President Trump touts trade deals with China but did not share details. Full-time caregivers who rely on Medicaid face difficult choices as budget cuts loom. And homes affected by L.A.-area wildfires have been cleared of debris — but many residents haven’t moved back.
Here’s what to know today.
29:50
President Donald Trump is headed back to the U.S. after a historic two-day visit to meet with President Xi Jinping in Beijing. While Trump touted “fantastic trade deals” made with his Chinese counterpart, the two did not offer any details about the agreements.
This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.
The second day of events in Beijing included a tea ceremony at Zhongnanhai Garden, a sweeping government compound dating to the imperial age, followed by a working lunch. A talk between Trump and Xi lasted about 10 minutes out of sight from reporters.
In closing remarks, Trump said the two sides made “fantastic trade deals” and that he and Xi settled “a lot of different problems.” Trump said Iran was discussed and that they “don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon” and “want the straits open.” He also mentioned China potentially buying oil from the U.S. and purchasing Boeing planes but offered no confirmation of a deal or any details.
Trump then arrived at Beijing’s international airport, greeted with a red carpet and an honor guard. As he boarded Air Force One, a group of children chanted “farewell, farewell, a warm farewell.”
See more highlights from the second day of the summit.
After Dr. Marty Makary resigned as FDA chief this week, the White House suggested that his departure had been inevitable. But sources say Trump’s push to lift a ban on fruit-flavored e-cigarettes may have been Makary’s last straw.
That push started this month when Trump heard from tobacco executives and lobbyists during a lunch in Florida that the FDA was blocking them from selling vaping products. It led to an angry call from the president to his top health officials — and shortly after, the FDA’s reversal on the ban. And Makary, who believes fruit-flavored e-cigarettes contribute to the youth vaping epidemic, didn’t want to publicly defend a decision he did not support.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Cuban officials yesterday in Havana to discuss “intelligence cooperation, economic stability and security issues,” a CIA official said, “all against the backdrop that Cuba can no longer be a safe haven for adversaries in the Western Hemisphere.”
The meeting comes as Cuba faces an energy crisis after the U.S. military in January arrested the president of Venezuela, a country that was a key Cuban ally and a source of oil. According to a State Department statement, the U.S. has offered “support for free and fast satellite internet and $100 million in direct humanitarian assistance.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview with “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas that Cuba’s government has been the problem when it comes to aid.
02:20
The Trump administration has deployed a full-court press on the Cuban government, but Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with the regime’s ability to maintain power, officials said.
More about the U.S. and Cuba’s relationship.
A Medicaid-funded program for families to be paid as caregivers allows Melissa Gonce, of Parkville, Maryland, to earn about $67,000 a year to look after her son Jason full time. Jason, 28, is nonverbal and profoundly disabled, with significant cognitive limitations and little awareness of dangers — vulnerabilities that require constant, watchful care.
But Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” is expected to slash Medicaid funding by about $1 trillion over the coming decade, with reductions set to start hitting state budgets next year. Some states, including Maryland, are already making deep reductions to caregiving programs. For Gonce, that translates to a roughly $18,000 annual loss in income. Others in the state said their household incomes may be cut by more than $80,000.
Until recently, paying family members to care for disabled and elderly relatives had broad bipartisan support. But as such programs have expanded, they have also drawn new scrutiny, squeezed state budgets and garnered backlash from conservatives who cast the program as wasteful and vulnerable to abuse. Senior enterprise reporter Mike Hixenbaugh spoke to families nationwide about the difficult decisions that await if funding cuts impact their income.
03:19
Walking down the neighborhood streets of Altadena, California, in perfect, bluebird weather can feel surreal. The Eaton Fire roared through here about 16 months ago. Some lots are empty, covered in waist-high weeds and bits of concrete. Others are alive with the sound of hammers and saws, as workers frame new construction.
And then there are the standing homes, which often sit empty because residents fear contamination after smoke poured inside. Testing companies have turned up high levels of arsenic, asbestos and more rare heavy metals inside Altadena properties. In soil cleared by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and others, researchers are finding concerning levels of lead.
There are few clear standards for testing and remediation and few clear-cut answers about what’s considered safe. The uncertainty has left many residents at war with their insurance companies while they remain stuck in temporary homes and time runs out on their insurance-provided housing assistance.
Signs around town say “Altadena strong.” It’s true — the community has banded together. But some residents thought they’d have more support in getting back on their feet. — Evan Bush, science reporter
Testing is the name of the game over at NBC Select. So far, we’ve appraised over a dozen lip serums, had our own pups test the best dog food brands and dedicated over a year of time to reviewing what is arguably the best smart ring on the market to see if it’s actually worth your investment.
Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.
Thanks for reading today’s Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson. If you’re a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign up here.
此内容由惯性聚合(RSS阅读器)自动聚合整理，仅供阅读参考。 原文来自 — 版权归原作者所有。