From: The Washington Post <[email protected]> To: Subject: The Daily 202: The budget deal shows how unserious the GOP is about deficits in the Trump era Sent: Tue, 23 Jul 2019 14:13:00 +0000 If you're having trouble reading this, click here. Share: MIListen to The Big Idea The budget deal shows how unserious the GOP is about deficits in the Trump era President Trump, accompanied by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, visits the Capitol in March for a lunch with the Republican caucus. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post) BY HOHMANN with Mariana Mara THE BIG IDEA: Mitch McConnell told President Trump privately last month that no politician has ever lost an election for spending more money. That mind-set — caring more about the next election than the next generation — helps explain why the Senate majority leader and the president endorsed a budget deal last night, which still needs to pass Congress, that will raise spending limits by $320 billion while suspending the federal debt ceiling until after both men's 2020 reelection fights. It also illustrates how hollow so much of the rhetoric from McConnell, Trump and other Republicans was during Barack Obama's presidency. Discretionary spending is growing at a faster clip under Trump EFTA00047226

than Obama. The budget deficit and the national debt are growing at even more distressing rates, however, because the Republican tax cuts have reduced revenue even more starkly than the dire forecasts. The Trump administration estimates the deficit this fiscal year will top $1 trillion, up from $779 billion last year. It was $587 billion in 2016, Obama's last full year in office. The national debt was $19 billion when Trump took power and surpassed $22 trillion this month. Even with rock-bottom interest rates, the federal government will pay out more than $350 billion this year to service that debt. If we're running these kinds of deficits when the economy is supposedly booming, think about how bad they'll become when a recession arrives and revenues inevitably shrivel. "This agreement is a total abdication of fiscal responsibility by Congress and the president," said Maya MacGuineas, president of the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. "It may end up being the worst budget agreement in our nation's history, proposed at a time when our fiscal conditions are already precarious." -- There is little, if any, evidence that Trump himself personally cares that the federal balance sheet is drowning in red ink. Undoubtedly, many people who work in the White House — led by acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney — want spending cuts. And these administration officials insist that Trump has told them he wants to make big cuts in 2021 if he wins a second term. But watch what the president does, not what his aides say. Trump also promised before he took office that he'd balance the budget and pay off the entire national debt by the end of a hypothetical second term. Trump, who has referred to himself as "the king of debt," drove multiple businesses into bankruptcy before becoming the first president in U.S. history with no prior governing or military experience. Earlier in his term, advisers presented him with a chart that projected a hockey stick spike EFTA00047227

in the national debt unless major changes are made. Trump shrugged. "Yeah, but I won't be here," he reportedly said. Lately, the president has been recounting the advice he got from McConnell about spending money to West Wing aides. Two people with direct knowledge confirmed to my colleagues recently that the Kentucky Republican delivered that message during a private phone call last month. -- Republican leaders are quick to blame Democrats, noting that Speaker Nancy Pelosi negotiated the deal with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. They say they needed to agree to higher spending levels to get support in the House. That's true to some degree, of course, but Republicans were also on their borrowing binge when they had unified control of government during the first two years of the Trump presidency. This will forever taint Paul Ryan's legacy as speaker. To be sure, the Trump administration has proposed steep spending cuts in each of his budget blueprints, and some of the deficit hawks on his staff tried to insist on cuts during this most recent round of negotiations. "Acting budget director Vought sought last week to force Democrats to commit to $150 billion in budget changes in exchange for the new spending, but his demand was rejected. Instead, negotiators agreed to $77 billion in accounting changes that probably wouldn't constrain any future spending," Paletta and Erica Werner report in their story on the deal. "But the deal locked in more spending for the military, something Trump has tried to make a hallmark of his first 30 months as president." But the only thing the president has really gone to the mat for on Capitol Hill — triggering the longest-ever government shutdown — was to get billions in additional spending to build his proposed border wall. When he couldn't get the money that way, he diverted it from the military construction budget — the legality of which continues to EFTA00047228

be challenged in court. Trump on debt ceiling: 'We can never play with it' -- Leaders from both parties touted goodies they got as they tried to sell their members on the bill. "Democrats have always insisted on parity in increases between defense and non-defense, and we are pleased that our increase in non-defense budget authority exceeds the defense number by $10 billion over the next two years," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a joint statement. "It also means Democrats secured an increase of more than $100 billion in funding for domestic priorities since President Trump took office." House Minority Leader McCarthy (R-Calif.) made a contrary claim as he endorsed the deal. "Given that sequestration cut defense spending more than non-defense, we are pleased that the agreement provides $20 billion more for defense than non-defense over two years," he said in a statement. "While this deal is not perfect, compromise is necessary in divided government." McConnell emphasized the new spending he got for Kentucky for military installations in his state, citing Fort Knox, Fort Campbell and the Blue Grass Army Depot. Missing from his statement was any mention of the debt or the deficit. "While the reality of divided government means this is not exactly the deal Republicans would have written on our own, it is what we need to keep building on that progress," he said. -- This new deal, assuming it passes before Congress leaves town for the month-long August recess, will end the Budget Control Act, which Obama signed into law after House Republicans pushed the EFTA00047229

government to the brink of defaulting on its debt in 2011. "That law, once seen as the Republicans' crowning achievement in the Obama era, set strict spending caps, enforced with automatic spending cuts," the New York Times notes. "But since 2014, a succession of budget deals have waived those caps, and the new deal not only lifts them again but also allows the whole law to expire in 2021. And this time around, the approach of the debt limit hardly caused a ripple of consternation about the rising red ink." • "I've seen no evidence that it's even being discussed," said Sen. Lankford (R-Okla.). "That's the hard part for me." • "It's pretty clear that both houses of Congress and both parties have become big spenders, and Congress is no longer concerned about the extent of the budget deficits or the debt they add," said Club for Growth President McIntosh, a former Republican congressman. -- A few members of the House Freedom Caucus strategized last night about ways to tank this deal, which they see as a betrayal of the tea party principles that they got elected on and warn will "sabotage the fiscal future of our nation." Freshman Rep. Chip Roy (R-Tex.), who was formerly Sen. Ted Cruz's chief of staff, is circulating a letter around Capitol Hill offices to collect signatures before sending it to the White House. "You should veto this bill because it is fiscally irresponsible," the letter says, "indulging our national spending addiction." "Other likely backers include GOP Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Cloud of Texas and Debbie Lesko of Arizona, who, like Roy, are members of the hardline House Freedom Caucus," Politico reports. "Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FLa.), a top Trump ally on Capitol Hill, is also expected to sign on to the letter." EFTA00047230

Mark Sanford, the former South Carolina governor and congressman who lost reelection last year after Trump endorsed his primary challenger, suggested last week that the growing debt and government spending would be a centerpiece of the long-shot primary challenge that he's mulling against Trump. -- Other fiscal conservatives who don't need to worry about running for reelection lamented the direction that the GOP has taken under his stewardship. "There are no small government conservatives left in Washington," tweeted Joe Scarborough, who represented the Florida Panhandle in Congress as a Republican from 1995 to 2001 and now hosts a morning show on MSNBC. "If Newt Gingrich agreed to this deal, we would have run him out of DC on the same day. We balanced the budget four years in a row. These Big Government Republicans are bankrupting us." Conservative talk radio host Erick Erickson from Georgia noted that his party demands fiscal discipline only when Democrats are in the White House. "This is a bad deal that puts us many steps closer to bankruptcy," he tweeted. "No leaders in Washington want to restore any fiscal sanity. Why is it always only a [Democrat] in the White House and [Republicans] in Congress that get us fiscal sanity, i.e. [Bill] Clinton balanced budget & sequestration under Obama?" -- Social media buzzed about the deal: Nancy Pelosi was spotted negotiating while sitting on a delayed flight: CONTENT FROM AT&T BUSINESS A More Secure Foundation for a 5G World Learn how businesses can help safeguard their data in a 5G- con nected future EFTA00047231

An editor for the Bulwark, a conservative publication, noted how Trump has changed his tune entirely on the debt ceiling: Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.) criticized the deal by sharing a G IF of the Joker lighting a pile of money on fire from the 2008 Batman movie "The Dark Knight." In the scene, the Joker says: "All you care about is money. This town deserves a better class of criminal. And I'm going to give it to them." Cruz, who has already abandoned in the Trump era several of what he used to call his core principles, refused to talk about the deal when approached by CNN: There was also criticism from the left: Subscribe on Amazon Echo Google Home, Apple HomePod and other podcast players. EFTA00047232

Welcome to the Daily 202, PowerPost's morning briefing for decision-makers. Sign up to receive the newsletter. WHILE YOU WERE IN YOUR MORNING MEETINGS: Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, who is trying to kick millions off food stamps, arrives at the White House in May to watch Trump announce billions in bailouts for farmers in red states who are suffering because of the president's trade wars. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed new rules this morning to limit access to food stamps for households with savings and other assets, a measure that officials said would cut benefits to about 3 million people. IM Reiley reports: "In a telephone call with reporters, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Acting Deputy Under Secretary Brandon Lipps said the proposed new rules for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) were aimed at ending automatic eligibility for those who were already receiving federal and state assistance. Forty-three states now grant automatic eligibility to low-income people already receiving other government benefits, without undergoing income or asset tests. Lipps said the proposal would result in an annual budgetary savings of $2.5 billion." Putting the numbers in perspective: "Current rules give states latitude to raise SNAP income eligibility limits so that low-income families with housing and child care costs that consume a sizable share of their income can continue to receive help affording adequate food. This option also allows states to adopt less restrictive asset tests so that families, seniors and people with a disability can have modest savings or own their own home without losing SNAP benefits. ... To be eligible for SNAP, a household's gross income must be below 130 percent of the federal poverty line. In 2019, that works out to $32,640 a year for a EFTA00047233

