EFTA00149845.pdf

From: To: Subject: LA 1-M1,1"1- I-1 ItUI-J I Ul /- %1 lall I UCUCI y, 11, 2020 Date: Tue, 11 Aug 2020 10:27:30 +0000 c Importan e: Normal Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com. ; .IFBI News Briefing TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020 6:30 AM EDT TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • Chicago Police Fired Upon Amid Widespread Looting. PROTESTS • Trump Urges Oregon To Deploy National Guard In Portland. • Seattle City Council Votes To Cut Back Police Department Funding. • Judge Releases Full Body Camera Videos In George Floyd Case. • DC Police Union Moves To Block Mandatory Release Of Body Camera Footage. • Minnesota Nonprofit That Received Donations From Biden Staff Bailing Out Violent Criminals. • Ahead Of November, Republicans Look To Stoke BLM Backlash. • NYTimes Analysis: Protesters Increasingly Targeting Officials' Homes. • Conservatives File Free-Speech Lawsuits Over Pro-Police Street Murals. COUNTER-TERRORISM • Trump Thanks Secret Service After Shooting Incident Outside White House. • DO) Seeks More Time To Decide On Tsarnaev Appeal. • New York Man Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Support ISIS. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE • Senate Panel Subpoenas FBI Records On 2016 Russia Probe. • Senate Panel Subpoenas FBI Records On 2016 Russia Probe. • DC Circuit To Hear Oral Arguments In Michael Flynn Case Tuesday. • Former Student Says Halper Predicted Flynn's Ouster. • Chinese Research Who Hid In US Consulate In San Francisco Pleads Not Guilty. • IC-Funded Venture Developing Tool To Monitor "Unsavory" Online Speech. • Pentagon Seeks 30 Days To Continue Review Of )EDI Cloud Contract Bids. • Space Force Releases Capstone Doctrine. • Editorial: US "Must Unite" To Fight Foreign Electoral Interference. • US, EU Evaluating Privacy Shield Follow-up Following EU Ruling. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • FBI Releases Surveillance Photos In Probe Of Kentucky Woman's Disappearance. EFTA00149845 • Two Philadelphia Men Face Trial After Alleged Armored Truck Heist. • FBI Investigating Carjacking In Michigan. • Continuing Coverage: FBI Searching For Missing Georgia Woman. • New Jersey Men Indicted Over Bank Robberies. • Indiana Man Charged With Enticement Of Minor. • Illinois Man Sentenced Over FBI Death Threat. • FBI Investigating Illinois Bank Robbery. • New York Fugitive Placed On FBI Most Wanted List. • Idaho Men Charged In Connection To Bank Robberies. • New Jersey Police Officer Charged With Falsifying Information On Search Warrant. • California AG Seeks To Free Woman Charged With Murder After Meth Found In Stillborn Baby. • Documents Unsealed In Legal Battle Between Dershowitz, Epstein Accuser. • Montana "Scales Back" Search For Missing Man. • Pennsylvania Synagogue Vandalized. • Colorado Man Sentenced Over Threats Against New Mexico Officials. • FBI Investigating California Bank Robbery. • Oklahoma Men Charged With Murder, Bank Fraud. • Drug Trafficker Sentenced To More Than Six Years In Prison. • Drug Case Defendant Gets 30-Month Prison Sentence. • Georgia Resident Gets 30-Year Prison Sentence For Cocaine Trafficking. • Border Patrol Agent Facing Drug Charges. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS • Ally Of Ohio House Speaker Contributed To Campaigns, Supported FirstEnergy. • FBI Arrests Two In Probe Of Wisconsin Moving Company. • Minnesota Man Is Third Charged In Probe Of Magazine Sales Scam. • Former Texas Southern University Law School Employee Charged With Stealing Funds. • Federal Prosecutors Recommend Probation For Ex-Rep. Hayes. • Michigan Woman Defrauded By Fake FBI Employee. • Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty To Wire Fraud In Foreign Student Recruitment Case. CYBER DIVISION • White House Announces Plans For Spectrum Auction To Step Up 5G Growth. • Microsoft Faces "Complex Technical Challenges" From TikTok Carveout. • Senators Seek To Include National Cyber Director In 2021 NDAA. • US Cyber Command Employing Unclassified Networks "To Fight Election Interference." • FBI Among Those Monitoring Iranian "Fox Kitten" Hacking Group. LABORATORY • North Dakota Authorities Hope New Science Can Help ID Man Found Dead In 1982. LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES • Gun Seizures Are Up At US Airports. OTHER FBI NEWS • Wray Taps Jones As FBI General Counsel. • White-Collar Prosecutions In Decline During Trump Administration. • Barr: Left Believes In "Tearing Down the System." OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • Trump: Pelosi And Schumer Ready For Stimulus Deal After Executive Orders. • Fauci "Cautiously Optimistic" A Vaccine Will Be Available In Early 2021. EFTA00149846 • Fauci Hopeful Rapid Testing Will Soon Be Widely Available. • Fauci: It Is Possible To Get Virus To A Controlled Level. • Cuomo Dismisses Calls For Probe Of Nursing Home Deaths. • NYTimes Analysis: Critics Fear FDA's Hahn Unable To Withstand Political Pressure. • Federal Officials Undertaking Vaccine Distribution Pilot Program. • Officials Struggling To Address Racial Disparities In COVID-19 Information, Testing. • Trump Urges Universities Not To Cancel Football Season. • Top California Health Official Resigns Amid Testing Backlog Controversy. • Fauci Calls For Universal Mask Wearing In Schools. • Parents, Administrators Facing Difficult Choices About Reopening Schools. • Trump Says 1918 Spanish Flu "Probably Ended" World War II. • Top Tech Firms Challenge Trump's Temporary Ban On Foreign Workers. • White House Weighs Plan To Block Infected Citizens, Permanent Residents From Entering US. • White House: Kodak Loan Will Not Go Forward Until Allegations Of Wrongdoing Cleared. • Some Grocers Concerned New Coronavirus Cases May Cause New Round Of Product Scarcity. • Federal Deficit Down In July After Record IRS Tax Collection. • Pompeo's Wife To Join Him On Trip To Europe. • Democrats Concerned USPS Changes Could Impair By-Mail Voting. • Puerto Rico Supreme Court Considering Emergency Petition Over Botched Primary. • Trump Lawyers Seek Details Of Manhattan DA's Investigation. INTERNATIONAL NEWS • Azar Praises Taiwan's Coronavirus Response. • Spain Defends Pandemic Response As Case Numbers Overtake Britain. • Poor Dying In Brazil At Higher Rate Than Wealthy. • Craft Calls For UN To Extend Iran Arms Embargo. • Pakistani Ambassador Not Ruling Out Another War With India Over Kashmir. • Trump Asks WTO To End China's "Developing Nation" Status. • Trump Postpones G7 Summit Until After Election. • WTimes: Biden Likely To Cancel Trump's Foreign Policy Initiatives If Elected. • State Department: Pompeo Cleared In Emergency Saudi Arms Sale. • Lebanese Government Resigns Amid Protests Over Beirut Explosion. • Lukashenko Warns Against Protests Over Contested Belarus Election Results. • Study Finds Antarctic Ice Shelves Melting Faster Than They're Being Replenished. THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE • Today's Events In Washington. LEADING THE NEWS Chicago Police Fired Upon Amid Widespread Looting. The AP (8/10, Babwin) reports that "hundreds of people descended on downtown Chicago early Monday following a police shooting on the city's South Side, with vandals smashing the windows of dozens of businesses and making off with merchandise, cash machines and anything else they could carry." Police Superintendent David Brown "told reporters that the Sunday afternoon shooting of the man who had opened fire on officers apparently prompted a social media post that urged people form a car caravan and converge on the business and shopping district. ... Over several hours, police made more than 100 arrests and 13 officers EFTA00149847 were injured." Bloomberg (8/10, Singh, 4.73M) reports "a civilian and a security guard" were shot, according to Superintendent Brown. On the CBS Evening NewsVi (8/10, story 6, 1:15, Brennan, 4.37M), Adriana Diaz reported, "There was chaos and looting along Chicago's famed Magnificent Mile and other areas overnight. They broke into ATMs and emptied shelves at this Walgreens. The coordinated effort followed a police shooting of a 20-year-old who allegedly opened fire first, says Superintendent David Brown." According to the New York Times (8/10, Al, Bosman, Hauser, Diaz, 18.61M), "The eruption of violence unnerved a city that is already on edge. Chicago, like many other cities across the country, has seen a spike in gun crimes this summer." Mayor Lori Lightfoot, "appearing at a morning news conference, made it clear that she saw no connection between the unrest overnight and what she described as a `righteous uprising' after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody in May." ABC World News TonightVi (8/10, story 4, 1:41, Muir, 7.2M) likewise reported, "Mayor Lori Lightfoot saying this wasn't a righteous protest, instead calling it straight up felony criminal conduct." The Chicago Sun-Times (8/10, 875K) reports "Lightfoot and her police superintendent defended the cops and blamed Cook County prosecutors for being soft on looters who'd been arrested in late May and early June, setting the stage for the violence." State's Attorney Kim Foxx, however, "responded that she's prosecuting looters to the fullest extent of the law and said Lightfoot is oversimplifying the issue." The Chicago Tribune (8/11, Crepeau, Hinkel, 2.65M) reports Foxx, "who is no stranger to accusations that she is soft on crime, flatly rejected that narrative at a news conference Monday." From late May to mid-June, roughly 325 people were arrested on felony charges "related to the demonstrations and civil unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd," her office said in a statement Monday. The Washington Post (8/10, Guarino, Elfrink, Armus, 14.2M) reports Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) "told reporters that the state police were dispatched last night." Said Pritzker, "Anything and everything we are asked to do, we will be helpful." The Chicago Tribune (8/10, Zumbach, Marotti, Elejalde-Ruiz, Ori, 2.65M) reports that "downtown business owners still struggling during the coronavirus pandemic were scrambling to board up broken windows and take stock of damage" after Monday's vandalism and looting. The Chicago Sun-Times (8/10, Spielman, 875K) similarly reports "businesses that survived the stay- at-home shutdown and sustained heavy losses during the looting in late May triggered by the death of George Floyd may be reluctant to rebuild for fear they won't be protected." On NBC Nightly NewsVi (8/10, story 5, 2:00, Holt, 6.1M), Gabe Gutierrez reported, "Across the country, it's been an increasingly violent summer. ... But in Chicago, where the Trump Administration sent in federal agents last month to help investigate crimes, the violence continues." The Wall Street Journal (8/10, Barrett, Ailworth, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) and the Washington Examiner (8/10, Giaritelli, 448K), among other news outlets, also report the violence overnight on Monday. Analysis: Foxx Has Dropped 29.9% Of Felony Charges During Her Tenure. The Chicago Tribune (8/10, Jackson, Lighty, Marx, Richards, 2.65M) reports Cook County State Attorney Kim Foxx "is dropping felony cases involving charges of murder and other serious offenses at a higher rate than her predecessor, according to a Tribune analysis that comes amid a growing debate over criminal justice reform." During Foxx's first three years at the post, "her office dropped all charges against 29.9% of felony defendants, a dramatic increase over her predecessor, the Tribune found. For the last three years of Anita Alvarez's tenure, the rate was 19.4%." In an interview, "Foxx did not dispute the Tribune's findings but said her office's higher rate of dropped felony cases gives an incomplete picture of her commitment to keeping the public safe." EFTA00149848 PROTESTS Trump Urges Oregon To Deploy National Guard In Portland. President Trump on Monday tweeted "Portland, which is out of control, should finally, after almost 3 months, bring in the National Guard. The Mayor and Governor are putting people's lives at risk. They will be held responsible. The Guard is ready to act immediately. The Courthouse is secured by Homeland!" Noting the President's tweet, the New York Post (8/10, Moore, Nelson, 4.57M) reports it came as protests in the city "continued over the weekend as rioters set fires outside a police union building and lobbed fireworks at police officers, injuring at least two." Seattle City Council Votes To Cut Back Police Department Funding. The Washington Examiner (8/10, Mastrangelo, 448K) reports the Seattle City Council "approved steep cuts to the city's police department but avoided the 50% scale back in funding social justice activists had sought." The council voted 7-1 to approve "a spending plan that will cut the pay of top police officers while eliminating the Navigation Team and SWAT unit, according to several reports." It would also cut the department's "$400 million budget by around $3 million." Judge Releases Full Body Camera Videos In George Floyd Case. CBS Evening NewsVi (8/10, story 5, 1:43, Brennan, 4.24M) reports in Minneapolis on Monday, "a judge released the full body cam videos from two former officers charged with aiding and abetting murder in the death of George Floyd. The footage raises new and troubling questions about how Floyd was treated." CBS's Mola Lenghi said the newly released video shows Floyd being "loaded into a ambulance. Aid is given to the unconscious Floyd one minute and 18 seconds after he is placed into the medical unit. ... The lifesaving attempts came after Floyd lost consciousness." DC Police Union Moves To Block Mandatory Release Of Body Camera Footage. Reuters (8/10) reports the Washington, DC police union said Monday it "asked a court to block the mandatory release of body camera footage and names of police officers involved in shootings." In a statement, the union said, "The release of the body-camera footage and names of officers will unjustly malign and permanently tarnish the reputation and good name of any officer that is later cleared of misconduct concerning the use of force." Minnesota Nonprofit That Received Donations From Biden Staff Bailing Out Violent Criminals. Fox News (8/10, Olson, 27.59M) reports on its website that a Minnesota nonprofit "that saw a huge windfall in donations during the protests and riots that followed the death of George Floyd" has been "putting up money to bail out people charged with serious violent crimes, including sexual assault, attempted murder and murder." A FOX 9 report shows "that among the people helped by the Minnesota Freedom Fund (MFF) - which received donations from a number of Joe Biden campaign staffers as it saw a $35 million fundraising windfall in the weeks after Floyd's death - are Darnika Floyd, who was charged with second-degree murder," and Christopher Boswell, "who is facing charges of sexual assault and kidnapping." Ahead Of November, Republicans Look To Stoke BLM Backlash. Politico (8/10, Barran-Lopez, Thompson, 4.29M) reports that "facing possible electoral calamity, Republicans are now turning to a familiar playbook: stoking fear by trying to redefine the Black Lives Matter movement as a radical leftist mob looking to sabotage the white, suburban lifestyle." Republicans are using "two lines of attack: the Trump administration, candidates in safe red seats and right-wing social media channels seek to label the entire movement 'Marxist' EFTA00149849 and anti-family as they try to energize their conservative base." Republicans running in swing districts and states, meanwhile, are "tying their Democratic opponents to activists' demands to defund police departments." NYTimes Analysis: Protesters Increasingly Targeting Officials' Homes. The New York Times (8/10, Baker, Bogel-Burroughs, 18.61M) reports that as Seattle "was exploring a proposal to cut 50 percent of the police department's budget to promote racial justice and alternatives to policing last month...Debora Juarez, the first enrolled Native American on the Seattle City Council, was not yet willing to throw her support behind such a steep cut without a plan for how to carry it out." Activists then "decided to take their protest" outside Ms. Juarez's home. Public protests are "becoming more direct, more personal, and for some of its targets, more frightening." Conservatives File Free-Speech Lawsuits Over Pro-Police Street Murals. The Washington Times (8/10, Richardson, 492K) reports Scott LoBaido, who painted a "pro- police" mural on Hylan Boulevard in Staten Island, "said Monday he will pursue legal action after the New York City Department of Transportation ordered him to remove his handiwork." LoBaido "insists his pro-police message has every bit as much right to adorn the streets as the Black Lives Matter murals embraced by Mayor Bill de Blasio." Like LoBaido, "conservatives seeking to paint pro-police, pro-life and other right-tilting messages on America's streets are