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Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing *From:* Bulletin Intelligence <Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com> *Sent:* Tuesday, May 29, 2018 7:54 AM *To:* Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com *Subject:* Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for Tuesday, May 29, 2018 *Click to access <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=000-b5b&t=c> mobile-optimized online version, including download options and an audio reader.* [image: Image removed by sender. Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing] <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=001-584&t=c> *To: Vice President Joe Biden* *Tuesday, May 29, 2018 8:00 AM EDT* Today's Table of Contents *Leading the News <#SECTION_1>* • Trump’s Memorial Day Tweet Citing Economy, Low Unemployment Draws Backlash. <#S1> *Foreign Policy <#SECTION_2>* • US Delegations Meeting With North Koreans To Prepare For Trump-Kim Summit. <#S2> • Rouhani To Visit China Amid Nuclear Deal Uncertainty. <#S3> • Israeli National Security Adviser To Meet With Bolton Today In DC. <#S4> • Gunman Takes Hostage, Kills Three In Belgium. <#S5> • Taliban Targets Afghans Involved In Minting Medal Honoring Trump. <#S6> • FBI Issues Router Warning Amid Concern About Russia-Linked Malware. <#S7> • Ex-IMF Official Tapped To Lead Italy Until Fresh Elections. <#S8> • China Grants Approval For 13th Ivanka Trump Trademark In Three Months. <#S9> *Domestic Policy <#SECTION_3>* • Media Analyses: Trump Camp Waging Public Relations Effort Against Mueller. <#S10> • NYTimes: Administration Didn’t Separate Immigrant Children From Families, Lose Them. <#S11> • Study: Republican-Appointed Judges Give Black Defendants Longer Sentences. <#S12> • Five Largest US Banks Lending To Coal Industry Again. <#S13> • Cindy McCain Likely To Be Appointed To Senate Seat Upon McCain’s Death. <#S14> • Former ACLU President: Obama Was “Terrible President” On Free Speech. <#S15> *Cancer Research <#SECTION_4>* • Patient Advocates: Drugs Developed With Taxpayer Funds Should Be Affordable. <#S16> • Study: Artificial Intelligence Better Than Dermatologists At Diagnosing Skin Cancer. <#S17> *Editorials/Op-Eds <#SECTION_5>* • New York Times. <#S18> • Washington Post. <#S19> *Biden in the News <#SECTION_6>* • Biden Calls McGrath To Congratulate Her On KY6 Primary Win. <#S20> • Biden Endorses Feehan’s Bid To Succeed Walz In MN1. <#S21> • Fletcher Wins “Rare Endorsement” From Biden In San Diego County Supervisor Race. <#S22> • Trump Narrows Democrats’ Leads In 2020 Survey. <#S23> • Kentucky Author Pens Obama-Biden Murder Mystery Novel. <#S24> Leading the News Trump’s Memorial Day Tweet Citing Economy, Low Unemployment Draws Backlash. Coverage of President Trump’s remarks at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day is eclipsed by reaction to his morning tweet <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=002-9c8&t=c>, which stated, “Happy Memorial Day! Those who died for our great country would be very happy and proud at how well our country is doing today. Best economy in decades, lowest unemployment numbers for Blacks and Hispanics EVER (& women in 18years), rebuilding our Military and so much more. Nice!” All three major network newscasts ran brief stories on Trump’s speech, but only NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video] <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=003-aae&t=c> (5/28, story 5, 0:45, Alexander) alluded to the controversy, reporting that he “raised eyebrows with his Memorial Day message on Twitter” and then reading the entire tweet as part of the broadcast. The CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video] <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=004-925&t=c> (5/28, story 4, 0:20, Golodryga), meanwhile, reported “the Commander-In-Chief placed a wreath at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and said we mourn alongside their families and we strive to be worthy of their sacrifice,” and ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video] <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=005-1fc&t=c> (5/28, story 4, 2:40, Llamas) briefly noted the event as a preface to its North Korea coverage, reporting that Trump laid “a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier” and paid “tribute to fallen service members and their families.” In its report on Trump’s speech, meanwhile, the AP <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=006-374&t=c> (5/28, Lucey) says his “somber tone contrasted with a self-promotional tweet earlier Monday,” while Chris Cillizza writes on the CNN <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=007-8bb&t=c> (5/28) website, “Memorial Day, for politicians, is a no-brainer. You express thanks to those who have served and condolences for those who have been lost. That’s it. That’s the statement.” Trump “went in, um, another direction” with “a tweet about Trump masquerading as a tweet about Memorial Day. The remembrance of those who fell in service to the country is used here by Trump as simply a launching pad to tout accomplishments during his first 16 months in office.” CNN political analyst Ryan Lizza said on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image removed by sender. Video] <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=008-355&t=c> (5/28), “I thought that if The Onion had tried to write a...Trump tweet that mocked the President for kind of messing up what is a pretty easy thing to get right, a Memorial Day message for the American people.” CNN national security analyst Samantha Vinograd said, also on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image removed by sender. Video] <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=009-ea3&t=c> (5/28), “I think that this is one day that I had hoped the President would put his narcissism in check.” Daniel Politi of Slate <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=00a-bfe&t=c> (5/28) writes, “Trump celebrated Memorial Day on Monday in the most Trumpian way possible, giving himself a pat on the back. ... It didn’t take long for the backlash as many expressed their shock that even Trump could go as far as to claim the endorsement of dead veterans.” Former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey “wrote <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=00b-bb1&t=c> a pointed reply to Trump without ever mentioning him: ‘This day, of all days of the year, should not be about any one of us. No matter how prestigious or powerful, no matter how successful we perceive ourselves to be.’” The Atlantic’s David Frum “called <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=00c-7b2&t=c> Trump’s tweet ‘the grossest, most inappropriate, most self-flattering Memorial Day message in the history of the US presidency.’” Former CIA and NSA chief Gen. Michael Hayden “reacted <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=00d-46e&t=c> with three letters: ‘OMG.’” Frum later detailed his criticism in a piece on the website of The Atlantic <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=00e-ac7&t=c> (5/28, Frum). NPR <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=00f-663&t=c> (5/28, Wamsley) writes on its website that Trump “laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and paid his respects to those who gave their lives for the country. ... Just a few hours earlier, the president had used the