EFTA01658979.pdf

From To Subject: FW: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Public Affairs News Briefing Monday, October 26, 2020 Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2020 10:28:33 +0000 Importan c Normal e: From: Bulletin Intelligence Sent: Monday, October 26, 2020 6:27:36 AM (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada) To: [email protected] Subject: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Public Affairs News Briefing Monday, October 26, 2020 Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com. I BI News Briefing TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2020 6:30 AM EDT TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • Police Departments Preparing For Potential Election Day Unrest. PROTESTS • Trump Supporters And Opponents Clash In New York's Times Square. • Most Black Lives Matter Demonstrations Have Been Peaceful. • Seattle Office Of Police Accountability: Seattle Officers Utilized Excessive Force Against Protestors. • Illinois Officer Fired After Shooting And Killing Black Man. • WPost Al Discusses Mother's Struggle To Get Help For Black, Mentally III Son Amid Pandemic, Racial Unrest. • Black Journalists Who Worked With Vogue Editor In Chief Wintour Feel She Created Environment That Sidelined Black Women. • DO): Boogaloo Bois Member Fired On Minneapolis Police Precinct. • FBI Arrests White Supremacist Who Allegedly Targeted BLM Founder. • WPost Al: Experts Increasingly Cite Systemic Racism As Cause Of Some Racial Disparities In US. • Alabama Voters Have Chance To Eliminate Racist Language From State Constitution. OPERATION LEGEND • Myrtle Beach, South Carolina To Receive Federal Grant To Fight Gun Crime. COUNTER-TERRORISM EFTA01658979 • Michigan Judge Slashes Bond For Man Linked To Whitmer Kidnap Plot. • CSIS: White Supremacists Responsible For Majority Of US Terrorist Attacks This Year. • Man Receives 20-Year Prison Sentence For Purchasing Firearms Used In 2015 Terror Attack In California. • Ninth Circuit Dismisses Key Terrorism Charge For California Man. • UK Special Forces Storm Vessel In Suspected Hijacking. • Afghanistan Claims Top Al-Qaida Propagandist Wanted By FBI Was Killed. • Guantanamo Bay Not Closing Despite Lack Of Population Growth Under Trump. • Bloomberg Analysis: French Interior Minister Now "Public Face Of A Crackdown Whipping Up Sentiment Against The Broader Muslim Community." • Spokesman Says Houthis Targeted Airports, Base In Saudi Arabia. • At Least Six Children Die In Cameroon During Attack On School. • Trump Marks 37th Anniversary Of Terrorist Attack In Beirut. • US Embassy In Turkey Warns Of Potential Terrorist Attacks. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE • Sen. Johnson: FBI Interviewed Hunter Biden's Former Partner. • Russian Bankers Ask Judge To Depose Steele Dossier Source Danchenko. • Judge Orders DOJ To Verify Filings In Flynn Case. • CISA Contradicting Trump's Attempts To Question Election. • Cuccinelli Addresses Foreign Interference In US Election. • Ransomware Attack On Georgia County Government Disables Voter Signature Database. • O'Brien Says Hackers Can't Change Votes. • Voters Urged To Be Careful When Opening Election-Related Mail. • Editorial: Americans Must Brave Outside Attacks On Elections And Vote. • FBI Alerted After Online Video Implies Maryland Election Judge Improperly Marked Ballot. • Cybersecurity Experts Concerned Over Threat Of Disinformation From Within US. • Continuing Coverage: DOD, ODNI Release Intel Budget Requests For FY21. • Kremlin Laments US Election Campaigns' Focus On Dislike For Russia. • US Imposes Sanctions On Russian Government Research Center Involved In 2017 Cyberattack. • Report: Russian Scientists Were In Contact With Military Science Institute Developing Novichok Nerve Agent. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • Maxwell's Attorneys: US Prosecutors Not Honoring Promise To Supply Evidence. • Teenager Sentenced To Time In Juvenile Facility, Probation For Plotting Attack On Black Church. • California Prosecutors To Again Seek Death Penalty For Peterson. • NXIVM Leader Speaks Ahead Of Sentencing. • Teen Plotted To Assassinate Joe Biden, Federal Authorities Say. • Former Ohio City Councilman Arrested On Human Trafficking Charges. • FBI Investigating Border Patrol Officer-Involved Shooting. • Illinois Police Department Fires Officer Who Killed Black Teen As FBI Joins Shooting Investigation. • FBI Investigating "Ambush Style" Killing On Crow Reservation In Montana. • FBI Set To Release New Information On 1981 New York Cold Case. • Nearly $100K In Narcotics Seized In Florida Operation. • FBI Releases Photo Of Florida Bank Robbery Suspect. • Six California Gang Members Indicted On Federal Charges. • California Man Faces Federal Child Pornography Charges. • Texas Woman Gets 17 Years In Federal Prison For Bank Robberies. • Alleged California Gang Members To Stand Trial On Multiple Attempted Homicide Charges. EFTA01658980 • Man In Custody After Allegedly Abducting Daughters, Two Boys Found Dead. • Former Ohio Priest Charged With Sex Trafficking Of A Minor. • Texas Man Charged With Sexual Assault Of Child. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS • Judge Orders Securities Fraud Case Against Texas Attorney General To Move To Paxton's Home County. • Attorneys For LA Lawmaker To Challenge Federal Court's Grand Juror Selection Methods. • US Charges Costa Rican Man In $1M Lottery Tax Scam. CYBER DIVISION • US Sanctions Russian Government Research Institution For Cyberattacks Against Key Infrastructure Of Allies. • Louisiana National Guard Called In To Prevent Cyberattacks Weeks Prior To Election. • Bipartisan Bill Would Help National Guard Support States' Cybersecurity Modernization. • French Court Asks Microsoft To Guarantee Safeguards Against Sharing Health Data With US. • Kushner's "Close Friend" Charged With Cyberstalking. LABORATORY • Police Say Body Found In Missouri Creek Was Missing Social Worker. LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES • When Jury Trials In DC Superior Court Will Resume Still Uncertain. • Proponents Of Now-Passed Virginia Sentencing Measure Feel Bill Will Have Transformational Impact. • Springfield, Massachusetts Police Working To Repair Relationship With FBI. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS • After Arrest Of Former Defense Minister On Drug Charges, Mexico's President Shifts Some Blame To US Officials. OTHER FBI NEWS • Trump Plans To Fire Wray, Haspel, Esper If He Is Reelected. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • Senate Votes 51-48 On Cloture, Setting Barrett Up For Monday Confirmation. • Pence To Continue Campaigning Even After Top Staffers Test Positive. • Fauci Says Effectiveness Of Vaccines Will Be Evident By Early December. • Trump, Administration Officials Defend Response To Coronavirus. • Whitmer: Trump's Plans For Rally In Lansing Is "Recipe For Disaster." • Administration Cancels Plan To Offer Santa Impersonators Early Access To Vaccine. • US Records "Biggest Two-Day Surge" In Coronavirus Cases. • Native Americans "Disproportionately" Impacted By COVID Ahead Of Election Day. • False Positives Having "Serious Consequences" In Some Communities. • Protesters Burn Masks In Pushback Against Restrictions. • Green Bay "Noticeably Subdued" Despite Football's Return. • Fox's Baier, MacCallum, Perino Advised To Quarantine. • Biden Tweet From 2019 Warning Of Pandemic Trends On Anniversary Of Post. • Pelosi "Optimistic" About Coronavirus Relief Bill Before Election. • DOJ Lawsuit Against Google Targets Agreement With Apple. • Senators Request IG Investigation Of CBP's Warrantless Utilization Of Cellphone Location Data. • USA Today Analysis: Under Administration, Refugees Must Wait Longer To Receive Visas. • Undocumented Farmworker Died After Experiencing Brutal Treatment During Arrest. EFTA01658981 • Tropical Storm Zeta Strengthens In Caribbean. • Kushner, lvanka Trump Threaten To Sue Over Lincoln Project Billboards. • State Department Confirms It Has Suspended Diversity Programs. • Pelosi Says She Plans To Seek Another Term As Speaker. • High Winds Increase California Wildfire Risk. • State Department Suspends Diversity Training Following Trump Executive Order. • WPost Analysis: Trump Has "Presided Over A Norm-Shattering Expansion Of Private Interests In Government." • WPost Al: Trump Has Made Sustained "Assault" On Civil Service. • NYTimes Al: Trump's Financial Records "Cast Doubt" On Philanthropic Claims. • WPost Analysis: Trump Has To Pay Off $400M In Loans By 2024. INTERNATIONAL NEWS • European Countries Impose New Restrictions Amid Second Wave Of COVID Cases. • Colombia Passes 1M Confirmed Coronavirus Cases. • Malaysia's King Rejects PM's Proposal To Declare COVID State Of Emergency. • Iraqis Protest A Year After Demonstrations That Toppled Government. • As Peace Talks Continue, Taliban Fighters Stage Attacks Across Afghanistan. • Trump Announces Sudan Will Recognize Israel. • Meadows Predicts More Middle East Peace Deals. • Pompeo, Esper To Reinforce Trump's Anti-China Message In India. • WPost Analysis: Putin has Benefitted From Trump's Time In Office. • Thousands Of Belarusians Protest, Demanding Lukashenko's Resignation. • Armenia, Azerbaijan Agree To Cease-Fire. • Polish Protesters Disrupt Church Services After Tightening Of Abortion Law. • France Withdraws Its Ambassador To Turkey. • Chileans Vote To Draft A New Constitution. • Venezuelan Opposition Leader Arrives In Madrid. • Fiftieth Country Ratifies Treaty On The Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. • WPost Urges Openness About Invisible Attacks On US Diplomats, Intel Officers. THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE • Today's Events In Washington. LEADING THE NEWS Police Departments Preparing For Potential Election Day Unrest. The Washington Post (10/24, Berman, 14.2M) reports that "police departments across the country are bracing for Election Day, mobilizing officers as they prepare for the possibility of voter intimidation, unrest or violence." Though law enforcement agencies typically prepare "for elections, officials say this year's preparations are unusually extensive because of the sheer levels of anxiety and toxicity across the country - with fears that a modern American election could give way to potential violence." Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Deputy Chief Andrew Walsh said, "I don't think we've seen anything like this in modern times." Meanwhile, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said, "We are all in conversations with our counterparts across the country about what we might expect. But everything is uncertain. And so we're trying as best we can to anticipate any hazard that might happen." EFTA01658982  The Wall Street Journal (10/24, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that according to law enforcement officials and business leaders, the New York Police Department has told Midtown Manhattan businesses to take extra security measures due to the possibility of protests surrounding the presidential election. Americans Purchasing "Tactical Apparel" Ahead Of Election. Bloomberg (10/23, Robison, Adams-Heard, 4.73M) says, "Conflict is on America's streets in 2020, and 'tactical apparel' has become a lifestyle industry serving militarized law-enforcement agents and the freelance gunmen who emulate them. Less than two weeks before Election Day, orders are rolling in." Bloomberg adds that since last year, Internet orders have propelled "a 20 -fold jump in sales of goods like the $220 CM-6M gas mask - resistant to bean-bag rounds - for Mira Safety of Austin, Texas." Regarding his new customers, Mira Safety founder Roman Zrazhevskiy said, "They think that no matter who wins, Biden or Trump, there are going to be people who are upset about the result." Minnesota AG Probing Firm Accused Of Recruiting Armed Guards For Election Day. NBC News (10/23, Wong, 6.14M) reports, "Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced on Tuesday that his office launched an investigation into a private security company that has been accused of recruiting armed security guards for Election Day, saying that such an effort would intimidate