Comey Gives Up Lawsuit Challenging House Subpoena, Will Testify

Washington— Former FBI director James Comey will appear voluntarily on Friday before the House Judiciary Committee, which has agreed to withdraw a subpoena, Comey’s attorney said Sunday.

In a three-paragraph joint court filing on Sunday, Comey’s lawyers also withdrew his request to a federal judge to quash the subpoena to testify before the House judiciary and oversight committees, writing, “Mr. Comey appreciates the Court’s attention to the above-captioned matter, but has now reached an acceptable accommodation with U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary for voluntary testimony.”

Lawyers for the U.S. House of Representatives consented to Comey’s move to drop the case.

Comey agreed to sit for a voluntary interview on Friday under terms that include that “so long as the interview proceeds as a voluntary interview, an FBI representative will be present to advise concerning the disclosure of FBI information,” said his lawyer David N. Kelley.

Count of the Missing in Camp Fire In California Down to 25

The latest tally of people missing in the Camp fire has dropped to 25, authorities said.

Friends and family initially reported more than 3,100 people missing, according to the Butte County Sheriff’s Office. But the number has steadily declined during weeks of nonstop searching since the fire exploded across Paradise and neighboring towns, incinerating homes, hospitals, businesses, churches and schools.

Authorities eased some evacuation orders Sunday. The Sheriff’s Office said residents of some parts of Magalia and Concow would be allowed in with identification.

The fire started Nov. 8, causing 88 deaths — with officials tentatively identifying 42 victims and positively identifying 41.

Butte County Sheriff Kory L. Honea said earlier that he and his team “are doing everything in our power” to find the remains of those reported lost or missing. The remains already found are “nearly completely consumed” by fire, he said.

The Camp fire also injured 12 civilians and five firefighters, and destroyed more than 18,800 structures, with most of the damage occurring the first two days.

Officials contained the fire Nov. 25.

Trump Praises Xi’s Pledge to Crack Down on Fentanyl Flow Into Us

Buenos Aires, Argentina — �� President Donald Trump and his advisers said they won a promise from Chinese President Xi Jinping to crack down on fentanyl, a synthetic opioid blamed for thousands of overdose deaths in the U.S. The pledge to enhance cooperation with the U.S. to fight illegal drugs including fentanyl and related substances emerged from a dinner between Trump and Xi Saturday night that yielded a truce in the trade war between the two countries. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said afterward in a statement that, as part of the agreement, China will tighten supervision of fentanyl and revise rules on the drug, while enhancing law enforcement work with the U.S.

Trump said Xi had also agreed to rank fentanyl trafficking among the most serious crimes in China. “Therefore, if they get caught, they have the highest level of punishment,” he said.

— Wire reports