day’s themes to congratulate himself.” The Hill <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=010-779&t=c> (5/28, Thomsen) reports that Trump “has often used Twitter to brag about the state of the economy under his administration,” and the Daily Caller <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=011-811&t=c> (5/28, Enjeti) runs a brief item on the speech that mentions that Trump “previously tweeted a Memorial Day message lauding the state of the US under his administration saying the fallen would be happy to see the country as it is today.” The Hill <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=012-a6f&t=c> (5/28, Gstalter) reports “a progressive veterans advocacy group ripped...Trump’s Memorial Day tweet bragging about the economy under his administration.” VoteVets tweeted <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=013-02b&t=c>, “This is the most inappropriate #MemorialDay comment that a @POTUS has ever made.” The Hill notes Trump “blocked the veterans group on Twitter in 2017 – though a federal district court judge ruled last week that Trump can’t block people from viewing his Twitter feed over their political views.” The New York Post <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=014-431&t=c> (5/28, Fredericks) headlines its report “Trump Visits Arlington After Critics Slam ‘Appalling’ Memorial Day Tweet,” and USA Today <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=015-23a&t=c> (5/28) quotes the tweet in full in an online report. Politico <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=016-274&t=c> (5/28, Nussbaum), meanwhile, describes Trump as “marking Memorial Day as commander in chief even as his White House remains embroiled in an ever-growing list of self-made controversies and Twitter-based conspiracy theorizing.” The tweet received little morning cable discussion, other than an exchange on MSNBC[image: Image removed by sender. Video] <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=017-1ee&t=c> (5/28, 9:27 a.m. ET). Ayman Mohyeldin said, “This Memorial Day, President Trump seems to be using the occasion to tout his own accomplishments.” Mohyeldin then read the tweet. Matt Welch of Reason said, “It’s classic Trump. This is the way he’s behaved his whole public life. He’s always been sort of a self-promoting narcissist, and this is how he’s treating Memorial Day too.” Trump also took to Twitter after his remarks at Arlington Cemetery, writing <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=018-344&t=c>, “Thank you for joining us on this solemn day of remembrance. We are gathered here on the sacred soil of @ArlingtonNatl Cemetery to honor the lives and deeds of America’s greatest heroes, the men and women who laid down their lives for our freedom. ... <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=019-e34&t=c> The heroes who rest in these hallowed fields, in cemeteries, battlefields, and burial grounds near and far are drawn the full tapestry of American life. They came from every generation from towering cities and wind swept prairies, from privilege and from poverty. ... <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=01a-2c9&t=c> Our fallen heroes have not only written our history they have shaped our destiny. They saved the lives of the men and women with whom they served. They cared for their families more than anything in the world, they loved their families. They inspired their communities.” The Washington Times <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=01b-e17&t=c> (5/28, Miller) reports that in his Arlington remarks, Trump “mentioned several service members in the crowd, including former Sen. Bob Dole, a World War II veteran.” Trump “also recognized Navy veteran Ray Chavez, who at 106 years old is the oldest living survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor.” Breitbart <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=01c-375&t=c> (5/28, Spiering) reports that Trump also “honored Marine Lt. Colonel David Green who died in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2011 at the age of 39 and pointed out that Green’s son...plans to join the military” after finishing college. Fox News <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=01d-30e&t=c> (5/28, Singman) reports on its website that Trump “pledged to Gold Star families on Monday to ‘never forget our heroes.’” The Washington Examiner <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=01e-b22&t=c> (5/28, Morrongiello) recounts that during his remarks, Trump also “singled out a young man named Christian who approached him at last year’s Memorial Day ceremony and asked if he wanted to meet his father. The president said Christian then led him to a grave site.” Trump said yesterday, “We paid our respects together. It was a moment I will always remember.” The Daily Caller <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=01f-953&t=c> (5/28, Brest) quotes Trump as also saying, “Christian, I want you to know that even though your father has left this world, he’s left it for the next. He’s not gone, he’ll never be gone. Your dad’s love, courage, and strength live in you, Christian, and as you grow bigger and stronger, just like him, so, too, does your father’s incredible legacy. So thank you both. That’s so beautiful. Thank you.” The New York Times <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=020-dfe&t=c> (5/28, Qiu) notes “Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis spoke before Mr. Trump,” while “other members of Mr. Trump’s cabinet and White House aides – including Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary; Donald F. McGahn II, the White House counsel; and John R. Bolton, the national security adviser – were also in attendance.” *First Lady Tweets Memorial Day Message. *The Daily Caller <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=021-bf6&t=c> (5/28, Caruso) reports, “First Lady Melania Trump delivered her Memorial Day message on Instagram Monday, reminding us all that ‘freedom isn’t free.’” She tweeted <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=022-cb2&t=c>, “On #MemorialDay we honor the many Americans who laid down their lives for our great country. As one nation under God, we come together to remember that freedom isn’t free. Thank you to all the service members & their families who sacrifice so much to keep us safe.” *Obama Posts Memorial Day Tweet Midway Through Trump’s Speech. *The Washington Examiner <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=023-7c3&t=c> (5/28, Morrongiello) reports “former President Barack Obama shared a Memorial Day message on Monday, urging Americans to remember those who gave that ‘last full measure of devotion.’” Obama’s tweet <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=024-0d5&t=c> “was posted at 12:02 p.m. to Obama’s 103 million followers, midway through...Trump’s speech at Arlington National Cemetery.” Foreign Policy US Delegations Meeting With North Koreans To Prepare For Trump-Kim Summit. Coverage of the North Korea story reflected renewed optimism that the summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-Un could now be back on track. Trump tweeted <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=025-190&t=c> this morning, “We have put a great team together for our talks with North Korea. Meetings are currently taking place concerning Summit, and more. Kim Young Chol, the Vice Chairman of North Korea, heading now to New York. Solid response to my letter, thank you!” Media reports, however, noted the lingering skepticism about the summit’s prospects for success. As the CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video] <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=026-d4a&t=c> (5/28, story 7, 1:45, Golodryga) reported, “The forecast is looking a bit brighter for a summit next month” as “American diplomats have taken the rare step of crossing the” DMZ into North Korea to meet with their North Korean counterparts. Yet, “the outcome of the summit between two world leaders is usually negotiated before they ever sit down at the table,” and “that usually takes months, if not years, of work and planning.” Trump’s team, on the other hand, “is now trying to do all of that in the next 15 days.” ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video] <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=027-425&t=c> (5/28, story 4, 2:40, Llamas) also said “there are no shortage of skeptics. Former CIA Director Mike Hayden says he’s concerned the President is rushing ahead without being fully prepared,” and “Republican Sen. Marco Rubio says North Korea cannot be trusted,” that “Kim...will never truly be willing to give up his nuclear weapons.” USA Today <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=028-3ca&t=c> (5/28, Bacon) similarly reports that US and North Korean officials met in Panmunjom “for a second day Monday, hammering out details” of a proposed summit, and the Wall Street Journal <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=029-bf7&t=c> (5/28, Salama, Talley) says the White House has also decided to delay new sanctions against North Korea that were to have taken effect as early as Tuesday. Greg Palkot reported on Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by sender. Video] <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=02a-2e8&t=c> (5/28) that the US delegation is meeting with “powerful” North Korea Vice-Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, while deputy White House chief of staff Joe Hagin and others are meeting with North Korean officials in Singapore to “plan logistics” for the summit. There “is even talk of one last meeting” between Secretary Pompeo and a North Korea official “to give the final go ahead to the summit if all goes well.” Barbara Starr indicated on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image removed by sender. Video] <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=02b-371&t=c> (5/28) that the US officials in North Korea are talking to their counterparts “about substance. In other words, seeing if it’s possible to develop a communique that both sides can sign after the summit.” Tom Rogan of the Washington Examiner said on Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by sender. Video] <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=02c-0a7&t=c> (5/28) that the Chinese “were trying to test the waters here with...Trump by telling the North Koreans to play games. Now in the context of ...Trump playing hardball with them on trade, they want US concessions in the South China Sea as part of their quid pro quo for pressuring Pyongyang.” The President, in response, “is playing that game of unpredictability. This is the one issue where I do think the Twitter feed and strangeness of it all serves as a positive interest because it throws foreign nations who have a different political structure to our own off balance in terms of their perception of what Trump might do.” *White House: Trump Will Meet With Japanese PM Ahead Of “Expected” Summit With Kim. *ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video] <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=02d-85e&t=c> (5/28, story 4, 2:40, Llamas) reported that the White House also released a statement saying Trump spoke by phone with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and the two leaders “will plan to have a meeting in advance of what the statement called ‘the expected meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong-Un.’ So, while that June 12 summit has not been officially put back on the White House schedule yet, we do see it referred to here by the White House as an expected meeting.” The AP <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=02e-626&t=c> (5/28) also reports that Abe said Monday that he will meet with Trump “before planned talks between Trump and...Kim...take place.” Abe said he and Trump agreed on a meeting in a Monday phone call. The New York Times <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=02f-81f&t=c> (5/28, Rich) reports, “Abe has been concerned that Mr. Trump might make a nuclear disarmament deal with North Korea that protects the United States but does not address Tokyo’s worries about the North’s short-range missiles that could hit Japan. By offering to meet” with Trump before a summit, Abe “hopes to be one of the last advisers to have his ear” before he meets with Kim. The Washington Post <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=030-dc9&t=c> (5/28, Nakamura) says “a meeting between Trump and Abe could come on the sidelines of the Group of 7 economic summit in Quebec from June 8 to 9, but it is also possible that Abe will swing by Washington en route to that conference, a Japanese official said.” Reuters <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=031-7ba&t=c> (5/28) and The Hill <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=032-d4d&t=c> (5/28, Sanchez), among other news outlets, also report on Abe’s announcement. *Moon Says More Impromptu Talks With Kim Possible. *Reuters <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=033-f31&t=c> (5/28, Shin) reports, “South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in said on Monday there could be more impromptu talks and summits” with Kim. Moon, who “held a surprise meeting” with Kim on Saturday, said, “What’s more important than anything from the latest inter-Korean summit was that the leaders easily got in contact, easily made an appointment and easily met to discuss urgent matters, without complicated procedures and formalities, just like a casual meeting.” The Washington Post <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=034-eca&t=c> (5/28, Ye, Lee) writes that “in the tug-of-war” between the US and North Korea “over the tentative summit,” Moon “is the man in the precarious middle, trying to broker a high-stakes meeting between two unconventional leaders.” Axios <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=035-e95&t=c> (5/28, Kight), among other news outlets, also reports on Moon’s comments. *US Expert: North Korean “Denuclearization” Could Take Up To 15 Years. *The New York Times <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=036-13d&t=c> (5/28, Broad, Sanger) reports that “as the Trump administration races to start talks with North Korea on what it calls ‘rapid denuclearization,’ a top federal government adviser who has repeatedly visited the North’s sprawling atomic complex is warning that the disarmament process could take far longer, up to 15 years.” The Times adds that “the adviser, Siegfried S. Hecker, a former director of the Los Alamos weapons laboratory in New Mexico, and now a Stanford professor, argues that the best the United States can hope for is a phased denuclearization that goes after the most dangerous parts of the North’s program first.” Hecker’s “time frame stands in stark contrast with what the United States initially demanded, on what could be a key sticking point in any