*By Alisha Haridasani*
A rare visit to the United States by a senior North Korean general may lay the groundwork for a renewed summit meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong-un, a North Korea analyst said.
“It looks like the summit is going to go ahead,” said Martyn Williams, a journalist at IDG News Service. “Whether it happens on June 12 is going to be a logistical question.”
Trump said in a [tweet](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1001410457092218880) Tuesday that the general, Kim Yong-chol, was headed to New York for meetings “concerning Summit, and more.” The general would be the highest-ranking North Korean official to visit the U.S. in almost two decades.
He was expected to [meet with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo](https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/29/politics/north-korea-summit-pompeo/index.html) when he arrives later this week, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary said on Tuesday. The two men have met twice before in Pyongyang.
“The direct contact is very important," Williams said in an interview Tuesday with Cheddar. "It not just shows a sense of willingness on both sides to directly engage and directly talk about things, but it also allows the U.S. and North Korea to get a better feel for each other.”
The White House was taking its own steps to move negotiations for the summit forward. Trump administration officials were coordinating with their North Korean counterparts in Singapore, and in the demilitarized zone that separates North Korea from South Korean, Sanders said.
Trump will also meet with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan next month to [“continue close coordination”](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/readout-president-donald-j-trumps-call-prime-minister-shinzo-abe-japan-10/) with an essential American ally in the region.
General Kim is often referred to as the North Korean leader's right-hand man. “In fact, quite literally we’ve seen this year, in many of the meetings that Kim Jong-un has done, he has been sitting right to his right-hand side,” said Williams.
The general was at Kim Jong-un’s meetings with President Xi Jinping of China and meetings with the South Korean president, Moon Jae-in. General Kim used to lead North Korea’s intelligence service, which has been linked to the 2104 cyberattack on Sony Pictures.
“This is a man on the U.S. sanctions list,” said Williams. “Technically, he’s not allowed in the U.S.”
General Kim was put on a Department of Treasury sanctions list in 2010 and again in 2015, and is barred from entering the United States. He was in Beijing on Tuesday, likely waiting for a waiver and to confer with North Korea's Chinese allies.
The visit of a top North Korean general would be an undeniable sign that tensions between Washington and Pyongyang may have eased since last Thursday when Trump canceled the summit in Singapore. After [the president's letter](https://cheddar.com/videos/trump-cancels-north-korea-summit-leaving-its-fate-in-kim-jong-uns-hands) canceling the meeting, Kim Jong-un responded with an olive branch, saying he was willing to meet “at any time.”
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-historic-north-korea-summit-could-be-back-on).
Tens of thousands of people have fled Ukraine in attempts to escape the Russian Invasion. According to the U.N. neighboring countries like Poland, Hungary, and even Romania have seen half a million refugees. While the hospitality is being welcomed by many, it also highlights the mistreatment of migrants and refugees from the Middle East and Africa. Professor of Philosophy and Director of Politics at Northeastern University Serena Parekh, joined Cheddar, to discuss more.
As Russia unleashed war in the country of Ukraine, global leaders have started inflicting punishment on Vladimir Putin's regime via commercial and financial penalties. According to President Joe Biden Putin's aggression is "a flagrant violation of international law and it demands a firm response from the international community".However, the main question is will these sanctions actually work. Partner at Jenner & Block LLP, Rachel Alpert, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
A Gallup poll finds that now 7.1% of American adults identify as LGBTQ, jumping from 3.5% in 2012. The increase is driven by Generation-Z – those born between 1997 and 2003 – of whom one out of five identify as LGBTQ. Cheddar News speaks with Washington Blade reporter Chris Johnson about the significant shift.
As the Biden administration continues to see the potential for an imminent invasion of Ukraine after contradictory reports of a Russian troop pullback or buildup, Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif. 7th District), a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, joined Cheddar News to give his insight into the tense situation. "When I was in Ukraine a couple of weeks ago and we were talking with the Ukrainian leadership with President Zelensky, they said we ought to approach Vladimir Putin as though he was a poker player," he said. "So this could be one of those head fakes where he's saying one thing and doing another thing."
The Biden Administration has now issued new guidelines when it comes to carbon capture. The new guidelines handed down this week encouraged the widespread use of climate attacks that traps and stores carbon emissions. The goal here is the process would help keep carbon out of the atmosphere without requiring a whole lot of change by big companies and manufacturing plants. Several scientists say that this method would be crucial to help us decrease the use of carbon emissions by the year 2050. Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University, Mark Jacobson, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Natalie Fertig, federal cannabis policy reporter for Politico Pro, joins Cheddar News to discuss the latest in marijuana legalization in the United States.
The Biden administration is launching a new task force to promote the use of 'cleaner' construction materials with lower life cycle emissions. This comes as the White House works to speed up government purchases of greener products. Sweta Chakraborty, climate change expert and U.S. president of "We Don't Have Time," joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Due to the staffing shortages of teachers in New Mexico, the state has been encouraging its National Guard members to fill in as licensed substitutes to keep schools open. Kurt Steinhaus, New Mexico secretary of education, joined Cheddar News to explain the state's stopgap measure amid its lack of teaching professionals. "The first thing they have to go through a fingerprint background check, just like any other substitute new Mexico. The second thing they have to do is go through some online training, and then we provided some in-person professional development about classroom management," Steinhaus explained about the qualifications process.