voters." Atlas Aegis "is accused of posting since-deleted advertisements on Facebook for U.S. military Specials Operations personnel to guard polling sites in Minnesota on Election Day, according to a lawsuit filed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations of Minnesota (CAIR) and the League of Women Voters of Minnesota." Poll: More Than Two In Five Ready To Question Legitimacy Of Election Result. Reuters (10/25, Kahn) reports that a Reuters/Ipsos poll of 2,649 likely voters (10/13-10/20) shows that 43% of supporters of Joe Biden would not accept a victory by President Trump as legitimate, "while 41% of Americans who want to re-elect Trump would not accept a win by Biden. Smaller portions would take action to make their displeasure known: 22% of Biden supporters and 16% of Trump supporters said they would engage in street protests or even violence if their preferred candidate loses." Several outlets look at the possibility of conflict and even violence in the wake of the election. The Wall Street Journal (10/25, Horwitz, Seetharaman, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports Facebook has prepared internal tools designed for use in what it calls "at-risk" countries for use in the US. The Philadelphia Inquirer (10/25, Orso, 347K) reports progressive organizations in Philadelphia progressive "are planning 'mass action' and preparing protests for the days after the Nov. 3 election in the event of coordinated voter intimidation, mail-in ballot invalidation, or other electoral discord." The Seattle Times (10/25, 935K) reports officials across the US "are preparing for the prospect that this year's long, hot summer of unrest won't end" with the election. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas (D), on CBS' Face The NationVi (10/25, 2.68M), said, "Particularly in communities of color, particularly communities where you see voter intimidation tactics work, I'm concerned about something in Missouri called 'poll challengers.' They can stand there when you're checking in and say this person shouldn't be voting today because of someone who was turned away recently because of a snafu, that could be a real barrier perhaps for somebody who is going out to vote for the first time." Marc Fisher of the Washington Post (10/25, 14.2M) writes, "One week before Americans choose their path forward, the quadrennial crossroads reeks of despair. In almost every generation, politicians pose certain elections as the most important of their time. But the 2020 vote takes place with the country in a historically dark mood - low on hope, running on spiritual empty, convinced that the wrong outcome will bring disaster." At Least 58.6M Have Voted So Far. The AP (10/25, Riccardi, Kastanis) reports, "With nine days before Election Day, more people already have cast ballots in this year's presidential election than voted early or absentee in the 2016 race as the start of in-person early voting in big states led to a surge in turnout in recent days." At least 58.6 million ballots have been cast EFTA01658983 so far. Democrats "have continued to dominate the initial balloting, but Republicans are narrowing the gap. GOP voters have begun to show up as early in-person voting, a sign that many heeded [Trump's) unfounded warnings about mail-voting fraud." On ABC World News TonightVi (10/25, story 2, 3:20, Llamas, 4.45M), Stephanie Ramos reported that this weekend saw "early voting breaking voter turnout records across the country. More than 93,000 voters turned out to the polls on the first day of early voting" in New York City, where "massive lines stretched for blocks, with voters determined to make their ballot count." The CBS Weekend NewsVi (10/25, story 5, 2:55, Yuccas, 9.26M) reported on absentee votes being cast by Americans outside the US. Texas Supreme Court Stays Order Blocking Abbott's Limit On Ballot Dropoff Sites. The Dallas Morning News (10/25, 946K) reports the Texas Supreme Court has stayed a lower court's order that had blocked an order by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) "limiting counties to one mail ballot drop-off site. The decision followed a ruling Friday by Texas' Austin-based Third Court of Appeals that had upheld a state judge's order blocking Abbott's order. The state had appealed the Third Court of Appeals order." The state Supreme Court "was still reviewing whether to take further action in the case and ordered both sides to file their responses by 5 p.m. Monday." Reuters (10/23, Brice) reports the Texas 3rd Court of Appeals on Friday "ruled the Republican governor cannot limit drop-off sites for mail ballots to one per county, a setback for U.S. President Donald Trump." The court concurred with a "lower court that limiting the number of drop boxes would increase the risk that voters could get infected with COVID-19, and would infringe on their right to vote." Texas Gov. Greg Abbott "has informed the voting rights groups who oppose his move to limit drop boxes that he intends to quickly appeal Friday's ruling to the Texas Supreme Court, effectively delaying the re-opening of ballot drop-off locations." Boston Ballot Dropbox Set On Fire. The Boston Globe (10/25, 972K) reports, "A ballot drop box outside the Boston Public Library was set on fire early Sunday morning, according to state and city officials, who say it appears to be a deliberate, criminal attack and called it a 'disgrace to democracy." The fire "was set around 4 a.m. in the Copley Square drop box." Pennsylvania Supreme Court: Mail-In Ballots Can't Be Rejected Over Signature Discrepancy. Reuters (10/23, Pitas) reports Pennsylvania's Supreme Court "ruled on Friday that mail-in ballots cannot be refused because a voter's signature does not appear to match the one on file, a decision that could help Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden." The court ruled, "(We) hold that county boards of elections are prohibited from rejecting absentee or mail-in ballots based on signature comparison conducted by county election officials or employees, or as the result of third-party challenges based on