Subject: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Public Affairs News Briefing Thursday, July 30,

From: To: Subject: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Public Affairs News Briefing Thursday, July 30, 2020 Date: Thu, 30 Jul 2020 10:26:29 +0000 c Importan e: Normal Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com. TBI News Briefing TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020 6:30 AM EDT TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • Federal Agents To Begin Phased Withdrawal From Portland. PROTESTS • Administration Announces Deployment Of Agents To Cleveland, Milwaukee, Detroit. • Federal Agents Headed For Detroit. • Cleveland To See 25 New Federal Agents In Operation Legend. • Milwaukee To Get More Than 25 Federal Agents. • Two Protesters Charged In Attack On Wisconsin State Lawmaker. • US Charges Eight Pittsburgh Protesters. • Seattle Police Union Leader Rejects Mayor's Claim Trump Using Agents As "Dry Run For Martial Law." • Oakland Approves Resolution To Keep City "Safe" From "Trump's Federal Agents." • Morgan, Miller: Democrats Emboldening Protesters By Failing To Condemn Violence. • Poll: Support Drops For Protests, But Many Disapprove Of Trump's Response. • Pentagon Training Course Refers To Protesters, Journalists As "Adversaries." • UN Rights Panel Questions Police Tactics Against Protesters. • Video Of NYPD Pulling Protester Into Unmarked Van Draws Criticism. • Whistleblower Alleges LAPD Encouraged Excessive Force And Retaliation. • Minneapolis Police Search For Man Who Incited Violent Protests. • NYTimes Analysis: Demings Has Complicated History With Police Misconduct. • Floyd Hologram To Tour US And Replace Confederate Statues. COUNTER-TERRORISM • California Man Named As Alleged White Supremacist Leader. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE • Justice Department Agrees To Release FBI Texts From McCabe. • FBI Memo Highlights Mystery Sources Tied To Steele Dossier. • Barr Says He Won't Wait Until After Election To Reveal Durham's Findings. • US Expands Espionage Charges Against Former Twitter Employees. • Arkansas Professor Indicted After Allegedly Hiding China Ties To Secure NASA Grant Money EFTA00150335 • US Officials Claim Russia Is Behind Coronavirus Disinformation Campaign. • Trump Says He Did Not Raise Taliban Bounties Allegations In Call With Putin. • House Panel Votes To Give All Members Access To Classified Intelligence On Foreign "Disinformation" Campaign. • "Gang Of Eight" At Odds Over Releasing Information On Election Interference. • Federalist: Schiff Seeks To Start Another Russian Interference Probe. • Brennan Memoir Says Trump Denied Him Access To Documents And Notes. • FireEye Reports New Disinformation Campaign From Eastern Europe. • New Study Warns Germany is Emerging As Key Target For Russia, China Interference. • Op-Ed: The US-China Consulate Closures May Impact Espionage. • Op-Ed: US Intelligence Community Needs To Keep Up Pressure On China's Spying. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • Judge Denies Ghislaine Maxwell's Bid To Keep Records Sealed. • Mississippi Man Charged With Shooting Federal Agent Appears In Court. • US Probing Shipments Of Mysterious Seeds. • Suspected Illinois Serial Killer Charged In Connection To 1997 Murder. • Reputed Leader Of Chicago Gang Among Several Charged In Gun, Drug Probe. • New York Pastor Arrested For Minor Solicitation. • Massachusetts Men Charged In Connection To Shooting. • FBI Agents Searching Boston's North End Neighborhood. • FBI Investigating New Mexico Cold Case. • FBI Investigating Serial Bank Robber In Illinois. • Continuing Coverage: Missouri Men Charged In Connection To Kidnapping. • Alabama Pair Indicted In Connection To Murder Of Child. • New York Man Charged With Sex Trafficking Of A Minor. • Florida Judge Announces Delay In Bribery Trial. • Reputed Nevada Boogaloo Faces New Child Sex Charge. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS • California Financier Sentenced In College Admissions Probe. • Tennessee Lawmaker Charged With Stealing Federal Funds. • Texas Bank Reports $13.2M "Ponzi-Style Fraud." • US Charges New Jersey Family With Contracting Fraud. • Former Ohio Public Official Sentenced For Bribery. • Federal Prosecutors: Former Uber Engineer Should Get 27 Months In Prison. • Avenatti Cannot Afford To Pay Lawyer. • Former Maryland Lawmaker Sentenced To Two Years In Prison For Bribery. CYBER DIVISION • Cybersecurity Firm: Chinese State-Backed Hackers Infiltrated Vatican. • TikTok Dismisses Senate Concerns Over Chinese Threat To Election Security. • Cybercrime Ramps Up Amid Coronavirus Chaos, Costing Companies Billions. • CISA Announces Second President's Cup Cybersecurity Competition. • Experts Warn Medical Devices May Create Additional Opportunities For Hackers To Target Hospitals. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS • China Denies Harboring 1MDB Fugitive. OTHER FBI NEWS • Trump Defends Use Of COVID-19 Bill To Fund New FBI HQ. EFTA00150336 • Puerto Rico Power Company Says "Sabotage" May Have Caused Blackout. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • US COVID Fatality Rate Down Significantly From April And May. • Trump Stands By Retweet Of Doctors Touting Hydroxychloroquine. • Fauci, Birx, Carson Advocate Use Of Face Masks. • Pelosi To Institute Mandatory Mask Policy For House After Gohmert Tests Positive. • Officials Identifying Priority Groups For Initial COVID Vaccinations. • Lancet Editor Tells WPost Why He Thinks US, Europe Mishandled Outbreak. • In North Carolina, Pence And DeVos Promote Reopening Of Schools. • Weingarten: Florida, Arizona, Texas Teachers Could Strike Over Unsafe Working Conditions. • Florida Schools Announce Remote Classes As DeSantis Says State Will Have In-Person Learning. • DHS Draws Judicial Rebuke Over False Statements In New York Travel Case. • Cuccinelli Defends Administration's Actions On DACA. • Trump Says He Will Act Against Big Tech If Congress Does Not. • WPost Analysis: Tata Nomination Appears "To Be In Trouble." • Senate Democrats Criticize Pompeo For Reducing State Department Staff. • Trump Touts Move To Stave Off "Low Income Housing" In Suburbs. • Treasury To Loan Postal Service $10B In Return For "Last-Mile" Contract Details. • Ginsburg Undergoes Nonsurgical Medical Procedure. • Obama To Deliver Eulogy At Lewis' Funeral. • Navy's First Black Female Fighter Pilot To Get Her Wings Friday. INTERNATIONAL NEWS • Nations That Seemed To Quell Earlier Outbreaks Experiencing Summer Surge. • UN Agencies Predict Mass Starvation Due To Pandemic. • NYTimes Analysis: Pandemic Further Undermining Democratic Norms In Latin America. • Iran Launches Underground Ballistic Missiles During Exercise. • Israel Criticizes Twitter For Allowing Khamenei's Anti-Semitic Tweets. • US Sanctions Syrian Officials, Entities In Push To End War. • Following Trump's Direction, Pentagon Plans To Remove Some Troops From Germany. • Space Force: Russia Testing Anti-Satellite Weapons. • Activity Suggests Ongoing Operations At North Korean Nuclear Complex. • Four Arrested In Hong Kong Under Security Law. • Turkey Passes Law Imposing Government Control Over Social Media. • WPost Blasts Azerbaijani President For Imprisoning Opposition. THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE • Today's Events In Washington. LEADING THE NEWS Federal Agents To Begin Phased Withdrawal From Portland. President Trump on Wednesday tweeted, "If the Federal Government and its brilliant Law Enforcement (Homeland) didn't go into Portland one week ago, there would be no Portland - It would be burned and beaten to the ground. If the Mayor and Governor do not stop the Crime and Violence from the Anarchists and Agitators immediately, the Federal Government will go in and do the job that local law enforcement was supposed to do!" EFTA00150337 Trump later tweeted, "@FoxNews reported incorrectly what the Federal Government is doing with respect to Portland. We are demanding that the Governor & Mayor do their job or we will do it for them. To complicated to discuss in a Tweet, but bad reporting by Fox (possibly on purpose!). @DHSgov" Fox News (7/29, Wallace, 27.59M) reports on its website that federal agents deployed in Portland will begin a "phased withdrawal" from the city's downtown area starting Thursday, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) announced earlier Wednesday. Acting DHS Secretary Wolf said in a statement that he and Brown had reached a joint plan to end "the violent activity in Portland directed at federal properties and law enforcement officers." In his statement, Wolf said President Trump and the Administration have been consistent in their message that "violent criminal activity" directed at federal properties and law enforcement will not be tolerated and that "state and local leaders must step forward and police their communities." Later Wednesday, Wolf alleged on Fox News' Ingraham Angle (7/29) that Brown is using "very irresponsible" language. "She is describing law enforcement officers, civil law enforcement officers who wake up every day you come up with a badge on come up with the uniform on and protect the community and federal officers, as an occupying force and responsible for the violence we see in Portland. ... It is the violent rioters and criminals that we have seen over 60 days that are the occupying force." The AP (7/29, Selsky, Ranen) reports Brown announced federal agents will begin a "phased withdrawal" from the city as they "work alongside state police to guard the exterior of the courthouse." A "limited number of other federal agents," however, "will remain inside the courthouse." CNBC (7/29, Higgins, 3.62M) says on its website, "While Brown's statement indicated that some federal officers, including all Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, will depart as soon as Thursday, Wolf indicated that DHS agents will remain." Wolf "wrote that the DHS would keep its personnel in Portland 'until we are assured that the Hatfield Federal Courthouse and other federal properties will no longer be attacked and that the seat of justice in Portland will remain secure." Wolf, Politico (7/29, Cohen, 4.29M) reports, "said he was pleased that Oregon officials had agreed to maintain the first line of defense for the courthouse, but he also suggested that a lackadaisical response from Brown and Portland city officials essentially forced the feds to make their controversial move to call in reinforcements." Wolf is quoted as saying, "If she would've done it earlier, we would've been able to address the situation very differently. ... If violent individuals decide to commit a conscious decision to break federal law, we're going to hold those people accountable. With Oregon State Police there, we hope it doesn't get to that. ...That's what occurs in every other city across the country. We hope that's what's going to occur there as well." The Federalist (7/29, Reynolds, 126K) reports that while "Wolf and Brown both claimed to have reached a decision together," their announcements "emphasize very different aspects" of what it calls "an ambiguous agreement." The New York Times (7/29, Al, Baker, 18.61M), meanwhile, reports that "hours before the announcement of the agreement, President Trump doubled down on the need for the increased federal presence in Portland." Trump is quoted as saying, "You hear all sorts of reports about us leaving. We're not leaving until they've secured their city. We told the governor. We told the mayor. Secure your city. If they don't secure their city soon, we have no choice. We're going to have to go in and clean it out." The Washington Times (7/29, Dinan, 492K) calls the agreement "a possible solution to months of violent clashes that have stained the city," the AP (7/29, Flaccus, Balsamo) notes "each side declared victory," while the Washington Post (7/29, Al, Berman, Miroff, Lang, Fahrenthold, 14.2M) says "the specific timing of how this would play out remained unclear." On its editorial page, the Wall Street Journal (7/29, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) welcomes the announcement, which it says puts the responsibility to restore order back on state and local leaders. USA Today (7/29, Hauck, 10.31M), the Wall Street Journal (7/29, Al, EFTA00150338 Levy, Gurman, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), Townhall (7/29, O'Brien, 177K), and the Daily- Caller (7/29, Talcott, 716K), among