US suspends bilateral talks with Russia over Syria after US accuses Russia of failing to uphold ceasefire US personnel intended to cooperate with Russia as part of a joint effort against ISIS and al Qaeda's Syrian affiliate will now be withdrawn The same day Moscow announced that it would suspend a US-Russia agreement on cooperation on arms reduction The US announced Monday it is “suspending its participation in bilateral channels with Russia” that had come about as part of the short-lived cessation of hostilities in Syria. “This is not a decision that was taken lightly,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement announcing the suspension. Secretary of State John Kerry, who spent months negotiating with his Russian counterpart in order to bring about a ceasefire in Syria, spoke Tuesday about the end of bilateral talks and emphasized that the US was not giving up on peace or the Syrian people. “Yesterday, as most of you saw, the United States announced our decision to suspend the bilateral discussions with Russia on the re-institution of the cessation of the hostilities agreement. A decision that, believe me, does not come lightly,” Kerry told an audience in Brussels, Belgium, while speaking on Transatlantic relations. Kerry stressed that the US would continue to pursue diplomatic initiatives to curb the violence in Syria that has sprung from the civil war there. “I want to be very, very clear to everybody: We are not giving up on the Syrian people. We are not abandoning the pursuit of peace. We are not going to leave the multilateral field. We are going to continue to try to find a way forward in order to end this war.” Kerry also slammed both Russia and the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad for their role in perpetuating the conflict. “Together, the Syrian regime and Russia, seem to have rejected diplomacy in furtherance of trying to pursue a military victory over the broken bodies, the bombed-out hospitals, the traumatized children of a long-suffering land,” he said. The White House on Monday had similarly harsh words for Russia’s behavior. “Everybody’s patience with Russia has run out,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters. Earnest said Russia had lost credibility by “making a series of commitments without any indication they were committed to following them,” accusing Russia and its Syrian regime allies of trying “to bomb civilian populations into submission.” Kerry last week had threatened to call off bilateral talks with Russia unless Moscow took immediate steps to end the assault on Aleppo and restore a ceasefire. Kerry: ‘I lost the argument’ on Syria The statement announcing the suspension said the Russian and the Syrian regime’s unwillingness to uphold the cease-fire accord was “demonstrated by their intensified attacks against civilian areas, targeting of critical infrastructure such as hospitals, and preventing humanitarian aid from reaching civilians in need.” US military and civilian personnel that were sent to Geneva, Switzerland, to work with the Russians on the Joint Implementation Center will now be withdrawn home, according to the statement and US defense officials. The Joint Implementation Center was a key element of the negotiated accord and was intended to facilitate collaboration between the American and Russian militaries in targeting ISIS and al Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, the al Nusra front. The center was never launched because the agreement had required that the cease-fire hold and aid deliveries must be allowed for at least seven days prior to the center’s starting work. Officials said the US and Russia will continue to communicate via previously established direct military-to-military channels as part of a safety effort to “de-conflict” Syrian airspace and allow for coalition and Russian warplanes to avoid dangerous accidental incidents. State Department spokesperson Elizabeth Trudeau told reporters Monday that US and Russian officials had met through the weekend to discuss Syria. The suspension “does not preclude multi-lateral dialogue” with Russia regarding Syria, Trudeau added. When asked if the US had lived up to its end of the cease-fire deal, Trudeau said, “We believe we did.” For its part, Moscow announced Monday that it was suspending an arms reduction agreement with the US in which both countries agreed to dispose of 34 tons of plutonium, enough for thousands of nuclear bombs, over what it called Washington’s “unfriendly actions” toward Russia, state news agency TASS reported. In a statement published on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said: “The decision we have made is a signal to Washington: attempts at talking to Russia from the position of strength, in a language of sanctions and ultimatums while continuing selective cooperation with our country … where this cooperation benefits the United States will not succeed.” Asked if the Russian announcement was linked to the recent US decision regarding the suspension of bilateral Syria talks, Trudeau said, “I would not link those at all.” “We believe it would be a shame if this important agreement was put aside because of an unrelated issue,” she added. Related video Former Russian FM: Moscow not interested in Syria talks Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova expressed regret over Washington’s decision Monday to stop participating in the bilateral channels with Russia. Shortly after Zakharova’s response, Konstantin Kosachev, head of Russia’s Foreign Affairs Committee, criticized the decision by the US. “Russia has striven for continuing dialogue with the US on Syria until the last moment, and only our position was keeping the chance to launch a stable peace process alive,” he said, according to Russian state-owned Sputnik News. He also accused Washington of making the decision because of campaign politics, saying it was based “to a great extent on subjective factors linked with the current presidential election cycle.” The UN’s special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said he “deeply regrets” the fact that the US-Russia talks “did not reach a positive conclusion,” according to a statement issued in the wake of the announcement. “The UN will continue to push energetically for a political solution of the Syrian conflict regardless of the very disappointing outcome of intense and long discussions among two crucial international stakeholders,” the statement said. CNN’s Kevin Liptak and Michelle Kosinski contributed to this report.


NEW: State media reports ruling party wants Mugabe and wife to step down Leader says little, dozes at graduation On a day Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe appeared in public for the first time since his nation plunged into political crisis, his ruling party is reportedly calling for him to step down. “ZANU-PF provincial structures in all the country’s 10 provinces met today and called for the resignation of their First Secretary, President Robert Mugabe. They also called for the resignation of women’s league Secretary and First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe from the party,” State newspaper The Herald reported Friday Mugabe emerged from house arrest to attend a university graduation ceremony in the capital, Harare, in a staged public appearance that belied the reality that he is no longer in control of the country he has ruled for 37 years. The veteran leader arrived at Zimbabwe Open University in a blue-and-yellow gown, accompanied by his security detail, in his first public appearance since being detained in Wednesday’s army takeover. There was no sign of Mugabe’s wife, whom the leader was trying to promote as the next president, triggering the political upheaval. The developments were the latest in an increasingly bizarre set of events that has eschewed the traditional playbook for military takeovers. Mugabe’s appearance was apparently designed to convey a business-as-usual atmosphere – the generals pulling the strings in Harare are desperate not to give the impression they are orchestrating an unconstitutional coup. But behind the scenes, efforts to push Mugabe aside appeared to be foundering. Mugabe was reported to be resisting a plan to oust him, and the generals were said to be frustrated by his refusal to go quietly. Mugabe resisting deal: The President has pushed back on a deal to replace him with an interim leader, a source told CNN. Military sets deadline: Frustrated with Mugabe’s resistance, the commander of the defense forces said the President had until Friday to change his stance, “or we do it the hard way,” a source said. Tillerson weighs in: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson described the situation as an “opportunity” and called for democratic elections. An anti-Mugabe march: Zimbabwe’s military says it supports a peaceful and orderly march against Mugabe, scheduled to take place in Harare’s Zimbabwe Grounds in Highfield on Saturday. As Mugabe arrived at the graduation ceremony Friday morning, Zimbabwe’s political limbo was entering its third day and clandestine efforts to prise Mugabe from power appeared to have reached an impasse. According to a government source with direct knowledge of the talks, Mugabe had pushed back on a deal to replace him with an interim leader, arguing there would be a constitutional crisis if he left before his term expired. Mugabe was photographed Thursday in talks with army chief, Gen. Constantino Chiwenga, and other officials at the official State House. The source told CNN that the photos were “merely a formality” and a deal that had already been done. Part of the deal was that an acting president would be named, as required by the constitution when there is no vice president, the source said. But a day later, it was clear Mugabe was digging his heels in. Frustrated with the lack of progress, the commander of the defense forces, Chiwenga set a deadline of Friday for Mugabe to agree to a deal, “or we do it the hard way,” the source said. Meanwhile, at Zimbabwe Open University, on the outskirts of the capital, Mugabe conferred degrees on students as if nothing was untoward. But if he thought that attending the event would make it look as if he was still in charge, the tactic backfired. The 93-year-old said little and drifted in and out of sleep on stage. 10 days that shook Mugabe’s rule‘Gucci Grace’ and the ‘Crocodile’Mugabe: Africa’s longest serving leaderHow Mugabe killed Zimbabwe’s economy 10 days that shook Mugabe’s rule‘Gucci Grace’ and the ‘Crocodile’Mugabe: Africa’s longest serving leaderHow Mugabe killed Zimbabwe’s economy The political firestorm was ignited by Mugabe’s dismissal of his powerful vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa. Mnangagwa has strong connections and the support of the military, and under the deal apparently on the table with Mugabe, he would run for the leadership of Mugabe’s ZANU-PF at a congress in December, allowing him then to contest next year’s presidential elections. CNN has learned that Mnangagwa had been instrumental for some time in plans to seize control from Mugabe, who had been maneuvering to anoint his wife Grace as his successor. “This takeover was planned a long time ago by Emmerson Mnangagwa and secret discussions did take place with opposition about a succession plan including forcing out Mugabe,” a senior opposition leader with direct knowledge of the talks told CNN. Mnangagwa’s whereabouts were unknown, but he was widely reported to be guiding events. The influential Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, which has thrown its support behind Mnangagwa, is planning a huge show of strength in Harare Saturday. “We will settle the scores tomorrow,” Chris Mutsvangwa, head of the association, told reporters on Friday. “There is no going back about Mugabe, he must leave,” he said. Foreign powers have called on the military to show restraint in the upheaval, but have largely supported its actions so far. Tillerson hosted a ministerial meeting on African trade, security and governance on Friday, where he described the situation in Zimbabwe as an opportunity for the country. “Zimbabwe has an opportunity to set itself on a new path, one that must include democratic elections and respect for human rights,” he said at the event in Washington, calling for a quick return to civilian rule. Related article Zimbabwe streets are calm but in Harare, the military is calling the shots Not too long ago, Mugabe’s presidential guard would have died defending their leader. But this week, CNN saw several armored personnel carriers (APCs) stationed outside their headquarters in Harare – a clear sign that the military is hemming them in. Tanks were still positioned in downtown Harare and no police were to be seen, though the city was “calm” with shops and businesses open, residents reported. The military has denied that the events of the week amount to a coup, but residents were still unclear as to what type of rule they would be living under. “We don’t know what is happening,” one man told CNN. “What we know is that the soldiers are in control.” ‘Nobody knows where this is going’: Zimbabwe faces uncertain future Zimbabweans are cautious, but hopeful that, after almost four decades of often brutal rule, Mugabe – who has governed for longer than many of his countrymen have been alive – could be coming to an end. Another Zimbabwean CNN spoke to said that Mugabe should leave office, and end the economic ruination of the African country once known as Africa’s breadbasket. “We need a new president,” he said, peering through his car’s window. “We need bread and butter.” CNN’s Brent Swails, Joseph Netto and Hamdi Alkashali contributed to this report.


