And so here you have a high, High Pressure pulse blasting through this delicate instrument called the brain. Woodruff and its friday, mark shields and david brooks are here to analyze the weeks news. All that and more on tonights pbs newshour. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by moving our economy for 160 years. Bnsf, the engine that connects us. Our tradition has been to take care of mother earth, because its that that gives us water, gives us life. The land is here for everyone. The ford foundation. Working with visionaries on the frontlines of social change worldwide. And with the ongoing support of these institutions and friends of the newshour. This program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Woodruff the immunity request from President Trumps former National Security advisor drew sharply different responses today. Michael flynn said hell cooperate with congressional russia probes, but only if hes granted immunity. Mr. Trump tweeted flynn should ask for immunity, because this is a witch hunt by the media and democrats. But adam schiff, the top democrat on the house Intelligence Committee, said its too early to consider such a deal. Well take a closer look at the investigations after the news summary. Meanwhile, President Trump moved to reshape his u. S. Trade policy with two executive orders combating Foreign Trade abuse. The first will initiate a large scale review of causes for u. S. Trade deficits. The second mandates tougher enforcement of laws that stop manufacturers abroad from the president said this will promote a revival in american manufacturing. Secretary of state Rex Tillerson today warned nato allies to boost defense spending within the next two months. During tillersons first meeting with his alliance counterparts in brussels, he said washingto is contributing a disprortianate share to defense. Germanys foreign minister, sigmar gabriel, balked at the call, saying natos spending targets are neither reachable nor desirable. Theres word the European Union may be open to talks later this year on its future relationship with britain. But Draft Guidelines issued today say the u. K. s disentanglement from the bloc must be settled first. British Prime Minister theresa may wanted talks on a future trade deal with the e. U. To start quickly. But in malta today, the president of the european council, donald tusk, said that wont happen. Once, and only once we have achieved sufficient progress on the withdrawal, can we discuss the framework for our future relationship. Starting parallel talks on all issues at the same time, as suggested by some in the u. K. , will not happen. Woodruff meanwhile, scotlands first minister has formally requested a second referendum on its independence from the u. K. Britains government has said it will deny the request. Violence erupted in venezuela today, amid the countrys deepening political crisis. It followed the Supreme Courts move to dissolve the countrys oppositionled congress a move widely condemned as a power grab. In the capital caracas, scores of students squared off against police in riot gear who retaliated with batons and buckshot. A number of people were arrested. In pakistan, a suicide car bomb near a shiite mosque today killed at least 24 people. It happened in a key northwest town near the countrys border with afghanistan. The powerful blast damaged vehicles and nearby shops. More than 100 people were wounded. A breakaway taliban faction claimed responsibility. The Trump Administration imposed a new round of sanctions on north korea today. They targeted 11 North Koreans and one company who helped finance or develop weapons of mass destruction. The Treasury Department said the people were working as agents of the north korean regime in russia, china, vietnam, and cuba. Back in this country, traffic was snarled for miles in atlanta today, after a fire brought down part of heavilytraveled interstate 85. Officials are still trying to determine how yesterdays blaze started. Authorities closed the section before it collapsed and there were no injuries. But commuters in the densely populated area will likely have to find new routes for months. On wall street, stocks ended the month on a down note. The Dow Jones Industrial average lost 65 points to close at 20,663. The nasdaq fell more than two points, and the s p 500 slipped five. For the week, both the dow and the s p 500 gained a fraction of a percent. The nasdaq rose more than a percent. Spacex made history last night by successfully launching and retrieving its first recycled rocket. Rocket boosters normally drop into the Atlantic Ocean after liftoff and are not retrieved. This was the falcon 9 boosters second trip into orbit, launching from cape canaveral, florida. It landed on the bullseye of an ocean platform and could be used a third time. A rare photo of Harriet Tubman has been acquired by the library of congress and the smithsonians new African American history museum. It shows a seated tubman in her late 40s. Most photos of the underground railroad hero were taken later in her life. It was part of an album sold at auction in new york friday for more than 160,000. Still to come on the newshour what we know and dont know about russias influence in the 2016 election. The potential human toll of loosening restrictions on air strikes abroad. Trump supporters grade the president on his first months in office, and much more. Woodruff it seems