Report finds US airfields in Pacific vulnerable to Chinese threats
The balance of power in the Indo-Pacific may depend on something as basic as concrete. As China fortifies its military airfields and expands the capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, a new report highlights vulnerabilities in U.S. defenses that could shape future conflicts.
The Hudson Institute, a nonpartisan think tank founded to prepare the U.S. for future military challenges, released the report, titled “Concrete Sky: Air Base Hardening in the Western Pacific.” It details China’s extensive investments in airfield fortifications, which include doubling the number of hardened aircraft shelters over the past decade. China now has more than 3,000 shelters at 134 air bases near the Taiwan Strait.
China has also added 20 runways and over 40 runway-length taxiways, while increasing its total ramp area by almost 75%. According to the report, the amount of concrete used for these upgrades could pave a four-lane interstate highway from Washington, D.C., to Chicago.
In contrast, U.S. efforts in the region have been limited, with only a few shelters, and minimal new infrastructure added. Analysts at the Hudson Institute warn that this leaves U.S. airfields highly vulnerable to missile strikes. This is particularly concerning given Chinese military doctrine, which emphasizes surprise attacks to neutralize air power on the ground.
The People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force has precision-guided missiles capable of targeting U.S. bases across the Indo-Pacific, from Guam to Okinawa. The report highlights that as few as 10 missiles could disable critical assets at Iwakuni, a key Marine Corps air station in Japan.
To mitigate these vulnerabilities, the report recommended strengthening airfield resilience by building hardened aircraft shelters, adding redundant fuel systems, and improving rapid runway repair capabilities. The Hudson Institute also emphasizes the need for long-range aircraft and autonomous systems that rely less on traditional airfield infrastructure.
At least 95 killed in 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Tibet
A powerful earthquake proves deadly in East Asia on Tuesday morning. And winter weather pounds the United States from the Great Plains to the East Coast. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.
7.1 magnitude earthquake kills at least 95 in Tibet
At least 95 people are dead Tuesday after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake rocked Tibet, China, according to Chinese state media. The quake occurred just after 9 a.m. on Jan. 7 near Shigatse, one of Tibet’s holiest cities.
The quake reached a depth of 6.2 miles, damaging buildings and sending people running to the streets in neighboring Nepal and India. Cities as far away as Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital city about 240 miles away, felt tremors.
The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at a magnitude of 7.1, while the China Earthquake Networks Center reported it at 6.8. Multiple aftershocks followed the initial quake.
In addition to the dozens of lives lost, local authorities said the disaster injured at least 130 people.
First winter storm of 2025 leaves at least 4 dead across multiple states
The system moved east on Monday, Jan. 6, from the Great Plains to the East Coast. It brought snow, blizzard conditions and ice. The storm hit cities like Kansas City and Cincinnati the hardest.
Authorities said a public works employee in Missouri suffered a fatal injury while working to remove snow. Two people in Wichita, Kansas, died in a weather-related crash, and one person in Houston, Texas, most likely died as a result of the cold weather, according to local authorities.
The storm knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of homes across at least a half-dozen states.
While the heavy snow ended, the danger remained. Forecasters said the winter system is drawing cold air behind it, meaning states across the entire U.S. will experience a cold front.
Pentagon transfers 11 Yemeni detainees from Guantánamo Bay to Oman
The Pentagon said the U.S. transferred 11 Yemeni detainees to Oman, which agreed to help re-settle them. Two of the detainees are former bodyguards for Osama Bin Laden and were being held at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba.
None of the 11 detainees released were charged with crimes.
The move comes amid steps to reduce the population at the controversial U.S. military facility. Only 15 detainees remain at Guantánamo Bay’s detention facility, which the U.S. set up as the war on terror began after Sept. 11, 2001.
Of the 15 current detainees, only three are eligible for transfer. Three more are eligible for a periodic review, seven are involved in the military commissions process and two detainees were convicted and sentenced by military commissions.
In recent weeks, the Biden administration transferred four other detainees from Guantánamo, including one brought to the detention facility the day it opened in 2002. That person was never formally charged.
The move follows a recent ruling by a military judge that plea agreements with alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed and two other accused terrorists are valid and binding. Those deals take the death penalty off the table for the three men, who remain at Guantánamo Bay.
Biden attends memorial service for New Orleans terror attack victims
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden attended a memorial service Monday, Jan. 6, for the 14 victims killed in the New Year’s Day truck attack in New Orleans. The interfaith prayer service was held at the famous St. Louis Cathedral in the city’s French Quarter, less than a mile away from the scene of the Bourbon Street terror attack.
