The fear is no longer whispered—it’s policy. Western governments are scrambling to contain China’s growing leverage, not because of what Beijing has threatened, but because of what it’s quietly starting to do.
This week, the Dutch government took the extraordinary step of seizing control of Nexperia, a Chinese-owned chipmaker—an act of economic intervention that signals rising panic over China’s grip on critical technology.
In Washington, the anxiety is just as palpable. After posting confrontational messages about China into last weekend, President Donald Trump abruptly softened his tone on Sunday—prompting commentators such as Peter Schiff to reiterate the critical refrain that “Trump Always Chickens Out.”
Macro strategist Andreas Steno Larsen summed it up in an X.com post:
“There are signs that the West is scared that China is serious about curbing re-exports this time around.”
There are signs that the West is scared that China is serious about curbing re-exports this time around pic.twitter.com/JXPkQuMocC
(Read more from “‘The West Is Scared’ Of China—And It’s Starting to Show” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/china-hack1530-620x354-1.jpeg354620Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2025-10-13 14:31:122025-10-13 14:25:47‘The West Is Scared’ Of China—And It’s Starting to Show
Hundreds of mostly naked demonstrators pedaled through Portland, Oregon, on Sunday to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
The “emergency” edition of the city’s World Naked Bike Ride — typically held in summer — was organized to oppose what participants called “the militarization of our city, the genocide in Palestine, and the injustices of our broken and systemically cruel immigration system,” the organization wrote in a statement.
The riders covered roughly six miles to the city’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, where they staged a silent “die-in,” lying in the street to dramatize their cause.
One 51-year-old rider, clad only in wool socks, a wig and a hat in roughly 50-degree weather, told the Associated Press the ride was a “quintessentially Portland way to protest.” (Read more from “Naked Bike Riders Flood Portland For ‘Emergency’ Anti-Trump Protest” HERE)
A man who has been charged with second-degree murder for allegedly killing a man accused of raping his daughter announced Friday that he is running for sheriff in Lonoke County, Arkansas.
Aaron Spencer shared a video Friday to his Facebook page announcing his campaign. In the video, Spencer said he wants to “restore trust” in law enforcement.
“I’m the father who acted to protect his daughter when the system failed… Through my own fight for justice, I have seen firsthand the failures in law enforcement and in our circuit court. And I refuse to stand by while others face these same failures.”
“This campaign isn’t about me; it’s about every parent, every neighbor, every family who deserves to feel safe in their homes and safe in their community. It’s about restoring trust, where neighbors know law enforcement is on their side and families know they will not be left alone in a moment of need,” Spencer said in the same video.
According to court documents, Spencer was charged with second-degree murder and a firearm enhancement in the death of Michael Fosler. Fosler had been charged with sexual offenses against Spencer’s daughter and was out on bond. (Read more from “Father Who Allegedly Killed Daughter’s Accused Rapist Running For Sheriff In Arkansas” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2025-10-13-at-3.16.04 PM.png9121704Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2025-10-13 14:21:052025-10-13 14:17:08Father Who Allegedly Killed Daughter’s Accused Rapist Running For Sheriff In Arkansas
Former Obama administration official Ben Rhodes brushed off the deal President Donald Trump brokered between Israel and the radical Islamic terrorist group Hamas as “just a cease-fire” Monday during a MSNBC appearance.
Hamas released the 20 surviving hostages taken during the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on multiple locations in southern Israel that killed over 1,200 people on Monday. Rhodes, the architect of then-President Barack Obama’s deal with Iran over its nuclear weapons program, was asked by MSNBC host Ana Cabrera if he thought Trump could see it through.
“I give Trump credit for essentially finally applying some leverage on the Israeli government, on Bibi Netanyahu in particular, in a way that, you know, frankly, we didn’t even see President Biden do when he was in office,” Rhodes claimed. “And I think simultaneously, Qatar and Turkey were applying a lot of leverage on Hamas. And then that got us into the ceasefire. That’s terrific. It’s great that the Israeli hostages are reunited with their families, that aid is getting to Gaza. I would not go as far as to say that this kind of validates a certain, you know, theory of diplomacy, because frankly, it’s just a ceasefire. The problem has not been solved.”
