all of them friends and neighbors tell us what happened why it was brian. a stranger to field. reporter wanting to know. things did every news coming along from berlin a controversial us memo lodging the f.b.i. acted in a partisan manner. u.s. president donald trump approves its release despite objections from senior f.b.i. officials. we'll take you to washington for the showdown between america's

president and its intelligence community plus a warning from germany's chancellor as she has a fresh coalition talks i'm glad meryl says there are still major differences between cross party and potential partners the social democrats that's next week's deadline for for any of government drawls close to find out what germans think of this protracted political horrible goes it's going to go. to the same courtroom drama at a sentencing hearing for disgraced u.s. doctor larry nasser in just watch the father of three of his victims being tackled after he launched at the former gymnastics doctor who abused his daughters. and sarah harmon welcome to the show it's good to have you with us and the united states are. controversial memo critical of the f.b.i.

and the justice department has been released and speaking at the white house u.s. president donald trump confirmed the document had been declassified it alleges the f.b.i. used bad evidence when it applied for a fine as a warrant to buy on a member of the trump campaign during the twenty sixteen election the memo was created by republicans in the house of representatives and it was based on classified information the justice department and the f.b.i. both lobbied unsuccessfully to block the release of this memo. and trump has been speaking more about the memo here's what he had said i think it's terrible you want to know the truth i think it's a disgrace what's going on in this country i think it's a disgrace the memo was sent to congress it was declassified congress will do whatever they're going to do but i think it's a disgrace what's happening in our country and when you look at that and you see that and so many other things what's going on. a lot of people should be ashamed of

themselves and much worse than that. are over more on this i'm joined now by ron haas go in our washington studio he's a former assistant director at the f.b.i. had a thirty year career with the bureau and retired in two thousand and fourteen mr haas go thanks for being with us earlier james conway the former f.b.i. director called this memo dishonest and misleading is it. well look we're talking about a three eighty three and a half page memo that presumes to describe deficiencies in phase a process that probably has much more below the surface than what we're seeing in these three pages my understanding is the f.b.i. was looking at from a counterintelligence perspective quarter page for several years for his intersections and relationships with russians that perhaps at some point he was

warned about those caution about that those relationships persisted and my supposition would be that the f.b.i. knew much much more and included it in the pfizer request and the renewals that is depicted by this three page memo and so you're saying there's more going on here than meets the eye based on this memo is it a bombshell that the f.b.i. acted improperly are you convinced. well i think there's much more going on here in fact when the f.b.i. goes before a phase a judge to renu it's over here or it's over his it's review authority. they have to make the case that they got something substantial in the previous period the previous ninety day period that's all omitted from this three page summary we already have the democrats who are surprisingly in support of the

f.b.i. usually it's the other way around yet we already have reports from the democrats that this is cherry picked information that it's false and it's inaccurate so i'd be interested to see what the democrats have to say the difficult part here is for the f.b.i. we're talking about classified information in a classified process so i don't think we're going to see the f.b.i. come out and rebut the these allegations point by point the proper venue for this in my mind is in a closed session of the house oversight committee the clothes or the house intelligence committee or perhaps more. a politically to the department of justice inspector general so you think there are better avenues for this why is it then being trotted out to us the media what's going on here. politics american style is going on we are in a hyper politicized environment we have a president who desperately wants bob muller's investigation to be

discontinued we have an ongoing series of i think threats and finger pointing from the white house toward the attorney general toward rod rosenstein toward the f.b.i. toward anything that would be real the moeller investigation you know my question would be why. what what is muller likely to find what is he perhaps already found and i think this is politics american style. everyone wants to know what muller is going to find what he has already found but you actually know muller he appointed you to your position you've worked together for many years do you have faith in his ability to carry out a nonpartisan investigation into trump's times to russia. you know i do in my experience with the f.b.i. in those thirty years particularly at the highest reaches of the f.b.i. as of assistant director we were not driven by politics we were driven by the facts

in the wall i was never asked my party affiliation who i voted for in election i never would ask that of somebody that was looking to be promoted in my in the criminal investigative division never came up in discussions about cases. and i never had that experience with bob period i think he's probably a republican i've been told christopher ray is that rosa stein is but i don't know that the f.b.i. his work is about the facts in the law and politics should never have a role in it i suspect strongly that bob mueller certainly appreciates that and is driving his investigation forward in a political manner knowing that that evidence that he finds if he brings charges will be exposed to the light of day in a court sitting over here in europe and certainly looks very strange to see the president at odds with his own intelligence organizations you've got three decades

of experience in the f.b.i. have you ever seen anything like this. i never have it's it is really very disappointing we said some of that before he was president when he was the president elect and my belief was that once he takes that office they become his intelligence organisations. and that he would start to join forces with them but we still see him chipping away at the suppositions at the findings at the process of the intelligence agencies it is very very disconcerting i'm sure it's disconcerting to that work for certainly the f.b.i. now but those are dedicated professionals they are patriots they will put their head down and go do their job the best they can day in day out that part gives me faith and confidence live that's ron hostile he's a former assistant director at the f.b.i. he had a thirty year career with the bureau thanks for being with us today. my pleasure.

