Today's top stories

No doubt you'll be glad to know that the Fair 'n' Balanced Network didn't use all its time trying to put just the right touch on its summit ledeall today, though surely you can muster some sympathy for the writer who drew the short straw:

President Trump, as part of the historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, reversed longstanding U.S. policy by calling for an end to military drills on the Korean Peninsula and saying he wants to bring U.S. troops home from the region – the president’s latest convention-defying move on the international stage in less than a week.

The easier stuff, of course, is more fun -- for example, the day's No. 2 story:

Kim Jong Un got a taste of President Trump’s pain when CNN star Jim Acosta peppered the world leaders with grandstanding questions following their historic summit in Singapore early Tuesday.

“Mr. President, how is the meeting going so far, sir?” the Trump-bashing newsman hollered as Trump and Kim exited their conference room at the Capella Hotel following a 35-minute meeting. “Any progress, Mr. President?”

“Chairman Kim, will you denuclearize?” he pressed. “Mr. President, how’s it going so far, sir?”

When Trump finally responded by saying it was going “Very, very good,” Acosta, who was the designated pool reporter assigned to represent U.S. media organizations, seemed encouraged to demand answers from Kim, who is used to a more compliant media.


Recalling the morning's top story, it is tempting to ask: More compliant than what?

“Will you give up your nuclear weapons, sir?” Acosta shouted, either unaware that Kim had just pledged to do exactly that or thinking that his probing interrogation technique might elicit a more fulsome* answer than the recently concluded diplomatic session.

But there was a more inclusive summary in the works, moving into the No. 4 slot by midafternoon:

President Trump’s historic summit with Kim Jong Un could be the first step to the Hermit Kingdom dismantling its country’s** nuclear program – but Bitter Bettys throughout the mainstream media found ways to slam the event.

CNN global affairs analyst Max Boot chalked up the meeting as something that “any previous president could have done,” while MSNBC regular Jon Meacham claimed “just because something hasn't happened before, doesn't mean it's historic.”

If you aren't familiar yet with the prose stylings of Fox's Brian Flood, this is a fine place to start.

* Ahem.
** As opposed to whose?