News article:

FILE - In this Nov. 22, 2015 file photo, Prince presents the award for favorite album - soul/R&B; at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles. ABC, NBC, CBS, and CNN, citing unidentified law enforcement... (Associated Press)

 FILE - In this Nov. 22, 2015 file photo, Prince presents the award for favorite album - soul/R&B; at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles. ABC, NBC, CBS, and CNN, citing unidentified law enforcement... (Associated Press)

 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Investigators are looking into whether Prince died from an overdose and whether a doctor was prescribing him drugs in the weeks before he was found dead at his home in suburban Minneapolis, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Thursday.

 The official said that among the things investigators are looking at is whether a doctor was on a plane that made an emergency landing in Illinois less than a week before Prince died.

 The law enforcement official has been briefed on the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

 The official said investigators are also looking into what kind of drugs were on the plane and at Prince's house in suburban Minneapolis.

 The official also confirmed some details that have previously been reported by other media outlets, including TMZ.

 Prince's plane made an emergency stop in Moline, in western Illinois, on April 15 and he was found unconscious on the plane, the official said. The person said first responders gave Prince a shot of Narcan, which is used in suspected opioid overdoses. The official said the so-called save shot was given to when the plane was on the tarmac in Moline as Prince returned to Minneapolis following a performance in Atlanta.

 The official said investigators are looking at whether Prince overdosed on the plane and whether an overdose killed him, and at what kind of drugs were involved. One possibility is the powerful painkiller Percocet or something similar, the official said.

 Narcan can be used on people even if an overdose isn't confirmed because it wouldn't necessarily be harmful.

 While it's premature to say where the investigation is heading, the mention of a doctor calls to mind other celebrity deaths, including Michael Jackson's. Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for his role in prescribing a powerful anesthetic that contributed to the pop star's death in 2009.

 A second law enforcement official told AP that prescription drugs were discovered at Prince's home when the musician was found dead on April 21.

 That official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak about the ongoing investigation into Prince's death. The official did not elaborate. An autopsy has been performed, but results aren't expected for three to four weeks. The search warrant for Prince's Paisley Park home and studio — carried out the day of his death — was filed Thursday under seal at the request of investigators who said it would hamper their investigation if contents were public.

 An affidavit in support of sealing the warrant, signed by Carver County Chief Deputy Jason Kamerud, also warned that disclosing details in the warrant could cause "the search or related searches to be unsuccessful" and risk injury to innocent people.

 Kamerud declined to comment Thursday on the reports of drugs found at Paisley Park, and told AP that he strongly disputed reports by several media outlets that investigators had asked the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for help in the case.

 "We have not asked them for help, or asked them to be a part of the investigation," Kamerud said. "We might contact them to help us, but that hasn't happened. We don't have the medical examiner's report yet. We don't know to what extent pharmaceuticals could be a part of this."

 Leo Hawkins, a DEA spokesman in Chicago, said he had no comment.

 Prince's death came two weeks after he canceled concerts in Atlanta, saying he wasn't feeling well. He played a pair of makeup shows April 14 in that city. Prince was scheduled to perform two shows in St. Louis but canceled them shortly before his death due to health concerns.

 Longtime friend and collaborator Sheila E. has told the AP that Prince had physical issues from performing, citing hip and knee problems that she said came from years of jumping off risers and stage speakers in heels.

 ___

 Tarm reported from Chicago. Tucker reported from Washington, D.C. ||||| Video (02:04) : The Twin Cities erupted in memories, grief and song after the passing of Minnesota's brightest star.

 The investigation of Prince’s death took a turn Thursday indicating that the megastar’s collapse on April 21 is now the focus of a criminal probe.

 In a three-page incident report, the Carver County Sheriff’s Office cited an exception to Minnesota public-records laws that allows it to suppress information relating to a “criminal” probe in deciding to release only scant information about the 911 response to the Paisley Park complex in Chanhassen that morning.

 The law says that “investigative data collected or created by a law enforcement agency in order to prepare a case against a person, whether known or unknown, for the commission of a crime or other offense for which the agency has primary investigative responsibility are confidential or protected nonpublic while the investigation is active.”

 The exception citation doesn’t mean that criminal charges will be filed at the completion of the Sheriff’s Office inquiry, only that charges are a possibility.

 Sources with direct knowledge of the case have told the Star Tribune that they are investigating whether an overdose of opioids led to Prince’s death. Prescription pills were found at Paisley Park, but sources have said it was unclear whether they were prescribed to Prince. As part of the probe, investigators also are trying to determine how Prince got the pills, and who may have provided them.

 Authorities have said that Prince was alone when he died and that neither foul play nor suicide is suspected.

 Fans braved the rain and 40-degree temperatures Thursday to visit the Prince memorial at Paisley Park in Chanhassen.

 Carver County Chief Deputy Jason Kamerud, who released the report, said Thursday that the federal Drug Enforcement Administration is not involved in the investigation at this time. Sheriff Jim Olson and County Attorney Mark Metz didn’t respond for comment.

 The incident report, released a week after the musician’s death, provides little detail that wasn’t already made public by law enforcement authorities. It doesn’t identify who made the 911 call or if anybody in the building talked to investigators after Prince’s death.

 Timeline of the 911 call

 The report did reveal the time frame for the emergency response to Paisley Park that morning. Twenty-four minutes elapsed between the 911 call reporting an “unresponsive adult male” at Paisley Park and Prince being pronounced dead, according to the report.

 The 911 call from the music studio was made at 9:43 a.m. Sheriff’s deputies and emergency personnel from the Chanhassen Fire Department arrived at the scene five minutes later and found Prince in the elevator.

 Emergency responders administered CPR, but were not able to revive the rock star and he was pronounced dead at 10:07 a.m., the report said.

 The cause of death was listed as “unknown.”

 Prince was 57.

 His body was cremated last week and a private service held at Paisley Park.

 Olson has said a cause of death probably won’t become public for weeks, after the Sheriff’s Office receives reports from the medical examiner and toxicology results.

 The Sheriff’s Office released the incident report at the request of media organizations. It also released, upon request, a list of 47 service calls to Paisley Park over the past five years. Four were for medical reasons.

 Three of those medical calls occurred within the last nine months, including the final call. It is unclear whether medical calls on Aug. 9, 2015, and Sept. 6, 2015, involved Prince.

 Search warrant sealed

 Earlier Thursday, a Carver County judge sealed the search warrant in the death investigation.

 The request was made by Metz, who stated that the premature disclosure of the details contained in the warrant may compromise the law enforcement investigation by causing the search or related searches to be unsuccessful.

 He added that the release of the information could also create a substantial risk of injury to an innocent person or persons or severely hamper the ongoing investigation.

 Search warrants in the investigation of Prince's death at Paisley Park in Chanhassen have been sealed by a Carver County judge at the request of the county attorney.

 “Due to Prince’s status of having been an iconic popular music superstar, there is and will be continued intense media scrutiny upon the manner and circumstances of Prince’s death,” Metz said in his argument to seal the warrant and any related documents.

 District Judge Eric Braaten ordered that the document remain sealed until the commencement of any criminal proceedings or 180 days from the date of Thursday’s order.

 A search warrant is filed and made public no later than 10 days after its execution. The document typically provides a detailed narrative explaining why a law enforcement agency is seeking the warrant and lists the items or data seized during the search.

 Staff writers Dan Browning, Emma Nelson and Jeremy Olson contributed to this report. ||||| (Reuters) - Authorities in Minnesota obtained a search warrant in connection with the death of pop star Prince and also won a court order to keep the findings secret, documents showed Thursday.

