Subject: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Public Affairs News Briefing Wednesday,

From: To: Subject: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Public Affairs News Briefing Wednesday, September 23, 2020 Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2020 10:28:00 +0000 c Importan e: Normal Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com. 'FBI News Briefing TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2020 6:30 AM EDT TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • Nearly 200 Arrested, $6.5 Million Seized In Worldwide Opioid Bust. PROTESTS • House Republicans Urge FBI To Probe Funding Behind Recent Riots. • Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty To Destruction Of Police Vehicle During Protests. • USA Today/Ipsos Poll: 64% Say US Cities "Under Siege" By Protesters. • Cuccinelli: Authorities Should Establish "Peace Through Strength." • EPA Chief Threatens To Relocate New York Office Over Protests Against Police. • Investigation Opened After Salt Lake City Officer Shoots Child With Autism. • Officer In Taylor Case Defends Actions, Slams Officials In Email To Louisville Cops. • Police Searching For Two Suspects Who Defaced Pittsburgh BLM Mural. OPERATION LEGEND • Barr Announces Takedown Of Drug Trafficking Ring Under Operation LeGend. • Kansas City Authorities Identify One-Year-Old Killed In Triple Shooting. COUNTER-TERRORISM • Woman Accused Of Sending Ricin Letter Wanted Trump To Drop Reelection Campaign. • UK Sends Evidence Against Accused ISIS Executioners To US. • Florida Man Arrested On Charges Linked To Terrorism, ISIS. • Explosion Destroys "Hezbollah-linked Site" In Southern Lebanon. • Violent Far-Right Extremism Accounts For 40% Of Australian Counterterrorism Cases. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE • China Calls Spying Allegations Against NYPD Officer "Pure Fabrication." • CIA Finds Putin Most Likely Directing Election Influence Efforts To Support Trump. • US Warns "Foreign Actors" May Introduce Disinformation On Delayed Election Results. • Cybersecurity Experts Tell Ohio Court "Requesting Ballots By Email Is Safe." • FinCEN Files Show Treasury Received Over 86 Warnings About Suspected Russian Spy. • ODNI's Worldwide Threat Assessment "More Than 7 Months Overdue." • Expert Says Assange A "Very High" Suicide Risk If Extradited. EFTA00149061 • Declassified CIA Documents Detail Proposed Lightning Weapon. • Turkey Accuses EU Of "Rewarding The Aggressor" In Libya. • Europe's Data Standoff With US "Points To Deeper Division." • Russia Detains Leader Of Siberian Religious Sect Over Health Concerns. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • Decade-Old Allegation Holds Up California Sex Trafficking Case. • Ex-Xerox Employee Sentenced To Life For Murder, Robbery. • New Hampshire White Nationalist On Trial For Alleged Rape Threats. • Seventeen Arrested In Bust Of South Carolina Drug Trafficking Ring. • Pennsylvania Hotel Sweep Turns Up 16 Suspected Drug Dealers, Human Traffickers. • Continuing Coverage: FBI Investigating Actor Jerry Harris Over Child Pornography. • New Jersey Woman Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Hire Hitman. • Drug Probe Leads To Indictment Of Two Marines. • Court Postpones Sentencing Of Convicted South Carolina Police Chief. • Colorado Doctor Sentenced For Child Pornography Possession. • Continuing Coverage: North Carolina Man Jailed For Child Sex Crimes. • FBI Investigating Stabbing Of Arizona Border Patrol Agent. • Rhode Island Bank Robber Facing Additional Charges. • FBI Investigating Mall Shooting In Pennsylvania. • North Carolina Man Sentenced For Drug, Firearm Offenses. • California Man Charged With Murder Over 2013 Killing. • FBI, Delaware Police Seize Record Amount Of Fentanyl. • Nevada Man Arrested Following Escape. • Colorado Police Searching For Bank Robbers. • FBI Raids Home In New York. • Montana Resident Pleads Guilty To Meth Distribution. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS • US Charges Two Antiquities Dealers With Fraud. • Mossimo Giannulli Sentenced To Five Months Imprisonment Over College Bribery. CYBER DIVISION • Shopify Says Customer Data Was Likely Exposed As Employees Accessed Records. • Trump's WeChat Restrictions "Could Hit Americans Instead." • Kudlow: Administration Wants Security And US Ownership In TikTok Deal. • WPost: US Ban On WeChat Will Make Whole World Less Free. LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES • FBI Teams With Huntsville, Alabama Police On Newly Opened Training Facility. OTHER FBI NEWS • FBI Warns Of Phone Scammers. • Judge Keeps Alive Effort To Unseal FBI Files On Jeffrey Epstein. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • Media Analyses: GOP Has Votes To Replace Ginsburg; "Momentum" Favors Lagoa. • GOP To Ask Supreme Court To Limit Mail Voting In Pennsylvania. • Trump Uses UN Address To Blast China's Handling Of Pandemic Outbreak. • Pence: "Reckless" For Biden To Undermine Vaccine. • Pfizer's COVID Vaccine Trial On Track To Beat Rivals. • Federal Advisory Committee Postpones Vote On Vaccine Rollout. EFTA00149062 • FDA Expected To Announce New Standard For Emergency Authorization Of Vaccine. • Reports Put 200,000 US Pandemic Deaths In Context Of Presidential Campaign. • Administration Sending Rapid Coronavirus Tests To Historically Black Colleges. • Supply Shortages Forcing Health Systems To Ration COVID Tests. • NIH Official Exits After It Is Revealed He Published COVID Misinformation Online. • White House Officials Blast Former Coronavirus Task Force Member. • McEnany Rebukes CNN's Acosta Over Coronavirus Question Taking Trump Out Of Context. • NYTimes Report Scrutinizes Trump's DPA Claims. • Pentagon Reportedly Spent PPE Funds On Unrelated Items. • NFL Head Coaches Fined For Not Wearing Masks. • Notre Dame Game Postponed Due To Player Infections. • CDC Releases Guidelines On Celebrating Halloween Amid Pandemic. • New York AG: Eric Trump Gave "False" Reason For Delaying Deposition. • Wold: Border Wall "Making A Difference." • Hospital Rebuts Claims That Many Hysterectomies Were Performed On Detainees. • DHS Reinstitutes "Public Charge" Rule After Court Victory. • House Approves Stopgap Spending Bill Including Farm Aid Sought By GOP. • Meadows Memo: Administration To Replace White House Liaisons At Many Agencies. • DeVos Reportedly Under Investigation For Possibly Violating Hatch Act. • Trump To Announce Executive Orders On Healthcare. • Tropical Storm Beta Lashes Texas With Heavy Rain. • Trump Trademark Registered In Cuba In 2008 For Hotels, Casinos And Golf Courses. • Trump Signs Executive Order Barring Critical-Race Theory Training By Federal Contractors. • WTimes Analysis: Trump-Pelosi Relationship At "All-Time Low." • In Leaked Tapes, Mine Executives Detail Influence Over Politicians. • Air Force Two Returns To Airport After Hitting Bird. • Lawsuit: DEA's Interim Final Hemp Rule Exceeds Limits Of 2018 Farm Bill. • Bill Clinton Dined With Ghislaine Maxwell In 2014. INTERNATIONAL NEWS • UK Reintroduces Restrictions Meant To Curb Virus Spread. • Experts Warn Restriction Fatigue Fueling Increase In Cases In Europe. • Peace Talks Eyed As Path To End Fighting In Somalia. • Pompeo Predicts "Excellent Cooperation" From Europe On Iran Arms Embargo. • Macron: Trump's Pressure On Iran Has Been Fruitless. • Rouhani: Iran "Not A Bargaining Chip In US Elections." • US Navy Deploys Carrier Strike Group To Strait Of Hormuz. • Khalilzad: Afghan Fighting Remains "Too High" Despite Peace Talks. • Pompeo Seeking UN Support To Redefine Human Rights. • US Reportedly Near Agreement To Sell F-35s To UAE. • AP Analysis: Saudi King, Crown Prince Signal Divide On Ties With Israel. • McMaster Touts Trump's "Good Decisions" On Russia. • India Cites Progress Made In Military Talks With China. • US Ambassador To Netherlands Draws Controversy Over Partisan Event. THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE • Today's Events In Washington. EFTA00149063 LEADING THE NEWS Nearly 200 Arrested, $6.5 Million Seized In Worldwide Oploid Bust. The AP (9/22) reports that according to the Justice Department, 179 people have been arrested and "$6.5M seized in worldwide crackdown on opioid trafficking on darknet." The Cincinnati Enquirer (9/22, Knight, 223K) quotes FBI Director Wray as saying, "With the spike in opioid- related overdose deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, we recognize that today's announcement is important and timely. ... The FBI will continue to use all investigative techniques and tools to identify and prosecute Darknet opioid dealers, wherever they may be located." Domestically, adds the Enquirer, "the operation lasted nine months and resulted in prosecutions in California, Georgia, Virginia and Texas." BBC News Online (VS) (9/22, 1.02M) reports that "the operation, known as DisrupTor, was a joint effort between the Department of Justice and Europol," and Voice of America (9/22, 48K) that "most of the arrests took place in the United States, while others were apprehended in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Britain, Austria and Sweden." USA Today (9/22, Phillips, 10.31M) reports, "Investigators have seized more than $6.5 million in cash and virtual currencies, as well as 500 kilograms of drugs worldwide, including more than 200 kilograms of heroin, cocaine, and various kinds of opioids - a haul that officials said made a significant dent in online drug trafficking." USA Today adds, "Darknet sites, which exist on encrypted networks and aren't easily accessible, have enabled drug traffickers to create a new kind of `criminal underworld' that allowed them to sell and advertise from anywhere in the world, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen said. `For an increasing number of young addicts, opioids are purchased not from local dealers but from pushers online,' Rosen said. `Hiding behind anonymizing software known as Tor, a new sort of drug kingpin now is able to reach more buyers than ever before, through online marketplaces peddling every sort of illicit good and service imaginable." CyberScoop (9/22, Lyngaas) reports, "The alleged drug dealers are accused of advertising on infamous dark-web sites such as AlphaBay and Dream," and "the takedown...involved investigators from Austria, Cyprus, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the U.S." CNET News (9/22, Ng, 1.99M) reports, "The majority of the arrests took place in the US with 121 cases, followed by 42 cases in Germany, eight cases in the Netherlands, four cases in the United Kingdom, three cases in Austria and one case in Sweden. Police said investigations are still ongoing to identify people behind these dark web accounts." According to CNET News, "The operation announced on Tuesday was the `largest ... to date' for the US against the dark web," Rosen said, and "charges included those against a group called `Pill Cosby' that allegedly distributed more than 1 million fentanyl-laced pills in Ohio and against a man who allegedly bought data that belonged to a murdered couple in Georgia. Prosecutors in Virginia also charged someone who allegedly sought to bomb a competing drug dealer, according to the Justice Department." Wired (9/22, Barrett, 3.49M) quotes Director Wray as saying, "In some ways this is just the perfect storm combination of traditional criminal activity of all shapes and sizes merging with this more sophisticated technology. But the point of today's announcement is it doesn't matter where you go to try to do it or how you try to hide it, we're coming for you." ABC News (9/22, Barr, 2.97M) reports that Director Wray "told ABC News that the dark- net is a 'perfect storm' of traditional crime and cyber crime. Acting Drug Enforcement Administration head Tim Shea, said many of the drugs are coming from Mexico. 