NATION/WORLD
Friday, March 31, 2017
East Oregonian
Page 9A
Trump to sign
Michael Flynn in talks with
Congress, wary of prosecution executive orders
Associated Press
WASHINGTON
—
Former National Security
Adviser Michael Flynn is in
discussions with the House
and Senate intelligence
committees on receiving
immunity from “unfair
prosecution” in exchange for
agreeing to be questioned as
part of ongoing probes into
possible contacts between
Donald Trump’s presidential
campaign and Russia, his
attorney said Thursday.
“General Flynn certainly
has a story to tell, and he very
much wants to tell it, should
the circumstances permit,”
said Flynn’s attorney, Robert
Kelner.
Kelner said no “reason-
able person” with legal
counsel
would
answer
questions without assurances
that he would not be prose-
cuted, given calls from some
members of Congress that
the retired lieutenant general
should face criminal charges.
Flynn’s ties to Russia
have been scrutinized by
the FBI and are under inves-
tigation by the House and
Senate intelligence commit-
tees. Both committees
are looking into Russia’s
meddling in the 2016 presi-
dential election and any ties
between Trump associates
and the Kremlin.
Since July, the FBI has
been conducting a counter-
intelligence
investigation
into Russia’s interference
in the election and possible
coordination with Trump
associates.
Kelner released a state-
ment after The Wall Street
Journal first reported that
Flynn’s negotiations with
the committee included
discussions of immunity. The
lawyer described the talks as
ongoing and said he would
White House tells
Russia probers:
Come see intel
yourselves
AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File
In this Feb. 13 photo, Mike Flynn arrives for a news
conference in the East Room of the White House in
Washington.
not comment on the details.
A congressional aide
confirmed that discussions
with the Senate intelligence
committee involved immu-
nity. The aide spoke on the
condition of anonymity to
discuss private conversa-
tions.
House
intelligence
committee spokesman Jack
Langer said Flynn has not
offered to testify to the
committee in exchange for
immunity.
Four other Trump asso-
ciates have come forward
in recent weeks, saying they
would talk to the committees.
As of Wednesday, the Senate
intelligence committee had
asked to interview 20 people
as part of the probe.
In his statement, Kelner
said the political climate in
which Flynn is facing “claims
of treason and vicious
innuendo” is factoring into
his negotiations with the
committees.
“No reasonable person,
who has the benefit of advice
from counsel, would submit
to questioning in such a
highly politicized, witch
hunt environment without
assurances against unfair
prosecution,” Kelner said.
In September, Flynn
weighed in on the implica-
tions of immunity on NBC’s
“Meet the Press,” criticizing
Democratic
presidential
candidate Hillary Clinton and
her associates in the FBI’s
investigation into her use of a
private email server.
“When you are given
immunity,
that
means
that you have probably
WA S H I N G T O N
(AP) — The White House
refused Thursday to say
whether it secretly fed
intelligence reports to a
top Republican lawmaker,
fueling concerns about
political interference in
the investigation into
possible
coordination
between Russia and the
2016 Trump campaign.
Fending
off
the
growing criticism, the
administration
invited
lawmakers from both
parties to view classified
material it said relates to
surveillance of the pres-
ident’s associates. The
invitation came as The
New York Times reported
that two White House offi-
cials — including an aide
whose job was recently
saved
by
President
Donald Trump — secretly
helped House intelligence
committee
chairman
Devin Nunes examine
intelligence information
last week.
Nunes is leading one
of three investigations
into Russia’s attempt to
influence the campaign
and Trump associates’
possible involvement.
committed a crime,” Flynn
said during the interview.
Flynn was fired from his
job as Trump’s first national
security adviser after it was
disclosed that he misled
the vice president about a
conversation he had with the
Russian ambassador to the
U.S. during the transition.
Deposed S. Korean president arrested, jailed
SEOUL, South Korea
(AP) — South Korea’s
disgraced former President
Park Geun-hye was arrested
and jailed Friday over
high-profile corruption allega-
tions that have already ended
her tumultuous four-year rule
and prompted an election to
find a successor.
A convoy of vehicles,
including a sedan carrying
Park, entered a detention
facility near Seoul before
dawn after the Seoul Central
District Court granted a pros-
ecutors’ request to arrest her.
Many Park supporters
waved national flags and
shouted “president” as Park’s
car entered the facility. An
opponent held up a mock
congratulatory ribbon with
flowers that read “Park
Geun-hye, congratulations for
entering prison. Come out as a
human being after 30 years.”
Prosecutors can detain
her for up to 20 days before
formally charging her.
