EFTA Document EFTA01659529

From: To: Subject: Fw: Today's New Mexico Headlines 7/19/2019 Date: Fri, 19 Jul 2019 15:05:00 +0000 Importance: Normal Thank you On Jul 19, 2019 8:49 AM, Good Mornina (AQ) (FBI)" wrote: Please see below under Jails/Prison - Ruidoso News, "Six charged with total of 26 offenses in jail contraband scheme" From (AQ) (FBI) Sent: Friday, July 19, 2019 7:40 AM Subject: Today's New Mexico Headlines 7/19/2019 TOP OF THE NEWS 2 inmates in New Mexico charged with attempted murder after attack on prison guards Five inmates have been charged following an attack on two Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility guards Tuesday evening. New Mexico State Police, which is investigating, stated the two correctional officers were transported to an area hospital with severe non-life-threatening injuries after the attack. (Las Cruces Sun- News) Deputy US Marshal hit by car during foot chase with homicide suspect A deputy U.S. Deputy Marshal was hit by a car during a foot chase at Coronado Center in Albuquerque Thursday. Authorities said the deputy was chasing a homicide suspect before being hit by a car. (KOB) No Epstein Indictment Here, For Now Investigators with the New Mexico Attorney General's Office plan to turn over any information they gather about alleged sex crimes committed here by Jeffrey Epstein to federal prosecutors "as soon as possible," a spokesman for the AG says. That means that for now, Attorney General Hector Balderas' team is working as fact-gatherer for the US Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York, where Epstein pleaded not guilty last week to charges of sex trafficking of minors and sex trafficking conspiracy, says Matt Baca, senior counsel for Balderas' office. (Santa Fe Reporter) FBI IN THE NEWS Navajo man from Sanostee pleads guilty to federal involuntary manslaughter and child abuse charges Tavis Washburn, 27, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Sanostee, N.M., pleaded guilty in federal court in Albuquerque on July 12, 2019, to charges of involuntary manslaughter and child abuse in Indian Country. (USAO) EFTA01659529 FBI Media Alert: FBI to Hold Diversity Agent Recruiting Event in Albuquetquk The Albuquerque FBI Division will hold a recruiting event next month to encourage members of underrepresented communities-especially women and minorities—to consider becoming special agents. The Diversity Agent Recruiting (DAR) event will be held in Albuquerque on August 20, 2019, from 6 to 9 p.m. (FBI) FBI Media Alert: Body Found in Trunk of Burning Car Near Church Rock, New Mexico The FBI and Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety are investigating a body that was found in the trunk of a burning car near Church Rock, New Mexico. The vehicle, believed to be a Dodge Avenger SXT, was discovered on fire off Pipeline Road, in an isolated area north of Church Rock, on Monday morning, July 15, 2019. (FBI) VIOLENT CRIME Man dies after arriving at southeast Albuquerque convenience store with injuries Police are asking the public to avoid an area in southeast Albuquerque Friday morning following the death of a man who arrived at a convenience store with injuries. Officers with the Albuquerque Police Department arrived at the 7-11 at San Mateo and Kathryn early Friday in response to a male who had arrived at the store bleeding from his abdomen. (ICRQE) Standoff In Williamsburg Truth or Consequences Police took a Williamsburg man into custody after he barricaded himself inside a home Friday afternoon, July 12. Just before 4 p.m., city police officers were called to the 800 block of Carmen in Williamsburg when a man reportedly became upset over a vehicle he was purchasing, that it was being repossessed. (Sierra County Sentinel) Man pleads guilty in 2018 double homicide The man who killed a retired Albuquerque lawyer and the woman he was renting a room to in January 2018 — dumping their bodies by the side of a road in a town about 45 miles east of the city — has pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder, tampering with evidence and other charges. Michael Patrick, the spokesman for the 2nd Judicial District Attorney's Office, said James Knight, 33, will spend at least 30 years in prison under the terms of the plea agreement. (Albuquerque Journal) Trial wraps up for one suspect in elderly woman's death The fate of a woman accused of teaming up with her boyfriend to kill his elderly aunt in May 2017 is in the hands of an Albuquerque jury. Authorities say Josie Ortega, an 86-year-old great-grandmother, was found dead in her pajamas with a plastic bag over her head and her hands zip-tied behind her back. (Albuquerque Journal) Santa Fe police investigate Barela Lane shooting Santa Fe police were still searching late Thursday for a man suspected in a shooting earlier in the day outside a home on Barela Lane, off Agua Fria Street, that sent another man to a local hospital and left construction workers at nearby homes rattled with feat One man working on a roofing project down the street described hearing some 15 gunshots — one that whizzed by just inches from his head. (New Mexican) Albuquerque police release lapel video from day mother, daughter were found dead The Albuquerque Police Department released lapel video from the day a mother and daughter were found dead in southeast Albuquerque home. Police say Jesus Cartagena killed his ex-girlfriend Shanta Hanish and her mother Laura in June. (KOB) Loved ones struggle to cope with random killing of man on I-25 Family and friends are mourning the death of Jose Ruben Diaz. The 45-year-old father of three was shot and killed near the Big I on Monday. "It's hard, you know," said Diaz's longtime friend Deanne Lopez. (KOB) Roswell mother describes moment she learned her son was shot, killed EFTA01659530 Police are on the hunt for 25-year-old Jorge Luis Villa. Villa is accused of shooting and killing 27-year-old Johnathan Carter in Roswell Monday morning. Nicole Maynard Sena, 36, is a person of interest in the case. (KOB) Albuquerque woman who sued city to stay in home found murdered An Albuquerque woman who fought a major legal battle with the city of Albuquerque has been found murdered. The Valencia County Sheriff's Office says 54-year-old Mary Kay Brizzee's body was found two weeks ago in a remote area west of Los Lunas. (KRQE) Man involved in high-profile murder, home invasion in trouble again He spent just 10 years in prison for his role in a high-profile murder, and for nearly beating an elderly couple to death during a home invasion—and when Benito Lopez was released last year, he violated his probation and was sent back to prison. Just a year later, he's back out and back in trouble. (KRQE) Father: 'She slipped out of my hands and went down into the water' When Albuquerque police officers were called to a hotel because an 11-month-old girl possibly drowned, they were told by the father the girl simply slipped through his hands and into a pool. New body camera video obtained by Target 7 shows how cops were able to able to find a different story. (KOAT) Police confirm victim in June homicide, seek unknown suspect Police have identified the man shot and killed inside a home on the city's west side, more than a month after the slaying took place. Las Vegas Police say 27-year-old Cruz M. Gallegos died of a single gunshot wound at a home in the 1100 block of Chavez Street on June 15. (Las Vegas Optic) SEX CRIMES Former Santa Fe Mayor Accused Of Sex Abuse In 2nd Lawsuit A second man has accused former Santa Fe mayor Louis Montalto of child sexual abuse in a lawsuit filed Tuesday against the Santa Fe Boys & Girls Club. Montafto was the director of the youth organization, then called the Boys Club of Santa Fe, when the alleged abuse took place. (KUNM) rand jury indicts former Zia Middle School principal for child pornography A grand jury indictment against the former principal of Zia Middle School in Mesilla was filed in federal court Wednesday. Joel Aguilar Villanueva, 42, was arrested in April after police executed a search warrant at Villanueva's Telshor Boulevard apartment and found up to 192 files containing suspected child pornography on a hard drive belonging to Villanueva. (Las Cruces Sun-News) 19-year-old faces charges in Snapchat child porn case A 19-year-old has been arrested in a child pornography case. Yarelis Cespedes was taken into custody Wednesday morning in the South Valley. (KOB) ABQ couple charged with raping young children, recording it Investigators have just arrested an Albuquerque couple, they say the husband and wife performed sex acts on two little girls. According to the search warrant, the girls were just 6 and 3 years old and the adults recorded it possibly for porn. (KOAT) DRUGS Man escapes police custody after drug trafficking arrest Two men were arrested at Storrie Lake State Park over the Fourth of July weekend and charged with trafficking controlled substances, but one man escaped from police custody. Harold Anderson, 58, of Roy, and Steven Gutierrez, 31, of Las Vegas, were taken into custody by New Mexico State Police on July 7. (Las Vegas Optic) LAW ENFORCEMENT Video: Man suspected of driving while high crashes into law enforcement academy EFTA01659531 High school students participating in the State Police Youth Academy last week got to see more action than they expected. A driver who police think was high, barreled through a fence and onto the training track at State Police headquarters. (KRQE) NMSU under fire for new policy regarding student-athletes Student-athletes at New Mexico State will now fall under the same code of conduct as regular students, and not necessarily be held to a higher standard. Under the old policy, a student-athlete faced automatic dismissal when convicted of a felony. That is not the case any longer. (KRQE) Criminals beware. D.A. knows who your friends are. It's likely that a man seen on surveillance video breaking into a pawn shop through a ceiling would have gotten off with probation or a small jail sentence, prosecutors say. Why? Because he had never been arrested for a violent crime. (KOAT) Judge dismisses case against former senator A judge granted a motion Thursday made by an attorney for former state Sen. Timothy Jennings, D-Roswell, to dismiss a case against the former legislator for failing to immediately report a vehicle accident to law enforcement. Buddy Hall, a magistrate judge from De Baca County who heard the case Thursday during a motion hearing in Chaves County Magistrate Court, granted the motion by the defense to dismiss the case with prejudice — meaning charges can not be railed. (Roswell Daily Record) LAPD to stop emailing ICE after complaint Los Alamos Police Chief Dino Sgambellone said Tuesday his department will reevaluate whether the department will include Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on a weekly email list that includes jail reports. The list is sent to law enforcement and court officials every Monday. (Los Alamos Monitor) BORDER County, gov's office argue over contact after state of emergency declaration Following a county commission meeting where Otero County Commission Chairman Couy Griffin and other commissioners voiced their dismay that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's office has not responded to the county directly since a declaration of emergency, the governor's office responded that "the Otero County Commission never directly contacted the Governor's Office over their concerns." To disprove this, Otero County sent a response to the governor's office showing that the county contacted them via fax, email and certified mail in April following the county declaring a state of emergency. (Alamogordo Daily News) Reports, but no confirmation of ICE raid in Taos This month's announcement that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents would round up undocumented immigrants starting Sunday (July 14) caused hysteria throughout the nation, including in Taos, where a few local residents reported sightings of the federal agents. Local law enforcement heard the rumors, too, but agency heads said they could not confirm the federal agency's presence in the county this week. (Taos News) FRAUD/THEFT Las Cruces Police Ask For Help Identifying Auto Theft