Trump claims hush payments during 2016 campaign were legal

Yahoo – AFP, December 10, 2018

US President Donald Trump's (R) story on hush payments to women including
Stormy Daniels (L) has changed repeatedly (AFP Photo/Ethan Miller, Olivier Douliery)

Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump on Monday claimed hush payments to alleged former lovers before the 2016 presidential election were legal, pointing to a "simple private transaction."

Federal prosecutors in New York on Friday urged "substantial" jail time for his former lawyer Michael Cohen who pleaded guilty in August to bank fraud and campaign finance violations as a result of the pay-offs to two women who claimed to have had sexual encounters with Trump.

But Trump denied the payments constituted a violation of US campaign financing laws.

"There was NO COLLUSION," he tweeted. "So now the Dems go to a simple private transaction, wrongly call it a campaign contribution, ... which it was not."

Trump, referred to as "Individual-1," in the court documents, was directly implicated in ordering Cohen to make illegal payments to porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal to ensure their silence about the alleged sexual affairs.

Prosecutors argued that the hush payments were intended to influence the outcome of the elections, making them undeclared campaign contributions.

But Trump insisted that even if the payments were illegal, it would be a civil matter.

"It is only a CIVIL CASE, like Obama's - but was done correctly by a lawyer and there would not even be a fine," he claimed.

"Lawyer's liability if (Cohen) made a mistake, not me."

The 2008 Obama campaign paid a $375,000 fine in 2013 to settle violations of a rule that contributions made 20 days before an election had to be reported within 48 hours.

But that case is distinct from the felonies Cohen admitted to as the violations were not alleged to be intended to swing the election outcome.

Trump went on to accuse Cohen, who will be sentenced on Wednesday, of "just trying to get his sentence reduced."

Trump's story on the payments has changed repeatedly.

In August, he accused Cohen of making up "stories" to cut a plea deal.

But he went on to say the payments were financed with his own money -- to which Cohen had access -- and that while he had no knowledge of them at the time, he had since been fully transparent.

Washington sets aside divisions for Bush state funeral

Yahoo – AFP, Michael Mathes, December 5, 2018

George W. Bush delivers a eulogy beside the flag-draped casket of his father 

George H.W. Bush, during his state funeral at Washington National Cathedral

(AFP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Washington (AFP) - A divided Washington led by the nation's five living presidents put on a show of unity Wednesday at the poignant state funeral of George H.W. Bush, as America bade farewell to its 41st president.

Donald and Melania Trump shared a front row pew at Washington National Cathedral with past presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and their wives as an honor guard brought Bush's flag-draped casket into the packed prayer hall.

George W. Bush delivered a rousing and deeply personal eulogy -- at times punctuated by laughter -- as he sang the praises of his father and predecessor as commander-in-chief, who died Friday at age 94.

"He was born with just two settings -- full throttle, then sleep," Bush said. "To us, his was the brightest of a thousand points of light," he added in reference to his father's signature call to volunteerism.

George W. Bush (R) and his brother Jeb Bush arrive at the state funeral of their 

father, former president George H. W. Bush, at Washington National Cathedral

(AFP Photo/Alex Edelman)

"When the history books are written, they will say that George H.W. Bush was a great president of the United States."

Bush's eulogy followed an uplifting performance by Irish tenor Ronan Tynan -- a friend of Bush who sang to the president in his dying hours.

Wednesday's state funeral caps a day-long homage that saw Bush lie in state for two days in the US Capitol rotunda.

Since Bush's death, Trump has traded his usual provocative posture for one of respect and solemnity, tweeting before heading to the cathedral about "a day of celebration for a great man."

But while the service allowed Washington to hit pause on the toxic rhetoric that has engulfed the country's politics, Trump and his Democratic predecessors appeared locked in an uneasy truce as it got underway.

Presidential couples Donald and Melania Trump, Barack and Michelle Obama, and 

Bill and Hillary Clinton shared a front row pew at the state funeral for George 

H.W. Bush at Washington National Cathedral (AFP Photo/Brendan SMIALOWSKI)

Trump arrived and promptly shook hands with Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama. But his greetings stopped there, as he failed to acknowledge Hillary Clinton, his defeated Democratic rival in 2016.

Clinton sat stone faced, looking straight ahead, and the pair did not make eye contact.

Other dignitaries in the cathedral included Britain's Prince Charles, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, former Polish president Lech Walesa, former vice presidents Dan Quayle, Dick Cheney, Al Gore and Joe Biden, and former secretaries of state James Baker, Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice.