The Seoul court’s decision
is yet another humiliating
fall for Park, South Korea’s
first female president who
AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon. Pool
Ousted South Korean President Park Geun-hye arrives
at the Seoul Central District Court for hearing on a
prosecutors’ request for her arrest for corruption, in
Seoul, South Korea, Thursday.
was elected in 2012 amid
overwhelming support from
conservatives, who recall
her dictator father as a hero
who lifted the country from
poverty in the 1960-70s
despite a record of severe
human rights abuses.
Prosecutors accuse Park of
colluding with a confidante
to extort big businesses,
take a bribe from one of the
companies and commit other
wrongdoing. The allegations
led millions of South Koreans
to protest in the streets every
weekend for months before
lawmakers impeached her in
December and the Constitu-
tional Court ruled in March
to formally remove her from
office.
It made Park the country’s
first democratically elected
leader to be forced from office
since democracy came here in
the late 1980s. South Korea
will hold an election in May
to choose Park’s successor.
Opinion surveys say liberal
opposition leader Moon
Jae-in, who lost the 2012 elec-
tion to Park, is the favorite.
Prosecutors can charge
Park without arresting her.
But they said they wanted
to arrest her because the
allegations against her are
“grave” and because other
suspects involved the scandal,
including her confidante Choi
Soon-sil and Samsung heir
Lee Jae-yong, have already
been arrested.
The Seoul court said it
decided to approve Park’s
arrest because it believes key
allegations against her were
confirmed and there were
worries that she may try to
destroy evidence.
Park’s
conservative
party described her arrest as
“pitiful,” while the liberal
politician favored in polls to
succeed her said the country
took a step toward restoring
“justice and common sense.”
targeting trade
WASHINGTON (AP) argued that trade deficits
— President Donald Trump imperil U.S. workers, Ross
talked tough on trade on the cautioned that they aren’t
campaign trail, vowing to necessarily all bad. In
renegotiate a slew of major some cases, for instance,
deals and to label China a the U.S. simply can’t
currency manip-
produce enough
ulator on “Day
of a product to
One.”
meet domestic
Now
his
demand.
In
administration
others, foreign
appears
to
countries
may
be taking a
make products
more
cautious
substantially
approach.
cheaper or better
On
Friday,
than
in
the
the president will
U.S. They can
AP Photo
sign a pair of President Don- also mean that
executive orders ald Trump at the foreign countries
aimed at cracking White
House and entities are
down on trade Thursday.
investing in U.S.
abuses, according
assets.
to top administration offi-
Still, Ross argued, the
cials. The first calls for the U.S. has the lowest tariff
completion of a large-scale rates of any developed
report to identify “every country. The report, he
form of trade abuse and said, will examine whether
every non-reciprocal prac- deficits are being driven
tice that now contributes by things like cheating,
to the U.S. trade deficit,” specific trade agreements,
said Commerce Secretary lax enforcement and World
Wilbur Ross.
Trade Organization rules.
Officials will have
Ross said the report
90 days to produce a would not focus extensively
country-by-country, prod- on currency manipulation,
uct-by-product report that which is under the purview
will serve as the basis of of the U.S. Treasury Depart-
future
decision-making ment, despite Trump’s
by the administration on campaign rhetoric.
trade-related issues, Ross
The second order will
told reporters at a Thursday focus on stepping up the
night briefing.
collection of anti-dumping
“It will demonstrate the and countervailing duties,
administration’s intention which are levied against
not to hip-shoot, not to do foreign governments that
anything casual, not to do subsidize products so they
anything abruptly, but to can be sold below cost.
take a very measured and
Peter
Navarro,
the
analytical approach, both to director of the White House
analyzing the problem and National Trade Council, said
therefore to developing the the U.S. is leaving billions
solutions for it,” he said.
of dollars on the table as a
While Trump has long result of lax enforcement.
Pedestrian deaths spiked
in 2016, distraction cited
(AP) — Pedestrian
deaths are climbing faster
than motorist fatalities,
reaching nearly 6,000
deaths last year — the
highest total in more than
two decades, according
to an analysis of prelim-
inary state data released
Thursday.
Increased driving due
to an improved economy,
lower gas prices and more
walking for exercise and
environmental factors are
some of the likely reasons
behind the estimated 11
percent spike in pedestrian
fatalities in 2016. The
figures were prepared for
the Governors Highway
Safety Association, which
represents state highway
safety offices.
But researchers say they
think the biggest factor
may be more drivers and
walkers distracted by cell-
phones and other electronic
devices, although that’s
hard to confirm.
Walking and miles
driven are up only a few
percentage points, and
are unlikely to account
for most of the surge in
pedestrian deaths, said
Richard Retting, safety
director for Sam Schwartz
Transportation
Consul-
tants and the author of the
report. Meanwhile, texting
and use of wireless devices
have exploded, he said.
“It’s the only factor
that that seems to indicate
a dramatic change in how
people behave,” Retting
said.
