https://www.scmp.com/rss/520120/feed The culture of America is vibrant, varied and vast. Find out what's happening in the US right here, from music and film to social movements and the Chinese and Asian diasporas. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Enid Tsui Enid Tsui Hong Kong-born conductor Elim Chan has been named music director designate of the San Francisco Symphony, capping months of intense industry speculation over her next permanent posting. The orchestra announced on May 21 that Chan will officially begin her tenure in September 2027. She will serve an initial six-year term, becoming the first woman and 13th music director in the institution’s 115-year history. The announcement marks a significant milestone for the conductor and places one of Hong... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3354429/hong-kong-born-conductor-elim-chan-becomes-first-woman-lead-san-francisco-symphony?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3354429/hong-kong-born-conductor-elim-chan-becomes-first-woman-lead-san-francisco-symphony?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 17:54:00 +0000 James V. Wertsch James V. Wertsch Birthright citizenship has long been considered a settled issue in the United States. It became the law of the land in 1868 with the 14th Amendment to the Constitution that guaranteed citizenship, due process and equal protection to anyone born in the US. Originally designed to ensure citizenship for slaves brought from Africa, its application was extended to Chinese and other groups in the aftermath of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. It was further solidified by the case that Wong Kim Ark... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3353354/birthright-citizenship-fight-shows-us-identity-debate-far-settled?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3353354/birthright-citizenship-fight-shows-us-identity-debate-far-settled?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 12:30:05 +0000 Cyril Ip Cyril Ip What comes to mind when you think of China, Japan and South Korea? This was a question posed in a second-year sociology seminar during my time at Bristol, and it has stayed with me ever since. We were split into three groups and given 10 minutes to create posters capturing our immediate associations. Japan came first. Sketches of anime, sushi platters and temples appeared. My classmates spoke with enthusiasm, drawing on travel memories or aspirations to visit. A country that, less than a century... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353463/how-deal-very-chinese-time-western-lives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353463/how-deal-very-chinese-time-western-lives?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Matt King, a 34-year-old graphic designer living in New York, has long grappled with his identity as the son of a Canadian-Chinese mother and white father. Despite being born in the US and raised in Los Angeles, he is aware that mainstream US society does not always see him as a bona fide US citizen. “You’ll always get … a sprinkling of this ‘you’re not truly American’,” the 34-year-old resident of Brooklyn, New York, said, prompting him to claim his own definition. “To me, being an American is... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3352088/many-asian-americans-feel-excluded-true-us-identity-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3352088/many-asian-americans-feel-excluded-true-us-identity-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 04:00:12 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Six years ago, Chinese-American playwright Alex Lin was pursuing a career in tech, doing what she called “the stable thing” and promising herself she’d write when there was more time. The pandemic gave her that time – and with it the chance to change lanes. Success came relatively quickly. In the past year alone, she premiered not one but two plays off-Broadway in New York City and landed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, which highlights people who are making a significant impact in their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3349568/chinese-american-playwright-alex-lin-channels-family-tensions-breakout-new-york-works?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3349568/chinese-american-playwright-alex-lin-channels-family-tensions-breakout-new-york-works?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 18:03:24 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Why didn’t China develop its own scientific and industrial revolutions when it made so many discoveries and advances over millennia? That is often called “Needham’s question”, named after the historian of Chinese science and tech Joseph Needham. Why didn’t China develop capitalism during the Song dynasty when it was so close to achieving a breakthrough with trade, commerce, currency and semi-industrialisation, and an emerging merchant class? The Hungarian-French sinologist Etienne Balazs, among... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3348381/why-china-always-misunderstood-and-misrepresented?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3348381/why-china-always-misunderstood-and-misrepresented?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin The US Supreme Court will hear arguments on Wednesday on birthright citizenship, with Chinese nationals at the centre of disputed claims of abuse amplified by US President Donald Trump’s immigration campaign. “Birthright Citizenship is not about rich people from China, and the rest of the World, who want their children, and hundreds of thousands more, FOR PAY, to ridiculously become citizens of the United States of America. It is about the BABIES OF SLAVES!” Trump wrote on social media on... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3348460/born-usa-china-targeted-americas-birthright-citizenship-fight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3348460/born-usa-china-targeted-americas-birthright-citizenship-fight?