EMAIL DETAILS

Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing


*From:* Bulletin Intelligence <Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com>
*Sent:* Thursday, February 28, 2019 7:58 AM
*To:* Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com
*Subject:* Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for
Thursday, February 28, 2019


*Click to access
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=000-ae2&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=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=001-a84&t=c>

*To: Vice President Joe Biden*

*Thursday, February 28, 2019 8:00 AM EST*
Today's Table of Contents

*Biden in the News* <#SECTION_1>

• With Democrats Sporting Large, Diverse Field, “Clamor For Biden” To Run
Has Subsided. <#S1>

• Boston Herald: Sanders-Warren Clash In New Hampshire Could Open Door For
Biden. <#S2>

• CNBC: Social Media Executives Offering Biden Advice On Appealing To Young
Voters. <#S3>

• WSJournal’s Freeman: 2020 Rivals’ Extreme Stances Present Opportunity For
Biden. <#S4>

• RNC Chief, Conway Pan Potential Biden Candidacy. <#S5>

• Author Out With A Second Obama-Biden Detective Novel. <#S6>

• Puerto Rico A Key Focus In 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary. <#S7>

• O’Rourke Has Reached Decision On 2020 Race, To Announce Plans “Soon.”
<#S8>

• CNN Failed To Disclose Democratic Ties Of Sanders’ Town Hall Questioners.
<#S9>

• Inslee Expected To Announce 2020 Bid This Week. <#S10>

• Una Nation Offers Warren Enrollment In Its “Mixed-Blood” Tribe. <#S11>

• Stephens Advises Klobuchar To Apologize To Aides. <#S12>

• Media Analyses: Governors Face Hurdles In 2020 Democratic Race. <#S13>

• All Democratic Senators In 2020 Race Received Perfect Scores From
Environmentalists Last Year. <#S14>

*Leading the News* <#SECTION_2>

• Trump-Kim Summit Comes To Abrupt End Over Lack Of Agreement On Sanctions.
<#S15>

*Foreign Policy* <#SECTION_3>

• US Urges Calm After India, Pakistan Claim To Down Each Other’s Jets.
<#S16>

• USTR To Suspend China Tariff Hike “Until Further Notice.” <#S17>

• Trump Signs Boeing Trade Agreement With Vietnam. <#S18>

• Sources: Kushner Faces Resistance To Peace Plan On Mideast Tour. <#S19>

• Administration Preparing Sanctions On Cuba Over Support For Maduro. <#S20>

• Rouhani Rejects Zarif’s Resignation As “Against National Interests.”
<#S21>

• Trudeau’s Ex-AG Says PM, Others Pressured Her To Drop Case Against
SNC-Lavalin. <#S22>

*Domestic Policy* <#SECTION_4>

• Cohen Says Trump Broke Law While In Office, Knew In Advance About
WikiLeaks DNC Email Release. <#S23>

• Pelosi: Trump Emergency Declaration Sets Precedent For Next Democratic
President. <#S24>

• Pelosi: Impeachment Should Not Be Used Unless It Is Unavoidable. <#S25>

• Travel Ban Ends Most Immigration From Countries Sponsoring Terrorism.
<#S26>

• House Passes Bill Requiring Background Checks For All Gun Sales. <#S27>

• House Democrats Offer Single-Payer Healthcare Bill. <#S28>

• Collins To Oppose Wheeler Nomination. <#S29>

*Cancer Research* <#SECTION_5>

• Trump’s $500M Pediatric Cancer Initiative To Include Focus On Data
Sharing. <#S30>

• Guardant Study Shows Blood Test As Effective At Detecting Lung Cancer As
Biopsy. <#S31>

*Editorials/Op-Eds* <#SECTION_6>

• New York Times. <#S32>

• Washington Post. <#S33>
Biden in the News
With Democrats Sporting Large, Diverse Field, “Clamor For Biden” To Run Has
Subsided.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=002-a6a&t=c>
(2/28, Gibson, Oliphant) reports that former Vice President Joe Biden “said
this week he was ‘very close’ to deciding whether to make a 2020 White
House bid and will run only if he thinks he can win the Democratic Party’s
nomination. He is not alone in questioning if he is the man for the moment.
The clamor for Biden to” enter the race “has quieted as the Democratic
field has grown more crowded and diverse, according to interviews with more
than two dozen strategists, activists, party organizers and voters.”
Reuters says that polling shows Biden “remains popular. But the Democratic
Party may no longer need him in order to be competitive against [President]
Trump.” Reuters adds that Biden “will be more likely to remain on the
sidelines if he feels a strong candidate capable of beating Trump is
emerging. But a source close to Biden said: ‘If I had to guess, he’s
probably going to do it.’”

*Some Political Observers Skeptical Goodwill Toward Biden Would
Boost Him To Nomination. *The Boston Herald
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=003-43e&t=c>
(2/27, Kashinsky) reports, “Name recognition would catapult former Vice
President Joe Biden to the front of the Democratic pack should he” enter
the 2020 White House race, “but local politicos wondered if lingering
goodwill toward ‘Uncle Joe’ would translate to votes.” For example,
University of New Hampshire political scientist Dante Scala said that Biden
“would ‘start as the front-runner based on name identification and the
reservoir of goodwill he enjoys among Democrats,.’” However, Scala added
that “he’s ‘not convinced that voters’ good feelings for Biden will convert
to their loyalty in next year’s primary.’ Biden is ‘not a prohibitive
favorite,’ Scala said.”
Boston Herald: Sanders-Warren Clash In New Hampshire Could Open Door For
Biden.

The Boston Herald
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=004-cc4&t=c>
(2/27, Chabot) reports that former Vice President Joe Biden’s “best shot at
winning the 2020 New Hampshire presidential primary could depend on just
how big the clash gets between two local progressive titans” – Sens. Bernie
Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). The Herald says that Sanders,
“who won the state’s primary in 2016, and Warren’s politically plugged-in
campaign could very well split liberal voters in the Granite State, paving
the way for a seasoned centrist like Biden.” The Herald adds that Biden
“was the top choice for 28 percent of Granite State Democratic Primary
voters, according to a University of Massachusetts Amherst poll released
last week, with Sanders coming in at 20 percent and Warren at 9 percent.”

