EFTA00148620.pdf

From: To: Subject: u is airs ews rie mg on ay, uy , Date: Mon, 06 Jul 2020 10:29:41 +0000 c Importan e: Normal Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com. LeiFBI News Briefing TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: MONDAY, JULY 6, 2020 6:30 AM EDT TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • Media Reports Call Trump's Independence Day Speeches "Divisive," "Dark." PROTESTS • Authorities Arrest "Ringleader" Of Attempt To Take Down Jackson Statue. • One Dead, Another Person Injured After Man Drives Into Protest On 1-5 In Seattle. • Three Colorado Police Officers Fired After Reenacting Chokehold Used On McClain. • Trump: Democrats "Crazy" For Wanting To Defund Police. • Anti-Coronavirus Shutdown Facebook Groups Shift To Attacks On BLM. • State Of Emergency Declared In Portland After Protests Turn Violent. • Officer Charged In Floyd's Death Released On $750K Bond. • Massachusetts Police Detective Says She Was Fired Over Pro-BLM Instagram Post. • Protesters To Return To St. Louis Home Where Couple Brandished Guns. • Black Protesters March Through Confederate Memorial Park In Georgia. • Protesters In Baltimore Topple Columbus Statue. • Virginia Orders American Flag Removed From Richmond Construction Site. • Vandals Deface Frederick Douglass Statue In New York. • Current And Former Employees, Donors Say Planned Parenthood "Steeped In White Supremacy." • Differing Portraits Emerge Of Philadelphia Woman Charged With Torching Police Cars. • Man Accused Of Breaking Windows At Nevada Courthouse During Protest. • Woman Who Allegedly Tossed Molotov Cocktail At NYPD Officers Blamed Attack On Blacks. • FBI Seeking Several Individuals Who Looted Louisville, Kentucky Grocery. • Newspaper Cartoon Depicting Swastika-Wearing Trump Sparks Criticism In Florida. • Black South Carolina Police Chief Tries To Navigate The Divide Between His Department, Community. • Oklahoma Police Officers Charged With Murder After Using Stun Gun On Man More Than 50 Times. • NYTimes Al: A Month After George Floyd's Death, Minneapolis Still Struggles To Understand Violent Aftermath. • Kansas Police Officer Was Paid A $70,000 Severance After Killing Unarmed Teen Driver. • Dallas County, Texas May Be Indicative Of Cultural Shift In Police Killings Of Blacks. • Debate Swirls Around Whether Breonna Taylor Memes Bring Needed Attention Or Trivialize Her Death. EFTA00148620 • Michigan Couple Charged With Assault After Videos Show White Woman Pulling Gun On Black Woman. • Black Women's Claims Of Discrimination Belie Pinterest's Kinder, Gentler Reputation. • WYNC Employees Express Betrayal Over Editor-In-Chief Pick That Ignores Calls For Diversity. • NYTimes Al: Latino Activists Struggle With Entrenched Assumption That Racism Is A Black-And- White Issue. • Washington Redskins Open Review Into Changing Controversial Name. • Judge Who Delayed Removal Of Confederate Statue In Richmond Appears To Recuse Himself. • Push To Rename "Bloody Sunday" Bridge In Selma For John Lewis Faces Opposition. • Trump Orders Federal Government To Create Park Honoring "American Heroes." • Stone Mountain Sculpture May Outlast Other Confederate Monuments. • WPost Al Discusses How Trump Era Has Affected Political Discourse At Retirement Community Where Trump Supporter Yelled "White Power." COUNTER-TERRORISM • DO) Seeks To Block Release Of Terrorist Who Completed Sentence. • Judge Delays Trial For Minnesota Militia Leader Allegedly Behind Mosque Bombing. • Op-Ed: The Next American Terrorist. • Artificial Intelligence Linked To Bin Laden Raid Used To Identify Future Threats. • Ignatius: The Dazzling Rise And Tragic Fall Of Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Bin Nayef. • New Iraqi Leader Confronts Challenge of Containing Iran-backed Militias. • Duterte Signs Contentious Antiterrorism Legislation Despite Concerns About Human Rights Abuses. • Canadian Police: Armed Military Man Who Rammed Gates Outside Trudeau's Residence Acted Alone, Faces 22 Charges. • German Intelligence Officials Investigating Far-Right Infiltration Of Military, Police Forces. • Turkish Court Convicts Four Human Rights Activists On Terrorism Charges. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE • Intelligence Chiefs Brief "Gang Of Eight" On Russia Bounty Intelligence. • Grassley Seeks To Reduce Budget Of Think Tank That Awarded Contracts To Halper. • Officials Say It Is Hard For Intelligence Officials To Speak Honestly To Trump About National Security Dangers. • Swalwell Feels Trump Makes House Democrats "Look Like Geniuses Every Day For Impeaching Him." • Flynn Posts Video Of Himself Reciting Oath Of Office Using QAnon Slogan. • Senator Warns Against "Political Interference" Into Probe Of Private Firm That Spied On Environmental Groups. • Jankowicz: Anti-Trump Flash Mob Infiltrated By Russian Election Meddling. • Tennessee Professor Charged With Hiding Ties To China Wants Case Dismissed. • Op-Ed: Putin Still Plays By The Ruthless Rules Of The Cold War. • Russians Arrested In Austria Over Killing Of Chechen Dissident. • Southern Command Rebuilds Intelligence Relationship With Brazil Years After Snowden Damage. • Declassified Navy Videos Create Renewed Interest In UFOs From Congress. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • Epstein Associate Maxwell Charged With Trafficking Minors. • Family Says Remains Found In Texas Are Those Of Fort Hood Soldier. • Death Of Inmate At Metropolitan Detention Center In Los Angeles Ruled A Homicide. • Georgia Prosecutor In Ahmaud Arbery Death Feels Special Responsibility. • Mall Shootings Occur In Alabama, Massachusetts. • FBI Seeks Clues In 2002 Disappearance Of New Mexico Woman. EFTA00148621 • Florida Convict Pleads Guilty To Tennessee Rapes In 1980s. • FBI Supporting Hate Crime Investigation In Michigan. • FBI Investigating Racist Graffiti In Nebraska. • Drug Case Defendant Gets 20-Year Prison Sentence. • North Carolina Gang Leader Sentenced For Murder. • Continuing Coverage: FBI Investigating Disappearance Of Amish Girl. • Continuing Coverage: Georgia Man Pleads Guilty To Threatening Schools. • North Carolina Man Sentenced For Child Pornography. • Kentucky Man Charged With Enticement Of Minor. • Continuing Coverage: New Mexico Teenager Charged With Making Threats. • Ohio Man Pleads Guilty To Threatening Ohio State Football Team. • FBI Investigating California Bank Robbery. • FBI Civil Rights Unit Investigating Assault On Black Connecticut Hotel Clerk. • California Men Sentenced For Bank Robbery. • New York Man Arrested For Bank Robbery. • New Hampshire Police Captain Charged With Fraud. • Continuing Coverage: Kentucky Men Charged In Connection To Sex Trafficking. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS • Attorney Charged In Alleged Toledo, Ohio Bribery Scheme To Remain Free Until Trial. • Another Cohort Of Virginia Money-Launderer Pleads Guilty. • Utah Business Owner Pleads Guilty To Money Laundering. • Indiana Man Sentenced For Bank Fraud. • Former Colorado Judge Pleads Guilty To Obstruction. • Florida Family Arrested On Suspicion Of Kickback Scheme. CYBER DIVISION • Ransomware Attackers Pressure Knoxville, Tennessee By Posting City Data Online. • French Cyber Chief Says France Won't Ban Huawei. • CISA Releases Chapter 2 Of Cyber Essentials Toolkit. • Senators Push For Local Cybersecurity Support In Defense Bill. • CISA Stands To Gain Powers Under Both Versions Of The Defense Authorization Bill. • NSA Warns That VPNs Could Be Vulnerable To Cyberattacks. • Record Number Of Teens Enroll In Online NCSC CyberFirst Courses. • Cyber Experts Say Ransomware Gang Hacked Fort Worth Transportation Agency. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS • FBI Arrests Nigerian National For Cyber Fraud. LAWFUL ACCESS • Senate Panel Unanimously Backs End Of Legal Protections For Hosts Of Child Pornography. OTHER FBI NEWS • Berman To Testify In Closed-Door House Judiciary Hearing. • Donoghue Taking Over As Rosen's Top Deputy. • Man Whose Wrongful Conviction Revealed FBI Forensic Flaws Dies At 59. • Report: FBI Investigated Former Chicago Mayor Daley Over O'Hare Airport Bribery Allegations. • California City To Attempt Recovery Of "Illegal Profits" From Permit Expeditor. • FBI Discusses Election Fraud Threats In Texas. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • Seven-Day US Average Sets Record For 27th Straight Day. EFTA00148622 • In Response To Coronavirus, States And Cities Cancel, Limit Fourth Of July Celebrations. • Trump Again Blames Testing For Rising US COVID-19 Cases. • Trump To Hold Rally In New Hampshire This Weekend. • Hahn Declines To Discuss Trump Assertion Of "Harmless" Coronavirus Cases. • Hahn: "Too Early To Tell" If Jacksonville Can Safely Host GOP Convention. • Hahn Says US Will "Surge" Remdesivir To "Areas That Most Need It." • Some Coronavirus Vaccine Developers Trying New RNA-Based Technology. • Federal Data Show Massive Racial Disparities In COVID-19 Infections And Deaths. • Houston Hospitals Facing Similar Issues As New York Ones Previously Did. • Miami-Dade County Mayor: Demonstrations Contributed To Coronavirus Spike. • Kavanaugh Denies Application From Illinois GOP Contesting Ban On Sizable Political Gatherings. • Coronavirus Impacting West Texas, Where Some Have No Trust In Government. • Resort Communities Working To Bring Guests Back. • Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest Features Various Coronavirus Precautions. • Doctors Learning That COVID Can Take Months To Recover From. • WPost Analysis: CDC's Zika Response "Unheeded Prequel For How" Agency Stumbled In Face Of Coronavirus. • Politico Analysis: Kentucky Avoided Problems Experienced By Other Places That Have Held Elections Amid Pandemic. • More Pro Athletes Testing Positive For Coronavirus. • WSJournal Analysis Highlights How Caregivers Are Contributing To Fight Against COVID. • Kansas Newspaper Posts Cartoon Likening Mask Requirement To Holocaust. • NYTimes Al: Theaters Discovering Ways To Have Live Shows Amid Coronavirus. • Fauci, Other Epidemiologists Discuss Managing Coronavirus Risks In Daily Life. • Wilkie Highlights Efforts Of VA To Provide Medical Care Amid Pandemic. • FDA Authorizes Test To Differentiate Between Flu, COVID-19. • CBS Highlights Type Of Plasma Therapy Being Utilized On Some COVID-19 Patients. • New Study Says Hydroxychloroquine Reduced COVID Mortality Rate. • Coronavirus Prompts Cancellation Of MLB All-Star Game. • Number Of Coronavirus Cases Among Inmates Passes 50,000. • Several Democrats Renew Call To End Senate Filibuster To Pass Priority Legislation. • Migrant Workers Unable To Send Remittances Home Due To Pandemic. • Immigrant Workers Say Employer Cheated Them And Tricked Them Into Deportation. • Duckworth Holds Up Military Confirmations To Ensure Vindman Promotion Is Not Blocked. • Supreme Court Watchers On Both Sides Say Roberts' Recent Moves Were Political. • Cabinet Members Making Official Visits To Swing States. INTERNATIONAL NEWS • WHO: In New Record, 212,000 Daily Coronavirus Cases Reported Globally. • Scientists Call On WHO To Address Airborne Spread Of COVID-19. • Mexican Border Town Blocks Americans From Entering. • UK Begins Easing Lockdown Measures. • China Poised To Dominate Global Medical Supply Production Following Pandemic. • AP Analysis: France-Turkey Dispute Over Libyan Arms Exposes NATO's Limits. • Iran Says It Has Built Underground "Missile Cities" Along Gulf Coast. • Spokesman: Fire At Iran's Natanz Nuclear Facility Caused Significant Damage. • WSJournal: Iranian Military-Owned Conglomerate Opens In Venezuela. • Pearl's Killers Could Soon Be Free. • Men Of Color Say They Are Singled Out By French Police. EFTA00148623 • Two US Carriers In South China Sea For Drills. • Africans Outraged Over Killing Of George Floyd Call Attention To Abuses In Own Countries. • Analyst: Foreigners At Risk Under New Hong Kong Security Laws. • Guatemala Emerging As New Drug Route. THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE • Today's Events In Washington. LEADING THE NEWS Media Reports Call Trump's Independence Day Speeches "Divisive," "Dark." Media reports cast President Trump's speeches at Mt. Rushmore on Friday and on the South Lawn of the White House in a generally negative light. The speeches are described as "divisive" and "dark" and Trump is portrayed as stoking division in order to motivate his base ahead of a difficult reelection battle. While the CBS Weekend NewsVi (7/5, story 2, 2:15, Garrett, 2.32M) focused its coverage on Trump's discussion of "his Administration's efforts to combat the coronavirus virus," other reports are much more critical. For example, ABC World News TonightVI (7/5, story 3, 2:15, Johnson, 4.78M) reported that the President used the July Fourth holiday "to go on the attack" in "a pair of divisive speeches comparing Nazis and fascists to his harshest critics and protesters demanding change." The Washington Post (7/5, Balz, 14.2M) says Trump "has turned the Fourth of July from a joyful and unifying patriotic celebration of America's founding values into a partisan political event," and "the damage could outlast his presidency." The Post says Trump "tried to write himself into the history of America as an implacable wartime president." But his enemy "is not the Nazis of the 20th century or terrorists of the 21st century," but "those in America who disagree with him - a caricatured blue America." Phil Mattingly said on CNN's Inside PoliticsVI (7/5, 731K) that at Mt. Rushmore, Trump delivered "an often dark speech, a clear base-driven speech from a President whose reelection effort is increasingly in jeopardy and sees a divisive culture war as a key to turning it around." The Wall Street Journal (7/5, Lucey, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that Trump has zeroed in on defending statues and monuments as a winning campaign issue. The Journal says Trump's exploitation of cultural divisions is a tactic he has used before. In a prerecorded interview with America This Week (7/5), Trump was asked about the Administration's push to increase federal penalties for taking down statues. Trump said, "It is not only that we are pushing. We already have it. I took out an old act. ... I took it out and we used it and you see the difference. We haven't seen any riots. You haven't seen people doing things lately and the reason is 10 years in prison." Trump added, "If I weren't here, all of Washington would have been knocked down. ... With somebody like a Biden, where there is no law, there is no order, everything would have been knocked down. But I am here." Trump Says CNN Manipulated "The Words And Meaning" Of His July Fourth Speech. In a tweet early Sunday morning, Trump wrote, "Wow. @CNN got caught cold manipulating the words and meaning of my 4th of July Speech. They were brazen, desperate. Watch what happens!" At Mount Rushmore, Trump Denounces "Merciless Campaign To Wipe Out Our History." President Trump on Friday traveled to South Dakota for a fireworks display ahead of the Fourth of July and pledged to resist the "merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children." Although the network newscasts that broadcast ahead of his 10 p.m. speech focused on the apparent lack of social distancing and masks among attendees, reporting in print and online after cast Trump's EFTA00148624 remarks as portraying Confederate leaders and racists among the American "heroes" while highlighting that Kimberly Guilfoyle, the girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr. and a top fundraiser for the President's reelection campaign, had tested positive for the coronavirus. However, conservative outlets provided far more favorable coverage. Typical of the tone of the reporting, an AP (7/3, Groves, Superville) article headlined "Trump Pushes Racial Division, Flouts Virus Rules At Rushmore" says that the President "made a direct appeal to disaffected white voters four months before Election Day, accusing protesters who have pushed for racial justice of engaging in a `merciless campaign to wipe out our history." The AP adds that as Trump "zeroed in on the desecration by some protesters of monuments and statues across the country that honor those who have benefited from slavery, including some past presidents," he "offer[ed] a discordant tone to an electorate battered by a pandemic and wounded by racial injustice following the high-profile killings of Black people." In a front-page article titled "Trump Delivers Divisive Culture War Message At Mount Rushmore," the New York Times (7/3, Al, Karni, 18.61M) says that the President "delivered a dark and divisive speech that cast his struggling effort to win a second term as a battle against a "new far-left fascism" seeking to wipe out the nation's values and history." The Times adds his remarks "amounted to a fiery reboot of his re-election effort, using the holiday and an official presidential address to mount a full-on culture war against a straw-man version of the left that he portrayed as inciting mayhem and moving the country toward totalitarianism." According to the limes, "Trump barely mentioned the pandemic, even as the country surpassed 53,000 new cases of the coronavirus and health officials across the country urged Americans to scale back their Fourth of July plans as the pandemic made a frightening resurgence." Similarly, CNN (7/3, Klein, 83.16M) reports on its website that the President "made an impassioned appeal to his base while in the shadow of Mount Rushmore instead of striking a unifying tone, railing against what he called a `merciless campaign' by his political foes to erase history by removing monuments some say are symbols of racial oppression." Per CNN, "Much of the speech centered on remembering the country's past and casting it in a glorious light, and Trump repeatedly decried attempts to examine the faults in that past." Fox News (7/3, McFall, 27.59M) reports that the President "declared the United States to be `the most just and exceptional nation ever to exist on Earth' and claim that `no nation has done more to advance the human condition than the United States of America and no people have done more to promote human progress than the CITIZENS [emphasis original] of our great nation." Fox News adds Trump "castigated left-wing activists and practitioners of so- called `cancel culture' who have targeted statues and monuments of historical figures across America in recent weeks." The Washington Times (7/3, Munoz, 492K) reports the President "is attempting to crack down on those destroying statues, and signed an executive order last month protecting U.S. monuments and calling for prison terms of up to 10 years for damage to federal property." The Hill (7/3, Axelrod, 2.98M) quotes Trump as saying, "There is a new far-left fascism that demands absolute allegiance. If you do not speak its language, perform its rituals, recite its mantras and follow its commandments, then you will be censored, banished, blacklisted, persecuted and punished. Not going to happen to us." He added, "Make no mistake, this left- wing cultural revolution is designed to overthrow the American Revolution. In so doing, they would destroy the very civilization that rescued billions from poverty, disease, violence and hunger and that lifted humanity to new heights of achievement, discovery and progress." Trump continued, "To make this possible, they are determined to tear down every statue, symbol and memory of our national heritage." In another article, The Hill (7/3, Seipel, 2.98M) reports the President pledged Mount Rushmore "will never be desecrated. These heroes will never be disgraced. Their legacy will never, ever be destroyed. Their achievements will never be forgotten." He added, "Mount Rushmore will stand forever as an eternal tribute to our forefathers and our freedom." EFTA00148625 KELO-TV Sioux Falls, SD (7/3, 110K) reports the President "was joined by First Lady Melania Trump along with other family members," while Sens. John Thune (R-SC) and Mike Rounds (R-SC) "were among the politicians in the dignitary box." The Hill (7/3, Chalfant, Samuels, 2.98M) reports the President on Saturday will "deliver remarks from the White House on Saturday at the 2020 'Salute to America,' an event that will feature flyovers from the Air Force Thunderbirds and the Navy Blue Angels." Meanwhile, Rachel Scott reported on ABC World News TonightVI (7/3, story 3, 2:31, Llamas, 6.84M) that while face masks at the event were "optional, the Trump Administration, including Vice President Mike Pence, have recently been encouraging Americans to wear them." Pence: "We are all in this together. Washing your hands, wearing a mask when it's indicated, or when social distancing is not possible is how every single person can do their part." On NBC's TodayVi (7/3, 4:52, 3.01M), Surgeon General Jerome Adams said, "The most important thing I would say to people is if you do go out to a gathering or in public, please wear a face covering." On NBC Nightly NewsVI (7/3, story 3, 1:54, Melvin, 5.85M), Kristen Welker reported the President "has only been pictured wearing a mask once, fueling criticism he and his Administration are sending mixed signals as concerns mount about rising COVID cases across the country." However, Weijia Jiang said on the CBS Evening NewsVi (7/3, story 3, 2:14, Brennan, 4.19M) that Trump's speech in South Dakota followed "reports that eight Secret Service agents tested positive for the virus and forced...Pence to rearrange his trip to Arizona earlier this week." Jiang said that although the President attributed the latest spike in coronavirus cases to increased testing, Assistant HHS Secretary for Health Adm. Brett Giroir on Thursday "testified on Capitol Hill that's only partly true." Giroir: "There is no question that the more testing you get, the more you will uncover, but we do believe this is a real increase in cases because the percent positivities are going up." In addition, Reuters (7/3, Mason) reports the coronavirus "has even reached Trump's inner circle. Kimberly Guilfoyle, a senior campaign official and the girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr., tested positive in South Dakota before attending the Mount Rushmore event, according to a source familiar with the situation. Trump Jr. has tested negative, the source said." The New York Times (7/3, Haberman, 18.61M) reports Guilfoyle "traveled to South Dakota with Mr. Trump's son Donald Trump Jr., in anticipation of attending a huge fireworks display where the president was set to speak. They did not travel aboard Air Force One, according to the person familiar with her condition, and she was the only person in the group who tested positive." However, the limes highlights that Guilfoyle "is the third person in possible proximity to Mr. Trump known to have contracted the virus." The Washington Post (7/3, Nakamura, Parker, Itkowitz, Sacchetti, 14.2M) says that Guilfoyle's diagnosis and Trump Jr.'s negative result "came amid concerns from medical experts about the president's event before a crowd of several thousand supporters, most not wearing masks and seated close together, at the foot of the famous monument featuring the images of four U.S. president carved into granite. Some experts cautioned that the event could present conditions in which the coronavirus could spread, although it was taking place outdoors, where risks are mitigated to a degree." Swan: Carlson Monologues Provided The "Rhetorical Roots" Of Trump's Mt. Rushmore Speech. Jonathan Swan writes in an analysis on Axios (7/5, 521K) that Fox News host Tucker Carlson's monologues over the past six weeks provide "the rhetorical roots of Trump's Independence Day speech at Mount Rushmore." To Swan, Trump's speechwriter Stephen Miller "framed the president's opposition to the Black Lives Matter protest movement using the same imagery Carlson has been laying out night after night on Fox." Swan goes on to provide "grabs from Carlson monologues over the past month, followed by quotes from Trump's July 3 speech." Noem Denounces Calls To Remove Confederate Statues. The Hill (7/3, Axelrod, 2.98M) reports South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) on Friday "hammered activists calling for the EFTA00148626 removal of Confederate statues, saying they are trying to 'discredit' America's founding fathers." Noem said, "Across America these last several weeks, we have been witnessing a very troubling situation unfold. In real time, we are watching an organized, coordinated campaign to remove and eliminate all references to our nation's founding and many other points in our history." Noem added, "The approach focuses exclusively on our forefathers' flaws, but it fails to capitalize on the opportunity to learn from their virtues." She continued, "Make no mistake, this is being done deliberately to discredit America's founding principles by discrediting the individuals who formed them, so that America can be remade into a different political image." Local Police, National Guard Pepper Spray Protesters Blocking Road To Mount Rushmore. The Sioux Falls (SD) Argus Leader (7/3, Bormett, 179K) reports protests over the President's visit to Mount Rushmore "were met with resistance from law enforcement, pepper sprayed and arrested after they blocked a highway to the monument with vans for nearly three hours Friday." The Washington Times (7/3, Munoz, 492K) says local reports estimated "about 150 demonstrators" had "removed wheels from their vehicles to make it harder to remove them. Local authorities and National Guard were called on to clear the vehicles and start to disperse the protesters." Meanwhile, Politico (7/3, Kumar, 4.29M) says Trump's visit to Mount Rushmore fueled "strife and contention," given the national landmark was "built on land stolen from Native Americans at the same time the country is reassessing the offensiveness of such monuments." According to Politico, "Tribal leaders have criticized the president for what they describe as harmful policies, delayed and watered-down measures to help their community and his offensive language." Politico adds that although the White House and Trump campaign "offered a list of policies the president has pushed that they say have benefited Native Americans: the first proclamation recognizing missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives; a task force on protecting Native American children; a reactivated White House Council on Native American Affairs; and collaborating on rural broadband efforts," tribal leaders "tell a different story." Liberal Group To Stage Fourth Of July Protests Against Trump In 13 Cities. The Washington Times (7/3, Swoyer, 492K) reports the progressive group Refuse Fascism on Thursday announced it has "organized protests on Saturday in Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Honolulu, Detroit, Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, Houston, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Seattle" to "oppose President Trump's 'battle to save a heritage and history of slavery:" Media Analyses: Trump Takes Aim At "Radical Left" During 2020 "Salute To America." In a speech from the White House, President Trump on Saturday delivered his annual "Salute to America" and declared that his Administration is "in the process of defeating the radical left - the Marxists, the anarchists, the agitators, the looters." While media coverage of the President's address was limited, reporting characterized Trump's remarks as an update from his "American carnage" comments made during his inaugural address. To the New York Times (7/4, Karni, Haberman, 18.61M), the President "used the spotlight of the Fourth of July weekend to sow national divide during a national crisis, denying his failings in containing the worsening coronavirus pandemic while delivering a harsh diatribe against what he branded the 'new far-left fascism." The Times adds that Trump "promoted a version of the 'American carnage' vision for the country that he laid out during his inaugural address - updated to include an ominous depiction of the recent protests over racial justice." The AP (7/4, Berry, Madhani) reports that rather than dedicate the day to "unity and celebration," Trump "vowed to 'safeguard our values' from enemies within - leftists, looters, agitators, he said - in a Fourth of July speech packed with all the grievances and combativeness of his political rallies." The AP adds that while the President "watched paratroopers float to the ground in a tribute to America, greeted his audience of front-line medical workers and others central in responding to the coronavirus pandemic, and opened up on those who "slander" him and disrespect the country's past," he "did not mention the dead from the pandemic" and USA EFTA00148627 Today (7/4, Jackson, 10.31M) reports Trump "claimed progress is being made - `we've learned how to put out the flame' - even though new U.S. cases are on a record pace, including more than 50,000 in the last three days." Meanwhile, Kelly O'Donnell said on NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/4, story 3, 1:47, Alexander, 3.61M) that the event on the White House South Lawn was "the largest...since the pandemic," and "attempts" were made "social distancing," though the White House said masks were "not required." O'Donnell added the