Jill and I traveled to New Orleans to stand with a community defined by strength and resilience.
To grieve. To pray. And let them know that America stands with them, and mourns with them. pic.twitter.com/26Phe203WF
The president spoke at the service, reassuring the people of New Orleans they are not alone and highlighting the city’s enduring strength and resilience amid tragedy. He referred to past devastation experienced by the city, including Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
“If there’s one thing we know: New Orleans defines strength and resilience,” the president said. “You define it, whether it’s in the form of this attack, from this attack, or hurricanes or super storms. This city’s people get back up.”
The president and first lady also visited the Bourbon Street memorial, where they placed flowers and prayed for the victims.
While in New Orleans, the Bidens met privately with grieving families, survivors and first responders.
Though both cases were dismissed, the special counsel is required to provide a report to Garland, who can then decide whether to make it public.
According to the letter and a legal filing, Trump’s lawyers and two former co-defendants in the documents case viewed a two-volume draft copy of the report over the weekend. They called the report “one-sided” and “slanted.”
In the letter, Trump’s lawyer requested Garland fire Smith, who is set to resign before Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, or let the decision on the release of the report be handled by Trump’s incoming attorney general, Pam Bondi.
The lawyers for Trump’s two former co-defendants in the documents case also asked the judge who dismissed the case to halt the report’s release, citing her ruling that Smith’s appointment was unconstitutional.
While it is not clear when the report will be released, the lawyers have asked the judge for a hearing on their request by Friday, Jan. 10, believing the release is “imminent.”
‘Shark Tank’ star Kevin O’Leary announces bid to buy TikTok
With millions of social media users counting down TikTok’s days in the U.S., one businessman is looking to prevent the ban from taking effect. “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary issued a press release Monday announcing his interest in purchasing TikTok.
O’Leary — known by “Shark Tank” fans as “Mr. Wonderful” — said he is partnering with former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt on the bid.
Speaking to Fox Business, O’Leary said he would need Trump’s help to seal the deal. O’Leary said he’s “protecting the privacy of 170 million American users” and “empowering creators and small businesses.”
TikTok faces a federal ban on Jan. 19 unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, sells. The Biden administration and other federal lawmakers believe TikTok threatens national security, accusing the Chinese government of using it to spy on Americans. Lawmakers fear the app is being used to weaponize and influence content Americans view.
On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments from ByteDance on why it should prevent the ban.
Taliban sells emeralds, gold and minerals to revive struggling Afghanistan economy
Hoping to revive Afghanistan’s struggling economy, the Taliban is mining emeralds, gold and gemstones to get cash flowing. Without U.S. aid to the country, the Islamic fundamentalist group is turning to buyers and investors in China, Russia and Iran.
The World Bank estimated last April that Afghanistan’s economy lost more than a quarter of its value in the previous two years. The Taliban took over the country in August 2021, as U.S. troops departed after a 20-year war.
The decline comes from a range of factors, including not just the loss of U.S. aid but the Taliban banning opium production. The World Bank said it accounted for $1.3 billion and 8% of the country’s economy. The Taliban also implemented major limitations on the rights of women to work.
Pentagon officials estimated Afghanistan has as much as $1 trillion worth of gemstones, minerals and metals available for underground mining.
Those include rare earth elements crucial to making technology, including smartphones and laptops.
The U.S. spent hundreds of millions of dollars helping Afghanistan’s previous government develop mining projects. However, the effort failed due to weak laws, a lack of infrastructure and corruption.
The Taliban may face the same issues but hopes to centralize the process, auctioning off emeralds weekly and requiring buyers to pay a tax on them.
One gemstone dealer who bought from the government told The New York Times that he didn’t mind paying the tax as long as the government used the money to help the country’s people.
Trump denies report that team is considering scaled-back tariffs
President-elect Donald Trump denied an exclusive report by The Washington Post on Monday, Jan. 6, that claimed he’s considering scaling back his tariff plans. Trump called the story “fake news.”
According to The Post, Trump aides are still looking into applying tariffs to every country, but with a more targeted approach aimed at critical imports.
Trump responded to the report just hours after the article’s publication.
“The story in the Washington Post (sic), quoting so-called anonymous sources, which don’t exist, incorrectly states that my tariff policy will be pared back. That is wrong. The Washington Post knows it’s wrong. It’s just another example of fake news,” Trump posted to Truth Social.
The Washington Post cited “three familiar sources with the matter.”
Many economists warned the move could drive up inflation.
A recent poll by the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and the Financial Times found that 61% of economists surveyed in the U.S. said the tariff measures proposed during Trump’s campaign would have “large” or “some” negative consequences.
The U.S. dollar fell more than one percent Monday in reaction to the report.
