that is it today. have a great week. we will see you next "fox news sunday". >> the russia story is a total fabrication. it is just an excuse for the greatest loss in the history of american politics. we did not win because of russia. we won because of you. >> welcome to "the journal editorial report" i am a paul gigot. that was president trump in huntington west virginia thursday night going on offense filing reports a -- robert mueller and the investigation into esrussian interference in the 2016 election. is first reported by the

wall street journal comes as to bipartisan senate bills for the president on notice that any move to fire the special counsel will be met with a fight. carolyn senator lindsey graham is co-author of one of those bills and he joins me now from washington. welcome senator.is >> thank you. >> you are the newcomer robert muller and paneling grand jury replaces the criminal probe now if you're not just a counterintelligence program. have you seen so far as he watches on both, any crimes it has been committed? >> no, not yet. i'm not either. the president is right of the russian probe there's no evidence suggesting that he wear the team colluded yet but they did interfere an election. is not a hoax it is real. we'll see if there is any collusion or any other misconduct. >> are right now you follow the story the last couple of weeks the president's anger directed at the attorney general, jeff sessions. because he recused himself from

the russia probe. has that now dissipated? and even going to meet with the president's repute has enough calmed down a bit and what sessions stay in the job? >> i think so. i think a lot of us rallied because he had no choice but you cannot investigate something you are a part of. you are a principal in a campaign, it is in an investigation you have to be to disappear jeff had veno other choice. in december, nobody realized that they had the investigation so do the right thing. we all rallied to his son. think the president is going to keep him where he is at, he is a good attorney general, excellent attorney general. >> all right now, one of the concern is that the president did dismiss jeff sessions he would then go on to hire somebody or appoint somebody who would fire robert mueller. what would happen in your view if the president fired robert

mueller? >> if it is without cause and it would be holy hell would break out! i have said that about jeff. i can only imagine how the country would react if robert mueller were fired. just because the president did not like the investigation. if you show me a reason that he should be five this onus will be appointed in his place. so my legislation is simple. if robert mueller is fired, you have a three-judge panel to review the firing and see if it meets the criteria of the department of justice regulations. and no indication that the president will fire robert mueller good his lawyer said today, recently that they want to get this over with as quickly as possible. they're going to cooperate with the investigation. so he has the right attitude about how to deal with robert mueller i think. >> all right now, some people avoid by your legislation and in fact if you get judges interjecting themselves into a presidential decision about

what, who is a subordinate? and prosecutorial power in the justice department reports up to the ag through to the president peer that is executive, that is the presidential power under the constitution. does that bother you? >> that is a really good question. my approach is a bit different. senator tillis and coons having a person says the judge's can reinstate a fired special counsel. i think that is an executive decision.my legislation says that judges can review based on existing regulations and law whether or not it was proper. i think that is the right checking balance. >> the review would be that they can comment but not reinstate. is that the difference? >> they cannot reinstate. they can make a decision that it did not meet the criteria of dismissal. then the political system would take over after that. >> essentially that would be a political check and balance? let's talk about the healthcare bill. you are trying to do a hail mary here on healthcare after the failure. i know you came to talk about

this. i went and worked the phones a little bit and i heard talk to some of your lot colleagues and have to say senator, there is not much appetite to go back to this on the leadership. a finding every currency or any pickup for your legislation? >> i think we are dumber than dirt if we do not try again. if you think that you can go home as a republican, say we give it our best shot, you have not!the approach is not even been tried. the bottom line here is that the republican governors are getting very excited about having a block grant sent back to them to replace obamacare. get money and power under washington. we have the september 30, we met with parliament. i am excited will have more possibility under the block grant. so the governors come out for the block kgrant, then i think the president will follow in line. he does not want to quit. satan cannot tell the republican base for the country at large, that we have taken our best shot at replacing obamacare because we have not.