other news outlets, also report on the announcement. Former Prosecutor Warns Trump Making Cities Less Safe. Former federal prosecutor Michael J. Stern argues in USA Today (7/29, 10.31M) that Trump "has cast the battle between protesters and federal law enforcement in the same way he cast `The Apprentice' — with heroes and villains and an audience that does not know it is being played." Trump's "Portland strategy," Stern says, is: "Look tough and beat Biden. But he's making cities less safe." PROTESTS Administration Announces Deployment Of Agents To Cleveland, Milwaukee, Detroit. Reuters (7/29, Chiacu, Alper, Hay, Borter, Layne), meanwhile, reports "the withdrawal in Oregon coincided with the announcement of a deployment of federal law enforcement officials to Cleveland, Milwaukee and Detroit, expanding a separate program aimed at curtailing a surge of murders and other violent crimes in some cities." NBC Nightly NewsVI (7/29, story 5, 2:00, Holt, 5.97M) said as part of the operation, the Administration is "sending federal agents, not tactical teams, to help fight crime" in the more cities. USA Today (7/29, Phillips, 10.31M) reports the Justice Department plans to send 42 agents to Detroit and "more than 25 each to Cleveland and Milwaukee - cities that officials said have seen rising violent crime rates." The federal officers, drawn from "the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and other agencies, will help local and state officials in ongoing criminal investigations, according to the Justice Department." Fox News (7/29, Blitzer, 27.59M) reports, "The initiative first launched in Kansas City, Mo., on July 8, and expanded to Chicago and Albuquerque one week ago." Detroit, Cleveland, and Milwaukee "will see increased resources from the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that will aim to reduce crime, particularly gun violence." CNN (7/29, Perez, 83.16M) reports that the federal agents "will work on gun and other criminal cases previously identified as within federal jurisdiction in coordination with local and federal prosecutors. Justice officials previously announced that hundreds of federal officers were being sent to Chicago, Kansas City and Albuquerque as part of an initiative called Operation Legend." The Hill (7/29, Samuels, 2.98M) reports, "The department cited increases in violent crime in each of the cities, noting homicides and shootings are up in all three places compared to 2019. President Trump last week announced similar deployments of federal agents to Chicago and Albuquerque as part of Operation Legend, which is named for a young victim of gun violence in Kansas City. The administration has repeatedly invoked the program to argue Trump is imposing law and order." The New York Post (7/29, Feuerherd, 4.57M) reports, "Operation Legend is named after 4- year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed in Kansas City while she was sleeping, and launched earlier this month in the city." The CBS Evening NewsVi (7/29, story 6, 2:00, O'Donnell, 4.28M) reported the Administration announced Wednesday that it is expanding "Operation Legend" sending "additional federal agents outside of Oregon, it says, to combat upticks in violence in Cleveland, Milwaukee, and Detroit. Detroit's chief of police welcomes the federal support to combat violent crime, but says he doesn't need their help with protesters." Detroit Police Chief James Craig: "We never requested support for any protest-related activity. We do support...anything to reduce violence in our city." The Washington Times (7/29, Chasmar, 492K) reports Chief Craig "said Tuesday his city isn't seeing the riots that are occurring in other major cities across the country because his EFTA00150339 police department is supported by the mayor and fellow Detroiters who are 'fed up' with the 'misguided radicals' fomenting chaos." The Washington Times (7/29, Mordock, 492K) reports Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan on Twitter Wednesday "assured residents his city didn't initiate the surge in federal officers." Duggan tweeted, "Today's announcement of additional federal agency staff was not initiated by the City of Detroit. So long as they are used in the continuing effort to enforce federal laws on illegal gun trafficking and gang violence, DPD will continue its strong partnership with those agencies." Meanwhile, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett last week said he was "extremely concerned" about the deployment. US Attorney Distinguishes Federal Role In Portland From Crime-Fighting Assistance In Other Cities. The AP (7/29, Richmond) reports that on Wednesday, federal prosecutors "worked...to dispel concerns that federal agents headed to a number of U.S. cities will be used to break up protests, insisting that the agents will work side-by-side with local and state investigators to solve violent crimes." President Trump "announced last week that he was sending agents to more U.S. cities...to combat a rise in violent crime." Matthew Krueger, the US Attorney in Milwaukee, "told reporters during a news conference...that the media was confusing agents' missions," and that "agents being sent to cities other than Portland were part of a U.S. Department of Justice effort to bolster manpower in high-crime cities." Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D- WI) "said that after speaking with Krueger, she is supportive of the operation in Milwaukee," but "faulted Trump's administration for not being clear from the outset." Federal Agents Headed For Detroit. The AP (7/29) reports from Detroit, "Federal agents being sent to Detroit by the Trump administration will help local authorities fight violent crime and won't interfere with protests against racism or excessive force by police, the region's top federal prosecutor said Wednesday." US Attorney Matthew Schneider "dismissed as 'irresponsible rhetoric' any suggestion that the government wants to quash dissent in Michigan, seeking to allay fears that they would have a role similar to the one agents have had at protests in Portland, Oregon, in recent weeks. Instead, he stressed that they would be helping local law enforcement combat a rise in violent crime in Detroit. 'The United States Department of Justice will not sit on the sidelines while murderers spread violence in our neighborhoods,' Schneider told reporters as he described a 'surge' of agents and deputy marshals in Detroit." The Detroit News (7/29, Ferretti, 825K) reports, "Schneider told The News last week that he was actively working with Washington, D.C., to 'bring more federal resources and more federal law enforcement agents to Michigan.' The effort, he noted, is an extension of Operation Relentless Pursuit, a program rolled out in Detroit last winter by U.S. Attorney General William Barr." The News adds, "The program to assist local law enforcement establish new task forces to track down the most violent offenders also is targeted at Memphis, Baltimore, Kansas City, Cleveland, Milwaukee and Albuquerque, Barr said in December when he announced the program alongside Craig and leaders of the FBI, ATF, DEA and U.S. Marshals Service." The Detroit Free Press (7/29, Baldas, 1.52M) reports, "Federal law enforcement agencies have a message for Detroit: We are coming to help your city fight violence, not harass or intimidate your protesters. 'Let me be perfectly clear ... there are no federal troops coming to Detroit, or anywhere in Michigan to interfere with protesters," Schneider said Wednesday. The Free Press adds, "Many Detroiters have expressed concern and fears about the federal intervention as it comes amidst a national Black Lives Matter movement that has turned violent in other cities across the country. Detroit protests have thus far been mostly peaceful, though many locals fear their city could turn into another Portland, where chaos and mayhem broke out following the arrival of federal agents," but "that's not why federal agents are coming here, the leaders stressed on Wednesday." MLive (MI) (7/29, Afana, 925K) reports, "The plan is to send 42 federal agents from the FBI, DEA, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Marshals to Detroit to fight gun EFTA00150340 and gang violence. The city will also get $1 million to combat gang and gun violence from the Bureau of Justice Assistance." Schneider "cited a spike in violent crime as the reason. He said homicides have increased by 31% in Detroit. `These numbers keep going up. This flood in violence keeps threatening our safety. More and more, our children are being caught in the crossfire and murdered in senseless gun violence; Schneider said, referring to the May 21 death of Nathaniel Mesiah Roby, a 4-year-old who was shot in his home." The Detroit Metro Times (7/29, Neavling, 219K) reports, "As long as the agents leave protesters alone, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and police Chief James Craig said they support the additional resources." WDIV-TV Detroit (7/29, Johncox, 460K) reports from Detroit, "FBI Special Agent in Charge Steve D'Antuono announced during a news conference Wednesday a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the death of a 4-year-old boy in Detroit." Nathaniel "Messiah" Roby-Townsend "died just after midnight on May 21 when someone fired shots into his family's home on Birwood Street near Seven Mile Road. Family members said the children were in bed when someone drove by and opened fire, hitting Nathaniel. He was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead." Among local news outlets also reporting are WJR-AM Detroit (7/29, 19K), WJBK-TV Detroit (7/29, 103K), WDIV-TV Detroit (7/29, Johncox, 460K), WXYZ-TV Detroit (7/29, Chowdhry, 236K), WXYZ-TV Detroit (7/29, 236K), WJBK-TV Detroit (7/29, 103K), Deadline Detroit (7/29, Lengel), and WWJ-TV Detroit (7/29). Cleveland To See 25 New Federal Agents In Operation Legend. The Cleveland Plain Dealer (7/29, Caniglia, 895K) reports, "Federal authorities said Wednesday that Cleveland will get 25 federal agents over the next several months to stem a spike in violent crime." The Plain Dealer adds, "Nearly $10 million in federal money also will go toward hiring 30 Cleveland police officers and seven state officers, U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman told reporters at a press conference. 'We can't waste any time here; Herdman said, citing a 35 percent increase in shootings in the city over the same time last year. Homicides have jumped 32 percent, according to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office. Herdman's comments came days after the White House announced that the U.S. Justice Department selected Cleveland and a handful of other cities would receive additional federal officers." WEWS-TV Cleveland (7/29, Vanallen) reports, "On Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio, along with the Cleveland Division of Police, Mayor Frank Jackson, and other federal partners, dispelled rumors about `Operation Legend' and what's been done in the city as a result of an effort that has been in the planning stages since 2019. 'First Operation Legend is a violent crime reduction effort. Period; said Justin Herdman, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. 'There are additional resources that are being provided to state and local law enforcement to assist in traditional crime-fighting that will be directed at gang violence, narcotics-related shootings, and illegal firearms. What it is not is an introduction of federal police. It is not an introduction of federal uniform personnel and it's not an introduction of federal agents to protect federal property." WKYC-TV Cleveland (7/29, 223K) reports, "As Cleveland authorities introduced the launch of 'Operation Legend' - a violent crime reduction effort in the city - they also announced a $25,000 reward regarding the murder of a 17-year-old boy." WKYC-TV adds, "Officials with the Cleveland Division of the FBI are asking for the public's help in finding the person(s) responsible for the May 25 shooting, which claimed the life of Eric Hakizimana as he stopped at a traffic light at the intersection of W. 80th and Detroit. Eric Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the Cleveland FBI, discussed details of the teen's death during a press conference Wednesday morning. 