Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife were welcomed with an elaborate ceremony and a deafening military flyover that appeared to startle President Donald Trump.

Lines of US troops stood at attention at Joint Base Andrews, where the president’s aircraft are based. F-35 fighter jets and Air Force One formed the backdrop as Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, arrived for the high-profile welcome.

A military band performed while US officials hurriedly laid out a red carpet leading toward the Chinese president’s enormous Air China jumbo jet.

As Xi stepped onto the tarmac, military aircraft thundered overhead in a flyover marking his arrival. Trump visibly winced and briefly smiled at the noise, while Xi maintained a stern, expressionless demeanor.

The formal reception echoed the ceremony Trump received during his May visit to Beijing, which also featured a lavish carpet and troops assembled at attention.

The presidential limousine, known as “the Beast,” arrived carrying Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. The couple walked to the aircraft to meet Xi and Peng, with the two couples exchanging remarks for several minutes.

However, strong winds, the roar of aircraft engines and the absence of media access made it impossible to establish what the two leaders discussed after Xi’s landing.

Trump and Melania’s personal airport greeting marked the first time in more than 11 years that a US president had traveled to an airport to meet a visiting world leader.

The previous occasion came in 2015, when Barack Obama welcomed Pope Francis at Joint Base Andrews, according to C-SPAN.

Trump had previously criticized Obama for giving Xi a “full honors ceremony with music and cannons” during a 2012 visit. “So wrong,” the then-reality star wrote on X.

The scale of this year’s reception has also unsettled some Republicans who have sharply criticized Xi. One of Trump’s allies condemned the decision to arrange what he called a “lavish” visit for a “dictator.”

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Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, a Trump ally in the Senate, delivered a forceful attack on the president’s approach during remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday.

“Had the White House asked me for advice, I would have suggested the president not invite Xi Jinping to Washington for such a lavish welcome,” said Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“During every minute of dialog, our commander-in-chief should keep in mind that his guest is a brutal, unelected and oppressive dictator who seeks to dominate his neighbors and whose massive military arsenal is aimed directly at the United States of America,” Wicker added.

Despite the public display, coverage of the airport ceremony was restricted by a media blackout after Trump barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House.

Journalists from Fox, CBS and NBC were present but did not record the event as they followed a judge’s deliberations over a lawsuit brought by the excluded outlets against the administration.

During the media ban emergency hearing, Justice Department attorney Michael Velchik urged US District Judge Timothy Kelly to not restore reporters’ passes until after Chinese leader Xi Jinping visits, citing national security concerns.

Tensions loom in the upcoming trade talks between Xi and Trump, who are expected to address a slew of issues from technology to the future of Tehran. 

Besides the two having bilateral negotiations, there will also be an array of cultural and social events over the three-day visit. 

A state dinner will be hosted in the White House’s East Room on Thursday evening with CEOs and Cabinet members on the invite list.

The Trumps, Xi and Madame Peng will also visit the National Archives to view historical documents. Notably, the original Declaration of Independence and Constitution are housed there. 

Amid the niceties, Xi is reportedly planning to press Trump on Taiwan and a $14 billion US military package that has been approved but not yet shipped to the island nation that China claims sovereignty over. 

Trade will also be top of mind as the trade truce the two struck ends on November 10 and there has yet to be a breakthrough on a range of topics, including rare-earth minerals.  

A California murder suspect was arrested three times in under two weeks and released after each encounter with authorities before his alleged crime spree ended with the killing of an innocent woman and a fiery shootout with sheriff’s deputies.

Prosecutors said they sought to keep 44-year-old Derek Spencer in custody after he allegedly attacked a Sacramento County sheriff’s deputy. Instead, Spencer posted bail, was arrested twice more and released both times before allegedly killing 76-year-old Cheryl Macy, a widely respected former employee of the Placer County District Attorney’s Office.

“Sadly, this should never have occurred but bail reform in California has prioritized criminal offenders over victims,” the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement to News Media.

Spencer was eventually killed early Monday after authorities said he opened fire on Placer County sheriff’s deputies during a tense standoff in the rugged forest near Iowa Hill.

Authorities said Spencer also started two fires as tactical teams moved in, forcing three SWAT operators threatened by the flames to be rescued by helicopter overnight.