running into speed bumps from local officials, even those who allow massive Black Lives Matter murals," and are filing lawsuits in response. COUNTER-TERRORISM Trump Thanks Secret Service After Shooting Incident Outside White House. The CBS Evening NewsVi (8/10, Story 2, 2:10, Brennan, 4.37M) reported on "a rare security breach at the White House," as "moments after beginning his daily coronavirus briefing with reporters on live television, President Trump was escorted out of the room by an agent who whispered in his ear." CBS (Weijia Jiang) added the President "abruptly left his news conference after shots were fired outside the White House," prompting Secret Service "to clear the grounds." NBC Nightly NewsVI (8/10, lead story, 2:34, Kristen Welker, 6.23M) showed the President saying upon his return to the podium, "It seems that the person was shot by Secret Service. So we'll see what happens." ABC World News TonightVi (8/10, lead story, 4:01, Muir, 7.2M) noted Trump also said, "There was a shooting outside of the White House. And seems to be very well under control. I'd like to thank the Secret Service for doing their always quick and very effective work, but there was an actual shooting and somebody's been taken to the hospital. I don't know the condition of the person." ABC's Mary Bruce added that "a senior Administration official tells us this happened right at 17th and Pennsylvania Avenue, just outside of the White House, just as the President was beginning his briefing. Our Kyra Phillips who was in the room said she heard a shot fired and a senior official tells us the suspect opened fire on a non-White House employee." Fox News (8/10, Pappas, 27.59M) reports "the Secret Service later tweeted: 'The Secret Service can confirm there has been an officer involved shooting at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Ave. Law enforcement officials are on the scene. More information to follow." The Washington Post (8/10, Williams, 14.2M) reports Thomas Sullivan, chief of the Uniformed Division of the Secret Service, said a "51-year-old man had approached an officer posted near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW around 5:50 p.m. and said he had a weapon." Sullivan says "the man...withdrew an object from his clothing" and "crouched into a 'shooter's stance.' The officer shot him, striking him in the torso, Sullivan said." USA Today (8/10, Fritze, Jackson, Subramanian, 10.31M), the Washington Times (8/10, Al, Boyer, 492K) EFTA00149850 and the New York Times (8/10, Baker, 18.61M), among other news outlets, also cover the story this morning. DO) Seeks More Time To Decide On Tsarnaev Appeal. The AP (8/10) reports from Boston, "Federal prosecutors said Monday that they need more time to decide whether to ask an appeals court to reconsider the case of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, whose death sentence was thrown out over concerns over about the jury selection process." The Justice Department "urged the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to give prosecutors until Sept. 14 to file a petition asking the full court to hear the case. They currently have until Friday to file a petition for rehearing. 'The process of determining whether to seek further review takes time, particularly in a case of this magnitude, because it requires input from various components within the Department of Justice. Additional time is needed to make the decision in this,' DOJ attorney William Glaser wrote in a court filing. The solicitor general will make the decision, Glaser wrote." The Boston Herald (8/10, Tiernan, 410K) reports, "Tsarnaev's lawyers did not object, according to the filing. Prosecutors could be buying time to appeal directly to the Supreme Court, where they are likely to earn a favorable ruling faster. Legal expert Robert Dunham of the Death Penalty Information Center said last week the high court 'has been much more pro- prosecution." The Herald adds, "A jury convicted Tsarnaev in 2015 on 30 counts, including using a weapon of mass destruction and bombing a public place, for the 2013 bombing that killed three people and injured 260 more — something his lawyers did not debate. Tsarnaev was subsequently sentenced to death." New York Man Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Support ISIS. The AP (8/10) reports, "A Brooklyn man charged with trying to help the Islamic State group by encouraging attacks on New York's subway system pleaded guilty Monday in Manhattan federal court." Zachary Clark, 41, "pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq. He faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on Feb. 9. Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said in a release that Clark admitted pledging allegiance to the terrorist group." The New York Post (8/10, Feuerherd, 4.57M) reports that Clark, "who uploaded instructional manuals online about how to conduct lone-wolf terror attacks in New York City pleaded guilty Monday to attempting to provide material support to ISIS." Clark "entered the plea in Manhattan federal court after he was arrested last fall for posting manuals such as 'Knife Attacks' and 'Make a bomb in the kitchen of your Mom' in encrypted chat rooms designed to recruit new ISIS members. One of the handbooks included maps of the New York City subway system and writings on how to commit attacks in the Big Apple, according to court papers." Clark "pledged support to ISIS twice in 2019, including in July when he stated his allegiance to the former leader of the terror group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, prosecutors said." Voice of America (8/10, 48K) reports, "Daryl Johnson, a former senior domestic terrorism analyst at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said many al-Qaida affiliates around the world have been producing online propaganda materials specifically designed to target Americans. 'They reach out to American audiences and plant ideas on how to conduct attacks without necessarily acquiring the materials,' Johnson told VOA, adding that 'AQAP published Inspire Magazine, which was written and packaged for a Western audience, particularly Americans." Clark's arrest "His arrest was the result of cooperation between the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and other law enforcement agencies, U.S. officials said. 'Today's plea by Mr. Clark is yet one more example of the resolve of the FBI's JTTF in New York, and our many law enforcement partners, to protect this city and our citizens from the danger of lone wolf attacks,' FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr., said in a statement on Monday." Newsday (NY). (8/10, Planas, 932K) reports, "Officials said Clark called for lone wolf attacks in New York City after pledging his allegiance to ISIS twice in 2019. Clark first did so in EFTA00149851 July 2019, to ISIS' then-leader Abu Bakar al-Baghdadi. He did so again, officials said, in October 2019, to ISIS' new leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Qurayshi, who became the organization's leader following al-Baghdadi's death. 'Beginning in at least March 2019, Clark disseminated ISIS propaganda through, among other avenues, encrypted chat rooms intended for members, associates, supporters, and potential recruits of ISIS,' authorities said. 'Clark's propaganda included among other things, calls for ISIS supporters to commit lone wolf attacks in New York City." COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE Senate Panel Subpoenas FBI Records On 2016 Russia Probe. Politico (8/10, Swan, 4.29M) reports Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) "has issued the first subpoena of his Senate probe into the origins of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation: to FBI Director Christopher Wray." According to Politico, the subpoena "demands documents but not testimony. Specifically, it asks for 'all documents related to the Crossfire Hurricane investigation' - the FBI's counterintelligence probe into Russian interference in the 2016 US election." Johnson "also released a lengthy letter detailing the origins of his probe and criticizing the reaction it has garnered from media reports and Democrats." Johnson said on Twitter, "Democrats have initiated a coordinated disinformation campaign in an effort to personally attack myself and Sen. @ChuckGrassley, but this will not obstruct our investigation. We will find the truth and get answers for the American people." Johnson also tweeted, "Today, I have released an open letter regarding the Democrats' combative and false comments regarding my committee's investigation." The Washington Times (8/10, Sherfinski, 492K) notes Johnson wrote, "Chairman [Charles E.] Grassley and I will not be deterred by the false accusations despicably being made by individuals with strong political biases and motivations. ... Our investigation has been, and will continue to be, undertaken with the greatest integrity and transparency. We intend to determine and reveal the truth." The Washington Examiner (8/10, Dunleavy, 448K) reports Johnson also stated, "Democrats and many in the media have mainly focused their criticism of our investigation on the Biden component of our oversight. ... They have once again decided to weaponize a false 'Russian disinformation' narrative as a tool for attacking their political opponents." The Washington Post (8/10, Hamburger, 14.2M) reports the FBI "said in a statement it has received the subpoena and has 'already been producing documents and information to the Senate Homeland Security Committee, which are directly responsive to this subpoena. As always, the FBI will continue to cooperate with the Committee's requests, consistent with our law enforcement and national security obligations:" The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (8/10, Gilbert, 632K), among other news outlets, also reports the story. Senate Panel Subpoenas FBI Records On 2016 Russia Probe. Politico (8/10, Swan, 4.29M) reports Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) "has issued the first subpoena of his Senate probe into the origins of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation: to FBI Director Christopher Wray." According to Politico, the subpoena "demands documents but not testimony. Specifically, it asks for 'all documents related to the Crossfire Hurricane investigation' - the FBI's counterintelligence probe into Russian interference in the 2016 US election." Johnson "also released a lengthy letter detailing the origins of his probe and criticizing the reaction it has garnered from media reports and Democrats." Johnson said on Twitter, "Democrats have initiated a coordinated disinformation campaign in an effort to personally attack myself and Sen. @ChuckGrassley, but this will not obstruct our EFTA00149852 investigation. We will find the truth and get answers for the American people." Johnson also tweeted, "Today, I have released an open letter regarding the Democrats' combative and false comments regarding my committee's investigation." The Washington Times (8/10, Sherfinski, 492K) notes the subpoena seeks "all records related to the Crossfire Hurricane investigation" and seeks "all records provided or made available to the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Justice for its review." In the subpoena, Johnson wrote, "Chairman [Charles E.] Grassley and I will not be deterred by the false accusations despicably being made by individuals with strong political biases and motivations. ... Our investigation has been, and will continue to be, undertaken with the greatest integrity and transparency. We intend to determine and reveal the truth." Fox News (8/10, Singman, 27.59M) reports the subpoena states, "This includes, but is not limited to, all records provided or made available to the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Justice for its review." The subpoena also demands "all records related to requests" to the General Services Administration or the Office of the Inspector General for the GSA for "presidential transition records from November 2016 through December 2017." The FBI must provide "these documents to the committee by Aug. 20 at 5 p.m. Er, according to the subpoena." The Daily Caller (8/10, Ross, 716K) says Johnson is "demanding that Wray hand over all records that the FBI provided the Justice Department's office of the inspector general for its scathing report on Crossfire Hurricane." Johnson also "announced on Monday that he intends to subpoena Jonathan Winer, a former State Department official who served as a key liaison between dossier author Christopher Steele and State Department officials before the 2016 election." Winer "arranged a meeting for Steele at Foggy Bottom in October 2016 and was also a background source for multiple news articles that contained Steele's unverified allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia." CBS News (8/10, Herridge, 3.68M) reports Johnson said he "decided to begin issuing subpoenas primarily because of my strong belief that transparency in government is essential and that the American people have waited too long for the truth." The Washington Post (8/10, Hamburger, 14.2M) reports the FBI "said in a statement it has received the subpoena and has `already been producing documents and information to the Senate Homeland Security Committee, which are directly responsive to this subpoena. As always, the FBI will continue to cooperate with the Committee's requests, consistent with our law enforcement and national security obligations." The AP (8/10, Tucker) reports in a separate statement "on Sunday, the FBI said it was continuing to cooperate with the Judiciary Committee's investigation." The FBI also "said it had `surged resources' to be able to continue producing documents to the committee on a rolling basis." The Federalist (8/10, Osburn, 126K) points out "the letter also addressed a weekend Washington Post op-ed by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., in which he claimed that `disinformation and deception are gaining a toehold in Congress' as Johnson moves forward with an investigation `using documents provided to the senator by the son of a former KGB officer Johnson wrote in response, "This is false. ... Not only have we have repeatedly and publicly denied it, no one has presented evidence to the contrary - nor can they, because there is none." The Washington Examiner (8/10, Dunleavy, 448K) reports Johnson also stated, "Democrats and many in the media have mainly focused their criticism of our investigation on the Biden component of our oversight. ... They have once again decided to weaponize a false `Russian disinformation' narrative as a tool for attacking their political opponents." The Wall Street Journal (8/10, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), The Hill (8/10, Carney, 2.98M), Courthouse News (8/10, Rodgers, 2K), National Review (8/10, Evans, 731K), The New York Post (8/10, Moore, 4.57M), The Washington Examiner (8/10, Dunleavy, 448K), and The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (8/10, Gilbert, 632K), among other news outlets, also report the story. EFTA00149853 Graham: "I'm Going To Find Out Why" FBI "Told The Same Lies" About Steele Dossier. Fox News (8/10, Halon, 27.59M) reports the FBI under Director Christopher Wray's "leadership deceived lawmakers on the Senate Intelligence Committee during a 2018 briefing on the Russia investigation, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham told 'Hannity' Monday, citing a document he obtained from the Department of Justice." Graham said, "A year after they knew the Russian dossier was no longer reliable, they told the same lies to the Congress, not just the [FISA) court, as a completely new front of legal liability, and I'm going to find out what happened." Graham called on FBI Director Christopher Wray to address why "the Senate Intel Committee was briefed about the dossier and the Russian subsource in the same fashion that the FISA court was briefed," which Graham called "very misleading." National Review (8/10, Evans, 731K) also reports. DC Circuit To Hear Oral Arguments In Michael Flynn Case Tuesday. Just Security (8/10, Geltzer) reports the DC Circuit will rehear oral arguments in the case against Michael Flynn "en banc, in this instance in front of ten judges" on Tuesday. The outlet suggests that key points during the hearing will revolve around: whether judges believe the court "needs to take the unusual step of intervening now, on the emergency posture of a mandamus petition, to prevent the district court from proceeding, or can any potential concerns with how the district court handles the case be addressed later, on ordinary appeal;" the definition of "leave of court;" the "particularities of the Flynn case and the nature of further proceedings in the district court;" and if the case should "be reassigned to a different district judge." In an op-ed for The Washington Post (8/10, Zolle, 14.2M), Constitutional