作者： root

House investigating GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards over sexual harassment allegations

2026-05-14 / The Washington Post

The North Carolina congressman said he would cooperate with the probe by the Ethics Committee into his conduct toward female aides.

May 14, 2026 at 6:04 p.m. EDT Yesterday at 6:04 p.m. EDT

Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-North Carolina) at the Capitol in Washington on Tuesday. (Graeme Sloan/Getty Images)

By Anna Liss-Roy

The House Ethics Committee publicly confirmed Thursday that it is investigating allegations regarding the conduct of Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-North Carolina) toward female staffers.

In a statement, the panel said that is reviewing allegations that Edwards “may have created or fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in sexual harassment.”

Aides to Edwards acknowledged last week that an inquiry was underway and said he welcomed the opportunity to counter what they described as “baseless” claims.

In a statement Thursday, Edwards said he would cooperate with the investigation.

“As I have stated, I welcome any investigation and plan to comply fully with the Committee. I am confident the investigation will expose the facts, not politically motivated fiction,” Edwards said.

A person familiar with the investigation said last week that staff members on the ethics panel had reached out to at least two former Edwards staffers who said they felt uncomfortable with the way the congressman interacted with them. Among the actions being scrutinized are Edwards’s remarks, his purchase of gifts and his hiring decisions, said the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share information the panel has not made public.

The Washington Post has not independently confirmed any allegations against Edwards.

The Republican lawmaker is facing a reelection challenge by Democrat Jamie Ager, a farmer from the mountainous swing district that Democrats see as a pickup opportunity as they seek to win back the House majority. Earlier this year, the House Democrats’ campaign arm, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, added the district to its “red-to-blue” list, signaling its intention to invest in the race.

The Ethics Committee’s confirmation of the Edwards investigation comes days after it released new information on its probe into Rep. Cory Mills (R-Florida). The panel has said it is investigating “serious and complex” allegations against Mills, including possible domestic violence, which he has strenuously denied.

The panel also recently publicly requested information from any victims of sexual misconduct by members of Congress and others aware of such incidents.

Last month, two lawmakers facing Ethics Committee investigations related to alleged sexual misconduct — Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-California) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) — resigned ahead of possible expulsion votes.

Swalwell faces allegations of sexual assault of a former staffer, among other misconduct, which he has denied. Gonzales acknowledged an affair with a staffer who later set herself on fire and died. House rules prohibit sexual relationships between lawmakers and staff members.

硫磺岛附近海域发生6级地震 日气象厅：无海啸风险

2026-05-14 23:42:46 / 联合早报

日本硫磺岛附近海域星期五（5月15日）凌晨发生6级地震。暂无伤亡报告。

新华社报道，日本气象厅说，地震发生于15日0时34分（新加坡时间14日晚上11时34分）许，震源深度约10公里。

日本气象厅说，无须担心地震引发海啸。

Trump pushes Xi on trade after Supreme Court ruling dents key China pressure tool

May 14, 2026 1:00pm EDT / Fox News

Trump visited China in 2017 producing $250B in announced deals, but trade relations deteriorated the following year

By Ashley J. DiMella, Fox News

Trade has emerged as a central focus of President Donald Trump’s high-stakes meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, following a Supreme Court setback over Trump’s tariff agenda earlier this year.

“President Trump had a good meeting with President Xi of China,” a White House official told pool reporters early Thursday morning. “The two sides discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation between our two countries, including expanding market access for American businesses into China and increasing Chinese investment into our industries.”

The talks come as Trump’s tariff agenda faced a setback after a Supreme Court ruling limited his use of emergency powers to impose duties, which cut directly into one of his preferred tools for pressuring Beijing. The ruling came against the backdrop of a yearslong tariff standoff between the U.S. and China, with Trump arguing aggressive duties are needed to force fairer trade terms while Beijing has repeatedly pushed back.

TRUMP’S TARIFF POWER GRAB BARRELS TOWARD SUPREME COURT

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping greet other officials at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on May 14, 2026.(Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images)

“I will be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to ‘open up’ China so that these brilliant people can work their magic, and help bring the People’s Republic to an even higher level!” Trump posted to Truth Social on May 12, previewing he would press Xi on American trade. “In fact, I promise, that when we are together, which will be in a matter of hours, I will make that my very first request. I have never seen or heard of any idea that would be more beneficial to our incredible Countries!”