*NH Political Observers Doubt Biden Bid Would Prompt Any Candidates
To Drop Out. *Writing on the website of WMUR-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=005-ca3&t=c>
Manchester, NH (2/28), John DiStaso highlights Biden’s Tuesday remarks
“that his family is behind him running,” for president in 2020. DiStaso
then asks “how would his entrance affect the race for the Democratic
presidential nomination, especially in New Hampshire? New Hampshire’s
Democratic National Committeeman and Committeewoman say they do not expect
Biden to prompt anyone who’s already in from getting out,” but “said he
will change the trajectory of anyone who’s thinking of running.” For
example, Democratic National Committeewoman Kathy Sullivan said, “The
people who are in will stay in, and it’s just adding one more candidate to
the mix.”
CNBC: Social Media Executives Offering Biden Advice On Appealing To Young
Voters.

In an online article, CNBC
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=006-f35&t=c>
(2/27, Schwartz) reported that former Vice President Joe Biden “has been
receiving regular briefings from executives at digital and social media
companies in order to learn strategies for appealing to young voters if he
were to run for president again. Biden has gotten advice from an executive
at Twitter, according to a” source. CNBC said, “Critics of a potential
Biden run have suggested that Democratic voters – and the electorate in
general – may prefer a fresh face to take on President Donald Trump, who is
72, in 2020.” CNN said that if Biden, 76, enters the race, he “would have
to cultivate a digital operation to keep pace with rivals who have had a
head start in developing a vast reach on social media. People familiar with
the matter also said that Biden’s team is prepared to hire at least 20
social media experts who would advise him if he were to” run. The Daily
Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=007-e6e&t=c>
(2/27, White) reported on the CNBC story under the headline “Biden Asks
Twitter Execs About What Youngsters Like Nowadays As He Considers POTUS
Bid.”
WSJournal’s Freeman: 2020 Rivals’ Extreme Stances Present Opportunity For
Biden.

In his Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=008-4ba&t=c>
(2/27) column, James Freeman says that former Vice President Joe Biden, if
he enters the 2020 presidential race, has room to run to the right of a
number of announced Democratic hopefuls on issues such as abortion and the
Green New Deal. Freeman paints the Green New Deal – backed by a number of
2020 Democrats – as appealing to the far left, and says Biden could address
the issue of combating climate change without embracing such an extreme
proposal. Freeman makes a similar argument regarding legislation requiring
medical care for infants who survive abortion – a bill a number of 2020
Democrats have opposed.
RNC Chief, Conway Pan Potential Biden Candidacy.

In an online article, Fox Business
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=009-afc&t=c>
(2/27, Stone) reported that RNC chief Ronna McDaniel Romney on Wednesday
“told FOX Business that former Vice President Joe Biden doesn’t have the
necessary accomplishments needed to run for president of the United States
in 2020.” Said McDaniel, “What’s he going to run on? Let me take you back
to the stagnant wages we had under the Obama administration. Let me take
you back to jobs being lost. But great, let’s run up Biden’s record against
the president.”

The Independent Journal Review
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=00a-5f8&t=c>
(2/27, Dibble) reported that during a Wednesday appearance on Fox News,
White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway indicated she’s not concerned about
a possible Biden bid, saying that “he’s going to have to be held to account
for the Obama-Biden economy, the Obama-Biden foreign policy national
security failures, the Obama-Biden appropriation of our nation’s healthcare
where nine years after Obamacare, Bidencare was passed, about 28 million
Americans still don’t have care. He’s going to be held to account for all
the things that did not happen while he was vice president.”
Author Out With A Second Obama-Biden Detective Novel.

Entertainment Weekly
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=00b-914&t=c>
(2/27, Canfield) reports, “Literature’s hottest detective team – Barack
Obama and Joe Biden – is back in action. After reimagining the” pair “to
critical acclaim and a spot on the New York Times best-seller list in Hope
Never Dies, author Andrew Shaffer is back with an anticipated follow-up:
Hope Rides Again. This novel finds Biden recovering from a long, successful
book tour, and Obama working behind the scenes to position his former
deputy for a shot at the presidency. They reunite, but it’s innocent only
for so long: Obama’s Blackberry is stolen, and he and Biden quickly start
sniffing out a larger conspiracy.”
Puerto Rico A Key Focus In 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary.

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=00c-ce7&t=c>
(2/27, Caputo) reported that in the race for the 2020 Democratic
nomination, “Puerto Rico has vaulted into the presidential primary
limelight like never before, both as a campaign stop and a campaign issue.
Between the well-publicized ravages of Hurricane Maria, loud criticisms of
President Donald Trump’s disaster response and the delegate yield from the
commonwealth’s primary, Puerto Rico is now something close to a must-stop
for Democratic White House hopefuls.” Politico added, “With 64 delegates at
stake and a population of about 3.2 million, Puerto Rico is larger than 21
other states.”
O’Rourke Has Reached Decision On 2020 Race, To Announce Plans “Soon.”

The Dallas Morning News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=00d-bd1&t=c>
(2/27, Jeffers) reports that ex-Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) “has decided not
to” mount a 2020 challenge to Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) “and likely will
announce a campaign for president soon,” according to “people close to the”
Democrat. The Morning News adds, “Numerous people close to O’Rourke said
they expect him to announce his presidential campaign within weeks.
O’Rourke on Wednesday wouldn’t reveal his political plans except to say he
has made up his mind. ‘Amy and I have made a decision about how we can best
serve our country,’ he said in an exclusive statement to The Dallas Morning
News. ‘We are excited to share it with everyone soon.’”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=00e-47e&t=c>
(2/27, Weissert) reports that O’Rourke’s statement increased “anticipation
that one of the most buzzed-about candidates in the already crowded
Democratic field may finally be ready to formally join the race.” The Houston
Chronicle
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=00f-fa0&t=c>
(2/27, Diaz) reports that O’Rourke, who narrowly lost to Sen. Ted Cruz
(R-TX) last year, “has been riding on a wave of national publicity ever
since.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=010-4ca&t=c>
(2/27, Astor) reports that O’Rourke’s spokesperson Chris Evans “would not
comment on whether the former congressman had decided to forgo a 2020
Senate run. But since almost the moment he conceded” to Cruz, “the larger
speculation has been whether he will try to translate his appeal in Texas,
where he presented himself as a unifier, to a national primary.”

