Trump admits he fears nuclear attack if he brings up rights violations in North Korea

In "Summit," a biting cartoon from David Fitzsimmons of The Arizona Daily Star, President Trump wears blinders as he wades into a pool of blood to shake the hand of North Korea's brutal dictator, Kim Jong Un.

In "Seat of Power," cartoonist Pat Bagley of The Salt Lake Tribune satirizes Trump's habit of tweeting early in the day, reportedly from his toilet. Thus, the expression about Trump, "Brain farts."

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- What is Donald J. Trump doing for Father's Day? 

Lying, as usual.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, a TV reporter asked President Trump how he can defend Kim Jong Un's human-rights record after speaking "passionately" about the death of an American detained for 17 months in North Korea.

"You know why? Because I don't want to see a nuclear weapon destroy you and your family," Trump told CBS Correspondent Weijia Jiang.

So, even after the summit in Singapore, Trump actually fears a nuclear attack from North Korea unless he continues to play nice with the brutal North Korean dictator and salute his generals, as he did last week.

Later, he told the female CBS reporter to be "quiet" more than once, and referred to her as "so obnoxious."

'Justin and Donald'

On Friday night, in a bit called "Justin and Donald," comedian Bill Maher showed illustrations, contrasting the behavior of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Trump:

"Justin waits politely for women to get on the elevator first.

"Donald grabs their pussies," the satirist said on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher."

"Justin separates paper and glass. Donald separates parents and children.

"Justin researches an issue and consults experts before making a decision.

"Donald vomits brain farts and leaves his staff to clean up the mess."

A North Korean general puts his hand out in Singapore, but President Trump salutes him, as Kim Jong Un looks on, in this image from state media. 

Cartoonist Dave Granlund refers to Trump's treatment of Canadian Prime Minister and other allies during the G7 summit when he quotes Kim Jong Un: "My biggest worry is that Trump will treat North Korea the way he treats U.S. allies." Below, in "MAGA Double Standard," Adam Zyglis of The Buffalo News notes Trump supporters were outraged when Barack Obama negotiated with Iran ["our enemies"], but have been silent on the president saluting a North Korean general.

Images of Trump and Un wearing the other's hair style appeared on the Internet months ago, when a possible meeting between the two dictators was first announced.

An ethnic-food run for fish tacos, ceviche, yuca, spinach pies and stuffed grape leaves

An order of Fish Tacos at Taqueria Los Gueros on Main Avenue and Jefferson Street in the city of Passaic. The grilled fish, on two warm corn tortillas, was topped with Pico de Gallo (chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro, chile pepper and lime juice) and avocado ($8.49).

Two salsas, lime sections and a tangle of spicy onions came with the tacos. The green salsa, bottom, is mildly spicy, but the red is tongue-searing hot and obliterates the taste of the taco.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Northern New Jersey is a rich stew of ethnic groups.

And each one of them offers an array of specialities that lure food lovers into their cars for an ethnic-food run to one or more towns or cities in Passaic,  Bergen and Hudson counties.

This past Saturday we stopped for Fish Tacos on Main Avenue in Passaic, then walked a block or so to a Peruvian restaurant on Washington Street for rotisserie chicken, ceviche, empanadas and other takeout.

On the trip home -- when we found ourselves taking local streets to avoid Route 20 traffic congestion -- we made a quick stop in Paterson to pick up Syrian food at Fattal's.

Driving and parking

Driving in Passaic and Paterson has always been a challenge, and you'll find drivers on side streets with stop signs like to play chicken with you, if you are on the main street and have the right of way.

You can find parking in Passaic on Main Avenue's median, where you pay at a central meter, and then walk to Taqueria Los Gueros and Pollos El Chevere.

Fattal's, an emporium of Syrian food and spices at 975 Main St. in Paterson, has its own parking lot.

At Taqueria Los Gueros, my wife loved the taste of her Tacos al Pastor, but we had to send them back for pieces of fresh pineapple. And for some reason, they were made with only one corn tortilla instead of two, as they are in Mexico City ($6.49).

The pork for her Tacos al Pastor was roasted on a vertical spit, which was inspired by Lebanese Christian immigrants to Mexico. At one taqueria in Mexico City, a whole peeled pineapple is placed on top of the skewered pork, and the taco maker shaves the meat and fruit onto tortillas in one motion.

Taqueria Los Gueros is at 692 Main Ave. (Jefferson Street) in Passaic; 1-973-377-0755. Open 7 days.

