Apr 17, 2019 - World

Kim Jong-un directs test of new tactical guided weapon

Photo: Dien Bien/Getty Images

North Korea's Kim Jong-un oversaw the test of a new tactical guided weapon on Wednesday, reports Reuters.

"The completion of the development of the weapon system serves as an event of very weighty significance in increasing the combat power..."
— Kim told Korean Central News Agency, of his nation's military

Why it matters: This is North Korea's first weapons test since Kim and President Trump met in February for a second summit in Hanoi, resulting in no agreement between the 2 nations.

Details: State media did not specify if Wednesday's test was of a nuclear weapon, but "tactical" suggests it was a short-range weapon, per Reuters. The test comes after satellite images of North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear site showed railcar activity on April 12.

  • Both Kim and Trump have hinted at the possibility of a third sit-down. The Trump administration has worked to maintain an "all or nothing" approach, in which sanctions on North Korea would only be lifted after full denuclearization.

Go deeper: Report: North Korea restoring missile launch site

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Facebook boycott organizers share details on their Zuckerberg meeting

Facebook is in the midst of the largest ad boycott in its history, with nearly 1,000 brands having stopped paid advertising in July because they feel Facebook hasn't done enough to remove hate speech from its namesake app and Instagram.

Axios Re:Cap spoke with the boycott's four main organizers, who met on Tuesday with CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other top Facebook executives, to learn why they organized the boycott, what they took from the meeting, and what comes next.

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8 hours ago - Technology

Boycott organizers slam Facebook following tense virtual meeting

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Civil rights leaders blasted Facebook's top executives shortly after speaking with them on Tuesday, saying that the tech giant's leaders "failed to meet the moment" and were "more interested in having a dialogue than producing outcomes."

Why it matters: The likely fallout from the meeting is that the growing boycott of Facebook's advertising platform, which has reached nearly 1000 companies in less than a month, will extend longer than previously anticipated, deepening Facebook's public relations nightmare.

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9 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Steve Scalise PAC invites donors to fundraiser at Disney World

Photo: Kevin Lamarque-Pool/Getty Images

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise’s PAC is inviting lobbyists to attend a four-day “Summer Meeting” at Disney World's Polynesian Village in Florida, all but daring donors to swallow their concern about coronavirus and contribute $10,000 to his leadership PAC.

Why it matters: Scalise appears to be the first House lawmakers to host an in-person destination fundraiser since the severity of pandemic became clear. The invite for the “Summer Meeting” for the Scalise Leadership Fund, obtained by Axios, makes no mention of COVID-19.

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