Chinese embassy mocks “Shield of the Americas” in AI video

China's Embassy in the US briefly shared an AI-generated video poking fun at US President Donald Trump's Shield of the Americas Summit on Wednesday, days after Trump took the stage at the Florida event to warn about "hostile foreign influence" in Latin America.

The video, published by the Chinese embassy on its X account and produced by the state news agency Xinhua News Agency, is titled "Shield of the Americas, or shackles of the Americas?"

The 18-second animation shows a bald eagle dressed in a suit presiding over a meeting of white doves that appear to represent Latin American countries.

The eagle presses a red button that initially deploys an atomic bomb blast before promising to "keep everyone safe" with a large red, white and blue shield. However, the shield soon turns into a cage that traps the frightened doves, while the Eagle says: "Relax, sometimes security comes with a little control."

By early Friday morning, the video was no longer on the embassy's X account.

CNN contacted the US State Department for comment on the video and is awaiting a response.

The video, released days after a meeting that brought together right-wing and center-right leaders from 12 Latin American countries, seems to question the proposal presented by Trump during the summit: the creation of a "regional military coalition."

Although the summit was mainly presented as a security initiative, Trump also took the opportunity to warn about China's growing presence in the region, as part of a broader plan by his administration to reaffirm the United States' "preeminence" over the Western Hemisphere.

"We will deny non-Hemispheric competitors the ability to position forces or other threatening capabilities, or to own or control strategically vital assets, in our Hemisphere," the administration declared in November 2025 while unveiling the "Trump Corollary" to the centuries-old Monroe Doctrine.

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But while James Monroe ordered Europe to stay away from the Americas, Trump is keen on shooing China away. In his inaugural address in 2025, Trump claimed falsely that China is "operating" the Panama Canal.

In fact, a Hong Kong-based company owned two key terminals on either end of the canal at the time. Last month, Panama's high court ruled the arrangement illegal, a decision Beijing decried as "truly shameful and pathetic."

The ruling notwithstanding, Trump continues to raise the issue in public. At the summit, the president said that the US "will not allow hostile foreign influence to gain a foothold in this hemisphere – that includes the Panama canal."

For decades, Beijing has expanded its commercial, financial, and infrastructure ties in the region.

In recent years, China has become one of the main trading partners for several Latin American economies and has financed large strategic projects.

One of the most recent examples is the "mega-port of Chancay in Peru," inaugurated in 2024 with support from the Chinese shipping giant COSCO Shipping, which significantly reduces maritime transport times between South America and Asia.

Trade growth also reflects this closer relationship. Between January and November 2025, Chinese exports to Latin America increased by 9.3% compared to the same period in 2024, according to China's General Administration of Customs.

Even countries politically close to Washington maintain strong economic ties with China. In Argentina, for example, imports from China exceeded US$16 billion in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 57.1%, despite President Javier Milei being considered one of Trump's staunchest allies in the region.

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Chinese embassy mocks “Shield of the Americas” in AI video

China's Embassy in the US briefly shared an AI-generated video poking fun at US President Donald Trump's Shield o...

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ICE replaces contractor at largest detention camp after scrutiny of living conditions

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is terminating the contractor running its largest detention facility and replacing it with a more experienced firm that will work to improve medical care and other services, the agency said Friday.

Immigration Detention Conditions

The contractor switch at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, comesas it faces scrutinyover living conditions that detainees have described as inhumane since its hasty construction and opening last year.

With an average of nearly 3,000 detainees in six long tent encampments, evidence has mounted to support claims of overcrowding, medical neglect, malnutrition and emotional distress. Anoutbreak of measlesalso recently hit the camp, which several Democratic members of Congress have called for closing.

Detainees say they struggle to obtain medication and health care, have lost significant amounts of weight because of a lack of food, and live in fear of security guards known to use force.At least 130 callsto 911 were made in the camp's first five months, which includedtwo deaths, several suicide attempts, fights and medical emergencies, The Associated Press reported last week.

