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Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing


*From:* Bulletin Intelligence <Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com>
*Sent:* Thursday, November 8, 2018 7:59 AM
*To:* Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com
*Subject:* Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for
Thursday, November 8, 2018


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<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=000-619&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=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=001-0f9&t=c>

*To: Vice President Joe Biden*

*Thursday, November 8, 2018 8:00 AM EST*
Today's Table of Contents

*Biden in the News <#SECTION_1>*

• Poll: At 30%, “None Of The Above” Atop List Of Potential 2020 Democrats;
Biden At 25%. <#S1>

*Leading the News <#SECTION_2>*

• Sessions Out At DOJ With Mueller Probe Critic Whitaker As Temporary
Replacement. <#S2>

*Foreign Policy <#SECTION_3>*

• Trump Says He Will Not Meet With Putin In France, But Will At The G20
Meeting. <#S3>

• Pompeo Meeting Postponed, But Trump Still Hopes To Meet With Kim Next
Year. <#S4>

• US Warns Against Allowing Iranian Tankers Into Ports. <#S5>

• High Court Considers Case Related To USS Cole Bombing. <#S6>

• Saudis Reportedly Murdered Journalist Who Exposed Human-Rights Abuses.
<#S7>

*Domestic Policy <#SECTION_4>*

• Media Analyses: “Defiant” Trump Claims “Tremendous Success” In Midterms.
<#S8>

• White House Accuses CNN’s Acosta Of “Placing His Hands” On Intern, Pulls
His Credentials. <#S9>

• Trump Warns Democrats About Launching Investigations. <#S10>

• Trump: Pelosi “Deserves To Be Chosen” As Speaker. <#S11>

• Trump Says He Wants To Work With Congress On Border Wall, DACA. <#S12>

• Trump Open To Corporate Tax Hike In Exchange For Middle-Class Tax Relief.
<#S13>

• Administration Rolls Back Obamacare Birth Control Rule. <#S14>

*Cancer Research <#SECTION_5>*

• Indiana Cancer Researchers Receive $2.3M NCI Grant To Test Molecule For
CIPN. <#S15>

• NIH Grant Supports UCLA To Develop Blood Test For Liver Cancer. <#S16>

*Editorials/Op-Eds <#SECTION_6>*

• New York Times. <#S17>

• Washington Post. <#S18>
Biden in the News
Poll: At 30%, “None Of The Above” Atop List Of Potential 2020 Democrats;
Biden At 25%.

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=002-a02&t=c>
(11/7, Sheffield) reported that a Hill.TV American Barometer poll of “680
registered voters who identified themselves as Democrats or independents,”
taken Nov. 3-4, “found that ‘none of the above’ was the most popular choice
among potential 2020 challengers to President Trump. Thirty percent of the
sample said they would prefer that ‘none of the above’ become the
Democratic nominee when asked to choose” between former Vice President Joe
Biden, Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Bernie Sanders
(I-VT), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), ex-New York City Mayor Michael
Bloomberg, and Hillary Clinton. Among the potential candidates listed,
Biden led they way with 25%, followed by Sanders at 18%, Clinton at 12%,
and Bloomberg, Harris, and Warren each with 4%.

*Exit Poll: At 32%, Biden Currently Top 2020 Choice For Democratic
Voters. *The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=003-c07&t=c>
(11/7) reports, “On Election Day, The Washington Post and Schar School of
Policy and Government at George Mason University polled voters in 69
districts expected to be competitive to see what they think, how they feel
and – ultimately – how they voted. The 1,536 battleground voters who
supported a Democrat in a congressional election were presented with 10
potential candidates for the next presidential race and asked: ‘Which of
the following candidates would you like to see win the 2020 Democratic
presidential nomination?’” At 32%, Biden was the top choice of those
surveyed, followed by Sanders at 15%, Bloomberg, Harris, and Warren at 10%
each, Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) at 9%, Booker at 7%, Sen. Kirsten
Gillibrand (D-NY) and Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) each at 2%, and Los
Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) at 0%.

*UK Bookmaker Pegs Harris As Favorite In 2020 Democratic Race. *The New
York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=004-7fd&t=c>
(11/7, Musumeci) reports that “UK bookmakers are already setting their
sights on the 2020 US presidential election with projections for a showdown
between President Trump and Kamala Harris. Coral, one of the top British
bookmakers, made” Harris “its early favorite, putting the odds of her
winning the Democratic Party nomination at 5-1,” followed by O’Rourke and
Warren each “at 6-1 odds.,” Biden “at 8-1,” Sanders “at 10-1 odds,” and
Bloomberg “at 16-1,” and others sporting longer odds. The Post adds that
Trump “was the favorite for the 2020 nomination of the Republican Party at
2-7 odds and Vice President Mike Pence at 8-1.”

*Breitbart: Iranian State Media “Captivated” By 2020 Poll Showing
Biden Is Trump’s Top Threat. *Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=005-422&t=c>
(11/7, Hayward) reported, “Iran’s PressTV was captivated on Wednesday by a
Reuters/Ipsos exit poll of US midterm voters that” showed
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=006-5c5&t=c>
“Biden is the greatest threat to...Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign. The
Iranians greatly preferred the administration Biden served to the one
currently occupying the White House. PressTV ran down the poll results for
Democrats, asserting that Biden has the most support from Democrat primary
voters and was also favored to beat Trump 51-39 in the general election.”

*McClatchy: Biden Would Be A Top Contender In California’s 2020
Democratic Presidential Primary. *Under the headline “Which Democrat Can
Win Presidential Delegates In California?” McClatchy
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=007-0f5&t=c>
(11/8, Cadei) reports, “California’s move to a March 3 primary date, from
June, means the state will” play a key role in determining “the Democratic
nominee to take on...Trump” in 2020. McClatchy offers “a look at five
leading Democrats” who may run in 2020 – Biden, Harris, Garcetti, Sanders,
and Warren – “and how they stack up in California.” McClatchy reports,
“Strategists say Biden has the mix of high name recognition and longtime
relationships with the Democratic donor community to defeat even
California’s native daughters and sons in the state’s primary. His biggest
challenge would be overcoming the growing push amongst younger Democrats
for a new generation of leaders.”

