The Presidential Daily Brief

North Korea, Trump Continue Trading Tough Talk 

“A load of nonsense.” That’s how Pyongyang characterized President Donald Trump’s belligerent rhetoric as it announced a plan to fire four Hwasong-12 missiles over Japan to within 25 miles of the U.S. territory of Guam. North Korean state television said the plan will be ready by mid-August, pending approval from Kim Jong Un, though Guam’s governor dismissed the unusually detailed attack description as showing North Korea’s “position of fear.” While top U.S. officials tried to soothe concerns of nuclear war, Trump suggested on Thursday his promise of “fire and fury” wasn’t “tough enough.”

FBI Raided Former Trump Campaign Chief’s Home

They’re on the hunt. FBI agents raided the Virginia home of President Trump’s former campaign chairman last month, reportedly seizing documents in connection with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in last year’s election. Paul Manafort has been under scrutiny for months over his foreign connections, including work for Ukraine’s pro-Kremlin former president. The use of a warrant in an investigation that’s been relying on subpoenas — especially since Manafort has already handed over hundreds of documents — may indicate that Mueller thinks there’s more to discover.

Election Fraud Accusations in Kenya Spark Violence

It’s getting ugly. After early election results in Kenya showed a strong lead for incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta, opponent Raila Odinga rejected the numbers as “fraud” and claimed voting systems had been hacked. While the country’s chief electoral officer says the systems were never compromised, Odinga’s supporters clashed with security forces and some media are reporting multiple deaths. Residents of Nairobi are reportedly staying indoors, fearing a repeat of 2007’s post-election carnage, as many wonder if Odinga will legally contest the victory, as he did unsuccessfully in 2013.

Report: Tesla Creating Electric, Self-Driving Long-Haul Truck

That cargo’s not gonna haul itself … or is it? Tesla’s announced plans to develop a large electric truck, but intimations that it could be self-driving are new. The firm’s reportedly close to testing a prototype, scheduled to be unveiled in September, and has been discussing potential road testing areas in Nevada with the state DMV. Long-haul trucking is seen as a key market for self-driving technology, as it would allow overworked drivers to rest on long routes, and Uber and Google’s Waymo are also competing for market share.

Statutory Period, Swift Justice and Lettuce Rethink

Know This: Nepal has criminalized the practice of isolating women who are menstruating, promising to punish those who enforce the tradition with jail time and fines. Taylor Swift is countersuing a DJ she says groped her in 2013, after he sued her for $3 million. And Hurricane Franklin has made landfall in Mexico.

Read This: A 19th century remedy that’s begun to gain traction once again on social media, a specific type of lettuce thought to be useful as a painkiller, has been debunked.

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