Subject: FW: Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for Tuesday, December 18, 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: Tue, 18 Dec 2018 09:59:34 -0500

Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing

*From:* Bulletin Intelligence <[email-masked]>
*Sent:* Tuesday, December 18, 2018 7:55 AM
*To:* [email-masked]
*Subject:* Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for
Tuesday, December 18, 2018

*Click to access
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=000-475&t=c>
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[image: Image removed by sender. Office of Vice President Biden
Intelligence Briefing]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=001-432&t=c>

*To: Vice President Joe Biden*

*Tuesday, December 18, 2018 8:00 AM EST*
Today's Table of Contents

*Biden in the News* <#SECTION_1>

• Iowa 2020 Poll: Biden Still Up Big Among Democrats, Despite Dip In
Support. <#S1>

• Sanders Holds Big Lead In Straw Poll Of Democracy For America Members.
<#S2>

• CNN’s Enten: Political Analysts May Be “Underestimating Biden’s Strength.”
<#S3>

• Biden: “I Think Anybody Can Beat” Trump In 2020. <#S4>

• NYTimes’ Collins, Stephens Weigh In On A Possible Biden Bid. <#S5>

• New Republic’s Shepard Says Biden’s Past Would Be Albatross In Democratic
Race. <#S6>

• Brad Bannon: Democrats Should Choose O’Rourke Or Harris As 2020 Nominee.
<#S7>

• Biden: Trump Administration “Has Wantonly Abdicated Our Leadership Role”
In The Western Hemisphere. <#S8>

*Leading the News* <#SECTION_2>

• Reports Show Far-Reaching, Ongoing Russian Disinformation Efforts In US.
<#S9>

*Foreign Policy* <#SECTION_3>

• US Diplomats Attend Taliban Peace Talks In UAE. <#S10>

• US Airstrikes In Somalia Kill 62 Militants. <#S11>

• CFR Assessment Cites Iran, Cybersecurity As Top Threats To US In 2019.
<#S12>

• White House: Trump Did Not Tell Erdogan He Would Extradite Gulen. <#S13>

• May Postpones Parliamentary Vote On Brexit Deal Until Mid-January. <#S14>

• Malaysia Files Criminal Charges Against Goldman Sachs Over 1MDB. <#S15>

• US-South Korea Talks On Defense Payments Stall. <#S16>

*Domestic Policy* <#SECTION_4>

• Trump Takes Swipe At Democrats As Impasse Over Border Wall Continues.
<#S17>

• DHS Reportedly Barred House Members From Interviewing CBP Agents Involved
In Girl’s Detention. <#S18>

• Trump Criticizes Fed For “Even Considering” Rate Hikes. <#S19>

• Trump Says He Would Work With Democrats On “Great” Healthcare Plan. <#S20>

• DOJ Asks Circuit Court To Reverse Judge’s Trump Emoluments Ruling. <#S21>

• Trump Announces Additional $4.9 Billion In Aid To Farmers. <#S22>

• American Business Leaders Anxious Over USMCA’s Fate. <#S23>

*Cancer Research* <#SECTION_5>

• Precision Medicine Holds Promise In Cancer Treatment. <#S24>

• Researchers Unsure In Wake Of NIH Fetal Tissue Procurement Ban. <#S25>

*Editorials/Op-Eds* <#SECTION_6>

• New York Times. <#S26>

• Washington Post. <#S27>
Biden in the News
Iowa 2020 Poll: Biden Still Up Big Among Democrats, Despite Dip In Support.

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=002-f06&t=c>
(12/17, Korecki) reported that a Focus on Rural America poll of 500
potential Democratic Iowa caucus-goers, taken Dec. 10-11, shows former Vice
President Joe Biden leading a hypothetical field of 2020 Democratic
presidential hopefuls with 30%, followed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) at
13%, Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) at 11%, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) at 10%,
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) at 9%, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) at 7%, Sen.
Cory Booker (D-NJ) at 6%, and other possible contenders lagging further
behind. Politico said that Biden and Warren “saw seven-point drops in their
performance since the poll was last in the field in September.” Neither
Klobuchar nor O’Rourke were included in the previous poll. Politico added,
“The apparent rise of Klobuchar and O’Rourke – along with signs of a Biden
and Warren fade – suggests that Iowa Democrats are making way for new faces
in what’s expected to be the largest and most diverse field in decades.”

        *Media Analyses: Polls Show Biden Frontrunner In Iowa. *ON its
website, CBS News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=003-205&t=c>
(12/17, Watson) reported, “With the Iowa caucuses just over a year away,
Democratic caucusgoers are most likely to say former Vice President Joe
Biden is their pick for 2020.” CBS News highlighted the Des Moines
Register/CNN/Mediacom poll
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=004-dc8&t=c>
– covered in yesterday’s briefing – that showed Biden leading a
hypothetical field of 2020 Democratic hopefuls with 32%. CBS News added,
“An earlier CNN poll in October of Democratic voters nationwide also landed
Biden on top. Not only does Biden generate the most support among Democrats
in Iowa – previous polls suggest the public thinks he has the best shot at
defeating President Trump. ... [A] July Politico/Morning Consult poll
showed Biden beating Mr. Trump 46 percent to 35 percent in a hypothetical
2020 match-up.”

        Similarly, Inside Sources
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=005-a92&t=c>
(12/17, Graham) reported, “First Politico, then SRSS and now a new CNN/Des
Moines Register poll of likely Iowa caucus-goers confirms that, in the
early going, the top names in the Democratic field are Biden, Bernie
and–surprise!–Beto.” The new CNN/Des Moines Register showed Biden leading
“the pack with 32 percent support, followed by Sen. Bernie Sanders at 19
percent and Rep. Beto O’Rourke at 11 percent. They were the only people in
double-digits.”
Sanders Holds Big Lead In Straw Poll Of Democracy For America Members.

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=006-291&t=c>
(12/18, Siders) reports that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) “tops the first
2020 straw poll by the progressive political action committee Democracy for
America by a wide margin.” Sanders leads with 36%, followed by former Vice
President Joe Biden at 15%, Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) at 12%, Sen.
Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) at 8%, and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) at 7%; no
other potential candidate topped 4%. DFA Executive Director Charles
Chamberlain, who will become chairman of the organization next month, “said
support for Biden likely draws in part from nostalgia for the Obama
administration and that, among progressive Democrats, ‘I have a feeling the
wheels come off the cart when he starts to campaign.’” Politico adds, “DFA
said members cast more than 94,000 votes, ranking up to three potential
candidates on each ballot. The poll ran Nov. 29 through Dec. 14, and
results reflect only first-choice votes.”
CNN’s Enten: Political Analysts May Be “Underestimating Biden’s Strength.”

In an online “analysis” for CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=007-59b&t=c>
(12/17), Harry Enten said that as former Vice President Biden mulls a White
House bid, “few seem to think he’s the frontrunner for the 2020 Democratic
presidential nomination,” because of “his record (fairly mainstream in a
party moving to the left), his age (he’s 76) and the fact that he’s a white
male in a diversifying party. But maybe – just maybe – we’re
underestimating Biden’s strength.” Enten went on to highlight “some key
points working in Biden’s favor,” writing that the former Vice President
“hasn’t trailed in a single national poll conducted in the last 11 months”;
polls show that “he’s well-liked”; and surveys also indicate “he can beat
President Donald Trump.” Enten added that “there’s enough data out there
that would make me think that perhaps I should run if I were Biden.”
Biden: “I Think Anybody Can Beat” Trump In 2020.

