Secret tapes of Kim Jong Il were an intelligence windfall for the US They could shed light on personality of his son and current leader Kim Jong Un A new documentary reveals secret audio tapes of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il talking openly about his frustrations with the country’s propaganda and film production. He is heard speaking freely in a high-pitched voice, in tapes smuggled out of the country in the 1980s by two South Koreans who were kidnapped and held in North Korea. “The Lovers and the Despot” tells the story of how actress Choi Eun-hee and director Shin Sang-ok were seized by North Korean agents in 1978, and kept in North Korea for eight years, forced to make movies. They made 17 films in captivity, ranging from tear-jerkers to thrillers. With a hidden micro-casette recorder, they recorded some of their meetings with the movie-obsessed leader. Experts say the tapes could even help shed light on Kim’s son, the inscrutable young leader who rules the country today: Kim Jong Un. North Korea: ‘We were forced to eat grass and soil’ Kim is heard apologizing to them for the kidnapping technique, promising money and resources for the film industry, and complaining about the quality of the movies his country has been producing. “Why do all of our films have the same ideological plots? There is nothing new about them.” He also finds his country’s filmmakers lacking, compared to those of his more-successful rivals to the South. “We don’t have any films that get into film festivals. But in South Korea, they have better technology. They are like college students; we are just in nursery school. People here are so close minded.” On a more personal note, according to Choi, he made fun of his diminutive stature when he first met her. “Look at me,” she said he told her. “Aren’t I small,” and then made a crude self-deprecating comparison. At the time, Kim was head of the country’s ministry for culture and propaganda. Shin and Choi both described Kim as someone who micromanaged everything, according to Paul Fischer, who wrote a book about the kidnapping. “Kim Jong Il was a film fanatic himself,” says Fischer. South Korea reveals it has a plan to assassinate Kim Jong Un Choi and Shin eventually slipped their North Korean minders during a trip to Europe and defected, eventually reaching the US. But even before they did, they smuggled the audiotapes out during a previous trip, and an intermediary brought the recordings to the State Department in 1985. “My jaw dropped,” said David Straub, a Korea specialist at the State Department at the time, who received the tapes and began listening to them. “Hours and hours of recordings of Kim Jong Il speaking relatively freely would be an intelligence windfall for the American government, since we’d never heard him speak before, much less privately.” Greg Scarlatoiu, of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, said that the tapes showed that Kim was insecure about everything including the thing he loved most – movies – and this trait was likely shared by his youngest son Kim Jong Un. “Just like his father before, this leader of North Korea must suffer from a complex of inferiority as well,” he said. “The insecurity was surely something that Kim Jong Un inherited.”


"I believe by mid-July we will be able to brief you in detail," Mattis said In May, the Pentagon said it was considering sending additional troops to Afghanistan US Secretary of Defense James Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday that he will be able to brief the committee on a new Afghanistan strategy by mid-July. “I believe by mid-July we will be able to brief you in detail,” Mattis said, “We are putting it together now and there are actions being taken to make certain we don’t pay a price for the delay.” Mattis was replying to questioning from Sen. John McCain, who expressed exasperation that the administration is being so slow to outline its strategy, remarking that it’s “Not a helluva lot to ask … We just lost three brave Americans, when can we expect the Congress of the United States to get a strategy for Afghanistan that is a departure from the last eight years, which is ‘don’t lose’?” McCain was referencing the three US soldiers who were killed during a joint US-Afghan military operation Saturday in Nangarhar province. Related article 5 children lost their dads in an attack that killed 3 US soldiers In May, the Pentagon said it was considering sending additional troops to Afghanistan as part of a broader set of recommendations on how to adjust the US military approach in Afghanistan. But that plan has not yet been presented to Congress and a senior administration official told CNN on Monday that President Donald Trump is not expected to make a decision on the US strategy in Afghanistan for several more weeks. Related article Trump decision on Afghanistan still weeks away McCain pressed Mattis on the urgency of a new plan for Afghanistan: “I hope you understand that we’re going to start getting more vocal in our criticism of not having a strategy for Afghanistan. Do you agree that we are not winning in Afghanistan?” Mattis acknowledged the need for urgency. “I understand it’s my responsibility, we are not winning in Afghanistan right now and we will correct this as soon as possible.” Monday, before the House Armed Services Committee, Mattis provided some additional details on what the new troops would potentially do, stressing the advisers would provide tactical support to Afghan troops at the brigade level as opposed to the current corps/headquarters level. “The troops that are being asked for by Gen. Nicholson … many of them are going to be what we call train, advise, assist. These are troops that are specifically trained by our US Army to go out in the field and you apply them with the brigades, the Afghan brigades.” He went on to add, “We’re talking now about putting what we call NATO air support, down at the brigade level, so when they are in contact, the high ground is now going to be owned by the Afghans. It’s a fundamental change to how we bring our … real superiority in terms of air support to help them. In other words, we’re not talking about putting our troops on the front line.” There are about 8,400 US troops in Afghanistan as part of the US-led counterterrorism mission and a separate, NATO-led effort to train, advise and assist the Afghan army and police force in the fight against the Taliban. A US defense official told CNN that accelerated operations against ISIS in should be expected in the coming weeks in response to the recent attacks. They said this will be separate from the request to increase the number of advisers for training and assistance and the US would expect to increase the frequency of airstrikes launched. They also said the military will ramp up intelligence gathering in Nagarhar province, where most of the ISIS operatives are located. The aim of the increased intelligence will be to find high value targets and concentrations of ISIS fighters, the official said. Since the US struck with its “mother of all bombs” earlier this year, ISIS has largely avoided assembling in large concentrations, so the official said additional targeting is needed. The official also said that the US estimates there are still several hundred ISIS fighters in eastern Afghanistan.


"I do think he'll wind up, you know, wind up having to commit more troops there," Christie said Christie said he expects Trump to become more aggressive after he delivers his convention speech Thursday New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is in line for a top spot within a potential Donald Trump White House, said Wednesday he thinks Trump would have to send more troops to fight ISIS in the Middle East if he wins in November. “I do think he’ll wind up, you know, wind up having to commit more troops there,” Christie told CNN’s Jake Tapper. He added, “When you sit and talk to him about facts, he listens, absorbs and alters his view. I think that’s what we want from a politician.” In March, Trump said at a CNN-hosted debate that the US has “no choice” but to defeat ISIS and said he was “hearing” that as many as 30,000 troops might be necessary to achieve that goal. He then told CBS News on Sunday that he would declare war on the terrorist group and send “very few” US troops to combat them. Christie said he expects Trump to become more aggressive after he delivers his convention speech Thursday. He added that Trump is “strong” about increasing US overseas intelligence capabilities and said the Republican nominee would be “consistent in his rhetoric on the nature of the threat.” The New Jersey governor also said he talked with Trump Tuesday but did not talk about Melania Trump, whose speech on Monday plagiarized passages from a 2008 address delivered by First Lady Michelle Obama. He said he expected to talk about Melania’s speech with Trump later Wednesday. A Trump organization staffer took responsibility for the incident Wednesday. “I don’t know what the dynamic is that’s going on within the Trump household right now, but I know Melania very well,” Christie said. “And I know Melania is a private person, really intelligent, really cares about Donald, loves him and loves her son.” Christie said the speech controversy has become demeaning for her. “Now there’s all this stuff from a speech that she probably didn’t want to give in the first place, that is demeaning to her even by extension,” he said. He added, “It would make me enormously uncomfortable if a member of my staff had done that to my wife.” The public, Christie said, needs to understand that it is hard for many families when they are thrust into politics the way that the Trump family has been. He said the campaign staff, the family and the candidate often form a political “love triangle” that needs to be balanced. “I suspect when I speak to him later today that I’m going to hear a big personal dynamic that’s part of this story too because it involved his wife,” Christie said. “And I think to underestimate how that impacts the way you make decisions, the rapidity of your decisions, and the nature of them, is to give less of an understanding than there really needs to be to that triangle.” The New Jersey governor also said he hoped Texas Sen. Ted Cruz would finally endorse Trump in his speech Wednesday night – something he said Cruz had promised he would do. “I hope Ted Cruz gets up tonight when he speaks tonight and keeps his word, endorses Trump,” Christie said. “He was kissing Donald’s rear end for first six months of the campaign. They did rallies together on Capitol Hill. Seriously. They don’t realize Donald isn’t a politician. He thought Ted really meant it.”


FBI says it believes AWOL rookie policeman Henry Solis is armed and dangerous He is accused of shooting a man after a fight in a Pomona, California, bar The search for a rookie Los Angeles Police Department officer suspected of homicide has expanded into an international manhunt, focused on the border cities of El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The FBI said Friday it believes AWOL policeman Henry Solis is armed and dangerous and drove 800 miles across the desert from Southern California to El Paso with his father in a pickup a week ago. The FBI is offering $25,000 for information leading directly to the arrest of Solis in connection with the death of Salome Rodriguez, 23, who died after a fight between the men in a downtown Pomona, California, bar. “The pattern suggests he crossed into Mexico, but he has family and friends living in El Paso and Ciudad Juarez,” said Scott Garriola, special FBI agent who runs the fugitive task force from the Los Angeles Bureau. “So he could be on either side of the border.” “It’s a quick bus ride from the interior of Mexico to other parts of the country and Central America.” The FBI, Pomona Police and Los Angeles County District Attorney declined to comment on whether Victor Solis might face charges for allegedly helping his son flee to El Paso. Garriola said Solis is a veteran of the Marines and “he has extensive training and weapons” understanding. Authorities posted three photos of Solis, with and without facial hair, and said he may now have a full beard. Police said after the early morning bar fight Solis pursued his victim on foot in the nightclub district and shot him multiple times. Garriola said Solis then reportedly called his father in Lancaster, California, and later that morning they began the trek to El Paso. Victor Solis said he dropped off his son at a bus stop in El Paso and his son made some incriminating statements “not only about his actions that day but also that he would never be seen again,” Garriola said. Henry Solis worked in the Devonshire Division of the San Fernando Valley, where he rode with a training officer. Earlier this week, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck fired Solis and appealed for him to give up. “You have dishonored this police department, your country and your service to your country,” Beck said. Marine Corps records say Solis served in Iraq from April to November 2007, earning several medals, including for the Iraq campaign, global war on terrorism service and Marine Corps good conduct. The personnel file also shows Solis was an aircraft maintenance technician and a security guard. Garriola said he was confident Solis will be caught, and said he shared Beck’s opinion of Solis. “It’s a brother law enforcement officer, he served our country, we echo that same indignation.”


