Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Collins says no on ObamaCare repeal bill, effectively derailing Graham-Cassidy legislation


Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said Monday she will vote against the latest ObamaCare repeal bill, effectively killing the Graham-Cassidy legislation.
Collins' announcement came minutes after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released figures estimating that the legislation would "result in millions fewer people with comprehensive health insurance that covers high-cost medical events."
In a statement, Collins referred to the Graham-Cassidy bill as "deeply flawed," and that health care reform cannot be done properly "in a compressed time frame."
"Sweeping reforms to our health care system and to Medicaid can’t be done well in a compressed time frame, especially when the actual bill is a moving target," Collins said.
"Today, we find out that there is now a fourth version of the Graham-Cassidy proposal, which is as deeply flawed as the previous iterations. The fact that a new version of this bill was released the very week we are supposed to vote compounds the problem," the senator's statement read.
Collins is the fourth GOP senator to come out against the legislation, joining Sens. John McCain, Rand Paul and Ted Cruz who also say they oppose it. However, Cruz aides said the Texas senator is seeking changes to the bill so he can vote in favor of it.
Votes from two other Republican senators, Mike Lee of Utah and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, are still up in the air.
All Democrats and independents will vote "no," so opposition by just three Republicans would kill the bill.
Collins laid out her three biggest concerns about the bill, noting cuts to Medicaid, weakened protections to those with pre-existing conditions and pointed out that "physicians, patient advocates, insurers, and hospitals agree that both versions of this legislation would lead to higher premiums and reduced coverage for tens of millions of Americans.
"The CBO's analysis on the earlier version of the bill, incomplete though it is due to time constraints, confirms that this bill will have a substantially negative impact on the number of people covered by insurance," the statement added.
The bill, authored by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. and Bill Cassidy, R-La., was edited during the weekend in what appeared to be a last-minute effort to provide additional funding to the states represented by senators that expressed concerns regarding the legislation.
Graham said information will be released Tuesday regarding a Senate vote on the bill.
GRAHAM-CASSIDY HEALTH CARE BILL GETS LAST-MINUTE REVISION AS SUPPORT STALLS
With only 52 Senate Republicans, GOP leaders knew they didn’t have a chance of neutering a Democratic filibuster on any repeal and replace effort. Under most conditions, it takes 60 yeas to shut off a filibuster.
But once a year, the Senate can sidestep filibuster rules and consider legislation under a process called “budget reconciliation.” Budget reconciliation limits debate to 20 hours and requires only 51 votes to pass a bill.
Budget reconciliation packages are ostensibly good for only one fiscal year. The government’s fiscal year runs out Saturday night, or Sept. 30, and so does the reconciliation measure for health care. Thus, this week’s health care sprint.
The legislation aimed to allow states to set their own coverage requirements, permit insurers to boost prices on people with serious medical conditions and halt President Obama's mandates that most Americans purchase insurance and that companies offer coverage to workers. It also looked to cut and reshape Medicaid.
The collapse of Graham-Cassidy replays the loss Trump and party leaders suffered in July, when the Senate rejected three attempts to pass legislation erasing the 2010 statute. The GOP has made promises to scrap the law a high-profile campaign vow for years.

Trump tweets support for Strange, as Bannon makes best pitch for Moore in Alabama


