Il 27/12 Barbara Zwerger ha risolto Sardonique 8a(+) nell’isola di Kalymnos (Grecia): una via dedicata all’amico Camos

Una via per il Camos di Barbara Zwerger

19 Dicembre 2007. Sono finalmente in partenza per la Grecia, destinazione Kalymnos. Gli ultimi mesi Simone (Moro ndr) ed io ci siamo visti poco e tutti e due non vedevamo l’ora di partire per trascorrere qualche giorno tranquillo insieme prima della sua nuova partenza invernale per il Pakistan. Io ho in testa un progetto verticale provato quest’estate sull’isola greca. E’ una via che ho “tastato” solo tre giorni prima del rientro in Italia. Quest’ estate avrei voluto prolungare ancora la vacanza, ma non potevo a causa della mia partecipazione al The North Face Ultra Trail du Mount Blanc, la gara podistica di 86 km intorno al Monte Bianco con 4600 metri positivi di dislivello da superare.

Siamo in aereo e tutti e due abbiamo la febbre oltre i 38 gradi… Abbiamo deciso di partire ugualmente per sfuggire ai ritmi di vita divenuti inumani, abbiamo bisogno di riposo e tranquillità. Oltre alla febbre ho anche un’altra preoccupazione. Da più di un mese non scalo più su roccia, perché sono in piena preparazione per la Coppa del Mondo di Dry Tooling. Per mantenere un po’ la forza delle dita sono andata una volta a settimana nella nuova e rinnovata palestra indoor di Merano (merita una visita), ma ho paura che non sia stato sufficiente.

Atterriamo a Kalymnos e la nostra prima tappa obbligata e il letto; siamo malati e dobbiamo guarire. Dopo quattro giorni di riposo assoluto andiamo a scalare nel settore Arhi. Solo quattro tiri di corda, quasi in apnea, sono ancora tutta raffreddata e fatico a respirare. Il giorno seguente, il 24 dicembre, andiamo nel settore Odyssey e Simone gentilmente mi mette i rinvii su Sardonique. Faccio due giri in top rope e le sensazioni non sono poi così negative.

Poi, nel tardo pomeriggio, andiamo a Pothia, la cittadina sul porto, e lì ci giunge la drammatica notizia. Il nostro grande amico Bruno Tassi, il “Camos”, non c’è più. La tristezza e l’impotenza ci fanno soccombere. Per Simone era come un fratello, l’amico più grande e per questo iniziamo a pensare ed organizzare un rientro anticipato in Italia…

Il giorno di Natale, tutto chiuso, nessuno lavora. Andiamo ancora ad Odyssey con i nostri pensieri rivolti al Camos. Lui era uomo d’azione e ci avrebbe voluti vedere sulla verticale… Simone gentilmente rimette la corda sulla via, ma poi non scala più… Io faccio un altro giro top rope, poi sfilo la corda, è ora di provare da prima. Il primo giro mi faccio scappar via un piede e cado a metà del tratto chiave. Una sezione molto tecnica che dopo dodici movimenti su liste verticali e prese piccole finisce con un allungo verso sinistra ad una lista. Proprio quell’allungo mi preoccupa. Quando arrivo lì ho l’avambraccio destro troppo stanco e non riesco più a “chiudere” a sufficienza per arrivare alla presa salvezza, così decido di anticipare il moschetonaggio, ma non serve… cado all’uscita.

Quell’ultimo movimento mi fa impazzire, troppo aleatorio e per questo cerco un’altra soluzione. Trovo un sistema nuovo d’uscita, con prese più piccole, ma mi sembra più adattato alla mia statura. Ma per oggi basta, le vacanze finiscono per il rientro anticipato. Andiamo dal nostro amico George che gentilmente prova l’impossibile per anticipare i nostri voli. Nulla, tutto pieno. Perciò decidiamo che io sarei rimasta a Kalymnos mentre Simone riesce a trovare una soluzione che prevede l’acquisto di due biglietti di due diverse compagnie che gli permettono di rientrare in tempo.

