Subject: FW: Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for Tuesday, January 29, 2019
From: "Kathy Chung" <[email-masked]>
To: "Ashley Blazer Biden" <[email-masked]>, "Hunter Biden" <[email-masked]>, "Jill Tracy Biden" <[email-masked]>, "Jimmy Biden" <[email-masked]>, "Valerie Biden Owens" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2019 12:14:06 -0500

Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing

*From:* Bulletin Intelligence <[email-masked]>
*Sent:* Tuesday, January 29, 2019 8:01 AM
*To:* [email-masked]
*Subject:* Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for
Tuesday, January 29, 2019

*Click to access
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=000-617&t=c>
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[image: Image removed by sender. Office of Vice President Biden
Intelligence Briefing]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=001-b1e&t=c>

*To: Vice President Joe Biden*

*Tuesday, January 29, 2019 8:00 AM EST*
Today's Table of Contents

*Biden in the News* <#SECTION_1>

• WPost/ABC News Poll Shows Trump Vulnerable In 2020, No Clear Democratic
Frontrunner. <#S1>

• Visiting Florida, Biden Says He’ll “Soon” Decide On Whether To Run For
President. <#S2>

• Rothenberg “Skeptical” Of Biden’s Odds Of Winning Democratic Nomination.
<#S3>

• Biden To Speak At Launch Of New University Of Nebraska-Omaha Forum Feb 28.
<#S4>

• Biden Emphasizes Importance Of Testing All Rape Kits. <#S5>

• Harris Embraces Liberal Stances During CNN-Hosted Town Hall In Iowa. <#S6>

• Gillibrand Hires Pair Of Senior Staff Members For Iowa Campaign. <#S7>

• Trump Says Schultz “Doesn’t Have The ‘Guts’” To Seek Presidency. <#S8>

*Leading the News* <#SECTION_2>

• Media Analyses: Administration Increases Pressure On Maduro With New Oil
Sanctions. <#S9>

*Foreign Policy* <#SECTION_3>

• US, Taliban Negotiators Reach “Agreements In Principle” For Possible
Peace Deal. <#S10>

• US Preparing “Economic Package” To Entice Kim Toward Denuclearization.
<#S11>

• Administration Announces New Round Of Trade Negotiations With China.
<#S12>

• Media Analyses: Justice Department Charges Huawei With Fraud. <#S13>

• Administration Warns Europe About Seeking To Avoid US Sanctions On Iran.
<#S14>

• NYTimes Analysis: ISIS Bombing Raises New Concerns About Group’s Reach
Into Asia. <#S15>

• May Challenges Parliament For Control Over Brexit Process. <#S16>

*Domestic Policy* <#SECTION_4>

• Whitaker Says Mueller Probe “Close To Being Completed.” <#S17>

• White House Declines To Comment On Possibility Of Stone Pardon. <#S18>

• Media Analyses: Deal Between Trump And Congress Allowing For Border Wall
Unlikely. <#S19>

• Kudlow Downplays CBO Report Saying Shutdown Cost Economy $3 Billion.
<#S20>

• CBO Says Reduced Emergency Relief Delays $1 Trillion Deficit To 2022.
<#S21>

• Trump To Deliver State Of The Union On February 5. <#S22>

• Trump Defends Tariffs, Says They Have “Saved” Steel Industry. <#S23>

*Cancer Research* <#SECTION_5>

• HPV Vaccination Rates For Young Adolescents Still Too Low, Researchers
Say. <#S24>

• Regular Use Of Common NSAIDs May Prolong OS In Patients With Head And
Neck Cancers With Alterations In PIK3CA Gene, Study Indicates. <#S25>

*Editorials/Op-Eds* <#SECTION_6>

• New York Times. <#S26>

• Washington Post. <#S27>
Biden in the News
WPost/ABC News Poll Shows Trump Vulnerable In 2020, No Clear Democratic
Frontrunner.

In an online article, ABC News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=002-674&t=c>
(1/29, Sinozich) reports, “A third of Republicans and GOP-leaning
independents oppose President Donald Trump for the party’s nomination to a
second term and 56 percent of all adults said they wouldn’t consider voting
for him,” according to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=003-0ac&t=c>.
However, “a potentially crowded Democratic field shows no sign of a clear
front-runner” in the same “poll, and there’s deep division on priorities
for the election season ranging from the relative importance of
electability to key issues. In short, with 21 months to go, 2020 is
anyone’s game.”

        The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=004-5e8&t=c>
(1/28, Scherer, Clement) reports, “When asked whom they would support today
for the Democratic presidential nomination, 56 percent of self-identified
Democrats or Democratic-leaning independents did not offer a name. No
candidate received double-digit support, with former vice president Joe
Biden and Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) leading the pack,” with 9% and
8%, respectively. The Post adds, “The lack of commitment on the Democratic
side comes as Trump appears vulnerable to defeat in a 2020 general
election, and perhaps even to a challenge from within the” GOP. In the
poll, 56% of those surveyed said “they would ‘definitely not vote for him’
should Trump become the Republican nominee.”
Visiting Florida, Biden Says He’ll “Soon” Decide On Whether To Run For
President.

The Palm Beach (FL) Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=005-e1c&t=c>
(1/28, Fins) reports that during a Monday appearance in Fort Lauderdale,
Florida, former Vice President Joe Biden “kept speculation of a 2020 run
against President Donald Trump simmering.” In response to an audience
member who urged Biden to enter the race, Biden “said he is close to
deciding on whether he will seek the nation’s highest office.” Said Biden,
“The answer is that I’m running all the traps on this. I don’t want this to
be a fool’s errand. We’re a lot closer than we were before Christmas and
we’ll make a decision soon.” Biden “added: ‘This is a battle for the soul
of America...it’s time to get moving.”

        The South Florida Sun Sentinel
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=006-7a4&t=c>
(1/28, Man) reports that Biden, who was in Fort Lauderdale to promote his
memoir, “Promise Me, Dad,” bemoaned “the rise of ‘hate and prejudice’
exemplified in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017 where white supremacists
carried torches in the streets. He decried ‘the highest leaders in the
nation’ – referring to Trump – saying there were good people on both
sides.” Biden soon “looped back to whether he’d run: ‘I’m making a decision
now whether or not I’m the right person. Because it’s important, it’s
critically important that we change the atmosphere,’ he said.”

        In an online article, WSVN-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=007-501&t=c>
Miami-Dade, FL (1/28, Linsalata) reported that the press wasn’t permitted
“to record audio of the event, but guests said” Biden “most definitely
discussed a potential 2020 run. ‘Possibly. He’s saying his family wants him
to, so that’s a good thing,’ said audience member Ed Murphy. ‘If family is
behind him, pushing him, he usually goes that way.’” WSVN-TV[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=008-3ed&t=c>
Miami-Dade (FL)'s News at 10PM (1/28) also broadcast a similar report on
Biden’s visit, including comments from some audience members who attended
the event. In an online article, CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=009-74f&t=c>
(1/28, Saenz) reported, “For now, Biden appears to be keeping even his
family guessing about whether he’ll make a third run for the White House.”
During Monday’s event, Biden said “his daughter Ashley was in attendance,
telling the crowd, ‘First thing, she walked in, and she said, ‘Dad, are we
running?’”

        Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=00a-5b0&t=c>
(1/28, Caputo) reported that Monday’s “event...had all the rhetorical
trappings of a campaign speech for a Democratic candidate. He made sure to
play up his civil rights bona fides, recounting stories of how he opposed
segregation as a kid and then a lawmaker. He referenced in passing how he
almost always ‘voted with labor’ unions. He paid homage to how women in the
US Senate get along better with each other than the men. And he played up
how he was the first in the Obama administration to openly push for gay
marriage.” Biden also emphasized “bipartisanship, a rarity in Washington as
much as it is during a presidential primary.” Offering brief broadcasts
this morning on Biden’s visit are WPTV-TV[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=00b-64e&t=c>
West Palm Beach, FL (1/29), WPEC-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=00c-075&t=c>
West Palm Beach (FL)'s News This Morning at 5:30AM (1/29), and WWSB-TV[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=00d-568&t=c>
Sarasota, FL (1/29).

        *Writer Criticizes Male Democrats For Talking Up Possible 2020
Bids, But Not Announcing Bids. *Writing for Jezebel
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=00e-b1a&t=c>
(1/28), Clio Chang said, “The only thing more insufferable than watching
some of the worst men in America run for president is hearing them talk
incessantly about how they just might run for president, inflating both
their names and egos, all without actually running for president just yet.”
As examples, Chang cited Ex-Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, ex-Gov. John
Hickenlooper (D-CA), and Biden, the latter of whom Chang said “has been
calling supporters to say that if they think anyone else is a better
candidate to beat Trump he won’t run, but that he just so happens to think
that he is the best candidate to beat Trump. ‘I’m the most qualified person
in the country to be president,’ Biden told CNN while also very noticeably
not announcing that he is running for president. We get it, just run for
president already. Or even better yet, don’t.”
Rothenberg “Skeptical” Of Biden’s Odds Of Winning Democratic Nomination.

Writing for CQ Roll Call
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=00f-d89&t=c>
(1/29), political analyst Stuart Rothenberg asks that with a raft of
Democrats running for president in 2020, “what qualities and
characteristics are Democratic primary voters and caucus attendees likely
to value?” Rothenberg says, “I expect there will be a new ‘Bernie Sanders’
this cycle, but it’s unlikely to be Bernie Sanders. I’m even skeptical
about Joe Biden’s chances, even though he starts at or near the top in most
polls, and even though I believe he would have won the White House had he
been the 2016 Democratic nominee. Selecting Biden as the party’s nominee
may seem too much like going backward instead of marching into the future
to Democratic voters. Must the ticket include a woman? An
African-American?” Rothenberg adds that “female and minority voters will
have such a large role in selecting a presidential nominee that they may
well prefer to nominate someone who looks like them.”
Biden To Speak At Launch Of New University Of Nebraska-Omaha Forum Feb 28.

In an online article, WOWT-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=010-f4d&t=c>
Omaha, NE (1/28) reported that former Vice President Joe Biden will visit
Omaha, Nebraska, “next month as part of UNO’s launch of the Chuck Hagel
Forum in Global Leadership. Hagel, a former Defense Secretary and US
Senator, will join Biden for the inaugural forum on February 28th. It’s
scheduled from 3:30 P.M. to 5 P.M. at UNO’s Strauss Performing Arts
Center.” WOWT-TV added, “The theme of the inaugural forum is ‘The Role of
US Leadership in a Changing World.’ Biden will deliver opening remarks,
then participate in a moderated discussion with Sec. Hagel, including
questions from the audience.”
Biden Emphasizes Importance Of Testing All Rape Kits.

