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Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing


*From:* Bulletin Intelligence <Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com>
*Sent:* Thursday, January 24, 2019 8:04 AM
*To:* Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com
*Subject:* Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for
Thursday, January 24, 2019


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[image: Image removed by sender. Office of Vice President Biden
Intelligence Briefing]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=001-697&t=c>

*To: Vice President Joe Biden*

*Thursday, January 24, 2019 8:00 AM EST*
Today's Table of Contents

*Biden in the News* <#SECTION_1>

• Politico/Morning Consult Poll: Biden Leads Hypothetical 2020 Democratic
Field. <#S1>

• CNBC Analysis: Biden, Harris “The Top Contenders” To Win Obama’s
Endorsement. <#S2>

• Writer: Biden, Sanders Would Have Defeated Trump In 2016, And They Can In
2020. <#S3>

• NYTimes: Biden Was Paid $200K For Speech In Which He Lauded Democratic
Target Upton. <#S4>

• Media Analyses: Biden’s Record On Criminal Justice Would Be “Major
Liability” In 2020 Democratic Race. <#S5>

• Columnist: Biden Would Be Democrats’ “Worst Candidate” To Take On Trump.
<#S6>

• Tech Democratic Operatives Impressed With Harris’ 2020 Campaign Launch.
<#S7>

• Poll: Gillibrand’s Popularity Numbers At Lowest Level “In Nearly A
Decade.” <#S8>

• Warren Woos South Carolina Voters. <#S9>

• Reports Highlight Buttigieg’s Entry Into 2020 Race. <#S10>

• Bloomberg Decries Effort To Legalize Marijuana. <#S11>

• Breitbart: 2020 Democrats Wooing Sharpton With Little Regard For His
“Controversial Past.” <#S12>

• Rove: Attention-Seeking Democratic Hopefuls Following Trump’s Lead. <#S13>

*Leading the News* <#SECTION_2>

• Trump Says He Will Deliver State Of The Union Address “When Shutdown Is
Over.” <#S14>

*Foreign Policy* <#SECTION_3>

• US Recognizes Venezuelan Opposition Leader As Interim President. <#S15>

• Kim Lauds Trump’s “Unusual Determination And Will” To Resolve North Korea
Nuclear Dispute. <#S16>

• Hassett Says He Is “Confident” US And China Can Reach Trade Deal Soon.
<#S17>

• Pompeo Touts Trump’s Efforts To Increase Resources For NATO. <#S18>

• Pompeo: Defeat Of ISIS In Syria “Almost Complete.” <#S19>

• Afghan Intelligence Agency Claims To Have Killed Mastermind Of Taliban
Attack. <#S20>

• Iranian TV Journalist Has Reportedly Completed Grand Jury Testimony And
Been Released. <#S21>

*Domestic Policy* <#SECTION_4>

• Trump: “Build A Wall & Crime Will Fall” Is GOP’s “New Theme.” <#S22>

• Democrats Offer Up To $5.7B On Border Security, But No Wall. <#S23>

• Hassett: Shutdown Could Temporarily Stop Economic Growth. <#S24>

• Citing “Threats” From Trump And Giuliani, Cohen Cancels Appearance Before
House Panel. <#S25>

• House Oversight Panel To Probe Kushner’s “Unreported Russian Contacts.”
<#S26>

• Manafort Attorneys Say Mueller Has Not Shown Client Intentionally Lied.
<#S27>

• Baker Testimony: Clinton Operatives Pushed Now-Debunked Trump-Alfa Server
Conspiracy. <#S28>

*Cancer Research* <#SECTION_5>

• Patient, Physician Groups Call For President, Congress To Reopen Federal
Government. <#S29>

• Researchers Develop Liquid Biopsy For Glioma Using CSF. <#S30>

*Editorials/Op-Eds* <#SECTION_6>

• New York Times. <#S31>

• Washington Post. <#S32>
Biden in the News
Politico/Morning Consult Poll: Biden Leads Hypothetical 2020 Democratic
Field.

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=002-001&t=c>
(1/23, Andrade) reported that a Politico/Morning Consult poll
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=003-727&t=c>
of 1,996 US voters, taken Jan. 18-22, shows former Vice President Joe Biden
leading a hypothetical race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination
with 17%, followed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) at 12%, Sen. Kamala Harris
(D-CA) and ex-Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) both at 4%, and other contenders
lagging further behind.

*Harris Seizes Lead From Warren In Second Daily Kos Straw Poll;
Biden Third. *The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=004-485&t=c>
(1/23, Hagen) reported that Harris, “who just announced she was running for
president earlier this week, jumped into the lead in progressive news
website Daily Kos’s straw poll. According to Daily Kos’s second straw poll
of 28,000 members, Harris” leads with 27%, followed by Sen. Elizabeth
Warren (D-MA) at 18%, Biden at 13%, Sanders at 12%, and O’Rourke at 8%. The
Hill added, “In Daily Kos’s first straw poll two weeks ago, Warren, who was
the first major Democratic candidate to jump into the race, was in the
lead,” trailed by O’Rourke at 15%, and Biden and Harris both at 14%.
CNBC Analysis: Biden, Harris “The Top Contenders” To Win Obama’s
Endorsement.

In an online article, CNBC
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=005-1d7&t=c>
(1/23, Daniels) reported, “A huge question of the 2020 campaign is who
former President Barack Obama will endorse” in the Democratic presidential
primary. CNBC said that former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala
Harris (D-CA) “would likely be the top contenders for his backing.” Obama
“would arguably end up the biggest supporter of a Biden 2020 run, but” the
former President “also counts Harris as a loyal ally. Harris was San
Francisco district attorney when she threw her support behind Obama’s
presidential run in early 2007 — a time when many other elected politicians
in the nation’s most populous state backed then-front-runner Hillary
Clinton. With other Obama political allies likely to enter the 2020
presidential race, though, many Democratic strategists believe the former
president won’t rush into endorsing anyone.”
Writer: Biden, Sanders Would Have Defeated Trump In 2016, And They Can In
2020.

