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Today's Political News Compilation - Tuesday, May 12, 2026

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Below are some of the top political news stories of the day:



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Trump and Xi appear intent on keeping deep differences over Iran war from overshadowing China summit

By AAMER MADHANI
Updated 3:10 AM CDT, May 12, 2026

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is set to leave Tuesday for Beijing to meet with President Xi Jinping after weeks of trying, and failing, to persuade the Chinese government to use its considerable leverage to prod Iran to agree to U.S. terms to end the two-month war — or at the very least, reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump has veered between venting that China, the world’s biggest buyer of Iranian oil, hasn’t done more to get the Islamic Republic in line, and acknowledging that Xi’s government helped de-escalate the conflict last month by nudging Tehran back to ceasefire talks when negotiations wobbled.

But ahead of the U.S. leader’s high-stakes visit, the White House has set low expectations that Trump will be able to persuade Xi to change China’s posture.

Instead, the administration seems determined not to let differences on Iran overshadow efforts to make headway on other difficult matters in the complicated relationship — ranging from trade to further Chinese cooperation to block exports of fentanyl precursors.

“We don’t want this to be something that derails the broader relationship or the agreements that might come out of our meeting in Beijing,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Bloomberg TV last week. ...

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How much sway will new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh have over interest rates?

  • News source: Politics - CBSNews.com
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Washington — The Federal Reserve will get a new leader on Friday — but his power isn't as vast as it might seem.

The Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh, President Trump's pick for Fed chair, in a 54-45 vote on Wednesday. Mr. Trump's goals for the monetary policy job are not difficult to discern: He has openly pressed the Fed to slash interest rates for months, and has repeatedly lashed out at outgoing Chair Jerome Powell for not rapidly cutting rates.

Warsh — who has vowed to be an "independent actor" and said he will not set policy based on Mr. Trump's...
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Lawmakers seek crackdown on China-owned U.S. farmland

  • News source: Politics - CBSNews.com
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President Trump's face-to-face meeting this week with Chinese President Xi Jinping comes as members of Congress are calling for a crackdown on China's ability to acquire U.S. farmland, citing national security concerns.

Mr. Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a highly anticipated summit with Xi, which is expected to focus on trade, energy, Taiwan and the war with Iran. Ahead of his visit, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced new legislation that aims to close what they described as "dangerous loopholes" allowing foreign adversaries like...
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Trump gets red-carpet welcome in China, but past Beijing trip shows pageantry only goes so far

  • News source: FOX News
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President Trump received a red-carpet welcome when he landed in Beijing on Wednesday, with a military honor guard, band and children waving American and Chinese flags ahead of high-stakes talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The ceremony also highlighted the bigger question around Trump’s return to China: whether this visit can yield more lasting progress than his 2017 trip, which featured major business announcements but was later followed by a sharp deterioration in U.S.-China trade relations.

The meeting comes as trade tensions, the Iran war...
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Senate confirms Kevin Warsh as Fed chair as Trump's economic vision comes into focus

  • News source: FOX News
  • Replies: 0
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The Senate cleared Kevin Warsh on Wednesday to lead the Federal Reserve, ushering in a new era at the central bank under President Donald Trump's nominee.

Earlier in the week, Warsh was confirmed to the Fed’s Board of Governors, a 14-year appointment and a required step before serving as chair. He previously served on the board as its youngest member at age 35 and now returns to lead the central bank at a pivotal moment.

Though the Federal Reserve operates largely out of public view, its decisions shape borrowing costs, job growth and interest...
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ICE drops ‘uncontrolled’ fraud bombshell involving thousands of foreign students, ‘phantom employees’

  • News source: FOX News
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Acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons announced that federal investigators have uncovered more than 10,000 foreign students connected to "suspect employers" as part of another potentially massive fraud scheme, this time involving the federal STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) extension program.

In a news conference on Tuesday, Lyons said the cases uncovered thus far are "just the tip of the iceberg."

OPT is a U.S. immigration program that lets international students on F-1 visas work temporarily in the...
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Trump keeps secret Vance letter in Resolute Desk if crisis erupts, official reveals

  • News source: FOX News
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President Donald Trump has instructions tucked away in the Oval Office for Vice President JD Vance should he ever need to succeed him as president, deputy assistant to the president Sebastian Gorka said in a recent podcast interview.

"There is a letter in the drawer in the Resolute Desk that is addressed to the vice president should something happen to him," Gorka said on the "Pod Force One" podcast on Wednesday.

Trump has faced repeated threats to his life, with an attempted assassination just weeks ago at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner...
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Twin court rulings reshape House battlefield as Democrats fight uphill redistricting battle

  • News source: FOX News
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As they push to flip the House and capture the chamber's majority in this year's midterm elections, Democrats are facing a steeper hill to climb, thanks to two blockbuster court rulings.

