Category Archives: Breaking News

U.S. Missile Destroyer Transits Taiwan Strait

U.S. Missile Destroyer Transits Taiwan Strait

A Navy guided-missile destroyer sailed through the Taiwan Strait this week for the first time since the U.S.-China trade war erupted, and the warship was shadowed by Chinese military forces. The USS William P. Lawrence sailed through the waterway on Wednesday in what the Indo-Pacific Command said was “a routine Taiwan Strait transit April 23 through waters where freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law”…Read more

Trump Bares Frustrations With Putin, Zelenskyy

Trump Bares Frustrations With Putin, Zelenskyy

President Trump’s frustrations with Vladimir Putin boiled over Thursday with a rare swipe at the Russian president after Russia launched a deadly overnight barrage on Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. “Vladimir, STOP!” Mr. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing…Read more

Trump Slams Zelenskyy for Keeping the ‘Killing Field’ Going

Trump Slams Zelenskyy for Keeping the ‘Killing Field’ Going

President Trump ripped into Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for saying Ukraine will not accept a deal that has Russia keeping Crimea. Mr. Trump said Mr. Zelenskyy’s comments are “very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia in that Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama and is not even a point of discussion”…Read more

Feds Left Billions in Pandemic Loans in Hands of Potential Fraudsters

Feds Left Billions in Pandemic Loans in Hands of Potential Fraudsters

The Small Business Administration forgave $4.6 billion in pandemic loans to people on its naughty list, the agency’s inspector general said Wednesday while scolding the government for an overly relaxed approach to recouping taxpayer money. The loans were from the Paycheck Protection Program…Read more

LETTER: Fairfax County Leaders Are Missing COVID-Era Regulations

LETTER: Fairfax County Leaders Are Missing COVID-Era Regulations

Fairfax County’s local government recently announced that it would begin addressing grass complaints. If a neighbor’s grass is taller than 12 inches in height, we’re now encouraged to call Big Brother, who will then “investigate” these law-breakers and then fine them for lawn services. The impetus of such a ridiculous regulation, generally under the domain of a nosy, intrusive neighborhood homeowners’ association, is unclear…Read more

Wall Street Rallies on Trump’s Softer Approach to Powell, China

Wall Street Rallies on Trump’s Softer Approach to Powell, China

Wall Street rallied Wednesday after President Trump softened his rhetoric on Fed Chairman Jerome Powell and China. The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened nearly 800 points in positive territory after Mr. Trump said late Tuesday he had “no intention” of firing Mr. Powell, even though he thinks the central bank needs to cut interest rates…Read more

Judge Orders Feds to Revive Voice of America

Judge Orders Feds to Revive Voice of America

A federal judge on Tuesday issued an injunction ordering the Trump administration to revive Voice of America, Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, immediately rehire their employees and allow them back on the air. Judge Royce C. Lamberth delivered a withering criticism of the Trump team’s efforts, saying they took a “hasty, indiscriminate approach” to cutting the U.S. Agency for Global Media…Read more

Feds Bust 27 Suspected Tren de Aragua Gang Associates

Feds Bust 27 Suspected Tren de Aragua Gang Associates

Federal authorities announced charges Monday against more than two dozen people they say were associated with Tren de Aragua in a list of mayhem ranging from robbery and sex trafficking to murder of women who tried to escape. Prosecutors charged two different groups — one involving six people alleged to be current TdA members and another against 21 people authorities said are with Anti-Tren, a group that split off from TdA…Read more

‘Negative Shock’: IMF Downgrades Growth Forecast for U.S.

‘Negative Shock’: IMF Downgrades Growth Forecast for U.S.

The International Monetary Fund slashed its 2025 growth forecast for the U.S. economy to 1.8%, a 0.9-point decrease from January, spurred by President Trump’s trade actions and policy uncertainty. The IMF’s World Economic Outlook report focused heavily on Mr. Trump’s “Liberation Day” announcement on April 2 that imposed a blanket 10% tariff on imports and threatened higher tariffs on dozens of trading partners…Read more

Pope Francis Dies at Age 88

Pope Francis Dies at Age 88

Pope Francis, the first Jesuit leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Roman Catholics and the first to come from the Southern Hemisphere, died Monday at age 88, the Vatican announced. Francis entered Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14, 2025, for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia and, at 38 days, became the longest hospitalization of his papacy…Read more

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Category Archives: Breaking News

U.S. Missile Destroyer Transits Taiwan Strait

U.S. Missile Destroyer Transits Taiwan Strait

Navy Long-Range Drone Also Flown Near Island

Bill Gertz | April 25, 2025

(The Washington Times) — A Navy guided-missile destroyer sailed through the Taiwan Strait this week for the first time since the U.S.-China trade war erupted, and the warship was shadowed by Chinese military forces.

