Trump News for Wednesday, May 13, 2026

'Alligator Alcatraz' migrant detention center expected to close soon, sources say

Luke Barr, Armando Garcia, Jack Date, Laura Romero, Abcnews.com

The Florida immigration detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz" is expected to close soon, according to multiple sources.

WATCH: Remarkable rescue after plane crashes in the Atlantic Ocean off Florida

ABC News, Abcnews.com

With limited fuel, an Air Force combat rescue helicopter found all 11 victims and hoisted them to safety – completing the mission with just minutes to spare.

Sean Duffy Wants You to Take a Road Trip While Gas Prices Skyrocket

Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic

The transportation secretary’s new reality show comes at an inopportune time.

Trump administration offers $100m in aid to Cuba in exchange for reform

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Amid an oil blockade against the island, the US blames Cuba's communist leadership for 'standing in the way' of aid.

Memphis residents file lawsuit alleging abuses by Trump-backed task force

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Lawsuit says task force comprised of state and federal agencies harassed bystanders who recorded enforcement activities.

Why is Donald Trump in China? BBC explains

BBC News

Laura Bicker breaks down what could be on the agenda for the US president and China’s leader as they meet in Beijing.

Trump administration defends right to ban content moderation experts from US

Lauren Feiner, The Verge

The Trump administration is fighting for the right to keep some social media moderation advocates out of the US. On Wednesday, US District Court Judge James Boasberg heard arguments in a lawsuit between the nonprofit Coalition for Independent Technology Resea…

Trump taps David Venturella, former private prison executive, to lead ICE

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Venturella will helm the immigration enforcement agency after previously serving in an executive role at GEO Group.

Allegiant and Sun Country are officially one, large leisure airline

Edward Russell, The Points Guy

Allegiant Air and Sun Country merge to create eighth largest airline in the U.S.

As Trump readies to meet Xi, experts say he is ‘desperate for a win’

Megha Bahree, Al Jazeera English

Trade between the two countries has suffered since Trump came into office even as China's exports have hit new highs.

How 1925 press dismissed the Klan at peak power

Ellsworth Toohey, Boing Boing

In September 1925, a month after some 30,000 hooded Klansmen paraded down Pennsylvania Avenue in the largest Klan rally in Washington's history, the satirical weekly Judge declared the Ku Klux Klan effectively dead. What remained, the editorial argued, was a …

Miami residents sue Trump, claiming Florida land gift for library unconstitutional

Kimberly Leonard, Politico

The suit from city residents and a nearby nonprofit alleges the land transfer of prime downtown real estate is illegal.

US waives visa bonds of up to $15,000 for FIFA World Cup ticket holders

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Trump administration's visa bond programme had raised concerns about soaring costs for World Cup travellers to US.

Five things you may not know about US-China ties

Al Jazeera English

Al Jazeera’s @avawarrinerr explains five things you may not know about the ties connecting China and the US.

Foreign ticket holders from World Cup teams' countries won't have to pay bonds to enter U.S.

The Associated Press, NPR

The Trump administration is suspending a requirement that visitors from countries that have qualified for the World Cup and bought tickets for the tournament pay as much as $15,000 in bonds to enter the U.S.

DOJ Possibly Facing Contempt Charges After Admitting DHS Press Release Was False

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

Let’s hope the word “possibly” can be stricken from this headline in the near future. And while contempt charges don’t mean much to an administration that is openly contemptuous of anything that hints at checks or balances, it would, at the very least, encour…

Republicans break ranks, but Senate fails to curb Trump’s Iran war powers

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

The bill falls short, but vote shows cracks are growing in the Republican support for the US-Israel war on Iran.

Elon Musk Said He’d Stop Political Spending. He’s the Third-Largest Donor in the Midterms

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

And now he's accompanying Trump as a guest of honor in China.

What It Will Take to Make AI Sustainable

Molly Taft, Wired

Researcher Sasha Luccioni argues we need better emissions data and a better sense of how people are using AI in the first place.