*Media Highlights Field Of Potential 2020 Democratic Hopefuls. *Several
media outlets offer early looks at the field of potential 2020 White House
hopefuls. For example, writing at Mic
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=008-e90&t=c>
(11/7), Alison Durkee says that a number of Democrats “are already
signaling they’re” likely to run in 2020. Durkee says that Biden “is
currently considered a frontrunner in the 2020 race, although he told CBS
in October that his decision would be based largely on his family,
including the 2015 loss of his son, Beau Biden. However, Biden has been on
the campaign trail in recent weeks, making stops in Iowa and other key
primary states.” McClatchy
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=009-04f&t=c>
(11/7, Wollner) highlights the various potential 2020 Democratic
candidates,

Under the headline “What The 2020 Candidates Learned From The
Midterms,” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=00a-d1d&t=c>
(11/7, Korecki) reported that Biden, Booker, Harris, Sanders, and Warren
“all knew if they wanted to launch a presidential bid, they needed to roll
up their sleeves and pitch in on this year’s most competitive campaigns.”
Among that group, “Harris topped the bunch by raising and donating a
combined $9 million, with Warren at $8 million, Booker at $7 million and
Sanders at $2.6 million. Biden’s camp did not calculate fundraising
numbers, but his PAC had doled out more than $500,000.” Politico added,
“Standouts for state visits were Booker and Biden, who each traveled to 24
states to campaign for other candidates. Sanders visited 18 states, Harris
visited 15 and Warren visited 11. Only Warren skipped Iowa and New
Hampshire.”
Leading the News
Sessions Out At DOJ With Mueller Probe Critic Whitaker As Temporary
Replacement.

President Trump took to Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=00b-1fb&t=c>
yesterday afternoon to write, “We are pleased to announce that Matthew G.
Whitaker, Chief of Staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the
Department of Justice, will become our new Acting Attorney General of the
United States. He will serve our Country well. ...
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=00c-787&t=c>
We thank Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his service, and wish him well!
A permanent replacement will be nominated at a later date.” Sessions
resignation is being described as a “firing” by virtually all media
outlets, which also highlight the move’s potential impact on Robert
Mueller’s investigation.

For instance, CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=00d-e17&t=c>
(11/7, Jarrett) reports that Trump “fired” Sessions, and the New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=00e-bee&t=c>
(11/7, Fredericks) that “Sessions was canned by...Trump.” The CBS Evening
News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=00f-82c&t=c>
(11/7, lead story, 3:20, Pegues) called Whitaker “a critic of the Mueller
investigation,” and the Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=010-18f&t=c>
(11/8, Mordock) says he “has publicly advocated for limiting the scope of
that investigation.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=011-943&t=c>
(11/7, Samuelsohn, Oprysko) reports that “while the change atop DOJ doesn’t
affect Rod Rosenstein...it does mean Rosenstein will no longer oversee the
special counsel’s work.” A DOJ spokesperson “confirmed” to Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=012-293&t=c>
(11/7, Spiering) that “Whitaker would reassert control of the Mueller
Russia investigation,” The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=013-a34&t=c>
(11/7, Chalfant) says the development “is likely to spark a firestorm of
criticism following the midterm elections,” and the Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=014-ad7&t=c>
(11/7, Megerian) that it ends “a tortured relationship with...Trump” and
opens “what could be historic fight over the sprawling criminal
investigation that has clouded Trump’s White House tenure.”

The CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=015-757&t=c>
(11/7, story 2, 1:20, Reid) reported that “clearly the White House wanted
new leadership to oversee the special counsel investigation,” because “if
they were happy with the job that Rosenstein was doing, they would have
left him in charge.” ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=016-aae&t=c>
(11/7, story 3, 0:45, Thomas) reported, “That said, Mueller’s not someone
to buckle to pressure. He’ll end this investigation when he sees fit. Some
of my sources are hoping Mueller will wrap up by the end of the year, with
more indictments potentially coming sooner, possibly in weeks or days.”

The CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=017-7d1&t=c>
(11/7, lead story, 3:20, Pegues) reported DOJ “employees saluted...Sessions
as he departed the building hours after resigning,” and that “earlier he
delivered a letter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=018-245&t=c>
to the White House, which started bluntly, ‘Dear Mr. President, At you
request I am submitting my resignation.’” CBS News “has learned White House
Chief of Staff John Kelly called Sessions this morning to inform him of the
President’s decision.” The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=019-99c&t=c>
(11/8, Mordock) notes Sessions also wrote, “I have been honored to serve as
Attorney General and have worked to implement the law enforcement agenda
based on the rule of law that formed a central part of your campaign for
the Presidency.” The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=01a-159&t=c>
(11/7, Enjeti) reports he added, “We prosecuted the largest number of
violent offenders and firearm defenders in our country’s history. We took
on transnational gangs that are bringing violence and death across our
borders and protected national security.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=01b-1d8&t=c>
(11/7, Zapotosky) reports, “To...Sessions...Trump was the man who could do
no wrong. To Trump, Sessions was the attorney general who could do no
right.” ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=01c-9a2&t=c>
(11/7, lead story, 1:50, Karl) reported “Sessions has been on thin ice for
nearly two years. One of Trump’s earliest and staunchest supporters, he
infuriated the President shortly after becoming AG by recusing himself from
the Russia investigation.” ABC added that “the Attorney General’s decision
ultimately led to the appointment of special counsel...Mueller,” and “Trump
never forgave him.”

USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=01d-0f4&t=c>
(11/7, Johnson) says that “laser-focused on Sessions’ decision to recuse
himself from the Russia investigation, Trump has savaged him in interviews,
tweets, and press conferences as ‘beleaguered’ and often expressing
‘disappointment’ in his attorney general.” In September, “Trump took his
criticism to a new level when he appeared to completely disassociate
Sessions with the administration, including the attorney general’s border
enforcement efforts.” The President told Hill. TV, “I don’t have an
attorney general. It’s very sad.” According to the Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=01e-2c5&t=c>
(11/7, Cohen), Trump also “called Sessions an ‘idiot’ in May 2017” and
“‘disgraceful’ in February of this year.” CQ Roll Call
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=01f-7d8&t=c>
(11/7, Bennett), Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=020-eba&t=c>
(11/7, Strohm)and Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=021-9e4&t=c>
(11/7, Gurman, Viswanatha), among other news outlets, run similar reports
on Sessions’ resignation.

Marc Thiessen of the Washington Post said on Fox News’ Special
Report[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=022-288&t=c>
(11/7), “I think the President of the United States is learning from his
mistakes. If he had done this with James Comey after the 2016 election,
there would be no Mueller probe today. It is absolutely normal after an
election for the President of the United States to reshuffle his cabinet,
to ask some people to leave and other people to come. . ... This is a
normal process. If he had waited to do this and then and all of a sudden
some development came in the Mueller probe or some controversy with the
Justice Department, then...we would be into conspiracy theories about
obstruction of justice. Here it is just very clear the election has changed
and he’s moving on. It is a smart move.”

House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy said on Fox News’
Special Report[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=023-ff7&t=c>
(11/7), “It was going to happen, I knew it was going to happen after the
election. I didn’t think it would happen before all the votes had been
counted but he’s been a proverbial dead man walking for several months
now.”

Sean Hannity said on Fox News’ Hannity[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=024-ea4&t=c>
(11/7), “I have known Jeff Sessions a long time, I personally thought he
would be a great attorney general. Thought it was a great choice. I know
him to be a good man. I know that for a fact. For whatever reason...the
President and Sessions, they just clashed from the get-go. And it started
with the recusal, which shocked everybody, especially the President. And I
think this probably was not the right job at the right time if that was his
intention from the get-go.” Hannity added, “Sadly, Sessions was MIA on one
of the most important issues ongoing inside the halls of the DOJ. In just
the first few weeks of taking office, Sessions recused himself from all
things Russia. He should’ve told the President, in my belief, ahead of
time.”

CNN reporter Laura Jarrett said on CNN[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=025-e71&t=c>
(11/7), “Sessions was the champion of this President’s agenda. ... He
supported him in lock step. But his original sin was the fact that just
very soon after he took charge here, he recused from all matters related to
the Russia investigation, and clearly the President never forgave him for
it.”

CNN chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta said on CNN’s
Situation Room[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=026-3b4&t=c>
(11/7) that the President “forcing Jeff Sessions to resign...did change the
narrative, did change the news cycle from a President claiming that
everything had gone just fine last night. Now we’re all talking about Jeff
Sessions being out the door instead of what happened last night in the
midterms across the country.”

CNN legal analyst Laura Coates said on CNN[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=027-60a&t=c>
(11/7), “Fired is not the only issue for Robert Mueller. He could remain in
place and have his legs cut out from underneath him if you have somebody
who is overseeing his probe, who is curtailing his efforts at subpoena
power, who is curtailing his efforts in the budgetary concerns, or maybe
trying to guide or stymie the investigation other ways.”

CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins said on CNN[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=028-10f&t=c>
(11/7), “I don’t think it’s that far gone to picture the President firing
the special counsel, because a., he’s tried to do it before. It’s not like
it’s some area he hasn’t come close to. He’s tried to do it before. And b.,
what was one of the things he was tweeting about this morning when he was
talking about the rash of election results from last night? He was citing a
poll believing Americans did not find the Mueller investigation to be
worthy of continuing to go on. So the President can use that mentality or
he clearly has that mentality. He thinks his supporters and he’s been
surrounded by them for two weeks now, saying witch hunt and having the
crowd cheer, agree with him.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=029-b00&t=c>
(11/7) editorializes that “Sessions’s performance as attorney general was
far from praiseworthy,” though “at some crucial moments, such as when he
properly recused himself from the Russia investigation, he showed a
fidelity to the independence and integrity of the Justice Department, and
it was for that essential loyalty that the president could not tolerate
him.” The Post adds, “The Justice Department is now in peril.”

In an editorial, the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=02a-bf8&t=c>
(11/7) cautions Whitaker and his permanent successor not to fire Mueller, USA
Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=02b-68c&t=c>
(11/7) says “an acting head of the Justice Department – particularly a
presidential ally who hasn’t been confirmed by the Senate – should not be
allowed to interfere.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=02c-3d4&t=c>
(11/7) editorializes, meanwhile, that “it’s not even clear Mr. Whitaker may
legally hold the post of acting attorney general, since he has never been
confirmed by the Senate. But if so, he could do a lot of damage, much of it
behind closed doors.” To the Times, “Trump has made clear that he thinks
the attorney general should function as a president’s personal lawyer,
protecting him from justice and persecuting his enemies.”

In an editorial, the Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=02d-390&t=c>
(11/7, Board) says “the president might finally try to shut down the
Justice Department investigation of possible ties between Russia and his
2016 campaign,” and “he must not be allowed to do so.”

Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy21, and Norman Eisen,
chairman of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, write in
the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=02e-3a3&t=c>
(11/7), “Whether or not Mr. Whitaker steps aside, Mr. Trump’s audacity now
demands additional safeguards. Congress must quickly put in place a plan to
protect the Russia investigation before...Trump makes any further efforts
to control the special counsel’s office.” Writing in the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=02f-2d9&t=c>
(11/7, Lacovara), however, Philip Allen Lacovara, “former president of the
District of Columbia Bar and counsel to the Watergate special prosecutors,”
warns that “given Senate Republicans’ ardent support for Trump, and their
fortified majority, House Democrats likely would face an impossible task in
pursuing an effective impeachment, no matter what Mueller uncovers.”
Lacarova adds, “The net effect: Trump may be emboldened to strangle the
Mueller investigation. The president has many ways to end the
inquiry...with no fear of paying a serious political price. The most
drastic step would be simply to pardon everyone involved in the case, even
trying to include himself.”

