National Guard Deploys to L.A. as Protests Continue

Summary

WSJ What’s News: National Guard Deploys to L.A. as Protests Continue Release Date: June 9, 2025

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1. Escalation of Protests in Los Angeles and National Guard Deployment

Protests Intensify in L.A.:
On June 9, Luke Vargas reported that Los Angeles has been engulfed in the third consecutive night of protests. These demonstrations erupted following actions by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, leading to significant clashes with protesters.

Federal Response:
In response to the escalating tensions, President Donald Trump announced the deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles. Speaking at 00:12, Trump stated, “We’re going to have troops everywhere. We’re not going to let this happen to our country. We’re not going to let our country be torn apart.”

On-the-Ground Perspective:
Reporter Ben Fritz provided a vivid account from downtown L.A., highlighting the severity of the situation: “I have never seen anything like this. These Waymos are being burned to the ground. Protesters are demanding that ICE basically leave Los Angeles.” (01:21) The demonstrators have been vocally advocating for the abolition of ICE, emphasizing that “Immigrants are welcome here.”

Local Government Reaction:
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed her disapproval of the National Guard deployment at 02:03:
“I was hoping to prevent this situation from happening. I was trying to encourage the administration that if they deployed the National Guard in Los Angeles, it would create a sense of chaos. It’s the last thing our city needs.”

Federal Officials Stand Firm:
Despite local opposition, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated that further federal intervention might be imminent:
“If we see danger to our country and to our citizens, we’ll be very, very strong in terms of law and order.” (02:34) Additionally, Trump hinted at the possibility of deploying active-duty Marines if the situation worsens:
“The bar for sending Marines is what I think it is.” (02:34)

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2. US-China Trade Talks Shift Focus to Critical Exports

Trade Negotiations in London:
Delegates from the United States and China convened in London for pivotal trade talks, shifting the focus from traditional tariff disputes to critical export controls. Ling Ling Wei, WSJ’s chief China correspondent, elaborated on the agenda at 03:19:
“The US side is going to press Chinese negotiators to speed up exports of rare earths, as they agreed to in Geneva last month. The Chinese negotiators, on the other hand, will push Washington to remove recent restrictions on the sale of jet engines and a wide variety of technology and products to China.”

Impact on Global Supply Chains:
These negotiations are crucial for the global economy, as the existing trade restrictions have significantly disrupted supply chains, affecting the flow of goods, raw materials, and components worldwide. London was chosen as a neutral venue to facilitate these high-stakes discussions.

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3. International Incidents: Israeli Blockade and Colombian Political Violence

Greta Thunberg’s Activism Blocked:
In an early morning operation, Israeli forces intercepted a sailboat carrying activists, including renowned climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, as it attempted to breach the Israeli blockade on Gaza. The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed the interception and stated that the activists would be returned to their home countries. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition involved highlighted that the interception took place in international waters near Egypt's Port Said.

Political Violence in Colombia:
Amid the run-up to next year’s presidential election, Colombian presidential hopeful Senator Miguel Uribe survived a deadly shooting by a teenage gunman. This incident has reignited fears of political violence reminiscent of the tumultuous 1980s and 90s in Colombia. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the attack at 10:08, stating:
“After years of progress, Colombia can’t afford to go back to the dark days of political violence.” He emphasized that such violence poses a direct threat to democracy.

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4. Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference and AI Challenges

Apple’s Strategic Positioning:
Apple is set to launch its Worldwide Developers Conference amidst a challenging year, where its stock has plummeted by 20%. Dan Gallagher, Tech columnist, discussed the company’s hurdles at 05:56:
“They’re facing this challenge of tariffs and this trade war between the US and China, and China is still where most of their products are made. They’re also facing the risk that there’s been these legal cases that are threatening fees from their app store.”

