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United States President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met during the G-20 and talked about key international community issues.

The meeting lasted for three hours, and the leaders hoped to stabilize a seemingly deteriorating relationship between them. The two superpowers reportedly discussed several issues, including Taiwan, trade, and technology. According to a statement from the White House, Biden said he would continue to compete with China in terms of investments and international alliances.

“(They) reiterated their agreement that a nuclear war should never be fought and can never be won. And underscored their opposition to the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine,” said the White House.

Moreover, China and the U.S. began talks about climate change, health issues, food security, and debt relief. The White House added that Secretary of State Antony Blinken would visit China. However, they remained tight-lipped on when he will visit the Eastern superpower. Before Biden went into the talks with China, he acknowledged the competition between the U.S. and China.

“As the leaders of our two nations, we share responsibility. In my view, to show that China and the US can manage our differences. And prevent competition from becoming anything nearing conflict. And to find ways to work together on urgent, global issues that require our mutual cooperation,” said Biden.

“In our meeting today, I’m ready to have a candid — as we always did. Have a candid and in-depth exchange of views with you,” Xi answered.

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Biden not so optimistic about the meeting

The White House has since expressed low confidence that the meeting will bring significant changes to the existing power relations between the two nations. Instead, experts predict the two nations to get frank about their real intentions as tensions between them linger.

“He’ll have that opportunity to sit, to be straightforward and direct. And to hear President Xi be straightforward and direct in return,” said Jake Sullivan, national security adviser to Biden.

“Given that China and the U.S. are in a state of near-total rivalry and confrontation, there is not much possibility to anticipate that the major issues can be truly clarified,” said Shi Yinhonh, an international relations professor from Renmin University.

“The Chinese believe the U.S. goal is to keep China down so we can contain it. And the U.S. believes China’s goal is to make the world safer for authoritarian states. And push the U.S. out of Asia and weaken its alliance system,” added Scott Kennedy from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

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Creating the lines

According to Xi, China remains willing to cooperate with the U.S. to continue its peaceful relationship with its Western counterpart. However, Xi demands several things from Biden. One is respecting China’s political system. And two, staying away from China’s territorial claim over several countries like Hong Kong and Taiwan.

“I think it’s more, how can we find ways to communicate about those issues where we have deep fundamental differences of perspective or concerns, but we need to be having a continued and ongoing conversation,” said a senior Chinese official.

“I would love to be a fly on the wall to see that conversation. Because I don’t think the U.S. or China has been very precise about its red lines. And I also don’t think either has been very clear about what positive rewards the other side would reap from staying within those red lines,” added Kennedy.

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The Democratic candidate Maxwell Alejandro Frost serves as the first member from Generation Z to secure a spot in Congress.

After besting Republican Calvin Wimbish, 72, in Florida’s 10th Congressional District, the 25-year-old Afro-American snatched a seat in Congress. When he finally won, US President Joe Biden called Frost to congratulate the aspiring politician, according to Frost. The two also discussed how remarkable the accomplishment is, given Frost’s young age. At 29, the current US president entered politics and was elected to the Senate.

“He asked me if it was the same situation. I said, ‘No, Mr. President, you had me beat on that. I’m already old enough to be sworn in on January 3.’ So, it was great to talk with him. You know, he was elected at a very young age, too, so he understands that experience,” Frost said.

On combating gun violence, the representative-elect focused his campaign. After a sequence of mass shootings across the nation, this sparked a reaction among Florida residents. As a defense against careless gun sales, Frost stated in an interview that he vowed to pass the legislation requiring a universal background check.

In a Tweet, he wrote, “WE WON! We made history for Floridians, for Gen Z, and for everyone who believes we deserve a better future. I am beyond thankful for the opportunity to represent my home in the United States Congress.”

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A milestone for Frost

Those who run for vital public offices are typically 58 or older. Federal laws prescribe that a candidate for the US House of Representatives, US Senate, or the US president must be at least 25, 30, and 35, respectively. Frost wins a seat and creates history for Generation Z while still at the front line. Pew Research Center categorizes GenZs as those born betweeen 1997 and 2012.

