Air missile took down the plane, as is our reporting. Yeah, the u. S. Is backing that theory based on the evidence collected from satellite radar and electronic data. The u. S. Official saying two russianmade missiles were fired at the jet. We are covering this from all angles. Lets begip with our Senior International correspondent Fred Pleitgen in tehran and Clarissa Ward in kiev. Fred, what do we know . Hi, poppy. We were talking about that crash site where the iranians are now confirming they have actually taken parts of the plane, large parts of the plane away from that crash site. We were able to speak to the head of irans Civil Aviation authority and he told us those parts are being brought into a hangar where they say that International Investigators are going to be able to look at them. What the iranians say they want to do with their forensic workers is piece together as much of the plane as they can from that debris to then maybe give them a better idea of what exactly happened to the plane. You are right the iranians also telling us the bodies have been removed from that crash set as well. Those have been taken to a forensics unit for dna testing. Of course, thats usually quite a long process and always such a painful process to the loved ones of those folks as well. Weve been getting eyewitness reports from the crash site. They say its now on lockdown. Theres now Security Forces there. But they describe the scene yesterday there as anarchy. There were regular people mingling around there with the forensic seems sifting through that site as well. And the iranians continue to deny that they shot that airliner down. The head of the Civil Aviation authority gave a press conference earlier today where he said that the theory as he put it that the plane had been shot down was invalid as he put it. If it would have been shot down, the debris field there would have been a lot larger than it was. Interesting, though, in that press conference, they officially asked the u. S. Government if it has any sort of information as they put it to give it to the iranians, to give it to the investigation. Obviously the fact that American Intelligence Services are saying that they believe that the plane was shot down by probably possibly the iranian military. And finally, guys, as far as the black boxes are concerned because its a very, very important question, the iranians have showed video of them opening the black boxes. They say they and ukrainian investigators will start to try to extract data from the black boxes. One of those black boxes is damaged. And they say if they dont have the capability to download all the data from the black boxes theyll ask other countries for help, including possibly france, canada and also russia. But again, the iranians continuing to deny they shot that airliner down, guys. All families of 176 of those victims deserve answers as quickly as they can get them, fred. Thank you very much. Ukraines president said the missile theory is not ruled out as the cause of the crash but neither confirmed. Lets go to our chief International CorrespondentClarissa Ward in kiev. What are you hearing . So we are learning that president zelensky just wrapped up a call with secretary of state mike pompeo. We saw secretary of state pompeo tweeting that he had expressed his condolences to the president , that he said the u. S. Would try to help facilitate the investigation in any way possible. We also know that earlier today, the Ukrainian Foreign minister sat down with the u. S. Charge daffaires from the embassy here and that some data was shared with the ukrainians. Up until now, theres definitely been a sense of frustration from ukraines authorities who say that theyve been learning about the allegations that the plane was shot down by an Iranian Missile from media statements. And they made a plea yesterday for more information from various countries with pertinent intelligence about their investigations leading them to come to this conclusion. As you mentioned, poppy, they are being pretty tight lipped. Theyre saying they know its a possibility the plane was shot down. But they are not saying at this stage whether they believe it categorically. Theyre waiting for more information. They have 45 ukrainian investigators on the ground. Not clear what kind of access they are being given to the crash site given what you just heard from my colleague Fred Pleitgen in tehran. But one interesting note from zelenskys statement that he put out yesterday, he said the value of human life is higher than any political motives. I think that gives you a sense of the sort of skepticism that you are seeing here from the ukrainian leader that everybody has a sort of dog in this fight if you will and what the ukrainians want right now are answers, clarity as they mourn this horrific tragedy. This, of course, grimly familiar to ukraine, with mh17. Another passenger jet shot by a Russian Missile over ukrainian territory. Joining me, a former safety inspector for the faa. David, you know this well. You