NEW: The U.S. calls the death "a major blow" to al Qaeda and to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, "its most dangerous affiliate" Nasir al-Wuhayshi was the top leader of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP AQAP says its military chief, Qasm al-Rimi, will succeed al-Wuhayshi Al Qaeda’s second in command, Nasir al-Wuhayshi, has been killed in a drone strike in Yemen, dealing a heavy setback to the leadership of the international terrorist group. Al-Wuhayshi was the top leader of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, one of the most dangerous and dynamic branches of the jihadist network. His death is “the biggest blow against al Qaeda since the death of (Osama) bin Laden,” said CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank. Al-Wuhayshi was al Qaeda’s “leading light” and was one day expected to take over from its current global chief, Ayman al-Zawahiri, said Cruickshank. Two Yemeni security officials told CNN on Monday that al-Wuhayshi was killed Friday in a suspected U.S. drone strike in Yemen’s Hadhramaut region. On Tuesday, AQAP released a video statement announcing that its leader and two aides had died. The speaker said that al-Wuhayshi would be succeeded by the group’s military chief, Qasm al-Rimi, also known as Abu Hureira al-Sanaani. Opinion: A death trap for al Qaeda leaders? The U.S. government confirmed al-Wuhayshi’s fate Tuesday, calling his death “a major blow to (al Qaeda’s) most dangerous affiliate and to al Qaeda more broadly.” Al-Wuhayshi “was responsible for the deaths of innocent Yemenis and Westerners, including Americans,” U.S. National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said. Related video Report: Head of al Qaeda in Yemen killed “While AQAP, al Qaeda and their affiliates will remain persistent in their efforts to threaten the United States, our partners and our interests, (al-Wuhayshi’s) death removes from the battlefield an experienced terrorist leader and brings us closer to degrading and ultimately defeating those groups.” Al-Wuhayshi, known as al Qaeda’s crown prince, was a charismatic figure who was adored by many of the terrorist group’s jihadist fighters. In a video that surfaced in April of last year, al-Wuhayshi appeared brazenly out in the open, greeting followers in Yemen, the impoverished nation that the organization uses as a base. In a speech to the group, he makes it clear that he’s going after the United States, saying: “We must eliminate the cross. … The bearer of the cross is America!” The video showed what looked like the largest and most dangerous gathering of al Qaeda in years. Al-Wuhayshi’s death deprives al Qaeda of a dynamic heavyweight Originally from Yemen, al-Wuhayshi assumed command of AQAP in 2009. He’d escaped a Yemeni prison in 2006 and had previously worked as a personal secretary for Osama bin Laden. His successor is also seen as a formidable leader. “Qasm al-Rimi was considered the brains of the operation,” Cruickshank said. “For more than a decade, he’s really been at the helm of the military side of things for AQAP but also planning their large international operations.” The leadership change is expected to bring “a degree of continuity,” he said, noting that al-Wuhayshi and al-Rimi were believed to have worked very closely together. April: American mouthpiece for al Qaeda killed Al-Wuhayshi’s death comes at a time when AQAP appears to have been thriving amid the recent turmoil in Yemen. Related gallery Unrest in Yemen The group has been “expanding the territory they control, taking advantage of political chaos,” Cruickshank said. AQAP has been feeding off anger among Sunni tribes in Yemen over the advances made by the predominantly Shiite Houthi rebels who overthrew the Yemeni government earlier this year. Adding to the violence and destruction, a Saudi-led coalition has been bombing the Houthis and their allies in an effort to restore the deposed government. AQAP has exploited the unrest to seize more turf, including the port city of Al Mukalla, where it freed hundreds of inmates from a prison in April. The Yemeni security officials told CNN that the drone strike that killed al-Wuhayshi took place in southern Al Mukalla. What is AQAP? Yemen’s descent into chaos prompted the United States to pull out its Special Operations forces based in the country in March, raising fears that its counterterrorism efforts against AQAP would be hobbled. But al-Wuhayshi’s death and an airstrike in April that killed a senior AQAP leader show that Yemen is no haven for the terrorist group. U.S. Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine, told CNN on Monday that the terrorist leader’s death would hurt al Qaeda, but he stressed that the jihadist network still poses a threat. “This is a long, difficult struggle that we’re engaged in, and it’s going to require all kinds of tools,” he said. News of al-Wuhayshi’s death emerged days after U.S. planes carried out a strike inside Libya, purportedly killing a key terror figure in North Africa. The target was Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a veteran Islamist fighter who is blind in one eye and affiliated with al Qaeda in North Africa, a U.S. official told CNN. The Libyan government said Belmokhtar was killed in the weekend strike, something that U.S. officials have not confirmed. Senior AQAP leader Nasr Ibn Ali al-Ansi killed CNN’s Dana Ford, Hamdi Alkhshali, Salim Essad, Merieme Arif, Barbara Starr, Greg Botelho, Jomana Karadsheh and journalist Hakim Almasmari contributed to this report.


Editor’s Note: Jimmy Gurulé is a law professor at Notre Dame Law School and former Under Secretary (Enforcement) at the U.S. Treasury.  He filed an amicus brief in support of plaintiffs in the Bank Markazi case.  He also worked as an expert consultant for Plaintiff Peterson in the case. The views expressed are his own. Supreme Court affirmed appellate court decision requiring Iran to pay $1.75 billion to victims of Iran-sponsored terror Jimmy Gurulé: Courts decision was a monumental victory against terrorism On Wednesday, the Supreme Court affirmed an appellate court decision requiring Iran to pay $1.75 billion to the victims of Iranian-sponsored terrorism and their surviving families. In doing so, it secured a monumental victory against terrorism. Among those included in the ruling are the family members of 241 American servicemen killed during the 1983 terrorist bombing of the Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. A federal district court in Washington had found Iran liable for financing and sponsoring the attack, and a federal district court in Manhattan found that the victims could attach $1.75 billion in blocked Iranian assets to enforce their judgments. In a 6-2 decision written by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Supreme Court held that Congress did not impermissibly dictate the outcome of a specific case, and therefore did not violate separation of powers by passing a law to enforce terrorism judgments against Iran that made available $1.75 billion in assets of Bank Markazi (the Central Bank of Iran) that were found in a U.S. bank account. The court stated that the Constitution affords Congress and the President plenary powers to conduct foreign affairs, including the disposition of blocked assets of Iran, a state-sponsor of terrorism, that are located in the United States. “Exercise by Congress and the President of control over claims against foreign governments, as well as foreign government-owned property in the United States, is hardly a novelty,” Ginsburg noted. The ruling brings to an end a 15-year legal battle to hold Iran responsible for its role in the 1983 bombing, the single deadliest terrorist attack against the United States prior to 9/11. But the case also has important legal and policy implications. First, the court’s ruling sends a loud and clear message to Iran and other state sponsors of terrorism that they are not above the law and will be held accountable for supporting terrorism. Hopefully, the decision will have a deterrent effect on Iran, or at least cause Tehran to think twice about supporting terrorist activity in the future. Related article Administration wrong about terrorism sponsor act The reality is that while the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action may have lifted certain sanctions against Iran, the nuclear agreement has not altered Iran’s status in the U.S. as a state sponsor of terrorism. Iran is therefore not immune from terrorism litigation, and unless it changes its behavior and stops supporting terrorist organizations, it is likely to be the target of more lawsuits for sponsoring acts of international terrorism that kill or seriously injure Americans. With this in mind, the Bank Markazi decision is likely to embolden other U.S. victims of terrorism to bring suit against Iran in the future. Second, the Supreme Court’s ruling could generate support for pending legislation that would allow the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks to sue Saudi Arabia for its alleged support of al Qaeda. The legislation, known as the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, was passed in the Senate last Congress by a unanimous vote, but never received a vote in the House.  In September, Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer and Republican Sen. John Cornyn reintroduced the bill in the Senate, and Republican Congressman Peter King reintroduced it in the House. The narrowly drawn legislation applies to terrorist attacks committed within the United States. Of course, the Bank Markazi ruling could stiffen Saudi Arabia’s opposition to the legislation and further strain diplomatic relations between the United States and its traditional Middle East ally. But while President Barack Obama has indicated he would veto the bill, arguing that it could prompt other countries to allow their nationals to sue the United States in retaliation, Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders have come out in favor of the bill. Indeed, the question of whether the victims of terrorism should be permitted to sue state sponsors of terrorism could prove to be an interesting issue on the presidential campaign trail. And while it is unclear at this point what role, if any, the Saudi government had in the events leading up to September 11, being seen to deny the families and other victims of terrorist attacks their day in court is unlikely to be popular with the American public. Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion.Read CNNOpinion’s Flipboard magazine.