AI Progress Under Scrutiny:
Apple’s foray into artificial intelligence (AI) has been met with skepticism. Gallagher noted at 05:56:
“Specifically to this conference, Apple is seen as now trailing behind where it should be in AI. There was some thinking that they would take their time, do it right... That hasn’t proved to be the case.” The company’s hardware-centric business model contrasts with tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, which dominate the AI and cloud computing sectors.

Future Insights:
Listeners can anticipate more in-depth analysis from Dan Gallagher on Apple’s AI strategies in the upcoming Tech News Briefing podcast.

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5. China’s Dependence on American Pharmaceuticals Amid Self-Sufficiency Drive

China’s Strategic Exceptions:
Despite its vigorous push towards economic self-sufficiency, China has made a significant exception for American pharmaceuticals. Stu Wu and Kate Bullivant delved into this topic, highlighting that the import of advanced American medicines is integral to China’s healthcare ambitions.

Details on Pharmaceutical Imports:
Marco Rubio revealed at 08:08:
“China quietly released some exemptions to tariffs from stuff imported from America. This included a bunch of medicines, many of which are common things like cough suppressants as well as vaccines. But they’re also not tariffing some of the more advanced medicines like you might see for cancer or HIV treatment.” This strategic move supports China’s goal to elevate its healthcare standards to those of wealthy nations by 2030.

Economic Realities:
At 10:03, Rubio explained why China relies on American drug manufacturers:
“It has to do with the economics of making advanced drugs. You need a lot of money in investments and you need a big wealthy market to pay for these innovations. What country can do that? The United States can.” While China excels in manufacturing generic pharmaceuticals, it is still in the nascent stages of developing advanced, innovative drugs necessary for treating complex conditions like cancer and HIV.

Future Outlook:
Although China currently imports approximately $7 billion worth of American drugs annually, there is an expectation that this reliance will diminish as China accelerates its own pharmaceutical innovations, potentially producing advanced drugs at lower costs (11:09).

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Conclusion

This episode of WSJ What’s News provides a comprehensive overview of significant events shaping the current socio-political and economic landscapes. From the intense protests in Los Angeles leading to federal military intervention, critical US-China trade negotiations, and international incidents involving prominent figures, to Apple’s strategic challenges in AI and China’s nuanced approach to pharmaceutical imports, the podcast offers in-depth insights into matters that influence global markets and governance.

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This summary is based on the transcript provided and captures the essential discussions and insights presented in the June 9, 2025, episode of WSJ’s What’s News.

Transcript

[Luke Vargas]

The National Guard is sent to LA after clashes between protesters and federal officers, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

[Donald Trump]

Well, we're going to have troops everywhere. We're not going to let this happen to our country. We're not going to let our country be torn apart.

[Luke Vargas]

Plus, the US And China meet for trade talks in London and Apple kicks off its developers conference under the microscope over its AI progress.

[Dan Gallagher]

If they don't talk about AI at all, they'll be seen as even further behind. They also don't want to end up in the trap they ended up last year where they gave a big preview of stuff they're going to do and then had to backtrack that as the year progressed.

[Luke Vargas]

It's Monday, June 9th. I'm Luke Vargas for the Wall Street Journal and here is the AM edition of what's News, the top headlines and business stories moving your world today. Protesters and law enforcement have clashed for a third night in Los Angeles, with California Highway Patrol using flashbangs to push demonstrators off of Highway 100 and some demonstrators setting fire to driverless cars. The protests began on Friday after federal agents engaged in what appeared to be immigration enforcement and continued through the weekend. Reporter Ben Fritz was in downtown la.

[Ben Fritz]

I have never seen anything like this. These waymos are being burned to the ground. Protesters are demanding that ICE basically leave Los Angeles. Their main argument? The signs are all about abolish ice. Immigrants are welcome here.

[Luke Vargas]

Late Saturday, President Trump called in the National Guard, saying the force was needed to protect federal agents and property, and by Sunday their deployment amounted to about 300 troops of at least 2,000 sent to the city. California Governor Gavin Newsom called the deployment purposefully inflammatory and heard here on ABC7 Los Angeles, Louisiana Mayor Karen Bass said she was disappointed with the president's decision.

