WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States and China have a deal that would keep TikTok operating in the United States, transferring its U.S. assets to U.S. owners from China&#8217;s ByteDance, potentially resolving a saga that has lingered for nearly a year.
A deal on the popular social media app, which counts 170 million U.S. users, stands as a breakthrough in months-long talks between the world&#8217;s No. 1 and No. 2 economies that have sought to defuse a wide-ranging trade war that has unnerved global markets.
&#8220;We have a deal on TikTok &#8230; We have a group of very big companies that want to buy it,&#8221; Trump said.
He lauded the trade deal reached with China, calling it an upgrade for both countries, and said it would preserve tens of billions of dollars of value.
&#8220;The kids want it so badly, I have parents calling me up. They don&#8217;t want it for themselves. They want it for their kids,&#8221; Trump said.
Any agreement could require approval by the Republican-controlled Congress, which passed a law in 2024 during the Biden Administration that required divestiture due to fears that TikTok&#8217;s U.S. user data could be accessed by the Chinese government, allowing Beijing to spy on Americans or conduct influence operations through the app.
The Trump administration has repeatedly declined to enforce a law requiring the app to shut down due to worries it would anger users and disrupt political communications, instead extending the divestiture deadline on three separate occasions.
Trump has credited the app with helping him win re-election last year, and his personal account has 15 million followers. The White House launched an official TikTok account last month.
CNBC reported Tuesday that the deal is expected to be closed within the next 30 to 45 days, and that the agreement will include existing investors in TikTok&#8217;s China-based parent ByteDance and new investors.
Reuters has not independently verified CNBC&#8217;s report. However, the details are in line with Reuters&#8217; reporting in April that the deal would spin off TikTok&#8217;s U.S. operations into a new company based in the U.S. and majority-owned and operated by U.S. investors.
Tariffs And TikTok
A deal for TikTok had been in the works in the spring, but was put on hold after China indicated it would not approve it following Trump&#8217;s announcements of steep tariffs on Chinese goods.
Washington has maintained that TikTok&#8217;s ownership by ByteDance makes it beholden to the Chinese government, and Beijing could use the app to collect data on Americans.
The company has said U.S. officials have misstated its ties to China, arguing its content recommendation engine and user data are stored in the U.S. on cloud servers operated by Oracle, while content moderation decisions that affect American users are also made in the U.S.
CNBC also reported on Tuesday that Oracle will keep its cloud deal with TikTok as part of the agreement. Reuters reported earlier this year that the White House was working on a plan to tap Oracle, along with a group of outside investors, to take control of the app&#8217;s operations.
As part of the plan, Oracle would have been responsible for addressing national security issues, Reuters had then reported.
Shares of Oracle pared some gains on Tuesday following the news on TikTok and were last up nearly 3%.
A framework agreement was reached by officials from both countries on Monday, marking a breakthrough after months of intense talks. The White House has been involved to an unprecedented level in the closely watched deal talks.
Amid escalating trade tensions, U.S. and China delegations discussed the divestment as part of broader disputes over tariffs and tech export control regulations.
A final confirmation on the deal is expected on Friday in a call between Trump and President Xi Jinping.
Several suitors, including former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, a startup run by OnlyFans founder, and Amazon, had expressed interest in the fast-growing business that analysts estimate could be worth as much as $50 billion.
(Reporting By Andrea Shalal and Jarrett Renshaw, Deborah Sophia, Jaspreet Singh; Editing by Anil D&#8217;Silva)