Acquisition Logistics, LLC, the ousted prime contractor, had been awarded a deal last year worth up to $1.3 billion to build and manage the camp at U.S. Army base Fort Bliss. Ithad no prior experiencerunning an ICE detention facility, had never won a federal contract worth more than $16 million and lacked a functioning website.

ICE has selected Amentum Services, Inc., which has worked as a subcontractor at Camp East Montana, as the new prime contractor, according to a federal notice published Wednesday and an agency spokesperson who did not provide their name. The Washington Post reported the switch of contractors on Wednesday.

The spokesperson did not say what prompted the termination of Acquisition Logistics' contract, which records show had been set to run until Sept. 30, 2027, and has caused the government to commit nearly $600 million so far.

ICE has said it recently completed an inspection of conditions at Camp East Montana, but the findings have not been made public. Acquisition Logistics and its president and CEO Ken Wagner didn't immediately return messages seeking comment.

ICE said Amentum, known for its work with the military and intelligence agencies, was best suited to take over and improve operations.

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"Amentum's size, maturity and pedigree make them the right partner at the right time," the spokesperson said. "We will work closely with them in their implementation of higher standards of medical care, more thorough case processing and intake procedures, and delivery of performance requirements according to well-defined accountability measures."

Rep. Veronica Escobar, an El Paso Democrat whose district includes the camp, expressed relief Friday that Acquisition Logistics had been replaced. She reiterated her calls for the facility to be shut down and for the contractors involved to be investigated for "the fraud they've perpetrated on the American taxpayer."

"Whether the new contractor is an improvement remains to be seen, and I remain deeply concerned about the chronic substandard conditions that exist at Camp East Montana," said Escobar, who has toured the facility seven times.

Based in Chantilly, Virginia, Amentum's parent company describes itself as a "global advanced engineering and technology solutions provider" serving U.S. government agencies and other customers. The company has provided services for ICE and other Department of Homeland Security divisions in the past.

The notice published in a contracting database said ICE was negotiating a no-bid contract with Amentum to run Camp East Montana, including providing secure housing, medical care and transportation. It indicated the contract would last 180 days, and it's unclear what would happen to Camp East Montana after that period.

"The contractor must demonstrate the capacity for rapid operational transition and sustained adherence to all regulatory and performance requirements, thereby safeguarding public safety and supporting national enforcement priorities," the notice said.

Citing the "proprietary nature" of the camp's infrastructure, the notice said no vendor other than Amentum could provide uninterrupted services there.

The facility is intended for short-term stays before detainees are shipped out, and the average stay has been nine days, according to ICE data. But some detainees have been kept for weeks or months while they challenge their detention or experience logistical problems related to their pending deportations.

The switch comes as ICE plans to operate warehouses across the country to hold far more detainees at single locations than Camp East Montana, with plans calling for some sites to have up to 8,500. Escobar called on ICE not to open the warehouses, including one planned near El Paso, that she said would "serve only as tools for the administration's inhumanity."

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ICE replaces contractor at largest detention camp after scrutiny of living conditions

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is terminating the contractor running its largest detention facility and replaci...

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South Carolina has spent $1.6M to combat its huge measles outbreak, and it’s not over yet

South Carolina has spent an estimated $1.6 million so far on public health efforts to combat its huge measles outbreak, according to information the state's health department provided toHealthbeaton March 4.

South Carolina has spent $1.6M to combat its huge measles outbreak, and it's not over yet

The outbreak, which began with justfive known cases in October,surged in Januaryfollowing the winter holidays, and has slowed in recent weeks. The total number of people infected in the outbreak, which is centered around Spartanburg County,reached 990as of March 3.

Most of the estimated $1.6 million spent so far on the outbreak response has been for personnel, the South Carolina Department of Public Health said in response to Healthbeat's questions.