President was "insistent on spectacle, starting with the show in the sky over Mount Rushmore Friday night. The nation's birthday is usually a unifying event but...Trump was on the attack." On ABC World News TonightVi (7/4, story 3, 1:55, Johnson, 4.56M), Rachel Scott similarly said the President at Mount Rushmore "delivered a divisive speech, railing against the toppling of controversial monuments." Bloomberg (7/4, Sink, Satter, 4.73M) also reports Trump "reprised themes from a speech he delivered in South Dakota the day before, by lashing out at those protesting statues of certain historical figures and other symbols they say celebrate racial injustice," while The Hill (7/4, Moreno, 2.98M) reports the President "took aggressive swipes at the `radical left' and news media." The Hill adds that Trump "said U.S. media outlets `slander' him and his allies by calling them or their actions racist" and "described news coverage regarding the toppling and removal of Confederate monuments as disrespectful of the U.S. armed forces." Washington Post (7/4, Nakamura, 14.2M) White House reporter David Nakamura says that while Trump's inaugural address "sketched the picture of `American carnage' - a nation ransacked by marauders from abroad who breached U.S. borders in pursuit of jobs and crime, lured its companies offshore and bogged down its military in faraway conflicts," his "dark and divisive" remarks this weekend reveal the President believes "the carnage is still underway but this time the enemy is closer to home - other Americans whose racial identity and cultural beliefs are toppling the nation's heritage and founding ideals." Nakamura adds Trump "made clear that he will do little to try to heal or unify the country ahead of the November presidential election but rather aims to drive a deeper wedge into the country's fractures." In an analysis, CNN (7/4, 83.16M) national political reporter Maeve Reston describes the President as "attempting to drag America backward - stirring fear of cultural change while flouting the most basic scientific evidence about disease transmission." However, in more favorable coverage, the Washington Times (7/4, Howell, Boyer, 492K) reports the President "used the second edition of his `Salute to America' to defend everyone from Christopher Columbus to law enforcement officers who've faced assaults from `very bad people' amid protests over racial injustice that have ranged from peaceful to fiery and violent." The Times says Trump "proposed a statue garden for America's heroes, from George Washington to Amelia Earhart, scolded those who question the country's forefathers and claimed 99% of coronavirus cases are `totally harmless' in a July 4 speech to a packed White House lawn - even as many Americans hunkered in their homes or forfeited holiday revelry." The Wall Street Journal (7/4, Lucey, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) quotes the President as saying, "We are now in the process of defeating the radical left, the marxists, the anarchists, the agitators, the looters, and people who in many instances have absolutely no idea what they are doing." He added, "Our past is not a burden to be cast away. It is not a miraculous foundation that will lift us to the next great summit of human endeavor. This incredible story of American progress is the story of each generation picking up where the last finished." Trump Touts July 4th Air Show, Speech. The President on Saturday tweeted, "Big 4th of July Air Show soon coming down the East Coast. Get ready to look up to the sky. Check local listings!" He added, "Will be speaking at 7:00 P.M. Thank you for all of the nice comments on the Mount Rushmore speech last night!!!" Bernhardt Touts Mount Rushmore July Fourth Celebrations. KNBN-TV Rapid City, SD (7/3) provided coverage of the July Fourth celebration held at Mount Rushmore. During the event, Secretary of the Interior Bernhardt spoke and touted the efforts of President Trump, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R), and park service employees to put on the event. Moreover, EFTA00148628 Bernhardt highlighted the efforts of the Department of the Interior to preserve national parks and monuments in the US. Speaking to KOTA-TV Rapid City, SD (7/3), Bernhardt said, "Mount Rushmore is a monument who will be here 'til the end of time. Our job at the Department of the Interior is to be the guardian and the steward for these great monuments to ensure that they are here." Biden Draws Contrast To Trump In Fourth Of July Message. The Washington Post (7/4, Linskey, 14.2M) reports Joe Biden on Saturday "offered a counterpoint to the dark and defiant Fourth of July message President Trump delivered at Mount Rushmore, striking notes of unity in a video and op-ed released on the nation's 244th birthday." The Post says that in a "stark contrast with Trump," Biden "noted that the Founding Fathers were flawed, pointing out that President Thomas Jefferson owned slaves and that women were not granted the full rights of citizenship until 1920. But he said their ideas still offer hope." According to the Post, "The dueling Independence Day messages highlight the vastly different ways Biden and Trump have responded to the country's racial reckoning in the wake of George Floyd's killing in Minneapolis police custody." Meanwhile, Nikole Killion said on CBS Weekend NewsVi (7/4, story 3, 1:21, Garrett, 2.42M) that Biden's address "made no mention of [Trump's speech at Mount Rushmore), but his campaign called the President 'negligent and divisive." "Far-Left Protesters" Burn American Flag Outside White House. Reuters (7/4, Johnson) reports that "just steps from where Trump spoke, peaceful protesters marched down blocked-off streets around the White House, Black Lives Matter Plaza and the Lincoln Memorial." While Reuters adds they "were confronted by counter-protesters chanting, 'USA! USA!" and "there were no reports of violence," The Hill (7/4, Seipel, 2.98M) says that "far-left protesters burned an American flag near the White House" just after the President finished his speech. The Hill adds the activists "can be heard chanting: 'One, two, three, four, slavery, genocide and war. Five, six, seven, eight, America was never great." USA Today (7/4, Hauck, 10.31M) reports protesters "held rallies, marches and sit-ins Saturday in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and more than a dozen other U.S. cities and towns." USA Today adds "several demonstrations" were held in DC despite "the 90-degree heat. Dozens of veterans marched in support of Black lives near the National Mall. Some organizers camped out in tents along Black Lives Matter Plaza." Turnout For DC Fireworks Was "Markedly Thinner" Than Normal. The Washington Post (7/4, Al, Davies, Boorstein, Jouvenal, Balingit, Trent, 14.2M) reports on its front page that Americans "converged on the Mall on Saturday for the Fourth of July during a season of protests over racial injustice, bringing with them clashing notions of what freedom means." According to the Post, "The crowds that typically flow into the District on Independence Day to line the streets for a parade or to get a prime spot on the Mall to see the fireworks were markedly thinner this year." The Post adds that while "warnings" from health officials "and fear of the novel coronavirus dampened enthusiasm for the nation's signature Fourth of July event, those who ventured out - most masked, some without - represented a kaleidoscope of Americans. Some were there simply to catch a break and celebrate, in red, white and blue garb and waving flags as they chatted amiably and spread out in the shade to await the show." However, the Washington Post (7/4, Hedgpeth, 14.2M) reports a 33-year-old man died in Washington, DC "after he ignited a firework and held it over his head, according to fire officials." The Post adds, "The death is the second tragic incident involving fireworks in the past few days in the city." WPost Al: Republicans "Unnerved" By Trump's Desire To Preserve "Legacy Of White Domination." In a nearly 2,400-word front-page article, the Washington Post (7/4, Al, Costa, Rucker, 14.2M) says the President's "unyielding push to preserve Confederate symbols and the legacy of white domination, crystallized by his harsh denunciation of the racial justice movement Friday night at Mount Rushmore, has unnerved Republicans who have long enabled him but now fear losing power and forever associating their party with his racial EFTA00148629 animus." According to the Post, "Trump has left little doubt through his utterances the past few weeks that he sees himself not only as the Republican standard-bearer but as leader of a modern grievance movement animated by civic strife and marked by calls for 'white power,' the phrase chanted by one of his supporters in a video the president shared last weekend on Twitter. He later deleted the video but did not disavow its message." However, White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Matthews "rejected the suggestion that the president has amplified racism." Americans Remain Optimistic About Country. In a nearly 2,200-word piece, Washington Post (7/4, 14.2M) Senior Editor Marc Fisher says the 244th birthday of the US was "a muted celebration by people who are frustrated and strained, yet intriguingly, persistently hopeful about the future." According to Fisher, "A triple whammy of deadly disease, wholesale economic paralysis and a searing reckoning with racial inequality has largely canceled the nation's birthday bash. But despite depression-level unemployment and pervasive sadness, polling and interviews across the country reveal an enduring - even renewed - reservoir of optimism, a sense that despite the coronavirus and perhaps as a result of protests in big cities and small towns alike, the United States can still right itself." PROTESTS Authorities Arrest "Ringleader" Of Attempt To Take Down Jackson Statue. Fox News (7/2, Gibson, 27.59M) reports on its website, "Federal law enforcement officials on Thursday arrested a man in Washington they call a 'ringleader' in the recent attempt to destroy the Andrew Jackson statue in Lafayette Square near the White House." Law enforcement sources said that Jason Charter has "connections to Antifa and was in a leadership role on the night of June 22 when a large group of protesters tried to pull down the statue." Charter was reportedly "arrested at his residence Thursday morning, without incident, and charged with destruction of federal property." The New York Post (7/2, Bowden, 4.57M) reports, "The suspect was also seen on local TV news footage pouring flammable liquid on a toppled statue of Albert Pike in downtown DC and is alleged to have assaulted someone at another demonstration calling for the removal of a statue honoring Abraham Lincoln in Washington's Lincoln Park." Townhall (7/2, Pavlich, 177K) reports, "Last weekend the Department of Justice announced four individuals involved in the situation were arrested and charged for attempting to tear down the statue." Fox News (7/2, Re, 27.59M) reports that Charter "was also allegedly involved in the destruction of the Albert Pike Historical Statue in Washington on June 20 - and even lit a cigarette in the flames engulfing that monument. That's according to court documents that underscore federal authorities' ongoing efforts to unmask and punish individuals who deface national monuments." Fox News adds, "In Charter's case, the FBI's charging documents make clear that open-source surveillance footage and interagency cooperations were again critical to making an arrest. One of the many head-turning revelations in the documents, for example, is that a Washington, D.C. police officer who had given Charter a ride in the past was able to confirm his identity, along with social media commenters." Law Enforcement Searching For Individuals That Vandalized Statue Of Andrew Jackson, Brought Down Sculpture Of Confederate General. The Washington Post (7/3, Lang, 14.2M) reports, "For the third time in as many weeks, federal law enforcement agencies have sought to enlist the public in identifying individuals police say are responsible for vandalizing a statue of President Andrew Jackson and tearing down a sculpture of Confederate Gen. Albert Pike during June protests in Washington." US Park Police and the FBI "released 34 posters Friday featuring photos of demonstrators - several of whom were depicted in a previous batch of images the agencies released last week - and asked community members to contact law enforcement with identifying information." The Post adds that "federal officials and EFTA00148630 protesters have for weeks been at odds over several statues in the nation's capital." A total of 6 people "have been arrested and charged with destroying federal property in connection with efforts to bring down statues in the District - a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison." One Dead, Another Person Injured After Man Drives Into Protest On I-5 In Seattle. The Seattle Times (7/4, Bazzaz, Fields, Lacitis, 935K) reports, "One person was killed and another was seriously injured after a driver plowed into a nightly protest on a closed stretch of Interstate 5 in Seattle early Saturday." According to Harborview Medical Center spokeswoman Susan Gregg, 24-year-old Summer Taylor died Saturday at the facility. The Times adds that meanwhile, 32-year-old Diaz Love "was in serious condition in the intensive-care unit Saturday night." Washington State Patrol indicated that the driver was 27-year-old Dawit Kelete, who "was booked into King County Jail Saturday morning on investigation of felony vehicular assault." The Times adds, "Troopers don't believe impairment was a factor and said Kelete drove the wrong way on an off-ramp to enter the interstate, which had been partially shut down in response to protesters." On ABC World News TonightVi (7/4, story 6, 1:29, Johnson, 4.56M), correspondent Zohreen Shah reported, "The motive for the alleged crime [is] unknown." Three Colorado Police Officers Fired After Reenacting Chokehold Used On McClain. The AP (7/3, Nieberg, Slevin) reports Aurora Interim Police Chief Vanessa Wilson on Friday fired three officers "over photos showing police reenact a chokehold used on Elijah McClain, a 23- year-old Black man who died last year after police stopped him on the street in a Denver suburb." On ABC World News TonightVi (7/3, story 5, 1:57, Llamas, 6.84M), Clayton Sandell reported police "say McClain tried to grab an officer's gun. They used a carotid chokehold to subdue him, as he pleaded for his life." Sandell added McClain "was given a heavy sedative and died three days after a caller reported a man in a ski mask. McClain's family says he wore it because of a blood condition that made him feel cold." On the CBS Evening NewsVi (7/3, story 2, 1:22, Brennan, 4.19M), Jamie Yuccas reported McClain "was not accused of any crime when officers used a chokehold on him." According to the Washington Post (7/3, Miroff, 14.2M), "McClain's death has been a focus of the street protests in Colorado that erupted after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis." The Post adds, "The renewed attention on the case in the wake of Floyd's death has prompted Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) to appoint a special prosecutor to reopen the investigation into McClain's killing. The U.S. Department of Justice announced this week it would review the case as a possible civil rights violation." On the lead NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/3, lead story, 2:20, Melvin, 5.85M) broadcast, Gabe Gutierrez reported two officers were "fired for conduct unbecoming. A third would have been fired but resigned first. A fourth was also let go after getting the photos in a group text and responding, 'haha.' That fourth officer, Jason Rosenblatt, had also been involved in the initial encounter with McClain." However, Gutierrez said the Aurora Police Union on Friday "released a statement calling the internal investigation a rush to judgment, and saying that the Aurora Police Chief was unfit for her position." Demonstrators Call For Justice For McClain. On ABC World News TonightVi (7/4, story 7, 1:31, Johnson, 4.56M), correspondent Stephanie Ramos reported protesters in Colorado on Saturday night were calling for justice for Elijah McClain. Ramos added, "Protesters fac[ed] off with police outside the station in Aurora. Outrage boiling over, amid a new scandal rocking the department. Officers Erica Marrero and Kyle Dittrich, both fired, and officer Jaron Jones resigning, over" selfies in which they're "smiling and simulating the chokehold used on McClain, taken two months after the massage therapist's death." McClain "was walking home last August after buying iced tea at a convenience store when someone called 911 to report him EFTA00148631 as suspicious. Officers later putting him in a chokehold as he begged for his life. ... McClain died days later at the hospital." Trump: Democrats "Crazy" For Wanting To Defund Police. The President tweeted Sunday, "Democrats want to Defund & Abolish Police. This despite poor crime numbers in cities that they run. CRAZY!" In a second tweet, Trump wrote, "Chicago and New York City crime numbers are way up. 67 people shot in Chicago, 13 killed. Shootings up significantly in NYC where people are demanding that @NYGovCuomo & @NYCMayor act now. Federal Government ready, willing and able to help, if asked!" Citing the tweet, the New York Post (7/5, Lapin, 4.57M) reports Trump on Sunday "said the federal government was 'ready, willing and able' to intervene over the surge of shootings in New York City and Chicago." Trump said in a prerecorded interview with America This Week (7/5) that Joe Biden "wants to defund and abolish police because that's what he's being told to do. He is not making his own decisions. The radical left is...telling him what to do. He wants to defund and abolish the police." More Than 14 Killed In Weekend Violence. The Fox News (7/5, Fedschun, 27.59M) website reports the "Fourth of July holiday weekend across the U.S. was marred by violence as more than 14 were killed and dozens were injured in shootings." In Chicago, "more than 67 people were shot over the holiday weekend and at least 13 were killed, including a 7-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy." The Chicago Sun-Times (7/5, 875K) reports that "nine of the weekend's victims were minors." The Chicago Tribune (7/5, Fry, Gorner, Sherry, 2.65M) and New York Times (7/5, MacFarquhar, Chiarito, 18.61M), among other media outlets, also report the shootings, while the Washington Examiner (7/5, Colton, 448K) reports that "an uptick in violence has also been seen in New York City in recent weeks." ABC World News TonightVI (7/5, story 7, 1:30, Johnson, 4.78M) reported "a manhunt under way in South Carolina for suspects involved in a nightclub shooting that killed two. ... And it doesn't stop there. Memphis, Cleveland, Baton Rouge, and Omaha all reported multiple shootings, several ending in deaths and many people hurt." Shootings In New York City Up 205% Since Disbandment Of Plainclothes Unit. The Washington Examiner (7/5, Smith, 448K) reports that "after making the decision to disband its plainclothes 'anti-crime' unit, New York City has seen a 205% increase in shootings in comparison to the same time period last year." According to the New York Post, "116 shootings took place in the city since the officers were reassigned on June 15 to July 2, a 205% increase from the same period in 2019 when there were 38 shootings." Minneapolis, Atlanta See Increase In Shootings Following Floyd Protests. The Minneapolis Star Tribune (7/5, Rao, 1.04M) reports on "tensions between [police] officers and those closest to the surge in shootings in recent weeks as Minneapolis City Hall discusses how to overhaul law enforcement following the police killing of George Floyd." While residents "recognize the limits of the police in addressing crime, they are calling for civilians to take more responsibility - and finding that, too, is not always enough." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (7/5, Sharpe, 895K) reports, "Ninety-three people were shot in Atlanta during the four-week period of May 31 to June 27, up drastically from 46 in the same period last year, the latest complete data available. And fourteen people died of homicide in that span, compared to six during the same time frame in 2019." Anti-Coronavirus Shutdown Facebook Groups Shift To Attacks On BLM. The AP (7/5, Seitz) reports that a "loose network of Facebook groups" started "in April to organize protests over coronavirus stay-at-home orders has become a hub of misinformation and conspiracy theories that have pivoted to a variety of new targets. Their latest: Black Lives Matter and the nationwide protests of racial injustice." One group changed its name last month EFTA00148632 from "Reopen California" to "California Patriots Pro Law & Order," and now includes post "mocking Black Lives Matter or changing the slogan to 'White Lives Matter:" Other groups "have become gathering grounds for promoting conspiracy theories about the protests, suggesting protesters were paid to go to demonstrations and that even the death of George Floyd...was staged." the AP adds, "Facebook said it is aware of the collection of reopen groups, and is using technology as well as relying on users to identify problematic posts." State Of Emergency Declared In Portland After Protests Turn Violent. The CBS Weekend NewsVI (7/5, story 5, 0:25, Garrett, 2.32M) reported, "In Oregon, Portland police declared last night's clash with demonstrators a riot, doing so for the second time in two days. Protestors launched fireworks and threw bricks at the federal courthouse. Police fired tear gas and arrested at least a dozen. For 38 straight days, Portland has seen mostly peaceful protest for racial justice, many in that movement blamed a fringe of white protesters for the violence." ABC World News TonightVi (7/5, story 5, 1:40, Johnson, 4.78M) reported "a state of emergency [was] declared after police say rioters blocked roads and hurled commercial grade fireworks at several government buildings. Authorities confirming officers deployed tear gas to quote, 'defend themselves from serious injury." Portland Protests Frustrate Some Blacks Who Say "White Fringe Element" Is Distracting From Message. The AP (7/3, Flaccus) reports protesters in Portland, Oregon "have taken to the streets peacefully every day for more than five weeks to decry police brutality. But violence by smaller groups is dividing the movement and drawing complaints that some white demonstrators are co-opting the moment." The situation "has angered and frustrated some in the Black community, who say a 'white fringe element' is distracting from their message with senseless destruction in a city where nearly three-quarters of residents are white and less than 6% are Black." Officer Charged In Floyd's Death Released On $750K Bond. The Washington Examiner (7/5, Smith, 448K) reports former Minneapolis police officer Tou Thao, who is charged in the death of George Floyd, "has been released from jail after posting $750,000 bond." Thao, who was "one of the officers involved in arresting Floyd, during which he was filmed standing between bystanders and three of his fellow now-former officers," left prison Saturday morning. Massachusetts Police Detective Says She Was Fired Over Pro-BLM Instagram Post. The New York Times (7/5, Pietsch, 18.61M) reports Springfield, Massachusetts police detective Florissa Fuentes "said she was fired after sharing a photo of her niece at a Black Lives Matter protest on Instagram." Some of her colleagues were upset about the post, which included an individual holding a sign that "implied that people should shoot back at the police." Fuentes removed the post and apologized to her peers, but says she was fired after complaints continued. Protesters To Return To St. Louis Home Where Couple Brandished Guns. The AP (7/5, Salter) reports that "several hundred protesters" returned Friday to the St. Louis home of Mark and Patricia McCloskey, "a white couple whose armed defense of their home during an earlier demonstration earned them both scorn and support." The AP says "chanting protesters" stopped at the gate outside the home for about 15 minutes. Inside, "more than a dozen men in plain clothes walked the grounds and peered out from a second-floor balcony of the couple's home." The protesters "carried signs reading 'Black Lives Matter,' 1Defund the Police' and 'No Justice, No Peace,' and chanted slogans including, 'when Black lives are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back,' and 'this is what democracy looks like:" Black Protesters March Through Confederate Memorial Park In Georgia. EFTA00148633 Reuters (7/5, Gorman) reports that a "predominantly Black group of heavily armed protesters marched through Stone Mountain Park near Atlanta on Saturday, calling for removal of the giant Confederate rock carving at the site that civil rights activists consider a monument to racism." Video footage of the rally "posted on social media showed scores of demonstrators dressed in black - many in paramilitary-style clothing and all wearing face scarves - quietly parading several abreast down a sidewalk at the park." The Washington Examiner (7/5, Dibble, 448K) reports the group of "more than 100 armed protesters" marched "to stand before the Confederate carving as part of a demonstration against racism." Protesters In Baltimore Topple Columbus Statue. The Hill (7/4, Seipel, 2.98M) says demonstrators in Baltimore "tore down a statue of Christopher Columbus on Saturday then threw it into the city's Inner Harbor, The Baltimore Sun Reports." Video shows the statue being toppled "near Baltimore's Little Italy neighborhood as Fourth of July fireworks explode in the distance." The Sun "reports the statue was owned by the city and dedicated in 1984." Hogan Urges Baltimore Officials To "Regain Control Of Their Own Streets" After Statue Toppled. The Washington Examiner (7/5, Dibble, 448K) reports Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) Sunday "called on the leaders of Baltimore to step in and take back control of the city from protesters after a group toppled a statue of Christopher Columbus." In a statement, Hogan "said that the city of Baltimore was responsible for maintaining peace and stepping in when public property is destroyed." The Baltimore Sun (7/5, Wood, 1.33M) reports Hogan "did not say whether the Columbus statue should stay or go, only that destroying it wasn't appropriate." Lester Davis, a spokesman for Baltimore Mayor Bernard C. "Jack" Young, "dismissed the governor's statement," saying, "The governor has made a practice out of engaging in hot rhetoric that we largely ignore because it's not productive and not helpful." The AP (7/5) quotes Davis as saying, "We understand the dynamics that are playing out in Baltimore are part of a national narrative." The CBS Weekend NewsVi (7/5, story 4, 1:45, Garrett, 2.32M) reported that in addition to the statue in Baltimore, "in Waterbury, Connecticut, protestors there beheaded another Columbus statue." Confederate Statue Brought Down In Maryland Placed In Storage. The Washington Post (7/4, Tan, 14.2M) reports that after it "was defaced and toppled on June 16," a family removed a Confederate statue at White's Ferry near Poolesville, Maryland and put "it in storage, where they say it will stay indefinitely." That family, the Browns, owns White's Ferry, "the last of the more than 100 ferries that used to traverse the Potomac River." A family member "who accepted the statue of a Confederate soldier from a county government that wanted it gone" passed away during January. The Post adds that the Browns "also recently took down a sign on" White's Ferry, "which for years bore the name 'Gen. Jubal A. Early' - a Confederate general and white supremacist who spent his life promoting the 'Lost Cause' mythology." A new sign reads, "Historic White's Ferry." Virginia Orders American Flag Removed From Richmond Construction Site. The AP (7/5) reports, "State officials in Virginia ordered the removal of a large American flag from a construction site ahead of the Fourth of July, calling it a potential target for people protesting racial injustice and police brutality." Dena Potter, spokeswoman for the state Department of General Services, "said officials asked a contractor to take down the flag from a new office building for state lawmakers under construction in Richmond," citing a series of recent incidents of vandalism in the city. Vandals Deface Frederick Douglass Statue In New York. The Washington Times (7/5, Morton, 492K) reports that a statue of Frederick Douglass "in Rochester, New York - the site of his famous July 4 address - was damaged and removed over EFTA00148634 the Independence Day weekend, according to news reports backed by social-media pictures from the site." The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle reported that "there was damage to the lower part of the statue and to Douglass' hand." Current And Former Employees, Donors Say Planned Parenthood "Steeped In White Supremacy." The Washington Times (7/5, Richardson, 492K) reports