Wednesday was a day of precision, patriotic ritual, and ceremony. George W. Bush and wife Laura stood stoically outside the US Capitol as an honor guard carried his father's flag-draped casket to the hearse.

The flag-draped casket of former US president George H.W. Bush is carried by a 

military honor guard into Washington National Cathedral for his state funeral 

on December 5, 2018 (AFP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

In a show of respect, Pennsylvania Avenue was lined with well-wishers as the cortege proceeded toward the Neo-Gothic cathedral in the first presidential funeral since Gerald Ford died in late 2006.

Earlier, tens of thousands of Americans had quietly filed in to the Capitol to pay their respects to a man who steered the nation through turbulent times including the end of the Cold War -- and in a style dramatically different to the combative current president.

Trump's ascendancy to the head of the Republican Party saw him exchange vitriolic attacks with the Bushes, notably slamming the presidential son's 2003 invasion of Iraq as "one of the worst decisions in the history of our country."

But he has taken pains to demonstrate unity since Bush's death, and made a low-key visit to the Capitol late Monday with First Lady Melania Trump to salute Bush's casket.

Late US President George H. W. Bush's service dog, Sully, sits by the coffin of 

the late president in the US Capitol's rotunda (AFP Photo/Brendan Smialowski)

'Civility and good will'

Trump declared Wednesday a national day of mourning. Many federal offices are closed along with Wall Street stock markets.

Congress also suspended votes -- even in the midst of a looming potential shutdown that requires congressional action before midnight Friday.

Bush was a decorated World War II aviator who nearly lost his life when he was shot down on a bombing mission.

He served as a congressman, envoy to China and ambassador to the United Nations, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and vice president to Ronald Reagan before winning the White House.

Profile of George H. W. Bush (AFP Photo/Gillian HANDYSIDE)

At a time of extraordinary and deep political fissures, Bush was looked to this week as a gracious servant of country who aimed to bridge the political divide.

Bush "was America's last great soldier statesman," presidential historian Jon Meacham told the guests.

"His life code, as he said, was tell the truth, don't blame people, be strong, do your best, try hard, forgive, stay the course."

After the Washington service, Bush's casket will be flown back to Houston. The former head of state will lie in repose at St Martin's Episcopal Church, where the Bushes worshipped for decades, until Thursday's funeral.

He will be interred at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library Center in College Station, Texas, next to his wife, who died in April, and their daughter Robin who died of leukemia at age three.

A divided Washington led by the nation's five living presidents put on a show of unity at the poignant state funeral of George H.W. Bush, as America bade farewell to its 41st president https://t.co/YIbN23IHMB pic.twitter.com/IdZAsvQ1vb

— AFP news agency (@AFP) December 5, 2018

Oprah declares 'new day' for women in campaign-like Globe speech

Yahoo – AFP, January 8, 2018

Actress and TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey delivered a rousing, campaign-style
speech as she accepted a Golden Globe for lifetime achievement (AFP Photo/
KEVIN WINTER)

Los Angeles (AFP) - Oprah Winfrey on Sunday declared a "new day" for women and girls facing down abusive men as her powerful speech to the Golden Globe Awards stirred talk that she has a political future.

Within moments of the daytime television trailblazer's remarks at the Hollywood gala, effusive fans called for her to challenge President Donald Trump in 2020, although she has given no indication she is interested.

The 63-year-old Winfrey, whose former talk show ushered in an era of confessional television and helped make her a billionaire, delivered a forceful but tightly focused speech that brought together issues of gender, poverty and race as she accepted a lifetime achievement award.

She saluted the #MeToo movement that has quickly gained steam after revelations of rampant sexual misconduct by film mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Paying tribute to Recy Taylor, an African American woman who daringly reported her 1944 gang rape by six white men in Alabama and died last month just short of her 98th birthday, Winfrey deplored "a culture broken by brutally powerful men."

"For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dare speak the truth to the power of those men. But their time is up! Their time is up!" Winfrey said to a standing ovation and even some tears in the audience.

"So I want all the girls watching here now to know that a new day is on the horizon," Winfrey said.

"And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women -- many of whom are right here in this room tonight -- and some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say 'me too' again," she said.

Hailing role of media

Winfrey highlighted her own life rising up from a violence-scarred childhood. She recalled her awe as a girl watching television in Milwaukee when Sidney Poitier became the first black person to win the Oscar for best actor in 1964.