Il giorno dopo riposo e riesco a procurarmi il numero di telefono di Lucas Tourtouregkas, forte scalatore greco, che si è trasferito permanentemente a Kalymnos. Anche lui ha un progetto a Odyssey e così gli chiedo se possiamo scalare insieme. Il giorno dopo torno in falesia. E’ il giorno dell’addio al Camòs e vorrei tanto salire Sardonique per dedicarla a lui. Simone non è qua e tocca a me portare su i rinvii, ma mentre lo faccio rimango sorpresa perché cado solo all’ultimo movimento duro. Riposo per un quaranta minuti poi riparto, Lucas e la sua morosa mi fanno il tifo.

La prima parte va via liscia ed arrivo abbastanza fresca al chiave. Fatico nella sequenza dei verticali, fino ad arrivare ad un laterale abbastanza decente. Faccio due profondi respiri e penso al Camos. Vado per la nuova soluzione, traverso con un piccolo svaso, prendo il bidito di destra, stringo e mi allungo alla tacca “salvezza”, un piccolo grido di sollievo con le lacrime agli occhi pensando all’amico scomparso e a quanto sarebbe stato orgoglioso di me (lo manifestava spesso). Arrivo al riposo e poi con calma e ben concentrata risolvo le sezioni tra gli ultimi due spit e l’infinito runout alla catena. Quando la moschetto guardo giù all’ultimo rinvio… impressionante quanto è lontano! Poi mi guardo attorno, di fronte l’isola di Telendos, il mare, il sole…
Ciao Camos, ci mancherai!

Barbara Zwerger

Utah officials said they were reviewing 21 cases of severe vaping-related illnesses Monday, less than one week after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) identified a cluster of lung disease cases potentially linked to people using e-cigarettes across the country.

The updated number from the Utah Department of Health more than doubles the 10 cases that were reported as of last week, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. Officials are also investigating another five unconfirmed cases, health department spokeswoman Rebecca Ward confirmed to the paper. 

Last week, the CDC announced that it is investigating more than 193 potential cases of respiratory illness related in 22 states that might be related to vaping or using e-cigarettes.  

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An Illinois resident who developed the illness after vaping died last week.

The CDC has not publicly identified a cause yet, but many of the reported cases have involved products that contain THC, the key element in marijuana that causes users to get high. 

Before experiencing symptoms of respiratory distress, some patients have reported shortness of breath and chest pains, as well as gastrointestinal problems like nausea and diarrhea, according to the CDC.

Utah doctors warned that they have seen multiple cases of lipoid pneumonia in patients who vape, which results in fat deposits, potentially from the oil in vaping liquids, being found in the lung’s air sacs, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

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Oregon on Tuesday announced it has exited a federal family planning program over opposition to the Trump administration’s new abortion restrictions.

In a letter sent Monday to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Oregon Health Authority said it would withdraw from the Title X family planning grant program rather than follow new rules banning grantees from referring women for abortions.  

The state has been a Title X grantee since 1970. Last year, Title X-funded clinics served more than 44,000 people in Oregon, state officials said in a statement.

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Oregon is the latest state to leave the program, after Washington and Vermont decided to give up Title X funds last week. 

The administration’s rules “impose restrictions on health care providers and patients that are unlawful, unethical and without merit,” Lillian Shirley, director for the Oregon Public Health Division, wrote. 

“If HHS had left the state any choice other than violating the rights of individuals seeking reproductive health care, Oregon would have remained in the Title X program. HHS’ abandonment of the principles of the Title X program is upsetting, deeply disappointing and an unconstitutional violation of women’s rights,” Shirley said in the letter.

HHS set a deadline of last week for grantees to provide evidence that they were complying with the new rules, which also require that all grantees stop providing abortions. 

