Thursday’s Mini-Report, 5.14.26

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Tone matters: “Chinese leader Xi Jinping offered stark warnings about avoiding possible clashes between his nation and the U.S. on Thursday, and even cautioned visiting President Donald Trump that Washington’s handling of its relations with Taiwan could lead to ‘conflicts.’”

* Another major resignation: “U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks resigned Thursday, becoming the latest top immigration official to leave the Trump administration in recent months. … Banks’ abrupt resignation came weeks after the Washington Examiner reported that the official regularly paid for sex with prostitutes during trips abroad.”

* Well, this doesn’t sound great: “Investors snagged 5% yields on 30-year Treasuries for the first time since 2007, as surging energy prices push inflation — and expectations for more of it — higher.”

* It’s hard to see decisions like these as anything but political: “The Pentagon abruptly canceled the deployment of an armored brigade to Poland, a major step toward President Trump’s plan to shrink the U.S. posture in Europe that caught some military officials by surprise. The move followed a Pentagon announcement this month that it would be removing 5,000 troops from Germany.”