family of four. Democrats pointed out that the benefit amounts to $1.40 per person per meal." Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, says Trump is making an end run around Congress, which blocked his earlier proposals to slash food stamps in the farm bill. "This rule would take food away from families, prevent children from getting school meals, and make it harder for states to administer food assistance," she said. Former vice president Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event in an electrical workers union hall in Las Vegas. (John Locher/AP) -- Another huge flip-flop: After spending half a century advocating for capital punishment, former vice president Joe Biden this morning proposed abolishing the death penalty at the federal level and offering incentives for states to follow suit. It's one of several ideas in a new criminal justice plan that are at odds with the 1994 crime bill he quarterbacked. "Convicted criminals who would face execution under current law would instead be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole," Sean Sullivan reports. "Biden's plan also would decriminalize marijuana and expunge past cannabis-related convictions; end the disparity between sentences for powder and crack cocaine; and do away with all incarceration for drug use alone. ... Biden's proposal also calls for ending cash bail and terminating the federal government's use of private prisons. ... The plan would invest $1 billion annually in juvenile justice reform. It also would seek to give states incentives to stop incarcerating minors." -- In a profile for the New York Times Sunday Magazine, Biden says that the general election will be a "referendum" on Trump and his fitness for office. MI Steinberaer reports: "I asked if he thought he would have beaten Trump in 2016. 'I don't know,' he said. 'Everybody EFTA00047234

says that. But look, I don't know. You've got to be in the game. I thought Hillary would have made a good president.' ... Biden prefers to talk about next year's face-off with Trump — 'a battle for the soul of America' — in place of the ongoing fight for the soul of the Democratic Party. ... When I caught up with him in New Hampshire this month, he dismissed claims of a rift between hard-line progressives and less strident ones as an 'artificial division.' He also spoke admiringly of [Rep. Alexandria] Ocasio-Cortez, describing her as 'smart as the devil.- Boris speaks in London. (Simon Dawson/Bloomberg News) -- Boris is the next British prime minister. William Booth and Karla report from London: "The bombastic, Latin-quoting, Oxford classicist with the mop of intentionally mussed yellow hair, who made his name as an over-the-top journalist in Brussels and then as London mayor and galvanized the successful Brexit campaign in 2016, will likely walk through the black enameled door of 10 Downing Street on Wednesday — fulfilling what his biographers describe as his relentless 'blond ambition' to follow his hero, Winston Churchill, into the top spot. ... On Wednesday, Theresa May will deliver her last remarks at a question-and-answer session in the House of Commons and then she will travel to Buckingham Palace to resign. will follow her to the palace, where Queen Elizabeth II will name him prime minister and ask him to form a new government. will be 14th prime minister during the queen's long reign. ... "Writing in Monday's Telegraph, said, `it is time this country recovered some its can-do spirit.' He said that if the Americans could land men on the moon 50 years ago using hand-sewn bits of computer code, then 21st century Britain could imagine a way to provide for frictionless trade across the Northern Irish border, which has been one of the stumbling blocks of the Brexit deal. 'Things are really about to kick off again in a massive way because the irresistible force of EFTA00047235

Boris ego is about to meet the immovable force of the House of Commons,' said Rob Ford, a politics professor at the University of Manchester." Black Hawk helicopters carry U.S. troops in Afghanistan. (Rahmat Gul/AP) GET SMART FAST: 1. The Army revealed that it is conducting a secret mission that requires Black Hawk helicopters to fly around the D.C. area. The classified operation was disclosed when the Pentagon asked Congress for approval to shift funds to provide more aircraft maintenance. (Bloomberg News) 2. As homophobic and transphobic sentiments proliferate under Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, LGBT people are taking personal defense into their own hands. Many members of the LGBT community are joining self-defense courses because they don't feel as safe as they did in the past. (Terrence McCoy) 3. Thousands of California women and teenagers seeking free or discounted reproductive health services through a federal program could find themselves in clinics that focus on abstinence and natural family planning as methods of birth control. Operated by the California-based Obria Group, the centers encourage young clients to use online apps developed with funding from religious conservatives. Some of these centers participating in the federal family planning program, known as Title X, also offer "abortion pill reversal," which experts say is not supported by scientific research. (Ariana Eunjung Cha) 4. Centrist Democrats are worried that Medicare-for-all will imperil their chance to keep control of the House. The current debate over the health-care proposal that's playing out in the 2020 field shows how tricky it is to find a balance between exciting voters EFTA00047236

and reassuring them. (Sean Sullivan and Emily Davies) 5. Swimmer Katie Ledecky withdrew from two races at the FINA world championship, citing unspecified medical issues. The announcement that the Olympic gold medalist, who is now studying at Stanford, was pulling out of the race came 90 minutes before she was scheduled to hit the pool. (Rick Maese) 6. Hong Kong police have faced protester anger for weeks. But some officers would rather be on the other side of the picket fence. Once respected as "Asia's Finest," members of the Hong Kong Police Force are thinking of quitting after being caught between the government's pro-Beijing stance and the fury of the people they swore to protect. (Shibani Mahtani and Tiffany Lianq) 7. The Vatican appointed a new bishop to lead a West Virginia diocese rocked by allegations of sexual harassment and financial abuse under its previous bishop. Bishop Mark Brennan will take over the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston 10 months after Bishop Bransfield retired in the face of serious allegations of wrongdoing. (Chico Harlan) 8. A woman bled to death in Utah after her family was told that her open-heart surgery was a success. The 62-year-old patient, who was getting a metal heart device removed, was in "severe distress" after the surgery because surgeons failed to notice that the blood that was being pumped into her body was flowing directly into the operating table's trash, according to a new lawsuit brought against St. Mark's Hospital. ( Bella) 9. Peak fire season in California is near, and the Department of the Interior is short hundreds of firefighters. The agency has about 500 fewer firefighters available than expected. (LA Times) 10. Chris Kraft, the aeronautical engineer widely considered the godfather of NASA's Mission Control, died at 95. His death came just two days after the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. (Eryn Brown) EFTA00047237

Vice President Pence speaks before the unveiling of Neil Armstrong's Apollo 11 spacesuit at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. (Andrew Harnik/AP) ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN AND WOMEN: 1. Remember when Vice President Pence abruptly canceled a trip to New Hampshire earlier this month? He reportedly did so to avoid shaking hands with an alleged interstate drug dealer. Pence was set to visit an opioid addiction treatment center in New Hampshire, where Jeff Hatch — a man under investigation for moving more than $100,000 of fentanyl — worked. Hatch, a former player for the New York Giants, agreed last week to a plea deal that could put him behind bars for up to four years. (Politico) 2. Judy Shelton, whom Trump intends to nominate for the Federal Reserve Board, is calling for a massive interest-rate cut at the Fed's July meeting. While Wall Street traders are anticipating a 25-basis-point cut, Shelton is publicly pushing for a 50- basis-point cut. (Heather Long) 3. Kelly Craft, Trump's nominee to be U.N. ambassador and the wife of a billionaire coal magnate, spent more than half of her days as ambassador to Canada outside of Canada. During her confirmation hearing, she attributed much of her absence to the demands of negotiating the new North American free-trade pact. But Senate investigators discovered Craft spent a significant amount of time in places around the United States where she has homes. (Politico) 4. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and other members of her family, heirs to the Amway fortune, have seen their gross EFTA00047238

incomes rise massively in the wake of the Trump tax cuts, according to her latest financial disclosure report. (CNBC) 5. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is prone to falling asleep during meetings. The 81-year-old secretary, who has for months endured whispers that he is on the outs, spends much of his time at the White House to try to curry Trump's favor, leaving the department adrift. There's also constant infighting among top officials and sudden departures of senior staffers without explanation. (Politico) 6. Former White House press secretary Sanders showed up at a retreat of the Republican Governors Association, fueling rumors that she's preparing to run for governor of Arkansas. (Politico) 7. Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani said that the expanded investigation into sex offender Jeffrey Epstein could "implicate a lot of people." "I can't tell you who, but it's not going to end up with just Jeffrey Epstein," said the former New York mayor. "Maybe some were innocent — maybe some weren't, but I think they're going to investigate everybody." (The Hill) Central American migrants are detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. (Henrika Martinez/AFP) THE IMMIGRATION WARS: -- Bypassing immigration judges, the Trump administration is significantly expanding its power to quickly deport undocumented immigrants who entered the country illegally within the past two years. Maria Sacchetti reports: "Officials are calling the new strategy, which will take effect immediately, a 'necessary response' to the influx of Central Americans and others at the southern border. It will allow immigration authorities to quickly remove immigrants from anywhere EFTA00047239

they encounter them across the United States, and they expect the approach will help alleviate the nation's immigration-court backlog and free up space in Immigration and Customs Enforcement jails. ... Immigrants apprehended in Iowa, Nebraska or other inland states would have to prove to immigration officials that they have been in the United States continuously for the past two years, or they could end up in an immigration jail facing quick deportation. And it could be relatively low- level immigration officers — not officers of a court — making the decisions." -- An 18-year-old U.S. citizen has been in Border Patrol detention for three weeks in Dallas. His family fears he may be deported. The Dallas Morning News's Obed Manuel reports: The teen, Francisco Erwin Galicia, was detained at a checkpoint while traveling with his 17-year-old brother, Marlon Galicia, who lacks legal status. Marlon signed a voluntary deportation form and was sent to Mexico, but Francisco, who was born in Texas, is still in detention with little access to a phone. "The ICE detainee locator system shows Francisco is being held at the South Texas Detention Facility in Pearsall and lists him as being born in Mexico. Sanjuana Galicia, Francisco's mother, said she lived in Dallas from 1998-2001 and moved to South Texas after his birth. 'I need my son back,' she said. 'I just want to prove to them that he is a citizen. He's not a criminal or anything bad. He's a good kid.- -- A 17-year-old Guatemalan boy, Abner, described 11 days of hunger, confusion and thirst at a Border Patrol station in Yuma, Ariz. NBC News's Julia Ainsley and Didi Martinez report: "He describes them as filled with hunger and thirst, extreme temperatures and fear of the guards manning the facility. They refused to give him food when he asked, mocked him if he asked what time it was, and, on one occasion, punched another boy in the stomach, Abner said. 'With a punch they knocked the wind out of him ... But I don't know why,' Abner said, describing what he said happened to the 16-year-old. Abner said he and EFTA00047240

his cellmates were only fed twice a day, leading him to become very hungry. ... Abner said he lost track of whether it was day or night because the lights were always on in his cell and they were yelled at for going near the windows." -- In Tennessee, ICE agents attempted to arrest a man after he entered his van with his son. But their neighbors formed a human chain to allow them to get home. The neighbors, over four hours, brought water and food to the man as he and his son sat in the van, but eventually they created a chain that allowed the father and son to get home without being stopped by the federal agents, who had an administrative warrant, which doesn't allow them to forcibly remove someone from their home or vehicle. (WTVF) -- Montgomery County in Maryland just passed the region's toughest ban against cooperation with ICE agents. Rebecca Tan reports: "Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D) on Monday signed the Promoting Community Trust Executive Order, prohibiting all executive-branch departments from, among other things, using local government resources to assist federal agents in civil immigration investigations. That means they cannot allow [ICE] officers into nonpublic spaces in government buildings or give them access to individuals in county government custody — unless they are in possession of a court order or criminal warrant." -- Another side effect of Trump's deportation threats: Immigrants are avoiding reproductive health care because they fear encountering immigration authorities. Vox's Anna North reports: "Dr. Anjani Kolahi, a family medicine physician and fellow with the group Physicians for Reproductive Health, works with a federally qualified health center in Southern California that provides affordable care regardless of immigration status. But, she told Vox, 'patients are not coming for care.' She's seen patients with cancer who only come to the EFTA00047241

