Subject: FW: Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for Friday, October 26, 2018
From: "Kathy Chung" <[email-masked]>
To: "Ashley Blazer Biden" <[email-masked]>, "Hunter Biden" <[email-masked]>, "Jill Tracy Biden" <[email-masked]>, "Jimmy Biden" <[email-masked]>, "Valerie Biden Owens" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2018 11:04:08 -0400

Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing

*From:* Bulletin Intelligence <[email-masked]>
*Sent:* Friday, October 26, 2018 7:59 AM
*To:* [email-masked]
*Subject:* Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for Friday,
October 26, 2018

*Click to access
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=000-307&t=c>
mobile-optimized online version, including download options and an audio
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[image: Image removed by sender. Office of Vice President Biden
Intelligence Briefing]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=001-95e&t=c>

*To: Vice President Joe Biden*

*Friday, October 26, 2018 8:00 AM EDT*
Today's Table of Contents

*Biden in the News <#SECTION_1>*

• Biden On Bombs: “We’ve Got To Get Off This Machine” And “Come Together.”
<#S1>

• Despite Threats, Biden To Appear In Connecticut Today, Ohio On Monday.
<#S2>

• Biden To Campaign For Delgado In New York Today. <#S3>

• Biden To Headline Rally For Iowa Democrats In Cedar Rapids On Tuesday.
<#S4>

• Biden To Campaign For Baldwin, Evers In Wisconsin On Tuesday. <#S5>

*Leading the News <#SECTION_2>*

• As Biden, De Niro Get Bombs, Investigators Focus On Florida Mail-Sorting
Facility. <#S6>

• In Late-Night Tweet, Trump Says CNN “Blaming” Him For “Current Spate Of
Bombs.” <#S7>

• Curbelo Under Police Protection After Getting Death Threat. <#S8>

*Foreign Policy <#SECTION_3>*

• Haspel Briefs Trump On Khashoggi Killing As Saudis Now Say It Was
Premeditated. <#S9>

• NATO Allies Urge Trump To Renegotiate INF Instead Of Withdrawing. <#S10>

• Foreign Policy: Bolton, Deputy Seeking To Oust Mattis. <#S11>

• China Cutting Back On Iran Oil Purchases. <#S12>

• Greenblatt To Travel To Israel Next Week For Talks On Peace Plan. <#S13>

• Pakistan Releases Taliban Deputy Amid Push For Afghan Peace Talks. <#S14>

• Administration Limits Congressional Access To North Korea Intelligence.
<#S15>

• Officials: US Won’t Resume Trade Talks Without Firm Proposal From China.
<#S16>

*Domestic Policy <#SECTION_4>*

• Trump To Deploy Troops, Weighs Shutting Southern Border To Migrants,
Asylum-Seekers. <#S17>

• Media Analyses: Trump Drug Pricing Announcement Aimed At Midterms. <#S18>

• Trump: NYTimes Story On His Cellphone Use “Just More Made Up Fake News.”
<#S19>

• Grassley Seeks Criminal Probe Of Swetnick, Avenatti. <#S20>

• Google “Protected” Android Creator After Sexual Misconduct Allegation.
<#S21>

• Hassett Predicts 3.5% Third-Quarter GDP Growth. <#S22>

• USA Today Poll: Democrats Lead Generic Ballot 51%-43%; Trump Driving Vote
Choice. <#S23>

*Cancer Research <#SECTION_5>*

• Higher Consumption Of Organic Food Associated With Lower Cancer Risk.
<#S24>

• NCI Awards $16M For Effort To Research Cancer Disparities Between Ethnic
Groups. <#S25>

*Editorials/Op-Eds <#SECTION_6>*

• New York Times. <#S26>

• Washington Post. <#S27>
Biden in the News
Biden On Bombs: “We’ve Got To Get Off This Machine” And “Come Together.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=002-314&t=c>
(10/25, Thompson) reports, “Former Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday
that he hopes the shock of a mail bomb plot targeting him and other public
figures has been enough to help end the country’s divide.” He said, “We’ve
got to get off this hate machine. We’ve got to come together.” The AP
reports that Biden was in Buffalo to support New York congressional
candidate Nate McMurray (D). Biden said, “This guy is bright as hell. This
guy knows more about international relations just from his academic and
legal background. This guy understands what ordinary people are going
through. This guy is in it for the right reasons.” Biden also said, “I hope
this has been enough of a shockwave to say, ‘OK, enough is enough.’” The AP
reports that “McMurray is challenging Republican Rep. Chris Collins, who is
running for a fourth term while awaiting trial on insider trading charges.”

        The Wilmington (DE) News Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=003-467&t=c>
(10/25, Moore) reports that during an event at the University at Buffalo
Thursday night, Biden said, “Folks, we don’t yet have all the facts yet and
we don’t know who is behind this or why they are doing it. ... But, as my
mother used to say, ‘Out of something bad, Joey, something good will come
if you look hard enough for it.’” He continued, “My hope is that this
recent spate of these – who knows exactly what they were – these pipe bombs
being mailed might wake everybody in my business up a bit and realize that
we have to begin to put this country back together again.” The News Journal
says “Biden’s visit to New York Thursday comes as reports show the former
VP is still mulling over the decision to run for president in 2020.”

        NBC News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=004-2fc&t=c>
(10/26, Romero, Johnson) reports that in response to comments from
President Trump blaming the media, Biden said: “The press is not the enemy
of the people. Immigrants are not animals. My hope and prayer is that all
of our leaders will work to lower the temperature in our public dialogue,
and I have faith that they will do that.” WHEC-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=005-9b1&t=c>
Rochester, NY (10/25) reports Biden said, “This is just trying to divide
people. ... It’s dangerous in a country like ours.”

        The Buffalo (NY) News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=006-3aa&t=c>
(10/25) reports Biden “strove – in the wake of news reports of how Biden
was mailed two pipe bombs, amid a spate of such incidents this week – to
deliver messages with a different tone.” The News adds, “Biden spoke of
hope. And optimism. And values that he described as intrinsically American
– even in a political climate that can extend into faction and foment.”
During his remarks “at the University at Buffalo’s North Campus in Amherst
Thursday evening, delivering an address as part of UB’s Distinguished
Speaker Series, Biden drew from the words of William Butler Yeats and
Ronald Reagan.” Meanwhile, “that message resonated with Biden’s words
earlier in the day Thursday at the Olive Tree Restaurant in Lancaster,
where, as part of a campaign stop in support of Democratic candidate for
Congress Nathan McMurray, Biden talked with restaurant patrons.”

        Among the media outlets also reporting on Biden’s comments are the New
York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=007-572&t=c>
(10/25, Lapin), The Week
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=008-38c&t=c>
(10/25), Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=009-f59&t=c>
(10/25, Hanchett), Variety
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=00a-2f8&t=c>
(10/25, Johnson), WKBW-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=00b-42c&t=c>
Buffalo, NY (10/25), WHAM-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=00c-75b&t=c>
Rochester, NY (10/25), WROC-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=00d-763&t=c>
Rochester, NY (10/25), WIVB-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=00e-fac&t=c>
Buffalo, NY (10/25), and WBEN-AM
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=00f-ab7&t=c>
Buffalo, NY (10/25).

        *Stephen Colbert: *“This morning, investigators found two
suspicious packages intended for Joe Biden. Oh, come on. You think a couple
of pipe bombs are going to rattle Joe Biden? Come on! He’s seen worse. For
God’s sake, Joe Biden watched Donald Trump being sworn in as President.”
Despite Threats, Biden To Appear In Connecticut Today, Ohio On Monday.

WFSB-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=010-8fe&t=c>
New Haven, CT (10/25) reports that “two of the most recent envelopes that
were intercepted were addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden, who is
slated to speak in Hartford Friday afternoon.” Meanwhile, “Hartford police
will be stepping up security at the Trinity College Academy because of
these terroristic threats.” WFSB says “Biden is still scheduled to appear
in Connecticut’s capital city and the state’s U.S. senators, who are also
outspoken critics of President Trump, are just as concerned.” Meanwhile,
“despite the threats against Biden, he will speak here in Hartford at 3:30
p.m.” WFSB says they “reached out to Biden to see if his team is increasing
their own security measures, but we were told they don’t comment on safety
procedures.”

        WYTV-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=011-27f&t=c>
Youngstown, OH (10/25) reports that Biden will visit Youngstown State
University on “Monday even as investigators are trying to determine who
sent him and other prominent Democrats suspicious packages, some with
potential explosives.” WYTV says “Biden will be in town campaigning for
Ohio governor candidate Rich Cordray and running mate Betty Sutton.” Chris
Anderson, executive director of political affairs for the Mahoning County
Democrat Party, said: “From Sheriff Greene all the way down to the local
departments, we are fortunate to have some great police officers here in
the Valley. I am confident they will keep everyone safe.”
Biden To Campaign For Delgado In New York Today.

WRGB-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=012-748&t=c>
Albany, NY (10/25) reports former Vice President Joe Biden “is making a
campaign stop in the Capital Region” of New York, where “he will be
visiting Kingston to campaign for Antonio Delgado.” WRGB says “Delgado is
challenging incumbent John Faso and the race is widely considered to be a
toss-up.” Biden “says that Delgado has what it takes to make a real
difference for upstate New Yorkers.”

        CBS News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=013-b8c&t=c>
(10/25, Segers) reports on its website that “the race has divided the
district’s largely white district, as Delgado has been targeted in racially
charged ads for his brief career as a rapper.” CBS says that “at his event
for Delgado, Biden – often considered an avatar of the Democratic white
working class – will likely make the case that Delgado is not a suspicious
outsider, but a candidate with working class roots similar to his own.” In
his statement, Biden emphasized that “Antonio and I were both raised in
working class families, not too far apart, and I know that he has what it
takes to make a real difference for people in upstate New York.” CBS adds
that “Biden is currently seen as one of the few Democrats who still appeals
to white working class voters, a demographic which conventional wisdom says
has pivoted away from the Democratic Party and towards President Trump.”
Biden To Headline Rally For Iowa Democrats In Cedar Rapids On Tuesday.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=014-353&t=c>
(10/25) reports former Vice President Joe Biden “is scheduled to make his
first visit to Iowa since he acknowledged he’s considering seeking the 2020
Democratic nomination for president.” The AP says “Biden is planning to
headline a rally in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday for in support of Democratic
candidates for governor, lieutenant governor and Congress.” The “candidates
include Abby Finkenauer, a House candidate who worked for Biden during his
unsuccessful 2008 campaign for the presidential nomination.” Meanwhile,
“Biden has said he expects to decide whether to seek the 2020 presidential
nomination by early next year.” The Des Moines (IA) Register
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=015-ea0&t=c>
(10/25, Pfannenstiel) reports that Biden will “join an early-vote rally
Tuesday in Cedar Rapids with...Finkenauer, who is seeking to unseat U.S.
Rep. Rod Blum in Iowa’s 1st District, as well as Democratic governor
candidate Fred Hubbell.” The Register adds that Biden is “the latest in an
ever-growing list of politicians and possible 2020 presidential candidates
to swing through the first-in-the-nation caucus state.”

        CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=016-665&t=c>
(10/25, Saenz) reports, “Aides to Biden had previously said he would likely
steer clear of Iowa before the midterm elections to avoid drawing attention
away from the candidates to his political future” but that “his visit to
the first-in-the-nation caucus state will likely do just that.” The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=017-719&t=c>
(10/25, Axelrod) reports, “Biden has also visited New Hampshire, South
Carolina and Florida, as well as other states crucial to a successful
presidential run.”
Biden To Campaign For Baldwin, Evers In Wisconsin On Tuesday.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=018-35b&t=c>
(10/25) reports that “former Vice President Joe Biden is coming to
Wisconsin a week before the election to get out the vote in Madison and
Milwaukee.” The AP says “Biden planned to hold an early voting rally
Tuesday morning on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison” and
“was to be joined by Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, candidate for
governor Tony Evers and others.” Meanwhile, “on Tuesday afternoon, Biden
was headed to Milwaukee for a similar event at a union labor hall where he
was to be joined by Evers and his running mate Mandela Barnes.”
Leading the News
As Biden, De Niro Get Bombs, Investigators Focus On Florida Mail-Sorting
Facility.

ABC World News Tonight
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=019-cd9&t=c>
(10/25, lead story, 1:25, Muir) reported, “The FBI on the move,” with
sources saying “they have promising leads directing investigators to south
Florida, where those suspected bombs may have been mailed from. ... This
comes as several more devices have been intercepted, 10 now in all.” ABC’s
Victor Oquendo: “For the first time tonight, we’re learning of a new focus
for investigators. Multiple sources now tell ABC News that federal
authorities are chasing promising leads right here in south Florida. Right
now, they’re sending resources down to investigate.”

        The CBS Evening News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=01a-c03&t=c>
(10/25, lead story 4:30, Glor) reported, “More packages were intercepted
today. The most recent targets: former Vice President Joe Biden and actor
Robert De Niro, both of whom have suggested they’d like to punch” the
President, who “has also said some pretty severe things about them. ... CBS
News has learned one focus of the investigation is Florida.” CBS’ Jeff
Pegues: “Investigators are zeroing in on postal facilities in south
Florida, where they believe at least some of the packages were mailed.
They’re going through security camera footage, including of the self-serve
kiosks, where packages can be mailed, looking to find the person who sent
the package bombs.”

