EFTA00160751.pdf

From: ' To:" "< Subject: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] - [EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Public Affairs News Briefing Monday, May 17, 2021 Date: Mon, 17 May 2021 10:26:10 +0000 c Importan e: Normal Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com. FBI News Briefing TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: MONDAY, MAY 17, 2021 6:30 AM EDT TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • DarkSide Operations Shutting Down. CAPITOL VIOLENCE NEWS • At Least 411 Suspects Have Been "Swept Up" In Probe Regarding Capitol Attack. • Capitol Siege Defendant To Appear In Court After Allegedly Shooting Mountain Lion During Release. • Washington Man Charged In Capitol Siege Probe. • Prosecutors Say Proud Boys Formed Smaller Group For January 6. • Prosecutors Say Texas Capitol Siege Suspect Avoided FBI For 20 Days. • New York Man Charged In Capitol Siege Probe. • Arkansas Man Charged In Capitol Riot Probe. • Deal Reached On Establishment Of Jan. 6 Commission. • Rep. Gohmert Says Capitol Siege Was Not An "Armed Insurrection." • Upton Criticizes Republican Efforts To Downplay January 6 Attack. PROTESTS • Arraignment For Ex-Officers Charged With Breaching Floyd's Constitutional Rights Scheduled For July. • Portland, Oregon Mayor "Grateful" For Biden's Reversal Of Trump Order Sending Federal Agents Amid Protests. COUNTER-TERRORISM • FBI, DHS Report Finds Deaths At Hands Of Racially Motivated Extremists On The Rise In US. • DHS Officials Outline Plan To Analyze Social Media To Understand Extremist Narratives. • Capitol Siege Fuels Congressional Debate Over Domestic Terror Laws. • WPost Analysis: Far-Right People Of Color Challenge Media Representations. • Prosecutors Say Texas Bomber Detailed Activities, Filmed Blasts On YouTube Channel. • Florida Man Pleads Guilty To Facilitating Bomb-Making Video For IS. • Joint Base Andrews Takes Man Who Claimed He Had A Bomb In His Car Into Custody. • Bomb-Making Materials Found In Connecticut Home. • US Joins Worldwide Effort To Curb Extremist Violence Online. • Lawmakers Seek Release Of FBI Documents On Saudi 9/11 Links. EFTA00160751 • Guantanamo Detainee Agrees To Give Up Right To Give Testimony On Alleged CIA Interrogation Program. • Air Marshal National Council Criticizes Use Of Federal Air Marshals For Congressional Security Over "High Risk" Flights. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE • NYTimes Analysis: Private Spying Increasingly "Manipulating The News." • Former Ohio State Professor Sentenced To 37 Months In Prison For Scheme To Share Work With China. • Former Army Captain Sentenced To 15 Years for Spying For Russia. • Opinion: Immigrants "Critical" To Intelligence Community's Success. • Russia Designates US, Czech Republic "Unfriendly States," Limiting Embassy Hires. • Blinken Expected To Focus On Climate Change And Russia During Overseas Trip. • Space Force Officer Removed After Claiming Marxism Is Invading Military. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • Florida Politician Tied To Gaetz Probe Pleads Guilty To Six Charges, Agrees To Cooperate With Feds. • Hearing Regarding Ghaisar Shooting Set For August. • Police Shooting Of Rugby Player In Hawaii Turns Into "Cause Calèbre" In South Africa. • Politico Analysis: Numerous Women Played Key Role In Enabling Epstein's Sex Trafficking Ring. • CVS Employee Charged With Stealing COVID Vaccination Cards. • Police Identify Man Arrested In Connection With Slaying Of Texas Four-Year-Old. • FBI Probing Round Of Shootings In Portland, Oregon. • US Charges New Jersey Woman With Threatening FBI Informant In Drug Case. • Albuquerque, New Mexico Police Identify Two Victims In Triple Homicide Probe. • FBI Issues Alert On Missing 12-Year-Old Virginia Girl. • Border Patrol Agents Fatally Shoot Man In California After Pursuit. • Armed Carjackers Rob Ohio Woman Who Had Been Held Captive For A Decade. • Husband Of Missing Colorado Woman Filed 2020 Presidential Ballot On Her Behalf. • Police Say Pennsylvania Woman May Have Been Victim Of Serial Killer. • Defense Expected To Rest Case In Sex-Trafficking Trial Of Arkansas Man. • US Charges New York Man With Child Sex Trafficking. • Multiple Drug Traffickers In Georgia Enter Guilty Pleas. • Meth Case Defendant Gets Long Prison Sentence. • West Virginia Drug Investigation Leads To 12 Arrests. EMPLOYMENT • High School Students Encouraged To Apply For San Antonio FBI Teen Academy. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS • Swiss Life Holding To Pay $77.4M To Resolve US Criminal Tax Evasion Charges. • Former Massachusetts Mayor Convicted On Corruption Charges. • Georgia Man Pleads Guilty To Investment Fraud Scheme. • Subpoenas Show FBI Probe Of Pennsylvania Pension Fund Seeks Evidence Of Kickbacks, Bribery. CYBER DIVISION • Facebook Loses Challenge To Preliminary Ruling On Suspension Of EU-US Data Flows. • Cyber Deterrence, Workforce Concerns "Dominate" During House Cyber Hearing. • FTC Warns About Cryptocurrency Scams. • Warner: Bipartisan Backing For Breach-Reporting Law. • Krebs Lauds Biden's Cybersecurity Order As "A Really Ambitious Plan." EFTA00160752 • Ireland's Healthcare System Forced To Shut Down Systems After Ransomware Attack. LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES • New York City Pride Celebration Will Move To Decrease "Presence Of Law Enforcement At Its Events." • Rising Violence Leading To Increased Calls For Police Investment. • Police Departments Readying For Violent Summer. • Minneapolis Suburb In Which Wright Was Shot To Vote On Resolution Regarding Policing. • NYTimes Analysis: Custody Deaths Of Black Individuals Attributed To Sickle Cell Trait. • Police Use Of Facial Recognition Technology Prompts Increased Oversight Calls. • Biden Police Week Statement Includes Language Regarding "Deep Sense Of Distrust" With Respect To Police From Black Americans. • Death Of Black Man After Officers Used Pepper Spray, Tasers Against Him In South Carolina Detention Facility Prompts Outrage. • San Diego Officers Being Investigated After Being Captured On Video Punching Black Man. • Remains From Philadelphia Police Bombing That Officials Indicated Were Cremated Found. • Hundreds Rally In Oakland Against Anti-Asian Violence. • Axios Analysis: Federally Mandated Police Reform Linked To Surges In Violent Crime. • Pennsylvanians To Vote On Proposed Safeguards Against Racial Discrimination. • Tulsa Race Massacre Commission Removes Oklahoma Governor From Panel. • Columbus Officials Agree To Pay $10M Settlement To Hill's Family. • Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputies Indicted On Charges Asserting They Lied In Investigation. • Woman Whose Daughter Was Killed By Father Is Striving To Improve Family Court System. • Family Warned Officials About North Carolina Man's Mental State Ahead Of Police Standoff That Ended With Five Dead, Including Himself. • Deputy US Marshal Accused Of Executing Scheme "In Which He Posed Online As His Ex-Girlfriend." INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS • Reputed Drug Kingpin Pleads Guilty To Cocaine Trafficking. OTHER FBI NEWS • FBI Reclassifies 2017 Baseball Field Shooting Of Lawmakers As Domestic Terrorism. • Minnesota FBI Crisis Negotiator Discusses Navigating Hostage Situations. • Project Veritas Founder Criticizes NYTimes Over "Hit Piece." • Drug-Related Deaths In Honolulu Reached Five-Year High In 2020. • Federal Government In DC "Largely Dependent On Remote Work" During Pandemic. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • Walensky And Fauci Defend CDC's New Guidance For Masks. • Administration Turns To "Community Corps" To Bolster Vaccination Rates. • Fauci: Pandemic Has Exposed "Undeniable Effects Of Racism" In US. • WSJournal Says Warren Reveals True Reason Progressives Support Vaccine IP Waiver. • Biden Advisers Discern Political Challenge From Inflation Uptick. • Budget Deficit Climbed To $1.9T During Fiscal Year's First Seven Months. • Biden Revokes Six Trump Executive Orders. • Public Health Officials Shift Goal From Saving Doses To Vaccinating Anyone "Who Wants The Shot." • Experts Debate Best Way To Quickly Boost Less Wealthy Nations' Vaccine Supplies. • Senators To Propose Investing $52B In Domestic Semiconductor Production. • Tech Companies Urge Court To Allow H-1B Holders' Spouses To Continue To Work In The US. • Survey Suggests Americans Believe Inflation Will Surge. • HHS Diverts Over $2 Billion Toward Covering Costs Of Sheltering Unaccompanied Immigrant Children. EFTA00160753 • Scientists Relieved US Has Dodged Variant Threat So Far. • Anti-Vaccine Advocates Embrace Social Media To Spread Misinformation Online. • Ernst And Gillibrand Look To Overhaul DOD's Handling Of Sexual Assault Cases. • White House Projects Steadiness In Face Of Problems, As Republicans Portray Chaos. • Evacuations Ordered As Wildfire Nears Los Angeles. • Train Carrying Hazardous Materials Derails In Iowa. • Despite Recent Legal Defeat, NRA Retains Influence Over Gun Control Debate. • Secret Service's Recovery From Scandal During Obama Administration Said To Be Set Back By Trump. • Senate Democrats Urge Garland Not To Appeal Court Order To Release Trump Obstruction Memo. • House Republicans Pick Stefanik To Replace Cheney As Conference Chair. • Footage Shows Greene Targeting Ocasio-Cortez In 2019. INTERNATIONAL NEWS • Biden Says Administration Seeking "Sustained Calm" Between Israel And Palestinians. • UNICEF Director Asks G7 Countries To Donate COVID Vaccine Supplies. • UK Prepares For Major Reopening, But New Indian Variant Sparks Anxiety. • Some Indian States Extend Lockdowns As Bodies Of Possible COVID Victims Found Near Rivers. • Data Indicate COVID Is Killing Youngest In Brazil At Unusually High Rate. • South Africa To Expand COVID Vaccine Rollout With Pfizer Doses. • Pandemic Leading To Refugee Waves Across World. • LATimes Analysis: El Salvador's President Moving Toward Autocracy. • Burmese Anti-Junta Militia Retreats From Town. • WPost: Chinese Oppression Of Uyghurs Fits UN Definition Of "Genocide." • Sudanese Soldiers Face Civilian Prosecution After Protest Killings. • NYTimes Sees Hope For Libya. THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE • Today's Events In Washington. LEADING THE NEWS DarkSide Operations Shutting Down. The Wall Street Journal (5/14, Volz, Subscription Publication, 8.41M) reports the ransomware group DarkSide, which is accused of causing the hack on Colonial Pipeline, has told hacking associates that it will cease operations, security research firms said. On ABC World News TonightVi (5/14, story 4, 2:18, Muir, 6.01M), Erielle Reshef reported that despite DarkSide's claim, "experts we talked to say it's more likely their operations were disrupted by law enforcement." Reuters (5/14, Menn) reports that "multiple ransomware groups claimed they were shutting down or scaling back operations on Friday as the U.S. government ramped up pressure while tech companies, cryptocurrency exchanges and others worried about getting caught in the crossfire." DarkSide "said it was going out of business after losing access to some of its servers. Another major criminal gang said it would forbid encryption attacks on critical infrastructure, and forums where such gangs recruit partners said they were banning ads related to ransomware, analysts said." The New York Times (5/14, Schwirtz, Perlroth, 20.6M) reports that in a statement "written in Russian and provided to The New York Times on Friday by the cybersecurity firm Intel 471, DarkSide said it had lost access to the public-facing portion of its online system, including its blog and payment server, as well as funds that it said had EFTA00160754 been withdrawn to an unknown account. It said the group's main web page and other public- facing resources would go offline within 48 hours." The Washington Post (5/14, 10.52M) reports that the FBI "declined to comment on whether the U.S. government had played a hand in shutting down DarkSide's website. The DarkSide Leaks blog on the 'dark web' has been down since midday Thursday." CNN (5/14, Sands, Bertrand, 89.21M) reports that a pair of cyber experts "cautioned that if the site was seized by US authorities, it would likely have a notice of seizure on the site with law enforcement logos. But Dave Kennedy, a former National Security Agency hacker who now serves as president and CEO of the information security firm TrustedSec, said that depends on where the group's servers resided." The New York Post (5/14, Feuer, 7.45M) also reports on the shutdown. Incident Continues To Highlight Ransomware Debate. The Washington Post (5/15, Al, Nakashima, Lerman, 10.52M) reports the "dilemma" of paying or not paying ransom after cyberattacks "is faced by thousands of other companies, schools, governments, and other entities around the world every year." While ransomware is not new, "it really exploded in the last several years, with the rise of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin that are difficult to trace and can be transferred electronically without the assistance of banks or other institutions that are regulated by governments." USA Today (5/15, Wagner, 12.7M) reports that the "reported ransom payment" by Colonial "to cyber hackers may spur even more criminal malware attacks on critical U.S. targets, according to cybersecurity experts, and could fuel calls for a ban on such payments." ABC World News TonightVi (5/15, story 5, 0:32, Johnson, 3.64M) broadcast in another story companies are paying up in ransomware attacks at an increasing rate. The story said, "A recent report found that there's been a 300% increase in the amount of money paid in these types of attacks since 2019. And experts warn that last year alone, nearly 2,400 US government agencies, schools and healthcare facilities were targeted by ransomware attacks." Meanwhile, DHS Secretary Mayorkas and Commerce Secretary Raimondo in a CNBC (5/14, 7.34M) op-ed argue the ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline offers "an opportunity for every organization to shore up its cyber defenses." They add companies "don't have to do it alone and there are affordable solutions for every budget. That is why the Departments of Homeland Security and Commerce are working together to help businesses both prevent and respond to ransomware attacks." Lawmakers Reintroduce Pipeline Security Act. According to The Hill (5/14, 5.69M), "A bipartisan group of more than a dozen House lawmakers have reintroduced legislation to defend pipelines against cyberattacks, with the bill coming on the heels of the devastating ransomware attack that forced the shutdown of Colonial Pipeline." The Hill reports the Pipeline Security Act "would codify the responsibility of both the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's (CISA) responsibility for securing pipelines against threats," and "also require TSA to update pipeline security guidelines and conduct risk assessments, create a personnel strategy for staffing its Pipeline Security Section and improve congressional oversight of TSA's pipeline efforts." In a statement, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), who is leading the effort to pass the bill, said, "It's become clear that cyber-attacks on our critical infrastructure are national security and economic threats to the homeland." Colonial Pipeline Back To Normal Operations. CNN (5/15, Crawford, Stracqualursi, 89.21M) reports Colonial Pipeline "said Saturday that its pipeline system has returned to 'normal operations' after a crippling cyberattack forced a six-day shutdown." The company "said its team 'worked safely and tirelessly around the clock' to restore operations and thanked the White House, Department of Energy, Department of Transportation, the FBI and other government agencies for their support." The Washington Post (5/15, Shavin, 10.52M) reports "the pinch of fuel shortages and higher prices in the wake of the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack" is being felt in transportation EFTA00160755 networks. The sudden price hikes and pump shortages have "added a new layer of difficulty to what was already considered a difficult job," at a time when inventory management is an essential part of the recovery from "the pandemic recession." Indeed, "as consumer spending heats up, the economy needs more truck drivers, not fewer, especially to help alleviate the current gasoline shortages." Hiring for short-haul truck drivers has been hot since November, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but "not everyone agrees there is a driver shortage." While groups such as the National Tank Truck Carriers say the pandemic has exacerbated shortages of drivers, groups such as the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association say very high turnover rates and inadequate pay and benefits are why hiring is difficult. The Washington Post (5/15, Englund, 10.52M) reports that "even as American fossil fuel producers proudly declared the country to be energy independent once more in recent years, the energy sector has stripped redundancy out of its systems, at the risk of leaving customers in the lurch when things go wrong." From "aging" pipelines and grid networks, "often retrofitted with new technology in an effort to keep up," to the rising threats of "climate change" and "terrorism," experts say US energy infrastructure is vulnerable despite its "efficiency." The Biden infrastructure plan would introduce "an investment tax credit to spur the building of at least 20 gigawatts of new high-voltage-capacity power lines, and the creation of a Grid Development Authority to further the effort," but when it comes to adding resilience to fossil fuel transportation networks, things are "more complicated." Former deputy administrator of PHMSA Drue Pearce "said she doubts 'there is a pipeline company in the country that doesn't have a robust system' of security, though the federal government has declined to mandate them." Additional Coverage. CNBC (5/14, Sigalos, 7.34M) reports that the hack "was not the first domino to fall in a world-ending spate of sudden attacks on America's critical infrastructure, according to several cybersecurity experts who spoke to CNBC. It was more likely the product of sloppy internal security practices and a textbook hack-and-pay gone wrong." CNBC adds, "Ransomware attacks like this are common, but they typically don't aim to knock infrastructure offline. It appears as if DarkSide, like most attackers, was motivated by financial gain rather than compromising America's supply of gas." CNN Business (5/16, Duffy, 27.61M) reports that for years, "it was generally believed that only a state-supported bad actor would be able to hack into and paralyze critical US infrastructure — and that such a thing was unlikely because doing so could be tantamount to declaring war. But that's not the case anymore. DarkSide, the criminal gang that the FBI has confirmed was behind the Colonial attack, isn't believed to be state-backed." Schiff: Colonial Pipeline Attack Shows Critical Infrastructure Is Not Adequately Protected. House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff was asked on CBS' Face The NationVI (5/16, 2.36M) what the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack exposed about the country's vulnerabilities. Schiff said, "That our critical infrastructure is just not adequately protected. This is something that we knew before this attack, but now we can see so graphically, and I think it really calls upon the government to insist that a lot of this critical infrastructure that's in private hands be better protected. And if it means the government is going to have to set out minimum security standards, cybersecurity standards for private industry and critical infrastructure, then that's what we need to do. But we're all too vulnerable." Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said on CNN's State Of The UnionVi (5/16, 671K), "It's certainly a wake-up call. I led a year-long initiative for the NGA on rebuilding America's infrastructure, and part of that was focused on resiliency and on securing our energy assets and cybersecurity is a huge issue. We are going to continue to deal with the problems. This showed the vulnerability. It was just a tremendous problem that we have got to address. That's one of the reasons why we need to get a bipartisan consensus on an infrastructure bill." Gasoline Shortages Slowly Easing. Reuters (5/16) reports gasoline shortages on the East Coast "slowly eased on Sunday as the country's largest fuel pipeline network recovered from a crippling cyberattack." Reuters says, "Refiners and fuel distributors are racing to recover EFTA00160756 before the Memorial Day holiday weekend at the end of May, the traditional start of the peak- demand summer driving season." ABC World News TonightVi (5/16, story 5, 0:20, Davis, 4.06M) provided similar coverage. Barrasso Says US Needs More Pipelines. Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) said on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures (5/16), "We need more pipelines, not fewer pipelines. Pipelines are our lifeline for energy, for our economy, for jobs. This Administration has been asleep at the switch on this. If one pipeline goes down and can cause this amount of panic and these long lines, it tells you vulnerable we are." Jenkins, Jr.: Hackers Were Unwise To Mess With US Gas Prices. The Wall Street Journal (5/14, Subscription Publication, 8.41M) columnist Holman W. Jenkins, Jr. wrote that Russian hacking group DarkSide, which was responsible for the Colonial Pipeline hack, may not have known the impact the attack would have on US gasoline supplies. Jenkins said the attackers likely had little idea that freezing Colonial's HR and customer accounts data would lead to gasoline shortages across the East Coast. Jenkins said the biggest lesson from the incident belongs to the hackers, as the response sparked by the US' extreme sensitivity to gasoline prices likely was not worth the $5 million collected from Colonial. More Commentary. In his column for The Hill (5/15, 5.69M), Jonathan Turley criticizes the Administration for failing to label the Colonial hackers as terrorists. CAPITOL VIOLENCE NEWS At Least 411 Suspects Have Been "Swept Up" In Probe Regarding Capitol Attack. The Washington Post (5/15, Al, Barrett, Hauslohner, Hsu, Still, 10.52M) reports the ongoing criminal investigation concerning the January 6 attack upon the US Capitol "has swept up at least 411 suspects in what federal officials have called an unprecedented domestic attack on a branch of the U.S. government." A Post analysis of court filings indicates that "those charged publicly so far with federal crimes hail from 259 counties spread across 44 states and D.C." However, the filings reveal that even while "prosecutors build cases alleging prior planning and coordination, the majority of those facing criminal charges were not known members of self- styled militias or other organized extremist groups." CBS News (5/14, McDonald, 5.39M) reports, "Plea discussions have begun for some of the more than 400 defendants facing charges in connection with the January 6 Capitol attack, but in some cases, the sheer magnitude of the investigation is complicating efforts to move forward with cases and secure plea deals." According to CBS News, "During the discovery process, a part of the criminal case where prosecutors review and share relevant evidence with defendants, prosecutors have had to wade through an unwieldy volume of evidence from the Capitol riot - including more than 15,000 hours of body camera and surveillance video, hundreds of thousands of FBI tips and over 80,000 reports and 93,000 attachments related to law enforcement interviews and other investigative steps." WPost Analysis: House Continues To Be "Consumed By The Fallout From" Capitol Attack. A Washington Post (5/14, 10.52M) analysis discussed "a week's worth of events that demonstrated just how, four and a half months after insurrectionists supporting Donald Trump stormed the Capitol, the House is still consumed by the fallout from that horrific day." One of these events occurred on Wednesday, when a freshman Republican utilized a hearing probing "the attacks as a platform to compare the insurrection - which left five people dead, including a Capitol Police officer, and at least 140 officers injured - to tourists going through the building." The Post adds, "Later that evening, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) - whom some Democrats have accused of aiding the Jan. 6 rioters - stomped out of the House chamber and down the steps screaming at Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) about why she wouldn't debate her on policy." EFTA00160757 Capitol Siege Defendant To Appear In Court After Allegedly Shooting Mountain Lion During Release. The Hill (5/15, 5.69M) reports, "A suspect in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol is set to appear in court on Monday after he allegedly shot a mountain lion during his pre-trial release, according to court records." A judge in Washington, DC on Friday "revoked pre-trial release for Patrick Montgomery, who was arrested in Colorado in January in connection with the riot. The court found there was 'probable cause' to believe that Montgomery had committed a crime, and was 'unlikely to abide by any condition or combination of conditions of release." Federal prosecutors on Wednesday "filed a motion seeking to revoke Montgomery's pre-trial release after they were made aware that he shot a mountain lion with a .357 magnum handgun on March 31 at a wildlife park in Denver." Washington Man Charged In Capitol Siege Probe. The AP (5/14) reports from Seattle, "A suburban Seattle man has been arrested and charged with entering the U.S. Capitol with a pro-Trump mob during the Jan. 6 deadly insurrection." Joseph Elliott Zlab, 51, of Lake Forest Park, Washington, "was arrested Thursday in Everett, an FBI spokesman told The Seattle Times. Zlab was charged with one count of unauthorized entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, charging documents show." Zlab "made an initial appearance in federal court in Seattle on Thursday. According to an FBI affidavit, a man matching Zlab's description was seen in widely disseminated photographs and video entering the Capitol with the mob that forced their way into the building while Congress was certifying the 2020 presidential election results. Ten days later, the FBI received an anonymous tip that Zlab was in the Capitol that day and gave the name of Zlab's business." Prosecutors Say Proud Boys Formed Smaller Group For January 6. NBC News (5/14, Williams, 4.91M) reports, "The far-right Proud Boys designated a small group of members to plan and carry out their activities at the Capitol on Jan. 6, according to newly filed court documents that provide additional information about the group's inner workings," but "investigators have yet to establish who formulated the plan to storm the Capitol grounds and enter the building." NBC News adds, "In late December, prosecutors said, Proud Boys Chairman Enrique Tarrio announced the creation of a special chapter within the organization, calling it the Ministry of Self Defense. Its members included Tarrio and four men since charged with conspiracy in the Capitol siege - Ethan Nordean of Washington state, Joseph Biggs of Florida, Zachary Rehl of Pennsylvania, and Charles Donohoe of North Carolina." The Philadelphia Inquirer (5/14, Roebuck) reports, "A week before the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot, top leaders of the Proud Boys convened a video chat to discuss the organization's plans for Washington that day. And Zach Rehl, president of the group's Philadelphia chapter, took a leading role in guiding that conversation, federal prosecutors now say." The Inquirer adds, "Hoping to avoid mistakes from past rallies that had devolved into open street brawls with far-left activists, the group decided this time they would maintain a lower profile. They'd leave their traditional black-and-gold polo shirts at home, equip themselves with encrypted radios, and focus their attentions on riling up Inormies' - or unaffiliated supporters of President Donald Trump - they could hide behind. 'We're doing a completely different operation,' Rehl allegedly told the others. 'There's gonna be a lot of contingencies and plans that are laid out. There's gonna be teams that are gonna be put together." The Los Angeles Times (5/16, Read, 3.37M) reports on Nordean's role. Prosecutors Say Texas Capitol Siege Suspect Avoided FBI For 20 Days. The San Antonio Express-News (5/14, 685K) reports, "A former Kerrville man and his girlfriend who were accused of forcing their way into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 with other rioters allegedly fled Texas and tried to stay 'off the grid' to evade the FBI, federal prosecutors said." EFTA00160758 Bradley Stuart Bennett "turned himself in 20 days after the FBI went to the Kerrville home he shared with then-girlfriend Elizabeth Rose Williams to arrest them both. His lawyer, Al Watkins, asserted during a hearing in Washington, D.C., that Bennett was not trying to elude authorities. Watkins said Bennett was moving from Texas to his home state of North Carolina after breaking up with Williams." Bennett and Williams "are charged with violent entry and disorderly conduct and knowingly entering a restricted building." New York Man Charged In Capitol Siege Probe. The Herkimer (NY) Times Telegram (5/14) reports, "A New Hartford man has been charged in connection with the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, according to federal court filings." Eric Bochene, 49, "is charged with two counts of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and two counts of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Bochene was arrested Thursday and had his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on Friday, according to the U.S. Department of Justice." The Times Telegram adds, "The FBI was first notified of Bochene's possible presence at the Capitol after the Albany field office received several tips, prompting an investigation. The field office first received an anonymous tip from someone who heard 'Eric Bochenek' had contacted a mutual acquaintance to brag he was one of the first people in the Capitol, charging documents said." Arkansas Man Charged In Capitol Riot Probe. The Arkansas Times (5/16, Brantley, 61K) reports that JT Mott, of Yellville, Arkansas, "has been charged with being among the insurrectionists who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6." Mott was charged on May 11. Federal prosecutors said Mott was charged on May 11 "with two counts each of knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building without authority and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds." The Times adds that "the case was helped by information from other witnesses and Facebook photos and messages. Much of the information provided concerned another unidentified person who, witnesses told the FBI, traveled with Mott to Washington from El Reno, Okla. The FBI statement said they'd also found a Facebook post by Mott's wife indicating his plans to travel to Washington for Jan. 6 and a GoFundMe account to raise money to pay for the trip to support 'protesting corruption." Deal Reached On Establishment Of Jan. 6 Commission. The AP (5/14, Jalonick, Freking) reports "the top Democratic and Republican members of the House Homeland Security Committee have reached an agreement on legislation to form a bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol." According to the AP, "Under the terms of the agreement announced Friday, the commission would have an equal number of Democrats and Republicans, five from each party. It would have subpoena power and be charged with issuing a final report by Dec. 31, along recommendations to prevent future attacks." Axios (5/14, 1.26M) says, "Legislation will establish a 10-person bipartisan commission. Five commissioners, including the chair, will be appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. The other five, including the vice chair, will be appointed by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell." In a statement, House Homeland Security Chair Benny Thompson said, "Inaction - or just moving on - is simply not an option." According to Axios, Thompson "negotiated the deal with" ranking member John Katko (R-NY). However, the Washington Post (5/14, 10.52M) says, "While Democrats and some Republicans cheered the announcement, GOP leaders remained dismissive, arguing that a commission had to be tasked with investigating more than just the insurrection if its intention was truly to make the Capitol and its people safer." According to the Post, "Earlier negotiations between...Pelosi and congressional GOP leaders broke down when Republicans demanded that the panel look into far-left radicalism as well." Reuters (5/14) reports that McCarthy "told EFTA00160759 reporters that he had not signed off on the lawmakers' deal and said the commission should look at events that came before and after Jan. 6, including an unrelated incident in April when a motorist rammed a car into a pair of Capitol Police officers, killing one." The New York Times (5/14, Fandos, 20.6M) reports that Democrats also "plan to move ahead with a vote on a bill that would provide $1.9 billion to bolster the Capitol's defenses and police force, reimburse the National Guard and other law enforcement for protecting the complex in the attack's aftermath and cover costs related to the coronavirus pandemic." According to the Times, "Republican leaders have not yet endorsed the spending either, calling it premature." Bloomberg (5/14, Dennis, 3.57M) reports that House Majority Leader Hoyer's office" said the full chamber next week will vote on the bill setting up the commission." Katko, "one of the Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump," said, "We have a fair, solid bill that will deliver answers on the federal response and preparedness to ensure nothing like this happens ever again." Rep. Gohmert Says Capitol Siege Was Not An "Armed Insurrection." The Hill (5/14, Castronuovo, 5.69M) reports, "Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), a staunch ally of former President Trump, argued Friday there was no evidence that the Jan. 6 mob attack at the Capitol was an 'armed insurrection,' despite multiple rioters being charged with unlawful possession of firearms and other weapons." Gohmert "made the comment in remarks from the House floor after arguing that the FBI was 'unfairly' targeting supporters of the former president and that the Justice Department under President Biden is 'criminalizing political protests, but only political protests by Republicans or conservatives." Gohmert is quoted as saying, "There's no evidence ... that this was an armed insurrection. Not one person has been charged with bringing a firearm to the Capitol ... no one brought a gun into this building." The Hill adds, "Gohmert's comments come despite the fact that multiple people charged in connection to the Jan. 6 attack have been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm or dangerous weapon." Upton Criticizes Republican Efforts To Downplay January 6 Attack. CNN (5/16, Cole, 89.21M) reports on its website that Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) "called out an effort by some of his GOP colleagues to downplay the Capitol insurrection" on Sunday, "saying their 'bogus' claims about the deadly attack are evidence of a need to establish a bipartisan commission to investigate the incident." Upton said on CNN, "It's absolutely bogus. You know, I was there. I watched a number of the folks walk down to the White House and then back. I have a balcony on my office. So I saw them go down. I heard the noise - the flash bangs, I smelled some of the gas as it moved my way." Upton's comments "come as a rift in his party grows between members who are offering an inaccurate account of the insurrection and those who have consistently condemned the violence on January 6 while also casting blame on former President Donald Trump and his 2020 election lies for the attack." Axios (5/16, Rummler, 1.26M) reports the some GOP lawmakers "have attempted to downplay the Jan. 6 insurrection, which left five people dead, by saying the mob was similar to 'a normal tourist visit' and calling pro-Trump rioters 'peaceful patriots." The Hill (5/16, Schnell, 5.69M) reports that House Homeland Security Committee leaders "reached an agreement on Friday for legislation to establish a bipartisan 9/11-style commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack." PROTESTS Arraignment For Ex-Officers Charged With Breaching Floyd's Constitutional Rights Scheduled For July. EFTA00160760 The Washington Post (5/14, 10.52M) reported a scheduling order put out on Friday by US District Magistrate Judge Tony Leung indicated, in the Post's words, that ex-Minneapolis police officers Thomas Lane, Tou Thao, and J. Alexander Kueng - who were charged with breaching George Floyd's constitutional rights during a deadly May 2020 arrest - are going to "be arraigned on federal civil rights charges July 14 in Minneapolis, followed by an Aug. 2 trial to be held at the federal courthouse in St. Paul." However, a revised schedule that was filed subsequently "said the trial would occur on a 'date to be determined." Portland, Oregon Mayor "Grateful" For Biden's Reversal Of Trump Order Sending Federal Agents Amid Protests. Fox News (5/16, Stimson, 23.99M) reports, "Portland, Oregon, Mayor Ted Wheeler said Saturday he was grateful for the White House's 'support' after President Biden reversed a Trump administration order that allowed federal agents to intervene in the city's riots last summer. 'Thankful for the support of the current administration,' the embattled mayor, who narrowly won reelection, pointedly wrote on Twitter." Fox News adds, "The anti-rioting executive order was among several Biden reversed Friday through his own executive orders. Trump actions canceled by Biden included the former president's July order to create a garden of monuments to 'American Heroes' in response to damage to statues across the U.S. The Trump administration sent hundreds of federal agents to the Oregon city last summer to protect the federal courthouse, which had become a target of vandalism during weeks of destructive, anti- police rioting." COUNTER-TERRORISM FBI, DHS Report Finds Deaths At Hands Of Racially Motivated Extremists On The Rise In US. CNN (5/15, Wild, Sands, 89.21M) reports, "A newly released government report on domestic violent extremism warns lone wolf attackers with easily accessible weapons present the greatest terrorism threat to the US and the number of people dying at the hands of racially motivated extremists every year is on the rise since 2017." CNN adds, "The joint report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security shows 2019 was 'the most lethal year' for domestic violent extremist attacks since 1995 - with 32 people killed, 24 of them by White supremacists. The report focuses on data from 2017-2019. 'In 2019, the FBI and DHS assessed RMVEs (Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists), primarily those advocating for the superiority of the white race, likely would continue to be the most lethal DVE threat to the Homeland,' the report said." DHS, FBI Warn Domestic Extremists May Use Easing COVID Restrictions To Carry Out Attacks. Reuters (5/14) reports the Department of Homeland Security "warned on Friday that domestic extremists could take advantage of easing COVID-19 restrictions to launch attacks on a broader range of targets." ABC World News TonightVi (5/14, story 3, 0:56, Muir, 6.01M) and the CBS Evening NewsVi (5/14, story 3, 0:25, O'Donnell, 3.56M) provided similar coverage in brief broadcasts. Meanwhile, The Hill (5/14, Beitsch, 5.69M) says a joint DHS-FBI report that was released Friday "shortly after a DHS bulletin warning that easing COVID-19 restrictions could provide new opportunities for domestic extremists," cautions that "lone wolf actors pose the greatest terror threat as incidents of domestic extremism steadily rise." DHS Officials Outline Plan To Analyze Social Media To Understand Extremist Narratives. USA Today (5/14, 12.7M) reports that senior Department of Homeland Security officials have "outlined a new effort to analyze public social media posts in an effort to better understand EFTA00160761 extremist narratives and movements." This "new effort, which draws from research conducted by nonprofits, academia and the department itself, aims to identify narratives and campaigns that could lead to domestic terrorist attacks or violent incidents like the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol." New Zealand Prime Minister Urges World Leaders To Study Social Media Algorithms To Better Understand Violent Extremism. Reuters (5/14) reports, "New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Saturday that world leaders and tech firms looking to stamp out violent extremism online would need to focus efforts on understanding social media algorithms that drive content." She "was speaking at a virtual summit to mark the second anniversary of the global initiative to end online hate, called the Christchurch Call, launched by Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron in 2019 after a white supremacist killed 51 people at two mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch while live-streaming his rampage on Facebook." Capitol Siege Fuels Congressional Debate Over Domestic Terror Laws. The Hill (5/16, Gangitano, Neidig, 5.69M) reports, "The White House's focus on rising domestic extremism has sparked a debate over whether the U.S. needs new laws to fight it, with some groups concerned that such measures could lead to over surveillance of communities of color and infringe on First Amendment rights." According to The Hill, "The Jan. 6 riot that overran the Capitol and left multiple people dead has prompted the Biden administration and Democrats in Congress to prioritize white supremacists and various right-wing anti-government extremists as a top national security concern. It's still unclear how much momentum is behind any potential new domestic terrorism statute or what it would ultimately look like, but lawmakers' focus on the issue is already prompting debate about whether such legislation is needed and if it could do more harm than good." The Hill adds, "Civil rights advocates are concerned that any bill adding punitive measures or increasing surveillance powers would expand a national security and law enforcement regime that some say is already overpowered and often focuses its force on disadvantaged groups in the U.S." WPost Analysis: Far-Right People Of Color Challenge Media Representations. The Washington Post (5/16, 10.52M) provides a profile of the small, but symbolic, community of far-right people of color, who "[are] at odds with images of White guys in self-styled militias wearing camouflage in the woods." Former Marine Brandon Rapolla is identified as one member. Rapolla "has participated in four armed standoffs with the federal government, including the 'Bundy Ranch' episode in 2014," and he "was active in two far-right factions - the Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters." Prosecutors Say Texas Bomber Detailed Activities, Filmed Blasts On YouTube Channel. The Dallas Morning News (5/16, Jennings, 772K) reports, "Like many, Nicholas Lloyd Nelson created his YouTube channel last year to show off his interest and share tips. That pastime, however, consisted of making chemical explosives in his apartment and using them to blow up trees and blast deep craters in the ground in his suburban neighborhood, according to the FBI. Nelson, 37, a convicted felon living in Bedford, is now facing a federal charge after twice being caught with explosive materials, federal court records show." Nelson "was free on bail from his first arrest in February - for possessing bomb-making material - when he exploded a homemade device on April 7 in a drainage culvert off Forest Ridge Drive in Bedford, records say. For that, he was charged in state court with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of components of explosives." Florida Man Pleads Guilty To Facilitating Bomb-Making Video For IS. The Orlando (FL) Sentinel (5/14, Hylton, 599K) reports, "A Florida man is facing 20 years in federal prison for allegedly attempting to disseminate a bomb-making video for ISIS." Romeo EFTA00160762 Xavier Langhorne, of St. Augustine, Florida "pleaded guilty Thursday of attempting to provide material support and resources for the group, according to the Department of Justice. Throughout 2018 and 2019, he affirmed his support on various social media accounts, posted ISIS-produced videos on his YouTube account, and chatted with other like-minded people about ISIS, according to the department." The Sentinel adds, "In December 2018 and January 2019, Langhorne in a chat room expressed interest in making a video on how to improve the organization's bomb-making capabilities, prosecutors say. In February 2019, Langhorne, unbeknownst to him, was talking to an undercover FBI agent posing as someone working on behalf of ISIS, the DO) reported." The Florida Times-Union (5/14, Scanlan, 244K) reports, "Federal court documents say Langhorne pledged his allegiance to ISIS at some point in 2014, knowing that it was a designated foreign terrorist organization engaged in terrorism. He reaffirmed his support in 2018 and 2019 on various social media accounts and also posted terrorist group-produced videos to his YouTube, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. In late 2018 and early 2019 he said he wanted to create a video that would show how to make use of a deadly explosive while on an online chatroom, prosecutors said." In February 2019 Langhorne "began communicating with an undercover FBI agent posing as someone working on behalf of ISIS, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Langhorne told the agent he wanted help to create and post the instructional video. He also said the video should have disclaimers that it was intended for educational use so it would not be removed from social media." Joint Base Andrews Takes Man Who Claimed He Had A Bomb In His Car Into Custody. The Hill (5/14, Axelrod, 5.69M) reports Joint Base Andrews took a man into custody on Friday after he arrived at the Maryland base and claimed he had a bomb in his car, "though no explosives have been found, officials said." According to The Hill, "Bomb-sniffing dogs did not find any explosives upon an initial sweep of the person's car. An explosive ordinance disposal robot and an officer wearing a protective suit also checked the car." Bomb-Making Materials Found In Connecticut Home. The Willimantic (CT) Chronicle (5/14, Warren) reports that a Storrs, Connecticut man "was arrested by state police this week after possible bomb-making materials, firearms, narcotics and marijuana plants were found at his residence." Scott Barber, 31, "who is a convicted felon, was charged with various firearms explosives and drug-related charges. Barber has been charged with illegal transfer and purchase of a pistol/revolver; illegal possession of exploding fireworks; illegal possession of explosives; three counts of criminal possession of firearm; two counts of illegal transfer of large cap magazine; use of drug paraphernalia; and possession of and intent to sell narcotics. 