thank you very much, joshua geltzer, thomas dupree.ou. >> thank you. >> woodruff: in the day's other news, army lieutenannel alexander vindman will not be investigated over his imachment testimony agains president trump. secretary of the army ryan mccarthyismissed the idea today. vindman had alady lost his job with the national security council-- president umhad ggested that he might also face disciplinary action. there is word that the u.s. and the taban have agreed on a precursor to a possible peacean deal in aftan. a senior american official said today it callsor a one-week reduction in violence. all-afghan peace talks would follow, and ultimately, withdrawals of foreign troops. we will take a closer look, after the news summary. in syriaturkish-backed rebels shot down a syrian helicopter today near aleppo, in the country's northwest. it happened as government rces are pressing an ofnsive. the violence has created a new wave of refugees-- more than 800,000 since december. many are living in makeshift camps, enduring sub-zero conditi

thomas dupree who worked during the george w.administration he's now an attorney in private practice. and mr. geltzer whove sin obama whoice and now runs a l advocacy institute at georgetown university. we welcome you to the newshour. so many moving parts. i hardly nowhere to become. let me begin thomas dupree with what the president tweeted today which is sense erblely that -- essentially that he has the right to enter sflee a criminal case. -- intervene in a criminal case. is this something that this has been de before? >> in a nutshell no. it's not something that is regularly de. i'll s this, look, the president as a constitutional matter is right. he heads the executive hranch and the power to do it. however, there is a very well m established nat governs the justice department where i serve where presidents understand that they can't be seen as politicizing t justice department and allowing prosecutorial decisions be determined by partisan decisions. that's whye the presidents h respected the independence of the department o