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State Dept. warned White House about possible increased threats after anti-Muslim tweets

State Dept. warned White House about possible increased threats after anti-Muslim tweets STORY HIGHLIGHTS The tweets appeared to depict Muslims engaged in different acts of violence "It didn't manifest in anything actionable, but it was a big concern," one State Department official said Washington (CNN) After President  Donald Trump retweeted anti-Muslims videos on Wednesday , multiple State Department officials said the department communicated to the White House that there was concern that protests could happen at US embassies. Officials feared that the tweets, which appeared to depict Muslims engaged in different acts of violence, would spark a reprise of the violent protests at US embassies in the Middle East which are already on high security alert. Protests erupted in September 2012 following the publication of an anti-Muslim video on the internet. Embassies were on alert throughout the day, although no incidents have been reported thus far

Spanish court withdraws arrest warrant for ousted Catalan leader

Spanish court withdraws arrest warrant for ousted Catalan leader (CNN) The Spanish supreme court has withdrawn a European arrest warrant for the ousted president of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont. Puigdemont fled to Belgium after the failure of his attempt to secure independence for the autonomous Spanish region following a referendum on October 1.The referendum had been ruled illegal. Judge Pablo Llarena also withdrew warrants for the arrest of four other Catalan politicians who fled Spain with Puigdemont: Antoni Comin, Lluis Puig, Meritxell Serret and Clara Ponsati. The decision does not mean that Puigdemont, who faces charges of rebellion, would not be arrested if he returned to Spain. Campaigning began Tuesday in Catalonia for fresh regional elections on December 21. On Monday, a Belgian court said it would rule on December 14 whether to extradite Puigdemont whilst a court in Spain decided to keep the  former Catalan vice-president Oriol Junqueras and three other seni

Russia investigation zeroes in on Trump inner circle

Russia investigation zeroes in on Trump inner circle STORY HIGHLIGHTS Mueller charged Flynn with one count of lying to the FBI It raises questions about how high up Mueller's investigation will reach Washington (CNN) Michael Flynn's downfall  Friday exacerbated grave legal and political risks that represent the most serious threat to any administration for at least 40 years, and could eventually imperil the Trump presidency itself. The plea deal cut by the fired national security adviser with Special Counsel Robert Mueller undermines much of what the White House has said about the Russia controversy engulfing the presidency. It means there is now no credible way for  President Donald Trump  to claim the Russia investigation is a hoax, made up, fake news or a witch hunt. It raises questions about who higher up the chain of command in Trump's orbit -- possibly even including the President himself -- is in Mueller's sights after he agreed to