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Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing


*From:* Bulletin Intelligence <Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com>
*Sent:* Friday, August 3, 2018 7:56 AM
*To:* Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com
*Subject:* Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for Friday,
August 3, 2018


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<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=000-f7e&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=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=001-763&t=c>

*To: Vice President Joe Biden*

*Friday, August 3, 2018 8:00 AM EDT*
Today's Table of Contents

*Biden in the News <#SECTION_1>*

• Meghan McCain Says She Speaks With Biden “All The Time.” <#S1>

• CQ Roll Call Examines Trump’s Nicknames For Biden, Others. <#S2>

*Leading the News <#SECTION_2>*

• Trump Stumps For Barletta, Rails Against “Fake News” In Pennsylvania.
<#S3>

*Foreign Policy <#SECTION_3>*

• Trump “Looking Forward” To Meeting Kim Again After Receiving Letter. <#S4>

• Administration, Congress Threaten Europeans With Sanctions For Iran Trade.
<#S5>

• Israel Kills Seven ISIS Fighters In Golan Heights. <#S6>

• Egypt Working To Broker Broad Israel-Hamas Cease Fire. <#S7>

• Taliban Reportedly Open To US Troops Remaining As Part Of Peace Deal.
<#S8>

• UBS Poll Shows US Business Owners Overwhelmingly Support Additional
Tariffs. <#S9>

• Chinese FM: Draft Pact On South China Sea “Breakthrough.” <#S10>

*Domestic Policy <#SECTION_4>*

• Ivanka Trump: “I Am Very Vehemently Against Family Separation.” <#S11>

• Top Administration Officials Detail Threat To US Midterm Elections From
Russia. <#S12>

• Mueller Offers Trump New Proposal For Interview. <#S13>

• Fuel-Efficiency Proposal Draws Criticism From 19 States, Auto Industry.
<#S14>

• Archives: Kavanaugh White House Material Won’t Be Available Until October.
<#S15>

• Cities File Suit Accusing Administration Of Trying To Sabotage ACA. <#S16>

• Trump Urges Lawmakers To Include Food Stamp Work Requirement In Farm Bill.
<#S17>

• Democrat Dean, Republican Lee Win Tennessee Gubernatorial Nominations.
<#S18>

*Cancer Research <#SECTION_5>*

• Anti-Cancer Drugs Halt Tumor Growth By Putting Cancer Cells To Sleep
Permanently. <#S19>

• FDA Grants Breakthrough Therapy Designation To AML Treatment. <#S20>

*Editorials/Op-Eds <#SECTION_6>*

• New York Times. <#S21>

• Washington Post. <#S22>
Biden in the News
Meghan McCain Says She Speaks With Biden “All The Time.”

In an online article, CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=002-186&t=c>
(8/2, Klein) reported that Meghan McCain, the daughter of Sen. John McCain
(R-AZ) and co-host of ABC’s “The View,” talks “with former Vice President
Joe Biden ‘all the time,’ she told Glamour Magazine in an interview
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=003-96b&t=c>
out Thursday. The two grew closer, she said, following a December
appearance together on ABC’s ‘The View,’” where the pair “shared an
emotional on-air moment when she asked” Biden “about his son Beau’s cancer
diagnosis. McCain’s father was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive
brain tumor, in July 2017. Beau Biden passed away from the same cancer in
2015. ‘I talk to him all the time, and he checks in on me all the time,’
Meghan McCain told the magazine.”

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=004-57a&t=c>
(8/2, Greenwood) reported, “In an email to the magazine, Biden expressed
his own admiration for McCain. ‘There is no manual to consult when it comes
to dealing with a seriously ill parent,’ he wrote. ‘But if there was,
Meghan McCain would be the one to write it.’” Biden is further quoted as
writing, “Publicly she has been fierce as John’s advocate, and privately
her love and encouragement have sustained him. The way the entire McCain
family has handled the cards they have been dealt is worthy of our
admiration, and I know John is so incredibly proud of his daughter.”
The Arizona
Republic
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=005-28f&t=c>
(8/2, Sanchez) and the Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=006-a85&t=c>
(8/2, Yilek) also report on the story.
CQ Roll Call Examines Trump’s Nicknames For Biden, Others.

Under the headline “Top 10 Trump Nicknames And Why They Stick To His Foes,” CQ
Roll Call (DC)
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=007-5aa&t=c>
(8/2, Bennett) “compiled a power ranking of some of [the] nicknames”
President Trump has assigned adversaries “in terms of their effectiveness
for his political goals.” Ranked 10th on the list is “Crazy Joe Biden,” of
which CQ Roll Call said, “Keep an eye on this one, and any facelift it
might get – especially as 2020 gets closer,” and Biden “makes a decision on
running. GOP and Democratic strategists say Biden has the best shot at
defeating the president.” GOP strategist Evan Siegfried is quoted as
saying, “I don’t think ‘Crazy Joe Biden’ works so well. I think it would be
better for Trump to go with ‘Creepy Joe.’ … Conservatives have tried to
point out how Biden has a habit of getting a little handsy with women.’”
Leading the News
Trump Stumps For Barletta, Rails Against “Fake News” In Pennsylvania.

Following a rally Thursday evening in Pennsylvania to boost the campaign of
Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA), who is challenging Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA),
President Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=008-e93&t=c>,
“Thank you Pennsylvania. I love you!” Local coverage of the event is fairly
heavy. While most reports do highlight Trump’s comments on the Senate race,
many focus on his criticism of the media and his discussion of his own
accomplishments.

KDKA-TV[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=009-edb&t=c>
Pittsburgh (8/2, 11:09 p.m. EDT) reported that Trump “hosted a campaign
style rally” to boost Barletta. WTAJ-TV[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=00a-93b&t=c>
Johnstown, PA (8/2, 11:06 p.m. EDT) said that “for more than an
hour...Trump highlighted his accomplishments and went on the attack
for...Barletta.” WNEP-TV[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=00b-129&t=c>
Scranton, PA (8/2, 11:01 p.m. EDT) said that “while stumping for Barletta,”
Trump “spoke about how he’s brought back jobs and economy to country and
that in order to keep America great more Republicans are needed in office.”
Trump “said he’s now shifting his slogan from ‘Make America Great Again’ to
‘Keep America Great,’ as he looks toward the 2020 presidential election.”
Trump: “Our economy is soaring. Our jobs are booming. Factories are pouring
back into our country. They’re coming from all over the world. We’re
defending our workers. We’re protecting our constitution.” WNEP added, “The
President urged the crowd to elect more Republicans.”

