12AM ET 05/14/2026 Newscast

Summary

Fox News Hourly Update: 12AM ET 05/14/2026 Newscast

Overview

This episode covers major U.S. and international news, focusing on President Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, developments in the Iran conflict, a congressional hearing on an alleged intelligence community COVID-19 cover-up, the overturning of Alex Murdaugh’s conviction, Vice President J.D. Vance’s crackdown on Medicaid fraud, and a Senate resolution on withholding pay during government shutdowns.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. President Trump Meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping

• [00:02 – 00:26]
  President Trump is scheduled for high-level talks with President Xi. The relationship between the U.S. and China, as well as the ongoing war involving Iran, are set to be key topics.
  • Trump’s Opening Statement:

    "It's an honor to be with you. It's an honor to be your friend. And the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before."
    — Donald Trump ([00:12])

• [00:26 – 01:03]
  Iran Conflict Expected to Be Discussed:
  • Jackie Heinrich reports President Trump will press China to help end the war with Iran, given China’s energy interests via the Strait of Hormuz.
  • There are rumors China considered providing aid to Iran but has not taken an active role to de-escalate the conflict.

    "China has every incentive to want to do that. They are highly dependent on the Strait of Hormuz...They still have not played any sort of active role in pressuring Iran to agree to anything."
    — Jackie Heinrich ([00:29])

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2. Congressional Hearing on COVID-19 Intelligence Community

• [01:03 – 01:53]
  • Republican senators hear from James Erdman, a CIA employee, who alleges a cover-up on the origins of COVID-19.
    • Erdman claims in August 2021, U.S. intelligence was ready to declare COVID-19 originated from a Chinese lab.
    • Dr. Anthony Fauci allegedly influenced the community to change this conclusion to a neutral theory.

      "Dr. Anthony Fauci, quote, injected himself into those conversations and quote, significantly influenced them until the lab leak determination was changed by the intel community to a neutral theory."
      — Bill Melusion, summarizing James Erdman’s testimony ([01:14])

    • The CIA responds, dismissing the hearing as "dishonest political theater."

      "This proceeding amounts to nothing more than dishonest political theater."
      — CIA statement via Bill Melusion ([01:53])

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3. South Carolina Supreme Court Overturns Alex Murdaugh’s Conviction

• [03:07 – 03:50]
  • The court overturns the murder conviction of Alex Murdaugh due to jury tampering by Clerk Rebecca Hill.
  • Murdaugh was previously sentenced to life for killing his wife and son.

    "The state Supreme Court now says the actions of then Colleton County Court Clerk Rebecca Hill...may have tainted the jury and prevented Murdaugh from receiving a fair trial."
    — Eben Brown ([03:18])

  • A date for the new trial is pending.

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4. VP J.D. Vance and Medicaid Fraud Crackdown

• [03:50 – 04:43]
  • Vice President Vance threatens to withhold federal funding from states not aggressively pursuing Medicaid fraud.
  • $1.3 billion in Medicare reimbursements are diverted from California; 800 hospices in L.A. are suspended, with only a handful appealing.
  • CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) administrator Dr. Oz halts new hospice/home health provider enrollments until fraud concerns are addressed.

    "Their investigators need to take this fraud more seriously or they risk losing some of that federal funding."
    — Connor Hanson ([04:00]) "No new hospice or home health providers can enroll in Medicare until they root out some of the bad actors."
    — Connor Hanson ([04:29])

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5. Senate Moves to Withhold Pay During Government Shutdowns

• [04:43 – 05:06]
  • The Senate unanimously (99-0) advances Senator John Kennedy’s resolution to withhold pay from lawmakers during shutdowns, adding motivation to avoid future gridlock.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Trump on U.S.-China Relations:

  "It's an honor to be with you. It's an honor to be your friend. And the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before."
  — Donald Trump ([00:12])

• CIA COVID-19 Testimony:

  "Dr. Anthony Fauci, quote, injected himself into those conversations and quote, significantly influenced them..."
  — Bill Melusion ([01:14])

• CIA Pushback:

  "This proceeding amounts to nothing more than dishonest political theater."
  — CIA statement ([01:53])

• Jury Tampering in Murdaugh Case:

  "...actions of then Colleton County Court Clerk Rebecca Hill...may have tainted the jury and prevented Murdaugh from receiving a fair trial."
  — Eben Brown ([03:18])

• Medicaid Fraud Crackdown Threat:

