EFTA00150106.pdf

From: To: Subject: u is airs ews rte ing urs ay, uy , Date: Thu, 16 Jul 2020 10:27:56 +0000 Importan c Normal e: Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com. jeliFBI News Briefing TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2020 6:30 AM EDT TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • Trump To Announce Deployment Of Federal "Help" Into Cities To Control Violence. PROTESTS • Floyd's Family Sues Minneapolis, Four Officers Over His Death. • Giuliani Denounces "Marxist Terrorist" BLM, Says He Could End NYC Violence. • Former Seattle Resident Faces Federal Arson Charges Over Police Precinct Fire. • DO) Spokeswoman Calls Portland Mayor "A Disgrace" For Rejecting Federal Help During Protests. • Esper Issues Diversity Memo To Pentagon Officials. • Williamson: Trump Speaks Up For "Forgotten Men And Women." • Dozens Face Felony Charges After Protesting Taylor's Death. • Oklahoma Police Face Murder Charges After Tasing Man More Than 50 Times. • Chicago Police Superintendent Shakes Up Leadership Amid Increased Violence. • Berkeley Moves Toward Removing Police From Traffic Stops. • Anti-Police Protester Charged With Murdering Eight-Year-Old Atlanta Girl. • North Carolina City Approves Reparations For Black Residents. • Diversity )ob Openings Increased In Wake Of BLM Protests. • Smithsonian's National Museum Of African Art Accused Of Racism. • Statue Of Black Protester Raised In Place Of Bristol Slave Trader. COUNTER-TERRORISM • Trump Touts Terrorism Charges Against MS-13. • US, Gulf Allies Blacklist ISIS Financial Network. • US Africa Command Says Russian Mercenaries Planted Land Mines In Libya. • UN Frees Up "Expense" Money For Several Declared Terrorists. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE • Graham Wants To Declassify Document Related To Steele Dossier. • Trump Says He Would Consider Giving Flynn )ob At White House. • Schiff Worried "More Serious Abuse" Of Law Enforcement Is Looming With Durham Probe. • Pompeo "Confident" Foreign Countries Will Attempt To Interfere In Upcoming Elections. EFTA00150106 • DCSA Reports Nearly Half Of Those With Security Clearances Enrolled In Continuous Evaluation Program. • NNSA Administrator Says She Is Confident US Will Resume Plutonium Production By 2030. • NRO Launches "Revolutionary" Satellites From Virginia. • Airbus Targets NRO Imagery Sales With New US Corporate Entity. • Op-Ed: Trump's Call For CIA To Cooperate With Russia Was A Disaster. • Former CIA Officer Peterson Discusses The Tiananmen Crisis And Training CIA Analysts. • Relatives Of Woman Poisoned By Novichok Wait For Judges' Inquest Ruling. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • Ghislaine Maxwell Reportedly Refuses To Reveal Name Of Spouse To FBI. • Sheriff Says Former Texas Jail Deputy Allowed Inmate Attack. • North Carolina Man Sentenced On Drug, Weapons Charges. • Two California Men Charged In Deadly Kidnapping. • Vallejo, California Officials Confirm Key Evidence In Police Shooting Probe Was Destroyed. • Investigators Give Report On Indiana Lynching Complaint To Prosecutors. • Pennsylvania Man Sentenced On Drug, Weapons Charges. • FBI Arrests Suspected Crime Boss In Oahu. • Second Chicago Police Officer Receives Prison Time For Corruption Charges. • Pittsburgh Store Owner Charged In Stolen Goods Scheme. • Romanian Pleads Guilty To Salt Lake City ATM Skimming Scheme. • Three Jersey City Gang Members Charged. • West Hollywood Man Sentenced To Five Years For Art Fraud. • FBI Arrest Holyoke, Man Woman For Drug Trafficking. • Continuing Coverage: Indiana Woman Arrested For Alleged Animal Abuse. • FBI Investigating Cold Case Murder In California. • Explosive Device Found Near Texas Hospital. • Nebraska Man Pleads Guilty To Producing Child Pornography. • Nebraska Man Sentenced To Life Imprisonment For Murder. • Suspected Massachusetts Gang Member Ordered Held Without Bail. • Connecticut Woman Charged With Obstruction. • FBI Supporting Investigation Into Missing Connecticut Teenager. • FBI Offering Reward In DC Shooting Investigation. • New York Man Pleads Guilty To Smuggling Prison Contraband. • Continuing Coverage: Missing California Teenager Located. • Texas Man Pleads Guilty To Bank Robberies. • New Jersey Senior Charged With Child Pornography Possession, Distribution. • New Jersey