The Wilkes-Barre (PA) Times Leader
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=00c-23e&t=c>
(8/2, O'Boyle) reports that in endorsing Barletta, Trump said, “I’ve been
in Washington a year-and-a-half and I’ve never met Bob Casey. ... Maybe I
shook his hand, but I don’t remember.” Trump added, “Bob Casey is worse
than an obstructionist. ... He will do only what his bosses – Nancy Pelosi,
Chuck Schumer and Maxine Walters – tell him to do. Tonight, we are here to
support a man who really is a star,” Barletta. The Allentown (PA) Morning
Call
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=00d-c9f&t=c>
(7/31, Olson) reports that Trump “did his part to boost Barletta,
repeatedly attacking” Casey as “overrated,” and “using his signature tactic
– a nickname.” Trump said, “Don’t fall asleep as we talk about Sleepin’
Bob.” The Wilkes-Barre (PA) Citizens’ Voice
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=00e-d37&t=c>
(8/2, Krawczeniuk) says Trump “rallied a raucous crowd” behind Barletta.
Trump “accused Casey of favoring an open Mexican border,” saying that “if
they pour in by the millions, that’s okay.” Trump added, “Bob Casey doesn’t
mind MS-13 coming in. ... These are the slicers, they slice people up …
They’re animals. Bob Casey wants to fire the incredible men and women of
ICE. He wants to abolish ICE.” Trump also “said he needs Barletta because
Barletta won’t block his agenda the way Casey does.”

However, the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=00f-6c9&t=c>
(8/2, Gabriel) reports that “Barletta’s campaign is lagging far behind Mr.
Casey’s in the polls and in fund-raising, even though he is one of the
biggest immigration hawks in Congress. His struggles illustrate how Mr.
Trump’s lightning-in-a-bottle victory may not be easy to duplicate this
year in swing states like Pennsylvania.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=010-ac0&t=c>
(8/2, Arkin) reported that while the rally “was intended to
boost...Barletta’s long-shot Senate campaign,” Trump’s “own sagging
fortunes – and the importance of the state to his 2020 reelection hopes –
were top of mind.” Trump’s “approval numbers are underwater in the state,
which he won by just 1.2 percentage points, and keeping his base motivated
through the midterms is critical to laying the groundwork to compete there
again in 2020.” The Wilkes-Barre (PA) Times Leader
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=011-5ea&t=c>
(8/2, Boyle) interviewed Trump supporters at the event, who were “eager to
talk about the man they put their faith in to ‘Make America Great Again.’”

Meanwhile, WTAJ-TV[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=012-9d1&t=c>
Johnstown, PA (8/2, 11:06 p.m. EDT) reported that Trump “railed against the
media multiple times and also highlighted his foreign policy.” KYW-TV[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=013-21c&t=c>
Philadelphia (8/2, 11:08 p.m. EDT) reported that Trump “denounced what he
calls fake news and also took aim at the Russia investigation.” Trump “also
took credit for the economy, saying many of the people in Pennsylvania who
voted for him are among the beneficiaries.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=014-5eb&t=c>
(8/2, Cochrane) reports that Trump “devoted the majority of his time at”
the event “targeting the news media, deriding the reporters present as
‘fake, fake disgusting news.’” At “the rally, supporters gleefully booed at
every dig at the so-called fake news, laughing and jeering as Mr. Trump
recalled conversations with his wife, Melania, about anticipating positive
coverage, only to be disappointed by what he deemed to be critical
headlines. ‘They can make anything bad because they are the fake, fake
disgusting news,’ the president said.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=015-71f&t=c>
(8/3, Lemire, Colvin) reports that the Barletta-Casey race “took a back
seat to Trump’s invectives against the media.” Trump “unleashed a torrent
of grievances” repeatedly “denounc[ing] the press for underselling his
accomplishments and doubting his political rise.” The AP adds that with
“each denunciation, the crowd jeered and screamed at the press in the
holding pen at the back of the arena.” The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=016-f20&t=c>
(8/2, Thomsen) said Trump “cited multiple examples of what he called ‘fake
news,’ including saying the ‘fake news refused to call’ Pennsylvania for
him during the 2016 presidential election.” The Hill adds that the crowd at
the rally “broke out into chants of ‘CNN sucks’ when the president blasted
‘fake news.’”

The Wilkes-Barre (PA) Times Leader
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=017-836&t=c>
(8/2, O'Boyle) also says Trump launched “several attacks” at the press, and
Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=018-563&t=c>
(8/2, Spiering) said Trump began the rally “with a list of grievances for
the media.” Trump said, “They can make anything bad because they are the
fake, fake disgusting news.” Discussing coverage of his visit with Queen
Elizabeth, Trump “said he arrived early to the palace and had a wonderful
time having tea and visiting with the Queen, but that the press reported
that he was late and that he ‘overstayed’ his welcome.” Likewise, he said
“that his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin was also
successful, despite criticism from the media.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=019-4f7&t=c>
(8/2, Parker, Nakamura) calls the rally “a test of the president’s ability
to bolster the chances of GOP allies in crucial swing states in November’s
midterm election,” but says he spent most of the event “hailing his own
achievements, re-litigating his 2016 victory and what he considers the news
media’s unfair coverage of it, and criticizing the press corps.” On its
website, CBS News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=01a-f9b&t=c>
(8/2) said that while the rally “was ostensibly to champion” Barletta, it
“encompassed many of the president’s go-to topics.” Trump “touched on a
number of topics unrelated to the 2018 midterms” and “particularly spent
time airing grievances over media coverage, after again calling the ‘fake
news’ media the ‘enemy of the people’ earlier in the day.”

