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Por qué algunas personas duermen poco y no experimentan consecuencias en la salud

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Investigadores de la Universidad de California identifican variantes genéticas que permiten dormir menos sin afectar la salud

Dormir entre siete y nueve horas diarias se considera la recomendación básica para garantizar el buen funcionamiento físico y mental. Sin embargo, según reportó Knowable Magazineexiste un grupo minoritario de personas que apenas requieren cuatro o seis horas de sueño cada noche y no muestran consecuencias negativas para su salud. Estos individuos, denominados “natural short sleepers” (dormidores cortos naturales) , desafían la visión tradicional sobre la cantidad de descanso que necesita la mayoría de la población.

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La comunidad científica, liderada por el neurólogo Louis Ptáček y la genetista Ying-Hui Fu, ambos de la Universidad de California, San Francisco, ha identificado que la razón de este fenómeno radica en la genética.

El modelo tradicional del sueño
El modelo tradicional del sueño es desafiado por la existencia de personas con mutaciones genéticas que requieren menos descanso (Freepik)

Los estudios de estos investigadores permitieron detectar varios genes asociados al sueño corto y eficiente, entre los que destacan DEC2ADRB1NPSR1 y GRM1. Las personas portadoras de ciertas mutaciones en estos genes parecen tener un sueño más eficiente, procesando en menos horas lo que a otros les lleva casi el doble de tiempo.

A diferencia de quienes sufren privación crónica de sueño, los short sleepers no experimentan afectaciones cognitivas, metabólicas ni inmunológicas, de acuerdo con los resultados recogidos por Knowable Magazine. Resisten el estrés, muestran una alta capacidad de recuperación y, en algunos casos, suelen ser personas energéticas, optimistas y posiblemente con una mayor longevidad, como sugiere la literatura científica reciente.

Este fenómeno contradice el modelo propuesto por Alexander Borbély en los años 70, que plantea la alternancia entre ritmo circadiano y presión homeostática de sueño. La existencia de este grupo evidencia que aún quedan aspectos por descubrir sobre la función y regulación del sueño.

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El neurólogo Louis Ptáček destaca que, a pesar de dedicar un tercio de la vida a dormir, la naturaleza y el propósito real del sueño continúan siendo un enigma.

Los genes DEC2, ADRB1, NPSR1
Los genes DEC2, ADRB1, NPSR1 y GRM1 están asociados a un sueño corto y eficiente en los llamados ‘dormidores cortos naturales’ (Unsplash)

El sueño se comprende hoy como un fenómeno dinámico esencial para el cerebro y el cuerpo, que permite reponer energía, eliminar residuos y consolidar recuerdos. La privación crónica se asocia a deficiencias de memoria, trastornos metabólicos, enfermedades cardíacas y fragilidad inmune. La reducción de las horas de descanso, incentivada con la aparición de la bombilla eléctrica, es particularmente notable en Estados Unidos, donde aumenta la cantidad de personas que duermen menos de cinco horas diarias.

Los avances en genética han permitido localizar variantes asociadas a este patrón. La mutación DEC2 fue la primera identificada, tras estudiar a una familia cuyos miembros despertaban temprano y se sentían completamente recuperados tras solo seis horas de descanso. En modelos animales, esta mutación generó una menor necesidad de sueño y mayor producción de orexina, hormona que promueve la vigilia.

Actualmente, se han identificado siete genes relacionados con el sueño corto natural. La mutación ADRB1 incrementa la facilidad para despertar y prolongar la vigilia; otra variante en el NPSR1 posibilita dormir poco sin deterioro cognitivo relevante; también se hallaron alteraciones en GRM1 relacionadas con una gestión más eficiente del sueño.

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Las personas que duermen poco y se mantienen sanas parecen inmunes a las consecuencias negativas del insomnio clásico y además muestran una conducta ambiciosa, resiliente y tolerante al dolor. Algunas investigaciones citadas por Smithsonian Magazine consideran incluso que podrían disfrutar de una esperanza de vida mayor que el promedio.