        On NBC Nightly News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=01b-b4f&t=c>
(10/25, lead story, 3:15, Holt), Pete Williams reported, “Investigators say
they now believe all [the packages] were sent through the mail, including
the one found yesterday that was delivered by courier to CNN. Some were
postmarked. That’s important evidence, suggesting some may have been mailed
from the same state, Florida. Investigators are working to narrow down
which post office there was the first to handle them, looking tonight at a
mail facility north of Miami.”

        The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=01c-54a&t=c>
(10/26, Balsamo, Tucker, Long) reports that law enforcement officials said
the devices, “containing timers and batteries, were not rigged like
booby-trapped package bombs that would explode upon opening. But they were
still uncertain whether the devices were poorly designed or never intended
to cause physical harm. A search of a postal database suggested at least
some may have been mailed from Florida, one official said. Investigators
are homing in on a postal facility in Opa-locka.” Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=01d-982&t=c>
(10/25, Hosenball, Allen) reports that DHS Secretary Nielsen “confirmed
that Florida was the starting point for at least a portion of the bomb
shipments.” Nielsen told Fox News, “Some of the packages went through the
mail. They originated, some of them, from Florida. I am confident that this
person or people will be brought to justice.”

        The Miami Herald
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=01e-7e7&t=c>
(10/25, Weaver, Ovalle) reports that “a sprawling U.S. mail sorting
facility near the Opa-locka airport – the size of five football fields –
took center stage” in the investigation. The US Postal Service “directed
investigators to Opa-locka after reviews of mail scans showed some of the
devices had found their way through the massive sorting facility.” USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=01f-901&t=c>
(10/25, Jansen, Johnson) reports, “Miami-Dade police bomb-squad and K-9
officers were called out to the center Thursday evening as federal
authorities continued their investigation at the facility.” One official
“said the devices were assembled with pieces of plastic PVC pipe containing
black powder and shards of shrapnel that appeared to be glass. The pipes
were wrapped in tape and a timing-like mechanism was attached.”

        The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=020-977&t=c>
(10/25, Rashbaum, Feuer, Goldman) reports that federal, state, and local
investigators “in New York, Washington, Florida and Los Angeles have all
joined forces in the rapidly widening case. ... In addition to conducting a
forensic examination of the packages and explosive devices, federal
authorities were seeking to determine where the envelopes, mailing labels
and bomb components were purchased.” The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=021-f6f&t=c>
(10/25, Wootson) reports that with the Biden and De Niro packages, bomb
packages have now “been found in five states – New York, Delaware,
Maryland, Florida, and California. ... All of the bomber’s targets have
clashed sharply with Trump at different times, and the spate of dangerous
packages intensified the already full-throated political fights two weeks
before congressional elections.” The Daily Beast
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=022-68c&t=c>
(10/25, Shallwani) reports that the FBI said on its Twitter account that
the packages sent to Biden and De Niro are “similar in appearance to the
others.”

        The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=023-a19&t=c>
(10/25, Winton) reports, “The packages addressed to Biden were intercepted
at separate mail facilities within miles of each other in Delaware, near
his home.” The former vice president, on the midterm campaign train in
upstate New York, “did not mention Trump in responding to reporters, but
said, ‘We’ve got to turn off this hate machine. We’ve got to come
together.’” Newsweek
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=024-631&t=c>
(10/25, Fink) reports that the FBI was at the post office in New Castle
County, Delaware. Business Insider
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=025-fe5&t=c>
(10/25, Mark) reports that a “retired New York Police Department detective
directly contacted the bomb squad after realizing that a package he’d seen
days earlier in Robert De Niro’s company’s mail looked exactly like the
ones featured on news coverage.”

        Other outlets focusing on the suspicious packages sent to Biden
include WPVI-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=026-eee&t=c>
Philadelphia (10/25), NBC News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=027-7e0&t=c>
(10/25), ABC News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=028-006&t=c>
(10/25), People
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=029-c92&t=c>
(10/25), Newsday (NY)
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=02a-719&t=c>
(10/25), the Wilmington (DE) News Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=02b-6f6&t=c>
(10/25), iHeartRadio
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=02c-f1c&t=c>
(10/25), the Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=02d-35f&t=c>
(10/25, Stokols), the Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=02e-c07&t=c>
(10/25), Fox News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=02f-49e&t=c>
(10/25), the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=030-37e&t=c>
(10/25), NPR
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=031-526&t=c>
(10/25, Wang), and the New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=032-0c0&t=c>
(10/25, Steinbuch).

        *Investigators Haven’t Ruled Out That Devices Weren’t Intended To
Explode. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=033-fe1&t=c>
(10/26, Balsamo, Long, Miller) reports that investigators are still “trying
to determine whether the devices were intended to detonate or simply to sow
fear.” The AP adds, “The officials said the devices were not rigged like a
booby-trapped package bomb that would explode upon opening. They had timers
and batteries but never went off. Law enforcement officials were still
uncertain whether the devices were poorly designed or never intended to
cause physical harm.”

        Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=034-ae6&t=c>
(10/25, Tarrant, Hay) reports that “security analysts” have concluded that
the bombs were “probably more of a scare tactic than a murder plot. ...
‘What they wanted to do was scare people, cause disruption, but not
necessarily hurt anybody, because if they’d wanted to hurt people the bombs
would have gone off’ said Matthew Bradley, a former CIA agent and current
regional security director of International SOS and Control Risks.” Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=035-477&t=c>
(10/25, Hosenball, Allen) also reports that while “some of the packages
sent to New York locations had envelopes of white powder in them,” FBI
Assistant Director William Sweeney said “initial analysis showed it was not
a biological threat.” Reuters adds, “Authorities described the devices as
crude while security experts said their goal may have been to create fear
rather than to kill.”

        According to the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=036-7a0&t=c>
(10/25, Wootson), “The fact that none of the bombs exploded is of keen
interest to the FBI and ATF, who were working to determine if that was
intentional or the result of inexpert work, a person familiar with the
matter said.” the Post adds, “Because the bombs were intact, investigators
have been able to glean significant forensic evidence from each of them.”
The Post goes on to report that federal officials have “declined to say
whether the devices were intended to detonate or were meant to scare
people.”

        The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=037-465&t=c>
(10/25, Rashbaum, Feuer, Goldman) also reports that “none of the devices
has so far exploded on its own, and investigators have been trying to
determine whether the devices were indeed capable of detonating.” The Times
says investigators “have turned their attention toward southern Florida,
believing that a number of the explosive devices were mailed from the
area.” The Times notes that the FBI announced this morning that “three more
devices were found in Delaware and New York.” Two were addressed to former
vice president Joe Biden and the other was sent to the actor Robert De
Niro.

        *Additional Reporting. *The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=038-2f9&t=c>
(10/25, Kanno-Youngs) and Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=039-bfa&t=c>
(10/25, Muñoz) also have the latest on the investigation and the Florida
focus. ABC World News Tonight
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=03a-10c&t=c>
(10/25, story 2, 3:40, Muir) and NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=03b-622&t=c>
(10/25, story 3, 2:05, Holt) had additional coverage of the bombs
discovered Thursday. USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=03c-dac&t=c>
(10/25, May, Miller) runs a round up of what has been confirmed.

        NPR
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=03d-859&t=c>
(10/25) runs an interview with former FBI profiler O’Toole about how FBI
profiles might aid in the investigation. For its part, the New York Daily
News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=03e-028&t=c>
(10/25, Boroff) interviews former FBI agent Jeffrey Danik about the role
that “trace DNA” could play in identifying the bomber. CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=03f-a09&t=c>
(10/25, Hanna) also looks at the various ways that investigators might go
about identifying the culprit. Separately, CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=040-771&t=c>
(10/25, Simon, Almasy) runs a piece on what the recovered bombs can aid in
finding the perpetrator.

        While the FBI is leading the investigation, Government Executive
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=041-9f6&t=c>
(10/25, Katz) runs a piece highlighting the role of the US Post Inspection
Service in identifying hazardous mail and conducting investigations. Fast
Company
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=042-ab4&t=c>
(10/25, Locker) looks at how the Postal Service screens the mail for bombs. USA
Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=043-7eb&t=c>
(10/25, Bomey) reports that the shipment of multiple “suspected explosive
devices...illustrates how difficult it can be for delivery companies to
detect dangerous items before they reach their destination.”

        USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=044-0d6&t=c>
(10/25, Ortiz) has a piece on how to identify a package containing a
dangerous item. For its part, Popular Mechanics
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=045-592&t=c>
(10/25, Dupzyk, Detwiler) runs a piece on the technology of pipe bombs and
suspicious packages.

        Also running reports on various angles are The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=046-486&t=c>
(10/25, Bowden), the Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=047-918&t=c>
(10/25, Stokols), and many others.
In Late-Night Tweet, Trump Says CNN “Blaming” Him For “Current Spate Of
Bombs.”

At 3:14 a.m. today, President Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=048-390&t=c>,
“Funny how lowly rated CNN, and others, can criticize me at will, even
blaming me for the current spate of Bombs and ridiculously comparing this
to September 11th and the Oklahoma City bombing, yet when I criticize them
they go wild and scream, ‘it’s just not Presidential!’” On Thursday
morning, Trump had tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=049-f66&t=c>,
“A very big part of the Anger we see today in our society is caused by the
purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the Mainstream Media that I
refer to as Fake News. It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond
description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST!”

        Media reports, meanwhile, continue to tie Trump’s rhetoric to the
packages containing bombs or hoax bombs sent to prominent Democrats this
week, and say his continued criticism of media outlets is evidence that he
does not intend to tone down his rhetoric in the wake of the attacks. NBC
Nightly News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=04a-b86&t=c>
(10/25, story 5, 1:50, Holt) showed Trump saying Wednesday night in
Wisconsin, “The media also has a responsibility to set a civil tone,” and
the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=04b-6bf&t=c>
(10/25, Colvin, Miller) says Trump critics “have blamed him” for creating
the environment that provoked someone to target Democrats, and adds that
Trump “did not take any responsibility” for the attacks. In a separate
article, the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=04c-787&t=c>
(10/25, Peoples, Thomas) reports that Democrats “swiftly pointed to his
remarks seeming to condone violence against reporters and belittling
political opponents, including some apparently targeted by the devices.”

        NBC Nightly News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=04d-f6e&t=c>
(10/25, story 5, 1:50, Holt) reported, “We have to stress, we don’t know
who sent the bombs or why, but at times of national crisis like this,
presidents in the past have made statements to unify the nation.” Trump
“yesterday called for peace and harmony,” but he “immediately returned to
attacks on the news media.” ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=04e-7fb&t=c>
(10/25, story 4, 1:25, Karl) said Trump “certainly toned down the rhetoric
last night in Wisconsin, but at the same time, neither the President nor
any of his top advisers have said there is anything wrong at all with his
rhetoric or that it in any way encourages violence. And White House
officials say...that he will continue to draw sharp distinctions with
Democrats...so, the bottom line here is, I would not look to the President
to be toning down his rhetoric for long.”

        The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=04f-ffa&t=c>
(10/25, Baker, Sullivan, Rogers) says that “rather than trying to pull
together an angry, anxious country during a wave of apparent pipe bombs
sent to some of the president’s most prominent critics, Mr. Trump lashed
out, blaming perceived enemies for the toxic political environment that
opponents say he himself has encouraged.” The Times adds, “Never a unifier
by nature,” Trump “followed his instinct for pushing back, abandoning the
brief and scripted call for national unity issued the day before.”
According to the Times, Trump’s “posture as a leader working to bring the
country together – saying on Wednesday that any attempted terrorist act
‘against any American is an attack on every American’ – was short lived and
to many critics unpersuasive.”

        Jake Tapper said on CNN’s The Lead[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=050-0d2&t=c>
(10/25), “Many Americans in this moment are looking to...Trump to unify the
country.” He “expressed that sentiment once in prepared remarks,” but
“since then” he “has taken on a different tone, claiming that the media is
to blame for much of the anger and division in society.” Jeff Zeleny said,
also on CNN’s The Lead
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=051-764&t=c>
(10/25), “Based on our conversations with a variety of people here and
others who have spoken to the President today, they do not expect him to
take any personal responsibility for this heated political rhetoric and
this environment that we’re in right now.”

        David Chalian said on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=052-7d1&t=c>
(10/25), “This is dumbfounding to me that the White House would somehow
actually express surprise that we don’t just take him at his one speech, on
teleprompter words at an event like this, that we actually are somewhat
skeptical that he means what he says when he’s tied to the teleprompter
like that because there is a mountain of evidence...when he is not on
teleprompter and when he is expressing his true will, what his real
intentions are.”

        A.B. Stoddard of RealClearPolitics said on Fox News’ Special
Report[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=053-024&t=c>
(10/25), “I think everyone trusts that the Administration are taking this
seriously and making it a priority, and the President said last night in
his appropriate remarks that somebody wrote for him that he read off the
teleprompter that his number one job is to keep us safe. Everything he said
last night was the right thing. The tweet this morning does what he always
does, which is to double down...in a reflection of his personal grievance
instead of putting the country first. None of this is President Trump’s
fault. ... But the point is that the burden is on the President. He has a
higher responsibility the Nancy Pelosi or any of these people. He has to
say that this is incredibly dangerous and he has to cool it down. Blaming
the media is not good enough.”

