Author: Deb Riechmann
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Trump signs order to keep Guantanamo military prison open
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a new executive order to keep open the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, marking a formal reversal of his predecessor’s eight-year effort to shut it down. Trump made it clear during his campaign that he wanted Guantanamo to remain open and to “load it up with…
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Latest JFK files say no evidence found of CIA link to Oswald
WASHINGTON — Newly released government documents regarding John F. Kennedy’s assassination say allegations that Lee Harvey Oswald was connected to the CIA were “totally unfounded.” A 1975 CIA memo says a thorough search of agency records in and outside the United States was conducted to determine whether Oswald had been used by the agency or…
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Will JFK files answer questions? Probably not all
WASHINGTON — Scholars and sleuths are waiting — and waiting — to leap on the release of John F. Kennedy assassination files. The National Archives is due to spill remaining secrets from that crucible of history Thursday, unless President Donald Trump has been persuaded by intelligence agencies to hold some back. A law from 25…
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JFK files: Thousands released but Trump holds back others
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump blocked the release of hundreds of records on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, bending to CIA and FBI appeals, while the National Archives came out Thursday night with a hefty cache of others. “I have no choice,” Trump said in a memo, citing “potentially irreversible harm” to national…
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CIA director: Moscow loves to ‘stick it to America’
ASPEN — CIA Director Mike Pompeo said Thursday that Russia has no plans to leave Syria and will continue to try to meddle in U.S. affairs to “stick it to America.” He reiterated his belief that Russia interfered in the U.S. presidential election and described the U.S.-Russia relationship as “complicated.” “I think they find anyplace…
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Trump’s top lawyer to face questions on Russia, Comey
WASHINGTON — Attorney General Jeff Sessions is preparing for sharp questions from his former Senate colleagues about his role in the firing of James Comey, his Russian contacts during the campaign and his decision to recuse himself from an investigation into possible ties between Moscow and associates of President Donald Trump. The public testimony Tuesday…
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Report suggests Russia hackers breached voting software firm
WASHINGTON — Russian hackers attacked at least one U.S. voting software supplier days before last year’s presidential election, according to a government intelligence report leaked Monday that suggests election-related hacking penetrated further into U.S. voting systems than previously known. The classified National Security Agency report, which was published online by The Intercept, does not say…
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House committee issues subpoenas; Comey OK’d to testify
WASHINGTON — James Comey, fired last month as FBI director amid a federal investigation into connections between Russia and the Trump campaign, is set to testify next Thursday at a highly anticipated congressional hearing that could shed light on his private conversations with the president in the weeks before the dismissal. The Senate intelligence committee…
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Trump defends sharing ‘terrorism’ facts with Russians
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump defended revealing information to Russian officials, saying in a pair of tweets Tuesday that he shared “facts pertaining to terrorism and airline flight safety” and had “the absolute right” to do so. Trump was responding to reports Monday that he revealed highly classified information to senior Russian officials during an…
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Nunes steps away from Russia probe, citing ethics complaints
WASHINGTON — The Republican chairman is stepping aside from leading a congressional investigation of Russian interference in last year’s U.S. presidential election, citing ethics complaints that he mishandled classified information. The decision by Rep. Devin Nunes of California comes amid partisan turmoil on the House intelligence committee. Democrats have alleged that Nunes, who was on…