The Post’s report didn’t detail which critical sectors the tariffs would target. The sources said preliminary discussions have focused on what Trump wants to bring back to the U.S. That includes the defense industrial supply chain, like steel, iron and aluminum; medical supplies, like syringes and needles; and energy production, including batteries, rare minerals and solar panels.
The Washington Post has yet to respond to Trump’s comment on its report.
Chinese Coast Guard ‘monster ship,’ underwater drone enter Philippine waters
Philippine authorities are investigating the discovery of a suspected Chinese underwater drone and the presence of one of the world’s largest Coast Guard vessels, developments that are adding to rising tensions in the South China Sea. The region is the focus of ongoing disputes over territorial claims between China and the Philippines.
On Monday, Dec. 30, fishermen near San Pascual in Masbate province discovered an unmanned underwater drone. Officials identified the device as Chinese-made and labeled “HY-119,” likely used for navigation and reconnaissance.
The Philippine Navy is analyzing the device due to potential national security implications, authorities said.
The unarmed drone has raised concerns about China’s increasing activity within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The zone extends 200 nautical miles from its coastline.
The discovery follows previous confrontations in disputed areas, including the Second Thomas Shoal and Scarborough Shoal, where Chinese vessels have used aggressive tactics against Philippine ships.
Adding to the tension, China’s 12,000-ton Coast Guard vessel, CCG 5901, nicknamed the “monster ship,” was recently sighted at Scarborough Shoal.
The reef is located 140 miles west of Luzon Island and lies within the Philippines’ EEZ. However, it has been under Chinese control since 2012. The armed Chinese Coast Guard vessel, accompanied by other Chinese ships, underscores Beijing’s efforts to assert dominance over the South China Sea.
A recent Pentagon report on Chinese military developments highlighted Beijing’s use of its navy, Coast Guard and maritime militia to enforce territorial claims. The deployment of the “monster ship” represents part of China’s broader strategy involving advanced technology and large-scale maritime operations.
China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, overlapping the EEZs of neighboring nations, including the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia.
Since taking office in 2022, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has intensified efforts to counter Chinese incursions, leading to more frequent maritime confrontations.
The United States regularly conducts freedom-of-navigation operations in the region to challenge China’s expansive claims. At the same time, U.S. allies across the Indo-Pacific are bolstering their defenses in response to Beijing’s actions.
Philippine officials have pledged to continue challenging China through diplomatic channels and increased patrols. Beijing has maintained its activities are consistent with its sovereignty claims.
The South China Sea remains a flash point for regional tensions, with significant implications for global security and trade.
It’s known as human metapneumovirus, or HMPV for short. It reportedly causes flu-like symptoms. There are now social media posts alleging the virus is overtaking emergency rooms, but Chinese authorities are not confirming those claims.
Official reports in China indicated rates of multiple flu-like illnesses are on the rise, but people are only being asked to wear face masks and wash their hands frequently by government officials.
Meanwhile, India’s top health official said people should not panic over the spread of the virus. He said that there was “no substantial” increase in infections from the virus in December 2024, and cases have not been reported in large numbers “from any other institutions.”
Furthermore, India’s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said that it is closely monitoring seasonal flu and respiratory cases, and is in close contact with international agencies.
Doctors said that HMPV typically spreads through droplets spread by coughing, sneezing or touching a surface contaminated by the virus, then an individual touching their hands, eyes, nose or mouth.
HMPV is reportedly most active in the winter and early spring, alongside the flu and common cold. The virus is relatively new, first detected in 2001, and is sparking concerns that it could lead to another global pandemic.
Earlier this week, China asserted that it shared information on COVID-19 “without holding anything back” after the World Health Organization insisted Beijing release more data on the pandemic’s origin.
China defended its data sharing on COVID-19, arguing that it has made the “largest contribution to global origin trace research.”
Xi Jinping urges confidence in China’s economy amid ‘uncertainties’
During his New Year address, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on his country to remain confident in the world’s second-largest economy. Meanwhile, he also warned of “uncertainties in the external environment” just weeks ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
China’s economy is struggling, impacted by weak consumption and a real estate crisis.
“The current economic operation now faces some new conditions, including challenges of uncertainties in the external environment and pressure of transformation from old growth drivers into new ones,” Xi said. “We must be confident.”
After winning re-election, Trump said he would impose tariffs on imported goods from China, Mexico and Canada on his first day in office.
Then, last month, Trump invited Xi and other world leaders to attend his inauguration on Jan. 20. Members of both parties scrutinized the invitation.
Trump’s incoming White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, responded, saying: “This is an example of President Trump creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not just our allies but our adversaries and our competitors, too.”
