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Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing


*From:* Bulletin Intelligence <Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com>
*Sent:* Friday, May 18, 2018 7:54 AM
*To:* Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com
*Subject:* Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for Friday,
May 18, 2018


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[image: Image removed by sender. Office of Vice President Biden
Intelligence Briefing]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=001-b8e&t=c>

*To: Vice President Joe Biden*

*Friday, May 18, 2018 8:00 AM EDT*
Today's Table of Contents

*Leading the News <#SECTION_1>*

• Media Analyses: Trump Distances Himself From Bolton, Reassures North
Korea. <#S1>

*Foreign Policy <#SECTION_2>*

• Trump Warns NATO Members Not Meeting Obligations Will Be “Dealt With.”
<#S2>

• EU To Take Steps To Blunt US Sanctions On Iran. <#S3>

• US Imposes Sanctions On Additional Hezbollah Members. <#S4>

• US Preparing To Work With Al-Sadr In Iraq. <#S5>

• Abbas Preparing ICC Complaint Against Israel. <#S6>

• TSA Watch List Targets Potential Threats At Airport Checkpoints. <#S7>

• Trump Casts Doubt On Trade Deal With “Very Spoiled” China. <#S8>

*Domestic Policy <#SECTION_3>*

• Senate Confirms Haspel As CIA Director In 54-45 Vote. <#S9>

• On Anniversary, Trump Slams “Disgusting, Illegal And Unwarranted” Mueller
Probe. <#S10>

• Trump Says His “Animals” Comment Referred To MS-13 Members. <#S11>

• Administration Today To Place Abortion Restrictions On Clinic Funding.
<#S12>

• FDA Posts Lists Of Drug Companies Accused Of Trying To Block Generic
Competition. <#S13>

• NASA Chief: Humans Contributing To Climate Change In “Major Way.” <#S14>

• US Birth Rate Falls To Lowest Level In 40 Years. <#S15>

*Cancer Research <#SECTION_4>*

• Scientist Uncovers New Understandings Of Pancreatic Cancer’s Spread.
<#S16>

• UV Lights Used During Gel Manicures Can Increase Risk Of Skin Cancer.
<#S17>

*Editorials/Op-Eds <#SECTION_5>*

• New York Times. <#S18>

• Washington Post. <#S19>

*Biden in the News <#SECTION_6>*

• In Atlanta, Biden Addresses Hospice Nurses, Is Honored At Civil Rights
Event. <#S20>

• Simon Speaks At MM&M Transforming Healthcare Conference. <#S21>
Leading the News
Media Analyses: Trump Distances Himself From Bolton, Reassures North Korea.

Media coverage of President Trump’s remarks Thursday about his planned
summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un next month are being cast as an
effort to reassure the North Koreans that his Administration is not
pursuing regime change. Reports suggest that Trump is distancing himself
from National Security Adviser Bolton, whose calls for a so-called “Libya
model” for North Korea have angered Pyongyang. Speaking to reporters at the
White House, Trump said, “The Libyan model isn’t the model we have at all.
In Libya, we decimated that country. There was no deal to keep Gadhafi.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=002-100&t=c>
(5/17, Nakamura, Rucker) says Trump “sharply contradicted” Bolton, and
“emphasiz[ed] that his administration is not seeking regime change.”
According to the Post, “Trump’s remarks represented a remarkable public
guarantee that appeared aimed at trying to ensure the North Koreans would
not back out of the summit.” To the Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=003-e28&t=c>
(5/17, Bierman), Trump “disavowed” the “controversial remark” by Bolton “as
he appeared increasingly eager Thursday to preserve a historic one-on-one
meeting with...Kim,” and Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=004-53c&t=c>
(5/17) similarly says he “sought...to placate...Kim,” and “distanced
himself from comments by...Bolton that North Korea angrily denounced.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=005-c96&t=c>
(5/17, Baldor) reports Trump said that if Kim “were to agree to
denuclearize, ‘he’ll get protections that would be very strong.’” The AP
says Trump was making an effort to “address the North Korean concerns”
sparked by Bolton’s remarks over the weekend. In a report titled, “Trump
Contradicts Bolton On North Korea,” CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=006-f15&t=c>
(5/17) says on its website that Trump “contradicted” Bolton and “denied
that the ‘Libya model’ for denuclearization is being considered.” Under the
headline, “Trump Rebuts Bolton, Says Libya Isn’t A Model For Kim
Talks,” Bloomberg
News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=007-35f&t=c>
(5/17, Sink, Tweed, Sharp) reports Trump “rebutted” Bolton, telling
reporters that rather than suffering Gadhafi’s fate, Kim, if he agrees to
denuclearize, will be “running his country,” which will be “very rich”
because “his people are tremendously industrious.”

ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=008-6ed&t=c>
(5/17, story 3, 2:30, Muir) reported that Trump offered Kim
“protection...if he agrees to a deal...after North Korea threatened to
cancel the summit.” Pyongyang, ABC noted, “is livid” with Bolton’s remarks.
Brian Todd said on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=009-e7e&t=c>
(5/17) that in “jarring promises,” Trump “seemed to almost guarantee Kim
Jong-un would stay in power if the right agreement is made.”

NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=00a-9a6&t=c>
(5/17, story 3, 2:25, Holt) reported, “Trump appeared to alternate between
reassuring and threatening Kim Jong-un during a back and forth with
reporters.” While the President is “promising Kim...protections and
contradicting comments by...Bolton,” Trump also “suggested military action
in North Korea remains on the table.” Trump: “If you look at that model
with Gadhafi, that was a total decimation. ... Now that model would take
place if we don’t make a deal most likely.” The CBS Evening News[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=00b-b74&t=c>
(5/17, story 4, 2:05, Glor) too said Trump “gave Kim a choice: sign a
nuclear deal and be rewarded with protections or possibly end up
like...Gadhafi,” and the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=00c-426&t=c>
(5/17, Baldor, Miller) says Trump “warned that failure to make a deal could
have grave consequences for Kim,” mentioning what happened in Libya. USA
Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=00d-e68&t=c>
(5/17, Jackson) reports Trump said if Kim doesn’t agree to a deal, “we go
on to the next step.” However, he “didn’t specify what that next step would
be.”

