Saturday Afternoon News Updates: How Trump Surrendered in China — 5/16/26
Trump returned from Beijing humiliated, while Americans inch closer to $7-a-pound ground beef and can't afford to fill their tanks.
Hi all, Ben here. It’s Saturday, and what a week it has been. Let me get you caught up on everything we’re tracking right now, because there is a lot.
Here are the top stories:
Trump’s China trip is being widely panned as a strategic humiliation — Xi played him like a fiddle
Taiwan pushes back hard after Trump essentially threw them under the bus in Beijing
Iran doubles down on Strait of Hormuz control right after the summit
Ground beef closing in on $7 a pound as the White House scrambles on a beef tariff executive order
AutoZone memo warns of a 40% drop in lubricating fluid supply
Trump back on Truth Social this morning, posting unhinged rants and conspiracy theories again
The DOJ’s $1.776 billion “Truth and Justice Commission” slush fund story isn’t going away
Before I go any further, if you haven’t yet joined as a paid subscriber, consider doing so now by clicking here to support our work. This is how we grow. If you’re already a Meidas+ paid Substack subscriber, thank you for your support of pro-democracy media!
Let’s get into it.
