Progressive ‘comedians’ have lost sight of what’s funny or decent
I found a Facebook a meme in my timeline the other day that pretty much summarizes how I feel about Michelle Wolf’s performance at the White House Correspondents Dinner’s (WHCD). Her supposed “comedy” act. I reposted it and went about life feeling like other pundits were saying all that needed to be said about the train-wreck that was the entertainment. Then several days later comedian Kathy Griffin decided to take back her apology for her offensive photo shoot with a mock severed head of President Donald Trump. The two instances together made me realize: Maybe the problem is that the Left has no idea what’s funny and what’s offensive. These comedians and so many others out there these days, use laughter as a way to push the boundaries of decency, and they should be called out for what they are and what they’re doing. They’re antagonists who want to take the sting out of bullying, name-calling, hate speech and yes, even at times outright violence by cloaking it as part of an “act” with a few punchlines thrown in for good measure. I often hear from pro-choice supporters that pro-choice isn’t pro-abortion. Tell that to Wolf and others like her who make the killing of the innocent unborn a joke, a one-liner in a hate filled rant. You can’t tell me that the labels pro-life and pro-choice are unfair because even though someone supports abortion they don’t support it as a normalized behavior when comedians and candidates alike act like it’s something as flippant as running a quick errand or any other minor life event. In addition to making offensive “jokes” about killing innocent babies Wolf filled several minutes of her act with hate-filled insults towards White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Calling her an “Uncle Tom” who has betrayed white women for the work she does in the White House. I don’t speak for every white woman, but I have to say that Sanders is one of the classiest people in Washington D.C. at the moment and certainly one of my favorite people in the Trump administration. Does that mean I stand by every statement that she makes? No. She has an incredibly hard job. Speaking as a communications professional there is no more challenging job than to work for someone who undermines your work constantly. Trump doesn’t understand the importance of staying on message or of using his professional communications team as his mechanism to create the narrative of what’s happening in his administration often going around them or contradicting them. Few people could do the job Sanders does with such patience, pose and professionalism, but day after day — she does. She is firm when she’s speaking for her boss and when she’s speaking as herself. Unlike Wolf, Sanders is somebody that I can show my daughter and be proud to have her look up to her. She is a mother. She relies on her faith in her decision-making. She makes incredible sacrifices to serve our country by doing her job, and she does it well. I feel sorry for Wolf. Yes, she’s getting her 15 minutes right now. I frankly never heard her name before this pathetic excuse for a comedy act. And someone who lacks the self-respect and self-awareness to recognize the way she spoke is demeaning to herself and women everywhere deserves our pity. From the jokes she made about masturbation, to abortion, to some of her other comments — clearly she is crying for help in her own life and giving her a stage to speak on was a bad decision . It’s sickening and disheartening. It is time for the White House Press Association to seriously consider what sort of image they want send to the public. This event has been on my bucket-list for years. I love what it used to be. I love that it was a night for politicos, reporters and even some Hollywood elite to get together and celebrate news and promote journalism. This year was about hate and divisiveness and that was a shame. There can be comedy without cruelty. Comedy without such divisiveness. There can be tasteful jokes. But that wasn’t the case this year in many of Michelle Wolf’s jokes. I think that was the goal of the Association and Wolf herself. It’s truly a shame. In terms of what the next steps should be. I read many suggestions the past few days. Among the best of them was to take a year off and not hold the dinner in order to reevaluate the goal and purpose of the dinner — which is supposed to be to actually raise money for college scholarships for aspiring journalists. To consider the public’s distrust of media in general and understand that a night like the WHCD does nothing to alleviate the fear’s of normal people who just want unbiased news. As for Kathy Griffin, she saw an opportunity to regain the spotlight and she took it. Her photo was offensive when it first came out and it is just as offensive now. She lost her co-hosting gig for New Years Eve last year and should never be booked by another major news outlet again. It is an affront to the American people to have anyone regardless of party be so incredibly disrespectful and distasteful with the image of the President. Enough is enough. Freedom of speech allows these women to spew their hate but the voices of the public need to make clear that we will not continue to stand for it. These two women’s comedy acts were anything but funny.