know that planes dont suddenly blow up in the sky for mechanical reasons here. And we also know, according to our own reporting that u. S. Intelligence, which can watch any Missile Launch around the world says this was a missile strike. Based on what youve seen, and granted thats limited, what strikes you . I dont think theres any question at my find at this point, even if it was a catastrophic engine failure. Initially i saw some evidence of that with the photos, but even with that, the engine failure doesnt typically, even if its uncontained, bring the aircraft down to the ground. So i dont see any other explanation for at this point, jim. So another question here is this. Planes were taking off and landing from that airport there in the midst of military action, right . And this question was raised during mh17. Of course, flights in europe were flying over an active war zone there. Do you think airlines in retrospect should have made their own decision to fly . Should that airport have been closed in this time, and were there safety failures there . Well, we have a lot of discussions after this with the United Nations branch of the aviation organization. And they said they were going to put out a website where people would share this information with the flying public. To date, im not aware of how to access that, where to get it. But at the point, with this particular incident, why was it not . The u. S. Restricted all u. S. Air carriers from flying over those areas but the responsibility and the acceptance of that risk lies with the air carrier itself. And so that decision was made by the ukrainian airline. So iran now seems to be playing something of a double game. On the one hand publicly calling it a lie that an Iranian Missile took this down, despite the evidence, but on the other hand, notable theyve invited the ntsb in and ukrainian and swedish investigators. A lot of swedish nationals on the flight. And boeing as well. That would seem to indicate, youll have an International Investigation here. Makes it much harder, virtually um possible for iran to deny the evidence, if its confirmed on the ground. Yeah, its irresponsible to make this accusation that its a lie at this point. No one is saying that it isnt. No one is saying that it is. And so with an investigation, jim, you have to give it time. You have to let, as we said, the most important thing first is given the respect and handling the bodies and the victims of this accident. The most due respect that we can and get those bodies out and taken care of, which they have done. Its difficult. This site is huge. Its enormous. Trying to control a site like that is very difficult, at best. And you need the site to be pristine. This was an issue with mh17. Russian forces, journalists, locals walking across the site at the time. And the question becomes, do you preserve evidence as to what brought it down . Now were hearing today that iran has taken pieces of the wreckage away. How and youve seen pictures, i imagine, of the site with people walking all over the place there. How concerning is that in terms of keeping the investigation solid . Well, i dont think ive ever done an accident investigation or been on site when it wasnt anarchy. When it wasnt just as many people trying to help with good intentions. And the difficult thing again is when people are emotional and upset and heightened like they are on any accident site and the things they see, each piece of evidence, each piece of debris that you see is emotional, its difficult to address. It takes a very special kind of person to remove themselves from that and to secure that site. So thats what theyre going through right now. So ive made decisions before to take debris and pieces off the site as long as theyre well documented as to where they were, their position. In todays world you can almost do a 3d representation of it. If theyre doing that. I hope they can and they are. At that point, its safe to take it off and put it into a secure site for examination at a more detailed level. The question is are their folks with bad intentions that want to hide pieces of a missile, et cetera, something well have to stay on top of. David, thank you so much. Thank you. Still to come how soon is soon . Thats when House Speaker nancy pelosi says shell be sending over the articles of impeachment to the senate. Is she prepared for a senate trial without witnesses . And huge protests this morning in iraq as were learning iraqis iraqs Prime Minister asked secretary of state mike pompeo to come up with a plan for u. S. Troop withdrawal. Plus, 2020 hopeful Pete Buttigieg picks up his first endorsement from an africanamerican member of congress. I will speak or poppy will speak to that congressman just ahead. Why he thinks mayor pete is just the person to defeat trump. Of es like. The relaxing feeling of knowing youre getting the best price. Thesell work. The utter delight of free wifi. Oh man this is the best part. Isnt that you . Yeah. And the magic power of unlocking your room with your