New satellite images suggest increased activity at North Korea nuclear site Pyongyang has upped its threatening rhetoric in recent weeks Satellite imagery shows increased activity at a major North Korean nuclear site, according to a new report. US-based monitoring project 38 North said evidence suggested Pyongyang may be preparing to resume operations at a plutonium production reactor at the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center 90 kilometers (55 miles) north of the capital. “Stepped-up activities throughout the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center indicate that it is operating at a level somewhat above what has been observed during the past five years,” the report said. “The exact implications of that activity remain unclear except to reaffirm that the Yongbyon facility remains the center of North Korea’s nuclear program.” Plutonium from the Yongbyon reactor is believed to have been used in North Korea’s nuclear weapons tests, according to a US government report. Traditional nuclear weapons use plutonium (or uranium) as their main fuel. The “Fat Man” bomb the US dropped on Nagasaki used 14 pounds of plutonium, producing a blast equivalent to about 21,000 tons of TNT. What can be learned by not shooting down a North Korean missile At the heart of the Yongbyon complex is a 5 MWe experimental nuclear reactor, at which operations had been suspended since late-2015, according to 38 North. “Throughout the previous four months, there has been a continued presence of vehicles at and around the 5 MWe reactor suggesting either ongoing maintenance, refueling or preparations for renewed operations,” the report said. Satellite images show no snow on the roofs of the reactor buildings, while others are covered. “This indicates that the 5 MWe reactor and its support buildings are occupied and at least minimally heated.” Channels leading from the reactor’s cooling cisterns have also been dredged and cleared of ice, though there was no indication that they were currently in use, the report said. “Taken as a whole, these activities suggest preparations to resume operation of the 5 MWe reactor,” the authors conclude. North Korea has a stockpile of around 15-22 nuclear weapons, according to the US Institute for Science and International Security. However, the country’s supply of plutonium is believed to be relatively low, which may explain why it is restarting the Yongbyon reactor. There has been much speculation over what, if any, action North Korea will take around the upcoming inauguration of US President Donald Trump on January 20. In his New Year’s speech, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un said the country was close to testing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of delivering a nuclear weapon to the US mainland. A statement last week, released by the North Korean Foreign Ministry, seemed to offer an avenue to Trump for future negotiations, saying any future US leader “would be well advised to secure a new way of thinking.” John Delury, associate professor of international studies at Yonsei University said the statement was “definitely a message to the Trump transition team” not to follow the current administration’s tactic of imposing international sanctions on Pyongyang. If North Korea is hoping for a sit down meeting with Trump, as some analysts have argued, it’s “logical to assume” Kim will want to test an ICBM as soon as possible to strengthen his hand, said Tal Inbar, a North Korea expert at the Fisher Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies. Just before the start of President Barack Obama’s first term, six-party talks involving North Korea and the US over Pyongyang’s nuclear program broke down, and relations between the two countries have worsened considerably during Obama’s two terms. Should the parties return to the negotiating table, Kim’s side will be in a considerably stronger position than during previous talks. “During the 1990s and early 2000s, (North Korea) was willing to trade away significant elements of its nuclear program for various concessions at different times,” Shane Smith, a senior research fellow at the US National Defense University, wrote in a report last year on Pyongyang’s changing nuclear strategy. “However, those days appear to be gone for the foreseeable future.” North Korea conducted its second nuclear test early during Obama’s first term, and its third just a month into his second. Early last year, Pyongyang said it had successfully conducted a hydrogen bomb test.


Pence said he hopes that slapping new sanctions on Russia would lead Moscow to change its behavior "(Trump) confirmed his belief and our intelligence that Russia was involved in meddling in U.S. elections," Pence said Vice President Mike Pence spoke forcefully about reining in North Korea’s nuclear program during his trip to Estonia on Sunday, saying that “all options are on the table” in countering the threat. “The continued provocations by the rogue regime in North Korea are unacceptable, and the United States of America is going to continue to marshal the support of nations across the region and across the world to further isolate North Korea economically and diplomatically,” Pence told reporters. Related article US tests defense system after North Korea missile launch Pence also lamented China’s actions in the effort to pressure Pyongyang. “We believe China should do more,” Pence said. “The President has been clear about that in his conversations with President Xi (Jinping) that while China has taken unprecedented steps to begin to isolate North Korea economically and to bring diplomatic pressure, we believe China has a unique relationship with the regime in North Korea and has a unique ability to influence decisions by that regime.” US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley also tweeted Sunday morning about the administration’s desire for China and other nations to put pressure on Pyongyang, writing, “Done talking about NKorea. China is aware they must act. Japan & SKorea must inc pressure. Not only a US problem. It will req an intl solution.” Done talking about NKorea.China is aware they must act.Japan & SKorea must inc pressure.Not only a US problem.It will req an intl solution. In a statement on Twitter on Sunday afternoon, Haley dismissed reports that Washington is seeking an emergency UN Security Council meeting, saying, “North Korea is already subject to numerous Security Council resolutions that they violate with impunity,” and “China must decide if it is finally willing to take this vital step” of challenging Pyongyang. “The time for talk is over,” Haley said. “The danger the North Korean regime poses to international peace is now clear to all.” The remarks come two days after North Korea tested a ballistic missile that it claims can reach all of the United States. China, a longtime North Korean ally, issued a statement Saturday condemning the missile launch and asked Pyongyang to “stop taking actions that would escalate tensions” on the Korean Peninsula. “The UN Security Council has clear regulations on North Korea’s launch activities that use ballistic missile technologies. China is opposed to North Korea’s launch activities in violation of UN Security Council resolutions and against the will of the international community,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. In a pair of tweets Saturday, Trump also slammed China for not taking stronger action. I am very disappointed in China. Our foolish past leaders have allowed them to make hundreds of billions of dollars a year in trade, yet... ...they do NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk. We will no longer allow this to continue. China could easily solve this problem! “I am very disappointed in China,” Trump tweeted. “… they do NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk. We will no longer allow this to continue. China could easily solve this problem!” In a show of force on Sunday, the US military said it conducted a successful missile defense test in the Pacific Ocean amid the growing tensions. US forces tested the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in Alaska by launching a ballistic missile, which was then detected, tracked and intercepted over the Pacific Ocean, according to the military. Pence’s visit to Estonia is the first leg of an Eastern European trip that will also take him to Georgia and Montenegro to show US support for them and NATO in the face of what the administration has called Russia’s destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere and its efforts to undermine the alliance. The trip comes amid rising tensions between the US and Russia over a new sanctions bill that easily cleared Congress last week and that the White House says Trump is expected to sign. Passage of the bill prompted Russia to retaliate by cutting US diplomatic missions by 755 people, which Moscow announced Friday – an in-kind response to penalties that would be codified by the legislation, including the ejection of Russian diplomatic staff and closure of two Russian compounds in the US, for its alleged meddling in last year’s election and aggression in Ukraine. “We waited a long time for things to perhaps change for the better,” Russian state media quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin as saying Sunday. “We had such hope that the situation would change, but judging by the situation that will not be soon.” On taking retaliatory measures, Putin said, “I thought it was time for us to show that we will not leave this without an answer. As for other possible measures, or whether it is a lot or not, this is quite sensible from the point of view of the work of the diplomatic department. …” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov threatened further retaliation against the US on Sunday morning, saying that if that US goes through with the sanctions, “we will respond in kind,” but he would not specify how Russia plans to respond. Related article Russia vows further retaliation if US moves forward with sanctions Pence said Sunday that he hopes that slapping new sanctions on Russia would lead Russia to change its behavior with regard to Ukraine and end its support for Iran and North Korea. “The President and I remain very hopeful that we’ll see different behavior by the Russian government, with regard to Ukraine, with regard to supporting rogue regimes in Iran and North Korea,” Pence said. “We continue to believe that if Russia will change its behavior, our relationship can change for the good and improve for the interests in both of our countries and the interest of peace and stability in this region and around the world.” Related article White House: Trump to sign Russia sanctions bill Pressed on how to square the purpose of his trip with Trump’s position on Russia’s alleged efforts to influence last year’s election, Pence defended the President. He insisted Trump is in agreement with US intelligence services on Russian meddling despite newly appointed White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci telling CNN last week that Trump is still unsure. “The President has confirmed repeatedly that we believe Russia did meddle in US elections,” Pence said. “I think he has also said it could have been other actors as well. But he’s confirmed his belief and our intelligence that Russia was involved in meddling in US elections and it’s part of what inspired the bipartisan action in the Congress to codify the sanctions that our administration has been implementing against Russia and will continue to advance that.”


