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Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing


*From:* Bulletin Intelligence <Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com>
*Sent:* Thursday, September 13, 2018 7:56 AM
*To:* Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com
*Subject:* Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for
Thursday, September 13, 2018


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[image: Image removed by sender. Office of Vice President Biden
Intelligence Briefing]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=001-729&t=c>

*To: Vice President Joe Biden*

*Thursday, September 13, 2018 8:00 AM EDT*
Today's Table of Contents

*Biden in the News <#SECTION_1>*

• New Audiobook To Feature Biden Conversations On “American Promise” Tour.
<#S1>

• NPR: Biden IGTV Series “Latest Sign” He, Other Democrats Eyeing 2020 Race.
<#S2>

• Biden Drops From 1st To 3rd In CNN’s Rankings Of Potential 2020 Democrats.
<#S3>

• NBC: Potential 2020 Democratic Hopefuls Wooing African-Americans. <#S4>

• Biden Campaigns In Michigan For Gubernatorial Hopeful Whitmer. <#S5>

• Biden Backs Scanlon In PA5 Open-Seat Race. <#S6>

• Sneed: Biden Left $100 Tip At Chicago Restaurant. <#S7>

• Jill Biden Discusses Education Issues During Event At Loyola University.
<#S8>

*Leading the News <#SECTION_2>*

• Trump Hails Maria Response, Chides “Totally Incompetent” San Juan Mayor.
<#S9>

• FEMA Denies Using Disaster Relief Funds For Immigration Enforcement.
<#S10>

• Florence Downgraded To Category 2 But Still Poses Major Threat. <#S11>

*Foreign Policy <#SECTION_3>*

• Trump Signs Order Authorizing Sanctions Against Foreign Meddling In
Elections. <#S12>

• Haley: Iran’s “Really Going To Start To Feel It” After Next Round Of
Sanctions. <#S13>

• White House Warns Iran Over Militia Groups’ Attacks In Iraq. <#S14>

• Pompeo Certifies Saudis, UAE Working To Avoid Civilian Harm In Yemen.
<#S15>

• WPost: 9/11 Anniversary Draws Attention To Length Of US Involvement In
Afghanistan. <#S16>

• Haley Defends Actions Against Palestinians, Hopes They’ll Return To
Negotiations. <#S17>

• Despite US Threat To Nix F-35 Sale, Turkey To Buy Russian Air Defense
System. <#S18>

• Putin Urges Duo Charged With UK Poisoning To Explain Themselves. <#S19>

• Mnuchin Invites Chinese Officials To Further Trade Talks In DC. <#S20>

*Domestic Policy <#SECTION_4>*

• NYTimes: Response To Wall Street Collapse Was “Despised” But “Mostly
Correct.” <#S21>

• CBS Fires “60 Minutes” Executive Producer Amid Sexual Harassment Charges.
<#S22>

• Uninsured Rate Stayed At 8.8% In Trump’s First Year In Office. <#S23>

• Number Of Migrant Children In Detention At Record High. <#S24>

• GOP Senators Condemn Harassment Of Collins Over Kavanaugh. <#S25>

• USDA Announces Plans To Streamline Oil, Gas, Mineral Extraction
Regulations. <#S26>

• Rogers Says He Never Discussed Collusion With Trump Or White House
Officials. <#S27>

• Rhode Island Gov. Raimondo, Fung Win Their Respective Primaries. <#S28>

*Cancer Research <#SECTION_5>*

• Report Calls For Congress To Increase Government Funding For Cancer
Research. <#S29>

• Medical Societies Urge CMS To Reconsider Medicare Advantage Step-Therapy
Policy. <#S30>

• Community-Based Cancer Clinics Combine To Form OneOncology Startup. <#S31>

*Editorials/Op-Eds <#SECTION_6>*

• New York Times. <#S32>

• Washington Post. <#S33>
Biden in the News
New Audiobook To Feature Biden Conversations On “American Promise” Tour.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=002-1e8&t=c>
(9/12) reports, “An upcoming audiobook will feature former Vice President
Joe Biden talking about his late son Beau with such interviewers as Stephen
Colbert, Constance Wu and Aaron Sorkin. ‘Conversations With Joe’ will be
released Oct. 16 by Audible, the publisher and distributor owned by
Amazon.com. The recordings are taken from Biden’s ‘American Promise’ tour
from last year, when he was promoting his memoir ‘Promise Me, Dad.’ He
centered the book on his reflections on Beau Biden, who died in 2015 of
brain cancer.”
NPR: Biden IGTV Series “Latest Sign” He, Other Democrats Eyeing 2020 Race.

NPR’s Morning Edition
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=003-e2b&t=c>
(9/12, Detrow) reported, “Several Democrats considering 2020 presidential
bids have made some early moves to elevate their national profiles even
before the 2018 midterm elections. Former Vice President Joe Biden launched
a new series on Instagram TV today.” Biden was quoted as saying, “It’s no
secret that our immigration system is broken, and for years, there’s been a
heated debate waged about how to fix it.” NPR added, “And here’s why this
is getting attention. Even though the midterms are less than two months
away, it’s the latest sign that Biden and other possible Democratic
presidential candidates are already thinking about the next big election.”
Biden Drops From 1st To 3rd In CNN’s Rankings Of Potential 2020 Democrats.

Writing on the website of CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=004-846&t=c>
(9/13), political analysts Chris Cillizza and Harry Enten offer their
“monthly rankings of the 10 people most likely to wind up as the Democratic
nominee for president against Donald Trump in 2020.” Cillizza and Enten say
that former Vice President Joe Biden “has been knocked out of the top spot.
While Biden still leads in most hypothetical polling of the Democratic
field,” he “looks like a very odd fit for what Democratic voters seem to be
drawn to these days. He’s a white guy who was in the Senate for more than
four decades. He’s 75 and will be 77 on Election Day 2020.” Topping the new
list is Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), followed by Sen. Kamala Harris
(D-CA), Biden, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), with Sen. Bernie Sanders
(I-VT) rounding out the top five.
NBC: Potential 2020 Democratic Hopefuls Wooing African-Americans.