The Huffington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=011-e88&t=c>
(1/28, Vagianos) reported that former Vice President Joe Biden “understands
the importance of testing every single rape kit around the country.”
HuffPost quoted Biden as writing in a Saturday tweet, “An untested rape kit
means a survivor without justice. I wrote the first rape kit backlog law
because every survivor deserves closure, and because evidence shows testing
kits can identify men who have committed multiple rapes – and might again.
Test every kit. Every single one.” HuffPost added that Biden, “who was
widely criticized for how he handled professor Anita Hill’s accusations of
sexual harassment against then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas in
1991, has long advocated for women’s rights. He drafted the Violence
Against Women Act of 1994 and launched the anti-sexual violence
organization It’s On Us with President Barack Obama in 2014.”
Harris Embraces Liberal Stances During CNN-Hosted Town Hall In Iowa.

In an online article, CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=012-576&t=c>
(1/29, Luhby, Krieg) reported that during a Monday town hall event hosted
by CNN in Des Moines, Iowa, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) “fully embraced
‘Medicare-for-all’ single payer health insurance...and said she’s willing
to end private insurance to make it happen. ‘We need to have
Medicare-for-all,’ Harris told a questioner in the audience.” Asked “by
CNN’s Jake Tapper if that means eliminating private insurance,” Harris
“answered affirmatively, saying she would be OK with cutting insurers out
of the mix. She also accused them of thinking only of their bottom lines
and of burdening Americans with paperwork and approval processes.”

        Under the headline “Kamala Harris Stakes Out Left-Leaning Policy
Positions In First Iowa Visit As A 2020 Candidate,” the Des Moines (IA)
Register
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=013-d47&t=c>
(1/28, Pfannenstiel, Rodriguez) reports that during the town hall, Harris
“introduced herself to Iowa Democrats Monday night by backing a ‘Green New
Deal,’ Medicare for All and a ban on automatic assault weapons.” Bloomberg
News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=014-530&t=c>
(1/29, McCormick) reports that Harris on Monday “whipped through Iowa,
skipping more conventional interactions with voters for a nationally
broadcast town hall that included questions from Iowans. That contrasts
with the approach of other declared Democratic candidates, including” Sen.
Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), “who held roughly half a dozen events over three
days during her first visit after announcing a likely presidential bid.”

        *CNN National Political Reporter Reston Gushes Over Harris’
Appearance. *In an online analysis for CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=015-f17&t=c>
(1/29), Maeve Reston gushes over Harris appearance, saying “she showed
exactly why she is viewed as such a formidable contender.” Reston says
Harris “demonstrated an easy command of the policies that are most
important to Democratic progressives in early states like Iowa. She was
warm, witty and quick to laugh at the jokes audience members made at
President Donald Trump’s expense. ... Perhaps most important, as Democrats
weigh their options in the 2020 field, she made a succinct case for why she
believes she would be the strongest candidate to take on Trump and not get
‘caught up in his crazy,’ as one questioner put it.”

        *NYTimes: Harris “Well Positioned” To Win Support Of African
Americans Who Backed Obama. *The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=016-087&t=c>
(1/29, Herndon, Chira) reports that as Harris seeks the White House, “one
of her political tests will be trying to secure the overwhelming support
from black voters that buoyed [President] Obama in 2008.” Harris “is well
positioned” to win that support, as she’s “the most high-profile and
politically connected black woman ever to run for president, and she can
also draw on her powerful alumni networks from Howard University.” However,
“interviews with more than 30 black voters and political leaders in early
primary states like South Carolina and her home state, California, show
that Ms. Harris faces challenges. She will have to persuade black activists
skeptical of her record as a prosecutor; overcome sexism and a bias on the
part of some voters that a female candidate cannot beat President Trump;
and work to gain broader support from black men, who generally expressed
more wariness about Ms. Harris in interviews than black women.”

        *Rep. Lieu First Congressional Member To Back Harris Bid. *The
Huffington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=017-d72&t=c>
(1/28, Reilly) reported that Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) on Monday endorsed
Harris’ White House bid, “making him the first member of Congress to back
her 2020 campaign.” The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=018-069&t=c>
(1/28, Samuels) reported that Lieu, “among the most outspoken critics of
President Trump, backed his home state senator over a steadily growing
field of other Democratic candidates.”

        *Former Two-Time Delegate For Hillary Clinton Supporting Harris In
2020. *The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=019-18a&t=c>
(1/28, Birnbaum) reported, “A former two-time delegate for Hillary Clinton
says he will” support Harris’ “presidential bid in 2020. Roger Salazar on
Monday pledged his support for Harris in response to an article about
Clinton advisers floating a third potential run in 2020 for the former
Democratic presidential nominee. ‘No,’ Salazar tweeted. ‘I was a strong
supporter of Hillary Clinton and was a DNCC delegate for her twice. For
2020, I’m supporting @KamalaHarris for President. #ForThePeople.’”

        *Harris Makes Key Campaign Hires In Iowa. *The Des Moines (IA)
Register
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=01a-a20&t=c>
(1/28, Pfannenstiel) reports that Harris “has tapped Deidre DeJear to be
her campaign chair in Iowa and Will Dubbs as her Iowa state director.”
DeJear, who unsuccessfully challenged Secretary of State Paul Pate (R-IA)
last year, “was the first African-American candidate to be nominated by a
major political party for statewide office in Iowa.” Dubbs, “an alumnus of
Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, served as the campaign’s
regional organizing director for western Iowa and went on to serve as the
organizing director for Clinton’s efforts in Nebraska and New York. During
that year’s general election, Dubbs served as the organizing director for
the North Carolina Democratic Party. In 2018, he was the Pennsylvania
Democratic Party’s coordinated campaign director.”

        *Scarborough, Political Analysts Laud Harris’ Campaign Kickoff. *In
his Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=01b-5a3&t=c>
(1/28, Scarborough) column, MSNBC “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough
praises Harris over the launch of her presidential campaign, saying that
during her kickoff rally on Sunday in Oakland she “managed something in her
first campaign speech that the last Democratic nominee failed to do
throughout the whole of the 2016 campaign. She gave Americans a compelling
explanation as to why she wanted to be president. Her message – ‘we are
better than this’ – was delivered with the fierce urgency of now.”
Scarborough adds that with Harris and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in the
2020 race, “Democratic primary voters may at last have reason to believe
that their eventual nominee can take on [President] Trump, win back the
White House for Democrats, and bring a sense of stability and sanity back
to Washington for all Americans.”

        CNN senior White House correspondent Jeff Zeleny said on CNN’s The
Lead
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=01c-6a9&t=c>
(1/28) that Harris “has had a strong rollout over the last seven days or
so. The most serious candidate getting in. By that, I mean really well
thought out argument for why she should be running.”

        Fox News politics editor Chris Stirewalt said on Fox News’ Special
Report
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=01d-52e&t=c>
(1/28), “[Harris] stuck the landing and particularly given the fact that
she slow-rolled it. She announced an announcement of an announcement of an
announcement and I thought that she had probably used up a lot of the
oxygen. But as other people have observed, that was Obama-esque to get a
crowd of that much size of that much energy. By the way, a huge selling
point for her is going to have to be ‘I can go crowd for crowd with Donald
Trump. If Donald Trump does his rallies, I can do it, too – I can generate
that kind of energy.’”

        Katie Pavlich of Townhall.com said on Fox News’ Special Report[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=01e-00d&t=c>
(1/28), “When you listen to what she did say, I think Democrats have to be
very careful – not just Kamala Harris – about having a deplorable moment
like Hillary Clinton did. She talked about this is not who we are and that
is a very fine line to walk, and it comes to trying to get not primary
voters, but eventually to run against Donald Trump, whose fans are not just
Republicans. He has a lot of independent voters, a lot of working-class
people who voted for him in 2016 against Hillary Clinton. So, if she’s
going to try and court those voters – to get back in places like Michigan,
Ohio, Wisconsin – she can’t accuse them of racism or not being on the same
moral page as the Democrats are right now.”
Gillibrand Hires Pair Of Senior Staff Members For Iowa Campaign.

The Des Moines (IA) Register
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=01f-2b6&t=c>
(1/28, Pfannenstiel) reports that Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s (D-NY)
“presidential exploratory committee has hired two senior Iowa staffers as”
she “continues to build out a campaign infrastructure ahead of Iowa’s 2020
caucuses. Lara Henderson, who was the finance director for Fred Hubbell’s
2018 gubernatorial campaign, will serve as Gillibrand’s Iowa state
director.” Henderson also has “worked as a field organizer for President
Barack Obama” and for other campaigns in Iowa. Meanwhile, Rachel Irwin
“will serve as Gillibrand’s Iowa communications director and as an adviser
for early state communications. Irwin was the Midwest press secretary for
the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during the 2018 election
cycle.”
Trump Says Schultz “Doesn’t Have The ‘Guts’” To Seek Presidency.

In a Monday morning tweet
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=020-c8b&t=c>,
President Trump wrote, “Howard Schultz doesn’t have the ‘guts’ to run for
President! Watched him on @60Minutes last night and I agree with him that
he is not the ‘smartest person.’ Besides, America already has that! I only
hope that Starbucks is still paying me their rent in Trump Tower!” USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=021-d26&t=c>
(1/28, Jackson) reports Trump “took a swipe” at Schultz, “even as critics
fear an independent bid by the former Starbucks CEO could help Trump in his
re-election bid.” The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=022-7ec&t=c>
(1/28, Samuels) reported that Trump “taunted” Schultz, and CQ Roll Call
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=023-0d2&t=c>
(1/28, Bennett) said the President “sharply criticized” him.

        The Week
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=024-d8e&t=c>
(1/28) said Trump “couldn’t be more thrilled” with Schultz’s possible run.
CNN’s Manu Raju tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=025-983&t=c>,
“Trump clearly is daring Schultz to run, knowing he’d pull votes away from
[the Democratic nominee].” Jeff Mason of Reuters said on Fox News Special
Report
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=026-408&t=c>
(1/28), “The fact the President is tweeting about him at the end of the day
elevates him. ... If he does decide to run as an independent, that would be
helpful to President Trump.”

