EMAIL DETAILS

Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing


*From:* Bulletin Intelligence <Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com>
*Sent:* Wednesday, February 27, 2019 8:00 AM
*To:* Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com
*Subject:* Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for
Wednesday, February 27, 2019


*Click to access
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=000-111&t=c>
mobile-optimized online version, including download options and an audio
reader.*


[image: Image removed by sender. Office of Vice President Biden
Intelligence Briefing]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=001-d53&t=c>

*To: Vice President Joe Biden*

*Wednesday, February 27, 2019 8:00 AM EST*
Today's Table of Contents

*Biden in the News* <#SECTION_1>

• Harvard CAPS/Harris 2020 Democratic Primary Poll: Biden 37%; Sanders 22%;
Harris 10%. <#S1>

• Biden On 2020: “The Most Important People In My Life Want Me To Run.”
<#S2>

• Biden Says He “Couldn’t Remain Silent” On Trump After Charlottesville.
<#S3>

• Biden To Headline Delaware Democratic Party’s Largest Annual Fundraiser
On March 16. <#S4>

• NYPost Highlights Biden Speaking Engagement Agreement For Florida
Appearance. <#S5>

• NYTimes Bruni: Democrats’ Aging Leadership “Worrisome,” But Has Its
Merits. <#S6>

• Sanders Loses Trio Of Top 2016 Aides. <#S7>

• NYTimes Analysis: Harris Has Stumbled Despite Strong Campaign Launch.
<#S8>

• Warren Says Her Vow To Reject “Big Money” Fundraisers Only Applies To
Primary. <#S9>

• Hillary Clinton “Can’t Imagine” Mounting A Third White House Run. <#S10>

• McConnell Forcing Votes On Controversial Issues In Hopes Of Damaging 2020
Democrats. <#S11>

• Holder Calls For Elimination Of Electoral College. <#S12>

*Leading the News* <#SECTION_2>

• Trump To His “Friend” Kim: If North Korea Gives Up Nuclear Weapons, It
Can Thrive Like Vietnam. <#S13>

*Foreign Policy* <#SECTION_3>

• Pompeo Urges India, Pakistan To Avoid “Further Military Action” As
Tensions Escalate. <#S14>

• Kushner On Mideast Tour To Promote Mideast Peace Plan. <#S15>

• Air Strikes Up Sharply In Rebel-Held Northwest Syria. <#S16>

• Taliban: Negotiators Close To Agreement On US Troop Withdrawal. <#S17>

• US Air Strike Kills 20 Shabaab Militants In Somalia. <#S18>

• Rouhani Refuses To Accept Zarif’s Resignation. <#S19>

• Guaidó Envoy Asks Trump To Step Up Pressure On Maduro. <#S20>

*Domestic Policy* <#SECTION_4>

• Cohen Expected To Testify That Trump Has Committed Crimes Since Taking
Office. <#S21>

• House Passes Measure Blocking Border Emergency, Falls Short Of Veto-Proof
Margin. <#S22>

• House Panel To Subpoena Barr, Nielsen, Azar To Testify About “Zero
Tolerance.” <#S23>

• CBO: Debt Limit Increase Likely Needed By Early Fall. <#S24>

• Senators Grill CEOs About Rising Drug Prices. <#S25>

• Report: 10.9M Missing Out On SALT Deduction This Year. <#S26>

• Media Analyses: Powell Signals Fed Unlikely To Raise Rates In Near Term.
<#S27>

*Cancer Research* <#SECTION_5>

• Actual Number Of Childhood Cancer Cases Nearly Double The Recorded
Number, Researchers Estimate. <#S28>

• LGBTQ Community Underserved In Oncology Treatment, Study Suggests. <#S29>

*Editorials/Op-Eds* <#SECTION_6>

• New York Times. <#S30>

• Washington Post. <#S31>
Biden in the News
Harvard CAPS/Harris 2020 Democratic Primary Poll: Biden 37%; Sanders 22%;
Harris 10%.

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=002-bff&t=c>
(2/26, Greenwood) reported that a Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll online survey of
Democratic voters, taken Feb. 19-20, shows former Vice President Joe Biden
leading a hypothetical Democratic presidential primary with 37%, followed
by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) at 22%, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) at 10%,
ex-Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) at 6%, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) at 4%, and
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) at 2%. The report did not indicate how many
Democratic voters were surveyed.

*Morning Consult 2020 Democratic Primary Poll: Biden 29%; Sanders
27%; Harris 10%. *A Morning Consult poll
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=003-a66&t=c>
(2/26) of 15,642 Democratic voters, taken Feb. 18-24, shows Biden leading a
hypothetical Democratic presidential primary with 29%, followed by Sanders
at 27%, Harris at 10%, O’Rourke and Warren each at 7%, Booker at 4%, Sen.
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) at 3%, ex-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (D) at
2%, and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) at 1%. Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=004-c3d&t=c>
(2/26, Morris) reported, “After his campaign announcement, [Sanders] jumped
six percentage points in” the survey. Breitbart added, “Morning Consult
noted Sanders’ sudden surge of support as the ‘largest single-week shift
for a candidate so far in Morning Consult’s tracking.’” Talk Media News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=005-40b&t=c>
(2/26, Desk) reported, “In a previous Morning Consult poll released on Feb.
17, two days before” Sanders “declared his candidacy,” Biden led with 30%,
followed by Sanders at 21%.