 Chief Deputy Jason Kamerud of the Carver County, Minnesota, sheriff's office cited intense media scrutiny surrounding the death of the 57-year-old performer, in his request for a state district court judge to seal the warrant.

 Prince, whose full name was Prince Rogers Nelson, died at his home, a compound known as Paisley Park, in suburban Minneapolis on April 21. Authorities investigating the death found prescription opioid medication on him, according to news outlets on Wednesday including CNN, the Minneapolis Star Tribune and others that cited anonymous law enforcement sources.

 According to documents released by Kamerud on Thursday, the search warrant was for the Paisley Park compound, where Prince also had a recording studio. In an email to Reuters, Kamerud said the search had been conducted on April 21, the day Prince's body was found.

 In a court order dated Thursday, state District Court Judge Eric Braaten approved sealing the results of the search for 180 days or until the beginning of court proceedings, whichever comes first.

 Also on Wednesday, court records showed that a judge appointed a bank to safeguard Prince's estate. |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– Investigators suspect an overdose of prescription drugs caused Prince's death last week and they want to find out exactly where he got them, according to a source close to the investigation. The probe is looking at whether a doctor was on Prince's plane when he made an emergency landing in Illinois the week before his death, and whether he overdosed on the plane, a law enforcement official tells the AP, which notes that the development is worryingly reminiscent of Michael Jackson's death. The source confirmed reports that the opiate painkiller Percocet is believed to have been involved. Documents released on Thursday signal that the investigation is now a criminal probe and charges are a possibility, the Star Tribune reports. The documents released by the Carver County, Minn., sheriff's office Thursday include a request to seal the results of a search conducted at Prince's Paisley Park the day he died, Reuters reports. A judge granted the request, which was made on the grounds that "intense media scrutiny" could hamper the investigation or risk injury to innocent people. Carver County Chief Deputy Jason Kamerud declined to comment on reports of drugs found at Prince's home. He tells the AP that contrary to media reports, investigators have not asked the DEA to get involved. "We might contact them to help us, but that hasn't happened," he says. "We don't have the medical examiner's report yet. We don't know to what extent pharmaceuticals could be a part of this." (Prince was given a private send-off last weekend.)


– After more than 45 years, time is up for one of Japan's most-wanted criminals. NBC News reports Masaaki Osaka was arrested Wednesday in connection with the 1971 murder of a police officer; he's accused of killing officer Tsuneo Nakamura during a street protest in Tokyo in November of that year. A member of the Japan Revolutionary Communist League (JRCL), Osaka was protesting the continued American military presence in Okinawa, an island 400 miles south of the mainland. Authorities say Osaka, now 67, assaulted Nakamura with a steel pipe before lighting him on fire with a Molotov cocktail. The BBC reports Osaka was first arrested last month for allegedly obstructing police during a raid on an apartment in Hiroshima. The JRCL was reportedly using it as a hideout, and police were in search of someone other than Osaka. Although Osaka refused to give police his name, he was recognized, and his identity was eventually confirmed through DNA testing; the Japan Times explains a new warrant on the murder charge was served Wednesday. Osaka has since been moved from Hiroshima to Tokyo for further questioning, though the BBC says he has yet to say anything. Osaka's time as a fugitive—aided, authorities say, by the JRCL—was the longest among major-crime suspects being sought by Japan's National Police Agency.

Expand this summary.

A fugitive murder suspect has been arrested after more than 45 years hiding from authorities, police in Japan said.

 Masaaki Osaka was arrested Wednesday for five offences including murder, Tokyo police confirmed.

 The 67-year-old is accused of killing a police officer during a Tokyo street protest in November 1971, according to public broadcaster NHK.

 Masaaki Osaka, in an undated picture used for the police's wanted list. Jiji Press via AFP - Getty Images

 He reportedly threw petrol over the 21-year-old police officer before setting him on fire, NHK reported.

 The long-time fugitive was first arrested in May after police raided a communist hideout in Hiroshima City, according to regional newspaper Chunichi Shimbun.

 Osaka was arrested for an unrelated minor offense — obstructing a police officer — but was identified through a DNA match, the newspaper reported.

 As one of the most wanted men in Japan, Osaka’s face has appeared on posters in Tokyo for more than four decades.

 Japan has no statute of limitation for murder after the law was revised in 2010. ||||| Image copyright AFP Image caption Police say they have confirmed the identity of Mr Osaka through DNA tests

 For one suspected murderer in Japan, it has been a case of being able to run but not being able to hide.

 Left-wing revolutionary Masaaki Osaka has been arrested and charged for murdering a police officer during Tokyo street protests more than 45 years ago.

 He allegedly set the officer on fire using a Molotov Cocktail petrol bomb.

 No other suspected criminal has spent longer evading arrest, Japanese media report. The country has no statute of limitations for murder.

 The 15-year time limit was abolished in 2010.

 Where do prison escapees and absconders actually go?

 Mr Osaka was arrested last month in a Hiroshima apartment belonging to the Chukaku-ha, or the Japan Revolutionary Communist League (JRCL). He is reported by police to have remained silent since being caught.

 Image copyright AFP Image caption Masaaki Osaka has been wanted by police since the early 1970s

 The fugitive was initially accused of a separate offence - obstructing the police - before officers claim to have realised who he was.

 On Wednesday, he was transported from Hiroshima to Tokyo for further questioning, local media reported.

 Police say they have confirmed his identity through DNA tests because fingerprints were unavailable at the time of the crime.

 They say Mr Osaka was able to remain on the run for so long because he is a former high-ranking member of the radical left-wing JRCL and was assisted by sympathetic party associates.

 Image copyright EPA Image caption The fugitive has appeared on wanted posters throughout the last four decades

 The JRCL was established in the late 1950s and during the 1960s and 1970s earned a reputation for staging violent street protests.

 Mr Osaka is accused of killing the 21-year-old police officer during a left wing riot in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward in 1971. He is alleged to have assaulted him with a steel pipe before setting him alight.

 The JRCL was protesting - among other things - against the recognition by Japan of the US military presence in the country.

 The man alleged to be Mr Osaka's accomplice in the 1971 attack was charged in 1972, but his case was suspended because of mental illness.

 Major events in Japan while Masaaki Osaka has been on the run: |||||


Here is a news article: The Bin Laden who got away: Was 'Crown Prince of Terror' the son who escaped U.S. special forces raid?

 By Daily Mail Reporter

 Captured wives tell Pakistani interrogators one of Bin Laden's sons has not been seen since night of raid

 President Obama insisted U.S. assault force had to be large enough to fight way out of country if necessary

 One of Osama Bin Laden's sons went missing on the night U.S. special forces stormed their squalid hideout and shot the terror mastermind dead, Pakistani security officials have revealed.

 They fear he could be Bin Laden's youngest son, 19-year-old Hamza, who has been dubbed the 'Crown Prince of Terror'.

 Three of Bin Laden's wives and several of his children were taken into custody by Pakistani intelligence forces after the raid - but now it appears one of his sons may have evaded capture.

 The revelation came as fascinating new details emerged of the U.S. assault force dispatched to find Osama Bin Laden, including the president's insistence that it had to be large enough to fight off hostile Pakistani soldiers if need be.

 Missing? Osama Bin Laden's youngest son, Hamza, may have escaped during the raid by U.S. forces. He is pictured here aged around 14, in a propaganda video

 President Obama's determination to send a large task-force into Pakistan shows he was willing to risk a confrontation with the country, a close ally, if it meant capturing the Al Qaeda mastermind.

 News of Hamza's apparent escape emerged during the interrogation of Bin Laden's three wives by Pakistani investigators.

 Officials told ABC News the women had revealed one of the terror leader's sons had not been seen since the raid - but the source did not confirm which one.

