by Brittney Melton

May 12, 2025

Good morning. A slightly unusual atmospheric river event is expected to impact the Southeastern U.S. at the start of this week, potentially bringing 4 to 6 inches of rain. Here’s the other news we’re following today:

The U.S. and China have reached an agreement to significantly reduce tariffs imposed on each other’s goods weeks earlier. This decision comes after trade negotiators from both countries met in Switzerland over the weekend. American tariffs on Chinese goods will decrease from a minimum of 145% to a base rate of 30% for an initial period of 90 days. Meanwhile, Chinese tariffs on American goods will drop from a minimum of 125% to 10%.

A woman wearing a white visor walks past Chinese and United States' national flags on display at a merchandise store in Beijing.

Andy Wong/AP

This morning, President Trump leaves for a four-day trip to the Middle East, his first big foreign visit of his second term. His journey, which includes stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, is expected to be less about brokering peace and more about making business deals. Among those deals, the Trump administration is in talks with the Qatari government about accepting a luxury Boeing 747 airplane. The new plane could temporarily serve as Air Force One.

🎧 The trip is expected to have a lot of commerce and cultural exchanges that are focused on strengthening ties to the region, NPR’s Franco Ordoñez tells Up First. The three countries are expected to try to outdo themselves to welcome the president, said Steven Cook with the Council on Foreign Relations. The war in Gaza is likely to be a conversation during the visit, but it is expected to happen behind closed doors. Cook says the countries are showering Trump with lavish treatment to insulate themselves from extra pressure the U.S. may impose on them to take action on Gaza.

Today, Hamas is expected to release a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen who has been held hostage in Gaza. Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old Israeli soldier, was captured while on duty during the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. He is the last remaining American citizen held by Hamas in Gaza who is believed to still be alive. His release is the result of secret talks between the U.S. and Hamas.

🎧 NPR’s Daniel Estrin, who is currently in downtown Tel Aviv, says Israelis are beginning to gather in what is known as Hostage Square in hopes of seeing Alexander’s imminent release. Alexander’s mom is flying into Israel with Trump’s envoy, Adam Boehler, to greet her son upon his release. A Hamas official said the U.S. made promises in exchange for Alexander’s release, which could include freeing some Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. Israel says it’s not expected to give anything for Alexander’s return. In Israel, Estrin says many are angry that Trump is achieving results while their leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, is not.

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A hand with long pink nails holding a microphone.

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Karaoke isn’t about being perfect. But you do want a song you enjoy and know well enough to pull off onstage. Life Kit heard from karaoke enthusiasts on how to pick a banger that will bring down the house.

🎤 Choose a mainstream song that everyone knows. This will allow other people to sing along, so you are not in front of a quiet crowd.
🎤 Use body language, from pumping your fist to shaking your hips, to show your love for the song.
🎤 You don’t have to know all the words to the song; however, knowing the melody will help. You need to know how the words you are singing fit the song.

For more guidance on how to be a star on the mic at karaoke, listen to this episode of NPR's Life Kit. Subscribe to the Life Kit newsletter for expert advice on love, money, relationships and more.

A small brown dog sitting on a small lounge chair with a fake background of a body of water with a sailboat and green land nearby with a palm tree.

Tommy Trenchard for NPR

Luxury pet hotels have made their way to South Africa, and they’re thriving. However, while pooches live lavishly at the accommodations, critics are sounding the alarm. According to the World Bank, South Africa remains the world’s most unequal country. Millions of people live below the poverty line, and wait times for public housing can be decades long. Goats and Soda had a look inside the Superwoof Dog Hotel in Cape Town, where the guests’ tails were wagging as they splashed in a shallow plunge pool and chased after balls. From the skydeck of the hotel, a night shelter for the homeless sits in the foreground. Check out what the team saw and heard from people in the community.

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Linwood Riddick, wearing a black cap and gown with yellow cords and tassel, reaches out to grab his bachelor’s degree at South Carolina State University.

Sam Watson/South Carolina State UniversitY

Linwood Riddick, a Vietnam veteran and former businessman, graduated from South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, S.C., on Friday, just before his 80th birthday.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first at-home alternative to the Pap smear in the U.S. The device, developed by Teal Health, promises a "much preferred experience," according to the company.

Due to concerns about a flesh-eating parasite called the New World screwworm, U.S. officials have suspended all imports of live cattle, horses, and bison across the Southern border.

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This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.

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