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Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing


*From:* Bulletin Intelligence <Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com>
*Sent:* Tuesday, January 29, 2019 8:01 AM
*To:* Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com
*Subject:* Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for
Tuesday, January 29, 2019


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[image: Image removed by sender. Office of Vice President Biden
Intelligence Briefing]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=001-b1e&t=c>

*To: Vice President Joe Biden*

*Tuesday, January 29, 2019 8:00 AM EST*
Today's Table of Contents

*Biden in the News* <#SECTION_1>

• WPost/ABC News Poll Shows Trump Vulnerable In 2020, No Clear Democratic
Frontrunner. <#S1>

• Visiting Florida, Biden Says He’ll “Soon” Decide On Whether To Run For
President. <#S2>

• Rothenberg “Skeptical” Of Biden’s Odds Of Winning Democratic Nomination.
<#S3>

• Biden To Speak At Launch Of New University Of Nebraska-Omaha Forum Feb 28.
<#S4>

• Biden Emphasizes Importance Of Testing All Rape Kits. <#S5>

• Harris Embraces Liberal Stances During CNN-Hosted Town Hall In Iowa. <#S6>

• Gillibrand Hires Pair Of Senior Staff Members For Iowa Campaign. <#S7>

• Trump Says Schultz “Doesn’t Have The ‘Guts’” To Seek Presidency. <#S8>

*Leading the News* <#SECTION_2>

• Media Analyses: Administration Increases Pressure On Maduro With New Oil
Sanctions. <#S9>

*Foreign Policy* <#SECTION_3>

• US, Taliban Negotiators Reach “Agreements In Principle” For Possible
Peace Deal. <#S10>

• US Preparing “Economic Package” To Entice Kim Toward Denuclearization.
<#S11>

• Administration Announces New Round Of Trade Negotiations With China.
<#S12>

• Media Analyses: Justice Department Charges Huawei With Fraud. <#S13>

• Administration Warns Europe About Seeking To Avoid US Sanctions On Iran.
<#S14>

• NYTimes Analysis: ISIS Bombing Raises New Concerns About Group’s Reach
Into Asia. <#S15>

• May Challenges Parliament For Control Over Brexit Process. <#S16>

*Domestic Policy* <#SECTION_4>

• Whitaker Says Mueller Probe “Close To Being Completed.” <#S17>

• White House Declines To Comment On Possibility Of Stone Pardon. <#S18>

• Media Analyses: Deal Between Trump And Congress Allowing For Border Wall
Unlikely. <#S19>

• Kudlow Downplays CBO Report Saying Shutdown Cost Economy $3 Billion.
<#S20>

• CBO Says Reduced Emergency Relief Delays $1 Trillion Deficit To 2022.
<#S21>

• Trump To Deliver State Of The Union On February 5. <#S22>

• Trump Defends Tariffs, Says They Have “Saved” Steel Industry. <#S23>

*Cancer Research* <#SECTION_5>

• HPV Vaccination Rates For Young Adolescents Still Too Low, Researchers
Say. <#S24>

• Regular Use Of Common NSAIDs May Prolong OS In Patients With Head And
Neck Cancers With Alterations In PIK3CA Gene, Study Indicates. <#S25>

*Editorials/Op-Eds* <#SECTION_6>

• New York Times. <#S26>

• Washington Post. <#S27>
Biden in the News
WPost/ABC News Poll Shows Trump Vulnerable In 2020, No Clear Democratic
Frontrunner.

In an online article, ABC News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=002-674&t=c>
(1/29, Sinozich) reports, “A third of Republicans and GOP-leaning
independents oppose President Donald Trump for the party’s nomination to a
second term and 56 percent of all adults said they wouldn’t consider voting
for him,” according to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=003-0ac&t=c>.
However, “a potentially crowded Democratic field shows no sign of a clear
front-runner” in the same “poll, and there’s deep division on priorities
for the election season ranging from the relative importance of
electability to key issues. In short, with 21 months to go, 2020 is
anyone’s game.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=004-5e8&t=c>
(1/28, Scherer, Clement) reports, “When asked whom they would support today
for the Democratic presidential nomination, 56 percent of self-identified
Democrats or Democratic-leaning independents did not offer a name. No
candidate received double-digit support, with former vice president Joe
Biden and Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) leading the pack,” with 9% and
8%, respectively. The Post adds, “The lack of commitment on the Democratic
side comes as Trump appears vulnerable to defeat in a 2020 general
election, and perhaps even to a challenge from within the” GOP. In the
poll, 56% of those surveyed said “they would ‘definitely not vote for him’
should Trump become the Republican nominee.”
Visiting Florida, Biden Says He’ll “Soon” Decide On Whether To Run For
President.

The Palm Beach (FL) Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=005-e1c&t=c>
(1/28, Fins) reports that during a Monday appearance in Fort Lauderdale,
Florida, former Vice President Joe Biden “kept speculation of a 2020 run
against President Donald Trump simmering.” In response to an audience
member who urged Biden to enter the race, Biden “said he is close to
deciding on whether he will seek the nation’s highest office.” Said Biden,
“The answer is that I’m running all the traps on this. I don’t want this to
be a fool’s errand. We’re a lot closer than we were before Christmas and
we’ll make a decision soon.” Biden “added: ‘This is a battle for the soul
of America...it’s time to get moving.”

The South Florida Sun Sentinel
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=006-7a4&t=c>
(1/28, Man) reports that Biden, who was in Fort Lauderdale to promote his
memoir, “Promise Me, Dad,” bemoaned “the rise of ‘hate and prejudice’
exemplified in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017 where white supremacists
carried torches in the streets. He decried ‘the highest leaders in the
nation’ – referring to Trump – saying there were good people on both
sides.” Biden soon “looped back to whether he’d run: ‘I’m making a decision
now whether or not I’m the right person. Because it’s important, it’s
critically important that we change the atmosphere,’ he said.”

