Today's Headlines and Commentary

Former Trump Campaign Chairman Paul Manafort is expected to plead guilty to reduced charges Friday morning as part of a plea agreement with special counsel Robert Mueller’s office, reports the New York Times.

President Trump drew criticism after he tweeted on Thursday morning that Democrats had dramatized the death toll of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in order to target his administration, according to the Washington Post.

A coalition of nations agreed to coordinate an increase in naval surveillance in order to crack down on North Korean smuggling efforts designed to evade United Nations sanctions, reports the Wall Street Journal. The coalition will include the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Japan and South Korea,

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro that China was willing to offer extensive economic support during the South American president’s four-day trip to China, says Reuters.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger penned an op-ed in Defense One criticizing the United States’ lack of military strategy in Syria.

ICYMI: Yesterday on Lawfare

Peter Swire and Justin Hemmings offered several recommendations for the proposed U.S.-U.K. executive agreement under the Cloud Act.

Alan Rozenshtein reviewed Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt book, “How Democracies Die.”

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