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Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing


*From:* Bulletin Intelligence <Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com>
*Sent:* Friday, July 27, 2018 8:01 AM
*To:* Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com
*Subject:* Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for Friday,
July 27, 2018


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<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=000-695&t=c>
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[image: Image removed by sender. Office of Vice President Biden
Intelligence Briefing]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=001-b2d&t=c>

*To: Vice President Joe Biden*

*Friday, July 27, 2018 8:00 AM EDT*
Today's Table of Contents

*Biden in the News <#SECTION_1>*

• Media Outlets Highlight Bidens’ Wednesday Visit To St Louis. <#S1>

• Biden Among Potential 2020 Democrats Seeking To Boost Georgia’s Abrams.
<#S2>

• Biden-Obama Relationship Listed Among “Greatest Political Bromances.”
<#S3>

• Fallon Jokes About Potential Biden 2020 Slogans. <#S4>

*Leading the News <#SECTION_2>*

• Media Analyses: Trump Takes “Victory Lap” In Midwest After Deal With EU.
<#S5>

*Foreign Policy <#SECTION_3>*

• Iranian General: Trump Would Regret War That Would “Destroy All That He
Owns.” <#S6>

• Report: China, Russia, Iran Conducting Economic Cyberespionage Against US.
<#S7>

• Remains Of US War Dead Flown Out Of North Korea. <#S8>

• Trump Threatens To Impose Sanctions On Turkey Over Detained Pastor. <#S9>

• Khan Declared Victor In Pakistani Election. <#S10>

• Thousands Of Civilians Have Been Killed By Allied Airstrikes In Yemen.
<#S11>

• Guterres Warns Of UN Cash Shortage. <#S12>

*Domestic Policy <#SECTION_4>*

• Mueller Examining Trump’s Tweets In Obstruction Of Justice Probe. <#S13>

• Most Migrant Families Reunited By Court-Imposed Deadline. <#S14>

• Azar: ACA Example Of Government Over-Regulation. <#S15>

• Jordan Announces Run For House Speaker. <#S16>

• House Approves $717 Billion Defense Bill. <#S17>

• Document: DeVos Plans To Eliminate Gainful Enrollment Rule. <#S18>

• Sessions Says He Should’ve Addressed Presumption Of Innocence With
Students. <#S19>

*Cancer Research <#SECTION_5>*

• CDC: Cancer Screening Rates Rising In US, But Still Below National
Targets. <#S20>

• Black Patients With Esophageal Cancer Have Shorter Survival Times Than
Others. <#S21>

*Editorials/Op-Eds <#SECTION_6>*

• New York Times. <#S22>

• Washington Post. <#S23>
Biden in the News
Media Outlets Highlight Bidens’ Wednesday Visit To St Louis.

Several reports this morning focus on former Vice President Joe Biden’s
Wednesday visit to St. Louis. The Riverfront (MO) Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=002-ba5&t=c>
(7/26) says that Biden “made an unannounced visit to St. Louis” on
Wednesday – “and had pretty much the entire city swooning.” Biden made a
stop in St. Louis “with his wife, Jill, whose visit had previously been
announced as part of Walk of America, a 1,000-mile cross-country journey
raising money for wounded veterans.” The former Vice President’s
“participation seems to have come as a surprise. But, boy, did he make the
most of it. Along with several grandkids,” Biden “popped up at the Arch,
the heart of downtown and the Central West End, leaving a trail of excited
citizens in his wake.”

Under the headline “Photographer Spots Former VP Joe Biden Lending
a Hand To A Wounded Veteran in St. Louis,” the Independent Journal Review
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=003-da3&t=c>
(7/26) reported, “Photographer Ed Aller captured the moment when” Biden
“and second lady joined the group for its walk under the St. Louis’ famous
Gateway Arch – and a candid moment between Biden and one of the veterans.
Aller shared the moment in a Facebook post: ‘This was not a staged act,’
Aller wrote. ‘This was us walking under the Arch, being escorted by police
and while I was about 4 feet away, I heard Joe Biden say to a wounded
Veteran ‘aw hell man, I’d love to give ya a push if that’s okay.’”
Biden Among Potential 2020 Democrats Seeking To Boost Georgia’s Abrams.

In an online article, CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=004-b03&t=c>
(7/26, Bradner) reported that former Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey
Abrams (D), “the 44-year-old progressive vying to become the nation’s first
black female governor in Georgia, has become a magnet for Democrats
considering presidential bids in 2020. Four Democrats who endorsed Abrams
for governor are already planning Georgia trips this fall and using their
email lists to raise money for Abrams.” Among them is former Vice President
Joe Biden, “who had already endorsed Abrams and this month cut her a $5,000
check through his political action committee according to an aide.” Biden
“sent a fundraising email for her Thursday.” CNN added, “A Biden aide said
a Georgia visit to campaign with Abrams is ‘absolutely under consideration’
as Biden sets his fall schedule.”
Biden-Obama Relationship Listed Among “Greatest Political Bromances.”

Business Insider
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=005-205&t=c>
(7/26, Ralph) offered a list of “five of the greatest political bromances
that shaped US history.” Business Insider identified former President
Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden as one of them, saying,
“It is hard to find a more famous bromance than the one between” the pair.
Business Insider added, “From runs and walks around the White House to
laughing over sharing meals and playing golf, the two were constantly seen
together over their eight years in office. They even made friendship
bracelets for each other to wear. ... After leaving office, Obama said he
‘gained a brother’ in Biden. ‘I don’t like him, I love him,’ Biden said of
Obama.”
Fallon Jokes About Potential Biden 2020 Slogans.

On NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=006-701&t=c>
(7/26), host Jimmy Fallon said, “I heard that Trump is more scared of
running against Joe Biden than any other Democrat in 2020. Well, Democrats
have heard him loud and clear, so now they’re pushing for Biden to run. In
fact, they even came up with some campaign slogans. Check this out. First,
there’s ‘Biden 2020: Trading Thumbs Up For Finger Guns.’ Then there’s
‘Biden 2020: Let’s Keep This Old White Guy Thing Going.’ And finally
there’s ‘Biden 2020: Because Obama Can’t Run Again.’”
Leading the News
Media Analyses: Trump Takes “Victory Lap” In Midwest After Deal With EU.

