Subject: FW: Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for Friday, December 21, 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, 21 Dec 2018 09:49:14 -0500

Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing

*From:* Bulletin Intelligence <[email-masked]>
*Sent:* Friday, December 21, 2018 7:56 AM
*To:* [email-masked]
*Subject:* Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for Friday,
December 21, 2018

*Click to access
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=000-bfd&t=c>
mobile-optimized online version, including download options and an audio
reader.*

[image: Image removed by sender. Office of Vice President Biden
Intelligence Briefing]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=001-a6c&t=c>

*To: Vice President Joe Biden*

*Friday, December 21, 2018 8:00 AM EST*

*Holiday Message*

In observance of the Christmas holiday, we will not publish on Monday,
December 24, 2018 and Tuesday, December 25, 2018. Service will resume on
Wednesday, December 26, 2018. We wish our readers a safe and happy holiday.

Today's Table of Contents

*Biden in the News* <#SECTION_1>

• In Wake Of Mattis Resignation, Biden Says Trump Administration
“Abandoned” American Beliefs. <#S1>

• Writers: Biden’s Early Lead In Iowa Polls Far From A Guarantee Of Success.
<#S2>

• Sanders Atop Washington Examiner’s Presidential Power Rankings, Biden
Second. <#S3>

• AP Analysis: After Strong Year By Female Candidates, Early 2020 Focus On
“White Male Trio.” <#S4>

• DNC Will Sponsor At Least 12 Presidential Primary Debates Beginning In
June. <#S5>

• Page Six Highlights Warm Reception Biden Received At Broadway Play. <#S6>

*Leading the News* <#SECTION_2>

• House Approves Wall Funding, Sends Spending Bill Back To Senate. <#S7>

*Foreign Policy* <#SECTION_3>

• Trump: Syria Withdrawal “No Surprise,” Says “Others” Must “Finally Fight.”
<#S8>

• Officials: Pentagon Planning Pullout Of Up To Half Of US Troops In
Afghanistan. <#S9>

• ISIS Members Kill Two Women On Camping Trip In Morocco. <#S10>

• North Korea Says It Will Not Give Up Nuclear Weapons While US Still Poses
Threat. <#S11>

• Putin: Trump Bringing World Closer To Nuclear War. <#S12>

• Israel Begins Sealing Hezbollah Tunnels From Lebanon. <#S13>

• Western Democracy Activists Charged After Arab Spring Acquitted By
Egyptian Court. <#S14>

*Domestic Policy* <#SECTION_4>

• Mattis Resigns, Cites Disagreements With Trump. <#S15>

• Democrats Say Barr Memo About Mueller Probe Disqualifies Him To Be AG.
<#S16>

• WPost Analysis: Trump In A “Tailspin,” Acting “Totally Irrationally” Over
Media Criticisms. <#S17>

• Market Rout Continues As Dow Tumbles 464 Points To 22,859, S&P Falls 40.
<#S18>

• Trump To Sign Justice Reform Bill Tomorrow After House Passes It 358-36.
<#S19>

• Trump Signs Farm Bill Into Law. <#S20>

• Central American Asylum Seekers Will Now Wait In Mexico As Applications
Are Processed. <#S21>

*Cancer Research* <#SECTION_5>

• Cleveland Clinic Stem Cell Biologist Speaks About Sex Differences In
Glioblastoma. <#S22>

• Excess Body Weight Is Responsible For About Four Percent Of All Cancer
Cases Worldwide, Data Indicate. <#S23>

*Editorials/Op-Eds* <#SECTION_6>

• New York Times. <#S24>

• Washington Post. <#S25>
Biden in the News
In Wake Of Mattis Resignation, Biden Says Trump Administration “Abandoned”
American Beliefs.

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=002-1ae&t=c>
(12/20, Seipel) reported that former Vice President Joe Biden “criticized
the Trump administration as having ‘abandoned’ American beliefs following
Defense Secretary James Mattis’s Thursday resignation announcement.” In a
tweet, Biden said, “I’ve had disagreements with Secretary Mattis, but we
shared the view – long-held by Democrats and Republicans in this nation –
that respect for our allies and a commitment to the most important and
effective alliances in history made America safer.” In a second tweet,
Biden added, “It is clear this administration has abandoned those core
American beliefs. Secretary Mattis’ presence and his voice of reason and
experience will be missed in the Pentagon and the Situation Room.”
Writers: Biden’s Early Lead In Iowa Polls Far From A Guarantee Of Success.

Writing at FiveThirtyEight
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=003-343&t=c>
(12/21), Geoffrey Skelley and Dhrumil Mehta say that a pair of recent Iowa
polls show former Vice President Joe Biden atop a hypothetical field of
2020 Democratic presidential candidates, with “[a]t least 30 percent of
likely Democratic caucusgoers” listing “him as their top choice for
president.” The findings “could be read as a good sign for Biden. In the
last four presidential elections where there was no Democratic incumbent
running, the Iowa caucus winner went on to become the party’s nominee,” and
“Biden has never polled this well in” the state. However, “most candidates
who polled at roughly 30 percent more than one year before the caucuses
have not won the caucuses or the nomination.” The writers add that current
polling doesn’t “necessarily tell us much other than which candidates have
name recognition – and on that front, Biden seems to be doing just fine.”
Sanders Atop Washington Examiner’s Presidential Power Rankings, Biden
Second.

The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=004-e65&t=c>
(12/20, Carney) offers an updated list of its weekly “2020 Presidential
Power Rankings.” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) moves up from second place to
first, followed by former Vice President Joe Biden who drop down a slot to
second, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Rep. Beto
O’Rourke (D-TX) rounds out the top five.
AP Analysis: After Strong Year By Female Candidates, Early 2020 Focus On
“White Male Trio.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=005-a67&t=c>
(12/21, Schor, Summers, Ramer) reports, “A year defined by the political
power of women is ending with men enjoying much of the attention,” as
former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Rep. Beto
O’Rourke (D-TX) “have emerged as early favorites in the opening phase of
the 2020” Democratic presidential race. The AP says that “the attention on
the presidential prospects of this white male trio might seem to miss the
message of the midterm elections, in which a record number of women were
elected,” raising “an uncomfortable question for the party: Two years after
Hillary Clinton fell short of the presidency, are Democrats ready to
nominate another woman to take on President Donald Trump?” While “there are
plenty of women in the 2020 mix,” adds the AP, “the early focus on the men
demonstrates how difficult it can be for women to break into political
power at the highest levels.”
DNC Will Sponsor At Least 12 Presidential Primary Debates Beginning In June.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=006-d9a&t=c>
(12/20, Barrow) reports that DNC Chairman Tom Perez on Thursday announced
that Democrats “will hold at least a dozen presidential primary debates
starting in June 2019 and running through April 2020.” Perez said the party
“will sponsor six debates in 2019 and six more in 2020,” which “could be
extended if the nomination process drags deep into the spring.” The AP
adds, “Exact dates, locations, media partners and qualifying thresholds
will be announced in early 2019. But Perez says early voting states of
Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina won’t host debates until
2020.”

        The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=007-b14&t=c>
(12/20, Lerer) reports that “with nearly three dozen Democrats” eyeing
White House runs, “party officials anticipate a rush of candidates eager to
grab a spot in the nationally televised forums.” The Times adds, “Depending
on the size of the field, the committee may decide to split the debate over
two evenings, and would conduct a public and random selection process to
determine which candidates speak on which nights.” The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=008-150&t=c>
(12/20, Scherer) says, “Up to this point, Democratic officials have not
consulted with prospective 2020 candidates or their staffs on the debate
planning, unless those people were involved in the 2016 primary campaign.”

        USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=009-68a&t=c>
(12/20, Gaudiano) reports that Perez detailed “reforms he said are designed
to make the process fair, transparent and inclusive. Unlike in previous
cycles, the party won’t focus exclusively on polling to determine which
candidates participate in the first two debates, he said. Candidates will
qualify for those debates by meeting criteria that includes polling and
other measures reflecting a candidate’s support, such as grassroots
fundraising.”

        Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=00a-97c&t=c>
(12/20, Thompson) reported that Perez “said he didn’t want any voters to
feel that the party was toying with the debate or debate schedule to help
out certain candidates. ‘The critical imperative is making sure everyone
feels their candidate got a fair shot,’ Perez said.” The DNC “did not say
how many candidates constituted too many for one stage.” In a USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=00b-2f8&t=c>
(12/20) op-ed, Perez touts the debate plan and adds, “When all is said and
done, I’m confident that every candidate will believe the process was
undeniably fair. And the American people will be just as confident that the
Democratic Party has their back.”

        In an online “analysis” for CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=00c-a47&t=c>
(12/20), Chris Cillizza said that in its plan for the debates, “the party
has left one very, very large question unanswered: Who gets included – and
why?” Cillizza added, “There’s no good way to set up a debate schedule when
there are this many likely candidates running. But by glossing over the
specifics on how candidates will qualify for the debates, the DNC is
setting itself up for a world of pain next summer.” The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=00d-272&t=c>
(12/20, Muñoz), Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=00e-c3b&t=c>
(12/20, Oliphant), The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=00f-46b&t=c>
(12/20, Greenwood), and the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=010-4ad&t=c>
(12/20, Thomas, Epstein) also report on the story.
Page Six Highlights Warm Reception Biden Received At Broadway Play.

Page Six
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=011-f9f&t=c>
(12/20, Siegler) reports that former Vice President Joe Biden “seemed more
popular than the performers during a recent visit to Broadway,” receiving
“two standing ovations Wednesday as he took his seat at a matinee
performance of Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ at the
Shubert Theatre, we’re told. We hear Biden, who was with wife Jill and
their two granddaughters, came backstage after the show, where star Jeff
Daniels gifted him with a pen that read, ‘Atticus Finch 2020.’”
Leading the News
House Approves Wall Funding, Sends Spending Bill Back To Senate.