>> you have until september 30 for the reconciliation process and you have the ability before that the to pass something with 50 votes. that means 50 votes. but what about your friend john mccain? he is one that had the decisive vote in the last when will he be on board for this? >> the governor is in charge of the formula for state senator, obamacare did 40 percent of the money. there 20 percent of the population. arizona does very well under the block grant. they're working on the formula, scott walker has been intellectual here to get the governors on board.i think john would be very open minded to a block grant. let's put it to the committee process and bring it to the floor. you can do this in a matter of days. so if the republican governors come out in force for a block and approach to replacing obamacare, the president gets behind the governors, we are back into the ballgame and i

think john mccain would be open to a new policy with a new process. and i think when we get 50 votes i think we'll get more than 50 votes. west virginia gets 43 percent increase under my block grant approach. you have the governors switch parties. joe manchin iii is a fine fellow. i think you will go long with the idea of getting west virginia more money and more power. >> thank you senator graham. we will follow and see how this goes. when they come back, john kelly sending ara message in his firs week as white house chief of staff. ken retired marine general impose order in a chaotic west wing? b and we'll get you back on the road! [dog barks] ♪safelite repair, safelite replace.♪

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expectations this week for his new chief of staff john kelly. kelly was sworn in monday following last week's resignation of reince priebus. and quickly sent a message to a white house staff firing communications chief anthony scaramucci after a short time on the e job. we have a wall street economist with the stan heninger and colonists -- kim, you been a rking your sources in cabinet and in the white house. what kind of a difference so far is kelly making clay. >> is making a difference. this is what he did that was right from the beginning. he established what every good white house chief of staff needs which is some respect and some deference from everyone there by firing anthony scaramucci he sent the message that the president has confidence in him and he had control. what he is doing now is

starting to act as a gatekeeper for orthe president. close the oval office door. no more drop ins. he also working on, i know it is crazy but also, he is working and this is not the most good not just image of the president is receiving better policy debates but better information.so that he can go out and be on to make better arguments. >> i even heard that steve bannon bothered to show on monday since the white house a was often at war with reince priebus, he showed up! the white house staff meeting on monday when he often did not usually show for reince priebus.>> i was a steve bannon is a survivor. he knows what he will do to stay there. whether he has direct access to the president. we shall see. the idea that the door will be shut on donald trump is almost an oxymoron.donald trump said that kelly will be one of the best chiefs of staff ever.

>> that is what he said about everything. >> there is a definition of leopard that is a presidency that succeeds. that succeeds in his policy goals and failed on healthcare. in general kelly has run the big organizations. he headed the marines in iraq, he ran this on a command of the united states marines. so he knows how to run an organization effectively and achieve a goal. and that is what the white house needs right now. kind of a consistency that stays on target, there is too much friendly fire in this white house because they are hitting each other everyday. that is a sort of thing he will try to put an end to. >> butler kelly has been at the top of the organizations, when you're the commander you're number one. he set the tone. now he is in a staff job and you know who is number one. the guy that doesn't like to be managed.[laughter] so i mean - a lot of this, if he is successful will be determined whether donald trump listens to him. >> exactly. i think that dan is right and

that you know general kelly was brought in because he is, he epitomizes discipline. and that is what the white house needs. but if you have the president still tweeting, still going off message you know, still running his own messages in his off hours that will make it extremely hard for general kelly to run the discipline organization that gohe has in mind. so a lot is going to depend on trump. the other thing i'm a little word with kelly is, we do not know what his own policy ideas are. >> we do not know what his politics. >> and he will be directing this into the policymaking team in the white ahouse. you know for example on immigration. initially, people thought that he was going to be quite flexible with immigrants who are coming here from basically war zones in central america. but that is not what he has been doing as head of homeland security. he has been much more hard-line. >> kyou worked in this and you

