Chinese flags are waving everywhere in Washington this week. Will the Trump-driven flattery campaign make any difference in U.S.-China relations? Read more in today’s WSJ Politics Newsletter: (on.wsj.com)
President Trump hosted Chinese leader Xi Jinping for a summit heavy on ceremony and light on outcomes, concealing major disagreements on trade, technology and Beijing’s support for Iran (on.wsj.com)
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill has called for the resignation of Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell after an independent investigation found he repeatedly violated state policy (on.wsj.com)
The White House is pressing China about suspected nuclear tests in confidential talks, and GOP lawmakers squashed the latest measure to end the Iran War. Read more in today’s What’s News newsletter: (on.wsj.com)
Ari Emanuel on Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Mixing Business with Politics - The entertainment agent and executive talks with David Remnick about his dealings with the President, the tech mogul, and Mohammed bin Salman, and operating within “shades of gray.” (www.newyorker.com)
The New York Film Festival, Week One: Better Late Than Never - This year’s prime offerings include the festival début of an overlooked great director and startling new work by acclaimed filmmakers. (www.newyorker.com)
Min Jin Lee on “American Hagwon,” Her First Novel After the Phenomenon of “Pachinko” - The author talks with David Remnick about leaving corporate law to become a novelist, and making Korean culture and experiences legible to readers around the globe. (www.newyorker.com)
The Predator Catcher Turns Predatory in “Primetime” - A dazzling, wolfish performance from Robert Pattinson anchors Lance Oppenheim’s period piece about the rise and fall of a reality-TV host. (www.newyorker.com)
The Sublime Somi Bridges African and Western Jazz - Also: David Greenspan and Lupita Nyong’o onstage, the found-object art of Narcissister, a Hong Kong-born filmmaker’s exploration of family history, and more. (www.newyorker.com)
“Resident Evil” Is Fun, but Soulless. What Else Could It Be? - Zach Cregger has made a great video-game movie, in part by leaving out the things that make a Zach Cregger movie great. (www.newyorker.com)
The Week Republicans Finally Panicked About Trump - The President’s party, facing a midterm reckoning, is begging for a way out of his Iran-war doom loop. (www.newyorker.com)
Gut Renos of Ionesco and Chekhov - In “Delirium” and “The Cherry Orchard,” experimental directors smash up and rebuild classic plays. (www.newyorker.com)
What Survival Stories Tell Us (and Should We Listen?) - Tales of human resilience in nature bring the thrill of the wild to the comfort of the couch. In our hyper-developed day and age, why do we return to stripped-down tales of survival? (www.newyorker.com)
There Is No A.I. “Race” - We’re constantly told that Chinese advances would have catastrophic consequences. But the first to innovate is rarely the one who wins. (www.newyorker.com)
How MAHA Tore One Family Apart - As measles cases reach a thirty-five-year high, disagreements over vaccines are putting new strains on families—and bringing the politics of MAHA into the home. (www.newyorker.com)
“NAZA” Puts Israel Face to Face with the War in Gaza - In this documentary, Israeli military and intelligence sources reveal systems, policies, and practices that have resulted in high numbers of civilian deaths and widespread destruction. (www.newyorker.com)
What China’s Vibe-Coding Capital Can Tell Us About the A.I. Boom - Tech workers have flocked to Liangzhu, a small town outside Hangzhou, looking to escape China’s corporate culture and build their future with A.I. (www.newyorker.com)
An OpenAI Engineer and His Friends Debate the Future - In Brent Katz’s short documentary “Josh’s Wedding,” a group of groomsmen reckon with a technology that one of them is building. (www.newyorker.com)
Kate Atkinson’s Obsession with History - “Our Noble Selves,” the author’s latest novel, is an object-obbsessed murder mystery, of a sort. (www.newyorker.com)
The Worlds That Donald Trump and Xi Jinping Want - As the President stages a gala welcome for the Chinese leader, it appears that, in curious ways, the two men mirror each other. (www.newyorker.com)
Is Trump’s Latest Press Attack Just Another Distraction? - After CNN, MS NOW, and Politico were barred from the White House, the entire TV press pool announced a boycott of the President. (www.newyorker.com)
Annie Dillard’s Subject Was the Whole World - We met decades after “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek” took her from the slush pile to literary celebrity, in a flash. (www.newyorker.com)