The visit is Trump's second trip in as many days "He was a sick man, a demented man," Trump said of the shooter President Donald Trump avoided the topic of gun control while visiting Las Vegas Wednesday, just days after the deadliest shooting in modern American history. The visit, which comes hours after Trump visited Puerto Rico to survey the damage wrought by Hurricane Maria, marks the President’s second trip to soothe national concerns in as many days. In Las Vegas, Trump met with local politicians, first responders and survivors of the shooting that killed 58 people and injured more than 500 others. Though Washington lawmakers have been facing questions about possible gun control measures in the wake of the massacre, Trump told reporters that he would not address the issue while traveling in Las Vegas. “We’re not going to talk about that today,” Trump told a reporter at the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada trauma center. “We won’t talk about that.” Trump’s desire to avoid the tricky topic tracks with talking points the White House distributed after the shooting that urged supporters to stress now was not the time to talk about gun control. The Las Vegas community was rocked when a shooter perched in a Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino 32 floors up rained bullets down on concert goers Sunday night. The President was greeted on the ground by Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Joseph Lombardo. The visit brought Trump face-to-face with those directly affected by the shooting. Trump, shortly after touching down in Las Vegas, headed to the hospital that treated scores of those injured and killed. After meeting with first responders, Trump told reporters he “just met some of the most amazing people” and that he met with patients that were “terribly wounded.” “It makes you very proud to be an American when you see the job they’ve done,” the President said of the medical staff at the hospital. Related article Las Vegas shooting: Gunman set up cameras at hotel The President’s visit to Las Vegas was dramatically different than his trip to Puerto Rico on Tuesday. Trump was clearly in search of a good news story when he visited Puerto Rico on Tuesday, giving himself high marks by touting the federal response even as millions in the island territory are without power and with few supplies. Trump’s briefing with local officials on the island was more reflective than prescriptive, and at times awkward. Wednesday’s visit here appeared far more subdued and behind closed doors, with the President spending most of his time meeting with doctors and victims away from the media. This was different than his tactic in Puerto Rico, where nearly every visit and stop was on camera. Trump’s remarks, too, were more controlled, with the President delivering an at times poetic reflection on the shooting. “A grateful nation thanks you,” he told first responders, who he credited with saving countless lives. “The example of those whose final act was to sacrifice themselves for those they loved should inspire all of us to show more love every day for the people who grace our lives.” As he left the White House on Tuesday, Trump suggested that he may know more about the shooter in the Las Vegas than is currently publicly known. “They’re learning a lot more and it’ll be announced at an appropriate time,” Trump said. “It’s a very, very sad day for me personally.” The President did not elaborate on what law enforcement is learning about the shooter or answer a question about whether the shooter was radicalized. During a visit with first responders after meeting with hospital staff, Trump continued to question the shooter’s mental capacity, saying he was a “sick, demented man” whose “wires are screwed up.” Trump, a president whose tenure has been defined by self-inflicted division and dissension, has struck a unifying tone after the Las Vegas shooting. In a somber speech from the White House on Monday, Trump urged togetherness. Related article Tragedies to test Trump as nation's comforter “Our unity cannot be shattered by evil, our bonds cannot be broken by violence,” Trump said in an address delivered with a teleprompter. “And though we feel such great anger at the senseless murder of our fellow citizens, it is our love that defines us today – and always will, forever.” The shooting, which happened during the headlining performance at a country music festival and left thousands running for their lives, briefly put Trump’s visit to Puerto Rico in jeopardy, White House aides told CNN. Trump, though, went through with the visit, and before leaving for Puerto Rico said the shooter in Las Vegas was a “very, very sick individual.” Moments of tragedy, and the way former commanders in chief have responded to them, have defined the legacy of past presidents. Former Oval Office occupants have described the difficulty that comes with comforting those working through with the worst moments in their lives. Though Trump has stepped up to the task before, his visit Wednesday provides another test. Trump’s initial remarks about the Las Vegas shooting tracked with past presidential pronouncements on tragedy, offering a reflection that empathized with those lost. “We cannot fathom their pain, we cannot imagine their loss,” he said. “To the families of the victims, we are praying for you and we are here for you and we ask God to help see you through this very dark period.” But Trump has shown the propensity to stay on message in speeches like the one he gave on Monday, while being his more off-the-cuff self during visits like the one he will have in Las Vegas. Republicans have looked to avoid any discussion about gun control in the wake of the Las Vegas massacre, even as Democrats – spurred by the fact the shooter had over 40 firearms in his hotel and home – looked to push action on the availability of assault weapons. Trump, asked aboard Air Force One Tuesday about whether he was open to a discussion on gun control, said: “At some point perhaps that will come. That’s not today.” It is a "miracle" how fast the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police were able to find the demented shooter and stop him from even more killing! Democrats are not satisfied with that answer, though. Rep. Jacky Rosen, a Nevada Democrat, told CNN on Tuesday now is exactly the time for a conversation on guns. “As the President comes here, he looks at the victims, he looks at the mothers burying their children and the children burying their parents, this is exactly the time to remember this episode and have these kinds of difficult conversations,” Rosen said. Trump’s plea for time in the wake of the massacre is at odds with his past comments about violence. After a 2015 terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California, that killed 14 people, Trump quickly called for a “total and complete” ban on Muslims entering the United States.


The files are part of a delayed release for information about the JFK assassination One CIA document provides reaction the news of Oswald being named the potential assassin The government made thousands of files related to the assassination of John F. Kennedy public on Thursday, marking the latest installment in the collection’s delayed release. Many of the documents in Thursday’s release show the intelligence community grappling with – and griping about – investigations into the assassination, and further underscore covert activities in the Cold War. Thursday’s release included nearly 13,000 CIA documents, all formerly withheld in part except for two, and more than 200 NSA documents previously postponed from release on the original deadline last month. In one 1963 file, the CIA refers to knowledge about Lee Harvey Oswald’s infamous visit to Mexico City prior to the Kennedy assassination and the reaction from the agency when the news came that Oswald was the potential assassin. “When the name of Lee Oswald was heard, the effect was electric,” wrote John Whitten of the CIA. Seeking to shed light on the assassination, Congress passed a law in 1992 mandating the release of all secret files related to the Kennedy assassination and gave the government 25 years to do so, leaving the decision to further withhold the files up to the sitting president. The 25-year deadline hit in October, and President Donald Trump at first decided to release most, but prevent some of the documents from being released. Trump went on to say all files would become public, with some names being withheld. Thursday’s release was the latest publication of the secret files, following a release of files last week and another batch released on the deadline last month. The collection includes many files only tangentially related to the Kennedy assassination, including documents on US activities in Cuba and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., which was examined alongside the Kennedy assassination by a congressional committee. Some provide details about the intelligence community’s more controversial activities. One document, for example, shows that the CIA knew of a Bulgarian independence activist confined in a military hospital in Panama under the false pretense of being a psychopath. The activist drew the attention of Greek authorities, French intelligence and the CIA. The file referred to him alternatively as Kelly, D.A. Dimitrov and Gen. Donald A. Donaldson. The document said the US “was considering an ‘ARTICHOKE’ approach to Kelly to see if it would be possible to reorient Kelly favorably” by dispatching agency doctors to drug him and change his behavior, but ultimately decided to do nothing. Project Artichoke was a predecessor to Project MKUltra, an experimental CIA mind control program. The 1977 file put together the information on the Bulgarian because the “apparently alive” independence activist was talking about the Kennedy assassination. Documents in previous releases showed the US considering putting lives on the line in Cuba in an effort to pressure the Castro-led Cuban government. CNN’s Wade Payson-Denney contributed to this report.


