The Excerpt: A Friday News Roundup

New Pope Elected, Trump Administration Shake-ups, and a UK Trade Deal

Introduction

Welcome to The Excerpt, your daily dose of news from USA TODAY. Today is Friday, May 9th, 2025. I’m your host, Taylor Wilson. In this episode, we delve into a momentous occasion for the Catholic Church: the election of the first American Pope. We’ll also examine the Trump administration’s unexpected change in leadership at FEMA and break down the details of the newly forged trade deal between the United States and the United Kingdom. Finally, we’ll touch upon the proposed budget cuts targeting environmental programs.

First American Pope: Leo XIV

The Catholic Church has a new leader. Chicago native Robert Prevost has been elected as Pope Leo XIV, becoming the 267th Bishop of Rome. The news has resonated deeply, especially with American Catholics.

We spoke with visiting Americans about their reactions.
"Having the leader of the Catholic Church be from the same country as I am, I just felt very proud," one visitor exclaimed. Another stated, "Oh my God, I’m so happy. It’s so special. My heart is so full." A third individual shared, "I actually met him in California in San Diego. He was a good man." Finally, one more visitor commented, "I think it’s going to be a great thing for America to help bring Americans and bring peace to the world. So I’m hoping that he’s going to help bring that about."

To gain deeper insight into the new Pope, we turned to USA TODAY National Correspondent Phaedra Trethan.

Interview with Phaedra Trethan

Taylor Wilson: Phaedra, welcome to the show. Can you provide us with some background on Pope Leo XIV?

Phaedra Trethan: Certainly. Leo XIV, as you mentioned, is the first American Pope, which is a historically significant event. He hails from Chicago and most recently held a Vatican Post. He holds a bachelors degree from Villanova University, a masters in divinity from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and a doctorate in Canon law. He has also served in Peru for many years.

Taylor Wilson: What is the significance of having an American Pope, particularly for American Catholics?

Phaedra Trethan: It’s unprecedented territory. American Catholics have never seen themselves reflected in the papacy. It was unexpected as many believed the next Pope would likely come from the developing world. There were strong contenders from Africa and the Philippines, in addition to the usual Italian candidates.
Taylor Wilson: Pope Francis, Leo XIV’s predecessor, was seen as a groundbreaking figure. How was Francis regarded and do you foresee Pope Leo XIV continuing his legacy?

Phaedra Trethan: Pope Francis was the people’s pope, known for his humility and connection with ordinary people. He was sympathetic to marginalized communities, refugees, immigrants, and the poor. I anticipate Pope Leo will address these issues as well. His work in Peru involved ministering to Venezuelan refugees, and he has frequently written about social justice and environmentalism. Therefore, we are likely to see a continuation of many of Pope Francis’s positions.

Taylor Wilson: Are there any indications of how he might differ from Francis?

Phaedra Trethan: He has been less vocal on LGBTQ issues. Pope Francis adopted a non-judgmental and welcoming stance, particularly compared to his predecessors. Pope Leo has been more reserved on this matter, so we will have to wait and see how he approaches it.

Taylor Wilson: How does a pope choose a name?

Phaedra Trethan: Popes choose names that hold personal significance. Some choose names of their predecessors, as reflected in the Roman numerals. Others select names based on a saint or something representing their homeland, values, or culture. Pope Francis chose Francis after Francis of Assisi, who ministered to the poor. Pope Leo seems to have drawn inspiration from previous Pope Leos, particularly one who wrote about social justice and workers rights.

Taylor Wilson: What are the main challenges facing the Church that Pope Leo will inherit?

Phaedra Trethan: The Church faces declining membership, particularly in industrialized and developed nations, where secularization is on the rise. The Church needs to modernize and become more connected to the modern world. Also, there is still ongoing fallout from the Catholic sex abuse scandal.

Taylor Wilson: Phaedra, thank you for your insights.

Phaedra Trethan: Thank you for having me.

FEMA Leadership Shake-up

The Trump administration has made a change in leadership at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This decision came a day after the acting administrator contradicted President Trump’s suggestion of abolishing the agency. Cameron Hamilton is no longer acting FEMA administrator. David Richardson is taking over the role. Hamilton had stated during a house committee hearing that eliminating FEMA was not in the best interest of the American people.
This statement was a departure from the Trump administration’s messaging, which has largely supported the president’s rhetoric.

US-UK Trade Deal

President Trump has announced a breakthrough trade deal between the United States and the United Kingdom.
President Trump: With this deal, the UK joins the United States in affirming that reciprocity and fairness is an essential and vital principle of international trade.

We spoke with USA TODAY White House reporter Zac Anderson for more details.

Interview with Zac Anderson

Taylor Wilson: Zac, welcome to the show. What are the key elements of this trade deal?

Zac Anderson: Trump is lowering tariffs on foreign autos for cars from the United Kingdom. The administration had levied a 25% tariff on foreign cars, it is going to be 10% for cars from the UK up to 100,000 cars. They are also eliminating steel tariffs on steel coming from the United Kingdom and maintaining a 10% universal tariff on all goods from the UK. For the US, this deal is about increased access to the UK market for certain agricultural products.

Taylor Wilson: How did President Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer frame this deal?

Zac Anderson: Both leaders portrayed the deal as a major win. Trump has been under pressure to deliver a victory after announcing reciprocal tariffs on several countries in April, which led to market instability. He paused the tariffs for 90 days to negotiate with these countries. With only one month remaining, questions were raised about the progress of these negotiations. This agreement may provide an off-ramp from the tariffs.

Taylor Wilson: What impact is expected for consumers and the two economies?

Zac Anderson: Consumers buying luxury British cars will benefit from lower tariffs. Major stock indexes showed favorable response to the announcement of this trade deal, signalling hope that this will get the ball rolling on future deals.

Taylor Wilson: Will this agreement lead to more trade deals?

Zac Anderson: This is still an open question. The United States and the United Kingdom have a longstanding close partnership, which might have made negotiations easier. Larger trading partners, such as Canada, Mexico, and China, present more complex challenges. While a trade war with China is ongoing, there are signs of de-escalation with upcoming negotiations. The Treasury Secretary expects deals with major trading partners to be completed by the end of the year.

Taylor Wilson: Zac, thank you for your insights.

Zac Anderson: Thank you.

Proposed Budget Cuts to Environmental Programs

President Trump’s proposed budget recommends cutting more than $32 billion across agencies charged with monitoring weather, oceans, and the atmosphere, and protecting natural and historic resources, parks, and conservation lands. According to a USA TODAY analysis, the cuts echo an array of actions already taken by federal agencies and the President’s Department of Government Efficiency. The Environmental Protection Agency, for example, faces a 54.5% proposed cut, taking its budget to a level last seen when Ronald Reagan was president. The proposed cuts in other environmental-related spending range from 15 to 55% across federal agencies.

Conclusion

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