In an online article, WSVN-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=007-501&t=c>
Miami-Dade, FL (1/28, Linsalata) reported that the press wasn’t permitted
“to record audio of the event, but guests said” Biden “most definitely
discussed a potential 2020 run. ‘Possibly. He’s saying his family wants him
to, so that’s a good thing,’ said audience member Ed Murphy. ‘If family is
behind him, pushing him, he usually goes that way.’” WSVN-TV[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=008-3ed&t=c>
Miami-Dade (FL)'s News at 10PM (1/28) also broadcast a similar report on
Biden’s visit, including comments from some audience members who attended
the event. In an online article, CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=009-74f&t=c>
(1/28, Saenz) reported, “For now, Biden appears to be keeping even his
family guessing about whether he’ll make a third run for the White House.”
During Monday’s event, Biden said “his daughter Ashley was in attendance,
telling the crowd, ‘First thing, she walked in, and she said, ‘Dad, are we
running?’”

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=00a-5b0&t=c>
(1/28, Caputo) reported that Monday’s “event...had all the rhetorical
trappings of a campaign speech for a Democratic candidate. He made sure to
play up his civil rights bona fides, recounting stories of how he opposed
segregation as a kid and then a lawmaker. He referenced in passing how he
almost always ‘voted with labor’ unions. He paid homage to how women in the
US Senate get along better with each other than the men. And he played up
how he was the first in the Obama administration to openly push for gay
marriage.” Biden also emphasized “bipartisanship, a rarity in Washington as
much as it is during a presidential primary.” Offering brief broadcasts
this morning on Biden’s visit are WPTV-TV[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=00b-64e&t=c>
West Palm Beach, FL (1/29), WPEC-TV[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=00c-075&t=c>
West Palm Beach (FL)'s News This Morning at 5:30AM (1/29), and WWSB-TV[image:
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<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=00d-568&t=c>
Sarasota, FL (1/29).

*Writer Criticizes Male Democrats For Talking Up Possible 2020
Bids, But Not Announcing Bids. *Writing for Jezebel
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=00e-b1a&t=c>
(1/28), Clio Chang said, “The only thing more insufferable than watching
some of the worst men in America run for president is hearing them talk
incessantly about how they just might run for president, inflating both
their names and egos, all without actually running for president just yet.”
As examples, Chang cited Ex-Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, ex-Gov. John
Hickenlooper (D-CA), and Biden, the latter of whom Chang said “has been
calling supporters to say that if they think anyone else is a better
candidate to beat Trump he won’t run, but that he just so happens to think
that he is the best candidate to beat Trump. ‘I’m the most qualified person
in the country to be president,’ Biden told CNN while also very noticeably
not announcing that he is running for president. We get it, just run for
president already. Or even better yet, don’t.”
Rothenberg “Skeptical” Of Biden’s Odds Of Winning Democratic Nomination.

Writing for CQ Roll Call
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=00f-d89&t=c>
(1/29), political analyst Stuart Rothenberg asks that with a raft of
Democrats running for president in 2020, “what qualities and
characteristics are Democratic primary voters and caucus attendees likely
to value?” Rothenberg says, “I expect there will be a new ‘Bernie Sanders’
this cycle, but it’s unlikely to be Bernie Sanders. I’m even skeptical
about Joe Biden’s chances, even though he starts at or near the top in most
polls, and even though I believe he would have won the White House had he
been the 2016 Democratic nominee. Selecting Biden as the party’s nominee
may seem too much like going backward instead of marching into the future
to Democratic voters. Must the ticket include a woman? An
African-American?” Rothenberg adds that “female and minority voters will
have such a large role in selecting a presidential nominee that they may
well prefer to nominate someone who looks like them.”
Biden To Speak At Launch Of New University Of Nebraska-Omaha Forum Feb 28.

In an online article, WOWT-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=010-f4d&t=c>
Omaha, NE (1/28) reported that former Vice President Joe Biden will visit
Omaha, Nebraska, “next month as part of UNO’s launch of the Chuck Hagel
Forum in Global Leadership. Hagel, a former Defense Secretary and US
Senator, will join Biden for the inaugural forum on February 28th. It’s
scheduled from 3:30 P.M. to 5 P.M. at UNO’s Strauss Performing Arts
Center.” WOWT-TV added, “The theme of the inaugural forum is ‘The Role of
US Leadership in a Changing World.’ Biden will deliver opening remarks,
then participate in a moderated discussion with Sec. Hagel, including
questions from the audience.”
Biden Emphasizes Importance Of Testing All Rape Kits.

The Huffington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=011-e88&t=c>
(1/28, Vagianos) reported that former Vice President Joe Biden “understands
the importance of testing every single rape kit around the country.”
HuffPost quoted Biden as writing in a Saturday tweet, “An untested rape kit
means a survivor without justice. I wrote the first rape kit backlog law
because every survivor deserves closure, and because evidence shows testing
kits can identify men who have committed multiple rapes – and might again.
Test every kit. Every single one.” HuffPost added that Biden, “who was
widely criticized for how he handled professor Anita Hill’s accusations of
sexual harassment against then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas in
1991, has long advocated for women’s rights. He drafted the Violence
Against Women Act of 1994 and launched the anti-sexual violence
organization It’s On Us with President Barack Obama in 2014.”
Harris Embraces Liberal Stances During CNN-Hosted Town Hall In Iowa.

In an online article, CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=012-576&t=c>
(1/29, Luhby, Krieg) reported that during a Monday town hall event hosted
by CNN in Des Moines, Iowa, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) “fully embraced
‘Medicare-for-all’ single payer health insurance...and said she’s willing
to end private insurance to make it happen. ‘We need to have
Medicare-for-all,’ Harris told a questioner in the audience.” Asked “by
CNN’s Jake Tapper if that means eliminating private insurance,” Harris
“answered affirmatively, saying she would be OK with cutting insurers out
of the mix. She also accused them of thinking only of their bottom lines
and of burdening Americans with paperwork and approval processes.”

Under the headline “Kamala Harris Stakes Out Left-Leaning Policy
Positions In First Iowa Visit As A 2020 Candidate,” the Des Moines (IA)
Register
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=013-d47&t=c>
(1/28, Pfannenstiel, Rodriguez) reports that during the town hall, Harris
“introduced herself to Iowa Democrats Monday night by backing a ‘Green New
Deal,’ Medicare for All and a ban on automatic assault weapons.” Bloomberg
News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=014-530&t=c>
(1/29, McCormick) reports that Harris on Monday “whipped through Iowa,
skipping more conventional interactions with voters for a nationally
broadcast town hall that included questions from Iowans. That contrasts
with the approach of other declared Democratic candidates, including” Sen.
Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), “who held roughly half a dozen events over three
days during her first visit after announcing a likely presidential bid.”