A day after President Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude
Juncker announced a deal to reduce trade tensions, Administration officials
touted the agreement as a sign Trump’s tough approach is paying off. Trump
traveled to the Iowa and Illinois, where he promoted the deal and tariffs
his Administration has imposed on imports of foreign steel and aluminum,
and hailed the outcome of his talks with Juncker. WHO-TV[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=007-775&t=c>
Des Moines, IA (7/26, 6:02 p.m. CDT), for example, showed Trump saying, “We
just opened up Europe for you farmers. You’re not going to be too angry
with Trump, I can tell you because you were you were essentially, they were
restricted from dealing and you had barriers that really made it impossible
for farm products to go in.” Trump’s claims, as well as those of top
officials, were met with skepticism in the media, where some top news
outlets – in particular the network newscasts – gave him little credit for
easing tensions with Europe.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=008-195&t=c>
(7/26, Swanson, Ewing) reports that “the general outlines” of the deal
“echoed of earlier negotiations...started under President Barack Obama and
shelved by Mr. Trump last year,” and the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=009-0c7&t=c>
(7/26, Whalen, Paletta) says that Trump “embraced components of global
trade deals he has rejected in the past.” To The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=00a-65d&t=c>
(7/26, Fabian), meanwhile, Trump “took a victory lap” in Iowa “over his
handshake agreement” with the EU “even though no new deal is in place,” and
to Axios
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=00b-0b6&t=c>
(7/26, Swan, Fernandez), he “misled” his listeners. On ABC’s Good Morning
America[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=00c-7ad&t=c>
(7/26), Terry Moran said “both sides blinked,” while the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=00d-1a9&t=c>
(7/26, Wiseman) reports that the deal “produced few details and no
commitments,” and “didn’t begin to address other Trump-led trade conflicts,
notably with China, that have already hurt many US companies.”

CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=00e-22e&t=c>
(7/26, Diamond) indicated that “a substantive deal has yet to be signed,”
and added that Trump “repeatedly used the past tense to discuss trade
barriers...even though none of the retaliatory tariffs or other
pre-existing trade barriers have been lifted.” Abby Phillip similarly
reported on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=00f-80f&t=c>
(7/26) that Trump is “declaring...victory” when he came away with “little
more than a promise to keep talking,” and also casting doubt on the
agreement, the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=010-6fd&t=c>
(7/26, Reed) points out that “Trump said on Wednesday that the...European
Union would be ‘a massive buyer of L.N.G.,’” even though “any such shift
won’t happen overnight.”

National Economic Council Director Kudlow, meanwhile, said on Fox
Business’ Varney & Co.[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=011-d91&t=c>
(7/26), “Huge credit to President Trump for leading this. He was willing to
be flexible. He’s tough but he’s a good negotiator. And full credit to the
EU. ... The EU came with a positive attitude. Our side had a positive
attitude. We are going to get to work get immediately on these issues and
then we will deal with the larger picture of tariffs and standards, for
example, and non-tariff barriers and subsidies. This changes everything.
... Both of these presidents, by the way, needed a win, and I think both
got a large one yesterday. This changes the game.” The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=012-17b&t=c>
(7/26, Miller) notes Kudlow also said “Juncker pledged to back the US trade
fight against China.” Said Kudlow, “The United States and the EU will be
allies in the fight against China, which has broken the world trading
system. ... Juncker made it very clear yesterday that he intended to help
us [and] President Trump on the China problem.”

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=013-48f&t=c>
(7/26, Heavey) reports Treasury Secretary Mnuchin said the US will “press
ahead with European trade talks and also aim to strike a deal with Mexico
and Canada in stalled negotiations over the North American Free Trade
Agreement.” Mnuchin, speaking to CNBC[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=014-beb&t=c>,
“also held out the prospect of re-opening talks with China if Beijing is
willing to make ‘serious changes,’ as he said the EU had indicated it was
willing to do.”

Counselor to the President, Kellyanne Conway, said on Fox News’ Fox
& Friends[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=015-6bd&t=c>
(7/26) that Trump’s trade strategy “has worked, and every time this
President is told by the critics and naysayers, ‘No, you shouldn’t do it,
no one has ever done it,’ he goes and does it.’ ... Critics are just
proving his point about being man of action. ... Why is it important? It’s
important because it goes beyond him just keeping a promise to the American
worker and American interest to renegotiate these imbalanced, unfair
nonreciprocal trade deals. He is actually putting America first by standing
shoulder-to-shoulder with leaders, in this case the EU...working toward
better deals overall.”

Mollie Hemingway of The Federalist said on Fox News’ Special
Report[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=016-b49&t=c>
(7/26) that “the news we got yesterday about the EU moving towards law
tariffs or no tariffs with the US with significant news. We’ve had so much
criticism of the Trump Administration’s tariff policy. People say, ‘High
tariffs are a really bad thing.’ ... We’ve had this post-World War II order
that saw the ratcheting up of tariffs. Partly that was our desire to help
war-ravaged countries after World War II build up their economy. They don’t
quite need that now. Some of them are powerhouses themselves. So if you
want to renegotiate this, you can’t just ask for it, you actually have to
threaten it. That’s the Trump Administration approach here and their
strategy might be paying off.”

The Chicago Tribune
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=017-74d&t=c>
(7/26, Garcia) reports that during a later visit to a steel plant in
Granite City, Illinois, Trump took “a victory lap,” saying he was there “to
celebrate a great victory.” Said Trump, “After years of shutdowns and
cutbacks, today the blast furnace here in Granite City is blazing bright,
workers are back on the job, and we are once against pouring new American
steel back into the spine of our country.” The St. Louis Post-Dispatch
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=018-196&t=c>
(7/26, Barker) reports Trump “told an enthusiastic crowd of supporters” at
the plant, “Thanks to our tariffs, idle factories throughout our nations
are roaring back to life.” WMAQ-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=019-daa&t=c>
Chicago (7/26, Colvin) noted Trump also said, “America never surrenders.
... We don’t wave the white flag.” The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=01a-d6d&t=c>
(7/26), meanwhile, says “US Steel has credited Trump’s decision to impose
tariffs on steel and aluminum imports for its decision in March to fire up
a local furnace that had sat idle for more than two years.”

