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NEWS STREAM
Showdown In Spain Over Catalonia; Five Killed In Election Violence; U.S. Defense Secretary's Goal Is Denuclearized Korean Peninsula; Soldiers Describes U.S.-Nigerian Unit As Light Force; Contaminated Water A Danger; Trump: We Can End The Opioid Epidemic; America's Opioid Crisis; Trump Releases Some, But Not All, JFK Assassination Records; Harassment Scandal; Presidential Display of Affection. Aired at 8-9a ET
Aired October 27, 2017 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:00] ROBYN CURNOW, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Robyn Curnow at CNN Center, welcome to News Stream.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: Spanish prime minister calls for direct control over Catalonia while protesters in Barcelona demand independence. The U.S. defense
secretary visits the demilitarize zone between the two Koreas and talks up diplomacy, and the veil is lifted on many secrets surrounding the
assassination of JFK. But a last minute decision means some files are held back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: Hello, welcome, a showdown is taking shape this hour in Spain. The parliament in Catalonia is debating a draft motion to form the Catalan
republic as an independent state, while in Madrid, the Senate is about to vote on taking direct control over of the autonomous region over its drive
for independence.
Meantime, protesters are gathering if Barcelona. And that's where we find our, Erin McLaughlin, keep an eye on all these pretty tumultuous political
developments. Hi, Erin.
ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Robyn, tumultuous is right. We just managed to get our hands on a draft copy of the motion to declare what
it calls the Republic Catalonia.
This is a motion that was put forward by the two main pro-independence parties here in Catalonia, including the Catalan President, Carles
Puigdemont.
Let me just walk you through some of the main points of this motion, which it's important to point out could still be amended. Essentially, what this
draft motion does, if it calls support that Catalan Republic to be a Democratic state.
It states that it will not -- the will to enter into negotiations with Spain regarding its departure with no pre-conditions, establishing
cooperation and also a firm Catalonia has an unequivocal will to integrate as quickly as possible with the international community.
Now, as I mentioned, there have been amendments, this could be rather amended some anti-independence parties as already be put forward, their
proposal against the unilateral declaration of independence calling for dialogue.
So we're going to have to see how this plays out, in order for anything, any piece of legislation to pass in parliament today requires an absolute
majority, which is essentially half of the parliaments plus one, so that's sort of the state of play here in Barcelona.
Meanwhile in Madrid, the Senate session is still under way. There, we expect Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to pass or be able to push through his
Article 155 measures, declaring emergency rule over Catalonia. Rajoy spoke earlier today, essentially saying, he is saving Catalonia from its
leadership. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIANO RAJOY, PRIME MINISTER OF SPAIN: The law needs to grow above any other consideration, not against Catalonia but to prevent people abusing
Catalonia.
Not to suspend the autonomy of Catalonia but to consolidate it, not to put back crimes, but to put it back to legality, what's threatening Catalonia
is not Article 155, but the behavior of the government of Catalonia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCLAUGHLIN: So essentially, what we have here, Robyn, is one country, two legislatures moving in diametrically opposed directions at this point.
CURNOW: Yes and with that in minds, the big question is what's next? If Article 155 goes through and the Catalan declares independence, what
happens then?
MCLAUGHLIN: That is the big question, Robyn. If Article 155 goes through, Madrid has been very clear that essentially that means that the Catalan
president, his vice president, his ministers will be sacked as soon as the Article is published, which is accepted on Saturday.
What happens after that is an open question, how will the ministers respond? Will they willingly read their post? How will the civil servants
respond? How will the police respond? But perhaps most importantly, how will the people respond? Will they take to the streets? We're just going
to wait and see. Those are all questions people here have been asking.
CURNOW: And you are there on the ground, monitoring all of it, Erin McLaughlin, there. Thank you so much. Now, the death toll in Kenya's
presidential election has risen to five people. Kenya police say about 2,000 people tried to force their way into one police station.
And officers say they were forced to use live fire defensively fatality shot one of them, the other fatality is from other election related
violence.