In her Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=006-2b8&t=c>
(1/23) column, Tiana Lowe writes that former Vice President Joe Biden and
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) both would have defeated President Trump in
2016. “In fact, there’s a case to be made that almost anyone would have
beaten Trump in 2016 except for Hillary Clinton.” Lowe adds, “The
Democratic Party has moved far enough to the Left that a sufficient number
of Republican, conservative, and working-class white Democratic voters may
once again hold their noses and vote Trump.” Even so, says Lowe, “Sanders
or Biden could” still beat Trump in 2020. “And in 2016, they definitely
would have.”
NYTimes: Biden Was Paid $200K For Speech In Which He Lauded Democratic
Target Upton.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=007-565&t=c>
(1/23, Burns) reports former Vice President Joe Biden visited Michigan last
year “three weeks before the November elections” at a time when Rep. Fred
Upton (R-MI) was facing “he toughest race of his career. But Mr. Biden was
not there to denounce Mr. Upton. Instead, he was collecting $200,000 from
the Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan to address a Republican-leaning
audience, according to a speaking contract...and interviews with
organizers.” The Times says Biden “stunned Democrats and elated Republicans
by praising Mr. Upton,” who was in attendance, and Biden’s comments
“quickly appeared in Republican advertising. The local Democratic Party
pleaded with Mr. Biden to repair what it saw as a damaging error, to no
avail,” and Upton won reelection “by four and a half percentage points.”
The Times says “the episode underscores” Biden’s “potential vulnerabilities
in a fight for the Democratic [presidential] nomination and raises
questions about his judgment as a party leader.”

Drawing from the Times’ article, The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=008-f7f&t=c>
(1/23, Axelrod) said that the speaking “contract reportedly made it clear
that the audience would be ‘primarily older, conservative Republicans and
local community members.’” Biden “reportedly during the speech praised
Upton...who was facing a tight reelection race, calling him a champion in
the fight against cancer and ‘one of the finest guys I’ve ever worked
with,’ referring to Upton’s support for a medical research law. Upton’s
family foundation helps support the Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan.
Upton told the Times that he had ‘no idea’ Biden would refer to him.”

Writing for the Daily Beast
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=009-d84&t=c>
(1/24), Michael Tomasky criticizes Biden over the revelations in the Times’
article, saying, “I wouldn’t quite count him out. A lot of voters do seem
to like him, and this speech, by itself, is a survivable error. But it’s
survivable by a good candidate who spends the fall of the midterm elections
making a dramatic move or two demonstrating that he knows he needs to
freshen up his image. Instead he went off and cashed a $150,000 check (the
other $50,000 was travel expenses) from a Republican-leaning business
group. And given his history, you just know he’ll do something like this
again. He always has. Maybe that’s why he’s 0-for-2.”

Under the heading “Joe Biden’s GOP Bromance May Be A 2020
Liability,” Tina Nguyen writes for Vanity Fair
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=00a-dbe&t=c>
(1/22), “The episode is a fitting metaphor for the challenges that will
confront Biden if he runs. From a strategist’s perspective, two of Biden’s
greatest strengths are his ability to connect with the white working class
– the sort of voter that might have flipped for Trump in 2016 – and his
positive, bipartisan appeal.” However, Biden’s “chumminess with Upton might
also be seen as the sort of betrayal that could enrage the larger, more
vocal portion of Democratic primary voters who think bipartisan cooperation
is elitist and out of touch.”

Under the heading “Biden And Beto Boosted GOP Candidates In 2018.
That’s Disqualifying,” Eric Levitz writes at the Daily Intelligencer (NY)
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=00b-94c&t=c>
(1/23) about the Times’ article on Biden and Upton. Levitz also highlights
ex-Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s (D-TX) decision not to back the Democrat who
unsuccessfully challenged Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) last year. Levitz adds that
“what makes Biden and O’Rourke’s conduct disqualifying is not the effect it
may (or may not) have had in 2018, but rather, what it says about how they
will govern in 2021. ... Only a unified, Democratic government – that is
willing to ruthlessly prioritize ideological goals over bipartisan comity –
will have any chance of overcoming our legislative system’s copious veto
points, and passing anything resembling a proportionate response to our
nation’s climate, health-care, and democratic crises into law.”

Writing for Slate
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=00c-a27&t=c>
(1/23), Josh Voorhees says that the episode “is going to be difficult for
Biden to shrug off should he enter the 2020 fray. If you take the money out
of it, Biden gave a Republican congressman a push at a time when the
Democrats were desperate to retake the House; if you don’t, Biden gave a
Republican congressman a push – and then went home with a six-figure check
for his trouble.”

Writing for Vice
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=00d-49b&t=c>
(1/23), Harry Cheadle said that Biden is “very much positioned as a
Democrat some Republicans could vote for. His praise of Upton is of a piece
with all that. The problem is that ‘bipartisanship’ of this sort can seem
like a limp response at a time when the US government is perpetually on the
verge of crisis.” But perhaps “that’s his path to victory in a messy
primary: At a moment when most Democratic contenders are touting their
progressive bona fides, Biden will be a different kind of candidate: a
Democrat who will work with Republicans and restore normalcy to Washington,
DC. The question he’ll have to answer is why working with Republicans
apparently meant helping one of them defeat a Democrat – and whether
Democrats like him should even exist anymore.”

Writing at the Resurgent
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=00e-fd0&t=c>
(1/24), Erick Erickson says, “Stories like” the “one in the New York Times
do not just happen. They happen for reasons.” Erickson adds, “There is a
body of conventional wisdom out there noting that Biden would have the best
shot at stealing Trump’s base from him. But Democrats have largely decided
Trump’s base is full of racists and bigots and no one should want them and
no one even try to get them. That Biden can potentially bring these
undesirable people into the Democratic fold means Biden is undesirable and
must be stopped. That’s how these stories get circulated. Democrats want to
throw” Biden “under the non-Obama bus because they’re afraid he has a real
shot at winning and winning by breaking apart Trump’s coalition.”