'At the same time, we've seen an increase in fentanyl deaths, and that's synthetic opioids, which is a major threat emanating from Mexico, drugs, produced on industrial scale in Mexico are shipped to the United States using the dark-web,' Shea said." EFTA00149064 The Washington Times (9/22, Mordock, 492K) reports that Director Wray "said the operation was critical to countering the spike in opioid-related deaths occurring during the coronavirus crisis. Although national figures are not yet available, individual states have released numbers showing opioid overdoses have risen over the past few months." Forbes (9/22, Fox-Brewster, 9.71M) reports, "The U.S. probe involved a wide range of investigators from the FBI, ICE, the DEA, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Defense Department. The Justice Department claimed it was the 'largest international law enforcement operation targeting opioid traffickers on the dark net." NBC News (9/22, 6.14M) and WDBD-TV Jackson, MS (9/22) post video reports on their websites. The Hill (9/22, Coleman, 2.98M), the New York Post (9/22, Moore, 4.57M) and Fox News (9/22, Pagones, 27.59M), among other news outlets, also cover the story. PROTESTS House Republicans Urge FBI To Probe Funding Behind Recent Riots. Fox News (9/22, Shaw, 27.59M) reports, "A number of House Republicans are urging FBI to investigate who has been funding the recent riots across the country, and bring federal charges against those who they say are 'aiding and abetting' criminal activity. 'The Department of Justice and FBI's leadership is needed to bring to justice those who have funded these criminal organizations and to give justice to the communities who have been devastated by these individuals and organizations,' the letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, signed by Rep. Andy Biggs., R-Ariz., along with nearly two dozen other Republicans, says." Fox News adds, "Riots tore through a number of cities across the country in the wake of the death of George Floyd in May. Against the backdrop of peaceful protests, the riots caused significant damage and injury in cities like New York City, Chicago and Portland." Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty To Destruction Of Police Vehicle During Protests. Fox News (9/22, Singman, 27.59M) reports, "A Pittsburgh man pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to a charge of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder after destroying a police vehicle during protests over the death of George Floyd in May, Fox News has learned." US Attorney Scott Brady "told Fox News that Brian Bartels, a 20-year-old Pittsburgh man, 'incited the largest and most destructive riot in Pittsburgh history since 1968." The Justice Department "told Fox News the incident took place on May 30 in downtown Pittsburgh. Bartels, according to officials, was part of a large crowd of protesters and approached an unoccupied Pittsburgh Police SUV. Brian Bartels, 20, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to a charge of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder after destroying a police vehicle during protests over the death of George Floyd in May." USA Today/Ipsos Poll: 64% Say US Cities "Under Siege" By Protesters. USA Today (9/22, Morin, 10.31M) reports, "As protests against systemic racism continue across the US and law and order becomes a major theme in the 2020 presidential race, a new poll shows most Americans say cities are under siege." USA Today adds that "more than two-thirds (64%) of those surveyed say they believe protesters and counter-protesters are overwhelming American cities, according to a USA Today/Ipsos poll. ... Significantly more Republicans than Democrats say cities are under siege, 83% to 48%, respectively," and "those who live in rural areas (71%) are more likely to agree with that sentiment than those in urban areas (59%)." Cuccinelli: Authorities Should Establish "Peace Through Strength." Acting Deputy DHS Secretary Ken Cuccinelli said on WILS 1320 (9/22) that "we respect people's differing opinions and participate with our law enforcement partners to clear space so people can hold demonstrations and rallies, all those kinds of First Amendment activities, but EFTA00149065 there are a lot of people who now are using those gatherings to mask violence." Cuccinelli said, "If you don't actually step up and apply enough force...bringing enough officers to handle the situation without ever having to engage in physical contact, that's what I mean - peace through strength, if you will - for the localities that take that approach, it works. They establish peace, we saw it in Kenosha." EPA Chief Threatens To Relocate New York Office Over Protests Against Police. The New York Times (9/22, Rubinstein, Feuer, 18.61M) reports, "President Trump's politicized campaign to label New York City an 'anarchist jurisdiction' broadened on Tuesday, with the head of the Environmental Protection Agency threatening to move its regional headquarters out of Lower Manhattan." EPA Administrator Wheeler "suggested that local agency officials had become so fearful of New York streets that they are now considering moving offices." Wheeler "cited three-month old protests against police brutality, and a small, recent protest against another federal agency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, at a nearby building." Investigation Opened After Salt Lake City Officer Shoots Child With Autism. ABC World News TonightVi (9/22, story 6, 0:30, Muir, 6.19M) reported that a police shooting is under investigation in Salt Lake City. New body camera footage shows "an officer firing nearly a dozen shots at a 13-year-old with autism after he tried to run from police." The family of the boy is "calling for reforms and that the officer involved to be fire." Officer In Taylor Case Defends Actions, Slams Officials In Email To Louisville Cops. USA Today (9/22, Bullington, 10.31M) reports from Louisville, Kentucky, "One of the officers at the center of the Breonna Taylor shooting sent an email Tuesday to more than 1,000 of his colleagues criticizing Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and others while defending his actions that March night." USA Today adds, "In the six-paragraph email, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly apologized to his fellow officers and their families and blamed the mayor as well as Public Safety Chief Amy Hess and former LMPD Chief Steve Conrad for failing 'all of us in epic proportions for their own gain." Mattingly "also warned that the department and the FBI, which he said 'aren't cops,' would open civil rights investigations against officers for making a mistake during a stressful time. 'Your civil rights mean nothing,' he wrote, 'but the criminal has total autonomy." Louisville Remains Under State Of Emergency Ahead Of Announcement In Taylor Case. ABC World News TonightVi (9/22, story 8, 0:20, Muir, 6.19M) reported that there was "a new message from the mayor of Louisville" indicating that "there's no word now from the AG as of yet in the Breonna Taylor case," and "a state of emergency" remains in place. The CBS Evening NewsVi (9/22, story 6, 1:20, O'Donnell, 4.31M) recounted that Taylor "was shot and killed by police in her home in March," and "Kentucky's attorney general is expected to announce whether criminal charges will be brought against three officers." NBC Nightly NewsVi (9/22, story 5, 1:40, Gutierrez, 5.78M) reported "protesters...have demanded the arrest of three officers involved in" that "botched raid," and that "police confirm there are a total of six officers under internal investigation." The Louisville (KY) Courier-Journal (9/22, Tobin, Ghabour, 368K) reports "plywood and concrete barricades permeated downtown Louisville Tuesday morning. And they weren't part of a major new construction project" but "businesses are boarding up their shops and police...redirecting traffic as the city...waits in anticipation." The Fox News (9/22, Wallace, 27.59M) website quotes from a statement by the Louisville Metro Police Department, which said, "Due to increased attention and activity in anticipation of an announcement from Attorney General Daniel Cameron regarding the Breonna Taylor case, a decision was made to accelerate plans to physically restrict access to the downtown area." Reuters (9/22, Woolston), the AP (9/22, Lovan, Reynolds Yonker), and the Wall Street Journal (9/22, Campo-Flores, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), among other news outlets, also reports the story. EFTA00149066 Police Searching For Two Suspects Who Defaced Pittsburgh BLM Mural. The Washington Post (9/22, Sands, 14.2M) reports, "Pittsburgh police say they are searching for two men who were captured on video shooting paint balls at a Black Lives Matter mural in downtown Pittsburgh late Monday evening." One of the suspects was "wearing a Confederate flag sweatshirt and a Trump cap, while the other was wearing a mask, authorities said." According to police, "it's the second known case of vandalism involving the mural." OPERATION LEGEND Barr Announces Takedown Of Drug Trafficking Ring Under Operation LeGend. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (9/22, Vielmetti, 632K) reports, "U.S. Attorney General William Barr returned to Wisconsin Tuesday, three weeks after a visit to Kenosha to see the aftermath of arson, looting and vandalism that followed protests over the police shooting of a Black man in the back. This time, he was announcing the arrests of 26 people in Milwaukee and California, charged in a sprawling drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy, as the latest victory in Operation Legend, launched in July to target violent street crime in a few major cities." According to the Journal Sentinel, US Attorney Matthew Krueger "said the roundup included seizures pursuant to 24 search warrants of at least 33 firearms - including one stolen from the Milwaukee Police Department recovered in California - at least $170,000 in cash and drugs, including 700 grams of heroin at a single location." The AP (9/22) reports, "Krueger said during a news conference that federal, state and local law enforcement officers arrested 21 of 26 suspects connected to the ring Tuesday morning. Officers executed search warrants in both California and Milwaukee. They seized about 33 firearms, $170,000, marijuana, cocaine and more than 700 grams of heroin." Barr "said the investigation into the ring was part of Operation Legend, a project the U.S. Department of Justice launched this summer pairing federal agents and investigators with local and state police in nine U.S. cities, including Milwaukee, to address homicides and other violent crime." WITI-TV Milwaukee (9/22, Peterson, 159K) reports, "Officials say since Operation Legend's launch in July 2020, more than 3,500 arrests - including approximately 200 for homicide - have been made; more than 1,000 firearms have been seized; and nearly 19 kilos of heroin, more than 11 kilos of fentanyl (enough to deliver more than five million fatal doses), more than 94 kilos of methamphetamine, nearly 14 kilos of cocaine, and more than $6.5 million in drug proceeds have been seized. Of the more than 3,500 individuals arrested, approximately 815 have been charged with federal offenses. More than 440 of those defendants have been charged with firearms offenses, while more than 300 have been charged with drug-related crimes. The remaining defendants have been charged with various offenses." Fox News (9/22, Betz, 27.59M) reports that Krueger "said state and local law enforcement officers arrested 21 of 26 suspects connected to the ring Tuesday morning. Officers in California and Milwaukee and seized about 33 firearms, $170,000 in cash, marijuana, cocaine, and more than 700 grams of heroin during searches." WMC-TV Memphis, TN (9/22, Luther, 33K) reports that Operation LeGend "has made 302 arrests in Memphis, and now 27 defendants have been charged with federal offenses." Barr "announced Tuesday that 10 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses, 13 charged with firearms-related offenses, and 4 charged with other violent crimes." Kansas City Authorities Identify One-Year-Old Killed In Triple Shooting. The AP (9/22) reports from Kansas City, Missouri, "Authorities have identified a child killed in a triple shooting in Kansas City as a 1-year-old boy, making him the city's youngest homicide victim this year, police said." Tyron Payton "was in the back seat of a car with three adults when someone opened fire on their vehicle Monday afternoon, police said." The AP adds, "The child's death is the 148th homicide this year in Kansas City. At this time last year, 114 homicides had EFTA00149067 been recorded. The Kansas City Star, which keeps data on homicides in the city, reported that 13 people who were 18 or younger have died in homicides this year, with Tyron being the youngest. All 13 died in shootings. Federal agents have been sent to Kansas City and a handful of other cities this summer to help fight gun violence, part of a program called Operation Legend." COUNTER-TERRORISM Woman Accused Of Sending Ricin Letter Wanted Trump To Drop Reelection Campaign. The CBS Evening NewsVi (9/22, story 9, 0:25, O'Donnell, 4.31M) reported on new details "about a Canadian woman accused of trying to mail an extremely toxic poison to President Trump." Pascale Ferrier on Tuesday appeared in federal court in Buffalo after she "allegedly sending Ricin in an envelope that was intercepted at a screening facility." The FBI "says the letter contained threats and demand that Mr. Trump abandon his reelection bid." The New York Times (9/22, 18.61M) reports the woman "wanted President Trump to drop out of the presidential race and pledged to find other ways to assassinate him if her poisoning plot failed, according to court documents unsealed on Tuesday." Ferrier had "a knife with her and a loaded gun holstered on her waist when she was arrested on Sunday." She "wrote in a threatening and scornful letter sent with the ricin that she believed Mr. Trump was a dictator who was hurting the United States." USA Today (9/22, 10.31M) reports that Ferrier, 53, "has been charged with threatening President Donald Trump for allegedly mailing a letter laced with the poison ricin along with a message that referred to Trump as an 'Ugly Tyrant Clown,' and called on him to 'remove your application for this election,' according to court documents. 