Accountability Center appellate counsel Dayna Zolle writes the DC Circuit "should deny Flynn's request to order the automatic dismissal of his case and should instead allow the district court to consider the public interest in determining whether dismissal is appropriate. That would serve the interests of justice, if not of this Justice Department." In an editorial, The Washington Times (8/10, 492K) writes that "Americans are waiting for a final resolution that frees Mr. Flynn, a long-suffering public servant. An endless cycle of prosecution is itself a form of punishment. It should never have happened." Former Student Says Halper Predicted Flynn's Ouster. The Washington Times (8/10, Scarborough, 492K) reports that Steven P. Schrage, a "onetime associate of FBI spy Stefan Halper says the University of Cambridge professor told him that retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn was 'unsuitable' for the post of President Trump's national security adviser." Halper told Schrage, "I don't think Flynn's going to be around long." Halper's comments to Schrage, who was a doctoral candidate at Cambridge at the time, "were recorded on Jan. 10, 2017, two days before a Washington Post column on Flynn led to his quick White House dismissal." the Post adds that Schrage "outed himself Sunday as a whistleblower with a post, 'The Spies Who Hijacked America,' on journalist Matt Taibbi's blog." Former Student Says Halper Predicted Flynn's Ouster. The Washington Times (8/10, Scarborough, 492K) reports that Steven P. Schrage, a "onetime associate of FBI spy Stefan Halper says the University of Cambridge professor told him that retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn was 'unsuitable' for the post of President Trump's national security adviser." Halper told Schrage, "I don't think Flynn's going to be around long." Halper's comments to Schrage, who was a doctoral candidate at Cambridge at the time, "were recorded on Jan. 10, 2017, two days before a Washington Post column on Flynn led to his quick White House dismissal." the Post adds that Schrage "outed himself Sunday as a whistleblower with a post, 'The Spies Who Hijacked America,' on journalist Matt Taibbi's blog." Chinese Research Who Hid In US Consulate In San Francisco Pleads Not Guilty. EFTA00149854 Bloomberg (8/10, Roth, 4.73M) reports, "A Chinese researcher who spent weeks in the country's consulate in San Francisco before she was arrested by the U.S. on visa fraud charges pleaded not guilty." Juan Tang, "whose prosecution has helped fuel tension between China and the U.S., entered her plea Monday in federal court in Sacramento, near where she did cancer research at University of California at Davis. She is among Chinese scholar visa holders in more than 25 American cities who the Justice Department suspects of having an 'undeclared affiliation' with the Chinese military." IC-Funded Venture Developing Tool To Monitor "Unsavory" Online Speech. The Washington Times (8/10, Lovelace, 492K) reports the CIA-contracted venture capital fund In-Q-Tel "in the last six months has begun working on a new investment specifically targeting speech that is deemed problematic and to identify people who say 'unsavory things' on websites such as Twitter, Facebook and Reddit, said In-Q-Tel investor Morgan Mahlock." Speaking at the University of California, Irvine on Friday, Mahlock said, "Can't yet mention the name, but it is able to detect toxic content online," adding, "in social media forums, for example on Reddit, or Facebook, or Twitter, it's able to identify people who are saying unsavory things to others in a nuanced way, understanding the language and the context." Pentagon Seeks 30 Days To Continue Review Of JEDI Cloud Contract Bids. NextGov (8/10, Konkel) reports in a court filing Monday, "the Defense Department requested a 30-day extension to issue an award decision in its multibillion-dollar Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure cloud contract." The Defense Department had "planned to award JEDI by Aug. 17 after numerous delays, including a 120-day remand sought by the agency in March to take corrective action on issues identified in a legal protest by Amazon Web Services after the Pentagon initially awarded Microsoft the contract in October." According to the filing, DOD has "recently identified the need to reopen limited discussions related to certain aspects of the offerors' pricing proposals." The filing indicates "both companies would have another chance to submit questions and a revised bid," and that it "anticipates that the re-evaluation process will be complete by early September." Space Force Releases Capstone Doctrine. Breaking Defense (8/10, Hitchens) reports the Space Force's "long-awaited capstone doctrine" envisions the new service "providing decision-makers with potentially war-winning 'spacepower' options for attacking enemy satellites in future conflicts." In the foreword of the release, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Jay Raymond wrote the Space Capstone Publication: Spacepower "represents our Service's first articulation of an independent theory of spacepower." The new document is based on earlier documents such as Joint Doctrine 3-14, but in contrast it "sets out to place military operations in space in a broader context as part of a national spacepower strategy that includes diplomacy and economic activity." The document lays out what Space Force calls "three Cornerstone Responsibilities" that it says "form the vital purpose of military spacepower:" preserving US "Freedom of Action" in space, enabling "Joint Lethality and Effectiveness," and providing US leaders strategic options in the space realm. Finally, the doctrine says the service "competencies" require specialization by space warfighters in the "disciplines" of "Orbital Warfare, Space Electromagnetic Warfare, Space Battle Management, Space Access and Sustainment, Military Intelligence, Cyber Operations, and Engineering/Acquisitions." Editorial: US "Must Unite" To Fight Foreign Electoral Interference. In an editorial, The Minneapolis Star Tribune (8/10, 1.04M) writes that in the face of electoral interference and in order to protect "our democracy, America - from the White House to Congress to the tech sector to everyday citizens - should unite as it would against any external attack." The Tribune cites a recent statement from William Evanina, director of the National EFTA00149855 Counterintelligence and Security Center, citing the motivations of China, Russia, and Iran in affecting the 2020 election. The outlet argues a declassification of the "intelligence assessment on the threat from the three countries would also benefit citizens and Silicon Valley, which must play its role in resisting disinformation disseminated by Moscow, Beijing, Tehran or elsewhere." The Tribune concludes election interference "should be acknowledged for what it is - an attack on the DNA of our democratic way of life." US, EU Evaluating Privacy Shield Follow-up Following EU Ruling. Bloomberg (8/10, Chapman, 4.73M) reports the Department of Commerce and "the European Union have started talks to evaluate the potential for 'an enhanced EU-US Privacy Shield framework' after the EU's top court threw out the current system for shipping data across the Atlantic." In a joint statement issued on Monday, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said both sides recognize the "vital importance of data protection and the significance of cross-border data transfers to our citizens and economies." CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS FBI Releases Surveillance Photos In Probe Of Kentucky Woman's Disappearance. The Lexington (KY) Herald-Leader (8/9, Spears, 257K) reports, "The Federal Bureau of Investigation in Louisville has released new surveillance photos of vehicles related to the investigation of Crystal Rogers' 2015 disappearance in Nelson County. `The surveillance photographs ... are ones where we need the public's assistance in identifying the drivers of those vehicles,' FBI spokesman Timothy Beam told the Herald-Leader Sunday. 'We believe the drivers of these vehicles may have important information related to Crystal's disappearance." Rogers "disappeared in Nelson County in July 2015, and the case has since gained national attention. The FBI was called into Nelson County on July 24 to help the sheriff's office retrieve possible human remains. Since then, the FBI has become the lead agency on the case." Beam "reiterated Sunday there was no update on whether or not those remains belonged to Rogers, but the FBI is now offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the current whereabouts of Rogers." WDRB-TV Louisville, KY (8/10, 179K) reports from Bardstown, Kentucky, "The FBI was back in Bardstown Monday evening, canvassing a neighborhood in connection with the Crystal Rogers investigation." The FBI "said they went to Lookout Court in Valley View Estates to talk to neighbors after receiving multiple tips on the agency's case task force website, though it is unclear at this time what those tips were and how they relate to the Rogers investigation. The IRS was also in the neighborhood for the canvass, according to WDRB's Fallon Glick. Agents spent about 15 minutes at each home talking to residents, who said they did not want to discuss the conversations with WDRB News out of respect for the family and didn't want to jeopardize the investigation. This comes less than 24 hours after the agency announced that they had finished 'it's judicially authorized search activities' in Bardstown and thanked the Nelson County Sheriff's Office." Spectrum News 1 Louisville MI 'y (8/10) reports, "FBI Louisville has concluded its search activities regarding the Crystal Rogers case. As Bardstown waits for answers, the community sentiment seems to be thankful there are more resources on the more than five-year-old cold case. 'You need closure. If it were me, I'd want closure. So I think having the FBI or any resources that can help do that, more power to them. I think it's a good move,' said Mike Searci, who is from the area but only moved to Bardstown four years ago." Spectrum News 1 adds, "City council member-at-large, David Dones, said that FBI Louisville's taking over last week shows there is movement with the cold case. 'There is some hope that some new information will come out. I think it's all been a positive feel from the community,' Dones told Spectrum News 1 Kentucky." EFTA00149856 Two Philadelphia Men Face Trial After Alleged Armored Truck Heist. The Inquirer (PA) (8/10, Dean, 347K) reports, "Two Philadelphia men who attempted to steal almost half-a-million dollars from armored truck guards during a robbery that turned into a shootout in University City last year have been indicted on charges that could land them in prison for life, federal prosecutors said Monday." Jerry Collins, 40, "the alleged getaway driver, and Tyree Lamont Holmes, 28, who allegedly dropped a money bag and fired on the guards while fleeing, where indicted on federal armed robbery and firearms charges. They allegedly targeted a Garda armored truck" on August 1. Collins "was arrested by the FBI last week, while Holmes was arrested by Philadelphia Police in February. 'This was a risky armed robbery carried out on a dense and active block in University City,' said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division. 'The robbery crew showed up armed to the teeth to accost Garda personnel, prompting a barrage of gunfire." FBI Investigating Carjacking In Michigan. WXYZ-TV Detroit (8/11, 236K) reports that the FBI Detroit Field Office and the Detroit Police Department "are asking for the public's help identifying a suspect wanted in a carjacking and an attempted carjacking at a BP gas station on West Eight Mile Road." Police "say the suspect pointed a handgun at the victim's head and demanded the keys to his black Honda Accord before fleeing south on Warrington." Continuing Coverage: FBI Searching For Missing Georgia Woman. NBC News (8/10, 6.14M) reports that the FBI has joined the search for Leila Cavett, whose two-year-old son was found alone on July 26. Cavett's sisters "told NBC affiliate WTVJ that Leila lives in Dawsonville, Georgia, but had been staying with family in Atlanta, and doesn't know anyone in Florida." New Jersey Men Indicted Over Bank Robberies. My Central Jersey (8/10, 24K) reports Jaime Fontanez and Vincent Chan-Guillen "have been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with allegedly committing multiple convenience and liquor store armed robberies in Union and Middlesex counties between August 2018 and February 2019." They "were previously arrested on a criminal complaint for this conduct on Feb. 21, 2019." Indiana Man Charged With Enticement Of Minor. WFIE-TV Evansville, IN (8/10, Lyman, 35K) reports Roy Eugene Morrow, Jr "is accused of traveling to Saline County, Illinois, to have sex with a child," who was actually an undercover federal agent. He was arrested in July, when he arrived at the predetermined location. Illinois Man Sentenced Over FBI Death Threat. WFLD-TV Chicago (8/10, 42K) reports that a federal jury "has convicted [Robert Haas] of threatening on social media to kill an FBI task force officer." He "threatened the officer in 2019 after the officer questioned him on another threat he allegedly made on a social media site." He wrote, "I'm not afraid to walk out my door in the morning." He continued, "You should be however considering you support Jewish terrorism and your anti-American (expletive) is going to get you killed." FBI Investigating Illinois Bank Robbery. The Kendallville IN News Sun (8/10, 23K) reports that the FBI is "seeking information that would identify three suspects in an armed robbery at a Chase Bank" in Illinois. The suspects "used a handgun to rob a bank employee who was servicing an ATM." New York Fugitive Placed On FBI Most Wanted List. EFTA00149857 The Hudson Valley (NY) Post (8/10) reports Eugene Palmer, who "is wanted for allegedly shooting and killing his daughter-in-law, 39-year-old Tammy Pannirello Palmer, on September 24, 2012," has been placed on the FBI Most Wanted list. The FBI "is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading directly to the arrest of Palmer." Idaho Men Charged In Connection To Bank Robberies. KPVI-TV Idaho Falls, ID (8/10) reports Matayo H. Young and Myron McKinney have been charged in connection to two bank robberies in Illinois. FBI Gang Response Investigative Team member Christopher Gootee "allege[d) the first robbery took place at 2:40 p.m. Aug. 3," and he "allege[d] the second bank robbery took place at 3:30 p.m. Thursday." New Jersey Police Officer Charged With Falsifying Information On Search Warrant. The Trentonian (NJ) (8/10, 106K) reports Trenton Police Detective Sgt. David Ordille "faces termination for lying on a search-warrant affidavit in a high-profile, multi-defendant drug trafficking case." A federal judge "described Ordille's tactics in obtaining a warrant to search Wimbush's vehicle as 'affirmative acts of deliberate deception." California AG Seeks To Free Woman Charged With Murder After Meth Found In Stillborn Baby. The New York Post (8/10, Brown, 4.57M) reports California Attorney General Xavier Becerra "is fighting to free a woman who was charged with murder after her stillborn baby had a high level of meth - accusing fellow prosecutors of twisting laws meant to protect women." Chelsea Cheyenne Becker, 26, "has been in custody on $5 million bail since Nov. 10 after the Kings County District Attorney said her drug use caused the death of the child on Sept. 10 last year." On Friday, Becerra filed an amicus brief "to support Becker's appeal after it was rejected in superior court in June." Becerra said that the law being used against her was "intended to protect pregnant women from harm, not charge them with murder." Documents Unsealed In Legal Battle Between Dershowitz, Epstein Accuser. The New York Post (8/10, Feuerherd, 4.57M) reports that new documents have been unsealed in the "legal battle between Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre and Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz." The documents relate, "in part, to Dershowitz's effort to subpoena and depose billionaire Les Wexner for evidence in his counter suit of Giuffre." Dershowitz "is hoping to show that Giuffre tried to extort Wexner - the former head of Victoria Secret's parent company who has ties to multi-millionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein." Dershowitz "is also asking that Wexner's attorney, John Zeiger, be deposed and be forced to provide documents related to Wexner's relationship with Epstein accusers." Montana "Scales Back" Search For Missing Man. The Great Falls (MT) Tribune (8/10, 114K) reports that Glacier National Park officials "said Monday they would scale down efforts to find [Barry J. Trager*" who has been "missing since late July, saying no new clues have been