Foreign policy. The director of national intelligence, dan coates, telling senators on the Intelligence Committee that china and russia are the biggest threats to the United States. Officials in beijing and in moscow are more aligned than they have been in decades. The fbi director chris wray told members of the committee that russia is likely to once again use social media in an attempt to sway the 2020 president ial election. Its an assessment that this countrys adversaries continue to use u. S. Social media platforms as a vehicle for weaponizing this information and spreading foreign influence in the United States . Yes, the russians continued to do it in 2018 and theyre continuing to adapt their model and that other countries are taking a very interested eye in that approach. Shepard of course, intelligence agencies found that russia meddled in the 2016 president ial election and 2018 midterms and using social media to sway voters. Christopher wray, coates and the cia director gina haspel contradicts President Trumps foreign policy. They say north korea will likely not give up their nuclear arsenal. Director coates say its leaders viewed Nuclear Weapons as critical to the north korean regimes survival. Second, on iran, the Islamic Republic is not currently undertaking the necessary steps to make a bomb. Regarding the ongoing threat from the Islamic State, isis still commands thousands of fighters in iraq and syria and is active in syria and has networks around the world. In short, isis not defeated. And finally, nowhere in the 42 page threat assessment report is there an indication that a wall on the southern border would be helpful in any way and nothing to indicate a ball should be built to Bolster National Security or anything else. Catherine herridge reporting live from capitol hill. Shep, this is one of the major hearings of the year for the Intelligence Committee because they testify publicly about the threats facing the United States and this helps congress set the budgetary requirements. Earlier today, they focused on the issue of election interference. The feeling among the Intelligence Community officials is that russia in 2020 is going to rip up the playbook, that the real prize this 2020, the 2018 was an opportunity to test run some strategies. Heres some of that exchange. We assess that foreign actors will review the 2020 u. S. Elections as an opportunity the advance their interests. We expect them to refine their capabilities and add new tactics as they learn from each others experiences and efforts in previous elections. We heard testimony this morning about how russia and other countries use American Social media accounts to amplify their message and spread disinformation. But we also have more information about fakes online that are used with technology to create events that havent happened or put words in peoples mouths. We have not thought about it as a National Security issue, at least i havent, until this mornings hearing. Heres that exchange. Are we organized in a way to respond fast enough to a catastrophic attack . We recognize the threat of emerging technologies and the speed at which that threat increases. Its very quickly evolving flood of technological change that it poses a major threat to the United States and something that the Intelligence Community needs to be restructured to address. So if it was a thread that wove its way throughout the entire hearing this morning, it was about how technology has levelled the Playing Field not only for states like russia and china but also for terrorists like isis and alquaida, shep. Shepard you mentioned china. They dominated todays discussions. And what we heard through the testimony is that china is the central if not the most important Counter Intelligence. So espionage threats facing the United States. They have a longterm strategy. Theyre not sort of at the whim of a fouryear election cycle and starting to build partnerships with other nations to undermine the United States in different hotspots around the world and theyre doing this on the back of stealing american secrets and technology and then pulling that together with chinas super computing capabilities. Heres chris wray. I think china at large is the most significant Counter Intelligence threat that we face. We have economic espionage investigations, for example, thats just one piece of it, in virtually one of every 56 feels offices. The number of those have doubled the last three or four years. Almost all of them, not all of them, almost all of them lead back to china. We also heard in the testimony this morning the word aligned used in the context of china and also russia. In simple terms, this is about seeing evidence of sort of an Early Partnership or alliance starting to develop between these two countries. Right now what i see officials call the mill to mill level. A foundational piece to build a relationship in the future. When you think about the espionage capabilities russia has and couple that with the manpower in china, you can see how that is a Formidable Force against the u. S. And its interests, shep. Shepard Catherine Herridge reporting live from capitol hill. The Senate Majority leader Mitch Mcconnell publicly disagreeing with President Trump