*By Alisha Haridasani*
Kim Jung-un's willingness to tone down his rhetoric and reconsider a meeting with President Trump is a result of the president's “good negotiating,” a Republican spokesperson said.
A day after Trump [cancelled](https://cheddar.com/videos/trump-cancels-north-korea-summit-leaving-its-fate-in-kim-jong-uns-hands) his planned summit with the North Korean leader, Kim said Friday he was ready to come back to the table “at any time.”
Trump applauded Kim’s openness, and the president told reporters that U.S. officials were still talking with the North Koreans.
“That’s what good negotiating looks like,” said the Republican National Committee spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany. “President Trump knows when to walk away.”
Trump’s decided to cancel the June meeting in Singapore after North Korean officials threatened to pull the plug on the meeting themselves in response to seemingly threatening comments from Vice President Mike Pence about regime change.
North Korea's unpredictability is not new, but the recent changes of directions are different, McEnany said, noting there have been tangible results from talks with Pyongyang. The North Koreans appear willing to still consider talks, they released three American hostages, and they destroyed their nuclear test site on Thursday.
“These are acts of good will, indications of seriousness,” she said.
“In the least, we are going to walk out of this with three free Americans,” said McEnany. “That’s a very good thing and more than past presidents have gotten.”
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/rnc-stands-by-michael-cohen-despite-ongoing-investigation).
The Trump administration significantly weakened the Endangered Species Act (ESA) this week, largely gutting its implementation mechanisms to allow for greater economic development in protected habitats. The decision — announced by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior on Monday — was widely condemned by critics who say the revised regulations will hurt biodiversity and wildlife at a most precarious time.
Argentina’s stock market and currency value plummeted this week following a shocking electoral defeat on Sunday for President Mauricio Macri, the nation’s conservative leader.
Markets soared Tuesday morning following the Trump administration's decision to delay and revise its latest round of punitive tariffs against China. The Dow jumped over 400 points while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite both rose roughly 2 percent.
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These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Monday, Aug. 12, 2019.
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Michael Sonnenshein, managing director of Grayscale, told Cheddar that recent developments in the U.S.-China trade war are proving to be evidence that Bitcoin has emerged as a safe-haven asset.
The company has announced that it is donating 5,000 units of the generic version of Plan B for women in need as part of a collaboration with the nonprofit Power to Decide.
2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls are bringing the gun debate to 165th annual Iowa State Fair.