The Intercept
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=008-2f9&t=c>
(12/17, Ballasy) reports that former Vice President Joe Biden thinks “that
‘anybody can beat’ President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential
election.” The article said that during a recent stop on his book tour,
Biden asserted, “I think I’m the most qualified person in the country to be
president.” Following “an address at the Lantos Foundation’s 10th
anniversary gala, where he was recognized with a legacy award, Biden was
asked specifically by The Intercept why he thinks he’s the most qualified
person to take on Trump. ‘You don’t run for president unless you think you
are qualified,’ Biden replied.” Asked, “Why do you think you could beat
President Trump? Why is this your time?” Biden replied, “I think anybody
can beat him.” Newsweek
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=009-7a1&t=c>
(12/17, Marcin) highlighted The Intercept report.
NYTimes’ Collins, Stephens Weigh In On A Possible Biden Bid.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=00a-4ae&t=c>
(12/18, Collins, Stephens) runs a piece, in which columnists Gail Collins
and Bret Stephens discuss politics. Stephens asked Collins “how do you feel
about Joe Biden?” Collins replied, “Everybody talks about his age, which
isn’t an overwhelming concern if you presume he’ll pick a very capable
running mate. But the big worry, as our colleague Frank Bruni has pointed
out, is that this is a guy who’s run for president before. A lot. And
pretty much disastrously.” Asked if he had “a Democratic favorite,”
Stephens replied, “Er, Biden. ... Every other contender would need at least
a year of on-the-job training, which is something the country and the world
will scarcely be able to afford after four years of Trumpism.” Stephens
adds, “I see Biden as the Democratic answer to George H.W. Bush – a
statesmanlike presence who could work with the opposition without rancor
and leave the office and country better than he found it.”
New Republic’s Shepard Says Biden’s Past Would Be Albatross In Democratic
Race.

In a negative piece for The New Republic
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=00b-3d5&t=c>
(12/18), Alex Shephard says that while former Vice President Joe Biden “is
the early frontrunner” in the 2020 Democratic presidential race, if he
enters the contest, “his past will be raked over – and his political record
looks increasingly checkered in today’s light.” Shephard says, for
instance, that Biden “shamefully failed to protect Anita Hill after she
accused Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment in 1991”; he “is notoriously
cosy with financial interests”; he “supported the Iraq War and the 1994
crime bill”; he “went to great efforts to suppress busing and other school
integration efforts and was against reproductive rights before he was in
favor of them.” Shephard adds that in the Democratic primary, “Biden’s
obvious centrism and voting record will be liabilities that his
off-the-cuff style may make worse – it’s easy to imagine the punchy,
impulsive Biden doubling down when he should be recanting.”
Brad Bannon: Democrats Should Choose O’Rourke Or Harris As 2020 Nominee.

In an op-ed for the Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=00c-e64&t=c>
(12/17), Democratic pollster Brad Bannon said that during the 2020 race for
the White House, there will be a fight “between the [Hillary] Clinton and
[Sen. Bernie] Sanders factions within the Democratic Party. Should the
party nominate a populist progressive like Bernie Sanders or a centrist
like Joe Biden? Establishment Democrats dismiss Sanders as a fake Democrat
who is too liberal to woo moderate voters. Berniecrats believe that a Biden
nomination would be a rerun of the 2016 defeat of a status quo politician
who has no appeal to voters starved for change. The answer is the party
needs to find a candidate who appeals to both camps.” Bannon added that
because “neither Sanders nor Biden are acceptable to both factions, the
best bet would be to nominate one of the other potential candidates such as
Beto O’Rourke of Texas or Sen. Kamala Harris of California.”
Biden: Trump Administration “Has Wantonly Abdicated Our Leadership Role” In
The Western Hemisphere.

In an op-ed for Americas Quarterly
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=00d-2d2&t=c>
(12/17), former Vice President Joe Biden touts the work he and former
President Barack Obama did in “leading US engagement with our partners
throughout the Western Hemisphere,” saying that when they were able to
create “a new foundation of cooperation for our region built around shared
responsibility, respect and partnership.” Biden criticizes the Trump
Administration, saying “that foundation for cooperation has been needlessly
yet determinedly destroyed,” as “this administration has wantonly abdicated
our leadership in the region.” Biden adds, “It is vital that we maintain
our leadership role in the region – not because we fear competition, but
because US leadership is indispensable to addressing the persistent
challenges that prevent our region from realizing its fullest potential.”
Leading the News
Reports Show Far-Reaching, Ongoing Russian Disinformation Efforts In US.

Two independent reports released by the Senate Intelligence Committee on
Monday conclude that Russian disinformation efforts surrounding the 2016 US
presidential election were far more ambitious than previously thought, and
that such efforts continue to this day. ABC World News Tonight[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=00e-5f2&t=c>
(12/17, story 8, 0:25, Muir) called it “the most sweeping analysis yet of
Russia’s meddling on social media.”

        The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=00f-b76&t=c>
(12/17, Jalonick) says the reports, compiled by cybersecurity firm New
Knowledge
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=010-725&t=c>
and by a joint project
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=011-619&t=c>
of Oxford University and social media analysis firm Graphika, conclude that
“Russia’s sweeping political disinformation campaign on U.S. social media
was more far-reaching than originally thought, with troll farms working to
discourage black voters and ‘blur the lines between reality and fiction’ to
help elect” President Trump in 2016. The reports, released Monday by the
Senate Intelligence Committee, also conclude that “troll farms are still
working to stoke racial and political passions” in the US.

        The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=012-856&t=c>
(12/17, Shane, Frenkel) reports the new information “adds new details to
the portrait that has emerged over the last two years of the energy and
imagination of the Russian effort to sway American opinion and divide the
country, which the authors said continues to this day. ... Both reports
stress” that Russia’s Internet Research Agency “created social media
accounts under fake names on virtually every available platform,” including
Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Reddit, Tumblr, Twitter, and YouTube. A
“major goal was to support” Trump in both his primary and general election
campaigns, and as President.

        Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=013-17f&t=c>
(12/17, Lima) reports, “In total, Russian operations included over 10
million tweets, over 1,000 YouTube videos, roughly 116,000 Instagram posts
and more than 60,000 unique Facebook posts.” The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=014-74f&t=c>
(12/17, Volz) reports that the effort was notably successful on Instagram,
where there were 187 million interactions with deceptive content on
Instagram compared with 76.5 million on Facebook, according to New
Knowledge.

        The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=015-fc2&t=c>
(12/17, Halper) reports, “More than 30 million Facebook and Instagram users
shared propaganda messages generated as part of [the] campaign...to
polarize and misinform voters.” New Knowledge said many specifically
targeted African-Americans, writing in its report, “The IRA exploited the
trust of their page audiences to develop human assets, at least some of
whom were not aware of the role they played. The tactic was substantially
more pronounced on Black-targeted accounts.”

        The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=016-faf&t=c>
(12/17, Frenkel, Wakabayashi, Conger) says the reports also detailed “tech
companies’ foot-dragging” on providing information about Russian efforts.
YouTube “did not disclose [to lawmakers] how many people watched the videos
on its site that were created by Russian trolls,” Facebook “did not release
the comments that its users made when they viewed Russian-generated
content,” and Twitter “gave only scattered details about the
Russian-controlled accounts that spread propaganda there.”

        The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=017-98e&t=c>
(12/17, Dwoskin) reports “Russia’s disinformation teams [also] trained
their sights” on Special Counsel Robert Mueller soon after his appointment.
They “unloaded on Mueller through fake accounts on Facebook, Twitter and
beyond, falsely claiming that the former FBI director was corrupt and that
the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election were crackpot
conspiracies.” The Post writes, “Having worked to help get Trump into the
White House, they now worked to neutralize the biggest threat to his
staying there.”

