Subject: FBI Public Affairs News Briefing Tuesday, July 07, 2020

From: To: Subject: FBI Public Affairs News Briefing Tuesday, July 07, 2020 Date: Tue, 07 Jul 2020 10:29:57 +0000 c Importan e: Normal Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com. idritBI News Briefing TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2020 6:30 AM EDT TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • Epstein Associate Transferred To Federal Lockup In Brooklyn. PROTESTS • New Mexico Militia Was Involved In June Shooting Incident In Albuquerque. • Door Of Portland, Oregon Federal Courthouse Shattered, Fireworks Exploded Inside. • Phoenix Police Kill Man In Parked Car, Sparking Protests. • Trump Says Sports Franchises Considering Name Changes To Be "Politically Correct." • Meadows: Trump "The Only Thing That Stands Between A Mob And The American People." • Grassley: Congress Would "Probably" Override Trump Veto Of Plan To Rename Bases. • School Districts Canceling Contracts With Local Police Forces. • New York Woman Charged After Calling Police On Black Bird Watcher. • Douglass Statue Torn Down In Rochester. COUNTER-TERRORISM • Op-Ed: Developing A Framework To Rehabilitate And Reintegrate Child Returnees From ISIS. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE • Pompeo Called Before House Panel Over Russian Bounty Claims. • Grassley Calls For Any Action By Durham Before Election. • Jordan Seeks Former US Attorney's "Firsthand Recollection" Of Stone Sentencing. • Fitton: Judicial Watch Has Sued Over Access To Power's Unmasking Requests. • Hunter Biden Still Owns 100/0 Equity Stake In BHR Partners. • Pandemic Again Delays Sentencing Of Former Los Alamos Scientist With Ties To China. • West Virginia Woman Pleads Guilty To Sharing Classified Information With Russia. • GAO Says Security Clearance Issue Negates $105M NSA Deal. • Chechen Critic Of Kadyrov Assassinated In Austria. • Israel Expresses Concern As US Eliminates Satellite-Imaging Cap. • COVID-19 Pandemic Slows Disclosure Of Information To Defence Lawyers In RCMP Secrets Case. • Saudi Arabia Presses Canada To End Refuge For Ex-intelligence Officer. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • Army Identifies Buried Remains As Those Of Missing Fort Hood Soldier. EFTA00149562 • Four Ex-Prison Guards Sentenced In Louisiana Inmate Beating. • Breonna Taylor's Family Claims She Was Given No Medical Aid After Shooting. • Soldier Pleads Not Guilty To Participating In Neo-Nazi Plot. • SNM Gang Member Charged With Racketeering After New Mexico Crime Spree. • Connecticut Man Pleads Guilty To Firearms Violation. • Report: FBI Agent Pursued Kentucky Murder Suspect For 10 Years. • Georgia Man Pleads Guilty To Making Threats Against Schools. • FBI Investigating Colorado Bank Robberies. • Wisconsin Man Facing Child Pornography Charges. • Maine Man Charged Over Child Pornography. • Continuing Charges: California Men Plead Guilty To Bank Robbery. • Illinois Man Charged With Attempted Murder. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS • List Of PPP Recipients Includes Big Companies, Well-Connected Individuals. • Former Los Angeles Councilman Charged In Corruption Probe Due In Court Tuesday. • Former Vail, Colorado IT Director Faces Theft, Misconduct Charges. • Utah Woman Pleads Guilty To Money Laundering Scheme. CYBER DIVISION • FBI Arrests Alleged Nigerian Business Scammer. • UK Government Weighs Huawei Ban. • Johnson Adds CISA's Subpoena Power To Defense Authorization Act. • House Appropriations Committee Proposes Funding Hikes For DHS, CISA. • NSA And CISA Warn Of Massive Vulnerability For Popular Networking Device. • New Study Finds China Using Android Malware To Spy On Ethnic Minorities Worldwide. • Brazil's Hapvida Discloses Cyber Breach. LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES • FBI Warns Of Fake COVID-19 Antibody Tests. • Trump: New York City, Chicago Protecting Criminals. OTHER FBI NEWS • Federal Prosecutors Discussed "Burying" Evidence In New York Probe. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • Media Reports: Trump's Criticism Of NASCAR, Wallace Part Of An Effort To Stoke Racial Tensions, Rally His Base. • Trump Slams Media For Allegedly Ignoring Declining COVID Death Rate. • US COVID Cases Near 3M, Death Toll Tops 132,000. • Trump Touts Study Showing Benefits Of Hydroxychloroquine. • Noem Flew With Trump After Being Seen Hugging Guilfoyle. • Meadows, McEnany: Trump Campaign Encourages New Hampshire Rally Crowd To Wear Masks. • Grassley To Skip GOP Convention "Because Of The Virus Situation." • Florida Health Officials Concerned About Crowds And Partiers. • New York City Allows Some Nonessential Services To Resume. • Some Hospitals Struggling To Contain Coronavirus Spread. • VP Prospect Bottoms Tests Positive For Coronavirus. • Broadway's Cordero Dies Of COVID-19 At Age 41. • McConnell Wants Liability Shield In Next Coronavirus Relief Package. • One In Five Renters Face Risk Of Eviction By End Of September. EFTA00149563 • Media Analyses: Judge's Ruling On Dakota Access Pipeline Is Blow To Trump. • Trump Says "Wall Is Moving Fast." • Trump Expected To Again File Paperwork To Rescind DACA. • Appeals Court Rules Administration's Asylum Ban Is Unlawful. • House Appropriations Democrats Seek Cuts To CBP And ICE. • Blackburn Bill Would Ban "Birth Tourism." • Maryland County Declined ICE Retainer Request On Rape Suspect. • Trudeau Will Not Attend White House USMCA Event With Trump And Lopez Obrador. • "Tell-All" Book By Trump's Niece To Be Released Early. • Meadows Says "A Number Of Executive Orders" Coming This Week. • Trump's Intelligence Briefer Discusses Her Process. • Unanimous Supreme Court Upholds Laws Forbidding "Faithless Electors." INTERNATIONAL NEWS • Altered WHO Timeline Indicates It Learned Of Coronavirus From Internet, Not Chinese Officials. • Johnson Warns Against Complacency As UK Reopens. • Signs Increasingly Point To Sabotage In Explosion At Iranian Nuclear Complex. • Pack: More Assertive Reporting Needed To Counter Foreign Disinformation. • Chinese Ambassador Blasts UK For Offering Citizenship To Hong Kong Residents. • UK Sanctions Russians, Saudis, Others Under New Magnitsky Powers. • Chechen Critic Of Kadyrov Assassinated In Austria. THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE • Today's Events In Washington. LEADING THE NEWS Epstein Associate Transferred To Federal Lockup In Brooklyn. The CBS Evening NewsVI (7/6, story 7, 0:20, O'Donnell, 4.6M) reported, "Today, Jeffrey Epstein's former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell was transferred to a lockup in Brooklyn, New York. That's a far cry from her million dollar estate in New Hampshire, where she was arrested last week. Maxwell is accused of recruiting girls as young as 14 to have sex with Epstein, who took his own life while awaiting trial. Maxwell has repeatedly denied the allegations." NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/6, story 10, 2:00, Holt, 6.4M) reported, "With roughly a dozen vehicles and a plane circling above, the FBI arrested Ghislaine Maxwell at her property in New Hampshire." NBC (Gosk) added, "Virginia Roberts Giuffre is one of several accusers who say Maxwell helped coordinate a sex trafficking ring of underage girls for Jeffrey Epstein and his friends. Allegations Maxwell has previously defined. Giuffre accuses Prince Andrew of raping her when she was 17 and that Maxwell helped arrange it. A source close to the prince's team tells NBC News they have communicated with the FBI twice in the last month, but got no response." ABC World News TonightVi (7/6, story 5, 1:50, Muir, 7.78M) reported, "Maxwell, the alleged partner in crime of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, today whisked from New Hampshire to this New York City jail to face charges for allegedly recruiting, grooming, and abusing teenage girls in the 1990s. Audrey Strauss, Acting US Attorney for the Southern District of New York: 'Maxwell played a critical role in helping Epstein to identify, befriend, and groom minor victims for abuse." ABC (Pilgrim) aded, "The British socialite first appearing in court remotely last week." EFTA00149564 The New Hampshire Union Leader (7/6, Feely, 109K) reports, "In an email to the New Hampshire Union Leader, the Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed the transfer from the Merrimack County House of Corrections to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn took place Monday. `Yes, she is in BOP custody at MDC Brooklyn,' a BOP spokesman wrote. `We decline to comment further.' Fox News (7/6, Sorace, 27.59M) reports, "Prosecutors have asked a judge to schedule a Friday court appearance in Manhattan federal court for Maxwell. Prosecutors have said that due to Maxwell's wealth, international connections and possession of three passports, she `poses an extreme risk of flight.' The AP (7/6) reports, "In a letter to a judge on Sunday, prosecutors say they communicated with Maxwell's defense lawyer, Christian Everdell, who would like a Friday bail hearing after written arguments are submitted by both sides Thursday and Friday. She will also be arraigned at the hearing." The Washington Post (7/6, Jacobs, 14.2M) reports, "On Monday, U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan wrote to attorneys on Maxwell's case asking if the high-profile defendant wished to waive her right to be present in court for her first appearance. While courts here are expected to hold more in-person proceedings as restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic are eased, many appearances continue to happen via video or phone conference. The letter said that should Maxwell decide to appear by video from the MDC, Thursday or next Tuesday are the soonest spots available." The Post adds, "Hours later, Maxwell's attorney Mark S. Cohen said in a court filing that she `has agreed to waive her physical presence' for her court appearance. He asked for Nathan to schedule the case for July 14 - the later of the slots the judge proposed." NBC News (7/6, 6.14M) reports on its website, "Maxwell was charged in a six-count indictment alleging that she enticed minors to engage in illegal sex acts with Epstein in the mid- 1990s - and later lied about it." Maxwell "had been living on a 156-acre property in the tiny New Hampshire town of Bradford. The 4,300-square foot timber frame house was purchased for a little more than $1 million late last year by an anonymized limited liability corporation, according to federal prosecutors. `More recently we learned she had slithered away to a gorgeous property in New Hampshire continuing to live a life of privilege while her victims lived with the trauma inflicted on them years ago,' William Sweeney, assistant director in charge of the FBI in New York City, said last week." The New York Post (7/6, Steinbuch, 4.57M) reports, "The FBI agents who arrested Ghislaine Maxwell last week almost blew their cover when they lied to a neighbor who complained about noise from spy planes buzzing overheard, according to a report." The Post adds, "A local told the UK's Mirror that aircraft had been circling over the disgraced British socialite's 156-acre hideaway in New Hampshire beginning before dawn Thursday. `They were a nuisance. We began calling each other to find out what the noise was about. Finally one snapped and drove down to where the vehicles were lined up; the resident told the outlet. `He demanded to know who they were and they replied they were from the New England Aerial map society - it was totally fictitious. The problem the FBI had was that the guy is an expert in maps and geology. It's what he does for a living,' the local continued." Fox News (7/6, Nelson, 27.59M) reports, "Former federal prosecutor Francey Hakes on Monday predicted that Jeffrey Epstein's accused madam and former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell will plead guilty and start cooperating soon. `Ghislaine Maxwell is maybe the last person left in the Jeffrey Epstein co-conspiracy that we know about,' Hakes told `Fox & Friends.' Hakes "said that Maxwell is looking at a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence and a life sentence maximum. Hakes said Maxwell will likely cooperate `soon; including by revealing names of others who were involved in the alleged sex trafficking ring." Hakes "doubted that Maxwell would refuse to cooperate, considering the possible penalties she's facing. `She has to do every day of that minimum 10 years and she's grown up a pampered, spoiled woman. There is no way that she would even consider going to jail for that length of time.' EFTA00149565 Fox News (7/6, Nolasco, 27.59M) reports, "Christina Oxenberg - a cousin to the British royal family - is grateful convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's gal pal Ghislaine Maxwell was finally arrested. 