July 3, 2018

Trump: US Would Be at War With North Korea If Not for Me

Meanwhile, US intelligence agencies warn that North Korea is expanding its nuclear capabilities.

Chris Kleponis/ZUMA

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President Donald Trump claimed on Tuesday that were it not for his leadership, the United States would currently be at war with North Korea. The president did not offer any evidence to support the bold assertion, which comes amid US intelligence warnings that North Korea is increasing its nuclear capabilities less than a month after the Singapore summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Despite Trump’s glowing praise for the June 12 meeting, details surrounding the agreement struck by the leaders have been exceedingly vague. Trump’s apparent unfamiliarity with the document’s contents appeared to be on display during a press conference shortly after the summit, as he struggled to confirm if the agreement included any timetables or firm commitments from Kim to denuclearize.

In the weeks since, Trump has repeatedly claimed that North Korea has “blown up” multiple nuclear testing sites. Experts contend that these claims greatly overstate any actions by Kim, while reports show that North Korea is continuing to expand its nuclear capabilities on Trump’s watch.

On Monday, the White House announced that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will return to North Korea this week to continue nuclear talks.

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

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