White House lawyers order Donald Trump aides to preserve Russian election hacking evidence - Independent

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/white-house-donald-trump-lawyers-aides-russia-election-hacking-hillary-clinton-emails-leak-dnc-chair-a7607091.html

Lawyers have ordered Donald Trump’s administrations to save any potential evidence of alleged Russian interference in the US election.

Instructions were sent to White House staff after Democrats in the US Senate requested the administration and security agencies to keep all material on links between Mr Trump’s aides, campaign or transition team and the Kremlin.

As part of its investigation into Russia’s possible role in the presidential election, the Senate intelligence committee has also asked more than a dozen groups, agencies and individuals to preserve relevant records.

Officials told the Associated Press Mr Trump’s staff in Washington were “ordered to comply” with a memo from White House counsel Don McGahn on Tuesday.

One source said McGahn's memo instructs current staff to preserve material from Mr Trump's time in office, and for those who worked on the campaign, relevant material from the election.

Trump’s Attorney General under pressure to resign over Russia ties

Chuck Schumer of New York, the leader of Democrats in the Senate, said he was worried about the potential destruction of data last week.

“There is real concern that some in the administration may try to cover up its ties to Russia by deleting emails, texts and other records that could shine a light on those connections,” he claimed.

“These records are likely to be the subject of executive branch as well as congressional investigations and must be preserved."

A spokesperson for Mr Trump said the administration was ”simply taking proactive steps“ and called the accusations of nefarious ties between the President and Russia ”false and politically motivated attacks”.

Mr Trump has defended Russia against his own intelligence agencies’ allegations of involvement in the Democratic National Committee cyber attacks and other leaks and “fake news” spread to damage Hillary Clinton.

“We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election,” said a report released before Mr Trump’s inauguration in January by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

“Russia’s goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton and harm her electability and potential presidency.

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“We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump.”

He dismissed the findings, supported by all three main American intelligence agencies, and has repeatedly insisted he has no links with Russia and dismissed the scandal as “fake news” generated by his opponents and the “dishonest media”.

But Mr Trump has been continually dogged by questions about his advisers' ties to Russia since the campaign, which are being probed by federal investigators, while congressional committees are investigating Russia's role in political cyber attacks.

He has denied having any knowledge that aides were in touch with Russian intelligence agents during the election, as reported by the New York Times.

A new scandal was brewing on Thursday over revelations that the President’s pick for Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, met the Russian ambassador twice in the run-up to the election but did not disclose the meetings at his confirmation hearing.

The White House has already acknowledged that Michael Flynn, Mr Trump's former national security adviser, misled top officials about the nature of his contacts with the same ambassador, Sergei Kislyak.

Mr Flynn initially told Vice President Mike Pence he did not discuss sanctions with the envoy during the transition, though it was later revealed that he did.

The FBI interviewed him about the contacts days after the inauguration but he was not forced to resign until the discrepancies in his account were publicly revealed.

Democratic politicians have been leading calls for a special prosecutor to investigate Russia’s links to the election and Mr Trump’s administration.

The Russian government has repeatedly denied interfering in the election, or allegations its intelligence agents had been in contact with Mr Trump’s campaign team.

He and Mr Putin have vowed to repair tis between Russia and the US, which have been damaged by the Ukrainian conflict, escalation with Nato and the Kremlin’s backing for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

President Trump Vowed to Solve the Opioid Crisis. He Needs to Fix This Problem First - TIME