'The success of this operation was as a result of the assistance received from the state police Emergency Services Unit (ESU), state police and FBI bomb squads, Statewide Organized Crime Investigative Task Force, Eastern District Crime Squad and the Mansfield Resident Troopers office; a press release issued by state police this morning stated." US Joins Worldwide Effort To Curb Extremist Violence Online. The AP (5/14) reports French President Emmanuel Macron "and other leaders from tech giants and governments around the world - including the U.S. for the first time - gathered virtually on Saturday to find better ways to stop extremist violence from spreading online, while also respecting freedom of expression." The AP adds, "It was part of a global effort started by Macron and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern after deadly attacks in their countries were streamed or shared on social networks." The US is among the five nations that "joined the effort, known as the Christchurch Call, for the first time this year." Lawmakers Seek Release Of FBI Documents On Saudi 9/11 Links. EFTA00160763 The New York Post (5/15, Edelman, 7.45M) reports, "Pressure is building on President Biden to release secret FBI documents showing Saudi Arabia's alleged complicity in the 9/11 terror attacks, with families of the victims accusing the US government of letting a Middle East ally `get away with the murder of our loved ones." The Post adds, "A group of 22 New York and New Jersey federal lawmakers, including lone Republican Nicole Malliotakis and NY Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, sent a letter to US Attorney General Merrick Garland, challenging the `state secrets privilege' that ex-Presidents Trump, Obama and Bush invoked to block release of a classified 16-page FBI report. Relatives of those killed on 9/11 or from illnesses triggered by Ground Zero toxins applauded last week's missive." Guantanamo Detainee Agrees To Give Up Right To Give Testimony On Alleged CIA Interrogation Program. The New York Times (5/14, Al, Rosenberg, Barnes, 20.6M) reports, "A detainee at Guantanamo Bay has agreed to a deal intended to lead to his release in the next few years in return for giving up the right to question the C.I.A. in court about its torture program, United States government officials said." The agreement, "negotiated by the Pentagon official who oversees the military commissions that serve as a court for some detainees, was reached in recent weeks, and comes as a number of those who have been charged at Guantanamo are seeking to cite their abuse at the hands of the CIA as part of their defense." Air Marshal National Council Criticizes Use Of Federal Air Marshals For Congressional Security Over "High Risk" Flights. Fox News (5/14, Jeunesse, 23.99M) reports on its website that the Air Marshal National Council says some members of Congress are taking advantage of the federal security program under the TSA to divert officers from "high risk" commercial flights to escort them on their own air trips around the country, "essentially creating, in their words, a VIP `concierge service' for members." Air Marshal National Council Executive Director Sonya Hightower LoBasco says, "Air marshals can only be assigned to high-risk flights. That means flights that have been deemed through our vetted process that have a security risk. When these processes are violated and they're taken advantage of and they are just tossed to the side now as if they don't matter, we're really looking into creating a major problem for ourselves in the aviation domain." The main concern is that escorting members of Congress is not the "primary mission" of federal air marshals. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE NYTimes Analysis: Private Spying Increasingly "Manipulating The News." A New York Times (5/15, Meier, 20.6M) article adapted from the book "Spooked: The Trump Dossier, Black Cube and the Rise of Private Spies" says "private spying has boomed into a renegade, billion-dollar industry, one that is increasingly invading our privacy, profiting from deception and manipulating the news." According to the article, "Hired spies feed journalists story tips or documents and use reporters to plant stories benefiting a client without leaving their fingerprints behind." Moreover, in addition to being frequently sensational, the information private spies peddle can be impossible to probe or be false. Former Ohio State Professor Sentenced To 37 Months In Prison For Scheme To Share Work With China. The AP (5/14) reported, "A medical researcher and professor who pleaded guilty to what prosecutors called a sophisticated scheme to transfer U.S.-backed research to China was sentenced Friday to 37 months in federal prison." Song Guo Zheng, "58, who had been working most recently at Ohio State University, will also have to pay $3.4 million in restitution to the EFTA00160764 National Institutes of Health and nearly $414,000 to the college." Zheng and his research groups "secured more than $4.3 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health for projects while receiving overlapping funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, according to a criminal complaint." Also reporting were the Columbus (OH) Dispatch (5/14, Kovac, 526K), the Daily Caller (5/14, Yuldoshboev, 375K), the Washington Examiner (5/16, Dunleavy, 888K), and the Washington Times (5/14, Gertz, 626K). Former Army Captain Sentenced To 15 Years for Spying For Russia. The Washington Post (5/14, Jackman, Weiner, 10.52M) reports, "A former captain in the U.S. Army Special Forces who last year admitted to spying for Russia was sentenced Friday to more than 15 years in prison by a federal judge in Alexandria." Peter Dzibinski Debbins, 46, "pleaded guilty in November to the espionage-related charge of conspiracy to gather or deliver defense information to aid a foreign government. He was living in Manassas, Va., before his August arrest, which followed a failed polygraph test, court records show. `He conspired with the Russian intelligence agents for his entire service in the U.S. Army; prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo." The Post adds, "In court filings, Debbins said he was motivated by a combination of familial loyalty, financial opportunity and personal grievance against the U.S. Army." The Washington Examiner (5/14, Dunleavy, 888K) reports, "Prosecutors said Debbins provided Russia access to information about U.S. troop deployments on the Russian border and details about his fellow service members to help Russia approach them for recruitment, and the Russians encouraged Debbins to join the military and the special forces, which he did, and then to get a job in the U.S. government. Debbins pleaded guilty in a socially distanced courtroom in the Eastern District of Virginia in November. 'Debbins violated his oath as a U.S. Army officer, betrayed the Special Forces, and endangered our country's national security by revealing classified information to Russian intelligence officers, providing details of his unit, and identifying Special Forces team members for Russian intelligence to try to recruit them as spies,' John Demers, the assistant attorney general for DOJ's National Security Division, said Friday." Inside NoVa (VA) (5/16, 28K) reports, "From 1998 to 2005, Debbins served on active duty as an officer in the U.S. Army, serving in chemical units before being selected for the U.S. Army Special Forces. The Russian intelligence agents encouraged him to join and pursue a career in the Special Forces, where he attained the rank of Captain. Over the course of the conspiracy, Debbins provided Russian intelligence agents with information he obtained as a member of the U.S. Army, including sensitive details about his chemical and Special Forces units, federal prosecutors said." Opinion: Immigrants "Critical" To Intelligence Community's Success. In an op-ed for The Washington Examiner (5/15, 888K), former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos writes that although politics is "once again subsumed by the immigration debate," those such as his former colleagues "who immigrated from all over the world were rich in language and cultural understanding, providing an invaluable addition to the intelligence community." It is, he writes "a matter of fact that CIA Director William Burns presides over a talent pool in which immigrants must play an outsize role in defending this great nation." Polymeropoulos argues that, "Love of country runs deep in the intelligence community immigrant experience," and that the "requirement for diversity, as personified precisely by the immigrant experience, truly is our secret weapon." He concludes that Americans must "remember that our intelligence community immigrants succeeded in America because America gave them an opportunity," and that some will, if "given the chance, serve America with valor and glory in the future." EFTA00160765 Russia Designates US, Czech Republic "Unfriendly States," Limiting Embassy Hires. Reuters (5/14) reported the Russian government announced Friday it has officially designated the US and Czech Republic as what it called "unfriendly" states, and "that US diplomatic missions could no longer employ local staff while Czech missions." Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law "last month to limit the number of local staff working at foreign diplomatic missions and other agencies, and ordered the government" to draft a list of "unfriendly" states subject to the restrictions. The Czech Foreign Ministry "said on Friday the Russian decision was at odds with an international agreement committing countries to enable orderly functioning of diplomatic missions." Reuters (5/16, Lopatka) wrote separately that Russia's move is silly, "Czech President Milos Zeman said on Sunday, following a chill in ties between the two countries as a result of an intelligence dispute." Relations between the two countries "deteriorated sharply" last month after "the Czech government accused Russian military intelligence of causing a 2014 blast at an ammunition depot which killed two people, and expelled dozens of Russian diplomats from Prague." During a radio interview with Frekvence 1, Zeman said, "It is silliness from the Russian side, because making enemies from former friends is a mistake. If there cannot be friendship, then there should at least be correct relations." Blinken Expected To Focus On Climate Change And Russia During Overseas Trip. Axios (5/14, Freedman, 1.26M) reports that Secretary of State Blinken is "scheduled to travel to Denmark, Iceland, and Greenland this weekend to address Arctic policies amid sweeping climate change that is affecting the region." Axios adds, "While in Reykjavik, Blinken will attend the ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council, an organization created 25 years ago to foster cooperation among the eight Arctic nations at a time when Russia has been increasingly aggressive in building up its military presence in the region." According to Axios, "At his final Arctic Council ministerial meeting, then-secretary of state Mike Pompeo gave a speech that was harshly critical of China and Russia, and portrayed climate change as an economic opportunity rather than a danger" The AP (5/14) says Blinken's message "will be a marked change from the Trump administration, which had urged the group to take commercial advantage of global warming." The AP also notes that in Reykjavik, Blinken will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov "in the first high-level face-to-face talks between Moscow and Washington since President Joe Biden took office." But the AP says "despite the focus on Russia, Blinken plans to make climate change a main priority of his participation in the Arctic Council foreign ministers' meeting." Egan: Water Shortages At Hoover Dam's Lake Mead Foreshadow Looming Global Water Crisis. In a guest essay for the New York Times (5/14, 20.6M), contributing Opinion writer Timothy Egan says that the Hoover Dam's Lake Mead is "the world's largest heart monitor" and "right now, it's showing extreme distress." He warns that "within a few months, water levels are projected to reach a critically low threshold that will force cutbacks throughout the system." He says, "So long as the world continues to warm, no amount of new dams can resuscitate a gasping resource. Doing all the right things - growing more food and building smarter communities with less water - can only go so far." Obama Climate Scientist Rejects Climate Doom-Mongering. In his column for the Washington Post (5/14, 10.52M), Marc Thiessen highlights several climate-related facts published by Steven E. Koonin in the context of recent comments to Congress by US climate envoy John F. Kerry, who "delivered a dire warning Wednesday on `the mounting costs...of global warming and of a more volatile climate." The assessments by Koonin, one of the Obama Administration's top climate scientists, "all are based on official assessments published by the U.S. government or United Nations." While he said in an interview to the Post that "the globe is warming...partly due to natural phenomena and partly due to growing human influences," he also argued that "the terrifying predictions of increasingly violent weather and coastal cites EFTA00160766 drowned beneath rising seas are overblown," along with "the predictions of climate-induced economic devastation." Moreover, "the idea that we can stop climate change, Koonin argues, is delusional." Space Force Officer Removed After Claiming Marxism Is Invading Military. The New York Post (5/16, Fitz-Gibbon, 7.45M) reports Space Force Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier "has been removed from his post - after he went on a podcast to claim that Marxism is invading the military, according to a report." Lohmeier, "commander of the 11th Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado," was "temporarily reassigned after going on a podcast and touting his book, 'Irresistible Revolution: Marxism's Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military,' according to military.com." On its website, CNN (5/16, Holmes, Starr, 89.21M) reports Lohmeier's book "alleges that Marxist ideologies are becoming widespread within the armed forces. He expounded on those concerns in the podcast." Lohmeier said, "Since taking command as a commander about 10 months ago, I saw what I consider fundamentally incompatible and competing narratives of what America was, is and should be. ... That wasn't just prolific in social media, or throughout the country during this past year, but it was spreading throughout the United States military. And I had recognized those narratives as being Marxist in nature." CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS Florida Politician Tied To Gaetz Probe Pleads Guilty To Six Charges, Agrees To Cooperate With Feds. The Washington Post (5/14, 10.52M) reports a Florida politician regarded as being critical to the probe concerning Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) "agreed to cooperate fully with federal prosecutors and, if needed, to testify in court, as he admitted in a lengthy written plea agreement that he paid a minor to engage in sex acts with him and others, according to a copy of the document filed Friday." Joel Greenberg, "a former tax collector for Seminole County, agreed to plead guilty to six criminal charges," though "the prosecutors agreed to dismiss the other 27 counts Greenberg faced and recommend a term within federal sentencing guidelines." The Post adds that prior to taking the "plea deal, Greenberg had been outlining to prosecutors how he and Gaetz (R-Fla.) would pay women for sex, in hopes of convincing them he could be a witness against the congressman and earn a break for himself." The New York Times (5/14, 20.6M) says the plea agreement by Greenberg "provided prosecutors a potential key witness as they decide whether to charge Mr. Gaetz." Greenberg "did not implicate Mr. Gaetz by name in court papers filed by prosecutors in Federal District Court in Orlando. But Mr. Greenberg admitted that he 'introduced the minor to other adult men, who engaged in commercial sex acts' with her, according to the documents, and that he was sometimes present." On the CBS Evening NewsVi (5/14, story 4, 2:10, O'Donnell, 3.56M), correspondent Major Garrett reported that Gaetz "once called Joel Greenberg his wing man." Garrett also reported that a Gaetz spokesman said, "Congressman Gaetz doesn't seem to be named nor referenced in Mr. Greenberg's plea. Congressman Gaetz has never had sex with a minor and has never paid for sex." The Wall Street Journal (5/14, O'Brien, Subscription Publication, 8.41M) provides similar coverage Gaetz Likens Sexual Misconduct Allegations To Legislative Earmarks. NBC News (5/16, 4.91M) reports on its website that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) "told a crowd of Republican activists Saturday that sexual misconduct allegations involving him are as benign as legislative earmarks." Speaking at the Ohio Political Summit in suburban Cleveland, Gaetz said, "I'm being falsely accused of exchanging money for naughty favors. ... Yet, Congress has reinstituted a process that legalizes the corrupt act of exchanging money for favors, through earmarks, and EFTA00160767 everybody knows that that's the corruption." Gaetz's comments "came a day after Joel Greenberg, a former Florida tax official and associate of the congressman, pleaded guilty to six charges and is cooperating in a federal sex trafficking investigation." Hearing Regarding Ghaisar Shooting Set For August. The Washington Post (5/14, 10.52M) reported a federal judge scheduled "a hearing on whether manslaughter charges against two U.S. Park Police officers, for the 2017 fatal shooting of Bijan Ghaisar, should be dismissed," with the hearing slated for August 23. The Post adds, "A Fairfax County prosecutor told the judge the hearing could last five days." Ghaisar "was fatally shot by Officers Lucas Vinyard, 39, and Alejandro Amaya, 41, as he slowly maneuvered his Jeep Grand Cherokee away from them on Nov. 17, 2017, video shows." Police Shooting Of Rugby Player In Hawaii Turns Into "Cause Celebre" In South Africa. The New York Times (5/15, 20.6M) says South African rugby player Lindani Myeni "died in Honolulu after he was shot in a confrontation with the police outside a suburban house he had inexplicably entered, and then left, on the night of April 14." The Times adds, "In the United States, this police shooting of a Black man they described as a burglary suspect did not make national news." However, the shooting has turned into "a cause cel6bre" in South Africa, escalating "both criticism of racism in the United States and a feeling of solidarity with African- Americans." Politico Analysis: Numerous Women Played Key Role In Enabling Epstein's Sex Trafficking Ring. A Politico Magazine (5/14, Palmeri, 6.68M) analysis discusses the role of women in Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking ring. ." The article discusses the pattern of numerous women enabling and protecting Epstein's activities. The article says, "In Epstein's world, women both were victims of a hostile environment and sometimes also reaped the benefits of their association with him, or worse." Nevertheless, the article says, "exactly how Jeffrey Epstein got away with years of abuse remains an open question - one many of his victims are still working to expose. " CVS Employee Charged With Stealing COVID Vaccination Cards. Forbes (5/14, Durkee, 10.33M) reports, "A CVS employee in Long Island, New York, was arrested this week for stealing Covid-19 vaccination cards to distribute, Nassau County Police said Thursday, one of a growing number of people facing consequences for pushing fraudulent vaccination cards as the fake documents become a looming threat to the country's effort to eradicate the coronavirus." Zachary Honig, 21, "was arrested Tuesday on charges including petit larceny and criminal possession of a forged instrument after taking eight pre-filled vaccination cards and 54 blank ones, and CVS said in a statement they had terminated his employment and were cooperating with investigators. Authorities noted that it does not appear Honig sold any of the cards - though an investigation is ongoing - but told police he intended to sell the cards to students and 'share them with family members and friends, so that they could go into venues and possibly even use them at schools." Police Identify Man Arrested In Connection With Slaying Of Texas Four-Year-Old. The Dallas Morning News (5/16, Schnurman, 772K) reports, "An 18-year-old male was arrested in connection with the death of a 4-year-old whose body was found lying on a street in the Mountain Creek area Saturday morning, Dallas police said." Darriynn Brown "was booked into EFTA00160768 the Dallas County jail early Sunday. He is being held in lieu of $750,000 bail and faces charges of kidnapping and theft. Investigators expect additional charges after a forensic analysis has been completed, police said." The News adds, "The boy, whose identity was not released, was found shirtless and shoeless in the 7500 block of Saddleridge Drive around 7 a.m. Saturday with multiple wounds from `an edged weapon,' police said. FBI agents and police on horseback searched the area for evidence throughout much of Saturday." USA Today (5/16, Aspegren, 12.7M) reports that the FBI "was involved in the investigation into the homicide. Midaftemoon Saturday they were focusing on a wooded trail not far from where the body was found. The trail, which neighbors said is popular for biking, was sealed off with crime-scene tape." KTVT-TV Dallas (5/16) also reports on its website. FBI Probing Round Of Shootings In Portland, Oregon. The AP (5/16) reports from Portland, Oregon, "Police on Sunday were getting help from the FBI in investigating the latest round of shootings in Portland amid a `cycle of violence' that the city's police chief believes is gang-related." The AP adds, "At least three shootings were reported over the weekend. FBI agents were partnering with police to more quickly investigate all shootings in hopes of preventing retaliatory shootings that may result, which can lead to even more shootings, said Kieran Ramsey, special agent in charge of the FBI's Portland field office." The Oregonian (5/15, Russell, 1.02M) reports, "After a violent week that included three shooting homicides in Portland, the mayor, police and elected officials have sounded the alarm around gun violence, telling residents that officers will be out in force over the weekend." The Oregonian adds, "Eight Portland investigators from the newly formed Enhanced Community Safety Team and three FBI agents will be on the ground this weekend in efforts to quell the recent rise in gun violence, Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon Kieran L. Ramsey said Saturday. `We want to make sure that we in the Police Bureau are doing everything we can to make people safe; Lovell said during a virtual news conference. `There's a cycle of violence here we're trying to break." The Oregonian (5/16, Zarkhin, 1.02M) reports, "On a weekend when Portland put more officers on the street to respond to shootings and city leaders called for an end to gun violence, two shootings Sunday left a woman dead and a man seriously injured. A woman was shot in the 8000 block of North Newman Avenue around 8:30 a.m. and had died by the time Portland officers arrived on the scene, police said. That shooting came just over an hour after another, in Northwest Portland, left a man with serious injuries, police said. The shooting occurred in Old Town, police said, apparently near the intersection of Northwest Sixth Avenue and Flanders Street. The man was expected to survive his injuries, police said." US Charges New Jersey Woman With Threatening FBI Informant In Drug Case. The Asbury Park (NJ) Press (5/14, Serrano, 388K) reports that an Aberdeen, New Jersey woman "faces charges after allegedly threatening to kill an informant who was working with federal investigators in a crack cocaine distribution case." Kaitlyn R. Powers, 32, "has been charged with two counts of retaliating against a witness or informant and one count of witness tampering. The confidential source working with the FBI bought crack cocaine from Richard N. Edwards Jr. of Old Bridge in East Brunswick on Feb. 24, according to an FBI complaint in the case. The informant was wearing an audio and video recording device." Powers "is Edwards' girlfriend, according to the complaint. Edwards made various other purchases of drugs and sold them to the confidential source from January to March, according to the complaint." The Rutherford (Ni) Daily Voice (5/14) reports that Powers "took two runs at the informant, whose drug buys - particularly of crack - led directly to the arrests of two men, Richard N. Edwards Jr. of Old Bridge and Jamil J. Yasin of East Orange, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. The first time was on April 7, when Powers `confronted the confidential source in a parking lot of a convenience