow's 'Mark Twain' gives readers an honest assessment of beloved author's life Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Chernow is known for writing massive biographies of the country’s most enduring figures, including Ulysses S. Grant and Alexander Hamilton. So it comes as no surprise that his biography of author and humorist Mark Twain clocks in at more than 1,000 pages. Read More. ps:I have not read this book as of yet

Some plants cause more suffering than others for gardeners with pollen allergies Pollen isn’t all bad. It’s essential to the reproduction of plants, the survival of insects and the entire food web. We humans could not survive without it, so we absolutely shouldn’t avoid high-pollen plants as a general rule. However, if you’re an allergy sufferer who has had to forgo planting a garden due to health reasons, plants that release the least pollen may enable you to smell the flowers. Read More.

Detained Philippines ex-President Duterte wins mayoral race in his home city Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was elected as mayor in his home city by a landslide, official results showed Tuesday, despite his detention by the International Criminal Court. Read More.

Teen bystander is fatally shot during a fight near a New York City school A 16-year-old girl was killed by a stray bullet near a Bronx high school and a 14-year-old boy was being sought in connection with her death, police said. Read More.

Mercury fuels gold mining in Senegal. And it’s poisoning the people who use it In Senegal’s gold-rich Kedougou region, women and children face serious health risks from mercury exposure used in gold processing. Read More.

Global aviation council finds Russia responsible for downing MH17 over Ukraine in 2014 The Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization on Tuesday found Russia responsible for shooting down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine with the loss of 298 lives more than a decade ago, in a ruling that raises the prospect of victims’ families being paid compensation. Russia has rejected the findings. Read More.

Harvard loses an additional $450 million in grants in escalating battle with Trump administration President Donald Trump’s administration is cutting another $450 million in grants to Harvard University a day after the Ivy League school pushed back against government allegations that it’s a hotbed of liberalism and antisemitism. Read More.

FDA and RFK Jr. aim to remove fluoride supplements used to protect kids’ teeth U.S. health regulators announced plans Tuesday to phase out fluoride-containing supplements sometimes used to strengthen children’s teeth, opening a new front in Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s effort against a mainstay of dental care. The FDA said it will conduct a scientific review of the products with the aim of removing them from the market. Read More.

Israel targets Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar in hospital strike in Gaza, sources say Israel has targeted Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar in a strike on a hospital in southern Gaza on Tuesday evening, according to a senior Israeli official and two sources familiar with the matter. https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/13/middleeast/israel-targets-hamas-leader-mohammed-sinwar-hospital-strike-gaza-intl

A $75 million reward for bad behavior? Federal regulators are seeking a softer punishment against cryptocurrency platform Ripple Labs after the company gave a generous $5 million gift to Trump’s 2025 inaugural fund. Enforcers at the Securities and Exchange Commission originally charged Ripple in 2020 after accusing the company of running an illegal $1.3 billion unregistered securities exchange, levying more than $125 million in potential fines — though that suit was originally shut down by a federal judge in 2023. Now, under Trump, the SEC is asking to settle the case for just $50 million. Money pays. Ripple’s CEO is MAGA insider Brad Garlinghouse, who has been cheerleading the SEC’s crypto-friendly pivot after the agency previously cracked down on crypto during Biden’s tenure. His good grace with the president has already paid off: Ripple owns nearly half of the XRP cryptocurrency tokens in the world, and Trump has created a special carveout for the token. (XRP was created by three people who went on to cofound Ripple Labs.) Lobbying plays. In March, Trump said that he would include Ripple’s XRP cryptocurrency in a Treasury Department-run crypto stockpile that would allegedly establish the U.S. as “the Crypto Capital of the world.” Garlinghouse said at the time that he was surprised that Trump included XRP in the stockpile — but new reporting by Politico found that a lobbyist with Ballard Partners, a firm that previously employed Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles and attorney general Pam Bondi, helped Trump craft the strategy with XRP in mind. (Ripple is a client of Ballard Partners.) Crypto’s holiday. Crypto interests spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars this past election cycle to help elect industry-friendly lawmakers — and consequently have scored huge wins since Trump took office. The SEC has been systematically rolling back enforcement actions, gutting crypto oversight, and turning a blind eye to obvious scams. What’s more, Trump has been pushing his own cryptocurrency for people to buy access to him. Anyone have $20 million we can borrow? Trump says he will ease sanctions on Syria, moves to restore relations with new leader President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will move to normalize relations and lift sanctions on Syria’s new government to give the country “a chance at peace.” Read More.