        Likewise, the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=054-8c1&t=c>
(10/25, Wagner) says Trump “doubled down Thursday on blaming the media for
the nation’s incivility,” the Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=055-804&t=c>
(10/25, Muñoz) that Trump “blamed the media for the intense anger and
division among Americans,” and CQ Roll Call
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=056-e19&t=c>
(10/25, Bennett) that his “tweet came about an hour before multiple media
outlets reported an eighth bomb was found at a Manhattan office of actor
Robert DeNiro.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=057-4ff&t=c>
(10/25, Oprysko) reports that “while Trump on Wednesday spoke about the
need for national unity, on Thursday he amped up his attacks on the media
while his top aides said he didn’t bear any responsibility for fostering a
heated political environment.”

        Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=058-7ce&t=c>
(10/25, Heavey, Chiacu) reports “one target of the suspicious devices,
former CIA Director John Brennan, hit back at Trump on Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=059-226&t=c>,”
writing, “Stop blaming others. Look in the mirror. Your inflammatory
rhetoric, insults, lies, & encouragement of physical violence are
disgraceful. Clean up your act ... try to act Presidential. The American
people deserve much better. BTW, your critics will not be intimidated into
silence.”

        *Sarah Sanders: Media Has Role To Play In Promoting Civility,
Denounces Zucker Statement. *Appearing on Fox News’ Fox & Friends[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=05a-720&t=c>
(10/25), White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said, “Certainly the
media has a role to play in this process. When 90 percent the coverage
about this President is negative, despite the historic successes, when
ideas are perpetuated and continued negativity, that is not helpful for the
American discourse.” In regard to a statement released by CNN CEO Jeff
Zucker yesterday, Sanders said, “It is absolutely disgraceful that one of
the first public statements we heard from CNN yesterday was to put the
blame and responsibility of this despicable act on the President and on me
personally.” Sanders went on to say, “Let’s not forget an MSNBC anchor
actually said someone should ‘wring my neck,’ and a Washington Post
columnist said I deserve a ‘lifetime of harassment.’”

        *CNN, MSNBC Chyrons Highlight Trump’s Criticism Of Potential
Victims. *Throughout the day Thursday, chyrons appearing on CNN highlighted
that the people to whom the packages were addressed have been the subject
of criticism from the President. For example, during CNN Newsroom[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=05b-a36&t=c>
(10/25), one chyron read, “Nationwide manhunt for serial bomber going after
Trump’s targets,” while another
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=05c-ed8&t=c>
stated, “Trump attacks media as police investigate 9 suspicious packages.”
On CNN’s At This Hour
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=05d-8cc&t=c>
(10/25), as anchor Kate Bolduan said the President is “at least on some
level blaming the victim,” the chyron read, “Trump attacks media amid
growing bomb investigation.” Later in the day, a chyron on CNN’s Wolf[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=05e-a33&t=c>
(10/25) read, “Manhunt for serial bomber going after Trump’s targets.”

        Similarly, chyrons appearing on MSNBC Thursday highlighted Trump’s
criticism of the people to whom the packages were sent. On MSNBC Live[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=05f-7ac&t=c>
(10/25), chyrons read, “Growing list of Trump rivals, critics targeted with
explosive devices” and
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=060-c69&t=c>,
“10th device aimed at Trump critics, rivals found in Delaware.” Later[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=061-d0e&t=c>
in the day, a chyron on MSNBC did credit the President for condemning the
bombs at his Wisconsin rally, although it did point out his criticism of
the intended recipients. The chyron read, “Trump condemns bombs sent to
political rivals at rally.”

        Meanwhile, the chyrons appearing during Fox News’ reporting took a
different tone. For example, during Fox News’ America’s Newsroom[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=062-f83&t=c>
(10/25), they read, “Trump calls on media ‘to set a civil tone’ amid
package bomb scare,” and
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=063-526&t=c>,
“Trump condemns bomb scares calls them ‘an attack on our democracy
itself.’” Likewise, a chyron on Fox News’ Daily Briefing[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=064-8aa&t=c>
(10/25), quoted the President’s remarks in Wisconsin Wednesday evening. It
read, “Trump: We want all sides to come together in peace and harmony.”

        *De Blasio Says Trump Has “Created An Atmosphere Of Hatred And
Division.” *On CNN’s New Day
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=065-41c&t=c>
(10/25), New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said, “I have been very
critical of the President. He created an atmosphere of hatred and division
in this country. ... Donald Trump is not going to change. We have to
change.” Appearing on MSNBC’s Morning Joe[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=066-3c7&t=c>
(10/25), de Blasio said, “If you look at the President’s tweet this
morning, he’s not focused on this breaking news story. ... He doesn’t
appear to be focused on what some would see as the monumental events of the
past 24 hours. He’s still focused on dividing, and on attacking the press.”

        *Graham: “I Didn’t Blame Bernie Sanders” For Scalise Shooting. *
Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=067-dea&t=c>
(10/25, Oprysko) reports that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=068-09f&t=c>
yesterday, “I didn’t blame Bernie Sanders when a Bernie supporter shot
Congressman Steve Scalise. And I’m not going to blame President
@realDonaldTrump for this nut job. I blame the individual(s) responsible –
not someone else.”

        *Scalise Calls For National Unity, Defends Trump. *In an op-ed for
the Fox News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=069-7a7&t=c>
(10/25) website, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise denounces the recent
spate of politically-motivated attempted bombings, and adds, “America is
better than these acts of threats, intimidation and violence against people
based on their political beliefs.” Scalise also writes he “was blessed to
experience the best of America after surviving a politically motivated
assassination attempt while practicing for the Congressional Baseball Game
last year,” and concludes that “if we are to stem the tide of violence and
violent rhetoric, then it is crucial we all do our part to break down the
divisions in our country and reach out to those with different beliefs than
our own.” Scalise also “defended the president to” USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=06a-c51&t=c>
(10/25, Hofacker, Berry), “including Trump’s recent comments at a Montana
rally, where he praised a Republican congressman who body slammed a
reporter last year.” Trump said, “Any guy that can do a body slam – he’s my
guy.” Scalise “said it was clear Trump was joking,” adding, “By the way,
nobody took him up on the joke. ... If it was a serious call to arms then
everybody would have seen it.”

        Appearing on Fox News’ Fox & Friends[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=06b-b7f&t=c>
(10/25), Scalise said, “This is the not the time to point fingers. We need
to calm it down. Everybody’s rhetoric should be focused on the idea we have
a great nation where we can disagree with each other, [but] you don’t make
it personal, you don’t resort to attacks.”

        *Sasse, Jones Urge Trump To Stop Criticism Of Press. *Sen. Ben
Sasse (R-NE) said on CNN Newsroom
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=06c-8ef&t=c>
(10/25), “I was glad to hear” Trump “explicitly condemn the violence
yesterday, but the bigger picture problem you’re flagging here is obviously
a core problem, right? We don’t refer to the press as the enemy of the
people in America. This is a First Amendment society and the beating heart
of our First Amendment society is freedom of religion, of speech, assembly,
and the right to protest. We need the President and all other public
officials to be reaffirming that basic idea about what unites us as
Americans. So I haven’t heard again what he said this morning, but we need
to stop with all this nonsense language about the press is the enemy of the
people.”

        Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) said on CNN’s The Lead[image: Image removed
by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=06d-0e0&t=c>
(10/25), “I think [Trump] did the right thing, obviously, yesterday, when
he first condemned the violence. I think Vice President Pence did the right
thing when he condemned the violence. I don’t think it is appropriate to
blame the media. This is not an issue of just ugly negative campaigning,
negative media. ... This is about where you really condone violence, when
you talk at rallies about roughing up reporters or commending congressional
members of Congress who had body slammed members of the media. It is about
talking about enemies. When you use the word enemy, it raises a threat
level, unlike just calling somebody a silly name. That’s the kind of
rhetoric I think the President needs to be very careful on and just go
ahead and dial it back.”

        *Van Hollen: Trump “Didn’t Do His Part” To Ease “Poisonous
Political Environment.” *Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said on CNN
Newsroom[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=06e-cdd&t=c>
(10/25), “Everybody needs to do their part here,” but “when the President
went to the rally last night, he didn’t do his part. He pointed the finger
at other people. And my view is all of us have to, you know, be part of the
solution here, but there is no doubt that over the last two years what has
been driving this poisonous political environment have been these very
polarizing comments from the President of the United States. And we have
seen its impact across the board over the last couple of years. So, look,
we can always hope that the President will tone it down. But, you know, a
lot of people have been have been hoping that for a very long time, and we
haven’t really seen it happen.”

        *Trump Jr. Reminds CNN’s Acosta Of Packages Sent To His Family,
Slams Media Rhetoric. *Following President Trump’s rally in Wisconsin
Wednesday night, CNN’s Jim Acosta said on Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=06f-389&t=c>,
“Trump talked about the bombs sent to former public officials at his rally
in Wisconsin. But once again he didn’t mention CNN. On top of all that he
criticized the “media” for coverage he doesn’t like. And, of course, he
took no responsibility for his own rhetoric.” The President’s son Donald
Trump Jr. replied with his own tweet
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=070-3fe&t=c>,
writing, “Jim, did you or your colleagues take any responsibility for your
rhetoric in constantly calling my family Racists and Nazis for 2 years when
my wife actually opened an exploding envelope of white powder intended for
me? What about when it happend to my brother?” Acosta later replied
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=071-111&t=c>,
“Don please understand everybody at CNN was terrified for members of your
family when they were attacked. Please also understand that because of your
father’s rhetoric (calling us the enemy of the people), we are all very
worried that somebody is going to get hurt.”

        The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=072-54f&t=c>
(10/25, Ernst) reports Trump Jr. “vigorously defended his father,” and
the Daily
Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=073-647&t=c>
(10/25, Johnson) that “Don Jr. was himself a victim of a mail terrorism
scare in the summer.” The Daily Caller adds “a package with white powder
was sent to his Manhattan apartment and opened by his wife.” Trump Jr.’s
“wife and members of her staff were hospitalized as a result,” though “the
white powder turned out to be harmless.” The man “responsible for these
mailings has pleaded guilty.”

        *Politico: GOP Casts Trump As “Victim” Of Mail Bombs. *Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=074-088&t=c>
(10/25, Restuccia, Orr) reports that Republicans are painting President
Trump as “a victim” of the mail bombs sent to prominent Trump critics, with
“White House officials and outside advisers bitterly protest[ing] the
notion that Trump’s vitriolic rhetoric might have inspired whoever sent the
packages.” Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski “said past
incidents in which Republican politicians were threatened drew far less
coverage than this week’s attempted bombings,” while White House Press
Secretary Sarah Sanders “told reporters that Trump is no more responsible
for the attempted bombings than Sen. Bernie Sanders was responsible ‘for a
supporter shooting up a baseball practice field last year,’” referring to
the June 2017 shooting in which four people including House Majority Whip
Scalise were shot.

        Washington Post conservative blogger Jennifer Rubin tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=075-004&t=c>,
“Boy does that sum up these whiny victim-mongers. I’m old enough to
remember when R’s disdained wallowing in made up victimhood.”

        *Daily Caller Notes This Week’s NYTimes Short Story About Trump
Assassination. *The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=076-148&t=c>
(10/25, Fordham) reports, “The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=077-f6b&t=c>
published a short story about assassinating President Donald Trump Tuesday
just one day before ‘potential explosive devices’ showed up at the
addresses of multiple political figures including former President Barack
Obama.” The Times “asked novelists ‘to conjure possible outcomes’ to
special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation,” and novelist Zoë Sharp
“wrote the short story, titled ‘How It Ends,’ about a Russian assassin on a
suicide mission who receives help from a Secret Service agent to kill
Trump.” In the story, “a character who is working with the
Russians...implies that Trump ‘was handpicked at the highest possible
level’ and must be silenced.” Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=078-bdc&t=c>
(10/25, Caruso) notes the Times’ editors illustrated the piece “with a
Russian flag sticking out of a pistol barrel.”

        The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=079-5b4&t=c>
(10/25, Fordham) reports that House Majority Whip Scalise “told The Daily
Caller News Foundation Thursday that The New York Times should take down
and apologize for a short fictional story about assassinating...Trump
published Tuesday.” Said Scalise, “The media needs to take accountability
for the role they are playing in promoting dangerous rhetoric and division
in this country, particularly against President Trump and his supporters.”

        *RNC’s McEnany: NYTimes Story “Shameful.” *RNC spokeswoman Kayleigh
McEnany said on Fox News’ America’s Newsroom[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=07a-01c&t=c>
(10/25), “It is shameful...that the New York Times today chose to public an
article that depicted the assassination of the President of the United
States. We are 24 hours from these devices being delivered and how shameful
of the New York Times for doing that.”