phone. I can read minds too. Really . Book at hilton. Com. If you find a lower rate, we match it and give you 25 off that stay. Expect better. Expect hilton. A war powers resolution seeking to limit President Trumps ability to wage war against iran is in the hands of the senate. Impeachment articles, however, are not. The house passed a resolution thursday limiting the president s military options against iran. Now we wait to see if House Speaker nancy pelosi will finally send over the articles of impeachment to the senate. She promised yesterday it would be soon. But its been really tightlipped about her plans as some pressure is growing internally, especially among democrats in the senate. With us now, jeff zeleny and legal analyst ross garber who teaches impeachment law at tulane. Also was defense counsel for four governors in impeachment proceedings. Jeff, let me begin with you. We were counting on the calendar. Its been 24 days since the house passed the articles of impeachment against the president. Pelosi says soon. How soon is soon . Is that like at 10 00 a. M. . Poppy, good morning. I dont think at 10 00 a. M. , but soon means soon, and only Speaker Pelosi knows exactly what that means. We have talked to so many people around her. So many of the chairmen who work under her. They all say one thing. We dont know she knows. Theres no question that were on the cusp of this happening. We should point out this is not going to be an immediate process. The immediate she says shes sending impeachment articles over. Something still has to happen in the house. The house still has to vote on managers. Were several days away at least from a trial beginning in the senate. But we are certainly on the verge of this happening. She is hearing pressure from many democrats, and shes also at the end of the line in terms of what shes likely to get from Mitch Mcconnell. So when you say 24 days, it has been quite a while. Christmas has been in there. New years has been in there. Shes gotten some. Shes pressured the Senate Majority leader some but no question she is not going to budge on this. This will happen likely by the weekend, certainly by the beginning of next week. By this time next week it would be hard to imagine the trial not already being under way. All right, ross, given that timeline, and we know Senate Majority leader Mitch Mcconnell is backing a resolution to dismiss the articles immediately. If those articles are sent over today, perhaps the beginning of next week, is that still a serious effort to dismiss the articles . Yeah, no. And as you are referring to this resolution initially proposed by senator holley from missouri, essentially would put a deadline on how long the house has to transmit the articles. If they didnt transmit the articles in that deadline, then the senate could vote on whether to just dismiss them. Deem them submitted and then vote on whether to dismiss them. I think that is very unlikely to realistically be in play. In part because of what jeff said. The notion that the speaker is going to hold these articles for very long is very unlikely. Ross, not for nothing. I think you floated this idea the day after the house passed the articles on this show. Maybe they were watching. I think yeah, on this show because the question was, well, is there anything that the senate could do to force the issue given that there are impeachment rules in place and that under the senates rules, nothing happens until the house transmits the articles . Yeah, i suggested that the one thing the senate could do is set a deadline. And i think it would be constitutional for them to do that. Thats why you have to watch this show. People predict the future correctly. Lots of reasons. Jeff zeleny, tell me where the question of witnesses stands based on your read, private conversations with aides on the hill and public statements from a small handful of republicans saying theyre open to that. We had a very loyal trump supporter on this program yesterday say that he was not ruling out the possibility of voting for witnesses. Most of the republican senators ive spoken to this week arent ruling it out, but theyre also not saying yes, there absolutely should be witnesses. I will not go forward without having john bolton subpoenaed. So, look, i think theres no question that senator mcconnell has been very successful as he always is in controlling and corralling his senators. The question of there being witnesses is still one that is lingering, and he has said that in the further stages of the trial, it is still possible that there would be witnesses. So if it were to happen, it is almost impossible for me to fathom that it be anything beyond a deposition on a videotape or something as was the case in the clinton impeachment trial. Were not going to see john bolton at the center of the Senate Chamber raising his hand and talking here under oath. Its not that kind of made for television moment. So well see if he ends up testifying or others do at all. But its unlikely that senator mcconnell is