President Trump Vowed to Solve the Opioid Crisis. He Needs to Fix This Problem First Posted: 24 Feb 2017 09:15 AM PST During a freewheeling recent press conference, President Trump declared that America was “drug-infested” country. “Drugs,” Trump said, “are becoming cheaper than candy bars.” What the President failed to mention: the price of one lifesaving medication—naloxone—is more expensive than caviar. Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump promised to solve America’s opioid crisis, which claimed 33,000 lives in 2015—the most deaths in a single year in U.S. history, according to recent federal statistics. Trump’s plan to combat the epidemic included widespread access to naloxone, a drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. But as the need for the drug has grown, it has become increasingly expensive and hard to get for many addicts and the front line workers who try to help them. “All the politicians, Obama, Trump, everyone says, ‘We’re going to solve it’,” says Gordon Merry, director of West Virginia’s Cabell County EMS, which serves Huntington, a city that saw 26 opioid overdoses over four hours last August. “I haven’t seen anything that has changed.” Meanwhile, the price of naloxone is soaring. Evzio, a form of naloxone manufactured by Kaléo that’s administered through auto-injection, rose from $575 per package in 2014 to a whopping $4,100 in 2016. Another version of the drug, made by Hospira, has risen from from $9.20 for 10 vials in in 2005 to $158.30 in 2014, according to Truven Health Analytics. The price of the naloxone nasal spray Narcan has remained stable—around $125 for a two-pack—since it was approved by the FDA in 2015. “The best word for what’s happening now,” says Paul Ginsburg, director of the Center for Health Policy at the Brookings Institution, “is profiteering.” Naloxone price hikes parallel a spike in demand for the drug that’s fueled by the opioid epidemic, stretching government budgets—the drug is often administered by first responders—while creating a robust market for the drug. In late November, Dr. Leana Wen, Baltimore City’s Health Commissioner, and 10 other health officials wrote a letter to President Trump asking the new administration to prioritize public health, specifically solutions to the opioid epidemic. “In the campaign, President Trump talked about the problems of drug addiction,” says Wen. “We hope that this will not just be rhetoric but resources will be devoted to this issue too.” So far Wen and her colleagues haven’t received a response. Experts attribute the rising naloxone prices to a combination of soaring need, drug-industry consolidation and an onerous FDA-approval process, which can stifle competition. Critics contend that price gouging may also be at play.  Kaléo CEO Spencer Williamson says Evzio’s list price of $4,100 “is not a true net price to anyone…due to numerous discounts and rebates that are negotiated in the supply chain.” Most patients with insurance pay nothing out of pocket, says Williamson, while uninsured patients with household incomes of less than $100,000 can also access Evzio free of charge.  Kaléo says it also offers product grants to some nonprofits and government agencies that demonstrate a need for the drug. For instance, Kaléo has granted 2,200 kits to the Cabell-Huntington Health Department, where the overdose death rate is nearly 10 times the national average. “The more naloxone there is, the more lives will be saved,” says Dr. Michael Kilkenny, physician director of the Cabell-Huntington Health Department. “I have to admit, if we didn’t get the grant, we wouldn’t have the drug. We don’t have the finances.” Yet even beneficiaries of naloxone grants acknowledge that demand outstrips affordable supply. In Palm Beach County, Fla., for instance, the Fire and Rescue department spent nearly $205,400 on naloxone in 2016, compared with $57,500 in 2015.  In Baltimore, first responders are facing similar constraints. “We have to decide who is the most likely to die and make a guess on which patients we distribute naloxone to,” says Wen, the health commissioner, adding that the price they pay for naloxone more than doubled over the course of just a few years. “It doesn’t make sense that at a time of great demand this medication is being priced out of our reach.” In Newtown, Ohio, police chief Tom Synan says the opioid epidemic in his community is worsening. The county averages up to 70 overdoses a week. “That’s our new normal,” he says. Synan, who serves on the Hamilton County Heroin Coalition steering committee, says his officers use the naloxone nasal spray Narcan, and the department has not been hit with major cost increases. But the overall trend is disconcerting. “These are life and death situations,” says Synan. If his earlier promises hold true, Trump will eventually train his lens on drug companies—and drug prices. A White House spokesperson says the administration is extending grant programs to help get naloxone in the hands of first responders, has encouraged Medicaid programs to include naloxone access for low-income people, and has made sure Veterans Affairs programs offer naloxone for eligible veterans.  Still, some say more drastic action will be necessary. Ohio has already taken action: in November the state reached an agreement with Adapt Pharma, the manufacturer of Narcan, to freeze the price of the naloxone nasal spray for Ohio law enforcement, first responders, state and local government agencies, and community-based organizations for a year. These entities can buy 48 or more Narcan units for $75 each, a 40% discount from the $125 wholesale price. “It’s hard to justify the price increases you see on purely economic grounds,” says Darius Lakdawalla, an economist and professor of pharmaceutical development and regulatory innovation at the University of Southern California. “The case is pretty strong for government interference.” Especially when lives are at stake. Laurie Fugitt, co-founder of Georgia Overdose Prevention, a volunteer group, hopscotches across the state teaching people how to administer naloxone to themselves or their loved ones. She equates naloxone to a fire extinguisher. You never want anyone to use it. But it should be there just in case. “A lot of people have no idea that there’s even an antidote for an opioid overdose,” says Fugitt. “Back in the day, a vial of naloxone cost a couple of bucks. Now, everybody is trying to get their piece of the pie.” With reporting by Zeke J. Miller

Obama administration reportedly raced to preserve intelligence on possible contact between Russians and Trump associates - Fox News

In the final hours of Barack Obama's presidency, some White House officials reportedly raced to spread and preserve information about possible communications between associates of then-candidate Donald Trump and Russians.

The New York Times, citing former American officials, reported that these officials were concerned that the information they were gaining on the Russian meddling in the election and the possible campaign contact could be compromised with the new administration, and they wanted to set up any future investigation with the information.

According to The Times, after Obama asked for an investigation into Russian tampering into the elections, officials found some "damning" evidence.

A former intelligence official confirmed to Fox News that the Obama administration was determined to keep the Russian issue alive and data on Moscow's election interference was circulated broadly.

The usual intelligence practice is to circulate assessments privately, but such was the gravity of Russia's actions that there were two versions - one for the public to digest and the other classified, the former official said.

