EFTA00148864.pdf

From• To: Subject: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Public Affairs News Briefing Tuesday, December 01, 2020 Date: Tue, 01 Dec 2020 11:25:12 +0000 c Importan e: Normal Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com. FBI News Briefing • TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020 6:30 AM EST TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • Former CISA Director Defends Election Integrity In "60 Minutes" Interview. COUNTER-TERRORISM • Texas Man Sentenced For Federal Reserve Bomb Threat. • Two Washington Women Charged With Train Track Interference. • Co-Conspirator In Minnesota Terrorism Case Testifies He Botched Abortion Clinic Bombing On Purpose. • AP Chronicles Long Road To Prosecution Of ISIS "Beatles." • Defeat-ISIS Task Force Leader Christopher Maier Resigns. • Gunmen Kill At Least 110 In Nigerian Village. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE • DO) Says Flynn Case Should Be Dismissed In Wake Of Pardon. • Parnas, Fruman Plead Not Guilty In Federal Court In Manhattan. • Former Trump Advisor Says FBI Agent Used Alias During 2017 Interviews. • Biden, Harris Receive First Intelligence Briefings. • Analysis: Biden Presidency Could Have Implications For Data Privacy Litigation. • Report: UAE Apparently Funding Russian Mercenary Group In Libya. • Report: Czech President Calls For List Of Russian Spies, Triggering Security Concerns. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • Whitmer Kidnap Plotters Reportedly Exchanged Encrypted Messages. • WPost Examines Case Of America's Deadliest Serial Killer. • West Virginia Man Sentenced For Methamphetamine Conspiracy. • Ohio University Employee Pleads Guilty To Child Pornography. • Louisiana Announces Arrests For Child Pornography. • Continuing Coverage: FBI Searching For Missing Child In Montana. • FBI Offering $25K For Information On New York Murder. • Two More Defendants Sentenced In "Operation Shutdown Corner." • Nebraska Teenager Indicted For Attempted Murder. EFTA00148864 • Pennsylvania Teenager Charged In Connection To Gun Trafficking. • Texas Man Sentenced For Sex Trafficking Of Minors. • FBI Investigating Hate Crime In Missouri. • Continuing Coverage: Hawai'i Man Pleads Guilty To Kidnapping, Drug Conspiracy. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS • Federal Agencies Warn Of COVID-19 Vaccine Scams. • US Charges Former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor In City Hall Corruption Probe. • US Charges San Francisco Public Utilities Official In Corruption Probe. • Cincinnati Attorney Tapped To Fill Position Of Suspended City Councilman. • Ohio Utilities Commission To Replace Regulator Who Resigned After FBI Search. • AP: Fundraiser Zuberi Exploited US Politicos For Personal Gain. • Bank Of America Executive Arrested In Bribery Probe. • FBI Reportedly Probing Members Of Alaska State Senate In Apparent Pay-For-Play Scheme. • Hawaii Woman Sentenced For Fraud Conspiracy. • Federal, State Antitrust Authorities To File New Suits Against Facebook, Google. CYBER DIVISION • North Carolina Man Who Was Member Of "Hacker Collective" Sentenced. • Baltimore County Schools Remain Closed Following Ransomware Attack. • Supreme Court Expresses Reservations Over Scope Of Computer Hacking Law. • UK To Block Carriers From Installing Huawei 5G Gear From September 2021. • Alabama School System Sends Home Students After Cybersecurity Threat. • Report: Government Should Get Serious About Supply Chain, Cyberbiosecurity. • Report: Excessive Job Requirements Suppressing Supply Of Cyber Professionals. LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES • FBI Reports Decline In Background Checks For Black Friday Gun Purchases. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS • Suspect In 2008 Washington Murder Extradited From Mexico. OTHER FBI NEWS • Judge Refuses To Dismiss Spota-McPartland Convictions. • Nxivm Leader Raniere Reportedly Fears Being Killed In Prison. • FBI Installs Automated Record Filing, Retrieval System At Virginia Records Complex. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • Atlas Formally Resigns As White House Adviser. • Azar: Some Americans May Get Vaccinated Before End Of Year. • Moderna To Seek FDA Emergency Use Authorization For COVID Vaccine. • Public Health Officials "Sounding Alarms" As Virus Spreads After Thanksgiving. • Newsom Warns Of Wider California Stay-At-Home Order. • Cuomo Announces Five-Pronged "Winter Plan" For COVID Surge. • Miami-Dade Mayor Tests Positive For COVID. • Grassley Returns To Capitol After Quarantining. • Federal Officials Suggest Corrections Staff, Not Inmates, Receive Priority For Vaccine. • Some With Long-Term COVID Symptoms Diagnosed With Autonomic Nervous System Disorder. • Media Analyses: Justices "Skeptical" Of Trump's Census Count Plan. • Trump Reportedly Mulling Additional Immigration Moves. • Congress Sprints To Avoid Government Shutdown On December 11. • Lawmakers Try To Reignite Talks On Coronavirus Relief Bill. EFTA00148865 • Senate Continues To Confirm Trump Nominees. • FCC's Pai To Step Down On Inauguration Day. • NYTimes Analysis: Barrett Could Be Deciding SCOTUS Vote On Gun Rights. INTERNATIONAL NEWS • Leaked Documents Show Failings Of Chinese Institutions In Combatting Virus. • European Countries Prepare To Distribute Vaccine. • France Keeps Schools Open Despite 11% Positive Test Rate. • Europe's Nursing Homes Face Resurgent Coronavirus. • Erdooan Announces Turkey's Strictest COVID Lockdown, Extends Curfews To Weeknights. • Kushner Headed To Middle East In Wake Of Fakhrizadeh Killing. • Report Calls For "Significant Changes" To NATO Policy. • Asian Pro-Democracy Activists Worry Biden Will Abandon Trump's Tough China Stance. • French Lawmakers To Overhaul Law On Sharing Images Of Police. • Retirees Rally Against Lukashenko. • Tigray Leader Calls On Ahmed To Withdraw Troops. • Farmers Block New Delhi Highways In Protest Over Agricultural Policies. • Cuban Government Refuses Dialogue With Protesters. THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE • Today's Events In Washington. LEADING THE NEWS Former CISA Director Defends Election Integrity In "60 Minutes" Interview. The Washington Post (11/30, Marks, 14.2M) reports that in an interview, "Christopher Krebs...offered a cool, rational defense of the election's integrity in his first interview since President Trump fired him" as CISA Director. Krebs "gave '60 Minutes' interviewer Scott Pelley a point-by-point refutation of the unfounded election fraud claims made by Trump and his allies, which he called 'nonsense' and 'farcical." Krebs disputed the claims on the basis that, "as of 2020, there are paper records for 95 percent of ballots cast by American voters. And hand counts of those ballots in Georgia, Wisconsin and elsewhere show no significant difference between what was tabulated by machines." Roll Call (11/30, Ratnam, 154K) reports that Krebs said, "Paper ballots give you the ability to audit, to go back and check the tape and make sure that you got the count right," adding, "that's really one of the keys to success for a secure 2020 election; 95 percent of the ballots cast in the 2020 election had a paper record associated with it." As for whether votes were changed by voting machines made by Dominion Voting Systems in Michigan and Georgia, Krebs said, "Georgia has machines that tabulate the vote. ... They then held a hand recount, and the outcome was consistent with the machine vote." Newsweek (11/30, Roche, 1.53M) reports, "International observers have also frequently rated American election security highly." For instance, "Freedom House's most recent report, published before the November election, gave the U.S. 10 out of a possible 12 points under the heading 'Political Rights: Electoral Process." Additionally, the Economist Intelligence Unit's 2019 report "concluded that the world in general had become less democratic but the U.S. remained in the green zone, coming in 25th place." The Washington Post (11/30, 14.2M) separately reports that on "Wednesday, Dec. 2 at 11:00 a.m. ET, Krebs will join Washington Post columnist David Ignatius to discuss his role in the 2020 election and the cyber threats facing the country." A link to the stream is provided. EFTA00148866 Trump, Campaign Vow To Continue Legal Fight As Arizona And Wisconsin Certify Results. President Trump and his campaign team vowed on Monday to continue their legal fight as more states certified the results of the presidential election. The AP (11/30, Bauer) reports Arizona and Wisconsin "certified their presidential election results Monday in favor of Joe Biden, even as [Trump's] legal team continued to dispute the results." The New York Times (11/30, Epstein, Thrush, 18.61M) reports the certification of Biden's 21,000-vote win in Wisconsin "came a few hours after Arizona officials formalized Mr. Biden's even narrower victory there." Biden carried Arizona "by over 10,000 votes." The Washington Post (11/30, Gardner, Brown, Helderman, 14.2M) reports the certifications "brought Biden one step closer to an official victory on Dec. 14, when the electoral college meets." On Monday, Trump addressed Arizona Republican lawmakers "via cellphone, calling the 2020 election the `greatest scam ever perpetrated against our country.' The president ripped into" Gov. Doug Ducey (R), "criticizing him for `rushing to sign' papers certifying Democratic victories." The Wall Street Journal (11/30, Paul, Kesling, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports Trump tweeted over the weekend that more challenges would be coming; both states allow legal challenges following certification. The AP (11/30) reports Ducey and Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (D) "both vouched for the integrity of the election before signing off on the results." Ducey said, "We do elections well here in Arizona. The system is strong." The Arizona Republic (11/30, 869K) reports that Hobbs "touted high turnout despite the election unfolding in the midst of a pandemic and attributed much of that to the long-running popularity of voting by mail in Arizona and broader awareness of early in-person voting." In Wisconsin, the AP (11/30, Bauer) reports, "confirmation of the results by the Democratic chairwoman of the Wisconsin Elections Commission started a five-day window for Trump to file a lawsuit. ... Trump's attorneys have alleged without evidence that there was widespread fraud and illegal activity." The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (11/30, 632K) reports, "Trump has said he will bring a lawsuit in Wisconsin by Tuesday." The Wisconsin State Journal (11/30, Vetterkind, 372K) similarly writes that for Trump's campaign, "which has so far come up short in multiple efforts to overturn the election results in several states, its last resort in Wisconsin is to appeal to the courts, which Trump has said he will do." Director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy Navarro said on Fox Business' Evening Edit, "Having looked at hundreds and hundreds of affidavits, the election outcome is still very much in doubt. We owe it to the American people to let the process go forward." Trump campaign senior adviser Lara Trump said on Fox News' The Story (11/30), "I still think that the President will get four more years in office. ... We believe that Donald Trump legitimately won this election. He got 11 million more votes...in this election than he did in 2016." Trump's Charges Against Georgia GOP Officials Could Impact Senate Runoffs. Mary Bruce said on ABC World News TonightVI (11/30, 6:40 p.m. ET, story 3, Muir, 7.69M), "In Georgia, the President is still railing against the Republican governor and Secretary of State, who certified Biden's win there." Trump: "The Governor's done nothing. He's done absolutely nothing. I'm ashamed that I endorsed him." Bruce: "Trump's false claims of fraud threaten to undermine Republican efforts to win Georgia's two special Senate elections on January 5." Norah O'Donnell said on the CBS Evening NewsVi (11/30, 6:39 p.m. ET, story 3, 4.67M), "President Trump is launching more false charges of ballot fraud in states where he lost. But now some in his party worry the President's attacks could cost him votes in Georgia where two runoffs will decide which party controls the US Senate." CBS' Paula Reid: "With the Trump campaign recount in Wisconsin failing to reverse Biden's win in the state, the President looked to Georgia where he called on Republican Gov. Brian Kemp to overrule the Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, another Republican, and help him win the state." Raffensperger: "The truth matters." Reid: "Raffensperger disputed the claim and said today that third-party groups are continuing to spread false information." EFTA00148867 Fox News (11/30, Conner, 27.59M) reports on its website that Trump called on Kemp "to override (Raffensperger) on matching signatures during the state's recount, in a tweet Monday." Trump tweeted, "Why won't Governor @BrianKempGA, the hapless Governor of Georgia, use his emergency powers, which can be easily done, to overrule his obstinate Secretary of State, and do a match of signatures on envelopes. It will be a 'goldmine' of fraud, and we will easily WIN the state." The New York Times (11/30, Lerer, Fausset, Haberman, 18.61M) says Trump's "sustained assault on his own party in Georgia, and his repeated claims of election fraud in the state, have intensified worries among Republicans that he could be hurting" Sens. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and David Perdue (R-GA) in their runoffs. Trump's "broadsides have quietly rattled some Republicans in the state, who fear that concerns about the fairness of the presidential election could depress turnout for the Senate races." The Wall Street Journal (11/30, Corse, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports Raffensperger said officials are investigating third-party groups trying to register people in other states to vote in Georgia in the runoffs, but said there was no widespread fraud in the general election. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (11/30, 895K) reports Raffensperger "said one group sent applications to people in New York City. Another tried to register a dead Alabama woman. Two other groups also sent improper applications, the secretary said. Groups that were contacted denied the accusations." The Washington Post (11/30, 14.2M) looks at the political divide within Georgia that led to the narrow Biden win. Trump "Allies" Want Federal Court To Award Michigan Electors To President. The Detroit Free Press (11/30, 1.52M) reports Trump "allies...want a federal court in Michigan to force state leaders to set aside election results and award its 16 electoral votes to the president. A separate conservative group also wants the Michigan Supreme Court to invalidate the results that show [Biden] won the state." A lawsuit "filed by Trump-affiliated attorney Sidney Powell and a cadre of other lawyers, wants a judge to force" Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) "to 'decertify' those results. They want to act before Dec. 14, when the Electoral College is set to meet." MLive (MI) (11/30, 925K) reports that Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-MI), who "represents a staunchly pro-Trump district in Michigan's thumb region," tweeted late Sunday, "Oh my God. .