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FIRST ON FOX: Major Cornyn backer goes all-in for Paxton as GOP rallies after red state shock poll

National Border Patrol Council President Paul Perez praised Paxton for standing up for law enforcement during the Biden years

July 14, 2026 10:00am EDT / Fox News

By Peter Pinedo

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FIRST ON FOX:The country’s largest union of Border Patrol officers is now backing Ken Paxton for Senate after having previously endorsed Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in the Republican primary.

In a statement shared with Fox News Digital, Paul Perez, president of the National Border Patrol Council, said the union is “proud” to endorse Paxton, “because we know he will continue fighting for the resources, policies, and leadership our agents need to keep America’s borders secure.”

This comes as Paxton, Texas’ current attorney general, continues to consolidate GOP support after what was a particularly bruising primary. Meanwhile, according to a recent poll, Democratic candidate James Talarico is running dead even with Paxton, giving Democrats hope he can be the first to flip a Texas Senate seat blue for the first time in nearly four decades.

An upset like that would be devastating for the GOP’s hopes of retaining a majority in the upper chamber.

SHOCK POLL: TALARICO TIES PAXTON IN TEXAS SENATE RACE, THREATENING GOP STRONGHOLD

The country’s largest union of Border Patrol officers is now backing Ken Paxton for Senate in the race against Democratic candidate James Talarico.(Elías Valverde II/The Dallas Morning News via Getty Images; Alberto Silva Fernandez/Getty Images)

Once seen as the outsider candidate, Paxton soared to victory over Cornyn after a last-minute endorsement from President Donald Trump in the May primary runoff. Other Republican leaders who once backed Cornyn have rushed to Paxton’s support, such as Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-N.D., who said he was “all in” for Paxton.

Though he previously backed Cornyn, Perez spoke very highly of the attorney general, saying, “We know Ken Paxton stands with the men and women of the National Border Patrol Council who are on the frontlines protecting our borders, and he has always fought to uphold the rule of law.”

He added that “while many looked the other way during the Biden border crisis, Attorney General Ken Paxton has taken action to defend our state, our nation’s sovereignty and to support those on the front lines.”

A close Trump ally, Paxton was one of the most prolific state attorneys general in suing the federal government under former President Joe Biden. In total, Paxton sued the Biden administration more than 100 times. With Texas comprising over 60% of the U.S. southern border, many of Paxton’s suits against the Biden administration were related to border security. He even sued the Biden administration on his last day in office over offshore drilling limits.

JOHN THUNE GOES ‘ALL IN’ FOR KEN PAXTON AFTER BITTER PRIMARY RIPPED GOP APART

President Donald Trump looks on as National Border Patrol Council President Paul Perez speaks in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 26, 2025.(Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

Paxton responded that he is “honored to earn the endorsement.”

“No one understands the consequences of open-border policies better than the brave men and women serving on the front lines every day,” he said.

“As Attorney General, I have spent years fighting the Biden administration’s unlawful immigrant agenda, defending Texas’ right to secure our border, and standing with law enforcement officers,” he continued. “I will continue that fight by ensuring President Trump’s border security agenda is fully implemented, funded, and never undermined by partisan politics.”

Meanwhile, Talarico, a 37-year-old former middle school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian, has emerged as the top Democratic fundraiser in Senate races, hauling in a massive $27 million in the first three months of this year.

Venezuelan immigrant Louis Sanchez asks Texas National Guard troops to let his family pass through razor wire after they crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico on Sept. 27, 2023, in Eagle Pass, Texas.(John Moore/Getty Images)

Talarico and Paxton are tied at 47% support among likely voters in Texas, according to a New York Times/Siena survey released in late June.

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Paxton, however, has asserted that “Talarico doesn’t belong in Texas,” saying, “He fits in California. He does not fit here.”

In the same vein, Republicans have repeatedly spotlighted Talarico’s past controversial comments, including saying that “God is nonbinary,” that there are six biological sexes and saying he thinks of himself as a Christian who “hates Christianity.”

Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.

Inflation eased more than expected in June as gas prices fell, CPI report shows

July 14, 2026 / 8:35 AM EDT / CBS News

Inflation slowed more than expected in June, easing to an annual rate of 3.5% from 4.2% in May as lower gasoline prices helped cool price growth, according to Labor Department data released Tuesday.

By the numbers

Economists polled by the financial data firm FactSet predicted June inflation would rise at an annual rate of 3.9%.

The cooler reading comes after three consecutive months of increases that pushed the CPI to its highest level in more than three years. Inflation slowed as a result of declining energy prices, with gasoline prices tumbling 9.7% in June from a month earlier.

June’s decline represented the largest one-month decrease since April 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said.