        *Democrats Sound Alarm Over Potential Impact Of Schultz Run. *The
emerging conventional wisdom that a Schultz bid would split anti-Trump
voters has resulted in near-universal condemnation by Democrats of the
ex-Starbucks’ chief’s potential independent bid. On ABC World News
Tonight[image:
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<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=027-db8&t=c>
(1/28, story 10, 1:55, Muir), Mary Bruce said, “Democrats warn [Schultz]
could cost them the White House. ... Former New York Mayor Michael
Bloomberg, who considered an independent run himself, insists ‘an
independent would just split the anti-Trump vote and end up re-electing the
President.’” On NBC Nightly News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=028-70e&t=c>
(1/28, story 8, 1:35, Holt), Andrea Mitchell said, “Schultz could be
brewing trouble for Democrats in 2020.” Jeff Glor reported on the CBS
Evening News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=029-20a&t=c>
(1/28, story 7, 2:15), “A political action committee that supports
Democrats promised to make Howard Schultz a target if runs.”

        The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=02a-eda&t=c>
(1/29, Johnson, Peoples) reports, “Some of the most influential forces in
Democratic politics revolted” against Schultz’s “prospective presidential
bid, insisting that an independent run would unintentionally help” Trump
win reelection. Priorities USA Executive Director Patrick McHugh said, “If
Schultz entered the race as an independent, we would consider him a target.
... We would do everything we can to ensure that his candidacy is
unsuccessful.” The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=02b-cb8&t=c>
(1/28, Kasperowicz) reported that some Democrats are even mulling a
Starbucks boycott to put pressure on Schultz. Neera Tanden of the Center
for American Progress tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=02c-a94&t=c>,
“Vanity projects that help destroy democracy are disgusting. If he enters
the race, I will start a Starbucks boycott because I’m not giving a penny
that will end up in the election coffers of a guy who will help Trump win.”

        Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=02d-40d&t=c>
(1/28, Siders) reported that veterans of the Obama Administration and past
Democratic presidential campaigns, including Jennifer Palmieri and Dan
Pfeiffer, were quick to denounce a Schultz bid; Democratic presidential
prospect Julián Castro said on CNN on Sunday “that a Schultz candidacy
‘would provide Donald Trump with his best hope of getting reelected.’ ...
Schultz, who describes himself as a lifelong Democrat, offered only a
skirting response when asked if he worried about siphoning votes from the
Democratic Party’s eventual nominee. He said on ‘60 Minutes,’ ‘I want to
see the American people win. I want to see America win.’”

        The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=02e-9d6&t=c>
(1/28, Epstein) reports that Bloomberg, who mulled independent runs in
several recent presidential elections, said in a statement, “There is no
way an independent can win. The great likelihood is that an independent
would just split the anti-Trump vote and end up re-electing the president.
That’s a risk I refused to run in 2016, and we can’t afford to run it now.”
Jeff Greenfield writes in Politico Magazine
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=02f-732&t=c>
(1/28) that Schultz “is ignoring” what Bloomberg and others “came to
understand: Under all but the most unlikely of circumstances, an
independent run is the triumph of arrogance over wisdom.” The Wall Street
Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=030-e1a&t=c>
(1/28) is skeptical of that analysis, arguing in an editorial that the
right independent could appeal to Republicans and independents who
reluctantly backed Trump in 2016.

        Eugene Robinson writes in his Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=031-bbd&t=c>
(1/28) column, “Just what we need, another ego-crazed billionaire with zero
experience in government who thinks he is destined to be president. What
could go wrong?” The Week
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=032-109&t=c>
(1/28) reports that at a Manhattan event promoting his new book, Schultz
was interrupted by a heckler, who shouted, “Don’t help elect Trump, you
egotistical, billionaire a--hole!”

        *Schultz Has Hired Experienced Staffers From Both Parties, Media. *The
AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=033-5a4&t=c>
(1/29, Johnson, Peoples) reports Schultz is “being advised by a team with
experience in both parties, including Steve Schmidt, who worked on
Republican John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, and former Obama
adviser Bill Burton,” as well as “Republican pollster Greg Strimple, GOP
strategist Brooks Kochvar, former journalist Erin McPike and Rajiv
Chandrasekaran, another former journalist who has worked closely with
Schultz since 2015.” CBS News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=034-295&t=c>
(1/28) reported on its website that the hires are “a sign of how
serious...Schultz is about running for president.”
Leading the News
Media Analyses: Administration Increases Pressure On Maduro With New Oil
Sanctions.

The US Treasury on Monday announced new sanctions targeting Venezuela’s
state-owned oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. or PdVSA. Media
reports cast the move as a bid by the Administration to step up pressure on
Nicolas Maduro less than a week after it recognized Juan Guaidó as the
interim president of Venezuela.

        All three networks briefly reported the move last night. NBC
Nightly News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=035-cca&t=c>
(1/28, story 6, 0:15, Holt) said “the US is turning up the pressure
on...Maduro,”ABC World News Tonight
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=036-8d9&t=c>
(1/28, story 11, 0:15, Muir) referred to “new pressure,” and the CBS
Evening News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=037-6ff&t=c>
(1/28, story 11, 0:30, Glor) said the “US could increase the pressure on
Venezuela, imposing sanctions on its state-owned oil company.”

        The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=038-a97&t=c>
(1/28, Wilkinson) says “ramping up pressure to unseat...Maduro, the Trump
administration Monday took the long-awaited step of sanctioning Venezuela’s
oil company, that country’s lifeline, and saying it will divert revenue to
the party of...Guaidó.” The Administration, however, “stopped short of an
all-out embargo,” and Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=039-901&t=c>
(1/28, Spetalnick, Holland) reports Treasury Secretary Mnuchin “said Citgo
in the United States would be able to continue to operate, provided funds
go to a blocked account.” USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=03a-042&t=c>
(1/28, Shesgreen) reports Mnuchin also said he did not expect the actions
to cause a spike in US gas prices. Said Mnuchin, “We’re dealing with
Venezuelan oil that is a rather modest part of our overall supply. I’m sure
many of our friends in the Middle East will be happy to make up the
supply.”

        The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=03b-45d&t=c>
(1/28, Siegel), however, reports that while the sanctions “stop short of a
total embargo on Venezuelan oil...energy industry experts say the impact
could be the same, because Maduro would likely not allow oil to be sold to
US refiners if he can’t use the revenues and would turn to alternative
buyers, such as Russia and China.”

        Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=03c-3fb&t=c>
(1/28, Mohsin, Epstein) says the Administration “dealt its toughest blow
yet,” and the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=03d-200&t=c>
(1/28, Karni, Wong) calls the sanctions the Administration’s “first
muscular step to force...Maduro to relinquish power.” Maduro rejected the
sanctions as “unilateral, illegal, immoral and criminal,” telling an
audience, “You will have blood on your hands, President Trump.”

        Under the headline “Trump Hits Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro In
Pocketbook,” the Miami Herald
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=03e-e56&t=c>
(1/28, Ordoñez) says the sanctions “could be seen as a win for the White
House, which has long pushed for stronger oil sanctions against resistance
from other agencies whose top officials feared a worsening of an already
perilous humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. But the White House was
bolstered by international support, which gave the Trump administration the
cover it needed to take stronger measures against Maduro.”

        To the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=03f-ebe&t=c>
(1/28, Lee, Riechmann) it is a “potentially critical economic move aimed at
increasing pressure on...Maduro to cede power.” Announcing the move at the
White House, National Security Adviser Bolton told reporters, “We have
continued to expose the corruption of Maduro and his cronies, and today’s
action ensures they can no longer loot the assets of the Venezuelan
people.” Bolton also said he expects Monday’s actions “will result in more
than $11 billion in lost export proceeds over the next year,” while
Secretary of State Pompeo “stressed that the new sanctions do not target
the people of Venezuela and will not affect humanitarian assistance.”
Townhall
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=040-741&t=c>
(1/28, Pavlich) reports Bolton and Mnuchin announced the new sanctions
“during a briefing at the White House,” and Pompeo “backed the move from
the State Department.”

        The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=041-2f9&t=c>
(1/28, Boyer) reports Bolton said the country is “in a state of collapse”
and called on the Venezuelan military to cooperate in a peaceful transfer
of power to Guaidó. The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=042-9c1&t=c>
(1/28, Fabian, Samuels) reports that when “asked about the prospect of
further measures should Maduro cling to power, including military action,”
Bolton reiterated Monday that “all options are on the table.”

        Guaidó told the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=043-34e&t=c>
(1/28, Talley, Bender, Vyas) in an interview Monday that the
Administration’s move will enable a transitional government immediately to
access roughly $500 million.

        *Bolton Carried Notepad Saying “5,000 Troops To Colombia.” *The CBS
Evening News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=044-d7b&t=c>
(1/28, story 11, 0:30, Glor) reported that during Monday’s press conference
at the White House, reporters captured images of Bolton’s notepad that read
“5,000 troops to Colombia,” which CBS noted “borders Venezuela.” Jennifer
Griffin reported for Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=045-a47&t=c>
(1/28) that White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders “said the US may
pre-position troops in Colombia to help in Venezuela, but that decision has
not been taken yet.”

        *Rubio Praises Move. *Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=046-ff9&t=c>
(1/28, Guida) reports Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) welcomed the move, saying in
a statement, “The oil belongs to the Venezuelan people, and therefore the
money PDVSA earns from its export will now be returned to the people
through their legitimate constitutional government.”

        The Miami Herald
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=047-5ca&t=c>
(1/28, Daugherty) reports that “three years ago, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul and
Lindsey Graham were fighting to stay in Donald Trump’s orbit as he pulled
away in the Republican presidential primary. Now, the three senators with
distinct foreign policy views...are able to claim varying pieces of
influence and credit for Trump’s foreign policy approach during his first
two years in office.” A “scattershot foreign policy approach from the
president,” the Herald says, “has allowed the three former rivals for the
GOP presidential nomination to gain influence,” and Trump “doesn’t appear
to hold grudges with the trio.”

        *Democrats Divided As Progressives Oppose Guaidó. *Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=048-a80&t=c>
(1/28, Mohsin, Epstein) reports veteran Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez said
the Administration “should brief Congress on its moves against Maduro,” but
praised US efforts to “support the restoration of democracy in Venezuela.”