Jonathan Swan of Axios said on Fox News Special Report[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=00e-973&t=c>
(5/17), “John Bolton...has always been very, very skeptical about even the
notion of Donald Trump going over there and meeting with [Kim]. He has been
through this carousel before, and he does not trust the North Koreans. He’s
never had faith in the idea that you can take them at their word.” CQ Roll
Call
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=00f-0c5&t=c>
(5/17, Bennett) says “Trump’s public contradiction of yet another senior
adviser raises questions because Bolton appeared to be talking about what
happened early last decade: the push to convince Gaddafi to surrender his
weapons – not when he was killed eight years later.” The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=010-3a2&t=c>
(5/17, Morrongiello) says Trump “appeared to confuse the Libya model of
2003, which dealt with Libya’s nuclear program, with the Libya model of
2011, which was about forcing out...Gadhafi.”

Josh Rogin writes in his Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=011-c11&t=c>
(5/17) column that the Administration says that if the summit “fails or
doesn’t happen at all, the United States and its allies can go right back
to the ‘maximum pressure’ campaign that brought Kim Jong Un to the table in
the first place. In reality, doing that would be difficult if not
impossible. The pressure is already diminishing.” Rogin argues that there
are “things the Trump administration can do to keep pressure high now and
preserve options for the future. First, it should try to keep expectations
low and encourage Seoul to do the same. Also, Trump’s team needs to speak
with one voice to reduce confusion and deny Kim opportunities to cry foul.”

*Trump Suggests Xi To Blame For North Korea’s Toughened
Rhetoric. *Bloomberg
News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=012-780&t=c>
(5/17, Sink) reports Trump also suggested Thursday that Chinese President
Xi Jinping “could be influencing” Kim after his regime “abruptly shifted to
a sharp, negative tone this week.” Said Trump, “If you remember two weeks
ago, all of a sudden out of nowhere Kim Jong-un went to China to say hello
again – second time – to President Xi. It could very well be that he’s
influencing Kim Jong-un. We’ll see what happens.” The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=013-5a5&t=c>
(5/17, Bender, Cheng) reports Trump added, “There has been a big difference
since they had the second meeting.”

A New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=014-267&t=c>
(5/17, Choe) analysis, meanwhile, says that for South Korean President Moon
Jae-in, North Korea’s threat to cancel the June 12 summit brings “home the
difficulties in playing matchmaker between his country’s most fearsome foe
and its most important ally, two countries run by impulsive and often
unpredictable leaders.” It remains “unclear whether the North’s sudden
shift in attitude signaled a return to brinkmanship or mere posturing
before the summit meeting, which is slated to take place in Singapore.”
However, the North today “dug in its heels.”

*Monitor: North Korea Appears Ready To Accept Nuclear Restrictions.
*Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=015-590&t=c>
(5/17, Tirone) reports that Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization
Executive Secretary Lassina Zerbo says North Korea “has shown ‘encouraging’
signs it’s ready to implement key nuclear restrictions ahead of a planned
meeting with Donald Trump.” Zerbo said CTBTO inspectors “are prepared to
deploy within a week and could install high-precision detection equipment
ahead of the planned June 12 summit.”

*Pentagon: No Plans To Scale Back US-South Korean Military Drills. *The
Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=016-5f8&t=c>
(5/17, Wolfgang) reports that despite threats from North Korea to cancel a
planned summit with Trump next month, the Pentagon on Thursday “insisted
there’s absolutely no discussion of scaling back the joint US-South Korean
military drills that have put that landmark meeting in jeopardy.”
Spokesperson Dana White told reporters, “There has been no talk of reducing
anything. There has been no talk of changing our scope. These are annual
exercises. We’re very transparent about them. They are defensive in nature
and the scope hasn’t changed.”

*“Mystery Man” With Pompeo In North Korean Revealed As CIA Mission
Chief. *The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=017-da6&t=c>
(5/17, Fifield, Kim) reports that a “mystery man” at the latest meeting in
Pyongyang between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Secretary of State
Pompeo has been the subject of “intense speculation in the South Korean
media.” It turns out he is Andrew Kim, the head of the CIA’s Korea Mission
Center, and he is “central to planning the summit between President Trump
and Kim Jong Un.”
Foreign Policy
Trump Warns NATO Members Not Meeting Obligations Will Be “Dealt With.”

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=018-b08&t=c>
(5/17, Oliphant) reports President Trump warned Thursday “that NATO members
that do not contribute fully to the group would be ‘dealt with,’ and
singled out Germany as a country he said was not doing enough.” At a
Cabinet meeting attended by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Trump
listed countries he said had paid the amount “they’re supposed to be
paying.” He added, “We have some that don’t and, well, they’ll be dealt
with.” Germany, he said, “has not contributed what it should be
contributing and it’s a very big beneficiary.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=019-139&t=c>
(5/17, Thomas, Superville) reports Trump also responded to European Council
President Donald Tusk’s “criticism that he’s been an unreliable partner,”
telling reporters the EU has been “terrible” to the US on trade and “they
can call me all sorts of names.” Said Trump, “We lost $151 billion dealing
with the European Union. So they can call me all sorts of names, and if I
were them I’d call me names also, because it’s not going to happen any
longer.”

*Ignatius: Trump “Beginning To Erode The Transatlantic
Alliance.” *David
Ignatius writes in his Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=01a-84f&t=c>
(5/17) column that Trump’s “dismissive treatment of Europe is beginning to
erode the transatlantic alliance.” He argues that the “growing
European-American rift may be the most important but least discussed
consequence of Trump’s foreign policy. His disruptive style is usually seen
as destabilizing to distant adversaries in Pyongyang, Tehran and Beijing.
But the diplomatic bombs have also been exploding...in the capital of the
European Union – as well as in Paris, Berlin and London – and they appear
to be causing real damage.”