signature analysis and comparisons." According to Reuters, "Democrats hailed the move while Republicans were critical." Voter Advocates Drop Suit Against Ohio Rule Limiting Drop Boxes. The AP (10/23, Smyth) reports that "a coalition of voter advocacy groups dropped a lawsuit Friday against Ohio's strict rule limiting ballot drop boxes to one location per county, a coup for President Donald Trump's reelection campaign in a key battleground state." The A. Philip Randolph Institute, the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, and the League of Women Voters of Ohio "made the decision after the federal appellate court in Cincinnati set a timetable last week that pushed further activity in the case past Election Day." Ohio ACLU Legal Director Freda Levenson "said that would 'obviously be too late." PROTESTS Trump Supporters And Opponents Clash In New York's Times Square. EFTA01658984 The New York Times (10/25, Southall, 18.61M) reports, "Political tensions over the upcoming presidential election escalated on New York City's streets on Sunday, as supporters of President Trump clashed with counterprotesters during a day of demonstrations." As a "pro-Trump caravan" organized by "a group that identifies itself as Jews for Trump" passed through Times Square, it "converged with a group of anti-Trump protesters who had marched from Brooklyn. The cars in the convoy were then blocked by counterprotesters, and some drivers got out of their cars to confront the anti-Trump demonstrators." The clashes "came as the Police Department was preparing for more possible unrest." In Brooklyn, one police officer "used a police loudspeaker to voice support for the president while arguing with a man on the street." The officer "was suspended without pay on Sunday after videos of the incident went viral on social media." The New York Daily News (10/25, Annese, 2.52M) reports that during the Times Square clash, "protesters hollered curses at former mayor Rudy Giuliani," who said he "wasn't part of the 'Jews for Trump' caravan" but was on his way home from a radio appearance. The New York Post (10/25, Celona, Moore, Fitz-Gibbon, 4.57M) also reports on the Giuliani incident. Most Black Lives Matter Demonstrations Have Been Peaceful. In an approximately 4,500 word piece, USA Today (10/24, 10.31M) reports that President Trump "and his supporters continue to warn voters that big cities run by Democrats are 'going to hell' due to violence associated with Black Lives Matter protests that erupted nationwide this summer in the wake of a series of police killings of Black Americans." However, those who reside "and work in those cities say the president is either terribly misinformed or lying." Though cities throughout the nation have seen murders and shootings significantly increase, "the vast majority of demonstrations associated with the Black Lives Matter movement have been non-violent." USA Today goes on to feature comments from residents of Portland, Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit, and Louisville regarding how their cities have been impacted by protests. Demonstrators Arrested Following Floyd's Death Were Charged Mostly With Nonviolent Offenses. In an approximately 3,000 word piece, the Washington Post (10/23, 14.2M) reported that demonstrators arrested following George Floyd's death "were a diverse, young group of people who demonstrated close to home and were charged largely with nonviolent crimes, according to a...Post review of data on more than 2,600 people detained in 15 cities." The data belies suggestions by the President as well as "other officials that those who took to the streets were mostly agitators from out-of-town." According to the Post's review, the vast "majority arrested in those 15 cities - 2,059 of the 2,652 - were accused of nonviolent misdemeanors, most on charges of violating curfew or emergency orders." LAPD Reports Indicate Most Floyd Protests Were Nonviolent. Under the headline "LAPD Reports Show That The Vast Majority Of George Floyd Protests Were Peaceful," the Los Angeles Times (10/23, 4.64M) says, "Field reports from Los Angeles police commanders at protests across the city this summer indicate that between 6% and 7% resulted in violence, destruction or serious uses of force by police, according to the LAPD." Most events that occurred in the timeframe "reviewed - May 25 to July 31 - were peaceful." Seattle Office Of Police Accountability: Seattle Officers Utilized Excessive Force Against Protestors. The Hill (10/24, 2.98M) reports the Seattle Office Of Police Accountability "found that police officers in the city used excessive force during some encounters with protesters amid multiple Black Lives Matter demonstrations over the summer." The office made public five finished probes "into the conduct of the Seattle Police Department in its handling of protests in the city that began in late May following the death of George Floyd." The Hill adds that OPA "said in a press release that it has been contacted more than 19,000 times about officers' conduct at these demonstrations since May 30 and has opened 126 investigations." EFTA01658985 Illinois Officer Fired After Shooting And Killing Black Man. The New York Times (10/24, Cramer, 18.6111) reports, "An Illinois police officer who shot and killed a 19-year-old Black man who was sitting in a car that was reversing toward the officer has been fired, according to the police." The Times adds that "the officer, who has not been publicly identified, was fired on Friday night, three days after the shooting, said Wayne Wailes, the chief of police in Waukegan, Ill." In a statement on Friday, Walles said, "The City of Waukegan terminated the officer that discharged his firearm during that incident, for multiple policy and procedure violations." Meanwhile, the Illinois State Police "said on Thursday that they were investigating the killing of the man, Marcellis Stinnette." The CBS Weekend NewsVi (10/24, story 5, 0:21, Yuccas, 2.08M) reported that Stinnette's girlfriend, who was driving the car, was wounded. WPost Al Discusses Mother's Struggle To Get Help