know there is a policy process. could be immigration ataxic one, you put us in the president, given a decision memo he reads it and hears people out. to make a decision that is limited. this white house, then make a decision, and then there are -- >> in many ways it was like bill clinton white house from what i understand people people had also some back channels, different drafts of speech is going on.look, corporate and marine household. to say to err is human, to forgive is divine.or there is marine corps policy. general kelly nose chain of command. especially in the west wing. you can have the lunatics wanting the assignment i think donald trump just as he gets the blame for scaramucci and the creative destruction he gets credibility for picking general kelly. in at least we do not know if

donald trump will nstop tweeti at 4:00 a.m.. >> i think we know he is not. >> but we do know it will probably be tougher r for the other people down there. the communications directed to have the public wars that they do. i just do nothing general kelly will stop that i think the policy thing is less important. the chief job is to be honest broker to make sure that people do not get hurt in the process. to let people go on and on in meetings country resolution is an incredible job. >> when a crisis came, bill clinton focused on it. everyone aimed on the goal it is did with it. that is obviously the big question here whether donald trump will do that.>> one of the things that the new york post has been doing is putting a cartoon called white house survivor on its cover. and putting exes through the names when they leave. who is going to be next to go, do you think? would think that john kelly is done changing this white house. >> no, but i think that it will

also be a test for kelly whether he can stop some of the backstabbing and let's watch a john mcmaster, national sister advisor. there is currently campaign going on by some of the white house to get rid of him. we'll see how kelly. >> you don't think that will be a good idea, do you? do they change another national security advisor would be helpful? >> no. word is that when sekelly came and he expressed confidence in mcmaster. so it would seem unlikely that he would be willing to have him go. >> all right. when we come back, the president takes in the republicans in congress urging them not to give up on repealing and replacing obamacare. but some say they are ready to move on. so will tax reform be any easier for the gop? hey joanne, want to trade the all day relief of 2 aleve with 6 tylenol? give up my 2 aleve for 6 tylenol? no thanks. for me... it's aleve.

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keep its promise, live up to its word and repeal and replace obamacare. you have to do it! nothing in life is easy. but congress must not give in. they must not give up. >> the president keeping the heat on republicans to reach a deal to repeal and replace obamacare. despite last week's defeat. the senators heading home for the august recess thursday some said they are ready to move on to other priorities. including tax reform. so will that deal be any easier to reach? the president is keep alive. but the tax reform - >> which the presence of some of this before the vote, sold the bill. i think the mistake they made was thinking this is a business deal where you get people

behind closed doors. any dealer that work with senators trying to hash out a deal. you have to sell this to the public and this is not a popular bill. and he did not give an oval address, he know when you just go to rallies, those are your enthusiastic supporters but you're not reaching your marginal supporters. for the people that dislike you on the other side. you're not pressuring them. >> it is actually worse in the bill being dead. now they are talking about bailing out the insurers. alexander worked with chuck schumer to basically shovel money at the exchanges and insurance companies so they do not leave the exchanges to keep them alive.so republicans failed to reform obamacare on their terms. now they are going to have to bail out the insurers on chuck schumer's terms. >> the democrats have them wherever they want them. because having not dealt with the problem, the only thing they can do and not suffered huge political backlash as to

kind of prop up what is there if they just walk away from it, they're going to be blamed i think for i think the total collapse.>> all right so now i guess tax reform, the big other item on their agenda. did this get any easier than healthcare? >> no it does not get any easier. they made it clear, this is the kind of question where congress can do big legislation like this anymore. healthcare experience was revealing. it was something i should've gotten done but the parochialism of the senators endocrine caucus in the house suggest that there is something going on in congress that just doesn't allow them to get the republican congress to get the goal line. >> i think that is right. i think the point is crucial because the republicans have not shown in my experience that they have been able to govern as a party and congress even when they have the majority. even when i have the white house. since the early 2000's. democrats, when there is it one or two votes, there was get the