On its website, NBC News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=005-e5c&t=c>
(9/13, Memoli) reports that when Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) visited “New
Orleans for a major gathering of liberal activists last month, she also
made sure to spend time at the city’s historically black college. One of
former Vice President Joe Biden’s few major fundraisers of the 2018 cycle”
benefits “a political action committee focused on black voter turnout.”
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), meanwhile, “has spent more time traveling through
the most impoverished areas of the Deep South than in Iowa or New
Hampshire.” Eyeing possible White House bids, adds NBC News, “some of the
party’s biggest names are waging an invisible primary battle for the
constituency that may prove decisive in the what will likely be a crowded
and prolonged 2020 nominating race – African Americans.”
Biden Campaigns In Michigan For Gubernatorial Hopeful Whitmer.

The Detroit News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=006-fa8&t=c>
(9/12, Fleming) reports that former Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday
campaigned in Michigan for ex-state Sen. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) – who is
battling state Attorney General Bill Schuette (R-MI) in this fall’s race to
succeed term-limited Gov. Rick Snyder (R-MI) – “calling her a person of
character in one of the most important races in the country.” The News
says, “With his trademark smile, Biden greeted nearly every friendly face
at Leo’s Coney Island in Southfield, mugging for selfies and hugs, and
eager for conversation as he attracted rock star attention.” In a
broadcast, WWMT-TV[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=007-9e9&t=c>
Grand Rapids (MI)'s News at 11PM (9/12) reported that Biden “says that
Whitmer has a key characteristic that people are looking for in this
election.” Biden was shown saying, “This election, more than any one I’ve
ever been engaged in – for Republicans and Democrats – are looking for
people of character, character – who understand that invisible moral fabric
that holds up this country: Decency, honor, honesty, telling the truth,
giving hate no safe harbor. The American people want to reestablish who we
are as a people.”

Airing similar broadcasts stories were WEYI-TV[image: Image removed
by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=008-939&t=c>
Flint, MI (9/12), WMYD-TV[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=009-131&t=c>
Detroit (9/12), and WJBK-TV[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=00a-6bd&t=c>
Detroit (9/12).
Biden Backs Scanlon In PA5 Open-Seat Race.

The Radnor (PA) Patch
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=00b-24f&t=c>
(9/12, Bennett) reports that former Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday
endorsed Mary Gay Scanlon’s (D-PA) bid in the redrawn PA5, where she is
battling Pearl Kim (R-PA) in the open-seat contest. In response to Biden’s
endorsement, Scanlon said in a statement, “Vice President Biden has shown
us throughout his career the type of leadership that represents the very
best of who we are as Americans: compassion, civility and courage. Progress
is only possible when we work together and I am honored to have received
his endorsement.”
Sneed: Biden Left $100 Tip At Chicago Restaurant.

Writing for the Chicago Sun-Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=00c-2c1&t=c>
(9/13), Michael Sneed says that former Vice President Joe Biden, “Barack
Obama’s BFF, and wife, Jill, tiptoed from the swank Peninsula Hotel to dine
at Alex Dana’s nearby Rosebud on Rush for a late dinner Tuesday night. ...
Dana insisted on picking up the tab. ‘No!’ said Biden, who finally assented
– but insisted on leaving a tip. Biden, who carried no cash, also persisted
on being taken to a nearby ATM! That said, Biden was personally escorted to
the nearest cash machine and left a hefty tip. ... Sneed found out later
the tip was $100 smackers.”
Jill Biden Discusses Education Issues During Event At Loyola University.

The Loyola University (IL) Phoenix
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=00d-3c8&t=c>
(9/12, Norkol) reports that Dr. Jill Biden “had students and staff laughing
with her by the end of her appearance at [Loyola University’s] annual
Founders’ Dinner event Wednesday in Kasbeer Hall.” The event “aims to raise
scholarship funds for Loyola students, according to Dean of Students Will
Rodriguez, who introduced Biden.” During her appearance, Biden, “a
community college English professor with a doctorate in education,
emphasized the importance of higher education no matter the institution;
she touched on removing the stigma behind attending community colleges
before gaining a four-year degree.”
Leading the News
Trump Hails Maria Response, Chides “Totally Incompetent” San Juan Mayor.

President Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=00e-95f&t=c>
yesterday, “We got A Pluses for our recent hurricane work in Texas and
Florida (and did an unappreciated great job in Puerto Rico, even though an
inaccessible island with very poor electricity and a totally incompetent
Mayor of San Juan). We are ready for the big one that is coming!” Trump
went on to issue a number of warnings about Florence, tweeting
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=00f-083&t=c>,
“Hurricane Florence is looking even bigger than anticipated. It will be
arriving soon. FEMA, First Responders and Law Enforcement are supplied and
ready. Be safe!” He later added
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=010-8fa&t=c>,
“Hurricane Florence may now be dipping a bit south and hitting a portion of
the Great State of Georgia. Be ready, be prepared! ...
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=011-6a9&t=c>
It is imperative that everyone follow local evacuation orders. This storm
is extremely dangerous. Be SAFE!” Additionally, Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=012-612&t=c>
this morning, “We are completely ready for hurricane Florence, as the storm
gets even larger and more powerful. Be careful!”

The media coverage focused on Trump’s comment about Hurricane
Maria, taking a decidedly skeptical view of his assessment. ABC World News
Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=013-649&t=c>
(9/12, story 6, 1:50, Vega) said, for example, that Trump “continues to
give himself rave reviews for his handling of Puerto Rico’s devastating
Hurricane Maria. ... The reality? Maria was the deadliest hurricane in
modern American history, killing nearly 3,000 people.” San Juan Mayor
Carmen Yulin Cruz was shown saying, “Oops, he did it again. Here he goes
again. He doesn’t understand that this isn’t about him. And about his ego.” NBC
Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=014-4de&t=c>
(9/12, story 8, 0:50, Welker) also reported “the mayor of San Juan lashed
out, calling” Trump’s “remarks despicable.” The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=015-049&t=c>
(9/12, Wagner) reports “Trump leveled a fresh attack Wednesday
against...Yulín Cruz,” and USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=016-4d9&t=c>
(9/12, Cummings) that she told MSNBC[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=017-51f&t=c>
(9/12, 10:26 a.m. EDT), “He doesn’t understand that this isn’t about him
and about his ego. ... This is about the inability of his administration,
that he directs, to ensure that the appropriate help got to Puerto Rico in
time.”