For Black, Mentally Ill Son Amid Pandemic, Racial Unrest. In an approximately 4,500 word front-page piece, the Washington Post (10/24, Al, 14.2M) highlights a Georgia mothers struggle to get help for her 11-year-old son, who's Black and mentally ill, amid both the pandemic and increasing racial unrest. Black Journalists Who Worked With Vogue Editor In Chief Wintour Feel She Created Environment That Sidelined Black Women. A roughly 3,800 word New York Times (10/24, Lee, 18.61M) piece says that "Black journalists who have worked with" Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour, "speaking on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution, said they had not gotten over their experiences at a magazine whose workplace mirrored its exclusive pages." Many of the individuals the Times interviewed "said the racism they encountered was usually subtle, but sometimes blunt. Their main accusation was that Ms. Wintour created a work environment - and there is no facet of Vogue that she does not control - that sidelined and tokenized women of color, especially Black women." DOJ: Boogaloo Bois Member Fired On Minneapolis Police Precinct. The Minneapolis Star Tribune (10/23, 1.04M) reports that "in the wake of protests" after George Floyd's killing, "a member of the Boogaloo Bois opened fire on the Minneapolis Police Third Precinct with an AK-47-style gun and screamed Justice for Floyd' as he ran away, according to a federal complaint made public Friday." Ivan Harrison Hunter, "a 26-year-old from Boerne, Texas, is charged with one count of interstate travel to incite a riot for his alleged role in ramping up violence during the protests in Minneapolis on May 27 and 28." Charges indicate that Hunter "shot 13 rounds at the south Minneapolis police headquarters while people were inside. He also looted and helped set the building ablaze, according to the complaint, which was filed Monday under seal." The Washington Post (10/23, Bailey, 14.2M) reports, "According to a federal criminal complaint filed Monday but made public Friday," Hunter, of Bourne, Texas, "traveled to Minneapolis after Floyd's death and was captured on surveillance video May 28 firing 13 rounds from an AK-47 into the precinct building as it was overtaken by protesters. According to the complaint, Hunter fired his gun and allegedly shouted, 'Justice for Floyd!" Hunter "was charged with traveling across state lines to participate in a riot and made his first court appearance Friday in San Antonio, according to Erica MacDonald, the U.S. attorney for the District of Minnesota, whose office is handling the case." CNN (10/23, Campbell, 83.16M) reports, "According to a federal criminal affidavit, Hunter was present between May 27-28 at the Minneapolis Police Department's Third Precinct when the building was set on fire during protests. The FBI said it obtained video that showed Hunter firing 13 rounds from an AK-47 style rifle into the Third Precinct while people were inside the building." Hunter "returned to Texas after the Third Precinct incident, and 'made various EFTA01658986 statements on social media describing the violence in which he engaged in Minneapolis; according to the affidavit." CNN adds, "In the charging documents, the FBI alleged that Hunter was also associated with Steven Carrillo - another adherent of the Boogaloo Bois movement who is charged with killing two law enforcement officers in California in late May and early June." The Hill (10/23, Castronuovo, 2.98M) reports, "Federal officials wrote in the complaint that another individual charged in connection with the incident who is cooperating with authorities said that Hunter was the one who fired shots outside the precinct, which authorities later corroborated with several social media posts. Upon returning to Texas, Hunter made several posts about the event and on May 30, Hunter reportedly sent a message to another individual stating, 'I set fire to that precinct with the black community,' followed by 'Minneapolis third precinct,' according to the legal documents. On May 31, Hunter sent a message to another individual, saying, 'My mom would call the fbi if she knew what I do and at the level I'm at w[ith] it." ABC News (10/23, 2.97M) reports, "Hunter is the third 'Boogaloo Bois' member to face federal charges for his role in the Minneapolis riots, along with Michael Solomon and Benjamin Teeter - who were previously indicted on charges of conspiracy to provide material support for a foreign terrorist organization. All three were communicating and coordinating their movements regularly through the night of the riots, according to the FBI affidavit." The San Francisco Chronicle (10/24, Williams, 2.67M) reports, "Carrillo, 32, is accused of spraying bullets across a guard shack in front of the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building in Oakland on May 29, killing David Patrick Underwood, a federal security officer from Pinole, and wounding another person. One week after the Oakland shooting, the Air Force sergeant allegedly ambushed deputies in Santa Cruz County who were responding to reports of a van containing guns and bomb-making materials. Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, 38, was killed and several other deputies were wounded." Authorities "said Hunter and Carrillo had been messaging each other on Facebook before, during and after the Oakland and Minneapolis shootings. About four hours after the shooting that killed Underwood, Hunter messaged Carrillo, 'go go go; according to the court documents." BuzzFeed News (10/24, Hernandez) and the Daily Beast (10/23, Weil, 1.39M) also report. FBI Arrests White Supremacist Who Allegedly Targeted BLM Founder. Black Entertainment Television (10/23, 893K) reports, "Alicia Garza, co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, revealed on Twitter today (October 23) that she was told by the FBI of a possible white supremacist plot against her." BET adds, "Garza shared that agents from the bureau visited her to inform her that they had arrested a suspected white supremacist who was armed and has her name 'on a list."They arrested a man in Idaho on weapons charges who they believe was affiliated with white supremacist groups,' Garza tweeted. 