EFTA00149162.pdf

From• To: Subject: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Public Affairs News Briefing Friday, November 20, 2020 Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2020 11:27:15 +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: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020 6:30 AM EST TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • US Charges Third Cincinnati Councilman With Corruption. PROTESTS • NYTimes Analysis: Majority Of Cases Against Protesters Dismissed In Court. • Federal Lawsuit Against Chicago Police Alleges "Brutal Attacks On Protesters." • WPost Analysis: Rittenhouse, Rosenbaum's Encounter "Divided The Nation." COUNTER-TERRORISM • Syrian IS Suspect Arrested By Greek Police After Migrant Camp Fight. • Watchdog: EU Relying On Treasury Department Program To Track Terror Financing. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE • Cybersecurity Community Worried About Political Pressure From White House On CISA. • Voting Machine Company, State Officials Threatened, Harassed In Aftermath Of Election. • Facebook: 180 Million Posts Debunked Ahead Of Election Day. • Media: Delayed Transition Creating "Gap" Between Biden, Harris Classified Briefings. • Six Finalists Announced For US Space Command Headquarters. • Canadian Border Agent Says Huawei CFO Could Have Fled Country. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • Men Accused In Whitmer Kidnapping Plot Allegedly Planned Executions. • Louisville, Kentucky Sergeants Testify Explorer Records Could Have Been Accessed By Newspaper. • US Charges 14 In Bust Of Wisconsin Drug Trafficking Ring. • FBI Arrests Man Accused Of Colliding Drone With LAPD Helicopter. • Three Former Philadelphia Revenue Employees Charged After FBI Sting. • New York Man Charged With Sexual Exploitation Of A Minor. • FBI Coordinating With Kentucky Police On Four-Year Old Murder Case. • Ten Charged With Belonging To Cleveland Street Gang Implicated In Crimes. • Serial Killer Blamed For Two Murders In Miami In 1970s. • Kansas Man Indicted On Federal Fraud Charges. • Trial Date For Suspects In 2017 Suisun City Murder Rescheduled. EFTA00149162 • New York Man Arrested For Enticement Of A Minor Awaiting Further Legal Action. • FBI: Reported Jet Pack Sightings In Los Angeles Unlikely To Involve Actual Jet Pack. • Continuing Coverage: Man Accused Of Bank Robbery In Several States Arrested. • Woman Wanted In Pittsburgh FBI Probe Taken Into Custody. • Three Drug Conspirators Get Prison Time. • Washington Man Charged Following FBI Child Exploitation Task Force Investigation. • FBI, LAPD Investigation Results In 14 Arrests In Street Gang Case. • Pain Clinic's Doctor, Manager Facing Drug Charges. • Two Arrested After FBI Raid In Montana. • FBI, Local Police Execute Drug Trafficking Search Warrants In Centralia, Illinois. • New York Man Sentenced To 150 Months For Dealing Drugs. • Two Arrested After Missing California Man's Body Found. • Leader Of International Burglary Ring Pleads Guilty To Racketeering Charges. • FBI Searching For "Berenstain Bandits" Crew After 14 Robberies Across Southern California. • Pennsylvania Man Charged With Robbing Two New Jersey Banks. • Boy Scouts Face More Than 95,000 Abuse Claims In Bankruptcy Case. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS • Illinois House Speaker Madigan Responds To Bribery Charges Against Associates. • Luxury Cars Seized In $16M Texas Coronavirus Fraud Case. • Missouri Man Pleads Guilty In Landfill Fraud Probe. • In Response To DO) Suit, Realtors Group Agrees To Make Cost Of Broker Commissions More Transparent. • Facebook Facing State And Federal Antitrust Charges Over Acquisitions. • New York Fraud Investigations Said To Include Trump Tax Write-Offs. CYBER DIVISION • Grand Jury Indicts California Man For Cyberstalking Airbnb Guest. • GAO: Cyber Command's Vision For Developing Capabilities Lacks Clarity. • Arizona Judicial Branch's Website Hit By Ransomware Attack. LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES • US Executes Man Convicted Of 1994 Kidnapping-Murder. • Prince George's County, Maryland Will Use DNA Registries To Solve Cold Cases With New DO) Grant. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS • Mexico Says Corruption Cases Involving Its Officials Will No Longer Be Tried In US. LAWFUL ACCESS • Google To Test End-To-End Encryption In Android Messages. OTHER FBI NEWS • Wray, Haspel May Be Next To Lose Jobs In Administration. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • Trump Reaches Out To Michigan Legislators As State Prepares To Certify Biden Win. • CDC Urges Americans Not To Travel Over Thanksgiving. • Pence Hosts COVID News Briefing. • Fauci Concerned Misinformation Will Hobble Vaccination Effort. • Carson Says He Is Taking Oleander Extract As COVID Treatment. • Trump Administration Facing Multiple Challenges Over Vaccine Distribution. • Labs Warn Of COVID Test Delays. EFTA00149163 • Newsom Announces Overnight Curfew In California. • Ohio Legislature Passes Bill To Limit DeWine's Emergency Powers. • New York City Parents Protest School Closures. • Smithsonian Shuts Down All Facilities Indefinitely. • Tyson Foods Suspends Iowa Plant Managers Over Alleged COVID Wagers. • Older Americans Increasingly Challenged By Isolation Orders. • Missed Census Deadline Could Impair Trump Effort To Block Migrants From Count. • CBP Reports Record Arrests In October. • Democrats Demand Release For Female Detainees In ICE Custody. • Schumer Says McConnell Has Agreed To Resume COVID Relief Talks. • Top Congressional Aides Meet To Discuss Averting Government Shutdown. • Mnuchin Will Not Extend Emergency Lending Programs. • EPA Administrator's Travel Plans Draw Scrutiny. • Meadows Suggests Deal Over Military Policy Bill. • Democrats, Republicans Seek Infrastructure Deal In Next Congress. INTERNATIONAL NEWS • WHO: Situation In Europe Improving Due To Reimposition Of Lockdowns. • WHO Says Evidence Lacking To Recommend Remdesivir For COVID Treatment. • Japan's Suga Raises Alarm On Country's Third Wave. • Jordan Becoming COVID Hot Spot After Early Success. • WSJournal: WTO Proposal To Remove Vaccine Patent Protections Would Be Theft. • Top Iranian Military Official: Any US Strike Could Spark "Full-Fledged War." • McKenzie: Refugee Camps Are Breeding Ground For ISIS. • WSJournal Analysis: Afghanistan Prepares For Insurgents After US Troop Removal. • Report Finds Australian Soldiers Unlawfully Killed 39 Afghans. • Pompeo Visits West Bank Settlement, Denounces BDS Movement. • Johnson Announces Biggest Increase In UK Military Spending Since Cold War. • French Journalists Say Government Is Cracking Down On Press Freedoms. • Critics Say Maduro Is Targeting Disillusioned Allies. • Leader Of Human Rights Group Arrested In Egypt. • Arrests Of Two Presidential Candidates Spark Violent Demonstrations In Uganda. • Official Says Ethiopian Airstrike Hit Tigray University. • AP Analysis: Biden DOJ Unlikely To Ease Up On Chinese Targets. • WPost: Biden Can Help Zelensky Reignite His Anti-Corruption Agenda. THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE • Today's Events In Washington. LEADING THE NEWS US Charges Third Cincinnati Councilman With Corruption. The AP (11/19, Sewell) reports from Cincinnati, "A Cincinnati city councilman who has been planning to run for mayor has been indicted on federal corruption charges." The AP adds, "An indictment Thursday shows that Democrat P.G. Sittenfeld faces six federal counts related to bribery and extortion. It states that Sittenfeld solicited $40,000 in payments to his political action committee to 'deliver the votes' in the city council for a proposed downtown real estate development." US Attorney David DeVillers "discussed the case at a news conference late EFTA00149164 Thursday morning. He said FBI agents had arrested Sittenfeld earlier. `Mr. Sittenfeld was no longer working for the citizens of Cincinnati, but working for Project 1; DeVillers said, referencing the proposed real estate project. FBI agents disguised as developers gave Sittenfeld the $40,000 bribe, which DeVillers said remained in the PAC fund." The Cincinnati Enquirer (11/19, Knight, 223K) reports, "The Cincinnati office of the FBI has had more impact on local politics in the last year than voters. On Thursday, a third member of the nine-person Cincinnati City Council was arrested and indicted on federal bribery and corruption charges. Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld, brother of novelist Curtis Sittenfeld, was arrested Thursday in a case involving fake developers and a former Cincinnati Bengal who helped blow the whistle on the scandals. U.S. Attorney David DeVillers, who is leading the charge, has said there is a `culture of corruption' in the city leaving political insiders asking who might be next. Chris Hoffman, the FBI special agent-in-charge in Cincinnati, said his public corruption taskforce remains in place. `We're standing watch,' Hoffman said Thursday." The Cleveland Plain Dealer (11/19, Tobias, 895K) reports, "Sittenfeld is the third Cincinnati council member to be arrested on corruption charges this year. Earlier this month, federal officials arrested Republican City Councilman Jeff Pastor, alleging he accepted tens of thousands of dollars of bribes from FBI agents posing as local developers. The investigation had an overlap with a separate investigation into the Ohio Statehouse." The Cincinnati Enquirer (11/19, Horn, 223K) reports, "FBI agents arrested Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld Thursday morning on federal charges accusing him of accepting bribes in exchange for favorable votes on development deals, a source with knowledge of the arrest told The Enquirer." DeVillers "said last week that the investigations have revealed ta culture of corruption' that's tolerated in city government. He said the investigation that resulted in the charges against Pastor and Dennard is ongoing and is part of a broader campaign to uproot public corruption in Cincinnati and other Ohio communities. `We are concerned about this almost acceptance that this is how it's done,' DeVillers said last week. `We're going to prosecute those cases. Our goal is to make people nervous and stop them from doing this." WVXU-FM Cincinnati (11/19, Sharber, 4K) reports, "On the steps of City Hall on Thursday, Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley says it's not hard to argue that there's a `culture of corruption' following the arrest of a third City Council member. `It's hard not to focus on the harms, the real harms that are done by these types of scandals,' Cranley said. `The people that are hurt are you, the taxpayer and the citizen.' Sittenfeld "is charged with two counts each of honest services wire fraud, bribery and attempted extortion by a government official. He allegedly solicited bribes from a developer and accepted checks from undercover FBI agents from 2018 to 2019. He's pleading not guilty to the charges. Fellow Council Member Jeff Pastor allegedly took $55,000 in bribes over the course of about a year in exchange for `official action' related to projects in the city. A federal grand jury last week charged him with honest services wire fraud, bribery, attempted extortion by a government official and money laundering. In February, former Council Member Tamaya Dennard was also arrested and charged with wire fraud, bribery and attempted extortion. Between August and December of 2019, she offered to exchange her votes for money. She plead guilty to one count of honest services wire fraud." Among news outlets also reporting are the Cincinnati Business Courier (11/19, Subscription Publication, 840K), Cincinnati CityBeat (11/19, 59K), WDTN-TV Dayton, OH (11/19, Rosi, 15K), WXIX-TV Cincinnati (11/19, Riva, Baker, 42K), WVXU-FM Cincinnati (11/19, Almendarez, Rinehart, 4K), and WKRC-TV Cincinnati (11/19, 161K). PROTESTS NYTimes Analysis: Majority Of Cases Against Protesters Dismissed In Court. The New York Times (11/19, Al, MacFarquhar, 18.61M) reports that "more than five months" after protests over the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, "a vast majority of cases against protesters are being dismissed" in the courtroom and "only cases involving more EFTA00149165 substantial charges like property destruction or other violence remain." Prosecutors "called the scale of both the mass arrests and mass dismissals...unrivaled, at least since the civil rights protests of the early 1960s," testing "the limitations of the court system." Many cases have been dropped as prosecutors "concluded that the protesters were exercising their basic civil rights," cases which "rarely succeed in court." Federal Lawsuit Against Chicago Police Alleges "Brutal Attacks On Protesters." USA Today (11/19, Hauck, 10.31M) reports that Chicago "police officers used 'brutal, violent and unconstitutional tactics' to quell protests over the killings of Black Americans last summer, with victims claiming they were beaten with batons and sprayed with chemicals, a federal lawsuit filed Thursday alleges." Civil rights attorneys "filed the 203-page suit on behalf of 60" plaintiffs, claiming "violations of protesters' First, Fourth and fourteenth Amendment rights and more." The 17-count suit "names Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown, along with 20 officers." Chicago's law department spokesperson Kathleen Fieweger said, "It is important to remember that these are allegations at this stage and not proof." WPost Analysis: Rittenhouse, Rosenbaum's Encounter "Divided The Nation." The Washington Post (11/19, Lee, O'Harrow, Samuels, 14.2M) reports that an "examination of video and police records, along with other documents, sheds new light on the mindsets" of 17- year-old Kyle Rittenhouse and 36-year-old Joseph Rosenbaum during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin following the police shooting of Jacob Blake. The Post says Rittenhouse, "a gun enthusiast," thought "of himself as a medic." In his first public comments "since his arrest," Rittenhouse "said he did not regret that he had a gun that night," despite being too young to own a rifle. Rittenhouse said, "I feel I had to protect myself. I would have died that night if I didn't." Rittenhouse Says He Used Stimulus Money To Buy Gun. The Hill (11/19, Coleman, 2.98M) reports, "Accused Kenosha, Wis., shooter Kyle Rittenhouse told The Washington Post that he used stimulus money from the government to buy his gun in an interview published Thursday." Rittenhouse, "who at 17 was too young to buy a rifle, had an adult friend purchase the AR-15 for him using stimulus money he got through an Illinois unemployment program when he was furloughed due to the pandemic. 'I got my twelve hundred dollars from the coronavirus Illinois unemployment 'cause I was on furlough from YMCA,' he said. 'And I got my first unemployment check, so I was like, "Oh, I'll use this to buy it." A family friend Dominick Black bought the gun for Rittenhouse in the spring of 2020, the Post reported, citing Rittenhouse and statements Black gave police." COUNTER-TERRORISM Syrian IS Suspect Arrested By Greek Police After Migrant Camp Fight. Reuters (11/19) reports that Greek police arrested an IS suspect "on Thursday after a brawl at a migrant camp where he has been staying with his wife and children and said he was believed to have been involved in a number of killings." The Syrian man, "who arrived in Greece in March 2018, was detained after an argument on Wednesday between two groups at the camp, a police official said." He is "accused of being a member of a terrorist group and participating in homicides." The man is "expected to appear before a prosecutor later in the day, according to a police statement." Greece "promised on Wednesday to build new reception centres for asylum seekers and cut the maximum stay in camps on its now-overcrowded islands." Watchdog: EU Relying On Treasury Department Program To Track Terror Financing. The Wall Street Journal (11/19, Tau, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that the Treasury Department's Terrorist Finance Tracking Program (TFTP) has become widely used by European EFTA00149166 countries to monitor global financial transactions in an effort to track terror financing. According to the US Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, about 40% of the database searches on TFTP were done on behalf of EU member countries or Europol. The independent watchdog's chairman, Adam Klein, said, "though funded and operated by the United States, provides a steady stream of valuable intelligence to EU member states. ... That should be welcome news to every American." Klein added, "The EU has effectively deputized the U.S. Treasury to perform counterterrorism searches of European data." COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE Cybersecurity Community Worried About Political Pressure From White House On CISA. The Washington Post (11/19, Marks, 14.2M) reports, "Current and former cybersecurity officials fear it will be far more difficult to withstand political pressure from the Trump White House following a purge of its senior leadership." After the firing of former CISA Director Chris Krebs "and other top leaders...it could be far easier for the White House to force the agency to stop fact-checking phony claims about the election or to combat disinformation about other key issues such as coronavirus vaccine distribution." Former DHS cybersecurity operations head Suzanne Spaulding said, "It's going to be a challenge to overcome the chilling effect from having had a leader of the organization fired for telling the truth." It is rumored "Brandon Wales, a longtime Department of Homeland Security official with extensive experience who is well respected at CISA," will take Krebs' place. Spaulding said, "If Brandon Wales is allowed to stay in place as acting director, I think CISA is in good hands." Sources: Energy Official Eyeing CISA Job After Former Director's Ouster. CyberScoop (11/19, Lyngaas) reports, "Sean Plankey, currently a senior official at the Department of Energy, has in recent days contacted current and former officials at DHS to discuss working" at CISA following the removal of the former director, according to unnamed sources. The Energy official "indicated in one conversation that his move to CISA was 'imminent,' one source said." His security clearance, "however, hangs in the balance," and its status "came up in the last year, prompting a review of his status as a clearance holder." It is "unclear if those issues have been resolved, and if Plankey still holds a clearance." Without a clearance, Plankey could not receive "the classified information that CISA officials draw on to help protect government