'Eric was violently pulled from his vehicle, shot and left to die on the streets of Cleveland. His murderer then drove away in Eric's vehicle." WEWS-TV Cleveland (7/29) reports, "Police said an unknown male approached Hakizimana's car, dragged him out of the vehicle, shot him and fled the area in his vehicle. 'Eric EFTA00150341 and his family are refugees from their home country of the Democratic Republic Congo, having fled violence and war there for a refugee camp in Uganda. Eric and his family came to the United States unable to imagine violence would follow them to a street light at West 80th and Detroit with the sudden and tragic loss of their son,' Smith said. A $25,000 reward is being offered as part of funds allocated from 'Operation Legend." WKYC-TV Cleveland (7/29, 223K) also reports. Milwaukee To Get More Than 25 Federal Agents. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (7/29, Spicuzza, 632K) reports, "More than 25 federal agents will be coming to Milwaukee as part of Operation Legend, a program aimed at addressing violent crime, Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. attorney for Wisconsin's Eastern District, said Wednesday." The Journal Sentinel adds, "Agents from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and U.S. Marshals Service will join work that's already underway by existing federal, state and local task forces, Krueger said. Ten of the federal agents will be assigned to work in Milwaukee temporarily to provide 'immediate assistance,' and the others will be assigned over the next year to provide long-term assistance, he said." WDJT-TV Milwaukee (7/29, 65K) reports, "Between 25 and 30 federal agents will be coming to Milwaukee through the FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshal Service and the DEA to expand on existing partnerships with the Milwaukee Police Department. 'These aren't beat cops,' Wisconsin Eastern District U.S. Attorney Matthew Krueger said. 'These are trained investigators, who do often longer term investigations or who know how to do a deeper dive on things:" Milwaukee "is one of six cities currently involved in 'Operation Legend,' along with Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Kansas City and Albequerque." WDJT-TV adds, "The city's homicide rate is currently 85 percent higher than it was at this time last year. 'That's the reason why we need to focus our attention to reduce violent crime in this area,' Milwaukee FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Hughes said." The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (7/29, Dirr, 632K) reports, "Federal officials on Wednesday announced a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest of the person who killed Qunyonce Louis-Moore, 16, in Milwaukee. She was fatally shot about 10:30 p.m. on June 30 while on a walk with friends on the 3400 block of North 8th Street. Qunyonce died at the scene. 'Please, I beg you, if you have any information at all please, please come forward and let us know, and we will do everything we can to bring justice to the individual that took her life,' said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Hughes, calling Qunyonce's homicide a 'senseless act." WISN-TV Milwaukee (7/29, 265K) also reports. Two Protesters Charged In Attack On Wisconsin State Lawmaker. The Wisconsin State Journal (7/29, Treleven, 372K) reports that "tips from a former physical therapy client and from co-workers led police to the identities of two women who were arrested this week for the alleged attack on state Sen. Tim Carpenter last month during a Downtown protest, according to court documents filed Wednesday." Kerida E. O'Reilly and Samantha R. Hamer, both of Madison, were charged Wednesday "with substantial battery as party to a crime for the alleged attack on Carpenter." The New York Times (7/29, Hauser, 18.61M) reports Carpenter "said on June 24 that he was punched and kicked in the head after he took a cellphone video of protesters who had been marching through downtown Madison for several hours to protest police violence and racism." US Charges Eight Pittsburgh Protesters. KDKA-TV Pittsburgh (7/29, 144K) reports, "Eight Pittsburgh protesters who were involved in the May 30 demonstrations in downtown Pittsburgh have been criminally indicted, according to U.S. Attorney Scott Brady's office. The people indicted include 31-year-old George Allen of Pittsburgh, 25-year-old Nicholas Lucia of Pittsburgh, 25-year-old Andrew Augustyniak-Duncan EFTA00150342 of Carnegie, 24-year-old Raekwon Dac Blankenship of Pittsburgh, 24-year-old Devin Montgomery of Pittsburgh, 22-year-old Da'Jon Lengyel of McKees Rocks, 35-year-old Christopher West of Pittsburgh and 29-year-old Brandon Benson of Pittsburgh." The Gant (PA) Daily (7/29, Shirey) reports, "The alleged criminal acts occurred while Pittsburgh Police officers were engaged in responding to the violent demonstration in downtown Pittsburgh on May 30, at the same time that many other citizens were lawfully protesting over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn. The indictments were returned under seal on July 22, and the final two indictments were unsealed on Wednesday. 'The actions of the accused were uncalled for and prevented law enforcement officers from carrying out their duties to protect and serve our community,' said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Michael Christman. 'The FBI respects the rights of people to peacefully exercise their First Amendment freedoms but will not stand by and let those with a violent agenda take over peaceful protests." Seattle Police Union Leader Rejects Mayor's Claim Trump Using Agents As "Dry Run For Martial Law." Fox News (7/29, Kaplan, 27.59M) reports, "Denying federal law enforcement assistance to combat violence is 'unconscionable,' Seattle Police Officers Guild President Michael Solan told 'America's Newsroom' on Wednesday, reacting to comments made by Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan earlier this week." Speaking on CNN Monday, Durkan said President Trump "clearly targeted cities run by Democratic mayors. He's said so himself. He's using law enforcement as a political tool." Durkan continued, "I hate to say it, but I really believe that we are seeing the dry run for martial law." In response, Solan said, "To deny any type of assistance from any law enforcement entity to me is unconscionable and I have yet to hear one elected official show concern for the officers that were hurt this past weekend." Seattle Mayor Loses Bid To Stop Recall Petition. The AP (7/29) reports that a judge "who ruled earlier this month that a recall petition against Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan could move ahead is holding to that decision." King County Superior Court Judge Mary E. Roberts on Wednesday "denied a motion by Durkan that asked Roberts to reconsider her July 10 ruling." Durkan "could appeal to a higher court, but the ruling marks another legal win" for his opponents "in what would be a long process to oust her from office in a special recall election." Oakland Approves Resolution To Keep City "Safe" From "Trump's Federal Agents." Fox News (7/29, Casiano, 27.59M) reports the Oakland City Council approved a resolution Tuesday to keep the city "safe from President Trump's federal agents." The "unanimous vote" approved legislation that cited the ongoing protests in Portland. Judge Restricts Use Of Force Against Protesters In Oakland. Axios (7/29, Ayesh, 521K) reports that a judge issued a preliminary injunction on Wednesday "restricting police from using stinger grenades, rubber bullets and pepper balls against protesters in Oakland." US Magistrate Joseph Spero's injunction "follows a request from the Anti-Police Terror Project, a nonprofit watchdog group, which accused local police of using excessive force against Black Lives Matters protesters." The order, however, "does not apply to federal officers." Morgan, Miller: Democrats Emboldening Protesters By Failing To Condemn Violence. Acting CBP Commissioner Morgan said on WMAL-AM Washington (7/29), "I'm disgusted at" House Speaker Pelosi calling his officers stormtroopers. Morgan said such comments are "emboldening and encouraging what I refer to as violent criminal anarchists. ... This is politics being put before public safety." Morgan, appearing on Washington Watch (7/29, Morgan, Schweppe, Dennard, Gonzalez), said, "The last 62 days there have been peaceful protests that have been taken over, hijacked, by violent anarchists every single night with the willful intent to destroy federal property and hurt federal agents." White House senior advisor Stephen Miller said on WSB-AMVi Atlanta (7/29, 52K), "The Democratic Party decided to rally behind purposeless anarchists in Portland launching EFTA00150343 incendiary devices." Miller added, "Democrats have fully thrown in their lot with this new brand of domestic terrorism." In Portland there are "heroic law enforcement officers doing shifts in unimaginable circumstances, trying to keep federal property...safe." Rove: Biden Likely To Lose Support From Center For Failing To Condemn Protesters. Karl Rove, writing in his Wall Street Journal (7/29, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) column, welcomes the deal brokered by the Administration with authorities in Oregon. Rove also writes that by failing to condemn violent protesters in Portland, Joe Biden is likely to lose support from centrists voters who are tired of the violence. Poll: Support Drops For Protests, But Many Disapprove Of Trump's Response. Reuters (7/29, Kahn) reports that "Americans' support for the Black Lives Matter protests has declined since the immediate aftermath of the death of George Floyd in May renewed a national conversation on race, yet more than half still disapprove of President Donald Trump's response, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll." The July 27-28 poll "also showed a largely partisan reaction to Trump's decision to deploy federal agents to quell demonstrators." According to the poll, "52% of American adults say they are sympathetic" to the protesters, "about 12 percentage points lower than a similar poll that ran in mid-June." The poll also "showed 54% of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the protests, which is only a slight improvement from a similar poll that ran in mid-June when 58% disapproved." AP Analysis: Trump's Focus On Crime Is A Campaign Gambit. Under the headline "As Crime Surges On His Watch, Trump Warns Of Biden's America," the AP (7/29, Madhani) reports the President is "painting a dystopian portrait of what Joe Biden's America might look like, asserting crime and chaos would ravage communities should the former vice president win the White House in November." The AP adds, "Left unsaid: A recent surge in violent crime in several American cities has happened on his watch." According to the AP, "With echoes of Richard Nixon's law-and-order campaign in 1968 - when American streets were rife with racial protests and Nixon campaigned vowing to crack down and restore order in an appeal tailored to white voters - Trump is trying to energize his conservative base while also making an appeal to a small patch of undecided voters by posing the question: Which man will keep you safer?" Pentagon Training Course Refers To Protesters, Journalists As "Adversaries." Politico (7/29, Seligman, 4.29M) reports that a "new mandatory Pentagon training course aimed at preventing leaks refers to protesters and journalists as 'adversaries' in a fictional scenario designed to teach Defense Department personnel how to better protect sensitive information." The training materials are public and include a video message from Defense Secretary Esper, "as well as a July 20 memo outlining his concerns about operational security and directing all DoD personnel - military, civilian and on-site contractors - to take the course within the next 60 days." UN Rights Panel Questions Police Tactics Against Protesters. The New York Times (7/29, Cumming-Bruce, 18.61M) reports, "Law-enforcement authorities are obligated to protect and facilitate peaceful demonstrations, an influential United Nations human rights panel said on Wednesday, challenging tactics the police have used against anti- racism protests in American cities and around the world." The UN Human Rights Committee said the international treaty "governing civil and political rights requires states to allow peaceful demonstrations, not to block or disrupt them without a compelling reason." Video Of NYPD