        Renée DiResta of New Knowledge writes in the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=018-6f1&t=c>
(12/17), “Regardless of what any tech executives may have said, the data
indicate that this was not a small-scale problem fixable by tweaking a
platform’s advertising purchase policy. Rather, it was a cross-platform
attack that made use of numerous features on each social network and that
spanned the entire social ecosystem. ... The biggest lesson from the Senate
committee’s request for our investigation of Russian interference is the
troubling absence of adequate structures for collaboration among multiple
stakeholders, private and public alike, to establish solutions and
appropriate oversight.”

        The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=019-dc6&t=c>
(12/17) says in an editorial that the “Russia operation is staggering in
its scale, precision and deceptiveness. ... Republicans have protested over
the past year that election interference is neither unusual nor important.
This week’s reports comprehensively put both arguments to rest. Russia
waged an unprecedented campaign, targeting Americans across all segments of
society, on platforms large and small.”

        Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) said on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=01a-75e&t=c>
(12/17), “The length and breadth and the reach of the Russia interference
as disclosed by the Senate Intelligence Committee’s work is really
striking. It just goes to show they’ve been at it a long time, and who
benefited from this? It was the Trump campaign, and they had every
intention of making sure that Trump would become the president.”

        Several Democratic House members weighed in on Twitter. Rep.
Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=01b-2ed&t=c>,
“More evidence of the lengths Russia went to in order to get Donald Trump
elected president. Now we have to ask ourselves: Why did they choose Trump?
What will the GOP do to help stem the significant election interference?”
Rep. Susanne DelBene (D-WA) tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=01c-05f&t=c>,
“The more we learn, the worse it gets. Not only did Russia try to help
Trump win the election, they tried to suppress the votes of
African-Americans. We must let Mueller finish his work and protect our
democracy.”

        Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=01d-fe7&t=c>,
“This Senate report confirms Russian officials manipulated millions of
social media users by exploiting political and racial divisions in American
society. We’ve got questions. When Dems take back the House in January,
we’ll get answers.” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=01e-5e7&t=c>,
“Russian efforts to manipulate Americans through social media are
sophisticated, cynical, effective and very much ongoing. Russia seeks to
divide us among racial, ethnic and political fault lines.” Rep. Nydia
Velazquez (D-NY) tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=01f-38b&t=c>,
“It becomes chillingly clearer every single day how relentless Russia was
in attempting to influence our elections & assist @realdonaldtrump. This is
why I called for a Special Counsel in December 2016 – and why Mueller’s
investigation must be protected!”

        *Lawsuit Seeks To Expose Whether Russia Also Aided US
Environmentalists. *The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=020-b3e&t=c>
(12/17, Hopkins) reports that the Institute for Energy Research, “a
free-market energy group,” has filed an open records lawsuit against the
State Department “to uncover whether Russian entities attempted to
financially support US environmentalist causes.” The lawsuit “follows
mounting questions over Russian support of environmentalist groups that
have opposed US fracking.”

        *Haley: Russia Has Made It “Very Hard” To Have A Relationship.
*Ambassador
Haley said on Fox News’ Hannity
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=021-527&t=c>
(12/17), “We want a relationship with Russia. It’s in our interest to try
and have communication and relationship with Russia. They have made that
very hard. ... Someone asked me, ‘Is Russia a friend or a foe?’ My answer
was, ‘It depends on the day.’ Our goal is to hopefully have them be a
friend more days than they are a foe, but, it’s not going to be because we
are being soft on them, it’s going to be because they want the relationship
back and they are starting to act better.”

        *Isikoff Now Expresses Doubts About Steele Dossier. *The Daily
Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=022-be8&t=c>
(12/17, Ross) reports journalist Michael Isikoff, “who was first to report
allegations from the Steele dossier, said in a new interview that many of
the salacious allegations in the document are ‘likely false.’” Asked
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=023-7fc&t=c>
by Mediaite columnist John Ziegler, “Would you agree that a lot of what’s
in the Steele dossier has been somewhat vindicated?” Isikoff replied, “No.”

        *Ex-Federal Prosecutor: Statute Of Limitations Could Protect Trump.
*Under the headline “How Trump Could Get Away With It,” former federal
prosecutor Lawrence Robbins writes in Politico Magazine
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=024-1bc&t=c>
(12/17, Robbins) that “the statute of limitations on the campaign finance
felonies” committed by Michael Cohen, “as well as virtually any other
felony with which President Trump might be charged, is five years,
beginning with when the offenses were committed. Especially if Trump were
reelected in 2020, he would still be a sitting president when those five
years are up. ... In an ordinary case, a prosecutor might ask the target of
a prosecution” not to “invoke a statute-of-limitations defense,” but Trump
has no incentive to do so.

        *Hewitt: Trump Could “Come To Relish The Battle” Of Impeachment. *Hugh
Hewitt writes in his Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=025-647&t=c>
(12/17) column that if Trump is impeached, it is “extremely unlikely” that
he would be convicted and removed from office because at least 20 Senate
Republicans would have to vote to convict along with every Democrat. But
impeachment “will be a ratings bonanza. Who likes ratings bonanzas? Who can
command the media – or any particular outlet – and appear on 10 minutes
notice? Who, in short, might learn to love ‘the process?’ Trump, of
course.” He “can look at his markers already down on the table and actually
come to relish the battle.”

        *House Democrats Compete To Lead Upcoming Trump Probes. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=026-29d&t=c>
(12/17, Hosenball, Morgan) reports that as they prepare to take control of
the House, “Democrats are jockeying to lead overlapping investigations into
President Donald Trump in a scramble that could cause headaches for Nancy
Pelosi, who is expected to be House speaker.” The investigations “will be
led by as many as six different House committees with some falling under
the possible jurisdiction of two or more,” according to “Democratic
congressional sources.”

        *Mueller Releases Memo Detailing Flynn’s FBI Interview. *The Washington
Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=027-929&t=c>
(12/17, Mordock) reports Mueller “on Monday released a heavily-redacted memo
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=028-dc4&t=c>
detailing former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s interview with
FBI agents in which Flynn repeatedly lied about his contacts with
then-Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak.” The January 2017 memo “describes
FBI agents’ conversation with Flynn about his contacts with Mr. Kislyak.”
Flynn pleaded guilty last year to lying to FBI agents about his contacts
with Kislyak.

        *Two Former Flynn Associates Indicted Over Turkey Lobbying. *The New
York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=029-b85&t=c>
(12/17, Goldman, Mazzetti) reports “two former business associates” of
Flynn’s “have been indicted as part of a federal investigation into
Turkey’s secret 2016 lobbying campaign to pressure the United States to
expel a rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.” Charges against Bijan
Kian and Ekim Alptekin were unsealed on Monday. The two men “were indicted
last week as part of a conspiracy to violate federal lobbying rules, and
Mr. Alptekin was also charged with making false statements to F.B.I.
investigators.” USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=02a-177&t=c>
(12/17, Johnson) reports, “The case, which alleges that Rafiekian and
Alptekin sought to conceal the Turkish government’s role in the effort to
extradite Fethullah Gulen, was brought by federal prosecutors in Virginia,”
not Mueller.

        The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=02b-5f8&t=c>
(12/17, Zapotosky) reports, “The indictment demonstrates the extent to
which Flynn was secretly working to advance the interests of his Turkish
clients while publicly serving as a key surrogate to Donald Trump and
auditioning for a role in his administration.” However, The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=02c-df7&t=c>
(12/17, Chalfant) reports, “Flynn is not identified by name in the filing.
Instead, he is referred to as ‘Person A,’ an individual with whom Kian
founded ‘Company A’ – the Flynn Intel Group.” The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=02d-670&t=c>
(12/17, Viswanatha, Nissenbaum) reports the indictment also did not name
Turkish Treasury Minister Berat Albayrak or Foreign Minister Mevlut
Cavusoglu, but specifics in the documents make it possible to identify
them.