'I made a special gift for you to make a decision,' Pascale Cecile Veronique Ferrier allegedly wrote, referring to the potentially lethal powdery substance inside. 'If it doesn't work, I'll find a better recipe for another poison or I might use my gun when I'll be able to come. Enjoy!'" The Washington Post (9/22, Hsu, 14.2M) reports that Ferrier "pleaded not guilty in federal court in New York to sending a threatening, ricin-laced letter to President Trump." Ferrier "was charged by complaint with one felony count of making a threat against the U.S. president. The FBI in charging papers also alleged that she was linked to similar letters sent to employees at detention facilities in Texas, where she was incarcerated last year." Ferrier, "a computer programmer from Quebec, was arrested Sunday in Buffalo upon reentering the United States from Canada. She made an initial court appearance Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate H. Kenneth Schroeder Jr. of Buffalo, who entered the not guilty plea." The Hill (9/22, Budryk, 2.98M) reports that FBI officials "said they had discovered six letters with similar language sent from Canada in September that appeared to have been received in Texas. Officials said the targets were people associated with places where Ferrier was incarcerated last year and that they had matched her fingerprints to four of the letters." The Hill adds, "Ferrier was jailed last March in Hidalgo County on weapons charges and a charge of tampering with government records. Jail records indicate the charges were eventually dismissed." Reuters (9/22) reports, "The envelope addressed to Trump was intercepted on Friday at the White House mail sorting facility in Washington, D.C., where U.S. Postal Service personnel flagged it as suspicious and contacted the FBI, according to an FBI affidavit filed with the charging documents." The Globe and Mail (CAN) (9/22, Freeze, 1.04M) reports, "In a brief court hearing in Buffalo on Tuesday afternoon, a not-guilty plea was entered for Ms. Ferrier, who will remain detained. She said she would use a court-appointed lawyer because she cannot afford to hire one. A hearing is scheduled for Sept. 28." UK Sends Evidence Against Accused ISIS Executioners To US. EFTA00149068 Reuters (9/22, Hosenball) reports the British government "has forwarded to U.S. authorities evidence in its possession regarding two accused Islamic State militants known as the 'Beatles' being held by the U.S. military and suspected of involvement in beheadings of Western hostages." On Tuesday, "two British High Court judges rejected a request from the family of one of the accused which sought to block the transfer of evidence to the United States." On Twitter. British Interior Minister Priti Patel "confirmed the transfer of the evidence regarding alleged militants Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh to US authorities." The New York Times (9/22, Savage, 18.61M) reports a DOJ spokesman, Marc Raimondi, responded to the British announcement, "We are pleased with the U.K. High Court's decision and we are grateful that the British government has passed its evidence to us and confirmed its commitment to cooperate with our efforts to investigate and prosecute the two ISIS terrorists currently being held in U.S. military custody." Florida Man Arrested On Charges Linked To Terrorism, ISIS. The Fort Myers (FL) News-Press (9/22, 173K) reports, "A 23-year-old Lehigh Acres man is facing charges linked to terrorism and ISIS, according to documents from the U.S. District Court." Jonathan Guerra Blanco, "also known as Abu Zahraal-Andalusi, attempted to provide material support and resources to the foreign terrorist organization, according to a sworn report from Special Agent Bryan D. Hughes, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Joint Terrorism Task Force." Guerra, "a Cuban-born naturalized U.S. citizen," "had his first appearance on Sept. 14 before Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Becerra in Miami, where he was held without bond. He was arrested Sept. 11." Hughes' report, "said he created numerous accounts to disguise his identity to participate in terrorist plots, and, once he identified others sympathetic to the cause, taught them how to hide their identities." Explosion Destroys "Hezbollah-linked Site" In Southern Lebanon. The Washington Post (9/22, Loveluck, Sly, 14.2M) reports an explosion Tuesday at a "Hezbollah-linked facility in southern Lebanon sent black smoke billowing from a leveled building, footage from the area showed." Hezbollah members cordoned off "the area around the blast site in the village of Ayn Qana, according to a source linked to the armed group." A Lebanese security source "and Lebanon's al-Jadeed television channel, reported that the blast had resulted in a small number of injuries." Lebanon's state National News Agency "said that the blast had coincided with 'intensive' traffic from Israeli aircraft but that the cause was unknown." The Post says there are "echoes in this incident of a string of initially unexplained explosions at weapons storage facilities across the region, including earlier this year at Iranian power plants and military sites, which intelligence officials have attributed in part to Israeli sabotage." Violent Far-Right Extremism Accounts For 40% Of Australian Counterterrorism Cases. The Guardian (UK) (9/22, Karp, 4.19M) reports far-right violent extremism constitutes "up to 40% of the Australian domestic spy agency's counter-terrorism caseload, up from 10-15% before 2016, a senior official has said." The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation's (ASIO) "extraordinary increase in focus on the far right in Australia was revealed by its deputy director general of intelligence service delivery, Heather Cook, at a parliamentary inquiry on Tuesday." Cook called it an "enduring threat" that is "real and growing," and while she would not detail specific numbers of people under investigation, said "rightwing violent extremism... occupies approximately between 30 and 40% of Asio's current caseload in counter-terrorism work...an increase from 10 to 15% prior to 2016." Cook also "warned the Covid-19 pandemic had created both a greater opportunity for far-right extremists to recruit online and a powerful anti-government message for those that resent lockdowns to combat the pandemic." EFTA00149069 COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE China Calls Spying Allegations Against NYPD Officer "Pure Fabrication." The AP (9/22) reports, "China on Tuesday said allegations against a New York City police officer charged with being an `intelligence asset' for the Chinese government are a `pure fabrication' and part of a U.S. plot to smear Chinese diplomats in the United States." Baimadajie Angwang, "a naturalized U.S. citizen from Tibet, allegedly agreed to spy on U.S. supporters of the Tibetan independence movement since 2018 as an agent for China in its effort to suppress the movement, according to a criminal complaint filed in Brooklyn federal court. It says he secretly worked for unnamed handlers from the Chinese Consulate in New York." The AP adds, "Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Tuesday said the indictment against Angwang was full of hedging terms such as `seems' and 'possibly,' giving the appearance that prosecutors were straining to make their case." The New York Post (9/22, Fonrouge, 4.57M) reports that Wang Wenbin told reporters, "The relevant accusations made by the US side are pure fabrication," adding that "the US plot to discredit the Chinese consulate and personnel in the United States will not succeed." NYPD Officer Accused Of Spying For China Raised Suspicions At Party Attended By AOC. The New York Post (9/22, Celona, Fonrouge, Golding, 4.57M) reports the NYPD officer charged this week with spying for China "raised alarms at a Tibetan New Year party that he attended in uniform — and during which he was photographed sitting next to US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez." Sonam Gyephel, a former president of the Tibetan Community of NY & NJ, "said the group became suspicious" of Officer Baimadajie Angwang, and "cut off the relationship" with him following the event last year. Gyephel "declined to say precisely what alerted members" to the officer. The New York Post (9/22, Fonrouge, Golding, 4.57M) reports that Angwang "exaggerated his military service record to his brothers in blue, The Post has learned." Angwang, "a suspended community affairs officer with the NYPD's 111th Precinct in Queens, was honored by the Police Benevolent Association at a November event last year to celebrate veterans, according to a since-deleted Facebook post on the union's page. 'The PBA honored its veterans at today's delegates meeting with PO Baimadajie Angwang presenting the colors. PO Angwang is a Sgt. in the USMC and served 1 tour in Iraq and 2 tours in Afghanistan,' the post reads alongside photos of Angwang posing with the union brass." The USMC "confirmed in a statement that Angwang, 33, was in fact a sergeant with the Devil Dogs but said he only served one tour in Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom between July 2013 and February 2014. There were no records of a second Afghanistan tour or a tour in Iraq, according to the USMC." CIA Finds Putin Most Likely Directing Election Influence Efforts To Support Trump. The New York Times (9/22, Barnes, Sanger, 18.61M) reports Russian President Vladimir Putin is "most likely continuing to approve and direct interference operations aimed at raising President Trump's re-election chances, a recent CIA analysis concluded, a signal that intelligence agencies continue to back their assessment of Russian activities despite the president's attacks." The assessment is 'consistent with intelligence officials' warning to lawmakers in January that Russia was interfering on Mr. Trump's behalf." The CIA has "moderate confidence in its analysis," in part because the intelligence community "appears to lack intercepted communications or other direct evidence confirming his direction" of Derkach's efforts. According to people "familiar with the matter, the new analysis was published ahead of the sanctions in the CIA Worldwide Intelligence Review, a classified document that circulates to members of Congress and the Trump administration." The Washington Post (9/22, 14.2M) reports CIA analysts "compiled the assessment with input from the National Security Agency and the FBI, based on several dozen pieces of information gleaned from public, unclassified and classified intelligence sources." The EFTA00149070 assessment includes details "of the CIA's analysis of the activities of Ukrainian lawmaker Andriy Derkach to disseminate disparaging information about Biden inside the United States through lobbyists, Congress, the media and contacts with figures close to the president." ODNI and the Treasury Department have "identified Derkach as a Russian agent, but it has not been publicly reported that the CIA, NSA and FBI