She also hailed the role of the media, so often maligned by Trump as "fake news."

"It's the insatiable dedication to uncovering the absolute truth that keeps us from turning a blind eye to corruption and to injustice," she said.

"I want to say that I value the press more than ever before as we try to navigate these complicated times."

At the start of the Golden Globes, host Seth Meyers playfully encouraged Winfrey to run for president against Trump, who made history by winning despite never holding a previous political or military position.

Meyers had appeared at the now infamous 2011 White House Correspondents Association dinner where he and then president Barack Obama mocked the idea of Trump in the White House. The real estate mogul fumed in his seat.

"Some have said that night convinced him to run. So, if that's true, I just want to say, Oprah, you will never be president. You do not have what it takes," Meyers said, while also proposing actor Tom Hanks as a vice presidential candidate.

Oprah Winfrey poses with her lifetime achievement award 

received at the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards (AFP 

Photo/KEVIN WINTER)

Fans see White House

For some of Winfrey's fans, a presidential run didn't seem far-fetched after her speech, with the topic quickly taking off on social media.

"As I sit here in tears...I have never ever seen such a speech," the country singer Billy Gilman wrote on Twitter.

"@Oprah, my friend. Please run for President. This world needs more of THAT. WOW."

Winfrey had generally stayed away from overt politics until the 2008 election when she campaigned vigorously for Obama in an endorsement credited with helping him secure the Democratic Party's nomination.

The then governor of Illinois briefly considered Winfrey to replace Obama in the Senate, but she did not voice interest.

With her vast audience and quickly relatable style, Winfrey has long been considered one of America's most influential celebrities.

Her show has helped raise discussion in the United States on issues ranging from gay rights to abusive puppy breeding mills, while her endorsement power is avidly sought by the publishing industry.

Oprah Winfrey declares a 'new day' for women and girls facing down abusive men, as her powerful speech to the Golden Globe Awards stirs talk that she has a political future https://t.co/g1SMkIzsfb pic.twitter.com/V5AzSAH1p9

— AFP news agency (@AFP) January 8, 2018

No evidence Obama wiretapped Trump Tower: US Justice Dept

Yahoo – AFP, September 3, 2017

The FBI had previously shot down the claims, that were made as controversy
over alleged links between Trump's campaign team and Russia intensified
earlier this year (AFP Photo/NICHOLAS KAMM)

Washington (AFP) - The US Justice Department has confirmed there is no evidence to back up President Donald Trump's claim that his predecessor Barack Obama wiretapped Trump Tower during the 2016 election campaign.

"Both FBI and NSD (National Security Division) confirm that they have no records related to wiretaps as described by the March 4, 2017 tweets," the department said in a court filing dated Friday that came about in response to a freedom of information request by American Oversight, a government watchdog.

The FBI had previously shot down the claims, that were made as controversy over alleged links between Trump's campaign team and Russia intensified earlier this year.

"Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my "wires tapped" in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!" Trump tweeted on March 4.

"How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!" he added.

He also repeated the claim during a White House press conference with Angela Merkel later that month.

Trump's former spokesman Sean Spicer also defended the claim and cited a Fox News report which alleged that Britain's GCHQ spy agency did the wiretapping for Obama.

National Security Agency Director Admiral Mike Rogers strongly rebutted the suggestion, telling a congressional hearing in March: "That would be expressly against the construct of the Five Eyes agreement that's been in place for decades." He was referring to the intelligence alliance grouping Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the United States.

Reacting to the findings, Austin Evers, executive director of American Oversight, said: "The FBI and Department of Justice have now sided with former Director Comey and confirmed in writing that President Trump lied when he tweeted that former President Obama 'wiretapped' him at Trump Tower.

"This filing confirms that even Trump's own Department of Justice does not believe he has credibility on a key element of the Russia investigation."

Trump is facing multiple investigations into alleged collusion with Russia, including one led by special prosecutor Robert Mueller who was appointed following Trump's sacking of former FBI director James Comey.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman on Wednesday confirmed that the Kremlin last year received an email from a lawyer working for Donald Trump about building a Trump Tower skyscraper in Moscow -- despite assertions by the then candidate that he had no current business ties to the country.

During his successful presidential campaign, Trump praised Putin as a strong leader and called for a reset in relations with Moscow, but ties have since deteriorated sharply, with the US imposing fresh sanctions on Russia and both countries ordering each other to scale back their number of diplomats.