        Pierre Thomas reported on ABC World News Tonight[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=02e-738&t=c>
(12/17, story 9, 1:30, Muir), “President Trump has portrayed Flynn as
victim, even though he fired Flynn himself for lying. ... Two of Flynn’s
associates have been charged with illegally working as foreign agents for
Turkey. They could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.” Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=02f-6aa&t=c>
(12/17, Layne) and the New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=030-b3a&t=c>
(12/17, Brown) also have reports.

        *Comey Slams Trump As Liar Following Congressional Testimony.
*The Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=031-02e&t=c>
(12/17, Demirjian) reports ex-FBI Director James Comey, appearing before
the House Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform committees,
“accused President Trump on Monday of trying ‘to burn down the entire FBI’
and charged that congressional Republicans were willing accomplices for
failing to challenge him.” Following a closed-door session that lasted
nearly six hours, Comey told reporters, “The FBI’s reputation has taken a
big hit because the President with his acolytes has lied about it
constantly.”

        Kristen Welker reported on NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=032-eba&t=c>
(12/17, story 5, 2:15, Holt), “Comey speaking out about the 2016 campaign,
also taking aim at Republicans who he says failed to stand up to the
President.” Comey: “Republicans used to understand that the actions of a
President matter, the words of a President matter, the rule of law matters
and the truth matters. Where are those Republicans today? To their
everlasting shame, I hope they overcome that and realize someday they have
to explain to their grandchildren what they did today.”

        Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=033-df8&t=c>
(12/17, Morin) says Comey “ripped into Republicans” after the session, and
on CNN’s Situation Room
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=034-214&t=c>
(12/17), Wolf Blitzer called Comey’s comments a “stinging rebuke” of the
President and congressional Republicans. The New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=035-a90&t=c>
(12/17, Fredericks) says Comey “came out swinging” after the session,
calling Trump “a liar and slamming Republicans for being too afraid to
stand up to him.” Comey said, “So another day of [questions about] Hillary
Clinton’s emails and the Steele dossier. This while the President of the
United States is lying about the FBI, attacking the FBI, and attacking the
rule of law in this country. How does that make any sense at all?”

        White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders later tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=036-45b&t=c>,
“Republicans should stand up to Comey and his tremendous corruption – from
the fake Hillary Clinton investigation, to lying and leaking, to FISA
abuse, and a list too long to name. The President did the country a service
by firing him and exposing him for the shameless fraud he is.”

        Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) said on CNN’s Situation Room[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=037-4b2&t=c>
(12/17) that Comey’s comments were “not a surprise. I mean, here’s a
gentleman who has dedicated his life to the rule of law as the director of
the FBI, who takes a lot of pride in the work that the professionals at the
department do. And I think, frankly, he’s sick and tired of the President’s
efforts to undermine the rule of law, to attack the good men and women at
the FBI, to call into question the motivations of those that are doing the
work at the office of the Special Counsel.”

        Justice reporter Laura Jarrett said on CNN’s Situation Room[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=038-481&t=c>
(12/17), “On the one hand, it strikes me as deeply personal. The President
attacks James Comey relentlessly, besmirches his character, called for him
to be investigated, jailed. So I think Comey takes his moments to punch
back a little bit. ... But he is also, I think, genuinely offended by the
deafening silence by Republicans on Capitol Hill every time the President
politicizes the Justice Department and the FBI.” But on Fox News’ Special
Report
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=039-577&t=c>
(12/17), Catherine Herridge said Comey “took none of the blame for any
damage to the Bureau’s credibility.” Monica Crowley said on Fox News’
Hannity
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=03a-b13&t=c>
(12/17) that Comey “is a master of projection. He is so good at accusing
President Trump and Republicans of exactly what he himself and his cohorts
are guilty of: lawbreaking, lying, corruption, being uninterested in the
truth.”

        The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=03b-001&t=c>
(12/17, Beavers) reports, “When asked what he thought about Trump calling
his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen, who is now cooperating with
federal investigators, a ‘rat,’ Comey responded it ‘undermines the rule of
law.’” He continued, “This is the President of the United States calling a
witness who is cooperating with his own Justice Department a ‘rat.’”

        Trump’s calling Cohen a “rat” over the weekend was also addressed
on Monday morning cable shows. On CNN’s New Day[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=03c-333&t=c>
(12/17), Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) said, “The President is clearly going
after the rule of law and our criminal justice system, and he’s undermining
it. For the millions of people who follow closely what President Trump has
to say on Twitter every day, the idea that the FBI broke into his
attorney’s office runs right up against the foundation of our law, which is
the FBI was executing a duly authorized warrant.”

        Former New Jersey Assistant Attorney General Elie Honig said on CNN’s
New Day
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=03d-fa2&t=c>
(12/17, 6:03 a.m. ET), “This is the language that mob bosses use. … We have
done trials where people have been murdered because somebody said, ‘That
guy is a rat.’” John Berman said on CNN’s New Day[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=03e-53c&t=c>
(12/17, 6:00 a.m. ET), “His White House, his campaign, his Presidential
transition and inauguration and charity, and, yes, his personal life. What
is the President doing about all this? As zero lawyers would advise, he’s
rage tweeting. He calls his former attorney Michael Cohen a ‘rat.’”

        *WTimes Analysis: Trump’s Relationship With CIA Has Improved.
*The Washington
Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=03f-310&t=c>
(12/17, Scarborough) reports that following earlier tensions, the President
and the CIA have achieved “a more workmanlike relationship. ... Loyalists
say the president has come to appreciate the daily flow of insights on, for
example, North Korea and Iran, even if he doesn’t like everything he
hears,” and “credit key players” such as Secretary of State Pompeo and
National Security Adviser Bolton.

        *Stone Must Publicly Apologize To Chinese Businessman As Part Of
Settlement. *The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=040-1ba&t=c>
(12/17, Correll) reports, “Longtime Trump associate Roger Stone must place
ads in national newspapers expressing regret over defamatory statements he
previously made on InfoWars” about Chinese businessman Guo Wengui “as part
of a settlement for a defamation lawsuit Monday.” In order to avoid paying
“any of the $100 million in damages the defamation suit was seeking, Stone
must run ads in papers, including the Wall Street Journal, apologizing for
the inaccurate statements. There will also be a retraction of the
statements on social media.”

        *Witchcraft Practitioners Upset By Trump’s Use Of Term “Witch
Hunt.” *The New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=041-123&t=c>
(12/17, Brown) reports, “Witchcraft practitioners are fuming over President
Trump’s repeated use of the phrase ‘witch hunt’ to describe” Mueller’s
investigation. Practitioners raised their concerns with the Daily Beast,
with one saying, “It is particularly horrifying because many modern
practitioners of witchcraft devote their lives to seeking compassion and
justice.”
Foreign Policy
US Diplomats Attend Taliban Peace Talks In UAE.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=042-896&t=c>
(12/17, Mashal) reports that representatives from the US, the Taliban, “and
several Asian countries gathered in the United Arab Emirates on Monday for
what officials cautiously described as important meetings that could lead
to formal talks to end the 17-year war in Afghanistan.” In a statement
Sunday, the Taliban “said...that they would meet representatives of the
United States as well as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates”
– three “American allies that have varying levels of influence over the
Taliban, have been at the center of a Trump administration push to help
shape the peace process.” Yet, the Times says that the “optimism fostered
by months of urgent American diplomacy was dampened by the Taliban’s
apparent refusal to meet with a delegation of the Afghan government.”
Still, “Afghan officials said late Monday that they had not given up hope
that the two sides would talk.”

