Trump-free Friday politics roundup: July 7

North Korea, the annual G20 summit, and Betsy DeVos all make an appearance in this week’s politics roundup

North Korea launches yet another missile

Everyone’s nervous about North Korea these days. Of course, it’s not like the reclusive communist country hasn’t been an international issue in politics for decades. However, the recent launch of an apparently successful ICBM from the country has raised alarm.

The intercontinental ballistic missile, launched Tuesday, was a major step forward for the North Korean missile program. According to the country’s news media, the Hwasong-14 ICBM flew for about 40 minutes and reached an altitude of 1,741 miles. After 580 miles of flight, the missile landed in the sea between Korea and Japan. Analysts worldwide confirmed much of this report.

A missile of this type would not likely reach the continental United States or any of the large islands of Hawaii. However, it could theoretically reach nearly all of Alaska.

Surprisingly, residents of Alaska were nonplussed. Ethan Berkowitz, mayor of Anchorage, said that “The reasons why Alaskans are responding the way we have is because there’s no appreciable change in the threat level”.

Analysts, politicians, and military leaders outside of the state were concerned, however. North Korea’s missile technology has been developing more quickly than expected. A North Korean ICBM, in particular, was seen as a kind of threshold moment.

How to react to North Korea?

Now, leaders are wondering just how to react. Outright war could be disastrous and could lead to “severe consequences”, according to U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis. Secretary Mattis also stated that this is not necessarily a prelude to war, and that “self-restraint” and ongoing diplomacy on the part of the U.S. has remained in place.

In another interview, Mattis said that war with North Korea would be “catastrophic” for multiple reasons. Not only is the United States under potential threat, but large populations of people in Japan and South Korea would be in even more immediate danger. Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is only 35 miles from the border with North Korea. It is home to approximately 10 million people. The area surrounding the capital houses more than 50 million, nearly half of South Korea’s population.

Sanctions, meanwhile, are all but useless. Either countries are reluctant to implement complex and intensive sanctions, or businesses (knowingly or not) benefit too much from North Korean participation. Other ideas, such as disabling the country’s power grid or shooting down incoming missiles, are not necessarily viable right now.

Some are calling for increased diplomacy and cooperation with North Korea. Even South Korea’s president, the recently elected Moon Jae-in, has indicated that he’s willing to talk.

G20 summit sparks protests

The G20 summits are annual meetings of the “Group of Twenty,” an international group of governments and governmental finance leaders from 20 of the largest economies in the world. These include the United States, Brazil, Canada, China, India, and Russia, as well as the European Union. The G20 was first formed in 1999 and leaders have been meeting in annual summits since 2008.

Given the particularly fraught state of global politics this year, it comes as no surprise that the 2017 G20 meeting in Hamburg, Germany, has already become dramatic. Protesters in the city made their presence known with rocks and bottles, while German police met them with riot gear, water cannons, and pepper spray.

Most protesters were challenging the presence of the U.S. President and the rising wave of populism. One slogan placed on a building advocated “Border solidarity instead of nationalism: Attack the G-20”. Others also pointed out the rising issues centering on climate change, economic inequality, and immigration as matters of concern.

The actual two-day summit begins Friday. While doubtless many important conversations will take place, Americans in particular will have much to speculate about concerning the meeting between the President and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

DeVos sued

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is under fire yet again. This time, attorneys general from 18 different states have filed suit against DeVos and the Department of Education. Their reason? The Secretary’s repeal of the Borrower Defense Rule.

Rather, the rule has been delayed. Though it’s technically been in effect for decades, the Borrower Defense Rule was revised by the previous administration only last November and would have taken effect this month. Under the latest version of the rule, students at colleges “found to be fraudulent” would have an easier time finding loan forgiveness. The cost of resolving these loans would then be shifted onto schools. This rule would have been particularly powerful against for-profit colleges, widely perceived to be predatory institutions.

DeVos, meanwhile, said that the rule created “a muddled process that unfair to students and schools, and puts taxpayers on the hook for significant costs”.

Voter data inquiry more complicated than you think

The current presidential administration has made much of voter fraud recently. The President has vociferously complained about the problem of fraudulent voting, claiming that it’s a widespread concern. In contrast, numerous experts have stated that it is a non-issue.

In fact, it’s issued an information request to all 50 states via the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity. Said request asked states to provide voter information, including party affiliation, voting history, and the last four digits of voters’ Social Security numbers. The information received could potentially be made public, according to a letter sent out by the commission to every state.

At least 44 states have rejected the request. However, it’s not a simple matter of “yes” or “no.” Nor is this occasion to blindly praise the states that have resisted the inquiry. Like pretty much everything else in politics and life in general, it’s actually pretty complicated.

For one, some states are turning over publicly available information but not private details. What is “public” or “private” depends in part on what state you live in. That said, “public” information typically includes things like your name, address, and political party affiliation. Other data points, such as the last four digits of your Social Security number, are generally considered to be private.

Meanwhile, some states are not complying with the request. Their reasoning ranges from fears of what the commission would do with the data, to simply being prohibited by state laws.

And, finally, your palate cleanser

Let’s all just move to Mars.

Seriously, is living on an irradiated desert planet really any worse than trying to fix this mess? I know the adult, real-world answer is to stay and try to make the planet better for everyone else. But I’m willing to bet that you’ve fantasized at least once about rocketing away to someplace quieter. Plus, those rovers are probably very nice—they give off more of a friendly WALL-E vibe than anything else.

On the bright side, this is more of a real-world possibility than it was even a few years ago. All you have to do is (briefly) put down your Ray Bradbury collection, make friends with Elon Musk, work out a lot, get your PhD in engineering or rocket science, and then endure a nine month one-way trip. Easy peasy.

Next: John Oliver takes on local television on this week’s Last Week Tonight

In that case, it also helps to do a little research. Here’s an article from The Atlantic on recent preparations for human presence on the red planet. NASA also has some very up to date and fascinating information on their Mars program. And, for your poetic side, it’s worth re-reading Ray Bradbury’s classic short story collection, The Martian Chronicles.