Gang Members Charged In Connection To Shooting Of Minor. • FBI Searching For Missing California Toddler. • Mississippi Couple Taken Into Custody In Connection To Disappearance. • Rhode Island Man Sentenced For Bank Robberies. • Continuing Coverage: FBI Supporting Investigation Into Missing Pennsylvania Amish Teenager. • Prosecutor Admits "Grand Jury Gaffe" But Argues Perjury Indictment Should Stand. • More Arrests Made Connection With Georgia Drug Investigation. • Ten People Allegedly Sold Crack, Oxycodone In Ohio. • Two Men Accused Of Possessing Enough Fentanyl To Kill More Than 20,000 People. • Feds: Puerto Rico To Rhode Island Drug "Pipeline" Shut Down • Four People Charged With Plotting To Kill DEA Agent. • Former ICE Informant Facing Drug Charges. EFTA00150107 • Drug Case Defendant Sentenced To Decade In Federal Prison. • Oklahoma Resident Pleads Guilty To Meth Charge. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS • Authorities In Maryland Uncover ID Theft Scheme Involving Fraudulent Unemployment Claims. • Massachusetts Man Charged With PPP Coronavirus Fraud. • Investment Fund Accused Of Running Ponzi Scheme Got Millions In PPP Money. • Three More San Francisco Departments Subpoenaed In Widening Corruption Probe. • Minnesota Couple Pleads Guilty In Virginia To Fraud. • Pennsylvania Man Sentenced For Fraud Scheme. • Fourth Guilty Plea In Scheme To Defraud Toyota. • Former CFL Player, California Woman Sentenced In College Admissions Scandal. CYBER DIVISION • High-Profile Twitter Accounts Hacked In Bitcoin Scam. • FBI Warns Of Cyber Criminals Spoofing Airport Websites And Wi-Fi. • FBI's "Operation Kick Boxer" Targets Child Predators. • FBI Assures Rep. Lynch Of US Commitment To Sharing Cyber Threat Information With Industry Partners. • Pompeo: US Will Sanction Huawei Employees, Mulling Action Against TikTok. • UK Ban On Huawei Spurring Calls For Tougher EU Approach. • EU Court Strikes Down Privacy Shield. • Draft National Defense Authorization Act Includes Numerous Solarium Cyber Amendments. • Air Force Cyber Org Reaches Full Operational Capability. • Yahoo News: 2018 Presidential Finding Allowed CIA To Conduct Offensive Cyber Operations. LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES • Kansas City, Missouri Officials Discuss "Operation LeGend." • Studies Tie Increased Gun Sales This Year To Spike In Gun Violence. • Judge Blocks Federal Execution Scheduled For Wednesday Night. • US Overdose Deaths Rose To Record High In 2019 In Reversal Of Positive Trend. OTHER FBI NEWS • FBI Warns Of Fake Phone Calls Claiming Agents Will Shut Down El Paso, Texas Due To COVID-19. • Bureau Of Prisons Releases Ex-Rep. Fattah From Prison Early. • Retired FBI Special Agent Arrested For Allegedly Charging At Children With Truck. • Former Federal Prosecutor Berman Takes Teaching Job At Stanford. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • Trump Criticizes Navarro Op-Ed, Says He Has "A Very Good Relationship" With Fauci. • Redfield Says Following Guidelines "Could Bring This Outbreak To Its Knees." • Administration Faces Criticism For Transferring COVID Patient Information From CDC To HHS. • Coronavirus Cases Continue To Rise; US Death Count Tops 140,000. • Oklahoma Governor Tests Positive, But Still Opposes Mask Mandate. • National Parks May Be Battleground In Reopening Fights. • Oxford Researchers To Publish Early Results Of Vaccine Research Next Week. • Vaccine Scientist Will Not Be Forced To Disclose Stocks. • Resurgence Of Coronavirus Cases Threatens To Derail Economic Recovery. • Congressional Leaders Posture In Showdown Over Next Coronavirus Package. • Virginia Becomes First State To Adopt Coronavirus Safety Rules For Workplaces. • Walmart To Require Customers Wear Masks In Its Stores. EFTA00150108 • Trump Announces Changes To NEPA Regulations To Speed Permitting For Infrastructure Projects. • Trump Will Challenge Manhattan DA's Efforts To Seek His Financial Records. • WPost Analysis: Trump Has Worked To Cover Up "Crimes" Committed To Help Him In 2016. • House Democrats Advance Spending Bill That Would Cut ICE Funding. • Proposal To Overhaul Asylum System Criticized By Federal Officers. • WPost: Border Wall Is A Folly Marked By "Incompetence" And "Corruption." • Administration, Senate GOP May Prod Schools To Reopen With Incentives Or Conditions