As the outbreak grew, the number of staff assigned to work full-time on the outbreak grew to as many as 90 people, said Dr. Linda Bell, the state epidemiologist.

Most of these staff, Bell said, have been involved in doing investigations of individual measles cases and tracing their contacts to help identify and quarantine those at risk of infection and further spread of the disease.

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Funding for some of the outbreak's public health costs has come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, through an immunizations cooperative agreement, which helps with outbreak response activities, the South Carolina DPH said. Additional funding has come from an H5N1 Public Health Crisis Response Cooperative Agreement, which funds influenza and other public health emergency preparedness and response, the department said, as well as some other state and federal funds.

Although the number of new measles cases being detected each week has dropped significantly, the outbreak continues. The department said that final costs will be calculated once the outbreak is over.

But the threat the outbreak could surge again remains — especially with the potential for the virus to spread during the upcoming spring break travel period, Bell said.

"We remain concerned and must be mindful of the fact that we can see cases increase again from the low number that we're seeing now," she said. In recent weeks, the outbreak has slowed to about 10 new cases a week amid increases in measles vaccination in the Spartanburg County area and across the state.

The increased travel during school spring break raises the potential for the kind of increased spread of measles that South Carolina experienced over schools' winter break period. "In the two consecutive weeks following the Christmas holidays, we had over 200 cases reported in each of those weeks," Bell said.

This storywas produced byHealthbeatand reviewed and distributed byStacker.

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South Carolina has spent $1.6M to combat its huge measles outbreak, and it’s not over yet

South Carolina has spent an estimated $1.6 million so far on public health efforts to combat its huge measles outbreak, a...

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Iran's long-range Shahed 136 attack drones: What to know

While U.S. military officials say they have decimated the Iranian navy and air force and control the country's airspace, one weapon in the Islamic Republic's arsenal that seems to be having a continued impact in the conflict is itsone-way drones.

The Iranian regime has deployed numerous unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), many of themlaunched at neighboring countriesand against U.S. and Israeli targets.

Relentless bombardment by the U.S and Israel has severely degraded Iran's ballistic missile and drone capabilities, the countries have said. And air defenses have intercepted many of the drones that were launched, but some have gotten through.

In Iran fight, US scrambles to adapt in its 1st major drone war

On Thursday, two of nine drones that Iran is suspected of launching evaded Kuwait's air defense systems, according to the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense.

One of the drones that got through hit a residential building in southern Kuwait, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense said. A second drone caused damage at the Kuwait International Airport, according to Kuwait's Center for Government Communications.

Other countries in the region -- including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) -- have reported being hit by or intercepting suspected Iranian drones.

On Tuesday, the UAE's Ministry of Defense said that of the more than 900 Iranian drones detected in its airspace since the start of the conflict, 65 caused damage to its hotels, ports, data centers and airports.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said during a Pentagon briefing Friday morning that Iran's ability to retaliate had been severely diminished by the ongoing U.S. and Israeli attacks, including Iran's drone attack capability.

"Their missile launchers and drones [are] being destroyed are shot out of the sky. Their missile volume is down 90%. Their one-way attack drones yesterday, down 95%," Hegseth said.

At the same press conference, CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said the majority of wounded American soldiers -- approximately140 troops, according to the latest Department of Defense numbers -- were injured in "one-way attack strikes."

Patrycja Bazylczyk, associate director of the Center for Strategic & International Studies' Missile Defense Project, told ABC News that Iran has focused on building up its fleet of Shahed one-way drones, while anticipating major attacks from the U.S. and Israel.

"Iran's use of UAS has been a cost-effective strategy," Bazylczyk said, adding that Iran's Shahed-136 drones cost about $35,000 per unit.

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1,000-mile range and 'damage on the cheap'

According to theCSIS website, the Shahed-136 drone has a range of 1,000 miles, can reach speeds of up to 114 mph and packs a payload of 66 to 123 pounds.