[08:05:00] They said those were not by clashes between police and protesters in opposition stronghold, it is estimated only a third of
registered voters showed up at the polls and made an opposition call for a boycott. Well, Farai Sevenzo joins us now from Nairobi. What's the
latest? What's happening right now where you are?
FARAI SEVENZO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you just said, we have been visiting -- CNN has been visiting Nairobi confirming those deaths, five
deaths, as you said, Bungoma as well.
A death occurred this morning, which means that these anti-protests -- these anti-IEBC protests have carried on into the next day.
And we woke up to headlines like this, Robyn, basically, one nation, two faces and a business daily, the big divide in arms that Kenyatta voting.
And of course, the teargas you mentioned. But this is how the day unfolded.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEVENZO: At 93-years-old, Josephine Wambui says she has voted in every presidential election since independence and dressed in her Sunday best,
she says this Election Day is no different, that it's her duty to have a say.
But not everyone is as enthusiastic or convinced that their vote even matters. And it shows in the numbers. At this polling station in Kibera,
an opposition stronghold, one election official told CNN, not one vote was cast -- not one.
Nearby, youth in the area clash with police throughout the day. People here say they've listened to opposition leader Raila Odinga calls to
boycott a vote. He say is illegal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The vote has no change and we pass a vote, we are voting for Raila Odinga.
SEVENZO: It was a different picture entirely in areas with support for the incumbent. Uhuru Kenyatta is strong. CNN witnessed peaceful scenes like
this in Kiambu County, north of Nairobi, where thousands gathered to vote.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have a very good feeling about this day. It's a very special day for Kenyans and mostly from these areas. You know that
you are going get the best from this voting.
SEVENZO: Because the opposition boycott at this election, it is widely expected that victory will be handed to President Uhuru Kenyatta. But as
an expected, low voter turnout will likely bring with it new challenges and disputes about the legality of the vote.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Legitimacy will be a very, very big question of President Uhuru Kenyatta will be contented in this, and also of course, the
issue of healing a nation, because it goes together.
SEVENZO: Healing a nation so bitterly divided, after tumultuous and contentious election season will no small feat. President Kenyatta must
unite a nation and likely, he will face a new legal challenges.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SEVENZO: There you have it. It's going to be interesting in the next few days. We have a week from yesterday, basically that the IEBC are seven
days to announce the results in terms f the law and the constitution.
But of course, this low turnout is going to be part of a massive problem, just over 6.5 million voted out of a possible 19.6 million voted, and
that's the genius is at mass, (Inaudible) is about 33 point something percent of the actually electorate. Robyn.
CURNOW: Yes, so the question is what does that mean for ordinary Kenyan's on the streets and politically, what does this low turnout indicate then?
SEVENZO: Well, as you just heard from a man in that package, it's Mr. Kenya's legitimacy. I mean he has been making a great deal of noise about
one into greta of a vote, no matter what, he will win again, that people will come out in numbers -- urge them to come out in numbers.
But of course this factor in the vote of fatigue -- how does it suppose to take and no one will stop. It will question whether or not, validity in
terms of his mandate, a third of the population, that's what the opposition will take to the court.
CURNOW: Farai Sevenzo, there in Nairobi, thanks so much for keeping your eye on things there as well, appreciate it. So turning now to the standoff
on the Korean Peninsula.
The U.S. Defense secretary is in South Korea, James Mattis says Pyongyang's weapons pose a real threat to the U.S. but Washington is still committed to
finding a diplomatic solution. Paula Hancocks has more for the South Korean capital.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Standing at the DMZ, the heavily fortified border between North and South Korea, U.S Secretary of Defense
James Mattis said the U.S. does not want war.
Now he effectively quoted the U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson saying that the goal of the U.S. is not for war. The goal is to irreversible
denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Once again showing that he and Tillerson are on the same page, mentioning nothing of the -- off the cuff remarks of tweets from U.S. President Donald
Trump which would suggest something different.
But of course, this is a crucial time for this DMZ visit coming just days before the U.S. President Donald Trump comes to the region and also to
South Korea.
There was one interesting moment of the DMZ as Secretary Mattis looked across into North Korea, he asked his South Korean counterpart, how many
artillery units do you think are there.