After Trump touched down in China on Wednesday, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning wrote on X Thursday, that”President Xi stressed to President Trump that facts have shown time and again that trade wars have no winner.”

“China-U.S. economic and trade ties are mutually beneficial and win-win in nature. Where disagreements and frictions exist, equal-footed consultation is the only right choice,” she added.

TRUMP GETS RED-CARPET WELCOME IN CHINA, BUT PAST BEIJING TRIP SHOWS PAGEANTRY ONLY GOES SO FAR

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People on May 14, 2026 in Beijing, China. President Trump is meeting with President Xi Jinping in Beijing to address the Iran conflict, trade imbalances, and the Taiwan situation while establishing new bilateral boards for economic and AI oversight.(Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Tariffs have been at the center of Trump’s China strategy since his first term, when he imposed duties on Chinese imports and Beijing retaliated with tariffs of its own. The fight has remained one of the defining pressure points in the relationship between the world’s two largest economies.

A major piece of Trump’s “America First” agenda has focused on leveling the global trade playing field by holding other countries accountable for trade deficits. One of his first moves after returning to office was rolling out the “Liberation Day” tariffs in April 2025, which were designed to serve as leverage in trade negotiations while also generating new revenue.

The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling, invalidated Trump’s use of an emergency law to impose tariffs in February, ruling that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize the president, even after declaring a national emergency, to impose tariffs.

Trump had championed ahead of SCOTUS’ decision that the court should rule in his favor as part of his larger effort to boost the economy, jobs and bring down costs for Americans.

KAVANAUGH RIPS SUPREME COURT MAJORITY’S ‘ILLOGICAL’ LINE ON TARIFFS

US President Donald Trump (R) shakes hands with China’s President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026.(Kenny HOLSTON / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

Justice Brett Kavanaugh dissented, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. Trump took issue with Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett — both of whom he nominated in his first term — for joining the majority, including just this month when he said the ruling has cost the U.S. $159 billion.

“I don’t want loyalty, but I do want and expect it for our Country,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Sunday. “Yes, I have another way of doing Tariffs, but it is far slower, and more laborious than what was just determined, in a close decision, to be ‘illegal’ or ‘unconstitutional,’ with three powerful, and highly accurate, dissents! Well, maybe Neil, and Amy, just had a really bad day, but our Country can only handle so many decisions of that magnitude before it breaks down, and cracks!!!”

TRUMP’S SIGNATURE TARIFFS HANG ON KEY QUESTION ABOUT CONGRESS’ POWER BEFORE SUPREME COURT

Trump moved to preserve his tariff pressure campaign through other trade authorities, including Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, though that route is temporary and has already drawn its own legal challenge.

A White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Thursday that the administration is also looking to Section 301, which allows the U.S. to investigate and respond to unfair foreign trade practices.

“This tariff tool has already held up from prior legal challenges,” said the spokesperson.

China’s President Xi Jinping (R) and US President Donald Trump visit the Temple of Heaven on May 14, 2026 in Beijing, China.(Brendan Smialowski – Pool/Getty Images)

Trump visited China in 2017 in meetings that produced more than $250 billion in announced commercial deals and cooperation pledges at the time, but it did not prevent trade relations from deteriorating in 2018.

This week’s talks come amid a renewed tariff standoff that reignited after Trump returned to office in 2025. The pressure began with new fentanyl-related tariffs on Chinese goods in February, before widening into a broader reciprocal tariff push that triggered retaliation from Beijing, and has since shifted toward negotiations over temporary off-ramps.

U.S. Trade representative Jamieson Greer previewed goals for Trump’s state visit last month on Fox News’ “My View with Lara Trump,” sharing that a top priority is stability between the two countries.

“We want to make sure we continue to have a flow of the rare earth we need for our manufacturing we wanna make sure that the Chinese continued to buy a lot of American agriculture and airplanes and other kinds of things that Americans are good at making, and we want to set the table to continue to have stability over the next six months to a year and so these are the kind of things that we’re looking for as outcomes from the trip,” Greer said.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.

Ashley J. DiMella reports on politics for Fox News Digital.

Jordan grills Soros-backed DA Descano in heated spat over soft-on-crime policy: ‘This is almost laughable’

May 14, 2026 2:01pm EDT / Fox News

Jordan pressed Descano on website language about considering immigration consequences in charging decisions

By Charles Creitz, Fox News

Soros-backed prosecutor’s testimony erupts in shouting match

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephen Descano battled each other in a tense debate during a House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing.