Xi is not expected to attend the inauguration, according to CBS News.
When Trump was asked about Xi not attending during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago home last month, he said:
“I don’t know that he won’t be at the inauguration. I mean, I haven’t really spoken to him about it, I don’t know that actually. If he’d like to come, I’d like to have him but there’s been nothing much discussed. I have had discussions with him, letters, etc., etc., at a very high level. You know, we had a very good relationship until COVID. COVID didn’t end the relationship, but it was a bridge too far for me.”
During his address, Xi also talked about China’s “reunification” with Taiwan as China ramps up its military presence around the island nation.
On Thursday, Jan. 2, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reported that China conducted its first combat patrol near Taiwan with warplanes and warships.
A look at US Supreme Court 2025 docket and a warning from Chief Justice Roberts
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is expressing concerns about the growing disregard for the U.S. Supreme Court ahead of major rulings expected in 2025. In his year-end report, Roberts emphasized the importance of maintaining judicial independence, urging that court decisions be honored regardless of their political implications.
“Within the past few years, however, elected officials from across the political spectrum have raised the specter of open disregard for federal court rulings,” Roberts wrote. “These dangerous suggestions, however sporadic, must be soundly rejected. Judicial independence is worth preserving.”
Roberts also warned of the rise in violence directed at judges performing their duties. He noted that the number of hostile threats against judges has more than tripled in the past decade. One reason for the increase in threats, he suggested, is public officials who accuse the judiciary of political bias without credible evidence.
While acknowledging that public officials are entitled to criticize the judiciary, Roberts cautioned that “irresponsible rhetoric can fuel dangerous behavior.”
He added, “It is not in the nature of judicial work to make everyone happy. Most cases have a winner and a loser. Every administration suffers defeats in the court system — sometimes in cases with major ramifications for executive or legislative power or other consequential topics. Nevertheless, for the past several decades, the decisions of the courts, popular or not, have been followed, and the nation has avoided the standoffs that plagued the 1950s and 1960s.”
Roberts also issued a warning that court rulings must be followed and respected, just as the Supreme Court heads into a new year with several high-stakes cases on its docket. Some of these cases could have significant political and social implications.
Major cases in 2025
Attention is focused on these five major cases:
One of the most closely watched is the challenge to a proposed ban on TikTok, prompted by national security concerns due to the app’s ties to China. President Joe Biden signed a law that would ban the app unless it is sold to a U.S. company, and the Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether the ban should proceed.
The Supreme Court will also hear a case challenging a Tennessee law that bans transgender surgeries and hormone treatments for minors. The ruling could set a precedent for similar laws in other states.
Another key case will determine whether the federal government can regulate “ghost guns,” firearms made from kits that lack serial numbers. The justices will consider whether such kits, which can be assembled at home, should be classified as firearms subject to federal regulation.
Justices will also hear a challenge to a Texas law requiring age verification for visitors to pornography websites. The ruling could influence similar laws in around 20 states.
Lastly, the Supreme Court will address the scope of environmental impact assessments required under the National Environmental Policy Act, with the justices set to consider how broad these environmental considerations should be for federal agency actions.
As the justices prepare to rule on these major cases, which are likely to bring political and societal changes, Chief Justice Roberts is getting ahead of these decisions with the warning. He says that the rulings, no matter the outcome, will likely have a negative impact on either side of the political spectrum. However, he reiterated the decisions will be the law of the land, as intended by the U.S. government.
WHO urges China to share COVID origin data 5 years since pandemic began
The World Health Organization is once again asking China to share data on the origins of the COVID-19 virus that changed society, five years since the start of the pandemic in Wuhan. On Dec. 31, 2019, a WHO office in China noted a cluster of so-called “pneumonia” cases, which turned out to be COVID-19. About three weeks later, Chinese authorities locked down the city.
By early 2020, the virus spread globally, impacting economies, health care systems, education and politics.
While much of the world has moved on from lockdowns and restrictions, questions remain about the source of the virus, prompting the WHO to release a statement Monday, Dec. 30. According to the WHO, sharing data is a “moral and scientific imperative.”
“Without transparency, sharing, and cooperation among countries, the world cannot adequately prevent and prepare for future epidemics and pandemics,” the WHO said.
How the pandemic started is still under heavy debate, with many scientists believing the virus transferred naturally from animals to humans, but some still harbor suspicions that it escaped from a lab leak in Wuhan.
The WHO has repeatedly asked China to share data about the spread of COVID-19, with reports as early as 2020 accusing China of significant delays in giving information needed to fight the virus.