Frente a estos hallazgos, científicos como Ptáček proponen incluir un tercer elemento al modelo tradicional del sueño: el impulso conductual. Este impulso explicaría cómo ciertos individuos superan las barreras biológicas y cumplen con sus tareas pese a dormir menos. Otra hipótesis apunta a que sus cerebros terminan los procesos de recuperación y limpieza con mayor eficiencia en menor tiempo.

El entorno y la genética
El entorno y la genética influyen en la cantidad de sueño necesaria, abriendo nuevas estrategias para mejorar la salud general (Freepik)

El trabajo de Phyllis Zee, directora del Centro de Medicina Circadiana y del Sueño en la Universidad Northwestern, se centra en la calidad del descanso. Investiga si los dormidores cortos concentran fases más reparadoras y aceleran la eliminación de residuos cerebrales. En línea con esta visión, Fu comenta: “Sea lo que sea que su cuerpo necesita hacer durante el sueño, pueden hacerlo en poco tiempo”.

El equipo de Fu halló que los genes del sueño corto natural mejoran la capacidad para eliminar sustancias tóxicas vinculadas al deterioro cerebral.

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Aunque se han detectado mutaciones que brindan resistencia a los efectos adversos de dormir poco, persiste la incógnita sobre el modo exacto en que alteran la eficiencia del sueño. Para encontrar respuestas, Fu y Ptáček examinan la actividad cerebral de los dormidores cortos, aunque la pandemia de Covid-19 ralentizó el progreso de sus estudios.

Existen también mutaciones que provocan un requerimiento superior de horas de sueño. Sin embargo, estas personas enfrentan obstáculos sociales, pues los horarios laborales y educativos suelen oponerse a sus ritmos biológicos, lo que aumenta el riesgo de privación y problemas de salud mental.

Aunque la genética es decisiva, el entorno también influye en cuántas horas necesita dormir una persona. Investigar los mecanismos de eficiencia abre la puerta a nuevas estrategias para proteger la salud general. Por ejemplo, en el laboratorio de Zee se empleó ruido rosa para estimular la memoria sin modificar la duración del sueño, logrando mejoras cognitivas en los participantes.

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Los especialistas recalcan que cada individuo debe adaptar sus hábitos de descanso a sus propias necesidades. Ptáček rechaza los estándares rígidos y compara la recomendación universal de ocho horas con suponer que toda la población debe tener una sola altura.

Dormir bien no tiene una fórmula única: la genética y la eficiencia pueden marcar la diferencia.

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Donald Trump sabía desde mayo que «aparece en múltiples ocasiones» en los archivos del escándalo de Jeffrey Epstein

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El presidente de EE.UU., Donald Trump, fue informado desde mayo pasado por funcionarios de su Departamento de Justicia que su nombre aparece en «múltiples ocasiones» en los archivos del polémico caso contra el pederasta Jeffrey Epstein, reportó este miércoles The Wall Street Journal.

Citando a altos funcionarios de la Administración del republicano, el WSJ afirma que la fiscal general, Pam Bondi, y su número dos, Todd Blanche, comunicaron al mandatario que su nombre figuraba en los documentos junto a otras figuras conocidas.

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El presidente negó la semana pasada que Bondi le hubiera informado sobre si su nombre figuraba en los archivos.

En la «sesión informativa de rutina», donde este no era el tema central, Bondi y su equipo habrían informado a Trump que los archivos contenían lo que consideraron como «rumores no verificados sobre muchas personas, incluido Trump, que habían tenido contacto con Epstein en el pasado».

Según The Wall Street Journal, una de las fuentes con conocimiento de los documentos afirmó que estos «incluyen cientos de nombres más».