one or two votes. republicans do not to get the one or two votes. >> they cannot even get the vehicle that is supposed to exist to do tax reform off of the house floor. chairwoman of the budget committee, at the end of july did pass a budget reconciliation bill out of her committee and they have been fighting ever since. they ehave conservatives demanding more spending cuts, moderates wanting more money. if they cannot get that off the floor they don't even have the vehicle to go to the senate. and do tax reform with 51 votes which is what they're going to need. so then add to this, all of the demands that are going to come from the lobbyists, the corporations. my fear in all of this is that we are moving away from what was envisioned as a giant and important tax reform that was aimed at growth in the economy. to the basically, whatever you can get just a straightforward tax cut probably aimed at the

middle class. maybe a small lowering of the corporate rate. but nothing that will do something important to keep us out of the recession and keep the economy humming. >> to that point, i mean you know the last tax reforms in other republicans actually believed in lower rates, lower marginal rates because that is what incentivizes people with a lot of money to invest in the economy. that is not the present particularly in donald trump's idea and changing the tax code. he is talking about middle-class tax cuts, he is talking populist approach to what he calls rtax reform. it is not stimulative and i think on those grounds he should be worried about too much of a tax cut, to become a deficit because it is not going to stimulate growth. quest and fairness on the corporate side where the real axis for growth, and the interview with the journal he talked of bringing the race down. he wanted 15 percent.

>> and that will be really tremendous. i think the message again going back to a dan was saying about the big issues, you cannot do it just from congress. unity president to sell this. ronald reagan did so many speeches and two days before the houseboat, he asked people, if utyou want a tax cut, if you want this morning call your congressman and senators. let them know. and tip o'neill said this was the greatest avalanche. the sepresident needs to do thi. it cannot be done by the republicans - >> theirs and that has to be revenue neutral. that is fine. unity think about 50 percent corporate tax rates what you want but if you wanted to be revenue neutral it has to be some way.>> still ahead, the president signed and then slammed a bipartisan russia sanctions bill. but is congress really to blame for our deteriorating relationship with moscow?

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at congress thursday blaming them in a tweet for what he calls an all-time and very dangerous low in our relationship with russia. the president's assessment came one day after he grudgingly signed legislation passed overwhelmingly in the house and senate. then imposed new sanctions on moscow and places restrictions on his ability to rollback penalties already eain place.

question prime minister -- meanwhile took to facebook to warn of a full-scale trade war with the us claiming that the bill quote - ends hopes for improving our relations with a new us administration. we have the co the foundation for defense of democracy with us. and the center of sanctions and illicit finance premarket, great to have you back with us. >> thank you paul. >> to support these, the sanctions bill? i think you do. not just russia, it is russia, iran and north korea. >> paul, i do support the bill. there are some top stations that directed against three american adversaries. i think the sanctions are in a long time coming. i do have some sensitivity and understanding for the white house's position because it certainly does time the executive branches in an unprecedented way. it's interesting, can you

recall and you have followed this for sometime. can you recall when congress actually put this kind of restriction on a president that said look, you cannot needs sanctions without having the ability in a formal review process? >> so, it certainly is very unusual. usually the presidents are given a national security interest waiver. and given a lot of flexibility. when they enter into negotiations with russia or iran or north korea, they have the ability to waive sentience. that is something that president obama did. he waved sanctions against iran and enable him to get the nuclear deal which of course is a deeply flawed deal but nevertheless, i gave him the executive branch possibility he needs. >> some republicans when that was being negotiated they wanted this type of restriction put on president obama or at least some kind of consultation with congress. democrats refused. so this is interesting because the case of republican congress putting a check on a republican

president in a way that democrats did not do for the democratic president. >> yeah, that is right for the most part. we did have a review. for the nuclear deal and an ability to review the deal. there was actually a joint resolution and disapproval that could have been boarded and with possible -- actually in practice it was a avpretty weak restriction and the president would've had the ability to neutralize it anyway. >> some europeans were complaining that the new sanctions bill is unilateral. america action only. and that some of the europeans do not like this. where libya division here between what we want to do, what congress just did and what angle that the parents want to do -- what the europeans want to do? >> they have had huge impact in companies so we get into this debate with the europeans all the time. the fact of the matter is we have a $19 trillion market and they want access to it. and generally, they have to make and go along with