on the senate floor about u. S. Policy on syria. For that, the chief Congressional Correspondent mike emanuel is live on capitol hill. Shep, good afternoon. A stunning break with President Trump. Mitch mcconnell announcing that he has filed an amendment saying the United States should not be bringing home u. S. Troops any time soon. I never would acknowledge the plain fact that alquaida, isis and their affiliates in syria and afghanistan continue to pose a serious threat to us here at home. It would recognize the danger of a precipitous withdrawal from either conflict and highlight the need for diplomatic engagement and Political Solutions to the underlying conflicts in syria and afghanistan. Then a short time ago as Senate Republican leaders were leaving their luncheon, mcconnell talked more about this saying its important to show our allies in the region, israel and jordan, that the u. S. Is still committed to them. He talked about basically this being critical in terms of the mission that is still not done over there. Senator joni ernst, a republican from iowa, reiterated the United States needs to be there for its allies and the u. S. Should come home once the terrorists are defeated. On the other side of this issue, you have kentucky senator rand paul that met with President Trump face to face on this issue. He praised the president saying i have never been prouder of president donald trump. In todays meeting he stood up for a Strong America and went against foreign wars. Putting America First means declaring victory in afghanistan and see i cant. President trump is delivering on his promises. Mcconnell and earnst reflecting the more traditional policy. Shep . Shepard thanks. Well take you to the front lines in syria later in this news hour. Benjamin hall is there embedded with syrian kurds fighting the isis militant. His report coming up. Were also following news out of the special counsels russia investigation. President trumps former adviser roger stone pleaded not guilty to seven charges including lying to the u. S. Congress, witness tampering and obstructing a congressional investigation. We saw duelling protests outside the courthouse in washington as roger stone arrived this morning. Louder than it is large, you can hear them chanting roger stone did nothing wrong and lock him up. Stones plea comes a day after acting attorney general Matthew Whitaker said that he thinks that muellers investigation is wrapping up. Right now, you know, the investigation is i think close to being completed and i hope that we can get the report from director mueller as soon as possible. Shepard no details on what close means. Some democrats call the comments irresponsible. The house Intelligence Committee chair adam schiff said mueller can speak for himself. Roger stone is the sixth former trump aide charged in the mule earl investigation. The other five have all pleaded guilty. Stone told our team inside the courthouse that hes feeling fine, then said no questions, no comments. Highly unusual. Roger stone has been on a media blitz since his arrest friday. He said he might speak outside. The crowd still fired up. Rather than speaking, he flashed the vics son v for victory sign and wheel ad way. David spunt outside the courthouse in d. C. Hi, shep. Quite a day here with roger stone. You looked at the video outside. Folks were playing back in the ussr by the beatles as roger stone went into the courthouse and left the courthouse. He will be back here at federal court friday. Today was just an initial plea in front of the magistrate. He will be back here to delve into the case a little more. As nobody was surprised, he did plead not guilty. He said multiple times that he would be pleading not guilty and thats what happened today as he walked into the court, as he left the court. People were screaming, yelling at him and praising him in many cases. This is happening after he was arrested on friday down in florida. He was pulled from his home. The fbi knocked on his door early in the morning on friday. This indictment that was laid out is a sevencount, 24page indictment. One of the big things, shep, that accuses stone of lying to a Congressional Panel about his wikileaks contacts. He said this in an interview with sky news. Im not willing to make up stories or bear false witness against anybody including the president. The president has done nothing wrong. He hasnt colluded with russia and im not going to make up false tales about him to ease the pressure on myself. White House Press SecretarySarah Huckabee sanders said multiple times this indictment has nothing to do with President Trump. Roger stone got into an s. U. V. And left today. Were told hes staying nearby in town and well be back here in court friday, shep. Shepard didnt speak but no gag order from the judge, right . Yeah, at this point, no gag ordered from the judge. Interesting to note the judge said he will see friday, a different judge. The same judge that Paul Manafort has been seeing. That judge issued a gag order in the manafort cause to stop the media attention. Its possible well see one friday. Back to you. Shepard thanks. News just in. Who is going to give the democratic response to the state of the Union Address . Stacy abrams will give