Milley stands by communications with China amid backlash sparked by new book revelations
CBSN
Washington — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley denied any wrongdoing with calls with his Chinese counterpart held in the closing months of the Trump administration, revelations of which sparked outrage from GOP lawmakers and calls for his termination.
Colonel Dave Butler, a spokesman to Milley, said in a statement to reporters the calls are part of his regular communications with defense chiefs worldwide, including China and Russia, and are crucial to reducing tensions between nations, as well as "avoiding unintended consequences or conflict."
"His calls with the Chinese and others in October and January were in keeping with these duties and responsibilities conveying reassurance in order to maintain strategic stability," Butler said in a written statement. "All calls from the chairman to his counterparts, including those reported, are staffed, coordinated and communicated with the Department of Defense and the interagency."
Two climbers were waiting to be rescued near the peak of Denali, a colossal mountain that towers over miles of vast tundra in southern Alaska, officials said Wednesday. Originally part of a three-person team that became stranded near the top of the mountain, the climbers put out a distress call more than 30 hours earlier suggesting they were hypothermic and unable to descend on their own, according to the National Park Service.
There's no making up for what Olympic hurdler Lashinda Demus lost on the day she finished .07 seconds behind a Russian opponent who, everyone later learned, was doping. What the American 400-meter hurdles champion will finally receive is a great day under the Eiffel Tower where she'll be presented with the gold medal she was denied 12 years ago at the London Olympics.