On Politics: The two Americans

May 9, 2025

Good evening. A judge has ordered the release of a Tufts University student who was detained by ICE in March. President Trump has suggested he’s open to sharply reducing tariffs on China. And Republicans in Congress are still struggling to figure out how to pay for Trump’s agenda.

We’re cooking up a new way to bring you stories like these in this newsletter. For now, I hope you’ll take a look at our coverage below, and send me your questions about the Trump administration. — Jess Bidgood

Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times

An American Pope Emerges as a Potential Contrast to Trump on the World Stage

Pope Leo XIV’s focus on refugees and his pluralistic background may offer a different view of U.S. values from the president’s America First approach.

By Tyler Pager

Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia standing and speaking at a lectern at an event in Manhattan in April.

Graham Dickie/The New York Times

A Salacious Saga Engulfs the Virginia G.O.P. and Weakens Youngkin

Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s failure to push out the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor over a scandal involving explicit photos showed the party’s divisions and the power of its right-wing base.

By Reid J. Epstein

Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times

Republican Agenda Hits Familiar Obstacle: State and Local Taxes

A small group of Republicans is threatening to torpedo President Trump’s agenda over the state and local tax deduction, long a headache for both parties.

By Andrew Duehren

Pete Marovich for The New York Times

DOGE’s Zombie Contracts: They Were Killed but Have Come Back to Life

The Times found that federal agencies have revived dozens of contracts that Elon Musk’s group still publicly listed as canceled, inflating what it has saved.

By David A. Fahrenthold and Jeremy Singer-Vine

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is pictured at dusk as cars drive by.

Drew Angerer for The New York Times

Holocaust Museum Board Clashes Over Silence on Trump Firings

Board members argued over email after a Biden appointee sent a scathing letter invoking the Holocaust as he denounced the museum’s silence on President Trump’s firings of board members.

By Shane Goldmacher and Katie Glueck

President Trump holds a dark binder while seated at a desk that has red “Make America Great Again” hats on it.

Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times

Trump Seeks to Strip Away Legal Tool Key to Civil Rights Enforcement

President Trump has ordered federal agencies to halt their use of “disparate-impact liability,” which has been used to assess whether policies discriminate against different groups.

By Erica L. Green

MORE ON THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

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