WICD-TV[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=01b-2ff&t=c>
Champaign, IL (7/26, 6:00 p.m. CDT) showed Trump saying, “We are not
starting a trade war. We’ve been in a trade war for many years and we’ve
lost for many years. But over the last year and a half, we are winning. We
are back and we are winning and we are winning bigger than anyone
understands.” KMOV-TV[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=01c-2fb&t=c>
St. Louis (7/26, 4:59 p.m. CDT) reported that many of the steel mill
employees “said they have been laid off” and that “they were called back to
work during the Trump Administration,” and Trump “used those stories today
when he touted his support for American steel.” Trump was shown saying,
“We’re here today to celebrate a great victory, a victory for all of you,
for this community and for our entire country. After years of shutdowns and
cutbacks, today the blast furnace here in Granite City is blazing bright,
workers are back on the job and we are once again pouring new American
steel into the spine of our country.” KMIZ-TV[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=01d-86b&t=c>
Columbia, MO (7/26, 5:01 p.m. CDT) also reported that many of the steel
mill’s workers “say they remember the uncertainty of losing their jobs and
not knowing if or when it would come back.”

USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=01e-c3e&t=c>
(7/26, Jackson) reports that during his trip to “two farm states,” Trump
“urged backers to stick with him on trade.” At an Iowa community college,
Trump – wearing “a campaign-style red hat” that said “Make Our Farmers
Great Again” – said, “The farmers love me; they voted for me.” He also
“touted new trade talks with Europe and said his tariffs are designed to
force countries like China to change what he called unfair trade
practices.” The Des Moines (IA) Register
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=01f-c67&t=c>
(7/26, Petroski, Pfannenstiel) says that although his visit to Iowa “was
not designed to focus on trade and tariffs,” Trump “claimed that all of the
previous trade agreements were bad – ‘We don’t have one trade deal that’s
any good,’ he said – and criticized countries that have adopted new tariffs
in reaction to the tariffs he imposed.” Said Trump, “It’s not nice what
they’re doing.” ABC News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=020-3f6&t=c>
(7/26, Ebbs) indicates Trump “assured farmers feeling the fallout from his
trade war that he has achieved major gains in bringing countries to the
negotiating table with threats of tariffs.”

ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=021-9ab&t=c>
(7/26, story 4, 3:35, Moran) reported that in Iowa, Trump’s supporters are
“now getting anxious about his trade agenda,” and the President offered an
“acknowledgment that his trade war with China is clobbering farmers.” Trump
was shown saying, “China wants to attack the farm belt because they know
those – the farmers love me, they voted for me, we won every one of the
states. They’re not going to win, just so you understand, we have all the
cards, we’re going to win.” ABC added that “the concern is that it’s taken
years, sometimes decades for American farmers and producers to build the
business relationships, earn the market share, and now that they’re out of
that market, competitors from other countries are rushing in to steal all
that. The longer this trade war goes on, the risk of longer-term damage is
greater.” NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=022-31c&t=c>
(7/26, story 4, 2:00, Holt), meanwhile, said that Trump hit “the road for
controversial trade policies after announcing a truce with the European
Union, but the on-going trade war with China is having a negative impact
with US companies, including big-name brands, and you may pay the price.”

WMBD-TV[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=023-3c8&t=c>
Peoria, IL (7/26, 6:02 p.m. CDT) reported that the “big question kind of
lingering” at Thursday’s event was “what does this mean for local farmers?”
Trump “sent a message of hope to local farmers. He told the crowd today he
just made a breakthrough deal with EU to help buy up some of their crops
and get a fair and most importantly reciprocal trade deal. right now he
says the US is losing when it comes to international trade and he
repeatedly told the crowd its time to put American workers first. He blames
China for the pending trade war that’s left farmers hurt in the crossfire
but says the US wont be backing down.”

Rep. Kristi Noem told MSNBC’s Morning Joe[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=024-5dd&t=c>
(7/26), “Our farmers want to do what they do best and that’s feed the
world. Opening up new markets is incredibly important. That’s why the
announcement made in the Rose Garden yesterday was so wonderful. It shows
that the President is going to continue to negotiate opening up those
markets, sending more soybeans to Europe...and we need to continue and keep
that ball rolling in other markets.” Asked if tariffs are “a mistake,” Noem
said, “No, I think that honestly what the President is doing is fighting
for more fair trade agreements. ... We have been treated unfairly by China
for decades. ... Our farmers and ranchers understand the President is
fighting for them. They appreciate the USDA is giving them an opportunity
to have some assistance in the short-term. Long term goal is to sell their
products.”

Rep. David Young said on CNN’s New Day[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=025-823&t=c>
(7/26) that the reaction from Iowans to the President’s trade policies “has
been kind of mixed. A lot of agriculture folks...are hurting already and
they say, ‘Can it get any worse? Let’s give the President a little bit more
rope on this. And some, I guess, because of maybe the way they’re just
personally positioned are saying, ‘This is overwhelming us already, we need
help.’” Asked about his own position, Young said, “I don’t like tariffs at
all. Tariffs are taxes. They increase the cost of goods and services on
consumers and they can harm employers and employees as well. And so, I
don’t like tariffs.”

A Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=026-658&t=c>
(7/26) editorial goes as far as to seemingly discount any role Trump may
have played in securing the deal, arguing that “the lesson of” his “sudden
decision Wednesday to call a truce in his trade war with the European
Union” is that “pushback works.” The Post further casts Trump’s agreement
with Juncker “as a return to his predecessor’s policy, plus some beans.”