The New York Times reported that intelligence agencies pushed forward as much “raw” intelligence they could analyze. The intelligence reports were also reportedly labeled a low classification level, so they would be accessible to more government workers — and some European allies.

The Obama officials reportedly wanted to make sure that as many individuals — with the proper clearances — could see the intelligence. One of the tactics reportedly used was that officials asked pointed questions during intelligence briefings. The report said the answers to those questions are archived.

Congressional staffers have said they are unaware of any evidence that materials related to Russia are not being preserved.

But Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said last week: "There is real concern that some in the administration may try to cover up its ties to Russia by deleting emails, texts and other records that could shine a light on those connections. These records are likely to be the subject of executive branch as well as congressional investigations and must be preserved."

The Times report was released the same day that allegations emerged that Attorney General Jeff Sessions had two conversations with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S. during last year’s presidential campaign.

The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. investigators had examined contacts between Sessions and Russian officials and that the Justice Department was "wringing its hands" about how to proceed in the matter.

The Journal also reported that Sessions did not know that his communications were under investigation.

Reports about the meetings appeared to contradict a statement Sessions made during his confirmation hearing to become attorney general.

Sessions was asked by Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., how he would respond "if there is any evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign communicated with the Russian government in the course of this campaign."When contacted by Fox News late Wednesday, Sessions said, "I never met with any Russian officials to discuss issues of the campaign. I have no idea what this allegation is about. It is false."

Earlier this year, the FBI interviewed Michael Flynn, then Trump's national security adviser, about his contacts with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. after the election. Flynn was fired after it was revealed that he misled Vice President Pence and other White House officials about the nature of his discussions with the envoy.

Trump, for his part, has denied that his campaign had any contact with Russian officials. The Times report pointed out that Trump has accused Obama officials with playing up the Russia story.

“The only new piece of information that has come to light is that political appointees in the Obama administration have sought to create a false narrative to make an excuse for their own defeat in the election,” Sean Spicer, the current White House spokesman, said, according to The Times. “There continues to be no there, there.”

The intelligence community has assessed that Russia's hacking of Democratic groups and operatives was carried out to help Trump defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Trump has denied having any knowledge that aides were in touch with Russian intelligence agents during the election.

Romeo & Juliet of Sarajevo update - NBC

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — Slain by snipers' bullets, the childhood sweethearts' bodies lay in their final embrace for seven days.
By the time they were finally removed from Sarajevo's Vrbanja Bridge — still entwined — they had become symbols of enduring love caught in a senseless war.
Admira Ismic, 25, and Bosko Brkic were trying to escape the besieged city. But the the Bosnian Muslim and Christian Serb were shot as they made a desperate dash together toward freedom and safety.
When Brkic was gunned down, Ismic crawled over to her sweetheart, hugged the 24-year-old's body and then died, according to witnesses.
The lovers were killed at the height of a conflict fought along ethnic and religious lines that was triggered by the breakup of Communist Yugoslavia. They came to be known as Sarajevo's "Romeo and Juliet."
The tensions that led to the war — which one of the three sides involved say started 25 years ago on Wednesday — still simmer in Bosnia-Herzegovina, a country created by conflict.
After seven days trapped in "no man's land," the bodies of Ismic and Brkic were removed during a temporary cease-fire.
Brkic's mother Radmilla called the pair "a symbol of peace," but rejected the comparison to Shakespeare's masterpiece.
Their love was never forbidden and the two families always respected each other, the 78-year old told NBC News. In fact, she still keeps in touch with Ismic's parents.
"We only learned about their death through an amateur radio operator two days later, [he] called us wanting to confirm a rumor that they had been killed," recalled Nera Ismic, Admira's mother.