The Title X program funds states, organizations and clinics providing low-income women and men with birth control, sexually transmitted disease testing and other reproductive services. 

But the administration argues these funds shouldn’t go to groups that provide or refer women for abortions, although federal funding already wasn’t allowed to go toward the procedure.

Oregon is the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the Title X rule. It is joined by 19 other states and the District of Columbia as well as Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the American Medical Association.

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If the new regulations are vacated, Oregon said it reserves the right to withdraw its termination and resume participation in the Title X program.

In a statement, Patrick Allen, director of the Oregon Health Authority, said the state “is fortunate to have funds available to continue offering comprehensive reproductive health care services.”

Allen said the new rule “will not prevent health clinics and care providers from continuing to offer the full range of high-quality, personalized and trusted reproductive health services they have always delivered.”

Hong Kong’s leader on Tuesday said that the government can stem rising violence amid weeks of protests that have seen tensions rise. 

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, one of the officials at the center of protesters’ ire, said that the country should “prepare for reconciliation in society” and “say no to violence,” according to an official transcript of her remarks at a Tuesday media session. 

“We want to put an end to the chaotic situation in Hong Kong through law enforcement and so on,” she said. “At the same time, we will not give up on building a platform for dialogue.”

Lam added that she does not think her government has lost control, and dismissed the possibility of her resignation. 

“Day in, day out, we are not only supporting the law enforcement bodies, we are also acting responsibly to deal with other issues that have arisen,” she said.

Lam’s comments come after clashes over the weekend in which authorities used tear gas and water cannons against protesters. The government said that some demonstrators had hurled bricks at police officers and started fires.

The government said in a Monday statement that during protests police were attacked with bricks and iron rods and that protesters hurled petrol bombs at police vehicles. An officer fired a warning shot into the air in response to attacks, the statement said. 

“The escalating illegal and violent acts of radical protesters are not only outrageous, they also push Hong Kong to the verge of a very dangerous situation,” it added. 

The demonstrations first began earlier this year in opposition to an extradition bill proposed by the Hong Kong government that was later tabled. Protesters have since demanded the bill be completely removed and have called for more police accountability. 

Reuters reported Tuesday that more protests were planned in upcoming days and weeks.

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Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee filed a motion Monday to expedite the panel’s lawsuit seeking to enforce a subpoena against former White House counselor Don McGahn.

In the new court filings, Democratic counsels argue their investigation, which they say is a time-sensitive matter because their probe expires in early January, is being severely delayed as a result of the White House blocking McGahn’s testimony. 

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“McGahn’s refusal to testify harms the Judiciary Committee by depriving it of a witness and information that are essential to its investigation, thereby impeding the Judiciary Committee’s ability” to conduct “the most urgent duty the House can face: determining whether to approve articles of impeachment,” the court document reads.

“That refusal also is impeding the Judiciary Committee in its ability to assess the need for remedial legislation and to conduct oversight of [the Justice Department]. All of these tasks are time-limited. The House, and with it the Judiciary Committee’s investigation, expires on January 3, 2021. The delay caused by McGahn’s refusal to testify thus severely impedes the Judiciary Committee’s ability to do its time-sensitive work,” it continues.

House Democrats are asking a U.S. district judge in the District of Columbia to grant declaratory and injunctive relief by declaring “that McGahn’s refusal to appear before the Committee in response to the subpoena issued to him was without legal justification” and to “issue an injunction ordering McGahn to appear and testify forthwith before the Committee” about his testimony to former special counsel Robert MuellerRobert (Bob) Swan MuellerMueller report fades from political conversation Trump calls for probe of Obama book deal Democrats express private disappointment with Mueller testimony MORE and to other questions they may have.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold NadlerJerrold (Jerry) Lewis NadlerPoll: Majority wants Trump out, but not through impeachment Second Democrat representing Trump district backs impeachment GOP memo deflects some gun questions to ‘violence from the left’ MORE (D-N.Y.) and other Democrats have a lot riding on this lawsuit, with the committee describing McGahn as their “most critical witness.”