In broadcasts yesterday, CNN’s The Lead[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=00f-364&t=c>
(1/23) and MSNBC MTP Daily[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=010-052&t=c>
(1/23) featured brief panel discussions about the Times’ story on Biden.
The St. Joseph (MI) Herald Palladium
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=011-eb3&t=c>
(1/24, Matuszak), the Detroit Metro Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=012-e80&t=c>
(1/23, Perkins), WDIV-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=013-504&t=c>
Detroit (1/23, Haddad), The Week
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=014-916&t=c>
(1/23, Lambert), the Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=015-84d&t=c>
(1/23, Bogorowski), and the Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=016-e3e&t=c>
(1/23, Bedard) are among the media outlets that highlight the Times’ report
on Biden.
Media Analyses: Biden’s Record On Criminal Justice Would Be “Major
Liability” In 2020 Democratic Race.

Writing in “The Fix” on the website of the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=017-b06&t=c>
(1/23), Eugene Scott said that if former Vice President Joe Biden enters
the 2020 race for president, “he’ll have a major liability: his record on
criminal justice.” In Congress, Biden “pushed several pieces of legislation
that lengthened criminal sentences, particularly for drugs favored by
nonwhite users,” which “helped create America’s dismal mass incarceration
crisis. The United States has one of the largest prison populations in the
world, and people of color are disproportionately impacted. That’s got some
Democrats pushing back against Biden as a candidate.”

Writing for the Daily Intelligencer (NY)
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=018-7f4&t=c>
(1/23), Zak Cheney-Rice highlights Biden’s “tough on crime” history in the
Senate, saying that he “co-authored” the 1994 crime bill that became “an
accelerant for mass incarceration.” Cheney-Rice says that Biden’s recent
“concession that he ‘may not have always gotten things right’ on criminal
justice highlights a dilemma facing a handful of 2020 Democratic prospects.
Though perceived as front-runners for the nomination, former legislators
and prosecutors like Biden and” Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), “respectively,
face the unenviable prospect of running with ‘tough on crime’ credentials
as baggage at a time when such policies are increasingly seen as moral
atrocities.”

Under the heading “Democrats’ Biggest 2020 Frontrunners Have A
Criminal Justice Problem,” Mathew Rozsa writes at Salon
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=019-038&t=c>
(1/23) that Biden and Harris “are both walking back past positions they’ve
taken on criminal justice issues that may put them out of step with an
increasingly progressive Democratic electorate in 2020.” Meanwhile, Sen.
Bernie Sanders (I-VT) “has so far refused to apologize for his vote in
favor of the now widely-denounced 1994 anti-crime bill.”

The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=01a-921&t=c>
(1/23, Thomas) reports that a number of announced and potential Democratic
presidential contenders are apologizing for their past stances on various
issues at a time when primary voters have become increasingly progressive.
The Journal says, for example, that Biden this week said he “hadn’t always
been right” on criminal justice legislation that set tougher penalties for
crack cocaine than powder cocaine. By apologizing, says the Journal, the
candidates are trying to address liabilities early in the 2020 race.
Columnist: Biden Would Be Democrats’ “Worst Candidate” To Take On Trump.

In his column for The Guardian (UK)
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=01b-847&t=c>
(1/23), Cas Mudde says that with polls showing former Vice President Joe
Biden leading a hypothetical 2020 field of Democratic White House hopefuls,
his “supporters will use this as evidence that he is the best presidential
candidate for the Democratic party – but they are wrong. In most ways,
Biden is the worst candidate for the Democrats and the best opponent for
[President] Trump.” Referring to Biden, Mudde adds, “One of the oldest and
worst candidates to appeal to an increasingly young and recently energized
Democratic electorate is also the best candidate for Trump to attack while
mobilizing his political base. In a time of negative partisanship, with
more and more people voting against a party rather than for one, this
should be a major concern to all Democrats as well as anti-Trump
Independents.”
Tech Democratic Operatives Impressed With Harris’ 2020 Campaign Launch.

The Daily Beast
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=01c-a19&t=c>
(1/24, Stein, Resnick) reports that Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) on Tuesday
announced that she raised “$1.5 million in the first 24 hours” after
launching her presidential exploratory committee – “a massive haul...that
left Democratic operatives, especially those in the digital space,
impressed.” However, “what really grabbed the attention of digital
operatives was the work done below the surface. Harris’ Facebook operation
ran a whopping 25,000 Facebook ad variations for its launch,” raising
“money from 38,000 donors (with an average contribution of $37) and”
expanding “her email list by 20 percent. The more telling stat, however,
was what it spent. According to Ian Sams, the campaign’s press secretary,
Harris put down more than $100,000 on Facebook ads for the launch,” easily
surpassing the amount spent by other Democrats that have launched
presidential campaigns. The Daily Beast quotes a “top operative who is
unaffiliated with a campaign” as saying, “Kamala has been the best by far
at this.”

*Harris Would Be Democrats’ First Nominee From A State West Of The
Rocky Mountains. *The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=01d-96d&t=c>
(1/23, Wilson) reported that if Harris wins the 2020 Democratic
presidential nomination, she’d “become the first Democratic presidential
nominee from a state west of the Rocky Mountains in the party’s 191-year
history.” Harris, added The Hill, “represents perhaps the greatest chance a
Westerner candidate has had to win the Democratic presidential nomination
since 1984, when Colorado Sen. Gary Hart (D) lost the nomination to Walter
Mondale. She is one of as many as five other Democrats from Western states
who have said they will or are likely to run this year, including Los
Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, Washington Gov.
Jay Inslee and Reps. Eric Swalwell (Calif.) and Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii).”
Poll: Gillibrand’s Popularity Numbers At Lowest Level “In Nearly A Decade.”

The Albany (NY) Times Union
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=01e-200&t=c>
(1/23, Lombardo) reports that Sen Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) “hasn’t
experienced a groundswell of support in her home state after launching a
presidential bid last week,” according to a new Quinnipiac University poll
of New York state voters, taken Jan. 16-21. The survey shows Gillibrand
with “her lowest ratings for job approval (46 percent) and favorability (41
percent) in nearly a decade. Additionally, among potential New Yorkers
running for president on the Democratic line, she is the third choice,”
trailing ex-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (D-NY) and Gov. Andrew
Cuomo (D-NY).