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Los directivos del Departamento de Justicia (DOJ) también habrían informado a Trump que no planeaban publicar más detalles sobre el caso, después de que confirmaran a inicios de julio que no había evidencias sobre la existencia de una «lista de clientes» a los que el magnate chantajeaba además de afirmar que el pederasta murió por suicidio en una prisión federal en 2019.

Estos hallazgos han provocado la ira de los miembros del movimiento Make America Great Again (MAGA) contra la Administración del republicano, que había prometido en campaña publicar dicha lista, una supuesta agenda de cómplices de Epstein que incluiría a celebridades y políticos influyentes que ha sido por años el centro de numerosas teorías de conspiración de la ultraderecha.

La fiscal general Pam Bondi. Foto The New York Times

La renovación del interés sobre el caso ha frustrado a Trump, que ha tratado de redirigir sin mucho éxito el descontento de su base.

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La polémica sobre el caso fue avivada la semana pasada con la publicación también por The Wall Street Journal de una supuesta carta de contenido «obsceno» enviada por Trump a Epstein durante los años en los que eran amigos, algo que el presidente ha negado categóricamente diciendo la nota es «falsa» y por la que ha demandado al rotativo.

Presiones de los demócratas

Los demócratas de la Cámara de Representantes iniciaron este miércoles un intento de citar al Departamento de Justicia del presidente Donald Trump para obtener archivos de la investigación de tráfico sexual de Jeffrey Epstein, incitando a los legisladores republicanos a desafiar a Trump y a los líderes de su partido para apoyar la acción.

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Los demócratas de un subcomité de la poderosa Comisión de Supervisión de la Cámara presentaron una moción para la citación, pocas horas antes del final de su sesión de trabajo de julio y de que los legisladores salieran de Washington para un receso de un mes.

Donald Trump habla con Jeffrey Epstein, durante una fiesta en Mar-a-Largo, Florida./ Captura de videoDonald Trump habla con Jeffrey Epstein, durante una fiesta en Mar-a-Largo, Florida./ Captura de video

El presidente republicano del subcomité, el representante de Luisiana Clay Higgins, pospuso una votación sobre el asunto hasta el final de la reunión. Aunque varios republicanos del panel forman parte de una facción de derecha y han pedido la liberación de los archivos, no se sabe si votarían a favor de la citación.

Durante una breve pausa en la reunión, Higgins dijo a los periodistas que esperaba que la moción para la citación se aprobara con algunos cambios.

“Si el Partido Republicano, si nuestros colegas de este comité no se unen a nosotros en esta votación, entonces lo que están haciendo esencialmente es unirse al presidente Donald Trump en complicidad”, dijo a los periodistas la representante demócrata de Pensilvania Summer Lee, que presentó la moción para la citación.

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La medida tomada por los demócratas muestra cómo hicieron prácticamente todo lo posible para obligar a los republicanos a actuar con respecto a los archivos de Epstein. El presidente de la Cámara, Mike Johnson, atrapado entre las demandas de Trump y el clamor de sus propios miembros para que la Cámara actúe, ha resistido los llamados a la acción y se preparó para enviar a la Cámara a casa un día antes.

Johnson dijo el miércoles por la mañana a los periodistas que no había necesidad de votar esta semana sobre la legislación que pedía la liberación de los archivos de Epstein porque el gobierno de Trump “ya está haciendo todo lo posible para liberarlos”.

Sin embargo, los demócratas se han regocijado esta semana en presionar a los republicanos para que apoyen la liberación de los archivos. Sus esfuerzos detuvieron la agenda legislativa del Partido Republicano para la semana y dirigieron la atención a un tema que Trump ha implorado a sus seguidores que olviden.

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“Están huyendo de nuestro trabajo, de nuestro deber y enviándonos a casa porque no quieren votar para liberar estos archivos. Esto es algo en lo que basaron su campaña. Esto es algo de lo que hablaron: la importancia de la transparencia, de hacer que los pedófilos rindan cuentas”, dijo Lee.