store in Cliffwood Beach and threatened, among other things, to have the confidential source killed in retaliation for Edwards's and Yasin's arrests; EFTA00160769 Honig said. Powers also threatened to kill the informant if she herself were charged federally, the U.S. attorney said." Powers "threatened the source again two days later in the parking lot of a Cliffwood business, Honig said. Honig credited special agents of the FBI Red Bank Resident Agency for the investigation leading to Powers's arrest on two counts of witness retaliation and one of witness tampering. She also thanked Matawan police for their assistance." Albuquerque, New Mexico Police Identify Two Victims In Triple Homicide Probe. The AP (5/16) reports from Albuquerque, New Mexico, "Authorities have released the names of two men who died in a triple homicide case." According to the AP, "Albuquerque police say 44- year-old Brandon Torres and 41-year-old James Fisher were identified as two of the victims found Wednesday in a bullet-riddled car outside a city hospital. Police said 41-year-old Richard Kuykendall was questioned and jailed on a federal charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm," but "Kuykendall has not yet been charged in the triple homicide case." The AP adds, "In a criminal complaint, the FBI said agents don't believe Kuykendall killed all three men but may be responsible for the death of one of them. The FBI also said Kuykendall has a long criminal history with 35 arrests in New Mexico and Massachusetts including assault and battery, forgery, larceny and identity theft." The Daily Beast (5/15, Melendez, 933K) reports that Kuykendall, "a suspected white supremacist is facing charges after allegedly ditching a bullet-riddled car containing three dead men in the parking lot of an Albuquerque hospital this week." Kuykendall, "a 41-year-old with an `apparent association' with the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang, was charged Friday with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition for his role in the Wednesday triple homicide, according to a criminal complaint filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for New Mexico. Prosecutors allege that after a deadly shootout in a nearby alley, Kuykendall drove to Presbyterian Kaseman Hospital with the victims, removed his shirt and told a security officer `that there were three dead guys in the Chevy' before he walked away." NBC News (5/16, Madani, 4.91M) reports that Kuykendall "is accused of stashing a pistol that came from out of state after a shootout with three men in a Chevrolet Malibu, a federal complaint filed Friday in U.S. District Court for New Mexico said. An FBI agent said in the complaint that security video shows Kuykendall's being shot at after the Chevy pulled up behind him and he tried to get inside the car. Kuykendall ducks as shots continue, the agent said in the complaint, but the video does not show him firing back." FBI Issues Alert On Missing 12-Year-Old Virginia Girl. Fox News (5/15, Calicchio, 23.99M) reports, "A 12-year-old Virginia girl has been reported missing, prompting the FBI to issue an alert on Twitter on Saturday night." Fox News adds, "The girl was identified as Olivia Grace Green, who authorities say was last seen Thursday in Powhatan, Virginia, about 137 miles south of Washington, D.C. Authorities were additionally concerned because Olivia was believed to be without some unspecified medications that she relies on, Powhatan County Sheriff Brad Nunnally said at a news briefing Saturday evening, according to WTVR-TV of Richmond, Virginia." The FBI alert "said the girl was last seen wearing a black hoodie. WTVR published a photo, shared by the sheriff's office, showing the girl wearing a black hoodie with the logo of The North Face apparel company." Border Patrol Agents Fatally Shoot Man In California After Pursuit. NBC News (5/15, Silva, 4.91M) reports, "The U.S. Border Patrol fatally shot a man in California Friday night following a vehicle pursuit, according to officials." According to NBC News, Border Patrol agents "were involved in the pursuit just before 10:30 p.m. PT, the San Diego County Sheriff's Office said. It ended at an intersection in Campo, California, with an unknown number of agents opening fire after they stopped the vehicle. Gunfire hit an unidentified man, one of three people in the vehicle being pursued, according to sheriff's Lt. Thomas Seiver. The man was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Seiver said." NBC News adds, EFTA00160770 "Multiple agencies, including the sheriff's office, the FBI and the U.S. Border Patrol, are investigating, Seiver said." Armed Carjackers Rob Ohio Woman Who Had Been Held Captive For A Decade. Fox News (5/15, Conklin, 23.99M) reports, "Gina Dejesus, a Cleveland woman who was kidnapped and held hostage for a decade, is now the victim of a carjacking incident and robbery." Fox News adds, "The FBI and Cleveland law enforcement discovered DeJesus in 2013 after she was kidnapped in 2004, according to the bureau's website," and "now, DeJesus is now the victim of another violent crime after at least two male suspects on Thursday pulled in front of her car while she was driving, forced a gun to her head and ordered her to get out of her vehicle, Fox 8 Cleveland first reported, citing local law enforcement and the FBI." The Cleveland Division of Police "is seeking the public's help to locate the vehicle, which is believed to be a silver 2015 Toyota Camry, and suspects, according to a blog post. The carjackers stole her purse, credit card and demanded she hand over her key fob, Fox 8 reported." Husband Of Missing Colorado Woman Filed 2020 Presidential Ballot On Her Behalf. The Denver Post (5/14, Phillips, 660K) reports, "The husband of missing Chaffee County resident Suzanne Morphew is accused of filing a fraudulent 2020 election ballot in his wife's name because he thought Donald Trump could use the extra vote since others were cheating." Barry Morphew, 53, "on Thursday was charged with one count of forgery and one count of a mail ballot offense in connection with his missing wife's ballot, according to an arrest warrant from the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office. On May 5, Barry Morphew was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder for his wife's disappearance." Chafee County Clerk Lori Mitchell "called the sheriff's office...after her office received Suzanne Morphew's mail-in ballot, the arrest warrant said. An FBI agent confronted Barry Morphew about the ballot in April, and he told the agent that he had filled out his missing wife's form." The Washington Post (5/15, Knowles, Vargas, 10.52M) reports that Barry Morphew "echoed Trump's false claims of election fraud as the motivation for his own alleged wrongdoing, according to an affidavit filed Thursday in court. The 53-year-old told FBI agents last month that he did it because 'all these other guys are cheating' and said his wife would have backed Trump anyway. 'I just thought, give him another vote,' Barry allegedly said. It was the latest wild twist in a widely followed missing-person case — publicized in part by Barry's emotional pleas for his wife's return - as well as in a presidential race dogged by false claims Trump lost the election due to fraud." Morphew "is charged with a felony count of forgery and a misdemeanor count of offenses related to mail ballots, court records show, on top of other charges stemming from his wife's disappearance." Police Say Pennsylvania Woman May Have Been Victim Of Serial Killer. The Harrisburg (FS) Patriot-News (5/15, 567K) reports from Drums, Pennsylvania, "A McClure woman is a victim of a 'serial killer' after a Luzerne County detective said the 43-year-old man beat and stabbed the woman to death before waiting three months to collect her skeleton and dispose of the remains in a dumpster in Columbia County." Harold David Haulman III, 43, "was arrested Friday for the murder of 25-year-old Tianna Phillips, who went missing in 2018. Haulman was charged as he walked in for a hearing in a December homicide case where he is charged with murdering Erica Shultz, 26, of Bloomsburg. In addition to those cases, investigators are also looking into his possible involvement in a 16-year-old homicide case in Michigan." Defense Expected To Rest Case In Sex-Trafficking Trial Of Arkansas Man. The Arkansas Democrat Gazette (5/14, Ellis, 309K) reports, "Following two days of testimony in the trial of Anthony Atkins, charged in federal court with sex trafficking of a minor, defense attorneys are expected to rest their case this morning and put their client's fate in the hands of EFTA00160771 the jury of 10 women and two men." Atkins, 25, "was arrested in July 2018 after the arrest the previous month of a 17-year-old girl on a prostitution charge by Little Rock police that was later tied to Atkins through cellphone records, social media accounts, online ads on an escort service site authorities said was a front for sex trafficking, and statements from the girl. The girl, identified as L.D., testified for over an hour on Wednesday, saying that Atkins had acted as her pimp, arranging sexual encounters for her and requiring her to turn over the money she was paid to him." US Charges New York Man With Child Sex Trafficking. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (5/16, Lindstrom, 245K) reports, "A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh has indicted a New York man on a charge of child trafficking, prosecutors said." Adrian Petty, 26, of Buffalo, New York "is the sole defendant in the grand jury's recently unsealed indictment, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen Kaufman said. According to the indictment, Petty was charged for having 'knowingly transported a minor victim across state lines, from New York to Pennsylvania, with the intent that the minor victim engage in prostitution and otherwise illegal sexual activity." The FBI "led the investigation with help from police from Monroeville, This case was brought forward as part of Operation T.E.N., which stands for 'Trafficking Ends Now,' a coalition formed by the U.S. Attorney's Office to foster collaboration among law enforcement, community and nonprofit partners in 25 Western Pennsylvania counties." Multiple Drug Traffickers In Georgia Enter Guilty Pleas. On its website, WALB-TV Albany, GA (5/14, Team) reported, "Multiple co-defendants involved in high-volume drug trafficking operations in" Georgia Albany "have pleaded guilty to their crimes in federal court." The pleas are the result of an investigation that was conducted by the DEA, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation "and the Albany-Dougherty Drug Unit." Meth Case Defendant Gets Long Prison Sentence. The Marysville (CA) Appeal-Democrat (5/14, 67K) reported that Vicente Velazquez has been sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison "for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine." The sentence was the result of an investigation that was conducted by the DEA, the FBI, and several law enforcement organizations in California. West Virginia Drug Investigation Leads To 12 Arrests. The Beckley (WV) Register-Herald (5/14, 59K) reported that the FBI is represented on the Beckley-Raleigh County Drug and Violent Task Force, which recently "arrested 12 people on drug charges." The arrests followed "a month-long investigation into the growing fentanyl crisis in" Raleigh County, West Virginia. EMPLOYMENT High School Students Encouraged To Apply For San Antonio FBI Teen Academy. KENS-TV San Antonio (5/15, Hurst, 185K) reports from San Antonio, Texas, "The feds want to talk with your teenager in a way that could change the course of their lifetime. San Antonio's Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking for high school students to fill their F.B.I. Teen Academy. 'This is open to high school students at any point in their high school journey,' Sara Voyard said. 'So, whether it's freshmen, sophomore, junior or seniors:" Voyard "works at the San Antontio F.B.I. She said the Teen Academy is an in-person experience starting on July 14. But class space is limited for COVID-19 compliance. 'This is a phenomenal experience that gives our teenagers in the community an opportunity to get an insider experience of the F.B.I.; she said." EFTA00160772 FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS Swiss Life Holding To Pay $77.4M To Resolve US Criminal Tax Evasion Charges. Reuters (5/14, Stempel, Hals) reports, "Swiss Life Holding AG agreed to pay $77.4 million and enter a deferred prosecution agreement to resolve a U.S. criminal case in which Switzerland's largest insurer was accused of helping wealthy American clients evade taxes." Former Massachusetts Mayor Convicted On Corruption Charges. The AP (5/14, Durkin Richer) reports from Boston, "A former Massachusetts mayor first elected at the age of 23 by touting himself as a successful entrepreneur was convicted Friday of stealing money from investors in his start-up to bankroll his lavish lifestyle and soliciting bribes from marijuana vendors who wanted to operate in the struggling mill city." Jasiel Correia "was found guilty of extortion and fraud by a jury after 23 hours of deliberations over four days in a trial that highlighted Correia's swift rise and fall in Fall River, where he had dazzled voters at a young age with his promises to turn the city around. He was also found not guilty on three counts, including accusations that he forced his chief of staff to give him half of her salary in order to keep her city job." Correia, "who insisted he was innocent and attacked the charges as politically motivated, never took the stand." Reuters (5/14, Raymond) reports, "His lawyer, Kevin Reddington, told reporters that he was `disappointed in the verdict, and we do plan to file a vigorous appeal.' He had argued at the trial that his client had `no intent to defraud.' Prosecutors said that before being elected, Correia betrayed investors who sank $363,690 into SnoOwl, a company developing an app to connect local businesses with consumers. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zach Hafer told jurors that SnoOwl was a `con,' and Correia was accused of stealing more than $231,000 to fund his campaign and a lavish lifestyle that included a Mercedes, jewelry, casino trips and adult entertainment." The Fall River (MA) Herald News (5/14, Goode, 71K) reports, "A jury of Correia's peers, after 22 hours of deliberations, found him guilty Friday of 21 of 24 federal counts. He was found guilty of all nine counts of wire fraud with regard to deceiving investors in his app company, guilty of all four counts of filing false tax returns, and guilty of extorting four marijuana business owners in exchange for the right to do business in Fall River. He was found not guilty of the two counts related to water line work done for co-conspirator Tony Costa, and of the bribery count related to former chief of staff Gen Andrade handing over a portion of her salary. Andrade has also pleaded guilty." Correia "will not be remanded to jail but he will be required to wear a GPS ankle bracelet - which he will have to pay for - and sentencing will be Sept. 20." The Taunton (MA) Daily Gazette (5/15, 33K) reports, "Nine days of testimony were filled with salacious details. Prosecutors presented evidence that Correia spent tens of thousands of dollars meant for his app company, SnoOwl, on $700 shoes, hotel rooms that cost $949 per night, strip clubs, sex toys, even a plane ticket for a one-day trip to Seattle. In the face of receipt after receipt, even defense attorney Kevin Reddington admitted that Correia spent money 'improvidently,' but insisted it was still legal." Georgia Man Pleads Guilty To Investment Fraud Scheme. The Albany WA) Herald (5/15) reports from Macon, Georgia, "A farm broker has pleaded guilty to wire fraud in a scheme to defraud an investor of up to $2.1 million." Collis Robert Todd, "aka C. Robert Todd, aka Collis Todd, aka Robert Todd, aka Robert C. Todd, 64, of Jesup, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell. `Todd deceived an investor into believing the investor's money would make legitimate gains only to find out the money was going into Todd's pockets,' Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta Chris Hacker said. `It is a stark reminder to investors to be very careful where they entrust their money. The FBI is committed to finding investment predators, no matter how clever they think their schemes are." EFTA00160773 Subpoenas Show FBI Probe Of Pennsylvania Pension Fund Seeks Evidence Of Kickbacks, Bribery. The Philadelphia Inquirer (5/16) reports, "Federal prosecutors investigating Pennsylvania's $64 billion public school pension fund are looking for evidence of kickbacks or bribery as they explore why the plan exaggerated investment returns and spent millions to amass real estate in Harrisburg." The Inquirer adds, "Subpoenas reviewed by The Inquirer and Spotlight PA demand information from the fund itself, its executive director, and at least three other senior executives. The documents lay bare the scope of the probe and reveal that prosecutors and the FBI are investigating possible 'honest services' fraud and wire fraud. The subpoenas sought grand jury testimony from fund executive director Glen Grell, chief financial officer Brian Carl, deputy chief investment officer Thomas Bauer, and chief auditing officer Mei Gentry. FBI agents have also been carrying out interviews, documents show, in the probe of PSERS, the Pennsylvania Public School Employees' Retirement System." CYBER DIVISION Facebook Loses Challenge To Preliminary Ruling On Suspension Of EU-US Data Flows. The Wall Street Journal (5/14, Pop, Subscription Publication, 8.41M) reports Facebook lost its bid challenging a preliminary EU ruling that would require the company to suspend the flow of personal data about European Union residents to computer servers back in the US. Cyber Deterrence, Workforce Concerns "Dominate" During House Cyber Hearing. NextGov (5/14, Jasper) reports Rep. Jim Langevin (R-RI), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee's cyber subcommittee, "suggested the Defense Department is not making securing the cyber domain enough of a priority in a Friday hearing that came on the heels of yet another high-profile intrusion." Gen. Paul Nakasone, head of US Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, and Mieke Eoyang, deputy assistant secretary of Defense for cyber policy answered questions from the panel. Langevin opened the hearing by "expressing his frustration that lawmakers and the witnesses alike... face an 'uphill battle to put cyber front and center in the Department." He also noted that "with all due respect to Ms. Eoyang and her spectacularly overworked team - the senior civilian for cyber is four rungs lower than her counterparts overseeing other domains," also questioning "why information operations and cyberspace operations are overseen by two different officials." MeriTalk (5/14, Johnson) reported that members "focused in on how the United States can deter such attacks, as well as how to attract talent to the cyber workforce, at a May 14 House Armed Services subcommittee hearing." The subcommittee "also planned a closed-door hearing for later in the day." Members of the subcommittee "asked Nakasone how the nation should go about deterring such attacks, and Nakasone replied that deterrence is not always about imposing direct costs." The subcommittee also questioned "Nakasone and Eoyang on the best ways to attract and maintain talent in the cyber workforce." Both mentioned that "there has been progress on that front, noting that the cyber excepted service program has helped Cyber Command to recruit talent." Nakasone also "noted that Cyber Command has dramatically cut the amount of time it takes to go through the hiring process - reducing it by half in some cases." FTC Warns About Cryptocurrency Scams. On NBC Nightly NewsVi (5/14, story 8, 1:40, Holt, 4.72M), correspondent Tom Costello reported that "digital cryptocurrencies have exploded in value and popularity with many Americans eager to get in on the action. But federal investigators say a wild west culture has led to a massive spike in cryptocurrency scams. Since October, nearly 7,000 people have reported losses of more than $80 million. The median loss $1,900." The Federal Trade EFTA00160774 Commission "says victims are often lured to bogus websites promising big returns for crypto investors." Federal Trade Commission Acting Chairwoman Rebecca Kelly Slaughter said, "People read about Bitcoin. They have a general sense of what it is and the fact that it's gone up in value and they want a piece of the action. These scammers know that and they prey on it." Warner: Bipartisan Backing For Breach-Reporting Law. The Hill (5/16, Choi, 5.69M) reports that SSCI Chair Mark Warner (D-VA) "said in an interview that aired Sunday that enacting laws for reporting cyber breaches is 'one of the few areas left where there's broad bipartisan support." Warner told Greta Van Susteran, "Democrats, Republicans working on this. The business community has actually changed their position. As long as people can confidentially, and they get some limited immunity, and we already have those provisions on voluntary ... reporting, I think we can get this done." Politico (5/15, Geller, Matishak, 6.73M) reports the cyberattack "is spurring new efforts in Congress to require critical companies to tell the government when they've been hacked." Currently, "No federal law or regulation requires pipeline operators to report any cybersecurity incidents to the government. Instead, suggested guidance from the Transportation Security Administration — the federal agency that oversees pipeline cybersecurity - recommends that they tell local and federal officials about significant breaches." Krebs Lauds Biden's Cybersecurity Order As "A Really Ambitious Plan." The Hill (5/16, Schnell, 5.69M) reports former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Christopher Krebs spoke on CBS' Face The Nation on Sunday, and he "said President Biden's executive order aimed at improving federal cybersecurity is 'a really ambitious plan." He continued, "I think it should be effective if implemented properly, which I have confidence in the team, both at my old agency as well as in the National Security Council and elsewhere." CBS News (5/14, Segers, 5.39M) reports that Krebs "praised Mr. Biden for 'jettisoning the traditional approach' to addressing cybersecurity, but said that Congress needed to act to shore up the nation's cyber infrastructure as well. Krebs has previously called on Mr. Biden to incorporate this into his $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal." Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal (5/14, Uberti, Stupp, Subscription Publication, 8.41M) reports that the software industry is still waiting for the details of the order. Ireland's Healthcare System Forced To Shut Down Systems After Ransomware Attack. The Wall Street Journal (5/14, Stupp, Subscription Publication, 8.41M) reports that Ireland's public healthcare system was forced to shut down major technology systems following a ransomware attack. The Guardian (UK) (5/14, Carroll, 5.53M) reports that Paul Reid, "the Health Service Executive chief executive, told RTE there had been a 'human-operated' attempt to access data stored on central servers for a presumed ransom. 