EFTA00150210.pdf

From: To: Subject: FBI Public Affairs News Briefing Monday, July 20, 2020 Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2020 10:26:43 +0000 c Importan e: Normal Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com. News Briefing TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: MONDAY, JULY 20, 2020 6:30 AM EDT TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • Son Of Federal Judge Killed, Husband Shot At New Jersey Home. PROTESTS • DOJ Filing Federal Charges Against Protesters Over Arson, Destruction Of Property. • Fatal Shooting By Los Angeles Police Officer Gained Greater Attention Following Floyd Killing. • Authorities Identify Man Who Allegedly Set Fire To Supreme Court Police Vehicle. • FBI Arrests Suspect In Philadelphia Looting. • Trump Bemoans Ongoing Violence In "Democrat-Run Cities," Cites Threat To Religion. • Violent Protests Continue In Portland As Mayor Calls On Federal Agents To Leave. • Seattle Rioters Damage, Loot Stores. • Demonstrators Attempting To Topple Columbus Statue In Chicago Clash With Law Enforcement. • Statue In New York State Dedicated To Union Volunteers Torn Down. • CVS Terminates Contract With Security Firm After Guard Presses Forearm Into Shoplifting Suspect's Neck. • NYTimes Al Analysis Examines Past Of Officer Who Put Knee On Floyd's Neck. • Prosecutor: Pennsylvania Officer Was Justified In Pressing Knee Into Intoxicated Man's Head. • Police Union Cites Trump's Support In Wake Of Floyd Protests For Endorsement. • Trump Defends Use Of Confederate Flag. • Missouri Governor Suggests Pardon Of McCloskeys If Charges Filed. • Long-Time Activists See Opportunity For Police Reform. • White UConn Student Government Leaders Resign To Leave Spots To Minority Students. • Report: Ancestors Of New York Times Family Included Slave Owners. • Minneapolis City Council Designates Racism As A Public Health Emergency. • Former New Mexico Police Officer Faces Second-Degree Murder Charge Over Killing That Involved Use Of Chokehold. • Columbus Police Searching For Black Lives Matter Activists Who Attacked Man With Cerebral Palsy. • Arlington County Commencing Review Of Police Practices. • WPost Al: Figure Behind Social Media Hoaxes Fuels Partisan Division. COUNTER-TERRORISM • Minnesota's Boogaloo Movement Examined. EFTA00150210 • Coronavirus Thwarts Hopes Of Families Of 9/11 Victims That Trial Of Men Accused Of Planning Attacks Would Commence Early Next Year. • Trump Pledges Another $2 Million To 9/11 Memorial. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE • Roger Stone Accused Of Using Racial Slur During Radio Interview. • Graham Releases Declassified Documents From Origins Of Russia Probe. • Meadows Expects Criminal Indictments From Durham Investigation. • Krebs: DHS Is Not Seeing "Coordinated" Foreign Election Interference Like In 2016. • Nadler: House Judiciary To Consider Bills To Restrict Trump's Pardon Power. • The Intelligence Community's New Plan For Commercial Imagery. • New Report Shows Federal Background Check Cases "Stable" At 200K. • Rubio Seeks Declassification Of UFO Secrets. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • Men Charged In Arbery Slaying Plead Not Guilty. • Attorneys Say Breonna Taylor Was Alive For Several Minutes After Being Shot. • Celebrities Urge Justice Department To Probe 2010 Slaying Of Student. • Pelosi Seeks FBI Probe Of Fatal Vallejo, California Police Shooting. • Men Charged In Assault On Black Man In Indiana. • Personal Assistant Arrested In Investor's Killing. • Two FBI Agents Wounded Serving Warrant On Arizona Bank Robbery Suspect. • FBI Probing Deadly Police Shooting In Houston, Texas. • Seven More Arrested In Connection With Georgia Drug Investigation. • Virginia Man Charged Over Online Threats Against Tulsa Mayor. • FBI Investigating New York Gang Murders. • Two Charged With Possessing Enough Fentanyl To Kill 20,000. • Continuing Coverage: FBI Continuing To Investigate Body Found In Massachusetts,. • FBI Assisting Homicide Investigation In California. • FBI Charges Pennsylvania Man In Connection To Bank Robbery. • Continuing Coverage: Indiana Woman Accused Of Abusing Animals. • New York Man Faces Child Pornography Charges. • Tennessee Man Sentenced In Connection To Child Abuse Sting. • New York Man Facing Felony Ammunition Charge Following FBI Investigation. • Georgia Woman Facing Charges In Connection To Bomb Threat. • South Carolina Murder Suspects Captured In Illinois. • Hawaii Man Sentenced Over Child Enticement. • Continuing Coverage: Connecticut Man Arrested In Massachusetts In Connection To Murder. • FBI Investigating Texas Bank Robbery. • Louisiana Man Arrested In Connection To Double Homicide, Kidnapping Of Minor. • Indiana Man Charged With Bank Robbery. • Continuing Coverage: FBI Supporting Investigation Into Death Of Child In Washington, DC. • Hawaii Businessman Indicted In Connection To Kidnapping, Murder. • FBI Agrees To Review California Police Shooting. • Continuing Coverage: FBI Raids Accused Art Forger. • Man Gets 61-Month Prison Sentence In Drug Case. • Eight Virginia Drug Case Defendants Plead Guilty. • Drug Case Defendant Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS EFTA00150211 • Pritzker: Illinois House Speaker Has To Step Down If Corruption Allegations Are True. • Michigan Prosecutors Charge Detroit Councilman With Accepting Payments For Votes. • Pandemic Delays Varsity Blues, Fall River Trials To 2021. • Former Los Angeles Charter Schools Director To Plead Guilty To Embezzlement. • US Claims California Investment Business Was $14.5 Million Ponzi Scheme. • US Charges Detroit Woman In $2 Million Unemployment Insurance Scheme. • US Charges Arkansas Woman In $2 Million PPP Loan Fraud. • Idaho Man To Face Jury Trial In Wire Fraud Case. CYBER DIVISION • Twitter Says Hackers Manipulated Several Employees. • Cyber Experts Claim Banning TikTok Not Best Approach To Protect Americans' Data From China. • Op-Ed: Establishing A National Cyber Director Would Be A Mistake. • US Government Extradites Cyprus Hacker For Crimes Committed Working With California Companies. • CISA Gives Agencies A Day To Remedy Windows DNS Server Vulnerability. • French Telecom Firm Orange Confirms Ransomware Attack. • Researchers Say "Backdoor" Access Found In Chinese Internet Devices. • British Officials Reportedly Told Huawei Ban Was Partly Due To Pressure From US. • Katko Seeks To Boost CISA's Cyber Workforce With NDAA Amendments. • UK Blames Russia For Cyber Attacks Targeting Corona Vaccine Development. LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES • Justice Department Executes Third Person In Four Days. • West Tennessee US Attorney Appoints Officer To Monitor Elections. • More Than 1,000 Inmates At Texas Federal Prison Reportedly Have COVID-19. • Lightfoot, McEnany Spar Over Chicago Violence. • Supreme Court Sides With DeSantis In Challenge To Amendment Restoring Felons' Voting Rights. • Activist Criticizes Operation That Will Send Federal Law Enforcement Workers To Missouri. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS • Harry Dunn's Mother Makes Plea To UK Officials To Make Harry "Top Priority" During Pompeo Visit. OTHER FBI NEWS • Wray Hires Ex-Law Partner To Be FBI's General Counsel. • Federal Judge Dismisses Troubled Sanctions Case. • FBI Renews Lease On Tampa, Florida Office Building. • Man Convicted Of Notorious Pennsylvania Kidnapping Seeks Release Amid Pandemic. • FBI Memo Describes 1980s Smuggling Activities At Arkansas Airport. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • Trump Touts Handling Of Coronavirus, Calls Fauci "A Bit Of An Alarmist." • Trump Says He Is "Not Allowed" To Have Rallies In Democrat-Run States. • COVID-19 Cases Rising Across The Country. • Garcetti Says City Reopened Too Quickly, Warns He May Impose New Stay-At-Home Order. • Shalala Slams Trump, DeSantis, Says Florida Must Close Down Again. • DeWine Warns Ohio "Could Become Florida." • Mississippi Governor Says State Is Seeing "Significant Increased Hospitalization." • Arkansas Governor Says He Will Impose Additional Restrictions If Necessary. • Colorado Governor Defends Decision To Impose Mask Mandate. • Rio Grande Valley Residents Especially Vulnerable To Effects Of Pandemic. • HHS Warns Of Shortage Of Glass Vials To Distribute Vaccine. EFTA00150212 • NFL Players Express Safety Concerns Ahead Of Training Camp. • Major League Baseball Season Set To Open Thursday. • Fewer Children Getting Routine Vaccinations Due To Pandemic. • Gottlieb: HHS-CDC Disagreement Shows Nations Unpreparedness For Pandemic. • In Spanish-Language Editorial, WPost Urges Vigilance Against Virus. • Senate Panel To Vote On Shelton's Nomination To Federal Reserve. • Trump Says Stimulus Bill Must Have Payroll Tax Cut, Liability Protection For Employers. • Some Government Contractors Also Received PPP Loans. • Whistleblower Complaint Reveals Ongoing Inquiry Over Pompeo's "Questionable Activities." • Axios Analysis: White House Weighs Using DACA Ruling To Act "Without Legal Authority." • Trump Reportedly To Order Census Not Count Those In The US Illegally. • Federal Judge Says new DACA Applications Must Be Accepted. • Appeals Court Upholds Ruling Blocking Restrictions On Asylum Protections. • Reuters Analysis: ICE's Continued Detainee Transfers Responsible For At Least One Super-Spreading Event. • John Lewis Dies At 80. • C.T. Vivian, Aide To Martin Luther King Jr., Dies At 95. • Justice Ginsburg Being Treated For Liver Cancer But Will Remain On Supreme Court. • USS Gerald R. Ford Plagued With Mechanical Problems. • Ross Hospitalized For "Non-Coronavirus Related Issues." • Supreme Court Clears Lower Courts To Hear Arguments On Trump's Tax Records. • Bolton Asks Judge To Dismiss DOJ Lawsuit Seeking Profits From His Memoir. • Congressman Facing Voter Fraud Charges Leaves Committee Assignments. • White House Using Loophole To Install Trump Loyalists In Pentagon. • CREW Accuses Ivanka Trump Of Violating Ethics Rules With Goya Promotion. INTERNATIONAL NEWS • Global Death Toll Tops 600,000. • Japan Concerned As Marines Test Positive For Virus. • China Using Uighur Labor To Produce Face Masks. • UN Agency: US-Sought Tanker "Hijacked" Off UAE Now In Iran. • Diehl: Netanyahu's Secret War Against Iran Backed By Trump. • India Offers Visas To Afghan Hindus, Sikhs Facing Attacks. • WTimes Analysis: US In "Great Power Competition" With Russia, China. • German States Appeal To Congress Not To Withdraw US Troops. • UK Increase Criticism Of China Over Treatment Of Uighurs, Hong Kong. • Netanyahu's Corruption Trial To Begin In January. • UAE Launches Its First Mission To Mars. • Protesters Call For Resignation Of Bulgaria's Borisov. • Maksad: Arab World Needs US Support. • WSJournal Criticizes Media Coverage Of State Department Rights Report. • State Department Declares El-Beblawi Immune From Torture Lawsuit Filed By US Citizen Once Imprisoned In Egypt. • Satellite Images Showing Water Pouring Into Nile Dam Reservoir Exacerbates Dispute Between Ethiopia, Egypt. THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE EFTA00150213 • Today's Events In Washington. LEADING THE NEWS Son Of Federal Judge Killed, Husband Shot At New Jersey Home. The Washington Post (7/19, Elfrink, Barrett, 14.2M) reports, "A gunman disguised as a FedEx driver shot and killed the son of a federal judge and wounded her husband at their New Jersey home on Sunday, law enforcement sources confirmed to The Washington Post." US District Judge Esther Salas "was not injured in the shooting, which the FBI, U.S. Marshals and local authorities are now investigating." According to the Post, "The gunman showed up to Salas's home in North Brunswick, N.J., wearing an outfit described to police as a FedEx uniform, law enforcement sources said. Both Mark Anderl, 63, a defense attorney and former Essex County assistant prosecutor, and Daniel Anderl, 20, were shot by the attacker. Salas's son died, the Associated Press reported, and her husband was rushed to the hospital for surgery. His condition wasn't clear." CNN (7/19, Perez, Vera, Morales, 83.16M) reports, "Initial reports from law enforcement said the child opened the door with the parent right behind. The door opened to a hail of gunfire and the gunman fled, a law enforcement source told CNN. `We are looking for one subject,' the FBI said in a statement. `We are working closely with our state and local partners and will provide additional updates when available.' CNN adds, "Law enforcement has not been aware of any threats against the judge, the source told CNN. Right now investigators don't know the motive." NJ News (7/19, Shea, 1.72M) reports, "North Brunswick Mayor Francis 'Mac' Womack said the judge's husband was in critical condition and underwent surgery and is now in stable condition. He said the couple's son had died." Judge Salas, "who is based in Newark, was the first Hispanic female to be appointed to the U.S. District Court in New Jersey. Salas, 51, has handled cases involving members of the Grape Street Crips, in connection with a long-running drug-trafficking network that was taken down by the FBI in 2015. She was also the judge who sent Real Housewives stars Joe and Teresa Giudice to prison." The AP (7/20, Dale) reports that in 2017, Judge Salas "barred federal prosecutors from seeking the death penalty against an alleged gang leader charged in several Newark slayings, ruling the man's intellectual disability made him ineligible for capital punishment. Salas later sentenced the man to 45 years in prison. More recently, Salas has presided over an ongoing lawsuit brought by Deutsche Bank investors who claim the company made false and misleading statements about its anti-money laundering policies and failed to monitor `high-risk' customers including convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein." ABC News (7/19, Margolin, Katersky, 2.97M) reports, "The investigation is being led by the FBI, which declined to comment. The New Jersey State Police, the North Brunswick Police and the Middlesex County Prosecutor's office are also involved in the investigation. The U.S. Marshals have been called to provide the judge with a security detail, according to a law enforcement official." ABC News adds, "Judge Salas has received threats in the past, the sources said." PROTEST DO) Filing Federal Charges Against Protesters Over Arson, Destruction Of Property. The Washington Times (7/19, Dinan, 492K) reports that "arson cases are mounting daily as Justice Department prosecutors, under the urging of President Trump and Attorney General William P. Barr, scour the last seven weeks' protests, looking for cases to make into federal crimes." On Wednesday alone, federal prosecutors "announced charges against six men in New York, all accused of igniting fires aimed at government property in Rochester and Buffalo," and EFTA00150214 "prosecutors in Seattle announced arson charges against a man they say set a fire outside a city police precinct there." Fatal Shooting By Los Angeles Police Officer Gained Greater Attention Following Floyd Killing. The Los Angeles Times (7/17, Campa, 4.64M) says Los Angeles police officer Toni McBride, who was shown in online videos "blasting away at targets, with prize-winning speed and accuracy, on a gun range in the Simi Valley foothills," on April 22 "faced off with a man holding a razor box cutter" on "a scruffy street south of downtown." McBride "fired six shots from her Glock 17, hitting Daniel Hernandez with every round and killing the 38-year-old carpet installer and father of a teenage daughter." The shooting gained greater attention "a month later, after the killing of George Floyd provoked a national furor over police behavior. Now Hernandez's death has become a cause celebre, protested by Black Lives Matter and questioned by a candidate for district attorney." Authorities Identify Man Who Allegedly Set Fire To Supreme Court Police Vehicle. The Washington Post (7/17, Hermann, 14.2M) reports, "Authorities on Friday identified the man who police allege set fire to a police vehicle outside the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this week and was critically injured in the blaze." Cody Tamer "has been charged with federal destruction of property and using fire to destroy property, among other counts, according to D.C. police." The Post adds that "the incident occurred about 1:50 p.m. Wednesday in the 100 block of Maryland Avenue NE." FBI Arrests Suspect In Philadelphia Looting. The Inquirer (PA) (7/17, Roebuck, 347K) reports, "As widespread looting hit West Philadelphia's 52nd Street corridor on May 31, surveillance footage showed a man in a blonde wig and surgical mask guiding a stolen forklift as it hauled away a vault from a local Wells Fargo branch.. Seven weeks after that brazen theft, the FBI has arrested two men they say were among the culprits, following an investigation bolstered by images of that day posted to social media." According to the Inquirer, "Prosecutors, in court filings this week, named the wig- wearing bandit as Raphael Shaw, 20, and accused him of making off with $104,000. They alleged a second man, Xavier Nolley-Hall, was with him that day and had entered the looted bank intending to steal money. Both are among a growing number of defendants who federal prosecutors have charged in connection with incidents during the unrest that gripped Philadelphia after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis." Trump Bemoans Ongoing Violence In "Democrat-Run Cities," Cites Threat To Religion. President Trump took to Twitter yesterday to write, "The Radical Left Democrats, who totally control Biden, will destroy our Country as we know it. Unimaginably bad things would happen to America. Look at Portland, where the pols are just fine with 50 days of anarchy. We sent in help. Look at New York, Chicago, Philadelphia. NO!" In a prerecorded interview on Fox News SundayVi (7/19, 1.12M), Trump also discussed the ongoing protests around the country, saying, "I explain it very simply, by saying the Democrat-run cities, they are liberally-run, they are stupidly run." The Washington Times (7/19, Swoyer, 492K) indicates Trump also said that under Democrats, "Religion will be gone," pointing out "he pointed to Democratic politicians keeping churches closed during the coronavirus pandemic, not even allowing churches to meet outside, while social distancing." Trump: "Many, Many Whites"Also Killed In Police Shootings. In his Fox News SundayVi (7/19, 1.12M) interview, Trump was also asked about the use of police force. Trump said, "Of course I (understand black people's anger]," but "many whites are killed also. Many, many whites are killed. But this is going on for decades. This is going on for a long time, long before I got here." EFTA00150215 Meadows Says Executive Order To Stem Violence Will Be Rolled Out This Week. Chief of Staff Meadows, on Fox News Sunday Morning FuturesVI (7/19, 1.59M), said, "This week what we're looking at is not only looking at what a lot of people have called 'the executive order on statues'...but it's really about keeping our communities safe, and the President's committed to do that. Some of the unrest that we saw even in the last month or so but particularly last night and the week leading up to it in Portland, it's just not acceptable when you look at communities not being safe and not upholding the rule of law, so Attorney General Barr is weighing in on that with Secretary Wolf and you'll see something rolled out this week as we start to go in and make sure that the communities whether it's Chicago, or Portland, or Milwaukee, or some place across the heartland of the country, we need to make sure that our communities are safe." Violent Protests Continue In Portland As Mayor Calls On Federal Agents To Leave. NBC Nightly NewsVI (7/19, story 3, 2:25, Snow, 4.36M) reported there was "more violence last night in parts of Portland, Oregon. Protesters lit a police union building on fire and the city's mayor says federal agents who have been deployed there, many without identification, are not helping the situation." NBC (McLaughlin) added, "Overnight, running street battles between protesters and local police. ... Unmarked federal agents with no insignia other than police sprayed tear gas and beat back protesters." Oregon is "suing the federal government," and the state's attorney general "is seeking a temporary restraining order to stop what she argues are unlawful arrests by federal agents." ABC World News TonightVi (7/19, story 3, 1:55, Llamas, 5.06M) reported, "The Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection among the federal agencies with militarized units on the streets, detaining people. The message from the city's leaders: Get out." Mayor Ted Wheeler: "Your presence here isn't wanted. It's not needed. And the people engaging in these activities aren't even willing to identify who they are, and they're not wearing insignia on their uniforms." The CBS Evening NewsVi (7/19, story 4, 1:45, Garrett, 1.32M) reported Wheeler "blames the increase in violence on the tactics of federal officers, many of them ICE agents. The nightly demonstrations began 53 days ago," but "after a more than a month of active protests, President Trump sent in federal agents to protect buildings and personnel." Wheeler said on CNN's State Of The UnionVi (7/19, 1.12M), "We have dozens, if not hundreds, of federal troops descending upon our city. What they're doing is they are sharply escalating the situation. Their presence here is actually leading to more violence and more vandalism. And it's not helping the situation at all. They're not wanted here. We haven't asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave." Politico (7/19, Cohen, 4.29M) Axios (7/19, Ayesh, 521K), the Washington Times (7/19, Swoyer, 492K) and Breitbart (7/19, Key, 673K) among other news outlets, report Wheeler's comments. USA Today (7/18, Pineda, Shannon, 10.31M) reports that in addition to state officials, "local U.S. Justice Department authorities have questioned the tactics as well." U.S. Attorney Billy Williams in Portland said Friday he had asked the DHS inspector general "to investigate reports that agents arrested people without probable cause." The Washington Post (7/19, Lang, Sacchetti, 14.2M), however, reports Acting Deputy DHS Secretary Cuccinelli on Sunday "vowed the agency will maintain a heavy presence in Portland — and send reinforcements to other U.S. cities, if violence surged." Said Cuccinelli, "You can expect that if violence continues in other parts of the country, the president has made no secret of the fact that he expects us where we can cooperate or have jurisdiction to step forward and expand our policing efforts there to bring down the level of violence." The Washington Times (7/19, Swoyer, 492K) reports President Trump "defended having federal agents in Portland to combat protesters, saying local government officials have allowed the situation to move out of control." He tweeted, "We are trying to help Portland, not hurt it. EFTA00150216 Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and agitators. They are missing in action. We must protect Federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal!" In a prerecorded interview on Fox News SundayVi (7/19, 1.12M), Trump discussed the protests in Portland, saying, "If you look at what's going on in Portland, those are anarchists and we've taken a very tough stance. If we didn't take a stand in Portland - you know, we arrested many of these leaders. If we didn't take that stand, right now you would have a problem - they were going to lose Portland." USA Today (7/19, Reyes, 10.31M) reports "protesters broke into the Portland Police Association at around 10:45 p.m. Saturday," police said, and "ignited a fire inside." The fire "was put out a short time later." The Oregonian (7/18, Tebor, 1M) reports "Portland police declared the event a riot around 10:50 p.m. and told demonstrators to leave the area or be subject to arrest." Townhall (7/19, Baumann, 177K) reports the "so-called protests were labeled a riot late Saturday night." The Washington Examiner (7/19, Dibble, 448K), among other news outlets, also reports on Saturday's protests. The New York Times (7/19, Olmos, Rojas, Baker, 18.61M) reports the protests in Portland "have featured a wide array of demonstrators, many now galvanized by federal officers exemplifying the militarized enforcement that protesters have long denounced." Gatherings over the weekend "grew to upward of 1,000 people — the largest crowds in weeks." Pelosi Criticizes "Violent Tactics" Used By Federal Agents. Axios (7/18, 521K) reports House Speaker Pelosi "condemned in a joint statement with Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D- OR) on Saturday what they called the Trump Administration's `violent tactics used' against protesters in Portland." Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) said on MSNBC's Politics NationVi (7/18, 862K), "It's really a scene out of some other world where you have a dictatorship, an authoritarian government, not a democratic republic. Trump is sending unmarked authorities after protesters, throwing them into unmarked vans, sweeping them off the street and using munitions in a way that hasn't been coordinated with our police or with our governor or mayor that is just absolutely inflaming the situation. ... This is all designed to have no accountability. It is absolutely unacceptable in America and we have to end it." Axios (7/19, Ayesh, 521K) reports the "chairs of the House Oversight, Judiciary and Homeland Security committees on Sunday called on the inspectors general of the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security to open an investigation into the Trump administration's use of federal agents against protesters in Portland." Rural Oregon Counties Seek To loin Idaho. The Washington Times (7/19, Al, Richardson, 492K) reports that "rural Oregonians are ready to bolt for Idaho after nearly two months of daily protests and rioting in Portland." Move Oregon's Border for a Greater Idaho, "a group that seeks to take eastern and rural counties out of Oregon and put them into Idaho," announced over the weekend that "volunteers have collected enough signatures to place the initiative on the November ballot in Wallowa County, Oregon." Oregon Democrats Object To Federal Officers' Tactics In Effort To Quell Portland Riots. The AP (7/17, Selsky, Flaccus) reports that in Portland, Oregon, "federal agents in green camouflage uniforms have been taking into custody people...not close to federal property that they were sent to protect, in what the ACLU on Friday said `should concern everyone in the United States." According to the AP, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown asserted that President Trump, "who deployed Department of Homeland Security officers to Portland, is looking for a confrontation in the hopes of winning political points elsewhere." The AP says that on Thursday night, "federal officers deployed tear gas and fired non-lethal rounds into a crowd of protesters, hours after" acting DHS Secretary Wolf "visited the city and called the demonstrators..: violent anarchists." On the CBS Evening NewsVi (7/17, story 9, 0:29, O'Donnell, 4.11M), Norah O'Donnell reported Wolf "says state and local officials are to blame for not putting an end to anti-police EFTA00150217 protests, which have continued in Portland for nearly 50 straight nights." Speaking on Fox News' America's Newsroom (7/17, 896K), Wolf said, "Our responsibility [is] to protect that courthouse and other federal facilities there in downtown Portland. And we continue to see violent activity, violent anarchists night after night, targeting those facilities." On Fox News' Fox & Friends (7/17, 831K), acting Department of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Cuccinelli said DHS has been "very openly trying to keep the law enforced." Cuccinelli added, "This has been more than 40 days in a row in Portland. We were not there in significant force until the last few weeks as things continued to escalate. And what we have seen around the country is where responsible policing is advanced, violence recedes. And Portland hasn't gotten that memo. Nor have a lot of other cities. And the President is determined to do what we can within our jurisdiction to help restore peace to these beleaguered cities." The New York Times (7/17, Al, Olmos, Baker, 18.61M) reports in a front-page article that "on Thursday night and into Friday morning - the 50th straight day of demonstrations - a line of federal officers in gas masks walked down Portland's Third Avenue," and "filled downtown corridors with tear gas, which a federal judge has barred the Portland police from using except in the case of a safety risk." According to the Times, the federal officers "also shot less-lethal munitions, which left people limping in pain." CNBC (7/17, Mangan, 3.62M) quotes Brown as saying, "This political theater from President Trump has nothing to do with public safety. ... The President is failing to lead this nation. Now he is deploying federal officers to patrol the streets of Portland in a blatant abuse of power by the federal government." CNBC also reports Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) "pinned a video of one of the arrests in question to the top of his official Twitter account, and wrote, `Authoritarian governments, not democratic republics, send unmarked authorities after protesters." Merkley added, "These Trump/Barr tactics designed to eliminate any accountability are absolutely unacceptable in America, and must end." The Washington Post (7/17, Shepherd, 14.2M) reports Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) tweeted, "A peaceful protester in Portland was shot in the head by one of Donald Trump's secret police. Now Trump and Chad Wolf are weaponizing the DHS as their own occupying army to provoke violence on the streets of my hometown because they think it plays well with right-wing media." In addition, The Hill (7/17, Axelrod, 2.98M) reports Merkley and Wyden as well as Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) on Friday "called on the internal watchdogs of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to investigate federal law enforcement's presence and practices in Portland amid rising protests in the city." Also, The Hill (7/17, Axelrod, 2.98M) reports the American Civil Liberties Union on Friday "filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Marshals Service after they deployed agents to quell demonstrations in Portland, Ore." Meanwhile, the Washington Post (7/17, Al, Gillespie, Barrett, Shepherd, Berman, 14.2M) reports on its front page that on Friday, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler (D) "referred to the federal agents as Trump's `personal army' and said they should leave the city." He asserted, "This is part of a coordinated strategy of Trump's White House to use federal troops to bolster his sagging polling data, and it is an absolute abuse of federal law enforcement officials." Wheeler added, "As we were starting to see things de-escalate, their actions last Saturday night and every night since have actually ratcheted up the tension on our streets." The Wall Street Journal (7/17, Gottfried, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) provides similar coverage. DHS Memo: Federal Agents Confronting Backlash For Approach To Portland Unrest Lacked Proper Training. The New York Times (7/18, Olmos, Baker, Kanno-Youngs, 18.61M) reports, "The federal agents facing a growing backlash for their militarized approach to weeks of unrest in Portland were not specifically trained in riot control or mass demonstrations, an internal Department of Homeland Security memo warned this week." A copy of the memo EFTA00150218 which the Times acquired indicates it "was prepared by the agency for Chad F. Wolf, the acting secretary of Homeland Security, as he arrived in Portland to view the scene in person." Oregon AG Announces Lawsuit Against Federal Agencies In Response To Street Conflicts Between Demonstrators, Federal Agents. On NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/18, story 8, 2:20, Diaz-Balart, 3.83M), correspondent Erin McLaughlin reported there's "a new court battle over the presence of...unmarked federal agents" in Portland. Oregon's attorney general on Friday "announced a lawsuit against several federal government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, alleging federal agents are 'unlawfully detaining protesters.' ... The filing a response to...street battles between protesters and federal agents with combat gear with no insignia other than police." On ABC World News TonightVi (7/18, story 6, 1:39, Llamas, 4.36M), correspondent Andrew Dymburt reported, "A CBP spokesperson tells ABC News that agents have been deployed to support local law enforcement. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice says they'll investigate any recent reports of detainments." On the CBS Weekend NewsVi (7/18, story 5, 1:29, Garrett, 2.41M), correspondent Michael George reported that federal personnel deployed in Portland "have been firing tear gas and flash bangs on citizens who have taken to the streets. Agents who work for the Department of Homeland Security and the US Marshals Service, as well as Customs and Border Protection, have been sent to guard a federal courthouse and other government buildings." Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) said, "Having federal officers here is like pouring gasoline on a fire." Seattle Rioters Damage, Loot Stores. The Fox News (7/19, Betz, 27.59M) website reports that "at least two people were arrested in Seattle and a police officer is in the hospital Sunday after a march through downtown devolved into property damage and looting, police say." Demonstrators Attempting To Topple Columbus Statue In Chicago Clash With Law Enforcement. The AP (7/18) reports demonstrators attempting to bring down a statue of Christopher Columbus in Chicago's Grant Park "clashed with police who used batons to beat people and made at least a dozen arrests after they say protesters targeted them with fireworks, rocks and other items." The brawl on Friday occurred "after at least 1,000 people tried to swarm the statue in a failed attempt to topple it following a rally in support of Black and Indigenous people." The AP adds, "Police said 18 officers were injured and at least 12 people were arrested during the clash. Four protesters were also hurt during the confrontation, which led local elected officials and activists to condemn the officers' tactics." NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/18, story 7, 0:30, Diaz-Balart, 3.83M) reported the mayor of Chicago put out a statement on Saturday condemning demonstrators "who attack police, while also saying reports of excessive force by officers was unacceptable." The CBS Weekend NewsVi (7/18, story 4, 0:17, Garrett, 2.41M) provided similar coverage in a brief broadcast. Statue In New York State Dedicated To Union Volunteers Torn Down. The New York Times (7/18, Fortin, Pietsch, 18.61M) reports police in Saratoga Spring, NY on Thursday "found a cast iron and zinc statue torn down from its stone pedestal in Congress Park and scattered in pieces on the grass." While many statues that have been brought down in the United States "in recent weeks amid widespread protests against racism and police brutality" were "monuments to Confederate soldiers," the one that was in Congress Park "was dedicated to volunteers who fought for the Union during the Civil War." David Snyder, executive assistant to Saratoga Springs' mayor, said, "We're very confused," adding, "Was this in any way tied to a Black Lives Matter protest in which they thought it was a Confederate statue that needed to EFTA00150219 come down? Was it a reactionary or pro-Confederate group that wanted a Union statue to come down? Or was it random?" CVS Terminates Contract With Security Firm After Guard Presses Forearm Into Shoplifting Suspect's Neck. The Washington Post (7/18, Hermann, 14.2M) reports CVS Pharmacy "said it has terminated its contract with a private security company after an armed guard was seen on video detaining a shoplifting suspect outside a downtown Washington store and appeared to press his forearm onto the man's neck." The Post adds, "The 50-year-old man, who appeared to be unarmed, tried to speak several times as the guard pressed down and yelled, 'Stop resisting.' In a statement, CVS said, "We're deeply disturbed by the video taken outside of our store," adding, "This type of force appears wholly unnecessary, regardless of what happened inside. The actions of the security guard, who is not a CVS employee, violated our security policies and practices which are designed to ensure the safety of customers and employees." NYTimes Al Analysis Examines Past Of Officer Who Put Knee On Floyd's Neck. A front-page New York Times (7/18, Al, Barker, Kovaleski, 18.61M) analysis says co-workers as well as citizens described Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer who put his knee on George Floyd's neck, as someone who "did his job as if he were playing a role - a tough Dirty Harry on the lookout for bad guys." Noah McGurran-Hanson, who had an encounter with Chauvin during 2013, said of Chauvin, "He was overly aggressive and not understanding that we were just kids," adding, "He was treating us like we had been tried and convicted." The Time goes on to say that "dozens of interviews with acquaintances depict a police officer who seemed to operate at an emotional distance from those around him. Mr. Chauvin was a quiet and rigid workaholic with poor people skills and a tendency to overreact - with intoxicated people, especially - when a less aggressive stance might have led to a better outcome, interviews show." Prosecutor: Pennsylvania Officer Was Justified In Pressing Knee Into Intoxicated Man's Head. The AP (7/17, Rubinkam) reports, "A Pennsylvania police officer was justified when he pressed his knee into an intoxicated man's head while restraining him outside a hospital, a prosecutor said Friday after reviewing an incident that was caught on video and generated allegations of police brutality." The officer in question as well as another officer utilized "reasonable force to restrain the man, who was agitated, acting erratically and posing a danger to himself and others, Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said." In a news release, Martin said, "I have concluded that there is absolutely no evidence to support filing criminal charges against either of the Allentown police officers involved in this incident." In another statement, Police Chief Glenn Granitz Jr. said the officers are not going to be subject to disciplinary action. Police Union Cites Trump's Support In Wake Of Floyd Protests For Endorsement. The Washington Times (7/19, Mordock, 492K) reports the National Association of Police Organizations endorsed President Trump's reelection last week, citing his "steadfast and very public support" for law enforcement. In a brief letter to Trump, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Times, NAPO President Michael McHale "said the president's support was critical in the wake of the attacks on law enforcement following the death of George Floyd." The Times says the decision to endorse Trump "delivered a blow" to presumed Democratic nominee Joe Biden, who "prides himself on being a 'union man' and longtime ally of police." Townhall's Baumann: Biden Has Said He Wants To Defund Police. Beth Baumann writes for Townhall (7/19, 177K) that "for whatever reason, the mainstream media is making the argument that Biden is not in favor of defunding the police." Still "as President Trump said EFTA00150220 on Saturday, Joe Biden may not have said 'defund the police,' but he used the very phrases and verbiage the Democrats are using surrounding this issue." WPost Criticizes Union For Expelling Pro-Reform Member. The Washington Post (7/19, 14.2M) editorializes that "the movement for greater accountability in policing poses a dilemma for organized labor. ... Yet police unions can use their clout to win protection from complaints of officer brutality and other misconduct." The Post says it can "offer no advice as to how union leaders should address this conundrum, but it is clear what they should not do: expel unionists who take a principled position in favor of police reform." The Post criticizes Local 1994, which represents Montgomery County's public employees, ousting member Gabriel Acevero, who is "outspoken against police abuses." Trump Defends Use Of Confederate Flag. In a prerecorded interview on Fox News SundayVi (7/19, 1.12M), President Trump discussed recent efforts to remove Confederate symbols. Trump said, "It depends on who you're talking about, when you're talking about. When people proudly had the Confederate flag they're not talking about racism. They love their flag, it represents the South. They like the South, people right now like the South. I say it's freedom of many things but its freedom of speech." Reuters (7/19, Chiacu, Lynch) reports "Trump has in the past appeared sympathetic to the flag and symbols of the Confederacy of 1861-65 American Civil War," and "in 2017, he decried the removal of monuments to the Confederacy, laying blame on 'both sides' in Charlottesville, Virginia, after protests against the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee, a Confederate general." Axios (7/19, Allassan, 521K) says Trump has also "attacked organizations like NASCAR that have banned the Confederate flag, claiming it's an infringement on freedom of speech," and has "threatened to veto a defense bill that would rename military installations named for Confederate leaders, despite bipartisan support in Congress." Trump Quips About Renaming Military Bases After Al Sharpton. In his Fox News Sunday-Vi (7/19, 1.12M) interview, Trump was asked about the push to rename military bases. Trump said, "I don't care what the military says. I'm supposed to make the decision. Fort Bragg is a big deal. We won two world wars, nobody even knows the general. We won two world wars. Go to the community where Fort Bragg is in a great state, I love that state. Go to the community, say how do you like the idea of renaming Fort Bragg? And then what are we going to name it?" The Washington Examiner (7/19, Dibble, 448K) reports Trump added, "We're going to name it after the Rev. Al Sharpton? What are you gonna name it, Chris [Wallace], tell me what you're gonna name it?" The New York Post (7/19, Moore, 4.57M) indicates that, in the interview, the President also "threatened to veto a defense spending bill if it includes a provision to remove the names of Confederate leaders from US military bases." Said Trump, "I might. Yeah, I might." Media Analyses: Esper Attempts To Circumvent Trump With Memo Barring Confederate Flags On Military Facilities. Defense Secretary Esper issued a memo on Friday stating that the US flag is "principal flag we are authorized and encouraged to display," while excluding the Confederate flag from a list of flags that are also authorized for display. Typical of the tone of the coverage, the New York Times (7/17, Cooper, 18.61M) says Esper's "carefully worded memo" did not include the word "Confederate," yet it "essentially banned displays of the Confederate flag on military installations around the world," a move that Defense Department officials "said they hoped would avoid igniting another defense of the flag from President Trump." Bloomberg (7/17, Tiron, 4.73M) also describes the memo as an attempt "to sidestep a direct clash with" Trump, who "has vowed to veto the annual defense policy bill if it contains provisions requiring new names for military bases named for Confederate generals." The Washington Post (7/17, Lamothe, 14.2M) similarly reports Esper's memo "did not explicitly mention Confederate banners but stated that the 'flags we fly must accord with the military imperatives of good order and discipline, treating all our people with dignity and respect, and rejecting divisive symbols." The Post adds a defense official "said the White House EFTA00150221 is aware of the new policy. But it was not immediately clear whether President Trump, who has pushed to preserve Confederate symbols, supports the change." A CNBC (7/17, Macias, 3.62M) article also highlights that Trump "said last month that his administration would 'not even consider' the removal of Confederate symbols," while the AP (7/17, Baldor) reports the President "flatly rejected any notion of changing base names and has defended the flying of the Confederate flag, saying it's a freedom of speech issue." According to the Washington Times (7/17, Meier, 492K), Esper's memo "follows weeks of nationwide anti-racism protests after the death of George Floyd, a Black man, at the hands of a White Minneapolis police officer, and calls for the Confederate flag to be banned from military properties and bases that honor Confederate leaders to be renamed." The Times adds the effort "saw early support from several branches of the military after the Navy, Marine Corps and several arms of the military abroad announced a ban on the display of the Confederate flag last month." Meanwhile, The Hill (7/17, Kheel, 2.98M) reports Esper tweeted, "Today I issued a memorandum to the force on the display of flags at @DeptofDefense facilities. With this change in policy, we will further improve the morale, cohesion, and readiness of the force in defense of our great Nation." Politico (7/17, Seligman, 4.29M) reports Esper's memo "simply lists the types of flags that are allowed to be displayed, including the American flag; the flags of the U.S. states, territories and the District of Columbia; military flags and those of allies." According to Politico, "Exceptions to the ban include museum exhibits, license plates, grave sites, and works of art 'where the nature of the display or depiction cannot reasonably be viewed as endorsement of the flag by the Department of Defense." On NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/17, story 5, 1:43, Holt, 5.54M), Courtney Kube said Esper's move is one "many had been advocating for years." Kube added Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) "says there's a problem with white supremacists in the military. Although, it involves just a tiny percentage of the country's 2.1 million service members." Kube also reported NBC News "has reviewed for five criminal cases involving far-right extremism among active duty ranks in the last four years. Including two linked to the violent Neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen. And a 'Military Times' poll shows more than half of minority troops say they have personally witnessed examples of white nationalism or racism within the ranks." The Wall Street Journal (7/17, Youssef, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) as well as brief ABC World News TonightVi (7/17, story 8, 0:29, Llamas, 6.68M) and CBS Evening NewsVi (7/17, story 12, 0:19, O'Donnell, 4.11M) broadcasts provided similar coverage. Richmond Judge Who Impeded Removal Of Confederate Monuments Recuses Himself From Pair Of Lawsuits. The Washington Post (7/17, Schneider, 14.2M) reports Richmond Circuit Court Judge Bradley Cavedo, "who has repeatedly blocked efforts to remove Confederate statues in the former capital of the Confederacy," on Friday filed an order recusing himself from "a case filed by an anonymous person against Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, acknowledging that Cavedo's personal residence near the Monument Avenue statues could create an appearance of impropriety." The Post adds that Cavedo "cited similar reasoning on Thursday to recuse himself from a separate case filed against Gov. Ralph Northam (D) over Northam's efforts to take down the statue of Robert E. Lee on the city's Monument Avenue." Missouri Governor Suggests Pardon Of McCloskeys If Charges Filed. The Washington Examiner (7/19, Mastrangelo, 448K) reports Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) on Friday "said he's ready and willing to issue a pardon of a St. Louis couple if they are charged by local prosecutors after brandishing their guns at Black Lives Matter protesters in their neighborhood last month." During an interview with a local radio station, Parson said, "I don't think they're going to spend any time in jail," noting a pardon would be "exactly what would happen" if District Attorney Kim Gardner were to indict the couple. Long-Time Activists See Opportunity For Police Reform. EFTA00150222 USA Today (7/18, Hughes, 10.31M) reports that "across the country, street protests and confrontations that erupted following the May 25 death of George Floyd...have prompted a broad and lasting discussion about the state of policing in America - and how communities could or should change it." Longtime activists "see this moment as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to dramatically reshape police departments" and change "how drug addiction, evictions and community relations are handled." White UConn Student Government Leaders Resign To Leave Spots To Minority Students. Breitbart (7/19, 673K) reports the president and vice president of the UConn student government resigned this month "on the basis of their skin color." According to a report by the College Fix, two leaders of the UConn student government resigned "so that their positions could be filled by minority students." Report: Ancestors Of New York Times Family Included Slave Owners. Breitbart (7/19, Pollak, 673K) reports Michael Goodwin of the New York Post "published an extensive investigative article on Sunday claiming that ancestral members of the family that owns the New York Times likely included slaveowners." Goodwin also claimed "the extended family also included members who fought for the Confederacy; contributed to Confederate memorials after the Civil War; and perhaps even engaged in the slave trade." Minneapolis City Council Designates Racism As A Public Health Emergency. The Hill (7/17, Axelrod, 2.98M) reports the Minneapolis City Council on Friday "approved a resolution...declaring racism a public emergency nearly two months after the high-profile killing of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody." The Hill adds the resolution "says that 'racism in all its forms causes persistent discrimination and disparate outcomes in many areas of life, including housing, education, health, employment, public safety and criminal justice; exacerbated further by the COVID-19 pandemic crisis' and commits city leaders to recognize the 'severe impact of racism on the wellbeing of residents and the city overall.'" Majority-White Minneapolis Neighborhood That Embraced Defunding Law Enforcement Records Jump In Shootings, Sexual Assaults. The Washington Times (7/17, Chasmar, 492K) reports, "A man is recovering after being shot while sitting inside a vehicle in the Powderhorn Park neighborhood of Minneapolis." The Times adds, "It's the latest in a spate of violence in the majority-White neighborhood that has embraced the 'defund the police' movement, allowing hundreds of homeless people to set up camp in the neighborhood's eponymous park while vowing not to speak with law enforcement." On Tuesday, "another man was shot and wounded" at the park, while no less than "three sexual assaults have been reported in the area since the homeless encampment went up in mid-June." Former New Mexico Police Officer Faces Second-Degree Murder Charge Over Killing That Involved Use Of Chokehold. The AP (7/16, Contreras) reports, "A former police officer in New Mexico was charged Thursday with second-degree murder after authorities said he killed a Latino detainee he had placed in a chokehold." New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas "said he filed the charges against former Las Cruces police officer Christopher Smelser in the death of Antonio Valenzuela." Smelser, who's white, had at first been charged with manslaughter. Columbus Police Searching For Black Lives Matter Activists Who Attacked Man With Cerebral Palsy. The Washington Times (7/17, Ernst, 492K) reports Columbus police officers are looking "for Black Lives Matter activists who attacked a man with cerebral palsy during recent riots." CPD "released video July 8 showing a large crowd at the intersection of High Street and Broad Street EFTA00150223 surround Eldon Hawkins' vehicle." The Times adds, "The victim, confused by the chaos, had his windows smashed, personal items stolen and 'BLM' graffiti sprayed on the car's hood." In an interview with a CBS affiliate, Hawkins said, "It scared the life out of me. I thought they were going to kill me." Arlington County Commencing Review Of Police Practices. The Washington Post (7/17, Jouvenal, 14.2M) reports Arlington County "is launching a wide- ranging review of the policies and practices of its police department, prompted by local concerns and the national conversation unfolding over police reform in the wake of George Floyd's killing." City officials on Friday announced the review, indicating that "it would be led by two experts in policing and a panel of 15 people drawn from the police department, social justice groups, the NAACP, the public defender's office and elsewhere." WPost Al: Figure Behind Social Media Hoaxes Fuels Partisan Division. In a front-page article, the Washington Post (7/17, Al, Boburg, 14.2M) reports on its findings of an investigation into 38-year-old food-delivery driver and Di Adam Rahuba, who the Post "found...is also the anonymous figure behind a number of social media hoaxes - the most recent played out in Gettysburg on Independence Day - that have riled far-right extremists in recent years and repeatedly duped partisan media outlets." Rahuba's "false claims circulated widely on social media and on Internet message boards," and "were often amplified by right- wing commentators and covered as real news by media outlets such as Breitbart News and The Gateway Pundit." The Post's "examination of Rahuba's activities provides a rare inside look at the work of a homegrown troll who uses social media to stoke partisan division." COUNTER-TERRORISM Minnesota's Boogaloo Movement Examined. The Minneapolis Star Tribune (7/18, Montemayor, 1.04M) reports, "Michael Robert Solomon had been training for this - the moment, he said, 'when the [expletive) hits the fan." The Star Tribune adds, "As protests grew chaotic in the days after George Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody, Solomon, a 30-year-old New Brighton man, joined a cadre of others clad in military garb and carrying assault rifles. They deployed around small businesses and in neighborhoods around the city and braced for an onslaught." Solomon "was there on behalf of the 'Boogaloo Bois,' a loose-knit anti-government extremist movement that advocates armed revolution. Its adherents merge the in-person paramilitary activities of far-right militias with widespread mobilization on social media platforms such as Facebook." Coronavirus Thwarts Hopes Of Families Of 9/11 Victims That Trial Of Men Accused Of Planning Attacks Would Commence Early Next Year. The New York Times (7/18, Rosenberg, 18.61M) reports the coronavirus breakout