EMAIL DETAILS

Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing


*From:* Bulletin Intelligence <Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com>
*Sent:* Wednesday, April 25, 2018 7:55 AM
*To:* Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com
*Subject:* Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for
Wednesday, April 25, 2018


*Click to access
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=000-3eb&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=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=001-06e&t=c>

*To: Vice President Joe Biden*

*Wednesday, April 25, 2018 8:00 AM EDT*
Today's Table of Contents

*Leading the News <#SECTION_1>*

• Trump Gives Iran Stern Warning As Macron Signals Openness To Negotiating
New Deal. <#S1>

*Foreign Policy <#SECTION_2>*

• Trump Hails “Very Honorable” Kim, Insists On “Complete Denuclearization.”
<#S2>

• Trump Reiterates Desire To Withdraw US Troops From Syria. <#S3>

• Votel In Israel On Unannounced Visit. <#S4>

• Trump: NAFTA Talks Going “Nicely.” <#S5>

• Trump Says Mnuchin Will Travel To China Next Week Amid Trade Tensions.
<#S6>

• Ex-Spies Concerned Adversaries Could Exploit Trump’s Use Of Personal
Phone. <#S7>

• Vigilante Militia Gains Traction In Ukraine. <#S8>

*Domestic Policy <#SECTION_3>*

• Media Analyses: Trump Suggesting Jackson Withdraw Nomination For VA Chief.
<#S9>

• Senate Confirms Nakasone To Lead NSA, Cyber Command. <#S10>

• Duncan Confirmed To 5th US Circuit Court Of Appeals. <#S11>

• Judge Rules Administration Must Restart DACA Program. <#S12>

• Sessions Will Not Recuse Himself From Cohen Investigation. <#S13>

• Pence To Address NRA’s Annual Meeting. <#S14>

• Lesko Wins AZ8 Special Election 53%-47%. <#S15>

*Cancer Research <#SECTION_4>*

• Study: Sigmoidoscopy Screening Reduces Colon Cancer Risk In Men But Not
Women. <#S16>

• Analysis Finds Some Oncology Practices Penalized By Bundled Medicare
Payments. <#S17>

*Editorials/Op-Eds <#SECTION_5>*

• New York Times. <#S18>

• Washington Post. <#S19>

*Biden in the News <#SECTION_6>*

• In Speech At St. Joseph’s University, Biden Discusses Leadership, Public
Service. <#S20>

• Biden Honored At Gala Hosted By National Museum Of American Jewish
History. <#S21>

• Delaware Lawmakers Pass “Beau Biden Gun Violence Prevention Act.” <#S22>
Leading the News
Trump Gives Iran Stern Warning As Macron Signals Openness To Negotiating
New Deal.

Media coverage of President Trump’s meeting with President Emmanuel Macron
casts the French leader as seeming to move toward the White House’s stance
on Iran. All three major network newscasts covered the story, which also
received extensive print media attention. [image: Image removed by sender.
Video]NBC Nightly News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=002-177&t=c>
(4/24, story 2, 2:20, Jackson) said Macron is “moving more towards Trump’s
position, suggesting he’s open to new negotiations.” Macron was shown
saying through an interpreter, “We therefore wish from now on to work on a
new deal with Iran.” Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=003-207&t=c>
(4/24, Fouquet, Epstein) also reports “Macron proposed negotiating a new
deal with Iran to contain its nuclear program in a bid to keep the US on
board,” BBC News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=004-d64&t=c>
(4/24) that both he and Trump “suggested there could be a new agreement on
Iran’s nuclear programme,” and the Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=005-e70&t=c>
(4/24, Miller) – which headlines its story “Macron Blinks On Iran Nuclear
Pact” – indicates Macron said his “discussions with Mr. Trump ‘pave the way
for a new agreement.’” Such a deal, Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=006-129&t=c>
(4/24) reports, “would address Iran’s expansion in the Middle East and its
ballistic missile program.” Specifically, notes Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=007-95a&t=c>
(4/24, Toosi, Forgey), Macron said this “new deal” would include “putting
‘an end’ to Iran’s ballistic missile program, and laying groundwork for
political solutions to conflicts in countries such as Yemen, Iraq, Syria
and Lebanon, where Iran has significant influence.”

Along those lines, CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=008-665&t=c>
(4/24, Liptak, Diamond) quoted Trump as saying, “Iran seems to be behind
everywhere there is a problem. ... They’re testing missiles. What is that
all about? ... What kind of a deal is this where it wasn’t even discussed?”
At any rate, noted CQ Roll Call
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=009-e8f&t=c>
(4/24, Bennett), Macron “said he views” the current Iran agreement as “not
a sufficient deal,” though [image: Image removed by sender. Video]CNN’s
Situation Room
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=00a-123&t=c>
(4/24) showed him saying, “It is not about tearing apart an agreement and
having nothing, but building something new that will cover all of our
concerns.” The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=00b-f4c&t=c>
(4/24, Gearan) reports “Trump signaled new willingness...to consider
what...Macron called ‘a new deal with Iran’ that would address shortcomings
in the existing international nuclear pact,” and the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=00c-c07&t=c>
(4/24, Baker, Davis) that he “said he could agree to” it “if it was strong
enough.” The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=00d-b7b&t=c>
(4/24, Bender, Meichtry) runs a similar, front-page story headlined “Trump
Warns Iran On Nuclear Deal, But Signals Openness To Beefed-Up Accord,” and USA
Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=00e-f1d&t=c>
(4/24, Korte, Fritze) reports Trump said that “the US and France were
‘beginning to understand each other’ on the need to contain Iran.”