agencies and the private sector from hacking." Opinion: Krebs Lost Job For "Standing His Ground." Opinion columnist David Ignatius writes in the Washington Post (11/19, 14.2M) that former CISA Director Chris Krebs "got fired for standing his ground," and his "story is a case study in how responsible officials who work for Trump can resist being manipulated." As CISA director, "his job was to coordinate security for the 2020 elections," and while the "main threat seemed to be from abroad," it "turned out that the real danger was at home." Krebs told Ignatius in August, "Election Day may look different than you've seen in the past, and with more Americans voting absentee, it will take longer to tabulate and report complete results." In addition to offering fact-checking on the CISA's website, Krebs' agency showed with evidence "the 2020 election 'was the most secure in American history:" Voting Machine Company, State Officials Threatened, Harassed In Aftermath Of Election. ABC News (11/19, Rubin, Bruggeman, Mosk, 2.97M) reports that Dominion Voting Machines' "employees have been the subject of threats and online harassment" following "two weeks of false fraud claims from President Donald Trump." Trump "has tweeted or retweeted more than a dozen false claims about Dominion Voting Systems used across the country to his 89 million followers, calling the company 'horrible, inaccurate and anything but secure,' despite no EFTA00149167 credible evidence to suggest its platforms were compromised in any way." The President has "resorted to promulgating progressively more outlandish claims online as part of an effort to delegitimize the outcome of the election." The Hill (11/19, Bowden, 2.98M) reports, "Election agencies or law enforcement organizations in five states, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania, have witnessed threats or `acute security risks' to officials" connected to the election. In Pennsylvania, the FBI "arrested two Virginia men on firearms charges after receiving threats to `straighten things out,' the Philadelphia Inquirer first reported." Other states have also "been the site of protests against election officials in recent days following the results of the presidential election." Election Assistance Commission Benjamin Hovland said, "I've heard from election officials that they're concerned about the safety of their staff." Election Reform Program Director Lawrence Norden said, "There's no question in my mind that this is unprecedented in the personal attacks on election officials." Facebook: 180 Million Posts Debunked Ahead Of Election Day. The Washington Post (11/19, Lerman, Kelly, 14.2M) reports, "Facebook on Thursday said it slapped warnings on more than 180 million pieces of content that were debunked by fact- checkers during the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election." The social media giant "also removed more than 265,000 pieces of content" in the US "for voter interference" between March 1 and November 3. It "did not reveal how effective its labels are, except to say that when a label obscures a post, 95 percent of people do not click to see what is behind the warning screen." Facebook's AI system "are getting significantly better at rooting out posts with hate speech, even as the content continues to proliferate on its social media sites," according to the company. Its technology "now identifies 95 percent of hate speech posts that the company eventually removes before a user reports them. Nearly three years ago, the AI proactively found about 24 percent of the violating posts." Media: Delayed Transition Creating "Gap" Between Biden, Harris Classified Briefings. Politico (11/19, Bertrand, 4.29M) reports, "President Donald Trump's refusal to concede to President-elect Joe Biden has resulted in an unusual national security predicament." As Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) cannot discuss the classified information she "is privy to" with former Vice President Biden, there is an "awkward gap between what Biden and Harris know about the biggest national security threats facing the country." Harris, as "a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee," has "access to regular classified briefings and documents up to the top-secret level, and can request intelligence briefings on specific topics," according to former CIA officer David Priess. Biden "will not be allowed access to classified information or any members of the intelligence community until the General Services Administration officially `ascertains' him as the president-elect." According to an unnamed transition official, "Harris's work on the Intelligence Committee `is entirely separate from her role as the Vice President- Elect. There is no co-mingling of those roles and responsibilities whatsoever." CNN (11/19, Cohen, Wright, Herb, 83.16M) reports, "there's a world of difference between what Biden can learn from outside experts and the depth of knowledge he would gain from even a limited classified briefing - which he has not received since becoming President-elect," according to experts and advisers. DNI "could give a higher-level briefing to the President- elect" if ascertainment had occurred, and during that briefing, "DNI could go into greater detail about specific threats and underlying intelligence to support the analysis." Additionally, "Biden is not currently receiving the President's Daily Brief." Former Associate White House Counsel Jamil N. Jaffer "told CNN that Trump and [DNI] Ratcliffe could still limit Biden's access to certain classified material if they choose to do so." Jaffer said "the President can decide to provide what ever he wants, and it is certainly likely that DNI Ratcliffe, notwithstanding any prior commitments made, will abide by the President's wishes." EFTA00149168 The Hill (11/19, Deese, 2.98M) reports, "Former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg called on the federal government to grant President-elect Joe Biden access to intelligence briefings." Buttigieg said on MSNBC, "This just seems to be an exercise in trying to somehow protect the outgoing president's ego and that's not worth undermining national security." Buttigieg "said it was a 'huge concern' that Biden was not receiving classified intelligence briefings roughly two months out from Inauguration Day, noting there are likely some intelligence briefings Biden `needs some advanced planning on' before entering office." Six Finalists Announced For US Space Command Headquarters. Stars And Stripes (11/19, Dickstein, 30K) reports, "The Pentagon has narrowed its choices on the permanent headquarters location for U.S. Space Command to six finalists, Air Force officials announced Thursday." The six finalists are "Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, Patrick Air Force Base in Florida, Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado, Port San Antonio in Texas, and Redstone Arsenal in Alabama, according to the Air Force." The Pentagon is expected to make a final decision "in early 2021, said Ann Stefanek, a spokeswoman for the service charged with making the final basing decision for SPACECOM." Stefanek said, "This assessment will be based on factors related to mission, infrastructure capacity, community support, and costs to the Department of Defense." It could take the Air Force "some six years to build the facilities necessary to house U.S. Space Command, once a location is chosen." Fox News (11/19, Rogers, 27.59M) reports, "Self-nominated communities from across twenty-four states were evaluated as potential locations for hosting the headquarters," said an Air Force statement. Until the announcement is made, "Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs will remain the Command's provisional headquarters." The Air Force has "said that it wants the headquarters location to rate 50 or higher on the AARP livability index and be in the top 150 metro areas." Space Force "made its first launch earlier this year when it sent a military satellite into space from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida." The Albuquerque (NM) Journal (11/19, Robinson-Avila, 196K) reports that with Orion Group "planning to establish a major manufacturing center near the Albuquerque International Sunport, the possibility of also landing the Space Command headquarters could solidify the city and state's emerging national standing as a space industry powerhouse, said Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller." The Omaha (M) World-Herald (11/19, Liewer, 641K) reports, "Offutt already is in the midst of the largest makeover in its history," with a new StratCom headquarters having opened, recovery and reconstruction work that has to take place on part of the base, and, additionally, "next spring the Air Force is beginning a 2-year, $176 million reconstruction of Offutt's single runway." The AP (11/19, Farrington) reports from Florida that "Patrick Air Force Base in Brevard County" is one of the finalists, and the "presence of NASA, private space companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin, universities that focus on engineering, the military presence in central Florida and the Cape Canaveral launch pads will make Florida competitive," according to Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL). The Colorado Springs (CO) Gazette (11/19, Roeder, 223K) reports, "The biggest categories are military needs, which includes the command's proximity to space units, having a solid civilian space work force, and quality of life for troops" - and Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC defense program chief Reggie Ash "said Colorado Springs has all those boxes checked." The Denver Post (11/19, Tabachnik, 720K) also provides coverage about Colorado Springs' selection as one of the six finalists. The San Antonio Express-News (11/19, Christenson, Jefferson, 762K) reports, "San Antonio had floated several possible sites" — including "Port San Antonio, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, and the former Brooks AFB, now a commercial development" — but "the Air Force narrowed them down to Port San Antonio, the former Kelly AFB." EFTA00149169 The Huntsville (AL) Times (11/19, Roop, Gattis, 861K) reports that Huntsville's Redstone Arsenal "is the only site on the new list that is not an Air Force base," though local officials have touted how the site "handled earlier growth through Army base closing and realignment efforts (BRAG)." Canadian Border Agent Says Huawei CFO Could Have Fled Country. Reuters (11/19, Berman) reports that Canada Border Services Agency Superintendent Sowmith Katragadda "told a court on Thursday" that Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou "was a flight risk and had the resources to escape the country without reporting to authorities." Katragadda said Meng "has the resources to depart Canada and not report for an examination," adding she "is a senior executive for one of the biggest companies in the world. And Canada is a very big country with a lot of small airports." Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday "said he had no regrets about Meng's arrest regardless of foreign policy implications, pointing to the `longstanding extradition treaty with our closest ally' and adding that Canada's laws can't only be followed 'when it's convenient or when it's easy.'" CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS Men Accused In Whitmer Kidnapping Plot Allegedly Planned Executions. WLS-TV Chicago (11/19, 391K) reports that according to new filings, the 14 men charged in "the alleged militia plot against" Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) drew up a Plan B "that involved a takeover of the Michigan capitol building by 200 combatants who would state a week-long series of televised executions of public officials." The documents also show a Plan C that involved "burning down the state house, leaving no survivors." WLS-TV says that "in southern Wisconsin Wednesday afternoon the 14th man charged in the plot, Brian Higgins, was closer to extradition to Michigan," though "several of the defendants have had bond reductions and are now free." McClatchy (11/19, Stunson, 19K) reports, "A militia group with plans to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also considered executing hostages on television before their plot was foiled, according to new court documents. The new information was revealed by the Michigan Attorney General's Office, which was arguing against a bond reduction of one of the militia men, Pete Musico. Fourteen men have been charged in the case, which the attorney general's office is prosecuting, according to the Detroit Free Press." McClatchy adds, "Some of the accused extremists, known as the Wolverine Watchmen, had two plans during a 2nd Amendment rally they attended at Michigan's Capitol building in June, documents uploaded by WWMT revealed. The first plan involved them recruiting 200 men and storming the Capitol building while Congress was in session. 'They were to take hostages, execute tyrants and have it televised,' court documents show. 'It would take about one week and (said) that no one is coming out alive.' The Detroit Free Press (11/19, Guillen, Moran, 1.52M) reports, "A Wisconsin man accused of helping with the alleged surveillance of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's vacation home was denied bail on Thursday while his lawyer prepares to fight his extradition to Michigan." Brian Higgins, 52, "will remain in custody in Columbia County, Wisc., until an extradition hearing scheduled for Dec. 15. The hearing will focus on extradition paperwork Whitmer signed. Higgins' lawyer, Christopher Van Wagner, said Wednesday that Whitmer should not have signed the document because she has a conflict of interest as the potential victim in the alleged kidnap plot." The Free Press adds, "A Columbia County prosecutor argued Thursday that Higgins should not be released before the extradition hearing because Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers - after receiving Whitmer's paperwork - has now signed a warrant for his delivery to Michigan, changing his status in the eyes of the law." EFTA00149170 The Portage (WI) Daily Register (11/19, 28K) reports, "Judge Todd Hepler ultimately decided that Higgins will be held without bail until further proceedings. Van Wagner has indicated that he will pursue habeas corpus proceedings, or a request that the court determine whether someone's detention is unlawful. Van Wagner has until Dec. 2 to file motions and documents. The state has until Dec. 11 to respond. Van Wagner has until Dec. 14 to respond to the state. A motion hearing is then scheduled for Dec. 15." Also reporting on their websites are WKOW-TV Madison, WI (11/19, Cestkowski, 5K), WMTV-TV Madison, WI (11/19, Tornabene, 56K), and WDIV-TV Detroit (11/19, Hermes, 460K). Louisville, Kentucky Sergeants Testify Explorer Records Could Have Been Accessed By Newspaper. The Louisville (KY) Courier-Journal (11/19, Wolfson, 368K) reports, "A retired Louisville Metro Police sergeant and another still on the force testified Thursday the investigative file on the scandal-plagued Explorer Scout program was available when The Courier Journal requested it last year - despite LMPD and the Jefferson County attorney's office saying it had been moved to the FBI. 'It was all there,' Sgt. Kristen Downs of the Public Integrity Unit testified in a deposition." Downs "swore under oath she delivered copies of the file in 2017 to then-Chief Steve Conrad and to the office of County Attorney Mike O'Connell. She and retired Sgt. Robert Banta testified as well they believe the records still exist on the city's back-up computer server." US Charges 14 In Bust Of Wisconsin Drug Trafficking Ring. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (11/19, Hughes, 632K) reports, "Federal prosecutors Thursday 14 people in connection with a Racine drug trafficking organization that distributed heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine." According to the Journal Sentinel, "Ten of the 14 individuals were arrested by law enforcement Wednesday and face between five and 40 years in prison if convicted, according to a statement released Thursday from the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Officers seized seven guns, 200 grams of heroin, 100 grams of crack cocaine, more than 50 grams of fentanyl and various quantities of suboxone strips, oxycodone pills and PCP, and $8,000 in cash in the Wednesday operation, the statement said. The organization also had Chicago connections." The Racine (WI) Journal Times (11/19, 114K) reports, "FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Hughes said, 'Shared resources and intelligence among law enforcement partners led to the successful takedown of an organized drug trafficking operation, and the arrests of multiple subjects. The FBI's Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Gang Task Force in Racine will continue to work with our partners to keep our communities free of drugs and violence." WITI-TV Milwaukee (11/19, Jewell, 159K) reports, "Officials noted just two milligrams of fentanyl is a lethal dose - and used a picture of a penny to illustrate just how little two milligrams is. 'Such small amounts of fentanyl can be mixed with substances and then sold on the street as heroin. But it's incredibly lethal,' said Matt Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. 