sanctions eventually. >> what difference will this make and us and russia relations? >> i think they have the ability to, if the white house uses sanctions in an effective way they could have a significant impact on russia's foreign currency reserves, the ability to enable financial transactions, certainly energy investments and technology. there are some tough sanctions but president trump made a significant mistake obviously. in the politics of russia. on the policy impression on me he has been pretty tough. he has released -- which is the main source of currency which is oil and gas goodies investing in the us military and him taking a much more aggressive posture against some of russia's allies including iran. so the president has had a very tough russia policy but he is really mishandled the politics

of russia as we all know. >> okay now let's move to iran. he followed that. the white house is conducting a review of the iran policy and the nuclear deal. so far it said that iran is leaving the terms of the nuclear deal. although, is violating the spirit of the accord. what does that mean? >> well, you know the reporting on this actually for the most part was incorrect. they made it very clear to congress that iran was actually not in full compliance with the deal. he underscored that there were in violation but at the end of the day they decided to certify that iran was compliant of the conditions that will end up at congress. i thought that was a mistake. i thought they should not have certified that. because iran was basically putting forth claims of nuclear innocence. that they are doing nothing wrong, there are no violations and it is actually not correct. i think come october the when there will be another

certification, they will have to point out the violations. not certify and then make a decision about what to do next. let's undercut the claims of iran and nuclear innocence or will have a much tougher time rolling out a more comprehensive and more aggressive iran policy. >> starting with honesty first policy. saying this is what we think that they are doing, this is how they are violated. and how we want to pull out or how to move from there. >> exactly.>> thank you for being here with us mark dubowitz. still ahead, the white house tries to move past last week's healthcare defeat. when they areturned to the popular campaign theme of immigration. >> as a candidate i campaigned on creating a merit based immigration system. that protects us workers and taxpayers. and that is why we are here today. for the strength and energy to get back to doing... ...what you love. ensure. always be you.

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will restore the sacred bond of trust between america and its citizens. this legislation demonstrates our compassion for struggling american families who deserve an immigration system that puts their needs first and put america first. calling it the most significant reform to the immigration system at half a century president trump this week endorsed a senate proposal and slashing legal immigration levels in half over the next decade. a measure that would be a merit based immigration system that favors high skills financially stable english-speaking applicants while sharply curtailing g the ability of current citizens and legal residents to bring family members into the united states. wall street journal editorial page writer alicia -- joins us with more. alicia, the president campaigned against illegal immigration. >> that's right! >> this is legal, how would this work? >> first of all, it would cut the number of legal immigrants

like you said by half over the next decade. what to what roughly? >> about a little over millions of 500,000. it doesn't mainly by cutting quote - unquote - migration. the ability of the city to bring in their siblings or adult children. he would still be able to bring in their minor children as well as parents. but no longer their siblings. >> for aunts and uncles. >> yes or aunts or uncles. right. also replaces the current sponsor green card system. there are about 140,000 green cards issued for a sponsor with a point based system.>> how would would get 5. so good luck if you are a 50-year-old guy who doesn't speak english fliewrntly.

