EFTA00148445.pdf

From• To. Subject: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Public Affairs News Briefing Friday, October 23, 2020 Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2020 10:26:13 +0000 Importan c Normal e: Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com. 'FBI News Briefing TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2020 6:30 AM EDT TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • Intelligence Officials Warn Of Russian And Iranian Interference In US Election. • State Officials Working With FBI On Election Security. PROTESTS • "Anarchist" Cities Sue Trump Administration Over Designation. • Judge Dismisses Third-Degree Murder Charge In Floyd Case. • Protests In Illinois After Police Shooting Of Black Teens. COUNTER-TERRORISM • Report: Far-Right Groups Responsible For Two-Thirds Of Domestic Terrorist Attacks. • Ninth Circuit Orders Resentencing Of California Man Who Pleaded Guilty To Terrorism Charges. • White Supremacist Group Talked Of Paramilitary Training In Secret Vetting Calls. • Man Who Supplied Weapons To San Bernardino Terrorists Faces Sentencing. • Texas Man Pleads Guilty To Planting Fake Bomb On Railroad Tracks. • French Officials Confirm Teacher's Killer Was In Contact With A Jihadist In Syria. • US Military Quietly Helping Taliban Fight Isis In Afghanistan. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE • Schumer, Wyden Urge FBI Not To Probe Biden Family Prior To Election. • Ex-Hunter Biden Partner Says Joe Biden Was Set To Get Cut Of Business Deal. • Trump, Ratcliffe Reportedly Seeking Declassification Of Russia Inquiry Document. • John Brennan Discusses DNI Ratcliffe's "Credibility," Trump's Relationship With Intelligence Community. • Reports Suggest Sonic Attacks Targeting Americans Are Widespread. • Intelligence Officials Warning About Election Interference Earlier Than In 2016. • Opinion: Both Parties Contributing To Lack Of Faith In Elections. • Russia Will Be Blamed For Either Outcome Of US Election, Ambassador Says. • NYTimes: US Intelligence Officials Believe Russia Is Greater Threat To Election. • Clapper: Foreign Actors Aim To Exploit, Amplify Divisiveness In US. • Opinion: Iran's Election Interference Aims Also To Discredit Democracy. EFTA00148445 • States Increase IT Support For Elections Organizers As Systems Move Online. • Wisconsin Officials Urge Voters To Ignore "Noise" About Election Interference And Vote. • India, US To Negotiate Deal For Access To Satellite Data During Pompeo Visit. • Filing: Garrison Courtney Almost Won Legal Immunity. • Lawyer: Snowden Has Won Permanent Residency In Russia. • Treasury Department Sanctioning Iran's Ambassador To Iraq Over Qods Force Agenda. • Bosnian Prosecutors Charge Intelligence Chief With Abuse Of Office. • Declassified Polish Documents Spark Debate Over Potential Spy Activity. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • Man Arrested In North Carolina With Guns, Explosives Planned To Assassinate Biden. • Kentucky Governor: Release "Everything" From Breonna Taylor Grand Jury. • White Teen Sentenced For Planning To Attack Black Churchgoers. • Massachusetts Gang Member Pleads Guilty To Drug Conspiracy Charges. • Montana Man Sentenced For Meth Possession. • Missouri Man Arrested On Child Pornography Charges. • Continuing Coverage: Florida Attorney Arrested On Serial Bank Robbery Charges. • Philadelphia Mob Member Sentenced For Racketeering. • FBI Searching For Missouri Man. • FBI Searched California Home. • Oregon Man Charged After Threatening Police, Courthouse With Firearms. • FBI, DC Police Arrest Two For Child Sex Trafficking. • Texas Court Delays Bribery Trial Until 2021. • California Gang Members Indicted On Racketeering Charges. • North Carolina Man Sentenced For Sex Trafficking. • North Carolina Man Sentenced On Drug, Firearms Charges. • Attorney Seeks Documents in Michigan Triple Murder; MGM Grand Mentioned. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS • Judge In Mangano Case Orders Hearing On Alleged Perjury. • Florida Woman Pleads Guilty To Embezzlement. • Athens, Alabama City Schools To Dismiss Superintendent Under FBI Probe. • New York Court Upholds Dismissal Of State Mortgage Fraud Charges Against Manafort. • Goldman To Pay Nearly $3B, Take Millions From Executives To Settle 1MDB Probe. • FTC Nearing Decision On A Facebook Antitrust Case. • California Court Refuses To Hear Bayer's Appeal Of Roundup Verdict. CYBER DIVISION • EU, UK To Enforce Sanctions On GRU Officers Over 2015 Cyberattack On Germany. • Security Researcher Says He Accessed Trump's Twitter Account. LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES • DOJ Effort Would Link Federal Police Grants To Use-Of-Force Standards. • FBI Agents Visit South Dakota Winter Housing Camp. • Walmart Sues Federal Government Over Opioid Crisis. • WPost: Judgment Against Purdue Pharma Is "Modest." INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS • US Congressman Seeks To Designate CCP As Criminal Organization. OTHER FBI NEWS • Sources: Trump Weighing Firing Of Wray After Election. EFTA00148446 • Professional Gambler Sues Bharara, DOJ Claiming Misconduct In Insider Trading Case. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Barrett Nomination As Democrats Boycott Vote. • Biden Says He Would Create Commission To Consider Court Reforms. • Pelosi Says Negotiators Are "Just About There" On Stimulus Deal. • FDA Officially Approves Remdesivir As Cases Spike. • Azar Dismisses Report Of Tensions With Hahn. • Azar: New CDC Guidelines On Close Contact A "Call To Action." • FDA Advisory Committee Debates Safety, Efficacy Standards For Vaccine. • Palantir System To Help Track Manufacture, Distribution Of COVID Vaccines. • Consensus Emerges COVID Rarely Transmitted By Contact With Contaminated Surfaces. • Chicago Imposes Curfew As Cases Spike. • Iowa's Economy Suffering Despite No Lockdown. • Three Cases Reported At Los Angeles Megachurch That Defied Public Health Orders. • Southwest Will No Longer Block Middle Seat Starting In December. • USA Today Criticizes Administration's Consideration Of Herd Immunity