A folksy saying appears on the Jefferson Street side of Taqueria Los Gueros: "A taco a day brings pure happiness."

A second Taqueria Los Gueros is at 231 Monroe St. in Passaic, but doesn't look as welcoming as the one on Main Avenue. You can also find a Taqueria Los Gueros at 46 W. Palisade Ave. in Englewood. The chain's website: Taqueria Los Gueros

See: Lost and found: A great Taco al Pastor

Pollos El Chevere

When we walked into Pollos El Chevere on Washington Street in Passaic, the Peruvian restaurant appeared much the same as it did on our last visit 5 long years ago.

We grabbed a takeout menu and ordered a Pollo Entero Solo, a whole rotisserie chicken, which comes with either french fries, rice, tostones, maduros or yuca ($12, only $2 more than in 2013).

Our choice, the tostones -- twice-smashed and fried green plantain sections -- were enormous. 

You also get a surprisingly spicy, pale-green chili-cheese sauce to use as a dip or to pour over everything.

We also ordered two Empanadas de Carne, patties stuffed with ground beef and half of a hard-boiled egg ($3 each); Yuca a la Huancaina, a starchy root vegetable with a milder chili-cheese sauce ($7); and Ceviche Mixto, a lime-marinated fish and seafood medley ($16).

Pollos El Chevere has a full menu of soups, pork chops and steaks, spaghettis, and rice and seafood dishes at moderate prices.

The Tallarin Verde I've had in the past reminded me of spaghetti dressed with basil pesto.

The restaurant was opened more than a dozen year ago by two Japanese-Peruvian men, but I don't know whether they still own and operate this and another El Chevere on Monroe Street in Passaic.

The counter where you order and pay for takeout was unchanged from our visit 5 years ago, but the wooden benches where customers wait have been replaced by metal seating. 

Pollos El Chevere is at 228 Washington Place, steps from Main Avenue, in Passaic; 1-973-249-6330. Open 7 days.

We loved the mildly spicy chili-cheese sauce with the Yuca a la Huancaina, but the we prefer the yuca much softer than it was.

A whole rotisserie chicken with tostones is $12, only $2 more than 5 years ago. The bonus is a pale green but spicy chili-cheese sauce that comes with the chicken. Photos below, plating the Mixed Seafood Ceviche with sweet potato, red onion and popped corn kernels, and Fattal's Vegetable Grape Leaves for a light dinner at home.

Fattal's

Fattal's -- a baker, grocer and butcher with a cafe serving the Syrian specialties I ate growing up in Brooklyn -- makes it easy to stop for takeout by having a parking lot right in front of the building, which is set back from Main Street.

I picked up eight fat Grape Leaves, stuffed with rice and vegetables ($7.99 a pound); and 6 Spinach & Cheese Pies wrapped in dough ($10.19 for 2 pounds).

Ingredients in the latter include spinach, feta cheese, onions, lemon juice, sumac and sesame seeds. 

See: 

From June 2013: 

The ethnic-food run

 is alive and well

Store-made items at Fatal's include both savory and sweet items. Besides Spinach & Cheese Pies, you can get Date Bread, Fig & Walnut Roll and Mini Vegetable Pies.

At Fattal's you'll also find jewelry, including 24-karat gold; a wide array of spices and such store-made pastry as baklava. The store is at 975-77 Main St., Paterson, in the heart of the city's bustling Middle Eastern shopping district, and not far from the Farmers Market on the border with Clifton.

Electronic news media are letting Trump get away with murdering our democracy

After President Trump forgot the words to "God Bless America" at a White House event, Cartoonist Kevin Siers of The Charlotte Observer in North Carolina has him making up words, including "God bless America, land that I rule" and concluding with, "It's all about me!"

TV & RADIO LAP UP EVERY LIE,

 SPREAD THEM 'ROUND WORLD

By VICTOR E. SASSON

EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- The Liar-In-Chief of the United States left the G7 summit early and flew to Singapore on Saturday.

He is scheduled to meet with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un on the night of June 11 -- a date that might live in infamy.

Last week, President Trump forgot the words to "God Bless America" at a White House event he staged after the Philadelphia Eagles stood him up.

In his first 500-plus days in the Oval Office, he's fulfilled few of the promises he made on the campaign trail in 2016, except for an enormous tax break for the rich and wealthy corporations that will saddle all of us with a $1.5 trillion in debt.