On CNN’s Cuomo Prime Time[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=018-292&t=c>
(9/12, 9:40 p.m. EDT), Chris Cuomo said, “Trump can say it. He can say it
again. He can demand it. He can wave his fists when he says it. And it is
never true. Calling the recovery and response to Puerto Rican unsung
success is only half right. It is unsung because it is not a success.
Millions are now in the path of Florence” and “are looking to their
President for reassurance that he has everything in order. And when they
hear what’s going on with Puerto Rico, it’s hard to have his credibility be
not held in check.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=019-985&t=c>
(9/12, Dawsey) reports on what it sees as “a frequent tactic of the
president – elevate a widely perceived failure or mistake and defend it as
a great triumph while attacking his critics.” Sam Nunberg, “a former aide
describing Trump’s mind-set,” tells the Post, “You just never give an inch
or admit any mistake in public.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=01a-ab8&t=c>
(9/12, Cadelago, Restuccia) also says that “from the moment Trump ascended
to the nation’s highest office, the former reality TV boardroom brawler has
made a habit of rewriting history, challenging the public to ignore what
people plainly see with their own eyes – often on television, where Trump
is watching it, too.” Former Trump Organization executive Barbara Res tells
Politico, “If he doesn’t like the reality, he changes it. ... He’s able to
take a reality and modify it and convince himself of that modified
reality.”

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=01b-309&t=c>
(9/12, Choi, Goldberg) also reports “Trump has been aggressive this week in
warning Americans in Florence’s path to take the proper precautions,” but
“he has spent almost as much time claiming he hasn’t gotten enough credit
for his response to Hurricane Maria last September, despite the fact that
thousands of Puerto Ricans died in the storm’s aftermath.” While Trump’s
tweet spoke of “A Pluses for our recent hurricane work,” Politico says,
“Puerto Ricans themselves would grade him differently.” Politico adds that
“Puerto Rican officials are also hitting back at Trump, renewing feuds that
escalated last year even as the island was trying to provide shelter, water
and healthcare for millions of people impacted by the storm.”

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=01c-ee1&t=c>
(9/12, Nixon, Davis, Glanz) describes the Administration’s response to
Hurricane Maria last year as “sluggish and chaotic” and says the
Administration on Wednesday “girded...for a test of its ability to do
better as Hurricane Florence continued to bear down on the Carolina coast.”
The Daily Beast
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=01d-1d9&t=c>
(9/12, Beast) reports, “The president was derided” for his comments about
Maria, and CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=01e-2f2&t=c>
(9/12, Collinson) that he is “stoking new outrage over his refusal to
accept any blame for the relief effort following Puerto Rico’s monster
storm last year.” Trump’s “refusal to ever admit a mistake and to hype his
own perceived achievements struck a jarring note, even as he tried to
project a smoother response to the potentially historic hurricane bearing
down on the Carolinas.”

NPR
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=01f-1b9&t=c>
(9/12, Keith) said that “for Trump, celebrating success in Puerto Rico in
the face of dire realities on the ground is nothing new,” as “when it comes
to disasters, he often takes on the role of cheerleader, boosting first
responders, marveling at the incredible size of the storms/fires or touting
his own performance rather than the more traditionally presidential somber
offers of sympathy or resolve.” NPR added that “on a visit to the island
last October to survey damage, he bragged about the then-relatively low
death rate, even as hospitals struggled to keep the power on and the FEMA
response was only just ramping up.”

Yesterday morning, on ABC’s Good Morning America[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=020-472&t=c>
(9/12), George Stephanopoulos said Trump was “facing backlash,” and Cecilia
Vega went on to report that the President’s “eyebrow-raising
comments...reignited a controversy over the White House’s response to the
island disaster.” According to Vega, “Critics blasted the President’s
response from the beginning.” After showing a clip of Trump calling the
federal response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico as “an incredible,
unsung success,” Joe Scarborough noted on MSNBC’s Morning Joe[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=021-328&t=c>
(9/12) that it has been estimated that 3000 Americans died as a result of
that storm, and “electricity and clean water was so hard to find for so
long.” Scarborough added, “There’s a United States senator that is saying
to the good people of South Carolina and North Carolina right now that if
that is the President of the United States’ idea of how you respond to a
hurricane, get in your cars and leave. [Sen.] Chris Murphy says, ‘I mean
this seriously, not as a political dig, if you’re...considering riding it
out, your president just said that a hurricane response where 3,000 died is
his measure of success. Get out of there.’”

The New York Daily News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=022-de4&t=c>
(9/12, Slattery) highlights “Trump’s remarks on Tuesday – in which he
called the government’s response to Maria ‘an incredible, unsung success,’”
and says they brought “a rebuke from Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, who
has refrained from criticizing Trump directly.” Rosselló said in a
statement, “The historical relationship between Puerto Rico and Washington
is unfair and un-American. ... It is certainly not a successful
relationship.” The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=023-076&t=c>
(9/12, Axelrod) notes Cruz on Tuesday “sent out several tweets criticizing”
Trump, saying, “Trump simply does not get it. Thus his neglect towards
Puerto Rico cost about 3,000 lives. Unfortunately, it seems he will never
get it.” Cruz also wrote
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=024-8f4&t=c>,
“Success? Federal response according to Trump in Puerto Rico a success? If
he thinks the death of 3,000 people [is] a success God help us all.”

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=025-341&t=c>
(9/12, Bonn), meanwhile, quotes “Democratic strategist Estuardo Rodriguez”
as saying “the federal response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico shows
‘irresponsibility across the board.’” Said Rodriguez, “In Puerto Rico, they
were cut off three months ago until a court stepped in to let them and
force [the Federal Emergency Management Agency] to continue the
FEMA-subsidized housing program.” Along those lines, Rolling Stone
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=026-0ea&t=c>
(9/12, Goodell) reports that “Puerto Rico has not recovered. In fact, it’s
arguably as close to collapse as it has ever been.” While “the power is on
and the roads are open...if you look closely, the entire island is held
together with duct tape and baling wire.”