doctor after experiencing significant weight loss. 'They know that they're very sick, but they're so concerned about deportation that they will be scared to come into the hospital,' Kolahi said. In an environment where people are afraid to go to the doctor even when they're desperately ill, routine screenings for breast and cervical cancer can fall by the wayside." -- A new report from the Center for American Progress — the left- wing think tank — warns that the Democratic Party is losing the immigration messaging war to Trump. The report suggests Democrats' decision to cede the "rule of law" ground to Republicans "creates 'the false dichotomy of America as either a nation of immigrants or a nation of laws'—making the party and its candidates appear soft on enforcement, and potentially weakening future attempts for humanitarian-focused immigration reform. In doing so, writes Tom Jawetz, vice president of immigration policy at the Center for American Progress, supporters of humane immigration policy 'have ceded powerful rhetorical ground to immigration restrictionists, who are happy to masquerade as the sole defenders of America as a nation of laws.'" (Daily Beast) 7 questions Mueller did not answer in his report THERE'S STILL A BEAR IN THE WOODS: -- The Justice Department told Bob Mueller not to answer a wide variety of questions about his Russia investigation when he testifies before lawmakers on Wednesday. Devlin Barrett and Matt Zapotosky report: "Associate Deputy Attorney General Bradley Weinsheimer said in Monday's letter that he was responding to a request earlier this month from Mueller for guidance on how to handle questions 'concerning privilege or other legal bars applicable to potential EFTA00047242

testimony in connection with' subpoenas for Mueller's congressional testimony. ... Weinsheimer then went on to spell out the categories of information that should be off-limits in Mueller's testimony on Wednesday before two House committees. ... "The Justice Department expects that Mueller will 'not go beyond' the public version of his March report of his findings. 'Please note there should be no testimony concerning the redacted portions of the public version of your report,' the letter said, reminding Mueller that the prosecution of Trump adviser Roger Stone and a separate case are still awaiting trial, 'and local court rules and specific orders issued in those cases substantially restrict the Department's ability to make public statements about those cases.' ... The final portion of the letter makes a broader, vaguer admonition not to discuss matters that could be covered by executive privilege — a legally and factually complicated assertion that could, in theory, cover many topics, given that Mueller's task was to investigate President Trump while working in the executive branch." -- Jim Popkin, who has been tapped to help Mueller handle media inquiries in advance of his testimony, said the former counsel will read an opening statement in addition to submitting his full report for the record. Popkin said no one at DOJ has seen Mueller's opening statement, and it will probably not be released until Mueller starts his testimony. (CNN) -- "The media is getting a second chance to cover Mueller's findings — and this time get it right," writes media columnist Margaret Sullivan: "Recall how gullible — and therefore misleading to the public — the news media was in March when Attorney General William Barr characterized the unreleased report in a four-page letter. Coverage of that letter set in place an inaccurate narrative that has been almost impossible to dislodge. Many news organizations, including EFTA00047243

some of the most prominent, took what Barr said at face value or mischaracterized the report's findings. ... Some damage is irretrievable. Many Americans have made up their minds already about Mueller's findings — and about Trump himself, no matter what he is or does. ... But hearing from Mueller directly is important, even if it does nothing other than reiterate what's in his report. And this new round of media coverage is important, too, if only because it can clarify and drive home what Mueller originally said." -- Trump said he'll watch "a little" bit of the Mueller testimony. "I'm not going to be watching Mueller because you can't take all those bites out of the apple," he told reporters at the Oval Office. (AP) -- Among the questions Mueller may face: Why didn't his team interview Donald Trump Jr., the only American participant of the Trump Tower meeting that didn't talk to investigators? A former Department of Justice official said in the past that it is likely Trump Jr. didn't get interviewed because he would invoke his Fifth Amendment right, but this is a question Mueller can finally put to rest on Wednesday. (NBC News) -- Neal Katyal, a former acting solicitor general in the Obama administration, said Mueller can speak volumes with just three answers. In an op-ed for the Times, he writes: "There are just three simple yes-or-no questions Congress should ask Mueller: Mr. Mueller, the president said your report found, in his words, 'no collusion, no obstruction, complete and total exoneration.' First, did your report find there was no collusion? Second, did your report find there was no obstruction? Third, did your report give the president complete and total exoneration? That's it. That's the ballgame." -- John Podesta, the chairman of Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, calls Mueller's testimony "vital" to stop future election interference: "He can provide guidance on how Russia operates and EFTA00047244

how to prevent further attacks. But Americans must face the truth: Trump, in broad daylight, has encouraged the destruction of the nation's fundamental democratic institutions, and he continues to do so," he writes in an op-ed for The Post. -- Trump recently met with Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, to discuss who should replace Dan Coats as the next director of national intelligence. Politico's Natasha Bertrand and Eliana _ report that Fred Fleitz, a former CIA analyst who was national security adviser John Bolton's chief of staff and now runs a far-right think tank, is in the running for the job: "Some on Capitol Hill and in the intelligence community think Nunes himself could be in the for an intelligence post, even if it's not for this job. `The president would certainly consider Devin Nunes for the director's position and I eventually see him serving in some capacity in this administration,' said one member of Congress who speaks to Trump frequently. He noted, however, that he sees `all of Devin's efforts being directed towards a reelection effort in Congress.' Such speculation has provoked some anxiety [inside the intelligence community], according to one person with direct knowledge." -- South Korean fighter jets fired 360 warning shots at an intruding Russian military aircraft, according to Seoul's Defense Ministry.Simon Denyer reports: "The South Korean fighters fired 80 warning shots the first time, and a further 280 shots when the aircraft returned a few minutes later, according to the Defense Ministry. Seoul said it was the first time a Russian military plane had violated its airspace, and experts said the incident complicated simmering regional tensions. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) hold a news conference last week at the Capitol. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) EFTA00047245

THE DIVIDED STATES (AND TERRITORIES) OF AMERICA: -- The Louisiana cop who called Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D- N.Y.) a "vile idiot" who "needs a round" on Facebook was fired, along with another officer who "liked" the post. The officer had just completed social media training when he shared a fake article about Ocasio-Cortez. (Vice News) -- Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), another member of the four-person "Squad," told the NAACP convention in Detroit that she has a message for those wanting to "send her back": "I'm not going nowhere, not until I impeach this president." She noted that she was "born and raised" in Motor City. (CBS News) -- "I don't feel like an outsider, and I haven't been treated like one," Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), one of the four congresswomen targeted by the president, tells the Boston Globe for a profile: "Pressley has been the least controversial of the four, all women of color. But her association with them has set her apart from House colleagues, including other female lawmakers who also entered Congress this year for the first time. 'She doesn't make waves for the wrong reasons by herself and that to me is a very interesting and significant point. She knows what she's doing,' said Ian , the former political director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which helps elect party members to the House. `There is no reason why she can't deliver on legislation while also running this outside game too,' he said. 'It's just a delicate balance.- -- Many voters in Port Huron, Mich., have embraced the president's "love it or leave it" message, one that they do not see as racist even as he continues to rally against the four congresswomen of color, who he told last week to "go back." The Times's Saul and Jeremy W. Peters report: "Though they dismiss Mr. Trump's Twitter broadsides as excessive or juvenile, they voiced strong support EFTA00047246

for his re-election and expressed their own misgivings about the four women. 'They happen to be black or colored,' Dennis Kovach, 82, said of the women, as he watered the lawn of his home near the lake this weekend. 'But I don't think that viewpoint is a racist viewpoint. I think it's — quit the bitching, if you don't like it, do something different about it.' ... Michigan is an important piece of Mr. Trump's path to re-election and is already the focus of some of the Republican Party's most extensive get- out-the-vote efforts. ... In Port Huron, many residents said they were willing to ignore Mr. Trump's outbursts, pointing to strong hiring in local factories as evidence he was doing a good job. Some raised fears about a move toward socialism within the Democratic Party, and suggested that Mr. Trump's remarks might even gain him support by showcasing just how far left the Democratic Party has shifted." -- "The president and his followers lack the moral authority to tell anyone to leave this country because they are not indigenous to this land," writes Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress, in an op-ed for the Times. "The fact that the president claims this country as his own and wants to keep everyone in their place proves that he doesn't understand his place. I question the standing of anyone who would call to send my sisters and colleagues ... or any other American 'back.' As a 35th-generation New Mexican and a descendant of the original inhabitants of this continent, I say that the promise of our country is for everyone to find success, pursue happiness and live lives of equality. This is the Pueblo way. It's the American way." -- Joe Kaeser, the chief executive of Siemens AG, said Trump is turning into the "face of racism and exclusion." Hamza Shaban reports: "'I find it depressing that the most important political office in the world is turning into the face of racism and exclusion,' Kaeser said in a Twitter post over the weekend. 'I have lived in the USA for many years, experiencing freedom, tolerance and openness as never before.' EFTA00047247