President Trump late Monday tweeted his support for Sen. Luther Strange in the hotly contested Alabama Republican runoff for U.S. Senate, in a race that has pitted the president against his former strategist, Steve Bannon.
The runoff is set for Tuesday.
Vice President Mike Pence campaigned for Strange in Birmingham while Bannon spoke at a Moore rally at the coast.
Taking the stage to prolonged applause, Bannon said Alabama can show the world "that this populist, nationalist, conservative movement is on the rise."
"A vote for Roy Moore is a vote for Donald J. Trump," Bannon said.
Bannon lashed out at negative ads funded by allies of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Bannon said Republican "elites" had put millions of dollars into the Alabama race "to destroy a man."
“It’s very simple,” Bannon told Fox News’ “Hannity.” “This election is $30 million being spent by Mitch McConnell and that crew of corrupt and incompetent politicians and consultants. They raised $30 million in outside money to destroy Judge Moore.”
Bannon mentioned that conservative radio hosts Mark Levin, Laura Ingram and Michael Savage have all voice support for Moore.
Bannon, who was in Alabama during the interview, said he was not there to defy Trump, rather to support his agenda.
Wearing a white cowboy hat and a black leather vest, Moore repeated the conservative Christian themes that he has used his entire public career, quoting Bible passages and Colonial leaders at length.
"All of Washington is watching to see what Alabama does tomorrow," Moore said.
Strange, Alabama's former attorney general, was appointed to the seat previously held by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions in February.
Moore is the state's Alabama's chief justice, but was twice removed from that office because of stands for the public display of the Ten Commandments and against gay marriage.
Propelled by his support from evangelical voters, Moore led Strange by about 25,000 votes in the crowded August primary and runoff polls have shown him leading, or in a dead heat with, Strange. Strange looked to help from the White House to try to avoid another second-place finish Tuesday
Trump, who held a rally Friday in Huntsville for Strange, continued his efforts Monday, calling a popular Alabama radio show to campaign.
Trump predicted that Moore, whom he mistakenly called "Ray," would have a "hard time" in the December election against Democrat Doug Jones.
"Luther Strange is going to be a great senator. He already has, and he has already helped me," Trump said on the "Rick & Bubba" radio show.
Walking into the humid hangar to hear Pence, 57-year-old Randy Beasley of Springville said he had been undecided in the race but was swayed to vote for Strange because of his backing from the National Rifle Association. Beasley said he also had concerns that the twice-ousted chief justice "might have more of a negative image for the state."
Although Trump has endorsed Luther Strange, many in the crowd at the Moore rally wore Trump T-shirts or "Make America Great Again" hats.
Chu Green, 71, of Mobile said she arrived five hours early to snag a front row spot just feet from the speaker's microphone. She held up a sign reading: "Mr. President and Mr. V.P. I love you but you are wrong! America needs Judge Moore."
"It's how I feel in my heart," Green said. "I think (Trump) knows he made a mistake. He had an obligation to Strange."

Monday, September 25, 2017

Football on TV Cartoons





Army veteran Alejandro Villanueva is sole Steelers player to stand outside for national anthem

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle and former Army Ranger Alejandro Villanueva stands outside the tunnel alone during the national anthem.  (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Pittsburgh Steelers player Alejandro Villanueva stood tall on Sunday for the national anthem, even though his teammates were off the field and out of sight. 
The 6’9” former Army Ranger, one of the NFL's tallest players, stood outside with his hand over his heart for The Star-Spangled Banner before the game against the Chicago Bears.
The gesture came after President Donald Trump spoke Friday about NFL players who kneel during the national anthem.
“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, you’d say, ‘Get that son of a b---- off the field right now. Out! He’s fired,’” Trump said at a rally in Huntsville, Alabama.
NFL teams, players, and coaches have spoken about his comments. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin had told CBS Sports the team wouldn’t take part in the national anthem “to remove ourselves from the circumstance.”
“People shouldn’t have to choose,” Tomlin said. “If a guy wants to go about his normal business and participate in the anthem, he shouldn’t be forced to choose sides.”
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva (78) blocks Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Dee Ford (55) during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva (78) blocks Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Dee Ford (55) during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
What do we know about Villanueva’s education and military career?
Villanueva, 29, played college football at West Point, graduating with a degree in systems engineering, according to the Philadelphia Eagles, who signed him in May 2014 before cutting him in August of that year.
During his military career, Villanueva served three tours in Afghanistan and became an Army Ranger, the team said. He is a recipient of the Bronze Star medal for overseas service and the Bronze Star medal for valor.
The Steelers website says Villanueva originally joined the practice squad in August 2014. His first NFL start took place in October 2015.
What has he said about controversial former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick?
“I don’t know if the most effective way is to sit down during the national anthem with a country that’s providing you freedom, providing you $16 million a year ... when there are black minorities that are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan for less than $20,000 a year," Villanueva told ESPN in 2016. “It’s his decision. Obviously he has brought up the issue in a great way. But I think if he encourages other players or other people in the stands to sit down, it’s going to send the wrong message.”
“I will be the first one to hold hands with Colin Kaepernick and do something about the way minorities are being treated in the United States, the injustice that is happening with police brutality, the justice system, inequalities in pay,” the veteran told the outlet. “You can’t do it by looking away from the people that are trying to protect our freedom and our country.”