Pulling Protester Into Unmarked Van Draws Criticism. The CBS Evening NewsVI (7/29, story 6, 2:00, O'Donnell, 4.28M) said "concerns around protest policing are heightening across the country, like this arrest of a protester by undercover NYPD officers yesterday who placed her in an unmarked vehicle." Mayor Bill de Blasio (D): "I think it EFTA00150344 was the wrong time and the wrong place to effectuate that arrest." ABC World News TonightVi (7/29, story 8, 0:25, Muir, 7.22M) reported that "witnesses say it was excessive." NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/29, story 5, 2:00, Holt, 5.97M) similarly said video of the arrest "has struck a raw nerve." NBC's Gabe Gutierrez added, "The NYPD said the protester was wanted for damaging police cameras during five separate incidents around City Hall." Fox News (7/29, Pagones, 27.59M) reports on its website that the NYPD released new video footage that "appears to show the woman...after she allegedly damaged city-owned surveillance cameras on five separate occasions, officials said." The woman, identified by "several social media accounts and reports," is believed to be 18-year-old Nikki Stone. The New York Times (7/29, Zaveri, Gold, 18.61M) reports Stone, police said, was "one of 12 protesters arrested on Tuesday," charged with "criminal mischief and making graffiti, which are misdemeanor offenses, and released early Wednesday morning." Whistleblower Alleges LAPD Encouraged Excessive Force And Retaliation. The Los Angeles Times (7/29, 4.64M) reports that a "longtime Los Angeles police SWAT sergeant is suing the LAPD, alleging the unit is run by a 'SWAT Mafia' of veteran cops who encourage the use of deadly force and ostracized him for revealing its behavior." Sgt. Tim Colomey, "who spent 11 years as a SWAT supervisor until last November, has filed a whistleblower lawsuit alleging retaliation for revealing how a group of veteran officers controlled the tactical unit's operations and membership and punished him and other enemies for speaking out." Colomey alleges in the suit filed Tuesday that those leaders "glamorize the use of lethal force, and direct the promotions of officers who share the same values while maligning the reputations of officers who do not." Minneapolis Police Search For Man Who Incited Violent Protests. ABC World News TonightVi (7/29, story 7, 1:25, Muir, 7.22M) reported authorities in Minneapolis "say they are now searching for a man that they allege was seen in a viral video smashing windows and inciting violence after the death of George Floyd. They say he is a white supremacist who wanted to fuel racial unrest." ABC (Perez) added, "Investigators are working to obtain the man's cell phone location data. At this point, charges have not yet been filed." NYTimes Analysis: Demings Has Complicated History With Police Misconduct. The New York Times (7/29, Rosenthal, Mazzei, 18.61M) reports Rep. Val Demings (D-FL), a former Orlando police chief, has emerged as a finalist to be Joe Biden's running mate, but a review of her record shows a complicated history involving police misconduct. Crime sharply declined while Demings served as police chief, "but use of force by officers remained high." Police misconduct cases are "also the focus of renewed scrutiny for another top contender," Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), "who has been criticized for not aggressively prosecuting officers accused of wrongdoing as California's attorney general." Floyd Hologram To Tour US And Replace Confederate Statues. The New York Daily News (7/29, Braine, 2.52M) reported that a "hologram effigy" of George Floyd "will tour the US, traveling roughly along the route of the 1961 Freedom Rides." In Richmond, Virginia, the hologram "will replace the statue of Robert E. Lee," which protesters removed in June. COUNTER-TERRORISM California Man Named As Alleged White Supremacist Leader. The Sacramento (CA) Bee (7/29, Stanton, 567K) reports, "The shadowy online white supremacist leader who is alleged to be a 27-year-old Orangevale man is one of the most EFTA00150345 violent extremists in the movement today, but his unmasking may result in his followers fleeing his influence, a researcher into American hate movements says." Andrew Richard Casarez, "who allegedly posted online for years as the 'Vic Mackey,' the leader of a Dylann Roof-worshipping group known as the 'Bowl Patrol,' is under investigation by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office for alleged hate crimes and earlier this month had a 9 mm firearm seized by detectives who obtained an emergency restraining order," but "But public reports of his identity — first by the website Anonymous Comrades Collective on July 7 and then by the Huffington Post a week ago - may scare off followers of the Bowl Patrol, said Cassie Miller, a senior research analyst with the Southern Poverty Law Center." COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE Justice Department Agrees To Release FBI Texts From McCabe. The Washington Examiner (7/29, Dunleavy, 448K) reports the Justice Department has agreed "to release at least some of fired FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe's text messages following a yearslong FOIA lawsuit pursued by Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group." The Justice Department "told a DC federal court last week that it had found dozens of potentially relevant texts from the FBI official who played a key role in the Trump-Russia investigation and the Clinton emails investigation." DOJ lawyers "told the court and Judicial Watch that they would need until the end of August to review the records before agreeing to a production schedule." Judicial Watch first filed "its FOIA lawsuit for these McCabe text messages back in 2017 on behalf of retired FBI supervisory special agent Jeffrey Danik." FBI Memo Highlights Mystery Sources Tied To Steele Dossier. The Daily Caller (7/29, 716K) reports an FBI memo declassified this month" led to the revelation that Igor Danchenko was the primary source of information for dossier author Christopher Steele." Danchenko's statements to the FBI "have called into question some of the longstanding media narratives about the sourcing for Steele's dossier." In particular "is the role, if any, that a Belarusian-American businessman named Sergei Millian played as a source for Danchenko and Steele." Steele "told the FBI he believed that Millian was the source of several explosive allegations in the dossier." But Danchenko "told the FBI that he believes he may have talked to Millian just once in a brief phone call." Barr Says He Won't Wait Until After Election To Reveal Durham's Findings. The Washington Post (7/29, Zapotosky, Demirjian, 14.2M) reports Attorney General Barr "reiterated this week that he will not wait until after November's election to release whatever US Attorney John Durham finds in his examination of the FBI's 2016 investigation into President Trump's campaign, raising fears among Democrats that Barr and Durham could upend the presidential race with a late revelation." Republicans have been "eagerly awaiting Durham's findings — hopeful that the prosecutor Barr handpicked last year to investigate the investigation of possible coordination between Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia will validate their fierce criticisms of the bureau." Democrats, meanwhile, "have worried" that Durham is "aiding a political stunt designed to undercut an investigation that dogged Trump's presidency." As the election draws near, both sides "have grown increasingly anxious, with liberals fretting over an October surprise, and Republicans wondering whether Durham's work could push into the next administration." Collins Insists Barr Has "Every Right" To Release Durham Report Before Election. Fox News (7/29, Kaplan, 27.59M) reports Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) "told 'Outnumbered Overtime' on Wednesday that Attorney General Barr has 'every right' to release the results of Durham's investigation into the Russia probe's origins before the 2020 election." Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL) asked Barr, "Under oath, do you commit to not releasing any report by EFTA00150346 Mr. Durham before the November election?" The attorney general responded, "No," Mucarsel- Powell asked, "So you won't go by Department of Justice policy that you won't interfere in any political investigation before the November election?" Barr insisted, "We won't interfere. In fact, I made it clear I'm not going to tolerate it." US Expands Espionage Charges Against Former Twitter Employees. ZDNet (7/29, Kwan, 299K) reports, "Fresh off dismissing spying charges against two former Twitter employees and another individual on Tuesday, the US government has unfurled a new superseding indictment that accuses the three individuals of even more offences." ZDNet adds, "The two former Twitter employees, Ahmad Abouammo and Ali Alzabarah, and the third person named Ahmed Almutairi were originally charged with fraudulently accessing private information and acting as illegal agents of a foreign government for allegedly spying on Twitter users critical of the Saudi royal family. This time around, the individuals have been charged with seven offences instead of two. The charges include acting as an agent for a foreign government without notice to the attorney general; conspiracy to commit wire fraud; wire fraud; money laundering; destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in federal investigations; aiding and abetting; and criminal forfeiture." Arkansas Professor Indicted After Allegedly Hiding China Ties To Secure NASA Grant Money Fox News (7/29, Ruiz, 27.59M) "Federal prosecutors have secured dozens of indictments on wire and passport fraud charges against a University of Arkansas professor who allegedly hid ties to China to obtain NASA grant money. Investigators arrested 63-year-old Simon Saw-Teong Ang in May on a single charge of wire fraud for allegedly hiding his ties to the Chinese government and Chinese businesses while receiving federal grant money. Now the Fayetteville, Ark. resident faces 42 counts of wire fraud and two counts of passport fraud after a grand jury indictment, the Justice Department (DO)) announced Wednesday." The AP (7/29) reports from Fayetteville, Arkansas, "A suspended University of Arkansas professor has been indicted on multiple wire and passport fraud counts." According to the AP, the "indictment returned Tuesday in Fayetteville, Arkansas, accuses Simon Saw-Teong Ang of failing to disclose close ties to the Chinese government and Chinese companies when he obtained federal grants. The university suspended the 63-year-old electrical engineering professor and removed him as director of the university's High Density Electronics Center after his May 8 arrest by federal agents. Ang is free on a $200,000 bond." The Arkansas Democrat Gazette (7/29, Adame, 307K) reports, "Simon Ang 'knowingly made materially fraudulent misrepresentations and omissions' on a 2016 NASA grant application and a 2017 U.S. Air Force grant application submitted by Ozark Integrated Circuits, Inc., states an indictment entered into the case record Wednesday. The fraud led to wire transfers to University of Arkansas, Fayetteville accounts, the indictment states. Additionally, Ang, a Fayetteville resident, faces two counts of making a false statement in applying for a passport." The indictment "alleges that Ang failed to disclose participation in Chinese 'talents plans,' described as 'a Chinese government national strategy' that involves the recruitment of experts from around the world." US Officials Claim Russia Is Behind Coronavirus Disinformation Campaign. The AP (7/29, Tucker, Litvinova) reports that anonymous US officials "say Russian intelligence officers are spreading disinformation about the coronavirus pandemic through English-language websites." According to the AP, the officials claim "two Russians who have held senior roles in Moscow's military intelligence service known as the GRU have been identified as responsible for a disinformation effort meant to reach American and Western audiences." Trump Says He Did Not Raise Taliban Bounties Allegations In Call With Putin. EFTA00150347 Ben Tracy reported on the CBS Evening NewsVi (7/29, story 4, 0:20, O'Donnell, 4.28M) that President Trump "admits" that "he did not mention US intelligence suggesting Russia paid