The Virginia Supreme Court decision last week to strike down the state's voter-passed congressional redistricting ballot measure, coupled with the ruling a week earlier by the Supreme Court to slash a key protection in the 1965 Voting Rights Act, were major setbacks for Democrats.

The twin rulings gave President Donald Trump and Republicans a major boost in their...
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Kemp calls special legislative session to redraw Georgia's electoral maps

  • News source: Politics - CBSNews.com
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Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday signed a proclamation convening the Georgia General Assembly for a special session on June 17 to address redistricting in the wake of a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling expected to require changes to Georgia's electoral maps before the 2028 election cycle.

The special session comes six weeks after the Supreme Court issued its 6-3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais on April 29, 2026, finding that Louisiana's second majority-Black congressional district relied too heavily on race in its construction and was therefore an...
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Senate confirms Kevin Warsh as Fed chair as Trump presses for lower rates

  • News source: Politics - CBSNews.com
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Washington — The Senate on Wednesday voted to confirm Kevin Warsh as chairman of the Federal Reserve, marking a victory for President Trump, who has clashed with outgoing Fed chief Jerome Powell repeatedly and urged the central bank to slash interest rates.

The vote was 54-45, with Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania joining all Republicans in support of Warsh's confirmation.

Warsh's four-year term as Fed chair will begin Friday. Powell has said he will remain a rank-and-file Fed board member for the time being.

Earlier this year, the...
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House leaders to take action on process for sexual misconduct claims

  • News source: Politics - CBSNews.com
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Washington — Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are preparing to announce a bipartisan task force, or working group, aimed at addressing how sexual misconduct claims are handled within the House of Representatives, multiple sources confirmed to CBS News.

"We're all in support, fully supportive," Johnson told CBS News ahead of the forthcoming announcement. "I think the main thing that they need to work on, we all think they need to work on is reporting mechanisms."

"There's this concern that, you know, young female staffers...
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Age of first-time mothers hits record high in blue states as birth rates keep falling

  • News source: FOX News
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American women are having children later than ever with birth rates hitting record lows and the divide between red and blue states becoming even more stark.

A new analysis of birth rates highlights Washington, D.C., and Mississippi as emblematic of trends among first-time mothers. The findings highlight how education, economic opportunities, costs of living and access to reproductive healthcare are reshaping when — and if — Americans start families.

But it's also hard to ignore the party-line divide between areas with the highest age of first-time...
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Billionaire Dem donor who turned on party after allegations against Swalwell is arrested

  • News source: FOX News
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The billionaire timeshare magnate who abruptly cut ties with former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and kicked him out of his California mansion amid sexual misconduct allegations was arrested Tuesday.

Stephen Cloobeck, founder of Diamond Resorts International, turned himself in to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department in West Hollywood on Tuesday following a warrant issued for his arrest. He is suspected of a felony charge of attempting to prevent or dissuade a victim or witness from testifying, the California Post reported.

The circumstances of the...
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Who is James Erdman III? CIA whistleblower who went from COVID mandate fights to Senate spotlight

  • News source: FOX News
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James Erdman III, a CIA whistleblower who testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on Wednesday alleging a federal cover-up of COVID-19 origins, has a long history of clashing with the government on the coronavirus issue.

Erdman is a former intelligence officer and military veteran who co-founded the grassroots advocacy group Feds For Freedom, an organization that emerged during the COVID-19 vaccine mandate battles involving federal workers and members of the military.

While public information online...
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Conservatives torch ‘climate refugee’ couple after Texas escape ends in ‘literal crap show’

  • News source: FOX News
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A Maine couple who described themselves as "climate refugees" after relocating from Texas discovered human feces on the front porch of their new home in Bangor, an incident that quickly drew mockery from conservative commentators.

In an article published in the Bangor Daily News, the couple, Shawn and Sara Good, sought to frame the incident of discovering feces and signs of a man sleeping on their patio furniture as a fair tradeoff to escape the "catastrophic" weather that plagued them in Texas. The article centered on the couple moving to Bangor...
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Senate takes major first step to prevent future shutdowns with painful accountability play

  • News source: FOX News
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The Senate is one step closer to adding painful consequences for lawmakers who choose to shut down the government.

The upper chamber on Wednesday unanimously advanced a resolution from Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., that, if passed, would prevent lawmakers from getting paid during future shutdowns. It comes after the once-rare occurrence became a political cudgel wielded by Democrats time and again in the last year.

Despite having spurred the two longest shutdowns in history, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Democrats joined...
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Dems under fire for ‘malign Chinese influence’ as shocking spy mayor donations uncovered: ‘How many more?’