[08:10:00] And to that, the South Korean defense minister said, in my opinion, a defensive operation against this many is unfeasible, saying that
it's necessary to look for other concepts in order to deal with this crisis.
They knew they were surrounded by cameras and microphones and Mattis replied understood. So once again showing that they understand that it
would be catastrophic for South Korea for them to be any kind of military action on the Korean Peninsula given just how many hundreds of artillery
units are right now pointed towards South Korea.
He also met with the South Korean President Moon Jae-in and he will have on Saturday a defensive annual meeting with the South Korean defense minister,
comments will come after that. We'll be watching those very closely. Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CURNOW: Thanks, Paula, for that. Now the U.S. seems to believe that sanctions on North Korea will take their toll and bring about change. But
are they having the desired impact? Let's find out.
Our Will Ripley is in Pyongyang. Will, great to speak to you. One thing I notice, North Korea hasn't launched a missile in a month and a half. Is
that in any way a sign that they are backing down?
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I don't think so, Robyn. It's not unusual to see North Korea take a pause, although given their pretty frenzied pace
of missile testing earlier this year for much of this year.
It would be easy to be complacent right now and think that perhaps they are slowing down but North Korea's words and warnings have been very clear.
They had talked about launching more long-range missiles and also threatening aboveground nuclear test.
All of this despite the fact that U.N. sanctions are starting to take effect. Foreign workers are being sent home. As we pointed out earlier
this week and the sanctions are also taking a toll on factories here in Pyongyang.
But when we visited one of them, which has had its export income/by a significant amount about quarter of the factories income was exports.
Workers have told us they absolutely believe their country is doing the right thing. But as you will see at this factory, descent is clearly not
an option.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RIPLEY: From the moment we arrived at this Pyongyang textile mill, anti- American propaganda greets us at nearly every turn. Outside, missiles are blowing up the U.S. capital -- inside, a personal attack on North Korea's
public enemy number one.
This propaganda banner says as that worker are motivated by their burning paper for the United States. And in fact it reads, let's tear part the
mentally deranged U.S. President, Donald Trump.
The spin doesn't stop there. If the looms weren't so loud, you would hear the patriotic music blaring over loudspeakers, browsing around 8,000
workers at this sprawling model factory.
U.N. sanctions added textiles to the long list of banned North Korean exports cutting off $700 million in annual revenue for the regime. A huge
blow to the economy, but only a minor inconvenience says the factory's chief engineer.
He says sanctions will only make them try harder. The worker we're here to interview been carefully chosen by our government guys. (Inaudible) is
considered a labor heroin. What do you think about Americans and the United States in general?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through a translator): Only hatred, it makes me shutter, she says. After hearing the absurd remarks from Trump saying he
will destroy our country. It makes me think you are also part of them.
RIPLEY: Moon, grew up in dormitories like these. Seven women share each room, sleeping, bathing and eating together. They live collectively until
they get married -- this new facility, a model for the rest of the country.
It is clear, not all North Korean workers live like this. We're taken to Moon (ph) spacious three bedroom apartment in Pyongyang. She was here with
her husband and two children. Here, we learned why she was chosen to speak with us.
Moon (ph) is a ranking member of the ruling Worker's Party of Korea. She was even a delegate at leader Kim Jong-un's party Congress. Only the most
loyal, dedicated North Koreans ever reach such a prestigious post.
There were rewarded with the good life by Pyongyang stands. Moon (ph) met her husband at the factory. Kim Yong (ph), serve 10 years in the Korean
People's Army. They hope their 4-year-old son will grow into a loyal soldier, their 14-month-old daughter, a model worker just like mom.
They tell me they want their children to live in peace but say, they are not afraid of war. Echoing the propaganda at their factory, they say North
Korea will fiercely defend its right to exist at any cost.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[08:15:00] RIPLEY: U.N. sanctions -- just one aspect here, the U.S. Treasury Department just today also slapping North Korea with a new round
of sanctions -- seven individuals, three entities accusing North Korea not only of human rights abuses, but also censorship using their secret police
to track down any dissenting voices and punish them accordingly.