*Ross Says Trump Wants Auto Trade Probe To Continue, Credits
Tariffs For EU Deal. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=027-2a8&t=c>
(7/26, Rampton) reports Commerce Secretary Ross said that Trump “wants the
Commerce Department to continue its probe into whether tariffs on auto
imports are warranted despite ongoing trade talks with the European Union,
but he asked that no action be taken at this time.” Ross told reporters,
“We’ve been directed by the president to continue the investigation, get
our material together, but not actually implement anything pending the
outcome of the negotiation.” He added that the Department would complete
its work next month. The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=028-17e&t=c>
(7/26, Boyer) notes “Ross credited steel and aluminum tariffs for the
agreement,” saying, “If we hadn’t had steel and aluminum tariffs, we never
would have gotten to the point we are now. ... This is a real vindication
of the president’s trade policy.”

*European Officials Hail Trump-Juncker Deal. *The Wall Street
Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=029-641&t=c>
(7/26, Pop, Peker) reports EU officials also hailed Wednesday’s deal with
the US. Welcoming what he called a “positive outcome” on Twitter, Dutch
Prime Minister Mark Rutte said, “It is very important that the EU and the
US work together in the field of trade and don’t fight each other.” German
Economics Minister Peter Altmaier tweeted after the announcement, “Good
news from the USA. Breakthrough achieved that can avoid trade war & save
millions of jobs!” The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=02a-d4a&t=c>
(7/26) also reports “political and business leaders in Germany, Europe’s
biggest economy, on Thursday welcomed” the deal, though “relief was
tempered with caution that details must still be firmed up.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=02b-427&t=c>
(7/26, Ariès, McAuley), meanwhile, reports that some European officials are
“struggling to make sense of what seems a temporary trade war truce”
between the US and EU. While “a number of national officials...herald[ed]
the meeting as having prevented a trade war...others were wary, wondering
whether it’s realistic to expect Europe to buy more soybeans from the
United States, as Juncker signaled, or to become ‘a massive buyer’ of
liquefied natural gas from the US, as Trump declared.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=02c-923&t=c>
(7/26, Erlanger) says that while “Europe’s political and business leaders
are cautiously optimistic that an economic crisis has been averted, they
are also wary, given their history with Mr. Trump in the 18 months since he
has taken office.”

*Navarro Touts “Rebirth” Of Nation’s Steel, Aluminum Industry. *White
House trade adviser Peter Navarro wrote yesterday in the St. Louis
Post-Dispatch
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=02d-5ad&t=c>
(7/25, Navarro) that Granite City is “one of the great success stories of
President Donald J. Trump’s tough trade policies,” with the “rebirth” of
the city’s steelworks, “idled in 2015 — along with about 2,000 steelworkers
— under a drowning flood of subsidized foreign imports.” Navarro argued
that “Granite City’s rebirth is hardly an isolated event. The much bigger
success story is that of a tariff-catalyzed renaissance in steel and
aluminum production across this great land.”

*FTimes: Chinese “Awed” By Trump’s “Skill As A Strategist And
Tactician.” *Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=02e-db1&t=c>
(7/26, Carney) reports that Chinese officials are “awed” by Trump’s “skill
as a strategist and tactician,” according to co-founder and director of the
European Council on Foreign Relations Mark Leonard. Leonard writes the
Financial
Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=02f-a5c&t=c>
about his discussions with Chinese official during a recent trip to the
country.

*Chinese Official: Beijing Plans Retaliation For Any Amount Of US
Tariffs. *Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=030-f71&t=c>
(7/26) reports China “has a plan to retaliate against increases in US
tariffs regardless of the volume of goods targeted, according to an
official in Beijing.” The official who asked not to be identified said
China is ready to respond to measures from President Trump “whether they
involve $16 billion or $200 billion of Chinese imports.”

*Lighthizer, Mnuchin Signal NAFTA Negotiations Could Conclude Soon.
*Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=031-587&t=c>
(7/26, Leonard) reports USTR Lighthizer today “said it’s possible Nafta
partners will reach a tentative agreement next month.” In congressional
testimony, Lighthizer “said the timetable would meet the Mexican objective
of having President Enrique Pena Nieto sign a new North American Free Trade
Agreement before he leaves office in December.” However, Lighthizer told
the Senate Appropriations Committee that Canada could be the sticking point
in reaching a new deal, saying, “I don’t believe that they’ve compromised
in the same way the United States has or Mexico has.” The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=032-e26&t=c>
(7/26, Sherfinski) says “Sen. Jack Reed, Rhode Island Democrat, asked Mr.
Lighthizer if Canada is a national security threat to the US.” Lighthizer
responded by calling Canada a “great ally,” and saying, “Nobody is
declaring war on Canada or saying they’re an unfriendly neighbor,” but “if
you decide that you need to protect an industry, you can’t be a position
where the protection is of no value.”

Treasury Secretary Mnuchin said on CNBC’s Squawk Box[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=033-901&t=c>
(7/26), “I would say on NAFTA, we hope to have an agreement in principle
clearly very soon.”

*Indian Conglomerate Bids For US Aluminum Maker. *The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=034-2e9&t=c>
(7/26, Goel) reports, “Last year, the Trump administration blocked a
Chinese company from buying” Ohio aluminum maker Aleris, “citing concerns
about national security.” Now, “one of India’s biggest industrial
conglomerates, the Aditya Birla Group, announced that its aluminum and
copper subsidiary had struck a deal to buy Aleris for $2.6 billion.” The
Times says it is not yet clear whether “President Trump and his advisers
[will] feel differently about an Indian company” purchasing the firm.
Foreign Policy
Iranian General: Trump Would Regret War That Would “Destroy All That He
Owns.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=035-805&t=c>
(7/26, Cunningham, Fahim) reports Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the commander of
the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Quds force, warned the US “to halt
threats of military action against Tehran, raising the stakes in an already
fiery exchange between US and Iranian leaders this week.” Soleimani’s
“combative message” also “suggested that Iran’s leadership is willing to
stoke tensions with the Trump administration as part of Tehran’s efforts to
project wider regional influence.” In a speech reported by Iran’s Tasnim
News Agency, Soleimani said President Trump “would regret waging a war that
would ‘destroy all that he owns.’” Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=036-673&t=c>
(7/26, Hafezi) reports Soleimani “mocked” Trump “as using the language of
‘night clubs and gambling halls’.” Tasnim news agency quoted Soleimani as
saying, “If you begin the war, we will end the war.” His “message was in
essence a warning to the United states to stop threatening Iran with war or
risk exposing itself to an Iranian response.”