Strategy. • Court Bars Census Bureau From Giving Administration Data On Migrants. • Trump Says He Is Looking Forward To Supreme Court Overturning ACA. • Cotton, Loeffler Ask DOJ To Investigate Racial Segregation On College Campuses. • Sources: Kushner Floating Launch Of Trump-Branded Media Outlet. • Trump Issues Order Removing Protections For Federal Workers. • USPS IG: Mail Service Deteriorated Under DeJoy. • Colorado Wildfire Grows By More Than 100,000 Acres, Forcing Evacuation. INTERNATIONAL NEWS • Europe Imposes More Restrictions As Hospitals Prepare For Second Wave. • Report: Bombing Kills Syrian Cleric Key To Deals With Rebels. • US Provided Air Cover For Taliban As It Battled ISIS. • Afghan Airstrike Targeting Taliban Kills 12 Children. • Radical Cleric Seeks To Reimpose Islamic Law In Afghanistan. • Twenty NATO Members Not Forecast To Meet 2% Of GDP Defense Spending Target By 2024. • Putin Hints At Russia-China Military Alliance. • Hopes For Armenia-Azerbaijan Deal Fade Despite Upcoming Pompeo Meeting. • Sudanese Government Prepared To Normalize Relations With Israel As Part Of US Deal. • Hariri Named Lebanon's Prime Minister For Fourth Time. • Nigeria's Buhari Does Not Mention Shooting Of Protesters In Speech On Unrest. • Guinean President Easily Wins Third Term. • Polish Court Bans One Of Country's Only Forms Of Legal Abortion. • WPost Analysis: Bolivia Returns To Morales After Year Of Turmoil. • Vatican Dismisses US Concerns, Extends Agreement With China On Bishops. THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE • Today's Events In Washington. LEADING THE NEWS Intelligence Officials Warn Of Russian And Iranian Interference In US Election. EFTA00148447 All three broadcast news networks covered what David Muir of ABC World News TonightVI (10/22, story 3, 2:35, 6.71M) called a "new warning about election interference. US authorities say Russia and Iran have obtained voter registration information, and that Iran has used that information to send threatening messages to voters." ABC's Pierre Thomas reported on the "new details about alleged covert efforts by Russia and Iran to weaponize illegally obtained information about American voters." FBI Director Wray: "We are not going to tolerate any criminal activity that threatens the sanctity of your vote." Thomas: "Two of America's primary adversaries successfully penetrated voter registration databases at the local level along with gleaning voter data from publicly available sources." DNI Ratcliffe: "We have already seen Iran sending spoofed emails designed to intimidate voters, incite social unrest." Pete Williams reported on NBC Nightly NewsVi (10/22, story 3, 1:55, Holt, 5.51M), "Voters in Florida and a few other states began receiving emails this week appearing to come from the Proud Boys known to support President Trump, especially after he fleetingly referred to them in the first presidential debate." Ratcliffe: "We have already seen Iran sending spoofed emails designed to intimidate voters, incite social unrest, and damage President Trump." National Security Advisor O'Brien said on Fox News' The Story (10/22), "The Iranians are the most recent to have engaged in this activity that was exposed by Director Wray and Director Ratcliffe and I commend our intelligence services for uncovering it quickly. We think transparency is the best deterrent for this sort of activity in the future. The Iranians understand that we are very unhappy with this and there will be consequences as a result of it." O'Brien added, "We are confident in what we can do to protect the American people and protect our elections." Asked on WIND-AMVI Chicago (10/22, 8K) about the remarks by Ratcliffe and Wray, White House Senior Communications Advisor Ben Williamson said. "We're on top of this. This is an Administration that has spent and invested millions, if not billions, of dollars in election security, making sure our systems are secure, making sure we're holding foreign actors accountable for any evidence we see of foreign interference." NBC News (10/22, Dilanian, 6.14M) reports that a pair of US intelligence officials told them that the Administration "has known for weeks that Iran and Russia had successfully hacked local governments and obtained voter registration and other personal data." The officials "said Iran's intent wasn't entirely clear, but that one goal is sowing chaos and undermining confidence in the election. Both officials said it would hurt the Trump campaign if a white nationalist group was exposed as having sought to bully Democrats." Meanwhile, CBS News (10/22, Quinn, 3.68M) reports that officials in the three states targeted by Iran - Florida, Alaska, and Arizona - "say their voter databases have not been compromised." The Miami Herald (10/22, Gross, Ceballos) reports that after the FBI accused Iran of ending the emails, they "appeared to have come to a halt." However, "two Florida members of Congress are now requesting an FBI briefing for the Florida delegation and at least seven local election officials say they have not been given any information from authorities on the scope of the issue other than what has been publicly reported." The Hill (10/22, Klar, Miller, 2.98M) reports looks at the takeaways from the incident, including the idea that Iran "should not be underestimated," and also highlighted the differences in tone of Wray and Ratcliffe. Meanwhile, Bloomberg (10/22, Tarabay, Mehrotra, 4.73M) reports that Ratcliffe "said the Iranian operation was meant to hurt the president, which is far from clear based on the contents of the video and emails. Cyber-researchers are also wondering what sort of intelligence Ratcliffe unearthed to accuse Iran of meddling within just hours of the spoofing operation. Attributing malicious operations to nation-states typically takes months and years, not hours." Mistakes In Video Enabled Analysts To Attribute Purported Proud Boys Emails To Iran. Reuters (10/22, Bing, Stubbs) reports government analysts and private sector investigators quickly attributed "to Iranian hackers a wave of thousands of threatening emails EFTA00148448 aimed