Planned Parenthood is facing "a reckoning led by hundreds of employees and supporters who have charged the organization with being 'steeped in white supremacy.' A letter signed by more than 350 'current and former staffers" and about 800 donors of Planned Parenthood of Greater New York "declared that founder Margaret Sanger was 'a racist, white woman' and that the organization suffers from 'institutional racism." Differing Portraits Emerge Of Philadelphia Woman Charged With Torching Police Cars. The Inquirer (PA). (7/2, Roebuck, 347K) reports, "More than two weeks after FBI agents arrested Lore-Elisabeth Blumenthal - the Philadelphia woman accused of torching two police cars during May 30 protests outside City Hall - her case has emerged as a cause célèbre on the fringes of both sides of the ongoing debate over policing in the United States." The Inquirer adds, "Anarchist websites and zines have held her up as a martyr for their cause, while far right message boards have picked apart her background, labeling her - with no evidence - as a member of antifa." According to the Inquirer, "despite the attention Blumenthal's case has received from extremists online, friends and family members say the woman they know bears little resemblance to the caricatures drawn by those sympathizers and detractors - or the portrait of a premeditated arsonist described by prosecutors in court." Man Accused Of Breaking Windows At Nevada Courthouse During Protest. The Las Vegas Sun (7/2, Torres-Cortez, 170K) reported, "One of the people accused of bashing in windows at a Reno courthouse during a George Floyd-inspired protest, causing nearly $45,000 in damages, allegedly told an acquaintance that 'the cops are not smart enough to find him," but "by the time he was in federal custody, Keith Leroy Moreno, 27, had been identified through media footage, a police officer who had recognized him from previous interactions, and two acquaintances and an anonymous tipster who had heard him boasting about the crime, according to court documents." According to the Sun, "Thirty to 40 protesters gathered at the Reno Federal Courthouse late on May 30. Video caught several protesters throwing objects through the glass windows. An FBI agent gathered screenshots of news media footage from the incident and spotted a burly man in glasses, dark pants, white sneakers and the red sweatshirt, the documents said." Woman Who Allegedly Tossed Molotov Cocktail At NYPD Officers Blamed Attack On Blacks. The New York Post (7/4, Dorn, 4.57M) reports, "The white Catskills woman who allegedly attacked the NYPD with a molotov cocktail during the height of the George Floyd protests in the city claimed three masked black people pressured her into the explosive act, according to new court documents." The Post adds, "In a series of recorded video interviews, Samantha Shader, 27, admitted she threw the device, court papers say - but said she did so at the behest of a two black men and a black woman and that she felt compelled to comply because she was 'the only white person in the area,' Shader said." The Post adds, "The revelation was made in a criminal complaint unsealed Saturday announcing the arrest of Shader's pal, Saugerties painter Timothy Amerman, 29." The AP (7/4, Sisak) reports, "In court papers, prosecutors said Tim Amerman admitted to law enforcement agents that he invited Samantha Shader to take bottles from his recycling bin as she headed to the protests on May 29, but didn't think she'd be using them to create an EFTA00148635 incendiary device." Amerman, 29, of Saugerties, New York, "said he also gave Shader masks, rope, plastic baggies, marijuana and $10 in gas money, and that she took a hammer from his tool bucket, according to prosecutors. Amerman is charged with civil disorder and civil disorder conspiracy. He was ordered jailed following an initial court appearance Saturday in Albany and is due back in court Monday for a hearing to move the case to Brooklyn." The Albany (NY) Times Union (7/4, Gavin, 457K) reports, "The FBI traced fingerprints found on a note to" Amerman. The Times Union adds, "In searching a vehicle that Shader and others drove to the protest, investigators found a note that stated: 'I found a few more glass bottles Than I thought I had, Though still not many. I'm giving you my mask in hopes That helps. Wish I had more. There's also a bag in here for you. BE SAFE Please. Really[.] Good Luck, - Love Tim,' the complaint said. An FBI forensic examiner from the bureau's latent print unit in Quantico, Va. examined the note for latent fingerprints. The examiner found one palm print on it that matched Shader and nine latent fingerprints matching Amerman." FBI Seeking Several Individuals Who Looted Louisville, Kentucky Grocery. WLKY-TV Louisville, KY (7/2, 79K) reported from Louisville, Kentucky, "The FBI in Louisville is looking for several individuals who looted a Kroger, taking more than $18,000 worth of controlled substances, officials said." According to WLKY-TV, "The burglary was reported just before 1 a.m. June 2 at the Kroger on West Broadway, according to information released by the FBI. The looting incident followed the shooting death of David McAtee. Investigators said at least 14 people made their way into the store by forcefully breaking into the front of the business. At least one of the individuals had a firearm, officials said." Newspaper Cartoon Depicting Swastika-Wearing Trump Sparks Criticism In Florida. The Washington Post (7/3, Cavna, 14.2M) reports the leadership of the weekly Islander News in Key Biscayne, Florida "has stood by its decision to run a hot-button cartoon, while running numerous letters over the past several weeks to let its tight-knit community air their views on why the artwork was so incendiary." The June 11 cartoon, "created by veteran contributing cartoonist Peter Evans, depicts President Trump" and some of his statements about Black Lives Matter along with "a partially obscured swastika on Trump's suit jacket." The "opposition to his use of the Nazi symbol was swift and sizable." Black South Carolina Police Chief Tries To Navigate The Divide Between His Department, Community. The Wall Street Journal (7/3, Frosch, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports on the efforts of North Charleston, South Carolina Police Chief Reggie Burgess to diversify his department so that it more closely hews to the city's demographics. Burgess is the first African American to lead the department, where relations with the black community were strained. Oklahoma Police Officers Charged With Murder After Using Stun Gun On Man More Than 50 Times. AP (7/3, Press) reports two police officers in the town of Wilson, Oklahoma "have been charged with second-degree murder after being accused of using their stun guns more than 50 times on a 28-year-old man who died." Officers Joshua Taylor, 26, and Brandon Dingman, 34, "were charged Wednesday in the death last year of Jared Lakey, according to court documents." Taylor and Dingman "had come into contact with Lakey after responding to a call that he was acting in a disorderly way, (the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation] said." Court documents "said the two officers used their stun guns on Lakey more than 50 times, 'which greatly exceeded what would have been necessary or warranted by the attendant circumstances,' and was a 'substantial factor' in Lakey's death." EFTA00148636 NYTimes Al: A Month After George Floyd's Death, Minneapolis Still Struggles To Understand Violent Aftermath. In a front-page article, the New York Times (7/3, Al, Stockman, 18.61M) reports that a month after the death of George Floyd at the hands of white Minneapolis police officers sparked protests that morphed into destruction, "the city is still struggling to understand what happened and why: Not since the 1992 unrest in Los Angeles has an American city suffered such destructive riots." To many, the damage "was an understandable response to years of injustice at the hands of the Minneapolis police, an explosion of anger that activists had warned was coming if the city did not reform law enforcement." But it also "struck a close-knit, civic-minded community that was already struggling under the coronavirus pandemic." Kansas Police Officer Was Paid A $70,000 Severance After Killing Unarmed Teen Driver. The Washington Post (7/3, Jackman, 14.2M) reports, "About six weeks after an Overland Park, Kan., police officer fired 13 shots into a minivan driven by an unarmed 17-year-old in 2018, killing him, the city paid the officer $70,000 in a severance agreement, the teen's mother recently discovered." The "killing of John Albers by Clayton Jenison, in the driveway of Albers's family home in a suburb of Kansas City, was captured by two police dash cameras and a Ring home security camera across the street." In February 2018, the Johnson County district attorney "announced that the officer would not be charged and that the slaying was justifiable." City spokesman Sean Reilly "said Thursday that `in the best interest of the community,' the city negotiated an agreement with Jenison `which resulted in his voluntary resignation; to include $8,000 in pay, $3,040 in unused vacation and comp time, and a $70,000 severance payment." Dallas County, Texas May Be Indicative Of Cultural Shift In Police Killings Of Blacks. The Los Angeles Times (7/3, Lee, 4.64M) reports that while "the size and prolonged nature of recent demonstrations" sparked by the killing of black people by police officers "may indicate a cultural shift" in the US, "it is unclear whether the ferment will translate into more guilty verdicts against police officers who kill citizens." If "it does, Dallas County [Texas] could prove an early indicator of that shift." Since 2018, juries in Dallas County "have convicted two police officers of murder." Debate Swirls Around Whether Breonna Taylor Memes Bring Needed Attention Or Trivialize Her Death. The Washington Post (7/3, Andrews, 14.2M) reports that attempts to keep Breonna Taylor's name "in the spotlight bore a new variety of meme" with the purpose of shocking "the viewer into remembering Taylor's death and the fact that the three police involved have not been charged with a crime." Taylor "was sleeping when Louisville police executed a no-knock search warrant on her home after midnight on March 13 and fatally shot her at least eight times." It is "difficult to deny the memes' effectiveness on an individual user who might be caught off guard." But some people "question if they're able to actually spark societal change - or if they trivialize Taylor's death." Michigan Couple Charged With Assault After Videos Show White Woman Pulling Gun On Black Woman. The New York Times (7/2, Yuhas, Levenson, 18.61M) reports a Michigan couple "have been charged with felonious assault after widely circulated videos showed a white woman pointing a gun at a Black woman in a parking lot in Michigan, the authorities said on Thursday." In the videos, "the Black woman and her teenage daughter confront a white man and woman outside a Chipotle restaurant in Orion Township, Mich., on Wednesday." The exchange "quickly escalates from an argument about an apology into accusations of racism, with a gun held only a few feet from the Black woman as she filmed with her cellphone." At a July 3 news conference, Sheriff EFTA00148637 Michael Bouchard of Oakland County, Michigan "said the woman who had pointed the gun and her husband had each been charged with felonious assault, which carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison." Black Women's Claims Of Discrimination Belie Pinterest's Kinder, Gentler Reputation. The Washington Post (7/3, Tiku, 14.2M) reports, "Two days after two black female ex-Pinterest public policy officials claimed in viral Twitter posts that they were underpaid, faced racist comments from their manager and were subject to retaliation, Pinterest CEO Ben Silbermann tried to assuage outraged employees." The image of Pinterest "as a kinder, gentler social media juggernaut grew out of the site's predominantly female user base and soft-spoken CEO - a reputation held aloft in recent years by the company's commitments to racial and gender diversity." But "since Ifeoma Ozoma and Aerica Shimizu Banks, two of the three people on Pinterest's policy team, quit together at the end of May and soon went public with their claims, that image has grown harder for Pinterest to maintain." WYNC Employees Express Betrayal Over Editor-In-Chief Pick That Ignores Calls For Diversity. The New York Times (7/3, Bellafante, 18.61M) reports that when management at WNYC last year asked staff "who should lead WNYC's daily news coverage," the response "was unambiguous: Reporters and producers sought a person of color, someone who deeply understood New York and who had experience in public radio." So it "was with great consternation that the staff greeted the news, delivered on June 11, when the rest of the world would hear it as well...that the editor in chief of WNYC was going to be" Audrey Cooper, "a white woman who lived in California, grew up in Kansas and was not from the world of audio." In a letter "delivered to top management and the board of trustees on July 1, which has since amassed more than 145 signatures - including those of high-profile figures like Brian Lehrer - staff members expressed a sense of betrayal." NYTimes Al: Latino Activists Struggle With Entrenched Assumption That Racism Is A Black-And-White Issue. In a front-page article, the New York Times (7/3, Al, Medina, 18.61M) says that many "liberal Latino voters and activists...are trying to figure out where they fit in the national conversation about racial and ethnic discrimination." And while Latinos "want people to understand how systemic racism in education, housing and wealth affects them, they are also grappling with an entrenched assumption that racism is a black-and-white issue, which can make it challenging to gain a foothold in the national conversation." They "often find themselves frustrated and implicitly left out." Washington Redskins Open Review Into Changing Controversial Name. In a front-page article, the Washington Post (7/3, Al, Maese, Maske, Clarke, 14.2M) says the Washington Redskins on Friday "moved...toward what team owner Daniel Snyder once vowed was unthinkable: changing their controversial name in a bow to pressure from their largest corporate sponsors and the fierce winds of societal reckoning sweeping the country." The Post reports the team "said it was launching a thorough review of the name. It did not share any details of the process, but two people familiar with discussions among Snyder, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and league officials that led to Friday's announcement said the review is expected to result in a new team name and mascot." The New York Times (7/3, Draper, 18.61M) similarly says that while Snyder "has been steadfast in his insistence to keep the name, even in the face of governmental and activist pressure to change it," and Goodell just two years ago "said that the team's name should remain," over the past month "the ground underneath their feet has shifted. American society is undergoing a wide uprising over police brutality and systemic racism that flared after the killing EFTA00148638 of George Floyd in police custody, a widespread movement that has led to a reconsideration of statues, flags, symbols and mascots considered to be racist or celebrating racist history." Meanwhile, Geoff Bennett said on NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/3, story 4, 1:41, Melvin, 5.85M) that the announcement of the review "comes just one day after FedEx, the team's most prominent sponsor, asked the team to change its name. FedEx owns the naming rights to where the team plays in Maryland. Also on Thursday, Nike appeared to remove the team's products from its website." On the CBS Evening NewsVi (7/3, story 4, 2:01, Brennan, 4.19M), Nikole Killion reported FedEx "says it has communicated its request to the team to change its name and appreciates the team's willingness to review the matter. It's unclear when a decision will be made, but some believe it should happen before the start of the season." In addition, the Washington Post (7/3, Carpenter, Clarke, Maese, Maske, 14.2M) reports that following the team's announcement, "many" Native American leaders and activists "were pleased." The Wall Street Journal (7/3, Beaton, Radnofsky, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) and a brief ABC World News TonightVI (7/3, story 9, 0:29, Llamas, 6.84M) broadcast provided similar coverage. Professional Sports Teams Consider Changing Native American-Themed Names. The Wall Street Journal (7/5, Beaton, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that the current social unrest over systemic racism has prompted professional sports organizations to address calls to change Native American-themed team names. On Friday, the Washington Redskins announced they were reviewing their name and the Cleveland Indians said they were considering a new name. GOP Lawmakers, Others Call For Boycott Over Reported NFL Plans To Play "Black National Anthem." The Washington Times (7/3, Richardson, 492K) reports that calls to "boycott the NFL trended Friday on social media following reports that the league plans to play the song known as the Black national anthem before all Week 1 regular season games." Multiple media outlets, "including The Associated Press and the Undefeated, cited sources saying that 'Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing,' known as the Black national anthem, would be played or performed before the first week's games, immediately before 'The Star-Spangled Banner:" The hashtag #BoycottNFL "trended on Friday morning as some Republican lawmakers and others condemned the idea, saying it promoted the concept of a nation divided by race." Judge Who Delayed Removal Of Confederate Statue In Richmond Appears To Recuse Himself. The Washington Post (7/3, Schneider, 14.2M) reports that Circuit Court Judge Bradley B. Cavedo, "who imposed an indefinite injunction against removing the statue of Robert E. Lee on state property appears to have recused himself from the case." Cavedo on Wednesday "filed a 'disqualification order' saying that because a related case had sought to be combined with his case, he could no longer preside and was stepping down." It "was unclear Friday night if the case had merged with his case." Push To Rename "Bloody Sunday" Bridge In Selma For John Lewis Faces Opposition. The AP (7/3, Reeves) reports that, "with thousands protesting nationwide against racial injustice, a years-old push is gaining steam to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge" in Selma, Alabama "in honor of Rep. John Lewis, who led the 1965 marchers on 'Bloody Sunday." But that idea "is drawing opposition in Selma, including from some who marched with Lewis that day." Pettus, "a Confederate general and reputed Ku Klux Klan leader," has "ironically come to also symbolize Black freedom and shouldn't be painted over, some say." Others "oppose the move because Lewis was an outsider who followed in the footsteps of locals who had worked to end segregation for years before he arrived." And some "fear a change would hurt tourism in a poor town with little going for it other than its civil rights history." Trump Orders Federal Government To Create Park Honoring "American Heroes." EFTA00148639 The New York Times (7/4, Crowley, 18.61M) reports President Trump "ordered the federal government late Friday to design and construct a statuary park honoring 'American heroes,' his latest embrace of American heritage in opposition to what he has described as a revolutionary leftist movement that would 'erase our values." The executive order was issued not long after the President "delivered a combatively political speech at Mount Rushmore denouncing recent acts by anti-racism protesters who destroyed or defaced national monuments." The order says Trump won't "abide an assault on our collective national memory." The Times adds, "Since the start of mass protests over the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, protesters have toppled several statues to confederate generals and leaders, but in some instances have also spray painted or otherwise vandalized monuments to national icons like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln." The President on Saturday also tweeted, "'Change Hearts Not Stones. There is no end to historical purification.' Great historian Doug Wead." Scalia Says "It Would Mean A Lot" To Have His Father In Trump's Proposed Hero Garden. The New York Post (7/5, Moore, 4.57M) reports that Labor Secretary Scalia said that "it would mean a lot" to have his father, the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in President Trump's proposed national garden remembering scores of American heroes. Scalia said on Fox News Sunday (7/5), "It would mean a lot. I didn't see that one coming...and it was really touching to hear. I hope it would mean a lot to the American people, too. We need heroes. We need to admire our forebears and recognize what is great and good in our past. That is what the President is emphasizing right now." Stone Mountain Sculpture May Outlast Other Confederate Monuments. The AP (7/4, Brumback, Bynum) says, "Some statues of figures from America's slave-owning past have been yanked down by protesters, others dismantled by order of governors or city leaders." However, the biggest Confederate monument "may outlast them all," with that monument being "Stone Mountain's supersized sculpture depicting Gen. Robert E. Lee, Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Gen. Thomas J. 'Stonewall' Jackson mounted on horseback." The monument "has special protection enshrined in Georgia law," and even in the even its demolition was to be authorized, "the monument's sheer size poses serious challenges." According to the AP, "The carving measures 190 feet (58 meters) across and 90 feet (27 meters) tall. An old photo shows a worker on scaffolding just below Lee's chin barely reaching his nose." WPost Al Discusses How Trump Era Has Affected Political Discourse At Retirement Community Where Trump Supporter Yelled "White Power." A front-page Washington Post (7/4, Al, Wootson, 14.2M) analysis says Sharon Sandler, a resident of The Villages, a retirement development in Florida, "was already irritated as she walked toward the growing line of golf carts preparing to parade around one of" The Village's "town squares for President Trump's birthday." Sandler had been "at an anti-racism vigil that sought to honor the memory of people killed by police, but whoever controlled the Villages' sound system wouldn't lower the volume, she said, so a solemn moment was pierced with a hydrant of Fox News." Sandler's silent protest degenerated into a "screaming match" which would "draw international outrage when Trump...shared a video showing one of his supporters at the parade pumping his fist and screaming, 'White power!" The Post adds that to Sander, "the episode showed what Trump's presidency has done to political discourse in a community that bills itself as a friendly, laid-back place." COUNTER-TERRORISM DO) Seeks To Block Release Of Terrorist Who Completed Sentence. EFTA00148640 The New York Times (7/2, Rosenberg, 18.61M) reports that the Justice Department is trying to block the release of Adham Hassoun, from immigration custody. Hassoun "was convicted of providing material support for terrorism in 2007 for sending aid to Muslim militants in conflicts in places like Bosnia, Kosovo and Chechnya in the 1990s." He "completed a prison sentence early for good behavior in 2017." But because he was stateless, he could not be deported. DO) "put him in an immigration prison" but a federal judge "ruled Monday that the Trump administration had provided no proof that he was dangerous and ordered him to be released on Thursday." DO) lawyers "notified two different federal appeals courts of their intent to challenge" the order and were "given a deadline of July 15 to provide written arguments on why Mr. Hassoun should not go free while they appeal." Judge Delays Trial For Minnesota Militia Leader Allegedly Behind Mosque Bombing. The Minneapolis Star Tribune (7/2, Montemayor, 1.04M) reports, "Citing the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic," US District Judge Donovan Frank "on Thursday postponed the trial of an Illinois militia leader charged with orchestrating the 2017 bombing of a Bloomington mosque." Michael Hari "was scheduled to stand trial on hate crime and explosives charges later this month, making his the first federal trial to take place since the district's chief judge suspended jury trials in March," but Judge Frank "postponed Hari's trial date to Sept. 21." The Star Tribune adds, "Last week, Chief Judge John Tunheim issued an order allowing in-person hearings to resume on a limited basis on July 13. The federal bench in Minnesota also plans to resume criminal jury trials after July 6." Hari "is the sole member of the White Rabbits militia group left to stand trial after the other two Illinois men charged in 2018 - Michael McWhorter and Joe Morris - pleaded guilty." Op-Ed: The Next American Terrorist. In an op-ed in the Cipher Brief (7/2), Bruce Hoffman, professor at Georgetown University, and Colin P. Clarke, a Senior Fellow at The Soufan Center, wrote, "For decades, America's primary terrorist threat came from groups based abroad. Today, a new crop of terrorist actors is emerging from within our own borders. What was mostly a monochromatic threat from Salafi- jihadist groups like al-Qaeda, the Islamic State (IS), and those individuals they sought to inspire, has now become a kaleidoscope with new threats from Iboogaloo bois,' white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and shadowy anarchist elements." They concluded, "Yet now, as evidenced by events that have played out over the first half of this year, there is a renewed sense of urgency to deal with actual terrorist threats percolating on American soil. Policymakers could consider the appropriate laws, authorities, and policies to ensure that the country is prepared to meet the ever-changing terrorism threat, including its most recent domestic permutations." Artificial Intelligence Linked To Bin Laden Raid Used To Identify Future Threats. Fox News (7/2, Crothers, 27.59M) reported that, "after raiding Usama Bin Laden's compound, the government used artificial intelligence to discover future al-Qaida plans." According to Brian Drake, DIA's Science and Technology director of artificial intelligence, "said that among those materials was a treasure trove of documents." Drake went on "to explain that for the last 15 years, NMEC has been investing in AI." He said, "They've made investments in text recognition technology, object detection, machine translation, audio and image categorization...what that allows them to do is go through petabytes of data they get from document exploitation. That results in tens of billions of pieces of data. What they have successfully done is deployed a capability to go through all of those pieces of data and then drive the kind of insights we got from the [Bin Laden's) Abbottabad compound raid and do it extremely quickly." Ignatius: The Dazzling Rise And Tragic Fall Of Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Bin Nayef. EFTA00148641 In his column in the Washington Post (7/5, 14.2M), David Ignatius writes, "A grim new chapter in the Saudi `Game of Thrones' battle for control of the kingdom appears to be underway, as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman prepares corruption and disloyalty charges against his predecessor and onetime rival, former crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef - a man who was once the US' champion in the war against Islamist terrorism. ... Saudi and US sources say that MBS's anti-corruption committee is nearing completion of a detailed investigation of allegations that MBN improperly diverted billions of Saudi riyals through a network of front companies and private accounts." He concludes, "Whatever MBN's failings, the US intelligence officers who worked with him regard him still as a hero who helped save his country when it was mortally threatened." New Iraqi Leader Confronts Challenge of Containing Iran-backed Militias. The Washington Post (7/2, Salim, Loveluck, 14.2M) reported a raid "ordered by Iraq's new prime minister on militiamen accused of planning an attack against Baghdad's international zone could mark a turning point in his government's efforts to bring Iran-backed groups to heel." The arrest of 14 members of Kataib Hezbollah late last month "marked the boldest move yet by any Iraqi leader against the Iran-linked militias, which often operate in Iraq outside the law." Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who took office in May, "has vowed to halt their attacks on foreign forces in the country, primarily US troops." But the response "of the powerful militia to the June 26 raid underscores how challenging it will be for Kadhimi to recast the relationship between Iraq's government and some of the country's armed groups." Most were "let go, and then welcomed back to the group's headquarters as heroes." Duterte Signs Contentious Antiterrorism Legislation Despite Concerns About Human Rights Abuses. The New York Times (7/3, Gutierrez, 18.61M) reports Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday "signed a contentious antiterrorism bill...aimed at combating Islamic militancy in the south, a measure that critics warned could lead to more widespread human rights abuses." The legislation "allows for terrorism suspects to be detained without a warrant, prolongs the amount of time that they can be detained without being charged in court, and removes a requirement that the police present suspects before a judge to assess whether they have been subjected to physical or mental torture. Rights groups and activists say the new law is designed to give Mr. Duterte's police and military forces more powers to stifle dissent against his populist rule amid his war on drugs, which has killed thousands of people." Meanwhile, Duterte spokesperson Harry Roque "said the new law was necessary to crack down on terrorism." Canadian Police: Armed Military Man Who Rammed Gates Outside Trudeau's Residence Acted Alone, Faces 22 Charges. Reuters (7/3, Ljunggren) reports 46-year-old Corey Hurren, the "armed member of the Canadian military who drove a truck through gates protecting the part of Ottawa where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lives" on Thursday morning, "was acting alone and now faces 22 charges, police said on Friday." Royal Canadian Mounted Police Deputy Commissioner Mike Duheme told a news conference told a news conference, "There is no risk to the public and from what (information) we have, he was acting alone." The 22 charges against Hurren "include uttering threats, `possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose' and contravening rules on the transportation of firearms. He is next due in court on July 17." German Intelligence Officials Investigating Far-Right Infiltration Of Military, Police Forces. In a roughly 3,300-word article, the New York Times (7/3, Bennhold, 18.61M) reports the number of cases involving far-right extremists infiltrating Germany's military and police forces "have multiplied alarmingly" in recent years, connected in part to "the emergence of the EFTA00148642 Alternative for Germany party, or AfD. ... Most concerning to the authorities is that the extremists appear to be concentrated in the military unit that is supposed to be the most elite and dedicated to the German state, the special forces, known by their German acronym, the KSK." The nation's military counterintelligence agency is currently "investigating more than 600 soldiers for far-right extremism, out of 184,000 in the military...but the German authorities are concerned that the problem may be far larger and that other security institutions have been infiltrated as well." Turkish Court Convicts Four Human Rights Activists On Terrorism Charges. The New York Times (7/3, Specia, 18.61M) reports that on Friday, "a Turkish court...convicted four human rights activists of terrorism charges, including two former leaders of Amnesty International, as part of a broader crackdown on opposition voices in the country. One defendant, Taner Kilic, who once led Amnesty Turkey...was convicted on charges of being a member of a terrorist organization and sentenced to six years and three months in prison," while "three others - Ozlem Dalkiran, Idil Eser and Gunal Kursun - were convicted of 'assisting a terrorist organization' and each sentenced to 25 months in jail." According to the Times, "Their cases are the latest in a widespread crackdown on dissent in Turkey in the wake of a failed 2016 coup attempt" that "has seen hundreds put on trial and deepened political divisions within the country." COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE Intelligence Chiefs Brief "Gang Of Eight" On Russia Bounty Intelligence. The AP (7/2, Jalonick, Daly) reports that CIA Director Haspel and DNI Ratcliffe gave classified briefings Thursday to "congressional leaders who have demanded more answers about intelligence assessments that Russia offered bounties for killing U.S. troops in Afghanistan." The intelligence officials "conducted the closed-door briefing for a group of lawmakers dubbed the 'gang of eights" - Senate Majority Leader McConnell, House Speaker Pelosi, "and the top Republicans and Democrats on the two intelligence committees." While none of the lawmakers would comment on the briefing, Senate Minority Leader Schumer said that "independent of the briefing, I don't think the President is close to tough enough on Vladimir Putin." ABC World News TonightVi (7/2, story 4, 0:30, Llamas, 7.26M) reported that Pelosi "is calling for tougher sanctions on Russia." While the White House "maintains that the intelligence never rose to the level of a formal presidential briefing," and the President "has called it a hoax," Pelosi "called that a con, contending the President should have been verbally briefed." The Washington Times (7/2, Meier, 492K) reports that Pelosi and Schumer said any reports of threats against American troops "must be pursued relentlessly." They said in a statement, "These reports are coming to light in the context of the President being soft on Vladimir Putin when it comes to NATO, the G7, Crimea, Ukraine and the ongoing undermining of the integrity of our elections. ... Our Armed Forces would be better served if President Trump spent more time reading his daily briefing and less time planning military parades and defending relics of the Confederacy." Newly Produced Memo Emphasizes Uncertainties, Gaps In Evidence Surrounding Intelligence On Russian Bounties. The New York Times (7/3, Savage, Schmitt, Callimachi, Goldman, 18.61M) reports a recent memo produced by the National Intelligence Council "acknowledged that the C.I.A. and top counterterrorism officials have assessed that Russia appears to have offered bounties to kill American and coalition troops in Afghanistan, but emphasized uncertainties and gaps in evidence, according to three officials. The memo is said to contain no new information, and both its timing and its stressing of doubts suggested that it was intended to bolster the Trump administration's attempts to justify its inaction on the months-old assessment, the officials said." Moreover, "some former national security officials EFTA00148643 said the account of the memo indicated that politics may have influenced its production." According to two of the officials briefed on its contents, the memo said different parts of the intelligence community expressed varying levels of confidence in the conclusion that the Russian military intelligence service offered the bounties. Intelligence Officials: Russia's Grievances Against American Interference May Explain Bounty Allegations. The New York Times (7/3, Higgins, Kramer, 18.61M) reports, "Russian officials and commentators reacted with fury" to the news that "American intelligence officials had concluded that Russia's military intelligence agency had gone so far as to pay bounties to the Taliban and criminal elements linked to it to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan." However, "amid a torrent of outraged denials...there have been pointed reminders that, in Russia's view, the United States, because of its overreach overseas, deserves to taste some of its own medicine." According to the Times, "Russia's grievances against what it sees as American bullying and expansion into its own zones of influence have been stacking up for decades," and the "deep well of bitterness created by past and current conflicts in Afghanistan, Ukraine and more recently Syria, where U.S. forces killed scores of Russian mercenaries in 2018, help[s] explain why Russia, according to U.S. intelligence officials, has become so closely entangled with the Taliban." Graham Says Russia Bounties Controversy Is "B.S." Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said on Fox News' Fox & Friends (7/2, 831K), "Russia has been up to no good in a lot of different places, and I haven't had a whole lot of affection for Putin's Russia. But I do understand the military. I think the system got it right. You had contradictory intelligence. We increased force protection just to be cautious. But, I can't imagine briefing the President of the United States about this allegation given the nature of the intelligence." Graham added, "It's all B.S. He wasn't briefed and there was no consensus. As a matter of fact, the most reliable form of intelligence gathered around this episode was against Russia giving money to the Taliban." Bounty Revelations Revive Attention On 2019 Car Bomb Deaths Of Three Marines. The Washington Post (7/2, Lamothe, Ryan, Sonne, 14.2M) reports that the April 2019 deaths of three US Marines in a car bombing outside a US base in Afghanistan "has been thrust into the spotlight in recent days amid revelations that intelligence analysts believe those who planned it may have been paid a bounty by a Russian military intelligence unit to kill Americans. ... Caught in the firestorm are the families and friends of the three Marines - Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman, Staff Sgt. Benjamin Hines and Sgt. Robert Hendriks - who were just a few weeks from returning home to the United States when they were killed." Schiff Took No Action After Staff Was Briefed On Bounty Intelligence In February. The Federalist (7/2, Davis, Hemingway, 126K) reports that top staff for House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff "were briefed in February" on the intelligence, but Schiff "took no action in response to the briefing, multiple intelligence sources familiar with the briefing told The Federalist." Schiff staff was briefed "during a congressional delegation, or CODEL, trip to Afghanistan in February," but Schiff, "who has acknowledged President Donald Trump was never briefed on the so-called intelligence, has thus far refused to disclose that his staff was personally briefed." NYTimes Analysis: Bounty Revelations Undermining Trump's "Qualified Success" In Afghanistan. A New York Times (7/2, Crowley, 18.61M) analysis says that although President Trump "has not achieved his goal of a full American withdrawal from Afghanistan, he has drawn down thousands of U.S. troops and struck a deal with the Taliban intended to pave the way for a complete exit and an end to the 19-year conflict." But, "the uproar" over the Russian bounties "is renewing focus on a conflict that had drifted to the political back burner, and turning what had been a qualified success story for the president into at least a short-term political disaster." The Times cites a "person familiar with the president's thinking" who "said he had repeatedly spoken of having all American soldiers out of the country by the end of the year. That prospect may become even more likely now that the United States' continuing presence in EFTA00148644 Afghanistan has badly stung a president who lost patience with the American mission there long ago." WPost Analysis: Controversy Over Alleged Bounty Payments Drives Russia Into US Election Politics. A Washington Post (7/3, Sonne, 14.2M) analysis says Russia "is once again threatening to become a major factor in a U.S. presidential election as long-standing fears about President Trump's deference to Russian President Vladimir Putin crystallize in a scandal over alleged Russian bounty payments targeting U.S. forces in Afghanistan." The alleged payments, and the possibility that "the president received intelligence reports about the activity but did little about it," have "revived allegations...that Trump is loath to confront Russia, even when it comes to an issue as fundamental as protecting American troops." On Wednesday, "Secretary of State Mike Pompeo came to Trump's defense...reasserting that the Trump administration has been particularly tough on Russia," but "the hawkish moves and words by the administration against Russia that Pompeo regularly cites as proof of the president's firmness toward Moscow have done little to quell concerns that Trump may be advancing Russian interests and is consistently shying away from rebuking Putin." Morell, Vickers Examine How "Normal" Administration Would Have Responded To Russian Bounty Intelligence. In a Washington Post (7/3, 14.2M) op-ed, former CIA Acting Director Michael Morell and former Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Mike Vickers write, "When it comes to the issue of Russia and Afghanistan, here's what we can all agree on: There has been a stream of intelligence saying or suggesting that Russia offered bounties to Taliban-associated militants for the killing of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan." They add, "We want to share what would have happened in a normal 'administration' with a stream of intelligence like this. We define 'normal' as what would have occurred in the six administrations that one or both of us worked within." They say the intelligence would have been distributed to policymakers and briefed to the President, with updates as the intelligence community assessed its veracity; they would also have briefed Congress. If the information was deemed credible, "the goal of any U.S. response would have been aimed at deterring the Russians." Paul Questions "Who Benefits" From Leaking Russia Bounty Intelligence. In an op-ed for Breitbart (7/2, 673K), Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) writes that the question "who benefits" must be asked "in examining why an intelligence officer in our government committed a felony by releasing classified information alleging that the Russians are paying bounties for the Taliban to kill American soldiers." Paul argues that "the usual partisan Democrats benefit. But let's not miss that the war caucus (a.k.a. the Never-Trump neocon warmonger playgroup) is using this leaked rumor to advocate for staying indefinitely in Afghanistan." The "usual forever war advocates like Liz Cheney are using this so-called 'intelligence' to criticize the president for trying to end the Afghan War." Rubin: Pelosi Exposes Trump's "Con" On Russian Bounty Intelligence. In her Washington Post (7/3, 14.2M) column, Jennifer Rubin writes that Pelosi, who was briefed on the intelligence regarding the Russian bounties and has a great deal of past experience with intelligence briefings, was "well-equipped to call out Trump's latest excuse for not having acted on intelligence or been (orally) briefed: 'You got the con. The White House put on a con that if you don't have 100 percent consensus on intelligence, it shouldn't rise to a certain level,' she told reporters. That, however, is just poppycock," and Pelosi "correctly pointed out that if you needed to have 100 percent certainty before alerting the president to a threat to the troops, you would never look into anything." Rubin concludes, "Frankly, no one outside the Trump cult could reasonably believe the president's advisers and the president himself were intent on prioritizing the defense of U.S. troops." Reed: Trump Should Have Been Aware Of Russian Bounties. Sen. Jack Reed (D- RI) told Fox News SundayVi (7/5, 1.06M) he is "very concerned" by reports that Russia offered bounties on US troops in Afghanistan. Reed said, "If there is credible evidence that Russia is trying to entice Afghans to kill American servicemen, that is a serious issue. The involvement of Russia in Afghanistan with the purpose of trying to kill individuals, American soldiers, is EFTA00148645 something that can't be accepted. It should have gone to the President. He should have been aware of it." Reed said on CNN's Inside PoliticsVi (7/5, 795K) that "this was real enough to be discussed that the National Security Council, real enough to alert our allies to protect their own forces and anytime there is a threat to US forces, the President of the United States should be made aware of it. That's why I find this very, very difficult to believe that he was never told, no one bothered to tell him, and in addition, there is some suggestion that it was included in the Presidential Daily Briefing, that it was written down there. One of the problems I think with the president is that he doesn't always read the Presidential Daily Briefing, it is sort of hit and miss with the intelligence." Grassley Seeks To Reduce Budget Of Think Tank That Awarded Contracts To Halper. The Washington Times (7/3, Scarborough, 492K) reports Senate Finance Chairman Charles Grassley "is seeking to cut in half the budget for an in-house Pentagon think tank, citing in part dubious contracts awarded to Stefan Halper, the FBI's main spy in its Trump-Russia probe." Grassley's target, the Office of Net Assessment (ONA), assesses "foreign threats and the U.S. military's ability to defeat them." The Times adds that Halper "has received over $1 million in ONA contracts for various studies on China and Russia." In a floor speech, Grassley on Thursday said of the ONA, "That office has lost its way." Officials Say It Is Hard For Intelligence Officials To Speak Honestly To Trump About National Security Dangers. The Wall Street Journal (7/3, Volz, Strobel, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that current as well as former officials say that President Trump's antagonistic relationship with intelligence agencies has resulted in it being hard for officials to speak honestly to Trump or the public regarding national security dangers. Swalwell Feels Trump Makes House Democrats "Look Like Geniuses Every Day For Impeaching Him." The Hill (7/3, Seipel, 2.98M) reports Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) "said in a new interview he thinks President Trump makes him and other House Democrats 'look like geniuses' for impeaching him, especially in light of reports that Russians offered bounties to Taliban-linked fighters to target U.S. troops in Afghanistan." To the Yahoo News "Skullduggery" podcast, Swalwell said, "I think he makes us look like geniuses every day for impeaching him." He added, "He was impeached for putting his personal interests above the country's. And again, it looks like that's what's happening here. ... Now, if these allegations are true and the Russians are paying for the lives of American soldiers on the battlefield, the cost is the blood of our soldiers and I think the American people will understand that." Flynn Posts Video Of Himself Reciting Oath Of Office Using QAnon Slogan. The Washington Examiner (7/5, Dunleavy, 448K) reports that on July 4, former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn shared a video on Twitter "of himself leading five other people in a recitation of the oath of office traditionally given to federal elected office holders, ending the oath with a slogan associated with the QAnon conspiracy theory." In the video, Flynn, reads "the oath of office off of a cellphone as three women and two men, some of whom were members of his family, repeated after him in front of a bonfire." The group "ended the short video by quoting a popular QAnon slogan - 'Where we go one, we go all!' - after which they said, 'God bless America." Flynn's attorney Sidney Powell "denied that her client's video had anything to do with QAnon." Senator Warns Against "Political Interference" Into Probe Of Private Firm That Spied On Environmental Groups. EFTA00148646 Reuters (7/3, Bing, Satter) reports Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) "says he has written to Attorney General William Barr outlining his concerns about potential `political interference' by the Trump administration in an investigation of a private espionage firm that targeted environmental groups in the United States." Reuters says it previously reported "that U.S. law enforcement was investigating aspects of a seven-year-long hack-for-hire operation carried out by a New Delhi-based firm called BelITroX InfoTech Services on behalf of unknown clients." Whitehouse said in the letter to Barr "and in an interview with Reuters on Thursday that the investigation was being carried out by prosecutors in New York and that unnamed sources had alerted his office that the Department of Justice has taken what he said was `an interest in this matter which seems inconsistent with ordinary procedure." Jankowicz: Anti-Trump Flash Mob Infiltrated By Russian Election Meddling. In an op-ed for Politico Magazine (7/5, 4.24M) adapted from her upcoming book, Nina Jankowicz, a fellow at the Wilson Center, writes that according to a criminal complaint in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, the St. Petersburg, Russia-based Internet Research Agency "funded and implemented its online influence campaigns in the United States." The complaint states, "On or about July 1, 2017, a member of the Conspiracy...contact[ed] the Facebook accounts for three real US organizations to inquire about collaborating with these groups on an anti-President Trump `flash mob' at the White House, which was already being organized by the groups for July 4, 2017." Citing this example, Jankowicz questions "how many Americans are currently in Facebook groups or Twitter threads where Russian actors are laundering disinformation, seeding it within authentic American discourse?" She calls the 2017 flash mob incident "a timely warning of just how vulnerable we continue to be to sophisticated foreign machinations as we head into another campaign cycle." Tennessee Professor Charged With Hiding Ties To China Wants Case Dismissed. The AP (7/2) reported from Knoxville, Tennessee, "A University of Tennessee professor accused of trying to hide his ties with China asked a federal court this week to throw out the case, arguing the law he is accused of violating is too vague." According to the AP, "An amended brief filed Tuesday in federal court in Knoxville claims Anming Hu never meant to deceive anyone and was told by a UT administrator that the rule he is accused of breaking did not apply to him, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported." The AP added, "The mechanical engineering professor at UT Knoxville was arrested in February and suspended from his job after an FBI investigation. A grand jury returned an indictment accusing Hu of concealing the fact that he held a dual professorship with a Chinese university while working on research projects funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration." Op-Ed: Putin Still Plays By The Ruthless Rules Of The Cold War. In an op-ed in the Washington Post (7/1, 14.2M), Tim Weiner wrote, "Russia's military intelligence service is shipping small fortunes in cash to the Taliban in Afghanistan - bounty, apparently, for killing American soldiers occupying their country. This dirty business may seem like a taste of revenge for a Russian intelligence veteran of the Cold War like Vladimir Putin. But it's also part of a grander strategy. Russia and its intelligence services have been at war with the US, almost ceaselessly, since 1945. Putin, who plans to remain in power until 2036, seeks to weaken the US through any means short of open warfare." He contends, "The bounty program...was run by Unit 29155, one of Putin's favorite political-warfare weapons, a team inside the GRU, Russia's military intelligence service." He concludes, "Russia's `active measures' don't threaten only American soldiers. They threaten American democracy. That mortal threat will remain unless this administration, or the next, awakens to the danger." Russians Arrested In Austria Over Killing Of Chechen Dissident. EFTA00148647 AFP (7/5) reports Austrian police have "arrested two Russians from Chechnya over the fatal shooting of a Chechen dissident." A 43-year-old man "was found dead with gunshot wounds in Gerasdorf, near Vienna, on Saturday." Police arrested "a 47-year-old in Linz." A second Russian, also from Chechnya and living in Austria, "was detained on Sunday for investigations into the murder of his fellow Russian citizen." Police said in a statement: "The motives for the crime are unclear." A prosecution spokesman "identified the dead man as Martin B, a critic of the Chechen government." They "said prosecutors were seeking a court order to keep the suspect in detention." Police "said the victim was an asylum seeker." Southern Command Rebuilds Intelligence Relationship With Brazil Years After Snowden Damage. The Washington Examiner (7/4, Mahshie, 448K) reported Brazil is a "flashpoint for criminal organizations, narcotics trafficking, and terrorism financing." Brazil once provided "vital intelligence to prevent transnational threats from reaching the US homeland." Then, Edward Snowden published "a trove of classified information in 2013, revealing wiretaps of then- Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff." Intelligence cooperation and military partnerships "with Brazil broke down, and the US lost a key partner." US Southcom Leader Adm. Craig Faller "told the Washington Examiner in an exclusive interview that a renewed security partnership under a new Brazilian president is one of US Southern Command's chief priorities." Faller said, "We get our best intelligence from our very capable partners. Intelligence is foundational to anything we do, any decision I make." Former acting director of DIA and 33-year CIA veteran David Shedd "said the relationship with Brazil is vital in the hemisphere." Declassified Navy Videos Create Renewed Interest In UFOs From Congress. ABC News (7/2, 2.97M) reported Congress wants to see "what the Pentagon and the nation's intelligence agencies know about UFOs, not because extraterrestrials are involved, but because of concerns they might represent advanced technological threats from foreign adversaries." Susan Gough, a Pentagon spokesperson, "said the Navy declassified three previously leaked top-secret US Navy videos in late April in an effort 'to clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that had been circulating was real or whether or not there is more to the videos." She added, "The aerial phenomena observed in the videos remain characterized as 'unidentified." CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS Epstein Associate Maxwell Charged With Trafficking Minors. The AP (7/2, Mustian) reports that on Thursday in New Hampshire, "British socialite" Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested "on charges she helped lure at least three girls - one as young as 14 - to be sexually abused by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was accused of victimizing dozens of girls and women over many years." According to the indictment, Maxwell "facilitated his crimes and on some occasions joined him in sexually abusing the girls." The AP reports that Maxwell "has, for years, been accused by many women of acting as a madam for Epstein, helping him scout young girls for abuse, then hiring them to give him massages, during which the girls were pressured into sex acts." CNBC (7/2, Mangan, 3.62M) says on its website that Maxwell's arrest "following a six- count criminal indictment issued Monday in Manhattan federal court comes just days before the first anniversary of the now-dead Epstein's arrest on child sex trafficking charges." Federal prosecutors "formally asked a judge Thursday detain the 58-year-old Maxwell without bail." On the CBS Evening NewsVi (7/2, story 3, 2:45, Brennan, 4.37M), Mola Lenghi reported that prosecutors say Maxwell poses "an extreme flight risk." EFTA00148648 On ABC World News TonightVi (7/3, story 6, 2:23, Llamas, 6.84M), correspondent Adrienne Bankert reported "the government is calling Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite accused of helping Jeffrey Epstein recruit and groom teenage victims, an extreme flight risk." Following her arrest, "prosecutors argued Maxwell had tried to avoid detection, had a fake name for mail, and moved millions of dollars among at least 15 bank accounts. The new allegations stretched back to the mid-90s." Bankert added that Maxwell "has denied all wrongdoing. Her arrest sending shock waves across Britain, as pressure mounts on her old friend, Prince Andrew, to talk to the FBI." Attorney Sigrid McCawley, who's representing Epstein accusers, said, "I think Prince Andrew should be very concerned. He has been asked by the government to give testimony, which, is my understanding, he has refused to give. Someone who has nothing to hide would not be refusing to cooperate." CNN (7/2, Hayes, 83.16M) reports, "Audrey Strauss, acting US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, explained the process that led to Maxwell's arrest: 'an eye was being kept, and information was being collected and then the indicted was just recently voted and filed and that is when we were able and prepared to move to arrest her.' Sweeney said that indictment alleges that from 1994 until 1997, Maxwell assisted Epstein in committing crimes against minors. He said she would `recruit, entice, groom, and abuse' Epstein victims who were under 18. He added that FBI also 'alleged Ms. Maxwell lied under oath." The New York Times (7/2, Hong, Weiser, Zaveri, 18.61M) reports that William Sweeney, the head of the FBI's office in New York, "said...authorities had been 'discreetly keeping tabs' on Ms. Maxwell's whereabouts and recently learned that she had moved to a 'gorgeous mansion' in the state." According to the Times, "The federal indictment charged Ms. Maxwell with six counts, including enticing minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in sexual activity and perjury." Stephanie Gosk said on NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/2, story 3, 2:30, Holt, 6.2M) that Maxwell, "a socialite who hobnobbed with the rich and famous, including Donald Trump and Bill Clinton," has "denied accusations made in multiple lawsuits that she helped orchestrate a sex ring of underage girls for Epstein and his friends." Reuters (7/2, Valdmanis) reports from Bradford, New Hampshire, "Ghislaine Maxwell was hiding out in style: her luxury timber-framed home perched on 156 acres of New Hampshire pine and oak forests boasts dramatic views of Mount Sunapee's foothills, but is secluded enough to have kept her out of eyeshot of the tight-knit locals. It was not until Thursday that other residents of this rural corner of New England knew her whereabouts, after FBI agents arrested her on charges she lured underage girls for the late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse. 