*Bolton Calls Meeting Of Top Officials On Iran Strategy. *The Wall
Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=037-fd6&t=c>
(7/26, Gordon, Youssef, Nicholas) reports that, with parts of the
Administrations’ Iran policy unclear, including what it is willing to offer
in for a new agreement with the country and whether it is willing to use
military force, National Security Adviser Bolton held a meeting of top
officials – including Defense Secretary Mattis and Secretary of State
Pompeo – to address the issue. Officials said the meeting also was intended
to discuss an overall strategy for curbing Iranian influence in the Middle
East instead of working on a country-by-country basis.

*Liz Cheney “Very Pleased” With Administration’s Iran Policy. *Rep.
Liz Cheney (R) told Fox News’ Fox & Friends[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=038-fe2&t=c>
(7/26) that Trump “has done exactly the right thing [with Iran]. We talked
about the fact that it was very important to pull out of the Iranian
nuclear agreement. It was an agreement that was really giving people false
comfort, while it provided the Iranians a pathway to a nuclear weapon. And
we are in a situation now where companies across Europe are going to have
to choose, in many instances, whether they want to do business with the
United States or with Iran. ... I have been very pleased to see President
Trump and the National Security Adviser John Bolton take a lead on insuring
that we do everything we can to prevent Iranians have obtaining nuclear
weapons.”

*GOP Senators Warn European Countries Against Undermining US Iran
Sanctions. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=039-458&t=c>
(7/26, Lee) reports 10 GOP senators sent a letter to the ambassadors of
Britain, France, and Germany saying they “would find it particularly
troubling if you sought to evade or undermine” reimposed US sanctions on
Iran and that any such efforts could see a congressional response.
Report: China, Russia, Iran Conducting Economic Cyberespionage Against US.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=03a-c0c&t=c>
(7/26, Riechmann) reports a National Counterintelligence and Security
Center report found that “spy services from China, Russia and Iran, along
with their proxy hackers, also are hard at work trying to steal trade
secrets and proprietary information from the United States.” According to
the report, “China, Russia and Iran stand out as three of the most capable
and active cyber actors tied to economic espionage and the potential theft
of U.S. trade secrets and proprietary information.” It said that
cyberespionage is “relatively low-cost, high-yield.” One technique is
“infiltrating computer networks of suppliers that serve large companies and
then using that connection to worm their way up the chain into large
corporate computer systems,” but “more vulnerabilities will emerge with the
increase in cloud computing, artificial intelligence and the proliferation
of vehicles, home appliances, medical devices and other items connected to
the internet.”
Remains Of US War Dead Flown Out Of North Korea.

President Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=03b-d57&t=c>
last night, “The Remains of American Servicemen will soon be leaving North
Korea and heading to the United States,” calling it “a great moment for so
many families. Thank you to Kim Jong Un.”

Coverage of the White House announcement that the remains of
American war dead flew out of North Korea was positive, with outlets
calling it a result of the President’s meeting with Kim. The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=03c-496&t=c>
(7/27, Choe) reports that “an American Air Force C-17 Globemaster cargo
plane carrying the remains landed later at Osan Air Base south of Seoul,
the South Korean capital,” as “hundreds of American service members as well
as a military honor guard lined up on the tarmac to mark the return of the
fallen troops.” The Times adds “each of the boxes was wrapped with the
United Nations flag, the flag that American troops fought under in the
Korean War.” The Times also reports that “from Osan Air Base, the remains
will be transferred to the Hawaii-based Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency,
where painstaking forensic work will be carried out to identify them.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=03d-401&t=c>
(7/26, Taylor, Lamothe) reports White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee
Sanders said in a statement, “Today’s actions represent a significant first
step to recommence the repatriation of remains from North Korea and to
resume field operations in North Korea to search for the estimated 5,300
Americans who have not yet returned home.” The CBS Evening News[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=03e-47a&t=c>
(7/26, story 7, 2:40, Glor) reported “more than 7,000 Americans are still
listed as missing in the war.” The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=03f-929&t=c>
(7/26) says, “The transfer of remains represents one of the first tangible
results of Trump’s June 12 summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong
Un.” The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=040-488&t=c>
(7/26, Wolfgang), Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=041-9f5&t=c>
(7/26, Giaritelli), and AFP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=042-cbf&t=c>
(7/26), among other news outlets, also cover this story.

*Administration: US Companies Could Face Penalties For North Korean
Workers. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=043-e00&t=c>
(7/26) reports the Administration this week put American companies on
notice that they “could face steep fines, or even criminal charges, if
their business involves North Korean workers anywhere in their supply
chain.” The State department published an advisory online that “also
provided the most detailed and comprehensive public listing to date of more
than 40 countries and about a dozen industries where North Koreans were
employed in 2017 and 2018, in violation of United Nations sanctions.”
Trump Threatens To Impose Sanctions On Turkey Over Detained Pastor.

The CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=044-e8c&t=c>
(7/26, story 8, 0:30, Glor) reported, “President Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=045-e65&t=c>
today the US will impose large sanctions on Turkey for detaining” American
pastor Andrew Brunson. The move “would be unprecedented action against a
NATO ally.” In response to President Trump’s tweet demanding Brunson’s
immediate release, “Turkey’s Foreign Minister tweeted back, ‘No One
dictates Turkey.’” The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=046-231&t=c>
(7/26, George, Superville) reports Trump’s threat came shortly “after the
possibility of sanctions was first announced by Vice President Mike Pence,”
whose “initial announcement of possible sanctions came at the close of a
three-day conference” at the State Department on religious freedom.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=047-ed9&t=c>
(7/26, Davis) casts Trump’s announcement as abrupt and “more of a muscular
threat than an official statement of policy,” with no announcements of
specific punitive measures from the Administration. Trump also “ratcheted
up the pressure for Mr. Brunson’s immediate release” with a phone call to
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in which Trump said “that the
pastor’s continued imprisonment was unacceptable, according to a White
House official.” The Times adds that the “widening” US-Turkey “conflict
highlighted how the Trump administration has been torn over Turkey,” with
Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo seeking “a closer rapport with Mr.
Erdogan” and the Pentagon wanting to continue fighting the Islamic State by
preserving “a close alliance with a Kurdish militia in northern Syria” that
the Turkish government considers terrorists. To Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=048-739&t=c>
(7/26, Wroughton, Holland), the Administration “escalated its pressure
campaign.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=049-ed2&t=c>
(7/26, Wagner, Morello) reports Trump thought that after his NATO meeting
with Erdogan they had an agreement to free Brunson, but “the Turks,
according to a Trump adviser, had cheated by ‘upping the ante’ for
Brunson.” Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=04a-310&t=c>
(7/26, Epstein) reports that Washington-Ankara relations are at “a new low”
in the “series of crises between the longtime allies.”
Khan Declared Victor In Pakistani Election.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=04b-5a9&t=c>
(7/27, Gannon, Ahmed) reports, “Pakistan’s Election Commission on Friday
declared former cricket star Imran Khan’s party the winner of Pakistan’s”
elections, but with 109 of 269 seats in the National Assembly it failed to
“win an outright majority and must form a coalition.” Coming in second,
Shahbaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League won 63 seats, and in third place
the left-of-center Pakistan People’s party took 39 seats. Meanwhile, Khan’s
“opponents and rights groups charge that widespread fraud and massive
manipulation gave Khan’s party its victory,” alleging “Pakistan’s powerful
military and its intelligence agency” were involved in the elections.
Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=04c-971&t=c>
(7/25, Ali, Sayeed) says Khan’s success “is a stunning rise for an
anti-corruption crusader who has spent much of his political career on the
fringes of Pakistan politics, but now stands on the brink of becoming the
country’s prime minister.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=04d-722&t=c>
(7/26, Constable) predicts that “the taint of a questionable victory, and
the contentious aftermath of an election that toppled the ruling party,
seemed more likely to usher in a period of political turmoil than a smooth
transition.” Additionally, “the military was accused of interfering in the
election on Khan’s behalf,” and even without proof the allegations “could
harm Khan’s relations with other parties as he tries to form a coalition
government or rule on his own.” While Khan “could potentially bring
enormous change to a country where power has long resided in a feudal elite
and its military allies,” analysts note that he faces “intractable problems
as high illiteracy and birthrates, violent religious extremism, a
fast-falling currency and dangerous shortages of water and power.” The Post
suggests that “Khan seems to be counting on his personal charisma and
passion...to carry over into the messy business of governing.” The New York
Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=04e-e28&t=c>
(7/26, Gettleman) reports Khan “found a powerful ally in Pakistan’s
military,” which “pressured, threatened and blackmailed politicians from
rival parties, human rights groups have said, steadily thinning out Mr.
Khan’s competition.” Members of rival parties alleged that ballot counting
was “been done in secret, guarded by soldiers.”

In a front-page article, the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=04f-be8&t=c>
(7/26, Shah, Spindle) reports Khan’s win required political compromises
that critics say threaten his agenda. To gain additional votes, his party
embraced traditional politicians who use patronage to cultivate support but
also oppose the dramatic reforms Khan advocates. Meanwhile, Khan also
called for a new, “mutually beneficial,” relationship with the US. He said,
“Unfortunately up to now, our relationship has been one-way. America pays
Pakistan for fighting its war, which has really damaged Pakistan.” Khan
also demanded that US soldiers leave Afghanistan. With this position, Khan
may be an asset to the US in efforts to make peace with the Taliban or an
obstacle should the US continue military operations.
Thousands Of Civilians Have Been Killed By Allied Airstrikes In Yemen.

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=050-ff8&t=c>
(7/25, Raghavan) reports that more than 16,000 civilians have been killed
and injured, mostly by airstrikes, in the Yemen civil war. A US-backed
coalition, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are the ones
with warplanes, and their “airstrikes have struck hospitals, schools,
markets, motels, migrant boats, gas stations, even funeral gatherings,
raising questions about the coalition’s ability to abide by humanitarian
laws that call for civilians to be safeguarded.” Meanwhile, “the United
States is playing an essential role in the war, supporting the coalition
with intelligence, refueling, technical assistance and billions of dollars
in bombs and other weaponry.” The growing number of casualties has sparked
“widespread denouncement of the U.S. role and calls in Congress to halt or
regulate U.S. weapons sales to Saudi Arabia.” The Post focuses on a April
23 airstrike on a wedding that killed 22 civilians, including eight
children, and injured dozens.
Guterres Warns Of UN Cash Shortage.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=051-310&t=c>
(7/26, Gladstone) reports UN Secretary General António Guterres said in an
internal memorandum to employees shared with The New York Times that
delayed contributions by many member states left the organization’s cash
flow n severely depleted and called on employees to cut expenses. Guterres
wrote, “Our cash flow has never been this low so early in the calendar
year, and the broader trend is also concerning.” While the Times says “it
is not unusual that so many members have yet to pay their assessments” at
this point in the year, Guterres wrote, “this new cash shortfall is unlike
those we have experienced previously.” The memo comes “against a backdrop
of pressure on the United Nations to control its expenses,” led by US
Ambassador Nikki Haley. When word of the memorandum spread, “Guterres’s
aides sought to dispel any notion that the United Nations was in a dire
fiscal emergency.”
Domestic Policy
Mueller Examining Trump’s Tweets In Obstruction Of Justice Probe.