Trump Says U.S. Has A Buyer For TikTok

ByteDance

China

Donald Trump

TikTok

Xi Jinping

Closing arguments were finally <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/27/asia/jimmy-lai-hong-kong-trial-intl-hnk">completed</a> at the end of August in the National Security Law trial of Hong Kong businessman Jimmy Lai. Mr. Lai stands accused of colluding with foreign powers and faces life in prison. In all likelihood, the court will find Jimmy Lai guilty and sentence him to prison. 
While we await the final verdict, the West should make a plan to help free Jimmy Lai.
To say Jimmy Lai has lived a remarkable life is an understatement. Born in mainland China, the now 77-year-old Lai moved to British Hong Kong when he was 12, where he believed he would have a better future. Starting out working in a factory, Lai worked his way up, eventually owning his own factory before starting the world-famous fashion brand, Giordano. As a billionaire with homes in London, Paris, and New York, Lai could have easily rested on his laurels and enjoyed a quiet retirement. However, Lai had a great appreciation for the political and economic system that allowed him to build his wealth.
As a British colony, Hong Kong enjoyed the rule of law and free market economics that allowed it to thrive. However, the handover of the city back to communist China loomed large. In an effort to fight for the values that made Hong Kong great, Jimmy Lai founded the Apple Daily newspaper. Becoming one of the largest pro-democracy newspapers in Hong Kong, Apple Daily and its founder fell in the crosshairs of the communists in mainland China through its pro-liberty content. Lai himself drew attention through his annual commemoration of the Tiananmen Massacre, a huge sore spot for Beijing.
While <a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/hong-kong-freedoms-democracy-protests-china-crackdown">promised</a> a degree of autonomy for 50 years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has gradually encroached on the freedoms of Hong Kong, a city of 7.4 million people. The Basic Law, Hong Kong’s constitution, promises freedom of speech and rule of law; the past few decades, however, have seen a gradual erosion of these rights. For example, millions of Hong Kongers took to the streets to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-49340717">protest</a> a proposed law that would allow Hong Kongers to be extradited for trials in mainland China. While this law was retracted, it wasn’t long before something similar was implemented to take its place.
That brings us to the <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/03/what-is-hong-kongs-article-23-law-10-things-you-need-to-know/">National Security Law</a> (NSL), which came into effect in 2020. Essentially, the NSL criminalizes any speech or behavior that the government sees as threatening its authority. For Jimmy Lai and other pro-democracy activists, this put them in danger. As was feared, the NSL has resulted in the arrest of hundreds of people. In a city once famous for its independent courts, the NSL has seen a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/29/china/hong-kong-47-verdict-intl-hnk">conviction rate</a> near 100%.
It was shortly after the implementation of the NSL that Jimmy Lai found himself in legal trouble. In August 2020, Lai was <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/08/10/900758905/prominent-hong-kong-publisher-arrested-under-new-national-security-law">arrested</a> and paraded through Apple Daily’s office, allegedly for colluding with foreign powers. The truth, however, was that Lai objects to the authoritarianism of the CCP and wants to fight to preserve the freedoms that made Hong Kong great.
<div id="attachment_971739" style="width: 876px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-971739" class="size-large wp-image-971739" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1227987205-866x576.jpg" alt="HONG KONG, CHINA - AUGUST 10: A handout photo from Apple Daily showing Hong Kong business tycoon Jimmy Lai led by police officers during a search at the headquarters of Apple Daily after Lai, was arrested at his home on August 10, 2020 in Hong Kong, China. Hong Kong police arrested seven people, including business tycoon Jimmy Lai on Monday on charges of violating the territory's new national security law. Police officers raided the pro-democracy newspapers headquarter while leading Mr. Lai and the company's chief executive, Cheung Kim-hung, through the offices in handcuffs. (Photo by Handout/Getty Images)" width="866" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1227987205-866x576.jpg 866w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1227987205-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1227987205-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1227987205.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 866px) 100vw, 866px" />Handout/Getty Images</div>
It isn’t just the cause that makes Jimmy Lai a hero: Lai didn’t need to face the risk of arrest. In addition to his various homes around the world, Lai is a British passport holder. He could have fled Hong Kong at any time after the NSL became law. Many Hong Kongers already have. Running, however, is not in Jimmy Lai’s nature. As he <a href="https://www.hoover.org/research/jimmy-lai-and-fight-freedom-hong-kong-1">put it</a>, “I am one of the troublemakers. I cannot cause trouble and then leave.” Lai risked everything by fighting for liberty and again risked it by staying when he could have left.
Even while he waits for a verdict, Lai faces terrible <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewelinaochab/2025/09/04/jimmy-lais-life-at-serious-and-immediate-risk-in-detention/">prison conditions</a>. He is being held in solitary confinement, 23 hours a day. He has significant health problems but is being denied proper care. There is a good possibility that Lai could die in prison simply due to the conditions of his imprisonment, which is why the West must act quickly.
What can be done? For starters, political figures across the West should continue calling for Lai’s release. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/13/china/trump-jimmy-lai-closing-arguments-intl-hnk">President Trump</a> has joined the chorus of <a href="https://www.thefp.com/p/the-dissident-beijing-cant-break-jimmy-lai-hong-kong">international voices</a> calling for Lai’s freedom. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer needs to fulfill his country’s obligation to stand up for Hong Kong’s autonomy. Lai is a British passport holder and therefore he is Starmer’s responsibility. In addition to public pressure, Starmer must also pause the construction of a new <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c864w2942vdo">Chinese mega embassy</a> in London. China should not be allowed a larger presence in the British capital while it actively persecutes dissidents.
Western governments can also sanction those involved in the administration of NSL trials. The U.S. has already <a href="https://www.state.gov/u-s-sanctions-six-individuals-for-undermining-hong-kongs-autonomy">sanctioned</a> several Hong Kong officials, but it can expand them to include senior HK officials such as Chief Executive John Lee, as well as the judges involved in these trials. The “One Country, Two Systems” framework promises Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy, something the NSL interferes with.
Finally, other economic tools can also be applied. Legislatures should consider efforts such as tariffs on Chinese goods as a way to put pressure on Beijing. Restricting the flow of advanced microchips into China would hit the Chinese government where it hurts and impose a cost for its oppression of Hong Kongers like Jimmy Lai.
The Chinese will, of course, counter by saying this is foreign interference in an internal matter. The problem with that argument is that China’s promises to Hong Kong are recorded in a legally binding international treaty, the <a href="https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8616/">Sino-British Joint Declaration</a>. Sanctions are an appropriate response to breaking that treaty.
So, why should the West care about what happens to Jimmy Lai? First, what happens in Hong Kong doesn’t necessarily stay there. The Chinese government already has an extensive network set up to threaten dissidents living abroad. The construction of the mega embassy means these efforts will only continue and affect more British citizens. Second, Lai represents a voice for liberty in Hong Kong and China as a whole. If we want freedom to thrive, the world needs people like Jimmy Lai.
The clock is ticking for Jimmy Lai. Any day now, the judges hearing his case could sentence him to life in prison. His health and prison conditions mean his stay behind bars could quickly lead to his death. If the West wants to preserve its own freedom and that of Hong Kong’s, it needs to act to save Jimmy Lai.
* * *
<a href="https://www.joinyv.org/talent/matthew-cookson">Matt Cookson</a> is an alumnus of the Young Voices Contributor Program and was a Middle East History and Policy Fellow with Young Voices. He also works in the supply chain for a U.S. Defense Contractor. His commentary has appeared in the Mises Institute, Real Clear Politics, the National Interest, Providence Magazine, China Source, and the Idaho Freedom Foundation. You can follow him on X @<a href="https://x.com/MattCookson95">MattCookson95</a> and Substack @<a href="https://substack.com/@thewaythecookiecrumbles?utm_source=user-menu">thewaythecookiecrumbles</a>. 
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

China Imposes National Security Law In Hong Kong

The Clock Is Ticking For Jimmy Lai. Time For The West To Act.

