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Thursday, May 14, 2026 · 8:00 a.m. ET
Federal Level
Senate Confirms Warsh as Fed Chair in Record-Close Vote
The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Kevin Warsh as the 17th chair of the Federal Reserve in a 54-45 vote, the narrowest margin for a Fed chair confirmation since Senate approval became required in 1977. Warsh, 56, will succeed Jerome Powell, whose term expires Friday. Only Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman crossed party lines to support Trump’s nominee. Warsh takes the helm as inflation sits at 3.8 percent annually and calls for rate cuts intensify. 1, 2, 3
Senate Narrowly Blocks Iran War Powers Resolution, 49-50
The Senate on Wednesday rejected a resolution to direct the removal of U.S. forces from Iran hostilities, falling by a single vote, 49-50. The measure marked the narrowest margin yet on the issue and saw its first-ever vote from Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who joined Republicans Susan Collins and Rand Paul in backing the resolution. Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat, again crossed party lines to vote no. Republican leaders argued the vote undermined President Trump during his sensitive summit in Beijing. 4, 5, 6
Xi Delivers Blunt Taiwan Warning as Beijing Summit Opens
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a stark warning to President Trump at the opening of their Beijing summit Thursday, saying the Taiwan question is “the most important issue in China-U.S. relations” and that if mishandled, the two nations could face “clashes and even conflicts.” Xi urged Trump to exercise “extreme caution” on Taiwan and said independence for the island is “fundamentally incompatible” with cross-strait peace. Trump, who had praised Xi as a “great leader,” went uncharacteristically silent when reporters asked whether Taiwan was raised during the talks. 7, 8, 9
Intelligence Report: Iran Has Rebuilt 30 of 33 Missile Sites
A classified U.S. intelligence assessment from early May, reported Wednesday by The New York Times, concludes that Iran has restored operational access to 30 of its 33 missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz and retains roughly 70 percent of its prewar missile stockpile. Nearly 90 percent of Iran’s underground missile storage and launch facilities are now partially or fully operational. The findings sharply contradict Trump administration claims that Iran’s military has been “shattered.” The White House acknowledged the report but said Iran’s situation remains “unsustainable.” 10, 11
State Level
Tennessee GOP Strips All House Democrats of Committee Posts
Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton on Wednesday notified every member of the House Democratic Caucus that they had been removed from all standing committee assignments, citing “disorder on the House floor” during last week’s redistricting vote. Democrats had protested the Republican-led plan that split Memphis’s majority-Black district into three GOP-leaning seats. Representatives will retain seats only on the Government Operations and Calendar and Rules committees as required by House rules. Democrats called the move unprecedented and said roughly 1.5 million Tennesseans would lose committee-level representation. 12, 13
Georgia’s Kemp Calls June 17 Special Session to Redraw Maps
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday formally signed a proclamation convening the state legislature for a special session beginning June 17 to redraw congressional and legislative district maps for the 2028 election cycle. The session is a direct response to last month’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened the Voting Rights Act’s protections against racial gerrymandering. Kemp ruled out any changes for 2026, as voting is already underway. Republicans are widely expected to target the district held by 17-term Democratic Rep. Sanford Bishop. 14, 15
Mississippi Governor Cancels Redistricting Special Session
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced Wednesday that he is canceling the special legislative session previously set for next week to redraw state Supreme Court districts. Reeves cited a 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that vacated a lower court order requiring the redraw, effectively removing the immediate legal deadline. Reeves stated he still expects Mississippi to eventually redraw both its congressional and legislative maps, but said doing so before the 2026 midterm elections would be too difficult and could hurt Republican candidates overall. 16, 17
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Article Sources
1. CNBC, May 13, 2026, https://www.cnbc com/2026/05/13/kevin-warsh-wins-senate-confirmation-as-the-next-federal-reserve-chair.html
2. CBS News, May 13, 2026, https://www.cbsnews com/news/kevin-warsh-senate-confirmation-fed-chair/
3. Al Jazeera, May 13, 2026, https://www.aljazeera com/economy/2026/5/13/kevin-warsh-confirmed-as-new-us-federal-reserve-chair-amid-controversy
4. Time, May 13, 2026, https://time com/article/2026/05/13/iran-war-vote-senate-murkowski-closest-vote-yet/
5. WLT Report, May 13, 2026, https://wltreport com/2026/05/13/senate-rejects-iran-war-powers-measure-49-50-as-lisa-murkowski-breaks-ranks-for-the-first-time/
6. CBS News, May 13, 2026, https://www.cbsnews com/video/murkowski-joins-democrats-as-war-powers-vote-fails-in-senate-for-7th-time/
7. New York Times, May 14, 2026, https://www.nytimes com/2026/05/14/world/asia/xi-lays-out-blunt-warning-for-trump-over-taiwan.html
8. NPR, May 14, 2026, https://www.npr.org/2026/05/14/nx-s1-5822168/trump-xi-summit
9. The Daily Beast, May 13, 2026, https://www.thedailybeast com/sheepish-trump-suddenly-quiet-on-huge-issue-after-xi-jinpings-warning/
10. New York Times / Nation com.pk, May 13, 2026, https://www.nation com.pk/13-May-2026/us-intelligence-shows-iran-retains-significant-missile-capabilities-nyt
11. Irish Times, May 13, 2026, https://www.irishtimes com/world/middle-east/2026/05/13/us-intelligence-shows-iran-retains-substantial-missile-capabilities/
12. CNN, May 13, 2026, https://www.cnn com/2026/05/13/us/tennessee-democrats-house-committee-redistricting
13. Reuters, May 13, 2026, https://www.reuters com/legal/government/tennessee-democrats-stripped-house-committee-seats-over-redistricting-protests-2026-05-13/
14. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 13, 2026, https://www.ajc com/politics/2026/05/gov-kemp-calls-lawmakers-back-for-redistricting-special-session/
15. CBS News Atlanta, May 13, 2026, https://www.cbsnews com/atlanta/news/brian-kemp-georgia-special-session-redistricting-supreme-court-ruling-2028-maps/
16. Townhall, May 13, 2026, https://townhall com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2026/05/13/mississippi-calls-off-special-session-to-redraw-maps-n2676018
17. Washington Examiner, May 13, 2026, https://www.washingtonexaminer com/tag/state-legislatures/