Admira Ismic's mother Nera looks at old photos in her apartment in Sarajevo. Andy Eckardt / NBC News
Even now, the 70-year old finds it painful to talk about the "senseless loss" of her "two children."
"Their first kiss was on New Year's Eve of 1984," she said. It was the year in which Sarajevo hosted the Olympic Winter Games.
As she looked at an old album with pictures of the two, Nera Ismic said she "would not even wish this bitter fate on the person who killed her daughter" on May 19, 1993.
She stressed that she does not feel "hate" towards any of the three sides — Orthodox Christian Serbs, Muslim Bosnians and mainly Catholic Croats — involved in the conflict.
Some 100,000 people were killed during the war that lasted nearly four years, including 14 members of Ismic's own family. At least 12,000 are estimated to have been killed in Sarajevo alone.
"Every time I would leave home, I would turn around and wave to my family because I never knew if I would come back," she said. "Every citizen had a bullet with his name on it."
Olivera Nikolic was one of those who managed to flee war-torn Sarajevo. In May 1992, the 54-year-old caught the last flight to Belgrade, a city that is now the capital of the independent country of Serbia.
After the war ended in November 1995 with the Dayton Peace Accord, the mother-of-two returned to her damaged apartment across from the river bank where Ismic and Brkic were killed in what was known as "Sniper Alley."
Nikolic calls her apartment building "a Swiss cheese that is now also home to bats," referring to the many holes from shelling and gunfire — scars of the war that remind her of her own story.
"I am Serb, my ex-husband is Muslim, normal stuff" for nearly 40 percent of the population in Sarajevo that lived in so called "mixed relationships," she said.
"For me, there are only good and bad people," said Olivera as she looks down from her balcony to the bridge where Sarajevo's Romeo and Juliet died.
““In a country mad for war, Bosko and Admira were crazy for each other””
According to experts and some of Sarajevo's own citizens, the lesson of the couple's death still needs to be taught in today's Bosnia — a country riven by ethnic and religious divisions.
Political scientist Nezruk Curak has been trying to convince local politicians to introduce "a day of remembrance for the courageous people like Admira and Bosko." He calls them the "essence" of Bosnia.
The war ended with the creation of Bosnia-Herzegovina — in addition to Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia — but tensions that fed the conflict are reflected in day-to-day life today.
Curak and other experts worry that not enough has been done to promote reconciliation between the former warring parties.
The political relations between the different sides have hit new lows in recent months. Serbian leaders in Bosnia have said they are considering a referendum to secede from the country. Meanwhile, Muslim Bosnians have requested the United Nations' International Court of Justice reopen a case alleging genocide against today's Serbia.
Each of the three sides can't even agree on the exact date when the conflict began. Serbs see March 1, 1992, as the anniversary of the start of the war. This was a day after a referendum on independence, and the day the first Serbian was killed in Sarajevo. Bosnian Muslims say the conflict started on April 6, 1992, when snipers shot dead two women in Sarajevo. Croats, meanwhile, pinpoint Oct. 1, 1991, as the start of the war — the day the Yugoslav army demolished a village.
The enduring divisions are drawn starkly in Bosnia's schools. While local officials deny accusations that the educational system in Muslim-majority Bosnia is still segregated, many so-called mixed regions separate students based on ethnicity or nationality.
Bosnia "is still deeply divided" and that the education system is "nationalistic," said Curak, who worked as a social worker seeking to find reconciliation.
Still, he said, the younger generation largely "wants to connect."
The U.S. — which during the presidency of Bill Clinton was a key player in the brokering of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement that helped end the war — has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to help with reconstruction, humanitarian aid and economic development in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
In fact, America's main foreign aid agency, USAID, helped to rebuild Sarajevo's Treca Gimnazija, or "third high school," where Brkic and Ismic earned their high school degrees — and fell in love.
That the school never erected plaque or a memorial for the couple may sound strange to some.
Principal Senada Salihovic explains that the school's governors "did not want to single out any student among the many that lost their lives in the war."
The school's multi-ethnic staff and students know that despite living in peace they are still fighting the battle of the mind — proving to ethnic Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats that their future lies together.
A dire economic picture undermines these efforts.
The country continues to battle high unemployment, with more than 60 percent of young people out of work. Meanwhile, many companies are reluctant to invest there because of enduring ethnic divisions.
Despite years of funding and recent moderate economic growth, "the country is still lagging behind its regional peers in catching up with Western Europe," according to September 2016 report report by the International Monetary Fund.
So peace in the region remains fragile, according to residents.
"When you look at the overall situation, with the polarization in this region it is difficult not to be afraid of war," school principal Salihovic said.
Even relationships like Ismic and Brkic's have become dramatically less common.
According to AFP, at least 13 percent of marriages in Bosnia were mixed before the war, with some cities like Sarajevo and Mostar seeing 40 percent of marriages being between people of different ethnicities. Today intermarriage stands at 4 percent across the country.
Days after Ismic and Brkic's deaths, legendary Reuters journalist Kurt Schork recounted: "In a country mad for war, Bosko and Admira were crazy for each other."
Within a few years, Schork himself died while covering conflict again — this time in Sierra Leone. Meeting his last wish, half of his remains were buried in a grave next to Ismic and Brkic in Sarajevo.
For many people in modern day Bosnia, Ismic and Brkic's story shows that only time will tell whether love or war will triumph in the long run.