@realDonaldTrump Please for the sake of our Nation please drop these arguments without evidence or factual basis. #stopthestupid". Opinion: Damage Is Done Through False Claims About Dominion Voting Systems. John Poulos, President and CEO of Dominion Voting Systems, writes in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal (11/30, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) that the allegations made recently against his company on social media are false. Poulos says the company is American, is not connected to Hugo Chavez, and is not a front for communists. He further writes there is no "vote flipping" algorithm, and the election process is regulated and certified. Poulos argues false allegations about election rigging are doing damage to US democracy and should be retracted. COUNTER-TERRORISM Texas Man Sentenced For Federal Reserve Bomb Threat. The AP (11/30) reports from Brownsville, Texas, "A South Texas man was sentenced on Monday to two years in federal prison after making online threats to bomb a Federal Reserve building, according to authorities." Joel Hayden Schrimsher "had pleaded guilty on Aug. 24 to conveying false or misleading information through the internet concerning the potential destruction of a federal building. Schrimsher, 19, was arrested after federal authorities in June 2019 traced to him threats made on Twitter in which he had said, 'I'm gonna mail a bomb to the Federal Reserve.' 'The FBI and our law enforcement partners take threats of violence very seriously,' said Christopher Combs, special agent in charge of the FBI's San Antonio office." EFTA00148868 The Fort Worth (U() Star-Telegram (11/30, Koop, 406K) reports that Schrimsher "pleaded guilty to conveying false or misleading information through the internet concerning the potential destruction of a federal building, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. Schrimsher was accused of posting the tweet in May 2019 of a purported conversation with family members, officials say. Investigators obtained a search warrant for Schrimsher's home in Harlingen, a city in South Texas, and found `physical and documentary evidence consistent with the message Schrimsher sent regarding the Federal Reserve building.' A federal judge said Schrimsher had 'precursor chemicals' and bomb recipes in his bedroom, according to a news release. Schrimsher told the FBI he was being 'edgy' in the tweets, according to the complaint." The Rio Grande Valley (1)1) Morning Star (11/30, 45K) reports, "On Monday, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez sentenced Schrimsher to two years in prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. Judge Rodriguez also noted Schrimsher had chemicals and bomb making recipes in his bedroom at the time he made the threats. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that he considered this a very serious crime." Schrimsher "was arrested on June 6, 2019, after the Harlingen Police Department received a tip from Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives agents based in Washington, D.C., about a response to a tweet allegedly posted by Schrimsher." The New York Post (11/30, Fitz-Gibbon, 4.57M) reports, "Schrimsher admitted he posted the threat but said he wasn't serious, while his father testified at an earlier hearing that the chemicals found by cops were used to make a smoke bomb at a family cookout several years earlier, the Morning Star said. But US District Judge Fernando Rodriguez sentenced Schrimsher to 24 months in prison and he is waiting for transfer to a federal penitentiary." KWKT-TV Waco, TX (11/30, Gomez-Patino) and KTVT-TV Dallas (11/30) also report. Two Washington Women Charged With Train Track Interference. The AP (11/30, Johnson) reports from Seattle, Washington, "Federal authorities in Seattle have charged two people with a terrorist attack on train tracks, suggesting they were motivated by opposition to the construction of a natural gas pipeline across British Columbia when they interfered with the operation of a railroad in Washington state." Samantha Frances Brooks, 27, and Ellen Brennan Reiche, 23, both of Bellingham, Washington, "are accused of placing `shunts' on Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks Saturday night. Such devices consist of a wire strung across the tracks, mimicking the electrical signal of a train. The devices can cause trains to automatically brake and can disable railroad crossing guards, investigators said in a complaint filed Monday." The AP adds that "there have been 41 such cases involving the BNSF tracks since January, with a message claiming responsibility posted on an anarchist website early this year, the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force said." The 111-City Herald (WA) (11/30, Rasbach, 154K) reports, "Brooks and Reiche appeared in federal court in Seattle on Monday, when they were charged with terrorist attack and other violence against a railroad carrier, according to a U.S. Department of Justice release. On Oct. 11, multiple shunts were placed in three locations in Whatcom and Skagit counties and triggered an automatic braking system on a train transporting hazardous, combustible material, the release states. The emergency braking caused a portion of the train to decouple from the engine, causing a potential derailment of tanker cars carrying flammable gas in a residential area. The FBI's Terrorism Task Force had been investigating shunts being placed on BNSF tracks in the area since Jan. 19, 2020, according to the criminal complaint." Among other news outlets reporting are KGMI-AM Bellingham, WA (11/30, 3K) and KING-7V Seattle (WA) Seattle (12/1, 225K). Co-Conspirator In Minnesota Terrorism Case Testifies He Botched Abortion Clinic Bombing On Purpose. EFTA00148869 The Minneapolis Star Tribune (11/30, Mannix, 1.04M) reports, "A key witness in the case against Michael Hari, the man on trial for bombing a Minnesota mosque, told jurors Monday he intentionally sabotaged a homemade explosive in November 2017 to foil Hari's plot to bomb an abortion clinic in Champaign, Ill." Joe Morris, "who says he was a member of Hari's militia, White Rabbits, told the court he purposely left a piece of masking tape on the homemade thermite bomb at the last moment before lighting and tossing it into Women's Health Practice. 'I didn't feel right in doing what I was about to do,' Morris said in St. Paul's federal courthouse on Monday. 'So I left it on.' A staff member for the clinic found the device intact on the floor of a surgery room the next morning." AP Chronicles Long Road To Prosecution Of ISIS "Beatles." The AP (11/30, Tucker) reports the Justice Department's "most significant terrorism prosecution in years" got underway in Virginia last month as Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh stood "accused of belonging to an IS cell dubbed 'the Beatles,' an incongruously lighthearted nickname for British citizens blamed for the jailing, torture and murder of Western hostages in Syria." While the prosecution "is a counterterrorism success in the waning weeks of the Trump administration," it "almost didn't happen." The AP cites "interviews with 11 people connected to the case," which "make clear the hurdles along the way." Defeat-ISIS Task Force Leader Christopher Maier Resigns. The Hill (11/30, Coleman, 2.98M) reports that Christopher Maier, the "Defeat-ISIS Task Force director resigned from his position at the Pentagon on Monday amid the continued post-election purge" at DOD. He "led the task force focused on examining policy and strategy creation for combating ISIS since it was formed in March 2017." Maier's position "'will be absorbed' by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict and staff from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy," DOD said. A statement read, "These changes recognize the success of the military fight to destroy the so-called physical caliphate of ISIS and reflect DoD's commitment to institutionalize efforts to counter ISIS and integrate efforts with allies and partners within our counterterrorism and regional policy offices." Offices "led by Ezra Cohen-Watnick and Anthony Tata, who are considered Trump allies who were recently promoted," will take over Maier's responsibilities. Gunmen Kill At Least 110 In Nigerian Village. The Washington Post (11/30, Paquette, 14.2M) reports, "Gunmen on motorbikes stormed the [Nigerian] village of Koshobe on Saturday, killing at least 110 people in one of the region's deadliest attacks in years," after farmers attempted to "fight back" against Boko Haram "extremists [who were) stealing their money and crops." President Muhammadu Buhari said, "The entire country is hurt by these senseless killings." COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE DO) Says Flynn Case Should Be Dismissed In Wake Of Pardon. Bloomberg (11/30, 4.73M) reports the Justice Department argued in a filing with US District Judge Emmet Sullivan in Washington that former national security adviser Michael Flynn's prosecution for lying to federal agents should be dismissed because Flynn accepted a full pardon from President Trump. The Department wrote in its filing, "The president's pardon, which General Flynn has accepted, moots this case. ... No further proceedings are necessary or appropriate, as the court must immediately dismiss the case." The New York Times (11/30, Savage, 18.61M) says DOD's filing "was accompanied by the text of the pardon itself, which had not previously been released." The Times says the pardon "was written broadly not only to cover lying to the F.B.I., but to foreclose any legal jeopardy Mr. EFTA00148870 Flynn might face from a future Justice Department arising" from his work as an unregistered foreign agent of Turkey in 2016, "his inconsistent statements under oath to Judge Sullivan and any potential perjury or false statements to (special counsel Robert] Mueller's team or to the grand juries it used." The CNN (11/30, Polantz, 83.16M) website, Politico (11/30, Cheney, Gerstein, 4.29M), The Hill (11/30, Neidig, 2.98M), the New York Post (11/30, Nelson, 4.57M), and Courthouse News (11/30, Mineiro, 2K) provide similar coverage. Parnas, Fruman Plead Not Guilty In Federal Court In Manhattan. Reuters (11/30, Stempel, Freifeld) reports Ukraine-born businessman Lev Parnas, "who once helped Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani gather information" about Joe Biden, "pleaded not guilty to cheating investors in a fraud-insurance company, even after his former partner in the venture pleaded guilty." During a hearing Monday before US District Judge Paul Oetken in Manhattan, Parnas "and another former Giuliani associate, Belarus-born Igor Fruman, also pleaded not guilty to violating campaign finance laws and other charges in an amended indictment." The Washington Post (11/30, Jacobs, 14.2M) reports Parnas, Fruman, and a third man, Andrey Kukushkin, "are set to stand trial together. All are free on bail, though lawyers for each argued Monday that their ability to prepare a defense has been inhibited by the pandemic." Former Trump Advisor Says FBI Agent Used Alias During 2017 Interviews. The Daily Caller (11/30, Ross, 716K) reports, "Former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page alleges that an FBI counterintelligence agent used an alias during multiple interviews with him in 2017." Page is suing the FBI, DOJ, "and multiple current and former FBI officials over what he says was 'unlawful spying' against him as part of the FBI's investigation of the Trump campaign." Page alleges "veteran FBI counterintelligence agent Stephen Somma introduced himself as Steve Holt during five interviews conducted as part of Crossfire Hurricane, the code name for the FBI probe." According to a retired FBI official, "an agent using an alias in that situation would be highly unusual." Biden, Harris Receive First Intelligence Briefings. The New York Times (11/30, Barnes, 18.61M) reports that President-elect Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) both received their first full intelligence briefings on Monday, receiving the President's Daily Brief for the first time. Mary Bruce said on ABC World News TonightVI (11/30, 6:40 p.m. ET, story 3, Muir, 7.69M) that "after weeks of stonewalling by President Trump...Biden today finally received his first Presidential Daily Briefing of classified national security information." Newsweek (11/30, Crisp, 1.53M) reports that it is "unclear what format Biden received his brief in on Monday. The transition revealed only the location where Harris received it but no details on format. Biden was at his home in Delaware on Monday." In a preview of Biden's receipt of the PDB, CNN (11/30, Gaouette, Marquardt, Salama, 83.16M) reported that the briefing "could give Biden and Harris their first deep insight into urgent questions - including how Iran is planning to respond to the assassination of its premier nuclear scientist and what is known about that killing - and on longer term strategic concerns. How is North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's health? Is a fringe terror group showing signs of developing larger ambitions?" The AP (11/30, Riechmann, Miller) reports that previously, Biden "was given some intelligence background briefings as a candidate. But they were more general and did not include the nation's top secrets." Analysis: Biden Presidency Could Have Implications For Data Privacy Litigation. Law360 (11/30, de la Torre, Brown, Bryan, Subscription Publication, 8K) reports, "Assuming that President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in as president on Jan. 20, the area of data privacy will likely be of particular focus under the Biden administration, with consequences for data privacy EFTA00148871 litigation." The analysis addresses some "top-of-mind questions regarding the anticipated impact a Biden presidency may have in this area." For instance, "a Biden administration will likely focus on the passage of federal data privacy legislation, renegotiate conditions for EU data transfers to the U.S., reintroduce a cybersecurity coordinator to the White House and increase Federal Trade Commission enforcement activity." Additionally, the "legal issues involved include U.S. surveillance under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act" and other directives. The next administration "opens the door to potential reconsideration of, or modifications to," some of these, "which could pave the way for agreement on a new transatlantic framework for the transfer of EU personal data to the U.S." Report: UAE Apparently Funding Russian Mercenary Group In Libya. Foreign Policy (11/30, Mackinnon, Detsch, 340K) reports that the UAE "is apparently helping to finance the Russian mercenary group Wagner in Libya," according to a Pentagon IG report last week. The report's findings, which discussed "counterterrorism operations in Africa," are "likely to complicate the United States' close relationship with the Gulf state." This marks the "first public, official assessment of the arrangement" in which "the UAE may be using Russian private military contractors to help obfuscate its role in the conflict," as suspected by experts. The revelation that "Russian mercenaries may have been bankrolled by one of America's closest military allies in the Middle East further complicates the calculus for Washington, and comes as Democrats in Congress have been mounting a campaign to oppose the Trump administration's proposed $23 billion sale of F-35 fighter jets to Abu Dhabi." Report: Czech President Calls For List Of Russian Spies, Triggering Security Concerns. Radio Free Europe (11/30, 9K) reports, "Czech President Milos Zeman has reportedly demanded a list of all Russian spies active in the Czech Republic, which security experts say could endanger secret sources of the Czech counterintelligence service." The president "made the request to Michal Koudelka, director of the Security Intelligence Service (BIS)." A Cesky Rozhlas report "said Zeman also called on the BIS to provide him with documentation about all known Russian intelligence operations in the Czech Republic." Lawmakers in the country "said on November 30 that committees from both chambers of parliament would discuss the matter." Senate Security Committee Chairman Pavel Fischer "said Zeman's requests could threaten the security of the state." CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS Whitmer Kidnap Plotters Reportedly Exchanged Encrypted Messages. WDIV-TV Detroit (11/30, Ley, Hutchinson, 460K) reports, "The Local 4 Defenders have obtained secret encrypted messages that were exchanged between some of the men involved in the alleged domestic terror plot targeting Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Those messages played a key role in the government's case against the 14 men allegedly involved in the plot." According to WDIV-TV, "Three of the men were from Metro Detroit, and federal officials said the group planned and trained to kidnap and kill the governor. New video shows Ty Garbin, of Brighton, showing off the weapons and suppressors he collected. Government officials said much of the evidence against the group is in the form of encrypted messages exchanged over apps. In those messages, the men accused Whitmer of making up stories about people dying from COVID-19." WPost Examines Case Of America's Deadliest Serial Killer. The Washington Post (11/30, Lowery, Knowles, Berman, 14.2M) reports, "By New Year's Day 1971, Mary Brosley, 33, had become the first known victim of" Samuel Little, who is "since recognized as the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history. Over more than 700 hours of EFTA00148872 videotaped interviews with police that began in May 2018, Little, now 80, has confessed to killing 93 people, virtually all of them women, in a murderous rampage that spanned 19 states and more than 30 years." The Post adds that the FBI "has pleaded with the public for assistance but has declined to release Little's case file, saying each murder investigation is being led by local authorities. To fill in the gaps, The Washington Post obtained and analyzed thousands of pages of law enforcement and court records - including a complete criminal history assembled in the early 2000s - and conducted interviews with dozens of police, prosecutors, defense attorneys and relatives of Little's victims." West Virginia Man Sentenced For Methamphetamine Conspiracy. The Huntington News Network (11/30) reports Lennie T. Whisenant "was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine." He had "pled guilty and admitted that during the months of April and May of 2019, he participated in a conspiracy with multiple individuals to distribute methamphetamine in the Southern District of West Virginia." The FBI investigated the case. Ohio University Employee Pleads Guilty To Child Pornography. The Canton (OH) Repository (11/30, 178K) reports former Malone University Sports Information Director William A. Doty Jr "pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to child pornography charges," and he "admitted in U.S. District Court to felonies involving the sexual exploitation of children and the receipt and distribution of sexual images of minors." The FBI "said it had received a tip in June alleging a person using the username `d.beas221 on Instagram was communicating with at least four children under 12 and made sexually explicit statements and requested to engage in sexual activities." Louisiana Announces Arrests For Child Pornography. KATC-TV Lafayette, LA (11/30, 9K) reports that the Louisiana Attorney General's Office has "announced five arrests in Louisiana regarding Internet Crimes Against Children." The suspects "were arrested with the help of the Louisiana Bureau of Investigations and local law enforcement." Continuing Coverage: FBI Searching For Missing Child In Montana. KVOA-TV Tucson, AZ (11/30, 17K) reports that the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs are searching for eight-year-old Mildred Alexis Old Crow, who "was last seen in March of 2019 on the Crow Indian Reservation." FBI Offering $25K For Information On New York Murder. WIVB-TV Buffalo, NY (11/30, 114K) reports that the FBI "continues to offer up to $25,000 for information leading to an arrest in the shooting death of 12-year-old Badraldeen Elwaseem," who "was killed in April 2019 when he was hit by a stray bullet in his apartment on Williams Street in Buffalo." Two More Defendants Sentenced In "Operation Shutdown Corner." WOAY-TV Bluefield, WV (11/30, Rodriguez) reports that US Attorney Mike Stuart has "announced that two more defendants were sentenced for their participation in an extensive drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating between California and the Southern District of West Virginia." WOAY says "Victoria Hamilton, 35, of Beckley, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine and a quantity of heroin." Meanwhile, "Terrion Borja, 28, of San Diego, California, was sentenced to 144 months in prison for conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine." Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, and others. EFTA00148873 WVNS-TV Bluefield, WV (11/30) also reports. Nebraska Teenager Indicted For Attempted Murder. The Lincoln (NE) Journal Star (11/30, Pilger, 399K) reports Edward Williams "stands charged with attempted murder and attempted assault with a deadly weapon, both in aid of racketeering, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence." The indictment says Williams, Antonio Shannon, and Emmanuel Kuot "used intimidation, violence and threats of violence to enhance the (Day One Brothers) reputation and promote a climate of fear." Pennsylvania Teenager Charged In Connection To Gun Trafficking. The Bucks County (PA) Courier Times (11/30, 69K) reports that the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office "said in a news release Monday that Rahajahi Taylor Batchelor is being charged as an adult for his role in the organization that operated out of Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties over the summer." Batchelor "is charged with 166 felony counts of corrupt organizations, conspiracy to commit that offense, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, illegal sale or transfer of firearms and criminal use of a communications facility, as well as 21 misdemeanor counts of possession of a firearm by a minor." Doylestown (PA) Intelligencer (11/30) also reports. Texas Man Sentenced For Sex Trafficking Of Minors. The Houston Chronicle (11/30, 730K) reports Romello Lee "was sentenced Monday to 40 years in federal prison for forcing two minors into sex trafficking." He was "ordered by U.S. District Judge David Hittner to pay restitution to the victims and serve the rest of his life on supervised release following his prison term." He "was arrested in a sting operation at a northwest Houston hotel, where he was found with one of the victims." The FBI supported the investigation. FBI Investigating Hate Crime In Missouri. KOMU-TV Columbia, MO (11/30) reports that the FBI is investigating the vandalization of the Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist in Missouri. The church suffered bullet damage. Continuing Coverage: Hawai'i Man Pleads Guilty To Kidnapping, Drug Conspiracy. Honolulu Civil Beat (HI) (11/30) reports Jonah Ortiz "has pleaded guilty to federal kidnapping and drug conspiracy charges linked to the case of Honolulu businessman Micheal J. Miske Jr," who "is at the center of an FBI investigation into murder, kidnapping and other crimes." Ortiz has "admitted to taking part in an October 2017 kidnapping of a Honolulu businessman with a co-defendant, Wayne Miller, and agreed to cooperate fully and testify against Miller as well as others if requested by prosecutors." FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS Federal Agencies Warn Of COVID-19 Vaccine Scams. The AP (11/30, Long) reports, "The coronavirus vaccine inching toward approval in the U.S. is desperately anticipated by weary Americans longing for a path back to normal life," but "criminals are waiting, too, ready to use that desperation to their advantage, federal investigators say." The AP adds, "Homeland Security investigators are working with Pfizer, Moderna and dozens of other drug companies racing to complete and distribute the vaccine and treatments for the virus. The goal: to prepare for the scams that are coming, especially after the mess of criminal activity this year with phony personal protective equipment, false cures and extortion schemes." According to the AP, "Homeland Security Investigations started using its 7,000 agents in tandem with border, FDA and FBI officials to investigate scams, seize phony products and arrest hundreds of people. The effort is headquartered at the National Intellectual EFTA00148874 Property Rights Coordination Center, a government watchdog aimed at enforcement of its international trade laws and combating intellectual property theft." The Columbia (SC) State (11/30, Willetts, 390K) reports, "As a COVID-19 vaccine nears, bringing hope for an end to the pandemic, criminal organizations big and small will be looking to take advantage by peddling fake and potentially dangerous vaccines of their own, federal authorities warn. Scammers have been selling fake cures, treatments and protective equipment since the coronavirus pandemic began eight months ago, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement is "preparing for a surge in anticipated fraud" as drug companies approach approval from the Federal Drug Administration and prepare to distribute their vaccines, ICE announced Monday." The State adds, "The FBI and Federal Drug Administration have been working with major drug manufacturers, including Pfizer and Moderna, to prepare for distribution, and put protections in place to combat fraud, outlets report." US Charges Former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor In City Hall Corruption Probe. The Los Angeles Times (11/30, Rubin, 4.64M) reports, "A former senior aide to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has been charged with racketeering conspiracy, bribery and other crimes in the ongoing federal probe into corruption at City Hall, according to court records made public Monday." Raymond Chan, "a deputy mayor who oversaw economic development for Garcetti in 2016 and 2017, is the latest figure to be accused of playing a role in a sprawling scheme allegedly run by ousted Councilman Jose Huizar. Prosecutors say both men were involved in shaking down developers seeking help pushing downtown real estate projects through the city's approval process." The Times adds, "In a statement, U.S. Atty. Nick Hanna said Huizar, Chan and their network of associates `repeatedly violated the public trust by soliciting and accepting numerous cash bribes and other financial benefits, turning Huizar's City Council seat into a money-making criminal enterprise." The Los Angeles Daily News (11/30, 232K) reports, "Huizar, 52, of Boyle Heights, was charged in July in a 34-count indictment that alleged a conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act in which Huizar agreed to accept at least $1.5 million in illicit financial benefits. The racketeering charge alleges 402 overt acts that Huizar and his co-conspirators committed to further their criminal enterprise, including bribery, honest services fraud and money laundering. The 41-count superseding indictment unsealed Monday adds 50 overt acts to the RICO conspiracy count. The racketeering count now also charges Chan, who formerly was the general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety and, more recently, was the city's deputy mayor of economic development." US Charges San Francisco Public Utilities Official In Corruption Probe. The AP (11/30) reports from San Francisco, "The head of San Francisco's Public Utilities Commission, which oversees millions of dollars in city contracts, was charged with bribery Monday in an ongoing federal probe of corruption." According to the AP, "General Manager Harlan Kelly was indicted for honest services wire fraud for allegedly accepting meals, cash and other gifts from a San Francisco construction company in exchange for providing insider information on public contracts. Kelly, who isn't in custody, denied wrongdoing but resigned his position on Monday." Kelly "is accused of having a long-running bribery scheme and corrupt partnership' with construction company executive and permit expediter Walter Wong. Wong gave Kelly money and paid for meals and international trips including a family vacation to China as he sought a streetlight contract, prosecutors said." The San Francisco Chronicle (11/30, Cassidy, 2.67M) reports, "The U.S. attorney's office announced the criminal complaint against Kelly Monday, shortly after the FBI served a search warrant and removed boxes from his San Francisco home. Kelly resigned as general manager Monday, according to a statement issued by Mayor London Breed." The Chronicle adds, "The charge is the latest development in a still-expanding corruption scandal at City Hall that began with the arrest of former Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru in January. The U.S. attorney's EFTA00148875 office charged Nuru with fraud and with lying to the FBI. Since his arrest, a slew of others, including city contractors, have also faced criminal charges for allegedly participating in schemes to get favorable treatment on contracts. Multiple city department heads have been forced to resign." The San Francisco Examiner (11/30, Barba, 438K) reports, "The March 2016 trip to China is just one of the bribes Kelly is alleged to have accepted from permit expediter Walter Wong, who agreed to cooperate with the FBI investigation into City Hall corruption when the U.S. Attorney's Office charged him in June. Kelly is also alleged to have underpaid for repair work done by Wong's construction company on his Inner Sunset home, according to the newly filed complaint against him." The Examiner adds, "In a statement, Kelly disputed the allegations but said he would immediately vacate his position instead of retiring in the next 18 months as previously planned 'in order to defend myself, my legacy and my family."I am not guilty of these allegations,' Kelly said." The SFist (11/30, Kukura) reports, "The raid of Kelly's home is significant, because he is married to City Administrator Naomi Kelly, and we already knew that the FBI was probing for sweetheart deals that benefited their personal finances. Naomi Kelly is not named in the latest FBI criminal complaint, though there are references to 'his wife,' and she is quite likely in some trouble here. Among the illegal gifts Harlan Kelly is accused of accepting is a lavish trip for his family, and the FBI has WeChat messages from Harlan Kelly saying 'Thank you for the best family vacation ever! A little something for everyone!" KPIX-TV San Francisco (11/30, 110K) reports, "The complaint against Kelly alleges that Wong provided Kelly with bribes in exchange for official acts by Kelly that benefited or attempted to benefit Wong's business ventures. 