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 21:55:09 +0000 Andy Xie Andy Xie The Iran war’s oil shock has dramatically increased the security risk for oil-dependent countries, incentivising a turn towards renewable energy. This impact will outlast the war and oil price spikes because the world knows this war will recur. China will be the biggest beneficiary and its exports are likely to do very well this year, offsetting losses from buying higher-priced oil. A fifth of the global supply of oil and liquefied natural gas plus a third of seaborne fertilisers traditionally... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347634/oil-shocked-world-turns-renewables-china-will-reap-rewards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347634/oil-shocked-world-turns-renewables-china-will-reap-rewards?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Like many Asian-Americans, US-born Tiffany Chin has faced her share of slights, including being treated as “other” or “foreign” and judged at times by her race rather than her accomplishments. Growing up outside Chicago, she recalls that in primary school her musical talents were attributed to her “Chinese genes”, and she was told, “you’re probably so good at maths because you’re Asian”. And as an adult on a family trip to Florida, people gave her nasty looks when she went jogging, wondering... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/society-culture/article/3347918/asian-americans-say-they-are-still-seen-foreign-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/society-culture/article/3347918/asian-americans-say-they-are-still-seen-foreign-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 20:50:58 +0000 Bernard Chan Bernard Chan Athletes of Asian heritage have come to the fore at this month’s Winter Olympics. They broke records, reshaped perceptions and inspired millions worldwide. Yet in the United States, the conversation around two of the most successful athletes, Eileen Gu, the freestyle skier representing China, and Team USA figure skater Alysa Liu, has too often drifted from their incredible achievements to questions of identity, loyalty and partisan point-scoring. This speaks volumes about the anxieties of a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3345433/let-achievements-eileen-gu-and-alysa-liu-speak-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3345433/let-achievements-eileen-gu-and-alysa-liu-speak-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 01:30:07 +0000 Steven Okun Steven Okun In his farewell address, then US president Ronald Reagan advocated for the United States to do “a better job of getting across that America is freedom: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise. And freedom is special and rare”. The Trump administration should follow Reagan’s advice as it designs global celebrations for the country’s 250th anniversary. The US should showcase its founding principles of equality, pluralism, freedom of speech and religious liberty. It should... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344465/250-us-should-promote-its-values-asia-not-spectacle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344465/250-us-should-promote-its-values-asia-not-spectacle?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Robert Duvall, who played the smooth mafia lawyer in The Godfather and stole the show with his depiction of a surfing-crazed colonel in Apocalypse Now, has died at the age of 95. His death on Sunday was confirmed by his wife Luciana Duvall. “Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time. Bob passed away peacefully at home,” she wrote. Blunt-talking, prolific and glitz-averse, Duvall won an Oscar for best actor and was nominated six... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343773/actor-robert-duvall-star-godfather-and-apocalypse-now-dead-95?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343773/actor-robert-duvall-star-godfather-and-apocalypse-now-dead-95?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 19:02:46 +0000 Nicole Chan Nicole Chan Across social media, a curious phrase has been circulating: “You met me at a very Chinese time in my life.” It appears under videos of hotpot dinners, DHGate hauls, Chinese streetwear fits and users joking about switching their phone interfaces into Chinese “for the aesthetic”. It has even spawned an ecosystem of spin-offs: “Chinamaxxing”, “you will turn Chinese tomorrow” and countless posts where people half-joke about becoming “more Chinese” by the day. But beneath the humour of what looks... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342421/becoming-chinese-memes-reflect-world-shaped-chinas-ascent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342421/becoming-chinese-memes-reflect-world-shaped-chinas-ascent?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 01:30:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The 68th annual Grammy Awards are taking place on Sunday at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, and spirits were high from the jump after a few back-to-back, history-making moments. “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters won best song written for visual media, marking the first time a K-pop act has won a Grammy. The songwriters delivered their acceptance speech in both English and Korean, highlighting the song’s bilingual appeal. Best music film went to the documentary Music by John Williams, which... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3342027/k-pop-demon-hunters-song-golden-earns-first-k-pop-grammy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3342027/k-pop-demon-hunters-song-golden-earns-first-k-pop-grammy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 22:18:30 +0000 Reuters Reuters Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father have returned to their home in a Minneapolis suburb after ‍being detained by US immigration officers and held at a detention facility in Texas, a lawmaker said on Sunday. A federal judge on Saturday ordered the release of Adrian Conejo Arias and his son, whom immigration officers detained during a Minnesota raid. US Congressman Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat, wrote in ⁠a social media post that he picked them up on Saturday night at the detention... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342022/5-year-old-liam-conejo-ramos-and-father-return-minnesota-texas-ice-centre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342022/5-year-old-liam-conejo-ramos-and-father-return-minnesota-texas-ice-centre?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 18:11:45 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Rapper Kanye West on Monday denied being a Nazi and expressed regret over his antisemitic rants, blaming such behaviour – which included recording a song that celebrates Hitler – on his bipolar disorder. The disgraced 48-year-old music star, who has lost fans and business deals in recent years because of his racist or antisemitic outbursts, released his song “Heil Hitler” last May to mark the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Second World War. The song has been banned on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341316/kanye-west-denies-being-nazi-blames-bipolar-disorder-antisemitic-rants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341316/kanye-west-denies-being-nazi-blames-bipolar-disorder-antisemitic-rants?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 21:57:29 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell More than 2,300 years ago, Aristotle mused in Politics that to live alone, a man must be a god or a beast, or words to that effect. I wonder what he would have thought of the popularity of China’s “Are You Dead?” app. For Aristotle, we are social animals, thriving in the “polis” in the company of family, friends and fellow citizens. The average mother had at least five children. Many homes housed three, even four, generations. Family life was noisy and crowded, full of companionship, contest and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3340039/families-shrink-our-primary-relationship-increasingly-ourselves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3340039/families-shrink-our-primary-relationship-increasingly-ourselves?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Vince Zampella, the acclaimed co-creator of video gaming juggernaut Call of Duty, has died in a car crash. He was 55. The developer and executive died on Sunday while driving his Ferrari on a scenic road north of Los Angeles, according to local broadcaster NBC4. “For unknown reasons, the vehicle veered off the roadway, struck a concrete barrier, and became fully engulfed,” the California Highway Patrol said in a statement, without identifying the two victims in the crash. The CHP added that both... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3337401/call-duty-co-creator-vince-zampella-killed-car-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3337401/call-duty-co-creator-vince-zampella-killed-car-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 22:28:15 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump’s Justice Department on Friday released only a partial set of documents related to its investigation into convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein, an issue that has sparked the first major split between Trump’s Make America Great Again support base since he returned to office. The department was compelled by Congress to make the documents public after lawmakers passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act on November 19, a measure that required the disclosure... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3337136/trump-justice-department-release-partial-set-epstein-files-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3337136/trump-justice-department-release-partial-set-epstein-files-now?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 16:11:49 +0000 Michael Edesess Michael Edesess In the past three years, we have experienced an extraordinary level of hype around artificial intelligence. AI as a concept has been around for nearly 70 years but the discussion has exploded since OpenAI launched ChatGPT in November 2022. ChatGPT uses a technology called a large language model (LLM). It is not the only AI technology, but it’s the one that has seemingly drawn all the attention. It is the model that enables ChatGPT and other chatbots to write impressive prose and even poetry, and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3336751/why-ai-chatbots-are-unlikely-bring-about-human-extinction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3336751/why-ai-chatbots-are-unlikely-bring-about-human-extinction?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 12:30:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump solidified his takeover of Washington’s John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts on Sunday by hosting its flagship awards programme, mixing politics with a celebration of stars from music and film. This year’s Kennedy Centre Honours, widely seen as the top US recognition for lifetime achievement in the performing arts, feted actor Sylvester Stallone, disco singer Gloria Gaynor, country musician George Strait, Phantom of the Opera star Michael Crawford and rock... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335544/trump-says-he-hosting-kennedy-centre-honours-recognising-sylvester-stallone-and-kiss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335544/trump-says-he-hosting-kennedy-centre-honours-recognising-sylvester-stallone-and-kiss?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 23:54:56 +0000 Rupert Stone Rupert Stone Much has been written about China’s alleged role in the US opioid crisis. Chemicals from Chinese suppliers have supposedly been used by Mexican cartels to produce fentanyl, which is then trafficked into the United States where it has fuelled a deadly overdose crisis. Successive US administrations have pressured Beijing to crack down on its chemical industry. China has taken repeated steps to regulate precursors, including most recently last month when it restricted 13 new chemicals at US... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3335067/americas-opioid-crisis-wont-be-solved-without-indias-help?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3335067/americas-opioid-crisis-wont-be-solved-without-indias-help?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 21:30:09 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng China’s film market urgently needs a hit to draw audiences back to cinemas after a lacklustre few months. And an unexpected candidate looks set to fill that role: the Disney animated comedy Zootopia 2. Hollywood movies have underperformed in China over the past few years, but Zootopia 2 appears on track to break the curse. Its advance ticket sales have already surpassed 249 million yuan (US$35 million) – a record for a foreign animated film in China, according to box office tracker Dengta... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3334090/why-chinas-film-industry-banking-zootopia-2-being-smash-hit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3334090/why-chinas-film-industry-banking-zootopia-2-being-smash-hit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 10:30:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Just in time for the cinema release of Wicked: For Good, fans will get a chance to own memorabilia from the 1939 original film, The Wizard of Oz – and one item is especially witchy. Heritage Auctions is putting an iconic black hat that Margaret Hamilton wore as the Wicked Witch of the West up for sale. The wool hat, designed by costume designer Adrian Adolph Greenburg who went by Gilbert Adrian professionally, was put to use after filming began because the one originally chosen did not appear... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3332255/black-hat-worn-wicked-witch-west-wizard-oz-go-auction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3332255/black-hat-worn-wicked-witch-west-wizard-oz-go-auction?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 20:07:31 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Diane Ladd, the three-time Academy Award nominee whose roles ranged from the brash waitress in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore to the protective mother in Wild at Heart, has died at 89. Ladd’s death was announced on Monday by her daughter Laura Dern, who issued a statement saying her mother and occasional co-star had died at her home in Ojai, California, with Dern at her side. Dern, who called Ladd her “amazing hero” and “profound gift of a mother”, did not immediately cite a cause of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3331398/us-actress-diane-ladd-nominated-3-oscars-dies-89?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3331398/us-actress-diane-ladd-nominated-3-oscars-dies-89?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Nov 2025 21:31:28 +0000 Bernard Chan Bernard Chan Few moments in US history have tested academic freedom as much as the present, with US President Donald Trump’s administration releasing a 10-point Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education. What started as bureaucratic proposals have hardened into a national doctrine tying federal funding to political conformity. It is changing the nature of US universities and reshaping international education options. The plan, initially sent to nine universities, proposed conformity with certain... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3330793/how-hong-kong-can-capitalise-trumps-attacks-us-universities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3330793/how-hong-kong-can-capitalise-trumps-attacks-us-universities?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg With the US government shutdown stumbling towards the one-month mark, the effects of the stand-off between Republicans and Democrats were being felt further away from the Capitol, as flights began to back up and food aid was drying up. US Transport Secretary Sean Duffy warned that travellers would face more flight delays and cancellations in the coming weeks as the continuing shutdown exacerbates the air traffic controller staffing crunch. “What I see coming forward, as we get to Monday,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3330405/food-benefits-millions-americans-be-paused-government-shutdown-continues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3330405/food-benefits-millions-americans-be-paused-government-shutdown-continues?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 21:49:24 +0000 Reuters Reuters A divided US appeals court ruled on Monday that Donald Trump can send National Guard troops into Portland, Oregon, despite objections by the leaders of the city and state, giving the Republican president an important legal victory as he dispatches military forces to a growing number of Democratic-led locales. A three-judge panel of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals granted the Justice Department’s request to put on hold a judge’s order that had blocked the deployment while a legal challenge to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3329725/dangerous-us-appeal-court-lets-trump-send-national-guard-troops-portland?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3329725/dangerous-us-appeal-court-lets-trump-send-national-guard-troops-portland?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Oct 2025 23:53:22 +0000 Massoud Amin Massoud Amin Donald Trump’s return to the presidency didn’t just shift US politics. It triggered a systemic stress test of the American republic. Constitutional, strategic, technological, fiscal and civic stabilisers are under simultaneous strain. Whether the United States adapts or drifts will shape the character of its institutions for decades. The most visible stress is constitutional. Early directives concentrated authority in the executive branch. Oversight officials have been removed, independent... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3328276/will-us-republic-survive-stress-test-trumps-presidency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3328276/will-us-republic-survive-stress-test-trumps-presidency?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Oct 2025 12:30:15 +0000 Reuters Reuters The state of Illinois and the city of Chicago sued US President Donald Trump on Monday, seeking to block the deployment of federalised National Guard troops to Chicago, as hundreds of National Guard troops from Texas headed to the nation’s third-largest city. Trump then escalated the widening clash with Democratic-led states and cities over the domestic use of military forces, threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act as a means to circumvent court restrictions on deploying troops where they... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3328057/illinois-leaders-sue-stop-trumps-national-guard-deployment-plan-after-portland-ruling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3328057/illinois-leaders-sue-stop-trumps-national-guard-deployment-plan-after-portland-ruling?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 20:15:58 +0000 Bernard Chan Bernard Chan Charlie Kirk’s death in the United States was a major political shock. But what followed was more revealing: employees disciplined for social media posts, celebrities facing backlash for controversial remarks and businesses scrambling to distance themselves from the fallout. The controversy highlighted a broader truth of the digital age: a single comment, whether in jest or in earnest, can escalate into a crisis. In today’s hyperconnected world, words travel instantly, reach audiences well... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3327429/even-west-era-consequence-free-expression-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3327429/even-west-era-consequence-free-expression-over?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Oct 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu When Alan, a Chinese national working at a chip company in the San Francisco Bay Area, saw that US President Donald Trump was proposing a US$100,000 payment for H-1B working visas on Friday, he immediately reached out to his friend in Paris. “I cannot take it any more,” Alan, who gave only his English name due to the sensitivity of the topic, wrote in an instant message. “I want to ask you about the work environment in Europe and if their immigration policies are friendly.” Even though the White... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3326557/chinese-workers-us-explore-fleeing-europe-after-h-1b-chaos-im-so-tired?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3326557/chinese-workers-us-explore-fleeing-europe-after-h-1b-chaos-im-so-tired?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 10:00:13 +0000 Agencies Agencies Disney said Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to its ABC network line-up on Tuesday, six days after it suspended the talk-show host following threats by the Federal Communications Commission chairman over comments the host had made about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. In announcing the decision to bring Kimmel back to the airwaves, ABC’s parent company said it had suspended production of the show “to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country”. The Disney... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3326447/hundreds-stars-sign-letter-defending-free-speech-after-jimmy-kimmels-suspension?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3326447/hundreds-stars-sign-letter-defending-free-speech-after-jimmy-kimmels-suspension?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Sep 2025 19:40:29 +0000 Thomas O. Falk Thomas O. Falk Politics has always been adversarial. In a healthy democracy, that contest is bounded by rules: elections settle disputes, opponents are rivals not enemies, and losing an argument is not the same as losing one’s country. Break those bonds, and the descent from rhetoric to violence is swift, and we are beginning to see the consequences. Political language in the United States has grown increasingly toxic. Partisans no longer accuse one another of being wrong, but of being enemies and traitors.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3325675/western-society-must-take-firm-stand-against-political-violence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3325675/western-society-must-take-firm-stand-against-political-violence?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Kristin Cabot, the woman seen cuddling with former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron during a Coldplay concert, has now filed for divorce. Cabot filed the petition in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on August 13, according to court documents obtained by NBC News. This comes one month after Cabot, who also worked for Astronomer, stepped down from her role as the company’s head of human resources. “I can confirm that Kristin Cabot is no longer with Astronomer,” a representative told NBC in July. “She has... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3324807/ex-astronomer-hr-executive-files-divorce-after-coldplay-kiss-cam-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3324807/ex-astronomer-hr-executive-files-divorce-after-coldplay-kiss-cam-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Sep 2025 23:55:53 +0000 Chen Zheng Chen Zheng Disturbing reports have surfaced of Chinese students travelling to the United States being subjected to discriminatory and politically motivated treatment. Young students have been pulled aside for hours of questioning, even denied entry under the pretext of national security. While the US has implemented stricter border controls and immigration policies, Chinese students have nothing to do with illegal immigration. They are genuine assets to both countries – not national security risks. As the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3324388/no-amount-china-scapegoating-will-reverse-americas-decline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3324388/no-amount-china-scapegoating-will-reverse-americas-decline?