North Korea is willing to abandon its nuclear weapons and hold talks with the US
The news was broken by South Korean diplomats who had returned from North Korea, where they were personally hosted by Kim Jong Un in an unprecedented step.
A top South Korea security adviser recounted that North Korea “said it would have no reason to possess nuclear weapons should the safety of its regime be guaranteed and military threats against North Korea removed.”
How did President Trump react? As you may have guessed, in tweets: His first tweet linked to a Drudge Report story about Kim hosting South Korean envoys, adding, "We will see what happens!"
He later tweeted that "possible progress" was being made by South Korea, but warned the US was "ready to go hard in either direction!"
The Justice Department is suing California over its sanctuary laws
The lawsuit is a new evolution of Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ aggressive push to go after “sanctuary jurisdictions” — places that have adopted laws aimed at protecting undocumented immigrants and making it harder for federal immigration agents to find and deport them.
The Justice Department’s lawsuit accuses California of violating the Supremacy Clause of the US Constitution. That clause, broadly speaking, says that when state law conflicts with federal law, federal law prevails. The DOJ is arguing that California’s sanctuary laws clash with federal immigration laws and frustrate Congress’s goal of adopting them.
After nine days of striking, the demands of West Virginia teachers were met
In a movement that was led by women and built from the ground up, West Virginia teachers walked off the job nine days ago, shuttering every public school in the state. Their strike was deemed illegal, but they did not budge.
Now, a little over a week later, they have won: West Virginia lawmakers on Tuesday approved a deal to give public school teachers a 5% raise, tentatively putting an end to the strike.
Beyond the state’s borders, their strike offers important lessons for the left. And already their tactics are having an impact: The show of strength is inspiring teachers in Oklahoma, who are readying themselves for a strike in early April.
The Saudi crown prince is flying into a very 21st-century PR battle in London: hashtags vs. ad trucks
Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, is headed to London for a three-day state visit, and the British government and royal family are pulling out all the stops to impress. He’s scheduled to eat lunch with the Queen, dine with Prince William — the works.
Human rights campaigners are angry about the visit, and say he is responsible for arguably the biggest humanitarian catastrophe in the world today, the ongoing war in Yemen.
Advertising vans have appeared on the streets of London, declaring that the crown prince is a “war criminal” who is not welcome in the UK.
But the Saudi regime is giving as good as it gets. Huge billboards declaring that Prince Mohammed is “bringing change” to his country line the road from Heathrow Airport to central London. They’re from a firm registered in Saudi Arabia. Ads appearing in newspapers declare “he is empowering Saudi Arabian women.”
Quick catch-up
Target uniform: Expect to see a lot more denim at Target stores this year. The chain’s iconic uniform — red shirt and khakis — is going to start looking different: Target employees can now wear jeans on the weekends. The company promised store workers it would introduce the policy if same-store sales increased. It worked.
Sam Nunberg: The former Trump aide apologized and said he was having a “rough day” when he insulted White House press secretary Sarah Sanders during bizarre TV interviews. While on TV to say that he will not comply with a subpoena to appear in front of a grand jury in the Russia investigation, Nunberg told Sanders to “shut her fat mouth.”
Gary Cohn: Trump’s top economic adviser is leaving the White House. Cohn was one of the few administration officials involved in negotiating last year’s tax plan. But he has reportedly been frustrated with the president’s moves since then, most recently by Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
Stormy Daniels: Stephanie Clifford, the adult film star who performs as Stormy Daniels, has filed a lawsuit against President Trump, claiming the "hush agreement" she signed regarding their relationship is invalid because he never signed it. According to Clifford’s complaint, she began an "intimate relationship" with Trump in the summer of 2006 while at Lake Tahoe, and that it continued well into 2007.
Women are sending Becca from The Bachelor wine money on Venmo after she was humiliated on the show
Hell, I don’t even watch The Bachelor and I’m mad. If you missed it, real quick: On the season finale, Arie Luyendyk Jr. stunned his brand new fiancé, Becca Kufrin, by dumping her on national television to shoot his shot with the runner-up, Lauren Burnham.
Many fans felt the way that Luyendyk blindsided Kufrin on camera was a new low for the show, and his delivery of the breakup was pretty classless.
Women stepped up to show Kufrin some love. Ever since the episode aired, fans of the show have been using Venmo to send her money for a drink along with encouraging messages. A sample: “I'm in college and this is all the money I have but I want you to have it buy yourself something nice to help get over that stale crouton of a man.”
Michelle Obama met (and danced with) the little girl mesmerized by her portrait
Remember the little girl who was pictured in awe looking up at Michelle Obama’s official portrait? Well, after the story went viral, 2-year-old Parker Curry and her mom appeared on BuzzFeed News' AM to DM. "I want to see her," the little girl declared. It was the cutest.
Well, guess what? Parker's wish came true. The former first lady shared footage of her dancing with the toddler as mom Jessica and sister Ava sat in the background. The video is the sweetest thing, as are Obama’s words: “Keep on dreaming big for yourself...and maybe one day I'll proudly look up at a portrait of you!”