'Better late than never,' Oxenberg told Fox News. 'It's good she is arrested. Whatever she gets is what she deserves if justice prevails." Fox News adds, "According to the indictment, Maxwell, who lived for years with Epstein and was his frequent companion on trips around the world, facilitated his crimes and on some occasions joined him in sexually abusing the girls." Oxenberg "said there's one thing the press has gotten wrong about Maxwell. 'Jeffrey Epstein was not her boyfriend; Oxenberg claimed. 'He was her boss. She wanted to marry him but he was humoring her for being a faithful lapdog." The Hill (7/6, Coleman, 2.98M) also reports. PROTESTS New Mexico Militia Was Involved In June Shooting Incident In Albuquerque. The Albuquerque (NM) Journal (7/6, Reisen, 196K) reports from Wagon Wheel, New Mexico about "the New Mexico Civil Guard, the group that made international headlines for its heavily armed presence at an Albuquerque protest that culminated in a shooting last month." During the June 15 incident, "tensions rose between the Civil Guard and protesters who were trying to topple the statue of Juan de Ofiate near Albuquerque's Old Town before Steven Baca - a counterprotester - shot and critically injured Scott Williams after a scuffle." Albuquerque Police Department spokesman Gilbert Gallegos "said police said not investigating the group but the city asked the FBI to determine whether the Civil Guard meets the federal definition to be classified as a hate group," while "Frank Fisher, an FBI spokesman, said the agency doesn't designate hate groups and will 'not confirm or deny' whether the agency is investigating the group." Door Of Portland, Oregon Federal Courthouse Shattered, Fireworks Exploded Inside. The Oregonian (7/6, Bernstein, 1M) reports, "A 19-year-old man accused of attempting to barricade the front door of the downtown courthouse in Portland late Thursday night faces allegations of creating a hazard and disorderly conduct on federal property and failing to obey a lawful order." The Oregonian adds, "A federal affidavit filed in court Monday described a 'wrestling match' between federal officers inside the courthouse and a handful of demonstrators who were tugging on the front glass door of the Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse before it shattered, followed by fireworks detonated inside." Rowan M. Olsen, "one of three men in federal court Monday stemming from seven arrests outside the courthouse, is accused of pressing his body against the door to keep it shut in an attempt to prevent federal officers from leaving the building, according to the affidavit." Phoenix Police Kill Man In Parked Car, Sparking Protests. The New York Times (7/6, Romero, 18.61M) reports the "fatal shooting of a man in a parked car by Phoenix police officers over the weekend, captured on video in gruesome detail, is fueling a new round of protests against violent policing tactics." The video showed "several uniformed officers surrounding a parked car while pointing their guns at the man inside the vehicle." One of the officers "shouted at the man, threatening to shoot him," before the officers "unleashed a volley of gunfire." The Washington Post (7/6, Chiu, 14.2M) reports that after "bystander video of the fatal shooting went viral over the weekend," protesters marched "for hours through the streets of Phoenix on Sunday night," calling for "the release of the officers' body-cam footage." Trump Says Sports Franchises Considering Name Changes To Be "Politically Correct." EFTA00149566 The AP (7/6) reports that President Trump on Monday "mocked" the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Indians for considering name changes. Trump tweeted, "They name teams out of STRENGTH, not weakness, but now the Washington Redskins & Cleveland Indians, two fabled sports franchises, look like they are going to be changing their names in order to be politically correct. Indians, like Elizabeth Warren, must be very angry right now!" Ben Tracy said on the CBS Evening NewsVi (7/6, story 5, 0:40, O'Donnell, 4.6M) that Trump's "race-based tweet followed a weekend in which the President launched a divisive defense of America's heritage, which he claims is under attack." The New York Post (7/6, Fredericks, 4.57M) says the tweet "came minutes after White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany told reporters she was unaware of Trump's position on the issue." The Washington Examiner (7/6, Leonardi, 448K) reports that Trump criticized then- President Barack Obama in 2013 "for weighing in on the issue after he urged the Washington Redskins to consider changing its name." Trump tweeted at the time, "President should not be telling the Washington Redskins to change their name-our country has far bigger problems! FOCUS on them, not nonsense." The Washington Times (7/6, Paras, 492K) and the Daily Caller (7/6, Davis, 716K) provide similar coverage. Meadows: Trump "The Only Thing That Stands Between A Mob And The American People." Chief of Staff Meadows said on Fox News' Hannity (7/6, 535K) that the President is "the only thing that stands between a mob and the American people. First it's the statues. Then it's the businesses. Then it's their homes. Sadly, we have a loss of life and yet this President is willing and not only willing but has already put forth federal resources to make sure that we can restore law and order." Meadows added that Trump is "making sure that we have not only the Department of Justice but the Department of Homeland Security and others to make sure that our communities are safe. It is time that Joe Biden eventually condemns all of these people that are saying that we should defund the police. It's not enough to be against that policy. He needs to come out and say, you have to go the other way and support our law enforcement officers." Wolf: "Angry, Violent Mobs" Are "Taking Over" US Cities. Asked on Fox News' Fox & Friends (7/6, 831K), about the killing of an eight-year-old girl by an anti-police protester in Atlanta, Acting DHS Secretary Wolf said, "From my perspective, this is no longer about peaceful protesting. This is about angry, violent criminal mobs taking over certain cities. ... I go back to Portland, where you have over five weeks every night of violent clashing and protesting targeting law enforcement officials. And it's very disturbing. It's a lack of political leadership in that city." Gingrich: Bad People Destroying Statues, Killing Children "And Trump Had The Guts To Say It." The Washington Times (7/6, Miller, 492K) reports former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on Monday "lauded President Trump for having the 'guts' to call out the mobs that are destroying statues and spreading violence as anti-American." Said Gingrich on Fox News, "The people who are destroying these statues are bad people. The people killing these young girls are bad people. And Trump had the guts to say it." Grassley: Congress Would "Probably" Override Trump Veto Of Plan To Rename Bases. The Des Moines Register (7/6, Gruber-Miller, Behrmann, 404K) reports that Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) "said Monday that Congress would 'probably override' a veto if the president decided to veto a Congressional plan to rename military bases named after Confederate leaders." In a call with reporters, Grassley, a "staunch ally" of the President, said, "I would hope he wouldn't veto it just based on that. ... If it came to overriding a veto, we'd probably override the veto." The Register calls the comments "an unusual divergence from the president inside a Republican party that has typically stuck by him." EFTA00149567 House Democrats Include Language Ordering Removal Of Confederate Statues From Capitol In Spending Bill. The Washington Post (7/6, Sonmez, 14.2M) reports that House Democrats have included language in the fiscal year 2021 legislative branch funding bill "ordering the removal of Confederate statues from the U.S. Capitol, setting the stage for a battle over the issue later this year." The measure "released Monday by the House Appropriations Committee includes a provision directing the Architect of the Capitol to remove statues or busts" that "represent figures who participated in the Confederate Army or government, as well as the statues of individuals with unambiguous records of racial intolerance." School Districts Canceling Contracts With Local Police Forces. The Washington Times (7/6, Vondracek, 492K) reports that as "local education officials cancel long-standing contracts with law enforcement amid calls for defunding police forces," some "members of the community wonder who will keep students safe." In Oakland, Denver and Milwaukee, school boards "have voted to end mutual aid agreements with local law enforcement agencies that provided work for police officers on campuses." Seattle School Superintendent Denise Juneau "said the presence of four armed security officers on school premises 'prohibits' many students and staff from feeling safe and welcome." However, "residents also are concerned that school safety could be reduced, particularly among children of color." New York Woman Charged After Calling Police On Black Bird Watcher. NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/6, story 9, 0:15, Holt, 6.78M) reported on "new fallout" from a "widely viewed video of a white woman calling 911 on a Black man in Central Park. Amy Cooper is now charged with filing a false report of telling police in May that a bird watcher threatened her life. If convicted, Cooper faces up to a year in jail." The CBS Evening NewsVi (7/6, story 11, 1:10, O'Donnell, 4.6M) reported "Manhattan's district attorney announcing Monday Cooper is being prosecuted for falsely reporting an incident and is to appear before a judge October 14. ... Cooper's lawyer says she will be found not guilty, and noted she already lost her job, home, and public life." The New York Times (7/6, Ransom, 18.61M), among other news outlets, also report on the charges filed against Cooper. Douglass Statue Torn Down In Rochester. The Washington Post (7/6, Brown, 14.2M) reports that a statue of "famous abolitionist and orator Frederick Douglass was torn from its pedestal in Rochester, N.Y., on Sunday, the 168th anniversary of his famous speech 'What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July?'" Rochester police said the statue was "removed from its base and was found about 50 feet away on the banks of the Genesee River." COUNTER-TERRORISM Op-Ed: Developing A Framework To Rehabilitate And Reintegrate Child Returnees From ISIS. In a commentary in Just Security (7/6), Nicholas Rasmussen and Ryan Goodman write on research surrounding child returnees from ISIS. They write, "Our aim was to build an evidence- based framework that could inform the rehabilitation and reintegration of child returnees from the so-called Islamic State. The paper describing this work was recently published in the Annals of Global Health." They contend, "Based on our analysis, we developed the Rehabilitation and Reintegration Intervention Framework (RRIF), which is the only known evidence-based framework for R&R of child returnees. The RRIF defines an approach that considers how five primary goals - promoting individual mental health and well-being, promoting family support, EFTA00149568 promoting educational success, promoting community support, and improving structural conditions and protecting public safety — can be pursued across five levels of social interaction. Achieving these goals at all five levels requires cooperation between national and local governments, civil society, and scholars collaborating across disciplines." COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE Pompeo Called Before House Panel Over Russian Bounty Claims. The Hill (7/6, Kelly, 2.98M) reports the House Foreign Affairs Committee "has invited Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to appear before a hearing on how the Trump Administration responded to reports that US intelligence was aware of Russia offering bounties to Taliban-backed fighters to kill coalition forces in Afghanistan." The