 Another son, 22-year-old Khalid, was confirmed dead by the U.S. military. He is believed to have been one of the men shown in graphic photos taken in the aftermath of the raid and released to Reuters last week.

 Hideout: Osama Bin Laden was sharing his squalid lair with several of his children and three of his wives, including Amal al-Sadah, right, the youngest. She was shot in the leg when she charged at U.S. forces

 Squalid lair: The compound where Osama Bin Laden was shot dead by U.S. Navy SEALs on May 1. It is believed his youngest son may have escaped

 Initially, the White House said Hamza was presumed dead, too, although it was not known for certain whether he was inside the compound when U.S. Navy SEALs struck.

 SQUALID LAIR: WHO WAS BIN LADEN HIDING WITH IN ABBOTTABAD?

 Bin Laden shared the squalid three-storey compound with two other families:

 Sheikh Abu Ahmed, known as Arshad Khan

 Khan, Bin Laden's trusted courier, lived there with his wife and children, believed to be aged three and four. Khan was killed in the raid, as was a woman believed to be his wife. 'Tariq'

 Little is known about this man, but locals believed he was Khan's brother. He also moved his wife and children into the compound, and was shot in the attack.

 The Bin Ladens

 Bin Laden shared the top two floors with three of his wives and an unknown number of his younger children. Both he and his son Khalid were shot dead by U.S. special forces.

 Pakistani officials say they are holding Bin Laden's three widows, and eight or nine children belonging to all three men.

 But according to ABC his mother is among the three widows being held by Pakistan intelligence.

 She is thought to be Khairiah Sabar, who married Bin Laden in 1985.

 Bin Laden's youngest wife, Yemeni Amal al-Sadah, was shot in the leg as she charged at U.S. forces when they stormed the compound.

 All three women are due to be interrogated by U.S. agents soon, after days of wrangling with Pakistani officials who have been interviewing the widows themselves.

 Hamza was widely seen as his father's heir. He had been implicated in the murder of Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto.

 Pakistani investigators agreed it appeared someone was missing from the squalid lair where Bin Laden was shot dead on Sunday.

 The terror mastermind shared the hideout with three of his five wives and several of his younger children, including his 12-year-old daughter, Safiyah.

 According to Pakistani officials, the girl watched her father die and described how she saw his bloody body being hoisted into a U.S. helicopter.

 Pakistani authorities say they are holding eight or nine children who were found there after the U.S. commandos left, some of whom were related to Bin Laden's courier, who was also killed in the raid.

 Altogether, Pakistani officials say they captured 17 people left behind in the compound after U.S. forces left.

 Young terrorist: Hamza Bin Laden appeared in a 2001 propaganda video when he was aged about ten, reading a jihadist poem at his brother's wedding

 They are thought to include the wife of 'Tariq', believed to be the brother of Bin Laden's trusted courier, Sheikh Abu Ahmed.

 Bin Laden's youngest son, Hamza, has in the past been dubbed as the Crown Prince of Terror and was widely-tipped to succeed his father.

 He has made at least two appearances in Bin Laden's propaganda videos.

 In one, released in 2001 and made at the wedding of his brother Mohammed, Hamza wore combat dress and read a poem dedicated to his father’s exploits.

 One passage went: ‘I’m warning America that its people will face terrible results if they chase my father. Fighting Americans is the basis for faith.’

 Home video: Films found at Osama Bin Laden's hideout in Pakistan show the terror leader obsessively watching videos of himself. He shared the specially-built compound with two other families

 In 2005, when he was 15, he featured in a jihadist film shot in a Pakistani tribal area on the Afghan border.

 He held a semi-automatic assault rifle and was said to have just taken part in a battle against Pakistani security forces.

 His voice also appeared in a video released on the third anniversary of London's 7/7 bombings, calling for the destruction of the U.S., Britain, France and Denmark.

 He declared: 'Oh God, reward the fighters. God, be pleased with those who want to go for jihad. Grant victory to the Taliban over the gangs of infidels.'

 Hamza was also implicated in the murder of Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto, who had named him as a leader of one of the Al Qaeda-linked groups of assassins planning to kill her.

 REVEALED: DETAILS OF CRACK TEAM SENT TO FIND OSAMA BIN LADEN

 Experts: A team of U.S. Navy SEALs went into the compound while two groups of specialists were on stand-by to deal with Bin Laden, dead or alive Senior military officials today revealed compelling details of the U.S. special forces team sent into Pakistan to find Osama Bin Laden. The entire assault team was big enough to fight its way out of the country if necessary, on President Obama's orders. There were also two teams of specialists on standby, to deal with Bin Laden dead or alive. The first team was ready to bury the terror leader if he was killed, and the second was made up of interrogators, lawyers and translators in case he was captured. They would have met Bin Laden and U.S. SEALs on board a Navy ship, probably the Carl Vinson in the Arabian Sea.

 Speaking anonymously, officials told the New York Times the president reviewed plans for the raid about ten days in advance. He urged commanders to make sure they were taking enough troops to fight their way out if hostile Pakistani forces tried to oppose the operation - showing the lack of trust he placed in a close ally.

 Originally, two helicopters were supposed to wait just over the border in Afghanistan in case they were needed - 90 minutes away from the compound. After Mr Obama's intervention, commanders decided to send two extra helicopters with more troops. They followed the two Black Hawk helicopters with the assault team on board. One of the back-up craft was used when one of the first was badly damaged as it landed. One senior officials told the Times: 'The president did not want to leave anything to chance. He wanted extra forces if they were necessary.'

  ||||| One of Osama bin Laden's sons may have gone missing in the midst of the Navy SEAL raid that took the life of the al Qaeda leader more than a week ago, Pakistani security officials told ABC News today.

 The officials said bin Laden's three wives, who are all in Pakistani custody, said that one of bin Laden's sons has not been seen since the raid. The son was not identified, but Pakistani investigators agreed that it appeared someone was missing from the sprawling compound, the officials said.

 Later, however, one U.S. official said there was no evidence anyone was missing from the compound and Senator Dianne Feinstein, chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, told CNN that in a recent briefing with the CIA there was no mention of a missing son.

 U.S. officials said that one of bin Laden's sons, Khalid, was killed in the raid. It is not known if another son, Hamza, was in the compound at the time of the raid, though his mother is reportedly one of the wives in custody. The U.S. has previously denied the SEALs took anyone from the compound other than bin Laden's body.

 The U.S. initially faced resistance from Pakistani authorities when investigators asked for access to bin Laden's widows, but a U.S. official said Monday Pakistani official promised to make the meeting happen sometime soon. One senior Pakistani security official told ABC News there is still no timeframe for that meeting, however.

 READ: Pakistan to Give U.S. Access to Bin Laden Widows, Official Says

 Bin Laden, who was married five times, is survived by at least 18 children. None of the sons, however, are in line to succeed their father for leadership of al Qaeda.

 "Unlike a lot of Arab governments that are dynastic," said former White House counterterrorism advisor Richard Clarke, now an ABC News consultant, "al Qaeda has not been and his sons have never played a real operational role of any significance. They did not appear to be groomed for leadership roles in al Qaeda." ||||| Pakistani security officials believe a member of the bin Laden household has disappeared since the raid, further deepening the confusion about who was killed.

 It is understood that three of bin Laden’s widows, currently in Pakistani custody, have told interrogators that one son has not been seen since the operation.

 The fresh details raise fears that the al-Qaeda leader’s youngest son and closest confidant, Hamza, may have escaped capture.

 The White House initially claimed that Hamza, 20, had been killed at the house in Abbottabad, about 30 miles from Islamabad. Officials later said his 22-year-old brother Khalid had been killed instead.

