Trump Shows North Korea His Bite

North Korea may have called President Trump a barking dog, but now it's seeing his bite. Trump on Thursday made a move to tighten the "economic noose" around the country, as the AP puts it, by ramping up sanctions against the Hermit Kingdom. The BBC reports he signed an executive order that gives the Treasury Department the authority to sanction companies and financial institutions that do business with the North, and it quotes him as saying the move was designed to "cut off sources of revenue that fund North Korea's efforts to develop the deadliest weapons known to humankind."

He reportedly specified a number of North Korean industries, including textiles, fishing, and manufacturing. He also saluted China's central bank for what he said was a move to stop its banks from trading with North Korea. China is North Korea's main trading partner and conduit for international transactions. Washington has been pushing China to scale back economic and financial ties to further isolate Pyongyang. The announcement came as Trump met in New York with leaders from close US allies South Korea and Japan, the nations most imperiled by North Korea's threats. (More North Korea stories.)