NASCAR Owners Issue Stern Warning After NFL Players Kneel



The "Star-Spangled Banner" was not protested by members of the NASCAR community during their Cup series race outside Concord, N.H. this weekend.
NASCAR icon Richard Petty, a former driver and current team owner, told the AP that he wouldn't accept any protest of our nation's colors.
"Anybody that won't stand up for the anthem ought to be out of the country," he said. "Period."
Additionally, longtime owner Richard Childress said that any driver or crew member protest will "get [them] a ride on a Greyhound bus."
"Anybody that works for me should respect the country we live in. So many people gave our lives for it. This is America," Childress said.
An executive at Team Penske told USA Today that they currently have "no policy" on the issue because it has never come up for them.
To this day, most NASCAR races still start with an invocation from a local preacher, a rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner" and often a flyover from a local military installation.
However, fans are often unafraid to show their opinion of drivers or politicians during introductions, as Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D-Va.) was audibly booed by many fans at the recent night race at Richmond.
Both Petty and NASCAR CEO Brian France endorsed Trump in 2016.

'Kaepernick, Where Are You Playing Today?': Rob O'Neill Rips NFL Anthem Kneelers
'Shame on All of You': Judge Jeanine Blasts Goodell, Anti-Trump Players

Trump approves updated travel restrictions on 8 countries, adding North Korea and Venezuela to list


President Trump on Sunday signed off on updated travel restrictions that would limit entry for people coming to the U.S. from eight countries, as the existing travel ban is set to expire.
The new travel restrictions, set to take effect Oct. 18, would slow or limit entry from citizens of North Korea, Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen. North Korea and Venezuela were not listed in the earlier ban.
Iraqi citizens do not face the same travel restrictions, but will "be subject to additional scrutiny to determine if they pose risks" to U.S. security, the White House said.
The new policy could complicate the Supreme Court's review of the order. The high court is scheduled to hear arguments over its legality on October 10.
Officials stressed that valid visas would not be revoked as a result of the proclamation. The order also permits, but doesn't guarantee, case-by-case waivers.
"As President, I must act to protect the security and interested of the United States and its people," the proclamation states. He later tweeted, "Making America Safe is my number one priority. We will not admit those into our country we cannot safely vet."
The announcement comes the same day Trump’s temporary ban on visitors from six Muslim-majority countries is set to expire, 90 days after it went into effect.
The targeted countries are those that the Department of Homeland Security officials have said refuse to share information with the U.S., or haven't taken necessary security precautions.
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke, in a statement released Sunday, said the new travel restrictions "will protect Americans and allow DHS to better keep terrorists and criminals from entering our country. The restrictions announced are tough and tailored, and they sent a message to foreign governments that they must work with us to enhance security."
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement that Trump's proclamation is the president "carrying out his duty to protect the Ameican people."
Tillerson added: "The State Department will coordinate with other federal agencies to implement these measures in an orderly manner. We will continue to work closely with our allies and partners who share our commitment to national and global security."
The travel restrictions are based on a new baseline developed by DHS that includes factors such as whether countries issue electronic passports with biometric information and share information about travelers' terror-related and criminal histories. The U.S. then shared those benchmarks with every country in the world and gave them 50 days to comply.
The eight countries the restrictions target are those that refused or were unable to comply.
Following the terrorist attack in London last week, Trump tweeted: "The travel ban into the United States should be far larger, tougher and more specific-but stupidly, that would not be politically correct!"
Critics have accused Trump of overstepping his presidential authority and violating the Constitution's protections against religious bias. During his campaign, Trump called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States."