Taliban-linked fighters to kill American troops in Afghanistan" when he talked with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week. Trump said, "Frankly, that's an issue that many people said was fake news." Terry Moran reported on ABC World News TonightVI (7/29, story 5, 2:20, Muir, 7.22M) that Trump said in an interview with Axios, "I have never discussed it with him, no." He added, "if it reached my desk, I would have done something about it. It never reached my desk." Reuters (7/29) reports that in an interview for "Axios on HBO," President Trump "said he never questioned Russian leader Vladimir Putin about U.S. intelligence reports that Moscow paid the Taliban to kill American troops in Afghanistan." According to Reuters, Trump previously "has called the reports a hoax and casts doubt on them." The Daily Beast (7/29, 1.39M) reports that "asked why he skirted the issue with Putin last week," Trump replied: "That was a phone call to discuss other things, and frankly that's an issue that many people said was fake news." Politico (7/29, Forgey, 4.29M) quotes the President as saying, "I think a lot of people. If you look at some of the wonderful folks from the Bush administration, some of them, not any friends of mine, were saying that it's a fake issue, but a lot of people said it's a fake issue." According to Politico, Trump "did not identify which officials from former President George W. Bush's administration had spoken dismissively of the alleged Russian bounties, but he told reporters outside the White House on Wednesday that former Secretary of State Colin Powell `says it's not true." Politico says Powell "criticized the media's initial reaction to the bounty story earlier this month, telling MSNBC that `our military commanders on the ground did not think that it was as serious a problem as the newspapers were reporting and television was reporting." The New York Times (7/29, Crowley, 18.61M) reports that the President "said the purpose of last week's call with Mr. Putin was `to discuss nuclear proliferation,' calling that issue `a much bigger problem than global warming:" Axios (7/29, Swan, Lawler, 521K) reports that Trump "has spoken to Putin at least eight times since intelligence about the alleged Russian bounties was reportedly included in the President's Daily Brief - his written intelligence briefing - in late February." Axios adds, "Trump's team says he was not verbally briefed on the matter before a June 26 report from the New York Times brought the controversy out into the open." According to Axios, "There's no clear consensus within the intelligence community about the strength of the evidence that Russia paid the bounties." The Washington Post (7/29, Wagner, 14.2M) says "some of Trump's own senior intelligence officials viewed the information as credible enough to warn the Pentagon and allies so they could ensure they had measures in place to protect their forces in Afghanistan and to begin developing options for responding to such a Russian operation, national security adviser Robert C. O'Brien said earlier in the month." CNBC (7/29, Breuninger, Mangan, 3.62M) reports that Joe Biden's campaign "blasted...Trump's conduct as `absolutely despicable' after Trump said he did not ask...Putin about alleged Russian bounties on U.S. troops in Afghanistan." Andrew Bates, a spokesman for Biden, in a statement said, "Months after the U.S. intelligence community sounded the alarm - to Donald Trump and to our allies - that Russia was placing bounties on the heads of American servicemen and women in a war zone, our president continues to turn his back on those who put their lives on the line for our country, and on his own duty. This continues an indefensible pattern of Donald Trump weakening the United States in the world in a manner that no American president ever has before, and it's absolutely despicable." USA Today (7/29, Jackson, 10.31M) reports Democratic opponent Joe Biden and others "say Trump is too chummy with the Russian autocrat, and has refused to confront him on matters ranging from Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election to the allegations over bounties." Bloomberg (7/29, Egkolfopoulou, 4.73M) reports Biden spokesman Andrew Bates said in a statement, "The most critical and sacred obligation of a commander-in-chief is to protect those EFTA00150348 who serve our nation in harm's way. But months after the U.S. intelligence community sounded the alarm - to Donald Trump and to our allies - that Russia was placing bounties on the heads of American servicemen and women in a war zone, our president continues to turn his back on those who put their lives on the line for our country, and on his own duty." Also reporting on the story is Reuters (7/29). House Panel Votes To Give All Members Access To Classified Intelligence On Foreign "Disinformation" Campaign. CNN (7/29, Herb, Cohen, Raju, 83.16M) reports Democratic congressional leaders "sent FBI Director Wray a letter urging an FBI briefing to all lawmakers about the foreign interference efforts." Sources "told CNN the Democrats' classified addendum included concerns about a Russian-linked 'disinformation' campaign to target former Vice President Joe Biden in the 2020 election, including that information from entities with ties to Russia was being provided to Senate Homeland Security Chairman Ron Johnson, who is leading an investigation into Biden." Democrats have not "publicly explained the material they shared with the FBI." The Intelligence Committee "voted behind closed doors to make the classified addendum available to any House member who requests it." The vote was "along party lines, with Republicans opposed," according to two sources familiar with the matter. Republicans have "dismissed the Democratic complaints as a partisan attack, and Johnson has denied receiving disinformation from foreigners." The Hill (7/29, Miller, 2.98M) reports the evidence, "compiled in a 'classified addendum,' was submitted to the FBI earlier this month by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner (D-VA)." The Democratic leaders "pointed to it in requesting an immediate all-members classified briefing from the FBI on election threats." Schiff "said in a statement Wednesday that the evidence, which had previously been available to view only for members of the House Intelligence Committee, was being made public for all House lawmakers in response to multiple requests." "Gang Of Eight" At Odds Over Releasing Information On Election Interference. Politico (7/29, Desiderio, Bertrand, 4.29M) reports that the "Gang of Eight" congressional leaders "responsible for reviewing the nation's most closely held secrets is engaged in an unusual and bitter partisan fight over how much information to share with the public about election interference." The "public spat" is "highly unusual for the group, whose obligations normally rise above the political fray and rarely descend publicly into the partisan squabbles that define Capitol Hill." Politico adds, "The in-fighting has intensified so rapidly" that Senate Intelligence Chairman Marco Rubio "even suggested this week that his committee's annual hearing on global threats might not go on as planned, citing 'heavy politicization." Federalist: Schiff Seeks To Start Another Russian Interference Probe. The Federalist (7/29, Davis, 126K) reports that House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff "is once again assisting and amplifying a foreign influence operation meant to divide Congress and the American people, multiple lawmakers told The Federalist on Wednesday. Schiff called a surprise hearing of his committee Wednesday "to vote on making Schiff's classified allegations against congressional Republicans available for review to the entire House of Representatives. The vote passed on party lines. At issue is a packet of information that was allegedly sent to several Republicans by Ukrainian politician Andriy Derkach." Derkach "told Politico last week that his goal was to "creat(e) an inter-parliamentary association called 'Friends of Ukraine STOP Corruption." Derkach "said he sent the same materials to several Democrats as well." Brennan Memoir Says Trump Denied Him Access To Documents And Notes. EFTA00150349 The Washington Post (7/29, Harris, 14.2M) reports that when former CIA director John Brennan decided to write a memoir in the fall of 2018, "he asked the agency for his official records, including his notes and any documents that he had reviewed and signed that were classified." But the request was denied in "a break with decades of tradition." Brennan "learned that the CIA was following the orders of the man he had spent the previous two years publicly excoriating." In his memoir, Brennan writes that Trump "had issued a directive...that purportedly forbids anyone in the intelligence community from sharing classified information with me." Brennan's book, "Undaunted: My Fight Against America's Enemies, at Home and Abroad," is "scheduled to be published on Oct. 6." NBC News (7/29, 6.14M) reports that, "in the book, Brennan said he'd been trying for months to get a hold of his records and notes, but kept running into brick walls." The Post quoted the book "as saying Trump 'had issued a directive . . . that purportedly forbids anyone in the intelligence community from sharing classified information with me' in August of 2018." The Hill (7/29, Moreno, 2.98M) reports Mark Zaid, an attorney "who has represented government whistleblowers and former intelligence agency employees who have gone on to write memoirs, told the Post that the blocking of the records was 'unprecedented, as far as I know." He said, "This is demonstrative, once again, of a vindictive, political president whose actions have nothing to do with actual national security decisions." The Washington Examiner (7/29, Chaitin, 448K) reports the White House "confirmed the directive was being enforced, which is news considering the New York Times reported in May of last year that the president never revoked Brennan's security clearance." Brennan Book Says McConnell, Nunes Were Silent In Face Of Evidence Of Russian Election Meddling. The New York Times (7/29, Barnes, 18.61M) reports that in the waning days of the Obama Administration as "intelligence officials laid out evidence of Russia's 2016 election interference campaign to congressional leaders," some congressional leaders called for Russia to be punished, but Senate Majority Leader McConnell and then-House intelligence Chairman Nunes "remained silent," according to Brennan's book. Brennan writes, "I was not surprised that McConnell and Nunes, early and ardent partisan defenders of Mr. Trump, were silent in the face of what everyone else recognized was a clear national security threat." FireEye Reports New Disinformation Campaign From Eastern Europe. Business Insider (7/29, Elder, 3.67M) reports that researchers with cybersecurity firm FireEye "have discovered a sophisticated disinformation campaign originating in Eastern Europe that they believe could be aimed at disrupting the 2020 US election." BI adds that "bad actors are hacking media websites to post fraudulent stories, creating fake journalist personas, and spreading anti-US disinformation, researchers from FireEye warned Wednesday. The tactics are reminiscent of Russian meddling around the 2016 election - but are significantly more sophisticated, researchers say." New Study Warns Germany is Emerging As Key Target For Russia, China Interference. Fox News (7/29, Norman, 27.59M) reports a UK-based think tank is "warning Germany is now 'on the frontline of a new Cold War' as it has become a key target for Chinese and Russian interference." The declaration made in "a report released Wednesday by the Royal United Services Institute - which studies international security and defense — comes as Germany is preparing for a federal election next year." John Kampfner, a senior associate fellow at RUSI and author of the report, said, "Russia's activities are largely political, attempting to undermine public confidence in democratic institutions. China's have been focused mainly on economic assets." The report "adds that the combination has put Germany 'on the frontline of a new Cold War." In his writing, Kampfner "says the threats Germany faces from Russia are mostly linked to cybersecurity." Business Insider (7/29, Payne, 3.67M) reports the report by the London-based defence think tank "comes