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House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, tussled with high-profile Soros-backed Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephen Descano over soft-on-crime policies that critics said let illegal immigrant criminals back on the street.

Descano was seated two spots away from Cheryl Minter, mother of Stephanie Minter, who was allegedly murdered by Sierra Leone national Abdul Jalloh at a bus stop not far from George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

Minter’s case, following several similar incidents and the failure by Descano or fellow witness Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Ann Kincaid to honor ICE detainers, spurred lawmakers to haul them across the river to testify about the rapidly deteriorating safety of what the prosecutor called one of America’s safest counties.

Jordan began by pressing Kincaid on why she “let” illegal immigrant suspect Marvin Morales-Ortiz out of her jail: “Because the guy beside you wouldn’t prosecute him, right?”

HOUSE PANEL SUMMONS SOROS-BACKED FAIRFAX PROSECUTOR OVER RELEASES TIED TO VIOLENT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CASES

Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano speaks at an event in Fairfax County, Va.(Sarah Voisin/Getty Images)

“You’d have to talk to him,” Kincaid replied, adding a judge later ordered his release, before bristling at Jordan’s follow-up question about law enforcement morale in Fairfax.

Jordan then turned to Descano, questioning changes to language on his website about considering immigration consequences in charging decisions.

Descano said the excerpt was part of a “campaign” statement and not an actual law enforcement policy, leading Jordan to incredulously ask whether people should believe his campaign statements will translate into policies upon election.

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Descano countered.

“This is almost laughable,” said Jordan. “This is your policy. You said it right here. You told the voters, if you elect me, I will take into account immigration consequences when making, charging and pleading [decisions].”

Descano’s exchange with next Republican to ask questions, Rep. Jeff Van Drew of South Jersey, also quickly escalated into near-shouting.

WAVE OF ALLEGED MIGRANT MURDERS IGNITES FURY ACROSS US AS OFFICIALS WARN OF MORE CARNAGE, CRACKDOWN NEEDED

Van Drew criticized sanctuary policies, including in his home Garden State, and told Minter that his own condolences could not do justice to what happened to her daughter in Descano’s territory.

Video

He called the conditions in sanctuary jurisdictions “bizarro world” and asked the prosecutor if communities are safer when illegal immigrant criminals are deported or when they are released.

“Well, sir, that’s not –” Descano began before Van Drew cut him off. “Yes or no – I’m asking the questions.”

“You’re a human being. You’re sitting next to a woman who lost her daughter. Can you tell me if illegal criminals are removed from the country; if we’re safer,” Van Drew said, prompting a fiery response from Descano:

“To suggest I don’t care about what happens in my community…” he began before more crosstalk ensued.

“Dammit, answer my question,” Van Drew eventually fumed.

GRIEVING VIRGINIA MOTHER TELLS FAR-LEFT PROSECUTOR ‘DO YOUR JOB’ AFTER DAUGHTER STABBED TO DEATH

“Explain to the lady next to you (Cheryl Minter). Abdul Jalloh was charged in your county more than 40 times. Not four times. 40 times. Your office dropped the charges in almost every single case. That’s fact. We have it documented. We can look at it your own. Fairfax County Police Department wrote your office May 2025 saying he had shown a, quote, ‘blatant disregard for human life and was a danger to the community’ and that if he wasn’t detained and deported, he would seriously hurt someone or kill someone,” Van Drew said.

“The very man went out and then killed someone. So the question is, couldn’t’ve we done better there?”

Video

Another panelist also elicited occasional rifts with the lawmakers. Libertarian analyst David Bier of the Cato Institute often defended the idea of counties making their own decisions about whether to cooperate with federal law enforcement.

Part of Bier’s opening statement drew some eyebrows on X, as he appeared to suggest as much as 20% of Fairfax County’s population is deportable – when trying to argue against mass deportation.

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“The first step would be to give up on the mass deportation fantasy. About 1 in 5 Fairfax residents is someone who could be deported or who lives with them. It would destroy neighborhoods, rip Americans away from their spouses, parents, friends, families, customers, employees, employers, nurses, nannies, and teachers,” Bier said.

Bier also accused DHS of ignoring the Laken Riley Act and instead of “racially profiling Americans at Home Depot” and shooting people like Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.

Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.