But it was remarkable, Robyn, to sit across the living room with this family. They obviously love their children. They're holding their young
children.
And telling me though that they rather see their entire family die in a nuclear war than to have their children grow up in a world without the
North Korean regime, it shows in this country, you have to put the society even above your own family. That is the expectation if you live here.
CURNOW: Yes, you certainly broke that home and that report. As always, great reporting, thanks so much. Will Ripley there in Pyongyang.
Still ahead on News Stream, we have an exclusive report on the ISIS ambush of the U.S.-led convoy in Niger, the account from one Nigerian soldier who
was amaze by what he saw.
And Puerto Ricans face another threat to the aftermath of hurricane Maria, contaminated water. And for some, it has been a deadly.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CURNOW: A soldier from Niger and his account of that deadly ambush earlier this month. Now that seems to be raising more questions than answers. In
the attack, dozens of ISIS affiliated fighters ambushed a joint U.S.- Nigerian patrol.
A Nigerian soldier whose unit responded in the aftermath of that attack spoke exclusively to CNN. He described the horrific scene with dead and
wounded soldiers. He says it appears the U.S. and Niger forces lacks sufficient fire power and what he said was a high risk area.
Well, our exclusive reporting comes from our team on the ground in Niamey. David McKenzie is there. Tell us more about what the soldier said. Hi,
David.
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, Robyn. Yes, the soldier was on the scene in the immediate hours after that deadly ambush. He was a --
a group of Missourians who were rapidly deployed to try and assist but when they got to that scene, already they saw the aftermath of this horrible
ambush.
He said that Nigerian and the American soldiers that survived was standing back to back with only their small arms to defend themselves saying, that
they were ready to fight to the end in his assessment.
And he really said they were a very brave group of soldiers to battle that large contingent of attackers. He said he spoke to some of the Nigerian
soldiers who is compatriot about that attacking force.
But there were multiple SUVs and a great number in his estimation of motorcycle attack as well that came in to bolster that ambush force that
took on Americans that in particular, he asses as you said, were potentially under armed and under support for that danger zone.
[08:20:00] But you know the Americans on the Pentagon, saying that there have been multiple patrols like this in the past year without incident and
their assessment was that the threat level wasn't extremely high. Robyn.
CURNOW: And what more we're hearing about these attackers and the fatalities that they -- that they got as well.
MCKENZIE: The -- who the attackers are still particularly murky. We do know that the Americans were trying to gather intelligence about a specific
high-value target in that area. Now specifically who it was, we do not know at this stage.
It is believed to be an ISIS affiliated group, according to the Pentagon, Robyn, but you know the terror groups that operate in this vast region not
only loosely affiliated generally what this well-known ISIS and Al Qaeda, kind of terror brand if you were.
And this isn't the command and control situation where you have a centralized terror group kind of giving orders that may have been some kind
of target of opportunity. We just don't know at this stage and the investigation will hopefully bear that out. Robyn.
CURNOW: Yes, thanks so much for that report there, live from Niger. David McKenzie, thanks. Well, as Puerto Rico works to restore its power and
water supply, one of the contracts awarded for the work is under review.
Whitefish Energy was handed $300 million to help restore power, the biggest contract so far. But it's a small company. I only had two employees when
hurricane Maria hit and it turns out the company is located in the same small town the U.S. interior secretary comes from.
San Juan's mayor has called for the power contract to be canceled but the Puerto Rico of the governor says he has no regrets about choosing the
company and that he would do it gain.
But restoring power either isn't the only concern for Puerto Ricans, it has been more than a month and getting access to clean water is still very
difficult. As Martin Savidge now reports, some people have died from drinking contaminated sources.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jorge Antonio Sanyet struggles to understand how his father died two weeks after the hurricane describing the
symptoms that came on so suddenly.
JORGE ANTONIO SANYET, PUERTO RICO RESIDENT: Nausea -- (Speaking Foreign Language)
SAVIDGE: Nausea, stomach pains, headaches and diarrhea. The doctor diagnosed the flu and sent the man home where he only got worse.
