Trump attends China summit, discusses concerns with Xi 

President Donald Trump met with president of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping for a summit in Beijing from May 13 to May 15 to discuss global tensions including the Iranian War and the ongoing conflict over Taiwan’s independence.

Xi hosted the summit to facilitate conversations among prominent Chinese and U.S. figures, including high-ranking cabinet members of the Trump administration and billionaire CEOs. Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, Tim Cook of Apple, and Jensen Huang from NVIDIA were in attendance. 

The discussions between Trump and Xi lasted around three hours, with Trump expressing a desire to “be friends, not adversaries” with China.

Trump and Xi addressed the continuing tensions in Taiwan. In this conversation, Xi warned Trump that mishandling the issue could lead to dangerous conflict. Alongside this, Trump announced a warning against Taiwan’s independence, stating that he is “not looking to have somebody go independent” after the summit. 

Trump and Xi also talked about the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is essential to Iran’s oil trade, a commodity the U.S. needs access to and of which China is a primary contributor. Xi expressed China’s desire for a ceasefire in Iran and the opening of the strait for passage. Trump said that he “feels similar” on the issue. Additionally, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned that the U.S. hopes China will play a larger role in de-escalating the conflict.

Trump and Xi also discussed a number of topics related to relations between the U.S. and China, including economic cooperation, increased purchases of U.S. agricultural goods, and expanded American corporate involvement in China. 

Current reports indicate that neither Trump nor Xi have announced any official resolutions to the conflicts they reviewed during their trip. 

Student files class action lawsuit against Canvas in San Diego federal court 

On May 12, a San Diego resident filed a proposed class action lawsuit in response to Instructure’s — the parent company of academic applications Canvas and Parchment — failure to protect student records. 

Last week, cybercriminal group ShinyHunters hacked into Canvas, resulting in an information leak that impacted over 9,000 schools and more than 275 million users. The breach began on May 7, and Instructure restored partial function to the application the following day. 

In the suit, the plaintiff alleged that Instructure’s compromise “has increased anxiety over the loss of privacy and anxiety over the impact of cybercriminals accessing, using, and selling his [personally identifiable information].” 

The suit faults Instructure for its alleged failure to “implement adequate and reasonable measures to ensure that plaintiff … was safeguarded.” The plaintiff seeks damages, a court order providing proof of PII deletion, and Instructure’s implementation of more protective data security measures. 

After the breach, Instructure launched an Security Incident Update and FAQ page detailing the operational status of its applications. Instructure CEO Steve Daly released a statement on the Instructure website addressing the data compromise. 

“Core learning data (course content, submissions, credentials) was not compromised,” the statement read. “Canvas by Instructure is fully operational and remains safe to use. … Rebuilding trust takes time. We’re going to earn it back through consistent action and honest communication.”

Cuban fuel reserves run dry as blackouts ensue

Cuban Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy appeared on state media to discuss the country’s ongoing fuel crisis on May 13. As reported by The Guardian, de la O Levy said that Cuba has “absolutely no fuel [oil] and absolutely no diesel.” He also said that the country has “no reserves” and that blackouts in Havana, the capital city, “exceed 20 or 22 hours.”

These developments come after Cuba depleted the most recently imported oil supplies from a Russian vessel in March. Russia pledged to send a vessel named Universal, an oil tanker carrying 270,000 barrels of diesel, to Cuba in early April. However, it has been stalled in the Atlantic Ocean for several weeks, potentially due to fears of cargo seizure by U.S. Navy. 

The U.S. has steadily ramped up pressure on Cuba to liberalize its economy and political system, culminating in a near-total blockade of all oil shipments to Cuba. 

Partly due to the blockade, Cuba has experienced widespread power outages. Cuban residents have protested by banging pots and setting piles of trash on fire. Hundreds of protestors have taken to the streets, shouting, “Turn on the lights!” and, “The people united will never be defeated!”

The blackouts have posed issues to the daily lives of residents. The vast majority of Cubans now go without electricity for 20 hours or more per day. Food has also been spoiling due to a lack of working refrigerators, and some hospitals have canceled surgeries.

Trump freezes $1.3 billion in Medicaid funding in California

On Wednesday, Vice President J.D. Vance announced a deferral of $1.3 billion for Medicaid from the state of California over accusations that the state failed to prosecute fraud in a number of hospice and in-home care providers. The deferral comes in part with the Trump administration’s goals to crack down on nationwide Medicaid fraud.

Earlier this week, Vance delivered letters to attorney generals across the nation regarding the need to comply with the federal government’s goals of ridding the nation of fraud. The letters highlighted the potential for rescinding Medicaid funding if the administration’s demands are not met. The Trump administration believes that rooting out fraud would prevent misuse of public benefits such as Medicare and Medicaid and preserve program funding.

In light of these letters, the Trump administration rescinded Medicaid funding from a number of states. Some of the largest affected include California and Minnesota. The administration also gave out warnings before issuing funding cuts to other states across the nation. Alongside funding changes, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, led by Dr. Mehmet Oz, announced a nationwide six-month freeze on all new enrollments in Medicare by hospice and home care providers.

According to Oz, California’s $1.3 billion deferral is reported to be the largest justified Medicaid fund deferral, as the state was found to be an outlier in home care spending. Oz demanded an explanation and expressed a desire to investigate the potential fraud of California’s home care program.  

Fighter jets collide at Idaho Air Force base

Two fighter jets at the Idaho Air Force base crashed in midair, plummeting to the ground at approximately 12 p.m. on Sunday. All four of the crew members involved ejected their parachutes and landed safely, and are being medically examined. 

The collision occurred during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show, an aerial performance conducted by the Mountain Home Air Force Base. The two fighter jets were performing an aerial stunt when the incident happened. 

In a video uploaded by CBS News, the fighter jets are seen flying too close together, colliding, spinning off, and ultimately causing an explosion when hitting the ground. 

The cause of the incident is currently being investigated by local authorities and the Mountain Home Air Force Base.

The Gunfighter Skies Air Show uploaded a statement following the crash, warning attendees of the accident:

“Urgent! An Aircraft incident has occurred at the Mountain Home Air Force Base during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show two miles northwest of the base. Emergency responders are on the scene, an investigation is underway and more details will be released as they become available.”

A couple of hours later on Sunday, the Mountain Home Police Department issued a statement announcing the cancellation of the remainder of the Gunfighter Skies Air Show. The post advises the general public to not attempt to access the base until further notice.