NPR News: 05-07-2026 12PM EDT

Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the eve of his one-year anniversary leading the Catholic Church. Rubio, who is Catholic, discussed Middle East conflict resolution amid historically low Vatican-U.S. relations under President Trump. Reporter Megan Williams noted Rubio's challenge in balancing respect for the pope with loyalty to Trump, who has criticized the pontiff, underscoring their broad policy divides despite limited shared priorities.

A new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll shows strong American support for age and term limits on members of Congress. Eight in 10 respondents favor both measures, with bipartisan consensus: 78% of Democrats and 83% of Republicans back age caps, and similar majorities support term limits. Support peaks among Gen X voters in their late 40s to early 60s. Young people like 18-year-old Michael Hatch from Peabody, Kansas, voiced frustration that 70- and 80-year-olds in Congress seem out of touch with younger generations.