at U.S. voters because of mistakes made in a video attached to some of the messages, according to four people familiar with the matter." The emails which "demanded that voters change their party affiliation to the Republican Party and vote for President Donald Trump or `we will come after you,' appeared to come from an official-looking Proud Boys email address," but "the address was inauthentic, security analysts said." While the hackers attempted "to blur aspects of the video to hide their identity," they "were unable to obfuscate all of the incriminating information, the sources said. ... Analysts then cross-referenced those clues left in the video with data from other intelligence streams, including communications interceptions." Google Reports "Inauthentic Emails" This Week From Iran. In its election news blog, NBC News (10/22, Shabad, 6.14M) reports that Google "said in a statement Thursday that the tech company and others have seen evidence that an operation linked to Iran `sent inauthentic emails to people in the U.S. over the past 24 hours!" Google added, "We referred the matter to the FBI and will continue to work with law enforcement and others in the industry to identify and remove any related content." Business Insider (10/22, 3.67M) says Google's statement "tallies closely with parts of a statement from" Ratcliffe "given at a press conference on Wednesday." Russia, Iran Deny Accusations. Reuters (10/22) reports that an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman on Thursday said, "Iran's strong rejection of American officials' repetitive, baseless and false claims was conveyed to the Swiss ambassador...As we have said before, it makes no difference for Iran who wins the U.S. election." Switzerland "represents U.S. interests in Iran because Washington and Tehran have no diplomatic ties." Similarly, Reuters (10/22) reports that Russia "on Thursday denied allegations from the United States that it had tried to interfere with the 2020 presidential election, calling accusations of hacking unfounded." US Officials Remain More Concerned About Russia Than Iran. The New York Times (10/22, Barnes, Perlroth, Sanger, 18.61M) reports that "while senior Trump administration officials said this week that Iran has been actively interfering in the presidential election, many intelligence officials said they remained far more concerned about Russia, which in recent days has hacked into state and local computer networks in breaches that could allow Moscow broader access to American voting infrastructure." The Washington Post (10/22, Nakashima, Harris, Barrett, 14.2M) similarly says that while the Administration "has highlighted the threat Iran poses to the U.S. election, a different foe - Russia - remains the more potent adversary, and has in recent months stolen data from at least two county systems in California and Indiana, according to U.S. officials." Newsweek (10/22, Lemon, 1.53M) reports that Democratic Lawmakers "have criticized President Donald Trump's administration," particularly Ratcliffe, "over what they see as conflating Iranian election interference with Russian efforts, which they argue are far more serious and pose a significantly greater threat." CQ Roll Call (10/22, Ratnam, 154K) reports that Ratcliffe's warning on Wednesday "mmediately drew skeptical reactions from Democratic lawmakers, some of whom had been briefed in private about the interference. They specifically disputed that the actions by Iran were intended to harm Trump." Instead of listening to Ratcliffe, "the House Homeland Security Committee said in its Twitter feed that Americans should listen" Wray and Krebs. The Hill (10/22, Klar, 2.98M) reports that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, for her part, on Thursday "said Iran is a `bad actor' but not on par with Russia in terms of seeking to influence the U.S. election." Pelosi and other Democrats "sought to draw attention on Russian interference after" Ratcliffe "warned Wednesday both countries are behind efforts to sway public opinion related to the presidential election." ABC News (10/22, 2.97M) reports that Pelosi said, "I think we have to be very careful about any statements coming out about the election from the intelligence community at this time." CNN (10/22, Herb, Fung, Hansler, Cohen, 83.16M) reports that an ODNI spokesperson "on Thursday responded to the criticism of Ratcliffe, arguing that his comments were consistent with the intelligence community's previous assessments about Tehran's intentions when it EFTA00148449 comes to interference in the 2020 race." Amanda Schoch said in a statement to CNN, "As NCSC Director Bill Evanina said on August 7th, the IC assesses 'that Iran seeks to undermine U.S. democratic institutions, President Trump, and to divide the country in advance of the 2020 elections." CNN adds that "not all Democrats were critical of Ratcliffe," with SSCI Vice Chairman Mark Warner telling "reporters Thursday that he understood why Ratcliffe made the comments he did about the effort being intended to hurt Trump." New Alert: Russians Targeting Government, Aviation Computer Networks. Jeff Pegues of the CBS Evening NewsVI (10/22, story 3, 2:00, O'Donnell, 3.96M) reported, "The cyber security alert says the Russian hacks began last month, targeting dozens of government and aviation computer networks in the United States, successfully obtaining data from at least two victim servers. Since 2016, Russian hackers posed the greatest threat to US election systems. In that election, it is widely assumed that they scanned and probed voter databases in all 50 states. Today's alert proves they haven't stopped." Axios (10/22, Rummler, 521K) reports that Energetic Bear, a Russian state-sponsored hacking organization, "has stolen data from two servers after targeting state and federal government networks in the U.S. since at least September," the FBI and CISA announced. However, the FBI and CISA "said Thursday they do not have evidence that Energetic Bear compromised elections data or government operations." Politico (10/22, Geller, 4.29M) reports that while "hackers have 'exfiltrated data from at least two victim servers,' the agencies said they saw no indication that the intruders had 'intentionally disrupted any aviation, education, elections, or government operations." Energetic Bear "is best known among security researchers for its intrusions into European energy companies, including firms in the oil, gas and electric sectors." USA Today (10/22, 10.31M) reports that CISA Director Christopher Krebs "described the activity Thursday has a 'broad scanning' effort by the Russians that had not interfered with actual voting." Bloomberg (10/22, Mehrotra, 4.73M) reports that while the FBI and CISA "don't have any evidence that attacks have disrupted victims in aviation, education, elections or government, they raise concerns that the successful compromises could open the door to more malicious attacks in the near future." Reuters (10/22, Satter) reports that the names of the targeted governments "were not disclosed. DI-IS did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The FBI provided no further details but said in a statement that it was 'shining a spotlight on Russia's nefarious behavior." The AP (10/22, Tucker, Bajak) reports that US officials "have repeatedly said it would be extremely difficult for hackers to alter vote tallies in a meaningful way, but they have warned about other methods of interference that could disrupt the election, including cyberattacks on networks meant to impede the voting process." Still, NPR (10/22, Ewing, 3.12M) reports that the "agencies involved have been warning for months, including with similar bulletins about cyber-risks confronting U.S. elections infrastructure, which they have suggested likely would focus on systems adjacent to core operations — such as a website that shows results — as opposed to the casting and counting of ballots themselves." CNN (10/22, Herb, Fung, Hansler, Cohen, 83.16M) says that the "warnings issued Thursday indicate the heightened security posture of the US government days ahead of the presidential election." The Wall Street Journal (10/22, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) also briefly reports on the new alert, as does CyberScoop (10/22, Lyngaas), CNET News (10/22, Hautala, 1.99M), The Hill (10/22, 2.98M), among others. Senate Intelligence Committee Leaders Warn Iran, Russia Not To Interfere In Election. The Washington Times (10/22, Blake, 492K) reports that "leaders of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence warned foreign adversaries Thursday not to meddle in next month's elections while urging Americans to stay vigilant." Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), acting Chairman, and Mark Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman, "were responding to the government disclosing attempts by Iran and Russia to interfere in the race." DNI Ratcliffe "said Wednesday that Iran and Russia have accessed voter information and taken 'specific actions to influence EFTA00148450 public opinion' about the elections." A statement from the Senate leaders said, "To our adversaries, we reiterate DNI Ratcliffe's warning against interfering in America's electoral process. ... Republicans and Democrats are united when we say that continued attempts to sow dissent, cast doubt on election results, or disrupt our election systems and infrastructure will necessitate a severe response." The Hill (10/22, Kelly, 2.98M) reports that DNI Ratcliffe had "said Iranian actors had sent `spoofed' emails to intimidate voters, `incite social unrest and damage President Trump." Rubio and Warner "urged Americans and the media 'to be skeptical of sensationalist, last-minute claims about election infrastructure' and made a bipartisan show of force as a warning against any foreign actors aiming to interfere in the U.S. elections." State Officials Working With FBI On Election Security. WDTV-TV Bridgeport, WV (10/22) reports that while "U.S. intelligence officials say foreign governments are once again trying to influence voters," West Virginia "isn't one of the four states involved in the interference, according to Secretary of State Mac Warner." The West Virginia official is "working closely with federal authorities to ensure a secure election, including the FBI's Pittsburgh Field Office. Michael Christman is the Special Agent In Charge." Christman said, "Cybersecurity is typically the greatest threat we're concerned with. ... We want to make sure that every citizen has the ability to vote in an unimpeded manner." Warner commented, "We can't stop somebody from attacking us. All we can do is react to it in a fashion that says we have a training plan in place, we will be transparent with the public as to what we know and when we know it." Also reporting is the Charleston (WV) Gazette-Mail (10/22, 121K). The AP (10/22) reports, "The U.S. attorney's office in Birmingham says Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Cheek will serve as the region's elections officer" during the upcoming election. U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona "says anyone with information about fraud or discrimination should notify Justice Department officials," such as "intimidating voters at polling places, buying votes or stuffing ballot boxes are all prohibited." FBI agents will be "available nationwide to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Nov. 3." KRNV-TV Reno, NV (10/22) reports that Nevada has a "heightened risk of voter fraud due to the increase in mail in ballots." The state's Election Integrity Task Force in Nevada "is made up of Attorney General Aaron Ford, the Secretary of State's office and other local governing bodies." Special agent Aaron Rouse "says that voter fraud claims will be taken seriously and will be investigated thoroughly and quickly throughout the state." The Idaho Falls ID Post Register (10/22) reports, "Bait Davis, U.S. Attorney for Idaho, announced Thursday that his office," the FBI, and DO) "will be standing by to field complaints of voter intimidation or election interference." Davis said the DO) "must act to protect the integrity of the