        The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=043-93d&t=c>
(12/17, Salahuddin) reports that while there was “no official confirmation”
from Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s government “of whether any government
official participated in the meeting,” Ghani’s “national security adviser,
Hamdullah Mohib, said in a tweet that he met Sunday in the UAE with
officials from the three countries and the United States.” Meanwhile,
spokesman for the US Embassy in Kabul “described the meeting as ‘part of
efforts by the United States and other international partners to promote an
intra-Afghan dialogue aimed at ending the conflict in Afghanistan.’” Ahead
of the talks in the UAE, “officials said Zalmay Khalilzad, the new U.S.
envoy for Afghanistan, would lead the meeting.” Khalilzad “recently
suggested the formation of an interim government instead of holding a
presidential election as scheduled in April,” but “members of Ghani’s
administration have rejected the idea, insisting on going ahead with the
election despite widely mismanaged parliamentary polls in October that took
place after more than three years of delay.”
US Airstrikes In Somalia Kill 62 Militants.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=044-6e9&t=c>
(12/17, Uwiringiyimana) reports the US military said Monday that it “had
killed 62 militants in six air strikes over the weekend” in Somalia’s
Banaadir province. Africa Command (Africom) said four strikes were carried
out on Saturday, “killing 34 militants, and two more on Sunday, which
killed 28.” In a statement, it said, “Africa Command and our Somali
partners conducted these air strikes to prevent terrorists from using
remote areas as a safe haven to plot, direct, inspire and recruit for
future attacks.”

        To the Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=045-df5&t=c>
(12/17, Wolfgang), the “massive aerial assault on al-Shabab enclaves in
Somalia over the weekend...signaled that the Trump administration could
take an even more aggressive tack in 2019. But the unexpectedly broad
mission also has analysts warning that Somalia’s feeble central government
has allowed the al Qaeda affiliate in Somalia to ‘claw back’ to relevance
and is now in a position where it can be contained but not defeated.”
CFR Assessment Cites Iran, Cybersecurity As Top Threats To US In 2019.

The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=046-9ba&t=c>
(12/17, Muñoz) reports that “high-profile cyber attacks on US military and
civilian infrastructure networks and a possible proxy war with Iran top the
list of possible national security threats facing the US in the coming
year, according to a new survey of foreign policy and national security
analysts.” The assessment, released Monday by the Council on Foreign
Relations, said there was a “moderate” chance of “one of the two threats
occurring in the coming year, but noted that either would have a severe
impact on US interests across the globe.”
White House: Trump Did Not Tell Erdogan He Would Extradite Gulen.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=047-0dd&t=c>
(12/17, Mason) reports the White House said Monday that President Trump
“did not commit during a meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan at
the G20 summit two weeks ago to extradite a Muslim cleric based in the
United States.” A “senior White House official” said, “While meeting with
President Erdogan at the G20, the president did not commit to extradite
Fethullah Gulen.” The official was responding comments Sunday by Turkish
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who said Trump told Erdogan at the G20
in Buenos Aires that the US “was working on extraditing Gulen and other
people.”
May Postpones Parliamentary Vote On Brexit Deal Until Mid-January.

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=048-37b&t=c>
(12/17, Adam) reports, “After a failed bid to secure further concessions
from European leaders on Brexit, Prime Minister Theresa May returned to
Parliament on Monday with little to offer beyond a new date for a vote on
the deal outlining how Britain will withdraw from the European Union.” She
“said parliamentary debate on the deal would resume Jan. 7, with a vote
held the following week.” In an online video provided by the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=049-f2c&t=c>
(12/17), May stressed to lawmakers, “Let us not break faith with the
British people by trying to stage another referendum.”

        Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=04a-3ba&t=c>
(12/16, Maclellan, Piper) reports May also pledged “to get assurances from
the European Union before then to break a deadlock over Britain’s fraught
efforts to quit the bloc.” With the March 29 departure deadline drawing
near, however, “a mid-January vote could force lawmakers to make a decision
between her deal or leaving without one, a nightmare scenario for many
businesses.” As such, “May faced accusations from some lawmakers that she
was trying to force a deeply divided parliament into backing her deal by
running the clock down to exit day.”

        The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=04b-bc8&t=c>
(12/17, Lawless, Kirka) says opposition legislators, including Labour Party
leader Jeremy Corbyn and “many from May’s Conservative Party,” remain
“opposed to the deal, and accused May of deliberately wasting time by
delaying the vote for several more weeks.” Corbyn also “said he would
submit a motion of no-confidence in the prime minister over her delays.”
Even as May “insisted she could salvage her unpopular divorce deal,” the AP
says, “pressure was mounting for dramatic action – a new referendum or a
vote among lawmakers – to find a way out of Britain’s Brexit impasse and
prevent the economic damage of a messy exit from the EU on March 29 with no
agreement in place.” A New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=04c-e4b&t=c>
(12/17, Castle) analysis assesses whether a second Brexit referendum is
possible or advisable.
Malaysia Files Criminal Charges Against Goldman Sachs Over 1MDB.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=04d-9b7&t=c>
(12/17, Dilts, Ananthalakshmi) reports, “Malaysia on Monday filed criminal
charges against Goldman Sachs Group Inc related to its dealings with the
sovereign wealth fund 1MDB,” and Goldman responded that “the previous
Malaysian government had lied to the investment bank.” Malaysian Attorney
General Tommy Thomas said in a statement that Malaysia “will seek jail
terms as well as billions in fines from Goldman Sachs and four other
individuals who allegedly diverted about $2.7 billion” from 1MDB. Goldman
spokesman Michael DuVally said in a statement, “Certain members of the
former Malaysian government and 1MDB lied to Goldman Sachs, outside counsel
and others about the use of proceeds from these transactions.”

        The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=04e-b95&t=c>
(12/17, Merle) reports, “According to Malaysian and US authorities, Goldman
secured the work with the help of bribes arranged by two former employees
and others. Goldman made about $600 million in fees from the deals, ‘which
was several times higher than the prevailing market rates and industry
norms,’ Thomas said in a statement.” The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=04f-081&t=c>
(12/17, Wright) reports Thomas also filed charges against Jho Low and
Jasmine Loo, who have been charged in absentia by Malaysian authorities
with money laundering and other offenses.
US-South Korea Talks On Defense Payments Stall.

The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=050-68d&t=c>
(12/17, Muñoz) reports talks between US and South Korean officials “over
President Trump’s demands that Seoul...pay more for US military operations
on the Korean peninsula have stalled.” Despite several “rounds of bilateral
talks going back to March, American and South Korean negotiators fell short
of a final deal over how much the key US ally in the Pacific should
subsidize costs tied to the American military mission in Korea.” US
Forces-Korea officials “urged a ‘swift conclusion’ and an agreement between
Washington and Seoul on the issue,” and have “warned that continued delays
in such talks would lead to a ‘possible lapse in contributions’ from the
South Korean military.”
Domestic Policy
Trump Takes Swipe At Democrats As Impasse Over Border Wall Continues.

With the Dec. 21 deadline to fund the government looming, the President and
congressional Democrats remain at an impasse over funding for the
President’s border wall. Media reports indicate there is no indication that
a deal is in sight, and several say congressional Republicans are awaiting
word from the President on how to proceed.