summit meeting between” the President and Kim. *High-Level North Korean Official To Visit US For Pre-Summit Talks. *Bloomberg News <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=037-921&t=c> (5/29, Kong) reports North Korean leader Kim Jong-un “has dispatched one of his top aides,” former spy chief Kim Yong Chol, “to the US for talks ahead of his planned summit with Donald Trump next month, according to a person familiar with the issue who asked not to be named because the trip isn’t public.” Bloomberg says the high-ranking official’s “trip is another sign that preparations for the on-again, off-again June 12 meeting in Singapore are moving forward.” Rouhani To Visit China Amid Nuclear Deal Uncertainty. Reuters <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=038-310&t=c> (5/28) reports that “as major powers scramble to save Iran’s nuclear deal after the United States pulled out,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani “will pay a working visit to China” next month “and attend the summit of the China and Russia-led security bloc the Shanghai Cooperation Organization,” a “regional summit aimed at avoiding disruption of joint projects.” Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Zhang Hanhui said Monday, “Our hope is that China and Iran will have close consultation on the basis of observing the deal and push forward development of bilateral cooperation.” He continued, “We should together look into how to avoid major disruption of joint projects between the two sides.” Reuters says Moscow “has previously argued that with Western sanctions against Tehran lifted, it could finally become a member of the bloc which also includes four ex-Soviet Central Asian republics, Pakistan and India.” *WSJournal: New US Sanctions May Open Iranian Market To China, Russia. *Chinese and Russian state-backed companies are seeking to profit from the departure of European firms from Iran over what Secretary of State Pompeo described as the “strongest set of sanctions in history,” signaling to the Wall Street Journal <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=039-7d9&t=c> (5/28, Faucon) in an analysis how the business landscape in Iran – and its large, growing market – has shifted since President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal. European executives who began making inroads in the country under the nuclear deal are now concerned that China and Russia will seize a significant advantage in the market to the detriment of both the US and Europe. *China Intensifies Nuclear Weapons Development, Raising Fears Of Looming Arms Race. *The South China Morning Post (HKG) <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=03a-76a&t=c> (5/28, Chen) reports that “China is aggressively developing its next generation of nuclear weapons, conducting an average of five tests a month to simulate nuclear blasts, according to a major Chinese weapons research institute,” the China Academy of Engineering Physics, “in a document released by the government earlier this year.” China’s rate of monthly simulated tests has “outpaced that of the United States, which conducts them less than once a month on average.” Meanwhile, the “Russian government under Vladimir Putin has in recent years revealed a series of new nuclear weapon programs,” and the “White House is considering a US$1.2 trillion plan to upgrade its nuclear stockpile.” With China joining “the US and Russia in pursuing more targeted nuclear weapons as a deterrent against potential threats, the looming arms race would in fact serve the opposite purpose by increasing the risk of a nuclear conflict, experts warn.” Israeli National Security Adviser To Meet With Bolton Today In DC. Axios <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=03b-aef&t=c> (5/28) reports that Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabat “will arrive in Washington [today] for talks at the White House” with National Security Adviser Bolton, according to sources. Bolton “has spoken on the phone several times with his Israeli counterpart since becoming national security adviser two months ago, but this will be their first face-to-face meeting.” *Abbas Discharged From Hospital. *Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by sender. Video] <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=03c-f32&t=c> (5/28) reported Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas was discharged from a West Bank hospital after a week-long stay that “drew attention to the 83-year-old’s history of health problems and his refusal to name a deputy or successor.” Gunman Takes Hostage, Kills Three In Belgium. Reuters <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=03d-55c&t=c> (5/29) reports, “A gunman killed two police officers and a passer-by on Tuesday before being himself shot dead in the center of the eastern Belgian city of Liege, public broadcaster RTBF said on its website.” It is unclear “what lay behind the incident in which the man had also taken a woman hostage, according to RTBF.” Taliban Targets Afghans Involved In Minting Medal Honoring Trump. The New York Times <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=03e-546&t=c> (5/28, Nordland, Abed) reports Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid “said in a statement on WhatsApp that the insurgents were responsible for the killing of Gul Nabi in Pul-e-Alam, the capital of Logar Province, in revenge for his ‘criminal’ role in making the medal” to thank President Trump for supporting the country. Assadullah Poya, “who admired the president so much that he legally named his son Donald Trump,” fled the country, saying “he no longer feels safe” because of his involvement in the minting. A third man involved in the minting, local police commander Farhad Akbari, intends to follow suit. He “said he now regretted the decision to make a medal for Mr. Trump because those involved had received no support from the authorities or the American government.” FBI Issues Router Warning Amid Concern About Russia-Linked Malware. NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video] <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=03f-047&t=c> (5/28, story 6, 0:20, Alexander) reported that there is an “urgent warning tonight from the FBI: if you have an Internet router in your home or small business, reset it.” The warning stems from concern over a “malware system linked to Russia that infected hundreds of thousands of routers worldwide.” The “easiest way to combat” the malware is to reboot one’s computer. *Poland Wants To Permanently Host Thousands Of US Troops Over Russia Concerns. *Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by sender. Video] <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=040-381&t=c> (5/28) reported that Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak says he has held talks with US officials about having “thousands of American troops permanently stationed there as a deterrent to Russia” amid concerns about Russia’s annexation of Crimea, its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, and “other steps seen as hostile.” Ex-IMF Official Tapped To Lead Italy Until Fresh Elections. The AP <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=041-2ab&t=c> (5/28, D'Emilio) reports, “Amid growing political turmoil,” economist Carlo Cottarelli, “a former International Monetary Fund official and a specialist in budget slashing,” was selected by Italian President Sergio Mattarella “to lead Italy to early elections, possibly