Trump's speech to congress in summary - NBC News

In an hour, President Donald Trump covered a lot of ground in his first address to Congress. Here are the highlights of his plans:
Hate Crimes: Denounced the recent rash of anti-Semitic acts and hate crimes, including the shooting in Kansas City.
Job Creation: Touted deals he says he made with a number of American companies to produce new jobs and the deregulation he has proposed that he believes will lead to job growth.
Budget: Cited his proposed budget, which he reiterated would increase spending on defense and veterans.
Taxes: Didn't offer specifics, but claimed his "economic team is developing historic tax reform" that will reduce taxes on corporations and provide "massive relief for the middle class."
Health Care: Warned of an "imploding Obamacare disaster" and called for it to be repealed and replaced before the happens. Trump said Republicans and Democrats must work together to ensure coverage for Americans with pre-existing conditions, expand coverage through tax credits and "Health Savings Accounts," give states greater control over Medicaid, implement legal reforms to protect patients and doctors from costs that drive up insurance, and allow individuals to purchase health insurance across state lines.
Infrastructure: To rebuild America's "crumbling infrastructure," Trump asked Congress — with an approving nod from House Speaker Paul Ryan — to pass legislation that would invest $1 trillion into the country's infrastructure via public and private capital. The president said it would be guided by two principles: "buy American, and hire American."
Childcare: Offered to work with both parties to expand access to affordable childcare, ensure paid family leave, and increase investment in women's health care.
Education: Called education "the civil rights issue of our time" and asked Congress to pass a bill that increases school choice.
Immigration: Reinforced the need for strict detain-and-deport approach and honored guests who had lost loved ones to crimes committed by undocumented immigrants. Also called for a "merit-based immigration system" that he said would mirror the policies of Canada and Australia.
The Wall: Insisted the United States needed to build a "great wall along our southern border" because the nation had left the borders "wide open for anyone to cross — and for drugs to pour in at a new unprecedented rate."
Crime: Pointed to gun violence in Chicago and thousands of death that have resulted and said the Department of Justice would create a Task Force on Reducing Violent Crime.
Terrorism: Made a point by using the words "radical Islamic terrorism" and said it must be rooted out and referenced his controversial executive order that restricted travel from seven Muslim-majority nations.
NBC News

CIA veteran agent resigned over Trump's Intel move - NBC News

the National Security Council said he resigned from the intelligence agency last week because he cannot in "good faith" work under the Trump administration. 

In an op-ed written for the Washington Post, Edward Price, who served under presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, said he started his career with the CIA nearly 15 years ago, but left the agency after what he viewed to be a number of slights by new President Donald Trump. 

Price said he was reluctant to leave and said he didn't think anything would ever tear him away from his chosen career path. But he was pushed over the edge after Trump issued a directive reorganizing the National Security Council, which Price said he served on as a staff member from 2014 until earlier this year. 

The directive didn't include a seat for the CIA director and the director of national intelligence on the Principals Committee — but added Stephen Bannon, former Breitbart news executive and current White House chief strategist, as a regular attendee of the Principals Committee and the National Security Council, according to Politico. 

Related: Trump Works to Smooth Over Tensions With CIA Visit: 'I Am So Behind You'

"The public outcry led the administration to reverse course and name the CIA director an NSC principal, but the White House's inclination was clear," Price wrote in the Feb. 20 article. "It has little need for intelligence professionals who, in speaking truth to power, might challenge the so-called 'America First' orthodoxy that sees Russia as an ally and Australia as a punching bag."

 the CIA wasn't easy — knowing his work influenced the decisions of presidents Bush and Obama was the greatest reward, he said. But President Trump's distrust of the 17 intelligence agencies on the campaign trail was disheartening to Price, and with Bannon's appointment, he felt he could no longer serve the agency. 

The gulf between Trump and the intelligence community began during his campaign for president when he routinely criticized and expressed skepticism for the agencies. 

After being elected, he frequently cast doubt on the findings of the 17 American intel agencies that determined Russia likely interfered with the U.S. presidential election. 

Price wrote that he watched the third presidential debate in disbelief as Trump questioned the findings of the agencies in regards to Russia. 

Related: Ex-CIA Boss Brennan, Others Rip Trump Speech in Front of Memorial

On Trump's first full day as president, he visited the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, where he addressed the agency in person for the first time. 

In a speech that was criticized by some members of the intelligence community, Trump stood before the CIA Memorial Wall and gave a campaign-style speech, including jokes about how much he'd support the agency. 

"And I know maybe sometimes you haven't gotten the backing that you've wanted, and you're going to get so much backing. Maybe you're going to say, 'Please don't give us so much backing,'" Trump said. 

Price said the speech was not what he and his colleagues had hoped to hear. 

"I couldn't help but reflect on the stark contrast between the bombast of the new president and the quiet dedication of a mentor — a courageous, dedicated professional — who is memorialized on that wall. I know others at CIA felt similarly," he wrote. 

Ten days before the speech — which former CIA Director John Brennancalled "a despicable display of self-aggrandizement in front of CIA's Memorial Wall of Agency heroes" — Trump had compared the U.S. intelligence community to Nazi Germany. The comment came after an unverified dossier alleging scandalous behavior by Trump in Russia was published by BuzzFeed.

"What intelligence professionals want most is to know that the fruits of their labor — sometimes at the risk of life or limb — are accorded due deference in the policymaking process," Price wrote. "Until that happens, President Trump and his team are doing another disservice to these dedicated men and women and the nation they proudly, if quietly, serve.

Father of Navy Seal killed in Yemem blames White House - CNN

Story highlights

• "The government owes my son an investigation," he said
• A White House official defended the raid

Washington (CNN)Bill Owens, the father of the Navy SEAL killed in a late-January raid in Yemen, leveled biting criticism at the White House and called for an investigation into his son's death in a news story published Sunday.