In an online article, CNN
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=011-cdf&t=c>
(2/27, Bradner) reported, “As he arrived at a Moms Demand Action for Gun
Sense in America event in El Paso, O’Rourke told CNN that an announcement
on his plans is coming ‘soon’ but wouldn’t go into any more detail. ‘I’m
going to make an announcement soon. I’m going to be making the same
announcement to everyone at the same time,’ he said. ‘That’s all I can say
at this time.’” Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=012-5df&t=c>
(2/27, Caplan) also reported on the story.
CNN Failed To Disclose Democratic Ties Of Sanders’ Town Hall Questioners.

The New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=013-482&t=c>
(2/27, Brown) reports that CNN admitted Wednesday that “it failed to
disclose the Democratic Party ties of audience members who asked questions
during its recent...town hall” event featuring Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
CNN said in a statement, “Though we said at the beginning of the Town Hall
that the audience was made up of Democrats and Independents, we should have
more fully identified any political affiliations.” CNN has faced criticism
“for presenting the questioners on Monday’s episode as everyday voters,
without mentioning that some are local party officials or work for
politically-connected firms.”

*Sanders To Hold His First 2020 Campaign Rally In Brooklyn. *The
Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=014-52b&t=c>
(2/27, Bowden) reported that Sanders on Wednesday announced that he “will
hold his first campaign rally of the 2020 cycle in his home town of
Brooklyn, New York.” Sanders tweeted, “On Saturday I’m going back to
Brooklyn, where I was born and raised, for the first rally of our campaign.
Let’s show Trump and the powerful special interests what they’re up
against.”
Inslee Expected To Announce 2020 Bid This Week.

The Seattle Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=015-f7d&t=c>
(2/27, Brunner) reports that Gov. Jay Inslee (D-WA) “is preparing to launch
a” 2020 White House run, “with an announcement expected this week. Inslee
has foreshadowed his plans to run as a climate hawk in a recent round of
national media interviews, saying he’s made a decision and could announce
his intentions within days. Multiple sources in Washington politics said
Inslee intends to roll out his campaign by the end of the week, testing his
viability as a 2020 Democratic nominee while leaving open the option of
seeking” reelection “if his national candidacy flames out.” In an online
article, KIRO-TV
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=016-ca2&t=c>
Seattle (2/27, Porter) reported that Inslee’s “announcement will come
Friday,” according to “sources.”
Una Nation Offers Warren Enrollment In Its “Mixed-Blood” Tribe.

The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=017-7ec&t=c>
(2/27, Richardson) reports that presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth
Warren (D-MA) “may lack the heritage necessary to qualify for membership in
the Cherokee Nation, but she’s got what it takes to become a Una. The Una
Nation of Oregon, founded in 2009, has granted” Warren “enrollment in its
unrecognized ‘mixed-blood’ tribe, which only requires would-be members to
show one Native American ancestor.” Warren “released a DNA test in October
showing that she had an indigenous ancestor dating back six to 10
generations – meaning she’s between 1/64th and 1/1024th Native American –
after years of criticism over her claims of Cherokee ancestry.”
Stephens Advises Klobuchar To Apologize To Aides.

Bret Stephens writes in his New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=018-e24&t=c>
(2/27) column about Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), citing a recent Times
article about her “horrible” behavior towards employees. Regarding her
presidential candidacy, Stephens writes, “Whatever else Americans may need
in our next commander in chief, what we don’t need is an irascible
executive.” Stephens says that “calming the country requires calm at the
top.” He advises Klobuchar “to make amends” with former aides who’ve
alleged mistreatment, concluding, “The statute of limitations on apologies
never expires.”
Media Analyses: Governors Face Hurdles In 2020 Democratic Race.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=019-23c&t=c>
(2/27, Slodysko) reported that Democratic governors running for president
in 2020 “are likely to run into a major hurdle: money, or rather, a lack
thereof. Of the current and former governors who are considering a
presidential campaign” – among them Govs. Steve Bullock (D-MT) and Jay
Inslee (D-WA) and ex-Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) – “none have the name
recognition enjoyed by a pack of senators who are already in the race. They
risk being further overshadowed if a heavyweight such as former Vice
President Joe Biden jumps in, as he strongly suggested on Tuesday that he
would.” With the lack of “name recognition, attracting small, online”
donations “could be difficult as could convincing big donors to invest.”

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=01a-f75&t=c>
(2/27, Wilson) reported, “In different times, successful governors would
rocket to the top of the Democratic field, with clear resumes of
accomplishments to contrast with senators more accustomed to talking than
passing bills. But this year, the four governors likely to enter the race
for president in the coming days and weeks” – Bullock, Hickenlooper,
Inslee, and ex-Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D-VA) – “begin as distinct long shots
against rising rock stars already in the race.” The Hill added, “Making
matters more complex for those governors is the fact that they are straight
white men running against the most diverse field ever to seek the
presidency.”
All Democratic Senators In 2020 Race Received Perfect Scores From
Environmentalists Last Year.

In an online article, the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=01b-ad1&t=c>
(2/27, Grandoni) asked that among the candidates running in the 2020 race
for the White House, “which Democratic senator had the best environmental
voting record in Congress last year? The answer: all of them. Each senator
who has announced their candidacy for president received perfect scores in
an annual voting scorecard kept by the League of Conservation Voters.” The
Post added that Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Kamala
Harris (D-CA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Elizabeth
Warren (D-MA) “always aligned with positions the environmental organization
deemed ‘pro-environment.’ So too did a handful of Senate Democrats thought
to be considering” bids: Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Sherrod Brown (D-OH),
and Jeff Merkley (D-OR). Bloomberg Environment
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=01c-49e&t=c>
(2/27, Stecker) also reports on the story.
Leading the News
Trump-Kim Summit Comes To Abrupt End Over Lack Of Agreement On Sanctions.

