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JUDY WOODRUFF: A banner economic 
report out today showed the 
strongest quarterly growth

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in the United States since 2014.

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The Commerce Department's 
initial estimate said the U.S. 
gross domestic product grew

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by 4.1 percent in the 
second quarter this year.

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That is up from 2.2 
percent last quarter.

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The president hailed the report 
standing outside the White 
House this morning, and insisted

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the trend would continue.

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DONALD TRUMP, President of the 
United States: These numbers 
are very, very sustainable.

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This isn't a one-time shot.

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I happen to think we're going 
to do extraordinarily well in 
our next report, next quarter.

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I think it's going 
to be outstanding.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: Many economists, 
however, question whether 
that pace is sustainable.

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We will look at what is behind 
the booming growth, and how 
the president's trade war

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could affect it, right 
after the news summary.

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President Trump is pushing back 
against claims that he knew 
in advance of a 2016 meeting

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between his son and 
a Russian lawyer.

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According to CNN, the 
president's former personal 
attorney Michael Cohen 
says that then-candidate

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Trump approved the meeting 
for which Donald Trump Jr. had 
been promised dirt on Hillary

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Clinton.

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The president denied the 
accusations on Twitter 
today, saying -- quote 
-- "I didn't know of

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the meeting" and that Cohen 
was -- quote -- "trying 
to make up stories."

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We will look at what 
these latest revelations 
mean for the Russia probe 
later in the program.

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President Trump and Russia's 
President Putin are making 
plans for round two after last

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week's explosive 
Helsinki summit.

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Putin said this morning that he 
had invited Mr. Trump to Moscow.

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The White House responded that 
the president is open to the 
meeting and looks forward to

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hosting Putin in 
Washington next year.

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Defense Secretary James 
Mattis also said that he 
is considering talks with 
his Russian counterpart.

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Flying from North to South 
Korea today, an American plane 
carried precious cargo said

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to be the remains of 
U.S. soldiers killed 
in the Korean war.

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It coincides with the 65th 
anniversary of the armistice 
drawing down that conflict,

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although it never 
officially ended.

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The transfer could mean a major 
promise delivered by North 
Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

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Yamiche Alcindor has our report.

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YAMICHE ALCINDOR: A promise 
seemingly kept with 55 boxes.

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Today, at an American air base 
in South Korea, service members 
loaded what are believed to

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be the missing remains 
of American soldiers.

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Some 36,000 U.S. soldiers 
died in the Korean War.

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The remains returned today are 
just some of the 5, 300 still 
said to be in North Korea.

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DONALD TRUMP: These incredible 
American heroes will sue to 
lay it rest on sacred American

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soil.

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YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Hours later 
at the White House, President 
Trump welcome the move.

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Mr. Trump thanked North 
Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

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He said Kim delivered on a 
commitment he made during their 
summit in Singapore last month.

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DONALD TRUMP: I want 
to thank Chairman Kim 
for keeping his word.

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We have many others coming.

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But I want to thank Chairman 
Kim in front of the media 
for fulfilling a promise that

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he made to me.

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And I'm sure that he 
will continue to fulfill 
that promise, as they 
search and search and

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search.

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YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Earlier this 
week, Secretary of State Mike 
Pompeo said the U.S. believes

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that North Korea is dismantling 
a missile engine testing site.

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The administration celebrated 
these two developments.

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They say it is proof that North 
Korea is turning the page and 
that it will hopefully lead to

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North Korea giving up 
its nuclear weapons.

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JAMES MATTIS, U.S. Secretary 
of Defense: This humanitarian 
act obviously is a step in the

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right direction.

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YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Today, 
Defense secretary James 
Mattis echoed that sentiment.

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FRANK JANNUZI, President and 
CEO, Maureen and Mike Mansfield 
Foundation: So, the Singapore

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agreement had only one specific 
commitment from the North Korean 
side, which was to repatriate

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remains.

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And so it's pretty clear to 
me that they don't want to be 
responsible for a breakdown in

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this process.

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YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Frank 
Jannuzi is a former State 
Department official.

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He was part of the U.S. 
delegation during the 
Clinton administration's 
talks with North

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Korea.

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FRANK JANNUZI: It's a good 
sign of their determination 
not to see the process 
fail that they are

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now sending these remains home.

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However, it may not have 
any bearing on their 
willingness to denuclearize.

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YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Following 
the Vietnam War, the return of 
U.S. soldier remains was key

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to normalizing 
U.S.-Vietnam relations.

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That is something the 
North Koreans are well 
aware of, says Jannuzi.

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FRANK JANNUZI: They know that 
the recovery of the remains 
of U.S. soldiers was actually

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the central pillar of the 
normalization process.

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YAMICHE ALCINDOR: For now, 
U.S. experts will work 
to identify the remains.

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Meanwhile, this is just the 
first step and what will be a 
long push to get North Korea

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to give up their 
nuclear weapons.

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For the "PBS NewsHour," 
I'm Yamiche Alcindor.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: Pakistan 
has officially elected 
a new prime minister.

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The country's election 
commission declared 
populist Imran Khan the 
winner after two days

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of ballot counting and 
allegations of vote-rigging.

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Khan's party must now seek 
partners in order to form 
a governing coalition.

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The European monitoring 
team deemed the elections 
credible, but said the 
campaign was riddled

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with intimidation.

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The U.S. State Department also 
cited flaws in the process.

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On Wall Street today, markets 
were down after more signs of 
trouble at tech companies like

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Twitter and Intel overshadowed 
promising economic growth.

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The Dow Jones industrial 
average lost 75 points 
to close at 25451.

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The Nasdaq fell 114 and 
the S&P 500 dropped 18.

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Still to come on the "NewsHour": 
the strong U.S. economic growth 
over the past three months,

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we break down these latest 
numbers; what President 
Trump says he knew 
about his son's meeting

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with Russians in 2016; 
wildfires sweeping through 
the West; and much more.