Trump to approve sale of military equipment to police

Yahoo – AFP, August 28, 2017

US President Donald Trump will restart the flow of military equipment, like this
armored vehicle seen in Charlottesville, Virginia, to US police forces (AFP Photo/
CHIP SOMODEVILLA)

Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump is set to approve the controversial sale of military equipment -- including rifles and armored vehicles -- to US police forces, White House sources said Monday, upending an Obama-era ban.

According to officials familiar with deliberations said Trump will restart the military equipment flow to police forces -- which was worth $5.4 billion over 25 years -- sending another message that he is a "law-and-order" president.

Critics said providing police with items like bayonets, grenade launchers and drones had strained police-community relations and led to a virtual arms-race on America's streets.

But supporters argue the equipment allows police to better protect public safety and makes use of military surplus stock.

In May 2015, then president Barack Obama issued an executive order stopping military transfers, after controversy over the policing of high-profile protests in Baltimore, Maryland and Ferguson, Missouri.

Eight months later the government began recalling prohibited items.

"At times, the law enforcement response to those protests was characterized as a 'military‐style' operation," a 50-page report commissioned by Obama's White House found.

Those disturbances showed "law enforcement officers atop armored vehicles, wearing uniforms often associated with the military, and holding military-type weapons."

The protests were prompted by the killing of unarmed black men by police.

According to US law, the use of deadly force by police is only justifiable if a suspect poses a credible threat to the officer or the public.

Even after Obama's reforms, police were still allowed to use wheeled armored vehicles, Humvees, drones and riot batons, but only in very specific circumstances.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions previewed the decision by saying Trump is "doing all he can to restore law and order and support our police across America."

In response, Republican Senator Rand Paul said "the militarization of our law enforcement is due to an unprecedented expansion of government power in this realm."

"Americans must never sacrifice their liberty for an illusive and dangerous, or false, security."

#UPDATE President Trump will restart controversial sale of military equipment to US police forces https://t.co/uZ2wjnrihd pic.twitter.com/cTHzpq2Qw3

— AFP news agency (@AFP) August 28, 2017

Related Article:

Obama moves to demilitarize US cops

Trump says transgender people barred from US military

Yahoo – AFP, Thomas WATKINS, July 26, 2017

Trump's announcement banning transgender people from serving in the US
military was a stunning reversal from Obama-era policies (AFP Photo/
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI)

Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that transgender people may not serve "in any capacity" in the US military, citing the "tremendous medical costs and disruption" their presence would cause.

The announcement served as a stunning reversal for the US military, which has been working with the heads of service branches to implement a plan put in place under Barack Obama's administration to start accepting transgender recruits.

"After consultation with my generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the US Military," Trump tweeted.

"Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you."

Pentagon officials appeared blindsided by Trump's tweets, with spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis referring questions to the White House.

"We will provide revised guidance to the Department in the near future," Davis said.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is currently on vacation. When pressed on the extent to which Trump consulted with him or the Pentagon, Davis said only: "This was something that was the product of consultation."

Last month, Mattis said the five armed service branches could delay accepting transgender recruits until January 1 because the different services were not in agreement on when to accept transgender recruits.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis was on vacation as Trump made his announcement, but 

the Pentagon said the decision was the result of "consultation" (AFP Photo/JOHN THYS)

Unanswered questions

Trump's announcement left unanswered a slew of questions, including whether transgender personnel currently serving could soon face getting booted from the military.

Estimates of the number of transgender troops vary widely. A much-cited study by the Rand Corporation in June 2016 found there are between 1,320 and 6,630 among the 1.3 million active duty service members.

But the Human Rights Campaign civil rights organization said there are currently about 15,000 active transgender troops.

The RAND study noted that only a small portion of service members would ever seek gender transition that would affect their deployability or health costs, adding between $2.4 million and $8.4 million to the Pentagon's vast budget.

Republican Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler called the study "very flawed" and said Trump's announcement would improve military readiness.

We need to be "focused on ... those who are able to fight tonight. When you have this (gender reassignment) surgery, you can't be deployed for almost 300 days and somebody else has to go in your place," Hartzler told CNN.

Transgender rights in America have increasingly been in the spotlight in recent months, especially over how states regulate the use of public restrooms.

The Trump administration faced protests earlier this year after it reversed Obama-era federal protections urging schools to allow transgender students to use the bathroom corresponding to their gender identity, not the gender on their birth certificate.