        Under the headline “Progressives Break With Democratic Party Over
US Opposition To Socialist Dictator Nicolas Maduro,” the Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=049-7bd&t=c>
(1/28, Fordham) reports that “at least three progressive Democrats have
broken with their party” to criticize President Trump for his decision “to
oppose Venezuela’s socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro.” Democratic Reps.
Ilhan Omar, Tulsi Gabbard and Ro Khanna “excoriated” Trump for recognizing
Guaidó as the country’s leader, while other Democrats, including Senate
Minority Whip Dick Durbin, “sided with Trump on the foreign policy issue.”

        Omar tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=04a-639&t=c>
last week, “A US backed coup in Venezuela is not a solution to the dire
issues they face. Trump’s efforts to install a far right opposition will
only incite violence and further destabilize the region. We must support
Mexico, Uruguay & the Vatican’s efforts to facilitate a peaceful dialogue.”
On her Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=04b-325&t=c>
page, Gabbard wrote, “The United States needs to stay out of Venezuela. Let
the Venezuelan people determine their future. We don’t want other countries
to choose our leaders – so we have to stop trying to choose theirs.” In a
statement
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=04c-03d&t=c>,
Khanna wrote, “The United States should not anoint the leader of the
opposition in Venezuela during an internal, divided conflict. ... We should
work to support the efforts of Uruguay, Mexico and the Holy See for a
negotiated settlement and end the sanctions that are making the
hyperinflation worse.”

        Giancarlo Sopo, writing for The Federalist
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=04d-3cd&t=c>
(1/28), says “given Guaidó’s political bona fides and Maduro’s
unpopularity, you’d figure that American progressives...would be rushing to
embrace him—but they’re not. Instead...a group of progressive members of
Congress launched what appeared to be a coordinated effort to cast doubts
on the legitimacy of the young leader.” A Miami Herald
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=04e-2dd&t=c>
story late last week already surveyed these lawmakers’ views on the
Venezuelan crisis.

        A Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=04f-c5a&t=c>
(1/28) editorial is critical of Democrats – including Sen. Bernie Sanders
and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – that have come out against the
Administration’s recognition of Guaidó and have instead argued for a
negotiated settlement. The Journal urges them to come out in support for
democracy and the Venezuelan people.

        *Venezuelan Foreign Minister: US In Negotiations With Maduro’s
Government. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=050-7b3&t=c>
(1/28, Smith) reports the US “envoy in Caracas has been meeting with
officials of President Nicolas Maduro’s government to try to ease
heightened tensions,” according to Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge
Arreaza, who “appeared on state TV.”

        *AP Analysis: US Policy Could Cause Venezuelans Economic Hardship. *An
AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=051-2ee&t=c>
(1/28, Goodman, Smith) analysis says the recognition of Guaidó “as
Venezuela’s interim president is being touted by the Trump administration
as the only way to restore the country’s democracy,” but some in Venezuela
are “bracing for things to get a lot worse, not better.” According to the
AP, “economists agree that the longer the standoff between the US-backed
Guaidó and Maduro drags on, the more regular Venezuelans are likely to
suffer.” Under US policy, it will be “very hard for Maduro to access
Venezuela’s overseas assets and earnings, including those from
Houston-based Citgo.” The AP says that policy, if adopted by the EU, “could
bring oil production to a standstill, heaping more hardships on the 29
million Venezuelans already struggling with hyperinflation, widespread food
shortages and anemic economic activity.”

        *Guaidó Calls For New Protests. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=052-788&t=c>
(1/28, Ellsworth) reports Guaidó on Monday “called for new street
demonstrations as pressure intensified on...Maduro.” Guaidó called on
“opposition sympathizers” to take to the streets on Wednesday “to pass out
copies of a pamphlet proposing amnesty that would give some legal
protection to members of the military in hopes they will turn against
Maduro.”

        *Venezuelan Consul In Miami Offers Support For Guaidó. *The Miami
Herald
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=053-aea&t=c>
(1/28, Wyss) reports that “Venezuela’s consular officer in Miami – a
diplomat with more than 18 years of experience – became the latest foreign
service officer to throw her support behind interim President Juan Guaidó,
as leader Nicolás Maduro sees himself increasingly isolated at home and
abroad.” In a video message broadcast on EVTV Monday, Scarlett Salazar said
she made the decision because “it obeys my democratic principles and
values”, and urged other diplomats to “embrace the constitution” and join
Guaidó in trying to force new elections.

        *WSJournal Analysis: Russia’s Influence In Venezuela Limited. *The Wall
Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=054-424&t=c>
(1/28, Grove, Kurmanaev) reports that while Russia has come out in support
of Maduro, the Kremlin’s influence appears to be limited. For example,
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday there were no discussions to
extend major financial or military assistance to keep Maduro in power.

        Fred Pleitgen reported for CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=055-a68&t=c>
(1/28, 6:55 p.m. EST) that “the Russians really do see Venezuela, in many
ways, as their sphere of influence and certainly continue to see Nicolas
Maduro as a massive ally of theirs in South America.” Pleitgen reported
Russia is “actually accusing the US of trying to meddle in Venezuela,” with
a Kremlin spokesman saying in an “angry statement” late Sunday night that
“he believes there was synchronization between the United States and the
opposition in Venezuela.” However, Pleitgen added that the Kremlin has said
that so far, there have been no discussions about sending military or
financial aid to support Maduro’s government. The Kremlin is also “trying
to shoot down stories of the Russians possibly having sent hundreds of
mercenaries to South America.”

        *Poll: Most Americans Oppose Trump’s Foreign Policy. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=056-020&t=c>
(1/28, Riechmann, Fingerhut) reports that a “majority of Americans
disapprove of the way President Donald Trump is handling US foreign policy
and about half think the country’s global standing will deteriorate during
the next year, according to new poll
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=057-fbf&t=c>
that highlighted the nation’s partisan divide on foreign issues.” Overall,
the President “receives low marks from the public for his job handling
foreign policy – 35 percent approve, while 63 percent disapprove. Like
other issues, the partisan divide is startling. While 76 percent of
Republicans approve, just 8 percent of Democrats say the same.”

        Former Deputy Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken writes in the New
York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=058-44c&t=c>
(1/28, Blinken) that the Administration “has not faced an actual national
security crisis that tests it and us in a profound way. There is no
shortage of possible candidates – a major terrorist attack; a debilitating
cyberattack; an infectious disease outbreak; an incident with North Korea,
Iran, China or Russia that escalates into a broader conflict. Yet no
administration in modern memory has been less prepared to deal with a true
crisis than this one.” Blinken argues that “these past two years, most of
our foreign policy setbacks have been modest, and mostly of Mr. Trump’s own
making. These next two, we may not be so lucky.”
Foreign Policy
US, Taliban Negotiators Reach “Agreements In Principle” For Possible Peace
Deal.

ABC World News Tonight
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=059-0ed&t=c>
(1/28, story 9, 1:05, Muir) broadcast “negotiators for the US and the
Taliban have reached what is being called, quote, ‘agreements in principle’
on key issues for a peace deal that could end 17 years of war in
Afghanistan.” Martha Raddatz reported acting Defense Secretary Shanahan
“said they were encouraging conversations.” Raddatz continued, “That may
not sound like a big deal, but it is, it’s very significant, given they’ve
been after the Taliban and trying to get to some sort of peace agreement
for so many years.”

        The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=05a-63a&t=c>
(1/28, Faiez) reports US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said, “We made
progress on vital issues in our discussions and agreed to agreements in
principle on a couple of very important issues.” He added, “There is a lot
more work to be done before we can say we have succeeded in our efforts but
I believe for the first time I can say that we have made significant
progress.” Afghan President Ashraf Ghani “sought to assure Afghans that no
deals would be made without Kabul’s awareness and full participation,” and
“Khalilzad’s statement emphasized the inclusion of the Afghan government in
the talks.”

        The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=05b-48d&t=c>
(1/28, Mashal) reports that Khalilzad told the Times, “We have a draft of
the framework that has to be fleshed out before it becomes an agreement.”
He added, “The Taliban have committed, to our satisfaction, to do what is
necessary that would prevent Afghanistan from ever becoming a platform for
international terrorist groups or individuals.” Meanwhile, Afghan officials
are concerned “about the fact that the Afghan government has still been
sidelined from the talks.” Ghani, in an address to the nation, “expressed
concern that a peace deal would be rushed.”

        Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=05c-940&t=c>
(1/28, Jain) reports an unnamed “senior US government official” said Monday
that the US does not “seek a permanent military presence in Afghanistan.”
He added, “Our goal is to help bring peace in Afghanistan and we would like
a future partnership, newly defined with a post-peace government.”

        Trey Yingst reported for Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=05d-fa9&t=c>
(1/28, 6:22 p.m. EST) that “negotiators covered two key issues,” the first
being when US troops will withdraw from Afghanistan and the second being
“how the Taliban will prevent other organizations, such as Al Qaeda and
ISIS, from using Afghanistan as a base for international terrorism.”

        On CNN’s Situation Room
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=05e-9bc&t=c>
(1/28), Barbara Starr called the framework “unprecedented progress.”
According to Starr, “What the Taliban want is all foreign troops, including
14,000 American forces, out of Afghanistan.” Starr added that the Pentagon
is currently considering “that very concept, withdrawing about half of
them, 7,000.” In contrast, the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=05f-50d&t=c>
(1/28, Constable) reports, “US and Taliban officials have inched closer to
an agreement,” while the Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=060-3b2&t=c>
(1/28, Bengali) says, “the prospect of a truce with the Taliban appears to
be inching closer to reality.”

        The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=061-01b&t=c>
(1/28, Nelson) reports a person briefed by a Taliban participant in the
talks said they were paused to allow technical experts to create plans for
a withdrawal and a cease fire and would resume in late February.

        On the CBS Evening News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=062-576&t=c>
(1/28, story 8, 1:50, Glor), former acting CIA director Michael Morrell
offered his thoughts on the framework agreement. Morell argued that the
agreement changes nothing “because the Taliban will not live up to it.”
Morell continued, “The Taliban will not negotiate in good faith with the
Afghan government. They want a one-party state. They want the rule it, and
they will allow Al Qaeda safe haven because they have fought together for
17 years and they have intermarriages. They have very close.” Morell
concluded, “I think the President fundamentally has two choices. One choice
is to stay for the long term. … The other option is to leave with an
understanding of what’s going to happen but put US military bases nearby,
somewhere in central Asia, where they can reach out and keep Al Qaeda from
becoming strong again.”