"You're seeing how the UAS threat is all about exacting damage on the cheap and forcing adversaries to expend expensive units to protect valued assets," Bazylczyk said.

Air defense systems like the Patriot missile system used to intercept drones and other projectiles can cost around $4 million per shot, according to the data on the CSIS website.

The U.S. military has also deployed its own drones to counter Iran's threat, specifically its own inexpensive UAS called Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS), which Bazylczyk said is also estimated to cost around $35,000 per unit to make.

TheLUCAS droneswere built by the Arizona-based company SpektreWorks, based on the reverse engineering of a delta-winged Shahed-136 drone obtained by the U.S. several years ago, according to a Department of Defense official.

"We're now using these drones against the Iranians themselves as a low-cost measure," Bazylczyc said.

Bazylczyc also said it's unclear how many Shahed drones Iran still has stockpiled because most of their production facilities are underground and battle damage assessments have not been completed.

Iran live updates: 1st purported message from new supreme leader read on state TV

In terms of defense, Ukraine has become adept at intercepting Russian drones that are also based on the Shahed.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about assisting in defending the country against the Shahed drones.

"Ukrainians have been fighting against Shahed drones for years now, and everyone recognizes that no other country in the world has this kind of experience," Zelenskyy said. "Protecting life must be a shared priority, and it is very important to coordinate for security both in Europe and in the Middle East."

'Big mistake': Hegseth says Iran is showing true colors by attacking neighbors

In June 2025, President Donald Trump signed anexecutive ordertitled "Unleashing American Drone Dominance" to dramatically increase the production of drones and bring down the price of each unit.

The Pentagon said its goal is to buy more than 300,000 domestically produced weaponized drones by 2027, and hopes to bring the price of each unit down to as low as $2,000.

"It's become clear that the UAS threat is ubiquitous," Bazylczyk told ABC News. "It's going to impact not only the parties that are directly involved in the conflict, but those outside of it."

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Iran's long-range Shahed 136 attack drones: What to know

While U.S. military officials say they have decimated the Iranian navy and air force and control the country's airspa...

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Mike Tomlin makes first public comments since leaving Steelers: 'We were here for a long and really good time'

Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has stayed out of the limelight since hesurprisingly left the teamafter 19 years in charge. But Tomlin broke his silence on leaving the team Thursday, when he was honored for his philanthropic work.

During an appearance at The Ireland Funds Pittsburgh Gala, Tomlin expressed his love for the city and the team, saying he was "here for a long and really good time."

Tomlin appeared at the gala to receive the Patricia R. Rooney Community Impact Award, which is given "toleaders who have produced successful organizational initiativesin response to a significant contemporary problem," per the Steelers' website.

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The Steelers haveengaged in an active offseasonfollowing Tomlin's resignation. Theteam opted to hireveteran coach Mike McCarthy to replace Tomlin and is once again flirting with Aaron Rodgers on the free-agent market.

In addition to that, the team traded for wideout Michael Pittman, signed running back Rico Dowdle and picked up cornerback Jamel Dean on a three-year deal. All of those moves should make the Steelers even more formidable next season.

As for Tomlin, no one really knows what the future holds for the longtime coach. Notably, Tomlin did not retire from coaching, he merely stepped down. It's possible he eventually decides to return to the NFL after taking a break from coaching.

If that happens, Tomlin should find himself as one of the more desirable head-coaching candidates on the market … though it may take a trade to pry him away from the Steelers depending on how soon the coach wants to return.

Until then, Tomlin can enjoy his time off and reflect fondly on his time with the Steelers. After winning a Super Bowl and never posting a sub-.500 record in 19 seasons, Tomlin has every right to say he had both a good and long time as the team's head coach.

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Mike Tomlin makes first public comments since leaving Steelers: 'We were here for a long and really good time'

Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has stayed out of the limelight since hesurprisingly left the teamafter...

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