Mattis's predecessor Ash Carter (L), the last defense secretary of US President 

Barack Obama (R), said the decision would "send the wrong signal" (AFP Photo/

JIM WATSON)

'Every patriotic American'

Trump's announcement drew swift condemnation from critics and rights groups.

"Every patriotic American who is qualified to serve in our military should be able to serve. Full stop," former vice president Joe Biden said on Twitter.

Ash Carter, who was Obama's last defense secretary and oversaw the policy shift allowing transgender troops to sign up and serve openly, said the decision would send "the wrong signal" to potential new recruits.

"What matters in choosing those who serve is that they are best qualified. To choose service members on other grounds than military qualifications is social policy and has no place in our military," Carter said in a statement.

The American Civil Liberties Union called the move "outrageous and desperate," and Republican Senator John McCain blasted Trump for announcing a major policy shift on Twitter.

"Any American who meets current medical and readiness standards should be allowed to continue serving," he said.

Transgender former soldier Chelsea Manning is one of many activists speaking

 out about President Donald Trump's decision to bar trans people from serving

in the US military (AFP Photo/HO)

'Cowardice'

Perhaps the most famous transgender US soldier is former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, who served seven years in prison for one of the largest dumps of classified documents in US history.

During her incarceration at the Fort Leavenworth military prison, Manning battled for -- and won -- the right to begin hormone treatment to begin transitioning toward her female identity.

Manning, who is still employed by the Army and retains its insurance coverage, has become an icon for transgender activists.

"So, biggest baddest most $$ military on earth cries about a few trans people but funds the F-35? Sounds like cowardice," Manning tweeted after Trump's announcement, referring to the US military's most expensive, state-of-the-art warplane.

Retired Navy SEAL Kristin Beck, who came out as transgender after spending 20 years with the elite commandos, challenged Trump.

"Let's meet face to face and you tell me I'm not worthy," Beck told Business Insider.

Chelsea Manning prepares for freedom, as a woman

Yahoo – AFP, Sébastien BLANC, May 16, 2017

Chelsea Manning's release follows a last-minute commutation of her sentence by
president Barack Obama in the waning days of his administration (AFP Photo/HO)

Washington (AFP) - After seven years behind bars, Chelsea Manning will walk out of the security gates of the Fort Leavenworth military prison Wednesday, finally able to complete her transition as a free, openly transgender woman.

When she first arrived at the military barracks, the petite Manning was a male soldier -- then known as Bradley -- who stunned the world by releasing a huge trove of more than 700,000 classified military and diplomatic documents via WikiLeaks.

Her release follows a last-minute commutation of her sentence by president Barack Obama in the waning days of his administration.

Without Obama's parting gift, Manning would have remained behind bars until 2045, after a 35-year sentence.

Her supporters worried she would not be able to survive the long sentence.

Manning, now 29, made two suicide attempts last year alone, along with a hunger strike to denounce the disciplinary measures to which she was subjected.

But the devastating cycle of depression, desperate measures and stays in solitary confinement is now over for Manning, who now turns a new page.

"For the first time, I can see a future for myself as Chelsea. I can imagine surviving and living as the person who I am and can finally be in the outside world," she wrote last week.

"Freedom used to be something that I dreamed of but never allowed myself to fully imagine.

"Now, freedom is something that I will again experience with friends and loved ones after nearly seven years of bars and cement, of periods of solitary confinement, and of my health care and autonomy restricted, including through routinely forced haircuts."

Her defense team is intent on protecting the Oklahoma native. Manning had a difficult childhood. After her parents' divorce, Manning moved with her mother to Wales, where she repressed her sexuality and was mocked for her effeminate ways.

Chelsea Manning arrived at Fort Leavenworth military as the male soldier 

Bradley (AFP Photo/ALEX WONG)

Quiet release

The military is therefore keen on keeping her release low-key. No press conference is planned in Arkansas.

"To ensure the privacy and security of Inmate Manning, no further information concerning the release will be provided," US Army spokesman Dave Foster said in a statement.

Manning, of whom few photographs are publicly available, could find refuge at the home of an aunt in the Washington region.

She will rely on a solid network of volunteers ready to help her.

Virtually unknown at the time of her arrest, Manning today is a well-known figure around the world.

Labeled a traitor by President Donald Trump, she has gained the support of major celebrities like R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe and British designer Vivienne Westwood.

For tens of thousands of Americans who petitioned the White House, she is a courageous rights activist.

Supporters say Manning was handed an unfair sentence for embarrassing US diplomatic circles and revealing civilian deaths caused by US bombings in Iraq and Afghanistan.

