Chinese Communist Party

FBI agents executed a search warrant at a Beverly Hills mansion owned by a Swalwell donor, part of an escalating investigation into former Rep. Eric Swalwell, sources told multiple outlets. The California Democrat resigned from Congress and dropped out of the state's gubernatorial race in April amid sexual misconduct allegations from at least five women, including a former staffer, which he has denied.

The mansion search marks the second major FBI operation tied to Swalwell in recent months, following an August search of his Washington home and the seizure of his electronic devices at San Francisco International Airport. Federal prosecutors are examining possible civil rights violations tied to his conduct in office, while separate investigations continue in New York and Los Angeles County, including scrutiny of his campaign finances over legal payments to an attorney. The probe comes as declassified FBI records resurfaced showing Swalwell acknowledged a past relationship with suspected Chinese intelligence operative Christine "Fang Fang" Fang.

Kevin O'Leary's "Wonder Valley" project, rebranded in Utah as Stratos, aimed to build what O'Leary called the world's largest data center on 40,000 acres in Box Elder County, backed by a 9-gigawatt gas plant. The deal moved through the Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA) and county commissioners at extraordinary speed, drawing scrutiny over water use near the shrinking Great Salt Lake, air pollution, and secretive dealmaking involving entrepreneur Austin Pritchett and former Rep. Jason Chaffetz.

O'Leary inflamed tensions by claiming on Fox Business that critics were linked to Chinese agents, naming local advocacy groups and individuals. He later retracted the claim, and Fox apologized on air; he and Fox were subsequently sued for defamation and have moved to dismiss the case. Commissioners approved the project after a chaotic public meeting where officials voted from a back room amid chants of "shame." Political fallout followed: Senate President Stuart Adams lost his primary, MIDA's director retired, and two commissioners were unseated. Litigation over a referendum continues, and MIDA has paused the project, with no tenant or land sales yet confirmed.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Sept. 25 ruled that Missouri must use its 2022 congressional map, not the Republican-drawn 2025 version, for the 2026 midterm elections. The decision capped weeks of legal battles that began after Missouri Republicans redrew the state's map to shift a 6-2 GOP advantage to 7-1. A Democrat-led referendum petition challenged the change, and the Missouri Supreme Court ruled the petition valid, holding the new map never took effect. The case bounced between federal courts, with a district judge and later the 8th Circuit siding with Republicans on using the 2025 map since it had already been used in August primaries. The Supreme Court ultimately reversed course, ruling without dissent that it was too late in the election cycle to implement new lines despite their primary-season use.

The ruling reshapes expectations for Missouri's House delegation heading into 2026 and arrives alongside other major news this week, including Trump's state-visit meeting with Xi Jinping in Washington and world leaders convening for the UN General Assembly in New York.

Republicans in Congress amplified Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's criticism of Ford Motor Co. over its business dealings with Chinese firms. In a letter to CEO Jim Farley, Duffy raised "profound concern" over Ford's reliance on licensed battery technology from CATL, a Chinese company on the Pentagon's list of firms tied to China's military, at its Michigan plant. He also faulted Ford's decision to delay moving Lincoln Nautilus production from China to the U.S. until 2030. Sen. Rick Scott and Rep. John Moolenaar, chair of the House Select Committee on China, backed Duffy's stance, urging Ford to cut ties with Chinese partners including Geely and BYD.

Ford called the letter a "wrongheaded attempt to capture headlines," saying it controls the Michigan plant and its workforce. The Chinese embassy urged the U.S. to avoid politicizing business cooperation. The dispute comes as Congress pushes to tighten a ban on Chinese vehicles and ahead of a planned Trump-Xi meeting.