*Gillibrand Supports “Green New Deal.” *The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=01f-278&t=c>
(1/23, Cama) reported that Gillibrand on Tuesday “said she supports the
‘Green New Deal’ proposal to shift the nation to renewable energy to fight
climate change.” Appearing on “the liberal Pod Save America podcast,”
Gillibrand said “that ‘there’s not a lot of details yet behind the Green
New Deal’ but ‘the platform of it is really exciting,’ and she supports it
in her possible presidential bid.” Though “supporters of the Green New Deal
have different definitions of it, it would generally call for a rapid shift
to 100 percent renewable energy for the nation’s electricity, as well as
stopping fossil fuel use in transportation, industry and other sectors.”
Warren Woos South Carolina Voters.

The Columbia (SC) State
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=020-852&t=c>
(1/23, Marchant) reports that Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who is
exploring a run for president on Wednesday visited South Carolina, speaking
at Columbia College. The article says, “To help the middle class, Warren
said the federal government needs to lessen the influence of corporate
lobbyists and Wall Street firms, and pursue policies that empower labor
unions, make college and health care affordable, and make owning a home a
realistic goal.” The article added, “In a state where a majority of voters
in next year’s Democratic primary will be African-American, Warren
highlighted the economic disparity facing black Americans in particular.”

BuzzFeed News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=021-122&t=c>
(1/23, Brooks) reported, “Making her first speech in the state, whose
primary electorate in next year’s Democratic primary will be largely black,
Warren told the crowd that she’s spent her adult life working to answer the
question, ‘Why has the path gotten so rocky for working people in
America?,’ and why are things ‘particularly rocky for African-Americans?’
Warren then explained the history of redlining, a discriminatory practice
that systematically denied black people loans to buy houses for decades.
‘That gap between white homeownership and black homeownership that was 27
points back when discrimination was legal? Today is 31 points. That’s not
an America that’s working for everyone,’ she said.”

The Huffington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=022-10f&t=c>
(1/23, Strachan) reported that Warren “received loud applause when she
proclaimed that she supports strong unions and overturning the Supreme
Court’s Citizens United ruling. She also declared that health care is a
‘basic human right,’ took a shot at Goldman Sachs for what she described as
a $250 million ‘pre-bribe’ to former Trump adviser Gary Cohn, and declared
that ‘it should not harder to vote in America than it is to buy a gun.’”

*In Puerto Rico, Warren Blasts White House Response To Hurricane
Maria. *Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=023-028&t=c>
(1/22, Choi) reported Warren “rebuked the Trump administration for its
response to Hurricane Maria during a rally in Puerto Rico on Tuesday,
committing to combat any diversion of federal funding from disaster relief
toward building a border wall. Speaking in San Juan,” Warren “advocated
investigating the federal response to the devastating storm, even calling
for the resignation of Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Brock
Long.” Warren’s “speech provided an opportunity to connect with an
important Hispanic constituency, and give voice to the island’s resentment
of the Trump administration’s response after Hurricane Maria.”
Reports Highlight Buttigieg’s Entry Into 2020 Race.

In continuing coverage, the South Bend (IN) Tribune
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=024-a93&t=c>
(1/23) reports that South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) “has
officially launched his long-anticipated bid for the White House” through a
video he “released on social media early” Wednesday, “featuring images of
him in South Bend and with his husband, Chasten Glezman.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=025-6c2&t=c>
(1/23, Burns) reports that Buttigieg’s announcement stressed “generational
identity and calling for policies ‘untethered to the politics of the past’
on issues like climate and economic opportunity.” The Times questions
whether “a municipal executive who oversees a city of about 100,000 people
can be a viable candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination,” but
says that “he has traveled the country...drawing largely favorable media
coverage and making little secret of his interest in higher office.”
Bloomberg Decries Effort To Legalize Marijuana.

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=026-077&t=c>
(1/23, Burke) reported that former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
(D-NY), a potential presidential candidate, on Tuesday “said that
attempting to legalize recreational marijuana ‘is perhaps the stupidest
thing anybody has ever done.’ ‘Last year, in 2017, 72,000 Americans OD’d
[overdosed] on drugs. In 2018, more people than that are OD-ing on drugs,
have OD’d on drugs, and today, incidentally, we are trying to legalize
another addictive narcotic, which is perhaps the stupidest thing anybody
has ever done,’ he said, according to WBNG.com.”
Breitbart: 2020 Democrats Wooing Sharpton With Little Regard For His
“Controversial Past.”

Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=027-44d&t=c>
(1/23, Pollak) reports, “Democratic presidential hopefuls are courting Rev.
Al Sharpton and his National Action Network (NAN) as they jockey for
support in the increasingly crowded 2020 primary field – ignoring
Sharpton’s controversial history.” Breitbart reported that former Vice
President Joe Biden and ex-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg appeared
at a NAN event on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and added that Sens. Kirsten
Gillibrand (D-NY) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) have also appeared at Sharpton
events.
Rove: Attention-Seeking Democratic Hopefuls Following Trump’s Lead.

Karl Rove writes in his Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=028-0e2&t=c>
(1/23) column that the Democratic Party has become strange, with Sen.
Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) introducing her dog and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA)
dancing to Cardi B in online campaign videos, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
(D-NY), 52, calling herself a “young mom,” and ex-Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX)
livestreaming a road trip that could lead to a presidential campaign. Rove
says that rather than striving to restore seriousness to national politics,
Democrats are following President Trump’s lead with attention-grabbing
antics.
Leading the News
Trump Says He Will Deliver State Of The Union Address “When Shutdown Is
Over.”