The fatal confrontation came after a series of arrests and releases that prosecutors said highlighted serious weaknesses in California’s bail system.

Spencer was first arrested Sept. 3. Sacramento County deputies accused him of felony vandalism, resisting arrest and attacking a deputy with a deadly weapon.

The Sacramento County DA’s Office filed charges Sept. 8, including felony assault with a deadly weapon likely to cause great bodily injury and attempting to use threats and violence to stop the deputy from performing official duties.

Prosecutors asked the court to keep Spencer jailed, but a judge set bail as required by law, according to the DA’s office. Spencer posted bail and was released Sept. 11.

His arrests did not stop there.

Around 11 p.m. Sept. 13, Folsom police responded to an alarm at a model home in the 4600 block of Dehone Circle. Officers found Spencer leaving the property and arrested him on suspicion of burglary, the department told News Media.

He was booked into Sacramento County Main Jail but released on his own recognizance the following day, prosecutors said.

Two days later, Sacramento County deputies arrested Spencer a third time, alleging he had stolen a vehicle. He posted bail and was released again on Sept. 17.

Spencer was also scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing in the deputy-assault case. He failed to appear Sept. 18, leading a judge to issue a warrant, the DA’s office said.

Prosecutors were still reviewing the burglary and vehicle-theft reports for potential charges when Spencer’s alleged rampage spread into neighboring counties.

Authorities said Spencer stole another vehicle and guns and shot at a moving vehicle in El Dorado County on Sept. 19. The following day, Placer County deputies began searching for him after he allegedly pointed a gun at victims.

Deputies located Spencer near Iowa Hill, but he allegedly rammed a sheriff’s patrol vehicle and fled. Authorities said he later fired at deputies and law enforcement helicopters, prompting a major manhunt and warnings for residents to lock their doors and remain inside.

While tactical teams searched a home where Spencer had reportedly been seen, they discovered Macy’s body inside. She had been shot to death, and investigators believe Spencer killed her before escaping into the nearby forest. Authorities have not publicly disclosed any previous connection between Spencer and Macy.

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A California Highway Patrol aircraft using infrared technology located Spencer shortly before 2:30 a.m. Monday, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office. Several tactical teams spent hours moving through the steep, heavily wooded terrain in darkness to reach him.

When deputies approached, Spencer opened fire, authorities said. A standoff followed, and drone video allegedly captured him starting two separate fires.

At about 4 a.m., Spencer fired again from behind a berm, prompting deputies to return fire and fatally strike him, the sheriff’s office said.

The flames soon threatened SWAT operators in the forest. A tactical flight crew from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office RAVEN aviation unit flew through darkness and low-visibility conditions to hoist three operators out of the area.

The unit said the mission relied on a specialized night-hoist capability available to only a limited number of law enforcement aviation teams in the region.

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office called the case a “dangerous crime spree that took a tragic turn, resulting in the loss of an innocent life.”

The Sacramento County DA’s office pointed to the California Supreme Court’s recent Kowalczyk decision, arguing that it has limited judges’ ability to detain repeat offenders before trial, even when they may pose a danger.

“While the District Attorney’s Office has and will continue to argue that dangerous and repeat offenders like Derek Spencer remain in custody, California must repeal the Kowalczyk decision and change the law to prioritize victims when addressing bail,” the office said.

The Placer County DA’s office separately said Spencer’s repeated releases raised “serious questions” about whether state law and recent court decisions give judges enough power to prevent similar tragedies.

“As prosecutors, our responsibility is not only to seek justice after someone is harmed, but to speak plainly when the system presents warning signs that cannot be ignored,” the office said.

Macy served the Placer County DA’s office from 2006 to 2020 and remained a cherished part of its extended family. She was also a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire honored Macy at a county Board of Supervisors meeting Wednesday, telling community leaders that her death had left his office and the wider community heartbroken.

Gire called for answers, transparency and accountability while urging the community to remember how Macy lived rather than how she died. His office said former colleagues remembered the energy she brought to her work, the warmth she showed others and the lasting impact she made across Placer County.

“The loss of Cheryl is devastating to our office and to the entire community,” the office said. “Our hearts are with her family, her friends, and everyone who knew and loved her.”