However, under the headline “Why Biden’s Still In The Driver’s Seat
Despite Sanders’ Rise,” Eli Yokley writes for Morning Consult
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=006-04f&t=c>
(2/27) that despite Sanders’ surge in the latest survey, Biden “may have a
more decisive advantage over the Vermont independent than Morning Consult’s
latest horse-race poll suggests. In the Feb. 22-24 survey, 681 Democratic
voters nationwide were pressed on their opinions regarding” just Biden and
Sanders: 51% of the respondents “said they agreed that Biden was one of
their top choices for the party, and that they’d gladly support him in the
primary,” while 38% said the same of Sanders. Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=007-7c1&t=c>
(2/27, Shepard) quotes Morning Consult Vice President Tyler Sinclair as
saying, “Biden has been a strong, early leader consistently in Morning
Consult’s tracking of potential and declared 2020 Democratic primary
contenders. If he decides to run, it looks as like he will have the highest
ceiling of current Democratic primary frontrunners initially.”
Biden On 2020: “The Most Important People In My Life Want Me To Run.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=008-4c0&t=c>
(2/26, Peoples, Beaumont) reports that former Vice President Joe Biden on
Tuesday moved closer “toward a 2020 presidential run than he ever has
before,” saying “that his family – including his grandchildren – are
encouraging him to launch a White House bid. ‘There’s a consensus,’ Biden
told an excited crowd during an appearance at the University of Delaware.
‘The most important people in my life want me to run.’” While Biden “did
not explicitly say he was running,” he “sent an unmistakable message to
prospective rivals and voters alike that the already-crowded Democratic
field is far from set.” The AP says Biden “would instantly become a
front-runner,” if he enters the contest.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=009-384&t=c>
(2/26, Martin) reports that while Biden said “that there’s ‘a consensus’ in
his family that he should run,” the former Vice President “said he did not
want to embark on ‘a fool’s errand’ and was still deliberating about
whether to enter the race for the Democratic nomination.” Biden “outlined a
series of concerns about running,” including “whether he would be able to
garner enough money and support, and the nastiness of the campaign he
predicted President Trump would run against” the eventual Democratic
nominee.

In an online article, NPR
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=00a-6fc&t=c>
(2/26, Taylor) reported that Biden “said he’s ‘very close’ to a final
decision – that includes input from his wife Jill, son Hunter, daughter
Ashley and his grandchildren, who had ‘prodded’ him to launch a campaign
for president.” Even so, Biden “sounded somewhat hesitant given what is
sure to be a grueling campaign involving a crowded Democratic primary field
and likely a brutal general election” against Trump. Said Biden, “No matter
who runs – it’s a very difficult campaign. The primary will be very
difficult. And the general election, running against President Trump, I
don’t think that he’s likely to stop at anything, whomever he runs
against.”

The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=00b-46d&t=c>
(2/26, Hook) reports that Biden said “his family wanted him to run but that
there were ‘still a couple hurdles to go through’ before he could commit.”
Biden “said he was still ‘taking a hard look at whether this alleged appeal
that I have – how deep does it run, is it real?’” The Times adds that Biden
“has been at the top of many polls and is widely admired in the party.” In
an online article, CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=00c-ca8&t=c>
(2/26, Saenz, Grayer) reported, “Family considerations have long been a
part of Biden’s campaign calculus, particularly after the death of his son
Beau in 2015. Biden decided against a 2016 run as his family was grieving
following Beau’s passing. The family’s approval of a 2020 run marks major
movement in Biden’s decision-making process.”

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=00d-111&t=c>
(2/26, Galioto) reported that Biden said “that he is ‘very close’ to a
decision” on the 2020 race. Speaking “with presidential historian Jon
Meacham at Biden’s alma mater, the University of Delaware, the former vice
president said he is in the ‘final stages’ of his process.” Delaware Public
Media
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=00e-44a&t=c>
(2/26, Mueller) quoted Biden as saying, “I can die a happy man never having
lived in the White House. But what I don’t want to do is take people’s
time, effort and commitment without there being a clear shot that I could
be the nominee.” In an online article, ABC News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=00f-4fb&t=c>
(2/26, Verhovek) reported, “Were he to run, Biden said he would not ‘be a
part of any super PAC,’ a significant step in field of candidates that have
mostly shunned donations from corporations and other big money sources so
far.”

The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=010-b37&t=c>
(2/26, Hasson) reported that Biden “said ‘the people who are usually the
biggest donors in the Democratic Party’ and ‘some major Republican folks’
offered to help fund his 2020 presidential campaign, which Biden is
expected to launch in the near future.” On its website, NBC News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=011-5a5&t=c>
(2/26, Memoli) reported that the former Vice President “spoke with
author...Meacham about his new book, The Soul of America, as part of a
day-long celebration of Biden’s public service as the University of
Delaware dedicated its school in Biden’s honor.” The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=012-1a7&t=c>
(2/26, Samuels), the Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=013-e31&t=c>
(2/26, Morton), Axios
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=014-3df&t=c>
(2/27, Falconer), Talking Points Memo
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=015-f50&t=c>
(2/26, Concepcion) , the New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=016-d50&t=c>
(2/26, Fredericks), the Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=017-6c0&t=c>
(2/26, Simonson), the Daily Beast
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=018-ecc&t=c>
(2/26), BuzzFeed News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=019-1b2&t=c>
(2/26, Gomez), The Blaze
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=01a-948&t=c>
(2/26, Colen), and Business Insider
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=01b-b18&t=c>
(2/26, Haltiwanger) are among the media outlets offering similar reports on
Biden’s remarks.

*Biden Reportedly Has Made Job Offers To Potential Staff In New
Hampshire, South Carolina. *Meanwhile, Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=01c-e76&t=c>
(2/26, Caplan) said that Biden “has reportedly made job offers in key
primary states as he inches closer to announcing a run for the White House
in 2020. National Journal reporter Hanna Trudo tweeted Tuesday afternoon
that Biden made jobs offers to individuals in New Hampshire, which
traditionally is first in a series of nationwide primary elections.
HuffPost’s Maxwell Strachan responded to this news, claiming a source
relayed to him that” Biden “extended offers to others in South Carolina.”

*Coons Lauds Biden, Says He’d Back Him In 2020 Race. *Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=01d-c45&t=c>
(2/26, Hanchett) reported that during a Tuesday appearance on CNN, Sen.
Chris Coons D-DE) said he’d back Biden, if the former Vice President enters
the 2020 race. Coons lauded Biden as “relentlessly positive” and someone
who “believes in the American people. He sees the challenges, or the
divisions in our society, and he tries to help motivate us to overcome
them. He inspires people to get back up and to fight harder and to do more
together. That’s in sharp contrast to our president, who sees divisions in
our society and seeks to exploit them, to crack them wider open.” Of Biden,
Coons added that “something about his huge heart, his deep experience, and
his very positive attitude is very appealing to me. I think he’d be a
terrific candidate for the presidency.”