President Trump’s summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un came
to what multiple outlets call an “abrupt” end several hours earlier than
expected on Thursday after the two sides were unable to reach agreement on
the lifting of US sanctions. The collapse of the talks was in contrast with
upbeat earlier coverage as the two leaders began their second summit over
North Korea’s nuclear program.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=01d-a61&t=c>
(2/28, Riechmann, Lemire, Klug) reports the summit “collapsed Thursday
after the two sides failed to reach a deal due to a standoff over U.S.
sanctions on the reclusive nation, a stunning end to high-stakes meetings
meant to disarm a global threat.” At a new conference “after the abrupt end
to the talks,” Trump “said the breakdown occurred over North Korea’s
insistence that all punishing sanctions the U.S. had imposed on North Korea
be lifted without Pyongyang committing to eliminate its entire nuclear
arsenal.” The President said, “Sometimes you have to walk.” Bloomberg
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=01e-c98&t=c>
(2/28) reports Trump said he “can’t say when another meeting might happen
with Kim.” He said “it could be soon or ‘it may not be for a long time.’”

USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=01f-fda&t=c>
(2/28, Jackson) reports Trump and Kim “abruptly ended summit talks earlier
than scheduled.” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said, “No
agreement was reached at this time, but their respective teams look forward
to meeting in the future.” USA Today says the “stunning announcement came
after Trump and Kim tamped down expectations for the two-day summit that
played out amid ceremony in Vietnam and political turmoil in the United
States.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=020-8bf&t=c>
(2/27) reports, “A day that started with the promise of a denuclearization
deal and talks of an official declaration to the end the Korean War, ended
abruptly without a deal.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=021-3d4&t=c>
(2/28, Rucker, Nakamura, Denyer) reports that though Kim “said he was ready
in principle to denuclearize, his talks with Trump collapsed unexpectedly
as the two men and their delegations departed their meeting site in
Vietnam’s capital city without sitting for a planned lunch and or
participating in a signing ceremony.” The President “said he felt he had to
‘walk’ from the negotiating table, in part because Kim wanted the United
States to lift economic sanctions on North Korea in their entirety.”

The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=022-6a8&t=c>
(2/28, Bengali) reports the summit was “cut short” in “a setback to Trump’s
high-profile diplomatic outreach to the reclusive nation.” Fox News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=023-551&t=c>
(2/28, Re) reports on its website that the talks “wrapped up significantly
earlier than expected.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=024-64b&t=c>
(2/27, Oprysko) reports that “after several hours of meetings, it appeared
that talks might be falling apart.” The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=025-830&t=c>
(2/28, Kheel) reports, “Despite the outcome, Trump said his second summit
with North Korean leader Kim was ‘very productive,’” and Secretary of State
Pompeo “expressed hope talks would continue in the ‘days and weeks ahead.’”

Eli Stokols of the Los Angeles Times tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=026-97e&t=c>,
“Trump says Kim agreed to dismantle Yongbyon but that it wasn’t enough:
‘That facility, while very big, it wasn’t enough to do what we were doing.
We had to have more than that.’” David Nakamura of the Washington Post
tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=027-b06&t=c>,
“Trump says Kim told him last night he will maintain moratorium on nuclear
weapons and missiles. ‘I trust him. I take him at his word.’”

James Hohmann of the Washington Post tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=028-929&t=c>,
“Donald Trump’s presser summed up in one sentence: ‘When we walked away, it
was a very friendly walk.’” CNBC’s Christina Wilkie tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=029-2b8&t=c>,
“Trump ends the Hanoi presser, says he’s flying home now. A stunning 24
hours covering this administration.”

*Trump And Kim Had Both Expressed Optimism About Meetings. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=02a-841&t=c>
(2/27, Mason, Kim) reported earlier that Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=02b-67f&t=c>
after a dinner with Kim at Hanoi’s Metropole hotel that they had had “Great
meetings” and a “Very good dialogue,” while “the White House said the two
planned to sign a ‘joint agreement’ after further talks on Thursday.” As
the two leaders shook hands before heading to dinner, “Trump told reporters
he thought the talks would be very successful, and when asked if he was
‘walking back’ on denuclearization demands, said, ‘No.’” For his part, Kim
said, “Now that we’re meeting here again like this, I’m confident that
there will be an excellent outcome that everyone welcomes, and I’ll do my
best to make it happen.”

NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=02c-679&t=c>
(2/27, story 4, 3:10, Holt) showed Trump saying, “A lot of things are going
to be solved, I hope.” The New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=02d-420&t=c>
(2/27, Lapin), however, reports Trump indicated “he wasn’t in a hurry” to
make a deal, saying, “We are going to see, there is no rush, we want to do
the right deal.” ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=02e-c18&t=c>
(2/27, story 3, 2:00, Muir) reported Kim also “talked of patience,” saying,
“Here we are today, sitting next to each other, and that gives us a hope
that we’ll be successful this time.”

AFP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=02f-9eb&t=c>
(2/27) says the two “shook hands and dined...expressing optimism that their
highly personal brand of diplomacy will lead to a deal,” and Bloomberg
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=030-280&t=c>
(2/27, Sink, Lee, Talev) likewise reports they “sounded an optimistic note
at the start of their second set of face-to-face meetings.” At a dinner
that included Pompeo and “Kim’s No. 2, Kim Yong Chol,” Trump called their
first summit in Singapore “very successful” and said, “I think this one
will hopefully be equal or greater.” He said North Korea “has tremendous
economic potential. I look forward to watching it happen.” Kim “smiled
throughout Trump’s remarks,” and said the leaders are meeting despite “eyes
of distrust and misunderstanding everywhere and hostile old practices” that
have tried to stop them since their last meeting.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=031-4ce&t=c>
(2/27, Wong, Sanger) quotes Trump as telling Kim after the two shook hands,
“I think you will have a tremendous future with your country – a great
leader. And I look forward to watching it happen and helping it to happen.”
To the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=032-f53&t=c>
(2/27, Denyer), “Trump opened two days of summits Wednesday by offering a
public embrace of [Kim], referring to the brutal authoritarian ruler as ‘my
friend’ and holding up Vietnam as a model for economic growth for Kim’s
nation if he pursues steps to denuclearize.”

