4AM ET 05/13/2026 Newscast

Summary

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Fox News Hourly Update — 4AM ET, May 13, 2026

Main Theme

This episode delivers a fast-paced roundup of top U.S. and global news, with a focus on escalating tensions between the U.S., Iran, and China, a security breach at Denver airport, the aftermath of Spirit Airlines’ collapse, and developments in military spending and historic justice cases.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. President Trump’s Trip to China, U.S.-Iran Tensions

• Trump heads to Beijing: President Trump is en route to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, aiming to secure China’s help reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil route closed due to rising hostilities.
  • [00:02] Chris DiMaio: “President Trump is on his way to Beijing where he'll meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He says he'll ask for... Xi's cooperation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.”
  • [00:16] Aisha Hosny: “...China is the largest buyer of Iranian crude oil.”
• Trade and Economic Pressures: American farmers, squeezed by high diesel prices, urge China to buy 25 million more metric tons of soybeans; tariffs, AI, and rare earth minerals will likely be discussed.
  • [00:29] Aisha Hosny: “AI and rare earth minerals used in chips are also expected to come up while American farmers hit by higher diesel fuel prices, want China to buy 25 more million metric tons of soybeans.”
• U.S.-Iran Ceasefire on “Life Support”: Trump describes hope for a ceasefire as faint, and dismisses Iran’s latest peace proposal.
  • [00:29] Aisha Hosny: “Trump says a cease fire with Iran is on life's support.”
  • [01:13] Pete Hegseth cites Trump: “calling it a piece of garbage.”

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2. Military Posturing and Diplomatic Brinkmanship

• U.S. Readiness: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth assures Congress of contingency plans if tensions with Iran escalate.
  • [00:59] Pete Hegseth: “The United States has a plan if escalation with Iran is necessary.”
• Iran’s Threatening Rhetoric: Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohamed Kalibaef issues warnings to the U.S., promising surprise and readiness.
  • [01:17] Pete Hegseth (paraphrasing Kalibaef): “Our armed forces are ready to deliver a well deserved response to any aggression... They will be surprised.”

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3. Denver Airport Tragedy [01:36]

• Security Breach Results in Fatality: Incident at Denver airport as a man scales the fence, crosses the runway, and is fatally struck by a departing plane.
  • [01:36] Chris DiMaio: “A Denver airport workers missed a security breach by a man who scaled an eight foot perimeter fence and crossed a... Runway where he was hit and killed by a plane.”
  • Victim identified as Matthew Michael Mott, 41.

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4. Spirit Airlines Fleet Repossession [02:37]

• Spirit Airlines Collapse: After Spirit Airlines’ abrupt shutdown, jets are repossessed by Nomadic Aviation Group.
  • [02:54] Chris DiMaio: “We're contracted to pick them up at the airports that Spirit abandoned the airplanes at.”
  • Pilot Perspectives: Captain Bob Allen points out the real value is the engines, sometimes worth as much as a whole plane.
    • [02:59] Captain Bob Allen: “The planes will be repainted and released or sold to other airline companies. But the engines inside them, that's what's really valuable.”

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5. Pentagon Under Scrutiny for Iran War Budget [03:19]

• Cost Concerns: Pentagon pressed on expenditures; Secretary Pete Hegseth denies ammunition shortages but confirms production is ramping up.
  • [03:28] Pentagon Comptroller: “The Pentagon is trying to ramp up weapons production.”
  • [03:46] Pentagon Comptroller: “The latest estimate for the cost of the Iran war is $29 billion, a figure mostly covering munitions and repairing equipment.”
• Exclusions: Figure excludes rebuilding of U.S. bases hit by Iranian attacks.

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6. Austin, Texas — Resolution in Wrongful Conviction [04:06]

• Historic Settlement: City to pay $35 million after new DNA evidence exonerates three men wrongly accused in a notorious 1991 murder case.
  • [04:06] Chris DiMaio: “Austin, Texas, will pay $35 million to three men and the family of a fourth who were wrongly accused... New DNA signs analyzed in 2025 freed the three innocent men and pointed to another man, Robert Eugene Brashears, as the sole killer.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [00:24] President Trump (quoted): “We've had no problem and he's [Xi Jinping] been a friend of mine. He's been somebody that we get along with.”
• [01:19] Iranian Speaker Mohamed Kalibaef (paraphrased): “Mistaken strategy and mistaken decisions will always lead to mistaken results. The whole world has already figured this out. We are prepared for all options. They will be surprised.”
• [03:37] Pentagon: “We know exactly what we have. We have plenty of what we need. And the reason we're accelerating a lot of this is because the department's been static in how it does this kind of business.”
• [02:59] Captain Bob Allen: “Some planes will be bought just for that part alone, costing around 15 to 20 million dollars, or about as much as a whole airplane.”