Democracy

Free Speech

Great Britain

Hong Kong

Jimmy Lai

Opinion

<div>
LeBron James, the NBA’s self-anointed “King,” has once again traded American values for Communist applause — this time by authoring a fawning op-ed in People’s Daily, the Chinese Communist Party’s flagship propaganda paper.
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James fawned over China’s basketball culture and praised the “friendliness” of his “Chinese friends,” all while the NBA attempts to reopen its lucrative market in the authoritarian state fully, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/world/asia/lebron-james-china-nba-build-bridges-rcna230007">reported</a>.
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“Basketball is not just a sport. It’s a bridge that connects us,” James wrote, as if quoting directly from the CCP’s global harmony playbook.
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James is the first NBA player ever to publish in People’s Daily — a paper infamous for rubber-stamping CCP talking points and suppressing political dissent.
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Now 40 and entering his record-breaking 23rd NBA season, James did not use the platform to speak about democracy, freedom, or the Uyghur genocide, but to wax poetic about China’s “passion,” “friendliness,” and “impressive basketball atmosphere.” He gushed about how “moved” he is by China’s support and vowed to “give his all” in every game — as if his performance on the court were a debt owed to Beijing.
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This isn’t new behavior for LeBron. Back in 2019, when then-Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey dared to speak up for democracy in Hong Kong, James didn’t stand for freedom — he attacked it. Calling Morey “misinformed,” LeBron <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/14/us/lebron-james-nba-china-intl-hnk-scli">warned</a> about the supposed “ramifications” of exercising free speech. He stated:
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<blockquote>We all talk about this freedom of speech. Yes, we all do have freedom of speech, but at times there are ramifications for the negative that can happen when you&#8217;re not thinking about others, and you&#8217;re only thinking about yourself. I don&#8217;t want to get into a word or sentence feud with Daryl Morey, but I believe he wasn&#8217;t educated on the situation at hand, and he spoke. And so many people could have been harmed, not only financially, but physically, emotionally, spiritually. </blockquote>
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In other words: speak up for liberty, and you might hurt LeBron’s brand deals.
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James later said Morey’s pro-Hong Kong tweet could have caused harm “financially, physically, emotionally, spiritually.” But the only real harm? A dent in NBA profits from China.
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LeBron’s lifetime Nike deal is <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/lebron-james-nike-deal-bilion-maverick-carter">reportedly worth</a> $1 billion. His signature shoes? Among the top sellers in China.
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<div>
The NBA has billions at stake in China. In 2019, the league signed a <a href="https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Global/2019/07/29/Tencent-NBA/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">$1.5 billion streaming contract</a> with Chinese tech giant Tencent and has <a href="https://www.isportconnect.com/cctv-agrees-new-deal-with-nba-china/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">business ties</a> to state-run CCTV, which famously <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/08/china-state-tv-suspends-nba-broadcasts-after-morey-hong-kong-tweet.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com">yanked NBA games</a> after the Morey incident.
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<div>
Actor James Woods may have said it best during the 2020 NBA playoff protests, when LeBron first threatened to boycott, then backed off. Woods tweeted: “His China handlers didn’t like the optics?”
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
His China handlers didn’t like the optics? <a href="https://t.co/PsbhIXHd9E">https://t.co/PsbhIXHd9E</a>
&mdash; James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealJamesWoods/status/1299356993061179394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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The NBA is preparing to play its first preseason games in China since 2019.
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When does a basketball player stop being just an athlete and start becoming a mouthpiece for a regime that crushes freedom?
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Apparently, when the checks are big enough.
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NBA Star LeBron James 2025 China Tour In Chengdu

LeBron James Pens Love Letter to China, Waxes Poetic About ‘Impressive Basketball Atmosphere’

LeBron James

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach sent a letter Monday to Attorney General Pam Bondi calling for an investigation into a Chinese firm suspected of engaging in &#8220;climate lawfare.&#8221;
Kobach wrote to Bondi that Energy Foundation China&#8217;s &#8220;environmental lawfare poses a growing challenge for American industry and the American consumer because it drives up energy costs. … It also weakens our national security and places us at a strategic disadvantage with our adversaries in China.&#8221;
The Kansas attorney general recently testified before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ted-cruz-exposes-chinas-plot-to-undermine-american-energy-a-coordinated-assault" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hearing</a> on the same topic, alleging that Energy Foundation China — a San Francisco-based climate activist group with ties to the Chinese Communist Party — funnels money to American climate groups to drown American firms in climate-related lawsuits.
&#8220;It is evident that China&#8217;s asymmetric warfare against the United States extends to our nation&#8217;s courtrooms and state legislatures,&#8221; Kobach said in his <a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/29618a0d-bcc1-b75b-d41b-439177ef3902/2025-06-25%20PM%20-%20Testimony%20-%20Kobach%20-%20updated.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> before the committee. &#8220;The CCP plainly has a strategy of driving the United States away from domestic energy sources and increasing U.S. dependence on sources that rely on a Chinese supply of solar panels, electric vehicle batteries, and other technologies.&#8221;
The committee hearing, &#8220;Enter The Dragon– China and the Left&#8217;s Lawfare Against American Energy Dominance,&#8221; focused on the ways the CCP may be interfering with the American energy sector, which was detailed in a <a href="https://statearmor.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/State-Armor-Who-is-Energy-Foundation-China-Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> by State Armor, a research group aimed at exposing CCP activity in the United States.
While the CCP develops green technologies like solar panels and windmills, it advocates for climate legislation in America through Energy Foundation China, hoping to make America dependent on imported Chinese-produced technology, according to the report.
Subcommittee Chairman Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) also noted in the hearing that another group is reportedly training judges to sway in favor of those pursuing restrictive climate policies.
Cruz noted that the Climate Judiciary Project, which claims to be impartial and uninvolved in litigation, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/climate-justice-group-deep-ties-judges-experts-involved-litigation-claims-impartiality" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> trains and supports judges who preside over cases of climate litigation in ways that heavily influence their decisions in favor of the climate agenda.
Kobach wrote in his letter that, &#8220;The Senate hearing exposed that China&#8217;s ongoing asymmetric campaign against the United States extends to our nation&#8217;s courtrooms and state legislatures, and that the EFC plays a central role in that campaign.&#8221;
&#8220;This three-pronged strategy — foreign funding, mass litigation, and judicial indoctrination — is a full-spectrum assault on American energy independence,&#8221; Cruz said. &#8220;And while China drills and digs, we sue and shut down.&#8221;
&#8220;Every day, Communist China is waging a war on American energy to make us more reliant on technology that is built and controlled by the CCP,&#8221; State Armor founder and CEO Michael Lucci said in a statement to The Daily Wire. &#8220;As part of their strategy to control our energy grid and supply chains, they control non-profits and co-opt left-wing environmental groups to drive the CCP&#8217;s agenda through our own court systems and universities.&#8221;
Kobach concluded his letter to Bondi by calling for an investigation into Energy Foundation China&#8217;s deep-rooted connection to the CCP and its involvement in changing American climate legislation.
&#8220;I respectfully urge the Department of Justice to open an investigation into the actions of the EFC in America, including its ties to climate lawfare in the courts,&#8221; Kobach wrote. &#8220;It is important to learn the full extent of the CCP&#8217;s reach into the ongoing campaign of environmental lawfare in our state and federal courts.&#8221;
Lucci supported Kobach&#8217;s call for an investigation, adding that, &#8220;No sane country would allow its strategic adversary to severely damage its national security, control its energy supply chains, and insert kill switches into its energy grid, all driven through united front influence operations.&#8221;
&#8220;The evidence is clear,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;EFC should be permanently shut down.&#8221;