In 2021, the WHO started drafting a plan on preparing for another pandemic, along with all of the countries who participate in the organization.
While the WHO said the organization agreed on most of what the treaty should include, there’s still a divide between wealthy countries with big pharmaceutical industries and poorer nations worried about being left out. The deadline for negotiations is May 2025.
Chinese-sponsored hackers behind ‘major’ breach: Treasury Department
Investigators accuse China of hacking U.S. Treasury Department computers. And funeral arrangements are set for America’s 39th president, Jimmy Carter. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased updates for Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024.
Chinese-sponsored hackers are behind ‘major’ breach: Treasury Department
The U.S. Department of Treasury said it’s still working to determine the extent of damage from a data breach it called “a major incident.” In a letter sent to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on Monday, Dec. 30, the Treasury Department said a Chinese-sponsored “threat actor” was able to gain access to department employees’ workstations earlier this month and view “unclassified documents” maintained by those workers.
The letter said the hackers gained access through a third-party cybersecurity service called BeyondTrust and overrode certain department security measures. The department stopped using BeyondTrust after the attack.
The Treasury Department is working with the FBI and other members of the U.S. intelligence community to “fully characterize the incident and determine its full impact.” The department said it will provide Congress more information in a supplemental report within 30 days.
China’s ministry of foreign affairs denied any Chinese involvement.
Arrest warrant issued for embattled South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol
The court recently voted to strip Yoon of his presidential powers. He faces impeachment over his short-lived declaration of martial law.
The court granted the arrest warrant for Yoon on charges of abuse of authority and orchestrating a rebellion. Yoon is wanted for questioning in multiple investigations, including one over accusations of leading an insurrection — a crime punishable by life imprisonment or even the death penalty in South Korea.
President Joe Biden spoke with the nation’s interim president in recent weeks, expressing America’s commitment to democracy there. America has roughly 28,000 troops stationed in South Korea as a deterrent to communist North Korea.
Memorial events scheduled for late President Jimmy Carter
Details are now public about the nation’s plans to pay tribute to the late former President Jimmy Carter, who died Sunday, Dec. 29, at 100 years old. Biden declared Thursday, Jan. 9, a National Day of Mourning. New Year’s Day will begin an eight-day mourning period.
The Carter family will gather in the former president’s hometown of Plains, Georgia, over the next few days.
On Saturday, Jan. 4, the state funeral will be held. It starts at 10:15 a.m. ET with a motorcade from Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Georgia, and will travel through Plains, taking a brief pause at 10:50 a.m.
At that stop, the National Park Service will ring the historic bell on the Carter family farm 39 times in honor of the late president. At 10:55 a.m., Carter’s final journey to Atlanta will begin.
At 3 p.m., the motorcade will stop at the Georgia State Capitol for a moment of silence led by Gov. Brian Kemp. It will then go on to its destination, the Carter Presidential Center, for a service at 4 p.m.
Carter will lie in repose from 7 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 5, until 6 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7, for the public to pay respects.
He will then be taken to Washington, D.C., where Congress will pay tribute in a private ceremony. Then Carter will lie in state for the public to pay respects until Thursday, Jan. 9, when Carter will be taken home to Georgia for a private family funeral service and internment. Biden is expected to deliver a eulogy at the funeral.
5 people charged in connection with singer Liam Payne’s death
Five people were charged in connection with the death of former One Direction singer Liam Payne in Argentina, according to the country’s prosecutor’s office. Payne died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires in October after police said he consumed “various substances,” including drugs and alcohol.
A friend of Payne, the hotel manager and its head of reception are accused of “negligent homicide” in connection with the singer’s death. If convicted, they face a maximum of five years in prison.
Two other hotel employees were charged with selling Payne drugs. They face up to 15 years in prison.
FAA investigating after Gonzaga Bulldogs’ jet ordered to stop at LAX
The Federal Aviation Administration launched an investigation after a private jet carrying the Gonzaga University men’s basketball team nearly crossed a runway as another flight took off from Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, Dec. 27.
The FAA has launched an investigation after a Delta plane almost hit the Gonzaga’s men’s basketball team’s private jet on Friday. 😳
The jet, operated by Key Lime Air, was ordered by air traffic controllers to stop as a Delta flight took off. No one was hurt. Gonzaga was in Los Angeles for its game against UCLA on Saturday, Dec. 28.
Over 1 million expected to ring in the new year at Times Square
The NYPD said while there have not been any “specific credible threats” to the Times Square celebration, the department has been operating in a heightened threat environment since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel.
As for the big celebration, fans braving possible wet weather and the many others watching at home will be able to enjoy musical acts from Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton and the Jonas Brothers.