On CNN’s The Lead[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=027-cf4&t=c>
(9/12, 4:44 p.m. EDT), Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) was asked to respond to
Trump’s comments on the Administration’s response to Hurricane Maria in
Puerto Rico. Sasse said, “I didn’t see him make those comments. But
obviously, Congress needs to do a better job of doing oversight of FEMA
across time to see how we respond to these kinds of disasters. And
obviously our thoughts are with a lot of the hard working folks in FEMA and
in governors’ offices across the coastal states that are worried right now.
But I don’t think Puerto Rico was some great success. I think we need to do
more oversight to look at how FEMA can get better over time and hopefully
perform this weekend.”

Dana Milbank writes in the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=028-a26&t=c>
(9/12) that “Trump’s response to the tragedy in Puerto Rico has been to
congratulate himself for his amazingly fantastic relief efforts,” while
“the Republican majority in Congress has assisted Trump’s fiction by
suppressing an investigation. ... If it is true that those who don’t learn
from history are doomed to repeat it, we are up a creek in a flash flood.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=029-523&t=c>
(9/12) editorializes that “among the most troubling of the many untruths
advanced by President Trump is his repeated insistence that the federal
government did a good...job responding to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.”
His “comments about Puerto Rico – and his silence when the Puerto Rican
government raised its official death toll from 64 to 2,975 – show a clear
double standard that is not lost on Puerto Ricans.”

*FEMA’s Long: Puerto Rico Must Be Better Prepared For Future
Storms. *Appearing on ABC’s Good Morning America[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=02a-904&t=c>
(9/12), FEMA Director Long was asked about Trump’s recent comments on the
federal response to Maria. Long said, “The effort into Puerto Rico was a
huge effort by the federal government. The problem is that FEMA was the
only responder going in and we were the first responder – and that’s not
the way that disaster response and recovery works. What you’re seeing set
up now for Florence is that you have strong state government capabilities,
you have strong local capabilities and emergency response. And recovery is
a team sport. It’s a whole community effort.” Long added, “So the other
thing is that we need to shift the narrative about Puerto Rico to, ‘what
are we going to do with the $50 billion that FEMA will provide Puerto Rico
over the next couple of years? And billions more from other federal
government agencies? Puerto Rico has never had a better opportunity than
now to become more resilient and economically viable. ... We faced a
crumbling infrastructure – it was rotten and decayed – and FEMA can’t help
that.” Long also appeared on Fox News’ Fox & Friends[image: Image removed
by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=02b-06e&t=c>
(9/12) to discuss the ongoing preparations for Hurricane Florence.

*New Photos Show Millions Of Water Bottles Meant For Maria Victims
Left On Tarmac. *CBS News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=02c-8bc&t=c>
(9/12, News) reported on its website that “the federal government’s
response to Hurricane Maria is under fresh scrutiny over photos showing
what appear to be millions of water bottles meant for victims still sitting
on a runway in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, more than one year after the storm.” The
Puerto Rican government “has placed much of the blame for mismanagement of
resources on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).” A “senior
FEMA official” told CBS News’ David Begnaud that “if [FEMA] put that water
on that runway there will be hell to pay. ... If we did that, we’re going
to fess up to it.” CBS added, “The photos were taken by Abdiel Santana, who
works with the United Forces of Rapid Action agency of the Puerto Rican
Police.” The New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=02d-729&t=c>
(9/12, Lapin) says, “It is unclear where the breakdown that caused the
bottles to never be distributed was caused,” and notes that “celebrity chef
José Andrés, who brought a crew of volunteers to help feed victims of Maria
in the wake of the storm, called for an ‘official independent
investigation’ into what happened to the stash of drinking water.”

CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=02e-09c&t=c>
(9/12, 5:42 p.m. EDT, Weir) reported, “There were two statements put out,
one by FEMA saying, ‘Look, it’s just our job to get the resources to the
island, to the state, and it’s up to the locals to distribute it.’ The
Puerto Rican government put out a statement that said basically, ‘They sent
us too much, too late. That we have an extra 20,000 pallets of water. That
we will be returning.’ That’s not the case. I mean, we know people who have
– we saw – met a woman yesterday who every day has to go down into town and
carry up this cistern in the back of her truck to field her animals,
herself and her baby. So there is still plenty of need. But that disconnect
is still so vivid a year after.” Newsweek
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=02f-ee1&t=c>
(9/12, Moritz-Rabson) recalls that “last month, The New York Times reported
that the National Guard failed to distribute 10 trailers of food, water and
other supplies donated after the hurricane.”

*Poll Finds Puerto Ricans Blame Both Trump, Their Governor For
Response To Maria. *Under the headline, “Residents See A Failure At All
Levels Of Government,” the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=030-004&t=c>
(9/12, Clement, Zezima, Guskin) reports that in a new Washington
Post-Kaiser Family Foundation poll, “Puerto Ricans sharply rebuke President
Trump, along with the federal and local governments, for last year’s
response to Hurricane Maria, a devastating storm that created an enduring
humanitarian crisis.” According to the Post, “Eighty percent of Puerto
Ricans rate Trump’s response to Maria negatively, an assessment that
contradicts the president’s claim two weeks ago that ‘most of the people in
Puerto Rico appreciate what we’ve done.’” Meanwhile, “more than 7 in 10
residents give negative marks to the Puerto Rican government’s efforts,
while two-thirds criticize the response” of Rosselló.

On CNN’s New Day[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=031-ca6&t=c>
(9/12), meanwhile, Alysin Camerota reported that the federal response to
Hurricane Maria is considered an “abject failure” by Puerto Ricans, who
“felt the federal government was not in place, was not prepared, did not
help them, did not provide all the medication, food, electricity and all
the things they needed,” which “allowed 3,000 people to die there.”
FEMA Denies Using Disaster Relief Funds For Immigration Enforcement.