In what NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=029-cde&t=c>
(1/23, story 2, 1:30, Alexander) called “a first in American history,”
House Speaker Pelosi yesterday “formally” rescinded “her original
invitation” to the President to deliver his State of the Union address in
the House chamber. Business Insider
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=02a-aff&t=c>
(1/23, Haltiwanger) also reports the President “suggested the move was
completely unprecedented,” and “based on historical records, Trump is
correct, and we are in uncharted waters.” Amid speculation that the White
House would seek an alternative venue for the ceremonial address, President
Trump dispelled the uncertainty last night, tweeting
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=02b-229&t=c>,
“As the Shutdown was going on, Nancy Pelosi asked me to give the State of
the Union Address. I agreed. She then changed her mind because of the
Shutdown, suggesting a later date. This is her prerogative – I will do the
Address when the Shutdown is over. I am not looking for an...
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=02c-793&t=c>
alternative venue for the SOTU Address because there is no venue that can
compete with the history, tradition and importance of the House Chamber. I
look forward to giving a ‘great’ State of the Union Address in the near
future!”

Mainstream media reports had largely blamed Trump for Pelosi’s
decision, due to his failure to take heed of her previous suggestion that
the speech be postponed. ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=02d-1f5&t=c>
(1/23, story 2, 1:20, Bruce), for example, said Trump “tried to
call...Pelosi’s bluff, writing, ‘Dear Madam Speaker, I look forward to
seeing you on the evening of January 29th in the Chamber of the House of
Representatives.’” The CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=02e-5cc&t=c>
(1/23, story 2, 1:30, Glor), meanwhile, referred to a “‘Dear John’ letter
from the Democratic Speaker officially disinviting” Trump, and adds that
she “made the power play after Mr. Trump wrote her vowing to give the
speech ‘on schedule’ and ‘on location.’”

To Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=02f-565&t=c>
(1/23), the President “essentially dared [Pelosi] to disinvite him,” and to
the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=030-372&t=c>
(1/23, Sonmez) Pelosi “rescinded her invitation” after “Trump ignored” her
“suggestion that he reschedule the speech due to security concerns.” The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=031-f21&t=c>
(1/24, Freking, Colvin) sees “a high-stakes case of dare and double-dare,”
and reports Pelosi “took the step after Trump said he planned to show up in
spite of Democratic objections.” The New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=032-ac3&t=c>
(1/23, Fredericks) notes Trump had written Pelosi earlier in the day, “I
will be honoring your invitation, and fulfilling my constitutional duty, to
deliver important information to the people and to the Congress of the
United States of America regarding the State of our Union. ... It would be
so very sad for our Country if the State of the Union were not delivered on
time, on schedule, and very importantly, on location!”

Wolf Blitzer said on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=033-eeb&t=c>
(1/23) that Trump “thought Nancy Pelosi would blink. She didn’t blink.”
Sabrina Sadiqqi of The Guardian said on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=034-45f&t=c>
(1/23), “It’s certainly the case that in...Pelosi,” the President “appears
to have met his match.” Chris Matthews said on MSNBC’s Hardball[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=035-2ce&t=c>
(1/23) that Trump “began the crazy by insisting on coming to the House of
Representatives to give his State of the Union despite a previous warning
from the Speaker that he will not welcome.” Pelosi “hit back with a loud
and clear no, you can’t. The President, beaten and rejected, says Pelosi
doesn’t want to hear the truth. This, from a President whose usual distance
from the truth can be measured in light years.”

In a story that is mostly sympathetic to Pelosi’s decision, the Los
Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=036-a6c&t=c>
(1/23, Stokols) reports “the Constitution does not mandate that the
president deliver an annual address to the legislative branch,” and “the
House and Senate each must approve a resolution allowing him to speak to a
joint session – a requirement that reflects the constitutional separation
of powers between the executive and legislative branches. Historically,
Congress has jealously guarded its prerogatives.” Pelosi wrote yesterday
that the House “will not consider a concurrent resolution authorizing the
President’s State of the Union address in the House Chamber until
government has opened.” CQ Roll Call
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=037-e1d&t=c>
(1/23, McPherson) also reports “there is nothing in statute or the
Constitution that states the president must deliver the State of the Union
as a speech or at any particular venue, much less the Capitol.”

The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=038-857&t=c>
(1/23, Dinan, Boyer) describes Pelosi as “upping a tit-for-tat battle of
wills between the two,” while the Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=039-4f9&t=c>
(1/23, Ferrechio) reports “Pelosi told...Trump Wednesday that she won’t let
him deliver his State of the Union address,” Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=03a-f32&t=c>
(1/23, Spiering) that she informed him “she would not allow him to deliver”
it, and Townhall
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=03b-44c&t=c>
(1/23, Pavlich) that “she will not allow his State of the Union Address to
move forward.”

The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=03c-8b5&t=c>
(1/23, Ballhaus, Peterson) runs a similar report under the headline “Trump
And Pelosi Escalate Clash Over State Of The Union Address,” while the
Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=03d-a6f&t=c>
(1/23, Sonmez) refers to an “escalating standoff between two of the most
powerful people in the nation,” and Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=03e-b4a&t=c>
(1/23, Caygle, Bresnahan, Morin) to “another slap at Trump that further
ratchets up tensions...as the record-long government shutdown grinds on.”

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=03f-611&t=c>
(1/23, Fabian) reports “many others in her party have backed” Pelosi’s
“willingness to take a hard line against Trump,” and they “quickly began
lining up in support of Pelosi’s decision.”

House Minority Leader McCarthy said on Fox News’ Hannity[image:
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<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=040-b83&t=c>
(1/23), “The Speaker of the House invited President Trump on January 3 when
we were sworn in. She also said that should be a town hall, a place where
we can have debates and others. I truly believe history will mark this as a
low point for the Speaker of the House, for that office, to disinvite this
President.” Along those lines, Sean Hannity said on Fox News’ Hannity[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=041-b45&t=c>
(1/23), “For the first time in history, a sitting US President has been
disinvited from delivering the State of the Union address from the House
chambers.”

Susan Page of USA Today said on Fox News’ Special Report[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=042-0f9&t=c>
(1/23), “One of the things that we see unfolding now is the way that these
two powerful people who represent their parties are going to operate for
the next two years. I think it doesn’t give you much hope on legislative
action or on a path to opening the government. It is 33 days, the President
is taking it on the chin and polls consistently show him down from
December. And yet you don’t even see urgent negotiations going on at this
point.”

