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Trump leaves Beijing with few wins but warm words for Xi

(Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump left China on Friday with no major breakthroughs on trade or tangible help from Beijing to end the Iran war, despite two days spent heaping praise on his host, Xi Jinping. Trump's visit to America's main strategic and economic rival, the first by a U.S. president since his last ‌trip in 2017, had aimed for tangible results to beef up his sagging approval ratings before midterm elections. The summit was filled with pageantry, from goose-stepping soldiers to tours of a secret garden, but behind ‌closed doors Xi issued a stark warning to Trump that any mishandling of China's top concern, Taiwan, could spiral into conflict.

BumRushDaShow

'Significant blow': Senate rules referee blows up key piece of Trump's immigration plan

(Raw Story) Republicans were dealt a severe setback as the top Senate rule keeper called foul on an immigration enforcement funding package. Migrant Insider reported that Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough "delivered a significant blow" by stopping the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol reconciliation package, which Republican senators have been pushing as the second step to fully fund immigration enforcement after the months-long Department of Homeland Security shutdown ended.

Miles Archer

Trump expected to drop $10 billion lawsuit, then launch $1.7B 'weaponization' fund for allies

(ABC News) Trump is expected to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service in exchange for the creation of a $1.7 billion fund to compensate allies who claim they were wrongfully targeted by the Biden administration, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. The commission overseeing the compensation fund would have the total authority to hand out approximately $1.7 billion in taxpayer funds to settle claims brought by anyone who alleges they were harmed by the Biden administration's "weaponization" of the legal system, including the nearly 1,600 individuals charged in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol attack as well as potentially entities associated with President Trump himself.

RandySF

Democrats eye "hidden" Latino battlegrounds in 2026

(Axios) The post-2024 narrative that Latino voters shifted right is facing its first real stress test — including in districts Republicans thought were safely red. The biggest immediate test is in Texas, where Republicans drew new maps assuming continued Latino gains. But GOP House seats are also at risk in California, New York, Colorado and Nevada. New modeling from Democratic group Oath finds several GOP-drawn "safe" districts could become competitive if recent Latino voting trends hold.

KS Toronado

Friday's Condensed News Cartoons

Dulcinea

The Supreme Court keeps abortion pill mifepristone available by telehealth

(NPR) The Supreme Court decided to keep the status quo in place for medication abortion access Thursday. The high court's order means the abortion pill mifepristone will remain available via telehealth as a case brought by Louisiana against the Food and Drug Administration proceeds through the lower courts. The Supreme Court stayed a May 1 ruling from the New Orleans-based, U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals which would have banned mifepristone from being mailed. The appeals court ruling would have applied to the whole country, not just states like Louisiana that have abortion bans.

BumRushDaShow

Watchdog groups urge Senate to investigate Samuel Alito over oil stock conflicts

(The Guardian) The supreme court justice Samuel Alito, who owns stock in oil companies, may be violating court ethics codes by participating in certain cases that could benefit big oil, government watchdog groups say. In a Thursday letter, a coalition of watchdog organizations called on the Senate judiciary committee to investigate Alito, the sole supreme court justice with holdings in energy companies.

RandySF

NJ-07: The Mystery of a Congressman's Absence Deepens

(NY Times) Where is Representative Thomas Kean Jr.? Lately, curious political watchers have noted where Mr. Kean is not. He seems to be absent on Capitol Hill, where he represents the people of New Jersey’s Seventh District but hasn’t cast a vote in more than two months. Mr. Kean, a Republican, has not been seen on the campaign trail as he runs for re-election in a competitive midterm race. He has not appeared in pixel form, either: No candid photos have emerged of the incumbent to allay the worries of donors and constituents.

BumRushDaShow

Trump-Appointed Judge Calls Administration's Behavior 'Appalling' In 24-Page Ruling

(Huff Post) A federal judge blasted the Trump administration for its “reckless” efforts to mislead and manipulate the courts, and target transgender youth by pressuring hospitals to disclose sensitive medical information, according to an order issued Wednesday night. Judge Mary S. McElroy, who was nominated to the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island by President Donald Trump in 2019, halted the Department of Justice’s subpoena into more than five years of records about transgender minor patients at Brown Health’s Rhode Island Hospital.

BumRushDaShow

U.S. moving to indict Cuba's Ral Castro, sources say

(CBS News) The U.S. is taking steps to indict Raúl Castro, the 94-year-old former president of Cuba and brother of Fidel, in connection with the downing of planes 30 years ago, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter. The potential indictment — which would need to be approved by a grand jury — is expected to focus on Cuba's deadly 1996 shootdown of planes operated by humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment.

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Florida court to consider whether new US House map violates state ban on partisan gerrymandering

45 min ago - May 15, 2026, 12:03 AM New U.S. House districts that could help Republicans win several additional seats in Florida are set to face their first test in court Friday against assertions that they violate a state constitutional ban on partisan gerrymand ... (ABC News/AP)

US judge blocks key parts of Texas migrant arrest law

1 hr ago - 10h May 14 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Thursday blocked Texas authorities from enforcing key parts of a law that would allow state officials to arrest and deport people suspected of having illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. Austin-based U.S ... (msn/Reuters)

Trump responds to Xi's 'Thucydides Trap' comment about America's decline

1 hr ago - President Donald Trump on Thursday responded to Chinese President Xi Jinping's comment about the "Thucydides Trap" during their state visit, in which Xi appeared to reference the political theory that a dominant power's fear of a rising power could l ... (ABC News)

'Significant blow': Senate rules referee blows up key piece of Trump's immigration plan