With oil and gasoline prices falling in June and early July, May may represent this year’s peak inflation reading, Oxford Economics said in a report published July 14.

The CPI, a basket of goods and services typically bought by consumers, tracks changes in prices over time.

Core CPI, which excludes the more volatile energy and food categories, rose at an annual rate of 2.6%, down from 2.9% in May and below economists’ expectations.

The lower-than-expected inflation figure comes after the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding last month, which implemented a 60-day ceasefire in the war.

However, tensions between the two countries have since flared as they vie for control of the Strait of Hormuz.

“A serious re-escalation of the conflict would threaten to revive the key upside risk to inflation and raise the odds of rate hikes,” Goldman Sachs analysts said in a research note before Tuesday’s CPI release.

What experts are saying

Experts cautioned that today’s CPI figure doesn’t reflect the recent rise in energy prices driven by renewed tensions between the U.S. and Iran.

On Tuesday, the price of Brent crude, the international benchmark, shot up to a one-month high of more than $86 a barrel after President Trump said the U.S. would reinstitute a military blockade in the Strait of Hormuz and impose a 20% fee on cargo shipments transiting the waterway.

The national average for gasoline sat at $3.86 a gallon on Tuesday, according to AAA, down from a peak of more than $4.50 in May but still above the sub-$3-a-gallon level before the war started.

“Oil and gasoline prices — the main reason inflation eased in June — have started to edge back up on renewed US-Iran tensions, but the CPI won’t reflect this for another month,” Nic Puckrin, a markets expert and former Goldman Sachs analyst, said in an email.

Slowing inflation also offered a reprieve for consumers, who have been grappling with higher energy prices due to the war, said Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit.

“This is good news for the nation, for the Federal Reserve and for many middle-income and moderate-income Americans who were desperate for some relief on inflation,” she said in an email.

However, it’s too soon to tell whether the drop in prices will last, she said. “The concern is that this relief will be short-lived as the war in Iran restarts,” Long added.

What this means for the Federal Reserve

Last month, nearly half of Federal Reserve policymakers signaled they would be open to raising interest rates later this year. However, experts said Tuesday that June’s cooler inflation reading will likely keep the central bank on the sidelines for now.

CME Group’s FedWatch tool showed a 86% probability that the central bank would hold rates steady following the CPI release.

“After today’s benign core inflation release, it appears less likely that the FOMC will raise rates over the next few meetings,” Jeffrey Roach, chief economist for LPL Financial, said in an email. “However, we may still be at an inflection point, given the risk that the energy shock could spill over into other categories of consumer prices.”

The Federal Reserve is scheduled to make its next interest rate decision on July 29.

Edited by Aimee Picchi

诊断放射科医生 金融衍生品交易员与飞行教员 三职业去年最高薪

2026年7月14日 23:32 / 联合早报

AI摘要

• 诊断放射科医生、金融衍生品交易员与飞行教员为本地去年总月薪中位数最高的三大职业，均达2万元。
• 飞行教员连续第二年居首，另两职业则首次跻身榜首；前十高薪职业月薪介于1万3792元至1万7812元。
• 放射科医生与飞行教员业内薪酬差距显著，第75与第25百分位数差额超1万9000元。
• AI热潮推高年轻群体中AI工程师薪资，专家指善用AI将成为影响未来薪酬关键因素。

本摘要由AI辅助生成，仅供参考

HMI医疗中心诊断与介入放射科高级顾问医师熊森威指出，放射科医生的收入通常与工作量成正比，阅片数量越多、完成的影像报告越多，相应的收入也会越高。 （HMI医疗中心提供）

诊断放射科医生、金融衍生品交易员和飞行教员，是本地去年最高薪的三个职业，总月薪中位数均达到2万元。不过分析指出，个别诊断放射科医生和飞行教员的业内实际薪酬差距较大，收入水平因资历、雇主，以及工作性质而有所不同。

人力部于今年6月底发布《2025常年职业工资调查》，公布了520多个常见职业在去年6月的总月薪情况。其中，诊断放射科医生和金融衍生品交易员首次跻身薪酬榜首；飞行教员则继2024年后，连续第二年排在第一位。

其他跻身前十的职业是：首席信息官、技术官或信息安全官、风险管理经理、商业航空公司飞行员、资讯通信技术销售与服务专员、基金和投资组合经理、公司董事，以及船舶经纪人，他们的总月薪中位数介于1万3792元至1万7812元。

这项调查于去年7月至12月进行，以聘有至少25名员工的私人企业为抽样调查对象，共取得5232家企业的有效样本，涵盖约39万1300名去年6月缴交公积金的全职本地居民雇员。