hearing is set "to take place on Thursday." It is "titled 'Russian Bounties on US Troops: Why Hasn't the Administration Responded?" Pompeo is listed "as 'invited' to the hearing." The State Department and the House committee "did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether he had confirmed he would attend." The other witness for the hearing is "expected to be Michael Morell, former acting director of the CIA in the Obama Administration." Daily Callen New York Times Reaches Too Far On Intelligence Leaks. The Daily_ Caller (7/6, Talcott, 716K) reports the New York Times published "a seemingly bombshell report June 26 claiming that President Trump had been briefed on intelligence about a Russian spy unit allegedly paying Taliban-linked militants to carry out attacks against US troops." The publication issued a second report days later "undercutting its original story - after the White House, the Pentagon, national security advisor Robert O'Brien and others denied it." In light of the NYTimes "softening its bombshell report, here's a look back at some of the other moments when the publication has stumbled while reporting on matters of US intelligence." Both stories by the NYTimes "cited unnamed officials." The second, however, "pointed out that it wasn't clear whether the president saw the report or if it was briefed to him orally." Grassley Calls For Any Action By Durham Before Election. The Washington Times (7/6, Mordock, 492K) reports Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) on Monday called for US Attorney John Durham "to speed up any planned prosecutions stemming out of his investigation into the Russian collusion probe, warning it'll be too late if he waits until after the presidential election." Grassley tweeted, "#CommonSense. IF NO PROSECUTIONS TIL AFTER ELECTIONS SAD SAD. The deep state is so deep that people get away with political crimes. Durham [should] be producing some fruit of his labor." The Washington Examiner (7/6, Dunleavy, 448K) reports Grassley "warned...that waiting until after November's contest might be too late." Fox News (7/6, Re, 27.59M) reports Barr "told Fox News last month that Americans be able to recognize 'some' of the names under investigation in Durham's probe, and that he is 'very troubled' by 'what has been called to' his attention so far." Among other issues, Durham is "reviewing whether federal agencies abused their surveillance powers to pursue figures associated with the Trump campaign." Jordan Seeks Former US Attorney's "Firsthand Recollection" Of Stone Sentencing. The Washington Examiner (7/6, Dunleavy, 448K) reports Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, "is seeking a 'firsthand recollection' from the former acting US attorney for the District of Columbia" about Roger Stone's sentencing. Jordan "sent a four-page letter...to Timothy Shea" in the wake of "claims from Democrats and Aaron Zelinsky, a prosecutor in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation...that the decision- making process, in walking back the sentencing recommendation, was motivated by politics." Jordan wrote, "The Chairman's personal animus seems to have clouded his view and prevents EFTA00149569 him from realizing the inherently unreliable nature of Mr. Zelinsky's double-hearsay statements. ... Because Mr. Zelinsky's remote appearance and the double-hearsay nature of his statements prevented a careful examination of the facts, we write to request your firsthand recollection of events surrounding Mr. Stone's sentencing ... because you were the senior official within the US Attorney's Office at the relevant time." Stone Asks Appeals Court To Delay His Prison Sentence. Politico (7/6, Gerstein, 4.29M) reports that Stone "is mounting a last-ditch bid to get a federal appeals court to put off the 40-month prison sentence he is facing." On Monday, Stone's attorneys asked the DC Circuit Court of Appeals "for an emergency stay of US District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson's ruling last week putting Stone, 67, under house arrest at his Fort Lauderdale home and directing him to report to a federal prison camp by July 14." They "say an undisclosed medical condition he suffers from leaves him at greater risk of death if he catches coronavirus, that his chances of being infected behind bars are high, and that the prison complex in Jesup, Ga., where he is supposed to serve his term is now reporting a half-dozen cases of the virus among inmates and three among staff." Fitton: Judicial Watch Has Sued Over Access To Power's Unmasking Requests. Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton writes on Breitbart (7/6, 673K) that his organization has filed a FOIA lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia "against the State Department over requests by [Obama Administration UN Ambassador Samantha) Power to unmask the identities of U.S. citizens whose names appear in intelligence reports concerning Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election." According to Fitton, in the final months of Obama's Administration, "his lieutenants were abusing the [unmasking) process as they frantically looked for dirt on the Trump campaign." Power, Fitton writes, was reportedly "one of the worst abusers." Fitton concludes that Obama used the "vast powers" of the US intelligence agencies "illegally to spy on political opponents. This can't be allowed to stand. And we aim to uncover the truth about this terrible corruption." Hunter Biden Still Owns 10% Equity Stake In BHR Partners. The Daily Caller (7/6, Kerr, 716K) reports that while the Chinese private equity firm BHR Partners "updated its business records on April 20 to remove Hunter Biden as a member of its board of directors," according to Chinese business records, Biden "continues to hold a 10% equity stake in BHR through his company, Skaneateles LLC, as of Friday, a position he maintains despite a pledge in December from his father, former Vice President Joe Biden, that none of his family members would 'be engaged in any foreign business' if he is elected president in November." Breitbart (7/6, Alic, 673K) provides similar coverage. Pandemic Again Delays Sentencing Of Former Los Alamos Scientist With Ties To China. The Aiken (SC) Standard (7/6, Demarest, 40K) reports, "The sentencing of a former Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist has again been delayed by novel coronavirus concerns." According to the Standard, "The hearing for Turab Lookman, who in January pleaded guilty to lying about his involvement in a Chinese recruitment stratagem, the Thousand Talents Program, is now set for Aug. 26. Hearings had been scheduled for late April and, after that, late July." The Standard adds, "Lookman - years ago named a laboratory fellow, an illustrious title - was arrested by the FBI in May 2019. A federal grand jury indicted him on three counts of making false statements about his connection to foreign governments and the Thousand Talents Program." West Virginia Woman Pleads Guilty To Sharing Classified Information With Russia. The AP (7/6) reports Elizabeth Jo Shirley, who "worked on assignments with the National Security Agency while serving in the Air Force," had "planned to offer top-secret information EFTA00149570 from the National Security Agency to the Russian government." She "pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement to one count each of willful retention of national defense information and international parental kidnapping," and she "faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the national security charge and up to three years and a $250,000 fine on the kidnapping charge." The Martinsburg (WV) Journal (7/6, 51K) reports Shirley also "admitted to removing her child, of whom she was the non-custodial parent, to Mexico with the intent to obstruct the lawful exercise of the custodial father's parental rights." WOWK-TV Charleston, WV (7/6, 21K) reports that following her arrest in Mexico in 2019, FBI agents "executed search warrants on numerous of Shirley's electronic devices, including devices she took to Mexico in July 2019 and devices the FBI seized from her Martinsburg storage unit in August 2019." They found classified documents as well as messages drafted for Russian government agents. Also reporting are Fox News (7/6, Betz, 27.59M), The Hill (7/6, Bowden, 2.98M), and Hagerstown (MD) Herald-Mail Media (7/6, 32K). GAO Says Security Clearance Issue Negates $105M NSA Deal. Law360 (7/6, Subscription Publication, 8K) reports the US Government Accountability Office has "sustained a protest over a $104.5 million NSA contract, finding in a decision released Monday that the contractor knew a proposed key employee lacked the required security clearance." The GAO "said in a June 15 decision, sustaining a protest by M.C. Dean, that PTSI Managed Services Inc. was obliged to tell the NSA that its proposed program manager had been denied the clearance he needed to work on the disputed physical security system maintenance, installation and distribution deal but didn't do so, meaning its proposal was technically unacceptable." Chechen Critic Of Kadyrov Assassinated In Austria. The Washington Post (7/6, Dixon, 14.2M) reports on a series of murders of "Chechen bloggers critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin's protege, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, or Chechen rebel veterans who fought for independence from Russia." The Post says "the latest victim" was "43-year-old Mamikhan Umarov, who posted frequent criticism of Kadyrov on YouTube," and "was gunned down" in Austria on Saturday. According to the Post, "The murder follows a long string of assassinations and attacks on Chechen exiles in Europe, Turkey and the Middle East since 2004, when a former acting leader of Chechnya, Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, was assassinated in a car bomb attack in Doha, the capital of Qatar." Radio Free Europe (7/6, 9K) reports Austrian police are "investigating whether the murder of a Russian asylum seeker outside the capital of Vienna over the weekend was a political assassination." The police had earlier "said that a 43-year-old Russian man was shot dead on July 4 in a parking lot next to a shopping center in the Vienna suburb of Gerasdorf." Two men have been "detained in connection with the killing." Sources in the Chechen diaspora "have told RFE/RL that the man killed was Mamikhan Umarov, a former Chechen separatist and critic of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov." The Austrian regional intelligence and anti-terrorism body "are investigating the case." Roland Scherscher, the anti-terrorism agency's head, "said a political motive or an argument could be behind the killing." Israel Expresses Concern As US Eliminates Satellite-Imaging Cap. Reuters (7/6, Williams) reports an Israeli official "flagged a possible security risk on Monday following a US move to allow American providers to sell clearer satellite images of Israel and the Palestinian territories." Under a 1997 US regulation known as the Kyl-Bingaman Amendment, "satellite images of Israel and the Palestinian territories used in services like Google Earth could show items no smaller than 2 metres (6.56 ft) across." But the US Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs Office "said on June 25 it would allow enhanced resolutions of 0.4 metre." In a statement to Reuters, the agency "said 'a number of foreign EFTA00149571 sources' are already producing and disseminating sub-2 m. imagery of Israel." Amnon Harari, head of space programmes at Israel's Defence Ministry, "said he believed the move was designed to ease international competition for US commercial satellites, adding, 'I don't think they (Americans) asked us' in advance." COVID-19 Pandemic Slows Disclosure Of Information To Defence Lawyers In RCMP Secrets Case. The Globe and Mail (CAN) (7/6, 1.04M) reports a federal prosecutor "says the disclosure of evidence to defence lawyers has 'slowed significantly' in the case of Cameron Jay Ortis, an RCMP member charged with revealing secrets." Crown lawyer John MacFarlane "said during a brief Ontario Superior Court hearing Monday the pace of disclosure had dropped off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has wreaked havoc with court cases and schedules." Ortis is "accused of Security of Information Act violations, breach of trust and a computer-related offense." The director general of the RCMP's national