US-NEWS-WILL-ELECTION-CONSPIRACY-THEORIES-CAUSE-7-KC

‘Climate Lawfare:’ Kansas AG Asks Justice Department To Investigate Chinese Climate Firm

Climate Change

Energy

Pam Bondi

WASHINGTON—During a Senate Judiciary hearing Wednesday, Texas Senator Ted Cruz exposed China’s shady efforts to infiltrate the American energy sector and leave the United States dependent on Beijing for so-called green energy.
&#8220;We are witnessing right now a systematic campaign against American energy,&#8221; Cruz said at the hearing. &#8220;There is a coordinated assault by the radical Left, backed and paid for by the Chinese Communist Party, to seize control of our courts, to weaponize litigation against US energy producers all in order to undermine American energy dominance.&#8221;
Cruz in particular <a href="https://statearmor.org/who-is-energy-foundation-china/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">focused</a> on Energy Foundation China, a group with ties to the Chinese Communist Party. The senator cited a report from State Armor, which found that &#8220;To secure U.S. dependence, the CCP has been co-opting the progressive American climate change lobby to push a transition from fossil fuels and other critical inputs…onto &#8216;green&#8217; technologies controlled by China.&#8221;
By funneling money through the foundation, the report claims, the CCP has funded many climate advocacy groups in America, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, which is well known for its litigious character.
&#8220;Their lawsuits are designed to destroy the American energy industry, which happens to perfectly coincide with the political objective of Senate Democrats to destroy the American energy industry,&#8221; Cruz said.
Cruz continued by exposing the Climate Judiciary Project, which claims to be impartial and uninvolved in litigation, but <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/climate-justice-group-deep-ties-judges-experts-involved-litigation-claims-impartiality" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> trains and supports judges presiding over cases of climate litigation.
Cruz pointed out that Energy Foundation China, which is run by former CCP officials, is funding litigation groups working to flood the courts with cases against American energy companies. These cases then come before judges trained by leftist-funded climate advocacy groups.
&#8220;This three-pronged strategy — foreign funding, mass litigation, and judicial indoctrination — is a full-spectrum assault on American energy independence,&#8221; Cruz said. &#8220;And while China drills and digs, we sue and shut down.&#8221;
&#8220;While China prepares for energy dominance, the American Left prepares to attack our own domestic capability.&#8221;
Ranking Member Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) called Cruz’s claims a &#8220;conspiracy,&#8221; arguing that the oil industry’s &#8220;dark money&#8221; schemes were more concerning.
&#8220;The hearing ignores that the fossil fuel industry has, for decades, benefited from secret funding to wage war on the American consumer by making energy more expensive and dirtier,&#8221; Whitehouse said.
Whitehouse also dismissed the claim that China was indirectly providing funds to litigious groups. Energy Foundation China, he argued, seemed focused on addressing Chinese environmental concerns, not advocating for legislative change in the United States.
Whitehouse said, &#8220;Fighting Chinese pollution in China [&#8230;] is a very different thing than having a Chinese conspiracy that funds a litigation group here in the United States.&#8221;
From 2001 to 2020, the EFC has paid out nearly $1.02 billion in grants to hundreds of different organizations seeking climate reform, according to a <a href="https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/energy-foundation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> by Influence Watch. The Climate Judiciary Project paid an undisclosed amount toward its judicial education programs.
Scott Walter, the president of the Capital Research Center, was among those testifying about the role the CCP might play among American climate lobbyists and judges.
Asked about the motives of the CCP officials who founded Energy Foundation China, Walter said he was &#8220;skeptical that former Chinese communist officials are interested in doing anything that would harm their country.&#8221;

Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Examines District Judges v. Trump

Ted Cruz Exposes China’s Plot To Undermine American Energy: ‘A Coordinated Assault’

Ted Cruz

Elon Musk and fiscal conservatives are pushing back on President Donald Trump’s new budget bill, warning it could add trillions to the national debt. The White House has officially replaced Pride Month with “Title IX Month,” focusing on protecting women’s sports and spaces. And, two Chinese nationals were arrested for attempting to smuggle a dangerous agricultural pathogen into the United States.
It’s Thursday, June 5, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
 
