The Kimchi Konference, Cosby Convicted

The Kimchi Konference: The leaders of North and South Korea agreed to rid the peninsula of  nuclear weapons after North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un was welcomed in the South in a colorful ceremony. Kim became North Korea’s first leader to walk across the border in the Panmunjom Peace Village for talks with the president of the South.

Getting rid of nuclear weapons will probably have to involve the United States.

The two leaders also promised to negotiate a formal end to the Korean War. The fighting ended in 1953. Kim said, “I came here to put an end to the history of confrontation.”

America’s Dad: Following his conviction yesterday on three counts of sexual assault, 80-year-old comedian Bill Cosby called the prosecutor “an asshole.” It’s the first time the comedian has gone blue in front of an audience.

This is the same Bill Cosby, sometimes described as “America’s Dad,” who used to lecture black families about language, parenting, and personal responsibility.

Outside the court in Norristown, Pa., prosecutor Kevin Steele said, “He used his celebrity, he used his wealth, he used his network of supporters to help him conceal his crimes.”

Cosby was a breakout standup comedian in the 1960s before landing several television shows. The Cosby Show,  which ran from 1984 to 1992, established him as America’s bemused father figure.

Behind it was a dark side. At least 60 women have accused Cosby of drugging and raping them over the years, but only Andrea Constand, a former Temple University basketball administrator, managed to drag Cosby into criminal court. Some of Cosby’s accusers shrieked when they heard the verdict and Constand quietly hugged the prosecutors.

Cosby’s first trial ended with a hung jury, but this time five accusers with similar stories testified in support of Constand. The Coz faces 10 years on each count. At his age, it could be life in prison.

Fox and Friend: Contrary to previous denials, President Trump revealed yesterday during a telephone interview with Fox & Friends  that attorney Michael Cohen did represent Trump in arranging the $130,000 nondisclosure agreement with porn actress Stormy Daniels.

“He represents me, like with this crazy Stormy Daniels deal, he represented me,” Trump told the hosts. “From what I’ve seen, he did absolutely nothing wrong. There were no campaign funds going into this, which would have been a problem.”

Trump also said that he and Cohen did not exactly have a relationship that is protected by attorney-client privilege. “Michael is a businessman,” Trump said. “He’s got a business. He also practices law. I would say probably the big thing is his business, and they’re looking at something having to do with his business. I have nothing to do with his business.”

Trump is furious over the federal investigation of his lawyer, and of course the Russia thing. He threatened, “And you look at the corruption at the top of the FBI. It’s a disgrace. And our Justice Department, which I try and stay away from, but at some point I won’t.”

One Up, One Down: CIA Director Mike Pompeo, a foreign policy hawk, was approved yesterday by the Senate to succeed the fired Rex Tillerson as secretary of state. Seven Democrats — five of them up for re-election in states Trump won in 2016 — joined the Republicans voting for Pompeo.

And, just minutes after we published yesterday, the White House announced that its house doctor, Ronny Jackson, had withdrawn from consideration to be secretary of Veterans’ Affairs. At least 20 people had come forward to say Jackson was an abusive boss, that he handed out prescription sleep drugs “like candy,” and that he has a drinking problem.

This is an example of how badly the White House is run. Not only did they fail to thoroughly vet this flawed candidate, but they didn’t listen to warnings from the Senate that it wouldn’t go well. Don’t be surprised if the admiral doctor will have to retire from the Navy as well.

Ford’s Better Idea: In a stunning change of plans for one of the country’s legacy businesses, the Ford Motor Company announced that it will stop making almost all passenger cars for the North American market.

Ford says it will continue to offer only the legendary Mustang and the Fusion crossover vehicle. They will also keep making the Lincoln Continental, but that’s not your average passenger car.

The company says it will focus on trucks and sport utility vehicles, which is where the money is in the car business.

“Given declining consumer demand and product profitability, the company will not invest in next generations of traditional Ford sedans for North America,” Ford said in a statement. They’re dumping the Fiesta, Focus, C-Max, and Taurus.

Ford also says it will add hybrid motors to its profitable F-150 truck, the Explorer and Escape SUVs, and the Mustang.

Police Beat: A manhunt is underway for the killer of  a sheriff’s deputy in Maine, the first murder of a police officer in that state in 30 years. Police say a 29 year old man  shot Cpl. Eugene Cole, 62, and escaped in his cruiser.

It’s been a bad month for police across the country and at least 24 have been murdered this year. Two days ago Dallas Police Officer Rogelio Santander died of a gunshot wound sustained while trying to stop a shoplifting suspect.

On Aril 19th two Florida sheriff’s deputies were randomly killed while eating in a restaurant. And on April 12th a canine officer in Yarmouth, Mass. was shot and killed in the attic of a house while hunting a suspect.

The Mind of the Married Man: At the top of that Fox interview, the hosts asked what the president got for his wife Melania, who turned 48 yesterday.

TRUMP: “Well, I better not get into that, because I may get in trouble. Maybe I didn’t get her so much.

I’ll tell you what. She has done — I got her a beautiful card. You know, I’m very busy —”

It was 62 degrees and chilly in Washington last night.

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Wednesday, May 15, 2024

Page Two

The Most Corrupt Justice

Monday, October 2, 2023

Democracy and Video in the Dark

Sunday, February 26, 2023

Page Two: Do the Right Thing

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Page Two: Sound Recall

Monday, September 13, 2021

Page Two: Cuomo Must Go

Friday, August 13, 2021

Trump and the Truth

Tuesday, November 3, 2020

The “Great” President

Monday, March 30, 2020

The Wright Stuff

Saturday, February 29, 2020

It's Been Said

"In my mind, I’ve never crossed the line with anyone, but I didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn. There are generational and cultural shifts that I just didn’t fully appreciate, and I should have, no excuses."

-Andrew Cuomo, resigning as governor of New York after accusations of sexual harassment

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