If the case is ruled favorably, they argue, a domino effect will occur in which former Trump officials who had refused to testify at the request of the White House would be compelled.

And by moving to expedite the process, Democrats hope they won’t lose too much time and interest extracting testimony from key witnesses involved in the nearly dozen episodes of obstruction by President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate Democrats warn Trump: Don’t invite Putin to G-7 Trump blames Fed for manufacturing slowdown Pence responds to Haley tweet: I’m looking forward to running with Trump in 2020 MORE, as laid out in the 448-page Mueller report.

“President Trump and the White House have repeatedly blocked witnesses from complying with Committee subpoenas and documents and continue to attempt to stall progress in the courts,” Nadler said in a statement with the recent filing. “We are aware of this strategy to prevent Congress and the American people from hearing the truth about Trump’s obstruction which is why expediting Mr. McGahn’s testimony is so very important.”

Nadler has issued a slew of new subpoenas over the House’s six-week recess in what is likely to escalate the standoff between the White House and congressional Democrats, who are conducting a sprawling investigation into possible obstruction outlined in the report and potential abuses of power by the president. 

On Monday, Nadler subpoenaed former White House staff secretary Rob Porter for testimony on Sept. 17, the same day the chairman has also subpoenaed former campaign chairman Corey LewandowskiCorey R. LewandowskiNadler files motion to expedite lawsuit seeking McGahn testimony Nadler subpoenas former White House aide Rob Porter Sunday shows – Recession fears dominate MORE and former White House official Rick Dearborn to testify.

The Trump administration has sought to block the testimony of current and former White House aides such as McGahn, who is seen as a key witness in Mueller’s report.

The White House has argued that under the standard of immunity, confidentiality protections offered to the executive branch apply to current and former aides, effectively preventing them from disclosing what took place during their time in the administration.

While both Republican and Democratic administrations have invoked the immunity concept, legal experts say there is virtually no case law on the subject, with some predicting the White House is likely to lose if it’s challenged in court.

Democrats in particular consider McGahn a key witness because Trump ordered the former White House counsel to remove the special counsel — an order he refused to carry out out of fear he would trigger another Nixon era-like Saturday Night Massacre. McGahn instead drafted a resignation letter that he ultimately did not submit.

The order to remove Mueller came after the president discovered that the federal investigation was not just examining Russian interference and possible coordination between members of the Trump campaign and Russia but also possible obstruction by the president following his decision to fire former FBI Director James ComeyJames Brien ComeyNadler files motion to expedite lawsuit seeking McGahn testimony The road not taken: Another FBI failure involving the Clintons surfaces Sarah Huckabee Sanders becomes Fox News contributor MORE, who was overseeing the probe.

Republicans have accused Democrats of seeking to rehash the Mueller report in an attempt to damage the president heading into 2020.

And so far, the White House has maintained a strong firewall in blocking current and former staffers from testifying.

Still, the court case could shake things up for the two parties depending on how U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson rules.

A lawyer for McGahn, William Burck, wrote in a letter earlier this month that his client would follow the White House order not to testify unless a court judge ruled otherwise.

“The President instructed Don to cooperate fully with the Special Counsel but directed him not to testify to Congress unless the White House and the Committee reached an accommodation. When faced with competing demands from co-equal branches of government, Don will follow his former client’s instruction, absent a contrary decision from the federal judiciary,” Burck said at the time of the lawsuit was filed earlier this month.

Democrats hope McGahn’s testimony would inspire a new wave of national interest as they seek to use the national spotlight on McGahn’s testimony to paint a picture of a corrupt commander in chief who is unfit to lead.

The lawsuit to obtain McGahn’s testimony comes with a majority of House Democrats now in favor of formally opening up an inquiry to decide whether to introduce articles of impeachment against the president.