        In an editorial, the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=063-79a&t=c>
(1/28) says that the tentative deal appear to be “mostly on the enemy’s
terms,” offering “no guarantee that the government and political order [US
forces] have spent 17 years defending, at enormous cost, would survive – or
that the gains Afghans have made in women’s and other civil rights would be
preserved.” President Trump “has seemingly grown eager to pull the plug on
the mission” in Afghanistan, and “the Taliban may calculate that, rather
than insist on an acceptable political settlement, the White House will
settle for the fig leaf of their assurances about preventing terrorist
attacks.” While the Post acknowledges that “negotiations with the Taliban
are the only way out of the Afghan war,” it warns that such an end should
be “at the expense of everything the United States has helped to build
there since 2001.”

        Afghan MP Fawzia Koofi, in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=064-a4b&t=c>
(1/28), writes that the Taliban still relies on terror and enters peace
talks when under pressure, only to attack again when conditions ease. He
calls for the US and the Afghan government to fight terrorism by paying
attention to the political opposition’s concerns, putting preconditions –
including protecting women’s right and democratic political participation –
on peace talks with the Taliban, organizing a assembly of Afghan elders to
weigh in on the issue, putting US sanction on the Taliban and countries
that support it, and understanding that a political settlement with the
Taliban won’t end the threat of terrorism in Afghanistan.

        Axios
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=065-687&t=c>
(1/28, Kugelman) also covers this story.
US Preparing “Economic Package” To Entice Kim Toward Denuclearization.

According to the Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=066-9b6&t=c>
(1/28, Taylor), the Administration is “quietly preparing a special
‘economic package’ designed to entice North Korean leader Kim Jong Un into
taking specific steps toward dismantling his nuclear weapons program when
he and President Trump meet” next month. The initiative, spearheaded by
special envoy Stephen Biegun, has “already been touted in private
working-level talks with the North Koreans and involves creating a kind of
escrow account to prove to Mr. Kim that the US and its allies are truly
committed to rewarding Pyongyang economically if it comes through on
denuclearization, The Washington Times has learned.” Sources familiar with
the plan “say it centers on securing guarantees for billions of dollars
worth of cash contributions from Japan, South Korea, the European Union and
others that would go toward North Korean infrastructure and development
projects.”
Administration Announces New Round Of Trade Negotiations With China.

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=067-3d2&t=c>
(1/28, Fabian) reports the White House has “announced a new round of trade
negotiations with China as the Trump administration seeks an elusive deal
with Beijing.” According to the White House, top US and Chinese officials
will “‘discuss the trade relationship between the two countries’ on
Wednesday and Thursday in Washington.”

        Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=068-bc3&t=c>
(1/28, Holland) reports Treasury Secretary Mnuchin “said on Monday the
United States expects to make significant progress” in talks “with Chinese
Vice Premier Liu He, who will later meet with President Donald Trump.”
Speaking to reporters at a White House news conference, Mnuchin said the US
and China were seeking to address “complicated issues,” such as a way “to
verify enforcement of China’s reform progress in any deal with Beijing.”
Mnuchin “said Chinese officials had acknowledged the need for such a
verification mechanism.” Said Mnuchin, “We want to make sure that when we
get a deal, that deal will be enforced. ... The details of how we do that
are very complicated. That needs to be negotiated. But IP (intellectual
property) protection, no more forced joint ventures, and enforcement are
three of the most important issues on the agenda.”

        In an analysis, the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=069-b3e&t=c>
(1/28, Rappeport) says the talks “come at a critical moment for Mr. Trump’s
economic agenda and the global economy, which is beginning to slow in part
because of the president’s trade policies.” While the Administration
“continues to insist it has the upper hand,” the Times says the Chinese
“may be emboldened by the fact that the president’s reputation as a
deal-maker suffered in the wake of failing to secure a win on the border
wall.”
Media Analyses: Justice Department Charges Huawei With Fraud.

The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=06a-b23&t=c>
(1/28, Wilber) reports that Justice Department officials filed fraud
charges against Huawei on the grounds that “the company operated a
long-running scheme to deceive financial institutions about its activities
in Iran and tried to steal sensitive information from T-Mobile.” The
Justice Department filed the 13-count indictment in the Eastern District of
New York and included additional allegations, such as how it lied about its
connection to Skycom, an Iranian firm. These charges follow a separate
Justice Department filing against Huawei in Washington state, where Huawei
is charged with attempting “to steal trade secrets from T-Mobile tied to
its phone-testing robot, ‘Tappy.’”

        The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=06b-ad7&t=c>
(1/28, O'Keeffe, Viswanatha) reports that the Washington state charges are
an evolution of T-Mobile’s civil suit against Huawei over prior allegations
that the company orchestrated a campaign to steal T-Mobile’s intellectual
property. Huawei is also accused of offering bonuses to its employees if
they successfully acquired corporate secrets. Huawei denied T-Mobile’s
allegations during its civil suit and they are expected to deny any
insinuation that they encouraged this behavior.

        USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=06c-690&t=c>
(1/28, Johnson, Jansen) reports that the Justice Department filings contain
23 separate felony charges and attempt to link the alleged crimes to the
company as a whole by explaining how it is a pattern and not an anomaly of
“rogue employees.” Acting Attorney General Whitaker described the filing
and the allegations as going “to the top of the company.” Whitaker added
that Huawei’s lies over its relationship with Iran’s Skycom led “US banks
to unknowingly violate laws governing sanctions against Iran” and handle
“$100 million in fraudulent transactions over four years.”

        Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=06d-5b3&t=c>
(1/28, Hurtado, Strohm) reports that FBI Director Wray condemned Huawei for
its “brazen and persistent actions to exploit American companies and
financial institutions, and to threaten the free and fair global
marketplace” during his public comments after the courts unsealed the
indictment. However, Chinese authorities are expected to continue
challenging the US as they did earlier this month. Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, “The US has been abusing the idea of
‘national security,’ slandering and striking down the normal commercial
activities of Chinese enterprises.”

        The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=06e-6c1&t=c>
(1/28, Benner, Goldstein, Rappeport) says Huawei reportedly sought “to
obstruct justice by moving employees out of the United States so they could
not be called as witnesses before a grand jury in Brooklyn. The authorities
said the company had destroyed evidence in order to hinder the inquiry.”
Whitaker condemned Huawei for appearing “to be using corporate espionage
not only to enhance their bottom line but to compete in the world economy.”

        The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=06f-6c9&t=c>
(1/28, Barrett) reports the newly filed charges are “likely to intensify
trade tensions between the US and China” after the US requested that Huawei
CFO Meng Wanzhou be detained on separate charges in December in Canada. The
charges come as “China’s lead trade negotiator, Liu He, [is] scheduled to
meet with US officials in Washington in coming days” in Washington, DC, for
a new round of high-level trade discussions.

        *US Announces Criminal Charges Against Huawei CFO. *Pete Williams
reported for NBC Nightly News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=070-623&t=c>
(1/28, story 7, 1:30, Holt) that, in “the most aggressive American action
yet against Huawei,” the Department of Justice on Monday also announced
charges against CFO Meng Wanzhou, who is awaiting extradition in Canada.
Williams reported, “Prosecutors say Huawei illegally did business with
Iran, using front companies to evade US sanctions.” Meanwhile, “The company
is also accused of trying to steal American trade secrets, specifically
T-Mobile’s robotic arm and finger used to test its smartphones.” Williams
added that the charges “were announced the same day the White House said
President Trump will welcome a delegation from China on Wednesday to talk
about trade.” Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=071-3e6&t=c>
(1/28, 6:23 p.m. EST) reported the charges include “theft of trade secrets,
wire fraud, and obstruction of justice.”

        Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=072-ca8&t=c>
(1/28, Lynch) reports that the new filings each connect to CFO Meng
Wanzhou, who is currently detained in Canada, and that the accusations
range from “bank and wire fraud to obstructing justice and conspiring to
steal trade secrets from T-Mobile US Inc.”
Administration Warns Europe About Seeking To Avoid US Sanctions On Iran.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=073-10d&t=c>
(1/28, Riechmann, Lee) reports the Administration is “closely eyeing
efforts in Europe to set up an alternative money payment channel to ease
doing business with Iran,” and “the White House is putting the Europeans on
notice, saying that if they try to do an end-run around US sanctions on
Iran, they will be subject to stiff fines and penalties.”
NYTimes Analysis: ISIS Bombing Raises New Concerns About Group’s Reach Into
Asia.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=074-a77&t=c>
(1/28, Beech, Gutierrez) reports that ISIS’ claimed bombing of the
Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel “has brought fresh attention to the
Islamic State’s ability to metastasize across the world, even as the
militant group has been reduced to a sliver of turf in Syria.” The bombing
followed the recently approved referendum to create a new autonomous region
for the Muslim-majority regions of the Philippines and early analyses by
security experts conclude that “the bombings on Sunday were most likely the
work of rebels affiliated with Abu Sayyaf, a separatist militia with a
stronghold in Jolo that is excluded from the current peace process.”
May Challenges Parliament For Control Over Brexit Process.

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=075-36b&t=c>
(1/28, Booth) reports that British MPs are finalizing their preparations to
“debate and vote on cross-party amendments designed to steer the government
one way or another on Brexit” after UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s
proposed plan collapsed in the face of widespread opposition within the UK
House of Commons. Parliament’s lower chamber “remains gripped by deadlock”
and “without a consensus on how to exit the European Union,” and the
possibility of a no-deal Brexit is viewed as the worst-case scenario that
is leading European businesses to begin planning for new contingencies. PM
May is now expected to ask Parliament to extend the Brexit deadline past
the scheduled deadline of March 29th.
Domestic Policy
Whitaker Says Mueller Probe “Close To Being Completed.”

The CBS Evening News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=076-a99&t=c>
(1/28, story 4, 2:45, Glor) reported Acting Attorney General Whitaker “made
a big announcement” Monday, saying Robert Mueller’s “Russia investigation
is close to ending – the first time a Justice official has said that, and
Whitaker is the highest-rank official overseeing that probe.” Whitaker:
“The investigation is I think close to being completed, and I hope we can
get the report from Director Mueller as soon as possible.” CBS’ Jeff
Pegues: “The comments came just days after Special Counsel Robert Mueller
charged Roger Stone, the President’s friend and former campaign adviser,
with seven counts of lying, obstruction, and witness tampering. Stone was
confident today as he arrived in Washington for his arraignment.” Stone:
“The only stripes I look good in are pinstripes.” On ABC World News
Tonight[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=077-cd8&t=c>
(1/28, story 4, 0:50), David Muir called it “a rare indication of how soon
the Robert Mueller investigation might be over.” On NBC Nightly News[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=078-2d9&t=c>
(1/28, story 4, 1:55, Holt), Welker said, “For the first time publicly, the
Acting Attorney General revealing the highly anticipated Mueller probe into
Russian election interference is almost finished.”