believed Putin may be personally directing the campaign." The CIA assessment described "Derkach's efforts in detail and said that his activities have included working through lobbyists, members of Congress and U.S. media organizations to disseminate and amplify his anti-Biden information." It also refers to "Derkach's interactions with a `prominent' person connected to the Trump campaign, the analysis does not identify the person." CNN (9/22, Stracqualursi, Cohen, Cohen, 83.16M) reports the assessment reads, "We assess that President Vladimir Putin and the senior most Russian officials are aware of and probably directing Russia's influence operations aimed at denigrating the former U.S. Vice President, supporting the U.S. president and fueling public discord ahead of the U.S. election in November." Former CIA officer Douglas London "told CNN that the agency's use of the word `probably' when concerning an issue of such importance means its `analysts are sufficiently confident based on their deep expertise to put their reputations on the line in making such a call." The New York Times (9/22, Sanger, Kanno-Youngs, 18.61M) reports separately that "four years ago, when Russian intelligence agencies engaged in a systematic attempt to influence the American presidential election, the disinformation they fed American voters required some real imagination at the troll farms producing the ads." This year, however, they are "largely amplifying misleading statements from President Trump, mostly about the dangers of mail-in ballots." In interviews, "a range of officials and private analysts said that Mr. Trump was feeding many of the disinformation campaigns they were struggling to halt." Intelligence officials are also described as "battling an effort by Mr. Trump and his top advisers to cast China and Iran as equal threats to the election, which runs counter to their intelligence." The Hill (9/22, Mastrangelo, 2.98M) reports, and CNN (9/22, 83.16M) also reports in a video. US Warns "Foreign Actors" May Introduce Disinformation On Delayed Election Results. Reuters (9/22, Lange) reports US federal law enforcement and "cybersecurity agencies on Tuesday warned that `foreign actors' will likely try to discredit the November presidential election by taking advantage of the slow counting of mail-in ballots." In a joint public statement, the CISA and FBI said that the additional time needed to count a higher volume of mail-in ballots "could leave officials with incomplete results on election night," the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said in a joint public service announcement. The agencies said, "Foreign actors and cybercriminals could exploit the time required to certify and announce elections' results by disseminating disinformation that includes reports of voter suppression, cyber attacks targeting election infrastructure, voter or ballot fraud." Through new websites or social media content, they say these actors would seek to "discredit the electoral process and undermine confidence in US democratic institutions." Bloomberg (9/22, Sebenius, 4.73M) reports the agencies "urged the American public to `critically evaluate' their sources of information and to seek out reliable and verified information from trusted sources, such as state and local election officials.' CyberScoop (9/22, Lyngaas) reports they warned, "the public should also be aware that if foreign actors or cyber criminals were able to successfully change an election-related website, the underlying data and internal systems would remain uncompromised." The agencies urged voters to "rely on state and local government election officials" for official election results. EFTA00149071 NBC News (9/22, Collier, 6.14M) reports one potential scenario the agencies "warned of is hackers defacing websites to indicate false election results, causing chaos and confusion without affecting vote tallying systems." The Hill (9/22, 2.98M) reports the agencies did not mention "any specific countries in warning of the election disinformation threat." CNN (9/22, Cohen, Kelly, 83.16M), Forbes (9/22, Reimann, 9.71M) and WXYZ-TV Detroit (9/22, Boggs, 236K) also report. Cybersecurity Experts Tell Ohio Court "Requesting Ballots By Email Is Safe." The AP (9/22, Smyth) reports a group of leading cybersecurity experts "told an Ohio court that absentee ballot applications can be safely transmitted using email, countering the secretary of state's assertions that the practice would open up voting in the presidential battleground to outside interference." In a filing late Monday, "eight experts in computer information and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgetown, Princeton and other universities joined the American Civil Liberties Union and the Brennan Center for Justice in asking a state appellate court to allow the ballot applications to be accepted by electronic means." In the filing, they say, "Election officials can easily facilitate electronic submission of applications at little cost while minimizing associated security risks," and that while "ideally this should be done by a secure online portal, but it is also feasible to do so using email." FinCEN Files Show Treasury Received Over 86 Warnings About Suspected Russian Spy. BuzzFeed News (9/22, Pham) reports that the FinCEN Files, a collaboration "between BuzzFeed News and more than 100 newsrooms associated with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, shows that the US Treasury Department received at least 86 warnings from 2007 to 2016 discussing" Russian bank VEB, its clients, and Evgeny Buryakov, who was suspected of working as a Russian agent. In 2014, an undercover FBI agent "posing as an energy analyst leaked binders with fake commercial secrets to two Russian spies operating in New York." In "free-flowing conversations," two SVR officers "discussed an SVR agent working for them under deep cover in New York: Evgeny Buryakov." FBI transcripts "show the two spymasters discussed how Buryakov had traveled the world as a bank employee, spying while he went, and how they wanted him to take on an important task: find out how the US planned to bar Russian firms from its financial system." In 2016, he pleaded "guilty to covertly working as a Russian agent and was sentenced to 30 months in prison." He was granted "early release after a year" and then turned over to Russian authorities. ODNI's Worldwide Threat Assessment "More Than 7 Months Overdue." WRC-TV Washington (9/22, Fleischer, 303K) reports the ODNI's Worldwide Threat Assessment has yet to be delivered, and "was expected in February." The report is one of the few "the public gets directly from our intelligence community" on a regular basis, and Georgetown Law professor and former NSC senior counterterrorism director Joshua Geltzer explains, "I do hope that folks will realize that this is a window, an important window that has been slammed shut." During Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe's May confirmation hearings, he had "promised to provide the report within months." A spokesperson for Ratcliffe "told the I -Team 'he followed through with this commitment in good faith' by sending letters in July to the House and Senate committees offering to present the report in open and closed sessions." But that "has not happened, and the report has not been released publicly." Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) "says DNI wanted only to present a public statement, with the report and the questioning session to be held in private." Expert Says Assange A "Very High" Suicide Risk If Extradited. EFTA00149072 The AP (9/22, Lawless) reports WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is "very likely to attempt to kill himself if he is sent to the United States to face espionage charges, a psychiatric expert said Tuesday at an extradition hearing in London." King's College London emeritus professor of neuropsychiatry Michael Kopelman "said Assange has a history of depression and there is a `very high' risk of suicide if the US extradition attempt succeeds." During testimony at London's Old Bailey court, Kopelman said, "It's the imminence of extradition and/or an actual extradition that will trigger the attempt, in my opinion." He also said Assange had an "intense suicidal preoccupation." CBS News (9/22, 3.68M) reports Kopelman cited as evidence Assange's "severe depression" and "psychotic symptoms," which included "auditory hallucinations while in solitary confinement in his cell at the high-security Belmarsh Prison in southwest London." The Hill (9/22, Coleman, 2.98M) reports Assange's extradition hearing "began in September and is expected to last until October." The judge may take "weeks or months to make a decision, according to the AP."The Times LUK) (9/23, Brown, Subscription Publication, 50K) also reports. Declassified CIA Documents Detail Proposed Lightning Weapon. Popular Mechanics (9/22, Mizokami, 7.77M) reports the CIA considered the concept "using lightning as a weapon system" in the late 1960s, as the weapon would leave behind "little or no evidence," but never developed the idea. The pitch, which Forbes "discovered in declassified CIA files, involved using `artificial leaders' of thin metal wires to `cause discharges to occur where and when we desire them." The wires, a few "thousands of an inch in diameter, would unfurl from aircraft or rockets launched into the atmosphere." Popular Mechanics says the concept is "fascinating proof that the nation's intelligence agency entertained some pretty unusual ideas." Turkey Accuses EU Of "Rewarding The Aggressor" In Libya. The AP (9/22, Asimov) reports Turkey on Tuesday accused the EU of "rewarding the aggressor" after it sanctioned "three transport companies for violating the UN arms embargo on Libya, including the Turkish shipping firm which operates a vessel that was at the center of a naval standoff in the Mediterranean Sea between Turkey and France." A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement dismissed the decision as "of no value." Turkey insisted the ship "was providing aid to Libya's UN-recognized government based in the capital, Tripoli, and accused the EU of ignoring countries and companies sending arms to the rival Libyan National Army, led by Gen. Khalifa Hifter, which controls the east." The statement also "said it is `extremely unfortunate' that the decision came as efforts are underway to reduce tensions between Greece and Turkey over energy exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean." Europe's Data Standoff With US "Points To Deeper Division." Bloomberg (9/22, 4.73M) reports that while "thanks to US national security warnings," the EU "has at times taken a harsher stance toward Chinese technology than it otherwise would have," EU officials are "also treading cautiously around the tech policy" of the US. Facebook is "currently embroiled in a high-stakes dispute with the Irish Data Protection Commission over privacy rules surrounding international data transfers." The commission's decision "could impact transfers of vast amounts of commercial data across the Atlantic," and if those transfers "are halted, Facebook says, companies large and small would be threatened and the EU economy could suffer." Bloomberg traces these tensions "to 2013, when National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed the massive scope of American surveillance programs," described as a "severe breach of trust between Europe and the US." Russia Detains Leader Of Siberian Religious Sect Over Health Concerns. Reuters (9/22, Balmforth, Osborn) reports Russian security forces detained a "prominent mystic and other leaders of the `Church of the Last Testament' sect in a remote part of Siberia on EFTA00149073 Tuesday over allegations they had damaged followers' health, police said." The Investigative Committee, Russia's "equivalent of the U.S. FBI, said in a statement that the religious group had used psychological pressure to extract money from its followers and caused serious harm to their health." Sergei Torop, a former traffic policeman "known to his followers as Vissarion, set up the Church of the Last Testament sect in a remote part of Siberia's Krasnoyarsk region in 1991, the year the Soviet Union broke up." The operation to detain "him, as well as group leaders Vadim Redkin and Vladimir Vedernikov, involved the police as well as members of the Federal Security