Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) on Thursday said he introduced the Americans Insist on Political Agent Clarity (AIPAC) Act. “We need more transparency in the foreign interest lobbying on Capitol Hill. That’s why I introduced the Americans Insist on Political Agent Clarity Act today,” Massie said. The Kentucky Republican said the bill would “make AIPAC subject to [the] Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).” “For some reason, they’re immune right now. And I think, not just the money that’s spent in politics, but the lobbying that happens on Capitol Hill should be reported if it’s a foreign country,” Massie explained. “Whether it’s Great Britain, Australia, Turkey, Qatar, or Israel. It needs to be reported,” he added. Massie also supported requiring social media influencers to disclose whether they receive “foreign money.” “I believe we should have that same sort of truth and advertising on social media. Because if it’s a good idea in the other outlets, it would be a good idea on social media,” Massie said. “Particularly, because so much of it is foreign money. I remember all these complaints about election interference. Fraudulent elections and the Russians being involved and who else being involved. But really, the elections are being influenced online,” he continued. Watch below: We need more transparency in the foreign interest lobbying on Capitol Hill. That’s why I introduced the Americans Insist on Political Agent Clarity Act today. pic.twitter.com/ZrZ0FVQPzA — Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) May 14, 2026 Massie’s introduction of the AIPAC Act comes days before his highly-anticipated GOP primary against Trump-endorsed Ed Gallrein. More from the Associated Press: Massie angered Trump by voting against his signature tax legislation over concerns of adding to the national debt, pushing for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files and opposing his decision to go to war with Iran. His positions, Massie insists, reflect the America First promises Trump initially made on the campaign trail. In a Kentucky district where the president won by 35 points two years ago, Massie told The Associated Press that the upcoming primary is “by far the most challenging reelection I’ve ever faced.” The race is playing out across Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, which sweeps northeast from the outskirts of Louisville along the Ohio River, through the suburbs south of Cincinnati and over to the lush foothills and old coal towns of Appalachia. Voters here have sent Massie back to Congress ever since his first election in 2012, embracing his stalwart independence and jaunty personality. Back in 2020, they brushed off Trump’s social media demand to “throw Massie out of Republican Party” because he was a “third rate Grandstander.” Now, Republican voters are debating whether they will do the same thing again. A recent poll showed Massie trailing Gallrein by 5 points. Massie trails Trump-backed Gallrein in Kentucky House GOP primary: Pollhttps://t.co/uKxiitKJfB — The Hill (@thehill) May 14, 2026 The Hill shared further: The survey, conducted Monday and Tuesday, found that 48.3 percent of 908 respondents backed Gallrein, whom President Trump endorsed last year amid a feud with Massie, while 43.1 percent backed the incumbent. More than 8 percent of respondents were undecided. Among 69 respondents who were still undecided, Gallrein received support from 52.2 percent of them and Massie received the backing of 20.3 percent of them. More than 27 percent of those 69 respondents still said they were undecided, even when asked if they were leaning toward a particular candidate. Massie, a libertarian, has represented the Bluegrass State’s 4th District since 2012 — making him the third-longest-tenured member of Kentucky’s House delegation, behind only Republican Reps. Hal Rogers and Brett Guthrie. But after Massie broke with Trump on a variety of issues last year, including the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the administration’s handling of files related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the president pulled his support of Massie and backed Gallrein — a retired U.S. Navy SEAL who lost to state Sen. Aaron Reed (R) in the 2024 GOP primary for Kentucky’s 7th Senatorial District.