has thwarted hopes held by families of 9/11 victims that "the death penalty trial of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four other men accused of planning the attacks" would start early next year, with the Times adding that "there is a real possibility that the trial will not even have begun on the 20th anniversary of the attacks 14 months from now." Terry Strada, whose husband was killed in the attacks, said, "The calamity of Covid is definitely disrupting our personal lives and our hopes for this trial to come to fruition." Strada also said, "We were very hopeful back then. It's hard to have something taken away from you that you were really counting on. And that is a shame, just a crying shame." Trump Pledges Another $2 Million To 9/11 Memorial. EFTA00150224 President Trump on Friday tweeted, "I am proud to announce $2 million for the @SeptllMemorial in NYC! This special site ensures that the memory of the nearly 3,000 people killed in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, as well as those lost in the World Trade Center bombing in 1993, will never be forgotten!" COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE Roger Stone Accused Of Using Racial Slur During Radio Interview. The AP (7/19, Calvan) reports that Roger Stone "used the racial slur 'Negro' on air while verbally sparring with a Los Angeles-based Black radio host." The exchange, which can be heard here (starting at 12:30) "occurred on Saturday's Mo'Kelly Show, whose host - Morris O'Kelly - grilled Stone on his conviction for lying to Congress, tampering with witnesses and obstructing the House investigation into whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election." The AP adds, "O'Kelly asserted that Stone's commutation was because of his friendship with Trump, Stone's voice goes faint but can be heard" saying he was "arguing with this Negro." While "the first part of Stone's statement was not entirely audible," the "radio program transcribed the complete sentences as, 'I can't believe I'm arguing with this Negro." The Washington Examiner (7/19, Dibble, 448K) says O'Kelly "questioned Stone and asked if he used the racist slur." Stone "denied using the slur" and "claimed that O'Kelly was 'out of [his] mind." The Washington Post (7/19, Weiner, Roig-Franzia, 14.2M) reports that in a statement emails to the Post, Stone "suggested it was O'Kelly's 'studio engineer' who used the word. He also argued that 'Negro' is not offensive." Stone said, "The transmission as I recorded it is both garbled and replete with cross talk. ... Mr. O'Kelly needs a good peroxide cleaning of the wax in his ears because at no time did I call him a negro. That said, Mr. O'Kelly needs to spend a little more time studying black history and institutions. The word negro - even though I did not use it - is far from a slur." The New York Times (7/19, Ortiz, Fazio, 18.61M) reports that O'Kelly said in an interview that Stone's use of the word was "clear, it was discernible, and it was unmistakable." O'Kelly said, "It's the diet version of the N-word, but as an African-American man, it's something I deal with pretty frequently. ... If there's a takeaway from the conversation, it is that Roger Stone gave an unvarnished look into what is in the heart of many Americans today." Graham Releases Declassified Documents From Origins Of Russia Probe. Politico (7/17, Desiderio, Cheney, 4.29M) reported Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham "released declassified documents Friday suggesting that senior FBI officials were initially skeptical of the emerging narrative early in Donald Trump's presidency that his campaign was in contact with Russian intelligence officers." Politico adds the Senate Judiciary Committee "published the documents as part of a GOP-led review of the origins of the Russia investigation that has ensnared the president and his associates for years. Trump himself has encouraged the Senate's probe, while Democrats have panned it as a politically motivated effort to boost the president." Politico says that the documents "suggest that even as press reports began to describe connections between Americans in Trump's orbit and figures in Russia's shadowy intelligence services, the FBI had gathered little, if any, evidence that such ties existed." The Washington Times (7/17, Swoyer, 492K) reported Graham "said the documents conflict with the allegations laid out in FISA warrants against former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page." The Washington Examiner (7/17, Dunleavy, 448K) reported Graham said. "Most importantly, after this interview of the subsource and the subsequent memo detailing the contents of the interview, it was a miscarriage of justice for the FBI and the Department of Justice to continue to seek a FISA warrant against Carter Page in April and June of 2017." The EFTA00150225 New York Post (7/18, Linge, 4.57M) reported Graham "tweeted Friday that the revelations put Strzok and FBI bosses 'in deep legal jeopardy in my view." CNN (7/17, Herb, 83.16M) reported Attorney General Barr "declassified two additional documents on Friday at the request of Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham." One document is "57 pages of FBI notes from a three-day January 2017 interview with a primary sub-source of Christopher Steele." The other document is "an annotation of a 2017 New York Times article from former FBI agent Peter Strzok taking issue with some allegations in the story." Also providing similar coverage of the story are The Hill (7/17, Carney, 2.98M), Daily Caller (7/17, 716K), and the Wall Street Journal (7/19, Cullison, Subscription Publication, 7.57M). The Wall Street Journal (7/17, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) editorialized the release of documents by the Justice Department of the Obama Administration's Trump-Russia investigation is painting a picture, and the more that becomes known, the worse the FBI looks. The Journal concludes it is becoming clearer that the collusion narrative and infamous Steele dossier were political tricks that then became abuses of power. Document Shows FBI Disproved NYTimes Story On Trump-Russia. The Washington Times (7/18, Scarborough, 492K) reported that a newly disclosed document shows that "one of the most glaringly bogus Trump-Russia stories by the New York Times in 2017 was picked apart inside the FBI at the time as containing over a dozen major inaccuracies." The document "contains the Times story that reported there were extensive contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian intelligence," as well as "a typewritten critique in the margins by FBI Agent Peter Strzok, who totally rejected the Times' claim." Strzok wrote, "Again, we are unaware of ANY Trump advisors engaging in conversations with Russian intelligence officials." The New York Times (7/17, Savage, Goldman, 18.61M) reported documents released on Friday "showed a top FBI agent recognized by February 2017 that a now notorious dossier of claims about purported Trump-Russia ties had credibility problems, but the Justice Department continued to rely on it as part of its basis to renew permission to wiretap a former Trump campaign adviser." They also included "an FBI agent's notes disputing aspects of a New York Times article the next month." But Mr. Strzok "appeared to be aware of aspects of it." Fox News (7/17, Singman, 27.59M) reported the second document, according to the committee, also "indicates that 'the FBI may have been using foreign intelligence gathering techniques to impermissibly unmask and analyze existing and future intelligence collection regarding US persons associated with the Trump campaign." Also providing similar coverage on the story is National Review (7/17, Evans, 731K). Strzok Fires Back At Graham. The Washington Examiner (7/18, Chaitin, 448K) reported Peter Strzok "castigated Lindsey Graham after the senator unveiled declassified documents that he said showed the 'corrupt nature' of the Russia investigation." The former FBI agent "denounced by President Trump and his allies shot back at Graham...in response to... [his) comments about a document showing Strzok harshly criticized a February 2017 New York Times report tying the Trump campaign to Russian intelligence officials." Strzok's lawyer Aitan Goelman said in a statement obtained by the Washington Examiner, "Sen. Graham's statement represents another attempt by President Trump's congressional lackeys to use Pete's work product to paint the Russia investigation as a political witch hunt." NY Times Stands By Reporting On Trump-Russia Connections Despite FBI Memos. The Daily Caller (7/18, 716K) reported the New York Times is "standing by a February 2017 report alleging that Trump associates were in communication with Russian intelligence officers, even after the release of an internal FBI memo that identified numerous inaccuracies in the story." New York Times spokeswoman Eileen Murphy "told her own paper for its report on the newly released documents, 'We stand by our reporting." In a separate article, the Daily Caller (7/17, Ross, 716K) reported the Senate Judiciary Committee released a newly declassified FBI document Friday "showing that a New York Times report about contacts between Trump associates and Russian intelligence was riddled with EFTA00150226 errors." Peter Strzok, who served as FBI deputy chief of counterintelligence, "spotted 14 errors in the Times story, published on Feb. 14, 2017." Strzok also "critiqued Christopher Steele, saying that the dossier author was unable to judge the reliability of his network of sources." Strzok Complained About Being "Out Of Loop" On Counter-Intelligence Briefing. The Washington Times (7/17, Scarborough, 492K) reported that, according to newly released emails obtained by Judicial Watch, FBI Agent Peter Strzok and his FBI Crossfire Hurricane unit "were focused on the White House during President Trump's inauguration celebration, so much so that the 'angry' agent complained he was kept out of the loop on a bureau counter- intelligence briefing there." Strzok "erupted the day after Mr. Trump became president." Strzok "said in an email to his boss, counter-intelligence chief Bill Priestap, he could have folded the FBI briefing into his strategy for investigating Trump associates. I heard from (redacted) about the WH CI briefing routed from (redacted). I am angry that Jen [colleague Jennifer Boone] did not at least cc: me, as my branch has pending investigative matters there, this brief may play into our investigative strategy, and I would like the ability to have visibility and provide thoughts/counsel to you in advance of the briefing." Graham Previews What's Next After Revealing Declassified Documents. The Washington Examiner (7/17, Chaitin, 448K) reported Graham "told the Wall Street Journal that he wants 'to go from the bottom of the pyramid to the top and find out just how many people were informed' about the source interview." He added, "Those who knew about this exculpatory information, or should have known, and yet who continued - they are in legal jeopardy." Grenell Says Classified Records Show Warnings About Veracity Of Steele Dossier And Russian Collusion Were Ignored. The Washington Examiner (7/17, Dunleavy, 448K) reported former DNI Richard Grenell "said there are documents showing early 'red flags' casting doubt on the idea of collusion between President Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia as well as on the veracity of British ex-spy Christopher Steele's dossier." Grenell "told Greg Kelly of Newsmax TV this week that the evidence of those early 'red flags,' including about Steele's dossier possibly being compromised by Russian disinformation, could and should be released in the near future." He said, "There are a variety of reports that highlight some of these individuals that have not come out yet, and we're getting closer. I started the process when I was at the ODNI. We started to unwind some of these reports, but there are several that still need to come out." Meadows Expects Criminal Indictments From Durham Investigation. The Washington Examiner (7/19, Dunleavy, 448K) reports White House Chief of Staff Meadows "said that he expects criminal indictments to result from US Attorney John Durham's wide- ranging inquiry into the origins and conduct of the Trump-Russia investigation." Meadows told Fox News Sunday Morning Futures, "I think the American people expect indictments - I know I expect indictments based on the evidence I've seen. [Senate Judiciary Chairman] Lindsey Graham did a good job in getting that out. We know that they not only knew that there wasn't a case, but they continued to investigate and spy, and yes, I use the word 'spy,' on Trump campaign officials and actually even doing things when this president was sworn in and after that and doing it in an inappropriate manner. You're going to see a couple other documents come out in the coming days that will suggest that not only was the campaign spied on, but the FBI did not act appropriately as they were investigating. It's all starting to unravel, and I tell you, it's time that people go to jail and people are indicted." Krebs: DHS Is Not Seeing "Coordinated" Foreign Election Interference Like In 2016. The Hill (7/17, Miller, 2.98M) reports Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Christopher Krebs "said Friday that he has not seen a foreign effort to influence U.S. elections so far this year." Speaking at a virtual Brookings Institution event, Krebs said, "Compared to where things were in 2016, we are not seeing that level of coordinated, determined cyber activity from adversaries." He added, "We absolutely have better EFTA00150227 visibility across the networks, and we are just not seeing that same level of activity that we saw in 2016." Nadler: House Judiciary To Consider Bills To Restrict Trump's Pardon Power. The Hill (7/17, Seipel, 2.98M) reports House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler "announced Friday that the panel will mark up two bills next week intended to rein in President Trump's pardon powers, a move that comes a week after Trump commuted the sentence of his longtime ally Roger Stone." The Hill says the first measure to be addressed on Thursday "would force the Justice Department to share with Congress files from pardons tied to investigations of the president, according to Nadler's announcement. The second measure, the No President is Above the Law Act, would pause the statute of limitations for a president's crimes committed during or before their presidency." McCarthy, Stefanik Endorse Trump's Pardon Of Stone. The Washington Times (7/17, Blake, 492K) reports that while Stone this week "claimed" that House Minority Leader McCarthy and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) had "unsuccessfully pushed Mr. Trump not to intervene in the case before he eventually did by commuting his friend's sentence," McCarthy "said Friday he supports Mr. Trump's commutation of Stone's sentence, according to a CNN reporter who relayed his reaction on Twitter afterward," while Stefanik said, "I have not advocated for any pardoning issues with the president. I believe, constitutionally, any issues of pardoning are the president's decision to make and I support the president's choice." The Hill (7/17, Brufke, 2.98M) quotes McCarthy as saying, "I don't think it would be right to pardon him." He added, "I think commuting him was correct." McCarthy continued, "I think the president did the right thing and he has the right to do it. And if you watch, the president has used his power much less than other presidents in the past, considerably less than what the Democratic presidents used." The Intelligence Community's New Plan For Commercial Imagery. C4ISR & Networks (7/17, Strout) reported the NRO is looking to change, "moving beyond the status quo by issuing a new set of contracts toward the end of this year that will reshape the IC's relationship with commercial imagery." Peter Muend, the head of NRO's commercial imagery efforts, "told C4ISRNET that the agency is 'obviously very committed to utilizing commercial imagery to the maximum extent practical in support of defense, national security and all the other mission areas that we serve. I think the best philosophy that underpins that is one that says 'We really are looking to buy everywhere we can and only build what we have to —what's really not available on the commercial market." Muend "doesn't want any of these companies to exist solely to support government requirements." There should be "a real commercial market for these capabilities, which will help drive down costs for the government." New Report Shows Federal Background Check Cases "Stable" At 200K. MeriTalk (7/17, Smith) reported that, according to a quarterly report on the Security Clearance, Suitability/Fitness, and Credentialing Reform Cross-Agency Priority (CAP) goal action plan, "the coronavirus pandemic hasn't slowed the government's progress on managing the Federal background check inventory, which has returned to a stable state of roughly 200,000 cases." The backlog for background checks "was approximately 725,000 at its peak in April 2018." Policy changes from "the ODNI and OPM 'as the Executive Agents for personnel vetting, internal process improvements made by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency' were cited as catalysts for stabilizing the backlog of background checks for the first time since August 2014." The update reported, "The actions taken to reduce the backlog also substantially improved the timelines for completion of investigations. The average time to complete a Top Secret investigation is currently down to 79 days from a high of 411 days, meeting timeliness goals for the first time since June 2014." EFTA00150228 Rubio Seeks Declassification Of UFO Secrets. The Washington Examiner (7/17, Dunleavy, 448K) reported the Republican chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee "is leading the charge to declassify and make public what the IC knows about `unidentified aerial phenomena." Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) is "pushing legislation that would require the ODNI...to work with the Pentagon and other relevant agencies to produce a detailed report outlining what the US government knows about UFOs, including their origin, frequency, and potential threat to US national security." Rubio said in a Thursday interview with Jim DeFede of CBS4 News in Miami, "Look, here's the interesting thing for me about all this and the reason why I think it's an important topic, OK? We have things flying over our military bases and places where we're conducting military exercises, and we don't know what it is, and it isn't ours. So, that's a legitimate question to ask." CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS Men Charged In Arbery Slaying Plead Not Guilty. The Wall Street Journal (7/17, Siddiqui, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports the three men charged in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was jogging in Georgia when he was fatally shot, entered into not guilty pleas on Friday. Gregory McMichael, his son Travis, and William Bryan Jr. entered the pleas less than a month after being indicted on nine counts. On ABC World News TonightVi (7/17, story 7, 1:22, Llamas, 6.68M), correspondent Pierre Thomas said that at a bond hearing for Bryan, Arbery's mother "sa(id] she's still living in pain and fear." Bryan's bail was denied, and Thomas added that the McMichaels "did not argue for bond." The CBS Evening NewsVi (7/17, story 8, 0:19, O'Donnell, 4.11M) provided similar coverage in a brief broadcast. Attorneys Say Breonna Taylor Was Alive For Several Minutes After Being Shot. The CBS Evening NewsVi (7/17, story 7, 1:34, O'Donnell, 4.11M) reported on "disturbing new details from the night Louisville police shot and killed Breonna Taylor in her apartment." Correspondent Jeff Pegues reported that CBS News "has confirmed that, after being shot five times, Breonna Taylor was alive but struggling to breathe. In a revised lawsuit filed on behalf of Taylor's family, attorneys allege that Taylor was left to die. They say that she was not killed immediately, that she lived for another five to six minutes before succumbing to her injuries on the floor of her home." Celebrities Urge Justice Department To Probe 2010 Slaying Of Student. Under the headline "Jay-Z, Other Celebs Ask Feds To Probe Student's 2010 Killing," the AP (7/17, Richer) reports various celebrities are urging the Department of Justice "to investigate the death of 20-year-old Danroy 'DJ' Henry Jr., a Black football player at Pace University killed by a white police officer in New York nearly a decade ago." The AP adds, "In a letter sent this week to Attorney General William Barr, the entertainers say Henry, who was from Easton, Massachusetts, `lost his life for no good reason and with absolutely no good explanation." The celebrities, among whom were Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Pharrell Williams, also wrote, "The DOJ must truthfully determine whether a pattern and/or practice of discrimination played a role in the case of DJ Henry - and if it did - deliver the justice that restores this young man's name and reputation, while giving hope to other young black men who are just like him and desperate for change." Pelosi Seeks FBI Probe Of Fatal Vallejo, California Police Shooting. The San Jose (CA) Mercury News (7/17, Gartrell, 456K) reports, "In a striking statement that referred to the incident as a `brutal police killing' and a murder, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday publicly called for the FBI to investigate the June fatal shooting of Sean Monterrosa by a EFTA00150229 Vallejo police officer." According to the Mercury News, "Pelosi's statement, released online Friday afternoon, comes as both the Solano District Attorney and California Attorney General's offices are putting forth their best legal arguments to avoid taking on the Monterrosa case." Monterrosa "was fatally shot in June by an officer who fired a rifle five times through the windshield of his own unmarked police pickup truck. Police say the officer - who was responding to reports of looting at the Walgreens on Redwood Street - mistook a hammer in Monterrosa's sweater pocket for a gun." The Hill (7/17, Axelrod, 2.98M) reports, "Pelosi joined local officials in calling for a broader probe into the shooting, in which an officer fired his weapon through the windshield of a police vehicle at Monterrosa, 22, near a Walgreens where a theft had occurred during protests. Pelosi and others had specifically voiced concerns over allegations of destruction of evidence with regard to the killing. `The police killing of Sean Monterrosa was a horrible act of brutality that continues to shake our Bay Area community,' Pelosi said in a statement. `Recent reports that key evidence in the investigation was destroyed are deeply disturbing and highlight the urgency and necessity of an outside, independent federal investigation. I join Sean's family, Vallejo city officials and community members in calling for an FBI investigation into Sean's murder, including into the destruction of essential evidence in this homicide case. We must insist on justice and accountability to honor Sean's life and the lives of all killed by police brutality in America." The San Francisco Chronicle (7/18, Hernandez, 2.67M) reports, "California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced late Friday that the state Department of Justice will investigate the Vallejo Police Department's disposal of key evidence in the police killing of Sean Monterrosa - the windshield of the unmarked police vehicle an officer shot through. `The allegations concerning destruction of evidence under the watch of the Vallejo Police Department are significant,' Becerra said in a statement." Officials "said the probe is separate from the Department of Justice's review of the Vallejo Police Department's policies and practices. Previously, Becerra had declined to investigate the Monterrosa shooting." Men Charged In Assault On Black Man In Indiana. The AP (7/17, Smith) reports, "Two men were charged Friday in an assault on a Black man during which he says someone threatened to 'get a noose' after claiming that he and his friends were trespassing when they gathered at a southern Indiana lake over the July Fourth weekend." Sean Purdy was charged "with felony criminal confinement, battery resulting in moderate bodily injury and intimidation," while Jerry Cox II "was charged with felony criminal confinement and battery resulting in moderate bodily injury, as well as two misdemeanors." Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney Erika Oliphant said warrants have been put out for their arrests. ABC News (7/17, 2.97M) reports, "Indiana prosecutors on Friday charged two white men who were filmed allegedly assaulting a Black man during a July 4 incident." Sean Purdy and Jerry Cox "are facing battery, confinement and intimidation charges for their alleged roles in an attack on Vauhxx Rush Booker at Lake Monroe, according to the Monroe County Prosecutor's office. Booker, 36, an activist and member of the Monroe County Human Rights Commission, and other witnesses filmed the encounter in which Purdy, Cox and other men were seen pinning Booker to a tree and pulling his arm. Booker said he heard the men say they were going to get a noose and that they shouted racial slurs. Local police and the FBI are investigating." USA Today (7/17, Depompei, 10.31M) reports, "Prosecuting Attorney Erika Oliphant said in the release that all criminal charges related to the incident have been filed, indicating Vauhxx Booker, the alleged victim, will not face charges." Purdy "is charged with criminal confinement, battery resulting in injury and intimidation, all felonies. The intimidation charge is related to the allegation that Purdy said 'get a noose' in a threat of lynching against Booker, who is Black." Cox "is charged with aiding or causing criminal confinement, felony battery resulting in injury, intimidation and two misdemeanor counts of battery." EFTA00150230 NBC News (7/18, Acevedo, 6.14M) reports, "Purdy's attorney, Mark Kamish, told NBC News in a statement on Saturday that their legal team was 'obviously disappointed' with Oliphant's 'unfortunate decision to charge Sean Purdy while choosing not to file criminal charges against his trespassing assailant."Indiana law allows citizens to make arrests of people punching other people on private property, and to use reasonable force in doing so. Indiana also has a broad self-defense statute,' Kamish said in the statement Saturday. 