Service." CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS Decade-Old Allegation Holds Up California Sex Trafficking Case. The San Jose (CA) Mercury News (9/22, Gartrell, 456K) reports from Oakland, California, "Federal prosecutors are holding up the resolution of a Bay Area human trafficking case while they and the FBI investigate a decade-old allegation involving sex trafficking of a then- underage girl, they revealed in court records." The Mercury News adds, "The case centers on Richmond resident Chase McMillon, 37, who was charged with sex trafficking and other offenses after he was implicated in an assault on a woman who he was allegedly trafficking around the Bay Area. The FBI began investigating McMillon after the alleged victim accused McMillon and a woman of assaulting her in Salinas after she refused to perform sex work due to back pain." The "decade-old allegations came up while authorities were investigating McMillon for the Salinas incident, and may result in new charges." Ex-Xerox Employee Sentenced To Life For Murder, Robbery. The AP (9/22) reports from Rochester, New York, "A former Xerox employee was sentenced to life in prison for a robbery of a credit union in Webster in 2003 where he killed a man and injured another person." Richard Leon Wilbern, 60, "was convicted of murder and the robbery of the Xerox Federal Credit Union in a five-week trial in November. He was sentenced to life in prison at the U.S. District Court in Rochester on Tuesday." Wilbern "was accused of shooting and killing Raymond Batzel, 51, who refused to lie down on the floor with other customers and employees. He made off with more than $10,000 cash. Wilbern evaded a manhunt and for years, was not the primary suspect in the case." The Rochester (NY) Democrat & Chronicle (9/22, Cleveland, 360K) reports, "On Tuesday, Rowena Bennett stood across the federal courtroom from the man who 17 years ago gunned down her son in a credit union robbery, and she displayed neither bitterness nor anger. Instead, the 93-year-old wondered just how the two lives of Richard Leon Wilbern and her son, Raymond Batzel, had diverged so greatly." In November, "the jury convicted Wilbern of the 2003 robbery of about $10,000 from the Xerox Federal Credit Union and the murder of Batzel during the robbery. Wilbern also shot and wounded another man, who survived." New Hampshire White Nationalist On Trial For Alleged Rape Threats. The AP (9/22) reports from Concord, New Hampshire, "A white nationalist who rose to prominence during a deadly 2017 rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, went on trial Tuesday on federal charges of threatening to rape the wife of a man who was part of a racist group he had been feuding with for months." Christopher Cantwell, "a New Hampshire resident, has remained in federal custody since he pleaded not guilty in January to using the Telegram messaging app to convey the threat last year." Cantwell "also threatened to expose the identify of the Missouri man if he didn't provide personal details of the leader of the Bowl Patrol, a white supremacist group of which the man was a member. 'This is an extortion case,' Assistant U.S. Attorney John Davis told the jury, adding that Cantwell's intention was to dox or publicize the victim's true identify, a process which 'can wreck a person's reputation:" EFTA00149074 Seventeen Arrested In Bust Of South Carolina Drug Trafficking Ring. The Rock Hill (SC) Herald (9/22, Feit, 89K) reports, "A years-long investigation into a drug trafficking operation in the Midlands resulted in more than a dozen arrests and the seizure of more than a hundred guns, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Tuesday." The Herald adds, "For more than two years, federal, state, and local law enforcement officers have been investigating drug traffickers in the Lexington County area, U.S. Attorney Peter McCoy said in a news release. Seventeen people were charged in federal court for their roles in the methamphetamine distribution ring, according to the release. Along with the arrests, about 35 kilograms of meth, 116 guns, and various quantities of heroin and fentanyl were seized by law enforcement, the U.S. Attorney's office said." WCSC-TV Charleston, SC (9/22, Mallory, 44K) reports, "The case was investigated by the ATF, FBI, LCSD, Lexington County Multi-Agency Narcotics Enforcement Team, Eleventh Circuit Solicitor's Office, Greenville County Sheriff's Office, Anderson County Sheriff's Office, and South Carolina Department of Corrections." Pennsylvania Hotel Sweep Turns Up 16 Suspected Drug Dealers, Human Traffickers. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (9/22, Tierney, 380K) reports, "Law enforcement agencies teamed up to arrest suspected drug dealers and human traffickers in Beaver County hotels, according to Beaver County District Attorney David Lozier." The Tribune-Review adds, "The district attorney's office, Center Township Police Department, the FBI Human Trafficking Task Force and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the sweep at numerous Center Township hotels Friday and Saturday. There are 16 arrests pending, but officials have not identified the suspects." According to the Tribune-Review, "Several potential victims of human trafficking were identified and referred to support services. 'The trauma caused by traffickers to their victims is inexcusable,' FBI Pittsburgh special agent Michael Christman said in a statement. 'We are proud to team up with our state and local partners and the Beaver County District Attorney to help make our communities safer and get these victims the help they need." Continuing Coverage: FBI Investigating Actor Jerry Harris Over Child Pornography. The Chicago Sun-Times (9/22, 875K) reports that the FBI Chicago Field Office "announced it is seeking the public's help in finding possible victims in the investigation of accused 'Cheer' actor Jerry Harris," who "was arrested and faces child pornography charges." Harris "admitted to having sex with a 15-year-old, soliciting sex from minors and seeking and receiving child pornography over Snapchat from multiple individuals." The Chicago Daily Herald (9/22, Smith, 358K) reports that the FBI "said Tuesday possible victims can report contact with Harris through a confidential online questionnaire and find resources at Fbi.gov/jerryharris." New Jersey Woman Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Hire Hitman. The Burlington County (NJ) Times (9/22, 64K) reports mental health counselor Diane Sylvia "has pleaded guilty" to "ask[ing) a patient to find a hitman for her." She "told a judge she paid $4,000 to a man she believed would assault her former boyfriend." The would-be hitman was actually an undercover FBI agent. Drug Probe Leads To Indictment Of Two Marines. The Los Angeles Times (9/22, Winton, 4.64M) reports Anthony Ruben Whisenant and Ryan Douglas, both lance corporals in the US Marine Corps, have been arrested and indicted in connection with an investigation of an alleged "drug-dealing conspiracy." The DEA was one of several organizations that conducted the investigation, according to the Time article and an online KTLA-TV Los Angeles (9/22, Von Quednow, 766K) report. The AP (9/22, Watson) and the Orange County (CA) Register (9/22, Cain, 546K) do not mention the DEA in their coverage of this story. EFTA00149075 Court Postpones Sentencing Of Convicted South Carolina Police Chief. Columbia (SC) State (9/22, 390K) reports that the sentencing of former Manning police chief Gary Shaffer, who was convicted over "stealing $80,000 in seized drug money and then lying to the FBI about the theft," has been postponed. The court said the delay was connected to issues with the video conferences software. Colorado Doctor Sentenced For Child Pornography Possession. The Miami Herald (9/22, 1.09M) reports Dr. Justin Neisler, who was "found with thousands of images and videos of child pornography" and "made his own by discretely recording young boys during medical examinations," was sentenced Tuesday to 23 years in prison. The FBI "began investigating the Denver doctor in 2018 after being alerted by social media site Tumblr that a user was sharing child pornography, and provided investigators with Neisler's IP address." Colorado Springs (CO) Gazette (9/22, Isaac, 223K) also reports. Continuing Coverage: North Carolina Man Jailed For Child Sex Crimes. The AP (9/22) reports Joshuah Taylor Bradshaw "has been apprehended and charged with more than 300 counts of sex crimes involving children" after his arrest by the FBI in Mississippi. Sheriff Hubert Peterkin "said Bradshaw is charged with 332 counts including statutory sexual offense with a child and crimes against nature," and the victims "are as young as 5 years old, and more than 133 alleged victims have been identified." FBI Investigating Stabbing Of Arizona Border Patrol Agent. The Arizona Republic (9/22, 869K) reports that the FBI is leading the investigation into the stabbing of an unidentified Border Patrol agent, who "was stabbed Monday while trying to arrest a group of people who were suspected of being in the United States illegally." The agent "shot and killed the suspect" after the attack. Rhode Island Bank Robber Facing Additional Charges. WCVB-TV Boston (9/22, 402K) reports convicted bank robber Michael Moller "is facing federal charges after applying for millions of dollars worth of COVID-19 stimulus loans for businesses in Massachusetts that did not exist." He "asserted the money would be used to pay employees of a business in Fall River, but no such business is incorporated in Massachusetts and the government could not find any tax records." FBI Investigating Mall Shooting In Pennsylvania. The Lehighton (PA) Times News (9/22, 33K) reports that the FBI is supporting the investigation into the shooting at the Lehigh Valley Mall on Saturday. Whitehall Township Police "said Monday they still have no suspects in the shooting incident." North Carolina Man Sentenced For Drug, Firearm Offenses. WXII-TV Winston-Salem, NC (9/22, 109K) reports Tyler Grantz "has been sentenced for his role in federal drug and gun crimes." The FBI said Grantz "fired .40 and AK-style pistols at a trooper with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol during a high speed chase at around 2 a.m. on March 5, 2019." He later "fled the vehicle with an assault rifle and drugs," and he "was arrested three miles from the crash site after a manhunt." California Man Charged With Murder Over 2013 Killing. The Tahoe (CA) Daily Tribune (9/22, Rozak, 26K) reports Sean Donohue will "face murder charges for the 2013 killing of a gas station attendant at Lake Tahoe." The El Dorado County Grand Jury "handed down an indictment on Sept. 3 for Sean Donohue who allegedly walked EFTA00149076 into the US Gasoline Station on Lake Tahoe Blvd., fired a single shot and killed store clerk 27- year-old Manpreet Singh." KTVN-TV Reno (NV) Reno, NV (9/22, 1K) also reports. FBI, Delaware Police Seize Record Amount Of Fentanyl. The Milford (DE) Beacon (9/21, 18K) reports that a joint FBI-Delaware State Police operation "led to the largest fentanyl seizure in the history of the First State." Operation No Mas "took down a Delaware-based drug trafficking organization headed by Delaware native Luis Renteria." They "seized 7.5 kilograms of fentanyl, 4.2 kilograms of powder cocaine, 1.1 kilograms of crack cocaine, a half-kilogram of heroin, 45.3 pounds of marijuana, nearly 300 pills and 14 doses of LSD." Nevada Man Arrested Following Escape. The Las Vegas Review-Journal (9/22, 345K) reports Carlos Figueroa, who "was able to escape from federal custody last week," was arrested again on Friday. He has "been charged with murder in the death of 29-year-old Natelie Carbajal, whose burnt body was found near the Seven Magic Mountains art installation on July 4, 2019." Colorado Police Searching For Bank Robbers. KCNC-TV Denver (9/22, 91K) reports that Colorado police are searching for Paul Hernandez and Mary Bannigan, who are suspected as the culprits behind a string of bank robberies throughout Denver. Hernandez "is a federal ex-convict who served time for bank robberies where he was known as the Bleach Blonde Bandit." FBI Raids Home In New York. Daily Voice (9/22, 98K) reports that FBI agents "carted off boxes and bags of apparent evidence during a raid Tuesday on the Ridgewood home of a former Manhattan art gallery owner." Montana Resident Pleads Guilty To Meth Distribution. The