Morning Brief: China Hosts US Foes At Military Parade, EU Censorship, New Orleans Crime Crackdown

China hosts Russia and North Korea for a massive military parade, flexing its muscles and showcasing new advanced weaponry. European speech laws come under scrutiny in a U.S. House hearing after an Irish comedian is arrested in London for X posts made in America. President Trump weighs sending federal forces to New Orleans at the governor’s request, while blue city leaders resist his help despite rampant crime.

It’s Thursday, September 4, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.

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China Flexes Military Muscle in Massive Parade

Topline: China hosted a record-setting military parade in Beijing on Wednesday, showcasing new advanced weaponry and deepening its ties with American adversaries like Russia and North Korea.

The parade, held on the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II, featured tens of thousands of troops marching through Tiananmen Square. China flaunted new hypersonic missiles, long-range drones, and stealth fighters for the first time. The event was attended by the leaders of 26 countries, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

In a speech, Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke of the “rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” a phrase the CCP often uses when discussing a potential takeover of Taiwan. President Trump responded from the White House, reminding Xi of the “massive amount of support and blood that the United States gave to China in order to help it secure its freedom.”

In a bizarre hot mic moment, Putin and Xi were overheard discussing human immortality, with Putin suggesting biotechnology could allow people to “live younger and younger,” to which Xi replied that there is a “chance of living to 150” this century.

European Speech Laws Under Fire After Comedian’s Arrest

Topline: The recent arrest of an Irish comedian in London over X posts he made in the United States has thrust Europe’s draconian speech laws into the spotlight, with U.S. lawmakers now warning of a “censorship regime” that threatens Americans.

Laws like the E.U.’s Digital Services Act and the U.K.’s Online Safety Act hold tech companies accountable for “hate speech” and “disinformation” with the threat of massive fines, effectively forcing American companies to export European censorship rules globally.

The issue came to a head this week with the arrest of Irish comedian Graham Linehan at Heathrow airport for posts critical of the transgender movement that he had made while in the United States. In a U.S. House hearing on Wednesday, Nigel Farage warned, “This could happen to any American man or woman that goes to Heathrow that has said things online that the British government and British police don’t like.” Other examples of prosecutions under these laws include a Finnish member of parliament for posting a Bible verse and a British army veteran for praying silently in his head.

The Trump administration is taking action in response. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is lobbying E.U. nations for the repeal of the Digital Services Act, and President Trump is reportedly weighing sanctions on E.U. officials who enforce the speech laws.

Trump Weighs Crime Crackdown in New Orleans

Topline: President Trump is now considering sending federal forces to New Orleans to fight crime at the request of Louisiana’s Republican governor, even as blue city leaders continue to resist his help despite rampant violence.

After touting the success of his D.C. crime crackdown, President Trump said he is weighing where to go next. “Do we go to Chicago or do we go to a place like New Orleans where we have a great governor, Jeff Landry, who wants us to come in,” Trump said Wednesday, adding he could “straighten that out in about 2 weeks.”

The offer comes as leaders in Illinois continue to claim there is no crisis in Chicago. “The president’s absurd characterizations do not match what is happening on the ground here,” said Governor JB Pritzker. His comments came after a Labor Day weekend in Chicago that saw nine people killed and 52 wounded in shootings.

President Trump’s ability to intervene in blue cities was dealt a blow this week when a Clinton-appointed federal judge in San Francisco ruled against his use of the National Guard to protect ICE agents from rioters in Los Angeles.