Beltway Insider: Trump Agrees to Meet Kim Jong Un; UK Nerve Gas; Disease X; Winter’s Last Wallop; Job Growth Deceptive

President Donald Trump has agreed to an unprecedented meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un at his request to formally discuss the complete, verifiable and irreversible de-nuclearization of North Korea's military and the stabilization of the region.

According to Gallup, President Trump job approval, over the past week, increased by four percentage points to 40% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness as President decreased by four percentage points to 55%.

Trump Agrees to Meet Kim Jong-Un

Without any preconditions, President Donald Trump has agreed to meet with the North Korean dictator with the belief and hope that they can negotiate a permanent cease fire and verifiable disarmament of North Korea's nuclear arsenal.

"Kim Jong un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress [is] being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned," the president said via twitter.

Jong-Un who has been the supreme leader of North Korea since December 2011, has continued during 2017 to display his nuclear force testing more than 100 Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles and has boasted he has the military might to reach mainland United States which for the North Korean leader is Hawaii.


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Trump and Kim Jong-Un have verbally sparred over the greater of the two. In response to the recent round of ICBM tests, the President imposed a comprehensive set of sanctions targeting North Korean and the entities that support the dictator.

"North Korea's desire to meet to discuss denuclearization – while suspending all ballistic missile and nuclear testing – is evidence that President Trump's strategy to isolate the Kim regime is working. The North Koreans are coming to the table despite the United States making zero concessions and, in close coordination with our allies, we have consistently increased the pressure on the Kim regime. Our resolve is undeterred and our policy remains the same: all sanctions remain in place and the maximum pressure campaign will continue until North Korea takes concrete, permanent, and verifiable steps to end their nuclear program," said Vice-President Mike Pence.

The sanction that were announced less than two weeks ago, by Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, were part of a maximum economic campaign to cut off sources off revenue that his regime derives from the united Nations and U.S. prohibitive trade to fund its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

The Meet

The details pf the proposed meeting were discussed during a recent White House Press conference lead by White House Press Secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

No time, date or location, although most are ruling out home court advantage for either, has been confirmed for the upcoming meeting, "We'll certainly make those announcements when more decisions and more information is available on that front," she said.

With the most recent Iranian denuclearization talks occurring in Geneva, Switzerland, and involving the United Nations P5+1 Nation negotiators with talks, meetings and terms taking place over a one year period, the odds are a similar scenario will unfold.

President Trump will need to bring in his Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and if he resigns his position throughout the course of any negotiations, a successor will need to be brought up to speed. The immediate belief is a cease-fire in all nuclear testing.

The Trump team has not made any demands and is not in negotiations for the meetings. No pre-conditions such as the release of any Americans being held prisoners has been placed on the table.

The United Nations, while welcoming the decision by the two leaders, has not been notified of the upcoming meeting.

There is also the possibility that Kim Jong-Un is sizing up his opponent and is not seriously considering abandoning his nuclear program.

"The President is hopeful that we can make some continued progress.  The maximum pressure campaign has clearly been effective.  We know that it has put a tremendous amount of pressure on North Korea.  They've made promises to denuclearize.  They've made promises to stop nuclear and missile testing.  And they've recognized that regular military exercises between the U.S. and its ally, South Korea, will continue. We're not going to step back or make any changes.  We're going to continue we're not going to have this meeting until we see concrete actions that match the words and the rhetoric of North Korea," Huckabee-Sanders said.

Regional Leaders React

President Trump announced, via Twitter, the enthusiasm Asian-Pacific leaders have shown toward the newest developments in stabilizing the region and effectively eliciting a cease fire and promises of no new testing from Kim Jong-Un.

"Spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan, who is very enthusiastic about talks with North Korea. Also discussing opening up Japan to much better trade with the U.S. Currently have a massive $100 Billion Trade Deficit. Not fair or sustainable. It will all work out!," the president said via twitter.

"Chinese President XI JINPING and I spoke at length about the meeting with KIM JONG UN of North Korea. President XI told me he appreciates that the U.S. is working to solve the problem diplomatically rather than going with the ominous alternative. China continues to be helpful!," the president said via twitter.

Trump also acknowledged the possibility of "false hope" and has remained dedicated to his maximum pressure campaign indicating "the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction."

UK: Two Dozen Being Treated for Nerve Gas Exposure

Russia has sent a warning to all its ex-operatives and spies with the nerve agent poisoning of Sergei Skirpal and his daughter both of whom were found slumped over on a bench in a peaceful park in Salisbury England.

Anti-terror teams, MI5, Scotland Yard and local police are playing down the possibility of widespread exposure to the nerve agent even as more than two dozen are now being treated after the unprecedented targeted attack.

On Friday, Russian Foreign Ministry Sergey Lavrov dismissed allegations of Russian involvement as propaganda. He said Russia was ready to assist any investigation but that it was "not necessary to hurl unfounded accusations on TV," CNN reported.

To date the Detective who found the Skirpal's has been hospitalized in serious condition. Although he is conversing and providing information his condition remains grave. The Skirpal's are in very serious condition.

More than 180 members of the U.K. Military have been deployed to the cathedral city in southern England, assisting in the investigation. Like any investigation evidence is being collected and witnesses questioned and detained if necessary.