'Users don't know what's in a mix and it's taking lives." WISN-TV Milwaukee (11/19, 265K) also reports. FBI Arrests Man Accused Of Colliding Drone With LAPD Helicopter. The Los Angeles Times (11/19, Winton, 4.64M) reports Andrew Rene Hernandez, 22, accused of "recklessly operating a drone and crashing it into a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter earlier this year" was arrested by the FBI on Thursday. Hernandez was "charged with unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft after an investigation by the FBI, the LAPD and the Federal Aviation Administration." The incident took place on September 18 after Los Angeles police officers "responding to a predawn burglary call at a Hollywood pharmacy requested air support." The AP (11/19) reports, "FBI special agents arrested...Hernandez...on a complaint charging him with one count of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft, a statement said. EFTA00149171 The complaint states that police officers responding to a burglary call at a Hollywood pharmacy on Sept. 18 requested air support. The police helicopter was approaching the pharmacy when the pilot saw the drone and unsuccessfully attempted to evade it. The helicopter's nose, antenna and bottom cowlings were damaged. The complaint states that if the drone had struck the main rotor it could have brought down the helicopter." Officers "found parts of the drone on the ground and a vehicle that had been damaged as it fell from the sky," and "the drone's camera and memory card led to identification of Hernandez as the operator, the U.S. attorney's office said." The Los Angeles Daily News (11/19, Escobar, 232K) reports, "Hernandez admitted to flying the drone - controlled by a device attached to his smartphone - to 'see what was going on,' according to the department. There is no indication that Hernandez, who lives nearby, was involved in the pharmacy burglary, according to Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office. Authorities are concerned about illegal drone activity, he said." KTLA-TV Los Angeles (11/19, Wenzke, 766K) also reports on its website. Three Former Philadelphia Revenue Employees Charged After FBI Sting. The Inquirer (PA) (11/19, Steele, 347K) reports, "Three former employees of Philadelphia's Department of Revenue were charged Thursday by federal prosecutors with soliciting and accepting bribes." The employees "were caught in an FBI sting operation, according to charges outlined by federal prosecutors." They all "accepted bribes in exchange for erasing fees owed by taxpayers, U.S. Attorney William McSwain and Philadelphia Inspector General Alexander DeSantis said in their announcement." FBI Philadelphia Division Special Agent in Charge Michael 3. Driscoll said, "When municipal employees decide to take bribes, they're openly putting their own interests above those of the city they serve. ... The defendants' alleged actions benefited themselves and those who paid them off, at the expense of Philadelphia's revenues and its residents." Also reporting is WHYY-TV Philadelphia (11/19, Scott, 24K). New York Man Charged With Sexual Exploitation Of A Minor. The Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record (11/19, Randall, 147K) reports that a New York man "has been charged with sexual exploitation of an 8-year-old girl and transporting child pornography," and the FBI "believes there are more victims." FBI Agent Pao Mei Fisher said the tutor "'mailed, transported and shipped' the child pornography maintained on his iPhone from his home in Westchester County to Fairfield County in Connecticut, according to the sworn statement." The man "has worked at several locations over the years," and has "done private tutoring for more than 30 years in the Bronx, Westchester County and in Connecticut, according to the FBI." FBI Coordinating With Kentucky Police On Four-Year Old Murder Case. WHAS-TV Louisville, KY (11/19, McAlister, Weiter, 99K) reports on the ongoing investigation into a Kentucky man who was killed in 2016. Since that time, Kentucky State Police "lead the investigation into Tommy Ballard's death with recent help from the FBI." State Police "receives new tips on the case every week, but so far no lead has lead to Ballard's killer." Law enforcement originally "called it a hunting accident." However, "Kentucky State Police said they were investigating Tommy Ballard's death as a murder, but in the three and a half years since he was shot and killed, police have shared no updates." An FBI task force "added Tommy Ballard's case to its website as well as" a few others. Ten Charged With Belonging To Cleveland Street Gang Implicated In Crimes. The Cleveland Plain Dealer (11/19, Shaffer, 895K) reports that in Ohio, ten "are charged with belonging to a street gang that dealt drugs in the city's southeast side, authorities announced Thursday." They are "members of the Percy Homies gang face charges including drug trafficking, criminal gang activity and weapons violations, according to a joint news release EFTA00149172 from Cleveland police, the Cleveland FBI and Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley's Office." Prosecutors on Thursday "filed a motion to unseal the secret indictment that a grand jury handed up on Tuesday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court." Local police, SWAT, and FBI task force members "arrested six of the men and executed search warrants in which officers seized seven guns, drugs and an unspecified amount of cash." Serial Killer Blamed For Two Murders In Miami In 1970s. The AP (11/19, Lush) reports that serial killer Samuel Little has been blamed for two murders in Miami in the 1970s. Little, who has "been behind bars since 2012," will not "be charged in the two Miami murders." Little "told investigators he was responsible for about 90 killings nationwide between 1970 and 2005," and the FBI "said its crime analysts believe all of his confessions are credible." The FBI has also provided numerous drawings of his victims. Kansas Man Indicted On Federal Fraud Charges. The Hays (KS) Post (11/19) reports, "A Kansas man who ran an autopsies-for-hire business was indicted Wednesday on federal fraud charges, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister." Authorities seek "to recover more than $1 million in fees paid by the defendant's clients." The man is accused of falsely leading clients "to believe they would receive an autopsy report prepared by a pathologist." However, "in most of the cases, no pathologist was involved in the work on the autopsies." He "offered private autopsy services through his business, National Autopsy Services, based in Topeka." The FBI is looking for victims of the scheme. Trial Date For Suspects In 2017 Suisun City Murder Rescheduled. The East Bay_(CA) Times (11/19, Bammer, 63K) reports, "The setting of a jury trial date has been rescheduled again for two people connected to" a 2017 murder in Suisun City. The two suspects "were scheduled to appear Monday in Department 15 for a readiness conference and to hear the trial date, but Judge Robert Bowers reset the proceedings for 9 a.m. Jan. 20 in the Justice Building in Vallejo." The reschedulings come after a defense attorney "asked Judge John B. Ellis during a late-January proceeding in the Hall of Justice in Fairfield to consider a motion to dismiss all - or parts of - a June 2019 Solano County grand jury indictment of her client." The two "face first-degree murder charges in connection to the death" of the daughter-in-law of one. New York Man Arrested For Enticement Of A Minor Awaiting Further Legal Action. The Greater Binghamton (NY) Press & Sun-Bulletin (11/19, Borrelli, 85K) reports that a New York man "was arrested and charged Oct. 30 with felony counts of enticement of a minor and traveling to engage in illicit sexual contact, which could mean at least 10 years in federal prison if he's convicted." The US Attorney's Office investigation "leading to the federal charges involved a search of the victim's cell phone and contact from Lettieri's Facebook account and phone number." The man "made an initial appearance in federal court and on Nov. 13, he was detained to await further legal action." FBI is "still investigating allegations involving" the man. FBI: Reported Jet Pack Sightings In Los Angeles Unlikely To Involve Actual Jet Pack. KCAL-TV Los Angeles (11/19) reports from Los Angeles, "A series of reported jet pack sightings near LAX are unlikely to involve an actual person with a jet pack, federal investigators said Thursday." KCAL-TV adds, "Speaking to reporters Thursday, Kristi Johnson, FBI assistant director in charge of the Los Angeles Field Office, said they've gotten reports about multiple sightings in recent weeks." Johnson "said there are currently multiple theories as to what the objects could be, but no conclusions yet. One theory is that it's a balloon possibly resembling 'a jet pack or person', or it could be a 'a drone designed to look like a jet pack or person'. Lastly and most unlikely, Johnson said, it could be an 'actual person with a jet pack: The FAA and FBI are investigating to protect the airspace, Johnson added." EFTA00149173 Continuing Coverage: Man Accused Of Bank Robbery In Several States Arrested. The Pine Barrens (ha) Tribune (11/19, Melegari) reports that a man "who is alleged to have committed at least six bank robberies in New Jersey...is suspected in over a dozen others robberies in Connecticut and Pennsylvania." He is also "believed to have been involved in a previous bank robbery in Glenview, Illinois, is alleged to have robbed a Citizens Bank last week." On November 12, "the FBI Newark Field Office advised area media that it added" the man to its website "for his alleged involvement in a series of bank robberies." The agency also "created a fugitive wanted poster calling for his apprehension." Woman Wanted In Pittsburgh FBI Probe Taken Into Custody. KDKA-TV Pittsburgh (11/19, 144K) reports, "FBI Pittsburgh says a woman wanted in connection with an `ongoing investigation' is in custody." KDKA-TV adds, "Earlier on Thursday, they asked anyone who knows where Kristin Steffan is to call police or FBI Pittsburgh at 412-432-4000. FBI Pittsburgh did not release any information about the investigation and said no other details are available at this time. Later in the day, they said Steffan had been taken into custody." Three Drug Conspirators Get Prison Time. The McAllen (TX) Monitor (11/19, Zazueta-Castro, 98K) reports a federal judge has "handed down punishments in a case involving a group of men who allegedly conspired to transport drugs to the Midwest." Carlos Gonzalez and Reynaldo Lerma both were sentenced to 70 months in prison, while Erasmo Gonzalez Jr. received a 30-month sentence. Each of those defendants pleaded guilty to a drug conspiracy charge after they were arrested by FBI agents in Texas. Two others who were arrested at that time, Fernando Lerma and Derrick Raul Lerma, have yet to be sentenced after they "each pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge." Washington Man Charged Following FBI Child Exploitation Task Force Investigation. The Spokane (WA) pokesman-Review (11/19, Epperly, 183K) reports that a Washington man "was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree promoting prostitution." He was "sentenced to 120 months on Nov. 10 after an investigation" by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force "found evidence he participated in human trafficking." In January, the man "transported a teen to an undercover human trafficking operation conducted by the task force, according to court documents." In August 2018, he "was charged with one count of second-degree promoting prostitution," and also "has a lengthy criminal history, including multiple convictions for theft, assault, and violating no-contact and protection orders." Also reporting are KREM-TV Spokane, WA (11/19, Riordan, 88K), and KXLY-TV Spokane, WA (11/19, 7K). FBI, LAPD Investigation Results In 14 Arrests In Street Gang Case. The Los Angeles Watts Times (11/19) reports, "An investigation led by the FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department" has "resulted in the arrest of 14 defendants linked to a street gang on federal charges alleging the distribution of narcotics, some of which were sold to customers out of two South Los Angeles storefronts." Operation Hoover Dam "resulted in three indictments being returned over the past few weeks by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles." They "allege that the defendants — all reputed members or associates of the gang, or alleged drug dealers who operated in gang territory - sold methamphetamine, crack cocaine, cocaine and phencyclidine." Ten defendants have been charged, "including two purported senior gang members who operated stores where narcotics allegedly were peddled." Pain Clinic's Doctor, Manager Facing Drug Charges. In website coverage, WNBC-TV New York (11/19, Valiquette, 344K) New York reports a doctor who ran a pain management clinic in New York City and the clinic's manager have been EFTA00149174 arrested "on federal narcotics charges." Agents with the FBI arrested Dr. Howard Adelglass and Marcello Sansone. The New York Daily News (11/19, Brown, 2.52M) quotes "FBI Assistant Director William Sweeney Jr.," who stated, "The alleged behavior of" Adelglass, "a licensed physician, who held a position of trust in our society, causes lasting harm to our communities." Two Arrested After FBI Raid In Montana. The Missoulian (MT) (11/19, Larson, 140K) reports that two Montana men "are facing federal drug and firearms charges after they were arrested in a federal raid Wednesday night in East Missoula." The men "were booked into the Missoula County Detention Center late Wednesday night after a standoff with law enforcement on the 500 block of Montana Avenue." One is "charged with distribution of methamphetamine, as well as conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine," while the other is "charged with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furthering a drug trafficking crime." Locals heard "the FBI announce themselves over the loudspeaker Wednesday night," and one man "said he heard law enforcement set off some sort of explosive device, like a flash or smoke grenade, several times in apprehending the people inside." Also reporting is KGVO-FM Missoula, MT (11/19, Christian). An online KFBB-TV Great Falls, MT (11/19, Depping) report says Montana residents "Leon Paul Kavis, Jr., 36, and Dylan Roy Mace, 28," are facing drug charges after they allegedly distributed large amounts of methamphetamine "in the Missoula area." The charges are the result of an investigation that "was conducted by the FBI Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force, with the assistance of the...Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force" and the DEA. This story is also covered by the KECI-TV Missoula, MT (11/19, 54K) and KPAX-TV Missoula, MT (11/19, 1K) websites. FBI, Local Police Execute Drug Trafficking Search Warrants In Centralia, Illinois. WJBD-AM Salem, IL (11/19, Kropp) reports that Centralia, Illinois Police Chief Greg Dodson "says the police department in conjunction with the FBI Drug Task Force executed two coordinated simultaneous search warrants Thursday morning. Dodson says the warrants are in relation to an on-going drug-trafficking investigation inside the city of Centralia." According to WJBD-AM, "The Centralia Police Department's high-risk tactical team executed the search warrant at a residence located in the 600 block of Howard Street. At the same time, the Springfield FBI SWAT team executed a search warrant in the 1000 block of North Maple Street. During the search of the residences, a large quantity of drugs and cash were located as well as several firearms. A 52-year-old Centralia man was taken into custody and will be arraigned on charges stemming from the warrant by the US Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois in East St. Louis on Friday or Monday." New York Man Sentenced To 150 Months For Dealing Drugs. The Batavia M) Daily News (11/20, DeSmit, 38K) reports from Buffalo, New York, "He boasted of having a Mercedes and gold around his wrist and neck and money, cars and toys," and "Anthony Allee once wrote on Facebook, his wife was the reason for his success in life. Drugs were the reason and on Wednesday, Allee, of Ridgeway, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to serve 12 years and six months in federal prison." Allee, 29, "pleaded guilty in July to possessing with intent to distribute and distributing cocaine and unlawful possession of a short-barreled shotgun in furtherance of drug trafficking." Allee "and his wife, Tashira, 37, were first arrested in July 2019 after local police raided their home on Ridge Road. The case was taken over by the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office, leading to the couple's arrest on federal charges." Two Arrested After Missing California Man's Body Found. EFTA00149175 KTLA-TV Los Angeles (11/20, 766K) reports, "Two people were arrested Thursday on suspicion of murder after the body of a missing man from South Los Angeles was discovered in a shallow grave in the San Bernardino County desert, officials said." Juan Hernandez, 21, "was last seen Sept. 22 when he left home for his job at VIP Collective, a cannabis dispensary in South L.A. His family reported him missing after he didn't return from work that night. His mother, Yajaira Hernandez, previously told KTLA the dispensary's security guards said they parted ways with her son when they closed up the shop at 10 p.m. Within a week of his disappearance, someone tried to extort money from the family for his safe return, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. LAPD says it led them to determine Hernandez was most likely the victim of a crime, and detectives enlisted the FBI's help in the case." The Los Angeles Times (11/19, Ormseth, 4.64M) reports, "Hernandez's family had reported him missing the night of Sept. 22. A student at El Camino College in Torrance, Hernandez, known to family and friends as 'Cookie,' was a semester shy of transferring to USC, where he planned to study engineering, his mother previously told The Times. Hernandez was last seen at a marijuana dispensary on the corner of Western Avenue and 81st Street, where on Sept. 22 he worked a shift from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. A few minutes before 10 p.m., he sent his mother a text message saying he'd be home soon. He'd driven her car, a 2020 Honda Civic, to work. Police found the car two days later in the 6400 block of South Figueroa Street, about two miles from the dispensary." Leader Of International Burglary Ring Pleads Guilty To Racketeering Charges. The New York Post (11/19, Rosenberg, Fitz-Gibbon, 4.57M) reports, "The leader of an international burglary ring that netted $10 million in jewel heists and bank jobs from Manhattan to Beverly Hills pleaded guilty to racketeering charges in New York City federal court Thursday." The man "is the fourth member of the ring busted for carrying out a 12-year crime spree that hit more than a half-dozen jewelry stores in Manhattan and Brooklyn," according to the US Attorney's Office. The ring "even attempted to rob a jewelry store in Germany in 2008 and almost made off with nearly $12 million in gold, prosecutors said." One was living in New York, "where neighbors knew him as 'Damian from The Bronx,' when the FBI caught up with him in October 2018." FBI Searching For "Berenstain Bandits" Crew After 14 Robberies Across Southern California. KNSD-TV San Diego (11/19, 194K) reports, "Local law-enforcement is searching for a three- suspect crew believed to have knocked over more than a dozen businesses all across Southern California. The robbers - two men and a driver - go into businesses armed, one with a silver revolver and the other with a black handgun, officials said." KNSD-TV adds, "On Wednesday night, the men entering the targeted buildings were wearing yellow vests, yellow bandanas to cover their faces. The FBI is calling the crew the Berenstain Bandits, a reference to the Berenstain Bears series of children's books in which the father always wears a bright yellow shirt. Investigators, who believe the suspects are either from San Diego or have ties to the county, said three businesses were robbed in San Bernardino County overnight:" Pennsylvania Man Charged With Robbing Two New Jersey Banks. NJ News (11/19, Cohen, 1.72M) reports, "A convicted bank robber was charged with robbing two Camden County banks two days apart, authorities said Thursday." Leon Stanford, 51, of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, "was ordered detained without bail after a videoconference hearing in Camden federal court, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for New Jersey. Stanford is accused of two counts of bank robbery. He targeted a TD Bank branch in Oaklyn on Feb. 22, when he passed a note to a teller announcing a robbery, a criminal complaint stated. 