Kaeser, who worked for Siemens in San Jose, from 1995 to 1999, previously has used his position as the head of one of Europe's most powerful manufacturers to take a stand on political issues." -- The city council in Charlotte, which will host the Republican National Convention next year, just condemned Trump's "racist and xenophobic" comments. Felicia Sonmez reports: " Mitchell Jr., one of the council members who supported the resolution, said the move was intended to send a message to the White House: 'We may not be able to control what you say, but we're going to tell you how we feel about it in Charlotte, North Carolina.' All nine of the city council's Democrats voted for the measure, while the two Republicans on the council opposed it." -- After a week of backlash over his comments, Trump privately met with former NFL player and conservative commentator Jack Brewer at the golf course to talk about "black America," according to Brewer. ABC News's Tara Palmeri reports: "'My goal is to help calm this wave,' Brewer told ABC News in a phone interview about the tensions between the black community and Trump. 'It's all about emotion.' Brewer said he and the president did not specifically speak about the latest controversy regarding the four congresswomen and the rally chant, saying that his agenda was criminal justice reform and how it's impacting the African American community. 'I came to talk about what's been done. Thousands of black families have their dads now,' said Brewer, referring to the announcement on Friday that 3,100 inmates were released from prison under the First Step Act." Trump says he's 'the best thing to happen to Puerto Rico' amid protests -- In Puerto Rico, protesters shut down a major highway and paralyzed most of San Juan as they continued demanding the EFTA00047248

resignation of Gov. Ricardo Rossello. The Times's Frances Robles and Alejandra Rosa report: "The protest was one of the largest ever seen on the island, as Puerto Ricans streamed into the capital on buses — and some on planes from the mainland — in a spontaneous eruption of fury over the years of recession, mismanagement, natural disaster and corruption that have fueled a recent exodus. Ignoring sporadic deluges, demonstrators launched impromptu line dances, paraded on horseback, banged pots and carried banners along several miles of highway, many shouting: 'Ricky, renuncia, el pueblo to repudia!' — Ricky, resign, the people reject you. ... 'Governor, Puerto Rico Demands Your Resignation,' the island's largest-circulation daily newspaper, El Nuevo Dia, said in an unusual front-page editorial on Monday. ... In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Mr. Rossello said he had apologized to some of those named in the chat but still has work to do as governor." -- After criticizing Rossello, Trump credited himself as "the best thing that ever happened to Puerto Rico." From HuffPost's Julian Shen-Berro: "Trump falsely stated that Congress 'gave Puerto Rico $92 billion last year' as evidence of their incompetence. ... Trump later claimed to be 'the best thing that ever happened to Puerto Rico,' citing a number of bizarre reasons while trying to justify the statement 'They don't like to give me the credit for it, but we did a great job [in Puerto Rico],' he said. 'I have many Puerto Rican friends. I have a real understanding of Puerto Rico. I've had jobs in Puerto Rico.' Trump did not delve into specifics of the 'great job' he believed his administration had accomplished, but did refer to what he saw as a 'tremendous' success that occurred before his presidency began. 'I own the Miss Universe contest and we had them in Puerto Rico, twice. And I'll tell you, we had tremendous successes,' the president said. 'In fact, they said literally 100% — this never happens — almost, I think it was close to 100, but 100% of the island itself was watching. They like those EFTA00047249

pageants.- -- Other mainland politicians also criticized Rossello, including New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. The 2020 hopeful said the Puerto Rican governor "has exhibited a pattern of sexist. homophobic and entirely inappropriate behavior." (CNN) SOCIAL MEDIA SPEED READ: Chelsea Clinton announced the birth of her third child: The Post's Fact Checker commented on Trump's misleading statements on a conversation he had with India's prime minister: Trump commented on the most recent clashes in Hong Kong: And a Democratic presidential hopeful trolled Ivanka Trump: QUOTE OF THE DAY: "If I wanted to win that war, Afghanistan would be wiped off the face of the earth, it would be gone, it would be over literally in 10 days and I don't want to go that route," Trump said during his meeting with the Pakistani prime minister. "I just don't want to kill 10 million people." (Anne Gearan and John Hudson) EFTA00047250

VIDEOS OF THE DAY: Hasan Minhaj took a look at the problematic names of some American places: Seth Meyers took a closer look at Trump's attacks against four congresswomen of color: Presidential hopeful Marianne Williamson sat down with Stephen Colbert: Footage showed parts of New York flooded a day after temperatures hit over 100 degrees: And the Los Angeles Times shared satellite images that show how the Ridgecrest earthquake shattered the desert floor: You received this email because you signed up for The Daily 202 or because it is included in your subscription. Manage my email newsletters and alerts I Unsubscribe from The Daily 202 Privacy Policy I Help @2019 The Washington Post 1 1301 K St NW. Washington DC 20071 EFTA00047251

Re: Staffing From To L. Date 2019/08/12 21:49 Subject: Re: Staffing Attachments: TEXT.htm Yes...Gonna be trained as correctional workers first all is checking but he's a materials handler and probably promoted up from CO...he's the on San from my Vonnott Samsung Galaxy smortphone L. > From: "L. Datsiyitail Pfiraik To: Subject: Re: Staffmg >>> 08/1212019 21:45 >» So CNN is reporting that one of the officers on Epstein's unit was not a "full fledged" correctional officer....unbelievable Sem from my Watson. Satmung Galaxy smortphone message From: Date: 8/12/19907 PM GMT-05:00 To: "L. Subject: Re: Staffing >>> =I 08/12/2019 21:07 >» I didn't read the press release. It's less about responding to CNN directly and more an opportunity to give some Ti's to use to counter the narrative th have some TPs we can provide on that if we want. Either way. don't spend a ton of time on this, not sure they will use it. • Son from my Wilton. Samung Galaxy smortphone Oril.nessit From: "L. Datii 19 9. 1 PM MT-0 . To: Subject: Rc: Staffing >» 08/12/2019 21:01 >>> Am i responding to the continents in the afge press release? I did not see his CNN inteniew....lernme know Sere from my Valium Samsung Galaxy sousaphone Date: IV • G To: " Cc: Subject: Staffing >>> 08/12/2019 20:45 >» DOJ is pushing back on some statements CNN/Eric said re staff shortages. In the morning. can you come up with just a couple talking points the San from my Velum Samsung Galaxy sonaphone Page 17741 EFTA00047252

anal !nesse Front Date: &12/1 91 AM MT•05:00 To: Mg Cc: Subject: Re: OT issues >>> M" 08/12/2019 11:38 >>> see the below info from ■ on staffing Note the absence information below. This reflects one of the significant challenges in the NY area. simply Noel • She worked on 8/9 4pm-I2am as her regular shift. She stayed and worked I 2am•tiam as O1. Prior to 8/9 she had not worked OT since 8/3. Thomas - His regular schedule is as a Warehouse Worker Foreman and this is a M-F 8-4 job. He worked OT on 7/30. 8/6. 8/7. 8/9. and 8/10. His OT is a ›.» 8/12/2019 9:29 AM >>> -Cturent Overall Staffing 84.86% -Current Correctional Services Staffing 83.70% -Number of Vacant Officers: 19 -Number of officer positions currently being recruited (various stages): 41 - 4 Correctional Officers currently in new employee training (Introduction to Correctional Techniques- 1CT) (started with 5, one resigned) - 2 additional Officers scheduled to start 9/15/19 - Since April 12. 2019. MCC New York has been approved for the following incentives: -10% Relocation Incentive -10% Recruitment Incentive - MCC New York has advertised on 97.1 FM, ran an add in the NY Times. and also ran an add in The Chief. • Held a career fair at 290 Broadway on July 30th with 174 potential applicants in attendance. Correctional Services Absence (8/3/19 to 8/10/19): Date Sick Leave LWOP AWOL Suspension Official Time COP Military or FFLA Total 8/3/19 9 8/4/19 8 2 I 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 I 3 I II 17 8/5/19 5 3 11 I 23 0 25 8/6/19 5 3 II 1 4 4 2 30 8/7/19 6 3 11 1 3 3 2 29 8/8/19 5 3 II I I 3 2 26 8/9/19 9 2 II I I 4 0 28 8/10/19 9 0 0 0 0 2 0 II Total: Accounts for 177 Correctional Services post on 8 days not filled by staff due to the above reasons. LWOP: Leave Without Pay (authorized) AWOL: Absent Without Leave (unauthorized) Official Time: Union Activities COP: Continuation of Pay (Worker's Compensation Case) FFLA: Family Leave >>> (OAO1" < > 8/I 2/2019 10:34 AM >» Per our discussion, it would be helpful to get a short description of the gaffing issues at the MCC, including ( I) the OT for the staff in question and (2) Thanks, U Page 17742 EFTA00047253

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Re: Staffing From To Date 2019/08/12 21:45 Subject: Re: Staffing Attachments: TEXT.htm So CNN is reponing that one of the officers on Epstein's unit was not a "full fledged" correctional officer unbelievable Sad from my Vcrizors SammaigGalasy smortphone messacr im> Front MI Date: Pill 2/19 9.aGMT-0 . To: "L. Subject: Re: Staffing >» "MM" 08/12/2019 21:07 >» I didn't read the press release. It's less about responding to CNN directly and mere an opportunity to give DOJ some TPs to use to counter the narrative th have some TPs we can provide on that if we want. Either way, don't spend a ton of time on this, not sure they will use it. Sem from nn Verimn Sam kung Galaxy smarmhone OriS From: L. c > DateS/12/19 9:01 PM .MT-0500 To: Subject: Re: Staffing >» ^L. 08/12/2019 21:01 >» Am i responding to the comments in the afgc press release? I did not see his CNN interview....knune know Sera from my Vmunn. Sannung Galas). smarmhonc Front Date: 8/2/19 8:45 PM (GMT-05:00 To: "L. Cc: Subject: Staffing a nal mcssa .» .IM" 08/12/2019 20:45 >» DOJ is pushing back on some statements CNN/Eric said re staff shortages. In the morning, can you come up with just a couple talking points tha • Sem from my Wilton. Samsung ( ialasy srmnphone Subject: Re: OT issues .>>> "MM 08/12/221111:38 >>> M. see the below info from on staffing. Note the absence information below. This reflects one of the significant challenges in the NY area, singly Noel - She worked on 8/9 4pm-I2am as her regular shift She stayed and worked I2am-Pam as OT. Prior to 8/9 she had not worked OT since 8/3. Thomas - His regular schedule is as a Warehouse Worker Foreman and this is a M-F 8-4 job. Ile worked OT on 7/30, 8/6, 8/7, 8/9, and 8/10. His OT is a Page 17745 EFTA00047256

