Wednesday, May 13, 2026
The US military's costs from the Iran war are closing in on $30 billion, with lawmakers demanding answers as the conflict's economic weight grows. Trump has renewed threats against Tehran even as he travels to China, where Taiwan arms sales are also on the agenda — a move that has rattled Asian allies by breaking long-standing US precedent.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is fighting for his political survival after four ministers resigned and more than 80 Labour MPs called for him to step down. He is attempting to reset with a King's Speech on Wednesday that includes 35 bills covering housing, immigration, and energy — betting a packed legislative agenda can outrun a full-blown leadership challenge.
FDA Commissioner Martin Makary has resigned after the Trump administration pressured the agency to approve flavored e-cigarettes over his objections, leaving the regulator without permanent leadership amid a hantavirus outbreak. Lawyer Kyle Diamantas has been named acting FDA chief, adding to a growing list of vacancies across federal health agencies.
Sam Altman took the stand in the Musk v. Altman trial, testifying that Elon Musk pushed to control 90 percent of OpenAI and floated the "hair-raising" idea of passing the organization to his children. The high-stakes case could reshape OpenAI's structure and governance just as the company prepares for a possible IPO.
A new Medicare payment model called ACCESS creates the first government mechanism to pay for AI agents that monitor patients between visits, coordinate care, and manage medication adherence — functions the current billing system has never been able to reimburse. The policy shift opens a direct revenue pathway for health AI companies and could accelerate clinical deployment far faster than regulatory reform alone.