'The allegations against Harlan Kelly and the nine other individuals charged in this case are extremely troubling. The citizens of San Francisco deserve nothing less than transparency, honesty, and integrity from their city officials. However, through the course of this ongoing investigation, the FBI has uncovered a pattern of criminal activity committed by those in positions of trust,' said FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair in a prepared statement." KGO-TV San Francisco (11/30, 144K), KTVU-TV San Francisco (11/30, McLaughlin, 19K), the Mission Local (11/30, Eskenazi), and Courthouse News (11/30, Iovino, 2K) also report. Cincinnati Attorney Tapped To Fill Position Of Suspended City Councilman. The Cincinnati Enquirer (11/30, Coolidge, 223K) reports, "Cincinnati attorney Steve Goodin has been tapped to temporarily replace Cincinnati Councilman Jeff Pastor, who was suspended from City Council last week after being arrested on bribery charges. Hamilton County Probate Court Judge Ralph 'Ted' Winkler made the decision. The selection process was unusual, but then there is nothing usual in a year where three sitting Cincinnati City Council members are accused in pay-to-play schemes. The Cincinnati Charter does not have provisions for removal if a member is accused or convicted in corruption cases, so the process has played out in the courts." Pastor "accepted a suspension, initiated by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost." Ohio Utilities Commission To Replace Regulator Who Resigned After FBI Search. The Cleveland Plain Dealer (11/30, Tobias, 895K) reports, "The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has begun the process of replacing its former chairman who resigned earlier this month after his home was searched by the FBI." The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Nominating Council "announced Monday it is seeking applications for the empty commission spot, vacant since former PUCO Chairman Sam Randazzo resigned on Nov. 20. The term, one of five on the PUCO, will expire on April 10, 2024. Randazzo resigned the same week the FBI searched his Columbus home, and a day after FirstEnergy Corp. revealed in a filing that it fired CEO Chuck Jones and two other senior executives last month over a questionable $4 million payment the company made in early 2019 to an entity associated with an unnamed person who subsequently was hired by the state to regulate utilities." EFTA00148876 AP: Fundraiser Zuberi Exploited US Politicos For Personal Gain. The AP (11/30, Suderman, Mustian) that "elite political fundraiser" Imaad Zuberi has "had the ear of top Democrats and Republicans alike — a reach that included private meetings with then- Vice President Joe Biden and VIP access at Donald Trump's inauguration." However, federal prosecutors "say Zuberi's life was built on a series of lies and the lucrative enterprise of funding American political campaigns and profiting from the resulting influence." He "pleaded guilty last year to campaign finance violations, failing to register as a foreign agent and tax evasion," among other things. Zuberi "also used his extensive ties to U.S. elected officials to pass on potentially useful information to foreign officials, including information related to Biden. He also kept in close contact with a West Coast-based CIA officer and bragged to associates of his ties to the intelligence community." Bank Of America Executive Arrested In Bribery Probe. The Charlotte (NC) Observer (11/30, Weinstein, 470K) reports, "A former New York-based Bank of America executive received tens of thousands of dollars at a time in cash bribes, federal prosecutors say, in exchange for fraudulently helping a New Jersey firm get a line of credit at the bank." Kurt Phelps "was arrested Oct. 29 and charged with bank bribery and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Phelps' arrest is a rare instance of an executive at a major U.S. bank arrested for their conduct as a banker. Federal prosecutors accused Phelps of a bribery scheme in which he coached Starnet Business Solutions, a Mahwah, N.J. print shop, to falsify financial records to get a line of credit from Bank of America in exchange for cash. Phelps pocketed hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes over a number of years, prosecutors said." FBI Reportedly Probing Members Of Alaska State Senate In Apparent Pay-For-Play Scheme. In a column for the Alaska Landmine (11/30), Jeff Landfield writes, "Four people have confirmed that the FBI is currently investigating members of the Alaska State Senate connected to an apparent pay-for-play scheme." Landfield adds, "According to the sources, who are connected to the legislature but want to remain anonymous, the scheme seems to involve promises of campaign contributions in exchange for votes on the amount of the Permanent Fund Dividend, and potentially other issues. I first became aware of an investigation in late spring after hearing a senator had been interviewed by the FBI. However, at that time I had no other information. I heard another senator was interviewed over the summer. I have now confirmed at least three Republican senators have been interviewed by the FBI since spring." Hawaii Woman Sentenced For Fraud Conspiracy. KGMB-TV Honolulu (11/30, 47K) reports former deputy city prosecutor Katherine Kealoha "was sentenced to 13 years behind bars Monday for her role as the mastermind of an elaborate conspiracy," which attempted to frame her uncle Gerard Puana. She "has been behind bars since her conviction in June 2019 and will begin serving her term immediately." The AP (11/30, Kelleher) reports retired Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha, who is her spouse, will also be sentenced. Their corruption "included stealing from vulnerable victims - Katherine Kealoha's own grandmother and uncle - framing the uncle for a crime he didn't commit, and using members of a secret police unit." The Honolulu Civil Beat (HI) (11/30) also reports and KGMB-TV Honolulu (11/30, 47K) provides separate additional coverage. Federal, State Antitrust Authorities To File New Suits Against Facebook, Google. The Wall Street Journal (11/30, McKinnon, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports federal and state antitrust officials are expected to file new lawsuits against Facebook and Google in the coming weeks. According to people familiar with the matter, authorities are preparing as many EFTA00148877 as four more cases targeting the companies in the wake of the Justice Department's antitrust suit against Google last month. CYBER DIVISION North Carolina Man Who Was Member Of "Hacker Collective" Sentenced. NBC News (12/1, 6.14M) reports, "A North Carolina man who was part of a 'hacker collective' and involved in threats to dozens of school districts and other crimes was sentenced to nearly eight years in prison Monday, officials said." Timothy Dalton Vaughn, 22, "was a member of 'Apophis Squad,' which prosecutors described as a group of computer hackers and swatters, and went by online names that included VantedbyFeds: He and others sent threats to more than 80 school districts; Vaughn helped report a fake hijacking of a London-to-San Francisco plane; he also tried to extort around $20,000 in the cryptocurrency bitcoin from a California business and when he was refused he made the company's website inaccessible, federal prosecutors said." Vaughn "also had sexually explicit images of children, the U.S. Attorney's Office for Central District of California said. He pleaded guilty to a child pornography charge and other counts in November 2019." Baltimore County Schools Remain Closed Following Ransomware Attack. The AP (11/30, Cassidy) reports from Towson, Maryland, "School continues to be out for more than 100,000 students in Baltimore County following a ransomware attack on the district's network." Superintendent Darryl L. Williams "said he has no timeline for when school will resume. School officials say an investigation into the attack is ongoing. They are working with state and federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI." The AP adds, "The school system's 115,000 students have been attending classes entirely online due to the coronavirus pandemic. School officials said the attack has affected the district's website, email system and grading system." Supreme Court Expresses Reservations Over Scope Of Computer Hacking Law. Supreme Court To Consider Years-old Computer Fraud And Abuse Act Case. The Wall Street Journal (11/30, Kendall, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that the Supreme Court this week took up an appeal from a Georgia police officer who ran a license plate check several years ago for someone who paid him. The police officer received a felony conviction, and the high court is examining whether breaking into the computer system was a violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Though what the police officer did was a clear violation of the act, the debate is over whether it is a violation of use of terms for someone with legal access uses the computer or database in that way. Politico (11/30, Geller, 4.29M) reports that the Supreme Court "indicated serious reservations about the ambiguity and scope of the nation's only major cybercrime law, hinting it may narrow the law's applicability to avoid criminalizing such acts as checking social media at work." During arguments in the Georgia police officer case, "the justices pushed a Justice Department lawyer to explain how a ruling in the government's favor wouldn't open the door to prosecutions of innocuous behavior." Cybersecurity experts at the trial "described the CFAA as a sword hanging over the head of researchers who probe computers for weaknesses with the goal of helping their owners fix the flaws." They wrote, "Under the government's broad interpretation of the CFAA...standard security research practices - such as accessing publicly available data in a manner beneficial to the public yet prohibited by the owner of the data - can be highly risky." UK To Block Carriers From Installing Huawei 5G Gear From September 2021. CNET News (11/30, Keane, 1.99M) reports that Huawei "had predicted that 2020 would be 'difficult' for Huawei, and there certainly have been challenges." For instance, in the UK, Huawei EFTA00148878 equipment "must be removed by 2027 - a decision that Huawei found 'disappointing' as 5G becomes increasingly mainstream - and UK carriers will unable to install Huawei gear from September 2021." Foreign governments are concerned over Huawei's "coziness with the Chinese government and fears that its equipment could be used to spy on other countries and companies." The US "banned companies from using Huawei networking equipment in 2012 and why the company was added to the US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security Entity List in May 2019, following an executive order from President Donald Trump effectively banning Huawei from US communications networks. A year later, Trump extended the order until 2021." Alabama School System Sends Home Students After Cybersecurity Threat. The AP (11/30) reports that Huntsville City Schools in Alabama on Monday "announced that students would be dismissed beginning at noon because of a potential cybersecurity threat." The school system directed students and staff to "shut down any school-issued devices and to keep them powered off until further notice." A statement said "administrators are working with authorities to work to resolve the issue." Report: Government Should Get Serious About Supply Chain, Cyberbiosecurity. Gov Info Security (11/30, McGee) reports on "malicious code that compromises the synthetic DNA supply chain and ultimately tricks bioengineers into inadvertently developing dangerous viruses or toxins" that could be injected by hackers. According to a new report, Cyberbiosecurity: Remote DNA Injection Threat in Synthetic Biology, "that's a growing concern and calls for robust security measures." The study, "by security researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel sizes up the cyberthreats facing the emerging synthetic bioengineering segment of the healthcare sector." One author wrote, "We have seen the federal government get serious about supply chain with their Cybersecurity Maturity Model rolling out this year." He added, "That includes more than 300,000 companies in the Department of Defense's supply chain - so it can be done to scale." Report: Excessive Job Requirements Suppressing Supply Of Cyber Professionals. The Wall Street Journal (11/30, Rundle, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that the International Information System Security Certification Consortium's (ISC2) November report found global employment in the cybersecurity field would need to grow by 89% to fill the roles needed. Millions more cybersecurity professionals are needed, but the report found excessive requirements are the problem over an insufficient number of workers. For instance, said Forrester Inc.'s principal analyst Chase Cunningham, "We've created this self-licking ice-cream cone of misery that continues to drive the narrative forward that we don't have the ability to solve this problem, or we don't have enough humans." LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES FBI Reports Decline In Background Checks For Black Friday Gun Purchases. USA Today (11/30, Johnson, 10.31M) reports, "The FBI posted a nearly 8% decline in background checks for Black Friday gun purchases, even as the coronavirus pandemic, volatile social protests and election-year politics have driven a year-long surge in firearm sales. While the 186,645 checks represented a slight drop from 2019, this year's number still marked the fourth-largest one day total on record." Breitbart (11/30, 673K) reports, "This year has been a record for NICS checks in America." In early November, the National Rifle Association-Institute for Legislative Action "reported that the number of checks conducted January 2020 through October 2020 alone represented '13% more checks than the previous busiest year for the NICS office." EFTA00148879 The Hill (11/30, Budryk, 2.98M) reports, "The U.S. saw slightly fewer Black Friday gun sale background checks compared to a year ago but still posted the fourth-highest total on record, according to the FBI." The FBI "recorded 186,645 checks the day after Thanksgiving, down about 8 percent from 2019. While checks do not correspond directly to sales, they are typically an indicator of demand. Black Friday is usually one of the biggest days for background checks, and this year's came after civil unrest and the coronavirus pandemic contributed to a surge in background checks earlier in 2020." INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Suspect In 2008 Washington Murder Extradited From Mexico. Fox News (11/30, Gearty, 27.59M) reports, "A man was extradited from Mexico over the weekend to stand trial for a 12-year-old Portland murder." Cristobal Medrano-Alvarado, 33, "was wanted in the killing of 35-year-old Abel Delgado-Morales, 35, in November 2008. The fugitive was captured in Mexico last March after the FBI obtained information about his whereabouts, Portland police said Sunday. 