She wasn't able to flee abroad like Edward Snowden, who in 2013 released documents showing that the NSA was sweeping up US citizens' communications metadata.

Trans icon

Manning has also surreptitiously become an icon for transgender activists.

"The first thing Chelsea always says when we talk about her freedom is that she wants to give back to the trans community -- to fight for the many trans people, largely trans women of color, held in custody; to continue to connect with trans young people; to share our victories and our struggles," said Chase Strangio.

"She has an unrelenting sense of compassion and justice despite all that she has faced," added Strangio, an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who is himself transgender.

Manning will celebrate her 30th birthday in December. Perhaps by then she will have gained an appearance she finds desirable, after prison authorities refused to allow her to grow her hair beyond the detention center's two-inch (five-centimeter) limit.

Through her lawyers, however, she was able to start hormonal treatment in prison to begin transitioning toward her female identity. This transition is certain to speed up outside a prison environment Manning said denied her "right to exist."

While Manning's sentence was commuted, her conviction remains intact. Manning has appealed.

She is also still employed by the army, and retains its insurance coverage.

"Inmate Manning will remain on excess leave while the court-martial conviction is under appellate review. PVT Manning is statutorily entitled to medical care while on excess leave in an active duty status, pending final appellate review," said Foster, the Army spokesman.

"In an active duty status, although in an unpaid status, Manning is eligible for direct care at medical treatment facilities" along with other work benefits, he added.

Related Articles:

Whistleblower Chelsea Manning walks free from prison - New
Obama commutes sentence of WikiLeaker Manning

N.Korea behavior 'can't continue', Trump advisor warns after missile test

Yahoo – AFP, Thomas WATKINS, April 16, 2017

Ballistic missiles on display at Kim Il-Sung square during a military parade in
Pyongyang on April 15, 2017 (AFP Photo/STR)

The United States slammed North Korea's latest missile test as a provocation and insisted Sunday it is working closely with China to resolve a crisis that Washington sees as reaching a critical stage.

Amid broader fears that North Korea may again test a nuclear bomb, the Pentagon said Sunday's missile launch was a failure, with the weapon blowing up almost immediately after its early morning takeoff near Sinpo on North Korea's east coast.

Following the test, US National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster told ABC News: "There's an international consensus now -- including the Chinese and the Chinese leadership -- that this is a situation that just can't continue."

Amid sharply heightened tensions, McMaster said the US and allies were studying all actions "short of a military option," though the Trump administration has not ruled that out.

North Korea watchers remained on high alert, as leader Kim Jong-un was reportedly poised to conduct a sixth nuclear test.

Vice President Mike Pence, who arrived in Seoul on Sunday, assailed the missile test as a "provocation" and assured South Korea of Washington's full support against the threat from its volatile neighbor.

Pence is in Seoul for talks on curbing the North's weapons programs.

Ballistic missiles on display at Kim Il-Sung square during a military

parade in Pyongyang on April 15, 2017 (AFP Photo/AFP)

"This morning's provocation from the North is just the latest reminder of the risks each one of you face each and every day in the defense of the freedom of the people of South Korea and the defense of America in this part of the world," Pence told US military families at an Easter dinner, at the start of a 10-day Asia tour.

Some 28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea.

President Donald Trump has ordered a naval strike group, led by the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, to the region, though the vessels remain a long way from the peninsula.

McMaster repeatedly stated that China -- North Korea's key ally -- is increasingly concerned about the reclusive communist state's behavior.

The new consensus is "that this problem is coming to a head. And so it’s time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully," McMaster said.

Trump turned to Twitter to underscore the importance of cooperation with China on North Korea.

Having blasted Beijing throughout his presidential campaign for unfairly manipulating its currency, he tweeted Sunday: "Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem? We will see what happens!"

US National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster arrives at the Pentagon in 

Washington, DC, on March 16, 2017 (AFP Photo/Nicholas KAMM)

'A threat to all people

McMaster said Trump had directed US military, diplomatic and intelligence officials to provide him with options -- in concertation with regional allies including China -- that could be used "if the North Korea regime refuses to denuclearize."

He called Kim "a threat to all people in the region, and globally as well," but cautioned that Trump "is clearly comfortable making tough decisions."

A White House foreign policy adviser, briefing reporters on the plane that carried Pence to Seoul, was asked what steps China had committed to when President Xi Jinping met recently with Trump in Florida.