Milo protest was 'most expensive photo op' in UC Berkeley's history, says official



Conservative commentator Milo Yiannopoulos holds protest signs while speaking at the University of California in Berkeley, California, U.S., September 24, 2017. REUTERS/Noah Berger - RC1F9EBC0040
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but is it worth $800,000?
Officials at the University og California, Berkeley, said the brief appearance of right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos on campus Sunday cost the school $800,000 to ensure his safety.
Yiannopoulos appeared at the steps of the iconic Sproul Hall – the birthplace of the 1960s Free Speech movement – after his highly anticipated Free Speech Week was abruptly cancelled.
The open-air event lasted less than an hour. Yiannopoulos spent the time taking pictures with fans, signing his new book and took part in did a National Anthem.
Attendees--including Yiannopoulos-- had to pass through metal detectors.
Dan Mogulof, a campus spokesman, dubbed the event “the most expensive photo op in the university’s history,” The San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Police arrested at least 11, including four dressed in an all-black outfits commnly worn by the violent Antifa group, The Mercury News reported. One man wearing a “Make America Great again” was also detained.
This is the second time recently that the school had to spend six figures to ensure the safety of a conservative. Ben Shapiro appeared on campus two weeks ago and the school said it spent $600,000 at that event.
Shapiro at that time blamed the city’s radical Antifa agitators who were the reason UC Berkeley had to spend such money on safety. “Free speech isn't free. It costs over $600,000 thanks to Antifa,” he tweeted.
The Sunday protest was organized in response to the cancellation of the Free Speech Week, where both organizers and the university blamed each other for lack of commitment to ensure its happening.
The former Breitbart editor claims he was forced into cancelling the event, which was supposed to include speakers such as former White House advisor Steve Bannon and Ann Coulter, due to the university’s unreasonable requests and lack of support.
At a press conference on Saturday, Yiannopoulos accused the university of using bureaucratic tricks to derail the event, adding that UC Berkeley “had done everything in its power to crush” the Free Speech Week.
UC Berkeley, meanwhile, said Yiannopoulos and the student group that organized the event did not meet multiple deadlines to ensure the event occurs. He also dismissed the accusations that the institution tried to block the event, noting that they were prepared to spend vast amount of money to ensure the safety.
Yiannopoulos told Berkeleyside, a local publication, that he plans to return to campus, every year if he finds that necessary. He added that he hopes to reschedule speeches by Bannon and Coulter.

Sunday, September 24, 2017

University of Berkeley Cartoons






UC Berkeley student group cancels 'Free Speech Week' event


Confusion swirled over the fate of University of Berkeley’s controversial “Free Speech Week” after the student group that organized it canceled the event but a featured speaker insisted it was still being held.
UC Berkeley spokesman Dan Mogulof said Saturday that the Berkeley Patriot student organization told university administrators that the four-day event scheduled to start Sunday had been canceled.
But the event's co-organizer, right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos, said in a Facebook post that while the student group may have pulled out, he and other speakers had not.
"We shall speak in Berkeley, we shall speak on the plazas and the steps. We shall defend free speech, whatever the cost may be. We shall never surrender!" Yiannopoulos wrote, adding that he was paraphrasing Winston Churchill.
The conservative student group Berkeley Patriot was dropping out for safety reasons, the Berkeleyside, a local website, reported Saturday.
“The university has made it impossible to hold the event,” the group’s attorney, Marguerite Melo, told the website. “A lot of these speakers have withdrawn. To have an empty gesture of ‘Free Speech Week,’ when there are no speakers is impossible. And the university couldn’t guarantee our speakers would be safe.”
“We are very disappointed,” she added “We are going to cancel. We have made a determination, or our clients have, that it is just not safe. If we had had Zellerbach Hall, that would be a different story. But my clients didn’t want to be responsible, even morally, if something happened.”
The website reported that the group’s withdrawal does not mean Yiannopoulos and the other speakers he has invited can’t come to public spaces on the campus. It only means there won’t be amplification provided.
"It is extremely unfortunate that this announcement was made at the last minute, even as the university was in the process of spending significant sums of money and preparing for substantial disruption of campus life in order to provide the needed security for these events," Mogulof said in a statement, according to KNTV.
Some headline speakers, including Ann Coulter, have backed away from the event or said their names were listed without their knowledge.
In an email to the Associated Press Friday, Coulter said she considered going but opted not to after she heard "the administration was dead set on blocking this event."
"I also don't think Berkeley deserves to hear a brilliant and entertaining Ann Coulter speech," Coulter added in her email.
Steve Bannon, the former chief strategist for President Donald Trump, was on Yiannopoulos' lineup of speakers, but has not said publicly if he plans to attend. It was reported Friday that Bannon would not travel to Berkeley and was focusing his energies on campaigning for Roy Moore in next week's Republican runoff for the Senate in Alabama.
A number of other listed speakers have posted comments on social media saying they don't plan to show up, either. Among them is James Damore, a former Google employee who was fired for writing a memo viewed as sexist. He tweeted that he never knew he was on the list.
Yiannopoulos' attempt to speak at Berkeley in February was shut down by masked anarchists who rioted on campus.