The massive giveaway will keep millions in campaign funds flowing to Trump and Republicans in Congress as they try to hold onto control of the House and Senate in the November midterm elections.

Endless lies

I'm still waiting for the courageous White House reporter who will tell Trump to his face, "Please stop lying to the American people."

Or, when the president starts making it up as he goes along or takes credit for the 9-year economic recovery, simply confront him or refuse to quote him in their stories.

Trump and his corrupt Cabinet have spent most of their time and energy trying to undo every one of predecessor Barack Obama's major accomplishments in office.

Unfortunately, the electronic news media can't resist capturing every lie, false claim and preposterous tweet in those annoying sound bites, and sending them winging around the world with no pushback or rebuttal.

On HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" on Friday night, the satirist discussed the merger of Bayer, a German company, and Monsanto, noting the former manufactured Zyklon B, a cyanide-based pesticide that was the preferred killing tool of the Nazis for use in extermination camps during the Holocaust.

Print media

I'm so tired of The Washington Post's Fact Checker or the thunderous editorials from The New York Times.

The damage of those TV and radio sound bites can't be undone. 

They have to be addressed on the spot by reporters confronting Trump.

Until that happens, the president controls the discussion and damages our democracy in so many ways.

He's the fake

When Trump shouts "fake news," the reporters should shout back, "You're the ultimate fake."

I just came across a site called PolitiFact.com, which summarizes "all false statements concerning Donald Trump."

Here are a couple of recent ones:

On June 5, Trump claimed Philadelphia Eagle players "stayed in the locker room for the playing of our National Anthem" or "were kneeling."

"No. The Eagles didn't kneel,"says PolitiFact.

On May 31, Trump claimed, "We got $6 billion for opioid and getting rid of that scourge that's taking over our country. And the numbers are way down."

"Deaths are up," PolitiFact says.

Cute. 

But unless reporters confront him on the spot or simply refuse to include his lies, half-truths and outrageously false claims in their stories, Trump will get away with murdering our democracy, our free press and other institutions.

Pardons, etc.

Trump claims he can pardon himself, if he is charged and convicted in the Russia investigation, or appoint himself president for life or call off the November elections.

I've heard these claims many times, but, of course, they are nonsense.

No one, not even the president, is above the law.

Cartoonist Joe Heller commenting on the suicides by hanging last week of celebrities Kate Spade, the fashion designer, and Anthony Bourdain, the chef and CNN host, who grew up on Orchard Place in Leonia, a suburb near the George Washington Bridge. You can find this and other cartoons on The Cagle Post.

Lovers of fresh, wild salmon from Alaska won't find any at Costco or most markets

Costco Wholesale in Teterboro usually gets beautiful fillets of fresh, wild sockeye salmon from Alaska in the first days of June. This year, those shipments have been delayed. Above, Kirkland Signature frozen Alaskan Sockeye Salmon, which is available year-round, but doesn't compare in any way to the fresh fish.

Editor's note: The 2020 wild salmon season at Costco saw less sockeye available than 2019, which was far better than the 2018 season described here. As in 2019, when fresh sockeye salmon fillets were available from early June through early October, some previously frozen sockeye salmon has been available after that. The opening of the 2020 season in June was delayed and fresh fish often was available on only 1 day or 2 days a week. 

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

TETERBORO, N.J. -- Costco Wholesale's fresh seafood buyer said in 2018 that New Jersey members shouldn't expect to find any fresh, wild sockeye salmon until Father's Day weekend.

"It is rough," Lyle French said from Costco headquarters in Issaquah, Wash.

He noted the mouth of the famed Copper River, which supplies the first fillets of fresh, wild sockeye salmon sold in Costco warehouses on the East Coast, hasn't been open for fishing consistently.

On June 2, 2018, a newspaper is Kenai, Alaska, reported, "Several major river systems are seeing paltry returns [of Pacific salmon]."

"The poor numbers have led to closures and cutbacks to sport and commercial fisheries," according to the Peninsula Clarion.

In Alaska, the salmon-harvest season began on May 18, 2018.

Whole Foods Market

If you can't wait for fresh, wild salmon to arrive at Costco, head over to Whole Foods Market in Paramus, where you'll find the best seafood counter in North Jersey.

On Thursday afternoon, I saw a single fresh, wild Sockeye Salmon fillet ($39.99 a pound) and several pieces of fresh, wild King Salmon ($49.99 a pound), both from the Copper River.