as the White House formally announced that it will pull out thousands of EFTA00150350 troops from Germany." It suggests that the "Kremlin is waging a campaign of political interference in the country, focused on creating instability in the region." The threat from Russia "comes as Beijing also focuses on expanding its own influence in Germany, posing `a series of political and economic-based hazards emanating from China.' Op-Ed: The US-China Consulate Closures May Impact Espionage. In a commentary in Axios (7/29, 521K), Zach Dorfman of the Aspen Institute writes, "A decision last week by the Trump Administration to shutter the Chinese consulate in Houston over allegations that China used it for spying set off a predictable diplomatic firestorm." He contends, "The Trump Administration's moves against Russia's diplomatic facilities in San Francisco and Seattle were carefully calibrated reactions to major normative violations of US and UK sovereignty. But the rationale for the Houston closure rests on far murkier grounds. ... The Houston closure may have been designed to send a general warning to China about Beijing's ubiquitous spying, and Houston may have been selected precisely because it is such a low-profile facility." He concludes, "There are also potential costs to the US' actions. For instance, we don't know what the CIA thinks of the move. ... The Trump Administration let politics...eclipse the prerogatives of national security." Op-Ed: US Intelligence Community Needs To Keep Up Pressure On China's Spying. In an op-ed on the Fox News (7/29, 27.59M) website, Daniel Hoffman writes, "Having served as CIA director, Pompeo understands well how the exposure of increasingly brazen Chinese cloak and dagger espionage on US soil could be a bellwether for a 21st century Cold War. ... Espionage has been a critically important tool, on which General Secretary Xi has relied to project power abroad and exercise Orwellian big brother control over China's population at home." He contends, "Countering Chinese espionage is of the highest priority for US national security as it should be for so many other nations also under siege from Chinese spying." He concludes, "Pompeo's speech was therefore a call for our IC to keep up the pressure on China by uncloaking and disrupting Chinese spying operations both unilaterally and in close partnership with our allies." CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS Judge Denies Ghislaine Maxwell's Bid To Keep Records Sealed. McClatchy_ (7/29, Hall, Wieder, 19K) reports, "A federal judge late Wednesday rejected an attempt by lawyers for Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite accused of being a sex trafficker and alleged madam for Jeffrey Epstein, to block the unsealing and release of potentially embarrassing documents from a settled defamation suit." The Herald adds, "Hours before the start of their scheduled unsealing on Thursday morning, Maxwell's lawyers filed a motion to reconsider before U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska, challenging her July 23 decision to order the unsealing and release of documents in a 2015 civil lawsuit that included a deposition given by Maxwell in the case brought by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre. Less than three hours later, Preska denied it, citing `eleventh-hour request for reconsideration.' She allowed Maxwell's attorneys two days to seek a stay from an appeals court on two key depositions but otherwise ordered the unsealing of other documents to begin Thursday." The Washington Post (7/29, Jacobs, 14.2M) reports that Maxwell's attorneys "asked a federal judge Wednesday to block the planned unsealing of depositions she gave as part of a lawsuit, alleging the transcripts were leaked illegally to prosecutors seeking her conviction." Judge Preska "gave Maxwell's lawyers until Friday to appeal" her Wednesday ruling. The Post adds, "In his letter to Preska, Maxwell's lawyer Ty Gee argued that a protective order prevented the deposition transcripts from being made available to anyone, including law enforcement, and that releasing the documents could jeopardize Maxwell's ability to have a fair trial. Preska said EFTA00150351 the potential for Maxwell to be indicted has been looming throughout discussions as to what to unseal, and was considered in her rulings. It was not a new issue requiring additional litigation, the judge wrote." Mississippi Man Charged With Shooting Federal Agent Appears In Court. WDBD-TV Jackson, MS (7/29, Knowles) reports from Gulfport, Mississippi, "Wearing a red and white striped jumpsuit, the man accused of shooting a task force agent last week in Gautier appeared in federal court Wednesday morning." WDBD-TV adds, "Before the preliminary hearing began, Joseph Sonnier could be seen whispering to his mom, telling her he loved her. Only one witness took the stand during the hearing, a FBI agent who recounted the events of July 21, 2020, when Sonnier allegedly fired two shots at U.S. marshals who were attempting to arrest him." Sonnier "admitted to authorities that he knew there were multiple officers outside the hotel room at the Siegel Select in Gautier when he fired his weapon towards them, said the FBI agent. The remaining officers then returned fire. According to the affidavit, Sonnier said he was trying to commit suicide and hoped the officers would kill him." US Probing Shipments Of Mysterious Seeds. VTDigger (VT) (7/29, 4K) reports, "State and federal authorities are investigating 'hundreds' of complaints from Vermonters who have received mysterious seeds from China without asking for them." Cary Giguere, "the agricultural resource management section chief for the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, said this mysterious seed spreading is not unique to Vermont, as people in at least 30 states have reported similar occurrences," but "recently, the agency has received hundreds of complaints from Vermonters through its online system. 'Over the last few months and more so in the last week, folks all over the country have been receiving packages unsolicited originating from China,' Giguere said. 'Now in Vermont, there are hundreds of reports of folks being sent seeds unsolicited." Giguere "said that he's been working primarily with the USDA as well as Customs and Border Protection, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security." Suspected Illinois Serial Killer Charged In Connection To 1997 Murder. The Lake County (IL) News-Sun (7/30, Olson, 1.75M) reports suspected serial killer Samuel William Legg Ill, who was arrested in January 2019, has been charged in connection to the death of Julie A Konkol, whose body was found in Lake County in 1997. The FBI CODIS database "linked DNA collected from Konkol's homicide" to other murders connected to Legg. WLS-TV Chicago (7/29, 391K) reports Legg "is charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the death of 39-year-old Julie A. Konkol." Also reporting are Deerfield (IL) Patch (7/29, 1.03M)Chicago (IL) Sun-Times (7/29, 875K), and Lake County (IL) News-Sun (7/29, 1.75M). Reputed Leader Of Chicago Gang Among Several Charged In Gun, Drug Probe. Fox News (7/29, Casiano, 27.59M) reports, "The alleged leader of a Chicago street gang whose nickname is 'Murder' is among 23 suspects charged with federal gun and drug offenses after a years-long investigation, authorities said Wednesday." Darnell "Murder" McMiller, 34, "is described as the leader of the Black Disciples, one of the city's largest gangs. Several other alleged high-ranking members were also charged, including members of the gang's 'Dog Pound' faction." Clarence January, 27, "allegedly leads the subset. He is charged with trafficking three handguns." Kenneth Brown, 59, "supplied the gang drugs to be distributed throughout the city and Charles Knight supplied drugs to McMiller's crew, the Justice Department said. Brown is charged with conspiring with Terrence Morris, 48, to distribute heroin in March 2019, according to a criminal complaint." New York Pastor Arrested For Minor Solicitation. EFTA00150352 The New York Daily News (7/29, Brown, 2.52M) reports St. Pancras Church Pastor Francis Hughes "was accused Wednesday of vile sexts with a 15-year-old boy in Westchester." He "lied and told the teen he was a part-time college professor and counselor." The FBI is calling for other victims to come forward. The New York Post (7/29, Feuerherd, 4.57M) reports Hughes "was busted after the FBI executed a search warrant on the teen's phone and found the texts." It is unknown how the agents "were first tipped off." Massachusetts Men Charged In Connection To Shooting. The Springfield (MA) Republican (7/29, 395K) reports that Holyoke police "arrested two men who were on probation for other crimes and confiscated two unlawful guns after a shooting where gunfire went through windows of at least three apartments." Jose Cruz "was charged with assault and battery with a handgun; receiving stolen property, a handgun; possession of a firearm and ammunition without a permit; discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling and on two warrants," while Hector Diaz-Torres "was charged with possession of ammunition without a permit and on a warrant. A 15-year-old was also arrested in the shooting and charged with possession of ammunition without a permit and on two warrants." FBI Agents Searching Boston's North End Neighborhood. The Boston Globe (7/29, 972K) reports that FBI agents searched Wednesday the North End apartment of Trevor Lucas, who "spent years in prison for seeking revenge on a Wisconsin teenager he met through the online video game 'World of Warcraft." FBI spokeswoman Kristen Setera said, "The FBI's Violent Crimes Task Force and our Evidence Response Team, along with the Boston Police Department are conducting court-authorized activity in connection with an ongoing federal investigation." She continued, "There is no threat to public safety. Due to the ongoing investigation, we're going to decline further comment." Also reporting are the Boston Herald (7/29, 410K) and WBZ-TV Boston (7/29, 92K). FBI Investigating New Mexico Cold Case. KOB-TV Albuquerque, NM (7/29, 51K) reports that the Sandoval County Sheriff's Office and the FBI "are asking for help in solving a 45-year-old cold case," which dates back to 1975. The victim, Mary Sparks, "was found dead in a drainage ditch." Investigators seek to leverage FBI DNA tools to solve the case. KRQE-TV Albuquerque, NM (7/29, 35K) reports FBI agent Jim Langenberg said, "We're going to work together to develop leads, follow up on tips, use the new technology to our disposal and hopefully as the sheriff said, bring closure to the family and the individual responsible for this to justice." KOAT-TV Albuquerque, NM (7/29, Laflin, 81K) also reports. FBI Investigating Serial Bank Robber In Illinois. The Niles-Morton Grove (IL) Patch (7/29, 1.03M) reports that the FBI is investigating a series of bank robberies in Illinois. The agency "released video images from several of the robberies," and they said that the suspect "is described as 5-foot, 11-inches, thin build, with black hair, a light complexion, and between the ages of 40 and 50." Continuing Coverage: Missouri Men Charged In Connection To Kidnapping. KSNF-TV Joplin, MO (7/29) reports Freddie Tilton and Alvin Dale Boyer "were charged in federal court [Wednesday) for kidnapping a woman who was rescued from her attackers at a Neosho, Missouri, hotel room." The criminal complaint "alleges that Tilton and Boyer kidnapped the victim, identified in court documents as "S.T.," on July 19, 2020." Alabama Pair Indicted In Connection To Murder Of Child. EFTA00150353 Birmingham (AL) News (7/29, 894K) reports that the Northern District of Alabama U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI on Wednesday "announced the indictments against Patrick Stallworth, 40, and Derick Irisha Brown, 29," who "are each charged with count of kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to kidnap a minor." They "are charged with capital murder of a child under the age of 14 in state court for the 2019 slaying of 3-year-old Kamille 'Cupcake' McKinney and, if convicted, could face the death penalty." New York Man Charged With Sex Trafficking Of A Minor. The Glens Falls (NY) Post-Star (7/29, 114K) reports Timothy J. Bush "is accused of offering to pay a woman $100 to have sex with her 11-year-old daughter," but the