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Pope Leo, tariff movement and another Fox News hire

 
Today's RELIGION story

Prevost elected first US pope, becomes Leo XIV

What happened
The College of Cardinals yesterday elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost,  a Chicago native, as the Catholic Church's 267th pope. Prevost, 69, took the name Pope Leo XIV. He is the first pope from the U.S. — though he spent decades as a missionary, parish priest and bishop in Peru — and the first from the Augustinian religious order. His predecessor, Pope Francis, was the first pontiff from the Americas and the first Jesuit. 

Who said what
"We have to look together how to be a missionary church, building bridges, dialogue, always open to receiving with open arms for everyone," Leo said in his first speech as pope, delivered in Italian and Spanish. "We want to be a synodal church, walking and always seeking peace, charity, closeness, especially to those who are suffering."

Francis made Prevost a cardinal and head of the Vatican's office overseeing bishops in 2023. And given their shared compassion for immigrants and the poor, Leo embodies the spirit of a "second Pope Francis," John Prevost, his older brother, told reporters. 

The 133 cardinal electors "apparently wanted to keep moving in Francis' direction but with fewer detours and crashes," The New York Times said, so they picked a "mild-mannered pastor, moderate in tone but resolute in his defense of doctrine, one with deep Roman experience and governing chops" as former head of the centuries-old Order of St. Augustine. "He checked all the boxes," said veteran Vatican analyst John Allen.

Conservative Catholics drew hope from the traditional red garments Leo wore at his introduction and liberals are relieved at his similarities to Francis. Catholics from across the ideological spectrum approved of his name, which the Vatican confirmed was a nod to Pope Leo XIII, the late-19th century pontiff credited with developing Catholic social doctrine, a champion of the working class and the rosary and a critic of Marxism and laissez-faire capitalism. 

What next?
Pope Leo is celebrating Mass mass at the Sistine Chapel this morning with the cardinals who elected him. He is scheduled to hold his first papal press conference on Monday. 

 
 
Today's GLOBAL trade story

Trump, UK's Starmer outline first post-tariff deal

What happened
President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Kier Starmer yesterday announced what the White House called a "historic" and "great" trade deal. The limited bilateral agreement reduces or eliminates some of the tariffs Trump has imposed in his global trade war but keeps his 10% tax on most British imports. In return, Britain agreed to open its markets to more ethanol and beef. Starmer called it a "really fantastic, historic day"

Who said what
Trump's first deal since erecting steep trade barriers was announced in "grandiose terms" but with "limited details about what it will achieve," The Associated Press said. That reflects Trump's "haste" to "negotiate with more than a dozen nations and rework the global trading system in a matter of months," said The New York Times. 

The deal appears "more symbolic than economic,” said Beata Caranci, chief economist at TD Economics. “What we have learned is that these initial announcements are going to be more fine-tuning around the edges and easing of pain points, rather than an end to the trade war.”

What next?
Trump's team is meeting with Chinese negotiators in Switzerland this weekend. Yesterday's "framework for a trade agreement" could give Trump's team "momentum as it faces pressure to notch scores more to avoid hurting American consumers," but the deal is "limited in scope" and focuses on "niche issues regarding the U.K.," The Wall Street Journal said. Britain was "low-hanging fruit," and "other deals weren’t seen as likely to come together so easily." 

 
 
Today's POLITICS Story

Trump taps Fox News' Pirro for DC attorney post

What happened
President Donald Trump said last night he was tapping Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, D.C., hours after pulling his nomination of right-wing activist and acting U.S. Attorney Ed Martin Jr.

Who said what
"Jeanine is incredibly well qualified for this position, and is considered one of the top district attorneys in the history of the state of New York," Trump said on social media. "She is in a class by herself." Pirro's selection "continues Trump’s reliance on what are now more than 20 former Fox television personalities to serve in sensitive roles in his second administration," The Washington Post said. 