        As negotiations continued Monday, the Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=051-0b3&t=c>
(12/17) reports, Trump “took a swipe at Democratic lawmakers” with a tweet
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=052-7b2&t=c>
that said, “Anytime you hear a Democrat saying that you can have good
Border Security without a Wall, write them off as just another politician
following the party line. Time for us to save billions of dollars a year
and have, at the same time, far greater safety and control!” USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=053-030&t=c>
(12/17, Cummings) reports that the tweet originally contained a typo. Trump
“deleted the tweet and posted a new one with the correct spelling at about
11 a.m.” The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=054-12c&t=c>
(12/17, Burke) says Trump’s tweet came “days before a Dec. 21 deadline for
funding the government.”

        Weijia Jiang said in the lead story for the CBS Evening News[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=055-7ed&t=c>
(12/17, lead story, 2:15, Glor) that while “both Congressional and White
House officials tell CBS News there will be a compromise...even Republicans
say the way forward is murky.” The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=056-176&t=c>
(12/18, Yen) says there were “few signs of progress” on Monday, and Bloomberg
News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=057-0ad&t=c>
(12/17, Sink, Wasson) reported late Monday morning that the President
“isn’t inclined to support a one- or two-week stopgap spending measure that
would avert a partial government shutdown over the holidays, according to a
person familiar with White House planning.”

        Kristen Welker said on NBC’s Today[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=058-0cb&t=c>
(12/17), “The chances for a partial shutdown...seem to be increasing by the
day, with no plan in sight for a deal.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=059-736&t=c>
(12/17, Everett, Bresnahan, Ferris) reports Senate Republicans are
searching for a way to avoid a shutdown “but they are waiting for President
Donald Trump to weigh in before making a move.” Terry Moran reported on ABC
World News Tonight
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=05a-37a&t=c>
(12/17, story 3, 1:10, Muir) that Congress “is looking to the White House
to see if President Trump really will shut down government if he doesn’t
get money for his border wall.”

        However, CNN chief political correspondent Dana Bash said on CNN’s
Situation Room
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=05b-c44&t=c>
(12/17) that Republicans “have gotten no word from the President on how he
wants to proceed,” and Kasie Hunt said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=05c-b33&t=c>
(12/17, 7:03 a.m. ET) that “congressional Republicans are looking down
Pennsylvania Avenue and thinking, ‘What is this guy doing?’ They all want
to leave town for Christmas. They could easily agree and pass a spending
bill.”

        Michelle Cottle, a member of the New York Times editorial board,
writes in the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=05d-29c&t=c>
(12/17, Cottle), “Lest anyone have any doubts, if a shutdown does come to
pass at midnight on Friday, when parts of the government are set to run out
of funding, this president will own it 110 percent.” Charles Lane of the
Washington Post said on Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=05e-5f5&t=c>
(12/17), “I think the President threw his own team, his own fellow
Republicans kind of a curve when he said I will be proud to shutdown the
government over this. I think a lot of them on the Hill are like, ‘Wait.
What do you mean? We are trying to avoid the blame for this.’ Ever since
then he hasn’t been able to organize a response. I think people on the Hill
are a little nervous that their leader in the White House doesn’t quite
understand their predicament, doesn’t quits understand the politics of
this. On the other hand, I do think what the President understands is the
politics of the Republican base which does appreciate seeing him fight
tooth and nail for what he promised to do in the campaign.”

        Fox News chief White House correspondent John Roberts said on Fox
News’ Special Report
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=05f-e20&t=c>
(12/17), “It is beginning to look like the White House’s hard line on a
border wall may not be so hard after all. Out there already is a proposal
for a continuing resolution that would keep the government funded through
the end of fiscal year 2019...that would provide $1.6 billion for about 65
miles of border fence through the Rio Grande section of the southern
border.” Democrats “have indicated that they may be able to support such a
proposal in the House. There is an increasing sentiment among many
Republicans that they would rather go for a continuing resolution than
shutdown the government over Christmas.” However, Hallie Jackson said on NBC
Nightly News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=060-649&t=c>
(12/17, story 2, 1:20, Holt) that “there is plenty of talk about a
potential deal but nothing firm yet.”

        CNN politics editor at large Chris Cillizza said on CNN’s Situation
Room
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=061-e65&t=c>
(12/17), “I would rank it this way. Some sort of short-term bridge thing
that gets them into January and through the holidays, number one, most
likely. ... Number two, shutdown. Number three, deal. ... If Donald Trump
wants to make this a place where he’s going to fight on the $5 billion in
funding, it’s just very problematic to see how that gets through.”

        *House Democrats Preparing For “Long-Term Shutdown.” *The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=062-43e&t=c>
(12/17, Elis) reports, “House Democrats are making plans for a prolonged
shutdown.” One Democratic aide said, “We’re making contingency plans for a
long-term shutdown. ... If the shutdown goes until Jan. 3, we’ll bring up a
funding bill.” Democrats take over the House that day, and “would likely be
able to pass a bill funding the government with no money for Trump’s wall.
Republicans would hold the majority in the Senate, and it’s unclear what
they’d do since they would need some Democratic votes to overcome a
filibuster in that chamber.”

        ABC News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=063-cd4&t=c>
(12/17, Parkinson) reported on its website that if there is a shutdown, “it
would look a little different than past instances, mostly because Congress
has already funded about 75 percent of the federal government.” McClatchy
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=064-dd8&t=c>
(12/17, Clark) says the impact of a shutdown “may be difficult to see.”
While “nine Cabinet agencies and several smaller departments...could
close,” other agencies, “including the Pentagon, Health and Human Services,
Education and energy and water programs, have been funded through the end
of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, 2019.” In addition, “most federal employees
who perform high-profile, essential duties for officially unfunded
agencies— such as the Transportation Security Agency officers manning
airport checkpoints — would stay on the job, even as their paychecks are
suspended.”

        The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=065-dfa&t=c>
(12/17, Dinan, Sherfinski) reports that “essential government employees
could be forced to stay on the job throughout a government shutdown — even
if they’d already planned to take holiday vacations” due to “a quirk of
federal law” that “says paid leave is considered government spending.”
Since “no unauthorized spending can happen during a funding lapse, no one
can take vacation.” However, they “could be eligible for double pay should
the shutdown last long enough to make them miss a paycheck, thanks to a
federal judge’s ruling earlier this decade.”

        Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) was asked on CNN’s Situation Room[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=066-fc0&t=c>
(12/17, 6:18 p.m. EDT) about the possibility of a government shutdown.
Hirono said, “We already approved over 1.5 billion for border security, and
we know that the Trump Administration has not figured out how to spend all
of that. So when you really sit down and think about 1,100 miles of a
physical barrier and a wall, of which of this 1,100 miles the United States
government only controls a certain percentage of land and the rest will
have to be obtained through eminent domain, one wonders how serious is this
border wall.”

        *USA Today Poll: Americans Oppose Shutdown, Would Blame Trump And
GOP. *USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=067-d43&t=c>
(12/17, Page, Theobald) reports, “Americans have a clear message to
Washington as the government hurtles toward a partial shutdown on Friday:
Don’t. By a double-digit margin” of 54 percent to 29 percent, respondents
in a new USA Today/Suffolk University poll “say they oppose the shutdown
that President Trump has threatened if Congress doesn’t agree to his demand
for $5 billion in funding for a border wall,” and “by nearly 2-1, Americans
would blame Trump and the Republicans, not congressional Democrats.
Forty-three percent would blame the president and the GOP, while 24 percent
would hold congressional Democrats responsible.”

        Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=068-673&t=c>
(12/17) writes, “It is true that two-thirds of Republicans, who simply
cannot bring themselves to oppose Trump on anything no matter what, favor a
shutdown stunt. Trump, it seems, learned nothing from the election in which
his party was thrashed everywhere outside the Trump cult.” But it is “far
from clear how Trump is going to get out of the corner he is painting
himself into.”