        The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=079-a01&t=c>
(1/28, Megerian) says Whitaker offered “a clue...out of the blue” during an
“unrelated news conference announcing fraud charges against Chinese telecom
company Huawei.” Jeffrey Toobin said on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=07a-f00&t=c>
(1/28), “I have seen actual deer in actual headlights who express
themselves more clearly than the Attorney General of the United States did
there. I have no idea what he’s talking about, and this is very serious
stuff.”

        The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=07b-c8d&t=c>
(1/28, Barrett) reports, “Whitaker did not define what he meant by ‘close,’
and even if he is correct that Mueller is nearly done with his work,
Whitaker may leave the Justice Department before it is complete,” since the
Senate is expected to vote on the confirmation of Attorney
General-designate Barr next month. A spokesman for Mueller declined to
comment. The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=07c-40d&t=c>
(1/28, Gurman) also covers Whitaker’s comment.

        Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) said on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=07d-b6b&t=c>
(1/28), “This is an Administration, starting with the President, who has
continued to call the Mueller investigation a witch hunt. The President
hand-picked Whitaker because of his comments about the Mueller
investigation that comported with the President’s. So, I would hesitate to
characterize what Whitaker is saying, other than we shall see.”

        Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) said on CNN’s Situation Room[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=07e-c88&t=c>
(1/28), “Those are the words we’ve heard for more than a year. We’ll see
when this is completed. I want a complete job done. I want everything that
we need to know about the involvement of Trump and the Trump campaign in
the Russia, what Russia did. We need to know how to protect our democracy.
And furthermore, the Mueller investigation is just one piece. The Congress
of the United States has to conduct open investigations on everything
that’s taken place.”

        Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=07f-ad5&t=c>,
“AG Whitaker’s interest should be in uncovering the truth in a careful and
objective manner, not rushing the Mueller investigation.”

        Dana Bash said on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=080-e00&t=c>
(1/28) that Whitaker’s comments are “in keeping with what we have heard
from lawyers who are involved with clients who either have been interviewed
or [are] in and around this investigation that the feeling has been that
Robert Mueller is just about done, was wrapping up and certainly our
reporting after last week when Roger Stone was indicted that that could be
the last major indictment.”

        Bill Kristol tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=081-12c&t=c>,
“What Whitaker said is alarming. He saw a chance to add pressure on Mueller
to get it over with, after the Stone indictment suggested how dangerous the
probe is to Trump if allowed to run unimpeded. And he tried to normalize
the idea of higher-ups messing with Mueller’s findings.”

        *Barr Says He Has Discussed Mueller Probe With Pence, But Not With
Trump. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=082-f72&t=c>
(1/28, Lynch) reports Barr told Senate Judiciary Committee members “in
comments released on Monday that while he has never spoken about the
substance” of Mueller’s investigation with President Trump, “he has
discussed it in broad terms” with Vice President Pence. In response to
questions from Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Barr wrote, “The President has
not asked me my views about any aspect of the investigation, and he has not
asked me about what I would do about anything in the investigation.” But
Barr “said that since the spring of 2017, he has discussed a variety of
issues with Pence including a ‘general discussion’ of Mueller’s probe and
‘I gave my views on such matters as Bob Mueller’s high integrity and
various media reports.’” The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=083-021&t=c>
(1/28, Carney) reports Barr said Trump has not asked him for his views
“about any aspect of the investigation, and he has not asked me about what
I would do about anything in the investigation.”

        USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=084-e55&t=c>
(1/28, Jansen, Johnson) reports Barr also told the committee that he “would
resign rather than fire [Mueller] ‘without good cause,’ though he expressed
doubt about how much the public might learn from the investigation of
Russian interference in the 2016 election.” The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=085-b41&t=c>
(1/28, Demirjian) reports Barr declined to guarantee a public release of
Mueller’s final report, writing in response to a query from committee
ranking member Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), “Where judgments are to be
made by me, I will make those judgments based solely on the law and
Department policy and will let no personal, political, or other improper
interests influence my decision.” Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=086-20f&t=c>
(1/28, Dennis, House), the Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=087-12b&t=c>
(1/28, Mordock), and CQ Roll Call
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=088-936&t=c>
(1/28, Ruger) also cover Barr’s responses.

        *Biggs Seeks DOJ IG Probe Into Whether CNN Was Tipped Off About
Stone Arrest. *The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=089-3b5&t=c>
(1/28, Mordock) reports that in a letter to Justice Department Inspector
General Michael Horowitz, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) requested an inquiry into
whether CNN received advance notice about Stone’s Friday arrest. Biggs
wrote, “We ask that you investigate whether federal law enforcement
officers leaked information about the arrest of Mr. Stone to members of the
media in advance and what – if any – rules regulations, court orders or
laws were broken in the process. ... An arrest like this is a serious act,
not a media spectacle.”

        *Manafort Sentencing Postponed Indefinitely. *Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=08a-f26&t=c>
(1/28, Caplan) reports US District Judge T.S. Ellis “has indefinitely
postponed the sentencing of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort in
Virginia on Monday.” Ellis said the decision “to cancel the hearing was
‘prudent and appropriate’ until the ‘current dispute’” over whether
Manafort intentionally lied to investigators has been settled.

        *Cohen Makes Changes To Legal Team. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=08b-8e5&t=c>
(1/28) reports President Trump’s formal personal attorney Michael Cohen “is
shaking up his defense team ahead of his highly anticipated congressional
testimony next month,” hiring “former federal prosecutor Michael Monico and
his partner Barry Spevack” to replace Amy Lester and Guy Petrillo. The
Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=08c-f44&t=c>
(1/28, Zapotosky) reports, “A person familiar with the matter said Cohen
had fallen behind in his bills to Petrillo and Lester,” but Cohen attorney
and media representative Lanny Davis “disputed that this led to the
change.” Monico told Michael Sneed of the Chicago Sun-Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=08d-548&t=c>
(1/28, Sneed), “We are moving ahead despite all the intimidation [Cohen]
has received from the President and his counsel Rudy Giuliani. It’s
unbelievable how much intimidation he has faced.”

        *NRA Seeks To Distance Itself From 2015 Russia Junket. *The New
York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=08e-92e&t=c>
(1/28, Hakim) reports the NRA “is seeking to distance itself” from a
high-profile trip that “boosters and board members” made to Russia in 2015
“after revelations that a Russian woman who helped arrange it, Maria
Butina, was conspiring to infiltrate the organization.” The delegation
“visited a gun factory in Moscow, took in a ballet and met with members of
Vladimir Putin’s inner circle. ... The trip has been a subject of scrutiny
in at least four inquiries into the N.R.A.’s ties to Russia.”

        *Politico Analysis: House Democratic Leaders Face Pressure To
Proceed With Impeachment. *Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=08f-e98&t=c>
(1/28, Samuelsohn, Desiderio, Bade) reports Democrats “vowed to give
[Mueller] the space needed to finish his work” in the weeks before taking
control of the House. But “sticking to that pledge is proving difficult”
amid pressure from “liberal, rabble-rousing members” and “a hungry party
base that believes Trump should have been impeached the day after his
inauguration.” Democrats say they “are proceeding on two tracks: Letting
Mueller pursue criminal charges” like those against Stone “while lawmakers
get to work examining whether anything the president has done rises to
‘high crimes and misdemeanors’ definition for impeachment. But inside the
party ranks, some lawmakers antsy for action are suggesting those lines
should be blurred.”
White House Declines To Comment On Possibility Of Stone Pardon.

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=090-a2a&t=c>
(1/28, Fabian) reports White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders “dodged a
question” Monday about whether President Trump “would pardon Roger Stone,
his one-time confidant indicted in the Russia investigation.” When asked if
Trump has ruled out a pardon, Sanders said, “I’m not aware of that. I’m not
going to get into that at this point.” When pressed “to rule out a possible
pardon, Sanders said she would not engage a ‘hypothetical’ that she called
‘ridiculous.’”

        On NBC Nightly News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=091-f6f&t=c>
(1/28, story 4, 1:55, Holt), Kristen Welker said, “Prosecutors say Stone
lied about his efforts to obtain hacked e-mails from Wikileaks that were
damaging to the Clinton campaign. Charges the White House says have nothing
to do with the President.” NBC then showed Welker at the White House
asking, “Can you guarantee the President won’t pardon Roger Stone?”
Sanders: “Again, I’m not going to talk about hypotheticals that are just
ridiculous. I’m not aware of anybody here ever working with Wikileaks in
any capacity.”

        Stone, appearing on Fox News’ Hannity[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=092-e68&t=c>
(1/28), said Hillary Clinton, ex-FBI Director James Comey, ex-FBI Acting
Director Andrew McCabe, and former top intelligence officials John Brennan
and James Clapper “themselves all lied. In their case, they lied about
material consequential things. To the extent that I made errors of memory
in my four and a half hours of voluntary testimony, they are
inconsequential. This indictment is thinner. ... I’m targeted here because
they want to silence me.”
Media Analyses: Deal Between Trump And Congress Allowing For Border Wall
Unlikely.

Media reports are focusing on the President’s claim Sunday that the odds of
coming to an agreement with Democrats on funding for his border wall are
“less than 50-50.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=093-55a&t=c>
(1/28, Sullivan, Blinder) reports that federal employees had “a
presidential promise of a paycheck ‘very quickly’ but no guarantee that
they will be working in three weeks,” after the President made the comment
on Sunday. Jonathan Karl reported on ABC World News Tonight[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=094-300&t=c>
(1/28, story 5, 1:30, Muir) that the President’s comment is “not reassuring
to federal employees and their families.”

        The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=095-8af&t=c>
(1/28, Riechmann) similarly reports “Trump said the odds congressional
negotiators will craft a deal to end his border wall standoff with Congress
are ‘less than 50-50.’” According to the AP, Trump’s “standoff with
Democrats on Capitol Hill is far from over and the clock is ticking.” The
AP quotes House Minority Leader McCarthy, as saying, “The president is the
only one who has been reasonable in these negotiations.”

        Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=096-a94&t=c>
(1/28, Spiering) reports White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the
President’s fight for the wall continues “despite his decision to end the
partial government shutdown for three weeks.” Sanders said, “The table has
been perfectly set by the president in order for a good deal to come
together where everybody gets a little bit of something they are looking
for.” Breitbart adds that she “reserved the president’s right to declare a
State of Emergency on the border at the end of three weeks if Congress
failed to reach a deal.” Nancy Cordes said on the CBS Evening News[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=097-046&t=c>
(1/28, story 6, 1:55, Glor) that Sanders “argued today the economy could
withstand another shutdown if it had to.”

        The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=098-581&t=c>
(1/28, Eilperin) reports federal employees “began the long slog to dig out
from mounds of piled-up work.” The Post adds that their “biggest concern
besides the work they have fallen behind on was when they would receive the
two paychecks the government owes them.” The Post says that the
“second...may not hit their bank accounts until February,” though “NASA and
the Justice Department told their employees that they would receive two
retroactive paychecks no later than Thursday.”

        Brit Hume said on Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=099-89d&t=c>
(1/28), “I don’t think the President at this point has a lot of leverage.
He was clearly blamed for the shutdown and people clearly didn’t like it.
They never do, they never have. No shutdown to force a policy action or
change has ever worked. This one didn’t and I suspect he knows that and I
suspect he doesn’t want to have to shut the government down again either.
The question is whether Nancy Pelosi will feel that she needs to give a
little ground to him on border wall funding in order to avoid that. I think
she’s feeling pretty much that she’s got the bit in her mouth and she’s got
him on the ropes and I’m not sure she’s prepared to negotiate that.”

        Media reports on the committee that will try to negotiate a deal
take a somewhat pessimistic tone about the chances the wall will be funded.
The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=09a-4c1&t=c>
(1/28, Ferrechio) says the committee Trump “hopes can agree to new spending
on a southern border wall instead appears poised to abandon the idea
altogether and settle for a deal that doesn’t include any wall funding.”
Democrats on the conference committee “are among the strongest opponents of
funding for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. And few of the GOP
negotiators are as determined as Trump about making sure the wall is
funded.” Moreover, Republicans are “much more interested in avoiding
another shutdown that hurts them politically.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=09b-04a&t=c>
(1/28, Stolberg) says the panel “lacks the most vocal immigration
hard-liners on Capitol Hill.” Members of the panel “are drawn exclusively
from the appropriations committees in each chamber, which have a long
history of working in a bipartisan way.”

        Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) said on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=09c-785&t=c>
(1/28), “We should be focusing now on how to make sure that government
keeps running until the end of the fiscal year and I hope that the joint
committee will be able to come up with a border security proposal that we
can support and the only person who keeps talking about a wall basically is
the President. So again, I reiterate that if this joint committee can come
up with good border security which Democrats and Republicans support, then
we should pass the legislation and the President can veto it if that’s what
he wants to do and we should override his veto.”

        Meanwhile, the Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=09d-d28&t=c>
(1/28, Athey) reports Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) was “just the latest
Democrat to express an appetite for deal-making with President Donald
Trump, perhaps exposing cracks in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s control over
her party members.” Hassan said Monday that she supports “strategic
fencing” on the southern border “based on the opinions of experts on the
ground.” The DC adds that House Majority Leader Hoyer “also recently echoed
the need for some kind of physical barrier on the US-Mexico border.”

        CQ Roll Call
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=09e-fc4&t=c>
(1/28, Kopp) says a “handful of Democratic freshmen who flipped
battleground districts from Republican control in the midterm ‘blue wave’
last year...voic[ed] support for more spending at the southern border in
their first town halls since being sworn into office.” The story highlights
comments from several “Blue Dog Democrats [who] endorsed erecting a
physical barrier of some kind.”

        *Perdue: Trump Wants A “Simple” Wall Deal, Is Prepared To Act On
His Own. *The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=09f-057&t=c>
(1/28, Kim) reports the President “signaled” to Sen. David Perdue (R-GA)
over the weekend that he wants a “‘simple’ border wall deal in advance of
the new funding deadline next month – casting more doubt on the prospects
of a broader immigration deal before portions of the government shut down
again.” Perdue, who had a private lunch with the President on Saturday,
“also indicated that Trump is prepared to act on his own” should the
conference committee fail to reach “an agreement on the wall that satisfies
him. Trump is mulling the prospect of issuing a national emergency
declaration to start wall construction without congressional approval – a
move that will almost certainly face an immediate challenge in the courts.”

        Jeff Zeleny said on CNN’s The Lead[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0a0-eb4&t=c>
(1/28) that Trump “is leaning toward a national emergency. There have been
private assurances given to a lot of the President’s base and supporters on
the right that he will call for an emergency if this three-week impasse
goes on.”

        Sean Hannity said on Fox News’ Hannity[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0a1-04d&t=c>
(1/28), “If Democrats are unwilling to fund the border security, the
President can and the President should, and I believe will declare a
national emergency. He will build the wall with billions of dollars in
funds that he allocates. Probably going to take a court fight. Democrats
will go liberal judge shopping in the Ninth Circuit. But, as Commander in
Chief, I believe on the law and the Constitution, this President is going
to win this battle in the courts.”

        *Trump: Coulter Has Become “Very Hostile.” *The New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0a2-cd6&t=c>
(1/28, Moore) reports the President said in an interview
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0a3-564&t=c>
with the Wall Street Journal that he is “not sure what he did to draw the
ire of conservative commentator Ann Coulter.” Trump told the Journal, “I
hear she’s become very hostile. ... Maybe I didn’t return her phone call or
something.” Trump’s comment came after Coulter “in a tweet accused him of
caving in to Democrats.” Coulter wrote
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0a4-63f&t=c>,
“Good news for George Herbert Walker Bush: As of today, he is no longer the
biggest wimp ever to serve as President of the United States”

        *Shutdown Resulted In Thousands Of Immigration Hearings Being
Canceled. *The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0a5-6a0&t=c>
(1/28, Castillo) reports that for people with scheduled hearings for
immigration matters whose hearings were canceled because of the shutdown,
it “could take weeks or months to get back on track.” The Times said the
partial shutdown “not only resulted in thousands of canceled court hearings
but also generated chaos for everyone involved in the immigration system.”
According to the Times, “more than 9,000 court cases were canceled in
California alone,” while “about 300 of the nation’s nearly 400 immigration
judges” were furloughed. Citing the backlog in the nation’s immigration
courts, the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0a6-872&t=c>
(1/28, Radnofsky) says the shutdown left the already strained immigration
system in even worse shape.

        *Salvadoran Immigrant Charged In Four Nevada Murders. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0a7-ae1&t=c>
(1/28, Sonner) reports prosecutors in Nevada have filed murder charges that
could result in the death penalty for Wilber Ernesto Martinez-Guzman, “a
19-year-old Salvadoran immigrant in four recent killings carried out over a
six-day span.” According prosecutor Chris Hicks, “it could be 30 days
before prosecutors decide whether to pursue the death penalty.” Hicks
“added that Martinez-Guzman’s immigration status had nothing to do with the
criminal charges, which also included five burglary counts.” The AP says
the President “tweeted a week ago that the four killings in Nevada showed
the need for his proposed US-Mexico border wall, which was at the center of
the federal government shutdown.”

        *Comedian Says Border Patrol Agents Forced Him Off Bus, Said His
Papers Were Fake. *The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0a8-1d6&t=c>
(1/28, Lazo) reports Portland, Oregon-based comedian Mohanad Elshieky “says
US Customs and Border Protection agents forced him Sunday to get off a
Greyhound bus in Spokane, Wash., and show proof of citizenship.” In a
Twitter thread that went viral, Elshieky said the agents “then accused him
of having fake documents.” The Post says the incident “reviv[ed] outrage
about the agency’s practice of boarding intercity buses and demanding
identification and proof of citizenship from passengers.”
Kudlow Downplays CBO Report Saying Shutdown Cost Economy $3 Billion.

White House chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow on Monday sought to calm
concerns about damage to the economy due to the shutdown after the CBO
estimated it cost the economy $3 billion. Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0a9-b7d&t=c>
(1/28, Mayeda) reports that according to the CBO, the partial shutdown
“will ultimately cost the world’s biggest economy just $3 billion.” The New
York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0aa-7d5&t=c>
(1/28, Rappeport) says the shutdown “cost the United States economy $11
billion, with nearly a quarter of that total permanently lost.” The Times
adds that according to the CBO, “growth in subsequent quarters will be
higher,” but “$3 billion will never be recovered.”

        USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0ab-6c2&t=c>
(1/28, Davidson) reports the CBO said the shutdown “delayed about $18
billion in federal spending on employee salaries and the purchase of goods
and services.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0ac-443&t=c>
(1/28, Emma, Scholtes) reports because of the effects of the shutdown on
the IRS, “CBO estimates tax revenue will be about $2 billion lower in
fiscal 2019 and that ‘much of the lost revenue … will not be recouped.’”
The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0ad-1b3&t=c>
(1/28, Taylor) reports the CBO says by the end of the year, “GDP would be
just 0.02 smaller because of the shutdown, which shuttered many domestic
agencies.” Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0ae-d93&t=c>
(1/28, Morgan, Cowan) says “more significant effects will be felt by
individual businesses and workers, particularly those who went without
pay.”

        The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0af-d90&t=c>
(1/28, Lim) reports Kudlow “sought to quell fears that the country’s
longest government shutdown hurt the economy, saying that the damage would
only be temporary.” Kudlow told reporters during a White House press
briefing, “We frequently disagree with CBO, with all respect. ... As I’ve
said many times, you have a whole bunch of very temporary factors, and now
that the government is reopened, the switch goes right back on. There’s
certainly no permanent damage to the economy. ... I still think we’re on a
3 percent trend line growth rate. I am proud of that. I think that the
program of lower tax rates, and regulatory roll back, and opening up
energy, and so forth is working and continuing to work.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0b0-0d2&t=c>
(1/28, Morin) says Kudlow “pushed back” on the report, while The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0b1-068&t=c>
(1/28, Fabian) says Kudlow “downplayed” the CBO report. Later in the story,
The Hill describes Kudlow as “dismissing” the report.