Tommy Battle launches first campaign ad
Huntsville mayor and gubernatorial hopeful Tommy Battle released his first television campaign spot on Tuesday afternoon on his social media platforms. Starting on Wednesday morning, the 30 second spot will air on network TV, cable TV, and digital media across Alabama The ad focuses on the ongoing battle to make Alabama better than it is today. It also touts Battle’s values, stances, and success in recruiting 24,000 jobs to the state. “If the battle is to make Alabama better. Then maybe we need a Battle to lead us. Tommy Battle for Governor,” concludes the ad. Battle first shared the ad with his supporters Tuesday afternoon on Facebook. “FIRST LOOK: Our first television campaign spot will be broadcast statewide starting tomorrow! It’s a big deal. I wanted my supporters to get the first look,” wrote Battle. “As your next Governor, I will always stand up and defend our shared conservative values. It’s time for a new vision and direction for our state! #BattleforGovernor In a statement about the ad, Battle said he wanted voters to know where he stands on the issues. “The momentum for our campaign continues to grow in every corner of the state. We have 5 weeks before the June 5 Republican primary. I want voters to know where I stand on the issues and what my vision and plan is to move this state forward,” explained Battle. Watch the ad below:
Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh raises over $200k in final fundraising period before June 5 primary
With just over a month to go to the June 5 primaries, Lieutenant Governor-hopeful Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh, a small business owner and former Chair of the Alabama Republican Party, has grown her war chest even bigger. In April, Cavanaugh, the current president of the Alabama Public Service Commission (PSC), brought in a whopping $214,085 according to her most recent fundraising report — record numbers for her campaign. Cavanaugh believes the numbers exemplify “the snowballing momentum for her campaign.” “I’ve been blown away by the response I’ve received from moms and dads in every corner of our state,” said Cavanaugh. “Our support comes from job creators and hardworking people all across Alabama- from our construction workers and coal miners to our doctors and Realtors. We need a proven, conservative Lieutenant Governor who will help move our state forward, and I’m extremely encouraged by the reception our campaign is getting. With a strong team of supporters, together, we will build a brighter Alabama for our children and grandchildren.” Cavanaugh’s April total was the most raised by any candidate for Lieutenant Governor since she got in the race; the single month total was also more than either of her opponents — Republicans Will Ainsworth and Rusty Glover, along with Democrat Will Boyd — raised cumulatively in the last six months. To-date, her total contribution list represents 658 donors representing 104 Alabama hometowns.
Doctors stumped as dozens diagnosed with rare eye cancer in Alabama
In a baffling medical mystery, a group Auburn University graduates, along with a number of people in North Carolina, have all developed the same rare eye cancer several years apart. Ocular melanoma is a particularly rare form of eye cancer. It typically affects only six out of every one million people — but for an unexplained reason, it’s been diagnosed in 36 graduates from Auburn University, as well as an 18 patients in Huntersville, N.C. What’s even more troubling is that three of women were close friends while attending Auburn. Juleigh Green told CBS News she was the first of her friends from the university located in Auburn, Ala, to be diagnosed with ocular melanoma after seeing unusual flashes of light. She was only 27. “[My doctor] said, ‘There’s a mass there, there’s something there, I don’t know what it is, but it looks like it could be, you know, a tumor,’” Green said. “It’s like you had the breath knocked out of you, you know?” Green soon connected to other college friends who were also diagnosed with the same disease. One of them, Ashley McCrary created the Auburn Ocular Melanoma Facebook page, which has now connected 36 people who say they attended the university and have been diagnosed with ocular melanoma. “We believe that when we’re looking at what’s going on in Huntersville, North Carolina,”McCrary told CBS news, “and what’s going on here, there is something that potentially links us together.” Researching the connection Even though the Alabama Department of Health (ADPH) says it would be “premature to determine that a cancer cluster exists in the area,” Marlana Orloff, an oncologist at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, is still studying the cases with her colleagues trying to find the root cause. “Most people don’t know anyone with this disease,” Orloff told CBS. “We said, ‘Okay, these girls were in this location, they were all definitively diagnosed with this very rare cancer — what’s going on?’” What is ocular melanoma? Melanoma is a type of cancer that develops in the cells that produce melanin — the pigment that gives your skin its color. Your eyes also have melanin-producing cells and can develop melanoma. Eye melanoma is also called ocular melanoma. Most eye melanomas form in the part of the eye you can’t see when looking in a mirror. This makes eye melanoma difficult to detect. In addition, eye melanoma typically doesn’t cause early signs or symptoms. According to the Mayo Clinic, eye melanoma may not cause signs and symptoms. When they do occur, signs and symptoms of eye melanoma can include: A growing dark spot on the iris A sensation of flashing lights A change in the shape of the dark circle (pupil) at the center of your eye Poor or blurry vision in one eye Loss of peripheral vision Sensation of flashes and specks of dust in your vision (floaters) When to see a doctor Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any signs or symptoms that worry you. Sudden changes in your vision signal an emergency, so seek immediate care in those situations. “Although we have the diagnosis of ocular melanoma, we do not know at this time what the environmental, social, or genetic factors are that may have contributed to this diagnosis,” the group posted on their Facebook page. “We are determined to work together to find a cure and a way to prevent others from having to fight this terrible disease.”
