Q&A on the News
Q: What are the details of the vandalism of the Christopher Columbus statue last week in Baltimore?
—Joseph Cannon, College Park
A: The Baltimore Sun reported that the monument had a "gaping hole in the front and chunks of stone were scattered in the grass." The wording — "Sacred to the memory of Chris. Columbus, Octob. XII, MDCCVIIIC" — on the base of the obelisk was "rendered unreadable," possibly by a sledgehammer, the paper reported.
Baltimore Police said in a press conference that the vandalism to the 225-year-old monument appears to have happened on the morning of Aug. 21, the Washington Post reported. No suspects have been identified, according to media reports.
Q: Does Kim Jong-un have a wife or children? Who is next in line to succeed Kim?
—Kathy McDonough, Peachtree Corners
A: Kim Jong Un's wife is Ri Sol Ju. While the North Korean leader revealed Ri as his spouse in 2012, the two have been married since 2009, according to CNN. Most sources acknowledge that the two have at least one child—a girl, named Kim Ju Ae—who is likely 4 or 5 years old.
Despite this, it is suspected that only a male heir would succeed Kim, and the mysterious death of his brother, Kim Jong Nam, removed another potential successor from the family tree. As a result, the current line of succession in North Korea is unknown.
Fast Copy News Service wrote this column; Dillon Thompson contributed. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