After last night’s House vote on a spending bill aiming to avoid a
government shutdown, President Trump took to Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=012-3e0&t=c>
to write, “Thank you to our GREAT Republican Members of Congress for your
VOTE to fund Border Security and the Wall. The final numbers were 217-185
and many have said that the enthusiasm was greater than they have ever seen
before. So proud of you all. Now on to the Senate!” Trump also remarked
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=013-329&t=c>,
“Soon to be Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, last week live from the Oval Office,
that the Republicans didn’t have the votes for Border Security. Today the
House Republicans voted and won, 217-185. Nancy does not have to apologize.
All I want is GREAT BORDER SECURITY!” The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=014-46a&t=c>
(12/20, Giaritelli) recounts the incident, and quotes Pelosi telling Trump,
“You will not win. ... The fact is you do not have the votes in the House.”
When Trump retorted “Nancy, I do,” Pelosi replied, “Well, then let’s take
the vote and find out.” Trump said at the time, “If I needed the votes for
the wall in the House I would have them in one session.” Ahead of the vote
yesterday, The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=015-275&t=c>
(12/20, Wong, Lillis, Elis) reported “while some Republicans voiced
confidence, others remained skeptical it had the necessary support to
pass.” The New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=016-a40&t=c>
(12/20, Fredericks) also said “doubts remain whether Ryan can come up with
a bill that would pass,” and Axios
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=017-ba2&t=c>
(12/20, Kight) that “the new bill is unlikely to make it past the House,
much less the Senate.”

        USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=018-eb2&t=c>
(12/20, Collins, Jackson, Theobald) reports the bill “now heads back to the
Senate, which must either approve the measure or risk shutting down a
quarter of the government at midnight Friday. A Senate vote is expected
Friday afternoon.” To Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=019-076&t=c>
(12/20, Cowan, Gibson), the House vote “made a partial federal government
shutdown more likely this weekend,” while the Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=01a-531&t=c>
(12/20, Ferrechio) headlines its story “Trump’s Veto Threat Pays Off” but
adds “the victory will likely be short-lived, as Democrats in the Senate
are expected to reject the bill.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=01b-5b2&t=c>
(12/20, Ferris, Bresnahan) also reports “the House GOP proposal is D.O.A.
in the Senate,” though Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=01c-0f1&t=c>
(12/20, Moran) notes “House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) cheered
the bill’s passage in a statement,” saying, “Chuck Schumer and Senate
Democrats now have to decide whether it is worth shutting down the
government to keep us from securing our border.” The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=01d-faa&t=c>
(12/20, Paletta) says GOP leaders “hurried to appease the president,” and
notes “no Democrats voted for the House measure.” The New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=01e-089&t=c>
(12/20, Feuerherd), Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=01f-c85&t=c>
(12/20, Sherfinski), among other news outlets, also report on the House
vote.

        The vote capped a day capped by Trump’s apparent change of heart
about the Senate-passed bill. The President had taken to Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=020-3fb&t=c>
yesterday morning to write, “The Democrats, who know Steel Slats (Wall) are
necessary for Border Security, are putting politics over Country. What they
are just beginning to realize is that I will not sign any of their
legislation, including infrastructure, unless it has perfect Border
Security. U.S.A. WINS! ...
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=021-a3b&t=c>
When I begrudgingly signed the Omnibus Bill, I was promised the Wall and
Border Security by leadership. Would be done by end of year (NOW). It
didn’t happen! We foolishly fight for Border Security for other countries –
but not for our beloved U.S.A. Not good!” Trump later wrote
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=022-fd7&t=c>,
“Democrats, it is time to come together and put the SAFETY of the AMERICAN
PEOPLE before POLITICS. Border security must become a #1 priority!”

        Later yesterday, Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=023-f7c&t=c>
(12/20, Holland, Ahmann, Brice) reports, Speaker Ryan appeared alongside
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy at the White House after a meeting
with Trump, and said the President “wanted any spending agreement to secure
the US border.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=024-859&t=c>
(12/20, Ferris, Bresnahan) quotes Ryan as saying, “The president informed
us he will not sign the bill that came from the Senate last evening because
of his legitimate concerns for border security. ... So what we’re going to
do is go back to the House and work with our members.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=025-06a&t=c>
(12/20, Cochrane) says House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) “told
reporters that House Republicans would try to add $5 billion in border wall
funding to the Senate bill,” and “would also attempt to add disaster relief
money for those affected by storms and natural disasters as a way to lure
Democratic support.”

        USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=026-d32&t=c>
(12/20, Collins, Jackson) reports that the President further weighed in
“during a signing ceremony for an unrelated farm bill a few hours after he
told House Republican leaders at an emergency Oval Office meeting that he
would not sign the Senate funding proposal.” The CBS Evening News[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=027-18a&t=c>
(12/20, story 2, 2:35, Cordes) showed Trump saying, “I’ve made my position
very clear: Any measure that funds the government must include border
security.” The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=028-3b7&t=c>
(12/20, Fabian) points out the President “said he would call the structures
‘steel slats’ in order” to give Democrats “a little bit of an out.” Said
Trump yesterday, “We don’t use the word ‘wall,’ necessarily, but it has to
be something special to do the job.”

        The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=029-6b6&t=c>
(12/20, Enjeti) reports White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders “quickly
released a statement” declaring, “President Trump just met with Republican
Members of the House. Not surprisingly, they all feel strongly about Border
Security – stopping the flow of drugs, stopping human trafficking, and
stopping terrorism. We protect nations all over the world, but Democrats
are unwilling to protect our nation. We urgently need funding for border
security and that includes a wall.”

        Sanders later said on Fox Business’ Lou Dobbs Tonight[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=02a-0c3&t=c>
(12/20), “I can assure you that at some point this President will get the
full funding that he wants for the wall because he said he is going to do
it and he’s never not gotten what he’s set out to do. We see that every
single day. He’s been delivering since day one of taking office and we are
seeing him continue to fight for what the people elected him to do and that
is border security, that it protecting American citizens.”

        Reports are casting Trump’s decision to reject a “clean” spending
bill as a reaction to a backlash from his political base. ABC World News
Tonight
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=02b-4e1&t=c>
(12/20, story 2, 2:20, Bruce), for example, referred to “a dramatic
about-face” by Trump, which “came after a conservative revolt – outrage
that the President might be backing down from his signature promise.” The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=02c-ff3&t=c>
(12/20, Mascaro, Daly, Lucey) says Trump “has faced rare, bitter criticism
from some fellow Republicans over the past day for ‘caving’ on wall
funding.” The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=02d-2e9&t=c>
(12/20, Haberkorn) casts him as “receiving a torrent of criticism from
backers in Congress and conservative media upset that he appeared to be
caving,” and Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=02e-599&t=c>
(12/20, Johnson, Everett) reports he acted “after pressure from his
conservative base approached unsustainable levels, rattling a president who
has come under fire over multiple issues this week.” Politico further
states Trump “obsessively monitored mounting criticism from the right that
cast him as an inept negotiator who is being rolled by Congressional
Democrats.”

        Wolf Blitzer said on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=02f-a41&t=c>
(12/20) that a shutdown “is looking increasingly likely” as the President
“is apparently bowing to conservative pressure and flipping positions
again, now saying he will not sign his temporary spending bill that doesn’t
include $5 billion for his border wall.” White House correspondent Kaitlan
Collins said on CNN’s The Lead
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=030-65b&t=c>
(12/20), “A conservative revolt in recent days getting under the
President’s skin after his reliable allies turned into scathing critics.
... Sources telling CNN the President was fuming over the criticism,
lashing out at aides and telling them to fix this.”

        Likewise, the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=031-b82&t=c>
(12/20, Cochrane) describes him as “facing a fierce repudiation from the
hard-line House Freedom Caucus and his supporters over a perceived retreat
from his signature campaign promise,” and notes Ann Coulter “was one of
multiple conservative supporters warning that the president would
jeopardize his re-election prospects if he failed to secure wall funding.”

        The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=032-bdf&t=c>
(12/20, Miller, Colvin) also draws attention to the pressure from Coulter
and Meadows, among others on the right. Rush Limbaugh is quoted as saying,
“Trump should not sign this bill and leave for Mar-a-Lago, and tell them
it’s not gonna get signed and their precious government’s not gonna get
back up and running ‘til there’s $5 billion.” Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=033-cc9&t=c>
(12/20, Holland) reports that Pelosi “has said including that money in the
bill would be a ‘non-starter’ for her members.” Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=034-ec9&t=c>
(12/20) reports that Rep. Peter King (R-NY) “was strongly critical of party
members, many of whom are members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus,
who threw the spending bill into chaos,” tweeting: “Freedom Caucus pressure
to shut down the government is irresponsible policy and political
malpractice. 21st Century version of Charge of the Light Brigade.”

        Senior adviser to the President Stephen Miller said on CNN’s
Situation Room
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=035-733&t=c>
(12/20), “The fundamental issue here is whether or not Democrats will
supply votes to pass border security or whether they’re going to push for
open borders.” Miller added that the President has “made clear that he’s
not interested in continuing to build the wall one stretch at a time. He
wants to build the wall by getting the money now. ...Republicans and
Democrats alike have a fundamental duty to the working people of this
country to secure our border. This is straightforward common sense. Let’s
have both parties come together and do what’s right for the people of this
country and most especially for the needy Americans this time of year who
deserve to have a secure country, a secure economy, and a secure social
safety net.”

