May 13, 2026
Inflation, Congressional Hearings, and History
Good morning, everyone!
Welcome to Everything Briefing. Here, each day, we seek understanding in a turbulent and uncertain world. In the age of artificial intelligence, we will continue to learn about the world the old-fashioned way: by doing the work of meticulously reading and evaluating the facts.
I am grateful to have you here.
Today, we will look at U.S. politics, the situation in the Middle East, and other news spanning each continent.
Let’s get to it.
United States
-Inflation in April rose to 3.8% from the year before, representing a three-year high. The uptick was fueled by a sharp rise in gas prices caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The average U.S. gas price stood at $4.50 amid the ongoing conflict, according to AAA.
-South Carolina’s state Senate voted to reject a special session to redraw the state’s congressional map to eliminate the state’s lone Democratic-leaning district.
Meanwhile, the Missouri Supreme Court upheld the state’s congressional map that seeks to eliminate a Democratic-held seat.
-Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary resigned yesterday amid reports that President Donald Trump was preparing to fire him.
-Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared before the Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday.
View the contentious hearing here:
FBI Director Kash Patel also appeared before the Senate Appropriations Committee for what was a testy hearing.
View it here:
-A Pentagon official said yesterday that the U.S. war against Iran has cost $29 billion since hostilities commenced on February 28.
-The Senate advanced Trump’s nomination of Kevin Warsh to serve as Federal Reserve chairman yesterday.
-Speaking on the South Lawn of the White House yesterday, Trump scorned a reporter when asked about his plan to build a grand ballroom, saying, “I doubled the size of it you dumb person.”
View the interaction here:
-A new poll shows Secretary of State Marco Rubio with a wide lead over Vice President JD Vance for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination.
The same poll shows New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez leading the Democratic field.
-Texas Senator John Cornyn is calling to rename Highway 287 in honor of Trump as he seeks the president’s endorsement in his hotly contested Republican runoff battle with state Attorney General Ken Paxton.
-Republicans have cut into Democrats’ lead in the generic ballot, according to a new CNN poll.
-A commencement address speaker was booed at the University of Central Florida after saying, “the rise of artificial intelligence is the next industrial revolution.”
View it here:
-On this day in 1846, the U.S. Congress voted to declare war on Mexico.
In 1977, President Jimmy Carter signed an economic stimulus package that his administration said would create more than a million jobs.
In 1994, President Bill Clinton nominated Judge Stephen Breyer to serve as an associate justice on the Supreme Court.
Other Links:
Democrats pick Nebraska Senate nominee who could drop out and back independent Dan Osborn - NBC
Pillen, Walz to square off in Nebraska governor race - The Hill
FEMA’s acting administrator is out, for the third time under Trump - Politico
Key Republican faces Democratic calls to resign over radio interview - Axios
Trump administration launches Moms.gov on Mother’s Day - The Hill
Ship operator and employee are charged in crash that caused the deadly collapse of Baltimore bridge - AP
Wall Street’s record-setting run halts as AI stocks slump and oil prices rise - AP
Africa
-French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a $27 billion investment in Africa yesterday as Paris seeks to rebuild its partnerships on the continent.
The announcement came during the annual Africa Forward summit in Kenya.
-Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni was sworn in for a seventh term yesterday in Kampala.
In his inaugural remarks, the 81-year-old leader touted the East African country’s economic growth during his nearly fifty years in power.
Museveni is Africa’s third-oldest head of state and the continent’s fourth-longest serving.
In recent years, he has made moves to empower his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, to succeed him upon his death. Kainerugaba currently serves as the country’s military chief.
During his tenure, he has been repeatedly accused of human rights abuses, including allegations of torture, illegal detention, and violent suppression of political dissent.
-Cyril Ramaphosa is facing impeachment proceedings over a scandal related to the theft of hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars that was hidden in a couch at his Phala Phala farmhouse.
-On this day in 1943, the North African campaign of World War II concluded with the surrender of over 250,000 German and Italian troops in Tunisia.
Other Links:
M23 pulls back from eastern DRC towns as ceasefire pressure mounts - Africa News
Nigerian military airstrike kills 100 civilians at a market, rights group claims - AP
South Africa’s top court bars repeat asylum applications - BBC
Ivory Coast will send officials to calm protests by cocoa farmers, source says - Reuters
Kenya leads calls for rethinking how to price risk in Africa - Semafor
Americas and the Caribbean
-In a post to his social media yesterday, President Trump said that Cuba is “asking for help” and that “we are going to talk,” without providing further detail.
He concluded by saying, “In the meantime, I’m off to China!”
The comments come amid months of mounting tensions between Washington and the Communist-run island country. Since Trump ordered an operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a key ally to Havana, in January, the United States has ramped up a pressure campaign against Cuba in a bid to oust the government.
In March, Trump said that “Cuba is next” and that Washington could initiate a “friendly takeover” of the country.
Since the ouster of Maduro, the Trump administration has imposed a near-total oil embargo on the island, which has brought daily life to a standstill and caused two electric grid collapses.
China, a key ally of Havana and where Trump will visit on Thursday, has called for Washington to drop its pressure campaign on the island.
-China called Paraguayan President Santiago Peña and his government “pawns to separatist forces” after Peña visited Taiwan last week.
