Good morning Her Campus! With a break-neck news cycle, there is no possible way for you to stay on top of every story that comes across your feeds—we’re all only human, after all.
But, life comes at you fast. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in for this quick and dirty guide to stories you might’ve been sleeping on (like, literally. It’s early.)
Jared Kushner Received Permanent Security Clearance
On Wednesday, the White House granted a permanent security clearance to Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser. According to the Wall Street Journal, the decision came three months after his temporary clearance was downgraded as a result of “a larger push to tighten control of classified information inside the administration.”
Kushner’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, made the announcement. Lowell also revealed that his client met with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigators for a second time in April, when he “answered questions for seven hours,” according to CNN. “[Kushner] had previously sat for an interview last November that was largely focused on former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who soon after pleaded guilty to charges of making false statements to the FBI,” CNN reported, adding that Kushner’s team believes he’s “now finished with all ongoing inquiries.”
Trump Launched An Investigation Into Imported Cars
The Commerce Department announced on Wednesday that, following a conversation with Trump, it was launching an investigation to determine whether cars imported into the U.S. pose a threat to national security. “Core industries such as automobiles and automotive parts are critical to our strength as a nation,” Trump said in a statement.
Similar investigations led the U.S. to impose 25 percent tariffs on imported steel and 10 percent tariffs on imported aluminum, although in many cases those tariffs have been suspended while the U.S. negotiates with trading partners.
— NPR (@NPR) May 24, 2018
According to The New York Times, the move could result in new tariffs on foreign cars and “further strain relations with global allies,” — the latter of which appears to already be happening. Bloomberg reported that Japan Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko said, “Imposing broad, comprehensive restrictions on such a large industry could cause confusion in world markets, and could lead to the breakdown of the multilateral trade system based on WTO rules.”Â
North Korea Threatened To Cancel The Upcoming Summit With Trump & Kim Jong-un
On Tuesday, Trump said there was a “substantial chance” that he would reschedule or even cancel an upcoming summit with Kim Jong Un if North Korea didn’t meet “certain conditions.” Now, North Korea — specifically Choe Son Hui, a vice-minister in the North Korean Foreign Ministry — is making similar threats, CNN reports.Â
“Whether the US will meet us at a meeting room or encounter us at nuclear-to-nuclear showdown is entirely dependent upon the decision and behavior of the United States,” Choe said, warning that Pyongyang could “make the U.S. taste an appalling tragedy it has neither experienced nor even imagined,” and even calling Vice President Mike Pence “a political dummy.”
For now, the historic summit is still scheduled to be held in Singapore on June 12.Â
What to look out for…
…if you’re blocked on Twitter by the President of the United States. A judge ruled on Wednesday that Trump blocking people — which he often does — is a violation of the First Amendment. The judge recommended muting instead.Â