you are never going to get in. paul: let's deal with this family immigration system. a lot of the people say this makes sense. what claim do say relatives who are not immediate family members, not the mother or father of the child. what claim do they have on entry over others? >> that's a good argument. these are communities. the families start businesses. in california, a lot of family businesses are run by the relatives brought in through chain migration. paul: do you disagree with this point when it comes to the skills based system? the difference between them and what we are doing is they bring a lot more people than we would under this bill given the populations. >> i'm the father of three

chinese immigrants who came here not speaking english. so i think there is a lot of the confusion. there is a distinction between illegal and legal immigration. between keeping out people who are national security threats or criminals. and this idea that people are economically bad for the country, the fact is if you go around the country, despite having an unemployment rate or labor force participation rate that's very low. people will tell you they need workers. everyone is getting their house painted. these people don't look like they are stealing jobs. they look like they are doing something some people wouldn't do. so the system is broken. we need a rational system. i'm sceptical about the point-based system. i think the employers are better saying if we can have a system

that allow employers to pick the system we need. the people have high immigration levels it's couples with australia and canada. they are not designed to be restricted. paul: does this have any chance of getting through congress? >> zero. absolutely none. you would need 60 votes for it to get through, and you already had a number of senators come out and say, jeff flake, lindsey graham already have come out and said we are not oh speeds to a merit-based system but not at the expense much cutting overall legal immigration. chuck grassley would have a big role in this, has not indicated he would even bring it up because it's worried it would be subject to so many amendments from both sides it would be a frankenstein of a mess.

>> if you reduced the levels of legal immigration, you may actually increase the incentive for people to come legal-illegal. >> they will still want to come over the bored and bring flame members over for workers. but you need to increase the number of guest worker visas. streamline the program it's almost impossible for a lot of employers to sponsor guest workers. you increase legal immigration and reduce illegal immigration. paul: the politics of this? the president is trying to change the subject? >> the issue on talk radio for years was illegal immigration, mexicans and latin americans coming across the border illegally. that's the issue. now we are talking about reducing legal immigration 40%? he's definitely changing the

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♪ ♪ paul: venezuela's attorney generals has opened anen investigation into claims of fraud following last weekend's controversial vote to create a new constituent assembly. that assembly packed with. supporters of the embattled president is poised to consolidate his control over the divided and chaotic country. protesters took to the street this week following the election, and the u.s. treasury department slapped financial sanctions on maduro, a clear sign of the trump's opposition to his regime.

we're back with dan hen ger and march -- henninger and mary t anastasia o'grady. >> the unicameral legislature was the only thing standing in his way of total control. he began to try to get rid of them back in march by just out and out firing them. that didn't work, so he announced that he was going to have this election. venezuela has not had a free,fa fair and transparent election since at least 2004 when thehe country tried to recall hugo chavez from power, ask that was completely rigged and, unfortunately, the u.s. state department recognized that, and it's been downhill ever since. paul: and maduro didn't want toe have a referendumming last year on his rule, and if he had -- if they had been able to force that, then he would have had to have stepped down, or they would have had to have a new election, correct. >> >> yeah. there's a lot of talk about how getting rid of the assembly is

going to make venezuela into a dictatorship. it's been a dictatorship, but it's been a slow, gradual consolidation of power. this would be the final straw. but last year his ability to block that recall vote is an example of how, you know, they're just not going to leave, and he's dug in there and, of course, he supported and is held in power by cuba. so they're not going anywhere. paul: so step back a bit and tell americans, i mean, apart from the human suffering which is horrendous, which we should all care about, why should americans care what goes on in venezuela right now? >> one of the big problems is that venezuela is trafficking drugs very aggressively through, from colombia, through venezuela into the united states with the help of cuba. but another problem is that the maduro regime and chavez before him was also bringing middle eastern extremists into theas country, giving them passports,

cuba runs the passport office in venezuela, giving them passports that allow them to move across borders. they were showing up in canada with these venezuelan passports, so there's a security, there's definitely a security risk, and there's a risk of this spreading of this dictatorship all over the south american continent. paul: the example, on the other hand -- i take mary's point, but on the other hand, the utter failure of venezuelan socialism is on display for everybody to see.e and the rest of latin america is, obviously, saying we don't want to go down that route necessarily unless, of course, you're in bed with the cubans and want to enforce the same kind of dictatorship. >> well, i think they do, and there's another detail that's worth talking about. venezuela is an oil power. they have oil wealth about equal to saudi arabia. this is a petro states, and maduro is staying this power because of the oil revenue coming into that country.ta short of a military