'We would welcome a jury trial next week so the stigma of false and wrongful accusations can be exposed." The Hill (7/17, Deese, 2.98M) reports, "Purdy's defense attorney, David Hennessy, gave no immediate comment on the charges. Previously, Hennessy said Booker presented 'a false narrative' about the attack, alleging Booker was an 'instigator and the agitator.' Booker and his attorney Katherine Liell said they were 'relieved' by the charges, which they called the first step 'towards justice and change." The New York Times (7/17, Levenson, Diaz, 18.61M) reports, "Video of the episode drew broad condemnation, and the F.B.I. said it was investigating the confrontation, which Katharine C. Liell, Mr. Booker's lawyer, said was clearly a racially motivated hate crime. Ms. Liell said that Mr. Purdy had been wearing a hat with a Confederate flag on it, which upset Mr. Booker." The Times adds, "Mr. Booker said he learned on Friday that he had tested positive for Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Ms. Liell said the men had spat and yelled in Mr. Booker's face when they confronted him on July 4." Personal Assistant Arrested In Investor's Killing. The Washington Post (7/17, Bogage, 14.2M) reports "the 21-year-old personal assistant of Fahim Saleh was arrested Friday in the grisly slaying of the tech investor." Tyrese Devon Haspil "is accused of attacking Saleh, 33, at his luxury apartment in Manhattan on Monday. New York police say Haspil dismembered the body a day later with an electric saw and put the remains in trash bags." He "faces second-degree murder and other charges and was expected to be arraigned later Friday." The New York Times (7/17, Rashbaum, Feuer, Gold, 18.61M) reports that during a news conference on Friday, chief of detectives Rodney Harrison said, "Mr. Haspil was Mr. Saleh's executive assistant and handled his finances and personal matters," adding, "It is also believed that he owed the victim a significant amount of money." The Times says, "According to three officials briefed on the matter, Mr. Saleh had discovered that Mr. Haspil had stolen roughly $90,000 from him. Though Mr. Saleh, who friends said was a generous man, fired Mr. Haspil, he did not report the theft, the officials said." On ABC World News TonightVi (7/17, story 10, 1:23, Llamas, 6.68M), correspondent Adrienne Bankert reported, "Detectives reveal[ed) they recovered text messages between the two where Saleh accused Haspil of stealing." Saleh's family said, "There are no words for actions to provide any of us comfort except the capture of the person who exhibited nothing short of evil." The Wall Street Journal (7/17, Chapman, Berger, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) provides similar coverage. Two FBI Agents Wounded Serving Warrant On Arizona Bank Robbery Suspect. The AP (7/17) reports from Mesa, Arizona, "Two FBI agents were shot and wounded Friday at an apartment complex in a Phoenix suburb while executing an arrest warrant for a serial bank robbery suspect who was found dead, the FBI said." According to the AP, "One injured agent was treated at the scene in Mesa for minor injuries and the other was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries that weren't life-threatening, the FBI said. The FBI identified the suspect as 49-year-old Abraham Rivera." The Arizona Republic (7/17, Wilder, 869K) reports, "Two FBI agents were shot and wounded and a suspect was found dead when a federal search and arrest warrant was served EFTA00150231 Friday morning in Mesa, authorities said. The subject of the warrant, a suspected serial bank robber who was not identified by the FBI, was found dead at the location, according to FBI spokesperson Jill McCabe." According to the Republic, "One of the agents was taken to a hospital with injuries that weren't life-threatening, and the other was treated at the location for minor injuries." Fox News (7/18, Stimson, 27.59M) reports, "The agents were shot as they approached the suspect's door around 6 a.m. `Come out with your hands up!' one of the agents could be heard yelling to the suspect on cell phone video of the incident, FOX 10 reported. `This is the FBI. We have a warrant. 'The FBI guy was down,' witness Michael Scott told FOX 10. 'He took off his jacket. He was all right. I think it went through his vest. He was bleeding." Fox News adds, "The suspect was identified as Abraham Rivera, 49, who was accused in at least four bank robberies at three banks in the state since last year." KSAZ-TV Phoenix (7/18, 33K) also reports. FBI Probing Deadly Police Shooting In Houston, Texas. The Houston Chronicle (7/17, Jordan, 730K) reports, "The FBI is on the scene of a deadly officer-involved shooting Friday morning in southeast Houston." According to the Chronicle, "The bureau's involvement, and what led to the gunfire, is not immediately clear. The shooting happened in the 5700 lock of Hirondel around 9:55 a.m. A Houston Fire Department spokesperson said the person who was shot was pronounced dead on scene. A spokesperson for the FBI's Houston field office was not immediately available." Houston Police Department spokesperson Kese Smith "said a non-HPD law enforcement agency was involved in the shooting, although he would not confirm which agency was involved. He said it initially appears no Houston police officers were involved in the gunfire." KPRC-TV Houston (7/17, Taylor, 447K) reports, "The shooting was reported at 9:45 a.m. at a home in the 5700 block of Hirondel while FBI agents were running a child pornography warrant. Houston police officers were at the scene assisting agents while they served the warrant. Houston police said a man, approximately 25 years old, came out the front door of the home and brandished a weapon. Police said he did not follow commands and was fatally shot by at least two FBI agents. Police said the man was pronounced dead at the scene." The FBI said in a statement, "The FBI is responding to an agent-involved shooting that occurred in the 5700 block of Hirondel St. during the execution of a federal arrest warrant for an individual who was wanted for child pornography charges. The suspect is deceased." KAGS-TV Bryan, TX (7/17, Homer, Delony) reports, "The unidentified man, 24, died at the scene. `We're in a tough time right now and I want the public to know that we're doing everything that we can do to make sure that we decrease the number of shootings in our community,' HPD Exec. Assistant Chief Troy Finner said. 'A lot of times the suspect dictates what happens out here and that's all I'm going to say. Finn said HPD will lead the investigation into the shooting, alongside the FBI. `The FBI takes all shooting incidents involving our agents seriously. In accordance with FBI policy, the shooting incident will be investigated by the FBI's Inspection Division; the FBI said in a statement. `The review process is thorough and objective, and is conducted as expeditiously as possible under the circumstances." Seven More Arrested In Connection With Georgia Drug Investigation. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (7/17, Abusaid, 895K) reported, "Seven more people have been arrested in" connection with an investigation that "centered on heroin and methamphetamine sales" in Georgia. The new arrests come after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation "announced...that it partnered with the FBI and local law enforcement" organizations to arrest 48 other individuals in connection with the same investigation. Virginia Man Charged Over Online Threats Against Tulsa Mayor. EFTA00150232 The Washington Examiner (7/19, Mastrangelo, 448K) reports federal authorities announced Friday that Adam Maxwell Donn of Norfolk, Virginia "has been charged with making online threats to the mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in an attempt to pressure him against allowing President Trump's June 20 rally in the city." From June 11 to June 22, Mayor G.T. Bynum and his family "received 44 emails and 14 phone calls," which federal prosecutors say "were meant to harass, annoy, threaten and intimate Bynum and his family." US Attorney Trent Shores said in a statement, "Mr. Donn allegedly sent a series of harassing emails and voicemails in an effort to intimidate the mayor into canceling the presidential rally that occurred here in June. ... Mr. Donn will now face the real world consequences for his alleged criminal actions." FBI Investigating New York Gang Murders. The Buffalo (NY) News (7/18, 391K) reported behind a paywall that the FBI is investigating a July 1 murder connected to gang activity in the Buffalo area. Two Charged With Possessing Enough Fentanyl To Kill 20,000. The AP (7/17) reported that Brandon Dashiell and Ronald Dashiell, Jr., both residents of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, "have been charged with possessing enough fentanyl to kill more than 20,000 people." Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy S. Wooten II "said the FBI is helping with the investigation" of this case. Continuing Coverage: FBI Continuing To Investigate Body Found In Massachusetts,. The New Hampshire Union Leader (7/18, 109K) reported that the FBI "continues to investigate" the disappearance of Zakhia Charabati, whose body was "found July 9 buried" in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Charabati's family "issued a statement Friday asking anyone with information about Charabati's death to contact police." The North Andover (MA) Eagle Tribune (7/17, 78K) reported Lawrence police Chief Roy Vasque "refused to divulge details of the investigation except to say that 'the Lawrence Police Department has been involved in an extensive investigation with a number of agencies including the FBI." Boston (7/17, 586K) also reported. FBI Assisting Homicide Investigation In California. The San Francisco Chronicle (7/18, 2.67M) reported that the FBI "is assisting in the investigation, offering local authorities an evidence response team and other resources," into the death of Donald Stanifer, whose body "was found in Huckleberry Regional Preserve." Authorities "have not established how [Stanifer's) car got to the location where it was found, nor have they found any witnesses who spoke with or saw Stanifer after he had been reported missing." FBI Charges Pennsylvania Man In Connection To Bank Robbery. The AP (7/17) reported that the FBI has "charged [Raphael Shaw] with helping guide a bank vault containing $104,000 in cash onto a stolen forklift in the mayhem that followed protests over racial injustice on May 31." A Philadelphia police officer "identified the suspect seen on video based on distinctive arm tattoos, even though he was wearing a long wig." Continuing Coverage: Indiana Woman Accused Of Abusing Animals. WTHR-TV Indianapolis (7/17, 465K) reported Krystal Cherika Scott "was arrested Tuesday at her Kokomo home on federal animal cruelty charges, specifically two counts of making and distributing animal crush videos." The article says Scott "admitted to torturing and killing animals, telling agents, her 'good side loves cats and dogs but her bad side tells her to commit acts of animal cruelty:" EFTA00150233 New York Man Faces Child Pornography Charges. The Elmira (M) Star-Gazette (7/17, 47K) reported registered New York sex offender Brian Thomas "was arrested Thursday and it's alleged that on March 29 he distributed child porn to an undercover FBI Task Force officer." He "is a Level 3 offender, and has been given the designation of 'Predicate Sex Offender." WHCU-AM Ithaca, NY (7/18, 751) reported he "is facing as much as 40 years behind bars and a 250 thousand dollar fine." Tennessee Man Sentenced In Connection To Child Abuse Sting. WZTV-TV Nashville, TN (7/18, Mojica, 150K) reported Thomas Monti, who "was caught after using the name of 'Master Thorn' online and contacting what turned out to be an undercover FBI agent," has "been sentenced to 16 years in prison." FBI agents "stopped him at a restaurant in the [Henrico, Virginia] area, finding handcuffs, plastic ties, chains, metal skewers, ball gags, sex toys, and candy in his car." New York Man Facing Felony Ammunition Charge Following FBI Investigation. The Poughkeepsie (NY) Journal (7/17, 116K) reported Nicolaus Wynberg "is facing a federal felony ammunition charge following an FBI counterterrorism investigation linked to an assault rifle and explosive device he allegedly built." The criminal complaint says an unidentified witness "told officials that Wynberg said the U.S. 'was overpopulated and that Wynberg wanted to use violence to reduce the population:" Georgia Woman Facing Charges In Connection To Bomb Threat. The Albany (GA) Herald (7/19) reports that the Lee County Sheriff's Office "has added to the charges filed against Cherrie James of Shellman, who was arrested over the weekend for allegedly calling in bomb threats to Albany businesses around the Albany Mall on July 9." Chief LSO Deputy Lewis Harris "said in a news release that James, 40, had phoned separate bomb threats to Finnicum Motor Co. businesses on U.S. Highway 82 at 10:54 a.m. on the ninth and three minutes later made a similar call to the Finnicum dealership on U.S. Highway 19." South Carolina Murder Suspects Captured In Illinois. WQRF-TV Rockford, IL (7/17) reported that Illinois police officers "arrested Jorden Johnson...& Latisha Evans...overnight Friday on E. 4th Street." Federal authorities "said Evans and Johnson had ties" to an area of South Carolina, where local police found a burnt car. The FBI supported the investigation. Hawaii Man Sentenced Over Child Enticement. The Maui (HI) News (7/18, 36K) reported Senior U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway "sentenced Nolan Nishida, 37, in federal court Thursday to 10 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for attempting to entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity." He "engaged in a series of online chats with an undercover agent posing as a 14-year- old girl on Oct. 11, 2017," and he "arranged to meet the girl in person for sex." The FBI investigated the case. Continuing Coverage: Connecticut Man Arrested In Massachusetts In Connection To Murder. Bridgeport (CT) Patch (7/17, 1.03M) reported Jefton Brown, who "fled [Connecticut) and was arrested for murder in Falmouth, Massachusetts," was "taken into custody and will be extradited back to Connecticut for future court appearances." Bridgeport Police "received assistance from the FBI that helped establish probable cause to charge Brown." FBI Investigating Texas Bank Robbery. EFTA00150234 ABC News (7/18, 2.97M) reported that Texas police "are on the hunt for an alleged robber who held up a bank with a note that says he did not receive a stimulus check or funds from the government to save his business." The suspect robbed the Woodforest National Bank on July 8. The FBI is supporting the investigation. Louisiana Man Arrested In Connection To Double Homicide, Kidnapping Of Minor. The Lake Charles (LA) American Press (7/17, Sleezer, 113K) reported that the manhunt for Neil P. Broussard "ended Thursday morning with his surrender in Beauregard Parish" after a Dollar General store employee identified him and called the police. Broussard "has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and second-degree kidnapping." The AP (7/17) reported he "was convicted in 2005 and 2011 of molesting juveniles, is awaiting trial on sex charges in Texas, and is wanted on charges of first-degree rape and molestation of a juvenile in Calcasieu Parish." Indiana Man Charged With Bank Robbery. The Goshen (IN) News (7/17) reported Allen Hanuscak "is charged with bank robbery in federal court" in connection to the July 13 robbery of the Old National Bank branch in Elkhart. He was quickly arrested by local police after they identified him near the bank. Continuing Coverage: FBI Supporting Investigation Into Death Of Child In Washington, DC. WTTG-TV Washington (7/17, 72K) reported that federal authorities "have increased the reward in the murder case of (Davon McNeal) who was shot and killed on the Fourth of July at a community 'peace' cookout in the District." The U.S. Marshals Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force "is adding and additional $10,000 to the reward being offered by D.C. Police, the ATF and the FBI." Hawaii Businessman Indicted In Connection To Kidnapping, Murder. The Honolulu Civil Beat (HI) (7/19) reports Hawaii businessman Michael Miske Jr, whose businesses "include nightclub ownership, termite extermination companies and real estate holdings," is accused of running an organized crime gang called "Miske Enterprise," which has "committed murders, trafficked in drugs and engaged in numerous acts of violent mayhem." He "is alleged to have murdered a man he believed was responsible for the death of his son." KIN-TV Honolulu (7/17, 12K) reported Miske and six other suspects "faced a judge today via tele-conference and pleaded not guilty," but FBI prosecutors "want all of them held without bail but for Miske alone, they filed a 32-page motion arguing he presents a grave danger to the community." The filed charges "against Miske include murder, murder for hire, kidnapping and drug trafficking." Honolulu WI) Star-Advertiser (7/17, 691K) reported behind a paywall. FBI Agrees To Review California Police Shooting. The AP (7/18) reported that the FBI "said Friday it will review the death of an 18-year-old man who was shot and killed by a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy." The FBI said it will "review 'all available evidence to determine what federal response is warranted" over the shooting death of Andres Guardado Pinedo, who "was shot five times in the back on June 18." The Los Angeles County Sheriff's department "has not released its account of exactly how the shooting occurred but an attorney for the deputy who fired did give a narrative earlier this week." The My News LA (CA) (7/17) reported that the Los Angeles County coroner's office "released an autopsy report confirming that Guardado was shot five times in the back, and ruling the death a homicide" against the wishes of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department. Officials have "said there is no evidence Guardado fired any shots." EFTA00150235 The Los Angeles Daily Breeze (7/17, 128K) reported that Guardado' family "said Guardado did not have access to a gun and, along with some county leaders, have asked for an independent investigation from the Office of the Inspector General." Continuing Coverage: FBI Raids Accused Art Forger. The Traverse City_ S(I ) Record-Eagle (7/17, 65K) reported about the FBI's raid against Donald "DB" Henkel, who "is a prolific northern Michigan artist, responsible for National Cherry Festival posters, several local art exhibitions and a statue placed at the Grand Traverse Commons." FBI agents "claim Henkel spent years forging other artists' work," and they "believe Henkel passed those near-indistinguishable copies off in galleries around the nation, raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars." Man Gets 61-Month Prison Sentence In Drug Case. The Oneida (NY) Dispatch (7/18, 9K) reported that Michael Starkey, a resident of Syracuse, New York, "was sentenced to serve 61 months in prison for his convictions on multiple charges relating to his participation in cocaine and crack cocaine distribution conspiracies." Starkey's case was investigated by the DEA, the FBI, "the New York State Police, the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office, and the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office." Eight Virginia Drug Case Defendants Plead Guilty. In online coverage, WTKR-TV Norfolk, VA (7/17, 163K) reported that eight individuals recently pleaded guilty to participating "in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute large amounts of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and cocaine base" in Virginia. The DEA "confirmed that the amount of fentanyl that was intercepted" during the investigation of this case could have killed 14 million people. Drug Case Defendant Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison. The Newport News (VA) Daily Press (7/17, Dujardin, Subscription Publication, 176K) report that Alex Jermaine Burnett, the former owner of a fitness center in Hampton, Virginia, was recently sentenced "to 30 years behind bars for orchestrating a Peninsula drug ring over four years." The sentence was the result of an "investigation that led to the arrest of DeAngelo Freeman, a then- Hampton police detective who was accused of giving Burnett the name of a confidential informant." That informant "was cooperating with the FBI." The Augusta (M Free Press (7/18), the WTKR-TV Norfolk, VA (7/17, 163K) website, and the Williamsburg Yorktown (VA) Daily (7/17, Mangalonzo) published similar articles. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS Pritzker: Illinois House Speaker Has To Step Down If Corruption Allegations Are True. The AP (7/17, Burnett, O'Connor, Callahan) reports Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) "said Friday that Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan `must resign' if allegations of corruption are true against" Madigan. The AP adds Madigan "denied wrongdoing through a party spokeswoman, who said he received subpoenas for documents Friday morning." In a statement, spokeswoman Maura Possley said, "He will cooperate and respond to those requests for documents, which he believes will clearly demonstrate that he has done nothing criminal or improper." According to the AP, Madigan chairs the Democratic Party of Illinois and "is the longest-serving state House speaker in modern American history." The Chicago Sun-Times (7/17, Seidel, Novak, Sfondeles, Herguth, 875K) reports, "Early last year, when federal investigations into public corruption dominated the headlines, a longtime ally of House Speaker Michael Madigan gave a little advice to a ComEd vice president, according to an explosive court document filed Friday. Lobbyist Mike McClain allegedly told the utility EFTA00150236 executive that, 'I would say to you don't put anything in writing: 'All it can do is hurt ya,' he added." The Sun-Times adds, "The two then discussed a "favor" for Madigan that federal prosecutors now say was part of a brazen, years-long Chicago-style bribery scheme that sent $1.3 million to Madigan's associates for doing little or no work for the utility, all while ComEd hoped to land Madigan's support for legislation in Springfield worth more than $150 million. ComEd has now been charged in federal court with bribery and is expected to pay a $200 million fine - believed to be the largest criminal fine ever in Chicago's federal court." The New York Times (7/17, Oppel, 18.61M) reports, "Whatever officials from Commonwealth Edison did to avoid leaving a trail, it apparently didn't work. On Friday, federal prosecutors in Chicago announced that they had filed a single bribery charge against the utility, which agreed to admit that it arranged for jobs and contracts for some of the speaker's political allies and to pay a $200 million fine in hopes of having the bribery charge dismissed in three years." According to the Times, "To win favorable electric-rate legislation that could give the utility more than $150 million in benefits, prosecutors said it carried out a decade-long program to give jobs and contracts to political supporters of Michael J. Madigan, who has served as the state's speaker of the House for all but two years since 1983 and is the chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party." Michigan Prosecutors Charge Detroit Councilman With Accepting Payments For Votes. The Detroit News (7/17, LeBlanc, 825K) reports, "Detroit City Councilman Gabe Leland was charged Friday with misconduct in office, a felony, by the Monroe County Prosecutor's Office." According to the News, "The charging document alleges Leland 'accepted payments of money to influence his vote on certain city matters over the course of his employment as a city councilman,' Monroe County Prosecutor Michael Roehrig said. The payments are alleged to have occurred between Jan. 1, 2017, and Jan. 31, 2018." The News adds, "The state charge comes as Leland prepares for a federal trial on three counts of bribery on allegations that he demanded $15,000 and free car repairs from businessman Robert Carmack to help him in his fight against city leadership. In April, Leland's federal trial was postponed from May to Aug. 17." The Detroit Free Press (7/17, Elrick, 1.52M) reports, "The felony charge comes a month before Leland was scheduled to go to trial in federal court on three counts of bribery for allegedly demanding $15,000 from Bob Carmack to help the businessman in a dispute with the city." Pandemic Delays Varsity Blues, Fall River Trials To 2021. The Boston Herald (7/17, Dwinell, 410K) reports, "Varsity Blues parents who are fighting college cheating charges and ex-Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia have the coronavirus to thank for keeping them out of federal court until next year." According to the Herald, "The high-profile trials in the college cheating case and alleged pay-to-play pot scandal have been pushed back into 2021. A surge of COVID-19 cases in the south and west are the primary reason why, the courts announced. 