every day, sometimes every hour, there are new developments on the connections between the white house and the russian government. Its hard to keep it all straight. But we will try. Here to talk through what we know, and what we dont know, about the alleged ties and what they mean. For that i am joined by correspondents john yang and lisa desjardins. Thank you both for being here to do this. Lisa, im going to start with you. Remind us, where did all this come from . What was the origin of russias interest in our elections . Lets start with 2011 when Hillary Clinton then secretary of state spoke out criticizing russian elections. Vladimir putin, president of russia, then reacted saying she was interfering and helping protesters and trying to have an impact on the russian election. Then we can Flash Forward to last summer when the f. B. I. Became aware of hacking into the Democratic National committee, then to october with a conclusion with the director of National Intelligence that the russian were in fact trying to interfere with our election, and then this month we heard from f. B. I. Director comey about their investigation making this rare public statement. The f. B. I. , as part of our counterintelligence mission, is investigating the russian governments efforts to interfere in the 2016 president ial president ial presil election and that includes investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump Campaign and the russian government. And their statement in the middle of an investigation. Bottom line, judy, we know our intelligence on the u. S. Side concluded russia tried to interfere with the election and that includes theyre investigating things like trying to send fake news to particular states like michigan and pennsylvania. The biggest question now seems to be were any Trump Associates, Trump Campaign officials involved and did they know and collude with russia at all. Woodruff what is known about links or any connections between trump, Trumps Campaign and russian officials . It is a spider web. You have Campaign Officials who had or have business relations with russia bike paul mann afort, advisor carter page. You have others in the campaign in contact with the Russian Ambassador to the United States either during the campaign or transition. J. D. Gordon. Jared kushner, michael flynn, attorney general jeff sessions, sessions whos recuse himself from the investigation does a of the contact. And roger stone somehow got advanced word about the hacked Hillary Clinton emails, emails that our United States intelligence says came from the russian intelligence, was hacked by the russian intelligence. Could this all be coincidence . Sure, but a lot of these people have been less than forthcoming about the contacts. Last month, judy, you asked carter page whether he met any russian official during the campaign. Woodruff ill ask again, did you have any meetings last year with russian initials russia, outside russia, anywhere . I had no meetings, no meetings. Of course, eventually, he acknowledged that wasnt true, he met the ambassador at the republican convection. Woodruff and he said that after he told me just the opposite. Lisa, what about Financial Connections between the president , people around him and russia . The president , for so much of his life, was the c. E. O. Of the Trump Organizations. Lets look at the business side of the Trump Organization to russia. The white house has few direct connections. One, the president sold real estate to russias, and mr. Trump hosted the Miss Universe pageant in moscow in 2013. There are more indirect kind of connections. We know among the other business ties, donald j. Trump, jr. Said, in 2008, that, of their businesses all across the board, that russians were pouring in money. He thought russians were among their most important clients at that time. Now russia was emerging as an important economy then. Think what you will. 1987, trump viltsed in 1996, and in 2013 looked for potential sites for a trump hotel in moscow that never came to bea bear. Last summer, a story people paid attention, to we know there are reports from cnn and others investigators looked into rawngs bank repeatedly trying to contact servers in the Trump Organization. The Trump Organization says they did not know anything about that andeth not clear if that was for business reasons or what was going on, but one way connection but many of them from a russian bank to the Trump Organization. The kushners also have a Family Business kushner properties. Woodruff the soninlaw. And Jared Kushner in addition to meeting with the Russian Ambassador also in december met with the head of a russian bank which is under sanctions right now. The white house said that was a diplomatic meeting, but the russian bank says it was for business reasons. So its something to look at. Woodruff one of the other names you mentioned, of course, michael flynn, so much attention around him. He was briefly the president s National Security advisor and then he stepped down. Whats known about his role in all this . He has told the Senate Intelligence committee hes willing to testify if he gets immunity. The committee rejected that request for now, they said its too early, that they generally like to find out what they can without immunity first. He was a surrogate and an advisor in the campaign. He became well known for both attacking Hillary Clinton in the campaign and advocating