Paraguay is one of just 12 countries to maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, and the only country in South America.
-The Bahamas held a snap parliamentary vote yesterday as Prime Minister Philip "Brave" Davis and his Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) seek a second term.
All 41 seats in the Bahamian House of Assembly are at stake.
-On this day in 1958, Vice President Richard Nixon’s car was attacked by an angry mob while traveling through Caracas, Venezuela.
The trip by Nixon was part of a goodwill tour across Latin America.
In 1992, President George H. W. Bush hosted Chilean President Patricio Aylwin at the White House for a state visit.
The occasion marked a turning point between Washington and Santiago, coming just two years after longtime Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet stepped down.
At the State Dinner, American Classical musician Yo-Yo Ma performed.
Other Links:
Armed conflict last year in Colombia hit civilians the hardest in a decade, Red Cross says - AP
Honduras arrests powerful ex-mayor accused of masterminding killing of environmental defender - AP
Evo Morales fails to appear at minor-trafficking trial; court orders his arrest - MercoPress
Brazil Meat Left Out of EU Suppliers List in Risk to Trade - Bloomberg
Lawmaker’s X-rated post sparks legal storm as ex-lover threatens court action - Buenos Aires Times
Asia/Indo-Pacific
-Taiwanese President William Lai thanked the United States for helping the self-governing island strengthen its defenses against China yesterday.
The remarks, delivered virtually to the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, come just ahead of President Trump’s two-day visit to China slated to begin on Thursday, where the status of the island is expected to be a point of discussion between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
China regards Taiwan as a renegade province and has pledged to bring it under its control by force if necessary. Beijing has also labeled Lai and his ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as “dangerous separatists.”
In his remarks yesterday, Lai said that he was grateful for Washington’s “unwavering commitment” to Taiwan’s security.
-Authorities in Kyrgyzstan charged eight people, including influential former security chief Kamchybek Tashiev, with plotting to topple President Sadyr Japarov.
Tashiev had ruled alongside Japarov since they came to power during a nationwide protest movement in 2020.
However, Japarov abruptly dismissed Tashiev in January.
-On this day in 2022, President Joe Biden hosted leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Washington, D.C. for a summit meeting, marking the first time the leaders of the regional bloc gathered at the White House.
Other Links:
China should stop hoarding food and fertiliser, says former World Bank chief - BBC
Philippines’ Duterte ally in standoff with law enforcers after ICC arrest warrant - Reuters
Pakistan blames Afghanistan-based militants for deadly attack on police - Reuters
Bomb rigged to rickshaw explodes in Pakistan bazaar, killing 9 and wounding more than 2 dozen others - AP
Trump’s man in Central Asia - Politico
Europe
-A three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine came to an end yesterday, with Moscow unleashing a fresh wave of attacks.
In a post to his social media, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that, “Russia chose to end the partial silence that had lasted for several days.”
-European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said yesterday that the 27-member bloc may move to ban social media for minors as early as this summer.
-Leaders of the Bucharest Nine (B9), a group of NATO’s eastern flank members, will convene in Romania for a summit meeting today.
-On this day in 1981, Pope John Paul II survived an assassination attempt in St. Peter's Square, Vatican City, but sustained serious injuries.
Two years later, the pontiff met with Mehmet Ali Ağca, the Turkish gunman who attempted to assassinate him, in his prison cell, where he forgave him.
Other Links:
Ukrainian drone pilots turned a military exercise in Sweden into a critical warning for NATO - AP
Kyiv’s corruption scandal threatens Zelenskyy’s EU push - Politico
British PM Keir Starmer faces growing calls for resignation after election losses - AP
European stocks close lower, sterling slides on UK political turmoil - CNBC
Italy recognises three parents for child in landmark court ruling - Reuters
Middle East
-President Trump predicted yesterday that the U.S. would reach a “good deal” with Iran to end the months-long conflict in the Middle East, while praising Pakistan’s role as mediator in the negotiations.
View his full remarks here:
-A U.S. intelligence assessment shows that Iran has retained substantial access to its missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz despite heavy U.S. and Israeli bombing.
-President Trump said yesterday that he does not need help from China to end the war with Iran.
-Kuwait’s government has accused Iran of trying to infiltrate its territory.
-Saudi Arabia reportedly launched covert attacks on Iran as the regional war between Washington and Tehran spiraled.
-The United Nations said yesterday that 70 children have been killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since early 2025.
-The Islamic State claimed responsibility yesterday for a deadly attack on Syrian government forces.
-The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will release its monthly oil report today.
-On this day in 2025, Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia, marking the first international trip of his second term.
Other Links:
As Trump Dismisses Iran Truce Plan, World Braces for Lasting Economic Pain - The New York Times
Shipping industry fears fuel shortages as Iran war squeezes bunker fuel supply - AP
Iran could enrich uranium to weapons grade if attacked, lawmaker warns - Reuters
Sexual crimes committed during October 7 attack documented in extensive report - Jerusalem Post
UAE sees rapidly growing trade with Syria, as ties warm - Reuters
Most Gulf markets retreat on dwindling hopes for quick end to Iran war - Reuters
That’s all for today. See you tomorrow.
Thanks for information on corruption in Ukraine; troubling.