'Small bills / no dye pack / this is a robbery,' the robber's note said, according to an FBI agent's account in the complaint. Stanford fled with about $500, it said." EFTA00149176 Boy Scouts Face More Than 95,000 Abuse Claims In Bankruptcy Case. The Washington Post (11/19, Schmidt, 14.2M) reports that the Boy Scouts of America "said it must reach a settlement in its ongoing bankruptcy case by next summer" after over 95,000 sex-abuse claims were filed "as part of the organization's ongoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy case." The Post says, "The staggering volume of claims exceeded expectations of the victims' lawyers and could further complicate a restructuring process that is coming at the worst possible time for the Boy Scouts" during the pandemic that has exacerbated weakened membership and hit revenue. An attorney for the organization, Jessica Boelter, said, "Simply stated, we're going to run out of money if we linger any longer in bankruptcy." FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS Illinois House Speaker Madigan Responds To Bribery Charges Against Associates. WGEM-TV Quincy, IL (11/19, Roberts) reports from Chicago, "House Speaker Mike Madigan released a written statement Thursday following the issuing of charges on Wednesday against several former executives and lobbyists for Commonwealth Edison." WGEM-TV adds, "Prosecutors haven't charged Madigan and in the statement Madigan maintains the indictment alleges no criminal misconduct or wrong doing on his part." According to WGEM-TV, "Wednesday's indictment named five individuals including Mike McClain, a former Quincy lawmaker, lobbyist, and close confidant of Madigan. Each of the five individuals was charged with bribery conspiracy, bribery, and willfully falsifying ComEd and Exelon books, records, and accounts. The indictment also names former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, former executive John Hooker, and lobbyist Jay Doherty." The Chicago Sun-Times (11/19, Hinton, 875K) reports, "After members of Madigan's inner circle were indicted for an alleged bribery scheme designed to influence him, four more state House Democrats say they won't be voting for Madigan to maintain his powerful position in January, effectively blocking him from another term in that seat if they hold to their statements. Madigan said in a lengthy, two-page statement that to the extent anyone at Commonwealth Edison thought they could 'influence my conduct as a legislator ... they were fundamentally mistaken: 'If they even harbored the thought that they could bribe or influence me, they would have failed miserably,' Madigan said. 'I take offense at any notion otherwise. To the extent anyone may have suggested to others that I could be influenced, then they, too, were wrong. Had I known about it, I would have made every effort to put a stop to it." The Chicago Tribune (11/19, Pearson, Munks, Petrella, 2.65M) reports, "Madigan, long undisputed in his role as Illinois' most powerful politician, now finds his leadership hanging on the precipice as the state faces one of the most tumultuous periods in its history." The Tribune adds, "A day after his closest political ally was indicted in a bribery and influence-buying scheme involving Commonwealth Edison, Madigan on Thursday saw eight more of his rank-and- file House members pledge not to reelect him when lawmakers reconvene in January," and "that left Madigan at least three votes shy of the 60 he'll need to win another term in January." Luxury Cars Seized In $16M Texas Coronavirus Fraud Case. KKTX-AM Corpus Christi, TX (11/19, Galluccio) reports, "Federal authorities have arrested and charged seven people for allegedly stealing $16 million from federal programs meant to help businesses struggling with the coronavirus pandemic. Six of the individuals are from the Houston area, while the seventh person is from Illinois. Amir Aqeel, 52, Pardeep Basra, 51, Rifat Bajwa, 51, Mayer Misak, 40, Mauricio Navia, 41, Richard Reuth, and Siddiq Azeemuddin were all charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. Aqeel and Azeemuddin were also charged with money laundering. The charges were laid out in a 20-page indictment released by the FBI." Officials "said the men falsified documents to apply for fraudulent loans EFTA00149177 from the Paycheck Protection Program. They created fake tax documents and wrote checks to non-existent employees, which they cashed themselves." Missouri Man Pleads Guilty In Landfill Fraud Probe. The Arkansas Democrat Gazette (11/19, Satter, 307K) reports, "A Missouri man admitted Tuesday that he was the driver of big yellow trucks that were caught dumping waste at the Mississippi County landfill for free in 2017 and 2018, in exchange for paying bribes to landfill operator Wil Allen." US District Judge Kristine Baker "accepted a guilty plea from Joe Harlon Hamlett to a charge of aiding and abetting honest-services wire fraud. Hamlett faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when sentenced next year. On Oct. 8, a federal jury in Baker's court convicted Hamlett's boss, James David Ross, of the same charge, finding that he defrauded Mississippi County and the state of $54,155 by bribing Allen to let him dump numerous loads of demolition debris for free." Allen pleaded guilty in September "to accepting bribes to let Ross' trucks avoid a weigh station and corresponding bills. He is awaiting sentencing." In Response To DO) Suit, Realtors Group Agrees To Make Cost Of Broker Commissions More Transparent. The Wall Street Journal (11/19, Kendall, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that as part of a settlement of a Justice Department lawsuit, the National Association for Realtors agreed Thursday to make the cost of brokers' commissions more transparent. A DOJ suit against the group alleged it maintained anticompetitive rules which made it difficult for home buyers to determine how much commission an agent would earn. Facebook Facing State And Federal Antitrust Charges Over Acquisitions. Reuters (11/19, Bartz, Dave) reports the FTC "and a bipartisan group of dozens of state attorneys general are in the final stages of filing one or more major antitrust complaints against Facebook." FTC staff "has recommended to commissioners that they sue the social media company in federal court, which would allow the group of states, led by New York, to join the lawsuit, according to one source. As many as 41 states may sign on to the lawsuit, three sources said." Reuters says the action "is expected to focus on Facebook's alleged violations of antitrust law to build and protect its gigantic market share in social media." The Washington Post (11/19, Romm, 14.2M) says state and federal investigators are preparing antitrust charges "that will challenge the tech giant's acquisition of two rivals, Instagram and WhatsApp, alleging that the deals helped create an anti-competitive social networking juggernaut that has left users with few quality alternatives." The Post adds that "government antitrust watchdogs have weighed whether to contend in lawsuits that these transactions have left users with worse services — and fewer privacy protections - than they might have had if the companies had remained independent." New York Fraud Investigations Said To Include Trump Tax Write-Offs. The New York Times (11/19, Hakim, McIntire, Rashbaum, Protess, 18.61M) reports, "Two separate New York State fraud investigations into President Trump and his businesses, one criminal and one civil, have expanded to include tax write-offs on millions of dollars in consulting fees, some of which appear to have gone to Ivanka Trump, according to people with knowledge of the matter." The Times says subpoenas issued to the Trump Organization "for records related to the fees" highlight "the legal challenges awaiting the president when he leaves office in January." Trump Organization general counsel Alan Garten called it "the latest fishing expedition in an ongoing attempt to harass the company." Politico (11/19, Choi, 4.29M) reports, "Ivanka Trump on Thursday called New York state investigations into her father's business dealings 'harassment," in comments "seeming to confirm that the probes now include tax write-offs that appear to involve her." Ivanka Trump EFTA00149178 tweeted, "This 'inquiry' by NYC democrats is 100% motivated by politics, publicity and rage. They know very well that there's nothing here and that there was no tax benefit whatsoever. These politicians are simply ruthless." Politico says the post "could signal the family's coming defense against mounting inquiries by state authorities." CYBER DIVISION Grand Jury Indicts California Man For Cyberstalking Airbnb Guest. KPIX-TV San Francisco (11/19, 110K) reports the Department of Justice announced that a federal grand jury indicted a Ceres, CA man for cyberstalking an Airbnb guest for most of this The grand jury indicted 49-year old Kevin James Strutz, "for harassing the victim, who officials identified only as an adult woman who stayed at his home in Ceres back in February of this year. year." If convicted, Strutz "faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000-fine." GAO: Cyber Command's Vision For Developing Capabilities Lacks Clarity. C4ISR & Networks (11/19, Pomerleau) reports, "U.S. Cyber Command's vison for developing its core cyber platforms and capabilities lacks clear goals and guidance," according to a GAO audit. The audit, released November 19, "examined Cyber Command's Joint Cyber Warfighting Architecture, which was created by the command to guide its capabilities." It was "broken up into five elements," including "common firing platforms for a comprehensive suite of cyber tools" and "Unified Platform that will integrate and analyze data from offensive and defensive operations with partners." The agency "was granted limited acquisition authority but still relies on the armed services to act as executive agents for major programs." It "has been heavily reliant on the tools, personnel and infrastructure" of the NSA. Arizona Judicial Branch's Website Hit By Ransomware Attack. The Arizona Republic (11/19, Castle, 869K) reports, "The Arizona Judicial Branch is dealing with the aftermath of a ransomware attack against its internet service provider this week." A court spokesperson, Aaron Nash, "said that the impact appears to be limited to information connected with the azcourts.gov website and does not affect individual court or clerk's offices." Portals that allowed "people to access protective orders, defensive driving classes," and other information was down "for periods of time during the week." After Managed.com was attacked on Monday, the company "took down all of its servers to deal with the attack and some of its clients' sites had their data encrypted." Managed.com is "working with law enforcement to identify the attackers." LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES US Executes Man Convicted Of 1994 Kidnapping-Murder. The New York Times (11/20, Fuchs, 18.61M) reports, "The Justice Department executed Orlando Cordia Hall on late Thursday for his role in the 1994 kidnapping and killing of a 16- year-old girl, after the Supreme Court cleared the way earlier in the night. His execution, by lethal injection at the penitentiary in Terre Haute, Ind., was the eighth by the Trump administration since this summer, when it resumed use of capital punishment by the federal government after a 17-year hiatus." Hall, 49, "was the first of three federal prisoners scheduled for execution during the presidential transition. President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. has said he will work to end the use of capital punishment by the federal government, reversing President Trump's support for it. The Bureau of Prisons confirmed in a statement that Mr. Hall was pronounced dead at 11:47 p.m." EFTA00149179 The AP (11/18, Salter) reports that US District Judge Tanya Chutkan "halted the scheduled execution Thursday of" Hall, who is "convicted of kidnapping and raping a 16-year- old Texas girl, bludgeoning her with a shovel and burying her alive." Hall "would be the eighth federal inmate put to death since the Trump administration resumed federal executions this year after a pause of nearly two decades without one." Chutkan "said the execution must be put on hold as the court weighs constitutional questions raised by Hall's attorneys, including concerns over the federal Bureau of Prisons' protocols for executions." The Justice Department "filed an immediate appeal with a federal appeals court in Washington" against the decision. The Washington Post (11/19, Marimow, 14.2M) reports that Chutkan's ruling is the latest in "a series of legal battles over the Justice Department's lethal-injection procedures announced by the Trump administration last year." The Post goes on to report that "in a separate case, a federal judge on Thursday postponed until at least Dec. 31 the execution of a third death-row inmate, Lisa Montgomery, who would be the first woman put to death by the federal government in nearly 70 years" after her "longtime lawyers...became infected with the coronavirus," ruling they "should have time to recover to prepare her clemency application." Prince George's County, Maryland Will Use DNA Registries To Solve Cold Cases With New DO] Grant. The Washington Post (11/19, Mettler, 14.2M) reports, "Prince George's County is one of 10 jurisdictions across the country that will receive a $470,000 grant from the Department of Justice to reopen cold cases using forensic genetic genealogy - a new investigative technique that draws on privately curated DNA databases from popular genealogy websites to compare with samples collected from crimes." The Post adds, "The funding could help investigators reopen as many as 60 cold cases over the next three years, Prince George's prosecutors and police said at a news conference Thursday." According to the Post, "There are more than 600 cases of serious and violent crimes in the county in which DNA was collected from the scene but the sample did not generate a match in the FBI's Combined DNA Index System, often referred to as COD'S." INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Mexico Says Corruption Cases Involving Its Officials Will No Longer Be Tried In US. The AP (11/19, Verza) reports that on Thursday, the government of Mexico "said...it will no longer allow officials accused of corruption to be tried in the United States, a move that could end a decades-old tradition in which most of Mexico's high-profile drug-trafficking and corruption cases have been tried north of the border." Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard is quoted as saying, "Whoever is culpable according to our laws will be tried, judged and if applicable sentenced in Mexico, and not in other countries. ... That is what has been...agreed and what has been maintained with U.S. authorities." According to the AP, "The announcement suggests the fallout from the arrest of former Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos - which enraged Mexico when the Justice Department announced it last month - is far broader than previously known." Mexican Officials Criticize US Over Flow Of Destructive Weapons Over Border. The Washington Post (11/19, 14.2M) reports Mexico's "increasingly militarized drug cartels now command arsenals that rival the weaponry of the country's security forces," and in "rare public criticism," Mexican officials are "venting their frustration at what they say is the U.S. failure to stop the flow" over the border. While "the United States is pushing Mexico to target cartels more aggressively, U.S. laws that make...destructive weapons easy to buy, along with a lack of enforcement at the border, are enabling those groups to expand their influence and activities in the country." EFTA00149180 LAWFUL ACCESS Google To Test End-To-End Encryption In Android Messages. TechCrunch (11/19, Whittaker, 605K) reports, "For the past year and a half, Google has been rolling out its next-generation messaging to Android users to replace the old, clunky, and insecure SMS text messaging. Now the company says that rollout is complete, and plans to bring end-to-end encryption to Android messages next year. Google's Rich Communications Services is Android's answer to Apple's iMessage, and brings typing indicators, read receipts, and you'd expect from most messaging apps these days." TechCrunch adds, "In a blog post Thursday, Google said it plans to roll out end-to-end encryption - starting with one-on-one conversations - leaving open the possibility of end-to-end encrypted group chats. It'll become available to beta testers, who can sign up here, beginning later in November and continue into the new year." Ars Technica (11/19, Goodin, 1.36M) reports, "Abbreviated as RCS, Rich Communication Service provides a, well, richer user experience than the ancient SMS standard. Typing indicators, presence information, location sharing, longer messages, and better media support are key selling points. They lead to things like better-quality photos and videos, chat over Wi- Fi, knowing when a message is read, sharing reactions, and better capabilities for group chats. As Ars Review Editor Ron Amadeo noted last year, RCS interest from carriers has been tepid, so Google has been rolling it out with limited support. Google said on Thursday that it has now completed its worldwide rollout of RCS and is moving to a new phase—end-to-end encryption. Interest in end-to-end encryption has mushroomed over the past decade, particularly with revelations from Edward Snowden of indiscriminate spying of electronic communications by the NSA." OTHER FBI NEWS Wray, Haspel May Be Next To Lose Jobs In Administration. Fox Exclusive (11/19, Sardana) reports, "FBI director Christopher Wray could be subsequently on the line of firing Trump," according to US media. CIA Director Gina Haspel "has been increasingly irritated by Trump and its allies because they repeatedly press on again to declassify records connected with Russian involvement during presidential elections in 2016," reported CNN. Additionally, on Friday, DNI Ratcliffe "was allegedly not part of Trump's regular intelligence briefing." Concerns over the potential ouster of these officials comes after President Trump has dismissed other officials, such as former CISA Director Krebs and former Defense Secretary Esper. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS Trump Reaches Out To Michigan Legislators As State Prepares To Certify Biden Win. Coverage of President Trump's post-election maneuvering grows increasingly harsh, with reports saying Trump is trying "to subvert the election," is using the power of the presidency "to try to reverse the results of the election," and is aiming at "retaining power despite losing." The AP (11/19, Miller, Cassidy, Long) reports the President "and his allies are taking increasingly frantic steps to subvert the results of the 2020 election, including summoning state legislators to the White House as part of a longshot bid to overturn Joe Biden's victory. Among other last- ditch tactics: personally calling local election officials who are trying to rescind their certification votes in Michigan, suggesting in a legal challenge that Pennsylvania set aside the popular vote there and pressuring county officials in Arizona to delay certifying vote tallies." EFTA00149181 On the CBS Evening NewsVi (11/19, story 3, 2:15, O'Donnell, 4.28M), Norah O'Donnell said Trump "was handed two more legal defeats, this time in Pennsylvania and Arizona," on Thursday "in his last-ditch effort to challenge the election in court." CBS' Paula Reid: "With courtroom losses piling up, President Trump is trying a new approach in his fight to overturn the election: personal political pressure. He's called Republican legislators from Michigan to the White House tomorrow to persuade them to intervene." On ABC World News TonightVi (11/19, story 5, 1:00, Muir, 7.26M), Mary Bruce said, "This is all part of a shockingly bold last ditch attempt by the President to somehow change the election results." The New York Times (11/19, Haberman, Rutenberg, Corasaniti, Epstein, 18.61M) reports under the headline "Trump Targets Michigan In His Ploy To Subvert The Election" that the President on Thursday "accelerated his efforts to interfere in the nation's electoral process, taking the extraordinary step of reaching out directly to Republican state legislators from Michigan and inviting them to the White House on Friday for discussions as the state prepares to certify" Biden as the winner there. The Times says the President's allies "appear to be pursuing a highly dubious legal theory that if the results are not certified, Republican legislatures could intervene and appoint pro-Trump electors in states Mr. Biden won who would support the president when the Electoral College meets on Dec. 14." Reuters (11/19, Martina, Freifeld, Renshaw) says Trump's "strategy for retaining power despite losing the U.S. election is focused increasingly on persuading Republican legislators to intervene on his behalf in battleground states [Biden] won." David Sanger of the New York Times (11/19, Sanger, 18.61M) writes in an analysis that Trump's "attempts to overturn the 2020 election are unprecedented in American history and an even more audacious use of brute political force to gain the White House than when Congress gave Rutherford B. Hayes the presidency during Reconstruction." Trump's chances of succeeding "are somewhere between remote and impossible...yet the fact that Mr. Trump is even trying has set off widespread alarms." The Washington Post (11/19, Rucker, Gardner, Dawsey, 14.2M) writes in an analysis that Trump "is using the power of his office to try to reverse the results of the election. ... After courts rejected the Trump campaign's baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud, the president is now trying to remain in power with a wholesale assault on the integrity of the vote by spreading misinformation and trying to persuade loyal Republicans to manipulate the electoral system on his behalf." The Washington Post (11/19, Hamburger, Ruble, Elfrink, 14.2M) says in a second piece that Trump and his allies are "continu[ing] an extraordinary campaign to overturn the results of an election he lost." The Wall Street Journal (11/19, Ballhaus, Leary, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) similarly reports under the headline "Trump Broadens His Efforts To Overturn Election Outcome" that the effort is without precedent and is aimed at reversing a clear defeat. The Detroit Free Press (11/19, 1.52M) reports Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R) and House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R) are expected to meet with the President at the White House on Friday, "though both have said they have no plans for any longshot maneuvers aimed at the Republican Legislature naming an alternate set of pro Trump electors for Michigan." The Detroit News (11/19, 825K) reports Biden "won Michigan 51%-48% or by 154,000 votes, according to the current unofficial results. All 83 counties have approved their tallies, according to the Department of State. And the Board of State Canvassers is scheduled to meet Monday to consider statewide certification." Politico (11/19, Cheney, 4.29M) reports Trump's campaign has withdrawn "its last remaining federal lawsuit in Michigan Thursday, falsely claiming that local election officials had declined to certify the Detroit-area's vote tabulation even though they voted unanimously to do so Tuesday night." Breitbart (11/19, 673K) reports Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) told MSNBC "that there was `no legal avenue' for two members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers to reverse their votes" to certify the results there. Bloomberg (11/19, Parker, 4.73M), the New York Daily News (11/19, Goldiner, 2.52M), The Hill (11/19, Samuels, 2.98M), EFTA00149182 and the CNN (11/19, Grayer, Herb, Liptak, 83.16M) and Fox News (11/19, Henney, 27.59M) websites are among the other outlets covering the actions in Michigan. Kristen Welker said on NBC Nightly NewsVi (11/19, story 2, 0:50, Holt, 5.84M) that "the Trump legal team [is] pressing ahead with challenges to the election." The AP (11/19, Long, Miller, Colvin, Eggert) says the President "and his allies are taking increasingly frantic steps to subvert the results of the 2020 election. ... Election law experts see it as the last, dying gasps of the Trump campaign and say Biden is certain to walk into the Oval Office come January. But there is great concern that Trump's effort is doing real damage to public faith in the integrity of U.S. elections." The Washington Post (11/19, Fahrenthold, Reinhard, Viebeck, Brown, 14.2M) calls the moves a "chaotic effort to upend the U.S. presidential election," and the Los Angeles Times (11/19, 4.64M) says Trump is "escalating his slapdash yet persistent attempts to overturn Joe Biden's election victory." CNN (11/19, Bash, Borger, 83.16M) reports on its website that Trump "told an ally that he knows he lost, but that he is delaying the transition process and is aggressively trying to sow doubt about the election results in order to get back at Democrats for questioning the legitimacy of his own election in 2016, especially with the Russia investigation, a source familiar with the President's thinking told CNN on Thursday." USA Today (11/19, 10.31M) editorializes, "No one expected [Trump) to be as gracious in defeat as was George H.W. Bush in 1992, the last time an incumbent was defeated. And perhaps only the starry-eyed would think Trump might implement a more aggressive pandemic response now that the numbers are surging again. Even so, in the past couple of weeks, unable to face reality and unwilling to concede his election loss to Joe Biden, Trump has sunk to new levels of depravity and narcissism." The New York Times (11/19, 18.61M) editorializes, "Lies have a long half-life, and Mr. Trump's misinformation campaign will undermine the democratic legitimacy of the Biden administration. About half of all Republicans surveyed by a new Reuters/Ipsos poll said they believed that Mr. Trump had rightfully won the election," and a Monmouth poll this week found that 77% of Trump supporters "believe Mr. Biden won through fraud. ... Trump already has persuaded millions of people to disregard the dangers of the coronavirus and has made refusing to wear masks a point of pride for his supporters. Imagine what will happen when more Americans share his contempt for democracy." The Washington Post (11/19, 14.2M) editorializes, "Trump's efforts to overturn the results of a free and fair election grow more brazen," and each day, Senate Majority Leader McConnell "and other so-called leaders of the Republican Party grow more complicit in this banana- republic style assault on democracy. ... Trump is not playing out legitimate legal options. He is maneuvering to undo his defeat through lies and chicanery. Let us all remember who abetted this disgrace and who stood up to it." Biden Remains Winner In Georgia Following Hand Recount. The AP (11/19) reports Biden "has won Georgia and its 16 electoral votes, an extraordinary victory for Democrats who pushed to expand their electoral map through the Sun Belt." The New York Times (11/19, Fausset, 18.61M) says Georgia's "statewide hand recount of more than five million ballots reaffirmed on Thursday that [Biden) notched an upset in a state that has long been considered a Republican stronghold." Breitbart (11/19, 673K) reports the elections board in Floyd County, Georgia, on Thursday "voted to terminate its executive director after an audit found ballots left uncounted prior to the county's initial certification." USA Today (11/19, Garrison, Rossman, 10.31M), the Wall Street Journal (11/19, McWhirter, Corse, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (11/19, 895K) are among the other outlets covering the Georgia results. Arizona Judge Dismisses GOP Attempt To Halt Certification Of Biden Win. Reuters (11/19, Wolfe) reports Arizona Judge John Hannah on Thursday "dismissed a Republican-backed lawsuit seeking to halt Arizona officials from certifying [Biden) as the winner of the state." Hannah "said in a brief order he was denying a request by the Arizona Republican EFTA00149183 Party for an injunction blocking the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors from certifying the results in the county, where the majority of Arizonans live." The Arizona Republic (11/19, 869K) reports the state GOP "had filed its suit last week, alleging Maricopa County officials violated state law when they conducted a hand-count audit based on vote centers, open to any voter in the county, instead of assigned precincts." The Hill (11/19, Neidig, 2.98M) also reports. Recount In Two Wisconsin Counties Set To Get Underway. The AP (11/19, Bauer) reports that on Thursday, the Wisconsin Elections Commission "issued an order...to recount more than 800,000 ballots cast in two heavily liberal counties" at Trump's request. The order, "required by law after Trump paid $3 million for the recount, was agreed to after rancorous debate for more than five hours Wednesday night that foreshadows the partisan battle ahead." The recounts in Milwaukee and Dane counties, where Biden "outpolled Trump by a more than 2- to-1 margin, will begin Friday and must be completed by Dec. 1." The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (11/19, 632K) reports Milwaukee County Clerk George Christenson "said Thursday that the county is taking every precaution possible, including distancing tables from each other and requiring that everyone who enters wear a mask." Media Analyses: Giuliani News Conference Included "Outright Fabrications," Lacked "Hard Evidence." The New York Times (11/19, Feuer, Qiu, 18.61M) reports, "At a rambling news conference" on Thursday, Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani "mixed misleading statements, wild conspiracy theories and outright fabrications as he attempted to suggest that Mr. Trump still had a viable pathway to winning the election." The AP (11/19, Merchant) reports Giuliani and other Trump lawyers "berated reporters for questioning their claims and cited a Michigan affidavit already dismissed by a judge. They also argued a debunked conspiracy theory that Venezuela could have hacked election results through machines used by local authorities." Bloomberg (11/19, Wingrove, 4.73M) reports, "Their allegations ranged from complaints that Republican observers weren't allowed to observe vote-counting in Philadelphia and Detroit to a claim by Trump lawyer Sidney Powell that U.S. voting machines made by Dominion Voting Systems Inc. used software made in Venezuela at the direction of Hugo Chavez," who "died in 2013." The Washington Post (11/19, Zak, Dawsey, 14.2M) says that "for 90 minutes, an unmasked Rudy and four maskless colleagues - 'an elite strike force team,' according to senior legal adviser Jenna Ellis - spun a confusing web of conspiracies that indicate Trump won the election that he lost." The New York Daily News (11/19, Sommerfeldt, 2.52M) says the event "was called to amplify Trump's completely unfounded claim that Democratic officials used mail- in ballots to rig" the election. Townhall (11/19, Pavlich, 177K) reports Giuliani "presented evidence he says suggests a pattern of planned voter fraud that was perpetrated in multiple states." But the Daily Caller (11/19, 716K) reports Fox News White House correspondent Kristin Fisher said after the event, "Well, that was certainly a colorful news conference from Rudy Giuliani but it was light on facts. So much of what he said was simply not true or has already been thrown out in court. ... He called it a nationwide conspiracy. And yet he failed to provide any hard evidence to back up that one specific claim especially when you're dealing with a claim that really cuts to the core of our democratic process." Giuliani said on Fox News' Hannity (11/19, 535K), "It was a national conspiracy. More than just three states, it was 10 states. It's impossible that in Pittsburgh, and in Philadelphia, and Detroit, and in Milwaukee, and in Phoenix, the Democratic leaders woke up on November 3 and said, 'We are going to shut all the Republicans out. We are going to put them in shoots. We are not going to let them see absentee ballots,' when for 100 years, we all look at absentee ballots. This had to come from someplace in the Biden campaign." USA Today (11/19, Shannon, 10.31M), Politico (11/19, Forgey, Isenstadt, 4.29M), Breitbart (11/19, 673K), and the Fox News (11/19, Blitzer, 27.59M) website also cover the news conference. Cornyn Says Biden Not Yet President-Elect, But Says He Has Seen No Evidence Of Fraud. The Dallas Morning News (11/19, Gillman, 946K) reports Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) EFTA00149184 "said Thursday that he does not consider Joe Biden to be the president-elect, arguing that it is premature to apply that title until votes are certified and legal challenges are resolved. But Cornyn acknowledges that he is unaware of any evidence backing up [Trump's] contention that the election has been stolen through fraud or ballot tampering." Cornyn said, "He is not president-elect until the votes are certified. So the answer to that is no. And I don't know what basis you or anybody else would claim that he's president-elect before the votes are certified and these contests are resolved." Boston Globe's Pindell Says Trump Could Decide To Resign. James Pindell of the Boston Globe (11/19, 972K) writes, "The most logical ending to the Trump presidency isn't him hunkering down inside of the West Wing forcing a constitutional crisis. The most logical thing is that he just quits, possibly even a few days before Biden is sworn in. ... By quitting, he could make a deal with [Vice President] Pence: you get to be the 46th president for a small stretch and, in return, you pardon me. ... The thing about quitting is that he leaves entirely on his own terms. ... Sticking around or trying to use the levers of power to stay in office would be dramatic but is a lot less predictable. Quitting is a script he would get to write." And Trump "isn't acting like he is enjoying the job of president much anymore." CDC Urges Americans Not To Travel Over Thanksgiving. David Muir opened ABC World News TonightVi (11/19, lead story, 3:30, Muir, 7.26M) by reporting on a "blunt" new warning from the CDC "urging Americans not to travel this Thanksgiving. With the nation having lost more than 250,000 American lives to this and given what they've seen in just the last 24 hours, nearly 200,000 new cases, the numbers are simply accelerating too fast." Norah O'Donnell said on the CBS Evening NewsVi (11/19, lead story, 3:40, O'Donnell, 4.28M), "In a blunt and ominous warning, the government's top health protection agency now says ignoring those warnings and holding gatherings could lead directly to family members dying from COVID-19." CBS' Kris Van Cleave: "That urgent warning not to travel comes as many as 50 million Americans are preparing to do just that - travel for Thanksgiving. The CDC is urging anybody who hasn't been home for 14 days, including college students coming from campus, not to participate in Thanksgiving plans unless they have already quarantined." Miguel Almaguer said on NBC Nightly NewsVi (11/19, story 3, 2:30, Holt, 5.84M), "With the US facing a crushing wave of patients and a growing number of fatalities, tonight at this critical phase, the CDC is now urging all Americans to stay home for Thanksgiving. ... As our nation now averages some 1,200 deaths a day, in the Midwest, home to the most dire surge in the nation, seven governors, Democrats and Republicans, are sharing the same message" in a Thursday Washington Post op-ed: "stay home." The Washington Post (11/19, Al, Shammas, 14.2M) reports that in the agency's "first news briefing in months, officials said they were alarmed to see 1 million new cases reported across the United States within the past week." The AP (11/19, Stobbe, Hollingsworth) says the CDC "pleaded with Americans on Thursday not to travel for Thanksgiving and not to spend the holiday with people from outside their household." According to the AP, "It was some of the firmest guidance yet from the