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US EPA proposes delaying enforcement of Biden vehicle pollution rule

2026-05-14 17:41:56 UTC / Reuters

By David Shepardson

May 14, 2026 5:41 PM UTC Updated 36 mins ago

Vehicles drive on the 110 freeway towards downtown Los Angeles, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., April 23, 2026. REUTERS/Mike Blake Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Enforcement of rule delayed until 2029 model year
• Rule covers six pollutants responsible for smog
• EPA says delay will save automakers $1.7 billion
• Environmental groups say move will increase illness, deaths

WASHINGTON, May 14 (Reuters) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed a delay in enforcement of a regulation requiring ‌significant cuts in air pollution from vehicles.

The EPA estimated that delaying former President Joe Biden’s anti-pollution rule would save automakers $1.7 billion. Environmental groups criticized the delay, saying it would lead to an increase in preventable illness and premature deaths.

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The EPA said the proposal, first ​reported by Reuters earlier Thursday, would delay compliance deadlines for light- and medium-duty vehicles for two years ​until the 2029 model year. It cited the decline in U.S. sales of electric vehicles, which it said ⁠made the more stringent pollution rules unattainable for manufacturers.

In April 2024, Biden’s EPA finalized a rule requiring significant ​reductions in so-called “criteria pollutants” emitted from passenger and commercial vehicles from the 2027 through 2032 model years.

The Sierra ​Club criticized the move to delay enforcement of more stringent limits on pollutants from gasoline-powered vehicles. The group said the reductions are “readily achievable using commonsense, low-cost technologies already used by many vehicles.”

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The Sierra Club added that EPA’s analysis “shows that delaying the ​standards would sharply increase harmful pollution, preventable illness, and premature deaths.”

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade ​group representing General Motors GM.N, Toyota Motor 7203.T, Volkswagen VOWG.DE, Ford F.N, Stellantis STLAM.MI, Hyundai 005380.KS and others, said the EPA proposal “makes a lot of sense ‌given ⁠current market conditions.”

The group’s CEO John Bozzella said the Biden emission standards were “unachievable absent significant growth in electric vehicle sales” and would make gasoline-powered vehicles more expensive.

The Biden rules require a 50% reduction through 2032 for light vehicles and a 58% cut for medium-duty vehicles in the six so-called “criteria pollutants”: ozone, particulate matter, carbon ​monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur ​dioxide and lead.

In 2024, ⁠EPA estimated $13 billion in annualized benefits due to reduced emissions of criteria pollutants that contribute to the formation of soot and smog.

The Trump administration has taken a ​series of steps to roll back vehicle regulations. In February, it finalized its ​repeal of ⁠the “endangerment finding” for vehicles, a 2009 determination that greenhouse gas emissions endanger human health, which gave EPA authority to regulate emissions from vehicles.

In December, the Transportation Department proposed significantly reducing the fuel economy requirements from model years ⁠2022 to ​2031, requiring 34.5 miles per gallon on average by 2031, down ​from 50.4 miles per gallon.

This year, Trump signed legislation that ended fuel economy penalties for automakers, and USDOT said they faced no ​fines dating back to the 2022 model year.

Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Nia Williams and David Gregorio

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Former death row inmate Richard Glossip granted bond after nearly being executed 3 times in Oklahoma

May 14, 2026 2:33 PM EDT / CBS News

An Oklahoma inmate who was given a new trial after nearly three decades on death row has now been granted bond, laying the groundwork for his first release from prison since 1997.

Richard Glossip, 63, was arrested that year in the killing of his former boss, Barry Van Treese. After numerous legal challenges, execution dates and “last meals,” Glossip on Thursday was presented with a path out of incarceration.

Oklahoma Judge Natalie Mai set Glossip’s bond at $500,000 in the new order, which would also require him to wear a monitoring device and bar him from traveling outside of the state, communicating with potential witnesses in his case and consuming alcohol or drugs.

The order cited a letter written to Oklahoma’s Pardon and Parole Board in 2023 about Glossip’s situation, which acknowledged that the record “does not support that he is guilty of first-degree murder beyond a reasonable doubt.”

At the time of his death, Van Treese owned the Oklahoma City motel where Glossip worked. He died after being bludgeoned with a baseball bat, court filings show.

Another man, Justin Sneed, confessed to physically carrying out the killing but claimed Glossip paid him to do it. Sneed, who received a lifetime prison sentence, was a crucial witness for the prosecution during Glossip’s capital murder trial. But the validity of his testimony was called into question in 2022, after the state of Oklahoma found evidence that he may have had a mental illness known to prosecutors that went undisclosed in court.