Fighting Trump will make or break Disney’s new CEO

Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge

A week ago, newly appointed Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro was busy regaling investors with plans to turn Disney Plus into the company's "digital centerpiece." By last Friday, though, his attention had presumably shifted to a fight with the Trump administration over…

The crypto Clarity Act returns to the Senate this week. The banks are already trying to kill it.

Tina Nguyen, The Verge

Hello and welcome to Regulator, the newsletter for Verge subscribers that goes into tech shenanigans that take place in the backrooms of Washington. Really, it sometimes does feel like the online series The Backrooms: a parallel universe with no internal logi…

Kevin Warsh confirmed as new US Federal Reserve chair amid controversy

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Senate confirms Trump pick Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve chair amid growing concerns over independence.

Warsh wins confirmation as Fed chair, with inflation on the march

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

Senate on Wednesday voted to confirm Kevin Warsh as the chair of the Federal Reserve, paving the way for the lawyer, financier and former central-bank...

Breakdown of $1 billion request for Trump's White House ballroom project

Lalee Ibssa, Emily Chang, Allison Pecorin, Abcnews.com

Here's a closer look at the $1 billion request for President Trump's White House ballroom project.

Americans are increasingly open to using psychedelics for medical reasons

Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American

A survey found that more than 60 percent of respondents “strongly support” making psychedelics easier to study, reflecting a growing consensus that some could have therapeutic use

US Senator Cassidy’s vote to convict Trump looms over Louisiana primary

Joseph Stepansky, Al Jazeera English

Cassidy voted to convict Trump during his 2021 impeachment, faces Trump-backed challenger in test of president's pull.

Trump's Pentagon is looking to 'disruptive' defense newcomers to build large stockpiles of cheap missiles for future wars

Kelsey Baker, Business Insider

The US military wants cheaper missiles it can buy by the thousands, aiming to avoid running short in a major conflict.

After nearly a year of delays, Trump Mobile’s CEO says the gold-plated Trump phone will begin shipping to buyers this week

Yahoo Entertainment

The Supreme Court abortion pills case, explained

Peter Balonon-Rosen, Sean Rameswaram, Vox

Abortion pills have been on a bit of a journey in the United States over the past few weeks. It starts in Louisiana: The state sued the Food and Drug Administration late last year, seeking to eliminate access to the abortion pill mifepristone through teleheal…

Trump-Xi summit: China’s help in Iran may require US concessions

Ali Harb, Al Jazeera English

Analysts say China is likely to ask for change in US policy towards Taiwan if it were to pressure Iran reopen Hormuz.

Canadian doctors won't treat American trans patients — and here's why

Séamus Bellamy, Boing Boing

It looks like the Trump administration's anti-trans bullshit has drifted north. According to the Canadian Broadcast Corporation, the student health clinic at McGill University has refused Hormone Replacement Therapy to American students studying in Canada, ci…

Rebel HQ asks MAGA how their one-religion fantasy squares with Trump's Jewish family

Jason Weisberger, Boing Boing

As usual, MAGAs will paint themselves into corners trying to rationalize things that simply can not be. The insistence that the United States is a "Christian nation" runs into a wall when it meets Trump's converted-to-Judaism sweat shop running daug…

US Justice Department drafts legal opinion backing demands for state voter rolls

By Luc Cohen, Yahoo Entertainment

By Luc Cohen May 13 (Reuters) - The Department of Justice has issued a formal legal justification for the federal government's demands that states share...

Condé Nast's CEO says he knows who could replace Anna Wintour one day

Peter Kafka, Business Insider

Roger Lynch explains how to run a profitable magazine company in 2026 — and how he's thinking about successors to two of his legendary editors.

DOJ explores having taxpayers personally apologize to Trump in cash

Jason Weisberger, Boing Boing

The Justice Department is reportedly exploring a novel and innovative new legal doctrine in which the president sues the government he controls, then orders that same government to pay him with your money. The New York Times reported that the DOJ is conside…

What Happens if the U.S. Defaults?