*CNN National Political Reporter Reston Gushes Over Harris’
Appearance. *In an online analysis for CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=015-f17&t=c>
(1/29), Maeve Reston gushes over Harris appearance, saying “she showed
exactly why she is viewed as such a formidable contender.” Reston says
Harris “demonstrated an easy command of the policies that are most
important to Democratic progressives in early states like Iowa. She was
warm, witty and quick to laugh at the jokes audience members made at
President Donald Trump’s expense. ... Perhaps most important, as Democrats
weigh their options in the 2020 field, she made a succinct case for why she
believes she would be the strongest candidate to take on Trump and not get
‘caught up in his crazy,’ as one questioner put it.”

*NYTimes: Harris “Well Positioned” To Win Support Of African
Americans Who Backed Obama. *The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=016-087&t=c>
(1/29, Herndon, Chira) reports that as Harris seeks the White House, “one
of her political tests will be trying to secure the overwhelming support
from black voters that buoyed [President] Obama in 2008.” Harris “is well
positioned” to win that support, as she’s “the most high-profile and
politically connected black woman ever to run for president, and she can
also draw on her powerful alumni networks from Howard University.” However,
“interviews with more than 30 black voters and political leaders in early
primary states like South Carolina and her home state, California, show
that Ms. Harris faces challenges. She will have to persuade black activists
skeptical of her record as a prosecutor; overcome sexism and a bias on the
part of some voters that a female candidate cannot beat President Trump;
and work to gain broader support from black men, who generally expressed
more wariness about Ms. Harris in interviews than black women.”

*Rep. Lieu First Congressional Member To Back Harris Bid. *The
Huffington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=017-d72&t=c>
(1/28, Reilly) reported that Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) on Monday endorsed
Harris’ White House bid, “making him the first member of Congress to back
her 2020 campaign.” The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=018-069&t=c>
(1/28, Samuels) reported that Lieu, “among the most outspoken critics of
President Trump, backed his home state senator over a steadily growing
field of other Democratic candidates.”

*Former Two-Time Delegate For Hillary Clinton Supporting Harris In
2020. *The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=019-18a&t=c>
(1/28, Birnbaum) reported, “A former two-time delegate for Hillary Clinton
says he will” support Harris’ “presidential bid in 2020. Roger Salazar on
Monday pledged his support for Harris in response to an article about
Clinton advisers floating a third potential run in 2020 for the former
Democratic presidential nominee. ‘No,’ Salazar tweeted. ‘I was a strong
supporter of Hillary Clinton and was a DNCC delegate for her twice. For
2020, I’m supporting @KamalaHarris for President. #ForThePeople.’”

*Harris Makes Key Campaign Hires In Iowa. *The Des Moines (IA)
Register
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=01a-a20&t=c>
(1/28, Pfannenstiel) reports that Harris “has tapped Deidre DeJear to be
her campaign chair in Iowa and Will Dubbs as her Iowa state director.”
DeJear, who unsuccessfully challenged Secretary of State Paul Pate (R-IA)
last year, “was the first African-American candidate to be nominated by a
major political party for statewide office in Iowa.” Dubbs, “an alumnus of
Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, served as the campaign’s
regional organizing director for western Iowa and went on to serve as the
organizing director for Clinton’s efforts in Nebraska and New York. During
that year’s general election, Dubbs served as the organizing director for
the North Carolina Democratic Party. In 2018, he was the Pennsylvania
Democratic Party’s coordinated campaign director.”

*Scarborough, Political Analysts Laud Harris’ Campaign Kickoff. *In
his Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=01b-5a3&t=c>
(1/28, Scarborough) column, MSNBC “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough
praises Harris over the launch of her presidential campaign, saying that
during her kickoff rally on Sunday in Oakland she “managed something in her
first campaign speech that the last Democratic nominee failed to do
throughout the whole of the 2016 campaign. She gave Americans a compelling
explanation as to why she wanted to be president. Her message – ‘we are
better than this’ – was delivered with the fierce urgency of now.”
Scarborough adds that with Harris and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in the
2020 race, “Democratic primary voters may at last have reason to believe
that their eventual nominee can take on [President] Trump, win back the
White House for Democrats, and bring a sense of stability and sanity back
to Washington for all Americans.”

CNN senior White House correspondent Jeff Zeleny said on CNN’s The
Lead[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=01c-6a9&t=c>
(1/28) that Harris “has had a strong rollout over the last seven days or
so. The most serious candidate getting in. By that, I mean really well
thought out argument for why she should be running.”

Fox News politics editor Chris Stirewalt said on Fox News’ Special
Report[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=01d-52e&t=c>
(1/28), “[Harris] stuck the landing and particularly given the fact that
she slow-rolled it. She announced an announcement of an announcement of an
announcement and I thought that she had probably used up a lot of the
oxygen. But as other people have observed, that was Obama-esque to get a
crowd of that much size of that much energy. By the way, a huge selling
point for her is going to have to be ‘I can go crowd for crowd with Donald
Trump. If Donald Trump does his rallies, I can do it, too – I can generate
that kind of energy.’”

Katie Pavlich of Townhall.com said on Fox News’ Special Report[image:
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<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=01e-00d&t=c>
(1/28), “When you listen to what she did say, I think Democrats have to be
very careful – not just Kamala Harris – about having a deplorable moment
like Hillary Clinton did. She talked about this is not who we are and that
is a very fine line to walk, and it comes to trying to get not primary
voters, but eventually to run against Donald Trump, whose fans are not just
Republicans. He has a lot of independent voters, a lot of working-class
people who voted for him in 2016 against Hillary Clinton. So, if she’s
going to try and court those voters – to get back in places like Michigan,
Ohio, Wisconsin – she can’t accuse them of racism or not being on the same
moral page as the Democrats are right now.”
Gillibrand Hires Pair Of Senior Staff Members For Iowa Campaign.

