May 2, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Trump says he's glad to see Kim Jong-un "well" after dictator reappears in North Korean media

President Trump steps into the northern side of the Military Demarcation Line that divides North and South Korea on June 30, 2019. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

President Trump said on Saturday that he is glad to see Kim Jong-un "well" and in public, following North Korea's claim on Friday that the dictator made a public appearance at a fertilizer factory.

Why it matters: Kim's reappearance has not been independently verified. North Korea state media released photos of the country's leader allegedly in Suncheon, in a clear rebuttal of claims that Kim is in grave danger.

Go deeper: Kim Jong-un finally reappears, according to North Korean state media

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Sara Fischer

28 mins ago - Technology

Social media takes on world leaders

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Social media companies are finally beginning to take action on posts from world leaders that violate their policies, after years of letting them mostly say whatever they wanted unfiltered to millions of people.

Why it matters: Government officials are among the users most likely to abuse the wide reach and minimal regulation of tech platforms. Mounting pressure to stop harmful content from spreading amid the coronavirus pandemic, racial protests and a looming U.S. election has spurred some companies to finally do something about it.

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Andrew Witherspoon, Sam Baker

48 mins ago - Health

Coronavirus cases spike in Texas and Arizona

Data: The COVID Tracking Project, state health departments; Map: Andrew Witherspoon, Sara Wise, Naema Ahmed/Axios

Texas, Arizona and Oregon saw significant spikes last week in new coronavirus infections, while cases also continued to climb in a handful of states where steady increases have become the norm.

Why it matters: Nationwide, new cases have plateaued over the past week. To get through this crisis and safely continue getting back out into the world, we need them to go down — a lot.

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Joann Muller

58 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Some call for fewer police, even as streets erupt

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

"Defund the police" isn't just a slogan on a protester's sign — it's a political movement to relieve cops of responsibility for managing intractable social problems and shift spending to agencies that are better equipped to handle them.

Why it matters: The aftermath of George Floyd's killing has brought a renewed focus to the two dominant trends in policing: sweeping reforms on one side, militarization on the other. Neither of these responses will make our cities safer or our justice system fairer, civil rights activists argue, because the problems are much broader and deeply entrenched in society.

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