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From To Subject: . - u rc airs ews ne ing ues ay, August 25, 2020 Importance: Normal Priority: Normal Sensitivity: None Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com <https://fbi.bulletinintelligence.com?d=200825&auth=58fic3kvz9r> . <https://fbi.bulletinintelligence.com?d=200825&auth=58fk3kvz9r> TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2020 6:30 AM EDT TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS Leading the News • Wisconsin National Guard Called In After Violent Protests Sparked By Police Shooting. Protests • FBI Finds Threat That Closed Portland Federal Buildings Was Unsubstantiated. • Morgan: Violence In Cities Due To Failure Of State And Local Leadership. • Chief: Detroit Police Prevented Protesters From Setting Up "Zone Of Lawlessness." • Appeals Court Pares Back Federal Anti-Riot Act. Counter-Terrorism • More Than A Dozen Killed, 75 Wounded In ISIS-Linked Bombing In Philippines. Counter-Intelligence • Chinese Researcher At Texas A&M Charged With Fraud And Conspiracy. • FBI FISA Requests Now Detail Whether Target Is Government Source. • Graham Says He Will Subpoena Priestap. • Federal Government Has Made Progress, But Not Implemented, 2016 Election Security Recommendations. • NRO To Launch Intelligence Satellite Wednesday. • German Doctors Say Navalny Was Poisoned. • Researchers Say Russian-Backed Organizations "Amplifying QAnon Conspiracy Theories." • Austria Expels Russian Diplomat, Spurring Reprisal. • Former CIA Official Among Whose Doubting Kim Jong-Un Coma Rumor. • Danes Suspend Defense Intelligence Chief Following Accusations Of Spying On Citizens. Criminal Investigations • Federal Authorities Move Toward Resolution Of Probe Of George Floyd Killing. • Kentucky AG Mulls Charges In Breonna Taylor Probe. • Georgia Prisoner Sentenced For Mailing Threats To Federal Judges. • Arrest Made In RNC Security Violation. • Attorneys Say South Carolina Pastor Is Victim Of Extortion. • California Supreme Court Overturns Death Penalty For Scott Peterson. • Two Sentenced For Online Sex Crimes In Georgia. • Man Charged In Shootout With Border Agents In Arizona. • FBI Offers Reward For Information On New Jersey Gang Member. • Former Georgia Public Official Sentenced Over Misappropriation Of Taxes. • West Virginia Man Sentenced Over Drug Trafficking. • Washington State Individuals Charged Over Public Corruption. EFTA00136518 • Two Members Of Violent Florida Gang Sentenced On Drug, Shooting Charges. • Continuing Coverage: FBI Investigating Disappearance Of Georgia Woman In Florida. • FBI Investigating Cold Cases In Illinois. • Illinois Men Appear In Court Over Bank Robbery. • Continuing Coverage: FBI Sex Trafficking Sting Results In 12 Arrests In Maryland. • FBI Investigated Arson On Wisconsin Tribal Land. • Two More Sentenced In Georgia Child Sex Sting. • Texas Woman Pleads Not Guilty To Child Pornography Charges. • FBI: Missing New Jersey Girl Was Likely Kidnapped In Crime Of Opportunity. • FBI Searching For Kansas City, Missouri Armed Robbery Suspect. • FBI Probing Two Cleveland, Ohio Bank Robberies. • FBI Seeking Suspect In Colorado Bank Robbery. Employment • FBI Looks To Hire More Women. Financial Crime & Corporate Scandals • Pandemic Spawning Scams More Than Any Recent Event. • FBI: $3M In Stolen Ventilators Recovered In Florida. • Jury Begins Deliberations In Northern Marianas Corruption Case. • FBI Warns Of Using Facebook Marketplace For Used Cars. • FBI Searching Massachusetts Storage Facility. Cyber Division • Indian Citizen Pleads Guilty In Rhode Island To Tech Support Phone Scam. • FBI, CISA Warn Of Surge In Voice Call Phishing Scams. • Nakasone Details Newly Aggressive Cyber Effort. • TikTok Sues Trump Administration To Overturn Executive Order. • Zoom Experienced Outages During First Day Of School For Many. Law Enforcement Services • Interior Department Announces Increased Seizures Of Illegal Drugs. Other FBI News • FBI Agent Charged In 2018 Texas Shooting. • Scheduled Execution Of Navajo Man Raises Sovereignty Concerns. • Woman Who Killed FBI Agent In 2008 Seeks Release From Prison After Contracting COVID-19. Other Washington News • In Visit To North Carolina, Trump Praises Farmers For Pandemic Food Program. • Trump: Plasma Treatment Will Reduce Mortality "By At Least 35%." • Atlas: Prolonged Lockdowns Are Harmful To Country. • Meadows Says President, Congress Could Agree On Coronavirus Aid. • Wilkie Says There Are Only Four COVID Cases In VA Nursing Homes. • AstraZeneca Denies White House Fast-Tracking Its COVID Vaccine. • Experts Credit Restrictions With Decreasing Number Of Cases. • Missouri Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Proposes Mask Mandate. • WSJournal Praises Georgia's Pandemic Response. • Florida Judge Blocks State Order For Schools To Reopen. • New York City Schools To Have Outside Classes Option. • Northeastern Revokes Admissions For Those Who Said They Would Attend Or Host Parties. • New York AG Investigating Whether Trump Inflated Asset Values To Get Loans, Tax Benefits. • Vance Agrees To Hold Off Enforcing Subpoena For Trump's Tax Returns. • Cohen In Talks To Appear In Ads For Democratic PAC. • Morgan: President Has Delivered On Immigration Promises. • DHS Reviewing DACA With An Eye On Phasing It Out. • Volunteers Build Makeshift School In Mexico For Children Seeking US Asylum. • Trump To Order Federal Agencies To Move Offices To Opportunity Zones. • As Eviction Moratoriums End, Demand Increases For Legal Assistance. • DeJoy Tells House Panel He Is Not "Sabotaging The Election." EFTA00136519 • Politico Analysis: Schumer Has Shifted Leftward Along With His Party. • Laura Could Be Most Powerful Storm To Hit Gulf Coast Since Katrina, Rita. International News • Researchers Document First COVID Reinfection Case. • US Military Delivers COVID Equipment To Honduras. • WHO Recommends Children Wear Masks In Some Circumstances. • Esper: US Prepared To Counter China. • Pompeo Urges Other Arab Countries To Follow UAE In Recognizing Israel. • US Envoy Meets With Belarusian Opposition Leader. • Bolsonaro's Popularity Rising Despite COVID Response. • Canada's Conservative Party Chooses O'Toole As New Leader. • Baker: Biden's Supporters Eager To Roll Back Trump's Foreign Policy. The Big Picture • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. Washington's Schedule • Today's Events In Washington. Leading the News Wisconsin National Guard Called In After Violent Protests Sparked By Police Shooting. WFRV-TV <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.com/29730f0a1dfd4dc8995334a4d2b94733?pubid=fbi> Green Bay, WI (8/24, 11K) reported that Kenosha, Wisconsin "faced a night of intense protests after police appeared to shoot a Black man in the back." During the protests, "the county courthouse was damaged along with cars at a local dealership." WDJT-TV <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.com/52553fe5307d440d917df969b0154e80? pubid=fbi> Milwaukee (8/24, 19K) recounted "protesters clashed with police," who "used tear gas to break-up the crowd." WDJT added "vehicles were set on fire, including a garbage truck and a car lot," and "businesses were damaged and looted." Says the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel <https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2020/08/24/kenosha-protests- escalate-after-police-shoot-black-man-jacob-blalce/3427941001/> (8/24, Carson, Jones, 632K), "Among the damaged buildings: the public library, the Dinosaur Discovery Museum, the Harborside Academy charter school, a law firm, the USPS building and the county register of deeds." The Journal Sentinel adds "many who walked up said they couldn't believe the situation plaguing so many other American cities happened in Kenosha." In an online report, Fox News <https://www.foxnews.com/uilkenosha-car-dealership-riot-protest> (8/24, Pagones, 27.59M) focuses on the Kenosha "car dealership...targeted by rioters," which "multiple reports identified...as belonging to Car Source, a pre-owned vehicle dealership located on Sheridan Avenue. ... Prior to the overnight destruction, Car Source had more than 140 vehicles available for sale, according to its website." Breitbart <https://www.breitbart.corn/politics/2020/08/23/watch-gunshots-ring-out-as-armed-rioters-confront- police-in-wisconsin> (8/24, Gwinn, 673K) reports the crowd of protesters included "at least two armed rioters," and "blocked a police armored car from proceeding down a street. After a standoff, the police began throwing tear gas canisters from the top of the vehicle to disperse the crowd," and "moments later, gunshots rang out after one of the protesters appeared to open fire." The AP <https://apnews.corn/0cbc14762c89304f9f052fd33a1f4445> (8/24, Webber, Gash) reports on Monday, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) "summoned the National Guard for fear of another round of violent protests Monday" in Kenosha following what the AP calls "the police shooting of a Black man under murky circumstances." Evers said the National Guard would be charged with "guarding infrastructure and making sure our firefighters and others involved are protected." WEAU-TV <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corn/06d98b3a8lca4cea8984d08bb7alb38b?pubid=fbi> Eau Claire, WI (8/24, 11K) indicated Evers also said he "was calling a special session of the legislature on policing EFTA00136520 accountability and transparency on August 31." The AP <https://apnews.com/0cbc14762c89304f9f052fd33a1f4445> (8/24, Webber, Gash) indicates that Evers was also "quick to condemn the bloodshed, saying that while not all details were known, `what we know for certain is that he is not the first Black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country.' The New York Times <https://vvww.nytimes.corn/2020/08/24/us/kenosha-police-shooting.html> (8/24, Bosman, 18.61 M) recounts that witness "Annie Hurst stepped outside the cream-colored house where she has lived for 53 years on Sunday afternoon and saw something that made her freeze in fear." An officer "was aiming his gun at Jacob Blake, her neighbor, as he tried to get into his car with three of his children in the back seat. The officer grabbed him by his shirt and fired several times, shooting him in the back." Reuters <https://www.reuters.corn/article/us-global-race-usa-wisconsin/wisconsin-deploys-national-guard-as-police- shooting-of-black-man-sparks-unrest-idUSICBN25K0CN> (8/24, Layne, Trotta) says that "after being rushed to a hospital, Blake was out of surgery and in stable condition, his father told news media on Monday." Noting the video of the incident, Reuters adds "it was unknown whether the officers saw something inside the vehicle that caused them to fire on Blake." Mola Lenghi of the CBS Evening News <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corrindf4e58cb27e42d680adIff572fae2f7?pubid=fbi> (8/24, story 10, 2:05, O'Donnell, 4.21M) recounted that "two of the officers involved in the shooting were placed on leave during the investigation," as "overnight, anger turned to vandalism. Some set city vehicles ablaze while officers and riot gear clashed with others." On ABC World News Tonight <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corn/7ca24aca75ec4107b93bde7737c20f10?pubid=fbi> (8/24, story 2, 2:05, Muir, 7.23M), Alex Perez reported on the "disturbing video throwing a city into turmoil," with the "community...preparing for possibly more destructive protests." ABC added that "much of the small downtown area now looks like this, completely boarded up." Gabe Gutierrez of NBC Nightly News <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corn/929d192bfflef47ec87d4e8a5a6712d68?pubid=fbi> (8/24, story 3, 2:25, Holt, 6.03M) also said "businesses...are boarded up, nervous about another potentially violent night." Lyna Postuchow, a "business owner," was shown saying, "It was horrifying. To sit there and see it, and know you couldn't do anything, you know. We literally put our entire lives into this business." The Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/08/23/kenosha-police-shooting-video- wisconsink (8/24, Peiser, Berman, 14.2M) reports "the Kenosha shooting made the lakefront city of about 100,000 residents the new epicenter of a movement that has roiled America this summer, ever since the video footage of [George] Floyd, pinned beneath a Minneapolis police officer's knee and