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<h2>Budget Battles &amp; The &#8216;Big Beautiful Bill&#8217;</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-929519" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001.jpeg" alt="" width="640" height="360" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001.jpeg 640w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-300x169.jpeg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></div>
Topline: The Senate takes up debate of Trump’s budget bill – while Musk raises concern over the massive debt.
 Elon Musk made waves this week with his criticism of President Trump’s big, beautiful bill, and budget hawks couldn’t be happier. 
On Wednesday, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the big beautiful bill would add $2.4 trillion to the national debt over the next decade. The Trump administration says this estimate is wrong — Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought says the CBO is “not using a realistic current policy baseline” and that the bill would actually reduce the debt by $1.4 trillion over 10 years.
Musk, who just stepped back from his government post last week, said Tuesday that the bill was a “disgusting abomination.” Republicans who opposed the bill, like Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), quickly joined Musk in slamming the bill. Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee took a different tack, saying that the bill that passed the House was flawed and that the Senate can improve it.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=wisepops&amp;utm_campaign=dad&amp;utm_content=fathersdaygiftpopups" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gift Dad an All Access Membership. Use code DAD40 at checkout to save 40%!</a>
Democrats joined the fight, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) <a href="https://grabien.com/story?id=530108">highlighting</a> that even “Trump’s buddy” doesn’t like his spending bill. “If even Elon Musk, who’s been part of the whole process and who’s Trump’s buddy, says the bill is bad, you can imagine how bad this bill is.”
Trump defended the bill but stopped short of slamming Elon, instead turning his ire on Senator Paul, saying: “Rand votes NO on everything, but never has any practical or constructive ideas. His ideas are actually crazy (losers!). The people of Kentucky can’t stand him. This is a BIG GROWTH BILL!”
Meanwhile, the White House sent Congress a $9.4 billion rescission package. This bill codifies a number of DOGE cuts, including federal funding for PBS and NPR. Members of the House Freedom Caucus are demanding a vote on this package immediately, and both House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) say they’re eager to call a vote on the bill as quickly as possible.
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<h2>Trump Administration Rebrands June</h2>
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Topline: Instead of Pride Month, the Trump White House announced that June will be dedicated to highlighting the protection of women’s spaces.
It’s June in Washington, D.C., but the Pride flags that have become ubiquitous in many of the city’s public spaces are notably absent. Under President Joe Biden’s administration, the White House issued an annual Pride proclamation celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex Pride Month. It hosted a now-infamous Pride celebration on the White House lawn, where a trans-identifying activist drew some serious backlash for posing for topless photos and videos. The White House was heavily decorated with rainbow-colored decor, and Biden and his wife, Jill, mingled with pro-trans activists. 
This year, however, things are looking different. The Daily Wire broke the news that the Department of Education would declare June “Title IX Month” rather than Pride Month. That move is intended to celebrate the 53rd anniversary of Title IX’s passage, and the Education Department plans to spend June highlighting what the Trump administration has done so far to reverse the Biden administration’s weaponization of Title IX. 
And the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights is investigating two significant cases that developed under Biden. One of those deals with a little girl who was allegedly forced to share a bed with a boy who identifies as a girl on an overnight trip. The other deals with a boy joining a sorority at the University of Wyoming, living in the sorority house, and ogling girls in their towels.
“The Biden administration just really muddied the waters on Title IX, tried to get all kinds of different things passed through relative to gender identification,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon told The Daily Wire. “That has now been rolled back.&#8221;
The Pentagon announced in January that “identity months” are dead at the Defense Department, and it specifically said Pride Month would not be celebrated anymore. This week, sources tell The Daily Wire that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth would order the renaming of a U.S. Navy ship named after gay rights activist Harvey Milk, a Navy veteran who was assassinated in 1978 after being elected to San Francisco&#8217;s Board of Supervisors. He has been repeatedly accused of grooming young boys.
The FBI also startled the world on Monday when it announced that it’s looking for tips on any hospitals, clinics, or practitioners performing transgender surgeries on minors. The bureau promised in a tweet: “We will protect our children and hold accountable those who mutilate them under the guise of gender-affirming care.”
Meanwhile, other Republicans are aggressively messaging against Pride Month and for celebrating traditional values. On Tuesday, Republican Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-IL) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-gop-resolution-declares-june-family-month-instead-of-pride-month">introduced a resolution</a> declaring June “Family Month.&#8221; 
<h2></h2>
<h2>Chinese Nationals Arrested For Smuggling Pathogen</h2>
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Topline: Two Chinese nationals have been arrested for allegedly smuggling a dangerous pathogen into the United States.
This week, we learned that the FBI has arrested two Chinese nationals accused of attempting to smuggle Fusarium graminearum, a dangerous biological pathogen, into the United States. 
One of those individuals, Yunqing Jian, worked as a researcher at the University of Michigan. The FBI says she has expressed loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and has received funding from Beijing in the past to study similar pathogens in China. The other individual, her boyfriend Zunyong Liu, works at a Chinese university where he conducted similar research. 
According to the DOJ, Liu “made false statements&#8221; to federal authorities &#8220;about the purpose of his visit to the United States, and his knowledge of the existence of the biological pathogen in his possession.” But he later admitted that he planned on using his girlfriend’s access at the University of Michigan to conduct research. 
The two have now been charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements, and visa fraud. 
Fusarium graminearum is a noxious fungus that scientists consider a potential agroterrorism weapon. It causes head blight, a fungal disease that spreads among wheat, barley, maize, and rice crops, causing plants to shrivel and die, leaving behind infected kernels that can blow away and spread to the next field. The fungus is responsible for billions of dollars in ruined crops each year. Also, it poses a significant risk to humans and animals, causing vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects if accidentally ingested. 
FBI Director Kash Patel called the incident a “sobering reminder that the CCP is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences… putting American lives and our economy at serious risk.”
While it’s not yet clear if this was part of a broader effort to unleash a bioweapon on American crops, it is clear that China is using students and researchers to steal American research from universities. In 2019, a Chinese professor at UCLA was convicted of trying to illegally obtain semiconductors with military applications so he could smuggle them back to China. Then, a year later, a Chinese national at <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/harvard-university-professor-and-two-chinese-nationals-charged-three-separate-china-related">Harvard</a> was caught attempting to smuggle 21 vials of cancer research from a medical lab back to China. Similar arrests have been made at the University of Kansas, Arkansas, and Texas A&amp;M.

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Morning Brief: Trump Cancels Pride Month & Elon Musk Trashes Trump’s Bill