woman was an undercover FBI agent. He "faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, and at least 5 years of supervised release." Florida Judge Announces Delay In Bribery Trial. The Tallahassee (FL) Democrat (7/29, 180K) reports US District Judge Robert Hinkle "decided to push back the tentative trial date for J.T. Burnette, one of ex-City Commissioner Scott Maddox's co-defendants, until early next year." Burnette "was indicted for the FBI's long-running public corruption probe." Reputed Nevada Boogaloo Faces New Child Sex Charge. The Las Vegas Review-Journal (7/29, Kane, 345K) reports, "Suspected boogaloo member Stephen Parshall has been accused of sexually exploiting his teenage stepdaughter in a new federal criminal complaint filed Wednesday." Parshall, 36, "who has been indicted in an alleged right-wing conspiracy to commit violence in Black Lives Matter protests, was charged with one felony count of sexual exploitation of children. The federal complaint, filed by the Nevada U.S attorney's office, alleges the abuse began on an unknown date and continued until May 30, 2020, the day Parshall was arrested by FBI agents in the alleged extremist terror plot. This follows a state sex abuse case filed against Parshall earlier this month related to the stepdaughter." KTNV-TV Las Vegas (7/30, Gartner, 78K) reports, "Parshall was charged last month with violations of federal and state law for conspiracy to cause destruction during protests in Las Vegas, and possession of an unregistered destructive device (specifically, an improvised incendiary device known as a Molotov cocktail). Wednesday's charge was announced by U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse of the FBI, and Sheriff Joseph Lombardo of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department." FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS California Financier Sentenced In College Admissions Probe. The Los Angeles Times (7/29, Ormseth, 4.64M) reports, "Manuel Henriquez, who led a venture capital firm before being charged with paying $450,000 to rig his daughters' college entrance exams and bribe a coach at Georgetown University, was sentenced Wednesday to six months in prison." US District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, "ruling from Boston in a video conference, went beyond the five-month sentence requested by prosecutors, saying Henriquez's 'despicable' crimes made the financier, whose lawyers had lauded his support of children's charities, 'not only a felon, but a hypocrite." Judge Gorton "had previously sentenced Henriquez's wife, Elizabeth, to seven months in prison. In court papers filed before Manuel Henriquez was sentenced, prosecutors said he was a 'less active participant in the mechanics of the fraud' than his wife, who 'gloated' after a Harvard-educated conspirator supplied her daughter with the answers to her SAT exam." EFTA00150354 Tennessee Lawmaker Charged With Stealing Federal Funds. The AP (7/29, Sainz) reports, "A Tennessee state senator has been charged with stealing more than $600,000 federal funds received by a health care company she directed and using the money to pay for her wedding and other personal expenses, federal prosecutors said Wednesday." State Sen. Katrina Robinson faces charges of "theft and embezzlement involving government programs and wire fraud, U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said in a news release." Robinson is also the director of The Healthcare Institute, which "received more than $2.2 million in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services." The Memphis (TN) Commercial Appeal (7/29, Kennedy, 338K) reports, "A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court alleges Robinson used federal grant money issued to her for-profit nursing college to buy a vehicle for her daughter, expenses related to her wedding and honeymoon, and legal fees for her divorce. She is also accused of using the grant money to pay off credit cards and student loan payments, purchase beauty products and fund a campaign event." WHBQ-TV Memphis, TN (7/29, 23K) also reports. Texas Bank Reports $13.2M "Ponzi-Style Fraud." The San Antonio Express-News (7/29, Danner, 762K) reports, "The Bank of San Antonio disclosed" on Wednesday "that it uncovered a $13.2 million 'Ponzi-style fraud scheme' involving a former employee of a subsidiary who induced the bank to purchase worthless accounts receivable from various businesses." The Express-News adds, "Bank officials alerted the FBI in May and said in a statement they expect to recoup all losses from the alleged scheme. The bank and its subsidiary, Texas Express Funding LLC, Tuesday sued the former employee, five other individuals and four entities for fraud, civil conspiracy and other claims. The suit, filed in Comal County, seeks unspecified punitive damages." US Charges New Jersey Family With Contracting Fraud. Jersey Shore Online (NJ) (7/29, Lundy) reports from Jackson, New Jersey, "The family who own Monmouth Marine has been charged with selling cheap substitutions to the Navy while billing the federal government for the more expensive parts." Linda Mika, 69, and Paul Mika, 73, both of Jackson, New Jersey, and Kenneth Mika, 49, of Ewing, New Jersey "were arrested on July 29, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced. They allegedly ran a years-long scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Defense, the charge stated." The family "allegedly lied to the government, saying they would be able to provide exact products made by authorized manufacturers. Instead, they sourced non-conforming substitute parts at a significantly reduced cost to themselves, while still billing the government for the better quality items." Former Ohio Public Official Sentenced For Bribery. Dayton 24/7 Now (7/29, Richardson) reports former Dayton Minority Business Assistance Center director RoShawn Winburn "was sentenced [Wednesday] to six months in prison for a conviction related to a 2019 bribery investigation." He "took cash payments of more than $6,500 in exchange for city documents that were restricted to the public." WDTN-TV Dayton, OH (7/29, 15K) reports Winburn will "report to prison once the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections determines they have enough space to safely hold him." Federal Prosecutors: Former Uber Engineer Should Get 27 Months In Prison. Bloomberg (7/28, Rosenblatt, 4.73M) reports federal prosecutors told a judge that "Anthony Levandowski, the autonomous-driving engineer who agreed to plead guilty to stealing trade secrets from Google, should spend 27 months in prison, prosecutors say" and that his "punishment is an important lesson for Silicon Valley." The article explains that Uber "recruited Levandowski from Google to run its self-driving project, and later fired him while the company EFTA00150355 was fighting a lawsuit by Alphabet Inc.'s Waymo over allegations similar to those in the criminal case." Avenatti Cannot Afford To Pay Lawyer. The Washington Times (7/29, Dinan, 492K) reports attorney Michael Avenatti, "who used to dominate cable news shows with his threats to take down President Trump, is now so poor that he was awarded a court-appointed lawyer Wednesday. A federal judge overseeing one of three federal criminal cases against him said he has established his 'current indigency," so his lawyer will be paid for by the public. Former Maryland Lawmaker Sentenced To Two Years In Prison For Bribery. The AP (7/29, Kunzelman) reports from Silver Spring, Maryland, "A former state lawmaker who helped create Maryland's medical marijuana industry was sentenced on Wednesday to two years in prison for taking bribes for legislative favors, including votes to benefit a medical marijuana company." Cheryl Glenn (D), "who represented parts of Baltimore as a state delegate, told U.S. District Judge Catherine Blake that she is 'profoundly remorseful' and hopes other public officials can learn from her mistakes." Judge Blake "The judge said Glenn, 69, sold her office to pay her bills and tried to cover up her corruption. 'This was not a one-time lapse. It was not a momentary giving in to temptation. It was a deliberate scheme to take advantage of her political power and misuse her influence and to break the public trust in exchange for money,' Blake said. Glenn must report to prison by Sept. 21. The judge also ordered her to pay $18,750 in restitution." CYBER DIVISION Cybersecurity Firm: Chinese State-Backed Hackers Infiltrated Vatican. The Washington Post (7/29, Harlan, Pitrelli, 14.2M) reports cybersecurity firm Recorded Future said that Chinese state-backed hacking group RedDelta "targeted and infiltrated the Vatican this year" in a move "likely aimed at gaining an advantage in diplomatic negotiations" as the Vatican and Beijing are considering extending "a controversial agreement on the process of appointing Catholic bishops in China." The Post casts the intrusion as part of a pattern of Chinese hackers monitoring the activities of religious groups. The Wall Street Journal (7/29, Rocca, Xiao, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports a US cybersecurity firm determined a Chinese group backed by the government hacked into Vatican computers prior to key negotiations with Beijing. The alleged breaches occurred as the Holy See and Beijing began to negotiate the renewal of deal regarding the appointment of Catholic bishops in China. Originally reached in 2018, the agreement was the most significant rapprochement between Beijing and the Holy See diplomatic relations were cut in 1951. TikTok Dismisses Senate Concerns Over Chinese Threat To Election Security. The Washington Times (7/29, Lovelace, 492K) reports seven Republican senators "wrote to the heads of the FBI, DHS, and ODNI to determine whether China is using TikTok to interfere in the 2020 election." TikTok "says nobody needs to worry." Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Ted Cruz (R- TX), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rick Scott (R-FL) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) "want the federal government to determine whether the Chinese-owned TikTok is enabling Chinese government influence operations and censorship of US political content." The senators wrote on Tuesday, "TikTok has become a popular forum for Americans-particularly younger Americans-to engage in political conversations. We are greatly concerned that the [Chinese Communist Party) could use its control over TikTok to distort or manipulate these conversations to sow discord among Americans and to achieve its preferred political outcomes." EFTA00150356 Mnuchin: TikTok Under CFIUS Review. On Wednesday, Reuters (7/29, Alper, Chiacu) reports, Treasury Secretary Mnuchin said that TikTok was under a security review "and that his agency would make a recommendation to the president about the popular Chinese-owned video-sharing app this week." Acknowledging for the first time that TikTok was under review, Mnuchin said, "TikTok is under CFIUS review. We will be making a recommendation to the president this week so we have lots of alternatives." CNBC (7/29, Feiner, Macias, 3.62M) reports that Mnuchin made the remarks at a White House event with President Trump. The President commented, "We are looking at TikTok. We are thinking about making a decision." Cybercrime Ramps Up Amid Coronavirus Chaos, Costing Companies Billions. CNBC (7/29, Sheng, 3.62M) reports data breaches are "always costly but have become even more of an issue in recent months as cybercriminals ramped up to take advantage of coronavirus confusion." According to a new study from cloud computing company Iomart, "large-scale breaches are growing in intensity and frequency in 2020, with the number of breaches increasing 273% in the first quarter, compared to the same time last year." CISA Announces Second President's Cup Cybersecurity Competition. MeriTalk (7/29, Polit) reports the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) announced July 28 "the second annual President's Cup Cybersecurity Competition." Registration is open to "any Federal Executive branch employee, includingDOD and uniformed service members, with a knack for cybersecurity." LISA Director Chris Krebs said, "The Federal cybersecurity workforce is a strategic asset that protects our citizens, homeland, and the American way of life. LISA is proud and excited to lead the second annual President's Cup Cybersecurity