government on curtailing traditional gatherings to fight the outbreak." USA Today (11/19, Moniuszko, 10.31M) reports CDC COVID-19 incident manager Henry Walke said those "who do decide to travel for the holiday should do so 'as safely as possible by following the same recommendations for everyday living,' including wearing a mask, staying six feet apart and washing your hands." The New York Times (11/19, Tompkins, 18.61M) says "the new guidance...contrasted sharply with recent White House efforts to downplay the threat." Reuters (11/19, Caspani, Borter) reports that "the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the United States has jumped nearly 50% in the last two weeks, forcing states to impose new restrictions to curb the alarming viral spread as Americans face a potentially grim winter and holiday season." Bloomberg (11/19, Querolo, Annett, 4.73M) reports that "almost EFTA00149185 80,000 patients are hospitalized with Covid-19 in the U.S. - another high in a week that has pushed up the record every day since Nov. 10." The New York Times (11/19, Leatherby, Harris, 18.61M) reports, "Coronavirus cases are rising in almost every U.S. state. But the surge is worst now in places where leaders neglected to keep up forceful virus containment efforts or failed to implement basic measures like mask mandates in the first place, according to a New York Times analysis of data from the University of Oxford." ABC World News TonightVI (11/19, story 6, 2:35, Muir, 7.26M) had a similar assessment. In an appearance on CNN's Cuomo Prime TimeVI (11/19, 1.93M), NIAID Director Fauci said, "You heard the numbers that we gave at the press conference today. They're daunting, they're very serious. But we can do something about it. ... If we had everybody pulling together as a country, doing the fundamental things that we've been speaking about - the mask- wearing, the keeping the distance, the avoiding congregate settings and crowds, doing things outdoors much more preferential than indoors - that's not big stuff. It's easy to do." Reuters (11/19, Spalding, Maddipatla), the Wall Street Journal (11/19, Al, Korn, Calfas, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), the Los Angeles Times (11/19, 4.64M), Axios (11/19, Fernandez, 521K), Politico (11/19, Ehley, 4.29M), The Hill (11/19, Hellmann, 2.98M), and the CNN (11/19, Fox, 83.16M), Fox News (11/19, Farber, 27.59M), and CNBC (11/19, Feuer, 3.62M) websites are among the other outlets covering the guidance. Pence Hosts COVID News Briefing. The AP (11/19) reports Vice President Pence spoke Thursday at the White House, where he "offer[ed] an upbeat assessment of the status of the coronavirus in the U.S., despite a surge in cases, hospitalizations and more than a quarter of a million deaths." He "[said] America 'has never been more prepared to combat this virus than we are today." Reuters (11/19) reports that during his remarks, Pence dismissed new calls for a nationwide lockdown or a return to shutting down schools. The Washington Post (11/19, Gearan, Kim, 14.2M) reports Pence and other federal task force members "touted encouraging news on vaccines, particularly on their efficacy, and promised Americans that millions of doses could be distributed almost immediately upon approval by the Food and Drug Administration." They also "urged the country to continue mitigation measures such as wearing masks and social distancing," but Pence "did not wear a face covering at the White House podium." Birx, Fauci Urge Americans To Continue Maintaining Best Practices. Bloomberg (11/19, Parker, Fabian, Wingrove, 4.73M) reports White House COVID Task Force Coordinator Deborah Birx and NIAID Director Fauci spoke Thursday at the news conference. Birx "urged Americans to be vigilant as the pandemic surges across the country," saying, "Every American needs to be vigilant in this moment because we know when you are, we can stop this spread together." Fauci added, "We're talking about intensifying the simple public-health measures that we all talk about: mask-wearing, saving distance, avoiding congregant settings, doing things to the extent that we can outdoors versus indoors." Fauci Concerned Misinformation Will Hobble Vaccination Effort. CNBC (11/19, Higgins-Dunn, 3.62M) reports on its website that on Thursday, NIAID Director Fauci "said...that convincing people who consider the coronavirus to be 'fake news' to get vaccinated against the disease could become an issue as the nation seeks to achieve so-called herd immunity to suppress the pandemic. 'They actually don't think that this is a problem,' Fauci said during a conversation with The Hastings Center." Carson Says He Is Taking Oleander Extract As COVID Treatment. In an interview with the Washington Post (11/19, Terris, 14.2M), HUD Secretary Carson said he is taking oleander extract as a treatment for COVID after hearing about it from MyPillow EFTA00149186 inventor Mike Lindell. Carson said, "I heard about the oleander extract from Mike." Carson "said he took the extract, which has not been approved for such purposes by the FDA and which experts say may be dangerous, and within hours his symptoms disappeared - to the delight of Lindell, who has a financial stake in the company that makes the extract." Trump Administration Facing Multiple Challenges Over Vaccine Distribution. NBC Nightly NewsVi (11/19, story 4, 1:50, Holt, 5.84M) reported that the Trump Administration is facing a series of vaccine challenges going into December, and they include FDA approval and nationwide distribution. FDA Commissioner Hahn promised earlier on Thursday that the FDA would not "cut corners" on the Pfizer and Moderna emergency applications for their COVID vaccines. Hahn said in a statement, "I am promising you, your viewers, and the American people [that] we will not cut corners when it comes to our ultimate assessment of these vaccines." Operation Warp Speed COO General Perna said in a separate news conference, "We will begin distribution of the vaccine within 24 hours after emergency use authorization is approved." In an appearance on Fox News' The Story, Assistant HHS Secretary for Health Adm. Brett Giroir was asked to respond to Joe Biden's comments regarding distribution of vaccines. Giroir said, "Comparing testing to vaccination doesn't make any scientific sense. Operation Warp Speed has - it's incredible. We have two vaccines that are 95% efficacious, that are safe, and that appeared to work in elderly - we are going to have tens of millions of doses by the end of the year and the distribution process is sound. ... It's timed not to the hour, but to the minute." National Academies Publishes Plan For Vaccine Distribution. USA Today (11/19, Weise, 10.31M) reports that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine "has outlined a plan for fair distribution that's being used as a framework by the Centers for Disease Control's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices," and the CDC will "make the final decision on when certain groups of Americans will have access to vaccine." The initial vaccination group "includes frontline health care workers, first responders, cleaners and ambulance drivers," but full vaccination "could take up to a year." The Los Angeles Times (11/19, Levey, 4.64M) reports that regular Americans "shouldn't expect to get a vaccine at their doctor's office or pharmacy for many months." Council on Foreign Relations Global Heath Program Director Thomas J. Bollyky said of the distribution risks, "If we are going to reach the levels of vaccination that we need to control the pandemic, which will be challenging, we have to sustain the public's confidence." He added, "If we don't have a fair allocation of vaccines, that could undermine the whole campaign in a way that would do lasting damage." Oxford, AstraZeneca Laud Early Vaccine Results. On ABC World News TonightVi (11/19, story 2, 0:35, Muir, 7.26M), Whit Johnson reported, "Oxford and AstraZeneca say new results show their vaccine is safe, and produce robust immune responses in healthy adults and people over the age of 70." The final result data is not yet released, and it joins other positive vaccine test data from Pfizer and Moderna. Fauci Lauds Early Vaccine Data. Asked on CNN's Cuomo Prime TimeVi (11/19, 1.93M) whether he expects interim efficacy data on the vaccines to "hold," NIAID Director Fauci said, "I've seen the numbers. ... Those numbers are not going to change. The issue is, how long does the immunity last? How long does the protection last? We don't know that right now, but we know it works." When asked whether the vaccines could prevent infections, Fauci said, "We don't know that now, but the impact of a vaccine that could prevent somebody from getting ill and prevent somebody from getting seriously ill - that's huge...by anybody's standard." Labs Warn Of COVID Test Delays. The AP (11/19, Perrone, Renault) reports that testing laboratories have "warned that continuing shortages of key supplies are likely to create more bottlenecks and delays" in processing EFTA00149187 outstanding COVID testing kits. Association of Public Health Laboratories CEO Scott Becker said in a statement, "As those cases increase, demand increases and turnaround times may increase." However, Assistant HHS Secretary for Health Adm. Brett Giroir has "downplayed reports of lines and delays earlier this week." The US "is testing over 1.5 million people per day on average, more than double the rate in July, when many Americans last faced long lines." Asked about reports of test shortages on NPRVi (11/19, 3.12M), Giroir said, "We are absolutely able to support the testing of those who are symptomatic, to all the contacts they have, to test asymptomatic individuals across the country in an unprecedented way. We have all of that, but the lines you're seeing, primarily now, are the result of individuals who mistakenly believe that getting a test today or tomorrow is going to make them safe over the holidays for travel." Fauci Urges Development Of At-Home Testing Capability. Asked on CNN's Cuomo Prime TimeVi (11/19, 1.96M) about what type of testing he would advocate going forward, NIAID Director Fauci said, "The thing I would be pushing for is something that's a home test that's point-of-care, that you can do yourself." Study Finds Employers Avoid Offering COVID Testing Over Cost. The New York Times (11/19, Scheiber, 18.61M) reports that a new World Economic Forum and Arizona State University study "has found that companies most frequently cited cost and complexity as the biggest deterrents to testing their workers." The findings, which are "based on responses from 1,141 facilities at over 1,100 companies worldwide from September through late October," complement earlier news "suggesting that many employers have been able to obtain testing relatively quickly if they absorb the expense." Newsom Announces Overnight Curfew In California. The AP (11/19, Thompson) reports California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced Thursday that the state "is imposing an overnight curfew on most residents as the most populous state tries to head off a surge in coronavirus cases that it fears could tax the state's health care system." The Los Angeles Times (11/19, Luna, 4.64M) reports the order "will prohibit most nonessential activity outside the home from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m in counties in the strictest tier of the state's reopening roadmap - the purple tier." The order's restrictions go "into place on Saturday and lasts through Dec. 21, though it could be extended." The San Francisco Chronicle (11/19, 2.67M) says the measure "is similar to one New York imposed statewide last week, and what other European countries and cities have experimented with to control new waves of the virus. Newsom said this week he and officials were still combing through the research, but experts say the science behind curfews during a pandemic is still relatively scant." Politico (11/19, White, Colliver, 4.29M) says the order "will likely deepen resentment among those opposed to Newsom's efforts to reimpose tough measures to contain the virus." Assemblymember Devon Mathis (R) "excoriated Newsom for a 'huge overreach," and Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones "said in a statement Thursday afternoon that he would not enforce 'any health or emergency orders related to curfews, staying at home, Thanksgiving or other social gatherings inside or outside the home, maximum occupancy, or mask mandates." The Hill (11/19, Choi, 2.98M) reports California "reported nearly 200,000 on Nov. 12, the most it has recorded in a single day since the pandemic was declared in March." The Wall Street Journal (11/19, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), the San Jose Mercury News (11/19, 456K), and Axios (11/19, Chen, Perano, 521K) also have reports. Ohio Legislature Passes Bill To Limit DeWine's Emergency Powers. The Cleveland Plain Dealer (11/19, 895K) reports that Ohio legislators passed Thursday a bill to strip Gov. Mike DeWine (R) "of the authority to issue statewide coronavirus orders, even though the governor said the measure would be 'a disaster' and vowed to veto it." The measure would EFTA00149188 "ban the Ohio Department of Health from issuing mandatory quarantine orders enforced against people who are not diagnosed as sick or directly exposed to disease." However, the bill "would not void existing statewide orders, including the three-week 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew announced by the governor earlier this week, a renewed statewide mask mandate, and a 'stay- at-home' order like the one DeWine ordered the state health director to issue last spring." New York City Parents Protest School Closures. The CBS Evening NewsVi (11/19, story 5, 2:10, O'Donnell, 4.28M) reported, "Thousands of parents of New York City schoolchildren sent a petition to the city's mayor and the state's governor demanding that the nation's largest school system reopen immediately for in-person learning." CBS' Meg Oliver said that the abrupt shutdown "sent parents of some 300,000 students scrambling Wednesday night." Oliver interviewed New York City emergency medicine physician Uch4 Blackstock, who argued against the shutdown, saying, "I do think right now it is safe. They are going back in smaller cohorts. They are wearing masks as are the teachers." The New York Times (11/19, McKinley, Ferro-Sadurni, 18.61M) reports that the school closures come as thousands of new cases "are emerging every day statewide," and hospitalizations "have more than quintupled since early September, topping 2,200 on Wednesday." The New York Times (11/19, Shapiro, Kim, 18.61M) reports New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) "defended his decision" to shut down the school district on Thursday, "saying it was justified by the steady increase in test positivity, which again topped 3 percent on Thursday." He said, "We see a gathering storm, and we're fighting back the second wave." He "vowed to reopen the city's schools, but warned that it would require 'even more stringent rules," which could "include expanding coronavirus testing in school buildings and possibly mandating that all students who want to take in-person classes provide written consent to receive a coronavirus test." Smithsonian Shuts Down All Facilities Indefinitely. The AP (11/19, Khalil) reports, "In response to rising COVID-19 infection numbers, the Smithsonian Institution is indefinitely shutting down operations at all its facilities, effective Monday and affecting seven museums, plus the National Zoo." The Washington Post (11/19, Hedgpeth, 14.2M) reports Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III "said the decision to close the museums and National Zoo was a precaution, adding that caseloads are projected to rise after Thanksgiving, typically a busy time for the museums." The New York Times (11/19, Bahr, 18.61M) reports that the Smithsonian's "New York City museums, the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian George Gustav Heye Center, have been closed to the public since March 14." Tyson Foods Suspends Iowa Plant Managers Over Alleged COVID Wagers. The AP (11/19, Foley) reports Tyson Foods "suspended top officials at its largest pork plant on Thursday and launched an investigation into allegations that they bet on how many workers would get infected during a widespread coronavirus outbreak." President/CEO Dean Banks "said he was 'extremely upset' about the allegations against managers at its plant in Waterloo, Iowa, saying they do not represent the company's values." USA Today (11/19, Bote, 10.31M) reports an amended lawsuit filed Wednesday says managers "placed bets on how many would end up getting sick." Tyson kept the plant open "even as local officials urged for its shutdown early in the pandemic. As a result, around 1,000 employees contracted COVID-19, five of whom died." The amended lawsuit claims plant managers "downplayed the severity of COVID-19 at the plant to both supervisors and processing workers." The Wall Street Journal (11/19, Bunge, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports Tyson said it suspended the managers accused of wagering on the number of COVID cases. EFTA00149189 Older Americans Increasingly Challenged By Isolation Orders. NBC Nightly NewsVI (11/19, story 9, 2:55, Holt, 5.84M) reported that social isolation measures introduced to combat the spread of COVID-19 are increasingly challenging older Americans, who continue to struggle with solitude. Kate Snow interviewed Dr. Louise Erinson, who warned that continued isolation will undermine the mental health of America's seniors. Erinson said, "I am seeing people having trouble sleeping, having trouble focusing, and worried about will this go on forever." The mental health challenges are also burdening caregivers, and AARP's latest report warns that one out of six caregivers "report a fair or poor mental heath state." Missed Census Deadline Could Impair Trump Effort To Block Migrants From Count. The AP (11/19, Schneider) reports that on Thursday, Steven Dillingham, the Director of the Census Bureau, "said...that irregularities have been found during the numbers-crunching phase of the 2020 census, a development that jeopardizes the statistical agency's ability to meet a year-end deadline for handing in numbers used for divvying up congressional seats." According to the AP, the Census Bureau "already was facing a shortened schedule of two and a half months for processing the data collected during the 2020 census — about half the time originally planned." The AP also reports that the Census Bureau "would not say...what the anomalies were or publicly state if there