        *In Letter, 200 Journalists Accuse Trump Of “Unconstitutional,
Un-American” Attacks On Press. *The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=07b-eae&t=c>
(10/25, Muñoz) reports “two hundred journalists penned an open letter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=07c-e71&t=c>
Thursday directly blaming President Trump for being ‘a part of a sustained
pattern of attack on a free press.’” They wrote, “At his inauguration, the
President of the United States swears to protect the US Constitution,
including the First Amendment. ... This President is utterly failing to do
so and actively working not simply to undermine the press, but to incite
violence against it as well.”

        *WPost: “False Narratives” Thriving Online. *The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=07d-a4e&t=c>
(10/25, Harwell, Romm, Timberg) looks at “false narratives” in the wake of
the mail bomb news, reporting that the “attempted pipe-bomb attacks...were
almost immediately characterized in widely shared Facebook and Twitter
posts as a conspiracy engineered by Democrats to undermine the conservative
cause.” Claims that the bombs “were a hoax and slurs against one of the
bombs’ targets, liberal philanthropist George Soros, also proliferated
widely” on Instagram. Social media researcher Jonathan Albright “said the
Instagram posts amplified conspiracy theories and ‘some of the worst hate
speech, Hillary Clinton memes and violently anti-Semitic messages I’ve seen
to date.’”

        *WPost Editorial: Media “At Times” Part Of Problem, But So Is
Trump. *The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=07e-a3f&t=c>
(10/25) editorializes that “the media – social and mainstream – at times
contribute to the distemper,” but “so does the president,” who “demonizes
opponents and gives license to those who would punish them. ... By blaming
everyone but himself, Mr. Trump shows his unwillingness – or inability – to
recognize the totality of the problem,” and “that makes him part of the
problem.”
Curbelo Under Police Protection After Getting Death Threat.

The Miami Herald
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=07f-ac2&t=c>
(10/25, Daugherty) reports Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) “was threatened on
Twitter on Wednesday, the same day packages suspected of containing
explosive material were delivered to a host of liberal political figures
around the country.” Curbelo “initially addressed the threat directly on
his Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=080-533&t=c>
account,” writing, “Political intoxication is making some Americans more
prone to both verbal and physical violence. It’s a serious crisis and we
all have to do our part to put an end to it. Not sure what’s more
disturbing; the fact that someone tweeted this or that 4 accounts liked
it.” The Herald adds “the tweet, which was a non-specific death threat
against the two-term congressman, was eventually deleted and the associated
account was deleted as well.” Curbelo “will receive protection from law
enforcement but is not expected to change his official schedule or any
campaign-related events less than two weeks from Election Day.” CQ Roll Call
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=081-3da&t=c>
(10/25, McPherson) notes Curbelo’s office said in a statement, “Capitol
Police was immediately notified and quickly identified the individual
responsible. ... The Congressman’s home and our district office are being
monitored by officers from the Miami-Dade Police Department.”

        WZVN-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=082-a55&t=c>
Fort Myers, FL (10/25, 6:21 p.m. EDT) also reported, “A Florida Republican
known for his moderate views is now getting extra protection,” though
“investigators don’t think the threat against him is related to those bombs
mailed out this week.” Similar reports aired on WBBH-TV[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=083-a77&t=c>
Fort Myers, FL (10/25, 5:32 p.m. EDT) and WPLG-TV[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=084-fe9&t=c>
Miami (10/25, 3:03 p.m. EDT). The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=085-2d5&t=c>
(10/25, Sonmez) says “the threat against Curbelo, a two-term congressman
whose district includes the Miami suburbs and the Florida Keys, follows
threats to other members of Congress in recent months.”

        *NJ11 Republican Candidate Webber, His Children Threatened. *
News12NJ-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=086-74f&t=c>
New Jersey (10/25, 10:03 a.m. EDT) reported, “In an incident unrelated to
the mailed bombs, someone sent a threatening letter to a Republican
candidate for Congress in New Jersey. Assemblyman Jay Webber is running in
District 11. A letter in addition to a cut-up campaign sign was mailed to
his office. ... Inside that letter, a threat against him and his seven
children. Both Webber and his opponent, Mikie Sherrill, have condemned what
happened. The State Police investigating now.” Webber said on Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=087-cb5&t=c>,
“Criticizing a candidate on the issues is part of politics. Threatening my
children is not. We are thankful for the support of law enforcement as we
work to find whoever is behind this gutless act. We will not be intimidated
as we work to make #NJ11 better for everyone.” Writing for InsiderNJ
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=088-39d&t=c>
(10/25), Fred Snowflack said of Webber, “One thing he did was report the
threat to police. That made sense. Another thing he did was use the
threatening letter to raise money. Does that make sense?”

        *Man Arrested For Threatening GOP Campaign Volunteer In North
Carolina. *WBTV-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=089-9e6&t=c>
Charlotte, NC (10/25, 4:35 a.m. EDT) reported, “Charlotte-Mecklenburg
police arrest a man for threatening a Republican campaign worker with
racial slurs at an early voting site in Steele Creek.” WBTV added “retired
New York Police detective Derek Partee said he was threatened and called
the ‘n word’ repeatedly while handing out flyers. He tells WBTV he asked
two men why they had been taking photos of him from afar and they responded
with verbal insults.” Spectrum News Charlotte (NC)[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=08a-f83&t=c>
(10/25, 11:02 a.m. EDT) also reported on the incident, and the Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=08b-119&t=c>
(10/25, Bogorowski) says “the police report stated that officers arrived on
the scene in response to a call that a black campaign worker was being
threatened by a white man, identified as Jason Donald Wayne, 28.”

        *LAPD Examining Suspicious Package At Feinstein’s Office. *The Los
Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=08c-bb2&t=c>
(10/25, Winton) reports in a brief item that the Los Angeles Police
Department is examining a suspicious package found at a local office for
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). According to law enforcement sources, “the
package was not dangerous and appeared to be significantly different from
those mailed in recent days to high-profile political figures and others
who have been critical of President Trump.”

        *After Swastika Graffiti Incident, McCaskill Says She’s “Not One Of
Those Crazy Democrats.” *The Wichita (KS) Eagle
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=08d-299&t=c>
(10/25, Gilmour) reported that “there’s plenty that Democratic Sen. Claire
McCaskill of Missouri and her Republican challenger, state Attorney General
Josh Hawley, disagree on,” but “on one count, the rival candidates’
campaigns agree: The swastika graffiti that was discovered Wednesday
morning on a Hawley campaign sign in Missouri’s Andrew County is ‘disgusting
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=08e-c0f&t=c>’”
– the term “Kyle Plotkin, Hawley’s campaign manager,” used to describe “the
sign after the candidate himself tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=08f-6ee&t=c>
a photo of it.” The Eagle notes that “shortly after Plotkin’s tweet,
McCaskill took to Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=090-548&t=c>
herself,” writing, “I agree. Disgusting.” McCaskill also “alluded to the
incident at an event Wednesday at a campaign field office in Kansas City,”
and commented on “a radio ad that touts her as ‘not one of those crazy
Democrats.’”

        *Mail Bombs Having Little Impact On Midterm Races So Far. *Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=091-396&t=c>
(10/25, Siders) reports that “even as authorities discovered more
suspicious packages” on Thursday, “the needle in congressional races across
the country has hardly budged. Despite cable television coverage and
#fakebombs trending on Twitter, Democratic candidates on Thursday were
still pinning their fundraising appeals to health care, while Republicans
were rallying base voters around taxes and the threat of impeachment.”
Asked if the story will impact the upcoming elections, Democratic
strategist Hank Sheinkopf said, “Nah. Every day is another form of
political Novocain. It’s like having needles put in your teeth and you
finally get adjusted to it.”
Foreign Policy
Haspel Briefs Trump On Khashoggi Killing As Saudis Now Say It Was
Premeditated.

The CBS Evening News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=092-638&t=c>
(10/25, story 7, 0:25, Glor) reported CIA Director Haspel on Thursday
briefed President Trump on what she’s learned about the killing of
Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. The briefing came after Haspel’s
return from Turkey, where she “listened to an audio recording that
purportedly captured the killing in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.”
Meanwhile, “Saudi Arabia has changed its story again. ... Last week, the
Saudis said it was an accident after a fistfight,” but the top Saudi
prosecutor “now says the killing was premeditated.”

        Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=093-dc7&t=c>
(10/25, Alsharif, Khalid, Kucukgocmen, Karadeniz, Hosenball, Heavey)
reports the Saudi disclosure came after Haspel “heard an audio recording of
the killing during a fact-finding visit to Turkey this week.” Saudi state
TV “quoted the Saudi public prosecutor as saying the killing was
premeditated, and that prosecutors were interrogating suspects on the basis
of information provided by a joint Saudi-Turkish task force.” To the New
York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=094-37c&t=c>
(10/25, Hubbard, Kirkpatrick), the acknowledgment “adds to the mounting
political pressure on the Trump administration to punish the kingdom,” and
was an attempt by Riyadh “to revise its previous public explanations before
Washington received and digested evidence that would further discredit the
kingdom.” The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=095-3eb&t=c>
(10/25, Batrawy, Torchia) calls the admission “a major pivot in its
narrative,” and says the “shifting explanations indicate Saudi Arabia is
scrambling for a way out of the crisis.”

        The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=096-723&t=c>
(10/25, Fahim) notes that “neither Trump nor Saudi Arabia has traced the
journalist’s killing to an order from the Saudi leadership,” although “US
intelligence officials and lawmakers as well as the European Union have
said that such an operation...is unlikely to have been ordered without the
knowledge of senior Saudi officials.”

        The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=097-c65&t=c>
(10/25) editorializes that the Saudi government “once again changed its
story,” but “that doesn’t mean the regime of King Salman and Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman has finally chosen to come clean” about Khashoggi’s
killing. Rather, the Post says it “merely reflects Saudi acceptance of the
reality that the previous official version, like the one before it and the
one before that, wouldn’t fly with the Turkish president, the US Congress,
European governments and possibly even the Trump administration, which has
been doing its best to assist the damage control operation in Riyadh.” The
Post argues that Trump should want the truth, and if the Saudi crown prince
did in fact oversee or sanction “the brutal butchering...the administration
urgently needs to alter its relationship with him – or risk even worse
disasters.”

        David Ignatius writes in his Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=098-bc6&t=c>
(10/25), “Why was Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman so afraid of...Khashoggi
that he reportedly gave orders this past summer to bring the Post
contributing columnist back to Saudi Arabia? We’ll still be left with that
question after the Saudi and Turkish investigations are done and the
designated culprits are convicted,” but “my guess is that Khashoggi was
seen as dangerous for the simple reason that he couldn’t be intimidated or
controlled.”

        *Saudis Allow Khashoggi’s Son To Leave For US. *ABC World News
Tonight
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=099-017&t=c>
(10/25, story 8, 0:20, Muir) reported the Saudis have “lifted the travel
ban placed on Khashoggi’s son because of his father’s dissent.” The Wall
Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=09a-949&t=c>
(10/25, Stancati, Said) reports Salah Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia on
Thursday, heading to the US where his siblings – all US citizens, unlike
him – live, sources said. Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=09b-2f6&t=c>
(10/25) reported the State Department says Secretary of State Pompeo “made
clear to Saudi leaders that they should allow him to return” to the US.

        *Daily Beast: Flynn, Bannon, Others Discussed Regime Change In Iran
With MBS Aide. *The Daily Beast
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=09c-3ff&t=c>
(10/25, Woodruff) reports that Gen. Ahmed Al-Assiri, identified as “the
Saudi intelligence chief taking the fall for” the murder of Jamal
Khashoggi, “hobnobbed in New York with Michael Flynn and other members of
the transition team shortly before Trump’s inauguration,” and “the topic of
their discussion” was “regime change in Iran.” According to the Daily
Beast, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “dispatched Assiri from Riyadh for
the meetings, which took place over the course of two days in early January
2017.” The Daily Beast says the meetings “have come under scrutiny by
Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s office as part of his probe into foreign
governments’ attempts to gain influence in the Trump campaign and in the
White House.”

        *Saudi-Led Strike On Yemeni Market Kills At Least 21 Civilians,
Including Children. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=09d-518&t=c>
(10/25, El-Haj, Magdy) reports that the UN says a “Saudi-led coalition
airstrike at a fruit-and-vegetable market near Yemen’s flashpoint Red Sea
port of Hodeida killed at least 21 civilians, including children.” The AP
says “it’s not uncommon for coalition jets to hit civilians and wedding
parties, funerals, residential homes and hospitals have been bombed in the
past,” including in August when “an airstrike hit a bus carrying children
on their way to school” killed “more than 40.”

