NPR News: 05-11-2026 2PM EDT

Lakshmi Singh· Host0:01

Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. President Trump heads to China tomorrow, and he's taking a sizable business delegation with him, including some of the biggest names in corporate America. NPR's John Ruwitch reports this comes during a period of relative calm in the US-China trade relationship.

John Ruwitch0:21

According to the White House, more than a dozen top US executives will be on the trip this week, including Apple's Tim Cook, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, and Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX fame. Musk also co-led Trump's Department of Government Efficiency early in his second term. There are financiers in the group, too, from BlackRock, Blackstone, Citigroup, and Goldman Sachs. This trip will be the first to China by a US president since Trump visited during his first term nearly nine years ago. And while geopolitics loom large, especially the war in Iran, the parade of executives signals an interest in promoting business and potentially striking deals despite a festering trade war. John Ruwitch, NPR News, Washington.

Lakshmi Singh· Host1:02

The president says a US ceasefire with Iran is, quote, "on massive life support." He is rejecting Iran's counterproposal for ending the hostilities. More than 10 weeks into the US-Israel war with Iran, the president tells CBS News that he wants to temporarily suspend the gas tax. NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben reports on the Republican leader's latest response to surging gasoline prices.

Danielle Kurtzleben1:26

Suspending the gas tax would require an act of Congress. Currently, the