Great Falls (MT) Tribune (9/22, 114K) reports Montana resident Chance Justin Redstone, who was "accused of selling meth in a casino on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation," has "pleaded guilty to distribution of meth." The article says the DEA, the FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice investigated the Redstone case, which "is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a US Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime." FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS US Charges Two Antiquities Dealers With Fraud. The AP (9/22) reports from New York, "Two dealers of ancient art were indicted Tuesday for allegedly creating fake ownership histories for the antiquities they sold through auction houses in New York." Erdal Dere and Faisal Khan "used the identities of deceased collectors to create the fake histories for antiquities they sold through Dere's New York company, Fortuna Fine Arts Ltd, according to the indictment unsealed Tuesday." Federal prosecutors "alleged that beginning in 2015, Dere drafted fake documents to show ownership history for items his company possessed and for new items Khan bought, primarily in Asia. Khan, Dere's associate in the business, located buyers for the items in the U.S. and overseas. The FBI's art crime team and the New York City police department's major theft task force collaborated on the investigation, along with authorities in Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, and France." EFTA00149077 Mossimo Giannulli Sentenced To Five Months Imprisonment Over College Bribery. The Santa Maria (CA) Times (9/22, Minsky, 39K) reports Mossimo Giannulli will "serve prison time in Lompoc after he pleaded guilty to a felony charge related to the college admissions bribery scandal." U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel Gorton "ordered Giannulli, 57, to serve five months in Lompoc Federal Correctional Institution." He "pleaded guilty on May 22 in Boston federal court to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, and honest services wire and mail fraud." CYBER DIVISION Shopify Says Customer Data Was Likely Exposed As Employees Accessed Records. Reuters (9/22) reports, "Shopify Inc said on Tuesday data of customers who shopped at fewer than 200 merchants listed on the company's e-commerce platform was likely exposed after two employees tried to steal transaction records." Reuters adds, "The data exposed includes email, name, and address, as well as order details, but does not involve complete payment card numbers or financial information, the Canadian company said." Shopify "said it immediately terminated the access of the individuals, who were part of its support team, to its network and was working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other international agencies in the investigation." The Globe and Mail (CAN) (9/22, 1.04M) reports, "Shopify Inc. is working with the FBI after two 'rogue members' of its support team engaged in a scheme to illegitimately obtain customer transactional records of some merchants. The Ottawa-based tech firm says it terminated the employees' access to its network and referred the data breach to law enforcement. Shopify says it doesn't have evidence at this point in the investigation that the data was used." Trump's WeChat Restrictions "Could Hit Americans Instead." Politico (9/22, Wertime, 4.29M) reports that if a proposed US ban on WeChat introduced Friday passes judicial review, "there would be virtually no new users in the U.S. after that, while for existing ones, the app would quickly start to "degrade" and would get more hobbled over time." Politico says that the Trump Administration's move is "driven by serious concerns about the uses and abuses of data by an authoritarian government," but has "nonetheless caused deep consternation among technologists, China watchers and the Chinese diaspora because it not only bans WeChat from America; it also effectively bans Americans from WeChat." In the process, Politico says, "it begins to revoke the digital passport that the Internet has implicitly conferred on U.S. citizens for decades - effacing the freedom baked into the moral and technical architecture of their country's grandest modern invention." WPost: US Ban On WeChat Will Make Whole World Less Free. The Washington Post (9/22, 14.2M) editorializes that a "careless" US ban on WeChat "will make the whole world less free by depriving millions of people of the ability to communicate with their loved ones, not to mention US businesses of the ability to communicate with clients." Instead, it says the US "ought to ensure that any restrictions on freedom in the short run are part of a strategy to promote more freedom in the longer term." Kudlow: Administration Wants Security And US Ownership In TikTok Deal. Asked on CNBCVi (9/22, 270K) about the Administration's goal regarding the TikTok deal, NEC Director Kudlow said, "The two key points...number one: security. That is absolutely essential and this is being discussed, and it's being looked at intensely by review processes inside the government, but security is essential. We do not want the Chinese government or the Communist Party or the Chinese military to have access to very significant and important personal information, which might open the door to even more information." Kudlow said, "The EFTA00149078 other point is ownership. The President wants US ownership of the new company, if there is a new company." WPost: US Ban On WeChat Will Make Whole World Less Free. The Washington Post (9/22, 14.2M) editorializes that a "careless" US ban on WeChat "will make the whole world less free by depriving millions of people of the ability to communicate with their loved ones, not to mention US businesses of the ability to communicate with clients." Instead, it says the US "ought to ensure that any restrictions on freedom in the short run are part of a strategy to promote more freedom in the longer term." LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES FBI Teams With Huntsville, Alabama Police On Newly Opened Training Facility. WZDX-TV Huntsville, AL (9/22, Kennedy) reports from Huntsville, Alabama, "As people call for more extensive training for police, the Huntsville Police Department now has a new joint Firearms Training Facility with the FBI."WZDX-TV adds, "Every Huntsville police officer will go through training at the facility and work to become certified in national standards. Both Huntsville Police and the FBI will train in the building." The FBI "contributed $5 million to this joint partnership with the Huntsville Police Department. FBI Birmingham Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp said, 'That's how the FBI and the Huntsville Police Department interact. We act as one team engaged in one fight to protect and serve the citizens of North Alabama." WAAY-TV Huntsville, AL (9/22, Phillips, 3K) reports, "The 14,000-square-foot facility will have a 40-lane outdoor range, fitness center, 600-yard rifle range and a 7,500-square-foot tactical training building. An FBI representative at the ceremony explained what this new facility could mean for the public's safety. 'For years, thousands of agents will come here from the FBI, from state and local law enforcement, and they will hone their skills. They will advance their skills so they may go out in the streets when they are responding to your calls and they will be best prepared to protect themselves, their fellow officers, but also the citizenry of Alabama,' said Associate Executive Assistant Director David Schlendorf." WHNT-TV Huntsville, AL (9/22, 192K) also reports. OTHER FBI NEWS FBI Warns Of Phone Scammers. The Jefferson City (MO) News Tribune (9/22, 48K) reports, "The FBI is warning the public about a phone scam that spoofs, or fraudulently displays, the FBI's real telephone number on the victim's caller ID." According to the News Tribune, "A St. Louis County victim was scammed out of more than $100,000, according to an FBI news release. The scammers posed as special agents from an FBI satellite office of the FBI Kansas City Division. In this latest iteration of the scam, the perpetrators said the victim's Social Security number had been stolen and used to purchase property and stocks and open bank accounts in the victim's name. Special Agent in Charge Timothy Langan of the FBI Kansas City Division said, 'These are old scams that keep evolving with a new twist. Because there are endless versions of these scams, please remember this the FBI will never ask/demand money for any reason:" Judge Keeps Alive Effort To Unseal FBI Files On Jeffrey Epstein. McClatchy (9/22, Hall, 19K) reports, "A federal judge on Tuesday kept alive a citizen muckraker's quest to pry loose for the public's benefit tens of thousands of FBI documents about disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, including his time as a government informant." According to McClatchy, "Self-styled public information crusader Angela Clemente sued in May, seeking to force the FBI to release the documents on the grounds that Epstein is now dead, EFTA00149079 albeit under mysterious circumstances, and that there is an overarching public interest in releasing documents. The Justice Department, representing the FBI, is fighting the effort." In a status hearing on Tuesday morning, Judge Trevor N. McFadden, "who sits on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, allowed Clemente's public-records lawsuit to continue. But he also put both sides on notice that he expected some agreement when they come before him again on Oct. 23." OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS Media Analyses: GOP Has Votes To Replace Ginsburg; "Momentum" Favors Lagoa. Following Tuesday's announcement by Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), media reports are indicating Republicans seem poised to proceed with replacing the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In its lead story, for example, NBC Nightly NewsVi (9/22, lead story, 3:15, Holt, 5.78M) reported "Republicans appear to have the votes they need," and that while Democrats are "calling foul," they have "no path to stop it." NBC's Peter Alexander added that "consensus is forming that the White House will push the Senate to confirm a nominee before the election." ABC World News TonightVi (9/22, story 3, 3:15, Muir, 6.19M) also reported "Senate Republicans [are) now signaling that they have the votes," and the CBS Evening NewsVi (9/22, story 4, 2:00, Cordes, 4.31M) that "the GOP drumbeat to act fast grew louder" Tuesday. President Trump, added CBS, "will meet with one of his top contenders, Judge Barbara Lagoa, in Florida on Friday." The Washington Post (9/22, Gearan, Kim, Dawsey, Costa, 14.2M) reports "Democrats are largely powerless to stop the GOP from confirming whomever Trump picks," and USA Today (9/22, Wu, Fritze, 10.31M) that "Democrats acknowledged they can do little to delay the vote," with Senate Minority Whip Durbin telling reporters, "You can slow things down but you can't stop them." Reporting on the "two women who top the President's short list," the CBS Evening NewsVI (9/22, story 5, 1:35, Crawford, 4.31M) said "they are both federal appeals court judges, solid conservatives. They're both mothers and Catholics but different demographics. Amy Coney Barrett has been the front-runner." She "worked for Justice Antonin Scalia as a law clerk and religious conservatives support her because they believe she would be a vote to overturn Roe V. Wade, and that made her appeals court hearing pretty contentious." CBS added that "there's growing momentum behind...Lagoa." Bloomberg (9/22, Dennis, Litvan, 4.73M) quotes Romney as saying, "The historical precedent of election year nominations is that the Senate generally does not confirm an opposing party's nominee but does confirm a nominee of its own. ... I intend to follow the Constitution and precedent in considering the President's nominee. If the nominee reaches the Senate floor, I intend to vote based upon their qualifications." The Los Angeles Times (9/22, 4.64M) reports Romney also said, "My liberal friends have over many decades gotten very used to the idea of having a liberal court. And that's not written in the stars." To the Washington Times (9/22, Swoyer, 492K), "Romney's support for moving the confirmation process forward so close to the Nov. 3 elections was a surprise." Reuters (9/22, Sullivan) reports "Romney's decision left Democrats with few hopes of blocking Senate confirmation of the Republican president's third appointment to the high court," Politico (9/22, Everett, 4.29M) that Senate Majority Leader McConnell "now has the votes he needs to move forward with a nominee," and The Hill (9/22, Carney, 2.98M) that McConnell "has essentially locked down support within his 53-member caucus to move a Supreme Court nominee this year." That is the likely outcome, says CQ Roll Call (9/22, Lesniewski, 154K), "barring a monumental surprise." The Federalist (9/22, Justice, 126K) also says "the GOP- controlled Senate has enough votes to confirm," with Townhall (9/22, McCarthy, 177K), the Daily Caller (9/22, Rodgers, 716K), and Breitbart (9/22, Bleau, 673K), among other conservative news outlets, running similar analyses. EFTA00149080 To the New York Times (9/22, Fandos, 18.61M), "Romney's decision capped off an extraordinarily swift and enthusiastic rally by Republicans around Mr. Trump's position that underscored his iron grip on the party four years into his presidency. But it also reflected the political bargain that has been driving Republicans for much of the past four years," with "Republican senators...loyally" standing "behind the president at every turn, even as he trampled party principles, shattered institutional norms and made crass statements." Now, adds the Times, "with the biggest prize of all in reach - a third seat further tipping the Supreme Court to the right - they are rushing to collect on their bet, even if it is the last thing they do before they lose their Senate majority, Mr. Trump loses the presidency, or both." The Wall Street Journal (9/22, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), among other news outlets, also covers the story. Vice President Pence said on WRKO-AMVi Boston (9/22, 9K) that "the President is going to announce a strong, principled woman as our nominee to the Supreme Court. We welcome the fact that now a majority of members of the Senate, Republicans all, are willing to vote, and the President and I really believe that in the event that there are issues and controversies in this election that rise to the level of the Supreme Court, the American people deserve to have nine Justices on the court. ... We're going to be working around the clock with Republicans in the Senate to move that nomination forward and fill that seat before Election Day." Asked whether he expects to cast a vote in the event of a tie, Pence said, "As they see the caliber, quality, qualifications, and background of that extraordinary nominee, we have every confidence that we can secure a majority of votes in the Senate." Pence said on WABC-AMVi New York (9/22, 18K) that "it's outrageous that the Democrats in the Senate say that if the President does his duty under the Constitution of the United States to appoint a new Justice to the Supreme Court that they'll pack the court if they win the White House and win the Senate on November 3." Asked about the Democratic response on Fox Business' Lou Dobbs Tonight (9/22, 49K), Pence said, "The American people are tired of it, they know this is a time when we all ought to be focused on honoring the life and service of Justice Ginsburg, and I think the vast majority of the American people outside the radical left understand the responsibility the President has." White House Director of Strategic Communications Alyssa Farah said on Fox News' America's Newsroom (9/22, 896K), "We're moving forward. It looks like we have the support, but the big thing I would emphasize...is this isn't going to be a rushed process. These are going to be thoroughly vetted, highly qualified individuals, many of whom have appeared before the Senate beforehand and been confirmed for previous roles." Asked about the timeline for confirmation, she said, "While the Election Day is an important day, it's kind of an artificial deadline. Our priority is filling the seat with a highly qualified judge that meets the President's intent for what we'd like to see on the Supreme Court." In an appearance on Fox Business' Mornings With Maria (9/22), Chief of Staff Meadows said, "I think the vast majority of Americans overwhelmingly believe that it is this President's pick, and the vast majority that I talk to want someone confirmed before the election." Meadows added, "I want to applaud all those Senate Republicans that are actually, some of them in very tough battles, willing to engage, willing to understand this President has a constitutional responsibility, and yet, to make this pick, and that they are willing to stand by him. So I am encouraged." GOP Senators Moving Toward Holding Final Vote Before Election. The AP (9/22, Mascaro, Miller, Lemire) reports, "Votes in hand, Senate Republicans are charging ahead with plans to confirm...Trump's pick...before the Nov. 3 election, launching a divisive fight over Democratic objections before a nominee is even announced." CNN (9/22, Foran, Raju, 83.16M) reports on its website that "with momentum from their conference behind a quick vote, GOP leaders are now making clear they are pressing ahead to get the nomination confirmed before Election Day, which would amount to one of the quickest proceedings in modern times." EFTA00149081 The AP (9/22, Mascaro, Miller, Lemire) recounts that that "during a private lunch meeting Tuesday at Senate GOP campaign headquarters, several Republican senators spoke up in favor of voting before the election. None advocated a delay." In fact, Politico (9/22, Everett, 4.29M) reports, Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham "predicted Tuesday that Trump's nominee would be confirmed before the election and said he would 'keep the process like we had it before' when asked about the length of the confirmation hearing." The Washington Post (9/22, Gearan, Kim, Dawsey, Costa, 14.2M) reports Graham "said he will announce how the process will work once Trump announces his pick on Saturday." Said Graham, "I'm confident we can have a hearing that would allow the nominee to be submitted before Election Day. ... Following the precedents of the Senate I think we can do that." White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany also "said Trump is confident that the confirmation can be completed before the election." Politico (9/22, Everett, Desiderio, 4.29M) reports, "Senate Republicans are set to reprise their 2016 election strategy: Make it all about the courts." To Politico, "Senate Republicans' focus on the courts may harm the chances of GOP senators in blue states," but "a polarizing fight over Trump's nominee could boost the incumbents in red-leaning states that will ultimately determine control of the Senate." The New York Times (9/22, Baker, 18.61M) reports, "Whether it will ultimately change the outcome of the campaign is up for debate given that Democratic voters may be equally energized." However, for Trump, "nothing else has been working and so he has propelled himself, his Republican allies and the country into a breakneck race to confirm a successor to...Ginsburg before the Nov. 3 election, bulldozing past the precedent his own party set four years ago." McEnany: Precedent On GOP Side. The Washington Examiner (9/22, Soellner, 448K) reports McEnany "defended the Republican push to confirm a new Supreme Court Justice to the bench before the Nov. 3 election." McEnany told reporters, "Twenty-nine times, there has there been an appointment during an election year. ... And when you break down those numbers, 19 times when the nominations were made, the Senate and the president were of the same party. Seventeen of those 19 times, that nominee went on to be confirmed. The 10 times when it was a difference in party between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate and the presidency, only two went on to be confirmed, so precedent is on our side." Trump To Announce His Pick Saturday. USA Today (9/22, 10.31M) reports "Trump said Tuesday he will disclose his new nominee for the Supreme Court on Saturday, triggering an historic battle for the high court's future in the last six weeks of a presidential election." The President told reporters, "I've spoken to many (people) and we're getting close to a decision." USA Today adds "the announcement is tentatively set for 5 p.m. EST on Saturday." Trump also tweeted, "I will be announcing my Supreme Court Nominee on Saturday, at the White House! Exact time TBA." Barrett's Reported Membership Draws Attention To Conservative Christian Group. Reuters (9/22, Trotta) reports on People of Praise, "a self-described charismatic Christian community" of which Supreme Court contender Judge Amy Coney Barrett is a "purported member." Some critics have compared the group "to the totalitarian, male- dominated society of Margaret Atwood's novel 'The Handmaid's Tale," while others "call it an ultraconservative group with an unusual mix of Roman Catholic and Pentecostal traditions." People of Praise "has about 1,700 members in 22 cities in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean, according to its website." Townhall (9/22, Rosas, 177K) reports Newsweek published a story on Monday claiming that the group was the inspiration for the Atwood novel, which is not true. Newsweek "has since changed the headline" to "How Charismatic Catholic Groups Like Amy Coney Barrett's People of Praise Inspired 'The Handmaid's Tales" since Atwood "has never specified which group was the inspiration for her book." Breitbart (9/22, Nolte, 673K) writes, "The far-left Newsweek just fired EFTA00149082 off around a thousand words falsely accusing Amy Coney Barrett of inspiring the dystopian feminist thriller The Handmaid's Tale, and has been forced to retract it." Schumer Moves To Block "Business As Usual" In Senate. The Hill (9/22, Carney, 2.98M) reports, "Senate Democrats are limiting the ability to hold committee hearings in retaliation for Republicans decision to try to fill a Supreme Court seat in the middle of an election year, the first action in what is likely to be an increasingly combative battle over procedure in the Senate." Senate Minority Leader Schumer this week "invoked the so-called 'two hour rule,' which can be used to limit the ability to hold committee hearings," which led to the cancellation of a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing Tuesday. Schumer said from the Senate floor, "Because the Senate Republicans have no respect for the institution, we won't have business as usual here in the Senate." New Justice Could "Make Or Break" ACA Challenge. NBC Nightly NewsVi (9/22, story 2, 2:00, Holt, 5.78M) reported, "The Supreme Court's new term begins in less than two weeks with several high profile cases. A justice appointed by President Trump will have a profound effect on how they are decided." NBC's Pete Williams added, "A make-or-break challenge to the Affordable Care Act could affect the most Americans. ... Justice Ginsburg twice before voted to uphold the law, and her absence will embolden the law's opponents. Even if a more conservative court finds part of it unconstitutional, it's possible the court will say Congress did not intend the entire law to be tossed out. If the court is leaning that way, it might be especially reluctant to strike down the health care law in the middle of a pandemic with record unemployment." GOP To Ask Supreme Court To Limit Mail Voting In Pennsylvania. The Hill (9/22, 2.98M) reports, "Republicans plan to ask the Supreme Court to review a major Pennsylvania state court ruling that extended the due date for mail ballots in the key battleground state." The move comes after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court "dealt Republicans a major blow last week in a bitterly partisan election lawsuit." The expected petition to the Supreme Court comes just days after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death. Trump Uses UN Address To Blast China's Handling Of Pandemic Outbreak. The President's address to the UN General Assembly Tuesday, which was pre-recorded, garnered little media attention. None of the networks covered the address in their broadcasts Tuesday night. Trump, Reuters (9/22, Nichols, Holland) reports, "facing a November re-election battle with the United States dealing with the world's highest official number of deaths and infections from the coronavirus, focused his speech on attacking China." The President told the General