as soon as after the summer, after populist parties failed to convince” Mattarella that their Cabinet selections “wouldn’t destroy international investors’ faith in the country.” The New York Times <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=042-db2&t=c> (5/28, Horowitz) reports, “Mattarella’s defenders hailed him as the courageous protector of Italy’s democracy, institutions and financial health, while fuming populists sought to make the usually revered figure of the Italian head of state the country’s public enemy No. 1,” saying that he “had overstepped his constitutional bounds with delusions of grandeur, blocked the will of the people and destroyed Italian democracy.” Reuters <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=043-bbb&t=c> (5/28, Scherer) reports that “the far-right League and anti-establishment 5-Star Movement” are now “weighing whether to join forces ahead of a fresh election.” League leader Matteo Salvini said, “The upcoming elections will not be political, but instead a real and true referendum...between who wants Italy to be a free country and who wants it to be servile and enslaved. Today Italy is not free; it is occupied financially by Germans, French, and eurocrats.” The Wall Street Journal <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=044-7bb&t=c> (5/28, Legorano, Walker) reports that while the League and M5S have not called for Italy to abandon the euro, both have been highly critical of the currency. China Grants Approval For 13th Ivanka Trump Trademark In Three Months. The AP <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=045-304&t=c> (5/28, Kinetz) reports, “Ivanka Trump’s brand continues to win foreign trademarks in China and the Philippines, adding to questions about conflicts of interest at the White House.” On Sunday, China granted her company “final approval for its 13th trademark in the last three months, trademark office records show,” and has also granted “provisional approval for another eight trademarks.” Noah Bookbinder of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington told the AP, “Ivanka Trump’s refusal to divest from her business is especially troubling as the Ivanka brand continues to expand its business in foreign countries. It raises significant questions about corruption, as it invites the possibility that she could be benefiting financially from her position and her father’s presidency or that she could be influenced in her policy work by countries’ treatment of her business.” Newsweek <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=046-58d&t=c> (5/28, Kwong) reports, “Ivanka Trump Marks LLC applied for the recent wave of trademarks in March 2017, according to CREW.” Sui-Lee Wee of the New York Times <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=047-5e9&t=c> (5/28) writes that the approvals came “at around the same time” that President Trump “vowed to find a way to prevent” Chinese telecommunications firm ZTE “from going bust. ... Coincidence? Well, probably.” But the “remarkable timing is raising familiar questions about the Trump family’s businesses and its patriarch’s status as commander in chief.” Axios <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=048-ac5&t=c> (5/28, Atkinson) similarly writes that “her growing portfolio comes as her father...is engaged in a bitter back-and-forth battle with China over trading practices.” *WPost: Trump’s Merger Of National Security, Trade Goals Baffles Allies, Adversaries. *The Washington Post <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=049-649&t=c> (5/28, Lynch, Paletta) cites “several Republican lawmakers, business executives and former US officials” who say President Trump “is merging his national security and trade goals in a blur of tactical improvisation that risks alienating U.S. allies and opening American businesses to costly retaliation.” The potential tariffs on foreign cars Trump announced last week “are the latest sign of the president’s fluid approach to national and economic security that has left allies and adversaries baffled over U.S. intentions, according to foreign diplomats.” While Trump “holds an expansive view of national security, describing imported products like steel or passenger sedans as worrisome threats to the United States,” he “also engages in freewheeling bargaining that treats vital strategic considerations as the equivalent of commercial factors, leaving negotiating partners unsure of his true priorities.” *Business Leaders See Tough Talk Followed By Concessions From Trump On Trade. *The Wall Street Journal <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=04a-c5f&t=c> (5/28, Zumbrun) reports that as the White House seeks to renegotiate US trade relationships, business leaders and economists are seeing an emerging pattern of aggressive talk followed by settling for incremental concessions. Matthew Goodman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said, “The pattern has been: A lot of sound and fury, threats to withdraw from agreements and negotiate the best ever deal, and then in reality something a lot less.” *Soybean Farmers Troubled By Talk Of Tariffs Between US, China. *The Minneapolis Star Tribune <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=04b-838&t=c> (5/27, Meersman) reported that Minnesota farmers and “many others in farm country have been troubled by the on-again, off-again talk of tariffs and counter-tariffs between the U.S. and China, and they worry that decades of building mutually beneficial trade relations could be wiped away.” Minnesota “is the nation’s third largest producer of soybeans with $2 billion worth of exports in 2016, more than half to China.” The Star Tribune said even “the threat of a tariff has already caused Chinese buyers to halt orders for U.S. soybeans.” According to the CEO of agricultural trader Bunge Ltd., a “‘big cloud of uncertainty’ in the market had caused China to increase soybean purchases from Canada and Brazil at the expense of U.S. growers.” Domestic Policy Media Analyses: Trump Camp Waging Public Relations Effort Against Mueller. Media analysis across the news cycle Monday cast the Administration as waging a PR war against Special Counsel Robert Mueller. In the morning, two broadcast network morning shows discussed comments by President Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani. Jon Karl said on ABC’s Good Morning America[image: Image removed by sender. Video] <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=04c-f51&t=c> (5/28, 7:15 a.m. ET, Harris), “Giuliani was quite clear that what they are trying to do is undermine the credibility of the Russia investigation. He was asked about the ‘Spygate’ charges and what he’s trying to do and if he is simply trying to destroy the reputation of the Special Counsel, and this is what he had to say.” Giuliani: “It is for public opinion. Members of Congress, Democrat and Republican, will be informed a lot by their constituents. So our jury is, as it should be, is the American people.” Karl: “Quite explicitly what he was saying is that they are trying to undermine Mueller’s credibility. So when you hear the ‘Spygate’ charges, know, first of all, there is no evidence and, secondly, that they are trying to wage a public relations campaign here.” Paula Reid said on CBS This Morning[image: Image removed by sender. Video] <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=04d-f02&t=c> (5/28, 7:13 a.m. ET, Golodryga), “While the President’s lawyers negotiate the