>». 8/12/2019929 AM >» -Cturent Overall Staffing 84.86% -Current Correctional Services Staffing 83.70% -Number of Vacant Officers: 19 -Number of officer positions currently being recruited (various stages): 41 - 4 Correctional Officers currently in new employee training (Introduction to Correctional Techniques - ICI) (started with 5. one resigned) - 2 additional Officers scheduled to start 9/15/19 - Since April 12, 2019, MCC New York has been approved for the following incentives: -10% Relocation Incentive -10% Recruitment Incentive - MCC New York has advertised on 97.1 FM. ran an add in the NY Times, and also ran an add in The Chief. - Held a career fair at 290 Broadway on July 30th with 174 potential applicants in attendance. Correctional Services Absence (8/3/19 to 8/10/19): Date Sick Leave LWOP 8/3/19 9 2 1 0 0 2 8/4/19 8 1 00 0 I AWOL Suspension Official Time COP Military or FFLA Total 3 17 I II 8/5/19 5 3 II I 23 0 25 8/6/19 5 3 II I 4 4 2 30 8/7/19 6 3 II I 3 3 2 29 8/8/19 5 3 11 I 1 3 2 26 8/9/19 9 2 II I 1 4 0 28 8/10/19 9 0 0 0 0 2 0 II Total: Accounts for 177 Correctional Services post on 8 days not filled by staff due to the above reasons. LWOP: Leave Without Pay (authorized) AWOL: Absent Without Leave (unauthorized) Official Time: Union Activities COP: Continuation of Pay (Worker's Compensation Case) FFLA: Family Leave >» (OAG)I attsdoj.gov> 8/12/201910:34 AM >» Per our discussion, it would be helpful to get a short description of the staffing issues at the MCC. including (I) the OT for the staff in question and (2) O. Thanks. U Page 17746 EFTA00047257

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The Daily 202: The Afghanistan Papers show the corrosive consequences of letting corruption go unchecked From The Washington Post To M, The Washington Post Date 2019,12/09 10:42 Subject: The Daily 202: The Afghanistan Papers show the corrosive consequences of letting corruption go unchecked Attachments: TEXT.htm, Mime.822 If you're having trouble reading this click here. The Daily 202 Share: Listen to The Big Idea The Afghanistan Papers show the corrosive consequences of letting corruption go unchecked Exclusive: A secret history of the war in Afghanistan, revealed BYE HOHMANN with Mariana Alfaro THE BIG IDEA: A toxic. of U.S. government policies, under the administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama, directly contributed to Afghanistan's descent into one of the world's most corrupt countries. U.S. leaders said publicly that they had no tolerance for corruption in Afghanistan, but that was one of several topics related to the war effort Page 17749 EFTA00047260

on which they systematically misled the public, according to a trove of confidential government interviews obtained by The Washington Post. American representatives often looked the other way at egregious and brazen graft, so long as the offenders were considered allies. Congress appropriated vast sums of money, which was handed out with little oversight or recordkeeping. The ensuing greed and corruption undermined the legitimacy of the nascent government and helped make the ground more fertile for the Taliban's resurgence. "The basic assumption was that corruption is an Afghan problem and we are the solution. But there is one indispensable ingredient for corruption — money — and we were the ones who had the money," said Barnett Rubin, a former senior State Department adviser and a New York University professor. The adage is as true in Afghanistan as America: Follow the money. "Our biggest single project, sadly and inadvertently, of course, may have been the development of mass corruption," said Ryan Crocker, who twice served as the top U.S. diplomat in Kabul, in 2002 and again from 2011 to 2012. "Once it gets to the level I saw, when I was out there, it's somewhere between unbelievably hard and outright impossible to fix it. ... The corruption was so entrenched and so much a part of the lifestyle of the establishment writ broadly..." Crocker told interviewers from the government that he felt "a sense of futility": "I was struck by something [then-president Hamid] Karzai said and repeated a number of times during my tenure, which is that the West, led by the U.S., in his clear view, had a significant responsibility to bear for the whole corruption issue," he explained. "I always thought Karzai had a point, that you just cannot put those amounts of money Page 17750 EFTA00047261

into a very fragile state and society, and not have it fuel corruption. ... You just can't." -- The comments from Crocker and Rubin are included among more than 2,000 pages of previously private notes from research conducted by U.S. government investigators. More than 400 people who played a direct role in the war, from generals to diplomats and aid workers, were questioned about what went wrong. The interviews were conducted by the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction between 2014 and 2018 for a "Lessons Learned" project. A report outlined the conclusions in broad brushstrokes in 2016, but a lot of the most noteworthy material was held back. The Post has fought a three-year legal battle, which is ongoing, to get these documents out under the Freedom of Information Act so that the American people can see for themselves what's been going on. John Sopko, the head of the federal agency that conducted the interviews, acknowledged in an interview with M Whitlock that the records show "the American people have constantly been lied to." Whitlock has written a six-part series dissecting all the documents. (You can start with Part One here.) Watch: The Post's full interview with Inspector General John Sopko -- A key theme underlying many of the most candid interviews is that a short-term focus on maintaining security led to compromises that started small but became bigger and bigger. It's a cautionary tale that can be cross-applied to a host of other challenges facing the United States. Page 17751 EFTA00047262

Gert Berthold, a forensic accountant who served on a military task force in Afghanistan from 2010 to 2012, analyzed 3,000 Defense Department contracts worth $106 billion. He said they calculated that about 40 percent of the money ended up in the pockets of insurgents, criminal syndicates or corrupt Afghan officials. But former government ministers told them it was higher. Berthold said few U.S. officials wanted to hear about the evidence they uncovered: "No one wanted accountability," he said. "If you're going to do anti-corruption, someone has got to own it. From what I've seen, no one is willing to own it." Christopher Kolenda, a retired Army colonel who deployed to Afghanistan several times and advised three U.S. generals in charge of the war, said the Afghan government led by Karzai had "self-organized into a kleptocracy" by 2006. "I like to use a cancer analogy," the colonel told his government interviewers. "Petty corruption is like skin cancer; there are ways to deal with it and you'll probably be just fine. Corruption within the ministries, higher level, is like colon cancer; it's worse, but if you catch it in time, you're probably ok. Kleptocracy, however, is like brain cancer; it's fatal." -- A lot of important information is still being concealed by the government. While the agency has turned over previously unpublished notes and transcripts from 428 of more than 600 interviews that were conducted, these documents identify only 62 of the people who were interviewed by their names. The names of 366 others are blacked out. A decision by a federal judge is pending in response to a motion to disclose the other names. But The Post chose to publish what it has now, instead of waiting for the judge to rule on the rest, because these records could contribute to the civic discourse Page 17752 EFTA00047263

over President Trump's negotiations with the Taliban and the debate over whether to withdraw the 13,000 U.S. troops who remain in Afghanistan, which has become a flashpoint in the 2020 campaign. The Post attempted to contact for comment everyone whom it was able to identify as having given an interview as part of the project. (Their responses are compiled here.) -- Here are five of the most striking quotes about corruption from people whose identities are still redacted in the interview summaries: 1. An unnamed senior U.S. diplomat said the early years were "a dark space" with "not much documentation" about who we were giving cash. "We had partnerships with all the wrong players," this diplomat lamented during an interview in August 2015. "The U.S. is still standing shoulder-to-shoulder with these people, even through all these years. It's a case of security trumping everything else." 2. From another unnamed senior U.S. official: "Our money was empowering a lot of bad people. There was massive resentment among the Afghan people. And we were the most corrupt here, so had no credibility on the corruption issue." 3. From a former National Security Council staffer: "In the beginning, the military kept saying that corruption was an unfortunate short-term side effect then toward the end the feeling was 'Oh, my God, this could derail the whole thing."' 4. An unnamed State Department official said that U.S. officials were "so desperate to have the alcoholics to the table, we kept pouring drinks, not knowing [or] considering we were killing them." This person Page 17753 EFTA00047264

said that the Americans "had no red lines" for cutting off corrupt partners. "We didn't spend the money effectively and didn't consider the implications," this person told government interviewers. "We wanted to keep the country afloat, not to let the country be a safe haven for the Taliban and al Qaeda." 5. An unidentified government contractor said his job was to distribute $3 million in taxpayer money each day for projects in an Afghan district roughly the size of a U.S. county. He recalled asking a visiting congressman whether the lawmaker could responsibly spend that kind of money back home: "He said hell no. 'Well, sir, that's what you just obligated us to spend and I'm doing it for communities that live in mud huts with no windows.- Presidents say the U.S. is not nation-building in Afghanistan -- So often, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Chapter four of Whitlock's six-part series is a narrative, as told through these interviews, of how Afghanistan became consumed by corruption: "About halfway into the 18-year war, Afghans stopped hiding how corrupt their country had become. Dark money sloshed all around. Afghanistan's largest bank liquefied into a cesspool of fraud. Travelers lugged suitcases loaded with $1 million, or more, on flights leaving Kabul. ... Karzai won reelection after cronies stuffed thousands of ballot boxes. He later admitted the CIA had delivered bags of cash to his office for years, calling it 'nothing unusual.' ... According to the interviews, the CIA, the U.S. military, the State Department and other agencies used cash and lucrative contracts to win the allegiance of Afghan warlords in the fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Page 17754 EFTA00047265

"In 2002 and 2003, when Afghan tribal councils gathered to write a new constitution, the U.S. government gave `nice packages' to delegates who supported Washington's preferred stance on human rights and women's rights, according to a U.S. official who served in Kabul at the time. The perception that was started in that period: If you were going to vote for a position that [Washington] favored, you'd be stupid to not get a package for doing it,' the unnamed official told government interviewers. By the time Afghanistan held parliamentary elections in 2005, that perception had hardened. Lawmakers realized their votes could be worth thousands of dollars to the Americans, even for legislation they would have backed anyway ... `People would tell each other, so-and-so has just been to the U.S. Embassy and got this money. They said 'ok now I need to go," the U.S. official said. `So from the beginning, their experience with democracy was one in which money was deeply embedded."' "On Aug. 20, 2009, Afghans went to the polls to choose a president. ... Right away, reports surfaced of electoral fraud on an epic scale — ghost voting, official miscounting, ballot-box stuffing, plus violence and intimidation at the polls. Initial results showed Karzai, the incumbent, had won. But his opponents, and many independent observers, accused his side of trying to steal the election. A U.N.- backed panel investigated and determined Karzai had received about 1 million illegal votes, a quarter of all those cast. The outcome put Obama administration officials in a box. They had said corruption was intolerable but also had promised to respect Afghan sovereignty and not interfere with the election. Moreover, they did not want to completely alienate Karzai. If there was another vote, many saw him as the likely victor anyway. In the end, the Obama administration brokered a deal in which Karzai was declared the winner after he Page 17755 EFTA00047266