Suspects Las Cruces Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information that helps identify the two men suspected of stealing a sport utility vehicle from the parking lot of a local store. About noon on Sunday, March 10, a Honda CRV was stolen from the parking lot of Target, at 2541 E. Lohman Ave. (KRWG) US lawmakers propose ban on export of tribes' sacred items A group of U.S. lawmakers made another push Thursday to ban collectors and vendors from exporting Native American ceremonial items to foreign markets, including Paris, where there has been uproar over auction houses listing tribal pieces for sale over the years. The lawmakers introduced legislation that would increase penalties within the United States for trafficking objects that tribes hold sacred by increasing prison time from five years to 10 years for violating the law more than once. (AP) Nob Hill jewelry store broken into— again Lilly Barrack, a jewelry story in Nob Hill, was broken into for the second time in less than three months. In May, surveillance video caught a man stealing about $50,000 worth of jewelry. (KOB) EFTA01659532 New Mexico man convinced woman to invest in fake salsa business A New Mexico man has been convicted of swindling a California woman out of more than $60,000 by convincing her to invest in a fake salsa business. A Las Cruces jury found Eduardo Triste guilty of fraud and embezzlement after he struck up a phone relationship with the 70-year-old woman, who worked in a call center. (KRQE) LABS LANL releases economic impact report Los Alamos National Laboratory released Thursday its latest economic impact figures. In fiscal year 2017, the lab was responsible for directly employing over 11,800, and direct expenditures from its workers and vendors created an additional 9,400 jobs. (Albuquerque Business First) Nuclear weapons waste being shipped to NM Radioactive waste shipped to Idaho during the Cold War has been compacted and sent to New Mexico for permanent disposal, officials said Wednesday. A U.S. Department of Energy contractor, Fluor Idaho, said nearly 26,000 cubic yards of waste contaminated with plutonium-238 was sent to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad. (AP) JAILS/PRISONS Children and pregnant women no longer allowed in solitary confinement in NM A long-sought set of reforms to the way New Mexico jailers and prison officials use solitary confinement kicked in July 1, barring the practice for certain populations and starting the clock on what civil rights advocates and lawmakers hope will lead to unprecedented transparency on the controversial practice in the state. Effectively immediately, pregnant women and children can no longer be held in solitary, and beginning in November prisons and jails around the state will start publicly reporting how many people are being held in solitary. (New Mexico In Depth) Six charged with total of 26 offenses in jail contraband scheme Six individuals were charged with a collective total of 26 offenses in connection with an attempt to smuggle contraband into the Lincoln County Detention Center in Carrizozo, according to information from County Undersheriff Mike Wood. In the early morning of July 3, following several nights of surveillance, officers with the White Mountain Drug Task Force intercepted a package thrown over the fence of the detention center, Wood said Wednesday in a news release. (Ruidoso News) COURTS State revamps administration of magistrate, district courts New Mexico is consolidating administration of most magistrate and district courts across the state. The state Administrative Office of the Courts said the reorganization means the office no longer will manage the dozens of magistrate courts statewide and that those courts' hiring and staffing decisions instead will be instead by overseen locally by judicial districts that already administer district courts. (AP) Review casts doubt on DA's pretrial detention plan A recent review calls into question the likely effectiveness and outcomes of a proposal by 2nd Judicial District Attorney Raid Torrez to change the way pretrial detention is handled in New Mexico. In May, Torrez unveiled the framework for a constitutional amendment intended to make it easier to detain defendants charged with specific crimes and expand the criteria for holding defendants until trial. (Albuquerque Journal) New Mexico court denies appeal in pickax killing of father A New Mexico Supreme Court ruling Thursday denies a Socorro man's appeal of a lower court's order that he be detained for life in a mental health facility for the pickax killing of his father. Manuel Baca was charged with murder in the 2016 killing of 67-year-old Fidel Baca Sr. but a judge ruled the son was dangerous and not competent to stand trial. (AP) OPINION EFTA01659533 Editorial: NM AG's staff must serve public, not special interests "Our Vision: We aspire to be an innovative leader in New Mexico, recognized for proactively finding solutions and responding to evolving needs by building partnerships with individuals, community organizations, government agencies and businesses." — New Mexico Attorney General's Office website. "Building partnerships" sounds good, especially if it helps stretch every dollar you have for the public you serve — until it turns out one of the partners answers to a very different master. (Albuquerque Journal) BULLETIN INTELLIGENCE DATE: FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019 6:30 AM EDT TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • Judge May Toss Criminal Case Against Flynn's Ex-Lobbying Partner. COUNTER-TERRORISM • Suspected ISIS Member Brought To US For Prosecution. • Florida Man Sentenced To 20 Years For Posting Bomb-Making Guides. • US Charges Syrian Refugee With Plotting Pittsburgh Church Bombing. • LATimes Analysis: DHS Has "Gutted" Programs That Detect WMD Threats. • Senate Reaches Deal To Vote Next Week On Bill Extending Compensation Fund For 9/11 First Responders. • German Police Detain Six Suspected Islamic Extremists. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE • Career Officials Say White House Didn't Pressure Them On Security Clearances. • Pentagon Reviewing Plan To Relocate Key US Intel Hub Within UK. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • Epstein Denied Bail. • Illinois Man Sentenced To Life For Murder Of Chinese Student. • Three Former Paterson New Jersey Officers Say They Stole Money With Fourth Officer. • Intense Secrecy Surrounds Whereabouts Of "El Chapo." • US Charges Maryland Man With Threatening Member Of Congress. • FBI Visits Home Of Omaha Man After Congressman Alleged Threats. • FBI Seeks Public's Help In Search For Missing Arizona Woman. • Coast Guard Vet's Family Hopes FBI Program Helps Crack Case. • West Virginia Man Sentenced For Meth Conspiracy. • Reputed California Gang Member Charged With Human Trafficking. • Former CBP Officer Pleads Guilty To Illegal Sun-Sales Scheme. • Shot Twice By Police, St. Louis Man Sentenced For Latest Incident. • Gunman Sought In Two Florida Walgreens Robberies. • Michigan Man Sentenced For Robbing Credit Union. • Massachusetts Man Arrested In Bank Robbery. • Police Raid Pennsylvania Residences In Search For Shooting Suspect. • Oklahoma Man Pleads Not Guilty In Sex Abuse Case. • Former Kansas Priest Charged With Possession Of Child Pornography. • California Man Charged With Murder After Driving Family Off Pier. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS • Trump Denounces Puerto Rican Officials Amid Protests Demanding Rosselld's Ouster. • Chao: FAA Has No Timeline To Lift Grounding Of 737 MAX. • FBI Raids Illinois Home Of Confidant Of State House Speaker. • Former Goldman Sachs Banker In Plea Discussions To Avoid Trial Over 1MDB Charges. • Second Circuit Upholds Shkreli's Conviction. • US Charges Chicago Employee With Lying To FBI. • Former Nevada Lawmaker Sentenced For Campaign Fund Fraud. • FBI Probing Baseball Card Collectors Suspected Of Fraud. • FBI Reportedly Probing Oklahoma Charter Schools' Practices Finances. EFTA01659534 • Authorities Probing Alleged Bank Fraud At U Of Wisconsin-Parkside. CYBER DIVISION • Schumer Seeks FBI, FTC Probes Of FaceApp. • Fox News: Senior Law Enforcement Official Says China Is Now "Direct Peer" of US On Cyber. • Vietnam Not Using Huawei In 5G Network. • Senate Passes Bill To Expand Anti-Hacking Law To Criminalize Voting3ystem Attacks. • Georgia County Commissioner Says No Ransom Demanded After Cyber Attack. • Cyber Command Tested "Persistent Engagement" During Recent Exercise. • Qpinion: Cyber Weapons Are Changing The Landscape Of Modem Warfare. • Lryptojacking Becoming A Growing Malware Menace. • Opinion: Ghost Keys "Solution" To Encryption Is No Solution. • Education Department Issued Security Alert That At Least 62 Colleges Impacted By Hacker Attack. • New UK Prime Minister Will Need To Make 5G Decision Quickly. • House GOP Campaign Chief Ends Any Chance Of Truce On Using Hacked Material In 2020 Campaigns. LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES • Four Chicago Cops Fired For Role In Fatal Shooting. • Philadelphia Officers Fired For Facebook Posts. • Portland Considers Banning Masks During Protests. • Federal Data Show Rural Communities Were Flooded By Prescription O ioids INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS • New York FBI Agents Assist In Bust Of Sicilian Mob With US Ties. OTHER FBI NEWS • FBI Hosting Recruiting Event In Cleveland. • Lawmakers Press Secret Service For Plan To Avoid Future Mar-a-Lago Security Breaches. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • Media Analyses Skeptical Of Trump's Distancing Himself From "Send Her Back" Chant. • Prosecutors Signal Additional Charges Related To Alleged Trump "Hush Money" Payments Are Unlikely. • Trump Highlights Indictment Of MS-13 Members Praises ICE, CBP. • Politico Report: Cuccinelli Already Among Trump's "Top Immigration Lieutenants." • McAleenan: Fewer Than 1,000 Migrant Children Have Been Separated From Families Since October. • Bipartisan Group Of Senators Offer Plan To Accelerate Deportations. • Tensions Between ICE LAPD Growing. • Seventy Catholics Arrested Protesting Trump Immigration Policies At Capitol. • DOJ May Block Sprint T-Mobile Merger If Divestiture Deal Isn't Finalized Next Week. • Mnuchin: Negotiators Agree On Broad Outlines Of Budget Deal. • Trump Says Administration Will Carefully Review Pentagon Cloud Contract. • Trump To Nominate Gene Scalia For Labor Secretary. • Senate Expected To Confirm Esper Next Week. • White House Pushes Out Ross Aide Over Handling Of Census Question. • Roughly Two-Thirds Of USDA Agency Staff To Leave Ahead Of Move. • House Votes To Raise Minimum Wage To $15 An Hour. • EPA Won't Ban Pesticide Linked To Children's Health Problems. INTERNATIONAL NEWS • Taliban Car Bombs Targeting Afghan Police Kill 12 In Kandahar. • Former Pakistani PM Arrested On Corruption Charges. • Trump: US Downed Iranian Drone That Threatened Navy Ship. • Trump Says No Decision Yet On Turkey Sanctions. • US Deploying Troops To Saudi Arabia Amid Bipartisan Criticism Of War In Yemen. • Israeli Bahraini Foreign Ministers Meet In Washington. • Pompeo: China's Treatment Of Uighurs "Stain Of The Century." • American Tapped To Top NATO Intelligence Post. • UK Parliament Approves Measures Making No-Deal Brexit Less Likely. • Dutch PM Gives Trump Flag From First US Ship To Land At Normandy. • Kardashian West Lobbies Trump To Help American Rapper Jailed In Sweden. EFTA01659535 • WPost Decries Italy's "Callous And Cynical Disregard" For Asylum Seekers. THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE • Today's Events In Washington. LEADING THE NEWS Judge May Toss Criminal Case Against Flynn's Ex-Lobbying Partner. CNN (7/18, Polantz, 83.16M) reports federal Judge Anthony Trenga is deciding whether to throw out the conspiracy and foreign lobbying charges "that Michael Flynn's ex-lobbying partner faces because the evidence prosecutors have presented at trial this week has been 'very, very circumstantial."' The judge said, "Much of it's very speculative." If Trenga were to end the case "against Flynn's partner Bijan Kian, it would be an enormous boon to Flynn and a shocking blow to a Justice Department effort." The biggest hole in prosecutors' presentation "appears to have been the lack of testimony from Flynn, who initially had agreed to help prosecutors and then was dropped as a witness earlier this month." The Washington Post (7/18, Weiner, I4.2M) reports that, despite his comments, the judge "declined for the moment to throw out the case against Bijan Rafiekian, an Iranian American businessman who ran a consulting firm with Flynn called the Flynn Intel Group." But the judge may "revisit the concerns he expressed after hearing all the government's evidence, before or after the case goes to a jury." The judge said, "There has to be some evidence" of an agreement. The AP (7/18) reports prosecutors "rested their case Thursday." Defense lawyers "moved to have the case dismissed." They say the evidence "shows Kian and Flynn's work to discredit Gulen was at the behest of a private business." Politico (7/18, Gerstein, 4.29M) reports Law firm Covington & Burling "appears to have billed Flynn about $5 million after he became a client in early 2017, when his lobbying and consulting work came under Justice Department scrutiny." Covington partners Robert Kelner and Stephen Anthony initially assisted the retired Army lieutenant general and his consulting finn, Flynn Intel Group, "navigate a Justice Department inquiry into the firm's work on Turkey-related issues." The law firm invoices "were introduced by defense lawyers Tuesday as Kelner testified at a criminal trial in Alexandria, Va., federal court for Flynn's former business partner." Barr Investigation Sets Up Clash Between Intel Community, Skeptical Republicans. The Washingos Times (7/18, Al, Scarborough, 492K) Attorney General Barr's investigation into "the Obama-era conclusion that Russia interfered in the election to help Donald Trump sets up a struggle between the nation's top spies and Mr. Trump's skeptical Republican allies." Trump's "past two CIA directors and his current chief of national intelligence" have all "publicly endorsed the January 2017 intelligence community assessment that Russian President Vladimir Putin interfered to help Mr. Trump and hurt Hillary Clinton." The Times adds that "senior Trump aides," including former CIA director and now Secretary of State Pompeo, and current CIA Director Haspel, "back the intelligence community assessment." However, there are "dissenters, and they are close to the White House." Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee "issued a report last year that found no Russian-Trump conspiracy. Special counsel Robert Mueller confirmed the finding in March." Jonian Raises Questions About Dining Of Final Carter Page FISA Extension. The Washingom Examiner (7/18, Chaitin, 448K) reports Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) "said a `significant' question is why the FBI submitted a third Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act renewal to surveil onetime Trump campaign adviser Carter Page after Robert Mueller was appointed special counsel." Jordan said, "They signed it after he was named special counsel. I think that's significant. I'm sure someone's going to ask about that question." Trump Administration Quietly Escalating Fight With Intel Committees Over Access To Sensitive Documents. ABC News (7/18, 2.97M) reports the Trump Administration "has been quietly engaged in an escalating tug-of-war with the House and Senate intelligence committees over sensitive documents from the special counsel's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election." "The scope of confidentiality interests being asserted by the executive branch is breathtaking," said Andrew M. Wright, an expert on executive privilege who served as a congressional investigator and as a White House attorney in two Democratic administrations. As is "the lack of accommodation and compromise," he added. Though Mueller's report "does not discuss the classified intelligence gathered during the investigation," congressional investigators "believe the team was given access to a range of materials that could include intercepts, secretive source interviews, and material shared by the spy agencies of other foreign governments." Experts "said the EFTA01659536 stand-offs between branches of government may ultimately force the third branch of government — the judiciary — to get involved." Graham Reveals Three Areas Of "Deep Dive" Inquiyy Following Release Of DOJ IG Report The Washington Examiner (7/18, Chaitin, 448K) reports Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) discussed "three areas he wants to explore as part of his `deep dive' inquiry into the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation after the conclusion of Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz's investigation into alleged abuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act." Graham, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, "said there are questions he wants to ask former FBI Director James Comey and his deputy Andrew McCabe." He said, "I'd want to ask Comey, what did you tell the president in January of 2017, `Here is the dossier, I can't verify it, but I want you know about it. And he used the same document and told the court that it was reliable on four different occasions. I want to know when McCabe reaffirmed again that without the dossier that there would be no warrant." COUNTER-TERRORISM Suspected ISIS Member Brought To US For Prosecution. The AP (7/18, Tucker) reports the Administration has "brought home for prosecution a US national suspected of fighting alongside the Islamic State group in Syria." The Pentagon said in a statement Thursday that the unidentified individual "had previously been held by Syrian Democratic Forces as a suspected member" of ISIS. The AP adds that it "wasn't immediately clear where in the US the individual had been brought." CNN International (7/18, Browne, Shorten) reports, "The US military helped facilitate the transfer. `The Department of Defense assisted in the movement of a US national from Syria to the United States. He was previously held by Syrian Democratic Forces as a suspected member of ISIS,' a Pentagon spokesperson later confirmed to CNN. `He was transferred to the US for prosecution. As a matter of policy, DOD does not discuss matters of litigation; so for further details, please contact the Department of Justice,' the spokesperson added." Florida Man Sentenced To 20 Years For Posting Bomb-Making Guides. The AP (7/18, Anderson) reports from Miami, "A Florida man was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in federal prison for posting bomb-making instructions on websites frequented by extremist groups such as the Islamic State." US District Judge K. Michael Moore "imposed the maximum possible sentence on Tayyab Tahir Ismail, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Pakistan." The FBI "says Ismail, 34, posted bomb instructions last year on five occasions and that they were accurate. 'It's the government's position that no offense could be more serious,' said Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Gilbert at a hearing. `Instead of radicalizing people in person, he did the same thing online."' Ismail's attorneys "had sought a lenient sentence, arguing he suffered through a terrible childhood and has a mental disorder," but Moore "noted that many people who have a difficult upbringing go on to impressive achievements." US Charges Syrian Refugee With Plotting Pittsburgh Church Bombing. The AP (7/18) reports from Pittsburgh, "A federal grand jury is accusing a Syrian refugee of plotting to bomb a Christian church in Pittsburgh to inspire Islamic State of Iraq followers." According to the AP, the grand jury "handed up a three-count indictment Wednesday against 21-year-old Pittsburgh resident Mustafa Mousab Alowemer," who is "charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and two counts of distributing information about an explosive, destructive device, or weapon of mass destruction." Authorities "claim he had detailed plans to bomb the Legacy International Worship Center, a small Christian church." The Pittsburgh Patch (7/18, Heyl) reports, "The indictment alleges that Alowemer, a recent Brashear High School graduate, allegedly plotted to bomb the Legacy International Worship Center in Perry South to inspire other ISIS supporters in the United States to commit similar terrorist acts." Alowemer "allegedly distributed multiple instructional documents related to the construction and use of explosives and improvised explosive devices (LEDs) to an individual Alowemer believed to be a fellow ISIS supporter. That person was an FBI agent." LATimes Analysis: DHS Has "Gutted" Programs That Detect WMD Threats. The Los Angeles Times (7/17, 4.64M) reports a LATimes investigation has determined that the Trump Administration "has quietly dismantled or cut back multiple programs that were created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to help detect and prevent terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction." The pull back has occurred during the past two years at DHS, "which has primary domestic responsibility for helping authorities identify and block potential chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats." The LATimes claims the changes "were made without rigorous review of potential security vulnerabilities, undermining government- EFTA01659537 wide efforts aimed at countering terrorist attacks involving unconventional weapons, known as WMD." More than 30 current and former Homeland Security employees and contractors "voiced concern that the changes — including the cancellation of dozens of training exercises and the departure of scores of scientists and policy experts — have put Americans at greater risk." The Hill (7/18, Mitchell, 2.98M) reports on the LA Times story, and notes that the LATimes "found that more than 100 scientists and policy experts with knowledge of radiological and nuclear threats were reassigned or given positions not related to their expertise." The LA Times noted that the "same has happened to numerous more scientists and experts specializing in countering biological threats." Senate Reaches Deal To Vote Next Week On Bill Extending Compensation Fund For 9/11 First Responders. The Washington Post (7/18, Sonmez, Barrett, 14.2M) reports the Senate on Thursday "reached an agreement to hold a vote next week on legislation extending a victims compensation fund for 9/11 workers, following an emotional appeal by comedian Jon Stewart and first responders." Senate Majority Leader McConnell's office "said that the vote will take place on or before next Wednesday and that the Senate will also consider two amendments" — one offered by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), the other by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). The AP (7/18, Daly) reports Senate Minority Leader Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) "said Thursday they had reached an agreement" with Lee and Paul "to bring up the bill no later than Wednesday." The agreement came after "comedian Jon Stewart again blasted Republicans who have held up the bill." The Hill (7/18, Wise, 2.98M) reports Paul accused Stewart of being "a member of the left-wing mob' Thursday after the comedian and activist called Paul's move to block legislation to extend the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund an `abomination."' While speaking with host Neil Cavuto on Fox News, "Paul argued that he's spent his entire Senate career putting forward 'pay-fors anytime spending is expanded,' including for disaster relief funding." NBC Nightly NewS:Avn (7/18, story 9, 1:45, Holt, 127K) reported that Paul said, "So if Jon Stewart could read, maybe he could read the bill and say, 'Oh my God, who in their right mind would vote for a bill that doesn't have a dollar amount in it.'" The Hill (7/18, Camey, 2.98M) reports that the bill, which passed the House in a 402-12 vote, "would reauthorize funding until fiscal 2090" and is "expected to easily pass the Senate." CBS Remembers New York Firefighters Who Died Of Cancer. The CBS Evening Newskies:,. (7/18, story 12, 0:50, O'Donnell, 251K) remembered "two brave New York firefighters who worked on the 9/11 rescue and recovery. Kevin Nolan was 58, and Richard Driscoll was 73. Both died of cancer." It