        *US, UN Seek To Identify Weapons Seized Off Coast Of Yemen.
*The Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=09e-f77&t=c>
(10/25, Ryan) reports UN experts on Thursday “inspected a shipment of
weapons recently seized by the US Navy that American officials suspect
could provide new evidence of Iranian support for Houthi rebels in Yemen.”
The weapons – including about 2,500 AK-47s seized on Aug. 28 – “are being
stored aboard the USS Jason Dunham, a guided-missile destroyer that
confiscated the weapons from a vessel encountered about 70 miles off the
southern coast of Yemen.” Vice Adm. Scott Stearney, the commander of US
naval forces in the Middle East, “said American officials had conducted a
preliminary examination of the weapons but would wait to determine how to
handle them until the UN investigators reach their own conclusions.”
NATO Allies Urge Trump To Renegotiate INF Instead Of Withdrawing.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=09f-650&t=c>
(10/25, Emmott) reports that “European members of NATO urged the United
States on Thursday to try to bring Russia back into compliance with a
nuclear arms control treaty rather than quit it...seeking to avoid a split
in the alliance that Moscow could exploit.” In a closed-door meeting at
NATO, Pentagon, State Department and National Security Council officials
briefed alliance envoys on President Trump’s decision to pull out of the
Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). According to diplomats
present, “Germany and other European allies called for a final effort on
Washington’s part to convince the Kremlin to stop what the West says are
violations, or possibly renegotiate it to include China.”

        Former Secretary of State George P. Shultz argues in a New York
Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0a0-d67&t=c>
(10/25) op-ed, “We need to preserve the agreement rather than abandon it,
as President Trump has threatened to do. ... The first step would be to
convene a meeting between American and Russian experts to discuss possible
violations of the treaty.” Now, he says, “is not the time to build larger
arsenals of nuclear weapons. Now is the time to rid the world of this
threat. Leaving the treaty would be a huge step backward. We should fix it,
not kill it.”

        Former Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev writes in a New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0a1-18e&t=c>
(10/25) op-ed that “with enough political will, any problems of compliance
with the existing treaties could be resolved.” Gorbachev adds, “I don’t
want to lose hope. I hope that Russia will take a firm but balanced stand.
I hope that America’s allies will, upon sober reflection, refuse to be
launchpads for new American missiles. I hope the United Nations, and
particularly members of its Security Council, vested by the United Nations
Charter with primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and
security, will take responsible action.”

        *Thiessen: Withdrawal From Treaty Designed To Increase Pressure On
North Korea. *Marc Thiessen argues in his Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0a2-64c&t=c>
(10/25) column that Trump’s withdrawal from the treaty may be designed “for
another purpose. It sends a subtle but unmistakable message to North Korea:
If you refuse to denuclearize, we can now surround your country with short-
and medium-range missiles that will allow us to strike your regime without
warning.”

        *NATO Begins “Largest Exercise In Decades.” *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0a3-515&t=c>
(10/25, Solsvik) reports that on Thursday, “military forces from 31
countries began NATO’s largest exercise in decades, stretching from the
Baltic Sea to Iceland...practicing military maneuvers close to Russia,
which itself held a huge military drill last month.” The exercise, dubbed
Trident Juncture, is being overseen by US Admiral James Foggo and is “by
far the biggest in Norway since the early 1980s, a sign that the alliance
wants to sharpen its defenses after years of cost-cutting and far-flung
combat missions.”
Foreign Policy: Bolton, Deputy Seeking To Oust Mattis.

Foreign Policy
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0a4-68a&t=c>
(10/25, Seligman) reports that National Security Advisor Bolton and his
deputy, Mira Ricardel, are “trying to squeeze out” Defense Secretary Mattis
by “spreading rumors about his imminent departure, according to two
well-placed sources.” Bolton and Ricardel, who “has repeatedly clashed with
Mattis over Defense Department personnel appointments,” believe Mattis is
“not ideologically aligned” with President Trump, according to “one of the
sources, a former senior defense official.” The two are trying “to build
the sense that he is done for,” the former official said. An
“Administration official” said, “Mira and Bolton are the only ones who
benefit if Secretary Mattis leaves,” because Mattis is “highly regarded.”

        *Politico: Bolton Relishes Work To Withdraw US From International
Deals. *Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0a5-265&t=c>
(10/25, Johnson) reports that “when...Bolton was a State Department
official under President George W. Bush, he loved nothing more than
sabotaging international agreements that he felt undermined America’s
sovereignty and security.” His “happiest moment” at the State Department,
he recalled in a 2007 memoir, came when he “personally extracted” the US
from the International Criminal Court. “I felt like a kid on Christmas
Day,” Bolton wrote. Politico says “now that Bolton is...national security
adviser, Christmas has been coming early and often.” It concludes that
Bolton has “helped to trash, weaken, or undermine four international
treaties, organizations and agreements” since joining the Administration in
April.
China Cutting Back On Iran Oil Purchases.

The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0a6-39f&t=c>
(10/25, Boylan) reports China is “showing the first signs of bowing to the
Trump administration’s pressure campaign to stop buying Iranian oil, less
than two weeks before Washington’s deadline” to reimpose sanctions on
Tehran. Beijing has “long vowed to defy the revived US sanctions, but this
week a key Chinese export-finance bank and the country’s largest state oil
refineries indicated that they were pulling back from their business with
Tehran.” China, according to the Times story, “is Iran’s single biggest oil
customer, and a drawback by Beijing would be a major victory for the US
pressure campaign.”

        *Key Chinese Bank Signals It Will Stop Business With Iran Amid US
Sanctions. *The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0a7-129&t=c>
(10/25, Boylan) reports that as the Administration prepares to reimpose
sanctions on Tehran, “a major Chinese bank involved in the Islamic
Republic’s oil trade has reportedly announced it will stop accepting
payments from Iran.” The state-owned Bank of Kunlun “is controlled by the
China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and transacts an estimated $1.5
billion worth of Iran-China oil purchases every month.” Sources “said
Kunlun will stop processing yuan-denominated Iranian payments as of Nov. 1,
three days before Washington reimposes sanctions” on Iran.
Greenblatt To Travel To Israel Next Week For Talks On Peace Plan.

Axios
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0a8-9c0&t=c>
(10/25, Ravid) reports Mideast special envoy Jason Greenblatt next week
“will travel to Israel to continue talks with Israeli officials on the
White House’s upcoming peace plan, Israeli and US officials” said. Israeli
officials said Greenblatt will stay in Israel “for almost a week and meet
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials and
politicians” to discuss “not only the upcoming peace plan but also with the
situation in Gaza and the ongoing Egyptian- and UN-led efforts to reach a
stabilization deal between Israel and Hamas.”
Pakistan Releases Taliban Deputy Amid Push For Afghan Peace Talks.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0a9-899&t=c>
(10/25, Mashal, Shah) reports that Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a “longtime
deputy in the Taliban who was arrested in a joint intelligence raid by
American and Pakistani agents eight years ago,” has been freed by Pakistan,
the Taliban confirmed Thursday. Mullah Baradar’s release, says the Times,
“appeared to be the most tangible result of talks held recently by the
Taliban and American diplomats.” While he “seemed interested in exploring
peace negotiations before his capture in January 2010,” the Times says
“just how much impact Mullah Baradar’s return to the insurgency...will have
over any peace talks remains unclear.”

        *Former US Army Trainer: Trump Should End Afghan Training
Mission. *Ret.
US Army Maj. Mark Stoneman, who served in the NATO Training
Mission-Afghanistan in 2012, argues in the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0aa-2aa&t=c>
(10/25, Stoneman) that it’s “time for President Trump to acknowledge that
we are no closer to developing an Afghan military capable of defending its
government than we were 17 years ago. He should end the advisory mission
and bring those soldiers home. Enough Americans have died at the hands of
our Afghan allies.”
Administration Limits Congressional Access To North Korea Intelligence.

Axios
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0ab-6a1&t=c>
(10/25, Atkinson) reports the Administration “has started to limit the
number of congressional members it gives direct access to intelligence
about North Korea’s nuclear program, prompting frustrations among
Republicans and Democrats alike, CBS News reports
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0ac-080&t=c>.”
Congressional sources told CBS News that the new policy “limits access to
only leaders of each party in the House and Senate, as well as the chairs
and ranking members of foreign relations and intelligence committees.”

        *US Sanctions Singapore Companies Over North Korea Dealings. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0ad-02e&t=c>
(10/25, Pennington) reports the US Treasury imposed sanctions Thursday on
“the Singapore-based director of a commodities company accused of
laundering money for North Korea through the US financial system.” The
Justice Department also unsealed criminal charges against the person, Tan
Wee Beng, accusing him of “a multi-year scheme to violate and evade US
national security controls” against North Korea. Officials said he is “also
managing director of a marine fuels company involved in illicit economic
activity with the North.” The AP calls the move the “latest step by the US
to punish foreign companies and individuals said to have helped Pyongyang
evade UN-mandated sanctions on its nuclear weapons program.”
Officials: US Won’t Resume Trade Talks Without Firm Proposal From China.

The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0ae-3b9&t=c>
(10/25, Davis, Wei) reports that the US is refusing to resume trade
negotiations with China until Beijing develops a proposal to address the
Administration’s complaints about forced technology transfers and other
issues, according to officials from both countries. According to sources,
China is apprehensive about making a formal offer because it would reveal
their negotiating position and officials fear Trump could make any offer
public on Twitter.

        *Business Leaders, Lawmakers Alarmed By Lack Of Exemptions For
Latest Tariffs. *The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0af-942&t=c>
(10/25, Higgins) reports that “business leaders and lawmakers are
expressing alarm that the White House is apparently not allowing any
exemptions to its latest round of China tariffs, which cover $200 billion
worth of goods.” The USTR’s Office “has yet to create a process for
requesting exclusions to the levies, a contrast to previous rounds of
tariffs.” A spokeswoman for the USTR decline to comment.

        *Envoys From 12 Countries Meet In Canada To Discuss WTO Reforms. *
Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0b0-9a4&t=c>
(10/25, Ljunggren, Lawder) reports “senior officials from 12 countries”
have “gathered in Canada...for talks to find ways to reform the World Trade
Organization and address US grievances which are threatening the body’s
future.” The Administration is “blocking appointments of WTO judges and has
threatened to pull out of a grouping designed to ensure a rules-bound
global trade system.” Reuters adds that there are no representatives from
either the US or China at the meeting, although Canadian Trade Minister Jim
Carr “conced[ed] ‘there can be no meaningful reform of the WTO without the
Americans and Chinese.’”
Domestic Policy
Trump To Deploy Troops, Weighs Shutting Southern Border To Migrants,
Asylum-Seekers.

President Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0b1-92d&t=c>
yesterday, “To those in the Caravan, turnaround, we are not letting people
into the United States illegally. Go back to your Country and if you want,
apply for citizenship like millions of others are doing!” Trump coupled his
admonition with another tweet
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0b2-966&t=c>
in which he said, “Brandon Judd of the National Border Patrol Council is
right when he says on @foxandfriends that the Democrat inspired laws make
it tough for us to stop people at the Border. MUST BE CHANDED, but I am
bringing out the military for this National Emergency. They will be
stopped!” Along those lines, the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0b3-ada&t=c>
(10/25, Burns, Colvin) reports that Defense Secretary Mattis is expected to
sign the order sending “800 or more” troops to the US-Mexico border, and NBC
Nightly News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0b4-416&t=c>
(10/25, story 6, 0:30, Alexander) that DHS wants to have “the troops in
place by early next week.”

        USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0b5-c77&t=c>
(10/25, Jackson) reports, meanwhile, that “with thousands of asylum-seeking
migrants making their way toward the US-Mexico border, the Trump
administration is looking at options to restrict or block outright their
ability to enter the country.” A “White House official” said, “The
Administration is considering a wide range of administrative, legal and
legislative options to address the Democrat-created crisis of mass illegal
immigration. ... No decisions have been made at this time. Nor will we
forecast to smugglers or caravans what precise strategies will or will not
be deployed.” Among the options under consideration, says the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0b6-746&t=c>
(10/25, Davis, Gibbons-Neff), is “executive action to bar migrants,
including asylum seekers, from entering the country at the southern border,
according to people familiar with the plan.” Such an “effort would be the
starkest indication yet of Mr. Trump’s election-season push to play to his
anti-immigrant base as his party fights to keep control of Congress.”

        The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0b7-147&t=c>
(10/25, Nakamura) also reports “Trump is weighing a plan to shut the US
border to Central Americans and deny them the opportunity to seek asylum,
asserting similar emergency powers used during the early 2017 ‘travel ban,’
according to administration officials and people familiar with the
proposal.” Along similar lines, the Miami Herald
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0b8-cb5&t=c>
(10/25, Kumar) reports “the action has been talked about for months but
grew more imminent in recent weeks, said a former DHS official familiar
with the situation.” The action, “similar to Trump’s so-called travel ban,
would immediately be challenged in court.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0b9-dee&t=c>
(10/25, Hesson, Cook, Restuccia) reports that Kerri Talbot, “director of
the D.C.-based Immigration Hub, said it’s a play to Trump’s base.” Talbot
told Politico, “He’s trying to distract voters from core issues like health
care.”

        Along those lines, a number of media analyses are casting Trump’s
actions as a political ploy to boost GOP candidates. The CBS Evening
News[image:
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<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0ba-eb0&t=c>
(10/25, story 2, 2:00, Glor) reported Trump “is making good on the threat
to send troops to the southern border to head off a caravan of migrants
seeking asylum” but “critics are questioning” his “timing.” The Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0bb-fd2&t=c>
(10/25, Nakamura) said those critics have “said that Trump’s response to
the caravan has been aimed at fanning public fears over inflated security
threats to rally his conservative base,” and the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0bc-98b&t=c>
(10/25, Davis, Gibbons-Neff) that Trump “has framed the midterm
congressional elections...as a referendum on the so-called caravan, which
he has blamed on Democrats and portrayed as a dangerous horde ready to
invade the United States.”

        Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0bd-459&t=c>
(10/25, Stewart, Brice) also reports Trump yesterday “hammered away at the
issue of illegal immigration ahead of Nov. 6 congressional elections,” and USA
Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0be-8b5&t=c>
(10/25, Jackson, Gomez) that “critics” see the troop deployments as “a
‘desperate political stunt’ designed to stoke anti-immigrant fears in the
leadup to the Nov. 6 elections.” Another USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0bf-e83&t=c>
(10/25, Fritze, Schnaars) analysis says “the caravan...is more than 1,000
miles from the border, but the political potency of their journey is
already here.” Trump “is increasingly seizing on the caravan as an issue in
the midterm elections, hoping the images of migrants walking through Mexico
will energize GOP voters in battleground states and potentially tip the
balance in the fight for control of Congress.” Moreover, the issue “may
also play into a fight expected to pick up immediately after the election:
funding Trump’s proposed border wall.”

        The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0c0-a6d&t=c>
(10/25, Dinan, Muñoz) says “it’s not clear what operational gains will come
from adding active duty troops to the mix, but it does make good on a
declaration Mr. Trump made over the last week that he wanted to mobilize
the regular military, not just the guard.” Gillian Turner reported on Fox
News’ Special Report
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0c1-932&t=c>
(10/25) that the deployment does not include combat troops, but “when asked
about their role, the President insists all options remain on the table.”
However, Turner said, there’s a “clear statutory limit to what the military
can accomplish on the border. Shutting it down requires a waiver from
Congress – something the President is unlikely to get – and an emergency
declaration.” Pentagon spokesman Capt. Bill Speaks tells The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0c2-3b1&t=c>
(10/25, Keller) “that the military is working through the logistics and is
monitoring the situation at the border closely.” Said Speaks, “At this
time, I can only confirm that the Department of Defense continues to
monitor events along the Southwest US border, including the status of the
migrant caravan heading north through Mexico.”

        The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0c3-a23&t=c>
(10/25, Donachie) reports “the troops are not expected to use lethal force
against caravan participants, but rather, they are likely to provide
equipment and labor for tasks such as building fences.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0c4-c4c&t=c>
(10/25, Davis, Gibbons-Neff) says the 800 troops “will include engineers to
help with the construction of tents and fencing, doctors for medical
support, and potentially some personnel to operate drones along the
border.” The Times goes on to says that Trump “has made it clear in recent
days that he is angry and frustrated about his administration’s inability
to gain firmer control of the United States border with Mexico.” Axios
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0c5-6f9&t=c>
(10/25, Vavra), the New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0c6-064&t=c>
(10/25, Eustachewich), the Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0c7-2e2&t=c>
(10/25, Enjeti), and the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0c8-ff6&t=c>
(10/25, Youssef, Caldwell), among other news outlets, also note the
expected troop deployments.

        DHS Secretary Nielsen said in an interview with Fox News’ The
Story[image:
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<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0c9-50e&t=c>
(10/25), “We have been in close conversations with the DOD which is a great
partner of ours. ... What we have asked them to do is help to bolster our
capabilities. We’ve asked for some air support for some logistics, some
planning, vehicle barriers, engineering and ways in which we can protect
the officers and agents as well as the ports of entry themselves.” Nielsen
added, “What we intend to do, and I think the President has been clear, if
you don’t have a legal right to come to this country and you come as part
of this caravan, you will be returned home.” Later[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0ca-406&t=c>
in the interview, Nielsen was asked if she is receiving information that
Middle Easterners and members of MS-13 are in the caravan. Nielsen said,
“As Secretary of Homeland Security, I cannot sit here and pretend that I
know who is in that caravan. What we do know is that terrorists have
highlighted for many years the loopholes in our border security. What we do
know is there are criminals as part of this flow. We do know there are gang
members as part of this flow.”

        Meanwhile, William La Jeunesse reported on Fox News’ Special
Report[image:
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<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0cb-ae1&t=c>
(10/25) that the further it goes north, the more the caravan will “likely
splinter.” La Jeunesse, reporting from the site of the caravan, said one
option for migrants is to catch a train that “will cover in one hour what
it takes one day to walk.” However, he said “Mexico promised the US, we are
told, that they would try to disrupt the train service to thwart the
caravan.” ABC World News Tonight
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0cc-140&t=c>
(10/25, story 7, 0:25, Muir) similarly reported “the brutal conditions of
the journey” are “forcing several thousands to burn back in recent days.”

        *Judicial Watch: Smuggled Children Rescued From Caravan. *The
Washington
Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0cd-082&t=c>
(10/25, Dinan) reports “Guatemalan officials rescued seven unaccompanied
children who were being smuggled inside the migrant caravan, a conservative
watchdog reported Thursday.” Judicial Watch, “the group that revealed the
development, said the smugglers have been arrested and the children have
been taken into custody by authorities and are being given welfare checks.”
Judicial Watch “obtained a photo of the children from a senior Guatemalan
official who alerted the organization to the rescue.”

        *Nielsen: Some Deported Parents Have Rejected Reunification With
Their Children. *DHS Secretary Nielsen was asked in an interview on Fox
News’ The Story
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0ce-be5&t=c>
(10/25) how many of migrant children have not been reunited with their
parents and remain in custody. Nielsen said, “There are a few hundred. The
number that is left, what we have done is we have been working very closely
in coordination with the court. Of that number, the vast majority of their
parents have already been removed, or were removed prior to the court
injunction. And the parents now, three different times have said they do
not want to be reunited. So they are not reunited. The kids will stay in
the HHS care, just as our laws require, and HHS is working hard to find
them sponsors and find someone who does want to be reunited with them.”

        *Trump Endorses Italy’s “Very Hard Line On Illegal
Immigration.” *President
Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0cf-b97&t=c>
yesterday, “Just spoke with Prime Minister @GiuseppeConteIT of Italy
concerning many subjects, including the fact that Italy is now taking a
very hard line on illegal immigration....[continuing tweet
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0d0-c5c&t=c>]....I
agree with their stance 100%, and the United States is likewise taking a
very hard line on illegal immigration. The Prime Minister is working very
hard on the economy of Italy – he will be successful!”

        *Oregon Voters To Decide Whether To Repeal State’s Sanctuary Law. *The
AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0d1-006&t=c>
(10/25, Selsky) reports that Oregon voters will decide in November whether
to repeal the state’s sanctuary law. The repeal measure, known as Measure
105, “has become the most contentious ballot measure facing voters in the
mostly Democratic state.” While some want Oregon “to conform to federal
law,” among “people of color – U.S. citizens and people in the country
illegally – it has triggered memories of times when immigration roundups
were common and fears that they’ll be stopped by police.”
Media Analyses: Trump Drug Pricing Announcement Aimed At Midterms.

In an event at the Department of Health and Human Services Thursday,
President Trump announced a plan to lower the price of some prescription
drugs by basing Medicare’s payment rates on international prices, which are
significantly lower than those in the US. Trump’s announcement was not
covered on the network news broadcasts Thursday evening and print and
online coverage this morning is relatively light. Some reports highlight
that the proposal could save the government and Medicare beneficiaries
millions of dollars, but most also point out that Trump made announcement
less than two weeks before the election and cast the move as an effort to
insulate Republicans from criticism on the issue of healthcare.

        The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0d2-951&t=c>
(10/25, Cunningham, Sonmez) reports that Trump said his Administration
would be take the “revolutionary” step of “allowing Medicare to directly
negotiate prices with drug companies” who have “rigged” the system. The
Post says Trump is “seeking to shift attention to health care with the
midterm elections less than two weeks away.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0d3-ad1&t=c>
(10/25, Karlin-Smith, Diamond)says, “The bold move addresses a Trump
campaign pledge to lower drug prices, just days before the tightly
contested midterm elections in which health care is playing a pivotal
role.” The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0d4-bb0&t=c>
(10/25, Garcia) calls the proposal Trump’s “most aggressive move to lower
drug prices.” It comes “days ahead of the midterm elections, where
Republicans have been on the defensive on health care for their votes to
repeal ObamaCare and weaken pre-existing condition protections.”

        Similarly, the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0d5-49c&t=c>
(10/25, Alonso-Zaldivar) points out that Trump made the announcement “less
than two weeks before the midterm elections.” Trump said the plan “would
stop unfair practices that force Americans to pay much more than people in
other countries for the same medications.” He said, “We are taking aim at
the global freeloading that forces American consumers to subsidize lower
prices in foreign countries through higher prices in our country. ... Same
company. Same box. Same pill. Made in the exact same location, and you
would go to some countries and it would be 20 percent of the cost of what
we pay.” The New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0d6-23a&t=c>
(10/25, Schultz) reports that the White House believes the proposed changes
“would save Americans $17.2 billion over five years.”

        Axios
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0d7-0f0&t=c>
(10/25, Baker) reports that under the Administration proposal, “Medicare’s
payment rates would be based on those international prices.” According to
CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0d8-a46&t=c>
(10/25, Luhby, Fox), “basing Medicare reimbursement on what other countries
pay would be a huge departure from how the program currently works and run
counter to Republicans’ allegiance to the free market system.”

        The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0d9-504&t=c>
(10/25, Pear) says the steps outlined by Trump represent “a huge change
that would save money for the government and for millions of Medicare
beneficiaries.” The Times notes Trump spoke “after his administration
released a government study that found that Medicare was paying 80 percent
more than other advanced industrial countries for some of the most costly
physician-administered medicines.” However, the Times goes on to report
that “the proposal is likely to face political resistance from drug makers,
some health care providers and some Republicans in Congress, and it could
also be subject to legal challenges.”

        In a separate story, Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0da-85f&t=c>
(10/25, Diamond) says that while Trump tried “to make good on a campaign
vow to lower drug prices” his “populist proposal didn’t appear likely to
budge the national debate around health care, just days ahead of the
midterm elections.” Politico says the plan is “too wonky for Republicans
playing defense in local races, it gave Democrats a fresh opportunity to
slam the administration’s attacks on patient protections and it won’t help
most voters pay less for prescriptions at local pharmacies.”

        The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0db-89a&t=c>
(10/25, Armour, Walker) says the plan could save taxpayers billions but
faces opposition from the drug industry. The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0dc-3b4&t=c>
(10/25, Leonard) reports that the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers
of America (PhRMA), the nation’s largest pharmaceutical lobbying group said
Thursday that the President’s plan would endanger access for seniors and
the disabled and “liken[ed] the proposal to socialized healthcare systems
in Europe.” PhRMA president and CEO Stephen Ubl said, “The administration
is imposing foreign price controls from countries with socialized
healthcare systems that deny their citizens access and discourage
innovation. ... These proposals are to the detriment of American patients.”

        Local television coverage of Trump’s announcement was relatively
light but generally positive. WMC-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0dd-3cc&t=c>
Memphis, TN (10/25, 4:05 p.m. CDT) , for example, reported, “President
Trump announced his latest effort to lower drug prices today. During a
visit to the Department of Health and Human Services, the President blasted
the system he says gouges American consumers. Trump says he’s now giving
Medicare more power, a move that could benefit you.” Trump: “Under our new
plan, the Department of Health and Human Services would allow Medicare to
determine the prices it pays for certain drugs based on the cheaper prices
paid by other nations.” WMC added, “The plan would mostly cover drugs
administered in outpatient clinics, not general pharmacy prescriptions.
Congress would not need to approve these rule changes.”

        *Azar Acting As Trump’s “Point Man” On Healthcare. *The Washington
Free Beacon
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0de-79d&t=c>
(10/25, Cimmino, Continetti) calls Trump’s announcement “the latest move in
his administration’s fight to lower prescription drug costs, increase
choice and flexibility within health plans offered under the Affordable
Care Act aka Obamacare, and defeat progressive calls for Medicare for All.”
The Free Beacon says HHS Secretary Azar is “the president’s point man in
these efforts,” and goes on to detail how he “is advancing the Trump health
agenda along multiple fronts.”

        *CEA Report: Trump Deregulation Resulted In $26B In Drug Savings. *A
new report from the Council of Economic Advisers credits the President’s
deregulatory agenda with reducing spending on pharmaceuticals “by $26
billion since his inauguration,” the Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0df-567&t=c>
(10/25, Leonard) reports. The report “makes the case that government
regulations were overly burdensome in getting generic drug applications
reviewed for safety and brought to market.” It concludes, “We find that
growth in relative drug prices has slowed since January 2017, that generic
drugs are being approved at a particularly rapid pace, and that savings
from new generic entrants totaled about $26 billion as of July 2018.”
Trump: NYTimes Story On His Cellphone Use “Just More Made Up Fake News.”

President Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0e0-fe3&t=c>
yesterday, “The so-called experts on Trump over at the New York Times wrote
a long and boring article on my cellphone usage that is so incorrect I do
not have time here to correct it. I only use Government Phones, and have
only one seldom used government cell phone. Story is soooo wrong!” Trump
later tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0e1-425&t=c>,
“The New York Times has a new Fake Story that now the Russians and Chinese
(glad they finally added China) are listening to all of my calls on
cellphones. Except that I rarely use a cellphone, & when I do it’s
government authorized. I like Hard Lines. Just more made up Fake
News!” Business
Insider
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reports, “While this is hardly the first time Trump has been critical of
The New York Times’ reporting about him, eagle-eyed Twitter users quickly
noticed something about the tweet itself: It was sent from an iPhone.”