*Whitaker Has Been Critical Of Mueller Probe, Wrote He Would Indict
Clinton. *NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=030-54d&t=c>
(11/7, lead story, 2:00, Holt) cast the move as “placing a question mark
over the future of the Mueller investigation,” and said in a separate
report[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=031-f8d&t=c>
(11/7, story 2, 1:20, Williams) that “when he was a conservative
commentator for CNN,” Whitaker “was wary of giving the special counsel too
much power and said the Russia investigation could be throttled back.”
Whitaker was shown saying, “I could see a scenario where...Sessions is
replaced with a recess appointment and that Attorney General doesn’t fire
Bob Mueller but reduces the budget so low that his investigation grinds to
a halt.”

Moreover, the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=032-423&t=c>
(11/7, Tucker) reports, “in an op-ed for CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=033-701&t=c>,
Whitaker wrote: ‘Mueller has come up to a red line in the Russia 2016
election-meddling investigation that he is dangerously close to crossing.’”
The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=034-100&t=c>
(11/7, Baker, Benner) describes Whitaker as “a loyalist who will now take
charge of the special counsel investigation into Russia’s election
interference, a defiant move just a day after a midterm election loss.” The
Times also reports that in his op-ed, “Whitaker wrote that Mr. Mueller
would be going too far if he examined the Trump family’s finances,” which
to him “would raise serious concerns that the special counsel’s
investigation was a mere witch hunt.”

The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=035-53e&t=c>
(11/7, Enjeti) reports “Whitaker also wrote an op-ed” for USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=036-aef&t=c>
“in July 2016 that he would indict former Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton for her use of a private email server, saying: A reasonable
prosecutor may ask, if on numerous occasions, an unknown State Department
employee had taken top secret information from a secured system, emailed
that information on a Gmail account, and stored the information on a
personal server for years, would that individual be prosecuted? I believe
they would.”

The New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=037-ec1&t=c>
(11/7, Feis) reports “Whitaker previously served under the George W. Bush
administration as US attorney for Iowa’s Southern District from 2004 to
2009.” He also “mounted a 2014 Senate bid to represent the Hawkeye State,
but failed to garner enough support to win the Republican primary.” On its
website, meanwhile, NBC News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=038-64a&t=c>
(11/7, Smith) described Whitaker as a “conservative legal commentator.”

*Schumer, Pelosi Call For Whitaker Recusal; Nadler Hints At House
Investigation. *ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=039-231&t=c>
(11/7, story 2, 1:55, Muir) also reported “Democrats are warning of a
constitutional crisis if Whitaker doesn’t recuse himself and interferes in
any way with the investigation,” and “some Republicans are expressing
concerns, as well, including Susan Collins and senator-elect Mitt Romney.”
The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=03a-9c2&t=c>
(11/7, Lim) reports “Romney said Wednesday that it was critical...Mueller
to be allowed to finish his federal Russia probe as incoming acting
Attorney General Matthew Whitaker takes the reins of the Justice
Department.”

USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=03b-e5f&t=c>
(11/7, Johnson, Groppe) reports Senate Minority Leader Schumer “vowed to
protect Mueller, saying it would create a constitutional crisis if
Session’s departure were a prelude to ending, or greatly limiting,
Mueller’s investigation.” NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=03c-2c8&t=c>
(11/7, story 3, 1:15, Holt) showed Schumer saying, “Any Attorney General,
whether this one or another one, should not be able to interfere with the
Mueller investigation in any way.” Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=03d-3ed&t=c>
(11/7, Beech) notes that in a statement, Schumer further said, “Given his
previous comments advocating defunding and imposing limitations on the
Mueller investigation, Mr. Whitaker should recuse himself from its
oversight for the duration of his time as acting attorney general.”

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=03e-752&t=c>
(11/7, Burke) reports House Minority Leader Pelosi also “called
for...Whitaker to recuse himself from ‘any involvement’ in...Mueller’s
Russia probe,” writing on Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=03f-d9b&t=c>,
“It is impossible to read Attorney General Sessions’ firing as anything
other than another blatant attempt by [Trump] to undermine & end Special
Counsel Mueller’s investigation.”

The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=040-d88&t=c>
(11/7, Correll) reports Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), “who is poised to become
the next chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said the panel would be
‘holding people accountable’ soon after a resignation was announced.”
Nadler tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=041-544&t=c>,
“Americans must have answers immediately as to the reasoning behind
@realDonaldTrump removing Jeff Sessions from @TheJusticeDep. Why is the
President making this change and who has authority over Special Counsel
Mueller’s investigation? We will be holding people accountable.”

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) said on CNN[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=042-33f&t=c>
(11/7), “It didn’t take long for the President to act immediately to
protect himself, because it’s always about him, all of the time, every
time. So first he fires Jeff Sessions, and then he names Matthew Whitaker
as acting attorney general. Very, very troubling knowing Mr. Whitaker’s
views about the investigation. It raises, of course, a conflict of interest
with regard to Whitaker, and it certainly goes to the obstruction of
justice by the President. This is why Congress has to pass legislation to
protect the Mueller investigation.”

Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) was asked on CNN’s Situation Room[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=043-da1&t=c>
(11/7) if this was the first step toward ending Mueller’s investigation.
Castro said, “I very well believe that it could be. You know, the President
had signaled for a long time that he didn’t want Jeff Sessions to be the
Attorney General any longer, and he finally after the midterm elections
actually took the step of firing him. And so we need to find out more about
the reason he was fired. But we also need to make sure that the Mueller
investigation is protected, that it’s adequately funded.” Castro was also
asked if the President taking steps to end the Mueller investigation could
lead to impeachment proceedings. He said, “I have said for quite a while
that I believe I’ve seen evidence of obstruction of justice. And if it
becomes clear that this is another move to shut down the Mueller
investigation, that is something we’ll have to seriously consider.”

Rep. Ruben Gallego (R-AZ) said on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=044-b8e&t=c>
(11/7), “The President clearly is scared that there will be oversight
coming from the Democrats in the House. He believes that...Mueller is about
to release a report or come down with indictments that are going affect the
investigation. ... At the end of the day it really shows that the President
is scared and wants to move fast to try to basically snuff this out.”

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) said on CNN[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=045-bf5&t=c>
(11/7) that Whitaker “is exactly the wrong person to oversee the Mueller
probe. The whole reason there was a special counsel investigation is
because there was a conflict of interest for the President to oversee the
investigation through the White House. To have Matt Whitaker there is
exactly the same problem.” Asked if he believes Mueller’s job is in
jeopardy, Lieu said, “I do not believe Robert Mueller’s job is in jeopardy
right now. I think the President does see that as a red line. I do believe
putting Matt Whitaker in is probably a red line, as well, but we’ll see
what Matt Whitaker has to say. And in terms of firing Robert Mueller under
Department of Justice regulations, he could still only be fired for good
cause. He can’t just be fired just because Whitaker doesn’t like him or
what he’s doing.”

House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy was asked on Fox
News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=046-987&t=c>
(11/7) about concerns voiced by Senate Minority Leader Schumer and other
Democrats that Whitaker will limit or interfere with Mueller’s
investigation. Gowdy said, “Every prosecutor has jurisdictional boundaries.
I don’t know a single prosecutor that does not. Mueller’s jurisdictional
boundaries were set by Rod Rosenstein in the memo that you have seen and
they were amended in the memo that we have not seen. There has never been a
prosecutor that just had unfettered power to go investigate whatever the
heck he or she wanted to do. ... The notion that we are going to create a
special counsel that has no boss, no jurisdictional strictures at all is
just typical Chuck Schumer and I think it’s why so few people take him
seriously.”

*Trump Highlights NBC Poll Showing Plurality Of Voters Disapprove
Of “Disgusting Witch Hunt.” *Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=047-31c&t=c>
yesterday, “According to NBC News, Voters Nationwide Disapprove of the
so-called Mueller Investigation (46%) more than they Approve (41%). You
mean they are finally beginning to understand what a disgusting Witch Hunt,
led by 17 Angry Democrats, is all about!”

*Donald Trump Jr. Concerned Mueller Could Indict Him As Early As
This Week. *The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=048-58f&t=c>
(11/7, Lim) reports “Donald Trump Jr. is concerned he may be indicted
by...Mueller’s team as early as this week, according to multiple reports.”
Trump Jr. “has told at least one person close to him that Mueller could
charge him with making false statements to Congress and the FBI regarding
whether the infamous June 2016 Trump Tower meeting.”

Vanity Fair
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=049-c87&t=c>
(11/7, Sherman) reports “one person close to Don Jr. speculated that
Mueller could indict him for making false statements to Congress and the
F.B.I. about whether he had told his father about the ..meeting.” Vanity
Fair adds “this source had heard that the case could revolve around Trump’s
former deputy campaign chairman, Rick Gates, who’s cooperating with Mueller
and who was deeply involved in the campaign at the time of the meeting.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=04a-925&t=c>
(11/7, Leonnig) reports that “for more than seven weeks,” Mueller “has been
silent,” which the Post says is “in keeping with Justice Department
guidelines that prosecutors should avoid taking steps that could be
perceived as intending to influence the outcome of the vote.” The Post says
now “with the midterm elections now over, Mueller faces key decision points
in his 18-month-old investigation into Russian interference in the 2016
campaign.” The Post adds, “Among the most pressing matters now before the
special counsel: a probe into longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone’s
activities and ongoing negotiations with Trump’s legal team over a request
to interview him.”

Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=04b-fd5&t=c>
(11/7) says with Sessions’ exit from the Justice Department, Mueller “may
feel extra pressure to complete his work as quickly as possible” because “a
replacement for Sessions...could fire him or rein in the probe.” Citing
“two U.S. officials with knowledge of the matter,” Bloomberg News says
Mueller is “expected to soon produce some investigative findings on
collusion and obstruction of justice.”

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=04c-b5d&t=c>
(11/7, Samuelsohn) says Mueller “will soon have a friendly audience of
Democratic chairmen on one end of Capitol Hill who are primed with subpoena
power to fight the White House if it tries to block the public release of
his final report.” Politico adds, “House Democrats say they’re also ready
to act as a backstop if Trump follows through on more than 18 months of
pent-up angst and fires Mueller or tries to meddle with the special
counsel’s work through a major shakeup at the Justice Department.”

*In Grand Jury Testimony, Filmmaker Supported Stone’s Claims About
Credico. *The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=04d-422&t=c>
(11/7, Ross) reports filmmaker David Lugo, who is an associate of Roger
Stone, “has provided the FBI and the special counsel’s office with more
than a year’s worth of emails and text messages he exchanged with the Trump
confidant and Randy Credico, the left-wing comedian who Stone claims was
his source of information about WikiLeaks’ plans during the 2016 campaign.”
Lugo “told The Daily Caller News Foundation that he provided the
communications to the FBI during an interview at his home on Oct. 11.” Lugo
“also appeared before a federal grand jury being used in the special
counsel’s investigation on Oct. 19.” He “said he testified in support of
Stone’s claim that Credico was his conduit of sorts to WikiLeaks.”