"There were a number of steps that were discussed," the briefer said on condition of anonymity, adding that when China recently turned back ships bringing North Korean coal, it was a "good first step."

"China is the key," Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Sunday on NBC.

"They can stop this if they want to because of their control over the North Korean economy."

US Vice President Mike Pence (C) and his wife Karen Pence (in white jacket) 

inspect the honour guard upon their arrival at the National Cemetery in Seoul 

on April 16, 2017 (AFP Photo/Ahn YOUNG-JOON)

'Medium-range' missile test

Congressman Mac Thornberry, McCain's counterpart in the House of Representatives, said Kim's message to the United States was "we are strong and we can hurt you."

"This guy (Kim) is not interested in negotiation. He wants to have an (intercontinental) ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead to threaten us, and I think he's determined to get it. Even failed launches tell them something and improve their program," Thornberry told Fox News Sunday.

Trump has repeatedly said he will prevent Pyongyang from developing a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile capable of reaching the mainland United States.

The latest missile launch came a day after Pyongyang staged a massive military parade, showcasing nearly 60 missiles -- including a suspected new ICBM.

But the missile involved in the failed test evidently was smaller. The briefer on Pence's plane called it "medium-range."

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Trump was aware of the failed test but had "no further comment."

North Korea has often test-fired missiles to mark major dates such as Saturday's 105th anniversary of the birth of the nation's founder Kim Il-Sung, or as gestures of defiance when top US officials visit the region.

South Korea's foreign ministry said that by conducting the latest test just a day after displaying a series of missiles, "North Korea has threatened the whole world."

People in Pyongyang watch a public broadcast on February 13, 2017 about 

a missile test by North Korea the previous day (AFP Photo/KIM Won-Jin)

Related Articles:

China halts North Korea coal imports after missile test

China restricts North Korea exports

North Korea is a 'big worry for all of us': Obama at G7

"Quantum Patterns" - Jan 23 - 24, 2016 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

"... The Darkness Can't See Beyond Itself

I want to give you proof yet again of something unusual and very telling of the way low vibration works. Within the first channel of the year [2016], I spoke about the young North Korean leader. I'm going to do it again. I'm going to do it again as a profound example of how low consciousness cannot see above itself. That means that it can only work with what it sees and knows. As powerful, as smart, as intellectual as it thinks it is, it can't get out of its own circle.

The former leader of North Korea was a classic egotist. When he died, his son took over and could do anything he wanted. This boy had watched his father for decades and knew he would take over someday. Naturally, he inherited the attributes his father taught him of self-importance, and he also became egotistically driven to the max. When he took power, he had the choice to make changes that would allow him to be even greater than his father. He wanted something that would elevate his name and his position to the highest egotistic place imaginable. His father was the model, and now he could do anything he wanted to be even more famous. What happened is classic. He completely missed the greatest opportunity that any man has had to become the most famous and beloved person on the earth. The idea never occurred to him. Even though he had been educated in the western world, he missed it.

If he had considered the high road and included the earth instead of a restricted population of his own country, he could have been the most famous and beloved leader on Earth, all of his life. At the moment he took over, all he had to do was to think beyond his circle. He was in the unique position to be a "wild card" and do something amazing - unify North an South Korea, drop the zone of death that was between those countries, bring families together after generations, stop nuclear programs that he really never needed other than to look important and, thereby, give his people abundance, food for all and peace in his region. All of Korea would worship him and the earth would give a sigh of relief in thanks for his wisdom and courage.

He would have received standing ovations upon entering the United Nations great room and they would bow before him and give him the highest peace prizes. He would have his ego stroked and stroked and stroked and stroked and be far greater than his father had ever been. But it never occurred to him. Instead, he perpetuated the dark box he inherited, and now he presides over the lowest energy possible, representing the most dangerous renegade energy on the planet. At the expense of keeping his people poor and impoverished and creating instability in his region, he gets to be a powerful and famous person for a moment in time from a small population. He will not last long. He can't see that what he is doing has no support within the majority of the planet's population, and he will lose everything. Isn't it interesting how strong the circle is that keeps a low vibration low. All of this is beginning to change, dear ones. If you examine individual people and the way they act, you're going to see this coming. You're going to recognize it.  ..."