going to give any more on witnesses. Democrats are not going to get what they want on this case. But that, poppy, its still if bolton were to provide even written testimony stating that the president ordered this, right, that would be no small thing. As you point out, i just want to remind people again, bolton could do that like yesterday. I mean, he could tell the American People what he knows without a subpoena, without having to testify. Ross, lets move on to the war powers resolution that passed in the house and you know, nancy pelosi was asked in that presser yesterday essentially why are you doing this . It doesnt really have any teeth. She said, yes, it does have teeth. What that reporter was getting to is this was a concurrent bill. It doesnt go to the president s desk. It isnt legally binding. Whats the point of it . The Supreme Court has said the concurrent resolutions, unless they are passed as a joint resolution and go to the president , the president can veto them, they dont have the power of law. But nevertheless, it is a strong statement by at least some in congress that they want to see the president handle his war powers differently. And so, yes, it is true. It wont, as a technical, legal matter, tie the president s hands, but, you know, congress has a bully pulpit, too. Its something were talking about on your show. Its something that the speaker will talk about. And as a practical matter, that can actually have an influence on the president and his team. Okay. Ross garber, thank you. Jeff zeleny, thanks for coming on, jeff. We never get you. Youre always prime time so thanks for coming on. Any time. We appreciate it. So for boeing, that company in another difficult position as it releases a flood of employee emails criticizing the design and the safety of that 737 max jet. Wait until you see what these emails actually said. Look, this isnt my first rodeo. And let me tell you something, i wouldnt be here if i thought reverse mortgages took advantage of any american senior, or worse, that it was some way to take your home. Its just a loan designed for older homeowners, and, its helped over a million americans. A reverse Mortgage Loan isnt some kind of trick to take your home. Its a loan, like any other. Big difference is how you pay it back. Find out how reverse mortgages really work with aags free, noobligation reverse mortgage guide. Eliminate monthly mortgage payments, pay bills, medical costs, and more. Call now and get your free info kit. Other mortgages are paid each month, but with a reverse mortgage, you can pay whatever you can, when it works for you, or, you can wait, and pay it off in one lump sum when you leave your home. Discover the option thats best for you. Call today and find out more in aags free, noobligation reverse Mortgage Loan guide. Access taxfree cash and stay in the home you love. Youve probably been investing in your home for years. Making monthly mortgage payments. Doing the right thing. And its become your familys heart and soul. Well, that investment can give you taxfree cash just when you need it. Learn how homeowners are strategically using a reverse Mortgage Loan to cover expenses, pay for healthcare, preserve your portfolio, and so much more. Look, reverse mortgages arent for everyone but i think ive been round long enough to know whats what. Im proud to be a part of aag, i trust em, i think you can too. Trust aag for the best reverse mortgage solutions. So you can. Retire better. Wthats why xfinity hasu made taking your internetself. And tv with you a breeze. Really . Yup. You can transfer your Service Online in about a minute. You can do that . Yeah. And with twohour Service Appointment windows, its all on your schedule. Awesome. So while moving may still come with its share of headaches. No kidding. Were doing all we can to make moving simple, easy, awesome. Go to xfinity. Com moving to get started. With Td Ameritrade tools, and help from pros. Its almost like youre training me to become an even smarter, stronger investor. Exactly. rocky theme music fiftysix straight, come on thats it, left trade right trade. Come on another trade, i want to see it more 80sstyle training montage . Yeah. Happens all the time. New really disturbing emails show boeing employees mocking the faa certification process and expressing doubts about the nowgrounded 737 max jets ability to fly safely. These are disturbing messages. In one, an employee described the plane as designed by clowns who are in turn supervised by monkeys. Last march, the jets were grounded worldwide after not one, but two crashes that claimed a total of 346 lives. Cnns Cristina Alesci joins us. These are truly alarming emails. Whats interesting, not only do they talk about playing the faa, but they also take shots at the very design of this plane. Thats right, jim. These messages tell us that some employees were troubled about what they were asked to tell regulators before the crashes. One employee in may 2018 wrote, i really would struggle to defend the simulator in front of the faa