        NBC Nightly News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0e3-74c&t=c>
(10/25, story 7, 2:10, Mitchell) asked, “Could foreign spies be listening
in? US officials tell NBC News they have been concerned for months
that...Trump is discussing sensitive information on his non-secure iPhone
with people like Sean Hannity of Fox News,” and “now the New York Times
reports the Chinese and Russians are routinely eavesdropping” – though “NBC
News has not confirmed aspects of the report.” The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0e4-c7b&t=c>
(10/25, Wagner) says “the Times report...prompted fresh calls from
Democrats to investigate the president’s cellphone usage.”

        Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0e5-995&t=c>
(10/25, Oprysko) reports Trump “has resisted calls in the past from his
advisers to practice better phone security, telling aides that it would be
‘too inconvenient,’” and the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0e6-cf4&t=c>
(10/25, Rosenberg) that “officials said the president has two official
iPhones that have been altered by the National Security Agency to limit
their abilities – and vulnerabilities – and a third personal phone that is
no different from hundreds of millions of iPhones in use around the world.”
The Times adds “aides and people who know Mr. Trump said that it was only
late last year that he finally began to regularly use his government-issued
cellphone instead of his personal cellphone,” but “Trump kept his personal
phone because he did not have any numbers stored on the government phone,
they said.”

        *Chinese Official Calls Story “Fake News,” Quips That Trump Should
Use Huawei Phone. *The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0e7-2aa&t=c>
(10/25, Myers) reports “China on Thursday ridiculed but did not exactly
deny an article in The New York Times detailing how Chinese intelligence
agents eavesdropped on cellphone conversations...Trump had with friends in
hopes of gaining insights into the administration’s policies.” The Times
adds “a spokeswoman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hua Chunying,
suggested that ‘some people in the United States’ were competing for ‘the
Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay,’ and even used a familiar Trump
trope, warning the newspaper that it risked being called ‘fake news.’” Hu
“even offered a plug for a Chinese competitor of the iPhones that Mr. Trump
favors – to the apparent dismay of his security advisers,” saying, “If they
are very worried about iPhones being tapped, they can use Huawei.”

        *Scaramucci: Trump An “Intentional Liar” Who Uses “A Methodology Of
Mistruth.” *The Washington Post
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(10/25, Wagner) reports former White House communications director Anthony
Scaramucci, who “made headlines” Wednesday when he called President Trump
“a liar” during a CNN interview, “sought to backpedal” on Thursday.
Appearing on Fox News, Scaramucci said of his remarks on CNN, “They asked
me if the President tells mistruths or lies. I said he does intentionally
lie to create a dog whistle and create some atmospherics ... So they go and
put a little tagline, ‘Scaramucci calls President a liar.’ That’s not what
I was doing.” He added, “I didn’t really say the President was a liar. I
said the President is using a methodology of mistruth to create that level
of tension and anxiety. He’s like pushing the mainstream media and the
left, and he’s trying to galvanize his base, and it’s a media device.”
Grassley Seeks Criminal Probe Of Swetnick, Avenatti.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0e9-683&t=c>
(10/25, Chiacu) reports that Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley
wants “a federal probe of Julie Swetnick, who accused Brett Kavanaugh of
aggressive sexual behavior before his confirmation to the US Supreme Court,
and her lawyer Michael Avenatti.” Grassley “referred them to the Justice
Department for criminal investigation related to ‘a potential conspiracy to
provide materially false statements to Congress and obstruct a
congressional committee investigation.’” Reuters notes that Swetnick claims
she “witnessed efforts by Kavanaugh and others to get girls drunk at
parties so they could be raped.” The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0ea-ae3&t=c>
(10/25, Viebeck) reports that the Judiciary Committee “said the ‘obvious,
subsequent contradictions’ from Avenatti, as well as the ‘suspicious timing
of the allegations,’ warrants a federal investigation.”

        CQ Roll Call
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0eb-f06&t=c>
(10/25, McPherson) reports Grassley sent a letter
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Thursday to Attorney General Sessions and FBI Director Wray in which he
“outlines the allegations Avenatti and Swetnick made and times in which
there were contradictions in their story that led him to question the truth
of their statements.” He “included 17 pages worth of attachments to back up
his concerns.” USA Today
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(10/25, Jansen) notes the senator “said...subsequent contradictions and
suspicious timing of the allegations required a criminal investigation,”
and the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0ee-006&t=c>
(10/25, Freking) quotes him as saying, “I don’t take lightly making a
referral of this nature, but ignoring this behavior will just invite more
of it in the future.”

        The Washington Times
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(10/25, Dinan) notes “Grassley said in his letter...that it’s doubtful Ms.
Swetnick even knew...Kavanaugh, since they went to different schools with
different social circles, and Kavanaugh friends came forward to say they
didn’t remember ever encountering Ms. Swetnick.” He also “dissected Mr.
Avenatti’s involvement, saying the lawyer had ‘a history of claiming to
have anonymous clients who never materialize,’” and “recounted Mr.
Avenatti’s own lengthy legal entanglements, saying they cast doubt on his
credibility.”

        Breitbart
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(10/25, Caplan) reports Avenatti “responded on social media, vowing to ‘get
to the bottom of Judge Kavanaugh’s lies and conduct.’” Tweeted
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Avenatti, “It is ironic that Senator Grassley now is interested in
investigations. He didn’t care when it came to putting a man on the SCOTUS
for life. We welcome the investigation as now we can finally get to the
bottom of Judge Kavanaugh’s lies and conduct. Let the truth be known.” In
an email to The Hill
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(10/25, Carney), Avenatti similarly argued “Grassley has just made a major
mistake. Let the investigation into Kavanaugh and his lies begin.”

        Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0f3-984&t=c>
(10/25, Schor) says “liberal groups have pressed Democratic senators to
seek a broader DOJ inquiry into whether Kavanaugh himself may have made
false statements during his Senate confirmation hearings, but no such
referral has been released yet.” Axios
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0f4-b06&t=c>
(10/25, Axios), the New York Post
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(10/25, Golding), Bloomberg News
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(10/25, Dennis), Townhall
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(10/25, Pavlich), Washington Free Beacon
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(10/25, Griswold) and Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0f9-2c1&t=c>
(10/25, Quinn), among other news outlets, also report the story.

        *Grassley Also Made Referral Of Man Who Recanted His Accusations
Against Kavanaugh. *The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0fa-fdb&t=c>
(10/25, Fandos) reports “the referral was not Mr. Grassley’s first related
to...Kavanaugh’s accusers,” as “late last month, he referred to
investigators the case of a Rhode Island man who claimed to one of the
Judiciary Committee’s members that the nominee had sexually assaulted a
woman he knew in 1985 on a boat in Newport, R.I. After the committee
released an unequivocal denial by Justice Kavanaugh, the man, who was never
publicly identified, recanted his story.”

        *Avenatti Calls Time Magazine Reporting Of His Interview “Complete
Bulls**t.” *The Daily Caller
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(10/25, Simonson) reports Avenatti also “denied ever telling Time
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0fc-e99&t=c>
(10/25, Ball, Abramson) magazine that the 2020 Democratic Party
presidential candidate should be a white man, in exclusive comments given
to The Daily Caller News Foundation Thursday afternoon.” The Daily Caller
adds “shortly after Time printed its profile of Avenatti, where he is
billed as the Democratic frontrunner, many on social media bristled at his
assertions that his party’s nominee ‘better be a white man.’” Time quotes
him as saying, “When you have a white male making the arguments, they carry
more weight. ... Should they carry more weight? Absolutely not. But do
they? Yes.” However, “Avenatti denied ever making such comments entirely,”
saying, “I never said that, that’s complete bulls**t. That’s my comment,
complete bullsh**t.”

        Avenatti also said on Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0fd-7c8&t=c>,
“Let me be clear: I have consistently called on white males like me to
step, take responsibility, and be a part of stoping [sic] the sexism and
bigotry that other white males engage in. It is especially important for
them to call out other white males. I make this pt in my speeches.”
Google “Protected” Android Creator After Sexual Misconduct Allegation.

In a 2,800-word report headlined “How Google Protected Andy Rubin, The
‘Father Of Android,’” the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=0fe-f2d&t=c>
(10/25, Wakabayashi, Benner) reports that when Google gave Andy Rubin, the
creator of its Android mobile software, “a hero’s farewell when he left the
company in October 2014,” the company did not close “that an employee had
accused Mr. Rubin of sexual misconduct.” After an in-house investigation
found the claim to be credible, then-CEO Larry Page asked for Rubin’s
resignation. Google “could have fired Mr. Rubin and paid him little to
nothing on the way out. Instead, the company handed him a $90 million exit
package, paid in installments of about $2 million a month for four years,
said two people with knowledge of the terms.”

        Bloomberg News
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(10/25, Barr) reports that current CEO Sundar Pichai and human resources
Vice President Eileen Naughton “sought to reassure employees” on Thursday,
telling employees in an email that over “the past two years, 48 people have
been terminated for sexual harassment, including 13 who were senior
managers and above.”

        *Google Parent Reports Strong Q3 Profits. *The Wall Street Journal
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(10/25, Macmillan) reports that Google parent Alphabet reported
third-quarter net profit of $9.19 billion, an increase of nearly 37 percent
over the same period in 2017.
Hassett Predicts 3.5% Third-Quarter GDP Growth.

Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Hassett was asked on Fox Business’
Varney & Co.
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=101-e9e&t=c>
(10/25) about third-quarter GDP. Hassett said, “Our internal modeling say
that it is going to be about 3.5, but it could be north of four. But 3.5 I
think that is probably a good guess right now given the data. But that’s
more than double the growth rate that President Trump inherited.”

        *Increased Government Spending Has Boosted Economy. *The Wall
Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=102-afd&t=c>
(10/25, Davidson) reports that increased government spending, particularly
in defense, has helped boost the US economy since President Trump took
office. According to a Journal analysis of Commerce Department data, the US
economy has expanded at a 2.9 percent annual rate since April 2017,
compared to the 2.2 percent annual growth rate during President Obama’s
tenure.

        *Puzder: Full Effect Of Tax Reform Yet To Be Seen. *In an op-ed for
the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=103-d19&t=c>
(10/25), Andy Puzder, former chief executive of CKE Restaurants, argues
that while some are declaring the tax reform enacted last year a failure
that has “increas[ed] the federal deficit and ha[d] a negligible effect on
the economy,” it is “far too early to judge them a failure.” Puzder adds,
“With more people working for higher wages and taking home more of what
they earn since the IRS reduced withholding rates in February, increased
consumer spending makes perfect sense,” but “increased business investment,
the other side of the tax benefits coin, has yet to show a significant
impact on GDP because realizing the benefits takes longer.” Puzder
concludes that increases in “jobs, wages and take-home pay are already
showing the benefits of tax cuts, and consumers are, in turn, driving
economic growth. But the best is yet to come.”

        *Stocks Surge On Strong Earning Reports. *Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=104-44e&t=c>
(10/25, Hajric, Ponczek) reports “US stocks surged back into positive
territory, with the Nasdaq Composite Index registering its biggest increase
since March, a day after a broad-based rout sent equities negative for the
year.” The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=105-498&t=c>
(10/25, Jay) says, meanwhile, “strong results from major companies
including Microsoft and Visa helped US stocks bust out of another losing
streak Thursday.” Yesterday’s “rally wiped out part of the market’s plunge
from the day before, but stocks are still down sharply over the past three
weeks.” The S&P “jumped 49.47 points, or 1.9 percent, to 2,705.57. The Dow
Jones Industrial Average rose 401.13 points, or 1.6 percent, to 24,984.55
after rising as much as 520 points during the day.” The Nasdaq “surged
209.93 points, or 3 percent, to 7,318.34 after its biggest drop in seven
years.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=106-f1a&t=c>
(10/25, Tsang, Phillips), Axios
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=107-2c7&t=c>
(10/25, Brown), and the Wall Street Journal
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(10/25, Vaishampayan, Eisen, Gold), among other news outlets, also report
the story.

        NBC Nightly News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=109-6a6&t=c>
(10/25, story 9, 1:05, Ruhle) reported, “As the markets roared back,” there
was “a sigh of relief from everyone with a 401(k),” as “corporate earnings”
drove “the numbers.” However, “those big profits [are] combating what’s
been a drag on the market, the threat of a worsening trade war between the
US and China.” National Economic Council Director Kudlow: “We’ve had so
much with China, our assets are on the table. I’ve love to see them
respond. Thus far, they haven’t.” NBC added “the market roller coaster is
likely to continue,” and “for those of us getting heart burn watching the
swings in our 401k’s, experts say it’s best to stay focused on the long
term.”

