Cindy McCain, wife of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., will join President Donald Trump's administration as a Washington, D.C.-based ambassador-at-large, The Daily Beast reported.

Her role will focus on anti-human trafficking efforts, humanitarian-aid matters and refugees.

"[Trump personally], aggressively courted her for this," one White House official told The Daily Beast. "It's a done deal now . . . The president had floated several positions before—this is the one that stuck."

https ://www.newsmax.com/politics/cindy-mccain-ambassador-human-trafficking-refugees/2017/06/12/id/795643/

>>203903

Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter, made a strong push for bringing McCain on board after learning of her years of work on global humanitarian issues. McCain serves as co-chair of the Arizona Governor's Council on human trafficking and on the McCain Institute's Human Trafficking Advisory Council and has worked to raise awareness about human trafficking and problems refugees face.

Trump has discussed a role with McCain several times, including once during a dinner with the McCains at the White House in April.

"When [President Trump] sat down and ate with [John] McCain, it was always really to meet with the other McCain," another senior Trump administration official told The Daily Beast.

The relationship between Trump and the McCains has been contentious. John McCain has questioned the president on many issues and just this weekend said American leadership was better under former President Barack Obama.

President Donald Trump believes special counsel Robert Mueller will treat him fairly in his ongoing investigation, but he is curious why charges have not yet been filed against democratic lobbyist Tony Podesta.

“Whatever happened to Podesta?,” the president asked during a wide-ranging New York Times interview published Thursday. “[T]hey closed their firm, they left in disgrace, the whole thing, and now you never heard of anything.”

Trump referenced the apparent scrutiny the Podesta Group is under by Mueller’s team for lobbying work it did in the U.S. on behalf of former Ukranian leader Viktor Yanukovych. The lobbying reportedly resembles the same activity former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was indicted for by the special counsel.

https ://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-wonders-why-mueller-hasn-e2-80-99t-nailed-podesta-yet/ar-BBHsVev

“Whatever happened to Podesta?,” the president asked during a wide-ranging New York Times interview published Thursday. “[T]hey closed their firm, they left in disgrace, the whole thing, and now you never heard of anything.”

>>204285

we outnumber them

Podesta said he was loading up his car for a trip with his wife to the Utah national parks — what he described as a “let’s-forget-about-Trump” road trip:

“We’re listening to music in the car, not paying attention to our phones,” Podesta recalled of his long-planned vacation. “Finally, we get some peace from Donald Trump, and we don’t have to think about him. It was one of these good-for-the-soul drives across the country. We had gone through the Cumberland Pass when one of Mary’s friends texted her and said, ‘the president is tweeting about John.’”

http ://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/12/28/john-podesta-describes-donald-trump-nearly-ruined-vacation-tweet/

South Korean businessmen call for investigation into Kaesong

https ://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2017/12/29/South-Korean-businessmen-call-for-investigation-into-Kaesong/9831514569151/

Dec. 29 (UPI) – South Korean businesses forced to leave their assets at a jointly operated factory park in North Korea are asking for an investigation into the closure of Kaesong, and a probe into the government officials responsible for the decision.

Members of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex Emergency Response Committee said Friday the government should apologize and launch investigations into the shutdown, Newsis reported.

"The government should officially apologize to the people for the unconstitutional, illegal closure of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex, and we of course call for an investigation," the group said.

"Former President Park Geun-hye, former national security chief Kim Kwan-jin and former Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo should be investigated."

On Thursday the South Korean administration of President Moon Jae-in said the decision to close Kaesong was made without consulting relevant state agencies.

The Thursday announcement contradicts a statement Park made on Feb. 10, 2016, when she claimed the decision was made after consultations with South Korea's national security council.

"With the new revelation, the entire process has been revealed as unfair," the Gaeseong committee said. "How can you govern like this?"

The group said they have incurred financial losses.

One chief executive who produced plastic products at Kaesong said he is in dispute with the government.

The businessman said he incurred more than $4 million in damages, but the government said the estimate was closer to $3.3 million.

The issue of Kaesong is also reaching the trial of Choi Soon-sil, the defendant in a presidential corruption case that culminated in Park's impeachment earlier this year.

Choi said it is "ridiculous" there is speculation she had influence over Park's decision to close Kaesong, News 1 reported Friday.

Choi's lawyer Lee Kyung-jae said the suspicions violate Choi's right to a fair trial, according to the report.

The reopening of Kaesong could be found in violation of United Nations Security Council sanctions resolutions.

Is Obama to blame for North Korea?

Over just a few days, he has unilaterally nullified the 1953 armistice with South Korea; vowed to restart his uranium enriching and plutonium programs; and issued "final approval" for "merciless" nuclear strikes against the United States.

He taunted South Korea's new leader, and shut down the Kaesong industrial estate, which served as unusual example of cooperation between the two Koreas. Most recently, he transported a missile to the east coast — either in an attempt to lob a warhead in America's general direction (he lacks the capability to actually hit the continent), or more probably, to test it, perhaps on the April 15 birthday of deceased founding father Kim Il Sung.

Pyongyang’s news agency KCNA announced North Korea will restart its nuclear reactors including Yongbyon, which had produced plutonium for weapons. How should the Obama administration respond to that?

It’s an announcement. We’re going to have to see how it actually goes. It’s going to take several months to try to start it up. Can it technically be started up? Can they refurbish it and get it running again? I don’t know what the answer to that question is, but let’s assume that that is the case. It’s unwelcome news, but it’s not as if they don’t have nuclear devices anyway.

https ://www.salon.com/2013/04/05/is_obama_to_blame_for_north_korea_partner/