The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=033-9db&t=c>
(2/27, Boyer, Taylor) reports that the two leaders “then, with no aides and
only interpreters present...huddled in a conference room in their first
face-to-face meeting since their breakthrough summit in Singapore eight
months ago. They later ate dinner together, joined by two key advisers from
each side.” The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=034-087&t=c>
(2/27, Riechmann, Klug) reports that “only four other ears on the planet
heard” what Trump and Kim “said to each other Wednesday during a one-on-one
chat that began their second nuclear summit. The two leaders’ interpreters
were the only others privy to their conversation, raising concerns about
why Trump would risk meeting Kim, who has threatened the US with nuclear
strikes and has a dismal human rights record, without staff to take notes.”
The AP warns that “absent a detailed historical record and corroborating
witnesses, the leaders could potentially leave a meeting and misrepresent
what transpired, prompting a kind of he said-he said showdown of words.”

Major Garrett reported on the CBS Evening News[image: Image removed
by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=035-0ef&t=c>
(2/27, story 3, 1:45, Glor) that “the top US goal” is “concrete steps from
the North to dismantle its nuclear program,” while North Korea “wants
relief from economic sanctions.” A signing ceremony has been scheduled to
follow “a morning full of meetings,” and President Trump is expected to
hold a news conference. However, Hallie Jackson reported on NBC
Nightly News[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=036-937&t=c>
(2/27, story 5, 0:40, Holt) that this second summit will probably not
result in “an earth-shattering breakthrough, based on what we’re hearing
from our sources and the way the White House is working to downplay
expectations.” Jackson added that, according to “multiple officials
familiar with the process,” “the US plans to drop a demand for now that
North Korea share a full list of all its nuclear weapons and ballistic
missile programs.” However, “if the US can get Pyongyang to agree to
dismantle parts of a key nuclear facility, experts say that would be a
significant step toward denuclearization.”

Margaret Brennan reported on the CBS Evening News[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=037-b64&t=c>
(2/27, story 4, 1:20, Glor) that the meeting has diplomats “nervous” after
what happened after the first summit in Singapore, “when the President
announced something negotiators had not agreed to, which is a suspension of
military exercises.” According to Brennan, “The concern is this time that
the President could agreed to something that’s a short-term win with no
long-term benefits.” Martha Raddatz reported on ABC World News Tonight[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=038-de0&t=c>
(2/27, story 4, 0:30, Muir) that “everybody is going to be looking at
President Trump,” waiting to see if he will “back off some of those demands
they made last June.”

Bret Baier said on Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=039-27e&t=c>
(2/27), “This is different than other summits where teams of diplomats go
in and kind of iron out all the details and minutiae and then the
principles come in and sign the paper. This has to do with the one-on-one
personalities of President Trump and Kim Jong-un about what Kim is going to
agree to or not and whether the US is going to hold the line on
denuclearization. Everything I’m hearing is, they want to define success as
getting Kim to give up his nuclear weapons to see the economic success of a
place like here in Vietnam or Singapore the site of the first summit.”

Alex Wayne of Bloomberg said on Fox News Special Report[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=03a-619&t=c>
(2/27), “I would be surprised if Kim is as eager for Western economic
development in his country as the President seems to think he is. I think
Kim would regard Western development, fast food restaurants, and US
clothing stores, and Hollywood movies in North Korea as a threat to his
regime. When people start seeing those sorts of luxuries, they begin to
wonder why the regime has been withholding the stuff from us for so long.”

*White House Bans Four US Journalists From Trump-Kim Dinner.
*The Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=03b-a87&t=c>
(2/27, Dawsey) reports the White House “abruptly banned four US journalists
from covering President Trump’s dinner...Wednesday with North Korean
dictator Kim Jong Un after some of them shouted questions at the leaders
during their earlier meetings.” Reporters from the Associated Press,
Bloomberg, the Los Angeles Times and Reuters were “excluded from covering
the dinner” because of what White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said
were “sensitivities over shouted questions in the previous sprays.” The
Post calls the “move to restrict press access...an extraordinary act of
retaliation by the US government. ... It was especially remarkable because
it came during Trump’s meeting with the leader of a totalitarian state that
does not have a free press.”

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=03c-d2c&t=c>
(2/27, Holland) says “reporters in the pool regularly shout out questions
to leaders and on Wednesday they asked Trump about the summit and the
testimony in Congress of his former attorney” Michael Cohen. According to
Reuters, “the pool was present when Trump and Kim first met and shook
hands.” At the conclusion of the spray, “the AP’s Lemire asked Trump if he
had a reaction to Cohen’s testimony due to take place later on Wednesday,”
Trump “scowled and shook his head.” After the interaction, Sanders
“expressed concern about the questions asked and announced that the third
‘pool spray’ would be limited to photographers.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=03d-464&t=c>
(2/27, Lemire, Colvin) reports Sanders released a statement saying that due
to the “sensitive nature of the meetings we have limited the pool for
dinner to a smaller group.” The AP says “the decision to bar reporters
Wednesday was an abrupt change of plans.” In a statement, White House
Correspondents’ Association president Olivier Knox said the organization
“strenuously objects” to the restrictions. Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=03e-9cf&t=c>
(2/27, Restuccia, Galioto) likewise reports the “decision to clamp down on
media coverage of the historic summit sparked outrage among the White House
press corps and prompted immediate accusations that the White House was
punishing journalists for asking the president uncomfortable questions.”

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=03f-a57&t=c>
(2/27, Grynbaum, Rogers) says it is “highly unusual for a presidential
administration to retaliate against reporters by restricting their access,
particularly at a closely scrutinized foreign summit meeting.”

*Graham: Kim Is Talking To Trump Because He Believed Trump Would
Use Force. *Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said on Fox News’ Hannity[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=040-e62&t=c>
(2/27), “Why is Trump meeting with North Korea when North Korea wouldn’t
meet with anybody else? I think President Trump rattled North Korea. I
think they believed that President Trump would use military force to stop
their nuclear missile program if he had to. He took them seriously and
Trump’s giving them a way out. Chairman Kim, if you’re smart, you’ll take
the way out given to you by President Trump. If you’re actually trying to
play the guy, you’re going to regret this effort.”

