Economically, the trade war may be bad news for Xi Jinping, but ideologically and politically it is a gift. As Donald Trump bragged to his acolytes in Washington that foreign leaders were queuing up and "kissing my ass", Beijing was announcing a "fight to the end". Trump may be about to discover that it is unwise to insult Beijing. The harder he plays it, the harder Beijing will play it back. read more
Phil Klay: So now it's clear: The Trump administration has not kept sensitive details of national security secure. read more
Only a "fraudster" would care if they miss a Social Security check, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a new interview this week. Lutnick discussed how he believes Americans would respond to going a month without a Social Security check during an interview on the podcast All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg. During the appearance, Lutnick said the average American, using his mother-in-law as an example, would not complain about not receiving their checks for a month but that someone who was hacking the system would do so. "Let's say Social Security didn't send out their checks this months. My mother-in-law is 94, she wouldn't call up and complain. She just wouldn't. She would think something got messed up and she'd get it next month," he said. "A fraudster always makes the loudest noise, screaming, yelling and complaining." read more
Dominic Lawson: Republicans who think the US president will fight for Taiwan are deluded. read more
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance in Germany on Friday, said Ukraine was not invited to the talks in Saudi Arabia and Kyiv would not engage with Russia before consulting with strategic partners. read more
"It is well established that the Fifth Amendment entitles aliens to due process of law in deportation proceedings."
Antonin Scalia
Reno v. Flores (1993)