On ABC’s Good Morning America[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=032-f91&t=c>
(9/12), George Stephanopoulos said Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) was “releasing
documents showing $10 million was recently transferred from FEMA to
immigration control.” Cecilia Vega reported that Merkley claims the money
“was diverted from FEMA to ICE to be used towards this zero tolerance
policy separating migrant children from their parents.” Merkley
appeared on CNN’s
New Day[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=033-b1b&t=c>
(9/12) to elaborate on his allegations. Likewise, on CBS This Morning[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=034-7f2&t=c>
(9/12), John Dickerson reported that “the Trump Administration took money
away from FEMA and other federal agencies, apparently to pay for
immigration detention centers.” Jeff Pegues went on to report that “there
have been questions about whether FEMA’s resources are stretched thin as it
responds to hurricanes and that’s why that nearly $10 million is getting a
lot of attention this morning.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=035-4ba&t=c>
(9/12, Long) says the Administration has “pushed back” against Merkley’s
claim which DHS “quickly branded” as “a sorry attempt to push a false
agenda.’” DHS spokesman Tyler Houlton is quoted as saying, “Under no
circumstances was any disaster relief funding transferred from FEMA to
immigration enforcement efforts. This is a sorry attempt to push a false
agenda at a time when the administration is focused on assisting millions
on the East Coast facing a catastrophic disaster.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=036-491&t=c>
(9/12, Nixon) reports that DHS “said funds taken from FEMA’s accounts
amounted to less than one percent of the agency’s operational accounts and
was taken from money to pay for employee travel expenses, training, basic
purchase cards and office supplies, among other things. FEMA’s funding for
disaster response is in a separate, $25 billion account, the agency said.”

USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=037-d2e&t=c>
(9/12, King, Hayes) reports Jeff Byard, FEMA’s associate administrator for
response and recovery, “said the agency is well positioned to respond to
Hurricane Florence.” Byard told reporters Wednesday, “We have plenty of
resources to respond. We have plenty of resources to recover. ... That has
not impacted our situation whatsoever.” The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=038-24f&t=c>
(9/12, Miller, Dinan) reports that as Byard “attempted Wednesday to warn
people in the path of Hurricane Florence,” he “had to shoot down reporters’
questions about” Merkley’s claim. Byard “said the important issue was that
the hurricane would be a ‘Mike Tyson punch to the Carolina coast’ and
people had to heed evacuation orders,” but reporters were more focused on
Merkley’s allegation.

The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=039-cc7&t=c>
(9/12, Giaritelli) reports FEMA spokeswoman Jenny Burke “slammed” Merkley
Wednesday, writing in a tweet
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=03a-b98&t=c>,
“After calling @SenJeffMerkley staff to inform them of the facts
surrounding @FEMA budget we were told ‘It’s a TV hit, you take it where you
can’ – regardless of the facts?”

The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=03b-ebf&t=c>
(9/12, Athey) reports that during an interview with MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell
Reports[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=03c-3a4&t=c>
(9/12) Wednesday, FEMA Administrator Long “knocked down multiple misleading
or false media narratives.” Among them, Mitchell “referenced Sen. Jeff
Merkley’s claim that FEMA re-appropriated money from hurricane response to
ICE detentions.” Long said, “Right now, that money has nothing to do with
what you see behind me. ... It does not pay for this response, it is not
coming out of the disaster relief fund, it has no impact on our efforts to
be prepared in Florence. ... Unfortunately, we have a congressman that is
playing politics on the back of Florence. There’s no story there.”
Florence Downgraded To Category 2 But Still Poses Major Threat.

Hurricane Florence receives extensive coverage including the lead on all
three network news broadcasts Wednesday night and heavy print reporting
this morning. Much of the reporting focuses on landfall projections as well
as preparations and efforts to evacuate communities likely to be impacted.

Jeff Zeleny said on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360[image: Image removed
by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=03d-c9f&t=c>
(9/12, 8:18 p.m. EDT) that “the President is paying very close attention to
the very specifics of what’s going on on the ground. Handling this almost
like he’s a governor or a mayor, talking to senators, talking to other
local officials. But at the same time, he’s also still kind of caught in
that moment of Puerto Rico, caught in that moment of Hurricane Maria,
saying again, you know, that there were no lessons to be learned. That
everything was done successfully. But he didn’t mention it tonight when he
spoke in the East Room of the White House. He was talking again about
urging local officials and, you know, actual citizens, many, of course, his
supporters, to follow the instructions of their local and state officials
and get out of that storm zone. Then at the same time, though, he said,
we’re already getting a lot of accolades about this.”

In his opening monologue on Fox News’ Hannity[image: Image removed
by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=03e-b06&t=c>
(9/12, 9:00 p.m. EDT), Sean Hannity said, “Trump Derangement Syndrome, out
of control. If your dog bites, if the bee stings, the baby cries and you’re
feeling sad, it’s all President Trump’s fault. If he literally cures cancer
they will never give him credit in the media. Now according to the
editorial board of [the Washington Post], Hurricane Florence is also
President Trump’s fault.” The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=03f-760&t=c>
(9/12, Samenow) says Florence “will be, in all likelihood, the most intense
storm to strike the region in at least 25 years, since Hugo.” USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=040-e3e&t=c>
(9/12, Stanglin, Bacon) reports that the storm “was downgraded to Category
2 late Wednesday night but remained a clear danger to the East Coast with
‘life-threatening’ storm surge and rainfall in the forecast. As expected,
Florence has slowed on its approach to North Carolina and South Carolina,
where it’s expected to make landfall late Thursday or early Friday,
bombarding communities with torrential rain, high winds and deadly storm
surge until Saturday.”

NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=041-503&t=c>
(9/12, lead story, 1:00, Holt) reported in its lead story that by early
Thursday, “the first tropical storm forced winds will begin kicking up” on
the North Carolina Coast ahead of the Hurricane. NBC added that there is
growing “anxiety and uncertainty...as what is being called the storm of a
lifetime for this region changes directions and speed essentially widening
the number of places threatened with a direct hit.” ABC World News
Tonight[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=042-ddb&t=c>
(9/12, lead story, 4:25, Muir) reported in its lead story that the storm
track has shifted to the south slightly, “meaning communities in South
Carolina are now preparing for a possible direct hit, as well. And Georgia
now in the threat zone, this stretches all the way north up to Maryland.
And here is the other major concern. They expect Florence to slow down and
grow wider and sit here right off the coast.” The CBS Evening News[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=043-f97&t=c>
(9/12, lead story, 2:35, Glor) reported, “Florence is bearing down with
such strength, forecasters say she may literally reshape the Carolina
coastline.”

NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=044-5e2&t=c>
(9/12, story 4, 1:50, Holt) reported that “the greatest threat to life from
a hurricane is the storm surge.” NBC (Sanders) added that “the storm surge
combined with high tide may cause the ocean to swell as high as 13 feet,
over running beaches and potentially traveling miles inland.” In a separate
story, the CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=045-8e9&t=c>
(9/12, story 4, 1:50, Glor) reported that the threat “extends far inland.”
Fayetteville, North Carolina “is two hours from the ocean, but it is still
expecting as much as 20 inches of rain.” The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=046-78e&t=c>
(9/12, Jarvie) reports, “From President Trump on down, officials used
drastic language to describe the storm’s power.” At a news conference
Wednesday, Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) “implored coastal residents to flee while
they still could.” Cooper said, “The time to prepare is almost over. ...
Disaster is at the doorstep.” Similarly, Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC) warned,
“The thing to do is get away from the storm – you gotta get away from
what’s coming. ... At some point, the rescuers will not be able to rescue
you.”

Miguel Almaguer said on NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=047-5b9&t=c>
(9/12, story 2, 2:10, Holt) that officials are warning people to evacuate
now “while you can still make it out. Come Friday, this entire beach front
could be under several feet of water and so could communities up and down
the Atlantic.” Almaguer added, “With nearly two million heeding evacuation
orders, streams of cars are pouring inland while a flood of first
responders are making their way towards danger. Two nuclear power plants
prepared to shutter if hurricane forced winds blast in.” Axios
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=048-5be&t=c>
(9/12, Harder) says that although “the probability is very low, the risk of
a storm-fueled accident at a nuclear plant could be devastating and
threaten the health of tens of thousands of people living nearby.”

ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=049-91d&t=c>
(9/12, story 2, 2:05, Osunsami) reported, “Fire trucks with loudspeakers
are rolling through neighborhoods near Charleston that they worry could be
flooded for days. We heard a story over and over again today. Families like
the Lees who had decided to stay are suddenly leaving town.” ABC added,
“Duke Energy says three million customers could be out of power for weeks.”
Gio Benitez reported on ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=04a-c22&t=c>
(9/12, story 5, 1:35, Muir) that North Carolina’s Outer Banks are “a ghost
town. ... Tens of thousands who were here just days ago, leaving as
Florence bears down.” However, in another story on NBC Nightly News[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=04b-fb9&t=c>
(9/12, story 5, 1:50, Holt), Lester Holt spoke with a North Carolina family
who are choosing not to evacuate, citing financial reasons.

*USMC General Defends Decision Not To Evacuate Camp Lejeune.
*The Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=04c-743&t=c>
(9/12, Lamothe) reports that Brig. Gen. Julian D. Alford, the officer in
charge of Camp Lejeune, N.C. “has decided not to issue mandatory evacuation
orders as Hurricane Florence bears down, fraying nerves as local officials
in the surrounding area warn citizens to leave or face potentially deadly
consequences.” In statement’s posted on the base’s Facebook page, Alford
argued “that the installation has buildings sturdy enough to weather the
storm, along with ample supplies, equipment and a good indication of where
flooding and storm surge are possible.”

*Nursing Homes Evacuating Ahead Of Florence. *USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=04d-46b&t=c>
(9/12, Jervis) reports on preparations by hospitals and nursing homes for
the storm. In North Carolina, “about 10 of the state’s nursing homes
located in coastal and eastern counties...began evacuating as early as
Monday. In South Carolina, nursing home officials took the rare step of
evacuating all 32 nursing homes and assisted-living facilities in the
state’s coastal region.” North Carolina’s “seven trauma hospitals have been
in daily conference calls with state emergency officials since Monday to
make sure disaster plans are in place and supplies staged for the storm,
said Bill Gentry, who heads the executive master’s program at the
Department of Health Policy and Management at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill.” In addition, health officials have “upgraded
their communication system and disaster plans since Hurricane Matthew
battered the state two years ago.”

Reporting from South Carolina, Gabe Gutierrez said on NBC Nightly
News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=04e-c61&t=c>
(9/12, story 3, 1:35, Holt) that ambulances are scrambling to evacuate the
sick and elderly from hospitals and nursing homes. Gutierrez added that
“the Department of Health and Human Services has declared a public health
emergency. South Carolina’s governor says more than 300,000 people have
already evacuated.”

*Hotels Waiving Fees, Offering Special Rates For Florence. *USA
Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=04f-b67&t=c>
(9/12, Trejos) reports that hotels outside Florence’s path are beginning to
fill up with evacuees. Many hotels “are preparing for the storm and waiving
fees for canceling reservations and guests traveling with pets.” In
addition, some are offering special rates.

*WSJournal A1: Florence Having An Effect Even Before Making
Landfall. *A front-page story in the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=050-8e9&t=c>
(9/12, Ailworth, McWhirter) says that even before Florence makes landfall,
the storm is having an impact, forcing the closure of ports, the
cancellation of flights and rail service, and the closure of many
businesses along the Southeast coast.

*Florence Headed Toward Vulnerable Republican Districts. *Bloomberg
News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=051-bd5&t=c>
(9/12, Wasson) reports that voters “have a history of punishing lawmakers
who fumble disaster responses.” Hurricane Florence is heading for the
southeast US Coast where “at least a half-dozen Republican-held House
districts [are] in play in November’s midterm elections.” Bloomberg News
adds that in North Carolina, “vulnerable” Republicans Ted Budd, George
Holding and Richard Hudson “represent districts directly in the storm’s
path. The South Carolina coastal district represented by Mark Sanford could
also see wide-spread destruction.” Bloomberg News says that if the storm
turns south, “as the latest projections suggest, look for major effects in
the districts of vulnerable Georgia Republicans Karen Handel and Rob
Woodall.” Bloomberg News adds, “First term coastal Virginian Republican
Scott Taylor is facing a strong challenge from Democrat Elaine Luria and
farther inland Tea Party darling Dave Brat is facing a competitive
challenge from Abigail Spanberger.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=052-305&t=c>
(9/12, Pogrund) reports that Florence’s destruction and the subsequent
recovery “could prove a key factor in the race for North Carolina’s 9th
Congressional District,” which is a Democratic target this year. Robeson
County “was one of the only majority-minority counties in the country to
vote for President Trump in 2016, weeks after it was hit by Hurricane
Matthew. In the storm’s wake, Trump had pledged a donation to storm relief,
though the campaign did not provide details or proof of the gift.” Democrat
Dan McCready is seeking to beat Mark Harris, a former pastor who defeated
the incumbent in the Republican primary in May. Both candidates have
targeted the native American Lumbee people “with direct appeals, giving
them fresh hope for full federal recognition, a move that has been denied
since they first applied in 1888.”

