China Flexes Military Might in WWII Anniversary Parade
China held its World War II 80th-anniversary celebration this week, featuring a massive military parade. The spectacle brought together some of Washington's toughest adversaries, including Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, and Iran's president, in a show of defiance against the West.
In a moment caught on a “hot mic,” Presidents Xi and Putin mused about modern medicine and organ transplants potentially extending human lifespans to 150 years.
Trump responded to the whole event, posting to Xi on Truth Social, “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un as you conspire against the United States of America."
And just a couple of days before, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first visit to China in seven years, where he was photographed literally holding hands with his Russian and Chinese counterparts at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, headed up by Russia and China. This comes after President Trump doubled 50% tariffs on India for continued Russian oil purchases, which is one of his attempts to drive a wedge between these partnerships. Modi has signaled India won't stop buying Russian oil and has moved to patch up ties with China—outcomes that directly contradict President Trump's goals.
🚀 Space Force Headquarters Moving South: Space Command was originally established in 1985 but absorbed into Strategic Command in 2002. President Trump reestablished it as a standalone command in 2019 with Colorado Springs as temporary headquarters. The Air Force selected Huntsville as the permanent location in 2021, which Trump approved in the last days of his first administration, but Biden reversed this decision in 2023. On Tuesday, Trump announced Space Force will finally relocate to Huntsville's “Rocket City,” transferring roughly 1,400 jobs over five years.
💊 Military Action in Caribbean: The U.S. Navy destroyed a suspected drug-running boat off Venezuela, killing its crew of 11 in what officials say was the first time a military missile was used against a "go-fast" drug boat. “There's more where that came from,” President Trump warned.
🪖 Department of Defense Gets New Old Name: In the 200th executive order of his second term, President Trump is restoring the title of the Department of Defense back to the Department of War, in an effort to project toughness and restore “warrior ethos.” George Washington created the original Department of War, and it maintained its name until 1947. After World War II, it reorganized and became the “National Military Establishment,” before settling on “Department of Defense” in 1949.
🏛️ Legal W’s and L’s: A federal appeals court ruled many of Trump's tariffs illegal but delayed enforcement until mid-October for Supreme Court review, while another judge ordered the restoration of $2.2 billion in research funding to Harvard University. The administration plans to appeal this decision.
📜 Sitting Senator Challenges Founding Principles: In the opening statement at his hearing to be confirmed for Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Riley Barnes said that human rights come from “God our Creator,” quoting Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was obviously referencing the Declaration of Independence. In response, Senator Kaine (D-VA), Hillary Clinton’s running mate in 2016, dropped this zinger: “The notion that rights don’t come from laws or the government, but come from the Creator, that’s what the Iranian government believes… The statement that our rights do not come from laws or government is extremely troubling.”
📉 Job Market Stalls: The U.S. economy added just 22,000 jobs in August, well below expectations, with revisions showing employment actually fell in June—ending a 53-month job growth streak. Unemployment ticked up to 4.3%, the highest since 2021. Unfortunately, getting a new statistician only made the numbers worse.
✈️ Travel Surge Continues: TSA screened a record 10.4 million travelers over Labor Day weekend, marking a 3.3% jump over last year and making this the busiest summer for air travel in 15 years, with 5 million flights since Memorial Day. Friday was the busiest day ever for the Friday before Labor Day, with TSA officers screening 2,971,217 passengers. Proud to say I was that 2,971,217th passenger.
🌍 International Crises: Afghanistan is struggling with rescue efforts after an earthquake killed over 800 people, with landslides blocking mountain roads. Meanwhile, Israeli forces flattened high-rise buildings in Gaza City, saying they were used by Hamas for military purposes.