ABC News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=00f-fc5&t=c>
(4/24, Finnegan) asked on its website, “Is some sort of grand deal in the
works? It’s unclear,” but “led by the State Department’s policy planning
director Brian Hook,” a “US team has met the Europeans on three occasions
and held more discussions via teleconference, according to the State
Department.” ABC added that “a senior State Department official told
reporters Sunday that it’s still ‘too early to tell’ if they will be able
to reach an agreement.” The [image: Image removed by sender. Video]CBS
Evening News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=010-046&t=c>
(4/24, story 2, 2:30) said, meanwhile, that “Trump seemed open to a
possible compromise being worked out by European allies.” The Los Angeles
Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=011-bc4&t=c>
(4/24, Bierman) says that “equivocating as he often does,” Trump also said,
“I think we will have a great shot at doing a much bigger – maybe – deal,
maybe not deal. ... We’re going to find out, but we’ll know fairly soon.”
Other stories note that Trump was clear on his opinion of the
agreement. Business
Insider
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=012-1cc&t=c>
(4/24, Haltiwanger) reports he referred to it “as a ‘terrible,’ ‘insane,’
and ‘ridiculous’ deal,” and Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=013-0cd&t=c>
(4/24, Spiering) says that he “did not restrain giving his opinion about
the ‘terrible’ Iran nuclear deal.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=014-51c&t=c>
(4/24, Lederman, Lederer) reports that “in a wide-ranging interview,”
meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif “said a US
withdrawal from the landmark 2015 accord would undermine Trump’s talks with
North Korea by proving that America reneges on its promises.” He also “said
if Trump re-imposes sanctions, ‘basically killing the deal,’ Iran would no
longer be bound by the pact’s international obligations, freeing it up to
resume enrichment far beyond the deal’s strict limits.”

Asked to reply to Iran’ warning, Trump issued a warning of his
own. [image:
Image removed by sender. Video]ABC World News Tonight
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=015-b83&t=c>
(4/24, story 5, 3:10, Karl) showed him saying, “Won’t be so easy for them
to restart. They’re not going to be restarting anything. They’re restart
it, they’ll have big problems. Bigger than they ever had before.” Trump
later said, “I will say, if Iran threatens us in any way, they will pay a
price like few countries have ever paid.” To USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=016-4eb&t=c>
(4/24, Korte, Fritze), “Trump issued an explicit warning to Iran,” while
Jim Sciutto reported on [image: Image removed by sender. Video]CNN’s
Situation Room
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=017-783&t=c>
(4/24) that Trump’s warning that Iran will have bigger problems than ever
before if they restart their nuclear program “sounded like” Trump was
“laying down a marker...for military action against Iran.”

Still, Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=018-662&t=c>
(4/24, Toosi, Forgey) reports that “although Iran has suggested it might
restart its nuclear activities should the deal collapse, analysts are
divided on whether Tehran would follow through on its threat.” Politico
adds, “Trump’s harsh rhetoric...may simply be a tactic to intimidate Iran
to accept new restrictions on its behavior that Washington has been
demanding.”

*Zarif: Haley Touted Fabricated Evidence Of Iranian Missiles. *The
AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=019-745&t=c>
(4/24, Lederman, Lederer) reports that “to the Trump administration, the
recovered missile fragments were incontrovertible proof that Iran was
illicitly arming Yemen’s Houthi rebels,” though “Zarif brushed it off
Tuesday as little more than cheese puffs.” Zarif “accused US Ambassador to
the United Nations Nikki Haley of displaying fabricated evidence that
missiles lobbed by the Houthis at civilian areas in Saudi Arabia originated
in Iran.” The AP adds that “Haley has invited journalists and UN Security
Council diplomats to inspect missile parts recovered after strikes on Saudi
Arabia, bearing what US military officials said were Iranian markings and
characteristics.” Said Zarif, “I’m not saying Ambassador Haley is
fabricating, but somebody is fabricating the evidence she is showing.”

*AP Fact Check: Trump Claims About Iran Nuclear Deal Inaccurate. *In
a “Fact Check” analysis piece, the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=01a-5b9&t=c>
(4/24, Woodward) reports that “Trump likes to tell a story about the US
paying out billions of dollars to Iran as part of the multinational deal
freezing its nuclear program and easing sanctions against it.” But “what he
doesn’t say is that most of that money was Iran’s to begin with,” while
“the rest relates to an old debt the US had with Iran.”

*Media Remarks On Trump-Macron “Bromance.” *A subtext through much
of the coverage of Macron’s White House visit is the seemingly strong
personal rapport between him and Trump. The leaders’ interactions were
described in incredulous, somewhat unfavorable terms as excessively
affectionate, with some analyses even questioning whether the bonhomie was
in fact genuine. The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=01b-7fa&t=c>
(4/24, Parker) reports, for example, “There was, simply, so much touching”
as the two “exchanged French-style cheek kisses. They shook hands and held
hands and clasped hands. And they embraced and backslapped and
shoulder-rubbed.” Such a “whirlwind touchy-feely visit offered yet another
glimpse into the Trump-Macron relationship,” and “the copious public
displays of affection...raised the question of whether Trump and Macron had
finally embarked on a true transcontinental bromance or if the two men were
merely partaking in an alpha game of one-upmanship.” And “the answer, said
David Givens, director of the Center for Nonverbal Studies, is a little of
both.” Said Givens, “It’s more of a playful dominance. ... The romance is
there, and they’re just kind of fooling around, but it’s real.”

[image: Image removed by sender. Video]ABC World News Tonight
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=01c-2fc&t=c>
(4/24, story 5, 3:10, Karl) said “the Macrons and the Trumps seemed
determined to show the world how much they like each other. So comfortable
together, this happened.” Trump was shown saying, “We do have a very
special relationship. In fact, I’ll get that little piece of dandruff off.
Little piece. We have to make him perfect. He is perfect.” [image: Image
removed by sender. Video]NBC Nightly News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=01d-af6&t=c>
(4/24, story 2, 2:20, Jackson) prefaced footage of the same Trump statement
saying, “The hand shakes, the hugs, the back slaps, the bromance.” Jim
Acosta said on [image: Image removed by sender. Video]CNN’s Situation Room
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=01e-61d&t=c>
(4/24), “The alpha male bromance between the two leaders was on display all
day long, with multiple aggressive handshakes.” Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=01f-56c&t=c>
(4/24), meanwhile, says “the two leaders were remarkably chummy, repeatedly
shaking hands and extolling each other’s friendship,” and the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=020-918&t=c>
(4/24, Superville, Miller) refers to “exaggerated handshakes and a pair of
kisses” as Trump and Macron “professed a sunny, best-friends relationship
Tuesday, even as the two allies strained to bridge differences over the
Iran nuclear agreement, Syria and more.”

Under the headline “Le Bromance: Trump And Macron, Together Again,”
the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=021-f2e&t=c>
(4/24, Davis, Rogers) reports, “The couple seemed happy to be together
again. ... There was a mutual kiss on the cheek in the East Room, where Mr.
Macron clasped hands with Mr. Trump, pulling him in for an embrace and a
brief peck as Mr. Trump puckered his lips slightly to reciprocate.” The
Times adds that “for all of the disagreements and differences of opinions
that the presidents hashed out privately on Tuesday – none more prominent
than whether to keep or scrap the nuclear deal with Iran – Mr. Trump and
Mr. Macron seemed to revel in each other’s presence, pouring on the charm.”

The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=022-29e&t=c>
(4/24, Athey) remarks on Trump’s praise for the “‘timeless bonds of
history’ connecting the United States and France,” and his reference to “a
new name to this chronicle of our great heroes, a brave French policeman
named Arnaud Beltrame. He stared down evil and did not flinch.” Beltrame,
noted the DC, “willingly traded places with a hostage during a standoff in
March,” and “died of injuries sustained in the incident and was later
awarded with a French national honor.” As “Trump mentioned Beltrame during
his speech, Macron gently placed his hand on Trump’s arm.” Trump “turned to
look at Macron, and the pair smiled at one another in solidarity.”

Trump also tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=023-5ca&t=c>,
“Today, @FLOTUSMelania and I were honored to welcome French President
@EmmanuelMacron and Mrs. Brigitte Macron to the @WhiteHouse. We look
forward to hosting them at tonight’s State Dinner, in their honor.” Trump
added
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=024-b61&t=c>
in a later tweet, “Our two great republics are linked together by the
timeless bonds of history, culture, and destiny. We are people who cherish
our values, protect our civilization, and recognize the image of God in
every human soul.”

*At First State Dinner Of His Presidency Trump Toasts US-French
Friendship. *Media coverage of last night’s state dinner for Macron – the
first of Trump’s presidency – is generally positive. The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=025-96f&t=c>
(4/24, Morrongiello) reports that the President toasted “his warm
relationship with French leader Emmanuel Macron during the first state
dinner of his administration on Tuesday, capping off a two-day summit that
touched on Syria, the Iran nuclear deal, and trade tensions with the
European Union.” After thanking the First Lady for the event, Trump said,
“Tonight we celebrate nearly two-and-a-half centuries of friendship between
the United States and France. ... May our friendship grow even deeper, may
our kinship grow even stronger, and may our scared liberties never die.”
The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=026-a01&t=c>
(4/24) reports that in his toast, Macron discussed the countries’
“unbreakable friendship” and “referenced both his and Trump’s rapid
political ascents,” saying: “On both sides of the ocean some two years ago,
very few would have bet on us being here together today.”

CNN senior White House correspondent Jeff Zeleny said on CNN’s
Anderson Cooper 360[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=027-2c2&t=c>
(4/24), “I am struck so much by watching the President there, talking about
the warm relationship, the special relationship. This does not sound like
candidate Donald Trump who on made fun of the French when he was running
for President. This certainly is a sign of how he has grown in office, at
least in one respect here. Now he has a new friend on the world stage, and
he indeed is the President of France.”

Fox News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=028-f0a&t=c>
(4/24, Chamberlain) reports that guests “dined on rack of lamb and
nectarine tart served on a mix of china settings from the presidencies of
Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. After-dinner entertainment will be
courtesy of the Washington National Opera.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=029-2ba&t=c>
(4/24, Morin) says the dinner “had few celebrities and instead was dotted
with donors and business leaders from both sides of the aisle, top
Republican lawmakers and administration official.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=02a-b51&t=c>
(4/24) provides the full guest list for the dinner.

*Media Analyses: First Lady “Embraced Her Moment In The Spotlight”
During Macron Visit. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=02b-2cc&t=c>
(4/24, Superville) reports that First Lady Melania Trump “embraced her
moment in the spotlight Tuesday for the French president’s state visit,
ditching her trademark dark sunglasses and shining in a look-at-me white
skirt suit and matching hat.” The First Lady “was largely absent from
Washington during the first six months of the administration, opting to
continue living full time at the family’s Trump Tower penthouse in New York
City so their now-12-year-old son, Barron, wouldn’t have to change schools
in the middle of the year.” During that time and “even after she finally
moved to Washington last June,” she “was rarely seen – and even more rarely
heard.” But now “she seems to be trying to change that, even pushing back
publicly against her critics.” Similarly, the CBS Evening News[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=02c-5b7&t=c>
(4/24, story 11, 2:25, Glor) said the First Lady, “who has kept a low
profile as first lady, is stepping into the spotlight.” CBS (Crawford)
added that Tuesday’s state dinner is “a milestone moment” for the First
Lady. The dinner “reflects a confident first lady who is increasingly more
visible, attending the funeral of Barbara Bush. Last week hosting the
Japanese prime minister and his wife at Mar-a-Lago.”

Meanwhile, the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=02d-a9d&t=c>
(4/24, Andrews-Dyer, Heil) says the dinner was “basically marketed as
Melania’s moment – an opportunity for the first lady, who has appeared
reluctant in the role, to show off a little,” and she “seemed wholly at
ease in the part she played Tuesday night.” The Post adds that the
President “made it a point to highlight the first lady’s efforts during his
opening toast,” saying, “To America’s absolutely incredible first lady,
thank you for making this an evening we will always cherish and remember.”
Foreign Policy
Trump Hails “Very Honorable” Kim, Insists On “Complete Denuclearization.”

Media reports of President Trump’s remarks on North Korea – during
yesterday’s press conference with French President Macron – cast his
description of leader Kim Jong-Un as contrary to his previous
characterizations and note his insistence on “complete nuclearization” by
Pyongyang. On the CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=02e-274&t=c>
(4/24, story 2, 2:30), Chip Reid said Trump “today had kind words for North
Korea’s Kim Jong-Un.” Trump: “He really has been very open, and I think
very honorable from everything we’re seeing.” Reid called the remarks “a
stark contrast from his previous comments” about Kim, whom he has nicknamed
“Little Rocket Man.” Hallie Jackson similarly reported on NBC Nightly
News[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=02f-548&t=c>
(4/24, story 2, 2:20, Jackson) that both Trump and Macron “agree[d] Kim
Jong-Un needs to stop trying to develop nuclear weapons,” but “it was
President Trump raising eyebrows with” his comments about Kim. ABC World
News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=030-d04&t=c>
(4/24, story 5, 3:10, Karl) reported that Trump “declared he will insist on
complete denuclearization” in his planned meeting with Kim, but also had
“praise” for Kim.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=031-160&t=c>
(4/24) says Trump “tempered expectations for any quick denuclearization
deal,” saying “it may be we’re all wasting a lot of time.” Trump said that
“he hoped dealings with North Korea would be positive, but he wanted to see
the country’s complete denuclearization.” Asked what he meant by this, he
replied: “It means they get rid of their nukes. Very simple. ... It would
be very easy for me to make a simple deal and claim victory. I don’t want
to do that. I want them to get rid of their nukes.”

Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway said on Fox News’
Special Report[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=032-030&t=c>
(4/24) Trump meant that Kim has been open and honorable in the way he’s
acted “through this process, meaning he has come to the table, met with
South Korea,” and is “willing to stand down with some of his ballistic
missile capabilities.” She added that Kim “has shown an openness to sitting
down with this President in a way that’s not happened before. Many others
have tried.”

Rep. Jerry Connelly said on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=033-856&t=c>
(4/24) that Trump’s “very honorable” comment was “jaw-dropping,”
considering Kim “executed his uncle horribly,” had his half-brother
assassinated, and “runs gulags all over North Korea.” Connelly added, “What
in the world is going through Donald Trump’s head?” Connelly also said he
doesn’t believe Kim will give up all of his nuclear weapons, arguing that
Kim wouldn’t “survive in that regime” if he did. Asked on CNN’s Situation
Room[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=034-002&t=c>
(4/24) about Trump’s characterization of Kim, Rep. Ted Lieu said it’s “very
clear” that the US has “no good military options” against north Korea, so
“I support the Trump Administration engaging I diplomacy.” However, like
Connelly, Lieu thinks it’s “unlikely” Kim will give up his nuclear weapons,
because the North views those weapons “as really their ability to deter
aggression from the United States and from other countries.”

*Trump Expected To Nominate Harry Harris As Ambassador To South
Korea. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=035-f06&t=c>
(4/24, Brunnstrom) reports Trump plans to nominate Admiral Harry Harris,
the head of the US Pacific Command already nominated to be the next US
ambassador to Australia, to be ambassador to South Korea instead, US
officials said Tuesday. According to an unnamed source, Secretary-designate
Pompeo asked Harris to take the post in Seoul. Three US officials
“confirmed the plan to nominate Harris,” and one said, “The national
security situation on the Korean Peninsula is of the highest priority. Our
relationship with Australia is and remains steadfast.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=036-4b6&t=c>
(4/24, Mullany, Perlez) says the “shift...is a diplomatic blow to
Australia, a close American ally.”

*Hannity: Administration “Making Incredible Strides All Over Asia.”
*Sean Hannity said on [image: Image removed by sender. Video]Fox News’
Hannity
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=037-867&t=c>
(4/24), “The mainstream media won’t report this, but the Trump
Administration, they are making incredible strides all over Asia. In fact,
with every passing day, the US is now getting closer and closer to holding
direct talks with North Korea. Just this week, the dictator Kim Jong-un
made a series of concessions, including the suspension of all ballistic
missile testing, the closure of a nuclear development site, and North
Korea’s rocket man even dropped a demand that the US troops leave the
Korean peninsula. Earlier today, President Trump lauded the progress and
even had kind words for Kim Jong-un and his newfound willingness to
compromise on the world stage.”
Trump Reiterates Desire To Withdraw US Troops From Syria.

The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=038-b82&t=c>
(4/24, Miller) reports President Trump said Tuesday “that he still wants to
withdrawal US troops from Syria but also wants to leave a lasting
‘footprint’ on the war-torn county.” Speaking at a joint press conference
with French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump said, “We are going to be
coming home relatively soon.” He added, “We’ve finished with ISIS and we
are going to be making some big decisions in a short period of time.” The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=039-9f3&t=c>
(4/24, Burns) says Trump “surprised many, including some in his own
administration,” last month by announcing, “We’ll be coming out of Syria,
like, very soon.” But on Tuesday, “it was clear that something or someone
had changed Trump’s mind,” as he told reporters, “We want to leave a strong
and lasting footprint.” This long-term approach, he added, was “a very big
part” of his conversation with Macron, “who told reporters that he and
Trump now agree that the Syria problem involves more than Trump’s priority
of ridding the country of Islamic State extremists.”

*Former Amb. Ross: US Deterrence Needed In Syria To Prevent Wider
Mideast War. *Former Ambassador Dennis Ross writes in the Wall Street
Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=03a-ba3&t=c>
(4/24) that the prospect of a wider war between Israel, Iran, Hezbollah and
Shiite militias in Syria and Lebanon is increasing after Russia “outed”
Israel’s April 9 attack against an Iranian base in central Syria. Ross says
that the President’s stated intentions to withdraw from the Syria have
emboldened Russia and Iran, and sent a message to Israeli that it is in its
own. He argues that American deterrence is needed in Syria to prevent a
wider Mideast war.

*NYTimes: Kaine-Corker Bill “Too Broad.” *The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=03b-61e&t=c>
(4/24) editorializes that “today, American troops are fighting extremist
groups in at least 14 countries, with most deployments having occurred at
the president’s sole discretion because Congress has given presidents a
blank check to wage war.” The Times argues that “it’s time for Congress to
step up to its responsibilities.” Sens. Tim Kaine and Bob Corker, have
proposed legislation “to ensure that Congress takes more responsibility for
deciding when to use force against terrorist groups.” The Times says that
“while we appreciate this bipartisan effort,” the bill’s provisions “are
too broad and could bless military operations in perpetuity, not least
because Congress would be unlikely to muster the two-thirds majority that
would be needed to take away or alter an authorization once it is enshrined
in law or is later added on by a president.”
Votel In Israel On Unannounced Visit.

The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=03c-8b7&t=c>
(4/24, Muñoz) reports CENTCOM Commander Gen. Joseph Votel “made an
unannounced visit to Israel on Tuesday, meeting with his Israeli
counterpart,” Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, “amid growing worries in both
Washington and Tel Aviv over the Syrian civil war and aggressive moves by
Iran.” The trip was particularly “noteworthy” because “the US European
Command, not Gen. Votel’s CENTCOM, typically coordinates the Pentagon’s
operations in Israel.” In fact, the Pentagon “and command officials
provided little detail on the purpose of Gen. Votel’s first visit to
Israel, which was first revealed by Israeli press outlets.” Nonetheless,
the Times says, “Gen. Votel’s visit was a clear signal to Iran that the US
was closely monitoring the situation,” as discussions potentially centered
on “increasing US support for overtly offensive airstrikes by Israeli
warplanes against top-level Iranian military advisers working in Syria.”

*Israel Abandons Plan To Deport African Migrants. *The Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=03d-92e&t=c>
(4/24, Eglash) reports the Israeli government announced Tuesday that it has
abandoned its “controversial plan” to deport thousands of African migrants
– mostly from Eritrea and Sudan – “after a high-court petition filed by
human rights groups challenged the plan’s validity.” The move “was welcomed
as a positive step by advocates for about 36,000 migrants in Israel,” but
“is also likely to bring even more uncertainty to those who have no
official status here.” The issue “is a particularly fraught one,” as the
migrants “say they are asylum seekers, escaping human rights abuses and war
in their native lands,” while the Israeli government “considers them
‘infiltrators’ and says the bulk of them are simply job seekers looking for
a better life.”
Trump: NAFTA Talks Going “Nicely.”

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=03e-65e&t=c>
(4/24) reports President Trump said Tuesday that a new NAFTA agreement
“could be agreed quickly, as Canada hailed progress on forging new rules
for the auto industry, the pivotal issue in talks to revamp the 24-year-old
accord.” Officials from the US, Canada and Mexico met in Washington “to
narrow outstanding differences in the hope of tying up a deal in the coming
days.” Speaking to reporters, Trump said, “NAFTA, as you know, is moving
along. They (Mexico) have an election coming up very soon. But we’re doing
very nicely with NAFTA. I could make a deal really quickly, but I’m not
sure that’s in the best interests of the United States. But we’ll see what
happens.” Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters that
the latest round of talks would focus on the auto sector rules of origin,
calling it “the heart” of the new NAFTA. Said Freeland, “We have been
making good progress.”
Trump Says Mnuchin Will Travel To China Next Week Amid Trade Tensions.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=03f-b6e&t=c>
(4/24, Thomas) reports President Trump said Tuesday that Treasury Secretary
Mnuchin will soon travel to China for trade talks. Speaking during a White
House news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, the President
said Mnuchin will be going to China “in a few days to negotiate on trade.”
Trump said the US and China are “very serious” and “reiterated his plans to
impose tariffs of up to $100 billion more on Chinese goods.” Said the
President, “We’ve put on very substantial tariffs, and that will continue
unless we make a trade deal. I think we’ve got a very good chance of making
a deal.” According to the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=040-872&t=c>
(4/24, Davis), Mnuchin will travel with USTR Lighthizer, National Economic
Council director Larry Kudlow and White House trade adviser Peter Navarro.

*Chinese Ride-Hailing Company Planning IPO As Early As This Year. *The
Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=041-bb6&t=c>
(4/24, A1, Steinberg) reports on its front page that China’s Didi Chuxing
Technology Co., one of the world’s largest ride-hailing companies, is in
talks to hold a multibillion-dollar initial public offering as soon as this
year, according to sources familiar with the discussion.

*China Using Mass Surveillance To Impose “Scoring System For Social
Behavior.” *The CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=042-634&t=c>
(4/24, story 7, 2:30, Glor) reported that China “has begun taken extreme
measures to purify its society by imposing a scoring system for social
behavior.” The system “factors in everything from jaywalking to smoking on
trains to buying too many video games. If your score gets too low, you can
be banned from buying plane tickets, renting a house, or getting a loan.
Nearly 15 million people have already been prevented from traveling.”
Chinese tech companies are assisting the government by developing advanced
cameras that use artificial intelligence “to track just about everything.”
China intends to install “up to 600 million cameras...in two years.” There
are fears the system is set up to punish those “it deems not sufficiently
loyal to the Communist Party.” There are also concerns that clearing one’s
name is “nearly impossible because there is no real due process.”
Ex-Spies Concerned Adversaries Could Exploit Trump’s Use Of Personal Phone.

Brian Todd reported on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=043-cd8&t=c>
(4/24) that “sources tell CNN” that President Trump is using his personal
cell phone for conversations with friends and confidants outside the White
House. Todd said that he’s spoke to former CIA and NSA “spies who say the
President is taking enormous security risks.” Those former officials “say
there are many different ways that rival spies can breach that phone and
tap into the President’s most sensitive conversations.”
Vigilante Militia Gains Traction In Ukraine.

The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=044-8dc&t=c>
(4/24, Melkozerova) reports since a “vigilante organization” known as the
National Militia “announced itself with 600 athletic men in gray military
uniforms marching down Khreshchatyk, Kiev’s main street, in late January,”
units have “spread all over Ukraine” and attracted “several thousand
recruits, said the group’s spokesman, Igor Vdovinunits.” The group’s
expressed purpose is “‘patrolling the streets’ to ‘establish Ukrainian
order,’” reflecting how “ordinary Ukrainians have witnessed a decline in
security and public safety as the legal system fails to deal with
criminals.” To the Times, the militia’s rise serves as the latest “sign of
the troubled state of democratic rule in Kiev, where the government tries
to ward off a Russian-backed separatist movement in the east while dealing
with troublesome nationalist political currents closer to home.”
Domestic Policy
Media Analyses: Trump Suggesting Jackson Withdraw Nomination For VA Chief.

Media reports of President Trump’s comments yesterday about new claims
regarding Veterans Affairs Secretary-designate Dr. Ronny Jackson cast Trump
as supporting Jackson but suggesting he should withdraw because of what
Trump characterized as “ugly allegations.” All three networks covered the
story last night, and two networks led with the story.

NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=045-953&t=c>
(4/24, lead story, 2:55, Holt) opened its broadcast, “There are serious
allegations about the President’s pick to lead the Veterans Affairs
Department. Those allegations threatening to derail the nomination,” byt
Trump is “expressing his support today, even as he seemed to be nudging
Jackson to withdraw.” Kristen Welker said that “in a surprising move,
President Trump appearing to give Jackson cover to drop out.” Trump: “I
said to Dr. Jackson, what do you need it for? I don’t want to put a man
through who’s not a political person. It’s too ugly and too disgusting.”
The CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=046-463&t=c>
(4/24, lead story, 2:10, Glor) said in its lead story, Trump “suggested
today that...Jackson...would be better off withdrawing” amid allegations he
“created a hostile workplace environment, drank on the job, and
over-prescribed medications.”

ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=047-6d5&t=c>
(4/24, story 2, 3:15, Muir) reported Trump “blamed partisan politics, but
then, added this nudge.” Trump: “I wouldn’t do it. What does he need it
for? To be abused by a bunch of politicians? I really don’t think,
personally, he should do it, but it’s totally his. I would stand behind
him. Totally his decision.” The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=048-1c2&t=c>
(4/24, A1, Kim, Wagner) reports that “in a statement earlier Tuesday, White
House spokesman Hogan Gidley said the White House continues to support
Jackson.” Said Gidley, “Admiral Jackson’s record of strong, decisive
leadership is exactly what’s needed at VA to ensure our veterans receive
the benefits they deserve.” To the Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=049-f08&t=c>
(4/24, Dinan), “Trump defended his nominee...but said it’s up to the doctor
if he wants to fight for the post,” the Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=04a-1c2&t=c>
(4/24, Decker) says he “suggested...that he was nudging aside” Jackson, and
the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=04b-262&t=c>
(4/24, A1, Fandos) says the White House “defended Dr. Jackson’s record in a
statement, but did not address the nature of the claims against him.”

USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=04c-031&t=c>
(4/24, Slack, Shesgreen) says Jackson’s nomination “is in peril,” but he
met with Trump in the Oval Office late Tuesday, “and two officials said
afterward that Jackson didn’t want to withdraw and instead wanted to fight
it out. But that could change, cautioned the officials, who spoke on
condition of anonymity.” Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=04d-21e&t=c>
(4/24, Jacobs) likewise reports Jackson “plans to pursue confirmation...two
people familiar with the matter said,” and Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=04e-1cc&t=c>
(4/24, Holland, Rampton) quotes “a White House official” as saying, “We’re
pushing back.” Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway said on Fox
News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=04f-bc4&t=c>
(4/24), “I talked to Dr. Jackson this afternoon. I spoke with the President
and Dr. Jackson has made clear he wants to fight. We cannot allow anyone to
be criticized and vetted and concluded upon in the press or just through
allegations. That’s what hearings are for.” Citing fitness reports and
counseling records from President Obama, Conway said Obama “gave very high
marks for Ronny Jackson.”

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=050-4d1&t=c>
(4/24, Nelson) and the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=051-070&t=c>
(4/24, Nicholas, Hughes, Radnofsky), however, report that Jackson’s
confirmation hearing has been indefinitely delayed. The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=052-af5&t=c>
(4/24, Miller, Thomas) says a 2012 report by the Navy’s Medical Inspector
General found that Jackson and a “rival physician exhibited ‘unprofessional
behaviors’ as they engaged in a power struggle over the White House medical
unit.” The report, however, “includes no references to improper prescribing
or the use of alcohol.”

Sen. Jon Tester, asked on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=053-19c&t=c>
(4/24) about allegations that Jackson improperly dispensed prescription
drugs, said, “These are drugs that are meant to put people asleep and meant
to wake up. They are prescriptions. The word is that on overseas trips, in
particular, the Admiral would go down the aisle-way of the airplane and
say, ‘Who wants to go to sleep?’ These are called controlled substances for
a reason.” Regarding allegations that Jackson was repeatedly drunk on duty,
Tester said, “The truth is Admiral Jackson was the primary health care
provider for the President. And if you are drunk and something happens with
the President, it’s difficult to treat the President. So this is totally
unacceptable.” On the allegation that Jackson created “a toxic work
environment,” Tester said, “This is people who were below him, not above
him. The people above him, he treated like gold. The people below him, he
belittled. Lack of respect for their jobs.”

On its editorial page, the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=054-ac5&t=c>
(4/24) says that while Trump has blamed Democrats for “obstructing” his
nominees, “most of the vacancies stem from Mr. Trump’s slowness to nominate
— and his firing of those already confirmed. Poor vetting and impulse
picks, as in the case of...Jackson...have led to time wasted on nominees
who struggle or are withdrawn.” The Post argues that “if Mr. Trump had his
own house in order, his attacks on Democrats might carry more weight.”

*Politico: Isakson Urged Trump Not To Fire Shulkin. *According to
Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=055-dc5&t=c>
(4/24, Everett, Johnson, Schor), “In a private conversation with Trump last
month,” Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Johnny Isakson “mounted
a strong defense of then-VA Secretary David Shulkin. But despite Isakson’s
guidance, Shulkin was canned a few days later, and Jackson, the White House
physician, was quickly nominated to take his place.” Politico says the
episode “offers a window into how the president’s impulsive decision-making
has created problems for GOP senators as well as his own aides.”
Senate Confirms Nakasone To Lead NSA, Cyber Command.

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=056-56a&t=c>
(4/24, Nakashima) reports the Senate on Tuesday confirmed Army Lt. Gen.
Paul Nakasone to be the next director of the National Security Agency and
the leader of US Cyber Command. Nakasone’s confirmation was “briefly
delayed by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who wanted to know the general’s views on
surveillance and privacy. He submitted replies to Paul last week, and Paul
removed his hold, clearing the way for a Senate vote.”
Duncan Confirmed To 5th US Circuit Court Of Appeals.

The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=057-a11&t=c>
(4/24, Swoyer) reports that Stuart Kyle Duncan, an attorney “who led the
fight against Obamacare’s contraceptive mandate, eventually winning the
Hobby Lobby case before the Supreme Court,” was confirmed by the Senate
Tuesday to the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals. In the 50-47 vote, only
Sen. Joe Manchin broke with is Democratic colleagues to support Duncan. The
AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=058-a77&t=c>
(4/24, Freking) says Democrats expressed concern about Duncan’s ability to
“be an impartial arbitrator given the cases he had worked on.”
Judge Rules Administration Must Restart DACA Program.

In what the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=059-a35&t=c>
(4/24, Jordan) describes as “the biggest setback yet for the Trump
administration in its decision to end” the DACA program, Judge John D.
Bates of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia “ruled
Tuesday that the government must resume accepting new applications.” Bates
“said the government’s decision to end the program...was predicated on the
‘virtually unexplained’ grounds that the program was ‘unlawful.’” USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=05a-a46&t=c>
(4/24, Cerbin) describes Bates’ ruling as “scathing,” adding that he “wrote
that administration moves to cancel DACA were ‘arbitrary’ and ‘capricious’
because DHS ‘failed adequately to explain its conclusion the program was
unlawful.’” Bates gave the Administration “90 days to challenge the ruling
before reinstating DACA in its entirety.” The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=05b-16e&t=c>
(4/24, Dinan) calls the ruling “another blow to President Trump’s attempt
to roll back” the program. Bates’ ruling that “the entire program could
have to be restarted” goes “beyond other judges, who had also ruled the
phaseout illegal but had only ordered Homeland Security to accept renewal
applications from people who’d already been awarded DACA before.”

*“Caravan” Begins To Arrive At US Border. *The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=05c-dcb&t=c>
(4/24, Semple) reports, “The caravan of weary migrants that the Trump
administration has called a threat to the sovereignty and security of the
United States” arrived in Mexicali at the US border on Tuesday. The Times
adds that “about 130 migrants, most of them women and children, arrived at
a migrant shelter in Mexicali,” in two buses, “and were welcomed by
volunteers and government officials.” They are planning to seek asylum in
the US. The Times also reports that “another several hundred caravan
members were expected to follow later in the day” with “a third contingent,
traveling atop freight trains, later this week.” There had been “upward of
1,200 in the journey’s early stages.” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said
that the caravan is “a deliberate attempt to undermine our laws and
overwhelm our system.”

Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=05d-3e2&t=c>
(4/24, Price) cites “Border Patrol officials in California and Arizona” as
saying that they had not “seen any illegal border crossings between ports
of entry this week.” Breitbart also reports Homeland Security Secretary
Kirstjen M. Nielsen promised to “fast track any caravan asylum cases.”
Sessions Will Not Recuse Himself From Cohen Investigation.

Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=05e-a0a&t=c>
(4/24, Strohm) reports that Attorney General Sessions “has decided against
recusing himself from the investigation” into President Trump’s personal
lawyer Michael Cohen, “but will consider stepping back from specific
questions tied to the probe,” according to a person familiar with the
matter. Sessions “could also weigh in on specific decisions by prosecutors,
including whether to pursue subpoenas and indictments.” Bloomberg’s
Jennifer Jacobs tweets
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=05f-5dc&t=c>
that “by staying involved, Sessions is entitled to briefings on the Cohen
investigation, conducted by US Attorney’s Office of Southern District of
NY.”

In a New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=060-c5a&t=c>
(4/24) analysis, Elizabeth Williamson looks at Sessions’ relationship with
Trump, writing that Sessions “has taken more abuse from President Trump
than any other member of his high-churn cabinet because he recused himself”
from the Russia probe, but Sessions “is in many ways the best attorney
general Mr. Trump might have hoped for.” While Trump “rails against him in
Washington, Mr. Sessions travels the country diligently pushing the
conservative Trump agenda.” Sessions is also “the creator and chief
enforcer of the tough immigration and criminal justice goals that helped
propel Mr. Trump into office,” and has avoided scandal.

*Trump Calls Query On Possible Cohen Pardon “Stupid Question.”
*The Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=061-fe2&t=c>
(4/24, Wagner) reports that when asked during his joint news conference
with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday whether he would consider
a pardon for Cohen, Trump “snapped and offered a two-word response: ‘Stupid
question.’” He “then encouraged other questions from reporters and
proceeded to provide relatively long answers.” On ABC World News Tonight[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=062-a58&t=c>
(4/24, story 6, 0:50), anchor David Muir said to Jonathan Karl, who asked
the question, “The President clearly not happy with your question there.”
Karl: “Not happy, David. And not answering. But the question of a possible
pardon for Michael Cohen is a central one here right now. And the White
House has not ruled it out.”

*Politico: Getting Cohen To “Flip” Might Not Be Simple Matter. *
Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=063-a00&t=c>
(4/24, Gerstein) looks at the much-discussed prospect of Cohen “flipping”
and cooperating with prosecutors, writing that “getting Michael Cohen to
rat out [Trump] may not be as simple as it sounds. ... Legal obstacles make
it difficult for lawyers to expose their clients’ guarded secrets,” and
“even if Cohen is determined to break his confidences with Trump, legal
ethics might deter federal prosecutors from coaxing him to betray his
professional confidences with Trump,” according to legal experts.

*Democrats Concerned About Grassley Amendment To Special Counsel
Protection Bill. *The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=064-469&t=c>
(4/24, Demirjian) reports that Democrats are warning that Senate Judiciary
Chairman Charles Grassley’s “proposed changes to a bill to protect special
counsels from undue firing would give the GOP the ability to tip off” the
President about developments in Robert Mueller’s probe. Grassley said his
amendment would correct separation-of-powers concerns with the legislation
by adding “reporting requirements to Congress that Grassley believes would
equip lawmakers to act to protect a special counsel.” But Democrats “see a
potential Trojan horse in those reporting requirements,” since party
leaders in Congress could inform the White House.

Utah’s US senators argue against the bill as it stands in op-eds
this morning. Sen. Orrin Hatch writes in the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=065-59a&t=c>
(4/24) that the idea behind a measure protecting a special counsel is a
good one, but that it runs afoul of the separation of powers. Sen. Mike Lee
similarly writes in USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=066-c6a&t=c>
(4/24) that Trump “should allow Mueller to finish his investigation into
Russia’s election interference in a timely fashion. But this legislation is
unconstitutional, and political expedience can never trump the
Constitution.”

*Manafort, Gates Were Interviewed By FBI Before Joining Trump
Campaign. *The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=067-3b1&t=c>
(4/24, Helderman) reports that court documents filed by Mueller’s team late
Monday show that ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort “was interviewed
by the FBI twice while he was working as a political consultant for a
Ukrainian political party – several years before he was named a top
adviser” to Trump. The interviews took place in March 2013 and July 2014.
Manafort’s deputy Rick Gates, “who also held a top role with Trump’s
campaign, was interviewed by the FBI in July 2014, the documents show.”

*Meadows Says Congress “Will Get” Strzok-Page Memos. *Rep. Mark
Meadows (R) was asked on Fox News’ Hannity[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=068-cfb&t=c>
(4/24) if the Justice Department will provide six months’ worth of memos
related to FBI officials Lisa Page and Peter Strzok to congressional
investigators. Meadows said, “I believe we will get them. ... There is a
critical gap of about three critical months of the Strzok-Page memos that
we believe will be very enlightening. In fact, some of that we believe will
put some context to Director Comey’s claims that he was an innocent
bystander in all of this.”

*Daily Caller News Foundation, Judicial Watch To Seek Documents On
Comey-Obama Meetings. *The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=069-95a&t=c>
(4/24, Pollock) reports that the Daily Caller News Foundation and Judicial
Watch will file a federal lawsuit Wednesday seeking records related to
meetings between Comey and then-President Obama. The request is being made
because Comey “claimed he rarely met with Obama, and he was an independent
and nonpartisan leader of the nation’s top law enforcement agency.”

*Ex-US Attorney Fitzgerald Representing Comey. *The Chicago Tribune
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=06a-694&t=c>
(4/24, Tanfani) reports that ex-Chicago US attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has
been representing Comey since shortly after Comey’s May 2017 firing.
The Chicago
Sun-Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=06b-0f8&t=c>
(4/24, Sweet) reports that Comey said that his “longtime friend...has been
on his legal team for nearly a year.”

*WPost: Trump-Giuliani Relationship Not As Close As Sometimes
Portrayed. *With former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who “delivered a
hotblooded, fists-clenched speech on Trump’s behalf at the 2016 Republican
National Convention,” joining Trump’s legal team, Marc Fisher of the Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=06c-d43&t=c>
(4/23) looks at the relationship between the two men, writing that it is
not as close as is often assumed. Fisher writes, “The notion that Giuliani
and Trump have a special bond does not comport with the recollections of
people who worked closely with both men in the 1980s and 1990s, when the
mayor and the real estate developer were two of the biggest names in the
nation’s largest city.” Both men “relished being in the public eye, going
to great lengths to build their images,” but one Giuliani colleague says
that they “were too different to have been buddies.”

*DHS Official: No New Evidence Of Foreign Hacking Into Voting
Systems Found So Far. *The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=06d-253&t=c>
(4/24, Blake) reports that DHS cybersecurity official Jeanette Manfra told
the Senate on Tuesday that the department “has failed so far to find any
evidence of foreign hackers attacking American voting systems ahead of the
2018 midterm elections.” During a hearing, Sen. Maggie Hassan asked, “Has
DHS detected any cyber activity targeting election infrastructure by Russia
or any other actors during this election season?” Manfra responded, “We
have not at this time.”
Pence To Address NRA’s Annual Meeting.

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=06e-835&t=c>
(4/24, Nussbaum) reports that Vice President Pence’s office announced
Tuesday that the Vice President will address the NRA’s annual meeting on
May 4 in Dallas. The Dallas Morning News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=06f-963&t=c>
(4/24, Branham) reports that other speakers at the event will include “Gov.
Greg Abbott, Sen. John Cornyn, Sen. Ted Cruz and NRA leaders, among
others.”

*Commission On Parkland Shooting Meets For First Time. *The Miami
Herald
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=070-826&t=c>
(4/24, Smiley) reports a Florida state commission “created to investigate
the Feb. 14 shooting in Parkland met for the first time” on Tuesday and
released the news that during the response to the shooting, “radios were so
badly jammed...that sheriff’s deputies and Coral Springs police...had to
communicate by hand,” while teachers “were forced to lock their doors from
the outside,” and the shooter had “researched the 1999 shooting at
Columbine High School” in carrying out his attack. The commission is being
headed by Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, and “includes three parents whose
children were killed in the attack.” Sheriff Gualtieri noted that “no one
died on the second floor of building 12 because all the classrooms treated
the incident as a code red.”

*Two Dallas Police Officers, One Civilian Shot At Home Depot. *ABC
World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=071-fde&t=c>
(4/24, lead story, 1:05, Muir) reported in its lead story that the Dallas
Police Department has confirmed “that two police officers and one civilian
have been shot at a Home Depot.” ABC (Thomas) added, “Our station WFAA is
reporting that this is an ongoing and very dangerous situation.” ABC
continued, “We’re being told that the ATF is responding to the scene, as
well.” NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=072-14d&t=c>
(4/24, story 8, 0:25, Holt) reported, “Two police officers have been shot
and are in critical condition. A civilian also shot” in an incident “near a
Home Depot store in northeast Dallas where a manhunt is now underway.”
According to the CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=073-846&t=c>
(4/24, story 4, 0:20, Glor), “The police are using a helicopter and canine
units to search for a suspect in the woods near the store’s parking lot.”

*Judge Revokes Bail For Waffle House Murder Suspect. *The CBS
Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=074-e37&t=c>
(4/24, story 9, 0:40, Glor) reported, “A Tennessee judge today revoked bond
for Travis Reinking, accused of murdering four people at a Waffle House in
Nashville on Sunday.” CBS added, “Reinking is on suicide watch,” while ABC
World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018042501biden&r=email-1cd1&l=075-4c2&t=c>
(4/24, story 4, 0:30, Muir) reported that the judge revoked “his $2 million
bail,” and “a search warrant now revealing