The Des Moines (IA) Register
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=01f-2b6&t=c>
(1/28, Pfannenstiel) reports that Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s (D-NY)
“presidential exploratory committee has hired two senior Iowa staffers as”
she “continues to build out a campaign infrastructure ahead of Iowa’s 2020
caucuses. Lara Henderson, who was the finance director for Fred Hubbell’s
2018 gubernatorial campaign, will serve as Gillibrand’s Iowa state
director.” Henderson also has “worked as a field organizer for President
Barack Obama” and for other campaigns in Iowa. Meanwhile, Rachel Irwin
“will serve as Gillibrand’s Iowa communications director and as an adviser
for early state communications. Irwin was the Midwest press secretary for
the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during the 2018 election
cycle.”
Trump Says Schultz “Doesn’t Have The ‘Guts’” To Seek Presidency.

In a Monday morning tweet
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=020-c8b&t=c>,
President Trump wrote, “Howard Schultz doesn’t have the ‘guts’ to run for
President! Watched him on @60Minutes last night and I agree with him that
he is not the ‘smartest person.’ Besides, America already has that! I only
hope that Starbucks is still paying me their rent in Trump Tower!” USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=021-d26&t=c>
(1/28, Jackson) reports Trump “took a swipe” at Schultz, “even as critics
fear an independent bid by the former Starbucks CEO could help Trump in his
re-election bid.” The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=022-7ec&t=c>
(1/28, Samuels) reported that Trump “taunted” Schultz, and CQ Roll Call
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=023-0d2&t=c>
(1/28, Bennett) said the President “sharply criticized” him.

The Week
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=024-d8e&t=c>
(1/28) said Trump “couldn’t be more thrilled” with Schultz’s possible run.
CNN’s Manu Raju tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=025-983&t=c>,
“Trump clearly is daring Schultz to run, knowing he’d pull votes away from
[the Democratic nominee].” Jeff Mason of Reuters said on Fox News Special
Report[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=026-408&t=c>
(1/28), “The fact the President is tweeting about him at the end of the day
elevates him. ... If he does decide to run as an independent, that would be
helpful to President Trump.”

*Democrats Sound Alarm Over Potential Impact Of Schultz Run. *The
emerging conventional wisdom that a Schultz bid would split anti-Trump
voters has resulted in near-universal condemnation by Democrats of the
ex-Starbucks’ chief’s potential independent bid. On ABC World News
Tonight[image:
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<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=027-db8&t=c>
(1/28, story 10, 1:55, Muir), Mary Bruce said, “Democrats warn [Schultz]
could cost them the White House. ... Former New York Mayor Michael
Bloomberg, who considered an independent run himself, insists ‘an
independent would just split the anti-Trump vote and end up re-electing the
President.’” On NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=028-70e&t=c>
(1/28, story 8, 1:35, Holt), Andrea Mitchell said, “Schultz could be
brewing trouble for Democrats in 2020.” Jeff Glor reported on the CBS
Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=029-20a&t=c>
(1/28, story 7, 2:15), “A political action committee that supports
Democrats promised to make Howard Schultz a target if runs.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=02a-eda&t=c>
(1/29, Johnson, Peoples) reports, “Some of the most influential forces in
Democratic politics revolted” against Schultz’s “prospective presidential
bid, insisting that an independent run would unintentionally help” Trump
win reelection. Priorities USA Executive Director Patrick McHugh said, “If
Schultz entered the race as an independent, we would consider him a target.
... We would do everything we can to ensure that his candidacy is
unsuccessful.” The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=02b-cb8&t=c>
(1/28, Kasperowicz) reported that some Democrats are even mulling a
Starbucks boycott to put pressure on Schultz. Neera Tanden of the Center
for American Progress tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=02c-a94&t=c>,
“Vanity projects that help destroy democracy are disgusting. If he enters
the race, I will start a Starbucks boycott because I’m not giving a penny
that will end up in the election coffers of a guy who will help Trump win.”

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=02d-40d&t=c>
(1/28, Siders) reported that veterans of the Obama Administration and past
Democratic presidential campaigns, including Jennifer Palmieri and Dan
Pfeiffer, were quick to denounce a Schultz bid; Democratic presidential
prospect Julián Castro said on CNN on Sunday “that a Schultz candidacy
‘would provide Donald Trump with his best hope of getting reelected.’ ...
Schultz, who describes himself as a lifelong Democrat, offered only a
skirting response when asked if he worried about siphoning votes from the
Democratic Party’s eventual nominee. He said on ‘60 Minutes,’ ‘I want to
see the American people win. I want to see America win.’”

The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=02e-9d6&t=c>
(1/28, Epstein) reports that Bloomberg, who mulled independent runs in
several recent presidential elections, said in a statement, “There is no
way an independent can win. The great likelihood is that an independent
would just split the anti-Trump vote and end up re-electing the president.
That’s a risk I refused to run in 2016, and we can’t afford to run it now.”
Jeff Greenfield writes in Politico Magazine
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=02f-732&t=c>
(1/28) that Schultz “is ignoring” what Bloomberg and others “came to
understand: Under all but the most unlikely of circumstances, an
independent run is the triumph of arrogance over wisdom.” The Wall Street
Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=030-e1a&t=c>
(1/28) is skeptical of that analysis, arguing in an editorial that the
right independent could appeal to Republicans and independents who
reluctantly backed Trump in 2016.

Eugene Robinson writes in his Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=031-bbd&t=c>
(1/28) column, “Just what we need, another ego-crazed billionaire with zero
experience in government who thinks he is destined to be president. What
could go wrong?” The Week
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=032-109&t=c>
(1/28) reports that at a Manhattan event promoting his new book, Schultz
was interrupted by a heckler, who shouted, “Don’t help elect Trump, you
egotistical, billionaire a--hole!”