人力部指出，调查中的总月入包括基本工资、加班费、佣金、津贴及其他固定现金收入，但不包括花红。因此，经纪、交易员及高层管理人员等绩效奖金占比较高的职业，其统计薪资可能低于实际总收入。由于数据来自抽样调查，不同年份的工资变化可能受样本影响，解读同比变化时应保持谨慎。

HMI医疗中心诊断与介入放射科高级顾问医生熊森威认为，官方公布的总月薪中位数为2万元，与行业实际情况大致相符。他接受《联合早报》访问时说：“放射科医生的收入通常与工作量成正比，阅片数量越多、完成的影像报告越多，相应的收入也会越高。”

他指出，放射科医生除须评估患者体内结构、协助诊断疾病，还须持续追踪病情及治疗进展，因此工作量相当繁重。

高薪往往伴随更大的压力和风险。一名专注原油市场的不具名金融衍生品交易员说，业内总月薪约1万2000元属常见水平，若要获得更高收入，必须承担更大市场风险，而风险的复杂程度往往超出外界想象。他平常工作超过12小时，并因须要紧盯欧美市场，时常工作至凌晨。

值得注意的是，诊断放射科医生和飞行教员去年总月薪第75百分位数与第25百分位数之间的差距，分别高达1万9151元和2万零433元，远高于其他排名前十的职业（均不超过1万1599元），凸显这两个职业不同从业者薪酬或存在显著差距。

人力资源公司仁立国际执行董事梁昌国博士指出，诊断放射科医生的执业范围广泛，薪酬水平也因经验不同而存在大幅落差。“许多经验丰富的放射科医生通过多种渠道获得收入，包括临床工作、教学、科研以及专业咨询。”

至于飞行教员，他们的薪资则取决于执教机型、教员等级、教学经验、任职机构及培训对象。梁昌国说：“那些具备培训航空公司学员或高级商业飞行员资格的教员，薪酬远高于主要培训私人飞行执照技师的教员。”

AI热潮推高相关职位薪资 或成影响未来薪酬关键

调查结果显示，不同年龄层的高薪职业各异：在25岁至29岁群体中，总月薪中位数最高职业是人工智能（AI）和机器学习工程师；30岁至39岁的是首席信息官、技术官或信息安全官；40岁至49岁及50岁至59岁，则同样是风险管理经理。

本地科技职位配对网站NodeFlair创办人洪仅翔指出，在AI热潮带动下，AI及机器学习工程师需求持续强劲，推高相关职位薪资。AI也正扩大职场薪资差距，未来企业将越来越重视能够熟练运用AI提升效率的人才，而善用AI与否，将成为影响薪酬的重要因素。

梁昌国则认为，从劳动市场角度来看，AI正改变职业竞争优势的基础。未来工作内容将持续重构，真正具竞争力的人才，不仅需要专业知识，也须懂得运用AI辅助决策，在复杂情境下作出判断，并能向利益相关者清楚阐述复杂建议。

他以诊断放射科医生为例说，AI不会全面取代他们，而是推动职业转型。虽然AI已能快速识别医学影像异常、提高阅片效率及协助分流急症，但结合患者病史作出临床判断、参与跨专科沟通，以及承担最终医疗和法律责任，仍须由医生负责。

（柯恩惠支援报道）

Trump’s Strait of Hormuz fee would have cost millions, opened “a very dangerous Pandora’s Box,” experts say

2026-07-14T10:59:00-0400 / CBS News

By Joanne Stocker Verification producer
Joanne Stocker is a verification producer for CBS News Confirmed. She was previously chief editor of Kurdistan 24 English and managing editor at The Defense Post. She has combined open-source investigation methods with on-the-ground reporting to cover conflict, terrorism, and misinformation for over 15 years.

Read Full Bio

Updated on: July 14, 2026 / 12:06 PM EDT / CBS News

If President Trump were to make good on his declaration that the U.S. will impose a 20% fee on cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz it could cost the largest vessels over $30 million per shipment, industry experts say, while logistics companies have called the concept illegal.

The president abruptly changed course on Tuesday, however, announcing in a Truth Social post — just as he had about his original intention to impose the fee — that he had “decided to replace the 20% fee with Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States.”

Mr. Trump did not offer any further detail about his new plans, and there was no immediate reaction from Gulf states.

Shipping industry analysts and logistics companies balked earlier Tuesday at Mr. Trump’s stated intention to impose a fee to cover U.S. security costs incurred as the “guardian” of the strait, calling it illegal and estimating the cost per ship at upwards of $30 million for large tankers.