would be a new deadline for the apportionment numbers." The New York Times (11/19, Wines, Bazelon, 18.61M) says the announcement is "a blow to the Trump administration's efforts to strip unauthorized immigrants from census totals used for reapportionment" because Census Bureau officials "have concluded that they cannot produce the state population totals required to reallocate seats in the House of Representatives until after President Trump leaves office in January." However, the Times goes on to report that Dillingham "did not explicitly rule out delivering reapportionment totals before Mr. Trump's term ends." The Washington Post (11/19, Bahrampour, 14.2M) says the delay presents "a new roadblock" to the Trump Administration's "quest to exclude undocumented immigrants from being counted" after an attempt to "add a citizenship question to the survey, which experts said could scare immigrants away and result in an inaccurate count" was blocked by the Supreme Court. The Administration separately "in July announced plans to try to exclude undocumented immigrants," sparking "several legal challenges" and a Supreme Court hearing set for November 30, though "it is unclear how the delays communicated Wednesday will affect that case." CNN (11/19, Wallace, 83.16M) reports on its website that "if the issue delays the bureau's data processing steps, the incoming Biden administration may be in a position to override the controversial decision by the Trump administration to exclude undocumented immigrants from key tallies such as the apportionment count for how many congressional districts states have." The Wall Street Journal (11/19, Overberg, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) also reports. CBP Reports Record Arrests In October. The Washington Post (11/19, Miroff, 14.2M) reports that authorities "made more than 69,000 arrests and detentions last month along the border with Mexico, a 21 percent increase from September and the highest total for any October since 2005," according to Customs and Border Protection figures released Thursday. The Post says the surge "was partly fueled by a soaring number of repeat arrests along the border resulting from the Trump administration's practice of quickly 'expelling' people to Mexico after they enter the country," with "at least one-third of those taken into custody each month...repeat offenders." Acting CBP Commissioner Morgan "blamed the economic impacts of the pandemic for the latest increase in border crossings, as well as [Joe Biden's) stated plans to reverse many of Trump's immigration policies." Democrats Demand Release For Female Detainees In ICE Custody. EFTA00149190 The Washington Post (11/19, Armus, 14.2M) reports that "a group of more than 100 congressional Democrats demanded Thursday" in a letter to Acting ICE Director Pham, the Justice Department, FBI, and DHS Office of the Inspector General that ICE "release female detainees from a Georgia detention facility who allege they received subpar gynecological care while detained there." The letter argues that the women could be witnesses in a federal investigation into physician Mahendra Amin and "calls for the women to receive necessary certifications for a chance to apply for U-visas." The lawmakers wrote, "Deporting these witnesses - especially when none of them have received independent physical or mental health evaluations by medical experts - amounts to a de facto destruction of evidence." Schumer Says McConnell Has Agreed To Resume COVID Relief Talks. Reuters (11/19) reports Senate Minority Leader Schumer said Thursday that Senate Majority Leader McConnell has agreed to resume COVID relief talks. According to CNBC, Schumer said, "[Wednesday] night, they've agreed to sit down and the staffs are going to sit down today or tomorrow to try to begin to see if we can get a real good COVID relief bill. ... So there's been a little bit of a breakthrough in that McConnell's folks are finally sitting down and talking to us." Reuters cites a "senior Democratic aide" who "said there was a midafternoon meeting on Thursday of aides" representing McConnell, Schumer, House Speaker Pelosi, and House Minority Leader McCarthy. However, Politico (11/19, Levine, 4.29M) says GOP aides "disputed Schumer's characterization and said that Democrats were conflating the omnibus spending bill and a Covid relief bill:' The New York Post (11/19, Bowden, 4.57M) reports during his weekly news conference Thursday, McCarthy "ripped" Pelosi over the ongoing impasse. McCarthy said, "Things are still at the same place. There's one road block. There's one big wall that's stopped this the entire time and it's Speaker Pelosi. ... I would think after the politics she played and the election being over, that she'd now put the American public first. She still seems to be in the same position." Stocks Close Higher On Word Of Renewed Stimulus Talks. Media reports stocks gains on Thursday to reports that stimulus talks are going to resume. The Dow added 44.81 points to finish at 29,483.23, the S&P 500 rose 14.08 points to 3,581.87 and the Nasdaq ended the day 103.11 points higher at 11,904.71. The Wall Street Journal (11/19, Homer, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) says all three indexes started the day lower but seemed to gain momentum on word that stimulus talks would resume. Similarly, Reuters (11/19, Scott) reports stocks rose "following a report that U.S. lawmakers may restart negotiations on economic stimulus, which lifted gloom that had persisted through most of the global day," while the AP (11/19, Choe, Troise, Veiga) describes an ongoing "tug of war" between "worries about the worsening pandemic in the present and optimism that a vaccine will rescue the economy in the future." Top Congressional Aides Meet To Discuss Averting Government Shutdown. The Washington Post (11/19, Stein, Kim, 14.2M) reports aides to Senate Majority Leader McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Schumer, House Speaker Pelosi, and House Minority Leader McCarthy "met Thursday in an effort to bridge differences and assemble a spending bill that would avert a government shutdown in December." The aides held discussions shortly after Chief of Staff Meadows "said he couldn't guarantee a shutdown would be averted." Mnuchin Will Not Extend Emergency Lending Programs. The Wall Street Journal (11/19, Al, Timiraos, Davidson, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports Treasury Secretary Mnuchin said Thursday several emergency loan programs established with the Federal Reserve will be allowed to expire on Dec. 31. Mnuchin said the Fed's corporate credit, municipal lending and Main Street Lending programs will not be renewed. Reuters (11/19, Schneider, Saphir) says the lending programs "never got much use, but were an effort to spread a central bank safety net under as much of American business as EFTA00149191 possible." The AP (11/19, Crutsinger, Rugaber) reports Mnuchin "said that he is requesting that the Fed return to Treasury the unused funds appropriated by Congress for operation of the programs. He said this would allow Congress to re-appropriate $455 billion to other coronavirus programs." The New York Times (11/19, Smialek, 18.61M) says the move could hinder Joe Biden's "ability to use the Federal Reserve's vast powers to cushion the economic fallout from the virus." The Times says the programs "have provided an important backstop that has calmed critical markets since the coronavirus took hold in March. Removing them could leave crucial corners of the financial world vulnerable to the type of volatility that cascaded through the financial system in March. And by asking the Fed to return unused funds, Mr. Mnuchin could prevent Mr. Biden's incoming Treasury secretary from restarting the efforts in 2021." The Hill (11/19, Elis, 2.98M) reports Fed Chairman Powell "says the programs...remain necessary," and the Washington Post (11/19, Siegel, Stein, 14.2M) that the Fed "immediately criticized" the move, "citing the fragile recovery." In a "rare statement," the Fed said, "The Federal Reserve would prefer that the full suite of emergency facilities established during the coronavirus pandemic continue to serve their important role as a backstop for our still-strained and vulnerable economy." The Post says the "exceedingly rare public rebuke" from the central bank "reflected a government divided on how to respond, as the pandemic surges across the nation, threatening a new wave of shutdowns and marking an inflection point of the recession." EPA Administrator's Travel Plans Draw Scrutiny. The New York Times (11/19, Friedman, 18.61M) says EPA Administrator Wheeler "plans to squeeze in two taxpayer-funded trips abroad - to Taiwan next month and to four Latin American countries in January." According to the Times, both trips "have raised concerns about the taxpayer expense at a time when Mr. Wheeler no longer represents the direction of E.P.A. policy, and he and top aides are supposed to be aiding the transition" to the next administration. Meadows Suggests Deal Over Military Policy Bill. The New York Times (11/19, Haberman, Edmondson, 18.61M) reports Chief of Staff Meadows "has privately hinted that President Trump would drop his objection to stripping Confederate leaders' names from military bases, which is threatening to derail the annual military policy bill, if Democrats agreed to repeal" Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996. House Armed Services Chairman Adam Smith has been discussing potential compromises with the White House, but the proposed deal is "viewed it as a nonstarter," according to an anonymous Democratic congressional aide. Democrats, Republicans Seek Infrastructure Deal In Next Congress. The Wall Street Journal (11/19, Duehren, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that Democratic and Republican congressional legislators are interested in discussing a new infrastructure bill in 2021. The potential bill is viewed by both parties as a means to stimulate the economy as well as repair deficiencies located throughout the country. The House of Representatives passed a $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill last summer, and Speaker Pelosi predicted last week that the House would work on a new infrastructure bill next year. INTERNATIONAL NEWS WHO: Situation In Europe Improving Due To Reimposition Of Lockdowns. The Washington Post (11/19, Birnbaum, 14.2M) reports that on Thursday, Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization's regional director for Europe, indicated that Europe's "painful second coronavirus wave may be starting to ease...though its toll continues to be staggering, with EFTA00149192 someone on the continent dying every 17 seconds from the virus this past week." According to the Post, "The cautious assessment came after new diagnoses of the novel coronavirus slowed across Europe to 1.8 million cases, compared with 2 million the week before. Some of the worst-hit countries - including Belgium, France and the Czech Republic - have seen significant declines, while in Germany and elsewhere the curve is just beginning to bend." The Post says Kluge "attributed the decline to national lockdowns and other restrictions imposed across much of Europe this past month." The New York Times (11/19, Santora, Zraick, Minder, 18.61M) says, "The restrictions, many of which were announced at the end of October, are less severe than in the spring," but, nevertheless, "the approach stands in stark contrast to much of the United States, where responsibility for virus policy has been largely left to the states." WHO Says Evidence Lacking To Recommend Remdesivir For COVID Treatment. The New York Times (11/19, Carey, 18.61M) reports that an expert panel from the World Health Organization on Thursday "concluded that remdesivir has no meaningful effect on mortality or on other important outcomes for patients" in a review published in The BMJ. While "the report did not rule out the use of the drug altogether as a Covid treatment," the panel "said evidence was lacking to recommend its use." The Times says the use of "remdesivir had been the subject of debate and skepticism for months, and especially in recent weeks, after the Food and Drug Administration approved it as the first treatment for Covid-19." Japan's Suga Raises Alarm On Country's Third Wave. The New York Times (11/19, Dooley, 18.61M) reports that while "Japan has managed to keep coronavirus numbers low," the country's "strategy for success is being tested as cases reach record highs," leading Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga "to warn on Thursday that the country is on 'maximum alert' in an effort to prevent infections from running out of control." Suga "requested that people be more vigilant about wearing masks, especially while dining out, and said he might request stronger measures based on the advice of a panel of experts." The Times says that Japan has "largely managed to avoid the large-scale outbreaks" prevalent in the US and Europe, primarily as a result of widespread public education and social compliance. Jordan Becoming COVID Hot Spot After Early Success. The New York Times (11/19, Sweis, 18.61M) reports that Jordan, once "commended worldwide for its early efforts to counter the pandemic, has now become one of the hardest-hit countries in the region," averaging "more than 5,000 coronavirus cases a day in the past two weeks." The country on Wednesday "recorded 7,933 cases, its highest number since March," though "the government attributed the recent sharp increase to the infection of 1,893 people at two factories in the southern city of Aqaba." International Rescue Committee vice president of policy and practice Nazanin Ash said "crisis-affected countries" like Jordan "are already dealing with unfathomable levels of hunger, economic distress, crippled health systems and infrastructure" and "now facing second waves that could be even more devastating than the first." WSJournal: WTO Proposal To Remove Vaccine Patent Protections Would Be Theft. In an editorial, the Wall Street Journal (11/19, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) argues that a World Trade Organization proposal, led by India and South Africa, that would relinquish patent protections on coronavirus vaccines would be theft against the US and European companies that developed them. The Journal says the proposal would ultimately repress further innovation in the space, making it more difficult to end the existing and future pandemics. Top Iranian Military Official: Any US Strike Could Spark "Full-Fledged War." The AP (11/19, Karimi, Gambrell) reports that Hossein Dehghan, "an adviser to Iran's supreme leader who is a possible 2021 presidential candidate," is "warning that any American attack on EFTA00149193 the Islamic Republic could set off a 'full-fledged war' in the Mideast in the waning days of the Trump administration." The AP says Dehghan "struck a hard-line tone familiar to those in Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, a force he long served in," and "warned against any American military escalation in Trump's final weeks in office. 'A limited, tactical conflict can turn into a full-fledged war,' he said." NBC Nightly NewsVi (11/19, story 7, 0:50, Holt, 5.84M) reported, "A new report out from the UN today confirms Iran is breaching the rules of the international nuclear agreement. It says Iran is stockpiling a much higher amount of enriched uranium than agreed to." However, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi "is urging America not to consider military action." Grossi said, "I would hope there would never be a time for a military attack." McKenzie: Refugee Camps Are Breeding Ground For ISIS. The AP (11/19, Burns) reports that on Thursday, Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, Commander of US Central Command, warned that "although the Islamic State extremist group is battered and scattered, it cannot be fully defeated until the world finds a way to reconcile and resettle the thousands of people displaced by years of war in Iraq and Syria." According to the AP, McKenzie "said there is no military means of solving the problem of Mideast refugees and internally displaced persons, or IDPs, who await repatriation or resettlement and represent what he called an unfortunate byproduct of armed conflicts." McKenzie, speaking to the National Council on US-Arab Relations, said, "The systemic indoctrination of IDP and refugee camp populations who are hostage to the receipt of ISIS ideology is an alarming development with potentially generational implications." WS.Journal Analysis: Afghanistan Prepares For Insurgents After US Troop Removal. The Wall Street Journal (11/19, Al, Rasmussen, Amiri, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that as the US withdraws troops from Afghanistan, the national government's security forces are preparing for Taliban insurgents amid stalled peace talks with the militant group. Despite a February agreement with the Trump Administration to reduce violence in the region, the Taliban have carried out over 13,000 attacks nationwide in the most violent months since the start of the war. Report Finds Australian Soldiers Unlawfully Killed 39 Afghans. The New York Times (11/19, Zhuang, 18.61M) reports that the inspector general of the Australian Defense Force released on Thursday "the findings of battlefield misconduct" discovered in a "four-year examination," including the unlawful killing of 39 Afghans by Australian soldiers. The Times says the report marks "the first time that a member of the American-led coalition in Afghanistan has so publicly, and at such a large scale, accused its troops of wrongdoing," though it "stopped short of calling the killings war crimes." However, "the highly redacted report singles out 'possibly the most disgraceful episode in Australia's military history,' and calls for the criminal investigation of 19 soldiers," presenting "a stark contrast to how the United States has examined its own actions." Pompeo Visits West Bank Settlement, Denounces BDS Movement. NBC Nightly NewsVI (11/19, story 6, 1:35, Holt, 5.84M) said Secretary of State Pompeo on Thursday "stepped into controversy, visiting the disputed West Bank and Golan Heights, firmly taking Israel's side in the long conflict over the territories." NBC's Andrea Mitchell added that in an effort to "make it harder for [Joe Bidenj to reverse the Trump foreign policy," Pompeo became "the highest ranking US official to set foot in an Israeli settlement, land the Palestinians also claim in the West Bank." The AP (11/19, Krauss) reports that in a "major policy shift" the State Department "announced that products from the settlements can