Xi issues Taiwan warning during Trump visit; Nebraska race draws national focus

President Trump is in China, trade, Iran, Taiwan, all on the table, and Xi Jinping is already issuing warnings

Plus, the primary is over. Now all eyes turn to Nebraska's Blue Dot, a House race that could help decide control of Congress

And she wrote a book about grief after her husband's death. Prosecutors say she caused it

Now the Utah mother, convicted of his fentanyl murder, learns her fate

The stories that matter, clear and credible from across the country to around the world

These are your unbiased updates from Straight Arrow. Good morning, I'm Craig DeGrelli

This morning, China is warning President Trump that tensions over Taiwan could push U.S. relations into what Xi Jinping called an extremely dangerous place

A warning came during the first day of high-stakes talks between the two leaders in Beijing

Both the White House and Chinese officials described the opening day as good

with discussions focused primarily on trade, but also touching on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration wants China to play a more active role

in helping end the war between the U.S. and Iran. China remains one of Tehran's closest global partners

Officials say Xi also used a closed-door session to warn Trump that tensions over Taiwan could lead to direct conflict

China claims Taiwan as its territory, while Taiwan operates as a self-governed democracy

Trump used the public portion of the meeting to praise his longstanding relationship with Xi and their ability to resolve disputes directly

You and I have known each other now for a long time. In fact, the longest relationship of our two countries that any president and president has had

And it's to me an honor. We've had a fantastic relationship. We've gotten along

When there were difficulties, we worked it out. I would call you and you would call me

Whenever we had a problem, people don't know. Whenever we had a problem, we worked it out very quickly

And we're going to have a fantastic future together. The Taiwan issue has grown more sensitive in recent months In December Trump approved an billion arms package for Taiwan though the weapons have not yet been delivered And just last week

Taiwan's legislature approved $25 billion in special funding to purchase more American weapons

To politics, the stage is now set for one of the most watched House races in the country

Nebraska's so-called Blue Dot. Democratic activist Denise Powell has won the primary

in Omaha's 2nd Congressional District, edging out state Senator John Kavanaugh in a close race

The seat is seen as a major pickup opportunity for Democrats. The district backed Kamala Harris in 2024 and has become known nationally

as the Blue Dot in a predominantly red state. Nebraska is one of two states that splits its electoral votes by congressional district

instead of using a winner-take-all system. And that electoral vote system became a central issue in the primary

Powell's supporters argued that if Kavanaugh won the House seat, Republican Governor Jim Pillen could appoint a replacement to his state Senate seat

potentially giving Republicans a supermajority and more room to target the Blue Dot system itself

Powell now moves on to face Republican Brinker Harding, an Omaha City Council member backed by President Trump

Searchers have now recovered the remains of the second American soldier who went missing in Morocco earlier this month

The Army identified the soldier as 19-year-old specialist Mariah Collington. She was from Tavares, Florida

Collington disappeared May 2nd near the Captra training area alongside First Lieutenant Kendrick Key Jr., a 27-year-old air defense officer from Richmond, Virginia

The two were taking part in a joint military exercise in Morocco when they fell off a cliff during an off-duty hike

Defense officials told CBS News one of the soldiers could not swim after falling into the water

and the other jumped in to try to help before getting hit by a wave. Officials have not said which soldier attempted the rescue

The Army says the incident remains under investigation. A Utah mother who wrote a children's book about grief after her husband's death

will now spend the rest of her life in prison for his murder

A judge sentenced 35-year-old Corey Richens to life without parole Wednesday after prosecutors said she poisoned her husband, Eric, with a fatal dose of fentanyl inside their

Park City area home back in 2022 The case drew national attention after Richens later published a children book about a young boy coping with the loss of his father Judge Richard Mrozik said

Richens should never be released from prison. A person convicted of those things is simply too

dangerous to ever be free. Accordingly, Ms. Richens, based on your conviction on count one

First degree felony aggravated murder. The court hereby sentences you to life without parole

But some of the most emotional moments came from the couple's three young sons

who told the court they would not feel safe if their mother were ever released

One son said, quote, she took away my dad. Another told the judge he feared she would, quote, come after him and his brothers

if she got out of prison. Richens also spoke directly to her children in court

My sweet baby boys, I know that today you don't want to speak to me

have a relationship with me, or you may think you hate me, and that's okay

I will never be angry at you for your feelings. When the day comes that you're ready, I will be here for you, waiting for you and loving you

Prosecutors said Eric Richens had five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in his system when he died at his home

Jurors also convicted Corey Richens of attempting to poison him weeks earlier with a fentanyl-laced Valentine's Day sandwich

Attorneys say they plan to appeal. To a separate high-profile case, in a stunning reversal Wednesday

the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned the murder convictions of Alex Murdoch

ordering a new trial in one of the most high-profile cases of the decade

Court ruled the 2023 trial was tainted by what justices called shocking jury interference by former court clerk Becky Hill

In a unanimous decision, the court said Hill placed her fingers on the scales of justice

including allegedly telling jurors not to be, quote, fooled by Murdoch's testimony and to watch his body language on the stand

She later wrote a book about the case and the guilty verdict. The jury convicted Murdoch in the 2021 shooting deaths of his wife Maggie and son Paul at the family's South Carolina estate

The case drew national attention after prosecutors argued the once powerful attorney killed them as his financial crimes and drug issues were closing in around him But the state high court said the trial itself was compromised

The attorney general's office says it will retry the case. And Murdoch is not going free

He will remain in prison serving a separate 40-year federal sentence after pleading guilty to stealing millions of dollars from clients and his law firm

Finally this morning, FIFA is turning this summer's World Cup final into something that may feel a lot more like the Super Bowl

The lineup is stacked. Latin superstar Shakira, K-pop group BTS and Madonna, who is preparing to release a new album called Confessions 2, are all set to perform July 19th at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey

FIFA says the show will also serve as a fundraiser for its Global Citizen Education Fund

The organization says $1 from every World Cup ticket sold will go toward education initiatives

and expanding access to soccer for children around the world. The 2026 World Cup, hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, kicks off June 11th

It is starting to sound and look like the Super Bowl, right? With halftime performances and everything

Hey, whatever happened to Bad Bunny? Remember him? All right, before we head out, here's what we're tracking today

This morning at 8.30, we get new retail sales numbers and the latest weekly jobless claims report

two key snapshots of where the economy stands right now. This afternoon, officials in Iowa are expected to announce plans to preserve and expand the iconic Field of Dreams movie site

Later today, the Louisiana Senate will vote on a new congressional district map, eliminating one of two majority black districts

And late tonight, President Trump meets again with China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing

including a formal handshake, a photo op, and bilateral talks. No noise, no sides

NewsGuard gives us a perfect score for reliability. All sides gives us a center rating for balanced certification

We give you the facts first and the news straight. Hey, have you signed up for our Unbiased Updates newsletter

It's a great way to start your day a bit smarter. Go to san.com slash newsletters

Those are your unbiased updates for this Thursday. We'll see you back here tomorrow, Friday. We love that

For all of us here at Straight Arrow, I'm Craig DeGrelli. Have a great day