'I had no clue she was there,' said Laurie Colburn, 53, whose home is within a mile of Maxwell's compound on the outskirts of Bradford, a town of less than 2,000 people defined by its white colonial homes, horse farms, stone walls and a historic covered bridge." The Independent (UK) (7/5, Gregory, 1.36M) reports, "Ms Maxwell is currently being held in New Hampshire, where more than 20 armed FBI agents and police officers conducted a raid on her secluded 156-acre hideout - named Tucked Away - on Thursday morning." The Independent adds, "Spy planes are reported to have monitored the property for four hours prior to the 8:20am raid to ensure the daughter of late and controversial media mogul and MP Robert Maxwell was unable to flee. Armed law officers allegedly broke down the building's front door to find the former socialite 'strangely' passive and subdued as she was placed in handcuffs, putting an end to a 'high-stakes game of cat and mouse' which spanned the year following Epstein's death in a Manhattan jail cell and cost the FBI 'millions of dollars', according to one agent." The Washington Times (7/2, Mordock, 492K) reports, "Epstein, a registered sex offender, was arrested last summer and accused of exploiting dozens of underage girls in New York, Florida and New Mexico. He committed suicide last year in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. In a 2016 deposition, Epstein repeatedly refused to answer whether Ms. Maxwell had helped him procure underage girls." EFTA00148649 The Washington Post (7/2, Jacobs, Barrett, 14.2M) reports that "the investigation into Epstein's conduct continued after his jailhouse death, and has ensnared Britain's Prince Andrew, another old friend of the late financier," and on Thursday, Strauss "made clear prosecutors still want to talk to him." Eva Pilgrim of ABC World News TonightVi (7/2, story 2, 3:50, Llamas, 7.26M) cited "a source close to the Prince" who said "that his team has reached out to the Department of Justice twice in the last month. They have not heard back." The New York Post (7/3, Steinbuch, 4.57M) reports, "British Prime Minister Boris Johnson denied Friday that the FBI has contacted him for assistance in interviewing Prince Andrew about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, according to a report. 'No such approach has been made and otherwise it is really is a matter for the royal family. ... It is a hypothetical question,' Johnson said amid reports that Queen Elizabeth II is anxious about the crisis involving her son, the Daily Mail reported." The Post adds, "Meanwhile, Andrew's legal team said Friday that the royal is 'bewildered' by allegations that he is stonewalling the probe about Maxwell and the late pedophile. 'The duke's team remains bewildered given that we have twice communicated with the DO) in the last month and to date we have had no response,' an unnamed source on his legal team was quoted as saying by the Press Association, Agence France-Presse reported." Politico (7/2, 4.29M), Reuters (7/2, Freifeld, Hosenball, Lynch), and Bloomberg (7/2, 4.73M) provide similar coverage. Prince Andrew Sought Lobbyist To Help With Epstein Case. The New York Times (7/5, Vogel, 18.61M) reports Prince Andrew's lawyers "had discussions with a Washington lobbyist with ties to the Trump administration about the possibility of assisting the prince with fallout from his relationship with the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein." Lawyers from the London-based firm Blackfords "consulted the lobbyist, Robert Stryk, who represents international figures with sensitive legal or diplomatic issues, in recent weeks about Prince Andrew's situation, according to a person familiar with the circumstances." However, it is "not clear precisely what type of assistance Blackfords might have been seeking from Mr. Stryk, who is not a lawyer, or what he could do to help Prince Andrew." Family Says Remains Found In Texas Are Those Of Fort Hood Soldier. ABC World News TonightVi (7/5, story 6, 1:50, Johnson, 4.78M) reported, "Late word tonight about the killing of a young soldier from Ft. Hood, Texas. Her family telling ABC News the Army has now confirmed the identity of human remains found in a shallow grave. Her death igniting protests and demand for justice." ABC (Ramos) added, "The Army tonight telling the grieving family of Vanessa Guillen that remains found last week are, indeed, her. This as marchers throughout Texas are demanding a congressional investigation into the disappearance and murder of the Army soldier." The AP (7/3, Coronado) reported from Austin, Texas, "Federal and military investigators say a soldier missing since April was killed and dismembered by a fellow soldier stationed at the same Texas base. The revelation followed demands for the Army to release details about its investigation of the disappearance." According to the AP, "A criminal complaint released Thursday by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas charges a civilian with helping hide the body of 20-year-old soldier Vanessa Guillen. The document, prepared in conjunction with the Army Criminal Investigative Command and the FBI, says the civilian helped the other soldier get rid of evidence after he bludgeoned Guillen with a hammer at Fort Hood in Central Texas and later dismembered and dumped the body." The San Antonio Express-News (7/2, Hensley, 762K) reports, "Military officials identified Army Specialist Aaron David Robinson as the soldier suspected in the disappearance of Guillen, the 20-year-old Houston native who went missing April 22. Robinson shot and killed himself as law enforcement officers confronted him along a Killeen road after the discovery of human remains believed to be those of the missing 3rd Cavalry Regiment soldier." The Express-News adds, "A news conference held at the Army post in Killeen revealed few details, but charging EFTA00148650 documents filed by the FBI lay out the lengths to which investigators believe Robinson and his girlfriend, Cecily Ann Aguilar, went to hide Guillen's remains." The Killeen (TX) Daily Herald (7/2, Imerman, 47K) reported, "The investigation is not over into the disappearance of Spc. Vanessa Guillen, Army officials said." The Daily Herald added, "A suspect's name was released in connection to Guillen's case: Spc. Aaron David Robinson, who died on Wednesday morning from a self-inflicted gunshot as he was approached by a Killeen police officer, authorities said. Phelps said investigators have only two suspects, contrary to the family's attorney's comment Wednesday that there were three suspects. He said there was no credible evidence that Robinson had sexually harassed Guillen." NPR (7/3, Schwartz, 3.12M) reported that Guillen's family "believes her death was linked to sexual harassment she said she was enduring on base. Now they are pushing for congressional legislation to create an independent agency for soldiers who are victims of sexual harassment and assault." Guillen "never reported any sexual harassment. Speaking to NPR's Mary Louise Kelly, her sister Lupe Guillen said that's because she didn't think such a report would be taken seriously." The Houston Chronicle (7/5, 730K) reports, "Guillen's disappearance, and her family's allegations that she was sexually harassed, drew attention from activists, lawmakers, celebrities and other soldiers. The family has also complained that the Army's search for the 20-year-old soldier lacked urgency and care at the highest levels. Investigators moved too slowly to piece together evidence and secure phone data that led to the suspects more than two months after Guillen disappeared, said family attorney Natalie Khawam. 'Her leadership failed her,' Khawam said. 'The Army failed her.'" Person Of Interest In Fort Hood Soldier's Disappearance Commits Suicide. The CBS Evening NewsVi (7/2, story 6, 1:40, Brennan, 4.37M) reported that a "person of interest" in the disappearance of Army Pvt. Vanessa Guillen from Fort Hood is "dead, and her family is demanding justice." CBS' Omar Villarreal added that Army investigators have been "tight- lipped" Guillen's disappearance "even after human remains were found in this central Texas field on Tuesday." But, "the Army did confirm specialist Aaron Robinson was a suspect in Guillen's disappearance. Robinson died by suicide when police approached him near Fort Hood just yesterday. An hour later, another suspect, a female civilian, was arrested for her involvement in the case." On ABC World News TonightVi (7/3, story 7, 2:06, Llamas, 6.84M), correspondent Diane Macedo reported "the Justice Department is painting a gruesome picture of what they believe happened to" Guillen. According to federal prosecutors, Cecily Aguilar, 22, "confessed to helping boyfriend Army Specialist Aaron Robinson get rid of Guillen's body. The complaint quotes Aguilar saying Robinson told her on April 22nd he killed a female soldier by striking her 'in the head with a hammer multiple times,' then 'moved her body in a box to a location near the Leon River in Belton, Texas.' Aguilar allegedly told authorities she then helped Robinson dismember the body and attempted to burn it, adding she later recognized Private First Class Vanessa Guillen." Macedo added, "Authorities say Robinson killed himself Wednesday morning." LULAC President Tells Latinas To Not Enlist In Military Following Guillen's Disappearance. The Hill (7/3, Moreno, 2.98M) reports League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Domingo Garcia "said he is urging Latinas not to join the U.S. military after the disappearance of Vanessa Guillen, a U.S. soldier stationed in Texas who went missing in April." Guillen "was stationed in Fort Hood, Texas when she went missing." The Hill adds, "Her family and their attorney said the military dragged its feet on the investigation, which only resulted in the arrest of the suspect this week." In a statement, Garcia said, "We are asking all women, especially Latina women or their families: Do not enlist in the army until we have assurance they will be protected and taken care of when they serve our country." Death Of Inmate At Metropolitan Detention Center In Los Angeles Ruled A Homicide. EFTA00148651 The AP (7/4, Balsamo) reports records it acquired indicate that "the death of an inmate at a federal jail in Los Angeles this past week has been ruled a homicide, resulting from stab wounds and strangulation." The AP adds, "The inmate, Steve Bencom, was found unresponsive at the Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal jail in Los Angeles, about 8:30 a.m. local time on Monday, the Bureau of Prisons said." Prison personnel tried "life-saving measures and called for emergency medical crews, but Becom was pronounced dead at the jail, officials said." The Bureau of Prisons "didn't provide any information about the circumstances surrounding his death when it sent a news advisory about the in-custody death." Georgia Prosecutor In Ahmaud Arbery Death Feels Special Responsibility. NBC Nightly NewsVI (7/3, story 8, 1:42, Melvin, 5.85M) reported that "the special prosecutor in the Ahmaud Arbery case is speaking out about the responsibility that she feels as a black woman seeking justice." Correspondent Blaine Alexander reported, "It's a case that has stoked nationwide protests and calls for justice, the death of Ahmaud Arbery. Joyette Holmes is leading the prosecution." Holmes, the Cobb County District Attorney, told NBC News: "I certainly have a sense of community and know what the expectation is of me, not because I'm the district attorney on the case but...also because I'm an African American female." Mall Shootings Occur In Alabama, Massachusetts. ABC World News TonightVI (7/3, story 10, 0:23, Llamas, 6.84M) reported on two different mall shootings, one of which occurred in Hoover, Alabama and the other in Braintree, Massachusetts. Following the shooting at the mall in Hoover, four individuals were being treated, while "a gunshot victim [was) taken to the hospital from the South Shore Plaza in Braintree, after what police believe was a targeted attack." FBI Seeks Clues In 2002 Disappearance Of New Mexico Woman. The Southwest Colorado Journal (7/5, Weber) reports from Farmington, New Mexico, "Laverda Sorrell was dropped off at the Window Rock School District No. 8 at 11:30 p.m. July 4, 2002. It was the last she was seen by anyone." Sorrell, "who worked at the school district in Fort Defiance, Arizona, has been missing since that day, 18 years ago. She was dropped off by her husband, according to a statement he gave to authorities." According to the Journal, "The FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety are offering a $10,000 reward and are asking for any information on the 18th anniversary of Sorrell's disappearance. 'Anyone who disappears often leaves behind loved ones who will never stop looking for them, and that's the case with Laverda,' said James Langenberg, the special agent in charge of the Albuquerque FBI division." The Los Alamos (NM) Daily Post (7/2) reported, "A statement provided by the family reads: 'As her family, we are sending out this sincere plea to the public to help us as we have not given up on our search to find Laverda. No matter the outcome, we are determined to bring her home and find closure for our family. Laverda was everything to our family: a daughter, a mother, a sister, and an aunt who was such a compassionate, selfless, and caring person. She was the glue that kept and brought our family together because of her tender, gentle, and loving grace. If you have any information that might be helpful, we implore you to contact the FBI immediately." Florida Convict Pleads Guilty To Tennessee Rapes In 1980s. WREG-TV Memphis, TN (7/2, 144K) reports from Memphis, Tennessee, "A convict serving a life sentence in Florida for sex crimes has pleaded guilty to two rapes in Tennessee from more than 30 years ago." Shelby County prosecutors "say 55-year-old Jimmy Love pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of aggravated rape at a hearing in Memphis. Love was brought to Memphis from the Hardee Correctional Institution in Bowling Green, Florida, in order to face the charges." Love "was indicted as a John Doe in 2015 after DNA evidence connected him to the rape of a 21-year-old woman in Raleigh in the summer of 1986. In 2017, the FBI linked that DNA with EFTA00148652 Love, who was already serving a life sentence in Florida for a series of sex crimes, assaults and other offenses, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich." FBI Supporting Hate Crime Investigation In Michigan. CNN (7/3, Riess, Asmelash, 83.16M) reported that the FBI joined Friday a hate crime investigation at Kalamazoo Central High School in Michigan, where a noose "was found hanging from the press box." Kalamazoo Police Chief Bryan Ergang said in a statement, "Since we are still in the early stages of investigating this reprehensible offense, we ask for patience as we review surveillance footage and interview witnesses." FBI Investigating Racist Graffiti In Nebraska. The AP (7/3) reported that the Omaha Police Department and the FBI "are investigating after someone spray-painted racist graffiti on a grassy area at a western Omaha park." The graffiti "covered a large area at Lake Zorinsky Park and included a racial slur, a swastika and a stick- figure hanging from a noose." The Omaha (NE) World-Herald (7/2, writer, 641K) reports that Omaha city workers "removed the graffiti Tuesday, as soon as they learned about it." FBI Investigating Racist Graffiti In New York. The Canandaigua (NY) Daily Messenger (7/2, 12K) reported that the FBI and the New York State Police "have launched an investigation after racial slurs and other hateful graffiti were found spray painted on several spots along Whitney Road in Perinton" on Thursday. Drug Case Defendant Gets 20-Year Prison Sentence. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle (7/2, 40K) reports an investigation that was conducted by the DEA, the FBI, the Wyoming Highway Patrol and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation led to a 20-year prison sentence for Arnold D. Butler. The sentence, handed down earlier this month, comes after Butler was found guilty of "possession with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl." The Tribune Eagle quoted "DEA Resident Agent in Charge David A. Tyree," who stated that the Butler investigation "identified, disrupted and dismantled a drug trafficking organization that has been responsible for the importation and distribution of hundreds of pounds of illegal narcotics across the United States." North Carolina Gang Leader Sentenced For Murder. WGHP-TV Greensboro, NC (7/5, 241K) reports Black Mob Gangstas and Donald Gee Family gang leader Brandon Jowan Mangum "was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences" following his June conviction over the murder of rival gang member Rodriguez Burrell. FBI agent John Strong said in a statement, "Mangum will have the rest of his life to think about the damage he and his conspirators caused to innocent citizens of Raleigh." Continuing Coverage: FBI Investigating Disappearance Of Amish Girl. The Harrisburg (FS) Patriot-News (7/2, 427K) reported in continuing coverage about the FBI's investigation into the disappearance of Linda Stoltzfoos, who "has been missing since Father's Day when she didn't return home after a church service." Yahoo! News (7/2, 12.82M) also reports. Continuing Coverage: Georgia Man Pleads Guilty To Threatening Schools. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (7/2, 895K) reported in continuing coverage about Levi Calhoun III, who "has pleaded guilty to making terroristic threats against 2 schools." The plea agreements says Calhoun "created and used a fake Facebook account to spread several threats that someone would attack one or more schools in Eufaula and in Quitman County, Ga. schools with firearms and explosive devices." EFTA00148653 North Carolina Man Sentenced For Child Pornography. WFMY-TV Greensboro, NC (7/2, 145K) reported Brian Robert Ackerman, who "pleaded guilty to transportation of child pornography," was "was sentenced to 96 months of imprisonment followed by 15 years of supervised release." The investigation began after he had a conversation with an undercover FBI agent, and he "condoned and encouraged the undercover FBI agent to sexually abuse his purported 9-year-old daughter." He also "sent child pornography to at least three individuals: an Orange County woman, the undercover FBI agent, and a person claiming to be a 16-year-old girl." Kentucky Man Charged With Enticement Of Minor. The Paducah (KY) Sun (7/4, 58K) reported Justin A. Wadsworth, who "was arrested in May on federal charges that he attempted to entice a minor for sex," was "indicted in June, and if convicted faces a sentence of 10 years to life." The investigation began after he spoke with an undercover FBI agent, and he "asked to see either 'naked pics or intercourse pics' involving" a minor. Continuing Coverage: New Mexico Teenager Charged With Making Threats. The AP (7/2) reported in continuing coverage about an unidentified teenager, who "made online threats that led to the lockdown of Roswell High School" in November 2019. He "has been charged with interstate communications containing a threat to injure the person of another." Ohio Man Pleads Guilty To Threatening Ohio State Football Team. The Cleveland Plain Dealer (7/2, 895K) reported Daniel Lee Rippy "pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of Threat in Interstate Communications" after he "said in a Facebook message that a shooting would occur at the school." He wrote, "I'm seriously going to hurt the students and all the players from the football team." He "was arrested in California in December 2019 by the FBI." FBI Investigating California Bank Robbery. Space Coast (FL) Daily (7/5) reports that the FBI successfully solved the bank robbery at the San Diego branch of an unidentified national bank in June 2018. Jesus Ramon Garcia-Lopez, who "had been working at a San Diego branch of a major national bank for about 18 months," was identified as working with the bank robbers because Garcia-Lopez "had little to say about the incident," despite the trauma. FBI Civil Rights Unit Investigating Assault On Black Connecticut Hotel Clerk. The New London (CT) Day (7/3, 109K) reported that the Stonington Police Department and the FBI's Civil Rights Division are investigating an accusation of assault against a black female Quality Inn clerk last week. An unidentified man and woman are being sought for questioning. California Men Sentenced For Bank Robbery. The Salinas Californian (7/3, 24K) reported Robert Zavala Jr "was sentenced to five years and Moises Misael Garcia DeLeon, 27, was sentenced to four years and nine months for conspiring to commit an armed bank robbery in Modesto," California. They "joined three other codefendants in the case who have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit an armed bank robbery: Victor Bravo, 24, Enrique Argueta Lopez, 28, and Cesar Lemus, 21." New York Man Arrested For Bank Robbery. The Queens (Ni') Chronicle (7/2, Gannon, 157K) reported Kevin Crawford was arrested June 24 on suspicion of robbing the Valley National Bank on May 18. He "was captured by video EFTA00148654 surveillance cameras from the time he left the bank and headed up the street," and he "faces up to 25 years in federal prison if convicted." The FBI supported the investigation. New Hampshire Police Captain Charged With Fraud. WBZ-TV Boston (7/2, 92K) reported Salem Police Department Chief Michael Wagner "was arrested and charged with fraud on Thursday" on charges that he "committed tax fraud after selling guns." Federal investigators "said he purchased about three dozen assault rifles and resold them, making more than $33,000" without including it on his tax return. Continuing Coverage: Kentucky Men Charged In Connection To Sex Trafficking. The Ashland (KY) Daily Independent (7/4, 38K) reported in continuing coverage about the federal investigation into Larry Dean Porter, who "was charged with sexually abusing three children in exchange for giving narcotics to their parents or guardians." The article adds that a federal grand jury "charged a nine-person pedophile ring with child sex trafficking, sexual exploitation of children, child pornography, witness tampering and swearing false statements to federal investigators." FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS Attorney Charged In Alleged Toledo, Ohio Bribery Scheme To Remain Free Until Trial. The AP (7/2) reported from Toledo, Ohio, "A private attorney accused along with four Toledo City Council members of taking part in a bribery and extortion scheme will be allowed to remain free while the case proceeds, a judge has ruled." Federal prosecutors "had sought to have Keith Mitchell detained until his trial, arguing that he eluded authorities for more than a day after learning of the pending charges. They also said Mitchell potentially obstructed justice when he called the council members after learning he and they were the targets of the corruption probe." Mitchell "and his four co-defendants — Tyrone Riley, Yvonne Harper, Larry Sykes and Garrick 'Gary' Johnson, all Democrats who serve on the council - face bribery and extortion charges." The Cleveland Plain Dealer (7/5, Caniglia, 895K) reports from Toledo, "A business owner, seeking to stave off opposition to his internet cafes, went to Toledo's highest offices for help," and "he quickly found it for a price." According to the Plain Dealer, "The owner met City Councilman Tyrone Riley in a restaurant parking lot and handed Riley $5,000 in cash, money the FBI says was used to bribe Riley for his support," but "it was hardly a smooth transaction. Some of the bills fell during the exchange, causing Riley to scramble to pick up the cash, the FBI said. Fearing a parking-lot camera might capture the deal, Riley returned the money and drove away, the agency said." The Plain Dealer adds that the FBI's "portrayal of Riley...underscored how he and his colleagues used their offices to seek out bribes in a series of clumsy attempts that lacked foresight and sophistication, according to a 40-page FBI affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Toledo." Another Cohort Of Virginia Money-Launderer Pleads Guilty. The Bluefield (WV) Daily Telegraph (7/5, Boothe, 44K) reports from Billings, Montana that Tazewell County, Virginia resident Larry Price Jr. "saw another former cohort plead guilty on June 23 on charges related to a multi-million dollar scheme to bilk money from a Montana mining company and other entities." Stephen Phillip Casher, 46, "pleaded guilty on June 23 to one count each of bank fraud and money laundering in U.S. District Court in Billings. The swindling scheme happened when Price was vice president of surface mining activities at Signal Peak Energy in Montana." According to the Daily Telegraph, "Last year, Price pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count EFTA00148655 of making false statements to federal investigators as part of a plea agreement in U.S. District Court in Montana. Price is scheduled to be sentenced in August." Utah Business Owner Pleads Guilty To Money Laundering. Deseret (UT) News (7/2, 308K) reported Denise Gunderson Rust, who "ran a well-known rare coin business accused of running a $200 million silver trading scam," has "admitted to transferring $12,000 from a bank account in Utah, where investor money was pooled, to her daughter in Alaska." U.S. Attorney John W. Huber said, "Denise Rust participated in one of largest and most financially destructive frauds Utah has ever seen." He continued, "We remain committed to seek justice for the nearly 700 victims who have suffered catastrophic economic consequences from this fraud." Indiana Man Sentenced For Bank Fraud. The Times of Northwest Indiana (7/2, 254K) reported Devon Gibson "was sentenced after pleading guilty to a bank fraud scheme in which he forged checks, deposited them at area ATMs and withdrew funds." His scheme "spanned 18 months, and during that time, he created forged checks, deposited them and withdrew as much money as the bank allowed." The FBI investigated the case. Former Colorado Judge Pleads Guilty To Obstruction. The Denver Patch (7/2, 1.03M) reported former Colorado state district court judge Ryan Kamada "pleaded guilty to obstructing a federal task force investigation of a large-scale cocaine trafficking organization." The investigation began after a federal drug task force started pursuing a known drug trafficker, who Kamada knew, in January 2019. The task force urged him to recuse himself from the investigation after it became known that Kamada "was associated with the drug trafficker on social media." Kamada later informed a mutual friend of the task force, and the drug trafficker attempted to evade the authorities. Florida Family Arrested On Suspicion Of Kickback Scheme. The Palm Beach (a_) Post (7/2, Kleinberg, 223K) reported Mimi Joy Bieda and her sons David Israel Bieda and Levi Chaim Bieda "were booked Wednesday morning at the Palm Beach County Jail" on charges that they "collected about $2 million in patient referral kickbacks through drug- testing labs." The family members are individually "charged with two counts of patient brokering fraud of 20 or more patients and one count of money laundering of $100,000 or more." CYBER DIVISION Ransomware Attackers Pressure Knoxville, Tennessee By Posting City Data Online. The Knoxville (TN) News Sentinel (7/2, Hickman, 307K) reports, "Cybercriminals have published city of Knoxville files online, including employees' personal information, as part of an ongoing effort to pressure city leaders to pay up in a ransomware attack. The data includes personal details about employees, such as names, phone numbers, addresses, salaries and work performance scores, Brett Callow, a threat analyst with internet security company Emsisoft, confirmed to Knox News on Thursday." According to the News Sentinel, "Multiple Twitter accounts focused on cybersecurity issues also are reporting