President Donald Trump just put American oil back at the center of the global energy map. In a new interview with Sean Hannity after his high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, Trump said China is preparing to send ships to buy U.S. oil from Texas, Louisiana, and Alaska. That is the headline. China is the world’s largest oil importer. If Beijing starts shifting even part of its energy demand toward American producers, that is a major win for U.S. energy workers, U.S. ports, and Trump’s energy-dominance agenda. HUGE! President Trump says he struck a deal with China and they are now sending ships to buy U.S. Oil Texas, Louisiana, and Alaska! pic.twitter.com/eobOmoPjqS pic.twitter.com/qIieFFYF7r — MJTruthUltra (@MJTruthUltra) May 14, 2026 The official source trail backs up the heart of that claim, while also showing why the energy angle matters far beyond one Hannity clip. A Reuters report carried by Investing.com reported the U.S.-China energy push this way: After Trump and Xi met in Beijing, U.S. officials raised the prospect of China buying more American energy. The White House readout put the oil discussion inside the larger Hormuz fight: Xi expressed interest in buying more U.S. oil to reduce China’s dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that has become a central pressure point in the Iran conflict and in global energy flows. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also told CNBC that the two sides discussed Beijing buying more energy, with Alaska production described as a natural fit for China because of geography and export access across the Pacific. The same report noted a key piece of context: China has not imported U.S. oil since May 2025 because of a 20 percent import tariff imposed during the trade war. Large-scale resumed purchases would likely require those duties to be removed or handled as part of a broader trade arrangement. Chinese purchases of U.S. energy and agricultural products were being discussed as possible parts of the larger deal framework, though Beijing’s state-media summaries did not emphasize the energy-purchase piece the way U.S. officials did. That means there are still details to lock down. But the direction is unmistakable. Trump is trying to turn American production into leverage, and Xi is signaling that China wants alternatives to a vulnerable Middle East oil route. For Texas, Louisiana, and Alaska, this is exactly the kind of story that separates slogans from results. Drill, produce, ship, sell. That is how American energy workers win. The meeting also tied the oil issue directly to Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. China still buys large amounts of Iranian oil, and Trump pressed Xi on whether Beijing would support Tehran militarily. NEW: President Trump reveals to @seanhannity that Chinese President Xi Jinping has committed to withholding military equipment from Iran following their high-level discussions. Trump noted that while China continues to purchase Iranian oil, Xi expressed a strong desire to see pic.twitter.com/gUXZmblk9y — Fox News (@FoxNews) May 14, 2026 Fox News reported the broader summit and Hannity-interview context: Trump and Xi sat down for about two-and-a-half hours in Beijing and discussed oil, the war with Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, market access for U.S. businesses, and fentanyl precursor flows. The White House account of the meeting, as covered in the live update, said the two sides agreed that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support energy flows. Xi also opposed militarizing the Strait or charging tolls for its use, while signaling interest in purchasing more American oil. The Iran piece is a major part of the story. Trump told Hannity that Xi said China would not give military equipment to Iran. China bought roughly 1.4 million barrels of oil per day from Iran in 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, citing the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. That represented roughly 12 to 15 percent of China’s total crude imports and more than 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports. If Trump can redirect even a meaningful slice of that demand toward the United States, it strengthens American producers while reducing Tehran’s leverage over Beijing. Another clip captured Trump explaining the China relationship in plain language. He did not pretend Beijing is America’s friend. He said countries act in their own interests, and the job is to make sure the United States acts in its own interest too. TRUMP’S RAW TRUTH ON CHINA Hannity: “People worry about China having nefarious intentions” Trump: “Honestly, you know, they do things to us and we do things to them” Trump isn’t some naive globalist pretending the CCP is our friend. He’s in Beijing right now forcing real pic.twitter.com/pF0bvnfKGn — Gunther Eagleman (@GuntherEagleman) May 14, 2026 There was also this exchange on China’s support for Iran, where Trump said Xi made a “big statement” on military equipment, while acknowledging that China still buys Iranian oil. HANNITY: Did you discuss China's support for Iran with Xi? TRUMP: We discussed it. Uhhhh. I mean, when you say 'support,' they're not fighting a war with us or anything. He said he's not gonna give military equipment. That's a big statement. But at the same time he said they buy pic.twitter.com/Lq677uoCfG — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2026 Then came vintage Trump. He described Xi as tall, impressive, and straight out of “central casting,” the kind of line only Trump would turn into a diplomatic interview moment. OMG President Trump said President Xi Jinping is very tall for a Chinese man and he was Central Casting, perfect for a Hollywood Movie pic.twitter.com/73dVIzTdpG pic.twitter.com/m3h4ky72jm pic.twitter.com/9Qwjqxx9Zo — MJTruthUltra (@MJTruthUltra) May 14, 2026 And of course, Trump also took a swing at Democrats during the Hannity hit. Trump: Dumocrats. They’re dumb. It’s d-u-m. I got rid of the b. So, you’re only changing one letter. E goes and the U comes. pic.twitter.com/KUr1yKC8RW — Acyn (@Acyn) May 14, 2026 The extra clips were entertaining, but the first clip is the one that matters most. Trump is trying to reroute global energy demand toward the United States. China needs oil. The Strait of Hormuz is under pressure. Iran depends heavily on Chinese oil purchases. And American states like Texas, Louisiana, and Alaska are sitting on the product the world needs. That is the deal Trump is selling: buy from America, strengthen American energy, and reduce dependence on the most dangerous chokepoint in the world.