next week. Yes, i still havent been forgiven by god for the covering up i did last year, replied a colleague, referring to some other event that involved the agency. In another message, an employee asked, would you put your family on a max simulator trained aircraft . I wouldnt. Another employee responding, no. These messages are certainly another stain on boeings reputation. And they call the companys culture into question. But its important to note that the boeing chief regulator, the faa, had already seen the documents before they were released publicly, and the faa said it didnt find anything in the documents that indicated new safety risks. Ones that werent already identified. The 737 max, however, is still grounded. The company is working with regulators to get it back in the air which is Mission Critical at this point, jim. Goodness to have boeing employees say they wouldnt put their own families on that plane. I just dont see how you recover from that. How does boeing recover . Enormous Financial Resources invested in this plane. And is it possible the 737 max does not come back into service . Well, that is possible. But the company has already said its expected to get certification this year. Its going to take some time and a lot of work for the company to get back on track. They knew this would look really bad. The Company Issued a statement saying these communications do not reflect the company. We are and need to be. They are completely unacceptable and we regret the content of these communications, apologize to the federal aviation administration, congress and our Airline Customers and to the flying public for them. Still, boeing will have to do a lot more than just say the right things. It will have to show the public, congress and regulators that it is putting safety first. Jim . Absolutely. Theyve dug an enormous hole here. Cristina alesci, thanks for covering the story. This morning, the december jobs report shows the u. S. Economy added 145,000 jobs. Unemployment rate holding steady. Christine romans is here. Its a solid number but questions on manufacturing. Absolutely. I would call this another powerful year for the american job machine. 2. 1 million jobs overall. Maybe a little bit of weakness heading into the end of the year, but overall another strong year. 2. 1 million net new jobs in the year. Look at that chart carefully. 2018, tax cuts probably fueled some jobs gains there. But this year, if you guys could forward to the total jobs added. Next one. Whatever. The next one, the annual number shows you that this is basically kind of like what weve seen over the past ten years or so. Certainly not as strong as 2014, 2015. 2. 1 million net new jobs added here. The Unemployment Rate 3. 5 . Thats pretty low. The lowest since 1969 but youre not seeing the wages come in. 2. 9 wage growth at the end of the year. Where is the hiring . Retail, health care. Almost 400,000 health care jobs. Id caution all politicians talking about remaking, fixing or meddling in the Health Care System to know this is onefifth of the American Economy and a steady job creator. Manufacturing is still a problem there. 12,000 jobs lost at the end of the year for manufacturing. Romans, is this a record for the dow . Almost. Youll be there, if it closes above here, it would be a record. 956 is the record. Only 40 points away from 29,000 for the dow jones average. So this is america inc. Strong jobs growth. Record high in stocks. But the wage growth isnt there and working americans, i wonder if this will be a Big Conversation here in 2020. You have 53 million americans who make on average 18,000 a year. These are teenagers. These are people in prime working years only making 18,000 a year. As you often point out, only half of americans have a penny in the stock market. That does not mean something for everyone. Is america inc the same as the working american inc . Not sure. Appreciate it very much. Coming up we have more news this hour. Iraqi leaders want american leaders to help them figure out a way to withdraw u. S. Troops from iraq. Is that serious . Well ask a lawmaker about that and more coming up. This rounds on me. Hey, can you spot me . Come on in. Find your place today, with silversneakers. Included in most Medicare Advantage plans. Enroll today by calling the number on your screen or visit getsilversneakers. Com as of 12pm today, i am debt free a big question right now will the United States send a delegation to iraq to plan the withdrawal of american troops . Hours ago, iraqs Prime Minister asked the secretary of state to do just that. With me now is democratic congressman Anthony Brown of maryland. He serves on the Armed Services committee. Hes a veteran of the iraq war. Served some 30 years. Earned a bronze star. Thank you for being here and for your service to this country. Great to be on with you this morning. Youve also given a major endorsement to mayor buttigieg in the 2020 election. Lets start with iran and iraq given this news. Well hear from mike pompeo in just about an hours