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A Chinese scholar at the University of Michigan was arrested by the FBI and charged with attempting to smuggle a biological pathogen into the United States that could be used for agricultural terrorism, according to documents unsealed in federal court on Tuesday.
Prosecutors said that Michigan scholar Yunqing Jian, along with her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, tried to smuggle a biological pathogen into the United States last July, The Detroit News <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2025/06/03/chinese-scholar-at-um-tried-to-smuggle-biological-pathogen-into-the-u-s-feds-say/84008953007/">reported</a>. The pathogen, called Fusarium graminearum, causes &#8220;head blight,&#8221; a disease that can wipe out wheat, barley, maize, and rice crops and &#8220;is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year,&#8221; <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/pr/chinese-nationals-charged-conspiracy-and-smuggling-dangerous-biological-pathogen-us">according</a> to the U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. The pathogen can also cause &#8220;vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects in humans and livestock.&#8221;
U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. accused the suspects, who include &#8220;a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party,&#8221; of pursuing a &#8220;scheme&#8221; of &#8220;the gravest national security concerns.&#8221;
&#8220;These two aliens have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described as a ‘potential agroterrorism weapon’ into the heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme,&#8221; Gorgon said.
FBI Director Kash Patel <a href="https://x.com/fbidirectorkash/status/1930044884284523001?s=46&amp;t=o-U3qwC25WnWaylJ0oeG7Q">said</a> the arrest of Jian and Liu &#8220;is a sobering reminder that the CCP is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences&#8230; putting American lives and our economy at serious risk.&#8221;
Jian&#8217;s boyfriend was caught with the pathogen by Customs and Border Protection officers at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
&#8220;When Customs and Border Protection officers questioned Liu, he made false statements to CBP officers about the purpose of his visit to the United States, and his knowledge of the existence of the biological pathogen in his possession,&#8221; an FBI special agent wrote in the criminal filing, according to The Detroit News.
&#8220;Ultimately, Liu admitted to smuggling the pathogen and stated that he brought the pathogen into the United States so that he could conduct research on it at a laboratory at the University of Michigan where his girlfriend, Jian, worked,&#8221; the agent added.
After receiving a doctorate in plant pathogens from China&#8217;s Zhejiang University, Jian was given money through a Chinese foundation funded by the communist government to conduct post-doctoral research on Fusarium graminearum, according to prosecutors. Jian will make her first court appearance on Tuesday afternoon. Both Jian and Liu are charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements, and visa fraud.
Jian&#8217;s case marks the second criminal complaint unsealed in the past week involving a Chinese citizen at the University of Michigan. Last Friday, prosecutors unsealed a criminal case against a Chinese student who illegally voted in the 2024 election. The Chinese national, who was in the United States legally, successfully obtained a ballot and cast his vote at an early voting location last October, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/non-citizen-from-china-charged-after-casting-ballot-in-michigan-his-vote-will-still-count">reported</a>. The Chinese student recently fled the country and went back to China, according to the criminal complaint.
Last week, the Trump administration said that is moving to &#8220;<a href="https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2025/05/new-visa-policies-put-america-first-not-china/">aggressively revoke</a>&#8221; Chinese student visas, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/06/01/china-us-students-national-security-threat/">adding</a> that the United States &#8220;will not tolerate the [Chinese Communist Party’s] exploitation of U.S. universities or theft of U.S. research intellectual property or technologies to grow its military power, conduct intelligence collection or repress voices of opposition.&#8221;

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Kash Patel Says Chinese Smuggled ‘Dangerous Fungus’ Into U.S. To ‘Target Food Supply’

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In May, U.S. energy officials <a href="https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/ghost-machine-rogue-communication-devices-found-chinese-inverters-2025-05-14/">released</a> bombshell findings about China’s ability to turn out the lights across America. Rogue communications devices were found inside Chinese solar power inverters. In addition, undisclosed cellular radios were found inside Chinese batteries. These Chinese Communist Party sabotage efforts are reminiscent of CCP-tied Huawei’s infiltration of our communications network, which gave Beijing the ability to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/23/politics/fbi-investigation-huawei-china-defense-department-communications-nuclear/index.html">disrupt our nuclear arsenal communications</a>.
Beijing seeks the ability to remotely access and destroy the systems upon which Americans depend for everyday life and upon which our military depends to project power across the globe. The U.S. rightly began to remove Huawei technologies from our market <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/ghost-machine-rogue-communication-devices-050547906.html?guccounter=1">in 2019</a> because of security risks. Since then, ironically, we’ve allowed China to flood our market with network-connected technologies such as routers, drones, cranes, healthcare devices, cameras, green tech, and more, which collectively constitute a deeper penetration of our vital systems. This trend must be reversed through new laws and better law enforcement to block and remove all Chinese network-connected technologies. 
American tax dollars should not fund technologies that facilitate Chinese espionage and sabotage efforts. At the federal level, Congress should ban federal procurement of Chinese network-connected technologies. Congress should also codify President Trump’s Information and Communications Technology <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/05/17/2019-10538/securing-the-information-and-communications-technology-and-services-supply-chain">executive order</a> from 2019 and fund ICT programs to block CCP tech. During March 2025 testimony, former Biden Administration official Dr. Rush Doshi <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/oS_aZXE6W0k">argued</a> that codifying Trump’s order “would let us prohibit certain [Chinese] goods,” especially power converters and network-connected technologies, “from being in the U.S. market.”
States must excise CCP network-connected technologies from their critical infrastructure and government systems. For example, Texas’ 2021 <a href="https://www.jw.com/news/insights-texas-lone-star-infrastructure-protection-act/">Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act (LIPA)</a> forbids Texas businesses and government from contracting with China, Russia, North Korea and Iran on critical infrastructure, especially if foreign parties would gain remote access or control of the infrastructure. A 2023 Nebraska law <a href="https://flood.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-flood-applauds-bipartisan-work-ban-state-funds-huawei-equipment">prohibits</a> the state from providing public funds to telecommunications providers that have not yet removed Huawei 5G hardware from their cell towers. Utah passed a 2024 law to end procurement of Chinese technologies such as computers and routers. All states should adopt these measures.
Furthermore, the U.S. must enforce the rule-of-law. The Chinese Communist Party has made tremendous gains at the expense of the U.S. in part because the U.S. and its allies have failed to enforce their own laws upon malicious CCP agents and entities. At a fundamental level, the two legal systems are incompatible because <a href="https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/statement-national-security-advisor-robert-c-obrien-011521-2/">China’s laws require businesses to engage in espionage for the party-state</a>, while America’s laws require data privacy. America must pivot and crush CCP lawlessness. Consumer fraud and data privacy laws must be tightened, and robust enforcement actions must be taken by both federal agencies and state attorneys general. 
In March 2025, the FCC’s Council on National Security <a href="https://www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/fcc-investigating-china-companies-national-security/743316/">opened an investigation</a> into several telecommunications companies, including Huawei, for engaging in unfair, deceptive, and fraudulent business practices such as selling banned equipment in the United States. The FCC can go further by revoking telecom licenses from corrupt entities. Meanwhile, other federal agencies must get in the fight.
State AGs must enforce the law against Chinese manufacturers that embed hidden backdoors in products, and American companies that “white-label” such products must also be held accountable. For example, according to the federal <a href="https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/contec-cms8000-contains-backdoor">Cybersecurity &amp; Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)</a> the Chinese company Contec sells healthcare monitors with embedded backdoors that provide Beijing with access to patient data along with the ability to manipulate readings of a patient’s vitals. AGs should investigate Contec for potential violations of consumer and medical data protections. As a recent FDA Safety Communication states, <a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/safety-communications/cybersecurity-vulnerabilities-certain-patient-monitors-contec-and-epsimed-fda-safety-communication">Florida-based Epsimed</a>, which sells Contec products in the U.S., should also be investigated.
These security concerns are amplified by ethical concerns. Chinese green energy technologies are not only riddled with backdoors, they often <a href="http://www.cecc.gov/events/hearings/from-cobalt-to-cars-how-china-exploits-child-and-forced-labor-in-the-congo">rely on slave labor</a>. Too many environmental activists have been hoodwinked into promoting cheap CCP hardware to “save the planet,” all while supporting slave labor and compromising our energy grid.
The United States <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/ghost-machine-rogue-communication-devices-050547906.html?guccounter=1">2019 actions against Huawei</a> were a strong step, but since then we’ve lost ground. Rapid and concerted action is needed to protect our way of life against Chinese Communist Party sabotage, and to build an economic system based upon rule-of-law rather than communist infiltration and subversion.
* * *
Michael Lucci is the Founder and CEO of State Armor, a 501(c)(3) non-profit advocating for state solutions to the global threats posed by the CCP. 
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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CCP In The Machine: How China’s Tech Continues To Infiltrate American Hardware