uncovered." Park staff "started a search for Tragen on July 25 after he did not return to his vehicle parked near Kintla Lake in the North Fork area of the park." Pennsylvania Synagogue Vandalized. The Harrisburg (PA) Patriot-News (8/10, 427K) reports that the FBI is investigating the vandalizing of Kesher Israel Congregation, which "was defaced sometime Monday morning with two red swastikas spray painted at the entrance." Rabbi Elisha Friedman said, "It's sort of disappointing to know there's people out there who want to behave in this kind of way." He continued, "I don't think it's in any way a reflection of our Harrisburg community. The EFTA00149858 community is very supportive - the Jewish and the non-Jewish community, law enforcement, elected officials and neighbors." Colorado Man Sentenced Over Threats Against New Mexico Officials. The Los Alamos (NM) Daily Post (8/10) reports Andrew Graham "was sentenced Wednesday, Aug. 5, to 15 months in federal prison for interstate communication of threats." He "pled guilty in federal court to sending communications threatening to kill an official with the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department as well as an attorney with a private law firm" in December 2019. The FBI investigated the case. FBI Investigating California Bank Robbery. The Times of San Diego (8/10) reports that the FBI is investigating the attempted robbery of the bank on Monday. They "are looking for a female about 5-feet, 8-inches tall, wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and dark pants." The San Diego Union-Tribune (8/10, 755K) reports that the failed robbery "happened a few minutes after 1:30 p.m. at the Wells Fargo branch at 7080 Broadway, in the Lemon Grove Plaza shopping center between Massachusetts Avenue and Federal Boulevard." Oklahoma Men Charged With Murder, Bank Fraud. The Tulsa (OK) World (8/10, 205K) reports that a federal grand jury returned indictments against Michael Leon Johnson and Olusola Ojo, who "were charged with conspiring to obtain loan proceeds from banks for federal Paycheck Protection Program forgivable loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration under the CARES Act." The men "created various business entities, fraudulently represented on loan applications that they had a number of employees, and shared fraudulent payroll expenses that would qualify for PPP loans." Drug Trafficker Sentenced To More Than Six Years In Prison. The Norwalk (CT) Hour (8/10, Tomlinson, 46K) reports Jermayne Butler was sentenced on Monday "to six-and-a-half years in prison for his leadership role in a New Haven drug trafficking ring." The "FBI's New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force" was involved with the investigation of the Butler case, according to the Hour article, which is posted to the New Haven (CT) Register (8/10, 225K) and Connecticut Post (8/10, 347K) websites. Drug Case Defendant Gets 30-Month Prison Sentence. The Martinsburg (WV) Journal (8/10, 51K) reports the FBI was involved with an investigation that led to a 30-month prison sentence for West Virginia resident Anthony Jones, who "admitted to using a phone to arrange a heroin purchase in December 2018 in Berkeley County." The Hagerstown (MD) Herald-Mail Media (8/10, Umstead, 32K) publishes a similar article. Georgia Resident Gets 30-Year Prison Sentence For Cocaine Trafficking. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (8/10, Lee, 895K) reports Georgia resident Alfonzo Jamal Lewis "has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after being found guilty of trafficking a half-million dollars of cocaine from Atlanta to Albany in 2015." The Journal-Constitution quotes US Attorney Byung Pak, who said, "My office and the Office of National Drug Control Policy's HIDTA program are committed to ensuring that drug dealers and traffickers like Lewis are held to account for their crimes." Border Patrol Agent Facing Drug Charges. The Arizona Republic (8/10, Carranza, 869K) reports the DEA was involved with a drug trafficking investigation that led to the recent arrest of Carlos Victor Passapera Pinott, a Border Patrol agent who was stationed in Tucson, Arizona. The suspect "faces four felony counts: one EFTA00149859 each for the possession of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl, and one for conspiracy to distribute the drugs." The KYMA-TV Yuma, AZ (8/10) website publishes a similar article. The AP (8/10) and the Washington Times (8/10, Dinan, 492K) do not directly mention the DEA in their coverage of this story. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS Ally Of Ohio House Speaker Contributed To Campaigns, Supported FirstEnergy. The Cleveland Plain Dealer (8/10, Caniglia, 895K) reports, "As Larry Householder ascended to power in the Ohio Statehouse, he had a powerful ally from Cleveland who backed his work and contributed to his campaigns." According to the Plain Dealer, "Prominent Cleveland businessman Tony George and his family gave nearly $120,000 in contributions to Householder over the past four years, just as Householder returned to state politics and rose to become the speaker of the Ohio House, records show. George, 63, of Westlake, is involved in a number of businesses. For years, he has sought the role of a political rainmaker by raising and contributing money to candidates of both parties. In Householder's case, George also supported FirstEnergy Corp. and its subsidiaries. The company and its affiliates are accused of paying $60 million in bribes to Householder and four allies in a federal racketeering indictment that has left the Statehouse reeling." FBI Arrests Two In Probe Of Wisconsin Moving Company. WLUK-TV Green Bay, WI (8/10, 199K) reports, "The FBI has announced the arrests of two people in connection with a fraudulent moving company claiming to be located in Green Bay." According to WLUK-TV, "Yakov Monoz, president of Great Moving, and Tal Ohana, an employee, both of New York, were charged with wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy by misrepresenting estimated charges for moving services and then requiring customers to pay additional fees that far exceeded the original estimate in order to recover their belongings, according to the FBI. The two were arrested on Aug. 5 and made their initial court appearances in Federal Court in New York." WLUK-TV adds, "Investigators began looking into the company in January of 2020 after receiving 49 complaints from consumers in 26 states. According to the complaints, the company would double or triple the quoted estimate on the day of the move by adding extra, and often unnecessary fees, such as a shuttle service fee." Minnesota Man Is Third Charged In Probe Of Magazine Sales Scam. The Minneapolis Star Tribune (8/10, Montemayor, 1.04M) reports, "Federal authorities in Minnesota charged a third man with helping to run a multimillion-dollar nationwide magazine sales scam, arresting him as he tried to leave the country over the weekend." The Star Tribune adds, "According to charges unsealed on Monday, Brian James Williams, 51, of Orono, used companies in South St. Paul and San Diego to allegedly bilk thousands of 'elderly or otherwise vulnerable' consumers out of $2.4 million over five years. Williams was arrested Saturday before he could board a Los Angeles flight to Canada, making him the third defendant in an ongoing federal fraud probe that has so far publicly outlined more than $100 million in losses to victims around the country." Former Texas Southern University Law School Employee Charged With Stealing Funds. KTRK-TV Houston (8/10, 431K) reports from Houston, Texas, "A former Texas Southern University dean has been charged with theft after being accused of stealing from the university." KTRK-TV adds, "According to authorities, 52-year-old Edward Wayne Rene is accused of awarding double tuition scholarships to at least two students and then making them return the extra money, which he allegedly took. Rene, who is a former assistant dean at TSU EFTA00149860 law school, has been charged with theft by a public servant of $30,000 to $150,000, which is a second-degree felony." KTBC-TV Austin, TX (8/10, 16K) reports that Rene "is charged with theft by a public servant, a second-degree felony. The Harris County District Attorney's Office says he stole between $30,000 and $150,000 starting in 2017 and continuing through September 11, 2019. TSU regents brought the case to the Harris County District Attorney's Office, who worked with the FBI to investigate Rene's alleged abuse of power. 'Public corruption is the top criminal priority for the FBI,' said Perrye K. Tuner, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Houston Division. 'While rooting out public corruption is exceptionally difficult, the FBI's success in investigating this violation is due largely to the cooperation and coordination from our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, and the communities we serve- whose intolerance of the abuse of public office prompts them to come forward and report it,' he said." The Houston Chronicle (8/10, Tedesco, Britto, 730K) reports, "Controversies at the law school's admissions office led to months of friction between TSU's regents and Austin Lane, TSU's president at the time. Lane said in past interviews that school officials and auditors were investigating improprieties in the admissions office when the regents intervened. Lane ultimately reached a settlement with the board to end his contract with the school. Lane received $560,000, which included a $100,000 payment for emotional distress. Lane said he was also owed $80,000 in vacation time and nearly $240,000 in deferred compensation." KHOU-TV Houston (8/10, Homer, 207K) reports, "The TSU Board of Regents alerted the DA's office following an internal investigation. The FBI took over from there." Federal Prosecutors Recommend Probation For Ex-Rep. Hayes. The AP (8/10) reports from Charlotte, North Carolina, "Prosecutors asked a judge on Monday to give a former North Carolina congressman no prison time for lying to the FBI about his role in a plan to try to bribe the state's top insurance regulator with large political contributions." The federal prosecutors "made the probation recommendation for Robin Hayes, who pleaded guilty in October to making a false statement in 2018 to FBI agents conducting an investigation while Hayes was state Republican Party chairman. The recommendation is in keeping with sentencing guidelines, the government said, and the request of Hayes' lawyers in June." Hayes "was among four men indicted last year on charges involving efforts to give campaign money to help state Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey in exchange for Causey removing an official in his department. Hayes entered a plea agreement." WCNC-TV Charlotte, NC (8/10, 194K) reports, "In September of last year, Hayes pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. The agency was investigating bribery allegations against prominent Durham businessman Greg Lindberg and two of his associates." The Rock Hill (SC) Herald (8/10, 89K) also reports. Michigan Woman Defrauded By Fake FBI Employee. MLive (MI) (8/10, 925K) reports from Lapeer County, Michigan, "A 60-year-old Lapeer County woman lost $17,000 as part of a fraud case under investigation." According to MLive, "Deputies with the Lapeer County Sheriff's Office were dispatched Aug. 6 after a call to Lapeer County 911 for a fraud complaint in Marathon Township. The victim told police she was contacted on the phone by an unidentified male who claimed to be with the Federal Bureau of Investigations." MLive adds, "Three calls were received by the victim from three different phone number with area codes 810, 202, and 210, police said. A text message was also sent from the 210 area code phone number, along with a picture of an FBI identification card and badge. The person claimed they had already arrested the victim's ex-husband, ex-uncle, and she would be arrested if she didn't provide $17,000 in gift card codes." Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty To Wire Fraud In Foreign Student Recruitment Case. EFTA00149861 The Boston Globe (8/10, 972K) reports that a Weston, Massachusetts man "pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Boston to one count of wire fraud in a scheme to defraud international students and private schools out of millions in tuition and fees, authorities said." Keenam "Kason" Park, 59, "entered his plea before US Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf, who set a sentencing date of Nov. 2, according to a joint statement from US Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston bureau of the Federal Bureau of Investigation." The Globe adds, "Through his company, EduBoston, Park helped dozens of private high schools across Massachusetts and the United States recruit international students, mostly from China, placing many at Catholic schools struggling with shrinking enrollments. But last year the firm abruptly announced that it would close amid a tangle of lawsuits, accusations of fraud, and a mountain of debt." CYBER DIVISION White House Announces Plans For Spectrum Auction To Step Up 5G Growth. Reuters (8/10, Alper) reports the White House has announced "plans to auction off 100 megahertz of midband spectrum for use starting in mid-2022, part of U.S. efforts to ramp up fifth-generation network coverage." White House adviser and US Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios told reporters in a briefing call that the FCC will be able to auction the spectrum starting in December 2021 and the wireless industry could be using it by the summer of the next year. Microsoft Faces "Complex Technical Challenges" From TikTok Carveout. Reuters (8/10, Wang, Dave) reports Microsoft's bid to "carve out" parts of TikTok from "its Chinese owner ByteDance will be a technically complex endeavor that could test the patience of President Donald Trump's administration, according to sources familiar with the setup." Trump has given Microsoft "until Sept. 15 to put together a blueprint for an acquisition that safeguards" Americans' data and has "issued an order to ban it if there is no deal by then." Microsoft is negotiating a "transition period that will give it time to ringfence TikTok technologically from ByteDance after they agree to a deal, Reuters reported on Aug. 2." The clean break that "Trump and lawmakers envision could take a year or more, some of the sources said." To ensure uninterrupted service, "Microsoft would likely need to rely on ByteDance's code while it reviews and revises the code, and moves to a new back-end infrastructure to serve users, according to cyber security expert Ryan Speers at River Loop Security." In a video interview with CNBC (8/10, 3.62M), Stanford University cybersecurity analyst Alex Stamos discusses the engineering challenge of transferring Tik Tok's back-end code within a year. In a video interview with Bloomberg (8/10, Bn, 4.73M), Steptoe & Johnson LLP Counsel Stewart Baker also addresses TikTok data concerns. Former MI6 Head Urges Ministers To Keep Children From Using TikTok. The Daily Mail (UK) (8/10, Wilcock, 5.27M) reports a former head of MI6 "warned ministers today that allowing their children to use TikTok could put them at the mercy of Chinese spies." Nigel Inkster "said that the controversial social media app could provide a backdoor for Beijing to steal secrets from high-ranking members of the Government." Inkster "said that as long as its owners were based there, it would be seen as a risk." He told the Telegraph separately, "Where the Chinese intelligence services are very strong is in identifying non-obvious entry points to certain targets. They have shown a lot of skill in this regard." Senators Seek To Include National Cyber Director In 2021 NDAA. The Wall Street Journal (8/10, Uberti, Rundle, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports Congressional lawmakers say that stand-alone legislation to create a national cyberdirector will EFTA00149862 be difficult to pass as Congress is deadlocked on coronavirus relief aid. Instead, Sen. Angus King (I-ME) and other supporters are seeking to include the position in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 currently being crafted in Congress. The current proposal would provide for as many as 75 staffers in the new office, but the White House believes such an office may conflict with existing cyber capabilities. US Cyber Command Employing Unclassified Networks "To Fight Election Interference." C4ISR & Networks (8/10, Pomerleau) reports US Cyber Command is using "unclassified networks and publicly available communication platforms as it works to prevent foreign interference in the next presidential election, a CYBERCOM official has revealed." During an August 7 DEFCON panel, US Cyber Command Cyber National Mission Force head Brig. Gen. William Hartman said, "From a CYBERCOM standpoint, one of the big changes for us is we