*CNN’s Enten: To Be Competitive, Biden “Probably Wants To Be In The
Race By June.” *In an online “analysis” for CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=01e-ada&t=c>
(2/26), Harry Enten tackles the question of “just how long can Biden wait
to jump into the race. ... The short answer: He still has time. The caveat:
Historically speaking, most eventual nominees are already in the race at
this point. There have been 16 presidential primaries since 1972 in which
an incumbent president was not running for re-election. The average nominee
in these contests have either filed with the FEC or formally announced
their candidacy by February 19 of the year before the primary. ... Since
1972, 75% of eventual nominees were in the first half of those candidates
who announced their run in a given primary.” Enten added that Biden “is so
well known and has previous campaign infrastructure in place,” that “he
likely can afford to wait longer to formally run than the average
candidate,” though he “probably wants to be in the race by June.”

*Esquire’s Pierce: Biden “Missed His Moment 10 Years Ago.” *Writing
for Esquire Magazine
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=01f-c4c&t=c>
(2/26), Charles Pierce expresses exasperation with Biden’s ruminations on a
possible 2020 bid, saying “it’s time for him to come down from the parapets
of Elsinore and make a decision whether or not he’s going to run for
president. He’s had almost four years now to decide if he wants the job.
... There is no reason for him still to be puzzling this whole thing out
while freezing the top of every poll of actual Democratic contenders.”
Pierce goes on to question Biden’s strength as a candidate, citing the
former Vice President’s previous failed White House runs, his handling of
the Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas hearings, and “his shilling for the credit
card industry behind an indefensible bankruptcy bill in 2005.” Pierce adds
that “Biden missed his moment 10 years ago. He is the Ghost of Consensus
Past.”
Biden Says He “Couldn’t Remain Silent” On Trump After Charlottesville.

The Independent Journal Review
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=020-d1a&t=c>
(2/26, Thomas) reports that during his Tuesday appearance at the University
of Delaware, former Vice President Joe Biden said “that he and former
President Barack Obama agreed that they wouldn’t comment on President
Donald Trump’s administration for a year but that the decision to keep
quiet changed after Trump waffled on his response to the Charlottesville
riot in which white supremacists and neo-Nazis marched through the Virginia
town.” Said Biden, “Barack and I agreed we were not going to comment on
President Trump’s administration for a year to give him a chance to get set
up. […] But when Charlottesville happened, I couldn’t remain silent any
longer.” Biden added, “I never thought I’d see this in my lifetime. […] The
president making a moral equivalency between those who rejected what was
going on and those who were doing it, saying there were good people in both
groups.”
Biden To Headline Delaware Democratic Party’s Largest Annual Fundraiser On
March 16.

The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=021-1fc&t=c>
(2/26, McLaughlin) reports that former Vice President Joe Biden “is slated
to headline the Delaware Democratic Party’s largest annual fundraising
dinner next month.” The Times says, “The First State Democratic Dinner is
scheduled for March 16 at the Dover Downs Hotel and Casino.” Delaware
Democratic Party chief Erik Raser-Schramm is quoted as saying in a
statement, “Joe Biden is synonymous with Delaware, and is the backbone of
our Party. His legacy of service speaks for itself, and while he ponders
the next chapter in that legacy, we are honored to have him here at home.”
NYPost Highlights Biden Speaking Engagement Agreement For Florida
Appearance.

The New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=022-4fa&t=c>
(2/26, Schwab) reports that former Vice President Joe Biden “was treated
like a rock star when he appeared at the Broward Center for the Performing
Arts in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, last month – pulling in a $150,000 fee,
plus a backstage dressing room stocked with the food and beverages of his
choice. The speaking engagement agreement and rider for” Biden “were
obtained by Maplight, a nonprofit that reports on government.” The Post
goes on to offer details on the agreement.
NYTimes Bruni: Democrats’ Aging Leadership “Worrisome,” But Has Its Merits.

In his New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=023-28e&t=c>
(2/26) column, Frank Bruni writes, “Is the Democratic Party too long in the
tooth and gray at the temples? You bet. The leading contenders for the
Democratic presidential nomination include Bernie Sanders, 77, Elizabeth
Warren, 69, and – if he runs – Joe Biden, 76. That’s worrisome,” as over
the last 100 years, the US “has never elected a first-term Democratic
president over the age of 52.” Bruni says that top House Democratic leaders
are also in their late 70s. However, Bruni adds that “the attention to age
can go too far,” degrading “the virtues of oldsters” and romanticizing “the
dewiness of youngsters.” Bruni adds that “older generations need younger
ones to reconnect them with their idealism. But younger generations need
older ones to turn that idealism into more than pretty words.”
Sanders Loses Trio Of Top 2016 Aides.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=024-005&t=c>
(2/26, Summers) reports that Tad Devine, Julian Mulvey, and Mark Longabaugh
– “three strategists who played key roles in Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016
presidential campaign” – on Tuesday announced that they are not working for
Sanders’ 2020 campaign. Their firm “was behind Sanders’ 2016 media
strategy. ... ‘We are leaving because we believe that Sen. Sanders deserves
to have media consultants who share his creative vision for the campaign,’
Devine, Longabaugh and Mulvey said in a statement.”

NBC News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=025-e17&t=c>
(2/26) reported on its website that Devine “was a familiar presence on TV
in 2016 as Sanders’ chief strategist, responsible for setting the early
direction of the campaign when few other Washington insiders believed the
little-known Vermont independent could be a serious contender for the
Democratic presidential nomination.” According to NBC News, Longabaugh
“helped design and implement the campaign’s delegate-hunting roadmap,”
while Mulvey “helped craft the firm’s ads for Sanders.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=026-2aa&t=c>
(2/26, Sullivan, Viser) reports that the news injected “an element of
turmoil into [Sanders’] campaign after it got off to a fast start. The
changes came on a day when former vice president Joe Biden appeared to edge
closer to entering the Democratic primary contest, disclosing that his
family has been pushing him to join the burgeoning field. The developments
highlight the fluidity of the race for the Democratic presidential
nomination, with the roster of candidates, and their top advisers, far from
settled.” On its website, Fox News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=027-1be&t=c>
(2/26, Steinhauser) described the move as “a major shakeup” for Sanders’
campaign.