Jefferson Co. Commissioner, breast cancer survivor Sandra Little Brown highlights local breast cancer partnerships
Three years after Jefferson County Commissioner Sandra Little Brown fought her own battle with breast cancer and won, she’s still working to help increase awareness about the life-threatening disease. On Friday, she joined forces with St. Vincent’s Health System to host a community breakfast to highlight local partnerships that are doing their part in helping improve breast cancer awareness, research and care in the Birmingham metro area. Speakers at the event included: Veronica Wehby-Upchurch | Executive Diector of Susan G. Komen North Central Alabama Dr. Bo Xu | Chair of the Oncology Department at Southern Research Beth Bradner Davis | Executive Director of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama Susan Sellers | President of St. Vincent’s Foundation Caroline McClain | Manager of Forge Breast Cancer Survivor Center Brenna Powell | Chief Strategy officer at St. Vincent’s Health System. Local partnerships The program highlighted the work of Forge Breast Cancer Survivor Center, which is a collaboration between all Birmingham area hospitals, the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, and other community partners. Forge’s creation was first announced in 2014. “This program brings together Birmingham’s wonderful healthcare resources with the goal of improving support and care for all people who have been diagnosed with breast cancer,” said Caroline McClain, manager of Forge Breast Cancer Survivor Center ahead of the event. “Forge works locally and in rural communities to remove barriers to care and gaps in service; navigate survivors and their families through diagnosis, treatment, and beyond; and support and educate healthcare professionals. Forge is constantly evolving to meet the ever-changing needs of survivors, their families, and the health systems. We are proud to provide exactly what they need, when they need it, and how they need it.” The event also highlighted two Birmingham-based entities: Southern Research and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama, that are working to advance knowledge and develop new therapies for breast cancer. Susan G. Komen’s North Central Alabama chapter discussed its work with local organizations and individuals to raise awareness about breast cancer, which is one of the most common cancers among U.S. women. Breast cancer facts The American Cancer Society estimates that 266,120 women across the country this year will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and almost 41,000 will die from the disease. The Cancer Society estimates that 3,760 of those cases and 670 of those deaths will be in Alabama. Early detection and proper treatment can reduce the risk of dying from breast cancer. Over the past 20 years, progress in treatment and early detection has led to improved survival for people of all ages, races and stages of breast cancer. But experts say work remains to be done to ensure women are aware of the importance of regular screening and have access to tests that can find breast cancer early, when the chances of survival are highest. Increasingly, attention also has been focused on the importance of continued follow-up care even after breast cancer treatment has been completed. Survivors may need ongoing emotional support, and their treatment may leave them at higher risk of other conditions, such as heart disease, that require ongoing attention. “It’s exciting to see the work being done right here in our own community to meet all the needs – from raising basic awareness, to finding new treatments, to providing the best possible care over the long term,” said Brown. “There is more work to do, but we are making progress every day.”