        NBC Nightly News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=036-223&t=c>
(12/20, story 3, 1:50, Jackson) said that “no matter what, the President
will break a campaign pledge. He said Mexico would pay for a wall but now
he wants taxpayers to, threatening a shutdown if Congress doesn’t agree.”
Echoing that theme, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said on CNN’s Situation Room[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=037-987&t=c>
(12/20), “If the President will deliver on his campaign promise and get
Mexico to pay for it, then we may be able to work something out.” Schiff
added, “I think what’s really going on here is he needs to shut down the
government to show his base that he’s serious about this and to do this as
a sop to his base. ... They have had two years where they controlled
everything and didn’t do it. They don’t have the votes for it. They know
it, and just to do this as a gesture to his base I think is
unconscionable.”

        NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe said on CNN’s The Lead[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=038-02b&t=c>
(12/20), “Maybe there was a way to deliver on this earlier on, before this
election, before you had a lame duck Congress, but now how do you deliver
on this when you know that Democrats are going to take over the House in
February? What leverage does the President have? I think right now it seems
like what the White House wants to do is show that the President is doing
everything that he can. He’s throwing down a marker and then he can kind of
say maybe Democrats, they just wouldn’t give it to me. But he’s still going
have to deal with this fact, why don’t you have a wall after two years of
Republicans controlling the House, the Senate and you in the White House?”

        The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=039-60a&t=c>
(12/20, Paletta) reports that Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC), the chairman of the
House Freedom Caucus, “has urged Trump to veto any spending bill and force
a debate over the wall, even if it leads to a shutdown, pleaded with
colleagues to oppose the spending bill. ‘We have to fight now or America
will never believe we’ll fight,’ Meadows told the closed-door GOP caucus.”
The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=03a-490&t=c>
(12/20, Peterson, Ballhaus, Duehren) runs a similar story.

        Ahead of the House vote, McCarthy said on Fox News’ Special
Report[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=03b-dee&t=c>
(12/20), “The Senate sent over to us what is a continuing resolution that
funds the government as is with no border security in there. even though we
have already been funding and building the wall. It also had nothing in
there when it came to disasters. ...We will take a continuing resolution.
We will add $5 billion to that for border security. We’ll also add the
money in there for disaster relief. ... We’ll send that over to the Senate.
They can take action. We don’t have a problem until Friday. I think there
are some differences and we can find common ground.”

        Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) said on Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=03c-536&t=c>
(12/20), “We should have done it earlier. We should have done it in March
on the big spending bill. We told the American people we would. Then we
said, ‘No, no. We are going to do it September.’ Didn’t do it then on that
spending bill. Then we said we will do it on December 7. No, we didn’t do
it then. Then we said we will do it on December 21. We did it tonight in
the House. ... We just passed it in the House, that is step one. It now
goes back to the Senate, and we will see what happens from there. We need
to stand firm on this because, as you said, as the President said, this is
a central promise we made to voters in 2016. This is our last, best chance
to do what everyone knows is just good, common sense.”

        The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=03d-7e7&t=c>
(12/20, Quinn) points out Pelosi “has been adamant that her party would not
back legislation that includes money for the wall, telling reporters that
Republicans were having a ‘meltdown’ over wall funding.” Schumer, “speaking
on the Senate floor, called the effort by House conservatives to add $5
billion to the spending bill ‘futile,’ as such a measure would not pass the
Senate.” The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=03e-a22&t=c>
(12/20, Miller) reports “the negotiations are complicated by the rapid
departure of senators from Washington after the stopgap measure passed.” The
Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=03f-1a5&t=c>
(12/20, Carney) says, meanwhile, that “GOP senators emerged from the
closed-door meeting in visible disbelief that...Trump is refusing to sign a
seven-week stopgap measure to fund the government that cleared the chamber
by a voice vote less than 24 hours ago.”

        CQ Roll Call
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=040-601&t=c>
(12/20, Tully-McManus) recounts that “an attempt by...Pelosi to force a
vote on a full-year CR was rejected Thursday afternoon after some
procedural gymnastics.” Pelosi “attempted to bring the ‘clean’ continuing
resolution – without the additional border wall funding that President
Donald Trump is insisting be included – to the floor as a privileged
resolution.” Roll Call adds “the presiding officer ruled that the
resolution didn’t qualify as a question of the privileges of the House.”
Lawmakers “voted 187-170 to table Pelosi’s appeal of that decision.”

        *GoFundMe Campaign Raises Over $8 Million In Four Days For Wall. *The
Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=041-cf6&t=c>
(12/20, Bever) reports, “If neither Mexico nor Congress is going to
fund...Trump’s border wall, then Brian Kolfage has a more expedient plan:
GoFundMe.” The Post adds that “in just four days, the military veteran’s
crowdsourced campaign for construction of the border wall has raked in more
than $8.85 million in donations from more than 145,000 people.” Kolfage, “a
triple amputee who won a Purple Heart while serving in Iraq, is aiming to
raise $1 billion for wall funding through the GoFundMe.” He “proposed on
the GoFundMe page that if every one of the 63 million people who voted for
Trump donated $80, they would get the wall that Trump promised them,
echoing an idea included in a New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=042-efb&t=c>
column over the weekend.”

        The CBS Evening News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=043-00b&t=c>
(12/20, story 8, 1:40, Dokoupil) showed Kolfage saying, “GoFundMe says this
is the largest goal ever started on the site and if it’s not reached, the
billion dollars will go back to all the people who donated.”
Foreign Policy
Trump: Syria Withdrawal “No Surprise,” Says “Others” Must “Finally Fight.”

In a three-tweet missive Thursday morning, President Trump defended his
decision to remove US forces from Syria, which had faced criticism from
many policymakers and analysts, including traditional Trump supporters. The
President tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=044-29a&t=c>
at 6:42 a.m., “Getting out of Syria was no surprise. I’ve been campaigning
on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it,
I agreed to stay longer. Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy
of ISIS. We were doing there work. Time to come home & rebuild. #MAGA”. He
then tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=045-cbd&t=c>
14 minutes later, “Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle
East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars
protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are
doing? Do we want to be there forever? Time for others to finally fight. ...
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=046-c10&t=c>
Russia, Iran, Syria & many others are not happy about the U.S. leaving,
despite what the Fake News says, because now they will have to fight ISIS
and others, who they hate, without us. I am building by far the most
powerful military in the world. ISIS hits us they are doomed!”

        USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=047-442&t=c>
(12/20, Jackson) reports on the tweets and adds, “Members of Congress,
however, disputed Trump’s contention” that ISIS “has been totally defeated
and said they would regroup after the US withdraws the 2,000 or so troops
it has now in Syria. Critics also said Trump’s decision guarantees that
Bashar al Assad of Syria remains in power, benefiting Iran and
strengthening Russia’s foothold in the Middle East; they also said it would
leave Kurdish allies vulnerable to reprisals from ISIS.” The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=048-26d&t=c>
(12/20, Wagner) reports the tweets “came a day after Trump justified
pulling out of Syria by claiming” that the US had defeated ISIS, “an
assertion that was widely criticized as premature, risking future
aggression in the absence of US forces.” On the CBS Evening News[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=049-256&t=c>
(12/20, lead story, 2:40, Glor), Weijia Jiang reported the President’s
decision “shock[ed] allies and even top advisers.”

        The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=04a-f71&t=c>
(12/20, Sullivan), reporting on the tweets, says “there were still few – if
any – specifics available about how the United States military would
accomplish the logistical undertaking of withdrawing 2,000 troops amid
Syria’s continuing seven-year civil war and remaining pockets” of ISIS
fighters. The Times adds that Secretary of State Pompeo said
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=04b-db2&t=c>
on Laura Ingraham’s radio show that “the president’s decision was made with
‘lots of consultation between all the senior-level officials, including
myself.’” The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=04c-1b2&t=c>
(12/20, Leary) reports Pentagon officials said they have been charged with
developing and submitting a troop withdrawal plan by next Wednesday.

        Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) said on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=04d-55f&t=c>
(12/20), “We have to talk about what is at stake with this, and hope the
President changes his mind and hope the people around him can get in his
ear.” But the Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=04e-bad&t=c>
(12/20, Ernst) reports Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) backed the President’s
decision, saying critics of the decision “are acting like the US should be
‘the world’s policeman.’” Paul told Fox News, “Ultimately,
self-determination is about the people who live there standing up and
fighting.”

        Dan Balz of the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=04f-bc8&t=c>
(12/20) writes that Trump “wants the most robust military in the world, but
he doesn’t seem to want to use it. He has been consistent in questioning
the commitment of US forces in trouble spots such as Syria and
Afghanistan.” But “however consistent he has been in enunciating” foreign
policy goals, “he has not shown much mastery of navigating the legislative
process or of developing support from allies. ... He leads by impulse, by
upending the status quo, leaving friends and adversaries to scramble.”
Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=050-adb&t=c>
(12/20, Oprysko) also covers the President’s Thursday morning tweets.

        *Trump Says Graham Appears To Be “Against Saving Soldier Lives.” *On
Thursday afternoon, Trump responded to criticism of his Syria withdrawal
plan from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). The President tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=051-aee&t=c>,
“So hard to believe that Lindsey Graham would be against saving soldier
lives & billions of $$$. Why are we fighting for our enemy, Syria, by
staying & killing ISIS for them, Russia, Iran & other locals? Time to focus
on our Country & bring our youth back home where they belong!”

        USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=052-f56&t=c>
(12/20, Hayes) reports Graham said on the Senate floor Wednesday evening
that while “he would also like for troops to be back” in the US, a
“presence in Syria would allow the country to stabilize and halt any future
spread of radical Islam, calling the 2,000 soldiers there almost a
‘virtual’ border wall that keeps terrorists at bay and the US safer.”
Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=053-56d&t=c>
(12/20, Oprysko) headlines its brief report on the tweet “Trump Torches
Graham For Criticizing His Syria Troops Plan.”