'The FBI's Legal Attaché in Mexico City worked with local authorities to locate and arrest Medrano-Alvarado,' police said. 'After extradition proceedings, which were facilitated by the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office, Medrano-Alvarado was transported to the U.S." According to Fox News, "Prosecutors allege Medrano-Alvarado was one of two men who broke into an apartment and shot Delgado Morales to death." OTHER FBI NEWS Judge Refuses To Dismiss Spota-McPartland Convictions. Newsday (NY). (11/30, Kessler, 932K) reports, "A federal judge has refused to overturn the convictions of former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota and a key aide, rejecting the defense bid for a new trial and its request to argue that a key government witness committed perjury." According to Newsday, "Spota and Christpher McPartland, the chief of the DA's anti-corruption unit, were each convicted in December of helping to mastermind the coverup of a beating by former Suffolk Police Chief James Burke of a heroin addict who stole a duffel bag from the chief's department SUV. U.S. District Judge Joan Azrack, in a 61-page decision released over the weekend, refused the defense request for an evidentiary hearing, saying that both the jury and she found the testimony of the key government witness - former Suffolk Police Lieutenant James Hickey - credible, and that Spota and McPartland did or could have raised at the trial all those issues." Nxivm Leader Raniere Reportedly Fears Being Killed In Prison. The New York Post (11/30, DeGregory, 4.57M) reports, "Nxivm sex-cult leader Keith Raniere says he's as good as dead when he's transferred to prison, according to a report." Raniere, "who was sentenced to 120 years in prison last month for running the sex-slave cult...can be heard in recordings from this year talking about how dangerous being placed in the general population of a maximum-security prison could be for him, according to recordings that Nxivm's former publicist, Frank Parlato, posted on his blog the Frank Report. 'Well, with these charges and if I'm sentenced to life and go to a penitentiary, it is a death penalty,' the outlet reported Raniere saying in recordings of messages to his followers." FBI Installs Automated Record Filing, Retrieval System At Virginia Records Complex. Robotics and Automation News (11/30, Edwards) reports, "The General Service Administration (GSA) has installed an automated record filing and retrieval system from robotics technology company AutoStore inside a recently completed Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) central records complex in Winchester, Virginia. The facility includes the country's first robotic filing and EFTA00148880 retrieval warehouse in a GSA project." According to RAN, "Certified by the National Archives and Records Administration, this secure, `state-of-the-art, 250,000-square-foot facility was built to consolidate and contain records previously housed within 256 field offices around the world. After comparing several automation technologies in consultation with Swisslog, an AutoStore integration partner, GSA and the FBI selected the AutoStore solution for its cube storage technology to automate the filing and retrieval operation of more than 2 billion pages of official paper records." OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS Atlas Formally Resigns As White House Adviser. Fox News (11/30, Singman, 27.59M) reports on its website that Scott Atlas, President Trump's special adviser on the coronavirus pandemic since August, on Monday "formally resigned from his post" after speaking with the President. Fox News "exclusively obtained Atlas's resignation letter," which "touted the Trump administration's work on the coronavirus pandemic, while wishing `all the best' to the incoming Biden administration." However, the New York Times (11/30, Stolberg, 18.61M) says his departure "was not entirely unexpected," though Atlas "had the ear of one person who mattered: Mr. Trump." The AP (11/30, Miller) reports that since joining the White House, the Stanford University neuroradiologist, "who had no formal experience in public health or infectious diseases," had "clashed with top government scientists, including Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, as he resisted stronger efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 267,000 Americans." The Hill (11/30, Samuels, 2.98M) says Atlas "pushed the widely disputed herd immunity theory," and "several other members of the White House coronavirus task force raised concerns about Atlas or openly disputed his views." The Washington Post (11/30, Dawsey, Abutaleb, 14.2M) reports that while Atlas "fell out of favor with senior White House advisers in recent weeks, he was for several months the only medical adviser the president met with regularly, according to several senior administration officials." The Post adds White House senior adviser Jared Kushner "brought in Atlas, who informally advised the president for several weeks before he was officially made a special government employee this summer with a 130-day detail, which expires this week," but aides "noted the president could have extended Atlas's tenure if he had desired to do so." Azar: Some Americans May Get Vaccinated Before End Of Year. Reuters (11/30, Whitcomb, Caspani) reports HHS Secretary Azar on Monday indicated some Americans "could begin receiving coronavirus vaccinations before Christmas," and that "Pfizer Inc's COVID-19 vaccine could be authorized and shipped within days of a Dec. 10 meeting of outside advisers to the Food and Drug Administration tasked with reviewing trial data and recommending whether it warrants approval. A vaccine from Moderna Inc could follow a week later, he said, after the company announced on Monday it would apply for U.S. and European emergency authorization." Azar is quoted as saying, "So we could be seeing both of these vaccines out and getting into people's arms before Christmas." Azar said on Fox News' America's Newsroom (11/30, 896K), "I wish we had 330 million doses on day one upon approval. But even with the incredible work of President Trump and Operation Warp Speed and starting manufacturing in the early days of these programs, we're going to have maybe 40 million doses of vaccine by the end of this year. ... So, we want to make sure those first vaccines, the first weeks, go to those most vulnerable, those where you will have the biggest impact on saving lives, and also protecting those most at risk like our front line healthcare workers taking care of COVID patients." Operation Warp Speed scientific head Moncef Slaoui said on Fox Business' Mornings With Maria (11/30), "I'm very concerned. Clearly, the spike and the surge is happening and as has EFTA00148881 been said, we're probably are going to experience another surge on top of the current surge. ... I think the size of the surge is such that we are not able to produce as quickly as much treatment as needed. The vaccines I hope will be approved next week. ... However, I'd like to say while we've done tremendous work to make these vaccines available, we only have enough vaccines to immunize 20 million people in the month of December." Slaoui was also interviewed on Fox News' Special Report (11/30, 1.53M). Director of Supply, Production, and Distribution for Operation Warp Speed Paul Ostrowski was asked on MSNBCVi (11/30, 1.54M) when a "regular, ordinary American" can expect to receive a vaccine. Ostrowski said, "I would tell you that the bottom line is on that is that right after the first part of the second quarter. So start thinking about the April or May timeframe, we will have the massive amount of vaccines necessary in order to ensure the rest of America is covered down." Administration Reportedly Leaving It To States To Determine Vaccine Distribution. Politico (11/30, Owermohle, Roubein, Brennan, 4.29M) reports that the Trump Administration is "shunting to the states hard decisions about which Americans will get the limited early supplies of coronavirus vaccines - setting up a confusing patchwork of distribution plans that could create unequal access." According to Politico, "Federal and state officials agree that the nation's 21 million health care workers should be first in line. But there is no consensus about how to balance the needs of other high-risk groups, including the 53 million adults aged 65 or older, 87 million essential workers and more than 100 million people with medical conditions that increase their vulnerability to the virus." Politico says the Administration "has told states that they have ultimate authority for determining who gets vaccinated first," and "has also decided to allocate scarce early doses based on states' total populations, forcing hard choices in states with a greater proportion of residents at high risk." The New York Times (11/30, Grady, Zraick, 18.61M) reports that on Monday, when "asked about the role of states in the distribution process," Azar "said that doses would be shipped out through normal vaccine distribution systems, and governors would be 'like air traffic controllers' determining which hospitals or pharmacies receive shipments. While governors will determine which groups are prioritized, he said he hoped that they would follow the federal recommendations." Azar is quoted as saying, "Be thinking people in nursing homes, the most vulnerable, be thinking health care workers who are on the front lines." First Shipments Of Pfizer's Vaccine Have Arrived In Michigan. In the lead ABC World News TonightVi (11/30, 6:32 p.m. ET, story 1, Muir, 7.69M) story, Steve Osunsami said ABC "has confirmed that the first shipments of the Pfizer vaccine for the coronavirus have traveled by air from production in Belgium to a storage facility in Michigan, so that the minute the US government says it's okay for emergency use, those first shots will be ready to rush across this country." According to Osunsami, United Airlines "is flying the vaccine on chartered cargo flights." CNBC (11/30, Josephs, Lovelace, 3.62M) reports on its website that the Federal Aviation Administration "said it supported the `first mass air shipment' of Covid-19 vaccines on Friday, as pharmaceutical companies and airlines prepare networks for broad distribution." Sources told CNBC that United Airlines "carried Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine from Brussels to Chicago O'Hare International Airport." Meanwhile, Kris Van Cleave said on the CBS Evening NewsVi (11/30, 6:36 p.m. ET, story 2, O'Donnell, 4.67M), "DHL showed us its operation at Miami's airport where vaccine shipments will temporarily be stored in freezers and topped off with dry ice before being loaded onto planes ant sent to South America. Upon landing those vaccines will be put on trucks and delivered." Van Cleave reported FedEx and other companies "will be part of the effort to quickly get the vials from central shipping hubs out to cities and states. It is going to be hard to imagine this going off without a hitch but there likely are unanticipated issues that are going to arise when are you shipping that many vaccine doses all around the country." EFTA00148882 Moderna To Seek FDA Emergency Use Authorization For COVID Vaccine. The AP (11/30, Neergaard) reports Moderna Inc. on Monday "said it would ask U.S. and European regulators...to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine as new study results confirm the shots offer strong protection - ramping up the race to begin limited vaccinations as the coronavirus rampage worsens." The AP adds the company "said the shots' effectiveness and a good safety record so far - with only temporary, flu-like side effects - mean they meet requirements set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use before the final- stage testing is complete," while the European Medicines Agency "has signaled it also is open to faster 'conditional' clearance." USA Today (11/30, Weintraub, 10.31M) reports Moderna's latest findings "showed that of 196 people in the clinical trial who caught COVID-19, 185 of them had received the placebo, while only 11 received the active vaccine. That works out to an effectiveness rate above 94%." USA Today says that of the 30 trial participants "who suffered severe disease, all were in the placebo group, which suggests the vaccine prevents both mild and serious disease. One placebo recipient died." USA Today adds effectiveness "was consistent across age groups, as well as race and ethnicity. The 196 participants with cases of COVID-19 included 33 adults over 65 and 42 who identified as Hispanic, Black, Asian American or multiracial." The Hill (11/30, Balluck, Budryk, 2.98M) reports Moderna "also said 'no serious safety concerns' have been identified to date. Some trial participants have experienced reactions like pain at the site of the injection or fatigue." Politico (11/30, Brennan, 4.29M) reports that President Trump "tweeted his support of the vaccine on Monday, hours after the company's announcement." Trump tweeted, "Moderna now applying for Emergency Vaccine Approval.. @US_FDA MUST ACT QUICKLY!!! Operation Warp Speed has been a great modern day miracle." Reuters (11/30, Steenhuysen, Erman) reports the FDA "said an advisory committee would meet to discuss the request on Dec. 17, making Moderna's candidate the second highly effective vaccine likely to receive U.S. regulatory backing and a potential roll out this year." In an interview with the New York Times (11/30, Grady, 18.61M), Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel announced the first vaccinations "may be given as early as Dec. 21 if the process goes smoothly and approval is granted." Bancel told the Wall Street Journal (11/30, Al, Loftus, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), "I think this vaccine is going to be really a game changer for this pandemic." Bancel added, "We think it can really prevent severe disease." On NBC Nightly NewsVI (11/30, 6:35 p.m. ET, story 2, 6.21M), Lester Holt reported that Moderna President Stephen Hoge in an interview "told me he expects approval very soon." Hoge: "We're quite optimistic actually that the vaccine is - the data speaks for itself and they'll supportive." Asked about the vaccine's distribution, Hoge added, "We're partnered with a team at Operation Warp Speed. I have been told they want trucks rolling within hours if not a day and so what we have been done is we have been helping to position the vaccine in the warehouses where they can access it immediately if it's approved." Bloomberg (11/30, Langreth, 4.73M) reports the US "reached a deal worth as much as $1.5 billion for 100 million doses of the Moderna shot in August," while the