*Schultz Has Hired Experienced Staffers From Both Parties, Media. *The
AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=033-5a4&t=c>
(1/29, Johnson, Peoples) reports Schultz is “being advised by a team with
experience in both parties, including Steve Schmidt, who worked on
Republican John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, and former Obama
adviser Bill Burton,” as well as “Republican pollster Greg Strimple, GOP
strategist Brooks Kochvar, former journalist Erin McPike and Rajiv
Chandrasekaran, another former journalist who has worked closely with
Schultz since 2015.” CBS News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=034-295&t=c>
(1/28) reported on its website that the hires are “a sign of how
serious...Schultz is about running for president.”
Leading the News
Media Analyses: Administration Increases Pressure On Maduro With New Oil
Sanctions.

The US Treasury on Monday announced new sanctions targeting Venezuela’s
state-owned oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. or PdVSA. Media
reports cast the move as a bid by the Administration to step up pressure on
Nicolas Maduro less than a week after it recognized Juan Guaidó as the
interim president of Venezuela.

All three networks briefly reported the move last night. NBC
Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=035-cca&t=c>
(1/28, story 6, 0:15, Holt) said “the US is turning up the pressure
on...Maduro,”ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=036-8d9&t=c>
(1/28, story 11, 0:15, Muir) referred to “new pressure,” and the CBS
Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=037-6ff&t=c>
(1/28, story 11, 0:30, Glor) said the “US could increase the pressure on
Venezuela, imposing sanctions on its state-owned oil company.”

The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=038-a97&t=c>
(1/28, Wilkinson) says “ramping up pressure to unseat...Maduro, the Trump
administration Monday took the long-awaited step of sanctioning Venezuela’s
oil company, that country’s lifeline, and saying it will divert revenue to
the party of...Guaidó.” The Administration, however, “stopped short of an
all-out embargo,” and Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=039-901&t=c>
(1/28, Spetalnick, Holland) reports Treasury Secretary Mnuchin “said Citgo
in the United States would be able to continue to operate, provided funds
go to a blocked account.” USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=03a-042&t=c>
(1/28, Shesgreen) reports Mnuchin also said he did not expect the actions
to cause a spike in US gas prices. Said Mnuchin, “We’re dealing with
Venezuelan oil that is a rather modest part of our overall supply. I’m sure
many of our friends in the Middle East will be happy to make up the
supply.”

The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=03b-45d&t=c>
(1/28, Siegel), however, reports that while the sanctions “stop short of a
total embargo on Venezuelan oil...energy industry experts say the impact
could be the same, because Maduro would likely not allow oil to be sold to
US refiners if he can’t use the revenues and would turn to alternative
buyers, such as Russia and China.”

Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=03c-3fb&t=c>
(1/28, Mohsin, Epstein) says the Administration “dealt its toughest blow
yet,” and the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=03d-200&t=c>
(1/28, Karni, Wong) calls the sanctions the Administration’s “first
muscular step to force...Maduro to relinquish power.” Maduro rejected the
sanctions as “unilateral, illegal, immoral and criminal,” telling an
audience, “You will have blood on your hands, President Trump.”

Under the headline “Trump Hits Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro In
Pocketbook,” the Miami Herald
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=03e-e56&t=c>
(1/28, Ordoñez) says the sanctions “could be seen as a win for the White
House, which has long pushed for stronger oil sanctions against resistance
from other agencies whose top officials feared a worsening of an already
perilous humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. But the White House was
bolstered by international support, which gave the Trump administration the
cover it needed to take stronger measures against Maduro.”

To the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=03f-ebe&t=c>
(1/28, Lee, Riechmann) it is a “potentially critical economic move aimed at
increasing pressure on...Maduro to cede power.” Announcing the move at the
White House, National Security Adviser Bolton told reporters, “We have
continued to expose the corruption of Maduro and his cronies, and today’s
action ensures they can no longer loot the assets of the Venezuelan
people.” Bolton also said he expects Monday’s actions “will result in more
than $11 billion in lost export proceeds over the next year,” while
Secretary of State Pompeo “stressed that the new sanctions do not target
the people of Venezuela and will not affect humanitarian assistance.”
Townhall
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=040-741&t=c>
(1/28, Pavlich) reports Bolton and Mnuchin announced the new sanctions
“during a briefing at the White House,” and Pompeo “backed the move from
the State Department.”

The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=041-2f9&t=c>
(1/28, Boyer) reports Bolton said the country is “in a state of collapse”
and called on the Venezuelan military to cooperate in a peaceful transfer
of power to Guaidó. The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=042-9c1&t=c>
(1/28, Fabian, Samuels) reports that when “asked about the prospect of
further measures should Maduro cling to power, including military action,”
Bolton reiterated Monday that “all options are on the table.”

Guaidó told the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=043-34e&t=c>
(1/28, Talley, Bender, Vyas) in an interview Monday that the
Administration’s move will enable a transitional government immediately to
access roughly $500 million.

*Bolton Carried Notepad Saying “5,000 Troops To Colombia.” *The CBS
Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=044-d7b&t=c>
(1/28, story 11, 0:30, Glor) reported that during Monday’s press conference
at the White House, reporters captured images of Bolton’s notepad that read
“5,000 troops to Colombia,” which CBS noted “borders Venezuela.” Jennifer
Griffin reported for Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=045-a47&t=c>
(1/28) that White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders “said the US may
pre-position troops in Colombia to help in Venezuela, but that decision has
not been taken yet.”

*Rubio Praises Move. *Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=046-ff9&t=c>
(1/28, Guida) reports Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) welcomed the move, saying in
a statement, “The oil belongs to the Venezuelan people, and therefore the
money PDVSA earns from its export will now be returned to the people
through their legitimate constitutional government.”

The Miami Herald
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=047-5ca&t=c>
(1/28, Daugherty) reports that “three years ago, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul and
Lindsey Graham were fighting to stay in Donald Trump’s orbit as he pulled
away in the Republican presidential primary. Now, the three senators with
distinct foreign policy views...are able to claim varying pieces of
influence and credit for Trump’s foreign policy approach during his first
two years in office.” A “scattershot foreign policy approach from the
president,” the Herald says, “has allowed the three former rivals for the
GOP presidential nomination to gain influence,” and Trump “doesn’t appear
to hold grudges with the trio.”