The USS William P. Lawrence sailed through the waterway on Wednesday in what the Indo-Pacific Command said was “a routine Taiwan Strait transit April 23 through waters where freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law.”

In addition to the Lawrence, reports on X based on flight control data revealed that a high-altitude Navy MQ-4C Triton reconnaissance drone was conducting operations south of Taiwan around the same time the warship conducted the passage.

The warship transit and drone flight were the first show of military force near Taiwan since President Trump imposed heavy tariffs on Chinese goods earlier this month.

The tariffs were met with new tariffs on U.S. goods from Beijing in what is now a full-blown trade war.

The Lawrence was the second warship to conduct an operation through the strait under the new Trump administration. In February, the guided missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson and a Navy ocean survey ship, the USNS Bowditch, went through the contested waterway.

In Beijing, People’s Liberation Army Sr. Col. Shi Yi, a spokesman for the eastern theater command, said navy and air force forces were sent to track and monitor the Lawrence.

“The U.S.’s relevant remarks distorted the fact, confused the public and misled the international perception,” Col. Shi said in a statement posted on the PLA website. “We urge the U.S. side to stop distorting and hyping up and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability.”

According to a statement by the Indo-Pacific commander, the Lawrence sailed in a narrow corridor of the 100-mile-wide Taiwan Strait.

The corridor is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state, the command said.

“William P. Lawrence’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States’ commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations as a principle,” the statement said.

“The international community’s navigational rights and freedoms in the Taiwan Strait should not be limited. The United States rejects any assertion of sovereignty or jurisdiction that is inconsistent with freedoms of navigation, overflight, and other lawful uses of the sea and air.”

The Indo-Pacific Command statement referencing freedoms of navigation and overflight suggests the Triton drone operation was part of the destroyer action.

A report by the Indo-Pacom legal office said China tries to promote false narratives that freedom of navigation operations are provocative and destabilizing, and not conducive to regional peace and stability.

“To the contrary, the [People’s Republic of China’s] excessive maritime claims and attempts to enforce them are destabilizing, coercive, and threaten the rules-based order,” the report said.

The excessive sea claims include unlawful restrictions on the right of innocent passage allowed for all nations; unlawful restrictions on high-seas freedom of navigation and overflight in its exclusive economic zone; as well as excessive claims of maritime jurisdiction, the report said.

“The PRC uses its expansive maritime claims to coerce/intimidate others and attempt to unilaterally erode and reform the international rules based order in its favor,” the report said.

China also tried to impede lawful freedom of navigation operations by making false claims about expelling vessels engaged in the operations.

China has claimed sovereignty over the entire Taiwan Strait.

The destroyer transit coincided with the launch of a major annual military exercise involving U.S. and Philippine military forces located near the Taiwan Strait.

In an unusual show of Chinese military power, a Chinese aircraft carrier sailed near the northern maritime boundary of the Philippines on Thursday just as the Balikatan —  “Shoulder-to-Shoulder”— military drills began.

The exercises included coordinated U.S. and Philippine naval drills designed to enhance interoperability, maritime domain awareness, and regional security in Philippine waters.

The exercises are taking place near Subic Bay and up through waters near Northern Luzon, according to the Philippine military.

China has voiced opposition to the exercises that included the deployment of U.S. medium-range Typhon missile systems that can fire long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles and SM-6 anti-ship missiles.

For the first time this year, Balikatan also includes deployment of a new anti-ship missile system called NMESIS, short for Navy Marine Corps Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System.

The ground-based anti-ship missile is loaded into a remotely controlled launcher that can be deployed on islands and is capable of striking ships up to about 100 miles away.

Defense analysts have voiced concerns that mounting U.S.-China tensions over trade could escalate to a military exchange.

So far, the Lawrence transit is the sole action that has prompted a rhetorical response.

Adm. Sam Paparo, commander of the Indo-Pacific Command, told a Senate hearing earlier this month that PLA forces are engaged in aggressive military activities near Taiwan that threaten U.S. and allied security.

