1. American detainees
return

2. Early Thursday morning, a triumphant President Trump welcomed home three American detainees who had been held in North Korea. Trump, along with first lady Melania Trump, clapped and smiled as the men -- Kim Dong Chul, Kim Hak-song and Kim Sang Duk -- walked off the plane at Joint Base Andrews, located a few miles southeast of Washington, D.C. in Maryland. One of the men said his release felt "like a dream." This is a huge diplomatic victory for Trump and a major milestone ahead of his upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The President thanked Kim Jong Un, saying it was "nice" of him to release the men ahead of the summit. The White House Wednesday said they viewed the action to release the Americans as a "gesture of good will.” The men were taken to Walter Reed Medical Center for medical treatment. Trump then met with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo -- who secured the men's release during his 13-hour visit to North Korea -- to talk about the summit, which sources say will be held in Singapore. A new poll shows three-quarters of Americans approve of Trump's decision to meet with Kim Jong Un. Trump has previously said the release of the three men was part of working towards the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

3. In Other News
It was a volatile night in the Golan Heights as Israel and Iran traded fire. More than 20 rockets were fired into Israel from Syria. Many of the rockets were stopped by Israel's Iron Dome defense system. The Israelis say an elite division of Iran's Revolutionary Guard operating in Syria was responsible for the rocket fire. Israel responded with airstrikes of its own on targets in Syria. It was the most direct confrontation yet between the two regional enemies.
As federal investigators continue to probe Michael Cohen's business dealings, another part of his life draws new scrutiny: his aggressive pitch promising access to President Trump after the 2016 election. According to sources, Trump's personal attorney, landed several lucrative consulting deals by pitching himself as the person who could help companies get close to the most powerful man in the world. Cohen was paid $1.2 million by pharmaceutical giant Novartis; at least $200,000 by AT&T; $150,000 by Korea Aerospace Industries and about $500,000 from a company linked to Viktor Vekselberg, a Russian oligarch with close ties to the Kremlin. Cohen has not been accused of wrongdoing, but some say what he did looks a lot like influence peddling.
Gina Haspel, Trump's nominee for CIA director, faced hard questions from the Senate Intelligence Committee about her role in the detention and harsh interrogation program set up during George W. Bush's administration after 9/11. She said she wouldn't restart the program, but she didn't explicitly criticize waterboarding and other interrogation tactics that some say were nothing less than torture. The Senate vote is expected to be very close.
Lava. Earthquakes. Lethal gas. Residents on the Big Island have been dealing with those woes, caused by the erupting Kilauea volcano, for a week. Now they've got something else to worry about -- explosive eruptions that could hurl rocks and debris. This could happen in the coming weeks as lava inside Kilauea's crater sinks and interacts with groundwater, cause steam explosions. There are also concerns that the lava -- which has covered an area of land equal to about 100 football fields -- could hit a geothermal plant where flammable liquids are stored.