While Mueller did not find sufficient evidence to conclude that the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia, he did not make a determination as to whether the president obstructed justice. Attorney General William BarrWilliam Pelham BarrDemocrats call on House committees to probe Epstein’s 2008 ‘sweetheart deal,’ suicide A ‘nation of laws’? With immigration, only when it’s convenient for Democrats Video from camera outside Epstein jail cell unusable: report MORE and other Department of Justice officials ultimately decided that the evidence laid out in the Mueller report did not reach the threshold needed to charge Trump.

Democrats, however, argue it was not Barr’s choice to make and that lawmakers must decide whether the president’s actions rose to the level of “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

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Defense Secretary Mark EsperMark EsperOracle appeals decision on B Pentagon contract Bahrain joins US-led coalition to protect Gulf shipping Congress must exercise its power to ensure America has no war with Iran MORE has approved building 20 more miles of barriers along the southern border, according to court documents filed Tuesday.

Esper approved the Department of Homeland Security request Monday for the additional construction after contracts for the previously approved barriers cost less than expected, according to the documents.

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The Trump administration filed the notice of its decision to approve more construction as part of a lawsuit seeking to block the administration from using Pentagon funds to build President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate Democrats warn Trump: Don’t invite Putin to G-7 Trump blames Fed for manufacturing slowdown Pence responds to Haley tweet: I’m looking forward to running with Trump in 2020 MORE’s long-desired wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

A Pentagon official confirmed to The Hill that Esper had approved to the request.

Former acting Defense Secretary Patrick ShanahanPatrick Michael ShanahanWhy Dave Norquist is the perfect choice for DOD’s deputy secretary Five questions for Trump’s new defense secretary on first major tour Trump says media is part of vetting his nominees: ‘We save a lot of money that way’ MORE had previously approved transferring $2.5 billion from various Pentagon accounts into a Defense Department counter-drug fund for to be used for about 135 miles of border barriers in El Paso, Texas, and Yuma and Tucson, Ariz.

After awarding contracts for seven projects, the Army Corps of Engineers determined that lower-than-expected contract costs could allow for another 20 miles of barrier, Kenneth Rapuano, assistant secretary of Defense for homeland defense and global security, wrote in a declaration to the court.

As such, Esper approved using the remaining money from the original $2.5 billion for additional work in two projects in Yuma and one in Tuscon, Rapuano wrote.

Esper wrote in a memo dated Monday included in the court filings that he determined the requirements of the law governing Pentagon support for counter-drug activities was met and so “I have decided to authorize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to use excess funds already provided for the construction of border barrier projects under section 284 for constructing up to 20 miles of 30-foot pedestrian fencing, constructing and improving roads, and installing lighting within Yuma Sector Projects #4 and 5 and Tucson Sector Project #4.”

The Pentagon unilaterally moved the $2.5 billion into the counter-drug fund without congressional approval, bucking decades of tradition. The move invoked the ire of lawmakers, with House Democrats now seeking to limit the Pentagon’s ability to move money between accounts. 

It also sparked the lawsuit. Last month, the Supreme Court ruled the Trump administration can start using the Pentagon funds on the wall while the litigation plays out.

Updated at 5:04 p.m.

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The Trump administration is moving to lift logging restrictions on Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, the country’s largest national forest, The Washington Post reports.

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The president reportedly directed Agriculture Secretary Sonny PerdueGeorge (Sonny) Ervin Perdue70 mayors sign letter opposing Trump proposal that would restrict access to food stamps USDA eases relocation timeline as researchers flee agency The Hill’s Morning Report – How will Trump be received in Dayton and El Paso? MORE to lift the restrictions put in place under the Clinton administration’s 2001 “Roadless Rule” earlier this month, three sources familiar with the matter told The Post. 

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According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the rule establishes prohibitions on “road construction, road reconstruction, and timber harvesting on 58.5 million acres of inventoried roadless areas on National Forest System lands.”