added, "Paul blocked a fast-tracking of the bill, noting the country is $22 trillion in debt. But what about the debt of gratitude America owes first responders and their families? That is a debt the country can never repay for sacrifices we can't afford to forget." German Police Detain Six Suspected Islamic Extremists. The AP (7/18) reports that police in Cologne "raided the apartments of alleged Islamic extremists on Thursday and detained six people amid suspicions the group may have been planning an attack." The "main suspect is a 30-year-old German-Lebanese convert to Islam who has been on authorities' radar as an extremist for six years and tried repeatedly to travel to territory controlled by the Islamic State group, senior police official Klaus- Stephan Becker told reporters." COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE Career Officials Say White House Didn't Pressure Them On Security Clearances. The Hill (7/18, Enjeti, 2.98M) reports in an exclusive that during a closed door session of the House Oversight Committee, "two career White House security officials" testified "that no political pressure was asserted on their office in determining security clearances, according to a GOP staff memo obtained by Hill. TV" According to the memo, career White House security official Crede Bailey testified "that he at no point felt pressure from anyone at the White House to determine a security clearance one way or the other." Similarly, former career employee Cory Louie "testified that at no time in his two week tenure in the security office under the Trump administration did he ever feel undue political influence on the security clearance process." The Hill says their testimony "could deal a blow to Democratic assertions that President Trump and the White House counsel might have used undue influence on the process to win clearances for his son-in-law Jared Kushner and his daughter Ivanka Trump." Pentagon Reviewing Plan To Relocate Key US Intel Hub Within UK. EFTA01659538 Stars And Stripe., (7/18, Vandiver, 30K) reports a US intelligence gathering hub at RAF Molesworth "could stay where it is as the Pentagon reconsiders a plan to move the center to a different site." Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col. Carla M. Gleason said in a statement, "The Department of Defense is currently re- assessing the future location of the Joint Intelligence Analysis Complex and the NATO Intelligence Fusion Center." The Pentagon stopped short of "saying whether it is considering scrapping a plan to build a new center at RAF Croughton, which would include $200 million in upgrades, and keep the intelligence activities at Molesworth." The Senate's 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, which still requires House approval, "calls for funds to build an `intelligence fusion center' and `battlefield information collection and exploitation system center' at Molesworth." The Senate NDAA "did not specify how canceling the move would affect the $200 million slated for the Croughton project." CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS Epstein Denied Bail. NBC Nightly Newtidon (7/18, story 3, 1:35, Holt, 127K) reported a federal judge on Thursday for "wealthy financier Jeffery Epstein accused of sexually abusing dozens of young girls." On ABC World News Tonight RV idea. 's both a "risk of flight" and a "danger to the community." The judge also cited "Epstein accusers (7/18, story 5, 2:05, Muir, 597K), Tom Llamas reported that the judge sided with prosecutors that E ;NJ _and who testified he was still a threat." On the CBS Evening Newsidea. (7/18, story 5, 1:40, O'Donnell, 251K), Mola Lenghi reported, "Prosecutors argued if granted bail, the 66-year-old was a significant flight risk, pointing to what they found in a safe in his Manhattan townhouse, $70,000 in cash, dozens of diamond, and a fake foreign passport that had expired." CBS also mentioned that Epstein is "a former friend of the President," and "many, including Mr. Trump, have now distanced themselves from the multimillionaire." The Daily Beast (7/18, Briquelet, I.39M) reports that US District Judge Richard Berman "said the evidence offered by federal prosecutors that it was too risky to release the globe-trotting financier appeared `strong.' The evidence includes testimony of victims, some of whom were minor girls when they were allegedly sexually abused by Mr. Epstein; other witnesses, including potential coconspirators; physical evidence, including passports reflecting extensive foreign travel; sexually suggestive photographs of nude underage girls; plea discussions; and police reports describing witness tampering and intimidation,' Berman wrote in a 33-page opinion." The Palm Beach (FL) Daily News (7/18, Musgrave, 21K) reports, "Multimillionaire Epstein has pleaded not guilty to the charges revealed in a July 8 indictment." Federal prosecutors "accuse Epstein of luring dozens of underage girls to his Palm Beach mansion and his townhouse in New York for nude massages that, for most, led to sex." Judge Berman "also said he was swayed by Epstein accusers and former Palm Beach County resident . Both testified at Epstein's bond hearing on Monday, a landmark moment in which Epstein was confronted in open court by his accusers. `I would ask there be no bond for the safety of the other girls, like me, who were sexually abused, told Berman on Monday while Epstein looked on impassively. `He's a scary person.' The New York Post (7/18, Denney, Golding, 4.57M) reports that Judge Berman's "decision to deny Jeffrey Epstein bail will encourage more women to come forward with allegations of sexual abuse when they were underage girls, a lawyer for several accusers said Thursday." Judge Berman's ruling "made it `safer for everyone' to come forward against the multimillionaire financier and convicted pedophile, lawyer Sigrid McCawley said." McCawley "predicted that the number of current Epstein accusers was 'just the tip of the iceberg' and said that she had signed up four new clients following Epstein's July 6 arrest. 'They've been living in this cage of fear and intimidation ever since he committed these horrible crimes against them,' she said." McCawley "wouldn't identify her new clients but said she encouraged them to report their alleged abuse to the FBI." Illinois Man Sentenced To Life For Murder Of Chinese Student. Reuters (7/18, Chiarito) reports, "An Illinois man described by prosecutors as obsessed with serial killers was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday for the kidnapping and decapitation of a Chinese graduate student two years ago." A federal jury in Peoria, Illinois "found Brendt Christensen, 29, guilty last month of all charges in the murder of Yingying Zhang, a 26-year-old student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign," and EFTA01659539 "on Thursday, the same jury of five women and seven men told the judge that they were unable to unanimously decide between life in prison or the death penalty," and Christensen "was then sentenced to life imprisonment by default." The AP (7/18, Tarm) reports, "Jurors deliberated about eight hours over two days before announcing they were deadlocked on whether 30-year-old Brendt Christensen should be put to death for killing Yingying Zhang in 2017 as part of a homicidal fantasy, automatically resulting in a sentence of life behind bars without the possibility of parole." US District Judge James Shadid "castigated Christensen in court later Thursday as he formally sentenced him, telling him his `inexplicable act of violence has taken its toll on so many, first and foremost the Zhang family."The Zhang family ... must live with the thought that Yingying was ripped away from them by a total stranger, thousands of miles away, fulfilling his self-absorbed and selfish fantasies,' he told Christensen." The Urbana/Champaign (IL) News-Gazette (7/18, Zigterman, 121K) reports that the sentence "comes after seven days of often emotional testimony during the sentencing phase, beginning with Ms. Zhang's family describing how difficult her death has been for them and her friends describing how bright and generous she was." WTTW-TV Chicago (7/18, 7K) and WGN-TVChicago (7/18, 576K) also report. Three Former Paterson, New Jersey Officers Say They Stole Money With Fourth Officer. The Bergen (HI) Record (7/18, Malinconico) reports from Paterson, New Jersey, "At the time of his federal indictment last March, Paterson police officer Eudy Ramos faced the possibility of having one of his fellow cops testify against him," but "that didn't seem to bother his lawyer, Miles Feinstein, who asserted that Ramos was innocent and anxious to clear his name of the accusations that he participated in illegal traffic stops and shakedowns of motorists." The Record adds that "the odds seem to be getting worse for Ramos after Tuesday's proceedings in federal court in Newark." According to the Record, "In pleading guilty on Tuesday to federal civil rights crimes, former officer Frank Toledo said he teamed up with Ramos on Dec. 2, 2017 to steal $1,000 from someone they arrested." The ongoing FBI probe "has resulted in the arrests of seven cops, including five who already pleaded guilty." Intense Secrecy Surrounds Whereabouts Of "El Chapo." The New York Times (7/18, Palmer, 18.61M) reports, "Throughout his long and bloody career, the drug kingpin known as El Chapo has proved to be a master of escape, breaking out of two Mexican prisons to continue his reign leading the Sinaloa cartel," and "within hours of being sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday, the notorious Mexican crime lord, Joaquin Guzman Loera, was whisked away from a federal jail in Manhattan and transferred to an undisclosed location, his lawyers said." His attorneys "expect he will end up at the nation's most forbidding federal prison, the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility, or ADX, in Florence, Cob." The Times adds, "The intense secrecy surrounding Mr. Guzmin's transfer to another prison reflected the anxiety over his Houdini-like ability to engineer escapes in the past and the deep financial resources at the disposal of the cartel." US Charges Maryland Man With Threatening Member Of Congress. The Baltimore Sun (7/18, Kelvey, 1.33M) reports that a Westminster, Maryland man "was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury after allegedly threatening to kill a member of Congress in June." Darryl Albert Vamum "was indicted on one felony count of threatening a federal official by the grand jury for the U.S. District of Maryland, according to federal court documents." The indictment "stems from Vamum's allegedly leaving a voicemail for a member of Congress — identified in a criminal complaint filed in Baltimore's U.S. District Court only as `United States Congressperson #1' — on June 28." The Daily Beast "identified the member of Congress allegedly threatened as Democratic Florida Rep. Frederica Wilson, but the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland, Wilson's office and U.S. Capitol Police declined to confirm that reporting." The Miami Herald (7/18, Rabin, 1.09M) reports Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL) received a death threat from a Pentagon contractor "after she introduced a bill requiring public schools to vaccinate children before receiving federal funding, according to a complaint and warrant filed in Maryland federal court." The complaint, filed in US District Court in the District of Maryland, does not identify Wilson by name, but she was identified by the Daily Beast. The complaint says Darryl Albert Vamum "called Wilson's Florida office on June 26, threatening to come down to Miami and kill her if the bill were introduced." Vamum "works for a company in Columbia, Maryland, called Sealing Technology, which is currently contracted out by the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency." FBI Visits Home Of Omaha Man After Congressman Alleged Threats. EFTA01659540 The Omaha (NE) World-Herald (7/19, Morton, 641K) reports, "Omahan Clark Rutledge got a visit this week from the FBI after calling the office of his congressman, Rep. Don Bacon. `Our office took a call from a constituent who made alleged threats against the congressman