1 00:00:02,033 --> 00:00:05,100 JUDY WOODRUFF: North Korea's top diplomat arrived in New York this afternoon for talks 2 00:00:05,100 --> 00:00:09,266 on reviving a summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-un. 3 00:00:09,266 --> 00:00:14,266 The official, Kim Yong-chol, was spotted overnight in Beijing, before boarding an Air China flight 4 00:00:15,666 --> 00:00:18,033 to New York. 5 00:00:18,033 --> 00:00:21,833 He arrived there this afternoon at JFK International Airport, and was to meet tonight with Secretary 6 00:00:22,566 --> 00:00:24,933 of State Mike Pompeo. 7 00:00:24,933 --> 00:00:29,933 The White House says that President Trump is still concerned about whether the FBI planted 8 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:32,933 a spy in his 2016 campaign. 9 00:00:32,933 --> 00:00:37,933 That's after a top Republican congressman said today that there's no evidence for the 10 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:40,866 claim. 11 00:00:40,866 --> 00:00:44,400 Representative Trey Gowdy of South Carolina chairs the House Oversight Committee, and 12 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:46,766 he was briefed by the FBI last week. 13 00:00:46,766 --> 00:00:48,833 REP. 14 00:00:48,833 --> 00:00:50,933 TREY GOWDY (R), South Carolina: Based on what I have seen, I don't know what the FBI could 15 00:00:50,933 --> 00:00:55,766 have done or should have done other than run out a lead that someone loosely connected 16 00:00:57,533 --> 00:01:00,833 with the campaign was making assertions about Russia. 17 00:01:00,833 --> 00:01:05,500 I would think you would want the FBI to find out whether or not there was any validity 18 00:01:05,500 --> 00:01:07,566 to what those people were saying. 19 00:01:07,566 --> 00:01:11,166 JUDY WOODRUFF: Gowdy also said he understands the president's frustration with Attorney 20 00:01:11,166 --> 00:01:16,033 General Jeff Sessions for recusing himself in the Russia investigation. 21 00:01:16,033 --> 00:01:21,033 The New York Times reports that Mr. Trump asked Sessions to reverse his recusal in March 22 00:01:22,166 --> 00:01:24,766 of last year, which Sessions declined to do. 23 00:01:24,766 --> 00:01:29,766 Today, the president said on Twitter that - - quote -- "I wish I did" pick someone else 24 00:01:30,500 --> 00:01:32,500 as attorney general. 25 00:01:32,500 --> 00:01:37,133 China warned today the U.S. will regret its latest threat to impose tariffs. 26 00:01:38,700 --> 00:01:40,866 The two nations agreed this month to put new tariffs on hold. 27 00:01:40,866 --> 00:01:45,833 But the White House said yesterday that it's moving forward with levies on $50 billion 28 00:01:46,733 --> 00:01:48,766 worth of Chinese products. 29 00:01:48,766 --> 00:01:53,266 In Beijing today, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman argued the U.S. is only hurting 30 00:01:53,266 --> 00:01:55,266 itself. 31 00:01:55,266 --> 00:01:57,366 HUA CHUNYING, Spokeswoman, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (through translator): A 32 00:01:57,366 --> 00:02:00,166 country harms and squanders its own national credibility every time it suddenly breaks 33 00:02:00,166 --> 00:02:02,233 its words and contradicts itself. 34 00:02:02,233 --> 00:02:07,200 If the United States insists on being capricious, China will resolutely take strong and solid 35 00:02:08,666 --> 00:02:10,733 measures to safeguard its own legitimate interests. 36 00:02:10,733 --> 00:02:14,533 JUDY WOODRUFF: Meanwhile, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Trade Representative Robert 37 00:02:14,533 --> 00:02:18,733 Lighthizer met with top European officials in Paris. 38 00:02:18,733 --> 00:02:23,733 Friday is the deadline for a U.S. decision on imposing tariffs on imported steel and 39 00:02:24,466 --> 00:02:26,700 aluminum from Europe. 40 00:02:26,700 --> 00:02:30,866 There's a break in the barrage of fire across the Israel-Gaza border. 41 00:02:30,866 --> 00:02:35,866 The militant group Hamas says that it has accepted a cease-fire brokered by Egypt. 42 00:02:37,033 --> 00:02:39,966 The Israelis say they expect a return of calm. 43 00:02:39,966 --> 00:02:44,966 Militants fired rockets into Southern Israel on Tuesday, and Israeli warplanes blasted 44 00:02:45,833 --> 00:02:48,466 dozens of sites across Gaza. 45 00:02:48,466 --> 00:02:53,433 India and Pakistan have agreed to stop trading artillery fire in the contested Kashmir region. 46 00:02:55,466 --> 00:02:59,866 Relative calm prevailed today after months of flare-ups that killed dozens of soldiers 47 00:03:00,533 --> 00:03:02,166 and civilians. 48 00:03:02,166 --> 00:03:06,666 Kashmir has ignited two wars between India and Pakistan since 1947. 