The Harrisburg (PA) Patriot-News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=01b-40b&t=c>
(8/2, Micek) reports that in a speech “riddled with falsehoods and
misstatements,” Trump “groused about the ‘fake news,’ and ‘dishonest’
journalists; looked ahead to a general election win in 2020; and boasted
about the return of the remains of American servicemen from North Korea.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=01c-31e&t=c>
(8/2, Brennan) says Trump used the appearance to “rehash familiar
grievances with the ‘fake news’ that he says refuses to credit his
successes.” The rally “followed what has been a pattern for the president:
As the criticism and the Washington investigations and the White House
infighting ramp up, Trump reverts to campaign mode and retreats to the base
that sustains him. And so it was in the heart of Luzerne County, one of the
places that helped him win the White House two years ago.”

*Trump Calls “Very Low IQ” Waters “New Star” Of Democratic
Party. *Trump
also took a shot at Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), calling her the “new star”
of the Democratic Party and repeating his claim she has a “very low IQ,”
the New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=01d-b05&t=c>
(8/2, Perez) reports. Trump comments “sparked widespread boos from the
crowd in Wilkes-Barre.”

*Casey: “I’m Not Running Against President Trump.” *The Wilkes-Barre
(PA) Times Leader
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=01e-cc6&t=c>
(8/2, O'Boyle) reports that Casey released a statement saying, “My job is
to get results for Pennsylvania’s workers, seniors and middle class and
I’ll work with anyone to do that. ... But I’m not running against President
Trump. I’m running against a member of Congress who has voted in lockstep
with a corporate special interest agenda that is stacking the deck against
working families and holding Pennsylvania’s middle class back. No matter
what they throw at me, I will never back down from that fight.” Casey said
under the Trump Administration, he has passed into law more major
legislation than has Barletta.
Foreign Policy
Trump “Looking Forward” To Meeting Kim Again After Receiving Letter.

NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=01f-f40&t=c>
(8/2, story 2, 0:32) reported President Trump is “thanking Kim Jong-un”
after the North Korean leader “apparently sent” Trump a letter. The Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=020-516&t=c>
(8/2, Wagner) reports Trump said early this morning that “he is looking
forward to meeting again soon with Kim Jong Un, as the White House
disclosed that Trump had received a new letter this week from the North
Korean leader.” Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=021-cac&t=c>,
“Thank you to Chairman Kim Jong Un for keeping your word & starting the
process of sending home the remains of our great and beloved missing
fallen! I am not at all surprised that you took this kind action. Also,
thank you for your nice letter – l look forward to seeing you soon!”
Several hours “after Trump’s tweet on Thursday, the White House said the
letter mentioned by the president arrived on Wednesday.”

USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=022-1e2&t=c>
(8/2, Jackson) reports White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump
“had received a letter from Kim on Wednesday, and ‘the ongoing
correspondence between the two leaders is aimed at following up on their
meeting in Singapore and advancing the commitments made in the US-DPRK
joint statement.’” The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=023-7d7&t=c>
(8/2, Thomas) says the White House “did not provide details on the specific
content of the letter, which was received Wednesday.” Similarly, Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=024-641&t=c>
(8/2) reports Sanders “declined to elaborate on the details of the
exchange, saying only that the notes ‘addressed their commitment from their
joint statement ... that was made at the Singapore summit.’”

*US Ambassador Calls On North Korea To Move Toward
Denuclearization. *The New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=025-42c&t=c>
(8/2, Fredericks) reports US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris told
reporters, “One of the things that hasn’t happened [with North Korea] is
the demonstrable moves toward denuclearization before we can entertain
something like the end-of-war declaration.” He added, “We need to see the
move and I haven’t seen that yet.”

*Military Begins Process Of Identifying Korean War Remains. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=026-605&t=c>
(8/2, McAvoy, Yong-Ho) reports the US military is “beginning the
painstaking process of analyzing remains from the Korean War now that they
are back on American soil after having been handed over by North Korea last
week.” Vice President Mike Pence and Adm. Phil Davidson “received the
remains contained in 55 caskets during an emotional and solemn ceremony
Wednesday after the caskets arrived by military cargo jets from South
Korea.”

*Pentagon Hopes To Negotiate Resumption Of Remains Recovery
Operation. *The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=027-5b3&t=c>
(8/2, Sonne) reports Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Director Kelly
McKeague said the agency hopes, in the Post’s words, “to negotiate the
resumption of joint operations to recover remains in North Korea.” She said
that talks on the issue could start soon. McKeague said, “Given the fact
that the North Koreans reaffirmed that commitment to Secretary [of State]
Pompeo last month, we fully expect that there might be an environment in
which case they would be open to sitting down to negotiate.”

*Return Of US Soldiers’ Remains Attributed To Improved Trump-Kim
Relationship. *Fox News’ Fox & Friends[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=028-c2f&t=c>
(8/2) opened with images of the remains being returned to the US from North
Korea. Ainsley Earhardt said that when President Trump met with Kim, Kim
“promised” Trump that he would send the remains back to the US “and he
did.” Earhardt noted that the President “sent out a tweet yesterday
thanking him for that.” Vice President Pence was shown saying, “There is a
promise, sometimes spoken, often not spoken, that we leave no man behind.
That’s what great nations do. And today what the American people saw, and,
frankly, the world saw, was the United States of America saying that we
will keep that promise, even nearly seven decades later.”

*Despite UN Ban, North Korean Workers Entering Russia. *The Wall
Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=029-456&t=c>
(8/2, Talley, Kurmanaev) reports that Russia is letting thousands of North
Korean laborers enter the country and issuing new work permits, which US
officials say potentially violate UN sanctions. Since the UN Security
Council imposed the ban in September, more than 10,000 new North Korean
workers have registered in Russia, and at least 700 new work permits have
been issued.
Administration, Congress Threaten Europeans With Sanctions For Iran Trade.

The Washington Free Beacon
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=02a-45b&t=c>
(8/2, Kredo) reports multiple senior US officials say that “Congress and
the Trump administration are issuing a stern warning to European partners:
End all business ties with the Iranian regime or face harsh new sanctions.”
US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell told the Free Beacon that top US
diplomats “are urging our partners to help stop the flow of money to this
Iranian regime because it is used to fund malign activities.” A senior
congressional official said, “It’s inexplicable and unacceptable for the
Europeans to choose Iran over us.” Meanwhile, senior US officials are
“warning that international banking institutions and even top U.S. banks
could be hit with sanctions for not complying.”