*Trump Presses Germany To Drop Russian Gas Deal. *The Wall Street
Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=01b-9c1&t=c>
(5/17, Pancevski) reports Trump is urging Germany to abandon a gas deal
with Russia, according to German, US and European officials. The officials
said Trump told German Chancellor Angela Merkel in April that Germany
should drop its support for Nord Stream 2, an offshore pipeline that would
bring gas directly from Russia via the Baltic Sea, in exchange for the US
starting talks with the EU on a new trade deal. Deputy Assistant Secretary
of State Sandra Oudkirk also told journalists in Berlin on Thursday that
the Russian pipeline project could face possible US sanctions.

*Warm Relationship With Trump Hurting Macron Domestically. *The New
York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=01c-e02&t=c>
(5/17, Nossiter) reports French President Emmanuel Macron’s “warm embrace
of” Trump, who is “deeply unpopular in France,” has hurt Macron
domestically, opening “him to searing criticism from political opponents at
home.” The sentiment is partly a response to the visuals of Macron’s
physical gestures toward Trump, as well as “Macron’s unrequited pleas for
policy shifts from Mr. Trump are perceived as failures.” A poll conducted
by Odoxa for Le Figaro found that “Macron’s attitude toward Mr. Trump was
rejected by 55 percent of respondents.”

*Huntsman Cancels Speech At Event With Sanctioned Oligarch. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=01d-479&t=c>
(5/17) reports US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman, in a video on Twitter,
“said he would not speak when he appears on the panel of the St. Petersburg
economic forum (SPIEF) next week” that will include “Viktor Vekselberg, a
Russian oligarch recently added to a U.S. sanctions list.” Russian media
previously said that Huntsman would give a speech at the panel session.
EU To Take Steps To Blunt US Sanctions On Iran.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=01e-bcd&t=c>
(5/17, Surk) reports European leaders “said Thursday they would take steps
aimed at blunting the effects of the American sanctions” on Iran. European
Commission President Jean Claude Juncker “said it would begin a legal
process to prohibit companies based in the 28-nation union from complying
with the American sanctions.” He added, “We have a duty to protect our
European companies.” However, the Times adds, “it is unclear how effective”
any steps by the EU will be in countering US sanctions. The Times also cast
the leaders as “venting anger at President Trump,” whose decision to drop
out of the Iran nuclear deal “is part of a broader pattern of actions that
have deeply frustrated America’s European allies. “

Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=01f-38e&t=c>
(5/17, Okov, Filipovic, Konstantinova) reports, “The deepening rift in
trans-Atlantic ties was the main takeaway from the” meeting of EU’s 28
leaders. This is “the first time in more than two decades” the EU’s
blocking statute has been invoked. French President Emmanuel Macron said
that neither France nor the EU planned sanctions or counter-sanctions on US
companies over the matter, as the Iran deal is a matter of “security and
stability, not commerce.” He added that France also would not force
companies to risk being affected by US sanctions.

The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=020-bf4&t=c>
(5/17, Norman) reports German Chancellor Angela Merkel, when asked if she
supported compensating European companies affected by US sanctions,
replied, “I think we ought not to give rise to any illusions here.”
Merkel’s and Macron’s comments dimmed hopes that the Europe would keep
trade with Iran flowing.

*Trump: Any New Sanctions On Iran Will Be “Brutal.” *Fox News
Special Report[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=021-d98&t=c>
(5/17) reported that in his meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens
Stoltenberg earlier in the day, Trump “highlighted the differences between
how he is prepared to treat North Korea and how he may treat Iran going
forward, saying that any new sanctions against Iran would be, quote,
‘brutal.’”
US Imposes Sanctions On Additional Hezbollah Members.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=022-3af&t=c>
(5/17) reports that in an effort “to further choke off funding sources for”
Hezbollah, the US “imposed sanctions on Hezbollah’s financier, Mohammad
Ibrahim Bazzi, and its representative to Iran, Abdallah Safi Al-Din.”
Treasury Secretary Mnuchin said in a statement, “The savage and depraved
acts of one of Hezbollah’s most prominent financiers cannot be tolerated.”
He added, “This administration will expose and disrupt Hezbollah and
Iranian terror networks at every turn, including those with ties to the
Central Bank of Iran.”
US Preparing To Work With Al-Sadr In Iraq.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=023-80f&t=c>
(5/17, Lederman) reports, “The United States is preparing to work hand in
hand with” Muqtada al-Sadr, whose militias once fought American troops in
Iraq. “Like many Iraqis, Washington was caught off guard by” al-Sadr’s
coalition taking the largest share of the parliamentary vote in Iraq’s
recent elections, but “U.S. officials involved in Iraq policy said
President Donald Trump’s administration was cautiously optimistic that
al-Sadr...could herald the formation of a broad-based and inclusive
government that tolerates a continuing American presence in the country.”
While State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said she didn’t want “to
get ahead of the process and presume how things are going to look in the
end,” State Department comments have contained “buzzwords that signal tacit
acceptance of al-Sadr and his agenda, voicing U.S. support for a
‘nationalist government’ that is ‘sovereign’ and leaves ‘sectarian
divisions behind.’”

*Political Blocs Maneuver For Influence In Formation Of New Iraqi
Government. *The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=024-fee&t=c>
(5/17, El-Ghobashy, Salim) reports Iraq’s “most powerful political blocs”
are holding talks about forming a new government, although the complete
count of the vote “has been held up by accusations that a Kurdish party in
the mixed Arab and Kurdish city of Kirkuk manipulated the process,” an
issue that the UN urged Iraq’s electoral commission to investigate. While
“the head of Iraq’s electoral commission said election workers were being
held hostage by gunmen at an election center,” Kirkuk’s governor “said that
there was no armed standoff.” Meanwhile, as it is “clear that no one will
win anything close to a majority,” there has been “an international
scramble to influence the coalition-building process that will lead to the
selection of a prime minister by the parliament.”