pleading for air, circulated on Memorial Day." The Wall Street Journal <https://wvvw.wsj.com/articles/violence-flares-in-kenosha-wis-after- video-shows-police-shooting-black-man-11598278903> (8/24, Ailworth, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), among other news outlets, also reports the story. County Officials Upset Guard Wasn't Sent In Earlier. The Kenosha (WI) News <https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/locaUnational-guard-deployed-to-kenosha-county-supervisors-say-they- should-have-come-sooner/article_c65c13ba-9ccf-58a3-95 f9-0e093091cd3b.html#tracking-source=home-top- story-1> (8/24, Tatge-Rozell, 63K) recounts that "Kenosha County Emergency Management Director Lt. Horace Staples said the declaration of a State of Emergency at 11 p.m. Sunday started the process of activating the deployment." Kenosha County supervisors Terry Rose and Zach Rodriguez "said Monday they feel `someone dropped the ball.' Said Rodriguez, "Myself and other supervisors were knocking on the doors of other supervisors at 2 a.m. because the National Guard hadn't been sent to Kenosha." USA Today <https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/08/24/jacob-blake-protests-erupt-after-black- man-shot-wisconsin-police/3428198001/> (8/24, Yancey-Bragg, Culver, 10.3IM) indicates that "by late Sunday, multiple vehicles were set ablaze and windows were smashed along city thoroughfares as crowds faced off with EFTA00136521 law enforcement," as "officers in riot gear stood in lines and SWAT vehicles remained on the streets to move people away from city buildings despite the declaration of an overnight curfew." Police Union Urges Public To Withhold Judgment, Slams Evers' "Irresponsible" Statement. The Kenosha (WI) News <https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-professional-police-association-issues- statement/article_9f8a0de6-0a6c-5145-b180-2071bea07333.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1> (8/24, 63K) reports "Pete Deates, president of the Kenosha Professional Police Association," issued a statement saying, "Anytime deadly force is used, our hearts go out to those affected by it. We assure you an independent investigation is being conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation." Until its completion, "we ask that you withhold prejudgment about the incident and please the let process take place. Governor Evers' statement on the incident was wholly irresponsible and not reflective of the hardworking members of the law enforcement community, not to mention the citizens of the City of Kenosha." Moreover, added Deates, "the video currently circulating does not capture all the intricacies of a highly dynamic incident." NBC Nightly News <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corn/929d192bf8ef47ec87d4e8a5a6712d68? pubid=fbi> (8/24, story 3, 2:25, Holt, 6.03M) showed Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes (D) saying, "This was not an accident. This wasn't bad police work. This felt like some sort of vendetta being taken out on a member of our community." Biden Calls For Police Accountability And Denounces "Systemic Racism," Doesn't Condemn Riots. Axios <https://www.axios.com/biden-kenosha-shooting-jacob-blake-69ffid5b7-1830-4c67-85f8-57e34d67704a.html> (8/24, Allassan, 521K) reports "Joe Biden on Monday called for `an immediate, full and transparent investigation"' into the shooting of Blake. Biden said on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/7860876103/posts/10157368933236104> , "[T]his morning, the nation wakes up yet again with grief and outrage that yet another Black American is a victim of excessive force. This calls for an immediate, full and transparent investigation and the officers must be held accountable.... Equal justice has not been real for Black Americans and so many others. We are at an inflection point. We must dismantle systemic racism. It is the urgent task before us." The CNBC <https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/24/jacob-blake-joe-biden-calls-for-probe-of-kenosha-police- shooting.html> (8/24, Pramuk, 3.62M) website and the New York Post <https://nypost.corn/2020/08/24/joe- biden-calls-for-probe-of-jacob-blake-shooting-in-wisconsini> (8/24, Fitz-Gibbon, 4.57M), among other news outlets, also carry Biden's statement. Breitbart <https://wvvw.breitbart.com/politics/2020/08/24/joe-biden-fails- to-condemn-kenosha-riots-calls-shooting-systemic-racism/> (8/24, Pollak, 673K) reports, meanwhile, that Biden "failed to condemn the rioting, looting, and arson that followed throughout the working-class city." WPost Calls Wisconsin Shooting A "Sickening Deja Vu." The Washington Post <https://vvwvv.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-are-police-still-using-unwarranted-force-on-black-men-and- women/2020/08/24/18ae5f62-e64a-llea-97e0-94d2e46e759b_story.html> (8/24, I4.2M) asks in an editorial, "Shouldn't police by now be on notice to stop using unwarranted — and too often deadly — force against Black men and women?" To the Post, "there is a sickening deja vu...to watching the 20-second clip of video footage of Sunday's incident in" Kenosha, WI. The Post concludes that "neither noncompliance with a police order nor unconnected past crimes justifies a death sentence, and it is unacceptable to try to use those excuses. Enough is enough." Protests FBI Finds Threat That Closed Portland Federal Buildings Was Unsubstantiated. The Oregonian <https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2020/08/threat-that-closed-federal-buildings-in-portland- declared-unsubstantiated.html> (8/24, Ryan, 1M) reports, "A threat that closed all the federal buildings in EFTA00136522 Portland last week has been declared unsubstantiated." According to the Oregonian, "The threat, which came in Thursday, prompted an FBI investigation and the closure of Portland's Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse and other federal buildings. The courthouse and at least one other federal building were back open Monday. It wasn't immediately clear if all federal buildings had reopened." KPTV-TV <https://www.kptv.com/news/fbi-no-information-that-threat-against-federal-buildings-in-portland- was-credible/article_759022e2-e654-11ea-987f-8bd88321e270.html> Portland, OR (8/24, 177K) reports, "On Friday, the FBI confirmed an investigation into a threat. No specific details were released about the threat. As a result, federal buildings were closed, some businesses shut down for the day and the city of Portland advised employees to leave the downtown area Friday `out of an abundance of caution.'" On Monday, the FBI "reported that investigators had not developed information that the reported threat against federal buildings was credible. The FBI investigation took place as continuing protests have taken place in Portland, many near the Justice Center downtown, with numerous demonstrations being declared riots by law enforcement." Portland Police Use Tear Gas To Disperse Protesters. The AP <https://apnews.com/4a4b7laab 104631f4de089b493853525> (8/24) reports, "Police in Portland used tear gas early Monday to scatter demonstrators who marched on a precinct station in another night of violence — hurling rocks, bottles, commercial-grade fireworks at officers and setting fires in the streets." Police arrested 23 people. The AP adds that "the protests have gripped Oregon's largest city for months since the police killing of George Floyd" and on Sunday night, "demonstrators in Portland...chanted the name Jacob Blake." Portland Police: Protests Preventing Them From Answering Calls For Help. The Daily Caller <https://dailycaller.corn/2020/08/24/riot-declared-in-portland-oregon-police-pulled-patrol-shift/> (8/24, Lyman, 7I6K), meanwhile, reports, "35 officers in Portland were pulled away from patrol duty after a riot was declared Sunday evening, leaving some 80 other emergency calls on hold, according to Portland Police Bureau (PPB)." In a statement, the PPB said, "The event forced the assistance of about 35 officers from patrol, severely limiting call response. As the riot was ending, there were 80 calls holding in the city, ranging from shots fired, car crashes, welfare checks, priority threats, missing persons, and more." Morgan: Violence In Cities Due To Failure Of State And Local Leadership. In an interview with Fox Business <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.com/57a338bbe72d4b20a3db78a52498214Opubid=fbi&transcript=y> (8/24, 50K), Acting CBP Commissioner Morgan said of ongoing protests around the country, "Violence is not the answer to go and burn and destroy your own city. In the reaction to something like this is not the way." About protests in Portland, Morgan said, "These are anarchist criminal opportunists. These are thugs. What you're seeing in Portland for 90 days Maria we've talked about this. This is a complete failure of local and state leadership. They could end this if they chose to do so and they have refused.... Oregon state police came down for a little while you saw a drop in violence they left, and now the violence increases." Asked what the federal government should do, Morgan said, "Someone is going to die in that city because of the failure of local and state leadership." Chief: Detroit Police Prevented Protesters From Setting Up "Zone Of Lawlessness." The Detroit News <https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2020/08/24/chief-detroit-police- prevented-seattle-zone-lawlessness/5624097002/> (8/24, Hunter, 825K) reports, "Officers used force to prevent protesters from setting up a `Seattle zone of lawlessness' during demonstrations that turned violent Saturday, the city's police chief said Monday." Detroit police chief James Craig "made the comment while there are multiple internal investigations to determine whether any officers acted improperly during the skirmishes." Said Craig, "I am not going to let any group set up a Seattle zone of lawlessness here in the city of Detroit. That is non- EFTA00136523 negotiable." The Detroit Free Press <https://www.freep.corn/story/news/local/michigatildetroit/2020/08/24/detroit-police- chief-james-craig-black-lives-matter-protests/3431311001/> (8/24, 1.52M) reports that a "top Detroit police official who once took a knee in solidarity with protesters outside public safety headquarters delivered a harsh message Monday to the group that has led nightly protests all summer: `To Detroit Will Breathe: You're not welcome. Go." Craig "also criticized the protesters as manipulative and claiming police brutality while ignoring the actions of their supporters, who he says have thrown objects at police and damaged police vehicles." Appeals Court Pares Back Federal Anti-Riot Act. Politico <https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/24/court-pares-back-federal-anti-riot-act-400999> (8/24, Gerstein, 4.29M) reports a federal appeals court has "narrowed an anti-riot law the Trump administration is wielding to bring federal charges against individuals accused of fueling civil unrest following the death of George Floyd." However, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals "upheld the use of the federal statute against two California men convicted of spurring violence in connection with the white supremacist Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va. in August 2017, Michael Miselis and Benjamin Daley." The three-judge appeals court panel "unanimously concluded that language in the Anti-Riot Act that makes it a crime to `encourage,' promote' or urge a riot is unconstitutionally overbroad because it encompasses speech protected by the First Amendment." Counter-Terrorism More Than A Dozen Killed, 75 Wounded In ISIS-Linked Bombing In Philippines. The AP <https://apnews.corn/c23ac98f9ecb64eb8d610c304a95d43c> (8/24, Gomez) reports militants allied with ISIS "set off a powerful motorcycle explosive followed by a suicide bombing that together killed 14 people on Monday, many of them soldiers, in the worst extremist attack in the Philippines this year, military officials said." At least 75 were wounded in the bombings in Job town in southern Sulu province. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, "but the military blamed an Abu Sayyaf militant commander, Mundi Sawadjaan, who has been linked to suicide bombings in recent years in Sulu." Counter-Intelligence Chinese Researcher At Texas A&M Charged With Fraud And Conspiracy. The Washington Times <https://www.washingtontimes.corn/news/2020/aug/24/nasa-funded-scientist-charged- also-working-chine> (8/24, Dinan, 492K) reports Zhengdong Cheng, a researcher at Texas A&M on a NASA- funded contract, "has been charged with fraud and conspiracy" for "working as a Chinese researcher at the same time he was taking U.S. government money." Cheng was "part of China's Thousands Talents Program that seeks to illicitly siphon U.S. research." His research at Texas A&M included "access to International Space Station resources," according to FBI Special Agent Benjamin Harper. The Houston Chronicle <https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Texas-A-M- professor-accused-of-lying-about-15510624.php> (8/24, Ketterer, 730K) reports Cheng led a research team where "he willfully took steps to obscure his affiliations and collaboration with a Chinese University and at least one Chinese-owned company," according to the Justice Department. The AP EFTA00136524 <https://vvww.sfchronicle.corn/news/artic le/Professor-NASA-researcher-accused-of-conceal ing-15510735 .php> (8/24, Tucker) reports, "Cheng faces charges of wire fraud, conspiracy and false statements, according to a criminal complaint released by the Justice Department on Monday. He was arrested Sunday." According to the AP, "The case against Cheng is part of a pattern of Justice Department prosecutions against researchers at American universities who are accused of concealing their professional relationships with Chinese universities. The Trump administration has been particularly concerned that professors could exploit their ties to China, and their participation in talent recruitment programs, to steal intellectual property for Beijing's economic benefit." The Dallas Morning News <https://www.dallasnews.cornrnews/crime/2020/08/24/texas-am-professor-who-is- also-nasa-researcher-arrested-over-alleged-ties-with-china/> (8/24, Benning, 946K) reports, "According to the complaint, Cheng is not allowed to participate, collaborate or coordinate not only with China, but with any Chinese university or Chinese-owned company, under the terms of his grant. According to the criminal complaint, which was unsealed Monday, Cheng attempted to obscure his personal affiliations with a Chinese university and at least one Chinese company for several years." The Morning News adds, "Special Agent in Charge, Mark Zielinksi, said NASA's funding restrictions are put in place to protect taxpayer-financed research dollars and intellectual property. Zieliknski, who is also the NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) — Eastern Field Office, said that the government will continue to pursue anybody who attempts to cover up affiliations with Chinese institutions. `These alleged actions came to light through the tireless work of the FBI-Bryan Resident Agency and NASA-OIG investigative teams,' said Penye K. Turner, FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge." Courthouse News <https://www.courthousenews.corn/professor-accused-of-hiding-ties-to-china-while-doing- nasa-researchk (8/24, Langford, 2K) , ICBTX-TV <https://www.kbtx.corn/2020/08/24/texas-am-professor- arrested-for-conspiracy-making-false-statements-and-wire-fraudk College Station, TX (8/24, DeMoss, 91K) , and the Washington Examiner <https://www.washingtonexaminencorn/news/texas-a-m-professor-charged-for- hiding-chinese-thousand-talents-affiliation-while-getting-nasa-grants> (8/24, Dunleavy, 448K) also report. Dozens Of American Universities Hosting Confucius Institute Despite Scrutiny. The Washington Free Beacon <https://freebeacon.corn/campus/top-universities-take-millions-from-china-front-group/> (8/24, ICakutani, 78K) reports, "Dozens of universities, including Columbia and Stanford, are hosting the Chinese government-funded Confucius Institute despite increasing scrutiny from the federal government." The universities "appear to be unfazed by the Trump administration's decision last week to designate" the Confucius Institute as a "foreign mission." Despite the move, "nearly 50 colleges and universities will continue their partnership with Confucius Institute programs." FBI FISA Requests Now Detail Whether Target Is Government Source. The Washington Examiner <https://www.washingtonexaminencom/news/fbi-says-fisa-request-forms-will-now- ask-whether-target-was-government-source> (8/24, Dunleavy, 448K) reports a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act reform "undertaken by the FBI is implementing more stringent requirements for asking whether a possible target has been a source for the US government." The change was revealed "following a related guilty plea in U.S. Attorney John Durham's inquiry into the Russia investigation." FBI Acting General Counsel Dawn Browning submitted a "declaration to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that was made public Monday." The filing "said that updated FISA request forms, specifically related to requests for business records and the use of pen register and trap and trace devices, `include a number of improvements,' including `questions about whether the target or subject of the request was previously interviewed by, or served as a confidential human source, asset, or operational contact of, the FBI, any other government agency, or a foreign government.'" Graham Says He Will Subpoena Priestap. The Washington Examiner <https://www.washingtonexaminencorn/news/graham-to-subpoena-fbi-official-he- says-misled-senate-intelligence-committee-on-steele-dossier> (8/24, Dunleavy, 448K) reports Senate Judiciary EFTA00136525 Chairman Lindsay Graham "said he plans to subpoena Bill Priestap, a key leader in the FBI's Trump-Russia investigation, after pushback from the former bureau official's lawyer." Graham told Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures <https://video.foxnews.corn/v/61838108270017playlist_id=3386055101001fisp=show-clips> "that he is escalating his effort to interview the FBI's former head of counterintelligence." Graham "said he believes Priestap gave misleading information to the Senate Intelligence Committee in 2018 about the reliability of British ex-spy Christopher Steele's discredited dossier." Graham said, "I don't know what Mr. Priestap did or didn't do, but I know the briefing given to the Intel Committee was an absolute lie about the reliability of the subsource.... It does sound to me like there was an effort to mislead the Senate Intel Committee." Federal Government Has Made Progress, But Not Implemented, 2016 Election Security Recommendations. Politico <https://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly-cybersecurity/2020/08/24/how-far-feds-have-come-on- election-security-goals-since-the-last-election-790107> (8/24, Starks, 4.29M) reports the federal government has "largely implemented the election security recommendations that the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and NISI" issued in 2016, a "reflection of slow but steady progress that has nonetheless left room for improvement." The agencies advised "designating elections as critical infrastructure" and "suggested that DHS work with NIST and the Election Assistance Commission to incorporate the latest cybersecurity best practices into a new version of the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines." Many of the recommendations have been implemented, however, Politico says there are still some gaps including "no information-sharing alliance for U.S. political parties, nor is there a formal Election Infrastructure Cyber Response Plan." At the same time, "the growing problem of disinformation underscores the fact that some of the biggest election security threats target minds, not machines, and cannot be solved by security scans or threat indicator sharing." NRO To Launch Intelligence Satellite Wednesday. C4ISR & Networks <https://www.c4ismet.com/battlefield-tech/space/2020/08/24/nro-set-to-launch-intelligence- satellite-in-the-wee-hours/> (8/24, Strout) reports the National Reconnaissance Office is "set to launch a new intelligence payload into orbit in the early hours of the morning on Aug. 26." The NROL-44 mission has been cleared for liftoff "at 2:16 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida." The classified payload arrived "in Florida in late July and was integrated with the rocket in early August." The launch will use a "United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket." The mission will be NRO's fourth this year. German Doctors Say Navalny Was Poisoned. The Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/prominent-russian-opposition-activist-navalny- was-poisoned-german-doctors-say/2020/08/24/c0ac970e-e606-11ea-bf44-0d3Ic85838a5_story.html> (8/24, Glucroft, Khurshudyan, 14.2M) reports Russian opposition leader Alexsei Navalny "was poisoned, Berlin's Charite hospital said in a statement Monday, citing clinical results that contradicted Russian doctors and corroborated claims that an attempt had been made on the Kremlin critic's life." Although the exact substance "that poisoned Navalny is not yet known, it is believed to be a cholinesterase inhibitor, Charites statement said, adding that the effect of the toxin — blocking cholinesterase, an enzyme needed for the proper functioning of the nervous system — was confirmed several times by independent laboratories." The hospital said that "another broad analysis has been initiated" and that Navalny remains in a medically induced coma but "there is no acute danger to his life." He is being given "atropine, a medication used to treat certain types of nerve agent and pesticide poisonings." The New York Times <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/24/world/europe/aleksei-navalny-poison.html> (8/24, Eddy, Kramer, 18.61 M) reports Navalny, who became ill "on a domestic flight in Russia, was under round-the- EFTA00136526 clock guard at the Berlin hospital where his family transferred him Saturday after what now appears to be yet another attack signaling Russia's status as an outlaw nation." While used medically to "treat Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, in some forms they are also found in chemical weapons and pesticides." The Russian health ministry is "challenging the German findings," but a doctor at the "Siberian hospital where the dissident was initially taken said after the German announcement that the patient had been given an antidote often used against nerve agents." The German doctors "said that they expected Mr. Navalny to survive. but that it was too early to gauge the long-term effects of the attack." The Wall Street Journal <https://wwvv.wsj.corn/articles/navalny-could-well-have-been-poisoned-germany-says- 11598278260> (8/24, Boston, Grove, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports following the doctors' determination, German Chancellor Angela Merkel asked Russia to investigate the attack. In a joint statement, Merkel and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said, "Those responsible must be identified and brought to justice." Earlier in the day, Merkel's spokesman suggested that the attack could be linked to the Kremlin. Navalny has been guarded by officers from Germany's BKA, the country's equivalent to the FBI. The Guardian (UK) <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/24/alexei-navalny-tests-point-to-possible- nerve-agent-attack-experts-say> (8/24, Harding, 4.19M) reports chemical and biological counter-terrorism expert Hamish de De Bretton-Gordon "said it was unclear how the poison may have been delivered, but he said nerve agents could be put in liquid such as tea or absorbed via the skin." Bretton-Gordon also "said it was also possible that Navalny had been poisoned with an organophosphate or pesticide." The Hill <https://thehill.corn/policy/intemationaU5 13362-russian-opposition-leader-navalny-was-poisoned- german-hospital-says> (8/24, Wise, 2.98M) also reports. Bloomberg: US Needs "Realistic Russia Strategy." In an editorial published in Yahoo! News/Bloomberg Opinion <https://news.yahoo.com/u-needs-realistic-russia-strategy-120010728.html> (8/24, 12.82M), Bloomberg says the poisoning of Alexei Navalny "underscores the dangers Russians face for speaking out against President Vladimir Putin" and is a "warning to those currently protesting for democratic change in neighboring Belarus." They argue, "So long as Putin remains at the helm, Russia will continue to pose a