1 hr ago - May 14, 2026 9:44PM ET Republicans were dealt a severe setback as the top Senate rule keeper called foul on an immigration enforcement funding package. Migrant Insider reported that Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough "delivered a significant ... (Raw Story)

Congress moves to raise retirement age for Capitol Police as threats against lawmakers mount

2 hrs ago - Updated 8:44 PM EDT, May 14, 2026 WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is working to increase the retirement age for U.S. Capitol Police officers as the number of threats to lawmakers continues to climb and the department struggles to recruit and retain e ... (AP)

Trump Set to Drop Lawsuit Against IRS in Exchange for $1.7 Billion for Allies - Including Capitol Rioters: Report

2 hrs ago - May 14th, 2026, 8:23 pm President Donald Trump is set to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service in exchange for the creation of a fund that will pay up to $1.7 billion to some of his political allies, including people invo ... (MEDIAite)

Muslim American groups say Republicans are weaponizing congressional hearings

3 hrs ago - May 14, 2026 8:03 PM EDT Updated 10 hours ago WASHINGTON, May 14 (Reuters) - Muslim American groups said congressional hearings that Republican lawmakers cast as aimed at making the U.S. "sharia-free" ‌are being weaponized against Muslim ... (Reuters)

Penn State Faculty Vote in Favor of Unionizing

3 hrs ago - Penn State faculty have voted to unionize in what was Pennsylvania’s largest public sector organizing election in nearly 50 years. By Geoff Rushton May 14, 2026 Organizers said on Thursday that 2,510 faculty members voted yes and 847 voted no on ... (State College)

Congressional leaders plead with their absentee lawmakers: "You've got to come"

3 hrs ago - 11h Congressional leaders are straining to get their absentee members to return to Capitol Hill as the House's vote margins on major legislation grow ever more precarious. Why it matters: Just on Thursday, an Iran war powers resolution failed to pass ... (msn/Axios)

Trump-Appointed Judge Calls Administration's Behavior 'Appalling' In 24-Page Ruling

3 hrs ago - May 14, 2026, 07:18 PM EDT | Updated 11 hours ago A federal judge blasted the Trump administration for its “reckless” efforts to mislead and manipulate the courts, and target transgender youth by pressuring hospitals to disclose sensitive m ... (Huff Post)

Lawmakers unveil bipartisan bill to bolster access to benefits for civilians exposed to toxic burn pits

4 hrs ago - May 14, 2026 / 6:52 PM EDT A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers unveiled a draft bill on Thursday to help civilians, including law enforcement agents, receive workers' compensation for illnesses like cancer that are often associated with toxic exposu ... (CBS News)

Judge weighs challenges to Trump order on mail voting limits

4 hrs ago - Posted May 14, 2026 at 6:24pm A federal judge in Washington acknowledged Thursday the tight timeline he faces in deciding whether to pause President Donald Trump’s executive order to create a national voter list and limit mail voting nationwide. ... (Roll Call)

Pentagon not investigating strikes on schools and hospitals in Iran

5 hrs ago - 12h The Department of Defense is not investigating U.S. bombings that reportedly destroyed 22 Iranian schools and 17 healthcare facilities, according to the commander leading U.S. forces in Iran. U.S. Central Command Admiral Brad Cooper told members ... (msn/The Independent)

ICE moving forward with warehouse detention plan despite lawsuits, probe

5 hrs ago - May 14, 2026 at 5:23 p.m. EDT The Department of Homeland Security is moving forward with its plan to convert warehouses around the country into immigration detention centers, despite mounting legal challenges and a government watchdog probe into the ... (Washington Post)

James Comey Tells CNN He Doesn't Regret Clinton Probe Letter Ahead of 2016 Election

5 hrs ago - May 14th, 2026, 5:04 pm Former FBI Director James Comey told CNN Thursday that he didn’t regret his investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s personal emails even though his actions have been blamed by critics for cont ... (MEDIAite)

Watchdog groups urge Senate to investigate Samuel Alito over oil stock conflicts

6 hrs ago - Thu 14 May 2026 17.06 EDT First published on Thu 14 May 2026 14.08 EDT The supreme court justice Samuel Alito, who owns stock in oil companies, may be violating court ethics codes by participating in certain cases that could benefit big oil, governme ... (The Guardian)

Librarian should be chosen by Congress, House panel agrees

6 hrs ago - Posted May 14, 2026 at 4:39pm One year after President Donald Trump fired the librarian of Congress, support is growing for a bill that would prevent it from happening again. The heads of both the Library of Congress and the Government Publishing Off ... (Roll Call)

US pledges new humanitarian aid to UN, says it must align with Trump's interests

7 hrs ago - 11h WASHINGTON, May 14 (Reuters) - The State Department's top aid official said on Thursday that $1.8 billion in new humanitarian aid to be provided by the U.S. through the United Nations would be used in line with the Trump administration's foreign ... (msn/Reuters)

US cancels planned deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland

8 hrs ago - The Pentagon has abruptly cancelled a planned deployment of 4,000 U.S. troops to Poland, as concerns over the reliability of U.S. military commitments to European allies continue to increase. The surprise announcement, first reported by the media out ... (Kyiv Independent)

What We Know: Russian Drones 'Deliberately' Target UN Aid Convoy in Kherson

9 hrs ago - Russian military drones twice targeted a clearly marked United Nations humanitarian convoy in southern Ukraine on Thursday, prompting condemnation from Kyiv and the UN. The attack took place in Kherson’s heavily targeted Ostriv area, within the ... (Kyiv Post)