Veteran uses a car to mow down people on a crowded New York Times square sidewalk. But we begin this morning with todays eye opener, your world in 90 seconds. Well, i respect the move, but the entire thing has been a witch hunt and theres no collusion certainly between myself and the campaign. The president dismisses an expanding russian probe. I think now its considered a criminal investigation. There has not been any evidence of any criminal activity. Did you at any time urge former fbi director james comey to close or back down the investigation into Michael Flynn . No, no. Next question. The deadly accident in new yorks times square, a speeding out of control car crowded into pedestrians. I crossed the street. If i hadnt, i probably would be dead. Theyll discontinue their investigation into rape allegations against Julian Assange. Its really starting to spin really fast. A Severe Weather outbreak is threatening the southern plains. You can see it screams through the plain states. At least three people including a child fell from a malfunctioning ferris wheel northwest of seattle. Violent clashes broke out in greece as they protested new austerity measures. All that in this boston subway station a woman falls onto the tracks. Passengers leap into action. And all that matters its not every day you get photobombed by a former lead over the world. I asked what was the difference. The photo bomber, president bush. He and obama are having a lot of fun with this, ill tell you. On cbs this morning. The Deputy Attorney general show new details in a private all senate briefing. Last week when the administration was looking for someone to blame for the comey firing, they tried to throw rosenstein under the bus, for greting that his deputy a. G. , hes the bus driver. Next up, indictment avenue, here we go. Announcer this mornings eye opener presented by toyota. Lets go places. Welcome to cbs this morning. Norah odonnell is off, so were thrilled to have alex wagner join us. Welcome. Good to be with you guys. We begin with breaking news about wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Sweden just dropped a longstanding rape investigation against him. For the past five years he has claimed a sanctuary in london to avoid extradition. Assange calls this a total victory but he believes hes still wanted by the u. S. For leaking classified information. Jonathan vigliotti is outside the embassy where assange is holed up. Jonathan, good morning. Reporter good morning. Saurj has spent the last five years living inside the embassy. His lawyers calling todays decision a total victory saying he is set to walk free, but the truth isnt that cut and drew. The u. S. Is considering their own charges against assange, and here in the uk he faces a lesser charge of failing to appear before a court in 201 2012. If he does step out, the metropolitan police say they will step in and arrest him. Julian assange posted this smiling image to social media moments after the prosecutors announced they dropped the allegations against him. It brings to an end a case that started in 2010 when assange was accused of Sexual Assault but refused to go to sweden to allow himself to be questioned, fearing that he would be extradited to the u. S. To face chargeses related to the wikileaks 2010 publication of american classified documents. In 2011 assange shared his mission with 60 minutes. If youre a whistle blower and you have material that supports it, we will defend you and present it. He took bail and took very fiej in ecuadors embassy. He still found voice on the world stage. In 2016 wikileaks published thousands of emails from secretary clintons campaign, something that then candidate donald trump applauded. They want to distract us from wikileaks. Its been amazing whats coming out on wikileaks. But the administration of now President Trump is seeking to clamp down on organizations like wikileaks. We will seek to put some people in jail. Federal prosecutors are assessing whether to file charges related to the reese of stolen u. S. Information. Were going to step up our effort and already are stepping up our efforts on all leaks. Reporter the 201 document dump leaked tens of thousands of classified files and sensitive diplomatic cables and led to the arrest and imprisonment of chelsea manning. Manning was released from prison wednesday. And swedish prosecutors just held a press conference where they said they could technically reopen this investigation in the unlikely case that assange decides go back to sweden to face questioning before the statute of limitations expires in 2020. Alex. Jonathan vigliotti in london. Thanks, jonathan. Sources tells cbs news a relationship between russia and the trump president ial campaign developed long before the investigation. Federal investigators are looking at several Campaign Associates and there is new information this morning about former fbi director james comeys efforts to stay independent of the president. Jeff pegues is at headquarters in washington. Jeff, good morning. Reporter good morning. Cbs news has learned that during a period between election day and inauguration, u. S. The intelligence officials were concerned about inform bgs shared with russian operatives. For months they had been tracking communications that they felt were cause for alarm. Its a rigged system. Reporter investigators are looking into whether the Trump Campaign may have