'They found my name on a list in his home, alongside others." WPost Al: Experts Increasingly Cite Systemic Racism As Cause Of Some Racial Disparities In US. In a front-page article, the Washington Post (10/22, Al, Samuels, 14.2M) reports experts "are increasingly pointing to...systemic racism" as the cause of racial disparities in the US that relate to health and certain kinds of deaths. The article says Black men in the US "are twice as likely as White men to die of a cocaine overdose, twice as likely to be killed by police and...10 times as likely to" be murdered. Study: Black Individuals Arrested For Misdemeanors At Higher Rates Than Other Racial Groups. The Washington Post (10/23, Mettler, 14.2M) reports, "People of color are still disproportionately arrested on misdemeanors in Prince George's even though the rate of enforcement for such lower-level charges has decreased in the Maryland county and across six other large jurisdictions over the past 10 years, according to a new national study from the EFTA01658987 Data Collaborative for Justice at John Jay College." The study "draws on data collected from agencies between the early 2000s and the late 2010s in New York, Louisville, Los Angeles, Seattle, Durham, N.C., St. Louis and the D.C. suburb of Prince George's." According to the Post, "The key findings, including that Black people were arrested for misdemeanors at the highest rate of any racial group, come as government leaders and law enforcement officials nationwide face mounting pressure to reform criminal justice and policing." Alabama Voters Have Chance To Eliminate Racist Language From State Constitution. The AP (10/23, Reeves) reports Alabama voters once more have an opportunity to eliminate "the racist language of Jim Crow from the state's constitution, which was approved in 1901 to enshrine white supremacy as state law." Prior efforts to remove "the offensive phrases have failed," and though "organized opposition to the measure" hasn't materialized this time, there is concern "that conservative backlash to the Black Lives Matter movement could quash the proposal, which qualified for the ballot months before the nationwide demonstrations that" followed George Floyd's killing. The AP adds, "A measure on the Nov. 3 ballot would allow the state to recompile its 119-year-old constitution in a process supporters say would remove a lingering stain from the state's era of racial segregation and the legalized oppression of Black people." OPERATION L Fir3FNI) Myrtle Beach, South Carolina To Receive Federal Grant To Fight Gun Crime. The Myrtle Beach (SC) Online (10/24, Albert, 47K) reports, "Myrtle Beach will now have help from the federal government in putting violent criminals behind bars. The $265,258 in U.S. Department of Justice funding will be used to hire special prosecutors to try federal firearms cases originating in the Myrtle Beach area, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's office." MBO adds, "The grant comes after a violent end to the summer season in Horry County. Shootings took the lives of a Myrtle Beach police officer, two beloved members of the Racepath community and armed suspects." According to MBO, "A review of FBI and U.S. Census Bureau data shows the violent crime rate in Myrtle Beach outpaces places like Virginia Beach, Va., and Daytona Beach, Fla. It even surpasses cities such as Chicago. The federal grant is part of Operation Legend, an initiative led by the Department of Justice to lower violent crime." COUNTER -TERRORISM Michigan Judge Slashes Bond For Man Linked To Whitmer Kidnap Plot. The AP (10/23) reported from Jackson, Michigan, "A judge on Friday slashed bond from $10 million to $100,000 for a man accused of assisting in a scheme to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and commit other violence against state government." The AP adds, "A defense attorney argued that Pete Musico was kicked out of the group in the early summer because he was too `soft' and wouldn't commit to violence after participating in armed but legal spring rallies at the Capitol. `He was telling them you cannot accomplish what we're trying to accomplish through violence; Kareem Johnson said." Jackson County Judge Michael Klaeren "reduced Musico's bond, clearing the way for him to be released from jail. He must wear a GPS tether." The AP (10/24, Flesher) reports from Traverse City, Michigan, "When members of a Michigan paramilitary group were accused a decade ago of scheming to overthrow the U.S. government, their defense was based largely on one claim: We were all talk, no action. It worked so well that a federal judge took the rare step of dismissing most charges against the extremist group known as Hutaree, without giving the jury a say." The AP adds, "A defense EFTA01658988 lawyer in that case now represents Ty Garbin, one of six men accused of conspiring to kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer because of anger over her stay-at-home policies to contain the coronavirus. Again, attorney Mark Satawa contends his client had no intention to carry out the alleged plan, whatever he might have said in recorded or online conversations. 'Saying things like 'I hate the governor, the governor is tyrannical' ... is not illegal, even if you're holding a gun and running around the woods when you do it,' Satawa told The Associated Press." MLive (MI) (10/24, Burns, 925K) reports, "The idea that 14 men accused of planning to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer were actually trying to enact a legal citizen's arrest is far-fetched, law experts who spoke with MLive say," but "it's a possible legal defense." Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf, "who criticized Whitmer's coronavirus restrictions during a May 18 Michigan Patriot Rally in Grand Rapids, at which he shared the stage with one of the criminally charged suspects, first raised the prospect that this may not have been a kidnapping plot at all. 