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Three journalists quit CNN in fallout from retracted Russia story

Three CNN journalists who worked on a now-retracted story about Russia and a top Trump adviser are leaving the network.
CNN is casting their departure as resignations in the wake of the fiasco, but the network has come under substantial criticism since apologizing for the story. The move would also help CNN’s legal position in case of a lawsuit.
Anthony Scaramucci, the Trump adviser who is the target of the story, told me that he has no plans to sue. He said he has accepted CNN’s apology and wants to move on.
But Scaramucci also told me in an earlier interview, “I was disappointed the story was published. It was a lie.”
Lex Harris, executive editor of CNN’s investigative unit, was the highest-ranking official to resign. Thomas Frank, who wrote the story, and Eric Lichtblau, who edited it, also turned in their resignations. Lichtblau is a highly regarded reporter who spent nearly a decade and a half at the New York Times.
The story tried to draw a link between Scaramucci and the Russian Direct Investment Fund. Scaramucci was a Trump transition team member who has been nominated to an ambassadorial-level post based in Paris.
The CNN.com article said that Scaramucci, back in January, held a secret meeting with an official from the Russian fund. According to an unnamed source, Scaramucci discussed the possibility of lifting U.S. sanctions at the meeting.
But Scaramucci told me there was no secret meeting. He said he had given a speech on Trump’s behalf at Davos, and fund official Kirill Dmitriev approached him in a restaurant to say hello and they had a brief conversation, with no discussion of sanctions.
In the retraction, the network said the story “did not meet CNN’s editorial standards.” The network is now requiring approval from two top editors before any Russia-related story can be published.
Howard Kurtz is a Fox News analyst and the host of "MediaBuzz" (Sundays 11 a.m.). He is the author of five books and is based in Washington. Follow him at @HowardKurtz. Click here for more information on Howard Kurtz. 

Hannity: Russia allegations 'boomeranging back' on Democrats

Fox News' Sean Hannity said Monday night that the ongoing controversy over Russian interference in the 2016 election campaign had rebounded onto the Democrats and "opened the door for their own investigations and real trouble."
In his opening monologue, the "Hannity" host proclaimed that, "real colluders are the ones who have been claiming collusion."
"The real fault for Russia’s election interference now falls – guess what? – at the feet of former President Obama," Hannity added. "The real crimes were committed, in fact, by Hillary Clinton. The real obstructer of justice is the former attorney general, Loretta Lynch ... And the real corrupt collusion is the relationship between the former FBI director, James Comey, and ... the special counsel Robert Mueller."
Hannity was referring in part to a Washington Post report that detailed Obama's "modest" response to intelligence about Russia attempts to disrupt the campaign.
"If President Obama knew what Russia was doing back in August of 2016, why didn’t he act?" Hannity asked. "The answer, we now know, is simple ... The president didn’t do any investigation because he actually thought Hillary [Clinton] was going to win. In other words, let me translate here, the only reason Russian interference and the story is a big deal, is because Donald Trump won.
"That’s what the special counsel needs to be investigating tonight," the host went on. "Real collusion: Obama this time defending Hillary, colluding so she’d win and not rocking the boat."

Syria could be planning chemical attack, White House says

The Trump administration said late Monday that it had discovered evidence that the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad could be planning another chemical weapons attack.
Press Secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement that "The United States has identified potential preparations for another chemical weapons attack by the Assad regime that would likely result in the mass murder of civilians, including innocent children."
Spicer added that the activities resembled preparations for an April chemical weapons attack that was blamed on Damascus.
"As we have previously stated, the United States is in Syria to eliminate the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria," Spicer concluded. "If, however, Mr. Assad conducts another mass murder attack using chemical weapons, he and his military will pay a heavy price."
The White House did not detail what prompted the warning.  Several State Department officials typically involved in coordinating such announcements told the Associated Press they were caught completely off guard by the warning, which didn't appear to be discussed in advance with other national security agencies.
Typically, the State Department, the Pentagon and U.S. intelligence agencies would all be consulted before the White House issued such a declaration.
US AIR STRIKES POUND PRO-ASSAD FORCES IN SYRIA
However, a non-governmental source with close ties to the White House told AP the administration had received intelligence that the Syrians were mixing precursor chemicals for a possible sarin gas attack in either the east of south of the country, where government troops and their proxies have faced recent setbacks.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley later said that "any further attacks done to the people of Syria will be blamed on Asaad, but also on Russia & Iran who support him killing his own people."
Earlier Monday, Trump dined with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and other top officials as he hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House.

Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov talked earlier Monday about the need to secure a cease-fire in Syria, fight extremist groups and prevent the use of chemical weapons, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Assad had denied responsibility for the April attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun in the rebel-held Idlib province that killed dozens of people, including children. Victims show signs of suffocation, convulsions, foaming at the mouth and pupil constriction.
Days later, Trump launched a cruise missile strike on a Syrian government-controlled air base where U.S. officials said the Syrian military had launched the chemical attack.

It was the first direct American assault on the Syrian government and Trump's most dramatic military order since becoming president months before.

Trump said at the time that the Khan Sheikhoun attack crossed "many, many lines," and put the blame squarely on Assad's forces.
Syria, meanwhile, maintained it hadn't used chemical weapons and blamed opposition fighters for stockpiling the chemicals. Russia's Defense Ministry said the toxic agents were released when a Syrian airstrike hit a rebel chemical weapons arsenal and munitions factory.
Chemical weapons have killed hundreds of people since the start of the conflict, with the U.N. blaming three attacks on the Syrian government and a fourth on the ISIS terror group.
On June 18, a U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down a Syrian Su-22 after it attacked U.S.-backed fighters in northern Syria near ISIS' de facto capital, Raqqa. Ten days earlier, U.S. officials reported that a drone likely connected to Iranian-supported Hezbollah forces fired on U.S.-backed troops in southern Syria and was shot down by an American fighter jet.

OAN to Expose ‘Fake News on Steroids’ – Exclusive Video on OAN @11A.M. ET Tues.

OAN Newsroom
We want to bring you breaking news about an exclusive video we here at OAN will show you tomorrow.
On Tuesday at 11 A.M Eastern and 8 A.M. Pacific we will show you video of a behind the scenes look at a major national news network working to put out fake news.
The video is being dubbed — fake news on steroids — and shows the network actively pursuing false stories about President Trump colluding with Russia.
So be sure to tune in tomorrow — Tuesday — at 11 A.M. Eastern / 8 A.M. Pacific to see the video first, and find out which network we are talking about.