agreed to share some power with his main rival. ... "Peter Galbraith, a Karzai critic who served as a deputy U.N. envoy to Afghanistan in 2009, was removed from his post after he complained that the United Nations was helping cover up the extent of the election fraud. An American, Galbraith told government interviewers that the U.S. government also stood by when Karzai appointed cronies to election boards and anti-corruption posts." Afghan women walk past a large portrait of then-President Hamid Karzai in Kabul in 2004. (Emilio Morenatti/AP) It got worse in 2010: "Kabul Bank, the country's biggest, nearly collapsed under the weight of $1 billion in fraudulent loans — an amount equal to one-twelfth of the country's entire economic output the year before. The Afghan government engineered an emergency bailout to stem a run on the bank as angry crowds lined up to withdraw their savings. Investigators soon determined Kabul Bank had falsified its books to hide hundreds of millions of dollars in unsecured loans to politically connected business executives, including the president's brother Mahmoud Karzai and the family of Fahim Khan, the warlord then serving as the country's first vice president. 'On a scale of one to 10, it was a 20 here,' an unnamed U.S. Treasury Department official posted to Kabul as an Afghan government adviser told interviewers. 'It had elements that you could put into a spy novel, and the connections between people who owned Kabul Bank and those who run the country.' ... "At first, in public and in private, the Obama administration leaned on Page 17756 EFTA00047267

marzal to wily investigate we maw' bank scanaai — not only to recover the stolen money but also to demonstrate to the Afghan people that no one was above the law. ... For about a year after the scandal became public, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, led by then- Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, made the case a top priority and pressed Karzai to take action, three former officials told government interviewers. But they said the embassy backed off after Eikenberry was replaced by Ryan Crocker in July 2011. ... Crocker, as well as U.S. military commanders and others in Washington, did not want to risk alienating Karzai, because they needed his support as tens of thousands of additional U.S. soldiers arrived in the war zone. They also said Crocker and his allies did not want Congress or international donors to use the bank scandal as an excuse to cut off aid to Kabul." -- I spent much of this weekend reviewing more than a thousand reader emails about the biggest storylines of the 2010s. There are so many thoughtful and interesting answers that I'm excited to highlight in the coming days. I'm grateful to everyone who responded, but I'm also struck by how few of you mentioned Afghanistan. It's not just America's longest war, but also perhaps its most forgotten while combat operations are still underway. Whatever your politics, the Afghanistan Papers are worthy of your time and attention. After all, those who don't learn from the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them. Subscribe on Amazon Echo, Goggle Home, Applei:Ion:loam( and other podcast players. Page 17757 EFTA00047268

Welcome to the Daily 202, PowerPost's morning briefing for decision-makers. Sign up to receive the newsletter. Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker reading the financial page as he waits for a hearing in 1980. ( K. W. Atherton!The Washington Post) WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING: -- Paul Volcker, a hard-headed economic statesman who as chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1979 to 1987 shocked the U.S. economy out of a cycle of inflation and malaise and so set the stage for a generation of prosperity, died Dec. 8 at his home in Manhattan. He was 92. The cause was complications from prostate cancer, said his daughter, Janice Zima. "With influence that spanned five decades and seven presidents, Mr. Volcker left as deep an imprint on the U.S. economy and financial system as has anyone of his generation," Neil Irwin writes in his obituary. "As a senior Treasury official in the 1960s and early '70s, he advised President Richard M. Nixon on taking the United States off the gold standard. At the Fed, he was arguably the second-most-powerful person in the country. ... He later counseled President Obama on his response to the 2008 financial crisis and proposed a key restriction on speculative activity by banks that would become known as the 'Volcker Rule.- -- The White House and House Democrats are on the cusp of finalizing a new trade deal for North America, a major achievement for Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that Page 17758 EFTA00047269

comes even as Democrats prepare to impeach the president. "A key party to the talks, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, said Monday morning that there was a deal and he planned to meet with his executive committee Monday afternoon to discuss it," Erica Werner and Lynch report. "Support from the AFL-CIO, which opposes the existing North American Free Trade Agreement and blames it for destroying millions of good-paying manufacturing jobs, would likely ensure support from a majority of House Democrats if the deal is brought up for a vote. Backing from the AFL-CIO would also indicate that Democrats had succeeded in negotiating stronger enforcement mechanisms and protections for labor than existed in the agreement signed by Trump and the leaders of Mexico and Canada a year ago." 'Overwhelming and uncontested': Democrats defend impeachment case, predict articles by end of week THE CASCADING INVESTIGATIONS: -- Rudy Giuliani pressed administration officials to dump Trump's nominee for ambassador to Qatar and replace her with someone else in late 2018. Josh Dawsey, Rosalind S. Helderman, Tom Hamburger and Devlin Barrett scoop: "Trump had nominated a career Foreign Service officer to ... a key post in a Middle Eastern country with tricky regional relationships, an important U.S. military installation and vast oil reserves. Giuliani, who has said he had held a cybersecurity contract with Qatar in 2017 and early 2018, proposed replacing her with someone he said would be a better fit — Scott W. Taylor, a Trump-supporting former congressman from Virginia defeated in his reelection bid in November 2018 ... Page 17759 EFTA00047270

"Scott Taylor, who wrote a 2015 book called 'Trust Betrayed: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and the Selling Out of America's National Security,' had ... served as a security contractor for Hunt Oil in Yemen from 2008 to 2010 ... Giuliani offered to promote Taylor as candidate for the post and help guide him through the process ... During a night at a cigar bar in Friendship Heights in December and a lunch meeting the following day at the Trump hotel, Giuliani described a plan to promote Taylor for the job ... Giuliani told Taylor that he had done work in Qatar, but it was unclear why he was interested in shaping the ambassador pick. In subsequent calls to administration officials, Giuliani argued that Taylor would be a better choice than [Mary Catherine Phee] ... When asked about his advocacy for Taylor in a November interview, Giuliani laughed and ended the call. ... Phee's nomination expired when Congress adjourned last year and Trump has not renominated her." Two more scoops from their story: "In several conversations in recent months, Attorney General William P. Barr has counseled Trump in general terms that Giuliani has become a liability and a problem for the administration, according to multiple people familiar with the conversations. In one discussion, the attorney general warned the president that he was not being well-served by his lawyer ... Giuliani has assured the president that he is not in legal trouble ... And Trump has so far resisted entreaties to distance himself from the former New York mayor, telling others that he appreciates Giuliani's combative media appearances on his behalf ... In recent weeks, prosecutors subpoenaed a consulting firm founded by former FBI director Louis J. Freeh, which hired Giuliani to write an August 2018 letter to Romanian officials calling for an amnesty for people prosecuted for corruption, a policy change that would Page 17760 EFTA00047271

have benefited a Freeh client..." The bigger picture: Giuliani has taken on clients from Turkey to Venezuela to Romania to Ukraine since Trump took office. He's said he doesn't need to register as a foreign agent: "But since the start of the administration, his actions have caused persistent alarm among Trump's advisers, who worry that it is often not clear who Giuliani is representing —the president, his private clients or his own foreign policy views — in his meetings at the White House and in foreign cities ... In one meeting with a prominent Ukrainian political figure in early 2018, Giuliani was explicit that hiring him would provide a route to the president, according to a person in attendance. 'It was just so clear what he was peddling. He was pushing for business, and his pitch was, "I'm close to the White House, I'm close to Trump. If you want to get in there, I'm your guy," ' the person said. In that case, the Ukrainian did not hire Giuliani." -- Giuliani's old friends worry that his legacy as New York's mayor will be forgotten because of his stint as Trump's fixer. From the Times: "Working on a laptop at a restaurant table in the Trump International Hotel in Washington, he has bathed in the warm acclaim of friends and strangers who recognize him from his television advocacy. 'I enjoyed the fact that people were coming by and tapping me on the back,' Mr. Giuliani said. He was there so often, he said, that he set up a plaque. Rudolph W. Giuliani Attorney at law. 'He doesn't just like the spotlight,' his estranged wife, Judith Giuliani, said in an interview. 'He craves it, for validation' ... There are conflicting accounts of why Mr. Giuliani did not get the State Department position he campaigned for in 2016, and of whether anyone other than himself even thought it was a real Page 17761 EFTA00047272

possibility, but his years of lucrative consulting payments from foreign governments since leaving City Hall would certainly have made for a complicated Senate confirmation. ... Anthony Carbonetti, a City Hall aide to Mr. Giuliani and a longtime friend, said he worried that what he saw as Mr. Giuliani's groundbreaking years as New York mayor would be forgotten behind the sky-filling spectacle of Mr. Trump. 'The fact that this is what he'll be known for is painful,' Mr. Carbonetti said. 'His public persona has been dominated by his representation of the president for the last two years, so that has become the public perception of him. I don't think anyone goes back in time.- -- The House Judiciary Committee may vote to advance articles of impeachment by the end of this week. From the Journal: The committee will hear today from a lawyer for the Intelligence Committee about the constitutional grounds for impeachment. "Democrats haven't decided on what the articles of impeachment will be, a congressional aide working on the impeachment inquiry said Saturday. A report issued by Judiciary Committee Democrats on Saturday, echoing reports issued for the cases against Richard Nixon in 1974 and Bill Clinton in 1998, examined the Constitution's impeachment provision to lay the groundwork for drafting articles of impeachment. Mr. Nadler, asked on NBC's `Meet the Press' how many articles of impeachment the committee would file, said: `I'm not ready to decide that.' House Intelligence Committee Chairman Schiff (D., Calif.) on CBS's 'Face the Nation' suggested he favored a more narrow approach to the articles of impeachment. He said that as a former prosecutor, his inclination is to target charges where there is 'the strongest and most overwhelming evidence' and 'not try to charge everything, even though you could charge other things.- Ritian still rinacn't have% a anrtri ancwnr• Tha frtrmar vire. Page 17762 EFTA00047273

president insists that his son did nothing wrong by buckraking in Ukraine — but he also admits he has not dug into what Hunter Biden actually did for Burisma. "I don't know what he was doing. I know he was on the board. I found out he was on the board after he was on the board and that was it," Biden told Axios for an interview that aired last night on HBO. Asked whether he wants to get to the bottom of it, Biden said, "No. Because I trust my son." -- Meanwhile, speaking to NPR, Biden blamed his staff for not flagging potential conflict of interest concerns about his son's work for Burisma. "Nobody warned me," he said. "They should've told me." In fact, the New Yorker reported earlier this year that at least one staffer raised the issue with Biden. And other stories have said that staffers were intimidated to broach the issue with the then-vice president. -- The Justice Department's inspector general is set to release his report today concluding the FBI was justified in opening an investigation into the Trump campaign's relationship with Russia. The report is also expected to detail numerous shortcomings in how the bureau conducted the investigation. In light of this, FBI's Chris Wray is trying to steer the bureau away from politics. From the Journal: "Mr. Wray took over an agency buffeted by recriminations over those two politically charged investigations after Mr. Trump in spring 2017 fired the FBI's former director, Comey ... Where Mr. Comey embraced a public persona, Mr. Wray has continued to maintain an unassuming and detail-oriented persona, bent on avoiding the spotlight and keeping the FBI out of the political fray as much as possible ... Mr. Wray has quietly pursued some policy changes, including deciding not to run any Page 17763 EFTA00047274