EU, Canada, and Japan "also have large purchase agreements, and the U.K. has secured 7 million doses." According to Bloomberg, "Moderna shares rose 20% to close at $152.74 at 4 p.m. in New York. They have gained more than sevenfold since the year began." According to the Washington Post (11/30, Al, Johnson, 14.2M), Moderna's filing "marks the fourth Monday in a row with good news about the vaccine effort and means the United States could have enough vaccine to treat 20 million people by year's end, between doses of Moderna's vaccine and those of another candidate that is about a week ahead from Pfizer and German firm BioNTech." In a 2,700-word article, the New York Times (11/30, Al, McNeil, 18.61M) says that while "good news about vaccines or antibody treatments surfaces" every week, "offering hope that an end to the pandemic is at hand," the holiday season "presents a grim reckoning. The United EFTA00148883 States has reached an appalling milestone: more than one million new coronavirus cases every week. Hospitals in some states are full to bursting. The number of deaths is rising and seems on track to easily surpass the 2,200-a-day average in the spring, when the pandemic was concentrated in the New York metropolitan area. Our failure to protect ourselves has caught up to us." Public Health Officials "Sounding Alarms" As Virus Spreads After Thanksgiving. In the lead CBS Evening NewsVi (11/30, 6:32 p.m. ET, story 1, 4.76M) story, Norah O'Donnell said public health officials are "sounding alarms tonight. Dr. Anthony Fauci...says the country is now facing a surge on top of a surge. The virus is now spreading so fast, four million Americans were infected this month alone. Now that's one-third of the 13.5 million cases here in the US since the pandemic began. In fact things are so dire that right now hospitals nationwide are treating nearly 100,000 COVID patients. That is another new record." CBS' Jonathan Vigliotti added, "America's top health official say if you traveled for the holiday you should assume you have COVID and act accordingly." On ABC World News TonightVi (11/30, 6:36 p.m. ET, story 2, Muir, 7.69M), Matt Gutman said new records are being set "set almost daily," and public health experts are "warning the Thanksgiving holiday may only have made it worse." The AP (11/30) reports the Transportation Security Administration "screened at least 1 million people on four of the last 10 days through Sunday," and "nearly 1.2 million people passed through U.S. airports Sunday, the largest number since the pandemic gripped the country in March, despite pleas from health experts for Americans to stay home over Thanksgiving." In the lead NBC Nightly NewsVI (11/30, 6:31 p.m. ET, story 1, Holt, 6.21M) story, Miguel Almaguer said, "As authorities brace for a deadly December, the end of November marks the most dire month of the pandemic. A record four million new cases in four weeks. And a grim 35,000 fatalities. Now as tens of thousands of Americans return home from the holiday, the darkest days may be yet to come." NIAID Director Fauci: "As we go for the next couple of weeks into December, that we might see a surge super imposed upon that third, we're already in." Bloomberg (11/30, 4.73M) reports that "the number of Americans hospitalized with Covid- 19 climbed to a record Sunday. ... An all-time high of 93,238 people are hospitalized with the virus in the U.S., up 9,368 from a week earlier, according to Covid Tracking Project data." Bloomberg says "reporting on deaths...has been muddled by the holiday effect, showing what's likely to prove a temporary reversal of the upward trend." However, according to Bloomberg, "A model based on 40 forecasts tracked by the University of Massachusetts Amherst's Reich Lab indicates that, in the next month or so, the seven-day average deaths will probably near the record pace of about 2,200 a day from the period ended April 18." "Four experts" interviewed by the New York Times (11/30, Tavernise, 18.61M) "agreed that there probably will be an upward bump in cases linked to the holiday, similar to the rises that were seen after Memorial Day and July 4. But they had different estimates for when it would emerge." According to the Times, "Part of the uncertainty stems from the virus itself. Its incubation period - the time after a person catches it but before symptoms appear - can range from two days to two weeks or longer, though five days seems to be typical." Meanwhile, the AP (11/30, Webber, Hollingsworth) says Americans "faced strict new coronavirus measures around the country Monday as health officials brace for a disastrous worsening of the nationwide surge because of holiday gatherings over the long weekend." The AP reports Los Angeles County "imposed a stay-at-home order for its 10 million residents, and Santa Clara County, in the heart of Silicon Valley, banned high school, college and professional sports and decreed a quarantine for those who have traveled more than 150 miles outside the county," while the mayor of Hawaii County "said trans-Pacific travelers arriving without a negative COVID-19 test must quarantine for 14 days, and even those who have tested virus- EFTA00148884 free may be randomly selected for another test upon arrival. New Jersey is suspending all youth sports." The Chicago Sun-Times (11/30, Hinton, 875K) reports that hours after speaking with Fauci, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) "said Monday none of the state's 11 regions will get any break from Tier 3 coronavirus mitigations `for the next few weeks." The Chicago Tribune (11/30, Mahr, Petrella, Schencker, 2.65M) reports that while Illinois on Sunday "marked the seventh daily drop in hospitalizations in nine days, collectively amounting to a 5% decrease from a high of 6,175 on Nov. 20," Pritzker warned that the state is "still very much in a precarious place." Pritzker continued, "We have got to take the time to evaluate any Thanksgiving effect before we make any premature adjustments." In addition, the Cleveland Plain Dealer (11/30, Hancock, 895K) says Ohio hospitals "are showing signs they're running out of equipment and space." The Plain-Dealer adds that "at least one hospital in Ohio borrowed a refrigerated truck to store bodies of patients who have died. But it's not just hospitals that are showing signs of stress. It's the people who work inside them, too." However, The Hill (11/30, Seipel, 2.98M) reports state Rep. John Becker (R) "led a group [of] fellow GOP representatives...in filing 12 articles of impeachment against" Gov. Mike DeWine (R) over his coronavirus restrictions, "calling it an `effort to restore the rule of law." The lawmakers "claim DeWine's administration implemented unconstitutional orders in response to the pandemic." Newsom Warns Of Wider California Stay-At-Home Order. Reuters (11/30, Chiacu) reports California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Monday "said he may clamp new `stay-at-home' orders on California's roughly 40 million residents in the face of infections and hospitalizations that are still rising weeks before emergency vaccines are predicted for release." The Los Angeles Times (11/30, Lin, 4.64M) reports nearly "75% of the state's 7,733 ICU beds are occupied - with 1,812 of them filled by coronavirus patients," and Newsom said, "If these trends continue, we're going to have to take much more dramatic - arguably drastic - actions," which "include `the potential for a stay-at-home order' for areas in the strictest purple tier of California's coronavirus reopening road map, he said." According to the AP (11/30, Thompson), "The biggest concern is intensive care cases, which have increased 67% in the past two weeks," and "if that continues, it would push ICU beds to 112% of capacity by mid-December." This "statistic is likely to drive decisions over whether to impose state-mandated stay-at-home orders in 51 of California's 58 counties that already are seeing the most restrictions on business activities," said California Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly, who added, "Bottom line is we are looking at intensive care unit capacity as the primary trigger for deeper, more restrictive actions." Reuters (11/30, Bernstein) reports Newsom last week "instituted a curfew barring social gatherings and other non-essential activities across most of the state between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. daily." The curfew along with other restrictions "already represent some of the most stringent COVID-19 public health measures in effect nationwide." The Orange County_M) Register (11/30, Wheeler, 546K) reports, "Hospitalizations again are top of mind as new COVID-19 cases contracted over Thanksgiving are recorded and about 12% of these patients are expected to be hospitalized." The San Francisco Chronicle (11/30, Koseff, 2.67M) reports hospitalizations "increased by 89% over the past two weeks to 7,787, the governor said. At the current rate, that number could double or triple in the next month." Meanwhile, Politico (11/30, Colliver, 4.29M) also reports Newsom on Monday "highlighted what the state was doing to support its small businesses as he signaled the possibility of a stay- at-home order in the coming weeks - and acknowledged the inevitable economic toll of such measures." According to Politico, Newsom "said he would direct the Department of Tax and Fee Administration to make automatic a three-month sales tax extension that he first unveiled in April for businesses with less than $1 million in sales on their tax returns and to expand interest-free payment options for larger businesses suffering from public health restrictions," EFTA00148885 and he "announced a $500 million COVID Relief Grant run by the California Office of the Small Business Advocate at GO-Biz, which he said will distribute grants of up to $25,000 to small businesses and nonprofit organizations by early next year." Cuomo Announces Five-Pronged "Winter Plan" For COVID Surge. The New York Times (11/30, McKinley, Ferro-Sadurni, 18.61M) reports New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Monday "said...the state will implement a barrage of new emergency actions, some of which echo the strict measures taken this spring, to stem a rising tide of infections and deaths." Cuomo "said that the strength of the virus's second wave has forced the state to rely less on test positivity rates as the determinant for restrictions, and focus more on hospital capacity." He "said if hospitals become overwhelmed, he could impose a regionally based shutdown, or `pause' order," and "asked hospitals to begin identifying retired doctors and nurses to help staff medical facilities." CNN (11/30, Jorgensen, 83.16M) reports on its website that Cuomo said, "We are now worried about overwhelming the hospital system." He added, "We want to know where they are today with their capacity, with their PPE, et cetera." According to Cuomo, "We learned this lesson the hard way. We have about 54,000 hospital beds in this state, we were told we would need about 120,000. We lived this nightmare. We learned from this nightmare, and we're going to correct for the lessons we learned during this nightmare." The Washington Post (11/30, Farzan, Noack, Iati, Taylor, Shammas, Telford, 14.2M) reports New York officials "are directing hospitals to initiate emergency measures, including identifying retired health-care workers who could return to duty, as officials try to beat back a rise in hospitalizations statewide." Politico New York (11/30, Young, Gronewold, 4.29M) reports Cuomo "announced the actions as part of a new five-pronged `winter plan' that seeks to combat Covid-19 through a new Department of Health initiative on hospital capacity, enhanced testing, K-8 in-person learning, a public education campaign on small gatherings and vaccine distribution." Meanwhile, the New York Daily News (11/30, Slattery, Skolnik, 2.52M) says that while New York "has been relying on the number of reported positive coronavirus cases in geographic areas to impose limited restrictions meant to curb the spread," it will begin using "new metrics including hospitalization rates, death rates, and hospital capacity...to tweak the state's current color- coded microcluster strategy." However, the New York Post (11/30, Hogan, Campanile, Sheehy, 4.57M) says that while Cuomo "crowed to reporters that his push for mask-wearing helped curb New York's COVID-19 cases," his aides "sat in the closed room without ever putting theirs on." According to the Post, Cuomo "wasn't wearing a mask at the time, nor were his five top aides on the dais, including state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker and SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras." New York City To Allow Younger Grades, Students With Special Needs To Return To In-Person Classes. The Washington Post (11/30, Balingit, 14.2M) reports New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) on Sunday "announced...that he would begin to allow the city's youngest students and those with special needs to return to classrooms beginning next week, abandoning a previous plan that forced the entire school system to close 10 days ago and marking another disruption in an already challenging school year." Of the families "who have chosen the city's hybrid option, only prekindergarten through fifth-grade students and special education (District 75) students will be permitted to return." De Blasio "said he is pushing schools that have sufficient space to reopen five days a week." The New York Times (11/30, Al, Shapiro, Taylor, 18.61M) reports, "After a summer of uncertainty and fear about how schools across the globe would operate in a pandemic, a consensus has emerged in more and more districts: In-person teaching with young children is safer than with older ones and particularly crucial for their development." New York City's decision puts it "in line with other cities in America and across the world that have reopened classrooms first, and often exclusively, for young children, and in some cases kept them open even as those cities have confronted second waves of the virus." EFTA00148886 Miami-Dade Mayor Tests Positive For COVID. The Miami Herald (11/30, Hanks, 1.09M) reports Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava (D) "said she tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday and is experiencing mild symptoms." The Herald adds Levine Cava "linked her diagnosis to her husband, a doctor, contracting the virus from exposure to a patient last week during a house call." Grassley Returns To Capitol After Quarantining. CNBC (11/30, Pramuk, 3.62M) reports on its website that on Monday, Sen. Charles Grassley (R- IA) "returned to the Capitol...after he finished a quarantine period following a positive coronavirus test," and "in a statement, the 87-year-old Iowa Republican said he 'did not experience symptoms' after his positive test on Nov. 17." CNBC says Grassley "encouraged Americans to wear masks and practice social distancing as he called for Congress to approve another aid package." The Des Moines (IA) Register (11/30, Miller, 404K) also reports the Senate president pro tempore "said he was glad to return to the office after working remotely from home during his isolation." Federal Officials Suggest Corrections Staff, Not