Study examined egg counts and hormone levels in women receiving fertility treatment Women reporting heavy lifting and moving had 8.8% fewer total eggs and 14.1% fewer mature eggs Jobs that involve heavy lifting on a regular basis could reduce a woman’s fertility, particularly among overweight and obese women, a new study shows. The research, published Monday in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, also found that working antisocial hours (in the evenings or night) or rotating shifts, may also impact female fertility. Though the underlying cause is not known and more research is needed to further verify the findings, the team at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health believes that women in their reproductive years may need to consider this when trying to conceive. Related article Controversial IVF technique produces a baby girl -- and for some, that's a problem “Our study suggests that women who are planning pregnancy should be cognizant of the potential negative impacts that non-day shift and heavy lifting could have on their reproductive health,” said Lidia Mínguez-Alarcón, a research fellow in the Department of Environmental Health and lead author of the study, in a statement. Recent studies have shown potential associations between physically demanding jobs or shift work and reduced fertility, but this new study explored direct biomarkers for fertility in the body, such as egg numbers and hormone levels, to suggest possible mechanisms behind the change. The team of researchers studied more than 470 women having fertility treatment and compared the physical demands and schedules of their jobs against four biomarkers – genes or characteristics in the body – known to be linked to their ability to reproduce, also called fecundity. Get fit with Daily BurnTry a new workout every day30-day fitness trial, 50% off first monthSpartan Race obstacle training program Related article Pregnancy changes a mother's brain for years, study shows The biomarkers were numbers of antral follicles, indicative of the number of immature eggs remaining in the body; levels of follicle-stimulating hormone that regulated reproductive processes; estrogen levels; and numbers of mature eggs capable of developing into healthy embryos. The heavier the lifting or moving of objects the women reported doing in their jobs, the lower the number of antral follicles and mature egg: Women reporting heavy lifting and moving had 8.8% fewer total eggs and 14.1% fewer mature eggs compared with women who never lifted or moved heavy objects at work. “These occupational exposures are affecting egg production and quality,” said Audrey Gaskins, an epidemiologist at  the Harvard T.H. Chan School and senior author on the paper told CNN. This reduction in mature eggs was even greater in women who were also overweight, obese or over the age of 37. “We saw this same association in an entirely different cohort,” Gaskins said of a recent study by her team that also saw a link between obesity and reduced fertility. “We speculate it could be due to a disrupted stress-response system. Obesity affects the body’s ability to handle stress.” People who worked nights or rotating shifts in the new study also saw a reduction in the number of mature eggs. No association, however, was seen between these aspects of the women’s occupation and their levels of follicle-stimulating hormone or estrogen. The mechanisms explaining this link to reduced fertility are not known, but the researchers would like to explore further, as well as looking at whether this impact on fertility could be improved, reduced or avoided. Related article Woman is first to have baby with ovaries frozen in childhood “(We want) to look at whether a woman is able to change her schedule or lifting and whether we see a change in fecundity,” Gaskins said, adding that this would determine whether the effect is short- or long-term. If stopping these exposures leads to an improvement, the team can make recommendations for policies. “It’s perhaps not surprising that people under more physical stress might have poorer fertility, but the big question is, why?” Channa Jayasena, a reproductive endocrinologist at Imperial College London who was not involved in the study, told CNN. He cited previous studies showing that women who are malnourished or do extreme amounts of exercise, putting strain on their bodies, see adverse fertility effects. “It’s possible this is an extension of that,” he said. But Jayasena added that although this study was interesting and insightful, greater sample sizes than the less than 500 in this study are needed to truly account for differences such as socioeconomic status. “I think this tells us a limited amount,” he said. “You need a study in the thousands.” See the latest news and share your comments with CNN Health on Facebook and Twitter. Gaskins highlighted that the women were probably all of fairly high socioeconomic status, given that they were able to afford fertility treatment. Another factor not accounted for was testosterone. “In the study, no effort was made to address confounding by testosterone levels in those women. A physically stronger woman is more likely to undertake heavy lifting but would also be implicitly less fertile,” said Alastair Sutcliffe, professor of pediatrics at University College London in the UK. “The typical and consistent differential between the sexes of strength is 10% to 15%, and this (is) accounted for by testosterone. Women also produce testosterone, albeit at a lower level than men.” One possible theory for the differences of shift work is disruption to a woman’s circadian rhythm. Here, the researchers and Jayasena agree. “It’s certainly a very plausible mechanism,” he said. “Each part of the body has its own circadian rhythm, including the ovaries.” Shift work has been proven to have a range of negative consequences on health, including increased risk of heart disease and obesity. “Shift work is not a biologically good way to work,” said Sutcliffe. “So what does this study mean? If trying to optimize fertility, stick to the day job and leave the lifting to their partner.”

physically demanding jobs and shift work


Two recent ICBM launches by North Korea prompted a call for action by many UN members A proposed UN Security Council resolution would curtail four key aspects of North Korea's exports A new proposed UN Security Council resolution would impose fresh sanctions on North Korea for continued ballistic missile testing and violations of prior UN resolutions. Two recent ICBM launches by North Korea prompted a call for action by many UN members. A vote could happen as early as Saturday, according to diplomats though no timetable was set as of Friday afternoon. The resolution, not surprisingly, will condemn the recent missile tests. Related article Senator: How to really turn the screws on North Korea This resolution, circulated Friday for the first consideration by the full 15-nation Security Council, would also curtail four key aspects of North Korea’s export economy. The proposed draft, according to a Security Council diplomat, would ban the export of seafood, coal, lead, lead ore and iron ore. The diplomat said North Korea’s export economy brings in $3 billion, which would be slashed by one third if the sanctions are adopted. The diplomat estimated $251 million in coal exports would be shut off along with $295 million estimated in seafood sales. Other serious measures such as cutting off oil imports to North Korea were not included in the proposed resolution. The diplomat said ‘this is a good day’ because it shows more “convergence” among nations to apply more pressure to confront the threat posed by North Korea. The Security Council diplomat, who refused to be identified in order to reveal resolution content, said there was “high confidence” Russia and China would support the resolution. One veto from those permanent Council members would kill the resolution. Related article Why neither North Korea nor the United States want all-out war However China and the United States have again worked for weeks together negotiating the text. The diplomat said because of North Korean ICBM tests “China is unhappy, too”.  After the latest North Korea launch prohibited by UN resolutions on July 28, US Ambassador Nikki Haley said she didn’t want to conduct an emergency Council meeting because she was tired of such sessions that were just full of words. The proposed sanctions resolution would also block countries from using new North Korean workers abroad in what the official described as  “deplorable”conditions. The aim is stop North Korea from obtaining hard currency from siphoning off money that goes to the workers globally. The draft resolution also calls for an end to joint ventures with North Korea and any new investments with existing joint operations. The diplomat said “we are looking for ways to squeeze them.” The Security Council diplomat described the resolution as aimed at the leadership of North Korea, not its people. It will again include language to toughen enforcement of old and these new sanctions. Some travel bans and asset freezes are also contained, according to the diplomat. This resolution will not likely turn off North Korea’s desire to test its missile capability. The diplomat said this “thorny problem” has bedeviled three US administrations. Countless resolutions by the UN Security Council targeting North Korea have failed to curtail aggressive behavior which have now caused tensions on Korean peninsula and the entire world to rise to new heights.

UN Security Council resolution on North Korea sanctions


The legal battle over the detention of a US citizen accused of fighting for ISIS entered a significant new phase Friday as his attorneys submitted a filing that experts say could set up a showdown over the legal underpinning of today’s war on terror. The case of the unnamed American held as an enemy combatant in US military custody in Iraq has moved quietly over a series of procedural hurdles since he was turned over to US forces by an American-backed militia in Syria last September. Judge says Pentagon must give notice if planning to transfer US detainee it alleges fought for ISIS Now, after successfully inserting itself as a representative for “John Doe” and securing an order from a DC federal judge that would prevent his immediate transfer to a third country, the American Civil Liberties Union argued Friday that the US government acted illegally by detaining the man, potentially setting up a major test of the controversial post-9/11 Authorization for Use of Military Force. “For nearly five months, the government has been detaining an American citizen without charge or trial, based on legal theories that no court has ever endorsed,” the ACLU wrote in its filing. At issue is whether the government can use the military force statute – signed into law in the days following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and granting the US president the power to target those responsible for the attacks – to detain an individual accused of fighting for ISIS. Related article Justice Dept. reveals American accused of fighting for ISIS wants a lawyer Under the law, the president can use force against “those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001 or harbored such organizations or persons.” The US has blamed al Qaeda for the attacks, and the group’s late leader, Osama bin Laden, claimed responsibility for them. “The answers to these questions are not clear, and if I were the government I would not want to risk litigating them,” said Matthew Waxman, a professor at Columbia Law School and former Pentagon adviser on detainee issues. Related article A Virginia bus driver's dark journey to Raqqa The Authorization for Use of Military Force has been debated and reinterpreted over the years to match a changing enemy, but despite scrutiny it has avoided a significant challenge in Congress or the courts and remains the basis of the ongoing fight against ISIS, a group that originally called itself al Qaeda in Iraq. Friday’s court filing could represent the first serious challenge to the law. In an interview before the ACLU filing, a Justice Department official said there were a “variety of possibilities” under which the government believes it can detain Doe, including the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force, a second such authorization signed in 2002 that provided the legal basis for the Iraq War and the president’s war powers under Article 2 of the Constitution. Related article ACLU urges US protect rights of citizen accused of being ISIS fighter “We are very confident that we have a strong legal and factual basis to detain this person as an enemy combatant and are fully prepared to defend our authority to do that if that’s what ends up being our decision about what the best outcome is for this guy,” the official said. The ACLU also provides in the filing the first public account of the detainee’s story, writing that he “sought to understand firsthand and report about the conflict in Syria” and “was kidnapped and imprisoned by ISIS” and “tried numerous times to escape.” Related video Kidnapped Yazidi boy raised by American ISIS mother “Not even the government alleges that he ever took up arms against the United States or anyone else,” the ACLU writes. In its filing, the ACLU also rebuts the government’s defense of the detention under the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force and the president’s constitutional powers. In a briefing schedule, the federal judge presiding in the case allows for the Justice Department to submit a further response to the ACLU’s Friday filing. The government could also bring criminal charges against Doe, a dual Saudi national, in US civilian court, or, as it has floated in previous hearings, attempt to transfer his custody to a third country. Related video CNN goes on patrol with US soldiers in Syria If Judge Tanya Chutkan does, however, eventually rule in favor of the ACLU’s petition against Doe’s detention, she could open the door to a greater challenge to the use of the Authorization for Use of Military Force in the global war on terror, Waxman said. “Detaining an American citizen fighting for ISIS in Syria puts this whole controversial argument about the AUMF before a court, because he has a right of habeas corpus to challenge his detention,” Waxman said. “If the government were to lose this argument, the detention case would call into question the entire legal framework of counter-ISIS operations,” he said.