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The terrorist who killed two Israeli embassy staffers was once affiliated with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, a leftist group linked to Chinese Communist Party funding networks that have been repeatedly contacted by sanctioned Iranian state media, according to a report.
Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, was detained by police on suspicion of murdering Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Milgrim, 26 — two Israeli embassy staffers — on Wednesday night in Washington, D.C. The couple was shot at close range. According to police, the terrorist shouted “Free Palestine” while being taken into custody.
The shooter was quickly identified in a picture on a 2017 article posted on <a href="http://liberationnews.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LiberationNews.org</a>, the media wing of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), where he was at a protest holding an anti-capitalist sign from the ANSWER Coalition. In the article, which was deleted after the attack, the shooter was quoted and described as “from the Party for Socialism and Liberation.”
PSL posted a statement distancing itself from the shooter, claiming the group and the shooter only had a &#8220;brief association” that ended in 2017.
“We reject any attempt to associate the PSL with the DC shooting,” <a href="https://x.com/pslnational/status/1925468146024034305" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the group posted to X</a>. “Elias Rodriguez is not a member of the PSL. He had a brief association with one branch of the PSL that ended in 2017. We know of no contact with him in over 7 years. We have nothing to do with this shooting and do not support it.”
According to a <a href="https://networkcontagion.us/wp-content/uploads/SID4P-Report_May-2024.pdf">report</a> by Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI), both PSL and ANSWER leaders have ties to foreign governments, including China, Iran, and Russia. The report states that ANSWER operates under the fiscal sponsorship of the Progress Unity Fund (PUF), which has financial and personnel ties to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/05/world/europe/neville-roy-singham-china-propaganda.html">Neville Roy Singham</a>, a pro-CCP financier in Shanghai.
PSL and ANSWER are sister organizations, and their leaders hold overlapping roles in Singham’s network, including with CODE PINK and The People’s Forum, according to NCRI.
Both PSL and ANSWER are radical leftist organizations that have organized anti-Israel protests and mobilization efforts.
In July 2024, then-Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-GA) <a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/press/rep/releases/icymi-graham-rubio-to-ag-garland-provide-update-on-efforts-to-counter-ccp-propaganda-operations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recommended ANSWER</a> for investigation for violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) over its ties to Beijing.
Senior leadership of PSL and ANSWER were also called by the sanctioned Iranian state outlet PressTV over 200 times in a 29-month period, according to call detail records obtained by NCRI that were first archived by the whistleblowing DDoSecrets group.
One of the top-contacted individuals by PressTV in the 2019-2022 period was the national coordinator for ANSWER, Brian Becker, who is also a founder and central organizer of PSL, according to NCRI. He was reportedly called over 69 times. Gloria La Riva, a <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Gloria_La_Riva">PSL candidate</a> for president in 2020, was contacted 46 times by PressTV.
According to emails obtained by NCRI, there were a number of booking requests for ANSWER and PSL-affiliated individuals, including Becker’s brother, Richard Becker, who served as the Western Region Coordinator of ANSWER. Richard received 10 booking requests between January and May of 2019 and was offered $1,000 in compensation, though it is unclear if he accepted.
Brian Becker also hosted a podcast on Russia&#8217;s state-owned Sputnik Radio from 2015 until September 2020, according to the report.
An anonymous X account believed to belong to Rodriguez shows an extensive history of anti-Israel and far-leftist rhetoric, including videos of now-deceased Hezbollah leader Sayyed Nasrallah and retweeting a post after the 2024 presidential election that stated, “Don’t blame me, I voted for Hamas.”
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About one hour before the shooting, a manifesto was posted on the account titled “Escalate for Gaza, Bring The War Home.” The manifesto’s author wrote, “humanity doesn’t exempt one from accountability,” and said that many Americans may view “action” as “the only sane thing to do.”
“I think to most Americans such an action would have been illegible, would seem insane,” the post states. “I am glad that today at least there are many Americans for which the action will be highly legible and, in some funny way, the only sane thing to do.”
The last account followed by the anonymous account believed to belong to Rodriguez, was that of the American Jewish Committee — the same organization that hosted the event where Lischinsky and Milgrim were shot.
PSL and ANSWER did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Terrorist Who Killed Israeli Embassy Staffers Was Influenced By A Foreign-Linked Leftist Org

