Trump heads to China for high-stakes talks — but Iran looms large

President Trump's high-stakes summit in China takes center stage as he seeks Chinese cooperation to end the ongoing war in Iran, a conflict that has triggered global supply chain disruptions and economic strain. While trade tensions and competition over AI and critical minerals remain key issues, the Iran war has become the dominant focus of the talks, with Trump urging President Xi to pressure Tehran to negotiate a peace deal. Analysts question China's actual leverage over Iran, given Tehran's willingness to endure economic pain for strategic goals. Meanwhile, the war's ripple effects are hitting U.S. farmers hard—rising fertilizer and diesel prices are forcing some to cut planting, threatening future food supplies and consumer prices. Globally, the agricultural sector faces a crisis, with farmers in Thailand and beyond struggling under mounting costs. Domestically, DHS Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen is reversing some of his predecessor’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies, including restoring longer training for ICE agents and pausing controversial operations, sparking criticism from both the right and left. On the economic front, Trump proposes a temporary federal gas tax suspension to ease consumer pain, with growing bipartisan momentum despite congressional hurdles. The episode also touches on the Supreme Court’s decision to allow Alabama to redraw its congressional map in favor of Republicans, weakening voting rights protections, and the emotional revival of The New York Times' Wordle as a game show hosted by Savannah Guthrie, who shares a heartfelt tribute to her family during the production delay.