 On Tuesday night an intelligence source in Islamabad told The Daily Telegraph that shifting accounts of what had happened, coupled with the widows’ testimony, left them unable to account for one person who they believe had been living at the house.

 “We don’t know if it was his son. Someone, one person may have been in the compound that we now cannot account for if - we believe what we are being told,” he said.

 Bin Laden, who was married five times, had as many as 24 children.

 No-one knows for certain who was in the compound where bin Laden had lived, hidden in plain sight, for five years.

 However, Hamza’s mother is believed to be among the family members in Pakistani custody.

 Hamza, thought to be the youngest of the Saudi-born warlord's sons, has been described as the “crown prince of terror”. He featured on an extremist website to mark the third anniversary of the July 7 London bombings in which 52 people died. He read a poem called for “destruction” of America, Britain, France and Denmark.

 Intelligence agencies believe he was being groomed as a possible future leader on al-Qaeda.

 He was implicated in the assassination of moderate Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto in 2007. |||||
A summary of this is?

– One of Osama bin Laden's sons may have escaped the raid by Navy SEALs, according to ABC News and British papers the Telegraph and Daily Mail. It seems more guesswork than anything at this point, though. Bin Laden's three widows have reportedly told Pakistani authorities that one son has not been seen since the raid. The best guess is that they're referring to bin Laden's youngest son, Hamza, thought to be around 19 or 20 and a close confidante of his father. His mother is one of the detained widows. Initial reports had him killed in the raid, but that might have been confusion over the killing of a different son, Khalid. In any event, Pakistani officials agree that someone appears to be missing. “We don’t know if it was his son," an unidentified source tells the Telegraph. "Someone, one person may have been in the compound that we now cannot account for if—we believe what we are being told."


News article:

14:35

 Guardian Moscow correspondent Shaun Walker writes:

 Vladimir Putin is likely to count the format and tone of his long meeting with Donald Trump as a win – even if nothing much of substance was discussed.

 Russia’s election hacking was raised during the meeting, but it does not appear to have taken top billing. US secretary of state Rex Tillerson said Trump was “rightly focused on how do we move forward” from the issue, while Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov even claimed Trump had told Putin he accepted the Russian leader’s denials of involvement.

 Setting up a working group on non-interference in future elections – as Tillerson said had been agreed – is hardly likely to reassure those in Washington worried about Russia’s actions.

 A trustworthy account of exactly how the meeting went down is unlikely to surface: another win for Putin was the makeup of the room. In addition to the two presidents, the only people present were the respective foreign ministers and two translators. This means there is no chance of leaks, as happened when Lavrov visited the White House in May and it later emerged that Trump had shared sensitive intelligence with the Russians.

 The personalised format of the meeting excluded those in Trump’s team who are more sceptically minded on Russia, such as national security adviser HR McMaster, and Trump’s senior Russia adviser Fiona Hill, a longstanding Russia expert.

 Russian television emphasised the length of the meeting, which ran more than four times over its scheduled half-hour length, as a sign of Russia’s importance. The news of a US-Russia agreement on a ceasefire in southwestern Syria, announced as the meeting was ongoing, is an example of the kind of top-table diplomacy Putin would like to do with Trump.

 Putin looked impassive, but he would have been smiling inside. As journalists were hurried out of the room, Putin appeared to gesture to Trump and ask if these journalists were the ones who had insulted Trump, laughing at his own joke.

 Presumably Putin had been briefed that a disdain for supposed “fake news” would be a promising area of potential common ground with the US president. ||||| Uploaded on Jul 7, 2017

 US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin were filmed meeting and shaking hands at the G20 summit in Hamburg on Friday, in footage posted on the German government’s official Facebook page

 View the video at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/v... ||||| FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a news conference at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on January 17, 2017 and U.S. President Donald Trump seen at a reception ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 20, 2017, as seen in this combination photo. Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS and Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout/File photos via REUTERS

 HAMBURG U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, a veteran businessman and a former spy, meet in person for the first time on Friday in the most highly anticipated encounter on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

 Trump has said he wants to find ways to work with Putin, a goal made more difficult by sharp differences over Russia's actions in Syria and Ukraine, and allegations Moscow meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

 That means every facial expression and physical gesture will be analyzed as much as any words the two leaders utter. The Kremlin said the two enjoyed a passing handshake at the summit ahead of the talks later in the day.

 "I look forward to all meetings today with world leaders, including my meeting with Vladimir Putin. Much to discuss," Trump wrote in a tweet on Friday. "I will represent our country well and fight for its interests!"

 The meeting is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. local time, shortly after a G20 working session on climate and energy begins.

 Trump, who has angered world leaders with his decision to pull the United States out of the Paris accord on climate change, will likely have to leave that session early to make the Russia meeting.

 Some fear the Republican president, a political novice whose team is still developing its Russia policy, will be less prepared for their sit-down than Putin, who has dealt with the last two U.S. presidents and scores of other world leaders.

 "There's nothing ... the Kremlin would like to see more than a (U.S.) president who will settle for a grip and a grin and walk away saying that he had this fabulous meeting with the Kremlin autocrat," Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives' Intelligence Committee, said in an interview on MSNBC.

 As investigations at home continue into whether there was any collusion between Trump's presidential campaign and Russia, the U.S. president has come under pressure to take a hard line against the Kremlin.

 Moscow has denied any interference and Trump says his campaign did not collude with Russia.

 On Thursday, Trump won praise from at least one Republican hawk in the U.S. Congress after his speech in Warsaw in which he urged Russia to stop its "destabilizing activities" and end its support for Syria and Iran.

 "This is a great start to an important week of American foreign policy," said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who has often been critical of Trump on security issues.

 But earlier in the day, Trump declined to say definitively whether he believed U.S. intelligence officials who have said that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.

 "I think it was Russia but I think it was probably other people and/or countries, and I see nothing wrong with that statement. Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure,” Trump said at a news conference, before accusing Democratic former President Barack Obama of not doing enough to tackle hacking.

 SENATORS' CONCERNS

 Ahead of Trump’s meeting with Putin, three U.S. senators wrote to Trump to express “deep concern” about reports that his administration planned to discuss the return to Russia of diplomatic compounds in Maryland and New York that were seized by the Obama administration last year in response to alleged Russian election meddling.

 Republican Senators Johnny Isakson and Marco Rubio and Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen said returning the facilities would "embolden" Putin and encourage further efforts by Russia to interfere in Western elections. All three are on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

 The White House declined to offer details on what Trump would request of Putin and what he might offer in exchange for cooperation.

 U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Trump wanted to talk about how the two countries can work together to stabilize war-ravaged Syria.

 "The United States is prepared to explore the possibility of establishing with Russia joint mechanisms for ensuring stability, including no-fly zones, on-the-ground ceasefire observers, and coordinated delivery of humanitarian assistance," Tillerson said before leaving the United States to join Trump in Germany.

 Trump was also grappling with a response to North Korea's successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, which analysts say had a long enough range to reach Alaska.

 Curbing Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions has been Trump's most pressing foreign policy priority, and he met with leaders from Japan and South Korea on Thursday evening to discuss it. He is also slated to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20.

 "I’d like to see the president figure out how to engage Russia on North Korea,” said Representative Francis Rooney, a Republican from Florida who is on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

 "What I suggested to the president here a while back was that since we have all these conflicting issues about Russia right now and we’re still reeling from the fact that they took Crimea, maybe this is an opportunity to reset the Russia relationship in a positive manner,” Rooney said in an interview.