David Frum, The Atlantic

Lloyd Blankfein on the growing U.S. debt, polarization, the state of the economy, and what a United States default would look like. Plus: Trump-branded cellphones and the decline of public confidence in free enterprise.

Trump Phone Will Finally Ship This Week, Report Says

Corinne Reichert, CNET

USA Today reports the T1 phone is finally shipping, citing an emailed confirmation from the CEO of Trump Mobile.

Trump Already Has His ‘Get Out Of Jail Free’ Card. Now He Wants A ‘Get Out Of IRS Audits’ Card

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

In a ruling that will clearly be remembered as one of the worst in the history of the Supreme Court, two years ago, the court gave Donald Trump a get out of jail free card, which he appears to be trying to take full advantage of with all the criming in his se…

Gas-Powered Car Sales in China Have Collapsed Amid Rising Fuel Costs

Bruce Gil, Gizmodo.com

EVs now make up nearly all of the top 10 selling cars in the world’s largest auto market.

The Trump Admin’s MomsDotGov Website Is ‘Gaslighting 101’

Danielle Han, Jezebel

“It’s all of a piece of disguising what’s really at stake in communicating to women about pregnancy,” Emily Martin, chief program officer at the National Women’s Law Center, told Jezebel.

The Trump Phone Is Seriously, for Sure, Without a Doubt Shipping This Week (Allegedly)

James Pero, Gizmodo.com

No, for real this time.

Margaret Cho Turned Down a Role in Heated Rivalry out of Fear of ICE Detainment

Claire Guinan, Jezebel

Since 2007, Jezebel has been the Internet's most treasured source for everything celebrities, sex, and politics...with teeth.

Trump arrives in China for two-day summit with Xi

Al Jazeera English

US President Donald Trump has landed in Beijing to meet China’s President Xi Jinping.

What Trump and Xi want from China visit

Al Jazeera English

Tensions over trade, technology, Taiwan, and the war on Iran are set to dominate high-stakes talks between Trump and Xi.

Trump vs Xi: Who has the upper hand?

BBC News

The BBC's Sarah Smith explains why President Trump may not have the upper hand during his meeting with China's Xi Jinping.

Trump Taps Don Jr.’s 38-Year-Old Turkey-Hunting Pal to Lead FDA

Ryan Bort, Rolling Stone

Kyle Diamantas, a hunting buddy of Donald Trump Jr., has been tapped to lead the Food and Drug Administration on an acting basis.

The border is everywhere

Gaby Del Valle, The Verge

No one paid attention to the gunshots that echoed through the convention center. They were real enough, and so were the screams that accompanied them, in the sense that they were recordings of real people who, like guest stars on Law and Order, reenacted scen…

The US Is Winning the AI Race

Github.io

Energy matters for AI, but the decisive layers are cloud infrastructure, data, and commercialization. On those layers the United States is ahead by a wide margin.

Trump arrives in China for high-stakes meeting with Xi Jinping

BBC News

The leaders of the global superpowers are expected to discuss the war in Iran, tariffs, AI and Taiwan during the two-day visit.

The AI Backlash Could Get Very Ugly

Lila Shroff, The Atlantic

Imagine what happens if jobs actually start disappearing.

Looks Like No Democratic Senators are Getting a KA$H Bourbon Anytime Soon!

Danielle Han, Jezebel

FBI Director Kash Patel appeared at a budget hearing on Tuesday, and for all nine hours tried to keep his cool whenever members of the upper chamber brought up accusations of him drinking on the job.

Trump needs Xi much more than Xi needs Trump

Wenran Jiang, Al Jazeera English

As the Iran war reshapes global power dynamics, Beijing enters the Trump-Xi summit with more leverage over Washington.

What to know as Trump visits Xi in China

BBC News

Trump has landed in Beijing for the first visit by a US leader since his own in 2017.