*Luther Strange: “Sessions For Senate In 2020.” *The Washington
Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=04e-3fc&t=c>
(11/7, Yilek) reports that “former Sen. Luther Strange, the Alabama
Republican who filled...Sessions’ seat when he became US attorney general,
suggested Alabamians elect Sessions back to the Senate just before news
broke Wednesday afternoon that Sessions had resigned from the Trump
administration.” A couple of hours before Sessions’ resignation became
public, Strange wrote on Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=04f-eb3&t=c>,
“Jeff Sessions for Senate in 2020!”

*Marijuana Stocks Soar In Wake Of Sessions’ Resignation. *The New
York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=050-5f9&t=c>
(11/7, Gray) reports “pot stocks were stoked on the news...Sessions was
fired Wednesday.” The Post adds “shares of Canadian cannabis grower Tilray
jumped 34 percent to close at $139.60 as marijuana tracking funds in the US
jumped 9 percent in late trading to new highs.”

*AG Speculation Includes Azar, Bondi, Giuliani. *The Wall Street
Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=051-e7f&t=c>
(11/7, Nicholas, Ballhaus) lists some of the top contenders to permanently
succeed Jeff Sessions as attorney general, including HHS Secretary Azar,
George H.W. Bush Administration Attorney General William Barr, Florida
Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Trump attorney and former New York City
mayor Rudy Giuliani. Acting Attorney General Whitaker could also be
considered to take the job permanently. The Journal reports that a source
close to Azar said last month that Azar was not interested in the post.
Foreign Policy
Trump Says He Will Not Meet With Putin In France, But Will At The G20
Meeting.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=052-c89&t=c>
(11/7, Baker) reports that at his press conference today, President Trump
said he will not meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin this weekend,
“contradicting the Kremlin, which said earlier in the day that the two
would have a discussion while in Paris for an unrelated gathering of world
leaders.” The Times adds, “Instead, Mr. Trump said he expects to sit down
with Mr. Putin later in the month in Buenos Aires on the sidelines of the
annual meeting of the Group of 20, or G20. ‘That’s where we’re actually
looking forward to meet,’ Mr. Trump said.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=053-a13&t=c>
(11/7) reports Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov on Wednesday
said the two countries “have agreed not to hold a summit in Paris,”
reportedly adding that “France conveyed concern that a Putin-Trump summit
would steal the limelight from” the weekend commemorations marking the
100th anniversary of World War I’s end. AFP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=054-cd0&t=c>
(11/7) reports that at his news conference Wednesday, Trump said: “I
believe that President Putin will be there, we do not have anything
scheduled. ... And I am coming back very quickly.”

*Russians View US House Results As Negative. *The Daily Beast
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=055-bc3&t=c>
(11/7, Davis) reports Russian state TV on Wednesday described Democrats
taking the control of the House as a “very negative” outcome for the
Kremlin, while “predicting ‘political chaos’ in Washington and new
sanctions on Russians now a certainty.” The Daily Beast adds that Russian
state media reported “there is no longer any need for Vladimir Putin to
meet with Trump in Paris during First World War commemoration ceremonies
this week.”

USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=056-6d8&t=c>
(11/7, Stanglin) quotes Russian Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked about US
House elections, saying, “One can assume with a high degree of confidence
that, of course, no bright prospects for normalizing Russian-American
relations are in the offering.”

*Russia Says Any New Sanctions By US Against Russia Would Be
“Illegal.” *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=057-97c&t=c>
(11/7, Auyezov) reports on Wednesday, Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov said
that Russia believes that any “restrictions imposed by the United States
against Russia [would be] illegal,” after the State Department said that
the US may “impose additional sanctions on Russia” because “Moscow failed
to give reasonable assurances it would not use chemical weapons after a
nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in England.” USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=058-ef4&t=c>
(11/7, Stanglin) reports State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert “did
not say when they would be applied.”
Pompeo Meeting Postponed, But Trump Still Hopes To Meet With Kim Next Year.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=059-3c5&t=c>
(11/7, Mason, Brunnstrom) reports that at his press conference today,
President Trump said he “expects to meet with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong
Un some time early next year and that an expected meeting between”
Secretary of State Pompeo and North Korean officials “will be rescheduled.”
Trump is quoted as saying, “We’re very happy how it’s going with North
Korea. We think it’s going fine. We’re in no rush. ... I’d love to take the
sanctions off, but they (North Korea) have to be responsive, too.” Reuters
adds that the State Department said “conversations continue to take place”
with North Korea, and added, “The United States remains focused on
fulfilling the commitments agreed to by President Trump and Chairman Kim at
the Singapore summit in June.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=05a-9ad&t=c>
(11/7, Denyer) reports that the State Department announced earlier today
that Pompeo’s meeting had been “called off at the last minute...without
giving any explanation or new date.” According to the Post, “South Korea’s
government warned against reading too much into” the change, but the Post
sees “signs of a growing rift between Washington and Pyongyang over the
denuclearization process.” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said
the meeting would occur “at a later date.”

The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=05b-c72&t=c>
(11/7, Sands) reports the meeting was “postponed without explanation” while
adding that according to the State Department, it would happen “when
[their] respective schedules permit.”

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=05c-4af&t=c>
(11/7, Wong), in its analysis, says that the goal for the meeting was to
“nail down a plan for a second summit between President Trump” and North
Korea’s Kim Jong-un, “but finalizing the meeting itself” between Pompeo and
Kim Yong-chol “proved harder than expected.” The Times adds that the
postponement “leaves little doubt that the diplomatic process between the
United States and North Korea is now mired in quicksand.”

Adam Taylor of the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=05d-554&t=c>
(11/7, Taylor) says the cancellation of Pompeo’s scheduled meeting is “yet
another sign of how diplomacy has stagnated in the months since the summit”
in Singapore. According to Taylor, “at the working level, where the details
are actually hammered out, progress has been slow at best.”