[Karen Bass]

I was hoping to prevent this situation from happening. I was trying to encourage the administration that if they deployed the National Guard in Los Angeles, it would create a sense of chaos. It's the last thing our city needs.

[Luke Vargas]

Meanwhile, the president and top officials around him are holding firm. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said over the weekend he was prepared to send active duty Marines to respond to protests in California should they worsen a prospect. Trump didn't rule out what is the.

[Donald Trump]

Bar for sending Marines to. The bar is what I think it is. I mean, if we see danger to our country and to our citizens, we'll be very, very strong in terms of law and order.

[Luke Vargas]

Prior to this weekend, Trump had never mobilized the National Guard without getting approval from a state governor, though he did send federal agents to some cities, including Portland, Oregon during protest. Delegates from the US And China are set to meet for trade talks in London today, with export controls expected to take center stage as their trade war shifts focus from tariffs to access to critical products and materials. WSJ chief China correspondent Ling Lingwei has.

[Ling Ling Wei]

More specifically, the US Side is going to press Chinese negotiators to speed up exports of rare earths, as they agreed to in Geneva last month. And the Chinese negotiators, on the other hand, will push Washington to remove recent restrictions on the sale of jet engines and a wide variety of technology and our products to China. The stakes are really high for the global economy because those trade restrictions imposed by the two governments have been disrupting global supply chains, the flow of goods, raw materials and components. London is a natural choice for both sides. It's considered as a neutral place for the Chinese.

[Luke Vargas]

In a dramatic early morning operation, Israeli forces intercepted a sailboat carrying a group of activists, including climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, as it attempted to breach the Israeli blockade on Gaza. The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed the ship was diverted to Israeli shores and said the activists will be returned to their home countries. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which organized the voyage, said the interception occurred in international waters near Egypt's Port Said, near the entrance to the Suez Canal. Colombian presidential hopeful Senator Miguel Uribe was left fighting for his life yesterday after a teenage gunman shot him in the head as he was finishing an event during the run up to next year's presidential election. The shooting revives fears of the political violence that guard Colombia in the 1980s and 90s and comes as concerns mount over powerful armed militias in the country, fueled by the sharp rise in the production of cocaine. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the attack on Uribe, calling it a direct threat to democracy. Posting on social platform X, Rubio said that after years of progress, Colombia can't afford to go back to the dark days of political violence. And in business news, Apple is kicking off its Worldwide Developers Conference today, Journal Heard on the Street Tech columnist Dan Gallagher told our Tech News Briefing podcast that the event is coming at a pivotal time for the company, whose stock has slid 20% so far this year, the worst run leading into the annual event since at least 2010.

[Dan Gallagher]

They're facing this challenge of tariffs and this trade war between the US And China, and China is still where most of their products are made. They're also facing the risk that there's been these legal cases that are threatening fees from their app store. The commission they get plus the payments they get from Google. Those are all very important contributors to their profitability. Now, specifically to this conference, Apple is seen as now trailing behind where it should be in AI. There was some thinking that they would take their time, do it right and their business is different than when you look at like Microsoft, Google and Amazon that run these giant cloud computing businesses with huge networks. Apple has a very different business model. It's still very hardware focused. They had to figure out a way to bring AI to their devices to get them in front of customers. So a lot of companies have struggled with this on device AI concept, but everybody thought, okay, if a company can do it, Apple can. That hasn't proved to be the case.

[Luke Vargas]

Yet, and you can hear more from Dan on today's episode of our Tech News Briefing podcast coming up. Lately, China has gone all in on promoting homegrown technology and reducing its foreign dependence, but it is making a major exception for American medicine. Reporter Stu Wu tells us why after the break.