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Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders took a big step toward protecting her state from the Chinese Communist Party and other nefarious foreign agents.
She signed a bill demanding representatives acting on behalf of hostile foreign adversaries such as the People&#8217;s Republic of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea register publicly, disclose who bankrolls them, and spell out exactly what they are doing in Arkansas politics.
Although this foreign-agent registration is the first statute of its kind in the country, other legislatures should explore similar laws as a defense against hostile foreign actors and their agents covertly swaying policy or political activities at the state level.
Our country is facing a new kind of warfare waged through manipulation, money, and misinformation. Our adversaries are well-funded and coordinated, working relentlessly to sow division and destabilize our society. They’re attacking at the state and local level more and more, hiding behind layers of nonprofits and advocacy groups.
Take Students for Justice in Palestine, for example – a shadowy group that played a prominent role in riling up violent mobs on college campuses last year. This group and others like it (Within Our Lifetime, Jewish Voice for Peace, Palestinian Youth Movement, etc.) routinely accept secret money, raising concerns about potential support from hostile foreign actors.
Some of these organizations are not even registered as nonprofits, and alarmingly, many pro-Hamas groups have established local chapters on college campuses and receive funding from student activity fees.
The CCP perfected this playbook long ago. There are Confucius Institutes embedded on college campuses masquerading as language centers while disseminating the Party’s propaganda. Other groups such as Code Pink echo CCP talking points, attacking American energy policy and championing topics that align with China’s geopolitical objectives.
Research has shown that the CCP’s influence stretches far beyond college campuses. It targets state pension funds, critical infrastructure, farmland near military bases, and even municipal procurement of drones and surveillance tech. Every contract, endowment, or protest it bankrolls is another opportunity to steal American intellectual property, map supply chains, and erode public trust.
It’s no surprise the Federal Bureau of Investigation has labeled the Chinese Communist government a “grave threat to the economic well-being and democratic values of the United States,” and national security agencies from some of our top allies have warned the CCP is engaging in the most “sophisticated theft of intellectual property and expertise in human history.&#8221;
Arkansas has taken the first step in combating this foreign interference. The law will shine a spotlight on every foreign‑funded front group operating in the state. Agents who fail to register face stiff penalties; those tied to hostile nations risk even higher fines.
<div id="attachment_916433" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-916433" class="size-large wp-image-916433" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-865x576.jpg" alt="DustyPixel. Getty Images." width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-2048x1363.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />DustyPixel. Getty Images.</div>
The new law also strengthens campaign finance disclosure laws, exposing individuals and organizations seeking to undermine democratic values through covert influence operations. The law is singularly focused on hostile foreign actors; international businesses and lobbyists representing allied nations are unaffected.
It is encouraging that this effort is also a part of a larger “Communist China Defense” suite of bills from Governor Sanders, with proposals to divest state resources from China and ban land purchases near critical infrastructure.
These measures are a timely reminder that safeguarding our communities begins in the statehouse, not just in Washington. Other legislatures should move quickly to adopt similar protections and fortify America’s democracy and sovereignty against those determined to erode them.
 * * *
Joe Gebbia is the CEO and Founder of State Shield, an organization dedicated to educating state leaders and uniting state and federal efforts to combat the growing threat the Chinese Communist Party poses to America’s security, supply chains, and core values.
The views in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Conservatives Gather For Annual CPAC Conference In Washington DC

Arkansas Strikes First Blow Against Foreign Influence In U.S. Politics

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Republican lawmakers are demanding that the Biden administration provide answers on which China-sponsored group it believes is responsible for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chinese-hackers-breach-treasury-dept-in-major-cyber-security-incident" target="_blank" rel="noopener">successfully hacking</a> the Treasury Department last month. 
Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) and Rep. French Hill (R-AR) demanded this week that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen brief them on the breach of department employee workstations and the unclassified documents stored on them. Scott is the top Republican on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, while Hill is the vice chair of the House Committee on Financial Services. 
“This breach of federal government information is extremely concerning,” the lawmakers <a href="https://www.banking.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/lettertosecretaryyellenonccpcyberbreach.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on Tuesday. “As you know, Treasury maintains some of the most highly sensitive information on U.S. persons throughout government, including tax information, business beneficial ownership, and suspicious activity reports.”
“This information must be vigilantly protected from theft or surveillance by our foreign adversaries, including the Chinese Communist Party (&#8216;CCP&#8217;), who seek to harm the United States,” Scott and Hill added. “As such, the fact that a CCP-sponsored APT actor was able to access Treasury’s information systems is unacceptable and raises serious questions about the protocols for safeguarding sensitive federal government information from future cybersecurity incidents.”
The Treasury Department first publicly commented on the hack on Tuesday but said it was first notified of the breach on December 8. In a letter to senators, Assistant Secretary for Management Aditi Hardikar noted that the department believed a Chinese-backed intelligence group was behind the breach, calling it a “major cyber security incident.”
Hardikar added that the department believed China could no longer access its systems. 
In response, Scott and Hill want the Treasury Department to provide a briefing on the hacking no later than January 10. The briefing should provide more specific information on who the department believes was behind the breach and the extent of the information accessed. They also want details on what specific preventive measures have been taken to prevent similar incidents. 
China has denied involvement with the breach. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the accusation was “groundless” and lacked evidence. 
China has previously been accused of being behind major hacking operations targeting the American government, including <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-based-hackers-accessed-60k-u-s-state-dept-emails-in-microsoft-breach-senate-staffer-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one breach</a> that accessed tens of thousands of emails from State Department employees.

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The Treasury Department revealed on Monday that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chinese</a> hackers had breached its systems in a “major cyber security incident.” 
In a <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25472754-12/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to the Senate Banking Committee from Assistant Secretary for Management Aditi Hardikar, the department revealed that hackers accessed unclassified documents and employee workstations. The department believed a Chinese intelligence agency was behind the breach. 
“Treasury takes very seriously all threats against our systems, and the data it holds,” the department <a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-hacking-treasury-department-8942106afabeac96010057e05c67c9d5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement. “Over the last four years, Treasury has significantly bolstered its cyber defense, and we will continue to work with both private and public sector partners to protect our financial system from threat actors.”
Hardikar said the department did not believe China still had access to its systems.
Hardikar added that the department was first notified of the breach on December 8 by third-party software service provider BeyondTrust that “a threat actor had gained access to a key used by the vendor to secure a cloud based service used to remotely provide technical support for Treasury Departmental Offices (DO) end users.”
This allowed the hackers to override security and gain access to Treasury Department employee workstations and the unclassified documents stored on them. 
The department has since been working with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the FBI, and the Intelligence Community to probe the full extent of the breach. 
“Based on available indicators, the incident has been attributed to a China state-sponsored Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actor,” Hardikar wrote. “In accordance with Treasury policy, intrusions attributable to an APT are considered a major cybersecurity incident.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning denied the allegations. 
“We have repeatedly stated our position on such groundless accusations that lack evidence,” said Ning, an official of the Chinese Communist Party. “China consistently opposes all forms of hacking, and we are even more opposed to the dissemination of false information against China for political purposes.”
China has previously been accused of being behind major hacking operations targeting Americans, including <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-based-hackers-accessed-60k-u-s-state-dept-emails-in-microsoft-breach-senate-staffer-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one operation</a> that stole the emails of State Department employees and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-hacks-u-s-telecom-companies-in-major-espionage-coup-against-u-s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hacking major</a> American telecommunications companies earlier this year.

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