Is China preparing a Taiwan invasion? A top U.S. Navy official is warning that China could invade Taiwan as early as this year. Admiral Michael Gilday, chief of U.S. naval operations, stated that comments made by Chinese President Xi Jinping at a major political conference in Beijing this week included the insistence that China would not rule using military force to gain control of Taiwan, which it views as part of its sovereignty. Admiral Gilday told a discussion hosted by the Atlantic Council that the Chinese government has “delivered on every promise they”™ve made earlier than they said they were going to deliver on it. So, when we talk about the 2027 window, in my mind, that has to be a 2022 window or potentially a 2023 window. I can”™t rule it out.”
Home sales and listing dropped in September: The number of homes sold in September plummeted by 25% year-over-year while new listings fell 22%, according to data released by the brokerage Redfin. That represents the largest declines since May 2020 and April 2020, respectively, when the Covid-19 pandemic temporarily paralyzed the housing market. Redfin noted that homebuyers were less active because mortgage rates are now at the highest level in two decades, which has resulted in monthly housing payments rising by more than 50% year-over-year.
Trump sits for deposition: Former President Donald Trump appeared Wednesday for a deposition as part of the defamation lawsuit brought against him by former magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll. It is not clear if Trump answered the questions during the deposition, which took place at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Carroll sued Trump in 2019 for defamation when he denied her claim that he raped her in a New York department store during the mid-1990s.
GOP bill targets “sexualization of children”: Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have introduced legislation that would prevent federal funds from being used for sexually explicit programs aimed at children. The “Stop the Sexualization of Children Act” was introduced Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) and is backed by more than 30 House Republicans. The bill defines “sexually-oriented” as the “depiction, description, or simulation of sexual activity, any lewd or lascivious depiction or description of human genitals, or any topic involving sexual orientation, gender identity, gender dysphoria, or related subjects.” The legislation was inspired by outrage by some parents over drag queen story hours and events where children were a significant part of the audience.
The Anna May Wong quarter: Numismatic history is being made as legendary actress Anna May Wong will become the first Asian-American featured on U.S. currency. Wong will be featured on the tails side of some U.S. quarters in 2025 as part of the U.S. Mint”™s American Women Quarters Program. Wong was the first Chinese-American to gain movie stardom through the 1920s and 1930s with roles in classic films including “Toll of the Sea,” “Piccadilly,” “Shanghai Express” and “Daughter of the Dragon,” and she was also the first Asian-American to have a leading role in a television show with “The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong” in 1951.
