Good morning. From “little rocket man” to “very honorable,” President Donald Trump has shifted his rhetoric quite a bit on North Korean tyrant Kim Jong-Un, who imprisons citizens in political prisons, ahead of their meeting on June 12 in Singapore. (NYT/WaPo)
You won’t be able to watch their meeting on pay-per-view, but every news outlet – including this one – will provide updates. Why is it important to Capital Region residents? Because they both have access to the button with “DO NOT TOUCH” written above it, but neither has convinced the world they possess the levelheadedness to refrain from pushing it. (WaPo)
Here’s your roundup!
Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas said she will leave “no stone unturned” in her probe of disgraced former Attorney General Eric Schniederman who’s been accused of physical abusing four women, but Schneiderman’s attorney, Isabelle Kirshner, remains confident that her client won’t face criminal charges. (DN)
Singas appeared at a press conference on Thursday with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, where the governor seemed to end his beef with Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance, who Cuomo stopped from investigating the allegations Schneiderman is facing. (Politico)
Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner was one of the names listed as potential candidates for attorney general, but she won’t be launching a campaign after all. (TU)
Former Manhattan U.S. Attorney General Preet Bharara thinks the state Legislature’s attorney general selection process has the “look and feel of a backroom deal,” so he won’t seek to be selected. On Thursday, Chris Churchill argued that Bharara is exactly who should be the next attorney general. (TU)
Barbara Underwood has been acting as the attorney general since Schneiderman resigned, but the governor hasn’t publicly endorsed her appointment to fill out the remainder of Schneiderman’s term. (Politico)
New York Democrats met on Thursday to discuss Schneiderman’s replacement, and despite reports that someone had already been picked, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie insists that a decision hasn’t been made. (Politico)
Samantha Bee once interviewed Schneiderman on her weekly show “Full Frontal,” but that didn’t stop her from blasting the former attorney general on her latest episode. (TU)
Cuomo isn’t a fan of a Republican state Senator’s proposal to create a $300 million fund for child sex abuse survivors, saying it would put a cap on the recovery of people. (DN)
The $300 million is a part of a compromise state Senate Republicans want that would compensate child sex abuse survivors with public money instead of payoffs from perpetrators of institutions. (TU)
Sen. Charles Schumer said that he wanted Kathleen M. Sweet to be Buffalo’s first female federal judge, but the White House insisted on nominating John L. Sinatra Jr. (Buffalo News)
Schumer trolled the president on Twitter, responding with First Lady Melania Trump’s #BeBest hashtag that’s been used to advocate against online bullying after Trump called the senator “Cryin’ Chuck Schumer” on social media. (NYP)
Rep. Claudia Tenney is mimicking Trump’s gimmick like a lazy professional wrestler, but that’s not turning voters away. In fact, it might be doing the opposite. (NYT)
CapCon’s A.M. Roundup is compiled by Ben Mehic, Ben.Mehic@timesunion.com
Have a state-related news tip for the Times Union’s Capitol Bureau? Please contact Brendan J. Lyons, State Editor, at 518-454-5547 or Blyons@timesunion.com.
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