To Aid. • DeVos Sued By 23 AGs Over Changes To Student Loan Forgiveness Program. • Trump Touts Goya From Oval Office In Social Media Posts. • Niece Acknowledges She "Can't Prove" Trump Cheated On SATs. • Postal Service's Planned Cost-Cutting Measures Could Lead To Delay In Mail Deliveries. • Ginsburg Discharged From Hospital. INTERNATIONAL NEWS • Pompeo Predicts "Whitewashed" WHO Investigation Into Origins Of Coronavirus. • World Leaders Urge Equal Global Access To Coronavirus Vaccine. • Canadian Officials Wary Of Reopening Even As Deaths Near Zero. • Bolsonaro Tests Positive For Coronavirus For A Second Time. • After Shunning Lockdown Measures, Sweden Sees High Death Rate. • Trump Calls On Iran To Halt Execution Of Protestors. • IAEA Chief Urges Tehran To Grant Inspectors Access. • Iranian Naval Ships Set On Fire In Latest Attack. • Administration Reportedly Mulling Travel Ban On Chinese Communist Party Members. • US Sanctions Companies Linked To Russian Businessman With Ties To Putin. • Poland's Duda Falls Victim To Russian Pranksters Posing As UN Chief. • New Research Suggests Global Methane Emissions Will Keep Rising. THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE • Today's Events In Washington. LEADING THE NEWS Trump To Announce Deployment Of Federal "Help" Into Cities To Control Violence. The Washington Times (7/15, Boyer, 492K) reports President Trump is "planning to direct federal law enforcement 'help' for Democratic-run cities that have seen a rise in violence this summer," calling them "war zones." In a meeting with Attorney General Barr and "other federal officials" at the White House on Wednesday, the President said he'll make a "very exciting" official announcement next week. Said Trump, "The left-wing group of people that are running our cities are not doing the job that they're supposed to be doing," adding that he will soon announce "what we're planning to do to help them." Fox News (7/15, Singman, 27.59M) reports, "The president was joined Wednesday by his chief of staff, Mark Meadows, White House counsel Pat Cipollone, Attorney General William Barr, acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Matthew Albence. Also attending were U.S. attorneys from Nevada, New York and Virginia, as well as director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons Michael Carvajal and Regina Lombardo, director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives." EFTA00150109  In an interview with Townhall (7/15, Pavlich, 177K), Trump similarly "warned federal action is on the table," saying, "We are going to have to do something very comprehensive," he said. "It means sending people in. It means sending people in to clean it up. ... There's a point at which we're allowed to go in and that point is rapidly being reached." When asked "about what threshold must be met before federal action is taken," the President said, "carnage and death." White House senior adviser Stephen Miller said on KDKA-AMVi Pittsburgh (7/15), "You're witnessing an open attack by the American left on the institution of law enforcement in this country and they will not be satisfied until law enforcement as we know it is gone forever. While this used be something that was done surreptitiously, behind the scenes, quietly, it is now out in the open, in full view for everybody to see. So if this isn't enough to get every day Americans outraged by the far left and the Democratic party, I can't imagine what will because you're seeing the human consequences left-wing ideology in the city streets of New York city, Chicago, Pittsburgh Philadelphia, Atlanta, Seattle all over the country." Miller said on WBAP-AMVi Dallas (7/15, 13K), "There's a direct connection between the push to defund police and the surge in violent crime that you've seen in some of our nation's most Democratic controlled cities and they are trying to relive the horribly failed experiments that began in the 1970s with alternatives to prison and efforts on rehabilitation instead of putting people behind bars. ... This is not limited to cities that are run by Democrats for a few reasons. Number one is that criminals can move around into city that they want to. ... Secondly the push is to defund police nationally. It is a national effort. If the left takes over Washington, DC, they are going