North Korea calls off talks with the South after military drills with the U.S. (NBC News)
North Korea has reportedly called off talks it planned to have with South Korean leaders, according to South Korean news outlets. The North Korean government allegedly decided to cancel the talks due to ongoing military exercises that the South Korean military conducted with the United States. Kim Jong Un's regime believes that these exercises are preparation for an invasion. Some outlets are reporting that this could also impact President Donald Trump's meeting with Kim, but at this point that looks like it's just speculation.
Amazon threatens to leave Seattle over new tax (The Guardian)
Amazon has threatened to leave Seattle after the city council unanimously passed a new "tax on jobs" Monday. The company employs around 40,000 people in the city. Proceeds from the tax, which would cost Amazon roughly $10 million annually, would go toward combatting homelessness in the city. There are nearly 12,000 homeless people in Seattle, the third highest per capita rate in the United States. Only New York City and Los Angeles have a higher percentage of homeless residents.
London may ban cars from driving on certain days (The Independent)
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has proposed banning cars from roads in the United Kingdom's capital on certain days. A spokesperson for Khan said, “The mayor is determined to do everything in his power to protect the health of Londoners and prioritise walking, cycling and public transport and reduce Londoners' dependency on polluting cars.”
Russian government jails opposition leader for organizing a protest (Reuters)
Russian authorities arrested Alexei Navalny and sentenced him to 30 days in prison for organizing protests against the Russian government. Around 1,600 anti-government protesters were arrested in Russia, following demonstrations after President Vladimir Putin was overwhelmingly elected to a fourth term. Putin had banned all serious opponents in that election from running. Navalny organized protests in 90 different Russian cities and towns, using the slogan “Putin is not our tsar.”
Russia, Turkey, and Iran to hold Syrian peace talks (Reuters)
Russia, Turkey, and Iran will hold Syrian peace talks in the Russian city of Sochi. Russia and Iran have been some of the few allies of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. While Turkey has been slower to show support for Assad, Turkish troops have been targeting Syrian Kurds who oppose Assad's regime. Turkey views all Kurdish groups as terrorists. Syrian rebel groups said that they would boycott the summit, since it was hosted by Russia.
70 police officers escort the son of a fallen cop to school (TheBlaze)
70 police officers from the Terre Haute Police Department and the Vigo County Sheriff's Department escorted 5-year-old Dakota Pitts to school on Monday. Dakota's father, Terre Haute Police Officer Rob Pitts, was shot and killed in the line of duty two weeks ago. This was Dakota's first day back to school since his father was killed.
Kellogg is pulling out of Venezuela (Reuters)
Veneuzuelans are already struggling for food. Now that shortage is about to get even worse. U.S.-based Kellogg has stopped operations in Venezuela due to “the current economic and social deterioration” in that country. As the country's economic situation continues to deteriorate, food becomes harder and harder to come by for many Venezuelans. As part of his campaign to increase voter turnout for his May 20 election, President Nicolas Maduro has been temporarily supplying some citizens with boxes of food.