It is not clear how the Trump administration would have imposed such a levy, but Lloyd’s List estimates that a 20% fee would amount to roughly $17 million for a fully laden large natural gas carrier.

At current Brent crude prices, which are hovering around $80 a barrel, about $16 per barrel “will go to Trump,” said Amena Bakr, head of Middle East and OPEC+ at the Kpler shipping industry intelligence firm, in a social media post Monday.

Even if Brent drops to $60 a barrel, the fee for a fully laden, very large crude carrier, which can carry around 2 million barrels, would have come to $24 million per shipment, Petras Katinas, a research fellow in climate, energy and defense at the RUSI Europe think tank, told CBS News on Tuesday before Mr. Trump’s about-face.

Iranian tolls imposed at the start of the conflict, in contrast, reportedly amounted to around $2 million, or about 1.2% of the value of the oil on board on a very large crude carrier, and unofficial payments made quietly between governments were as low as $120,000, Lloyd’s said.

The U.S. imposing a fee would be “opening a very dangerous Pandora’s Box,” Katinas said, “because in other parts of the world, other countries will decide they want to impose tolls as well. So, we are totally undermining international maritime law, which is already in a fragile situation.”

Other industry groups and shippers said it would be an illegal move.

Two men wade in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz with vessels anchored in the background, off Bandar Abbas, Iran, July 12, 2026. Razieh Poudat/ISNA/AP

“Whether the going rate is $200 or $20m, there is no legal basis for charging vessels to exercise their right of transit passage through an international strait,” Lloyd’s List editor Richard Meade wrote Monday. “Whether such demands originate in Tehran or Washington is largely beside the point. The danger lies in normalising the idea that access to one of the world’s most important maritime arteries can be subject to politically conditioned payments.”

Any imposition of fees on the transport of cargo through the Strait of Hormuz would be “fundamentally wrong,” German logistics company Hapag-Lloyd told CBS News on Tuesday.

“It would be fundamentally wrong to charge tolls for passage through international waters,” a spokesperson for the shipping giant told CBS News. “Tolls for infrastructure such as the Suez Canal or Panama Canal are different, because they reflect major infrastructure investments. That is not the case in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Mr. Trump said Monday that the U.S. was reinstating its naval blockade of Iranian ports and associated vessels, and that it would be “reimbursed” for costs associated with providing security in the strait with the 20% fee on all cargo shipped through the narrow passage.

The U.S. has repeatedly condemned Iran for saying it could impose fees on commercial vessels using the strait after Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding intended to reopen the passage to all ships.

“No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month. “That’s existing international law.”

The strait was always free and open to commercial traffic before the U.S. and Israel launched their joint war with Iran on Feb. 28. Iran responded to the assault by attacking ships and Gulf states, effectively deterring most shippers from using the waterway.

The United Nations’ International Maritime Organization said Tuesday it was “firmly against charging fees for passage through straits used for international navigation.”

“There is no legal basis through which to introduce mandatory tolls simply to transit through a strait,” an IMO spokesperson told CBS News.

As recently as June 25, Rubio told a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Bahrain that Iranian tolls in the strait would risk “total chaos” as a precedent for international shipping.

“International waterways do not belong to any nation state. This is a foundational principle in the world today, without which the world would be in total chaos,” Rubio said. “If, in fact, we accepted that you can charge money to use an international waterway because it happens to be near your territorial space, well then this will spread throughout the world like a contagion.”

Oil prices surged to about $87 a barrel Tuesday morning after rising almost 10% Monday when Mr. Trump first announced the 20% fee. The cost of a barrel of international benchmark Brent crude was back down to $84 a barrel by Tuesday afternoon.

“Snapping an immediate 20% transit fee on cargo ships already underway would prolong adverse cost impacts on global supply chains; though it seems that President Trump’s social media announcement is bluster, his principle and logic are sound: security has a price,” energy and security consultant Myles B. Caggins III told CBS News on Tuesday.

Iran agreed with that assessment, but the Islamic Republic’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, mocked President Trump’s declaration of a 20% fee, saying in a social media post that was “too much” for future tolls.

“POTUS is absolutely right. Whoever provides secure and safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz should be compensated for this service,” Araghchi wrote. “Iran has always been the GUARDIAN of the Strait and will remain so FOREVER. 20% is of course too much. We will be fair.”

Caggins, a retired U.S. Army colonel who has led operations in Iraq and Syria, said Gulf oil and gas producers were “already implementing alternate routes to get supplies to market” due to the impact of the Iran war on traffic through the strait. He said specifically that Iraq had moved to prioritize oil shipments via pipelines to Turkey, and by truck to Syria.