        On NBC Nightly News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=054-3ca&t=c>
(12/20, story 2, 1:25, Holt), Andrea Mitchell reported that “angry
Republicans” including Graham are “pleading with Mr. Trump to change his
mind.” Graham replied to the President in an eight-tweet thread
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=055-3be&t=c>
that began, “Mr. President, I admire and share your love and admiration for
our troops. The troops believe in their commanders and so should you. They
are worthy of your trust. I urge you to follow sound military advice when
it comes to withdrawing from Syria and the fight against ISIS. Withdrawing
from Syria is a shared goal but the ‘When and How’ matter. I believe you
are on course to make the same mistake President Obama made in Iraq. It
will turn out no better for you than it did for him.”

        NBC’s Frank Thorp tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=056-dbb&t=c>
that Graham said Thursday that Defense Secretary Mattis “told him ‘it was
not the time was not right to leave (Syria),’ and that ‘ISIS has been hurt
badly, that the change in strategy to be more aggressive has paid off but
they’re not defeated, and that a replay of Iraq was very likely.’” In
his Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=057-cc7&t=c>
(12/20) column, Hugh Hewitt writes that Trump has made a “major error,” and
“needs to gather in his experienced, genuine supporters on the Hill,”
including Graham, “and revisit the decision to pull U.S. troops out of
Syria.”

        *Putin: “Donald Is Right” About Withdrawing US Troops. *Under the
headline “Putin Welcomes US Pullout From Syria,” the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=058-817&t=c>
(12/20, Isachenkov) reports that during his annual end-of-the-year news
conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin “welcomed the US decision to
pull its troops out of Syria, saying Thursday that ‘Donald is right.’”
Putin also said he agrees with Trump that ISIS “has been defeated, making
the US presence in Syria unnecessary,” and “argued that the US troops
shouldn’t have been there to start with.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=059-64f&t=c>
(12/20, MacFarquhar, Kramer) reports that Putin “expressed skepticism,
however, that the United States would follow through on Mr. Trump’s
pronouncement, noting that the government had similarly pledged to pull out
of Afghanistan by 2014 but still stations forces there.”

        Bill Kristol tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=05a-f50&t=c>,
“The president who’s doing the most to weaken American leadership and erode
American authority and undermine American credibility around the world
isn’t Vladimir Putin. It’s Donald Trump.”

        *US-Allied Kurdish-Led Forces Fear Turkish Invasion, May Free ISIS
Prisoners. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=05b-24f&t=c>
(12/20, Karam, El Deeb) reports that the “Kurdish-led” Syrian Democratic
Forces, identified as “the United States’ main ally in Syria,” has
“categorically rejected” Trump’s claim that ISIS has been defeated. The Wall
Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=05c-bd9&t=c>
(12/20, Rasmussen, Gauthier-Villars) reports under the headline “Key US
Partner In Syria Thrown Into Disarray” that the SDF warned that without US
troop support, it is vulnerable to attacks from both ISIS and Turkey.

        The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=05d-f42&t=c>
(12/20, Cunningham) reports that Turkey’s defense minister said Thursday
that SDF forces “would be ‘buried’ in their trenches in any Turkish
operation to rout the fighters from the border,” adding that Turkey is
“preparing ‘intensely’ for a military offensive” where SDF is strongest.
The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=05e-c53&t=c>
(12/20, Saad, Nordland) reports that the SDF, facing this pressure, is
“discussing the release of 3,200 [ISIS] prisoners” that it is holding “in
about seven makeshift prisons near Ainissa in northern Syria.” The SDF says
“the home countries of many of [the prisoners] had refused to take them
back,” and that “it would need all of its fighters to defend against a
possible Turkish military invasion.”

        NBC foreign correspondent Richard Engel tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=05f-bce&t=c>,
“A sr military official told me US special forces troops distraught, upset,
morally disturbed by having to tell their kurdish allies in Syria that,
because of orders, their promises of defense won’t be kept.” Marine veteran
Tommy Meyerson, who returned this year from service in northeastern Syria,
pens an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=060-c92&t=c>
(12/20) urging the President to reconsider, writing that Syria’s Kurds have
been thankful for, and rely on, US support, and that gains can be easily
reversed if the US exits.

        *WPost Analysis: Syria Decision Reveals “Trump Doctrine.” *Karen
DeYoung of the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=061-f1c&t=c>
(12/20) writes, “Despite threatening to withdraw US military forces from
virtually every long-term deployment in the world,” the President “has been
repeatedly constrained by the counsel of his own revolving-door national
security team. Until now. If there is a Trump Doctrine, the Syria
withdrawal has brought it to full flower.” Trump criticized action in Syria
as early as 2013, and as President, “never wavered in his determination to
leave Syria and other parts of the world.”

        *Politico: “Never Trumper” Jeffrey Caught Up In Trump’s Decision. *
Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=062-edf&t=c>
(12/20, Toosi) has a feature on James Jeffrey, a “well-respected veteran
diplomat” and “Never Trumper” who nevertheless became the President’s
special representative for Syria engagement. Jeffrey was the US ambassador
to Iraq at the time of the US withdrawal, “and is widely believed to have
joined the Trump administration in part to prevent a repeat of that
disastrous scenario. Now, some fellow foreign policy hands are wondering
why he would bother to stick around.” Jeffrey “has not commented publicly
since Trump’s announcement,” but on Thursday, “there was no sign that he
intends to quit.”

        *Friedman, Logan: Trump “Right To Accept Victory In Syria.” *Benjamin
Friedman of Defense Priorities and Justin Logan of the Center for the Study
of Statesmanship at Catholic University write in a USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=063-2fd&t=c>
(12/20, Friedman, Logan) op-ed, “Trump is right to accept victory in Syria.
By September, ISIS had lost 99 percent of the territory its vaunted
caliphate once held, according to a Pentagon Inspector General’s report.
With the last vestiges of Islamic State territory in Syria falling to
U.S.-backed forces in recent days, the goal that drew the U.S. into Syria
is achieved.”
Officials: Pentagon Planning Pullout Of Up To Half Of US Troops In
Afghanistan.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=064-3ed&t=c>
(12/21, Baldor) reports that the Pentagon is developing plans to withdraw
“up to half of the 14,000 American troops serving in Afghanistan, US
officials said Thursday, marking a sharp change in the Trump
administration’s policy aimed at forcing the Taliban to the peace table
after more than 17 years of war.” According to one official, the troops
“could be out by summer, but no final decision has been made.” The Wall
Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=065-58d&t=c>
(12/20, Lubold, Donati) cites an unnamed US official as saying that more
than 7,000 US troops will begin to return home from in the coming weeks.

        According to the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=066-7a7&t=c>
(12/20, Gibbons-Neff), the Administration “has ordered the military to
start withdrawing roughly 7,000 troops from Afghanistan in the coming
months, two defense officials said Thursday.” One official said Trump made
the decision “at the same time he decided to pull American forces out of
Syria.” Jake Tapper, however, said on CNN’s The Lead[image: Image removed
by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=067-99c&t=c>
(12/20) that “multiple sources...warn that the President has not yet made
any final decision on the matter.”

        USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=068-f71&t=c>
(12/20, Brook, Fritze, Jackson) says the move marks “the latest in a series
of abrupt changes to .. military policy the president is either eyeing or
has executed over the past 24 hours.” Taken together with Trump’s
announcement Wednesday that he is withdrawing US troops from Syria, “the
moves appeared to represent a reshuffling of the administration’s military
strategy that more closely aligns with what Trump promised during his
campaign but that has been opposed” by Defense Secretary Mattis and “others
inside the Pentagon.”

        The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=069-79c&t=c>
(12/20, Lamothe, Dawsey, Ryan, Sonne) says the move is one “that many of
Trump’s senior advisers and military officials have warned will plunge the
country further into chaos.” It also comes as the US “attempts to negotiate
a peace deal with the Taliban, potentially undercutting leverage that
American diplomats have.”

        *US Officials Discussed Potential Three-Month Ceasefire With
Taliban Envoys. *At what the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=06a-a5c&t=c>
(12/20, Mashal) calls their “most substantial formal talks so far with the
Taliban,” US officials on Thursday “discussed the future of the American
military presence in Afghanistan and an offer of a three-month cease-fire
during which the insurgents and the Afghan government could have
negotiations.” US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad “briefed Afghan leaders in
Kabul on two days of talks with the Taliban this week in the United Arab
Emirates,” according to the Times, which says the talks “included
representatives from the UAE...Saudi Arabia; and Pakistan – the only three
nations that recognized the Taliban regime before it was toppled by the
American invasion in 2001 and that still have varying degrees of influence
over the insurgent group.” The Times notes that the “Taliban
representatives refused to meet with a delegation sent...by the Afghan
government.”
ISIS Members Kill Two Women On Camping Trip In Morocco.

The CBS Evening News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=06b-c72&t=c>
(12/20, story 7, 1:25, Glor) reported four men claiming to be members of
ISIS have been arrested following “a vicious deadly attack on two young
women who were on a camping trip in the mountains of Morocco.” CBS’ David
Begnaud said the bodies of 24-year-old Louisa Jespersen from Denmark and
28-year-old Maren Ueland from Norway “were found in a remote region where
they were camping.” According to Moroccan prosecutors, the suspects
“pledged allegiance to ISIS in a video that was made before the killings. “
North Korea Says It Will Not Give Up Nuclear Weapons While US Still Poses
Threat.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=06c-7c1&t=c>
(12/20, Tong-Hyung) reports North Korea said Thursday that it “will never
unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons unless the United States first
removes what Pyongyang called a nuclear threat.” To the AP, the
“surprisingly blunt statement jars with Seoul’s rosier presentation of the
North Korean position and could rattle the fragile trilateral diplomacy to
defuse a nuclear crisis that last year had many fearing war.” The statement
carried by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency “also raises
credibility problems” for the South Korean government, which has”
continuously claimed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is genuinely
interested in negotiating away his nuclear weapons.”