*Trump: Pelosi’s Move “A Disgrace” Showing She’s “Afraid” Of Public
Hearing Him. *The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=043-904&t=c>
(1/23, Haberman, Stolberg, Davis) reports Trump “told Ms. Pelosi...that he
would deliver the speech in the Capitol next week as originally scheduled,”
but Pelosi “fired back that he was not welcome.” Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=044-38b&t=c>
(1/23, Heavey, Cornwell) reports that “on Pelosi’s move to lock him out of
the House, Trump said at a White House meeting on border security, ‘It’s a
disgrace.’” NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=045-fa7&t=c>
(1/23, story 2, 1:30, Alexander) referred to Trump later “lashing out at
the House Speaker for disinviting him from delivering his address at the
Capitol next Tuesday.”

ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=046-8cf&t=c>
(1/23, story 2, 1:20, Bruce) showed Trump saying, “I’m not surprised. It’s
really a shame what’s happening with the Democrats. ... She doesn’t want
the American public to hear what’s going on. She is afraid of the truth. I
think it’s a great blotch on the incredible country that we all love.” The New
York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=047-98f&t=c>
(1/23, Haberman, Stolberg, Davis) quotes Trump as further saying of Pelosi,
“She’s afraid of the super-left Democrats, the radical Democrats.”

*Conway: Pelosi Has Trouble Controlling “Her Temper About The
President.” *Kellyanne Conway said on Fox News[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=048-e3c&t=c>
(1/23), “I think fundamentally she is someone who doesn’t always have
control of her temper about the President. But she often doesn’t have
control of her own chamber. I think she’s afraid that many people are not
going to show up, and that’s embarrassing to her. ... The Democratic party
is so focused on 2020 that they are not focused, as my boss is, the
President of the United States, on 2019.”

*Ahead Of Trump Announcement, Reports Said White House Exploring
Alternative Venues. *ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=049-a32&t=c>
(1/23, story 4, 0:20, Bruce) reported, “Sources tell us that the President
is actively exploring his options, weighing whether to give the Washington
or somewhere else around the country.” NBC Nightly News[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=04a-421&t=c>
(1/23, story 4, 0:05, Holt) similarly reported that “Trump says there will
be an alternative, but where and when is yet to be announced.” The CBS
Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=04b-c37&t=c>
(1/23, story 4, 0:15, Glor) said Trump “has several invitations...including
one today from the governor of West Virginia, who offered up his State
Capitol instead.”

USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=04c-d4c&t=c>
(1/23, Jackson) pointed out “Republican officials in Michigan and North
Carolina have invited Trump to give his speech in their states.”
Congressional Republicans, meanwhile, “had suggested that Trump look at
speaking in the Senate chamber, which is controlled by a GOP majority.” USA
Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=04d-c15&t=c>
(1/23, Hayes) also reports that “it’s unclear if Trump is seriously
considering” the Senate chamber “as an option. If he is, space is likely to
be tight as the Senate has 100 desks on the floor and the House has more
than 400 seats at the ready.”

The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=04e-373&t=c>
(1/23, Enjeti) similarly reports “a source close to the president told The
Daily Caller...that the White House has other plans for the State of the
Union address,” Axios
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=04f-5ff&t=c>
(1/23, Axios) that the Administration “has a Plan B outside Washington,
perhaps in the Southwest as a way of sending a message about immigration,”
and The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=050-a6a&t=c>
(1/23, Brufke, Wong) that House Minority Whip Scalise “said Trump could
come down to the Superdome in New Orleans.” Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL),
meanwhile, “said the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Ill., would be a
‘great place’ for Trump to give the speech. That was the site of Abraham
Lincoln’s historic speech in which he uttered the words: ‘A house divided
against itself, cannot stand.’”

CNN political commentator Karen Finney said on CNN’s The Lead[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=051-3bb&t=c>
(1/23), “I think if the President tries to give a State of the Union
address any where other than the House, it sends the strongest message
about the actual state of the union when people are not working. I think
part of the reason he is hurting in the polls is he has not shown one iota
of empathy.”

*NYTimes, LATimes Analyses On Supposed Search For Venues: Trump
Capitulates. *In a story about the White House seeking for a new venue to
the speech, the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=052-4d5&t=c>
(1/23, Haberman, Stolberg, Davis) describes Trump as “appearing to
capitulate after...Pelosi again told him she would not invite him to
deliver it at the House.” The Times adds “back at the White House, Mr.
Trump appeared to have gotten the message, saying he would explore
alternatives.” The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=053-af7&t=c>
(1/23, Stokols), meanwhile, refers to “a rare public retreat” on Trump’s
part, despite the fact that he “began the day on offense.”
Foreign Policy
US Recognizes Venezuelan Opposition Leader As Interim President.

On Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=054-ea9&t=c>
yesterday, President Trump announced, “The citizens of Venezuela have
suffered for too long at the hands of the illegitimate Maduro regime.
Today, I have officially recognized the President of the Venezuelan
National Assembly, Juan Guaido, as the Interim President of Venezuela.”
Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=055-314&t=c>
(1/23, Armas, Berwick, Pons) reports the Administration “ratcheted up
pressure on” Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by “announcing US
recognition of the country’s opposition leader as interim president and
signaling potential new sanctions against its vital oil sector.” With
“street protests against Maduro underway across Venezuela,” President Trump
said the US recognized Juan Guaidó, “head of the opposition-controlled
Congress, as the country’s leader and called...Maduro’s government
‘illegitimate.’” Secretary of State Pompeo released a statement calling on
Maduro to “step aside and urged the country’s military to support efforts
to restore democracy.”

USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=056-e18&t=c>
(1/23, Stanglin) quotes Pompeo’s statement as saying, “The Venezuelan
people have suffered long enough under Nicolás Maduro’s disastrous
dictatorship. We call on Maduro to step aside in favor of a legitimate
leader reflecting the will of the Venezuelan people.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=057-584&t=c>
(1/23, Toosi) reports that a “senior Trump administration official” warned
that “all options are on the table” when it comes to further punishing
Maduro and his top aides, and “did not rule out US military action, which
Trump himself has floated before.” The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=058-6b5&t=c>
(1/23, Wolfgang) reports “Trump later said that all options are on the
table with respect to Mr. Maduro, and White House officials would not rule
out military force.”