Mr. Trump’s comments on Monday came after the United Arab Emirates’ defense ministry said Iranian cruise missiles struck two oil tankers using a southern shipping route through the strait, along the coast of Oman, which Tehran does not accept.

The U.S. has continued to encourage commercial ships to use the southern route despite repeated attacks by Iran.

台湾行政院长卓荣泰表示为致癌食用油事件检讨与反省

2026年7月14日 23:54 / 联合早报

台湾行政院长卓荣泰星期二（7月14日）在立法院对中联油脂致癌事件说明处理始末，表达“造成国人不安、下游业者焦虑，深感遗憾，会深切自我检讨与反省”。 （路透社）

台湾行政院长卓荣泰星期二（7月14日）在立法院对中联油脂致癌事件说明处理始末，表达“造成国人不安、下游业者焦虑，深感遗憾，会深切自我检讨与反省”。

卓荣泰在“中联油脂大豆沙拉油事件及食安监管机制缺失检讨”专案报告中，强调政府从6月30日接获通报后，每天都有实际积极作为，“绝对没有盖牌，只有趋严处理”。

不过，从报告内容到答复立委的质询，卓荣泰并未清楚说明中联油脂的油品验出第一级致癌物“苯骈芘”（BaP）超标原因，也无法厘清究竟是原料还是制程出了问题。他表示，“这些都待司法与行政进一步调查”。

由南侨、福寿和泰山三家老牌大厂合资成立的中联油脂公司，所供应的大豆沙拉油验出第一级致癌物苯骈芘（BaP）超标四倍，爆出台湾近年最大的食用油事件。

事情的爆发，是因食品大厂南侨公司5月中自主验出苯骈芘，向上游的福寿通报，中联再检验确认后，才于6月30日通报卫生福利部食品药物管理署。

官方起初仅下架第一层油品，以2017年专家会议结论为由，未下架使用致癌油比例20%以下的加工食品。因台北市和台中市政府先行政全面预防性下架，且民众对食安有疑虑，政策急转弯，7月7日才宣布使用致癌油的产品全面预防性下架。

卓荣泰星期二上台报告前，在野的中国国民党和民众党立委在官员席两侧挂着“民进党让人民吃毒油”、“卓荣泰该下台就下台”的长幅布条，手持“我反台毒”、“确保食安”等看板进行抗议。

卓荣泰则有备而来，在报告前还特别提醒立委，他是以最严谨的态度而来，请立委仔细“推敲”他讲的内容。

他在报告中列举民进党政府自6月30日以来的作为，称行政院始终秉持“该查就查、该罚就罚、该公布就公布、该下架就下架”的原则依法行政，并就确保食安优先、彻查刑事不法、保障消费者权益、稳定市场供需，及启动食安法修法等五个面向进行说明。

卓荣泰表示，卫福部是依照2017年的食品违规案件产品下架回收销毁阶层处理原则，只能处理到第一层；7月3日傍晚5时，他特地找来卫福部“要再考虑”第二层如何处理，卫福部隔天召开专家会议，决定只要使用致癌油产品全部下架。

他说，外界误会了，“没有所谓盖牌，是趋严处理”。但在野党立委仍无法接受上述报告。

民众党立委陈昭姿询问，中联油品验出“苯骈芘”超标，究竟是黄豆原料还是制程出问题？卓荣泰表示，尚待司法与行政调查。

民众党立委邱慧洳也指出，2015年食药署就有函释，只要有安全疑虑，就可以预防性下架。行政院食品安全办公室（食安办）在督导什么？卫福部长石崇良答询表示，根据《食品安全卫生管理法》，主管机关有两个，在地方是地方县市政府，在中央是卫福部，食安办最主要是跨部会协调。

民进党立委李坤城质询时则提到，6月15日福寿、福懋、泰山召开品保会议，事后被发现那根本是场“盖牌会议”，他们当时发现油品有问题，但直到纸包不住火，才向卫福部通报。

卓荣泰回应称，7月后才得知该场会议，当时行政官员根本无从得知，而且他们延迟通报、刻意隐匿，就算问了，大概也不会说实话。

卓荣泰还说，行政院已责成卫福部启动食安法修法，并于一周内提出草案，透过强化源头管理、制程管理、异常通报、品质管理，以及数位治理“五个强化”等，全面精进食安管理制度。

Warsh vows to tackle inflation in first congressional testimony as Fed chairman

July 14, 2026 / 12:02 PM EDT / CBS News

By

Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh vowed to tackle inflation during his first congressional testimony as the central bank’s leader on Tuesday, saying rising prices have placed an “undue burden” on American households and businesses.

“The members of our Federal Open Market Committee have no tolerance for persistently elevated inflation. And we share a resolute commitment to restoring price stability,” he said Tuesday morning during a hearing in front of the House Financial Services Committee.