*Iran Conducting Naval Drills. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=02b-934&t=c>
(8/2, Stewart) reports, “The United States believes Iran has started
carrying out naval exercises in the Gulf, apparently moving up the timing
of annual drills amid heightened tensions with Washington.” The country
“has been furious” that the US dropped out of the nuclear deal, and “U.S.
officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the drills
appeared designed to send a message to Washington.” However, “Iran did not
appear interested in drawing attention to them,” with . Iranian authorities
not commenting on the drills, which a US official said did not appear to be
affect commercial maritime activity.

*Israel Warns Iran Of Military Response If It Blocks Red Sea
Strait. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=02c-a76&t=c>
(8/1, Lewis) reports Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Wednesday
that Israel “would deploy its military if Iran were to try to block the Bab
al-Mandeb strait that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.” Last week,
Saudi Arabia said it was suspending oil shipments through the strait after
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels attacked two ships in the waterway.

*Scattered Protests Erupt In Iran Over Economic Woes. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=02d-3c7&t=c>
(8/2) reports that “scattered protests broke out in several Iranian cities
on Thursday over the dramatic drop of the country’s currency and other
economic problems.” State-run media reported that “about 100 people took to
the streets in the northern city of Sari, as well as unspecified numbers in
the cities of Shiraz, Ahavz and Mashhad.”
Israel Kills Seven ISIS Fighters In Golan Heights.

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=02e-c08&t=c>
(8/2, Cunningham) reports that the Israeli military said today that “its
aircraft targeted and killed seven militants who had entered the
Israeli-held Golan Heights from Syria.” According to the Post, “An initial
assessment by Israel’s military identified the gunmen as Islamic State
militants, in what would mark a rare attempt by the Islamist militants to
infiltrate Israel.” Also today, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman
“visited northern Israel, where he said he believes Assad’s forces will
help maintain calm,” according to the Post. Lieberman is quoted as saying,
“It is also in Assad’s interest, because he understands what will happen.”

*Russia To Deploy Military Police In Golan Heights. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=02f-4d5&t=c>
(8/2, Pinchuk, Balmforth) reports the Russian Defense Ministry said
Thursday it will deploy its military police in the Golan Heights “between
Syria and Israel...after weeks of mounting volatility in the area.” Sergei
Rudskoi, a “senior Russian defense ministry official,” said military police
had begun patrolling in the Golan Heights and “planned to set up eight
observation posts in the area.”

*UN Report Finds Issues With Syria’s Declaration Of Its Chemical
Weapons Inventory. *Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=030-a9a&t=c>
(8/2) reported the UN Security Council on Thursday discussed a report by
“the international chemical weapons watchdog” which found that “there are
still gaps, inconsistencies, and discrepancies in Syria’s declaration of
its chemicals weapons inventory.”
Egypt Working To Broker Broad Israel-Hamas Cease Fire.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=031-c46&t=c>
(8/2, Daraghmeh) reports “senior Hamas officials” said Thursday that Egypt
is attempting to broker “a broad cease-fire deal” between Israel and Hamas
“that is to pave the way for Gaza’s reconstruction and an eventual prisoner
swap.” While “repeated cease-fire deals over the years collapsed,” the AP
says there were “signs of possible momentum toward a new agreement, after
weeks of escalation along the Gaza-Israel frontier.” Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=032-82e&t=c>
(8/2, Lubell) reports Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “has canceled a
South American trip planned for next week” as ceasefire talks continue. An
Israeli official said Netanyahu will convene his security cabinet on Sunday
to discuss “an emerging deal, brokered by the United Nations and Egypt, for
long-term peace in Gaza.” Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=033-5a8&t=c>
(8/2, Ferziger, Ramadan) reports that senior Hamas officials “from abroad
traveled to the Gaza Strip in a bid to decide with local leaders whether to
call off four months of conflict with Israel and accept a cease-fire
proposed by mediators from Egypt and the United Nations.”
Taliban Reportedly Open To US Troops Remaining As Part Of Peace Deal.

Spencer Ackerman of the Daily Beast
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=034-249&t=c>
(8/2) writes, “If the United States’ longest foreign war actually draws to
a negotiated close, a significant amount of credit will go to a former U.S.
Army colonel and a former senior U.S. diplomat.” According to Ackerman, “In
November, Chris Kolenda and Robin Raphel boarded a plane to Doha, Qatar,
for a conversation with Taliban representatives” which marked “the
beginning of a quiet channel, never authorized by US officials – who
neither paid them nor asked them to carry any messages – that proved to be
instrumental in convincing the Trump administration...that there was a real
chance to broker an end to the war.” Ackerman says, “Despite their strident
public position that U.S. troops must withdraw, the Taliban
communicated...that there were circumstances under which they can envision
living with a continued American military presence.”

*Three Foreigners Kidnapped, Murdered In Kabul. *In what the Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=035-bfc&t=c>
(8/2, Salahuddin) calls “the latest sign of the capital’s declining
security,” three foreigners were kidnapped in Kabul and found dead in a car
on Thursday. No group immediately asserted responsibility for the killings,
and Afghan officials said the “motive and perpetrators behind the incident
were not immediately clear.” Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said
the three men worked for Sodexo, “one of the world’s leading food and
catering services.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=036-6fb&t=c>
(8/2, Abed) reports the three men that were killed came from India,
Malaysia and Macedonia, and it “was unclear where in the city the victims
had been working.”
UBS Poll Shows US Business Owners Overwhelmingly Support Additional Tariffs.