intervention, the only way to stop them from becoming a soviet-like petro state justou south of the united states is to put severe oil sanctions on to cut off the flow of oil revenue. because maduro's making those payments because he knows if he doesn't, his creditors will seize venezuelan assets. paul: now, as we said, the u.s. has imposed sanctions on maduro, other venezuela lands, but not -- venezuelans, but not the oil so far. are you opposed to that? >> the cubans are saying what do we care if maduro has his assets frozen in the united states? it's a ridiculous slap on the wrist. i do think -- normally i'm not in favor of unilateral action like that, but i do think in this case it could make a difference because most of the oil, much of the oil thatne venezuela sends to other countries like china and russia, they don't get any money more that that. they are repaying debt with that oil.

and so the united states is the place that's paying them cash, is so it definitely could hit them. but i think we should also keep in mind that the last thing they're going to do is feed the people. in other words, if they have only $1 billion in revenues, they're not going to feed the people. paul: thank you, mary. we have to take one more break. when we come back, we rememberfu our friend and colleague, joe ray go. trust safelite autoglass to fix it fast, and we'll get you back on the road! [dog barks] ♪safelite repair, safelite replace.♪

paul: finally this week, we remember our beloved friend and colleague joe ray go who died on july 20th at the age of 34. the oldest son of nancy and paul rego, joe grew up in massachusetts with his brotherre adam and sister grace. he majored in history at dartmouth college where he was editor-in-chief of the dartmouth review. after graduating this -- in 2005, joe joined "the wallrial street journal" editorial page and quickly rose through the ranks writing more than 1300 editorials during his 12 years at the paper and appearing on

"the journal editorial report" more than 130 times.s. his greatest contribution to both, his expertise on health o care and his insight into the long and often heated debate over the affordable care act. joe made his first appearance on the show in september 2007 discussing then-presidential candidate hillary clinton's health care reform plan. >> she offers tax credits to small businesses so they won't have to participate p in the new business taxes. the other thing she does is gives a temporary tax credit to the large manufacturers such as the auto and steel industries. and they're only too happy to dump their health care liabilities on the government. paul: and almost ten years later in his final appearance last o month, he chronicled the republicans' struggle to repeal and replace the law now known as obamacare. >> it's a structural reform that makes changes over the long term. that's the type of change we need in washington. ♪

paul: joe won a pulitzer prizeed in 2011 for his health care editorials, but his writing and contributions to this program covered many subjects from amazon and antitrust to congressional follies and presidential politics. >> democrats want to make this a referendum on donald trump, and donald trump seems thrilled that democrats want to talk about his favorite subject which, of course, is donald trump. that's just who he is. [laughter] paul: a cherished colleague, joe could disagree without attacking people personally, and he always brought a gentle touch and sly sense of humor to his appearances on the show. >> a miss to the reality-free zone known as california. we're having one of the worst flu seasons in decades, so iff you know anything about the food and drug administration's methods, it probably means they're blocking some new therapy. [laughter] obviously, this is a hit for scientific advance and progress, but it's also a reminder that if things don't work out with this presidential race, there's always outer space. [laughter]

paul: as we mourn his loss, we also celebrate his life and brilliant, if too short, career and take comfort knowing that joe's work made america a freero and better country. ♪ ♪ arthel: hello, everybody, welcome to "america's news headquarters." rick: and i'm rick leventhal. china putting new pressure on north korea to halt its missile and nuclear tests just one day after the u.n. security council slapped its toughest sanctions yet on the rogue regime. arthel: and reaction pouring in after an explosive device tore through a minnesota mosque. what the fbi is saying about potential suspects. rick: plus, a possible tornado caused a path of destruction through one major u.s. city. why forecasters say the threat is far there over.