As President Trump's administration plans for a summit in Europe next month with Russia President Vladimir Putin, U.S. national-security officials tell Jonathan Swan and me that one of the most urgent issues will be Moscow's covert intrusion into American politics.
Be smart: The issue poses a significant test for Trump, who has been criticized for doing too little to respond to Russian invasions of the 2016 election. He hates talking about the subject, fearing it'll raise questions about the legitimacy of his victory. So how insistent will he be when he has his chance with Putin?
Chinese raids of U.S. intellectual property have helped China build a solid high-tech economy. But the U.S. semiconductor industry is still far ahead — and China is desperate to catch up.
The bottom line: Semiconductor manufacturers are fighting to protect IP from the Chinese, fearing that, without coherent action from the Trump administration, Beijing could bulldoze their industries.
A year ago, nearly half of Americans considered North Korea the greatest immediate threat to the United States. Today, that number has plummeted and fear of China has increased — to the point where the two nations are essentially tied, according to a new Axios/SurveyMonkey poll.
Why it matters: Chinese President Xi Jinping has bluntly outlined his vision to take his country to superpower status by 2020, knocking out the U.S. in the process. And the two nations' recent clashes in trade, national security, and tech have made Americans fear China as much as a rogue nuclear power headed by a dynastic, autocratic leader.
The U.N. commission investigating and documenting possible war crimes in Syria released a report Wednesday that left out seven pages of gruesome details regarding potential chemical attacks on civilians, according to the NYT.
Why it matters: The omitted pages allege chemical weapons use that is far broader than previously known, though one of the authors claims that additional corroboration is necessary. It also identifies the weaponry used in some of the attacks as Iranian-made, which would be the first use of such technology.
President Trump's National Security Adviser John Bolton is set to visit Russia soon, AP reports, citing Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. The White House has yet to confirm or deny the plans for a visit.
The backdrop: The Kremlin has floated Vienna as a potential location for a Trump-Putin summit, and Putin said earlier this month that he's willing to meet with Trump "as soon as the U.S. side is ready." Putin also said he "welcomed Trump’s call to bring Moscow back into the G7" and that he shares Trump's concern about the escalation of an arms race between the U.S. and Russia.
Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is being charged with "systematic fraud" over alleged misuse of funds between 2010 and 2013, reports Haaretz.
Details: Sara Netanyahu ordered nearly $100,000 worth of meals at the Prime Minister's residence between 2010 and 2013. Rules state that those living within the residence are not allowed to order meals from the outside when the residence has a cook on its staff.