That was the focus of a Supreme Court case that ultimately determined the prosecution’s failure to correct Sneed’s testimony violated Glossip’s constitutional right to due process, granting him a new trial with an order issued in February 2025.

FILE – Oklahoma County sheriff’s deputies lead longtime death row inmate Richard Glossip to a courtroom on June 9, 2025. AP Photo/Sean Murphy

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in June that the state intended to retry Glossip for Van Treese’s death and would not toss out the first-degree murder charge against him, although his office planned to seek a sentence of life imprisonment rather than the death penalty.

Glossip was convicted twice of capital murder. He maintained his innocence throughout his time on Oklahoma’s death row, which saw him narrowly avoid execution three separate times. Nine execution dates were scheduled for him in total. In one instance, an execution was called off after correctional officers had already strapped Glossip to a gurney and begun preparing to give him a lethal injection.

“Mr. Glossip now has the chance to taste freedom while his defense team continues to pursue justice on his behalf against a system that the United States Supreme Court has found to be guilty of serious misconduct by state prosecutors,” said Glossip’s attorney, Donald Knight, in a statement to The Associated Press on Thursday.

Glossip’s wife told AP in a text that the couple were “grateful for the court’s decision.”

“We have been praying for this day,” she said.

Melissa Quinn contributed to this report.

Bessent credits Dem senator with putting ‘country before political ideology’ in Fed chair confirmation vote

The 54-45 vote was mainly along party lines, with all Republicans voting to confirm Trump’s nominee

May 14, 2026 1:28pm EDT / Fox News

By Alex Nitzberg

Senate confirms Kevin Warsh as Fed chair

Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum announces Kevin Warsh’s confirmation as the next Federal Reserve chair on ‘The Story.’

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated that Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., prioritized the nation over partisanship on Wednesday by joining with Senate Republicans in voting to confirm President Donald Trump’s nomination of Kevin Warsh to serve as Federal Reserve System Board of Governors chair.

Aside from Fetterman, the 54-45 vote was strictly along party lines, with Republicans voting for confirmation and Democrats voting against it.

“Today @SenateGOP, along with the Democrat who put country before political ideology, confirmed @POTUS’s nominee Kevin Warsh as the next Chairman of the @FederalReserve,” Bessent declared in a Wednesday post on X.

SENATE CONFIRMS KEVIN WARSH AS FED CHAIR AS TRUMP’S ECONOMIC VISION COMES INTO FOCUS

Secretary Scott Bessent testifies during a Senate subcommittee hearing on “proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of the Treasury” on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on April 22, 2026.(Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

“Chairman Warsh will usher in a new day at an institution that is in need of accountability, sound policy guidance, and the renewed sense of purpose to help guide our economy. His chairmanship opens the door and lays the groundwork for every American family to build and grow in the world’s greatest economy,” Bessent added.

Fetterman said in a statement issued on Wednesday, “I’ve met Kevin Warsh and believe he will be transparent and responsive to Congress and the public. His promise to maintain Fed independence in setting interest rates is crucial and I look forward to working with him.”

“I also maintain we owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Chair Powell. Through multiple administrations and a global pandemic, our economy has been the envy of the world under his steady hand. He never broke the law, has done a remarkable job, and I’m profoundly grateful for his service as Chair. I encourage him to stay on the Fed Board as long as he wants,” Fetterman added.

FETTERMAN CALLS OUT ‘ABSOLUTE SOCIALIST’ SEATTLE MAYOR AND ‘AVOWED COMMUNIST’ GRAHAM PLATNER

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., speaks to reporters outside the Senate Chamber during votes on Nov. 10, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

During his first presidential administration, Trump nominated Powell for the chairmanship. Then, President Joe Biden tapped Powell to remain in the role for a second term.

Trump more recently has been a vociferous Powell critic.

“After my term as Chair ends on May 15, I will continue to serve as a governor for a period of time to be determined. I plan to keep a low profile as a governor. There is only ever one Chair of the Federal Reserve Board. When Kevin Warsh is confirmed and sworn in, he will be that Chair,” Powell said last month.

POWELL WILL REMAIN AT THE FED FOR NOW, SETTING UP POTENTIAL CLASH WITH TRUMP

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6394437277112Jerome Powell to remain Fed governor as Kevin Warsh nomination advances

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The Federal Reserve website notes, “Mr. Powell has served as a member of the Board of Governors since taking office on May 25, 2012, to fill an unexpired term. He was reappointed to the Board and sworn in on June 16, 2014, for a term ending January 31, 2028.”