“It’s not really a peace deal in the sense that we still don’t know who’s going to govern Gaza. We still don’t know if Hamas is going to disarm,” Rhodes continued. “We’re at phase one, quite literally, of what would be a very long road to some kind of lasting peace. So, look, I think a transactional — and, you know, it’s interesting to reflect on that quote you put up, I mean, a transactional style of diplomacy, it can get you that kind of short-term win, right? You know, you take care of a piece of business, but it’s not necessarily designed for the kind of patient follow-through and painstaking work that is necessary to address something as deep as the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians.” (Read more from “Former Obama Official Ben Rhodes Can’t Bring Himself To Give Trump Credit For Israel-Hamas Deal” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/30124698995_d8241104ec_b-938797047.jpeg6831024Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2025-10-13 14:11:092025-10-13 14:08:58Former Obama Official Ben Rhodes Can’t Bring Himself To Give Trump Credit For Israel-Hamas Deal
By Daily Beast. . .The president didn’t appear optimistic about his prospects in the afterlife as he spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, days after he lost his long-running bid to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Fox News’ Peter Doocy checked in on Trump’s push to secure a seat in heaven after the president rushed to lock down an Israel-Hamas peace deal ahead of the highly anticipated Nobel Prize announcement last week.
“I mean, you know, I’m being a little cute,” Trump said. “I don’t think there’s anything [that’s] going to get me in heaven. Okay? I think I’m not maybe heaven-bound.” . . .
It’s no secret that getting into heaven has been on the 79-year-old president’s mind. In August, Trump told Fox News that he had personal motivations to put an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, which he previously claimed he could end on day one of his second term.
“If I can save 7,000 people a week from being killed, I think that’s a pretty—I want to try and get to heaven if possible,” he said at the time. “I’m hearing I’m not doing well. I hear I’m really at the bottom of the totem pole. If I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons.” (Read more from “Trump, 79, Admits He Is Probably Not Going to Heaven” HERE)
‘Not Sure I’m Gonna Be Able to Make Heaven!’ Trump Jokes
By New York Post. President Trump joked with a Fox News reporter that he doesn’t “think there’s anything [that’s] gonna get me in heaven” — even after brokering the historic Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal bringing the release of Israeli hostages.
As Trump took questions from reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday en route to Israel, Fox News’ Peter Doocy nodded to the president’s remarks a few months ago that he wanted to end the Russia-Ukraine war to improve his odds of passing through the pearly gates.
“How does this help? Does this help?” Doocy asked of the ceasefire deal, which led to the release of all 20 living Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners on Monday.
“You know, I’m being a little cute. I don’t think there’s anything gonna get me in heaven. I really don’t,” Trump said as to laughs from other reporters on the plane.
“I think I’m not, maybe, heaven-bound,” he added with a chuckle himself. “I may be in heaven right now as we fly on Air Force One. I’m not sure I’m gonna be able to make heaven, but I’ve made life a lot better for a lot of people.” (Read more from “‘Not Sure I’m Gonna Be Able to Make Heaven!’ Trump Disturbingly Jokes Despite Israel-Hamas Deal” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/AA-20250929-39261659-39261651-DONALD_TRUMP_NETANYAHU_PRESS_CONFERENCE_IN_WASHINGTON_DC-2938255075.webp613920Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2025-10-13 12:55:492025-10-13 13:57:23‘Not Sure I’m Gonna Be Able to Make Heaven!’ Trump Jokes
A far-left Israeli politician was jeered as he loudly interrupted President Trump’s address to the country’s parliament, just to quickly get tossed out by security.
Ofer Cassif, a member of parliament from the extreme left-wing Hadash party, began shouting while Trump was praising his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, for his part bringing “peace in the Middle East.”
It wasn’t immediately clear what Cassif was yelling. He was quickly bundled out by security to cheers from the majority of Israel’s MPs who otherwise gave countless rounds of applause to Trump.
Security also went over to another Knesset member and removed him.
Cassif shared a lengthy post on X ahead of Trump’s arrival, condemning the US president’s visit.
Today, Trump is arriving at the Knesset to deliver a victory speech, undoubtedly filled with self-aggrandizement and lies.
Although it is a positive development that this genocide has ended and the hostages are being released, we must not be confused: Trump was a supporter of…
A small plane crashed in a fireball on I-195 during rush hour in Massachusetts early Monday — killing both people on board and injuring a passing commuter in a near-totaled car.
The plane careened toward the highway in Dartmouth around 8:15 a.m., forcing motorists to slam on their brakes or try to speed out of the way as it fell.
“We were coming down the highway, and then all of a sudden everybody locked up the brakes,” commuter Eric Desouza told WJAR. “We all [started] zig-zagging.”
As the plane hit the ground, a silver sedan was thrown from the road and ended up in the median grass with its right side crumpled.
