In partnership with
Anna's Daybreak News
Just facts, you think for yourself
Wednesday, 5:19 AM
May 13, 2026
Good morning news friend! Discover today’s defining stories and the future they set in motion. 📰🌟
Today’s Daybreak: Trump heads to Beijing with America’s biggest CEOs as trade, Taiwan, AI, and Iran collide. Inflation is heating up again, with oil over $100 and gas prices squeezing households. MBA programs are slashing tuition as AI reshapes career math. A fugitive financier seeks a presidential pardon. The FDA loses its commissioner amid political pressure. And in health: why sitting all day may be more dangerous than your workout can fix.
Notice: If you’re reading this email in the Gmail app, you will not be able to see both of our health articles at the bottom. 👉 Click here to view the full newsletter online — it’s free and easy to read.
Trump Visits Beijing
President Trump will visit Beijing May 13-15, for talks with Xi Jinping focused on trade, not the Iran war. Trump asserted the Iran conflict is "under control" and expects either a deal or "decimation."
His delegation includes over a dozen top U.S. business leaders, such as Elon Musk (Tesla), Tim Cook (Apple), and Jensen Huang (Nvidia).
This is the first U.S. presidential visit to China in nearly a decade, following a trade truce signed in October 2025 after a tariff war.
Key agenda items include trade, Taiwan, AI, and regional security. China remains a major Iranian oil buyer, complicating diplomacy amid the U.S.-Israel war and global energy crisis.
Do you think that prioritizing trade talks over the Iran war during this summit is the right strategic choice for the U.S.?
Margaret is 78.
She lives alone in Phoenix.
And twice a week, she runs a dangerous clinical trial on herself in her bathroom.
The two possible outcomes?
Stay alive. Or move into a nursing home with only one functioning side of her body.
She isn't doing this for science. She’s doing it because her rent went up, and the copay for her blood thinner, Eliquis, is just too high. So she skips Tuesdays. And Thursdays. And Sundays.
She didn't tell her doctor. She didn't tell her daughter. She just quietly rations her pills to pay the gas bill.
This is the real prescription drug crisis. It's not just that drugs are expensive. It's that the people we love are secretly cutting their pills in half, increasing their risk of a stroke by 39%, because nobody told them there is a better way.
The exact same pill, made in the exact same factory, is now sold at six radically different prices. Depending on who you are and how you buy it, that $600 pill could cost $346, $231, $47, or $5.
You just have to know which door to walk through.
We mapped the entire system. We call it the Six-Drug Switch. It is a step-by-step audit of the most common prescriptions for anyone over 60, and it shows you exactly how to find the bottom price.
Here is what you need to know before Medicare open enrollment closes:
1. The Pillbox on the Counter
Margaret is skipping her Eliquis to pay the gas bill. We show you the math behind her silent gamble, and why you need to check your parents' medicine cabinet this weekend. [Read Section 1]
2. The Hidden Cost of Rationing
People think skipping a pill saves money. It doesn't. We explain why dodging a $187 copay often triggers a $100,000 hospital bill—and what "cost-related non-adherence" actually looks like. [Read Section 2]
3. The Six-Channel Maze
List price. TrumpRx. Mark Cuban's Cost Plus. Medicare Part D. We break down why a 30-day supply of the exact same pill ranges from $606 down to $10, and how to figure out which category you fall into. [Read Section 3]
4. What the Last 7 Days Changed
The rules just flipped. We cover the White House's new drug pricing framework, Mark Cuban's latest moves, and the new $50 cap on weight-loss drugs for Medicare patients. [Read Section 4]
5. The Six-Drug Switch: The Step-by-Step Audit
We break down the six drug classes that make up almost every 60+ regimen: blood thinners, statins, GLP-1s, SGLT2s, PPIs, and blood pressure meds. We give you the exact decision rules for each. [Read Section 5]
6. The Mistakes Quietly Costing You
Adult children read the headlines, assume their parents should use new direct-pay websites, and end up paying more. We explain why using discount cards on Medicare can actually destroy your $2,100 safety net. [Read Section 6]
7. Edge Cases and Exceptions
Not everyone fits the standard mold. We cover the specific rules for dual-eligible patients, high spenders who hit their out-of-pocket cap early, and people over 65 still on employer-sponsored plans. [Read Section 7]
8. The 30-Day Action Plan
Medicare open enrollment closes December 7. But doctor conversations take 60 to 90 days. We give you a simple, four-week playbook to audit the pillbox, route the prescriptions, and lock in the right 2027 plan. [Read Section 8]
You aren't doing this just to save a few bucks.
You're doing it for the peace of mind that comes when the pillbox is full. You're doing it for the hospital phone call you don't get on a random Tuesday.
Read the full guide. Get the exact steps. Fix the pillbox today.