In an online article, CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=028-06d&t=c>
(2/26, Landers, Krieg, Nobles) reported that a “source familiar with the
decision described a misalignment between Sanders and the trio, saying they
‘did not have a meeting of the minds on the vision and strategy for the
campaign’ this time around.” A second “source said that the move was not
necessarily unexpected as Sanders has made it clear that his 2020 campaign
will be different than his 2016. This person described the departure of DML
as more of a natural evolution of things and didn’t view it in a negative
way.” Even so,

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=029-cd5&t=c>
(2/26, Martin, Ember) reports that “while he may have a different group of
advisers for this campaign, Mr. Sanders clearly retains the same
grass-roots appeal: On his first day as a presidential candidate, he raised
nearly $6 million, and on Monday, six days after he joined the 2020 race,
campaign officials said he had secured $10 million from 359,914 donors.”

*WPost Analysis: Democrats Fret Over Sanders’ Stance On Socialism. *The
Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=02a-023&t=c>
(2/26, Sullivan) reports that as was the case in his unsuccessful 2016
presidential bid, Sanders “is again facing scrutiny for his comments about
communist leaders and countries, as well as what it means for him be a
democratic socialist.” In the 2020 race, Sanders faces “a very different
political landscape – one that could focus more on his rhetoric in a way
that some Democrats fear could play into President Trump’s hands.” Said
ex-DNC chief Ed Rendell, “The only way [Trump] wins is by scaring the
American people into thinking that our candidate and our party is so
progressive, they are going to turn us into a socialist government.” The
Post adds, “Some Democrats worry that Sanders’s presence in the Democratic
primary will allow him to influence party’s message even though he’s an
independent, and his reluctance to call Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro
a dictator has been criticized by Democrats as well as Republicans.”

*Menendez ‘Surprised’ By Bernie Sanders’ Soft Maduro Stance. *Indeed,
Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=02b-39e&t=c>
(2/26, Oprysko) reported that Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), ranking member of
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Tuesday chided Sanders “for his
refusal to label socialist Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro a dictator,
telling CNN that he was ‘surprised’ that the Democratic presidential
candidate has declined to do so.” Said Menendez, “Dictatorship is
dictatorship whether from the right or left. Dictatorship oppresses their
people. I’m really surprised that Sen. Sanders could not at least call him
a dictator.”

*Vermont Journalist Says Sanders Does Not Understand Free Press. *Paul
Heintz of Vermont newsweekly Seven Days writes in a Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=02c-ce1&t=c>
(2/26) op-ed that Sanders’ desire for “uncritical, stenographic coverage of
his agenda...betrays a misunderstanding of the role of a free press. And
his dismissal of legitimate journalism not to his liking as ‘political
gossip’ bears a troubling resemblance to what another politician refers to
as ‘fake news.’”
NYTimes Analysis: Harris Has Stumbled Despite Strong Campaign Launch.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=02d-e27&t=c>
(2/26, Martin) reports under the headline “For Kamala Harris, A Strong
Start, But With Some Notable Stumbles” that while “few other Democratic
presidential hopefuls have enjoyed as splashy a start” as Sen. Kamala
Harris (D-CA), who drew 20,000 people to her campaign launch and raised
$1.5 million on her first full day in the race, she “is still catching up
to the campaign. ... On issues ranging from breaking up big technology
companies to the crisis in Venezuela to reparations for African-Americans –
and even the allegations against the actor Jussie Smollett – Ms. Harris has
not offered positions when asked, had to clarify her views and softened her
previous comments.” While candidates often “stumble or appear ill at ease
at the outset” of a national campaign, “the scrutiny has grown even more
intense” in recent years.

*Harris Seeking To Lock Up The Support Of California Donors. *
Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=02e-e43&t=c>
(2/27, Severns) reports, “Donor-rich California has long been known as the
ATM of the Democratic Party,” but “Harris wants to turn it into her
personal armored truck.” Harris “has nursed connections with the state’s
biggest donors during three campaigns for statewide office and two more for
district attorney in San Francisco. Now, Harris is working aggressively to
turn those connections into commitments locking down those donors before
out-of-state presidential rivals have a chance.” Politico adds that “with
many top Democratic donors waiting for the crowded primary field to winnow
before singling out a candidate for support, Harris’ efforts to win over
her state’s money could not only boost her campaign but starve some of her
rivals.”

*Harris, Klobuchar Say Trump Is A “Racist.” *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=02f-4d3&t=c>
(2/26, Whack) reports that Harris and fellow presidential hopefuls Sen. Amy
Klobuchar (D-MN) attacked President Trump “as racist on Tuesday, adding to
a growing debate among the White House hopefuls over how far to go in
criticizing the president.” Klobuchar is quoted as saying of Trump in a
statement, “His policies on issues like voting rights and his rhetoric,
including his remarks about Charlottesville, were decidedly racist. The way
he talks about the Muslim ban and other remarks about people of color from
other countries are also racist.” Harris, speaking with The Root, “a black
online news outlet,” said “she didn’t think ‘you can reach any other
conclusion’ than labeling Trump a racist. ... Asked specifically if she
agreed that Trump is a racist, she replied: ‘I do, yes. Yes. Yes.’”

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=030-876&t=c>
(2/26, Choi) reported on Harris remarks, saying they “were more stark than
some of her fellow Democratic presidential hopefuls.” For example, Sen.
Cory Booker (D-NJ) “was far more cautious earlier this month when asked the
same question, saying, ‘I don’t know the heart of anybody. I leave that to
the Lord.’” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-MN) “has called Trump’s immigration
policies ‘racist,’” while ex-HUD Secretary Julián Castro “has said Trump
has ‘contributed to more racial strife.’” In an online article, CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=031-bdb&t=c>
(2/26, Stracqualursi) reported that Sen. Bernie Sander (I-VT) has “called
Trump ‘a racist’ along with ‘a sexist, a homophobe, a xenophobe, somebody
who is gaining cheap, political points by trying to pick on minorities,
often undocumented immigrants.’”

*Harris Says Sex Work Should Be Decriminalized. *The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=032-db9&t=c>
(2/26, Bowden) reported that Harris on Tuesday said “that she supports the
decriminalization of sex work nationwide, noting that ‘we can’t criminalize
consensual behavior as long as no one is being harmed.’ In an interview
with The Root, Harris was asked whether sex work ‘ought to be
decriminalized.’” Harris replied, “I do. I think that we have to
understand, though, that it is not as simple as that. ... There’s an
ecosystem around that, that involves crimes that harm people. And for those
issues, I do not believe that anybody who hurts another human being or
profits off of their exploitation should be...free of criminal
prosecution.” Harris added, “But when you’re talking about consenting
adults? Yes, we should really consider that we can’t criminalize consensual
behavior as long as no one is being harmed.”
Warren Says Her Vow To Reject “Big Money” Fundraisers Only Applies To
Primary.

