The president meant. And fox news host facing backlash from advertisers after a comment from a parkland survivor. The student not satisfied with the apology. Welcome to early start on good friday. Is david hogg fair game . Im dave briggs. Im michelle kosinski. It is 4 00 a. M. In the east. He may have been a lower level aide, but rick gaetes could pla a pivotal role. Details push for the collusion case. The court filing this week claims gates was in contact with someone who was working with the russia investigation. The investigation has been focused since the president took office. It appears collusion remains a focal point of the russia probe. We get more from evan perez in washington. Reporter dave and michelle, the special counsel prosecutors told rick gates they did not need paul manafort. Instead, we are told, they wanted him to provide information on Trump Campaign contact was russians. That is the mission of the mueller investigation. The discussions with gates happened last year long before he pleaded guilty to criminal charges last month. This is important because it suggests that mueller is pursuing the question of illegal coordination with the Trump Campaign associates and russians. The president and allies call collusion. We are seeing how the mueller prosecutors plan to use gates to connect manafort and the Trump Campaign to russian spies. In a court filing, prosecutors said gates was in contact with a person that the u. S. Government says was working with russia intelligence agents. Alleged spy worked for the russians during the president ial campaign. The spy connection cited in Court Documents show they are making efforts to increase pressure on manafort perhaps to flip and cooperate with the mueller investigation. Despite what you hear of no collusion, Robert Mueller is not done yet investigating. Dave and michelle. Thanks, evan. The special counsel is investigating events that took place during the 2016 Republican National convention. Specifically how russia came to be removed from the gop platform on ukraine. Robert muellers team looking into an event attended by Jeff Sessions and ambassador to the u. S. The attorney general has been under fire for failure to disclose. The year chronicled in the latest time magazine. It should come with a warning. Interesting reaction with the frightening picture. Meantime, sessions is not naming a special counsel to investigate republican accusations against the fbi. At least not for now. He did give the gop a little win. We get more now from Laura Jarrett in washington. Reporter Top Republicans on capitol hill did not get their wish for a special counsel to investigate the fbi, but they now got the formidable prosecutor with the selection of john huber. U. S. Attorney in utah who has been reviewing republican driven claims that the fbi was involved in misconduct with with the Hillary Clinton use of the private email server and wrongfully obtained a surveillance warrant on carter page. Huber will say the investigation needs to be opened and if there is a need to appoint a special counsel down the line. He is at the center of the partisan war. Huber received bipartisan support under President Trump and obama. Sessions said he had someone outside of washington looking into the allegations mounted by republicans. Michelle. Thank you, laura. The pentagon and commander in chief not seeing eye to eye on syria. Just hours after the Defense Department announced the u. S. Needs to stay in syria for the immediate future, trump declared the opposite. Dana white says more needs to be done to ensure lasting defeat of extremists in syria. Later, the president said this at the event in ohio. Well be coming out of syria soon. Let the other people take care of it now. Well have 100 of the caliphate as they call it. Sometimes referred to as land. We have taken it back quickly. We will come out of there real soon. It is not just land, but ideology that matters in syria. One official telling cnn it is not clear what the president meant and the u. S. Still needs to decide on a policy regarding the future of bashar al assad. James mattis trying a little comedy to break the ice with john bolton. We think it was comedy. Listen. Thank you for coming and its good to finally meet you. Absolutely. I heard you are the devil incarnate. He has been concerned about working with the former ambassador to the u. N. He and bolton said Different Things about iran. T the president is in florida starting the long weekend at maralago. Before he decided to fire a cabinet member david shulkin. Mr. President is eager to see the day when you can run to the private doctor if necessary for the v. A. We will have real choice. Thats why i made changes because i wasnt happy with the speed with which our veterans were taken care of. I wasnt happy with it and we made a lot of progress. Also developing this morning, several of President Trumps outside advisers telling him he does not need a chief of staff or a Communications Director. Hope hicks was the former Communications Director as of yesterday. The president s relationship with john kelly is strained. There are no signs mr. Trump is ready to dismiss kelly. Not yet. One would hope. President trump threatening a trade deal with south korea using it as leverage in the upcoming talk was north korea. The white house confirmed a revised trade agreement. Here is what the president