intelligence co-ordination centre "was arrested Sept. 12 for allegedly revealing secrets to an unnamed recipient and planning to give additional classified information to an unspecified foreign entity." Saudi Arabia Presses Canada To End Refuge For Ex-intelligence Officer. The Globe and Mail (CAN) (7/6, Fife, 1.04M) reports Saudi Arabia has been "pressing Canada to extradite a former top Saudi intelligence officer now living in Toronto." Saad Aljabri, who held a cabinet-rank intelligence post under deposed crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef, "has been living in Toronto since a 2017 palace coup in Riyadh that left Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - known by his initials MBS - as the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia." Canadian sources "say the 61-year-old Mr. Aljabri has vast counterterrorism experience and a deep knowledge of some of Saudi Arabia's most sensitive information, including the foreign bank accounts and financial assets of senior members of the Saudi royal family." The Globe and Mail has "learned that the Saudis attempted to have Mr. Aljabri arrested by issuing a 'red notice' through Interpol in late 2017." CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS Army Identifies Buried Remains As Those Of Missing Fort Hood Soldier. The AP (7/6, Coronado) reports, "An Army commander confirmed Monday that dismembered remains found last week buried near Fort Hood belonged to a 20-year-old soldier who vanished more than two months ago from the Texas base." The AP adds, "Maj. Gen. Scott Efflandt, Fort Hood's senior commander, said during a news conference that the armed forces forensic examiner determined through DNA analysis that the remains belonged to Spc. Vanessa Guillen. A day earlier, an attorney for Gulllents family had said Army officials told the family at their Houston home that the remains were hers. 'We're now confronted with the aftermath of one of the most heinous acts I can imagine,' Efflandt said." Guillen, "who had been missing since April, was killed and dismembered by U.S. Army Specialist Aaron Robinson, a 20-year-old soldier from Calumet City, Illinois, took his own life last week, federal and military investigators have said." Suspect Appears In Court. ABC World News TonightVi (7/6, story 6, 1:45, Muir, 7.4M) reported, "Now, to the family of that Army soldier, Vanessa Guillen, who went missing from Ft. Hood, saying the Army has officially identified her remains now. And it comes as a suspect in the case appeared in federal court." ABC (Ramos) added, "Today, the suspect accused of helping the killer of Ft. Hood Army soldier Vanessa Guillen facing a judge in Texas. Cecily Aguilar charged with conspiracy to tamper with evidence. Authorities alleging she admitted to helping her boyfriend, Aaron Robinson, dismember Gulllents body with a machete-type knife in April. After, she says, Robinson told her he'd bludgeoned Guillen with a hammer. She did not EFTA00149572 enter a plea. Aguilar allegedly telling the FBI she and Robinson went back to where they disposed of Guillen's body to 'continue the process of breaking down the remains.' Aguilar eventually cooperating with investigators, calling Robinson as they listened in. Robinson telling her, `Baby, they found pieces." ABC News (7/6, Pereira, Martinez, Deliso, 2.97M) reports, "Aguilar, 22, appeared via closed-circuit television in the Waco, Texas, courtroom to face conspiracy to tamper with evidence for her alleged role in the death of the 20-year-old soldier. The U.S. Attorney's office of the Western District of Texas said 20-year-old U.S. Army Specialist Aaron Robinson told Aguilar, who was his girlfriend, that he killed Guillen with a hammer on April 22 and transferred her body off the Army base, according to the criminal complaint. Aguilar is currently cooperating with the FBI." Four Ex-Prison Guards Sentenced In Louisiana Inmate Beating. The AP (7/6, McConnaughey) reports from New Orleans, "Four former officers at Louisiana's maximum-security prison have been sentenced for their parts in punching, kicking and stomping a handcuffed and shackled inmate and in plotting a cover-up." The AP adds, "The convicted ringleader, who yanked the inmate's leg chain to send him facedown onto concrete, got more than nine years. The lightest sentence was probation for a guard who stood by as others beat the inmate in January 2014 and then agreed to say he kneed the inmate to get him under control after the man spat on and fought with him. The inmate, identified in court papers by the initials J.S., had fractured ribs, a punctured lung and a dislocated shoulder." US District Judge John deGravelles sentenced Daniel Davis, 43, Scotty Kennedy, 52, John Sanders, 34, and James Savoy Jr., 42, on Thursday. Breonna Taylor's Family Claims She Was Given No Medical Aid After Shooting. The New York Times (7/6, Callimachi, 18.61M) reports from Louisville, Kentucky, "For up to six minutes after she was shot by police officers during a drug raid, Breonna Taylor, an emergency room technician, lay dying in her apartment but received no medical aid, her family claims in a new court filing." According to the limes, "The document also contends that the post-midnight raid on March 13 was motivated by the mayor's desire to clear a block in one of Louisville's most blighted neighborhoods for redevelopment. The court papers amend an earlier lawsuit against the three officers who fired into Ms. Taylor's apartment while executing a search warrant, seeking evidence against an ex-boyfriend who was a convicted drug dealer." City officials "called the claims a `gross mischaracterization,' while the coroner who performed the autopsy said the young woman's injuries would have been lethal even with intervention." The Daily Beast (7/6, 1.39M) reports that Taylor "died as a result of a politically-driven police operation 'to clear out' a Louisville street to make way for a multi-million gentrification plan, a lawsuit filed by the 26-year-old's family states." Taylor and her boyfriend "were asleep in their apartment on March 13 when three officers executed a 'no-knock' search warrant looking for a suspected drug dealer who lived in a different part of town. Taylor was shot eight times, spurring an FBI investigation. 'Breonna's home should never have had police there in the first place,' an amended lawsuit filed by Taylor's family in Jefferson Circuit Court Sunday states. 'When the layers are peeled back, the origin of Breonna's home being raided by police starts with a political need to clear out a street for a large real estate development project and finishes with a newly formed, rogue police unit violating all levels of policy, protocol, and policing standards." Family's Attorney Claims Police Lied About Search Time. The Louisville OM Courier-Journal (7/6, Duvall, 368K) reports, "Louisville Metro Police lied about the time of day they raided the home of a main suspect and arrested him in a narcotics investigation that led officers to Breonna Taylor's apartment the night she died, attorneys for her family claim in a new court filing." According to the Courier-Journal, "Court records indicate that LMPD officers executed two search warrants as a part of a broader narcotics investigation - one at Taylor's EFTA00149573 apartment and another at a suspected drug house 10 miles away - both at the same time: 12:40 a.m. March 13," but "Sam Aguiar, an attorney representing Taylor's family in a civil suit against the three officers who fired their weapons, says that police actually executed the warrant for Jamarcus Glover and arrested him around midnight — well before entering Taylor's apartment." Soldier Pleads Not Guilty To Participating In Neo-Nazi Plot. Army Times (7/6, Rempfer, 346K) reports Pvt. Ethan P. Melzer "pleaded not guilty Monday to charges from federal prosecutors that he shared sensitive information about his unit's upcoming deployment with a neo-Nazi group." The unsealed indictment "alleged that Melzer had admitted to his role in plotting a mass casualty attack against his fellow soldiers during a May 30 interview with military investigators." The indictment says Melzer "used an encrypted messaging application to contact members of an 'occult-based neo-Nazi' group known as the 'Order of the Nine Angles." Reuters (7/6, Stempel) reports that federal prosecutors "said Melzer admitted his role in plotting an attack in a voluntary May 30 interview with military investigators and the FBI." He "faces six charges, including conspiring to murder U.S. nationals and conspiring to murder U.S. military personnel, each of which carries a maximum life sentence, and providing material support to terrorists." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (7/6, 895K) reports that the alleged plot "was thwarted by the FBI and the U.S. Army in late May, according to the department, and the FBI arrested Melzer on June 10." Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss for the Southern District of New York said of Melzer, "Melzer allegedly attempted to orchestrate a murderous ambush on his own unit by unlawfully revealing its location, strength and armaments to a neo-Nazi, anarchist, white supremacist group." SNM Gang Member Charged With Racketeering After New Mexico Crime Spree. The Albuquerque (NM) Journal (7/7, Heild, 196K) reports, "A violent ex-con with the gang name Whiskers landed in Albuquerque just as a new mysterious virus was creeping into New Mexico and elsewhere." The Journal adds, "As residents were told to stay at home to prevent the spread of what became known as COVID-19, Tony 'Whiskers' Gauna allegedly took to the streets to commit a string of crimes." The "weekslong crime spree ended with Gauna's arrest on May 7 by Albuquerque police after he was found in possession of drugs and a stolen Ford truck," but "after his arrest, Gauna's alleged 19-year allegiance to the 'ultra violent' Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico prison gang as a drug smuggler and enforcer came to the attention of an FBI-led violent crime task force," and "based on his alleged membership and work for SNM, Gauna, 37, is now facing a federal racketeering conspiracy charge and five other counts." Connecticut Man Pleads Guilty To Firearms Violation. The New London (CT) Day (7/6, 109K) reports, "A 27-year-old Norwich man pleaded guilty on July 2 to a federal firearm offense stemming from an assault and shooting in New London last year, according to the office of U.S. Attorney John H. Durham." Federal prosecutors said that "on Sept. 14, 2019, Tremaine Dowdell and three associates assaulted a man outside of the H&T Mart on Ocean Avenue in New London. Surveillance video captured Dowdell removing a gun from his pants and firing a single shot toward the victim of the assault. The bullet missed the victim. When police arrived a short time later, officers found a .40 caliber cartridge casing at the location where Dowdell fired the gun." The Day adds, "Dowdell's criminal history includes state felony convictions for larceny, burglary and failure to appear in court offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition." Report: FBI Agent Pursued Kentucky Murder Suspect For 10 Years. EFTA00149574 The Hardin County (KY) News-Enterprise (7/6, News-Enterprise, 41K) reports former deceased FBI agent Tom Becker "followed a soldier, who once was stationed at Fort Knox, all the way to Texas where he was assigned" as part of his 10-year investigation into the 1974 murder of Cheryl Lynn Strother, who "was last seen alive July 24, 1974 leaving a summer school class at North Hardin High School." Becker's former wife, Mary Becker, "said she and her sons never heard him say the suspect's name, but said he had told two of their sons the suspect was the father of children Cheryl Lynn at one time baby sat for." The FBI is continuing to investigate. Georgia Man Pleads Guilty To Making Threats Against Schools. The Dothan (AL) Eagle (7/6, Carter, 82K) reports, "Georgetown, Georgia's Levi Calhoun III could spend the next 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to crimes related to threats that were made against several area schools in late 2018. Calhoun, now 28, appeared before a federal judge on June 30 and pleaded guilty to one count of making threats by mail or telephone and one count of conveying false information." The Eagle adds, "According to court records, on Nov. 7, 2018, Calhoun made terroristic threats against schools in Eufaula and