election process." DO) has "a longstanding Election Day program to monitor these issues, and that it is a federal crime to intimidate or bribe voters, buy or sell votes, impersonate voters, alter vote tallies, or mark ballots for other voters against their wishes." Davis has "appointed three assistant U.S. attorneys, in three regions of the state, to serve as elections officers for the district and field complaints," and all "will be on duty while polls are open." WJAR-TV Providence, RI (10/22, 144K) reports that on Thursday, Rhode Island Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea was joined at a press briefing "by the FBI, Rhode Island State Police, Board of Elections and the Attorney General to discuss the upcoming election." The Rhode Island official "estimates about half of all voters in the state will cast their ballots before Election Day," and "early voting numbers won't be added to the total votes until 10 p.m. on election night." FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Joseph Bonavolonta said, "As far as these disinformation campaigns, the reason why they're so powerful is because you look at everybody's reliance these days on social media platforms." PROTESTS EFTA00148451 "Anarchist" Cities Sue Trump Administration Over Designation. The AP (10/22, Johnson, Matthews) reports, "New York, Seattle and Portland - three cities recently labeled 'anarchist jurisdictions' by the U.S. Justice Department - filed a lawsuit Thursday to invalidate the designation and fight off the Trump Administration's efforts to withhold federal dollars." The suit "ridiculed the designation, calling the President's action 'offensive to both the Constitution and common sense,' and "noted that the consequences of withholding federal money during a pandemic are 'deadly serious.' The cities argue that "the President can't add conditions to money Congress has appropriated," and claims "the Administration violated due process rights and the 10th Amendment." The New York Times (10/22, Fitzsimmons, 18.61M) reports that the Administration's "attempt to strip New York City of federal funds...could cost the city as much as $12 billion - money for the cash-starved subway, for the Police Department and for the city's efforts to treat coronavirus patients, city officials said on Thursday." According to the Times, "although the city was granted $2.65 billion in Covid-related funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, only $199.6 million of it has been doled out." The Oregonian (10/22, 1M) reports that Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler (D) "said the money at risk is 'critical to protecting vulnerable residents,' including "federal funds for coronavirus relief, funds for HIV treatment, and funds for newborn screenings." New York City Corporation Counsel Jim Johnson "said the cities are acting now because the federal government has begun taking concrete steps to withhold funds." Judge Dismisses Third-Degree Murder Charge In Floyd Case. ABC World News TonightVi (10/22, story 7, 0:20, Muir, 6.71M) reported, "A Minnesota judge tonight has upheld eight of nine charges against the former police officers in the George Floyd case. Derek Chauvin, seen with his knee on Floyd's neck, still facing second degree unintentional murder and manslaughter charges, though a lesser charge was dropped. The other three officers had all charges upheld, each facing aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter. The trial for all four is set for March." The AP (10/22, Forliti) reports that Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill "dismissed a third-degree murder charge filed against the former Minneapolis police officer who pressed his knee against George Floyd's neck, saying there was not enough probable cause for that count to proceed to trial." Gov. Tim Walz (D) "activated the Minnesota National Guard in anticipation of protests" after similar demonstrations broke out "after Chauvin was released on bail earlier this month, resulting in dozens of arrests." Cahill "said Chauvin's decision to continue kneeling on Floyd's neck after he went silent and motionless 'is strong evidence of Chauvin's intent to inflict bodily harm,' but that "nothing about the manner in which Chauvin pressed his knee down on Floyd's neck...was eminently dangerous to anyone other than Floyd," making the third-degree murder charge inappropriate in this case. Reuters (10/22, Layne) reports Walz "announced that he had activated the Minnesota National Guard as a 'precautionary step' following the ruling, which he said marked 'a positive step in the path toward justice for George Floyd." Cahill also "upheld a manslaughter charge against Chauvin and all six charges against three other officers - Thomas Lane, 3. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao - for allegedly aiding and abetting Chauvin in the murder. Kueng and Lane helped hold Floyd down by restraining his back and legs, Cahill noted, while Thao kept a group of bystanders at bay." The New York Times (10/22, Ismay, 18.61M) reports that the ruling "came in response to a motion by lawyers representing Mr. Chauvin and three other former officers to dismiss all charges against them for lack of probable cause." Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement, "This is an important, positive step forward in the path toward justice for George Floyd, his family, our community, and Minnesota." Prosecutors also "announced charges against a truck driver who drove a fuel truck through a protest on a bridge in Minneapolis six EFTA00148452 days after Mr. Floyd was killed" on Thursday. Bogdan Vechirko "was charged with a felony count of threats of violence and a gross misdemeanor count of criminal vehicular operation." The Washington Post (10/22, Bailey, 14.2M) reports that the Floyd ruling is the first "in a series of major decisions expected in the case," as Cahill considers "whether the men will be tried together, as prosecutors have requested, or separately, as the former officers want. Defense attorneys have also requested to move the trial out of Hennepin County, questioning whether it is possible to seat an impartial jury in Minneapolis and citing security concerns in a city that was rocked by days of civil unrest after Floyd's death and remains deeply on edge." The Post says Walz acted "on a request from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey" in the activation of "100 Minnesota National Guard troops" and state patrol officers. The Minneapolis Star Tribune (10/22, 1.04M) reports "Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey requested support from the guard 'out of an abundance of caution and for the sake of preparedness,' spokesman Mychal Vlatkovich said." The Tribune says "Cahill's rulings Thursday are his most significant pretrial decisions since he was assigned the case this past summer," resolving "issues that had some activists worried Floyd's death would go unheard in the court system like many previous cases of police killing Black civilians. And they quelled some fears that Minneapolis would once again erupt in protest, arson and looting if the former officers were to avoid criminal prosecution." Protests In Illinois After Police Shooting Of Black Teens. The CBS Evening NewsVi (10/22, story 7, 0:25, O'Donnell, 3.96M) reported that Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham "is calling for calm after the deadly police shooting of a Black teenager. Protesters took to the streets today over the killing of 19-year-old Marcellis Stinnette and the wounding of 20-year-old Tafarra Williams. Investigators say the officer, who is Hispanic, opened fire, as the couple's car rolled in reverse towards him, and that the couple had fled from another officer earlier Tuesday night. No weapons were found in the car." COUNTER-TERRORISM Report: Far-Right Groups Responsible For Two-Thirds Of Domestic Terrorist Attacks. The Wall Street Journal (10/22, Strobel, Levy, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports white supremacists and other right-wing groups accounted for two-thirds of domestic terrorist attacks and plots so far in 2020, but the threat posed by antifascist and other leftist groups is rising, according to a new report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Ninth Circuit Orders Resentencing Of California Man Who Pleaded Guilty To Terrorism Charges. The San Francisco Chronicle (10/22, Egelko, 2.67M) reports, "A federal appeals court ordered a reduction Thursday in the 15-year, 8-month prison sentence of an Oakland man who talked online of planning to kill thousands of people in the Bay Area, saying the evidence failed to show Amer Alhaggagi was seriously planning or promoting terrorism." Alhaggagi, "a Berkeley High graduate, pleaded guilty in July 2018 to attempting to provide material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization, the Islamic State." US District Judge Charles Breyer "imposed a 188-month sentence in February 2019, saying Alhaggagi had taken actions, such as opening the social media and email accounts, that were intended as `intimidation or coercion' of the U.S. government," but "on Thursday, a divided panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco rejected the terrorism finding and ordered Alhaggagi resentenced." White Supremacist Group Talked Of Paramilitary Training In Secret Vetting Calls. EFTA00148453 CNN (10/22, Sidner, Simon, 83.16M) reports, "Young men hoping to join a White supremacist group spoke about hosting paramilitary trainings and how to legally bring firearms to those events, according to secret recordings of vetting calls published by the Southern Poverty Law Center Thursday." CNN adds, "Some 83 hours of calls with more than 100 participants linked to The Base group were analyzed by the SPLC, which monitors hate, for a new podcast, 'Sounds Like Hate.' Military training or knowledge of firearms was an important asset, according to the released calls. So was having a place to train." According to CNN, "The SPLC's release of parts of the calls comes at a time when US intelligence services say domestic violent extremists, specifically White supremacist groups are the 'the most persistent and lethal threat in the Homeland." Man Who Supplied Weapons To San Bernardino Terrorists Faces Sentencing. The Orange County (CA) Register (10/22, Rokos, 546K) reports, "Attorneys will argue for significantly different prison terms Friday, Oct. 23, when Enrique Marquez Jr. is sentenced for supplying the weapons used in the Dec. 2, 2015, terrorist shooting in San Bernardino that killed 14 people and wounded 22 others." According to the OCR, "The ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Jesus G. Bernal in Riverside could mean a 19-year difference in Marquez's prison term. Marquez, 28, pleaded guilty in February 2017, but his sentencing has been delayed by attorney motions and Marquez's unsuccessful attempt to withdraw his plea to one of the charges." The OCR adds, "Marquez was convicted of providing material support to terrorists and making a false statement on federal firearms-purchase forms on which Marquez said the firearms he was buying in 2011 and 2012 were for his use. Instead, he sold them to Syed Rizwan Farook as part of an aborted plan to wage attacks on motorists." Texas Man Pleads Guilty To Planting Fake Bomb On Railroad Tracks. WFAA-TV Dallas (10/22, Harris, 307K) reports from Dallas, Texas, "A Dallas man pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of misinformation and hoaxes related to a Dec. 2018 case where he planted a fake bomb in the middle of a Kansas City Rail Line railroad track in Dallas, according to the U.S. Department of Justice." Mark Ashley Robert, 37, "put the device on the railroad track in the early morning hours of Dec. 21, 2018, according to court documents. A railroad conductor was the one who spotted it." The Dallas Police Department Bomb Squad "was called to the scene, and after determining that it was not a real explosive device, turned the fake bomb over to the FBI for fingerprint examination." French Officials Confirm Teacher's Killer Was In Contact With A Jihadist In Syria. The Guardian (UK) (10/22, 4.19M) reports, "The