The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=033-75d&t=c>
(2/26, Chasmar) reports that presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren
(D-MA) on Monday said “that while she is rejecting so-called ‘big money’
fundraisers during her primary campaign, she does not believe in
‘unilateral disarmament’ when it comes to winning the general election
against President Trump.” Appearing on MSNBC, Warren said, “Republicans
come to the table armed to the teeth. They’ve got their wealthy, wealthy
donors, they’ve got their super PACs, they’ve got their dark money, they’ve
got everything going for them. And I’m just going to be blunt: I do not
believe in unilateral disarmament. We’ve got to go into these fights and
we’ve got to be willing to win these fights.” Warren earlier Monday had
announced “that she would...reject private events with wealthy donors in
order to guarantee equal access to every supporter.”
Hillary Clinton “Can’t Imagine” Mounting A Third White House Run.

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=034-1e3&t=c>
(2/26, Rodrigo) reported that Hillary Clinton on Monday said “she ‘can’t
imagine’ running for president again,” though she added “that she’s ‘going
to keep speaking out’ about President Trump. ‘I can’t imagine that, no,’”
Clinton “said Monday on Tina Brown’s podcast ‘TBD’ when asked whether she
could change her mind about running in 2020. ‘I am very worried about the
direction that Trump and his allies are taking us,’ she added. ‘Just
because I’m not running, I’m not going to keep my mouth shut. I’m going to
keep speaking out.’”

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=035-1c5&t=c>
(2/26, Galioto) reported that on the podcast, Clinton also said “that the
female candidates for the 2020 Democratic nomination are unjustly facing
the challenge of not looking ‘aggressive’ or ‘angry’ – and must instead
take a ‘Goldilocks path’ of looking just right. ‘How does a woman stand up
for herself on the biggest stage in the world without, No. 1, looking
aggressive – maybe a little bit angry – that somebody is behaving like
that, being willing to go toe-to-toe, when there are so few memories
embedded in our collective DNA where women do that?’ Clinton said.” She
added, “How do you get on this kind of Goldilocks path where you’re not too
strong and you’re not too weak, you’re not too aggressive and you’re not
too passive? This is still a problem for women on the public stage.”
McConnell Forcing Votes On Controversial Issues In Hopes Of Damaging 2020
Democrats.

The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=036-f68&t=c>
(2/26, Haberkorn) reports, “With nearly one in five Democratic senators now
eyeing” presidential bids, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell “is using
his control over the chamber to make life a little more difficult for
President Trump’s 2020 challengers.” McConnell on Monday “forced a vote on
a controversial anti-abortion bill,” requiring “some Democrats to take an
uncomfortable vote that will almost certainly be used against them during
the campaign.” And McConnell plans to hold “a vote soon on a sweeping
climate change plan called the Green New Deal,” in hopes of exposing
“divisions between progressives and moderates” in the Democratic Party. The
Times adds, “The votes are among several McConnell is expected to force
this year on high-profile issues, including Medicare for All, which has
also fractured Democrats.”
Holder Calls For Elimination Of Electoral College.

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=037-1c0&t=c>
(2/26, Burke) reported that ex-US Attorney General Eric Holder, who is
reportedly considering a 2020 presidential bid, said in a Tuesday tweet,
“Time to make Electoral College a vestige of the past. It’s undemocratic,
forces candidates to ignore majority of the voters and campaign in a small
number of states. The presidency is our one national office and should be
decided – directly – by the voters.” Holder’s tweet “comes as several
states have moved to circumvent the Electoral College.” Gov. Jared Polis
(D-CO) has said “that he plans to sign a measure that would award the
state’s electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote. Eleven
other states and Washington, DC, have joined the National Popular Vote
Interstate Compact, which would guarantee that the candidate who wins the
popular vote is elected president. It would only go into effect if the
coalition is expanded to include states representing at least 270 electoral
college votes.”
Leading the News
Trump To His “Friend” Kim: If North Korea Gives Up Nuclear Weapons, It Can
Thrive Like Vietnam.

Ahead of a two-day summit in Hanoi with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un,
President Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=038-002&t=c>
Tuesday night, “Vietnam is thriving like few places on earth. North Korea
would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuclearize. The
potential is AWESOME, a great opportunity, like almost none other in
history, for my friend Kim Jong Un. We will know fairly soon – Very
Interesting!” USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=039-53e&t=c>
(2/26, Jackson) calls the tweet a “warm up for his meetings with Kim.”

The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=03a-b99&t=c>
(2/26, Caralle) also briefly reports the tweet, and Lester Holt said on NBC
Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=03b-a8a&t=c>
(2/26, story 9, 2:25) from Hanoi that Vietnam “has taken tremendous leaps
since the end of its war with the US, and now finds itself more than a
summit host, but also a potential economic model for North Korea.” The Asia
Foundation’s Michael DiGregorio said the US hopes Kim will see Vietnam,
which is now a global trading partner on friendly terms with the US, “as
something to aspire to.” Jonathan Karl reported on ABC World News
Tonight[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=03c-ac2&t=c>
(2/26, story 2, 2:50, Muir), however, that while “President Trump is saying
North Korea can become an economic powerhouse if Kim agrees to give up his
nukes...US intelligence officials say they see no sign North Korea’s ready
to do that.”

Earlier Tuesday, Trump and Kim arrived in Hanoi for their second
face-to-face meeting in under a year. Media reports focus on anticipation
of the meeting and speculation as to what concrete actions could come out
of their discussions. The Administration is portrayed as tamping down
expectations for the summit.

