Crosstalk: August 14, 2017

Here's a sample of the many stories Jim presented to listeners on this edition of the 'Round-Up'.

--Charlie Gard's parents make note of his last moments.
--Concerning North Korea, Pentagon officials say that the U.S. military stands
ready to 'fight tonight' if necessary.
--China's government says it will remain neutral if North Korea strikes the U.S.
but warned it will defend North Korea if the U.S. strikes first.
--Asia Pacific nations come out in support of the U.S. in the event of a North
Korean nuclear attack.
--Former National Security Advisor Susan Rice says we need to accept North Korea
as a nuclear power.
--Calls are mounting in South Korea to build nuclear weapons of its own.
--Tens of thousands of North Koreans gathered Wednesday to cheer on their
dictator.
--Deployment from the Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota stands in support
of the U.S. Pacific Command's continuous bomber presence missions.
--The U.S. Navy quietly dispatched one of its guided missile destroyers to
sail by one of China's artificial islands in the South China Sea.
--The Chinese navy and air forces flexed their muscles in live fire drills.
--The Russian foreign minister says that the risk of conflict between the U.S. and
South Korea turning into a full-fledged war are very high.
--A continuous rotation of about 4,000 troops are stationed in Eastern Europe as
part of the Armored Brigade Combat Team and Aviation Brigade ordered stationed
in the region under the former U.S. Secretary of Defense.
--Iran and Russia to enhance military ties after new U.S. sanctions.
--The U.N. is spending $798,000 to make North Korea more ozone friendly.
--President Trump sent out a critical Twitter message regarding Mitch McConnell.
--The July jobs report issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that
under President Trump, the unemployment rate is now lower than at any time under
Obama, Reagan or Kennedy.
--Illegal immigration is still down nearly 70% since President Trump took office.
--President Trump calls the opioid crisis an emergency.
--President Trump is now backing 'right to try' legislation that would make it
easier for terminally ill patients to obtain experimental drugs.
--Former national security officials are calling for the firing of National
Security Advisor H.R. McMaster as he steps up his purge of National Security
Council officials who disagree with him, but who share the foreign policy views
of President Trump.
--The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) is backing McMaster, claiming
over social media that Islamophobes and white supremacists were behind attacks
to remove him from the White House.
--Bakeries in Stockton, California, refuse to bake a 'Make America Great Again'
cake for a 9 year old fan of President Trump.​