'There has been no ransom demand at this stage. The key thing is to contain the issue. We are in the containment phase:" Reid "said the HSE was working with police, the defence forces and third-party cybersecurity experts to respond to what he termed an 'internationally operated criminal operation." The Times (UK) (5/14, Subscription Publication, 141K) reports that Ciaran Martin, "the founding chief executive of GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), said that making payments illegal would help to break the lucrative global hacking business model." Martin said, "At the moment you can pay to make it quietly go away. There's no legal obligations involved. There's no obligation to report to anybody, there's no traceability of payment of cryptocurrency. We have allowed this to spiral in an invisible way." The Daily Mail OM (5/15, Scully, 4.11M) reports that Martin "spoke after the Irish health service was targeted by international criminals." EFTA00160775 LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES New York City Pride Celebration Will Move To Decrease "Presence Of Law Enforcement At Its Events." The New York Times (5/15, Gold, 20.6M) reports New York City's yearly Pride celebration "will take steps to reduce the presence of law enforcement at its events." Beginning this year, law enforcement and corrections officers are going to be barred from taking part "as a group in the annual Pride march until at least 2025." The Times adds that the New York Police Department "will also be asked to stay a block away from the edge of all in-person events, including the march. Heritage of Pride, which organizes events, will instead turn to private companies for security and safety, calling police officers in emergencies only when necessary, they said." Rising Violence Leading To Increased Calls For Police Investment. The Washington Post (5/16, 10.52M) reports that while the nationwide protests over George Floyd's death urged politicians to "reimagine the American criminal justice system and end race-based abuses," there "are growing signs that the thirst for change is being blunted by fears of runaway crime" in cities across the country. The article examines the tight race for New York City's mayoral election, and the unlikely rise of former police officer and current Brooklyn borough president Eric Adams, who "said his 22-year career as a police officer has been an asset, not a liability, at a time when crime is at the forefront of voters' minds." Chicago Mayor Lightfoot Calls For End To Gun Violence After Two Officers Shot. The Chicago Tribune (5/16, Rosenberg-Douglas, Proctor, Gorner, 2.03M) reports Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) "called for an end to violence in the city" on Sunday after two Chicago police offers "were shot and wounded early Sunday on the West Side." Lightfoot said, "Let's say a prayer for all involved. Let's pray for peace in our city." She added, "We've got to put these guns down. We've got to stop the flow of illegal guns into our city." The officers were "responding to an alert from ShotSpotter, the city's gunshot detection system," and they "were discharged less than four hours after the shooting, ceremoniously rolled out in wheelchairs in front of a line of about 50 waiting officers before getting in their families' cars." The Chicago Sun-Times (5/16, 970K) reports Police Supt. David Brown "said the officers were in full uniform and did not engage in a foot pursuit with the suspect before the shooting, though he couldn't say whether the incident was captured on their body-worn cameras." Police Departments Readying For Violent Summer. The Wall Street Journal (5/15, Subscription Publication, 8.41M) reports police departments in sizable metro areas throughout the country are readying for what they indicate may be a violent summer. According to officials, states ending COVID-19 curbs and more individuals being in public areas in warmer weather raise the probability of further shootings, in addition to less-serious crimes. Minneapolis Suburb In Which Wright Was Shot To Vote On Resolution Regarding Policing. The AP (5/14, Forliti) reports it's anticipated that "leaders in the Minneapolis suburb" in which Daunte Wright was shot and killed by a police officer will "vote Saturday on a resolution that would put the city on track to major changes to its policing practices." The AP adds, "The resolution, backed by Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott, would create new divisions of unarmed civilian employees to handle non-moving traffic violations and respond to mental health crises." Moreover, the resolution would restrict "situations in which officers can make arrests." However, in a memo to City Council members, the city attorney indicated, in the AP's words, "that adopting the resolution wouldn't be a final action, but would commit the city to change." EFTA00160776 NYTimes Analysis: Custody Deaths Of Black Individuals Attributed To Sickle Cell Trait. An approximately 5,000 word New York Times (5/15, Al, LaForgia, Valentino-Devries, 20.6M) analysis discusses "how willing some American pathologists have been to rule in-custody deaths of Black people accidents or natural occurrences caused by sickle cell trait, which is carried by one in 13 Black Americans and is almost always benign. Those with the trait have only one of the two genes required for full-blown sickle cell disease, a painful and sometimes life- threatening condition." The Times adds that "as recently as August, lawyers for Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer convicted last month of murdering George Floyd, invoked sickle cell trait in an unsuccessful motion to dismiss the case against him." The Times "has found at least 46 other instances over the past 25 years in which medical examiners, law enforcement officials or defenders of accused officers pointed to the trait as a cause or major factor in deaths of Black people in custody." Police Use Of Facial Recognition Technology Prompts Increased Oversight Calls. In online coverage, CBS News (5/16, 5.39M) publishes a transcript of a "60 Minutes" story that said police departments in different parts of the country are increasingly using facial recognition technology, which has prompted "calls for greater oversight." The CBS News website linked to a video clip of the story, which highlighted that drug offender Nijeer Parks sued the Woodbridge Police Department in New Jersey "for wrongful arrest involving facial recognition." Biden Police Week Statement Includes Language Regarding "Deep Sense Of Distrust" With Respect To Police From Black Americans. On its website, Fox News (5/15, Shaw, 23.99M) reports President Biden "is marking Police Week with a statement that includes language about the `deep sense of distrust' toward cops by Black and brown Americans and the `trauma' caused by deaths in police custody - a statement described as `beyond disappointing' by one police group." While the statement "begins by praising law enforcement for their wide range of duties in securing public safety," it eventually starts "talking about the alleged harm caused to minority communities by police." Biden said, "This year, we also recognize that in many of our communities, especially Black and brown communities, there is a deep sense of distrust towards law enforcement; a distrust that has been exacerbated by the recent deaths of several Black and brown people at the hands of law enforcement." Death Of Black Man After Officers Used Pepper Spray, Tasers Against Him In South Carolina Detention Facility Prompts Outrage. The New York Times (5/14, Fausset, 20.6M) reports, "The death of a Black man after police used pepper spray and Tasers on him in a South Carolina jail has stirred outrage as well as widespread calls for changes to the treatment of people in custody suffering from mental illness." Footage disclosed on Thursday captures "sheriff's deputies in Charleston County extracting the man, Jamal Sutherland, from his jail cell on Jan. 5, first using pepper spray on him, and then Tasers while he screams out in pain." The Times adds that Sutherland "was declared dead soon after." The Washington Post (5/15, 10.52M) reports, "The county coroner has attributed Sutherland's death in North Charleston, S.C., to what was described in his autopsy as an `excited state' with unfavorable effects from prescription drugs while police attempted to subdue him." However, the coroner indicates that the manner of death is still "undetermined." The pair of deputies involved were put "on administrative leave, but they remain employed with the sheriff's office." San Diego Officers Being Investigated After Being Captured On Video Punching Black Man. EFTA00160777 The Washington Post (5/15, 10.52M) reports that a pair of San Diego police officers are being investigated in the wake of cellphone footage having "captured them repeatedly punching a Black man during an arrest in the La Jolla neighborhood this week." The disclosure of the probe on Wednesday came "hours after Jesse Evans, 34, allegedly urinated in public, according to the San Diego Police Department. A woman who recorded the incident, Nicole Bansal, told [the Post) the officers' response to the situation, which saw police punching him in his face, head and legs, appeared to be 'excessive and unnecessary' for a man she believes to be homeless." Remains From Philadelphia Police Bombing That Officials Indicated Were Cremated Found. The New York Times (5/15, Levenson, 20.6M) reports Philadelphia officials on Friday announced that human remains from a police bombing which occurred in the city 36 years ago that "they said had been cremated and discarded were apparently saved, after all, in a box in storage." The remains were found "one day after city officials said Philadelphia's health commissioner had resigned under pressure after acknowledging that he had authorized the cremation and disposal of the remains in 2017, without regard to the family's wishes." The Times adds, "Now officials want to know why the bones were not incinerated, after all." However, they indicate that ex- commissioner Thomas Foley will not be returning to his job. Hundreds Rally In Oakland Against Anti-Asian Violence. The San Francisco Chronicle (5/15, Cabanatuan, 2.44M) reports that hundreds of individuals in Oakland on Saturday "blew bright yellow whistles while rallying against anti-Asian violence." The whistles, which were distributed "to participants in the Unity Against Hate rally," are "meant for people to blow loudly if they're being attacked, as an increasing number of Asian Americans - especially elders - have been in Oakland" as well as throughout the country. The Chronicle adds that the rally was among the "dozens of such events scheduled around the globe." Axios Analysis: Federally Mandated Police Reform Linked To Surges In Violent Crime. Axios (5/14, Contreras, 1.26M) reports "most police agencies in recent federally court-ordered reform agreements saw violent crime rates skyrocket immediately, according to an Axios examination of departments under consent decrees." According to Axios, "The increases in violent crime rates - in one case by 61% - suggest that there can be unintended consequences...to the policing changes many Americans have demanded," and have "also given police unions another argument in their campaign against reforms." Axios says its "review of...data on all 12 agencies under consent decrees since 2012 found that seven of them experienced jumps in violent crime rates." Axios reports that Albuquerque "experienced a 36% increase in its violent crime rate," although "before its consent decree, the city had seen a 30- year low in crime." Axios adds that Los Angeles County "saw a colossal rise of 61% in its violent crime rate following a consent decree." Shootings In New York City Reach Levels Last Seen In 1997. The New York Times (5/14, Closson, 20.6M) reports that in New York City, 170 people were "shot over the last four full weeks, according to police data." Per the Times, "The last time so many people were shot over the same four-week period in New York City was 1997." The Times adds, "As of the second weekend in May, the city had recorded 505 shooting victims, the most through that point of any year in the last decade." Meanwhile, the New York Times (5/14, Bromwich, Newman, 20.6M) reports that "as concern about crime in New York rises," the public and officials are "focused on the subway, which is about to begin nonstop service for the first time since it was curtailed last May for the first time in the system's history because of the pandemic." On the other hand, even with a "flurry of reported attacks, the overall trend in subway violence is less clear" because the "data suggest that crime per rider may be lower so far this year than in 2020, when ridership plunged amid a citywide lockdown, but up from 2019." The subject came up this week at a Democratic EFTA00160778 debate in the mayoral race for New York City, where some candidates "said they would expand the police presence underground." ABC World News TonightVi (5/14, story 10, 0:14, Muir, 6.01M) broadcast there was "a spree of subway attacks on the train here in New York City," with the "authorities arresting four men accused of attacking four passengers in separate incidents all within an hour." Nine Wounded Following Shooting In Rhode Island. The AP (5/13, Kole) reports a shooting in Providence, Rhode Island, on Thursday left nine individuals wounded, with police there believing that the incident was the biggest shooting in Providence history. Three individuals "had serious injuries and were 'maybe critical,' Providence Police Chief Col. Hugh T. Clements told reporters at the scene." The AP adds that Clements "said multiple guns were used and it involved an 'ongoing feud' involving two groups known to authorities." Philadelphia District Attorney Facing Primary Challenge Amid Increase In Homicides, Shootings. The Wall Street Journal (5/14, Calvert, Subscription Publication, 8.41M) reports Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, a progressive, is facing a primary challenge amid a rise in homicides and shootings in Philadelphia. Challenging Krasner is ex- prosecutor Carlos Vega, who was previously dismissed by Krasner. Pennsylvanians To Vote On Proposed Safeguards Against Racial Discrimination. The AP (5/14, Scolforo) says demonstrations over George Floyd's death "were raging across the country last June when a Democratic lawmaker took to the floor of the Pennsylvania Senate to argue for greater protections against racial discrimination." Voters next week are going to choose "whether to make those protections explicit in the state constitution. It's believed to be the first time since last summer's protests that voters will decide a racial equity question on a statewide ballot." The AP adds that state Sen. Vince Hughes "said court cases and judicial decisions ultimately will determine the practical effect of the proposal he sponsored, but he sees the amendment as a step in the right direction." Tulsa Race Massacre Commission Removes Oklahoma Governor From Panel. The AP (5/14, Wallace) reports, "The commission formed to observe the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre announced Friday that it had booted Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt [R] from his seat on the panel a week after he signed a bill outlawing the teaching of some race and racism concepts in public schools." While a commission statement did not say the reason for the move, "commission project manager Phil Armstrong this week had sharply criticized the Republican governor for signing a bill into law that prohibits the teaching of so-called critical race theory in Oklahoma schools." Columbus Officials Agree To Pay $10M Settlement To Hill's Family. The New York Times (5/14, Morales, 20.6M) reports, "City officials in Columbus, Ohio, have agreed to pay a $10 million settlement to the family of Andre Hill, a Black man who was fatally shot by a police officer in a garage in December." The settlement is going to "now move to the Columbus City Council for a vote on Monday." In a Friday statement, Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein said, "We understand that because of this former officer's actions, the Hill family will never be whole," adding, "No amount of money will ever replace a beloved family member's life, but we are glad to take this step in the right direction on behalf of the City." NBC Nightly NewsVI (5/14, story 4, 0:21, Holt, 4.72M) reported Hill "was shot by Officer Adam Coy as he emerged from a garage holding a cell phone. Coy, who was fired from the force, has pleaded not guilty to murder and reckless homicide charges." ABC World News TonightVi (5/14, story 8, 0:27, Muir, 6.01M) and the CBS Evening NewsVi (5/14, story 6, 0:21, O'Donnell, 3.56M) provided similar coverage brief broadcasts. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputies Indicted On Charges Asserting They Lied In Investigation. EFTA00160779 The Los Angeles Times (5/14, 3.37M) reports, "Two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies have been indicted on charges alleging they lied in a drug and weapons investigation, the district attorney's office said." The indictment against Pedro Guerrero-Gonzalez and Noel Lopez "was unsealed on Friday," and the Times adds that they're scheduled to be "in court next month." Woman Whose Daughter Was Killed By Father Is Striving To Improve Family Court System. NBC Nightly NewsVI (5/14, story 7, 3:48, Holt, 4.72M) reported on the battle to improve the family court system. According to correspondent Kate Snow, "Kathy Sherlock is fighting for new legislation born out of tragedy. Her daughter Kaden was seven when she was killed by her father after a family court judge allowed him unsupervised visits despite Kathy's arguments that he was violent. In her grief, Kathy started the foundation, Kayden's Korner, to push for change in the family court system." Snow added that "Kathy's congressman added a version of Kaden's Law to a house bill reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act...providing grants to states that commit to training judges on child abuse and domestic violence. It passed the House." Family Warned Officials About North Carolina Man's Mental State Ahead Of Police Standoff That Ended With Five Dead, Including Himself. The New York Times (5/14, Cramer, 20.6M) says that "by midmorning on April 28," Chris Barnes, 32, was barricaded in his mother's North Carolina home amid "a 13-hour standoff with the police. His mother and stepfather, Michelle and George Ligon, and two sheriff's deputies, Sgt. Chris Ward and Deputy Logan Fox, had been killed." According to police, Sergeant Ward and Deputy Fox were shot prior to the standoff, with the Times adding, "The authorities have not said when the Ligons were killed or how Mr. Barnes died." Barnes' sister, Sommer, "said she wanted to talk about her brother's case because her family had spent days warning officials that he was becoming more and more troubled, and she questions how seriously the police took the threat that his mental state posed." Deputy US Marshal Accused Of Executing Scheme "In Which He Posed Online As His Ex-Girlfriend." The Orange County (CA) Register (5/14, 594K) reports, "A deputy U.S marshal from Brea has been accused of carrying out a plot in which he posed online as his ex-girlfriend, sending himself threatening emails and seeking out men on Craigslist to stage 'rape fantasies' with his wife." Deputy marshal Ian Richard Diaz, still pretending to be "his ex-girlfriend, reported the supposed crimes to Anaheim police, who arrested her. She served 88 days in jail until the tale unraveled." While Diaz's wife, who took part in the scheme, has already been sentenced, the US Department of Justice on Friday "announced that Diaz was arrested and charged with cyberstalking, conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and perjury." INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Reputed Drug Kingpin Pleads Guilty To Cocaine Trafficking. The Daily Mail (UK) (5/14, Torres, 4.11M) reported that reputed "Colombian drug kingpin" Roman Narvaez has "pleaded guilty to trafficking tons of cocaine to the United States with the support of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the country's largest guerrilla group." Narvaez entered his plea in a federal court in the US, according to the Daily Mail article, which said the DEA's 2020 National Drug Threat Assessment indicates that much of the cocaine seized in the US comes from Colombia. OTHER FBI NEWS EFTA00160780 FBI Reclassifies 2017 Baseball Field Shooting Of Lawmakers As Domestic Terrorism. The Washington Times (5/16, Scarborough, 626K) reports that the FBI, "under Republican pressure, has reclassified the 2017 near massacre of more than a dozen Republican lawmakers at a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia, from 'suicide by cop' to an act of domestic terrorism. The new designation of shooter James Hodgkinson as a 'domestic violent extremist' is contained in a lengthy FBI report titled 'Strategic Intelligence Assessment and Data on Domestic Terrorism." According to the Times, "Republicans began pressuring the FBI on April 15 when Rep. Brad Wenstrup of Ohio...disclosed at a public hearing that the FBI officially classified the shooting as 'suicide by cop." Wenstrup "told The Washington Times on Sunday that the FBI changed Hodgkinson's classification because he and other Republicans had protested that the bureau was minimizing" the attack, and he said FBI Director Wray "telephoned him Friday and said, 'I've got some news I want to share. We have looked at this again, and we are reclassifying it." The Washington Examiner (5/14, Dunleavy, 888K) reports that the FBI "quietly admitted" on Friday "that the 2017 Alexandria, Virginia, baseball field shooting that nearly killed Rep. Steve Scalise has been classified as 'domestic terrorism' carried out by a 'domestic violent extremist' targeting Republicans." According to the Examiner, "The revelation appears in the middle of an appendix on page 35 of a 40-page FBI-DHS report released on Friday titled 'Security Strategic Intelligence Assessment and Data on Domestic Terrorism." Fox News (5/15, 23.99M) reports, "Wray had made no public comment after the April questioning, but Wenstrup said he believed the new director was open to taking a new look into the incident." Minnesota FBI Crisis Negotiator Discusses Navigating Hostage Situations. KSTP-TV Minneapolis-St.Paul, MN (5/14, 244K) reports, "An eight-hour hostage standoff ended peacefully last week at a Wells Fargo Bank in St. Cloud. Local law enforcement and federal agents were involved in the operation that managed to get five hostages and the suspect out of the bank unharmed." KSTP-TV adds, "The FBI's field office in Brooklyn Center sent a crisis negotiation team to help talk to the robbery suspect. 'The truth is you want to focus on the relationship you build with the person in crisis,' said FBI Special Agent Christopher Langert, who is the crisis negotiation team leader." Langert, "a 21-year veteran negotiator, did not address any details or accounts about the St. Cloud incident. The veteran special agent was right at the front door of the bank when the final hostage ran out as the 35-year old suspect was taken into custody." Project Veritas Founder Criticizes NYTimes Over "Hit Piece." Fox News (5/14, Wulfsohn, 23.99M) reports, "Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe had a blistering response to what he described as a 'hit piece' that was published on Thursday by The New York Times." The Times "claimed that Project Veritas 'mounted a campaign during the Trump administration to discredit perceived enemies of President Trump inside the government' which included a 'planned sting operation' against then-National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and attempts to secretly record FBI employees disparage the 45th president all in coordination with an ex-British spy." O'Keefe "released a video responding to the report. 'I told you yesterday that there was going to be a hit piece that was filled with vapid supposition, subliminal suggestion, nebulous facts, circumstantial inferences designed to link us to an investigation into McMaster that I had nothing to do with,' O'Keefe passionately said." Drug-Related Deaths In Honolulu Reached Five-Year High In 2020. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser (5/16, 409K) reports, "Drug-related deaths in Honolulu hit a five- year high" in 2020. Methamphetamine overdoses contributed to that trend, according to the Star-Advertiser article, which says the Honolulu Police Department does drug case work with the DEA and the FBI. EFTA00160781 Federal Government In DC "Largely Dependent On Remote Work" During Pandemic. Reuters (5/14) reported that the "federal government in Washington, DC, which asked most employees to work from home during" the COVID-19 "pandemic, remains largely dependent on remote work." Two unidentified "law enforcement officials told Reuters that Justice Department officials are still working remotely, though some periodically work in their offices." The Reuters article highlighted that the DEA and the FBI are part of the Justice Department. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS Walensky And Fauci Defend CDC's New Guidance For Masks. The Washington Post (5/16, Diamond, 10.52M) reports CDC Director Walensky on Sunday "defended her agency's abrupt reversal on wide-ranging mask recommendations, saying that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had weighed new data before announcing that Americans who had been vaccinated could go without masks." The New York Times (5/16, Richtel, Smith, Morales, 20.6M) reports that in the face of "blowback over the agency's new liberalized mask guidelines," Walensky appeared on Sunday talk shows and "revealed a subtle but marked shift in her agency's emphasis from community to individual protection." The Hill (5/16, Choi, 5.69M) reports Walensky on NBC's Meet The PressVI argued the Administration is "not counting on vaccine mandates at all. It may very well be that local businesses, local jurisdictions will work toward vaccine mandates. That is going to be locally driven and not federally driven." The Wall Street Journal (5/16, Rubin, Abbott, Subscription Publication, 8.41M) also reports Walensky argued companies should give their employees time to "make those appointments and get themselves vaccinated so those - people in those businesses are safe." Meanwhile, CNN (5/16, Duster, Thomas, 89.21M) reports on its website that just days before the new CDC guidance, Walensky testified in a Senate hearing last week that all Americans should continue to wear masks, but during her CNN's State Of The UnionVi appearance "said...people have to be honest with themselves when deciding whether to wear a mask." CNN also reports that on ABC's This WeekVi, Walensky "said...the agency is asking people to take their health into their own hands." In addition, USA Today (5/16, Bacon, 12.7M) reports Walensky "denied that the decision was politically driven as Americans grow weary of wearing masks," as does the AP (5/16, Kruesi), which reports Walensky on Fox News SundayVi "stress[ed] that increasing political pressure had nothing to do with the abrupt shift in guidelines." Axios (5/16, Rummler, 1.26M) reports she said the change "certainly would have been easier if the science had evolved a week earlier and I didn't have to go to Congress [to defend mask mandates], but I'm delivering the science as the science is delivered to the medical journals." Politico (5/16, Weaver, 6.73M) reports Walensky "added that current medical guidance is relatively simple: get vaccinated." Walensky stated, "If you are not vaccinated, you are not safe. Please go get vaccinated or continue to wear your mask." The Hill (5/16, Choi, 5.69M) reports NIAID Director Fauci defended the new CDC policy on CBS' Face The NationVi, where he "explained...that fully vaccinated people can go without masks, even if they have an asymptomatic case of COVID-19, because the level of virus is much lower in their nasopharynx, the top part of their throat that lies behind the nose, than someone who is unvaccinated." Fauci said, "Even though there are breakthrough infections with vaccinated people almost always the people are asymptomatic and the level of virus is so low it makes it extremely unlikely - not impossible - but very, very low likelihood that they're going to transmit it." According to The Hill, Fauci "added that vaccinated people essentially become 'dead ends' for the virus to spread within their communities." Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), on CNN's State Of The UnionVi (5/16, 671K), said that his state is following the new guidance, but enacting it will be "hard. There is no way to EFTA00160782 differentiate between vaccinated and unvaccinated people from a legal requirement basis. So we are still advising people that are not yet vaccinated that it will help keep them safe. The people that are vaccinated, they are completely safe and ready to go about getting their lives back to normal." He added Maryland is "giving businesses the flexibility to do what they think is right depending on the type of business and their clientele, their customers, their workers. They have the right to take actions just like telling people no shirt, no shoes, no service. But it's not going to be something that's legally mandated from the federal or state government." However, Lilia Luciano reported on the CBS Weekend NewsVi (5/16, story 6, 2:10, Duncan, 1.24M) that masks "are still required...in California, despite the CDC's guidelines." On NBC Nightly NewsVi (5/16, story 3, 2:30, Snow, 4.55M), Blayne Alexander reported the public response to the new guidance has been "a mixed bag" and varied from "joy to concern." The Boston Globe (5/16, Kovatch, 1.04M) reports the new guidance has "left many grocery stores and businesses in a scramble to make a decision on mask mandates." According to the Globe, Trader Joe's and Walmart are among companies that "have already announced that fully vaccinated customers will no longer need to wear masks, but other businesses are stuck wondering what position they are in in terms of enforcing mask policies, and if the government is depending on them to do so." Trevor Ault said on ABC World News TonightVi (5/16, story 2, 2:00, Davis, 4.06M) that "some business owners are worried they'll have to police their customers, or ask for proof of vaccination." In addition, the AP (5/16, Reeves) reports millions of vaccinated Americans "are deciding whether to continue wearing face masks, which were both a shield against infection and a point of heated political debate over the last year." According to the AP, "Many are ready to put aside the sadness, isolation and wariness of the pandemic. Ditching face masks — even ones bedazzled with sequins or sports team logos — is a visible, liberating way to move ahead. Yet others are still worried about new virus variants and the off-chance they might contract the virus and pass it along to others, though the risks of both are greatly reduced for those who are fully vaccinated." Wen Urges Biden To Step In And "Fix" CDC "Mess" Over Mask Guidance. Leana Wen writes in the Washington Post (5/16, Wen, 10.52M) that the mask guidance announced last week by the CDC "has devolved into a giant mess." While the Biden Administration "has excelled on many aspects of the covid-19 response," this decision "was a major blunder that threatens to set back much of the progress made. President Biden needs to fix it, urgently." Wen argues Biden "should own that it was a mistake to cede this level of responsibility to the CDC." She adds that a "decision on something as overarching and consequential as ending mask mandates should have been directed from the very top, by the president himself. Biden needs to course-correct, now. If he does not, the existing confusion could harm Americans' health, prolong the pandemic, and paradoxically diminish confidence in the CDC and its ability to safeguard the public's health." Administration Turns To "Community Corps" To Bolster Vaccination Rates. The New York Times (5/16, Weiland, 20.6M) reports the Administration "has set up mass vaccination sites at stadiums, sent doses to pharmacies and clinics serving lower-income Americans, and, on Friday, enticed the unvaccinated with the prospect of finally being able to shed their masks," but "with the ranks of the willing and able dwindling, the campaign has in many places already morphed into a door-to-door and person-by-person effort." The Times highlights "what [HHS] is calling its Covid-19 community corps, a loose constellation of volunteers, corporations, advocacy groups and local organizations working to vaccinate Americans often left behind by the nation's health care system." White House Senior Adviser for COVID Response Andy Slavitt "described in an interview last week three categories to organize the unvaccinated: those making a choice at their own pace, those who need easier access to a vaccine and those under 30 who are open to getting a shot but not rushing to." EFTA00160783 Drugmakers Sponsoring Ads Seeking To Address Vaccine Hesitancy. The Wall Street Journal (5/16, Walker, Subscription Publication, 8.41M) reports the drugmakers behind COVID vaccines and treatments, including Pfizer, Moderna, and Regeneron, are sponsoring a number of direct-to-consumer advertisements on TV, radio, and social media to tackle hesitancy and lack of awareness. Fauci: Pandemic Has Exposed "Undeniable Effects Of Racism" In US. The AP (5/16) reports NIAID Director Fauci in his Emory University commencement speech "said Sunday that 'the undeniable effects of racism' have led to unacceptable health disparities that especially hurt African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans during the pandemic." Fauci added, "COVID-19 has shone a bright light on our own society's failings." Fauci "told the graduates in Atlanta that many members of minority groups work in essential jobs where they might be exposed to the coronavirus," and "also said they are more likely to become infected if exposed because of medical conditions such as hypertension, chronic lung disease, diabetes or obesity." WS.Journal Says Warren Reveals True Reason Progressives Support Vaccine IP Waiver. The Wall Street Journal (5/16, Board, Subscription Publication, 8.41M) editorializes that while progressives are supporting President Biden's waiver of COVID vaccine patents, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) last week was honest in revealing the goal is not to save lives, but rather set precedent to undermine intellectual property protections for pharmaceutical companies in the US and worldwide. Biden Advisers Discern Political Challenge From Inflation Uptick. Bloomberg (5/15, Mohsin, Jacobs, 3.57M) reports that the President's "top advisers detect a growing political challenge from the spike in inflation, even as they see little immediate peril to the economy from price increases that officials expect will last through the rest of the year." The increase in prices as well as the "public's perception of it could complicate the Democrats' defense of their narrow majorities in the House and Senate in 2022." Americans Facing Higher Prices. On ABC World News TonightVi (5/15, story 7, 1:36, Johnson, 3.64M), correspondent Deirdre Bolton reported that "from groceries to houses to gasoline, Americans are paying more for all of it. Consumer prices rising more than 4% in April, the fastest pace in 13 years." Bank of America US Economics head Michelle Meyer said, "We're at a crossroads for the economy where we are seeing very clear evidence of exceptional demand, but the supply side of the economy is currently constrained." Bolton added, "The pandemic creating severe supply shortages for many goods. And now, surging demand sending prices sky high. The average price of a used car more than $25,000 in April, a new record." Budget Deficit Climbed To $1.9T During Fiscal Year's First Seven Months. Axios (5/15, Knutson, 1.26M) says the Treasury Department's monthly budget report indicates that during the current fiscal year's first seven months, the US budget deficit climbed to a record $1.9 trillion. The development is largely attributable "to the passage of massive relief bills to combat the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic." Biden Revokes Six Trump Executive Orders. The New York Times (5/14, Thrush, 20.6M) reports President Biden on Friday "revoked a Trump-era restriction on migrants who enter the country without health coverage and rolled back six executive orders intended to stoke anger over street protests and attacks on Confederate monuments in 2020." The Times describes Biden's actions as "hardly unexpected," but says they "represented a broad repudiation of former President Donald J. Trump, and his practice of using executive orders to advance his political agenda." NPR (5/14, Wise, 3.69M) EFTA00160784 reports on its website that Trump had issued the executive orders "mostly in response to the protests over systemic racism and police violence." Politico (5/14, Niedzwiadek, 6.73M) says Trump's executive orders had been "penned to address conservative cultural grievances, including the sculpture garden he proposed on July 4 at an event at Mount Rushmore," but Biden "rescinded a pair of executive orders tied to the creation of what...Trump envisioned as a 'National Garden of American Heroes,' one of which was signed on Jan. 18, just days before Trump was set to leave office." The AP (5/14, Miller) reports Biden "abolished the Trump-formed task force" assigned to establish the monument, which "was to have featured sculptures of dozens of American historical figures, including presidents, athletes and pop culture icons, envisioned by Trump as 'a vast outdoor park that will feature the statues of the greatest Americans to ever live." According to the AP, "Trump himself curated the list of who was to be included - Davy Crockett, Billy Graham, Whitney Houston, Harriet Tubman and Antonin Scalia, among others - but no site was selected and the garden was never funded by Congress." Axios (5/14, Chen, 1.26M) reports Trump had "also floated the names of Christopher Columbus and Junipero Serra, two Europeans who contributed to the colonization of North America and Native American genocide." According to Axios, Trump had "cited 'dangerous anti- American extremism' as a motivation behind the sculpture garden, which he said would be 'America's answer to this reckless attempt to erase our heroes, values and entire way of life:" Meanwhile, USA Today (5/14, Groppe, 12.7M) reports Biden "got rid of Trump's requirement that legal immigrants have health insurance." Reuters (5/14, Cooke, Hesson) reports that in announcing his revocation of the 2019 executive order "that sought to bar the entry of immigrants who could not prove they had health insurance or could cover healthcare costs," Biden "said the suspension imposed by his Republican predecessor 'does not advance the interests of the United States." In addition, The Hill (5/14, Chalfant, 5.69M) reports that the President "ordered leaders at the departments of State, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security to 'review any regulations, orders, guidance documents, policies, and any other similar agency actions developed pursuant to' the 2019 proclamation and issue 'revised guidance' as appropriate that reflects his own policy." Axios (5/14, Chen, 1.26M) reports Biden "has sought to undo his predecessor's actions" on immigration policy "since taking office, but has been met with criticism and challenges in recent months." The Hill (5/14, Samuels, 5.69M) reports Biden revoked a May 2020 executive order that "directed federal agencies to review Section 230, a law that provides protections to social media companies." The Hill adds that this executive order "came as Trump and his allies fumed over social media censorship when Twitter began flagging Trump's false tweets about mail voting and incendiary comments around the racial injustice protests." CNN (5/14, Vazquez, Alvarez, 89.21M) reports on its website that "another order that was dropped was an attempt to 'rebrand' foreign assistance to 'appropriately and conspicuously be identified as American aid," while an order "issued in Trump's final days in office, which targeted 'overcriminalization through regulatory reform,' was also revoked." The Wall Street Journal (5/14, Hackman, Restuccia, Subscription Publication, 8.41M) provides similar coverage. Public Health Officials Shift Goal From Saving Doses To Vaccinating Anyone "Who Wants The Shot." The Washington Post (5/15, Portnoy, 10.52M) reports that amid a declining demand for COVID vaccine doses, "public health officials are shifting from not wasting a single dose to not wasting a single arm." The Post says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week "advised providers not to miss an opportunity to vaccinate someone who wants the shot - even if that means opening a vial containing many doses without knowing if all of them will be used," which "prompted public health officials in many states...to align with the new guidance and encourage primary-care doctors - who might only vaccinate a few patients at a time - to administer the EFTA00160785 doses without worrying as much about wastage." According to the Post, this change "means providers face a painful choice: puncture a vial containing multiple doses, allowing as many as 10 doses to go to waste, or let a patient walk away unvaccinated." Data Show Over 70% Of Americans 65 Or Older Are Now Vaccinated. The New York Times (5/15, Slotnik, 20.6M) says that according to federal data, "more than 70 percent of Americans who are 65 or older are fully vaccinated, and 84 percent have received at least one dose, a much higher proportion than for younger Americans," which has "surpassed President Biden's goal of at least partly vaccinating 70 percent of the nation's adults by July 4." The Times adds some counties are "far past that threshold, getting shots into more than 90 percent of residents 65 and older and offering an example for other areas where vaccine campaigns have lagged." The Times reports that elected and health officials in Jo Daviess County, Illinois and Dane County, Wisconsin, which are among "the most populous 90-percent-plus counties," indicated that they was so high by using measures "reflected in the federal government's strategy to reach those who have not received shots yet after the pace of vaccination has lagged in recent weeks." Epidemiologists Warn Pandemic Will Not End Until Younger Children Get Vaccinated. The New York Times (5/15, Miller, Quealy, Sanger-Katz, 20.6M) reports a survey of 723 epidemiologists cautioned that while the US has been seeing progress against COVID, "the pandemic is not over - and won't be until younger children can also be vaccinated." The Times adds that while about 85% "said it was likely that Americans would be able to safely gather for Fourth of July barbecues this summer, as...Biden has called for," half of them "said at least 80 percent of Americans, including children, would need to be vaccinated before it would be safe to do most activities without precautions," and respondents "suggested that full reopening without high vaccination rates may be associated with continuing outbreaks of the virus, in the United States and worldwide." Anti-Vaccine Advocates Embrace Social Media To Spread Misinformation Online. The AP (5/14, Swenson, Dupuy) reports that from "a movie prop master in Texas to a professor in New York, people across the country have found themselves swept into the misinformation maelstrom, their online posts or their very identities hijacked by anti-vaccine activists and others peddling lies about the outbreak." However, the AP adds that "during the COVID-19 pandemic, experts warn, false or misleading posts can mean the difference between someone taking precautions or not." Experts Debate Best Way To Quickly Boost Less Wealthy Nations' Vaccine Supplies. In an analysis, the New York Times (5/15, Al, Goodman, Mandavilli, Robbins, Stevis-Gridneff, 20.6M) examines the steps necessary to boost the global supply of COVID vaccines so that less wealthy countries can vaccinate more of their population. For now, "some health experts argue that the only way to avert catastrophe is to force drug giants to relax their grip on their secrets and enlist many more manufacturers in making vaccines." However, "some experts warn that revoking intellectual property rules could disrupt the industry, slowing its efforts to deliver vaccines - like reorganizing the fire department amid an inferno." Even with such "waivers, technology transfers and expanded access to raw materials, experts say it would take about six months for more drug makers to start churning out vaccines." Rather, "the only short-term fix...is for wealthy countries - especially the United States - to donate and export more of their stock to the rest of the world." The New York Times (5/15, Cai, Gamio, Leatherby, McCann, 20.6M) says in a separate article that "many wealthy cities are making dramatic progress slowing Covid...but outbreaks are devastating India and much of South America, and there aren't nearly enough vaccines available to stop them." According to the Times, "much of the world's vaccine supply continues to be used or stockpiled by countries that have already made steady progress, even as outbreaks in the developing world are raging." EFTA00160786 WHO In Talks With The US About Sharing Vaccines With COVAX. Reuters (5/14) reports Bruce Aylward, a senior World Health Organization adviser, revealed Friday that the WHO is "in touch with the United States about sharing vaccines with the international COVAX scheme, which distributes doses to poorer countries." Aylward is quoted as saying, "They recognise that sharing those doses may help ensure greater impact overall. ... They want to be ready when the doses are ready ... We're working in parallel." UNICEF Director Asks G7 Countries To Donate COVID Vaccine Supplies. Reuters (5/16, Farge) reports UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore on Monday "asked G7 countries to donate supplies to the COVAX vaccine-sharing scheme as an emergency measure to address a severe shortfall caused by disruption to Indian vaccine exports." According to Reuters, UNICEF "is in charge of supplying coronavirus vaccines through COVAX" and "estimates the supply shortfall at 140 million doses by the end of May and about 190 million by the end of June." Fore said, "Sharing immediately available excess doses is a minimum, essential and emergency stop-gap measure, and it is needed right now." Britain To Hold Virtual Meeting To Encourage Global Vaccine Take-Up. Reuters (5/15) reports, "Britain said on Saturday it plans to hold a virtual meeting on June 2 to encourage global take-up of COVID-19 vaccines, bringing together medical experts, officials from G7 countries and other partners." The meeting "will discuss how to tackle misinformation about vaccines, including the role social media companies can play in stopping the spread of damaging falsehoods." Pandemic Leading To Refugee Waves Across World. The New York Times (5/16, Jordan, 20.6M) examines the growing waves of refugees occurring across the world as a result of COVID. While the Biden Administration "continues to grapple with swelling numbers of migrants along the southwestern border" with 178,622 refugees arriving in April, COVID's negative impact on global markets is leading to a new wave of refugees from developing countries across Europe and Asia. Italian border agents have logged 13,000 arrivals so far this year, and the data represents a tripling of immigrants on a year-to-year basis. WSJoumal Says Warren Reveals True Reason Progressives Support Vaccine IP Waiver. The Wall Street Journal (5/16, Board, Subscription Publication, 8.41M) editorializes that while progressives are supporting President Biden's waiver of COVID vaccine patents, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) last week was honest in revealing the goal is not to save lives, but rather set precedent to undermine intellectual property protections for pharmaceutical companies in the US and worldwide. Senators To Propose Investing $52B In Domestic Semiconductor Production. Reuters (5/14) reports Sens. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), John Cornyn (R-TX), Mark Warner (R-VA) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) "are close to unveiling a $52-billion proposal...that would significantly boost U.S. semiconductor chip production and research over five years sources briefed on the matter said." According to Reuters, the senators "have been negotiating a compromise measure to address the issue in the face of rising Chinese semiconductor production and shortages impacting automakers and other U.S. industries." Reuters adds that "sources said there remains at least one sticking point over whether to include a provision on labor rates." Reuters goes on to report that "the chips funding is expected to be included in a bill the Senate will take up next week to spend more than $110 billion on basic U.S. and advanced technology research to better compete with China." Tech Companies Urge Court To Allow H-1B Holders' Spouses To Continue To Work In The US. Axios (5/14, Kight, 1.26M) reports that "big Tech companies, led by Google, filed an amicus brief in federal court Friday morning in support of the spouses of certain H-1B high-skilled visa holders, whose ability to work in the U.S is being threatened in court." According to Axios, "In the brief, tech giants like Microsoft, Apple, Adobe and Amazon argue that removing the ability EFTA00160787 of more than 90,000 H-4 visa holders to work, 'would result in these talented individuals being barred from the workplace' and 'would be utterly destructive for the families impacted.' ... In the brief, the companies defend the work authorization as 'critically important' to the foreign workers, employers like themselves and the overall economy." CNBC (5/14, Feiner, 7.34M) reports on its website that Google, "which organized the effort, and more than two dozen other signatories said in the filing that invalidating the rule that allows some H-4 visa-holders to work 'would result in these talented individuals being barred from the workplace, forcibly severing tens of thousands of employment relationships across the country.' .. In the amicus brief, Google and other tech companies said such a result 'would be utterly destructive for the families impacted; by just one measure, about 87% of these families have made crucial life decisions on the promise of H-4 employment, including whether to have a child and whether to buy a house." Survey Suggests Americans Believe Inflation Will Surge. The New York Times (5/14, Edmondson, 20.6M) says, "Americans are penciling in higher inflation not just over the next year but over the next five years, according to a survey measure that Federal Reserve officials have a history of watching closely," which the Times says "could spell trouble for the central bank." the Times reports that the University of Michigan's consumer survey's "two inflation expectations indexes both surged in preliminary May data released Friday. The measure that gauges near-term inflation expectations popped to 4.6 percent from 3.4 percent. A closely followed index that traces expectations for the next five years rose less, but hit its highest level in a decade, jumping to 3.1 percent from 2.7 percent in April." HHS Diverts Over $2 Billion Toward Covering Costs Of Sheltering Unaccompanied Immigrant Children. Politico (5/15, Cancryn, 6.73M) reports that HHS "has diverted more than $2 billion meant for other health initiatives toward covering the cost of caring for unaccompanied immigrant children, as the Biden administration grapples with a record influx of migrants on the southern border." These "redirected funds include $850 million that Congress originally allocated to rebuild the nation's Strategic National Stockpile, the emergency medical reserve strained by the Covid-19 response." An additional "$850 million is being taken from a pot intended to help expand coronavirus testing, according to three people with knowledge of the matter." Growing Number Of Migrant Families Sending Kids Across Border Into US Alone. The AP (5/15, Licon) reports, "Growing numbers of migrant families are making the heart- wrenching decision to separate from their children and send them into America alone." While "many families with kids older than 6 have been quickly expelled from the country under federal pandemic-related powers that don't allow migrants to seek asylum...they know that President Joe Biden's administration is allowing unaccompanied children to stay in the U.S. while their cases are decided." While "more families decide to send their children alone, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has been pressed by lawmakers about the possibility that expulsions could be a 'new source of family separation." Former Border Patrol Agent Admits To Bringing Mexican Woman Into US Illegally. The Hill (5/15, Lonas, 5.69M) reports former Customs and Border Protection agent Rhonda Lee Walker "admitted on Friday that she brought a Mexican woman into the U.S. illegally." She "signed a guilty plea deal for conspiracy to encourage or induce a foreign national to enter the United States, acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery said in a statement." Scientists Relieved US Has Dodged Variant Threat So Far. The New York Times (5/14, Zimmer, Mandavilli, 20.6M) reports that while the US began confronting a "mélange of variants" late last year that "could not have come at a worse time," the "surge experts had feared ended up a mere blip in most of the country." The Times adds "virus watchers still see variants as a potential source of trouble in the months to come - EFTA00160788 particularly one that has battered Brazil and is growing rapidly in 17 U.S. states. But they are also taking stock of the past few months to better understand how the nation dodged the variant threat." According to the Times, "Experts point to a combination of factors - masks, social distancing and other restrictions, and perhaps a seasonal wane of infections - that bought crucial time for tens of millions of Americans to get vaccinated. They also credit a good dose of serendipity, as B.1.1.7, unlike some of its competitors, is powerless against the vaccines." Anti-Vaccine Advocates Embrace Social Media To Spread Misinformation Online. The AP (5/14, Swenson, Dupuy) reports that from "a movie prop master in Texas to a professor in New York, people across the country have found themselves swept into the misinformation maelstrom, their online posts or their very identities hijacked by anti-vaccine activists and others peddling lies about the outbreak." However, the AP adds that "during the C0VID-19 pandemic, experts warn, false or misleading posts can mean the difference between someone taking precautions or not." Ernst And Gillibrand Look To Overhaul DOD's Handling Of Sexual Assault Cases. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), in a joint interview on CBS' Face The NationVI (5/16, 1.82M), discussed their efforts to overhaul the way in which the Department of Defense handles sexual assault cases. Gillibrand said, "Unfortunately, because of their lack of ability to get this done, the rate of sexual assault continues to climb, but the rates of cases going to trial, and the rate of cases ending in conviction, is going down. So under no measure is it getting better." Ernst said, "This has been a very, very concerning issue for a number of years. I do believe that within the chain of command there needs to be some oversight because of the Fort Hood report, the horrible behavior, the bad command environment. It has been obviously to me that we need to make a very different change." Politico (5/16, Weaver, 6.73M) reports Ernst said, "The give-and-take process that we went through to arrive at a solution that has gained the support of 61 co-sponsors, this is a template. We want Americans to see that bipartisanship is alive and well." She added, "It takes friendships. It takes a lot of discussions. And certainly a partnership and finding partnership through that collaboration. This is what the rest of Congress should be doing at a time like this, too." White House Projects Steadiness In Face Of Problems, As Republicans Portray Chaos. The Washington Post (5/16, 10.52M) reports President Biden "has seen in recent days a burst of unexpected events that showcase the need for political agility. The White House is approaching the problems - all politically sensitive - with a degree of calm and caution." But, "as Biden and his aides seek to project steadiness, many Republicans are offering an alternative interpretation: The world is increasingly engulfed in chaos on Biden's watch as gas prices surge, crime rates rise, border crossings grow and the costs of consumer goods threaten to spike." The Post describes the difference in messages as "a Rorschach test for voters in upcoming elections: Do they see Biden as an agent of competence or chaos?" Evacuations Ordered As Wildfire Nears Los Angeles. NBC Nightly NewsVI (5/16, story 4, 1:50, Snow, 601K) reported there are mandatory evacuations in Los Angeles "as a dangerous wildfire spreads out of control." NBC's Guad Venegas added that the "fast-moving wildfire" is "expanding in size, flames and smoke pushing closer to homes less than 20 miles from downtown Los Angeles." The New York Times (5/16, Fazio, 20.6M) reports the "Palisades fire" started Saturday and "had burned 750 acres in western Los Angeles County and was at zero percent containment on Saturday evening, the Fire Department said. By Sunday, the fire had spread to 835 acres and was still at zero percent containment, the department said. The evacuation orders remained in place." EFTA00160789 The AP (5/16, Weber) says the cause of the fire "has been deemed 'suspicious' and is under investigation, the fire department said." USA Today (5/16, Ortiz, 12.7M) reports, "Los Angeles County authorities looked Sunday for a potential arsonist who might have set off" the fire. LAFD spokesperson Margaret Stewart "said a possible arson suspect was seen Saturday but eluded a search by the Sheriff's Department." The Los Angeles Times (5/16, 3.37M) provides similar coverage, as did ABC World News TonightVi (5/16, story 3, 0:20, Davis, 4.06M) and the CBS Weekend NewsVi (5/16, story 5, 0:15, Duncan, 1.24M) in brief reports. Train Carrying Hazardous Materials Derails In Iowa. The Des Moines (IA) Register (5/16, 469K) reports a train derailed near the town of Sibley, Iowa, on Sunday "and evacuations have been ordered in the area. ... The Northwest Iowa Review reported that the derailment happened around 2 p.m., and a 5-mile radius was evacuated due to concern about ammonium nitrate being transported." Ammonium nitrate is "a common, highly explosive chemical compound used to make fertilizers, explosives, matches and pyrotechnics." The New York Times (5/16, Paybarah, 20.6M) reports, "There were no reports of injuries or fatalities, said Lucinda Parker, a spokeswoman for the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. It was not clear where the train was headed or how many total cars it had." Despite Recent Legal Defeat, NRA Retains Influence Over Gun Control Debate. The Washington Post (5/16, 10.52M) reports the NRA has had "a rough spring," including a federal judge in Dallas rejecting its "effort to declare bankruptcy, calling it an attempt to avoid legal scrutiny and citing 'lingering issues of secrecy and a lack of transparency' some of which he described as 'nothing less than shocking." The bankruptcy hearing "revealed details of lavish perks enjoyed by NRA chief Wayne LaPierre.." In addition, New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) "has vowed to renew her efforts to dissolve the NRA altogether, saying the organization is riddled with fraud and self dealing." But the group's "profound influence on the nation's debate over gun regulation endures." A Washington Post (5/16, 10.52M) editorial says the bankruptcy ruling "means the NRA will have to face the charges brought by Ms. James in a civil case that seeks to dissolve the organization, which, though headquartered in Virginia, was chartered as a nonprofit in New York in 1871 and continues to be incorporated in the state." The Times says testimony from the bankruptcy case provided "details of the organization's tax-exempt funds used for wedding expenses, private jet travel and exotic getaways. ... Whether it can be reformed or should be dissolved will be up to the court in New York, but it's good that there will be a long-overdue reckoning." Secret Service's Recovery From Scandal During Obama Administration Said To Be Set Back By Trump. The Washington Post (5/14, 10.52M) says, "The Secret Service, chronically cash-strapped since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, had been trying to recover and rebuild after a long string of security gaffes and incidents of drunken misconduct during President Barack Obama's tenure." However, "in early 2017, the Secret Service's problems were simply not a front-burner issue," and then President Trump's "muted response foreshadowed looming troubles for the agency during his tenure - setting back some of the progress that had been made following the uproar in 2014, according to some inside the agency." Senate Democrats Urge Garland Not To Appeal Court Order To Release Trump Obstruction Memo. The Hill (5/14, Neidig, 5.69M) reports Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin and eight other Democrats on the committee sent a letter to Attorney General Garland on Friday urging him "not to fight a court order demanding the release of a 2019 Justice Department (DO]) memo EFTA00160790 that essentially cleared former President Trump of criminal wrongdoing following the special counsel's investigation." The Hill says District Judge Amy Berman Jackson earlier this month "ordered the department to release the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) memo and accused former Attorney General William Barr and DO) lawyers of deception." Trump Meeting With Representatives Of Conservative Social Media Outlets. The Wall Street Journal (5/14, Hagey, Subscription Publication, 8.41M) reports that since being banned from Facebook and Twitter, Trump has been in talks with executives for social media networks popular with conservatives as he seeks to reestablish his influence online. Experts Warn NYC Faces Challenge Expelling Trump From Bronx Golf Course. The AP (5/14, Condon) reports Trump "has a rich history of fighting back when he's down and making others pay, and that's exactly how he intends to deal with New York City over its plans to fire his company from running a windswept city golf course in the Bronx." According to the AP, "That abrupt firing was part of the backlash against Trump's businesses over his role in whipping up the mob that attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6. But experts who have reviewed the city's 566-page contract with the ex-president say kicking him off the course may not be so easy." The AP adds Eric Trump is "demanding a payout of more than $30 million from the city to get out of the deal in what could turn into a potentially costly legal battle dragging on for years." House Republicans Pick Stefanik To Replace Cheney As Conference Chair. Politico (5/14, Beavers, Zanona, 6.73M) reports Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) "cruised to victory in a Friday vote to replace Liz Cheney as House Republicans' third-ranked leader, capping off a tumultuous month in the GOP conference sparked by its bitter divisions over Donald Trump." Politico adds Stefanik "won in a 134-46 secret-ballot vote, defeating her sole challenger Rep. Chip Roy of Texas — an unsurprising outcome after she aggressively campaigned for the No. 3 spot, scooping up endorsements from top party leaders and Trump." The Washington Post (5/14, Sotomayor, 10.52M) reports House Republicans "said [their vote) was an effort to focus on the next election," and "the new House GOP leadership team vowed to focus on what they described as multiple crises occurring under President Biden and Democrats' `radical socialist' agenda. But they will be forced as soon as next week to again confront questions about the former president's baseless assertions that the election was stolen with votes on a commission to study the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by a pro Trump mob." The New York Times (5/14, Edmondson, 20.6M) highlights that "minutes" after Stefanik was elected to the post "as part of a Republican leadership purge that targeted a leading critic of Mr. Trump, the former president's was one of the first names she uttered." The Times adds Stefanik, who received his endorsement in the race "as she parroted some of his false claims about fraud in the 2020 election," on Friday "sang his praises, capping a remarkable metamorphosis by the 36-year-old congresswoman that mirrors the G.O.P.'s evolution into a party made entirely in his image." On NBC Nightly NewsVi (5/14, story 5, 1:12, Holt, 4.72M), Peter Alexander said that by electing Stefanik, House Republicans "cement[ed] themselves as the party of Trump." On the CBS Evening NewsVi (5/14, story 5, 1:56, O'Donnell, 3.56M), Nikole Killion said that Cheney lost her position because she "upset party leaders for criticizing...Trump's refusal to accept the 2020 election result, and his role in the January Sixth attack." The Wall Street Journal (5/14, Peterson, Subscription Publication, 8.41M) provides similar coverage. Cheney Warns Election Of Trump's Candidate To Replace Her Is "Dangerous." On ABC World News TonightVi (5/14, story 6, 2:37, Muir, 6.01M), Jon Karl said that after the vote, he asked Cheney if Stefanik's selection is "a step in the wrong direction." Cheney: "I think the issue really is Donald Trump and it really is the party, and whether we're going to be a party that's based on the truth." Asked what it says about the GOP in replacing her with someone "who was effectively chosen by Donald Trump and is saying what she's been saying, that those very lies you're been talking about," Cheney said "I think it's dangerous." EFTA00160791 Meanwhile, The Hill (5/14, Lonas, 5.69M) reports Cheney in an interview with ABC News "This Week" set to air Sunday "says she regrets voting for...Trump during the 2020 election." Cheney said, "I was never going to support Joe Biden and I do regret the vote." She added, "It was a vote based on policy, based on substance and in terms of the kinds of policies he put forward that were good for the country. But I think it's fair to say that I regret the vote." In his Washington Post (5/14, 10.52M) column, Colbert King asserts Cheney's removal "was foreshadowed by...Trump's getting away with what his onetime pen pal, former president Richard M. Nixon, could not. During his ill-fated presidency, Trump learned that he could cross lines, abuse power, punish enemies, lie his head off and still stick around to brag about it." King adds Trump "was on hand for the great insurrection because he had - still has - what Nixon lacked: the backing of a Republican Party controlled by weak-kneed leaders whose notion of duty is limited to what they perceive Trump expects of them." Rubin Urges Voters Not To Elect "Unredeemed And Emboldened" Republicans In 2022. In her Washington Post (5/14, 10.52M) column, Jennifer Rubin argues that if Republicans win control of the House in 2022, House Minority Leader McCarthy "would almost certainly be elected speaker, and if not," Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) or Stefanik "would lead the chamber. We know they take direction not from voters or the Constitution but from Mar-a-Lago. The former insurrectionist in chief could tell them not to certify any Democratic president in 2024. And it's a good bet House Republicans would salute and comply. (They complied in 2020 but simply lacked the votes to steal the election.) If the MAGA cult leader instructed his minions to impeach Biden or Cabinet members, the likes of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) would no doubt comply." She concludes that "an unredeemed and emboldened GOP, if given majority control of the House, would behave just as irresponsibly as the former president because he would still be calling the shots." Bai: Cheney Not "Canceled" Because GOP Lacks Influence With "Cultural Gatekeepers." In his Washington Post (5/14, 10.52M) column, Matt Bai argues that "Democrats and liberal columnists were all too happy" to say Republicans "canceled" Cheney "for voicing dissent," but Republicans "can't really cancel anything, because they don't actually control anything" when it comes to "the country's central clearinghouses for speech, ideas and art - nearly all of which are firmly in the grasp of liberal, coastal, educated urbanites like me." Bai adds he is "not complaining" as "Trumpism, which is suddenly the basis of the Republican Party, is proudly indifferent to truth. We should be thankful that it holds so little sway among our cultural gatekeepers. What I'm saying, however, is that there really is no symmetry between the parties when it comes to their ability to choke off free expression." Footage Shows Greene Targeting Ocasio-Cortez In 2019. The Washington Post (5/14, 10.52M) reports that two years before Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) "became a member of Congress, she walked the halls of a congressional office building with a few men searching for" Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), according to a deleted 2019 video obtained by CNN (5/14, Steck, Kaczynski, 89.21M), which "shows Greene arriving at Ocasio-Cortez's office door to find it locked. She, and the men with her, then taunt the congresswoman's staff through a mail slot and defile her guest book, all while mocking Ocasio- Cortez." The Post adds Anthony Aguero, one of Greene's companions in the video, "was inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 when supporters of former president Donald Trump stormed the building, according to CNN." A Washington Post (5/14, 10.52M) analysis says that Ocasio- Cortez "has been a consistent target of Greene's, in part because of her high profile on the right as an enemy." Progressives Increasingly Copying Ocasio-Cortez Logo Style. The New York Times (5/14, Goldmacher, 20.6M) reports Ocasio-Cortez over the past three years "has become the undisputed face of unabashed progressivism. But there is another hidden-in-plain-sight legacy of her 2018 primary victory: Her campaign logo and poster have reshaped the visual branding of the left." According to the Times, "Candidates across the country, and even internationally, EFTA00160792 have appropriated elements of its condensed and bold typeface and its upward-sloping, dialog- box design." INTERNATIONAL NEWS Biden Says Administration Seeking "Sustained Calm" Between Israel And Palestinians. The Washington Post (5/16, 10.52M) reports, "Israeli airstrikes on several homes along a main road leading to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City early Sunday killed at least 42 people including 10 children, authorities said, in what's believed to be the single deadliest attack since the current round of violence between Israel and Hamas began last week. ... Diplomatic efforts by President Biden and U.S. regional allies to reach a cease-fire have not stopped the conflict." Ha'aretz (5/16, Votaw, 302K) reports Biden "said his administration is working with Palestinians and Israelis to work towards a sustained calm, adding that both deserve to live in safety and security." In a pre-taped video aired at a Sunday Eid event, the President said, "We also believe Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve to live in safety and security and enjoy equal measure of freedom, prosperity and democracy. My Administration is going to continue to engage Palestinians and Israelis and other regional partners to work toward sustained calm." NBC Nightly NewsVi (5/16, lead story, 2:50, Snow, 4.55M) reported, "The United Nations Security Council held a special session on this Sunday, and President Biden has been speaking with leaders on both sides this weekend, urging calm." Bloomberg (5/16, Wainer, 3.57M) reports, "The U.S. joined other world powers in calling for an end to violence in Israel and the Gaza Strip, as pressure grows on [Bider') to take a clearer stand after more than a week of deadly fighting. That may not be enough, though, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled in a U.S. television interview that the fighting will continue as Israel pummels Gaza in response to rocket fire from Hamas and other militant groups." CBS News (5/16, 5.39M) reports on its website that UN Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield "told world leaders on Sunday that the U.S. will lend support 'should the parties seek a ceasefire, because we believe Israelis and Palestinians equally have a right to live in safety and security.'" Thomas-Greenfield said, "The United States calls on Hamas and other Palestinian groups in Gaza to immediately halt rocket attacks and other provocations. We also are deeply concerned about the ongoing intercommunal violence within mixed communities in Israel. We urge all parties to avoid actions that undermine a peaceful future." Reuters (5/16) reports Secretary of State Blinken "discussed the violence in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza in phone calls with the Qatari, Egyptian and Saudi foreign ministers, the State Department said on Sunday." On ABC World News TonightVi (5/16, lead story, 4:25, 4.06M), Linsey Davis said it was "the deadliest 24 hours yet in a week of bloody escalation." The UN Security Council met Sunday but took "no official action, and global outrage is growing. ... Overnight, Israeli forces hit several buildings in Gaza City. Many of the dead are children." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is "defending the continuing airstrikes." Jericka Duncan said on the CBS Weekend NewsVi (5/16, lead story, 3:00, 1.24M) that Netanyahu "says there is no clear end in sight to the violence between Israel and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu also defended his nation's military strikes." CBS' Imtiaz Tyab: "The horror in Gaza is only getting worse, after Israeli airstrikes flattened three buildings [Sunday), killing at least 33 Palestinians, bringing the death toll to nearly 200. It's the deadliest single day attack since fighting broke out between Israel and Hamas nearly a week ago." Richard Engel reported on NBC Nightly NewsVI (5/16, lead story, 2:50, Snow, 4.55M), "Israeli airstrikes flattened three apartment buildings in Gaza City. There aren't rescue crews to speak of in Gaza, so when the poorly equipped teams arrived, they had to dig for survivors however they could. They pulled dozens out still alive, trapped in the rubble for hours. But they EFTA00160793 found more than 40 dead, including, health officials say, two dozen women and children. According to Muslim tradition, they were buried almost immediately." The AP (5/16, Akram, Nessman) reports, "Israeli warplanes unleashed a series of heavy airstrikes at several locations of Gaza City early Monday. ... Explosions rocked the city from north to south for 10 minutes in an attack that was heavier, on a wider area and lasted longer than a series of air raids 24 hours earlier in which 42 Palestinians were killed." The New York limes (5/16, Abuheweila, Kingsley, 20.6M) reports, "Local media reports said among the targets that were hit early Monday were the main coastal road west of Gaza City, security compounds and open spaces. The power distribution company said the airstrikes damaged a line feeding electricity from the only power plant to large areas in the southern part of the city." The New York limes (5/16, Walsh, 20.6M) says in another report that "civilians are paying an especially high price in the latest bout of violence...raising urgent questions about how the laws of war apply to the conflagration: which military actions are legal, what war crimes are being committed and who, if anyone, will ever be held to account. Both sides appear to be violating those laws, experts said: Hamas has fired more than 3,000 rockets toward Israeli cities and towns, a clear war crime. And Israel, although it says it takes measures to avoid civilian casualties, has subjected Gaza to such an intense bombardment, killing families and flattening buildings, that it likely constitutes a disproportionate use of force - also a war crime." The Wall Street Journal (5/16, Schwartz, Malsin, Subscription Publication, 8.41M) reports Israeli officials on Sunday ruled out a cease-fire. Axios (5/16, Ravid, 1.26M) reports Israel's Cabinet "barely discussed a cease-fire when it convened. It agreed to reconvene if [Netanyahu] and Defense Minister Benny Gantz decide to move in that direction." Reuters (5/16, al- Mughrabi, Farrell) and the CNN (5/16, Salman, Dahman, Tawfeeq, 89.21M) and CNBC (5/16, Newburger, 7.34M) websites are among the other outlets with updates on the fighting. Netanyahu: "We'll Do Whatever It Takes To Restore Order." Netanyahu, on CBS' Face The NationVi (5/16, 2.36M), said, "We hope that it doesn't continue very long, but we were attacked by Hamas on our National Day, Jerusalem Day, unprovoked attacks on Jerusalem and then thousands of rockets and missiles on our cities. And I think any country has to defend itself. It has a natural right of self-defense. We'll do whatever it takes to restore order and quiet and the security of our people and deterrence." Debra Alfarone said on the CBS Weekend News Vi (5/16, story 2, 2:05, Duncan, 1.24M) that a "defiant...Netanyahu defended his country's attacks on Gaza." Kelly O'Donnell said on the NBC Nightly NewsVi (5/16, story 2, 2:00, Snow, 4.55M), "Netanyahu defended Israel's strike on a Gaza building that housed the Associated Press and other media outlets. He contends Hamas intelligence used the same building. ... Netanyahu rebuffed pressure for an immediate ceasefire." Netanyahu: "We're trying to degrade Hamas' terrorist abilities and to degrade their will to do this again. So it will take some time. I hope it won't take long, but it's not immediate." The New York limes (5/16, Wright, 20.6M) reports, "Hours after he spoke, Israeli warplanes began another round of attacks in the Gaza Strip, attacking a main road, security compounds and an electricity line feeding southern Gaza City." Politico (5/16, Weaver, 6.73M) and The Hill (5/16, Schnell, 5.69M) also cover Netanyahu's remarks. In his New York Times (5/16, 20.6M) column, Thomas Friedman writes, "Just as a mob was unleashed by President Donald Trump to ransack our Capitol on Jan. 6 in a last-ditch effort to overturn the election results and prevent a healing unifier from becoming president, so [Netanyahu] and Hamas each exploited or nurtured their own mobs to prevent an unprecedented national unity government from emerging in Israel." AP Executive Editor Seeks Independent Probe Into Airstrike. The AP (5/16, Yen) reports AP Executive Editor Sally Buzbee is calling "for an independent investigation into the Israeli airstrike that targeted and destroyed a Gaza City building housing the AP, broadcaster Al-Jazeera and other media, saying the public deserves to know the facts." Reuters (5/16) reports Buzbee told CNN, "We've heard the Israelis say they have evidence. We don't know EFTA00160794 what that evidence is. We think it is appropriate at this point for there to be an independent look at what happened." The New York Times (5/16, Kingsley, Yee, Bengali, 20.6M) reports, "The leveling of the al- Jalaa tower...drew condemnations from across the world. The Israel Defense Forces said that its fighter jets struck the tower because it also contained military assets belonging to Hamas." On Sunday, the IDF said the building "was 'an important base of operations' for Hamas military intelligence, where it 'gathered intel for attacks against Israel, manufactured weapons & positioned equipment to hamper I.D.F. operations." In an editorial, the Wall Street Journal (5/16, Subscription Publication, 8.41M) says the strike on the building has led to cries of outrage, but says Hamas often uses civilians and journalists as shields, and argues that Israel must be free to defend itself. The Journal also says the violence should lead the Administration to reconsider its commitment to renewing a nuclear deal with Iran, which sponsors Hamas. Israel Military Spokesman Says He Made "Small Mistake" In Announcing Ground Invasion. USA Today (5/16, Shesgreen, 12.7M) reports, "A top Israeli military spokesman said Sunday he had made a 'small mistake' earlier this week when he told foreign reporters that Israeli troops had begun a ground invasion into Gaza." Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus "denied it was part of a ruse to lure Hamas fighters into positions where they would be more vulnerable to attacks by Israel Defense Forces." Conricus said, "There were troops on the ground very, very close to the border, and I had information that they had gone in." UNICEF Director Asks G7 Countries To Donate COVID Vaccine Supplies. Reuters (5/16, Farge) reports UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore on Monday "asked G7 countries to donate supplies to the COVAX vaccine-sharing scheme as an emergency measure to address a severe shortfall caused by disruption to Indian vaccine exports." According to Reuters, UNICEF "is in charge of supplying coronavirus vaccines through COVAX" and "estimates the supply shortfall at 140 million doses by the end of May and about 190 million by the end of June." Fore said, "Sharing immediately available excess doses is a minimum, essential and emergency stop-gap measure, and it is needed right now." UK Prepares For Major Reopening, But New Indian Variant Sparks Anxiety. According to the AP (5/16, Lawless), "Travelers in England were packing their bags, bartenders were polishing their glasses and performers were warming up as Britain prepared Sunday for a major step out of lockdown - but with clouds of worry on the horizon." The AP adds, "Excitement at the reopening of travel and hospitality vied with anxiety that a more contagious virus variant first found in India is spreading fast and could delay further plans to reopen." UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson "urged Britons to 'take this next step with a heavy dose of caution." Some Indian States Extend Lockdowns As Bodies Of Possible COVID Victims Found Near Rivers. Reuters (5/16, Mishra, Nair) reports "some Indian states" on Sunday announced they "would extend COVID-19 lockdowns to help contain the pandemic, which has killed more than 270,000 people in the country, as the federal government pledged to bolster vaccine supplies." Reuters adds the Indian government "issued detailed guidelines on Sunday for monitoring COVID-19 cases that were spreading in India's vast countryside." Meanwhile, the AP (5/16, Singh, Banerjee) reports police have begun "reaching out to villagers in northern India to investigate the recovery of bodies buried in shallow sand graves or washed up on the Ganges River banks, prompting speculation on social media that they're the remains of COVID-19 victims." On the CBS Weekend NewsVi (5/16, story 9, 1:55, Duncan, 2.24M), Chris Livesay reported that it is "the shortages that are killing Indians: no vaccines, no oxygen, no hospital beds. But the government found no shortage of funds to rebuild the Parliament building over EFTA00160795 the next several years, along with a residence for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, nearly $2 billion. For such a costly public expenditure during a time of national crisis, Modi's critics are calling him a modern day emperor Nero fiddling while Rome burns. For the same money, the government could have vaccinated 450 million people. Or purchased 10 million oxygen cylinders, estimates one opposition lawmaker." In addition, the New York Times (5/16, Kumar, Gettleman, 20.6M) reports that "pandemic profiteers are filling the gap," with "medicine, oxygen and other supplies are brokered online or in hushed phone calls," but the efforts to secure these critical supplies has fueled some "the most brazen, dangerous scams in a country awash with coronavirus-related fraud and black-market profiteering." Data Indicate COVID Is Killing Youngest In Brazil At Unusually High Rate. The New York Times (5/16, Ionova, 20.6M) reports, "Covid-19 is ravaging Brazil, and, in a disturbing new wrinkle that experts are working to understand, it appears to be killing babies and small children at an unusually high rate," as data from Brazil's health ministry reveals "832 children 5 and under have died of the virus." The Times adds, "Comparable data is scarce because countries track the impact of the virus differently, but in the United States, which has a far larger population than Brazil, and a higher death toll from Covid-19, 139 children 4 and under have died." According to the Times, "Experts in Brazil, Europe and the United States agree that the number of children's deaths from Covid-19 in Brazil appeared to be particularly high." South Africa To Expand COVID Vaccine Rollout With Pfizer Doses. Bloomberg (5/16, Njini, 3.57M) reports South Africa Health Minister Zweli Mkhize on Sunday announced the country "will broaden its Covid-19 vaccine rollout to health-care workers and people over the age of 60 starting Monday." Bloomberg adds that according to Mkhize, "the government will start a mass vaccination effort at 87 sites across the country using Pfizer Inc. doses administered to frontline health-care workers and the elderly." Pandemic Leading To Refugee Waves Across World. The New York Times (5/16, Jordan, 20.6M) examines the growing waves of refugees occurring across the world as a result of COVID. While the Biden Administration "continues to grapple with swelling numbers of migrants along the southwestern border" with 178,622 refugees arriving in April, COVID's negative impact on global markets is leading to a new wave of refugees from developing countries across Europe and Asia. Italian border agents have logged 13,000 arrivals so far this year, and the data represents a tripling of immigrants on a year-to- year basis. LATimes Analysis: El Salvador's President Moving Toward Autocracy. The Los Angeles Times (5/16, Linthicum, 3.37M) reports that the 39-year old President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, has taken steps towards autocracy, attacking the press and civil society and deploying soldiers to occupy the Legislative Assembly after the Assembly rejected an anti- crime bill. On May 1, the day after the new, pro-Bukele legislature was sworn in, Bukele's political opponents on the Supreme Court and the attorney general's office were removed in what some political scientists call "a self-coup." Bukele called the changes "irreversible" and said that El Salvador is beginning "a new history." Burmese Anti-Junta Militia Retreats From Town. Reuters (5/16) reports that the Chinland Defense Force, a militia group opposed to Burma's Tatmadaw junta, has retreated from the town of Mindat in northwestern Burma after an assault from government forces. The US and Britain called on the Tatmadaw to avoid further violence against civilians while the National Unity Government requested international help. EFTA00160796 WPost: Chinese Oppression Of Uyghurs Fits UN Definition Of "Genocide." The Washington Post (5/16, 10.52M) editorializes that China's crackdown on Uyghurs fits the UN definition of genocide, citing reports from the Jamestown Foundation and Australian Strategic Policy Institute showing a severe decline in Uyghur birthrates. The Jamestown Foundation report in particular found that China established "a more coercive and intrusive policing of reproduction processes" against Uyghurs, with the a birth-rate decline "more than double the rate of decline in Cambodia at the height of the Khmer Rouge genocide." Sudanese Soldiers Face Civilian Prosecution After Protest Killings. Reuters (5/16) cites a Sudan News Agency report that several Sudanese soldiers were transferred to civilian prosecution to investigate the killing of two protestors at demonstrations. The demonstrations marked the anniversary of deadly action on a protest during the 2019 unrest. NYTimes Sees Hope For Libya. The New York Times (5/16, 20.6M) editorializes that the Biden Administration's selection of special envoy to Libya is a sign the Administration is serious about supporting Libyan democracy. Though a single transitional government is now in place, there is still a great deal of influence by competing foreign powers, including the illegal presence of tens of thousands of foreign troops. The Times continues on the benefits of a stable, pro-Western Libya. THE BIG PICTURE Headlines From Today's Front Pages. Wall Street Journal: AT&T In Talks To Combine Media Assets, Including CNN, With Discovery Bill Gates Left Microsoft Board Amid Probe Into Prior Relationship With Staffer Israel Rules Out An Immediate Cease-Fire With The Palestinians Companies Are Flush With Cash - And Ready To Pad Shareholder Pockets Pandemic Prom: No Dancing, Weird Locations Natural Gas, America's No. 1 Power Source, Already Has A New Challenger: Batteries New York Times: Deadliest Day Yet In Gaza As Efforts At Cease-Fire Fail Civilian Deaths On Both Sides Raise Specter Of War Crimes Mayoral Candidate Found Ways To Help Donors Fully Opening Schools In Fall Challenges City Pandemic Sends New Faces Across US Border Profiteers Pounce To Exploit India's Covid Misery Washington Post: Whatever Gets The Jab Done, Leaders Say People Of Color Grow More Visible In Far-Right Activism Dozens Killed In Predawn Israeli Airstrikes New Test For Police Overhaul Advocates Police Shootings Of Children Prompt Push For New Training Financial Times: AT&T Nears Deal To Create $150BN Streaming Giant With Discovery Europe Looks Hopefully Past Infection Rates To Reopen Economies EFTA00160797 Corporate Bond Downgrades By China Rating Agencies Triple Story Lineup From Last Night's Network News: ABC: Israel/Gaza; Mask Guidance; California-Wildfire; Weather Report; Gas Shortages; Chicago-Gun Violence; Connecticut-Missing Mother; West Bank Synagogue Bleachers Collapse; Minnesota-Child On Airport Conveyor Belt; Florida-First Person With Down Syndrome Competes In College Golf Championship. CBS: Israel/Gaza; Netanyahu-Attacks; GOP-Trump; Weather Report; California-Wildfire; Mask Guidance; RV Sales; US/Canadian Border; COVID-India; Houston-Missing Tiger; Student Receives Bachelor's In Nursing. NBC: Israel/Gaza; Netanyahu-Attacks; Mask Guidance; California-Wildfire; Train Derailed; Houston-Missing Tiger; COVID-Online Learning; Jackson State University-Class of 1970; Boston-Police Officer Sings For Hospitalized Friend. Network TV At A Glance: Israel/Gaza - 10 minutes, 15 seconds Mask Guidance - 6 minutes, 40 seconds California-Wildfire - 2 minutes, 25 seconds WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE Today's Events In Washington. White House: • President Biden — Delivers remarks on the COVID-19 response and the vaccination program. • Vice President Harris — No public schedule released. US Senate: • Senate holds procedural vote on the Endless Frontier Act - Senates convenes and resumes consideration of the motion to proceed to'S.1260, Endless Frontier Act', with agenda including a vote on a motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed Location: U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC; 3:00 PM • Senate Foreign Relations Committee closed briefing on the Horn of Africa - Closed briefing on 'Challenges and Opportunities for the United States in the Horn of Africa', given by Acting Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Robert Godec, and Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Bryan David Hunt; U.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman; an official briefer from USAID; and an official briefer from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence Location: SVC-217, U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, Washington, DC; 6:00 PM US House: • House Rules Committee hearing - Virtual hearing on 'H.R. 1629 - Fairness in Orphan Drug Exclusivity Act' and 'H. Res. 275 - Condemning the horrific shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 16, 2021, and reaffirming the House of Representative's commitment to combating hate, bigotry, and violence against the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community', held via Cisco Webex Location: Virtual Event; 3:00 PM Cabinet Officers: • Secretary of State Blinken continues Denmark / Iceland / Greenland trip — Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Iceland, to attend the Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting (20 May), to meet President Gudni Johannesson, Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir, and Foreign EFTA00160798 Minister Gudlaugur Thordarson, and to tour Keflavik Air Base * Trip began in Denmark and will end in Greenland Location: Reykjavik Visitors: • No visitors scheduled. General Events: • Supreme Court convenes for public non-argument session Location: Supreme Court of the United States, Washington, DC; 10:00 AM • Wilson Center discussion on 'vaccinating the world' - 'Vaccinating the World in 2021' Wilson Center online event, on 'what must be done to immediately accelerate production, help plan and support developing countries in getting vaccinated as soon as possible'. Speakers include former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and Wilson Center President, Director, and CEO Mark Green Location: Virtual Event; 11:00 AM • AEI discussion on 'Global Britain' - American Enterprise Institute hosts virtual conversation on 'Global Britain, with UK Member of Parliament Tom Tugendhat discussing Britain's vision of its global role, its ties with the U.S. and Europe, and the continuing challenges posed by China, the Middle East, and Russia. Other speakers include American Enterprise Institute Resident Scholars Hal Brands and Gary Schmitt Location: Virtual Event; 11:00 AM • Press Briefing y Press Secretary Jen Psaki; 12:00 PM • Dem Rep. John Garamendi speaks on U.S. nuclear modernization - 'Smarter Options on U.S. Nuclear Modernization' Arms Control Association online discussion, on 'how the Biden administration should approach the nuclear modernization effort, alternatives to building a new fleet of intercontinental ballistic missiles, the challenges facing the National Nuclear Security Administration's warhead and infrastructure modernization plans, and the relationship between nuclear modernization and arms control diplomacy'. Speakers include Democratic Rep. John Garamendi Location: Virtual Event; 2:00 PM • Federal Transit Administration (FTA) webinar titled 'Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence Among Transit Workers' Location: Virtual Event; 2:00 PM • Brookings online discussion on AI innovation, with GOP Sen. Joni Ernst - 'A national strategy for AI innovation' Brookings Institution Foreign Policy online discussion, on the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence's (NSCAI) strategy for U.S. leadership in the sector. Keynote from Republican Rep. Joni Ernst, with other speakers including NSCAI Chair Eric Schmidt and commissioner Gilman Louie and Mignon Clybum Location: Virtual Event; 2:15 PM • Bipartisan senators discuss repeal of Iraq War authorizations - 'It's Time to Repeal the Iraq War Authorizations' Heritage Foundation virtual event, with Democratic Rep. Tim Kaine and Republican Rep. Todd Young discussing their legislation to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Iraq AUMFs Location: Virtual Event; 3:30 PM • State Department and Google launch Women Tech Founders Program - Women Tech Founders Kick Off: #LoopHerIn event, hosted by the State Department Providing Opportunities for Women's Economic Rise (POWER) Initiative in partnership with Google's Women Techmakers to launch the Women Tech Founders Program. Speakers/participants include Emirati Advanced Technology Minister Sarah Al Amiri, Egyptian International Cooperation Minister Dr Rania Al Mashat, Bahraini Supreme Council for Women Secretary EFTA00160799 General Hala al-Ansari U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Amb. Jonathan Cohen, U.S. Embassy Manama Charge d'Affaires Maggie Nardi, U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi Charge d'Affaires Sean Murphy, and Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Peter Haas * Program will provide four weeks of skills training for 50 women tech founders from the Middle East and North Africa, with a focus on the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain Location: Virtual Event Copyright 2021 by Bulletin Intelligence LLC Reproduction or redistribution without permission prohibited. Content is drawn from thousands of newspapers, national magazines, national and local television programs, radio broadcasts, social-media platforms and additional forms of open-source data. Sources for Bulletin Intelligence audience-size estimates include Scarborough, GfK MRI, comScore, Nielsen, and the Audit Bureau of Circulation. 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