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Sep 2025 12:30:08 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump’s overhaul of State Department may play into Beijing’s hands for decades The US effort to counter China’s growing global footprint is difficult enough. President Donald Trump’s radical State Department overhaul is not making it any easier and could play into Beijing’s hands for... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3324001/trump-overhaul-may-aid-beijing-bad-news-chinese-texas-7-us-china-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3324001/trump-overhaul-may-aid-beijing-bad-news-chinese-texas-7-us-china-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 15:30:08 +0000 Dennis Lee Dennis Lee This summer, the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) opened in Bentonville, Arkansas, attracting attention both for its striking architecture and revolutionary ideas about medicine. The four-storey building with its angular facade is clad in earth-tone precast concrete and brass panels, reflecting the geology of the surrounding landscape and the Ozark Mountains. Unusually for such a grand project – it has a rooftop garden, reflection pond, wellness studio and gym – a local architectural... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3323507/how-hong-kongs-third-medical-school-can-reach-new-healthcare-heights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3323507/how-hong-kongs-third-medical-school-can-reach-new-healthcare-heights?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Aug 2025 01:30:07 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han While US President Donald Trump this week said he would allow 600,000 Chinese students into the United States, members of Congress in his Republican Party are increasingly moving to dismantle many of the long-standing partnerships that would make their arrival possible. On the day Trump said the US would welcome more Chinese students, Temple University in Philadelphia announced it was ending its partnership with the China Scholarship Council, the main Chinese government body funding study abroad... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3323734/trump-welcomes-chinese-students-schools-cut-ties-under-republican-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3323734/trump-welcomes-chinese-students-schools-cut-ties-under-republican-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Aug 2025 21:13:01 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Pop superstar Taylor Swift and American football player Travis Kelce announced their engagement on Tuesday, setting the stage for a high-profile wedding for one of the world’s biggest celebrity couples. A joint post on their Instagram pages showed pictures of Kelce down on one knee making his marriage proposal in a flower-laden garden, and then Swift displaying a large diamond ring. “Your English teacher and gym teacher are getting married,” the pair, both aged 35, joked in a caption. No wedding... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/society-culture/article/3323257/taylor-swift-and-travis-kelce-announce-engagement-instagram?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/society-culture/article/3323257/taylor-swift-and-travis-kelce-announce-engagement-instagram?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 18:39:41 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump on Tuesday defended his proposal to admit hundreds of thousands of Chinese students, saying the US is “honoured” to host them and warning that the American college system would “go to hell” without them. Facing growing anger from his political base, Trump dismissed criticism of the plan as “insulting” and pointed to his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping as part of a broader strategy of engagement. “We’re getting along very well with China, and I’m getting... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3323255/trump-base-erupts-over-his-move-admit-thousands-more-chinese-students?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3323255/trump-base-erupts-over-his-move-admit-thousands-more-chinese-students?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 18:29:29 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US rapper Lil Nas X was charged on Monday with four offences after police said he charged at them when they confronted him for walking naked down a Los Angeles street last week, prosecutors announced. The musician, whose legal name is Montero Lamar Hill, pleaded not guilty in a court appearance to three counts of battery with injury on a police officer and one count of resisting an executive officer, the district attorney’s office said. The charges were far more serious than initial reports that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3323121/lil-nas-x-pleads-not-guilty-attacking-police-he-walked-naked-los-angeles-street?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3323121/lil-nas-x-pleads-not-guilty-attacking-police-he-walked-naked-los-angeles-street?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Aug 2025 21:48:56 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump’s approval rating held at 40 per cent in recent weeks, matching the lowest level of his current term amid weak ratings from Hispanic voters, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Monday. The six-day poll was conducted as economic data showed signs the US labour market is weakening and as Trump oversees a sweeping immigration crackdown, while at the same time the Republican has been engaged in intense diplomacy to end the war between Russia and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3322292/trump-approval-rating-holds-40-lowest-level-his-term-ipsos-poll-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3322292/trump-approval-rating-holds-40-lowest-level-his-term-ipsos-poll-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Aug 2025 22:12:52 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han A US federal court in Texas is dismissing a suit against a state law that would restrict property ownership and leasing by Chinese citizens, less than a month before the measure is to be implemented, according to one of the lawyers in the case. The law, signed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott in June and set to take effect on September 1, restricts real estate purchases by companies, individuals and government entities linked to countries that the federal government or Texas governor designates as... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3321914/court-dismiss-suit-against-texas-law-limit-chinese-property-rights-lawyer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3321914/court-dismiss-suit-against-texas-law-limit-chinese-property-rights-lawyer?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Aug 2025 21:14:43 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The White House did not pressure the Smithsonian to remove references to US President Donald Trump’s two impeachments from an exhibit and will include him in an updated presentation “in the coming weeks”, the museum said on Saturday. The revelation that Trump was no longer listed among impeached presidents sparked concern that history was being whitewashed to appease the president. “We were not asked by any administration or other government official to remove content from the exhibit,” the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3320567/smithsonian-denies-white-house-pressure-remove-trump-impeachment-references?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3320567/smithsonian-denies-white-house-pressure-remove-trump-impeachment-references?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Aug 2025 23:09:16 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump eyes autumn China trip, but September visit off the table: sources US President Donald Trump is keen to visit China but a September visit is not happening, according to sources, who said Beijing and Washington were working to secure a trip in October or November. Hurdles remain, but... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3320190/labubus-soft-power-trump-eyes-autumn-china-trip-7-us-china-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3320190/labubus-soft-power-trump-eyes-autumn-china-trip-7-us-china-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Aug 2025 17:00:10 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Oakland Chinatown, one of the oldest in the United States, almost feels as lively as Hong Kong on a busy afternoon. Shoppers squeeze along narrow pavements lined with hanging lanterns and sacks of oranges, while a variety store welcomes customers with racks of clothing and slippers. While many of the shoppers are Chinese, a considerable number could come from anywhere – a sign that Chinatown draws people from the wider San Francisco Bay Area. Despite signs of a recovery since the Covid-19... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3319564/landmark-us-chinatown-survived-covid-anti-asian-violence-tariffs-pose-new-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3319564/landmark-us-chinatown-survived-covid-anti-asian-violence-tariffs-pose-new-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Jul 2025 12:00:09 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Alexandra Schmauch, who works at a property company in Dallas, Texas, was initially sceptical of the Labubu doll craze. As she watched the commotion build on TikTok and many of her friends became avid collectors, however, curiosity got the better of her. Eventually, after several attempts, she managed to secure a couple of Labubus, relishing the “blind box” surprise of not knowing which Labubu character was inside. “A lot of the fun is how hard they are to get,” said Schmauch, aged 28. “I was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3319439/soft-power-stealthy-ugly-cute-sort-labubu-takes-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3319439/soft-power-stealthy-ugly-cute-sort-labubu-takes-america?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 15:00:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who as teenage son Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show was central to a cultural phenomenon that helped define the 1980s, died at 54 in an accidental drowning in Costa Rica, authorities there said on Monday. Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department said Warner drowned on Sunday afternoon on a beach on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. He was swimming at Playa Cocles in Limon province when a current pulled him deeper into the ocean. “He was rescued by people on the beach,” the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3319063/cosby-show-actor-malcolm-jamal-warner-dies-54-costa-rica-drowning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3319063/cosby-show-actor-malcolm-jamal-warner-dies-54-costa-rica-drowning?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jul 2025 19:03:48 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo There is much to be thankful for this year if you are one of the academic bosses who run the University of Toronto. You might especially appreciate the return of Donald Trump to the White House, even as he has threatened to annex your country and make it America’s 51st state. In March, it was revealed that three superstar academics and specialists on fascism at Yale – the historians and couple Marci Shore and Timothy Snyder, and the philosopher Jason Stanley – have taken up senior positions at... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3317939/warning-past-about-united-states-today?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3317939/warning-past-about-united-states-today?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Jul 2025 15:33:25 +0000