        The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=06d-470&t=c>
(12/20, Sang-Hun) says the statement had the effect of “clarifying a
position that had remained vague since the leaders of both countries met in
June.” While the North Korea has for decades “maintained that it would not
eliminate its weapons program until the United States closed its regional
‘nuclear umbrella,’” the Times says yesterday’s statement “confirmed that
the North’s position on denuclearization remains unchanged despite June’s
summit meeting in Singapore.”

        The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=06e-7d5&t=c>
(12/20, Kim) reports that US-North Korea talks “appear to have stalled as
Pyongyang has demanded the removal of international sanctions as a
precondition for denuclearization.” The Post says “a number of analysts
warned after the Trump-Kim summit that North Korea had little intention of
giving up its weapons without substantial US concessions in return.”

        *Pompeo, US Envoy Remain Optimistic. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=06f-acb&t=c>
(12/21, Tong-Hyung) reports US special envoy Stephen Biegun on Friday
“expressed optimism about the diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear
crisis,” despite the North’s “surprisingly blunt statement.” Biegun said
ahead of a meeting with South Korean officials “that the allies are
committed to ending seven decades of hostility and creating” what he called
a “new, brighter future for all of the Korean people.” The AP says Biegun
did not, however, “directly address the North Korean statement,” but his
comments “echoed” those of Secretary of State Pompeo, who told a Kansas
radio station, “We are hopeful that in the new year President Trump and
Chairman Kim will get together not too long after the first of the year and
make even further progress on taking this threat to the United States away
from us.”

        *Desperate North Koreans Pay Smugglers To Escape To China. *The Wall
Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=070-a5b&t=c>
(12/20, Jeong) reports that President Trump’s talks with North Korean
leader Kim Jong Un have not had much impact on the lives of ordinary
residents. While some still risk their lives to escape, the Journal says it
has become increasingly difficult under since Kim came to power. North
Koreans pay smugglers as much as $18,000 to cross into China, roughly five
times more than it cost just a few years ago.
Putin: Trump Bringing World Closer To Nuclear War.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=071-8c6&t=c>
(12/20, Isachenkov) reports that during his annual news conference
Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that there is “a rising
threat of a nuclear war because of the US pullout from arms control
treaties and its destabilizing military plans,” which he said “could lead
to the destruction of civilization as a whole and maybe even our planet.”
Putin “pointed at Washington’s intention to walk away from the 1987
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and its reluctance to negotiate
the extension of the 2010 New START agreement.”

        On the CBS Evening News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=072-313&t=c>
(12/20, story 6, 1:50, Glor), Charlie D’Agata said, “Few would have
expected Putin to raise the specter of a nuclear war when he criticized
President Trump’s threat to pull out of a treaty which bans both countries
from basing certain missiles in Europe.” Putin (through a translator):
“This might lead to the collapse of the entire civilization and maybe our
planet. Those missiles would be positioned in Europe, what will we do? We
need to ensure that we are safe.”
Israel Begins Sealing Hezbollah Tunnels From Lebanon.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=073-a46&t=c>
(12/20) reports the Israeli military has begun to “seal off four tunnels
that it said had been dug by the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah under the
border from Lebanon.” Israel says Hezbollah dug the tunnels “with the aim
of launching cross-border attacks with backing” from Iran. UN peacekeepers
in Lebanon “have said they had so far confirmed the existence of four
tunnels which the Israeli army discovered in recent weeks in the vicinity
of the border.”
Western Democracy Activists Charged After Arab Spring Acquitted By Egyptian
Court.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=074-890&t=c>
(12/20, Walsh) reports a court in Egypt has “acquitted 41 American,
European and Egyptian employees of groups that promoted democracy and media
freedom...bringing an end to a seven-year case that was a thorn in
relations with the United States and had become emblematic of the official
backlash against civil society following the Arab Spring protests of 2011.”
Among the groups affected were “the National Democratic Institute, the
International Republican Institute and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a
German organization.” However, “many of those convicted were sentenced in
absentia after fleeing Egypt,” and “none served any jail time.”
Domestic Policy
Mattis Resigns, Cites Disagreements With Trump.

President Trump announced on Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=075-4b5&t=c>
yesterday that Defense Secretary Mattis “will be retiring, with
distinction, at the end of February.” Trump added, “During Jim’s tenure,
tremendous progress has been made, especially with respect to the purchase
of new fighting...
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=076-dd9&t=c>
equipment. General Mattis was a great help to me in getting allies and
other countries to pay their share of military obligations. A new Secretary
of Defense will be named shortly. I greatly thank Jim for his service!”
Media reports are highlighting Mattis’ resignation letter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=077-242&t=c>,
released shortly after Trump’s announcement, in which the Secretary urges
him to find “a secretary of defense whose views are better aligned with
yours.”

        All three major network newscasts led with the story last night. ABC
World News Tonight
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=078-f3a&t=c>
(12/20, lead story, 3:30, Raddatz) called Mattis’ decision “really
astonishing,” as “this is a man whose life has been about service and
sacrifice. He cares deeply about our troops in this country. He had said he
would never leave the post as long as he felt his service to the President
was valued and productive. That no longer was the case. It seems clear that
the situation was intolerable for Mattis, and clear that this is in protest
to Trump pulling out the troops from Syria.” The CBS Evening News[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=079-234&t=c>
(12/20, lead story, 2:40, Glor) said that “for Mattis, the [Syria]
withdrawal was the last straw,” NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=07a-7f3&t=c>
(12/20, lead story, 2:05, Welker) referred to “a bombshell,” and added that
“tensions have been simmering for months, and Trump seemed to publicly
criticize Mattis in a recent interview.” Trump was shown saying, “I think
he’s a Democrat.”

        The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=07b-c49&t=c>
(12/20, Landler) reports, “For most of his tumultuous 23 months in
office...Trump has tried to shake off anyone who would restrain his
insurgent style of leadership,” and “with the resignation of...Mattis” he
“is at last a president unbound.” The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=07c-d6b&t=c>
(12/20, Demirjian) says Mattis “was seen by Washington and the world as a
safeguard against a president addicted to chaos and animated by a different
moral code.”

        On CNN’s Situation Room
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=07d-9c1&t=c>
(12/20), Trump adviser Stephen Miller said, “As Mattis said, the
President’s entitled to a Secretary of Defense that has strong alignment
with his views. ... This is an opportunity for the country to get a
Secretary of Defense who will be aligned with the President on these
critical issues.”

        White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said on Fox Business’ Lou
Dobbs Tonight
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=07e-868&t=c>
(12/20), “The President and Secretary Mattis have agreed to disagree on a
number of topics but they continue to have a good relationship, and I think
that this is probably something that will be made into a much bigger thing
in the media then it will be in the White House over the coming weeks.”

        The Military Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=07f-329&t=c>
(12/20, Shane, Mehta) reports that “on numerous occasions over the last two
years, both Republicans and Democrats have lauded” Mattis “as a calming
presence within the turbulent Trump administration and a voice of reason
for the sometimes impulsive commander in chief.” Mattis is “also wildly
popular among troops. A Military Times poll conducted in late September
found that nearly 84 percent of troops had a favorable view of his work
leading the armed forces. Among officers, the figure was almost 90
percent.”

        USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=080-602&t=c>
(12/20, Jackson) notes “Trump did not mention his disputes with Mattis,
including his announcement this week of a Syria pullout that the defense
secretary had opposed,” but Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=081-3a2&t=c>
(12/20, O'Brien, Bender) headlines its report “Defense Mattis Breaks With
Trump In Resignation Letter,” and says he “saw his influence wane in recent
months as Trump turned more toward hawks in his inner circle like Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo and White House national security adviser John
Bolton.” The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=082-120&t=c>
(12/20, Kheel) reports that “over the last couple years, Trump announced a
ban on transgender troops on Twitter, canceled joint US-South Korea
military exercises, withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and deployed troops
to the US-Mexico border, among other moves that Mattis either opposed or
received little forewarning of.” Moreover, “recently, Trump passed over
Mattis’s choice of successor for Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph
Dunford in favor of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley.”

        To the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=083-294&t=c>
(12/20, Cooper), Mattis “resigned...in protest of...Trump’s decision to
withdraw 2,000 American troops from Syria, where they have been fighting
the Islamic State.” The Times adds “officials said Mr. Mattis went to the
White House on Thursday afternoon in a last attempt to convince Mr. Trump
to keep American troops in Syria. He was rebuffed, and told the president
that he was resigning as a result.” The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=084-67f&t=c>
(12/20, Ryan) says “several possible replacements for Mattis this week
trashed the president’s decision to pull out of Syria”: Retired Gen. Jack
Keane “called the move a ‘strategic mistake’ on Twitter,” while “Republican
Sens. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) signed a letter
demanding Trump reconsider the decision and warning that the withdrawal
bolsters Iran and Russia.” The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=085-8b0&t=c>
(12/20, Youssef, Ballhaus) runs a similar account.

        On Fox News’ Special Report
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=086-7db&t=c>
(12/20), Jennifer Griffin reported one “senior US official” said “they had
never seen morale as low in Pentagon meetings as they had in the past few
days. Mattis was not in favor of pulling all US troops out of Syria but the
President announced it anyway after speaking by phone with the Turkish
president last Friday.”