  "Their investigators need to take this fraud more seriously or they risk losing some of that federal funding."
  — Connor Hanson ([04:00])

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Important Timestamps

• 00:02: Show begins; U.S.-China talks highlighted
• 00:12: Trump’s opening statement with President Xi
• 00:29: Jackie Heinrich on China’s role in Iran conflict
• 01:14: CIA testimony on COVID-19 origins
• 01:53: CIA statement on congressional hearing
• 03:18: Eben Brown on Murdaugh conviction new trial
• 04:00: Connor Hanson outlines Medicaid fraud crackdown
• 04:43: Senate advances shutdown resolution (withholds pay)

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This episode provides concise, high-impact updates on issues at the intersection of U.S. foreign policy, national security, legal controversies, health care fraud, and congressional action, capturing both quotes and analysis from Fox News correspondents and stakeholders.

Transcript

[Chris DiMaio]

This is a FOX News alert. President Trump meeting with China's Leader. I'm Chris DiMaio, Fox News. President Trump is set for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping tonight.

[Donald Trump]

I can say in the United States it's people aren't talking about anything else, but it's an honor to be with you. It's an honor to be your friend. And the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before.

[Chris DiMaio]

The war with Iran is likely to come up between the president and Xi.

[Jackie Heinrich]

The president's pressuring some kind of action to pressure Iran to bring the war to an end, to agree to a peace deal. Obviously, China has every incentive to want to do that. They are highly dependent on the Strait of Hormuz to get the majority of their, their oil, their LNG through the strait and yet they still have not played any sort of active role in pressuring Iran to agree to anything. And in fact, there were reports over the last few weeks that they might have been trying to provide some kind of aid to them so they could take a much greater active in pressuring Iran to wind this war down. But they so far have not.

[Chris DiMaio]

That's fox's Jackie Heinrich. Republican senators hearing testimony today from a CIA employee who claims that there was a cover up within the intelligence community over COVID 19.

[Bill Melusion]

That man's name was James Erdman. He's a CIA career employee who was responsible for leading investigations into the origins of the COVID 19 pandemic. He testified that in August of 2021 the intel community was prepared to declare that Covid did start as a LE from a Chinese lab. But he says Dr. Anthony Fauci, quote, injected himself into those conversations and quote, significantly influenced them until the lab leak determination was changed by the intel community to a neutral theory. But the CIA is pushing back hard on the way this hearing went down, telling Fox News in part, quote, this proceeding amounts to nothing more than dishonest political theater.

[Chris DiMaio]

That's fox's Bill Melusion on Capitol Hill. America's listening to FOX News.

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[Chris DiMaio]

The South Carolina Supreme Court overturning the murder conviction of a disgraced lawyer ordering a new trial in the killing of his wife and son because of improper jury influence by the county clerk.

[Eben Brown]

The state Supreme Court in South Carolina is granting Alex Murdaugh a new trial. The former attorney from a prominent legal firm bearing his family name was sent to prison for life in 2023 after being convicted of killing both his wife, Magg, and adult son, Paul. But the state Supreme Court now says the actions of then Colleton County Court Clerk Rebecca Hill, later convicted of obstruction, may have tainted the jury and prevented Murdaugh from receiving a fair trial. A date for a new trial has yet to be set. Eben Brown, FOX News Vice President J.D.

[Chris DiMaio]

vance releasing a new ultimatum to states he feels aren't taking Medicaid fraud and other fraud seriously. He says the government will take their federal funding and do the job for them.

[Connor Hanson]

The vice president and his fraud task force are basically telling these states that their investigators need to take this fraud more seriously or they risk losing some of that federal funding. And they made some pretty big announcements here. They're saying $1.3 billion in Medicare reimbursements are now being diverted from the state of California. Now, just in the LA area, mostly the LA area, 800 hospices have been suspended. They say less than 20 of them have called to complain about being suspended. CMS administrator Dr. Oz also making a big announcement that no new hosp hospice or home health providers can enroll in Medicare until they root out some of the bad actors who are committing this fraud across the country.

[Chris DiMaio]

That's FOX Business Network's Connor Hanson. Additional motivation perhaps to avoid future government shutdowns over funding the Senate voting 99 to nothing to advance Louisiana Senator John Kennedy's resolution to withhold lawmakers pay during government shutdowns. I'm Chris DiMeo. This is Fox News

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[Bill Melusion]

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