'It's just a charge, and they say a "plot to kidnap" and you got to remember that; Dar told Fox 17 Grand Rapids' reporter Aaron Parseghian. 'Are they trying to kidnap? Because a lot of people are angry with the governor, and they want her arrested. So are they trying to arrest or was it a kidnap attempt? Because you can still in Michigan, if it's a felony, make a felony arrest." Whitmer Says Several Officials Have Received Death Threats. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), on Fox News SundayVi (10/25, 1.27M), said, "We are just days since the plot to kidnap and try and kill me was revealed. Fourteen people have been arrested. First, I want to acknowledge the incredible work of the FBI and the Michigan state police. But I also want to acknowledge that rhetoric like this contributes to bringing up the heat. I have asked the White House since April to bring the heat down. That's when the death threats started. We now know that my good friend Mike DeWine, Republican governor of Ohio has been receiving threats. We know the people on both sides of the aisle who are just to do their jobs and save lives, like (NIAID Director) Fauci, have received threats. This kind of rhetoric is anti-American and it seeks to undermine the foundational principles of this country." Fox News (10/25, Blitzer, 27.59M) reports that Whitmer "blamed the Trump administration for rhetoric that she claimed led to a kidnapping plot against her, after the Trump campaign accused her of encouraging attempts on the president's life. 'First I want to acknowledge the incredible work of the FBI and the Michigan State Police,' Whitmer told 'Fox News Sunday' host Chris Wallace, 'but I also want to acknowledge that rhetoric like this contributes to bringing up the heat. I have asked the White House since April to bring the heat down. That's when the death threats started." Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R), on CBS' Face The NationVi (10/25, 2.24M), discussed the degree of harsh rhetoric in the campaign, particularly the "lock her up" chants at the President's rallies. Hutchinson said, "That's not a chant I would ever participate in. You know, we need to have a more civil discourse, even though it's a hotly contested presidential race. We need to lead by example." CSIS: White Supremacists Responsible For Majority Of US Terrorist Attacks This Year. The New York Times (10/24, Gross, 18.61M) says, "White supremacists and other like-minded groups have committed a majority of the terrorist attacks in the United States this year, according to a report by a security think tank that echoed warnings made by the Department of Homeland Security this month." The Times adds that "the report, published Thursday by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, found that white supremacist groups were responsible for 41 of 61 'terrorist plots and attacks' in the first eight months of this year." Man Receives 20-Year Prison Sentence For Purchasing Firearms Used In 2015 Terror Attack In California. The AP (10/23, Dazio, Taxin) reports that "the man who bought two rifles that husband-and- wife assailants used to kill 14 people in a Southern California terror attack" in 2015 received a EFTA01658989 20-year prison sentence on Friday. Enrique Marquez Jr. "supplied the weapons that Syed Rizwan Farook and Farook's wife, Tashfeen Malik, used on Dec. 2, 2015, to open fire on a meeting and holiday gathering of San Bernardino County employees who worked with Farook. Minutes later, a post on a Facebook page associated with Malik pledged allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State terror group." Farook and Malik "died later that day in a gunbattle with authorities." The Orange County_(CA SI ister (10/23, Rokos, 546K) reports, "U.S. District Court Judge Jesus G. Bernal said he couldn't hold Marquez legally responsible for the 14 slayings. Authorities have said that Marquez did not know about the plot in advance." Marquez, of Riverside, California, "had been convicted of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and making a false statement on federal firearms-purchase forms: Marquez said the firearms he was buying in 2011 and 2012 were for his use. Instead, he sold them to neighbor Syed Rizwan Farook as part of an aborted plan to wage attacks on motorists on the 91 Freeway and at Riverside City College, prosecutors said. By then, Farook had radicalized his longtime friend to Islam." The New York Times (10/23, Levenson, 18.61M) reports, "In pleading guilty, Mr. Marquez had acknowledged making false statements in connection with his role as a `straw buyer' of the rifles, federal prosecutors said." Farook and Malik "were killed in a shootout with the authorities hours after the massacre, which was the worst terrorist attack on American soil since Sept. 11, 2001, federal prosecutors said." Federal prosecutors said Marquez "had admitted in a plea agreement and in open court that he had also plotted with Mr. Farook in 2011 and 2012 to attack Riverside City College and a California freeway. Those attacks were never carried out, but Mr. Marquez had discussed with Mr. Farook using radio-controlled improvised explosive devices for the attacks and bought Christmas tree light bulbs and a container of smokeless powder to use in the devices, federal prosecutors said." The Hill (10/23, 2.98M) reports that Marqez "pleaded guilty in 2017 to conspiracy to provide material support and resources to terrorists, and one count of making false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms. `This defendant was an active member of a conspiracy that planned to inflict death and destruction on innocent people; First Assistant United States Attorney Tracy Wilkison said in a statement. 