North Korea Releases Americans

Three Americans, Kim Dong Chul, Kim Hak-song and Tony Kim (also known as Kim Sang Duk) have been detained in North Korea for months. However, President Trump announced Wednesday that the American men who had been imprisoned by North Korea are on their way to the United States, after they were released to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his visit to Pyongyang. 

They were freed after Pompeo met for 90 minutes with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on his second trip to Pyongyang ahead of a planned summit between Trump and Kim that could happen by next month. 

Trump hailed their release in a tweet after Pompeo had left the country with the three Americans aboard his U.S. government plane. 

Tony Kim, 59, was detained a year ago at the Pyongyang airport. Tony Kim was detained on April 22, 2017, at the Pyongyang airport for committing "criminal acts of hostility aimed to overturn" North Korea, according to the North's Korean Central News Agency. It didn't say what specific criminal acts Kim was alleged to have committed. Kim taught accounting at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, which has been the only privately funded college in North Korea since its founding in 2010 with donations from Christian groups. The school said Kim's detention had nothing to do with his work at the university. He made at least seven trips to North Korea to teach. His wife accompanied him on the visit when he was arrested. She was allowed to leave the country. 

Kim Hak-song worked in agricultural development at an experimental farm run by the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology. Kim Hak-song was detained on May 6, 2017, for engaging in unspecified "hostile acts" against North Korea, KCNA reported. It didn't say whether his case was related to Tony Kim's. 

Kim Dong Chul, 64, was arrested on Oct. 2, 2015, for spying on behalf of South Korea. Kim Dong Chul, a South Korean-born U.S. citizen, has been held the longest. The former Virginia resident was sentenced in April 2016 to 10 years in prison with hard labor after being convicted of espionage. Kim Dong Chul reportedly ran a trade and hotel service company in Rason, a special economic zone on North Korea's border with Russia. Before his sentencing, the former Virginia resident publicly apologized for slandering North Korea's leadership, collecting and passing confidential information to South Korea, and joining a smear campaign against the North's human rights situation. 

Trump said, Pompeo and his "guests" would land at Joint Base Andrews, outside Washington D.C., at 2 a.m. ET Thursday, and that he would "be there to greet them. Very exciting!"   

Iran Deal update

President Trump announced Tuesday that the U.S. was withdrawing from the nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, and that it would reinstate the punitive sanctions suspended under the 2015 accord. Under the deal signed in Vienna with six world powers, the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Russia, China and the European Union – Iran said they would scale back its uranium enrichment program and promised not to pursue nuclear weapons. 

Trump has decided to restore sanctions effective immediately and will affect a range of industries that were able to engage with Iran under the nuclear agreement. But the Treasury Department said it would give businesses and individuals time, either 90 days or 180 days, for an “orderly wind down of activities.” 

In a 10-page guidance document, the Treasury said sanctions enforcement would begin Aug. 6 on activities that include Iran’s purchase of commercial aircraft and services, Iran’s exports of carpets and food to the United States, and Iran’s trade in dollars, precious metals, industrial software, sovereign debt and the automotive sector. 

On Nov. 4, sanctions enforcement would begin on industries that include shipping, oil, petrochemicals, insurance, energy and specialized banking and financial services. 

Trump said the agreement - also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - was a "horrible one-sided deal that should never ever have been made". 

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani responded to Trump’s comment saying Tehran would bypass Washington and negotiate with the other signatories of the deal, calling the U.S. move "unacceptable."

Reuters/Ipsos Poll: Less Than 1 in 3 Americans Agree with Trump's Withdrawal from Iran Deal

In a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, respondents were asked ‘Should the United States end the deal with Iran?’ 29% said yes, end the deal with Iran, 42% said no, stay in the deal, and 28% said they "don't know".  

The same question was asked among Republican voters. 44% of Republicans supported the president’s decision to end the Iran nuke deal, 28% of Republicans wanted to remain in the deal and 28% of Republicans said they “don’t know”. 

CIA Director Nominee Hearing

President Trump’s nominee for CIA director, Gina Haspel, faced a confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, but despite her impeccable track record of success as an intelligence officer, she has been hit with an onslaught of attacks from the president’s political opponents. 

Haspel told members of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday that she “will not restart” the CIA’s brutal interrogation program if confirmed to lead the agency, and that she would obey her moral compass, not President Trump, if she is ever instructed to carry out other questionable activities. 

If confirmed, Haspel would be the first woman to head the CIA, but Democrats are bitterly opposed to anything and everything President Trump does and are determined to sink her nomination simply because she was nominated by Trump.

Soros Drops $1.5 Million in San Diego for Far-Left District Attorney Candidate

Liberal billionaire George Soros has pushed $1.5 million into San Diego’s district attorney, Genevieve Jones-Wright’s campaign. On Monday, campaign finance records which were filed late last Friday, showed George Soros has contributed $1.5 million to the California Justice & Public Safety committee. The contribution may be the largest individual money drop ever in a county campaign, excluding candidates who self-financed. 

It is unclear if all of the money from George Soros will be spent for Genevieve Jones-Wright’s campaign. Statewide campaign finance reports show that George Soros and the same PAC have supported district attorney candidates in Sacramento County and Contra Costa County this year. 

The campaign finance report filed in San Diego showed the PAC had spent $402,459 in support of Jones-Wright, buying television ads, digital ads, and campaign literature and mailings.

Death on foot: Pedestrian fatalities skyrocket in U.S.

Between 2009 and 2016, pedestrian fatalities in the U.S. increased by 46%. As of 2016, 16% of all traffic fatalities, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2007, that figure was just 11%, according to NHTSA.  

This spike in pedestrian deaths is creating an emerging public health crisis as researchers grasp to understand the reasons. 

Almost 6,000 pedestrians, people who might have been out for a walk after dinner, hurrying to get to work or rushing to cross a street were killed by motor vehicles on or along America’s roads in 2016, the latest year for which numbers are available. To put it another way, more Americans are dying each year as they walk than have died in combat in Iraq since 2003. 

The study finds the increase of pedestrian deaths could be due to distraction behind the wheel, texting while walking, and even marijuana legalization, all of which have been tagged as potential culprits in past research. Among U.S. cities with populations of at least 200,000, Detroit has the highest pedestrian death rate in fatal traffic crashes. Here are the top 5: Detroit, Newark, St. Louis, Baton Rouge, Miami.

Premium Member Video:

Douglas Friedrich, NEW YORK, NY: Hello Bill. Dr. Friedrich here again. Got another question for you my man. Bill is it true that the president can order the department of justice to turn over all the documents that the senate intelligence and house intelligence committees are asking? Does Donald Trump have that power to order the Department of Justice to do that? If so, why hasn’t he done that yet? and Bill, do you think he will do that? Ok, Premium Member here. You’re the best Bill. Love you. Thank you.

Mail Time!

• Bill, thank you for your very extensive analysis regarding Iran on Tuesday. Your guest was very interesting. My question is: Why did President Obama enter into the Iran Nuke Deal without Congress…or in other words…why wasn’t this a ‘treaty’? 

• Bill O., Question on the President's security. I heard someone say that they were going to announce the time and location of the President's visit for the Korea trip. WHY would they be announcing ANYTHING about where the President would be and at what time, especially overseas where he is vulnerable? 

• Bill, the IG's report is being delayed purposely to let Mueller's findings come out first. Rosenstein and the other deep staters want Mueller to come up with something on Trump before that whole investigation is brought into question by the report. You'll see that I'm right about the timing.

Word of the Day:Pecksniffian