closer ties with russia and, as you say, he was very briefly the National Security advisor. He had to resign after it turned out he misled white house officials about some of his contacts with the Russian Ambassador during the transition. Now, his Attorney Says he certainly has quite a story to tell, but its not quite clear what that story is or who its about. This morning, the president tweeted that he thought that flynn should give immunity and should testify. This afternoon at the white house briefing, sean spicer was asked if the president had anything to fear from that testimony. Sean spicer had a oneword answer nope. Woodruff all right. Well, so much to follow. Police departments this go from here, lisa . Lets look forward a bit. There are three investigations underway now that we know of the f. B. I. Investigation, the house intelligence investigation and the Senate Intelligence investigation all of those could take months, many months. That brings us to our final name in the look at the whos who in this russian situation, devin nunes, the congressman from california, chairs the house Intelligence Committee and the russian investigation. In the past two weeks he said he was made aware of intelligence there a source hes not aiming that u. S. Spy agencies somehow caught surveillance of some Trump Associates and some Trump White House officials potentially inadvertently. He took that information and spoke to the president about it but did not share that with his own Intelligence Committee. That is raising questions especially from democrats who are calling for him to recuse himself. Woodruff he said it didnt have to do with russia, right . Thats right, but since hes chairing the russian investigate, hes too close to the president , whos he watching out for, the democrats say he has a conflict of interest. Mr. Nunes says, no, he feels he can chair the investigation. This embroils the white house. And schiff the top democrat on the Intelligence Committee went to the white house to look at documents that the white house says they have uncovered that relates to this coincidental or incidental surveillance. Its not clear yet whether or not this is the same material that chairman nunes was shown. Again, the material might not be about russia. Its a question of the man leading the russian investigation. Woodruff there are so many strands in this story to follow. The two of you are on the case. We thank you. I feel like weve brought our audience up to date. Thank you very much. Lisa desjardins, john yang, thank you. Woodruff during the president ial Campaign Candidate trump promised to give the u. S. Military more freedom to strike terrorist targets around the world. Yesterday, it was announced that President Trump made good on that promise. Hari screenivasan has the story. Sreenivasan among the countries where the u. S. Is using fighting terrorism are iraq, yemen and somalia. Now, the president has approved the pentagons plan to beef up its targeting of al shabab in somalia, giving the military greater latitude to decide when and where to strike. For more on all of this, we turn to sarah sewall. She served as undersecretary of state for civilian security, democracy and human rights during the Obama Administration. Shes written extensively about military operations and civilian casualties. Shes now at Johns Hopkins university. First, just walk us through what the changes are that the pentagon announced. Essentially, president obama had created two categories for thinking about the use of force in the context of the war on terror. One was more like targeted killing with more restricted types overtargets that you could both choose and be forced to identify, and it controlled the effects of those uses of force more closely. The other is more like what americans would understand as war, general hostilities, and what has happened is the current president has now moved, according to reports, moved the somalia engagement of the u. S. Forces from the category of more targeted uses of force to more general hostilities. Sreenivasan it says the new rules says its okay to kill civilians if necessary and proportionate. What does that mean . In the past, it used to be if they were threatening americans that doesnt seem the case now. Thats what i mean by the kind of targets that are chosen. The former category required only those who were a direct threat to americans could be targeted. Now they can be targeted if theyre members of an organization thats an associated force for the perpetrators of 9 11, has huge impacts for civilian casualties because the former standard of targeting according to a near certainty of not killing civilians has now been relaxed. But, of course, the laws of war still apply, so uses of force still have to be proportionate and discriminate. Sreenivasan the military complained for quite some time even through the Obama Administration that there was too much red tape when the time they found the target and the hoops they had to jump through to take action on it. Thats right, hari. The u. S. Military lierg most militaries will seek greater latitude for the use of force. Its the role of civilian authorities to make sure americas broader Strategic Interests are balanced against tactical possibilities for gain and here is whether i think president obamas decision to make sure that the uses of force did not have blowback either by virtue of killing civilians unnecessarily or fee