🤑 Filing your taxes could now become more expensive. Buried in House Republicans’ new bill to cement Trump’s tax cuts is a provision killing the government’s free tax-filing system and giving taxpayer money to tax-prep companies that have been funneling campaign cash to GOP lawmakers. The provision would terminate the Internal Revenue Service’s successful and popular Direct File system and then launch an initiative to explore using government money to fund a tax filing system run “by the private sector.” This public-private partnership was tried a few years ago and quickly became a catastrophic failure. The same legislation — which the House is taking up this week — also includes a provision empowering the Trump administration to unilaterally deem groups that oppose its agenda as “terrorist-supporting organizations” and then strip them of their tax-exempt status. Climate groups could be among those targeted.

Inflation slowed more than expected in April, despite tariff-related price pressures building US inflation slowed to its lowest rate in more than four years, an unexpected and welcome development at a time when President Donald Trump’s dramatically escalated tariffs are expected to cause prices to rise. https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/13/economy/us-cpi-consumer-inflation-april?

👋 Good morning! From the 11th-best odds to the No. 1 pick. Nico Harrison strikes again! ‌ In today's edition: Mavs win draft lottery, Tatum suffers lower leg injury, five teams are down 3-1, the Rockies are terrible, Knicks fans are in heaven, and more. ‌ Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. 🚨 ICYMI headlineS 🏀 Down goes Tatum: Jayson Tatum was carried off the floor after suffering a non-contact injury to his lower leg that left him writhing in pain late in Boston's loss to the Knicks. He's getting an MRI later today. ‌ 🏈 NFL opener: The defending champion Eagles will host the Cowboys on September 4 in the first game of the 2025 season. The league's full schedule will be released tomorrow night. ‌ 🎙️ MJ on NBC: Michael Jordan will join NBC's NBA coverage next season as a contributor. The "Roundball Rock" theme song that accompanied his heyday is also coming back as the network goes all-in on '90s nostalgia. ‌ ⚽️ Coaching carousel: Xabi Alonso will leave Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the season to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, while Ancelotti will become the new head coach of the Brazilian national team. 🔒 32 years in prison: Chiefs superfan Xaviar Babudar (aka. "Chiefsaholic") was already serving a 17.5-year federal sentence for robbing banks in seven states. He'll now serve 14.5 additional years for another bank heist. 🏀 2025 NBA DRAFT MAVS WIN LOTTERY IN STUNNING RESULT (Yahoo Sports) The NBA draft lottery has always been fertile ground for conspiracy theories. This year's stunning result just sparked another. ‌ What are the chances? The Mavericks won the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes on Tuesday in unbelievable fashion, overcoming astronomical odds (1.8% chance) and vaulting 10 spots (biggest leap ever) to land the No. 1 pick in next month's draft. ‌ The backdrop: This comes three months after Dallas shipped Luka Dončić to the Lakers in an earth-shattering blockbuster that was almost universally panned and resulted in GM Nico Harrison receiving death threats. ‌ The Mavericks went 13-20 the rest of the way, missed the playoffs a year after making the Finals, and found themselves in the lottery, which they miraculously won over teams with 20 fewer wins. Harrison and the rest of the front office deserve no credit for this; their goal was to build a contender, but bad luck (star player injuries) landed them in the lottery and good luck landed them the top pick. Bottom line: The context of the Dončić trade is now forever changed — all thanks to ping pong balls. What once looked like franchise malpractice now feels more like accidental genius. Or maybe it's all a giant conspiracy! ‌ The big question: The Mavericks shortened their championship window significantly when they acquired Anthony Davis in the Dončić trade, so you now have to wonder if the organization is still on that path. Will they rebuild around Flagg, or trade him to win now? 