What's going on: When China’s Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, and India’s Narendra Modi strode into the same room on Monday, they unveiled a not-so-subtle countermove to President Donald Trump’s trade fights. The choreography at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit was deliberate: Putin and Modi entered hand in hand, then pulled Xi into a tight circle of smiles and laughs. From the podium, Xi didn’t name Trump or the US directly, but he urged his audience to “unequivocally oppose power politics.” The three leaders cast themselves as a united front against US pressure in front of 20 foreign leaders. That all came after Trump recently slapped steep tariffs on both China and India — hiking India’s rate to 50% — and railed against New Delhi’s purchases of cheap Russian oil that help fill Moscow’s war chest. Trump, for his part, defended the tariffs on Truth Social.
What it means: China used the summit to pitch itself as a steady partner, in contrast to US unpredictability. The hand-holding photo op — despite the trio’s clashing views and competing interests — also sent its own message: whatever their differences, they’ll show solidarity when Washington is the target. But analysts caution that the glue is thin, built more on grievance than strategy. As one foreign policy expert put it, “These are big countries with their own agendas.” Meanwhile, others say the trio’s alignment could complicate US foreign policy efforts related to Russia or China, and make Washington look increasingly alone on recent trade tariffs and sanctions.
Unemployment Rate Among Black Americans Hits Troubling Levels
What’s going on: The labor market has stayed resilient in the face of tariffs and inflation. In fact, unemployment remains historically low at 4.2%, but that number doesn’t tell the full story. The jobless rate among Black Americans has climbed to 7.2% — the highest since October 2021. Both college-educated and non-college-educated Black workers are feeling it, with Black women hit hardest — their unemployment rate rising from 5.5% to 6.3% in the past year. The data also shows racial disparities in the workforce are still very real.
What it means: Economists consider the rising Black unemployment rate to be an early warning of an economic slowdown. As for why the rate is plummeting, some experts say mass federal layoffs are partly to blame, since nearly 18% of government workers are Black. Others point to the Trump administration’s push to dismantle DEI programs, which one expert told USA Today is likely fueling an “antagonistic posture against the Black workforce.” With August’s jobs report due this week and employers barely hiring since May, few expect the outlook to improve.
Margaret Atwood Turns Book Ban Into a Joke — Literally
What's going on: Margaret Atwood is turning Alberta, Canada’s book ban into satire. On Sunday, she posted a bitingly ironic short story for teens after some schools pulled The Handmaid’s Tale from shelves. The new story stars John and Mary, two “very, very good children” who never got zits, picked their noses or moved their bowels — and somehow “produced five perfect children without ever having sex.” (It only gets bolder from there.) Alberta ordered schools to strip out “sexually explicit” material by October 1. The rule has already pushed the Edmonton Public School Board to remove more than 200 books, including Atwood’s own dystopian classic, 1984, and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Atwood mocked the move with a tongue-in-cheek PSA that reading her book might set your hair on fire.
What it means: Atwood's parody doubles as a form of protest. She warns the crackdown in Alberta could have a chilling effect that leads to bans that target more than just “sexually explicit” content. And if this sounds familiar, it’s because Atwood has a history of creative retorts: her novel has long been a US target, and she once published a fireproof "unburnable" edition — complete with a flamethrower demo. This time, though, her sharpest burn might be an ironically brutal short story that can’t be shelved.