*Russia Wants UN Meeting On Easing North Korean Sanctions. *Fox
News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=05e-342&t=c>
(11/7) reported that Russia has requested that the UN Security Council
discuss possible easing of sanctions against North Korea during a Security
Council session tomorrow. Moscow’s request “comes as Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo postpones a meeting with North Korea officials in New York.”
US Warns Against Allowing Iranian Tankers Into Ports.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=05f-d21&t=c>
(11/7, Lee) reports the US “is warning foreign countries not to allow
Iranian oil tankers into their territorial waters or ports.” According to
the State Department, allowing their presence “may run afoul of U.S.
sanctions.” The department added that “insuring Iranian tankers is also a
violation of the U.S. sanctions that came into force this week.”

*WPost: Sanctions Unlikely To Cause Iran To Change. *The Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=060-3ae&t=c>
(11/7) in an editorial says that US sanctions “may be justified” in
response to Iran’s “stepped up...aggressions,” and adds that “President
Barack Obama’s hopes” of “a moderation of Iran’s malign activity were
illusory.” But, the Post adds, “the chance of a sea change in Tehran
remains small.” The Post says that while “Iran may find it harder” to
finance its activities, “the Revolutionary Guard Corps is unlikely to
retreat from Iraq or the Levant.” The Post urges President Trump to
consider seeking a “grand bargain” based on a “balance of its [Iran’s]
interests with those of Saudi Arabia,” which also, according to the Post,
“needs to have its aggressions placed in check.”
High Court Considers Case Related To USS Cole Bombing.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=061-e5c&t=c>
(11/7, Gresko) reports that Supreme Court on Wednesday considered “whether
to overturn a nearly $315 million judgment against Sudan stemming from the
bombing of the USS Cole.” The Court is being asked to decide “where notice
of the lawsuit against Sudan should have been mailed, to its embassy in
Washington or its foreign ministry in the country’s capital, Khartoum.” The
AP says it was unclear “how the justices would rule.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=062-902&t=c>
(11/7, Barnes) reports that the lawsuits against Sudan “were sent to the
Sudanese embassy in Washington,” but Christopher Curran, the attorney
representing Sudan, “told the court that they should have been sent to the
foreign minister’s office in Khartoum.” If the Court agrees, “the judgments
against the country would be vacated.” The Post says one appeals court
“decided mailing a notice to the embassy was fine,” but another “sided with
Curran. The justices seemed similarly divided.”
Saudis Reportedly Murdered Journalist Who Exposed Human-Rights Abuses.

The Daily Mail (UK)
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=063-e8f&t=c>
(11/7) reports that “another dissident journalist has reportedly been
tortured and killed in Saudi Arabia.” According to the Daily Mail, “Turki
Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Jasser is said to have been murdered in jail a month
after Jamal Khashoggi was slaughtered in the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate.”
The Daily Mail says “news site The New Khaleej reported Al-Jasser’s death
on Saturday quoting human rights sources,” which said “the Saudi government
believed Al-Jasser secretly ran a Twitter account called Kashkool, which
exposed human rights violations by officials and the royals.”
Domestic Policy
Media Analyses: “Defiant” Trump Claims “Tremendous Success” In Midterms.

President Trump claimed victory in the midterm elections on Wednesday,
tweeting
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=064-051&t=c>
at 7:07 a.m., “Those that worked with me in this incredible Midterm
Election, embracing certain policies and principles, did very well. Those
that did not, say goodbye! Yesterday was such a very Big Win, and all under
the pressure of a Nasty and Hostile Media!” Less than an hour later, he
tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=065-601&t=c>,
“To any of the pundits or talking heads that do not give us proper credit
for this great Midterm Election, just remember two words – FAKE NEWS!”

The President reiterated this stance during his news conference,
and media analyses portray him as defensive and in denial, downplaying the
loss of the House and blaming defeated GOP incumbents for their losses.
Jeff Glor reported on the CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=066-749&t=c>
(11/7, story 4, 2:15), “Even though the Republicans lost control of the
House, the President is calling the midterm elections a ‘tremendous
success.’” CBS’ Chip Reid reported that the President “celebrated the
election results today, focusing on the seats Republicans gained in the
Senate, and he gave the lion’s share of the credit to himself.” Trump: “I
only had me. I didn’t have anybody else.” On NBC Nightly News[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=067-957&t=c>
(11/7, story 4, 2:50, Holt), Peter Alexander reported that “a defiant
President Trump framed the voters’ verdict as a ‘tremendous success’ for
himself.” Trump: “I thought it was a very close to complete victory.”
Alexander: “The President mocking eight defeated members of his party who
refused to embrace him” during “a combative 87-minute news conference.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=068-606&t=c>
(11/7, Colvin, Lemire, Miller) reports that Trump, “rejecting any hint of a
setback...mocked members of his own party who were defeated.” The President
“was quick to distance himself from losing GOP House members who had been
critical of his heated rhetoric,” such as Reps. Mike Coffman (R-CO), Carlos
Curbelo (R-FL), and Mia Love (R-UT), though some Trump supporters including
Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) were also defeated. The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=069-106&t=c>
(11/7, Ballhaus, Salama) reports that Trump mocked several defeated
Republicans, saying of Love, “Mia Love gave me no love, and she lost. Too
bad, Mia.” Rep. Ryan Costello (R-PA), who is retiring, “tweeted his
displeasure” with Trump’s remarks, writing
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=06a-172&t=c>,
“To deal w harassment & filth spewed at GOP [members of Congress] in tough
seats every day for 2 yrs, bc of POTUS; to bite ur lip more times you’d
care to; to disagree & separate from POTUS on principle & civility in ur
campaign; to lose bc of POTUS & have him p--- on u. Angers me to my core.”