historically had been focused working inside [sensitive compartmented information facilities] SCIFs. One of the things we've done in support of 2020 is we have organizations now that live outside SCIFs." Hartman "said forces are now working on unclassified networks, Slack channels and other platforms to communicate with the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and private industry." FBI Among Those Monitoring Iranian "Fox Kitten" Hacking Group. National Interest (8/10, Suciu, 81K) reports sources "reportedly told ZDNet on Monday" that a group known as "Fox Kitten" has been "tracked by the cybersecurity community under the codenames Fox Kitten and Parisite, and that its primary task is providing an 'initial beachhead' for other Iranian hacking groups, such as APT33 (Shamoon), Oilrig (APT34) or Chafer." The FBI issued the alert "last week and warned companies that Fox Kitten has upgraded its attack arsenal to include an exploit for CVE-2020-5902, a vulnerability disclosed in July that could impact BIG-IP, which is a popular multi-purpose networking device manufactured by F5 Networks." The technology is "widely used in data centers and cloud environments." The FBI has instructed companies "to patch their on-premise BIG-IP devices as a preventative measure against such cyberattacks." While the FBI warning didn't "indicate whether any companies have been breached in a recent cyberattack, sources told ZDNet that Fox Kitten has been successful in cyberattacks against BIG-IP devices in at least two companies this year." LABORATORY North Dakota Authorities Hope New Science Can Help ID Man Found Dead In 1982. The Williston (ND) Herald (8/10, Kelly, 13K) reports, "Investigators with the Williams County Sheriff's Office hope cutting-edge forensic science can help them identify a man whose body was found in the Missouri River nearly 40 years ago." The Herald adds, "On Monday, Aug. 10, Williston Public Works employees and staff from the sheriff's office disinterred the remains of a man who police say was found by boaters in June 1982. After the body was disinterred, the plan is to perform an autopsy on the remains and extract a DNA sample, according to Sgt. Detective Caleb Fry with the Williams County Sheriff's Office. The DNA will be entered into CODIS, the FBI's national DNA database, to try and find a match. Othram Labs, the company the county is working with, will also perform a genealogical search using his DNA to try and locate possible family members." LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES Gun Seizures Are Up At US Airports. EFTA00149863 The Dallas Morning News (8/10, Grigsby, 946K) reports, "With air traffic nearing a five-month high, airport security is finding guns in passenger carry-on bags at three times the rate recorded before the pandemic. And 80% of the guns are loaded." According to the Morning News, "The discoveries at airports comes at a time when U.S. gun sales are surging, and analysts believe many of those purchases are being made by first-time buyers. DFW International Airport tied for second nationally with 13 gun seizures last month, while Dallas Love Field ranked fifth with Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport at nine seizures each. Officers found 15.3 guns for every million people screened in July, compared with 5.1 per million people in July of last year, the Transportation Security Administration said Monday. There has been a significant increase in loaded guns at checkpoints, said TSA Administrator David Pekoske." The Los Angeles Times (8/10, Martin, 4.64M) reports, "The total number of firearms uncovered by the TSA dropped to 304 last month from 401 in July 2019, according to the agency. During the same period, the pandemic has reduced the number of passengers being screened by TSA officers by nearly three-quarters, to 20.7 million last month from 79.5 million passengers in July 2019. 'Travelers must understand that firearms are prohibited items at airports and in the passenger cabins of aircraft,' Pekoske said. 'As hard as we are working to mitigate other risks at this time, no one should be introducing new ones:" OTHER FBI NEWS Wray Taps Jones As FBI General Counsel. Behind a paywall, Law360 (8/10, Subscription Publication, 8K) reports, "The FBI announced Monday that it has tapped a former King & Spalding LLP attorney with a decade of experience as a federal prosecutor to serve as the agency's general counsel." Director Wray "has named Jason A. Jones as the general counsel of the FBI. Jones was a partner at King & Spalding on the firm's special matters and government investigations team, advising companies on white collar investigations and government regulatory enforcement." White-Collar Prosecutions In Decline During Trump Administration. Bloomberg (8/10, Hurtado, Dolmetsch, Roth, Voreacos, 4.73M) reports, "Donald Trump calls himself the 'law and order' president, but when it comes to white collar crime, he has overseen a significant decline in enforcement." Bloomberg adds, "The prosecution of securities fraud, antitrust violations and other such crimes has hit a record low as the pandemic slows the courts, according to one tracking service. But even before the coronavirus, the numbers were falling under the Trump administration. The average annual number of white collar defendants was down 26% to 30% for Trump's first three years in office from the average under President Barack Obama, according to data from the Justice Department and Syracuse University, respectively. The trend also shows up in fines on corporations, which fell 76% from Obama's last 20 months to Trump's first 20 months, according to Duke University law professor Brandon Garrett." Barr: Left Believes In "Tearing Down the System." The Washington Times (8/10, Sherfinski, 492K) reports that in an interview Sunday on Fox News, Attorney General Barr "said many people on the left have gradually morphed into representing" a "revolutionary" party that believes in "tearing down the system" and regards their political opponents as "evil." Barr said the left represents a "Rousseauian revolutionary party that believes in tearing down the system" and are interested in "complete political victory." Barr said, "It's a secular religion. It's a substitute for religion. ... They view their political opponents as evil that because we stand in the way of their progressive utopia that they're trying to reach." EFTA00149864 OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS Trump: Pelosi And Schumer Ready For Stimulus Deal After Executive Orders. As most mainstream media analyses continue to pound his executive actions this weekend, the President on Monday indicated his moves are already giving him and GOP leaders leverage in their dispute with Speaker Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Schumer. As the Washington limes (8/10, Miller, 492K) reports, the President "said Democratic leaders suddenly want to make a deal...after he blew past the stalled negotiations with executive orders to send aid to Americans." The Washington Post (8/10, Al, Kim, Werner, Dawsey, 14.2M) also says "White House officials believe Trump gained leverage on Saturday." Trump said on Twitter, "So now Schumer and Pelosi want to meet to make a deal. Amazing how it all works, isn't it. Where have they been for the last 4 weeks when they were `hardliners', and only wanted BAILOUT MONEY for Democrat run states and cities that are failing badly? They know my phone number!" Appearing on Fox News' Fox & Friends (8/10, 831K), White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany was asked if the President intends to implement the orders, or if they are just a "negotiation tactic." McEnany said, "He most certainly intends to implement the four executive orders pertaining to unemployment insurance, student loans, the payroll tax holiday and evictions. The American people need relief and, you know, Chuck Schumer, it's funny listening to him there talk about these executive orders as not being enough. Well, what have Democrats put forward? Precisely nothing, except rejecting at least on two occasions a $600 clean extension of unemployment insurance. President Trump has acted in the American people's best interests." In an interview with CNBC's Squawk On The StreetVi (8/10, 316K), Treasury Secretary Mnuchin said, "I think there is a compromise if the Democrats are willing to be reasonable. There is still a lot of things that we need to do and that we've agreed on. ... The President wants to make sure that there is enough money to open schools safely. That's something that is very important. ... We've agreed on more money for PPP for businesses that are particularly hard hit getting a second check. We've agreed on more direct payments like we sent out last time. ... We offered more money for state and local, but we're not going to give $1 trillion to state and local. That's just not a reasonable approach. ... Let's not hold up everything over a few things that we disagree on." CNBC (8/10, Pramuk, 3.62M) reports, meanwhile, that on Monday, Schumer "told MSNBC that Trump's action are `unworkable, weak and far too narrow." CNBC adds that Pelosi and Schumer "said the White House rejected an offer to meet in the middle with roughly $2 trillion legislation." Schumer told MSNBC's Morning JoeVi (8/10, 1.41M), "We came up with a strong plan. But we even were willing, because we so much want to get this done, we said to the President's negotiators last week, `we'll meet you in the middle. We'll cut a trillion, you raise a trillion.' They said, 'absolutely not.' I said, `it's your way or the highway?' `Yep." The Washington Post (8/10, Werner, 14.2M) reports, however, that Mnuchin "argued that the administration already had compromised and Democrats were the ones who needed to compromise." Mnuchin said, "We're not the ones who are holding this up." The Democrats' "demand for nearly $1 trillion in aid to state and local governments" is "a major roadblock," and the Administration is "unwilling to agree to more than $150 billion in additional aid to cities and states, after they already received $150 billion in the Cares Act in March." Mnuchin "argued Monday that much of that money remains unspent, and that demanding $1 trillion more is 'absurd." CNBC (8/10, Pramuk, 3.62M) reports Mnuchin indicated that the Administration is "open to resuming coronavirus aid talks with Democratic leaders and would offer more aid money to try to reach a compromise." Mnuchin said, "The president is determined to spend what we need to spend. ... We're prepared to put more money on the table." EFTA00149865 With reports casting both parties are trading blame on the failure of the talks, the tenor of the coverage remains markedly unfavorable toward Trump's executive orders. Reuters (8/10, Cornwell) says "it was not immediately clear whether" Trump's actions "would provide relief," and the New York Times (8/10, Rappeport, Cochrane, 18.61M) that the President "stretched the bounds of his executive powers and ordered a patchwork of coronavirus relief measures" after having "largely sidelined himself during talks on Capitol Hill." On Monday, however, he "proclaimed that his gambit to obtain more leverage in the talks had been a success." However, according to the Times, "top congressional Democrats said they had not reached out to the White House since their last meeting on Friday with" Mnuchin and Chief of Staff Meadows. The Hill (8/10, Samuels, 2.98M) quotes Schumer as saying, "Fables from Donald Trump. Fables. That's what he seems to specialize in. I didn't call him. Speaker Pelosi didn't call him. No, we didn't call him." The Washington Times (8/10, Boyer, 492K) reports that in her interview on Monday, however, "McEnany cited a joint statement by Mrs. Pelosi and Mr. Schumer 'in the aftermath' of Mr. Trump issuing the executive actions indicating that they `would like to meet halfway.' At any rate, Bloomberg (8/10, Litvan, Wasson, 4.73M) reports that "two days after...Trump moved to implement scaled-down coronavirus relief without congressional approval, there's no indication the tactic will get Republicans and Democrats back to the negotiating table for a comprehensive stimulus." Along those lines, Weijia Jiang reported on the CBS Evening NewsVi (8/10, Story 2, 2:10, Brennan, 4.37M) that "Congressional and White House negotiators continued blaming each other for collapsed talks." Senate Majority Leader McConnell was shown saying, "Democrats said, `Our way or the highway.' Schumer said, meanwhile, said, "Rather than compromise, Republican counterparts said take a hike." In the meantime, added Jiang, "the President vowed to act alone signing four executive measures over the weekend." NBC Nightly NewsVi (8/10, lead story, 2:34, Kristen Welker, 6.23M) said "Democrats and even some Republicans are blasting the move." Trump's "actions include a new weekly unemployment bonus payment of $400. That's less than the $600 people were initially receiving and that Democrats have pushed to extend since it expired last month. The directive also requires states to contribute $100 of the total amount, something Democrats say is not possible." To NBC, "It is a sharp contrast to the days when...Trump accused President Obama of a major power grab for taking action on his own, just as the President is doing now." Fox News (8/10, Stirewalt, 27.59M) says that while "the parts of the president's unilateral economic stimulus that are constitutional would not be very effective and the parts that might be effective are not constitutional," the fact is "almost no one involved cares. ... The pressing question in Washington is about whether President Trump's fiats will work in changing the politics of what had become the latest agony of 2020 for Republicans." To Fox, "the problem is that the White House is much closer on policy to House Democrats than Senate Republicans," because "Trump's re-election bid depends on an economic turnaround and growing public confidence as the fall begins. Democrats are always down for more federal spending, so aside from a few specifics, Trump and Nancy Pelosi are on the same philosophical page." The New York Times (8/10, 18.61M) reports, "Americans hit hard by the coronavirus recession saw no relief in sight on Monday as presidential directives announced by...Trump on Saturday caused confusion and prompted criticism from some governors. ... Because Congress controls the federal budget, the measures will almost certainly be challenged in court. 'You can't do with an executive order that which would be required by legislation,' Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York said on Monday." According to the AP (8/10, Barakat), "Whether...Trump has the constitutional authority to extend federal unemployment benefits by executive order remains unclear. Equally up in the air is whether states, which are necessary partners in Trump's plan to bypass Congress, will sign on." To Politico (8/10, Rainey, Cassella, 4.29M), "Tens of millions of jobless Americans are unlikely to see their weekly unemployment checks grow anytime soon - despite...Trump's EFTA00149866 executive action promising an extra $400 a week." His "order depends on already cash-poor states being able to create and implement a new system and fund one-fourth of the aid, which for many governors would be a difficult if not impossible task." Politico (8/10, Levine, Bresnahan, 4.29M) also reports McConnell on Monday "accused Pelosi and Schumer of using the economic hardships being felt by tens of millions of Americans to pressure Trump and Senate Republicans into a deal. `They think they have political leverage over the president of the United States and so they're willing to personally increase the pain for vulnerable families unless they get their way on matters not related to Covid,' McConnell claimed on the Senate floor." Politico adds, "As for House Democrats, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) announced on the Monday that there will be no votes until the week of Sept. 14, unless an agreement on more Covid relief is reached." The Hill (8/10, Jagoda, 2.98M), the New York Post (8/10, Nelson, 4.57M) and the Washington Times (8/10, Swoyer, 492K), among other news outlets, also report on yesterday's statements from party leaders blaming the other side of the aisle for the stalled talks. Sean Hannity said on Fox News' Hannity, "For weeks, President Trump is working overtime. Why? To help people that are unemployed continue to get coronavirus funding so that their unemployment doesn't run out. And guess what? Congress is nowhere to be found. Pelosi- Schumer stonewalling these negotiations for weeks at every turn.... It's always about politics, all about 2020. ... They obviously don't care about you or your life or your family. They only care about beating...Donald Trump in 85 days." Hannity added that Trump "is not willing to sacrifice your quality of life for an election. So late last week, the President announced his Administration will extend coronavirus relief benefits through executive action. Democrats are shocked, they're outraged." Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) said on Fox News Your World (8/10, 1.04M), "I think the way the President and his legal team have crafted this, pretty narrow in scope and so my guess, they probably have the authority under disaster relief. ... Past Congresses have given Presidents all kinds of different authority to act on their own. My guess - and I haven't looked at the exact legal description of this - but my guess is the legal team has done a pretty good job of looking at exactly what legal authority he has. He's using it to the extent that he can. But that is part of the problem, he's constrained in terms of what he can do." Stefanie Miller of Fiscalnote Markets said on CNBC's Power LunchVi (8/10, 260K), "I think that most people don't really want to pay attention to Washington, not just Wall Street but kind of everybody. They kind of want Washington to take care of you when you need help and then leave you alone the rest of the time. So, right now, most people are actually polling saying they want to see more stimulus or aid or something to individuals. So, we watch Congress and to the extent you were paying attention, you saw Congress wasn't doing anything, they couldn't come to an agreement. So the President did what he really does best, which is to get a deal. I think that is exactly the kind of character trait that a lot of people supported in 2016 when they voted for him. And so to give him this opportunity to come in and sort of save the day with a deal, I think is a really lucky opportunity for the President." Democrats Blame Meadows For Failed Talks, Examine Their Negotiating Strategy. The Washington Post (8/10, Al, Kim, Werner, Dawsey, 14.2M) reports on "the outsized presence Meadows brought" to the "coronavirus negotiations" that "collapsed in acrimony on Friday." The Post adds that "in private, Pelosi began to refer to Meadows as `The Enforcer,' the implication being he was there to ensure Mnuchin didn't make a deal with the Democrats." And "now, Democrats are facing questions about their tactics and whether playing hard ball will continue to work when someone like Meadows is intimately involved." A "senior administration official disputed the Democrats' complaints about Meadows' role, calling it `comical' to suggest that he or anyone else in the administration didn't want a deal. Instead, this person said, Democrats were to blame." Added the "senior administration official," "It's obvious they've made a political calculation that they won't be held accountable for obstructing EFTA00149867 during a weak economy, and therefore they have no interest in a deal unless they land a bunch of policy wishlist items along the way." Trump Accuses "RINO Ben Sasse" Of Playing "Right Into The Hands" Of Democrats. Politico (8/10, Forgey, 4.29M) reports that on Monday, Trump "accused Sen. Ben Sasse of being a 'RINO' who had 'gone rogue' by scolding the White House for a recent collection of executive actions meant to provide assistance to Americans amid the coronavirus pandemic." Politico says Trump's "admonishment of Sasse comes after the Nebraska Republican issued a scathing statement in response to the president's announcement of four relief measures after a breakdown in talks between White House negotiators and congressional Democrats. ... 'The pen-and-phone theory of executive lawmaking is unconstitutional slop' Sasse said Saturday night." The President tweeted yesterday, "RINO Ben Sasse, who needed my support and endorsement in order to get the Republican nomination for Senate from the GREAT State of Nebraska, has, now that he's got it (Thank you President T), gone rogue, again. This foolishness plays right into the hands of the Radical Left Dems!" USA Today (8/10, Jackson, 10.31M) and The Hill (8/10, Samuels, 2.98M), among other news outlets, also cover Trump's tweet. NYTimes Analysis: Businesses Cool To Trump's Payroll Tax Holiday. The New York Times (8/10, Rappeport, Friedman, 18.61M) reports that although the White House has touted its payroll tax holiday "as a boon to American workers that would fatten their paychecks and provide a jolt to the economy," for "companies large and small, the presidential intervention poses difficult legal and logistical questions that only add to the uncertainty that executives and workers are contending with during the pandemic." Because Trump "is only suspending the tax, not cutting it, the money that companies would cease to withhold from their employees' earnings would have to be paid next year, barring legislative action." Companies wold face "some complex accounting maneuvering," and employees could face "an unwanted tax bill in 2021, making the break more of a headache." According to the Times, "businesses have been cool to the idea." Yesterday's Stock Gains Attributed To Trump's Executive Actions. The AP (8/9, Choe) reports that "US stock indexes closed mostly higher Monday, nudging the S&P 500 within striking distance of its all-time high set in February." The AP adds, "The gains came on the first trading day since...Trump announced several stopgap moves to aid the economy in response to the collapse of talks on Capitol Hill for a bigger rescue package." The S&P "gained 9.19 points to 3,360.47. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 357.96 points, or 1.3%, to 27,791.44. The Nasdaq composite lost 42.63 points, or 0.4%, to 10,968.36." The AP (8/9, Choe) also reports that "bets on a potential coronavirus vaccine, historic fiscal and monetary support, and more recently, a better-than-expected second-quarter earnings season have brought the S&P 500 close to its February record closing high." Moreover, "Trump signed executive orders that partly restored enhanced unemployment benefits after talks between the White House and top Democrats in Congress about fresh stimulus broke down last week." Trump To Propose Further Tax Cuts This Fall. The Washington Times (8/10, Boyer, Sherfinski, Swoyer, 492K) reports that "at an evening news conference, also said he will propose more tax cuts this fall for middle-class families and to reduce capital gains taxes." Trump "contrasted his plans with presumptive Democratic nominee Joseph R. Biden, whom he said would triple taxes on most Americans and businesses if elected." Fauci "Cautiously Optimistic" A Vaccine Will Be Available In Early 2021. NIAID Director Fauci was asked in an interview with ABC World News TonightVi (8/10, story 3, 9:04, Muir, 7.2M) what can be expected in terms of efficacy if a vaccine becomes available by the end of the year. Fauci said, "I think that's part of the good news of thing. If you look at the now at least half a dozen vaccines that we are directly involved with, a couple of them have already, last week or a week and a half ago, gone into a phase three trial, which means you're EFTA00149868 determining if it is effective as well as additional safety. The initial preliminary work on that in phase one trial have me be cautiously optimistic. I believe there is quite a good chance we will and that should take probably by the end of this calendar year with vaccine available as we go into 2021." Fauci Hopeful Rapid Testing Will Soon Be Widely Available. NIAID Director Fauci was asked in an interview with ABC World News TonightVi (8/10, story 3, 9:04, Muir, 7.2M) when there will be rapid testing of Americans. Fauci said, "I hope they'll be widely available soon but make sure people understand the difference is that if we can have screening with those tests and leave the burden of the very accurate tests to be able to do the identification, isolation and contact tracing, those are two separate tracks and two separate pathways and I think we can do both of them." Fauci: It Is Possible To Get Virus To A Controlled Level. NIAID Director Fauci, asked in an interview with ABC World News TonightVi (8/10, story 3, 9:04, Muir, 7.2M) about the President's claim that the pandemic will disappear, said, "There would have to be an addition to that. We could get it to be under control if we do the things that we're talking about. It's not going to spontaneously by its own devices. We're going to have to act with public health effort. That's the way you get it. I believe it's achievable to get to a level that's quite controlled so that we can open up the country and get the economy back." Fauci added that the virus currently is not disappearing. He said, "All you've got to do is look at the data. The virus is telling us what it can and will do if we don't confront it properly." Cuomo Dismisses Calls For Probe Of Nursing Home Deaths. The Washington Examiner (8/10, Dibble, 448K) reports that on Monday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) "said there is no need for an independent investigation into his policy on nursing homes that critics say led to thousands of deaths during the coronavirus pandemic." Cuomo "told reporters during a teleconference on Monday that Democrats and Republicans will never agree on the examination of his now-reversed March 25 directive that prohibited nursing homes from turning away recovering coronavirus patients." Cuomo said, "There is no such thing as a person who is trusted by all Democrats and Republicans. That person doesn't exist. ... And, as you know, the Department of Health review was then reviewed by credible industry experts ... So to your point about why don't you get independent experts to review the numbers - we did. Well, people don't think they're independent experts, yea, I know, because nobody is ever going to agree on who an independent expert is." NYTimes Analysis: Critics Fear FDA's Hahn Unable To Withstand Political Pressure. The New York Times (8/10, Kaplan, 18.61M) reports that "many medical experts - including members of his own staff — worry about whether" FDA Commissioner Hahn "has the fortitude and political savvy to protect the scientific integrity of the F.D.A. from" President Trump. The Times says Hahn was "a Washington outsider" when picked to lead the agency. The Times adds, "now seven months into his tenure...the push for a (coronavirus) vaccine is intensifying," and last week, Trump "speculated that one could be ready by Election Day - a timeline that is unrealistic, according to scientists, and shows the strain Dr. Hahn may be under." According to the Times, "Critics point to a series of worrisome responses to the coronavirus epidemic under Dr. Hahn's leadership, most notably the emergency authorization the agency gave to the president's favorite drug, hydroxychloroquine, a decision it reversed three months later." Federal Officials Undertaking Vaccine Distribution Pilot Program. CQ Roll Call (8/10, Kopp, 154K) reports that the Administration is "quietly piloting [vaccine] distribution working groups, CQ Roll Call has learned." Officials from the CDC, the Pentagon and the Administration's Operation Warp Speed effort "plan to conduct site visits and develop EFTA00149869 'model approaches' for other states based on what they learn, according to a CDC description of the project shared exclusively with CQ Roll Call. The states involved include California, Florida, North Dakota and Minnesota." CQ says the start of the distribution plans "come amid calls by public health experts for a national strategy. Distributing any authorized vaccines effectively will be crucial to stemming the coronavirus pandemic. Normal life can't begin to resume in the United States until a large proportion of residents are immune." Officials Struggling To Address Racial Disparities In COVID-19 Information, Testing. The Wall Street Journal (8/10, Scott, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports health officials, physicians, and activists are facing a myriad of challenges addressing racial disparities in terms of sharing coronavirus information, increasing access to testing and treatment. Trump Urges Universities Not To Cancel Football Season. The Washington Post (8/10, Boren, 14.2M) reports that as cancellation of the college football season is being seriously considered, "President Trump joined congressmen and athletes, amplifying their calls to save the season." Monday afternoon, Trump tweeted, "The student- athletes have been working too hard for their season to be cancelled. #WeWantToPlay." In a tweet 51 minutes later, he wrote, "Play College Football!" White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany "echoed that message." she told reporters, "These college athletes work their whole lives for this moment...and he would like to see them have a chance to live out their dreams." Politico (8/10, Perez, 4.29M) reports that Sens. Ben Sasse (R-NE) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) "are also pressing for the show to go on, while a growing number of conferences, schools and two of the NCAA's three divisions have already upended their seasons or canceled competitions." ABC World News TonightVI (8/10, story 6, 0:26, Muir, 7.08M) reported, "University presidents and conference commissioners representing the five largest athletic conferences were all meeting this week to determine whether to play in this pandemic." NBC Nightly NewsVi (8/10, story 2, 4:19, Almaguer, 6.23M) reported that "the Mid-American conference is delaying its season until spring 2021." Top California Health Official Resigns Amid Testing Backlog Controversy. Politico (8/10, Colliver, 4.29M) reports that on Sunday, California Public Health Director Sonia Angell resigned "without explanation, an abrupt departure that came amid a major data glitch affecting hundreds of thousands of Covid-19 test records, which has hampered counties' response to the virus." According to Politico, "Two top state leaders managing the pandemic - Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly and Gov. Gavin Newsom - may have been left in the dark about the test problems despite Angell's department knowing about them." On Friday, Ghaly "detailed problems with the California Reportable Disease Information Exchange, known as CaIREDIE, that have led to a backlog of 250,000 to 300,000 records," and "explained that he did not learn of the issue until Monday afternoon - after Newsom announced the state's seven-day average daily case count had dropped 21 percent, a figure that was likely overstated given the backlog." The AP (8/10, Smith, Weber) says, "A review by the Kaiser Health News service and The Associated Press finds at least 48 state and local public health leaders have resigned, retired or been fired since April across 23 states." Fauci Calls For Universal Mask Wearing In Schools. NIAID Director Fauci said in an interview with ABC World News TonightVI (8/10, story 3, 9:04, Muir, 7.2M), "I think as a default position, we should try to the best of our ability to get the children back to school for the reasons that we're familiar with about the negative consequences, psychologically and otherwise on kids, as well as the spin-off type of downstream ripple effects on families about getting kids back to work. Having said that as a EFTA00149870 default principle, which we should try to do, there's a however there. ... We've always got to make a primary consideration the health, the safety and the welfare of the children and of the teachers." Asked if all students should be wearing masks, Fauci said, "There should be universal wearing of masks. There should be to the extent possible social distancing. Avoiding crowds. Outdoors always better than indoors and being in a situation where you continually have the capability of washing your hands and cleaning up with sanitizers." Researchers Recommend Masks With Several Layers Of Fabric. NBC Nightly News Vi (8/10, story 9, 1:27, Dahlgren, 6.1M) reported that Duke Health "set out to find which [masks] work best with a simple experiment designed to visualize small particles or droplets. ... You don't need a perfect mask to reduce community spread. But bandannas and neck gaiters didn't fair well. Bottom line, researchers say masks work if they have several layers of good fabric. If you can see through it, it's probably not helping." Parents, Administrators Facing Difficult Choices About Reopening Schools. ABC World News TonightVi (8/10, story 2, 3:15, Oquendo, 7.08M) reported that "a new report shows 339,000 cases in children since the pandemic began, nearly 100,000 in the last two weeks of July." ABC added, "across the country so many parents are facing difficult choices." The CBS Evening NewsVi (8/10, lead story, 4:19, Brennan, 4.24M) reported that "battle lines are being drawn over whether or not students should return to classrooms across the country. One school in Georgia that had just reopened is now closed after students and staff there tested positive. While in other parts of the country, children are back in classes without being required to wear masks. Colleges are now also facing pressure on whether it's safe to bring students back to campus." NBC Nightly NewsVi (8/10, story 2, 4:19, Almaguer, 6.23M) provided similar coverage on the debate. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal (8/10, Al, Hobbs, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) cites Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Michael Hinojosa's decision to require teachers to instruct from classrooms even if students were at home, which he later reversed amid an outcry from teachers, as an example of the difficult decisions facing superintendents across the country as they try to balance changing government directives, concerns about the impact on local economies, the possibility of lost learning and the potential for loss of lives. NBC Nightly NewsVi (8/10, story 8, 2:35, Holt, 6.1M) reported on ways parents can help their children cope with the stress of returning to school amid the pandemic. Trump Says 1918 Spanish Flu "Probably Ended" World War II. USA Today (8/10, Behrmann, 10.31M) reports that President Trump on Monday, incorrectly claimed "that the Spanish Flu of 1918 ended World War II." Trump erroneously cited "both the year the pandemic occurred and the year that the Second World War ended." Trump said, "The closest thing is in 1917, they say, the great pandemic. It certainly was a terrible thing where they lost anywhere from 50 to 100 million people, probably ended the Second World War. ... All the soldiers were sick. That was a terrible situation." A White House official "told USA TODAY Trump was talking about World War I, where more soldiers died from the disease than in battle and infected around 500 million globally." USA Today adds that the Spanish Flu "did not officially cause the end of World War I. The end of that war came from Germany signing an armistice, which caused the fighting to stop, after suffering great losses on the battlefield." Top Tech Firms Challenge Trump's Temporary Ban On Foreign Workers. Reuters (8/10, Hesson) reports that "top US tech firms including Amazon.com Inc. and Facebook Inc. filed a legal brief on Monday backing a challenge to" President Trump's "temporary ban on the entry of certain foreign workers to preserve jobs for Americans during the coronavirus pandemic." Reuters adds, "In the brief, filed in a lawsuit brought in California by major US business associations, the companies argued that the visa restrictions will hurt EFTA00149871 American businesses, lead employers to hire workers outside the United States, and further damage the already struggling U.S. economy." In June, Trump "issued a presidential proclamation...that suspended the entry of a range of foreign workers until the end of the year, a move his administration said would free up jobs for unemployed Americans amid the economic fallout of the pandemic." White House Weighs Plan To Block Infected Citizens, Permanent Residents From Entering US. The Washington Post (8/10, Al, Janes, Dennis, Miroff, Dawsey, 14.2M) cites "two administration officials and a person familiar with the plans" who say White House officials "have been circulating a proposal that would give U.S. border authorities the extraordinary ability to block U.S. citizens and permanent residents from entering the country from Mexico if they are suspected of being infected with the novel coronavirus." While it is "unclear whether the Trump administration has the legal authority to block citizens and permanent residents from returning to their own country," the Post says "one official said the administration is weighing a public health emergency declaration that would let the White House keep out potentially infected Americans." The New York Times (8/10, Shear, Dickerson, 18.61M) cites a draft of the regulation which "explicitly says that any order blocking citizens and legal permanent residents" must "include appropriate protections to ensure that no constitutional rights are infringed." And "it says that citizens and legal residents cannot be blocked as an entire class of people." The Times adds, "The documents appear not to detail how long a citizen or a legal resident would be required to remain outside the United States." White House: Kodak Loan Will Not Go Forward Until Allegations Of Wrongdoing Cleared. Reuters (8/10, Mason, Shalal) reports the White House said Monday that a $765 million loan to Eastman Kodak Co to make drugs in the US will not go forward "unless the company is cleared of alleged wrongdoing in circumstances surrounding the announcement of the loan." The US International Development Finance Corp said Friday that the loan is on hold due to "recent allegations of wrongdoing." White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany "said the president took the allegations seriously but declined to say if the loan could be canceled outright." McEnany said, "We will not proceed any further unless these allegations are cleared." McEnany also "said the case had not shaken the president's faith in using the Defense Production Act to increase U.S. stockpiles of ventilators and other equipment to respond to the pandemic." Some Grocers Concerned New Coronavirus Cases May Cause New Round Of Product Scarcity. The Wall Street Journal (8/10, Gasparro, Stamm, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that many grocers have returned to their pre-pandemic levels of product availability, although some specific items — such as disinfectant wipes - are still difficult for shoppers to find consistently. However, a recent surge in new coronavirus cases in some areas of the country is causing concern about the possibility of a second wave of product shortages. Federal Deficit Down In July After Record IRS Tax Collection. The Washington Times (8/10, Dinan, 492K) reports, "Uncle Sam collected $563 billion in July, the Congressional Budget Office said Monday, setting a new monthly record for federal income and helping slow the growth of the record-shattering deficit that's built up during the coronavirus pandemic." CBO "said about half of that money comes from the IRS's delayed tax deadlines," and that the collected amount "pushed receipts up 124% compared to July 2019," helping "to soften what's been a sharply climbing deficit." The Times adds "Uncle Sam was just EFTA00149872 $61 billion in the red for the month, compared to more than $864 billion in June, nearly $399 billion in May and more than $738 billion in April." The Wall Street Journal (8/10, Davidson, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) runs a similar report under the headline "CBO Estimates Federal Budget Deficit Shrank In July," although as the Washington Examiner (8/10, Heflin, 448K) points out, the deficit "so far this fiscal year is at $2.8 trillion, roughly $2 trillion higher than the deficit for the same period last year." The Hill (8/10, Elis, 2.98M) reports "the national debt has become a sticking point in negotiations over another COVID-19 rescue package, with Republicans raising the alarm about additional government spending." However, "top economists like Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and several of his predecessors at the central bank have urged Congress to 'go big' to tackle the devastating recession, which began in February." Pompeo's Wife To Join Him On Trip To Europe. CNBC (8/10, Macias, Breuninger, 3.62M) reports Susan Pompeo will join her husband, Secretary of State Pompeo, "on an official trip to Europe this week while she is already under scrutiny over her use of federal resources." The State Department "confirmed that she would be on the trip, which was set to begin Monday." In a statement to CNBC, a State Department spokesperson wrote, "The State Department's legal and ethics team determined that Mrs. Pompeo's role on this trip will advance our country's foreign policy goals." Democrats Concerned USPS Changes Could Impair By-Mail Voting. The Washington Examiner (8/10, Simonson, 448K) reports Democrats "are increasingly voicing concerns over vote-by-mail plans that many states have adopted amid the COVID-19 pandemic," with many of the concerns arising from "recent changes made to the U.S. Postal Service" by new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, appointed by President Trump. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) said, "Postmaster General DeJoy is calling this a 'modified organizational structure.' It's really a Trojan Horse. Deliberate sabotage to disrupt mail service on the eve of the election - an election that hinges on mail-in ballots." CDC-Published Study Concludes In-Person Voting In Wisconsin Did Not Exacerbate COVID. The Washington Times (8/10, Swoyer, 492K) reports a study published by the CDC "threw cold water on calls for universal mail-in voting," concluding "that despite long lines in Wisconsin's April 7 primary elections — at the peak of the [coronavirus] outbreak - there was no spike in new cases, hospitalizations or deaths." Puerto Rico Supreme Court Considering Emergency Petition Over Botched Primary. The New York Times (8/10, Mazzei, 18.61M) reports, "Puerto Rican politics became engulfed on Monday in the confusing aftermath of a chaotic primary election that was partially suspended over the weekend when paper ballots failed to reach voting precincts, making it impossible for many people to vote." The Puerto Rico Supreme Court "agreed to consider an emergency petition filed by two candidates for governor," Eduardo Bhatia and Pedro Pierluisi, "demanding that the votes cast during Sunday's primary be counted, even if the rest of the election takes place at a future date." Incumbent Gov. Wanda Vazquez is seeking a full term in her own right after the 2019 resignation of then-Gov. Ricardo Rossello. Trump Lawyers Seek Details Of Manhattan DA's Investigation. The New York Times (8/10, Hong, Rashbaum, Weiser, 18.61M) reports that President Trump, "seeking to block a subpoena for his tax returns, plans to ask a federal judge to order the Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., to disclose details about his investigation into the president's business practices, according to a letter filed on Monday." The Times says the letter, "which Mr. Trump's lawyers wrote to the federal judge in Manhattan, was in response to a filing from prosecutors in Mr. Vance's office, who argued last week that they had wide legal basis to subpoena eight years of the president's tax records and other financial documents." EFTA00149873 The Times adds that "in their letter, Mr. Trump's lawyers asked for a hearing to discuss whether Mr. Vance's office should be forced to disclose the justifications for the subpoena." Bloomberg (8/10, Van Voris, 4.73M) says Trump "disputed a suggestion" by Vance "that the panel may be looking into bank and insurance fraud at the Trump Organization." Vance "is investigating hush-money payments made before the 2016 presidential election to Stormy Daniels," but in a filing last week, he "suggested there might be grounds to look at possible fraud at the Trump Organization beyond the Daniels payment." Trump's lawyers argued, "If the district attorney convened the grand jury in order to investigate allegations discussed in these articles, he could've said so. ... But the bare fact that 'there were public allegations of possible criminal activity,' which is all these citations show, provides no insight into whether the grand jury is in fact investigating them and whether they were a basis for issuing this subpoena." INTERNATIONAL NEWS Azar Praises Taiwan's Coronavirus Response. The Washington Post (8/10, Shih, 14.2M) reports HHS Secretary Azar on Monday "praised Taiwan's handling of the novel coronavirus pandemic and reiterated US support for the island." Azar's three-day visit was prompted, he said, by Taiwan's "world-class" response to the coronavirus. To the Post, however, the trip, "in optics and rhetoric, was framed squarely against the backdrop of the escalating conflict between the Trump administration and the Chinese government." The AP (8/9, Lai) says Azar, whose visit "will likely exacerbate mounting tensions between Washington and Beijing," said Monday, "This visit represents an acknowledgment of the United States and Taiwan's deep friendship and partnership across security, economics, health care, and democratic open transparent values." The Wall Street Journal (8/10, Wong, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports Azar met Monday with President Tsai Ing-wen, who welcomed the Secretary saying, "Your visit testifies to the fact that over the past 40 years or so Taiwan-US. relations have never been better." China Deploys Fighter Jets As Azar Meets With Tsai. The Washington Times (8/10, Meier, 492K) reports China on Monday "briefly deployed two fighter jets across the midline of the Taiwan Strait" ahead of Azar's meeting with and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. The New York Times (8/9, Qin, 18.61M) reports the Chinese jets "were driven out by patrolling Taiwanese aircraft, Taiwan's Air Force Command said in a statement released by the defense ministry." Beijing also "lodged a formal complaint with Washington about Mr. Azar's visit, vowing to take countermeasure"s as it warned the United States not to "gravely damage" relations. US Ignored Taiwan's Early Warnings About China Hiding Coronavirus. The Washington Post (8/9, Rauhala, 14.2M) reports, "It was Jan. 13, and Chuang Yin-ching, an infectious-disease specialist with the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, was sitting in a conference room in Wuhan, China, listening to local health officials describe a mysterious new virus." By the time Chuang returned to Taiwan "two days later, he was convinced that China was hiding critical information. The next day, he held a news conference to warn the world. Taiwan took immediate action. The United States did not." To the Post, Azar's visit this week is "a chance for the United States and Taiwan to compare notes on the pandemic." Virologists Say Unlikely Coronavirus Was Made Or Escaped From Wuhan Lab. In an NBC Nightly NewsVi (8/10, story 6, 2:10, Holt, 6.1M) exclusive, Janice Mackey Frayer reported on "the high security lab inside the Wuhan Institute, at the center of a political storm over how the pandemic started. ... While there's some skepticism regarding the lab's claims, five leading virologists familiar with lab protocol told us it was improbable that the virus was made or escaped. ... Scrutiny of the lab was fueled by a State Department cable from US officials in January 2018 about safety and a shortage of trained staff. Lab officials claim US EFTA00149874 diplomats visited only once in March 2018 and didn't see the high containment labs. The State Department declined to clarify." Spain Defends Pandemic Response As Case Numbers Overtake Britain. Reuters (8/10, Allen) reports Spain "defended its response to the coronavirus pandemic on Monday after official data showed the country had overtaken Britain to register the highest total number of cases in Western Europe." In a statement, the government said, "Appropriate measures are being taken to control the pandemic in coordination" with the regions. Spain's government added, "The data shows that we are being very active in tracking and detecting the virus." Health ministry data showed 1,486 new cases were diagnosed Monday, "bringing the cumulative total to 322,980, compared with 311,641 in Britain." Poor Dying In Brazil At Higher Rate Than Wealthy. The Washington Post (8/10, McCoy, 14.2M) reports that as the coronavirus has spread across Brazil, "the poor are dying at a much higher rate than the wealthy." In Rio de Janeiro, "the rich and poor live on top of each other. ... But despite the proximity and intimacy between the classes, two people who are the same in every other way — age, sex, health, city — can end up having completely different experiences with the virus." The Post attributes the disparities to quality of care in the private health system, versus the public health system, "where shortages in equipment and personnel can mean the difference between life and death." Craft Calls For UN To Extend Iran Arms Embargo. UN Ambassador Craft, asked on Fox News The Story (8/10) about US efforts to extend the UN arms embargo against Iran, said, "We have a clear choice. There is a choice between the number one state sponsor of terrorism or peace and security around the world. The US stands very firm. There is only one way and that is the right way. This is not a popularity contest and we understand that. We also understand that Russia and China are waiting to be able to sell arms to Iran. So if you think about waking up on October 19 and the arms embargo is not renewed, China and Russia will be able to sell arms to Iran. Iran will be able to export these modernized weapons, these lethal weapons to their terrorist organizations all throughout the world. ... We have no other choice than to renew the arms embargo and promote peace and security around the world." Pakistani Ambassador Not Ruling Out Another War With India Over Kashmir. The Washington Times (8/10, Glenn, 492K) reports Pakistan's ambassador to the US on Monday would not rule out another war between India and Pakistan after India revoked the special status of the disputed Kashmir region. In an interview with The Washington Times, Ambassador Asad Majeed Khan "offered a generally pessimistic view of any chance for successfully walking back tension between the two nuclear-power neighbors." Said Ambassador Khan, "You have a border where you have over 2,000 violations since January. The Line of Control is hot. No one can or should rule out the possibility of a larger confrontation." Trump Asks WTO To End China's "Developing Nation" Status. The New York Post (8/10, Nelson, 4.57M) reports President Trump said Monday that he has submitted a request with the World Trade Organization asking it to end China's status as a "developing nation." Said Trump, "We are putting in and we've already put in a request that China should no longer be declared a developing nation and have advantages over the US. And I told them that a year ago and I told them that two years ago and we put it in very powerfully that they should not have advantages over other countries, frankly, and they're not gonna have any more advantages." In Tit-For-Tat, China Imposes Sanctions On Republican Lawmakers Over Hong Kong. Reuters (8/10, Tian, Cadell, Zengerle, Shalal) reports China imposed sanctions Monday EFTA00149875 on 11 US citizens, including lawmakers from the Republican Party "in response to Washington's imposition of sanctions on Hong Kong and Chinese officials accused of curtailing political freedoms in the former British colony." Among those targeted were Republican Sens. Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Tom Cotton, Josh Hawley and Pat Toomey and Rep. Chris Smith, "as well as individuals at non-profit and rights groups." Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters, "In response to that wrong U.S. behavior, China has decided to impose sanctions on individuals who have behaved egregiously on Hong Kong-related issues." The AP (8/10) reports others sanctioned included National Endowment for Democracy President Carl Gershman, National Democratic Institute President Derek Mitchell, International Republican Institute President Daniel Twining, Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth, and Michael Abramowitz, president of Freedom House. The Washington Post (8/10, Morello, 14.2M) reports that "the Chinese were vague about the practical effect of the sanctions," but "the executives who lead the groups reacted with a collective shrug and vowed they will not be cowed into silence." The Washington Post (8/10, Dou, Fifield, 14.2M) says the move "represented retaliation for the U.S. Treasury Department's sanctions on Friday against Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and 10 other officials for repressing political freedoms in the city." The Wall Street Journal (8/10, Hua, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), CNBC (8/10, 3.62M), and Bloomberg (8/10, 4.73M), among other news outlets, also report the sanctions. O'Brien, Pence Criticize Arrest Of Lai. Axios (8/9, Falconer, 521K) reports National Security Adviser O'Brien said in a statement Monday the Administration is "deeply troubled" by the arrest earlier in the day of Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai on suspicion of "collusion with foreign powers." Pence tweeted, "The arrest of ©JimmyLaiApple in Hong Kong is deeply offensive & an affront to freedom loving people around the world. When I met w/ Jimmy Lai @WhiteHouse, I was inspired by his stand for democracy & the rights & autonomy that were promised to the people of Hong Kong by Beijing." Trump Postpones G7 Summit Until After Election. The New York Post (8/10, Bowden, 4.57M) reports President Trump on Monday "said this year's G-7 summit would be postponed until after the election and added that Russian leader Vladimir Putin could still score an invite." During a briefing at the White House, Trump told reporters, "We have invited a number of people to the meeting. I certainly would invite him [Putin] to the meeting, I think he's an important factor." He added, "We will invite certain people that aren't in the G-7, some people have already accepted." WTimes: Biden Likely To Cancel Trump's Foreign Policy Initiatives If Elected. The Washington Times (8/10, Wolfgang, Meier, 492K) reports President Trump "wants to dramatically reshuffle US forces in Europe to chastise Germany for not spending enough on defense, but that and a range of other foreign policy pushes by the president are likely to fall by the wayside" if Joe Biden wins the White House in November. Biden, writes the Times, "would seek to cancel a slate of key Trump initiatives, including the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear and Paris climate deals, as well as the planned US exit from the World Health Organization, political analysts say." State Department: Pompeo Cleared In Emergency Saudi Arms Sale. The Washington Post (8/10, Deyoung, 14.2M) reports the State Department said Monday that "a final report signed by the acting inspector general found that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did not violate the law when he declared a state of emergency to bypass congressional refusal to approve an $8 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia." Describing an ongoing congressional investigation, a Department statement called for lawmakers to "publicly accept the findings of the report...and immediately retract" statements labeling it illegal. EFTA00149876 The New York Times (8/10, Wong, Laforgia, 18.61M) says the Department said its inspector general found Pompeo "took the proper procedures in declaring an `emergency' last year to push through" the arms sale, but "a statement issued by the department hailing that determination made no mention of another key finding: that the State Department failed to fully assess the humanitarian risks of selling the weapons to the Gulf nations, which have used American bombs to wage a devastating war in Yemen that has killed thousands of civilians." The inspector general "also found that the State Department did not take steps needed to reduce civilian casualties and limit possible legal liability associated with selling the arms, according to a U.S. government official who viewed a draft of the report." Lebanese Government Resigns Amid Protests Over Beirut Explosion. Reuters (8/10, Georgy) reports that on Monday, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced his government is resigning, "saying a huge explosion that devastated Beirut and triggered public outrage was the result of endemic corruption." President Michel Aoun "accepted the resignation and asked Diab's government - formed in January with the backing of Iran's powerful Hezbollah group and its allies - to stay as a caretaker until a new cabinet is formed." The CBS Evening NewsVi (8/10, story 7, 1:30, Brennan, 4.37M) said Lebanon "is now in the throws of political turmoil." The Wall Street Journal (8/10, Malsin, Osseiran, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) says the cabinet's resignation will likely spark greater political instability, and the AP (8/10, Mroue) says the resignation "risks opening the way to dragged-out negotiations over a new Cabinet amid urgent calls for reform." The New York Times (8/10, Hubbard, 18.61M) reports that "in recent days, Beirut has been rocked by protests that have turned swaths of downtown into battle zones between demonstrators and the security forces." The Times adds that "even before Mr. Diab's announcement, new clashes had erupted as protesters sought to storm the Parliament." USA Today (8/10, Shesgreen, 10.31M) reports that the country "has been gripped by mass demonstrations for months - long before the port explosion - over allegations of corruption, incompetence and mismanagement. Diab's government, which was supported by Hezbollah and its allies, may have been doomed from the start as it navigated entrenched political interest with the popular demands for reform." The Washington Post (8/10, Loveluck, Haidamous, 14.2M) reports that "people with ties to the government said Diab had lost the support of powerful politicians who had originally backed his government. These politicians feared he was going too far in investigating corruption that had allowed the ammonium nitrate to remain in the port warehouse for the past six years." Lukashenko Warns Against Protests Over Contested Belarus Election Results. The AP (8/10, Karmanau) reports that on Monday, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko "warned...that the protesters who challenge the official vote results extending his 26-year rule will face a tough crackdown, deriding the opposition as `sheep' manipulated by foreign masters." According to the AP, "Dozens were injured and thousands detained hours after Sunday's vote, when police brutally broke up mostly young protesters with tear gas, water cannons and flash-bang grenades and beat them with truncheons." The AP adds that "election officials said Monday that Lukashenko won a sixth term in office with 80% of the vote, while opposition challenger Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya got 10%." The New York Times (8/10, Nechepurenko, Troianovski, 18.61M) reports that "police clashed with largely peaceful protesters across the Eastern European country on Sunday night, hours after the national vote, which the opposition dismissed as blatantly rigged." Lukashenko "insisted that the protests were being directed from abroad by people seeking to replicate the 2014 Ukraine uprising that began at Kyiv's central Maidan square." Lukashenko is quoted as saying, "We will not allow the country to be torn apart. ... As I have warned, there will be no Maidan, no matter how much anyone wants one. People need to quiet down and calm down." EFTA00149877 Reuters (8/10, Beech, Pamuk) reports that Secretary of State Pompeo said Monday that the US is deeply concerned about the conduct of the election, "which was not free and fair." Pompeo said in a statement, "We strongly condemn ongoing violence against protesters and the detention of opposition supporters, as well as the use of internet shutdowns to hinder the ability of the Belarusian people to share information about the election and the demonstrations." Tikhanovskaya Flees To Lithuania. The Washington Post (8/10, Khurshudyan, 14.2M) reports on Monday, Tikhanovskaya said she would "not flee the country and that she considers herself the true winner based on reports that her campaign received from polling stations." However, the AP (8/11) is reporting Tuesday morning that Tsikhanouskaya has fled to Lithuania, according to a tweet from that country's foreign minister. Study Finds Antarctic Ice Shelves Melting Faster Than They're Being Replenished. The Wall Street Journal (8/10, Hernandez, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that a study published Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience says the ice that hangs off Antarctica and floats in the ocean is melting faster than new ice is forming. According to the researchers, the loss of that ice can have impacts across the planet. THE BIG PICTURE Headlines From Today's Front Pages. Wall Street Journal: Lebanon's Government Resigns After Protests, Deadly Beirut Explosion McDonald's Sues to Recover Severance From Fired CEO, Claiming He Lied About Affairs With Employees Jimmy Lai's Arrest Signals New Limits for Hong Kong Dissent Pandemic Turns Steamy Salsa Into Solo Dance The No-Win School Reopening: One Superintendent's Dilemma New York Times: Governors Say Trump's Order On Pandemic Relief Could Wreck State Budgets Hong Kong Arrests Jimmy Lai, Media Mogul, Under National Security Law Stephen Hahn, FDA Chief, Is Caught Between Scientists And The President Chicago Police Arrest More Than 100 People After Looting Batters Downtown In Push To Play, College Football Stars Show Sudden Unity McDonald's Sues Former CEO, Accusing Him Of Lying And Fraud Washington Post: Citizen Shutout At Border Weighed Cabinet Resigns As Rage Swells In Lebanon Some Firms Thriving As Economy Transforms With Fires And Looting, Unrest Escalates In 2 Cities Chief Of Staff Brought Hard-line Tenor To Relief Talks Hong Kong Raid Raises Fears Of Censorship Financial Times: Beijing Strikes Back Against US Curbs With Sanctions On Senators Lebanon Government Resigns As Diab Blames Blast On 'Political Corruption' Washington Times: EFTA00149878 Trump's Aggressive Foreign Policy Moves At Stake In Election Trump Touts Popular Executive Actions, Proposes More Tax Cuts As Dems Mull Next Move Scientists Find No Link Between Long Lines, Coronavirus Cases In Blow To Mail-In Voting Free-Speech Lawsuits Pile Up As Cities Put Brakes On Conservative Street Messages Trump Pulled From Press Conference After Shooting Near White House FBI Spy Foretold Michael Flynn's Fall, Ex-Student Says Story Lineup From Last Night's Network News: ABC: President Trump - shooting outside White House; Coronavirus - schools nearly 100,000 children tested positive; Fauci interview; Chicago looting; Baltimore - Deadly gas explosion; College football season. CBS: Coronavirus - schools; President Trump - shooting outside White House, relief negotiations; Baltimore - Deadly gas explosion; Biden-running mate; George Floyd-body cam videos; Chicago looting; Lebanon; Midwest storms; PGA Championship; Hospitals-therapy dogs. NBC: President Trump - shooting outside White House; Coronavirus- schools; Midwest storms; Biden-running mate; Chicago looting; Wuhan lab; Baltimore - Deadly gas explosion; Coronavirus-schools; Coronavirus-masks; PGA championship. Network TV At A Glance: Trump-shooting outside White House - 9 minutes, 12 seconds Coronavirus-schools - 14 minutes, 28 seconds Chicago looting - 4 minutes, 53 seconds Biden-running mate - 3 minutes, 44 seconds Baltimore gas explosion - 2 minutes, 44 seconds Midwest storms - 0 minutes, 42 seconds Story Lineup From This Morning's Radio News Broadcasts: ABC: Coronavirus-20M positive tests; Coronavirus-Fauci warns of coming flu season; Coronavirus-AAP infections in children; Coronavirus-schools; Trump-shooting near White House; Chicago-looting; Baltimore-gas explosion. CBS: Biden-running mate; Trump-shooting outside White House; Trump-coronavirus relief package; Trump-closing border to C0VID-positive; Baltimore-gas explosion; Lebanon-PM resigns. FOX: Trump-shooting outside White House; Coronavirus-schools; Trump relief orders; Coronavirus-20M positive tests; Biden-running mate. NPR: Tech companies challenge restrictions on foreign workers; Trump-shooting outside White House; Coronavirus-20M positive tests; Midwest storms. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE Today's Events In Washington. White House: • President Trump — No public schedule released. • Vice President Pence — Participates in 'Cops for Trump event' in Tucson, AZ, accepting the endorsement of the Arizona Police Association, 10:30AM; Participates in 'Latter-day Saints for Trump' coalition launch in Mesa, Arizona, 2:00PM US Senate: • Senate on recess from 7 Aug - 8 Sep US House: • House meets in pro forma session — House of Representatives meets in pro forma session. Chamber on recess from 31 Jul - 7 Sep EFTA00149879 Cabinet Officers: • Secretary of State Pompeo arrives in Czech Republic - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives in the Czech Republic, with agenda for two-day trip including joining Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek in Pilsen to commemorate the liberation of Western Czechoslovakia by the U.S. Army in World War II, and meeting Prime Minister Andrej Babis to discuss nuclear energy cooperation, the Three Seas Initiative, and 'efforts to counter malign actions of Russia and communist China' and having a courtesy call with President Milos Zeman in Prague. Visitors: • No visitors scheduled This Town: • No significant events Copyright 2020 by Bulletin Intelligence LLC Reproduction or redistribution without permission prohibited. Content is drawn from thousands of newspapers, national magazines, national and local television programs, radio broadcasts, social-media platforms and additional forms of open-source data. Sources for Bulletin Intelligence audience-size estimates include Scarborough, GfK MRI, comScore, Nielsen, and the Audit Bureau of Circulation. Data from and access to third party social media platforms, including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others, is subject to the respective platform's terms of use. Services that include Factiva content are governed by Factiva's terms of use. Services including embedded Tweets are also subject to Twitter for Website's information and privacy_policies. The FBI News Briefing is published five days a week by Bulletin Intelligence, which creates custom briefings for government and corporate leaders. We can be found on the Web at Bulletinlntelligence.com, or called at (703) 483-6100. EFTA00149880