        *McAleenan: “We Need A Wall.” *CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan
said on Fox News’ Fox & Friends
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=069-ddd&t=c>
(12/17), “We need a wall. ... Areas of the border where you have a large
population center on the south side and immediate access to transportation
hubs or neighborhoods, you have to have a wall between those two areas to
help slow people down from crossing. Other areas, aircraft patrol of those
areas is absolutely appropriate. You need a combination.”
DHS Reportedly Barred House Members From Interviewing CBP Agents Involved
In Girl’s Detention.

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=06a-a7d&t=c>
(12/17, Wise) reports DHS “reportedly told members of the Congressional
Hispanic Caucus (CHC) that they will not be permitted to interview Customs
and Border Protection (CBP) agents involved in detaining” seven-year-old
Jakelin Caal Maquin, “the young migrant girl who died after being taken
into federal custody.” Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) “reportedly said that if
lawmakers were not allowed to talk with agents during their visit on
Tuesday then they could expect to be called before Congress after Democrats
are back in the majority next month.” The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=06b-2e7&t=c>
(12/17, Miroff) says that according to statement from the caucus, after
their tour, the lawmakers plan to hold a news conference to describe “how
these stations are equipped to protect the health and safety of those
seeking refuge at our borders.”

        USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=06c-6d6&t=c>
(12/17, Gomez) reports a DHS spokeswoman “said Monday that the agents will
already speak with the department’s Inspector General, which is conducting
an investigation into the girl’s death, and that they can’t be forced to
speak with members of Congress while that process is ongoing.” The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=06d-892&t=c>
(12/17, Watson) reports that linguistic issues may have played some role in
her death. Her father had “signed a form stating that his daughter was in
good health. But it’s unclear how much the man understood on the form,
which was written in English and read to him in Spanish by Border Patrol
agents. ... Her father’s native language is the Mayan tongue known as
Q’eqchi’. His second language is Spanish.”

        *Roughly Half Of Troops Deployed To US-Mexico Border Have Been
Withdrawn. *The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=06e-665&t=c>
(12/17, Mitchell) reports, “Roughly half of the 5,900 active duty troops
sent to the US-Mexico border have returned home,” according to Pentagon
spokesman Army Col. Rob Manning. Manning said 3,150 active-duty troops
“remain at the southern border, including 1,200 in California, 1,050 in
Texas and 900 in Arizona.”

        *“ICE Air” Flights Deport About 100,000 Per Year. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=06f-ac9&t=c>
(12/17, Merchant, Kastanis) runs a feature on “ICE Air,” the “obscure
division” of ICE that “operates hundreds of flights each year to remove
immigrants. Deportation flights are big business: The US government has
spent approximately $1 billion on them in the last decade, and the Trump
administration is seeking to raise ICE’s budget for charter flights by 30
percent.” ICE Air Operations “transports detained immigrants between
American cities and, for those with final removal orders, back to their
home countries. About 100,000 people a year are deported on such flights.”
Trump Criticizes Fed For “Even Considering” Rate Hikes.

President Trump yesterday criticized the Federal Reserve Board for
considering additional interest rate hikes given the turmoil around the
world. Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=070-9e0&t=c>,
“It is incredible that with a very strong dollar and virtually no
inflation, the outside world blowing up around us, Paris is burning and
China way down, the Fed is even considering yet another interest rate hike.
Take the Victory!”

        Following the tweet, Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=071-a91&t=c>
(12/17) said President Trump “exerted more pressure on the Federal Reserve
on Monday, saying it’s ‘incredible’ that the Fed would consider another
interest rate hike given the current economic and political
situation.” The Wall
Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=072-973&t=c>
(12/17, Timiraos) reports Fed officials will this week debate how to signal
less certainty over interest rate plans without indicating that increases
have halted.

        Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=073-280&t=c>
(12/17, Wang) notes that “it’s exceedingly rare” for the Fed to raise
interest rates “when stocks are behaving this badly.” Should the rate hikes
go forward on Wednesday, “it would be the first time since 1994 they
tightened in this brutal a market.” Some analysts are “convinced eight rate
increases in three years have been enough for an economy threatened by
everything from US-China trade spat to Brexit and a global growth
slowdown,” a viewpoint bolstered last month when Fed Chairman Powell
“dialed back his aggressive stance after his October remark on rates was
blamed for the S&P 500’s worst month in seven years.”

        National Trade Council Director Navarro said on CNBC’s Squawk on
the Street
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=074-7ef&t=c>
(12/17) that Federal Reserve policy is the “predominant factor” in recent
market volatility. Navarro added, “Donald Trump’s instincts are always
right on this and months ago he started pointing out that the Fed was going
too far too fast and the problem is...you have a pincer movement that the
Fed is engaging with quantitative tightening at the same time it is raising
interest rates. It’s perplexing here at the White House to see this because
what we have is a tremendously booming economy but it is driven by three
supply-side positive shocks which push inflation down.” Navarro added, “I
think what the fed should do is simply do what it says it’s going to do,
which is look at the data.”

        *WSJournal: Facing Difficult Decision, Powell Should Consider
Pausing Rate Hikes. *A Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=075-50b&t=c>
(12/17) editorial says Trump is almost daily hassling Powell not to raise
interest rates, a position that some financial and economic signs suggest
is correct. However, the Journal encourages Powell to ignore politics,
follow the data suggesting slowing economic growth, and consider other
signals that indicate it may be prudent to pause rate hikes this quarter.
Trump Says He Would Work With Democrats On “Great” Healthcare Plan.

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=076-1e3&t=c>
(12/17, Oprysko) reports that in the wake of a federal judge’s ruling that
the ACA is unconstitutional, the President predicted Monday that if the law
is struck down, Democrats would work with him “to deliver great
HealthCare.” In a tweet, Trump “continued...to bash the law...suggesting
there is room for compromise between the two parties.” He wrote
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=077-9cc&t=c>,
“The DEDUCTIBLE which comes with ObamaCare is so high that it is
practically not even useable! Hurts families badly. We have a chance,
working with the Democrats, to deliver great HealthCare! A confirming
Supreme Court Decision will lead to GREAT HealthCare results for
Americans!” Hallie Jackson reported on NBC Nightly News[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=078-fab&t=c>
(12/17, story 3, 0:40, Holt) that while the President “is celebrating that
Texas ruling,” it is “a tricky political position for him, given he’s
repeatedly praised a central component of the health care law protecting
people with preexisting conditions.”

        Nancy Cordes said on the CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=079-7e8&t=c>
(12/17, story 4, 2:25, Glor) that the “dramatic ruling sent healthcare
stocks tumbling [Monday] as more than a dozen states vowed to appeal.” In a
piece that attempts to answer some questions about the judge’s ruling and
what it could mean, the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=07a-871&t=c>
(12/17, Sherman) says House Democrats “say they plan to intervene in the
defense of the law, joining Democrat-led states.” The AP also says to
“expect hearings in the House to focus on Trump administration efforts that
Democrats, who take charge of the House in January, say are intended to
undermine the health care law.”
DOJ Asks Circuit Court To Reverse Judge’s Trump Emoluments Ruling.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=07b-fb2&t=c>
(12/17, Wolfe) reports the Justice Department has asked the Fourth US
Circuit Court of Appeals “to step in and halt a lawsuit” accusing President
Trump of violating “anti-corruption provisions in the US Constitution after
the trial judge ruled the case could proceed.” DOJ wants the circuit court
“to reverse US District Judge Peter Messitte’s rulings that let the
Democratic attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia move
ahead with the lawsuit.” The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=07c-a7b&t=c>
(12/17, Dinan) reports the DOJ said the subpoenas from the two AGs “are
‘intrusive’ and contradict the understanding of the country’s Founders,
including George Washington, who did business with the government and also
exported crops overseas while he was president.”