The United Nations and Bangladesh have questioned Myanmar’s claim of repatriating the first Rohingya refugees as concerns mount for the safety of returnees. More than 670,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar into neighboring Bangladesh since August 2017, bringing with them stories of murder, rape and the destruction of villages at the hands of the military. Under an agreement signed by Yangon and Dhaka, Rohingya refugees should have started to return to Myanmar in January. But the UN and rights groups say the move is dangerously premature. Related article Raised in the shadow of genocide: A young Rohingya's story In a statement on Saturday, Myanmar said it had repatriated the first Rohingya family from refugees who have fled to Bangladesh. However, the UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency, said in a statement on Sunday that it had no direct knowledge of the case and was not consulted or involved in this reported return. Bangladesh’s Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, Abul Kalam, also disputed the claim. “The family who went to Myanmar is part of around 6,000 Rohingya living in the no-man’s land camp, on the Myanmar side of the zero line,” he told CNN. “Since the family never entered the Bangladesh territory, this is not a repatriation. By definition, this is not an official repatriation,” he added. Zaw Htay, a spokesman for Myanmar’s government, said its claim “is not propaganda” and that the family decided to come back of their own volition.  “We are taking care of them,” he added. When Facebook becomes ‘the beast’: Myanmar activists say social media aids genocide The UN and the US say they believe the violence against the Rohingya constitutes ethnic cleansing. Myanmar denies most of the charges, saying its military has only targeted suspected terrorists that killed 12 security officials in late August. However, in January the military admitted involvement in the killing of 10 Rohingya buried in a mass grave. Seven soldiers were sentenced to 10-year prison terms with hard labor last week over the killings. The Rohingya have long faced persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, which describes them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh – effectively denying them citizenship – despite the fact that many families can trace their roots back hundreds of years. Last week, UNHCR released a statement saying “conditions in Myanmar are not yet conducive for returns to be safe, dignified, and sustainable”. Rohingya continue to flee Myanmar. Last week, according to Matthew Smith, co-founder of Fortify Rights, some 70 of them left on a boat heading for Malaysia. “Rohingya refugees on the move: Boat with 70 on board is likely arrive in Thai or Malaysian waters in a matter of days, assuming they don’t capsize or face other problems at sea,” Smith tweeted. Between 2012 and 2015, more than 112,000 Rohingya fled, largely by boat, to Malaysia. In May 2015, the world watched in horror as human traffickers stranded thousands of mainly Rohingya in the Bay of Bengal on rickety boats with scant supplies of food and water.


What do you do when you’re a student and you want to compete in robotics competitions – and you’re blind? Well, you go to the dark side, of course. Dark Side is the name of a robotics team in Iowa made up mostly of blind students. It’s taking part in a regional competition this weekend in Cedar Falls against dozens of other teams from the US, China and Brazil. One of the team members said he asked teachers if they could form a team because they had something to prove. “We can do it and we can pass it down to other visually-impaired students. That’s our goal,” Danny Grimes told CNN affiliate KCRG. There’s eight students on the team: three blind students, three with only very limited vision and two students who can see. The Dark Side operates just like any other robotics team with just one exception. The components they use to build the robots have Braille labels. (The touch reading system for the blind appears in the team’s slogan too: “May the Braille be with you.”) The two team members who can see handle the steering of the robots during competitions. Sara Larkin, a teacher at the Iowa Braille and Sightsaving School, said what the team is doing is pretty awesome. “They’ve already got so much out of it. It’s just amazing,” Larking said. “Most of them had never used a power tool, a screw driver or a hammer before.”


For Republicans wooing conservative primary voters, opposing the Obama administration’s efforts to normalize U.S.-Cuba relations is an easy political applause line. There’s just one problem: It’s one more issue that increasingly pits the GOP against the powerful business community, a critical financial base for the party. READ: Obama acts to remove Cuba from terror list The GOP has aggressively criticized President Barack Obama as he has embarked on a mission to rewrite the country’s Cuba policy, taking steps – including an announcement Tuesday to remove Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism – toward lifting an embargo that has kept the Caribbean nation off limits to Americans for decades. But even as prominent Republicans – including Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio – attack the President’s diplomatic measures, some of the country’s most influential business groups and leaders have loudly applauded Obama. Corporate America views the re-establishment of economic relations with Cuba as a potentially lucrative trade opportunity and a possible boon for industries like tourism, agriculture and telecommunications. Related gallery Summit of the Americas The Chamber of Commerce said the recent developments would allow “free enterprise to flourish.” Sugar tycoon Alfonso Fanjul, who was exiled from Cuba decades ago, shocked the anti-Castro movement last year when he said he would be open to investing in Cuba. Even within Florida, a state with a prominent, conservative-leaning Cuban American community, local business groups have hailed Obama’s recent moves. Bob Rohrlack, CEO of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, who will lead the group’s third delegation to Cuba in May, said he endorses changes to the current U.S.-Cuba relationship and lamented the “doggedness” of some individuals on this issue. “We are the only country that has a restriction like we do on Cuba,” Rohrlack said. “When we were there, even though we knew it, it was shocking to see how much of the rest of the world was there.” Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist reversed his support for the embargo in 2012 and ran for governor last year as a proponent of opening trade. In an interview with CNN, Crist predicted the Republican Party would not be able to defend the status quo for much longer, in no small part due to the economic ramifications. “Being able to open up relations with the Cuban people and to have more trade not only benefits all of America, but in particular, the state of Florida, being only 90 miles away,” said Crist, who left the Republican Party after losing the 2010 Senate race to Rubio. “There are those who are going to be hard-liners and stay steadfast to their position in the past, but I think by and large, many Republicans already in fact think it’s the right thing to do.” READ: He’s in: Marco Rubio announces presidential bid Within the field of Republican presidential candidates, there is near-unanimous disapproval of the Cuba thaw. Rubio, the Florida senator and son of Cuban parents who officially entered the GOP presidential field on Monday, is among the most vocal opponents of normalizing U.S.-Cuba relations. “Cuba is a brutal, tyrannical dictatorship 90 miles from the shore of our country,” Rubio said in an interview with NPR this week, adding that the United States should “continue with the policy of not recognizing that regime and not allowing them access to economic growth that would allow them to perpetuate themselves in power.” This Republican orthodoxy is pitting the party against the broader business community. And the relationship between the United States and Cuba is hardly the first issue to highlight the divide between factions of the Republican Party and corporate America. Most recently, Republican officials were in tension with companies across the country over the so-called religious freedom laws in Indiana and Arkansas, which gay rights advocates feared would allow companies to discriminate against LGBT customers. Conservative Republican lawmakers in Congress have also butted heads with business on issues like raising the debt ceiling, reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank and extending a federal terrorism risk insurance law. Though there are significant obstacles, including Cuba’s poor infrastructure, to U.S. businesses reaping significant financial benefits right away, companies have their eyes set on the potential long-term benefits. Related video Obama asks Congress to move Cuba off terror list Virginia Haley, president of Visit Sarasota County, said rebuilding economic ties with Cuba would boost Florida’s tourism industry. “People, when they come to a Florida vacation, they often like to take a little side trip or take a cruise or stop at several points within the state,” Haley said. “And this will be a whole new reason to come to Florida.” Florida, with its high number of Cuban immigrants and outsize role in presidential politics, has been a stronghold of political opposition to easing relations with Havana. But Cuba experts and Florida political strategists say the dynamics within Florida are already shifting, particularly with younger generations of Cuban-Americans more willing to consider an end to the embargo. And recent polling shows the majority of Americans support Obama’s efforts to re-establish ties with Cuba. READ: Barack Obama and Raul Castro meet, launch new era of U.S.-Cuba ties Lawrence Diamond, a partner at Duane Morris and chairman of the firm’s Cuba Business Group, said the emotionally charged opposition to re-establishing U.S.-Cuba relations in Florida can sometimes overshadow the desire in other parts of the country to do business with Cuba. “If you’re in Idaho and you want to send potatoes to Cuba, this might be a big deal for them up there and the agricultural products,” Diamond said. Thomas Herzfeld, chairman and president of Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors, an investment firm that works on investments in Cuba, predicts that it’s only a matter of years — if not months — until the United States will have resumed some level of trade with Cuba. “Geography plays a large part in it; certainly agricultural states in the Midwest are all for it,” Herzfeld said. “I just think the toothpaste has come out of the tube.”


