First Thing: Xi warns Trump of ‘clashes and even conflicts’ with US over Taiwan

Xi Jinping and Donald Trump in Beijing on Thursday. Photograph: Maxim Shemetov/EPA View image in fullscreen Xi Jinping and Donald Trump in Beijing on Thursday. Photograph: Maxim Shemetov/EPA First Thing: Xi warns Trump of ‘clashes and even conflicts’ with US over Taiwan Chinese president’s comments published after two-hour meeting with Trump. Plus, Stacey Abrams on why gutting of the Voting Rights Act is ‘evil incarnate’ On the western edge of Tiananmen Square in Beijing, in the imposing Mao-era Great Hall of the People, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping sat down this morning for two hours of talks. After the meeting, China’s foreign ministry published Xi’s remarks. He said Taiwan was “the most important issue in China-US relations” and warned of “clashes and even conflicts” with the US over its future. Beijing wants the US to reduce its levels of support for Taiwan, a self-governing island that China claims as part of its territory. Xi has made “unification” with Taiwan a core priority for his legacy and has not ruled out the use of force. What else was on the agenda? The Chinese government said the two leaders discussed the war in the Middle East, the Ukraine conflict and issues on the Korean peninsula. As my colleagues Amy Hawkins and David Smith have written, the US is entering into talks with its superpower rival from a vulnerable position. What is unlikely to be discussed? Unlike under previous US administrations, the visit is not expected to focus on human rights or US-China cooperation to tackle the climate crisis. Stacey Abrams on why gutting of the US Voting Rights Act is ‘evil incarnate’ View image in fullscreen Stacey Abrams appears on the Guardian’s new US video podcast. Composite: AP/The Guardian The supreme court gutted the 1965 Voting Rights Act when it ruled in Louisiana v Callais last month that states could not consider race in redistricting. Southern states from Tennessee to Alabama have rushed to erase majority Black districts, sparking chaos for the midterm elections. For our new US podcast Stateside with Kai and Carter, the co-host Kai Wright talks with the voting rights advocate and former Georgia state legislator Stacey Abrams about the fallout from the decision, and why even now Abrams thinks the way forward is through engaging more voters to participate in democracy. What is Stateside with Kai and Carter? It’s the new flagship video podcast for Guardian US, hosted by Wright and fellow journalist Carter Sherman. With new episodes three times a week, the show will bring the Guardian’s global perspective and unique lens on America to life. Watch and listen now! Senate confirms Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve chair, replacing Jerome Powell View image in fullscreen Kevin Warsh has been confirmed for a four-year term as Fed chair. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images The Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh as chair of the Federal Reserve on Wednesday, one of the most powerful roles in the federal government with enormous sway over the economy. The 54-45 Senate vote was split along party lines with the exception of John Fetterman, a Democrat who voted with Republicans, in the most divided confirmation vote for the position in history. Elizabeth Warren, the top Democratic member on the Senate banking committee, said Donald Trump had nominated Warsh to be his “sock puppet” to help him control interest rates. Will Warsh bow to pressure from Trump to further lower interest rates? The central bank has faced immense pressure from the Trump administration to lower rates – currently at 3.75% – even as inflation jumped to 3.8% in April and war in the Middle East continues. Warsh has echoed Trump’s calls to lower rates but must convince the other members of the Fed’s voting board. In other news … View image in fullscreen Francesca Albanese was barred from entering the US and banking there under the sanctions. Photograph: Mario Wurzburger/Getty Images A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked US sanctions against Francesca Albanese, a UN expert on the Palestinian territories, finding that the Trump administration likely violated her free speech rights by imposing the measures after she criticized Israel’s war in Gaza. In a 50-49 vote, the Senate on Wednesday narrowly rejected a seventh attempt by Democrats to force an end to the US war on Iran, as a third Republican voted in favor. Nigel Farage, the leader of the UK’s populist Reform party, is facing an inquiry after receiving a £5m ($6.75m) gift from a crypto billionaire. The parliamentary standards watchdog will investigate whether Farage should have declared it. Stat of the day: Backlash as Utah approves 40,000-acre datacenter – more than twice the size of Manhattan View image in fullscreen Petitioners react as the Box Elder county commission announces approval of a large datacenter in Utah. Photograph: Natalie Behring/Getty Images In Utah, the approval of one of the world’s largest datacenters – spanning an area more than twice the size of Manhattan – has sparked a public backlash over the center’s vast energy and water demands. The footprint of the Stratos artificial intelligence datacenter will cover more than 40,000 acres over three sites, and it require about 9GW of power, more than the entire state of Utah currently consumes. The Filter: Is an AeroPress coffee maker worth it? We tested every model View image in fullscreen Anyone for coffee? Photograph: Milan_Jovic/Getty Images For the Filter US, Joe Ray tested every model of coffee maker from AeroPress. “Any AeroPress is a tinkerer’s delight, giving you control over the major axes of coffee making: grind size and amount, water volume and temperature, and brew time,” he writes. Don’t miss this: Olivia Colman on the regrets triggered by her new film, Jimpa View image in fullscreen Jimpa stars John Lithgow and Olivia Colman. Photograph: BFA/Alamy In the new movie Jimpa, John Lithgow plays the gay father of Olivia Colman’s character in a story of intergenerational queerness. Colman tells the Guardian why her own dad, who passed away not long before filming, would have “sat and cried all the way through it”. Climate check: How hot will it be at the 2026 World Cup and is it dangerous for players and fans? View image in fullscreen The World Cup is taking place in the US, Canada and Mexico this summer. Composite: Prina Shah for the Guardian/Fifa/Getty/PA With the National Weather Service suggesting every part of the US will see temperatures above the historical average in June and July, we dug into the meteorological conditions players could face as 48 men’s national soccer teams will arrive in the US, Canada and Mexico for the World Cup. Last Thing: Neuty the nutria, pet rodent whose family fought a state to keep him, dies of cancer View image in fullscreen Neuty the nutria was found as a baby by a Louisiana couple on Christmas Eve in 2020. Photograph: WWL Louisiana Condolences poured in after the death of Neuty the nutria, a semiaquatic rodent that was found as a baby by a Louisiana couple on Christmas Eve in 2020. They battled wildlife authorities to keep him as a pet, with a “free Neuty” petition drawing more than 17,000 signatures. He passed away peacefully “on one of his favorite rugs,” his owners said. 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