and his family,' Bacon spokeswoman Danielle Jensen said in a statement. `All threats are taken seriously by Capital Police and this office. We would not want to see a repeat of two years ago when Minority Whip (Steve) Scalise and others were shot.'" Jensen "said the office reported the comments to police per standard procedure." Rutledge "has been highly critical of Bacon, a Republican, on social media." Rutledge "characterized the call to law enforcement as an attempt by the congressman to stifle that criticism." FBI Seeks Public's Help In Search For Missing Arizona Woman. KPNX-TV Phoenix (7/18, 101K) reports from Phoenix that the FBI "is asking for the public's help searching for an Arizona woman who was last seen on the Navajo Nation nearly a month ago." Jamie Lynnette Yazzie "was last seen in the area of Pinon, Arizona, on the evening of June 30." Yazzie, 31, "also goes by Jamie Montoya and Jamie Yazzie." She "is described as a 5-foot-5, 230-pound Native American woman with black hair and brown eyes." The FBI "is seeking any information regarding Yazzie's whereabouts or the details and circumstances surrounding her disappearance." Coast Guard Vet's Family Hopes FBI Program Helps Crack Case. KSAT-TV San Antonio (7/18, Clarke, Caldera, 198K) reports from San Antonio, "The family of John Ryan Burton, a Coast Guard veteran killed Jan. 29, is not giving up hope his killer will be found and brought to justice. `He was just a hard worker. He had no issues with anybody. He was a Coast Guard veteran,' said Meagan Burton, John Burton's sister." Meagan Burton "is even more hopeful after learning about an FBI program that compares case evidence and data with other law enforcement agencies' information to help solve violent crimes." West Virginia Man Sentenced For Meth Conspiracy. WTAP-TV Parkersburg, WV (7/18, Bright) reports that a Parkersburg, West Virginia man "was sentenced to nearly six years in prison Wednesday for his guilty plea in a federal drug investigation that resulted in charges against 29 people." A federal judge in Charleston, West Virginia "sentenced Jeffrey Hoyler, 56, to 71 months in prison on Wednesday for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine." Hoyer "was prosecuted as part of Project Parkersburg, a joint investigation involving federal, West Virginia and Ohio authorities." Federal prosecutors "said Hoyer admitted to distributing meth and transporting large amounts of cash to Phoenix at the direction of two co-defendants, one of whom then met with a supplier to buy more drugs." Hoyer "was among 17 people charged in federal indictments stemming from the investigation involving the FBI, Parkersburg Police Department, the Parkersburg Narcotics and Violent Crimes Task Force and the Dayton, Ohio Police Department." Reputed California Gang Member Charged With Human Trafficking. The San Jose (CA) Mercuryt (7/18, Gartrell, 456K) reports from Richmond, California, "Contra Costa County prosecutors have charged a 34-year-old man with seven felonies related to alleged sex trafficking, court records show." Mychal Duane Nelson, of Richmond "faces two counts of human trafficking and pandering, as well as charges of showing pornography to a minor, using a minor for sex acts and contact with a minor for a sex offense." Mychal Duane Nelson, of Richmond "faces two counts of human trafficking and pandering." Police "say the investigation involved the FBI Safe Streets Task Force as well as police in Los Angeles, Richmond and Vallejo." Former CBP Officer Pleads Guilty To Illegal Sun-Sales Scheme. NBC News (7/18, 6.I4M) reports, "A former Customs and Border Protection officer in California has pleaded guilty to running an illegal gun-selling business beginning in the late 1990s, in which he used his status as an officer to buy and sell 'off-roster' handguns, federal prosecutors said Wednesday." Wei Xu, 56, "who has been in federal custody since his arrest in February, pleaded guilty to unlawfully engaging in the business of dealing in firearms, unlawfully possessing unregistered firearms, making materially false statements to a federal agency and tax evasion." Xu "admitted to selling at least 99 firearms without the required license from the late 1990s until his arrest in February, the federal prosecutor's office said." The FBI "said in a criminal complaint that Xu had two accounts with a website described as an online marketplace for guns where users can post advertisements, and used that website to arrange for sales to an undercover agent in person." Shot Twice By Police, St. Louis Man Sentenced For Latest Incident. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (7/18, Patrick, 685K) reports, "A St. Louis man who was shot during a raid by FBI agents and St. Louis County police last year was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison." According to EFTA01659541 the Post-Dispatch, "It was the second time that Myron Cornelius Wilson Jr., now 27, had been shot by police after refusing to drop a gun, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sirena Wissler said in court." The first time "was in 2010, she said, when he was running from police and refused multiple orders to drop his weapon." Wilson "was shot April 17, 2018, while the FBI's Most Violent Offenders unit was serving a search warrant in the 4100 block of Camellia Avenue." Gunman Sought In Two Florida Walgreens Robberies. The South Florida Sun Sentinel (7/18, Roustan, 545K) reports, "A masked gunman — who wraps his head in a white cloth, like a mummy — is suspected of robbing at least two Walgreens stores, the FBI said." According to the Sun Sentinel, "The two armed holdups happened within an hour of each other beginning at about 10:30 p.m. on Friday, agents said." The Sun Sentinel adds, "Security surveillance images showed the robber walking into the Walgreens" in Miramar. He "pulled out a handgun and demanded an undisclosed amount of money from a store employee," and he "drove off in a silver or gray four-door car, the FBI said." Investigators "believe this same robber may have been involved in the holdup of another Walgreens...in Cooper City, within an hour after the Miramar robbery." The FBI "and its South Florida Violent Crime Task Force are assisting local law enforcement agencies with violent armed robberies." WPLG-TV Miami (7/18, Batchelor, 223K) also reports. Michigan Man Sentenced For Robbing Credit Union. The Livingston County(MI) Daily Press & Argus (7/18, Bradley) reports that a Novi, Michigan man "has been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison for robbing a bank in Brighton." Warren Gordon, 28, "robbed Lake Trust Credit Union in Brighton on Dec. 10, implying he had a weapon but he never produced one, police said." Gordon "was sentenced to 20 months to 15 years in prison on Thursday by Livingston County Circuit Court Judge Michael Hatty." In June, Gordon "pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery, which carries a maximum term of life in prison, and one count of unarmed robbery, a 15-year felony." The Brighton Police Department, "with the assistance of the FBI, the Livingston County Sheriff's Department, Green Oak Township Police and the Hamburg Township Police arrested Gordon at his home in Novi two days after the incident." Massachusetts Man Arrested In Bank Robbery. The New Bedford (MA) Standard-Times (7/18, Roy, 53K) reports from Somerset, Massachusetts, "A Dartmouth man has been arrested by Somerset police and charged in a bank robbery that happened on July 5." Somerset Police Chief George McNeil "reports that an arrest has been made after a two-week investigation into a bank robbery that took place in Somerset on July 5." Thomas Rodrigues Jr., 31, of Dartmouth "was charged with one count of unarmed robbery." On Wednesday night, "a search warrant was executed by Somerset Police detectives at a home on Old Plainville Road in New Bedford, with the assistance of the FBI, Massachusetts State Police and New Bedford Police." Police Raid Pennsylvania Residences In Search For Shooting Suspect. The York (PA) Daily Record (7/18, Czech, 120K) reports, "In tracking down shooting suspect Khalic `Buddha' Cross, police staged raids Wednesday, making several arrests and seizing guns and drugs, according to a York City Police news release." Cross, 25, "is wanted for the Sunday shooting of Kurtz Avenue Neighborhood cookout organizer Nena Gilbert and is also wanted on charges of strangulation, simple assault and harassment in a December case, also out of the city." The Daily Record adds, "Acting on intelligence gathered in their investigation, and in an effort to stop Cross' ongoing criminal activities,' police executed the warrants in York and Manchester Township." Police "did not find Cross, but they did arrest Jaimire Wooten, 21, of York, charging him with receiving stolen property and Sabien Weaver, 20, of York, charging him with possession with intent to deliver drugs and receiving stolen property, according to the release." The Daily Record notes the FBI's participation in the raids. Oklahoma Man Pleads Not Guilty In Sex Abuse Case. The Duncan (OK) Banner (7/18, Belew) reports, "A Marlow man charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse and a count of lewd molestation after a child porn investigation entered a `not guilty' plea in court Wednesday." The Banner adds that according to court records, Matthew Willoughby Hale, of Marlow, "faces five counts of sexual abuse and a count of lewd molestation." The charges "are directly related to a child porn investigation dating back to December 2017, which left Hale with 13 counts of possession of child pornography in a different case." The Banner "previously reported during spring 2017, a county law informant was contacted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for an ongoing investigation involving the possession EFTA01659542 and distribution of child pornography through the use of peer-to-peer (P2P) intemet-based file sharing, such as BitTorrent." Former Kansas Priest Charged With Possession Of Child Pornography. The AP (7/18) reports from Kansas City, Kansas, "A former Kansas priest has been charged with one count of possessing child pornography." According to the AP, "The Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas, said in a news release Thursday that it reported Christopher Rossman to authorities in September 2016 after learning he had accessed inappropriate content on his computer." Rossman "was suspended from the ministry at that time." The archdiocese "said it received information that an FBI investigation resulted in the charge being filed." California Man Charged With Murder After Driving Family Off Pier. CBS News (7/18, 3.68M) reports from Los Angeles, "A man was charged Wednesday with murder after prosecutors say he drove his family off a Los Angeles pier, killing his two severely autistic sons." Ali Elmezayen "faces two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder and there's a special circumstance allegation that the killings were carried out for financial gain, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office said." Federal authorities "had previously argued Elmezayen plotted for over two years before launching his plan into action April 9, 2015." Elmezayen "has also been charged with fraud," and "he is in federal custody, having been accused by prosecutors in that case of purchasing $6 million in insurance policies to cover his family in the event of an accidental death." CNN (7/18, Scutti, 83.16M) reports, "In November 2018, Elmezayen was arrested by the FBI and charged with four counts of mail fraud, four counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft (for posing as his wife in calls to the insurance companies) and five counts of money laundering, according to the US Attorney's Office of the Central District of California." FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS Trump Denounces Puerto Rican Officials Amid Protests Demanding Rossello's Ouster. Politico (7/18, Dugyala, 4.29M) reports that on Twitter yesterday, President Trump "denounced Puerto Rico's `corrupt' leadership, writing...that `a lot of bad things are happening' in the U.S. territory whose capital has been choked by protests in recent days." Trump wrote, "The Governor is under