The report is based on
data from all states and the
District of Columbia for the
first six months of 2016 and
extrapolated for the rest of
the year. It shows the largest
annual increase in both the
number and percentage of
pedestrian fatalities in the
more than 40 years those
national records on such
deaths have been kept,
with the second largest
increase occurring in 2015.
Pedestrian deaths as a share
of total motor vehicle crash
deaths increased from
11 percent in 2006 to 15
percent in 2015.
BRIEFLY
SpaceX launches its
first recycled rocket in
historic leap
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.
(AP) — SpaceX successfully
launched and then retrieved its
first recycled rocket Thursday, the
biggest leap yet in its bid to drive
down costs and speed up flights.
The Falcon 9 blasted off from
Florida’s Kennedy Space Center,
hoisting a broadcasting satellite
into the clear early evening sky on
the historic rocket reflight.
It was the first time SpaceX
founder Elon Musk tried to fly a
booster that soared before on an
orbital mission. He was at a loss
for words after the booster landed
on the bull’s-eye of the ocean
platform following liftoff, just off
the east Florida coast.
Musk called it an “incredible
milestone in the history of space”
after the booster touchdown.
He added: “This is going to be a
huge revolution in spaceflight.”
China’s Xi to meet
Trump, who predicts
‘difficult’ meeting
BEIJING (AP) — U.S. President
Donald Trump will meet with his
Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping
for the first time on April 6-7 at
Trump’s Florida resort, China’s
Foreign Ministry announced
Thursday, amid a range of pressing
issues including trade, North Korea
and territorial disputes in the South
China Sea.
Trump predicted “a very
difficult” meeting in a tweet just
hours after both governments
announced the summit. He wrote
in part: “We can no longer have
massive trade deficits and job
losses. American companies
must be prepared to look at other
alternatives.”
China’s immediate response
to Trump’s tweet was diplomatic,
with Vice Foreign Minister Zheng
Zeguang telling reporters Friday
morning that “both sides look
forward to a successful meeting so
that a correct direction can be set for
the growth of bilateral relations.”
“China will continue to work
with the United States to think
creatively and keeping pushing
for greater balance in China-U.S.
trade,” Zheng said.
The relationship between the
world’s No. 1 and No. 2 economies
has been uncertain following the
election of Trump, who accused
China during his campaign of unfair
trade practices and threatened to
raise import taxes on Chinese goods
and declare Beijing a currency
manipulator.
Massive fire crumbles
Atlanta interstate
bridge; none hurt
ATLANTA (AP) — A massive
fire caused an interstate bridge
to collapse during rush hour
Thursday in Atlanta, just minutes
after witnesses said police halted
traffic and turned cars away from
the crumbling overpass. However,
officials said no one was hurt
despite dramatic images of massive
flames and towering plumes of
smoke.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
reports (http://on-ajc.com/2nl88ef
) the fire burned for more than an
hour under I-85 northbound near
Piedmont Road, spewing large
plumes of black smoke skyward.
The interstate — a major artery for
the U.S. South that runs through
the heart of Atlanta — was closed
indefinitely.
The impact on traffic long-term
was not immediately known, but
traffic was bumper to bumper on
nearby surface streets Thursday
night as people scrambled to find
alternate routes.
All Rose Diggs told The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution that she lives
less than a mile from the fire site
but couldn’t get home because of
blocked surface streets. She said
she was told to walk despite being
disabled, “but it’s raining and dark.”
Capt. Mark Perry of the Georgia
State Patrol told the newspaper
that the agency doesn’t know what
started the fire but that terrorism is
not suspected.
Venezuela court says it
can take over congress’
powers
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP)
— Venezuela’s Supreme Court
ruled it can take over the powers
of congress in what opponents of
socialist President Nicolas Maduro
as well as foreign governments
denounced as the latest step toward
installing a dictatorship in this
South American nation.
In a decision late Wednesday,
the magistrates said that as long
as lawmakers remain in contempt
of past court rulings nullifying
all legislation coming out of the
opposition-controlled National
Assembly, the high court can step
in and assume congressional duties
itself.
Peru’s government immediately
recalled its ambassador in protest
while condemnations poured
in from governments across
Latin America. The head of the
Organization of American States
called for an emergency meeting
to deal with what he called a
“self-inflicted coup d’etat” by
Maduro against the congress. Some
hard-line Venezuelan opposition
members went on social media to
appeal for the military to intervene,
and a few protests broke out in the
capital.
The U.S. State Department
reiterated its call for immediate
elections to resolve Venezuela’s
political crisis, saying the
decision to “usurp” the National
Assembly’s powers represented a
“serious setback for democracy in
Venezuela.”
“This rupture of democratic
and constitutional norms greatly
damages Venezuela’s democratic
institutions and denies the
Venezuelan people the right to
shape their country’s future through
their elected representatives,” the
U.S. statement said.