News Orbit

  This image provided by the US Air Force shows the US Army Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) launching station preparing to load onto a 4th Airlift Squadron C-17 Globemaster III at Fort Bliss, Texas, on February 23, 2019.   Staff Sgt. Cory D. Payne/AP As the war in Iran enters its third month, it’s providing a window for China into how US military capabilities work under fire, and a useful reminder that, on any battlefield, the adversary always has a big say in the outcome. CNN spoke with a range of experts in China, Taiwan and elsewhere about how the last two months of fighting in and around the Persian Gulf can inform what might happen in any possible conflict that would pit Beijing against Washington. They warned of China misreading its own strengths, lack of experience and holding on to a too-narrow view of the conflict and its consequences. Fu Qianshao, a former colonel in China’s air force, said his major takeaway from the fighting so far is that the People...

  California Secretary of State Shirley Weber speaks during the California Democratic State Convention at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim on May 31, 2025. Photo by Ted Soqui for CalMatters This story was originally published by  CalMatters .  Sign up  for their newsletters.” California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, who made history in 2021 as the first Black person to hold the office, is seeking a second four-year term. As the incumbent and the only Democrat in the field, she will almost certainly cruise to victory in November. She faces only one serious challenger: Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner, a Republican. No Republican has won a statewide race since 2006. During her tenure, Weber has faced criticism for California’s  slow ballot-counting process  — so slow that projected winners of state legislative races are often sworn in before Weber’s office certifies the results. Under state law, county election officials have 30 days to count...