'The vast majority of the potential witnesses in this case reside in California, Texas and Georgia, states where there has been a significant surge in cases of COVID-19; federal prosecutors state in a filing in the Varsity Blues case. They add: 'Witness preparation, therefore, will be exceedingly difficult and is likely to create safety concerns for individuals involved, some of whom are particularly susceptible to COVID-19 due to age." The AP (7/17) reports from Fall River, Massachusetts, "The trial of a former Massachusetts mayor facing federal investment fraud and extortion charges has been postponed indefinitely after being delayed twice due to the coronavirus pandemic." US District Judge Douglas Woodlock "told a pretrial conference over Zoom that trials for former Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia and his former chief of staff and campaign manager, Gen Andrade, could not be scheduled until at least January." Judge Woodlock "said criminal trials could resume in September, but the court will prioritize incarcerated defendants over those out on bail." The AP adds, "Correia has pleaded not guilty to defrauding investors, falsifying tax returns and EFTA00150237 extorting marijuana businesses, as well as separate federal charges of defrauding investors in a smartphone app he was developing." Former Los Angeles Charter Schools Director To Plead Guilty To Embezzlement. The Los Angeles Times (7/17, Lai, 4.64M) reports, "The former executive director of a Los Angeles charter school operator on Friday agreed to plead guilty to embezzling $3.1 million in school funds that she spent on her personal use, including Disney cruises and theme park admissions, according to the U.S. Department of Justice." Janis Bucknor, 52, "who formerly ran the for-profit Community Preparatory Academy, pleaded guilty to criminal theft and tax fraud in an agreement with federal prosecutors filed in U.S. District Court, authorities said. CPA's charter schools in Carson and South Los Angeles closed in 2019 after the Los Angeles Unified School District decided not to renew the company's charter. Bucknor admitted using stolen funds to pay for personal travel, restaurants, Amazon and Etsy purchases and private school tuition for her children, the U.S. attorney's office for the Central District of California said in a statement." US Claims California Investment Business Was $14.5 Million Ponzi Scheme. The Sacramento (CA) Bee (7/17, Stanton, 567K) reports, "One investor, an optical fiber engineer in Virginia, was told his $150,000 contribution would be held safely in a Swiss bank 'fully protected' against loss and that he would receive a $3 million loan, $1 million of it within 60 days. Another, a Michigan businessman who had just won a multi-million dollar contract with the U.S. government, was told his $150,000 investment would lead to a $3 million loan within 120 days." The Bee adds, "These are the allegations in documents unsealed in federal court in Sacramento last week that say a Folsom investment adviser, an attorney in Colorado and other defendants orchestrated a $14.5 million Ponzi scheme that victimized at least 91 investors worldwide." US Charges Detroit Woman In $2 Million Unemployment Insurance Scheme. MLive (MI) (7/18, Waterman, 925K) reports from Detroit, Michigan, "A Detroit woman is facing federal charges stemming from her alleged role in a multi-million dollar unemployment insurance fraud scheme." Federal prosecutors said "the scheme aimed at defrauding the State of Michigan and the U.S. government of funds earmarked for unemployment assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic." Brandi Hawkins, 39, "has been indicted on charges of theft or bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, wire fraud and laundering of monetary instruments. In June 2020, investigators learned Hawkins, a former employee with the state's Unemployment Insurance Agency, was involved in the large-scale scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney's office." US Charges Arkansas Woman In $2 Million PPP Loan Fraud. The Arkansas Democrat Gazette (7/17, Satter, 307K) reports from Little Rock, Arkansas, "A woman was arrested Thursday on charges that she fraudulently obtained nearly $2 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans meant for small businesses affected by covid-19." US Attorney Cody Hiland and Special Agent in Charge Diane Upchurch of the FBI's Little Rock office "said the woman used some of the money to pay her student loan and go on a $6,000 online shopping spree." Ganell Tubbs, 41, "who claimed to operate businesses called The Little Piglet Soap Company and Suga Girl Customs, was charged with two counts each of bank fraud and making a false statement on a loan application, and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction with proceeds of unlawful activity. She was indicted by a federal grand jury a week ago, but the indictment remained sealed until her arrest Thursday." Idaho Man To Face Jury Trial In Wire Fraud Case. The Idaho Mountain Express (7/17, Buitrago) reports that a Ketchum, Idaho man "is scheduled for a jury trial in September after being indicted on 10 counts of wire fraud following an FBI EFTA00150238 investigation. If convicted, Timothy Semones could face up to 30 years in a federal prison." Semones, "husband of Ketchum architect Susan Desko, was indicted in February by the federal government after allegedly transferring funds from a California-based company where he worked as chief financial officer to his personal company's bank account and to Desko's bank account, between October 2017 and November 2018 to help fund construction of a home on Lake Creek Drive north of Ketchum, according to the federal grand jury indictment filed Feb. 12. The case is now scheduled for a jury trial to begin Sept. 14 in Boise." CYBER DIVISION Twitter Says Hackers Manipulated Several Employees. Bloomberg (7/18, Frier, 4.73M) reports Twitter "said several of its employees were manipulated by hackers into providing credentials for internal systems, and 130 Twitter accounts were targeted including those of Joe Biden, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos." The hackers managed to change "passwords for 45 users, while eight had their data, including private messages, downloaded entirely, Twitter said in a blog post late Friday." Bloomberg adds, "While the hack targeted high-profile users such as Barack Obama and Warren Buffett, Twitter later clarified that data wasn't downloaded from any verified accounts, without providing identities." The Wall Street Journal (7/18, Choi, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports Twitter indicated it was collaborating with law enforcement probing the attack. The AP (7/19, Ortutay) reports from Oakland, California, "Twitter says the hack that compromised the accounts of some of its most high-profile users targeted 130 people. The San Francisco-based company said in a blog post Saturday that for up to eight of these accounts the attackers also downloaded the account's information through the 'Your Twitter Data' tool. None of the eight were verified accounts, Twitter said, adding that it is contacting the owners of the affected accounts. 'We're embarrassed, we're disappointed, and more than anything, we're sorry. We know that we must work to regain your trust, and we will support all efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice,' Twitter said in the blog post." CNN (7/18, O'Sullivan, Fung, Perez, 83.16M) reports, "As bad as the security incident was, some cybersecurity experts and policymakers had worried the scam might mask a much more troubling data breach involving the personal communications of some of the world's most powerful people. Twitter's latest update could ease that particular concern, though the company has not said precisely what information, if any, might have been accessed through verified accounts." CNN International (7/17, Fung) reports, "A group of former Twitter employees who watched in shock as a hack compromised the accounts of some of the most prominent people on the social network," "are among those trying to figure out how an attack of such staggering proportions could have happened. As they conduct their unofficial investigation in a closed Slack group, the former employees, including some who were members of Twitter's security team, are attempting to reconstruct the events leading up to the takeovers based on their knowledge of the social network's internal protocols and technical systems." CNN adds, "They are not the only ones searching for answers. So are members of Congress, cybersecurity experts, and Twitter itself. The FBI is involved, too: Officials said Thursday they are investigating the incident, and law enforcement sources have told CNN the agency is reviewing what appear to be screenshots of Twitter's internal account management software circulating on social media." The Hill (7/17, Miller, 2.98M) reports, "The incident began Tuesday night, when several high-profile verified Twitter accounts began tweeting out posts asking users to send them money through bitcoin. Twitter later said hackers targeted employees with access to internal systems and tools in what the company described as a successful 'coordinated social engineering attack.' While the posts were quickly taken down by Twitter and verified accounts partially locked down for hours to ensure no other accounts posted the message, the individuals responsible raised the equivalent of over $115,000." EFTA00150239 The Hill (7/18, Axelrod, 2.98M) reports, "Moving forward, the tech company said it is still working to restore access to all accounts that may still be locked, further `(secure] our systems to prevent future attacks' and implement `company-wide training to guard against social engineering tactics to supplement the training employees receive during onboarding and ongoing phishing exercises throughout the year!" Experts Say Latest Attack Underscores Twitter's Security Problems. The Wall Street Journal (7/19, McMillan, Choi, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports cybersecurity experts last week's attack in which hackers were able to control the Twitter accounts of a number of prominent figures underscored the continuing problems Twitter has had with security. The incident, in which hackers manipulated some Twitter employees to gain access to internal tools, was the third such major attack since the company entered into a consent decree with the FTC in 2011 over its security weaknesses. Cyber Experts Claim Banning TikTok Not Best Approach To Protect Americans' Data From China. NBC News (7/18, 6.14M) reported the Trump Administration has "hinted that it may ban TikTok...touting concerns that the data it collects could go straight to China." It's a concern that, "while legitimate, comes with a certain amount of skepticism from cybersecurity veterans." For years, the Us has "done little to force companies and even government agencies to protect Americans' personal data, which has already ended up in the hands of China's hackers." And recent efforts "from federal law enforcement officials to force companies to abandon encryption as a security measure have only weakened the Us government's standing on the topic." Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in an email wrote, "TikTok is a potential security menace, but banning TikTok hardly confronts the profound threat China poses to our national security, economy, and democracy." Op-Ed: Establishing A National Cyber Director Would Be A Mistake. In a commentary in Lawfare (7/17), Philip Reitinger, President and CEO of the Global Cyber Alliance, wrote, "Creating a new Office of the National Cyber Director within the Executive Office of the President would do little to elevate CISA. In fact, it would likely have the opposite effect. The concern about undercutting the authorities of CISA is amplified by the legislation introduced to implement the recommendation." He contends, "In the proposed legislation, the national cyber director's authority would remain subservient to the national security adviser on national security issues. But in my mind almost all cybersecurity issues are national security issues, which undercuts the value of a statutory cyber office within the White House that is secondary on such matters." He concludes, "If you want to elevate cyber, and giving CISA a larger budget and more authorities is not enough, then make CISA an independent, Cabinet- level agency." US Government Extradites Cyprus Hacker For Crimes Committed Working With California Companies. The My News LA (CA) (7/18) reported US government officials "said Saturday that a Cyprus national who was allegedly involved in crimes while working for Internet businesses in Glendale and Irvine has been extradited from that country to the US to face several computer hacking- related charges." Joshua Polloso Epifaniou, "a resident of Nicosia, Cyprus, arrived in New York on Friday." A five-count indictment filed in the Northern District of Georgia "charges Epifaniou with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit computer fraud and identity theft, and extortion related to a protected computer." According to the indictment, between approximately October 2014 and November 2016, Epifaniou "worked with co- conspirators to steal personal identifying information from user and customer databases at victim websites in order to extort the websites into paying ransoms under threat of public disclosure of the sensitive data." EFTA00150240 ZDNet (7/19, Cimpanu, 299K) reported he faces "charges of hacking into review portal Ripoff Report, extorting the company, and selling access to its backend to a third-party." According to court documents obtained by ZDNet, US authorities "believe Epifaniou used a brute-force attack to gain access to the credentials of a Ripoff Report employee in October 2016." The Cypriot then "worked with an SEO (search engine optimization) company to remove bad reviews from the Ripoff Report website for the SEO firm's paying customers." CISA Gives Agencies A Day To Remedy Windows DNS Server Vulnerability. Federal News Network (7/17, Heckman, 220) reported the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, under an emergency directive, "is giving agencies until 2 p.m. Friday, July 17, to apply a patch released Tuesday - or a 'temporary registry-based workaround' - for Windows Servers running DNS." The agency wrote in its emergency directive, "CISA has determined that this vulnerability poses unacceptable significant risk to the federal civilian executive branch and requires an immediate and emergency action." CISA issued "the emergency directive 'based on the likelihood of the vulnerability being exploited, the widespread use of the affected software across the federal enterprise, the high potential for a compromise of agency information systems, and the grave impact of a successful compromise." French Telecom Firm Orange Confirms Ransomware Attack. Forbes (7/17, Winder, 9.71M) reported French telecom firm Orange "has confirmed it fell victim to a ransomware attack during the night of July 4 into July 5." Although Orange can "boast 266 million customers, it would appear that the reach of this ransomware attack is limited." According to Bleeping Computer, it was "the business service division that was breached. Orange Business Services provides support for business and local governments through the digital transformation journey." And it is data that "has seemingly been exposed courtesy of the Nefilim ransomware actors behind the attack." Orange was "added to the Nefilim dark web site that details 'corporate leaks' on July 15." Researchers Say "Backdoor" Access Found In Chinese Internet Devices. Fox News (7/17, Crothers, 27.59M) reported researchers have "found a 'backdoor' in Chinese networking equipment that could allow anyone to access the devices with the right tools." Aecurity researchers Pierre Kim and Alexandre Torres "wrote in two advisories that he devices' vulnerabilities could allow virtually anyone to access the Telnet accounts of popular networking devices from Chinese companies C-Data and V-SOL." The researchers "wrote, referring to Command Line Interface, that the backdoor could give cybercriminals 'complete administrator CU access." The researchers "found the security issues in software - known as firmware - running on two of the C-DATA devices and one of the V-SOL devices but they speculate the vulnerabilities could be present in dozens of other models." British Officials Reportedly Told Huawei Ban Was Partly Due To Pressure From US. Bloomberg (7/18, Silver, 4.73M) reported British officials "privately told Huawei Technologies Co. that the decision to ban the company's equipment from the U.K.'s 5G networks stemmed partly from pressure by the U.S., the Observer reported, without saying how it got the information." The officials also "gave the Chinese company the impression that the decision could be reviewed, perhaps if U.S. President Donald Trump fails to win a second term and the U.S. eases its policy toward China, the Observer said." Britain Consults Japan On How To Fill Huawei Vacuum. The Telegraph (UK). (7/19, Cook, 956K) reports the UK Government has "asked Japan for its help in finding potential alternatives to Huawei equipment in the UK's 5G networks after it ordered telecoms businesses to strip out all kit made by the Chinese firm by the end of 2027." British officials last week "held talks in Tokyo about the future of the UK's 5G networks." Japanese businesses NEC and Fujitsu have reportedly "been considered as new sources of 5G equipment." The UK's intelligence EFTA00150241 services have for years "expressed concern that the handful of businesses capable of supplying crucial 5G equipment could become an issue for the country's telecoms businesses." Ian Levy, the technical director of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), "called the market for 5G hardware 'fundamentally broken' in a conference talk last year." Katko Seeks To Boost CISA's Cyber Workforce With NDAA Amendments. NextGov (7/17) reported Rep. John Katko (R-NY) "voiced his support for a number of amendments planned for the National Defense Authorization Act geared at heavily investing in the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, particularly its workforce." Proponents of the commission's recommendations "have been working to get them attached as amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act, which is scheduled for action on the House floor Monday." Katko is the "ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee's panel on cybersecurity, infrastructure protection, and innovation which held a hearing Friday on recommendations of the bipartisan, public-private Cyberspace Solarium Commission." Katko said in his opening statement, "My top priority among the Commission's recommendations is strengthening and clarifying CISA's authority and vastly increasing its funding to allow it to carry out its role as the nation's risk manager, coordinating the protection of critical infrastructure and federal agencies and departments from cyber threats." UK Blames Russia For Cyber Attacks Targeting Corona Vaccine Development. Forbes (7/18, Rodgers, 9.71M) reported Britain's National Cyber Security Centre "issued a statement July 16 accusing 'Russian cyber actors' of 'targeting organisations involved in coronavirus vaccine development." The NCSC statement "noted that their assessment was supported by various US security agencies, including the Department for Homeland Security, and Canada's Communication Security Establishment." Britain's Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, "went further, accusing 'the Russian Intelligence Services' - in other words, explicitly blaming the Russian state - and warning that the UK would 'continue to counter those conducting such cyber attacks, and work with our allies to hold perpetrators to account." Russia has "denied all the allegations, with the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, rather tersely observing that 'the British side can hardly do anything to exacerbate the nature of bilateral relations." Peskov has also "said that Russia 'has nothing to do' with any attempts to hack vaccine research." LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES Justice Department Executes Third Person In Four Days. The Washington Post (7/17, Berman, 14.2M) reports the Justice Department on Friday "carried out its third federal execution in four days, matching the total number the United States government had conducted over the previous three decades." Dustin Lee Honken, the man who was executed, "was convicted of killing five people, including two young children." Prior to his lethal injection, Honken "briefly spoke, according to a pool report from a media witness. He did not address the victims' relatives bearing witness." For his final words, Honken said, "Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for me." The Wall Street Journal (7/17, Gurman, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that in addition to the three executions that have occurred this week, another is scheduled to occur on August 28. West Tennessee US Attorney Appoints Officer To Monitor Elections. WMC-TV Memphis, TN (7/17, 33K) reports from Memphis, Tennessee that US Attorney Michael Dunavant "announced Friday that he has appointed a district election officer to monitor elections in West Tennessee." According to WMC-TV, Assistant US Attorney Scott Smith "will serve as the district election officer for the Western District of Tennesse and will be responsible EFTA00150242 for monitoring elections in the district while upholding the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws. The Department of Justice says there will be FBI agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the U.S. to take any reports of election fraud during the early election period." More Than 1,000 Inmates At Texas Federal Prison Reportedly Have COVID-19. The Hill (7/17, Seipel, 2.98M) says, "A North Texas federal prison has more than 1,000 inmates with COVID-19, one of whom has died from the virus, NBC News reports." The report indicates that of the Federal Correctional Institute at Seagoville's 1,798 inmates, no less than 1,072 have been received positive coronavirus tests. Lightfoot, McEnany Spar Over Chicago Violence. The Washington Times (7/17, Boyer, 492K) reports Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) "has referred to White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany as 'Karen,' a pejorative term for White women, after Ms. McEnany called the mayor 'derelict' for failing to seek federal help with street violence." The Times adds, "After Ms. McEnany criticized the mayor on Thursday at a White House press briefing, the mayor replied on Twitter, 'Hey, Karen. Watch your mouth." McEnany "responded to the mayor on Friday, 'While you're focused on words, America is outraged by the violence perpetuated in your city:" McEnany also said, "One person is taking action to stop violence in our streets: President @realDonaldTrump," adding, "He's offered your city help. It's a dereliction of duty not to take it." Supreme Court Sides With DeSantis In Challenge To Amendment Restoring Felons' Voting Rights. On NBC Nightly NewsVI (7/17, story 7, 2:42, Holt, 5.54M), correspondent Kerry Sanders said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) previously "challenged a state constitutional amendment approved by Florida voters two years ago that restored voting rights to felons who complete all terms of their sentence, except for felons who committed murder or sexual battery. The Governor says all term means just that." Said DeSantis, "If you were robbed and someone is convicted of taking, you know, $3,000 out of your house and they were ordered to pay you $3,000 of restitution and they didn't do it, did they complete the sentence?" The US Supreme Court on Thursday "sided with Gov. DeSantis, effectively preventing felons from voting in November unless they pay off what they owe. But critics fighting for the right to vote say requiring payment is just a twist on old Jim Crow laws." Activist Criticizes Operation That Will Send Federal Law Enforcement Workers To Missouri. Sigler B. Harrington, an activist based in Kansas City, Missouri, argued in a Kansas City (MO) Star (7/18, 549K) op-ed that the federal government should not be sending workers from the DEA, the FBI, the US Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to conduct an "authoritarian crackdown" on neighborhoods in that city. Harrington added, "Our organizations, Black Rainbow and One Struggle KC," will "be organizing to mobilize against" this operation. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Harry Dunn's Mother Makes Plea To UK Officials To Make Harry "Top Priority" During Pompeo Visit. BBC News Online (UK) (7/19, 1.02M) reports the mother of Harry Dunn has "appealed to the government to make her son 'top priority' during the US Secretary of State visit." Charlotte Charles "asked Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and Mike Pompeo to 'please, EFTA00150243 please, discuss Harry' at the visit on Monday." Mr Dunn "died after a crash outside RAF Croughton, following which the suspect - Anne Sacoolas - fled the UK." In a video message, Mrs Charles, said, "Mr Raab, Mr Pompeo, Mr Johnson, when you get together next week with all of your families fully intact whilst mine is in complete tatters and my family has been ripped apart, can you please, please discuss Harry We've been assured he's high on your list of priorities to discuss among all of the other important global issues that you have surrounding you but please, please make him top priority." OTHER FBI NEWS Wray Hires Ex-Law Partner To Be FBI's General Counsel. In an exclusive, the Wall Street Journal (7/17, Tokar, Gurman, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports FBI Director Wray has hired an ex-law partner for the job of the agency's general counsel. In an internal letter which the Journal reviewed, Wray said Jason Jones, a partner at King & Spalding LLP, is to assume the general counsel role during August. Federal Judge Dismisses Troubled Sanctions Case. NPR (7/17, Johnson, 3.12M) reports, "A federal judge has dismissed the case against a man accused of violating American sanctions laws, bringing to a close a troubled prosecution that ended with government attorneys on the hot seat." US District Judge Alison Nathan "said the jury's guilty verdict would be vacated, 'and has no legal effect,' in an order Friday. Earlier, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York had concluded that 'it would not be in the interests of justice to further prosecute this case." NPR adds, "The unusual saga featured the government abandoning a prosecution it had already won, after disclosures that federal prosecutors and agents had failed to turn over evidence that could have helped Ali Sadr Hashemi Nejad mount a defense." FBI Renews Lease On Tampa, Florida Office Building. The Business Observer (FL) (7/19, McQuaid) reports, "The FBI has signed a long-term commitment to remain in a Highwoods Properties Inc. office building in Tampa that the real estate investment trust (REIT) completed for it in 2005." According to the Observer, "The lease renewal for the 138,093-square-foot building, which was developed as a build-to-suit, means the FBI's Tampa Field Office will remain at 5525 W. Gray St. through at least 2040. For Raleigh, N.C.