So the family brought him to this regional hospital where unfortunately he died. It was only then, they learned what made him so sick, Leptospirosis.
I asked Jorge if he knew about it.
SANYET (though a translator): No, I have never heard of it before, it tells me.
SAVIDGE: The source is bacteria and animal urine, making his way in rivers and lakes, especially after flooding. Hurricane Maria triggered massive
flooding while knocking out freshwater that many on the island.
In desperation, Puerto Ricans have been turning to potentially contaminated rivers and waterways to wash, even to drink. Through Jose still has no
water there, (Inaudible) home, so every other week, they have been coming to the river.
They do laundry and the children play. I asked, Jose, if he had any fear about the water for his family. His answer was simple.
SANYET: No.
SAVIDGE: No?
SANYET: No.
SAVIDGE: But in the town of Humacao, Maria Flores is worried. It's why everyday, she along with her daughter and grandchildren, come to town and
filled plastic jugs at the community well.
We're in desperately need of it she says. I live on the second floor and I carry the containers with water every day. It is exhausting.
As the number of confirmed and suspected cases of Leptospirosis has grown, the government is trying to keep theory in check describing the situation
is neither an epidemic nor a confirmed outbreak.
But they are treating it as a health emergency. Puerto Ricans have endured a long list of sufferings in the aftermath of Maria. Now comes another
potentially fatal threat lurking international he very water. Some of it relying on just to survive. Martin Savidge, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CURNOW: So much to deal with. Thank you so much, Martin, for the report. Well, coming up next herf on CNN, America's abuse of opioid drugs while
President Donald Trump is looking beyond the U.S. voters to China for a solution. And the U.S. government releases thousands of secret files on
the assassination that sends shockwave around world.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CURNOW: Hello, I'm Robyn Curnow at the CNN Center, you are watching News Stream and these are your world headlines.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: A Senate is getting ready to vote on plans to take direct control of Catalonia while in Barcelona, independence protest says they are
enforce. And the Catalan parliament is debating a draft motion to declare an independent state.
Australia's deputy prime minister has been removed from parliament. Barnaby Joyce is one of five politicians ruled ineligible because of a law
barring citizens from foreign countries from serving.
Joyce says he didn't know. He held New Zealand citizenship and a sense renounced it. And U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis says Washington does
not want war with North Korea and is committed to a diplomatic solution.
He made the comments during a visit to the Koreans demilitarized zone, he says what the U.S. is a Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons.
And Myanmar has given the United Nations the go-ahead to resume flood operations in northern Rakhine state. That's according to Reuters news
agency. Aid distribution to the Rohingya has been suspended for the two months. The U.N. has accused Myanmar's military of ethnic cleansing in the
area.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: U.S. President Donald Trump has declared a public health emergency to deal with America's opioid epidemic. But Democrats say the announcement
like substance because it doesn't resolute and more money to combat the crisis. Republican lawmakers countered saying it redirects federal
resources and nuisance regulations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As Americans, we cannot allow this to continue. This is a time to liberate our communities from
this scourge of drug addiction, never been this way. We can be the generation that ends the opioid epidemic. We can do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: And President Trump also said he'll address another drug problem when he travels to Asia next week. Fentanyl is a drug traffic in the U.S.
and most of it comes from China as Matt Rivers now reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, when Donald Trump makes his first visit here to China starting on November 8th, one of the topics that he
says will be on the agenda is Fentanyl.
At an event in Washington D.C. on Thursday, the president said that China supplies the deadly drug to the United States that he wants Chinese
President Xi Jinping to do something about it. For those of you who don't know Fentanyl, it's an incredibly potent opioid.
It's some 25 to 50 times more powerful than heroin. If someone hundred times more powerful than morphine and because of that, it is led to many in
overdose death in the United States during this ongoing opioid epidemic. And the present is right when he says that China supplies the drug to the
U.S.
The U.S. government believes that China is the number one supplier of Fentanyl to the United States and the reason for that is because China
historically has had very lax regulations and its chemical industry.
You have underground labs across the country with people cheaply producing these synthetic drugs, advertising them online and then shipping them to
buyers across the world including the United States.
