The briefing for Friday, May 15.

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday that a man who lost part of his leg in a 2017 Illinois highway crash can sue C.H. Robinson, the country's largest freight broker, over its role in hiring the truck driver involved. Shawn Montgomery's parked vehicle was hit by a speeding semi, and he argues the logistics company should share liability for putting a driver with serious red flags on the road. The decision doesn't guarantee Montgomery will win his case, which the company is contesting, but it allows the lawsuit to proceed under state law.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote the opinion finding that Montgomery's claims can move forward because they fall under an exception for safety regulations. The company had argued that federal law should trump state law since brokers rely on federal oversight of carriers. Montgomery's lawyers say the trucker had been cited for careless driving in another crash months earlier, and the carrier he worked for had been involved in at least three crashes over five months. The ruling was supported by more than two dozen states seeking to bolster safety in an industry moving billions of tons of goods annually.

The Transportation Intermediaries Association called the decision "deeply disappointing," comparing it to asking travel agents to evaluate airline safety despite federal licensing. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, in a concurrence joined by Justice Samuel Alito, warned the decision could increase litigation and insurance costs that "cascade through the economy" and raise consumer prices. However, Kavanaugh acknowledged that "truck safety is a matter of life and death." Industry experts say brokers will now need to focus more heavily on safety records rather than just cost and speed when contracting with trucking companies.

The Supreme Court on Thursday preserved access to mifepristone, the drug used in the most common method of abortion, rejecting lower-court restrictions while a Louisiana lawsuit plays out. The court's order allows women to continue obtaining the medication at pharmacies or through the mail without in-person doctor visits. Access is expected to remain uninterrupted at least into next year as the case continues, with a potential future appeal to the high court.

The justices granted emergency requests from drug makers Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro, who are appealing a federal appeals court ruling that would have required in-person doctor visits and halted mail delivery. The FDA first approved mifepristone for abortion in 2000 and stopped requiring in-person visits five years ago. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented, with Thomas writing that the companies are not entitled to court protection from "lost profits from their criminal enterprise." Alito argued that those mailing pills are violating Louisiana's abortion ban.

The case stems from Louisiana's lawsuit to roll back FDA rules on mifepristone prescribing, with the state claiming the policy undermines its abortion ban. Anti-abortion groups have been pushing the FDA to move faster with a review they hope will result in restrictions, including blocking prescribing via telehealth. Medication abortions accounted for nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the U.S. in 2023. While Thursday's ruling maintains the status quo for now, abortion-rights advocates warn the case isn't permanently settled. The ruling came after FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigned earlier this week following months of criticism from Trump allies over the slow pace of the mifepristone review.

Louisiana senators advanced legislation Wednesday to eliminate one of two majority-Black congressional seats before November's midterm elections, while Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced he will call lawmakers back to redraw legislative districts for 2028. The moves follow the Supreme Court's late April ruling that struck down Louisiana's congressional map as an illegal racial gerrymander, significantly weakening federal Voting Rights Act protections and prompting Republican states to target districts with large minority populations that have elected Democrats.

The Louisiana Senate could vote Thursday on a new House map that scraps a district stretching 200 miles from Baton Rouge to Shreveport with a majority-Black voting bloc, replacing it with a Baton Rouge-area district clustered around predominantly white communities. Democratic Representative Cleo Fields represents the current 6th District. The plan keeps a New Orleans-based majority-Black district represented by Democrat Troy Carter while adding part of Baton Rouge to it. Republican state Senator Jay Morris said the maps are "drawn to maximize Republican advantage."

Since the Supreme Court ruling, Tennessee and Alabama have already implemented new House maps that could help Republicans win additional seats in November's closely divided chamber. A similar effort stalled in South Carolina but may continue. Georgia's redistricting call for June 17 marks the first state focusing on 2028 elections since the ruling. By acting now, Georgia Republicans guard against the possibility of a Democratic governor vetoing new districts. Florida also faces legal challenges over new districts signed by Governor Ron DeSantis that could help Republicans win four additional seats. Republicans believe they could gain as many as 15 House seats from new maps across seven states, while Democrats think they could gain six seats from California and Utah.

Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping wrapped up three days of talks Friday with claims of important progress in stabilizing U.S.-China relations, though deep differences persist between the superpowers on Iran, Taiwan, and trade. Xi hosted Trump at his official Zhongnanhai residence for their final engagement, where they took a short walk through grounds featuring ancient trees and Chinese roses before nearly three hours of private talks over tea and lunch. Trump called it "a great couple of days," while Xi termed it a "milestone" visit establishing a "constructive, strategic, stable relationship."

