Trump, Xi, Putin to Meet in Shenzhen

President Donald Trump is scheduled to sit down with the leaders of China and Russia next week. The meeting will take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen. This gathering places the U.S. president alongside his counterparts from the world’s other two major powers in a single venue.

Washington is also facing major legal and economic hurdles. The Supreme Court has agreed to review Trump’s executive order that suspends asylum access at the southern border. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressed frustration over the Commerce Department’s delay in restricting Nvidia chip exports. Bessent cited the company’s alleged ties to China as the reason for the urgency.

The diplomatic front remains active. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that further U.S. military action against Iran is unnecessary. He argued that the economic pain inflicted on the weakened Islamic Republic is already severe enough to achieve the desired pressure.

Inside Congress, the political landscape is shifting. Democrats, who gained power in the midterms due to voter backlash against Trump, are now seeking ways to collaborate with the White House. Republicans are grappling with their unexpected losses. In the Senate, Maryland’s Chris Van Hollen has emerged as a challenger to New York’s Chuck Schumer for the position of majority leader.

In related news, Pope Leo XIV has returned to his former diocese in Chiclayo, Peru. The visit marked an emotional homecoming for the pontiff. In legal circles, attorneys for Alex Murdaugh asked a judge to throw out the original murder indictments. They argued that the chief investigator in the case lied to the grand jury regarding the deaths of his wife and son.

SpaceX recently failed to recover its entire Starship at the Texas launch pad. The company lost the vehicle during its recovery attempt, ending the mission without the full hardware returning to the pad.