Editor’s Note: Timothy Stanley is a historian and columnist for Britain’s Daily Telegraph. He is the author of “Citizen Hollywood: How the Collaboration Between L.A. and D.C. Revolutionized American Politics.” The opinions expressed in this commentary are his. Timothy Stanley: Trump's opposition to intervention has exploited anger at failed wars He says anti-war advocates need to ensure Fortress USA doesn't launch new conflicts Donald Trump wants to reshape the American state. Not shrink it, as conservatives promised in days of old, but redefine its priorities. Hence his promise to cut funding on aid, diplomacy, climate change, etc. – and dramatically increase the money that goes to the military. By an astonishing 10%, or $54 billion. That’s a lot of lead, and Republicans as well as Democrats should be asking questions about it. “Hold on a second,” you might ask, “doesn’t hiking military spending contradict Trump’s promise to stop America playing world policeman?” Not necessarily. In principle, Trump wants to spend big bucks for very different reasons than Ronald Reagan or George W Bush did. They wanted a strong military in order that it could be projected everywhere fast. Trump, by contrast, wants to turn the United States into a giant fortress. No army, hopefully, ever goes out; no army, fingers crossed, ever gets in. At the same time as he invests in new equipment, he’ll also be demanding that NATO members pay up more, reducing aid, probably shredding the State Department, trying to ban whole classes of migrants on the basis of alleged security threats and erecting a wall along the Mexican border. Related article How much could other countries buy with Trump's military spending surge? So just because Trump appears to be giving the war hawks the money they want does not mean he is endorsing their global strategy. On the contrary, sealing up the United States is supposed to reduce the likelihood of another 9/11 and, the world prays, another Iraq War. But does the country really need more bombs to do this? The most serious threat is China, which is projecting its power within the Pacific region. But its goals still appear to be revanchist: designed to reclaim bordering territories that it believes to be its own. Russia remains a military paper tiger. It has a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons, granted. But its conventional capabilities are limited. When its only aircraft carrier recently chugged into the Mediterranean, European spectators were shocked to see it billowing black smoke – like a dilapidated steam engine. Related article President Trump goes to Congress to make a sale Russia does pose a threat, as we know all too well, online. Political piracy and industrial espionage are the biggest challenges from the old Cold War players – and they necessitate clever investment in intelligence. The same goes for Islamist terrorism. The UK has shown that domestic terror threats can be beaten by infiltration, data gathering and shared intelligence. The best offense against terrorism is prevention: breaking up cells, stopping radicalization, reaching out to young Muslims. Trump is right that political correctness has incubated extremists, but practical experience also shows that working sensitively with Islamic communities reaps benefits. Related video Geore W. Bush offers easy criticism of Trump There’s a certain class of Trumpite who regards himself as a crusader against Islam. This approach is wrong and could backfire horribly. Fiscal conservatives would do well to ask if these spending priorities are correct. Libertarian conservatives have to ask if they’re happy with Trump handing a massive check to the military industrial complex – a group no more deserving of taxpayer largesse than the banks or Planned Parenthood. Finally, anti-war campaigners of all stripes should beware of the potential for mission creep in Trump’s crusading rhetoric. Yes, he wants to build a fortress. Yes, he wants the rest of the world to police itself. But he also wants to crush ISIS. He has spoken about the possibility of taking Iraq’s oil. Related article Can McMaster steer Trump clear of ISIS disaster? He famously refuses to discuss strategy, leaving everything on the table. Who knows? He may find himself drawn toward the logic of saying that it’s better to fight America’s Islamist enemies “over there” than “over here.” For while Trumpism is about skepticism toward globalization, it’s also about making America great again – and that remains measured, for many, in its ability to kick ass. I see nothing in Trump’s psychology or language that implies his opposition to intervention is shaped by a close reading of constitutional history or the pacifist’s fear of causing harm. Sign up for CNN Opinion’s new newsletter.Join us on Twitter and Facebook Just look at the language the President used when previewing this boost in military spending: “We must ensure that our courageous servicemen and women have the tools they need to deter war and when called upon to fight in our name only do one thing, win. We have to win. We have to start winning wars again.” Trump’s opposition to intervention on the campaign trail has, however, cannily exploited popular anger at failed wars. Given that he is now demanding stratospheric sums of money to rearm America, anti-war conservatives and liberals must work hard to ensure that Fortress USA does not become the launchpad for a new generation of conflicts.


Officially, the deployment is part of the US military's effort to maintain a "continuous bomber presence" The B-52s and 300 airmen from Barksdale Air Force Base will replace B-1 bombers in Guam The US Air Force has deployed six nuclear-capable B-52 Stratofortress bombers to Guam, according to US Pacific Air Forces, adding more firepower to the region just hours after North Korean state media mocked President Donald Trump’s tweet referencing the size of his nuclear button as the “spasm of a lunatic.” B-52 bombers provide additional nuclear and conventional mission capability to a subtly growing American military presence in the region amid ongoing talks between North and South Korea. Officially, the deployment is part of the US military’s effort to maintain a “continuous bomber presence” in the Pacific, but the timing coincides with ongoing talks between North and South Korea ahead of next month’s Winter Olympics. Related article North and South Korea meet again to discuss Winter Olympics The talks mark the most significant thaw in relations between the neighboring states in years, and the US remains cautiously optimistic that the dialogue could eventually provide fertile ground for diplomacy. Washington and Seoul opted to postpone their annual military exercises until after the Olympics, but the Air Force said it will maintain “routine” fire power in the region even as talks are ongoing. “This forward deployed presence demonstrates the US continued commitment to allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region,” the Air Force said in a statement. Ongoing discussions between North and South Korea has not prevented Pyongyang from openly criticizing the US and President Donald Trump in recent days. Related article The last resort: How a US strike on North Korea could play out North Korean state media mocked Trump this week, calling his tweet about having a bigger nuclear button that Kim Jong Un the “spasm of a lunatic.” Kim will likely also take issue with the US deployment of additional nuclear-capable bombers to Guam – a territory he has often threatened to target with a missile should the US provoke him. But despite the recent cooling of tensions that has prompted talks between North and South Korea ahead of the Olympics, officials remain aware that Kim Jong Un still refuses to put his nuclear program on the table and understand that previous rounds of diplomacy have failed to bring about either denuclearization or a permanent peace treaty to formally end the Korean War (hostilities ended with a truce in 1953). Related article Tillerson vows allies won't ease up on North Korea pressure Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and allies said Tuesday that the world community must continue to pressure North Korea to change its behavior, warning against complacency amid talks. As Tillerson continues to push for a diplomatic solution, the US military officials is preparing for any conflict scenario by conducting mock missions and training exercises. The B-52s and 300 airmen from Barksdale Air Force Base will replace the B-1 bombers currently stationed in Guam and join three B-2 stealth bombers that arrived at Andersen Air Force Base earlier this month. While the B-1 Lancers are scheduled to return to their home base at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota at the end of the month, the Air Force said that the three types of US bombers will overlap in Guam for a few days. The highly versatile, supersonic B-1 is considered the backbone of the US long-range bomber fleet and carries the largest conventional payload of any aircraft in the US Air Force. But while it packs a punch, the B-1 remains disarmed of nuclear weapons – unlike the B-52 and B-2. Defense Secretary James Mattis and other Pentagon officials have long warned that a military conflict with North Korea would yield devastating consequences and any strike option should only be considered once diplomacy is no longer possible. Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico wrote a letter to Mattis last week to express concerns that the administration was considering a “bloody nose” strategy against North Korea in which the US would launch a preemptive military target strike. Heinrich wrote: “In our eyes, a limited strike against even a single, military site could easily be perceived by North Korea as the opening salvo and a declaration of war. Even putting aside the myriad targeting challenges presented by North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs, we have no way of predicting the exact form of North Korean retaliation.” But should the situation arise where the US must wage a military campaign on the Korean Peninsula, analysts have told CNN that B-2 and B-52 bombers launched from Guam – referred to as the “tip of the spear” – would likely be part of any first strike. The B-2 is considered the Air Force’s heavy-penetration bomber and features low observable stealth technology designed to evade anti-aircraft defenses. Related article N. Korea accuses US of 'nuclear strike drill' after bomber flights A long-range heavy bomber, the B-52 can perform a variety of missions but is a significantly older aircraft than the B-2. It is capable of flying at subsonic speeds and can carry nuclear or precision guided conventional ordnance. The Air Force said the B-52’s will provide “regional allies and partners with a credible, strategic power projection platform.” Additional bombers are not the only pieces of US military hardware to arrive in the Pacific in recent weeks. Earlier this month, the military boosted its stealth attack options in the Pacific when the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp moved into the 7th Fleet area of operations. The 40,00-ton, 844-foot-long Wasp is essentially a baby aircraft carrier. Built in 1980s, it has been upgraded to deploy new Marine Corps F-35B stealth fighter jets. The fifth-generation fighter jets are seen as a major advantage for the United States in any contingencies involving North Korea as they are undetectable by Pyongyang’s radars. Related article US adds platform for stealth jets to Pacific The Wasp will be based in Sasebo, Japan, and become the flagship of the US Navy’s Upgunned Expeditionary Strike Group in the Pacific, the service said. It replaces the USS Bonhomme Richard, which has not been upgraded to handle the F-35s. Meanwhile, more than 6,000 sailors assigned to the Carl Vinson Strike Group left San Diego earlier this month for a regularly scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific, according to the US Navy. Led by the 97,000-ton aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, the strike group includes a guided-missile cruiser and two destroyers in addition to the accompanying air wing. CNN’s Elise Labott and Brad Lendon contributed to this report.