Her granddaughter, Addison, told KCRA that Macy had a special way of hugging her loved ones: three squeezes to say, “I love you.”

“She was the only person who’s ever done that and told me that,” Addison said, calling it a memory she will always carry.

The fatal deputy-involved shooting and Macy’s death remain under investigation.

“Recovery is about progression, not perfection” was a mantra Presley Gerber often returned to.

For a time, it appeared that he was genuinely moving forward.

The only son of supermodel Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber spoke openly and thoughtfully about his wellbeing in social media videos earlier this year. He told fans he had “started finding my way back to myself” after years of drug addiction.

It seemed the tide had finally begun to turn for Presley.

But, tragically, his long-running struggles returned. The 27-year-old reportedly began losing his footing over the past three months, spiraling further before his sudden death on Sunday, the Daily Mail has learned.

The former Calvin Klein model was described as “really thin” and “gaunt” and was said not to sound like himself, according to a source close to his mother, Crawford, 60. The source also claimed that Presley sometimes struggled to make complete sense.

His condition was reportedly at its worst during the final month of his life. Presley checked into a rehabilitation center in Santa Monica, California on Saturday, but died just hours later in what was suspected to be an overdose.

“Presley was getting high before he went to rehab. That’s why he went, because he could not kick the habit,” our source said.

“He looked terrible before checking in. He was extremely thin and pale, with a gaunt face, and appeared depressed in the weeks before his death. He was also jittery and, at times, did not make sense.

“He looked as though he was on meth—he had that meth look—but no one knew for certain what he was taking. How could anyone know? People struggling with drug addiction do not usually tell the full truth.

“He was a long way from the cover boy he had once been.”

Presley had previously acknowledged using a range of drugs, including Xanax, Valium, oxycodone and ketamine.

“He had been to rehab many times and disliked it,” our source said. “He was very vocal about believing rehab did not work. He even said on his show that rehab had a 98 percent failure rate, so he was not a fan.”

According to the source, both Crawford and his father, Rande, 64, were desperate to see their son receive help.

“Both of his parents made him go to rehab because they knew he was using,” the source said.

“They were never going to give up on him, so they tried another rehab center. They had so much hope. He was in and out of rehab constantly, and they spent a fortune trying to get him to turn his life around.”

The continued: ‘They are helicopter parents, they are super involved, they did not drop the ball here. They pushed and pushed for him to get better. No one can blame them. They did their research and felt they were doing the right thing.’

Though Crawford did not openly discuss Presley’s addiction battles, she frequently posted messages of encouragement on his Instagram videos, including calling him a ‘warrior’ back in March after he went public with the experimental ibogaine flood dose treatment he had undergone in Mexico to combat his substance abuse.

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But as he started to deteriorate this summer, it became apparent that what his parents had so viscerally feared could potentially become reality.

‘Their worst fear was that he would get a bad cocktail of drugs and die,’ said the source.

‘They worried about fentanyl and had many discussions about it. This absolutely was an issue for them, and they were fighting to keep him alive.’

According to the County of Los Angeles Public Health, 70 percent of overdoses are caused by fentanyl. Presley’s cause of death has yet to be confirmed.

‘Everyone wants to know how he died in rehab, a place that was supposed to save him,’ our source said. ‘Presley may have snuck drugs in, no one knows at this point.’

An insider close to the family told the Daily Mail earlier this week that they felt an untimely death had been ‘inevitable.’

But questions will no doubt stilll be asked of the Resolutions Living facility – the $7.7 million luxurious rehabilitation home in Santa Monica where Presley had checked in before his death.

His difficult past goes back over a decade to when he was a young teenager trying to fight depression and anxiety. He talked openly about how he struggled with the quick transition from a sporty high school student with a structured existence to a jet setting model.

‘He was very open about trying every medication out there to help him,’ our source said. ‘Nothing worked.’

‘He had been on drugs on and off for years’ and was ‘often high,’ the source added.

‘He liked being high, he said it made him feel “normal.” His problem was much worse than he made it seem, he was in a bad way, but you can’t judge the guy, he was hurting.

‘The poor guy had so much anxiety and pain, he could not stop self-medicating, and he took a lot of different stuff.’

The source also suggested there were bad influences in his life.