Los líderes demócratas esperan hacer del tema algo mucho más que solo Epstein, quien murió en su celda de Nueva York hace seis años mientras esperaba juicio por cargos de tráfico sexual.

”¿Por qué los republicanos no han liberado los archivos de Epstein al pueblo estadounidense? Es razonable concluir que continúan protegiendo los estilos de vida de los ricos y desvergonzados, aun si eso incluye a pedófilos”, dijo el líder demócrata de la Cámara, Hakeem Jeffries, en una conferencia de prensa. “Así que todo está conectado”.

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Russia sat on intel of Hillary Clinton’s alleged ‘heavy tranquilizers’ use, new docs claim

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Russia allegedly had intelligence suggesting that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was taking «heavy tranquilizers,» which former President Barack Obama and Democratic Party leaders found to be «extraordinarily alarming,» a newly declassified intelligence report claims. 

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Fox News Digital first reported that the U.S. intelligence community did not have any direct information that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to help elect Donald Trump during the 2016 election, but, at the «unusual» direction of then-President Obama, reportedly published «potentially biased» or «implausible» intelligence suggesting otherwise.

BRENNAN DIRECTED PUBLICATION OF ‘IMPLAUSIBLE’ REPORTS CLAIMING PUTIN PREFERRED TRUMP IN 2016, HOUSE FOUND

The information came from a report declassified by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. The report was prepared by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in 2020.

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The report, which was based on an investigation launched by former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., was dated Sept. 18, 2020. At the time of the publication of the report, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., was the chairman of the committee. 

The report had never before been released to the public, and instead, remained highly classified within the intelligence community.

Fox News Digital obtained the «fully-sourced limited-access investigation report that was drafted and stored in a limited-access vault at CIA Headquarters.» The report includes some redactions.

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One section of the report states that the material in Putin’s possession included Russian intelligence on Democratic National Committee information allegedly showing that senior Democrat leaders found Clinton’s health to be «extraordinarily alarming.» 

Then-President Obama stands with then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. (AP)

«As of September 2016, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service had DNC information that President Obama and Party leaders found the state of Secretary Clinton’s health to be ‘extraordinarily alarming,’ and felt it could have ‘serious negative impact’ on her election prospects,» the report states. «Her health information was being kept in ‘strictest secrecy’ and even close advisors were not being fully informed.» 

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The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service also allegedly had DNC communications that showed that «Clinton was suffering from ‘intensified psycho-emotional problems, including uncontrolled fits of anger, aggression, and cheerfulness.’» 

«Clinton was placed on a daily regimen of ‘heavy tranquilizers’ and while afraid of losing, she remained ‘obsessed with a thirst for power,’» the report states.

The Russians also allegedly had information that Clinton «suffered from ‘Type 2 diabetes, Ischemic heart disease, deep vein thrombosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.’»

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The Russians also allegedly possessed a «campaign email discussing a plan approved by Secretary Clinton to link Putin and Russian hackers to candidate Trump in order to ‘distract the American public’ from the Clinton email server scandal.» 

Gabbard, during the White House press briefing Wednesday, said there were «high level DNC emails that detailed evidence of Hillary’s, quote, psycho-emotional problems, uncontrolled fits of anger, aggression and cheerfulness, and that then Secretary Clinton was allegedly on a daily regimen of heavy tranquilizers.» 

«Then CIA Director Brennan and the intelligence community mischaracterized intelligence and relied on dubious, substandard sources to create a contrived false narrative that Putin developed a, quote unquote, ‘clear preference’ for Trump,» Gabbard said. «Brennan and the IC misled lawmakers by referencing the debunked Steele dossier to assess, quote unquote, ‘Russia’s plans and intentions,’ falsely suggesting that this dossier had intelligence value when he knew that it was discredited, the intelligence community excluded significant intelligence and ignored or selectively quoted reliable intelligence that contradicted the intelligence community assessments.» 