serious threat to democratic values, in its periphery and beyond." The editorial concludes that "consistent messaging, tougher deterrence measures and resolute support for allies are essential to a successful strategy." Opinion: "Time For President Trump" To Confront Putin. In an op-ed for The Washington Examiner <https://vvwvv.washingtonexaminercorrilopinion/trump-must-raise-alexey-navalnys-poisoning-with-vladimir- putin> (8/24, 448K), Tom Rogan writes, "It's time for President Trump to raise the dissident's fate with Russian President Vladimir Putin." Researchers Say Russian-Backed Organizations "Amplifying QAnon Conspiracy Theories." Reuters <https://www.reuters.corrilarticle/us-usa-election-qanon-russia/small-but-growing-russian-support-for- qanon-conspiracies-seen-online-idUSKBN25K13Th (8/24, Menn) reports Russian government-supported organizations are "playing a small but increasing role amplifying conspiracy theories promoted by QAnon, raising concerns of interference in the November US election." QAnon has been "named by the FBI as a potential instigator of domestic terrorism, and followers have been charged with making a terror threat, murder and other crimes." Alethea Group disinformation expert Cindy Otis, "a former CIA analyst, said RT, Sputnik and other Kremlin-backed media have been writing more about QAnon, using it to fit into" a broader narrative of US decline. The Daily Beast <https://www.thedailybeast.com/russian-media-turns-to-qanon-conspiracies-to-help-re-elect- trump> (8/24, Davis, 1.39M) also reports. EFTA00136527 Austria Expels Russian Diplomat, Spurring Reprisal. Reuters <https://www.reuters.corn/article/us-russia-austria/austria-expels-russian-envoy-in-what-newspaper- calls-economic-spying-case-idUSKBN25K115> (8/24, Murphy) reports from Vienna that Austria is expelling a Russian diplomat "for breaching the Vienna Convention governing diplomats' privileges and immunities, an Austrian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Monday in what a tabloid newspaper reported as an economic espionage case." The spokesman said, "His behaviour is not in accordance with the Vienna Convention." The AP <https://wwvv.expressnews.com/news/article/Austria-expels-Russian-diplomat-Moscow-set-to- 15509780.php> (8/24) reports Russia's Foreign Ministry summoned "Austrian Ambassador Johannes Aigner later Monday and said that in response to Vienna's move it had declared an unidentified Austrian diplomat persona non grata in Russia." Austrian daily newspaper Kronen Zeitung "reported that the Russian diplomat has until Sept. 1 to leave and said, without citing sources, that he allegedly had been engaged for years in economic espionage at a technology firm with the help of an Austrian citizen." In a statement posted on its website, the Russian Embassy said it was "appalled by the unfounded decision of the Austrian authorities, which is damaging to constructive Russian-Austrian relations." Former CIA Official Among Whose Doubting Kim Jong-Un Coma Rumor. The Washington Times <https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/aug/24/kim-jong-un-coma-reports-even- more-tenuous-previou> (8/24, Taylor, 492K) reports a former high-level CIA official "and other North Korea analysts downplayed reports Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is in a coma, asserting the reclusive young dictator is likely keeping a low profile amid the North's recent COVID-19 outbreak and a delicate and difficult time in denuclearization talks." According to former CIA Korea Deputy Division Chief Bruce Klingner, referencing recent reports that Kim is serious ill and in a coma, and that his "increasingly high-profile sister, Kim Yo Jong," is assuming leadership, said, "Long-time Korea watchers are the most skeptical of rumors of a North Korean leader's incapacitation or death, having endured countless false reports." Alexandre Mansourov, a "longtime North Korea expert who teaches at Georgetown University's Center for Security Studies," and David Maxwell, a "former US Special Forces officer and North Korea expert with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies," have also expressed doubts about the rumor. LATimes: North Korean Threat Has Worsened Under Trump Administration. The Los Angeles Times <https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-08-24/north-korea-trump-foreign-policy> (8/24, Bierman, 4.64M) reports that as President Trump "faces the prospect of possibly turning over the presidency to Joe Biden," there is "little evidence the danger" of a nuclear North Korea "has been reduced, despite the most sustained and aggressive diplomacy of Trump's tenure." The Times writes "if anything, North Korea poses a greater threat, according to Korea specialists: The country has tested and developed more weapons; its leader, Kim Jong Un, has become less isolated; and international resolve to confront North Korea has weakened after Trump's three meetings with Kim." According to Jun Pak, who "helped with transition efforts at the CIA when Trump took office and is now an informal advisor to Biden," orth Korea wants to be "like an India or Pakistan," and, "Everybody just looks the other way." Korean Barter Program "Hits Sanctions Hurdle." Reuters <https://www.reuters.corn/article/us-northkorea- southkorea/inter-korean-sugar-for-liquor-swap-plan-hits-sanctions-hurdle-says-lawmaker-idUSKBN25K1G8> (8/24, Cha, Smith) reports a South Korean farming cooperative's "150 million won ($127,000) plan to barter sugar for North Korean liquor and food products may be in trouble before it even starts, a South Korean lawmaker said on Monday." The deal, brokered by "a Chinese company, was signed in June with five North Korean trading firms, though it still needs approval from Seoul's Unification Ministry, which oversees inter- Korean affairs." According to a South Korean lawmaker "briefed by the ministry at an intelligence committee hearing on Monday, at least one of the North Korean companies involved may be under international sanctions, potentially jeopardizing the deal." In a statement, the Unification Ministry "said it had not yet made a final EFTA00136528 decision on the proposed deal, and that the company was only one of several involved." The plan comes as South Korea "pushes to restart inter-Korean cooperation without breaching international sanctions banning financial transactions and economic joint ventures with North Korea, imposed over its nuclear and missile programmes." Danes Suspend Defense Intelligence Chief Following Accusations Of Spying On Citizens. The AP <https://wwvv.usnews.corn/news/world/articles/2020-08-24/denmark-suspends-foreign-spy-agency- chief-2-others> (8/24) reports that the Danish government said that Lars Findsen, the head of the Danish Defense Intelligence Service, has been "relieved of duty for the time being," along with a pair of other employees. The AP adds that in a brief statement on Monday, Defense Minister Trine Bramsen "gave no reason as to why the three employees were suspended." However, the Telegraph (UK) <https://news.yahoo.corn/head-denmarks-mi6-suspended-agency- 103819668.html> (8/24, Orange, 956K) reports that the "suspension came just an hour and a half before Denmark's intelligence watchdog dropped the bombshell conclusions of its ten-month investigation into material passed to it by one of more whistleblowers." BBC World News (UK) <https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe- 53889612> (8/24, 3.28M) reports that the DDIS "is said to have been spying on Danish citizens over the past six years.... According to local media, the Defence Intelligence Service is accused of failing to investigate allegations of espionage in the armed services. It has also been accused of obtaining and passing on information about Danish citizens." Criminal Investigations Federal Authorities Move Toward Resolution Of Probe Of George Floyd Killing. The Minneapolis Star Tribune <https://www.startribune.corn/federal-grand-juiy-investigating-civil-rights- charges-in-the-police-killing-of-george-floyd/572206822/> (8/24, Montemayor, 1.04M) reports, "Spurred by intense public scrutiny and political pressure, federal authorities are moving faster in their investigation of possible criminal civil rights crimes in the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody than what has been customary in recent decades." The Star Tribune adds, "Less than three months after the Justice Department opened its own investigation into the four officers involved in Floyd's killing, a charging decision is likely to be handed up soon by a federal grand jury in Minnesota, according to sources with knowledge of the case. Should charges result, the timing of any federal indictment would be highly unusual in that such cases — which are exceedingly rare — are not typically filed until a state case concludes." Kentucky AG Mulls Charges In Breonna Taylor Probe. The AP <https://www.usnews.corn/news/us/articles/2020-08-24/kentucky-ag-in-spotlight-over-breonna-taylor- probe> (8/24, Schreiner, Lovan) reports from Louisville, Kentucky that Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R) "says he remains committed to 'doing the responsible thing' in the investigation into Breonna Taylor's death. He just has to figure out what that is." Cameron, "the state's first African American attorney general, must decide whether three Louisville police officers will be criminally charged for their actions in the March shooting death of Taylor. The 26-year-old Black emergency medical technician was killed when officers entered her apartment with a no-knock warrant during a drug investigation. No drugs were found, and Taylor's family has questioned the legitimacy of the warrant." The case "landed in Cameron's lap in mid-May after a local prosecutor recused himself, just as public impatience intensified for the officers to be charged." Cameron "revealed earlier this month that he's waiting for information on ballistics tests being conducted by the FBI." EFTA00136529 Georgia Prisoner Sentenced For Mailing Threats To Federal Judges. AllOnGeorgia <https://allongeorgia.com/georgia-public-safety/georgia-state-prisoner-sentenced-for-mailing- threatening-letters-to-united-states-district-court-judges/> (8/24) reports, "A man who sent threatening letters to U.S. District Court Judges in Georgia will now serve a hefty prison sentence for his misdeeds." AllOnGeorgia adds, "Earlier this month, Daniel Eric Cobble, age 45, was sentenced to a term of 20 years of federal imprisonment for mailing threatening letters to United States District Court Judges of the Middle District of Georgia, according to Louis V. Franklin, Sr., United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama." According to AllOnGeorgie, "The trial evidence showed that, in March and July 2013 and again in March 2014, Cobble mailed threatening letters to two United States District Court Judges of the Middle District of Georgia who were presiding over two different matters in which Cobble was a party." Arrest Made In RNC Security Violation. The Charlotte (NC) Observer <https://www.charlotteobservencorninews/politics-govemment/rnc- 2020/article245191150.html> (8/24, Price, 470K) reports, "An arrest was made shortly after 10 a.m. Monday involving a man who violated the security perimeter surrounding the Republication National Convention in uptown." The Observer adds, "RNC Security, the Twitter account for the Joint Information Center led by the FBI, Secret Service and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, said the person jumped a four-foot fence adjacent to the light rail station on East Stonewall Street near the convention center. The fence, which was preexisting, is part of an outer security area being monitored by law enforcement officers, RNC Security said in a tweet. `The individual did not enter an area where delegates are present for the RNC or impact any planned events,' the RNC Security tweet said. `The individual has been arrested by CMPD.'" Attorneys Say South Carolina Pastor Is Victim Of Extortion. The Greenville (SC) News <https://vvww.greenvilleonline.corn/story/news/local/south- carolina/2020/08/24/relentless-church-pastor-john-gray-victim-extortion-attomeys-say/5622915002/> (8/24, Gross, 188K) reports, "A Greenville-based law firm representing Rev. John Gray says the Relentless Church pastor is being blackmailed and extorted based on new allegations of an inappropriate