49 00:03:08,700 --> 00:03:12,933 In Afghanistan, the U.S. military says that an artillery attack killed more than 50 Taliban 50 00:03:13,666 --> 00:03:15,100 leaders last week. 51 00:03:15,100 --> 00:03:17,966 It happened in Helmand Province in the south. 52 00:03:17,966 --> 00:03:22,966 The overall U.S. commander, Army General John Nicholson, says it struck at the Taliban's 53 00:03:23,700 --> 00:03:24,300 illegal drug revenues. 54 00:03:24,300 --> 00:03:26,900 GEN. 55 00:03:26,900 --> 00:03:27,933 JOHN NICHOLSON, Commander U.S. Forces, Afghanistan: This group in Helmand in particular are very 56 00:03:27,933 --> 00:03:29,900 involved in criminal activity. 57 00:03:29,900 --> 00:03:34,866 They seek to continue instability, so they can profit from the drug trade. 58 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:39,300 Because of the money they derive from drugs, this has been one of the more well-equipped 59 00:03:39,300 --> 00:03:41,933 and well-paid Taliban networks. 60 00:03:41,933 --> 00:03:46,033 But by killing leaders, we will achieve a disruptive effect in Helmand. 61 00:03:46,033 --> 00:03:50,766 JUDY WOODRUFF: Separately, Afghan security forces beat back an attack on the Interior 62 00:03:50,766 --> 00:03:52,966 Ministry in Kabul today. 63 00:03:52,966 --> 00:03:57,966 The ministry says that all 10 attackers died, along with one policeman. 64 00:03:59,433 --> 00:04:03,200 A bizarre tale of espionage and faked murder in Ukraine today. 65 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:08,200 Police reported Tuesday that dissident Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko had been shot 66 00:04:09,133 --> 00:04:11,233 and killed in Kiev. 67 00:04:11,233 --> 00:04:15,500 But this morning, he showed up alive and well, and said it was all a sting to expose a Russian 68 00:04:17,066 --> 00:04:19,133 plot to assassinate him. 69 00:04:19,133 --> 00:04:22,633 ARKADY BABCHENKO, Journalist (through translator): All these months we were in touch, and we 70 00:04:22,633 --> 00:04:24,000 worked on the details. 71 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:26,200 As a result of this operation, one man is arrested. 72 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:30,500 I would like to ask that you excuse me for all that happened in the past, because I have 73 00:04:30,500 --> 00:04:34,633 attended funerals for colleagues and friends many times and I know this feeling when you 74 00:04:34,633 --> 00:04:35,633 have to bury colleagues. 75 00:04:35,633 --> 00:04:37,600 I am sorry for this. 76 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,500 JUDY WOODRUFF: Ukrainian authorities said that they have arrested the alleged organizer 77 00:04:40,500 --> 00:04:42,466 of the plot. 78 00:04:42,466 --> 00:04:46,733 Russia dismissed the operation as -- quote - - "obviously calculated propaganda." 79 00:04:48,766 --> 00:04:52,033 Back in this country, the Republican governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, rolled out a 40-point 80 00:04:52,033 --> 00:04:54,366 plan on school shootings. 81 00:04:54,366 --> 00:04:59,366 It calls for armed marshals in schools, more mental health screening for students and a 82 00:05:00,300 --> 00:05:02,300 handful of gun safety measures. 83 00:05:02,300 --> 00:05:07,033 An attack this month in Santa Fe, Texas, left 10 students and teachers dead. 84 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:11,800 President Trump will meet with the victims' families tomorrow in Houston. 85 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:16,800 The Federal Reserve voted today to relax the Volcker rule that bars banks from risky financial 86 00:05:18,233 --> 00:05:20,233 trades. 87 00:05:20,233 --> 00:05:23,600 It's the latest move by the Trump administration to deregulate the industry. 88 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:27,933 The change still needs the approval of four other agencies. 89 00:05:27,933 --> 00:05:32,900 And on Wall Street, stocks recovered as a political crisis in Italy appeared to ease. 90 00:05:32,900 --> 00:05:37,533 There'd been fears that the turmoil could undermine the euro currency. 91 00:05:37,533 --> 00:05:42,533 The Dow Jones industrial average gained 306 points to close at 24667. 92 00:05:42,533 --> 00:05:47,533 The Nasdaq rose nearly 66 points, and the S&P 500 added 34. 93 00:05:49,533 --> 00:05:53,133 Still to come on the "NewsHour": fact-checking the president's claims at a Tennessee campaign 94 00:05:55,233 --> 00:05:59,033 rally; broken justice, two innocent brothers and the consequence of a plea bargain; and 95 00:06:00,433 --> 00:06:00,833 much more.