“China’s unprecedented aggression and military modernization poses a serious threat to the homeland, our allies and our partners,” the four-star admiral told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The warship’s passage through the Taiwan Strait coincided with increased PLA military activities around the island.

Taiwan’s defense ministry reported on X that 19 PLA aircraft and seven warships were operating near Taiwan on Wednesday.

A day earlier, the ministry reported 29 PLA aircraft and six warships.

The constant military incursions by the PLA are part of the U.S. military’s calls a “pressure campaign” against Taiwan by China that is opposing what it says are independence activities by the Taiwan government.

Trump Bares Frustrations With Putin, Zelenskyy

Trump Bares Frustrations With Putin, Zelenskyy

President Trump’s frustrations with Vladimir Putin boiled over Thursday with a rare swipe at the Russian president after Russia launched a deadly overnight barrage on Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. “Vladimir, STOP!” Mr. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing…Continue Reading

Trump Slams Zelenskyy for Keeping the ‘Killing Field’ Going

Trump Slams Zelenskyy for Keeping the ‘Killing Field’ Going

President Trump ripped into Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for saying Ukraine will not accept a deal that has Russia keeping Crimea. Mr. Trump said Mr. Zelenskyy’s comments are “very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia in that Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama and is not even a point of discussion”…Continue Reading

Feds Left Billions in Pandemic Loans in Hands of Potential Fraudsters

Feds Left Billions in Pandemic Loans in Hands of Potential Fraudsters

The Small Business Administration forgave $4.6 billion in pandemic loans to people on its naughty list, the agency’s inspector general said Wednesday while scolding the government for an overly relaxed approach to recouping taxpayer money. The loans were from the Paycheck Protection Program…Continue Reading

LETTER: Fairfax County Leaders Are Missing COVID-Era Regulations

LETTER: Fairfax County Leaders Are Missing COVID-Era Regulations

Fairfax County’s local government recently announced that it would begin addressing grass complaints. If a neighbor’s grass is taller than 12 inches in height, we’re now encouraged to call Big Brother, who will then “investigate” these law-breakers and then fine them for lawn services. The impetus of such a ridiculous regulation, generally under the domain of a nosy, intrusive neighborhood homeowners’ association, is unclear…Continue Reading

Wall Street Rallies on Trump’s Softer Approach to Powell, China

Wall Street Rallies on Trump’s Softer Approach to Powell, China

Wall Street rallied Wednesday after President Trump softened his rhetoric on Fed Chairman Jerome Powell and China. The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened nearly 800 points in positive territory after Mr. Trump said late Tuesday he had “no intention” of firing Mr. Powell, even though he thinks the central bank needs to cut interest rates…Continue Reading

Judge Orders Feds to Revive Voice of America

Judge Orders Feds to Revive Voice of America

A federal judge on Tuesday issued an injunction ordering the Trump administration to revive Voice of America, Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, immediately rehire their employees and allow them back on the air. Judge Royce C. Lamberth delivered a withering criticism of the Trump team’s efforts, saying they took a “hasty, indiscriminate approach” to cutting the U.S. Agency for Global Media…Continue Reading

Feds Bust 27 Suspected Tren de Aragua Gang Associates

Feds Bust 27 Suspected Tren de Aragua Gang Associates

Federal authorities announced charges Monday against more than two dozen people they say were associated with Tren de Aragua in a list of mayhem ranging from robbery and sex trafficking to murder of women who tried to escape. Prosecutors charged two different groups — one involving six people alleged to be current TdA members and another against 21 people authorities said are with Anti-Tren, a group that split off from TdA…Continue Reading

‘Negative Shock’: IMF Downgrades Growth Forecast for U.S.

‘Negative Shock’: IMF Downgrades Growth Forecast for U.S.

The International Monetary Fund slashed its 2025 growth forecast for the U.S. economy to 1.8%, a 0.9-point decrease from January, spurred by President Trump’s trade actions and policy uncertainty. The IMF’s World Economic Outlook report focused heavily on Mr. Trump’s “Liberation Day” announcement on April 2 that imposed a blanket 10% tariff on imports and threatened higher tariffs on dozens of trading partners…Continue Reading

Pope Francis Dies at Age 88

Pope Francis Dies at Age 88

Pope Francis, the first Jesuit leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Roman Catholics and the first to come from the Southern Hemisphere, died Monday at age 88, the Vatican announced. Francis entered Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14, 2025, for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia and, at 38 days, became the longest hospitalization of his papacy…Continue Reading

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