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=06b-478&t=c>
(11/7, Fabian) reports that Trump “noted that of the 11 candidates he
campaigned with during the final week of the race, nine won,” and “called
out several House lawmakers by name, saying their failure to embrace him
led to their defeats even though they ran in districts where he is
unpopular.” The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=06c-c18&t=c>
(11/7, Enjeti) reports that Trump also “ridiculed” retiring Sen. Jeff Flake
(R-AZ), “claiming that he was responsible for his departure from Congress.”

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=06d-b18&t=c>
(11/7, Mason, Rampton) reports that though the GOP lost control of the
House, “Trump shrugged that off, casting Tuesday’s congressional election
results as ‘very close to complete victory’ for Republicans.” The Washington
Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=06e-364&t=c>
(11/7, Miller) reports that Trump said the GOP “scored Senate wins despite
a huge disadvantages, including a flood of money from liberal donors,
hostile media coverage and a record number of House Republican
retirements.”

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=06f-228&t=c>
(11/7, Choi) reports that Kellyanne Conway also called the midterms a
victory for Republicans. Appearing on Fox News’ Fox & Friends[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=070-e33&t=c>
(11/7), Conway said, “This President has made history yet again last night.
In the last 80 years, the party in power has only picked up eight Senate
seats. Last night the President through his leadership and his engagement
on the ground for these candidates again and again has produced at least
three new Senate seats.”

Under the headline “Trump’s Rambling, Angry News Conference Shows
He Ignored The Message Voters Sent Him,” the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=071-b0d&t=c>
(11/7) editorializes, “Nothing tests character like defeat.” Tuesday’s
elections “presented Mr. Trump with his first real reversal, and he did not
respond well. ... There was nothing in his rambling, angry news conference
Wednesday to suggest he had heard the message that millions of voters, many
of them formerly supporters of the GOP, tried to send him.” Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=072-866&t=c>
(11/7, Key) reports that on CNN, Jake Tapper said, “What we saw here was a
President who clearly feels threatened and was responding by threatening.
... And he made it very clear no matter how many times he kept saying that
he had a tremendous night, it was close to a complete victory, he knew in
his heart that was not the truth.”

The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=073-448&t=c>
(11/7) says in an editorial that unlike past Republican presidents, Trump
has failed to expand his base of support, which should serve as a warning
going forward. Karl Rove writes in his Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=074-762&t=c>
(11/7) column that both parties won some bragging rights Tuesday, and that
while Trump said the midterms were about him, he and the GOP have a lot of
work to do.
White House Accuses CNN’s Acosta Of “Placing His Hands” On Intern, Pulls
His Credentials.

Following a contentious exchange between CNN’s Jim Acosta and the President
during yesterday’s White House press conference, Press Secretary Sarah
Sanders took to Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=075-d3e&t=c>
to write, “President Trump believes in a free press and expects and
welcomes tough questions of him and his Administration. We will, however,
never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to
do her job as a White House intern.” Acosta tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=076-0cb&t=c>
in response, “This is a lie.” The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=077-1c5&t=c>
(11/7, Lim) reports the story under the headline “CNN’s Acosta Denies
Touching White House Intern Despite Video Evidence,” and reports that
“video of the interaction shows Acosta...appeared to momentarily push down
on the young woman’s arm with his wrist.”

Later Wednesday, Acosta said on Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=078-e6b&t=c>,
“I’ve just been denied entrance to the WH. Secret Service just informed me
I cannot enter the WH grounds for my 8pm hit. ...
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=079-9c2&t=c>
The US Secret Service just asked for my credential to enter the WH. As I
told the officer, I don’t blame him. I know he’s just doing his job.” On CNN’s
Anderson Cooper 360[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=07a-eac&t=c>
(11/7), Acosta addressed the White House suspending his press pass. Acosta
said that when he went to the White House Wednesday evening, “the Secret
Service came out and informed me that my press credentials were being, I
guess, revoked temporarily, suspended.” Acosta added, “You can see in the
video, the intern came up to me...and attempted to take the microphone away
from me. ... Obviously, you know, I didn’t put my hands on her or touch her
as they are alleging. And it’s just unfortunate that the White House is
saying this.”

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=07b-7c9&t=c>
(11/7, Griffiths, Schwartz) reports that “the reasons Sanders gave for
pulling Acosta’s press pass were clearly fabricated,” though “later in the
evening, Sanders tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=07c-248&t=c>
a video that included an NFL-instant-replay-like zoomed-in version of the
incident, saying that the White House stood by its earlier decision.” The New
York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=07d-d13&t=c>
(11/7, Baker) says “a review of the video...did not suggest that Mr. Acosta
put his hands on the woman,” while the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=07e-e6c&t=c>
(11/7, Bauder) says “the interaction between Acosta and the intern was
brief, and Acosta appeared to brush her arm.”

The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=07f-03a&t=c>
(11/7, Mai-Duc) says “a female White House aide unsuccessfully tried to
grab the microphone from Acosta,” the New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=080-945&t=c>
(11/7, Tacopino) that there was a “tussle for the microphone between Acosta
and a White House intern,” and the Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=081-c02&t=c>
(11/7, Boyer) that the White House cited his “his ‘absolutely unacceptable’
conduct for tussling with a White House intern.” To the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=082-c27&t=c>
(11/7, Farhi), “a female White House intern tried to take the microphone
from Acosta,” who “held onto it and raised an arm to shield it, in the
process making contact with the aide,” saying, “Pardon me, ma’am.”

Ahead of the White House decision to suspend Acosta’s credentials,
his interaction with the intern had been ignored in many mainstream media
reports – though some did mention it. USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=083-cff&t=c>
(11/7, Cummings) reported, for example, that “when a White House aide tried
to take the mic from him, Acosta yanked it back,” and The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=084-b1e&t=c>
(11/7, Keller) that he “clutched the microphone as a White House aide tried
to take it from him.” The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018110801biden&r=email-8112&l=085-56b&t=c>
(11/8, Miller), meanwhile, described Acosta as “wrestling away the
microphone from a young female White House aide who attempted to pass it to
another repor