Asked by Rep. French Hill Warsh, a Republican from Arkansas, about the Fed’s plans to achieve price stability, Warsh responded that he is committed to bringing inflation back down to a 2% annual pace, adding that the Fed has interest rate and balance sheet policies to lean on. However, Warsh didn’t disclose how the central bank plans to approach future interest rate decisions.

“Inflation’s a choice. We monetary policymakers need to choose lower prices, and that’s the commitment my colleagues have made,” he said.

Warsh’s comments came after government data released Tuesday showed inflation rose 3.5% annually in June, slowing from the previous month but remaining well above the Fed’s 2% target. A global energy shortage sparked by the war in Iran caused prices to surge, leading to the highest inflation in more than three years in May.

Before Tuesday’s inflation report, the Fed had signaled a somewhat more hawkish outlook. At last month’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting, nearly half of policymakers projected they would support raising interest rates later this year.

But June’s cooler-than-expected inflation reading could signal that Fed officials will leave rates unchanged at their next meeting. Following the CPI release on Tuesday morning, the CME Group’s FedWatch tool showed a 86% probability on Tuesday that the central bank would hold rates steady.

Warsh has argued that the Federal Reserve should be more tight-lipped about its thinking on future interest rate decisions. As part of that, he has outlined changes he plans for the Fed’s communications, including no longer providing forward guidance about the central bank’s future monetary policy.

“We want to get policy right, and I think being somewhat more circumspect in our communications, at least for me, is a better way of calling balls and strikes,” he said on Tuesday.

During Tuesday’s hearing, which is focused on the Federal Reserve’s Semiannual Monetary Policy Report, Warsh also faced questions about his commitment to maintaining independence at the Federal Reserve.

In response to questioning from Rep. Nydia Velázquez, a Democrat from New York, about how Warsh would respond if President Trump or his administration targeted Fed officials because of interest rate disagreements, Warsh said he would “continue to do my job.” He also affirmed that he remains committed to the Fed’s independence.

Edited by Aimee Picchi

Kagan recalls Lindsey Graham’s vote that helped seal her Supreme Court confirmation

July 14, 2026 11:52am EDT / Fox News

Kagan offered condolences from the full court and credited the South Carolina Republican’s humor at her confirmation hearing

By Elaine Mallon Fox News

Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan opened her testimony before the House Appropriations Committee Tuesday by offering condolences following the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-Ky., who died Saturday from a ruptured aorta.

“I wish to express the entire court’s condolences to his, his sister, the rest of his family, his many friends and colleagues here in the House, in the Senate and elsewhere on behalf of the entire court,” Kagan said.

Kagan spent the majority of her tribute to Graham reflecting on Graham’s role in her 2010 confirmation, noting that he was one of just five Senate Republicans to vote in favor of her nomination after she was selected by then-President Barack Obama. Graham’s bipartisan support stood out at the time and has become even more notable as Supreme Court confirmation votes have grown increasingly polarized along party lines.

Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan opened her testimony before the House Appropriations Committee by offering condolences following the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-Ky., who died Saturday from a ruptured aorta.(Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images; Kent Nishimura /AFP via Getty Images)

SUPREME COURT JUSTICES HEAD TO CAPITOL HILL FOR FIRST CONGRESSIONAL APPEARANCE SINCE 2019

“Not many Republicans vote for the nominees of somebody selected by a Democratic president, and not many Democrats do the same for someone selected by a Republican president,” Kagan said. “And one would not expect, such a cross party, if you will vote, certainly from somebody from a deep red or deep blue state. And yet, Senator Graham voted for me.”

“And I vividly remember, because he was a vivid person. The conversation that we had in his office prior to my hearing, where he got to know me, it was a long conversation,” Kagan continued. “He took the opportunity to get to know me.”

She shared that although she did not know Graham well that he will be remembered for his sense of humor.

Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan opened her testimony before the House Appropriations Committee Tuesday by offering condolences following the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-Ky.(Alex Wong/Getty Images)

TRUMP PRAISES LINDSEY GRAHAM AS SENATOR WHOSE KAVANAUGH FIGHT CHANGED SUPREME COURT HISTORY

“I think Al Franken said he was the funniest man in the Senate, but what I remember about that hearing was that somehow Senator Graham made me look funny, which is a harder thing entirely, by asking me what I had done on Christmas the following year,” said Kagan, who is Jewish. “And I’ll skip the, the back and forth. But many people said to me afterwards, that exchange with Senator Graham was the moment my confirmation was sealed.”

Kagan said she remained grateful for the way Graham handled her nomination.

