May 14, 2026
Congress, Confirmation, and Election Poll
Good morning, everyone!
Today, we will look at U.S. politics, President Donald Trump’s trip to China, and other news spanning each continent.
Let’s get to it.
United States
-The average U.S. gas price stood at $4.51 yesterday amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, according to AAA.
-New York Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), said that up to a third of the CBC’s membership could be defeated due to congressional redistricting efforts.
-The Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s nomination of Kevin Warsh to serve as Federal Reserve chairman yesterday in a 54 to 45 vote.
Pennsylvania Senator Jon Fetterman was the lone Democrat to back Warsh’s nomination.
Warsh’s confirmation caps a long-running feud between Trump and outgoing Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, which culminated last month with the Department of Justice dropping a criminal investigation into Powell viewed as politically motivated by both Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
A newly released Frontline documentary details the standoff.
View it here:
-The Senate blocked a measure that would have restricted Trump’s ability to authorize further strikes against Iran yesterday.
Separately, the chamber unanimously advanced a resolution that would suspend senators’ pay during a government shutdown.
-A House discharge petition to force a vote on security assistance to Ukraine reached the 218-signature threshold to advance to the floor yesterday.
The package would affirm U.S. support for Ukraine and NATO, provide $1 billion in direct security assistance to Ukraine and up to $8 billion in loans, and impose stiffer sanctions on Russia.
-Former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra holds a narrow lead in the California gubernatorial election, according to a new Emerson College poll.
-Record heat has rocked the West this week, with temperatures reaching 112 degrees in eastern California.
-On this day in 1804, Lewis and Clark embarked on an expedition to explore America’s Northwest.
-In 1992, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev addressed both houses of Congress in Statuary Hall, where he urged lawmakers to offer financial support to a newly democratic Russia.
View his full remarks here.
Other Links:
Denise Powell wins Democratic primary for Nebraska’s 2nd congressional district - NPR
Rep. Edwards aide feared retaliation over unwanted attention - Axios
Marco Rubio dons Nike ‘Venezuela’ tracksuit made famous during Maduro’s capture on Air Force One: ‘Maduromaxxing’ - New York Post
Officials say $1.3 billion in Medicaid money to California will be deferred over suspicions of fraud - AP
10,000 rulings: The courts’ overwhelming rebuke of Trump’s ICE policies - Politico
Appeals court pauses Trump’s $83 million payment to E. Jean Carroll pending Supreme Court action - NBC
Murdaugh Murder Convictions Overturned by South Carolina’s Top Court - The New York Times
Africa
-Ghana’s foreign minister said this week that the West African government would evacuate 300 of its nationals in South Africa after a wave of violent attacks there against migrants from other sub-Saharan African countries.
South Africa’s government has denounced the violence while vowing to crack down on unauthorized immigration.
Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe have also warned their citizens residing in South Africa to stay indoors amid the tensions.
-French President Emmanuel Macron is facing criticism after he interrupted a panel discussion at the Africa Forward Summit in Kenya to demand silence from the audience.
View the moment here:
-The Africa CEO Forum will convene in Kigali, Rwanda, today.
The annual event is the continent’s largest private sector gathering.
-On this day in 1990, President George H. W. Bush hosted Senegalese President Abdou Diouf at the White House for private talks.
Diouf served as the second president of the West African country, coming to power in 1981 through peaceful means. In 2000, he left office after losing a presidential election to longtime opposition leader Abdoulaye Wade.
Other Links:
Top ANC official backs President Ramaphosa over ‘Farmgate’ scandal - Reuters
South Africa declares natural disaster as flooding kills at least 10 - AP
Families of Pakistani hostages held by Somali pirates for 23 days call for their rescue - Reuters
Rwanda’s former first lady to appeal decision to reopen genocide probe against her - Africa News
US’ aid-for-minerals strategy courts controversy - Semafor
Americas and the Caribbean
-Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum denied a CNN report indicating that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency had carried out operations against drug cartels inside Mexican territory, accusing the news organization of seeking to “hurt the government and the people of Mexico.”
In her daily morning press briefing in Mexico City, Sheinbaum called the report a “lie” and “a fiction the size of the universe.”
View her full remarks here:
A spokesperson for the CIA also denied the report, saying it serves “as nothing more than a PR campaign for the cartels and puts American lives at risk.”
-Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis and his ruling Progressive Liberal Party placed first in Tuesday’s snap election, making him the first leader of the Caribbean island nation to win a second consecutive term in nearly three decades.
-Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro are locked in a dead heat ahead of this year’s presidential election, according to a new poll.
Bolsonaro is the son of conservative former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence for his efforts to remain in office following his election defeat to Lula in 2022.
-Demonstrators across Argentina took to the streets this week to protest funding cuts to the country’s public university system backed by President Javier Milei.
-On this day in 1811, Paraguay gained independence from Spain.
