Overnight Defense: North Korea warns it could pull out of Trump summit | Warner backs Haspel, clearing way for confirmation | Haley blames Iran, Hamas for Gaza violence

View in your browser     Happy Tuesday and welcome to Overnight Defense. I'm Ellen Mitchell, and here's your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.   THE TOPLINE: North Korea on Tuesday said a planned summit next month between President Trump and Kim Jong Un is at risk because of joint military exercises between the U.S. and South Korea. North Korea said it was ending talks with South Korea, and a confusing statement from the country's state news agency strongly suggested that the drills threatened the fate of the historic summit with Trump. "The United States will also have to undertake careful deliberations about the fate of the planned North Korea-U.S. summit in light of this provocative military ruckus jointly conducted with the South Korean authorities," North Korea's Korean Central News Agency said in a statement first reported by the Yonhap News Agency in South Korea. The North Korean news agency said the drills between the South Korean and U.S. air forces are an "intentional military provocation" to undermine recent diplomatic talks.    The White House reaction: The White House released a statement on Tuesday afternoon saying it "will look at" North Korea's comments as it moves forward. "We are aware of the South Korean media report. The United States will look at what North Korea has said independently, and continue to coordinate closely with our allies," press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. Earlier, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said there had been no talks between the United States and North Korea about the statement attributed to the North Korean news agency.   The Pentagon reaction: The Pentagon also issued a response to the reports, emphasizing that "the defensive nature" of the drills "has not changed." "The purpose of the training is to enhance the ROK-U.S. Alliance's ability to defend the ROK and enhance interoperability and readiness," the Pentagon said, referring to South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea. "While we will not discuss specifics, the defensive nature of these combined exercises has been clear for many decades and has not changed."   Keep in mind: The drills have been a longtime aggravation for North Korea, which has previously condemned the exercises as acts of aggression.   But satellites also show N. Korea dismantling test site: Commercial satellite imagery shows North Korea has begun dismantling its nuclear test site, according to an analysis from a prominent U.S.-based monitor. "After initial reporting of plans to allow experts and media personnel to observe the closing of North Korea's Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site, now scheduled for next week, commercial satellite imagery from May 7 provided the first definitive evidence that dismantlement of the test site was already well underway," researchers for 38 North wrote in the analysis posted Monday. How they know: Among the evidence cited by 38 North is that several key operational support buildings have been razed since its last analysis in April, along with the removal of several small sheds and outbuildings.   HASPEL VOTE WATCH: The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner (Va.), announced Tuesday that he will support Gina Haspel to lead the CIA, all but ensuring that she has the votes to be confirmed. "I acknowledge that this has been a difficult decision," Warner said in a statement. "I have been frank with Ms. Haspel that I wish she had been more open with the American public during this process." "However, in both our one-on-one meetings and in classified session before the Committee, I found Acting Director Haspel to be more forthcoming regarding her views on the interrogation program." Warner noted that he also "take[s] to heart the strong support Ms. Haspel has among rank-and-file members of the intelligence community and from intelligence community leaders who served under President Obama." He said he believes that Haspel "can and will stand up to the President if ordered to do something illegal or immoral--like a return to torture."   What's behind his decision: Haspel told Warner that the agency should not have used so-called enhanced interrogation techniques in the years following the Sept. 11 attacks.  The agency's controversial detention and interrogation program -- and the degree to which Haspel is willing to denounce it on moral grounds -- has become the central focus of the debate over her confirmation to lead the spy agency. "While I won't condemn those that made these hard calls, and I have noted the valuable intelligence collected, the program ultimately did damage to our officers and our standing in the world," Haspel wrote in a Monday letter to Warner. "With the benefit of hindsight and my experience as a senior Agency leader, the enhanced interrogation program is not one the CIA should have undertaken."   Haspel's other backers: Just minutes after Warner's announcement, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) also announced that she would support Haspel, followed later by Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) -- bringing the total number of Democratic votes in support up to five and appearing to clinch her confirmation. One red-state Democrat, though, came out in opposition on Tuesday - Alabama Sen. Doug Jones. "We must choose leaders that consistently embody our highest ideals, rather than our darkest moments," Jones said in a statement.   