Thursday Afternoon News Update: Trump Gushes Over Xi and Folds on Everything — 5/14/26

Here’s everything you need to know today.

U.S. President Donald Trump reaches to shake hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, May 14, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci

Hi all, Ben here. It’s Thursday, and what a day it’s been. Let me run through the top stories we’re tracking before diving in.

Today’s Top Stories:

• Trump visits Xi Jinping in Beijing, brings the family, sells out Taiwan, and touts American Chinese restaurants

• Iran begins letting Chinese ships through the Strait of Hormuz while slamming the U.S. at BRICS

• Russia launches one of its largest missile attacks on Ukraine in four years

• Senate and House hearings expose Trump officials dodging accountability

• JD Vance lectures Maine about fraud while Trump’s record tells a very different story

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Now let’s dive in.