Competition to measure the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the diverse cybersecurity talent within government." The competition was "born out of a May 2019 Executive Order, which called for an annual interagency effort to 'identify, challenge, and reward the government's best personnel supporting cybersecurity and cyber excellence:" Experts Warn Medical Devices May Create Additional Opportunities For Hackers To Target Hospitals. Modern Healthcare (7/29, Cohen, Subscription Publication, 214K) reports, "As COVID-19 swept the US, providers rapidly added web-connected equipment to increase patient data collection while minimizing touch points." However, "the technology may open hospitals up new vulnerabilities." Although "data breaches often stem from hacks on email accounts, electronic medical records and other digital repositories," cybersecurity experts warn that "medical devices create additional access points that hackers could target to enter a hospital's network and steal data." INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS China Denies Harboring 1MDB Fugitive. Reuters (7/29) reports, "China on Wednesday denied protecting fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, being sought by global investigators over his role in the multi-billion dollar 1MDB scandal." Low, "popularly known as Jho Low, has been charged in Malaysia and the United States over allegations that he orchestrated the theft of $4.5 billion from state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), co-founded by former prime minister Najib Razak. Low has consistently denied wrongdoing." Reuters adds, "Malaysia's national police chief Abdul Hamid Bador was reported by newspaper Utusan Malaysia as saying Low was hiding in Macau and that attempts to extradite him had failed as Chinese authorities 'appeared insincere' in their efforts to cooperate. EFTA00150357 Chinese authorities rejected the accusations as 'groundless and unacceptable', saying that police had investigated all possible leads but were unable to trace Low." OTHER FBI NEWS Trump Defends Use Of COVID-19 Bill To Fund New FBI HQ. Reuters (7/29) reports that President Trump on Wednesday "defended his push to use a coronavirus relief package to fund a new FBI headquarters near his Washington hotel despite opposition from fellow Republicans, citing his background as a real estate developer." The bill, "facing tense negotiations in the Senate before multiple provisions aimed at helping Americans stave off financial losses amid the coronavirus pandemic expire on Friday, is on shaky ground with the White House at odds with both Democrats and Trump's own Republicans, who control the chamber." Trump "at first did not directly answer a question about whether he would drop his demand for $1.8 billion to fund a new FBI headquarters in downtown Washington one block from Trump International Hotel. He later said the provision 'should stay.' 'Republicans should go back to school and learn,' he told reporters at the White House. 'I'm very good at real estate." The Hill (7/29, Carney, 2.98M) reports, "Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the No. 2 Senate Republican, on Wednesday said that there is not 'a lot' of support for including funding for a new FBI building in a coronavirus relief bill. 'I think it came as a surprise to a lot of people that the funding for the FBI building was in the bill. They'd have to make a better argument than what I've seen so far; Thune said. 'I don't think there's a lot of support from our members for issues in the bill that are not directly related to the coronavirus,' he added." Trump, "speaking from the White House on Wednesday morning, criticized GOP senators who have been critical of its inclusion, saying they should 'go back to school and learn.' 'They have been trying to build a new building for many, many years,' Trump told reporters at the White House as he was departing for a trip to Texas on Wednesday morning." CNN (7/29, Klein, 83.16M) reports, "White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was pressed Wednesday on why a coronavirus stimulus bill includes $1.75 billion for a new FBI building. 'So, this was part of the President's priority of updating the FBI building, keeping it in DC, and it's been one of the things that's been mentioned that's in this bill and it's a part of one of the President's priorities and it's been a priority for several months,' she said during an appearance on CBS News. Asked again what that provision was doing in the coronavirus bill, McEnany couldn't say, but said it is 'not a dealbreaker." Trump "said later Wednesday" that "he thought it was 'crazy' that they would consider moving it to the suburbs of Virginia or Maryland." The Hill (7/29, Chalfant, 2.98M) reports, "Trump said proposals to move the FBI building to Maryland or Virginia would have taken the bureau too far away from the Justice Department in downtown Washington, D.C." Fox News (7/29, Phillips, 27.59M) quotes Trump as saying, "I said, 'Let's build a new FBI building, either a renovation of the existing or. even better, let's build a new building.' So, we have that in the bill. It should stay, people have wanted a new FBI building now for 15-20 years." "'But Republicans don't want it in the bill,' a reporter informed Trump. 'Then Republicans should go back to school and learn you need a new building,' the president said. 'It's a bad building, it's a dangerous building, you have slabs falling off. It's not a good building from the inside. It's a very expensive building, they need a new building and we can do it very easily." Puerto Rico Power Company Says "Sabotage" May Have Caused Blackout. Bloomberg (7/29, Wyss, 4.73M) reports, "The head of Puerto Rico's power company said a blackout Tuesday that affected more than 400,000 customers was a 'man-made' event that could have been act of 'sabotage." Bloomberg adds, "Speaking to WKAQ radio Wednesday, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority CEO Jose Ortiz said that he will be asking the U.S. EFTA00150358 Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to examine the incident that knocked out power to a large swath of the island for several hours Tuesday. `What I can tell you is that there was manipulation,' he said of the blackout. `Either this was an oversight on someone's part or it was an act of sabotage." OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS US COVID Fatality Rate Down Significantly From April And May. The Washington Times (7/29, Howell, 492K) reports that according to pandemic trackers "the share of U.S. residents who test positive" for COVID-19 "and then die [is] 3.4%, far better than the 15% in the United Kingdom and roughly 14% in France and Italy, or 7.6% in Canada." The fatality rate "is down from closer to 6% in late April and early May, when states such as New York and New Jersey reported eye-popping numbers." The 3.4% rate "is based on known cases. But with so many asymptomatic carriers going untested, the real number is probably closer to 0.6%, according to experts who have offered their best estimates." The limes adds that the "economic fallout from springtime lockdowns raises questions about whether they were worth it at all, given the seemingly low rate." White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway said on KTRK- TVVi Houston (7/29, 92K), "The message from the White House is simple. The President delivered it last week. This will get worse before it gets better in some places, and as our case numbers rise, thankfully, the mortality rate is much lower than it was at it its peak." Word of the declining fatality rate comes as US deaths from coronavirus "surpassed 150,000 on Wednesday, a number higher than in any other country and nearly a quarter of the world's total," Reuters (7/29, Shumaker, McKay) reports. Reuters adds, "Of the 20 countries with the biggest outbreaks, the United States ranks sixth in deaths per capita, at 4.5 fatalities per 10,000 people. Only the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Peru and Chile have a higher per capita rate, the tally shows, with U.S. deaths making up nearly 23% of the global total of just over 661,000." In the lead story on ABC World News TonigISVi (7/29, lead story, 4:35, Muir, 7.22M), Victor Oquendo called the death toll "unimaginable," and in its lead story, the CBS Evening NewsVi (7/29, lead story, 4:45, O'Donnell, 4.28M) called it "stunning" and reported that "deaths across the country have recently surged by more than 30%." The New York Times (7/29, 18.61M) reports that "an average of about 1,000 virus-related deaths a day have been reported over the past week, the worst rate since early June, when the number of people dying seemed to be falling. Now, daily death counts are rising in 23 states and Puerto Rico." USA Today (7/29, Flores, Schoolman, 10.31M) says "there is not much relief in sight. The three most populous states - California, Texas and Florida - were among several that set seven-day records for virus deaths this week. Others set records for new cases. Tennessee and Arkansas set records for both." NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/29, lead story, 2:50, Holt, 5.97M) reported in its lead story that "new states in the middle of the country now seeing fresh hot spots." NBC's Miguel Almaguer added that NIAID Director Fauci is "warning several American cities who have mostly avoided COVID's crippling crush are now on the verge of being hit hard." Fauci: "If you are not getting your arms around and suppressing that surge that's coming up two to three weeks down the pike, you're in trouble." White House Coronavirus Task Force Response Coordinator Deborah Birx said in an interview with Sinclair Broadcasting GroupVi (7/29, 22K), "There's a very serious pandemic in the South. What you can see is that serious epidemic in the South is moving northward. This is the moment to make that change. ... By the time you see hospitalizations, you have incredible asymptomatic spread. The rural Americans often didn't experience that and now they are." On TelemundoVi (7/29, 249K), Surgeon General Adams said, "This absolutely can get worse for everyone but particularly for Latinos." Birx said, "Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, EFTA00150359 and a small part of West Virginia. This when you need to go back to your public and ask them to do the things that kept them, and kept the cases so low." Trump Stands By Retweet Of Doctors Touting Hydroxychloroquine. On NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/29, story 3, 1:05, Holt, 5.97M), Kristen Welker reported that President Trump "is digging in, after retweeting a video of doctors Monday promoting the controversial drug hydroxychloroquine, and saying social distancing and wearing masks is unnecessary. The doctor at the forefront pedals in conspiracy theories." Trump: "She was making a statement about hydroxychloroquine with other doctors that swear by it. They think it's great. She was not alone." NBC added, "Joe Biden excoriating the President today." Biden: "President Trump should stop tweeting and start doing something about it, dammit. ... And stop going on and talking about this crazy woman he talked about last night who is an absolute disgrace." On ABC World News TonightVi (7/29, story 2, 1:20, Muir, 7.22M), Mary Bruce said Trump "doubled down on his support for a fringe doctor who is spreading lies about the coronavirus, even after learning she claims demons and witches cause illnesses." The CBS Evening NewsVi (7/29, story 3, 0:35, O'Donnell, 4.28M) reported that Trump "doubled down on hydroxychloroquine, requiring his own health experts to once again remind Americans it doesn't actually work." CNBC (7/29, Lovelace, 3.62M) reports on its website that NIAID Director Fauci "said Wednesday that all the 'valid' scientific data shows...hydroxychloroquine isn't effective in treating the coronavirus." Appearing on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell ReportsVi (7/29, 1.09M), Fauci said, "You look at the scientific data and the evidence. And the scientific data...on trials that are valid, that were randomized and controlled in the proper way, all of those trials show consistently that hydroxychloroquine is not effective in the treatment of coronavirus disease or COVID-19." Navarro: Hydroxychloroquine Can "Save Lives"And Should Be Prescribed More Frequently. Politico (7/29, Forgey,