What We’re Watching: Minnesota assassin suspect captured, New Zealand weighs its superpower alliances

Suspect captured in killings of Minnesota legislators

Minnesota’s massive manhunt ended Sunday with the arrest of 57-year-old Vance Boelter, accused of killing State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, and injuring State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife. Disguised with a rubber mask and fake badge, Boelter posed as a police officer to enter the Hoffmans’ home, and a list in his car revealed 70 other targets – ranging from politicians to Planned Parenthood centers. State governor Tim Walz said the killings were “politically motivated” but the specifics of Boelter’s beliefs and motivations remain under investigation.

Pacific Pressure: A Kiwi in Beijing

New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing this week, amid a growing debate in Wellington about the China relationship. Last week, several former PMs penned an open letter last week warning against aligning too closely with the US.Luxon says the visit will focus on the $38 billion of trade NZ did with China last year. But amid a deepening US-China divide, the geopolitical footwork for New Zealand is tricky: how to maintain economic ties with Beijing alongside security cooperation with the West, including potential membership in the US-led “AUKUS" defence pact.