        *WPost: Proposals To Prevent Future Shutdowns Carry Risks. *In an
editorial, the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0b2-262&t=c>
(1/28) says Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Mark Warner (D-VA) “have
introduced competing bills that would automatically continue previous
spending if Congress failed to pass new spending bills.” The Post argues
both proposals “have risks.” The Post adds that while it is “against
shutdowns,” it “might be better to start by adopting another of Mr.
Warner’s ideas: to withhold congressional and White House operations money
if Congress fails to pass new funding bills. The government might still
shut down – but lawmakers and their staffs would share the pain.”
CBO Says Reduced Emergency Relief Delays $1 Trillion Deficit To 2022.

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0b3-49c&t=c>
(1/28, Elis) reports the CBO revised its projections of the deficit so that
it will now “surpass $1 trillion in 2022, two years later than previously
projected.” The reason given is “a reduction in emergency spending on
disasters.” The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0b4-d02&t=c>
(1/28, Dinan) reports there will be “a $902 billion deficit this year”
which is “a slightly better forecast than last year.” The Times adds that
this is “the first year that Social Security, including interest costs is
no longer boosting the budget and by 2020 the program will begin to be a
net drag on the rest of the budget.” CBO Director Keith Hall said that to
be on a “sustainable” path, Congress “will have to make significant changes
to tax policy and spending policies – making revenues larger than they
would be under current law, making spending for large benefit programs
smaller than it would be under current law, or adopting some combination of
those approaches.”
Trump To Deliver State Of The Union On February 5.

The CBS Evening News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0b5-72e&t=c>
(1/28, story 5, 0:05, Glor) reported briefly that “a new date is scheduled
for the President’s State of the Union address now the government shutdown
is over. It is February 5, a week from tomorrow.” NBC Nightly News[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0b6-7d5&t=c>
(1/28, story 5, 0:50, Holt) said House Speaker Pelosi and President Trump
“are talking now for the first time since the shutdown ended, agreeing on
February 5th, a week from tomorrow, for the State of the Union address.”
Jonathan Karl said on ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0b7-550&t=c>
(1/28, story 6, 0:35, Muir) that “the two leaders also spoke over the
phone. I am told that conversation lasted about 12 minutes. Their first
conversation in almost three weeks. And a senior official here told me it
was a good and constructive conversation.”

        Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0b8-696&t=c>
(1/28, Brice, Ahmann) reports that “in a letter to Trump on Monday that she
posted to Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0b9-f2b&t=c>,
Pelosi said the two had spoken and agreed on the new date.” Trump replied,
“It is my great honor to accept.” The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0ba-a9e&t=c>
(1/28, Sonmez) reports that a press briefing “shortly before Pelosi
released her letter,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump
“looks forward to addressing the American people” and would do so as soon
as he received Pelosi’s invitation. The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0bb-5b8&t=c>
(1/28), however, notes that while Pelosi “issued a new invitation
to...Trump,” which he has accepted, “the House and Senate still must pass a
resolution officially inviting Trump to speak to a joint session of
Congress.”

        The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0bc-680&t=c>
(1/28, Stolberg) says that “by hosting Mr. Trump before Feb. 15” – the
deadline for lawmakers to come up with a border security package – “Pelosi
is effectively agreeing to give him a nationally televised platform in the
middle of those negotiations. The invitation could be interpreted as an
olive branch from the speaker to the president, who has little experience
in dealing with an adversary as powerful as Ms. Pelosi and has at times
seemed flummoxed by her.” USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0bd-1c5&t=c>
(1/28, Collins), the Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0be-9a5&t=c>
(1/28, Dinan), Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0bf-c0d&t=c>
(1/28, Caplan), Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0c0-3ef&t=c>
(1/28, Bresnahan), and the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0c1-ecf&t=c>
(1/28, Andrews), among other media outlets, report similarly on the
announcement.
Trump Defends Tariffs, Says They Have “Saved” Steel Industry.

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0c2-a30&t=c>
(1/28, Samuels) reports in a tweet
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0c3-ef6&t=c>,
the president “credited his administration’s tariffs on foreign steel
imports for reviving the US steel industry.” Trump tweeted, “New and
expanded plants are happening all over the U.S. We have not only saved this
important industry, but created many jobs. Also, billions paid to our
treasury. A BIG WIN FOR U.S.”

        *CBO: Tariffs Cost 0.1 Percent Of GDP Annually. *The Washington
Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0c4-871&t=c>
(1/28, Dinan) in reporting that according to the CBO, “some $3 billion of
economic activity will be permanently lost,” adds that “the new tariffs Mr.
Trump has enacted will also take a bite, amounting to about a tenth of a
percent of real gross domestic product by 2022.”

        The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0c5-3ca&t=c>
(1/28, Elis) also cites the CBO saying that “Trump’s trade wars have cost
the US economy,” and adds, “imports and exports tariffs will cost the
economy about .1 percentage point, on average, through 2029.” Meanwhile,
revenue from “pre-existing and new tariffs amounted to $41 billion, or 0.2
percent of GDP.”
Cancer Research
HPV Vaccination Rates For Young Adolescents Still Too Low, Researchers Say.

HealthDay
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0c6-858&t=c>
(1/28, Preidt) reports that “HPV vaccination rates for younger American
adolescents are alarmingly low, researchers say.” The investigators looked
at data from a 2016 CDC survey of parents. The researchers found that
approximately “43 percent of kids aged 13 to 17 were fully vaccinated
against HPV.” However, “only about 16 percent of 13-year-olds and about 35
percent of 15-year-olds had received all recommended doses of the vaccine.”
The findings
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0c7-389&t=c>
were published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. In a news release
from the Infectious Diseases Society of America, study lead author Robert
Bednarczyk said, “In general, we need to do a better job of recommending
the HPV vaccine at the routine, adolescent, and well-child visits, with a
particular focus on 11 to 12 years of age.”
Regular Use Of Common NSAIDs May Prolong OS In Patients With Head And Neck
Cancers With Alterations In PIK3CA Gene, Study Indicates.

MedPage Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0c8-6fc&t=c>
(1/28, Swift) reports research indicates that “regular use of common
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may buy time for patients
with head and neck cancers with alterations in the PIK3CA gene.”
Investigators found that “in patients with PIK3CA mutations or
amplification, overall survival (OS) was significantly prolonged...for
those who used NSAIDs regularly for at least six months after curative
treatment.” Additionally, “disease-specific survival (DSS) was also
prolonged...in these patients compared with non-regular NSAID users, and
the effect held regardless of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.” The
findings
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0c9-387&t=c>
were published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. The researchers
“noted that regular NSAID use has appeared to be protective against HNSCC
incidence in several epidemiological studies, including a 2013 study that
used data from the National Cancer Institute’s Prostate, Lung, Colorectal,
and Ovarian screening trial. And the protective effect of NSAIDs in colon
cancer has long been noted.”
Editorials/Op-Eds
New York Times.

*“Robert Mugabe’s Long Shadow.”* The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0ca-383&t=c>
(1/28) editorializes that “reviving a country from the devastation and
plunder of a dictator is a daunting challenge for the best intentioned of
leaders.” Zimbabwe, “where 37 years of misrule by Robert Mugabe were
finally ended in a palace coup 14 months ago led by...Emmerson Mnangagwa,
is a case in point.” There was “a moment of hope when Mr. Mnangagwa, backed
by the military, ousted Mr. Mugabe,” but many Zimbabweans have since
“concluded that things had not changed with the exit of Mr. Mugabe.” The
Times argues that while it is “far from clear” whether Mnangagwa or his
ZANU-PF party are “up to the challenge,” if they “have any hope of
surviving in office or lifting Zimbabwe out of the mess they helped create
under Mr. Mugabe, the time to start is now, by immediately reining in the
security forces and opening the dialogue Mr. Mnangagwa has pledged with the
opposition and civil society.”

        *“Should Scientists Toy With The Secret To Life?” *In an editorial,
the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0cb-782&t=c>
(1/28) argues that Chinese scientist He Jiankui’s alleged successful usage
of Crispr technology to create the first genetically edited babies has
raised a flood of bioethical questions that are directly linked to the
future of the human species, and it lauds the US National Academies’
decision to organize a global forum to debate the emerging technology.
However, the Times calls for the National Academies to ensure that the
forum includes as much diversity of opinion as possible because Crispr
editing “has the potential to remake life as we know it...and decisions
about its future use should be driven by as inclusive and global a dialogue
as possible.” The Times closes with its call for politicians, scientists,
and community leaders to work together to allow for positive developments
with Crispr, while limiting the damage of possible rogue scientists.
Washington Post.

*“We Need More Than An Apology For Anton Black’s Tragic Death.”* A Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0cc-0d9&t=c>
(1/28) editorial says the “tragic death” in 2013 of Anton Black, “a
26-year-old man with Down syndrome after an encounter with sheriff’s
deputies at a Frederick County movie theater,” was “needless and raises
troubling questions that must not go unanswered.” The Post calls on
Greensboro officials “to bring in outside experts to review the actions of
police and ensure accountability” and express hope that there will be a
“federal review of these events.”

        *“We Don’t Need More Shutdowns. But Proposals To Prevent Them Come
With Risks.” *In an editorial, the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0cd-3d2&t=c>
(1/28) says Sens. Rob Portman (D-OR) and Mark Warner (D-VA) “have
introduced competing bills that would automatically continue previous
spending if Congress failed to pass new spending bills.” The Post argues
both proposals “have risks.” The Post adds that while it is “against
shutdowns,” it “might be better to start by adopting another of Mr.
Warner’s ideas: to withhold congressional and White House operations money
if Congress fails to pass new funding bills. The government might still
shut down – but lawmakers and their staffs would share the pain.”

        *“The Trump Administration’s Tentative Deal With The Taliban Could
Return Afghanistan To Chaos.” *In an editorial, the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=0ce-c01&t=c>
(1/28) says that the tentative deal between the US and the Taliban appears
to be “mostly on the enemy’s terms,” offering “no guarantee that the
government and political order [US forces] have spent 17 years defending,
at enormous cost, would survive – or that the gains Afghans have made in
women’s and other civil rights would be preserved.” President Trump “has
seemingly grown eager to pull the plug on the mission” in Afghanistan, and
“the Taliban may calculate that, rather than insist on an acceptable
political settlement, the White House will settle for the fig leaf of their
assurances about preventing terrorist attacks.” While the Post acknowledges
that “negotiations with the Taliban are the only way out of the Afghan
war,” it warns that such an end should be “at the expense of everything the
United States has helped to build there since 2001.”

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