*WSJournal: Fading In Syria, Iraq, ISIS Foreign Branches Remain
Strong. *The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=025-687&t=c>
(5/17, Trofimov) reports that while ISIS has lost almost all its influence
in Syria and Iraq, local insurgencies in faraway countries such as West
Africa, Afghanistan, and Southeast Asia that adopted ISIS’ brand and
ideology continue to fight and gain ground. Many IS fighters in the Middle
East escaped to return to their home countries or other areas of conflict.
Abbas Preparing ICC Complaint Against Israel.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=026-3b8&t=c>
(5/17, Daraghmeh) reports that in the wake of this week’s deadly protests
in Gaza, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is “preparing to pursue a war
crimes complaint against Israel at the International Criminal Court that
would sharply escalate tensions with Israel.” Palestinian officials said
Abbas previously “pledged not to trigger an ICC probe,” because “the US
promised not to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, to keep the PLO
office in Washington open and not cut aid to the Palestinians.” Abbas, the
officials added, “no longer felt bound by these understandings” after this
week’s opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem.

*LATimes: Administration’s Support For Israel Isolating US. *The Los
Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=027-9bd&t=c>
(5/17, Wilkinson) reports the Administration “has gone further than any
previous US government in expressing full-throated support for Israel in
the recent clashes that left dozens of Palestinians dead, isolating itself
internationally and further relinquishing its role as a Middle East peace
broker.” In what the Times calls “a departure from previous American
responses to violence between Israeli forces and Palestinians,”
Administration officials “have not called for restraint on both sides nor
condemned the killings.” Instead, they have blamed Hamas.

*WSJournal: Unrest Complicates Arab Support For Trump Peace Plan. *The
Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=028-17e&t=c>
(5/17, Schwartz, Lieber, Stancati) reports that this week’s deadly protests
in Gaza complicate the Administration’s yet-to-be-released Middle East
peace proposal. The plan would likely rely on Arab governments helping to
bring the Palestinians to the negotiating table. However, the Journal says
the US’ decision to move the embassy to Jerusalem has led America’s Arab
allies to become increasingly pessimistic that the peace effort will work.

*DeSantis Introduces Resolution Recognizing Israeli Sovereignty
Over Golan. *The Washington Free Beacon
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=029-6ec&t=c>
(5/17, Kredo) reports Rep. Ron DeSantis (R) on Thursday introduced a
resolution “that could lead to an historic recognition by the United
States” that the disputed Golan Heights “fully belongs to Israel, according
to a copy of the amendment.” DeSantis “told the Free Beacon the Golan
Heights...is key to thwarting Iranian influence across the region and that
the United States’ recognition that Israel owns the territory could send a
powerful message across the region.”
TSA Watch List Targets Potential Threats At Airport Checkpoints.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=02a-b08&t=c>
(5/17, Nixon) reports that the TSA has created a “secret watch list to
monitor people who may be targeted as potential threats at airport
checkpoints simply because they have swatted away security screeners’ hands
or otherwise appeared unruly.” The Times cites a “five-page directive”
which says that “actions that pose physical danger to security screeners –
or other contact that the agency described as ‘offensive and without legal
justification’ – could land travelers on the watch list, which was created
in February and is also known as a ‘95 list.’” According to TSA Deputy
Chief Counsel Kelly Wheaton, fewer than 50 people have been put on the
watch list. However, “two other government security officials who are
familiar with the new watch list...said that the number of names on the
list could be higher, with travelers added daily.”

NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=02b-0f4&t=c>
(5/17, story 5, 1:45, Costello) reported that civil rights advocates say
“passengers aren’t notified if they are added to the list and can’t
petition to get off.” The CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=02c-6b5&t=c>
(5/17, story 10, 1:30, Duncan) reported that according to TSA officials,
“it’s simply about awareness that someone going to the checkpoint has
demonstrated concerning, assaulting behavior in the past.”
Trump Casts Doubt On Trade Deal With “Very Spoiled” China.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=02d-936&t=c>
(5/17, Thomas) reports that President Trump, who met with Chinese Vice
Premier Liu He on Thursday, has “cast doubt on the prospect of successful
trade talks with China, saying the Asian economic powerhouse has become
‘very spoiled’ because it usually gets its way” with the US. Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=02e-c35&t=c>
(5/17) reports Trump told reporters that China “had ‘ripped off’ the United
States for too long and that he told Chinese President Xi Jinping that ‘we
just can’t do that anymore.’” Regarding trade talks, Trump said, “Will that
be successful? I tend to doubt it.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=02f-b02&t=c>
(5/17, Palmer, Forgey) reports that Trump later “modified his comments,
saying he believed” that China and the US “would be happy with their trade
relations because of his tough approach.”

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=030-18f&t=c>
(5/17, Landler, Swanson) reports that Chinese negotiators are preparing to
offer the US “a mammoth package of promises to buy more American goods, in
a bid to pare down the trade deficit between the two countries and to
defuse” Trump’s “aggressive moves.” But economists warned that “any Chinese
promises would be largely illusory, given the structural hurdles in China
to buying more American exports.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=031-e97&t=c>
(5/17, Forgey) reports that as negotiations continued, National Economic
Council Director Kudlow “tamped down reports of escalating tensions”
between Treasury Secretary Mnuchin and White House trade adviser Peter
Navarro. Kudlow told Fox Business, “We have a very strong negotiating team.
There’s a lot of misreported, gossipy stuff that didn’t go on.”

*Trump Says Xi Asked Him “To Look At” ZTE Issue. *Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=032-a23&t=c>
(5/17, Sink, Pettypiece) reports Trump also said “that his decision to
order a review” of US penalties on ZTE came at the request of Xi. Trump
said, “President Xi asked me to look at it. I said I would look at it. But
anything we do with ZTE is always – it’s just a small component of the
overall deal.” The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=033-23c&t=c>
(5/17, Elis) reports that the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday
“unanimously accepted an amendment to an appropriations bill on Thursday
that reinforces sanctions” against ZTE, “a rebuke to President Trump.”

Regarding ZTE, Paul Krugman asks in his New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=034-6c3&t=c>
(5/17) column, “Did the president of the United States just betray the
nation’s security in return for a bribe from the Chinese government? ...
Was there a quid pro quo? We may never know. But this wasn’t the first time
the Trump administration made a peculiar foreign policy move that seems
associated with Trump family business interests.”