THE OLD SOUL 2013 TOOLKIT" – Jan 13, 2013 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll)  (Text version)

"... The Change in the Way Things Work

Now I'm going to be very cautious with number five, and I'm going to change a paradigm of the way we channel. For 23 years, we have given you information in the soup of potentials that we read around you as the highest probable potential that exists. These things eventually become your reality because they are your free choice, and we know what you're thinking. We know what the potentials are because we know what the biases are, and we see all of humanity as a whole. Potentials are energy, and it gives us the ability to project your future based on how you are working these potentials. We have done this for a long time. Twenty-three years ago, we told you about many things that were potentially going to happen, and now they are your reality.

But now I'm going to depart from that scenario and I'm going to give you a potential on Earth that is not the strongest. I am going to tell you about a Human Being who has a choice. This potential is only about 50 percent. But I'm going to "read a potential" to you that you didn't expect. It's about a paradigm that is starting to shift.

Let's talk about North Korea. There's a young, new leader there. The potential is that he will never, ever hear this channel, so I can talk freely about him. He is facing a dilemma, for he is young and he knows about the differences in the energy in his land. He feels it. The lineage of his departed father lies upon him and all that is around him expects him to be a clone of this lineage. He is expected to continue the things that he has been taught and make North Korea great.

But he's starting to rethink them. Indeed, he wants to be a great leader, and to be heard and seen, and to make his mark on North Korea's history. His father showed him that this was very important. So he ponders a question: What makes a world leader great?

Let's ask that question to someone in an older earth paradigm from not that long ago. He will be an expert and a successful one. So this is a valid exercise, asking someone from the past who knows. We will ask that question to a man who you know and whose name is Napoleon. For us, this was yesterday and some of you were there. 

If you asked Napoleon, "What makes a world leader great?", he will say, "the size of the army, how much area can be efficiently conquered with a given amount of resources and men, how important the leader appears will then be based upon how many citizens call him emperor or king, the taxes he can impose, and how many fear him." Not only was that Napoleon's reality, but he was right for the energy he was part of at the time. So Napoleon went back and forth between world leader, general and prisoner. He accomplished almost everything he set out to do. His expertise was obvious, and you remember his name to this day. He was famous.

What makes a world leader great? What I am showing you is the difference in thinking between then and now. There are some choices that this evolving young Human Being has that could change everything on the planet if he wanted. His father would tell this boy that what makes a world leader great is the potential of his missile power, or how close he can get to having a nuclear weapon, or how he stands up against the power of the West, or how he continues to aggravate and stir drama as a small country - getting noticed and being feared. His father would tell him that this is his lineage and that is what he's been told all his life. His father did it well and surrounded himself with advisors who he then passed on to his son.

Now, there's a 50 percent chance of something happening here, but this is not a strong potential, dear ones. I'm bringing this forward so you can watch it work one way or the other. For if the son continues in his father's footsteps, he is doomed to failure. The energy on the earth will see it as old and he will be seen as a fool. If, however, he figures it out, he could be the most famous man on the planet... which is really what his father wanted.

If Kryon were to advise this man, here's what I would tell him. He could be the greatest known leader the current world has ever known, for what he does now will be something the world will see as a demarcation point from the old ways. Not only that, but what he does now will be in the history books forever, and because of his youth, he has the potential to outlive every other leader on the planet! So he's going to have longer fame than anyone ever has.

I would tell him this: Tell the border guards to go home. Greet the south and begin to unify North and South Korea in a way that no past prophet ever said could happen. Allow the two countries to be separate, but have them as two parts of a larger Korean family with free trade and travel. Start alliances with the West and show them that you mean it. Drop the missile programs because you will never need them!

This will bring abundance to the North Korean people that they never expected! They will have great economic sustenance, schools, hospitals and more respect than ever for their amazing leader. The result would be fame and glory for the son, which the father had never achieved, something that the world would talk about for hundreds of years. It would cause a United Nations to stand and applaud as the son walked into the Grand Assembly. I would ask him, "Wouldn't you like that?"

Doesn't this seem obvious to most of you? He could achieve instant fame and be seen as the one who made the difference and started something amazing. But watch him. He has a choice, but it's not simple. He still has his father's advisors, but one of which he's already dismissed. He may get it, or he may not. There is a 50 percent chance. But I'll tell you that if he doesn't do it, the one after him will. Because it is so obvious. 

We show you this to tell you that this is the evolvement of the Human species. It is the slow realization that putting things together is the answer to all things, instead of separating them or conquering them. Those who start promoting compromise and begin to create these energies that never were here before will be the ones you're going to remember. Dear ones, it's going to happen in leadership and politics and in business. It's a new paradigm...."