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«Key findings on Putin’s alleged support for Trump, including this intelligence reporting, would have exposed the ICA’s claim as implausible, if not ridiculous,» she said. 

Neither Clinton nor Obama responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

A tranquilizer is a drug used to reduce mental disturbance, such as anxiety and tension. Tranquilizers are typically prescribed to individuals suffering from anxiety, sleep disturbances and related conditions affecting their mental and physical health. 

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OBAMA OFFICIALS ADMITTED THEY HAD NO ‘EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE’ OF TRUMP-RUSSIA COLLUSION: HOUSE INTEL TRANSCRIPTS

Fox News Digital, in 2020, first reported on the «Clinton Plan.»

President Barack Obama waves on stage with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during a rally at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Monday, Nov. 7, 2016. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Barack Obama waves on stage with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during a rally at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Nov. 7, 2016. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/The Associated Press)

On July 28, 2016, then-CIA Director John Brennan briefed Obama on a plan from one of Clinton’s campaign foreign policy advisors allegedly «to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by the Russian security service.» 

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Comey, Vice President Joe Biden, Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper were in the Brennan–Obama briefing.

After that briefing, the CIA reportedly properly forwarded that information through a Counterintelligence Operational Lead (CIOL) to Comey and Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Peter Strzok, with the subject line: «Crossfire Hurricane.»

Fox News Digital exclusively obtained and reported on the CIOL in October 2020, which stated: «The following information is provided for the exclusive use of your bureau for background investigative action or lead purposes as appropriate.»

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«Per FBI verbal request, CIA provides the below examples of information the CROSSFIRE HURRICANE fusion cell has gleaned to date,» the memo continued. «An exchange (REDACTED) discussing US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s approval of a plan concerning US presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russian hackers hampering US elections as a means of distracting the public from her use of a private email server.»

Barack Obama and John Brennan at the White House

President Barack Obama in the East Room of the White House announcing he was nominating John Brennan as the new CIA director. (Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images)

The FBI on July 31, 2016, opened a counterintelligence investigation into whether candidate Trump and members of his campaign were colluding or coordinating with Russia to influence the 2016 campaign. That investigation was referred to inside the bureau as «Crossfire Hurricane.»

OBAMA ADMIN ‘MANUFACTURED’ INTELLIGENCE TO CREATE 2016 RUSSIAN ELECTION INTERFERENCE NARRATIVE, DOCUMENTS SHOW

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Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller was appointed to take over the FBI’s original «Crossfire Hurricane» investigation. After nearly two years, Mueller’s investigation, which concluded in March 2019, yielded no evidence of criminal conspiracy or coordination between the Trump campaign and Russian officials during the 2016 presidential election.

Shortly after, John Durham was appointed as special counsel to investigate the origins of the «Crossfire Hurricane» probe.

Durham found that the FBI «failed to act» on a «clear warning sign» that the bureau was the «target» of a Clinton-led effort to «manipulate or influence the law enforcement process for political purposes» ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

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Obama meets with Lynch, Comey and others in White House meeting.

President Barack Obama speaks to the media after meeting with Attorney General Loretta Lynch and FBI Director James Comey in the Oval Office at the White House on July 19, 2016. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

«The aforementioned facts reflect a rather startling and inexplicable failure to adequately consider and incorporate the Clinton Plan intelligence into the FBI’s investigative decision-making in the Crossfire Hurricane investigation,» Durham’s report states.

«Indeed, had the FBI opened the Crossfire Hurricane investigation as an assessment and, in turn, gathered and analyzed data in concert with the information from the Clinton Plan intelligence, it is likely that the information received would have been examined, at a minimum, with a more critical eye,» the report continued.

Durham, in his report, said the FBI «failed to act on what should have been – when combined with other incontrovertible facts – a clear warning sign that the FBI might then be the target of an effort to manipulate or influence the law enforcement process for political purposes during the 2016 presidential election.»

