• China is conducting military drills to practice blocking U.S. forces from interfering in a potential takeover of Taiwan. A Japanese think tank confirms these exercises are specifically designed to prevent U.S. access to the waters around Taiwan using an A2AD (anti-access/area denial) strategy.
• In response, the U.S. and its allies are preparing countermeasures, including training with advanced weapons like the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), which is designed to penetrate enemy defenses from long range.
• While China aims to keep U.S. forces out of the first and second island chains, stand-off weapons like the JASSM could disrupt this strategy, making a full blockade of Taiwan difficult to execute.

The People’s Republic of China is using live drills to practice keeping United States armed forces from interfering in a hostile Chinese takeover of Taiwan. While this may fall under the “things we already know” category, a Japanese think tank is making the point crystal clear.

Japanese analysis confirms China’s strategy

A recently published analysis from the Japanese Institute for National Fundamentals found that the large-scale military exercises China conducted in early December were designed to practice stopping U.S. forces from approaching the waters surrounding Taiwan.

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China wants to employ an A2AD strategy, which stands for “anti-access/area denial.” As the name suggests, this strategy is designed to prevent the U.S. from gaining access to Taiwan and the surrounding region.

To achieve this, China aims to prevent U.S. warships and aircraft from operating in what is called the “First Island Chain,” which extends from Japan south through the Philippines and into Indonesia.

Chinese Naval presence near Taiwan

At the beginning of December 2024, 90 Chinese naval ships were spotted near Taiwan. According to the JINF, 18 destroyers and frigates were deployed east of the first island chain. There, the ships practiced maneuvers designed to keep U.S. forces locked behind the “Second Island Chain,” which stretches from Japan through Guam and into eastern Indonesia.

The role of microchips in the conflict

This is not the first time the discussion around Taiwan’s strategic importance has come up. At its core, Taiwan’s significance comes down to microchips.

While China has long maintained that Taiwan is part of its territory, the self-governing island also produces some of the world’s most advanced microchips. These components are crucial for everything from national defense to consumer electronics.

U.S. and allies move to counter China’s plans

Given Taiwan’s importance, the United States and its Indo-Pacific allies are working to deter China from its current trajectory and, if necessary, prepare to confront the PRC directly.

To that end, while China was conducting its blockade exercises around Taiwan, U.S. Marines on Guam were training with a new addition to their arsenal—the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM).

Built by Lockheed Martin, the JASSM is a stealthy, semi-autonomous, precision-guided air-to-ground missile with a 1,000-pound warhead. Its effective range depends on the variant, but even the basic version has a range of over 500 nautical miles (approximately 600 miles). The U.S. Air Force first used JASSMs in Syria in 2018.

In August 2023, the U.S. Marine Corps announced the successful integration of the JASSM into its fleet of F/A-18 Hornets. Recent images show a USMC Hornet equipped with the missile during a training relocation program in late January. This training allowed Marine crews stationed in the continental U.S. to enhance their tactical proficiency in Guam, preparing for potential future conflicts in a contested environment.

JASSM variants and strategic use

The AGM-158 comes in several variants, with extended-range models capable of targeting both stationary and moving ground targets, as well as ships. As a stand-off weapon, the JASSM is designed to be fired from outside an enemy’s air defenses.

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While China may rely on an A2AD strategy to keep the U.S. at bay, munitions like the AGM-158 will be deployed to disrupt that plan. Russia has struggled to stop stealthy cruise missiles used by Ukraine, and if China faces similar challenges, a full blockade of Taiwan may not be feasible.

• California’s Democratic-led legislation approved $50 million for lawsuits. The suits include actions against President Donald Trump and immigration aid.
• The bills come after Gov. Gavin Newsom called a special session.
• California Republican lawmakers said the plan took away from dealing with the state’s wildfires and high cost of living.

California lawmakers approved a $50 million bill package Monday, Feb. 3 that includes funding to defend the state’s policies against the Trump administration. The deal comes two months after Gov. Gavin Newsom called a special session following President Donald Trump’s election in an effort to, what he called, “Trump-proof” the state. 