        On CNN’s Situation Room
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=087-54d&t=c>
(12/20), Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), noting that Mattis has had disagreements
with Trump, said “other secretaries of defense have left their position
when they felt that they could no longer serve a President or commander in
chief, so this is nothing new.”

        On CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=088-346&t=c>
(12/20), Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) said America is “less safe” with
Mattis’ departure and the decision to withdraw forces from Syria and draw
down troops from Afghanistan. Likewise, on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=089-5b9&t=c>
(12/20), Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) raised concerns about America’s safety,
following Mattis’ resignation and Trump’s decision to pull out of Syria.

        In an editorial, the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=08a-5fa&t=c>
(12/20) writes that the Syria decision “appears to have been the final
straw for Mr. Mattis, who has walked a tightrope for the past two years
between his training and his conscience, and the whims of his president.”
The Times adds that “sending conflicting orders to soldiers on the
battlefield, as Mr. Trump and his administration are doing, not only
hampers morale and undermines allied forces like the Syrian Kurds, it could
also risk getting American soldiers killed or wounded for objectives their
commanders had already abandoned.”

        The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=08b-c2d&t=c>
(12/20, Correll) points out, meanwhile, that “in the resignation letter,”
also “Mattis praised Trump administration accomplishments, including
‘improving the readiness and lethality in our forces,’ and told Trump that
he would remain at the Pentagon until Feb. 28.”

        In an editorial, the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=08c-961&t=c>
(12/20) accuses Trump of acting too impulsively on Syria and other
subjects, and in the process causing Mattis to leave his Cabinet.

        Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=08d-148&t=c>
(12/20, O'Brien, Brown) lists “a few people whose names have come up as
potential Mattis replacements,” including retired Army Gen. Jack Keane,
Sen. Tom Cotton, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick
Shanahan, former Sen. Jim Talent and DNI Coats.
Democrats Say Barr Memo About Mueller Probe Disqualifies Him To Be AG.

Democrats said Thursday that a memo written earlier this year by President
Trump’s Attorney General nominee, William Barr to top Justice Department
officials questioning the idea that the President “may have committed the
crime of obstruction of justice” disqualifies him from holding the position
for which he is nominated.

        The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=08e-506&t=c>
(12/20, Savage) reports Barr’s memo “sharply criticized an apparent aspect
of” special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation based on the proposition
that Trump “may have committed a crime by trying to get” former FBI
director James Comey “to quash the criminal investigation” of former
national security adviser Michael Flynn, “and later by firing Mr. Comey.”
The Times says Barr “argued that the Justice Department must not accept the
notion that a president can violate a statute that criminalizes obstruction
of justice by exercising his constitutional authority in an otherwise
lawful way...but with a corrupt motive.” The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=08f-3a7&t=c>
(12/19, Gurman, Viswanatha) reports Barr argued Mueller’s instruction
investigation is predicated on a “fatally misconceived” theory that could
damage the presidency and the executive branch.

        The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=090-e78&t=c>
(12/20, Barrett) says the memo, which was addressed to Deputy Attorney
General Rod Rosenstein, “is likely to raise alarms among Democrats who have
sought to protect the Mueller investigation.” In addition, it could
“intensify the partisan fights surrounding Barr,” who was already expected
“to be grilled about his past statements” when he appears before the Senate
Judiciary Committee for confirmation next year.

        Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=091-485&t=c>
(12/20, Shepardson, Lambert) reports Senate Minority Leader Schumer said
Thursday that Barr is “disqualified from the post” because of the memo.
Schumer is quoted as saying, “The president must immediately reconsider and
find another nominee who is free of conflicts and will carry out the duties
of the office impartially.” Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said, “We need
answers as to why William Barr proactively drafted a memo against Special
Counsel Mueller’s investigation. There’s no reason for a lawyer in private
practice to do this unless he was attempting to curry favor with President
Trump.” ABC World News Tonight
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=092-7f2&t=c>
(12/20, story 8, 0:35, Muir) also reported on Barr’s memo.

        Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett said on Fox News’ Hannity[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=093-312&t=c>
(12/20) Barr offered “a meticulously well-reasoned analysis of the law of
obstruction of justice. It is not, as Chuck Schumer said today on the floor
of the Senate, a reason for disqualification of Barr. To the contrary, it’s
actually a very good reason to confirm somebody like William Barr. He lays
out how the firing of James Comey is not obstruction of justice. The law is
very specific on obstruction. ... It has to be a corrupt purpose that
involves a lie, threat, bribe, concealing of evidence, destruction of
documents, or falsifying information. The firing of James Comey is none of
those things. Even Comey grudgingly admitted in his testimony before
Congress the President was entitled to fire him for a reason, or no reason
at all.”

        *Whitaker Chooses Not To Recuse Himself From Mueller Probe.
*The Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=094-c2f&t=c>
(12/20, Barrett, Zapotosky) reports while a “senior Justice Department
ethics official concluded acting attorney general Matthew G. Whitaker
should recuse from overseeing special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s probe
examining President Trump,” Whitaker’s advisers “recommended the opposite
and he has no plans to step aside, people familiar with the matter said.”
The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=095-20c&t=c>
(12/20, Balsamo) says Whitaker “chose not to reuse himself” despite a “top
Justice Department ethics official” advising him to do so in an “abundance
of caution.”

        CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=096-33e&t=c>
(12/20, Jarrett) reports on its website that ethics officials “concluded
there was no actual legal conflict presented that would require Whitaker to
recuse himself,” but they “noted there could be an appearance of a conflict
based on Whitaker’s past public comments about the investigation.” The New
York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=097-7dc&t=c>
(12/20, Fredericks) an official said recusal was “a close call,” but
“suggested that Whitaker remove himself, even though he was not required to
do so. Whitaker decided not to take the advice.”

        The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=098-143&t=c>
(12/20, Benner) says Whitaker “will now have final say over any major
developments made in that inquiry.” ABC World News Tonight[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=099-c9c&t=c>
(12/20, story 8, 0:35, Muir) also reported on Whitaker’s decision not to
recuse himself, as does Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=09a-3c1&t=c>
(12/20, Hosenball).

        Incoming House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA)
was asked on CNN’s Situation Room
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=09b-1b8&t=c>
(12/20) if he is comfortable with the process that led to Whitaker deciding
not recuse himself from the Mueller investigation. Schiff said, “Not at
all, particularly now has more is coming out about what the ethics lawyers
of justice said. If it is true that the ethics lawyers recommended that he
recuse himself and he’s nonetheless refusing, it means the top justice
official in the country is ignoring the advice of the ethics lawyers. That
is a pretty intolerable situation, particularly when it involves an issue
that was the very reason why he got the job, and that is he had been
auditioning with comments about how he could silently and out of the public
view cripple the Mueller investigation. So the first thing we need to do is
get ahold of that ethics opinion. That needs to be provided to Congress.”

        *Mueller Likely To Leave Findings About Trump For Final
Report. *Bloomberg
News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=09c-d99&t=c>
(12/20, Strohm) cites “people familiar” with special counsel Robert
Mueller’s investigation who say he “will be cautious about implicating
President Donald Trump...directly in criminal activity in legal filings
he’s expected to issue in the next few months.” While Mueller plans “to
continue building out his case brick-by-brick in a set of legal filings, as
he offers his most detailed narrative yet of Russia’s election
interference,” he is “likely to save any findings that touch personally on
Trump for his final report, which he’ll submit to the Justice Department,
the people said.” Bloomberg News adds that the report “will almost
certainly be reviewed by Democrats – who will take control of the House
next month – as they consider whether to impeach the president.”

        On NBC Nightly News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=09d-b5d&t=c>
(12/20, story 4, 4:00, Holt), Pete Williams cited “sources familiar” with
Mueller’s plans who “predict he’ll finish his report as early as
mid-February. They expect he’ll answer the question given to him 18 months
ago, were there any links or coordination between the Russian government
and Trump campaign to influence the election. It’s unclear whether Mueller
will touch President Trump himself.”

        *House Intelligence Panel Releases Stone Transcript Sought By
Mueller. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=09e-c2f&t=c>
(12/20, Jalonick) reports the House Intelligence Committee voted Thursday
“to release a transcript of Roger Stone’s closed-door interview with the
committee last year after special counsel Robert Mueller requested it.” The
AP says Mueller’s request could be an indication that he “is considering
using the transcript to support criminal charges against Stone.”

        *Stone Attorney Seeks Transcript’s Public Release. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=09f-5b0&t=c>
(12/20, Hosenball, Gibson) reports Stone’s attorney Grant Smith said
Thursday “that he sent a letter to the committee’s outgoing Republican
chairman requesting that the full transcript of the private Sept. 26, 2017
interview be publicly released.”

        The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0a0-f33&t=c>
(12/20, Blake) reports Smith wrote to Chairman Devin Nunes, “Without regard
to any decision or action the Committee may take in response to a request
by the [special counsel’s office], or any other person or agency, for a
copy of the Interview transcript, either in whole or in part, Mr. Stone
hereby demands the full and immediate release to the general public of the
Transcript, such that the American citizenry and the world are able to
evaluate for themselves.”

        Incoming House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adan Schiff (D-CA)
was asked on CNN’s Situation Room
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0a1-732&t=c>
(12/20) if he believes Stone lied to the committee. Schiff said, “I’ve said
for quite some time now there are a number of witnesses, Mr. Stone among
them, where I’ve had deep concerns about whether they testified truthfully
before our committee, and it’s one of the reasons why I thought we ought to
provide all of the transcripts to the special counsel so that the special
counsel can assess with the benefit of the information that he has who may
have told the truth and who may have lied to our committee. Those
transcripts I think may be useful to the special counsel in terms of what
evidence they show on the issues that he’s investigating.”