look now at some of the other stories that are making news around the world the united nations says around nine hundred people have drowned off the coast of libya after the boat they were traveling in capsized three survivors said most of those on board were pakistani more than two hundred fifty people have died in the last month alone trying to cross the mediterranean mostly heading for italy. floating along the river in northwest argentina has caused some ten thousand local residents to flee their homes the cocoa mio river started floating on thursday after unusually heavy rain officials said the river rose six meters overnight it's expected to continue rising over the coming days residents have been taken to nearby shelters. russia has been marking the seventy fifth anniversary of the red army's victory at stalingrad a military parade was held in the city which is now known as volgograd the battle

between the soviet union and nazi germany is considered to be a turning point in world war two. germany's chancellor has warned there are still major differences between her conservatives and her potential coalition partners the social democrats five months after elections jury still has no new government and germans themselves seem tired of the political wrangling the two parties return to formal coalition talks this weekend as a new poll released today indicates many germans doubt whether uncle medical's hope for grand coalition will actually ever happen even if it does the poll showed less than half the country would support it. on embers are even worse of the social democrats term a center left party is looking at its lowest ever approval ratings. germany social democrats need to regroup there's still the second largest party in parliament but their standing has been flagging since the party's poor election

results last september. the latest polls suggest if people voted now chancellor angela merkel's conservatives would score thirty three percent of the vote far ahead of the s.p.d. which would get only eighteen percent and that's just four points ahead of the far right alternative for germany party which would score fourteen percent the business friendly f.t.p. would score ten percent the greens on the left party eleven percent each the center left s.p.d.m. recently agreed to formal talks with chancellor merkel's conservatives with the aim of forming another grand coalition public opinion on the prospect is mixed and for this means a standstill nothing will get done it's a lame compromise thing for i think it's crucial for germany that the two parties unite said where i was hoping for a different result less than half of those polled forty six percent approve of

a grand coalition government fifty two percent disagree but just over half still think chancellor merkel should keep her job fifty one percent of german surveyed felt good or very good about the chancellor remaining at the helm while forty six percent had a less favorable opinion of her leadership as a head i would have liked to see a change but you convinced support the chancellor that we have no other choice. both parties will meet this weekend for further talks but even if they're successful in forming a coalition there's not much enthusiasm for it on the streets. olympic spirit is at beaver pitch in south korea the chuang winter games just one week away now and athletes are getting in some final practice sessions on the slopes before competition starts in a few days fans will be able to tune in as early as wednesday some of us take on before friday's opening ceremonies olympic state. there's more courtroom

drama in the sentencing hearings for describes to us have now asked x. dr larry nasser a father whose three daughters were abused by nasser long across the courtroom and what looked like a bid to attack a former doctor nasser's been sentenced to hundreds of years in prison for decades of sexual abuse a judge has said the father won't face charges for his attempted attack and more than willing to let you say something but you know courtroom we we try to we don't use for affinity but if this is true it's father faces the man who pays two three daughters is over that is due to those covered this story. to grant me five minutes but a lot of those are going to be but. i haven't yet knew that they were nervous chuckles initially no sooner accused you to everyone that. the ground zero moderates tries to take matters into his own hands the writers of.

the state you know here we go here's the letter you know we're being you know i want to thank. overpowers migrates finally gives out. this press as he's read the way he asked the question nobody would want to consider or that of your. well every year thousands of people gather from far and wide to hear his weather prediction and today feel the groundhog has given his wintery forecast. six more weeks of winter to do. that means according to the rodent prophet there is not going to be an early spring this year now phil gets hauled out from his burrow in the town of the tony in pennsylvania every february second and for the if you take half of the shadow that means winter continues it's not spring comes earlier but it's worth pointing out

this famous groundhog cute though he is is not always right he is a little always from up there so quick reminder of our headlines this hour a controversial u.s. memo alleging f.b.i. bias in the russian investigation is released publication was approved by u.s. president despite fierce objections from some senior f.b.i. officials. news you're up to date i'm sarah harmer in time for a great weekend. by dortmund show good like say good for your favorite team sleep got all the best gold we've got all the action will be.