JUDY WOODRUFF: North Korea's top diplomat arrived in New York this afternoon for talks
on reviving a summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-un.
The official, Kim Yong-chol, was spotted overnight in Beijing, before boarding an Air China flight
to New York.
He arrived there this afternoon at JFK International Airport, and was to meet tonight with Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo.
The White House says that President Trump is still concerned about whether the FBI planted
a spy in his 2016 campaign.
That's after a top Republican congressman said today that there's no evidence for the
claim.
Representative Trey Gowdy of South Carolina chairs the House Oversight Committee, and
he was briefed by the FBI last week.
REP.
TREY GOWDY (R), South Carolina: Based on what I have seen, I don't know what the FBI could
have done or should have done other than run out a lead that someone loosely connected
with the campaign was making assertions about Russia.
I would think you would want the FBI to find out whether or not there was any validity
to what those people were saying.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Gowdy also said he understands the president's frustration with Attorney
General Jeff Sessions for recusing himself in the Russia investigation.
The New York Times reports that Mr. Trump asked Sessions to reverse his recusal in March
of last year, which Sessions declined to do.
Today, the president said on Twitter that -- quote -- "I wish I did" pick someone else
as attorney general.
China warned today the U.S. will regret its latest threat to impose tariffs.
The two nations agreed this month to put new tariffs on hold.
But the White House said yesterday that it's moving forward with levies on $50 billion
worth of Chinese products.
In Beijing today, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman argued the U.S. is only hurting
itself.
HUA CHUNYING, Spokeswoman, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (through translator): A
country harms and squanders its own national credibility every time it suddenly breaks
its words and contradicts itself.
If the United States insists on being capricious, China will resolutely take strong and solid
measures to safeguard its own legitimate interests.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Meanwhile, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Trade Representative Robert
Lighthizer met with top European officials in Paris.
Friday is the deadline for a U.S. decision on imposing tariffs on imported steel and
aluminum from Europe.
There's a break in the barrage of fire across the Israel-Gaza border.
The militant group Hamas says that it has accepted a cease-fire brokered by Egypt.
The Israelis say they expect a return of calm.
Militants fired rockets into Southern Israel on Tuesday, and Israeli warplanes blasted
dozens of sites across Gaza.
India and Pakistan have agreed to stop trading artillery fire in the contested Kashmir region.
Relative calm prevailed today after months of flare-ups that killed dozens of soldiers
and civilians.
Kashmir has ignited two wars between India and Pakistan since 1947.
In Afghanistan, the U.S. military says that an artillery attack killed more than 50 Taliban
leaders last week.
It happened in Helmand Province in the south.
The overall U.S. commander, Army General John Nicholson, says it struck at the Taliban's
illegal drug revenues.
GEN.
JOHN NICHOLSON, Commander U.S. Forces, Afghanistan: This group in Helmand in particular are very
involved in criminal activity.
They seek to continue instability, so they can profit from the drug trade.
Because of the money they derive from drugs, this has been one of the more well-equipped
and well-paid Taliban networks.
But by killing leaders, we will achieve a disruptive effect in Helmand.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Separately, Afghan security forces beat back an attack on the Interior
Ministry in Kabul today.
The ministry says that all 10 attackers died, along with one policeman.
A bizarre tale of espionage and faked murder in Ukraine today.
Police reported Tuesday that dissident Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko had been shot
and killed in Kiev.
But this morning, he showed up alive and well, and said it was all a sting to expose a Russian
plot to assassinate him.
ARKADY BABCHENKO, Journalist (through translator): All these months we were in touch, and we
worked on the details.
As a result of this operation, one man is arrested.
I would like to ask that you excuse me for all that happened in the past, because I have
attended funerals for colleagues and friends many times and I know this feeling when you
have to bury colleagues.
I am sorry for this.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Ukrainian authorities said that they have arrested the alleged organizer
of the plot.
Russia dismissed the operation as -- quote -- "obviously calculated propaganda."
Back in this country, the Republican governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, rolled out a 40-point
plan on school shootings.
It calls for armed marshals in schools, more mental health screening for students and a
handful of gun safety measures.
An attack this month in Santa Fe, Texas, left 10 students and teachers dead.
President Trump will meet with the victims' families tomorrow in Houston.
The Federal Reserve voted today to relax the Volcker rule that bars banks from risky financial
trades.
It's the latest move by the Trump administration to deregulate the industry.
The change still needs the approval of four other agencies.
And on Wall Street, stocks recovered as a political crisis in Italy appeared to ease.
There'd been fears that the turmoil could undermine the euro currency.
The Dow Jones industrial average gained 306 points to close at 24667.
The Nasdaq rose nearly 66 points, and the S&P 500 added 34.
Still to come on the "NewsHour": fact-checking the president's claims at a Tennessee campaign
rally; broken justice, two innocent brothers and the consequence of a plea bargain; and
much more.