The optimistic outlook collides with difficult realities on the thorniest issues. Beijing has shown little public interest in U.S. entreaties to help resolve the Iran conflict, despite Trump claiming in a Fox News interview that Xi offered assistance. The State Department has accused Chinese firms of providing satellite imagery to Iran, and Treasury has targeted Chinese oil refineries buying Iranian oil. Xi warned Trump during private talks that differences over Taiwan, if handled poorly, could lead to "clashes and even conflicts," according to Chinese officials. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC that U.S. policy toward Taiwan remains "unchanged" and cautioned it would be "a terrible mistake" for China to use force.

The White House believes China can do more to stem the flow of Chinese-made precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl in Mexico. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi saw Trump off at the airport with great ceremony, and schoolchildren dressed in Air Force One colors waved American and Chinese flags. The visit included an invitation to Zhongnanhai, a compound wrapped around two artificial lakes built for emperors, which is rarely used for diplomatic visits and appeared designed to extend a personal touch to a U.S. leader who appreciates grand gestures. Trump remarked that Xi was "a warm person, actually. But he's all business."

U.S. retail sales rose just 0.5% in April, a sharp slowdown from March's revised 1.6% growth, as higher gas prices from the Iran war left consumers with less money for nonessentials like clothing and furniture. Excluding gas sales, retail spending increased only 0.3%, down from March's 0.7% pace. Department store sales fell 3.2%, furniture and home furnishing stores dropped 2%, and building materials saw a modest 0.1% increase. Online retailers gained 1.1% and electronics stores rose 1.4%, while restaurant sales increased 0.6%.

The snapshot offers only a partial look at consumer spending and doesn't include services like travel and hotels. The average price for regular gasoline rose overnight to $4.53 per gallon Thursday, up $1.35 from a year ago, according to AAA. The Iran war that began in late February has shut down the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off one-fifth of the world's daily oil supply. Economists had believed larger tax refunds would kick-start spending, but soaring gas prices are taking a bigger slice out of paychecks, leaving less for dining out, new clothes, or other purchases.

Separately, weekly jobless claims rose by 12,000 to 211,000 for the week ending May 9, slightly above the 207,000 analysts forecast. The four-week moving average inched up to 203,750. The total number of Americans filing for unemployment jumped by 24,000 to 1.78 million. Despite relatively few layoffs keeping unemployment at 4.3%, the labor market appears stuck in a "low-hire, low-fire" state. U.S. employers added a surprising 115,000 jobs in April, but the Iran war has injected uncertainty. Consumer prices jumped 3.8% from April 2025, the biggest increase in three years, while wholesale prices shot up 6% year-over-year, with the producer price index rising 1.4% from March to April—the biggest monthly gain in more than four years.

A ship anchored off the UAE's east coast was seized Thursday and is heading toward Iranian waters, according to the British military's Maritime Trade Operations center. The vessel was taken by unauthorized personnel while anchored 38 nautical miles northeast of Fujairah port, near the Strait of Hormuz. Maritime risk management company Vanguard identified the ship as the Honduras-flagged Hui Chuan, which its operators said was operating as a "floating armoury" storing weapons for security firms protecting ships from pirate attacks. Ship-tracking data shows the vessel last broadcast its location off the UAE coast on Wednesday.

Separately, an Indian-flagged cargo ship, the Haji Ali, sank off Oman's coast Wednesday after an attack sparked a fire while the vessel was en route from Somalia to Sharjah. All 14 Indian crew members were rescued by Oman's coast guard. India's foreign ministry called the incident "unacceptable" without identifying who carried out the attack. The ship was carrying livestock when the fire reportedly broke out, forcing crew to abandon ship before it sank, according to Vanguard.

The seizures occurred as President Trump met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, with talks expected to focus on the Iran war. Iranian semi-official news agencies reported Chinese ships began passing through the Strait of Hormuz Wednesday night under new Iranian protocols after requests from China's foreign minister. The incidents also happened hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he had quietly visited the UAE during the Israeli-U.S. war with Iran, though the UAE swiftly denied any secret visit occurred. The situation in the Strait of Hormuz continues to capture global attention as Iran's grip has jolted the world economy and caused fuel price spikes with far-reaching effects.