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A woman leaves flowers outside the office of the late U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) at Russell Senate Office Building July 13, 2026, in Washington. Graham died on the evening July 11, 2026, at the age of 71 after a “brief and sudden illness”.(Finn Gomez/Getty Images)

“I want to express my gratitude toward him, not only for his support, but for, approaching the confirmation process, with the kind of seriousness that he did and and the kind of respect he did,” Kagan said.

Graham served 23 years in the Senate and eight years in the House of Representatives.

He died Saturday at age 71.

His sister, Darline Graham, was appointed by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster to finish the rest of his term, which ends in January 2027.

Elaine Mallon is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business covering national politics.

United’s newest premium upgrade guarantees an empty middle seat in economy

2026-07-14T10:57:00-0400 / CBS News

By Megan Cerullo Reporter, MoneyWatch
Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting.

Read Full Bio

Updated on: July 14, 2026 / 11:11 AM EDT / CBS News

United Airlines will soon let travelers pay for one of air travel’s biggest luxuries: an empty middle seat. The new Economy Plus option will debut later this year on the carrier’s new Airbus A321XLR aircraft, the airline said Tuesday.

The new Economy Plus option will go on sale later this year for flights departing soon afterward. United said it is the only U.S. airline offering the seating option and will release pricing and additional details closer to launch.

United’s fleet of 50 Airbus A321XLR aircraft will each include a special seating row with open middle seats, which will be “repurposed as shared spaces with large custom tables,” according to the airline.

The carrier claims to be the first U.S. airline to offer such a seating option. United Airlines

While passengers will gain additional elbow room, they’ll still share the fixed table spanning the empty middle seat.

United’s new Airbus A321XLR aircraft are expected to start flying domestic routes this fall, with international service slated to begin in early 2027.

Armrest space can be a contentious issue among airline passengers packed into cramped spaces, with no formal guidance on which passenger is entitled to the armrests on either side of their seat. Some travel experts say passengers in window and aisle seats should yield them to the person in the middle seat, who has the least personal space.

United’s custom tables will reach from armrest to armrest across the unoccupied middle seats, “giving customers sitting in the window or aisle seat extra space to stretch out on longer international flights,” the airline said. “The table is permanently fixed, with a soft leather-like covering, and two indentations for cups.”

United recently announced another seating innovation: its United Relax Row seats in economy class can recline into a lie-flat surface, and will become available for purchase in early 2027.

“We’re investing nose-to-tail across our fleet and giving customers choice and value in every cabin,” Andrew Nocella, United executive vice president and chief commercial officer said in a statement.

Edited by Aimee Picchi

特朗普若对霍尔木兹海峡货运收费 或导致航运成本翻倍

2026年7月14日 20:03 / 联合早报

7月13日，船只在阿联酋东部岸外的霍尔木兹海峡航行。 （法新社）

（华盛顿／德黑兰综合电）美国总统特朗普宣布对经由霍尔木兹海峡运输的货物收费，引发反弹。除了伊朗发声嘲讽，国际海事组织也表明反对。分析界更质疑美国的收费计划能否落实，因为这可能导致航运成本增加一倍以上。

特朗普星期一（7月13日）突然宣布，美国是霍尔木兹海峡的守护者，并对海峡货运征费20%。不过他星期二又突然改变口风，在社交媒体发文说，“与中东多国领导人进行了高度富有成效的对话后，决定以各个波斯湾国家将在美国进行的贸易与投资协议”，替代20%收费。

对于特朗普早前的说法，伊朗外交部长阿拉格齐称，伊朗才是海峡守护者，而且收费会比美国便宜。

阿拉格齐星期二（14日）在社交媒体发文说：“美国总统说得太对了。谁保障霍尔木兹海峡的航运安全，谁就应该收这笔服务费。伊朗一直是这个海峡守护者，以后也永远是。20%当然太高了，我们会很公道。”

伊朗议会国家安全和外交政策委员会主席阿齐兹过后也说，伊朗议会已正式提出《霍尔木兹海峡和波斯湾安全与可持续进程战略行动》法案，要确保海峡安全。

他在社媒上写道：“我们会坚定捍卫我们的红线，尤其是对霍尔木兹海峡的管理。这是第一步，后续措施即将出台。”

特朗普宣布要收费后，国际海事组织（IMO）表明，坚决反对在用于国际航运的海峡收取通行费。它说，强制收取海峡通行费的做法没有任何法律依据。

巴西总统卢拉则说，如果对途经霍尔木兹海峡的船只收取高额费用，将使长期以来致力于打击海盗行为的美国沦为“海盗国家”。

美国广播公司（ABC）报道，美国政府官员、外国政府与国际机构似乎都对特朗普的收费宣布感到意外。美国国务卿鲁比奥就一直公开反对在霍尔木兹海峡收费，他日前才说：“世界上没有哪个国家会支持付钱才可通过海峡的做法。”