terms of a possible interview between the President” and Mueller, “the President and his allies are pushing out messages to sow doubt about the Russian investigation. ... Giuliani says the Mueller probe has come up empty, despite the fact Mueller’s team has charged 19 people and three businesses with over 100 criminal counts. He claims it’s been tarnished by what he and Mr. Trump calls ‘Spygate,’ alleging without evidence that the Trump campaign was improperly spied on.” Jonathan Turley appeared on Fox News’ Fox & Friends[image: Image removed by sender. Video] <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=04e-147&t=c> (5/28, 9:19 a.m. ET) to discuss former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates’ weekend criticism <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=04f-ae5&t=c> of Trump’s call for a DOJ investigation into whether the FBI spied on his 2016 campaign. Turley said that Yates “is part of the concerns that people have raised about a bias in the Justice Department. She told an entire department to stand down and not to defend the President’s first immigration order. At the time I said that she was fired for good cause. I still believe that. I find her actions to be really quite unbelievable.” Trump tweeted <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=050-80e&t=c> that last line at 10:08 a.m., and at 10:32 a.m. tweeted <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=051-aa8&t=c> a subsequent Turley statement: “We now find out that the Obama Administration put the opposing campaigns presidential candidate, or his campaign, under investigation. That raises legitimate questions. I just find this really odd...this goes to the heart of our electoral system.” Previewing the interview, Abby Huntsman said on Fox News’ Fox & Friends[image: Image removed by sender. Video] <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=052-04d&t=c> (5/28, 9:11 a.m. ET), “A lot of people are saying the President deserves some answers. Law professor Jonathan Turley, he says he agrees with that.” Trump tweeted <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=053-bba&t=c>, “‘The President deserves some answers.’ @FoxNews in discussing ‘SPYGATE.’” *In Tweet Today, Trump Blasts “13 Angry Democrats,” “People Who Worked 8 Years For Obama.” *Trump tweeted <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=054-5c0&t=c> this morning, “The 13 Angry Democrats (plus people who worked 8 years for Obama) working on the rigged Russia Witch Hunt, will be MEDDLING with the mid-term elections, especially now that Republicans (stay tough!) are taking the lead in Polls. There was no Collusion, except by the Democrats!” Trump also tweeted <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=055-bef&t=c> this morning, “‘This investigation involved far more surveillance than we ever had any idea about. It wasn’t just a wiretap against a campaign aide...it was secretly gathering information on the Trump Campaign...people call that Spying...this is unprecedented and scandalous.’ Mollie Hemingway.” Trump added in a later tweet <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=056-a88&t=c> this morning, “Why aren’t the 13 Angry and heavily conflicted Democrats investigating the totally Crooked Campaign of totally Crooked Hillary Clinton. It’s a Rigged Witch Hunt, that’s why! Ask them if they enjoyed her after election celebration!” Trump then tweeted <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=057-f67&t=c>, “Sorry, I’ve got to start focusing my energy on North Korea Nuclear, bad Trade Deals, VA Choice, the Economy, rebuilding the Military, and so much more, and not on the Rigged Russia Witch Hunt that should be investigating Clinton/Russia/FBI/Justice/Obama/Comey/Lynch etc.” *Attkisson Argues Spying On Trump Campaign Was Politically Motivated. *Townhall <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=058-ab8&t=c> (5/28, Vespa) reports that in a piece <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=059-391&t=c> (5/23) for The Hill, former CBS News investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson listed eight ways that indicate how the FBI’s spying on the Trump campaign “was politically motivated.” *Daily Caller: FBI Agents Afraid To Speak Out Against Superiors. *The Daily Caller <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=05a-4b3&t=c> (5/28, Picket) reports that “rank-and-file FBI agents who want to testify against their superiors to Congress feel they can’t due to an ineffective whistleblower protection law.” The agents believe the law “exposes them to an inordinate risk of reprisal, so they have remained in hiding and afraid to speak the truth.” According to a “former White House official who maintained direct contact with at least two agents told TheDC they are ‘hunkering down because they see good people being thrown to the dogs for speaking out and speaking out does nothing to solve the problems.’” *Clovis Believes Halper Used Him To Get To Papadopoulos. *The Washington Examiner <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=05b-8fa&t=c> (5/28, York) reports that Sam Clovis, a former national co-chairman of Trump’s campaign was “one of three Trump figures known to have been contacted by FBI informant Stefan Halper during the 2016 presidential campaign.” Clovis “believes Halper had very specific purposes in approaching the Trump figures he approached.” He said, “I think [Halper] was using his meeting with me to give him bona fides to talk to George Papadopoulos. He used Carter Page to get to me and he used me to get to George. George was the target. I think George was the target all along.” Clovis theorizes that Halper “was trying to link Papadopoulos and the 30,000-plus emails that Hillary Clinton unilaterally deleted from her private email system.” *NYTimes: Trump’s Conspiracy Theories Are Undermining Trust In Institutions. *A New York Times <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=05c-a25&t=c> (5/28, Davis, Haberman) analysis says that Trump’s promotion of “new, unconfirmed accusations to suit his political narrative: that a ‘criminal deep state’ element within Mr. Obama’s government planted a spy deep inside his presidential campaign to help his rival, Hillary Clinton, win” was “the latest indication that a president who has for decades trafficked in conspiracy theories has brought them from the fringes of public discourse to the Oval Office.” His “willingness to peddle suspicion as fact has implications beyond the Russia inquiry.” Trump’s “baseless stories of secret plots by powerful interests are having a distinct effect, eroding public trust in institutions, undermining the idea of objective truth and sowing widespread suspicions about the government and news media that mirror his own.” *Swalwell: Trump Should Be “Impeached” At Ballot Box. *Rep. Eric Swalwell was asked on CNN’s The Lead[image: Image removed by sender. Video] <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=05d-25b&t=c> (5/28) if Democrats are looking to impeach the President, Swalwell said, “No. Actually...I’d rather see the President impeached at the ballot box to prove democracy works. No one is above the law, but right now, we’ve not had a thorough investigation to find any wrong doing because Republicans are not willing to use the subpoena power.” *Pavlich Says Clinton Campaign Gave Money To Russia During Campaign. *The Washington Examiner <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=05e-4f2&t=c> (5/28, Mayfield) reports