Gov. Ron DeSantis publicly criticized Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez for refusing to take up legislation on several issues, including medical freedom and an AI Bill of Rights. DeSantis said Perez has done the “opposite” of what voters expected public servants in the Sunshine State to do. “The reason they didn’t do it is because he is not governing in the best interest of the people of the state of Florida. He has a personal agenda,” DeSantis said. “He has other things that he’s concerned about,” he added. “You do have people who campaign one way and then they get up to Tallahassee and they don’t think you’re going to follow what they’re doing and they think they can do whatever the h*** they wanna do,” DeSantis said. Watch below: JUST IN: Gov. Ron DeSantis slams House leadership @Daniel_PerezFL for refusing to take up legislation on an AI Bill of Rights, medical freedom, and property taxes during the Special Session@GovRonDeSantis: "The reason they didn't do it is because he is not governing in the… pic.twitter.com/cVoe1ICahv — Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) May 14, 2026 Florida Politics has more: DeSantis took issue with Perez refusing to hear “medical freedom” legislation as well as the so-called “AI Bill of Rights” during last month’s congressional reapportionment Special Session. Regarding the bills not being introduced in the House, DeSantis suggested that members were told “don’t file on this,” giving Perez a pretext not to hear the measures passed by the Senate in the Regular Session. DeSantis believes voters will ask legislators why the House didn’t take action. “I think the constituents are going to go to these House members. They are going to say: ‘You got a Special Session. You had a chance to lead. Florida’s always led on this stuff. Why would we be backtracking on medical freedom given all the fights we won during COVID? Why would we not want to lead on protecting people in this age, you know, where so many people are trying to accelerate AI?’ To me, these were just no-brainers.” DeSantis noted that he worked well with Senate President Ben Albritton, whom he lauded as a “friend” and a “good guy,” and urged listeners to consider his “track record” with the Speakers who preceded Perez as context. “Look at the six years leading up to this. We were more productive than any time in the history of the state of Florida legislatively. And yeah, part of it was me setting the agenda, but part of it was you had other people leading that chamber who wanted to put big points on the board and took pride in that we were leading on all these different issues for Floridians. That has just changed over the last year-plus,” DeSantis said. “I would not say that there’s a similarity between our interactions with the Senate leadership and the House leadership. I think it’s totally different. And I think we’ve worked very well with the Senate leadership.” “Yet, when given the chance to deliver for their constituents, not a single Republican House member could even be bothered to file a bill. Typical political shenanigans,” DeSantis said last month. Gov. DeSantis Criticizes State Lawmakers For Inaction On “Medical Freedom” Bill “Florida’s House leadership just blocked a sweeping medical freedom bill. This bill would have: Allowed parents to refuse childhood vaccines. Required healthcare providers to inform parents of vaccine risks. Made ivermectin available over the counter. Banned businesses and government entities from discriminating based on mRNA