        *Fed Regulatory Official Warns That Banks Are Increasingly Taking
Risks. *Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=10a-208&t=c>
(10/25, Lee, Hamilton, Bakewell, Torres) reports that Todd Vermilyea, who
heads the Federal Reserve’s Division of Banking Supervision and Regulation,
“fired a rare public warning Wednesday, saying that banks appear to be
chasing increasingly dangerous deals and forgoing protections against
borrowers going bust.” Bloomberg News writes, “in the Trump era, Wall
Street banks have been testing the limits of what they can get away with in
piling risky loans onto highly indebted companies.” Speaking at a
conference, Vermilyea said, “There may be a material loosening of terms and
weaknesses in risk management. Some institutions could be taking on risk
without the appropriate mitigating controls.”

        *Kashkari Says Fed Should Pause Interest Rate Increases. *In a Wall
Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=10b-52c&t=c>
(10/25) op-ed, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari
says that the Fed should allow inflation to rise slightly above its annual
target of two percent in order to pause interest rate increases. Kashkari
says that monetary policy is now effectively neutral, and that continued
rate hikes could shut many Americans out of growth.

        *Amazon Reports Second Straight Quarter Of Record Profitability. *The
Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=10c-9b8&t=c>
(10/25, Stevens) reports on its front page that Amazon posted its second
straight quarter of record profitability, reporting third-quarter profits
of $2.88 billion. However, the company said that growth could slow in the
fourth quarter, warning that holiday sales may not be as robust as
previously anticipated.
USA Today Poll: Democrats Lead Generic Ballot 51%-43%; Trump Driving Vote
Choice.

USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=10d-332&t=c>
(10/25, Page, Hofacker) reports that a USA Today/Suffolk University poll
“finds President Trump driving the decisions of a majority of voters” in
this year’s midterms, which “is giving Democrats an edge as the crucial
campaign heads into the final stretch.” A majority of those polled “say
Trump will have ‘a lot’ of impact on their congressional vote,” while “only
one in four say the president doesn’t have at least some effect on their
vote.” Democrats lead the generic ballot 51% to 43% – “a significant edge,
albeit not an overwhelming one. In the USA Today poll in August, Democrats
led by 11 points.”

        Eugene Robinson addresses his Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=10e-87e&t=c>
(10/25) column to Democrats, writing, “You can do this. Stop fretting and
second-guessing. Get out of your own way. Concentrate on turning out the
vote, and remember you have everything to gain in this midterm election and
nothing to lose.”

        Fareed Zakaria writes in his Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=10f-de1&t=c>
(10/25) column that Trump has recently “demonstrated uncanny political
instincts” in playing up divisive issues like immigration and the prospect
of impeachment as he has campaigned for Republicans. When combined “with
his ruthless ‘amorality’ – a term used by one of his own senior officials
in an anonymous New York Times op-ed – he presents a formidable challenge
to his opponents.”

        *WPost: Republicans Feeling Optimistic About Senate Races.
*The Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=110-4fd&t=c>
(10/25, Sullivan) reports that after Senate Majority Leader McConnell
encouraged him to do so earlier this month, President Trump “has held a
series of rallies in Senate battleground states – with plans for at least
10 in the final six days of the campaign.” McConnell “has been telling
associates that Republicans are in a strong position to hold the Senate and
could pad their narrow 51-to-49 advantage by a couple of seats. ... The
optimism marks a shift from early September, when officials were fretting
over struggling candidates and contemplating the possibility of losing both
chambers of Congress.” Republicans feel strong about defeating Sens. Heidi
Heitkamp (D-ND) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO), and “also think they have
gained the advantage in Texas and Tennessee, two states that caused
nervousness earlier this year. Nevada and Arizona, which they are also
defending, are still vulnerable but are winnable, they said.”

        *Obama To Campaign Today In Milwaukee African-American
Neighborhoods. *The AP
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(10/25) reports, “Former President Barack Obama plans to visit one of
Milwaukee’s most impoverished black neighborhoods Friday to campaign for
Wisconsin Democrats, underlining his party’s efforts to encourage
African-Americans to vote.” The AP says “African-Americans traditionally
vote Democrat, so low black voter turnout in Milwaukee in 2016 proved
costly for Hillary Clinton.” The AP reports that “Obama will also be
stumping for Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and congressional
candidates Randy Bryce and Dan Kohl.”

        *Pence Stumps In Florida For DeSantis, Scott. *Vice President Pence
visited Florida on Thursday to survey damage from Hurricane Michael and to
campaign for gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis and Senate candidate Rick
Scott. Pence first stopped in Panama City to meet with Hurricane Michael
survivors and examine damage in the area. He then traveled to Jacksonville
to headline an event for DeSantis, before heading to Vero Beach for an
event with Gov. Scott. The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=112-690&t=c>
(10/26, Spencer) reports that DeSantis “got support Thursday from Vice
President Mike Pence, who told a Jacksonville rally that the former
congressman ‘has been one of the strongest advocates for the Trump
administration and President (Donald) Trump.’” Pence told the crowd,
“DeSantis is a principled leader with a proven record. ... Gillum, you’ve
got just one more voice for the resistance. His policies look more like
Bernie Sanders’ Vermont than the Sunshine State.”

        WTSP-TV
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St. Petersburg, FL (10/25, Glasser) reports Pence praised DeSantis as “a
great leader, proud veteran, a tough brilliant cookie that would make a
great governor of Florida,” while WPEC-TV
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West Palm Beach, FL (10/25, Dunkelberger) reports both DeSantis and Pence
“slammed Gillum on a host of other issues, including his support for
dismantling the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and his
plan to raise Florida’s corporate income taxes by $1 billion to pay for
teacher salaries.”

        Meanwhile, in an analysis, Florida Politics
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=115-e18&t=c>
(10/25, Gancarski) reports that “attendance [at the DeSantis event] was not
as strong as organizers might have hoped, with a couple hundred people on
hand being a smaller draw than the Democratic ‘Winning Ticket’ rally”
headlined by former Vice President Joe Biden earlier this week for Gillum.

        *Poll Shows Nelson Leading Scott 46%-45%. *The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=116-a5f&t=c>
(10/25, Axelrod) reports Sen. Bill Nelson (D.) and Gov. Rick Scott (R) “are
running neck-and-neck in the Sunshine State’s widely watched Senate race,
according to a new WCTV poll released Thursday.” The Hill says “Nelson, who
is seeking his fourth term in the Senate, has support from 46 percent of
Florida likely voters, while 45 percent support Scott.” The difference “is
within the poll’s 3 point margin of error.” Meanwhile, “both candidates
have net-positive favorability ratings, with likely voters finding Nelson
favorable by a 43-41 margin with 11 percent neutral and five percent who
are unfamiliar with the senator.” In addition, “likely voters find Scott
favorable by a 45-41 margin with 11 percent neutral and four percent
unfamiliar with the governor.”

        *Pence To Stump In New Mexico Today, Nevada Tomorrow, Georgia On
Nov. 1. *The Taos (NM) News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=117-1ff&t=c>
(10/25, Stelnicki) reports Vice President Pence is set to visit Roswell,
New Mexico today to “stump with gubernatorial candidate Steve Pearce (R)”
and state Rep. Yvette Herrell (R), who is running in the NM2, “the seat
Pearce has left open to run for governor.” Additional online coverage of
Pence’s planned visit is provided by KOB-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=118-152&t=c>
Albuquerque, NM (10/25, Egbuonu), while local broadcast coverage was
provided by KOAT-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=119-662&t=c>
Albuquerque, NM (10/25), KOB-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=11a-053&t=c>
Albuquerque, NM (10/25), and KRQE-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=11b-9ba&t=c>
Albuquerque, NM (10/25).

        The Las Vegas Review-Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=11c-9b8&t=c>
(10/25, Lochhead) reports Pence will visit Las Vegas on Saturday morning
“to stump for Republican Congressional candidate Cresent Hardy.” Pence
“will also rally with incumbent Republican U.S. Sen Dean Heller and
Attorney General Adam Laxalt, the Republican nominee for governor, in
Carson City Saturday afternoon.”

        The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=11d-5ac&t=c>
(10/25, Hallerman) reports Pence will visit Georgia on November 1 to
headline rallies for Republican gubernatorial nominee Brian Kemp in Dalton,
Savannah, and the Augusta suburb of Grovetown.
Cancer Research
Higher Consumption Of Organic Food Associated With Lower Cancer Risk.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=11e-410&t=c>
(10/23, Rabin) reported in “Well” that research
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=11f-100&t=c>
published in published in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that individuals
who eat more organic food may have a lower risk of cancer. In “Science
Now,” the Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=120-755&t=c>
(10/22, Kaplan) reports that the study included “nearly 70,000 French
adults who were tracked for an average of 4.5 years.” CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=121-eb8&t=c>
(10/22, Scutti) reports that researchers found that “those who ate the most
organic food were 25% less likely to develop cancer.” CNN adds that
“specifically, they were 73% less likely to develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma
and 21% less likely to develop post-menopausal breast cancer.” The
investigators found that “even participants who ate low-to-medium quality
diets yet stuck with organic food experienced a reduced risk of cancer.”
NCI Awards $16M For Effort To Research Cancer Disparities Between Ethnic
Groups.

The Los Angeles Business Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=122-197&t=c>
(10/25, Bartholomew) reports the National Cancer Institute has awarded a
five-year, $16 million grant to the University of Southern California, the
University of Florida, and the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical
University, “a historically black college,” to support the research of
“cancer health disparities among racial and ethnic groups.” The funding
will establish a cancer health equity center that will examine “the
genetics of cancer health disparities among highly diverse communities in
Florida and Southern California.” On its website, WGFL-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=123-9d1&t=c>
Gainesville, FL (10/25) reports the research institution will be called the
CaRE^2 Health Inequity Center, and that the partnering universities are
located “in the two states with the highest cancer incidence and mortality
rate.”
Editorials/Op-Eds
New York Times.

*“How A Democratic House Could Work With Trump.”* In an editorial, the New
York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=124-167&t=c>
(10/25) expresses hope that President Trump would work with a Democratic
House on his “newly rediscovered policy passions” like “protecting health
care coverage for pre-existing conditions” and reducing “the high cost of
prescription drugs.” The Times says Trump and Democrats could also work
together on the major infrastructure plan Trump has promised since taking
office.
Washington Post.

*“Saudi Arabia Admits Khashoggi’s Murder Was Premeditated. Fine. Who
Premeditated It?”* The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=125-2eb&t=c>
(10/25) editorializes that the Saudi government “once again changed its
story,” but “that doesn’t mean the regime of King Salman and Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman has finally chosen to come clean” about Jamal
Khashoggi’s killing. Rather, the Post says, it “merely reflects Saudi
acceptance of the reality that the previous official version, like the one
before it and the one before that, wouldn’t fly with the Turkish president,
the US Congress, European governments and possibly even the Trump
administration, which has been doing its best to assist the damage control
operation in Riyadh.” The Post argues that Trump should want the truth, and
if the Saudi crown prince did in fact oversee or sanction “the brutal
butchering...the administration urgently needs to alter its relationship
with him – or risk even worse disasters.”

        *“Trump Demonizes Opponents And Gives License To Violence. He’s
Part Of The Problem.” *The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=126-7e4&t=c>
(10/25) editorializes that “the media – social and mainstream – at times
contribute to the distemper,” but “so does the president,” who “demonizes
opponents and gives license to those who would punish them. ... By blaming
everyone but himself, Mr. Trump shows his unwillingness – or inability – to
recognize the totality of the problem,” and “that makes him part of the
problem.”

        *“Facebook’s Other Fake News Problem.” *In an editorial, the Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=127-d6f&t=c>
(10/25) writes that the immense popularity of Facebook’s WhatsApp chat
software in Brazil is having a negative impact on the country’s
presidential runoff. The Post says WhatsApp is “filled with lies,” with
researchers finding that most of the messages sent as part of a
multi-million-dollar campaign of “propaganda supporting far-right candidate
Jair Bolsonaro...were misleading or false.”

        *Jenner: Transgender Community “Is Being Relentlessly Attacked” By
Trump. *In a Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=128-3fd&t=c>
(10/25) op-ed, transgender rights advocate Caitlyn Jenner writes that
following President Trump’s election, she “saw fertile ground for change
within the Republican Party on LGBTQ issues. Trump was the first Republican
presidential candidate to claim to support this valuable, vulnerable
community.” But “the reality is that the trans community is being
relentlessly attacked by this president. ... He has ignored our humanity.
He has insulted our dignity. He has made trans people into political pawns
as he whips up animus against us in an attempt to energize the most
right-wing segment of his party.”

        *Rogin: Trump’s Foreign Policy Doctrine Is “Trumpism.” *Josh Rogin
writes in his Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018102601biden&r=email-8ab1&l=129-0ad&t=c>
(10/25) column that “almost two years into the Trump presidency,
governments, academics and pundits are still searching for the ideology and
doctrine that guides President Trump’s decision-making on world affairs.”
But Rogin argues that “it should be clear by now that there is none, other
than the specific and unique set of political interests and beliefs Trump
personally holds. It’s not nationalism or realism – it’s just Trumpism.”
The “end result,” he argues, is that the US has a foreign policy
“characterized by unpredictability, which might be an asset if only it were
it deliberate. And for all those around the world trying to define Trump’s
doctrine, don’t bother. It’s whatever he says it is on a given day, and it
will probably change the day after.”

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