relationship." The News adds, "The allegations of an extramarital relationship first spread on social media and entertainment news websites on Friday when a woman who claimed to have been communicating with Gray was featured on a live video stream on YouTube. Attorneys Devon Puriefoy and Kimberly Thomason told The Greenville News on Monday that the allegations are based solely on phone calls, not physical contact." Puriefoy "said evidence of extortion will be handed to the Greenville County Solicitor's Office and the Greenville office of the FBI to request investigations." California Supreme Court Overturns Death Penalty For Scott Peterson. The CBS Evening News <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corn/20379ce34c82499eb71d420770e1cd0d? pubid=fbi> (8/24, story 16, 0:20, O'Donnell, 4.32M) reported that Monday, California's Supreme Court "overturned the death penalty for Scott Peterson who was convicted of murdering his wife. Laci Peterson was 8 months pregnant when Scott killed her on Christmas Eve in 2002, then dumped her body into the San Francisco Bay. The court upheld the Peterson's conviction but said the trial judge made significant errors in the sentencing phase." EFTA00136530 NBC Nightly News <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corn/0e4d5b5702ab4d9b94dbca0a3d3a77139? pubid=fbi> (8/24, story 10, 0:20, Holt, 6.03M) reported, "One of the nation's most infamous murder cases has been overturned. Scott Peterson was convicted of 2002 murder of his wife Laci and their unborn son. Today, the California supreme court found errors were made by the trial judge during jury selection. Peterson's convictions were, however, upheld." ABC World News Tonight <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corn/c348f4d410f34046855976ed7642d2217 pubid=fbi> (8/24, story 10, 0:20, Muir, 7.23M) reported, "Convicted killer Scott Peterson's death sentence was overturned today. Peterson behind bars for murdering his wife Laci and their unborn son on Christmas Eve, 2002. The California supreme court finding the trial judge made errors in jury selection. Prosecutors can refile. The guilty verdict stands." Two Sentenced For Online Sex Crimes In Georgia. KPVI-TV <https://www.kpvi.corn/news/national_news/pair-charged-with-online-sex-crimes-sentenced-to- prison/article_98206d96-e27c-5f49-139513-23fa30179444.html> Idaho Falls, ID (8/24) reports from Athens, Georgia, "United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia Charles Peeler announced recently that two defendants arrested during `Operation End Game,' a multi-agency effort targeting and arresting adult perpetrators in the Athens area seeking sex with children, were sentenced to prison last week for their crimes." US District Judge C. Ashley Royal "sentenced Joseph Daniel Kelly, 45, of Monroe, to 57 months in prison and 10 years supervised release and Fredrick Lamar Smith, 29, of Royston to 46 months in prison and 10 years supervised release after both previously pleaded guilty to one count of use of facilities in interstate and foreign commerce to transmit information about a minor." "Operation End Game" was "a three-day proactive effort centered in Athens in July 2019 to arrest adults communicating with children online and then traveling to meet them for the purpose of having sex." Man Charged In Shootout With Border Agents In Arizona. The Arizona Republic <https://www.azcentral.cornistory/news/local/pinal-breaking/2020/08/24/alejandro-stalter- charged-shootout-border-patrol-casa-grande/5627759002/> (8/24, Carranza, 869K) reports from Tucson, Arizona, "The U.S. Border Patrol said the man who led agents on a chase in central Arizona last week was trying to smuggle two undocumented migrants through several checkpoints but sped off and ended up shooting at agents, according to court records filed in Phoenix." The Republic adds, "The chase and shooting happened Aug. 20 near the Border Patrol checkpoint on Federal Route 15, south of Casa Grande. The complaint identified the man as Alejandro Stalter, 29, a U.S. citizen. The court records include information about the chase and shooting from the two migrants in the vehicle, a silver Dodge Charger with Arizona license plates. They talked to Border Patrol and FBI agents after their arrests." Stalter "is in federal custody and faces one count of assault on a federal agent with a deadly weapon and a second count of harboring the two undocumented immigrants." FBI Offers Reward For Information On New Jersey Gang Member. The South Passaic (NJ) Daily Voice <https://dailyvoice.corn/new-jersey/southpassaic/police-fire/seen-him-fbi- offers-reward-in-hunt-for-armed-dangerous-paterson-gang-member/793001/> (8/24, DeMarco) reports, "The FBI posted a reward for information leading to the capture of an armed and dangerous ex-con from Paterson." Cesar David Valerio, "a 28-year-old Dominican national, is wanted on several federal weapons violations, a bureau spokeswoman said Monday. A reputed gang member, he has ties to New York and Pennsylvania." A federal judge in Newark, New Jersey "issued a warrant for Valerio's arrest last week after federal authorities EFTA00136531 charged him with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to his arrest — while warning that Valerio should be considered armed and dangerous." Former Georgia Public Official Sentenced Over Misappropriation Of Taxes. The Brunswick (GA) News <https://thebrunswicknews.cotn/news/local_news/former-camden-psa-director- sentenced/article_38f04cba-f24b-5540-9dd0-fca783253374.html> (8/25, Jackson, 45K) reports former director of the Camden County Public Service Authority William Brunson "was sentenced Monday to serve 32 months in federal prison for misappropriating employees' federal payroll taxes." U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood "issued the sentence after Brunson pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion," and he "was also ordered to pay $677,768.40 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term." The FBI supported the investigation. West Virginia Man Sentenced Over Drug Trafficking. WOAY-TV <https://woay.cotn/beckley-man-sentenced-in-operation-shutdown-corner> Bluefield, WV (8/24, Rodriguez) reports Christopher Redden "was sentenced to 87 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine and for being an unlawful user in possession of a firearm." He was arrested as part of Operation Shutdown Corner, which "was a joint investigative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office, the Beckley Police Department and the West Virginia State Police." Washington State Individuals Charged Over Public Corruption. KING-TV <https://wvvw.king5.com/article/news/investigations/drainage-districts/third-person-charged-in- alleged-public-corruption-3rd-person-charged-in-alleged-public-corruption-scheme-involving-king-county- drainage-districts/281-d18d2abc-26c5-4ec2-9952-6abd88f73874> Seattle (8/25, 225K) reports Darrell N. Winston, Drainage District No. 5 commissioner, Allan Thomas, and JoAnn Thomas have "been charged in a scheme to defraud taxpayers in south King County, more than a year after the KING 5 Investigators first exposed the alleged wrongdoing in Drainage District No. 5 in Enumclaw." The FBI "says Darrell N. Winston of Renton lied to agents when he accepted approximately $50,000 in payments to clear and maintain some of the 18 miles of drainage trenches that form the publicly-funded drainage district." The Thomas' were charged last year with diverting $470,000 in tax money collected for district maintenance to their own, private bank accounts." Two Members Of Violent Florida Gang Sentenced On Drug, Shooting Charges. The South Tampa (FL) Patch <https://patch.corn/florida/southtampa/2-members-violent-tampa-bird-gang- sentenced-federal-prison> (8/24, White, 1.03M) reports from Tampa, Florida, "Two members of a violent Tampa street gang have been sentenced to federal prison for distributing drugs and shooting at least one person." On Monday, US District Judge Steven D. Merryday "sentenced Leon Williams, 30, to 17 years and six months in prison and Reginald Jones Jr., 25, to 15 years and eight months in prison for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana, and for discharging a firearm during a drug deal. A federal jury found Williams and Jones guilty on Nov. 15, 2019." The Patch adds, "According to evidence presented during EFTA00136532 the two-week trial, Williams and Jones are members of the Bird Gang, a violent street-level drug-trafficking organization that has operated in Tampa for years and is responsible for multiple homicides and shootings." Continuing Coverage: FBI Investigating Disappearance Of Georgia Woman In Florida. The Miami Herald <https://www.miamiherald.corn/news/localkotrununity/broward/article245224210.html> (8/24, 1.09M) reports that the FBI is continuing to investigate the disappearance of Leila Cavett, whose son was found wondering alone on July 26. The agency "released a photo Monday of a gold Honda Accord that was seen outside a Hollywood RaceTrac gas station July 27." The FBI said, "Investigators believe the occupant(s) of this vehicle may have witnessed something related to the investigation of 21-year-old missing mother, Leila Cavett." The South Florida Sun Sentinel <https://www.sun-sentinel.corn/news/crime/fl-ne-fbi-investigation-witness-leila- cavett-case-20200824-dllaiybii5h5jhuzlwfrar45xa-story.html> (8/24, Baitinger, 545K) reports Shannon Ryan "faces charges of kidnapping [Cavett's] toddler son Kamdyn with the intent of raising ransom money and lying to federal authorities, but he has not been charged in her disappearance." WSVN-1'V <https://wsvn.corn/news/locaUbroward/fbi-searching-for-owner-of-car-spotted-at-racetrac-where- missing-georgia-mom-was-last-seent> Miami-Dade, FL (8/24, 91K) reports that unidentified police officials "said Cavett is presumed dead." Also reporting are WTVJ-TV <https://www.nbcmiami.corn/newillocal/fbi-seeking-potential-witness-in-missing- mom-investigation/2282648/> Miami (8/24, 142K), WFOR-TV Miami (FL) <https://miami.cbslocal.cotn/2020/08/24/fbi-seeks-potential-witnesses-missing-mom-leila-cavett-casek Miami (8/24), andWPLG-TV Miami (FL) <https://vvwvv.local 1 0.corn/news/locaU2020/08/24/fbi-seeks-to-speak-with- people-inside-car-spotted-at-gas-station-where-missing-mom-was-last-seenk Miami (8/24, Batchelor, 223K). FBI Investigating Cold Cases In Illinois. WVIK-FM <http://wvik.org/post/help-solve-murder-tammy-zwicki> Rock Island, IL (8/24, Trix) reports that the FBI is supporting the Illinois State Police's cold case investigations into the disappearance of 11 year old Trudy Appleby, who was last seen in 1996, and the murder of 21 year old Tammy Zywicki, whose body was found in Missouri in 1992. Illinois Men Appear In Court Over Bank Robbery. The Chicago Journal Online <https://www.journal-topics.cotn/articles/2-glenview-bank-robbery-suspects- expected-at-bond-hearing-today> (8/24) reports Kamal Fadi Fargo and Tyler James O'Toole "appear[ed] at a federal bond hearing today [Monday] over last week's robbery of a bank in Glenview." The FBI supported the investigation. Continuing Coverage: FBI Sex Trafficking Sting Results In 12 Arrests In Maryland. WJZ-TV <https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2020/08/24/12-arrested-in-sex-trafficking-sting-in-hagerstown/> Baltimore (8/24, 74K) reports that a joint sting operation between the Hagerstown Police Department, Washington County Sheriff's Office, Maryland State Police and the FBI resulted in the arrest of 12 people, whose names "have not yet been released pending charges." EFTA00136533 FBI Investigated Arson On Wisconsin Tribal Land. WLUK-TV <https://foxIlonline.com/news/locaUfbi-menominee-tribal-police-investigating-bumed-vehicle> Green Bay, WI (8/24, Kerhin, 199K) reports that the FBI "is assisting Menominee Tribal Police with the investigation into a burned vehicle that was found on the reservation, but are not releasing other details." Two More Sentenced In Georgia Child Sex Sting. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution <https://www.ajc.cornMews/2-more-men-sentenced-to-prison-in-athens-area- child-sex-sting/H6IYXYRGXZHPNHEVZN7S4IGUWY/> (8/24, Hollis, 895K) reports, "Two of the nine men arrested last year in a child exploitation sting in Clarke County received multiyear prison sentences last week, according to an announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice. After the most recent sentencings, four of the men arrested in the sting, dubbed "Operation End Game," have received multiyear prison stints." Joseph Daniel Kelly, 45, of Monroe, "was sentenced to nearly five years in prison with 10 years of supervised release. Frederick Lamar Smith, 29, of Royston, was sentenced to nearly four years in prison with 10 years of supervised release. Both men pleaded guilty to one count each of using facilities in interstate commerce to transmit information about a minor. `The punishment is prison for those caught seeking to sexually exploit minor children,' U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler said." Texas Woman Pleads Not Guilty To Child Pornography Charges. KCBD-TV <https://www.kcbd.corn/2020/08/24/lubbock-woman-pleads-not-guilty-distributing-producing-child- pornography/> Lubbock, TX (8/24, 51 K) reports from Lubbock, Texas, "Jessica Wheeler, 34, of Lubbock pleaded not guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography and also producing child pornography." According to KCBD-TV, "The indictment says Jessica Roxanna Wheeler and Edward Lee Wheeler Jr. are both accused of receiving and distributing child pornography and also producing child pornography." KCBD-TV adds, "According to the reports, On June 16, 2020, a task force officer was notified of a case involving child pornography images of a 13-year-old being sent through Facebook messenger from Jessica Wheeler to Edward Wheeler." FBI: Missing New Jersey Girl Was Likely Kidnapped In Crime Of Opportunity. The New York Post <https://nypost.corn/2020/08/24/missing-nj-girl-dulce-maria-alavez-likely-snatched-by- predator-fbik (8/24, Lapin, 4.57M) reports, "A New Jersey girl who vanished from a park nearly a year ago was likely snatched by a predator hunting for an opportunity to grab a child, according to a new report." The Post adds, "A lead investigator in the kidnapping of Dulce Maria Alavez shared new details about the case in an interview with NJ Advance Media, as the anniversary of the girl's disappearance approaches. `If you are looking for a child to take the child, you go where children are,' said FBI special agent Daniel Garrabrant. `That's one of the reasons that we believe that the target was a child — but it may not necessarily have been Dulce.'" According to the Post, "The kindergartner — who turned 6 in April — disappeared on Sept. 16 2019, from Bridgeton City Park where she had been playing with her 3-year-old brother Manuel." FBI Searching For Kansas City, Missouri Armed Robbery Suspect. EFTA00136534 KSHB-TV <https://www.kshb.com/news/crime/fbi-police-seeking-man-suspected-in-kcmo-armed-robberies> Kansas City, MO (8/24, 90K) reports from Kansas City, Missouri, "Authorities in Kansas City, Missouri, are seeking a man suspected in two armed robberies over the past month at Boost Mobile stories." The FBI on Monday "said the same man is suspected in both robberies, which occurred on July 28 at the store at 1666 E. 63rd St., and on Aug. 13 at the store at 5906 Prospect Ave. In each of the robberies, the man was wearing a hat with the word `Mexico' on it and carrying a backpack. The FBI said he was armed with a handgun and fled both robberies on foot." FBI Probing Two Cleveland, Ohio Bank Robberies. WKYC-TV <https://www.wkyc.coin/article/news/crime/fbi-police-investigating-2-west-side-cleveland-bank- robberies/95-cb081367-ef89-47c3-a8a3-b79c21982e5f> Cleveland (8/24, DeMarco, 223K) reports from Cleveland, Ohio, "The Cleveland Division of the FBI and Cleveland police are investigating robberies at two west side banks. Investigators believe the cases may be connected." WKYC-TV adds, "At approximately 5:30 p.m. Friday, the Dollar Bank at 4140 Fulton Parkway, Cleveland, was robbed. The suspect was described as a White male...wearing a Cays hat, blue shirt and blue pants. He was also wearing a blue medical face mask." According to WKYC-TV, "At approximately 12:10 p.m. Monday, a Citizens Bank at 4221 Pearl Road was robbed. The suspect was again described as a White male, of average height and weight, possibly in his late thirties. He was wearing a navy colored baseball hat with a blue medical face mask and a long sleeve plaid button-up shirt." FBI Seeking Suspect In Colorado Bank Robbery. KCNC-TV <https://denver.cbslocal.corn/2020/08/24/englewood-chase-bank-robbery> Denver (8/24, 91K) reports from Englewood, Colorado, "The FBI wants to find a man they say robbed a Chase Bank in Englewood. The suspect was caught on surveillance from the bank on South University Boulevard near Hampden Avenue." KCNC-TV adds, "Officials say it happened on Aug. 21 just after noon. They describe the suspect as a white or Hispanic male in his late 20s, about 5-feet-6 tall with dark hair and a medium build. The suspect was last seen wearing a black, flat-billed baseball cap, red shirt with mountains and black and white lettering on it, as well as dark-colored pants. He had a black backpack." KUSA-TV <http://www.9news.corn/article/news/crime/englewood-chase-bank-robbery-suspect-south-university- boulevard/73-25b3bfa0-a5fc-4743-9c33-bec5f4eda995> Denver (8/24, Cote, 475K) also reports. Employment FBI Looks To Hire More Women. WTKR-TV <hups://www.wtkr.com/news/fbi-says-they-are-looking-to-hire-more-women> Norfolk, VA (8/24, Kavanagh, 163K) reports from Hampton Roads, Virginia, "Do you have what it takes to become a special agent? The FBI says they are always hiring and looking to employ more women." WTKR-TV adds, "As COVID- 19 is a constant concern, the FBI said they are changing the way they recruit Special Agents. `We found some innovative ways to continue processing agent applicants and utilize technology in ways that the FBI has not done in the past,' said Jennifer Bach, FBI Special Agent and Applicant Recruiter Coordinator. She said they are using SKYPE and going virtual. She said hiring women is a top priority. `Women bring a very unique skill set, and communication again is one of those things that women often excel at. It's something that that we can definitely utilize here,' said Special Agent Bach." EFTA00136535 Financial Crime & Corporate Scandals Pandemic Spawning Scams More Than Any Recent Event. In the "Cybersecurity 202" blog for the Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/08/24/cybersecurity-202-coronavirus-crisis-spawned-more- scams-than-any-other-event-last-decade/> (8/24, 14.2M), Joseph Marks writes, "The pandemic has prompted more than 170,000 complaints for scams related to everything from masks, face shields and miracle cures to government stimulus payments and unemployment, according to data compiled by the Federal Trade Commission. `When we track things like natural disasters, we get thousands of complaints. Not tens of thousands but thousands. So, this is far, far bigger,' Monica Vaca, associate director for the Federal Trade Commission's division of consumer response and operations, which collects consumer fraud complaints, told me." According to Marks, "Since January, coronavirus-related scams have made up about 8 percent of all fraud complaints forwarded to the FTC from numerous law enforcement agencies and consumer groups. In recent months, that percentage has grown closer to 12 percent." FBI: $3M In Stolen Ventilators Recovered In Florida. The AP <https://www.usnews.corn/news/best-states/florida/articles/2020-08-24/ffii-3-million-in-stolen- ventilators-recovered-in-florida> (8/24) reports from Miami, "A $3 million shipment of ventilators stolen that was stolen earlier this month was recovered in South Florida, the FBI said in a news release." The FBI "said the ventilators were being prepared for shipment to El Salvador by the United States Agency for International Development when they were stolen sometime around Aug. 8. The theft happened in southwest Miami-Dade County, the agency said." The AP adds, "The theft is being investigated by the Boynton Beach Police Department, Miami-Dade Police Department, Medley Police Department, City of Miami Gardens Police Department, Broward Sheriff's Office, USAID Office of the Inspector General, the FBI Miami's Major Theft Task Force, and the FBI, the agency said." Jury Begins Deliberations In Northern Marianas Corruption Case. The Saipan (MNP) Tribune <https://www.saipantribune.comfindex.php/fate-of-mayor-atalig-evelyn-atalig-now- with-jurors/> (8/24, De La Torre) reports, "Federal court jurors started deliberating yesterday afternoon in the corruption case against Rota Mayor Efraim M. Atalig and his girlfriend, Evelyn Atalig. The jurors will continue their deliberation today, Tuesday, at 8:15am." The Tribune adds, "At the closing arguments yesterday, assistant U.S. attorney Eric S. O'Malley, counsel for the U.S. government, said there's ample evidence to show that Efraim Atalig and Evelyn Atalig arranged government-funded travels from Rota to San Diego, California; Saipan; Palau, and Guam, mainly for personal and not official reasons. He talked about all the eight trips and cited evidence and witnesses' testimony to support the charges against the Ataligs. `These defendants betrayed the trust of the people of the CNMI,' said O'Malley." Marianas Variety <https://www.mvariety.cornknmi-loca1/73-local/6039-jurors-hear-closing-arguments-in-rota- mayor-s-trial> (8/24, Manabat) reports, "District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona, for her part, told the jurors: `You heard evidence regarding nine trips that the defendants took in 2018. Five of these trips are included in the indictment, the other four are not. The four trips not included in the indictment are: the January trip to Guam, the July trip to South Korea, and the two July trips to Guam.'" The Variety adds, "The evidence regarding these four trips is `other acts evidence' that was admitted only for a limited purpose, the EFTA00136536 judge said." The Ataligs "are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371; and with wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343." FBI Warns Of Using Facebook Marketplace For Used Cars. WIS-TV <https://wvvw.wistv.com/2020/08/24/authorities-warn-facebook-marketplace-scam-involving-phony- preowned-vehicle-ads> Columbia, SC (8/24, Glover, 70K) reports from Columbia, South Carolina, "If you're in the market to buy a pre-owned vehicle, the FBI is warning potential buyers to be wary of using Facebook Marketplace." WIS-TV adds, "According to officials, a scam operation using Bluff Online Sales has been ripping people off using fake online ads regarding the sale of preowned vehicles. Clint Wactor, the owner of Bluff Road Auto Sales, said the dealership noticed the scam two months ago. Since then, the company has been getting calls from people who said they sent money to the scammer and did not get what they paid for. 'When people see the very low prices on these fake ads and call us before sending any money, we tell them what is going on,' said Wactor. 