::THE SLICE REPORT WITH MONA AUSTIN

By Mona Austin Pres. Joe Biden is in San Francisco for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and will meet with the leader of China, Xi Jingping at a nearby country estate there. The two men met last year and will be face-to-face for the first time since the tensions grew when the U.S. shot down Chinese spy balloons that impeded on U.S. airspace without clearance earlier this year. In short, why this meeting is importan t: There is no shortage of disputes with China so why does the U.S. want to continue building relations with a know "frenemy" after they repeatedly tried to distance themselves from Washington? A Communist country, China is a country that requires the U.S. to practice a deeper level of interactions due to its tendency to violate trust. the communication unraveled when Nancy Pelosi, then House Speaker, paid a visit to Taiwan in 2021. Under the Biden Administration several U.S. officials have visited China to rebuild diplomatic ties including...

Trump may not get the Peace Prize he has been dreaming of after failing to strike a deal with N. Korean Dictator Kim Jong Un. Pres. Trump will return to the U.S today after high stake talks with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam over the past two days collapsed. The trip did not result in a solidified nuclear deal in part because Kim wanted the U.S. to lift all sanctions. Trump kept a positive outlook despite not was walking away from the summit with nothing tangible to move a peace accord forward. Although Kim says he will no longer test nuclear weapons, he has not agreed to stop missle launches or stop building North Korea's nuclear arsenal. Nonetheless, Pres. Trump continues to praise Kim, saying he has "respect" for a man who has overseen the murder of a family member and claims he did not know about the murder and torture of which the president says he believes. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a press conference today that she does not unde...

Pres. Trump meets with North Korea's Kim Jong Un in A historic summit in Singapore.  The meeting was highly anticipated as the adversaries are expected to discuss denuclearization of North Korea with the hopes of building peaceful relations with South Korea. When they met face to face the Korean leader extended his hand and said, "Nice to meet you Mr. President."  The men proceeded to a bilateral meeting shortly after speaking alone. Trump answered a question from a reporter, saying “very very good, excellent relationship,” a pool reporter noted.  Kim was asked at least three times if he’d give up his nuclear weapons, which is in part the purpose of the meeting, but did not answer. Details of the initial meeting goal may be addressed in a scheduled working lunch.

buzzz worthy. . . A week after Pope Francis visited the U.S. the Vatican was forced to clarify an alleged controversial meeting the Catholic father had with anti-gay marriage, renegade Kentucky clerk, Kim Davis.  There is no question or controversy around the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin holding court with the pontiff. Not only did Franklin perform in his presence at the Festival of Families in Philadelphia, but also she spoke briefly one-on-one with him and presented a very special gift to him.  Franklin released a statement today detailing her personal encounter with His Holiness:    Detroit -- “It was a true and so special honor to meet Pope Francis,” said Aretha Franklin. “We shook hands and I gave him a gift of 25 volumes of sermons by my father, Theologian Rev. C.L. Franklin. He asked me to pray for him as he did others during his time in America. I curtsied and His Holiness left the room for the Festival of Families event. His interpreter an...