siege, the Mayor of San Juan is a despicable and incompetent person who I wouldn't trust under any circumstance, and the United States Congress foolishly gave 92 Billion Dollars for hurricane relief, much of which was squandered away or wasted, never to be seen again." Trump continued in a tweet, "This is more than twice the amount given to Texas & Florida combined. I know the people of Puerto Rico well, and they are great. But much of their leadership is corrupt, & robbing the U.S. Government blind!" The Wall Street Journal (7/18, Campo-Flores, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports Gov. Ricardo Rossello is facing huge protests and calls to resign. The Washington Post (7/18, Hernandez, Stein, 14.2M) reports that "tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans have been taking to the...streets of the old city here demanding...Rossello resign amid allegations of corruption." According to the Post, "The protests, increasingly intense, are an outgrowth of widespread indignation that has challenged his administration's already tenuous credibility and imperiled the distribution of needed federal aid to a territory still reeling from disaster." Chao: FAA Has No Timeline To Lift Grounding Of 737 MAX. In continuing coverage of the safety concerns surrounding the Boeing 737 MAX, Bloomberg (7/18, 4.73M) reports Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said at a speech at the Air Line Pilots Association's Air Safety Forum that the FAA "will lift the aircraft's prohibition order when it is deemed safe to do so." She asserted, `That is the bottom line: There is no timeline." Chao said the FAA is working with a technical advisory board that includes experts from NASA and the Air Force to determine the training requirements before pilots will be allowed to fly the 737 MAX. Bloomberg says Chao's remarks at the forum "mirror what FAA acting Administrator Daniel Elwell has been saying in recent months." Southwest Cancels 737 MAX Through November 2. Reuters (7/18, Rucinski, Ajmera) reports Southwest Airlines has canceled all flights operated by the Boeing 737 MAX through November 2 and is also freezing new pilot hiring. Southwest said the decision results in the removal of 180 flights per day from its schedule. The Associated Press (7/18) reports Southwest had told pilots last week that the airline was delaying two classes for new-pilot training and two classes for pilots promoted to captain that were schedule to occur in September, October, and December. Air Transport World (7/18, 131K) reports Southwest explained, "With the timing of the MAX's return-to-service still uncertain, we are again revising our plans to remove the MAX from our schedule through Nov. 2." EFTA01659543 The Dallas (TX) Morning News (7/18, Difurio, 946K) reports Southwest said in a statement, "By proactively removing the Max from scheduled service, we can reduce last-minute flight cancellations and unexpected disruptions to our customers' travel plans." USA Today (7/18, Gilbertson, 10.31M) quotes Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz saying, "We offer our apologies to our customers impacted by this change, and we thank them for their continued patience." Additional coverage included CNN (7/18, Valinsky, Business, 83.16M), Business Insider (7/18, Reuters, 3.67M), and The Verge (7/18, 2.05M). Boeing Takes $4.9 Billion Charge To Compensate 737 MAX Customers. The Washington (DC) Post (7/18, Macmillan, 14.2M) reports Boeing said in a statement on Thursday that it would take a $4.9 billion charge to compensate airline customers for the grounding of the 737 MAX. The Post says, "The financial toll of the 737 Max grounding is starting to add up for Boeing, which has frozen sales of its flagship jetliner since regulators issued a global grounding of the plane in March." The Associated Press (7/18) explains that the figure will not include money Boeing will have to pay to victims of the Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air crashes. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg said in a statement, "The Max grounding presents significant headwinds and the financial impact recognized this quarter reflects the current challenges and helps to address future financial risks." Additional coverage was provided by The Hill (7/18, Rodrigo, 2.98M), Business Insider (7/18, Baker, 3.67M), and Forbes (7/18, Bogaisky, 9.71M). FBI Raids Illinois Home Of Confidant Of State House Speaker. The Chicago Tribune (7/18, Meisner, Long, 2.65M) reports, "The FBI has raided the downstate home of a high-powered former Springfield lobbyist who for decades served as one of House Speaker Michael Madigan's closest confidants, the Chicago Tribune has learned." According to the Tribune, "The raid of Mike McClain's home in Quincy took place in mid-May, around the same time the FBI executed search warrants at the homes of two other Madigan associates - former 23rd Ward Ald. Michael Zalewski and political operative Kevin Quinn, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation." The Tribune adds, "It's unclear what agents were looking for when they searched McClain's house in Quincy, which is about 100 miles west of Springfield along the Mississippi River," but "the search warrant indicates that federal investigators are probing connections to possible criminal acts by some in Madigan's inner circle." Former Goldman Sachs Banker In Plea Discussions To Avoid Trial Over 1MDB Charges. Bloomberg (7/18, 4.73M) reports, "Former Goldman Sachs Group banker Roger Ng is still in plea talks to avoid a US trial on charges that he violated American anti-bribery laws and conspired to launder money embezzled from Malaysia's state investment fund 1MDB." According to Bloomberg, "At a hearing Thursday in federal court in Brooklyn, with Ng present, prosecutors told U.S. District Judge Margo Brodie the talks have been slowed by a `tremendous amount of discovery evidence.'" Bloomberg adds, "About 640,000 documents have been prepared, Assistant US Attorney Drew Rolle said." Rolle "also cited the government's concern about what sensitive material Ng will be able to see and that alleged co-conspirator Jho Low, who is accused of looting the fund, remains at large." Judge Brodie "said `discovery needs to move forward' despite the complex nature of the case and set the next hearing for Aug. 20." Second Circuit Upholds Shkreli's Conviction. Reuters (7/18, Stempel) reports that a three-judge panel of the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday unanimously "upheld the conviction and seven-year prison term of Martin Shkreli, the pharmaceutical executive known as 'Pharma Bro,' for defrauding investors in his hedge funds and conspiring to manipulate the stock of Retrophin Inc, a biotechnology company he ran." The judges "rejected Shkreli's argument that his trial judge gave incorrect and confusing instruction about securities fraud to the Brooklyn jury that convicted him," and "also rejected his claim that the $7.36 million he was ordered to forfeit was excessive because his hedge fund investors made money, and the amount did not account for some trading losses he incurred." Shkreli, 36, "had been appealing his August 2017 conviction on two securities fraud counts and one conspiracy count." US Charges Chicago Employee With Lying To FBI. The Chicago Tribune (7/18, Pratt, Meisner, 2.65M) reports, "A Chicago city inspector lied to the FBI about his relationship with developers who have come under scrutiny as part of the FBI investigation into Ald. Carrie Austin, a newly unsealed federal indictment alleged." According to the Tribune, "The city worker also falsely claimed to have inspected rehabbed porches, leading the city to pay out a company that hadn't completed its work, the indictment alleged." A federal grand jury "indicted city inspector Joseph Garcia on March 21 on one count of wire fraud and one count of lying to investigators." The charges "were under seal until his arrest on EFTA01659544 Tuesday, when Garcia appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Young B. Kim and pleaded not guilty, court records show." Former Nevada Lawmaker Sentenced For Campaign Fund Fraud. The AP (7/18, Megan) reports from Las Vegas, "A former top Nevada Democratic lawmaker was sentenced Thursday to more than two years in federal prison and fined almost $250,000 for misusing campaign funds to pay personal bills and open a downtown Las Vegas nightclub where he hosted political fundraisers." The AP adds, "Ex-Senate Majority Leader Kelvin Atkinson told U.S. District Judge James Mahan in Las Vegas he was embarrassed, and called his fall from grace after 17 years in elected office `regrettable' and `unfortunate."' US Attorney Nicholas Trutanich "said poor record keeping kept the FBI from determining how the more than $1.1 million Atkinson reported receiving in campaign contributions from 2010 to 2017 was spent," but "he said investigators found a discrepancy of more than $450,000." FBI Probing Baseball Card Collectors Suspected Of Fraud. The Washington Post (7/18, Bogage, 14.2M) reports that the FBI is investigating "a scandal over trading cards that have allegedly been fraudulently altered rocks the billion-dollar memorabilia hobby." Federal law enforcement officials "have launched a criminal investigation encompassing one of baseball card collecting's largest appraisal firms, a well-known sports memorabilia dealer and one of the hobby's largest auction houses, among others, according to four collectors who have been interviewed by investigators." According to the Post, "The scandal started after a pair of online collectors began identifying and documenting cards that were allegedly improperly modified," and "four collectors who spoke with investigators say the FBI suspects thousands of additional cards with similar issues are still circulating through the hobby." FBI Reportedly Probing Oklahoma Charter Schools' Practices, Finances. The Tulsa (OK) World (7/18, Eger, 205K) reports that the FBI "and the U.S. Department of Education's law enforcement arm have also been probing Epic Charter Schools' student enrollment practices and finances, public records obtained by the Tulsa World show." According to the World, "Emails with officials at the Oklahoma State Department of Education and Statewide Virtual Charter School Board reveal that federal investigators were at work behind the scenes in the years after the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation's initial inquiry into allegations of fraud at Epic resulted in no charges." The World adds, "It is unknown whether there has been any coordination between state and federal investigators, who have all declined comment, but Epic's most recent revenue reports show the financial stakes of any fraudulent practices would be much higher for the state of Oklahoma than the federal government." Authorities Probing Alleged Bank Fraud At U Of Wisconsin-Parkside. The Racine (WI) Journal Times (7/18, Flores, 114K) reports from Somers, Wisconsin, "The University of Wisconsin-Parkside, along with federal authorities, are investigating what is being reported as bank fraud of more than $300,000 against the institution, university system officials said Thursday." System spokesman Mark Pitsch "said in an e-mail to the Kenosha News that losses totaled approximately $315,000." Pitsch "said some of the losses were recovered and insurance is `expected to cover much of the rest.' The UW System is actively working with law enforcement authorities,' he said." Parkside police "investigating the crime have notified the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service." CYBER DIVISION Schumer Seeks FBI, FTC Probes Of FaceApp. The Washington Post (7/18, Denham, I4.2M) reports, "FaceApp was having a viral moment with its AI- backed photo-editing technology, which transformed celebrities and friends into decades-older versions of themselves, until its vague privacy terms and Russian origins began raising concerns among political leaders and social media users," and "on Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer asked the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate FaceApp on the grounds its app could pose 'national security and privacy risks for millions of U.S. citizens.'" According