be labeled 'Made in Israel." To the AP, EFTA00149194 Pompeo's visit to the settlement and the State Department announcement "reflected the Trump administration's acceptance of Israeli settlements, which the Palestinians and most of the international community view as a violation of international law and a major obstacle to peace." Axios (11/19, Ravid, 521K) reports, "Pompeo's announcement - two months before the end of the Trump presidency - puts another hurdle in place for Biden if, as expected, he seeks to roll back Trump's policies on settlements." Townhall (11/19, Barkoukis, 177K) reports Pompeo "announced the U.S. will now consider the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement as `anti-Semitic' and will seek to defund organizations that support it." Speaking in Jerusalem alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Pompeo said, "Today, I want to make one announcement with respect to a decision by the State Department that we will regard the global anti-Israel BDS campaign as anti-Semitic. ... I know this sounds simple to you, Mr. Prime Minister, it seems. It seems like a statement of fact, but I want you to know that we will immediately take steps to identify organizations that engage in hateful BDS conduct and withdraw U.S. government support for such groups." The Washington Post (11/19, Morello, Hendrix, 14.2M) reports critics "said Pompeo's announcements were designed more to buttress support among pro-Israel evangelicals should Pompeo run for president and may not survive after [Bider)] is sworn into office." Similarly, Reuters (11/19, Amichay, Sawafta) says it is "unclear how many of Trump's decisions will be reversed by a Biden administration." The New York Times (11/19, Halbflnger, Kershner, 18.61M) and The Hill (11/19, 2.98M)provide similar coverage. Palestinians Mull Stopping Payments To Terrorists In Bid To Win Biden's Favor. The New York Times (11/19, Rasgon, Halbfinger, 18.61M) says that "in a bold move to refurbish their sullied image in Washington, the Palestinians are laying the groundwork for an overhaul to one of their most cherished but controversial practices, officials say: compensating those who serve time in Israeli prisons, including for violent attacks." The Times says Palestinian officials are "eager to make a fresh start with the incoming Biden administration," and are "heeding the advice of sympathetic Democrats who have repeatedly warned that without an end to the payments, it would be impossible for the new administration to do any heavy lifting on their behalf." Johnson Announces Biggest Increase In UK Military Spending Since Cold War. The Washington Post (11/19, Adam, 14.2M) says British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced "the biggest boost in spending on Britain's armed forces since the end of the Cold War, vowing to end an `era of retreat' and to stand alongside our allies.' Over the next four years, the British armed forces will receive an extra 16.5 billion pounds ($21 billion), helping it to develop cyber and space capabilities, modernize weapons and create an artificial intelligence agency." The Wall Street Journal (11/19, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) casts the announcement as an effort to solidify the UK as the main US military ally in Europe after Brexit. The New York Times (11/19, Landler, 18.61M) says Johnson "rolled out ambitious, back- to-back initiatives on military spending and climate change this week," both of which "are likely to please a very important new person" in Johnson's life: Joe Biden. The Times says Johnson "is eager to show he can work with the incoming president as well as he did with the outgoing one." French Journalists Say Government Is Cracking Down On Press Freedoms. The Washington Post (11/19, McAuley, 14.2M) reports "French journalists and advocates condemn what they see as a government crackdown on press freedoms" by the French government. A provision in a new security law prohibits filming police. During a protest of the provision on Tuesday, a journalist "was arrested and detained by police for filming the demonstration, even after having presented law enforcement with his media credentials, according to a statement from the channel's director." EFTA00149195 Critics Say Maduro Is Targeting Disillusioned Allies. The New York Times (11/19, Al, Herrera, Kurmanaev, Romero, Urdaneta, Fernandez, 18.61M) reports the death of Venezuelan radio host Jose Carmelo Bislick, a "lifelong socialist" who accused local Socialist Party leaders of siphoning fuel during gasoline shortages, "appears to be part of a wave of repression against leftist activists alienated by President Nicolas Maduro, who seems intent on consolidating power in parliamentary elections in December." Critics say Maduro, "having crushed the political parties opposed to his version of socialism," has "trained the state's security apparatus on disillusioned ideological allies, repeating the path taken by leftist autocrats from the Soviet Union to Cuba." Leader Of Human Rights Group Arrested In Egypt. The New York Times (11/19, Yee, 18.61M) reports Gasser Abdel-Razek, executive director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, "one of Egypt's leading human rights organizations was arrested Thursday night, the group said, joining two staff members detained earlier this week and thousands of opposition figures, protesters and activists already in prison." The group said Abdel-Razek "was arrested at his home in Cairo on Thursday evening, four days after the arrest of the group's office manager, Mohamed Basheer, and a day after that of its criminal justice director, Kareem Ennarah." The Times Egypt's "government under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has silenced most dissent over the past six years." Arrests Of Two Presidential Candidates Spark Violent Demonstrations In Uganda. The New York Times (11/19, Dahir, 18.61M) reports Ugandan police say seven people were killed and 45 others were wounded in violent demonstrations that erupted Wednesday "after two presidential candidates were arrested while trying to campaign ahead of a highly anticipated January election." Police "said they had arrested one of the candidates, the popular musician-turned-lawmaker Bobi Wine, in the eastern district of Luuka, on accusations that his rallies had breached coronavirus rules." Another candidate, "Patrick Amuriat, was arrested in the northwestern town of Gulu, accused of planning to hold an unauthorized assembly." the arrests "fueled protests in major cities like Jinja and Masaka, and in the capital, Kampala, and its suburbs." Official Says Ethiopian Airstrike Hit Tigray University. The AP (11/19, Anna) reports according to a "senior" university official, "the latest airstrike by Ethiopia's military has struck the school in the capital of the defiant Tigray region and caused major damage, while the United States says neither side in the conflict is heeding calls for de- escalation." The official "described Thursday's airstrike in an email shared with The Associated Press. ... The AP is not naming the official because they could not be reached directly." The Washington Post (11/19, O'Grady, 14.2M) reports on the causes and the international response to the conflict the UN human rights office has warned "risks spiraling out of control." This week, "a spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said the agency now views the situation as a 'full-scale humanitarian crisis:" AP Analysis: Biden DO) Unlikely To Ease Up On Chinese Targets. The AP (11/19, Tucker) says the Justice Department during the Trump Administration has lodged "a drumbeat of cases against" Chinese targets "ranging from hackers accused of targeting intellectual property to professors charged with grant fraud." The AP adds, "But even after Democrat Joe Biden's administration arrives, the law enforcement focus on China may not look radically different, in part because of actions by Beijing that U.S. officials, lawyers and analysts say run afoul of international norms. Even if the anti-China rhetoric is cooled in the White House, cases against agents of the Chinese government may well continue apace, especially since some of the focus - including against trade-secret theft - preceded the Trump administration." EFTA00149196 WPost: Biden Can Help Zelensky Reignite His Anti-Corruption Agenda. A Washington Post (11/19, 14.2M) editorial says Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky was "elected on an anti-corruption agenda," but he "has recently seen that cause badly damaged by the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, which since August has issued several rulings hamstringing key reforms, including a registry of assets for government officials." The Post says Zelensky "could use some help," and Joe Biden "is well-equipped to provide it." The Post adds, "Once inaugurated, the Biden administration could take several steps to strengthen Mr. Zelensky's hand," including "prepar[ing] sanctions against the Constitutional Court judges who are complicit in tainted rulings," and "renew[ing] efforts to pursue criminal corruption cases against key Ukrainian oligarchs." The Post adds that Biden should also "resuscitate the political alliance between Washington and Kyiv, which enjoys strong bipartisan support in Congress but was all but wrecked by Mr. Trump." THE BIG PICTURE Headlines From Today's Front Pages. Wall Street Journal: CDC Urges Americans Not To Travel For Thanksgiving Mnuchin Declines To Extend Several Fed Emergency Lending Programs US Home Sales Rose To 14-Year High In October Afghanistan Braces For Worst As US Troop Withdrawal Accelerates GM Ups Bet On EVs As Investors Swoon For Electric Cars America Taxed Your Favorite Bordeaux? Try One With More Alcohol. New York Times: Trump Targets Michigan in His Ploy to Subvert The Election Trump's Attempts To Overturn The Election Are Unparalleled In U.S. History C.D.C. Pleads With Americans To Stay Home On Thanksgiving Why Charges Against Protesters Are Being Dismissed By The Thousands Trump Tax Write-Offs Are Ensnared In 2 New York Fraud Investigations Maduro Cracks Down On The Leftists Who Once Revered Him Washington Post: Confident His Victory Will Stand, Biden Tries To Stay Above The Fray Escalating Attacks Target Vote Certification Process Trump Wages Full Assault To Overturn Election CDC Urges Nation To Stay Home For Holiday University Job Losses Mirror Pain Of Unequal Recession' This Is How We Treat Each Other? This Is Who We Are?' Financial Times: CDC Urges Americans Not To Travel For Thanksgiving Wirecard's Braun Says Regulators Not To Blame In Scandal The 'Blood, Sweat And Tears' Behind Zambia's Default Brexit Talks Go Online After EU Team Member Contracts Covid-19 Washington Times: Trump Will Ask State Legislators To Alter Electors Legal Team: Rectified Fraud Flips Vote Results State, Local Officials Divided On Penalties EFTA00149197 Biden Brings Back Obama Veterans Danish Research On Face Masks Counters Messages Of Protection Palestinians Bank On Better Time With Biden Story Lineup From Last Night's Network News: ABC: COVID Surge; Vaccines; COVID-Thanksgiving; Presidential Transition; Trump-Election Results; COVID-Counties With Highest Death Toll; Prince William-Princess Di Interview; New York City-Woman Shoved Onto Subway Tracks; Wife Brings Husband Home From Hospital To Celebration. CBS: COVID-Thanksgiving; COVID Surge; Trump-Election Results; Presidential Transition; New York City-Public Schools Shutdown; Prince William-Princess Di Interview; Utah-Patient Plays Violin As Thank You. NBC: Presidential Transition; Trump-Election Results; COVID-Thanksgiving; Vaccines; COVID Surge; Pompeo-Israel Visit; Iran-Uranium Stockpiles; Florida-Teens Shot By Deputy; COVID- Impact on Older Adults; COVID-Disinfectants; Movies. Network TV At A Glance: COVID-Thanksgiving - 9 minutes, 0 seconds COVID Surge - 7 minutes, 55 seconds Presidential Transition - 7 minutes, 50 seconds Trump-Election Results - 4 minutes, 5 seconds Story Lineup From This Morning's Radio News Broadcasts: ABC: White House Coronavirus Task Force Briefing; California-COVID Curfew; COVID- Thanksgiving; Presidential Transition; House Dems-GSA Briefing. CBS: Georgia-Recount Confirms Biden's Win; Giuliani-Press Conference; New York City-Public Schools Shutdown; White House Coronavirus Task Force Briefing; Unemployment; SpaceX/NASA Crew. FOX: Georgia-Recount Confirms Biden's Win; White House Coronavirus Task Force Briefing; COVID-Pentagon Official Tests Positive; California-COVID Curfew. NPR: Presidential Transition; White House Coronavirus Task Force Briefing; COVID- Thanksgiving; Georgia-Recount Confirms Biden's Win. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE Today's Events In Washington. White House: • President Trump — Participates in a virtual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting; delivers remarks on delivering lower prescription drug prices for all Americans. • Vice President Pence — Delivers remarks at a Defend the Majority Rally in Canton, Georgia; delivers remarks at a Defend the Majority Rally Gainesville, Georgia. US Senate: • Senates convenes for pro forma session - Senate convenes for pro forma session * Chamber on recess from 18 Nov - 30 Nov Location: U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC; 8:15 AM US House: • House Armed Services Committee hybrid hearing on the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan - Hybrid hearing on 'The US military mission in Afghanistan and implications of the peace process on US involvement', with testimony from former U.S. Foreign Service career ambassador Ryan Crocker; Columbia University International and Public Affairs Professor Dr EFTA00149198 Stephen Biddle; and Center for Strategic and International Studies International Security Program Senior Adviser Dr Seth Jones * Held via WebEx and in Rm 2118, Rayburn House Office Building; 9:00 AM • House meets for legislative business - House of Representatives meets for legislative business, with agenda for the week including 'H.R. 8294 - National Apprenticeship Act of 2020' Location: U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC; 9:00 AM • Oversight subcommittee hearing with testimony from Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Charles Rettig; 10:00 AM • Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission virtual briefing on indigenous people in the Americas - Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission online hearing on 'The Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the Americas', held via Cisco Webex, with a panel of Amazon Watch Executive Director Leila Salazar-Lopez, EarthRights International Strategic Impact and Campaigns Director Keith Slack, Organizacion Nacional de Mujeres Andinas y Amazonicas del Peru President Melania Canales Poma, Indian Law Resource Center Senior Lawyer Leonardo Crippa, Bank Information Center Policy Director Jolie Schwartz, and Land Is Life Chair Brian Keane; 10:00 AM • House Speaker Nancy Pelosi holds weekly press conference Location: HVC Studio A, U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, Washington, DC; 10:45 AM • House breaks for Thanksgiving recess - House of Representatives breaks for Thanksgiving District Work Period Cabinet Officers: • Secretary of State Pompeo continues France / Turkey / Georgia / Israel / UAE / Qatar / Saudi Arabia trip - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo continues trip to France, Turkey, Georgia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, with agenda, respectively, including meeting President Emmanuel Macron, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, and other senior officials in Paris; meeting the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, in Istanbul; meeting President Salome Zourabichvili, Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani, and the Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Ilia II in Tbilisi; meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel; meeting Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayd in the United Arab Emirates; meeting Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Qatar; and meeting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia Visitors: • No visitors scheduled. This Town: • CFR virtual discussion with European Commission president - Council on Foreign Relations hosts European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for an online event on her vision for a new transatlantic agenda, prospects for cooperation between the EU and the U.S., and the future of multilateralism; 10:00 AM • CCJ webinar on criminal justice and the 2020 election - Council on Criminal Justice 'On the Ballot: How Criminal Justice Played in the 2020 Election' webinar, with former California Governor Jerry Brown, Florida state Sen. Jeff Brandes, Cook County, IL, State's Attorney Kim Foxx, South Carolina state Sen. Gerald Malloy, Washington state Rep.-elect Tarra Simmons, and CO Vice President Abby Walsh; 1:00 PM • National College Fed Challenge winner announcement - National College Fed Challenge online winner announcement, beginning with a greeting from Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell. The competition, which is held virtually this year, aims to foster students' interest in economics and finance as fields for advanced study and careers. Undergraduate EFTA00149199 student teams analyze economic and financial conditions and formulate a monetary policy recommendation, modeling the Federal Open Market Committee; 3:00 PM • NASA holds prelaunch briefings ahead of Sentinel-6 mission launch — NASA holds prelaunch briefings ahead of the launch of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite — currently scheduled for tomorrow - with a science briefing (3:30 PM EST), and news conference (5:00 PM EST) * The satellite is part of the Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission (aka Jason Continuity of Service or Jason-CS), a partnership between NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the European Space Agency, and European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites * Mission is designed to provide operational ocean altimetry to provide-continuity of ocean topography-rneasurernents-and continue-the-long-term global sea surface height data record begun in 1992 by the Topography Experiment (TOPEX)/Poseidon and Jason 1, the Ocean Surface Topography Mission (OSTM)/Jason-2 and Jason-3 missions; 3:30 PM • U.S. Supreme Court meets in private conference to discuss cases and vote on petitions for review Copyright 2020 by Bulletin Intelligence LLC Reproduction or redistribution without permission prohibited. 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