Owens told The Miami Herald that as his son William "Ryan" Owens' body made it to Dover Air Force Base outside Washington, he was told President Donald Trump was coming to meet him and his wife to pay his respects. 

But Owens told the chaplain he didn't want to see the commander-in-chief.

"I told them I didn't want to make a scene about it, but my conscience wouldn't let me talk to him," Owens told the newspaper.

Owens, himself a veteran, raised a number of questions about the raid itself.

"Why at this time did there have to be this stupid mission when it wasn't even barely a week into his administration," the paper quoted him as asking.

Owen, the Herald reported, hadn't voted for the President, and he took issue with how Trump treated the Gold Star family of Captain Humayun Khan after the slain soldier's mother and father publicly rebuked the then-Republican presidential nominee at the Democratic National Convention in July.

The administration responded to CNN's request for comment on the story by commending Owen's son, the slain Navy SEAL, for his service and defending the raid.

"Chief Petty Officer Owens is an American hero who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of his country," White House spokesman Michael Short said in a statement. "The mission he participated in yielded valuable intelligence in the ongoing fight against radical Islamic terrorism. The United States is safer today thanks to his bravery and years of faithful service in uniform. We will be forever in his debt."

The Yemen raid, which the White House has said was intended to gather intelligence, immediately came under scrutiny for resulting in the first combat death under Trump's presidency. In addition to Owens' death, several other service members were injured, and reports have said as many as two dozen civilians, or more, were killed, including an eight-year-old daughter of the deceased al Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki, an American citizen who was killed in a drone strike in 2011.

The White House has insisted that the raid was a success. But some, including Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, have taken issue with the White House's framing.

The former prisoner of war said in a statement, "I would not describe any operation that results in the loss of American life as a success."

But the White House has bristled at any criticism, claiming such comments dishonor the life of Owens' son, the Navy SEAL who died in the raid.

Owens took issue with the White House's response, telling The Miami Herald, "Don't hide behind my son's death to prevent an investigation."

"I want an investigation. ... The government owes my son an investigation," he said.

Sources told CNN that three military investigations of the raid are underway: one to look at civilian deaths, another to look at the crash landing of one of the aircraft involved, and a third to look into Owens' killing, as is standard practice when there is a combat death.

A White House official confirmed to CNN that there is an "ongoing DoD investigation" and anticipated it would take a few months, after which a redacted version of the findings will become publicly available under the Freedom of Information Act.

Owens did not immediately return requests from CNN for comment on Sunday.

The White House official who spoke with CNN said the mission was thoroughly vetted and planning had begun months before during the Obama administration.

"There's risks with every military op that you take," the official said.

The official added that the ground commander of the operation made the decision to proceed with the mission despite knowing the team had "lost the element of surprise," possibly due in part to the noise of drones overhead.

Although Owens and his wife declined to meet with Trump in early February, the President and his daughter Ivanka met with other members of the Owens family, The Miami Herald reported.

Trump mentioned as much at the swearing-in of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on February 1, saying: "Just returned from an amazing visit with a great, great family at Dover, and it was something -- very sad, very beautiful. Ryan, a great man."

CNN's Barbara Starr contributed to this report.

President Trump Vowed to Solve the Opioid Crisis. He Needs to Fix This Problem First - TIME