Axios
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=037-85e&t=c>
(8/2, Kight, Swan) reports that a new UBS poll shows that “a majority of
business owners, including small business owners...support additional
tariffs on China, Mexico, Europe and Canada, although most expect negative
effects on the economy if there’s a trade war.” Axios adds that in the
survey, 71 percent support more tariffs on Chinese goods, 66 percent
support them for Mexican goods, 64 percent back tariffs on imports from
Europe and 60 percent want additional tariffs on Canadian goods. Axios says
that “while 59% of the high net worth investors surveyed by UBS also
support more tariffs on Chinese exports, less than half wanted additional
tariffs on Canada, Mexico or the EU.” Axios further reports that while
“almost half of business owners said a trade war would have a negative
impact on the economy,” 44 percent, “a plurality, think it would have a
positive impact on their own business,” which is “up 21% since April.”

*Washington Examiner: US Businesses Showing “Resilience” Amid Trade
Tensions. *The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=038-841&t=c>
(8/2, Williams) reports that US businesses “are showing resilience in the
face of President Trump’s escalating demands for tariffs on China and the
prospect of a trade war.” Analysts expect the business sector “to weather
the latest signs of a trade war just as well as they have previous threats
from Trump and responses from abroad.” While “some businesses, such as
Coca-Cola, General Motors, Caterpillar, Ford, Harley Davidson, and others,
have warned investors” that the tariffs are “going to weigh on earnings for
2018 and beyond,” a “slew of companies, however, are enjoying higher
profits.”

*US Farmland Values Hit Record High Despite Trade Fears. *Bloomberg
News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=039-94f&t=c>
(8/2, Bjerga) reports that while “crop groups have sounded the alarm over
US trade wars,” there is “one measure that shows part of the agricultural
economy is still vibrant: US farmland values just rose to a record.”
Average farmland values nationwide have” increased 1.9 percent to $3,140 an
acre so far this year from 2017, according to a report released Thursday”
by the Department of Agriculture. Bloomberg says the gain “signals that
investors are focusing on farmland as a longer-term investment, and may
consider the trade tensions to be short term.”

*WSJournal A1: US Farmers Reeling From Tariffs. *The Wall Street
Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=03a-407&t=c>
(8/2, A1, Newman) reports on its front page that farmers across the US are
reeling from retaliatory tariffs imposed in response to Trump’s trade
policies. According to the Journal, those reliant on a single product have
been hit particularly hard.

*European Economies Strained By Trade Dispute With US. *The New
York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=03b-082&t=c>
(8/2, Ewing) reports that “some of Europe’s biggest companies have been”
hit with by higher prices and wavering exports amid Trump’s trade war,
“offering a preview of how tensions in global commerce could begin to
ripple through the European economy.” As companies like BMW, Siemens and
Volkswagen reported “otherwise solid earnings this week, they warned that
Mr. Trump’s aggressive stance on trade presented them with a host of new
risks, which may already be acting as a drag on growth.”

*Trump Hits Charles Koch Over Comment About “Foreign Workers.”
*Bloomberg
News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=03c-2f2&t=c>
(8/2, McCormick) reports that Trump is “continu[ing] his attacks on mega
donor Charles Koch.” On Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=03d-679&t=c>
yesterday morning, Trump accused Koch of “mak[ing] the ridiculous statement
that what President Trump is doing is unfair to ‘foreign workers.’” Wrote
Trump, “Charles Koch of Koch Brothers, who claims to be giving away
millions of dollars to politicians even though I know very few who have
seen this (?), now makes the ridiculous statement that what President Trump
is doing is unfair to ‘foreign workers.’ He is correct, AMERICA FIRST!” To
Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=03e-28b&t=c>
(8/2, Staff), Trump “ratcheted up his feud with the Koch brothers on
Thursday, hammering the billionaire conservative donors’ trade policy
rhetoric and questioning whether they are actually contributing to
political campaigns.”

*RNC Warns Donors To Steer Clear Of Kochs. *Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=03f-38d&t=c>
(8/2, Isenstadt) reports the RNC is “sending a warning shot to major GOP
donors not to play ball” with the Koch network, “escalating a fight between
President Donald Trump’s allies and the Kochs.” In a memo to party
contributors on Thursday, RNC Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel wrote, “Some
groups who claim to support conservatives forgo their commitment when they
decide their business interests are more important than those of the
country or Party. This is unacceptable.” McDaniel also warned Republican
candidates “to steer clear of the Kochs.” In what the Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=040-214&t=c>
(8/2, Lim) calls a “withering memo,” McDaniel also “knocked the Koch
network’s data program,” cautioning that entities attached to Charles Koch
could “weaponize that data against Republicans if their business interests
conflicted with electing Republicans.”

*Ross: US Tariffs Will Not Have “Cataclysmic” Impact On China’s
Economy. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=041-9f9&t=c>
(8/2, Lambert) reports Commerce Secretary Ross said Thursday that “new
tariffs that the United States is threatening to impose on nearly half the
goods imported from China would have a small impact on” the Chinese
economy, and would “not lead to disaster.” In an interview with Fox
Business[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=042-c12&t=c>
(8/2), Ross said, “It’s not something that’s going to be cataclysmic.” Ross
also said that he “now feels that it’s potentially time to put more
pressure on” China to “modify their behavior.” Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=043-591&t=c>
(8/2, Mayeda) quotes Ross as saying, “We have to create a situation where
it’s more painful for them to continue their bad practices than it is to
reform. ... The reason for the tariffs to begin with was to try and
convince the Chinese to modify their behavior. Instead they have been
retaliating.”

*China Vows Retaliation. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=044-abd&t=c>
(8/2, Blanchard, Heavey) reports that earlier Thursday, the Chinese
government “vowed...to retaliate if the United States acted on a threat to
raise tariffs...fueling fears in financial markets that the trade war
between the world’s two biggest economies would escalate” as China “shows
no sign of bending to Washington’s pressure.” In Singapore, Foreign
Minister Wang Yi said, “We hope that those directly involved in the United
States’ trade policies can calm down, carefully listen to the voices of US
consumers...and hear the collective call of the international community.”
The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=045-560&t=c>
(8/2, Qi, Zhu) reports the Chinese Commerce Ministry said in statement
Thursday that Beijing “will have to retaliate to defend national dignity
and the people’s interests,” but did not elaborate.

*Fiat Chrysler Doing Poorly In China. *The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=046-088&t=c>
(8/2, Moss, Colias) reports on Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ woes in the
Chinese markets, selling fewer than 85,000 vehicles in there during the
first half of the year. New CEO Mike Manley said during an analyst call
that while the company is moving to offer a localized model, it also needs
to improve its dealer network and existing vehicles.

