As 2025 ends, tensions between China and Taiwan are higher — and more overt — than at any point in recent years, fueled by expanded U.S. military support for Taipei, increasingly bold warnings from regional allies, and Chinese military drills that look less like symbolism and more like rehearsal. Beijing has spent the year steadily increasing pressure on Taiwan through large-scale military exercises, air and naval incursions, and...

One of President Donald Trump’s most controversial moves in 2025 was his deployment of the National Guard to several major U.S. cities to provide security for federal buildings, public places and around law enforcement operations, including deportation operations. While popular in some areas, Trump’s deployments were met with fierce resistance in some cities, especially in jurisdictions with “sanctuary” laws shielding immigrants from federal authorities. In some particularly controversial...