When White House press secretary Sean Spicer took the podium on Monday, it was with a demeanor that can only be described as grim determination. I’m not going to like this and neither are you, Spicer was saying to the assembled press corps, so let’s just get through it. You can understand why he’d feel that way.  And why any – and every – member of President Trump’s White House staff might feel that way. Time and again over the last week – whether it’s the firing of FBI Director Jim Comey or allegedly disclosing classified information to Russians, according to a Washington Post report confirmed by sources to CNN – Trump has acted and then forced his staff to react. In both of those instances, he appeared to catch his staff totally flat-footed – caught unawares that he was going to do what he did, say what he said or tweet what he tweeted. But, it’s worse than just that.  Trump not only forces his staff to adjust on the fly to his seat-of-the-pants decision-making but then he also publicly contradicts the version of events they come up with as the best possible spin for what he’s said. Interactive: The many paths from Trump to Russia And then – yes, it gets worse! – he grouses about how poor a job the communications staff is doing, complaints that inevitably leak to the press and undermine further attempts by people like Spicer to retain credibility. Spicer, in an off-camera briefing on Tuesday afternoon, was decidedly low energy – even as reports that Kimberly Guilfoyle, the Fox News anchor, was interviewing to replace him. “I hate to say it but @PressSec looks and sounds the most exhausted he has since he started. No humor or banter today,” tweeted Newsmax White House reporter John Gizzi, who was in the briefing. Spicer is far from alone in facing a credibility and moral crisis.  Because truth and fact are such elusive comments for Trump, his staff is continually struggling to serve their mercurial boss while also maintaining credibility with the reporters who cover them every day. That latter relationship is always strained but never more so than right now. Take the Comey firing. The spin produced out of the White House was that Trump had acted after serious consideration of a memo from deputy Attorney general Rod Rosenstein outlining Comey’s shortcomings in the Hillary Clinton private email server investigation. Sure, that explanation strained credulity somewhat – Trump had been effusive in his praise for Comey’s decision to re-open the Clinton investigation in late October – but it was defensible on the merits. Enter Trump. In an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt, the president threw his entire staff directly under the bus by insisting that the decision to fire Comey was his, and that he would have done so regardless of what the Rosenstein memo said. Fast forward to last night.  National security adviser H.R. McMaster comes out of the White House to insist the Washington Post story detailing the alleged leak by Trump of highly classified information to the Russians during an Oval Office meeting last week was untrue. Then, this morning, Trump hops on Twitter to essentially confirm the Post’s – and CNN’s – reporting. “As President I wanted to share with Russia (at an openly scheduled W.H. meeting) which I have the absolute right to do, facts pertaining…….to terrorism and airline flight safety. Humanitarian reasons, plus I want Russia to greatly step up their fight against ISIS & terrorism,” Trump tweeted. As President I wanted to share with Russia (at an openly scheduled W.H. meeting) which I have the absolute right to do, facts pertaining.... ...to terrorism and airline flight safety. Humanitarian reasons, plus I want Russia to greatly step up their fight against ISIS & terrorism. Sooooo………… Trump is someone who has never worked with a terribly large inner circle. And that inner circle has not only always been small but it’s almost always been filled with family members as opposed to people who work for him. In the White House, he’s been forced to go away from that model somewhat; while his daughter, Ivanka, and her husband, Jared Kushner, are formal advisers, his adult sons are removed from him – both geographically and due to conflict of interest concerns regarding his business. He is, by nature, a lone wolf – and a provocateur. Trump often says and does things for the reaction they elicit. Which is his right. He won, as he likes to remind you. But his actions also have consequences. And on the staff front, we’ve already seen what those consequences are. Trump struggled to find a willing communications director at the White House before eventually naming  respected GOP operative Mike Dubke. For a variety of other senior staff positions, the field is smaller than it should be because people don’t really want to subject themselves to the environment Trump has created in the White House. The result? A more and more isolated Trump, increasingly surrounded by people afraid to tell him when he’s wrong.


These four people had personal questions for Obama at the town hall All of their questions are related to the military President Barack Obama answered questions from servicemen and women and military family members Wednesday regarding national security and other related issues at CNN’s presidential town hall moderated by Jake Tapper. Here are some the people and stories behind the questions: Obama: “There is nothing weak” about veterans asking for help concerning PTSD https://t.co/M2lichaOPy #ObamaTownHall https://t.co/IGT4WyxDvV With tears in her eyes, Amanda Souza told Obama about her husband who suffered from PTSD after his time in the military and then committed suicide. “He was diagnosed with PTSD, but unfortunately, like many of our service men and women, this was his career, this was his livelihood and he was too scared to go get help because he did not want to risk being labeled as unstable or weak. Unfortunately, he did not get the help that he needed … My question to you is how can we ensure that our military men and women understand that it’s OK to get the help that they need and that they’re not going to risk their careers, that they are not going to be labeled?” Obama responded: “If you break your leg, you’re going to go to a doctor to get that leg healed. If, as a consequence of the extraordinary stress and pain that you are witnessing, typically, in a battlefield, something inside you feels like it’s wounded, it’s just like a physical injury. You’ve got to go get help. And there’s nothing weak about that. That’s strong … But ultimately, that has to pervade the culture of our military … So we’re putting money behind this. We are hiring more mental health professionals.” Obama tells an Army veteran's widow: The VA has been “overwhelmed," and it is “inexcusable” https://t.co/rJSORnW9N5 https://t.co/79VP7oYeJg While clutching her late husband’s folded American flag, Donna Coates, the widow of army veteran Barry Coates, said he waited more than a year for a colonoscopy at a VA hospital. But by the time he got one, it revealed terminal cancer that had metastasized. The family sued the VA and that claim was settled. “So when are we going to actually start holding these contracted doctors and the VA employees accountable?” she asked Obama. “For it’s a difference between life and death. And families like mine, they’re tired of waiting. And the only true change that’s come since we began talking was that I am now a widow. And my family, we will never be the same.” Obama responded: “So part of what was happening, and we’re beginning to fix it, but we’re not there yet, is, in taking appointments, we were using old systems where somebody would answer the phone, they’d write down, try to schedule it, then they’d hand it off to somebody who then would input it into some old, rickety computer … So we’re having to rebuild information systems, intake systems – part of what we’ve done, working with Congress, was also making sure that if somebody is in a situation where, for example, they live far away from a facility, that they now have recourse to go to a private doctor, and to get, that doctor can get reimbursed. So across the board, we’re working on these issues. But I think it’s really important to understand that the VA schedules 58 million appointments every year. Fir million. And I want zero errors in all that process.” Obama: I’d like to see more young people serve in the military https://t.co/cyZwbt1gcH #ObamaTownHall https://t.co/DtdhHsuWyP Marine Corporal Brandon Rumbaugh lost both of his legs during his second deployment to Afghanistan in an IED blast while carrying a stretcher to help his friends, who had been injured in an earlier explosion. “We have men and women that serve in combat theaters four, five, even six times in such small amount of time. What can we do to take the burden off of these service members and also, at the same time, increase the number of citizens that serve our country?” he asked Obama. Obama responded: “I would like to see more of our young men and women serve including people who are, you know, underrepresented right now. And a lot of those are folks who are from higher income brackets, you know. So we’ve got to do a better job at showing them how they can help.  And I think people will be willing to help.” Obama on women in combat: “If you can do the job, you should be able to get the job” https://t.co/rJSORnW9N5 https://t.co/Kn5iQBM16B Lauren Serrano is an active duty Marine who earned a Bronze Star for her service in Iraq. “A study by the Marine Corps revealed that mixed gender combat units performed notably worse and that women suffered staggeringly higher rates of injury … Why were these tangible negative consequences disregarded and how does the integration of women positively enhance the infantry mission and make me and my husband safer?” Obama responded: “The one thing that I do know is that as a consequence of women serving in our military and opening up what used to be closed situations to them, we’ve gained a lot of talent … I want to make sure that our starting assumption is if you can do the job, you should be able to get the job … If it turns out they can’t do something, then we’ll deal with that specific situation. But I don’t want to start off with that assumption.”

U.S. military policies on veterans' care and service inclusion


A farm laborer fell into a crater in a road in Madhya Pradesh state, police say He died after workers repairing the road filled in the hole with him still in it Residents in a rural part of central India made a gruesome discovery over the weekend. They spotted part of an arm protruding from the recently laid surface of a road in Madhya Pradesh state. After the rest of the body was dug out of the ground, authorities identified the man as Latori Barman, a local farm laborer. Police say Barman appears to have been walking home drunk Friday night when he fell into a crater in the middle of the potholed road in Katni district. “It was pitch dark. He didn’t see that crater,” said Katni’s police chief, Gourav Rajput. And construction workers repairing the road that same night apparently didn’t see Barman lying in the hole. They filled it in, burying him alive, and then flattened it with a roller, Rajput told CNN. The local residents discovered Barman, who had died of suffocation, the next morning. Police have arrested a road worker and a driver and charged them with culpable homicide over the death. Authorities have given Barman’s family compensation of 50,000 rupees ($760), Rajput said. Potholed roads and open sewer-holes are a common problem across India, including in big cities like New Delhi and Mumbai. Roads built with substandard material and engineering often break apart in the annual monsoon season. Around 7,700 people were killed last year across India because of defective roads, poor street lighting, government neglect and stray animals, according to official data on road accidents. May: Chinese baby rescued after being buried alive CNN’s Harmeet Shah Singh reported from New Delhi, and Jethro Mullen wrote from Hong Kong.