US military deployment of B-52 bombers to Guam


The possibility of official Saudi involvement in 9/11 has hung over the relationship between the two countries Bandar is a key Saudi royal figure known to have a very close relationship with George H. W. Bush When the United States caught its first big al Qaeda operative, six months after the 9/11 terror attacks, it found a disturbing clue: phone numbers linked to the United States. In an overnight raid, Pakistani forces captured Abu Zubaydah, allegedly a recruiter for the terror group and a member of Osama bin Laden’s inner circle. Now, 14 years after Zubaydah was apprehended, newly declassified information from a 2002 congressional report on the 9/11 attacks, dubbed the “28 pages,” reveals an indirect link previously hidden from the American public between the alleged al Qaeda operative and a company associated with a key member of the Saudi royal family, former Saudi Ambassador to the United States Prince Bandar bin Sultan. Ever since 19 men – 15 of them Saudi nationals – hijacked four airplanes and changed the course of American history, the possibility of official Saudi involvement has hung over the relationship between the two countries. While the alleged association with Bandar revealed in the newly declassified pages does not provide direct evidence the prince was complicit in the 9/11 attacks, it raises new questions about Saudi Arabia’s involvement. The connection to Bandar was made through Zubaydah’s phone book, retrieved during the Pakistani raid in which he was taken. In it, the FBI found numbers linked to the United States, including an unlisted number for a company that managed Bandar’s estate in Aspen, Colorado. An unlisted number was also found for a bodyguard who worked at the Saudi Embassy in Washington. RELATED: Congress releases secret ’28 pages’ on alleged Saudi 9/11 ties “Both of those numbers were unpublished, so they had to have gotten into Zubaydah’s phone book through a personal contact who knew what those numbers were and what they represented,” said former Sen. Bob Graham, co-chair of the congressional commission that compiled the 28 pages. The revelation about Bandar’s indirect ties to the al Qaeda operative was one of the few pieces of new information contained in the declassified documents. The CIA and FBI concluded that there was no evidence anyone from the Saudi royal family knowingly provided support for the 9/11 attacks. But Graham said the indirect connection to the respected former Saudi ambassador was “one of the most stunning parts of the investigation” and worthy of pursuing further. Bandar was the Saudi ambassador to the United States from 1983 to 2005, during the Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. He later served as secretary general of Saudi Arabia’s National Security Council and head of Saudi Arabia’s General Intelligence Presidency, the equivalent of the CIA, until last year. Bandar “is probably the most effective ambassador in Washington ever. Full stop,” said former CIA analyst Bruce Riedel. “He was highly regarded by every president.” The key Saudi royal figure was known to have the closest relationship with George H. W. Bush, because of Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in the 1990 Gulf War. Saudi Arabia viewed the Iraqi aggression as a threat and supported the subsequent US military action. “Bandar was in the Bush White House I would say every other day and in some periods every day. It was a very, very close relationship,” said Riedel. “And I think the President and Bandar genuinely liked each other.” The so-called 28 pages were the only part of the initial congressional investigation into the September 11 attacks – officially named the Joint Inquiry since both chambers participated – that had not been made public before their declassification in July. Actually numbering 29 pages, they detail a web of Saudi nationals living in the United States who may have aided the 9/11 hijackers. The George W. Bush administration deemed their publication a threat to national security and kept them confidential. That designation was for more than a decade a bone of contention for family members of 9/11 victims and others who thought the pages might contain more details showing Saudi participation in the terror plot. After continuous pressure, the Obama administration agreed to make the pages public last month. During the decade-plus they remained classified, Congress established the 9/11 Commission to devote more time and resources to investigate the questions raised by the Joint Inquiry – such as what the nature and extent of the Bandar tie was – because the inquiry was by no means exhaustive. The 9/11 Commission’s book-length findings were published in 2004 and found “no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded” al Qaeda. The FBI investigated the phone numbers indirectly linked to Bandar in the summer and fall of 2002. A CIA-FBI investigation concluded in 2005 that there was “no evidence that either the Saudi government or a member of the Saudi royal family knowingly provided support” for the September 11 attacks or “had foreknowledge of terrorist operations in the kingdom or elsewhere,” according to an executive summary of the findings, which were released on the same day as the 28 pages. The FBI would not comment for this story concerning those investigations. The Saudi Embassy did not respond to CNN’s request for comment on the questions raised in the 28 pages regarding Bandar. A public relations firm that handles press for the embassy referred CNN to the findings of the 9/11 Commission and the 2005 joint CIA-FBI memo. However, the 9/11 Commission report and the joint agency memo only offer blanket absolution of official Saudi involvement and do not reference the questions detailed in the 28 pages surrounding the phone numbers that indirectly seem to link Bandar to al Qaeda. The 28 pages also raise questions about another possible link between Bandar and the attacks: the prince’s relationship with a Saudi national named Osama Bassnan, who was living in the United States on 9/11 and was investigated to determine if he helped two of the 9/11 hijackers. The declassified pages reveal previously undisclosed amounts of money that Bandar and his wife sent to the man’s family. Bassnan, a former employee of the Saudi government’s Educational Mission in Washington, according to a 9/11 Commission document that cited information obtained by the FBI, lived across the street from two of the 9/11 hijackers in San Diego: Nawaf al Hazmi and Khalid al Mihdhar.  Hazmi and Mihdhar were on the plane that crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon. According to the same 9/11 Commission document, Bassnan admitted to an FBI asset that he met Hazmi and Mihdhar while the hijackers were in San Diego, then denied this in a subsequent conversation. There was some evidence that Bassnan may have had closer ties to the hijackers, though the FBI was not able to corroborate it. Bassnan’s wife, meanwhile, received tens of thousands of dollars in monthly stipends from a Saudi charity run by Bandar’s wife, Princess Haifa al-Faisal. Bassnan’s wife was allegedly receiving the money as an allowance for “nursing services,” according to the 28 pages. The inquiry indicated it doubted that was what the payments were really for, though Bassnan repeatedly spoke of his wife’s “health problems” during interviews with investigators. In a search of the Bassnan residence, the FBI found “copies of 31 cashiers checks totaling $74,000, during the period February 22, 1999, to May 30, 2002,” the 28 pages state. On at least one occasion, Bassnan received a check for $15,000 directly from Bandar’s account, according to an FBI document cited in the pages. Bassnan’s wife also received at least one check directly from Bandar himself. Related video Congress releases '28 pages' on alleged Saudi 9/11 ties A former employee at the Saudi Embassy said that such financial arrangements were not unusual. “It is very common for the government to help Saudi citizens, certainly in terms of providing medical assistance or support while they are abroad,” said Fahad Nazer, a scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute and a political analyst at the Saudi Embassy while Bandar was the ambassador. Bandar was known to give “a lot of money to charity,” according to Riedel and “was pretty notorious for lavish spending.” “He gave some of the best parties Washington probably has ever had,” Riedel said. The 9/11 Commission report, which does not mention the details of the donations, looked at whether the money from Bandar and his wife’s charity was passed on to the hijackers but found “no evidence” that it had. Still, the FBI determined that at least some of the checks meant for Bassnan’s wife changed hands and were given to the wife of another Saudi man living in the United States, Omar al Bayoumi, who had direct ties to Hazmi and Mihdhar. Bayoumi helped the hijackers settle in San Diego when they arrived in the country around early 2000 by finding them an apartment and even co-signing their lease. “Bayoumi’s wife attempted to deposit three of the checks from Bandar’s wife, which were payable to Bassnan’s wife, into her own accounts,” according to a passage from the 28 pages. Despite Bayoumi’s association with the hijackers, the FBI determined in 2004 that Bayoumi did not have “advance knowledge of the terrorist attacks” or “knowledge of al-Hazmi’s and/or al-Mihdhar’s status as al Qaeda operatives” or that “the assistance provided by al-Bayoumi to al-Hazmi and al-Mihdhar was wittingly.” The allegations against Bandar and the other Saudi nationals in the 2002 Joint Inquiry were not meant to be “final determinations” on connections to the Saudi government, according to the report, which states it is “possible that further investigation of these allegations could reveal legitimate, and innocent, explanations for these associations.” The 9/11 Commission report, which found no evidence of Saudi involvement in the plot, is viewed by the US government as the definitive investigation of the attacks. “I don’t see on the basis of anything we have now that we should change those judgments,” Riedel said, referring to the 28 pages and Bandar’s mention in them. “He had tremendous access to the White House. He had access to the CIA, Department of Justice, the Hill, media,” Riedel said. “I just find it stretches credulity that he would somehow be involved in a plot to attack the United States of America.” Bandar enjoyed American culture while he was living in the United States, according to Riedel, including being an avid Dallas Cowboys and McDonalds fan. “He used to go to a lot of games in Dallas. He is an avid McDonalds Big Mac fan. He often would order a Big Mac to be delivered to his residence in McLean, Virginia,” said Riedel. “What’s more American than the Dallas Cowboys and Big Macs?” RELATED: Saudis warn of economic reprisals if Congress passes 9/11 bill While the clues found in Zubaydah’s notebook seemingly never led to damning evidence tying the Saudi prince to al Qaeda, Bandar’s name was mentioned again in 2014 when Zacarias Moussaoui, thought to be the 20th hijacker, claimed that Bandar was in an al Qaeda donor database. Moussaoui, who pleaded guilty in 2005 to six terror related charges, said he was tasked by Osama bin Laden with creating a digital database cataloging al Qaeda’s donors. He made the allegations in a sworn statement contained in a brief submitted as part of an ongoing case in US courts by the families of 9/11 victims against Saudi Arabia. Graham, the former senator that pushed to have the 28 pages declassified, thinks there’s enough to justify a closer look. Graham now wants the FBI and CIA documents pertaining to the questions raised in the 28 pages to be released as well. “It’s going to now be the task to find out, did the … (9/11) commission, did the FBI, did the CIA, or any other entity of the United States government in fact do” a comprehensive inquiry into the Bandar connection?” Graham asked. “If so, what did they conclude in their further investigation?”