 (Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Susan Heavey and Doina Chiacu in Washington; Editing by Ralph Boulton) |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– For the first time since becoming POTUS, Donald Trump has met Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting happened on the sidelines of what Reuters calls a "closely watched" G20 summit. They're not kidding, considering the first media coverage coming out of the summit focuses on the handshake between the two, which was of course caught on video. Reuters notes that in addition to the handshake, Trump patted Putin on the arm and later on the back, and both men smiled. Per the Guardian, Trump told Putin, "Mr. Putin, it is an honor to be with you." Putin's reply: "I’m delighted to meet you personally, and I hope our meeting will bring results." The moment took place at an informal meeting of G20 leaders as the summit began in Hamburg, Germany; Trump and Putin are to hold their formal meeting at 3:45pm local time. Read why the meeting could be a "win-win" for Putin here.


Here is a news article: Coming off a contentious NATO summit and a trip to the U.K. in which he seemed to undercut the government of America's closest ally, President Trump took aim at another Western institution just days before his high-stakes meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

 In an interview with "CBS Evening News" anchor Jeff Glor in Scotland on Saturday, President Trump named the European Union -- comprising some of America's oldest allies -- when asked to identify his "biggest foe globally right now."

 "Well, I think we have a lot of foes. I think the European Union is a foe, what they do to us in trade. Now, you wouldn't think of the European Union, but they're a foe. Russia is foe in certain respects. China is a foe economically, certainly they are a foe. But that doesn't mean they are bad. It doesn't mean anything. It means that they are competitive," Mr. Trump said at his golf club in Turnberry, Scotland.

 "I respect the leaders of those countries. But, in a trade sense, they've really taken advantage of us and many of those countries are in NATO and they weren't paying their bills," he added.

 More from Jeff Glor's Interview with President Trump:

 On Sunday, British Prime Minister Theresa May told the BBC that Mr. Trump had encouraged her to "sue the EU" rather than negotiate over the U.K.'s departure from the bloc. May's conservative government is deeply split over her handling of Brexit, and her hold on power was further weakened by Mr. Trump's comments to a British tabloid that her approach had likely "killed" any chance of a new trade deal with the U.S. once Brexit is complete. (Mr. Trump tried to walk back his criticism in a joint press conference on Friday.)

 At the summit of NATO allies in Brussels last week, Mr. Trump took a hard line toward member nations for failing to meet targeted defense spending goals. He claimed his tough stance had paid off in getting allies to spend more on defense, telling reporters on Thursday that members had "upped their commitments and I am very happy."

 What is Trump's agenda for his one-on-one meeting with Putin?

 The president kicked off the NATO summit by blasting Germany as "totally controlled" and "captive by Russia" over a natural gas pipeline project, known as the Nord Stream 2. The U.S. fears the deal could give Moscow greater leverage over Western Europe. In Saturday's interview, the president reiterated the criticisms he made in Brussels.

 "Germany made a pipeline deal with Russia. Where they're going to be paying Russia billions and billions of dollars a year for energy, and I say that's not good, that's not fair. You're supposed to be fighting for someone and then that someone gives billions of dollars to the one you're, you know, guarding against. I think it's ridiculous, so I let that be known also this time," Mr. Trump told Glor. "I'll tell you what, there's a lot of anger at the fact that Germany is paying Russia billions of dollars. There's a lot of anger. I also think it's a very bad thing for Germany. Because it's like, what, are they waving a white flag?"

 German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who grew up in communist East Germany, told reporters after the president's comments in Brussels that she had "experienced myself how a part of Germany was controlled by the Soviet Union" and said her country today made "independent policies" and "independent decisions.

 In the CBS News interview, Mr. Trump also continued to criticize the special counsel's Russia investigation, saying it is having an impact on America's standing in the world. "I think we're greatly hampered by this whole witch hunt that's going on in the United States," the president said. "I think it hurts our relationship with Russia. I actually think it hurts our relationship with a lot of countries. I think it's a disgrace what's going on."

 Mr. Trump heads to Helsinki on Sunday ahead of his meeting with Putin on Monday. He told Glor he has "low expectations" for the summit. "Nothing bad is going to come out of it, and maybe some good will come out," he said.

 The following is a transcript of the portion of the interview that aired on "Face the Nation." More of the interview will air Monday on "CBS This Morning," between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., and on "CBS Evening News with Jeff Glor" Monday from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

 MARGARET BRENNAN: Good morning and welcome to "Face the Nation." President Trump is still in Europe, he's heading next to Helsinki, Finland, for tomorrow's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Yesterday, he spent some time with "CBS Evening News" Anchor Jeff Glor at the President's golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland.

 JEFF GLOR: I saw the conversation you had with Jens Stoltenberg which is a very direct conversation, as- as you approach the meetings with Vladimir Putin coming up. Do you expect a similar tone?

 PRESIDENT TRUMP: I don't expect anything. I frankly don't expect -- I go in with very low expectations. I think that getting along with Russia is a good thing. But it's possible we won't. I think we're greatly hampered by this whole witch hunt that's going on in the United States. The Russian witch hunt. The -- the rigged situation. I watch some of the testimony, even though I'm in Europe, of Strzok. And I thought it was a disgrace to our country. I thought it was an absolute disgrace. Where he wants to do things against me before I was even, I guess before I was even the candidate. It was a disgrace. And then he lied about it. And you know, talking about shutting it down and 'we, we.' And he says 'oh I meant the American people' all of a sudden you know, he came up with excuses. I guess given to a lawyer, but everybody laughed at it. He was a disgrace to our country. He was a disgrace to the FBI. So when I look at things like that and he led that investigation or whatever you call it. I would say that yeah, I think it hurts our relationship with Russia. I actually think it hurts our relationship with a lot of countries. I think it's a disgrace what's going on. And then you look how, you know, partisan it is. You look at what's going on where -- and they know, they know that there's no way he can get away from those horrible texts that he wrote. So the other side does. But it's a very partisan thing.

 JEFF GLOR: The Russians who were indicted, would you ask Putin to- to send them here?

 PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well I might. I hadn't thought of that. But I certainly, I'll be asking about it. But again, this was during the Obama administration. They were doing whatever it was during the Obama administration. And I heard that they were trying, or people were trying, to hack into the RNC too. The Republican National Committee. But we had much better defenses. I've been told that by a number of people. We had much better defenses, so they couldn't. I think the DNC should be ashamed of themselves for allowing themselves to be hacked. They had bad defenses and they were able to be hacked. But I heard they were trying to hack the Republicans too. But, and this may be wrong, but they had much stronger defenses.

 JEFF GLOR: Who is your biggest competitor? Your biggest foe globally right now?

 PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well I think we have a lot of foes. I think the European Union is a foe, what they do to us in trade. Now you wouldn't think of the European Union but they're a foe. Russia is foe in certain respects. China is a foe economically, certainly they are a foe. But that doesn't mean they are bad. It doesn't mean anything. It means that they are competitive. They want to do well and we want to do well. And we're starting to do well. You see what's going on we have best unemployment numbers probably that we've ever had. Black unemployment is the lowest level in history. Hispanic unemployment the lowest level in history, Jeff. Women unemployment lowest in 66 years. Our numbers are great. Our GDP numbers are far greater than what they thought.

 JEFF GLOR: A lot of people might be surprised to hear you list the EU as a foe before China and Russia?