To the Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=059-2f1&t=c>
(1/23, Wilkinson), it was an “unusual and provocative step,” and the Wall
Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=05a-7d0&t=c>
(1/23, Vyas, Forero, Gonzalez) calls the move the most serious challenge
yet to Maduro’s rule. NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=05b-599&t=c>
(1/23, story 6, 1:50, Holt) said that amid “an exploding crisis in
Venezuela,” the President “taking the extraordinary step of declaring that
country’s leader illegitimate.” The CBS Evening News[image: Image removed
by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=05c-78f&t=c>
(1/23, story 8, 2:10, Glor) likewise called it “an extraordinary step
today.” A Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=05d-c29&t=c>
(1/23, Taylor) analysis says “recognition from the United States may well
bolster his [Guaidó] case – though it will probably present considerable
complications to the US-Venezuela relationship.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=05e-b97&t=c>
(1/23, Goodman) reports that earlier Wednesday, Guaidó “declared himself
interim president in a defiant speech...before masses of anti-government
demonstrators.” According to the AP, Guaidó “said he was taking the
politically risky step just two weeks after Maduro took his own oath to a
second six-year term confident that it was the only way to rescue Venezuela
from ‘dictatorship’ and restore constitutional order.” The protests are
“the largest demonstration since a wave of unrest that left more than 120
dead in 2017.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=05f-672&t=c>
(1/23, Herrero) reports that “there...was scant evidence of a large-scale
repression of the opposition crowds by the police and armed forces, as has
happened in the past.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=060-193&t=c>
(1/22, Zuñiga, Faiola, Morello) reports that “though stripped of its power
by Maduro, the assembly is widely recognized internationally as the
country’s last democratic institution.” The Post says that “even before
Guaidó’s announcement, he had been recognized by Brazil and the head of the
Organization of American States as Venezuela’s rightful leader.” The Post
adds that in a video released on Tuesday, Vice President Pence called
Maduro a “dictator with no legitimate claim to power.” Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=061-4ee&t=c>
(1/23) reports Canada also “plans to recognize” Guaidó.

According to Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=062-6a4&t=c>
(1/23, Wadhams, Rosati, Talev), “The US has steadily expanded economic
sanctions and denunciations of Maduro since Trump took office, all but
urging that Venezuelans overturn their government.” Bloomberg News adds,
“Venezuela’s dollar bonds, which have gained 25 percent on average this
year, rallied further on Wednesday as the opposition increased pressure on
Maduro. While most of Venezuela’s bonds are in default, investors believe
regime change could usher in plans to fix the economy and restructure the
debt.”

A Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=063-c4d&t=c>
(1/23) editorial welcomes yesterday’s events, but cautions the US against
sending troops to Venezuela, pointing to the example of Panama in 1989.

Susan Page of USA Today said on Fox News’ Special Report[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=064-0fb&t=c>
(1/23), “It is very significant and in this case, we have an issue of
international relations in which we are not isolated. Canada, other
countries in South America, Brazil, are agreeing that the disputed
President of Venezuela has to go. Vice President Pence said he hopes that
he will get the message and leave peacefully. There are no signs that he is
about to do that.”

Jonah Goldberg of National Review said on Fox News’ Special
Report[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=065-cc6&t=c>
(1/23), “Maduro is losing the support of the poor people who are staying
behind and have been his base and if he loses those, it is going to be a
people power thing. It is a prudential question for us. Morally, I think we
are completely right. I think the Trump Administration is completely right
morally. But, does our support for the opposition make it harder for the
opposition or easier? And I just don’t know the answer.”

*Maduro Expels US Diplomats, Cuts Off Relations. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=066-1d9&t=c>
(1/23) reports Maduro on Wednesday have “American diplomats 72 hours to
leave the country after breaking diplomatic relations with the US over its
decision to recognize” Guaidó as interim president. Maduro told a crowd of
supporters gathered at the presidential palace, “Before the people and
nations of the world, and as constitutional president…I’ve decided to break
diplomatic and political relations with the imperialist US government.”

The Miami Herald
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=067-3ca&t=c>
(1/23, Wyss) reports Maduro also “accused President Donald Trump of trying
to push Venezuela into an outright confrontation.” Said Maduro, “They want
to lead Venezuela into an internal conflict, a civil conflict, a violent
conflict. But once again I call for peace.”

The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=068-651&t=c>
(1/23, Gehrke) reports Pompeo said in a statement that Maduro lacks “the
legal authority” to expel American diplomats. Said Pompeo, “The United
States does not recognize the Maduro regime as the government of Venezuela.
Accordingly the United States does not consider former president Nicolás
Maduro to have the legal authority to break diplomatic relations with the
United States or to declare our diplomats persona non grata.”

On ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=069-134&t=c>
(1/23, story 8, 1:55, Muir), Matt Gutman said, “It is extraordinarily rare
for an entire diplomatic mission to be expelled. I’m told that officials
and their dependents have go bags packed already and it is very possible
that we could see a mass exodus of Americans from Venezuela in the coming
days.” The CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=06a-0af&t=c>
(1/23, story 8, 2:10, Glor) said “the Pentagon and State Department are
determining how to protect US diplomats still in Venezuela.”