The Democratic-led legislation plans to set aside $25 million for the State Department of Justice to fight legal battles with Trump over California’s progressive policies on the environment, abortion access, and LGBTQ+ protections.

The other $25 million would go towards legal groups to defend immigrants facing possible deportation.

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What are California’s Democratic lawmakers saying?

California’s Democratic assembly speaker Robert Rivas said before the Monday, Feb. 3, that Trump’s administration is a threat to constitutional rights.

“Californians are being threatened by an out-of-control administration in Washington that doesn’t care about the constitution, that thinks there are no limits to its path.” Rivas said. “We do not trust President Donald Trump.”

What are California Republican lawmakers saying?

California’s Republican leader James Gallagher called the plan a political stunt that took away time from dealing with the state’s wildfires and the high cost of living. 

“Note to CA Dem legislators: authorizing 25 million dollars of our taxpayer money to pay lawyers to sue Donald Trump is not tackling affordability and it does nothing to protect us from wildfire. Priorities,” Gallagher posted on X.

Note to CA Dem legislators: authorizing $25 million of our taxpayer money to pay lawyers to sue Donald Trump is not tackling affordability and it does nothing to protect us from wildfire. Priorities.

— James Gallagher (@J_GallagherAD3) February 4, 2025

Newsom expanded the special session last month to also pass fire-relief funding, but Republicans argued the funding was premature, noting the proposals were revealed before Trump returned to office.

Monday’s so-called “Trump-proof” bills now go to Gov. Newsom for his signature.

• President Trump suggested that Ukraine could trade its rare earth elements in exchange for continued U.S. military aid, linking these resources to future support. This proposal has faced criticism from Russia and mixed reactions from Ukraine.
• Ukrainian media indicated that the proposal might align with President Zelenskyy’s strategic plans, while German Chancellor Scholz criticized the idea.
• Russia also condemned the proposal, calling it commercializing military aid.

President Donald Trump proposed that Ukraine trade rare earth elements for additional U.S. military aid, linking these vital resources to continued support in its war against Russia. The idea has drawn criticism from the Kremlin, while Ukrainian media suggests it may align with Kyiv’s own strategic plans.

“We’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earths,” Trump said. “We’re putting in hundreds of billions of dollars. They have great rare earths. And I want security of the rare earths, and they’re willing to do it.”

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What does Trump’s proposal entail?

Speaking at the White House during the week of Feb. 3, Trump indicated that he wants some form of compensation for the nearly $300 billion the U.S. has provided to Ukraine in its ongoing war against Russia. The president suggested that Ukraine could leverage its rare earth elements as part of a deal to secure future aid.

Why are rare earth elements important?

Rare earths refer to a group of 17 elements essential for industries such as electronics, defense and renewable energy. China currently dominates global production, supplying about 70% of the market, while the U.S. has been working to reduce its dependence on Beijing for these critical materials.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz criticized Trump’s remarks, arguing that Ukraine will need these resources for post-war rebuilding efforts and calling the idea of trading rare earths for aid “very selfish, very self-centered.”

Is Ukraine on board with trading rare earths for military aid?

Ukrainian media outlets have reported that such a deal may have originated in Kyiv as part of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s broader “victory plan,” which involves economic and security arrangements with Western allies.

What happens next?

Meanwhile, Russia condemned Trump’s proposal, stating that it commercializes military assistance and arguing that the conflict would end sooner without U.S. involvement.

“If we call things as they are, this is a proposal to buy help — in other words, not to give it unconditionally, or for some other reasons, but specifically to provide it on a commercial basis,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. “It would be better of course for the assistance to not be provided at all, as that would contribute to the end of this conflict.”

• During a pre-Super Bowl LIX conference on Monday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell defended the league’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives.
• Goodell defended the league’s diversity policies by saying it’s not just a trend, pointing to the decades old “Rooney Rule.”
• The NFL commitment to DEI comes when many companies are abandoning such initiatives.