 PRESIDENT TRUMP: No I look at them all look, EU is very difficult. I-I want to tell you. Maybe the thing that is most difficult -- don't forget both my parents were born in EU sectors okay? I mean my mother was Scotland, my father was Germany. And -- you know I love those countries. I respect the leaders of those countries. But -- in a trade sense, they've really taken advantage of us and many of those countries are in NATO and they weren't paying their bills and, you know, as an example a big problem with Germany. Because Germany made a pipeline deal with Russia. Where they're going to be paying Russia billions and billions of dollars a year for energy and I say that's not good, that's not fair. You're supposed to be fighting for someone and then that someone gives billions of dollars to the one you're, you know, guarding against, I think it's ridiculous so I let that be known also this time. I'll tell you what, there's a lot of anger at the fact that Germany is paying Russia billions of dollars. There's a lot of anger. I also think it's a very bad thing for Germany. Because it's like -- what are they waving a white flag?

 MARGARET BRENNAN: More of Jeff's interview with President Trump in Scotland will air tomorrow on "CBS This Morning" and later on the "CBS Evening News," as well as our digital network, CBSN. ||||| CLOSE US President Donald Trump arrived in Helsinki on Sunday. Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks in the Finnish capital on Monday. (July 15) AP

 President Donald Trump plays golf at Turnberry golf club, Scotland on Saturday. Trump is spending the weekend at his sea-side Trump Turnberry golf resort in Scotland, where aides had said he would be busy preparing for his Monday summit in Helsinki, Finland. (Photo: Peter Morrison, AP)

 LONDON – Piers Morgan's 6,000-word account of his interview with President Donald Trump hit newsstands in the United Kingdom Sunday morning, but it's not until the 68th paragraph that Morgan gets around to quoting the president.

 "It’s good to see you, Piers," he said.

 The 30-minute interview in the Daily Mail produced a multitude of Trumpisms — or as Morgan himself put it, "lengthy hyperbolic boasts about how great he is and how well he’s doing."

 Morgan's story is filled with small talk, asides and descriptions of Air Force One swivel chairs. But Trump did address a broad range of subjects in the interview, which will also be broadcast on British television Monday.

 Some highlights:

 ► On Roe v. Wade: Trump said he understands why women would be concerned about whether his Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, would be the deciding vote on whether to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 45-year-old decision legalizing abortion.

 "I do understand, but I also understand that you know, that’s a 50/50 question in this country," he said.

 But he also insisted there's a "very good chance" that the issue won't come up during his tenure on the court.

 "Someday in the distant future there could be a vote," he said. "A case has to get up there. It could be a long time before a case ever gets up there."

 ► On meeting Queen Elizabeth II: Trump had already heaped praise on the 92-year-old monarch in another tabloid before the meeting, but he said the Windsor Castle tea lived up to expectations. "It was a very easy talk," he said. "We had a great, a great feeling."

 One topic of conversation: Brexit, the process for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union.

 "She said it’s a very — and she’s right — it’s a very complex problem, I think nobody had any idea how complex that was going to be," he said.

 THERESA MAY: Trump told me to ‘sue the EU’ over Brexit

 Pressed for details, Trump demurred, citing royal protocol.

 "You just don’t talk about that conversation with the Queen, right?" he said. "Let me tell you what I can talk about – she is an incredible woman, she is so sharp, she is so beautiful."

 ► On his upcoming summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin: Trump said the Russian president is "probably" a ruthless person. "But I could name others also."

 He repeated his position that better relations with Russia would be good for the United States.

 "I think we could probably get along very well. Somebody said are you friends or enemies? I said well it’s too early to say but right now I say we’re competitors."

 ► On family separations at the border: Trump insisted that he didn't start the policy of separating children from their parents after crossing the border.

 "That wasn’t my policy," he interrupted, "Obama had the same exact policy. In fact, they were showing pictures of kids separated from their parents and they say, isn’t this terrible. And it was pictures of 2014."

 Fact check: False. The pictures of children during the Obama administration were almost all unaccompanied minors – immigrant children who crossed the border without an adult.

 FACT CHECK: Did the Obama administration separate families?

 Trump's new "zero tolerance" policy calls for parents suspected of crossing the border illegally to face criminal charges – which has required border agents to separate them from their children.

 Despite his executive order seeking to end separations, Trump defended the practice as a deterrent.

 "Well, all I did was go by the law," he said. "But you know the parents are put in jail essentially, you know they came in illegally. Now when people come in illegally they have their kids, there are consequences to that, but I still didn’t like the idea of separation."

 ► On his Twitter habit: The president said he types many of his tweets himself, but also dictates the 280-character dispatches to aides – telling them to "“put this exact statement out.”

 "I’m very exacting. From the comma, to everything," he said.

 Trump said he likes the "immediacy" and the "power" of the medium.

 "You’re watching and then, like two seconds later, 'We have breaking news, Donald Trump, President Trump has just been....'" he said. "It’s tremendous. You get the word out, you can really protect yourself from the lies.’

 ►On the protests in London: Huge crowds protested Trump's visit to the U.K. last week with a parade that included a 20-foot "Trump Baby" balloon.

 Trump previously said the protests made him feel "unwelcome" in London. But he told Morgan the protesters weren't all anti-Trump.

 "Some of them are protesting in my favor, you know that?" he said. "There are many, many protests in my favor."

 Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2up4KFn |||||
A summary of this is?

– President Trump has raised eyebrows ahead of his meeting with Vladimir Putin regarding who he feels are the enemies of the United States. In an interview from Scotland with CBS News, the president told anchor Jeff Glor that the EU with its 28 members, many of which are longstanding US allies, qualifies. "I think the European Union is a foe, what they do to us in trade," he said. "Now, you wouldn't think of the European Union, but they're a foe." While the interview made headlines mostly for this line on Sunday, just a day before Trump is slated to meet face-to-face with Putin, Trump also said he believes the same about Russia and others. "Russia is foe in certain respects. China is a foe economically, certainly they are a foe. But that doesn't mean they are bad. It doesn't mean anything. It means that they are competitive," Trump said. Trump also sat with former CNN news show host Piers Morgan for the Daily Mail. As USA Today notes, the interview touched on some of today's most hot-button issues, including the US Supreme Court's potential to revisit Roe vs. Wade, Trump's meeting with Queen Elizabeth II, and child separation at the southern border. The interview took place aboard Air Force One, where Trump told Morgan he believes there's a "very good chance" the high court won't address the landmark 1973 decision to legalize abortion. Trump also told Morgan he "had a great feeling" during his meeting with the queen and discussed with her the complexities of the Brexit issue. He added that Putin was "probably" ruthless, "but I could name others also."


Write a summary based on this article:

He’s gonna wash their mouths out with soap!

 The NYPD’s new deputy commissioner is on a crusade to stop potty-mouthed cops — vowing on Tuesday to keep them from cursing while on duty.

 “It’s all about a New York attitude, New Yorkers like to curse … but you can change. And when we teach them …They will see that they are doing it for effect and they don’t have to do it anymore,” Michael Julian said after being sworn in at police headquarters.

 He added, “We think we can change their behavior.”

 His G-rated mission is tied to civilian complaints — which are often targeted at cops who cuss, Julian said.

 “Thirty percent of all CCRB complaints involve a curse word,” he said.

 Along with tackling F-bombs, he also vowed to target cops who use “unnecessary force.”

 “New York City cops are not brutal. You don’t see the Rodney King type force [but] you see the extra kick and the punch … and they have to get in control of their emotions and the adrenaline,” he said.

 “Chasing someone two blocks [to] take the extra punch, they can control that. We are going to teach them a lot of techniques to change their behavior in that way,” he said.

 New training begins next week, he said. ||||| The man in charge of training every officer in the nation’s largest police department said he can get officers to clean up their language and stop cursing, which will reduce complaints and boost trust between police and local residents.

 A “police officer never uses a curse word in an emergency. Listen to any audio tape. It’s for effect and we can teach them to control their language. It’s not that hard,�? said Michael Julian, the NYPD’s newly appointed deputy commissioner. “Commanders have done it in their own precincts, so, that’s an easy one, the language.�?