*EPA Assessing Some, Not All Superfund Sites In Florence’s Path. *
McClatchy
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=053-23b&t=c>
(9/12, Leavenworth) reports that the EPA “is assessing the vulnerability of
at least nine toxic waste sites in the path of Hurricane Florence.”
However, the review “does not immediately include dozens of other Superfund
sites in the Carolinas that potentially could be flooded by the storm’s
fluctuating path.” The nine sites “were apparently chosen because they sit
close to the coast and could potentially release toxins following a
damaging storm surge. But Florence is also expected to cause flooding deep
inland in South Carolina, Georgia and other states,” which “could extend to
neighborhoods, industrial areas and Superfund sites that have never flooded
before.”

*Northern Hemisphere Seeing Uptick In Hurricanes, Typhoons.
*The Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=054-246&t=c>
(9/12, Cappucci) says the Northern Hemisphere “is facing an onslaught of
hurricanes and typhoons, seemingly overnight.” Florence “has company in the
Atlantic. Helene is a Category 1 west of Cabo Verde, boasting 90 mph winds.
... Isaac is also out there spinning around.” There are “two additional
systems in the Atlantic. A disturbance posted just offshore of the Yucatan
Peninsula is likely to become a tropical depression by the weekend. ... An
additional wave of low pressure several hundred miles southwest of the
Azores may also develop tropical or subtropical characteristics in the next
couple of days, but it remains no immediate threat to any land. If the
other two systems in the Atlantic develop into tropical storms, there could
be five cyclones simultaneously. That’s only ever happened once – between
Sept. 10 and 12, 1971.”

*Meteorologist Blames Climate Change For Florence’s Strength. *In
an op-ed for the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=055-7d6&t=c>
(9/12), Eric Holthaus, a meteorologist and contributing writer for Grist,
writes that “Hurricane Florence is a storm made worse by climate change.”
Holthaus writes, “A warmer atmosphere can hold more water vapor – producing
heavier downpours and providing more energy to hurricanes, boosting their
destructive potential. We already have evidence of these trends from around
the world. This is no longer just a theory.” Holthaus concludes, “We have
entered the heart of climate change’s period of consequences” and it is “a
time for courageous action.”
Foreign Policy
Trump Signs Order Authorizing Sanctions Against Foreign Meddling In
Elections.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=056-9c6&t=c>
(9/12, Riechmann) reports President Trump signed an executive order
yesterday “authorizing sanctions against foreigners who meddle in U.S.
elections, acting amid criticism that he has not taken election security
seriously enough.” National Security Adviser Bolton is quoted as saying,
“We felt it was important to demonstrate the President has taken command of
this issue, that it’s something he cares deeply about – that the integrity
of our elections and our constitutional process are a high priority to
him.” The AP says the order signed by Trump “calls for sanctioning any
individual, company or country that interferes with campaign
infrastructure, such as voter registration databases, voting machines and
equipment used for tabulating or transmitting results. It also authorizes
sanctions for engaging in covert, fraudulent or deceptive activities, such
as distributing disinformation or propaganda, to influence or undermine
confidence in US elections.”

USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=057-fb7&t=c>
(9/12, Shesgreen) calls it “a sweeping executive order” that “comes less
than two months before the 2018 midterm elections, and just weeks after Dan
Coats, Trump’s director of national intelligence, warned of a ‘pervasive
messaging campaign by Russia to try to weaken and divide the United States’
before Americans go to the polls in November.” Coats said yesterday, “We
are doing everything we possibly can, first of all to prevent any
interference with our election, and then to do a full assessment after the
election.” CQ Roll Call
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=058-e96&t=c>
(9/12, Bennett) reports the order “does not mention Russia by name even as
Trump continues to be unnerved by the Justice Department’s probe of 2016
Russian meddling, led by Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller.” The New York
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=059-0b6&t=c>
(9/12, Steinbuch) notes Coats “said the order will apply not just to Russia
but to others, including China, North Korea and Iran,” saying, “We have
seen signs of (meddling) not just Russia, but from China…from Iran and even
North Korea. ... We’re taking nothing for granted here.”

UN Ambassador Haley said on Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=05a-e25&t=c>
(9/12) that the executive order is a “great shot across the bow to anyone
who wants to mess with our midterm elections. ... The President is saying
if you do it, you will pay.”

The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=05b-c2b&t=c>
(9/12, Miller) says “the sanctions would be triggered by attacks on
election systems, political parties or distribution of propaganda.”
The Washington
Free Beacon
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=05c-7a7&t=c>
(9/12, Smits) indicates “the intelligence community will have 45 days after
each election to assess whether any foreign actors meddled.” The
intelligence “agencies will then send their findings to the Department of
Homeland Security and the Department of Justice, which will have another 45
days to decide whether the US should impose sanctions on the foreign
entities in question. Following those reports, the Treasury and State
Departments can decide on appropriate and additional sanctions to impose.”

However, Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=05d-22a&t=c>
(9/12, Mason, Holland) says the order “met immediate criticism from both
Republican and Democratic lawmakers as too little, too late.” Sens. Marco
Rubio (R-FL) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) released a joint statement
reading, “Today’s announcement by the administration recognizes the threat,
but does not go far enough to address it.” Senate Intelligence Vice
Chairman Mark Warner added, “While the administration has yet to share the
full text, an executive order that inevitably leaves the President broad
discretion to decide whether to impose tough sanctions against those who
attack our democracy is insufficient.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=05e-94f&t=c>
(9/12, Sonmez) reports the order “appears to be an effort to stave off
bipartisan legislation that would mandate tough federal action.” Along
similar lines, Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=05f-d86&t=c>
(9/12, Geller) calls the order “the latest element of the Trump
administration’s concerted effort to appear serious about combating digital
meddling, even as Trump himself continues to muddy the waters about the
nature of Moscow’s involvement in the 2016 campaign.”