Iran pledges 100 tons of fresh fruit a day Gulf citizens in Qatar can stay, government says Five Iranian planes filled with food have landed at Doha airport as the blockade against Qatar by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries starts to bite. Iran said the planes were filled with vegetables and that it plans to send 100 tons of fresh fruit and legumes every day to the import-dependent nation, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. “So far five planes carrying … vegetables have been sent to Qatar, each carrying around 90 tonnes of cargo, while another plane will be sent today,” Iran Air spokesman Shahrokh Noushabadi told the Agence France-Presse news agency Sunday. “We will continue deliveries as long as there is demand.” An #IranAir #B747 "Freighter" being loaded at #Shiraz Airport with #food shipments for #Qatar. #B747F #cargo pic.twitter.com/xYOdF423SO Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut links with Qatar last Monday, accusing Doha of supporting and financing terrorism in the Middle East and elsewhere – a charge Qatar denies. Separately, Iran is preparing to send a flotilla of warships first to Oman and then later to international waters north of the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, Tasnim reported. The agency said the fleet was dispatched as part of Iran’s commitments to fight international piracy, and did not mention tensions with Arab countries involved in the spat with Qatar. Related video Qatar crisis threatens to tear families apart As well as cutting air, sea and land links with Doha, three of the countries involved – Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE – ordered Qatari citizens to leave within 14 days. On Sunday, Qatar said that the 11,000 citizens of those countries that have cut ties will be allowed to stay in the country. “The state of Qatar has not taken any steps regarding the inhabitants on its territories, who are the citizens of brotherly and friendly countries which have cut diplomatic relations or downgraded diplomatic representation with the state of Qatar in the wake of biased and hostile campaigns against the state of Qatar,” the government said in a statement. “The citizens of these states have absolute freedom to stay in the territories of the state of Qatar in adherence with the laws and applicable regulations in the country in the context of working treaties established with them and with the agreement of their countries and based on entry visas that are available to them” it continued.


Cross Platform Link: This feature is part of CNN Parallels, an interactive series exploring ways you can improve your health by making small changes to your daily habits. Sleep deprivation can make you sick or irritable and even kill you Developing good habits can bring back a good night's rest We are one groggy, cranky, sleep-deprived population. Depending on our age, we are supposed to get between seven and 10 hours of sleep each night. But according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a third of us get fewer than seven hours of sleep per night.  In addition, 50 million to 70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, insomnia and restless leg syndrome, which can ruin a good night’s shuteye. And we’re not alone. In bedrooms around the globe, men, women and children are tossing and turning. According to World Sleep Day statistics, sleep deprivation is threatening the health of up to 45% of the world’s population. Science has linked poor slumber with high blood pressure, a weakened immune system, weight gain, a lack of libido, mood swings, paranoia, depression and a higher risk of diabetes, stroke, cardiovascular disease, dementia and some cancers. Related article How to sleep better: 37 hacks Car crashes, industrial disasters, and medical and occupational errors also increase as we tire, not to mention a decrease in work productivity and efficiency. A study by RAND Europe found that the United States loses an estimated $411 billion each year from workers who sleep fewer than six hours a night. That’s about 2.28% of US gross domestic product. Japan comes next, with $138 billion, or 2.92% of GDP, followed by Germany ($60 billion; 1.56% of GDP) and the United Kingdom ($50 billion; 1.86% of GDP). But guess what would happen if those same people added an hour of pillow time? The US could add $226.4 billion back to the economy, the study said, and Japan would recover $75.7 billion, while Germany and the UK would be blessed with an additional $34.1 and $29.9 billion. Exactly how does a lack of sleep affect the body? There are the obvious signs: irritation, moodiness, dull reflexes and a fuzzy mind. As you can imagine, how those continue to affect us depends on whether the deprivation is short-lived or long-term and chronic. Interactive: How much sleep do you get? Weakened reflexes Studies show that after 17 to 19 hours without sleep, you’ll be functioning as if you’ve been drinking enough to raise your blood alcohol concentration to 0.05%. Skip a full 20 to 25 hours of sleep, and you’ll soon be at 0.1% – well over the US legal driving limit of 0.08. In other words, a lack of sleep for one night can impair your reflexes and decision-making to the same extent as being over the limit. But sleeping less than the recommended amount on a regular basis can be almost as bad. A lab-based sleep study found that people who were sleeping fewer than six hours a night for two weeks – and who thought they were doing just fine – functioned as badly on cognitive and reflex tests as people who were deprived of sleep for two full nights. Related article Skipping two hours of sleep may double your crash risk, study says This is evident in traffic statistics. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that at least 100,000 accidents reported to US police are the result of drowsy driving. This results in an estimated 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in monetary losses, according to the National Sleep Foundation. An unfocused mind While you sleep, your brain is busy. It’s preparing for the next day, sorting your experiences and making new pathways for learning. To capture newly acquired information, absorb fresh skills and form key memories – as well as to retrieve them later – you need plenty of sleep time to let your brain do its work. A lack of sleep therefore impacts your ability to pay attention, learn new things, be creative, solve problems and make decisions. Related article Our ancient ancestors may have slept better than you, but less A chronic lack of sleep is also closely tied to anxiety and depression, as the body struggles to cope with the stress of sleepiness. Some studies have found a connection between sleep apnea, a disorder with which you actually stop breathing for up to a minute, and cognitive impairment, and insomnia has been associated with reduced brain size. There’s even growing evidence that poor sleep early in life can lead to the development of the plaques and tangles that cause Alzheimer’s and other kinds of dementia. Related article Can poor sleep lead to Alzheimer's? A study published this month in the journal Brain found that healthy middle-age adults who slept badly for just one night produced an abundance of the protein beta amyloid, responsible for the plaques characteristic of Alzheimer’s. A week of disrupted sleep upped the amount of tau, another protein responsible for the tangles associated with Alzheimer’s, frontal lobe dementia and Lewy body disease. If that’s not enough, a study in mice by the University of Pennsylvania found that prolonged periods without sleep actually killed brain cells. Continued sleep deprivation can also lead to wide swings in mood, increasing paranoia and even hallucinations. The chronically sleep-starved will also become less able to tolerate pain and resist coercion, which makes it one of the military’s favorite tools for torture. Poor repairs Deep sleep, the kind that comes only after a full cycle, is necessary for the body to release hormones designed to repair cells and build tissue in the body and brain, especially in children and teens. Unfortunately, although preteens and teens need the most sleep of any age group – at least nine hours a night – they are the least likely to get enough rest. Early start times for school, combined with today’s technology lures, high stress levels and late-to-bed habits, are creating a nation of sleep-starved youngsters. Over 90% of US high school students are chronically sleep-deprived, with 20% getting fewer than five hours a night, according to a Sleep in America poll. Related article Here's how long children should sleep every day According to a study from the CDC, this sets teens up to engage in more risky behavior, such as drinking or texting while driving or not wearing a seat belt or helmet, compared with those who get at least nine hours a night. Previous studies on teen sleep found that fewer than eight hours a night was also associated with obesity, migraines, substance abuse, lack of exercise, sexual activity, feelings of depression and thoughts of suicide. The teen sleep problem is so bad that in 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement asking schools across the country to delay the start of middle and high school to no earlier than 8:30 a.m. Even though some schools are heeding that call, the advocacy group Start School Later says that more than four in five start classes earlier than the recommended time. Weight gain Studies show that poor sleep leads to an increase in hunger and weight gain. That’s partly due to the connection between sleep and the peptides that regulate your appetite: ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin, which makes you hungry, goes up when you don’t get enough sleep. At the same time, leptin, which sends “full” signals to the brain, decreases. Related article Weight loss can be tied to when, not just what, you eat A lack of sleep is known to increase stress, which pumps up the body’s primary stress hormone, cortisol. Among other things, cortisol helps control blood sugar levels and regulates metabolism. During times of stress, the increased cortisol causes higher insulin levels, which in turn drops your blood sugar and results in cravings for fatty, sugar-filled foods. Shorter, unhealthier lifespan Getting less than the recommended amount of sleep each night on a regular basis raises your risk of dying. In a longitudinal study of 10,308 British civil servants published in 2007, researchers found that those who reduced their sleep from seven to five hours or fewer a night were almost twice as likely to die from all causes, especially cardiovascular disease. Related article The great American sleep recession Here’s the worst news: As you head toward death, your chances of developing a major disease or medical condition are also much higher if you don’t get enough sleep. That’s because during sleep, your body is literally repairing and restoring itself on a cellular level. Studies show a significant association between a lack of sleep and cardiovascular disease. Weight gain can lead to obesity and type 2 diabetes. Your immune system takes a hit, making you more vulnerable to colds, flu and all sort of viruses and other infectious diseases. It may even mess with your genes. A small study of 15 men looked at the impact of sleep deprivation on “clock genes” that regulate circadian rhythm.  They found that the loss of a single night’s sleep could alter those genes in key metabolic tissues. Whether that change is permanent is unknown. The good news is that you can do something about your sleep deficit. You can train your brain to seek better sleep just as you train it to learn and accomplish other skills. One of the first tasks is to set up your sleep environment and establish a relaxing bedtime routine. It’s that repetition that will train your brain to recognize that its time to relax and sleep. Related article The healthiest way to improve your sleep: exercise Cool temperatures Start with the bedroom. Make sure your bed and pillows are comfortable and the room is cool: Between 60 and 67 degrees is best.  Don’t watch TV or work in your bedroom; you want your brain to think of the room as only for sleep. Mood lighting Be sure to eliminate all bright lights, as even the blue light of cellphones or laptops can be disruptive. If that’s hard to accomplish, think about using eye shades and blackout curtains to keep the room dark. Try to eliminate disturbing sounds as well. Earplugs or white noise machines can be very helpful, but you can create your own with a humidifier or fan. During the day, try to get good exposure to natural light, as that will help regulate your circadian rhythm. Related article Sleep better with six minutes of bedtime yoga Develop a routine Then, establish a bedtime routine you can follow each night. Taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book, listening to soothing music, meditating or doing light stretches are all good options. Food and drink to avoid Other suggestions for good sleep include avoiding stimulants such as nicotine or coffee after midafternoon, especially if you have insomnia. Alcohol is another no-no. You may think it helps you doze off, but you are more likely to wake in the night as your body begins to process the spirits. Tell us your storyWe love to hear from our audience. Follow @CNNHealth on Twitter and Facebook for the latest health news and let us know what we’re missing. Also avoid rich, fatty foods just before sleep. If you have any digestive issues, eating fried or fatty foods, spicy meals, some citrus and even carbonated drinks can trigger heartburn and indigestion. Get moving Exercise is key to promoting good sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, as little as 10 minutes a day of walking, biking or other aerobic exercise can “drastically improve nighttime sleep quality.” Follow all these steps, and you’ll be well on your way to closing your sleep deficit and improving your health.