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Meanwhile, the report states that Brennan «ordered the post-election publication of 15 reports containing previously collected but unpublished intelligence, three of which were substandard – containing information that was unclear, of uncertain origin, potentially biased, or implausible – and those became foundational sources for the ICA judgments that Putin preferred Trump over Clinton.»

FBI LAUNCHES CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS OF JOHN BRENNAN, JAMES COMEY: DOJ SOURCES

«The ICA misrepresented these reports as reliable, without mentioning their significant underlying flaws,» the committee found.

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«One scant, unclear, and unverifiable fragment of a sentence from one of the substandard reports constitutes the only classified information cited to suggest Putin ‘aspired’ to help Trump win,» the report states, adding that the ICA «ignored or selectively quoted reliable intelligence reports that challenged-and in some cases undermined – judgments that Putin sought to elect Trump.»

The report also states that the ICA «failed to consider plausible alternative explanations of Putin’s intentions indicated by reliable intelligence and observed Russian actions.»

The committee also found that two senior CIA officers reportedly warned Brennan that «we don’t have direct information that Putin wanted to get Trump elected.»

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Despite those warnings, the Obama administration moved to publish the ICA.

The report also includes intelligence from a longtime Putin confidant who explained to investigators that «Putin told him he did not care who won the election,» and that Putin «had often outlined the weaknesses of both major candidates.»

FLASHBACK: DNI DECLASSIFIES BRENNAN NOTES, CIA MEMO ON HILLARY CLINTON ‘STIRRING UP’ SCANDAL BETWEEN TRUMP, RUSSIA

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The report also stated that the ICA committed context showing that the claim that Putin preferred Trump was «implausible – if not ridiculous.»

The committee also found that the ICA suppressed intelligence that showed that Russia was actually planning for a Clinton victory because «they knew where (she) stood» and believed Russia «could work with her.»

The declassification of the report comes just days after Gabbard declassified and released documents that included «overwhelming evidence» that demonstrated how, after Trump won the 2016 election against Clinton, then-President Obama and his national security team laid the groundwork for what would be the yearslong Trump–Russia collusion probe.

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John durham special counsel

Special Counsel John Durham (Ron Sachs/Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Fox News Digital, in 2020, exclusively obtained the declassified transcripts from Obama-era national security officials’ closed-door testimonies before the House Intelligence Committee, in which those officials testified that they had no «empirical evidence» of a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia in the 2016 election, but continued to publicly push the «narrative» of collusion.

DURHAM TESTIFIES THAT THE FBI IGNORED HILLARY CLINTON PLAN TO LINK TRUMP TO RUSSIA

The House Intelligence Committee, in 2017, conducted depositions of top Obama intelligence officials, including Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, National Security Advisor Susan Rice and Attorney General Loretta Lynch, among others.

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The transcripts, from 2017 and 2018, revealed top Obama officials were questioned by House Intelligence Committee lawmakers and investigators about whether they had or had seen evidence of such collusion, coordination or conspiracy – the issue that drove the FBI’s initial case and later the special counsel probe.

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«I never saw any direct empirical evidence that the Trump campaign or someone in it was plotting/conspiring with the Russians to meddle with the election,» Clapper testified in 2017. «That’s not to say that there weren’t concerns about the evidence we were seeing, anecdotal evidence…. But I do not recall any instance where I had direct evidence.»

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Zelenskyy forced to rethink anti-corruption law after public backlash

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to introduce new legislation that will restore the independence of anti-corruption agencies in Ukraine after fierce public opposition and international condemnation over signing a law that targeted Ukraine’s independent anti-corruption institutions.

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In a sudden turn of events, Zelenskyy posted a video on X in which he said, «Of course, everyone has heard what people are saying these days – on social media, to each other, on the streets. It’s not falling on deaf ears. We analyzed all concerns, all aspects of what needs to be changed and what needs to be stepped up.