President Trump Vowed to Solve the Opioid Crisis. He Needs to Fix This Problem First Posted: 24 Feb 2017 09:15 AM PST During a freewheeling recent press conference, President Trump declared that America was “drug-infested” country. “Drugs,” Trump said, “are becoming cheaper than candy bars.” What the President failed to mention: the price of one lifesaving medication—naloxone—is more expensive than caviar. Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump promised to solve America’s opioid crisis, which claimed 33,000 lives in 2015—the most deaths in a single year in U.S. history, according to recent federal statistics. Trump’s plan to combat the epidemic included widespread access to naloxone, a drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. But as the need for the drug has grown, it has become increasingly expensive and hard to get for many addicts and the front line workers who try to help them. “All the politicians, Obama, Trump, everyone says, ‘We’re going to solve it’,” says Gordon Merry, director of West Virginia’s Cabell County EMS, which serves Huntington, a city that saw 26 opioid overdoses over four hours last August. “I haven’t seen anything that has changed.” Meanwhile, the price of naloxone is soaring. Evzio, a form of naloxone manufactured by Kaléo that’s administered through auto-injection, rose from $575 per package in 2014 to a whopping $4,100 in 2016. Another version of the drug, made by Hospira, has risen from from $9.20 for 10 vials in in 2005 to $158.30 in 2014, according to Truven Health Analytics. The price of the naloxone nasal spray Narcan has remained stable—around $125 for a two-pack—since it was approved by the FDA in 2015. “The best word for what’s happening now,” says Paul Ginsburg, director of the Center for Health Policy at the Brookings Institution, “is profiteering.” Naloxone price hikes parallel a spike in demand for the drug that’s fueled by the opioid epidemic, stretching government budgets—the drug is often administered by first responders—while creating a robust market for the drug. In late November, Dr. Leana Wen, Baltimore City’s Health Commissioner, and 10 other health officials wrote a letter to President Trump asking the new administration to prioritize public health, specifically solutions to the opioid epidemic. “In the campaign, President Trump talked about the problems of drug addiction,” says Wen. “We hope that this will not just be rhetoric but resources will be devoted to this issue too.” So far Wen and her colleagues haven’t received a response. Experts attribute the rising naloxone prices to a combination of soaring need, drug-industry consolidation and an onerous FDA-approval process, which can stifle competition. Critics contend that price gouging may also be at play.  Kaléo CEO Spencer Williamson says Evzio’s list price of $4,100 “is not a true net price to anyone…due to numerous discounts and rebates that are negotiated in the supply chain.” Most patients with insurance pay nothing out of pocket, says Williamson, while uninsured patients with household incomes of less than $100,000 can also access Evzio free of charge.  Kaléo says it also offers product grants to some nonprofits and government agencies that demonstrate a need for the drug. For instance, Kaléo has granted 2,200 kits to the Cabell-Huntington Health Department, where the overdose death rate is nearly 10 times the national average. “The more naloxone there is, the more lives will be saved,” says Dr. Michael Kilkenny, physician director of the Cabell-Huntington Health Department. “I have to admit, if we didn’t get the grant, we wouldn’t have the drug. We don’t have the finances.” Yet even beneficiaries of naloxone grants acknowledge that demand outstrips affordable supply. In Palm Beach County, Fla., for instance, the Fire and Rescue department spent nearly $205,400 on naloxone in 2016, compared with $57,500 in 2015.  In Baltimore, first responders are facing similar constraints. “We have to decide who is the most likely to die and make a guess on which patients we distribute naloxone to,” says Wen, the health commissioner, adding that the price they pay for naloxone more than doubled over the course of just a few years. “It doesn’t make sense that at a time of great demand this medication is being priced out of our reach.” In Newtown, Ohio, police chief Tom Synan says the opioid epidemic in his community is worsening. The county averages up to 70 overdoses a week. “That’s our new normal,” he says. Synan, who serves on the Hamilton County Heroin Coalition steering committee, says his officers use the naloxone nasal spray Narcan, and the department has not been hit with major cost increases. But the overall trend is disconcerting. “These are life and death situations,” says Synan. If his earlier promises hold true, Trump will eventually train his lens on drug companies—and drug prices. A White House spokesperson says the administration is extending grant programs to help get naloxone in the hands of first responders, has encouraged Medicaid programs to include naloxone access for low-income people, and has made sure Veterans Affairs programs offer naloxone for eligible veterans.  Still, some say more drastic action will be necessary. Ohio has already taken action: in November the state reached an agreement with Adapt Pharma, the manufacturer of Narcan, to freeze the price of the naloxone nasal spray for Ohio law enforcement, first responders, state and local government agencies, and community-based organizations for a year. These entities can buy 48 or more Narcan units for $75 each, a 40% discount from the $125 wholesale price. “It’s hard to justify the price increases you see on purely economic grounds,” says Darius Lakdawalla, an economist and professor of pharmaceutical development and regulatory innovation at the University of Southern California. “The case is pretty strong for government interference.” Especially when lives are at stake. Laurie Fugitt, co-founder of Georgia Overdose Prevention, a volunteer group, hopscotches across the state teaching people how to administer naloxone to themselves or their loved ones. She equates naloxone to a fire extinguisher. You never want anyone to use it. But it should be there just in case. “A lot of people have no idea that there’s even an antidote for an opioid overdose,” says Fugitt. “Back in the day, a vial of naloxone cost a couple of bucks. Now, everybody is trying to get their piece of the pie.” With reporting by Zeke J. Miller

These 8 Books Can Help You Finally Understand Business -TIME Business

These 8 Books Can Help You Finally Understand Business

Posted: 22 Feb 2017 10:13 AM PST

Run rate? M&A? Non-voting shares?
If you’ve never run your own business or considered B-school, it can be tough to wrap your head around how the corporate world works. Thankfully, there’s a wealth of excellent (yes, even enjoyable) tomes out there that can help. Here are eight great ones to start with, a mix of classics and new reads about today’s hottest startups as suggested by writers and editors at TIME and Fortune.

The Innovators Dilemma ($14, Amazon)

Clayton Christensen’s 1997 classic The Innovators Dilemma argues that market-leading companies can become shells of their former selves if they’re unwilling to “disrupt” themselves — because somebody else will come along and do it for them. It’s akin to a religious text in Silicon Valley, where it’s viewed as a guidebook for upstart innovators seeking to take on the world’s biggest firms.