Assembly "that China must be held accountable for having 'unleashed' COVID-19 on the world." Along similar lines, the AP (9/22, Riechmann) reports, "Under fire for his own handling of the coronavirus, Trump cast blame on China, noting the virus began there and accusing the Chinese government of acting irresponsibly in failing to contain it." Said the President, "The United Nations must hold China accountable for their actions," without "elaborating on what punishment he thought was warranted." Trump, USA Today (9/22, Subramanian, 10.31M) reports, "used his speech...to level a withering series of attacks against China," the Washington Times (9/22, Boyer, 492K) says he "accus[ed] Beijing of deceiving the world about the danger," and to Breitbart (9/22, 673K) he "berated China." The New York Times (9/22, Gladstone, 18.61M) says Trump "assailed China as the coronavirus villain Tuesday in a strongly worded United Nations speech, extolling his own actions in the pandemic and demanding that the global organization hold accountable 'the nation which unleashed this plague onto the world." The CNBC (9/22, Macias, 3.62M) website quotes Trump as saying, "The Chinese government and the World Health Organization, which is virtually controlled by China, falsely EFTA00149083 declared that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission. Later, they falsely said people without symptoms would not spread the disease." Politico (9/22, Forgey, 4.29M) reports that Trump "accused China of allowing flights of infected people to leave the country in the early days of the Covid-19 outbreak, as well as of spreading false information with the help of the World Health Organization." He "also criticized China's environmental policies, accusing its government of allowing overfishing of foreign waters, dumping trash into the oceans and producing unacceptable levels of carbon emissions." Trump said, "Those who attack America's exceptional environmental record while ignoring China's rampant pollution are not interested in the environment. They only want to punish America, and I will not stand for it." The Los Angeles Times (9/22, Wilkinson, 4.64M) says Trump's "unusually harsh speech in a forum that typically sticks to diplomatic niceties had two audiences." He "not only was speaking to the global community, but also to American voters: Anti-China rhetoric has been central to his campaign efforts to deflect blame for his failings in handling the pandemic, as well as criticism about his responses to trade deficits, climate change and China's abysmal human rights record." Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the General Assembly later Tuesday. Reuters (9/22, Nichols, Holland) says the Chinese leader "struck a conciliatory tone...calling for enhanced cooperation over the pandemic and stressing that China had no intention of fighting `either a Cold War or a hot war with any country:" Bloomberg (9/22, Sink, Liu, 4.73M) reports Xi "rebutted Trump's claims without mentioning the US president by name," saying "the global fight against the virus `should not be politicized' and warned that `no country can gain from others' difficulties." The AP (9/22, Anthony, Klug) similarly says Xi "took oblique potshots at the United States and its foreign policies...cautioning...that the world must `not fall into the trap of a clash of civilizations." Xi is quoted as saying, "Major countries should act like major countries." Xi also "cast the fight against the virus as an important exercise in international cooperation, an opportunity to `join hands and be prepared to meet even more global challenges." The New York Post (9/22, Feis, 4.57M) says Xi "shrugged off responsibility for his country's disastrous handling of the coronavirus." The New York Times (9/22, Gladstone, 18.61M) says, "Taken together, the speeches by the American and Chinese presidents...punctuated the growing schism between the two superpowers during Mr. Trump's first term." Pompeo: US Pushing Back Against Chinese Military Activities In South China Sea. In an interview with the Washington Times (9/22, Gertz, 492K), Secretary of State Pompeo says the US is "pushing back against stepped-up Chinese military activities near Taiwan and in the South China Sea as a means of deterring a conflict with Beijing." Asked about China's large- scale military exercises near Taiwan in recent days, Pompeo said, "What we have done for decades is we have permitted the Chinese Communist Party to engage in threatening or disruptive behavior, whether that is predatory economic practices and the like, and they have continued to expand their capacity and their footprint." Pompeo added, "The biggest risk with regard to the Chinese Communist Party is appeasement," and President Trump is "not going to let that happen anymore." Facebook Takes Down Chinese Campaign Aimed At US Election. Axios (9/22, Gold, Fischer, 521K) reports Facebook said Tuesday it "took down the first-ever coordinated inauthentic campaign engaged in US politics that originated from China." Facebook said it removed two separate networks "for violating its policies against coordinated inauthentic behavior: One from China and the other from the Philippines." The Chinese campaign was "primarily aimed at Southeast Asia," but "a small number of posts that targeted the US." The New York Times (9/22, Goldman, Frenkel, Barnes, 18.61M) reports the "Chinese activity, while modest and not directly attributed to the government in Beijing, could undercut Trump's repeated contention that China is intervening in the election to support" Joe Biden. EFTA00149084 NYTimes Analysis: Biden Might Be More Problematic For China Than Trump. In an article titled "In Biden, China Sees An 'Old Friend' And Possible Foe," the New York Times (9/22, Myers, Hernandez, 18.61M) says President Trump "has brought China's relations with the United States to their lowest point in years," but Joe Biden "could prove, from the Chinese vantage point, to be a tougher and more complex challenge." Biden, "according to analysts in China, could do more damage than Mr. Trump by pursuing a more coherent strategy to counter China's global agenda." The former Vice President "has vowed that if elected, he would take a harder line on climate change and China's crackdowns on ethnic minorities and Hong Kong. To China's leadership, he is the candidate more likely to restore strong ties with American allies and mobilize other nations to pressure China more effectively." Cuccinelli Touts WROs On Products Made In Xinjiang. Acting Deputy DHS Secretary Ken Cuccinelli said on WILS 1320 (9/22) that "the President has told us to be very forward-leaning in this area and we have responded, and last Monday's withhold release orders affect computer parts, cotton and textiles, hair products, more hair products, and a concentration camp directly that the Communist Chinese call a vocational education school. It's over $200 million in trade a year." Cuccinelli said, "Our goal here isn't to beat them into the ground, it's to get them to act in a humanitarian manner and to do it using the almighty dollar." The Wall Street Journal (9/22, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) editorializes that China is now using some of the same oppressive tactics employed against Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang in Tibet. The Journal calls on China to allow international journalists and observers into Xinjiang and Tibet. Study: Chinese Economic Policies Directly Harmed US Industries. Axios (9/22, Allen-Ebrahimian, 521K) reports China's "economic planning and targeted subsidies have increased the competitiveness of Chinese firms in the global economy to the direct detriment of US industry, an academic study has found." Researchers at Columbia University and Boston College found "for every 100 factories opened in China, 12.5 US factories in the same industry closed." Director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy Navarro said on Fox Business' Evening Edit (9/22) that "we're probably going to lose a full year of gross domestic product to the Chinese Communist Party after you take into account the value of the lives lost, the amount of economic stimulus that we're having to pour into the economy, and the lost jobs and GDP growth. It's enormous." Navarro said, "What the President was sending a very clear signal today is simply that we need to find out more about the origins of the CCP virus and we need to calculate those costs and essentially give China a bill." USTR Lighthizer said on KDKA-AMVi Pittsburgh (9/22), "We had an extremely unfair, an extremely unbalanced, relationship with China" prior to the Phase 1 trade deal "where our trade deficit with one country went from $25 to $50 to $100 billion to $200 billion to $440 billion, literally millions of jobs, 60,000 plants wiped out between that and NAFTA." Lighthizer said, "This President, for the first time, basically took it on," with tariffs "in order to change the relationship, in order to get them to change their practices," and the Phase 1, "which they're doing a pretty good job of keeping." Meanwhile, former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd and Daniel Rosen, a founding partner of Rhodium Group, argue in the Wall Street Journal (9/22, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) that despite repeated commitments from China to reform its economy, the nation has delayed, and in some cases, backtracked on its pledges. Xi Vows China Will Achieve "Carbon Neutrality" Before 2060. The New York Times (9/22, Sengupta, 18.61M) reports in during his UN General Assembly address Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged that his country, "the world's top producer of greenhouse gases, would adopt much stronger climate targets" and achieve what he called "carbon neutrality before 2060." If realized, the Time says, the pledges "would be crucial in the global fight against climate change." EFTA00149085 Chinese Tycoon Who Criticized Xi Sentenced To 18 Years In Prison. The New York Times (9/22, 18.61M) reports Ren Zhicliang, "the property tycoon...notorious for his blunt criticisms of the Communist Party," was sentenced Tuesday in Beijing to 18 years in prison after a court found him "guilty of graft, taking bribes, misusing public funds and abusing his power during and after his time as an executive at a property development company." Ren's "supporters and sympathizers said that his real crime was criticizing the Communist Party and calling the country's hard-line leader, Xi Jinping, a 'clown." The Washington Post (9/22, Dou, 14.2M) reports "scholars say the harsh punishment indicates the growing dissent Xi is facing from his own Chinese Communist Party elite, as he takes the country down a more authoritarian path." Pence: "Reckless" For Biden To Undermine Vaccine. Vice President Pence said on WABC-AMVi New York (9/22, 18K) that "when it comes to the vaccine issue, I just think it is, it really is reckless and irresponsible that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are undermining confidence in a vaccine." He said, "They need to stop playing politics with American lives. We know that the day that the FDA approves a safe and effective vaccine because of Operation Warp Speed, we're going to have tens of millions of doses available for the American people, and the last thing we need is people like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris undermining the confidence of the American people." Pfizer's COVID Vaccine Trial On Track To Beat Rivals. Bloomberg (9/22, Langreth, 4.73M) reports, "The Covid-19 vaccine trial designed by Pfizer Inc. and its German partner BioNTech SE may allow them to find whether their shot works before their fastest-moving rivals." The firms "plan a first look after a mere 32 coronavirus infections have accumulated in their massive 44,000-person trial," which could happen as early as Sept. 27. Pfizer has also "given itself four chances to get a preliminary result, before reaching the final goal of 164." Moderna won't "dive in until 53 cases have occurred; its ultimate goal is to make a judgment at 151 diagnoses." AstraZeneca will "take its first look at 75 cases, and not again until the trial is complete with 150." Federal Advisory Committee Postpones Vote On Vaccine Rollout. The Wall Street Journal (9/22, Loftus, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which advises the CDC, will delay a vote on who shou