‘He had bad friends that did drugs too,’ they claimed. ‘How else do you think he got his hands on the drugs?’

The source insisted that these ‘bad friends’ were not associated with his circle of celebrity pals which was made up of fellow nepo babies such as Brooklyn Beckham, Sofia Richie, Brandon Thomas Lee and Paris Hilton.

‘He had LA friends who were kind of strange, but who doesn’t?’ said the source. ‘You live in Hollywood Hills, you are going to get to know some weirdos.’

An autopsy on Presley has already been completed, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed, though his official cause of death has been deferred pending further testing. It could take months for toxicology and additional tests to confirm the truth.

The Santa Monica Police Department is investigating the death as a suspected overdose, noting there is no indication of foul play.

The Daily Mail has contacted a representative for Crawford and Resolutions Living for comment. 

Josue De Paula will not remain on the Dodgers’ active roster through the end of the regular season.

Even so, the 21-year-old prospect appears to have a strong chance of earning a spot on Los Angeles’ postseason roster.

The Dodgers optioned De Paula to the minor leagues Wednesday to clear space for Shohei Ohtani’s return from the injured list. The move brought his electrifying 11-game MLB debut to a temporary close after he was called up directly from Double-A as the organization’s top prospect.

At first glance, the decision may seem surprising, especially after De Paula delivered an impressive performance during his first two weeks in the majors.

However, the roster move was driven by several factors. Most importantly for De Paula, being optioned now keeps him eligible to return for the playoffs.

The Dodgers faced a roster squeeze with Ohtani returning Wednesday and catcher Dalton Rushing also expected to be activated from the injured list later this week.

That meant two position players would need to come off the active roster. Alex Freeland was one logical option, but finding a second candidate was considerably more difficult.

Aside from potentially optioning outfielder Alex Call, De Paula was the Dodgers’ only realistic choice. He had been filling in as the designated hitter while Ohtani was sidelined, while Rushing is currently limited to hitting because of an elbow injury. Both players would essentially serve as left-handed pinch-hit options, leaving limited opportunities for either one during the final handful of regular-season games.

The Dodgers could have delayed Rushing’s activation after he missed most of the past two months with the elbow injury. He had briefly returned several weeks ago, only to suffer another setback while attempting to advance through an ill-fated throwing program.

Still, Rushing could become valuable at some point in October.

For that reason, the Dodgers determined that giving him a chance to collect a few at-bats off the bench before the playoffs was worthwhile.

Optioning De Paula Wednesday also ensures that he will be eligible for the start of the National League Division Series in 11 days on Oct. 3. Players optioned to the minors generally must wait at least 10 days before returning to an MLB roster, unless an injury exception applies. In the meantime, De Paula could join Triple-A Oklahoma City for at-bats during its Pacific Coast League championship series.

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Because De Paula was not on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster as of Sept. 1, the club would need to petition MLB to make him eligible for the postseason. However, because he was already part of the organization before that date, the request is considered little more than a formality.

The bigger question is whether De Paula or Rushing will claim the Dodgers’ bench role as a left-handed bat when the playoff roster is finalized.

Rushing has the advantage in MLB experience and was enjoying a productive season before his injury, batting .249 with 12 home runs, 36 RBIs and a .798 OPS.

But De Paula has made an emphatic case of his own. Through his first 11 games, he went 10-for-31 with five extra-base hits, one home run, seven RBIs and 11 walks against just five strikeouts. Those numbers gave him an on-base percentage of exactly .500 in 42 plate appearances.

“It’s going to be a good debate,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Hitting off the bench is very difficult, and so you’re just trying to figure out who gives us the best chance.”

That uncertainty is one reason the Dodgers made the roster adjustments now. The club will have an opportunity to evaluate Rushing in game action before making its final postseason decision.

At this stage, even Roberts suggested that De Paula may hold the advantage.

“To be quite frank, it’s going to be tougher for Dalton given the time that he’s missed,” Roberts said.

“And also, you’re talking about the consistency of at-bats recently from Josue,” he later added, somewhat tellingly.

“So, yeah,” Roberts continued, “we have to have those conversations and make a decision.”

For now, that meant optioning De Paula.

It’d be a surprise, however, if he isn’t back for the playoffs.