Hallie Jackson, for example, reported on NBC Nightly News[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=03d-536&t=c>
(2/26, story 2, 0:50, Holt) that “the White House has really tried to tamp
down expectations with what this summit could be, with multiple sources
close to the process telling us what could be on the table to get Kim to
agree to, for example, opening up a nuclear facility to inspection.”
According to Jackson, the US could offer to negotiate a formal end to the
Korean War, they could ease minor sanctions against the regime, “or they
could establish a kind of bare-bones diplomatic outpost in North Korea.” In
its lead story, the CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=03e-949&t=c>
(2/26, lead story, 3:10, Glor) reported that “senior Administration
officials acknowledge there’s going to be the need for another summit.
Hanoi is not going to produce the final big deal,” and The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=03f-87a&t=c>
(2/26, Samuels) said “senior administration officials provided few answers
during a call with reporters on what to expect” at the summit.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=040-8a9&t=c>
(2/26, Mason, Vu) reports that as he arrived in Vietnam on Tuesday, Trump
tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=041-aae&t=c>,
“Just arrived in Vietnam. Thank you to all of the people for the great
reception in Hanoi. Tremendous crowds, and so much love!” Kim arrived by
train early in the day after a three-day journey by train from Pyongyang.
The two leaders will meet for “a brief one-on-one conversation on Wednesday
evening, followed by a dinner, at which they will each be accompanied by
two guests and interpreters, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told
reporters.” They will meet again on Thursday, she said, but “Vietnamese
authorities have yet to announce where” they will hold the talks. The New
York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=042-752&t=c>
(2/26, Moore) likewise says “more meetings are expected Thursday between
Trump and Kim, but an official schedule has yet to be released.”

Bloomberg
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=043-aac&t=c>
(2/26, Sink, Talev) reports Trump will be joined at Wednesday’s dinner with
Kim by Secretary of State Pompeo and Acting Chief of Staff Mulvaney. Kim
will also be joined by two aides, but Sanders “didn’t identify them.” The New
York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=044-c16&t=c>
(2/26) speculates that Kim Yong-chol, “North Korea’s former intelligence
chief and top diplomat,” could possibly be one of them.

Bloomberg
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=045-1bc&t=c>
(2/26, Sink, Talev) says that while “Trump has sought to tamp down public
expectations” for the summit, the “likeliest outcomes...are symbolic,”
including a “nonbinding” statement declaring an end to the Korean War.
According to the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=046-4f6&t=c>
(2/26, Salama), senior Administration officials say the summit will be an
opportunity to secure a clear commitment from North Korea that it will
cease production of nuclear material and will hold discussions on
dismantling its nuclear arsenal.

An analysis by the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=047-d1f&t=c>
(2/26, Klug, Lemire) says that “although many experts are skeptical Kim
will give up the nuclear weapons he likely sees as his best guarantee of
continued rule, there was a palpable, carnival-like excitement among many
in Hanoi as the final preparations were made for the meeting.” Though Trump
has “tamped down expectations that he’ll achieve big strides toward
denuclearization,” the AP says he still appears “eager to claim an
attention-grabbing victory to offset the political turmoil he faces at
home. That eagerness for a victory, however, has spawned worries across
world capitals about what Trump might be willing to give up in the name of
a win.”

In its lead story, NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=048-2fb&t=c>
(2/26, lead story, 2:30, Holt) reported now that the two leaders have
“moved past the get-to-know-you stage, there is greater pressure on
President Trump this time to nudge Kim beyond just polite gestures and on
to tangible steps towards dismantling his nuclear and ballistic missile
programs.” Critics, however, are “concerned about what President Trump may
be willing to concede in this second summit and whether Kim could flatter
him into giving up too much.”

Along similar lines, the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=049-fe7&t=c>
(2/26, Sanger, Choe) says Trump “appear[s] determined to change America’s
relationship with a nation that has been a bitter and brutal adversary for
nearly 70 years – and willing to shift his administration’s goals to do so,
from immediate dismantlement of the North’s arsenal to limits on its size
and reach.” However, the Times says it is “unclear whether the two men will
emerge in the coming days with any of the breakthroughs that appear in the
mix for discussion: a freeze on nuclear production, a peace agreement aimed
at formally ending the Korean War, or a schedule for dismantling the
North’s arsenal.”

Simon Denyer, however, writes in a front-page Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=04a-dc3&t=c>
(2/26, A1) analysis that when Trump “boasts of his wonderful relationship
with...Kim...or claims that there would have been war if he hadn’t been
elected, many people cringe. But behind Trump’s boasting and bluster, a
small band of experts in North Korean affairs see a strategy taking shape.
Making Kim feel respected and secure, they say, offers a possible way to
persuade him to give up – or at least scale back – his nuclear arsenal in
return for economic and diplomatic rewards.”

Kylie Atwood likewise reported on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=04b-708&t=c>
(2/26, 5:15 p.m. EST) that Trump “is going to continue using flattery as a
strategy to pull Kim...into an agreement on eventual denuclearization of
North Korea,” and USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=04c-f2c&t=c>
(2/26, Jackson) says “Trump’s personal approach will be on display to a
global audience” during his meetings with Kim. Hoover Institution fellow
Michael Auslin writes in the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=04d-9b2&t=c>
(2/26) that Trump’s approach might bring unexpected results, but Dana
Milbank cautions in his Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=04e-9de&t=c>
(2/26) column, “You can’t hurry love. ... Pompeo, Trump’s wingman in Hanoi,
must prevent the besotted president from dropping sanctions against Kim
while getting nothing.”

Also striking an upbeat tone is the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=04f-0a5&t=c>
(2/26, Sang-Hun), which says that “as the men prepared to meet for the
second time in eight months, their avowed goal of achieving a lasting peace
and ‘complete denuclearization’ remained elusive, but the once-imminent
threat of war felt even more removed.” Former National Security Adviser
Susan E. Rice, however, argues in the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=050-36d&t=c>
(2/26) that while “Trump has an opportunity to achieve incremental progress
toward denuclearization...history suggests that Mr. Trump will be content
with another colorful photo opportunity and more diplomatic shadow boxing
that perpetuates the illusion of success, while running down the clock on a
nearly intractable challenge.”

The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=051-474&t=c>
(2/26, Boyer, Taylor) reports Pompeo arrived in Hanoi ahead of Trump on
Tuesday and met with US special envoy Stephen Biegun, “who has been in
talks with North Korean officials in Vietnam since late last week.”

A Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=052-2a1&t=c>
(2/26, Lyons) analysis, meanwhile, says Kim has increased confidence as a
negotiator since his last meeting with Trump. That, some analysts says,
could make it more difficult for Trump to convince Kim to give up his
nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile, as part of its coverage of the summit in Hanoi, the CBS
Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=053-29a&t=c>
(2/26, story 10, 3:20, Glor) looked back on its coverage of the Vietnam War
and ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=054-e8a&t=c>
(2/26, story 13, 1:50, Muir) profiled Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO world
heritage site.