George W. Bush and Bill Clinton will attend a graduation for their Presidential Leadership Scholars Program The event Thursday in Arkansas is a sign of their close relationship Former President Bill Clinton and George W. Bush will appear together in Little Rock on Thursday during the graduation of a leadership program launched by the duo in 2014. The graduation of the 61 members from the 2016 Class of the Presidential Leadership Scholars Program will feature a discussion with Bush, Clinton and Tony Blair, the former British Prime Minister. The 42nd and 43rd presidents have a close relationship despite past political tensions. Clinton defeated Bush’s father, President George H.W. Bush, in 1992. And in 2000 George W. Bush ran for president promising to bring “honor and dignity to the White House” after Clinton left. When Bush and Clinton launched the program in 2014, the two yukked it up on stage in Washington, D.C., talking openly about their legacies as president and their relationship. “He used to call me twice a year, in his second term, just to talk,” Clinton said about Bush. “We’d talk – depending on how much time he had, because he was busier than me – somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes, for several years. It meant a lot to me.” Clinton said he and Bush “talked about everything in the world. He asked my opinion, half the time he disagreed with it. But I felt good about that, I thought that was a really healthy thing.” When they were asked about what they respected about one another, Clinton was lengthy in his praise for Bush. “I actually learned a lot watching him over the years,” Clinton said. Bush, true to his personality, was briefer, calling Clinton an “awesome communicator” who can “really lay out a case and get people all across the political spectrum to listen.” “Is that enough?” Bush quipped to laughs. “It was a lot shorter than your answer, I know.” It is well-documented that Clinton has grown closer with the Bush family since his presidency. Clinton and George H.W. Bush worked together after the Asian tsunami in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005, while Clinton and George W. Bush worked together after the 2010 Haitian earthquake.


Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, has made many claims about US foreign policy and national security. CNN’s Reality Check team has put those statements and assertions to the test. The team of reporters, researchers and editors across CNN selected key statements and rated them: True; Mostly True; True, but Misleading; False; or It’s Complicated. Reality Check: Timing of Iran nuclear deal July 21, 2016 By Jamie Crawford, CNN During a speech on the final day of the GOP national convention, Trump seemed to criticize the timing of the international deal over Iran’s nuclear program, saying it occurred just after the seizure of 10 U.S. Navy sailors by Iranian forces after their vessels strayed into Iranian waters. “We all remember the images of our sailors being forced to their knees by their Iranian captors at gunpoint. This was just prior to the signing of the Iran deal, which gave back to Iran $150 billion and gave us absolutely nothing – it will go down in history as one of the worst deals ever negotiated,” Trump said. The landmark agreement between Iran, the United States and five other governments was reached in Vienna, Austria, on July 14, 2015, after over two years of negotiations over the final contours of the agreement, but it was not until January 12 of this year that 10 US Navy sailors were held for hours in Iran after two small U.S. naval vessels entered Iranian waters. Trump may be referring to the actual implementation of the nuclear deal on January 16, just four days after the incident with the sailors, when the deal entered into full force following a determination that Iran had completed the necessary steps in a deal to restrict its nuclear program, which allowed for the lifting of international sanctions against Iran to begin. Although the actual implementation of the deal with Iran occurred four days after the incident with the U.S. sailors, Trump referenced the signing of the deal which occurred the previous July. We rate his comments as false. Reality Check: Trump on Clinton’s legacy July 21, 2016 By Amy Gallagher, CNN Trump rattled off a litany of events he claimed would make up “the legacy of Hillary Clinton.” “After 15 years of wars in the Middle East, after trillions of dollars spent and thousands of lives lost, the situation is worse than it has ever been before. This is the legacy of Hillary Clinton: death, destruction, terrorism and weakness.” In essence, the briefest way to check his claim is simply to read this sentence. If there were 15 years of wars in the Middle East and trillions of dollars spent and thousands of lives lost, and even if it can all be laid at the feet of US foreign policy, we are actually talking about the legacy of at least two presidential administrations and four secretaries of state: Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. At the very least, Trump is overstating Clinton’s influence – she did not become secretary of state until 2009. As a result, we rate his claim that the state of the Middle East and Libya are Clinton’s personal legacy as false. Reality Check: Trump on Clinton’s support for the Iraq War June 22, 2016 By Kate Grise and Laura Koran, CNN Trump took shots at Clinton’s record on the war in Iraq. “It all started with her bad judgment in supporting the war in Iraq in the first place,” he said. He added, “Though I was not in government service, I was among the earliest to criticize the rush to war, and yes, even before the war ever started.” Clinton did vote in favor of the Iraq War resolution in October 2002. Years later, Clinton said her vote was a mistake. Verdict: True. However, Trump’s claim that he was one of the first to criticize the Iraq War is less clear. In an interview with Howard Stern on September 11, 2002, Trump said that he supported invading Iraq after Stern asked him if he was “for invading Iraq.” “Yeah, I guess so,” Trump responded. “I wish the first time it was done correctly.” The Washington Post seems to have the earliest quote from him criticizing the invasion. Trump told the paper at a 2003 Oscars after-party days after the invasion that “the war’s a mess.” He was more vehement in an August 2004 Esquire Magazine interview, saying of the invasion, “I would never have handled it that way. Does anybody really believe that Iraq is going to be a wonderful democracy where people are going to run down to the voting box and gently put in their ballot and the winner is happily going to step up to lead the country? C’mon.” Trump has also tweeted the link to a July 2004 Reuters article titled, “Donald Trump Would ‘Fire’ Bush Over Iraq Invasion” to emphasize his opposition. But these statements were made after the war began, mostly in 2004. There’s no indication he said anything along the lines of “Do not attack Iraq” before the invasion began, as he has previously claimed. Verdict: It is true that Trump did criticize the war shortly after it began, but his claim that he criticized the war before it started is false, especially when considering his statement of support for the war to Stern before Congress voted for the invasion. Reality Check: Trump claims Clinton support for ‘regime change’ caused Syrian bloodshed June 22, 2016 By Eve Bower, CNN Trump fiercely criticized Clinton’s Middle East policy during her tenure as secretary of state, claiming her “support for violent regime change in Syria has thrown the country into one of the bloodiest civil wars anyone has ever seen.” It is true that the civil war in Syria has been one of the deadliest in modern history: according to a recent U.N. estimate, since the start of hostilities in early 2011, more than 400,000 Syrians have been killed. But it is difficult to determine how much of Syria’s fate can be attributed to a Clinton proposal that was never adopted. In April 2012, Clinton indeed advocated for the “overthrow” of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, according to a State Department document released by Wikileaks as part of her email archive. (The email was undated but references a statement made “last week” to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak about “the toppling down of Assad.” Barak made that statement on April 19, 2012, dating Clinton’s email in late April.) In the leaked message, Clinton pressed for a multilateral intervention in Syria, writing, “Only the threat or use of force will change the Syrian dictator Bashar Assad’s mind.” Specifically, she advised, “Washington should start by expressing its willingness to work with regional allies like Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to organize, train and arm Syrian rebel forces.” Clinton was not alone in calling for the end of Assad’s rule. Almost one year earlier, in August 2011, President Barack Obama had said “the time has come for President Assad to step aside.” But crucially, at the time, Obama refused to pursue regime change, saying, “The United States cannot and will not impose this transition upon Syria.” It appears that Obama persisted in his opposition. The New York Times, citing unnamed administration officials, said that in the summer of 2012, Clinton had been working on a plan with then-CIA Director David Petraeus to arm Syrian rebels but that Obama “rebuffed” their plan. Because it is impossible to attribute the ongoing bloodshed of the Syrian civil war to the rejected policies of a secretary of state now out of office for more than three years, we rate Trump’s claim FALSE. Reality Check: Clinton and the Benghazi attacks June 22, 2016 By Ryan Browne and Laura Koran, CNN Trump slammed Clinton’s response to the September 11, 2012, attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that resulted in the death of four Americans, including the ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens. Here is what Trump said: “Ambassador Stevens and his staff in Libya made hundreds and hundreds of requests for security. They were desperate. They needed help. Hillary Clinton’s State Department refused them all. She started the war that put them in Libya, denied him the security he asked for, then left him there to die.” During her testimony on Capitol Hill before the House Select Committee hearing on Benghazi last year, Clinton acknowledged that “a number of” requests were made but added, “I did not see them. I did not approve them. I did not deny them.” During the same hearing, Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kansas, estimated that about 600 requests or concerns were raised with regard to Benghazi and Libya. A State Department independent investigation into the attack chaired by former Amb. Thomas Pickering and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Adm. Michael Mullen found that senior officials in the State Department had “demonstrated a lack of proactive leadership and management ability … in their responses to security concerns posed by the Special Mission Benghazi.” The investigatory board, though, did conclude that no employee “engaged in misconduct or willfully ignored his or her responsibilities.” However, the report also notes that while most of the requests were not fully fulfilled, some measures and concerns were addressed, at least in part. Because State Department officials were deemed responsible for not adequately responding to security concerns and because Clinton was secretary of state at the time – even though there is no evidence that Clinton was directly responsible for the inadequate response – Trump said it was “Clinton’s State Department” that ignored the requests not Clinton herself. However, because Trump overstates his claim and says “all” requests were refused and because he later implies that Clinton herself “denied him the security he asked for,” we rate this claim as false. Trump also made the assertion that Clinton attributed the attack to an online video that was critical of Islam: “To cover her tracks, Hillary lied about a video being the cause of his death,” Trump said. Trump cites a family member of one of the victims as evidence that Clinton attributing the video as the cause of the incident. That person was the mother of Sean Smith, who told Fox News, “She lied to my face.” Some of the family members of the victims have indeed said that Clinton misled them on the cause of the attack, but did not mention the video. Kate Quigley, sister of CIA operative Glen Doherty, told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that in the wake of the attack Clinton had mentioned protests but not a video. “She spoke to my family about how sad we should feel for the Libyan people because they are uneducated and that breeds fear, which breeds violence, and leads to a protest,” Quigley said, adding that Clinton chose to “perpetuate what she knew was untrue.” While some administration officials, including then-ambassador to the U.N., Susan Rice, did not immediately call the attack a pre-planned terror operation, emphasizing the video and protests, it is less apparent that Clinton attributed the attack directly to the online video. In a statement made immediately after the attack, Clinton mentioned the video but did not tie it directly to the attack, saying, “Some have sought to justify this vicious behavior as a response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet.” But in an email exchange from the night of the attack, Clinton told her daughter Chelsea – who was using the pseudonym “Diane Reynolds” – that the attack was launched by “an al Queda-like group.” A few days later, on September 21, Clinton publicly labeled the attack an act of terrorism, saying, “What happened in Benghazi was a terrorist attack, and we will not rest until we have tracked down and brought to justice the terrorists who murdered four Americans.” RELATED: Some of Hillary Clinton’s Benghazi-related emails released Because Clinton’s email exchange indicates terrorism’s role in Benghazi and because there is conflict between family members about whether a video was mentioned, there’s no way to determine conclusively the veracity of Trump’s claim. For that reason, we rate this it’s complicated. Editor’s Note: This post has been updated after a review of the previous conclusion. Reality Check: Trump claims Clinton accepted $58,000 in jewelry June 22, 2016 By Cristina Alesci and Laurie Frankel, CNNMoney Trump said, “Hillary Clinton accepted $58,000 in jewelry from the government of Brunei when she was secretary of state – plus millions more for her foundation.” Clinton did receive 18-carat gold, sapphire and diamond earrings, a necklace and a bracelet worth $58,000, according to the State Department website. That gift was recorded in September 2012. The former secretary did accept the jewelry and justified it by saying that not doing so would’ve “would cause embarrassment to donor and U.S. government.” However, Clinton was not allowed to keep the jewelry. Under State Department rules, if a gift over $350 cannot be refused, it automatically becomes property of the U.S. government, and the recipient must report the gift and transfer it to the Office of the Chief of Protocol within 60 days. As for donations from Brunei to the Clinton Foundation, that is true. The government of Brunei donated between $1 million and $5 million to the foundation, according to its website. Trump also said the “Sultan of Brunei has pushed oppressive Sharia law, including the punishment of death by stoning for being gay. Brunei became the first East Asian nation to adopt Sharia law in 2014. Our verdict on the jewelry: true, but misleading. Although she received the gift, she turned it over to the U.S. government as required by law. Reality Check: Trump claims Clinton ran the State Department like a personal hedge fund June 22, 2016 By Cristina Alesci and Laurie Frankel, CNNMoney According to Trump, Clinton ran the State Department like her own personal hedge fund, doing favors for oppressive regimes and many others in exchange for cash. To make this claim, Trump cited several examples from the book “Clinton Cash” by Peter Schweizer. Among the accusations: Clinton’s State Department approved the transfer of 20% of America’s uranium holdings to Russia while nine investors in the deal funneled $145 million to the Clinton Foundation. While the deal to sell Uranium One to a Russian company was completed in 2010, there’s no hard evidence of a quid pro quo. Even Schweizer admits there’s no smoking gun. According to The New York Times, although significant donors to the foundation stood to benefit from the transaction, which allowed a Russian company to buy the rights to one-fifth of U.S. uranium deposits, “Whether the donations played any role in the approval of the uranium deal is unknown.” CNN several times has asked the Clinton Foundation to confirm whether the nine investors who benefited from the deal also contributed to the foundation, but the foundation has yet to respond. RELATED: Russian company seeks to buy U.S. uranium mining operations But even if foundation donors profited from the sale of Uranium One, the State Department was one of several agencies that needed to sign off on the transaction. The Treasury’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the Unites States, an interagency body that reviews deals that could result in a foreign entity owning a US business, reviewed and approved the sale. The committee includes representatives from nine agencies, including the State Department. Verdict: False. Reality Check: Who met Putin? November 10, 2015 By Tom LoBianco, CNN When it comes to U.S.-Russian relations, a little chest-puffing is hardly new. But two Republicans vying for the White House did some exaggerating of their own with their claims of meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I got to know him very well because we were both on ’60 Minutes,’ we were stable mates. We did well that night,” Trump said in Milwaukee during the fourth debate of Republican candidates. Trump also implied last month that the two had spent some time in together before the show in comments last month on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “I think the biggest thing we have is that we were on ’60 Minutes’ together and we had fantastic ratings. One of your best-rated shows in a long time,” he joked. “So that was good, right? So we were stable mates.” Fiorina took a swipe at Trump when she responded later and, in the process, overstated Trump’s claim. Related video Trump: I met Putin on '60 Minutes' “One of the reasons I said that I would not be talking to Vladimir Putin right now, although I have met him as well, not in a green room for a show, but in a private meeting,” Fiorina said. Trump never directly said that the two met, but he did imply it. But that’s not the case. The Putin interview was conducted in Putin’s home in Russia. On the other hand, Fiorina has met Putin. Though something that Fiorina leaves out of her recollection of meeting with Putin: she praised the Russian leader following their meeting in 2001, before the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation conference, when she praised his leadership and the promise for a new Russia. “I keep wondering how it is that I got positioned to speak in the slot before the President of the Russian Federation – on the subject of change, no less, ” Fiorinia said, according to a copy of the speech posted on Hewlett Packard’s website. “Hewlett-Packard has been at the center of a lot of change in our 62-year history. But President Putin was elected president in the first democratic transition in Russia in 1,000 years. Talk about giving new meaning to the word ‘invent.’” Verdict for Trump: False