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.

Trump Mobile says its phone will ship this week, almost a year after announcing the device

May 14, 2026 / 3:50 PM EDT / CBS News

Trump Mobile said it is beginning to ship its gold-toned mobile phone, almost a year after the company first unveiled plans for the device.

“The T1 Phone has arrived!! Those who pre-ordered the T1 Phone will be receiving an update email. Phones start shipping this week!!!,” the company said in a social media post on Wednesday.

The announcement comes amid delays in the $499 phone’s rollout, which the company said last year had been pushed back because of the U.S. government shutdown. Consumers have also raised concerns after Trump Mobile updated its preorder terms in April to say that making a $100 deposit “does not guarantee that a device will be produced or made available for purchase.”

Trump Mobile didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Trump Mobile CEO Pat O’Brien told USA Today that the phones will be delivered over the next few weeks. He added that the first T1 phones are assembled in the U.S. and that models will use components manufactured domestically.

When Trump Mobile announced the phone in June 2025, it said the device would be built in the U.S. The company’s website now says the device is “shaped by American innovation” and relies on “American teams helping guide design and quality.”

Experts have questions

The updated Trump Mobile preorder terms raised questions among consumer law experts, who noted that consumers who put down a deposit for a phone weren’t guaranteed a device.

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“A preorder deposit provides only a conditional opportunity if Trump Mobile later elects, in its sole discretion, to offer the device for sale,” the preorder terms stated. “A deposit is not a purchase, does not constitute acceptance of an order, does not create a contract for sale, does not transfer ownership or title interest, does not allocate or reserve specific inventory, and does not guarantee that a device will be produced or made available for purchase.”

Such language signals the company is providing a “conditional opportunity to buy a phone,” said Eric Chaffee, a business law professor at Case Western Reserve University.

“Their phrase really is intentionally done to make almost crystal clear that no sort of contractual obligation is being formed,” he said. “First off, the fact that what it means is that individuals who have preordered, what they’ve done is given this company a no-interest loan of $100 each.”

The preorder terms favor the company over the consumer, said Danny Karon, a lawyer specializing in consumer fraud issues. He also noted that the terms don’t guarantee the phone will work in all geographic locations or with all mobile phone networks.

“Anyone is free to make a deposit if they’d like,” Karon said. “But as far as the terms and conditions are concerned, they’re weighted too heavily in favor of the company for my liking.”

FBI offers $200,000 for information on former Air Force intelligence specialist charged with spying for Iran

2026-05-14T17:23:53.215Z / CNN

By Kaanita Iyer

2 hr ago
PUBLISHED May 14, 2026, 1:23 PM ET

The Middle East Federal agencies US military National security

See all topics

Monica Witt

FBI

The FBI is offering $200,000 for information that could lead to the arrest of a former Air Force intelligence specialist who was charged in 2019 with spying for Iran.

In an announcement Thursday, the FBI said it is still trying to locate Monica Witt, who it believes defected to Iran in 2013. The agency said it believes she “likely continues to support (Iran’s) nefarious activities.”

“The FBI has not forgotten and believes that during this critical moment in Iran’s history, there is someone who knows something about her whereabouts,” Daniel Wierzbicki, special agent in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Counterintelligence and Cyber Division, said a statement, likely referring to the US’ ongoing tensions with Iran.

“The FBI wants to hear from you so you can help us apprehend Witt and bring her to justice,” it said.

Witt was a former counterintelligence officer for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. From 2003 and 2008, Witt’s work involved counterintelligence assignments that took her to the Middle East.

In 2019, then-Assistant Attorney General John Demers alleged that Witt was targeted and recruited by Iran, and after she defected, she allegedly revealed to Iran the existence of a “highly classified intelligence collection program” and the identity of a US intelligence officer, “thereby risking the life of this individual.”

Prosecutors alleged in the indictment that from around January 2012 to around May 2015, in Iran and elsewhere outside the US, Witt conspired with Iranians to provide “documents and information relating to the national defense of the United States, with the intent and reason to believe that the same would be used to the injury of the United States and to the advantage of Iran.”

After her defection, Iranian government officials provided Witt with “goods and services, including housing and computer equipment,” to facilitate her work for them, according to the indictment. It’s unclear whether she has a lawyer in the US to represent her.

The indictment also charged four Iranians with conspiracy, attempts to commit computer intrusion and aggravated identity theft.