«I will propose a bill to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine that will be the response. It will ensure the strength of the rule of law system, and there will be no Russian influence or interference in the activities of law enforcement. And very importantly – all the norms for the independence of anti-corruption institutions will be in place,» he said according to a translated version on the screen.

UKRAINE SEES SWEEPING PROTESTS OVER BILL WEAKENING ANTI-CORRUPTION AGENCIES

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Mass protests erupted in Kyiv and across Ukraine in opposition to the law, the largest anti-government demonstrations since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called Zelenskyy to express her strong concerns and convey Brussels’ disapproval of the bill.

One source close to the situation, who asked to remain anonymous, told Fox News Digital that the incident should give President Zelenskyy pause as to whether he is getting the best counsel from his closest people. 

The individual with ties to the Ukraine government said this propaganda bonanza for Russia is a self-inflicted wound and also shows the president and his team have misread public sentiment.

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Many Ukrainians and Western allies fear the current turmoil could jeopardize their path to join the European Union and fracture society’s unity while the country faces continued Russian onslaughts.

Although he signed the original bill, Zelenskyy said with the announcement of the new bill that it will ensure the independence of anti-corruption bodies and also eliminate Russian influence over their activities. In defending the previous legislation, he claimed that Ukraine’s anti-corruption infrastructure was infiltrated by Russia.

Ukrainians protest in the first wartime rally against a newly passed law, which curbs independence of anti-corruption institutions, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in central Lviv, Ukraine July 22, 2025.  (Roman Baluk/Reuters)

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The previous bill that passed on Tuesday allowed Ukraine’s Prosecutor General, appointed by the president, wide authority over cases before the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), an anti-corruption agency that was championed by the United States and Europe. It gave the prosecutor general the sweeping power to transfer cases from NABU and usurp other powers from the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), the agency responsible for prosecuting NABU’s cases.

UKRAINE’S ZELENSKYY NAMES NEW PRIME MINISTER FOR FIRST TIME SINCE RUSSIA’S WAR BEGAN

«That is tantamount to being able to squash any legal accountability for corruption,» Josh Rudolph, anti-corruption expert and senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund, told Fox News Digital.

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Rudolph noted that the heads of NABU and SAPO are highly reputable professionals and were selected with the concurrence of Ukraine’s international partners, a key component of joining the EU.

«Zelenskyy could have come out as a hero or a villain if he signed the bill. It was a moment of truth,» Orysia Lutsevych, Head of Ukraine Forum, Chatham House, told Fox News Digital. Even though Zelenskyy listened to public opinion and ultimately backed down, his overall popularity continues to take a hit.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (not in picture) hold a joint press conference during the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 (URC2025) at Roma Convention Center La Nuvola, on July 10, 2025 in Rome, Italy (Antonio Masiello/Getty Image)

Ukraine has been plagued by government corruption since declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Many Ukraine watchers are worried that efforts to rollback anti-corruption initiatives will be fodder for Russian propaganda and fracture Ukraine’s unity at a critical time in the war.

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«Russia can and will use Ukraine’s move to restructure anti-corruption agencies to argue lack of unity, support for the government, and internal disagreements. It will again apply its propaganda arguments about legitimacy of Zelenskyy and the need for elections,» Tymofiy Mylovanov, President of Kyiv School of Economics, told Fox News Digital.

Putin

In this handout photo taken from video released by Russian Presidential Press Service, Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the nation in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023.  (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP)

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Russian President Vladimir Putin claims Zelenskyy is illegitimate and has called for new elections in Ukraine. Elections were scheduled for March 2024 but postponed while the country remains at war and under martial law.

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The disunity within Ukraine comes at a time when Russian forces are escalating large-scale missile and drone strikes in Kyiv and across the country. Russian forces continue to make advances while Kyiv urgently pleads with Europe and the United States to send air defense systems and other key weapons to limit Moscow’s battlefield gains.


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