Donald Trump’s warning on Tuesday that North Korea would experience “fire and fury like the world has never seen” was in response to the North Korean statement which read, “Packs of wolves are coming in attack to strangle a nation. They should be mindful that the D.P.R.K.’s strategic steps accompanied by physical action will be taken mercilessly with the mobilization of all its national strength.” No, this is not the leaked episode of Game of Thrones: The Spoils of War. This is real life. And Trump’s statements have put the globe in a state of unrest as such rhetoric has escalated tensions between the two nations at an all time high. North Korea has warned that it might strike Guam, a U.S. territory in the Pacific. But just this morning, Secretary ofState Rex Tillerson defended the president’s warning and dismissed concerns Guam is in any imminent danger from Pyongyang’s missiles. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed strong reactions to the statements as Donald Trump, ill-experienced in global diplomacy, has drawn an irreversible red line. This morning he tweeted, “ My first order as President was to renovate and modernize our nuclear arsenal. It is now far stronger and more powerful than ever before....Hopefully we will never have to use this power, but there will never be a time that we are not the most powerful nation in the world!” What are we looking at this morning for research purposes? Bunkers. Meanwhile, 45 also gave remarks yesterday after a briefing on the opioid epidemic offering insight on how to address the massive overdoses. His original advice: just don’t start using them and tell kids that they are bad for you. Seriously -- why didn’t anyone else think of that? These are abnormal times we're living in. But do try and exhale today. Here’s what we’ve got:
- Donna Brazile and Wael Ghonim head to Harvard.
- CBC joins MS lawmakers in push for SCOTUS to hear Confederate flag case.
- Former Congressman Chaka Fattah wants conviction overturned.
- The number of wealthy Latinos is growing, and they’re giving back.
- Ex DHS chief Jeh Johnson defends DACA.
- Labor Secretary Acosta bucks boss on immigration.
- Young Turks bring in the cash.
- Senate Banking Committee gets new staffer.
- DOJ shifts its position on Ohio voter purge case.
- Dems press Ed Secretary Betsy DeVos on head of civil rights office.
- Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) has something to say about Blacks and the Democratic Party.
- Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD) is following the taxpayer money on Trump properties.
- NAHJ and NABJ join forces in 2020.
- Former NYT editor heads to the Knight Foundation.
- Civil rights group launches hip hop record label.
- Spike Lee stands with Colin Kaepernick.
- GoFundMe page set up for Capitol Police Officer David Bailey.
- An Outlaw will lead the Portland Police Department.
- The Detroit mayoral race is heating up. And what’s the fascination with “immigration porn”? Read on in Blah Blah Blogs below.
- If you're on the Vineyard, Eriq La Salle is screening a film today at 3P. RSVP below in FOMO.