Ed Henry said on Fox News’ Hannity[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=041-61d&t=c>
(2/27), “What Democrats don’t want to admit is there’s been progress
already and that President Trump inherited this problem from Barack Obama.
When President Trump came to office, the threshold that was crossed by the
North Koreans that led President Trump to take all this heat, for talking
about ‘Little Rocket Man’ and ‘fire and fury’ raining down from the US
military was because Kim Jong-un had passed the threshold of getting a
miniaturized nuclear weapon and putting it in a missile and...could
potentially reach Boston, New York, Chicago. That’s real. That is
remarkable.”

Sean Hannity said on Fox News’ Hannity[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=042-055&t=c>
(2/27), “Can you imagine if the President gets this accomplished? Wow. Some
people might say he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize more than Obama.”

*Missing American’s Family Hopes Trump Will Raise Case With Kim. *The
Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=043-913&t=c>
(2/27, Fifield) reports the family of David Sneddon, a Brigham Young
University student who went missing while hiking in China 14 years ago,
hopes Trump will ask Kim about their son when the two meet. According to
the Post, “one theory is that North Korea could have been involved in his
disappearance.” A year after Sneddon went missing, “a Japanese group that
works on abduction cases said it had Chinese documents proving that a 23-
or 24-year-old American man had been arrested in Yunnan. Then, it said,
North Korean agents had taken him away.”

*Hillary Clinton: Summit Is A “Fantasy.” *Axios
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=044-528&t=c>
(2/27, Lawler) reports Hillary Clinton said in an interview Wednesday “that
‘Trump’s fantasy about negotiating with the North Koreans’ is more a play
for positive headlines – or even a Nobel Prize – than national security.”
In an appearance on the TBD with Tina Brown podcast, Clinton said she
doesn’t know “whose national security interests Trump is either pursuing or
will actually try to defend” as he meets with Kim.

*Rodman Offers Trump Help With North Korea Talks. *The New York Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=045-f2c&t=c>
(2/27, Moore) reports Dennis Rodman on Wednesday “offered to help President
Trump with the North Korea talks, saying his bromance with the dictator
could be useful in brokering peace, according to a letter exclusively
obtained by The Post.” In a letter to Trump, Rodman wrote, “As your staff
is aware, based on our discussions, you have my continued and strong
commitment to assisting in your talks with North Korea. My continued
friendship with Chairman Kim remains strong – a friendship I encourage you
to continue to use for our Nation’s benefit.”
Foreign Policy
US Urges Calm After India, Pakistan Claim To Down Each Other’s Jets.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=046-954&t=c>
(2/27, Mackenzie, Pal) reports India and Pakistan “both said they shot down
each other’s fighter jets on Wednesday, with Pakistan capturing an Indian
pilot a day after Indian warplanes struck inside Pakistan for the first
time since a 1971 war.” In addition, “both countries have ordered air
strikes 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.” The White House “strongly condemned the
intensifying conflict” and called on “both sides to take immediate steps to
de-escalate the situation.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=047-c98&t=c>
(2/27, Mughal, Hussain) reports that “within hours” of the jets’ downings,
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan “went on television urging peace talks
with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying both countries needed to
step back from the brink and warning that ‘miscalculations’ could drag
their two countries into a war that neither side would benefit from.”
According to the AP, “there was no reply from Modi.” Bloomberg
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=048-360&t=c>
(2/27, Marlow, Haider, Pradhan, Mangi) likewise says “Modi has yet to
comment on the latest escalation.” Secretary of State Pompeo “called the
foreign ministers of both countries on Wednesday.” Pompeo told reporters,
“We encourage India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, and avoid
escalation at any cost.” The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=049-ad7&t=c>
(2/27, Wolfgang) quotes Pompeo as saying, “I also encouraged both ministers
to prioritize direct communication and avoid further military activity.”
The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=04a-b58&t=c>
(2/27, Shah) reports that the US and other governments urged the two
nations to refrain from escalating tensions.

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=04b-272&t=c>
(2/27, Abi-Habib, Kumar) reports Indian officials “confirmed that an Indian
Air Force pilot was in Pakistani custody, complicating an already tough
landscape for...Modi ahead of hotly contested elections.” The Times says
the “fate of the Indian Air Force pilot in Pakistani custody was likely to
further roil India ahead of the election, and New Delhi urged that he be
treated with respect under the Geneva Convention.” ABC World News
Tonight[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=04c-73b&t=c>
(2/27, story 8, 1:10, Muir) reported India is “demanding the safe and
immediate release of the fighter pilot seen here bloodied and blindfolded.”

To the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=04d-622&t=c>
(2/27, Slater), the “tit-for-tat aerial strikes marked the first serious
military escalation between the two nuclear-armed rivals in two
decades.” A Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=04e-172&t=c>
(2/27, Masih) analysis says “as hostilities escalate between India and
Pakistan, the world is getting a taste of what a limited war between two
nuclear-armed rivals might look like.”
USTR To Suspend China Tariff Hike “Until Further Notice.”

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=04f-a03&t=c>
(2/27, Lawder) reports the USTR’s office said Wednesday it would move to
“formally suspend a scheduled tariff increase on Chinese goods ‘until
further notice’ following President Donald Trump’s decision to delay his
Friday deadline for a US-China trade deal amid progress in their talks.” In
a statement, the office said, “In accordance with the President’s
direction, the Office of the United States Trade Representative will
publish a notice in the Federal Register this week to suspend the scheduled
tariff increase until further notice.” According to the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=050-623&t=c>
(2/27, Davis, Mauldin), the move is the strongest sign yet that a deal
between the US and China is close.

*Lighthizer: “Much Still Needs To Be Done” To Reach Trade Deal With
China. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=051-589&t=c>
(2/27, Rugaber, Wiseman) reports that in an appearance before the House
Ways and Means Committee Wednesday, USTR Lighthizer said “a US-China trade
agreement is far from completion and will require much more work,
particularly on enforcement.” Said Lighthizer, “Much still needs to be done
before an agreement can be reached. ... If we can complete this effort, and
again I say if, and can reach a satisfactory solution to the issue of
enforceability...we might have an agreement that turns the corner in our
economic relationship with China.” The AP says that while President Trump
“held out hope earlier this week that an agreement could be reached,”
Lighthizer’s testimony “suggested the two sides are still far apart.”