According to the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=052-38c&t=c>
(7/26, Schmidt, Haberman), Special Counsel Robert Mueller is “scrutinizing
tweets and negative statements” from President Trump about Attorney General
Sessions and the former F.B.I. director James Comey, “according to three
people briefed on the matter.” Several of the remarks came as Trump “was
also privately pressuring the men — both key witnesses in the inquiry —
about the investigation, and Mr. Mueller is examining whether the actions
add up to attempts to obstruct the investigation by both intimidating
witnesses and pressuring senior law enforcement officials to tamp down the
inquiry.” Mueller “wants to question the president about the tweets,” but
Trump’s lawyers have “argued that most of the presidential acts under
scrutiny, including the firing of Mr. Comey, fall under Mr. Trump’s
authority as the head of the executive branch and insisted that he should
not even have to answer Mr. Mueller’s questions about obstruction.”

Sen. Ben Cardin was asked on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=053-d72&t=c>
(7/26) if there are specific tweets that point to obstruction of justice by
the President. Cardin said, “Obstruction of justice is when you
intentionally try to interfere with an independent investigation or
interfere with the witnesses or make it clear that you’re going to do
things that will make it difficult for that investigation to go forward. So
certainly there have been incredible number of tweets by the President,
statements by the President that I’m sure are of interest to Mr. Mueller.”

Rep. Ruben Gallego said on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=054-a44&t=c>
(7/26), “If this had been the President writing letters, or writing letters
to the editor, publishing in the New York Post, The New York Times, the
Washington Post, I think a l of people would have said this is a form of
intimidation, a form of obstruction of justice. Just because it’s done on
some modern technology, modern social media, does not mean he’s not still
trying to attempt the same outcome. I think it is relevant, and I think
what we should be looking at is what is the intent of this President. If
his intent is obstruction of justice, that is a worthwhile reason why
Mueller should be investigating.”

*In Tweets Today, Trump Rails Against Mueller Review Of Tweets,
Denies Foreknowledge Of Meeting. *Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=055-33c&t=c>
this morning, “Arrived back in Washington last night from a very emotional
reopening of a major U.S. Steel plant in Granite City, Illinois, only to be
greeted with the ridiculous news that the highly conflicted Robert Mueller
and his gang of 13 Angry Democrats obviously cannot find
Collusion...[continuing
tweet
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=056-97e&t=c>]....,the
only Collusion with Russia was with the Democrats, so now they are looking
at my Tweets (along with 53 million other people) – the rigged Witch Hunt
continues! How stupid and unfair to our Country....And so the Fake News
doesn’t waste my time with dumb questions, NO,....[continuing tweet
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=057-bef&t=c>].....I
did NOT know of the meeting with my son, Don jr. Sounds to me like someone
is trying to make up stories in order to get himself out of an unrelated
jam (Taxi cabs maybe?). He even retained Bill and Crooked Hillary’s lawyer.
Gee, I wonder if they helped him make the choice!”

*Cohen Says Trump Knew About Trump Tower Meeting In Advance. *CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=058-337&t=c>
(7/26, Sciutto, Bernstein, Cohen) reports on its website that Trump’s
former attorney Michael Cohen “claims that then-candidate Trump knew in
advance about the June 2016 meeting in Trump Tower in which Russians were
expected to offer his campaign dirt on Hillary Clinton, sources with
knowledge tell CNN. Cohen is willing to make that assertion to special
counsel Robert Mueller, the sources said.” That claim “would contradict
repeated denials by Trump, Donald Trump Jr., their lawyers and other
administration officials who have said that the President knew nothing
about the Trump Tower meeting until he was approached about it by The New
York Times in July 2017.” Jim Sciutto said on CNN Cuomo Prime Time[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=059-344&t=c>
(7/26) , “Cohen alleges as well that he was present, along with several
others, when Trump was informed of the Russians’ offer. He was informed by
Donald Trump Jr. about that offer. By Cohen’s account, trump approved going
ahead with that meeting with the Russians. Now, we should note our sources
said Cohen does not have evidence such as audio recordings to corroborate
his claim.”

Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said on CNN Cuomo Prime Time[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=05a-3e4&t=c>
(7/26), “I expected something like from Cohen. He’s been lying all week or
he’s been lying for years. I mean the tapes that we have demonstrate any
number of very serious lies by him back a year and a half ago, including
his fooling people, hiding tape recordings, telling them they weren’t
recorded, lying to their face, breaking faith with them, taping his client,
which is a disbarable offense. I don’t see how he has any credibility. This
is basically if he had a trial, and there won’t be a trial here but if he
had a trial, you would say, which lie do you want to pick? You want to pick
the first lie, the second lie, or maybe some new lie? There’s nobody that I
know that knows him that hasn’t warned me if his back is up against the
wall, he’ll lie like crazy because he’s lied all his life.”

*Meadows Backs Down On Rosenstein Impeachment, Could Pursue
Contempt. *The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=05b-185&t=c>
(7/26, Beavers) reports Rep. Mark Meadows “says he is tabling his efforts
to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein after having several
meetings with Republican leadership, stating that he would instead pursue
contempt if the Justice Department (DOJ) does not turn over documents
Congress is seeking.” Said Meadows, “I think it is our desire to have more
of a contempt process, which obviously has to have a partner with the
Speaker, and I think hopefully they will at least acknowledge we’ve made
some reasonable concessions to give DOJ and FBI.” The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=05c-c15&t=c>
(7/26, Boylan) says “Meadows appeared to soften his stance” on impeachment,
saying instead that “the very first order of business would be moving the
House to a contempt vote.” The Boston Globe
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018072701biden&r=email-7bb2&l=05d-8ff&t=c>
(7/26, Cramer) reports that “puts off the showdown until after lawmakers
return from a five-week recess set to begin after Thursday’s votes. The
lawmakers spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private
conversations.”

ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
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(7/26, story 7, 0:30, Muir) also reported impeachment backers have “put
off” their plans, and added that “the measure would likely fail in a vote.”

In an editorial, the New York Times
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(7/26) writes that “for Freedom Caucus leaders, this impeachment resolution
is about something at once much broader and far pettier: the need to make a
huge, disruptive, polarizing political stink just as members head home for
the long hot August recess.” While their “pitiful effort...should not be
taken seriously on practical grounds, it is a tragic reminder of the bleak
path down which the Republican Party has been slouching in recent years.
The rot was there long before Mr. Trump showed up to exploit it, and it is
likely to remain long after he is gone.”