In a Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=035-d4f&t=c>
(5/17) op-ed, former Pentagon official and UN ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad
warns that China is using its technology sector and firms like ZTE to
tighten surveillance at home, and is taking steps to share the technology
with other repressive states.

*China Approves Toshiba Microchip Deal With US-Led Consortium. *The New
York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=036-2e8&t=c>
(5/17, Tejada, De La Merced) reports that Chinese officials “have finally
approved Toshiba’s sale of a majority stake in its lucrative microchip
unit” to a consortium led by Bain Capital, “a move that could signal an
easing of the simmering trade tensions” between the US and China.

*Legislation To Strengthen CFIUS Advancing In Both Houses. *The Wall
Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=037-710&t=c>
(5/17, O'Keeffe) reports on its front page that both the Senate Banking
Committee and the House Financial Services Committee are expected to soon
approve versions of legislation that would expand the role of the Committee
on Foreign Investment in the United States in order to block sensitive
Chinese deals. The measure has bipartisan support. In related news, Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=038-596&t=c>
(5/17) reports that House leaders plan to “hold a series of hearings in
coming months looking at what they see as serious threats from China.”

*Lighthizer Says NAFTA Negotiators “Nowhere Near Close To A Deal.” *The
AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=039-358&t=c>
(5/17, Wiseman) reports that Administration negotiators are “running out of
time to rewrite a trade pact with Canada and Mexico this year just as” the
White House is “confronting China and sparring with its allies over U.S.
tariffs on imported steel and aluminum.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=03a-31f&t=c>
(5/17, Swanson, Malkin) reports that prospects for a NAFTA rewrite this
year “appeared to diminish significantly on Thursday, as a deadline set by
congressional Republicans passed” and USTR Lighthizer “said the countries
involved were ‘nowhere near close to a deal.’”

The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=03b-403&t=c>
(5/17, Lee) reports that House Speaker Ryan “backpedaled from his previous
declaration” that Thursday was the last possible day but said “that there
are only a couple of weeks left to reach a deal in time to meet various
trade-legislation requirements to get a new NAFTA pact to Congress for a
vote” by the end of this year.

Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=03c-447&t=c>
(5/17, Leonard, Edgerton, Wingrove) reports that Canada and Mexico both
said they will continue negotiations with the US, though Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=03d-554&t=c>
(5/17) reports that “there was no immediate reaction to Lighthizer’s
comments” from Canadian officials.

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=03e-55c&t=c>,
“Today the administration missed the deadline to bring a new #NAFTA deal to
Congress before the end of the yr. As a result, uncertainty will continue
to harm [North Dakota] farmers & ranchers for the foreseeable future.”

*Japan Mulling Tariffs In Response To US Steel Levies. *The Wall
Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=03f-274&t=c>
(5/17, Fujikawa) reports that Japanese officials said they are considering
retaliating over US steel tariffs, which would be an unusually aggressive
move. Japan may tell the World Trade Organization that it may follow
China’s lead and impose tariffs on US goods equivalent to the damage it is
suffering from the steel tariffs.
Domestic Policy
Senate Confirms Haspel As CIA Director In 54-45 Vote.

NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=040-2b0&t=c>
(5/17, story 4, 0:20, Holt) reported briefly that Gina Haspel was confirmed
Thursday by the Senate as the first woman to head the CIA, “despite
concerns among Democrats and some Republicans about her role in CIA’s
enhanced interrogation program.” The CBS Evening News[image: Image removed
by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=041-618&t=c>
(5/17, story 5, 0:25, Glor) said the Senate voted 54 to 45
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=042-f7f&t=c>
to confirm Haspel, which the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=043-68c&t=c>
(5/17, A1, Harris, Demirjian) calls “a wider than expected margin, with six
Democrats voting yes and two Republicans voting no.” The Post also says
Haspel’s confirmation followed “an unprecedented public relations campaign”
by the CIA “to bolster Haspel’s chances.” The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=044-ab9&t=c>
(5/17, Mascaro, Riechmann) says the 54-to-45 vote “was the closest vote for
a CIA nominee in nearly seven decades.” ABC World News Tonight[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=045-164&t=c>
(5/17, story 9, 0:15, Muir), Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=046-0d5&t=c>
(5/17, Zengerle), the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=047-d19&t=c>
(5/17, Fandos) and USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=048-859&t=c>
(5/17, Kelly), among other outlets, have similar reporting on the vote.

Rep. Joaquín Castro (D) said on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=049-dc1&t=c>
(5/17), “I would have voted no on her confirmation. I think she looked the
other way at best at torture and then helped cover it up. So, I think the
CIA had somebody better to offer. But now that she’s confirmed, I hope she
will stick to what she said in the confirmation hearings, which is that she
won’t allow the CIA to engage in that conduct again.”
On Anniversary, Trump Slams “Disgusting, Illegal And Unwarranted” Mueller
Probe.

President Trump marked the one-year anniversary of Robert Mueller’s
appointment as special counsel in the Russian election meddling inquiry
with three tweets on Thursday morning. Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=04a-426&t=c>,
“Congratulations America, we are now into the second year of the greatest
Witch Hunt in American History...and there is still No Collusion and No
Obstruction. The only Collusion was that done by Democrats who were unable
to win an Election despite the spending of far more money!” Trump later
tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=04b-b79&t=c>,
“Wow, word seems to be coming out that the Obama FBI ‘SPIED ON THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN WITH AN EMBEDDED INFORMANT.’ Andrew McCarthy says, ‘There’s
probably no doubt that they had at least one confidential informant in the
campaign.’ If so, this is bigger than Watergate!” Trump also tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=04c-a87&t=c>,
“Despite the disgusting, illegal and unwarranted Witch Hunt, we have had
the most successful first 17 month Administration in U.S. history – by far!
Sorry to the Fake News Media and ‘Haters,’ but that’s the way it is!” And
then Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=04d-504&t=c>
this morning, “‘Apparently the DOJ put a Spy in the Trump Campaign. This
has never been done before and by any means necessary, they are out to
frame Donald Trump for crimes he didn’t commit.’ David Asman @LouDobbs
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=04e-6f0&t=c>
@GreggJarrett
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=04f-1d2&t=c>
Really bad stuff!”