Two Republicans -- Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and Rand Paul (Ky.) -- have announced their opposition to Haspel and Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) has remained on the fence.   Why the opposition: Haspel's nomination has been bitterly controversial thanks to her involvement in the agency's detention and interrogation program in the years following Sept. 11. The agency has since disavowed the use of so-called enhanced interrogation techniques, now widely considered torture.     Veterans group urges Senate to block Haspel: A progressive veterans advocacy group is seizing on Arizona GOP Sen. John McCain's opposition to CIA Deputy Director Gina Haspel leading the spy agency as it urges senators to sink her nomination.  VoteVets is releasing a new TV ad asking lawmakers to "stand with John McCain" and reject Haspel's nomination.  "The conscience of the Senate. ... Stand with John McCain against torture. Block Haspel," the narrator says in the ad, which was obtained by The Hill before its release. The ad will run in Washington, D.C., during MSNBC's "Morning Joe," CNN's "New Day" and Fox News's  "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings as part of a $25,000 ad buy.   The Senate Intelligence Committee will vote Wednesday on Gina Haspel's nomination to lead the CIA.    Paul asks Haspel about surveillance of Trump: Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R) sent a letter to Haspel on Tuesday asking for information about any surveillance the CIA carried out on Trump or other candidates during the 2016 election. In a tweet, Paul wrote that he "sent the @CIA a letter inquiring about Ms. Haspel's involvement or coordination in possible surveillance of then-candidate @realDonaldTrump." The letter also requests information on whether the agency conducted operations to spy on other 2016 contenders, including fellow Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), as well as Paul himself.   IRAN SANCTIONS UPDATE: The United States designated the head of Iran's central bank as a terrorist on Tuesday, accusing him of funneling money to Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group. The Treasury Department said it had imposed sanctions on Valiollah Seif, the bank's current governor, and another senior official, Ali Tarzali, the assistant director of the bank's international department, labeling them both as "specially designated global terrorists." "The United States will not permit Iran's increasingly brazen abuse of the international financial system," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. "The global community must remain vigilant against Iran's deceptive efforts to provide financial support to its terrorist proxies."   And Haley lashes out at Iran: Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, lashed out at Iran on Tuesday, calling the country the "common thread" that connects violent incidents in the Middle East. Speaking at a U.N. Security Council meeting to discuss recent clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli forces on the Gaza border, Haley sought to cast blame on Iran for supporting the militant Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which encouraged demonstrators on Monday to rush the fence bordering Israel.  "In recent days, Hamas terrorists, backed by Iran, have incited attacks against Israeli security forces and infrastructure. That is violence that should occupy our attention," Haley told Security Council members. "The common thread in all of this is the destabilizing conduct of the Iranian regime -- a regime that insists on promoting violence throughout the Middle East while depriving its own people of basic human rights."   European, Iranian officials meet. European foreign ministers met with their Iranian counterparts Tuesday for talks on preserving the multi-nation Iran nuclear agreement following the Trump administration's withdrawal.   ON TAP FOR TOMORROW The House Veterans' Affairs Committee will hear from fellow House members on their priorities for VA policies for fiscal 2019 at 10 a.m. at the Cannon House Office Building, room 334.  The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hear from outside experts on a proposal for a new force authorization for the fight against ISIS at 10 a.m. at the Dirksen Senate Office Building, room 419.  The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security will hear from homeland security officials on drug enforcement activities and national security at 2:30 p.m. at Dirksen 419.  Army Secretary Mark Esper will speak at the Center for a New American Security on the Army's modernization strategy at 2:30 p.m. in Washington.   ICYMI  -- The Hill: Pompeo is lifting the hiring freeze at the State Department -- The Hill: Watchdog: Pentagon gave inaccurate numbers on size of Afghan forces  -- The Hill: Navy predicts 'period of uncertainty' in Gulf after Trump's withdrawal from Iran deal -- The Hill: Trump administration eliminates top cyber post: report -- The Hill: Palestinian envoy recalled from Washington over Israeli embassy move -- Defense News: Lawmakers seek $7.5 billion to counter China's rise     Please send tips and comments to Rebecca Kheel, rkheel@thehill.com, and Ellen Mitchell, emitchell@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @thehill, @Rebecca_H_K, @EllenMitchell23         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for Defense Newsletters     Forward Defense Newsletters       Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.