it on february 5. Next week. Thats according to the Senate Minority leader, chuck schumer. She ran for governor in georgia and lost after a lengthy and disputed election over blocked votes. Of course, President Trumps address was supposed to be tonight. Was postponed during the government shut down. Stacy abrams to offer the democratic response a week from today. Yet another exwhite house staffer coming out with a tellall. This time President Trumps campaign is warning, its willing to go to court to shut him up. Thats next. Also, making sure nobody is spying on you through your computer, phone or ipad. It can happen. What to do about it coming up as reporting continues on this tuesday afternoon. My experience with usaa has been excellent. They really appreciate the military family and it really shows. 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Shepard President Trumps 2020 campaign is reporting that its preparing to sue a former White House Communications aide whose book came out today. Thats according to a top campaign official. Cliff sims book violates a nothing disclosure agreement. The president slammed sims calling him a low level staffer he barely knew. The book includes big white house names, including counselor to the president , kellyanne conway. Sims calls her a cartoon villain brought to life and accuses her of leaking information about staffers to the media. He claims the former white house chief of staff john kelly told him that working for the president was the worst job hes ever had. Thats just a start. John roberts is live with more. I chuckle a little bit, shep, because the truth be told, john kelly told that to anybody that would listen. He always thought that it was his civic duty to make sure the train stayed on the tracks here. I knew cliff sims, knew him well. He was here from the beginning through the midpart of 2018. He was a staffer that worked in the upper press office. Always seems to have a very good handle what was going on at the white house. In his new book, he wants to take readers inside the president s head. Heres what he said in an interview this morning. One of the points im making in the book, for him, everything is personal. Everything is a personal relationship. So that manifests itself in foreign affairs, his personal relationship with the foreign leader is almost more important than geo politics. Its that way with the staff, like that when he has the political vendettas. You think this is a distraction. As you can imagine, the white house is pushing back on what he has to say. He was on television this morning doing that interview. The president tweeted this a low level staffer that i hardly knew names cliff sims made up a boring book on fiction. He pretended to be an insider when he was nothing more than a gopher. He signed a nondisclosure agreement. Hes a mess. Sims read that tweet while he was on the air and responded. I knew that was a possibility when i wrote this book. I said, my identity is not wrapped up in being a trump staffer. You dont mind being called a geoffer . Not one bit. The campaign ceo tweeting that the Trump Campaign is preparing to file suit against cliff sims for violating our nda. Sims said on the telephone that he will weather the storm through this. What keeps him strong is his faith. That and i suppose the reported Million Dollar advance he got for the book. That helps take the edge off, too. Shepard john roberts live at the white house. Breaking this afternoon, an attack on one in the fox family. Leaves one of our own sent to the hospital. A star of the hit show empire, jesse smallette attacked. Police investigating it as a possible hate crime. The latest coming up. Touch shows how we really feel. But does psoriasis ever get in the way . Embrace the chance of 100 clear skin with taltz, the first and only treatment of its kind offering people with moderate to severe psoriasis a chance at 100 clear skin. With taltz, up to 90 of people quickly saw a significant improvement of their psoriasis plaques. Dont use if youre allergic to taltz. Before starting, you should be checked for tuberculosis. Taltz may increase risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. Tell your doctor if you have an infection, symptoms, or received a vaccine or plan to. Inflammatory bowel disease can happen with taltz, including worsening of symptoms. Serious allergic reactions can occur. Ready for a chance at 100 clear skin . Ask your doctor about taltz. Shepard breaking news. Somebody attacked jussie smollett, one of the stars of empire. Police say theyre investigating the attack as a hate crime. It happened in chicago. Matt finn reporting live with more. Matt . Shep, this disturbing story is unfolding right now. So far heres what we know. According to police, this 36yearold empire actor was on the streets of chicago around 2 00 a. M. When he was attacked by two men wearing ski masks. The two men in ski masks according to police gained his attention by yelling racist and homophobic slurs at him and beat smollett and at one point tied a rope around his neck and poured a chemical on him. Police say smollett checked himself into the hospital and is doing okay. Police released a statement saying overnight the Chicago Police department rece