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Key Timestamps

• 00:02: Trump travels to Beijing for talks with Xi Jinping
• 00:29: Ceasefire with Iran “on life support”
• 01:13–01:19: Iran warns U.S. of “surprise” and “all options”
• 01:36: Denver airport security breach fatality
• 02:37: Spirit Airlines planes repossessed; engines valued at $15–20M
• 03:19: Pentagon questioned on $29B Iran war cost estimate
• 04:06: Austin, TX pays $35M for wrongful convictions in 1991 murder

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For listeners seeking a crisp briefing on the latest high-stakes developments in international relations, aviation industry shakeups, domestic legal milestones, and Pentagon budget challenges, this episode delivers sharp, headline-focused reporting with direct attributions and clear context.

Transcript

[Chris DiMaio]

Overseas business. I'm Chris DiMaio, Fox News. President Trump is on his way to Beijing where he'll meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He says he'll ask for Ping's rather Xi's cooperation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

[Aisha Hosny]

He did say he's going to have a long talk with him about it, noting though that China is the largest buyer of Iranian crude oil.

[Chris DiMaio]

We've had no problem and he's been a friend of mine. He's been somebody that we get along with.

[Aisha Hosny]

Trump says a cease fire with Iran is on life's support. Democrats say Americans are already paying the price tariffs. AI and rare earth minerals used in chips are also expected to come up while American farmers hit by higher diesel fuel prices, want China to buy 25 more million metric tons of soybeans.

[Chris DiMaio]

That's Fox's Aisha Hosny in Beijing. Tensions remain high with the U.S. and Iran after President Trump rejected Iran's response to the US Peace proposal.

[Pete Hegseth]

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Capitol Hill told lawmakers the United States has a plan if escalation with Iran is necessary. The Middle east is bracing for the possibility that the region returns to war in the days ahead. The speaker of Iran's Parliament, Mohamed Kalibaef, posted to X saying our armed forces are ready to deliver a well deserved response to any aggression. Mistaken strategy and mistaken decisions will always lead to mistaken results. The whole world has already figured this out. We are prepared for all options. They will be surprised. The threatening language comes after President Trump rejected the Iranian response to the US Peace proposal, calling it a peace of garbage.

[Chris DiMaio]

Fox's Trey Yingston Tel Aviv A Denver airport workers missed a security breach by a man who scaled an eight foot perimeter fence and crossed a one Runway where he was hit and killed by a plane. The 41 year old, identified as Matthew Michael Mott, entered the airport and crossed the Runway as Frontier Airlines plane was about to take off. America's listening to Fox News.

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[Chris DiMaio]

Fox News jets from Spirit Airlines fleet are being repossessed after the company abruptly went out of business.

[Captain Bob Allen]

The artifacts of a bygone era a bunch of bright yellow Airbus 300 20s flown to the airport by Captain Bob Allen of Nomadic Aviation Group.

[Chris DiMaio]

We're contracted to pick them up at the airports that Spirit abandoned the airplanes at.

[Captain Bob Allen]

Allen hires pilots, some of whom worked for Spirit Airlines but are now unemployed. The planes will be repainted and released or sold to other airline companies. But the engines inside them, that's what's really valuable. Some planes will be bought just for that part alone, costing around 15 to 20 million dollars, or about as much as a whole airplane.

[Chris DiMaio]

Fox 10 Phoenix's Ashley Rodriguez Military leaders peppered with questions over the cost of the Iran war at a budget hearing on Tuesday.

[Pentagon Comptroller]

Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed back on characterizations that ammunition is being depleted in Iran, but says the Pentagon is trying to ramp up weapons production.

[Chris DiMaio]

We know exactly what we have. We have plenty of what we need. And the reason we're accelerating a lot of this is because the department's been static in how it does this kind

[Pentagon Comptroller]

of business, pentagon's comptroller told a Senate panel. The latest estimate for the cost of the Iran war is $29 billion, a figure mostly covering munitions and repairing equipment. But that estimate does not include repairing or rebuilding US Bases damaged in the region by Iranian attacks. At the White House, Jared Halpern, Fox

[Chris DiMaio]

News, Austin, Texas, will pay $35 million to three men and the family of a fourth who were wrongly accused of the 1991 rape and murder of four teenage girls at a yogurt shop. Robert Springsteen, Michael Scott, Forrest Welborn and Maurice Pierce all insisted that they were innocent. New DNA signs analyzed in 2025 freed the three innocent men and pointed to another man, Robert Eugene Brashears, as the sole killer. I'm Chris DiMeo. This is Fox News.

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