said about the deal yesterday in ohio. I may hold it up until after the deal is made with north korea. Next month the two koreas plan to meet for the first time in years paving the way for the possible meeting between donald trump and kim jong un. The u. S. And south korea need a united front. This trade agreements removes the divisive issue in the korean peninsula. Key changes to help u. S. Car Companies Like new rules on emissions standards and doubling the number of cars exporting to south korea. The United States did not hit the limit they were allowed to i am import to south korea in years. Donald trump knows all the best words and went to the best schools. We know that because he tells us. Lets assume these were not part of the prepared remarks. A word you dont hear much you, but when i was growing up, we had vocational schools. They were not community colleges. I dont know what that means. A twoyear college. I dont know what it means. I know what vocational means. Call it vocational from now on. Okay. For you in the oval office or elsewhere who know there is a difference. Vocational schools provide handson education for careers like electrician or mechanic. The Trump Administration moving to loosen fuel economy for cars. Sources tell the times the plan could substantially roll back obamaera standards. Weakening the standards would be a win for carmakers. Donald trump wants to cut back on environmental regulations. This could pave the way for court battles. The judge on the ninth Circuit Court of appeals died suddenly thursday. Steven reinhardt suffered a heart attack during a visit to the doctor. He was a staunch critic of the trump policies and travel ban. His death may be a turning point in the federal bench. Democrat Elizabeth Esty apologizing to prevent abuse of the male chief of staff of a staffer. The staffers allegation claims are punched and threatened with death by tony baker. Esty admitted she paid receis severence. She accepts the blame for her delayed action. I think we have not heard the last of that story. Republicans may make some hay with that one. Extreme allegations there. Moscow should not be acting like a victim. That is the response after russia dispelled 60 american diplomats. You wont see these folks at the post office they have businesses to run they have passions to pursue how do they avoid trips to the post office . Stamps. Com mail letters ship packages all the Amazing Services of the post office right on your computer get a 4 week trial plus 100 in extras including postage and a digital scale go to stamps. Com tv and never go to the post office again the white house slamming russias decision to expel 60 american diplomats. The announcement from the kremlin coming days after the u. S. Booted 60 Russian Diplomats to protest the poisoning of the double agent and daughter in the u. S. Press secretary Sarah Sanders calls it a further deterioration in the United States and russia relationship. The Trump Administration will quote deal with it. Lets go live to moscow and bring in cnns phil black. Phil, where is this story headed . Reporter well, dave, for the moment, perhaps this draws a line under the current round of titfortat expulsions. It locks in poor relations with russia and west and notably the United States. After the previous round of expulsions, instigated by president obama in the final days of his administration, russia held fire. Did not retaliate. Hoped things would be different under President Trump. That hope waynednwaned. They wrach they matched the u. S. Expulsions. This does not draw the end over the alleged use of the nerve agent. Russia continues to insist it is accused unjustly and the United States and United Kingdom are pressuring allies to gang up on it without evidence accusing it unfairly of using the chemical weapon. In addition to that, it is angry with the uk authorities because they are not giving information about the status of the russian citizen. Yulia skripal, the daughter of Sergei Skripal. The former spy who is the primary target. She is now said to be doing better in hospital. No longer in critical condition. One small piece of good news in the horrible attack which has international repercussions. Thank you, phil. Laura ingraham went after a parkland survivor. Now the social Media Campaign has advertisers fleeing her show on fox. We will tell you what ingraham is saying now. Racing isnt the only thing on my mind. And with godaddy, im making my ideas real. When i created my businesses, i needed a way to showcase it. With godaddy you can get a website to sell online. And it will look good. I made my own way. Now its time to make yours. Get started at godaddy. Com everything is working, working just like it should if youd have told me three years ago. That wed be downloading in seconds, what used to take. Minutes. That guests would compliment our wifi. That we could video conference. And do it like that. snaps if youd have told me that i could afford. A gigspeed. A gigspeed network. Its like 20 times faster than what most people have. Id of said. Id of said youre dreaming. Dreaming definitely dreaming. Then again, dreaming is how i got this far. Now more businesses in more places can afford to dream gig. Comcast, building americas largest gigspeed network. A lawyer for the family of Stephon Clark set to announce the results of the autopsy of the unarmed man shot by police