Tonight on Amanpour and Company, Wednesday, May 13th, 2026
James Jacoby
Director, "The President vs the Fed" Frontline on PBS
President Trump is in China, having landed in Beijing for a high-stakes summit — the first visit by a U.S. president in nearly nine years. Trump is accompanied by a delegation of high-profile business leaders, including Apple's Tim Cook and Nvidia's Jensen Huang. Both the U.S. and China appear to be seeking economic opportunity from the summit. But back in the U.S., economic headlines show surging inflation and skyrocketing energy costs due to the President's war with Iran. The higher inflation rate makes it unlikely the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates this year despite the President's demands. It all amounts to a headache for Kevin Warsh, who is set to take over as Fed Chair this week. Warsh vowed in his confirmation hearing that he would be independent of the White House. For more than a year outgoing Fed Chair Jerome Powell, himself a Trump pick, has faced relentless criticism and legal targeting by the administration. This unprecedented pressure campaign is the subject of a new Frontline documentary, "The President vs The Fed." Its director, James Jacoby, joins the show from New York.
Dr. Paul Offit
Director, Vaccine Education Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
The ousting of the FDA Commissioner is the latest in a string of high-level personnel changes at the HHS. There is currently no Surgeon General and no confirmed Director of the CDC. Meanwhile, according to The New York Times, Health Secretary RFK Jr. has been driving internal researchers to try to prove his invalid theory that vaccines are harmful; and CNN has learned the FDA is suppressing studies that show vaccines are safe. Dr. Paul Offit is a longtime vaccine scientist who was dismissed from an FDA vaccine advisory committee last September.
REPORT: RUSSIAN CARGO SHIP MYSTERY
An investigation has revealed that a Russian cargo ship, believed to be carrying two submarine nuclear reactors destined for North Korea, sank in unexplained circumstances off the coast of Spain back in 2024. Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh traveled to the Mediterranean to get to the bottom of the mystery.
Tyler Pager
White House Correspondent, The New York Times
In the nearly ten years since President Trump first visited China in 2017, it is fair to say a lot has changed. Between the war in Iran, tariffs, Taiwan and tech leaders, many are wondering what issues Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will prioritize during this historic visit. New York Times White House Correspondent Tyler Pager joins the show to discuss global issues that might influence this meeting, and what Trump might be hoping to achieve.
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