to try to control every police department from Washington, DC." Deputy Assistant to the President Ben Williamson said on The Brian Mudd Show (Radio)Vi (7/15), "There is no stronger supporter of law enforcement than this President. ... This President is the only thing standing between families and the mob. Law enforcement, at times, are often times the last call and that's why this President is willing to back them." Williamson added, "As we move forward to the fall you are going to see a continued unequivocal support for the good mean and women of our police departments. ... The men and woman of our law enforcement deserve our total support and that is what they are going to get form this White House in the months ahead." PROTESTS Floyd's Family Sues Minneapolis, Four Officers Over His Death. NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/15, story 6, 2:15, Holt, 5.7M) reported the family of George Floyd sued the city of Minneapolis on Wednesday over his death in police custody. The Floyd family's attorney, Ben Crump, said, "We seek to make it financially prohibitive that the police won't wrongfully kill marginalized people." Reuters (7/15, Trotta) reports the suit names as defendants the city of Minneapolis and "four officers who participated in his arrest," Derek Chauvin, 3. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao. The Minneapolis Star Tribune (7/15, Furst, Walsh, 1.04M) reports City Attorney Erik Nilsson said in a statement that "George Floyd's death is a tragedy. The city is reviewing the civil lawsuit filed by his family and will be responding to it. Criminal charges are pending against four Minneapolis police officers, and it's very important that the criminal case proceed without interference." New Police Video Reveals Floyd's Pleas Before His Death. NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/15, story 6, 2:15, Holt, 5.7M) said it has "viewed unreleased body cam video that sheds new light on what happened before" Floyd's death. NBC's Gabe Gutierrez added that "almost two months" after his death, "for the first time previously unreleased police body camera footage showed George Floyd told officers at least 28 times that he couldn't breathe." ABC World News TonightVi (7/15, story 10, 0:15, Muir, 7.16M) reported that "a judge now allowing the public to EFTA00150110 view newly released body camera images by appointment only, not for broadcast." In the video, "Floyd can be heard saying 'I'm not a bad guy." The CBS Evening NewsVi (7/15, story 8, 1:45, O'Donnell, 4.16M) reported the "video revealed that Floyd told the officers he couldn't breathe more than 20 times, and that [Officer Derek) Chauvin refused to ease up, saying 'No, he's staying put where we got him." According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune (7/15, Xiong, Sawyer, 1.04M), the video also "showed that medics who arrived at the scene did not appear alarmed or rushed in assisting Floyd after taking his pulse, and that about three minutes passed before anyone began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Floyd, who had been unresponsive for several minutes by then." The Washington Post (7/15, Bailey, 14.2M) reports the videos "were filed as evidence in the former officers' criminal case." Giuliani Denounces "Marxist Terrorist" BLM, Says He Could End NYC Violence. Appearing on Fox News' Fox & Friends (7/15, 831K), former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani denounced what he called the "Marxist terrorist organization Black Lives Matter." Giuliani said, "They don't care about Black lives. ... There is no demonstration for...the 9,000 other Black men killed not by the police last year or the ones that are getting killed, 20 per week in New York now. They don't care about them. They only care about Black lives that can be exploited, and they try to turn the community against the police. And the minute the community loses the police, then the bad guys take over." Giuliani continued, "I went into those communities not to harass Black people, but to save their lives. And I saved more Black lives than any mayor in the history of the city. ... I could turn this around in a month." NYPD Officers Injured During Protests. ABC World News TonightVi (7/15, story 7, 0:20, Muir, 7.16M) reported, "Four New York City police