The move to roll back the rule could reportedly downgrade protections for the majority of the rainforest, which spans 16.7 million acres, and potentially allow for possible logging and mining projects. 

The move reportedly comes after the president shared a private discussion with Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) on the matter earlier this year.

According to The Post, the conversation took place during the president’s recent meeting with Dunleavy at the Elmendorf Air Force Base in late June.

At the time, Dunleavy told reporters after the meeting that the president “really believes in the opportunities here in Alaska, and he’s done everything he can to work with us on our mining concerns, timber concerns.” 

“We talked about tariffs as well,” he also said then. “We’re working on a whole bunch of things together, but the president does care very much about the state of Alaska.” 

The reported move, which has prompted alarm from wildlife experts and conservationists, has come after repeated calls by Sen. Lisa MurkowskiLisa Ann MurkowskiOvernight Energy: Green groups sue Trump over Endangered Species Act changes | Bureau of Land Management retirees fight plan to relocate agency | Wildfires in Amazon rainforest burn at record rate Bureau of Land Management retirees fight plan to relocate agency out west The Hill’s Morning Report – Progressives, centrists clash in lively Democratic debate MORE (R-Alaska) to exempt Alaska from the Clinton-era rule. 

Murkowski said in a statement to The Post that the rule “should never have been applied to our state” and added that it is “harming our ability to develop a sustainable, year-round economy for the Southeast region, where less than one percent of the land is privately held.” 

“The timber industry has declined precipitously, and it is astonishing that the few remaining mills in our nation’s largest national forest have to constantly worry about running out of supply,” she added.

The Trump administration is reportedly set to roll out a plan for later this year.

The Trump administration told a federal judge Monday that states have no power to sue the federal government regarding new rules they say make school meals less healthy, Reuters reported.

The government said in a late-night filing in the U.S. Court for the Southern District of New York that six states and Washington, D.C., cannot sue based on speculation that changes to the federally funded National School Lunch Program could cause health problems

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“This rule recognizes that a state has no legal interest in protecting its citizens from the federal government, and that only the United States, not the states, may represent its citizens and ensure their protection under federal law in federal matters,” U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said in the filing, according to Reuters.

The five states — New York, California, Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico and Vermont — and D.C. sued Agriculture Secretary Sonny PerdueGeorge (Sonny) Ervin Perdue70 mayors sign letter opposing Trump proposal that would restrict access to food stamps USDA eases relocation timeline as researchers flee agency The Hill’s Morning Report – How will Trump be received in Dayton and El Paso? MORE in April over a 2018 rule that rolled back nutrition standards set in 2012 that gradually implemented sodium restrictions and increased the amount of whole grains in the school meals.

The plaintiffs alleged that the change to the public school lunch program, which feeds more than 30 million students, violated federal law because the Agriculture Department did not allow for public comment and that the change was “arbitrary [and] capricious.”

Among the changes in the rule were halving the required amounts of whole grains to be served and delaying or shelving targets for sodium intake.

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Berman in the filing called the new rules only “minimum requirements,” and said states remained free to enact stricter requirements.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif arrived in Biarritz, France, on Sunday, where world leaders are gathered for the Group of Summit (G-7) summit.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Zarif made the trip at the invitation of French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. Zarif’s agenda was not immediately clear, but Iranian officials said there would be “no meetings or negotiations with the American delegation on this trip.”

President TrumpDonald John TrumpGraham: America must ‘accept the pain that comes in standing up to China’ Weld ‘thrilled’ more Republicans are challenging Trump New data challenges Trump’s economic narrative MORE was asked Sunday morning about reports that Zarif was in town and said he had “no comment.”

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The Trump administration last month sanctioned Zarif because he “acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Iran is one of the most prominent areas of difference among the attendees of the G-7.

Trump announced last year that he was withdrawing the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear pact that granted Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. But other G-7 members have remained committed to the pact.