🏀 🏒 ON THE BRINK DOWN 3-1. TIME TO PANIC? (Giphy) Five teams across the NBA and NHL playoffs find themselves in 3-1 holes, with the Celtics, Warriors, Capitals and Golden Knights all losing on Monday to join the Cavaliers on the brink. ‌ Scoreboard: Knicks 121, Celtics 113 Timberwolves 117, Warriors 110 Hurricanes 5, Capitals 2 Oilers 3, Golden Knights 0 Is it time to panic? Yeah, probably. Though it's a far more precarious position for the three NBA teams than it is for the two NHL teams. ‌ By the numbers: 32 of the 351 NHL teams (9.1%) that have fallen behind 3-1 in a best-of-seven series have rallied to win, while just 13 of 290 NBA teams (4.5%) can say the same. ⚾️ WORST TEAM EVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HORROR SHOW (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) The Rockies lost again on Monday to fall to a truly astounding 7-34 on the season. ‌ The big picture: How is Colorado possibly this bad? And is there any hope of them improving? Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz answers those questions in his latest feature story, which includes this fascinating insight into owner Dick Monfort's approach to spending: ‌ While the Rockies have often maintained a respectable payroll, Monfort has consistently balked at making financial investments in the organization's infrastructure. That has been most impactful in terms of technology, where the Rockies lag far behind the 29 other clubs. In fact, sources indicated to Yahoo that Monfort — who chaired the owners committee during the 2022 CBA negotiations — is hoping the next CBA contains a salary cap, which he believes would give his fallen franchise a better chance. Importantly, Monfort is reportedly seeking a cap that extends beyond MLB payroll to cover all organizational spending, including coaching, technology and scouting. 📸 KNICKSTAPE IN PHOTOS: NEW YORK STATE OF MIND (Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images) The Knicks are one win away from their first conference finals appearance in 25 years. Can you tell? (Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images) The team hosted a free block party on Monday, with thousands of New Yorkers gathering outside MSG to watch Game 4 on massive screens and participate in fan contests, photo ops and other activities. (Elsa/Getty Images) "Knicks in five," says actor and superfan Timothée Chalamet, who was sitting courtside next to girlfriend Kylie Jenner and numerous other celebrities. 📺 GAME 5 WATCHLIST: SURVIVE OR ADVANCE Indiana has three games to close out Cleveland. (Joe MurphyNBAE via Getty Images) The top-seeded Cavaliers face elimination tonight against the Pacers (7pm ET, TNT), who are a win away from reaching their second straight Eastern Conference Finals. ‌ Injury report: Donovan Mitchell is considered a game-time decision after aggravating an ankle injury on Sunday. He's been Cleveland's best player in this series, averaging 34 points. ‌ More to watch: 🏀 NBA: Nuggets (2-2) at Thunder (9:30pm, TNT) … OKC will try to become the first team in this series to win two straight games. 🏒 NHL: Jets (1-2) at Stars (8pm, ESPN) … Mikko Rantanen has either scored or assisted on 15 of Dallas' last 17 goals. ⚾️ MLB: Red Sox at Tigers (6:40pm, TBS) … First-place* Detroit (27-15) has the second-best record in baseball. 🎾 Tennis: Italian Open (1pm, Tennis) … Men's Round of 16, Women's quarterfinals. 🏒 PWHL: Montreal (1-1) at Ottawa (7pm, YouTube) … Semifinals, Game 3. *Division leaders: The Yankees (24-17), Tigers (27-15), Mariners (22-18), Mets (27-15), Cubs (24-18), and Dodgers (27-14) are your division leaders six weeks into the season. And shoutout to the Padres (25-15), who trail only the Dodgers, Tigers and Mets for the best record in baseball.

What Israel’s Enemies Don’t Want You to Know Archeology broadcasts the truth about Jerusalem and Israel. https://aish.com/what-israels-enemies-dont-want-you-to-know/?