While the law allows 25-year-olds to run for the House of Representatives, only a few do. Running at a younger age implies more problems ahead for many. On the other hand, Frost defied all odds and took the risk. Frost represents the Afro-Cuban community more than his age, as his election makes him the first community member elected to Congress.

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Serving the country

Frost, born on January 17, 1997, witnessed abuse and violence as a child. His mother is Puerto Rican, and his father is Haitian. However, he transferred to another home because his mother’s constant involvement in drugs, violence, and crime.

He said, his community became “ravaged by gun violence. And I’ve experienced how working people and people of color are unjustly marginalized and left behind in our society.”

He became an advocate for gun control as he got older because of his past. Frost became an advocate for gun control following the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. He took an active role in Barack Obama’s campaign when he ran for president in 2012. As director of national organizing for March for Our Lives, he worked with many advocacy groups.

Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Ed Markey, and Rev. Jesse Jackson are just a few of the politicians who have shown him respect and support over the years. The Congressional Progressive Caucus also supported him.

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Just days after Elon Musk decided to fire thousands of employees from Twitter, the company’s senior executives resigned from their positions.

The organization’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Lea Kissner, resigned as CISO official on Thursday. The now-vacant role was one of the essential parts of the business, mainly when Twitter deals with a wide range of privacy and security challenges.

Elon Musk, Twitter’s newest owner and CEO, is also under fire from the public after making several hasty managerial moves. She would not, however, discuss why she resigned from her position as CISO.

“I’ve made the hard decision to leave Twitter/I’ve had the opportunity to work with amazing people, and I’m so proud of the privacy, security, and IT teams and our work. I’m looking forward to figuring out what’s next,” Kissner wrote.

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More Twitter executives resigned

Yoel Roth, the director of integrity and safety, reportedly decided to leave his position simultaneously, according to sources. Concerned about the adjustments Twitter has to make with Elon as the new owner, Roth has frequently communicated with investors and other stakeholders. For example, he and Musk spoke about how Twitter manages damaging information on the network during a Twitter Spaces conference on Wednesday.

“Verification! Impersonation! Twitter Blue! There’s a lot going on around identity on Twitter — let’s break down what our policies are, and some of the big questions we still need to answer,” he wrote.

“First, impersonation has always been banned on Twitter. Misleading profiles make Twitter worse for everyone. Last year, we banned more than half a million accounts for impersonating people and brands.”

“When Verified accounts use impersonation as a tactic — whether for parody or not — it creates an especially confusing experience. It’s been our long-standing practice to suspend Verified users when they do this.”

“The planned changes to Twitter Blue to make Verification more widely available raise the stakes for this impersonation. Here’s what we’re going to do about it:”

“In the short term, we’ll ramp up a proactive review of Blue Verified accounts that show signs of impersonating another user. When we find them, we’ll suspend them. See something that looks off? You can report it directly in the app.”

“Long-term, we need to invest more in identity verification to complement proof-of-humanness. Paid Verification is a strong (not perfect) signal of humanness, which helps fight bots and spam. But that’s not the same thing as identity verification.”

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FTC and the company

The head of Musk’s legal team, Alex Spiro, said that communication with the FTC is ongoing. He further stated that Twitter would try its utmost to adhere to all legal standards. A source overheard Spiro discussing Musk’s persistence in the face of the FTC. However, an FTC representative said that the agency follows any activity from Twitter “with deep concern.”

“No CEO or company is above the law, and companies must follow our consent decrees. Our revised consent order gives us new tools to ensure compliance, and we are prepared to use them,” the spokesperson added.

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After seizing Nevada, Democrats establish Senate control. However, it seems the Republicans inch closer to claiming the House.

In a tense contest in the state, Democratic Senate candidate Catherine Cortez Masto topped Republican Adam Laxalt. Laxalt acted as a previous state attorney general. The Democratic Party now only requires Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote. Control of the House remains unclear as voting stations close elections around the country. However, the Republicans have taken the lead for the time being.