The fishmonger explained the price is so high because it includes airfare that brings the wild salmon to the store the day after they are caught.

My trip wasn't a total loss: I picked up Organic Grapes for $2.49 a pound and Organic Fuji Apples for $1.99 a pound -- lower prices thanks to the Amazon takeover.

CONSOLATION PRIZE: At Costco on Thursday, I bought a fillet of fresh, wild Pacific Halibut ($17.99 a pound), which I prepared with organic spinach, pitted olives, Campari Tomatoes, capers, grated cheese, lemon juice and fresh herbs from my garden. See a how-to video on preparing another Fish & Vegetable Medley, below:

Teterboro Costco

On Thursday morning, the Costco warehouse in the Teterboro Landing shopping center off of Route 46 offered  artificially colored farmed Atlantic salmon raised with harmful antibiotics, some of it marked "kosher."

Other farmed salmon fillets from Norway were antibiotic-free, though still artificially colored. 

Instead, I purchased a fillet of fresh, wild-caught Pacific Halibut for dinner tonight ($17.99 a pound).

Last year, sockeye fillets from the Copper River arrived at the Teterboro Costco on June 5.

I grilled them on the stovetop, and served them with fresh herbs and a reduction of organic diced tomatoes.

See: 

From 2017: Fresh wild salmon lands
 at Teterboro Costco

BRAND NEW BAGS: Earthbound Farm has reverted to using plastic bags to package Organic Mixed Greens sold at Costco, but splits the pound of triple-washed salad between two 8-ounce bags ($4.79). The hard plastic clamshell, which held 1 pound and replaced a single plastic bag a few years ago, took up a lot of space in the refrigerator. The old name was "Organic Spring Mix."

INSTANT SAVINGS: I took advantage of instant savings on Season-brand Sardines in Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Twelve cans were $9.49 or about 79 cents a can. Six Glide Dental Floss dispensers were $8.99 after instant savings of $4.

ORGANIC PASTA: In Teterboro, I saw this variety pack of Garofalo Organic Penne and other pasta shapes, but not the Garofalo Organic Spaghetti sold at the Costco Business Center in Hackensack.

MUSICAL MELONS: Costco members thumped and slapped large watermelons like drums before finding one with a pleasing sound and placing them in their carts ($5.99 each). My strategy is to find the biggest and heaviest one.

Gannett admits circulation of The Record dropped dramatically after 2016 takeover

The front page of The Record of Woodland Park on Monday.

Editor's note: I rewrote this post to add details, and make clear in the lead paragraph that both The Record and NorthJersey.com lost a significant number of readers.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Circulation of The Record -- the once-great daily newspaper founded in Hackensack -- and the number of visitors to its website plunged to 91,032 daily and 97,149 on Sundays in December 2017.

A year earlier, at the end of 2016, the circulation of The Record and NorthJersey.com was 235,681 daily and 147,609 on Sundays, according to annual reports issued by Gannett Co., the nation's largest newspaper chain.

That's a dramatic decline of more than 144,000 daily and more than 50,000 on Sundays.

Those reports said daily and Sunday combined average circulation "is print, digital replica, digital non-replica and affiliated publications, according to the Alliance for Audited Media," a nonprofit industry group. 

The amount of circulation is the primary factor in the pricing of advertising space, meaning Gannett likely had to reduce how much it charges for ads in The Record, Herald News and North Jersey.com.

Strategic purchase

The 2016 annual report for Gannett and the USA Today Network hailed as a "strategic acquisition" purchase of North Jersey Media Group, the Borg family company that published The Record, Herald News, (201) magazine, NorthJersey.com and about 50 weeklies (not 30, as I wrote earlier).

"In July 2016, we completed the acquisition of certain assets of North Jersey Media Group for approximately $39.3 million," Gannett said. "We financed the transaction with available cash."

The Borg family held onto nearly 20 acres along River Street in Hackensack, former headquarters of The Record and NJMG, and plan to develop the site with partners, building more than 700 apartments.

NJMG and The Record moved out of 150 River St. in 2009, and settled into cramped offices overlooking Route 80 in Woodland Park. 

Drops to 6th

The 2016 annual report placed The Record and NorthJersey.com third among major Gannett publications after USA Today and the Detroit Free Press.

The 2017 annual report dropped The Record and its digital platform to sixth after The Indianapolis Star.

Gannett is comprised of USA Today and more than 100 "local media organizations" in 34 states and Guam, according to the 2017 annual report.