time. Given this request from iraqs Prime Minister, a u. S. Ally, to withdraw, to send a team over to plan a withdrawal . What should the secretary of state do . Well, first of all, the United States has to respect the sovereign wishes of the iraqis. But i think its important to have a robust conversation about whether or not this is the appropriate time to withdraw u. S. Forces from iraq. Remember, our forces are there to help iraq stabilize its governance, to establish civil society, to safeguard its communities, as well as the National Security interests of the United States and our allies and partners. Im not sure were quite there yet. I think iraq is very much an unstable, if not almost failing government. So i would hope in these conversations, yes, we respect the sovereignty of the Iraqi Government and people but press upon them the importance of our partnership and our presence. You dont want to pull out right now, it sounds like. Not now. Obviously, i want to get to a point as do most americans, where the United States no longer needs to be president in iraq and afghanistan, in syria. I dont think were there today when it comes to iraq. But we need to move in that direction, and the decisions of late, for particularly last weeks decision to assassinate general soleimani, that doesnt help move us in the right direction. In fact, it hurts the relationship with iraq and only precipitates their decision, their demand to ask us to leave when it may not be the right time to do so. The president last night said im going to play what he said about why soleimani was taken out and follow that by the secretary of state saying something that seems to conflict with the president also last night. Here they are both. We did it because they were looking to blow up our embassy. Soleimani was actively pl planning new attacks and he was looking very seriously at our embassies and not just the embassy in baghdad. There is no doubt that there were a series of imminent attacks that were being plotted by qassem soleimani. We dont know precisely when, and we dont know precisely where, but it was real. Secretary of state says they dont know precisely when or where. The president was precise in his comments. Who should the American People believe . You were at the pompeo briefing. The Information Secretary pompeo just delivered as you presented, just a second ago, is the information that members of congress got. They were very they lacked specifics in terms of time and manner and location of these imminent threats that left a lot of members of congress disappointed. And the president s comments last night were really like out of left field. Wed never heard of that information during any briefings, either classified or unclassified. So once again, the president calls into question the credibility of himself and his administration. So congressman, you are the first africanamerican member of congress to endorse mayor buttigieg in the 2020 race for the white house. Not only an endorsement. Youll serve as the cochair of his campaign. You did not come to this decision lightly. You spent two days with him, full days in iowa. Spent a lot of time talking to him and assessing him as a man and him as a potential president. The polling shows how much he has consistently struggled with africanamerican voters. Why did you back him, and why do you think he is still struggling to get the support of many africanamericans . I think Pete Buttigieg would make an extraordinary commander in chief. Hes got a very clear vision of the need for the United States to provide global leadership. He understands that the use of our military should be a last resort and that we need to invest more in the diplomatic corps, our Development Capabilities around the world to bring peace and stability around the world, which is only in the interests of the United States. His service in afghanistan gives him a personal experience to what it means to send men and women in harms way. So first of all, i think hell make a great commander in chief. Also, i credit his eight years of experience as a mayor. I served as Lieutenant Governor in maryland with a governor who served as a mayor. And i understand and have seen firsthand how that experience translates into good judgment, good decisions. The ability to bring people together to address difficult issues, whether its housing, criminal justice, infrastructure investments. So i think that pete has the experience to serve us both at home and abroad. Im very excited about his candidacy, and i look forward to working hard for him. I think youll remember this moment in november when what was released were the findings of basically an internal study or focus group of black voters in South Carolina. It was commissioned by the buttigieg campaign, and it found that his sexual orientation, him being gay, is a reason why he has struggled especially with older africanamerican voters. Then dana bash asked House Majority whip jim clyburn about that and if he agrees thats one of the reasons why he struggled