Beltway Insider: Trump Meets With PM Abe; Comey Media Whirlwind; ISIS/Kabul; UK/Commonwealth; SW Airlines; Columbine; Barbara Bush

President Donald Trump has extended an invitation to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who recently won an unprecedented fourth term, to the White House to reaffirm the dedication to global partnerships, engage in bi-lateral discussions and speak with the press.

According to Gallup, President Trump job approval, over the past week, decreased by two percentage point to 39% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness as President increased by one percentage point to 55%.

Trump and Prime Minister Abe Meet at Mar-A-Lago

President Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met this week, for a restricted bi-lateral meeting at the Southern White House in Mar-a-Lago, West Palm Beach, Florida, to reaffirm the goals of each nation with respect to the region.

"On April 17-18 at Mar-a-Lago, President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held their sixth meeting, and third major summit, and affirmed their strong determination to strengthen our shared resolve on North Korea, and increase the capability of the U.S.-Japan Alliance to confront all emerging threats to peace, stability, and an international order based on the rule of law. The two leaders expressed their joint commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and an enhanced U.S.-Japan economic relationship," The White House said.


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North Korean continues to be a strong topic as each are working toward a verifiable dismantling of Kim Jong-Un's nuclear capabilities and efforts to stabilizes the region. Denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula is of grave importance to both leaders and to stabilization in the Asian Pacific region stretching as far west as Hawaii.

Current talks between North and South Korea have proven fruitful to this end, with unparalleled talks between the two nations the potential for peace, ending sixty years of closed borders, is very possible.

"As you know, I will be meeting with Kim Jong-un in the coming weeks to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.  Hopefully, that meeting will be a great success.  And we're looking forward to it.  It would be a tremendous thing for North Korea and a tremendous thing for the world.  So we will be doing everything possible to make it a worldwide success, not just for the United States or South Korea or North Korea or Japan, but for the entire world," President Trump said.

The two leaders, who have met six times since President Trump's election, engaged in more than seven hours of conversation during several rounds of Golf and over dinners. The causal environment allowed the two to deeply discuss issues of state.

James Comey's Media Whirlwind

Former F.B.I. Director James Comey, in advance of the release of his memoir, "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership," begin his national book tour kicking off with an primetime interview with ABC Chief Political Correspondent George Stephanopoulos.

A shocking account of the transition of power after the astonishing 2016 presidential election, Comey recounted during the interview a particular damaging story of a potential bombshell for the newly elected president over what has been dubbed Pee-gate, as the Russians were attempting to exploit what has become known as the "Pee Tape."

From all accounts the president is known to frequent prostitutes and the Miss World pageant which he produces and where the First Lady was once a contestant, is prime opportunity for anyone, consensually, to engage in any activity one desires.

Comey, who also added, he couldn't confirm the existence of the tape, did however indicate the President's demeanor when he brought the potentially damaging evidence to the then F.B.I. director.

Admitting, at minimum to the liaison, or there would be no reason to ask the Director to investigate the possibility of one as Comey said, "There is no way I would let people pee on each other around me, no way," he quotes Trump as saying.

"I honestly never thought these words would come out of my mouth, but I don't know whether the current president of the United States was with prostitutes peeing on each other in Moscow in 2013," Comey said. "It's possible, but I don't know," The Huffington Post reports.

The president asked Comey to investigate the possibility of the tape and said he was concerned his wife may think this is true, which was possibly a ploy to appeal to his humanity.

This is not salacious or vindictive gossip as these events where brought to the former F.B.I. director and asked to "manage." The Justice Department, which the president-elect wasn't aware of at the time is not the mafia.

Trump is not the first president to fall under the scrutiny of an F.B. I. director. Comey has made it clear that Trump is "morally unfit to serve." These words were also said of former President John F. Kennedy by then F.B.I. Director J. Edgar Hoover. Restoring morality and an ethical base to the White House was handled differently under that Director.

Comey's book is a best seller and launches the summer reading season. One can expect Hollywood to come calling to cash in on the salacious secrets not unlike the story of Anonymous later outed as Joe Klein, a former speechwriter, who penned the tell all Primary Colors detailing the first Bill Clinton campaign and turned it into a box office gold.

Kabul Suicide Bomber Kills 57; Injuries Hundreds

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in the Afghanistan capital of Kabul that killed 57, including eight children and injured more than 100 who were waiting to secure their National ID card in the voter registration line.

Eight children are among the 57 dead in what has been called the deadliest attack on Kabul since January and the most severe attack as the nation gears up for the October elections.

Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danesh said a bomber on foot approached the center where officials were issuing identity cards as part of the registration process for around 10 million voters across Afghanistan. Registration began this month. President Ghani issued a statement condemning the attack and said it "cannot divert us from our aims or weaken this national democratic process." Reuters reports.

Queen Ushers In Change Commonwealth Nations Elect New Leader

The Prince of Wales, at the request of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, was confirmed by the Commonwealth Nations, a intergovernmental organization comprised of territories of the British Empire, this week to eventually succeed her as the Head of the Commonwealth.

The request is not a surprise as the Queen, 92, has recently been scaling back her duties and shifting responsibility to her heir, which by succession rights is Charles, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwell.


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The Commonwealth, an intrinsic vast network of former British territories, encompasses 53 nation states with a population of more than 2billion. The core values of this organization, which remains separate to the Rule of the Crown, are democracy, Human Rights, International Peace and Security, Tolerance, Respect and Understanding, Freedom of Expression; Separation of Powers; Rule of Law; Good Governance.

