Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend this week’s BRICS Summit in Brazil, marking the first time the Chinese leader has missed the gathering of major emerging economies. The abrupt decision has triggered widespread speculation about internal political dynamics within China and the fraying cohesion of BRICS itself. China’s official explanation — a “scheduling conflict” and the fact that Xi already met with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula...

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein has vetoed four controversial bills that target diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and transgender policies, setting up a political clash with the Republican-led General Assembly. Stein, a Democrat, blasted the three DEI-focused bills as being “mean-spirited” that would “marginalize vulnerable people” and took aim at Republicans who failed to pass a fiscal budget for the year that just began. The DEI bills ought to ban DEI training,...

President Donald Trump is riding a major wave of momentum after he signed his $3.3 trillion “big, beautiful bill” Friday – a final notch in a series of wins for his administration in recent weeks.  The bill’s passage comes on the heels of other significant victories for his administration, including a Supreme Court ruling in his favor and successful strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.  “President Trump has delivered...