Nevada was expected to be the opportunity for Republicans to retake control of the Senate. The Republicans planned to challenge re-electionist Cortez Masto with Laxalt, who earned former President Donald Trump’s backing. Instead, Cortez won by a scant 5,000 votes. Meanwhile, if re-electionist Raphael Warnock defeats Republican Herschel Walker in a December runoff, the Democratic Party will have a solid lead over the opposition.

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Nevada win for Biden

Following the Nevada success, US President Joe Biden expressed his delight. However, he went on to say that the party is now focused on winning the Georgia runoff.

“We feel good about where we are, and I know I’m a cockeyed optimist, I understand that from the beginning, but I’m not surprised by the turnout. I’m incredibly pleased by the turnout,” the president said.

“And so, I feel good and look forward to the next couple of years. Because we are in a situation where you don’t have to have an even makeup of the committees — so that’s why it is important, mostly, but it’s simply better, the bigger the number, the better,” he added.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the Democratic victory in the Senate opens up a chance for the party to oppose “anti-Democratic, extremist, MAGA Republicans.”

“Oh, and one other thing we did, which I cannot forget, we staunchly defended a woman’s right to choose. Because the American people turned out to elect Democrats in the Senate, there’s now a firewall against a nationwide abortion ban threat that so many Republicans have talked about,” Senator Schumer said.

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Winning a key state

Earlier in the count, the Democratic Party cheered after flipping a critical state, Pennsylvania. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman of the Democratic Party upset Republican Mehmet Oz. Despite Fetterman’s battle with a stroke that pulled him off the campaign trail for a while, he defeated Oz, who earned Trump’s strong endorsement.

“It’s official. I will be the next US Senator from Pennsylvania. We bet on the people of Pennsylvania – and you didn’t let us down. And I won’t let you down. Thank you,” Fetterman said in a Tweet.

“I’m so humbled. Thank you so much. We launched this campaign almost two years ago and had our slogan; it’s on every one of those signs right now — every county, every vote. And that’s exactly what happened. We jammed them up,” he added in a victory speech.

Experts believe that the Democrat’s support for the Roe v. Wade decision opened the path for their victory in the upper chamber. In addition, researchers saw an upsurge in registration among young residents and women after the Supreme Court reversed the crucial verdict. Inflation and the economy are further factors driving increasing voter registration among newer voters.

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Meta, Facebook’s parent company, shrinks over 13% of its manpower. This entails the layoff of over 11,000 employees.

On Wednesday, CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote to his workers that it was the toughest Meta had to make in its history. Furthermore, the letter included several steps to improve the company’s performance. Until the first quarter of 2023, Meta will decrease discretionary spending and freeze employment. Meta’s share increased by 7.7% on the same day.

The company decided to initiate the cutoff because of Meta’s poor performance in the previous quarter. Due to investor uncertainty about the company’s future, the stock dropped by more than 20%. Furthermore, according to Meta investors, the company’s costs and expenses have risen sharply, increasing by approximately 19% per year. And the company’s costs reached around $22.1 billion in the third quarter. The cost increase comes amid a 4% drop in sales.

“I want to take accountability for these decisions and how we got here. I know this is tough for everyone, and I’m especially sorry for those impacted,” said Zuckerberg.

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Meta reducing its workforce

Meta plans to hire fewer people next year, according to the CEO. As a result, the employees who were laid off in large numbers will be compensated by the company. According to Zuckerberg, the company should pay the 11,000 employees for 16 weeks. Furthermore, for every year worked for Meta, the employee receives an additional two weeks’ pay. Zuckerberg also declared to pay for the impacted employees’ healthcare coverage for six months.

“This is a sad moment, and there’s no way around that. So to those leaving, I want to thank you again for everything you’ve put into this place,” the CEO added.

“That means some teams will grow meaningfully, but most others will stay flat or shrink over the next year. So, in aggregate, we expect to end 2023 as either roughly the same size or even a slightly smaller organization than we are today,” he added.

Meta is currently attempting to expand the metaverse. This new ‘universe’ contains another world that can be accessed using augmented reality headsets and virtual reality tools. The expansion has already cost them $9.4 billion, according to Zuckerberg. In terms of completion, Meta anticipates that the completion of the metaverse will require more financial support.