in that area. Listen to what he said. Are you saying for older africanamericans, it is an issue . Yes, it is. No question about that. Im not going to sit here and tell you otherwise because i think Everybody Knows thats an issue. But im saying its an issue, not the way it used to be. He noted his own grandson not only supports buttigieg but is working and volunteering with them. But is he right . Is that an issue for the mayor . Look, i think the characteristics and of who we are as a people, whether its sexual orientation, whether its gender identity, race, quite frankly, whether its geography, are going to influence how people perceive us and whether or not they accept us or not. I think what i have noticed with mayor Pete Buttigieg is as people get to know not just him as a person but perhaps even more importantly his position, his record, his vision for a stronger, better america, how we pick up the pieces after this failed trump administration, people are going to respond favorably. Look at the beginning of 2019, in every community, Pete Buttigieg was registering near zero percent support. At the end of 2019, where his campaign, where people have gotten to know him, hes done exceedingly well. I just looked up some polling from yesterday. In South Carolina hes about 4 . Its up two points for him among black voters but still not where i know the team wants it to be. I ask you this because hes done a lot. Hes spoken at predominantly black churches, met with black theologians and gone on the Breakfast Club multiple times. Do you think as you become cochair its time for the campaign to think beyond the typical ways to court the africanamerican vote . Yeah, look, these are the challenges and opportunities that every campaign is presented with. How do you connect to voters, meet them where they are, and whether its traditionally in an africanamerican church, on social media, door to door, on tv, these are all the ways in which this campaign and every campaign is challenged with meeting voters. What ive seen with Pete Buttigieg is as he meets those voters where they are, they listen to his message about all of us being in it together, rebuilding america, investing in education, infrastructure. He rolled out an infrastructure plan today. Hes got a plan to empower the africanamerican and uplift communities of color. I think were going to see the numbers move in a very positive direction for Pete Buttigieg. Well see where they go. Its nice to have you on. Thank you for your time. And again, for your service to this country. Thanks, poppy. Great to have him on the air. No question. President trump repeatedly says the Justice Department should investigate Hillary Clinton. Well, they did. Now its over. What did they find . Well tell you. I recently spoke to a group of students about being a scientist at 3m. I wanted them to know that innovation is not just about that one aha moment. Science is a process. It takes time, dedication. Its a journey. Were constantly asking ourselves, how can we do things better and better . what we make has to work. We strive to protect you. At 3m, were in pursuit of solutions that make peoples lives better. The Justice Departments review of Hillary Clintons business dealings, of course, review championed for years by President Trump and allies, is winding down. Yeah, and they didnt find much. Officials say they could not find enough evidence to warrant a criminal investigation. Cnns Jessica Schneider following this. The president talked about this, media, et cetera. But not enough evidence, does that mean no evidence . It means not enough evidence to open a criminal investigation this is not formally over, but really it is effectively closed. And this really has been a long and drawn out investigation. You know, it was back in november 2017, when then attorney general Jeff Sessions appointed the u. S. Attorney in utah john huber to look into business dealings of ties between Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation and really there were two main allegations here, first of all, that donors to the Clinton Foundation had perhaps received special treatment from Hillary Clinton who was secretary of state at the time, and then also these claims regarding uranium one. In particular, that Hillary Clinton had helped the Russian Atomic Energy agency acquire uranium one that this agency had also donated to the Clinton Foundation. But really after these two plus years of probes and reviewing this, no evidence to open this criminal investigation has been found. That didnt stop the president from repeatedly mentioning it. It is not officially closed. They couldnt find any evidence. Is that unusual to kind of keep it punitively open there and is that a political decision or a legal decision . It may be. This may be some of the early stages of not officially closing it yet, but this has been something that had been looked into before the u. S. Attorney aout in utah had been appointed to look in this. So hes been reviewing the evidence that already had been