Well, now it's time for our Bloomberg Law Report. Let's get to the legal stories we're watching this morning with Deep Podusc in the Bloomberg Washington Newsroom. The US has once again refused to qualify China as a market economy.
This adds to tensions between the economic superpowers. Days before President Trump's first trip to Beijing, the Interior Department wants to streamline federal regulations governing oil and gas projects, as well as diverse activities on federal lands, ranging from the largest coal mines to simple brush clearing projects or recreational opportunities. And medical device companies are getting more guidance from the FDA on how to use an alternative pathway to get
innovative products on the market faster. Bloomberg Law everything you need, all on one legal research platform, including guidance, analysis and Bloomberg market Intelligence. Find out more at Bloomberg Law dot com. And now let's dig deeper into today's top legal story. Special Council Robert Mueller unveiling the first charges in his
investigation into Russian interference in the election. For more in the story, Bloomberg Lahous Doing Grosso and Michael Bess speak with William Banks, the professor at Syracuse University Law School, and Fordham a Law school professor. Andrew Kent, Bill, you have the first indictments. You have two very high ranking people having been indicted for things that aren't entire don't
seem to be related to the actual campaign itself. Where these developments tell us about where Mueller's investigation stands right now, Well, you know, it is an important signal that the investigation is far from over, that it's probably still picking up momentum. These are important developments, but they're by no means the end. I think in some ways, the Papadopoulos agreement is is more central to the concerns that perhaps the Trump administration
colluded with the Russians. I think the fact that Papadopolis was at a meeting early on, or had connections early on with Russian government officials while he was employed by the Trump campaign is pretty damaging. Andrew, Let's look at the timing of what Mueller is doing. First, he announces the indictment of Manifort and Gates while everyone is still talking about that, and before they've even gone before a judge, they unseal a plea in a separate case and George
Papadopolis pleaded guilty October five. Do you see that Mueller is trying to set something up here with these double timed announcements. You're probably obviously he's operating in an extremely sensitive environment. So I assume Mueller is timing things in a way that he thinks will give him the most space to continue with an investigation. Is there also a sort of a warning to people who are in the White House that this is happening and I've got someone
here who's cooperating with the FBI. I think it absolutely is a warning. And it's also uh, you know, you saw the talking point from the President before the Papadopulus plea was released, you know, saying what you know, this was just about stuff in the past, has nothing to do with me, has nothing to do with my campaign,
nothing to do with Russia. Know nothing to see here about Manafort, and then um, yeah, and then quickly the Papas plea is released, which is all about a test to clude with Russia and as fordom A Law School professor Andrew Kenton William Banks, a professor at Syracuse University Law School, speaking with Bloomberg's Doom Grosso and Michael Best. You can listen to Bloomberg Law weekdays at one pm Wall Street Time here on Bloomberg Radio, and find more
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