'But when someone communicates with the scammer through Messenger or email, they have no idea who they are talking with. That is when the scammer has opportunity to rip someone off.' FBI Searching Massachusetts Storage Facility. The Quincy Sun <https://thequincysun.com/fbi-searching-quincy-storage-facility/> (8/24) reports that FBI agents "descended on a South Quincy storage facility Monday morning to execute a search warrant as part of an ongoing investigation, joined by hazardous materials teams from Boston and Quincy." FBI spokesperson Kristen Setera "said the bureau was conducting 'court-authorized activity in connection with an ongoing federal investigation' at the location." The Boston Globe <https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/08/24/metro/fbi-searching-quincy-storage-facility> (8/24, 972K) reports Setera "declined to identify the reason for the probe but said that a Hazardous Evidence Response Team had responded to the scene." Also reporting are Boston (MA) Herald <https://wvvw.bostonherald.corn/2020/08/24/fbi-investigators-search- storage-facility-in-quincy/> (8/24, 410K), WCVB-TV Boston (MA) <https://wvvw.wcvb.corn/article/federal- agents-raid-quincy-storage-facility/33759144> Boston (8/24, Eliopoulos, 402K), WBTS-TV Boston (MA) <https://www.nbcbostontotn/news/local/federal-agents-conduct-search-at-quincy-storage-facility/2182861/> Boston (8/24, 105K), and WFXT-TV Boston (MA) <https://www.boston25news.corn/news/fbi-boston- investigating-storage-unit-extra-space-storage-quincy/FFALSBUBPFBLFK3ZXNHIWWBPHA/> Boston (8/24, Goulston). Cyber Division Indian Citizen Pleads Guilty In Rhode Island To Tech Support Phone Scam. The Providence (RI) Journal <https://www.providencejournal.corn/news/20200824/man-pleads-guilty-in- rsquocalling-from-microsoftrsquo-phone-scam> (8/24, Staff, 259K) reports, "A citizen of India appearing Monday before a U.S. District Court judge admitted to participating in a `Tech Support' telemarketing scam based in that country, in which call-center operators said they were associated with the Microsoft Corporation, added that malware or viruses had been detected on victims' computers, and offered supposed services to remove the malware. As a result of the calls, according to a news release from the office of U.S. Attorney Aaron Weisman, members of the conspiracy gained access to victims' online-banking usernames and passwords, and EFTA00136537 stole from their accounts." Abrar Anjum, 34, "admitted in court that he let members of the conspiracy use bank accounts under his control in the United States to receive funds taken from victim accounts, according to the release. Anjum admitted that in return for letting members of the conspiracy deposit the money into his bank accounts, he was allowed to keep part of it, transferring the remaining funds to his co-conspirators in India." FBI, CISA Warn Of Surge In Voice Call Phishing Scams. Security Magazine <https://wvvw.securitymagazine.com/articles/93138-fbi-warns-companies-of-surge-in-voice- call-phishing-scams> (8/24) reports, "The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a joint statement warning companies of a surge in voice phishing or vishing campaigns targeting corporate virtual private networks (VPNs)." Security Magazine adds, "The COVID-I9 pandemic has resulted in a mass shift to working from home, resulting in increased use of corporate virtual private networks (VPNs) and elimination of in-person verification. The CISA and FBI pointed to one example from where a vishing campaign allowed cybercriminals to gain access to employee tools at multiple companies with indiscriminate targeting—with the end goal of monetizing the access. The cybercriminals used vished credentials and mined the victim company databases for their customers' personal information to leverage in other attacks." Nakasone Details Newly Aggressive Cyber Effort. The AP <https://billingsgazette.com/news/national/govt-and-politics/militarys-top-cyber-official-defends-more- aggressive-stance/article_6718274c-d970-5e51-8859-ea45a6b4 I 70c.html> (8/25, Press) reports that NSA Director and head of Cyber Command defends the governments shift toward a more offensive cyber strategy in a piece to be published in Foreign Affairs <https://www.foreignaffairs.corn/articles/united-states/2020-08- 25/cybersecurity> (8/25, 522K) on Tuesday. Nakasone says that the mission has "evolved over the last decade from `a reactive and defensive posture' to keep pace with sophisticated threats." Nakasone adds that the military cyber teams are actively engaging online adversaries, saying, "We learned that we cannot afford to wait for cyber attacks to affect our military networks. We learned that defending our military networks requires executing operations outside our military networks. The threat evolved, and we evolved to meet it." The AP notes that the piece is co-authored by Michael Sulmeyer, his top adviser. TikTok Sues Trump Administration To Overturn Executive Order. The AP <https://apnews.com/b5b90af034c4911dd0bflbfdb7f23f64> (8/24, Arbel) reports TikTok filed suit on Monday opposing President Trump's executive order banning the company in the US over national security concerns. Convincing a court to "overturn the government's determination that TikTok is a national-security threat would be difficult, legal experts said." The Wall Street Journal <https://www.wsj.corn/articles/tiktok-to-file-suit-challenging-u-s-ban-11598281193> (8/24, Ferek, Lin, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports the lawsuit argues the executive order violates the Fifth Amendment's due process protections, while The New York Times <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/24/technology/tiktok-sues-us-government-over-trump-ban.html> (8/24, Isaac, Swanson, 18.61M) calls the lawsuit "TikTok's most direct challenge to the White House." Reuters <https://www.reuters.corn/article/us-usa-china-tiktok-lawsuit/tiktok-sues-trump-administration-over-u-s- ban-calls-it-an-election-ploy-idUSICBN25KISH> (8/24, Wang, Stempel) reports TikTok rejected what they "called the White House's position that it was a national security threat," saying they had taken "extraordinary measures to protect the privacy and security of TikTok's US user data." Before buying TikTok, "ByteDance had EFTA00136538 not sought advance approval from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which reviews acquisitions for potential national security risks." Reuters says CFIUS later opened "an investigation and on July 30 issued a letter stating it found national security risks associated with the purchase," but it "repeatedly refused" to engage with "ByteDance's proposals to address concerns, including a nonbinding letter of intent to sell to Microsoft presented earlier July 30, according to the lawsuit." The Los Angeles Times <https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2020-08-24/1a-et-ct-tiktok- lawsuit-trump> (8/24, Lee, 4.64M) reports TikTok "said it has worked with the government's Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States for nearly a year and believes its app does not threaten national security." NPR <https://www.nprorg/2020/08/24/901776584/tiktok-sues-trump-to-block-u-s-ban> (8/24, Allyn, 3.12M) reports TikTok says the order was not motivated by national security concerns but an attempt "to further the president's anti-China political campaign." In the suit, TikTok "points out that national security experts have openly questioned whether its lighthearted videos can really provide much intelligence to Beijing authorities." The Hill <https://thehill.com/policy/technology/513446-tiktok-employee-sues-trump-administration-over- executive-order> (8/24, Wise, 2.98M) reports according to the "lawsuit, many TikTok employees working in the U.S. have H-1B visas, which require that employers sponsor their visa status." TikTok's own lawsuit "noted it is planning to hire roughly 10,000 additional employees in the U.S. in the coming years." Bloomberg <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-24/tiktok-says-it-s-suing-u-s-over-ban-claims- no-security-threat> (8/24, Pettersson, Glovin, Brody, 4.73M) reports the legal challenge faces "an uphill fight, according to James Dempsey, executive director of the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology at the University of California, Berkeley." Courts don't generally review "the president's determinations on questions of national security, Dempsey said." Newsweek <https://www.newsweektorn/why-we-are-suing-administration-read-tiktoks-explanation-taking- trump-1527249> (8/24, Watts, 1.53M) also shared the full statement by TikTok. Also reporting are USA Today <https://www.usatoday.com/story/tecb/2020/08/24/tiktok-sues-trump-administration-citing-order-ban- app/3430735001/> (8/24, Brown, 10.31M), CNBC <https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/24/tiktok-sues-us- government-over-trump-ban.html> (8/24, Sherman, 3.62M), and The Washington Examiner <https://www.washingtonexaminercom/news/chinese-owned-tiktok-is-suing-the-trump-administration-over- plan-to-ban-the-app> (8/24, Dunleavy, 448K). Zoom Experienced Outages During First Day Of School For Many. The CBS Evening News <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corn/d20760a9c73544cc9705bb86fc98f732? pubid=fbi> (8/24, story 17, 0:20, O'Donnell, 4.32M) reported on Monday, "meetings, classrooms, and virtual visits came to a halt after videoconferencing giant Zoom was hit with outages. Service was down for close to five hours, delaying the first day of online school for thousands of students." The AP <https://apnews.corn/40c0db26c763e8fdfa5b5ecc6b15180d> (8/24) reports Zoom said reports of outages began "around 9 a.m. Eastern time" and "identified the issue causing the problem and is working on a fix." The Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.corn/business/2020/08/24/zoom-outages-monday/> (8/24, Shaban, Balingit, 14.2M) reports "more than 100,000 K-12 schools use Zoom at no cost for online learning." The Wall Street Journal <https://www.wsj.corn/articles/zoom-outage-prevents-users-from-joining-video- meetings-11598280287> (8/24, Needleman, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) and New York Times <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/24/business/zoom-down.html> (8/24, Yuhas, 18.61M), among other news outlets, also reports the outage. Law Enforcement Services EFTA00136539 Interior Department Announces Increased Seizures Of Illegal Drugs. The Washington Times <https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/aug/24/seizures-of-illegal-drugs-in- indian-county-double-I> (8/24, Richardson, 492K) reports that the Administration "announced Monday that seizures of illegal narcotics in Indian Country doubled last year as part of the administration's effort to combat the opioid crisis." The Interior Department's Joint Opioid Reduction Task Force "said that its 14 operations in seven states in 2019 resulted in the confiscation of 2,607 pounds of illegal narcotics with an estimated street value of $19.6 million." That was "more than double the price tag from the previous year," the department said in a press release. Interior Secretary David L. Bernhardt said, "Our Bureau of Indian Affairs officers successfully stopped thousands of pounds of deadly narcotics from reaching tribal communities last year, and they continue to serve with distinction every day. In a time when people are calling to defend the police, the Trump Administration is doing more to protect our citizens from illicit drugs and violence." Other FBI News FBI Agent Charged In 2018 Texas Shooting. The Austin (TX) American Statesman <https://www.statesman.com/news/20200824/travis-county-grand-jury- indicts-former-dps-trooper-in-2018-shooting?rssfeed=true> (8/24, Hall, Subscription Publication, 343K) reports, "A grand jury last week delivered Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore's first indictment in a law enforcement shooting in the case of a former state trooper accused of wounding a driver in 2018." The American Statesman adds, "Austin Johnston, who was a Department of Public Safety trooper in September 2018, shot Dustin Dougherty in the back after Dougherty had rammed a pickup truck into Johnston's vehicle, according to court documents. Dougherty backed up onto the hood of Johnston's vehicle, according to Johnston's lawyers. Dougherty survived and later pleaded guilty to aggravated assault on a public servant with a deadly weapon, records show. Johnston was not injured during the incident." On Friday, Johnston, "now an FBI special agent," was "indicted on charges of aggravated assault by a public servant, deadly conduct and tampering with physical evidence, his lawyers said." Scheduled Execution Of Navajo Man Raises Sovereignty Concerns. The Arizona Republic <https://www.azcentral.corn/story/news/local/arizona/2020/08/24/federal-execution- lezmond-mitchell-sovereignty-concems-navajo-nation-donald-trump/3344175001/> (8/24, Castle, 869K) reports, "For nearly two decades, an Arizona man has sat in prison awaiting a sentence no other Native American has faced in modem history: a federal execution." Federal authorities are "scheduled to execute Lezmond Mitchell, a 38-year-old member of the Navajo Nation, in Indiana on Aug. 26," and "people around the country are raising concerns over whether it's even legal under tribal sovereignty laws. Mitchell is the only Native American on federal death row. He was convicted of the murder of grandmother Alyce Slim, 63, and her granddaughter Tiffany Lee, 9, in 2001." The Republic adds, "The Navajo Nation has consistently objected to the federal government pursuing the death penalty against Mitchell." Woman Who Killed FBI Agent In 2008 Seeks Release From Prison After Contracting COVID-19. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette <https://www.post-gazette.comMews/crime-courts/2020/08/24/Christina-Korbe- compassionate-release-COVID-19-shot-killed-FBI-agent/stories/202008240057> (8/24, Stinelli, 616K) reports, "A woman who in 2008 killed a Pittsburgh FBI agent has asked for compassionate release from prison after EFTA00136540 contracting COVID-I9." Christina Korbe in 2011 "pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter after killing Special Agent Samuel Hicks during a November 2008 raid into her home to arrest her husband, a drug dealer. She was sentenced to 15 years and 10 months in prison." Korbe "began showing symptoms of COVID-19 on March 29, five days after her roommate was quarantined, court documents say. Korbe is due for release from federal prison in Danburry, Ct. on May 18, 2022." Other Washington News In Visit To North Carolina, Trump Praises Farmers For Pandemic Food Program. While national media coverage of the President's trip to North Carolina focused on his remarks at the GOP convention, local outlets highlight his visit to the Farmers To Families Food Box program site. WCTI-TV <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corn/9803924208d0459080650a6b68916714?pubid=fbi> Greenville, NC (8/24, 13K) reported that the visit was meant "to continue what he says is his support of American farmers and families." The President "toured the Flavor 1st Growers and Packers," an organization "that helps build the food boxes to see how they are packaged and delivered to help the families in need." The program "helps farmers, ranchers, and distributors get together in supporting overburdened food banks and food insecure families," and "has delivered nearly 70 million boxes of fresh food grown by farmers to 200 different organizations across North Carolina." In fact, said WBTV-TV <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corn/6de7ac832adc4d7d9752c7e46119f48b7pubid=fbi> Charlotte, NC (8/24, 55K), Trump "announced he is investing more money into that program." Trump was shown saying, "Today I'm proud to announce that we will provide an additional $1 billion to fund the Farmers to Families Food Box Program. It has worked out so well." The Asheville (NC) Citizen-Times <https://vvww.citizen- times.corn/story/news/locaU2020/08/24/president-trump-visits-mills-river-praises-farmers-gop-candidate- cawthom/342990200 1/> (8/24, Burgess, 138K) points out the program has been "funded with $3 billion through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program." The Hendersonville (NC) Times-News <https://www.blueridgenow.cornMews/20200824/president-trump-visits- mills-river-praises-farmers-gop-candidate-cawthom> (8/24, Burgess, 26K) recounts that Trump said after his tour of Flavor 1st in Henderson County, "Today we're here to celebrate the incredible work of the farmers and faith leaders and amazing volunteers who are caring for their community." The President also "offered support to Madison Cawthorn, 11th Congressional District GOP candidate, saying `You're going to be a star of the party.' Trump also "joked that if he `had a face' like Cawthorn's he would have been president 20 years ago." AgWeb <https://www.agweb.com/article/trump-adds-1-billion-farmers-families-food-box-program> (8/24, Karst, 18K) recounts that "the program originally authorized $3 billion for the boxes and was expected to spend a total of $2.67 billion from mid-May through the end of August, covering the first two rounds of the program." AgWeb adds that "according to the USDA, 35.6 million food boxes were distributed May 15-June 30 in the first round, and 35.1 million food boxes were distributed from July 1 to Aug. 24 in the second round, which ends Aug. 31." The third round "begins Sept. 1 and ends Oct. 31." Reuters <https://www.reuters.corn/article/us- health-coronavirus-usa-food/trump-says-he-will-add-l-billion-to-food-for-families-program- idUSKBN25K2DT> (8/24, Mason) reports, however, that "the program was criticized by food banks, analysts and some US senators, who said contracts were often awarded to inexperienced vendors that were unable to source the food and deliver it in a timely manner." Newsweek <https://www.newsweektotn/farmers-credit-ivanka-trumps-program-saving-livelihoods-despite- criticism-1525586> (8/24, Crisp, 1.53M) also says "Farmers to Families, which is run through the US Department of Agriculture, quickly came under scrutiny over allegations that it awarded contracts to dubious entities and concerns that it might not provide food in an `efficient and equitable way.' Farmers "who spoke to Newsweek, however, said they benefited from the program and, in some cases, credited it for saving their livelihood," while "White House officials...told Newsweek the kinks have largely been ironed out and there's EFTA00136541 potential for the program to continue in some form long term." Said Ivanka Trump, "It truly is an historic program in terms of the scale and in terms of its impact. ... It was really 'How do we connect the farmer with the person most in need?' It was a common sense, but innovative, solution." The Washington Times <https://www.washingtontimes.corn/news/2020/aug/24/donald-trump-fights-keep-farm- country-support-amid> (8/24, Howell, 492K) says "Trump doesn't have a kind word for China these days but he praised at least one 'smart' move by the communist nation during a swing-state stop Monday — two bulk orders of corn that will lift US farmers, a critical voting bloc." Said Trump, "The largest order of corn in the history of our country, twice. Largest order of soybeans in history." The Times adds that "stepping into full campaign mode, Mr. Trump is highlighting the hard-working men and women of the heartland every chance he gets." WXII-TV <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.com/cf903a6ddabb41219a6a742f579d7a0a?pubid=fbi> Winston-Salem, NC (8/24, 26K) reported that Trump also "talked about policy — of course with this USDA program, but he also got into politics, hitting on the media and Democratic governors including Roy Cooper." Trump was shown saying, "It was very important for me to come to North Carolina because we wanted to be here but your governor didn't allow it because he's in a shutdown mode along with a lot of other Democrat governors, and it's too bad." The Hendersonville (NC) Lightning <https://www.hendersonvillelightning.com/four-seasons-politics/9538-live- coverage-mills-river-is-ready-for-trump-visit.html> (8/24, Moss) reports the President painted "an optimistic picture of an economic recovery and of an end to the coronavirus pandemic," and "pointed to recent jobs gains, trade deals and a surging stock market as indicators of a brighter future." Said Trump, "Already the great American comeback is very much under way." The Lightning adds "crowds of Trump supporters lined the motorcade route, a huge deployment of law officers and Secret Service agents secured the president's destination, a giant American flag strung from a Mills River fire truck flaps in the breeze over Banner Farm Road and the stage was set for President Trump to make remarks — as far as is publicly known the first visit to Henderson County by a sitting president since George H.W. Bush visited in 1992." The Asheville (NC) Citizen-Times <https://www.citizen-times.com/story/newillocal/2020/08/24/trump- protesters-came-out-force-mills-river-visit/3431404001/> (8/24, Boyle, 138K) reports, "It's not often that this sleepy, mostly rural hamlet sees the kind of excitement it had Aug. 24," as "hundreds of fans of President Donald Trump — and a few who oppose him — came out to see the commander in chief on his way to and from a Mills River produce production company.... Few if any of Trump's supporters wore masks, and most didn't seem to worry about social distancing, despite the pandemic." Trump: Plasma Treatment Will Reduce Mortality "By At Least 35%." During a visit to North Carolina on Monday, WRAL-TV <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corn/96276c687dde4046b0189eb0abOb1624?pubid=fbi> Raleigh, NC (8/24, 50K) reported President Trump discussed "efforts to find a way treat coronavirus." Trump was shown saying, "Yesterday, I announced the FDA had issued an emergency use authorization for convalescent plasma, you probably saw that, which is proven to be an incredible reducer— it is going to reduce mortality by at least 35%, could be much more than that. We will see the final numbers, but it could be even higher than that." HHS Secretary Azar said on Fox News' Bill Hemmer Reports <https://video.foxnews.corn/v/6184152937001#sp=show-clips> (8/24), "What President Trump is demanding is that we all cut any bureaucratic red tape out of the way because he is demanding we get therapies and vaccines to the American people as soon as they meet FDA safety and efficacy and regulatory standards. That is what happened yesterday is the FDA granted emergency authorization to use the plasma that comes from people who have recovered from COVID because it shows a significant benefit in terms of the severity of disease as well as mortality." EFTA00136542 White House Deputy Communications Director Brian Morgenstern, on the Joe Pags Show <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corn/lee 1 652efd4246e2b4399b6fc630d927?pubid=fbi> (8/24), said, "This is an emergency use authorization which means that we know enough to know that it is making a difference for people. It is reducing hospitalizations times. It is reducing mortality. It is saving lives. It also means that the FDA will continue looking at the data and they will continue to be vigilant." Fox Business <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.com/Ide1834296dcA0bea8003cce00dca4ab? pubid=fbi&transcript=y> (8/24, 116K) hosted HUD Secretary Carson, who said, "The President's announcement yesterday was very important. You know, we've known about the benefits of convalescent plasma for more than a century and it's been used effectively in many cases." Two of the three networks reported Monday night on the FDA's approval of the treatment. On NBC Nightly News <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corn/ed6acbba7a9f4e498e804748dcd439bf?pubid=fbi> (8/24, story 7, 2:45, Holt, 6.03M), Tom Costello reported that "infectious disease experts [are] cautious and divided about convalescent plasma. Just last week, NIH Director Collins, [NIAID Director] Fauci, and the FDA urged caution in fast tracking plasma as a treatment. The President tweeted a deep state conspiracy was at work, an allegation reiterated today by a top trade adviser." Director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy Navarro: "Some of the medical folks would rather have 100,000 people die from the virus than have one person die from some of the therapeutics." Steve Osunsami reported on ABC World News Tonight <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corn/bb46c32bc8684b2f87b8c6ff993fc068?pubid=fbi> (8/24, story 7, 2:10, Muir, 7.23M), "The President has pushed the FDA, and now they're giving doctors the okay to use plasma therapy as emergency treatment for COVID-19. ... Less than a week ago, this same FDA was saying that this same therapy was 'promising,' but 'has not yet been shown to be safe and effective.'" Navarro: Trump Is A "Right-To-Try" President. CNBC's Squawk Box <https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corn/d4819b3a923a4acea24666d652ee0b54?pubid=fbi> (8/24, 176K) hosted Navarro, who said, "Let's talk seriously about this convalescent plasma because what we have in Donald J. Trump is a 'right to try' President. ... We have extremely abnormal times where Americans are dying every day and there's a struggle now philosophically in the medical profession" in which "some of the medical folks would rather have 100,000 people die from the virus than have one person die from some of the therapeutics." Physician: FDA Should Not Have Approved Use Of Plasma. Jeremy Samuel Faust, an emergency physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital, writes in the Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.corn/opinions/the- fda-should-not-have-caved-to-trumps-latest-covid-19-demand/2020/08/24/afc5c97c-e626-11ea-970a- 64c73a1c2392_story.html> (8/24, 14.2M), "Pandemics call for the removal of red tape, not the subverting of science." The FDA's emergency-use authorization for convalescent plasma to treat covid-19, announced Sunday by President Trump, "is the latter," Faust argues. He writes that "there is no solid proof that