It remains unclear whether the plane hit the car or if it collided with another vehicle to avoid the aircraft. (Read more from “Plane Crash on Major Highway During Rush Hour Kills 2, Injures Commuter Inside Wrecked Car” HERE)
Photo credit: @ltanz28 via Storyful
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2025-10-13-at-12.58.47 PM.png7321438Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2025-10-13 12:11:442025-10-18 21:16:32Plane Crash on Major Highway During Rush Hour Kills 2, Injures Commuter Inside Wrecked Car
President Donald Trump received both a COVID-19 booster and a seasonal flu shot during a visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Friday, marking his second official medical checkup of the year.
In a memo released by the White House, Trump’s physician, Dr. Sean P. Barbabella, stated that the 79-year-old president “remains in exceptional health,” citing strong cardiovascular, pulmonary, and neurological performance. According to the document, advanced imaging and lab tests confirmed “stable metabolic, hematologic, and cardiac parameters.”
Trump’s decision to receive a COVID booster is notable, given that his own administration has significantly scaled back vaccine promotion and access. Just this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), under pressure from the Trump White House, revised its guidance to recommend COVID vaccinations only for people over 65 or those with specific health risks—and even then, only after consultation with a healthcare provider.
Despite receiving the shot himself, Trump has not personally promoted the COVID vaccine in recent months and has rarely mentioned it in public. His administration, meanwhile, has cast doubt on its safety and necessity. Several high-profile officials have made public remarks about the ineffectiveness of the vaccine and suggest it carries a variety significant risks.
Trump’s own relationship with the COVID vaccine has long been complicated. He was initially vaccinated in private before leaving office in 2021 and has at times taken credit for the rapid development of the original vaccine under his Operation Warp Speed initiative. However, he has also avoided strongly promoting it to his base, many of whom are deeply skeptical of the COVID vaccine due to remarkable evidence.
Friday’s checkup was the second of the year for the president, following a physical exam in April. While the White House described this visit as part of Trump’s “ongoing health maintenance plan,” some observers noted the unusual frequency for a sitting president’s full physical evaluations. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt downplayed concerns, calling the visit “routine” and a responsible part of Trump’s personal health regimen.
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/49567610097_520f3c49da_b-884404602-1.jpeg6821024Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2025-10-11 16:41:582025-10-11 16:37:08Trump Receives COVID Booster and Flu Shot During Second Checkup of the Year
Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, was shouted down in Israel Saturday after hailing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as being instrumental in the Gaza peace plan that was agreed to, in part, by both Israel and Hamas.
“This moment was made through the tireless dedication of leaders who would not rest until the world saw what could be achieved, one of them standing right here with me, Jared Kushner,” Witkoff said to a crowd of thousands in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Witkoff then proceeded to mention Netanyahu’s name in his round of thanks only to be met with loud boos and jeers from the crowd. . .
"Let me finish my thought!"
Trump's Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff shouted down by Israelis after hailing Israeli PM Benjamin @netanyahupic.twitter.com/y3FkHJbgSQ
“I, I, okay, let me just finish my thought. I was, I was in the trenches… guys, let me just finish my thought,” Witkoff said, as he struggled to tamper down the jeers from the crowd. “I was in the trenches with the prime minister – believe me, he was a very important part here.”
Boos continued to ring out from the audience at every mention of Netanyahu, whose popularity among Israelis has plummeted since Hamas’ attack in 2023, with many Israeli critics accusing Netanyahu of deliberately undermining a hostage deal. (Read more from “‘Let Me Finish My Thought!’ Trump’s Envoy Shouted Down by Israelis After Hailing Netanyahu” HERE)
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Billionaire Ray Dalio warned Friday that surging U.S. debt and hardening political divides under Donald Trump are pushing the country toward civil war.
The veteran hedge fund manager, 76, warned that borrowing “relative to income” is “like plaque in the arteries that then begins to squeeze out the spending.”
He told Bloomberg the combination of swelling deficits, wealth inequality, and global flashpoints has created “plenty to worry about” and an environment “very much analogous” to the years before World War II.
Asked whether a wider conflict is imminent, he replied that a “civil war of some sort” is developing with “irreconcilable differences” in the U.S. and elsewhere moving toward “tests of power.”
As such, Dalio, the founder of Bridgewater Associates, added, it was “crucial” to address the strains now. (Read more from “Billionaire Investor Issues Ominous Warning of ‘Civil War’ Building Under Trump” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/24489908616_e9d558e643_b-3331213012.jpeg6831024Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2025-10-11 16:24:592025-10-11 16:20:33Billionaire Investor Issues Ominous Warning of ‘Civil War’ Building Under Trump