in sacramento. Officers thought clark had a gun, but only his cell phone was found at the scene of the shooting in his grandmothers backyard. People had to sit outside the sanctuary at the funeral. Reverend al sharpton was interrupted by stevante. Stephon will live for generations. The clark family will never die. The protesters were out yesterday, but after forcing the golden 1 center to close doors the last week twice, they stayed away from the arena last night. Janice dickinson subpoenaed to testify in the bill cosby trial. She revealed she was sexually assaulted by cosby in 1982. His attorney called the accusation a fabricated lie. The judge in the retrial rejecting demands from the defense lawyers to step aside. They argue he should recuse himself since his wife is a social worker and advocate for assault victims. A california judge ruling Coffee Stores across the state must carry a cancer warning because of a carcinogen in coffee. Arguing larger coffee businesses were in violation of state law. A California Law requires disclosing the toxic chemicals. The judge decided the defendants failed to show it poses no risk or add any health benefits. As i drink my third cup of the day. I wont stop anyone from drinking coffee. Fox news host Laura Ingraham apologizing after a tweet mocking parkland survivor david hogg back fired. The proper trump commentator tweeted out the rejection from four colleges. Hogg tweeted back to boycott advertisers and now eight advertise advertisers pulled their ads from the show. She said in the spirit of holy week, i apologize the tweet caused him or any victims of parkland. He is welcome to return for a productive discussion. Hogg was not impressed. An apology to save your advertisers is not enough. I will only accept your apology if you denounce how your network tweeted my friends and i in this fight. Baseball is back and so, too, is the long ball. Emotional opening day in miami. That is Stoneman DouglasHigh School Grad anthony rizzo. He described the moment as an out of body experience. Elsewhere, Giancarlo Stanton. The newest member of the yankees pounding two home runs parking the bronx bombers over the blue jays. And Matt Davidson of the Chicago White sox becomes the fourth player ever to hit three home runs on opening day. He led chicago to a bearslike victory over the royals in kansas city. I know you were gripped to the baseball action all day. Just say ball and stick. As much as you say to describe it, my brain sees ball, stick. I have an hour and a half to convince you of the joy. That part of my brain is missing. Ahead, he is already cooperating with Robert Muellers investigation. Does rick gates hold the key to more than we thought . The road map to collusion could run through this former Trump Campaign aide. I have antivirus, but my computers still slow. Thats not right. Maybe if i reboot. Whats with all the popups . Why does it keep on crashing . This is taking forever. I think its time for the fixmestick. Fixmestick is a plugin virus removal device. Its the smart, simple, safe way to clean your computer yourself. With fixmestick you dont have to replace your computer. It helps you keep your files, and your privacy. Fixmestick reboots your computer from a system on the stick, so that it can remove the malware that got past your Antivirus Software. Its the smart, simple way to clean an infected computer, with a whole lot going on inside the stick. [computers sound] alright, this computers powered down. Lets reboot from the stick, and start scanning. 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Try it for 30 days, and see for yourself why more than a Million People trust fixmestick to keep their computer fast, clean, and safe. Call us today or visit us online. The Russia Special counsel is trying to connect the dots on collusion. To make it happen, a renewed focus on the Campaign Aide in touch with the russian agent before the election. The situation in northern syria, important work remains to guarantee the lasting defeat of the violent extremists. We will come out of syria very soon. Let the other people take care of it now. A bit of a disconnect with the president and the pentagon. Challenges remain in syria. Officials are at a loss for what the president meant. And fox news host facing backlash from advertisers after a comment from a parkland survivor. Laura ingraham is apologizing, but the student is not satisfied. Welcome to early start. Im michelle kosinski. Im dave briggs. Looks like you might stab me with that pen. My security pen. It is 4 31 eastern time on good friday. We start with the russia investigation. A lower aide in the Trump Campaign, but rick gates could play a role helping with the special counsel investigation. How they pushed for gates help for the collusion case. The court filing this week claims gates was in contact with someone who was working with the russian intelligence agency. The investigation has been focused since the president took office. It appears collusion remains a focal point of the russia probe. More now from justice correspondent evan perez in washington. Reporter dave and michelle, the special counsel prosecutors told rick gates they did not his help against paul manafort. Instead, we are told, they wanted him to provide information on Trump Campaign contacts with russians. That is the mission of the mueller investigation. The discussions with g