Inflation Flashpoint
US inflation rose to 3.8% in April 2026, the fastest since May 2023, driven by energy costs from the US-Iran conflict and Strait of Hormuz closure.
Gasoline prices climbed 50%, averaging $4.50 per gallon. Food and airfare prices also rose sharply. Wages increased 3.6%, failing to match inflation, causing real wage decline and squeezing households.
Auto and credit card loan delinquencies hit record levels. Inflation expectations rose, with 5- and 10-year break-even rates at multiyear highs. Oil prices reached $102 per barrel, up 78% this year.
The Federal Reserve held rates at 3.5%-3.75%, with limited chances of cuts due to persistent inflation and a steady labor market.
Sources: Bloomberg, WallStreetJournal, BBC, Com
Do increasing household debts, especially in auto and credit card delinquencies, indicate an imminent broader economic downturn?
MBA Fire Sale
MBA programs face declining applications, prompting schools to offer discounts up to 50%. Purdue’s Daniels School cut tuition 40% to $35,000-$36,000 for its MBA. U.C. Irvine offers 38% off Flex and Executive MBAs featuring AI curricula, with tuition from $30,000 to $48,000.
Johns Hopkins Carey grants 50% scholarships to Maryland grads in specialized master’s programs. Washington University’s Olin provides $10,000 scholarships targeting workers affected by AI for its one-year AI for Business master’s.
Demand for traditional MBAs falls as professionals prioritize job security amid AI concerns.
Financial aid has risen to 62%, with merit scholarships at 47%. Schools rely on steep discounts to attract cautious, AI-focused candidates, straining finances.
Sources: WallStreetJournal
Pardon Playbook
Jho Low, accused of orchestrating a $4.5 billion 1MDB fraud, including $2 billion in bribes and $1 billion in kickbacks, has requested a U.S. presidential pardon for 2026.
Low remains a fugitive and denies wrongdoing. Goldman Sachs bankers involved faced penalties and prison; the bank paid over $5 billion. Low surrendered $700 million in assets and reached a 2024 settlement.
Malaysia suspended but did not cancel Interpol’s red notice to aid asset recovery. Low claims involvement in diplomatic deals and is negotiating to return more funds.
The White House says Low’s pardon request isn’t under active review. Investigations and asset recoveries continue globally.
Sources: WallStreetJournal, Co, Bloomberg
Should the U.S. Justice Department publicly disclose the status and rationale behind high-profile pardon requests?
Click here to read the poll results and comments from our previous edition. Over 3,534 people gave their opinion about pausing gas tax and more.
Makary’s FDA Exit
Dr. Marty Makary resigned as FDA commissioner after 13 months amid conflicts with the Trump administration and industry.
He opposed Trump’s push to approve flavored vaping products, citing health concerns, which frustrated the president and executives. Makary also faced criticism from anti-abortion groups over slow mifepristone reviews and from drugmakers after rejecting multiple rare-disease therapies.
His tenure saw nearly all senior FDA officials depart, including vaccine chief Dr. Vinay Prasad. Makary introduced faster drug review processes using AI, but without formal rulemaking, drawing congressional skepticism.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. initiated his replacement. Trump named Kyle Diamantas acting commissioner. Makary resigned before a Senate hearing, leaving FDA reforms uncertain amid political and industry pressures.
Sources: WallStreetJournal, Pbs, CNBC
How would you rate Marty Makary's tenure as FDA commissioner?
Sitting’s Silent Threat
Prolonged sitting reduces muscle activity, slowing glucose absorption and increasing type 2 diabetes risk. It lowers blood flow, raising blood pressure, heart disease risk, unhealthy cholesterol, and abdominal fat.
Even active individuals face risks if sitting excessively. Sedentary behavior harms posture, causing neck, shoulder, and lower back strain, while reducing mental alertness.
Globally, physical inactivity contributes to 4-5 million deaths annually. Workplace interventions like standing or moving every 30-60 minutes, adjustable desks, and walking meetings cut sitting by 1 to 1.5 hours daily, improving metabolism, heart health, focus, and reducing pain.
Regular exercise helps but does not fully offset sitting’s harms, requiring changes in daily work habits.
Sources: SciTechDaily
Do you believe that prolonged sitting is an independent health risk, even if people exercise regularly?
“Always Take Collateral on a Secret. Never hand the title-deed to your good name over to another fellow unless you are securely holding his reputation right in your other pocket.”
Information is free. Intelligence is scarce.
You are one of 550,000 readers receiving this briefing. That is a crowd.
To join the 1,800 investors who receive our redacted contract briefings and wealth defense protocols, you need to step behind the velvet rope.
Join the Inner Circle.
Baked with love,
Anna Eisenberg ❤️