*Democrats Divided As Progressives Oppose Guaidó. *Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=048-a80&t=c>
(1/28, Mohsin, Epstein) reports veteran Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez said
the Administration “should brief Congress on its moves against Maduro,” but
praised US efforts to “support the restoration of democracy in Venezuela.”

Under the headline “Progressives Break With Democratic Party Over
US Opposition To Socialist Dictator Nicolas Maduro,” the Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=049-7bd&t=c>
(1/28, Fordham) reports that “at least three progressive Democrats have
broken with their party” to criticize President Trump for his decision “to
oppose Venezuela’s socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro.” Democratic Reps.
Ilhan Omar, Tulsi Gabbard and Ro Khanna “excoriated” Trump for recognizing
Guaidó as the country’s leader, while other Democrats, including Senate
Minority Whip Dick Durbin, “sided with Trump on the foreign policy issue.”

Omar tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=04a-639&t=c>
last week, “A US backed coup in Venezuela is not a solution to the dire
issues they face. Trump’s efforts to install a far right opposition will
only incite violence and further destabilize the region. We must support
Mexico, Uruguay & the Vatican’s efforts to facilitate a peaceful dialogue.”
On her Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=04b-325&t=c>
page, Gabbard wrote, “The United States needs to stay out of Venezuela. Let
the Venezuelan people determine their future. We don’t want other countries
to choose our leaders – so we have to stop trying to choose theirs.” In a
statement
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=04c-03d&t=c>,
Khanna wrote, “The United States should not anoint the leader of the
opposition in Venezuela during an internal, divided conflict. ... We should
work to support the efforts of Uruguay, Mexico and the Holy See for a
negotiated settlement and end the sanctions that are making the
hyperinflation worse.”

Giancarlo Sopo, writing for The Federalist
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=04d-3cd&t=c>
(1/28), says “given Guaidó’s political bona fides and Maduro’s
unpopularity, you’d figure that American progressives...would be rushing to
embrace him—but they’re not. Instead...a group of progressive members of
Congress launched what appeared to be a coordinated effort to cast doubts
on the legitimacy of the young leader.” A Miami Herald
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=04e-2dd&t=c>
story late last week already surveyed these lawmakers’ views on the
Venezuelan crisis.

A Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=04f-c5a&t=c>
(1/28) editorial is critical of Democrats – including Sen. Bernie Sanders
and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – that have come out against the
Administration’s recognition of Guaidó and have instead argued for a
negotiated settlement. The Journal urges them to come out in support for
democracy and the Venezuelan people.

*Venezuelan Foreign Minister: US In Negotiations With Maduro’s
Government. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=050-7b3&t=c>
(1/28, Smith) reports the US “envoy in Caracas has been meeting with
officials of President Nicolas Maduro’s government to try to ease
heightened tensions,” according to Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge
Arreaza, who “appeared on state TV.”

*AP Analysis: US Policy Could Cause Venezuelans Economic Hardship. *An
AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=051-2ee&t=c>
(1/28, Goodman, Smith) analysis says the recognition of Guaidó “as
Venezuela’s interim president is being touted by the Trump administration
as the only way to restore the country’s democracy,” but some in Venezuela
are “bracing for things to get a lot worse, not better.” According to the
AP, “economists agree that the longer the standoff between the US-backed
Guaidó and Maduro drags on, the more regular Venezuelans are likely to
suffer.” Under US policy, it will be “very hard for Maduro to access
Venezuela’s overseas assets and earnings, including those from
Houston-based Citgo.” The AP says that policy, if adopted by the EU, “could
bring oil production to a standstill, heaping more hardships on the 29
million Venezuelans already struggling with hyperinflation, widespread food
shortages and anemic economic activity.”

*Guaidó Calls For New Protests. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=052-788&t=c>
(1/28, Ellsworth) reports Guaidó on Monday “called for new street
demonstrations as pressure intensified on...Maduro.” Guaidó called on
“opposition sympathizers” to take to the streets on Wednesday “to pass out
copies of a pamphlet proposing amnesty that would give some legal
protection to members of the military in hopes they will turn against
Maduro.”

*Venezuelan Consul In Miami Offers Support For Guaidó. *The Miami
Herald
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=053-aea&t=c>
(1/28, Wyss) reports that “Venezuela’s consular officer in Miami – a
diplomat with more than 18 years of experience – became the latest foreign
service officer to throw her support behind interim President Juan Guaidó,
as leader Nicolás Maduro sees himself increasingly isolated at home and
abroad.” In a video message broadcast on EVTV Monday, Scarlett Salazar said
she made the decision because “it obeys my democratic principles and
values”, and urged other diplomats to “embrace the constitution” and join
Guaidó in trying to force new elections.

*WSJournal Analysis: Russia’s Influence In Venezuela Limited. *The Wall
Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=054-424&t=c>
(1/28, Grove, Kurmanaev) reports that while Russia has come out in support
of Maduro, the Kremlin’s influence appears to be limited. For example,
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday there were no discussions to
extend major financial or military assistance to keep Maduro in power.

Fred Pleitgen reported for CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=055-a68&t=c>
(1/28, 6:55 p.m. EST) that “the Russians really do see Venezuela, in many
ways, as their sphere of influence and certainly continue to see Nicolas
Maduro as a massive ally of theirs in South America.” Pleitgen reported
Russia is “actually accusing the US of trying to meddle in Venezuela,” with
a Kremlin spokesman saying in an “angry statement” late Sunday night that
“he believes there was synchronization between the United States and the
opposition in Venezuela.” However, Pleitgen added that the Kremlin has said
that so far, there have been no discussions about sending military or
financial aid to support Maduro’s government. The Kremlin is also “trying
to shoot down stories of the Russians possibly having sent hundreds of
mercenaries to South America.”

*Poll: Most Americans Oppose Trump’s Foreign Policy. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=056-020&t=c>
(1/28, Riechmann, Fingerhut) reports that a “majority of Americans
disapprove of the way President Donald Trump is handling US foreign policy
and about half think the country’s global standing will deteriorate during
the next year, according to new poll
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=057-fbf&t=c>
that highlighted the nation’s partisan divide on foreign issues.” Overall,
the President “receives low marks from the public for his job handling
foreign policy – 35 percent approve, while 63 percent disapprove. Like
other issues, the partisan divide is startling. While 76 percent of
Republicans approve, just 8 percent of Democrats say the same.”

