Xi, Putin, Kim show military might; Maduro pushes back on US buildup: Unbiased Updates, Sept. 2, 2025

It’s a parade like no other. Beijing displays thousands of troops — and three of the world’s most controversial leaders — in a message directed straight at Washington, D.C.

Plus, Venezuela’s Maduro says the U.S. military buildup off his coast is nothing short of a push for regime change. He warned Tuesday morning that any conflict could trigger the biggest regional crisis in decades.

Also, President Donald Trump now demands Pfizer and other drug companies prove their COVID-19 shots really work.

These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025.

Xi, Putin, Kim converge in Beijing amid military parade 

On Tuesday morning, three of the world’s most controversial leaders showed a rare display of unity. North Korea’s Kim Jong Un visited Beijing, meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

It’s a trio of leaders united by deep sanctions and shared opposition to the West.

Xi and Putin will hold talks that they’re calling it a meeting of “old friends.” Putin has said ties between Moscow and Beijing have never been stronger.

The meeting comes just a day after Xi unveiled his “global governance initiative,” a push to rewrite the world order and challenge U.S.-led institutions built after World War II.

On Wednesday, all three leaders will share the same stage as China rolls out one of the biggest military parades in its history, marking 80 years since’s Japan’s surrender.

Thousands of troops will fill Tienanmen Square, showcasing China’s military might, while Kim, Putin and more than two dozen world leaders look on. 

For Kim, it will be his first time ever at a global multilateral event.

Venezuela’s Maduro condemns US Naval buildup as regime change plot

Tensions continue to rise in the Caribbean on Tuesday morning as Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro accuses the U.S. of trying to topple his government.

Maduro claims American warships off his coast aren’t about drug cartels, they’re about regime change. He called the naval buildup “the biggest threat our continent has seen in a hundred years” and warned Venezuela is “super-prepared” to respond.

The Trump administration said the deployment is aimed at cartels moving fentanyl and cocaine into the U.S. and American communities. The administration has doubled the reward for Maduro’s capture to $50 million, accusing him of running his own cartel.

The Pentagon confirmed more ships and thousands of marines are moving into the region, even as Maduro warns any strike would “stain President Trump’s hands with blood.”

Landslide kills at least 1,000 in Sudan mountains

First Afghanistan and now Sudan, two deadly natural disasters, just days apart. A landslide in western Sudan has wiped out villages and left scores dead.

Heavy rains triggered a landslide in the Marra Mountains, with reports saying as many as 1,000 people may have been killed.

The Sudan Liberation Movement has pleaded for U.N. assistance in recovering bodies and bringing aid to the area. Most of the victims were refugees, people who escaped the brutal war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces.

They fled to the mountains seeking safety, only to become stuck in an area where food and medicine are already hard to find.

Trump demands vaccine ‘proof’ amid CDC turmoil

President Donald Trump is now questioning the very vaccines he once hailed as a historic achievement. He’s now demanding drug companies prove they work.

In a Truth Social post, Trump stated that he has seen “great numbers” from pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, but claims the data isn’t being shared publicly. He called on companies to release it “now” to the CDC and the American people.

The comments come just days after CDC Director Susan Monarez was fired and as HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. moves to limit who can and should receive COVID boosters.

Public health experts have noted that vaccines are proven effective in multiple studies and are endorsed by reputable organizations like the American Medical Association and the FDA.

Over the weekend, nine former CDC directors, spanning Republican and Democratic administrations, penned an op-ed in The New York Times warning that Robert F Kennedy Jr.’s overhaul should “alarm every American, regardless of political leanings.”

Rudy Giuliani released from hospital after car crash

Rudy Giuliani is out of the hospital this morning after a weekend car crash in New Hampshire. The 81-year-old former New York City mayor suffered a fractured vertebra when his SUV was rear-ended on Interstate 93.

Reports of the crash quickly sparked rumors online that it was somehow a targeted attack. 

His security chief quickly shut it down, writing on X: “We ask everyone to respect Mayor Giuliani’s privacy and recovery and refrain from spreading unfounded conspiracy theories.”

Officials claimed it was simply a car accident.

The driver who hit him — a 19-year-old woman — told reporters she didn’t even know Giuliani was in the car.

No charges have been brought against anyone.

Meanwhile, Trump announced on Truth Social that he’ll award Giuliani the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor, calling him “the greatest mayor in the history of New York City.”

Labor Day protests nationwide target Trump, big business

This Labor Day, the focus wasn’t just on parades and picnics but also on protests.

From Chicago to Orlando to Los Angeles, demonstrators protested against Trump’s agenda, corporate interests and threats to deploy troops into U.S. cities.

One of the largest crowds gathered in Chicago. Mayor Brandon Johnson led chants of “no troops in Chicago.”

Others marched under the slogan ” Workers and students over billionaires.” It criticized Elon Musk’s cost-cutting agencies and attacks on unions.

Organizers reported that over a thousand events occurred nationwide, making this one of the biggest Labor Day mobilizations in decades.

Their message: bring the focus back to “labor “on Labor Day.

Satellite photos reveal 138-year-old shipwreck 

A discovery 138 years in the making, enabled by modern technology.

An adventure tour operator scanning satellite images of Lake Michigan for new excursion spots noticed something strange — a dark blob just offshore. 

The blob turned out to be the remains of the Frank D. Barker, a ship that sank in 1887.

Divers found the wreck in just 20 feet of water at Rowley’s Bay, near the tip of Door County, Wisconsin.

The Frank D. Barker once hauled grain from Chicago and Milwaukee to Lake Ontario. It would bring back coal to power Midwest factories and homes. But on a foggy night in 1887, it ran aground and sank beneath the waves until now.

---

More from Straight Arrow News:

AI safety and the potential apocalypse: What people can do now to prevent it

As companies continue to push the boundaries of artificial intelligence, predictions regarding the technology’s capabilities also evolve. Artificial general intelligence, or AI as intelligent as humans, was once thought to be decades away. Now, even the “godfather of AI,” Geoffrey Hinton, believes it may arrive in just five years. 

As these timelines condense, a disconnect appears: While a growing number of people use AI daily for work or fun, many remain unaware of its full potential. Sudhanshu Kasewa, an adviser at the nonprofit research group 80,000 Hours, told Straight Arrow News that he sees a wide swing in people’s perception of how the technology could affect the human race. 

“The biggest misconception is that [most people don’t realize] there’s a pretty big set of negative outcomes ranging from a few people losing their jobs, a bunch of misinformation and extinction,” he told SAN.

While most experts agree AI is likely to lead to a major workforce shakeup, some do believe AI could end civilization. In April, the AI Futures Project published the fictional case study, AI 2027, which spelled out this fear in detail. But researchers say there are things humanity can do now that can both prevent terrible outcomes and usher in a new age of society. Read the full story now >