At the opening of this year annual retreat, Queen Elizabeth the Second, expressed her "sincere wish" that the commonwealth would vote Charles, Prince of Wales and the designated next leader to carry on the good work which began her father in 1949.

In announcing their decision, the commonwealth released this statement, "We recognise the role of the Queen in championing the Commonwealth and its peoples. The next head of the Commonwealth shall be his Royal Highness Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales," they said, as reported in the Guardian.

The Dark Anniversary of Columbine

Unlike the past the 19th Anniversary of the Columbine Massacre, April 20, 1999, the first major school shootings in America, that took the lives of 15 students and teachers murdered by two mentally ill students, became part of a high profile campaign to change the public opinion on the need for common sense gun reform.

The recent school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida created the spark that immediately brought unknown students to the forefront of a national campaign to stop these senseless killing which took 17 of their classmates, teachers and staff.

Student around the nation joined with Columbine Students to once again, the third effort since the February 14 shooting, in a walk-out geared to initiating a long term national conversation on gun reform that ends in action.

Warned by School Administration they would face truancy charges in they continued on this course of action students in the San Diego Unified School District chose to walk out anyway and hold a rally.

A single student begin the third effort in Newtown, Connecticut, the site of the 2012 Sandy Hook Primary school in which 26 were murdered. Twenty first graders and six brave educators were gunned down in their classrooms.

The students are not fighting alone. The national march on Washington was well funded and well attended by people of all ages, races and gender.

As the debate on common sense gun reform continues, borrowing from the left and using their strategy against them may result in a win for all. Guns don't kill the GOP states, and the idea of addressing the Second Amendment has deeply divided Americans.

If Guns don't kill, then ammunition does and for the Originalists ammunition isn't mentioned in the Second Amendment and therefore could conceivably be modified or controlled to control or create some level of common sense Gun reform.

#ENOUGH. #FINDAWAY.

SouthWest Airlines Flight 1380

A female executive, and mother of two, was killed when an engine exploded twenty minutes into the routine flight from New York's LaGuardia Airport, breaking the window and partially extracting the passenger closest to the breach.

Well Fargo Finance Executive, Jennifer Riordan, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was pulled from her seat, by the force, up to her waist before fellow passengers desperately and heroically struggled against the pressure to pull her safely back inside the aircraft.

The injuries, blunt force trauma from the waist up, from the catastrophic and unprecedented breech, were fatal.

Fellow passengers, even as the oxygen masks had deployed were providing Facebook Live accounts of the harrowing and shocking ordeal.

Southwest Airlines pilot, former Navy Fighter Pilot, Tammie Jo Shults, who has been praised by passengers and colleagues alike for safely landing the crippled airliner including Captain Chelsey "Sully" Sullenberger who safely landed his crippled passenger airline on the Hudson River saving all onboard.

Barbara Bush, Former First Lady, Dies

Former First Lady Barbara Bush, 92, wife of President George H. W. Bush, died peacefully this week after announcing on Twitter she was choosing to forego additional medical treatment for a life threatening illness and opt for "comfort care."

Bush, the 41st First Lady of the United States and matriarch of a political dynasty that included two Presidents and a governor, was considered by all who knew her as one of integrity, strength, resilience and dedication.

Her legacy, of which includes her service to country and guiding those closest to her into recognizing their own service path, included a literacy campaign that has transcends her time as First Lady and remains strong even today.

Former President George H.W. Bush sent the world a silent message praising his wife, of 73 years, by wearing book socks, to honor her commitment to family literacy.

Her Secret Service detail also took to Twitter praising the former First Lady as "one of the most gracious people we've ever protected." Equally dedicated in their protection members of her Secret Service team stood watch, while she lie in state, maintaining her protection throughout the funeral service.

Attendance included four former Presidents including husband, George H.W. Bush, who confined to a wheelchair was aided by his son and former President President George Bush. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush as well as former President Bill Clinton, his wife, former First Lady, Secretary of State, and Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary R. Clinton, and President Barack Obama and his wife, Former First Lady Michelle Obama.

First Lady Melania Trump attended leading the Presidential envoy. Her husband, President Trump was attending a pre-planned matter of state. He released a statement.

"President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump join the Nation in celebrating the life of Barbara Bush. As a wife, mother, grandmother, military spouse, and former First Lady, Mrs. Bush was an advocate of the American family. Amongst her greatest achievements was recognizing the importance of literacy as a fundamental family value that requires nurturing and protection. She will be long remembered for her strong devotion to country and family, both of which she served unfailingly well. The President and First Lady's thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Mrs. Bush," president Donald Trump said in a released statement.

Vice President Mike Pence, and Second Lady Karen Pence, also released a statement. "Karen and I send our deepest sympathies to President Bush and the entire Bush family with the passing of Barbara Bush. Barbara Bush was a woman of unique strength and grace whose devotion to her family was an inspiration to every American. Mrs. Bush's example in public life and her encouragement made a lasting impact on our family, as it did on the families of millions of Americans, and she will be missed. We offer our deepest condolences to the entire Bush family during this difficult time and we will be praying for all who mourn the passing of this good and great woman. God bless Barbara Bush," he said.

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

Sources: Whitehouse.gov, Wikipedia.com

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