Two guinea pigs and a cat belonging to former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, poisoned in a nerve agent attack in the UK last month, have died, British authorities have said. The two guinea pigs were found dead in Skripal’s house some time after the attack, apparently from dehydration, and a cat was put down after being discovered in a “distressed” state. Police sealed the house after Skripal and his daughter Yulia were discovered unconscious on a bench in Salisbury on March 4. “When a vet was able to access the property, two guinea pigs had sadly died,” the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said in a statement. “A cat was also found in a distressed state and a decision was taken by a veterinary surgeon to euthanise the animal to alleviate its suffering.” The guinea pigs “most likely… died due to a lack of water,” a DEFRA spokesperosn told CNN later. The deaths are the latest peculiar developments in a story that has taken a turn for the absurd in recent days. Apparently in an effort to shift the debate away from the issue of culpability, a succession of Russian officials have attempted to make light of the whole affair. The issue of the pets was first raised by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Wednesday. “Where are they now?” she said, speaking to reporters.  “After all, we are talking about living organisms, and if a poisonous agent was used in the house, they must also have been affected,” she continued. Later, at the United Nations Security Council on Thursday, Russia’s representative Vassily Nebenzia read out extracts from a copy of Alice in Wonderland in an attempt to discredit Britain’s claims that Russia was responsible for the Skripals’ fate. After the death of the animals was confirmed, the Russian embassy in London said their value as pieces of evidence had been ignored. “Such treatment of pets is also hardly consistent with UK laws on animal cruelty and comes as a blatant disregard to Mr Skripal’s rights as the owner and companion of the animals,” the embassy said, claiming a second cat was still missing. DEFRA told CNN that only one cat had been found on the property and offered no information about a possible second cat. It could not say whether there was any evidence the animals had been poisoned. Detectives revealed last week that they believe Skripal and his daughter Yulia first came into contact with a nerve agent at the former spy’s home and that the highest concentration of the substance had been found on the front door. Related article Experts unable to identify source of nerve agent but UK says it's Russia Sergei Skripal remains critically ill but stable in hospital. Yulia, also poisoned in the attack, is now conscious and talking. In a statement released Thursday, the 33-year-old said she woke up “over a week ago” and her “strength is growing daily.” Yulia and Sergei Skripal were found slumped on a bench at an outdoor shopping precinct. The British government believes they were poisoned with a Russian-made nerve agent, Novichok. Russia denies involvement and the incident has led to a spiraling diplomatic dispute between the two nations. The UK and its allies have expelled scores of Russian diplomats, triggering retaliatory expulsions by Russia. At the United Nations Security Council meeting on Thursday, Nebenzia, Russia’s envoy, called the allegations a “fake story” and said the UK was “playing with fire and they will be sorry.” The British government insists that only Russia had the capability to carry out the attack. CNN’s Katie Polglase and Sebastian Shukla contributed to this report.