The Trump Organization raised more questions than it answered this week when it said it delivered on a pledge to donate foreign government profits from its hotels to the US Treasury. The company declined to provide substantive details of its donation, including the amount of the contribution and how it defined profits from countries outside the US. “On February 22, 2018, The Trump Organization made a voluntary donation to the United States Treasury,” the company’s chief compliance counsel, George Sorial, said in a statement Monday. “This annual donation represents profits from foreign government patronage for the period beginning January 20, 2017 through December 31, 2017.” A Treasury Department spokesperson confirmed receipt of the check but declined to answer any of CNN’s questions, including the amount and whether the Trump Organization-provided documents to support that the total represents all foreign government profits from its hotel. For its part, the Trump Organization noted that the contribution was made voluntarily. Related article Trump's DC hotel is the new legal hot spot in town The Trump Organization tallied the earnings using an industry standard, Sorial said, and in accordance with the company’s internal guidelines. The lack of transparency prompted an immediate backlash from political opponents and government watchdogs who say President Donald Trump is defying an anti-corruption clause in the Constitution by accepting foreign government profits through his company. The issue is at the heart of multiple lawsuits against the President, including one that a New York court dismissed in December. “It would be nice if President Trump would be transparent,” said Scott Amey, general counsel for the Project on Government Oversight. “A list of properties, the foreign governments involved and the benefits surrendered would help ensure that the President is making good on his promise and honoring the anti-corruption protections created by our founding fathers.” Amey added that the donation may resolve the constitutional dilemmas – though others disagree. The President’s pledge to forgo foreign government profits from his hotels has been controversial since he announced it. In January 2017, just before taking office, Trump tried to address concerns over the possibility of foreign influence. During a news conference, one of his attorneys said Trump’s business would voluntarily donate all profits hotels derived from foreign governments to the US Treasury. Related article 'Pay Trump bribes here' sign projected onto Trump's DC hotel “This way, it is the American people who will profit,” said Sheri Dillon, Trump’s attorney from the firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. But months after that, the plan to donate those profits faced renewed scrutiny by watchdog groups when the Trump Organization conceded it was difficult to determine whether certain payments were attributable to foreign governments. In response to inquiries from congressional Democrats, the Trump Organization told lawmakers in May it would “track and identify” revenues received from three distinct sources: direct billings from a Trump-owned property to a foreign government, payments tied to banquet and catering business and all payments received by check or electronic payment from a “reasonable identifiably foreign government entity.” At the time, the company also said it was “impractical” to require all guests to identify themselves – a policy that would “impede upon personal privacy and diminish the guest experience of our brand.” Related article Exclusive: Data show Trump's DC hotel was pricier and emptier than peers in 2017 One of the President’s most controversial properties is his Washington, DC, hotel. Little is known about the hotel’s operations, its financial performance or its customers. Congressional Democrats and government watchdogs say they want more transparency to ensure it’s not a conduit for corruption. Last month, CNN reported that rooms, on average, at the property are more expensive and less occupied than those of its luxury hotel peers. The property serves a de facto clubhouse for Trump’s supporters. It hosts GOP events – as well as parties for foreign governments. In 2017, the Kuwaiti Embassy threw its annual Independence Day party there, according to NPR. That’s just one example of foreign government spending at the hotel. There’s also a lobbying firm for Saudi Arabia, which paid the hotel more than $270,000 from October 2016 through March 2017. Last year, an industry group with ties to the Turkish government held its annual conference at the property. The Attorneys General of Maryland and the District of Columbia cite Trump’s DC hotel in their lawsuit against the President for allegedly breaching the Constitution. When asked about the Trump Organization’s donation to Treasury, a spokesperson for DC’s AG said it won’t impact their case. “With this announcement, President Trump’s businesses seem to confirm that they accepted payments from foreign governments in violation of the Foreign Emoluments Clause,” said the spokesperson. “Whether the Trump Organization donated the proceeds from those foreign emoluments is irrelevant to our case, but we would certainly be interested in learning more about which foreign governments have paid the President.” CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correctly identify comments from the DC attorney general’s office.


Catalan president expected to address parliament Tuesday Supporters want him to declare independence but unclear if he will Pro-independence Catalans gathered on the streets of Barcelona Tuesday ahead of a hotly anticipated speech by the region’s leader on the status of the restive province. Carles Puigdemont, the President of Catalonia, was due to address a specially convened session of the region’s parliament. But the session, due to begin at 12 p.m. ET (6p.m. local time) was delayed amid reports of international mediation to end the crisis. Puigdemont requested the delay “given the contacts for an international mediation,” his spokesman Joan Maria Pique told CNN. He did not immediately provide additional details on the mediation. The anti-independence Ciutadans party and the Catalan branch of Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s  Popular Party (PPC) had also requested a suspension of Tuesday’ rsession, according to a document seen by CNN. Puigdemont was under intense pressure to back down from plans to declare independence from Spain following a disputed referendum. The Parc de la Ciutadella, which houses the Catalan parliament building, was sealed off to the public for safety reasons, with the Catalan police Mossos guarding the entrances and exits. National police and the Guardia Civil kept a low profile, according to CNN reporters. European Council President Donald Tusk urged Puigdemont to back down. “The force of arguments is always better than the argument of force,” he said in Brussels. “Today I ask you to respect in your attentions the constitutional order and not announce a decision that would make such a dialogue impossible,” he said. “Diversity should not lead to conflict whose consequences would be bad for Catalonia, Spain and the whole of Europe.” Mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau, an influential figure who has been critical of both sides, called for de-escalation. She urged Puigdemont not to make a unilateral declaration of independence, and also called on the government of Prime Minister Rajoy not to impose direct rule from Madrid. “Now is the time for dialogue,” she said in address from in Barcelona. Colau said Spain was experiencing its “worst institutional crisis since democracy began” and said Spain’s political elected representatives should “find a solution that is inclusive and up to standards we have been living.” Neighboring France said Monday it would not recognize an independent Catalonia – and independence would result in automatic expulsion from the European Union. However thousands of supporters of independence are expected to show up at the parliament in Barcelona to show support for the plan, and to call on Puigdemont to honor his commitments to the separatist movement. The political uncertainty began with a divisive and controversial referendum on October 1 that found a majority of Catalan voters in favor of independence for the wealthy, northeastern region of Spain. Madrid declared the referendum illegal and Spanish police tried to shut the vote down by firing rubber bullets and pulling voters from polling booths in scenes that shocked many across Europe. Catalonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Raul Romeva Rueda, told CNN’s Nima Elbagir that the Catalan side has long wanted to negotiate a fair bargain with the Spanish state. “What we have always demanded is a political dialogue. The opportunity to (practice) democracy, to allow everybody to express themselves … We want to talk, we need to negotiate. The problem is nobody’s listening from the Spanish state side.” He said that the Catalan government has invited international mediation and called for dialogue. “We say, ‘we are ready, we want to go to the negotiating table. We are ready to start talks’ … If (the central government has) an offer to make we are very much keen to listen to them.” Prime Minister Rajoy is determined to prevent a breakaway by the northeastern province in the wake of the October 1 vote. “Spain will not be divided, and the national unity will be preserved. To this end we will employ all the means we have within the law. It is up to the government to make decisions, and to do so at the right moment,” Rajoy said in an interview with German newspaper Die Welt on Monday. Catalan authorities said 90% of voters chose independence from Madrid, but the result was not as decisive as it appeared – turnout was only 43%. The stakes are high for both Spain and Europe if Catalonia chooses to break away. Catalonia accounts for nearly a fifth of Spain’s economy, and leads all regions in producing 25% of the country’s exports, CNNMoney reports. It contributes much more in taxes (21% of the country’s total) than it gets back from the central government. The prospect of an independent Catalonia has already prompted two major banks and some other businesses to move their registered headquarters to other parts of Spain. There is more at stake for Madrid than losing wealth. The country has 17 regions with varying degrees of autonomy, and losing one may inspire others to begin, or revive, separatist movements. But there are many other unanswered questions, including continued membership in the European Union. If forced to apply independently for EU membership, Catalonia would have to convince all of the bloc’s current members, including Spain, to agree. And if Catalonia became an independent state, it would not automatically be a World Trade Organization member, so would likely face stiff trade barriers that would hurt its economy. Speaking on French TV Monday, Nathalie Loiseau, France’s minister of European affairs, said the French government would not recognize an independent Catalonia. “If independence were to be recognized – which is not something that’s being discussed – the most immediate consequence would be that (Catalonia) automatically left the European Union,” said  Loiseau. Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría said in an interview on Spanish radio that the government would invoke powers to take control of the regional government if Catalonia went ahead and declared independence. Journalist Elena Gyldenkerne and CNN’s Vasco Cotovio contributed to this report from Barcelona.