Walt Maddox receives endorsement from Ron Sparks, other Alabama influencers
Walt Maddox‘s campaign announced on the backing of former Alabama Agricultural Commissioner Ron Sparks on Monday. “Walt has compassion and he has leadership. He stood in the streets of Tuscaloosa in its darkest hours and darkest days. He showed compassion, leadership, and strength to rebuild the city,” said Sparks. “He will never put party over the people of Alabama.” Maddox hinted that should he be elected, Sparks might be asked to join his administration. “I am honored to receive the endorsement of Ron Sparks,” said Maddox. “Ron has been a political force in Alabama for years and he shares our vision for a better Alabama. He will be an invaluable asset to this campaign and to my administration should I be elected governor.” This is just one of many endorsements Maddox has received recently; last week he revived an endorsement from Mobile-Democrat Sen. Vivian Figures, and in March received and endorsement from Russellville-Democrat, former state Sen. Roger Bedford. “I am honored and proud to endorse Mayor Walt Maddox to be our next governor,” said Figures. “I know he is ready to serve all of the people of AL, because he’s not filled with empty rhetoric, but has a plan that will move AL to the next level.” Bedford said, “I know first-hand that Walt Maddox has what it takes. He has a proven record in Tuscaloosa and is a new fresh face we need in Montgomery. He has the knowledge, demeanor, and work ethic to make a difference and will make us proud to call him our governor.” Maddox will face former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb, along with Christopher Countryman, James Fields, Doug Smith and Anthony White in the June 5 Democratic primary. The winner will go on to face the Republican nominee in the general election, to be selected among: Gov. Kay Ivey, Tommy Battle, Bill Hightower, or Scott Dawson.
PSC commissioners vote to save Alabama Power customers $337 million
Alabama Power customers have something to celebrate. On Tuesday, the Alabama Public Service Commission unanimously voted to save them $337 million over the next two years. Their decision stems from President Donald Trump signing into law the historic Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that Congress passed with the intention of bringing real relief to American families and businesses back in December. The Commission’s vote makes good on those intentions and guarantees that Alabama Power’s 1.4 million customers will reap the windfall from the president’s tax plan. “This is a great day for Alabama consumers and taxpayers,” President Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh stated. “What a difference President Trump has made to reverse the out of control policies of the tax-and-spend-and-regulate Obama Administration.” More money in your wallet A typical residential customer for Alabama Power will see monthly bills reduced by more than $9 starting in July. The reduction to all customers’ bills totals $257 million through the rest of 2018. Customers will see their bills reduced by another $50 million in 2019 due to tax reform. Customers also will see fuel costs lowered by $30 million, bringing to $337 million the total reductions to their bills as a result of the Commission’s vote. “That is real money going back to Alabamians, who can spend it on things other than electric bills,” Commissioner Jeremy Oden said. “President Trump and Republicans in Congress deserve great praise for bringing real relief to Alabamians and all Americans.” The Commission worked with Alabama Power to guarantee no increases in the company’s base rates through 2020. Commissioners also modified the rate system governing the company, lowering the top end of the range and providing an allowable percentage to be used to maintain the Company’s credit rating that is necessary to control the overall cost of debt for Alabama Power customers. “This Commission is committed to protecting Alabama consumers,” Commissioner Chris “Chip” Beeker, added. “I am proud to have voted to return to ratepayers their hard-earned dollars.”