According to Bloomberg
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=052-850&t=c>
(2/27, Mayeda, Leonard), Lighthizer said the US is pushing for a trade deal
with China that includes “significant structural changes” to China’s
“economic model, as well as provisions that ensure Beijing keeps its
promises.” Lighthizer, however, said “it’s still too early to tell if China
will concede to US demands,” but there are “plans underway for Trump to
invite his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for a summit to finalize a
potential agreement.” Said Lighthizer, “This administration is pressing for
significant structural changes that would allow for a more level playing
field – especially when it comes to issues of intellectual property rights
and technology transfers.”

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=053-fcf&t=c>
(2/27, Lawder) reports Lighthizer said the Administration “wants meetings
as regularly as once a month to ensure enforcement of any potential trade
pact with China.” The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=054-b0d&t=c>
(2/27, Lynch) reports Lighthizer also said the Administration “wants to
reserve the right to act ‘unilaterally’ at the conclusion of that
months-long process by imposing tariffs or other punitive measures.”
Trump Signs Boeing Trade Agreement With Vietnam.

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=055-2bd&t=c>
(2/27, Morin) reports President Trump on Wednesday signed a trade deal with
Vietnam “valued at more than $20 billion, with several of the country’s
airlines agreeing to buy Boeing jets and technology from the US.” Under the
deal, VietJet agreed to buy “100 Boeing 737-Max jets and 215 GE/CFM joint
venture engines, and Bamboo Airways is buying 10 Boeing 787-9 jets.” In
addition, Vietnam Airlines is buying “$100 million in services and
technology from Sabre Corp.” Trump “praised the trade agreements before
signing them.”
Sources: Kushner Faces Resistance To Peace Plan On Mideast Tour.

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=056-f52&t=c>
(2/27, Kalin, Ghantous) reports White House senior adviser Jared Kushner
“made a whirlwind visit this week to rally US-allied Gulf Arab allies to
support his still- unannounced Middle East peace plan, the leaked contours
of which suggest little has been done to address Arab demands.” Two sources
“in the Gulf” told Reuters Kushner’s plan “does not appear to have
progressed since his last regional tour in June, focusing largely on
economic initiatives at the expense of a land-for-peace deal.” Kushner met
with leaders in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman, and “three
sources said Kushner had gone to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday although there was
no official statement on the visit or his meetings with King Salman and
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.”

Bloomberg
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=057-7d0&t=c>
(2/27, Faries, Gallu) reports the White House, however, said in a statement
that Kushner “and two other senior administration officials” met with the
Crown Prince and King Salman to discuss “increasing cooperation between the
United States and Saudi Arabia, and the Trump Administration’s efforts to
facilitate peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=058-a9c&t=c>
(2/27, Galioto) notes the meeting marked the first time a US delegation met
with the Crown Prince “since the Saudi government’s murder of Washington
Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.” It was unclear whether Khashoggi was
discussed at the meeting. The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=059-b43&t=c>
(2/27, Halaschak) notes there was no mention of Khashoggi in the White
House readout of the meeting.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=05a-76f&t=c>
(2/27), meanwhile, reports Kushner also met Wednesday with Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Another AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=05b-3cc&t=c>
(2/27) report says “senior Israeli Cabinet minister” Naftali Bennett is
calling on President Trump to reveal his Administration’s
“much-anticipated” peace plan before the upcoming Israeli election on April
9. Kushner, however, has said details of the plan would not be released
until after the election. Bennett said “Trump is leaving Israelis in the
dark before a crucial election and ‘friends do not keep secrets’ from each
other.”

*NYTimes Criticizes Netanyahu Alliance With Right-Wing Party. *A New
York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=05c-217&t=c>
(2/27) editorial says that if Benjamin Netanyahu wins reelection in April,
“he is likely to become the longest-serving prime minister in Israeli
history. For that, he seems prepared to make a deal with the devil.”
Netanyahu, the Times says, apparently fears “he can’t afford to lose any of
the tiny right-wing parties vying for spots in the Knesset,” so he entered
into an alliance with Otzma Yehudit, or Jewish Power, which “is led by
followers of the extreme nationalist Meir Kahane, the Brooklyn-born rabbi
whose Kach party was outlawed in Israel in the 1980s and placed on the
American list of terrorist groups in 1997.”
Administration Preparing Sanctions On Cuba Over Support For Maduro.

Bloomberg
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=05d-ef5&t=c>
(2/27, Wicary) reports Cuba may be hit with new US sanctions over its
support for Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. According to Bloomberg,
President Trump “is expected to decide soon whether to activate a
controversial section of American law toward Cuba for the first time ever,
with other measures meant to tighten the screws on Havana likely to
follow.” Bloomberg cautions that “cracking down on Cuba is risky for Trump.
Unless he applies sanctions surgically, they could become headaches for
nations like Canada and the European Union, similar to his decision to
withdraw from the Iran nuclear accord last year.”

*Venezuela Easing Blow Of US Sanctions With Non-US Oil Sales. *The Wall
Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=05e-dd9&t=c>
(2/27, Faucon, Said) reports that amid tightening US sanctions, Venezuela
has shifted some of its oil exports from American refiners to India and
Europe.

*Diplomats Walk Out Of Venezuelan Envoy’s Speech To UN. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=05f-4c4&t=c>
(2/27) reports that “dozens of European and Latin American diplomats
abruptly walked out” of the UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday “to
protest an address by Venezuela’s foreign minister, where he floated the
idea of talks between President Nicolas Maduro and US President Donald
Trump.” Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza told the Council that the two
leaders could seek “common ground” even as he “blasted alleged US
‘aggression’ against his country.” The AP notes that “more than 50 other
countries have recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s
interim president,” and “many of their diplomats – admittedly low-level –
stormed out of the room just as Arreaza arrived to speak.”

*Guaidó To Visit Brazil Thursday. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=060-8e8&t=c>
(2/27, Boadle) reports Guaidó will visit Brazil on Thursday to meet with
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and “other government officials, his
envoy in Brasilia, Maria Teresa Belandria, said by telephone on Wednesday.”
The visit was “first reported by Venezuela’s El Nacional newspaper, which
said Guaidó will visit several Latin American nations to discuss the crisis
in his country.”
Rouhani Rejects Zarif’s Resignation As “Against National Interests.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=061-de8&t=c>
(2/27, Cunningham) reports Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday
“formally rejected the resignation of his Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad
Zarif, and the two appeared together” to greet Armenian Prime Minister
Nikol Pashinyan in Tehran. In a letter published by state media, Rouhani
said accepting Zarif’s resignation would be “against national interests,”
and called him a “honest, brave and pious person.” The rejection, says the
Post, “ended, at least temporarily, a high-stakes political drama that
consumed” Tehran this week.