vaccination status. Prohibited vaccine manufacturers from offering or paying healthcare practitioners financial incentives for giving vaccines. Restricted state health officials from mandating vaccines in an emergency. This bill had the full support of Governor Ron DeSantis and Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo,” Health Freedom Defense Fund wrote. WOW: Florida’s House leadership just blocked a sweeping medical freedom bill. This bill would have: Allowed parents to refuse childhood vaccines. Required healthcare providers to inform parents of vaccine risks. Made ivermectin available over the counter. Banned businesses… pic.twitter.com/pvKEn3U4Jk — Health Freedom Defense Fund (@theHFDF) April 29, 2026 “In this job, I’ve come to realize that power is most honorable when used for the benefit of others. The governor’s agenda to defend freedom, whether from medical tyranny or tech oligarchs, is something Floridians and Americans everywhere want and value. Members of the Florida House should be leading that effort, not standing in the way,” Ladapo said. In this job, l've come to realize that power is most honorable when used for the benefit of others. The governor's agenda to defend freedom, whether from medical tyranny or tech oligarchs, is something Floridians and Americans everywhere want and value. Members of the Florida… https://t.co/s7LSAqXPu2 — Joseph A. Ladapo, MD, PhD (@FLSurgeonGen) April 29, 2026 Florida Phoenix shared further: “The Speaker said, ‘Nobody filed a bill on this so we can’t move forward,’” DeSantis said on Thursday. “Now, do you believe nobody filed a bill, or were they told not to file a bill? So, he’s basically throwing his members under the bus, saying that they were too lazy to file legislation? I don’t believe that’s true. I think they told them, ‘Don’t file on this.’” Although the Legislature did erect some guardrails around AI data centers that have become increasingly unpopular in the United States, the House opted not to take up a bill described as the AI “Bill of Rights.” That bill would have banned companion chatbots – AI systems that mimic emotional connection — from speaking to minors without parental consent, and require bots to remind users they are not human. The governor noted that the bill passed the Senate during the regular legislative session on a 37-1 vote, and that polls show Floridians supported the legislation. A survey from the University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab in early March found that 86% of respondents supported specific AI regulations, such as requiring chatbots to identify themselves as being AI and prohibiting creation of sexually explicit altered images. “Obviously, it was something that I supported. And look — not that I go by polls — but I guarantee you, if you tell people, ‘Do you think that there needs to be a framework for artificial intelligence to be able to protect individual freedom and the well-being of children, or do you think the 10 wealthiest companies in human history should just be able to do whatever they want?’ I think it’s about 90% are in favor of having a framework, right?’” DeSantis said. “So, that got to the House. And again, he said, nobody filed a bill. Well, people had wanted to do this in the House. I know. I’ve talked to the House members to do it. So, is it true that nobody filed a bill? And if that is true, then I think that the constituents are going to go to these House members and they’re going to say, ‘You had a special session. You had a chance to lead Florida.’”