Welcome to the partisan fury, Michelle Wolf
White House Correspondents Association roaster Michelle Wolf joins a club with likes of Kathy Griffin, Khizr Khan, Stormy Daniels and David Hogg — little-known or unknown figures who suddenly became surrogates for the hyper-partisan rhetorical warfare of the Trump era. President Trump tweeted his disgust at Wolf’s weekend routine on Monday, she was a hot topic on “The View” and the subject of a long and loud CNN exchange between Chris Cuomo and a conservative official. Journalists wondered if the annual WHCA dinner should be changed or ditched. A backlash quickly surfaced. Wolf had become a political symbol, much like Parkland student Hogg when he spoke out on gun restrictions, Khan when he spoke against Trump at the Democratic National Convention, Griffin when she posted a picture of herself with a mock-up of Trump’s severed head. Trump’s supporters took up the cause. Cuomo interviewed Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union, who tweeted that he and his wife, Mercedes Schlapp, director of strategic communications at the White House, walked out of the dinner. A “Fox & Friends” chyron read: “Should all women be critical of Wolf’s jokes?” Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer called it a disgrace, to which Wolf tweeted: “Thank you.” But a backlash to the criticism quickly developed, with some wondering why the correspondents should be surprised to get edgy comedy from an edgy comedian. “The comedian did her job,” said Sara Haines on “The View” Monday. “She is there to push the envelope.” Don’t like it? “Hire a juggler next year,” ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel tweeted. In his interview with Schlapp, Cuomo pressed the point that many Trump opponents made: how can you be insulted by Wolf’s routine and not by some of the things that Trump has said or done? While Wolf’s performance was vulgar and unseemly, “the three-year performance of candidate and president Donald Trump has been vulgar, unseemly and infinitely more damaging to our civil discourse,” tweeted conservative commentator Bill Kristol. The White House quickly sniffed an opportunity. Trump, who held a rally in Michigan at the same time as the dinner, asked aides for an update soon after leaving the stage. When he watched it being talked about on cable TV the next day, he called several outside advisers to bash the comedian, saying she was unfunny and mean-spirited. He told at least one confidante that it again proved he can’t get a fair shake from the media and he was certain his base would agree with him Wolf, who begins a Netflix show later this month and is best known for work on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” was not made available to The Associated Press on Monday. She tweeted a few replies to critics. Her routine directed barbs at Congress, Democrats and the media. But the jokes that targeted Trump, his daughter Ivanka and press aides Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Kellyanne Conway attracted the most negative attention. Her comedy was risque; C-SPAN radio cut away from her routine over what its management called an “abundance of caution” about whether she’d violate FCC indecency guidelines. Wolf joked that Ivanka Trump had proven as useful to women as “a box of empty tampons.” She wished for a tree to fall on Conway, not so she’d get hurt — just stuck. Wolf suggested Sanders burns facts and uses the ashes to create perfect eye makeup. Margaret Talev, president of the reporters’ organization that puts on the dinner, said in a statement that she’d heard from members who expressed dismay with Wolf’s monologue. The WHCA wanted to honor free press and great reporting, “not to divide people,” Talev said. “Unfortunately, the entertainer’s monologue was not in the spirit of that mission.” Some reporters, notably Maggie Haberman of The New York Times in expressing support for Sanders, made their feelings known publicly. It’s not the first time comics have made people uneasy at the event, particularly since it has been televised across the country: Don Imus, Stephen Colbert and Larry Wilmore all had their critics. Trump’s absence magnified the reaction to Wolf, since no one took to the podium to punch back. Trump did so on Twitter. “The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is DEAD as we know it,” he tweeted Monday. “This was a total disaster and an embarrassment to our great Country and all that it stands for. FAKE NEWS is alive and well and beautifully represented on Saturday night!” Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Martha Roby: Discriminating against companies contracted to secure border is unacceptable
It has recently been reported that several city and state governments are considering laws and ordinances to blacklist federal contractors because they wish to work on bolstering the infrastructure at the southern border, including construction of a wall. For example, the California State Senate considered legislation that would force the state to drop its investments in any companies involved in border security projects. Earlier this year, the City Council of Austin, Texas, approved a resolution banning the city from conducting business with contractors working on the southern border wall. These aren’t the only examples of this discriminatory behavior, and I find this deeply troubling to say the least. I have had countless conversations about our country’s illegal immigration problem with many of the people who live and work in Alabama’s Second District, and the overwhelming majority of individuals I’ve spoken with agree: When it comes to illegal immigration, our top priority must be securing the border. It is absolutely vital that we do this to put an end to individuals crossing into our country illegally. In order to strengthen the border infrastructure, we must have a qualified workforce and experienced