*GM Seeking Tariff Exemption For Envision SUV. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=047-694&t=c>
(8/2, Lienert, Shepardson) reports General Motors “is seeking an exemption
to a 25 percent U.S. tariff on its Chinese-made Buick Envision sport
utility,” arguing that the model’s sales in China and the United States
would generate funds “to invest in our U.S. manufacturing facilities and to
develop the next generation of automotive technology in the United States.”
The Envision has been targeted by “critics of Chinese-made goods, including
leaders of the United Auto Workers union and members in key political swing
states such as Michigan and Ohio.”

*Without Canada, US-Mexico NAFTA Talks Progressing. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=048-fe3&t=c>
(8/2, Psaledakis, Lawder) reports Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso
Guajardo said, after leaving a meeting on NAFTA with USTR Lighthizer,
“There are a lot of things, at least 20 items, that have been worked
through, and there is very good advancement in all of them,” although they
had not yet addressed issues such as a sunset clause. The Wall Street
Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=049-41d&t=c>
(8/2, Mauldin, Whelan) reports that Canadian officials were not part of the
latest talks, but officials believe an auto deal with Mexico could lead to
a broader revamp of NAFTA for all members.

*Canadian Newsprint Tariffs Hit US Newspaper Industry. *The New
York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=04a-5eb&t=c>
(8/2, Edmondson) reports that, in “a blow to an already-struggling American
newspaper industry,” the Commerce Department announced it will proceed with
tariffs on Canadian newsprint, although they will be capped at 16.88
percent, down from the initially imposed 22 percent, and only apply to the
Catalyst Paper Company. However, the agency also will “impose tariffs of up
to 9.81 percent on several Canadian paper companies to counter subsidies
that those manufacturers receive from the government.” Since the higher
tariffs went into effect in January “newspapers across the country, already
struggling to maintain their bottom lines, have cut staff members and
reduced their print offerings.” The tariffs come in response to a complaint
by one company: “North Pacific Paper Company, a Washington-based paper mill
funded by the private equity firm One Rock Capital Partners.”

*Trade Standoff Pushes Dollar Higher, Against Trump’s Wishes.
*Bloomberg
News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=04b-195&t=c>
(8/2, Greifeld) reports the Administration’s “latest trade threats are
paving the way for” the dollar to gain strength, just weeks after Trump
“lamented how the dollar’s strength is reducing America’s competitive
edge.” Following Trump’s telling his staff to consider increased tariffs on
Chinese goods “the dollar strengthened against a broad swath of
emerging-market currencies,” while the yuan weakened “to its lowest level
since 2017.” Jim Caron at Morgan Stanley Investment Management explained,
“When there are worries about trade, the dollar gets bid because there’s
fears that this could lead to a bigger slowdown globally.”

*Pompeo Meets With Malaysian PM, Seeking To Promote US-Style
Development. *The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=04c-2c3&t=c>
(8/2, Morello, Mahtani) reports that, in the first stop in a trip to Asia
intended “to press for continued sanctions enforcement against North Korea
and provide assurances that Washington still values its ties in the region
after withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership,” Secretary of State
Pompeo met with newly elected Malaysian Prime Minister Muhathir Mohama in
an effort “to promote U.S.-style development led by private-sector
investment at a time when the government is reconsidering Chinese-financed
projects favored by the previous ruling coalition.” Prior to the trip,
“Pompeo announced $113 million in direct government investment to the
Asia-Pacific region focused on technology, energy and infrastructure.”

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=04d-5ec&t=c>
(8/2, Brunnstrom) reports, “U.S. officials say the strategy does not aim to
compete directly with China’s massive Belt and Road Initiative, which
involves dozens of countries in an estimated $1 trillion of mostly
state-led infrastructure projects.” The vision “may strike a chord with
Mahathir, who” says his country “will renegotiate a $14-billion deal for a
domestic rail project that is being developed by Chinese companies, saying
the terms are damaging for Malaysia.”
Chinese FM: Draft Pact On South China Sea “Breakthrough.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=04e-dbf&t=c>
(8/2, Liang, Gomez) reports Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday
that an initial draft of a proposed pact with Southeast Asian nations aimed
at preventing fighting in the disputed South China Sea was a
“breakthrough.” Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan announced at
the start of an annual ASEAN summit that diplomats from China and the
10-nation bloc “have agreed on an initial draft that will be the basis of
future negotiations,” calling the development a “milestone.” Wang told
ASEAN ministers Thursday, “This is good news. This is a breakthrough for
the COC (code of conduct) negotiation.”
Domestic Policy
Ivanka Trump: “I Am Very Vehemently Against Family Separation.”

Axios
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=04f-19c&t=c>
(8/2) reports that Ivanka Trump said in an interview that the separation of
immigrant families was “a low point in the White House.” Trump said, “That
was a low point for me as well. I feel very strongly about that, and I am
very vehemently against family separation and the separation of parents and
children.” On its website, CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=050-8ee&t=c>
(8/2, Klein) quotes Ivanka Trump as saying, “I am the daughter of an
immigrant, my mother grew up in communist Czech Republic, but we are a
country of laws. She came to this country legally and we have to be very
careful about incentivizing behavior that puts children at risk of being
trafficked, at risk of entering this country with coyotes or making an
incredibly dangerous journey alone. These are not easy issues, these are
incredibly difficult issues and like the rest of the country, I experienced
them actually in a very emotional way.”

USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=051-ac6&t=c>
(8/2, Gomez) reports that Ivanka Trump “has remained mostly silent on
immigration issues throughout her father’s presidency, only weighing in
from time to time when asked about the topic during public appearances.”
Similarly, Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=052-970&t=c>
(8/2, Morin) says Ivanka Trump “was mum on commenting about the separations
as they were ongoing.” Lester Holt said on NBC Nightly News[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=053-6d7&t=c>
(8/2, story 3, 1:53) that Ivanka Trump “was making waves of her own today
publicly breaking with her father’s policy of separating families at the
border.” Hallie Jackson added, however, that she “never pushed back
publicly until that had been reversed.” ABC World News Tonight[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=054-2d7&t=c>
(8/2, lead story, 2:52, Muir) also reported on Ivanka Trump’s comments in
its lead story, and the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=055-71e&t=c>
(8/2, A1, Wagner, Sonmez) says her comments “underscored the difficult
balance Trump has sought as she provides private counsel to a president and
father with whom she does not always see eye to eye, while enduring
criticism for not being more outspoken about their differences.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=056-cf7&t=c>
(8/2, Lucey) reports that when she was asked about the comments, White
House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said President Trump had said “that he
doesn’t like the idea of family separation. I don’t think anybody does. ...
We also don’t like the idea of open borders. We don’t like the idea of
allowing people into our country if we don’t know who they are, where they
are going and why they’re coming. The President wants to secure our
borders, which is why he has asked Congress to fix the law.”

*In Tweet Today, Trump Says Ivanka Said “Fake News” Is Enemy, Not
Media Generally. *Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=057-918&t=c>
this morning, “They asked my daughter Ivanka whether or not the media is
the enemy of the people. She correctly said no. It is the FAKE NEWS, which
is a large percentage of the media, that is the enemy of the people!”

*Trump “A Little Bit Torn” Over When To Threaten Shutdown Over Wall
Funding. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=058-5b1&t=c>
(8/2) reports that President Trump says he is “a little bit torn” about
whether shutting the government down in a bid to secure funding for his
border wall would be better before or after the midterms. Trump told a
rally in Pennsylvania Thursday night “that while many in the party
disagree, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh and Fox News personality
Sean Hannity share his belief that a fall shutdown would be politically
advantageous for Republicans in the midterms.” Trump said that while he is
“a little torn myself” he “would personally prefer before. ... Whether it’s
before or after, we’re either getting it or we’re closing down government.”
The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=059-982&t=c>
(8/2, Boyer) notes that Trump said “a lot of great Republicans” in Congress
have urged him to wait until after the election to threaten a shutdown.

Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=05a-f94&t=c>
(8/2, Key) quotes Trump as saying, “I say it’s better before. Let’s do it
before. You know who thinks It’s better to do it before? Rush Limbaugh
thinks it should be before, before the election. You know who else? Sean
Hannity. A lot of them, great people. A lot of people, a lot of great
Republicans, they are well-meaning. They say ‘look we have the best economy
ever. We are doing great.’ Maybe they don’t want to complicate it. I
understand it. You know I’m a little torn myself. I would personally prefer
before (November’s midterm elections). But whether it’s before or after,
we’re either getting it, or we’re closing down government. We need border
security. We need border security.” USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=05b-cf0&t=c>
(8/2, Hayes) also highlights Trump’s claim that Hannity and Limbaugh “agree
with his plan.”

*Man Arrested For Threatening Scalise, McMorris Rodgers Over
Immigration Policy. *The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=05c-024&t=c>
(8/2, Donachie) reports that Carlos Bayon was arrested and charged Thursday
with interstate communication of a threat after he vowed to “put some
‘lead’ into” House Minority Whip Scalise. On June 30, Bayon left Scalise a
message at one his district offices claiming he would make him “pay,” and
“promising to feed him and the people that sent him to Washington ‘lead.’”
The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=05d-582&t=c>
(8/2, Debonis) reports that Bayon is also accused of making threatening
calls to the office of Republican Conference Chairwoman Rep. Cathy McMorris
Rodgers (R-WA). The Post says the threats “appear to have been inspired by
President Trump’s immigration policies – in particular, the ‘zero
tolerance’ border policy that resulted in the separation of migrant
families.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=05e-2c0&t=c>
(8/2, Morin) also reports on the threats.

*Miller Seeks To “Drastically Reduce” Number Of People Entering US.
*Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=05f-5b5&t=c>
(8/2, Cook, Toosi, Hesson) reports that Stephen Miller, “the White House’s
resident immigration hawk,” and “a group of like-minded aides are pressing
ahead with policies designed to drastically reduce the number of people
entering the U.S. both legally and illegally.” This, “despite the blowback
they got over their decision to enforce a ‘zero tolerance’ prosecution
policy at the border that resulted in the separation of thousands of
migrant children from their parents, according to interviews with more than
a dozen current and former administration officials and outside White House
advisers.” Politico says Miller has “turned immigration into his signature
issue,” and “White House officials are loathe to cross him or meddle in
that policy lane given his passion for the subject and his ongoing, close
relationship with the president.” A “Republican close to the White House”
said, “Miller is not deterred. ... He is an adamant believer in stopping
any immigration, and the President thinks it plays well with his base.”

*New York AG Candidate Teachout Vows To “Prosecute ICE.” *On Fox
News’ Fox & Friends[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=060-1ca&t=c>
(8/2), Brian Kilmeade said Republicans could benefit from Democrats’
increasing hostility to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Ainsley
Earhardt said Democrat Zephyr Teachout, an attorney general candidate in
New York, “promises to prosecute ICE if she is elected.” Teachout was shown
saying, “ICE was born in xenophobia in the time after 9/11 and has grown up
to become a tool of fear and illegality. And as attorney general, I will
continue to speak out against ICE. I will prosecute ICE for their criminal
acts. ... It’s really important to speak out, to abolish ICE.” Steve Doocy
said, “Unfortunately, there are a number of people who are on the political
left who confuse the family separations, which were done by the border
patrol, with ICE. ICE had nothing to do with the family separation.”
Ainsley Earhardt said ICE “goes in and tries to protect hard working, good
Americans from illegal criminals.”

On Fox News’ Fox & Friends[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=061-0ce&t=c>
(8/2), acting ICE Director Ron Vitiello said that sort of rhetoric is
“sad.” According to Vitiello, “ICE was designed in the aftermath of 9/11 to
protect us all. ... ICE enforces the law that congress gives us and the
President signs. That’s how our system works. If people don’t like the way
that works, then there is a specific way to change it. But each and every
day we’re going to go out and protect America. That’s what the people of
ICE do.”