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=060-a1c&t=c>
(9/12, Barnes, Fandos) reports “senators from both parties have been
advocating the passage of punishing new sanctions authorities for weeks,
and the process appeared to be gaining some momentum,” though “it was
unclear on Wednesday whether an executive order signed by President Trump
might have derailed those efforts.” The Times adds “at least one senior
Republican,” Senate Majority Whip Cornyn, “held out the possibility that
the chamber could still advance its own alternative but said it would be
difficult to do so before November’s midterm elections.” Said Cornyn, “It
certainly does not foreclose congressional action. ... But as you know, it
is harder to pass legislation than it is for the President to sign an
executive order.”

*Clapper, Hayden: US Election System “Better Defended” Under Trump.
*The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=061-1a4&t=c>
(9/12, Blake) reports, “Trump’s administration is better suited than Barack
Obama’s to protect the US election process against foreign interference,
former intelligence officials Michael Hayden and James Clapper said
Tuesday.” Hayden said, “I actually think we are better defended under the
Trump administration than we were under the Obama administration, and it’s
simply because of a natural progression of the institutions of American
government.” Clapper “concurred, albeit while crediting Mr. Obama for
authorizing the release of an unclassified intelligence community
assessment involving the 2016 race days before his presidency ended the
following January.”
Haley: Iran’s “Really Going To Start To Feel It” After Next Round Of
Sanctions.

UN Ambassador Haley said on Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image removed
by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=062-22f&t=c>
(9/12) that Iran is “creating proxy wars all over the Middle East,” and
with the nuclear deal “we were funneling a lot of money to let them
continue” to do that, but “now...we cut them off.” She noted that the US
reimposed sanctions against Iran in August, and that on Nov. 5 “we are
going to hit their oil, we’re going to hit their foreign banks, and they’re
really going to start to feel it.” She added, “I think at the end of the
day what you’re seeing is nothing is going to fix Iran until Iran fixes
itself.”

*Kerry Says He Has Talked To Iranian Officials. *The Washington
Free Beacon
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=063-3b8&t=c>
(9/12, Kredo) reports former Secretary of State John Kerry, in an interview
with radio host Hugh Hewitt, said that he talked with Iranian former
Minister Javad Zarif at international forums. Kerry said he told Zarif,
“You guys need to recognize the world does not appreciate what’s happening
with missiles, what’s happening with Hezbollah, what’s happening with
Yemen.” Kerry also said he sought “to elicit from him [Zarif] what Iran
might be willing to do to change the dynamic of the Middle East for the
better.” The Free Beacon casts this as Kerry “conducting rogue diplomacy,”
going “behind the Trump administration’s back,” and “conducting sensitive
diplomacy without the current administration’s authorization” as part of
“behind-the-scenes attempts to...ensure that Iran continues receiving
billions in cash windfalls.”

Rich Edson reported on Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=064-94c&t=c>
(9/12) that Kerry says he still speaks with European and Iranian diplomats.
Fox showed Kerry saying, “We have conversations with people about the state
of affairs in the world in order to understand them. We don’t negotiate, we
are not involved in interfering with policy.” Kerry’s comments come amid
“suspicion...that the Europeans and Iranians are trying to wait out this
Administration, betting a Democratic president will rejoin the nuclear
agreement.” In the meantime, Edson said that “with the US out of the
nuclear agreement, Iran’s nuclear chief now warns his country is ready to
enrich more nuclear material.” In response, Israeli Intelligence Minister
Yisrael Katz “issued his own warning.” Fox showed Katz saying that if Iran
develops “a nuclear program against their commitments, then the answer will
be a military one.”

*Parliament Speaker Says Iran Has Under 4,000 Active Centrifuges. *
Reuters
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(9/12, Dehghanpisheh) reports Iran’s parliament speaker Ali Larijani said
Tehran “has between 3,000 and 4,000 active centrifuges, still within the
limit allowed under the nuclear deal with world powers.” The “rare
announcement of specific data on the nuclear program, reported by the
Tasnim news agency, came days after Iran’s nuclear chief said it had
completed a facility to build advanced centrifuges.” The nuclear deal
“allows the Islamic Republic to operate up to 5,060 first-generation
centrifuges for 10 years at its Natanz plant and 1,044 first-generation
centrifuges at its underground Fordow enrichment plant.” Larijani said,
“The number of active centrifuges has been reduced after the nuclear deal.”
The Washington Post
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(9/12, Shih) reports Larijani “signaled this week that Tehran remains
committed to the accord as he made the rare disclosure that Iran operates
between 3,000 and 4,000 active centrifuges, which is below the limit of
6,104 permitted under the 2015 agreement.”

*Israeli Minister Says Iran Will Face “Military” Response If It
Advances Nuclear Program. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=067-71a&t=c>
(9/12) reports Israeli Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz says if Iran
“chooses to continue pursuing a nuclear program it will face a ‘military’
answer.” Katz made the statement in response to Iranian nuclear chief Ali
Akbar Salehi’s “warning that the Islamic Republic’s program stands ready to
build advanced centrifuges and further enrich uranium.”

*Former Iranian Vice President Gets Prison Term For “Threatening
National Security.” *Reuters
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(9/12, Dehghanpisheh) reports that according to the Tasnim news agency,
former Iranian vice president Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie “was sentenced to six
and a half years in prison on Wednesday for threatening national security
and other charges.” Tasnim says Rahim Mashaie, who was appointed by former
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was “sentenced to five years for threatening
national security, one year for spreading propaganda against the Islamic
Republic and six months for insulting judiciary officials.” In addition, a
“top press aide to Ahmadinejad, Ali Akbar Javanfekr, also received a
sentence of four years for threatening national security as part of the
same case.”
White House Warns Iran Over Militia Groups’ Attacks In Iraq.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018091301biden&r=email-1774&l=069-9d8&t=c>
(9/12, Landler) reports, “Signal[ing] a new phase in its confrontation with
Iran” and “underscor[ing] Mr. Trump’s determination to raise pressure on
the Iranian leadership,” the White House “blamed Shia militia groups” for
rocket strikes near American diplomatic facilities in B