*Miami Herald Analysis: Administration’s Recognition Of Guaidó Is
Work Of Rubio. *The Miami Herald
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=06b-a2c&t=c>
(1/23, Daugherty, Torres) reports that efforts by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)
“to increase international pressure on Nicolás Maduro’s regime, and to push
the Trump administration to take a tough stance on Venezuela, has paid off
big.” The Florida Republican followed a “very consistent approach to show
that Maduro was bad for Venezuela, for the entire region,” said “a source
close to Rubio.” His “careful planning” over the past two years also
included “how Venezuela would be without Maduro and what the United States
had to do to make sure that democracy can really take root” there.
Kim Lauds Trump’s “Unusual Determination And Will” To Resolve North Korea
Nuclear Dispute.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=06c-eab&t=c>
(1/23, Choe) reports North Korean leader Kim Jong-un “praised President
Trump’s ‘unusual determination and will’ to settle their nuclear arms
dispute through a second summit meeting, saying that he would move ‘step by
step’ to achieve his goals in negotiations with the Americans,” according
to the official Korean Central News Agency. Kim made the remarks “during a
briefing with North Korea’s senior envoy and nuclear negotiator, Kim
Yong-chol, who visited Mr. Trump at the White House last week.” USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=06d-e33&t=c>
(1/23, Jackson) reports Kim also “expressed ‘great satisfaction’ with a
letter” from Trump that his envoy brought him.

*Pompeo: North Korea Process “Going To Take Some Time.” *Secretary
of State Pompeo said on Fox News’ The Story[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=06e-0d1&t=c>
(1/23), “With respect to the negotiations, President Trump and I have both
from the very beginning, from the first time I went to North Korea as the
CIA director, understand that this is going to be a process that is going
to take some time. First step: stopping their testing of their missile
program. Second step: stopping their nuclear tests. Those still continue.
There has been real process made. ... I hope that at the end of February
when the two leaders get together we can make a substantial step along the
way.”
Hassett Says He Is “Confident” US And China Can Reach Trade Deal Soon.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=06f-c41&t=c>
(1/23) reports that in an interview with CNN, Council of Economic Advisers
Chairman Hassett said he thinks the US and China can “reach a trade deal by
a March 1 deadline.” Hassett said, “I am confident that it can happen, that
the talks are moving forward. There’s a lot of progress to be made but it’s
a very strong situation right now. And I think the Chinese recognize that
they’ve got a big potential gain for coming up with a deal because as you
mentioned their growth has really fallen off the cliff.”

*Media Reports: Davos Attendees Concerned About Trade War’s Impact
On China’s Economy. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=070-186&t=c>
(1/23, Dinapoli, Kim) reports from Davos that “foreign direct investment to
the United States fell in 2018, and companies gathered at the World
Economic Forum...say they are worried Trump’s trade war with China will
dampen the global economy and business investments even further.” According
to Reuters, “One key complaint here this week: Companies increasingly
reliant on consumers in China have had to lower their earnings outlooks as
the world’s second-largest economy cools. ... ‘The trade war has been very
damaging for the U.S. agricultural economy,’ said David MacLennan, chief
executive of U.S. food and agricultural giant Cargill Inc, which announced
worse-than-expected results out of China earlier in January. ‘The longer
this goes on, the worse it is,’ he told Reuters.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=071-933&t=c>
(1/23, Long) reports Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe “drew a sharp
contrast between his view of the world and President Trump’s in a major
speech on the main stage of the World Economic Forum.” The Post says Abe
“became the latest world leader to defend globalization” as he “called for
free trade, urgent action on climate change and more opportunities for
women in an address before many global leaders.”

Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=072-9e0&t=c>
(1/23) reports from Davos that “business leaders used a rare private
audience with one of China’s top regulators to air concerns about Chinese
leader Xi Jinping’s economic policies days before crucial trade talks in
Washington.” According to Bloomberg News, “At a dinner Tuesday on the
sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Xiao Yaqing, chairman of
the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, met with
chief executives of prominent Chinese and international companies” as “part
of a broader Chinese charm offensive this year in Davos” that is “aimed at
securing the backing of the international business community for ending the
U.S.-China trade war.”

*Chinese Authorities Block Microsoft’s Bing. *The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=073-4f9&t=c>
(1/23, Mozur, Weise) reports that Microsoft’s “decade of efforts...to
engage with Beijing to make its products available” may have failed after
Chinese authorities “appeared to block the search engine on Wednesday.” The
Times could not find any official statement by Chinese censors to explain
whether the decision was temporary or permanent, but it states how “it
would suggest that Western companies can do little to persuade China to
give them access to what has become the world’s largest internet market by
users.”
Pompeo Touts Trump’s Efforts To Increase Resources For NATO.

Secretary of State Pompeo said on Fox News’ The Story[image: Image removed
by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=074-59a&t=c>
(1/23), “This Administration has done more good for NATO than the previous
several administrations combined. The increased resources available for
Secretary-General Stoltenberg and for NATO partners around the world are
significantly greater, approaching now $100 billion greater than they would
have absent the pressure that President Trump put on. He did that for
American national security. We want NATO to be stronger to protect America,
but importantly, European nations now are more firmly protected as well.”
Pompeo called the House’s passage of a bill rejecting any effort the
President would make to leave NATO “silly,” adding, “President Trump knows
that America can’t go it alone. We need partners. ... President Trump
understands that strong nations will have alliances that work on behalf of
their countries and all countries. So, that’s what we are trying to do, not
only with NATO, but with every organization around the world.”
Pompeo: Defeat Of ISIS In Syria “Almost Complete.”

Secretary of State Pompeo said on Fox News’ The Story[image: Image removed
by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=075-053&t=c>
(1/23), “In Syria, President Trump has made a tactical decision. We’re
going to withdraw our 2,000 uniformed military personnel from that country.
But, make no mistake about it, the defeat of the caliphate, the ISIS
caliphate in Syria, is almost complete. We will stay there until it’s done.
This threat from radical Islamic terrorism is a global threat and America
will posture itself in a way to ensure we are doing all we can to protect
the American people from that threat.”

*Putin And Erdoğan Discuss Gains Maid By Militants In Idlib. *
Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019012401biden&r=email-13ae&l=076-767&t=c>
(1/23, Astakhova) reports that in Moscow yesterday, Russian President
Vladimir Putin met with Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan to “discuss...how
they planned to stabilize the situation in Syria’s Idlib province.” The
Russian Foreign Ministry said “that the situation in the region...was
rapidly deteriorating and that it was almost under the full control of
Nusra militants.” Putin, “standing alongside Erdogan,” said Turkey is
“doing a lot to try to remedy the situation, but that more action by both
Ankara and Moscow was required to ‘liquidate the actions of terrorist
groups.