Overnight Health Care — Sponsored by PCMA — Trump official won't OK lifetime limits on Medicaid | Drug lobby pushes back on Trump pricing plan | Fight over family planning program heats up

Sponsored by Pharmaceutical Care Management Association | View in Browser     Welcome to Overnight Health Care, sponsored by the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association.  It's Tuesday evening and our campaign team is gearing up for Pennsylvania's primaries. Here are the key races we're watching tonight. (Check out TheHill.com for the latest.) And on the health care front, we're wondering how the National Institutes of Health will respond to a big question: Is society is becoming addicted to technology? (Ahem, Please keep reading on your computers or mobile devices for more on this...)   But first, we hear from Seema Verma, the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Verma once again made it clear that the Trump administration isn't giving conservative states a blank check for changes to Medicaid. During an event hosted by The Washington Post, Verma said the administration will not approve any requests by states to impose lifetime limits. "We've indicated we would not approve lifetime limits, and we've made that pretty clear to states," Verma said. Why this matters: The Trump administration has made state flexibility on Medicaid a priority, but the refusal to consider lifetime limits shows that it is not willing to allow just any proposal. Earlier this month, the administration rejected Kansas's request to impose lifetime limits on beneficiaries. Maine, Arizona, Utah and Wisconsin had also requested the ability to cap how long people can receive benefits. The reasoning: "We always want to make sure that the program serves as a safety net and there's a place for people to go when they need it," Verma said. If someone doesn't comply with work requirements, he or she will temporarily lose coverage, and that's fine with CMS, so long as there's a pathway back to coverage. Read more here.       SPONSORED CONTENT   Pharmaceutical Care Management Association Drugmakers set and raise prices unrelated to the rebates they negotiate with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). The most direct way for drugmakers to reduce costs and improve access is to simply cut their own prices.       Republicans are pressuring the Trump administration to put abortion restrictions on a federal family planning program, and Democrats are fighting back. House and Senate Democrats urged Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar in two separate letters sent Tuesday not to issue regulations that both sides say are targeted at Planned Parenthood. Republicans have been asking the administration to restore Reagan-era regulations that banned organizations participating in the Title X family planning grant program from promoting or referring patients for abortions. It would also require a physical and financial separation between Title X providers and abortion providers. "Calls to reinstate these policies directly acknowledge this effort as an opportunity for President Trump to fulfill his pledge to 'defund Planned Parenthood,' whose health centers remain an essential part of the family planning safety net, serving 40 percent of Title X patients," wrote 45 Senate Democrats, led by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Patty Murray (Wash.) and Maggie Hassan (N.H.)   Why it matters: The administration is expected to release the regulations soon, and it could make it more difficult for Planned Parenthood to participate in the program. Because the regs were already upheld by the Supreme Court, it would be a huge win for Republicans ahead of the midterms.   20 Democratic state attorneys general are also fighting changes to Title X that the administration issued earlier this year. Funding criteria released by the administration in February will make it harder for Planned Parenthood to participate, a coalition of attorneys general, led by California's Xavier Becerra, wrote Tuesday. Planned Parenthood last week announced it would sue over the changes, and the attorneys general filed an amicus brief in support of an injunction. "These new requirements are illegal, lack transparency, and undermine the longstanding, bipartisan Title X family planning program that helps millions of Americans. While the President continues to take action to undermine access to healthcare, California will keep fighting to protect the health of all Americans," Becerra said. Read the brief here.     Drug lobby back on Trump's drug pricing proposals PhRMA made its first extended remarks on Trump's new drug pricing plan, and made clear that it's not happy with some of the ideas. Lori Reilly, an executive vice president at PhRMA, said the group had "serious concerns" about some of the proposals. She pointed in particular to the proposal to move drugs from Medicare Part B into Part D. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar has criticized Part B for lacking competition and said taxpayers could get a better deal with the negotiation by private players in Part D. Reilly also raised concerns about the proposal to allow more negotiation in Medicare Part D's "protected classes," where insurers are required to cover all of the drugs in certain categories, like antidepressants. Read more here.   Meanwhile, Ways and Means plans hearings on drug prices Congress is not expected to take major action on drug prices this year, but Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) is at least getting the discussion going with a hearing. Brady said it is too early to tell if the committee will move legislation on the issue, but said he wanted to consider the ideas. "I think there's some very good ideas in that proposal and some very thoughtful ones that we need to be airing out," Brady told reporters. "So yeah I do expect to conduct congressional hearings on some of those ideas." Many of the proposals Trump unveiled on Friday the administration can do on its own, but some larger changes could require Congress to act. That could include some changes to how Medicare pays for drugs. Brady said he particularly liked items in the proposal to bring drugs to market faster to increase competition, as well as ideas to make sure that savings from insurer negotiations with drug companies make their way to consumers. Read more here.   Vote on House VA overhaul bill coming this week. The House is planning a vote later this week on a bill that would overhaul access to private sector care outside the VA health system. The legislation, called the VA Mission Act, advanced through the House Veterans' Affairs Committee by a 20-2 vote last week.   In the Senate, VA Committee Chairman Johnny Isackson (R-Ga.) said he intends to bring the bill up next week, so it can sent to President Trump to sign. Trump has urged swift movement on the legislation to overhaul access to private sector care, and urged lawmakers to pass it by Memorial Day.   And finally... two senators want answers on whether people, in particular children, are developing a technology addiction. "To address the open question of whether we are addicted to technological devices and platforms, Congress must understand the current scientific consensus, potential gaps in research, and the best way to build a body of evidence that can inform effective policymaking," Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) wrote in a letter sent Tuesday to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Background: A study last year from Common Sense Media showed children under the age of 8 spend an average of 48 minutes per day viewing the screen of a mobile device, up from 15 minutes per day just five years ago. What the senators want: A briefing from the NIH and written responses to questions, including "is there consensus in the scientific community on whether our society is becoming addicted to technology?" They also want the tech industry to engage on the issue.         SPONSORED CONTENT   Pharmaceutical Care Management Association Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have outlined several policy solutions to ensure patients receive opioid prescriptions when safe and medically appropriate. One important solution would be requiring e-prescribing of controlled substances in Medicare (S. 2460 / H.R. 3528, the Every Prescription Conveyed Securely Act). A new study by the Opioid Safety Alliance finds this could also save taxpayers $13 billion over 10 years.       Tuesday round-up. The "middlemen" in the drug pricing debate are fighting back. President Trump visited the first lady in the hospital for the second straight day. Earlier in the day, he said she is "doing really well" and recovering from her kidney surgery. The World Health Organization on Tuesday unveiled an ambitious goal: eliminating artificial trans fats from all foods by 2023. And a study in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension is tying air pollution to high blood pressure for children.   What we're reading U.S. state attorneys general sue Purdue Pharma over opioid epidemic (Reuters) In the midst of a massive opioid crisis, hospitals are experiencing an opioid shortage (Marketplace) Lack of insurance exposes blind spots in vision care (Kaiser Health News)   State by state Governor sees 'Maryland Model' as example for US health care (Carroll County Times) Oregon insurers propose modest ObamaCare rate increases (Washington Examiner) Virginia budget inches along as passions over Medicaid inspire 'die-in' (The Washington Post)     Send tips and comments to Jessie Hellmann, jhellmann@thehill.com; Peter Sullivan, psullivan@thehill.com; Rachel Roubein, rroubein@thehill.com; and Nathaniel Weixel, nweixel@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @thehill, @jessiehellmann, @PeterSullivan4, @rachel_roubein, and @NateWeixel.         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for Healthcare Newsletters     Forward Healthcare Newsletters       Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.