Inmates, Receive Priority For Vaccine. The New York Times (11/30, Rabin, 18.61M) reports, "Federal officials have suggested that corrections staff receive high priority for a coronavirus vaccine, but not the millions of vulnerable inmates held in U.S. facilities." With a "distribution expected to start as early as this month, public health officials are scrambling to develop guidelines for the equitable allocation of limited vaccine supplies." On Tuesday, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will meet "to make initial determinations about who gets the first shots." Some With Long-Term COVID Symptoms Diagnosed With Autonomic Nervous System Disorder. The Wall Street Journal (11/30, Reddy, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports physicians are diagnosing some patients with long-term COVID symptoms with POTS, which is an autonomic nervous system disorder. Some believe coronavirus has triggered the disorder in certain individuals. Media Analyses: Justices "Skeptical" Of Trump's Census Count Plan. The AP (11/30, Sherman) reports that on Monday, Supreme Court justices "sounded skeptical" that President Trump "could categorically exclude people living in the country illegally from the population count used to allot seats among the states in the House of Representatives." However, the AP adds that "it also appeared possible that the justices could avoid a final ruling on the issue until they know how broadly the Trump administration acts in its final days in office and whether the division of House seats is affected." Justice Amy Coney Barrett was "among several members of the court who said the administration's argument for broad discretion in deciding whom to exclude is troublesome because 'a lot of the historical evidence and long- standing practice really cuts against your position." USA Today (11/30, Wolf, 10.31M) reports, "Most justices indicated [Trump) may not have the right to exclude as many as 11 million people from the population base, a policy that would cost California and possibly other states seats in the House." But several of the court's "conservative justices noted that down-to-the-wire efforts by the Census Bureau to tally undocumented immigrants could fall short of the president's goal." According to the New York Times (11/30, Liptak, 18.61M), "The case is riddled with practical complications. Census Bureau officials have said they cannot produce the required data until after Mr. Trump leaves office in January. Even if they do, it is not clear that congressional officials would accept what they may view as flawed calculations." EFTA00148887 Roll Call (11/30, Macagnone, 154K) says "all six Republican-appointed justices questioned the practicality of making a ruling by the end of the year before Trump actually issues apportionment numbers." The Washington Post (11/30, Barnes, 14.2M) reports Chief Justice John Roberts "was among those questioning whether the court should wait to see whether the Census Bureau, under the direction" of Commerce Secretary Ross, "can even produce useful numbers about the undocumented population. Or if the numbers the government can produce will make a difference when deciding the size of each state's congressional delegation." CNN (11/30, de Vogue, 83.16M) reports on its website that "the justices seemed extremely skeptical that in the waning days of the Trump administration, the government has the time to fulfill its stated goal, with Justice Samuel Alito saying it would be a `monumental task' to complete such a count by December 31." Politico (11/30, Gerstein, Montellaro, 4.29M) also reports that the Supreme Court "seemed reluctant...to issue an immediate, sweeping ruling" on Trump's plans "to exclude undocumented immigrants from the decennial census used to allocate House seats." The New York Times (11/30, Wines, 18.61M) writes in an analysis, "On Monday, the Supreme Court heard arguments on a question that goes to the heart of American democracy: Must the government count everyone living in the country, citizens or not, in the census totals that the House of Representatives uses to reallocate its 435 seats among the states? For more than two centuries, the answer has been `yes!" Reuters (11/30, Hurley), the Los Angeles Times (11/30, Savage, 4.64M), and The Hill (11/30, Kruzel, 2.98M) also report. Trump Reportedly Mulling Additional Immigration Moves. Politico (11/30, Kumar, 4.29M) reports that since the election, some of President Trump's aides have "pushed through changes that make it easier to deny visas to immigrants, lengthened the citizenship test and appointed new members to an immigration policy board." According to Politico, "Some aides even urged Trump to sign an executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship for the children of immigrants." Politico cites "two people familiar with the discussions," but adds that "a third person said the idea had recently been dismissed." Politico goes on to report that "the focus is on putting a bind" on Joe Biden, "making it harder for him to reverse these politically fraught issues." Congress Sprints To Avoid Government Shutdown On December 11. Reuters (11/30) reports Congress has begun "a two-week sprint to rescue the federal government from a possible shutdown amid the coronavirus pandemic, the first major test since the election of whether Republicans and Democrats intend to cooperate." Negotiators "have made progress on how to divvy up around $1.4 trillion to be spent by Sept. 30, 2021, the end of the current fiscal year," but "more granular details are still unresolved and votes by the full House and Senate on a massive funding bill may come close to bumping up against that Dec. 11 deadline." Reuters adds that it is "unclear" whether President Trump, "who was defeated in the Nov. 3 election, will cooperate with the effort underway in Congress." Bloomberg (11/30, House, Wasson, 4.73M) describes the President as a "wild card." Bloomberg says White House officials "haven't said whether he would sign the spending bill once its finished. As a result, appropriators also are preparing another short-term, stopgap bill into next year, just in case." Lawmakers Try To Reignite Talks On Coronavirus Relief Bill. The AP (11/30, Taylor) reports congressional leaders "are returning for one final, perhaps futile, attempt at deal-making on a challenging menu of year-end business," including another COVID relief bill. While Democrats, Republicans and the White House say they want another measure, "a lack of good faith and an unwillingness to embark on compromises that might lead either side out of their political comfort zones have helped keep another rescue package on ice." EFTA00148888 Politico (11/30, Everett, 4.29M) reports "a bipartisan group of senators is trying to jump- start stalled coronavirus stimulus talks during the lame duck, with congressional leaders still at odds over providing more relief as cases and deaths spike ahead of the coming winter." But Politico says the effort "is an uphill battle given the entrenched positions" of Senate Majority Leader McConnell "and his GOP conference" and House Speaker Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Schumer. So "whatever this collection of senators can achieve is likely to be modest, if they can accomplish anything at all." Axios (11/30, Treene, 521K) says "most lawmakers still see only a small chance for passage of a comprehensive stimulus package before the end of the year, given how far apart Republicans and Democrats remain on key priorities." Reuters (11/30) reports Treasury Secretary Mnuchin on Monday "urged Congress to tap into $455 billion of unused emergency relief funds to fuel an additional, targeted round of pandemic economic assistance for American households and businesses." In prepared testimony for a Senate Banking Committee hearing scheduled for Tuesday, Mnuchin said, "Based on recent economic data, I continue to believe that a targeted fiscal package is the most appropriate federal response. ... I strongly encourage Congress to use the $455 billion in unused funds from the CARES Act to pass an additional bill with bipartisan support." Navarro: Passing Relief Package Should Be At "Very Top Of Everybody's List." Director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy Navarro said on Fox Business' Evening Edit, "I'm very concerned here because for political reasons on Capitol Hill they have effectively allowed a bridge to collapse, and I'm talking about the transition from the first three phases of the stimulus and relief package to what should have been a fourth phase and what we have now, I'm not sure these folks understand the pain and suffering of the American people that the President really cares about, which is small business people, the blue-collar Americans." Asked if another package can be passed "in the next month or so," Navarro said, "I think that has to be at the very top of everybody's list here in the swamp." Senate Continues To Confirm Trump Nominees. Roll Call (11/30, Cioffi, 154K) reports, "Less than two months remain in the Trump administration, and Senate Republicans are doing something not seen in a century - confirming judges and other nominees after their party lost the White House. That norm-breaking rush to get GOP-approved picks through could get tricky, though, if lawmakers continue missing time" because of COVID. Roll Call says that "with only one exception, post-election confirmations of judges nominated to lifetime appointments by a president whose party has lost the White House hasn't happened since the election of 1896 when William McKinley was elected and the Senate confirmed Grover Cleveland's picks." FCC's Pai To Step Down On Inauguration Day. The AP (11/30, Arbel) reports that FCC Chairman Pai announced on Monday that he will leave his post on Inauguration Day. According to the AP, Pai has "presided over a contentious FCC over the last four years." Axios (11/30, McGill, 521K) reports, "Pai repealed Obama-era net neutrality rules and sought to loosen restrictions on broadcast station group ownership. He also oversaw consolidation in the wireless market through approval of the T-Mobile-Sprint merger, but blocked conservative Sinclair Broadcast Group from buying Tribune media." The Washington Post (11/30, Romm, 14.2M) says, "[Pars] departure...is set to unleash a wave of uncertainty at the FCC." The Post says Joe Biden "can tap an acting chairperson from the agency's two Democratic members once he takes the White House as he decides on a more permanent leader, which may require Senate confirmation. But it seems increasingly likely that the FCC will be deadlocked at two Democrats and two Republicans entering 2021." The Wall Street Journal (11/30, Tracy, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports Democratic Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks are both contenders to succeed Pai, as is former Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. EFTA00148889 NYTimes Analysis: Barrett Could Be Deciding SCOTUS Vote On Gun Rights. Adam Liptak of the New York Times (11/30, 18.61M) writes that Justice Amy Coney Barrett "seems poised to supply the fifth vote" on the Supreme Court needed "to expand Second Amendment rights." A Second Amendment case "decided last week by the federal appeals court in Philadelphia is a promising candidate for Supreme Court review, not least because it presents an issue on which Justice Barrett has already taken a stand." Though the appeals court rejected a felon's assertion that she should have the right to buy a gun, a dissenting judge who argued in favor of the woman's right to bear arms "wrote that his analysis had drawn heavily from a dissent last year," written by Barrett, "in a similar case concerning a man convicted of mail fraud." INTERNATIONAL NEWS Leaked Documents Show Failings Of Chinese Institutions In Combatting Virus. A 4,800-word CNN (11/30, Paton Walsh, 83.16M) article says that on the same day that Chinese authorities "reported 2,478 new confirmed cases - raising the total global number to more than 40,000, with fewer than 400 cases occurring outside of mainland China," 117 pages of leaked internal documents from the Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention between October 2019 to April 2020 "provide the first clear window into what local authorities knew internally and when." CNN says the documents "reveal what appears to be an inflexible health care system constrained by top-down bureaucracy and rigid procedures that were ill-equipped to deal with the emerging crisis. At several critical moments in the early phase of the pandemic, the documents show evidence of clear missteps and point to a pattern of institutional failings." European Countries Prepare To Distribute Vaccine. On NBC Nightly NewsVI (11/30, 6:37 p.m. ET, story 3, Holt, 6.21M), Keir Simmons said that as European countries "announce nationwide strategies to vaccinate their citizens, the UK's plan begins with immediate vaccinations in care homes for elderly residents and those who work in them. Next up, people 80 years and older along with all healthcare workers, they're followed by people in the 70s and late 60s. After them, adults with underlying medical conditions. Mass distribution later in 2021. Volunteers are already being trained." France Keeps Schools Open Despite 11% Positive Test Rate. The New York Times (11/30, Onishi, Meheut, Francini, 18.61M) reports that while 11% of coronavirus tests in France are coming back positive, "students have kept going to school, while New York City shut its public schools on Nov. 19, after the positive test rate reached 3 percent." However, the limes adds recent studies "have shown that young children, at least, are low transmitters of the virus, and at least some American officials are reconsidering their approach: Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York abruptly decided on Sunday to reopen elementary schools while keeping upper grades closed, and other districts around the country have made or announced similar moves." According to the Times, "Allowing schools to remain open has been one of the most significant departures from Europe's initial lockdowns last spring." Europe's Nursing Homes Face Resurgent Coronavirus. The Wall Street Journal (11/30, Dalton, Legorano, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that the coronavirus is surging again in Europe's nursing homes, leading to the death of thousands of older people and forcing homes to either impose another period of resident isolation or risk increased exposure to coronavirus. EFTA00148890 Erdogan Announces Turkey's Strictest COVID Lockdown, Extends Curfews To Weeknights. The AP (11/30, Bilginsoy) reports Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoOan on Monday "announced the country's most widespread lockdown so far amid a surge in COVID-19 infections, extending curfews to weeknights and putting a full lockdown in place over the weekends." The AP adds that Erdo6an "said a curfew would be implemented on weekdays between 9:00 pm and 5:00 am," and he "announced total weekend lockdowns from 9:00 pm on Friday to 5:00 am on Monday." Reuters (11/30, Erkoyun, Kucukgocmen) reports Turkey "recorded 31,219 cases on Monday, data from the Health Ministry showed, placing it fourth globally as the highest number of daily new cases. It remains behind the United States, India and Brazil - all countries with far larger populations than Turkey." Kushner Headed To Middle East In Wake Of Fakhrizadeh Killing. USA Today (11/30, Shesgreen, 10.31M) reports President Trump's senior adviser Jared Kushner will head to the Middle East this week "amid heightened tensions over the assassination of a top Iranian scientist who had been credited with overseeing Tehran's now moribund covert nuclear program." According to "a source familiar with the matter," Kushner will visit Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The trip "comes just days after the targeted killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a nuclear scientist whom Israeli officials referred to as the `father' of Iran's nuclear program." Iran has blamed Israel for the killing "and vowed to exact revenge." After Fakhrizadeh Assassination, Iran Vows To Continue Its Nuclear Program. The AP (11/30, Karimi, Gambrell) reports that on Monday, "a top Iranian security official...accused Israel of using `electronic devices' to remotely kill" Fakhrizadeh. Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of the Iran's Supreme National Security Council, made the comment at Fakhrizadeh's funeral, "where Iran's defense minister separately vowed to continue" his work "with more speed and more power." The Washington Post (11/30, Berger, 14.2M) says that "amid vows to avenge the killing...Iran's leadership promised...to push ahead with its nuclear program while casting doubt on the future of negotiations with the West." The Post adds, "Fakhrizadeh's assassination - and the pressure now on Iran's leadership to retaliate after an embarrassing security failure - could undermine [Joe Biden's] pledge to return to a negotiated nuclear deal with Iran and world powers." The Hill (11/30, Kheel, 2.98M) reports Biden allies say the killing "was a criminal act that has recklessly raised tensions in the region and was aimed at undermining [Biden's] goal of putting the U.S. back in the international nuclear deal with Iran, negotiated by the Obama administration and fiercely opposed by Israel and the Trump administration." The CBS Evening NewsVi (11/30, 6:44 p.m. El; story 5, 4.67M) called the killing "just one of the problems" that Biden "will inherit in this unstable part of the world." The New York Times (11/30, Kwai, 18.61M) reports that "Iranian state news outlets initially reported that gunmen had killed Mr. Fakhrizadeh in a roadside ambush after a truck explosion - and even interviewed a supposed witness." But now "the Fars news agency, an affiliate of the Revolutionary Guards Corps, said the assassination was carried out with a machine gun operated by remote control." The Times says "the new version of events, which could not immediately be confirmed, seemed to represent a coordinated effort at damage control by the nation's security apparatus after a public and official backlash after the embarrassingly public assassination of Mr. Fakhrizadeh, which Western intelligence officials have said was carried out by Israel." Reuters (11/30, Hafezi) reports that also on Monday, Shamkhani "said...an opposition group was suspected alongside Israel in the killing." In a separate story, the Washington Post (11/30, Hendrix, Rubin, 14.2M) says, "Commentators, brushing past Israel's refusal to comment on an assassination that showed the hallmarks of an Israeli clandestine operation, have moved on to asking what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hoped to achieve." According to the Post, "The task of teasing out the strategy is complicated by the current complex brew of circumstances, which include the EFTA00148891 shifting alliances of the Middle East, Netanyahu's own legal and political trouble and, most critically, the winding down of the Trump era." The Post says Netanyahu is "wary of Biden's promise to offer Iran 'a diplomatic path' back to compliance and, by some accounts, he is pushing Trump to strike a decisive blow against Iran's nuclear program as a parting gambit." The Wall Street Journal (11/30, Rasmussen, Eqbali, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) says Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in the assassination. ABC World News TonightVi (11/30, 6:43 p.m. ET, story 4, Muir, 7.69M) provided similar coverage. Report Calls For "Significant Changes" To NATO Policy. The New York Times (11/30, Erlanger, 18.61M) reports that "a high-level look at NATO's next 10 years" that covers "138 specific recommendations in some 60 pages" recommends "significant changes to confront the new challenges of an aggressive Russia and a rising China, urging overhauls to fortify the alliance's cohesion and to better coordinate with democratic allies around the world." The report "will be a major source of discussion on Tuesday, the start of a two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers." Asian Pro-Democracy Activists Worry Biden Will Abandon Trump's Tough China Stance. The New York Times (11/30, Beech, 18.61M) reports that "a dissident once branded Enemy No. 1 by the Chinese Communist Party is spreading conspiracy theories about vote-rigging in the American presidential election," in Hong Kong, "pro-democracy campaigners...are championing President Trump's claims of an electoral victory," and "human rights activists and religious leaders" in Burma and Vietnam "are expressing reservations" about Joe Biden's "ability to keep authoritarians in check." According to the Times, "it is precisely Mr. Trump's willingness to flout diplomatic protocol, abandon international accords and keep his opponents off-balance that have earned him plaudits as a leader strong enough to stand up to dictators and defend democratic ideals." The Times adds that many of these same prominent human rights expect Biden to "pursue accommodation rather than confrontation in the face of China's assertive moves." French Lawmakers To Overhaul Law On Sharing Images Of Police. The New York Times (11/30, Breeden, 18.61M) reports, "French lawmakers will completely rewrite a legislative provision restricting the sharing of images of police officers that was pushed by the government but has faced fierce opposition over the past week, a top official in President Emmanuel Macron's party announced on Monday." The provision "had come under fire from journalist unions, free speech advocates and left-wing opposition parties." The AP (11/30) reports that "in its current version, the article of the proposed law criminalizes the publishing of images of police officers with the intent of harming their 'physical or psychological integrity.' Anyone found guilty could be sentenced to up to a year in jail and fined 45,000 euros ($53,000)." Four Police Officers Charged In High-Profile Assault Case. The Washington Post (11/30, McAuley, 14.2M) reports, "Four French police officers were charged Monday with assaulting a Black music producer more than a week ago, an episode captured on video that has stunned the French public and shaken the government." Michel Zecler says the officers "repeatedly insulted him as they beat him and that they used a clear racial epithet while they did so. The officers denied that charge during their interrogation." Retirees Rally Against Lukashenko. The AP (11/30) reports "hundreds of retirees rallied" in Minsk on Monday against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, demanding that he "resign after he won a sixth term in office in an election the opposition says was rigged. But they ran into police cordons along the march route and broke up into smaller groups that went into different directions." EFTA00148892 Tigray Leader Calls On Ahmed To Withdraw Troops. The AP (11/30, Anna) reports, "The fugitive leader of Ethiopia's defiant Tigray region on Monday called on Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to 'stop the madness' and withdraw troops from the region as he asserted that fighting continues 'on every front' two days after Abiy declared victory." Debretsion Gebremichael said in a telephone interview that he "remains near the Tigray capital, Mekele, which the Ethiopian army on Saturday said it now controlled." Gebremichael "asserted that 'we are sure we'll win" and "accused the Ethiopian forces of carrying out a 'genocidal campaign' against the Tigray people." Farmers Block New Delhi Highways In Protest Over Agricultural Policies. The New York Times (11/30, Gettleman, Singh, Kumar, 18.61M) reports "thousands of angry farmers" have descended on New Delhi to protest new agricultural policies introduced by the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Though Modi's party "firmly controls the government, the growing farmers' rebellion seems to have rattled his administration. In India, more than 60 percent of the population depends on agriculture to make a living." The government "has indicated that it will not talk to the protesting farmers unless they move to a fairground on New Delhi's outskirts and stop blocking the highways. But the farmers have said that they will not move their tractors or trailers until negotiations start." Cuban Government Refuses Dialogue With Protesters. The Miami Herald (11/30, 1.09M) reports, "Less than 24 hours after the Ministry of Culture reached an agreement in response to an unprecedented public protest by more than 300 young artists and intellectuals demanding freedom of expression and the release of several members of the San Isidro Movement, the Cuban government unleashed a wave of attacks against what Cuban leader Miguel Diaz-Canel called a 'media show' and an example of U.S. meddling in the island's internal affairs." Diaz-Canel "shut down hopes of a dialogue with the young protesters who stood before the Ministry of Culture on Friday to protest the harassment of artists, journalists, and academics of the San Isidro Movement." The Wall Street Journal (11/30, Cordoba, Perez, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) looks at the protest, saying it may have been the largest peaceful demonstration since Fidel Castro took power in 1959. THE BIG PICTURE Headlines From Today's Front Pages. Wall Street Journal: Moderna Asks Health Regulators To Authorize Its Covid-19 Vaccine Exxon Slashes Spending, Writes Down Assets General Motors Will No Longer Take A Stake In Nikola The Franchise Relationship That Powers Small Business Is Fraying Seeking A Tranquil Retreat? Try A Japanese Laundromat New York Times: The Long Darkness Before Dawn As Trump Attacks Georgia Republicans, Party Worries About Senate Races Without Crowds, Is Times Square Really Times Square? Take A Look Why School Districts Are Bringing Back Younger Children First Biden's Economic Team Suggests Focus On Workers And Income Equality 'Trump Is Better': In Asia, Pro-Democracy Forces Worry About Biden Washington Post: EFTA00148893 In Neighboring Georgia Counties, Election Revealed A Growing Divide That Mirrors The Nation Moderna Follows Pfizer In Seeking Vaccine Approval Pandemic Drives Men To Seek Deeper Friendships Biden's OMB Pick Is Too 'Partisan,' GOP Warns How America's Deadliest Serial Killer Went Undetected For More Than 40 Years Financial Times: S&P Global Takes On Bloomberg With $44bn Deal For IHS Markit Unilever Tests 4-Day Week In Effort To Boost Staff Happiness And Productivity Iran Funeral: Doubt Clouds Nuclear Hopes Washington Times: Tight-Lipped Team Biden Reignites Health Fears After Foot Fracture 'We Can Do This!' Liberal Celebrities Turn Georgia Into Hollywood East In Bid To Flip Senate Justices Take Dim View Of Trump Effort To Cut Illegal Immigrants From Census Count Biden's Path Toward Relations With Iran Altered By Killing Of Iranian Nuclear Scientist Biden's National Security Adviser Believed In Anti-Trump Dossier Arizona, Wisconsin Certify Biden As Winner Over Trump Team's Objections Story Lineup From Last Night's Network News: ABC: Pfizer, Moderna Seek Vaccine Approval; COVID Cases Surge After Holiday; Biden Names Economic Team; Trump Contests Election; Assassination Of Iranian Scientist. CBS: COVID Cases Surge After Holiday; Pfizer, Moderna Seek Vaccine Approval; Trump Contests Election; Biden Names Economic Team; Assassination Of Iranian Scientist. NBC: COVID Cases Surge After Holiday; Pfizer, Moderna Seek Vaccine Approval; Europe Prepares For COVID Vaccine; Biden Names Economic Team; Trump Contests Election; SCOTUS Case On US Census. Network TV At A Glance: COVID Cases Continue To Surge - 14 minutes, 30 seconds Pfizer, Moderna Seek Vaccine Approval - 11 minutes, 45 seconds Biden Names Economic Team - 7 minutes, 5 seconds Trump Campaign Contests Election - 4 minutes Assassination Of Iranian Scientist - 2 minutes, 25 seconds Story Lineup From This Morning's Radio News Broadcasts: ABC: CDC Meeting On COVID Vaccine; COVID Surge Continues; Scott Atlas Resigns From COVID Task Force; Biden Names Economic Team; Wisconsin, Arizona Certify Elections Results. CBS: COVID Surge Continues; Moderna, Pfizer File For Vaccine Approval; CDC Meeting On COVID Vaccine; Scott Atlas Resigns From COVID Task Force; Wisconsin, Arizona Certify Election Results; Trump Refuses To Concede; Biden Names Economic Team. FOX: Investigation Into Georgia Voting Groups; Arizona, Wisconsin Certify Election Results; Biden Names Economic Team. NPR: Scott Atlas Resigns From COVID Task Force; COVID Surge Continues; FCC Commissioner To Step Down; States Impose Additional Restrictions; Wisconsin, Arizona Certify Election Results; Trump Contests Election. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE Today's Events In Washington. White House: President Trump — No public events scheduled. EFTA00148894 Vice President Pence — Leading a White House Coronavirus Task Force meeting. US Senate: • Treasury Secretary Mnuchin and Fed Chair Powell testify to Senate committee hearing on quarterly CARES Act report - Hearing on 'The Quarterly CARES Act Report to Congress', with testimony from Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin; and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell Location: Rm 106, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC; 10:00 AM • US-China Economic and Security Review Commission Releases 2020 Annual Report To Congress - US-China Economic and Security Review Commission holds public release of its 2020 Annual Report to Congress on a virtual event. Location: Virtual Event; 10:30 AM US House: Chamber on recess from 20 Nov - 2 Dec Cabinet Officers: • No public schedules released. Visitors: • No visitors scheduled. This Town: • NTSB meeting - National Transportation Safety Board meeting considering the probable cause, findings, and any safety recommendations from its investigation into the 21 Jun 2019 crossover collision involving a commercial truck and a group of motorcyclists in Randolph, NH Location: Virtual Event; 9:30 AM Copyright 2020 by Bulletin Intelligence LLC Reproduction or redistribution without permission prohibited. Content is drawn from thousands of newspapers, national magazines, national and local television programs, radio broadcasts, social-media platforms and additional forms of open-source data. Sources for Bulletin Intelligence audience-size estimates include Scarborough, GfK MRI, comScore, Nielsen, and the Audit Bureau of Circulation. 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