From KCRW in Santa Monica and PRI, Public Radio International, this is To the Point.

The President, the Pope, and the Saudis.

Hello again, I'm Armin Alney, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International.

The daily look at the issues Americans care about most.

President Obama presented

Pope Francis a gift of seeds today, perhaps suggesting his administration wants a reboot in relations with the Vatican.

Can their shared emphasis on the plight of the poor overcome Obama's differences with American bishops and give him a political boost at home?

Tomorrow, the president will visit a more uncertain ally, Saudi Arabia,

which fears that a nuclear deal might lead to detente with its regional adversary, Iran.

With the U.S. less dependent on Saudi oil,

will this week's visit reaffirm a traditional tie

or provide fresh insight into the new world order?

Today's talking point will college athletes start to form unions?

First, here's the news.

Listen to KCRW's 24-hour all-news channel.

Stream BBC World Service, NPR and KCRW programs.

Continuous coverage and accessible via our smartphone app or online at kCRW.

Support for To the Point comes from the members of KCRW and from the Public Radio International Program Fund.

Hello again, Warren-A-Lney, back with To the Point.

President Obama met with Pope Francis today in the capital of Roman Catholicism.

Tomorrow he'll be in Saudi Arabia, the heartland of Islam.

We'll look at America's current relations with two traditional allies, important for very different reasons.

...