*Trump: “Democrats Should Stop Talking About What I Should Do,”
Wonder “Why They Didn’t Do ‘It.’” *On Twitter
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=055-37d&t=c>
last night, Trump wrote, “The Democrats should stop talking about what I
should do with North Korea and ask themselves instead why they didn’t do
‘it’ during eight years of the Obama Administration?”

*Richardson: US, North Korea Have Different Interpretations Of
Denuclearization. *The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=056-a69&t=c>
(2/26, Meier) reports former UN Ambassador Bill Richardson, “who has dealt
directly with Pyongyang in the past,” told a House committee Tuesday that
North Korea and the US “have very different ideas of what an end to the
North’s nuclear programs would look like.” Said Richardson, “We have a
different perspective of what denuclearization is. We think that
denuclearization is dismantling, destroying, ending – whatever – the 40
nuclear weapons, the [weapons of mass destruction]. The North Koreans don’t
believe in that definition.”

*Advocates: Trump Unlikely To Discuss Human Rights Abuses With Kim.
*The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=057-b54&t=c>
(2/26, O'Grady) reports that while “Trump pledged that he would press North
Korea on its human rights abuses” following the death of former detainee
Otto Warmbier, “the White House has gone nearly silent on such issues. And
as Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi this week, human
rights advocates don’t expect their concerns to come up at the summit.”

*South Korea Seeks Role At Summit. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=058-292&t=c>
(2/26, Shin) reports South Korean officials, “wary of being left on the
sidelines” as Trump and Kim “seek to clinch a deal that could shape the
future of the Korean peninsula, are cautiously carving out a presence at
the summit venue.” In what Reuters calls “a bid to raise its profile,”
South Korea has sent “at least two dozen officials” to Hanoi, “opened its
own press center, and even arranged for a South Korean bakery chain to
offer free snacks to journalists covering the summit.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=059-339&t=c>
(2/26, Tamkin) reports that this week’s summit “will be closely watched
around the world, particularly in Japan and South Korea,” but the two
countries “will probably have dramatically different ideas of what
constitutes success in Hanoi.” South Korea, it says, “is hoping that
diplomacy between the United States and South Korea will become ‘more
formalized and more stabilized,’ said Mintaro Oba, a former State
Department officer focused on the Koreas.” Japan, on the other hand, is
concerned that a deal could dismantle North Korea’s ICBMs but leave intact
its medium- and short-range missiles. Another key issue for Japan, the Post
says, is the return of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea.

*White House Press Corps Ejected From Hotel Ahead Of Summit. *Jim
Acosta reported on CNN’s Situation Room[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=05a-28b&t=c>
(2/26, 5:10 p.m. EST) that “there are signs the summit...is off to a rocky
start already” after North Korea “kicked the American press out of the work
space set up at the hotel” where Kim is staying in Hanoi. Acosta said “the
White House...barely put up a fight when all of this happened before moving
reporters to another hotel.” The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=05b-ac5&t=c>
(2/26, Bengali) reports that it “was unclear whether the White House or
Kim’s delegation had booked the Melia [Hotel] first. But the last-minute
change was emblematic of a summit that had been planned seemingly on the
fly.”

*Trump: “I Have Now Spent More Time In Vietnam” Than Blumenthal. *Trump
tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=05c-27e&t=c>
at 2:58 a.m. ET Wednesday, “I have now spent more time in Vietnam than Da
Nang Dick Blumenthal, the third rate Senator from Connecticut (how is
Connecticut doing?). His war stories of his heroism in Vietnam were a total
fraud – he was never even there. We talked about it today with Vietnamese
leaders!”
Foreign Policy
Pompeo Urges India, Pakistan To Avoid “Further Military Action” As Tensions
Escalate.

Citing Pakistan’s army spokesperson Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor, the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=05d-81e&t=c>
(2/27, Mughal, Hussain) reports Pakistan “shot down two Indian warplanes
after they crossed the boundary between the two nuclear-armed rivals in the
disputed territory of Kashmir on Wednesday and captured one Indian pilot.”
The AP added, “The dramatic escalation came hours after Pakistan said
mortar shells fired by Indian troops from across the frontier dividing the
two sectors of Kashmir killed six civilians and wounded several others.”
Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=05e-6fb&t=c>
(2/27, Bukhari, Pal) reports both India and Pakistan “have ordered
airstrikes over the last two days, the first time in history that two
nuclear armed powers have done so, while ground forces have exchanged fire
in more than a dozen locations.”

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=05f-b36&t=c>
(2/27, Mason, Klamann) reports Secretary of State Pompeo “urged India and
Pakistan to exercise restraint and avoid escalation at any cost, after
Pakistan carried out air strikes and shot down two Indian jets on
Wednesday,” just one day “after Indian warplanes struck inside Pakistan for
the first time since a war in 1971.” In a separate article, Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=060-38b&t=c>
(2/27, Beech) reports Pompeo “spoke separately with the foreign ministers
of India and Pakistan and urged them to avoid ‘further military activity’
following an air strike by India inside Pakistan.” In a statement, Pompeo
said, “I expressed to both Ministers that we encourage India and Pakistan
to exercise restraint, and avoid escalation at any cost.”

In what the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=061-7a8&t=c>
(2/26, Slater) calls “the most serious escalation in hostilities between
the two nuclear-armed neighbors in decades and risks triggering a cycle of
retaliation,” India on Tuesday “sent fighter jets across the Line of
Control, the unofficial border that divides Kashmir between India and
Pakistan, for the first time since 1971.” The jets dropped bombs outside
the town of Balakot, which India said was the site of a training camp used
by Jaish-e-Muhammad. The terrorist group claimed responsibility for an
attack on Feb. 14 that killed 40 Indian paramilitary police in Kashmir.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=062-af4&t=c>
(2/26, Abi-Habib) reports Pakistan, however, “insisted that India’s air
incursion had achieved nothing” and Prime Minister Imran Khan “promised a
response to the strikes, which he dismissed as a political ploy” by Indian
Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of national elections. In a sign of what
the Times calls “escalating tensions,” Khan also “summoned the National
Command Authority – the body that oversees the deployment and management of
Pakistan’s nuclear arms – for a special session on Wednesday.”
Kushner On Mideast Tour To Promote Mideast Peace Plan.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=063-232&t=c>
(2/26, Baker) reports White House senior adviser Jared Kushner “is
traveling this week through the Middle East to promote a plan to invest
tens of billions of dollars in the Palestinian territories and Israel’s
Arab neighbors as part of his long-promised peace initiative.” According to
the Times, Kushner “told leaders of Arab states that the economic plan
would be critical to creating an environment in which the two sides could
make the necessary political compromises.” While the White House hasn’t
released any details of the economic component, “analysts who have followed
its development said that they had been told it would involve investing
around $25 billion in the West Bank and Gaza over 10 years and another $40
billion in Egypt, Jordan and perhaps Lebanon, depending on their
performance meeting certain goals.”