[Stu Wu]

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[Luke Vargas]

We've recently reported how China is racing toward economic self sufficiency by weaning itself off of American technology. However, there's one critical exception Beijing is making around buying American medicine. As Journal reporter Stu Wu discussed with our Kate Bullivant, US Drugs are part of China's drive to raise health care standards to match those of wealthy nations by the end of the decade.

[Kate Bullivant]

Stu, what type of American made drugs are we talking about here? And how much is China actually buying.

[Marco Rubio]

From the U.S. yeah, so China quietly released some exemptions to tariffs from stuff imported from America. So this included a bunch of medicines, many of which are common things like cough suppressants as well as vaccines. But they're also not tariffing some of the more advanced medicines like you might see for cancer or HIV treatment. And that's because they're really making this push to improve health and livelihoods of people in China, even if it means pushing back their goals for self sufficiency.

[Kate Bullivant]

Can you give us a sense of the scale of this? How much is China actually buying from.

[Marco Rubio]

The U.S. yeah, so if you look at customs data and data from the UN, China imported $52 billion worth of pharmaceuticals from other countries last year and about 7 billion a year comes from the United States.

[Kate Bullivant]

So you report that China's life expectancy has risen in recent years to roughly 79 years old. And that's on par with the US today. So given that, why does China feel they need to make this exemption as they drive to become more self sufficient?

[Marco Rubio]

So about 50 years ago, life expectancy was just 60 years. But as China got more wealthy and its economy improved and infrastructure improved, there were more doctors and hospitals. That has steadily creeped up. So about nine years ago in 2016, China's Communist Party said, okay, we're going to unveil this new plan and our goal is by 2030 to raise life expectancy by three more years from 76 to 79. And how are we going to do that? Well, one of the things they did was let's let in more foreign technology. So China was really good at manufacturing common pharmaceuticals, just like basic medicines. But what they didn't have were these advanced cancer drugs. And if they wanted to meet those goals, they thought, okay, let's let in the foreign technology. Let's give our people access to the most advanced drugs in the world so we can meet these goals.

[Kate Bullivant]

China is a manufacturing powerhouse, so why can't they produce these drugs themselves instead of relying on American drug producers?

[Marco Rubio]

Yeah, it has to do with the economics of making advanced drugs. You need a lot of money in investments and you need a big wealthy market to pay for these innovations. What country can do that? Well, the United States can do that. But China, even though it has 1.4 billion people, doesn't have this population of wealthy individuals who are willing to pay a lot of money for, for these really expensive cancer drugs that could cost tens of thousand dollars per treatment. So while they're really good at making generic pharmaceuticals, they're in the really early stages of making these advanced, innovative drugs for cancer and things like that.

[Kate Bullivant]

And what did US businesses tell you about their experience of selling to China?

[Marco Rubio]

Yeah, so if you look at some of the American drug companies that have entered China over the past nine years, they said China has made it a lot easier. There used to be a lot of bureaucracy to get something from clinical trials to the market in China. So companies including Gilead and Eli Lilly said China's really made this easy. And Gilead, for example, believes that China is a really important market for the future of the company. Gilead makes a lot of HIV treatments and cancer treatments.

[Kate Bullivant]

So is this reliance from China on the US for pharmaceuticals going to continue?

[Marco Rubio]

So that's a really interesting question. So if you look at the past few years of trade data, about $7 billion of American drugs have gone from the US to China. The thing is though, not a lot of people expect this to last because China's innovating really quickly. China's going to figure out how to make their own advanced drugs that are just as good as American ones or European ones, but maybe at a fraction of the cost.

[Kate Bullivant]

Stu, thanks so much for your time.

[Marco Rubio]

Great. Thank you for having me.

[Luke Vargas]

And that's it for what's news for this Monday morning. Today's show was produced by Kate Bullivant. Our supervising producer was Pierce Lynch. And I'm Luke Vargas for the Wall Street Journal. We will be back tonight with a new show. And thanks for listening.

[Karen Bass]

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