And for its part, the Chinese government says it knows it has a problem. At a regularly scheduled Ministry of Foreign Affairs press briefing, a
spokesperson responded to the president by saying that China is willing to increase bilateral cooperation on the issue through things like joint
investigations and pointed to more tangible steps that the government has taken like back in March of this year, they actually banned four different
kinds of fentanyl that up until that point had been legal to both produce and sell.
They are now banned. And so that's what China says it's doing. But experts that we spoken do say despite all of that, it is really difficult to
enforce these new laws and that large quantities of fentanyl are still being produced in China and shipped to the United States.
For our own research earlier today, I went online to some of those drug market places where these drugs had traditionally been bought and sold. And
I saw many in advertisement with Chinese labs advertising that they can ship fentanyl quickly and cheaply right now to the United States.
Matt Rivers, CNN, Beijing.
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN HOST AND CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Matt. Drug deaths in America are rising faster than ever. There were more than 59,000 drug
overdose deaths in the last in the U.S., according to the centers for disease control and The New York Times.
That's up nearly 20 percent over after 2015 and indications are the problem continues to get worse this year. Just a reminder that we do have extensive
coverage on America's opioid crisis on our website. Find out more on cnn.com/health.
In 1963, America and the world watched in disbelief as President John F. Kennedy, the world's most powerful and protected man was killed. There have
been so much speculations since it can be hard to tell where the facts end and the conspiracy theories begin. And that may have to remain the case for
now. Thousands of documents have at last been made public, but President Trump is keeping some of those files private.
Brianna Keilar is in Washington. Brianna, hi there. There was a lot of publicity coming from the president. He said it was going to be a big
reveal. Was it as big as he has promoted?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: No, because there were at this point in time thousands of records that are still to be re-
reviewed. That's the word coming from senior administration officials and maybe will get them at a later time. But the president did just tweet
trying to explain all of this especially after he as you mentioned really publicized that these documents would be coming out.
He said, "JFK files are being carefully released. In the end, there will be great transparency. It is my hope to get just about everything to the
public." So, what we have so far, there is a lot, and it's very interesting, even if it is disappointingly incomplete.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR (voice-over): For decades, conspiracy theories have questioned whether Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in killing President John F. Kennedy
in Dallas nearly 54 years ago.
In a newly released memo, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover expressed concern that Americans wouldn't believe he was the lone gunman. "The thing I am
concerned about and so is Deputy Attorney Mr. Katzenbach, is something issued so we can convince the public that Oswald is the real assassin."
The declassified document shedding new light on Oswald's contacts with Russian and Cuba. One document reveals that CIA intercepted a call Oswald
made to KGB officer at the Russian Embassy in Mexico, less than two months before Oswald shot Kennedy. The memo's author says Oswald spoke in broken
Russian.
The FBI documenting a separate conversation about Oswald between two Cubans. One man saying, "Oswald must have been a good shot." A Cuban
intelligence officer replying, "oh, he was quite good." As why he said that, the officer replied, "I knew him."
PHILIP SHENON, AUTHOR: The CIA and the FBI in particular had a lot of information before the assassination to suggest that this man, Lee Harvey
Oswald, was a danger.
KEILAR (voice-over): Another suspenseful cliffhanger, whether Oswald worked for the CIA. In a 1975 deposition, Richard Helms, the deputy CIA director
under Kennedy, was asked if Lee Harvey Oswald was in some way a CIA agent or an agent before the documents suddenly ends without an answer.
Even Kennedy's successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, is said to have entertained another theory to explain the assassination. According to Helms, Johnson
claimed that Kennedy was killed as payback to the assassination of Vietnam's president and this was just justice, even though Helms said there
was no evidence of this claim in agency records.
But a memo from FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover to the White House three years after Kennedy was killed details reaction inside the Soviet Union including
conspiracy theories of their own, namely that Johnson himself was behind Kennedy's death. The source say the USSR believe there was some well
organized conspiracy
[08:35:00] on the part of the ultraright in the United States to affect the coup.