Sea levels The pace of global sea level rise is accelerating, and the US is hindering scientists’ ability to track it. According to a NASA analysis of satellite data, the annual rate has more than doubled over the past 30 years due to climate change. Here’s why: The oceans absorb roughly 90% of the excess heat primarily produced by burning fossil fuels, and when water heats up, it expands. Heat in the oceans is also causing the melting of Greenland and the Antarctic ice sheets. While melting ice sheets have driven roughly two-thirds of longer-term sea level rise, last year — the planet’s hottest on record — the two factors flipped, making ocean warming the main driver. As scientists were working to understand what this means for the future, the Trump administration cut funding and laid off more than 1,000 employees from NOAA, the nation’s top weather and climate agency. With such research stymied by the government, crucial climate data may be lost.

Texas abortion The fate of a woman suffering from a miscarriage may depend not just on the state where she lives, but the location of the hospital she visits. Texas enacted its abortion law in 2021, banning the procedure even in pregnancies that were no longer viable. The state also threatened to imprison doctors and punish hospitals for providing such care unless there was a life-threatening emergency. Since then, medical personnel have been restricted from helping women who were miscarrying until they could figure out a way to document that the patients were in mortal peril. Now, a new analysis by ProPublica showed that where the hospitals were located often determined if these women ended up suffering from sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to infection. Sepsis cases across Texas shot up more than 50% for women who lost their pregnancies in the second trimester after the state enacted its abortion ban. When these women went to hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where doctors were empowered to intervene before it was too late, that number dropped to 29%. Whereas in Houston, where hospitals' legal departments had advised doctors to delay treatment until they could document a serious infection, the sepsis rate surged to 63%.

Saudi Arabia President Trump arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, overnight on his first visit to the region during his second term. Administration officials said the president hopes to spend the trip making deals with the Saudis, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates that will enhance their investments in America. The US has already announced a $1.4 billion weapons sale to the UAE that includes Chinook helicopters as well as parts and support for F-16 fighter jets. Today, Trump is attending a more formal arrival ceremony with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman; eating lunch with the CEOs of Amazon, NVIDIA, Google, Boeing and Tesla; attending bilateral meetings; and then taking part in an agreement signing of the Royal Court. Despite what the White House is calling a “historic return to the Middle East,” a visit to Israel is not on the itinerary. South Africa Dozens of White South Africans who were granted refugee status by the Trump administration for alleged discrimination arrived in the US on Monday. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who met the 59 Afrikaners at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia, claimed they had been “subject to very serious, egregious and targeted threats" and likened them to “quality seeds” that would hopefully “bloom” in America. However, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said he told President Trump that the persecution of the White minority group was not true. “They are leaving ostensibly because they don’t want to embrace the changes that are taking place in our country in accordance with our constitution,” Ramaphosa said. While the administration has expedited the processing of Afrikaners as refugees, it has suspended all other refugee resettlement, including for people fleeing war and famine. Drug prices President Trump signed an executive order on Monday that he said will lower drug prices in the US by basing the cost of certain medicines on their prices in other countries. Trump directed the Department of Health and Human Services to come up with price targets within 30 days and ordered drugmakers to start offering US patients the lowest price paid for a drug in a peer country. If drug manufacturers do not lower prices, the executive order outlined some potential ramifications, including allowing more drug imports and having the FDA modify or revoke approvals granted for drugs that may be “unsafe, ineffective, or improperly marketed.” It’s unclear what authority Trump has to demand certain prices, particularly in the private market. It’s also unknown when — or if — Americans will see lower prices.