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=062-81c&t=c>
(2/27, Karimi) quotes Rouhani’s letter as saying, “Since I consider you in
the front line of resistance against broad pressures by the US, I consider
acceptance of your resignation against the expedience of the country and I
do not agree with it.”

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=063-05b&t=c>
(2/27, Hafezi, Sharafedin) reports Zarif’s “sudden resignation” earlier
this week “was prompted by his indignation of being excluded from meetings
in Tehran between top Iranian officials and Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad, an aide said.” In what Reuters calls a “sign Zarif is firmly back
in the job, Assad invited Zarif to visit Damascus, state news agency IRNA
reported.”
Trudeau’s Ex-AG Says PM, Others Pressured Her To Drop Case Against
SNC-Lavalin.

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=064-3cb&t=c>
(2/27, Coletta) reports Jody Wilson-Raybould, Canada’s former attorney
general and justice minister, in a “fiery testimony delivered before a
parliamentary justice committee” Wednesday, “accused Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau’s office and other public servants of applying ‘consistent and
sustained’ political pressure to halt the criminal fraud and bribery
prosecution of...Quebec-based construction and engineering giant”
SNC-Lavalin. Wilson-Raybould said 11 people were involved in what she
described as an “inappropriate” pressure campaign. According to the Post,
“Trudeau initially dismissed the allegations as ‘false’ but has since said
that, while he did discuss the SNC-Lavalin prosecution with
Wilson-Raybould, the decision on the prosecution of the company was ‘hers
alone’ to make. He added that if she at any time felt she was being
improperly pressured, she should have raised it with him directly.”

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=065-305&t=c>
(2/27, Austen) reports Wilson-Raybould’s “often inflammatory and defiant
testimony...is likely to provide ample fuel for opposition politicians as
campaigning for the general election in October gears up,” but as her
testimony lacked a “smoking gun,” any “damage to Mr. Trudeau may ultimately
be contained. In the short term, however, the testimony has put his
government firmly into damage control mode.” Indeed, shortly after
Wilson-Raybould’s testimony ended, “Andrew Scheer, the leader of the
opposition Conservative Party, called on Mr. Trudeau to resign immediately”
and “on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to open an obstruction of justice
investigation.”
Domestic Policy
Cohen Says Trump Broke Law While In Office, Knew In Advance About WikiLeaks
DNC Email Release.

Coverage of the appearance of President Trump’s former attorney Michael
Cohen before the House Oversight and Reform Committee eclipsed reporting on
the President’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. All three
broadcast networks opened with reports on the hearing that ran from six to
nine minutes, and their total coverage topped 27 minutes between them. By
contrast, they spent less than 10 minutes on the summit. Reports describe
the Cohen hearing as a high-profile event full of quotable moments, but
there is no consensus on the ongoing impact of his remarks. Analyses say
Democrats seemed most interested in getting damning words about the
President on the record, while Republicans tried to discredit Cohen but
offered no substantive defense of the President against Cohen’s
allegations.

On ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=066-4c2&t=c>
(2/27, lead story, 6:50), David Muir said Cohen opened “by calling the
President ‘a racist, a con man, and a cheat,’ who allegedly said of his run
for President, ‘This will be the greatest infomercial in political
history.’” ABC’s Mary Bruce: “The hearing room chaotic and intense as
Michael Cohen, the man once trusted to keep the President’s secrets, took
the oath and then delivered blow after blow. ... It was a high stakes
do-over for Cohen, who has pleaded guilty to lying to Congress.” Cohen:
“The last time I appeared before Congress, I came to protect Mr. Trump.
Today, I am here to tell the truth about Mr. Trump.” Bruce: “He came armed
with a long list of accusations. He says the President knew ahead of time
that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was going to release hacked DNC
e-mails that were damaging to Hillary Clinton, because he heard Trump talk
about it in a 2016 call with his adviser, Roger Stone. ... Cohen also
claims Trump expected him to lie to Congress about a Trump Tower Moscow
project, a deal Cohen now admits Trump’s team was negotiating with Russia
well into the campaign.” Bruce reported Cohen also “told Congress the
President ordered him to pay off porn star Stormy Daniels just before the
election.” Cohen: “Mr. Trump directed me to use my own personal funds from
a home equity line of credit to avoid any money being traced back to him
that could negatively impact his campaign.” Bruce: “He produced a check he
says the President gave him to repay that money.” Cohen: “You don’t have to
take my word for it. I don’t want you to. I want you to look at the
documents.”

Jeff Glor reported on the CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=067-353&t=c>
(2/27, lead story, 5:50) that as Trump and Kim prepared to meet, “at the
same time half a world away, the President’s former lawyer told Congress
today that Mr. Trump broke the law while in office. Republicans have fired
back at Michael Cohen, who has pleaded guilty to lying to Congress in the
past. So there you have it: the future of nuclear weapons and sensational
criminal allegations colliding on one unprecedented afternoon.” CBS’ Nancy
Cordes: “Like a witness for the prosecution, the President’s former fixer
and lawyer said he and Mr. Trump committed crimes together.” Cohen: “I am
ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump’s illicit acts
rather than listening to my own conscience.” Cordes: “Cohen told the 42
members of the House Oversight Committee that the President broke federal
campaign finance laws from the Oval Office.”

Lester Holt said on NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2019022801biden&r=email-34a7&l=068-b78&t=c>
(2/27, lead story, 8:30) that Wednesday saw “an explosive split screen
without precedent in modern American history: the President of the United
States overseas here in Vietnam in the midst of a critical summit with the
leader of the most secretive nation on earth, trying to convince him to
give up his nuclear arsenal and change the course of history. At the same
time that plays out here, back home, the President’s former lawyer and
fixer, Michael Cohen, delivering a