Jeff Glor of the CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=050-502&t=c>
(5/17, story 3, 2:15) reported, “The President called it ‘disgusting,
illegal and unwarranted.’ He was talking about the Russia investigation,
now exactly one year old.” CBS’ Paula Reid: “Early this morning, President
Trump took to Twitter, lashing out against the special counsel. ... Over
the last year, the special counsel has filed more than 100 charges against
19 people and three companies with crimes ranging from lying to conspiracy
against the US. Five of the people charged have pleaded guilty and are
actively cooperating with investigators.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=051-d4b&t=c>
(5/17, Tucker) reports that the past 12 months “have yielded a flurry of
criminal indictments and guilty pleas, tense court appearances, angry
tweets from the president and speculation over what the ever-taciturn
Mueller already knows and what he’ll investigate next.” USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=052-831&t=c>
(5/17, Jackson) reports Trump’s tweets “were another part of an ongoing
effort to pressure Mueller’s office into ending its super-secret
investigation into Russian meddling during the 2016 election, at least as
it pertains to the president.” But “while Trump has repeatedly denounced
the investigation as a ‘witch hunt;’ his critics say Mueller and his
prosecutors are building a major case against the president and his aides.”

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=053-f69&t=c>
(5/17, Sullivan) reports Trump “asserted on Thursday that federal
investigators attempted to infiltrate his 2016 campaign with a confidential
informant – a scandalous overreach, he said, that would be ‘bigger than
Watergate!’” The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=054-a55&t=c>
(5/17, A1, Rucker, Costa, Leonnig, Dawsey) reports on its front page that
“Trump’s allies are waging an increasingly aggressive campaign to undercut
the Russia investigation by exposing the role of a top-secret FBI source.
... The stakes are so high that the FBI has been working over the past two
weeks to mitigate the potential damage if the source’s identity is
revealed.” The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=055-991&t=c>
(5/17, Rucker) reports that Trump himself “marked the first anniversary” of
the Mueller probe “by repeating accusations that the FBI had a confidential
informant” inside his campaign. But the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=056-cc9&t=c>
(5/17, Gurman) reports that former law enforcement officials expressed
skepticism, given the multiple sets of FBI and Justice Department rules
regarding the planting and use of informants.

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=057-ea3&t=c>
(5/17, Nelson) reports that “Trump and his allies ramped up their pressure
campaign” against Mueller “as they seek to discredit the probe that shows
no signs of wrapping up soon.” The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=058-ab0&t=c>
(5/17, Jalonick, Tucker) writes that “unlike the president,” Mueller
“hasn’t uttered one word in public about his Russia investigation in the
year since he was appointed special counsel. ... What’s he up to? When will
he bring the probe to and end? He doesn’t have to say, and he’s not.”

Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=059-c9d&t=c>
(5/17) writes that “many in Washington ultimately expect Mueller to produce
a report memorializing what he has found, in addition to laying out much of
his work through criminal charges. ... Trump’s fiercest critics hope
Mueller’s work ultimately leads to impeachment.” Ruth Marcus writes in
her Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=05a-278&t=c>
(5/17) column, “The wrap-it-up cries from Team Trump are as wrong as they
are predictable. There was never any reasonable prospect that an
investigation this sprawling, sensitive and important could be concluded in
a single year.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=05b-c96&t=c>
(5/17, Burns, Savage) writes that “any finding of wrongdoing would be
referred to Congress, putting it squarely in the realm of politics. That
further raises the stakes for control of Congress this November and
potentially puts impeachment or the threat of it front and center in the
midterm elections.”

In a fact-check piece, Linda Qiu of the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=05c-368&t=c>
(5/17) writes that Trump’s “complaints of unjust persecution are a matter
of opinion – or, at the very least, a premature conclusion. But by
quantifiable measures, the investigation...is not the longest, least
fruitful or most harmful inquisition in American history. The largest
literal witch hunt in American history” took place in Salem, Massachusetts
in 1692 and 1693, and Sen. Joseph McCarthy waged a campaign against
suspected communists that “lasted four years.”

*Giuliani Says Mueller Has Agreed To Limit Interview Topics. *David
Muir reported on ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=05d-fb4&t=c>
(5/17, story 4, 0:50) that Trump’s lawyers are negotiating a “possible
interview with Robert Mueller and the Mueller investigation.” Trump
attorney Rudy Giuliani said on Fox News’ Hannity[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=05e-575&t=c>
(5/17) that Trump “has a great desire to come forward and tell the truth if
he gets a fair hearing. Our job is to make sure he gets a fair hearing. ...
Frankly, they could write their report right now, today. They have all the
facts: 1.4 million documents, 28 witnesses, several interviewed more than
once, and then every explanation that they need is already given by
President Trump in interviews.” The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=05f-c29&t=c>
(5/17, Scarborough) reports that Giuliani said Mueller “has agreed to avoid
a ‘fishing’ expedition by narrowing the subject of questions in an effort
to get the president to submit to an interview,” but “he declined to
specify what topics have been dropped.”

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=060-18f&t=c>
(5/17, Samuelsohn) reports that Giuliani also said that Trump’s lawyers
“have begun planning a series of summer prep sessions for the president
before a possible sit-down” with Mueller. The meetings will be held “during
off-hours at the White House and perhaps over games of golf at Trump’s
private courses, Giuliani said.” Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=061-893&t=c>
(5/17, Pettypiece) covers Giuliani’s remarks in a brief item.