At a time when many companies are bucking DEI initiatives, the NFL is continuing to embrace theirs as the league prepares for its biggest event of the year, the Super Bowl.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell defended the league’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts during a pre-Super Bowl LIX conference on Monday, Feb. 3, that was covered by CBS Sports.

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What did Goodell say?

“We got into Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts because we thought it was the right thing for the National Football League and we’re going to continue those efforts because we’ve not only convinced ourselves, I think we’ve proven that it makes the NFL better,” Goodell said. “So, we’re not in this because it’s a trend to get in or a trend to get out of it.”

The NFL has DEI rules dating back decades. In 2003, the league implemented the Rooney Rule, named after the late-Dan Rooney, the former owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and former chairman of the league’s diversity committee. Under the mandate, each NFL team is required to interview at least two minority candidates outside of their organizations to fill vacancies at head coach or general manager.

“The Rooney Rule for us, there’s no requirement to hire a particular individual on the basis of race or gender,” Goodell said. “It’s simply on the basis of looking at a canvas of candidates that reflect our communities and to look at the kind of talent that exists there.”

What’s the bigger picture?

Last year, the NFL made gains in minority hires, which saw the hiring of four minority coaches among eight vacancies.

So far this year, only one out of seven teams with head coaching vacancies have hired a minority head coach, with the New York Jets picking up former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

Critics said the NFL’s Rooney Rule requirement is just a formality for many teams, claiming the NFL isn’t doing enough to get qualified minority candidates hired.

Diversity advocates point to what they believe is a recent example of this with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars interviewed a black coach, Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, as they were working to hire Liam Coen. The team announced Coen as their head coach the following day.

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The NFL’s chief diversity and inclusion officer said the league is working on bringing more transparency to the hiring process while making sure teams perform extensive searches with a diverse and large pool of candidates.

Why is the NFL’s DEI push important?

The NFL’s promise to diversify the hiring process comes as President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to end DEI programs and companies like Target, Amazon and Walmart are abandoning DEI initiatives.

• The monarch butterfly population in the western U.S. hit a nearly 30-year low in 2024. That’s a 96% drop compared to the population in 2023.
• Experts blamed a combination of vanishing habitats, climate change and pesticides.
• Due to declining populations of pollinators, monarchs are expected to become a protected species in the U.S. in 2025.

Fewer monarch butterflies have spent winter in the western U.S. as factors like pesticides, a disappearing habitat, and climate change have affected the population. The population is now at a 30-year low.

What is known about monarch butterflies in western America?

Since 1997, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation has been monitoring the overwintering monarch butterfly population west of the Rocky Mountains.

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During the winter, the butterflies migrate to the California coast — northern Baja and inland California — and Arizona.

The society said it recorded its lowest number of monarch butterflies ever in 2024.

When the Xerces Society started tracking the species in 1997, it counted 1.2 million winged insects, the highest number ever recorded in the area.

In 2024, it saw a 96% drop in the population compared to the year before, counting just 9,119 monarch butterflies.

It’s the second-lowest number they’ve ever counted in 28 years of tracking data. The lowest was 1,901 monarch butterflies in 2020.

What’s causing the population decline?

Monarchs across North America have faced mounting threats. The biggest threat is the vanishing milkweed, which is the host plant for caterpillars that metamorphosize into butterflies.

Experts said a combination of drought, wildfires, agriculture and urban development have caused the plants to disappear. Plus, pesticides have contaminated many of those that remain.

However, the Xerces Society said it’s unclear what caused such a massive drop in the Western monarch butterfly population between 2023 and 2024.

Still, it serves as another example of a bigger trend.

In December 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it plans to add monarch butterflies to its threatened species list by the end of 2025, making it illegal to kill them purposely or transport them.

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What about butterflies in the eastern US?

It’s currently unknown if the eastern U.S. monarch population saw the same drop in 2024.

Monarchs travel to Mexico for the winter and are monitored by the World Wildlife Fund, which has not yet released its 2024 data.

How can Americans help?

There are several ways to help revive the dwindling population of these much-needed pollinators.

The Xerces Society’s website is full of ways Americans can help, from planting certain seeds in their gardens to managing habitats specifically for monarch butterflies.