*Latino Victory Fund Will “Go For The Jugular” In Midterm Ads.
*The Washington
Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=062-720&t=c>
(8/2, McLaughlin) reports that Cristobal J. Alex, president of the Latino
Victory Fund said Thursday that “American Nightmare” ad which showed a
Confederate-flag toting truck stalking young minority children “that his
group ran in Virginia’s gubernatorial race last year could serve as a
blueprint for television spots ahead of the midterm elections.” Speaking at
the Netroots Nation gathering in New Orleans, Alex said the ad against
Republican Ed Gillespie helped spur Latinos and other voters too turnout
for Democrat Ralph Northam. Alex said that “we decided to go for the
jugular here with a very powerful ad that ended up exploding on social
media. ... Ultimately it was the right thing to do. ... It worked, we are
proud of it. We stand by it. We will do it when we need to do it.”

*Distinguished Kuwaiti Neurosurgeon And Wife Denied Entry To US,
Despite Having Visas. *The Miami Herald
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=063-07c&t=c>
(8/2, Vassolo) reports “distinguished Kuwaiti neurosurgeon” and former
University of Miami resident physician Hisham Al-Khayat “says he and his
wife were singled out by a U.S. federal agent at an airport in Dubai last
week and told, without explanation, that they could not enter the United
States for” a two-week family vacation. Al-Khayat said the official said he
was acting on orders from US Customs and Border Protection to prevent
Al-Khayat and his wife from border, despite their holding B1/B2
non-immigrant visas that don’t expire until August 2024. While the rest of
the family was allowed to board, the family chose to not split and instead
switched their vacation to Hong Kong. Days after the indictment Al-Khayat’s
and his wife’s visas were revoked “on unclear grounds.”

*NYTimes Editorial: Hate, Punitive Policies Won’t Solve Illegal
Immigration. *In an editorial, the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=064-7b3&t=c>
(8/2) writes that Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte’s
“love-fest...marks another step in the evolving network of right-wing,
populist governments in Europe and the United States” that are linked by
the “demonization of immigrants,” along with and “admiration for President
Vladimir Putin of Russia, an aversion to the European Union and disdain for
political elites.” The Times acknowledges that unchecked illegal
immigration “is a serious problem,” but argues the solution must be
“coherent” and “humane,” concluding, “Hate speech and punitive policies are
not the answer.”
Top Administration Officials Detail Threat To US Midterm Elections From
Russia.

Media reports are casting Thursday’s warning from top national security
officials that Russia continues to target US elections as a counterpoint to
comments by President Trump. The CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=065-677&t=c>
(8/2, lead story, 3:07, Glor) reported the officials “said emphatically
what President Trump has reluctantly acknowledged,” and Jonathan Karl said
on ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=066-a17&t=c>
(8/2, story 2, 2:14, Muir) that “just over two weeks ago, standing next to
Russian President Vladimir Putin,” Trump “refused to blame Russia for
meddling in our election.” NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=067-53a&t=c>
(8/2, lead story, 2:43, Holt) said in its lead story that the officials
made a “show of force,” standing “shoulder-to-shoulder...promising to
defend against interference in the Fall election by Russia or any other
potential players.” But “noticeably absent” was “the Commander-in-Chief,
who two weeks ago was casting doubt on Russia meddling.”

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=068-bbe&t=c>
(8/2, Shear) reports the officials “vowed to defend the United States’
elections against threats from Russia and other countries, describing
influence campaigns by America’s adversaries in blunt terms rarely used by
President Trump.” The Times says the officials – including DNI Coats, DHS
Secretary Nielsen, FBI Director Wray and National Security Adviser Bolton –
warned that Russia is “still trying to influence and disrupt the midterm
elections,” and they “pledged to help local and state governments counter
those efforts in the weeks ahead.” However, the Times says the officials
“did not describe specific threats to the coming elections,” and were
“vague in saying how the government was responding to what they called
Russia’s interference campaign.”

Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=069-19a&t=c>
(8/2, Olorunnipa) reports Coats warned that while Russian efforts to
interfere in upcoming US midterm elections “have yet to reach the intensity
of the Kremlin’s campaign to disrupt the 2016 presidential vote,” they are
only “a keyboard click away” from a more serious attack. The Wall Street
Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=06a-5c4&t=c>
(8/2, Ballhaus, Volz) reports that Wray also said that US intelligence
agencies are not observing the “same kinds of efforts to specifically
target election infrastructure” as was the case in 2016, but the Washington
Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=06b-e2b&t=c>
(8/2, Morrongiello) says he “joined others in declining to provide details
on what is specifically being done to prevent additional threats due to the
sensitive and classified nature of such actions.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=06c-611&t=c>
(8/2, Sonmez) says the officials’ joint appearance “comes as the
administration is facing criticism over its efforts to deal with election
interference and continuing questions over how seriously President Trump
takes the threat.” Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=06d-565&t=c>,
“Glad to see the White House finally do something about election security –
even if it’s only a press conference. Now if only it was actually backed up
by anything the President has said or done on Russia.” The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=06e-59b&t=c>
(8/2, Megerian) likewise reports the “rare appearance in the White House
briefing room” by the officials “comes as the administration faces
criticism over its efforts to deal with election interference and
continuing questions over how seriously President Trump takes the threat.”

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=06f-255&t=c>
(8/2, Geller) reports that while the officials “had a clear and consistent
message on Thursday about their work to combat Russian election meddling,”
Trump “himself continues to offer conflicting views about whether Moscow is
still meddling in the US,” and on Wednesday he urged Attorney General
Sessions “to end special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into
Russian interference in the 2016 election.” Along similarly lines, the New
York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=070-b8f&t=c>
(8/2, Fredericks) says “their appearance in the White House briefing
room...came a day after President Trump yet again called the special
counsel’s probe into Russian election meddling a hoax and demanded” that
Sessions “shut it down. Neither Wray nor Coats would directly address the
president’s characterization of the probe.”

To USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018080301biden&r=email-318b&l=071-26b&t=c>
(8/2, Jackson), “the White House is feeling heat over election security”
after last month’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Coats
declined to comment on Trump’s meeting with Putin, saying, “I am not in a
position fully to understand what happened in Helsinki