Former Deputy Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken writes in the New
York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=058-44c&t=c>
(1/28, Blinken) that the Administration “has not faced an actual national
security crisis that tests it and us in a profound way. There is no
shortage of possible candidates – a major terrorist attack; a debilitating
cyberattack; an infectious disease outbreak; an incident with North Korea,
Iran, China or Russia that escalates into a broader conflict. Yet no
administration in modern memory has been less prepared to deal with a true
crisis than this one.” Blinken argues that “these past two years, most of
our foreign policy setbacks have been modest, and mostly of Mr. Trump’s own
making. These next two, we may not be so lucky.”
Foreign Policy
US, Taliban Negotiators Reach “Agreements In Principle” For Possible Peace
Deal.

ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=059-0ed&t=c>
(1/28, story 9, 1:05, Muir) broadcast “negotiators for the US and the
Taliban have reached what is being called, quote, ‘agreements in principle’
on key issues for a peace deal that could end 17 years of war in
Afghanistan.” Martha Raddatz reported acting Defense Secretary Shanahan
“said they were encouraging conversations.” Raddatz continued, “That may
not sound like a big deal, but it is, it’s very significant, given they’ve
been after the Taliban and trying to get to some sort of peace agreement
for so many years.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=05a-63a&t=c>
(1/28, Faiez) reports US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said, “We made
progress on vital issues in our discussions and agreed to agreements in
principle on a couple of very important issues.” He added, “There is a lot
more work to be done before we can say we have succeeded in our efforts but
I believe for the first time I can say that we have made significant
progress.” Afghan President Ashraf Ghani “sought to assure Afghans that no
deals would be made without Kabul’s awareness and full participation,” and
“Khalilzad’s statement emphasized the inclusion of the Afghan government in
the talks.”

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=05b-48d&t=c>
(1/28, Mashal) reports that Khalilzad told the Times, “We have a draft of
the framework that has to be fleshed out before it becomes an agreement.”
He added, “The Taliban have committed, to our satisfaction, to do what is
necessary that would prevent Afghanistan from ever becoming a platform for
international terrorist groups or individuals.” Meanwhile, Afghan officials
are concerned “about the fact that the Afghan government has still been
sidelined from the talks.” Ghani, in an address to the nation, “expressed
concern that a peace deal would be rushed.”

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=05c-940&t=c>
(1/28, Jain) reports an unnamed “senior US government official” said Monday
that the US does not “seek a permanent military presence in Afghanistan.”
He added, “Our goal is to help bring peace in Afghanistan and we would like
a future partnership, newly defined with a post-peace government.”

Trey Yingst reported for Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=05d-fa9&t=c>
(1/28, 6:22 p.m. EST) that “negotiators covered two key issues,” the first
being when US troops will withdraw from Afghanistan and the second being
“how the Taliban will prevent other organizations, such as Al Qaeda and
ISIS, from using Afghanistan as a base for international terrorism.”

On CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=05e-9bc&t=c>
(1/28), Barbara Starr called the framework “unprecedented progress.”
According to Starr, “What the Taliban want is all foreign troops, including
14,000 American forces, out of Afghanistan.” Starr added that the Pentagon
is currently considering “that very concept, withdrawing about half of
them, 7,000.” In contrast, the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=05f-50d&t=c>
(1/28, Constable) reports, “US and Taliban officials have inched closer to
an agreement,” while the Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=060-3b2&t=c>
(1/28, Bengali) says, “the prospect of a truce with the Taliban appears to
be inching closer to reality.”

The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=061-01b&t=c>
(1/28, Nelson) reports a person briefed by a Taliban participant in the
talks said they were paused to allow technical experts to create plans for
a withdrawal and a cease fire and would resume in late February.

On the CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=062-576&t=c>
(1/28, story 8, 1:50, Glor), former acting CIA director Michael Morrell
offered his thoughts on the framework agreement. Morell argued that the
agreement changes nothing “because the Taliban will not live up to it.”
Morell continued, “The Taliban will not negotiate in good faith with the
Afghan government. They want a one-party state. They want the rule it, and
they will allow Al Qaeda safe haven because they have fought together for
17 years and they have intermarriages. They have very close.” Morell
concluded, “I think the President fundamentally has two choices. One choice
is to stay for the long term. … The other option is to leave with an
understanding of what’s going to happen but put US military bases nearby,
somewhere in central Asia, where they can reach out and keep Al Qaeda from
becoming strong again.”

In an editorial, the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=063-79a&t=c>
(1/28) says that the tentative deal appear to be “mostly on the enemy’s
terms,” offering “no guarantee that the government and political order [US
forces] have spent 17 years defending, at enormous cost, would survive – or
that the gains Afghans have made in women’s and other civil rights would be
preserved.” President Trump “has seemingly grown eager to pull the plug on
the mission” in Afghanistan, and “the Taliban may calculate that, rather
than insist on an acceptable political settlement, the White House will
settle for the fig leaf of their assurances about preventing terrorist
attacks.” While the Post acknowledges that “negotiations with the Taliban
are the only way out of the Afghan war,” it warns that such an end should
be “at the expense of everything the United States has helped to build
there since 2001.”

Afghan MP Fawzia Koofi, in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=064-a4b&t=c>
(1/28), writes that the Taliban still relies on terror and enters peace
talks when under pressure, only to attack again when conditions ease. He
calls for the US and the Afghan government to fight terrorism by paying
attention to the political opposition’s concerns, putting preconditions –
including protecting women’s right and democratic political participation –
on peace talks with the Taliban, organizing a assembly of Afghan elders to
weigh in on the issue, putting US sanction on the Taliban and countries
that support it, and understanding that a political settlement with the
Taliban won’t end the threat of terrorism in Afghanistan.

Axios
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=065-687&t=c>
(1/28, Kugelman) also covers this story.
US Preparing “Economic Package” To Entice Kim Toward Denuclearization.