The Trump administration has hammered Iran with sanctions in an effort to cripple its economy. Trump has repeatedly claimed that Iran would like to negotiate a new nuclear deal, but there is no evidence that the two sides are close to coming to the table.

The president earlier Sunday again appeared to break with world leaders on their efforts to address Iranian tensions.

French President Emmanuel MacronEmmanuel Jean-Michel MacronTrump says it’s ‘certainly possible’ Putin will be invited to next year’s G-7 summit Iranian foreign minister arrives at site of G-7 summit Aides accuse Macron of seeking to embarrass Trump with G-7 focus on ‘niche issues’ MORE said the G-7 member nations had agreed on a message to Iran that contained the group’s unified objectives. But Trump said he hadn’t discussed it.

Trump was critical earlier this month of Macron’s efforts to mediate. He complained that the French president and other leaders were sending Iran “mixed signals” by purporting to negotiate on behalf of the U.S.

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A slate of recent setbacks to some of President TrumpDonald John TrumpGraham: America must ‘accept the pain that comes in standing up to China’ Weld ‘thrilled’ more Republicans are challenging Trump New data challenges Trump’s economic narrative MORE’s key foreign policy goals is threatening to muddy his reelection message.

Reports show ISIS is regaining strength in Iraq and Syria. Meanwhile, North Korea has conducted half a dozen missile tests over the last few weeks, a pace not seen since before Trump sat down with Kim Jong UnKim Jong UnNorth Korea: Kim supervised test of ‘super-large multiple rocket launcher’ Trump ‘not happy’ with North Korea missile tests, but denies they violate agreement Japan must keep America engaged MORE.

Defeating ISIS and negotiating with North Korea are two areas Trump holds up as major accomplishments at campaign rallies and on Twitter, and backsliding on progress could undercut his message and give fodder to his Democratic rivals.

Still, Trump critics and allies alike say it would take a major development to truly resonate with voters and that neither situation has reached that threshold yet.

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Thomas Wright, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institutions, said Trump wants to counter “Democrats who are saying he’s a bull in a china shop and overly aggressive.”

“He’ll say, ‘Look, I’m a dealmaker and renegotiating sort of America’s role in the world,'” Wright added.

“I think it will fall apart, but it may not fall apart until after the election. I don’t think, like in North Korea, for instance, most people are paying a huge amount of attention to the details,” said Wright.

North Korea has conducted seven short-range missile tests since late July, the most recent happening Saturday local time. Pyongyang has said the tests are in protest of joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises, drills that were already scaled down so as to not upset diplomacy with North Korea.

Working-level negotiations have not resumed despite an agreement to do so when Trump and Kim met at the Korean Peninsula’s Demilitarized Zone in June. Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoBill Maher says he’s ‘glad’ David Koch is dead Trump spurs new wave of economic angst by escalating China fight Trump on North Korean projectile launches: Kim ‘likes testing missiles’ MORE expressed concern this week about the missile tests and acknowledged that talks have not proceeded “as quickly as we would have hoped.”

On Friday, North Korea’s top diplomat called Pompeo a “diehard toxin” in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.

Trump has brushed off the tests because they do not involve intercontinental ballistic missiles that can hit the United States. Tests of those missiles would violate the commitment Kim made to Trump at their first summit in Singapore.

Trump has also continued to praise Kim, touting the North Korean’s “beautiful” letters and saying that while the tests might violate U.N. sanctions, Kim “does want to disappoint his friend” Trump.

Meanwhile, in the Middle East, evidence is mounting of an ISIS resurgence months after Trump declared victory over the terrorist group. A front page New York Times story this past week declared that “ISIS Is Regaining Strength in Iraq and Syria.”

That was preceded by an inspector general (IG) report this month that found ISIS “solidified its insurgent capabilities in Iraq and was resurging in Syria” over the last few months.

