This Week in Words: July 7 - 13, 2018

There are early signs that the denuclearization deal with North Korea may be in trouble. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with North Korean officials this week and the results were disappointing. The North Koreans accused Pompeo of having a "gangster-like" mentality, and Pompeo stressed that the U.S. is maintaining the sanctions against North Korea.

Donald Trump has been promising since he was a candidate for president to make our NATO allies pay more for our mutual defense. This week, at the NATO summit, Trump repeated his demands that the European countries spend more.

The trade war between China and The United States is in full swing. Several economists are predicting that prices on a variety of goods will go up as a result of the tariffs each country has levied against the other. The prices of items such as batteries, thermostats and refrigerators are already starting to be affected, and if the trade war escalates, electronic goods and even certain types of fast food could be next.

The feel-good story of the week was undoubtedly the successful rescue of the entire Thai soccer team and their coach from an underwater cave in Northern Thailand. Over three painstaking days of terrible weather, Thai Navy Seals freed the 12 boys, many of whom could not even swim, and their coach. After being evaluated in a hospital, it was reported that none of their injuries are said to be serious.

A British couple was exposed to Novichuk, the same poison that was used to attack a former Russian spy in the same town last March. The man is in a hospital fighting for his life, but his girlfriend has died from her exposure to the nerve agent. Britain has long accused Russia of using Novichuk to attack the spy and this new casualty will only increase the tension between the two countries.

Internet discount vendor Groupon, which provides coupons and money off services for larger retailers, is seeking buyout offers. The company is hoping to be absorbed into one of the large internet companies, like Facebook or Google's parent company Alphabet, Inc. Newer changes to Groupon's functionality have improved its outlook, but there is no telling whether one of the big players in the electronics field will be interested in what Groupon offers.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson was the second high-ranking official in Prime Minister Theresa May's cabinet to resign within a 24 hour period. Johnson quit over how to handle Brexit, the vote that removed Britain from the European Union. May would still like to keep close ties to the E.U., but Johnson feels that the will of the people is to break away completely. In his resignation letter, Johnson warned, "We are truly headed for the status of colony."

The Trump administration has been unable to meet a deadline imposed by the courts to reunite immigrant families. A few weeks ago, the administration decided to stop separating the families that illegally cross the border, but the hard work of reuniting those families who were already separated is just beginning.

Starbucks announced that it will completely eliminate single-use plastic straws by the year 2020. Plastic straws are a major source of environmental waste, and many companies, including McDonalds, are experimenting with alternatives that are better for the planet. Starbucks cold beverages will now be served in lids with pronounced lips which resemble adult sippy cups, and frozen beverages that still require straws will get a straw made from an alternative to plastic.

President Trump chose Brett Kavanaugh, a judge from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals as his nominee to fill Justice Kennedy's Supreme Court seat. Kavanaugh is viewed as a conservative voice on the court , which will give the conservative justices a reliable majority. Democrats are worried about the future of issues like abortion rights. With Republicans holding a slim majority in the Senate, there are enough votes to confirm Kavanaugh if no Republicans vote against him.