“Say what you will about Little Rocket Man. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is the chief thief of a family-run kleptocracy. Like his father and grandfather, he’ll starve his own people to get what he wants. Torture and murder are preferred tools of statecraft. But he ain’t stupid.” WaPo’s David Von Drehle with a very interesting examination of why Kim Jong Un is suddenly talking about peace.

+ If talks really happen, the US will be faced with two immediate questions. One, does America still have a leading role? And two, if the answer is yes, then who do we send to the talks (the State Dept is so depleted, the White House may have to hire a contractor).