Soul of a New Machine ($10, Amazon)

The Pulitzer-winning Soul of a New Machine, by Tracy Kidder, is considered by many to be one of the best non-fiction books about technology ever written. The 1981 novel follows the now-defunct Data General’s efforts to build a next-generation “minicomputer” in the 1970s. The company’s ability to overcome corporate, engineering and design challenges offers particularly insightful lessons for anybody interested in cross-team project management.

Good to Great ($19, Amazon)

The world is home to billions of companies, but only a few become true corporate powerhouses. What separates the merely good firms from the great? That’s the question Jim C. Collins seeks to answer in his 2001 Good to Great. His ultimate answer: It’s all about focusing on what you do best — what economists might call “comparative advantage.”

The Smartest Guys in the Room ($10, Amazon)

Enron’s demise was perhaps the most infamous corporate collapse in American business history. Here, journalists Peter Elkind and Bethany McLean offer an insightful look at the complex business arrangements that masked Enron’s feeble health, all without requiring that readers have a business degree before diving in. You’ll come away with a far greater respect for accounting principles than you ever thought possible.

Steve Jobs ($15, Amazon)

Steve Jobs, whose 1997 return to Apple sparked a turnaround that helped the Cupertino, Calif. become the world’s largest company by market capitalization, was in many ways a flawed genius. But it’s impossible to deny his business acumen, and anybody interested in business would do well to know his story well. Nobody has captured a better portrait of Jobs than former TIME Managing Editor Walter Issacson, whose 2011 biography leaves readers with a deeper understanding of the man and the now-massive company he helped resurrect.

The Upstarts ($20, Amazon)

Ours is an age dominated not only by decades-old corporate powerhouses, but increasingly by well-funded technology startups, too. In The Upstarts, Bloomberg’s Brad Stone offers a look at how two of these firms in particular — Uber and Airbnb — have remade the world in their image seemingly overnight. It’s especially insightful as a view into how modern companies deal with rules and regulations that stand to disrupt their business strategies.

DisneyWar ($12, Amazon)

Disney is called “the happiest place on Earth,” but its corporate history has long been marked by high-profile infighting and rivalries. James B. Stewart’s DisneyWar focuses on the tenure of former CEO Michael Eisner, along the way revealing how personal squabbles can threaten to derail even the world’s most iconic corporate powers. Read this one if you’re interested in learning about individual leaders’ ability to thrust companies forward — or spin them into chaos.

Losing the Signal ($16, Amazon)

Research in Motion, the Canadian maker of the instantly-recognizable BlackBerry Phones, once dominated the embryonic smartphone market. Today, not so much. What happened? Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s 2015 Losing the Signaloffers an answer: RIM simply wasn’t able to predict how Apple’s iPhone would change everything about the smartphone world. Read this one after Innovators’ Dilemma for a modern case study featuring a company you probably know well.

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Mitch McConnell Unhappy With Donald Trump's Tweets, Fine With Everything Else - Huffington Post

WASHINGTON ― Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday that he’s happy with everything Donald Trump has done since becoming president ― except for one thing.

Was it his executive order banning refugees and immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries, perhaps, which was so bungled that it’s tied up in court? Was it his praise for Vladimir Putin? His war on the free press? His efforts to undermine the judicial branch of government? It’s none of those things. McConnell is annoyed by Trump’s tweets.

“Am I a fan of all the tweets? Use your imagination,” he chuckled at an event with constituents in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. “But if you focus on what the president is trying to accomplish, and you believe America needed to go in a different direction, I think he’s been doing all the right things.”

It’s the latest example of just how much GOP leaders are prepared to embrace or turn a blind eye to Trump’s actions, no matter how erratic or potentially dangerous they are, in exchange for the president signing the kinds of laws they’ve desperately wanted for years but couldn’t get under a Democratic president.

Certainly, Trump’s penchant for typo-ridden tirades on Twitter is bizarre and a distraction from the GOP’s agenda. But contrast the outrageousness of his tweets with that of his immigration executive order, for example, which left tens of thousands of immigrants in legal limbo for days and sparked protests nationwide.

Trump’s criticisms of the federal judges who ruled against him on that executive order sparked threats against those judges.

And the ban itself plays right into the hands of Islamic State terrorists, who thrive off the idea that the United States is at war with Islam.

McConnell didn’t raise concerns about any of that with his constituents. He talked about all the things Republicans want to do now that they control Congress and the White House, like comprehensive tax reform, repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, and confirming Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch.

It’s the same approach House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has been taking, too: Block out the ugly things that are actually happening (e.g. Did Trump’s campaign coordinate with Russia during the election? Nothing to see here!) in favor of focusing on what your party wants to get done (e.g. quickly lining up bills to roll back government regulations).

That, for the moment, appears to be GOP leaders’ strategy for navigating the next four years under Trump.

“These are all the same kind of things a President Rubio or a President Bush or a President Romney would have recommended,” McConnell said of ACA repeal and tax reform at his constituent event. “So, I think we’re doing the kind of things that most Republicans believe can make the country better.”