'By his own admissions, this defendant collaborated with and purchased weapons for a man he definitively knew held radical and anti-American beliefs - and who wanted to kill innocent people.'" The Wall Street Journal (10/23, Levy, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) also reports. Ninth Circuit Dismisses Key Terrorism Charge For California Man. The San Jose (CA) Mercury News (10/23, Gartrell, 456K) reports from San Francisco, "In a rebuke of a Bay Area federal judge's decision, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has struck down a terrorism enhancement against a man who was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for opening six Twitter accounts for an undercover agent he believed was a member of ISIL." Amer Alhaggagi "was convicted of `attempting to provide material support' to terrorists simply because he agreed to open social media accounts for the purported member of the Islamic State, known as ISIL and ISIS." Prosecutors asked US District Judge Charles Breyer "to apply a so-called `terrorism enhancement' that made him eligible for up to 20 years. Breyer applied the enhancement and sentenced Alhaggagi to 15 years." The appeals court ruled that the enhancement "did not apply to Alhaggagi's case." UK Special Forces Storm Vessel In Suspected Hijacking. Reuters (10/25, Nicholls) reports, "British special forces stormed a Greek-operated oil tanker in the English channel on Sunday" in a "suspected hijacking." Special forces troops from Special Boat Service "boarded the Nave Andromeda near the Isle of Wight off southern England." UK officials "authorised the armed forces to board the ship `to safeguard life and secure a ship that was subject to suspected hijacking; the defence ministry said." It isn't "clear where the EFTA01658990 stowaways were from or what their intentions were." British police said, "They had made verbal threats towards the crew. No one has been reported injured." Afghanistan Claims Top Al-Qaida Propagandist Wanted By FBI Was Killed. The AP (10/25) reports, "Afghanistan claimed Sunday it killed a top al-Qaida propagandist," Husam Abd al-Rauf, also known as Abu Muhsin al-Masri, "on an FBI most-wanted list during an operation in the country's east." The move, as well as ongoing violence, "threaten the face-to- face peace talks and risk plunging this nation beset by decades of war into further instability." Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security "claimed on Twitter to have killed him in Ghazni province," then "released a photograph late Sunday afternoon it described as al-Rauf's corpse, which resembled FBI images of the militant leader." According to "Wahidullah Jumazada, a spokesman for the provincial governor in Ghazni...Afghan forces killed six suspected militants in the raid, without acknowledging al-Rauf had been killed." Reuters (10/24, Shalizi) reports that NCTC Director Chris Miller "confirmed al-Masri's death in a statement, saying his'removal .. from the battlefield is a major setback to a terrorist organization that is consistently experiencing strategic losses facilitated by the United States and its partners." Miller added the loss "highlights the diminishing effectiveness of the terrorist organization." Bloomberg (10/24, Najafizada, 4.73M) reports, "The U.S. issued a federal arrest warrant in 2018 after he was charged with conspiracy to kill American nationals and providing material support and resources to foreign terrorist organizations," according to the FBI website. The Hill (10/25, Coleman, 2.98M) reports that an Afghan presidential palace statement said the death "proved that the threat of terrorism and the Taliban's links to terrorist networks are still in place." The statement added, "The Taliban should prove to the people, the government of Afghanistan and the international community that they are ending their links with terrorist groups, including al-Qaida." The palace is urging those groups to "stop the war and violence and facilitate a dignified and sustainable peace in the country." Guantanamo Bay Not Closing Despite Lack Of Population Growth Under Trump. The Hill (10/25, Kheel, 2.98M) reports that Guantanamo Bay's "population has not grown" under President Trump, whose Administration "recently celebrated bringing two of the most notorious alleged ISIS fighters to the United States for trial." The detention center "has all but disappeared from either party's talk on the campaign trail as the facility nears 20 years of operations," and remains open. The Administration has, however, brought "27 Americans captured by the SDF back to the United States for prosecution," the DOJ announced this month. Amnesty International's Daphne Eviatar said her group will "definitely try to push a new administration on this." She added the US is "coming on the 20th anniversary of the prison, and I think that people might remember, `Oh my god, this prison is still open. People are still being held indefinitely without charge or trial. This is crazy." Bloomberg Analysis: French Interior Minister Now "Public Face Of A Crackdown Whipping Up Sentiment Against The Broader Muslim Community." A Bloomberg (10/24, Nussbaum, 4.73M) analysis says that French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin "has vowed to root out extremists after a grisly murder in Paris. In saying he wants to preserve a distinctly French way of life, he risks the perception he's targeting not just Islamists, but all Muslims." Bloomberg adds that Darmanin's "vision for the country includes fewer halal butchers, ethnic clothing stores and even specialist supermarket aisles." While speaking with French television on Tuesday, he said, "It always shocked me to enter a supermarket and see a shelf devoted to the food of one community, and to another one next to it." He also said, "Some people need to understand that winning market share by appealing to basic instincts doesn't necessarily contribute to the common good." According to Bloomberg, EFTA01658991 Darmanin "has become the public face of a crackdown whipping up sentiment against the broader Muslim community." Spokesman Says Houthis Targeted Airports, Base In Saudi Arabia. Reuters (10/24, Khalek) reports, "The military spokesman for Yemen's Houthi movement said in a tweet on Saturday it had targeted the Jizan and Abha airports and the Khamis Mushait base in Saudi Arabia with drones." Previously on Saturday as well as in a pair of "statements on Friday, the Saudi-led coali