gathered, talking to federal Law Enforcement officials, also reviewing documents and what we learned is that not enough has been gleaned here. As you mentioned, this effectively shuts down the president s arguments of lock her up. This also effectively shuts down republicans who cried foul as to any business dealings that dealt with the Clinton Foundation and Hillary Clinton, secretary of state, but, of course, the president has now turned his focus to another u. S. Attorney out of connecticut, john durham, and his probes as to the origins of the fbi investigation. And joe biden who happens to be the current candidate against the president. Jessica schneider, thank you very much. Poppy, back to you. Switching gears here this is captivating a lot of people, the royal drama taking a new turn. It seems prince harry directly defied the queen, his grandmother queen elizabeth, when he made that stunning announcement about stepping back with Meghan Markle from royal life. Ok at all this ink it comes with. Big ink tanks. Lots of ink. No more cartridges. Incredible amount of ink. The epson ecotank. Just fill and chill. 1917 is the winner of the golwe need to keep moving ctor. And best picture. Experience 1917. Overseas we learn now that prince harry actually defied the queens wishes by releasing his surprising announcement that he and duchess meghan will step back from their royal duties. Now the queen is apparently meeting with officials and other senior royals to find, quote, workable solutions. Lets go to our royal correspondent max foster who joins us now with more on this. If you thought it couldnt get more dramatic, it did overnight. What are you learning about the timing of this announcement, who was listened to and not . Reporter well, the queen basically said she was upset to her team and we now know she was upset because she asked prince harry not to go ahead and publish this statement the other day and publish the website as well and he went ahead with it anyway. So there say real tension here, a red line in this country, you dont upset the queen. The Prime Minister learned that in recent months. But whats interesting about what you were just saying about the teams trying to find a workable solution is thats really punchy statement when you think about it, because we have a full sense on this website about how the sussexes see their future role and you have charles, william and the queen saying we want a workable solution, ie, that is not a workable solution, this is not going to work. So now theyre locked into negotiations to try to find a way forward. Yeah, yeah, clearly. Youre very good at reading the tea leaves and reading through the lines of the few words that the palace conveys. Before you go, Prince Charles, do you have any sense of how hes taking the news . Reporter deeply disappointed, also upset. It is his son and hes let down the family. It is a difficult situation. Prince charles, according to the sussexes, provides 95 of their income from his private income from a private estate. And they want to keep that. The issue here is, it is very clear that none of this has been agreed, so Prince Charles could easily pull that money. Well wait to hear what happens. The palace says they want all this wrapped up by the beginning of next week. It could be pretty explosive next week, particularly if the sussexes dont agree to compromise. Yeah, feels like you are seeing some story lines stolen out of Downton Abbey here. Max foster, stay on top of the story, thank you very much. It is the top of the hour. A big hour ahead. Good morning, everyone. Im poppy harlow. Im jim sciutto. Minutes from now, well hear from secretary of state mike pompeo and steve mnuchin, live from the white house. This coming just hours after President Trump told us to expect new sanctions on iran. There are enormous sanctions on iran already, unclear how they ratchet those up. They could also talk about pompeos conversation with iraqs Prime Minister who asked pompeo directly to start planning a safe withdrawal of u. S. Troops from iraq. Not clear how serious that is. Pompeo promised to follow up on that request. State Department Says this morning they would rather focus on the Strategic Partnership going forward, continuing. Meantime, those protests are continuing, look at that, those are the streets of baghdad this morning, where months long demonstrations against the government are gaining new traction as tension rises. Their demands an end to all outside influence on their country, they want sovereignty, including the very Strong Influence within iraq from iran and the United States. The senate will now take up that war powers resolution that would limit potential military actions against iran by President Trump. The house passed it with some bipartisan support on thursday, including a yes vote from key trump ally, republican florida congressman matt gaetz. The senate is waiting on House Speaker nancy pelosi. Remember this . To turn over articles of impeachment. Pelosi held on to those articles for three weeks no