Quitman County, Georgia, using a fake Facebook account he created with information and pictures belonging to someone else. It was by using this account the Calhoun spread threats that someone was going to attack schools in Eufaula and Georgetown with guns and bombs." FBI Investigating Colorado Bank Robberies. KUSA-TV Denver (7/6, 475K) reports that the FBI and the Aurora Police Department "are asking for the public's help to identify the 'Double Dipper' bandit who is suspected in five bank robberies, at three different bank branches in Aurora." The FBI "described the robber as a white man in his 30s to 40s, and approximately 6-feet tall with a thin build." KMGH-TV Denver (7/6, 168K) reports that the robberies "happened at the Chase Bank on South Tower Road on May 6 at 3:53 p.m. and June 2 at 1:15 p.m.; the Chase Bank on South Parker Road on Dec. 2 at 5:50 p.m. and Feb. 2 at 5:53 p.m.; and the Key Bank on South Tower Road on Thursday at 2:19 p.m." Wisconsin Man Facing Child Pornography Charges. Oshkosh (WI) Northwestern (7/6, 29K) reports Martin E. McKeever "faces federal child pornography charges as part of a monthslong international investigation by local and federal authorities." He "is one of 65 suspects police identified as part of the investigation, dubbed Operation Kick Boxer, by the Milwaukee Division of the FBI, the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office." WGBA-TV Green Bay, WI (7/6) reports that the FBI "said the operation was intended to identify and arrest distributors and manufactures of child sexual abuse materials and to recover child victims of sexual abuse." WITI-TV Milwaukee (7/6, 159K) reports that the operation "relied on more than 63 law enforcement agencies working on FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Forces in each of the Bureau's 56 field offices and via the FBI's Legal Attaché Offices throughout the world." WFRV-TV Green Bay, WI (7/6) also reports. Maine Man Charged Over Child Pornography. The Newburyport (MA) Daily News (7/6, 17K) reports Maine volunteer firefighter Garrett B. Bowden "faces a count of using a computer to disseminate child pornography, 18 counts of dissemination of obscene material to a minor on various dates, and a count of dissemination of obscene matter on diverse dates." Newbury police Detective Sgt. Aaron Wojtkowski "said he was 'conducting proactive online undercover investigations into the sexual exploitation and enticement of children' on Jan. 29, along with a task force officer posing online as a 14-year- old." EFTA00149575 Continuing Charges: California Men Plead Guilty To Bank Robbery. The Visalia M) Times-Delta (7/6, 14K) reports in continuing coverage about Robert Zavala Jr and Moises Misael Garcia DeLeon's sentences for conspiracy to commit bank robbery. They "joined three other codefendants in the case who have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit an armed bank robbery: Victor Bravo, 24, Enrique Argueta Lopez, 28, and Cesar Lemus, 21." The group committed 15 robberies prior to their arrests. Illinois Man Charged With Attempted Murder. The Downers Grove (IL) Suburban Life (7/6) reports Alec Gonzales "was charged July 1 with attempted first-degree murder for allegedly shooting an Elmhurst man in May," when he "'personally discharged a firearm, a Bushmaster AR-15 rifle, eight times in the direction of and striking' ...(the victim]... 'in the flank and grazing his scalp." The FBI Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force investigated the case. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS List Of PPP Recipients Includes Big Companies, Well-Connected Individuals. The AP (7/6, Rugaber, Rosenberg) reports that on Monday, the Administration "identified roughly 650,000 mostly small businesses and nonprofits that received taxpayer money" from the Treasury Department's Payroll Protection Program, "a program that was designed to soften job losses from the coronavirus but also benefited some politically connected firms." Recipients of the money "included a broad swath of industries," and "some that were less directly impacted by the pandemic, such as manufacturing and construction, received a greater proportion of the loans than the hard-hit restaurant and hotel industries." USA Today (7/6, King, Wu, 10.31M) reports, "Among the recipients were 426 publicly traded companies, including Shake Shack and the parent company of Ruth's Chris steak houses, based on public filings. It also included the Los Angeles Lakers professional basketball club. Some of those entities, including Shake Shack, Ruth's Chris and the Lakers, returned the money after a public backlash." Several members of Congress "said they or their spouses had received PPP loans." The New York Post (7/6, Nelson, 4.57M) reports that EDI Associates, co- owned by House Speaker Pelosi's husband, received funds. Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill "said that her husband Paul Pelosi is 'an investor. So, he was not aware the loan was applied for.'" The Washington Post (7/6, O'Connell, Gregg, 14.2M) reports that "dozens of tenants of President Trump's real estate company also received funds, reviving questions about conflicts of interest brought by the president's continued ownership of his company while in office." The Post also reports that "large chains — many of them backed by private equity - have received millions of dollars that they appear to be keeping, which could rekindle questions about whether larger companies with Wall Street connections should accept the money or not." The New York Times (7/6, 18.61M) reports that Kasowitz Benson Torres, "the law firm founded and run by President Trump's longtime personal lawyer, Marc E. Kasowitz, received a loan of between $5 million and $10 million." Reuters (7/6, Spiezio) reports that Boies Schiller Flexner, the "elite law firm founded by trial lawyer David Boies, was approved for up to $10 million." Reuters says the firm is "known for representing Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein against sexual-assault accusations, and companies ranging from Oracle to Theranos." Politico (7/6, Warmbrodt, 4.29M) reports that "as of Tuesday, the program had issued $521.4 billion via almost 4.9 million loans, leaving more than $131.9 billion unspent, according to a data summary the SBA released Monday." The data "did not include the more than $30 billion in loans that were returned or canceled." Politico says "many companies returned the loans after the SBA and Treasury discouraged corporations from taking the funds if they had access to other financing." Bloomberg (7/6, Niquette, 4.73M) reports that "public companies EFTA00149576 returned almost 70 loans totaling $436.5 million as of Monday morning, according to data compiled by FactSquared, but SBA and Treasury have not disclosed how many loans in all, including from closely held firms, were repaid." CNBC (7/6, Hirsch, Pramuk, 3.62M) reports on its website that Treasury Secretary Mnuchin "sparked an outcry from Democrats when he originally implied that the Trump administration would not disclose the names of participants." CNBC says the Treasury and the Small Business Administration "later reversed course, saying they would disclose names and other details about businesses that took PPP loans of $150,000 and above." According to CNBC, "Those loans represent nearly three-fourths of total loan dollars approved, but a far smaller proportion of the number of actual loans. About 87% of the loans were for less than $150,000, according to the SBA." The Wall Street Journal (7/6, Al, Tracy, Day, Haddon, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) and CQ Roll Call (7/6, Lerman, 154K) also list some of the recipients. Report: Trump-Tied Lobbyists Helped Secure More Than $108 In Federal Aid. The AP (7/6, Slodysko) reports that "forty lobbyists with ties to [Trump) helped clients secure more than $10 billion in federal coronavirus aid, among them five former administration officials whose work potentially violates Trump's own ethics policy." The lobbyists "identified Monday by the watchdog group Public Citizen either worked in the Trump executive branch, served on his campaign, were part of the committee that raised money for inaugural festivities or were part of his presidential transition." PPP Funds Went To Firm Identified In Ukraine Money-Laundering Lawsuit. Bloomberg (7/6, Farrell, 4.73M) reports, "A company accused of helping launder millions of dollars from Ukraine a decade ago is among the apparent recipients of U.S. virus relief funds, according to federal disclosures." Bloomberg adds, "The company, Optima 777, received at least $2 million in loans from the Paycheck Protection Program, according to virus-relief loan disclosures made public Monday. A company of the same name was part of an international scheme in which billions of dollars were siphoned from a Ukrainian bank by one of its owners, Ukrainian billionaire Ihor Kolomoisky, according to a civil lawsuit filed last year in Delaware. The lender, Privatbank, was seized by Ukraine's government in 2016 following allegations of widespread fraud." Former Los Angeles Councilman Charged In Corruption Probe Due In Court Tuesday. The Los Angeles Daily Breeze (7/6, Chou, 128K) reports, "Mitchell Englander, a former Los Angeles city councilman who agreed to plead guilty to obstructing a public corruptions investigation, is set to appear at the downtown Los Angeles Courthouse on Tuesday morning." The Daily Breeze adds, "Federal prosecutors accuse Englander of urging a business associate who was to be interviewed by FBI investigators to lie about his acceptance of cash and gifts - which included a hotel stay, expensive dinner and escort services — during a 2017 Las Vegas trip." In March, Englander "pleaded not guilty to several counts of obstruction of justice, but later agreed to change that plea during a June 4 hearing in which he was to plead guilty to one charge of a scheme to falsify material facts. That hearing was postponed to this month, after Englander's attorneys said they needed more time to 'consider the "materiality" standard' in the case." Former Vail, Colorado IT Director Faces Theft, Misconduct Charges. The Vail (CO) Daily (7/6, 46K) reports, "Ron Braden, 54, the former information technology director for the town of Vail, was arrested July 4 and charged with multiple crimes including violations of the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act, embezzlement of public property, theft, official misconduct, forgery and assault on a peace officer. The charges resulted from an 18- month investigation in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation." The Vail Police Department "initiated an investigation after Braden's resignation in November 2018 after he was arrested by Glenwood Springs police and charged with soliciting a prostitute. Braden worked for the town of Vail for more than 24 years. Braden's absence from the town of Vail EFTA00149577 exposed an elaborate scheme to defraud taxpayers over a six-year period. The Vail Police Department, 5th Judicial District Attorney's Office and the FBI continue to investigate and turn their focus to recovering stolen funds." KUSA-TV Denver (7/6, Whitehead, 475K) reports, "Officers went to arrest Braden on Saturday near Minturn. Police said Braden resisted arrest and injured two of the three arresting officers." Utah Woman Pleads Guilty To Money Laundering Scheme. Gephardt DailyitT) (7/6) reports from Salt Lake City, "One of three people charged in connection with an alleged scheme in Salt Lake City to defraud investors by inducing them to purchase investments in a fraudulent silver trading program pleaded guilty to money laundering in federal court late last week." Denise Gunderson Rust, 60, of Layton, Utah, "was charged in the case along with Gaylen Dean Rust, 59, of Layton and Joshua Daniel Rust, age 37, of Draper, said a news release from the FBI Salt Lake City. Cases against the two men are pending." The Daily adds, "The silver trading program was offered and sold to around 700 investors throughout the United States. The defendants collected approximately $200 million. `Instead of doing the right thing, Denise Rust helped perpetuate a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme that duped investors for more than 20 years,' said Special Agent in Charge Paul Haertel of the FBI's Salt Lake City Field Office." CYBER FITVISTON FBI Arrests Alleged Nigerian Business Scammer. Ars Technica (7/6, 1.36M) reports, "The US government has gained custody of a Nigerian man who is accused of participating in a massive fraud and money laundering operation. The defendant, Ray `Hushpuppis Abbas, has amassed 2.4 million followers on Instagram, where he flaunts his access to luxury cars, designer clothing, and private jets. The feds say that he gained this wealth by defrauding banks, law firms, and other businesses out of millions of dollars. He was arrested last month by authorities in the United Arab Emirates, where he had been living." According to Ars Technica, "The FBI's criminal complaint details how the government obtained a wealth of information tying Abbas to his alleged crimes. Abbas is accused of participating in a number of `business email compromise' scams. By posing as trusted employees or customers of a target organization, Abbas and his fellow fraudsters allegedly tricked employees into sending large sums to bank accounts they controlled." UK Government Weighs Huawei Ban. BBC News Online (UK) (7/6, 1.02M) reports the government has "received a report into Huawei that is likely to change its policy over the Chinese firm's role in the UK's telecoms networks." Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden "said GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre had delivered its findings." NCSC is believed to have "said it can no longer assure the security of Huawei's products because of new US sanctions." Mr Dowden told BBC Radio 4's Today, "We're now examining it and understanding the implications of it." Boris Johnson "said on Monday afternoon that he did not want the country to be `vulnerable to a high-risk state vendor:" Reuters (7/6) reports UK Prime Minister Johnson on Monday "said the government would have to think carefully about the role China's Huawei plays in Britain because he does not want the country to be `vulnerable to a high risk state vendor." Johnson told reporters, "I'm very determined to get broadband into every part of this country. I'm also determined that the UK should not be in any way vulnerable to a high risk state vendor so we have to think carefully about how we handle that. We have to come up with the right technological solutions but also we will have to make sure that we can continue to deliver the broadband that the UK needs." The Independent (UK) (7/6, Cowburn, 1.36M) reports UK Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has "said any change to Huawei's role in developing the UK's 5G mobile network will be EFTA00149578 announced within weeks, as he suggested an intelligence report found US sanctions have had a `significant impact' on the company's reliability." The culture secretary's remarks "come amid reports Boris Johnson is drawing up plans to strip the Chinese telecommunications giant's access to the mobile network in a major shift in government policy." Reuters (7/6) reports a government minister and official "said on Monday. Britain's decision to grant Huawei a limited role in building its 5G network is not `fixed in stone' and a government update on the Chinese company will be published before July 22." Britain's digital minister, Oliver Dowden, said of an earlier decision to give the company a limited role, "It is not fixed in stone. We constantly review our security to ensure we have the best possible security for our telecoms network." Beijing Warns Of "Consequences" If UK Removes Huawei From 5G Network. The Telegraph (UK). (7/6, Mendick, Yorke, 956K) reports the new review "into Huawei and China comes at a time when the British Government is under intense pressure from the US to jettison Huawei from any involvement in future 5G network." The Chinese ambassador, Liu Xiaoming on Monday "warned there will be `consequences' if the UK pulls the plug on Huawei as ministers consider bringing forward the deadline to remove all traces of the company from the 5G network." A Huawei spokesman said, "We categorically refute these unfounded allegations, which do not bear scrutiny and are regrettably the latest in the long-running US campaign against Huawei. They are designed to deliver maximum reputational damage to our business and have no basis in fact." Whitehall insiders "said that work was now underway to try and find a `sensible middle ground' which would also satisfy Tory backbenchers, who want all Huawei equipment ejected by the end of this Parliament." Johnson Adds CISA's Subpoena Power To Defense Authorization Act. MeriTalk (7/6) reports Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) "tacked on an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would allow the cyber agency of DHS to subpoena Internet service providers for information relating to vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure." The amendment "allows DHS' Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to issue subpoenas to compel ISPs to reveal the system owner behind an IP address when the system has demonstrated vulnerabilities and is deemed critical infrastructure." House Appropriations Committee Proposes Funding Hikes For DHS, CISA. MeriTalk (7/6, Malone) reports the House Appropriations Committee "released draft Fiscal Year 2021 funding legislation for DHS that proposes a modest 0.5 percent total funding increase for DHS, and a 10 percent budget boost for its CISA component." The bill would provide "$50.72 billion of discretionary funding for DHS, versus the $50.47 billion that the agency received last year." Of that total, $48.1 billion "would be non-defense discretionary funding." House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security Chairwoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) said, "With the nation facing threats ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to terrorism and targeted violent extremism, our bill provides DHS with the funding it needs to protect American communities, including vital investments in disaster preparedness, secure seaports and borders, safety for air travelers, and cybersecurity." The bill proposes that CISA "receive over $2.25 billion in funding for FY2021 - up $239 million from last year." NSA And CISA Warn Of Massive Vulnerability For Popular Networking Device. Federal Computer Week (7/6, Johnson, 263K) reports the US government is "warning of a particularly dangerous vulnerability affecting BIG-IP networking devices produced by F5 that likely impacts every major sector in the world, including federal agencies." According to F5, the remote code execution vulnerability "was first discovered by researcher Mikhail Klyuchnikov of Positive Technologies and exists in the traffic management user interface of its Big-IP networking devices." It allows" unauthenticated attackers to carry out a number of RCE attacks, including creating or deleting files, disabling services and issuing other arbitrary system commands." Cyber Command on July 3 "advised organizations to tremediate immediately; EFTA00149579 adding that patching the vulnerabilities 'should not be postponed over the weekend." CISA released "an alert encouraging users to patch, and CISA Director Chris Krebs said his organization was already seeing reports of active scanning and possible exploitation of the vulnerability." New Study Finds China Using Android Malware To Spy On Ethnic Minorities Worldwide. Forbes (7/6, Chandler, 9.71M) reports new research from mobile cybersecurity firm Lookout found "China-based surveillance campaigns are using Android malware to spy on Uighur Muslims and other ethnic minorities worldwide." Lookout "discovered that Chinese hacker groups are using four surveillance-ware tools to harvest personal data from Android smartphones." Named SilkBean, DoubleAgent, CarbonSteal and GoldenEagle, these related pieces of malware "are previously undocumented." They're part of "larger mAPT (mobile advanced persistent threat) campaigns originating in China and stretching back as far as 2013." While they "primarily target the Uighur Muslim ethnic minority, Lookout also found evidence that the campaigns target Tibetans and Muslims outside of China." Lookout was able "to link the four surveillance tools to China-linked groups by examining their signing certificates and command and control (C2) infrastructure." Brazil's Hapvida Discloses Cyber Breach. Reuters (7/6) reports Brazilian health insurer Hapvida "said in a securities filing on Monday it has suffered a cyber attack potentially involving access to the personal information of its customers." Hapvida "said, after a preliminary assessment of the security breach, that the attackers did not access customers' medical records or financial information." It "said the attack was blocked by Hapvida's own information security officers and third-party companies specializing in dealing with this type of issue." The company is conducting "a complete review of its infrastructure and applications aimed at strengthening protections and mitigating risks." LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES FBI Warns Of Fake COVID-19 Antibody Tests. WEWS-TV Cleveland (7/6, Carloss) reports from Cleveland, Ohio, "The FBI has issued a warning about fraudulent COVID-19 antibody tests." According to WEWS-TV, "Real COVID-19 antibody tests indicate whether or not a person was previously infected with the virus; the FBI warns the false tests are a way for scammers to steal your personal information from people who take fake tests. 'These fraudsters are taking advantage of the COVID situation,' said FBI Special Agent Vicki Anderson, adding that scammers are also looking for insurance information which can be used later for identity theft or medical insurance fraud." WEWS-TV adds, "The warning is the latest from the federal government about fraud surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. 'The ones coming across social media or email, phone calls are not legitimate; those are probably a scam,' Anderson said. 'They might not ask you for money right away but you may end up being a victim of identity theft." Trump: New York City, Chicago Protecting Criminals. On Twitter Monday morning, President Trump wrote, "New York City and Chicago play the Sanctuary City card, where criminals are protected. Perhaps they will have to start changing their ways (and thinking!)." McEnany Scolds Reporters For Not Asking About Deadly Weekend Violence. The Fox News (7/6, Flood, 27.59M) website reports White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany "scolded reporters during Monday's press briefing for failing to ask a single question about a violent weekend that saw an 8-year-old girl die in Atlanta, as the nation saw a surge in gun EFTA00149580 violence." Said McEnany, "I'd end with this. I was asked probably 12 questions about the Confederate flag. This President is focused on action, and I'm a little dismayed that I didn't receive one question on the deaths that we got in this country this weekend. I didn't receive one question about New York City shootings doubling for the third straight week...not one question. I didn't receive one question about five children who were killed." Breitbart (7/6, Baker, 673K) reports McEnany also "called on Democratic local leaders to 'step up' to help stop the violence." Earlier Monday, McEnany said on Fox News (7/6, 896K), "The President sees this as unacceptable. ... To think that five children were killed this weekend doing everything every day things. ... What the President has done is his DO), under his leadership, has been aggressively looking at prosecutions. More than that, we have had Federal Protective Services That have been in the states as a backup to local law enforcement. ... The President has been doing everything on the federal side to say this is unacceptable and it's time for these Democrat mayors and governors to step up." McEnany added, "Where is the outrage for these victims?" All three networks reported Monday night on the weekend violence. NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/6, story 7, 1:50, Holt, 6.78M) reported, "A holiday weekend full of bloodshed and tears across the country, dozens of victims, including innocent children. In Atlanta, eight-year-old Secoriea Turner was shot and killed while riding in the car with her mother. Police say for still unknown reasons, gunmen opened fire." On Monday, "Georgia's governor declaring a state of emergency, activating up to 1,000 National Guard troops after weeks of vandalism and now gun violence." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (7/6, Deere, Brasch, 895K) and the Fox News (7/6, Casiano, 27.59M) website, among other outlets, also report on the emergency declaration. The CBS Evening NewsVi (7/6, story 8, 1:55, O'Donnell, 4.6M) reported, "New York City on Sunday alone had 30 shootings. Forty-eight people were shot. Ten of them killed. Philadelphia had 17 separate shootings on July 4. Chicago called up 1,200 extra cops for the holiday weekend. Eighty-seven people were shot, 17 fatally, including 7-year-old Natalia Wallace." The AP (7/6, Babwin) calls it "one of Chicago's bloodiest holiday weekends in memory...despite a concerted effort to quell the violence with an additional 1,200 police officers on the streets." The Washington Post (7/6, Berman, Jacobs, Guarino, Guarino, 14.2M) reports, "Tragedies struck in urban centers thousands of miles apart, with 65 people shot over the weekend in New York and 87 in Chicago, and homicides climbing from Miami to Milwaukee." The Wall Street Journal (7/6, Calfas, Chapman, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said Monday that a number of shootings over the weekend were drug and gang- related. According to the New York Times (7/6, Asher, Horwitz, 18.61M), "In large cities across America, murders are up sharply." In the 25 largest US cities, murder is "up 16.1 percent in relation to last year." ABC World News TonightVi (7/6, story 4, 2:00, Muir, 7.78M) reported, "Police in New York, and, frankly, across the country, are arguing that the push for police reforms is making it harder for them to keep people safe, no matter their color." The Washington Times (7/6, Mordock, 492K) too reports that "law enforcement professionals say the eruption of violence is a perfect storm of animosity toward the police and liberal criminal justice reform policies that have put violent offenders back on the streets and hamstrung police departments." OTHER FBI NEWS Federal Prosecutors Discussed "Burying" Evidence In New York Probe. NPR (7/6, Johnson, 3.12M) reports, "Federal prosecutors under scrutiny for failing to turn over favorable evidence to a defendant told a judge they didn't act in bad faith, even as they disclosed internal emails in which they discussed whether they might try to bury' a document EFTA00149581 they were giving to defense lawyers in a stack of other papers." According to NPR, "Prosecutors in the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office made the disclosure in a letter to Judge Alison Nathan, who had demanded answers about the prosecution's failings and whether she had the power to impose sanctions against them. The newly revealed email message described how one of the prosecutors found out that an important document hadn't been turned over to the defense, suggesting: 'I'm wondering if we should wait until tomorrow and bury it in some other documents.' Prosecutors now say the document was not, in fact, `buried' because they turned it over less than 24 hours after the email discussion." inTHER WASHINGTON NEWS Media Reports: Trump's Criticism Of NASCAR, Wallace Part Of An Effort To Stoke Racial Tensions, Rally His Base. In a tweet Monday morning, President Trump criticized NASCAR's decision to ban the Confederate flag and suggested that driver Bubba Wallace apologize after a noose found in his team's garage turned out to be "just another hoax." Trump wrote, "Has @BubbaWallace apologized to all of those great NASCAR drivers & officials who came to his aid, stood by his side, & were willing to sacrifice everything for him, only to find out that the whole thing was just another HOAX? That & Flag decision has caused lowest ratings EVER!" Media reports cast the tweet as the latest in an ongoing effort by Trump to foment racial tensions and rally his base ahead of the November election. The AP (7/6, Colvin) reports that with the tweet, NASCAR's "layered relationship" with the President "took a sharp turn" as he "blasted the series for banning the Confederate flag and wrongly accused the sport's only full-time Black driver of perpetrating 'a hoax' when a crew member found a noose in the team garage stall." While Trump claimed that NASCAR is seeing its "lowest ratings ever," Jonathan Karl said on ABC World News TonightVi (7/6, story 3, 2:55, Muir, 7.78M) that "NASCAR's ratings are actually up since they banned the Confederate flag last month." The New York Times (7/6, Haberman, 18.61M) says Trump "mounted an explicit defense of the Confederate flag on Monday." The Times says his "reference to the Confederate flag, and its role in a sport whose mostly white fans Mr. Trump remains popular with, was the latest remark by the president as he tries to rally his culturally conservative base behind his struggling re-election effort." Trump, the Times adds, "has increasingly used racist language and references to portray himself as a protector of the history of the American South." Peter Alexander said on NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/6, story 4, 1:40, Holt, 6.4M) that Trump's tweet comes as he is "trying to capitalize on America's growing cultural divide, going after protesters toppling statues." On the CBS Evening NewsVI (7/6, story 4, 1:20, O'Donnell, 4.6M), Ben Tracy said the President is "increasingly making race-based appeals to his supporters," while Bloomberg (7/6, 4.73M) says Trump "has been stoking racial tensions and culture wars lately," and the Washington Post (7/6, Bonesteel, Wagner, 14.2M) that the tweet "was the latest in a string of racially tinged overtures Trump has made to his political base." Politico (7/6, Oprysko, 4.29M) reports that while the Trump campaign "spent the weekend fending off criticism of a pair of presidential speeches panned as racially divisive and inflammatory," the President "undercut his own team's efforts at damage control" with the NASCAR tweet and another "chastis[ing] sports franchises considering ditching offensive team names." Reuters (7/6) reports White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany "said Trump was not taking a position either way on NASCAR's decision about the flag." In addition, she "defended Trump's call for an apology from Wallace." McEnany told reporters at the White House, "The FBI...has concluded that this was not a hate crime and he believes it would go a long way if Bubba came out and acknowledged this as well." Axios (7/6, 521K) says McEnany "accused EFTA00149582 reporters of taking Trump's tweet 'out of context" and said Trump was "pointing out the rush to judgment to immediately say that there was a hate crime, as happened in this case, as happened with Jussie Smollett, as happened with the Covington Catholic boys." McEnany "would not respond to repeated follow-up questions about why Wallace should apologize, considering that he was not the one who found the noose in the garage or the one who reported it, per an AL.com timeline of events." The Washington Times (7/6, Boyer, 492K) reports that the McEnany "chided the media" for "obsessing about President Trump's tweet" while "failing to ask any questions about a surge of weekend violence in New York City and Chicago." Under the headline "McEnany Drops A Truth Bomb On The Media After They Failed To Ask These Questions," Katie Pavlich writes on Townhall (7/6, 177K) that McEnany "scolded reporters for what they failed to ask about," while the Daily Caller (7/6, Davis, 716K) describes a "testy exchange" between McEnany and the White House press corps, and The Hill (7/6, Samuels, 2.98M) says McEnany "sparred with members of the press on Monday after repeatedly dodging questions" about Trump's tweet. The Washington Post (7/6, Olorunnipa, 14.2M) says McEnany, who "has found herself repeatedly defending the president's racially offensive outbursts," has "vacillated between trying to re-craft or obfuscate Trump's statements to arguing that they mean something completely different from how they are widely interpreted." Wallace: Love Wins Over "Hate From The POTUS." The New York Post (7/6, Nelson, 4.57M) reports that in response to Trump's tweet, Wallace "denounced 'HATE from the POTUS.'" In a statement posted on Twitter Monday afternoon, Wallace wrote, "All the haters are doing is elevating your voice and platform to much greater heights." He called on people to "always deal with the hate being thrown at you with LOVE! ... Even when it's HATE from the POTUS.. Love wins." The Hill (7/6, Wise, 2.98M) provides similar coverage of Wallace's statement. Graham Says Wallace Has Nothing To Apologize For. The Washington Examiner (7/6, Brest, 448K) reports that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) "defended" Wallace on the Brian Kilmeade ShowVi Monday. Graham said, "I don't think Bubba Wallace has anything to apologize for. ... You saw the best in NASCAR. When there was a chance that it was a threat against Bubba Wallace, (the drivers) all rallied to Bubba's side. I would be looking to celebrate that kind of attitude more than being worried about it being a hoax." Graham also "noted that NASCAR's decision to ban the Confederate flag, a move that was supported by Wallace, was a good idea for the sport." He said, "They're trying to grow the sport. ... If you're in business, the Confederate flag is not a good way to grow your business." Trump Slams Media For Allegedly Ignoring Declining COVID Death Rate. Politico (7/6, Cohen, 4.29M) reports that "after a holiday weekend during which the total number of American Covid-19 deaths approached 130,000," the President on Monday "focused on the declining coronavirus death rates and aired his grievances with the media." In a series of tweets, Trump wrote, "Why does the Lamestream Fake News Media REFUSE to say that China Virus deaths are down 39%, and that we now have the lowest Fatality (Mortality) Rate in the World. They just can't stand that we are doing so well for our Country!" In another tweet, he wrote, "BREAKING NEWS: The Mortality Rate for the China Virus in the U.S. is just about the LOWEST IN THE WORLD! Also, Deaths in the U.S. are way down, a tenfold decrease since the Pandemic height (and, our Economy is coming back strong!)." Trump further tweeted, "Deaths from the China Virus are down 39%, while our great testing program continues to lead the World, by FAR! Why isn't the Fake News reporting that Deaths are way down? It is only because they are, indeed, FAKE NEWS!" The President also took aim at Democrats, writing, "The Democrats would not have BANNED travel from heavily infected China, especially so early, therefore, far more people would have died. Corrupt Joe Biden now admits this!!!" The Washington Times (7/6, Richardson, 492K) reports White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany "brought out two charts Monday, the first showing that the U.S. case fatality EFTA00149583 rate from COVID-19 continues to drop, the second indicating that the rate...is well below that of France, the United Kingdom and Germany." The CBS Evening NewsVi (7/6, story 6, 0:20, O'Donnell, 4.6M) reported briefly, "The President also claimed over the weekend that 99% of coronavirus cases are harmless. That is not true. Today, the White House Press Secretary said that the rest of the world looks to the US as a leader in the fight against the virus. The US does lead the world in the number of cases and deaths." On NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/6, story 5, 0:25, Holt, 6.78M), Peter Alexander said that "while the death rate remains low, hospitalizations in many states are increasing." Reuters (7/6, Shumaker, Fagenson), meanwhile, reports that "infections are on the rise in 39 states...and 16 have posted record daily case counts in July." In addition, "The country's death toll crossed 130,000 on Monday and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention forecast that it could reach 160,000 later this month." CDC: 10-Week Decline In Deaths Means Possible End To Epidemic. The Federalist (7/6, Schuster, 126K) reports the US "now has so few deaths due to COVID-19 that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday it is approaching the threshold for dipping below the level of an epidemic." The CDC defines an epidemic "as an outbreak from which the number of deaths per week exceeds a given percentage of total deaths within the nation." The CDC said the COVID-19 death rate "had, during the last week in June, become equal to the epidemic threshold of 5.9 percent," but "warned this is likely to change as more death certificates from recent weeks are processed." US COVID Cases Near 3M, Death Toll Tops 132,000. All three broadcast networks opened their Monday evening newscasts with extensive coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic as confirmed US cases neared 3 million and deaths topped 132,000. David Muir said on ABC World News TonightVi (7/6, lead story, 4:40, 7.78M) that "the coronavirus [is] only worsening. ... We have surpassed 130,000 lives lost in the US. Tonight, cases in Florida have doubled in just two weeks, now topping 206,000 cases. ... Hospitalizations in Texas reach[ed] a new high," and Arizona has hit 100,000 cases. NIAID Director Fauci: "The current state is really not good. It's a serious situation that we have to address immediately." ABC's Matt Gutman said President Trump is "coming under fire for once again downplaying the virus, incorrectly attributing the surge in cases to increased testing." Trump: "Now we have tested almost 40 million people. By so doing, we show cases, 99% of which are totally harmless." New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D): "What he's really saying is, if we didn't test, we wouldn't find the cases. So, on that theory, let's do no more cancer tests, and that will solve the problem with cancer." On the CBS Evening NewsVi (7/6, lead story, 4:00, 4.6M), Norah O'Donnell called it "a dangerous and growing surge of new coronavirus cases across 40 states, pushing hospitals to test limits, taxing testing capacity, and forcing governors to close businesses that had just reopened. ... Fauci says the average age for new patients is now about 15 years younger than when the pandemic began." Lester Holt said on NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/6, lead story, 3:20, 6.78M), "The running tally of US cases [is] approaching 3 million, with no signs this is going to get better." Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb: "It is a bigger problem than we thought it would be at this point. We don't have a national plan, we don't have a national strategy." The CBS Evening NewsVi (7/6, story 3, 1:30, O'Donnell, 4.6M) reported "nearly 240 scientists" are now warning that COVID-19 "can stay in the air longer than previously thought." Gabe Gutierrez of NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/6, story 3, 2:20, Holt, 6.4M) reported the virus can stay in the air "for more than 12 minutes after someone stops speaking," according to the National Institutes of Health. NBC recounted how public health officials' advice has evolved regarding face masks and how to avoid contracting the virus through the air. Originally, health officials "downplayed face coverings except for health workers." Fauci: "There is no reason to be walking around with a mask." As the science has shifted, however, guidelines on the virus have EFTA00149584 changed, with health experts now advising people to avoid crowds or to wear a mask if they find themselves in a crowd. The Wall Street Journal (7/6, Prang, Hall, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports US cases account for about one-quarter of both global infections and deaths. The Washington Post (7/6, Partlow, Miroff, 14.2M) reports, "The pandemic map of the United States burned bright red Monday, with the number of new coronavirus infections during the first six days of July nearing 300,000 as more states and cities moved to reimpose shutdown orders." Janet Shamlian of the CBS Evening NewsVi (7/6, story 2, 1:10, O'Donnell, 4.6M) reported, "Texas reported more than 500 new hospitalizations [Monday), and cases topped 200,000." The New York Times (7/6, 18.61M) reports Fauci "warned...that the country was still 'knee-deep in the first wave' of the pandemic, saying that the more than 50,000 new cases a day recorded several times in the past week were 'a serious situation that we have to address immediately." The Washington Post (7/6, Beachum, 14.2M) reports Gottlieb says the US is "probably diagnosing just 1 out of 12 coronavirus cases, meaning that the true number of new daily infections could soon hit 700,000." The New York Times (7/6, Al, Mervosh, Fernandez, 18.61M) reports many cities still do not have needed testing capacity in place. Trump Touts Study Showing Benefits Of Hydroxychloroquine. On Twitter Monday, the President wrote, "'Treatment with hydroxychloroquine cut the death rate significantly in sick patients hospitalized with COVID-19 - and without heart-related side- effects, according to a new study published by Henry Ford Health System. In a large-scale retrospective analysis of 2,541 patients hospitalized between March 10 and May 2, 2020 across the system's six hospitals, the study found 13% of those treated with hydroxychloroquine alone died compared to 26.4% not treated with hydroxychloroquine.' @HenryFordNews" Trump said in another tweet, "The highly respected Henry Ford Health System just reported, based on a large sampling, that HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE cut the death rate in certain sick patients very significantly. The Dems disparaged it for political reasons (me!). Disgraceful. Act now @US_FDA @TuckerCarlson @FoxNews" Trump also tweeted a study shared by journalist Sharyl Attkisson stating, "Hydroxychloroquine lowers Covid-19 death rate, study finds." Kaiser Health News (7/6), however, reports the study's "findings, like the federal government's use of the drug itself, were disputed." Noem Flew With Trump After Being Seen Hugging Guilfoyle. The AP (7/6, Groves) reports that "shortly after fireworks above Mount Rushmore disappeared into the night sky on Friday," South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) accompanied President Trump aboard Air Force One despite having had close contact with Kimberly Guilfoyle, "Trump's son's girlfriend, who had tested positive for the coronavirus." The AP says Noem and Guilfoyle "had interacted closely at a campaign fundraiser," and adds that Noem "didn't wear a mask on the plane and chatted with the president as the flight returned to Washington, D.C." According to the AP, "One photo on social media showed Noem and Guilfoyle, who is also a Trump campaign staff member, hugging." Meadows, McEnany: Trump Campaign Encourages New Hampshire Rally Crowd To Wear Masks. Reuters (7/6, Chiacu) reports that in an appearance on Fox News on Monday morning, Chief of Staff Meadows said the Trump campaign has "made the decision to 'strongly encourage' masks at" President Trump's "outdoor rally on Saturday in Portsmouth, New Hampshire." Meadows said, "Obviously we're looking forward to being in the Granite State and back with the folks up in New Hampshire, and as we look at that it's more a factor of precaution." Also on Fox on Monday morning, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said, "So the campaign has EFTA00149585 been very clear that not only will we be giving out masks but we recommend the wearing of those masks. It's very important to follow the CDC guidelines." Meadows Rejects National Mask Mandate. The New York Post (7/6, Bowden, 4.57M) reports Meadows on Monday "rejected a national decree making masks mandatory, saying that is 'not in order.'" Meadows said on Fox News' Fox & Friends, "It's certainly a state-to-state issue, as we look across the country, obviously the narrative is the COVID cases are rising, but testing is rising exponentially. When we look at masks and the wearing of masks, that's done on a location basis, when you can't have social distancing, but certainly a national mandate is not in order." Campaigns Adjust Focus To Coronavirus. The Washington Post (7/6, Abutaleb, Dawsey, 14.2M) reports both presidential campaigns are refocusing "more heavily on the pandemic, according to officials and advisers of both campaigns." Joe Biden's campaign sees the crisis "as perhaps the clearest way yet to contrast the former vice president with President Trump," while Trump's advisers "are sending health officials to swing states, putting doctors on TV in regional markets where the virus is surging, crafting messages on an economic recovery and writing talking points for allies to deliver to potential voters." Grassley To Skip GOP Convention "Because Of The Virus Situation." The Washington Post (7/6, Sonmez, 14.2M) reports Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) has become the first Capitol Hill Republican to announce he will skip this year's party convention due to coronavirus concerns. The 86-year-old Grassley told reporters, "I'm not going to go. And I'm not going to go because of the virus situation." Florida Health Officials Concerned About Crowds And Partiers. Kerry Sanders reported on NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/6, story 2, 2:05, Holt, 6.4M) that in Florida, crowds on beaches are "worrying health officials, with 44 hospitals here now reaching ICU capacity." NBC said Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) "says the increase in cases is because the average age of those being tested has dropped to 36 years old, young enough that they are not likely no be seriously ill and who did not get tested as the beginning." DeSantis: "There is no need to really be fearful about it. I mean, we can talk about the different steps that individuals can take, that we're going to take statewide, but at the end of the day, you know, this is something that's been around for quite some time." The New York Times (7/6, Mazzei, 18.61M) looks at the difficulties in tracking potential virus spreaders in Florida, where parties drive "throngs of maskless strangers to rave until sunrise." New York City Allows Some Nonessential Services To Resume. The New York Times (7/6, Gold, 18.61M) reports that even as the US "reported record numbers of coronavirus cases, New York City took a tentative yet symbolic step toward normalcy on Monday, when personal-care services and some outdoor recreation were allowed to resume." The Times adds, "For the city, the third phase of the state's reopening plan was narrower in scope than previous stages, but it marked a significant moment: the return of nonessential services that would bring some jobs back and offer a balm to New Yorkers unnerved by virus- related fears and economic woes." The Wall Street Journal (7/6, Yang, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports the reopening rules for the third phase require businesses to allow 50% capacity, of customers and employees, as well as social distancing and face masks. Some Hospitals Struggling To Contain Coronavirus Spread. The Wall Street Journal (7/6, Al, Gold, Evans, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that as hospitals care for patients with coronavirus, they often end up being a place where the virus can spread, despite efforts to contain it. The Journal says that this can make it difficult for hospitals to fully reopen and demonstrate that they are safe, both of which are needed for public health and financial purposes. EFTA00149586 VP Prospect Bottoms Tests Positive For Coronavirus. Axios (7/6, Rummler, 521K) reports Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) "said on Monday that she has tested positive for the coronavirus after displaying no symptoms." Bottoms, "one of several Black women on the shortlist to be Joe Biden's running mate, has risen to national prominence in recent months as part of mass protests over racism and police brutality." She told MSNBC, "It leaves me for a loss of words because I think it really speaks to how contagious this virus is, and we've taken all of the precautions that you can possibly take. We wear masks, we are very thoughtful about washing our hands. I have no idea when and where we were exposed." Broadway's Cordero Dies Of COVID-19 At Age 41. ABC World News TonightVI (7/6, story 10, 1:20, Muir, 7.78M) and the CBS Evening NewsVi (7/6, story 10, 1:30, O'Donnell, 4.6M) both reported that Tony-nominated Broadway actor Nick Cordero died at age 41, 95 days after being diagnosed with COVID-19. McConnell Wants Liability Shield In Next Coronavirus Relief Package. The Washington Post (7/6, Werner, Stein, Bade, 14.2M) reports Senate Majority Leader McConnell says "the next and potentially final coronavirus relief package" should include "a five- year liability shield for businesses and a possible new round of stimulus checks aimed at workers making $40,000 a years and less. The comments from McConnell came in a series of events in Louisville, on the first day of a two-week congressional recess." McConnell said, "I can't comfortably predict we're going to come together and pass