Posts

Trump heads to China with the upper hand — and Xi knows it

For decades, China has held a simple advantage in negotiations with the United States by making itself economically indispensable. Beijing did so by leveraging its position in global supply chains critical to U.S. economic security. Washington weakened its negotiating position by pursuing energy policies that left America exposed to China’s strategy. President Trump’s economic and trade actions have changed that calculation. As Trump prepares to sit across from Xi Jinping in Beijing, the U.S. is positioned to win. The foundation of this strength starts at home with growth. Trump’s deregulatory agenda and tax reforms unleashed investment in American industry after years of stagnation. His administration recognizes that a productive and growing American economy is not just good for workers; it also serves as vital geopolitical leverage that allows the U.S. to withstand the CCP’s pressure. While China’s growth has been weakening, the U.S. economy has been remarkably resilient. This is t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Inside the ‘digital lockdown’ for US officials as Trump arrives in China

As President Donald Trump and hundreds of aides, security personnel and officials prepare to travel to China , many will leave behind one of the most basic tools of modern government: their everyday cellphones. Instead, officials entering China often travel with stripped-down "clean" devices, temporary laptops and tightly controlled communications systems designed to minimize the risk of surveillance, hacking or data collection in what U.S. officials consider one of the world’s most aggressive cyber environments. The precautions can transform even routine tasks into logistical headaches. Messages that would normally travel instantly through encrypted apps or synced devices are instead routed through controlled channels, temporary accounts or relayed in person.  CHINA-LINKED HACKING GROUP TARGETS PHONES BELONGING TO TRUMP FAMILY, BIDEN AIDES: REPORT Contacts disappear. Cloud access is limited. Some officials operate for days without their normal digital footprint. Current and ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Trump to confront Xi at high-stakes summit over China backing for Iran, Russia

The Trump administration is ramping pressure on China over what U.S. officials describe as Beijing’s economic and material support for Iran and Russia ahead of President Donald Trump’s upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. A senior administration official told reporters Sunday that Trump already has spoken "multiple times" with Xi about "the revenue that China provides to both those regimes and therefore as well as dual use goods, components and parts, not to mention the potential of weapons exports." "I expect that conversation to continue," the official said during a White House preview call ahead of Trump’s trip to Beijing. The comments underscore how deeply Iran and Russia have become intertwined with the broader U.S.–China relationship, with the administration increasingly framing Beijing not only as an economic competitor but also as a critical enabler of adversarial regimes. TRUMP SPEAKS WITH CHINESE PRESIDENT XI, WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Michigan Democrats propose package seeking to legalize assisted suicide

Democrats in the Michigan House have proposed a package of bills that aim to legalize medically assisted suicide for certain terminally ill adults. The package, which would create a Death with Dignity Act, would allow certain terminally ill adults with six months or less to live to request and receive medication to end their own life. As part of the package, patients would need to make multiple requests, both in written and oral form, and must wait at least 15 days between requests. They must also receive an evaluation from two doctors, potentially receive a mental health evaluation, be informed of alternatives such as hospice and pain care and be told they may change their minds at any time. "A person who without authorization of the patient willfully alters or forges a request for medication under this act or conceals or destroys a rescission of that request with the intent or effect of causing the patient's death is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not mor...
Post a Comment
Read more

Minnesota Senate votes to ban ICE from wearing masks, allow residents to sue for constitutional violations

The Minnesota Senate on Monday narrowly passed a bill that would restrict federal agents from concealing their identities, with exceptions, and create a path for lawsuits over alleged constitutional violations stemming from immigration enforcement in the state. The bill narrowly passed with a 34-33 party line vote. It now heads to the House, where it faces an uphill battle with the chamber evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. The legislation also instructs schools, day cares and health care facilities to deny access to agents seeking to conduct civil immigration enforcement on their premises without a signed judicial warrant, with some exceptions. And it prohibits certain civil immigration arrests of people attending court proceedings. Additionally, it gives state officials the authority to investigate deaths involving federal agents’ use of force and creates penalties or civil liability in certain cases when someone fails to render aid after a shooting. TRUMP'S IMMIGRA...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pennsylvania man accused of fatal arson after woman allegedly rejected his advances

A Pennsylvania man is accused of setting a home on fire after police said he became upset when a woman at the residence rejected him, killing an Army veteran and seriously injuring two others. Robert Shane Zimmerman, 40, was arrested after allegedly starting a fire at a home in Lewistown around 11:55 p.m. on Wednesday, the Lewistown Police Department wrote on Facebook.  When officers arrived at the scene, several residents said the fire was intentionally set and that people were trapped inside the home, which was rented out to several subletters. A man suffered significant facial injuries after jumping from the second floor of the home and was flown to a burn trauma center with internal burns to his throat. He informed authorities that his girlfriend was still inside. TEXAS WOMAN CHARGED FOR APARTMENT FIRE AFTER ALLEGEDLY BURNING BOYFRIEND’S CLOTHES IN BBQ PIT A woman also sustained serious injuries after passing out from smoke inhalation and falling onto a concrete sidewalk below, a...
Post a Comment
Read more

From ABC license reviews to Comey indictments, Trump's regulatory war on critics enters new phase

The Trump administration is using the immense muscle of federal power to punish media outlets whose coverage is disparaged as overly negative. The president has long used harsh rhetorical attacks against such companies as CNN and The New York Times , as well as individual journalists, and filed a flurry of lawsuits against them. He’s even accused the press of "seditious" conduct. I suppose we’ve grown accustomed to that. But there is a whole new level of escalation that goes beyond intimidation. Trump and his allies are pushing the regulatory levers to force networks to spend enormous time and money to preserve their franchise. And the biggest target right now is ABC. TUNING OUT: WHY MANY AMERICANS ARE SICK OF THE NEWS – ESPECIALLY TRUMP NEWS FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who along with Trump has demanded Jimmy Kimmel ’s firing, has launched a review of the local station licenses connected to the Disney-owned company. This legal war will drag on for years and is unlikely to suc...
Post a Comment
Read more