*Mueller’s Office Files Unredacted Memo With Federal Judge. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=062-e42&t=c>
(5/17) reports that Mueller’s office has notified US District Judge T.S.
Ellis that it has “filed under seal an unredacted memorandum that is
expected to shed light on the scope” of the probe. Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=063-09d&t=c>
(5/17, Cheney) reports that “the memo laying out the scope of his
investigation and the potential crimes he’s authorized to pursue...remains
classified and not public, leaving its details hidden.” According to Bloomberg
News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=064-9b6&t=c>
(5/17, Voreacos), Mueller’s prosecutors “filed the full memo under seal and
directly to the judge through the classified security officer.” Bloomberg
says “such a designation suggests it involves national security
information.” The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=065-5a8&t=c>
(5/17, Bowden) reports that Ellis requested the full memo during a May 4
hearing.

*Giuliani: Comey Is “Not Going To Be Worth Anything As A Witness.” *The
Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=066-048&t=c>
(5/17, Scarborough) reports that in an interview, Giuliani says that ex-FBI
Director James Comey “has revealed himself to be a leaker of confidential
material.” Giuliani said, “We don’t have a problem with him under oath. ...
We think when [Justice Department Inspector General Michael] Horowitz gets
finished with him, he’s not going to be worth anything as a witness.”

*Manafort’s Ex-Son-In-Law Will Cooperate With Prosecutors. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=067-02b&t=c>
(5/17) reports that Jeffrey Yohai, the former son-in-law of ex-Trump
campaign chairman Paul Manafort, “has cut a plea deal with the Justice
Department that requires him to cooperate with other criminal probes.” The Wall
Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=068-dc1&t=c>
(5/17, Rothfeld, Orden) reports that Yohai pleaded guilty to conspiracy
relating to real estate loans. He has not yet been told how he will be
called on to cooperate.

*Stone Says Mueller Is Violating His Fourth Amendment Rights. *Roger
Stone said on Fox News’ Ingraham Angle[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=069-d08&t=c>
(5/17), “In all honesty, I think this is driven by a fake news narrative
that insists that I must have known in advance about the hacking of the
DNC. ... It’s not pleasant to have a special prosecutor with unbridled
power in your emails, in your text messages, in your phone calls, and he is
very clearly in mine. It’s an enormous violation of my Fourth Amendment
rights, and there is no probable cause here.”

*Treasury IG Expands Probe Into Cohen Banking Activity Leaks.
*The Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=06a-9e1&t=c>
(5/17, Reinhard, Brown) reports that the Treasury Department Inspector
General “is expanding a probe into leaks of confidential reports about
suspicious banking activity” by ex-Trump personal attorney Michael Cohen
“to include an uncorroborated allegation that some of those reports were
mysteriously absent from a government database.” The New Yorker published a
story on Wednesday that featured the allegation.

*Roche Says It Had No Dealings With Cohen. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=06b-900&t=c>
(5/17, Burger) reports that Swiss pharmaceutical manufacturer Roche says it
has had no dealings with Cohen. The company was asked about it because of
rival Novartis’ $1.2 million contract with Cohen.

*WPost Editorial Praises Burr’s Resistance Of Partisan Pressure. *In
an editorial, the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=06c-928&t=c>
(5/17) praises Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr for confirming
that his committee “found ‘no reason’ to dispute intelligence officials’
conclusions” that Russia tried to influence the 2016 campaign on Trump’s
behalf, “a direct rebuke of the hyper-partisan House Intelligence Committee
and of the White House, which has sought to score political points by
attacking the professionals.” Burr and Vice Chairman Mark Warner “deserve
credit for continuing to cooperate in the face of extreme partisan
pressure.”

*DOJ IG: Draft Report On Clinton Email Server Investigation
Complete. *The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=06d-76d&t=c>
(5/17, Mordock) reports that Justice Department Inspector General Michael
Horowitz has sent a letter to members of Congress announcing that he “has
completed his long-awaited report on the agency’s investigation into
Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.” Horowitz said “the draft
report was complete, but did not say when the results of the review will be
officially released.”
Trump Says His “Animals” Comment Referred To MS-13 Members.

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=06e-c88&t=c>
(5/17, Morin) reports President Trump said Thursday that when he called
some undocumented immigrants “animals,” he was referring to MS-13 gang
members. In response to a reporter’s question, Trump said, “You know I’m
referring to the MS-13 gangs that are coming in. I was talking about the
MS-13. ... So, I’m actually surprised that you’re asking this question
because most people got it right.” Trump’s “animals” comment “prompted a
partisan spat online,” and Democrats “responded angrily.” The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=06f-092&t=c>
(5/17, Colvin) notes that Trump “has repeatedly referred to members of the
violent street gang as ‘animals’ in speeches,” and “has also used the term
to describe terrorists and school shooters.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=070-c66&t=c>
(5/17, Davis, Chokshi) says Trump “doubl[ed] down on a statement he made on
Wednesday at a round-table discussion with state and local officials from
California.”

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=071-14d&t=c>
(5/17) reports that White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders on Thursday
“defended” Trump’s comment, saying, “This is one of the most vicious and
deadly gangs that operates by the motto of, ‘Rape, control and kill.’ If
the media and liberals want to defend MS-13, they’re more than welcome to.
Frankly, I don’t think the term that the President used was strong enough.”
The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=072-eff&t=c>
(5/17, Ernst) reports journalists “found themselves on the receiving end of
a rebuke” from Sanders. The Times adds that “some news organizations
apologized on Thursday for their initial reporting” on Trump’s comments.
Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=073-6fa&t=c>
(5/17, Caplan) reports that while “left-wing journalists conceded” that
Trump was referring to MS-13 and not immigrants in general, they “still
argued that Trump was racist.”

*In Tweet Today, Trump Slams “Fake News Media” Over “Animals”
Remark Reporting. *Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=074-d21&t=c>
this morning,”Fake News Media had me calling Immigrants, or Illegal
Immigrants, “Animals.” Wrong! They were begrudgingly forced to withdraw
their stories. I referred to MS 13 Gang Members as ‘Animals,’ a big
difference – and so true. Fake News got it purposely wrong, as usual!”