investigations out of the offices of senior leadership at FBI headquarters, as the Clinton investigation largely was in 2016, and reinstituting annual ethics training, according to people familiar with the matter. Some current and former officials have wanted Mr. Wray to more publicly defend the FBI. But people close to him said he recognizes that a vociferous pushback could imperil his job at a time when his main goal is he wants to steady the agency." -- Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) peddled the debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election. Katie Shepherd reports: "In a fiery back-and-forth on NBC's 'Meet the Press' on Sunday, [Cruz] declared that there is 'considerable evidence' that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election, echoing debunked claims recently spread by other GOP leaders. The show's host, Chuck Todd, asked the senator if he believed Ukraine had attempted to sway the 2016 election. 'I do,' Cruz said. Todd's eyes grew wide and he raised his eyebrows in surprise: 'You do?' ... 'Senator, this sort of strikes me as odd,' Todd said. 'Because, you went through a primary campaign with this president. He launched a birtherism campaign against you. He went after your faith. He threatened to, quote, 'spill the beans' about your wife. ...Is it not possible that this president is capable of creating a false narrative about somebody to help him politically?' he asked. 'Except that's not what happened,' Cruz replied." -- As the impeachment inquiry moves forward, there is a push underway to raise money to help cover the legal bills of the career government witnesses who have gotten caught up in this donnybrook. Lisa Rein reports: "With the House hurtling toward a full chamber vote before Christmas, the diplomatic community is gearing Page 17764 EFTA00047275

up for Phase Two of potential testimony. The White House has announced that President Trump plans to bring forward 'serious witnesses' in his likely trial early next year in the Republican-led Senate. That could mean more questioning of witnesses from Senate Democrats, or cross-examination by Republicans — and with it more steep legal fees. `A few weeks ago I was hoping we wouldn't need to raise more money,' Eric Rubin, a former ambassador to Bulgaria who is now president of the American Foreign Service Association, told the group. 'But as of now,' Rubin said, 'we have a very clear statement that the White House will call witnesses, and that includes our colleagues.' ... The group has raised more than $250,000 for a legal- defense fund for nine of the 17 witnesses who testified about whether Trump and the White House pressured Ukraine to investigate the president's political opponents." -- Trump skipped the Kennedy Center Honors this weekend for the third year in a row. Roxanne Roberts reports: "On one hand, this is a bad thing: The president and first lady traditionally bring glamour and prestige to the annual celebration of American art and culture, highlighting the power of art to bring us together regardless of political differences and the importance of support and philanthropy. On the other hand, the absence of Trump — under threat of impeachment and quick to take offense — is a relief to almost all involved. Not that anyone will say it out loud, but the odds that someone (an honoree, a performer, an audience member) might say or do something political at this nonpartisan evening is, frankly, uncomfortably high." -- Case in point: Kennedy Center honoree Linda Ronstadt threw shade at Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during the annual dinner for honorees at the State Department. Peggy McGlone Page 17765 EFTA00047276

I upor w. rumpuu uul bll iyur di iu WC/I iuei cu till/DU WI leiI he would be loved — a reference to the Ronstadt hit 'When Will I Be Loved.' According to Sam Greisman, son of actress Sally Field — another of the evening's honorees — the singer responded, 'Maybe when you stop enabling Donald Trump.- Five dead, several injured after volcanic eruption on New Zealand island THE NEW WORLD ORDER: -- At least five people died and many more remain unaccounted for after a volcano erupted on an island off the coast of New Zealand. Allyson Chiu reports: "Fewer than 50 visitors were on or near White Island, which is also known as Whakaari, at the time of the eruption, and 23 people have been rescued so far, New Zealand Police Deputy Commissioner John Tims said a media briefing Monday night. Among the people transported to shore, many had burn injuries and a number were taken to area hospitals, Tims said. He confirmed that five people have died and said he didn't know how many people are still unaccounted for, estimating that figure to be in the 'double digits.' Dangerous conditions have prevented police and rescue services from reaching the island, Tims said, citing experts who found that the area is unstable and said more eruptions could be possible." -- The World Anti-Doping Agency executive committee voted Monday to bar Russia from competing at the next two Olympic Games. Rick Maese reports: "The decision means Russia will have no formal presence at next year's Summer Games or the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing. Similar to the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, Russians who have not been implicated in the CfniCo_ennnenrori rinninn ershorrun nlInuttori PARVICatCk Page 17766 EFTA00047277

gal y WY III VV (.4111,JVII....4 LS! lAJII I in Tokyo as unaffiliated athletes. In PyeongChang, 168 Russians competed as 'Olympic Athletes from Russia.' After being banned from the 2018 Games, the country and its Russian Anti-Doping Agency were conditionally reinstated in September 2018, but Russian officials were caught earlier this year manipulating data from its Moscow anti- doping laboratory and misleading WADA investigators, prompting a new chapter in a years-long doping scheme that continues to roil the international sports community." -- Investigators in Florida and Saudi Arabia are digging deeper into the background of the Saudi aviation student who fatally shot three people and wounded eight others at a naval base in Pensacola, Fla. The FBI is investigating the incident as an act of terrorism. Devlin Barrett, Carol Morello and Hannah Knowles report: "Officials sought to reassure Pensacola residents that they knew of no ongoing threat to the area, saying that while investigators pursue a wide variety of interviews and evidence, there was only one gunman behind Friday's violence. On the third day of the investigation into the attack at a base where the U.S. military trains pilots from foreign forces, details on what has been learned so far were sparse, tentative and sometimes contradictory. The gunman, a Royal Saudi Air Force member named Ahmed Mohammed al-Shamrani, was shot dead by a sheriffs deputy responding to the rampage. Shamrani apparently left hints that he was motivated at least in part by his hatred of American foreign policy and military might. ... Investigators say they believe Shamrani was the author of an anti-American screed posted on Twitter shortly before the shooting, according to a law enforcement official." -- Trump's impulse to defend the Saudi regime after one of the kingdom's officers killed Americans has isolated him from Page 17767 EFTA00047278

members of his own party, especially in Florida. Toluse Olorunnipa and Josh Dawsey report: The president "used his appearances before television cameras — and his Twitter account — to repeatedly offer cover for the Saudis, conveying Riyadh's condolences with more fervor than he used in relaying his personal feelings about the shooting. ... Trump's defense of the Saudi government, which began just hours after Friday's shooting, steadily became a more isolated position over the weekend as more information trickled out about the gunman and other Saudi nationals who were receiving training at the base. ... Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), normally a staunch Trump ally, was among several officials from the state pushing for more stringent scrutiny of foreigners who come to the United States for military training. Gaetz, who earlier called the killing an act of terrorism, also suggested the incident should change America's relationship with Saudi Arabia. ... "Trump, who often jumps to label shootings by foreigners from Muslim-majority countries as terrorism, had not done so as of Sunday evening. ... Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R), who immediately labeled the shooting terrorism, has called for a halt in the military program that brings hundreds of foreign nationals to U.S. bases to train alongside American troops. ... Several other Saudis who were also training on the base have been questioned by the FBI and Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper said Sunday that some of the trainees filmed the shooting. Speaking on Fox News, Scott called on the Saudi government to provide more support for the investigation. "The president has personally chafed at the idea of not being able to sell arms to Saudi Arabia, even as lawmakers have Page 17768 EFTA00047279

repeatedly condemned the kingdom's human rights record in the wake of the grisly murder of Washington Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi and civilian casualties from the Saudi-led coalition's bombing campaign in Yemen. ... Democrats tried to restrict arms sales to Saudi Arabia as part of a military budget deal negotiated this week, but the White House pushed back and rejected the idea ... Trump has shown little interest in Saudi Arabia's human rights record, according to current and former aides. The president has been especially blunt in describing his transactional approach to foreign affairs, particularly in the Middle East where his interests in oil, arms deals and terrorism intersect." -- North Korea claims to have carried out an "important" test at a rocket launch site. Simon Denyer and Min Joo Kim report: "The test paves the way for North Korea to launch a satellite or intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) around the end of this year, experts said, fulfilling a threat to give the United States an unwelcome 'Christmas gift.' A spokesman for North Korea's Academy of National Defense Science said the test was carried out Saturday at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station in Tongchang-ri, a site near the Chinese border that has been used to launch satellites into space in the past. The United Nations bans North Korea from launching satellites, viewing it as a cover for testing ballistic missile technology." -- Chinese officials are literally burning books that diverge from Communist Party ideology. Gerry Shih reports: "The book-burning incident, with all its dark historical precedents from this country and Nazi-era Germany, has heightened alarm at a time when Chinese intellectuals see their society tipping further into authoritarianism. The incident gained widespread attention on Sunday after Chinese social Page 17769 EFTA00047280

meoia users noticeo a report on tne uorary oociety or unina s weosite from a library in Zhenyuan County, which declared it had removed 'illegal publications, religious publications and deviant papers and books, picture books and photographs' in an effort to 'fully exert the library's role in broadcasting mainstream ideology.- -- China has ordered that all foreign computer equipment and software be removed from government offices and public institutions within three years. From the Guardian: "The government directive is likely to be a blow to US multinational companies like HP, Dell and Microsoft and mirrors attempts by Washington to limit the use of Chinese technology, as the trade war between the countries turns into a tech cold war." -- Large and peaceful protests in Hong Kong show that the pro- democracy movement is still going strong. Shibani Mahtani reports: "Hundreds of thousands of people showed up in the park where the movement began in June, waving signs calling for the end of Chinese Communist Party rule and for the Hong Kong government to meet protesters' four outstanding demands. The march, approved by authorities, was one of the biggest peaceful protests in the city in months — organizers counted at least 800,000 participants — and demonstrated the strong support that still exists for greater democratic freedoms despite a crackdown in which police have fired more than 10,000 tear gas canisters and arrested about 6,000 people." -- A 34-year-old transportation minister will become Finland's youngest prime minister ever -- and its third female leader. From the AP: "Finland's ruling Social Democratic Party council voted 32-29 late Sunday to name Sanna Marin over rival Antti Lindtman to take over the government's top post from incumbent Antti Rinne. Having Page 17770 EFTA00047281