WHO: The world is falling short of and even reversing its health targets

Claire Cameron, Scientific American

Malaria incidence is increasing, progress on maternal mortality is stalling, and some childhood vaccine rates are plateauing or have dipped below the threshold for herd immunity

Why Trump decided to back Iraq’s prime minister-designate, Ali al-Zaidi

Jasim Al-Azzawi, Al Jazeera English

Support from Washington is conditional on clear progress in curbing pro-Iran militia activity.

WATCH: NASA rover snaps selfie on Mars

ABC News, Abcnews.com

NASA’s Mars rover captured a selfie as it nears the 1,800th day of its mission.

Ken Paxton Pretends To Care About Consumers, Sues Netflix To ‘Protect The Children’

Karl Bode, Techdirt

Flimsy and corrupt authoritarian populism is dedicated to pretending that the oligarchs and autocrats really care about the people. One way Trumpism has done this is by pretending they actually care about reining in corporate power. That’s included an elabora…

Trump arrives in Beijing for high-stakes summit with Xi

Kevin Shalvey, Abcnews.com

President Donald Trump arrived on Wednesday for a multi-day state visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump lands in China for Xi summit with Nvidia CEO in tow

By Laurie Chen, Trevor Hunnicutt and Heejin Kim, Yahoo Entertainment

By Laurie Chen, Trevor Hunnicutt and Heejin Kim BEIJING/SEOUL, May 13 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump landed in Beijing accompanied by an entourage that...

Nebraska election results: Democrat wins, but plans to drop out

Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, USA Today

An unusual Nebraska Senate primary has a winner.

The Trump phone starts shipping this week, CEO claims

Dominic Preston, The Verge

The Trump phone may finally be here: Trump Mobile's CEO told USA Today that the phone will begin shipping to buyers this week. The announcement comes as reports have gone viral this week alleging that preorders for the phone have been canceled. Trump Mobile C…

Trump faces slew of ‘bad options’ on Iran as diplomacy falters

Virginia Pietromarchi, Al Jazeera English

Trump faces mounting pressure amid stalled Iran peace talks as domestic discontent grows and geopolitical stakes rise.

WATCH: Plane crash rescue in Florida

ABC News, Abcnews.com

Authorities rescued 11 people after a small plane crashed in Florida.

The Democrats Can’t Let Go of Racial Preferences

Richard D. Kahlenberg, The Atlantic

How to persuade skeptical voters to take a fresh look at the party

Grocery prices soar as Iran war drags on

Rob Beschizza, Boing Boing

The price of groceries rose more last month than they have in nearly four years, according to annualized data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Fresh veggies are now more than 44% pricier than they were just three months ago, before the U.S. — Read the res…

Senate Republicans block Democrats’ effort to reverse several Trump-era CFPB changes

KEN SWEET, Yahoo Entertainment

Senate Republicans blocked an attempt by a group of Democrats to roll back several policy changes made under President Donald Trump to the nation’s consumer ...

The Final Hours

George Packer, The Atlantic

An Afghan family’s flight to safety

Chinese Oil Tanker Sails Out of Hormuz Strait in Rare Exit

Weilun Soon, Yahoo Entertainment

(Bloomberg) -- A Chinese oil supertanker appears to have exited the Strait of Hormuz as it sails toward an area where the US has enforced a blockade, ahead...

Iran war looms over Trump’s visit to Beijing: ANALYSIS

Chris Boccia, Abcnews.com

Experts aren't expecting a "mega-deal" that would end the conflict.

WATCH: Trump says 'I don't think about Americans' financial situation' in Iran negotiations

ABC News, Abcnews.com

President Donald Trump said Americans' financial situation was "not even a little bit" of a motivating factor for him reaching a deal to end the war in Iran.

He’s the Supreme Court’s Anonymous “Nice Guy” Conservative. The Reality Is Way More Disturbing.

Susan Matthews, Slate Magazine

When I reached deep into his past, a clear story emerged.