Marketing Day: Facebook’s new marketing partners, Forrester’s marketing automation report & Amazon news

Featured story

Facebook expands its list of marketing partners, while limiting what view tags can do   May 15, 2018 by Amy Gesenhues After July 1, Facebook's view tags will no longer be used for measurement purposes beyond counting impressions.

From Marketing Land

State of Digital Marketing Analytics in the Top 1000 Internet Retailers   May 15, 2018 by Digital Marketing Depot This report from Cardinal Path explores trends in the adoption of key technologies, providing insight into how retailers are maturing with respect to digital analytics — and how major analytics vendors are faring in this key vertical.

First Forrester forecast for marketing automation finds it is still 'early innings' for adoption   May 15, 2018 by Barry Levine The annual marketing spend for these platforms will more than double by 2023, the report predicts.

Amazon poised to launch new retargeting ad product — [report]   May 14, 2018 by Greg Sterling Amazon's advertising business grew 60 percent in 2017 to $1.7 billion

Recent Headlines From MarTech Today, Our Sister Site Dedicated To Marketing Technology

Unlocking higher marketing ROI with unified measurement: A step-by-step approach   May 15, 2018 by Rex Briggs Contributor Rex Briggs outlines a process for finding a competitive advantage through unified measurement.

Outbrain adds IAS integration to proactively shield for brand safety   May 15, 2018 by Barry Levine Compared to previous keyword-based reports that allowed the content to be shown anyway, the new partnership prevents marketers' content from displaying on objectionable pages.

The story of data: Where are we now?   May 15, 2018 by Robin Kurzer Hyperlocal, across all channels, everywhere you are: We're currently knee-deep in the era of personalization.

Influ2 launches what it calls the first person-based marketing B2B ad platform   May 15, 2018 by Robin Kurzer The company says account-based management is not an effective or efficient way to engage with enterprise-level B2B influencers.

For more marketing news from around the web, check out the full Marketing Day article on our site.

Only elite marketers attend Search Engine Land's SMX Advanced for expert SEO and SEM tactics: June 11-13, 2018 Attend SMX Advanced for actionable, expert-level SEO and SEM tactics. At SMX Advanced, we do not slow down to cover the basics. Don't miss this once a year opportunity to attend the only truly advanced search marketing conference in the nation. Join us in Seattle for an unrivaled professional experience. View pass options and register today!

Connect with us on: Get the Marketing Land App:

Like what you see? Check out Marketing Land's other email newsletters here. MarTech | CMO | Social | SEM | SEO | Mobile | Analytics | Display | Email | Retail | Content | Video | Local   This email was sent to tweatsho.email004@blogger.com. Click here to unsubscribe or manage your subscriptions.   This email was sent by: Marketing Land - a Third Door Media, Inc. publication with headquarters at 279 Newtown Tpke. Redding, CT 06896 USA   Events | Advertise | Contact Us