May 13, 2025 Good morning. Trump landed in Saudi Arabia, his first stop on a four-day tour of the Gulf. Dozens of white South Africans arrived in the U.S. after being granted refugee status. And Sean Combs’s federal trial got underway in Manhattan. More news is below. But first, we look at Trump’s tariff promises. At the White House. Eric Lee/The New York Times Tariff turnabout By German Lopez I write for The Morning. President Trump made big promises with his China tariffs: China needs us more than we need it. America can outlast China in a trade war. Those advantages will let the administration get big concessions and rebalance global commerce. Trump’s actions, however, suggest the talk was bluster. Yesterday, his administration cut its China tariffs from 145 percent to 30 percent for at least a few months. China will reciprocate by lowering its retaliatory levies from 125 percent to 10 percent. Both sides will keep talking. Sources: White House; China’s Ministry of Finance | By The New York Times But China made no concessions. By now, most of us are familiar with this pattern: Trump makes big claims about what his tariffs can get, only for him to later back down without the other country giving up anything meaningful. It happened with Mexico, Canada and most of Trump’s “Liberation Day” levies. Despite his claims, America seems to need other countries’ trade as much as they need ours, diminishing Trump’s negotiating position. Today’s newsletter explains. Price hikes and shortages Here’s the problem: Trade is mutually beneficial. The buyer gets a good, and the seller makes a profit. The United States runs a trade deficit with China — it buys more than it sells — because Americans have the cash and want what China is selling. Trump’s tariffs on China were so high that they were effectively an embargo that threatened to end all of those mutually beneficial transactions. That would cover a lot of goods — more than 70 percent of smartphones, laptops and toys — as well as manufacturing materials, particularly rare earth metals used in modern electronics. Retailers warned that prices would rise and shelves would go empty. Markets tumbled. The hits to the economy weakened Trump’s negotiating position, and China knew it. Americans spent the last few years fuming about inflation and supply mishaps, and they would be furious if those problems continued. And unlike previous bouts of inflation that leaders could pin on the pandemic or the Ukraine war, this time it would clearly be Trump’s fault. So China took a patient approach. Let prices rise and markets fall, and eventually Trump would have to give in. That strategy worked, at least for now. What remains Trump still has time to get some concessions out of China, which does not want to lose its biggest global customer. The concessions could be small. In the past, countries have given Trump minor compromises in response to tariffs — enough for him to save face, essentially — as when Canada vaguely promised to step up border enforcement earlier this year. In the meantime, tariffs remain much higher than they were before Trump’s second term. When Trump ran for president, many economists warned that his promise of 10 percent tariffs on every other country would hurt the economy. Even after all of Trump’s backpedaling, a 10 percent universal tariff is still in place. Duties on specific goods, such as cars, are even higher. Prices on clothes, appliances, video game consoles and everything else made in other countries will likely rise as a result. For more The cut in tariffs on China is, for now, temporary. While some importers could rush to order Chinese goods, others may move more cautiously. Trade experts warned that 90 days may not be enough time to make substantial progress on the U.S. and China’s long list of trade disputes. America must reckon with two sides of China’s economy, Li Yuan writes: One is a technology superpower, and the other is struggling. INSIDE THE CONCLAVE In Rome, before the conclave. Murad Sezer/Reuters The most-clicked link in the newsletter yesterday was the remarkable inside story of how cardinals picked the new pope. It’s always a feat to get skittish officials to confide in reporters. Yet Times journalists persuaded many Vatican leaders (sworn to secrecy on pain of excommunication!) to share how they narrowed three front-runners down to a single obvious choice. I asked Jason Horowitz, our Rome bureau chief, how they reported it out. — Adam B. Kushner I thought deliberations inside the Sistine Chapel were sacrosanct! Nobody said, “I voted for X.” Nobody told us, “The tally was within 10 votes and then Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost crept up.” Nobody gave a level of granular detail that could get them in trouble. But we used a lot of shoe-leather reporting — tracking cardinals down, finding them on the phone, leaning on relationships built over years. Each gave us a small kernel of detail. The combination revealed a picture of what happened. We learned how Prevost avoided politicking at dinner on the conclave’s first night, how he held his head as the final votes were counted. What does the vow of secrecy cover, exactly? I think it’s like how Justice Potter Stewart described obscenity — you know it when you see it. I didn’t advise sources to cross an ethical line. One cardinal said it happened on the fourth vote, and maybe that stretches the rules. But it’s just that we spoke to so many people that we could piece it together. It was more the collective work than one revelatory interview. THE LATEST NEWS Trump in the Middle East Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Doug Mills/The New York Times Trump landed in Saudi Arabia this morning, his first stop in a four-day tour of the Gulf. He’s told advisers that he wants to sign deals worth more than $1 trillion on the trip. The president is expected in Qatar tomorrow. He plans to accept a jumbo jet from the country’s royal family, an example of how his second term is blowing through guardrails around public service, Charlie Savage writes. Government Overhaul The Energy Department is set to repeal efficiency rules for household appliances. That's likely to increase consumers’ energy costs, experts say. The Agriculture Department will restore climate change information that it had removed from its website, after farmers and environmental groups sued. Trump named Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, as acting librarian of Congress. But staff members refused access to two of his team, saying Congress must have input on the appointment. More on the Trump Administration The government asked the Supreme Court to let it deport nearly 200 Venezuelans it accuses of gang membership. The court blocked the deportations in an emergency ruling last month. The Trump family’s bitcoin company announced plans to go public. Elon Musk’s tunneling firm, the Boring Company, is in discussions with the government to help with a multibillion-dollar Amtrak project. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went swimming with his grandchildren in a Washington creek contaminated by sewer runoff. International Edan Alexander with his parents. Israeli Government, via Reuters Hamas released the last living American hostage it held in Gaza. Mediators brokered a deal between the group and the U.S. that largely circumvented the Israelis. The Palestinian Authority said it would lift a ban on Al Jazeera in the West Bank. It had accused the Qatar-funded broadcaster of inciting sedition. Dozens of white South Africans claiming discrimination arrived in the U.S. after the Trump administration granted them refugee status. India and Pakistan are in talks to extend their cease-fire. A Paris court found the movie star Gérard Depardieu guilty of sexual assault. Other Big Stories Near Santa Fe. Ramsay de Give for The New York Times Many people released from the Santa Fe jail must walk along a dangerous highway to get back to town. Five have died in the past decade. Gavin Newsom, California’s governor, asked hundreds of cities and towns to ban homeless encampments. Cities in Illinois are using crime-free housing programs to oust families for minor infractions, an investigation by The Times and The Illinois Answers Project found. BOY PROBLEMS Young men are struggling, and we wanted to figure out just how badly and why. Boys enter kindergarten lagging behind girls in both academic readiness and behavior. A majority of teenagers agree that boys are more disruptive. Large shares say girls get better grades, have more leadership roles and speak up more in class. Note: Survey conducted Sept. 18-Oct. 10. Home-schooled teens were not included. Shares of respondents who did not offer an answer are not shown. Source: Pew Research Center The New York Times In interviews, young men say that school never felt like a good fit for them, or that they got the sense that teachers didn’t like boys, and that this left them feeling discouraged or undervalued. By high school, girls are more likely to graduate on time — and more likely to go to college. Note: Individuals ages 16-24 are counted here if enrolled in a two- or four-year college by October in the year of their high school graduation or equivalent. Source: National Center for Education Statistics The New York Times Young men are struggling in their mental health and transitions to adulthood, too. What’s going on here? I’m reporting a series on boys, the first installment of which published today. I’d love to hear your experiences and insights about what’s going on with boys, and what might be driving it. Tell The Times what you think here. — Claire Cain Miller OPINIONS Trump’s attempt to defund a lecture on freedom in Denmark by Joseph Stiglitz, a Columbia professor, shows that no program is safe, the professor writes. Here’s a column by Michelle Goldberg on Trump’s second nominee for surgeon general. The Times Sale: Our best rate for readers of The Morning. Save now with our best offer on unlimited news and analysis as part of the complete Times experience: $1/week for your first year. MORNING READS Don Pettit/NASA Rivers, wildfires, lightning: A NASA astronaut recently spent 220 days at the International Space Station, where he captured the wonders visible from space. See his photos. TikTok stars: Oliver Widger quit his job, cashed in his 401(k) and bought a boat. Now he and his cat, Phoenix, are sailing around the world. Trending online yesterday: The rapper Tory Lanez was stabbed 14 times in a California prison. Lanez is serving a 10-year sentence for shooting Megan Thee Stallion. Lives Lived: Robert Shapiro was a law professor who became a brash corporate executive. He performed a marketing miracle by branding aspartame as the sugar substitute NutraSweet. Shapiro died at 86. SPORTS N.B.A. Draft: The Mavericks won the league lottery and could draft Cooper Flagg. N.B.A.: The Knicks and Timberwolves are up 3-1 after wins over the Celtics and Warriors. N.H.L.: Edmonton and Carolina are both one win away from the conference finals. ARTS AND IDEAS Untz untz untz. David Billet for The New York Times Electronic dance music is back. Festival lineups are filled with D.J.s, while the biggest names in pop — including Beyoncé and Charli XCX — have made albums inspired by dance. No one style of the genre has surged in popularity over the others: hard techno, drum and bass, Afro house and U.K. garage are all finding audiences. Read more about the renaissance — and the forces fueling it. Related: Want to get in on the scene? See where to club, which artists to follow and what songs to hear. More on culture “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” returns to Hulu this week. The Cannes Film Festival, in response to a sheer dress trend, has banned nudity on its red carpet, The A.P. reports. The football coach Bill Belichick, 73, cheered on Jordon Hudson, his 24-year-old girlfriend, at a beauty pageant in Maine. Sean Combs’s federal trial began. Prosecutors accused the mogul of a pattern of sexual coercion and of using his inner circle to facilitate abuse. Jon Stewart joked about Qatar giving Trump a plane: “He’s like the reverse Oprah: ‘I get a jet! And that’s it.’” THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich. Make Ina Garten’s perfect roast chicken. She calls it “the world’s easiest dinner.” Experience more joy. Here are three tips. Clean your suede jacket. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was unboxing. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Correction: Saturday’s newsletter misstated the streaming service that airs “Poker Face.” It is Peacock, not Netflix. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch

China seeks a united front with Latin America in countering Trump’s trade war China is moving to strengthen its alliances with other countries as a counterweight to President Donald Trump’s trade war, presenting a united front with Latin American leaders a day after China and the U.S. agreed to a 90-day truce in their tariffs stalemate. Read more. Why this matters: China’s leaders have positioned the world’s second-largest economy as a reliable trade and development partner, in contrast to the uncertainty and instability from Trump’s tariff hikes and other policies. Still, Beijing’s ire over the trade war remains apparent. Speaking to the China-CELAC, or Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, Forum, Chinese leader Xi Jinping announced plans to build closer ties with Latin America through political, economic, academic and security exchanges. China’s trade with the region has been growing rapidly, exceeding $500 billion for the first time last year, as it imported more farm products such as soybeans and beef, energy resources such as crude oil, iron ore, and critical minerals. Beijing’s investments in the region through Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI, have included installing 5G networks and building ports and hydropower plants. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ World shares make modest gains as euphoria over China-US trade truce wavers What’s next with Trump’s trade war truce with China Sen. Paul points to business-sector resistance to Trump’s tariffs in solidly red Kentucky

House Republicans propose $5 billion for private school vouchers House Republicans want to set aside up to $5 billion a year for scholarships to help families send their children to private and religious schools, an unprecedented effort to use public money to pay for private education. Read more. Why this matters: Nearly all households would qualify except those making more than three times the local median income. Supporters of private school vouchers say they want to give families assigned to low-performing schools more choices. The program would be funded by donors who could contribute money or stock. In turn, they would receive 100% of the contribution back in the form of a discount on their tax bills. It would allow stockholders to avoid paying taxes that would be levied if they donated or transferred the stock. Critics decried the proposal, saying it would aid the wealthy at the expense of the public school systems that serve the overwhelming majority of students. They said it would set up a tax shelter allowing savvy investors to make money under the guise of a donation. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Campus protests flare on a smaller scale than last spring, but with higher stakes Harvard says it won’t abandon ‘core’ principles to meet Department of Education demands Contracts? Buyouts? Study at 1 school, play for another? Ambitious pitches to revamp college sports