businesses that are able to operate without discrimination or retaliation for simply following federal government contract directives of building a secure system – a wall – along our southern border. This type of behavior is dangerous because when private companies are threatened with the looming possibility of discrimination of this kind, it can understandably cause them to hesitate to volunteer their work to play the many roles that the federal government asks them to play in delivering on the goods and services necessary to protect our national security interests, specifically as it relates to securing our border. Unless checked, these emboldened state and local officials will further discriminate against companies that perform any number of critical national security tasks on behalf of our federal government. These discriminatory measures could easily multiply as state and local officials attempt to deter the construction of anything they consider offensive to their own beliefs. While this situation is very unsettling, I am pleased to report that the Department of Justice is fully aware of what’s going on and plans to take action. I recently had the opportunity to discuss this matter with Attorney General Jeff Sessions when he testified before the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Subcommittee, on which I am proud to serve. During the hearing, I asked our Attorney General when and how the Justice Department plans to respond to these state and local governments about their discriminatory behavior. I appreciated his direct response: “We will not accept it. This is an unbelievable assertion of power. We don’t believe it is sustainable legally, and we will challenge it wherever there is a case to be proven.” Congress, and only Congress, has the power to change or alter our immigration laws – not various local or state governments. By discriminating against these companies based on their personal opposition to the construction of a border wall, these governments are undermining the constitutional Supremacy Clause of the federal government. I appreciate our Attorney General and his diligent work to combat our serious illegal immigration problem, and I will continue to tackle the issue in every way I can as your representative in Congress. For now, Attorney General Sessions and I have made our position clear: Discriminating against companies for their important work to strengthen border security as directed by the federal government is unacceptable, and we will fight it every step of the way. ••• Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama with her husband Riley and their two children.
Like a showman, Donald Trump suggests Demilitarized Zone for ‘big event’
Like a consummate showman, President Donald Trump began rolling the drum Monday for his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, suggesting the “big event” take place in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the Koreas. That’s where Kim just met his South Korean counterpart. But Trump said that the Southeast Asian city state of Singapore was also in the running to host what few would have predicted when nuclear tensions were soaring last year — the first face-to-face meeting between the leaders of the United States and North Korea. While policy experts, and even his own national security adviser, voice skepticism that North Korea is sincere about giving up its nuclear efforts, Trump sounds like he’s gearing up for a date with history, and clearly wants the backdrop to be just right. First by Twitter, and then at a press conference in the White House Rose Garden, Trump said he likes the idea of going to the southern side of the demarcation line that separates the Koreas, where South Korean President Moon Jae-in met Kim on Friday. “There’s something that I like about it because you are there, you are actually there,” Trump said. “If things work out there’s a great celebration to be had on the site, not in a third-party country.” There’s been much speculation about where Trump and Kim might meet. Countries in Europe and Southeast Asia, in Mongolia and even a ship in international waters have all been suggested as possible venues. Monday was the first time that Trump had publicly named potential locations. His planned meeting with Kim will be the crucial follow-up to the summit between Kim and Moon on Friday where they pledged to seek a formal end this year to the Korean War — a conflict that was halted in 1953 by an armistice and not a peace treaty, leaving the two sides technically at war. They also committed to ridding the peninsula of nuclear weapons. Former reality television star Trump now has to help turn the Korean leaders’ bold but vague vision for peace into reality. Undaunted, he gave the impression Monday that governments were vying to host his face-to-face with Kim and share in the attention it would bring. “Everybody wants us. It has the chance to be a big event,” the president said on a bright spring day in Washington, alongside Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, whom he’d just met at the White House. “The United States has never been closer to potentially have something happen with respect to the Korean Peninsula that can get rid of the nuclear weapons, can create so many good things, so many positive things, and peace and security for the world.” It wasn’t clear whether his enthusiasm was stirred by the South Korean president’s suggestion Monday that Trump could take the Nobel Peace Prize if the two Koreas win peace. Moon’s remark came when he deflected a question about whether he might win the award as one of his predecessors, Kim Dae-jung, did in 2000 after the first ever inter-Korean summit. The United States has reached aid-for-disarmament deals with North Korea before, but they’ve ultimately failed. The most enduring effort negotiated by the Bill Clinton administration in 1994 halted the