The documents also reveal the FBI received a direct warning, before Oswald's own murder during a jail transfer just days after Kennedy's
assassination. A day before Oswald was killed, Hoover says the FBI office in Dallas received a phone call from a man talking in a calm voice and
saying he was a member of a committee organized to kill Oswald, and share that information with the Dallas police chief, who "assured us adequate
protection would be given." However, this was not done.
Oswald's killer, Dallas nightclub owner, Jack Ruby, maintained he acted alone and denied making the call. And more may be coming, a White House
official telling CNN the president was unhappy with the level of redactions requested by intelligence agencies, saying they not meeting the spirit of
the law. Trump writing in a memo, "I have no choice today but to accept those redactions rather than allow potentially irreversible harm to our
nation's security.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: But here is what is head scratching about this, Robyn. Intelligence agencies had 25 years to comply with the 1992 law that governs the release
of these documents and yet they missed the deadline and they were sending request for redactions even late yesterday, so really at the 11th hour, and
President Trump has now given them 180 more days to about six months to go back, look at the reasons for requesting information be withheld so that
more documents may yet see the light. It does seem that is going to happen based on what the president has tweeted, Robyn.
CURNOW: This one is not over, is it? Will it ever be over?
KEILAR: No, it will never be over.
CURNOW: Brianna Keilar, thank you very much for joining us.
One of the first woman to publicly accused movie mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment isn't finished speaking out. In her first television
interview since she went public, actress Ashley Judd says it has been a tremendously moving couple of weeks. She told ABC's Diane Sawyer how she
tricked Weinstein into letting her go when he confronted her years ago, but that the experience still haunts her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASHLEY JUDD, ACTRESS: And finally, I just said, when I win an Oscar in one of your movies, OK? And he like, yes, when you get nominated. I said no,
when I win an Oscar. And I just fled, which I think, you know, am I proud of that? I'm of two minds. The part that shames myself says no. The part of
me that understands the way shame works says that was absolutely brilliant. Good job, kid, you got out of there. Well done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: Well done indeed. Meanwhile, Harvey Weinstein has filed a lawsuit against the company he co-founded which has already fired him. He's asking
the studio to turn over all of his company e-mail and his personnel file, saying he will be able to help the company defend itself against harassment
claims. Well, the Weinstein Company has allowed him to access to its code of conduct.
Donald Trump and Melania Trump are known for their public displays of affection. It is absolute claims but at least quite the opposite. On
Thursday, they seem to be warming up to each other.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:40:00] CURNOW: Welcome back. I'm Robyn Curnow. Now, the U.S. president and the first lady have had their fair share of awkward relationship
moments in public from on-hand shakes to legendary hand swat. Well, they're not exactly known for their public chemistry. But our Jeanne Moos says she
saw something else on Thursday.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president and the first lady were all smiles at each other. No big deal, you say?
Well, have you seen Melania unsmile after her husband turned his back at the inauguration? But as the first lady added some empathy to the opioid
announcement, she and the president repeatedly exchange smiles, he patted her back.
MELANIA TRUMP, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: I have been participating - -
MOOS (voice-over): Again the proud smile, the exchange glance.
TRUMP: I'm so proud to support him today.
MOOS (voice-over): And then the outstretched arms, the warm kiss on the cheek and some nuzzling. Another kiss, a pat. And just when you thought it
was over, a lingering gaze and a nod and another touch.
This was a presidential PDA never before seen in this administration. Usually comedians are making fun of body language like the Trump's marital
handshake.
TRUMP: Donald Trump.
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He shut her down like a robot from west world.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You can sit down.
MOOS (voice-over): And if it wasn't the handshake, it was the infamous hand swat.
Stephen Colbert's "The Late Show" then added its own handy work.
His cat and mouse hand play has now given way to him touching her back and her reciprocating the gesture. Melania still looks like a model, but not a
mannequin.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(LAUGHTER)
CURNOW: Thanks, Jeanne. Well, this was "News Stream." I'm Robyn Curnow. Don't go anywhere. "World Sport" is next. Enjoy.
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[08:45:00] (WORLD SPORT)
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