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Week In The News: Trump’s Joint Session, Sessions And Russia, Oscars Flub

Attorney General Jeff Sessions under fire over Russia contacts.  President Trump before Congress. SpaceX and moon travel. Our weekly news round table goes behind the headlines.

Russia, back with a vengeance this week. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself from investigating Russia ties to the Trump campaign he supported. The president calls it all a witch hunt.  US intelligence has said Russia weighed in for Trump. Before Congress, a presidential call for unity.  Republicans, struggling for unity on healthcare changes. More bomb threats and desecrated Jewish cemeteries. And an Oscar blooper for the ages. This hour On Point, our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines. — Tom Ashbrook

Guests

Susan Page, Washington bureau chief for USA Today. (@SusanPage)

Jeff Pegues, Justice Department and Homeland Security Department correspondent for CBS News. Author of “Black and Blue.” (@jeffpeguescbs)

Jack Beatty, On Point news analyst. (@JackBeattyNPR)

From Tom’s Reading List

NPR News: Rubio: No Witch Hunt, But No Cover-Up On Russia — “A handful of top Republicans are calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from a federal investigation into whether Russia interfered with last year’s presidential election. The demands come after reports that Sessions spoke to Russia’s ambassador twice last year, while Sessions was working as a top adviser and surrogate for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.”

CBS News: Trump salute to SEAL widow came after criticizing generals for fatal raid — “Rarely has someone struggled so hard and so publicly to keep it together as Carryn Owens, widow of Navy SEAL Ryan Owens. For one minute and 38 seconds, one of the longest standing ovations in memory, she fought back tears and looked heavenward, apparently speaking to her late husband.”

Hollywood Reporter: Two Accountants Involved in Best Picture Mistake Won’t Work on Show Again, Academy President Says — “The president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences says the two accountants responsible for the best picture flub at Sunday’s Academy Awards will never work the Oscars again. Cheryl Boone Isaacs said Wednesday that Brian Cullinan, the PwC representative responsible for handing over the errant envelope that led to La La Land mistakenly being announced as best picture rather than Moonlight, was distracted backstage.”

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

President Trump addresses a joint session of the U.S. Congress as Vice President Mike Pence (left) and House Speaker Rep. Paul Ryan (right) (R-WI) look on on Feb. 28, 2017 in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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President Trump addresses a joint session of the U.S. Congress as Vice President Mike Pence (left) and House Speaker Rep. Paul Ryan (right) (R-WI) look on on Feb. 28, 2017 in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)