that the ransomware group posted a list of city data files. City officials confirmed they are aware of the online leak and are working to verify to the full scope of what's been published." French Cyber Chief Says France Won't Ban Huawei. EFTA00148656 Reuters (7/5) reports the head of the French cybersecurity agency ANSSI "said there would not be a total ban on using equipment from Huawei in the rollout of the French 5G telecoms network, but that it was pushing French telcos to avoid switching to the Chinese company." Guillaume Poupard told Les Echos newspaper in an interview, "What I can say is that there won't be a total ban. For operators that are not currently using Huawei, we are inciting them not to go for it, because that's kind of the natural course of things." US Ambassador To London Says UK Can't Stop China's "Misuse Of Data" If Huawei 5G Deal Proceeds. The Telegraph (UK) (7/3, 956K) reported President Trump's ambassador to London has "warned the UK cannot stop China's 'misuse of data' if it continues to allow Huawei into its nascent 5G mobile network." UK Prime Minister Johnson may be "planning an about-turn on his decision to allow the Chinese infrastructure firm's involvement in Britain's 5G network in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, after strong criticism from the US, Australia and other countries, as well as senior Tory MPs." Robert Wood Johnson, the US ambassador in the UK, "warned that 'trust, especially in something as important as a 5G network, cannot exist with a company such as Huawei that answers to an authoritarian government like China's." He added, "The Chinese Communist Party acquires technology and intellectual property through licit and illicit means, through collaboration and deception, by state-subsidized investment and joint research, but also through outright theft." UK Preparing To Ban Huawei After Revised Report From National Cyber Security Centre. Forbes (7/5, Page, 9.71M) reports, "The UK is preparing to cut Huawei out of the country's 5G infrastructure by the end of the year," after the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) "'revised' its previous belief that the country could manage any security risks from Huawei products." A report from the GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) "concludes that US sanctions blocking Huawei's access to American-made components will force the company to use 'untrusted' technology and make the risk posed by the company impossible to manage." Forbes says UK officials are reportedly "crafting proposals to prevent new Huawei equipment being installed in the 5G network in as little as six months, as well as speeding plans to remove Huawei equipment that is already in place." Local Reports Indicate Huawei Could Be Dropped From UK's 5G Network. The Guardian (UK) (7/4, 4.19M) reported the UK is poised "to end the use of Huawei technology in its 5G network as soon as this year because of security concerns." Newspapers have "said Prime Minister Johnson is set to make a major policy change after GCHQ is believed to have reassessed the risks posed by the Chinese technology company." A study set "to be presented to Johnson this week will declare that US sanctions on Huawei will force the company to use technology that is %intrusted." Former MI6 Chief Says Johnson Now Has "Sound Reasons" To Remove Huawei From UK 5G. The Guardian (UK) (7/5, Sparrow, 4.19M) reports a former head of MI6 "said on Sunday Boris Johnson now has 'sound technical reasons' to reverse his decision to allow the Chinese firm Huawei to play a role in building the UK's 5G infrastructure." Sir John Sawers "said new US sanctions imposed on the company meant that allowing Huawei to expand its grip on the UK telecoms market posed security risks that did not apply when the government announced a compromise solution in January giving it up to 35% of the market." Sawers spoke out "following reports - not denied by the government - that the National Cyber Security Centre has also concluded that the balance of risk has changed, and that Huawei must be excluded from 5G." UK Minister Says Huawei Must Meet Conditions For Involvement In 5G Network. Reuters (7/5) reports Britain's health minister "said on Sunday Huawei has clear conditions to meet for Britain to continue to allow its involvement in the development of 5G telecoms infrastructure." The Sunday Telegraph reported "officials are drawing up proposals to stop installing Huawei Technologies equipment in as little as six months, in a reversal of a decision earlier this year." Health minister Matt Hancock "declined to comment on it specifically but said the initial recommendation had always been conditional." He said, "I wouldn't comment on EFTA00148657 leaks of that kind. What I can say is that when we came out with an interim report on this earlier in the year, there are a number of conditions that needed to be met. I'm sure that the National Security Council will look at those conditions, and make the right decision on this, to make sure that we have both a very strong telecoms infrastructure... but also that it is secure." US, Allies Pressing Huawei To Reveal Details About Ties To Beijing. The Washington Times (7/5, Lovelace, 492K) reports the US and its allies "are increasing pressure on Huawei to reveal details about its work for China." The Trump Administration and other critics "hope to prove Huawei is a stooge of China's communist regime." The FCC "labeled Huawei a `national security risk' because of its close ties to Beijing, and a German judge's recent ruling could force the company to reveal exactly what information it hands over to the Chinese government." The FCC's latest actions "prevent telecommunications providers from using government subsidies in the multibillion-dollar Universal Service Fund to buy, obtain or modify equipment with anything produced by Huawei or the ZTE Corp." FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement, "Both companies have close ties to the Chinese Communist Party and China's military apparatus, and both companies are broadly subject to Chinese law obligating them to cooperate with the country's intelligence services." Op-Ed: Canada Should Seriously Assess Allowing China's Huawei Access To SG Network. In an op-ed in the Globe and Mail (CAN) (7/4, 1.04M), Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, a senior fellow with the China Institute at the University of Alberta, wrote, "While Canada has yet to decide if it will permit Huawei equipment in our 5G networks, our carriers appear to have decided to launch their services now with more trusted companies. But in the face of growing momentum against Huawei...Chinese embassies have been doing a full court press in countries that have not yet made a decision." She contends, "Canada should make a clear-eyed decision, despite the mysterious threats from Beijing. We are a member of the Five Eyes intelligence community, and secure communications with our closest ally and biggest trading partner are critical to our security and prosperity. ... In the long run, letting Huawei into our 5G networks might come at an enormous cost. We must not set ourselves up for that kind of "pressure" via our own IT systems." CISA Releases Chapter 2 Of Cyber Essentials Toolkit. MeriTalk (7/2, Smith) reported DI-IS' Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) "debuted Chapter 2 of the CISA Cyber Essentials Toolkit which centers around how organization staff and the users can exercise good cyber posture." Within the chapter, CISA "outlines leaders can develop a culture of awareness to encourage employees to make good choices online, learn about risks like phishing and business email compromise, and maintain awareness of current events related to cybersecurity." Further CISA "offers what an organization can discuss with IT staff or service providers, including: leveraging basic cybersecurity training and identifying and using available training resources." The chapter reads, "Your staff is often the first line of defense for your organization. Investing in your personnel reduces vulnerabilities and drives a culture of ownership. They must be equipped to recognize cybersecurity risks such as phishing scams, password hacks, and outdated anti-malware, as well as trained to respond and share information appropriately." Senators Push For Local Cybersecurity Support In Defense Bill. The Wall Street Journal (7/2, Uberti, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reported US senators are attempting to boost state and municipal cybersecurity via adjustments to the annual defense authorization bill as it comes up for debate. A number of senators from both parties are pressing for the bill to create cybersecurity coordinators at the state level and have them based within the DHS. CISA Stands To Gain Powers Under Both Versions Of The Defense Authorization Bill. EFTA00148658 NextGov (7/2) reported that, "with a unanimous vote late Wednesday night, the House Armed Services Committee approved its annual National Defense Authorization Act, which doubles down on establishing public-private partnerships at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency." Amendments to the bill "included measures to create a Cyber Threat Information Collaboration Environment and an Integrated Cyber Center, both of which would be housed at CISA." Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI) said in a press release following the vote, "This year's NDAA will implement vital components of [the Cyberspace Solarium Commission] strategy, empowering CISA to act as an operational hub for cybersecurity across the government and in conjunction with the private sector." Other amendments to the Senate bill "include ones that mirror the bipartisan efforts on the House side, such as one by Sen. Angus King (I-ME) that also calls for the Solarium Commission-recommended joint collaborative environment." NSA Warns That VPNs Could Be Vulnerable To Cyberattacks. CBS News (7/2, Gazis, 3.68M) reported NSA issued a "new cybersecurity advisory on Thursday, warning that virtual private networks, or VPNs, could be vulnerable to attacks if not properly secured." The agency's warning "comes amid a surge in telework as organizations adapt to coronavirus-related office closures and other constraints." A senior NSA official "who briefed reporters Wednesday said the increase in remote work had attracted the attention of potentially malicious cyber actors." The official said, "We certainly see adversaries focused on telework infrastructure. We've seen exploitation and as a result, have felt that this was a product that is particularly helpful now." The Hill (7/5, Miller, 2.98M) reports, "Federal officials and experts are warning that foreign cyber criminals are targeting U.S. businesses and Americans who are working from home on less-secure networks during the COVID-19 pandemic." The Hill adds, "Millions of Americans have shifted to working at home indefinitely to help halt the spread of COVID-19, placing them outside of more secure office networks and away from company IT professionals. According to a senior intelligence official, foreign cyber criminals are taking notice. 'We see extensive criminal use of ransomware, some of which are clearly Russian criminals, there is a lot of that there,' the official told reporters Wednesday on targeting of American companies and employees. 'We do carefully pursue where we see nation state usage, that is certainly an area of intel development as well." Record Number Of Teens Enroll In Online NCSC CyberFirst Courses. Infosecurity Magazine (7/3, Coker) reported a record number of teenagers "have enrolled in the National Cyber Security Center's (NCSC) CyberFirst summer courses this year, with classes held online for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic." As a result, the NCSC plans "to offer a mix of classroom and virtual learning for future summer courses, even when social distancing restrictions have ended." Provided annually, the courses "offer teenagers aged from 14-17 the opportunity to develop their digital and problem-solving skills as well as introduce them to the cyber-threat landscape." In the program, leading experts "from industry and GCHQ teach topics including how to analyze common cyber-attacks, crack codes and defend devices and networks." Chris Ensor, deputy director for cyber-growth at the NCSC, commented, "Moving this year's CyberFirst summer courses online has proven hugely popular, with a record number of boys and girls participating and developing their cyber-skills from home - in a way that is fun, insightful and engaging." Cyber Experts Say Ransomware Gang Hacked Fort Worth Transportation Agency. The Fort Worth (TX) Star-Telegram (7/2, 406K) reported two cybersecurity companies that monitor a ransomware gang revealed the gang is "holding Fort Worth's regional transportation agency's private data hostage." Threat analysts from Emsisoft and Binary Defense "told the Star-Telegram the group NetWalker hacked Trinity Metro's private files and is threatening to EFTA00148659 release all their data unless Trinity Metro gives them money." A Trinity Metro spokeswoman "said they cannot comment on cybersecurity issues." As of Thursday, the agency "had not sent any information on the hack." On their website, Trinity Metro "posted a notice that their phone lines and ACCESS booking system were down due to a 'technical issue." INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS FBI Arrests Nigerian National For Cyber Fraud. The AP (7/3) reported Nigerian national Olalekan Jacob Ponle, who "was arrested last month in the United Arab Emirates," has "appeared in federal court in Chicago Friday accused of orchestrating an international cyber fraud scheme that federal prosecutors say defrauded U.S. businesses in six states out of tens of millions of dollars." Federal prosecutors "say the scheme spanned at least the first nine months of 2019 and involved multiple unknown subjects who gained unauthorized access to U.S.-based companies' email accounts." The fraudulent emails "instructed people to wire funds to a bank account set up by 'money mules' at Ponle's direction." CNN (7/3, Chan, Almasy, 83.16M) reported Ponle and 11 other individuals "were arrested during raids in which authorities seized nearly $41 million, 13 luxury cars worth $6.8 million and phone and computer evidence containing more than 100,000 fraud files and the addresses of nearly 2 million possible victims." Also reporting are the Daily Beast (7/3, 1.39M) and The Guardian (UK) (7/4, Akinwotu, 4.19M). FBI Warns Companies About Money Mule Scams. KGUN-TV Tucson, AZ (7/3, 61K) reported that the FBI issued Friday a warning about the rise in money mule scams. The agency "says Arizonans are a big target for mule scams during the pandemic because some vulnerable victims commit the crime and don't realize they're doing it." LAWFUL ACCESS Senate Panel Unanimously Backs End Of Legal Protections For Hosts Of Child Pornography. Politico (7/2, Lima, 4.29M) reports the Senate Judiciary Committee "unanimously voted Thursday to remove liability protections for online businesses that host child porn, advancing a measure that poses the most significant threat in years to the tech industry's fiercely guarded legal shield." Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said "a House companion version is coming soon...indicating that the drive to roll back Silicon Valley's prized liability safeguards is gaining bipartisan momentum." Reuters (7/2, Bose) reports, "Tech companies such as Facebook and Alphabet's Google feared The Eliminating Abuse and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies Act of 2019, or EARN IT Act, would hurt their ability to offer protections like end-to-end encryption, a technology critical to the privacy of internet users." Reuters added, "On Wednesday, Committee Chairman and lead sponsor Senator Lindsey Graham proposed an amendment in an effort to assuage concerns from the industry, which continued to oppose the bill. 'I'm not trying to stop companies from encrypting their products. ... I'm trying to make them harden their products against sexual exploitation,' Graham said at the hearing on Thursday." Newsweek (7/2, 1.53M) and Law360 (7/2, Subscription Publication, 8K) also report. OTHER FBI NEWS Berman To Testify In Closed-Door House Judiciary Hearing. EFTA00148660 The New York Times (7/2, Benner, Hong, 18.61M) reports that former Manhattan federal prosecutor Geoffrey Berman, "who was abruptly dismissed last month, has agreed to testify in a closed-door hearing before lawmakers next week as part of an inquiry into potential politicization at the Justice Department, according to a House Judiciary Committee notice reviewed by The New York Times." Berman "will meet privately on July 9 with members of the committee to discuss the circumstances surrounding his surprise ouster, according to two people familiar with the terms of his testimony." Donoghue Taking Over As Rosen's Top Deputy. Politico (7/2, Swan, 4.29M) reports Richard Donoghue, "one of the country's most prominent U.S. attorneys, is going to Washington." Donoghue, "who heads the Eastern District of New York, is taking over as the top deputy to Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen." The position "titled principal associate deputy attorney general, or PADAG," involves "working with the 93 U.S. attorneys working around the country." A spokesperson for Donoghue's office said he announced the move to the office Thursday morning. Man Whose Wrongful Conviction Revealed FBI Forensic Flaws Dies At 59. The Washington Post (7/4, Hsu, 14.2M) reported, "Santae A. Tribble, whose wrongful conviction for a 1978 murder in Southeast Washington exposed decades of exaggerated claims about the reliability of FBI forensic hair matches, has died, his family said." Tribble, 59, "died June 24 in Washington after a lengthy illness attributed to his incarceration, said his son, Santae Tribble Jr." Tribble "was exonerated in 2012 after serving 28 years in prison for the killing of a D.C. taxi driver, who died when Tribble was 17." The Post added, "Tribble's case and others uncovered by the D.C. Public Defender Service and featured in articles in The Washington Post helped trigger a federal review that in 2015 disclosed FBI examiners systematically overstated testimony in almost all trials in which they offered hair evidence against criminal defendants for two decades before 2000." Report: FBI Investigated Former Chicago Mayor Daley Over O'Hare Airport Bribery Allegations. The Chicago Sun-Times (7/2, 875K) reported that, according to newly released federal records, the FBI "began investigating the O'Hare dealings soon after the revelations, though the case ultimately fizzled out, and no one was ever charged." The investigation began after the Chicago Sun-Times "published a blockbuster story that rattled then-Mayor Richard M. Daley: His pal Oscar D'Angelo had collected $480,000 or more 'to broker a lucrative deal' allowing the W.H. Smith company to keep operating shops for travelers at city-run O'Hare Airport" in April 2000. California City To Attempt Recovery Of "Illegal Profits" From Permit Expeditor. The San Francisco Examiner (7/2, 438K) reported that the city of San Francisco will "seek to recover 'illegal profits' gained by well-known permit expeditor Walter Wong through government contracts and bar his affiliated companies from ever doing business with The City again" after Wong "agreed to plead guilty last month to conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering for his alleged involvement in a public corruption scandal." The FBI investigated the corruption scandal. FBI Discusses Election Fraud Threats In Texas. The El Paso (TX) Times (7/2, 123K) reported that FBI El Paso agents "are being proactive in their efforts to stop election fraud including cybercrimes, campaign misconduct and foreign interference," and the El Paso field office spoke Thursday about the challenges of the mission. FBI supervisory agent Eddie Nieto said, "Election crime is a component of public corruption and that is a very high priority of the FBI." EFTA00148661 OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS Seven-Day US Average Sets Record For 27th Straight Day. The Washington Post (7/5, Hawkins, Iati, Dupree, 14.2M) reports that "local officials in states with surging coronavirus cases issued dire warnings Sunday about the spread of infections, blaming outbreaks in their communities on early reopenings and saying the virus was rapidly outpacing containment efforts." The warnings came as the "rolling seven-day average for daily new cases in the United States reached a record high for the 27th day in a row, climbing to 48,640 on Sunday, according to The Washington Post's tracking." The two networks that aired newscasts Sunday night led with the rising number of cases in the US. ABC World News TonightVi (7/5, lead story, 4:55, Johnson, 4.78M) opened its broadcast, "We begin tonight with the coronavirus pandemic clearly out of control in several parts of the country this holiday weekend. Nearly 130,000 deaths from COVID-19 in the US. There is now concern over a possible explosion of cases following huge parties and packed beaches, some with little regard to safety. Florida reporting more than 10,000 cases in one day, accounting for 20% of new cases nationwide. The state now topping 200,000. Texas now with more than 190,000 cases. Hospitalizations there at a record high." The CBS Weekend NewsVi (7/5, lead story, 2:45, Garrett, 2.32M) reported, "We are barreling toward a milestone in our country's battle against coronavirus, one where controlling viral spread may be beyond our current capabilities." Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said on CBS' Face The NationVI (7/5, 2.74M), "We can expect about 60,000 new infections each day this week." Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego (D), on ABC's This WeekVi (7/5, 2.59M), said, "We opened way too early in Arizona. We were one of the last states to go to stay-at-home and one of the first to reemerge. We had crowded nightclubs handing out free champagne, no masks. Our 20- year-olds to 44-year-olds, my own demographic, led the explosion and we've seen such growth in that area. Lots of people going to large family gatherings. We're in a crisis-relating to testing. People waiting still eight hours. It's really, really difficult. ... We asked FEMA if they could come and do community-based testing here. We were told they're moving away from that. Which feels like they're declaring victory while we're in crisis mode." New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) said on NBC's Meet The PressVi (7/5, 2.76M), "We're starting to see a small spike in reinfection from folks coming back from places like Myrtle Beach and other hot spots. To me, it means we need a national strategy and we're only as strong as our weakest link. ... We went through hell. We cannot afford to go through hell again. We need a national strategy right now." Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (D) said on CBS' Face The NationVi (7/5, 2.74M), "I would tell you a month ago, one in 10 people were testing positive. Today it's one in four. The number of people who are getting sick and going to the hospital has exponentially increased. The number of people in our ICU beds has exponentially increased. If fact, if they don't get our hands around this virus quickly, in about two weeks, our hospital system could be in serious, serious trouble. ... Right now we have bed capacity. But let me just tell you, I want to highlight the major problem: staffing. We can always provide additional beds, but we need the people, the nurses and everybody else, the medical professionals to staff those beds. That's the critical part right now." Trump Touts Decline In COVID-19 Deaths. President Trump tweeted Sunday, "New China Virus Cases up (because of massive testing), deaths are down, 'low and steady'. The Fake News Media should report this and also, that new job numbers are setting records!" In Response To Coronavirus, States And Cities Cancel, Limit Fourth Of July Celebrations. EFTA00148662 According to the Washington Post (7/3, Hernandez, Guarino, 14.2M), "Cities and communities of all sizes, from Miami to Los Angeles, are dispensing with the elaborate Independence Day festivities they love, hoping to head off a menace that is putting more and more of their residents in the hospital. Some are going virtual while others are canceling the events altogether. It is an especially urgent move in the South and the Southwest, as cases have surged in recent days after efforts to reopen state economies have given the virus new life." The Post adds that while local officials have been "using every tool they have - a mix of closures and prohibitions - to discourage groups from coming together on the nation's birthday, they are in turn pushing people into private celebrations that also could pose significant risks," as these "can do exactly what experts fear: Put people in proximity while they drink, eat and converse." In a nearly 2,200-word front-page article, the Washington Post (7/3, Al, Stanley-Becker, Janes, Weiner, 14.2M) says that whether the US "can withstand the onslaught of the virus may now depend on how many people are willing to forgo boisterous barbecues and patio parties this weekend, which will prove fateful for the health and welfare of American society." Similarly, the AP (7/3, Seewer) reports health officials are "warning [the holiday) will be a crucial test of Americans' self-control that could determine the trajectory of the surging coronavirus outbreak." Ivanka Trump Encourages Social Distancing Over Fourth Of July Weekend. The Washington Examiner (7/3, Chaitin, 448K) reports Ivanka Trump on Friday "urged people to adhere to social distancing guidelines as they celebrate Independence Day," even as "her father, President Trump, attended a fireworks celebration at Mount Rushmore where face masks are optional and social distancing is not required." She tweeted, "Please be safe & responsible this holiday weekend. As we celebrate this 4th of July, follow state & local guidelines to keep you & your loved ones safe. Practice proper hygiene, social distancing & wear a mask when in close proximity to others." Los Angeles Aims To "Celebrate Independence Day At A Distance." The New York Times (7/3, Brown, 18.61M) reports on how Los Angeles "is figuring out how to celebrate Independence Day at a distance." According to the Times, "Local holiday traditions, many of them being redesigned for the first time in their history, are moving online. It's a concession to safety that may sacrifice a bit of the explosive fraternity bursting from a day that is reserved for American patriotism for some, and backyard bonding and good food for others." Miami-Dade County Imposes Curfew For Fourth Of July Weekend. The Hill (7/3, Axelrod, 2.98M) reports Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez (R) has imposed a curfew this weekend "to try to prevent exacerbating the burgeoning coronavirus outbreak in the state." The Hill adds Miami-Dade County "already closed its beaches for the holiday weekend amid concerns that gatherings will spark further coronavirus outbreaks." Arizona Refuses To Call Off Fourth Of July Weekend Events Despite Spike In Corona virus Cases. The New York Times (7/3, Al, Williamson, 18.61M) reports on its front page that Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) "stopped short of ordering a halt to [small) events, and as of Friday, he had not required Arizonans to wear face coverings in public spaces, as Texas did on Thursday." The Post adds the Round Valley Rodeo in Springerville and Fourth of July parade in Eagar remain "set to march ahead on Saturday as planned, even as infections in the state spiral." According to the Post, "Ducey, a pro-business conservative Republican who once ran an ice cream company and is a former state treasurer, has pressed a philosophy of personal responsibility and individual choice. That has largely left individuals in Arizona to decide for themselves whether to go to gyms, churches, rallies - or rodeos." Crowds Expected This Weekend At Reopened New York, New Jersey Beaches. The AP (7/3, Parry) reports that as the state and cities ease coronavirus restrictions "and temperatures climb, people are flocking back to the Jersey Shore. And with the July Fourth holiday weekend upon us, that's making some people nervous, particularly given the large crowds that have surfaced at some popular shore spots recently and poor compliance with EFTA00148663 mandated measures to help slow the spread of the virus." Similarly, the New York Times (7/3, Kilgannon, 18.61M) says that as New Yorkers return to newly opened beaches, they "were feeling a bit jittery about the city's gradual reopening. An hour after the ban on swimming was lifted, the mayor announced that indoor dining at restaurants would not resume on Monday as anticipated, citing the virus's rapid spread in other large states." However, POLITICO New York (7/3, Sutton) reports New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, (D) and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D), "both publicly