been coordinating with the russians as early as april 2016. Sources say investigators found multiple contacts considered a cause for concern. A former u. S. Government official tells cbs news, you could see the hall marcs throughout, including electronic intercepts. The fbi is execute nicing paul manafort, former policy adviser carter page and the former National Security adviser Michael Flynn. He saw his role as protecting the fbi from the white house. Benjamin wittes, a friend of former fbi director james comey told him how the president put him on the spot two days after the inauguration. He stands in a part of the room that is as far from trump as physically can be. Trump singles him out in a fashion that he rarlded as sort of, you know, calculated. Hes become more famous than me. Comey was just completed will disgusted by the episode. He thought it was an intentional attempt to compromise him in public. Five days later on january 278th at a white house dinner, the president allegedly asked comey if he would pledge his loyalty. On february 13th, flynn was forced to resign after misleading Vice President pence about his contacts with the russian ambassador. The next day President Trump spoke to combmy alone in the oval office. Comey wrote a memo detailing how he says trump indicated he wanted him to drop the federal investigation. In recent days the pressure has been on the former fbi director o make those memos public and to testify again on capitol hilling but some members of congress indicating that since the appointment o the special counsel, that may complicate efforts to bring comey back on capitol hill to answer questions again. Charlie. Thanks, jeff. President trump is fighting back against the special counsel who is taking over the rush investigation. The president said yesterday the appointment of former fbi director robert mueller, quote, hurts our country terribly. It shows a very divided country. President trump leebs today for his first foreign trip. He lands in saudi arabia and then the vatican and sicily. Margaret brennan is at the white house right now. Good morning. Reporter good morning. A sometimes chaotic press conference with colombias president , President Trump described himself as a victim of a witch hunt. There was no collusion, and everybody, even my enemies have said, there is no collusion. President trump said the appointment of special Counsel Robert Mueller who is now leading the fbi probe into russian meddling is dividing the country. I respect the move, but the entire thing has been a witch hunt and there is no collusion between certainly myself and my campaign, but i can always speak for myself and the russians. Zero. The president sharply dismissed democrats claims that he may have interfered in the investigation. I think its totally ridiculous. Everybody things so. Mr. Trump strongly denies ever rjing fbi director james comey not to pursue an investigation into former National Security adviser mr. Flynn who had mislead the white house about his contacts with russia. Did you at any time urge fbi director james comey to back down into the investigation into Michael Flynn, and also as you look back no, no, next question. Since dismissing him last week he has announced several replacements. He announced a decision is coming. Were very close. When . Soon. On capitol hill the possible nomination of former senator joe lieberman, a democrat turned indeath penalty is not expected to gain bipartisan support. I think its a mistake to hire anyone who has ever run for office. Leeb eerman has lost favor because of his, in part, 2008 public cam feign for john mccain. Hes a wonderful man, enormous prestige and affection on both sides of the aisle. Gnaw fbi director could be elected as soon as today before President Trump departs on that Big International trip. His nineday, fivestop visit begins in saudi arabia and includes a tour of the great three religions. What are the goals for this international trip, his first one . Well, this has been months in the making and it was intended to really try to reassure allies that President Trumps America First policy doesnt mean abandoning allies and that the president going to maing a big speech in saudi arabia, which the white house says is meant to unite the United States with its muslim allies against extremism, but the president will also then go on to italy and belgium where hell face some tough questions about plans to increase troop levels in afghanistan and whether hell stick with some of those International Agreements luke the Iran Nuclear Accord and the paris Climate Change agreement. And so far the president doesnt have solid answers to those questions because the policies are still being formed. Margaret, thanks. Travel safe. The Deputy Attorney general apparently knew about President Trumps plan to fire fbi director james comey before writing a memo recommending his dismissal. The senator said Rod Rosenstein opened the door. He criticized him for how he Hillary Clintons emails. Rosenstein will brief members of the house later today. Cbs news chief washington correspondent and face the nation moderator John Dickerson is with us this morning. Good morning. Good morning. So where are we on all of this. Charlie, where are we. So the president is obviously created a condition where something he created a witch hunt has bipartisan support. Robert mueller has been praised by republicans and