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Zuckerberg’s memo to employees

The following are some snippets from Zuckerberg’s letter to Meta employees:

Today I’m sharing some of the most difficult changes we’ve made in Meta’s history. I’ve decided to reduce the size of our team by about 13% and let more than 11,000 of our talented employees go. We are also taking a number of additional steps to become a leaner and more efficient company by cutting discretionary spending and extending our hiring freeze through Q1.

Everyone will get an email soon letting you know what this layoff means for you. After that, every affected employee will have the opportunity to speak with someone to get their questions answered and join information sessions.

Some of the details in the US include:

• With no cap, we will pay 16 weeks of base pay plus two additional weeks for every year of service.
• We’ll pay for all remaining PTO time.
• RSU vesting. Everyone impacted will receive their November 15, 2022, vesting.
• Health insurance. We’ll cover the cost of healthcare for people and their families for six months.
• Career Services. We’ll provide three months of career support with an external vendor, including early access to unpublished job leads.
• Immigration support. I know this is especially difficult if you’re here on a visa. However, there’s a notice period before termination and some visa grace periods, so everyone will have time to make plans and work through their immigration status. In addition, we have dedicated immigration specialists to help guide you based on what you and your family need.

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Several LGBTQ candidates campaigned for office and won, making the 2022 midterm elections a historic milestone for the LGBTQ community.

According to a recent tally, more than 340 LGBTQ candidates won their campaigns, breaking the previous high set in 2020 (336 victories). In addition, the largest number of openly LGBTQ candidates to ever run for office in a US general election, with over 678, was also running for office. The nation sensed positive ripples due to the sizeable non-binary candidate turnout. A group that advocates for the LGBTQ community, Victory Fund, expressed satisfaction with the high level of political representation.

Established in 1991, Victory Fund decided to back LGBTQ candidates running for public office. The group gives the candidates campaigning training and connects them to a broad network using its resources.

This enables them to improve their public image and get knowledge from incumbent LGBTQ candidates. The corporation supported and backed more than 500 candidates in the 2022 elections, according to Sean Meloy, vice president of political programs at the company.

“Normally, when someone gets in [office], they don’t pull the ladder up after. Instead, they’re going to say, ‘Hey, who’s next? Who’s going to take over for me? Who else can I get to join me?’ So I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we have more LGBTQ candidates running than ever at the same time we have the most LGBTQ people in the office,” he said.

“People of color, trans people and nonbinary people. And in places where we need those voices, the mere fact that an LGBTQ person steps forward to run – and then hopefully win – helps change hearts and minds,” Meloy added.

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LGBTQ community creating ripples

The community accomplished many firsts during the midterm elections. The US electorate, for instance, voted for Massachusetts’ Maura Healey and Oregon’s Tina Kotek. They will now serve as its first openly lesbian officers.

For the first time in US history, the first Black LGBTQ person became elected to a state legislature in Connecticut. Meanwhile, in New Hampshire, James Roesener became the first transgender person elected to the state legislature. In addition, Zooey Sephyr also won and will serve as the first openly transgender person to be elected to a state legislature.

“I always hesitate to call an election historic, because the attacks on human rights, education, healthcare, public lands, unions, etc. feel perpetual. However, every election requires our attention. There is always something important worth fighting for. And if we fail to fight to our fullest, there are always groups waiting to strip our rights away,” Sephyr said.

“I think, given how attacks on LGBTQ people have ramped up over the last year has served as a reminder that LGBTQ people need to be in the room where the laws are being written. For example, 300+ anti-LGBTQ pieces of legislation were introduced last year. And over half of which targeted trans people specifically,” she added.

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Looking at a better future

Victory Fund believes it needs more movement. For example, there should be about 35,000 more LGBTQ officials in the US to achieve parity in the political environment. Though more people among Millennials and Gen Zers identify as community members, Meloy remains optimistic about this prospect.

“I think it shows that it’s possible, right? And so many underrepresented people in government – women, young people, people of color, LGBTQ people, disabled people – they’re always told, ‘Oh, you can’t do it […] because it hasn’t been done. So breaking that barrier makes that argument – ‘No.’ Which is a huge starting point,” he said.