 He said "30 percent of all CCRB [Civilian Complaint Review Board] complaints invole a curse word. You can guess which one it is. Thirty percent. And if we can just change that curse word, we can reduce CCRB complaints by 30 percent."

 CCRB statistics show slightly different figures. So far this year, there have been 2,144 allegations of discourteousness toward civilians. That is 54 fewer allegations than were received in 2013, a representing a drop of 2.5 percent."

 Last month, the chairman of the CCRB, Richard Emery, said there was no excuse for police officers to use foul language. Days later, a video surfaced of an NYPD officer allegedly telling a comic to “shut the fuck up�? after an audience member was arrested, allegedly for robbery.

 As for retraining officers in the appropriate use of force, Julian said the problem wasn’t as prevalent as news headlines suggest.

 “New York City cops are not brutal. You don’t see the Rodney King type of force. You see the extra kick or the punch," he said. "And what that’s about is you got to control, over the adrenaline—you chase somebody two blocks, you throw the extra punch. We can control it.

 “We going to teach them a lot of techniques to change their behavior, in that way," he said. "They’re going to welcome that because they want that. They’ve never been taught that. They’ve always been taught the penal law. The way to control force is not teaching them the penal law. The way to control force is to teach them about themselves.�?

 The retraining of NYPD officers in the use of force and street confrontations was ordered in July after Eric Garner, a 43-year-old Staten Island man who was resisting arrest for allegedly selling untaxed cigarettes was put into a police chokehold from which he later died.

 Julian’s remarks to reporters can be watched, here: http://goo.gl/NRZrKh. |||||

– The New York Police Department has a new deputy commissioner, and he's already on a mission. Michael Julian intends to cut down cursing among New York's cops, the New York Post reports. One reason for that: 30% of complaints against cops "involve a curse word," Julian says. "It’s all about a New York attitude. New Yorkers like to curse," he notes. "But you can change. And when we teach them …They will see that they are doing it for effect and they don’t have to do it anymore." Julian, who's the head of police training, says ending cursing is "not that hard," Capital New York reports. "Commanders have done it in their own precincts, so that’s an easy one, the language." Julian is also fighting to reduce the use of "unnecessary force," he says. "New York City cops are not brutal. You don’t see the Rodney-King-type force, (but) you see the extra kick and the punch," he notes. "They have to get in control of their emotions and the adrenaline."


Article:

Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.

 By Lucy Bayly

 President Donald Trump renewed his attack on the Federal Reserve on Tuesday, accusing his own appointee, Chairman Jerome "Jay" Powell, of stunting the nation's economic growth.

 "It almost looks like he's happy raising interest rates," said Trump in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published late Tuesday.

 He also said he "maybe" regretted nominating Powell to the position, noting that "I have a hot economy going," and that "every time we do something great, he raises the interest rates."

 The biggest risk to the economy was not tariffs, said Trump, nor an escalating trade war, nor punitive measures related to tensions with Saudi Arabia over the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but rather the fact that the Fed is raising interest rates too quickly.

 Trump compared his presidency to that of Barack Obama, taking care to point out that Obama operated with "zero interest" rates from the Fed, which held rates artificially low for almost a decade in order to allow the economy to grow after the 2008 recession.

 “How the hell do you compete with that?" Trump noted.

 The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates by one-quarter point three times this year, with a fourth increase likely slated for December as monetary policymakers seek to temper credit demand.

 Powell has made note of the Fed's precarious position as the economy heats up, saying in August that the Fed currently faces two main risks — either “moving too fast and needlessly shortening the expansion" or "moving too slowly and risking a destabilizing overheating."

 Tuesday's attack marks the latest in the president's feud with the Fed. Last week, Trump lambasted the chairman, saying "I'm not happy with what he's doing because it's going too fast."

 It used to be rare for a sitting president to comment on the Fed, which is supposed to remain immune to political pressure. Trump said last week that he had no intention of firing Powell, and there is no historical precedent for such action.

 According to Section 10 of the Federal Reserve Act it is technically possible, since "each member shall hold office for a term of fourteen years from the expiration of the term of his predecessor, unless sooner removed for cause by the President." ||||| President Trump has put the Federal Reserve at the middle of the latest drop in the markets, saying the "Fed has gone crazy." WSJ global economics editor Jon Hilsenrath explores three reasons why the Fed is raising interest rates. Photo: Getty Images.

 WASHINGTON—President Trump escalated his attacks on Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, saying the head of the nation’s central bank threatened U.S. economic growth and appeared to enjoy raising interest rates.

 In an interview Tuesday with The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Trump acknowledged the independence the Fed has long enjoyed in setting... ||||| New York (CNN Business) For the third week in a row, President Donald Trump is criticizing Jerome Powell, the man he picked to lead the Federal Reserve.

 In an interview Tuesday with The Wall Street Journal , Trump said that Powell raises interest rates "every time we do something great."

 The Fed chair "almost looks like he's happy raising interest rates," the president said. He also told the newspaper that it was "too early to tell, but maybe" he regretted nominating Powell to the position.

 The criticism echoes comments Trump made last week in an interview with Fox Business in which he said that the Fed is his "biggest threat."

 Michelle Smith, a spokeswoman for the Fed, declined to comment on Trump's remarks Tuesday.

 Presidents have for decades refrained from commenting on the Fed, a stance adopted to avoid compromising its independence — and its credibility with financial markets.

 In the run-up to the midterms, Trump has pitched voters on his stewardship of the economy. He threw Washington into a frenzy this week by promising to introduce a fresh round of tax cuts before the midterms , expanding on last year's landmark tax reform.

 But the president has lately expressed frustration with the Fed's gradual interest rate increases, designed to slow down the economy and prevent inflation from taking off — standard macroeconomic steps that Trump insists are undercutting his expansionary fiscal moves.

 Earlier this month, as investors dumped stocks amid concerns over rising interest rates, Trump said the central bank was "going loco" and "out of control."

 Obama comparison

 Trump complained to the Journal on Tuesday that former President Barack Obama — who came into office amid the worst recession in decades — didn't have to deal with the burden of rising interest rates.

 "I'm just saying this: I'm very unhappy with the Fed because Obama had zero interest rates," Trump told the paper.

 After the financial crisis erupted in 2008, the Fed kept rates at historically low levels to revive the ailing economy. It started slowly raising rates again in 2015 as the economy regained strength under Obama, and has hiked them six times since Trump took office. Three of those increases were under Powell, a sitting Fed governor widely respected on Wall Street whom Trump chose to succeed Obama's pick, Janet Yellen.

 Before he picked Powell, however, Trump teased the possibility of renominating Yellen , crediting her with helping boost the stock market.

 As with other personnel changes, the president made his Fed pick something of a reality show, asking Fox anchor Lou Dobbs for his recommendation in a televised interview. (Dobbs endorsed Yellen.)

 Yellen says Fed criticism is unwise

 Economists have generally given Powell high marks on his performance, arguing the Fed is acting wisely by gradually returning monetary policy to normal levels after the worst recession in 75 years.

 The central bank is trying to cool down the red-hot economy after Washington's debt-fueled tax cuts and spending surge. The rate hikes are also designed to give it room to provide support for the economy whenever the next downturn arrives. That's especially important because the federal government's soaring budget deficit could make it harder to borrow to fight a recession.

 Yellen defended his performance in remarks last week at a mortgage bankers conference in Washington and suggested Trump should back off.