democrats. The president and his team are trying to get back to what they should be talking about which is his domestic agenda, and hes about to take this big foreign trip which theyve spent a lot of time working on and gives him the opportunity to put himself on the world stage and put forth his agenda at the world. Were going to see three investigations at the same time. Thats correct. They all want a piece of this. They want to talk to james comey, they want to see his memos, there are more than one, and hear from him. And youll have the special counsel who will always be out there bouncing new revelations but also the president has this narrative or these conversations he had with comey, which are different and separate and a different problem. And are there tapes. Are there tapes and did he know what he was doing. If its true from the papers that director comey kept telling him, looking we shouldnt be having these conversations and yet he persisted, then that gets you into a condition where the president is knowingly doing something rare than just being an inexperienced guy who doesnt know the par tick laters of the way hes supposed to be made. Theres the rosenstein memo. Right. He said this is why the president has made his decision. Now we learn the president was going to do this anyway. The reason thats a problem is not only its a ragged story, exactly why did you do this, mr. President , but it also puts rosenstein on the hook little bit. His reputation was referred to several times explaining why this really had nothing to do with politic because hes supported by republicans and democrats but then when it looks like the letter was a cover for another reason why comey was fired, that goes to that. What are you hearing about supporters about how they feel about the job hes doing. His supporters feel like hes doing a great job, that hes in there swinging and fighting for thechlt them. What about the challenges . They see the challenges as more of a swamp hes trying to fight through. They hear him when he says, look, ive got this deal with china to buy beef. They think the press is against him. The reason its important is its a feedback mechanism. The president hears this and says these are the people who support me, they got me into office, if theyre okay with me, i can continue doing what im doing. On the other hand we keep hearing in the white house there will be a staff shakeup, there will be a staff shake up. And then you hear its overblown. In other administrations when they say they your overblown, theyre shaken up 20 minutes before. I suspect somethings going. I never think the word is good when you hear embattled in front of your name. Thank you, john. You can see john on sunday. He talks with dianne feinstein, Senate Member of the judiciary and Anthony Salvanto has our nation tracker poll. The man who drove his car into sometimes square is facing charges. One count of vehicular homicide and 20 counts of attempted murder. He smashed into a crowd killing a teenager. Police said he was going south on seventh avenue, made an abrupt uturn and jumped can curb. He drove down the sidewalk for three blocks. Jericka duncan is where he finally came to a stop. Good morning. Reporter good morning. You can see where this car has been removed. Witnesses say this car was barreling down the sidewalk like a bowling ball striking several people in its path. He only came to a stop because of the barrels behind me. Part of the rampage was captured on video. After mowing down 23 people the car then crashed into barricades meant to stop runaway vehicles. The girl next to me is on the ground clearly dead. Reporter Alyssa Elsman visiting from michigan was killed. Her sister was also hit but survived. The alleged driver, richard rojas, tried to flee the scene. Bystanders helped capture him. They said, get him. He got away from three of them and i tackled him. Reporter investigators do not believe it was an act of terrorism. That being said were reinforcing kilo indications around the city with our antitaur rohr units of the nypd. Reporter rojas, a u. S. Sit extend, has had prior runins with the police. Earlier this month he was arrested for menacing. In 2008 he was arrested in queens for drinking and driving and in 2015 he was arrested for drinking and describing. Reporter rojas served in the u. S. Navy from september 2011 to may 2014. In 2013 he spend two months in a navy prison after being courtmartialed. Police sources tell our new york station wcbs that rojas made some rambling statements after being arrested and seemed emotionally disturbed. Now, he did pass a breathalyzer test but other initial tests came up positive for marijuana. Gayle . Thank you very much, jericka. Fox news Founder Robert ales presiddited with helping this summer marks 20 years since the shocking murder of Gianni Versace. Ahead on 48 hours a look at the man who killed the icon and his lingering mysteries. Youre watching cbs this morning. Before fibromyalgia, i was a doer. I was active. Then the chronic, widespread pain drained my energy. My doctor said moving more helps ease fibromyalgia pain. She also prescribed lyrica. Fibromyalgia is thought to be the result of overactive nerves. Lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. Woman for some, lyrica can significantly relieve fibromyalgia pain and improve function, so i feel better. 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