*AP Analysis: Kushner Remarks On Peace Plan Receive “Cool
Reception” From Israel, Palestinians. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=064-6d4&t=c>
(2/26) reports Kushner’s comments Monday about the peace plan “are
receiving a cool reception from Israeli and Palestinian leaders.” Kushner
told Sky News “that his plan would address all ‘final status’ issues,
including borders, and require compromises by all sides. But he made no
mention of establishing a Palestinian state and said the plan would focus
heavily on offering economic ‘opportunities’ to the Palestinians.” In
response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “vowed to resist
pressure to make concessions,” and Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said
a plan that doesn’t establish a Palestinian state “will not fly.”
Air Strikes Up Sharply In Rebel-Held Northwest Syria.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=065-397&t=c>
(2/26, Kalin, Dadouch) reports that air strikes have been “stepped up
against rebel-held northwestern Syria, the last major bastion of opponents
of President Bashar al-Assad, prompting thousands of civilians to flee the
town of Khan Sheikhoun,” the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights said Tuesday. Reuters notes the area near the Turkish border is
“under a ceasefire brokered last year” by Russia and Turkey.
Taliban: Negotiators Close To Agreement On US Troop Withdrawal.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=066-8bc&t=c>
(2/26, Abuelgasim) reports US and Taliban negotiators are “close to
reaching an agreement on US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan,” a spokesman
for the group said Tuesday amid a new round of talks with the United States
in Qatar. Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen “said the deal will also include
guarantees that Afghanistan will not be used again as a staging arena for
anti-American attacks.” After a second day of talks with US special envoy
Zalmay Khalilzad, Shaheen told the AP, “If we do not reach a solution in
this round of talks, then we will in the next round of talks, but that is
our target.”
US Air Strike Kills 20 Shabaab Militants In Somalia.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=067-6ba&t=c>
(2/26, Mohammed) reports the US military said Tuesday that an air strike in
central Somalia on Monday killed 20 al Shabaab fighters. AFRICOM “said US
forces targeted an al Shabaab training camp near Shebeeley, Hiran Region,
that was used to stage attacks.”
Rouhani Refuses To Accept Zarif’s Resignation.

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=068-6e5&t=c>
(2/26, Cunningham) reports Iranian President Hassan Rouhani “has refused to
accept the resignation” of Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, “a
spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday, state television
reported.” Zarif submitted his resignation late Monday “in a shock
decision,” but Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi, “quoting
Rouhani’s chief of staff,” said Tuesday that “the resignation has not been
accepted,” Iran’s Press TV reported. Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=069-09a&t=c>
(2/26, Hafezi, Dehghanpisheh) too says Rouhani “held back from accepting
the resignation...standing by a moderate ally long targeted by hardliners”
over the 2015 nuclear deal. Reuters says Zarif’s resignation “thrust the
schism between Iran’s hardliners and moderates into the open, effectively
challenging Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to pick a side.”

Bloomberg
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=06a-461&t=c>
(2/26, Motevalli) says losing Zarif “at a time of economic upheaval would
be a blow to Rouhani, a fellow moderate, and means the nuclear deal faces a
real chance of collapsing – both outcomes cheered by those against
reformist moves.”

According to the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=06b-1fa&t=c>
(2/26, Rasmussen, Nations), Zarif’s resignation was prompted by his
exclusion from talks with visiting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad,
Iranian officials said. Zarif reportedly wrote privately to friends on the
messaging app Telegram that he felt disrespected. The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=06c-401&t=c>
(2/26, Karimi) reports that while Zarif “was not present for a meeting with
Syrian President Bashar Assad on Monday,” it was “unclear if Assad’s visit
to Tehran had an impact on Zarif’s decision.” The AP adds that Secretary of
State Pompeo, asked about Zarif’s resignation, said Tuesday, “We’ll see if
it sticks.” Pompeo added, “Our policy is unchanged – the regime must behave
like a normal country and respect its people.”
Guaidó Envoy Asks Trump To Step Up Pressure On Maduro.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=06d-860&t=c>
(2/26, Cohen) briefly reports interim Venezuelan President Juan Guaidó’s
envoy to the US, Carlos Vecchio, met with President Trump “in recent days
and asked him to increase pressure” on President Nicolás Maduro, Vecchio’s
office said in a statement Tuesday.

*Guaidó: Foreign Intervention Needed To Remove Maduro. *The Washington
Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=06e-292&t=c>
(2/26, Puglie) reports Guaidó over the weekend tweeted, “Today’s events
force me to make a decision. To tell the international community…that we
must be open to all options to achieve liberation.” The Times says Guaidó’s
“bold warning sent shock waves through the opposition...whose leaders had
for a decade tirelessly tried to take any talk of ‘foreign intervention’
off the table, fearing it played into the hands of the increasingly
authoritarian Mr. Maduro and his anti-American propaganda.”

*Treasury Considering Sanctions Against Mexican-British Billionaire
Over Venezuela Deals. *Bloomberg
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022701biden&r=email-301d&l=06f-64f&t=c>
(2/26, Bartenstein) reports the Treasury Department is “considering
sanctions against Wall Street billionaire David Martinez as part of its
effort to topple Nicolas Maduro’s regime by cutting off its access to
financing.” According to Bloomberg, Treasury officials have “discussed
naming Martinez, the founder of the Delaware-domiciled hedge fund Fintech
Advisory Inc., as a specially designated national for his business dealings
with sanctioned Venezuelan officials including Finance Minist