Staying strong, then falling apart: How a military family grapples with the Iran war

Juliana Kim, NPR

Military life has always involved some degree of uncertainty. But for many families, the fear and unknowns that come with the Iran war are new territory.

Trump’s Golden Dome Will Cost $1.2 Trillion (With a T)

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

Congress has only allocated $24 billion so far.

How the Trump administration has undermined the fight against public corruption

Ryan Lucas, NPR

At least 15 former elected officials and co-conspirators with corruption offenses have been pardoned by President Trump in the last year, undermining the fight against public corruption.

China’s Xi expected to press Trump on Taiwan, tariffs during summit

Erin Hale, Al Jazeera English

Chinese President Xi Jinping likely to seek concessions on arms sales to Taiwan, analysts say.

Iran war day 75: Trump-Xi talks loom in Beijing as tensions rise in Gulf

Elizabeth Melimopoulos, Al Jazeera English

Trump heads to Beijing for high-stakes talks with Xi Jinping as tensions over the Iran war continue to escalate.

$4.8M settlement reached over Louisiana traffic stop death, AP sources say

The Associated Press, NPR

Louisiana officials have agreed to a tentative $4.8 million settlement with the family of Ronald Greene, a Black motorist who died during a violent roadside arrest carried out by five white officers.

Trump and Xi to meet in Beijing: The key issues shaping the China summit

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Trump and Xi meet as trade, Taiwan and the Iran war dominate a high-stakes US-China summit.

Trump's proposed 'Golden Dome' estimated to cost $1.2 trillion

The Associated Press, NPR

A Congressional Budget Office analysis suggests the cost of the missile defense program could be $1.2 trillion over the next 20 years, a far heftier sum than the initial $175 billion price tag.

Europe's promised arms buildup is still moving way too slowly, EU top diplomat says

Matthew Loh, Business Insider

"Somehow, we haven't seen the industry ramping up as we would have expected," Kaja Kallas said.

Jensen Huang Joins Trump’s Tycoon Entourage in China

Mike Pearl, Gizmodo.com

Dry your eyes. The billionaire CEO of the world's most valuable company gets to go on this once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Brad Raffensperger became famous by defying Trump. Now he wants Georgia Republicans to forget that

JEFF AMY, Yahoo Entertainment

Being as well known as Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger would be a dream for many ambitious politicians. “I think most people by now know who I...

‘It’s a failed nation’: Trump pressures Cuba as fuel crisis deepens

Al Jazeera English

US President Donald Trump has called Cuba ‘a failed nation’, as his administration expands its pressure campaign.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson asks public to back judicial independence

Josh Gerstein, Politico

Despite barbed opinions, Supreme Court’s newest member insists relationships among the justices are “fine.”

Ahead of Trump summit, China says it is ready to 'crush' any Taiwan independence bid

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

BEIJING, May 13 (Reuters) - China is resolved to oppose independence for Taiwan, and its capability to "crush" separatism is "unbreakable", the country's...

WATCH: China expert on what to expect from Trump’s meeting with Xi Jinping

ABC News, Abcnews.com

ABC News’ Linsey Davis spoke with the managing director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund, Bonnie Glaser, about what’s at stake during President Trump’s trip to China.

DHS names new acting ICE director

Luke Barr, Abcnews.com

Dave Venturella is set to serve as acting ICE Director following the departure of Todd Lyons, according to a DHS spokesperson.

WATCH: Student loans of NC State seniors to be paid off by graduation commencement speaker

ABC News, Abcnews.com

North Carolina State's Wilson College of Textiles commencement speaker announced he and his wife will pay off all seniors' final-year loans, hoping to give graduates a debt-free start to their future.

Iran war live: Trump travels to China as conflict with Tehran looms large

Zaid Sabah, Danai Nesta Kupemba, Al Jazeera English

Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed 2,883 people and injured 8,787 since March 2, Lebanon's Health Ministry says.