Trump urges fans to boycott NFL in ongoing criticism of flag-kneeling players

A picture is worth more then a thousand words.

A picture is worth more then a thousand words.

A picture is worth more then a thousand words.









President Trump on Sunday extended his attack on NFL players who kneel during the national anthem, and suggested fans boycott games as he continued his call for team owners to “fire or suspend” the offenders.
“If NFL fans refuse to go to games until players stop disrespecting our Flag & Country, you will see change take place fast,” Trump tweeted. "Fire or suspend!”
Several minutes later, he tweeted: "..NFL attendance and ratings are WAY DOWN. Boring games yes, but many stay away because they love our country. League should back U.S."
Trump started his criticism in earnest Friday night when he asked a crowd at a political rally in Alabama: "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say 'get that son of a b ---- off the field right now? He's fired.'"
He continued the criticism Saturday when he rescinded Golden State Warrior Stephen Curry’s invitation to the White House this spring to honor his team’s 2017 NBA championship.
Trump’s weekend remarks were met with sharp criticism from professional athletes and team owners -- including NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who called the remarks “divisive,” and NBA star LeBron James, who called Trump a “bum.”

North Korea stages massive anti-US rally

Totally Brainwashed.

Tens of thousands of North Koreans packed into Kim II Sung Square in Pyongyang on Saturday as the government staged a massive rally against President Donald Trump and the United States.
The huge crowd listened to speeches from senior officials, and a parade of marchers carried signs with slogans such as “Decisive revenge" and “Death to the American imperialists."
The rally capped two days of response to a combative speech by Trump on Tuesday at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
In response to recent weapons tests by North Korea and a steady stream of provocative statements from the government of Kim Jong Un, the U.S. president mocked Kim as a "Rocket Man" who was on a "suicide mission," and said the U.S. would “have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea" if forced to defend itself or its allies.
DELETES NUMBER OF PEOPLE - North Koreans gather at Kim Il Sung Square to attend a mass rally against America on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017, in Pyongyang, North Korea, a day after the country's leader issued a rare statement attacking Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin)
Totally Brainwashed
Saturday's rally in Pyongyang, North Korea, capped two days of response to a combative speech at the U.N. by U.S. President Donald Trump.  (Associated Press)
Kim responded last week by comparing Trump to a “barking dog,” Fox News reported.
Rallies like Saturday’s in Pyongyang are regular occurrences in North Korea, as part of the government’s effort to win approval from citizens, Agence France-Presse reported.
Members of the crowd voiced support for their government and criticized Trump and the United States, the news agency reported.
"Trump is a warmonger and a backstreet gangster," said Ri Il Ung, 24, a student at Pyongyang Mechanical University. "It's quite ridiculous that such a person could become a politician."
Ordinary North Koreans normally share only government-approved statements when speaking to foreign reporters, according to AFP.