that Fox News contributor and “longtime Trump defender” Katie Pavlich “claimed Monday that Hillary Clinton ‘gave’ money to Russians during the 2016 presidential election.” Said Pavlich, “We have seen the result of all of this boomerang on the other side, on the Clinton campaign, which was more directly connected to the Russians than we’ve seen any evidence of with the Trump campaign.” When former Clinton communications director Adrienne Elrod “burst out laughing,” Pavlich said, “They gave them money,” to which Elrod replied, “The Clinton campaign did not have any collusion with Russia, let’s just put that forward.” Pavlich interjected, “They paid someone working with Russians money for opposition research on Donald Trump,” and Elrod responded, “It was a dossier, it was opposition research, it was a very standard part of the campaign.” *Clapper: After Early Retirement, Flynn Became “An Angry Man.” *Dave Lawler writes on Axios <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=05f-e6d&t=c> (5/28, Lawler) that in an interview, he asked former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper about Michael Flynn. Clapper “saluted Flynn’s military service and noted that he had supported his appointment as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency before playing a role in removing him from that post.” Said Clapper, “I think it ate at him that he was terminated early and retired early, and I think he became an angry man. He was trying to reach out to several Republican candidates and latched onto Trump – and the rest was history.” The Washington Examiner <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=060-6b1&t=c> (5/28, Morrongiello) also reports on Clapper’s comments to Axios. *Avenatti’s Past Financial Dealings Could Affecrt Daniels Case. *The Daily Caller <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=061-2a1&t=c> (5/28, Daley) reports that Stormy Daniels’ attorney Michael Avenatti “has said little about the body of reporting relating to his past bankruptcies and mounting back taxes,” and has “asserted the episodes have no bearing on his representation” of Daniels or her lawsuit against the president. However, the DC, which outlines the incidents from Avenatti’s past, says “the details those reports describe could substantially bear on his ability to intervene in other legal proceedings essential to the success” of her lawsuit. *Giuliani Booed At Yankee Stadium. *The Washington Examiner <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=062-fef&t=c> (5/28, Morrongiello) reports that Giuliani was booed by the crowd at Yankee Stadium Monday as he “arrived to watch the game for his 74th birthday.” According to a reporter, when the announcer wished Giuliani a happy birthday, “thunderous boos rained across the stadium.” The New York Post <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=063-dfb&t=c> (5/28, King, Brown) also reports on Giuliani being booed. NYTimes: Administration Didn’t Separate Immigrant Children From Families, Lose Them. Amid “confusing” reports about what happened to more than 1,000 immigrant children reportedly lost by federal authorities, the New York Times <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=064-aaa&t=c> (5/28, Harmon) provides answers. The Times says the Trump Administration did not “separate nearly 1,500 immigrant children from their parents at the border, and then lose track of them.” While the government did lose track of the children, “it had placed with sponsors in the United States, according to testimony before a Senate subcommittee last month,” the children “had arrived alone at the Southwest border – without their parents.” DHS officials “began making calls last year to determine what had happened to 7,635 children the government had helped place between last October and the end of the year.” It is possible the children who were unaccounted for are with adult sponsors who “chose not to respond to the agency.” The Washington Examiner <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=065-a6a&t=c> (5/28, Langford) reports that HHS Said Monday that the children in question “were turned over caretakers who didn’t respond to the government’s follow-up contacts.” Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan said in a statement, “These children are not ‘lost.’ ... Their sponsors – who are usually parents or family members and in all cases have been vetted for criminality and ability to provide for them – simply did not respond or could not be reached.” *In Tweet Today, Trump Hits Democrats Over Obama-Era Border Child Detainee Photos. *Trump tweeted <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=066-064&t=c> this morning, “Democrats mistakenly tweet 2014 pictures from Obama’s term showing children from the Border in steel cages. They thought it was recent pictures in order to make us look bad, but backfires. Dems must agree to Wall and new Border Protection for good of country...Bipartisan Bill!” *Left Blames Trump For Conditions At Immigrant Detention Centers Under Obama. *Breitbart <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=067-ac5&t=c> (5/28, Caplan) reports that while Democrats, journalists, and former Obama Administration aides “whipped themselves into a frenzy Sunday, attributing ‘disturbing’ photos of migrant detention centers to President Donald Trump,” the photos “were taken during Obama’s second term as president.” Among other examples, Breitbart cites Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau, who “admitted to sharing photos taken under his former boss’s watch — but still found a way to shift blame onto the Trump administration.” Favreau wrote, “These awful pictures are from 2014, when the government’s challenge was reconnecting unaccompanied minors who showed up at the border with family or a safe sponsor. ... Today, in 2018, the government is CREATING unaccompanied minors by tearing them away from family at the border.” The Washington Times <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=068-22c&t=c> (5/28, Morton) reports that while Favreau deleted his tweet, “other liberal activists and journalists, such as Shaun King of Black Lives Matter, Linda Sarsour of the Women’s March, and Muslim activist Qasim Rashid still had the fake news up Monday afternoon.” *Poll: 76% Of GOP Voters Approve Of Trump On Immigration. *Breitbart <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=069-764&t=c> (5/28, Binder) reports that the latest Harvard/Harris poll shows that “more than three in four Republican voters say they approve of the job President Trump is doing on the issue of immigration thus far.” According to the poll, “76 percent of GOP voters said they approved of Trump’s handling of immigration, where a crackdown enforced by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has opened job opportunities and grown wages for American workers.” Conservatives and Trump voters “are even more supportive.” The poll found that “around 77 percent of conservatives said they approve of Trump’s handling of immigration, while 85 percent of Trump supporters said the same.” *Bipartisan Group Of Senators Renewing Work On DACA. *Politico <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=06a-46c&t=c> (5/28, Everett, Schor) reports that “a group of senators in both parties is beginning to restart back-channel talks across the aisle and with the White House” to deal with DACA “if the House or the courts throw the issue back to the Senate this summer.” Sen. Cory