*Mexico’s Foreign Minister Calls Trump’s Comment
“Unacceptable.” *Trump’s
comments also drew criticism from Mexico’s Foreign Minister, who called
them unacceptable and said that Mexico will file a formal complaint with
the State Department, Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=075-5f1&t=c>
(5/17) reports. Luis Videgaray told local TV station Televisa, “In the
opinion of the Mexican government this is absolutely unacceptable and we
are going to formally communicate this to the US State Department today.”

*Trump, House GOP Leaders Reopen Immigration Negotiations.
*The Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=076-81e&t=c>
(5/17, Debonis, Kim) reports Trump and House GOP leaders “have reopened
negotiations over the fate of young undocumented immigrants and border
security, resurrecting the politically explosive issue of immigration that
has stymied the GOP.” House Speaker Ryan “said Thursday that his goal is
legislation acceptable to Trump, Republicans and some Democrats, a type of
compromise that has been rare in the GOP-led House.” The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=077-91e&t=c>
(5/17, Zanona) reported Thursday afternoon that “key GOP lawmakers” are
working to “come up with a deal within the next 24 hours” to “end a revolt
by Republican centrists demanding votes on legislation to protect
‘Dreamers.’” Rep. Jeff Denham (R), who is “leading the effort to force
immigration votes on the floor with a discharge petition,” said, “We have a
goal of coming together with the makeup of a bill within 24 hours. ... And
we will continue to work on how you craft a bill and how you put together
votes, not only in the next 24 hours, but beyond that.” The Hill points to
signs Thursday “that the sides were edging closer to a deal, though it was
not clear if they could actually put together a bill that can pass the
House.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=078-94d&t=c>
(5/17, Fram) cites a “Republican lawmaker” who said that in an effort to
end the internal battle over immigration, GOP leaders “have discussed
scheduling House votes on two immigration bills.” According to the
Republican, “one bill would resemble a measure backed by conservatives that
would curb legal immigration and open the door to building President Donald
Trump’s prized wall with Mexico,” and the other “would be more narrowly
aimed at providing young ‘Dreamer’ immigrants a chance to stay in the U.S.
permanently.”

*House Conservatives Could Derail Farm Bill Over Immigration. *
Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=079-0db&t=c>
(5/17) reports that House conservatives have told GOP leaders that a vote
on the farm bill scheduled for Friday “should not happen until they are
given a chance to consider a bill that would clamp down on immigration.”
The House Freedom Caucus, which has been “pushing for consideration of a
conservative immigration bill,” could hurt the farm bill’s chances in the
House, “where Democrats oppose it for changes it would make to nutrition
assistance programs.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=07a-bdb&t=c>
(5/17, Crampton, Evich) says Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows said the
Caucus will not support the farm bill “until after a vote is held on
conservative immigration legislation – a move that could sink leadership
hopes of voting on the sweeping agriculture and nutrition bill this week.”
Meadows “said he will have further discussions Thursday evening with
leadership ‘but at this point there is no deal to be made.’” Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=07b-e1b&t=c>
(5/17, Moran) reports that Meadows said the Caucus has “enough” votes to
scuttle the bill if it comes it to a floor vote this week.

*Sessions Orders End To “De Facto” Amnesty For Undocumented
Immigrants. *The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=07c-eea&t=c>
(5/17, Dinan) reports that in a directive to immigration judges Thursday,
Attorney General Sessions told them “they can no longer shunt deportation
cases off onto permanent wait-lists and leave illegal immigrants free to
roam the U.S.” The practice, known as administrative closure, “had become a
favorite tactic of the Obama administration, serving to protect
low-priority illegal immigrants from deportation.” It resulted in “more
than 200,000 cases” being sent “to the suspension list in what analysts
said became a ‘de facto’ amnesty.” Sessions on Thursday “issued a new
precedent telling judges to decide the cases in front of them, rather than
rely on administrative closure.”

*ACLU Sues ICE Over Detention Of Asylum Seekers. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=07d-43e&t=c>
(5/17, Khalil) reports that the ACLU has asked a federal court “to
intervene on behalf of asylum seekers, saying they are being unfairly
detained while they await hearings before an immigration judge.” According
to the ACLU lawsuit, since President Trump took office, ICE “had begun
ignoring its own guidelines...and is now unnecessarily detaining
prospective asylum seekers for months.”

*NYTimes Editorial: Immigration Crackdown Is Cruel To Families. *In
an editorial, the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=07e-9b1&t=c>
(5/17) decries the Administration’s practice of “break[ing] up families who
crossed the southern border illegally.” The Times says that the
Administration’s “deliberately targeting children” should “be no surprise,
given that its immigration crackdown is already distinguished by simple
cruelty toward families and working people.”

*WPost Gives Trump’s Claims On Immigration Judges “Two Pinocchios.”
*The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=07f-8a4&t=c>
(5/17, Alaimo) examines Trump’s claim that the US has “‘thousands of
judges’ hearing immigration cases or is trying to hire thousands,” and that
“no other country in the world does it.” The Post says there are “334 such
judges were hearing cases in 60 immigration courts across the country as of
mid-April,” and it is “not likely that ‘thousands’ of immigration judges
will be hearing these cases during Trump’s administration.” On Trump’s
claim that “no other country in the world does it,” the Post says that it
did not “identify any other country where a judge makes the initial
decision to admit or deny entry to people seeking asylum or refugee
status,” but “focusing on the word ‘judge’ misses the forest for the trees”
as “plenty of countries have independent officials in the executive branch
deciding who is and isn’t a refugee or an asylee.” The Post gives Trump’s
claims “Two Pinocchios.”

*Trudeau Cites “Irregular Arrivals” Of Immigrants Coming From US. *Fox
News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=080-84c&t=c>
(5/17) reported that Canada is “having its own immigration debate,” with
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday speaking “about Canada’s
struggles with policing its southern border.” Fox showed Trudeau saying,
“There is a large number of irregular arrivals who are crossing the border
into Canada right now” from the US, “but we are processing them in a
responsible, rigorous way that is reassuring to Canadians.”
Administration Today To Place Abortion Restrictions On Clinic Funding.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018051801biden&r=email-c803&l=081-7fb&t=c>
(5/17, A1, Davis, Haberman) reports that according to “two White House
officials