《卫报》指出，特朗普的收费计划标志着美国政府的政策大转弯，也颠覆了美国数百年来支持全球航行自由的原则。

不过，特朗普尚未说明有关收费的细节，这项计划的可行性与合法性也存疑。

美国海军战争学院国际海事法教授克拉斯卡告诉美国有线电视新闻网（CNN），从特朗普的宣布来看，美国要收取的是为船只护航的费用。如果是自愿付费，那将是合法的，托运方也可自行决定是否支付。但他指出，此举即使合法，也未必合理。

戈德温全球战略公司总裁戈德温告诉美国消费者新闻与商业频道（CNBC）：“如果美国真能安全护送船只，并保证它们不受伊朗威胁，那么我们过去几周应该可以看到了。因此，我认为这实际上只是虚张声势。”

《纽约时报》报道，航运公司与物流专家预计，特朗普的收费计划一旦落实将大幅增加通过霍尔木兹海峡运输油气和其他产品的成本。

荷兰国际集团（ING）物流高级经济师卢曼说，油轮公司把原油从波斯湾运往欧洲的运费约为每桶10美元（约13新元）。按当前每桶约80美元的原油价格来算，经霍尔木兹海峡运输的原油每桶须向美国缴费16美元，即每桶的运费达26美元。

对一艘装载200万桶原油的大型油轮来说，总运输成本更将增加超过3000万美元。石油进口商很可能把部分成本转嫁给消费者。

彭博社引述知情者报道，伊朗这方面的临时安排是，对每趟航程收取的费用最高为200万美元。

Folarin Balogun says he knew FIFA decision to lift red card suspension would “cause a lot of controversy”

2026-07-14T10:51:15-0400 / CBS News

By Kelsie Hoffman

July 14, 2026 / 10:51 AM EDT / CBS News

U.S. soccer star Folarin Balogun said in an interview Tuesday that while he was happy to rejoin his team following FIFA’s divisive decision to lift his red card suspension for the team’s match against Belgium, he knew it was “going to cause a lot of controversy.”

“I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves because it was something that’s so unique. But the closer we got to the game, I tried to just focus as best as I can,” Balogun told “CBS Mornings” on Tuesday.

The 25-year-old striker received a red card during the first round of the World Cup knockout stage when the U.S. took on Bosnia and Herzegovina. The red card meant not just an ejection from the round of 32 game, but also a suspension for the team’s next game.

Balogun said he “was in shock” when he got the red card and didn’t agree with the call.

“When something is not intentional … it should never be a red card,” Balogun said. “So it was just an unfortunate situation and I think, you know, it put a lot more pressure on us than we needed. “

Despite being down a player for much of the second half, the U.S. men went on to win the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0.

Afterward, President Trump called the head of FIFA and asked for the controversial call against Balogun to be reviewed.

“I asked for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul,” Mr. Trump said in the Oval Office after an unrelated event. “I thought it was two great athletes that crashed into each other and got entangled.”

Folarin Balogun of the U.S. fouls Tarik Muharemovic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was later reviewed and awarded as a red card during the FIFA World Cup Round of 32 match, on July 1, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. Michael Steele/Getty Images

FIFA President Gianni Infantino would confirm Mr. Trump called him, but he said the FIFA Disciplinary Committee was already reviewing the red card and the president’s call did not impact the decision.

FIFA’s decision to lift Balogun’s one-game ban drew heavy criticism.

But amid the controversy, Balogun said his teammates provided him with “a lot of reassurance.”

“It wasn’t something I could change,” he said. “It was just a situation that was unfortunate, which gave me confidence.”

He was permitted to play against Belgium, which dominated the U.S. in the round of 16, winning 4-1. Despite the controversy ahead of the match, Balogun said the U.S. was prepared and able to separate “emotion from the job at hand.”

“It is not something I think was too difficult to be able to separate once we kind of got over the initial announcement that I would be back on the team,” Balogun said. “I think you saw, definitely, it was a difficult game against Belgium, and that can kind of overshadow whether we were focused on not. But … I know we had full concentration going into the game.”

Uniting U.S. fans

The U.S. men’s national team’s victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina was its first World Cup knockout round win since 2002.

Balogun said “it was amazing to be part of it” and he feels the team was “able to unite the country.”

“I think you could see how many fans and how many young kids were really captured by it,” he said.

For him, the journey isn’t over. Balogun said he expects to play for the U.S. in the next World Cup.