United States cancels talks with North Korea

The U.S. refuses to meet with North Korea, no one knows if we’re in a trade war, and something called Spygate happens in this week’s political roundup.

North Korea summit canceled

Nothing good can last. While the upcoming talks held a note of promise, the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea cautiously playing nice, it was almost too much to hope for.

For now, at least, it was. The U.S. has canceled its upcoming June 12 meeting with North Korea. These would have been historic accords, making for the first high-level meetings between the countries’ heads of state.

The cancellation followed increasingly dire language from North Korean spokespeople. North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui warned that his country could make the United States “taste an appalling tragedy.” He also called U.S. Vice President Mike Pence a “political dummy.”

In a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the U.S. president both left the door open for future talks and spoke of the size of the United States’ nuclear arsenal. “[Our nuclear capabilities] are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used,” the president said in the letter.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in reflected many other leaders’ assessments when he said that he was “very perplexed” by the announcement.

Though the increasingly fraught rhetoric was hardly a good sign, the cancellation still came as a surprise to some. On Thursday, North Korea had made a public show of demolishing a nuclear test site. Its missile program, however, remains active.

For historical context, everyone seems to be discussing Libya. Much has been made of the fate of the Libyan government after its disarmament agreement in 2003. Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was captured and killed by anti-government forces in 2011.

Quite a few leaders, Kim Jong-un included, have more or less stated that they don’t want to be the next Gaddafi, left defenseless after acquiescing to U.S. demands. If nothing else, the White House likely took a serious misstep after mentioning Libya multiple times.

No one seems to know what’s up with trade talks

Is the United States cool with China now? Or are we still fighting via tariffs and an ever-escalating trade war? Don’t ask Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. Or the White House. Or, well, anyone in the federal government, apparently. Maybe we should give them a day or two to get their messages together and present a quasi-united front.

The most recent confusion arose after Mnuchin said on Sunday that the U.S. would delay its proposed tariffs on China. That sounded all well and good, except that mere hours later, trade representative Robert Lighthizer said that the tariffs might go ahead anyway. Further conflicting statements and reports made the water all the muddier.

Now, it looks as if it’s all up to Wilbur Ross, the trade secretary who will be traveling to China in order to, you know, actually broker a deal. He’ll be facing Chinese representatives who are all too aware of the divisions within the White House, and who are likely more than willing to exploit those inconsistencies. Certainly, there are obvious weak spots in the differences between the hard-line anti-China officials and more moderate ones such as Mnuchin.

Spygate and witch hunts

Were White House staffers subject to rampant espionage and spy tactics, or are they perhaps more subject to paranoia? It’s hard to tell right now, though a brief perusal of the president’s Twitter account brings up all-caps phrases such as “SPYGATE” and the now-classic “WITCH HUNT”.

What is all of the drama about? It appears to center on Stefan Halper, a former emeritus professor at the University of Cambridge. In 2016, he made contact with three Republican campaign officials and began holding brief talks with them. At roughly the same time, he reportedly began to work with the FBI as an informant.

Throughout his career, Halper often focused on international affairs. At Cambridge, he was a professor of both international and American studies. Beginning in 2012, Halper also began to collect contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense. He worked for the Office of Net Assessment, a Pentagon think tank which has paid Halper over $1 million.

Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) issued a subpoena in April, ordering the Justice Department to release to the committee all documents related to Halper. This proved to be a convenient sticking point for the White House, which then deployed the “witch hunt” phrase.

What was the $1 million payout to Halper? Was it for espionage-type activities, as the White House alleges, rather than research and development? And is the Justice Department overstepping its bounds and skirting proper government oversight? Or, is this a reaction to increasing pressure from the Russia investigation, which seems daily more focused on members of the presidential staff?

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly has since stated that he will arrange for a meeting between lawmakers and intelligence officials to review the information.

Tuesday primaries hold important lessons

On Tuesday, primaries throughout the nation brought to light emerging trends in the U.S. political world. In Georgia, former state House minority leader Stacey Abrams won the Democratic nomination for governor. Indeed, she took the nomination with over 75 percent of the vote. Perhaps most notably, Abrams received support not just in counties with large black populations, but in more heavily white ones as well.

Abrams will face either Lt. Governor Casey Cagle or Secretary of State Brian Kemp, who will compete for the Republican nomination in a July runoff vote. If elected, Abrams will be the first black woman to become governor in the state’s history.

Kentucky hosted two especially notable races. The states House GOP leader, Jonathan Shell, lost his election to newcomer R. Travis Brenda. After all precincts had reported, it became clear the Brenda, a math teacher from Berea, Kentucky, had defeated the incumbent Shell. Brenda’s support comes in part from the continuing state and nationwide controversy over support for teachers and schools. Shell’s support of pension and tax bills also damaged his chances.

Meanwhile, former Marine Corps fighter pilot Amy McGrath won the Kentucky Democratic House primary. Analysts point to her active campaigning, compelling backstory, and rising support for female candidates as major factors in her victory.

And, finally, your palate cleanser

You think you know Frida Kahlo? To be fair, there is plenty of information about this famous Mexican artist’s life and work. But, previously, you had to be something of a jet-setter to see all of her art pieces. Now, however, we have Google.

Specifically, we have Google Arts and Culture, which just debuted its online exhibit, Faces of Frida. Over 30 different museums and art collections from seven different countries participated in the project. Some of the artworks included have never been digitized before.

Next: Is North Korea pushing back against peace talks with the United States?

Faces of Frida doesn’t have only Kahlo’s finished artworks, however. Visitors to the site can also view digitized sketches, photos, and revealing letters to friends and family. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the life of an iconic artist.