 "I really think it is not a desirable thing for a president to comment so explicitly on Fed policy," she said. "Obviously, presidents can speak out if they choose to and give their opinions about policy, there's no law against that, but I don't think it's wise and I do think the Fed has a strong reputation for acting in an independent and non-political way and I would not like to see that reputation damaged."

 That view was repeated the same week by Trump's former top economic adviser Gary Cohn — who was also once considered a candidate to chair the Fed under Trump.

 When asked on CNBC if he thought the president should be weighing in, Cohn replied: "I don't think he should be making comments on any federal agency." |||||
What is a summary?

– Framing the state of the economy in personal terms, referring to "my numbers," President Trump blasted Fed chief Jerome Powell and the central bank itself in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. Trump called the Fed the "biggest risk" to the economy, due to the three times it's raised interest rates this year; it will likely do so a fourth time in December. Trump lamented Powell "was supposed to be a low-interest-rate guy. It's turned out that he's not," adding that Powell "almost looks like he's happy" when he raises the rates. Trump also seemed irritated that during former President Obama's tenure in the White House, interest rates hovered near zero. The Journal explains the Fed has been increasing the benchmark rate as a move to control inflation and keep financial bubbles at bay. CNN, meanwhile, notes the "historically low" interest rates under Obama were needed to jump-start a post-recession economy. Still, Trump told the Journal that while it's "too early to say," he "maybe" isn't so sure he should have nominated Powell. "I don't know," he said when asked in what scenario he'd remove his Fed head, a move for which NBC News notes there's no precedent. "I'm just saying this: I'm very unhappy with the Fed." Both former Fed chief Janet Yellen and ex-Trump economic adviser Gary Cohn say the president should ease up on the central bank, traditionally an independent entity, per CNN. More from Trump's Journal interview here, including his take on his former attorney, Michael Cohen. (Cohen just made a big political move.)


Summarize this article:

Barnes & Noble is starting to have second thoughts about the Nook.

 After sales of the e-reader and tablet line fell 34% in the company's fiscal fourth quarter, which ended in April, Barnes & Noble (BKS) executives said Tuesday that it's time for a change in strategy.

 The bookseller will stay the course on its e-reader business, but Barnes & Noble plans to pursue a partnership to help it make Nook HD tablets. The company will continue to sell Nook tablets in stores, but future devices might be co-branded with the new manufacturer's name as well as the Barnes & Noble logo.

 "We are 100% not exiting the device business," insisted William Lynch, CEO of Barnes & Noble, on a conference call Tuesday.

 Lynch did not name the company that Barnes & Noble will partner with, but he said that more information on device strategy would be released in coming months.

 The news comes on the heels of an industry rumor that Microsoft (MSFT) is considering the purchase of the Nook brand. The software giant already invested in the Nook business, taking a 17.6% stake in April 2012.

 Microsoft declined to comment about its future plans for the Nook.

 The bookseller's stock fell by about 18% after the earnings report was released Tuesday morning.

 Barnes & Noble said the Nook HD has simply become too costly to produce, despite the fact that its has successfully reduced overhead costs in recent months. The company spent $26 million less on the Nook when compared to the previous fourth quarter.

 The bookseller said it will continue to build its digital catalog and add thousands of e-books every week. Its digital sales decreased by almost 9% for the fourth quarter, but Barnes & Noble noted that the decline is party due to drop in device sales and also because popular novels, such as The Hunger Games and Fifty Shades of Grey trilogies, were best-sellers a year ago.

 Overall, Barnes & Noble reported a fourth quarter net loss of $118.6 million, nearly double its loss from a year ago. Revenue fell by 7.4% to $1.3 billion.

 Consistent with prior years, Lynch expects the company to open five new stores in the coming year while closing between 15 and 20 stores. ||||| Article Excerpt

 After spending hundreds of millions of dollars in an effort to compete with Amazon.com Inc. and Apple Inc. in the market for tablets and e-readers, Barnes & Noble Inc. is beating a retreat.

 The bookseller said Tuesday that losses at its Nook digital business more than doubled in the quarter ended April 27, easily wiping out profits generated at its bookstores. As a result, Barnes & Noble said it would stop producing its own color tablets, in favor of co-branded devices made by third-party manufacturers.

 Barnes & Noble will continue to design and make its own black-and-white Nook e-readers, which ... |||||

– Barnes & Noble appears to be admitting defeat when it comes to competing with Apple, Amazon, and Samsung in the tablet market. The company announced today that it will no longer be making its own color Nook tablets, following big losses for Nook in the fourth quarter. However, the bookseller will still manufacture its black and white Nook e-readers, and will sell co-branded color tablets made by other companies, the Wall Street Journal reports. Not only did Nook revenue decline 34%, but declining Nook sales also hurt the retail store results for the quarter. The decision to pull back from the tablet market leads to questions about where the bookseller is headed; CEO William Lynch has been focused on technology for the past three years, as the print book market continues to struggle. But, CNNMoney reports, Lynch insisted today, "We are 100% not exiting the device business."


Article:

BEIJING (AP) — China on Sunday began a suspension of all coal imports from North Korea for the rest of the year as it increases pressure on its communist neighbor to give up its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

 The ban is in line with U.N. Security Council sanctions imposed in November in response to North Korea's fifth nuclear test two months earlier, the Commerce Ministry said in an online statement Saturday.

 China had already banned coal imports from North Korea in April last year, but those restrictions allowed some imports for civilian use.

 China is North Korea's largest source of trade and aid and Sunday's suspension will deprive Pyongyang of an important source of foreign currency.

 Beijing has come under pressure from President Donald Trump to lean harder on Pyongyang, but Beijing says its influence is limited.

 However, it has grown increasingly frustrated with North Korea's defiance of U.N. demands that it end missile tests and development of nuclear weapons. North Korea launched its latest ballistic missile test a week ago. ||||| Story highlights Beijing is Pyongyang's biggest trade partner

 The UN Security Council imposed toughest sanctions yet on N Korea in November 2016

 Beijing (CNN) China says it will halt all coal imports from North Korea, starting Sunday and for the rest of 2017, amid growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula following Pyongyang's most recent missile test last week.

 China's Ministry of Commerce, in a public notice jointly issued with the country's customs agency Saturday, said the decision was made to comply with a UN Security Council resolution that China helped draft and pass last November.

 Resolution 2321 imposed some of the toughest sanctions yet against the North Korean regime, after it disregarded an earlier UN ban to test what it said was a nuclear warhead in September 2016.

 "Imports of coal produced in North Korea -- including shipments already declared to the customs but yet to be released -- will be suspended for the remainder of this year," said the statement posted on the ministry's website.

 Coal is North Korea's main export and an important source of foreign currencies for its fragile economy. Most of North Korea's exported coal is shipped to China, its only major ally on the global stage. |||||
What is a summary?

– China on Sunday began a suspension of all coal imports from North Korea for the rest of the year as it increases pressure on its communist neighbor to give up its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, reports the AP. The ban is in line with UN Security Council sanctions imposed in November in response to North Korea's fifth nuclear test two months earlier, the Commerce Ministry said in an online statement Saturday. China had already banned coal imports from North Korea in April last year, but those restrictions allowed some imports for civilian use. "Imports of coal produced in North Korea—including shipments already declared to the customs but yet to be released—will be suspended for the remainder of this year," said a Commerce Ministry statement, per CNN. China is North Korea's largest source of trade and aid and Sunday's suspension will deprive Pyongyang of an important source of foreign currency. Beijing has come under pressure from President Trump to lean harder on Pyongyang, but Beijing says its influence is limited. However, it has grown increasingly frustrated with North Korea's defiance of UN demands that it end missile tests and development of nuclear weapons. North Korea launched its latest ballistic missile test a week ago.