A political appointee at the Department of Defense has resigned after a CNN KFile inquiry about controversial postings he made on Facebook. Todd Johnson is a former Trump campaign state director in New Mexico who joined the Department of Defense in 2017 as an advance officer, a Pentagon employee with the sensitive task of providing logistical support related to the secretary’s events and appearances domestically and abroad. Johnson had a pay scale of GS-14, typically reserved for senior civil service positions. A CNN KFile review of his social media found that Johnson posted birther conspiracies about then-President Barack Obama and shared a video that claimed Obama was the Antichrist. After CNN initially reached out to the Pentagon for comment, Johnson made his Facebook account private. A spokesperson confirmed Johnson was still working at the Pentagon Tuesday morning, but in the afternoon, after CNN informed the Department of Defense that a story was forthcoming, a Pentagon spokesperson said Johnson had offered his resignation and that it was accepted. Photos and videos posted online show Johnson has traveled extensively with Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis overseas and posed in photos with Trump and at the Pentagon along with Mattis and former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. In September, Johnson warned friends on Facebook against posting or tagging him in articles about current events and politics. “While I really appreciate you tagging me in and posting to my wall articles covering politics and current issues, I have to request that you please refrain from doing so any longer, due to the sensitive nature of my job. I don’t mean to upset anyone, it’s just what I have to do to protect myself and others in my position, and to comply with our policies,” Johnson wrote. Before taking the Pentagon job, Johnson regularly posted articles and content popular in mainstream conservative circles. But Johnson also shared conspiracy theories about Obama’s citizenship, an off-color joke about Obama dying in a plane crash and a clipping that compared people on entitlements to animals. In July 2012, Johnson shared a video titled “Michelle Obama admits Barack Obama’s home country is Kenya,” commenting, “people still don’t believe.” Obama released his long-form birth certificate in 2011, showing that he had been born in Hawaii. That same month, Johnson shared a video on his Facebook page with the caption, “I post(,) you decided.” The seven-minute-long video cited the so-called Bible code to claim Obama was the Antichrist. In 2013, a friend of Johnson’s commented that Obama “being a Muslim” automatically made him crazy, to which Johnson replied, “Yes sir.” In September 2013, Johnson agreed with a friend who wrote a post saying that “the true Muslim religion” was not peaceful. “We should never judge, but all Muslims believe in the Koran? If so, then they are not peaceful,” Johnson commented later in the September 2013 thread. In 2015, Johnson shared a story that joked about Obama being murdered after Air Force One crashes in rural Kentucky. The joke’s punchline reads:  “President Obama is dead?” the sheriff asked. “Well,” the farmer grumbled, restarting his tractor, “He kept a-saying he wasn’t, but you know how bad that sumbitch lies.” In another 2012 post, Johnson shared a photo of a newspaper letter to the editor comparing people on entitlements to animals. “Those who love the entiltement (sic) programs will not get this,” he said.


Editor’s Note: Now you can get “5 Things You Need to Know Today” delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here. Inauguration Day is a time to come together and celebrate this thing we call America. Let’s stand together to witness the historic, awe-inspiring sight of the peaceful transfer of power. Here’s what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door on this very special day. Donald J. Trump identified, long before anyone else did, the anger and desire for change that millions of Americans craved. He addressed that in frank, blunt terms that deeply resonated with millions who were fed up with Washington’s political class and felt left behind in the globalizing economy. He easily vanquished a 16-person field of GOP competitors and then beat the Clinton machine in one of the greatest upsets in American political history. Just before noon today, he’ll raise his hand and take the oath of office on the Capitol steps, swearing to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. The 70-year-old Republican will then become our commander in chief, the top executive of the government, the 45th President of the United States. The weather forecast looks gray and damp. The chance of showers will increase throughout the morning – from around 40% at 7 a.m. to 70 to 80% when Trump takes the oath of office. Here’s everything you need to know about the Inauguration Day schedule. A little plug for us: You can catch the celebrations everywhere on CNN - on TV, on the homepage of CNN.com and on our mobile apps for iOS and Android. Trump will get to the nitty-gritty of governing within hours of taking the oath, saying he’ll sign some “meaningful” executive orders today. Obamacare, the fight against ISIS, immigration and a lobbying ban are high on the list. Or he may wait until Monday. He told some European newspaper he wants to make Monday his Day 1 because he didn’t want to mix the serious work with the weekend’s inauguration fun. Of course there are a lot of Americans who are definitely not feeling the love for what’s about to go down today. And there could be demonstrations nationwide today. “Never Trump” folks like Ana Navarro are coming to grips that he’ll indeed become the 45th President today. Her advice? Breathe deep and take a big gulp of your beverage of choice. And for all of you planning to heed social media’s call to either not watch or switch channels to sink the inauguration’s TV ratings? Just stop it, because it won’t work. People are talking about these. Read up. Join in. Welcome to the USA ‘El Chapo’ is on US soil. He was extradited late last night to New York. The timing’s no coincidence. The Mexicans didn’t want Trump to get the credit. One last thing President Obama granted 330 commutations on his last full day in office. That’s the most ever in one day, and the most by any president. Digging in his heels Senegalese troops have entered Gambia to boot longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh who refuses to step down despite losing the election. Here’s an explainer. Air raid The US hit ISIS hard in Libya. Bombers – dropping over 100 bombs – destroyed two training camps, killing more than 80 militants. Street attack Three people, including a baby, were killed in Australia when a driver ran over pedestrians on a street in Melbourne. The man was arrested.


A new exhibition explores African male and female dandies. "The cult of the cloth has been very significant throughout African cultures for millennia," says its curator. The new African aesthetic is not what you’d expect. There are girls dressed like boys and men hoarding money to splash out on expensive luxury shoes. Now, the Brighton Photo Biennial is turning its focus on these fashion-obsessed millennials by featuring The Dandy Lion Project – a look at black men and women who like to dress provocatively as dandies. The exhibit has already been across the U.S. and parts of Europe, reaching Amsterdam and now Brighton. But the updated UK edition features women dandies for the first time. “It’s 2016 and it would be funny to have a conversation about black masculinity and not include women who present as masculine or feminine on that spectrum,” says curator Shantrelle Lewis, who has been amassing images of black dandies since 2010. Africa’s style collectives hold global currency – this is the second exhibition in the UK within six months to focus on black dandies, and this style trend has appeared in a recent advert by Guinness, as well as a music video by Beyonce’s sister, Solange. But it’s more than just fetishism or “poverty porn”, insists Lewis. “People have been shooting black dandies for years,” she acknowledges. “When I first started curating the exhibition I was really anti including any artists who were not of African descent. So I really wanted to look at dressing up not as a response to racism and discrimination but as a source of pride.” “The cult of the cloth has been very significant throughout African cultures for millennia,” says Lewis. “It speaks to an African aesthetic that is always persistent throughout the continent and even throughout the diaspora.” Within the collection are images by Kenyan photographer Osborne Macharia, looking at the fictional league of extravagant grannies, who were former government leaders, as well as Baudouin Mouanda, capturing Congo’s sapeur clothing battles held on the streets of Brazzaville. The exhibition will showcase around 150 images taken by more than 30 photographers over the past 10 years. Among them is budding South African photographer Harness Hamese. The 30-year-old started his career in photography after developing an interest in black and white images. A chance meeting with a group of dandy enthusiasts named Khumbula (a Nguni word that means “remember”) led him to start documenting their street style. The idea, both for Khumbula and Hamese was to try to look back at a time in South African history where options were limited for their parents. The images are staged in a way to convey how their parents used fashion as an expression and statement of independence. “That kind of clothing represents a time in the South African history where our parents used to dress like that,” says Hamese. “A time, when they were very oppressed.” “For me, it sort of communicates the mindset that even in oppression we can still dress up and look good and be determined as a people to represent ourselves on an appropriate level.” Social media has made it possible for the photographer’s images to spread across the globe, he notes. Being part of the exhibition and seeing it travel across the U.S. and Europe “makes me feel like I’m actually a part of a very important part of black culture,” he says. “As an African person it feels great to show the culture that I live on a daily basis.” Dedicated followers of fashion: Congo's designer dandies His staged black and white shots are very much “about drama” and telling people’s stories he admits. Over 20 of Hamese’s photographs were part of the initial exhibition and the show’s final line-up will take the form of a book, to be published next year. Of the exhibition, “It’s not only about the clothes because I don’t photograph clothes,” says Hamese. “I photograph people.” The Dandy Lion Project part of Beyond the Bias - Reshaping Image, runs until 30 Oct 2016, at Brighton Photo Biennial