killer of Samuel Paty, the teacher decapitated outside his school last week after showing his class two cartoons of the prophet Muhammad, was in contact with an Islamist fighter in Syria," according to French media. France "confirmed on Thursday that seven people, including two schoolchildren, had been charged with terrorism offences after Abdullakh Anzorov, 18, killed the teacher with a 30cm knife on Friday." Anzorov "had contact with an as yet unidentified Russian-speaking jihadist in Syria who was located through an IP address that had been traced back to Idlib." He "had been granted asylum and a residence permit until 2030, had first established contact with the jihadist in September this year via Instagram." US Military Quietly Helping Taliban Fight Isis In Afghanistan. The Washington Post (10/22, 14.2M) reports that "the U.S. military has been quietly helping the Taliban to weaken the Islamic State in its Konar stronghold and keep more of the country from falling into the hands" of ISIS, according to various sources. Unlike the Taliban, the US views ISIS "as an international terrorist organization with aspirations to strike America and Europe." The US coordinates with the Taliban merely "by observing battle conditions and listening in on the group." The Konar operations reflect the "outsourcing of what has long been EFTA00148454 a core U.S. military mission - fighting the Islamic State and al-Qaeda - to the uneasily coordinated forces of the Afghan government and the Taliban, with U.S. counterterrorism forces in some cases helping both." COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE Schumer, Wyden Urge FBI Not To Probe Biden Family Prior To Election. Fox News (10/22, 27.59M) reports, "Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. wrote a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray demanding the FBI 'reject pressure' to investigate the Biden family after the Hunter Biden email story from the New York Post. 'The FBI must reject pressure from Donald Trump to announce investigations of Joe Biden or his family to influence the presidential election, or else it risks doing lasting harm to our democracy and national security,' a news release of the letter read. 'We are deeply concerned about the possibility that in response to these reports the Trump Administration will take actions before Election Day that would seek to damage the Democratic presidential candidate and undermine the rule of law,' Wyden and Schumer wrote in their letter. 'In carrying out this critical national security mission, law enforcement's handling of this matter must be above politics and beyond reproach,' the lawmakers wrote." NBC News (10/22, 6.14M) reports, "They referred in a press release to 'a widely questioned article in the New York Post, that alleged to have obtained stolen Hunter Biden emails from the president's lawyer Rudy Giuliani' and noted that Trump has called on the Justice Department to investigate. They are urging Wray 'to resist pressure from President Trump and other partisan actors to take any actions intended to benefit President Trump politically on the eve of the election. Succumbing to such pressure would deeply undermine our national security interests and the credibility of law enforcement, and could have devastating consequences for the resiliency of our democracy." Ex-Hunter Biden Partner Says Joe Biden Was Set To Get Cut Of Business Deal. The Washington Times (10/22, 492K) reports that a former business partner of Hunter Biden's "has come forward to confirm" that Joe Biden "was involved in a deal and got a cut of the action from China. Tony Bobulinski, who was the CEO of a firm with Hunter Biden, said in a statement that the elder Mr. Biden is the 'Big Guy' reference in his son's emails and was set to get a 10% cut of the deal." Bobulinski said in a statement, "It wasn't just Hunter's business, they said they were putting the Biden family name and its legacy on the line." White House Deputy Press Secretary Brian Morgenstern said on Newsmax TVVI (10/22), "We know a lot more today than we did over the last several days. We now have another Hunter Biden business partner coming out and basically saying they were trading on the family name with foreign entities, with foreign powers, and that we may have Chinese energy deals here with the Biden family participating in them. That's something they'll have to explain." Morgenstern said on Fox Business' Evening Edit, "If we're looking to elect a president for the American people, not our foreign adversaries, this is something the...people definitely need to know immediately. This is absolutely groundbreaking news for our nation." Breitbart (10/22, 673K) reports Biden's campaign called reports of Hunter Biden's 'overseas business dealings...'Russian misinformation' just hours before Thursday evening's final presidential debate." Fox News (10/22, Wulfsohn, 27.59M) reports on its website that Bobulinski had been scheduled to attend the debate "as a special guest of President Trump." The New York Times (10/22, Goldman, 18.61M) runs a piece titled "What We Know And Don't About Hunter Biden And A Laptop." Senate Judiciary Committee To Move Forward On Facebook, Twitter Subpoenas. The Wall Street Journal (10/22, Hughes, Needleman, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports the Senate Judiciary Committee has authorized Chairman Lindsey Graham to issue subpoenas EFTA00148455 to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. The Washington Times (10/22, Lovelace, 492K) says "the forthcoming subpoenas will request the CEO's testimony on the "suppression and/or censorship" of two New York Post articles involving the former vice president's son on information about the company's content moderation practices and on other instances of Facebook and Twitter limiting the visibility of material online." Roll Call (10/22, DeChiaro, 154K) reports Graham "said Democrats on the committee had asked him to delay voting on the subpoena authorization but that he decided to move forward because of bipartisan interest in Zuckerberg and