        *Gerson: Trump’s Actions Are Impeachable. *Michael Gerson writes in
the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0a2-670&t=c>
(12/20) that the problem for President Trump is that “when all this
evidence is stitched together in a narrative — as Mueller’s report will
certainly do — the sum will be greater than the sleaze of its parts.
Russian intelligence officials invested in an innovative strategy to
support the election of a corrupt U.S. businessman with suspicious ties to
Russian oligarchs. The candidate and his campaign welcomed that
intervention in public and private. And the whole scheme seems to have paid
off for both sides.” The country, Gerson adds, “seems to have gone from
zero to banana republic in no seconds flat. But whether this transformation
has been illegal, it must be impeachable — or else impeachment has no
meaning.”

        *Dorsen Argues Against Plea Bargain From Trump. *In an op-ed for
the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0a3-41e&t=c>
(12/20), David M. Dorsen, who served as assistant chief counsel of the
Senate Watergate Committee and as an assistant US attorney in the Southern
District of New York, cites the resignation of former Vice President Spiro
T. Agnew “pursuant to a plea bargain,” and notes that commentators “have
cited this outcome as a possible precedent for the removal of President
Trump.” However, Dorsen argues that “such a deal would be both
unconstitutional and destructive of our system of government.” Trump “was
elected president of the United States in conformity with the Constitution.
The Constitution provides one method and one method only for removing the
president, namely by impeachment by a majority of the House of
Representatives and conviction by two-thirds of the Senate.”

        *Analyst Sees Partisanship In Polls On Russia Probe. *The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0a4-34f&t=c>
(12/20, Manchester) reports public opinion analyst Karlyn Bowman said
Thursday that “partisanship is strikingly noticeable in most polls about
the federal probe into Russian election meddling.” Referring to “a new
American Barometer survey, conducted by Hill. TV and the HarrisX polling
company, which found that 57 percent of Americans said special counsel
Robert Mueller should pursue criminal activity in the Russia
investigation,” Bowman said, “The partisanship on these questions, not only
in your poll but in many others is extraordinary. ... It’s there and you
can see Trump’s base in the other side of that question overall, but
Democrats and Republicans do have different views of the question overall.”

        *Treasury Officials Had Back Channel Email Communications With
Russians During 2016 Campaign. *The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0a5-541&t=c>
(12/20, Yilek) says Buzz Feed News reported
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0a6-44c&t=c>
Thursday that Treasury Department officials “were using a secret Gmail back
channel to communicate with the Russians at the same time the Kremlin was
seeking sensitive financial information on its enemies, including several
of Hillary Clinton’s backers, during the 2016 election.” Russia’s financial
crimes agency, which “has close ties to the country’s espionage network,”
made “a request for sensitive documents on Dirk, Edward, and Daniel Ziff,
who had run afoul of the Kremlin, BuzzFeed News reported.” That request
“was made weeks before Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya met with
members of Trump’s campaign at Trump Tower, where she offered ‘dirt on
Clinton, including her links to the Ziff brothers.”’
WPost Analysis: Trump In A “Tailspin,” Acting “Totally Irrationally” Over
Media Criticisms.

A Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0a7-1aa&t=c>
(12/20, Rucker, Costa, Dawsey) analysis says the President “single-handedly
propelled the US government into crisis and sent markets tumbling with his
gambits this week to salvage signature campaign promises.” The Post sees “a
fracturing of Trump’s coalition” as “hawks condemned his sudden decision to
withdraw US troops from Syria” and conservatives “called him a ‘gutless
president’” who may never “build a wall.” The Post cites “interviews with
27 current and former White House officials, Republican lawmakers, and
outside advisers to the president” who say the President “has been isolated
in bunker mode in recent weeks as political and personal crises mount.” A
“Republican close to the White House” said in the Oval Office Thursday,
Trump was in “a tailspin,” acting “totally irrationally” and “flipping out”
over media criticisms.
Market Rout Continues As Dow Tumbles 464 Points To 22,859, S&P Falls 40.

On CBS Evening News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0a8-0eb&t=c>
(12/20, story 9, 0:20, Glor), Jeff Glor reported, “All the uncertainty in
Washington did not help things on Wall Street.” After dropping another 464
points on Thursday, the Dow “is on pace for the worst December since the
Great Depression in 1931. The S&P fell by nearly 40. The NASDAQ lost 108
points and is down 19.5 percent from its record high in August.” ABC World
News Tonight
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0a9-dc4&t=c>
(12/20, story 9, 0:20, Muir) (Muir) said the ongoing “government shutdown
showdown” prompted the uncertainty on a “brutal” day for markets. Muir;
“For the month now, the Dow is down more than 10 percent, on track to be
the worst month in nearly a decade.” Ann Thompson said on NBC Nightly
News[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0aa-6ff&t=c>
(12/20, story 5, 1:05, Holt), “On the heels of the Federal Reserve raising
its benchmark interest rate, the Dow...losing an astonishing 1700 points
since Friday. The tech heavy NASDAQ flirting with bare market territory,
finishing just shy of a 20 percent drop from its August peak. ... And fears
of an economic slowdown giving investors a bad case of the jitters they
can’t shake.”

        The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0ab-2d6&t=c>
(12/20, Menton) reports the Nasdaq is edging toward a bear market amid
negativity after the Fed raised interest rates, an announcement that
spooked investors away from technology assets. Even normally-robust tech
stocks Netflix, Apple, and Amazon suffered from the market pressure and all
declined about 2 percent Thursday. US-China trade tensions and slackening
revenue growth have fueled the market selloffs, particularly among these
and other tech stocks. Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0ac-eb9&t=c>
(12/20, Joyner) says, “The Nasdaq ended down 19.5 percent from its closing
high, just shy of confirming a bear market.” The Fed’s announcement that it
would “largely adhere to its plan for more rate hikes over the next two
years and keep its balance sheet reduction plan on ‘autopilot’ spooked
investors already worried about slowing economic growth.”

        The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0ad-1ac&t=c>
(12/20, Jay) reports, “The steady gains of this spring and summer now fell
like a distant memory.” Investors, who “worry that global economic growth
is cooling off and that the US could slip into a recession” in the coming
years, “have responded to a weakening outlook...by selling stocks and
buying ultra-safe US government bonds.” Such bond-buying can send
“long-term bond yields lower, which reduces interest rates on mortgages and
other kinds of long-term loans.” While this is “generally good for the
economy,” reduced “bond yields can send a negative signal on the economy.
Sharp drops in long-term bond yields are often seen as precursors to
recessions.”

        The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0ae-8e0&t=c>
(12/20, Heath) reports, “Stocks steered lower in the late morning when news
came out” that President Trump “would not commit to signing legislation to
avoid a partial government shutdown – unless he receives more funding for
border security,” which White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said,
“includes steel slats or a wall.”

        *WPost Analysis: As Stocks Slide, Trump Is Losing His Favored
Talking Point. *A Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0af-df2&t=c>
(12/20, Long, Dawsey, Heath) analysis says President Trump, who “has kept
an almost obsessive watch on the stock market as it has lurched lower” in
the past month, “has complained to aides about how unfair it is that he is
blamed for the market’s slide and for growing unease about an economic
slowdown in the months to come.” With lower market results, Trump
increasingly “worries that he is losing his most potent argument for
reelection.” The President “has pointed to market gains as proof that his
economic policies are working and that the country is thriving under his
leadership. Now a favored talking point is crumbling.”
Trump To Sign Justice Reform Bill Tomorrow After House Passes It 358-36.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0b0-d2d&t=c>
(12/20, Freking) reports the House yesterday “passed a wide-ranging
criminal justice bill on Thursday that will reduce some of the harshest
sentences for federal drug offenders and boost prison rehabilitation
programs, handing President Donald Trump a legislative victory amid the
turmoil over how to avoid a partial government shutdown.” The House “passed
the bill 358-36 on Thursday, sending it to Trump for his signature.” The AP
adds “passage of the legislation is an achievement for Trump, who joined
supporters in pushing for a Senate vote when the effort appeared to have
stalled.” It is “also a win for his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who
championed the legislation and became a key go-between as lawmakers and
advocacy groups negotiated a compromise.”

        The President took to Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0b1-44b&t=c>
shortly after the vote to write, “Congress just passed the Criminal Justice
Reform Bill known as the #FirstStepAct. Congratulations! This is a great
bi-partisan achievement for everybody. When both parties work together we
can keep our Country safer. A wonderful thing for the U.S.A.!!” The Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0b2-dcf&t=c>
(12/20, Rucker) reports “White House officials have been planning for a
signing ceremony Friday before Trump departs for Florida for the holidays.”
The Post adds “plans call for him to invite Democrats as well as
Republicans, hoping for a rare bipartisan celebration of a new law, aides
said.”

        Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0b3-8e6&t=c>
(12/20, Caygle) calls the “overhaul...a huge victory for a Congress that
has struggled to pass major bipartisan bills in Trump’s first two years,”
and CQ Roll Call
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0b4-1ce&t=c>
(12/20, Tully-Mcmanus) says “the measure united a strange group of
bedfellows, including Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Charles E. Grassley,
R-Iowa, in the Senate, Jared Kushner at the White House and Reps. Robert W.
Goodlatte, R-Va., and Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., in the House.”