  • News source: FOX News
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Outrage is snowballing after it was uncovered that a California mayor who just stepped down after admitting to acting as a Chinese agent appears to have donated to Democrats, including a sitting congresswoman.

As President Donald Trump visits China for a diplomatic mission with world leaders, Eileen Wang, mayor of Arcadia, California, agreed to plead guilty to acting as an agent for the Chinese government. The admission sparked concerns about foreign infiltration in local government. Now, allegations that Wang donated to Democrats at the federal...
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Senate Democrats finally crack GOP unity on Trump's Iran war as Murkowski flips

  • News source: FOX News
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Republicans’ support for President Donald Trump's war on Iran fractured on Wednesday.

Senate Democrats have tried to splinter off Republicans from their near-unified backing of Operation Epic Fury for months with a campaign of attrition, putting war powers resolution after war powers resolution on the floor ever since fighting began.

And after two months of trying, they finally got some in the GOP to flip on Trump with Sen. Jeff Merkley's, D-Ore., latest attempt. Still, it wasn’t enough to terminate ongoing operations in the Middle East.

GOP...
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Netanyahu made secret visit to UAE to meet with country's president

  • News source: Politics - CBSNews.com
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Washington — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates recently, where he met with Mohammed bin Zayed, the country's president, sources told CBS News.

Netanyahu's office later acknowledged the trip, saying in a statement that it "resulted in a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates."

Spokespeople for the UAE did not immediately comment.

News of the visit comes after the UAE carried out military strikes on Iran, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal...
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Senate defeats 7th attempt to limit Trump on Iran, despite new GOP defection

  • News source: Politics - CBSNews.com
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Washington — The Senate rejected another attempt by Democrats to limit President Trump's ability to use military force against Iran on Wednesday, but one new Republican senator voted in favor of advancing the measure.

A motion to discharge the resolution from committee failed by a vote of 49 to 50. GOP Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted with most Democrats in favor of moving forward, while Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the sole Democrat to oppose.

Murkowski had voted against moving...
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Justice Department investigating oil market trading, sources say

  • News source: Politics - CBSNews.com
  • Replies: 0
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Washington — The Department of Justice is investigating suspicious trading timed to swings in the oil market, according to two sources familiar with the investigation.

Reuters first reported the trading and the fact the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission was investigating the trade. ABC News was the first to report the Justice Department's role in investigating the trade.

The oil market has been volatile amid the war with Iran. Tehran has effectively closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz to Gulf oil and gas exports, sending prices soaring...
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Trump administration pauses Medicare enrollments for hospice providers

  • News source: Politics - CBSNews.com
  • Replies: 0
  • Views: 4
The Trump administration announced Wednesday that it would be enacting a six-month moratorium on new Medicare enrollments by hospice and home health agencies to target fraud.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, during the moratorium, "CMS will intensify targeted investigations, deploy advanced data analytics, and accelerate the removal of hospice and HHA providers from the Medicare program that are suspected of committing fraud."

This is a developing story. It will be updated.
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Dem ripped for ‘disgusting’ absence on bill to punish violent criminals after girl strangled in grisly killing

  • News source: FOX News
  • Replies: 0
  • Views: 4
FIRST ON FOX: Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico is being ripped by critics accusing him of making a "disgusting" decision to be absent during a vote on a Texas bill to automatically deny bail to illegal immigrants charged with violent felonies after a local preteen was strangled to death.

As a member of the Texas House of Representatives in 2025, Talarico was absent during the final voting on a bill dubbed by state lawmakers "Jocelyn’s Law," in honor of slain Houston preteen Jocelyn Nungaray. The measure, which would have added a Texas...
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Dozens of dogs rescued and suspect arrested in Uganda after BBC investigation

  • News source: BBC News - World
  • Replies: 0
  • Views: 3
A BBC investigation exposed how scammers posted social content of dogs in distress to dupe donors into giving money.
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Epstein abused me while under house arrest, survivor tells US lawmakers

  • News source: BBC News - World
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  • Views: 4
Roza was among several victims who gave testimony to Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday.
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Twin Cities’ wage hikes roasted after report exposes job-crushing fallout in Tim Walz’s backyard

  • News source: FOX News
  • Replies: 0
  • Views: 6
A new Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis study is handing conservatives fresh ammunition in the minimum wage fight, with critics mocking the findings as obvious after researchers linked $15 wage hikes to job losses and reduced hours in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

"Who could have possibly seen this coming," wrote RealClearInvestigations senior writer Mark Hemingway quipped on X in response to the study.

The working paper found that the phased minimum wage increases in Minneapolis and St. Paul were associated with a decline in employment, along with...
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