Trump: North Korean leaders 'won't be around much longer' if they strike US


If North Korea's foreign minister hoped to draw a response from U.S. President Donald Trump with his Saturday speech to the U.N. General Assembly, he succeeded.
"Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N.," the president tweeted late Saturday. "If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer!"
The president was referring to Ri Yong Ho, who on Saturday called Trump "a mentally deranged person full of megalomania," and promised that a strike on the U.S. mainland was "inevitable."
"Little Rocket Man" was Trump's now-infamous label for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
NKbombermission720
A U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle takes off from the Kadena runway Sept. 23, 2017, at Kadena Air Base, Japan.  (Senior Airman Quay Drawdy/U.S. Pacific Command)
With his tweet, Trump seemed to reiterate a previous asserton that any strike by North Korea against the U.S. or its allies would be met with an overwhelming response.
The address by Ri in New York City began as the Pentagon announced it had flown bombers and fighter escorts to the farthest point north of the Korean Demilitarized Zone by any such American aircraft this century.
"This mission is a demonstration of U.S. resolve and a clear message that the president has many military options to defeat any threat," Defense Department spokesman Dana White said in a statement.

"North Korea's weapons program is a grave threat to the Asia-Pacific region and the entire international community. We are prepared to use the full range of military capabilities to defend the U.S. homeland and our allies," White said.

The Pentagon said B-1B bombers from Guam, along with F-15C Eagle fighter escorts from Okinawa, Japan, flew in international airspace over waters east of North Korea on Saturday. Unlike on previous so-called "show of force" missions, the U.S. aircraft were not accompanied by South Korean or Japanese planes.
"While conducted unilaterally, this mission was coordinated with regional allies - namely the Republic of Korea and Japan - and was a strong testament to our ironclad alliance," U.S. Pacific Command spokesman Cmdr. Dave Benham told Fox News, using the official name for South Korea.

B-1 bombers are no longer part of the U.S. nuclear force, but they are capable of dropping large numbers of conventional bombs.

U.S. Pacific Command would not be more specific about many years it had been since U.S. bombers and fighters had flown that far north of the DMZ, but Benham noted that this century "encompasses the period North Korea has been testing ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons."

At the United Nations, Ri said that his country's nuclear force is "to all intents and purposes, a war deterrent for putting an end to nuclear threat of the U.S. and for preventing its military invasion, and our ultimate goal is to establish the balance of power with the U.S."

He also said that Trump's depiction of Kim as "Rocket Man" makes "our rocket's visit to the entire U.S. mainland inevitable all the more."

Trump on Friday had renewed his rhetorical offensive against Kim.

"Kim Jong Un of North Korea, who is obviously a madman who doesn't mind starving or killing his people, will be tested like never before!" the president tweeted.

On Thursday, Trump announced more economic sanctions against the impoverished and isolated country, targeting foreign companies that deal with the North.

"North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile development is a grave threat to peace and security in our world and it is unacceptable that others financially support this criminal, rogue regime," Trump said as he joined Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a meeting in New York.

Hours later, Kim responded by saying Trump was "deranged" and vowed the president would "pay dearly" for threatening to "totally destroy" North Korea if the U.S. was forced to defend itself or its allies against an attack.

In a speech last week at the United Nations, Trump had issued the warning of potential obliteration and mocked the North's young autocrat as a "Rocket Man" on a "suicide mission."

Trump's executive order expanded the Treasury Department's ability to target anyone conducting significant trade in goods, services or technology with North Korea, and to ban them from interacting with the U.S. financial system.

Trump also said China was imposing major banking sanctions, too, but there was no immediate confirmation from the North's most important trading partner.

If enforced, the Chinese action Trump described could severely impede the isolated North's ability to raise money for its missile and nuclear development. China, responsible for about 90 percent of North Korea's trade, serves as the country's conduit to the international banking system.

North Korea has said it intends to build a missile capable of striking all parts of the United States with a nuclear bomb. Trump has said he won't allow it, although the U.S. so far has not used military force to impede the North's progress.

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