and in interviews, explained how and why they came to the decisions to reverse reopenings that had already started in and around the biggest U.S. city." Politico adds that in New York City, "further delays could jeopardize the fate of small businesses that are already struggling to navigate the city's guidance around outdoor seating, particularly with capacity and traffic patterns that make it difficult to set up tables near bike and bus lanes." Meanwhile, Janet Shamlian reported on the lead CBS Evening NewsVi (7/3, lead story, 3:59, Brennan, 4.19M) broadcast that the weekend is "unprecedented" in Galveston, Texas, where "no one in the water and no one on the beach. Across the country, it looks nothing like a traditional holiday. And officials say that's because the surge can be traced back to Memorial Day and the loosening of restrictions. So for now, it's going to be safety over celebration. On a weekend honoring independence, little freedom to celebrate it. Beaches closed coast to coast, from Miami Beach, which now has an overnight curfew, to Southern California, where lifeguards became infected, and much of the Texas coast shutting down, not a popular decision." On ABC World News TonightVi (7/3, story 2, 0:33, Llamas, 6.84M), Victor Oquendo said, "I cannot remember a time where the beaches were closed for both the Fourth of July and Memorial Day weekend, even during a hurricane. This is one of the entry points to Miami Beach, it is locked up. Beach police do have enhanced staffing ready to go this weekend to make sure everything goes smoothly and safely." Amid Canceled Fireworks Celebrations, Officials Issue Warnings As More Americans Buy Directly From Suppliers. A front-page New York Times (7/1, Al, Creswell, 18.61M) article reports, "As many as 80 percent of community fireworks displays in large cities and small rural towns have been canceled this year over fear that they would create a social distancing nightmare." The Times adds that for the 150 US fireworks companies, "the two weeks around the July Fourth holiday make up about three-quarters of their revenue," so "the numerous cancellations this year, they say, are taking a significant financial toll on their businesses, many of them family owned for generations." However, the AP (7/3, Naishadham) reports "many" Americans "are bound to shoot off fireworks in backyards and at block parties. And they already are: Sales have been booming." The AP adds "some" public safety officials "say consumer fireworks in more hands means greater danger of injuries and wildfires in parts of the country experiencing dry, scorching weather." The AP also reports Los Angeles and San Francisco are among the cities that "have received more complaints of illegal fireworks this summer than in previous years," while Craig Melvin said on NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/3, story 6, 0:19, Melvin, 5.85M) that a man in New York City has been "shooting off illegal pyrotechnics when one [flew] through an open window" causing a fire that resulted in his arrest. Melvin added the FDNY is "warning don't play with illegal fireworks this Fourth of July." On ABC World News TonightVi (7/3, story 11, 0:21, Llamas, 6.84M), Tom Llamas said fire safety officials nationwide are "reminding Americans that hand sanitizer and fireworks do not mix." Llamas added sanitizers recommended by the CDC "contain at least 60% ethanol, which is flammable, and could cause burns. That includes sparklers that children may use. They recommend leaving the fireworks to the professionals." Trump Again Blames Testing For Rising US COVID-19 Cases. The Hill (7/4, Moreno, 2.98M) reports President Trump "voiced frustration Saturday with rising COVID-19 case counts, as both the U.S. as a whole and many individual states have reported EFTA00148664 new record totals in recent days." The President tweeted, "Cases, Cases, Cases! If we didn't test so much and so successfully, we would have very few cases. If you test 40,000,000 people, you are going to have many cases that, without the testing (like other countries), would not show up every night on the Fake Evening News. In a certain way, our tremendous Testing success gives the Fake News Media all they want, CASES. In the meantime, Deaths and the all important Mortality Rate goes down. You don't hear about that from the Fake News, and you never will. Anybody need any Ventilators???" The Washington Post (7/4, Al, Hawkins, 14.2M) reports on its front page that while Trump "correctly said the number of virus deaths and the rate of those deaths are declining," the President's claim about testing is "false" and it "misleads because the rate of positive cases continues to rise in states showing a marked increase in infections." An AP (7/4, Yen, Woodward) "fact check" charges that Trump over the past seven months has "persisted in his empty assurances" about the Administration's response to coronavirus, while AP (7/4, Colvin) White House reporter Jill Colvin contends that Vice President Pence's "spin" on the President's remarks about the status of the pandemic "tests credibility." According to Colvin, "For public health experts, the optimism has been unmoored from reality." She adds, "It's not the first time Pence has been forced to put his own credibility on the line as he serves as Trump's most loyal soldier. It may be the most consequential." National Park Service Did Not Test Staff Of Trump's Speech At Mount Rushmore. CNN (7/4, Main, Klein, Stracqualursi, 83.16M) reports National Park Service spokesperson Dana Soehn on Saturday disclosed the agency "did not require employees who worked the Independence Day celebration at Mount Rushmore on Friday to get tested for coronavirus, despite the record-high new cases in the US and...Trump's attendance at the event." CNN adds that while "some Park Service staff were wearing masks," some "were not," and "there was no social distancing at the event as attendees were clustered together in stadium seating." Guilfoyle Tests Positive For COVID-19 Prior To Trump's Mount Rushmore Speech. On NBC Nightly NewsVI (7/4, story 4, 0:31, O'Donnell, 3.61M), Kelly O'Donnell reported, "COVID-19 reached the Trump inner circle. Campaign adviser Kimberly Guilfoyle, girlfriend of Don Trump Jr., tested positive and immediately left Mount Rushmore for a cross country drive back East." On the CBS Weekend NewsVi (7/4, story 4, 0:39, Killion, 2.42M), Nikole Killion reported Guilfoyle "tweeted, 'Thank you for all the well wishes and prayers. I feel good:" On ABC World News TonightVi (7/4, story 4, 1:04, Scott, 4.56M), Rachel Scott reported that the Trump campaign's fundraising committee in a statement "said Guilfoyle, who is 'asymptomatic,' was 'immediately isolated to limit any exposure,' and 'as a precaution will cancel all upcoming events.' Adding, 'Donald Trump Jr. was tested negative, but as a precaution is also self-isolating.' Noting the couple did not travel on Air Force One or come into contact with the President." Scott also reported Guilfoyle "spoke at the President's rally in Tulsa, seen here without a mask." Scott added, "Several campaign staffers and members of the Secret Service testing positive there, too." Trump To Hold Rally In New Hampshire This Weekend. ABC World News TonightVi (7/5, story 4, 0:35, Johnson, 4.78M) reported, "Several of the President's staffers working on his rally in Tulsa tested positive for COVID-19, and now news tonight the President will be back on the campaign trail next weekend." ABC (Scott) added, "The President will be holding an outdoor campaign rally in New Hampshire next weekend, but his supporters will entering at their own risk. Just like in Tulsa, agreeing on a waiver not to sue the campaign if they get sick." The CBS Weekend NewsVi (7/5, story 3, 0:30, Garrett, 2.32M) reported Trump campaign officials "say there will be ample access to hand sanitizer, and participates will be given masks," and Axios (7/5, 521K) reports the campaign "said in an email on Sunday that attendees are 'strongly encouraged' to wear the masks." EFTA00148665 Hahn Declines To Discuss Trump Assertion Of "Harmless" Coronavirus Cases. Politico (7/5, Dugyala, 4.29M) reports FDA Commissioner Hahn on Sunday "declined to provide supporting evidence" for President Trump's assertion Sunday that 99% of coronavirus cases are "totally harmless." Asked on ABC's This WeekVi if Trump's statement was accurate, Hahn said, "Well, let's talk about where we are right now. We're seeing cases around the Sun Belt. We are certainly concerned, at the White House corona task force, about this ... We've sent teams into those states to actually help with taking care of the patients who are now with COVID-19." Pressed again by host Martha Raddatz, Hahn said, "You know, any case, we don't want to have in this country. This is a very rapidly moving epidemic, rapidly-moving pandemic. And any death, any case is tragic. And we want to do everything we can to prevent that." USA Today (7/5, Elbeshbishi, 10.31M) reports Hahn also appeared on CNN's State Of The UnionVi, where host Dana Bash asked him about the President's statement. Hahn told Bash that he was not "going to get into who is right and who is wrong" and, instead, spoke about the surging number of cases in the US, saying that "the way out of this for all Americans is to follow the CDC and the White House task force guidelines." To the Washington Times (7/5, Howell, 492K), "Hahn refused Sunday to referee President Trump's claim." Meanwhile, Austin Mayor Steve Adler (D) discussed the President's remarks on CNN's State Of The UnionVi (7/5, 1.03M), saying, "It makes me angry. You know, I understand he has a tough job, but it is dangerous not to be sending a clear message to Americans, to folks in my town. We have the July Fourth weekend and we need everybody wearing masks. When they start hearing that kind of ambiguous message coming out of Washington, there are more and more people that won't wear masks, that won't social distance, that won't do what it takes to keep a community safe. And that's wrong and it's dangerous. I just have to hope that people aren't going to listen to that and they'll stay focused on what they're hearing here more locally." Ernst Touts Trump's Leadership During Pandemic. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), on CNN's State Of The UnionVi (7/5, 1.04M), discussed President Trump's leadership during the pandemic, saying, "I think that the President is stepping forward and we have Vice President Mike Pence that is spearheading the task force efforts on the coronavirus. And so understanding where this came from, how it developed, of course, the push back that we got from the Democrats when the President did try to shutdown travel from some of those hot spots, it was an extremely difficult environment to operate." Hahn: "Too Early To Tell" If Jacksonville Can Safely Host GOP Convention. Reuters (7/5, Chiacu) reports FDA Commissioner Hahn said Sunday that it is "not clear whether it will be safe to hold the Republican National Convention in Jacksonville next month, as Florida sees record numbers of coronavirus cases." Appearing on CNN's State Of The Union, Hahn said, "I think it's too early to tell. We will have to see how this unfolds in Florida and elsewhere around the country." In the New York Times (7/5, 18.61M), media correspondent Michael Grynbaum looks at how television coverage of the pared-back conventions will be different from past years' coverage of the events. Hahn Says US Will "Surge" Remdesivir To "Areas That Most Need It." The New York Post (7/5, Lapin, 4.57M) reports FDA Commissioner Hahn said Sunday that the US "is sending a 'surge' supply of coronavirus drug remdesivir to areas that need it most." Appearing on CNN's State Of The Union, Hahn said, "We have been in touch with the states and the localities to surge remdesivir to the areas that most need it. And we are receiving that feedback and then shipping remdesivir, so that it's available for people who need it." Some Coronavirus Vaccine Developers Trying New RNA-Based Technology. EFTA00148666 The Washington Post (7/5, Booth, Johnson, 14.2M) reports in the ongoing race to develop a coronavirus vaccine, scientists around the world are experimenting with RNA-based vaccines, which "has never before been approved for use." The Washington Post adds that "almost overnight, these cutting-edge RNA vaccine efforts have leaped forward as top candidates to fight" the pandemic. Vaccine Developers Compete For Healthy Volunteers. The Wall Street Journal (7/5, Al, Hopkins, Loftus, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports vaccine developers are competing to recruit the thousands of healthy volunteers needed for testing, taking unusual steps like doing outreach at pharmacies and churches. Federal Data Show Massive Racial Disparities In COVID-19 Infections And Deaths. The New York Times (7/5, Al, Oppel, Gebeloff, Lai, Wright, Smith, 18.61M) reports federal data made available after the Times "sued the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention" reveals that "Black and Latino people have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus in a widespread manner that spans the country, throughout hundreds of counties in urban, suburban and rural areas, and across all age groups." They "have been three times as likely to become infected as their white neighbors," and "have been nearly twice as likely to die from the virus as white people." WPost Profiles Texas Case As Highlighting Health System Disparities. The Washington Post (7/5, Cha, 14.2M) runs a 2,100-word feature on how the death of a 46-year- old paraplegic African American man of COVID-19 complications highlights the disparities in the US healthcare system. While both the agency acting as his legal guardian and his physician sister had agreed he should be removed from a ventilator because "further intervention for the disabled man was futile," his wife "worried doctors were placing less value on her husband's life because he was a black man who was disabled." Houston Hospitals Facing Similar Issues As New York Ones Previously Did. The New York Times (7/4, Fink, 18.61M) says, "Over the past week, Dr. Aric Bakshy, an emergency physician at Houston Methodist, had to decide which coronavirus patients he should admit to the increasingly busy hospital and which he could safely send home." As hospitals in Houston confront the most severe coronavirus outbreak in Texas, Dr. Bakshy "and others are experiencing some of the same challenges that their New York counterparts did just a few months ago and are trying to adapt some lessons from that crisis." Similarly to New York City during March, the hospitals in Houston are seeing a sharp increase "in caseloads that is filling their beds, stretching their staffing, creating a backlog in testing and limiting the availability of other medical services. Attempts to buy more supplies - including certain protective gear, vital- sign monitors and testing components - are frustrated by weeks of delays, according to hospital leaders." On the CBS Weekend NewsVi (7/4, story 2, 2:45, Garrett, 2.42M), Major Garrett interviewed Houston Mayor Steve Adler, asking Adler, among other things, "would you say your [coronavirus] numbers are going up and that your capacity problems are becoming more of a concern for your city?" In response, Adler said, "I'd say our trajectory is rising geometrically and it's scary right now how quickly we're going to overwhelm our hospitals. So, yes, we are very concerned." Garrett subsequently asked, "is that a matter of bed space or staffing?" Said Adler, "You know, as a matter of both, but probably the more pressing concern is the staffing. It's having the physicians and the skilled nurses, the ICU capacity and nurses, because we can create more physical space. But staffing that space is proving I think to be the greatest challenge, in part because now we're competing with Houston and San Antonio and Dallas for the same surge support." Miami-Dade County Mayor: Demonstrations Contributed To Coronavirus Spike. EFTA00148667 The Washington Examiner (7/5, Dibble, 448K) reports Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez "said the massive protests that took place in Florida and elsewhere throughout the country likely contributed to the new spike in coronavirus cases." Gimenez said Sunday on CBS' Face The NationVI that "the protests `obviously' contributed to the spread of the virus, but he noted that there are several other factors at play, including socialization at beaches and in restaurants." Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), on Fox News' Sunday Morning FuturesVi (7/5, 1.66M), said, "I think we're getting back on track very quickly and here is the reason why: you are seeing people who got out there, their kids got out there, they went to protest, they went into groups and what do you have? Spikes, whether it was protests or bars or whatever." Kavanaugh Denies Application From Illinois GOP Contesting Ban On Sizable Political Gatherings. The Hill (7/4, Moreno, 2.98M) reports Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh "rejected an application on Saturday from the Illinois Republican Party challenging Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker's executive order banning large political gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic." The Illinois GOP "filed a lawsuit in federal court in mid-June arguing that the state was treating political rallies differently than church services or Black Lives Matter demonstrations." The Hill adds, "On Friday, the party sought an emergency injunction against the governor's restrictions." The application was denied by Kavanaugh without comment. Coronavirus Impacting West Texas, Where Some Have No Trust In Government. The New York Times (7/4, Goodman, 18.61M) says that it appeared for some time as if "the coronavirus had spared West Texas." However, "the virus has now reached into the deep-red regions of the state that have resisted aggressive public health regulation." For a large number of conservatives, "the resurgence has not changed opinions so much as hardened them." According to the Times, "For those Texans, trust in government is gone, if it was there to begin with, and that includes some of the state's top leaders." Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Tuesday "declared himself tired of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease doctor," with Patrick having said, "I don't need his advice anymore." Missouri City That Was Previously Spared Coronavirus Now In Hot Spot. The Washington Post (7/3, Witte, 14.2M) reports that during the spring, the coronavirus "was more rumor than reality" in Joplin, a city in southwest Missouri. However, in the wake of "a rapid statewide reopening," the virus is now impacting "the region with a vengeance." Joplin, which began June without any active cases, went into July "at the heart of one of the country's fastest growing coronavirus hot spots. And like many places that skipped the springtime surge only to be walloped this summer, it's fighting back with a much-diminished arsenal." Resort Communities Working To Bring Guests Back. NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/4, story 10, 2:32, Alexander, 3.61M) reported that while the coronavirus has impacted the majority of Americans' summer vacations, "many resort communities are going to great lengths to bring back their guests and to keep their cities afloat." According to correspondent Kevin Tibbles, "For more than a century, the stunning beauty of Mackinac Island, Michigan has been a draw for tourists from all over the world." Thus, Mayor Margaret Doud "knew they had to take extreme measures to save the busy summer season." Said Doud, "Our tax dollars all depend on tourism and the business industry." Tibbles added that "though they are losing money, Mackinac businesses are still spending on new safety features, like high tech disinfecting foggers. Measures designed to give tourists peace of mind." Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest Features Various Coronavirus Precautions. EFTA00148668 The New York Times (7/4, Pietsch, 18.61M) reports the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest was held Saturday despite the coronavirus pandemic, though this year's event did not feature any crowds so as to promote social distancing. Also for the sake of social distancing, the event "was limited to five women and six men." Moreover, among other precautions were "testing and temperature checks for competitors." Joey Chestnut "won his 13th title...after eating a record 75 hot dogs in 10 minutes." Doctors Learning That COVID Can Take Months To Recover From. On NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/4, story 8, 2:35, Alexander, 3.61M), medical correspondent Dr. John Torres reported that while COVID-19 patient Selena Hafeez "was able to get off the ventilator" she was on "and out of the hospital," the fight against the virus wasn't close to being done. Hafeez's brother, Ajaz Asgarally, said, "She couldn't talk. Her memory wasn't there." According to Torres, "Doctors are now learning that recovery for COVID patients can take months, especially for those who have been on ventilators." Dr. Susan Maltser of Glen Cove Hospital Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Chair said, "We very quickly realized that these patients had very specific impairments that we have to take care of." Torres added that almost two months after leaving the hospital, Hafeez "is still in New York as her body continues to heal from a disease that still has so many unknowns." WPost Analysis: CDC's Zika Response "Unheeded Prequel For How" Agency Stumbled In Face Of Coronavirus. In an approximately 4,000 word analysis, the Washington Post (7/4, Willman, 14.2M) says, "Four years before the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fumbled the nation's chance to begin effective early testing for the novel coronavirus, the agency similarly mishandled its efforts to detect another dreaded pathogen." During 2016, senior CDC officials "sidelined an effective test for" Zika, instead instructing "public health laboratories nationwide to use a more complicated test that failed about one-third of the time." According to the Post, "The agency's response to Zika now stands as an unheeded prequel for how the CDC stumbled this year as it confronted the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed more than 125,000 lives nationwide." Politico Analysis: Kentucky Avoided Problems Experienced By Other Places That Have Held Elections Amid Pandemic. A Politico (7/4, Montellaro, 4.29M) analysis says, "Coronavirus has upended elections around the country since the pandemic landed in America, and last month, Kentucky was feared to be the next disaster." However, Kentucky ultimately "earned measured praise from voting rights advocates for how it largely sidestepped the missing ballots, long lines and other problems faced by many states amid coronavirus." Politico adds that "voting rights experts say other states should be reaching out to Kentucky for advice, as a potential blueprint for scaling up pandemic-safe voting for the November elections." More Pro Athletes Testing Positive For Coronavirus. ABC World News TonightVI (7/4, story 11, 1:46, Johnson, 4.56M) reported that "as professional sports slowly get back to business, a growing number of athletes and staff are testing positive for the coronavirus." According to correspondent Alex Presha, NASCAR star Jimmie Johnson "learned he and his wife have the virus. Hell be forced to miss tomorrow's race in Indianapolis." Johnson's diagnosis underscores the issue of "how to restart sports while keeping athletes healthy. Major League Baseball teams just reported for spring training for a shortened season, while announcing 31 players have tested positive for the virus." Mike Trout of the LA Angels said, "Honestly, I still don't feel comfortable. You know, obviously, with the baby coming, there's a lot of stuff going through my mind right now, my wife's mind, my family." Presh also reported that a number of NBA players are now worried about the pandemic. EFTA00148669 On NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/4, story 5, 2:36, Alexander, 3.61M), correspondent Erin McLaughlin indicated there are "reports of a third Miami Heat player testing positive for the virus. The news just days before teams are set to enter the preseason quarantine in Orlando set up by the NBA to protect players and staff." WSJournal Analysis Highlights How Caregivers Are Contributing To Fight Against COVID. A Wall Street Journal (7/4, Sayre, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) analysis discusses the role of home caregivers, which are frequently employed off the books, in the fight against COVID- 19. These workers have, according to PHI Vice President of Policy Robert Espinoza, had to decide between working - thus putting themselves at risk of contracting the virus - and remaining home, thereby risking a monetary hit. WPost Analysis: Phlebotomists, Cooks, Medical Assistants Face Coronavirus Risks But Receive Low Pay, Scant Recognition. A Washington Post (7/4, Jouvenal, 14.2M) analysis says that while "doctors and nurses have been saluted from front porches and rooftops for their efforts to contain the coronavirus," the Brookings Institution indicates that "more than 80 percent of essential workers who keep medical facilities running labor out of the spotlight." The Post adds, "Housekeepers, cooks, phlebotomists, orderlies and others face many of the same risks as their higher profile colleagues, but sometimes with less access to protective gear, pay that can fall below a living wage and only a modicum of recognition." Medical assistant Latasha Currie said, "I'm risking my life every single day just like the doctors are," adding, "I just don't want people to think that because I'm not a nurse or not a doctor, I'm not essential." Kansas Newspaper Posts Cartoon Likening Mask Requirement To Holocaust. The AP (7/4, Hanna) reports, "A weekly Kansas newspaper whose publisher is a county Republican Party chairman posted a cartoon on its Facebook page likening the Democratic governor's order requiring people to wear masks in public to the roundup and murder of millions of Jews during the Holocaust." The AP adds, "The cartoon on the Anderson County Review's Facebook page depicts Gov. Laura Kelly wearing a mask with a Jewish Star of David on it, next to a drawing of people being loaded onto train cars." The accompanying caption reads, "Lockdown Laura says: Put on your mask...and step onto the cattle car." Dane Hicks, who owns and publishes the Review, informed the AP in an email "that he plans to publish the cartoon in the newspaper's next edition Thursday." In a statement, Kelly, a Catholic, said, "Mr. Hicks' decision to publish anti-Semitic imagery is deeply offensive and he should remove it immediately." NYTimes Al: Theaters Discovering Ways To Have Live Shows Amid Coronavirus. In a front-page story, the New York Times (7/4, Al, Paulson, 18.61M) says the coronavirus breakout has closed Broadway until no earlier than year's end, "and the nation's big regional theaters and major outdoor festivals have mostly pivoted to streaming." However, even amid swelling infections in the United States, a large number of "theaters are finding ways to present live performances before live audiences." Among those theaters is Invisible Theatre in Tuscon, Arizona, which "has been running a four-character play called `Filming O'Keefe' indoors, installed an air ionizer, allowed patrons in only one-quarter of its seats, mandated that they wear masks, and put on a show." Fauci, Other Epidemiologists Discuss Managing Coronavirus Risks In Daily Life. In a nearly 5,200-word article, the Washington Post (7/2, Cimons, 14.2M) interviews NIAID Director Fauci and five other "public health/infectious diseases specialists about their own behavior choices" when it comes to going about daily activities during the coronavirus. Asked about wearing a mask, Fauci said, "The only time I don't wear one is when I am alone, when I am home with my wife, or when I am speaking in public - provided there is 6 feet between me EFTA00148670 and the people to whom I am speaking, as was the case when I answered questions at the recent Congressional hearings." American Families Are Divided On How To Return To Daily Lives. The Wall Street Journal (7/3, Bindley, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) says that just as US leaders are divided on how to go about reopening amid the recent surge in coronavirus cases, American families are confronting the same dilemma. Wilkie Highlights Efforts Of VA To Provide Medical Care Amid Pandemic. In an interview with Fox News Bill Hemmer Reports (7/3), VA Secretary Wilkie discussed the department's efforts to provide medical support to veterans amid the pandemic. Wilkie also highlighted the coronavirus test rate among veterans, and explained the test rate "is a little lower" than the general population because the department "got a head start on this. But we are seeing surges in the same place[s] that you've been reporting." FDA Authorizes Test To Differentiate Between Flu, COVID-19. The Washington Times (7/3, Tan, 492K) reports the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday "approved a test to detect and differentiate viruses that cause flu and COVID-19 in people suspected of having the coronavirus." With the approval, three diagnostic tests have now obtained "emergency use authorization from the FDA ahead of flu season." In a statement, FDA Commissioner Hahn said, "With the authorization of these tests, the FDA is helping address concerns in anticipation of this upcoming flu season during the COVID-19 pandemic, which might be especially worrying for some Americans." CBS Highlights Type Of Plasma Therapy Being Utilized On Some COVID-19 Patients. In a "Racing to a Cure" segment on the CBS Evening NewsVi (7/3, story 6, 2:02, Brennan, 4.19M), correspondent Meg Oliver reported Dr. William Whyte has returned to "work after he survived 40 days on a ventilator battling a severe case of COVID-19." During April, he "was the first patient at LSU Health Shreveport to receive convalescent plasma therapy." Oliver asked Whyte, "Do you think you would have survived without the convalescent plasma?" Whyte said, "Absolutely not. That was the big change." According to Oliver, "The century-old treatment relies on antibodies taken from recovered COVID-19 patients and infused into sick patients, hoping to give them a massive boost to their immune system to help kill the virus." New Study Says Hydroxychloroquine Reduced COVID Mortality Rate. The Hill (7/3, Johnson, 2.98M) reports a study carried out by Michigan's Henry Ford Health System which was released Thursday "links the use of hydroxychloroquine on COVID-19 patients to lower death rates." The Hill adds that according to the study, "the controversial anti- malarial drug heralded by the White House as potential treatment for the coronavirus, 'significantly' lowered the mortality rate among COVID-19 patients." In a statement, Marcus Zervos, the study's co-author, said, "We attribute our findings that differ from other studies to early treatment, and part of a combination of interventions that were done in supportive care of patients, including careful cardiac monitoring. Our dosing also differed from other studies not showing a benefit of the drug." Coronavirus Prompts Cancellation Of MLB All-Star Game. The AP (7/3, Harris) reports the MLB All-Star Game "was canceled Friday because of the coronavirus pandemic, and Dodger Stadium," where the game had been scheduled to occur, "was awarded the 2022 Midsummer Classic." The 2021 game is slated to occur at Truist Park in Atlanta. In a statement, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said, "Once it became clear we were unable to hold this year's All-Star festivities, we wanted to award the Dodgers with the next available All-Star Game, which is 2022." EFTA00148671 WPost Analysis: MLB Attempting To Restart Season In "Much Different Environment" Than Bundesliga Did When It Restarted. A Washington Post (7/3, Dougherty, 14.2M) analysis says, "One season is ending, another is beginning, and the intersection of the two - Major League Baseball and Bundesliga soccer - shows how risky it is to restart sports in the United States right now." While "the models for the two are similar in that, unlike the NBA, they are operating outside of a bubble," Germany's coronavirus response "was much more successful - and much more proactive - than the United States'. It enabled the Bundesliga, the country's top-tier soccer league, to resume in mid-May and handle sporadic coronavirus cases. Baseball, on the other hand, is about to make a similar attempt in a much different environment." NYTimes Analysis: Combination Of Dynamics Could Decide Which Athletes Can, Can't Sit Out Amid Coronavirus. A New York Times (7/3, Keh, 18.61M) analysis says that "a blend of dynamics - money, status and job security - could determine which athletes" are going to be able to opt to not play amid rising coronavirus cases "and which will see little choice but to play." The Times adds that while a large number of players are eager to play their respective sports again, "a wave of decisions this week to opt out of play hinted at an undercurrent of anxiety that could grow in the coming weeks as more leagues near their returns." The NBA's Thabo Sefolosha and Avery Bradley this week became part of "a small but growing group of players who will sit out when the league restarts on July 30." Number Of Coronavirus Cases Among Inmates Passes 50,000. The AP (7/3, Welsh-Huggins) reports, "The number of prison inmates testing positive for the coronavirus soared well past the 50,000 mark last month, as recent outbreaks threatened to undo control measures put in place earlier in the pandemic." At June's end, the amount "of coronavirus cases among prisoners had reached at least 52,649, an increase of 8% from the week before, according to data compiled by the Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization focusing on criminal justice, and The Associated Press." Several Democrats Renew Call To End Senate Filibuster To Pass Priority Legislation. The Wall Street Journal (7/3, Peterson, Wise, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports Democrats' recent prospects for winning the White House and both chambers of Congress have renewed calls to eliminate the Senate filibuster in order to pass legislation on several priorities within the party. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have resisted scrapping the current threshold, however, several Democrats see the move as the only way to pass legislation. Migrant Workers Unable To Send Remittances Home Due To Pandemic. The Wall Street Journal (7/5, Emont, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports the developing world is feeling an economic impact as migrant workers who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic are no longer able to send payments, known as remittances, back to their native countries. According to the World Bank, workers from developing countries sent home $554 billion last year. The World Bank estimates that the transfers will decrease by 20% this year, a decline that would be four times as large as the one that came int he wake of the 2008 financial crisis. Immigrant Workers Say Employer Cheated Them And Tricked Them Into Deportation. The Detroit Free Press (7/5, Warikoo, 1.52M) reports that migrant workers who came to the US legally to work at Four Star Greenhouse in Carleton, Michigan "through a temporary agricultural visa known as H-2A," say they were "cheated out of their pay despite working long hours." The workers say that after they complained, "they were lured and tricked by their employer into being detained by federal immigration agents in a Walmart parking lot, and eventually sent back to Mexico." Seven migrant workers from Mexico allege in a lawsuit filed last week in US EFTA00148672 District Court in Michigan that "Four Star Greenhouse and the agent it used to hire them violated labor, wage and trafficking laws in 2017 and 2018." Four Star denies the allegations. Duckworth Holds Up Military Confirmations To Ensure Vindman Promotion Is Not Blocked. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) was asked on CNN's State of The UnionVi (7/5, 1.04M) about her decision to block Senate confirmations of more than a thousand military officers until the Defense Department confirms Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman gets his promotion. Duckworth said, "If Lt. Col. Vindman is on that list, he made his way on it through his own job performance and you can't get on the promotion list unless you were recommended to be on it by your rater, your intermediate rater and senior rater. ... All I'm saying is I will not promote anyone to colonel or general unless the Defense Department certify to me that if he is on the list, they won't take him off." Supreme Court Watchers On Both Sides Say Roberts' Recent Moves Were Political. The Washington Times (7/5, Swoyer, 492K) reports "both conservative and liberal court watchers" say recent moves by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts "are all about politics," not a shift in ideology. Conservatives say Roberts "is trying to strike a balance so the high court doesn't appear too political." Liberals "don't consider him a reliable swing vote" despite recent votes on abortion and LGBTQ-related cases. Dan Goldberg of the liberal Alliance for Justice said, "Roberts is only the swing vote because of how extreme the other four Republican-appointed justices are." Cabinet Members Making Official Visits To Swing States. The AP (7/5, Calvan, Knickmeyer, Flesher) reports members of President Trump's Cabinet "are busy making time in pivotal states" as the November election nears. Figures like Interior Secretary Bernhardt, Agriculture Secretary Perdue, Secretary of State Pompeo, and EPA Administrator Wheeler "are carrying a message to voters about what the Trump administration is doing for them. At the same time, there are questions" about whether official visits by agency heads "are running afoul of a law meant to bar overt campaigning by federal officials on the taxpayer tab." INTERNATIONAL NEWS WHO: In New Record, 212,000 Daily Coronavirus Cases Reported Globally. Reuters (7/4, Shumaker) says the World Health Organization "reported a record increase in global coronavirus cases on Saturday, with the total rising by 212,326 in 24 hours," breaking the "previous WHO record for new cases [of] 189,077 on June 28." According to Reuters, the US, Brazil, and India accounted for "the biggest increases," although "deaths remained steady at about 5,000 a day." The Washington Post (7/4, Anna, 14.2M) says that although "pubs, hair salons and movie theaters across England reopened Saturday as part of Britain's biggest step toward post- outbreak normal," South Africa "and other parts of the world signaled anything but - reporting another day of record confirmed coronavirus cases." According to the Post, the number of confirmed cases in South Africa "climbed to more than 177,000, with a record 9,063 reported in the most recent 24-hour period," while India "reported its highest single-day spike, with 22,771 new confirmed cases for a total of more than 648,000, including 18,655 deaths," and Russia "marked a milestone as the death toll rose above 10,000. The national coronavirus task force also reported 6,632 new infections, raising the total for the outbreak to 674,515." While Major Garrett said on the CBS Weekend NewsVi (7/4, story 6, 1:38, Garrett, 2.42M), "Britain's famed pubs, that's public houses for short, are back after a shutdown caused EFTA00148673 by COVID-19," Roxana Saberi added, "The English city of Leicester isn't celebrating. It went back to lockdown this week after a spike in COVID-19 infections. Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson warns other cities could face the same fate." On NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/4, story 7, 1:54, Alexander, 3.61M), Sarah Harmon reported, "The UK has seen more than 44,000 coronavirus deaths, the third highest in the world behind the US and Brazil. Even within the UK, there's disagreement over reopening, with Wales and Scotland keeping their pubs shut this weekend." In addition, Reuters (7/5, Eschenbacher, Angulo) says the Mexican Health Ministry on Saturday "reported 523 more deaths from the novel coronavirus, bringing the total to 30,366, and 6,914 of new infections, bringing the total to 252,165." Meanwhile, a Wall Street Journal (7/3, Luhnow, Montes, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) article titled "Mexico's Covid-19 Death Toll Could Be Twice As High As Official Tally" said an analysis of population data suggests the country's death toll could exceed 50,000. In an analysis considering the coronavirus death toll, the New York Times (7/4, McNeil, 18.61M) highlights that after the WHO last week "held a two-day online meeting of 1,300 scientists from around the world, the agency's chief scientist, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, said the consensus for now was that the I.F.R. is about 0.6 percent - which means that the risk of death is less than 1 percent." The Times adds that while Swaminathan "did not note this, 0.6 percent of the world's population is 47 million people, and 0.6 percent of the American population is 2 million people. The virus remains a major threat." More Than 200 Scientists Urge WHO To Revise Warnings About Coronavirus Transmission. The New York Times (7/4, Mandavilli, 18.61M) reports that while the WHO "has long held that the coronavirus is spread primarily by large respiratory droplets that, once expelled by infected people in coughs and sneezes, fall quickly to the floor," 239 scientists from 32 countries in a new open letter "outlined the evidence showing that smaller particles can infect people," and called on the WHO "to revise its recommendations." The Times adds that interviews "with nearly 20 scientists - including a dozen W.H.O. consultants and several members of the committee that crafted the guidance — and internal emails paint a picture of an organization that, despite good intentions, is out of step with science. Whether carried aloft by large droplets that zoom through the air after a sneeze, or by much smaller exhaled droplets that may glide the length of a room, these experts said, the coronavirus is borne through air and can infect people when inhaled." WHO: First Clinical Trial Results To Be Announced Within Weeks. Reuters (7/3, Nebehay, Mason) reports the World Health Organization "should soon get results from clinical trials it is conducting of drugs that might be effective in treating COVID-19 patients, its Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday." However, Reuters adds Mike Ryan, head of the WHO's emergencies programme, "said it would be unwise to predict when a vaccine could be ready against COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus that has killed more than half a million people." Meanwhile, WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan told Reuters (7/3, Nebehay, Shields) on Friday that nearly 30% of the genome sequencing data from the WHO's samples of the virus "have shown signs of mutation, but there is no evidence this has led to more severe disease." According to Reuters, "Scientists at Scripps Research this month found that by April the mutated virus accounted for some 65% of cases submitted from around the world to a major database." Scientists Call On WHO To Address Airborne Spread Of COVID-19. The Washington Post (7/5, McAuley, Rauhala, 14.2M) reports that a forthcoming paper from 239 scientists urges the WHO "to take more seriously the possibility of the airborne spread of covid-19 as case numbers rise around the world and surge in the United States." In the paper, the signatories, from more than 30 countries, "attempt to raise awareness about what they say is growing evidence that the coronavirus can spread indoors through aerosols that linger in the EFTA00148674 air and can be infectious even in smaller quantities than previously thought." It comes "as the WHO faces criticism over its coronavirus response, calls for reform and a U.S. threat to cut funding and withdraw completely." Mexican Border Town Blocks Americans From Entering. The AP (7/5) reports that residents of the Mexican town of Sonoyta, "across from Lukeville, Arizona, briefly blocked the main road leading south from the US border over the weekend over fears of coronavirus outbreaks." As the number cases continues to rise in Arizona, Sonoyta Mayor Jose Ramos Arzate issued a statement Saturday "inviting US tourists not to visit Mexico." Local residents "organized to block the road with their cars on the Mexican side Saturday." UK Begins Easing Lockdown Measures. ABC World News TonightVi (7/5, story 2, 1:40, Johnson, 4.78M) reported on what it called "a major test for the UK." ABC (Longman) added, "Infection rates in the UK are low, but with one of the highest mortality rates in the world, there's a lot on the line as this weekend it relaxed most of its lockdown measures. Bars, restaurants, cafes, and the famous English pub all open to clearly excited customers. ... But with no social distancing or masks to be seen in this London neighborhood, a surge in cases might stop the music. An outbreak in another UK town, Leicester, forced a localized lock down there." China Poised To Dominate Global Medical Supply Production Following Pandemic. The New York Times (7/5, Bradsher, 18.61M) reports that "countries around the world have set up their own factories to cope with this pandemic and outbreaks of the future" amid concern about "China's stranglehold over supplies of masks, gowns, test kits and other front-line weapons for batting the coronavirus." China "has laid the groundwork to dominate the market for protective and medical supplies for years to come" because "factory owners get cheap land, courtesy of the Chinese government," and "loans and subsidies [in China] are plentiful." Moreover, "Chinese hospitals are often told to buy locally, giving China's suppliers a vast and captive market." AP Analysis: France-Turkey Dispute Over Libyan Arms Exposes NATO's Limits. The AP (7/5, Cook) says a "festering dispute between France and Turkey over a naval standoff in the Mediterranean Sea has shone a glaring searchlight on NATO's struggle to keep order among its ranks and exposed weaknesses in a military alliance that can only take action by consensus." To the AP, the dispute "has also revealed NATO's limits when its allies are or are perceived to be on different sides of a conflict - in this case in Libya." A French frigate intercepted a Turkish warship "that was escorting a Tanzanian-flagged cargo ship" that NATO intelligence said "could be involved in trafficking arms to Libya." Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut cavuo§lu, however, "accused France of lying." Iran Says It Has Built Underground "Missile Cities" Along Gulf Coast. Reuters (7/5, Hafezi) reports Tehran has built underground "missile cities" along the Gulf coastline, Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy chief said Sunday, warning of a "nightmare for Iran's enemies." Rear Admiral Ali Reza Tangsiri told the Sobh-e Sadeq weekly, "Iran has established underground onshore and offshore missile cities all along the coasts of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman that would be a nightmare for Iran's enemies." Spokesman: Fire At Iran's Natanz Nuclear Facility Caused Significant Damage. Reuters (7/5, Hafezi) reports a fire last week at Iran's underground Natanz nuclear facility "caused significant damage that could slow the development of advanced centrifuges used to enrich uranium, an Iranian nuclear official said on Sunday." The state-run IRNA quoted spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Behrouz Kamalvandi, as saying, "The EFTA00148675 incident could slow down the development and production of advanced centrifuges in the medium term. ... Iran will replace the damaged building with a bigger one that has more advanced equipment." The New York Times (7/5, Fassihi, Perez-Pefia, Bergman, 18.61M) reports that a "Middle Eastern intelligence official with knowledge of the episode said Israel was responsible for the attack on the Natanz nuclear complex on Thursday, using a powerful bomb. A member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps who was briefed on the matter also said an explosive was used." WSJournal: Iranian Military-Owned Conglomerate Opens In Venezuela. The Wall Street Journal (7/5, Talley, Faucon, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports exclusively that Ekta, an Iranian conglomerate owned by the country's military, has begun retail operations in Venezuela, according to officials and records detailing the move. Ekta is working with the Maduro government's emergency food program. Pearl's Killers Could Soon Be Free. The CBS Weekend NewsVi (7/5, story 6, 1:50, Garrett, 2.32M) reported that the men who murdered Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl "could soon walk free" as Pakistan's highest court has "refused to overturn a lower court ruling exonerating the four men who kidnapped and killed Pearl in 2002." CBS (Tyab) added that Pearl's father, Judea, "and the Pakistani government have now filed separate appeals to prevent the release of the men who murdered his son. ... British-born Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and three of his aides were convicted of kidnapping and beheading Pearl back in 2002 in the aftermath of 9/11. They have been on death row ever since." They were supposed to be released this week, but "they will now remain behind bars until September, when the Supreme Court will rule on the appeals." Men Of Color Say They Are Singled Out By French Police. The Wall Street Journal (7/5, Dalton, Morenne, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that while French officials say the country is colorblind, young men of color say they are often singled out by police. France forbids the collection of racial information in many areas, including law enforcement in an effort to treat all citizens equally, but social scientists and experts on policing say that policy has made the government unaware of widespread discrimination in law enforcement. Two US Carriers In South China Sea For Drills. The Fox News (7/5, Miles, 27.59M) website reports the USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan "are now in the South China Sea for military drills, a U.S. Navy official confirms to Fox News." Rear Adm. George Wikoff told the Wall Street Journal (7/5, Al, Gale, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), which was the first to report the exercises, "The purpose is to show an unambiguous signal to our partners and allies that we are committed to regional security and stability." Africans Outraged Over Killing Of George Floyd Call Attention To Abuses In Own Countries. The New York Times (7/3, Dahir, Maclean, Chutel, 18.61M) reports, "Kenyan and American protesters knelt outside the United States Embassy in Nairobi one morning last month, outraged at George Floyd's killing and the racism and brutality they saw across the Atlantic. But they were also furious about police abuses at home, in Kenya." Protests "sprang up all over town." Outrage "over Mr. Floyd's death has rippled throughout the continent, with Africans invoking the Black Lives Matter movement to call attention to abuses in their own countries and demand that the police be held to account." Analyst: Foreigners At Risk Under New Hong Kong Security Laws. EFTA00148676 The Washington Times (7/5, Glenn, 492K) reports that "even foreigners who criticize China could be jailed if they ever set foot in Hong Kong under the city's controversial new national security laws, analyst and author Gordon Chang said Sunday on the Fox News Channel." The laws, which went into effect last week, "not only clamp down on personal freedoms for Hong Kong residents but give China the ability to imprison anyone it wants, Mr. Chang said." Said Chang, "It demands the total obedience of people in Hong Kong (and) China demands the total obedience from everybody else in the world. That really is the message here." The New York Times (7/5, Wang, Yu, May, 18.61M) reports that "in recent days, as China took a victory lap over the law it imposed on the city Tuesday, the defiant masses who once filled Hong Kong's streets in protest have largely gone quiet." Guatemala Emerging As New Drug Route. The Washington Post (7/5, Sieff, 14.2M) reports that the "cat-and-mouse game between the United States and the leaders of Latin America's drug trade has shifted to this wild stretch of Guatemala, one of the most inhospitable landscapes in the Western Hemisphere." The new route "runs through the largest rainforest in Central America," where "narcotraffickers are burning airstrips...to land planes from South America carrying cocaine bound for the United States." According to the Post, 90% of the cocaine now consumed in the US "transits through Guatemala." THE BIG PICTURE Headlines From Today's Front Pages. Wall Street Journal: Companies Cancel Atlantic Coast Pipeline After Years Of Delays Tech Giants To Face EU Legal Push On Content, Competition, Taxes Coronavirus Researchers Compete To Enroll Subjects For Vaccine Tests Developing World Loses Billions In Money From Migrant Workers Masks And Makeup Don't Mix, So Cosmetic Fans Seek Permanent Fix US Shows Off Its Firepower To Beijing In South China Sea New York Times: The Fullest Look Yet At The Racial Inequity Of Coronavirus 239 Experts With One Big Claim: The Coronavirus Is Airborne 'Strategic Empathy': How Biden's Informal Diplomacy Shaped Foreign Relations The Swamp Is Coming From Inside Trump's Campaign Chicago Gun Violence Spikes And Increasingly Finds The Youngest Victims Hong Kong, Changed Overnight, Navigates Its New Reality Washington Post: 'Everything You Could Want In A Kid, He Was' A Rainforest Ravaged By Cocaine Atlantic Coast Pipeline Canceled In Virus Tests, CDC Repeated Zika Flaws As Opinions Shift On Race, Will Policy Changes Follow? Redskins' Minority Owners Look To Sell Stakes Financial Times: Mitsotakis Vows Greece Will Not Bow To EU Conditions On Covid-19 Aid Wirecard's Core Business Has Been Lossmaking For Years, Audit Shows EFTA00148677 Republicans Warn Of 'Grim' Outlook For Trump In Florida World Bank Ditches Second Round Of Pandemic Bonds Washington Times: Republican Revolt: Anti-Trump Insurgents Choose 'Country Over Party,' Defect To Biden 'Rattled' Republicans Beg Trump To Stop The Bleeding As Reelection Doubts Creep In 'Strategic Considerations': John Roberts' Swing Votes All About Politics, Court Watchers Say Planned Parenthood 'Steeped In White Supremacy,' Employees, Supporters Charge America Groans Under The Weight Of Disunity Story Lineup From Last Night's Network News: ABC: Coronavirus-Rising Cases; Coronavirus-EU; Trump-4th of July Speech; Trump-NH Rally; Floyd Protests; Ft. Hood-Murder of Army Soldier; Gun Violence; Severe Weather; Grand Canyon-Woman Falls To Her Death; Kanye West-Candidacy; Switzerland-Tiger Attack; Dallas- Flight Attendant Goes Extra Mile for Passenger with Autism. CBS: Coronavirus-Rising Cases; Trump-4th of July Speech; Trump-NH Rally; Statue Controversy; Floyd Protests; Pakistan-Daniel Pearl Murder; Reflecting on 4th of July. Network TV At A Glance: Coronavirus - 9 minutes, 20 seconds Trump-4th of July Speech - 4 minutes, 30 seconds Floyd Protests - 2 minutes, 5 seconds Trump-NH Rally - 1 minute, 5 seconds Story Lineup From This Morning's Radio News Broadcasts: ABC: Coronavirus-Rising Cases; California-Wildfires; Ft. Hood-Murder of Army Soldier; Idaho- Small Planes Collision. CBS: Coronavirus-Rising Cases; MLB-Cleveland Indians; Atlanta-Gun Violence Over Holiday Weekend; Idaho-Small Planes Collision; Severe Weather; Elton John-Commemorative Coin. FOX: Russia-Bounties on US Soldiers; Ft. Hood-Murder of Army Soldier; South Carolina-Night Club Shooting. NPR: Gun Violence Over Holiday Weekend; Coronavirus-Rising Cases; Guatemala-Leaving International Coffee Organization. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE Today's Events In Washington. White House: • President Trump — Meets with the Secretary of State • Vice President Pence — No public schedule released US Senate: • Senate convenes for pro forma session - Senate convenes for pro forma session * Chamber on recess from 2 Jul - 20 Jul Location: U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC; 11:15 AM US House: • House of Representatives meets in a pro forma session Location: U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC; 2:00 PM • House Appropriations subcommittee markup hearing - State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee markup hearing on Fiscal Year 2021 appropriations bill Location: Rm 2118, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC; 4:00 PM EFTA00148678 • House Appropriations subcommittee markup hearing - Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee markup hearing on Fiscal Year 2021 appropriations bill Location: Rm 2118, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC; 6:00 PM • House Appropriations subcommittee markup hearing — Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Subcommittee markup hearing on Fiscal Year 2021 appropriations bill Location: Rm 2118, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC; 8:00 PM Cabinet Officers: • Secretary of State Pompeo meets with THE PRESIDENT Visitors: • No visitors scheduled This Town: • USCIRF virtual event on Tibet - U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom holds virtual conversation about opportunities and challenges related to religious freedom in Tibet, via Zoom, with USCIRF Commissioner Nury Turkel and former USCIRF Chair Tenzin Dorjee discussing current religious freedom conditions in Tibet, how the U.S. Govt has promoted religious freedom in Tibet, USCIRF's recommendations for U.S. policy, the Tibetan Policy and Support Act, and 'the need for filling the vacant position of special coordinator for Tibetan issues'; 1:00 PM Copyright 2020 by Bulletin Intelligence LLC Reproduction or redistribution without permission prohibited. 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