Revenues were $3.1 billion, an increase of 3.2% over 2016.

On Monday, a Page 1 column in The Record tried to panic riders of NJ Transit's Morris & Essex rail lines into fearing delays this summer. The Record's lack of focus on Bergen County, where a majority of readers live, is believed to be a factor in the dramatic loss of circulation since the Gannett takeover.

Bergen County news?

Gannett's annual reports don't discuss reasons for the dramatic circulation decline, but readers have complained repeatedly about the small number of stories from Hackensack and other Bergen County towns, citing cuts in local coverage as a factor in their decision to drop the print edition.

Monday's Local section contained only two stories about towns in Bergen County, where most readers live, including a news story about an unidentified Wallington woman killed in a one-car crash.

Gannett took over NJMG in July 2016 and by the end of March 2017, more than 350 employees of the company had been laid off.

The final round of layoffs included about 50 reporters and editors.

Since then, The Record and NorthJersey.com have been limping along, weighed down by burned-out veteran columnists and a bunch of inexperienced reporters.

See: 

Gannett raises home delivery price by $75

The Incredible Shrinking Newshole

Gannett has turned The Record into a rag

Roseanne Barr is giving Jews a bad name. Plus, Trump probably will serve all 4 years

JEWS AS COOKIES: Comedian Roseanne Barr, who is Jewish, asked to dress as Hitler for a 2009 "Germany" issue of Heeb, a satirical publication catering to young Jewish readers (Photos by Bradley Meinz).

REINCARNATION OF HITLER: Author Oliver Noble wrote that Roseanne asked to dress up as Hitler for the spread as she believes (or at least jokingly said that she believes) that she may be the reincarnation of the Fuhrer himself, according to Snopes.com.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Photos of Roseanne Barr dressed up as Hitler, pulling Jewish cookies out of an oven, were published nearly a decade ago, but they still are annoying as hell.

So, I was delighted to hear that the Jewish comedian, who gives Jews a bad name, published a racist tweet that got her much ballyhooed sitcom about a blue-collar American family cancelled last week.

Good riddance to bad rubbish. 

"Roseanne seems to be suffering from some form of madness," says filmmaker and author Michael Moore, adding:

"Here's who's not crazy: Donald J. Trump. Trump, though he shows all the signs of being absolutely bonkers, is not insane.... His racism and hate is real, it's well thought-out, he's the true master of manipulation, a brilliant performance artist, and an evil genius.

"He outsmarted a nation of liberals and Democrats and won the White House by losing the actual vote of the people. He neutered and then destroyed the Grand Old Republican Party. He knows exactly what he's doing."

All 4 years?

Meanwhile, satirist Bill Maher is saying on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" that Donald J. Trump likely will serve all 4 years of his first term as president, even if he is impeached by a majority of the House of Representatives.

In his New Rules windup on May 19, Maher noted that impeachment is meaningless unless Trump is convicted by two-thirds or 67 members of the U.S. Senate, and removed from office.

Even a significant Blue Wave in November's midterm elections isn't expected to give Democrats control of the Senate, meaning a large number of those votes would have to come from Republicans.

In the Russia probe, Trump can ignore a request to be interviewed by the special counsel or a subpoena to testify before a grand jury, Maher said, noting the president is above the law.

The Times says

In fact, The New York Times reported on Saturday Trump's lawyers sent a confidential memo to Special Counsel Robert Mueller that argues Trump couldn't possibly commit obstruction, "because he has unfettered authority over all federal investigations."

"It's part of a bid," The Times said, "to prevent Mr. Mueller from forcing Mr. Trump to answer questions," and risk "exposing himself to accusations of lying to investigators, a potential crime or impeachable offense."  

Now, here are more cartoons from Cagle.com:

Cartoonist John Cole of The Times-Tribune in Scranton, Pa., gets a big kick out of the firing of Roseanne Barr and cancellation of her popular sitcom.

Cartoonist Taylor Jones calls his cartoon on ABC cancelling Roseanne "no more monkey business."

R.J. Matson, the editorial cartoonist with Roll Call , which covers Capitol Hill and Washington, D.C., has Roseanne wailing her racist tweets were only bad jokes.

Cagle.com describes Sean Delonas as a "right wing" cartoonist, but this comparison of Roseanne's racist tweets and Bill Maher's joke about Trump being fathered by an orangutan is plainly wrong.