-based Highwoods, which is among Tampa's largest office landlords with more than five million square feet, the FBI's lease for the entirety of the four-story building represented the company's largest outstanding potential expiration of this year." The Observer adds, "The agency's lease was set to expire in November. The new commitment with the FBI runs for a minimum of 20 years, according to officials with the U.S. Government Services Administration (GSA), which oversees all federal agency real estate matters." Man Convicted Of Notorious Pennsylvania Kidnapping Seeks Release Amid Pandemic. The Lehigh Valley (PA) Express Times (7/18, Sherman, 257K) reports, "He is 73 now. He suffers from hypertension, cannot hear very well, needs hernia surgery, has osteoarthritis and glaucoma," and "28 years ago after the still infamous kidnapping scheme that led to the death of an Exxon executive in an affluent New Jersey suburb, a judge imposed the maximum sentence on Arthur Seale," and "now Seale - citing his age, his health issues, and a fear of dying from the coronavirus that has taken so many others around him in federal prison — is asking for compassionate release." Seale, "a former Hillside police officer, and his wife, Irene, pleaded guilty in 1992 to charges in connection with the widely publicized abduction of Exxon executive Sidney Reso, 57, who died four days after being shot during a struggle outside his Morris Township home on the morning of April 29, 1992." EFTA00150244 FBI Memo Describes 1980s Smuggling Activities At Arkansas Airport. The Arkansas Democrat Gazette (7/19, Bowden, 307K) reports, "An "extensive joint investigation" by the FBI, Arkansas State Police and IRS revealed that Barry Seal used the Mena airport for `smuggling activity' from late 1980 until March 1984, according to an internal FBI document released last week." Seal, "a pilot, moved much of his smuggling operation from Baton Rouge to Rich Mountain Aviation at the Mena Intermountain Airport, according to the May 1986 FBI memo." The Democrat Gazette adds, "In February 1986, Seal was killed in a hail of machine-gun fire outside a Baton Rouge Salvation Army halfway house after allegedly crossing Pablo Escobar and the Medellin drug cartel. `Prior to his death, Seal admitted to smuggling large quantities of cocaine from South America (Columbia) to United States and testified before Senate investigative committee,' according to the FBI memo, which referred to a telephone call between agents in Little Rock and Miami." OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS Trump Touts Handling Of Coronavirus, Calls Fauci "A Bit Of An Alarmist." President Trump's defense of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic on Fox News SundayVi (7/19, 1.12M) generated extremely unfavorable media reviews, which openly challenged the truthfulness of Trump's assertions and painted a dire picture of the overall situation in the US. A number of mainstream news accounts also offered praise for Trump's interviewer, Chris Wallace, whom they credited with pushing back on the President's alleged misstatements. USA Today (7/19, Jackson, 10.31M) reports, for example, that "political analyst Stuart Rothenberg said the Wallace interview `really shows who and what our President is. Incoherent. Idiotic. Rambling. Insensitive. Illogical. Ignorant. And worse. Great work by Chris Wallace." To the New York limes (7/19, Rogers, 18.61M), "an agitated...Trump offered a string of combative and often dubious assertions" which "amounted to a contentious potpourri more commonly found on his Twitter feed and at his political rallies," but "the difference this time was a vigorous attempt by the host," Wallace, "to fact-check him, leading to several clashes between the two." In fact, Politico (7/19, Rahman, 4.29M) reports, "near the end of what Trump allowed had been a tough interview by Wallace, the president chided, let [Joe] Biden sit through an interview like this, he'll be on the ground crying for mommy. He'll say mommy, mommy, please take me home." In its report this morning, the Washington Post (7/19, Al, Rucker, Sonmez, 14.2M) says Trump "defended his fumbled management of the pandemic with a barrage of dubious and false claims, and revealed his lack of understanding about the fundamental science of how the virus spreads and infects people." NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/19, lead story, 3:10, Snow, 4.36M) said, meanwhile, Trump's "assessments often running counter to the messaging from public health officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, who the President labeled 'a bit of an alarmist," and ABC World News TonightVi (7/19, lead story, 4:30, Llamas, 5.06M) described Trump as playing "defense amid new signs the nation's health crisis is quickly becoming a crisis of leadership," adding (Scott) that "with over 140,000 Americans dead from coronavirus and July seeing more than one million cases, more than any other month on record, the President insists the crisis is under control." The CBS Weekend NewsVi (7/19, story 2, 2:05, Garrett, 1.32M) reported, "Trump says this in a new interview: 'I've been right probably more than anybody else,' unquote. The topic, coronavirus. New polls, however, suggest otherwise." USA Today (7/19, Jackson, 10.31M) cast the President as "under siege over his response to COVID-19," while to Bloomberg (7/19, Parker, 4.73M), Trump "played down rising coronavirus cases in the US, saying many people experience nothing more than 'sniffles,' that positive tests are only up because of wider testing, and that the US response is the 'envy of the world." To the AP (7/19, Madhani, Long, Weissert), meanwhile, the President "described the nation's top infectious diseases expert...as a 'a little bit EFTA00150245 of an alarmist' about the coronavirus pandemic," and 'stuck to what he had said back in February - that the virus is `going to disappear' Reuters (7/19, Chiacu, Shumaker) reports "Trump defended his handling of the coronavirus pandemic in an interview broadcast on Sunday, including his statement that there were only embers of the virus popping up around the country." The President told Fox News SundayVi (7/19, 1.12M), "We have embers and we do have flames. Florida became more flame-like but it's going to be under control and you know it's not just this country, it's many countries. ... I think we have one of the lowest mortality rates. ... I heard we have one of the lowest, may be the lowest mortality rate anywhere in the world. ... I take responsibility always for everything because it's ultimately my job. I have to get everybody in line. Some governors have done well, some governors have done poorly. They're supposed to have supplies. I supplied everybody. Now we have somewhat of a surge in certain areas, others areas are doing great." Trump also said "we are doing more tests by far than any country in the world." Politico (7/19, Rahman, 4.29M) reports Trump also said, "Dr. Fauci's made some mistakes. ... He's a little bit of an alarmist. That's OK. A little bit of an alarmist. ... Look, Dr. Fauci said `don't wear a mask'. Dr. Fauci told me not to ban China, it would be a big mistake. I did it over and above his recommendation. ... Dr. Fauci, then, said `you saved tens of thousands of lives.' However, the President "said the two maintain a healthy relationship," stating, "I spoke to him yesterday at length. I have a very good relationship with Dr. Fauci." The Washington Examiner (7/19, Dibble, 448K) quotes Fauci as further stating, "Dr. Fauci at the beginning said, 'This will pass. Don't worry about it. This will pass.' He was wrong. Dr. Fauci said, 'Don't ban China. Don't ban China.' I did. He then admitted that I was right." The Washington Times (7/19, Swoyer, 492K) also recounts that Fauci's "critics point to" him "telling the president not to close off travel from China and also advising early on that masks should not be worn by the public." The Times adds Fauci "has since reversed course on both issues." The Hill (7/19, Coleman, 2.98M) recounts that "White House trade adviser Peter Navarro wrote an op-ed in USA Today, saying Fauci is wrong about 'everything' he's interacted with him about. Trump responded that Navarro 'shouldn't be doing that.' Susan Ferrechio of the Washington Examiner said on Fox News MediaBuzz (7/19, 536K) that the media "are openly rooting for Fauci" because "we are four months out from an election and we are at a tipping point here with this coronavirus situation, with the lockdowns continuing, people are frustrated. There's questions about whether schools are going to open at all in the fall. The President's up for election in November. So, he is pitted against Fauci on whether we stay in lockdown mode or we start to use a more liberal approach to reopening in some areas and the two are pitted against each other and they have been all along. But the stakes have never been higher than they are right now and that's why I think you see the two loggerheads at this moment." The New York Post (7/19, Moore, 4.57M) points out Trump was "asked about comments by Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that COVID- 19 could make this coming fall and winter the 'most difficult times that we've experienced in American public health." Said Trump, "I don't know and I don't think he knows. ... I don't think anybody knows with this. This is a very tricky deal. Everybody thought this summer it would go away and it would come back in the fall. Well, when the summer came, they used to say the heat - the heat was good for it and it really knocks it out, remember? And then it might come back in the fall. So they got that one wrong." The Wall Street Journal (7/19, Calvert, Harrison, Armour, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), among other news outlets, also covers Trump's comments. White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins said on CNN's Inside PoliticsVi (7/19, 758K), "Why is this no longer a priority for the President? Why are they no longer doing events as you saw in March, in April, and, instead, this week, the President's schedule could have been his schedule if there was not a pandemic going on. He did not hold a single event dedicated to COVID-19. ... He even went to Atlanta to give a speech on infrastructure and didn't visit the EFTA00150246 CDC while he was there, something that even several aides who work in the White House said could have been such an easy stop for the President to make since he had already flown down to Georgia, but, often, his schedule reflects his priorities." Dr. Ashish lila, Director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, said on CNN's Inside PoliticsVi (7/19, 758K), "In terms of the federal government, and the opposition to testing and tracing, it is one thing when they leave it to states and say we're not going to help, but when they basically decide that they're going to oppose supporting states in building up testing and tracing, it gets beyond me. I no longer understand what the strategy is coming out of the White House." WPost Analysis: US Response To Pandemic "The Crisis That Shocked The World." In a story headlined "The Crisis That Shocked The World: America's Response To The Coronavirus," the Washington Post (7/19, Al, Achenbach, Wan, Brulliard, Janes, 14.2M) reports that "six months after the coronavirus appeared in America, the nation has failed spectacularly to contain it," and "the country's ineffective response has shocked observers around the planet." The US "may be heading toward a new spasm of wrenching economic shutdowns, or to another massive spike in preventable deaths from covid-19 - or possibly both." This "fumbling of the virus...has exposed the country's incoherent leadership, self-defeating political polarization, a lack of investment in public health, and persistent socioeconomic and racial inequities." NYTimes Analysis: Republicans Breaking With Trump Over Pandemic Response, Messaging. The New York Times (7/19, Al, Burns, Martin, Haberman, 18.61M) reports "Trump's failure to contain the coronavirus outbreak and his refusal to promote clear public- health guidelines have left many senior Republicans despairing that he will ever play a constructive role in addressing the crisis, with some concluding they must work around Mr. Trump and ignore or even contradict his pronouncements." Recently, several prominent GOP figures "outside the White House have broken with Mr. Trump over issues like the value of wearing a mask in public and heeding the advice of health experts like" Fauci. Moreover, the Times adds "they appear to be spurred by several overlapping forces, including deteriorating conditions in their own states, Mr. Trump's seeming indifference to the problem and the approach of a presidential election in which Mr. Trump is badly lagging" Biden in the polls. Meadows Says "New Initiatives Coming Out This Week." Chief of Staff Meadows, on Fox News Sunday Morning FuturesVi (7/19, 1.59M), discussed the Administration's response to the pandemic. Meadows said, "I was on the phone with the President this morning as we were working on some of the responses. You'll see some new initiatives coming out this week as the President is not only leading but will continue to lead and step in on a number of fronts." Collins: Number Of Hospitalizations "Quite Concerning." NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins, on NBC's Meet the PressVi (7/19, 3.14M), said many areas in the country "didn't really pay that much attention to CDC's recommendations about the phases necessary to open up safely, and jumped over some of those hoops. And people started congregating, not wearing masks and feeling like it's over and it's summer, and maybe it will all go away. Now here we are with almost 70,000 new cases per day, from my perspective, quite concerning the number of hospitalizations, which is very close to being as high in the country as it was back in April. So, yeah we've got to really double down here and I hope today we can talk about things that bring us together." Gottlieb Concerned About "Lots Of Infections" In The Fall. Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb, on CBS' Face The NationVi (7/19, 2.21M), discussed his outlook for the coronavirus. Dr. Gottlieb said, "I think the apex in the epidemic states now, the center of the epidemic, which is California, Texas, Arizona and Florida could be two, three weeks away, you're seeing some slowing in the new cases. It's not clear whether or not the new cases are actually slowing or just hitting the upper limit of the testing capacity. ... I don't think this is sharp up and down, but as they start to peak, you have to be worried about Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, we're seeing record numbers of cases rising, hospitalizations, and a shifting of the center of the epidemic potentially in the United States. And it's just more EFTA00150247 trouble for the fall and winter, we're talking a lot of infections in the fall that will never be able to come down." Trump Says He Is "Not Allowed" To Have Rallies In Democrat-Run States. The Detroit Free Press (7/19, 1.52M) reports that in an interview that aired Sunday on Fox News SundayVi, President Trump said he wanted to hold a "big rally" in Michigan but was told he couldn't. Trump "said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's [DJ administration is keeping measures in place that would keep him from having such a rally as a way to hurt him politically, rather than being necessary to control the spread of COVID-19." Trump argued that Democrats "are purposely keeping their schools closed, keeping their states closed. ... I called Michigan. I want to have a big rally in Michigan. Do you know we're not allowed to have a rally in Michigan? Do you know we're not allowed to have a rally in Minnesota? Do you know we're not allowed to have a rally in Nevada? We're not allowed to have rallies in these Democrat-run states." When host Chris Wallace "pointed out the potential health risks involved with a large rally," Trump said "some people" believe it would be "fine." Trump said, "I guarantee you, if everything was gone 100%, they still wouldn't allow it. They're not allowing me to do it. So they're not - they're - they're not allowing me to have rallies." The Detroit News (7/19, Mauger, 825K) reports that a spokesperson for Whitmer "said the governor's administration hadn't heard from Trump about wanting to hold a rally in the state." On NBC's Meet the PressVi, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan's chief medical executive, "said she remains concerned about people gathering in large groups and making 'simple things,' like mask wearing, political." Khaldun said, "I'm very concerned. ... But I'm also confident that Michiganders can do the right thing. Because we did it before. We saw over 150 deaths a day in Michigan back in March and April. We brought that curve down. So I am confident we can do that again." In a separate story, the Detroit News (7/19, Mauger, 825K) reports that Michigan "reported 483 cases of COVID-19 and two deaths on Sunday. That brings the yearly total to 73,663 cases and 6,119 deaths." COVID-19 Cases Rising Across The Country. ABC World News TonightVi (7/19, story 2, 3:15, Llamas, 5.06M) described a "dire emergency as COVID cases rise all over the country." ABC (Ault) said states are "desperately trying to contain the virus." NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/19, story 2, 2:50, Snow, 4.36M) reported that while President Trump "says the coronavirus will eventually disappear, the numbers today continue to rise in hot spots across the country." The CBS Weekend NewsVi (7/19, lead story, 2:45, Garrett, 1.32M) reported that "absent a significant reversal, the nation appears headed for 100,000 new cases per day." The Washington Post (7/19, Hawkins, Sonmez, 14.2M) reports that "state and local officials nationwide are sounding the alarm, warning they're missing key resources to confront the surge. They are weighing new restrictions and complaining of persistent backlogs in the mass-testing systems considered key to tracking and containing the virus, as the Trump administration seeks to block billions of dollars for states to conduct testing and contact tracing and billions more that Republican lawmakers want to give the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention." Garcetti Says City Reopened Too Quickly, Warns He May Impose New Stay-At-Home Order. The Los Angeles Times (7/19, Wigglesworth, 4.64M) reports Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Sunday said the city "opened too quickly and again warned that the city was close to imposing some type of new stay-at-home order as coronavirus cases continued to spike." Asked on CNN's State Of The UnionVi (7/19, 1.05M) about a Los Angeles Times editorial that criticized the rapid EFTA00150248 reopening of California, Garcetti said, "I do agree those things happened too quickly." He also said the city was "on the brink" of new restrictions "but did not elaborate." The Washington Examiner (7/19, Dibble, 448K) reports Garcetti "said that hospitals in Los Angeles have not been close to hitting capacity but that he may have to issue the stay-at-home order if he sees them beginning to do so." Garcetti, Bloomberg (7/19, Court, Yang, 4.73M) reports, "is just one of the U.S. officials who say they're mulling further restrictions after weeks of surging cases and hospitalizations." Axios (7/19, Allessen, 521K) reports that asked about "what went wrong" after California appeared to be improving, Garcetti "blamed a `lack of national leadership' and said that people became `exhausted' by lockdown restrictions." The Washington Post (7/19, Hawkins, Sonmez, 14.2M) similarly reports Garcetti "said 'a lot of things went wrong' leading up to the dismal numbers but focused his blame on what he called a vacuum of national leadership." Shalala Slams Trump, DeSantis, Says Florida Must Close Down Again. Politico (7/19, Carrasco, 4.29M) reports that on ABC's This WeekVi (7/19, 2.55M) Sunday, Rep. Donna Shalala (D-FL) "slammed President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis [R] on Sunday for reopening too soon." Shalala said, "The lack of leadership in the White House and in our governor's office, they simply have not hit this with a hammer, which is what we needed to do, and starve the virus. They opened too soon. And they misunderstand what you need to do - or they understand it and they're not willing to do it." Shalala added, "The real thing we need to do is we need to close down again. I said four months ago, if we don't do this right, we're going to have to close down again. That's our worst nightmare. And we're going to have to do that in Florida." DeWine Warns Ohio "Could Become Florida." The Hill (7/19, Coleman, 2.98M) reports Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) on NBC's Meet the PressVi Sunday that his state "could become Florida" as COVID-19 cases surged to new highs. DeWine said Ohio is at a "crucial stage" and is "headed in the wrong direction." He added, "We are at the point where we could become Florida, you know. ... You look at our numbers today versus where Florida was a month ago, we have very similar numbers. So we're very, very concerned. ... While we did a great job early on in Ohio, we're now headed in the wrong direction, and frankly, I'm very, very concerned about that. ... So we're going to move ahead with more orders from us this week." DeWine also said officials "certainly would not rule out" a statewide mask mandate, but he added that the spread is "not just about masks," and that gatherings are contributing to the spread. DeWine said, "Orders are important, but it's also about getting people to understand, 'Hey, this is, this is very, very serious." Mississippi Governor Says State Is Seeing "Significant Increased Hospitalization." Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) said on CNN's State Of The UnionVi (7/19, 1.05M), "We certainly have more patients in ICU beds today than we have ever had with COVID-19. We have more patients on ventilators than we have ever had. ... But let's keep this in perspective. The number on June the 27th was approximately 490 patients in hospital beds. Today, that number is closer to 890. And so we haven't quite doubled over the last three weeks, but we are seeing significant increased hospitalization. And that's the reason that we have worked with our hospitals and mandated the surge capacity for ICU beds and we're making the decisions that need to be made to make sure we achieve our goal. Our goal in Mississippi is that every single Mississippian that can get better with quality care, that they receive that quality care. We're going to do everything in our power to make sure that becomes a reality." Arkansas Governor Says He Will Impose Additional Restrictions If Necessary. EFTA00150249 Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) said on ABC's This WeekVi (7/19, 1.96M), "Obviously, because we did see an increase in cases in the community, not tied to where we have lifted restrictions, we did take the further step of instituting a statewide mask mandate, not something that I wanted to do, but it's something that everyone can do to relieve the pressure on our hospitals, to give us a hope to bring down those cases. And so we've taken the steps that are necessary. If we have to put in additional restrictions, we will. But there is an economic impact. ... So, it's a balance we're trying to achieve with the first emphasis upon saving lives. That's why we institute the mask mandate. We'll do more if needed, but we want to be able to see the data if we're going to have to put in additional restrictions." Colorado Governor Defends Decision To Impose Mask Mandate. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) was asked on ABC's This WeekVi (7/19, 1.96M) about his decision to impose a mask mandate after saying he did not think one was enforceable. Polis said, "There's no governor that ran for office or gets up every morning, saying, 'I want people to wear masks.' ... What we found in our state is we had about 60 percent of our state that had a municipal or county mask mandate. We simply found that they work. Two things: the areas that had mask requirements in our state had 15 to 20 percent more mask usage and lower spread of the virus. So, looking at that data, with the desire to keep the economy open to maximize the ability to return to school in as safe a way as possible for teachers and for students, the mask mandate was really an easy decision after I saw that data." Polis said on NBC's Meet the PressVI (7/19, 3.14M), "First of all, I'm proud that Colorado is doing better than some of the hot spot states in the sunbelt. We need to do better than we're doing because cases are going up. That's clear. America as a whole are not doing well. People are lapsing in their caution. They are lapsing in the need for social distancing. Masks are not a substitute for social distancing. We can't live like we did in January, plus masks. That won't work. We also need to not have large get together, parties, groups and really make the deliberate effort to stay six feet away from others." Rio Grande Valley Residents Especially Vulnerable To Effects Of Pandemic. The New York Times (7/19, Dickerson, Addario, 18.61M) reports the coronavirus pandemic is "bearing down on some of the places most vulnerable to its devastation - places like the southernmost wedge of Texas, on the border with Mexico, which has seen a punishing surge in infections." For example, "in the Rio Grande Valley, more than a third of families live in poverty," and "up to half of residents have no health insurance, including at least 100,000 undocumented people, who often rely on under-resourced community clinics or emergency rooms for care." Furthermore, "more than 60 percent of residents are diabetic or prediabetic," and "more than 90 percent of the population is Latino, a group that is dying from the virus at higher rates than white Americans are." HHS Warns Of Shortage Of Glass Vials To Distribute Vaccine. The CBS Weekend NewsVi (7/19, story 6, 1:50, Garrett, 906K) reported that the spike in coronavirus cases "comes as concerns grow over shortages of medical supplies, including glass vials for a potential vaccine." CBS (Tyab) added, "The Serum Institute of India is the world's largest manufacturer of vaccines and has been tapped by pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca to produce over a billion doses of the vaccine being trialed by Oxford University." If the trials are successful, "there is still serious concerns about how to distribute it. Glass vials like these produced by the Germany-based Schott Ag are the safest and most effective way." But, "they require highly specialized machinery to make. Agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services are already warning of a critical shortage." NFL Players Express Safety Concerns Ahead Of Training Camp. EFTA00150250 ABC World News TonightVi (7/19, story 7, 1:10, Reshef, 5.06M) reported that days before the start of the NFL's training cam, the league's "biggest stars blitzing the league over COVID safety concerns. Complaining they haven't been informed of a plan to address testing and social distancing." ABC Added that the NFL "does not have a safety bubble like the NBA. The league has said no more than 20 players will be allowed in a team facility. Tonight, the players coming together on social media, demanding the league take action, using #wewanttoplay. The NFL says the health and safety of its players is the foremost concern, and it is working with health experts and the CDC to prepare for the upcoming season." Major League Baseball Season Set To Open Thursday. NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/19, story 5, 2:20, Snow, 4.36M) reported that Major League Baseball teams "are playing exhibition games in empty stadiums ahead of Thursday's season opener." NBC (Park) added that the league "requires coronavirus testing every other day for players and staff. Anyone testing positive will be placed on a COVID-19 disabled list and will need to clear a strict protocol before returning, including two negative tests 24 hours apart." ABC World News TonightVi (7/19, story 9, 0:25, Llamas, 5.06M) reported briefly on plans for the new baseball season. Fewer Children Getting Routine Vaccinations Due To Pandemic. NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/19, story 6, 2:25, Snow, 4.36M) reported that "experts are warning fewer kids are getting routine vaccinations because of coronavirus fears." NBC (Torres) added, "The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases reports the overall number of well-child office visits is down by about 50 percent since the pandemic started." The WHO Said last week that "the avoidable suffering and death caused by children missing out on routine immunizations could be far greater than COVID-19 itself." Amid those concerns, "doctors and nurses at Boston Medical Center started coming to see patients. ... Since April, the hospital has been able to vaccinate 600 children in the Boston area." NBC added, "The CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics are urging doctors to maintain vaccination schedules, especially for the youngest children." Gottlieb: HHS-CDC Disagreement Shows Nations Unpreparedness For Pandemic. In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal (7/19, Gottlieb, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb writes that the recent disagreement between HHS and the CDC over the reporting of COVID-19 data reflects the nation's unpreparedness for a pandemic that the intelligence community has been warning about for years. In Spanish-Language Editorial, WPost Urges Vigilance Against Virus. In a Spanish-language editorial running in today's edition, the Washington Post (7/19, 14.2M) urges readers to take precautions against the coronavirus such as hand-washing, wearing a mask, opening windows and avoiding closed spaces such as nightclubs. Senate Panel To Vote On Shelton's Nomination To Federal Reserve. The New York Times (7/19, Smialek, 18.61M) reports, "Judy Shelton, an unorthodox economist who was an adviser to President Trump's 2016 campaign, could move one step closer to a seat on the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors this week." The Times adds that "while her fate is far from guaranteed, the Senate Banking Committee is expected to approve Ms. Shelton's nomination on Tuesday, putting her one simple-majority vote in the full Senate away from confirmation at a moment when the central bank is employing vast powers that she has a track record of questioning." Trump Says Stimulus Bill Must Have Payroll Tax Cut, Liability Protection For Employers. EFTA00150251 The Washington Post (7/19, Stein, Werner, 14.2M) reports that in an interview that aired Sunday, President Trump "sought to draw a hard line on the upcoming coronavirus relief bill." With lawmakers set to begin negotiations over unemployment benefits and other provisions in the measure in the coming days, Trump told Fox News SundayVi that the legislation has to include a payroll tax cut and liability protections for employers. Trump said, "I would consider not signing it if we don't have a payroll tax cut." Trump also said "we do need some kind of immunity" in the bill. House Minority Leader McCarthy agreed with Trump's call for an immunity provision. In an interview on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures (7/19), McCarthy said that "we need liability of protection, because these small businesses are questioning whether they can open again, our schools and others. So let's protect those as we move forward. Let's also look at anytime you're using federal money it shouldn't de-incentivize the ability to work. We've made a mistake where we overpaid on unemployment insurance where now it's hard for people to come back to work because they're making more on unemployment than they can working. So we've got to straighten that out as we move forward." Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) said on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures (7/19), "I don't know what's going to be in the bill. I don't know if there will be a bill and, frankly, neither does anyone else. ... The only thing I'm certain of right now is that the bill we pass, if we pass one, will not be Speaker Pelosi's bill. It is untethered to reality and among most senators, including many Democrats, it's about as popular as a sinkhole." Asked if there is a consensus on liability protection, Kennedy said, "There is not a consensus on anything" but lawmakers will talk about "limiting liability for our schools and our universities and our hospitals. We will work on trying to give relief for people laid off who lose their health insurance. We will talk about additional PPP. We will talk about additional unemployment compensation. A payroll tax cut will be on the table as will direct stimulus payments to the American people." The Washington Post (7/19, Al, Kim, Bade, Werner, 14.2M) reports that Senate Majority Leader McConnell "is facing competing demands from President Trump and Republican senators, including some who are up for reelection in states hit hard by the virus and are coming under withering attacks by Democratic challengers over the pandemic." The "election- year politics over the pandemic will be entwined with the contours of the next coronavirus package - a complicated dynamic McConnell will have to manage along with disputes within his conference over aid to states and localities, as well as a persistent negative view by the public of the Trump administration's handling of the pandemic." Continuing $600 A Week Unemployment Benefit Poses A Difficult Issue For Lawmakers. The Wall Street Journal (7/19, Morath, Chen, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that $600 a week federal unemployment benefit, which is set to expire at the end of July, is one of the most difficult issues lawmakers will face this week as they return to Washington to begin talks on another round of coronavirus stimulus. While analysts say the payments have provided important support for the economy as it deals with the impact of the pandemic, critics argue the payments, which come on top of regular state unemployment benefits, provide a disincentive for Americans to return to work, which hinders the economic recovery. Special Interests Maneuvering For Piece Of Stimulus Legislation. The New York Times (7/19, Lipton, 18.61M) reports that "special interests" are "already maneuvering to get a piece of the next coronavirus relief package about to be taken up by Congress." The package is "likely to be the last opportunity before the election in November for a wide range of industries and interests to push for narrower provisions that would benefit them, setting off intensive lobbying." The Times says both parties and the Administration "are under pressure to come together on a substantial stimulus bill, leaving lobbyists optimistic about getting at least some of the breaks they are seeking." Some Government Contractors Also Received PPP Loans. EFTA00150252 According to a Wall Street Journal (7/19, Tracy, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) analysis, some government contractors received loans under the Paycheck Protection Program at the same time they were being paid for government work during the pandemic. While the SBA has said it will examine PPP loans for improprieties, the Journal cites legal experts who say that under the law, borrowers were only required to say they faced "economic uncertainty" and were not required to document actual losses. Whistleblower Complaint Reveals Ongoing Inquiry Over Pompeo's "Questionable Activities." McClatchy (7/19, Wilner, Lowry, 19K) reports that a whistleblower complaint from a State Department employee about Secretary of State Pompeo's "conduct, made public for the first time through a lawsuit and obtained by McClatchy, reveals that eyewitnesses made repeated attempts to inform executive leadership and legal advisers about his `questionable activities." The whistleblower wrote, "I directly witnessed much of the behavior," while others, the complaint states, "tried on several occasions to obtain clarifications and guidance from senior leadership in [the executive secretariat] and from the Office of Legal Advisors, but were blocked from doing so." The New York Times (7/19, Wong, 18.61M) reports the "heavily redacted version of the complaint indicates that top officials enabled misconduct by Mr. Pompeo even after the whistle- blower voiced the concerns internally — an alleged circle of complicity that was not previously known." Axios Analysis: White House Weighs Using DACA Ruling To Act "Without Legal Authority." Axios (7/19, Treene, Kight, 521K) report cites "administration officials" who say the President and White House officials "are privately considering a controversial strategy to act without legal authority to enact new federal policies - starting with immigration." The White House "thinking is being heavily influenced by John Yoo, the lawyer who wrote the Bush administration's justification for waterboarding after 9/11." Yoo described the theory "in a National Review article, spotted atop Trump's desk in the Oval Office, which argues that the Supreme Court's 5- 4 DACA ruling last month `makes it easy for presidents to violate the law." Axios says "two administration officials" say Trump "has brought up the article with key advisers." Trump Reportedly To Order Census Not Count Those In The US Illegally. Reuters (7/17) reports that President Trump is "expected to soon issue an executive order that would ban undocumented immigrants from being included in the 2020 census." According to Reuters, the Trump Administration "has long sought to use the census as a vehicle to identify, and possibly limit the political power of, undocumented immigrants." Reuters notes that in 2018, the Administration "said it would ask respondents to the 2020 census whether they were citizens, a move ultimately nixed by the U.S. Supreme Court." Federal Judge Says new DACA Applications Must Be Accepted. CNN (7/17, Alvarez, 83.16M) reports that Judge Paul Grimm of the US District Court for the District of Maryland ruled on Friday that the Trump Administration "must begin accepting new applications for the Obama-era program that shields undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children from deportation." CNN notes that "the order comes nearly a month since the Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration's attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program." According to CNN, Grimm "said...that the program is to be restored to its `pre-September 5, 2017 status,' meaning the status quo before President Donald Trump tried to terminate it, thereby giving hundreds of thousands of DACA-eligible immigrants the opportunity to apply." The Wall Street Journal (7/17, Hackman, Subscription Publication, EFTA00150253 7.57M) reports that White House has indicated that it will try once more to end the DACA program that President Obama created via executive order. Appeals Court Upholds Ruling Blocking Restrictions On Asylum Protections. Politico (7/17, Choi, 4.29M) reports that on Friday, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals "dealt a new blow...to Trump administration policies that would remove protections for asylum-seekers from deportation." The court "upheld provisions in a lower court's ruling that blocked the Trump administration from implementing policies that would have effectively barred women fleeing domestic abuse and gang violence from seeking asylum in the U.S." Politico says the case was "brought by 12 asylum-seekers, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, who argued the administration's policies would raise the standards for asylum far beyond Congress' intentions." According to Politico, in 2018, the Trump Administration "attempted to dramatically scale back asylum protections...for Central American women who claimed they were persecuted by abusive spouses and gangs." Reuters Analysis: ICE's Continued Detainee Transfers Responsible For At Least One Super-Spreading Event. According to its review of court records and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) data, Reuters (7/17, Rosenberg, Cooke, Levinson) says that ICE transferred 268 detainees "between detention centers in April, May and June, after hundreds in ICE custody had already tested positive for COVID-19." At least one of those transfers "resulted in a super-spreading event, according to emails from ICE and officials at a detention center in Farmville, Virginia, court documents and interviews with more than a dozen detainees at the facility." About two weeks after "ICE relocated 74 detainees from Florida and Arizona" to the Farmville center, officials there recorded 315 total cases. In early July, the center had 268 confirmed cases. In a statement, ICE "said the agency was committed to the welfare of all detainees and continued some transfers to reduce crowding. ICE did not respond to a request for comment on Reuters' analysis." John Lewis Dies At 80. In an approximately 3000-word piece, the New York Times (7/17, Seelye, 18.61M) reports Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), "a son of sharecroppers and an apostle of nonviolence who was bloodied at Selma and across the Jim Crow South in the historic struggle for racial equality and who then carried a mantle of moral authority into Congress, died on Friday. He was 80." A senior Democratic official confirmed Lewis' death. The Times adds that Lewis "announced on Dec. 29 that he had Stage 4 pancreatic cancer and vowed to fight it with the same passion with which he had battled racial injustice." He said, "I have been in some kind of fight - for freedom, equality, basic human rights - for nearly my entire life." The Wall Street Journal (7/17, Jamerson, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) also eulogizes Lewis. Trump Orders Flags To Half-Staff To Honor John Lewis. After Rep. John Lewis (D- GA) passed away at the age of 80, President Trump on Saturday issued a proclamation ordering flags to be flown at half-staff in the memory of the civil rights icon. In addition, Trump at 2:05 p.m. tweeted, "Saddened to hear the news of civil rights hero John Lewis passing. Melania and I send our prayers to he and his family." While media coverage of the President's decision to fly the flags at half-staff was positive, reporting recounted the tense relationship between Trump and Lewis while highlighting criticism of the President for taking over 14 hours to tweet about his passing. Typical of the tone of the coverage, Nikole Killion said on the CBS Weekend NewsVi (7/18, story 2, 2:23, Garrett, 2.41M) that Trump "offered his condolences late in the day after several members of his Administration, from the Vice President to the press secretary, paid their respects to the Georgia lawmaker. At the White House, President Trump issued a proclamation ordering flags at half staff in honor of Georgia Congressman John Lewis. The President tweeted, EFTA00150254 `Saddened to hear the news of Civil Rights hero John Lewis passing. Melania and I send prayers to he and his family.' Similarly, USA Today (7/18, Wu, 10.31M) says Trump issued a proclamation on Saturday morning that "ordered flags to half-staff at public buildings and military installations throughout the country `as a mark of respect for the memory and longstanding public service of Representative John Lewis." The Hill (7/18, Gstalter, 2.98M) reports the flags "will fly at half- staff for the remainder of the day all across the world, including at the White House, all public buildings, military posts and stations, U.S. embassies and consular offices abroad, as well as naval vessels." In addition, USA Today (7/18, Wu, Fritze, Jackson, 10.31M) reports Trump "said...he was `saddened' by the death of Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon.' Per USA Today, the "short and understated sentiment made no mention of the animosity that developed between the two men when Lewis questioned the legitimacy of Trump's 2016 election victory and the president attacked Lewis' Atlanta district" and the tweet "was far less loquacious...than others in the White House." The Hill (7/18, Gstalter, 2.98M) reports Vice President Pence issued a statement that "marked the death of civil rights icon and longtime congressman." Pence said Lewis' "selflessness and conviction rendered our nation into a more perfect union." He added, "While John Lewis will be rightly remembered as an icon of the civil rights movement, for me he was also a colleague and a friend." In a separate article, The Hill (7/18, Axelrod, 2.98M) reports White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany tweeted, "Rep. John Lewis was an icon of the civil rights movement, and he leaves an enduring legacy that will never be forgotten. We hold his family in our prayers, as we remember Rep. John Lewis' incredible contributions to our country." Meanwhile, the Washington Times (7/18, Boyer, 492K) says the Trump campaign "issued a statement through Clarence Henderson, an advisory board member of Black Voices for Trump." Henderson stated, "We join the nation in mourning the loss of Representative John Lewis, an icon of the civil rights movement who dedicated his life and career to bettering our country." He continued, "We will forever be grateful for the legacy he leaves as we pray for him and his family." However, The Hill (7/18, Axelrod, 2.98M) reports Trump "caught flak Saturday morning for not issuing a statement regarding Lewis's death given how revered the Georgia lawmaker was on both sides of the aisle." Under the headline "14 Hours Later, Trump Says He Is `Saddened' By Lewis' Death," the AP (7/18, Madhani, Berry) says that prior to posting on Lewis' death, the President "took to Twitter to retweet old missives Democratic rival Joe Biden and lash out at his former national security adviser and his niece for writing tell-all books about him." The AP adds that by the time Trump tweeted about Lewis, "all four living former U.S. presidents, Vice President Mike Pence and scores of lawmakers had publicly remarked on the passing of the lawmaker whose brutal beating on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, 50 years earlier marked a turning point in the civil rights movement." In addition, Bloomberg (7/18, Condon, 4.73M) highlights that Trump "posted on Twitter as his motorcade returned to Washington from his Virginia golf course, where he spent over four hours on Saturday." According to the Washington Times (7/18, Blake, 492K), "Trump's critics took notice in the interim on Twitter, calling out his reticence on the president's preferred social media platform." The New York Times (7/18, Rogers, 18.61M) reports Trump and Lewis had a "tense history" and says they were "at odds since before Mr. Trump's inauguration, when Mr. Lewis questioned the legitimacy of Mr. Trump's election and said he would not be in attendance when the president-elect traveled to the Capitol to be sworn in." On ABC World News TonightVi (7/18, story 2, 2:49, Llamas, 4.36M), "Nightline" anchor Byron Pitts said he "interviewed John Lewis countless times the past 30 years," and "in one of our last, he was still impatient with America, still boundlessly optimistic she would one day live EFTA00150255 up to her promise. A promise he believed in so deeply he was willing to shed blood again and again. Has the dream been fulfilled?" Lewis: "The dream is in the process of becoming a reality. It's not there yet, but we are on our way, and there will be no turning back." The Washington Post (7/18, Itkowitz, 14.2M) calls it "appropriate" that Lewis recently "visit[ed] the newly named Black Lives Matter Plaza on a street leading to the White House - a symbol of the progress the country has made on issues of racial justice and the work that still needed to be done." Biden: Lewis Was A "Moral Compass" For The US. The Hill (7/18, Gstalter, 2.98M) reports that Joe Biden in a statement said Lewis is "truly a one-of-a-kind, a moral compass who always knew where to point us and which direction to march." Biden added, "John was that hero for so many people of every race and station, including us. He absorbed the force of human nature's cruelty during the course of his life, and the only thing that could finally stop him was cancer. But he was not bitter." Lawmakers, Activists Pay Tribute To Lewis. The New York Times (7/18, Stolberg, Ives, 18.61M) says that after it was reported that Lewis on Friday had died, "bipartisan praise poured in, as friends, colleagues and admirers reached for the appropriate superlatives to sum up an extraordinary life." A Wall Street Journal (7/18, Leary, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) article headlined "Praise Comes From Across The Political World For John Lewis," Politico (7/18, Semones, 4.29M), and USA Today (7/17, Behrmann, 10.31M) highlight noteworthy statements, including those of former Presidents Barack Obama, George Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter. On NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/18, story 2, 2:16, Diaz-Balart, 3.83M), Geoff Bennett reported that Barack Obama said Lewis "loved this country so much that he risked his life and his blood so that it might live up to its promise," George W. Bush said that the country "can best honor John's memory by continuing his journey toward liberty and justice for all," Bill Clinton said Lewis was the "conscience of the nation," and Jimmy Carter said, "All Americans owe John Lewis a debt of gratitude." In a front-page article, Washington Post (7/18, Al, Kane, 14.2M) senior congressional correspondent Paul Kane says Bush in his statement remembering Lewis "never mentioned Trump, but his final sentence made clear he is more comfortable with Lewis's tactics than the current president's." Bush said, "America can best honor John's memory by continuing his journey toward liberty and justice for all." The Hill (7/18, Seipel, 2.98M) reports House Speaker Pelosi in a statement said, "Today, America mourns the loss of one of the greatest heroes of American history: Congressman John Lewis, the Conscience of the Congress." Pelosi added, "John Lewis was a titan of the civil rights movement whose goodness, faith and bravery transformed our nation - from the determination with which he met discrimination at lunch counters and on Freedom Rides, to the courage he showed as a young man facing down violence and death on Edmund Pettus Bridge, to the moral leadership he brought to the Congress for more than 30 years." Meanwhile, the New York Times (7/18, Rojas, 18.61M) reports that in Atlanta, Lewis' death "came as many in the city were grieving the Rev. C.T. Vivian, another pioneering figure and associate of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who also died in Atlanta." The Times adds the Rev. Bernice A. King, the youngest daughter of Dr. King, "posted photographs of both men on Twitter, saying: 'Elders, now ancestors. Hallelujah." The CBS Weekend NewsVi (7/18, story 10, 1:17, Garrett, 2.41M) said Lewis and Vivian "marched together, faced violence, did not strike back, and helped change America for good. Together in life, together amid strife. And at the end, almost poetically, [they are] together once again." The lead ABC World News TonightVi (7/18, lead story, 4:24, Llamas, 4.36M), CBS Weekend NewsVi (7/18, lead story, 2:57, Garrett, 2.41M), and NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/18, lead story, 3:52, Diaz-Balart, 3.83M) broadcasts as well as a more than 3,100-word Washington Post (7/17, Al, Barrett, 14.2M) front-page article also eulogized Lewis. EFTA00150256 In addition, ABC World News TonightVi (7/18, story 11, 1:26, Llamas, 4.36M) and NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/18, story 11, 1:41, Diaz-Balart, 3.83M) broadcast speeches from Lewis. Sens. Rubio, Sullivan Inadvertently Post Photo With Cummings In Tribute To Lewis. The Washington Post (7/18, Itkowitz, 14.2M) reports Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) "posted tributes to Rep. John Lewis on Saturday and aimed to include photos of themselves with the civil rights icon who died Friday. Rubio even made the image his Twitter profile picture," but "there was just one problem. The photos they each posted were of Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, who died in October." However, the AP (7/18) reports the posts "were quickly revised with photos of Lewis, a Democratic lawmaker who died Friday at the age of 80." The AP adds that although Rubio "acknowledged the Twitter error and displayed a video of himself with Lewis," Sullivan made the change "without comment." According to USA Today (7/18, Wu, 10.31M), "Cummings and Lewis appeared to have been aware of occasional confusion of others between the two lawmakers." In addition, The Hill (7/18, Pitofsky, 2.98M) reports Lewis in 2019 "made an April Fools' Day announcement saying that he planned to grow a beard to avoid being mistaken for Cummings." Meanwhile, the Washington Times (7/18, Blake, 492K) reports both Cummings and Lewis were Democrats and "renowned Black civil rights leader[s]." Celebrities Amplify Calls To Rename Edmund Pettus Bridge For Lewis. According to the Washington Times (7/18, Blake, 492K), "Calls to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge civil- rights landmark in honor of late Rep. John Lewis have swelled following the Georgia Democrat's death Friday at the age of 80." The Times adds Paul McCartney of the Beatles and former UN Ambassador Samantha Power "are among the people who took to Twitter on Saturday to propose naming the bridge for Lewis. Online petitions created in support of the proposed name change, including some launched weeks before his death, received a spike in signatures over the weekend as well." The Times reports the bridge in Selma, Alabama "is currently named for Pettus, a former Confederate general, U.S. senator and Ku Klux Klan leader who died in 1907." Democrats Call For Passage Of Voting Rights Act In Lewis' Name. Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) death and his legacy were the subjects of a great deal of discussion on the Sunday talk shows. The Washington Post (7/19, Zakrzewski, Willis, 14.2M) reports that Democratic lawmakers called for policies to honor Lewis' legacy. House Majority Whip Clyburn "urged President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to pass legislation that would expand voting rights in Lewis's name." Clyburn said on CNN's State Of The UnionVI, "It should be the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of 2020. ... That's the way to do it. Words may be powerful, but deeds are lasting." Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) said on ABC's This WeekVi (7/19, 2.55M), "I think one of the best ways that we could honor him is to make sure that the Voting Rights Act passes that is sitting over in the Senate and has been there for over 200 days." Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) said on MSNBC's Politics NationVi (7/18, 912K) that Senate Majority Leader McConnell "needs to put the Voting Rights Act, HR 4, on the floor for a vote - it has been 225 days - and needs to name it the John Lewis Voting Rights Act." Harris added, "As we like to say, I'm too busy watching what you're doing to hear what you're saying. So, if he wants to make clear his honor for the life, the legacy, the sacrifice, the heroism of John Lewis, put that on the floor for a vote and let's name it the John Lewis Voting Rights Act." Clyburn Calls For Pettus Bridge To Be Renamed After Lewis. The CBS Weekend NewsVi (7/19, story 3, 2:35, Miller, 1.32M) reported that "there are calls to rename the Edmund Pettus bridge after" Lewis. It was "on that bridge in March of 1965 that he lead protestors across from Selma to Montgomery as they were fighting for their voting rights. They were met with opposition from law enforcement. And it is that moment that became known as Bloody Sunday." On NBC's Meet the PressVi Clyburn called for the bridge to be renamed in honor of Lewis. EFTA00150257 Democrats Use Lewis' Death To Criticize Trump. Democrats also used the discussion of Lewis' to criticize President Trump. On CNN's State Of The UnionVi (7/19, 1.12M), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) said she wished Trump did not tweet about Lewis. Presley said, "I was hoping the President would not even tweet...about John Lewis. ... If you really want to honor the life of John Lewis, you don't do things like gut the fair-housing laws. ... You don't sow the seeds of division." Bass (D-CA) was asked on MSNBC's Politics NationVi (7/18, 912K) about her tweet urging President Trump not to comment on Lewis' life. Bass said, "The reason why I did that tweet was because - and I feel very strongly about it - I didn't want him to say anything because you and I know if he opened up his mouth to say something about John Lewis, it would be offensive and we don't need that right now. He can't say anything about any issue without bringing it back to himself. And I know that he would have been critical in some negative way. We just didn't need his negativity today." Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) said on MSNBC AM JoyVi (7/18, 1.12M), "I'm angry as John was. Anger is a productive emotion. I'm not angry at simply the Donald Trumps or the Mitch McConnells. What makes me more hurt is that all the good people in this country, all the power that we have, that we haven't used it adequately to preserve the rights that his generation gained that then he had to watch become eroded with the gutting of the Voting Rights Act in the Shelby decision, eroded with state after state from Texas to North Carolina. ... For him to have to live to see his legacy from my generation that didn't show the same commitment to those principles to preserve it." The Washington Times (7/19, Varney, Swoyer, 492K) provides similar coverage of the lawmakers' comments. Joy Reid said on MSNBC AM JoyVI (7/18, 1.12M) that President Trump "hasn't said much. .... I think he's doing the right thing by not saying anything. He's cast himself as Bull Connor in this narrative. It wouldn't make sense for Bull Connor to eulogize Dr. King, so it doesn't make sense for him to laud John Lewis." McCarthy: Lewis Protested "In A Peaceful Manner." House Minority Leader McCarthy said on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures (7/19), "I do want to talk about John Lewis just for a moment because he lived such an extraordinary life and was an unbelievable man. At such a young age he tried to cross a bridge simply to give people the right to vote. He did it in a peaceful manner and he was beaten almost to his death. ... He made this nation better and he lived his life in a manner we could all respect and live up to." Lewis' Family Still Making Arrangements For Memorial. NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/19, story 4, 0:30, Snow, 4.36M) reported that Lewis' family spoke out for the first time since his death. His younger brother "told a story about what it was like to run errands with his big brother." Henry Grant Lewis: "Should of took ten minutes, max. It would take us three and a half hours because he would shake every hand, take pictures with everybody that wanted to take pictures. That's the kind of person my brother was." NBC added that Lewis' family is "still making arrangements for a memorial." A Wall Street Journal (7/19, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) editorial says Lewis' life, which saw the sharecropper's son from Alabama become a political activist and member of Congress, and the principles for which he fought, stand to refute those who would relegate the nation to continued unrest and racial division. C.T. Vivian, Aide To Martin Luther King Jr., Dies At 95. The Washington Post (7/17, Bernstein, 14.2M) reports C.T. Vivian, "a Baptist minister and aide to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. who was bloodied on the front lines of the civil rights movement and helped shape the protests that were a turning point in the battle against racial injustice in the Jim Crow South, died July 17 at his home in Atlanta. He was 95." Vivan's daughter Jo Anna Walker said "she did not know the immediate cause" of his death. EFTA00150258 The New York Times (7/17, McFadden, 18.61M) says Vivian "led passive protesters through shrieking white mobs and, with discipline and endurance, absorbed the blows of segregationists and complicit law enforcement officials across the South." NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/17, story 8, 0:24, Holt, 5.54M) and the CBS Evening NewsVi (7/17, story 13, 0:24, O'Donnell, 4.11M) provided similar coverage in brief broadcasts. Justice Ginsburg Being Treated For Liver Cancer But Will Remain On Supreme Court. The AP (7/17, Sherman, Gresko) reports that on Friday, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg "said...she is receiving chemotherapy for a recurrence of cancer, but has no plans to retire." The AP adds Ginsburg, "who has had four earlier bouts with cancer including pancreatic cancer last year, said her treatment so far has succeeded in reducing lesions on her liver and she will continue chemotherapy sessions every two weeks 'to keep my cancer at bay." Ginsburg released a statement reading, "I have often said I would remain a member of the Court as long as I can do the job full steam. I remain fully able to do that." The Washington Post (7/17, Al, Barnes, 14.2M) reports on its front page that "last August, Ginsburg said that she had completed a three-week course of stereotactic ablative radiation therapy - a highly focused treatment that concentrates an intense dose of radiation on a tumor — after a malignancy was discovered on her pancreas." The Post adds, "That had been the second treatment for cancer in nine months for Ginsburg. She had a portion of her left lung removed in December 2018 and in past decades was treated for colon and pancreatic cancer." Reuters (7/17, Chung) reports Ginsburg "is the second-longest serving among the current nine justices behind Clarence Thomas, having been appointed to a lifetime post on the court by President Bill Clinton in 1993. She was the second woman ever named to the court, after Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was appointed 12 years earlier." On NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/17, story 4, 1:57, Holt, 5.54M), Pete Williams said the chemotherapy "appears not to have slowed her down. This past term, she wrote six of the court's majority opinions. Only Chief Justice Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh wrote more, seven each." In a front-page article, the New York Times (7/17, Al, Liptak, 18.61M) describes Ginsburg as "the senior member of the court's four-member liberal wing. Were she to leave the court, President Trump would have the opportunity to nominate a third justice, joining Justices Neil M. Gorsuch and Brett M. Kavanaugh. A successful nomination would almost certainly move the court further to the right." On the CBS Evening NewsVi (7/17, story 6, 1:54, O'Donnell, 4.11M), Nancy Cordes also said that Ginsburg's departure "would give President Trump his third chance to nominate a Supreme Court justice and his first chance to replace a liberal justice with a more conservative one." However, Mary Bruce said on ABC World News TonightVi (7/17, story 6, 1:23, Llamas, 6.68M) that the President is "sending his well wishes." Trump: "I wish her the absolute best." The Wall Street Journal (7/17, Bravin, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) provides similar coverage. Questions Raised Over Transparency Concerning Supreme Court Justices' Health. Politico (7/19, Gerstein, 4.29M) reports that recent announcements about health issues involving Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Chief Justice John Roberts have sparked concern among critics who "say the public is entitled to more information about the justices' medical condition. With the court sharply divided on many pivotal issues, an unexpected health crisis on the part of one justice has the potential to upend official Washington. But the fact the justices enjoy life tenure and have little in the way of oversight to monitor their competence also makes questions about their health more urgent than for other public officials." David Garrow, "a renowned legal writer and historian of the civil rights movement," argues "that the evasion that [Ginsburg) and other justices have engaged in surrounding their personal health undermines the public's right to know about the performance EFTA00150259 of public officials who commonly remain in their posts into their 80s - well after most Americans their age have retired." USS Gerald R. Ford Plagued With Mechanical Problems. The Washington Times (7/19, Glenn, 492K) reports that the USS Gerald R. Ford, "was envisioned as a revolutionary leap forward with technological advancements undreamed of when its Nimitz-class predecessors were launched decades ago." But it "has been plagued with a series of mechanical problems that have pushed its price tag into the stratospheric $13 billion range." Although it "has been in the fleet for almost three years," the Gerald R. Ford "has yet to deploy on a single mission." Ross Hospitalized For "Non-Coronavirus Related Issues." Commerce Secretary Ross "went to a hospital in upstate New York on Friday night, sources told" Fox News (7/18, Miles, 27.59M). A spokesperson for the Commerce Department subsequently "confirmed to Fox News: 'Secretary Ross has been admitted into the hospital for minor, non-coronavirus related issues. He is doing well and we anticipate his release soon." Supreme Court Clears Lower Courts To Hear Arguments On Trump's Tax Records. Bloomberg (7/17, 4.73M) reports the Supreme Court has "cleared lower courts to move ahead in a clash over a grand jury subpoena for President Donald Trump's financial records, formally returning the case to the appeals court level ahead of schedule." Bloomberg says Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance "had asked the justices not to wait 25-plus days, as they normally do after issuing an opinion." According to Bloomberg, "Lower courts had already been moving forward in the case, and the Supreme Court action confirms that those proceedings can go forward." However, Bloomberg adds that the justices "haven't acted on a similar request from House Democrats in a different case they decided the same day." Bolton Asks Judge To Dismiss DO) Lawsuit Seeking Profits From His Memoir. Bloomberg (7/17, Larson, 4.73M) reports former National Security Advisor John Bolton on Thursday asked US District Judge Royce Lamberth "to throw out a government lawsuit seeking to seize profits from the sale of his tell-all memoir on the grounds that it illegally spills classified information." According to Bloomberg, "The government aims to seize Bolton's $2 million book advance as well as any royalties he receives." Congressman Facing Voter Fraud Charges Leaves Committee Assignments. The Wall Street Journal (7/17, Wise, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports Rep. Steve Watkins (R-KS), who's facing voter fraud charges, on Friday announced he will temporarily step down from his committee assignments, in accordance with a rule requiring members who are confronting a felony charge carrying a prison sentence of at least two years to exit committees. White House Using Loophole To Install Trump Loyalists In Pentagon. Politico (7/17, Seligman, 4.29M) reports the White House "is taking advantage of a loophole to install loyalists to President Donald Trump in acting senior roles at the Pentagon, effectively skirting the Senate confirmation process." Politico adds that while the amount of vacancies is nothing new, the White House "in recent months has been sending over people to fill open spots, as opposed to the more traditional method of tapping people within the Pentagon." CREW Accuses Ivanka Trump Of Violating Ethics Rules With Goya Promotion. Bloomberg (7/17, Sink, 4.73M) reports the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) on Friday "filed a complaint with the Office of Government Ethics over Ivanka Trump's social media endorsement of Goya Foods Inc., saying the photo violated government rules." Bloomberg says that the senior White House adviser "posted a photo of herself holding a can of EFTA00150260 the company's black beans after Goya Chief Executive Officer Robert Unanue last week said the country was 'truly blessed' to have Trump as its leader." In a statement, CREW Executive Director Noah Bookbinder said, "It's another example of a disturbing pattern of this administration acting to benefit the businesses of the president's supporters." Goya CEO Defends Comments Praising Trump. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal (7/17, Varadarajan, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), Unanue defended his comments praising the President. INTERNATIONAL NEWS Global Death Toll Tops 600,000. The AP (7/19, Moulson) reports "global deaths from COVID-19 surged past 600,000 in a sign of how far off the world remained from a return to normalcy." Notably, "India on Sunday reported a record 24-hour surge of 38,902 new cases, taking the country's total to nearly 1.08 million." Meanwhile, China only "confirmed 13 new cases in the northwestern city of Urumqi, while South Korea reported fewer than 40 additional cases for a second straight day." Japan Concerned As Marines Test Positive For Virus. The CBS Weekend NewsVi (7/19, story 5, 1:55, Garrett, 1.32M) reported, "Japan says it is extremely concerned after more than 140 US Marines tested positive for the coronavirus. The Marines are based on the island of Okinawa." CBS (Inocencio) added, "The US Marine Corps says to expect even more service members to test positive, but only because they will be doing increased testing. They also stress that military readiness will not be compromised to respond to any threat here in Asia-Pacific." China Using Uighur Labor To Produce Face Masks. A New York Times (7/19, Xiao, Willis, Koettl, Reneau, Jordan, 18.61M) "video investigation identified Chinese companies using a contentious labor program for Uighurs to satisfy demand for P.P.E., some of which ended up in the United States and other countries." According to China's National Medical Products Administration, "only four companies in Xinjiang produced medical grade protective equipment before the pandemic. As of June 30, that number was 51." After reviewing "state media reports and public records," the Times found that "at least 17 of those companies" use Uighur forced labor. UN Agency: US-Sought Tanker "Hijacked" Off UAE Now In Iran. The AP (7/19, Gambrell) reports a UN agency "acknowledged Sunday that a US-sought oil tanker 'hijacked' off the coast of the United Arab Emirates after allegedly smuggling Iranian crude oil is back in Iranian waters." The International Labor Organization said the MT Gulf Sky was hijacked July 5, and "taken to Iran." Diehl: Netanyahu's Secret War Against Iran Backed By Trump. Jackson Diehl writes in his Washington Post (7/19, Diehl, 14.2M) column that President Trump's "reelection prospects" are prompting some foreign leaders "to back away," while "others are sprinting to take advantage of Trump's willingness to cut deals or tolerate initiatives they know would be unacceptable to a president Joe Biden. None are running faster than Benjamin Netanyahu — who, along with Vladimir Putin, has already been the biggest international beneficiary of the Trump administration." Diehl writes that "in the past few weeks, Israel has apparently been conducting what amounts to a slow-motion, semi-covert military campaign against Iran's nuclear and missile programs" and "almost certainly obtained Trump administration consent, if not collaboration." EFTA00150261 India Offers Visas To Afghan Hindus, Sikhs Facing Attacks. The New York Times (7/19, Mashal, Abed, 18.61M) reports India "said it will expedite visas and the possibility of long-term residency for Afghanistan's tiny Hindu and Sikh minorities, shrunken by decades of persecution and decimated by attacks in recent years amid the Afghan war." In a statement over the weekend, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said, "India has decided to facilitate the return of Afghan Hindu and Sikh community members facing security threats in Afghanistan to India." WTimes Analysis: US In "Great Power Competition" With Russia, China. The Washington Times (7/19, Wolfgang, 492K) reports that "two recent standoffs with China and Russia have offered a sobering view of the coming great power competition between the U.S. and its two biggest rivals and just how dangerous it may become." On June 27, "U.S. fighter planes intercepted Russian jets" near Alaska, and "a week later, the U.S. and Chinese navies held dueling exercises in the South China Sea." Taken together, the Times says, "the incidents highlight what national security sources describe as a 'new normal' of a 21st-century global conflict." German States Appeal To Congress Not To Withdraw US Troops. Reuters (7/19, Wacker) reports the "premiers of four German states have appealed to members of the U.S. Congress to block plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Germany, according to letters seen by Reuters on Sunday." Responding to President Trump's announcement last month he would cut the number of U.S. troops in Germany by 9,500 to 25,000, "the prime ministers of the four southern states, all home to U.S. bases, addressed the letters to 13 members of Congress including senators Mitt Romney and Jim Inhofe." UK Increase Criticism Of China Over Treatment Of Uighurs, Hong Kong. The AP (7/19, Hui) reports Britain and China "issued new salvos of criticism against each other Sunday, with the U.K. foreign secretary hinting that he may suspend the U.K.'s extradition arrangements with Hong Kong over China's moves against the city-state." Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also accused Beijing of "gross and egregious" human rights abuses against its Uighur population. In response, the Chinese ambassador to Britain warned that China will deliver a "resolute response" to any move by Britain to sanction officials. Hong Kong Teachers That Supported Protests Fired. The Wall Street Journal (7/19, Al, Wang, Craymer, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports on its front page that teachers in Hong Kong that supported anti-government protests are being fired as China's Communist Party takes greater control in the city. Netanyahu's Corruption Trial To Begin In January. Reuters (7/19, Heller) reports Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial will begin in January "with witnesses being heard three times a week, a court decided on Sunday." Lawyers for Netanyahu "had asked for a six-month postponement to prepare their strategy," suggesting "it would be difficult to gauge the truthfulness of witnesses wearing anti-coronavirus masks." UAE Launches Its First Mission To Mars. Axios (7/19, Kramer, 521K) reports the UAE's Hope spacecraft launched Sunday on a journey to Mars, marking the nation's first mission to the planet. The Hope probe is "designed to orbit Mars and gather data about the world's weather from above." Protesters Call For Resignation Of Bulgaria's Borisov. EFTA00150262 The New York Times (7/19, Dzhambazova, Kingsley, 18.61M) reports Bulgaria is "gripped in a political crisis" set off "by the revelation that a stretch of publicly owned coast had been reserved for the private use of a prominent businessman and power broker." Tensions were "exacerbated by a steady drumbeat of embarrassing and sometimes bizarre leaks about government officials, including Prime Minister Boiko Borisov." For example, unverified photographs "recently published in the Bulgarian news media showed" him "half-naked and apparently sleeping beside a handgun" with his "bedside table stuffed with bank notes and gold bars." Thousands of Bulgarians "have gathered since last Thursday in a central square in Sofia" to call for his resignation. Maksad: Arab World Needs US Support. Firas Maksad, a professor at George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs, writes in the Wall Street Journal (7/19, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) that Arab states are confronting a violent breakdown of order that he says is the result of regimes' failure to provide basic services and protection. Maksad urges the US to provide support to Arab regimes, arguing it is in their best interest. WSJournal Criticizes Media Coverage Of State Department Rights Report. A Wall Street Journal (7/19, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) editorial criticizes media coverage of last week's release of a State Department report highlighting the importance of "unalienable rights" in U.S. foreign policy. State Department Declares El-Beblawi Immune From Torture Lawsuit Filed By US Citizen Once Imprisoned In Egypt. The Washington Post (7/17, Hsu, 14.2M) reports the State Department has declared that former Egyptian Interim Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi, who now serves on the executive board of the International Monetary Fund, "should be immune from a federal lawsuit brought by a U.S. citizen seeking to hold him liable for torture, according to court filings Friday. The decision followed allegations of a diplomatic pressure campaign by the government of Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi to block the lawsuit," which was filed by 32-year-old Mohamed Soltan, "a Washington-based human rights advocate who was imprisoned for 21 months in Cairo" and whose Egyptian relatives have been imprisoned by authorities there since he filed the suit. Satellite Images Showing Water Pouring Into Nile Dam Reservoir Exacerbates Dispute Between Ethiopia, Egypt. The New York Times (7/18, Walsh, 18.61M) reports, "Satellite images released this week showed water pouring into the reservoir behind the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam," the "towering, $4.5 billion hydroelectric dam" that extends across the Nile, in "a moment that Ethiopians have anticipated eagerly for a decade - and which Egyptians have come to dread." For nearly 10 years, "Egypt has been negotiating with Ethiopia over how the dam should be filled and operated. The latest, last-ditch effort ended inconclusively on Monday, and the satellite photos, combined with news reports from Ethiopia, fueled speculation that the dam's reservoir had, in fact, begun to fill up." However, "Seleshi Bekele, the Ethiopian water minister, rushed to assuage Egyptian anxieties by insisting that the engorging reservoir was the product of natural, entirely predictable seasonal flooding." THE BIG PICTURE Headlines From Today's Front Pages. EFTA00150263 Wall Street Journal: Congress To Start Negotiations On Next Round Of Coronavirus Aid US Companies Lose Hope For Quick Rebound From Covid-19 "A Powerful Force": Tesla's Momentum Leads Stock-Market Surge Winning Streak Of Big Cities Fades With 2020 Crises How Much Should Parents Help Their Kids Find Jobs? Hong Kong Teachers Fired And Afraid As China Targets Liberal Thinkers New York Times: As Trump Ignores Virus Crisis, Republicans Start To Break Ranks Amid A Deadly Virus And Crippled Economy, One Form Of Aid Has Proved Reliable: Food Stamps Vulnerable Border Community Battles Virus On 'A Straight Up Trajectory' Europe Said It Was Pandemic-Ready. Pride Was Its Downfall. Special Interests Mobilize To Get Piece Of Next Virus Relief Package How Buying Beans Became A Political Statement Washington Post: Trump Defends Actions On Virus Biden May Defy Norms With Vice President Pandemic Exposes America's Flaws And Fissures Lights Go Out On Lebanon's Economy Vaccine Skeptics Fuel Black Mistrust Virus Relief Raises Heat On At-Risk GOP Senators Financial Times: EU Leaders Struggle To Break Summit Logjam Over Virus Recovery Fund EY Warned Wirecard That Special Audit Risked Misinterpretation Biden Eyes Historic Opportunity As Trump's Star Wanes In Texas Argentine President Tells Creditors: "We Can't Do Any More" Washington Times: Rural Oregon Seeks To Join Idaho As Portland Rioting Escalates BLM Protesters Target Upstate New York Church Based On Internet Image Of Racism NIH's Shark Tank'-Style Competition Helps Develop Rapid Coronavirus Test Black Members Of Congress Call On Trump To Act In Honor Of John Lewis, Stop Division Trump Calls Fauci An 'Alarmist,' But Takes Responsibility For Impact Of Pandemic Iranian Dissidents Rally For Regime Change In Tehran Story Lineup From Last Night's Network News: ABC: Trump-Pandemic; Coronavirus-Rising US Cases; Oregon-Portland Protests; Election 2020; Florida-Triple Murder; Severe Weather; Coronavirus-NFL; Canada-Rollover Incident; Coronavirus-MLB; Milwaukee-Dog Parade Held For Child's Birthday. CBS: Coronavirus-Rising US Cases; Trump-Pandemic; Remembering John Lewis; Oregon- Portland Protests; Japan-Marines Test Positive For Virus; Coronavirus-Vaccine; UK-Princess Beatrice Wedding Pictures; Coronavirus-Coin Shortage; Coronavirus-Latino Community; Ford- Bronco New Release. NBC: Trump-Pandemic; Coronavirus-Rising US Cases; Oregon-Portland Protests; Remembering John Lewis; Coronavirus-MLB; Coronavirus-Wellness Visits For Kids; Severe Weather; Nation's First Black Female Doctor Honored; Virginia-Middle School Library Delivers Books By Drone. Network TV At A Glance: EFTA00150264 Coronavirus - 19 minutes, 0 seconds Trump-Pandemic - 9 minutes, 45 seconds Oregon-Portland Protests - 6 minutes, 5 seconds Story Lineup From This Morning's Radio News Broadcasts: ABC: New Jersey-Federal Judge's Husband & Son Murdered; Coronavirus-Rising Cases; White House-Pandemic Response; Roger Stone-Racial Slur. CBS: Coronavirus-Rising Cases; Trump-Pandemic; Oregon-Portland Protests; Severe Weather; UAE-Mars Orbiter; Stocks. FOX: Trump-Pandemic; Trump-Schools; Coronavirus-Rising Cases; Stocks. NPR: Coronavirus-US Deaths; EU-Stimulus Program Meeting; Oregon-Portland Protests. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE Today's Events In Washington. White House: • President Trump — Participates in a roundtable with supporters of a joint fundraising committee • Vice President Pence — No public schedule released US Senate: • Senate debates OMB director nominee - Senate convenes and proceeds to executive session to resume consideration of the nomination of Russell Vought to be Office of Management and Budget Director * Motion to invoke cloture on the nomination passed by 47 votes to 44 earlier this month Location: U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC; 3:00 PM • Senate returns after Independence Day State Work Period US House: • House meets for legislative business - House of Representatives meets for legislative business, with agenda for the week including consideration of 'H.R. 7608, State, Foreign Operations, Agriculture, Rural Development, Interior, Environment, Military Construction, and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2021' Location: U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC; 10:00 AM • House Oversight and Reform subcommittee hearing on `how coronavirus exposed outdated federal IT systems' - Government Operations Subcommittee hearing on 'Federal IT Modernization: How the Coronavirus Exposed Outdated Systems', with testimony from Information Technology Industry Council Senior Vice President of Policy Gordon Bitko; Alliance for Digital Innovation Executive Director Matthew Cornelius; MeriTalk founder Steve O'Keeffe; and New America Director of Strategy for Public Interest Technology Hana Schank; 1:30 PM Cabinet Officers: • Secretary of State Pompeo begins UK / Denmark trip - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo begins trip to the UK and Denmark, with agenda including meeting Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in London to discuss global priorities including the coronavirus (COVID-19) economic recovery plans, issues related to China and Hong Kong, and the U.S.-UK Free Trade Agreement negotiations, and meeting Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen to discuss matters including coronavirus and China plus meeting Danish Foreign Affairs Minister Jeppe Kofod, Faroese Foreign Affairs and Education Minister Jenis av Rana, and Greenlandic Foreign Affairs and Energy Minister Steen Lynge to discuss 'opportunities for closer cooperation between the U.S. and Denmark in key areas of mutual concern' EFTA00150265 Visitors: • No visitors scheduled This Town: • Atlantic Council online discussion on hydrogen and a clean energy recovery - Hydrogen: Transatlantic opportunity for a clean energy recovery' Atlantic Council Global Energy Center and Hydrogen Council online discussion, on transatlantic opportunity for developing a hydrogen economy amid the post-pandemic clean energy recovery, with Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy for Transportation Michael Berube, Siemens Energy President and CEO Christian Bruch, Cummins Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger, and European Commission Directorate-General for Energy Renewables and Carbon Capture, and Storage Policy Unit Head Paula Abreu Marques; 10:00 AM • CSIS online discussion on `Russian Influence Activities in Europe' -'Russian Influence Activities in Europe' Center for Strategic and International Studies online event, on Russia's influence activities in the UK, Europe, and Europe's southern neighborhood, with UK Ambassador to the U.S. Amb. Dame Karen Pierce and The Guardian Foreign Correspondent Luke Harding * Coincides with the release of a CSIS report on Russian and Chinese influence activities in Europe and the Indo-Pacific; 12:00 PM 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, Gfl< 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. 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