President Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping whether China wanted to purchase American weapons, according to U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, who disclosed the exchange publicly.
The White House separately denied reports that it had delayed a $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan as a concession to Beijing. The administration stated no such delay had taken place, though the reports raised questions about U.S. commitment to arms transfers to the island amid ongoing trade negotiations with China.
The dual disclosures highlight the complex balancing act Washington faces between managing relations with Beijing and fulfilling defense commitments to Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act.
🇮🇷 U.S. Rejects Iran's Strait of Hormuz Deal as 'Cynical'
A senior U.S. official dismissed Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as "cynical" on Sunday, calling it a non-starter for Washington.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi presented the offer at the United Nations this week. It demands the release of frozen Iranian assets, the lifting of oil sanctions, and an end to the U.S. naval blockade in exchange for reopening the waterway, which is critical to global energy supplies.
The rejection signals no near-term diplomatic breakthrough on one of the world's most strategically important shipping lanes.
📊 Wall Street Records Hide Oil, Yield and Fed Pressures
Major U.S. stock indexes are hovering near record levels, but underlying conditions point to mounting strain across markets.
Elevated oil prices, rising Treasury yields, and a Federal Reserve preparing for additional interest-rate hikes are pressuring the rally beneath the surface of headline index gains.
📊 Meta Faces $200B Penalty Risk in New Mexico Jury Verdict
A New Mexico jury found Facebook liable for more than 43 million violations of the state's consumer protection law, exposing Meta to potential penalties exceeding $200 billion.
The jury also found that Facebook misled the public about its investigations into third-party app developers that harvested user data following the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The penalty amount will be determined in a subsequent phase of proceedings.
The case represents one of the largest potential corporate penalties in U.S. legal history, underscoring ongoing regulatory and legal pressure on Meta over data privacy practices.
🏛 White House Bars CNN From Air Force One, Defying Court Order
The White House blocked CNN from traveling aboard Air Force One on Saturday for Trump's trip to Knoxville, Tennessee — days after a federal judge ordered the administration to restore the network's press credentials.
CNN had been scheduled to fill its rotating slot in the five-network TV pool. With no TV pool on the flight, there was "no widely available independent video of events," a pool report noted. Earlier this week, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News refused to take CNN's place when it was similarly excluded during Trump's New York trip. Trump last week banned CNN, MSNBC and Politico from the White House, citing "FAKE NEWS." A federal judge on Thursday ordered all three organizations' credentials immediately restored. On Saturday, Trump posted: "FAKE NEWS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED IN THE WHITE HOUSE!!! IT HAS GONE ON FAR TOO LONG."
Overseas investors poured a record $940 billion into US equities in the 12 months to July, coinciding with strong gains in the S&P 500.
The surge in foreign equity purchases came as appetite for US debt faded, signaling a shift in how international capital is being allocated toward American markets.
🇺🇦 Trump Admin Commits $307M of Ukraine Military Aid
The Trump administration has obligated $307 million of the $400 million Congress approved for military aid to Ukraine, making the funds legally binding commitments.
The move accounts for nearly all of the congressionally approved package. Obligating funds means the government is legally required to spend the money, reducing the risk of it being withheld or redirected.
The development marks a concrete step in U.S. military support for Ukraine under the Trump administration, which had previously signaled a more cautious approach to the conflict.