*Sessions, Ryan Expressed Opposition To Impeachment Yesterday. *The
Hill
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(7/26, Chalfant) reports Attorney General Sessions “fiercely defended his
deputy Rod Rosenstein on Thursday morning,” and The AP
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(7/26, Marcelo) that he “defended” Rosenstein after a group of 11 House
Republicans moved to impeach him. Speaking in Boston, Sessions said he has
the “highest confidence” in Rosenstein and described him as “highly
capable” when asked about the impeachment effort. Sessions “suggested
lawmakers should instead focus on ‘legal challenges,’ such as reforming the
nation’s immigration system.”

The Washington Post
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(7/26, Debonis, Wagner) reports House Speaker Ryan also said he opposes the
effort to impeach Rosenstein, saying “he sympathized with the frustration
voiced by his colleagues,” but had not seen anything “that rises to the
standard of impeachment.” Said Ryan, “I don’t think we should be cavalier.
I don’t think this rises to ‘high crimes and misdemeanors.’” Reuters
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(7/26, Psaledakis, Raymond), Washington Times
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(7/26, Dinan), AP
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(7/26, Jalonick, Day), Washington Examiner
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(7/26, Ferrechio) and Politico
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(7/26, Cheney, Bade), among other news outlets, also report Ryan’s
comments, and USA Today
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(7/26, Johnson, Kelly) says that in “perhaps the most important show of
support,” House Minority Leader Pelosi characterized the impeachment “as a
thinly-veiled move to derail Russia special counsel Robert Mueller’s
ongoing inquiry, which Rosenstein oversees.” USA Today says the “rare
alliance of Ryan and Pelosi means that the impeachment measure has little
chance of advancing.”

The Daily Caller
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(7/26, Givas), meanwhile, reports that Republican Rep. Steve Scalise “threw
his support behind the GOP effort to impeach” Rosenstein on Fox News
Thursday. Scalise “praised” the effort and “urged Congress to do whatever
is necessary to find the truth — including impeaching Rosenstein.”

*AP: Cohen Recording May Not Add To Trump’s Legal Problems. *The AP
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(7/26, Tucker) reports in an analysis that while the secret recording of
Trump discussing payments to former Playboy model Karen McDougal “has
brought renewed attention to the question of whether – and how – he might
have blocked politically damaging stories ahead of the 2016 presidential
election,” it is “not clear that the tape, on its own, creates additional
legal problems for the president.” The question is whether the payment
under discussion “was campaign-related and intended to influence the
election, in which case it would likely be counted as a contribution, or
whether it was merely meant to shield the married Trump from an
embarrassing revelation harmful to his personal life. Also important is
whether the payment to McDougal from the Enquirer’s parent company,
American Media Inc., was meant as a backdoor campaign contribution or was a
legitimate media company expense.”

*Trump Organization CFO Called To Testify Before Grand Jury In
Cohen Probe. *The Wall Street Journal
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(7/26, O'Brien, Ballhaus, Rothfeld, Berzon) reports Allen Weisselberg, who
has served as executive vice president and chief financial officer for the
Trump Organization, has been subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand
jury in the criminal probe of...Cohen, according to people familiar with
the investigation. A spokeswoman for the Manhattan US attorney’s office
declined to comment, and a spokeswoman for the Trump Organization didn’t
respond to requests for comment. Pierre Thomas said on ABC World News
Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
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(7/26, story 5, 2:05, Muir) that Weisselberg, who “currently runs the
family’s company, along with the President’s sons Eric and Don Jr.,” is
“front and center in a newly released secret recording where you can hear
Trump and Cohen apparently discussing a plan to buy the rights to the story
of a Playboy playmate who says she had a relationship with Trump.”

*Devine Assisting Mueller Investigation. *Politico
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(7/26, Meyer) reports that Democratic operative Tad Devine, who served as
an adviser to Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign, “is assisting
special counsel Robert Mueller in his prosecution of Paul Manafort,
according to Devine’s consulting firm.” Devine “was one of a number of
American consultants who worked with Manafort in 2010 to help elect Viktor
Yanukovych as president of Ukraine.” A partner at Devine’s firm, Devine
Mulvey Longabaugh, “said in statement that Mueller had assured the firm
that it has ‘no legal exposure and did not act unlawfully.’”

*Trump Mocks Media Coverage Of His Stance On Russia. *The Hill
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(7/26, Fabian) reports that during his visit to Illinois yesterday, Trump
“mocked the news media for scrutinizing his stance toward Russia, claiming
reporters are ‘dying to see us make a little bit of a mistake.’” The Hill
adds that “imitating a member of the media,” Trump said, “They analyze
every word. They say, ‘Did he say that?’ Could it have been? Did he say
something positive about Russia? I think he loves Russia.’ ... Look at all
these cameras. Every stop, I get all these cameras. This never happened to
Obama. This never happened to Bush. This never happened.”

*Trump Recommends Book For Those Suffering From “Trump Derangement
Syndrome.” *Trump tweeted
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yesterday, “@AlanDersh, a brilliant lawyer, who although a Liberal Democrat
who probably didn’t vote for me, has discussed the Witch Hunt with great
clarity and in a very positive way. He has written a new and very important
book...
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called ‘The Case Against Impeaching Trump,’ which I would encourage all
people with Trump Derangement Syndrome to read!”

*Nunes: Redacted Portions Of Page FISA Warrant Applications Are
“Really Bad” For FBI. *The Daily Caller
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(7/26, Ross) reports that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes
said in an interview with Hill. TV’s Buck Sexton Thursday that the redacted
sections of the FBI’s applications for surveillance warrants against Carter
Page are “really bad” in that they show “the FBI relied on flimsy evidence
to obtain the spy warrants on Page.” Nunes said, “What’s in the redactions
is equally bad, some would probably say worse than what the American people
can see today. ... I would argue that what’s left in there is really bad,
if not worse, but also what’s not in there is even worse than what people
can see, what people can