With the potential of 500 individuals facing nerve agent exposure, the public is advised to follow procedures set by local officials.

Nerve Agent Definition

The Wikipedia definition: Nerve agents are a class of organic chemicals that disrupt the mechanisms by which nerves transfer messages to organs. The disruption is caused by the blocking of acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter.

Mysterious Disease X

The World Health Organization has added an unknown pathogen to the already known diseases that have the potential to annihilate society and given the mystery disease the anonymous title of "Disease X."

The recent meeting of the World Health Organization put forth the R&D Blueprint to "prioritize for research and development in public health emergency context. Experts consider that given their potential to cause a public health emergency and the absence of efficacious drugs and/or vaccines, there is an urgent need for accelerated research and development for*: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF); Ebola virus disease and Marburg virus disease; Lassa fever; Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS); Nipah and henipaviral diseases; Rift Valley fever (RVF); Zika; Disease X."

"Disease X represents the knowledge that a serious international epidemic could be caused by a pathogen currently unknown," the organization said fox news reports.

"The intensity of animal and human contact is becoming much greater as the world develops . This makes it more likely new diseases will emerge, but also modern travel and trade make it muck more likely to spread," WHO adviser Marion Koopmans said.


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The spread of the unknown disease that has the ability to mask itself with known and unknown symptoms is one possibility the WHO is considering such as in the Stephen King novel The Stand, and other scenarios have the disease mutating after the advent of catastrophic widespread release of chemical weapons which the world is already witnessing in Syria.

The unknown factors behind the name represent just that on the WHO's Nine potential global epidemic disease scale: its origins are unknown, historically patient zero in the AIDS crisis was infected as a result of intense human/animal contact, which could as in that case result in a global spread before the disease becomes known.

Winter's Last Wallop

With two Nor'easter's down and a third in the upcoming weather modules, winter's last wallop continues to batter the eastern seaboard with snow totals ranging from record breaking 2.11 inches as far south as Atlantic City, New Jersey to 19.7 inches in Roseland in Essex County, New Jersey and 22 inches in Hewitt, New jersey in Passaic County.

New York City saw 2.3 inches, Sheepshead Bay 4.1 inches, further east saw an increase with Roslyn and Glen Head both receiving 6.0 inches and Oakdale in Suffolk County registering 8.9 inches. Upstate New York, Orange County felt the brunt of the storm with Monroe buried under 26.0 inches of new snow and Highland Mills, 24.3 inches. Sloatsburg in Rockland County also registered 26.0 inches of fresh snow and Katonah and Armonk each registering 13.5 inches of new snow.

In addition to high snow totals throughout the eastern seaboard the Nor'easter of March 7/8 the Category 1 Hurricane force winds, with gusts of 97mph downed power lines, snapped trees, and generally created white out conditions.

Greater Boston saw high tides 14 feet above sea level flooding homes and streets in addition to pelting the area with freezing rains, sleet, hail, ice pellets and snow. Boston Logan managed to escape the brunt of the snowfall totals receiving only 5.9 inches with Beckett receiving nearly four times as much with 23.3 inches. Snow for most in Massachusetts wasn't the issue as the Hurricane force winds battered the state with Hurricane Force.

Vermont received the highest snowfall in this mega three day storm with 36.0 inches of fresh snow.

Millions are still without power and the heavily trafficked commuter system throughout the eastern seaboard, New York City, Long Island Railroad and other Metropolitan transportation system are still digging out from what all hoped would be winter's last blast three days ago.

Unfortunately, for 112.6million people living on the eastern seaboard a third Nor'easter is threatening the travel along the same path Monday evening, March 12 and Tuesday March 13. The south has already seen hail and thunderstorms on the first wave of what is shaping up to be the third Nor'easter in as many week to hit the eastern seaboard.

A travel advisory has been issued with U.S. and European weather modules at odds on the path and accumulation totals.

U.S. Job Growth Deceptive

The U.S. economy, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, added 313,000 jobs in February 2018 making it the largest hiring increase of the Trump Administration. The Unemployment rate has remain unchanged at 4.1%.

The low unemployment rate and job growth experienced by the Trump Administration comes on the effort of the previous administration who inherited a flatlined economy, cemented at 8.0% for 40 months, and together with bi-partisan support worked to alleviate the ultra-high unemployment.

The Trump Administration inherited a shrinking unemployment rate and over the past year continued the effort of the previous administration.

The hidden deception of these bright numbers is of course, the high number of American workers who are underemployed. Those jobs lost during the great recession of 2009, and not expected to return until 2017 have not yet returned, leaving many executive and upper management workers making the choice to either wait or work. Many have chosen the later and the current Bureau of Labor Statistic numbers don't reflect the underemployed only the unemployed.

Total non-far payroll employment rose by 313,000 over the month Per industry numbers include 15,000 in general merchandise stores and 18,000 in retail (clothing and accessories stores).

Professional Services increased by 50,000 workers over the past month which may not seem significant and increased by 495,000 over the past year the highest growth of any sector. The continued growth in professional services will also provide incentive as does the overhaul of the tax system.

The job gains over the past three months after adjustments leveled at 242,000 per month. The next Bureau of Labor Statistics report is scheduled to be released on April 6, 2018.

For more information on President Donald Trump: www.whitehouse.gov

Sources: Whitehouse.gov, Wikipedia.com,

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