Gardner, who leads the National Republican Senate Committee, told Politico that he told President Trump earlier this month, “The sweet spot for getting an immigration deal remains now. The closer we get to the election and certainly post-election, the more difficult it will be. If we wait longer, the more difficult it becomes. They’ll blame it on both parties at that point.” However, the House seems unlikely to act on any version of immigration legislation that could pass the Senate. *Black Discusses Border Wall Crowd-Funding Proposal. *On Fox News’ Fox & Friends[image: Image removed by sender. Video] <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=06b-880&t=c> (5/28, 7:17 a.m. ET, Huntsman), Rep. Diane Black (R) outlined a proposal to create a trust fund to help finance a US-Mexico border wall. Black said, “Setting up a dedicated fund where people who truly believe what the President believes, that we should secure our borders, would have an opportunity to be part of that in crowd-funding. And because the Democrats will not go with the Republicans in funding the wall, we thought this was a good idea to give the American people to have a chance to have a voice in it.” Fox’s Todd Piro: “It’s a very interesting idea, but has anything like this ever been done before?” Black: “Well, actually, there has been crowd-funding before for something in our country that we all love, and that’s the Washington Monument. ... And if you go to the Washington Monument, you’ll see those plaques along the wall that show that the American people wanted that project to be completed.” *LATimes: Trump Has Reignited Debate Over Speaking Spanish In US. *The Los Angeles Times <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=06c-235&t=c> (5/28, Mejia) reports that Spanish “has established itself as perhaps the most relentlessly polarizing language in the United States.” The Trump presidency “has reignited the linguistic divide,” as the President “has railed against illegal immigration, attacked the character of those who cross the border and once said ‘this is a country where we speak English, not Spanish.’” Since the 2016 election, “dozens of Latinos have reported verbal assaults for speaking Spanish through Documenting Hate, a project that tracks bias incidents and hate crimes around the country,” but it is “hard to know whether there has been an uptick in confrontations over the speaking of Spanish.” *Celebrities Call Trump’s Immigration Policies “Torture,” “Un-American.” *Breitbart <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=06d-904&t=c> (5/28, Binder) reports that in a series of tweets this week, actor Jim Carrey and other celebrities described President Trump’s efforts to stop illegal immigration as “torture,” “inhumane,” and “un-American.” *Ivanka Photo Holding Her Son Draw Fire From Twitter Users. *The Washington Examiner <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=06e-9ce&t=c> (5/28, Mayfield) reports that a photo <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=06f-40c&t=c> posted by Ivanka Trump holding her son “in the midst of new reports detailing how authorities lost track of nearly 1,500 immigrant children in custody,” drew fire from Twitter users. Many “pointed out that her father’s administration recently floated the possibility of housing children who illegally crossed the border without an adult guardian, or who will be separated from their immigrant families, on military bases.” Study: Republican-Appointed Judges Give Black Defendants Longer Sentences. The New York Times <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=070-692&t=c> (5/28, Liptak) reports that a study conducted by Harvard Law School professors Alma Cohen and Crystal S. Yang found that “judges appointed by Republican presidents gave longer sentences to black defendants and shorter ones to women than judges appointed by Democrats.” The study, which “examined the sentencing practices of about 1,400 federal trial judges over more than 15 years, relying on information from the Federal Judicial Center, the United States Sentencing Commission and the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University,” found, “Republican-appointed judges sentence black defendants to three more months than similar nonblacks and female defendants to two fewer months than similar males compared to Democratic-appointed judges. ... These differences cannot be explained by other judge characteristics and grow substantially larger when judges are granted more discretion.” *Robinson: Prison Reform Bill Isn’t Perfect, But Worth Voting For. *In his column for the Washington Post <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=071-c84&t=c> (5/28), Eugene Robinson writes that “when it comes to prison reform, a little something is better than a lot of nothing,” and “that is why the bipartisan First Step Act, passed last week by the House, deserves to be approved by the Senate and signed into law.” According to Robinson, “progressives are sharply divided on the measure, mostly because of what it doesn’t do.” According to Robinson, the bill “does nothing to address the main problem, which is that this nation sends far too many people to prison and keeps them locked up far too long.” Robinson argues that “if Democrats take control of the House in November, they will be able to revisit the issue anytime they want,” and that “nothing in the current bill precludes bolder, more comprehensive action when the votes, and the president’s pen, are lined up and ready.” Five Largest US Banks Lending To Coal Industry Again. The New York Times <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=072-2e1&t=c> (5/28, Flitter) reports that while the nation’s largest banks vowed three years ago “to cut back on lending to the coal industry,” they “never actually promised to walk away from coal completely” and with “coal companies enjoying a small resurgence under the Trump administration, banks are again embracing the industry.” Five of the largest banks in the country “are lending tens or hundreds of millions of dollars to coal companies again, in one case eclipsing what they lent in 2014, before the industry entered a nose dive.” In all, “the five banks issued about $1.5 billion in new coal-related loans last year, according to Rainforest Action Network.” Cindy McCain Likely To Be Appointed To Senate Seat Upon McCain’s Death. Newsmax <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=073-489&t=c> (5/28, Gizzi) reports that Republicans and political pundits in Arizona “privately tell Newsmax they expect” Sen. John McCain’s wife, Cindy, to be appointed “to succeed him in the Senate.” While no one would “go on record discussing what will happen when the ailing McCain no longer holds his seat,” those who spoke to Newsmax “agree almost unanimously, Cindy McCain following John in the Senate through appointment by Gov. Doug Ducey, R-Ariz., is a near certainty.” Former ACLU President: Obama Was “Terrible President” On Free Speech. The Daily Caller <http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018052901biden&r=email-e59f&l=074-50e&t=c> (5/28, Shimshock) reports that former ACLU president Nadine Strossen suggested in an interview that former President Obama was a “terrible president” on free speech issues. Strossen said, “I still think a lot of liberals aren’t aware [of] what a terrible president [Obama] was,” referring “to the fact that the former president used the Espiona
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