Like Martin, Pirro "has supported Trump’s push to seek retribution against perceived enemies" and supported his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, The Wall Street Journal said. But unlike Martin, she "has experience as a prosecutor," making her "a more conventional choice" to lead, at least temporarily, the largest U.S. attorney's office in the country. Martin's nomination was doomed after Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said he wouldn't vote for him, citing Martin's support of violent Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol rioters. Martin also failed to disclose more than 150 appearances on Russian state TV and his ties to a white supremacist antisemite.

What next?
Trump said he is naming Martin the "new director of the Weaponization Working Group, associate deputy attorney general and pardon attorney," all Justice Department positions that don't require Senate confirmation. Trump's installation of Pirro after Martin is an "aggressive interpretation of his appointment powers," The New York Times said, and "could face a legal challenge." 

 
 

It's not all bad

A 103-year-old woman from Redditch, England, has become an unlikely TikTok beauty influencer after sharing her makeup routine on the platform. More than 200,000 viewers have watched Joan Partridge's tips for applying blush since the clip was uploaded last month by staff at Millcroft Care Home, where she lives. "It's nice to feel good about yourself, no matter how old you are," Partridge told the BBC. She's now planning more videos to share with her new fans.

 
 
Under the radar

China's marriage rate plunged to a record low last year, but at least some of the country's singles are saying yes — albeit to a different type of matrimony. A small but growing number of young people are "marrying their best friends," said the South China Morning Post. The so-called friendship marriage trend involves two people becoming legal spouses, often living together in a relationship based on "shared values and interests," without romantic love or sex. 

The Chinese government is overtly encouraging its record number of single people to get married. In a 2003 speech, President Xi Jinping called for a "new type of marriage and childbearing culture." For many singles wanting to "escape family pressure and societal prejudice," the Morning Post said, a friendship marriage helps. "Women my age are all getting married and having kids," said 33-year-old Chloe. "A friendship marriage helps avoid gossip." 

Sexless marriages are also on the rise in Japan and are "among the reasons cited for its low birth rate," said The Times of London. But for a growing number of people, that sexlessness is an "integral part of a marital union," conferring the legal, financial and possibly familial "benefits of marriage" without the intimacy.

The phenomenon is not isolated to Asia. In the U.S., many platonic couples aren't "open about their situation," but anecdotal evidence suggests it could be a "larger portion of the marriage population than numbers portray," said The New York Times in 2021. "It probably happens a lot," said marriage therapist Nick Bognar.

 
 
On this day

May 9, 1960

The FDA approved the first birth control pill, Enovid, making the U.S. the first country to legalize oral contraceptives. Although a variety of birth control methods have become more mainstream since then, legal fights over access to contraception continue in the U.S. and other countries.

 
 
TODAY'S newspaperS

"Conclave chooses first U.S.-born pope," The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says on Friday's front page. Pope Francis "saw American as heir apparent," the Los Angeles Times says. "Leo XIV, of Chicago, took global path to top of church," The New York Times says. "Chicago's pope," says the Chicago Tribune. "Da Pope!" the Chicago Sun-Times says, noting that Cardinal Robert Prevost was "known to many on the South Side as 'Father Bob'" before his accession. "U.S., Britain reach trade pact in first agreement on tariffs," The Washington Post says. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal says, "toys, tools blocked by tariff chaos."

► See the newspaper front pages

 
 
Tall tale

A disbursement in the Force

A British woman has been awarded nearly $40,000 in compensation after a colleague compared her to Darth Vader. An employment tribunal ruled that the analogy negatively affected former National Health Service employee Lorna Rooke, since being aligned with the "Star Wars" villain is considered "insulting," said Judge Kathryn Ramsden. The comparison was made during a team-building exercise, when the co-worker took a "Star Wars"-themed personality test on Rooke's behalf.

 
 

Morning Report was written and edited by Theara Coleman, Nadia Croes, Catherine Garcia, Scott Hocker, Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, Justin Klawans, Harriet Marsden, Devika Rao, Rafi Schwartz and Peter Weber, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Tiziana Fabi / AFP via Getty Images; Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post via Getty Images; Samuel Corum / Getty Images; Illustration by Marian Femenias-Moratinos / Getty Images