to the Post, "That same day, the Democratic National Committee urged 2020 presidential campaigns to delete the app 'immediately."' DNC officials "got burned by Russian hackers during the 2016 race and have since invested heavily in cybersecurity to prevent a repeat." Gizmodo (7/18, Brown, 2.7M) reports, "On Wednesday night, Schumer called upon the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to 'look into' FaceApp's data-gathering practices." In a letter "sent to FTC Chairman Joseph Simons and FBI Director Christopher Wray, Schumer explained that by using the app, users give the company 'full and irrevocable access to their personal photos and data' and give the company license to use their content, then lays out his concerns: 'Furthermore, it is unclear how long FaceApp retains a user's data or how a user may ensure their data is deleted after usage. These forms of "dark EFTA01659545 patterns," which manifest in opaque disclosures and broader user authorizations, can be misleading to consumers and may even constitute a deceptive trade practices. Thus, I have serious concerns regarding both the protection of the data that is being aggregated as well as whether users are aware of who may have access to it.' The Daily Caller (7/18, 716K) and the Wall Street Joumal(7/18, Needleman, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) also report. Fox News: Senior Law Enforcement Official Says China Is Now "Direct Peer" of US On Cyber. Fox News (7/18, Herridge, 27.59M) reports, "China has grown more sophisticated in its cyber capabilities and is now considered a direct `peer' of the United States after years of lagging behind, a senior law enforcement official told Fox News." According to Fox News, "The official also said there is growing U.S. concern about the so-called `hybrid threat,' in which governments contract out cyberattacks to criminal entities who are selling their services." According to Fox News, "The purpose is for the entities to act as proxies or cut-outs to create plausible deniability." After the 2016 presidential election, "the FBI created a special task force to focus on foreign influence and election meddling, following efforts by the Russians to interfere in that contest." The official "said there is every expectation the Russians will try again to interfere in U.S. elections, warning that new technology will open the door to new tactics." Vietnam Not Using Huawei In 5G Network. The New York Times (7/18, Thong, 18.61M) reports that the "battle for technological dominance between the United States and China is splitting the world in two," with US allies "such as Britain and Germany" signalling "that they are unlikely to back Washington's effort to stop countries from working with the Chinese technology giant Huawei." Australia, meanwhile, "has barred the firm from building its next-generation 5G cellphone networks, even though its economy depends on China's appetite for natural resources." While Vietnam "might seem to be a natural customer for Huawei," the country's "leading mobile carriers appear to be keeping Huawei out of their 5G plans, even if the government's fear of incensing Beijing likely prevents them from saying so." Senate Passes Bill To Expand Anti-Hacking Law To Criminalize Voting System Attacks. The Washington Times (7/18, Blake, 492K) reports, "Senators easily passed a bill Wednesday that would update the government's longstanding anti-hacking law to cover attacks waged against voting machines used in federal elections." The Senate "approved the Defending the Integrity of Voting Systems Act by unanimous consent, putting pressure on the House to consider a companion bill currently pending on Capitol Hill." The bill "would amend the U.S. Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, or CFAA, to prohibit interference with voting systems `used for the management, support or administration of a federal election.' The CFAA "currently makes it a crime to use a 'protected computer' without authorized access or in a manner that exceeds authorized access, but a report released last year by the Department of Justice's Cyber Task Force determined that the law `does not prohibit the act of hacking a voting machine in many common situations.' Georgia County Commissioner Says No Ransom Demanded After Cyber Attack. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (7/18, Stafford, 895K) reports that Henry County, Georgia officials "struggled through a second day of an apparent cyber attack on Thursday that dismantled county services and forced staff to pull out typewriters and switch to paper forms, after the south metro county government was left without email or Internet access." According to the AJC, "While county officials have not yet said the cause of what they are describing as a `malware' attack, Henry Commissioner Bruce Holmes said there has been no ransom demand." Atlanta "was hit by a ransomware attack in March 2018, by criminals who demanded $51,000 in exchange for encryption keys to recover the city's compromised data." The FBI and the Georgia Technology Authority "have been called in to help with the investigation." Cyber Command Tested "Persistent Engagement" During Recent Exercise. Defense News (7/16, Pomerleau, 21 K) reports US Cyber Command "trained its new operating concept persistent engagement for the first time in a recent DOD exercise." Coast Guard Rear Adm. John Mauger, director of exercises and training at Cyber Command, "told reporters that Cyber Flag 2019 is Cyber Command's premier tactical exercise and was the first opportunity to train `according to the new organizational construct and evaluate or assess their performance against a new mission essential tasks that come with persistent engagement.' The new operating concept, persistent engagement, seeks "to meet adversaries below the threshold of armed conflict daily as a way to combat their behavior." Opinion: Cyber Weapons Are Changing The Landscape Of Modern Warfare. In her column in the New Yorker (7/18, 5.82M), Sue Halpern writes on the evolution of cyberwarfare in the arsenal of US tools in modern warfare. Halpern discusses the emergence of US Cyber Command and its EFTA01659546 increased role and status as an offensive weapon against foreign adversaries. Halpern concludes that the "Trump Administration, with Bolton in the lead, has made offensive cyber operations an integral arm of statecraft. It remains an open question whether they will also become lethal weapons of war." Cryptojacking Becoming A Growing Malware Menace. SC Magazine (7/18) reports Cryptojacking — cryptomining via malware and other attack vectors - "is a fast- growing threat not just to owners of individual computers and mobile devices, but also to organizations of all types and sizes, putting the security, availability, reliability, and operational costs of their computers and networks at risk." Cryptojacking is now another threat category "to add to your IT security team's Fight-Us list, alongside a laundry list of threats, including viruses and malware, distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, phishing, spyware, hackers, rootkits and ransomware." Cryptojacking potentially results "in obtaining cryptocurrency without the attacker going through risky intermediary steps such as ransom, blackmail, or offering stolen data for sale." Also, the IT resources "being stolen might not yet be on the security team's radar. Finally, any cryptocurrency `loot' a surreptitious, illegal cryptomine generates is itself legitimate." An essential part of finding and stopping any cyberbreach "is how the company and all of its employees internalize security." Opinion: Ghost Keys "Solution" To Encryption Is No Solution. In an op-ed in Just Security (7/18), Senior Policy Counsel at New America's Open Technology Institute Ross Schulman writes that the DOJ and FBI have repeatedly asserted that the extensive use of online communications apps "hampers their ability to conduct investigations, because they cannot access encrypted communications." Ian Levy and Crispin Robinson from the UK's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) "suggest authorizing government officials to force the companies that operate these secure communications services to surreptitiously add another party to an encrypted chat and suppress any notification to the users about the existence of that party." This method has been "dubbed the `ghost key' or `ghost user' solution." Schulman argues that "forcing providers to modify their software to implement a ghost key system would seriously damage the overall trust that people have in end-to-end encrypted communications." Schulman contends that "no matter how the government sought to implement a ghost proposal, it would cause considerable damage to the overall trust of users in the system of software updates." Education Department Issued Security Alert That At Least 62 Colleges Impacted By Hacker Attack. Politico (7/18, Gaudiano, 4.24M) reports Education Department officials "wrote in a `security alert' that they identified 62 colleges or universities that had been `affected' by exploitation of a vulnerability in technology products sold by the company Ellucian." The attackers successfully obtained "unauthorized access to colleges' admissions or enrollment systems and then created `thousands of fake student accounts,' with at least 600 fake accounts generated within a 24-hour period." The vulnerability affects "some of Ellucian's `Banner' products." New UK Prime Minister Will Need To Make 5G Decision Quickly. Reuters (7/18) reports the new UK prime minister "must take a decision on whether to include China's Huawei in Britain's 5G telecoms network urgently as the ongoing debate is damaging international relations, a powerful committee of UK lawmakers said on Friday." Dominic Grieve, chairman of parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), said that "the new prime minister must take a decision as a matter of priority." House GOP Campaign Chief Ends Any Chance Of Truce On Using Hacked Material In 2020 Campaigns. The Daily Beast (7/18, 1.39M) reports that, during the 2018 election, the House campaign arms of Democrats and Republicans "came close to an agreement that neither side would use hacked materials for political purposes." The talks fell apart, but any chance "for some sort of truce in the 2020 election effectively ended this week." Speaking to a group of reporters at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast, Rep. Tom Emmer (R- MN) "balked at a question about coming to an agreement with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee regarding the use of hacked materials this cycle." He said, "The DCCC is not serious about any of this stuff. It's all political hackery... Look at what they've been putting out. Look at what the responses have been." LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES Four Chicago Cops Fired For Role In Fatal Shooting. The Chicago Tribune (7/18, Gorner, 2.65M) reports, "The Chicago Police Board fired a sergeant and three officers Thursday night over the alleged cover-up of the murder of Laquan McDonald by a police officer." The move "appeared to turn on the infamous police dashboard camera video of the fatal shooting that contradicted the officers' police reports." The board "found that the officers exaggerated the threat posed by the 17-year-old McDonald in order to justify the actions of Officer Jason Van Dyke in shooting the teen 16 times." EFTA01659547 Philadelphia Officers Fired For Facebook Posts. F2V-I The CBS Evening News idon (7/18, story 6, 1:10, O'Donnell, 251K) reported that "13 Philadelphia police officers will be fired over racist or offensive Facebook posts" and "more than 50 other officers are being reprimanded or suspended." CBS' Don Dahler added, "Police Commissioner Richard Ross called the actions of the officers unacceptable." Portland Considers Banning Masks During Protests. The Wall Street Journal (7/18, Elinson, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports the city of Portland, Oregon is considering outlawing the wearing of masks by protesters in an effort to stem violent confrontations between activists on the left and the right. Federal Data Show Rural Communities Were Flooded By Prescription