This Morning's Political News: 4‑Minute Read
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Wednesday, May 13, 2026 · 8:00 a.m. ET
Federal Level
Trump Arrives in Beijing for Historic Summit with Xi
President Trump departed Washington on Wednesday and arrived in Beijing for a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, marking the first visit by a U.S. president to China since 2017. The agenda is packed: Iran, trade tariffs, Taiwan, and artificial intelligence. Trump said he would press Xi to ‘open up’ China to American business and expected a ‘long talk’ on Iran, which sells most of its oil to China. A delegation of top U.S. executives, including Apple CEO Tim Cook and Tesla’s Elon Musk, also made the trip. 1, 2, 3
Senate Confirms Warsh as Fed Governor; Chair Vote Today
The Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh to the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors on Tuesday in a 51-45 vote, with Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman as the only member of his party to cross the aisle. The vote clears the last procedural hurdle before a separate confirmation vote for Warsh as Fed chairman, expected as early as today. The effective deadline is Friday, when current Chair Jerome Powell’s term expires. 4, 5, 6
FDA Commissioner Makary Resigns Under White House Pressure
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigned on Tuesday after 13 months in office, with President Trump confirming the departure before boarding his flight to China. Reports indicate Makary clashed with the White House over his refusal to approve flavored e-cigarettes and faced pressure from anti-abortion groups over mifepristone access. FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Kyle Diamantas will serve as acting commissioner while Trump searches for a permanent replacement. 7, 8, 9
Hegseth Gets Bipartisan Grilling on Iran War’s $29B Cost
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine faced four hours of tough questioning Tuesday from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers about the Iran war’s rising $29 billion cost, depleted munitions stockpiles, and strained alliances. Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell told Hegseth, ‘NATO is the most important military alliance in world history,’ while House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole warned that ‘America First has never meant America alone.’ Hegseth defended U.S. stockpiles and vowed to ‘build more and build faster.’ 10, 11
Kash Patel Erupts at Senate Hearing Over Drinking Claims
FBI Director Kash Patel appeared before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday, where Democratic senators confronted him with an April Atlantic report alleging episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences. Patel dismissed the allegations as ‘a total farce’ and threatened to sue, while also denying that he ordered FBI polygraph tests to identify press leakers. The hearing was officially about the Trump administration’s proposed $12.5 billion FBI budget for fiscal 2027. 12, 13
April Inflation Hits 3.8%, Highest Rate in Nearly Three Years
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday that the Consumer Price Index rose 3.8 percent over the 12 months ending in April, exceeding forecasts and marking the fastest annual pace since May 2023. Energy prices led the surge, jumping 3.8 percent in the month and 17.9 percent year-over-year, driven largely by the Iran war’s impact on global oil markets. Core inflation, which strips out food and energy, also came in hotter than expected at 2.8 percent annually. 14, 15
State Level
S.C. Senate Blocks Trump’s Redistricting Push
The South Carolina state Senate on Tuesday voted 29-17 to reject a resolution that would have extended the legislative session to redraw congressional maps, falling two votes short of the required two-thirds majority. Five Republicans joined all Democrats present in opposing the measure, defying direct pressure from President Trump, who had urged lawmakers to be ‘bold and courageous.’ The decision, for now, protects the district held by 17-term Democrat Rep. Jim Clyburn, as the legislative session is scheduled to end Thursday. 16, 17
Tennessee NAACP Court Challenge Moves to Federal Judge
A federal judge in Nashville is now reviewing the NAACP’s expanded legal challenge to Tennessee’s new congressional redistricting map, which Governor Bill Lee signed into law on May 7. The NAACP argues the map is unconstitutional because state law prohibits redistricting between federal census cycles, and that lawmakers exceeded their authority during the special session. A decision blocking the map before the May 15 candidate qualifying deadline is being sought. 18, 19
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Article Sources
1. Punch NG / AFP, May 13, 2026, https://punchng com/trump-vows-to-push-xi-to-open-up-china-at-superpower-summit/
2. Times Now, May 13, 2026, https://www.timesnownews com/world/donald-trump-china-visit-live-updates
3. The Guardian, May 13, 2026, https://www.theguardian com/us-news/2026/may/13/first-thing-trump-china-summit-xi-jinping
4. Al Jazeera, May 12, 2026, https://www.aljazeera com/economy/2026/5/12/kevin-warsh-confirmed-to-us-federal-reserve-board-in-close-senate-vote
5. Washington Times, May 12, 2026, https://www.washingtontimes com/news/2026/may/12/senate-confirms-kevin-warsh-fed-governor-clearing-way-vote/
6. Bloomberg, May 11, 2026, https://www.bloomberg com/news/articles/2026-05-11/warsh-s-fed-nomination-clears-first-in-series-of-senate-votes
7. TIME, May 12, 2026, https://time com/article/2026/05/12/fda-commissioner-marty-makary-resigns-trump-administration/
8. New York Times, May 12, 2026, https://www.nytimes com/2026/05/12/us/politics/trump-fires-fda-commissioner-makary.html
9. USA Today, May 12, 2026, https://www.usatoday com/story/news/politics/2026/05/12/marty-makary-fda-commissioner-resigns/90048318007/
10. KSAT / AP, May 12, 2026, https://www.ksat com/news/politics/2026/05/12/hegseth-is-facing-a-new-round-of-questioning-from-congress-on-the-iran-war-and-more/
11. The Hill, May 12, 2026, https://thehill com/video-clips/5873516-watch-live-pete-hegseth-dan-caine-iran-war-defense-budget-house/
12. The Guardian, May 12, 2026, https://www.theguardian com/us-news/2026/may/12/kash-patel-congressional-hearing
13. Reuters, May 12, 2026, https://www.thestar com.my/news/world/2026/05/13/democratic-lawmakers-grill-fbis-kash-patel-over-report-alleging-excessive-drinking
14. CNBC, May 12, 2026, https://www.cnbc com/2026/05/12/cpi-inflation-april-2026-.html
15. Fox Business, May 12, 2026, https://www.foxbusiness com/economy/cpi-inflation-april-2026
16. Politico, May 12, 2026, https://www.politico com/news/2026/05/12/south-carolina-redistricting-vote-fails-00917584
17. NBC News, May 12, 2026, https://www.nbcnews com/politics/2026-election/south-carolina-state-senate-rejects-effort-tackle-redistricting-pressu-rcna344815
18. The Grio, May 8, 2026, https://thegrio com/2026/05/08/naacp-emergency-lawsuit-tennessee-congressional-map/
19. The Hill, May 7, 2026, https://thehill com/regulation/court-battles/5869060-naacp-challenges-tennessee-redistricting/