According to the Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=066-9b6&t=c>
(1/28, Taylor), the Administration is “quietly preparing a special
‘economic package’ designed to entice North Korean leader Kim Jong Un into
taking specific steps toward dismantling his nuclear weapons program when
he and President Trump meet” next month. The initiative, spearheaded by
special envoy Stephen Biegun, has “already been touted in private
working-level talks with the North Koreans and involves creating a kind of
escrow account to prove to Mr. Kim that the US and its allies are truly
committed to rewarding Pyongyang economically if it comes through on
denuclearization, The Washington Times has learned.” Sources familiar with
the plan “say it centers on securing guarantees for billions of dollars
worth of cash contributions from Japan, South Korea, the European Union and
others that would go toward North Korean infrastructure and development
projects.”
Administration Announces New Round Of Trade Negotiations With China.

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=067-3d2&t=c>
(1/28, Fabian) reports the White House has “announced a new round of trade
negotiations with China as the Trump administration seeks an elusive deal
with Beijing.” According to the White House, top US and Chinese officials
will “‘discuss the trade relationship between the two countries’ on
Wednesday and Thursday in Washington.”

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=068-bc3&t=c>
(1/28, Holland) reports Treasury Secretary Mnuchin “said on Monday the
United States expects to make significant progress” in talks “with Chinese
Vice Premier Liu He, who will later meet with President Donald Trump.”
Speaking to reporters at a White House news conference, Mnuchin said the US
and China were seeking to address “complicated issues,” such as a way “to
verify enforcement of China’s reform progress in any deal with Beijing.”
Mnuchin “said Chinese officials had acknowledged the need for such a
verification mechanism.” Said Mnuchin, “We want to make sure that when we
get a deal, that deal will be enforced. ... The details of how we do that
are very complicated. That needs to be negotiated. But IP (intellectual
property) protection, no more forced joint ventures, and enforcement are
three of the most important issues on the agenda.”

In an analysis, the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=069-b3e&t=c>
(1/28, Rappeport) says the talks “come at a critical moment for Mr. Trump’s
economic agenda and the global economy, which is beginning to slow in part
because of the president’s trade policies.” While the Administration
“continues to insist it has the upper hand,” the Times says the Chinese
“may be emboldened by the fact that the president’s reputation as a
deal-maker suffered in the wake of failing to secure a win on the border
wall.”
Media Analyses: Justice Department Charges Huawei With Fraud.

The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=06a-b23&t=c>
(1/28, Wilber) reports that Justice Department officials filed fraud
charges against Huawei on the grounds that “the company operated a
long-running scheme to deceive financial institutions about its activities
in Iran and tried to steal sensitive information from T-Mobile.” The
Justice Department filed the 13-count indictment in the Eastern District of
New York and included additional allegations, such as how it lied about its
connection to Skycom, an Iranian firm. These charges follow a separate
Justice Department filing against Huawei in Washington state, where Huawei
is charged with attempting “to steal trade secrets from T-Mobile tied to
its phone-testing robot, ‘Tappy.’”

The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=06b-ad7&t=c>
(1/28, O'Keeffe, Viswanatha) reports that the Washington state charges are
an evolution of T-Mobile’s civil suit against Huawei over prior allegations
that the company orchestrated a campaign to steal T-Mobile’s intellectual
property. Huawei is also accused of offering bonuses to its employees if
they successfully acquired corporate secrets. Huawei denied T-Mobile’s
allegations during its civil suit and they are expected to deny any
insinuation that they encouraged this behavior.

USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=06c-690&t=c>
(1/28, Johnson, Jansen) reports that the Justice Department filings contain
23 separate felony charges and attempt to link the alleged crimes to the
company as a whole by explaining how it is a pattern and not an anomaly of
“rogue employees.” Acting Attorney General Whitaker described the filing
and the allegations as going “to the top of the company.” Whitaker added
that Huawei’s lies over its relationship with Iran’s Skycom led “US banks
to unknowingly violate laws governing sanctions against Iran” and handle
“$100 million in fraudulent transactions over four years.”

Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=06d-5b3&t=c>
(1/28, Hurtado, Strohm) reports that FBI Director Wray condemned Huawei for
its “brazen and persistent actions to exploit American companies and
financial institutions, and to threaten the free and fair global
marketplace” during his public comments after the courts unsealed the
indictment. However, Chinese authorities are expected to continue
challenging the US as they did earlier this month. Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, “The US has been abusing the idea of
‘national security,’ slandering and striking down the normal commercial
activities of Chinese enterprises.”

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=06e-6c1&t=c>
(1/28, Benner, Goldstein, Rappeport) says Huawei reportedly sought “to
obstruct justice by moving employees out of the United States so they could
not be called as witnesses before a grand jury in Brooklyn. The authorities
said the company had destroyed evidence in order to hinder the inquiry.”
Whitaker condemned Huawei for appearing “to be using corporate espionage
not only to enhance their bottom line but to compete in the world economy.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=06f-6c9&t=c>
(1/28, Barrett) reports the newly filed charges are “likely to intensify
trade tensions between the US and China” after the US requested that Huawei
CFO Meng Wanzhou be detained on separate charges in December in Canada. The
charges come as “China’s lead trade negotiator, Liu He, [is] scheduled to
meet with US officials in Washington in coming days” in Washington, DC, for
a new round of high-level trade discussions.

*US Announces Criminal Charges Against Huawei CFO. *Pete Williams
reported for NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=070-623&t=c>
(1/28, story 7, 1:30, Holt) that, in “the most aggressive American action
yet against Huawei,” the Department of Justice on Monday also announced
charges against CFO Meng Wanzhou, who is awaiting extradition in Canada.
Williams reported, “Prosecutors say Huawei illegally did business with
Iran, using front companies to evade US sanctions.” Meanwhile, “The company
is also accused of trying to steal American trade secrets, specifically
T-Mobile’s robotic arm and finger used to test its smartphones.” Williams
added that the charges “were announced the same day the White House said
President Trump will welcome a delegation from China on Wednesday to talk
about trade.” Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012901biden&r=email-51f7&l=071-3e6&t=c>
(1/28, 6:23 p.m. EST) reported the charges include “theft of trade secrets,
wire fraud, and obstruction of justice.”

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.