Opioids. The AP (7/18, Wang, Minchillo) reports that "newly released prescription opioid statistics underscore how widespread pill use has been in towns and small cities of America's Appalachian region." The article focuses on Ohio's Jackson County, where "the outsized numbers of prescription pain pills have helped fuel many heartbreaking stories of overdose deaths," and "they've also contributed to uneven addiction recovery and surging foster care rates as parents lose their children or leave them orphaned." The Drug Enforcement Administration's "distribution database is a key element of lawsuits filed by more than 2,000 state, local and tribal governments." Likewise, an article by the Washington Post (7/18, AI, Achenbach, I4.2M) focuses on the flood of prescription opioids in Norton, Virginia. In this coal-producing region, "the foundation of the economy is now health care. Sickness, disease and infirmity are growth industries in much of rural America." INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS New York FBI Agents Assist In Bust Of Sicilian Mob With US Ties. Newsday (NY) (7/18, DeStefano, 932K) reports, "A joint operation in Sicily this week involving New York- based FBI agents led to the apprehension of 19 suspected American and Sicilian Mafia members and associates, including some in the extended family of slain Gambino crime boss Frank Cali, officials said." Newsday adds, "In conjunction with Italian police, FBI agents Wednesday took into custody Thomas Gambino, 47, of Staten Island, and executed search warrants in the borough as well as in Philadelphia, an FBI spokeswoman said Thursday." According to Newsday, "The joint law enforcement operation, dubbed 'New Connection,' aimed at destabilizing efforts by the Sicilian Mafia and its American counterparts in the Gambino crime family in New York City to assume leadership of organized crime in Italy, officials said." FBI officials "ouldn't disclose the nature of charges or search warrants executed in the United States." OTHER FBI NEWS FBI Hosting Recruiting Event In Cleveland. WKBN-TV Youngstown, OH (7/18, Reiner, 61K) reports, "The Cleveland division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will be hosting a Diversity Agency Recruiting event on August 8 at the Cleveland Airport Marriott." According to WICBN-TV, "Special Agents will be available to discuss career opportunities within the FBI." Special Agent Eric B. Smith "states that they are hoping to hire more multicultural individuals and women for these positions." The FBI "hires candidates who are U.S. citizens that are 23-36 years old and possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution." Lawmakers Press Secret Service For Plan To Avoid Future Mar-a-Lago Security Breaches. CQ Roll Call (7/18, Bennett, 154K) reports, "Three senior Senate Democrats are pressing the US Secret Service on whether security has been beefed up at President Donald Trump's Florida and New Jersey resorts after a 33-year-old Chinese woman talked her way into his Mar-a-Lago property while he was there." Yujing Zhang, 33, "pleaded not guilty on charges of trespassing and lying to U.S. Secret Service agents after being arrested March 30 at the president's Florida resort." According to CQ Roll Call, "When searched, she was found carrying a pair of passports, four mobile devices, a laptop computer, a thumb drive allegedly containing malware and one external hard drive." The Secret Service "later revealed they found a device used to find hidden cameras and $8,000 in cash in her hotel room." She "has not been charged with espionage and has been granted permission by a federal judge to represent herself." OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS Media Analyses Skeptical Of Trump's Distancing Himself From "Send Her Back" Chant. Coverage of President Trump's Thursday assertion that he did not approve of the "send her back" chant at his Wednesday evening rally in North Carolina is very skeptical, with straight news sources and analyses both EFTA01659548 stating that the President paused for 13 seconds after the chant — sparked by the President's criticism of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) — began, and that Trump said nothing about it after it died down. News reports continue to use the word "racist" to describe the President's tweets about Omar and fellow Reps. Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez (D-NY), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). Two of the broadcast networks led with the story. Jonathan Karl reported on ABC World News Tonight (7/18, lead story, 3:55, Muir, 597K), "President Trump disavowed the words of his own supporters, who turned his tweet suggesting four Democratic congresswomen 'go back to the countries they came from' into a chant.... Why didn't you stop them? Why didn't you ask them to stop saying that?" Trump: "Well, number one, I think I did. I started speaking very quickly. It really was a loud — I disagree with it, by the way. But it was quite a chant, and I felt a little bit badly about it." Karl: "So you'll tell your supporters never to say it again?" Trump: "Well, I would say that I — I was not happy with it. I disagree with it. But again, I didn't say — I didn't say that, they did." Karl said the chant "play[ed] out for 13 seconds. The President doesn't speak again until it dies down." Lester Holt said in opening NBC Nightly New (7/18, lead story, 2:20, 127K), "President Trump's attempt to distance himself from the `go back' controversy is ringing hollow tonight, the latest fallout from his racist attack on [the] four Democratic congresswomen." NBC's Hallie Jackson reported, "Democrats and a few Republicans appalled at the words `send her back' erupting from the crowd at the President's North Carolina rally, referencing [Omar], who escaped war-tom Somalia as a child.... The President today trying to distance himself from the chant, but he's the one who initially suggested Omar and three other Democrats — all US citizens — go back to their home countries." The CBS Evening N w (7/18, story 3, 2:45, O'Donnell, 251K) reported that it "has learned President Trump took a lot of heat from his own family over those racist chants.... He heard from his wife, his daughter, and his Vice President." The Wall Street Journal (7/18, Wise, Bender, Lucey, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) also reports that Ivanka Trump expressed her displeasure to the President about the chant on Thursday morning, according to White House officials. CBS' Weijia Jiang tweeted, "I asked Trump if he would be okay with someone telling the First Lady to go back to her country. He did not answer." The AP (7/18, Miller, Fram) reports Trump said "he was unhappy" with the chant and "claimed he tried to stop [it].... Video shows the president pausing his remarks, appearing to drink in the uproar and not admonishing his supporters as they chanted." USA Today (7/18, Collins, Jackson, Fritze, 10.31M) reports the President "blamed his supporters" for the chant, "even though he did nothing to stop the taunts against a black lawmaker." The Washington Post(7/18, Wagner, Bade, Debonis, 14.2M) says "the recoil on Thursday continued the fallout from a racist tweet Trump sent on Sunday. ... Since then, Trump has continued to defend his language, which mirrored the chant of his supporters in North Carolina that he attempted to disavow." The New York Times (7/18, Davis, 18.61M) says Trump's "effort to dissociate himself from his own supporters reflected the misgivings of his allies, who have flooded the upper echelons of his team with expressions of concern in the wake of a rally that veered into ugly nativist territory. They warned privately that the president was on dangerous ground, according to people briefed on the conversations." But "while they denounced the chant, Republican leaders declined to criticize" the President. Politico (7/18, Orr, Everett, 4.29M) writes, "He once encouraged supporters to attack protesters — then claimed to ensure the safety of all Americans. He mused that Russia should seize his competitor's emails — then said it was just a joke." Trump "returned to a familiar tactic Thursday of blaming others for a problem many believe he created, tossing his own base under the bus to deflect outrage from GOP allies on Capitol Hill and beyond." The Daily Caller (7/18, Athey, 716K) reports, "Critics called the chant `racist,' and a number of Republicans have publicly disavowed what happened at the rally." Politico (7/18, Zanona, Bresnahan, Forgey, 4.29M) reports Republicans "express[ed] shock and discomfort over the `send her back' chants and "convey[ed] their concerns to Vice President Mike Pence" at a breakfast meeting. The Washington Times (7/18, Boyer, Mufioz, 492K) reports Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC) said, "I brought it up [with Pence].... I just think it's something that we want to address early. We want our policies from the House and all the way up the Administration to define us, and we feel like that we can win on that." Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) tweeted, "The chants at last night's rally were offensive, and I'm glad the President has disavowed them." Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) tweeted, "I deeply disagree with the extreme left EFTA01659549 & have been disgusted by their tone. I woke up today equally disgusted — chants like `send her back' are ugly, wrong, & would send chills down the spines of our Founding Fathers. This ugliness must end, or we risk our great union." But Republicans also accepted Trump's distancing himself from the chants. The Washington Examiner (7/18, Lim, 448K) reports House Minority Leader McCarthy said, "You want to dislike the President so much, you're going to accuse him of trying to do something he did not do. He moved on in the speech, he never joined i it, and you want to try to hold him accountable for something in a big audience? I think that's an unfair position." The Washington Post (7/18, Sonmez, Bade, 14.2M) reports Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), who attended the rally, "defended the president, saying he had no control over the crowd and equating the event to a rock concert." Tillis said, "Any one of y'all that have been to a rock concert or other venues, somebody starts up, somebody else thinks.... I mean, to be fair to the audience, they're in a mode where they're energized." R,V Democrats were vocally critical. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) said on CNN's The LearLo.(7/18, 554K), "The chant was created not by the crowd, but by the President's tweets. It's obvious. It's really not a debatable point, and I think it is clearly not a sign of real leadership." Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said on CNN's Situation Rom-Lida (7/18, 634K), "They were the President's own words. They were not original to that group. ... He allowed the chant to continue until it died down on its own. He owns that chant." Sen. Jon Tester giV (D-MT) said onMSNBC's Morning ketideo. (7/18, I.11M), "You have to call it what it is: It's racism. And quite frankly, dividing the country. That's how he hopes to win, I guess." Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) said R,V on CNN's Situation Roomidect (7/18, 623K) that Trump "wallowed in it. We all saw the tape. The tape is not lying." The Washington Examiner (7/18, Drucker, 448K) reports, "A reelection campaign dominated by incendiary chants of `send her back' is a worst-case scenario for President Trump," according to "senior Republicans" who believe the "rhetoric reeks of xenophobia and threatens Trump with key voters in critical 2020 battlegrounds." However, the AP (7/18, Peoples, Miller) writes in an analysis, though "not since George Wallace's campaign in 1968 has a presidential candidate — and certainly not an incumbent president — put racial polarization at the center of his call to voters," Trump "believes his inflammatory rhetoric will strengthen his support among the white working class and attract a new group of disaffected voters who fear cultural changes across America." Jake Tapper said on CNN's The Lead<a href="https://playvideo.bulletinintelligence.corn/8a2a26458d9c439f85cd EFTA01659550