Editor’s Note: Jessica Neuwirth is founder of Donor Direct Action, an international women’s group which runs the Efua Dorkenoo Fund To End FGM. She writes on International Day of Zero Tolerance to FGM about empowering women in communities to tackle the problem. The views expressed in this commentary are her own. FGM prevalence is on a slow decline around the world Three countries with the highest prevalence of female genital mutilation (FGM) - Sierra Leone, Mali and Sudan - have yet to ban it. The harmful practice which violates human rights is done intentionally to alter and cause injury to a female’s genital organ for non-medical reasons. It is a form of subjugation, and it has affected over 200 million women and girls around the world. But unlike many other forms of violence and discrimination, FGM is one where great progress has been made over the past few decades. It has now been outlawed in 26 out of the 29 African countries on the continent in which it is centered. In January, Liberia was the latest country to introduce a ban - albeit for only one year and girls under 18. I hope that this ban will be made permanent and strengthened by the new president, George Weah, so that it can be outlawed for all Liberian women. Related article Nigerian Facebook user posts graphic photos of female circumcision Liberia follows the positive momentum of 2015 when FGM was banned in both Nigeria and The Gambia. Somaliland has just declared a fatwa on FGM, a very encouraging step towards a total ban on this human rights abuse with a prevalence rate of 98% - the highest in the world February 6th, is International Day of Zero Tolerance to FGM. This African-led initiative is stronger than ever and the day presents a  moment to reflect on what should happen next if we are to achieve Global Goal 5 - which calls for an end to FGM by 2030. Although many front line groups are having a major impact, population growth in many affected countries means that all work needs to be  scaled up. The harsh truth is that unless we accelerate efforts and increase funding to end FGM - particularly to grassroots groups like the Tasaru Rescue Center and the Galkayo Center - we are not going to be able to end it anytime soon. I have spent decades supporting efforts to end FGM and all forms of violence against women and girls. What was once a taboo subject no one dared to speak of is now out. Despite increased levels of awareness and the strides that many countries have made - usually due to the hard work of front line groups - funding to end FGM has been minimal. In 2013 the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) made the biggest ever financial commitment to end FGM with £35m. Despite this, little funding has reached grassroots groups that are leading the change. Development Initiatives estimated in 2016 that less than 2% of international aid actually reaches the front lines. For FGM this is likely to be even less. Related article How to fight female genital mutilation with economics Instead, management consultancies and international organizations have benefited from these funds while local anti-FGM campaigners have been largely left out. This rather colonial approach has meant that we have missed many opportunities for those on the front line - who know best how to end FGM - to build their organizations alongside their level of impact. To help redress this funding imbalance I set up Donor Direct Action in 2011. We recently launched the Efua Dorkenoo Fund to End FGM, named after the legendary activist Efua Dorkenoo OBE, who first brought attention to the practice decades ago and made it her life’s work to elevate the issue on the international stage. Partners Efua Dorkenoo introduced me to Agnes Pareyio, founder of the Tasaru Rescue Center in Kenya and Hawa Aden Mohamed, who founded the Galkayo Center in Somalia. They have been building the movement for change from the roots up. Both women are FGM survivors who have spent their lives committed to protecting girls at risk. It is brave and often thankless work. By challenging traditions both have also had to face enormous levels of risk and abuse. But they have saved many lives and are still making a change. Some countries have been more successful than others in reducing FGM prevalence. Kenya is leading the way globally and over a 30-year period,national surveys show that FGM rates has reduced from 41% to 11%  in the East African country- an incredible success considering the high levels of resistance faced by local campaigners. Over a similar period, Liberia reduced the harmful practice from 72% to 31%; Burkina Faso from 89% to 58%; and Egypt from 97% to 70%. Unsurprisingly, alongside government inaction on the issue, efforts by anti-FGM campaigners in Sudan, Sierra Leone and Mali have shown far less success. FGM is not just an African issue. It is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Colombia and Singapore. And over 500,000 women and girls have been affected in both the European Union and the United States. Related article Nigerian Facebook user posts graphic photos of female circumcision Shocking figures released in 2016 for Indonesia shows that about 60 million women and girls have been affected by FGM - almost half of the country’s female population. Nobody knows the full scale of this issue around the world as we have yet to see accurate statistics for many other countries where we know the practice continues to exist - not to mention those territories where it is hidden. FGM has no health benefits. Rather it can cause drastic immediate complications, even death through hemorrhage or infection. In the longer term, a girl or woman who has been cut potentially faces a lifetime of health and psychological consequences. Although sometimes thought to be mandated by religion, FGM is not mentioned in any major religious texts and pre-dates contemporary religions. Around the world,educational efforts have created an awareness that makes it possible to imagine that it could end altogether. We know what works. We know what doesn’t. What remains is convincing international donors to change their archaic patterns of funding and really trust these women at the grassroots, who have done so much - and can do so much more to help protect the 30 million girls at risk this decade alone - girls who will hopefully never have to face this horrific abuse of their bodily integrity.


Editor’s Note: Julian Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University and a New America fellow. He is the author of “Jimmy Carter” and “The Fierce Urgency of Now: Lyndon Johnson, Congress, and the Battle for the Great Society.” He is the co-host of the podcast Politics & Polls. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. Julian Zelizer: President-elect Trump 's economic interests across the globe could be a problem for his presidency Possibility of corruption is biggest risk that stems from his family continuing to profit from Trump properties, writes Zelizer This coming week, President-elect Donald Trump is scheduled to explain to the nation how he plans to handle his sprawling business empire of hotels, resorts and other businesses while he serves as president of the United States. After refusing to release his tax returns during the campaign and initially insisting that he had every right to keep his businesses – with the plan being to let his children control the empire – he seemed to reverse course in late November when he tweeted that he will leave his “great business in total” and reveal the details on December 15. His transition spokesman, Jason Miller, also told reporters this week that he had sold his stocks in June, although he didn’t provide any proof. Then, in Trumpian fashion, the news turned again. The New York Times reported that Trump was planning to keep a stake in the business. As he originally indicated, it appears that his sons, with whom he is in close contact, will be in charge of handling the operations. Apparently Donald Trump is even going to stay on as an executive producer of NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice” while he is president. As a result, at this point there is no real evidence that he or his family are planning to build a true firewall between the President-elect and his economic interests. The president is largely exempt from conflict of interest laws, though legal experts have pointed out that he could be covered by the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, which forbids officials from accepting gifts from foreign governments without congressional authorization. But that doesn’t mean conflicts won’t have an impact. If President Trump does not wall himself off from his businesses, the political ramifications could be extremely serious – and they will be multifold. If the Trumps control the presidency and the Trump business, our democracy will suffer. Related article Why a Romney pick would be a coup for Trump Trump has contended that his business empire is worth $10 billion. If that is true, it has been argued that he would be unlikely to be corrupted because any amount intended as a bribe would be insignificant to a President Trump in the context of his fortune (although he is also someone who notoriously wants to earn every dollar that he can get his hands on – or keep every dollar he can avoid paying someone). But it is equally true that if he’s worth $10 billion, any further monetary gains from keeping his business would hardly seem warranted if there’s any risk of imperiling his presidency. What advantage could he possibly gain by holding onto a stake in the business, except perhaps to insure that his children were employed? Here are the risks: The possibility of corruption is the biggest risk that stems from his family continuing to profit from the Trump properties, both within the United States and overseas. Running a dual operation of politics and business will vastly increase the opportunities for individuals and governments to essentially bribe the President, either directly or indirectly by moving forward with lucrative deals or helping to secure new investments. For much of modern American history, the nation has been working as hard as possible to diminish the possibility of this happening. This moves us in the opposite direction and creates the conditions for a scandal worse than Watergate. Even if there is not outright corruption, there will be constant instances where the motivations of different players in political negotiations are simply unclear and untrustworthy. Even before he has stepped foot into his new job, we have seen this arise on many occasions. There have been news reports about his investments in the parent company of Carrier, Ivanka’s pending business deal with a Japanese government-backed company (which was in play when she met with the Japanese leader during his visit to her father), Trump’s praise for the brutal war on drugs in the Philippines where he has a hotel, or his conversation with the leader of Taiwan, where earlier this year someone who said they were associated with the campaign was reportedly in talks about opening a new property on his behalf. Related video Do Trump business ties pose conflicts? When it was revealed that the Bahrain government was to host an event at Trump’s new D.C. hotel, many eyebrows were raised about what their intentions were. There have even been concerns that Trump is using the entire appointment process as a way to showcase his properties in New York, New Jersey and Florida with free advertising every time someone comes in and out of a meeting. There are also specific properties where his influence over government policy will conflict with the needs of his holdings, of which he is a notorious micro-manager. Democrats have been asking how the Government Services Administration will deal with the Trump hotel company that signed a 60-year lease for the old US Post Office Building on Pennsylvania Avenue. All of these kinds of connections continue to undermine the credibility of his decisions and create confusion among officials dealing with Trump about what is expected of them, even if the new President does not say a thing. Given that Trump has been so protective about disclosing the full scope of his investments, and as the Wall Street Journal reports many of them are difficult to discern because they are obscured through complicated LLC’s, Americans don’t even know where the conflicts might be. In short, we need to know that Trump will only be thinking about what’s in the interest of America, not in the interest of his bank account. With the family still running its businesses, there could be many occasions when the President might actually make decisions for the purpose of providing his family economic benefits rather than for the good of the nation. While this might be technically legal (although scholars are debating this) it doesn’t make the situation any less problematic. With the job of the presidency comes the responsibility of thinking about what is best for the nation. Related video This could be Trump's 'constitutional crisis' Of course, nobody would say that politics is pristine. Presidents have a number of factors that they consider when making decisions, from the interests of their party to the interest group pressure that they face on any given problem. But there is every reason to remove the very obvious negative incentive of private profit. This is a problem that is easily solved. The point of removing these kinds of incentives is to protect him from the temptation to make the wrong move, so that he doesn’t even have this option on the table. Now that he is going to be the president of the United States, his properties and resorts will be seen as potential targets. This will probably mean that it will be necessary to direct vast government resources to protect the holdings as well as the areas surrounding them. This has already become an issue right here in New York, where the Secret Service has been racking up massive bills, as has the city, to keep Trump Tower secure while he uses it as his White House-in-waiting. If there is some kind of attack on a property overseas or within the United States, this might require a military response and budgetary resources. “We have to have protection for those buildings,” said the ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush, Richard Painter, “Will it be US taxpayer money or foreign government money? Foreign government funding raises constitutional issues.” We live in an era when public confidence in government is in terrible shape. Ever since the turbulence over Vietnam and Watergate, public trust in government institutions has continued to steadily decline. Of all the political figures in the nation, the presidency looms largest in the minds of average citizens, from little children to the elderly. If Trump decides that holding the presidency is not worth the sacrifice of selling off his businesses, or even stepping down as an executive producer for “Celebrity Apprentice,” it will send a troubling signal to the electorate about what it means to be president. For a child in school, this would mean that the honor of being president is not worth the costs of losing control of a business. It would mean that a potential conflict of interest for the president is something that we can live with. Sign up for CNN Opinion’s new newsletter.Join us on Twitter and Facebook So in the coming week, Donald Trump has his first chance to show that he is really not the person many of his critics think him to be, and that he has a true understanding of the weight of the job he will now hold. He can only doing so by cutting his ties to the business that he has created, and not by handing this off to his children. He must create a true firewall between the Trump White House and Trump Incorporated. Otherwise, it is virtually inevitable that these worlds will continue to verge in very dangerous ways, bringing back the atmosphere that led to Watergate and spurred the ethics reforms that today so many Americans assume should be part of our government.