Trump starts his foreign trip with a crush of problems — and outsized certainty he has the answers President Donald Trump set out on a three-nation visit to the Middle East on Monday, a trip he had originally intended to use to focus on his efforts to press wealthy Gulf nations to pour billions in new investment into the United States. But now Trump finds himself navigating a series of geopolitical crises. Read more. Why this matters: The president was brimming with an overabundance of confidence about some of the world’s most intractable problems, from tensions in South Asia to the future of sanctions in Syria to the war in Ukraine. But behind closed doors, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim al-Thani, and Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed will be looking to get a read on how Trump intends to push ahead on resolving the war in Gaza, dealing with Iran’s rapidly progressing nuclear program and addressing India-Pakistan tensions. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Trump’s plan to accept free Air Force One replacement from Qatar raises ethical and security worries What is the Emoluments Clause? And how might it apply to Qatar giving Trump a plane? Judge refuses to block IRS from sharing tax data to identify and deport people illegally in U.S. Civil rights agency moves to fire judge fighting Trump directives House Republicans reveal Trump’s tax breaks for tips, overtime and car loans, but costs run high Missouri Republican warns colleagues against Medicaid cuts House Republicans target clean energy tax credits and pollution rules in budget proposal As Biden-era “junk fee” rule takes effect, Ticketmaster says it will display fees more clearly WATCH: Trump defends admitting white South Africans as refugees after halting resettlement for most others Homeland Security revokes temporary status for thousands of Afghans Budget airline begins deportation flights for ICE with start of Arizona operations Mexico says US suspension of beef imports because of screwworm is unfair White House correspondents protest lack of wire reporters on Air Force One Illinois governor is first in US to block federal access to personal data on autism Sen. Cornyn of Texas says federal probe started into Muslim-centered community near Dallas Gov. Gavin Newsom urges California cities and counties to ban homeless encampments

THIS DAY IN HISTORY May 13 1846 U.S. Congress declares war on Mexico On May 13, 1846, the U.S. Congress overwhelmingly votes in favor of President James K. Polk’s request to declare war on Mexico in a dispute over Texas. Under the threat of war, the United States had refrained from annexing Texas after the latter won independence from Mexico in 1836. But in 1844,... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT Cold War 1958 Vice President Nixon is attacked Crime 1981 Pope John Paul II shot 1985 Philadelphia police drop bomb on MOVE headquarters, killing 11 European History 1568 Mary Queen of Scots defeated 1940 Churchill announces: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat” Sports 1973 Bobby Riggs and Margaret Court face off in first “Battle of the Sexes” U.S. Government and Politics 1920 Socialist party nominates “Convict 2253” for president World War I 1915 Edith Wharton writes of the war’s effect on France 1919 German foreign minister protests Versailles Treaty terms

📊 Charted: Foreign worker slowdown Data: Indeed. Chart: Axios Visuals The share of international job seekers looking to work in the U.S. has declined sharply this year, Axios' Emily Peck writes from an Indeed report out today. Why it matters: The labor market is slowing down, and stricter immigration policy — beginning with the Biden administration and accelerating under President Trump — is further cooling demand for American jobs. By the numbers: Clicks from job seekers outside the U.S. started climbing in mid-2021 as the job market boomed in the pandemic recovery. The international clicks peaked in August 2023, at 2.4% of all postings, and declined to 1.7% by March 2025.

☎️ Scoop: Hamas' new hostage backchannel The backchannel talks that led to the release of Edan Alexander began with a message from a Hamas official to Bishara Bahbah, the former leader of "Arab Americans for Trump," Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. officials tell Axios' Barak Ravid. Why it matters: Hamas was seeking a way to convince President Trump to put more pressure on Israel, and Trump's team was intent on freeing the last living American held in Gaza. Bahbah, a Palestinian-American businessman who helped Trump make inroads with Arab voters in 2024, became the unlikely intermediary. 👀 The intrigue: A Hamas official outside Gaza reached out to Bahbah in late April in hopes of striking up a dialogue with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff. It took time for that backchannel to materialize, but it gained momentum last week, a senior Israeli official tells Axios. Around 20 messages were passed between the sides in calls and texts to Bahbah over the last two weeks. Keep reading.