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Page 12 The Skanner May 10, 2017 News Trump Firing Comey Shrouds Russia Probe in Doubt, Turmoil WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s stunning firing of FBI Director James Comey throws into question the future of a counterintel- ligence investigation into the Trump campaign’s possible connections to Russia and immediately raised suspi- cions of an underhanded effort to sty- mie a probe that has shadowed the ad- ministration from the outset. Democrats likened Tuesday’s ouster to President Richard Nixon’s “Saturday Night Massacre” and renewed calls for the appointment of a special prosecu- tor, and some Republicans also ques- tioned the move. In his letter to Comey, Trump said the firing was necessary to restore “public trust and confidence” in the FBI. The administration paired the letter with a scathing review by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein of how Comey handled the investigation into Demo- crat Hillary Clinton’s email practices, including his decision to hold a news conference announcing its findings and releasing “derogatory informa- tion” about Clinton. While Comey has drawn anger from Democrats since he reopened the email investigation in the closing days of last year’s campaign, they didn’t buy that justification for his firing Tuesday. Sev- eral Republicans joined them in raising alarms of how it could affect probes into possible coordination between Trump associates and Russia to influ- ence the 2016 presidential election. Trump will now appoint a successor at the FBI, which has been investigating since late July, and who will almost cer- tainly have an impact on how the inves- tigation moves forward and whether the public will accept its outcome. Tunnel Collapse Latest Safety Issue at Nuclear Site RICHLAND, Wash. (AP) — The col- lapse of an underground tunnel con- taining radioactive waste that forced workers at the Hanford Nuclear Res- ervation to shelter in place is the latest incident to raise safety concerns at the sprawling site that made plutonium for nuclear bombs for decades after World War II. Officials detected no release of ra- diation Tuesday and no workers were injured, said Randy Bradbury, a spokesman for the Washington state Department of Ecology. No workers were inside the tunnel when it collapsed, causing soil on the surface above to sink 2 to 4 feet (half to 1.2 meters) over a 400 square foot (37 square meters) area, officials said. The tunnels are hundreds of feet long, with about 8 feet (2.4 meters) of soil covering them, the U.S. Department of Energy said. The anti-nuclear group Beyond Nu- clear said the incident helped show “ra- dioactive waste management is out of control.” AP PHOTO/CAROLYN KASTER, FILE World News Briefs S. Korea’s Leader Willing to Visit North, Talk to US, China SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — New South Korean Pres- ident Moon Jae-in said as he took office Wednesday that he was open to visit- ing rival North Korea un- der the right conditions to talk about Pyongyang’s aggressive pursuit of nucle- In this May 3 file photo, FBI Director James Comey listens on Capitol Hill in Washington. President Donald Trump has fired ar-tipped missiles. Moon’s softer stance on Comey. In a statement on Tuesday, May 9, Trump says Comey’s North Korea could create firing “will mark a new beginning” for the FBI. friction with Washington, which has swung from diately to Washington. I will go to Bei- threats of military action to hints of dialogue as it seeks to formu- jing and I will go to Tokyo. If the condi- late a policy under President Donald tions shape up, I will go to Pyongyang,” Moon said. Trump. South Korea’s first liberal leader in a decade, Moon also said he’ll “sincere- Trump to Meet Top ly negotiate” with the United States, Seoul’s top ally, and China, South Ko- Russian Diplomat at the rea’s top trading partner, over the con- White House tentious deployment of an advanced WASHINGTON (AP) — President U.S. missile-defense system in south- Donald Trump will meet Wednesday ern South Korea. The system has an- with Vladimir Putin’s top diplomat at gered Beijing, which says its powerful the White House, officials say, marking radars allow Washington to spy on its the highest level, face-to-face contact own military operations. with Russia of the American leader’s In a speech at the National Assembly, young presidency. It would also signal Moon pledged to work for peace on the that the two countries have improved Korean Peninsula amid growing wor- ties that Trump recently described as ry over the North’s expanding nuclear being at an “all-time low.” weapons and missiles program. Trump’s talks with Russian Foreign “I will quickly move to solve the crisis Minister Sergey Lavrov will take place in national security. I am willing to go after the Russian’s meetings earlier in anywhere for the peace of the Korean Peninsula — if needed, I will fly imme- See WORLD on page 11 Information is powerful. The power is in your hands. www.TheSkanner.com TheSkannerNews @TheSkannerNews