The IG report also found that a U.S. troop drawdown in Syria means the United States does not have the resources to monitor a refugee camp where “ISIS is likely exploiting the lack of security to enlist new members and re-engage members who have left the battlefield.”

ISIS is also making sure it stays in the conversation over Afghanistan, where it claimed responsibility for an attack on a wedding in Kabul that killed 80 people and wounded more than 150.

Asked this past week about concerns ISIS is reemerging, Trump said the group has been “decimated” and that it’s up to other countries to take up the fight from here.

“At a certain point, all of these other countries where ISIS is around — they’ve been decimated by the way, badly decimated — but all of these countries are going to have to fight them because do we want to stay there for another 19 years? I don’t think so,” Trump said.

As in most presidential campaigns, foreign policy has so far taken a back seat to domestic issues in the 2020 race.

Still, Democratic candidates have hit Trump on his foreign policy. In Trump’s June meeting with Kim, the president stepped into North Korea for a moment, sparking a flurry of statements. Front-runner Joe BidenJoe BidenScaramucci attends charity event featuring Biden in the Hamptons Klobuchar knocks Trump: ‘This negotiating by tweet hasn’t been working’ Rendell: Biden ‘baked in’ as Democratic nominee MORE condemned Trump’s actions, saying that he was “more concerned with a photo op for himself than getting results for the American people.”

More recently, on Thursday night, Sen. Kamala HarrisKamala Devi HarrisSanders doubles down on ‘Medicare For All’ defense: ‘We have not changed one word’ Obama reveals his summer playlist Democratic candidates face hard choices as 2020 field winnows MORE (D-Calif.) tweeted, “I can tell you this: As president, I won’t be exchanging love letters with Kim Jong-unKim Jong UnForeign policy setbacks cloud Trump 2020 pitch North Korea: Kim supervised test of ‘super-large multiple rocket launcher’ Trump ‘not happy’ with North Korea missile tests but denies they violate agreement MORE.”

Asked about criticism that recent developments are undercutting Trump’s message, a Trump campaign spokesman responded that the success of the president’s foreign policy “is beyond question.”

“From his tough stance on China and their unfair trade practices, to improving our trade deals around the world, to standing up to the tin-pot dictator in Venezuela — President Trump says what he means and does not back down,” campaign spokesman Daniel Bucheli said in a statement to The Hill.

“The president has proven time and again that he will respond to foreign policy challenges as they arise, always putting the security of America first,” Bucheli added.

Trump is also seeking a major foreign policy win ahead of the election, with the administration racing to conclude talks with the Taliban that would lead to a U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“I’m sure [Trump] and his top advisers see an election clock ticking as far as ‘we have to keep our promises in the first term,’ but I think just as much it’s a frustration on his part for a general lack of progress and being caught in a stalemate,” said Andy Keiser, a principal at the lobbying firm Navigators Global who worked on national security for the Trump transition team.

But Keiser added that as long as Afghanistan, North Korea and other foreign policy issues such as Iran remain unsettled, they could still impact Trump’s campaign.

“What average voters in swing states would care about is less about what’s happening on the margins, but if some major development with North Korea, maybe another nuclear tests might meet that threshold, or if those talks just totally fall apart, or if you had some total collapse in Afghanistan, for example, I think those big issues could resonate,” he said. “Or on the positive side, if there was some macroagreement with the Kim regime and/or some negotiated settlement with the Taliban, the president could say he kept his promise.”

Jim Carafano, a staunch Trump defender and defense policy expert at The Heritage Foundation, argued that recent developments with North Korea and ISIS are “way too subtle” to affect the election.

For a foreign policy mishap to have an effect, Carafano said, it has to happen close to the election, be demonstrably Trump’s fault and be “huge.”

“Absent a World War III-like event, if it’s kind of the day-to-day up and down of foreign policy, like the North Koreans are being a little more rambunctious or the Russians are upping military operations in Ukraine or something, I just don’t think that’s going to move anybody’s needle,” he said.

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