        The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=07d-d74&t=c>
(12/17, Lafraniere) says “the lawsuit seeks for the first time to define
the meaning of constitutional language that restricts the president from
accepting benefits, so-called emoluments,” and notes “the attorneys general
for Maryland and the District of Columbia contend that the Trump hotel
unfairly competes with convention centers and hotels in their
jurisdictions.” The New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=07e-5a9&t=c>
(12/17, Fredericks) reports “Karl Racine, DC’s attorney general, said in a
statement that Trump ‘is going to extraordinary lengths to try to stop us
from gathering information about how he is illegally profiting from the
presidency.’”

        *Group Says Dominican Republic Real Estate Deal Could Violate
Emoluments Clause. *Newsweek
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=07f-0df&t=c>
(12/17, Maza) reports on its website that Trump’s “new real estate deal in
the Dominican Republic could, if completed, violate the US constitution’s
Emoluments Clause, according to a new undercover investigation by the
organization Global Witness.” The Trump Organization “abandoned its
ambitious plans to build dozens of luxury buildings in the Dominican
Republic around a decade ago when the global economy crashed.” But despite
the President’s “promise not to pursue new foreign business deals while in
office, evidence has emerged that the Trump Organization, which is now run
on a day-to-day basis by the president’s two adult sons, is again pursuing
a similar deal with the same Dominican developers the organization cut ties
with many years ago.”
Trump Announces Additional $4.9 Billion In Aid To Farmers.

On Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=080-936&t=c>
yesterday, President Trump announced, “Today I am making good on my promise
to defend our Farmers & Ranchers from unjustified trade retaliation by
foreign nations. I have authorized Secretary Perdue to implement the 2nd
round of Market Facilitation Payments. Our economy is stronger than ever–we
stand with our Farmers!” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=081-598&t=c>
(12/17, McCrimmon) says Monday’s announcement marked the “second and
‘final’ round of trade aid for farmers and ranchers burned by retaliatory
tariffs.” In a statement, Perdue said, “While there have been positive
movements on the trade front, American farmers are continuing to experience
losses due to unjustified trade retaliation by foreign nations.”
American Business Leaders Anxious Over USMCA’s Fate.

McClatchy
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=082-57f&t=c>
(12/17, Ordoñez) reports that “corporate leaders across America watching
President Donald Trump fight with Democrats fear their chances of securing
the newly revised trade agreement with Mexico and Canada is slipping away.”
According to McClatchy, Trump’s “spat” with Democrats over border security
“revealed the challenges Trump faces trying to reach any consensus with
Democrats let alone on one of Trump’s controversial trade initiatives.”
John Murphy, senior vice president for international policy at the US
Chamber of Commerce, said, “Those concerns are real. It arises from the
reality that Canadian and Mexican markets are incredibly important to US
business and agriculture.”
Cancer Research
Precision Medicine Holds Promise In Cancer Treatment.

Ahead of appearing in the January issue, National Geographic
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=083-fe4&t=c>
(12/13, Smith) reported in-depth on the promise of cancer treatment through
precision medicine, which “could upend the way medicine traditionally has
been practiced.” Precision medicine leverages each patient’s biochemical
makeup to deliver a tailored treatment plan. The piece describes a trial,
“I-PREDICT, a precision cancer study at the University of California, San
Diego-affiliated Moores Cancer Center,” where researchers are “Using
special algorithms, a computer then scours data on thousands of gene
variants, hundreds of anticancer drugs, and millions of drug combinations
to find the treatment that best targets the tumor’s abnormalities.” Razelle
Kurzrock, director of the Moores Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy,
explained, “You pick the right drugs for each patient based on the tumor
profile, not based on a part of the body or based on what type of cancer
100 other people have. It’s all about that patient sitting in front of me.”
The piece also describes the work of an NCI team lead by Steven Rosenberg
that successfully achieved a “dramatic recovery of a woman with metastatic
breast cancer.”
Researchers Unsure In Wake Of NIH Fetal Tissue Procurement Ban.

Modern Healthcare
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=084-579&t=c>
(12/17, Johnson) reports the Administration’s reported freeze on the
procurement of human fetal tissue by NIH scientists leaves “the future of
HIV and cancer research in question and researchers concerned whether this
signaled the first step toward a more extensive ban.” In an email, HHS
spokeswoman Caitlyn Oakley said, “The intent was never to cause research to
stop.” She added, “NIH is currently assessing if there are other NIH
intramural research projects that require procurement of new fetal tissue
to determine appropriate next steps to prevent interruption of research.”

        *Some Scientists Defend Current Fetal Tissue Research Practices. *
STAT
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=085-ec0&t=c>
(12/17, Swetlitz) reports on the controversial subject of research using
fetal tissue, which the Trump Administration wants to replace with as yet
developed alternative options. Meanwhile, some scientists argue other
options “simply aren’t as useful, scientifically, as their counterparts.”
Paul Knoepfler, a professor at the University of California, Davis, School
of Medicine, explained, “The consensus is that there are certain things
about fetal tissue that make [it] unique. Certain experiments can really
only be done on actual fetal tissue.” NIH Director Francis Collins said
similarly, “There is strong evidence that scientific benefits can come from
fetal tissue research, which can be done with an ethical framework,” though
he agreed alternatives should also be investigated.
Editorials/Op-Eds
New York Times.

*“Yo, Putin.”* The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=086-2a7&t=c>
(12/17) editorializes that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “image in the
West is not of someone who would be sympathetic to angry, obscene,
uncensored rap viewed by tens of millions of youths and despised by parents
and local authorities,” so it was “somewhat curious” when he “came out,
sort of, in defense of Russian rappers whose concerts have been canceled in
cities across Russia in recent weeks.” The Times argues that Putin’s
tolerance “smacked more of letting a sleeping dog lie than any appreciation
of hip-hop,” suggesting “that authoritarian delusions die hard.” The Times
explains, “It didn’t work then, and it would be far more futile in the age
of the internet and social media.”
Washington Post.

*“Russia’s Support For Trump’s Election Is No Longer Disputable.”* The
Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=087-892&t=c>
(12/17) says in an editorial that the “Russia operation is staggering in
its scale, precision and deceptiveness. ... Republicans have protested over
the past year that election interference is neither unusual nor important.
This week’s reports comprehensively put both arguments to rest. Russia
waged an unprecedented campaign, targeting Americans across all segments of
society, on platforms large and small.”

        *“The No. 3 Official In The Catholic Church Has Been Convicted Of
Sex Abuse. Where Is The Reckoning?” *A Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=088-0f2&t=c>
(12/17) editorial highlights Cardinal Gorge Pell’s conviction in Australia
last week on sex abuse charges stemming from incidents which occurred
decades ago. The Post criticizes Pope Francis’ “foot-dragging and
half-measures in the face of allegations that date back years or decades”
and says Pell’s conviction “is simply the latest, among countless pieces of
evidence, that argue for broad, deep and painful reforms – precisely the
sort of overhaul that the pope has so far resisted.”

        *“Ryan Zinke Won’t Be Missed.” *The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018121801biden&r=email-d1df&l=089-a6e&t=c>
(12/17) editorializes that Ryan Zinke “is leaving under an ethical cloud,”
and that “his policy legacy is that of an aggressive opponent of
environmental stewardship. No one who values America’s outdoor heritage
will regret his departure.” The Post concludes that “in the Trump era,
there is always concern that the next appointment will be worse,” but “it
would have to be execrable to create any nostalgia for the Zinke era.”

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