        The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0b5-555&t=c>
(12/20, Brufke) reports “Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), who sponsored the bill
in the House, praised the bipartisan work on the legislation and the White
House’s involvement in the process.” Collins also wrote, “Jared Kushner
never lost sight of those faces. His courage to take the political path
less traveled has been instrumental in delivering us here today.” The New
York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0b6-6f9&t=c>
(12/20, Schwab), New York Daily News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0b7-3f6&t=c>
(12/20, Sommerfeldt), TIME
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0b8-064&t=c>
(12/20, Martinez) and NBC News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0b9-942&t=c>
(12/20, Moe, Smith), among other news outlets, run similar reports.

        *WSJournal: Trump Succeeded Where Obama Failed. *In an editorial,
the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0ba-150&t=c>
(12/20) casts the bill’s passage as a major accomplishment for the
President, and points out that former President Barack Obama attempted –
and failed – to enact similar legislation during his tenure.
Trump Signs Farm Bill Into Law.

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0bb-9e1&t=c>
(12/20, Stein) reports the President on Thursday signed into law “an
$867-billion farm bill that provides billions in aid to US farmers while
rejecting deep cuts to the federal food stamp programs sought by some House
Republicans.” The Administration announced earlier in the day that “it
would unilaterally seek stricter work requirement rules for food stamp
beneficiaries — changes that House Republicans wanted in the farm bill that
were rejected by congressional lawmakers.” The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0bc-4ef&t=c>
(12/20, Stein) runs the Post story.

        *Trump Posts Video Of Him Singing “Green Acres” Theme At 2005
Emmys. *The New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0bd-622&t=c>
(12/20, Fredericks) reports Trump celebrated the signing “by tweeting
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0be-7b3&t=c>
out a video from the 2005 Emmys showing him in overalls, a straw hat and
holding a pitchfork while singing the theme song to the TV sitcom ‘Green
Acres’ with ‘Will & Grace’ actress Megan Mullally.” The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0bf-7e8&t=c>
(12/20, Morton) says Trump “gets big laughs from the Emmy audience with his
off-key singing, while Ms. Mullally imitates the gassy voice of Eva Gabor
in the original but changes a reference about the great things in Manhattan
to include ‘Trump Towers.’” When Trump entered the Farm Bill signing
ceremony, he said, “Please that was from the Emmys. I sang ‘Green Acres’
and received a very nice award that day. That was really great. We had that
— somebody had that — I said, ‘Put it on.’ Not too much.” USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0c0-988&t=c>
(12/20, Henderson) reports Mullally “responded to the unearthed archive by
first tweeting
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0c1-04a&t=c>
a simple ‘omg.’” Then, she added
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0c2-cf9&t=c>,
“if you guys need me, i’ll be in a hole in the ground.”

        The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0c3-22e&t=c>
(12/20, Rogers) says the video may have been “the president’s way of
bringing some awkward levity to a day that will be remembered for a
high-profile cabinet departure and a looming government shutdown,” but “it
was most likely meant to boost the president as he celebrated the passage
of a sweeping, $867 billion farm bill — a result of rare bipartisan
compromise that critics say his administration is already seeking to
undermine by using regulatory power to restrict access to food stamps.”
Central American Asylum Seekers Will Now Wait In Mexico As Applications Are
Processed.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0c4-ad7&t=c>
(12/20, Long, Stevenson) reports that “people seeking asylum at the US
border with Mexico will no longer be released in the United States and will
instead be forced to wait in Mexico under a policy announced Thursday that
marks one of the most significant moves by” the Trump Administration “to
reshape the immigration system.” According to the AP, “The measure is an
aggressive response to a large and growing number of Central American
asylum seekers...who are typically released in the United States,” and
“does not apply to children traveling alone or to Mexican asylum seekers.”
The AP points out that while the US and Mexican governments “called it a
unilateral move by the Trump administration...the announcement came two
days after the US pledged $10.6 billion in aid for Central America and
southern Mexico to make people feel less compelled to leave.”

        The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0c5-0e7&t=c>
(12/20, O'Toole) reports “US asylum proceedings frequently take months and
sometimes years to complete,” and “the new policy would be a major change
for Mexico, which traditionally has refused to accept the return of
migrants who aren’t Mexican.” Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0c6-058&t=c>
(12/20, Torbati, Esposito) indicates “many will see” Mexico’s reversal “as
an early concession to US President Donald Trump’s administration by
Mexico’s new president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador,” and the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0c7-936&t=c>
(12/20, Ahmed, Tackett) says the Administration “has been trying for months
to get Mexico’s leaders to agree to house those migrants.” DHS Secretary
Nielsen “said the move would prevent people from using the asylum process
as a way of slipping into the United States and remaining in the country
illegally.” Nielsen is quoted as saying, “Aliens trying to game the system
to get into our country illegally will no longer be able to disappear into
the United States, where many skip their court dates.”

        The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0c8-038&t=c>
(12/20, Sieff) reports that Nielsen “outlined the plan during an oversight
hearing with members of the House Judiciary committee, telling lawmakers
the administration is preparing to implement the measures in coming days.”
The Post says “the policy is likely to face legal challenges,” but
“nonetheless...amounts to a significant diplomatic win for the
administration, which has engaged in sensitive talks for months to cajole
Mexico to become an immigration antechamber for U.S. asylum seekers from
Central America.” The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0c9-647&t=c>
(12/20, Dinan), CQ Roll Call
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0ca-226&t=c>
(12/20, Dechiaro), the Washington Free Beacon
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0cb-e6a&t=c>
(12/20, Rutz), Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0cc-b0b&t=c>
(12/20, Hesson), the New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0cd-067&t=c>
(12/20, Fredericks), and the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0ce-922&t=c>
(12/20, Jamerson, Montes), among other news outlets, also report the story.
Cancer Research
Cleveland Clinic Stem Cell Biologist Speaks About Sex Differences In
Glioblastoma.

Cleveland Clinic Consult QD
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0cf-f96&t=c>
(12/20) reports Justin Lathia, PhD, a stem cell biologist at the Cleveland
Clinic, spoke at the Society of NeuroOncology’s annual meeting last month
on sex differences in glioblastoma. Lathia explained how some of those
differences may explain why women fare better than men “in terms of GBM
incidence and prognosis,” and that the differences might aid the
development of future treatments.
Excess Body Weight Is Responsible For About Four Percent Of All Cancer
Cases Worldwide, Data Indicate.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0d0-3bb&t=c>
(12/20, Rapaport) reports that research indicated “excess body weight is
responsible for about 4 percent of all cancer cases worldwide and an even
larger proportion of malignancies diagnosed in developing countries.” The
findings
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0d1-5ce&t=c>
were published online in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
Editorials/Op-Eds
New York Times.

*“Albany: Put New York’s Needs Before Your Own.”* A New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0d2-489&t=c>
(12/20) editorial assails New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie for
complaining about the size of lawmakers’ recent pay raise and the ethics
reforms that were passed along with it. The Times says Heastie “would serve
New Yorkers better if he put aside such pettiness and showed that the
Assembly will be serious about enacting measures that can transform Albany
from a punch line into a model of good government.”

        *“Jim Mattis Was Right.” *In an editorial, the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0d3-94d&t=c>
(12/20) writes that President’s decision to withdraw US forces from Syria
“appears to have been the final straw for [Defense Secretary] Mattis, who
has walked a tightrope for the past two years between his training and his
conscience, and the whims of his president.” The Times adds that “sending
conflicting orders to soldiers on the battlefield, as Mr. Trump and his
administration are doing, not only hampers morale and undermines allied
forces like the Syrian Kurds, it could also risk getting American soldiers
killed or wounded for objectives their commanders had already abandoned.”
Washington Post.

*“Does The Global Fight Against Climate Change Stand A Chance Without The
US?”* The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0d4-d8c&t=c>
(12/20) editorializes that the “big question” ahead of last week’s UN
climate talks was would “the decades-long effort to unite the globe in
fighting climate change fall apart” without the US. The Post says the
“result was better than pessimists expected — but also underscored how much
will be lost if the United States steps further away from the global
agreement.” It argues that “the events in Poland provide more evidence that
the United States should stay in, keep a place at the table and act
constructively.”

        *“Facebook Needs To Do More Than Come Clean And Apologize.” *A
Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0d5-348&t=c>
(12/20) editorial argues that for Facebook to regain trust after sharing
user data with other firms, “it must do more than come clean and
apologize.” The Post says Facebook should “endorse a federal privacy law –
a real one. ... It requires accepting and supporting a future in which
users really control their own data.”

        *“Don’t Try This Again, Democrats.” *In an editorial, the Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0d6-3e1&t=c>
(12/20) says New Jersey Democrats, amid “outrage from the left and the
right,” have “pulled a noxious gerrymandering bill from
consideration...killing the measure for now.” The Post argues that “as long
as elected lawmakers see opportunities for political advantage in
legislative line-drawing, it will be hard to restrain them from pursuing
those opportunities,” which is “a point that should encourage Congress to
restrict gerrymandering in maps for federal elections.”

*Copyright 2018 by Bulletin Intelligence LLC* Reproduction or
redistribution without permission prohibited. Content is drawn from
thousands of newspapers, national magazines, national and local television
programs, radio broadcasts, social-media platforms and additional forms of
open-source data. Sources for Bulletin Intelligence audience-size estimates
include Scarborough, GfK MRI, comScore, Nielsen, and the Audit Bureau of
Circulation. Data from and access to third party social media platforms,
including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others, is
subject to the respective platform’s terms of use. Services that include
Factiva content are governed by Factiva’s terms of use
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0d7-9dd&t=c>.
Services including embedded Tweets are also subject to Twitter for
Website's information and privacy policies
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018122101biden&r=email-8d77&l=0d8-039&t=c>.
The Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing is published five
days a week by Bulletin Intelligence, which creates custom briefings for
government and corporate leaders. We can be found on the Web at
BulletinIntelligence.com, or called at (703) 483-6100