An improvised explosive device was discovered underwater at the Converse Reservoir dam, which supplies the drinking water for Mobile, Alabama. “Divers surveying the dam for routine repair and maintenance located the grenade-type IED,” WALA reports. “MAWSS alerted the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, which coordinated the multi-agency response for analysis, retrieval and safe demolition,” the outlet continued. The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, FBI Bomb Squad, Mobile Police Department Explosive Ordinance Detail, ALEA Bomb Squad, and the Daphne Search and Rescue Team all coordinated in the response. The Gulf Coast Regional Maritime Response and Render-Safe Team retrieved and detonated the device. “I am extremely grateful for the Gulf Coast Regional Maritime Response and Render-Safe Team, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, FBI Bomb Squad, Mobile Police Department Explosive Ordinance Detail, ALEA Bomb Squad and the Daphne Search and Rescue Team for their successful retrieval and detonation of the grenade-type explosive device found at the Converse Reservoir dam,” Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) said. “We are thankful for the diligent work that led to identifying this device and for the multi-agency response team that was able to detonate the device. Ensuring that our reservoirs remain secure is critical. My team and I have been in contact with state and local officials. We are thankful no one was harmed,” she added. I am extremely grateful for the Gulf Coast Regional Maritime Response and Render-Safe Team, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, FBI Bomb Squad, Mobile Police Department Explosive Ordinance Detail, ALEA Bomb Squad and the Daphne Search and Rescue Team for their successful… https://t.co/5EYa4BXTSp — Senator Katie Boyd Britt (@SenKatieBritt) May 14, 2026 “Our top priority is keeping your drinking water safe,” said MAWSS director Bud McCrory, according to WALA. “This is an unprecedented threat, and we are fortunate that this device was discovered before it could cause serious damage to our water supply or harm to individuals. We are grateful for the professionalism and competency of our law enforcement partners – as well as the quick thinking of our contractors and divers – in identifying this device and safely destroying it,” McCrory continued. More below: A grenade-type IED was found underwater at the Converse Reservoir dam in Mobile, AL — federally designated critical infrastructure that supplies drinking water to hundreds of thousands. Divers found it during routine maintenance pic.twitter.com/i1m9xeArHq — D. Scott @eclipsethis2003 (@eclipsethis2003) May 14, 2026 WKRG noted: Officials said the dam and reservoir are federally designated critical infrastructure, meaning the United States Department of Homeland Security was made aware of the discovery.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster on Thursday called a special session for state lawmakers to address redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. “I have issued an Executive Order calling the General Assembly back for an extra legislative session to address the state budget and congressional districts beginning Friday, May 15, at 11:00 AM,” McMaster said. I have issued an Executive Order calling the General Assembly back for an extra legislative session to address the state budget and congressional districts beginning Friday, May 15, at 11:00 AM. — Gov. Henry McMaster (@henrymcmaster) May 14, 2026 NBC News shared further: McMaster initially chose not to set a special session, but he changed course after the Republican-led state Senate rejected a measure this week to extend its current session to take up a redrawn map, despite pressure from President Donald Trump. South Carolina is one of a spate of Southern states rushing to redraw their maps to create more Republican-leaning seats after the U.S. Supreme Court gutted Voting Rights Act protections against racial gerrymandering in a major ruling last month. Since then, Tennessee has enacted a new map that carves up the state’s lone majority-Black district, represented by Rep. Steve Cohen. The Supreme Court cleared the way for Alabama to implement a map with one less majority-minority district than it has now. And Thursday, the Louisiana Senate passed a map that targets one of the state’s two Democratic-held seats. South Carolina’s congressional delegation consists of 6 Republicans and 1 Democrat in the House of Representatives. Rep. Jim Clyburn is the lone Democrat. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster is expected to announce a special session on redistricting, teeing up the state legislature to pass a Republican gerrymander. It would almost certainly cost Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn his seat in the midterms.https://t.co/fpfvoT1uhy — POLITICO (@politico) May 13, 2026 More from The New York Times: If Mr. McMaster calls the special session, lawmakers would face a time crunch. South Carolina’s primaries are on June 9, but early voting begins in two weeks, so Republicans would have to pass new maps before May 26. The South Carolina House has proposed moving the congressional primaries to August to accommodate new maps. There are also legal hurdles to consider. Hundreds of overseas voters have already cast ballots, which could prompt lawsuits if their votes are discarded to account for a change of date in congressional elections. It is still unclear if new maps would pass in a special session, although Republicans control the legislature and would need only a simple majority to approve them. Davey Hiott, the Republican leader of the South Carolina House, told reporters that his chamber was ready to get things rolling on Friday morning and vote on a map as quickly as possible, ideally next week. Shane Massey, the Republican leader of the State Senate, who drew national attention for his impassioned speech against redistricting, was much more apprehensive about moving fast. He said public input was important and continued to voice opposition to the redistricting effort.