emerged as Finland's largest party in the April election, the Social Democrats can appoint one of their own to the post of prime minister in the Nordic nation of 5.5 million." -- The U.S. ambassador to Denmark barred an American NATO expert critical of Trump from speaking at an international conference hosted by the embassy and a Danish think tank, effectively cancelling the Copenhagen event. From the Times: "The expert, R. Sloan, was scheduled to give a keynote speech at the conference, which was celebrating the 70th anniversary of NATO, on Tuesday. ... One day before he was set to leave for Copenhagen, Mr. Sloan was informed that the United States Embassy in Copenhagen had vetoed his participation because of his previous criticisms of [Trump], Mr. Sloan said on Facebook on Saturday. Carla Sands, the United States ambassador to Denmark, did not want Mr. Sloan to participate, and the Danish Atlantic Council `had no other option' than to revoke his invitation to speak, Lars Bangert Struwe, the secretary general of the council, said in a statement." -- British voters in the middle of an already messy election say they don't like either Boris or Jeremy Corbyn. William Booth and Karla report: "Many voters confess unease with the erudite but untrustworthy Prime Minister ... and his plan for a hard, swift Brexit, and also with Labour leader [Corbyn] and his own hard-left plan to remake the British economy under a socialist banner. As the two main parties have moved away from the center and toward what many consider the extremes, voters in the middle are wondering where to go. This is especially so for the half of the country that doesn't like Brexit." -- Reddit uncovered a Russian interference campaign in the U.K. Page 17771 EFTA00047282

ahead of Thursday's election. (Gizmodo) -- Personal animosity between Argentina's and Brazil's leaders is complicating the relationship between South America's largest economies. Marina Lopes reports: "As South America melts down — Colombia the latest nation to erupt in mass protests, Bolivia searching for a consensus leader, Venezuela lurching into another year of economic, political and humanitarian crises - its two largest economies have been relative oases of calm, run by like-minded leaders cooperating on finance, trade and security. Now, the growing personal animosity between [Jair] Bolsonaro and [Alberto] Fernandez is threatening that stability. Bolsonaro, a right-wing populist, has called Fernandez and his vice president, Fernandez de Kirchner, `leftist bandits,' and said their election threatens the Mercosur regional trading bloc. Fernandez, a Peronista with ties to the region's leftists, has labeled Bolsonaro a misogynist and racist." A nativity scene depicting Jesus, Mary and as a refugee family separated was displayed Saturday at the Claremont United Methodist Church in California. (Rev. Karen Ristine) DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS THAT SHOULD NOT BE OVERSHADOWED: -- A nativity scene outside a church in Southern California displays Jesus, Mary and in cages, separated at the border. Kimberly Winston reports: "The nativity display from Claremont United Methodist Church, a suburban congregation east of Los Angeles, is raising both praise and ire for its depiction of the biblical story of Jesus's family fleeing to Egypt in the context of Page 17772 EFTA00047283

controversial U.S. immigration policies. The nativity is meant to highlight the plight of migrants and refugees, a longtime cause for this 300-member congregation, said the Rev. Karen IM Ristine, the church's senior pastor. ... Biblical interpretations suggest that after Jesus's birth, his parents took him to Egypt fearing King Herod would have him killed. ... Ristine rejected the notion of the nativity as a political statement. 'A nativity is the theological equivalent to public art, and the role of public art has always been to offer awareness,' she said. 'Jesus taught us kindness and mercy and the radical welcome of all people.- -- The administration wants to expand migrant family detention, despite expert warnings. From the Times: "The administration wants to expand the system of secure facilities where migrant families can be incarcerated for months or longer. In late November, Justice Department lawyers appealed a federal judge's decision that blocked the government's attempt to eliminate a 20-day time limit on most family detentions. ... Facilities like the one at Dilley [Texas], which is run by the private prison company, CoreCivic, could multiply to incarcerate more than 15,000 parents and children across the country. ... Research at existing family detention centers found heightened levels of stress, which can damage neurons and lead to smaller brain masses in children who have been detained for long periods." -- A county in North Dakota may become the first in the U.S. to bar new refugees after Trump issued an executive order making such a move possible. From the AP: "Reuben Panchol was forced to leave war-tom Sudan decades ago as a child, embarking on an odyssey that eventually brought him to the American Midwest and left Page 17773 EFTA00047284

him eternally grateful to the country that took him in. 'I am an American citizen, a North Dakotan,' said Panchol, a 38-year-old father of four. `And without North Dakota, I couldn't have made it.' Panchol hopes to share his story on Monday with members of a local commission who are set to vote on whether their county will stop accepting refugees. If they vote to bar refugees, as expected, Burleigh County — home to about 95,000 people and the capital city of Bismarck — could become the first local government to do so ... The county postponed a vote last week when more than 100 people showed up and overflowed the commission's normal meeting space. Monday night's meeting will be held in a middle school cafeteria to accommodate public interest that Chairman Brian Bitner said is the most intense he's seen in more than a decade on the commission. Though he declined to predict which way the commission would go, Bitner said he would vote against accepting additional refugees." -- Democrats used Trump's fixation on creating a Space Force to get a parental-leave policy that, if approved, would be the biggest victory for federal employees in nearly 30 years. Jeff Stein, Lisa Rein and Josh Dawsey report: "Some Democratic aides say the proposed federal benefits package would cost about $3 billion, though there is disagreement about whether those costs would span five or 10 years. The expansion would give federal employees a rare victory after the Trump administration has sought to cut their benefits for three years. Many of them also endured the longest-ever government shutdown under the current administration about a year ago. Congressional Republicans were less determined to get the Space Force approved than the White House because it hadn't been a GOP priority before Trump took office. They were undercut by the Trump administration, as the president had told advisers he wanted to be able Page 17774 EFTA00047285

to trumpet the creation of the Space Force as part of his reelection bid. The tentative agreement would fall short of what Democrats had hoped for: They wanted to secure paid leave not only for the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child, but also to care for a spouse, child or parent with a serious health condition or when a family member is deployed for military duty." -- Elizabeth Warren earned nearly $2 million working as a consultant for corporations and financial firms while she was a law professor at Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania and other law schools, according to records her campaign abruptly released Sunday evening. Annie Linskey reports: "Her campaign had been asked repeatedly for the information and had declined to release it multiple times.Her work for some of the companies doesn't fit neatly with her current presidential campaign brand as a crusader against corporate interests.For instance, the documents released Sunday show that Warren made about $80,000 from work she did for creditors in the energy company Enron's bankruptcy and $20,000 as a consultant for Dow Chemical, a company that was trying to limit the liability it faced from [faulty] silicone breast implants that were made by a connected firm. "Earlier this year, Warren had released a list of about 50 cases that she worked on, but the descriptions of the work were at times misleading and the amount of income and dates for her work were not included. While the cases released by Warren's campaign stretch over more than three decades, the figures disclosed Sunday show that nearly all of the money was made from cases filed after she got her job at Harvard in 1995. (Warren was elected to the Senate in 2012.) The income includes about $212,000 for representing Travelers • • "fin" MAI ••••••• ...... r I • •. Page 17775 EFTA00047286

inaemnity uo. in zutm, ana 4).wu,uuu tor wnat ner campaign aescriaea as representing a chain of department stores owned by PA Bergner & Co. in the mid-1990s. ... Warren's campaign did not release compensation information for all of the cases, reporting in some instances — including a case involving First Commercial Bank — that 'the campaign has no compensation records for this case.- -- The brave new world: A geneticist at Harvard Medical School is working on an app that compares DNA between potential sexual partners and screens out matches that would result in a child with an inherited disease. "You wouldn't find out who you're not compatible with. You'll just find out who you are compatible with," the geneticist George Church told "60 Minutes" reporter Scott Pelley about his project many criticized as an experiment in eugenics. Church was one of the Harvard professors who met with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein years before his jailing and death, meetings that have been presumably related to genetics research. Epstein donated $6.5 million to Harvard's Program for Evolutionary Dynamics in 2003, per NBC News. -- One of President George M. Bush's grandsons will enter an already crowded GOP primary for a suburban Houston congressional seat. From the Texas Tribune: "Nonprofit executive Pierce Bush will announce his candidacy for Congress on Monday morning, according to an email written by his father, Neil Bush. Bush will enter an already crowded GOP primary for Texas' 22nd District, the suburban Houston-area seat retiring U.S. Rep. Pete Olson currently holds. The development is something of a surprise; Bush was considering running for the neighboring 7th Congressional District, a seat once held by his grandfather." Page 17776 EFTA00047287

SOCIAL MEDIA SPEED READ: The president went on a tweeting and retweeting spree last night, sharing more than 100 messages. The majority were attempts at discrediting the impeachment inquiry, but he made a passing comment about his time at the NATO summit last week: He seemed excited for today's FBI inspector general report: Protesters showed up at a Pete Buttigieg campaign event with posters pointing out his polling record with black voters: Joe Biden revealed that his son Beau, who passed away, was burdened by the cost of his education: Several presidential candidates marked the first anniversary of the death of Jakelin Caal Maquin, the 7-year-old who died in Border Patrol custody. Five more children have died in custody since then: Rep. Devin Nunes accused this man of stalking him without pointing out that he is a reporter for The Intercept who asked him about his calls to Giuliani associate Lev Parnas: Page 17777 EFTA00047288

A Vanity Fair reporter weighed in on the powerful nativity scene outside a California church: The Kennedy Center Honors were last night, and "Sesame Street" was among those celebrated for lifetime achievement in the arts. Many of the long-running shods performers honored puppeteer Caroll Spinney, who died Sunday. Spinney gave life to Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch: QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I didn't plan on running this time. For real," Joe Biden said in New Hampshire. "I'd planned on running last time, but my son was dying." (Bloomberg News) VIDEOS OF THE DAY: "Saturday Night Live" envisioned what the NATO summit would've looked like in a high school cafeteria: The show also tried to answer the question: "How would the president's supporters respond to the impeachment inquiry if Trump were black?" Page 17778 EFTA00047289

"The Daily Show" correspondent Jaboukie Young-White tried to get in touch with the Founding Fathers to talk about impeachment: You received this email because you signed up for The Daily 202 or because it is included in your subscription. Manage my email newsletters and alerts I Unsubscribe from The Daily 202 Privacy Policy I Help O2019 The Washington Post I 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071 Page 17779 EFTA00047290

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