Russia: but wait ... there's more

Friday, March 3, 2017 View this email in your browser Sessions wasn't the only one talking to Russia. Here are the 5 things you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door. By Faith Karimi 1. Politics So. Much. Drama. The updates have been dizzying since we learned that Attorney General Jeff Sessions chatted twice last year with the Russian ambassador to the US at a time when Moscow was accused of interfering in the presidential race. First, Sessions denied discussing anything related to Trump's campaign with any Russians. Then he denied misleading senators by not disclosing the convos during his confirmation hearing. Then he recused himself from investigations related to Trump's campaign. Then the plot thickened as it was disclosed that Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met the Russian envoy during the presidential transition. 2. MS-13 The killings of seven people, including several high school students, over a three-year period on New York's Long Island risked slipping into the cold case file. Not anymore. More than a dozen members of the notorious MS-13 gang have been indicted in the deaths. They face other charges too, like obstruction of justice and arson. Two of the killings were especially brutal, with the accused allegedly using baseball bats and a machete. 3. Immigration  In late January, an undocumented immigrant walked into an Oregon courtroom for a hearing in his DUI case. Immigration agents were in the hallway outside, waiting to arrest him and possibly deport him. But he never came out. Where did he go? Did the judge let him sneak out the back door? What happened in that courtroom is now the subject of an investigation. 4. Arkansas executions Maybe this is a case of making up for lost time. Arkansas hasn't put anyone to death in more than a decade. Now comes word from the governor's office that the state will execute eight people -- over 10 days. The planned executions will run from April 17 to April 27. The men will be killed in pairs. Death penalty opponents are, predictably, upset. Lawyers for the condemned are suing to stop this, and they're using a common tactic -- going after the lethal injection drugs. The lawyers argue the drugs cause inmates to die a painful death. 5. Sweden draft The Trump administration's feelings about Russia may be fuzzy right now, but Sweden's aren't. The country's bringing back the draft to counter the Russians' aggressive moves in Europe (in other words, Crimea). Women will be drafted too; that's a first for the Scandinavian nation. But wait, there's more. The Swedes are beefing up defense spending and increasing cooperation with their NATO neighbors, too. Tweet Forward Breakfast Browse People are talking about these. Read up. Join in. Thanks, Tom Tom Hanks maintains his nicest-guy-in-the-world cred by giving the White House press corps an espresso machine. Cool school This California high school made millions off Snapchat's IPO. Guess those youngsters know a thing or two about money after all. Did I do that? Whoops! An employee at Amazon made just one typo and damn near took down the whole Internet. Lonely survivors  As we mark World Wildlife Day today, a reminder that northern white rhinos are on the verge of extinction, with only three left worldwide.  Friendship goals  Former prez George W. Bush says he and Michelle Obama just click because she likes his sense of humor. All together now ... awwwww. $10 billion That's all Venezuela has left in its foreign reserves. That may sound like a lot, but the South American country -- suffering from stagnant oil revenue, inflation and food shortages -- owes $7.2 billion in outstanding debt payments this year.  And finally ... So fluffy Cuteness alert! Here's two minutes of a gorgeously fluffy cat trying to catch snowballs -- in slow motion. You're welcome. (Click to view) View all of CNN's newsletters » CNN Five Things shows up in your inbox every weekday at 6 a.m. ET. Like what you see? Don't like what you see? Let us know. We're all about self improvement. Did a friend forward you this newsletter? Sign yourself up! Copyright © 2017 Cable News Network, LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to CNN newsletters. Our mailing address is: Cable News Network, LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. One CNN Center Atlanta, GA 30303 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences