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Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing


*From:* Bulletin Intelligence <Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com>
*Sent:* Tuesday, June 26, 2018 7:57 AM
*To:* Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com
*Subject:* Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for
Tuesday, June 26, 2018


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<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=000-86b&t=c>
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[image: Image removed by sender. Office of Vice President Biden
Intelligence Briefing]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=001-3dd&t=c>

*To: Vice President Joe Biden*

*Tuesday, June 26, 2018 8:00 AM EDT*
Today's Table of Contents

*Biden in the News <#SECTION_1>*

• Biden Op-Ed: US Border Won’t Be Secure Until Central America Is. <#S1>

• Romanian Press Highlights Biden Criticism Of Hungary, Poland, Romania
Leaders. <#S2>

*Leading the News <#SECTION_2>*

• Trump Slams “Extraordinarily Low IQ” Waters, “Filthy” Red Hen Restaurant.
<#S3>

*Foreign Policy <#SECTION_3>*

• Trump Bemoans “Harley Excuse” For Waving “White Flag” On Trade. <#S4>

• Trump Cites Progress Towards Mideast Peace Plan While Meeting With
Jordan’s King. <#S5>

• NBC: Mattis Wasn’t Consulted On Ending Iran Deal, ROK Military Exercises.
<#S6>

• Defense Official: US To Make Specific Requests Of North Korea. <#S7>

• Protesters Clash With Police At Iran’s Parliament. <#S8>

• Mattis Softens China Rhetoric Ahead Of Beijing Visit. <#S9>

• NYTimes: Mexico’s Ruling Party Draws Scrutiny For Electoral Tactics.
<#S10>

*Domestic Policy <#SECTION_4>*

• CBP Chief: Immigrants Traveling With Children No Longer Referred For
Prosecution. <#S11>

• SCOTUS Vacates State Ruling On Florist Who Refused Gay Couple’s Business.
<#S12>

• Trump Takes Aim At Warner Joke About Mueller Probe. <#S13>

• Senate Approves $145 Billion Spending Bill For Energy, VA. <#S14>

• NOAA Chief Floats Removing “Climate” From Mission Statement. <#S15>

• FDA Approves Marijuana-Based Prescription For Children With Epilepsy.
<#S16>

• Trump Stumps For McMaster, Focuses On Own Record, Criticizing Press.
<#S17>

*Cancer Research <#SECTION_5>*

• Harvard Study: Flight Attendants May Have Higher Cancer Rates. <#S18>

• Pfizer Combination Therapy For Breast Cancer Falls Short In Late-Stage
Trial. <#S19>

*Editorials/Op-Eds <#SECTION_6>*

• New York Times. <#S20>

• Washington Post. <#S21>
Biden in the News
Biden Op-Ed: US Border Won’t Be Secure Until Central America Is.

In a Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=002-858&t=c>
(6/25) op-ed, former Vice President Joe Biden writes that last week’s
executive order ending the separation of children from their families at
the border “did not end the crisis in Central America.” The situation, he
adds, “calls for a renewed focus on the so-called Northern Triangle of
Central America – the countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras,
which together represent the overwhelming source of migrants crossing our
southern border. Unless we address the root causes driving migration from
this region, any solutions focused solely on border protection and
immigration enforcement will be insufficient.”

This morning on Bloomberg TV’s Bloomberg Surveillance[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=003-783&t=c>
(6/26), host Tom Keene read from what he described as Biden’s “heated”
Washington Post op-ed, calling it “the most intelligent thing I have heard
about the [immigration] debate.” Keene asked Bloomberg News’ Kevin Cirilli,
“Do we fix this at the border or do we fix this in Central America? What do
Republicans say in the House?” Cirilli replied, “In Central America. But,
there is a widespread acceptance that to address the immigration issue, you
have to get to where the root of the problem is – and that is in Central
America and Mexico.” Cirilli added, “What is interesting about the timing
of...Biden’s op-ed...is that comes at a time in which [Vice President Mike
Pence] is actually in route to Latin America for a series of meetings.”
Romanian Press Highlights Biden Criticism Of Hungary, Poland, Romania
Leaders.

Business Review (ROM)
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=004-545&t=c>
(6/26, Alexe) reports that former Vice President Joe Biden recently “gave a
speech in Copenhagen on the issue of ‘Democracy in an era of authoritarian
revival’, in which he criticised the ‘demagogues and charlatans’ who
exploit people’s fears and always blame other people for their problems. He
specifically referred to Romania, Hungary and Poland to illustrate his
points.” Biden is quoted as saying, “In Poland, the ruling party portrays
checks and balances as impediments – impediments! – to achieving key
national goals, and then uses that pretext to stack the courts with
political appointees. Hungary’s leaders blame nefarious outside influences
on the ills of Hungary’s society by holding up illiberal democracy as a
model that best represents the interests of the common people in Hungary.
The Romanian government portrays anti-corruption institutions as
impediments to effective governance and argues the need to dismantle them
to allow them to become more effective.”
Leading the News
Trump Slams “Extraordinarily Low IQ” Waters, “Filthy” Red Hen Restaurant.

President Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=005-fbd&t=c>
yesterday, “Congresswoman Maxine Waters, an extraordinarily low IQ person,
has become, together with Nancy Pelosi, the Face of the Democrat Party. She
has just called for harm to supporters, of which there are many, of the
Make America Great Again movement. Be careful what you wish for Max!”
Earlier, Trump had tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=006-dba&t=c>,
“The Red Hen Restaurant should focus more on cleaning its filthy canopies,
doors and windows (badly needs a paint job) rather than refusing to serve a
fine person like Sarah Huckabee Sanders. I always had a rule, if a
restaurant is dirty on the outside, it is dirty on the inside!”

News accounts and commentators did not defend Waters or the Red
Hen, but much of the coverage of Trump’s tweet was nonetheless markedly
unfavorable. The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=007-248&t=c>
(6/25, Davis, Haberman) reports, for example, that “Trump’s criticism of
the restaurant...was notably more animated than his defense of Ms.
Sanders...suggesting the degree to which the president has cooled to his
press secretary, according to people close to him.” USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=008-e16&t=c>
(6/25, Cummings) indicates, meanwhile, that “Trump inaccurately identified
the target of Waters’ ire as all Trump supporters rather than just Cabinet
members.” Moreover, “it is unclear where Waters ‘called for harm’ to those
supporters, although perhaps inferred that from Waters’ call to ‘push back
on them.’” USA Today goes on to express concerns about “the heated rhetoric
from both Trump and Waters.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=009-282&t=c>
(6/25, Sonmez, Costa) headlines its report “Feud Over Civility In Politics
Escalates Amid Trump Insults,” and says Trump “escalated” the “feud with a
veteran Democratic lawmaker who called for aggressive protests of
administration officials.” To Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=00a-31f&t=c>
(6/25, Torbati), Trump “lashed out” at Waters as he “faced a global outcry,
including criticism from some in his own Republican Party,” and to CQ Roll
Call
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=00b-9d2&t=c>
(6/25, Bennett) he “continued ratcheting up his rhetoric Monday, warning a
Democratic lawmaker to ‘be careful what you wish for’ and declaring
Democrats ‘don’t care about crime.’”

In its lead story, the CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=00c-d8e&t=c>
(6/25, lead story, 3:10, Glor) reported the nation is waiting “to find out
when thousands of kids get reunited with parents,” and “all of it is
fueling an extraordinary amount of political hostility right now,” of which
the Red Hen incident was “one vivid example.” CBS added that “many
Democrats feel the party needs to keep the focus on the GOP’s tax reform
package, the healthcare proposal, and leave the controversial comments
to...Trump.” Trump meanwhile, “drew attention to this on Twitter by
singling out...Waters.” ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=00d-6e6&t=c>
(6/25, story 3, 2:55, Karl) mentioned the story in the context of Trump
“calling for those who cross illegally to be deported without a hearing”
and with “no need for a judge,” and added that “Democratic leaders strongly
disagreed” with Waters.

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=00e-b21&t=c>
(6/25, Wagner, Selk) refers to a “provocative rebuke” by Trump “to the
California Democrat,” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=00f-ba1&t=c>
(6/25, Warmbrodt) says he “viciously assailed Waters,” and The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=010-4bd&t=c>
(6/25, Kurtz, Parnes) that the issue is “snowballing into more than a
partisan food fight, highlighting a deepening divide that’s made its way
from political arenas to dining tables” amid “an orgy of recriminations and
debate about where the line is between personal disagreement and
harassment.” USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=011-5f8&t=c>
(6/25, Meyer) reports, however, that “as politics divides Americans across
the dinner table and at the water cooler, businesses increasingly pick
sides, and it doesn’t appear to hurt the bottom line. In fact, it may
help.”

The CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=012-0a6&t=c>
(6/25, story 2, 2:40, Glor), meanwhile, gathered “a group of voters here in
California: three are liberal, three conservative.” All agreed that the
restaurant acted improperly and bemoaned the lack of civility in the
national discourse, but one was shown saying, “I find it so ironic that you
can show compassion in selective humanity, that you can have compassion for
her being chased out of restaurant, but you don’t have compassion from
children in cages separated from their parents.” Another one said, “I find
this hateful business just awful, and Maxine Waters is a perfect example of
something that I think is just despicable. And she is encouraging people to
go out there and be disrespectful and give anybody who works for Trump a
bad time.”

NBC’s Today Show[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=013-306&t=c>
(6/25) briefly noted that Sanders had been refused service, and then
reported that the First Lady Melania Trump “call[ed] for empathy at an
event for students overnight.” The First Lady was shown saying, “Kindness,
compassion, and positivity are very important traits in life.”

*Sanders Incident Follows Harassment Of Nielsen, Miller, Florida
AG. *The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=014-ac7&t=c>
(6/25, Caralle) notes “Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was run
out of a Mexican restaurant last week by socialist protesters,” and the New
York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=015-d16&t=c>
(6/25, Moore) that “last Sunday, a patron of the restaurant Espita
Mezcaleria approached Trump aide Stephen Miller...calling him a ‘fascist.’” USA
Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=016-56a&t=c>
(6/25, Nzanga) reports “Miller became the latest Trump administration
official to get a direct protest as immigration demonstrators converged on
his home in downtown D.C. Monday.” USA Today adds that “about 20 people
protesting Miller’s role in the Trump administration’s ‘zero tolerance’
immigration policy marched about a block to Miller’s CityCenterDC apartment
building, handing fliers to spectators along the way.”

On Fox News’ Hannity[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=017-2f9&t=c>
(6/25), Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi described her run in with
anti-Trump protesters outside a Florida movie theater. The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=018-30b&t=c>
(6/25, Shelbourne) reports “all three of the incidents come as the Trump
administration grapples with the fallout from its ‘zero tolerance’
immigration policy at the southern border, which has inflamed tensions
about its policies.”

*DHS Issues Security Alert To Employees After “Specific And
Credible Threats.” *The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=019-ef0&t=c>
(6/25, Chasmar) reports DHS “is warning employees to stay on alert after a
senior official reportedly found a burned animal carcass at his Washington
residence.” Acting DHS deputy secretary Claire M. Grady “issued a memo
Saturday warning staffers that ‘there may be a heightened threat’ against
them amid a national outcry over separated immigrant families at the
border, CBS News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=01a-d88&t=c>
reported.” Wrote Grady, “This assessment is based on specific and credible
threats. ... In addition, over the last few days, thousands of employees
have had their personally identifiable information publically [sic]
released on social media.”

*Pro-Gun Groups Urge Trump Aides To Get Concealed Carry Permits. *The
Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=01b-95a&t=c>
(6/25, Bedard) reports that “facing a new wave of potentially dangerous
threats, called for by a top Democratic lawmaker, legal and gun experts are
calling on top Trump aides to get their concealed carry permit and back it
up with a pistol.” For example John R. Lott Jr., president of the
influential Crime Prevention Research Center, said, “There are simply not
enough police in D.C. or Virginia or Maryland to protect all Trump
officials at their homes and when they go out to restaurants. Getting a
concealed handgun permit would be helpful to protect themselves and their
family.”

*Sanders Calls For Right To Disagree “Freely And Without Fear Of
Harm.” *The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=01c-65f&t=c>
(6/25, Samuels) reports Sanders on Monday “pushed for respectful political
discourse in the aftermath of her dismissal from a Virginia restaurant over
the weekend.” Said Sanders, “We are allowed to disagree but we should be
able to do so freely and without fear of harm. ... And this goes for all
people regardless of politics.” The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=01d-28d&t=c>
(6/25, Morrongiello) quotes Sanders as further stating, “Some have chosen
to push hate and vandalism against the restaurant that I was asked to leave
from. A Hollywood actor publicly encouraged people to kidnap my children.
And this weekend, a member of Congress called for people to push back and
make clear to those serving our country and this administration that they
are not welcome anywhere, anytime, for anything.”

*Media Analyses: Waters, Protesters Risk Creating Pro-Trump
Backlash. *Under the headline, “Liberal Hostility Toward Trump Aides Could
Galvanize The GOP Base,” James Hohmann of the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=01e-8ac&t=c>
(6/25) says “the recent instances in which progressives harassed” Nielsen,
Sanders, Miller and others “risk backfiring by playing into Trump’s hands.”
According to Hohmann, “It supercharges the president’s sense of grievance
and gives fodder for the argument, made in his stump speech, that he and
his followers are disrespected.” Hohmann adds, “The nastiness could also
alienate and depress middle-of-the-road independents who prize pluralism.”

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=01f-a0d&t=c>
(6/25, Kurtz, Parnes) reports that former Obama adviser David Axelrod
tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=020-248&t=c>
Monday “he was both ‘amazed and appalled by the number of folks on [the]
Left’ who praised the owner of the Red Hen.” Axelrod also tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=021-61f&t=c>,
“Hard to understand this argument that tossing @PressSec is somehow ‘doing
something’ that will help elect Democrats, defeat Trump or change policy.
It won’t. Whatever the intent, it was a total political gift to @POTUS.”

Trump appeared to be weighing that possibility, re-tweeting
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=022-924&t=c>
an earlier message from Sen. Marco Rubio, who wrote, “Trump haters still
haven’t realized how much they help him with their condescension of those
who either voted for him or don’t share their hatred of him. And how much
they help him with their irrational hostility towards those who work for
him.” Along those lines, NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=023-96f&t=c>
(6/25, lead story, 3:10, Alexander) said last night that “what is clear is
the President is increasingly emboldened. Many approve of the job he’s
doing from the conversations on the ground. The stronger the attacks
against him, the tougher and stronger their support for him.”

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=024-949&t=c>
(6/25, Martin) reports that “as institutional Democrats wring their hands,”
the “deliberations” within the party “have started to give way to furious
liberal activists and citizens who have taken matters into their own hands
beyond the corridors of power.” The Times adds “older and more
establishment-aligned party officials fear the attempts at public
humiliation are a political gift to Republicans eager to portray the
opposition as inflaming rather than cooling passions in the nation’s
capital.”

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=025-1af&t=c>
(6/25, Schor, Everett, Caygle) reports “red-state Senate Democrats are
staking their reelection bids on their ability to work with Trump,” and
their “argument has gotten more complicated as the pushback against his
policies becomes more personal.” Politico adds the call by Waters “for
liberals to accost Trump Cabinet members in public isn’t the kind of thing
the party’s most vulnerable members, or even their leaders, want to answer
for.” The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=026-1e5&t=c>
(6/25) also reports “several Democrats warned that such actions could
backfire by eliciting sympathy for Trump officials, rallying Republicans to
the polls in midterms or leading to similar protests against liberals by
Trump supporters.”

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=027-ec2&t=c>
(6/25, Karni) reports “it’s not yet clear whether the treatment of Sanders
over the weekend...simply reflects how deeply the administration’s
immigration fiasco has resonated with people across the country, or whether
it hints at a newly unbreachable political divide.” However, “the moment
was seen as politically expedient for Sanders and the White House, offering
a way to toggle to the politics of grievance rather than sit in the mire of
the president’s botched immigration plan.” Another Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=028-173&t=c>
(6/25, Cadelago) story says Trump’s tweets yesterday “followed a playbook
drafted by Trump-allied operatives to portray his detractors as out of step
with most Americans and interested only in tearing down the president –
regardless of the ultimate cost.” Politico adds “the goal is to whip up
Trump’s loyal base, and also to animate Republican voters who may have
soured on Trump or weren’t thrilled with him to begin with.”

Brit Hume said on Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=029-0a2&t=c>
(6/25), “I don’t think it will play very well and I don’t know
what...Waters was talking about when she said she never called for harm.
Throwing people out of restaurants and hounding them in their homes is
harmful. It isn’t physical harm but it’s harm nonetheless. I think she will
be quieted by her colleagues.”

In a column titled “Trump Country, It Turns Out, Is More Tolerant
Than The Left,” Gary Abernathy writes in the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=02a-d97&t=c>
(6/25) that “the growing encouragement from many on the left and some in
the media to define Trump supporters as pariahs or Nazis...seems designed
to justify and even encourage harassment, intimidation and – then what? The
rising McCarthyism of the left will soon lead to the money question: Are
you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Trump coalition?” Adds
Abernathy, “Intolerant, angry, increasingly confrontational – it is
astounding to watch them become that which they claim to despise about the
president.”

*“Anxious” Democrats Worried About Waters’ Impact. *Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=02b-738&t=c>
(6/25, Warmbrodt) reports “Waters has won over a whole new generation of
adoring fans in the Trump era who have rechristened the Los Angeles
Democrat as the Resistance hero ‘Auntie Maxine.’” Yet “with her constant
calls for...Trump to be impeached – and her comments this weekend urging
Democrats to challenge Cabinet members when they see them in public –
Waters is making even members of her own party anxious.” In a separate
story, Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=02c-353&t=c>
(6/25, Nelson) notes House Minority Leader Pelosi “wrote
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=02d-f52&t=c>
online Monday that elections should be conducted in a way that ‘achieves
unity’ despite...Trump’s ‘lack of civility,’ in what appeared to be a
gentle rebuke of...Waters’ call for Trump opponents to confront members of
the administration wherever they may be.” Politico adds that “attached to
Pelosi’s post was a link to a CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=02e-188&t=c>
article detailing Waters’ remarks, made over the weekend in a TV interview
and at a rally in Los Angeles.”

The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=02f-3ee&t=c>
(6/25, Richardson) reports, meanwhile, that “Sen. Cory Booker says there is
‘nothing wrong with confronting’ Trump administration officials in public –
as long as it is done ‘with love.’”

Sen. Chris Coons said on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image removed
by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=030-c25&t=c>
(6/25), “I frankly disagree with Congresswoman Waters. I don’t think we’re
at our strongest or best when we simply pay back hate speech with hate
speech, when we further inflame disrespect for each other. I think it’s
important that we try to maintain civility as we also express strongly our
disagreement with President Trump and his administration’s policies.”

On MSNBC’s Morning Joe[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=031-c43&t=c>
(6/25), Joe Scarborough said, “When you start publicly shaming people with
whom you disagree, and God knows I disagree with...Trump’s position right
now on so many things, but when people can’t go into restaurants without
being shouted out of restaurants or movie theaters, you know, we have got a
problem. ... That’s really not how you persuade people to move off the
Trump train and go more to a reasonable traditional conservative position.”

*Scalise, Others Warn Of Potential Violence Stemming From Waters
Comments. *House Majority Whip Steve Scalise said on Fox News’ Hannity[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=032-eba&t=c>
(6/25), “I’ve seen personally how that kind of inciteful language can lead
to something dangerous. There are fine lines to cross. We’re a nation that
was built on this great idea that you can disagree with people. You can
express your disagreement. ... Again, this is about civility. You
should...win your ideas in a debate of public opinion. If you’re ideas are
worse, which frankly, I think conservative ideas win the day all the time,
so they try to resort to name calling and violence. That’s where I think it
crosses the line.”

Sean Hannity said on Fox News’ Hannity[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=033-e9d&t=c>
(6/25), “This disgusting vitriol is out of control and someone frankly is
going to get hurt. ... This is not a game anymore.”

On Fox News’ Fox & Friends[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=034-c10&t=c>
(6/25), Ainsley Earhardt indicated that Waters is “pushing for the public
to harass people who work in the Administration. ... It’s hateful and rude
and could lead to something very, very dangerous. It could lead to
violence.” Along similar lines, The Federalist
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=035-59d&t=c>
(6/25, Wulfsohn) warns that “for 18 months, Democrats have allowed the
anti-Trump rhetoric occurring within their party to go largely unchecked,
and since such animosity for the current presidency is seen as a motivator
for the upcoming midterms, you can’t blame them.” However, “Waters is
single-handedly escalating tensions, and someone could get hurt.”

*GOP Lawmaker Introduces Resolution To Censure Waters. *The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=036-53a&t=c>
(6/25, Brufke) reports AZ5 Rep. Andy Biggs (R) “on Monday introduced a
measure to censure” Waters and “called on her to resign following her
comments calling on Democrats to publicly confront officials in the Trump
administration.” Biggs “said the California Democrat’s comments do ‘not
become somebody who’s in Congress,’ arguing disciplinary action is
appropriate.”

*Hassan Intern Disciplined For Yelling Obscenities At Trump.
*The Washington
Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=037-b54&t=c>
(6/25, Morton) reports that Fox News, citing unnamed sources, has
identified the woman “who yelled obscenities at President Trump last week
in the Capitol Rotunda” as Caitlin Marriott, an intern for Sen. Maggie
Hassan. A spokesman for Hassan told Fox, “We are aware of the situation and
have taken disciplinary action, including a one-week suspension and
revoking her Congressional intern ID badge (thereby restricting her access
to the Capitol), in response to her breach of office policies regarding
respectful and appropriate conduct. We also facilitated contact with
Capitol Police.”

*In UK Speech, Clinton Compares Trump To Erdogan. *The Daily Mail
(UK)
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=038-e71&t=c>
(6/25, Goodin) reports that in a speech to Oxford University on Monday,
Hillary Clinton compared Trump to Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Clinton “quoted liberal academic Yascha Mounk, who studies democracy,”
saying, “But Mounk concludes by saying, ‘Turkey also shows that political
and intellectual elites, both inside the country and around the world,
persistently underestimate the threat which these kinds of leaders pose to
the survival of democratic institutions. ... We are in the midst of a
global struggle...between liberal democracy and a rising tide of
illiberalism.’”
Foreign Policy
Trump Bemoans “Harley Excuse” For Waving “White Flag” On Trade.

President Trump took to Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=039-55f&t=c>
yesterday to write, “Surprised that Harley-Davidson, of all companies,
would be the first to wave the White Flag. I fought hard for them and
ultimately they will not pay tariffs selling into the E.U., which has hurt
us badly on trade, down $151 Billion. Taxes just a Harley excuse – be
patient!”

Reports on Harley’s decision cast a sharply unfavorable light on
Trump’s trade policies. The CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=03a-477&t=c>
(6/25, story 4, 2:00, Glor) reported, for example, that “we’re beginning to
see more fallout from the President’s controversial tariff approach,” and
added (Reid) that the move is “a consequence of the Trump Administration’s
tariffs on European steel and aluminum.” NBC Nightly News[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=03b-654&t=c>
(6/25, story 3, 2:10, Costello) also said “a threatened trade war now
threatens classic American jobs.” Brit Hume said on Fox News’ Special
Report[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=03c-235&t=c>
(6/25), “I would interpret ‘be patient’ to mean: ‘Just let this go for
while, Harley-Davidson, don’t do anything because I think I will get a deal
out of this and everybody will be happy.’ So far, we haven’t seen any deals
and it’s not even really clear what negotiations are underway. So I can
understand the President’s desire to tamp this down because it is an
embarrassing result.”

Under the headline, “Harley, Stung By Tariffs, Shifts Some
Production Overseas,” the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=03d-460&t=c>
(6/25, Moreno) reports that Harley-Davidson announced that production of
its motorcycles to be sold in Europe “will move from US factories to
facilities overseas” as “a consequence of the retaliatory tariffs the EU is
imposing on American exports in an escalating trade war with the Trump
administration.” Trump “has used the iconic American motorcycle maker as an
example of a US business harmed by trade barriers in other countries.” USA
Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=03e-be7&t=c>
(6/25, Korte) notes, however, that the company “has warned that tariffs
could end up hurting US jobs.” ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed
by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=03f-b88&t=c>
(6/25, story 7, 1:50, Jarvis) recounted that “after the
inauguration...Trump praised the American institution and hinted more jobs
were on the way.” Trump was shown saying, “So thank you, Harley-Davidson,
for building things in America. And I think you’re going to expand.” ABC
added that the EU “tariffs drive up the price of a single bike by roughly
$2,000, which is why they’re moving some of that production so that they
don’t pass the cost to customers. Now, those motorcycles built overseas
will be sold overseas, and according to the company,” and “if you buy a
Harley here, it is made in America.”

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=040-9d5&t=c>
(6/25, Singh) reports that “in a regulatory filing, the Milwaukee,
Wisconsin-based company said the retaliatory duties would result in an
incremental cost of about $2,200 per average motorcycle exported from the
United States to the European Union.” Harley-Davidson “expects the tariffs
to result in incremental costs of $30 million to $45 million for the rest
of 2018.” The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=041-911&t=c>
(6/25, Barrett) notes “about 16 percent of all new Harley-Davidson
motorcycles are sold in Europe, a figure that’s been steady and is second
in revenue only to the US.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=042-789&t=c>
(6/25, Lynch, Long) reports “Edward Alden, a senior fellow at the Council
on Foreign Relations, said the decision undermined the president’s claim
that his ‘America First’ trade stance would benefit manufacturing workers.”
The Post adds “Trump has said that ‘trade wars are good and easy to win,’
but users of imported steel and aluminum already are feeling the pain of
the administration’s policies.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=043-76e&t=c>
(6/25, Rappeport, Tsang) similarly refers to Harley’s decision as “the
latest and most high-profile example of how Mr. Trump’s trade war is
beginning to ripple through the United States economy” and “could have the
unintended effect of reducing employment and economic growth in the United
States.”

“While Trump has repeatedly claimed that the US can easily win
trade wars,” says Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=044-dc0&t=c>
(6/25, Coppola), “victims are starting to pile up at home and abroad.” Politico
Europe
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=045-1b1&t=c>
(6/25, Hanke) reports “this is the first announcement of a shift of
production outside of the US in reaction to...Trump’s trade war, and it
follows a profit warning from carmaker Daimler, which said its factories in
the US would be hit by Chinese retaliation.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=046-257&t=c>
(6/25, Eavis) says that “the company, by making more motorcycles beyond its
United States factories, could draw criticism from...Trump and his
supporters.” However, “if Harley-Davidson does not adapt to the rising
trade barriers, it stands to sell fewer motorcycles, which could harm its
profits.” The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=047-30d&t=c>
(6/25, Tita) runs a similar report.

*In Tweets Today, Trump Continues Criticism Of Harley-Davidson,
Touts Tariffs. *Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=048-412&t=c>
this morning, “Early this year Harley-Davidson said they would move much of
their plant operations in Kansas City to Thailand. That was long before
Tariffs were announced. Hence, they were just using Tariffs/Trade War as an
excuse. Shows how unbalanced & unfair trade is, but we will fix
it....[continuing
tweet
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=049-1e2&t=c>]....When
I had Harley-Davidson officials over to the White House, I chided them
about tariffs in other countries, like India, being too high. Companies are
now coming back to America. Harley must know that they won’t be able to
sell back into U.S. without paying a big tax!” Trump said in a third tweet
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=04a-192&t=c>
on the topic, “We are getting other countries to reduce and eliminate
tariffs and trade barriers that have been unfairly used for years against
our farmers, workers and companies. We are opening up closed markets and
expanding our footprint. They must play fair or they will pay tariffs!”
Trump added in a fourth tweet
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=04b-a24&t=c>
this morning, “We are finishing our study of Tariffs on cars from the E.U.
in that they have long taken advantage of the U.S. in the form of Trade
Barriers and Tariffs. In the end it will all even out – and it won’t take
very long!”

*Media Analyses: Concerns About Trump’s Trade Moves Spark Stock
Selloff. *Media reports attribute yesterday’s widespread stock selloff to
concerns about the Trump Administration’s trade polices. In particular, the
steep decline is tied to reports indicating that the US might limit Chinese
investment in US tech firms. White House trade adviser Peter Navarro,
meanwhile, is widely credited with averting a worse day for US stocks by
offering reassurances in an appearance on CNBC
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=04c-f7d&t=c>
that no decision has been made to restrict Chinese investment in the US. In
representative coverage, Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=04d-e31&t=c>
(6/25) says “an escalating trade dispute between the United States and
other leading economies battered US stocks on Monday, sending the S&P 500
and Nasdaq to their steepest losses in more than two months.”

CNBC
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=04e-fa4&t=c>
(6/25) reports that the DJIA ended up down “328.09 points to close at
24,252.80, with Boeing and Intel among the biggest decliners in the index.”
CNBC notes that the DJIA “closed below its 200-day moving average, a key
technical level, for the first time since June 2016.” CNBC points out that
on Sunday, the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=04f-3b7&t=c>
(6/24, Davis) reported that the Administration “plans to bar several
Chinese companies from making investments in U.S. tech,” and “wants to
block additional technology exports to China.”

The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=050-d68&t=c>
(6/25, A1, Davis) reports on the stock market on its front page, and USA
Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=051-99a&t=c>
(6/25, Shell) says “investors who once downplayed the tit-for-tat trade
dispute between the US and its trade partners as a Trump negotiating ploy
are now confronted with the reality that some of the tariffs are in effect,
causing companies to change business plans and warn of weaker profits.”
Said ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=052-d33&t=c>
(6/25, story 7, 1:50, Jarvis), “You could see it on their faces. Nerves
running high on Wall Street with trade war fears sparking a sell-off.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=053-a1b&t=c>
(6/25, Jay) reports Treasury Secretary Mnuchin “suggested the investment
restrictions wouldn’t be limited to China and the losses deepened.”
However, the AP adds that “the market recovered some of those losses after
Peter Navarro, one of President Donald Trump’s top trade advisers, told CNBC
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=054-3d2&t=c>
there was no plan for investment restrictions.”

Navarro said on CNBC’s Closing Bell[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=055-a0e&t=c>
(6/25), “There’s no plans to impose investment restrictions on any
countries that are interfering in any way with our country. This is not the
plan. All we’re doing here with the President’s trade policy is trying to
defend our technology when it may be threatened. So, this whole idea that
somehow there’s going to be investment restrictions for the world, please,
discount that. I would say more broadly, I think today’s market action is a
very large overreaction.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=056-dfb&t=c>
(6/25) reports that Mnuchin said yesterday “on Twitter...that reports by
the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=057-caa&t=c>
(6/24, Davis) and Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=058-0e4&t=c>
(6/24, Mohsin, Leonard) are ‘false, fake news,’” and that their source
“either doesn’t exist or know the subject very well.” Mnuchin added that
“any restrictions would not be aimed solely at China but at ‘all countries
that are trying to steal our technology.’”

*AP: Commerce Department “Deluged” With Requests For Exemptions
From Steel Tariffs. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=059-dcf&t=c>
(6/25, Lardner) reports that Trump “says his tariffs on steel, aluminum and
other goods will put US companies and workers on stronger footing,” but
“the steel tariff...may backfire on the very people the president is aiming
to help.” The Commerce Department “has been deluged with requests from
20,000 companies seeking exemptions.” The AP goes on to report that
“steelworkers, meanwhile, are cheering the tariff even as they remain
skeptical of Trump’s pledge to empower blue-collar Americans,” and “also
worry about the possibility of too many exemptions.”

*Flake Blasts Trump’s Trade Policies. *Appearing on MSNBC’s Morning
Joe[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=05a-afd&t=c>
(6/25), Sen. Jeff Flake said, “If we’re going to be imposing new tariffs on
the European Union on automobiles, they’ll certainly retaliate and what you
find – and there have been studies that verify this again and again – is
when you try to lower tariffs by imposing new tariffs and forcing others to
lower theirs, it rarely works. It simply escalates.” Flake added, “It’s
been very troubling to many of us in Congress, on something so central to
what Republicans stand for, free trade, to just allow the President to go
on and treat Canada and Mexico as if they are national security threats.
... We met with the Canadian Foreign Minister, members of the Foreign
Relations Committee, and just to hear her, it’s just sadness that they all
have, just knowing that you are our allies, we fought beside you and now
you declare us a national security threat.”

*China, EU Warn Trade War Could Trigger Global Recession. *In
what Bloomberg
News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=05b-3ea&t=c>
(6/25) calls “an apparent rebuke to the US,” China and the EU on Monday
“vowed to oppose trade protectionism and unilateralism, saying those
actions could push the world into recession.” Vice Premier Liu He,
President Xi Jinping’s “top economic adviser,” said China and the EU
“agreed to defend the multilateral trading system,” following economic
talks in Beijing. The comments, made at a press conference with European
Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen, “come as both sides prepared to
face off against” President Trump’s tariff threats.

*Xi Tells CEOs He’ll Strike Back At US. *The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=05c-d37&t=c>
(6/25, Wei, Kubota) reports Xi told a gathering of roughly 20 American and
European chief executives late last week that Beijing plans to strike back
against Trump’s tariff threats. “In the West you have the notion that if
somebody hits you on the left cheek, you turn the other cheek,” Xi said
according to those in attendance. “In our culture we punch back,” he added.

*Dollar Rallies, Erasing Yuan’s 2018 Gains. *The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=05d-b90&t=c>
(6/25, Vaishampayan) reports that the Chinese yuan has dropped to its
weakest level against the dollar this year. The drop in the yuan came after
China’s central bank said Sunday that it would reduce the amount of cash it
requires banks to hold in reserve.

*Senate Adding ZTE Measures To Spending Bills. *Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=05e-c8d&t=c>
(6/25, Ferris, Bresnahan) reports that Senate Republicans “have repeatedly
inserted language in must-pass spending bills that would limit US ties” to
Chinese telecommunications firm ZTE “by banning federal agencies from
buying its products.” The Senate’s provision, warns Politico, “sets up a
clash with the Trump administration because, unlike harsher rebukes of ZTE
that have been tucked into legislation this year, this one could make it”
to President Trump’s desk.
Trump Cites Progress Towards Mideast Peace Plan While Meeting With Jordan’s
King.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=05f-d11&t=c>
(6/25, Superville) reports that at the White House on Monday, where he was
meeting with King Abdullah of Jordan, President Trump “claimed...that a
‘lot of progress’ has been made in the Middle East, but...did not identify
specific areas of improvement.” The AP notes that Abdullah “recently met in
the region with Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and top White House
adviser, who has been working on a plan to help achieve peace between the
Israelis and Palestinians.” According to the AP, Trump “ignored a question
about when he would make the plan public, but said ‘we’re doing very well’
in the Middle East.”

*UN Official Says Palestinian Refugee Agency Facing Financial
Crisis. *The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=060-4ba&t=c>
(6/25, Sugiyama, Gladstone) reports Pierre Krähenbühl, the commissioner
general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which “helps
the 5.4 million Palestinians classified as refugees,” said his agency is
facing its worst financial crisis since its inception in 1949. The most
immediate threat, Krähenbühl “said, is funding for emergency food aid to
indigent Palestinians in Gaza and Syria.” The Times says the US
“historically has been one of the biggest donors” to UNRWA, but earlier
this year, the Administration significantly reduced the US contribution “to
about $60 million from more than $360 million in 2017, a drop of more than
80 percent.” Krähenbühl “said agency officials had maintained open channels
of communication with the Trump administration in hopes of changing its
decision, with contacts that included” Ambassador Haley and President
Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner; however, Krähenbühl
said, “I have not received any indication that the decision would change
this year.”
NBC: Mattis Wasn’t Consulted On Ending Iran Deal, ROK Military Exercises.

On NBC’s Today Show[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=061-20f&t=c>
(6/25), Kristen Welker reported that both “current and former
Administration officials” say Defense Secretary Mattis is “increasingly out
of the loop and the President doesn’t always consult him on major national
security issues.” According to Welker, Mattis “was caught off guard by a
number of recent announcements, including the President’s decision to
withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, his plan to pause military exercises
with South Korea and even his move to create a sixth military branch
overseeing operations in space.”
Defense Official: US To Make Specific Requests Of North Korea.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=062-d62&t=c>
(6/25, Stewart) reports a top US defense official said Washington will
“soon present a timeline to North Korea with ‘specific asks’ of Pyongyang
after” the June 12 summit between President Trump and North Korean leader
Kim Jong Un. Briefing reporters before Defense Secretary Mattis’ Asia trip,
the official “did not specify details but suggested that the timeline would
be rapid enough to make clear Pyongyang’s level of commitment.” The
official said, “We’ll know pretty soon if they’re going to operate in good
faith or not.”

Brian Todd of [image: Image removed by sender. Video]CNN’s
Situation Room
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=063-a41&t=c>
(6/25) said officials are “tight-lipped” on what those requests will be,
but “analysts say the Americans are likely to at least ask the North
Koreans to disclose where their major nuclear facilities are.” Todd added
that the “possibility of delays and dodges from Pyongyang could be why”
Secretary of State Pompeo “tells CNN’s Elise Labott the Administration
won’t put a timeline on reaching crucial milestones.” Todd said speculation
about what the US will request comes as the White House “has just extended
a decade-old executive order stating there is a national emergency because
of” the North’s nuclear threat, “despite President Trump declaring there’s
no nuclear threat from North Korea.”

*North Korea To Skip Yearly Anti-US Rally. *In what the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=064-7c9&t=c>
(6/25, Ho, Talmadge) reports that in “another sign of détente” following
the summit between leader Kim Jong Un and President Trump, “North Korea has
decided to skip one of the most symbolic and politically charged events of
its calendar: the annual ‘anti-US imperialism’ rally marking the start of
the Korean War.” The rally would annually “kick off a month of anti-US,
Korean War-focused events designed to strengthen nationalism and unity.”
The story notes North Korea has “noticeably toned down its anti-Washington
rhetoric over the past several months to create a more conciliatory
atmosphere for the summit and avoid souring attempts by both sides to
reduce tensions and increase dialogue.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=065-a18&t=c>
(6/25, Tan) reports the “elaborate rally is typically held June 27 to mark
the beginning of the yearly ‘Struggle Against US Imperialism Month.’” In
years past, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “and his predecessor Kim Jong
Il have used demonstrations such as the rally to publicly assert defiance
and communicate their political beliefs to the world.” [image: Image
removed by sender. Video]Fox News’ Special Report
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=066-62d&t=c>’s
(6/25) Bret Baier portrayed North Korea’s decision as “another sign of the
improving relations between the two countries following the summit between
President Trump and Kim Jong-Un earlier this month.”

*North Korea: Japan Needs To Halt Military Drills For Dialogue. *
Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=067-a73&t=c>
(6/25, Kim) reports the Korean Central News Agency, North Korea’s state
media, said Pyongyang will “continue to ignore Japan unless Tokyo halts
hostilities against its neighbor, such as large-scale military drills and
efforts to boost military readiness.” Japan had been “eyeing prospects for
a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at which Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe hopes to tackle the issue of Japanese citizens abducted decades
ago by the North.” However, KCNA said, “Japan should stop its large-scale
military drills and the boosting of its military capacity aimed at
attacking (Korea), scrap its hostile policy against us, break with the past
and show its sincerity towards peace.”

*Koreas Discussing Relocating North Korea’s Long-Range Artillery. *The
AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=068-9eb&t=c>
(6/24, Kim) reports South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said Seoul and
Pyongyang are “discussing the possible relocation of North Korea’s
long-range artillery guns away from the tense Korean border” as the
countries “forge ahead with steps to lower tensions and extend a recent
detente.” While the move would be “yet another conciliatory step by North
Korea since it entered talks on giving up its nuclear weapons earlier this
year,” some experts say “it might be a tactic to push Seoul and Washington
to withdraw their more sophisticated artillery systems from front-line
areas in return for pulling back its outdated conventional weapons.”

*North Korean Anthem Played At Event Marking Trump’s Birthday. *The New
York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=069-bad&t=c>
(6/25, Williamson) reports the Virginia Women for Trump held its second
annual “Tea for Trump” birthday party for the President on Sunday at the
Trump International Hotel. North Korea’s “national anthem got plenty of
fanfare” when played during the event’s runway fashion show featuring “the
work of Andre Soriano, the designer shunned by the fashion world after he
designed the ‘Make America Great Again’ gown worn by the singer Joy Villa
to the 2017 Grammy Awards.” Corey Stewart, the Republican nominee
challenging Sen. Tim Kaine (D), was present at the event, but he “got the
hook” soon after he took the stage. According to the Times, Stewart’s
nomination “has drawn condemnations, including from some Republicans, for
his defense of Confederate monuments and praise of white nationalists.”
Protesters Clash With Police At Iran’s Parliament.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=06a-a8a&t=c>
(6/25, Gambrell) reports online videos show protesters “angered by Iran’s
cratering economy confronted police in front of parliament on Monday, with
security forces firing tear gas at them.” The “unplanned” clash was the
“first such confrontation after similar demonstrations rocked the country
at the start of the year,” coming a day “after protests forced two major
shopping centers for mobile phones and electronics to close in Tehran and
after demonstrators earlier closed its Grand Bazaar.” It was not
“immediately clear who led the protests.” Bret Baier of [image: Image
removed by sender. Video]Fox News’ Special Report
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=06b-a2e&t=c>
(6/25) said Iranians are “upset over the cratering economy there.” Fox’s
Conor Powell [image: Image removed by sender. Video]said
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=06c-40a&t=c>
(6/25) that Iran’s currency has “plunged to new lows as US sanctions are
set to be reintroduced.” Powell added that President Trump’s decision to
withdraw the US from the Iran nuclear deal is “putting pressure on Tehran,
but whether or not the worsening economy will lead to a mass revolt and
some regime changes remains to be seen.”

*Trump Decision To Withdraw From Nuclear Deal Prompting Crackdown
On Dissent. *The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=06d-b15&t=c>
(6/25, Erdbrink) reports Iranians say Trump’s decision to leave the P5+1
nuclear agreement is having a major impact, but not in the ways he claims.
Analysts say “there has been little or no change in Iran’s regional
posture. The real impact to date has been on internal politics, with a
repression on the slightest hints of dissent, and the economy, after the
reimposition of sanctions.” While Iran is considering changes in its
regional role, it is “not because of Mr. Trump directly,” said Walter Posch
of the National Defense Academy. Posch added, “Tehran is becoming
overstretched. Iran thought it could hold the ground easily: getting strong
in Syria, putting pressure on Israel indirectly but not provoking it to
attack. But it is getting more difficult by the day.”

*Western Business Schools’ Outreach In Iran At Risk. *The Financial
Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=06e-bd5&t=c>
(6/24, Moules) reports Western business schools have partnered with Iranian
universities to offer advanced business courses, but concerns are rising
that growing tensions with the US undermine the programs.

*US Denies Former NATO Secretary General Solana Visa Waiver Over
Iran Travel. *The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=06f-040&t=c>
(6/25, Taylor) reports former NATO secretary general Javier Solana has
“been denied an electronic visa waiver for travel to the United States”
because he “had traveled to Iran as recently as 2013.” After serving at
NATO from 1995-90, Solana “later became the European Union’s high
representative for common foreign and security policy until 2009. In that
position, he played a key role with Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program.”
The “rejection of Solana’s ESTA waiver drew criticism after it was
announced, with Ignasi Guardans, a former Spanish member of the European
Parliament, dubbing it ‘surreal’ and ‘a shame.’”

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=070-5b9&t=c>
(6/25, Erlanger) reports Solana, a Spanish citizen, confirmed Monday that
his renewal application was rejected for the first time, and “said he would
apply for a visa instead, a more cumbersome and expensive process.” A
spokesperson for the US Embassy in Madrid “said that he could not comment
on individual cases, but that ESTA rules were clearly detailed on the
website of the Department for Homeland Security.” The Times says the
Administration has “been especially hostile to Iran, withdrawing from the
2015 Iran nuclear deal that Mr. Solana was instrumental to initiating
during his time as European foreign policy chief, a job he left in 2009.”
Mattis Softens China Rhetoric Ahead Of Beijing Visit.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=071-0bf&t=c>
(6/25, Baldor) reports Defense Secretary Mattis outlined his “plans for a
less contentious, more open dialogue with Chinese leaders as he travels to
Asia, less than a month after he slammed Beijing at an international
conference for its militarization of islands in the South China Sea.” In
remarks “to reporters on his plane Sunday en route to a stop in Alaska,
Mattis avoided any of the sharp criticism of China that he had voiced
recently,” a shift in rhetoric the AP says reflects the Administration’s
“recognition of China’s crucial influence on Korea as negotiations move
ahead to get North Korea to abandon its nuclear program.” Said Mattis, “I
want to go in right now without basically poisoning the well at this point.
I’m going there to have a conversation,” and “do not want to immediately go
in with a certain preset expectation of what they are going to say. I want
to go in and do a lot of listening.”

*NYTimes: Chinese Debt Compels Sri Lanka To Repay With Territory. *A
New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=072-8ea&t=c>
(6/25, Abi-Habib) analysis examines Sri Lanka’s transfer of the
Chinese-funded Hambantota Port Development Project “and 15,000 acres of
land around it” to China “for 99 years in December.” The move granted
“China control of territory just a few hundred miles off the shores of a
rival, India, and a strategic foothold along a critical commercial and
military waterway.” To the Times, the “case is one of the most vivid
examples of China’s ambitious use of loans and aid to gain influence around
the world – and of its willingness to play hardball to collect.” It also
“intensified some the harshest accusations about President Xi Jinping’s
signature Belt and Road Initiative: that the global investment and lending
program amounts to a debt trap for vulnerable countries around the world,
fueling corruption and autocratic behavior in struggling democracies.”

*China-Anti Pollution Policy Causing Recycling Issues In US. *NBC
Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=073-89a&t=c>
(6/25, story 7, 2:00, Holt) reported, “Americans recycle about 66 million
tons of stuff a year, but now all that effort may be going to waste” after
China “launched an aggressive anti-pollution push,” prompting the country
to stop accepting the majority of US recyclables. That is causing recycling
companies to send recyclables to southeast Asia and India, at a higher
cost. Because of this, consumer recycling bills are “expected to jump $2 to
$4 a month, and experts caution even then paper and plastic in the US will
continue to pile up.”
NYTimes: Mexico’s Ruling Party Draws Scrutiny For Electoral Tactics.

In a more than 1,800-word analysis, the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018062601biden&r=email-dc74&l=074-72b&t=c>
(6/24, Ahmed, Hakim) says “Mexico’s ruling Institutional Revolutionary
Party has used some of the nation’s most important institutions in an
attempt to change the course of next month’s presidential election,
according to independent election observers and former party officials.”
The Times says such “tactics are nothing new in Mexican politics,” but “the
PRI’s abuse of state institutions are a staggering escalation for a party
in power.” Early last year, “the now-defunct firm Cambridge Analytica”
offered its services to PRI, which “decided it didn’t need to pay millions
of dollars to an outsider to wage a dirty campaign,” but paid the company