Dorsey." Trump, Ratcliffe Reportedly Seeking Declassification Of Russia Inquiry Document. Reuters (10/22, Hosenball, Bing, Landay) reports President Trump and DNI Ratcliffe "have pushed for quick declassification of a document disputing the 2017 intelligence community finding that Russia acted to help Trump get elected in 2016," according to three officials familiar with the matter. Two of the source said the "effort faces strong objections from inside the intelligence agencies," in part because the presidential election is so soon. The Daily Caller (10/22, 716K) reports that Trump and Ratcliffe are requesting the declassification "at the request of California Republican Rep. Devin Nunes." The intelligence community concluded "that Russia's meddling in the 2016 election broke in favor of Trump, regardless of the later finding that Trump's campaign had not colluded with nation." The Hill (10/22, Coleman, 2.98M) reports that Ratcliffe said, "I have requested that the document undergo a formal declassification review in response to a request" from Nunes. A former intelligence official told Reuters the CIA and NSA "were attempting to prevent the document's declassification 'because it would damage national security assets and jeopardize sources and methods." John Brennan Discusses DNI Ratcliffe's "Credibility," Trump's Relationship With Intelligence Community. In an interview clipped three times on the Washington Post website (1, 2, and 3), former CIA Director John Brennan "says he wishes John Ratcliffe had more 'credibility." DNI Ratcliffe this week "warned that both Iran and Russia had obtained voter data that could be used to endanger the upcoming election," but, in the interview, Brennan "said Ratcliffe was not specific about what Russia has done." Brennan said, "I think there are questions about whether or not what he said is being motivated by his political interests." Brennan also "said he thinks one day we'll know more about President Trump's relationship with Russia." Moreover, Trump's "attacks on the intelligence community will have long-lasting effects, but he has confidence the agencies will be resilient and respond positively to a Biden administration, if he is elected." Brennan said, "I have confidence that the communities are going to be resilient and they're going to respond very positively to the words of encouragement they're going to be hearing from President Biden and the rest of his national security team." Ignatius: Ratcliffe Facing "Moment Of Truth." In a column for the Washington Post (10/22, 14.2M) entitled, "Can Trump's Spy Chief Be Trusted?," David Ignatius writes that DNI Ratcliffe's performance "has often seemed to emphasize...serving the political interests of the man who appointed him, President Trump." The President "is desperately seeking a silver bullet to fire at former vice president Joe Biden — some nugget from the intelligence world that would justify his wild accusations of 'hoaxes' and 'criminals.' Sources tell me Trump has been raging inside the White House for Ratcliffe to deliver the goods." Ratcliffe, Ignatius writes, "is facing a moment of truth: Will he serve the intelligence community that he heads" or "will he join Trump in an assault on the very agencies he leads." Reports Suggest Sonic Attacks Targeting Americans Are Widespread. According to the New York Post (10/22, McKay, News, 4.57M), "reports emerged this week suggesting that" potential sonic attacks first reported four years ago "might be far more EFTA00148456 pervasive than what was publicly known." Russia is increasingly seen "as being behind the global barrage of possible sonic attacks." Former CIA Moscow bureau chief Dan Hoffman said, "There are a number of Americans who have fallen ill now, and we need to know why and who is behind it. ... This is something worthy of a congressional hearing." A US government probed is complicated by "the vast array of differing prognostics and experiences." For instance, some "have pointed to individuals in either homes or hotels hearing high-pitched tones or jarring thuds from one direction or all around," others "endure a kind of tremoring or a wind-like pressure," and "some hear nothing at all." Secretary of State Pompeo "said Wednesday that the mysterious maladies are still under review and dismissed claims that American workers were not adequately protected." Also reporting is Fox News (10/22, McKay, 27.59M). Intelligence Officials Warning About Election Interference Earlier Than In 2016. Carrie Cordero, a "senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security," writes in the Washington Post (10/22, 14.2M) that "Wednesday's joint news appearance during television prime time by top intelligence and law enforcement officials was the latest and most dramatic step yet to warn Americans in real time about foreign governments' efforts to influence the election." Their "coordinated news appearance also had the effect of letting adversaries know in a very public way that the U.S. government knows what they're up to." In 2016, a joint assessment by the ODNI and DHS "came late in the election cycle and was overshadowed by competing events and distractions." This year, it "took days, not weeks or months," for that determination to be made. Before Wednesday's announcement, the FBI and CISA "had released information about threats to election infrastructure." Cordero says "NCSC's Evanina's recent participation in a nine-minute video alongside Wray, Krebs and NSA Director Paul Nakasone warning the public about foreign influence activities and committing to protecting the country, was important." Opinion: Both Parties Contributing To Lack Of Faith In Elections. Opinion columnist Eli Lake writes in an op-ed in Bloomberg View (10/22, 4.73M) that DNI Ratcliffe and FBI Director Christopher Wray "were right to knock down Iran's Proud Boy fakery before it spread." Wray was further "right to make clear that the U.S. government would not tolerate `foreign interference in our elections or criminal activity that threatens the sanctity of your vote or undermines public confidence in the outcome of the electi