North Korea called out the U.S.' "shameless and impertinent behavior," according to a press release out Thursday via a foreign ministry spokesperson. It also claims that "high-level officials within the U.S. administration are making baseline allegations against [North Korea] and making desperate attempts at intensifying the international sanctions and pressure." Relations between North Korea and the U.S. remain tense, despite reassurance from the U.S. State Department that the two countries are in contact with each other. "I can tell you we continue to have conversations virtually every day, every other day or so with the North Koreans," Heather Nauert, U.S. State Department spokeswoman, said Thursday "When I say 'conversations,' that can be by phone, that can be my message, that can be by email. We continue to have conversations with the government," she added. U.S. extends small olive branch to North Korea to streamline humanitarian aid In its statement, North Korea outlined … [Read more...] about North Korea blasts U.S.’ “shameless and impertinent behavior” as tensions remain high
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U.S. judge apologizes to prosecutors in former Trump aide Manafort’s trial
By Karen Freifeld, Sarah N. Lynch and Nathan LayneALEXANDRIA, Va. (Reuters) - The federal judge in the trial of U.S. President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort expressed contrition on Thursday to jurors after berating prosecutors for allowing a witness to watch the proceedings, despite having given his earlier approval.The rare apology by U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis surprised observers in his Alexandria, Virginia courtroom, who have watched the judge repeatedly criticize the government's handling of the case while giving leeway to Manafort's lawyers."It appears I may well have been wrong," Ellis said as the trial went into its eighth day. "But like any human, and this robe doesn't make me anything other than human, I sometimes make mistakes." Ellis had chastised prosecutors for allowing IRS agent Michael Welch to be in court before he testified on Wednesday, saying he did not like witnesses present before taking the stand. When prosecutor Uzo Asonye … [Read more...] about U.S. judge apologizes to prosecutors in former Trump aide Manafort’s trial
U.S. census citizenship question panned by scientists, civil rights groups
By Nick Brown(Reuters) - As the U.S. government closed a public comment period on Wednesday on its plans for the 2020 census, scientists, philanthropists and civil rights groups used the occasion to again criticize plans to include a question about U.S. citizenship. The comment period gave any member of the public a chance to comment on aspects of the census which is a mandatory, once-a-decade count of the U.S. population that next occurs in April 2020. The comments have not yet been published, but some groups and individuals reinforced their opposition to the Trump administration's plan to ask census respondents whether they are U.S. citizens.At least 250,000 people have called for removing the question, according to a coalition of civil rights groups, led by the Leadership Conference Education Fund https://leadershipconferenceedfund.org/about on Wednesday. "This egregious citizenship question is a political effort to weaponize the census to redefine American democracy for a narrow … [Read more...] about U.S. census citizenship question panned by scientists, civil rights groups
Meet the newest U.S. citizens: Melania Trump’s parents
NEW YORK (AP) — First lady Melania Trump’s parents were sworn in as U.S. citizens on Thursday, completing a legal path to citizenship that their son-in-law has suggested eliminating. Viktor and Amalija Knavs, both in their 70s, took the citizenship oath at a private ceremony in New York City. The Slovenian immigrants, a former car dealer and textile factory worker, had been living in the U.S. as permanent residents. The Knavses slipped in and out of a side entrance at a Manhattan federal building flanked by Department of Homeland Security police. Some workers inside didn’t know what was going on. The couple said little, other than Viktor telling a reporter “thank you” when asked how they felt about becoming Americans. The Knavses’ lawyer said they had “travailed a wonderful journey.” Lawyer Michael Wildes said the Knavses applied for citizenship on their own and didn’t get any special treatment. He confirmed that Melania Trump … [Read more...] about Meet the newest U.S. citizens: Melania Trump’s parents
U.S. officials sought to shield NATO agreement from Trump
WASHINGTON – Senior U.S. national security officials, seeking to prevent President Donald Trump from upending a formal policy agreement at last month’s NATO meeting, pushed the military alliance’s ambassadors to complete it before the forum even began. The work to preserve the North Atlantic Treaty Organization agreement, which is usually subject to intense 11th-hour negotiations, came just weeks after Trump refused to sign off on a communiqué from the June meeting of the Group of 7 in Canada. The rushed machinations to get the policy done, as demanded by John Bolton, the national security adviser, have not been previously reported. Described by European diplomats and U.S. officials, the efforts are a sign of the lengths to which the president’s top advisers will go to protect a key and long-standing international alliance from Trump’s unpredictable antipathy. Allied ambassadors said the U.S. officials’ plan worked — to a degree. Trump did … [Read more...] about U.S. officials sought to shield NATO agreement from Trump