Other Links:
Brazil’s beloved instant payment system faces scrutiny from the Trump administration - AP
China’s fishing fleet raises concerns off Argentina - Reuters
Argentina sees vast protests against Milei’s university cuts - DW
Residents of Haiti’s Cite Soleil demand protection after gang violence displaces hundreds - AP
Cartel figure captured in Mexico as authorities recover drugs, guns and 7 tigers - CBS
Asia/Indo-Pacific
-President Trump arrived in China yesterday for two days of talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, marking his first visit to the country since 2017 in his first term.
Speaking to Trump during a meeting in Beijing, Xi said, “The whole world is watching our meeting.”
View their full remarks here:
American executives Elon Musk and Jensen Huang are among those accompanying Trump on the trip.
-According to a confidential U.S. intelligence analysis, China has made major strides against the United States across economic, military, and diplomatic domains as it seeks to exploit the war in the Middle East.
-Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is urging citizens to conserve fuel, reduce international travel, and make cuts to gold purchases amid the ongoing conflict in the Persian Gulf.
-Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) nominated a lawmaker who has been sanctioned by China to stand as a candidate for mayor of Taipei.
-Foreign ministers from the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) grouping will gather in New Delhi today for two days of talks.
The bloc, founded in 2006, seeks to serve as a counterweight to U.S.-led global institutions. In 2024, the organization expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.
-On this day in 1999, President Bill Clinton issued an apology to Chinese President Jiang Zemin via telephone for the accidental NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade during the military alliance’s campaign against Serbia.
The incident killed three people and soured relations between the West and Beijing.
Other Links:
Asia markets mixed as investors watch Trump-Xi meeting and Iran tensions - CNBC
US Treasury’s Bessent, China’s He wrap up S. Korea talks ahead of Trump-Xi summit - Reuters
Gunfire breaks out in Philippine Senate where authorities tried to arrest a senator - AP
Australia wages growth slows in Q1, led by private sector - Reuters
China’s Great Wall is being restored one brick at a time - NBC
Europe
-Ukraine’s military said yesterday it had struck Russian oil and gas infrastructure as Kyiv resumed attacks on Russian territory after a short-lived ceasefire.
Russia unleashed a fresh wave of drone and missile attacks on Ukraine on Tuesday after a brief lull in fighting over the weekend to commemorate the 81st anniversary of Victory in Europe Day during World War II.
In a post to his social media on the same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that, “Russia chose to end the partial silence that had lasted for several days.”
Ukrainian forces have consistently targeted Russian energy facilities and other infrastructure as Moscow relies on the revenue it generates from its production to finance its war against Kyiv.
-British King Charles delivered his annual address during the State Opening of Parliament yesterday in London.
View it here:
-On this day in 1955, the Soviet-backed Warsaw Pact was founded to serve as a counterweight to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
At its height, the Communist bloc was composed of the Soviet Union, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania.
In 1965, Queen Elizabeth II unveiled a memorial honoring President John F. Kennedy at Runnymede in Surrey.
In 1991, President Bush welcomed Queen Elizabeth at the White House to kick off a state visit.
Other Links:
Moscow authorities restrict publication of photos and videos of aftermath of drone strikes - Reuters
Keir Starmer meets ministers and MPs as he tries to stop possible leadership challenge - BBC
European markets close higher, UK gilts volatile as pressure mounts on PM Starmer - CNBC
Germany news: Merz booed as he advocates economic reform - DW
French prosecutors push to return Sarkozy to prison for 7 years in Libya case - AP
Middle East
-Negotiators from Israel and Lebanon are set to meet today in Washington, D.C., for a third round of talks aimed at ending the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Just before the talks were set to begin, Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at least 12 people, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
The most recent bout of fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed terrorist group began on March 2 when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel following the commencement of the joint U.S.-Israel operation against Iran that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
-Saudi Arabia reportedly struck militia groups aligned with Iran inside Iraq as the war in the region escalated.
-On this day in 1948, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the State of Israel, establishing the first Jewish state in 2,000 years.
Just 11 minutes after the declaration, President Harry Truman recognized the new country.
Other Links:
Chinese Firms Plot Secret Arms Sales to Iran, U.S. Officials Say - The New York Times
Netanyahu, Mossad met with UAE’s President Mohammed bin Zayed during Iran war - The Jerusalem Post
Iran frees prominent rights lawyer Sotoudeh on bail, reports say - Reuters
Israel steps up attacks on Gaza since Iran truce, as military says Hamas rearming - Reuters
12 hospitalized after torrential rains trigger severe floods in northern Turkey - AP
That’s all for today. See you tomorrow to close out the week.
Fine curation of the news, Jacob. A lot going on in South Africa. Thank you for your discreet shout-outs to Presidents Carter (yesterday) and H.W. Bush (today).
Interest I g to learn what is happening in the world.