What to Know
- China President Xi Jinping called for restraint when dealing with North Korea during a phone call with President Trump, according to reports
- Healthy foods are taking real estate from candy at some CVS stores, the store chain announced
- Robert De Niro helped Burt Reynolds onto the red carpet for the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of his new movie "Dog Years" in New York
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China Urges Restraint on N. Korea in Phone Call with Trump
President Xi Jinping called for restraint when dealing with North Korea during a telephone call with President Trump, Chinese state media reported, amid speculation that Pyongyang could soon carry out a sixth nuclear test. The official broadcaster CCTV quoted Xi as telling Trump that China strongly opposed North Korea's nuclear weapons program, which are in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, and hoped "all parties will exercise restraint and avoid aggravating the situation" on the Korean Peninsula. The Trump administration has warned that all options, including a military strike, are on the table to halt North Korea's ambitions of developing a nuclear-tipped missile that could reach the U.S. mainland. However, U.S. officials have told The Associated Press that the military response isn't likely. Trump has reportedly settled on a strategy that emphasizes increasing pressure on Pyongyang with the help of China.
Obama to Make First Post-Presidency Appearance
Former President Barack Obama is scheduled to make his first public appearance since leaving the White House, with plans to hold a conversation at the University of Chicago. Obama is expected to discuss community organizing and civic engagement with “young leaders from area schools,” according to a release announcing the event. Beginning at 11 a.m. at the school’s Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, the discussion is invitation-only, but a television feed will be provided. Former advisors said the 44th commander in chief is not expected to criticize current President Donald Trump, who has tried to dismantle several of Obama's chief accomplishments, including the Affordable Care Act. Instead, Obama will focus on supporting activism in the “next generation of leaders.”
Border Wall Is ‘Immoral, Expensive, Unwise,’ Pelosi Says
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A deal to fund the federal government this week won't necessarily include all the funds needed for a border wall, but White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said there will be "enough to get going" — even as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called it "immoral," NBC News reported. Asked by "Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd in an exclusive interview whether the Trump administration would push a government shutdown if border wall funding is not included in a bill to fund the government this week, Priebus said, "it will be enough in the negotiation for us to either move forward with either the construction or the planning or enough to get going with the border wall." Pelosi said she and the Democrats will stand firmly against construction of a border wall. "The wall is, in my view, immoral, expensive, unwise, and when the president says, 'Well, I promised a wall during my campaign.' I don't think he said he was going to pass billions of dollars of cost of the wall on to the taxpayer," she said.
New Orleans Taking Down First of 4 Confederate Statues
New Orleans planned to begin removing the first of four prominent Confederate monuments, the latest Southern institution to sever itself from symbols viewed by many as a representation racism and white supremacy. Workers were to begin removing the first memorial, one that commemorates whites who tried to topple a biracial post-Civil War government in New Orleans, overnight in an attempt to avoid disruption from supporters who want the monuments to stay, some of whom city officials said have made death threats. Three other statues to Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and P.G.T. Beauregard and Confederate States of America President Jefferson Davis will be removed in later days now that legal challenges have been overcome. Nationally, the debate over Confederate symbols has become heated since nine parishioners were killed at a black church in South Carolina in June 2015.
CVS, Starbucks Highlight America's Love-Hate Relationship With Sugar
Healthy foods are taking real estate from candy at some CVS stores, the store chain announced, a response to changing customer preferences and shopping habits, NBC News reported. In CVS Pharmacy's new store prototype there's less space for sugary snacks, particularly at the front of the store, where healthier food, vitamins, supplements and cosmetics with more natural ingredients will be displayed. "It seems pretty clear that CVS has a fairly serious approach to trying to create a healthier environment in its stores," said a professor of nutrition at New York University, pointing to its 2014 decision to stop selling tobacco products. But the professor and other food branding experts note that health food labeling can mislead or misdirect consumers, too. The fancifully colored "Unicorn" Frappuccino from Starbucks could have as much as 76 grams of sugar, because Starbucks is known more for coffee than milkshakes.
Burt Reynolds Makes Rare Public Appearance at Tribeca Film Festival
Robert De Niro helped Burt Reynolds onto the red carpet for the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of his new movie "Dog Years" in New York. It was a rare appearance for the 81-year old actor, who at times struggled to walk. Reynolds was given a chair on the red carpet, so that he could speak to a limited number of press outlets about the film. He was overjoyed at the turnout. In the film, which is still shopping for distribution, Reynolds portrays an aging movie star who realizes his best days are behind him. The actor sees similarities in the character with his own life.