North’s production of plutonium for nearly a decade. But it collapsed over suspicions that North Korea had a secret program to enrich uranium, giving it an alternative route to make fissile material for bombs. Trump’s recently installed national security adviser, John Bolton, who has in the past advocated military action against North Korea, reacted coolly Sunday to its reported willingness to give up nuclear programs if the United States commits to a formal end to the war and a pledges not to attack. “We’ve heard this before,” Bolton told CBS’ “Face the Nation,” adding that the U.S. wanted to see concrete action “not just rhetoric.” This year, Kim has already suspended his nuclear and missile tests. According to South Korean officials, he told Moon that he’s going to shut down his country’s only known nuclear testing site and allow experts and journalists to observe. Trump cited that prospect with approval on Monday, saying Kim is “talking about no research, no launches of ballistic missiles, no nuclear testing.” But as usual, the president left open the possibility of pulling the plug on talks, saying: “If it’s not a success, I will respectfully leave.” Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
U.S. starts processing asylum seekers slammed by Donald Trump
U.S. border inspectors allowed some of the Central American asylum-seekers to enter the country for processing, ending a brief impasse over lack of space. But the migrants who crossed Mexico in a caravan may face a long legal path. Caravan organizers said eight members of the group criticized by President Donald Trump that traveled from southern Mexico to the border city of Tijuana were allowed in to be interviewed by asylum officers, but U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not provide a number. About 140 others were still waiting in Mexico to turn themselves in at San Diego’s San Ysidro border crossing, the nation’s busiest, said Alex Mensing, project organizer for Pueblo Sin Fronteras, which is leading the caravan. “The spirits are high, there was good news for everybody,” Mensing said on the Mexican side of the crossing, moments after learning that some were allowed in. U.S. attorneys who volunteered advice in Tijuana last week warned the Central Americans that parents may be separated from their children and be detained for many months while their asylum cases are pending. Asylum-seekers are typically held up to three days at the border and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. If they pass initial screenings by asylum officers, they may be detained or released with ankle monitors while their cases wind through immigration court, which can take years. Nearly 80 percent of asylum-seekers passed the initial screening from October through December, but few are likely to win asylum. The denial rate for El Salvadorans seeking asylum was 79 percent from 2012 to 2017, according to asylum outcome information from Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Action Clearinghouse. Hondurans were close behind with a 78 percent denial rate, followed Guatemalans at 75 percent. Trump administration officials have railed against what they call “legal loopholes” and “catch-and-release” policies that allow people seeking asylum to be freed while their cases are adjudicated. The president tweeted Monday that the caravan “shows how weak & ineffective U.S. immigration laws are.” Attorney General Jeff Sessions has pledged to send more immigration judges to the border if needed and threatened criminal prosecution. On Monday, the Justice Department said it filed illegal entry charges against 11 people identified as caravan members. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it processed hundreds of asylum-seekers in the previous week, many of them Mexican, which contributed to a bottleneck that led inspectors to turn away caravan members since they arrived late Sunday afternoon. Asylum-seekers did not appear to be thrown off the by the delay. Elin Orrellana, a 23-year-old pregnant woman from El Salvador, said she is fleeing the violent MS-13 street gang, a favorite target of both Sessions and Trump because of their brutal killings in communities in the United States. She said her older sister had been killed by the gang in El Salvador, so she is attempting to join other family members in the Kansas City area. “Fighting on is worth it,” she said. Customs and Border Protection has room for about 300 people at the San Diego border crossing. “As in the past when we’ve had to limit the number of people we can bring in for processing at a given time, we expect that this will be a temporary situation,” the agency said. During a surge of Haitian arrivals at the San Diego crossing in 2016, Customs and Border Protection required people to wait more than five weeks in Mexico. Since then, smaller upticks of Mexican asylum-seekers have caused delays of several hours. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
New York judge sets June ‘Mockingbird’ trial date, if Alabama judge allows it
A New York judge says she’ll preside over a June trial over the disputed Broadway production of Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” if an Alabama judge allows it. Judge Analisa Torres set a June 4 trial date Monday. She says the trial will occur if an Alabama judge concludes New York is the right venue to resolve the dispute between the production’s producer and the late author’s estate. Lee’s estate sued in Alabama federal court in March, arguing screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s script wrongly alters Atticus Finch, a noble attorney, and other book characters. Scott Rudin’s production company, Rudinplay, countersued in New York in April, demanding $10 million in damages. A 2015 contract says the play, due to open in December, won’t deviate from the spirit of Lee’s novel. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