officers, including the city's police chief, [were) injured during protests on the Brooklyn Bridge" on Wednesday. Video from the scene "showing some officers trying to push back the crowd. Others treating wounds." The CBS Evening NewsVi (7/15, story 11, 0:15, O'Donnell, 4.16M) reported the attack "happened as protestors, both pro- and anti-police, clashed on the Brooklyn Bridge. ... Thirty-seven people were arrested." The AP (7/15) reports "surveillance video posted on social media by the police department showed a man on the bridge's pedestrian walkway rushing toward a group of officers and reaching over a fence to bash their heads with a cane." The Fox News (7/15, Pagones, 27.59M) website reports, however, that "it was not immediately clear if the video showed the only incident of violence or if others had occurred off-camera." The New York Times (7/15, Shanahan, 18.61M) reports Police Chief Terence A. Monahan suffered "an injured hand," while the New York Post (7/15, Moore, 4.57M) reports that "at least two cops suffered serious injuries." The Washington Examiner (7/15, Picket, 448K) is among other news outlets also reporting the clash. NYTimes: Proposed New Rules Threaten Press Freedom. The New York Times (7/15, 18.61M) editorializes that "increased public scrutiny of American policing...has revealed in recent weeks an urgent need for sustained and systemic reform," but the NYPD "has chosen to respond by pressing ahead with new rules to grant wider latitude to bar journalists from covering official police activity." The Times argues that the department's proposed regulations "would add new reasons to revoke reporters' credentials that allow them past police lines." Former Seattle Resident Faces Federal Arson Charges Over Police Precinct Fire. The Hill (7/15, Klar, 2.98M) reports, "A former Seattle resident is facing federal arson charges for allegedly setting fire to an abandoned police precinct last month as part of the Capitol Hill Organized Protest occupation, known as CHOP, U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran said Wednesday." Isaiah Thomas Willoughby, 35, "was arrested without incident at a Seattle residence on Tuesday night. 'This is the third case we have charged federally for the criminal acts that tainted EFTA00150111 otherwise peaceful protests. Other crimes remain under investigation and may result in additional federal charges,' Moran said in a statement." The Hill adds, "The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI and the Seattle Police Department." DO) Spokeswoman Calls Portland Mayor "A Disgrace" For Rejecting Federal Help During Protests. Fox News (7/15, Halon, 27.59M) reports, "Department of Justice spokeswoman Kerri Kupec slammed Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler as a 'disgrace' Wednesday after he rejected federal assistance in dealing with massive protests in his city." Kupec "told 'Bill Hemmer Reports' that she was 'particularly dismayed ... considering that just over the weekend, a protester went after one of our U.S. Marshals with a hammer, hitting him over and over again. Protesters were surging federal buildings, armed with sledgehammers, with slingshots, with lasers."I don't care if you're Republican or Democrat, but if you're an elected official and you're prioritizing your own personal politics and violent anarchists and agitators over the safety and security of the very people who elected you, that's not leadership,' Kupec added. 'That's a disgrace." Esper Issues Diversity Memo To Pentagon Officials. The Washington Times (7/15, Glenn, 492K) reports that senior Pentagon officials have until August 15 to tell Defense Secretary Esper "what they are doing to implement policies to handle questions of racism and discrimination with each of the military services." In a memorandum released Wednesday, Esper "issued several directives that follow recommendations that came from throughout the Department of Defense." Specifically, Esper "wants military officials to review hairstyle and grooming policies for any signs of racial bias," as well as "review appearance standards and policies and make 'appropriate policy modifications' by mid- September." Williamson: Trump Speaks Up For "Forgotten Men And Women." Deputy Assistant to the President Ben Williamson said on the Brian Mudd ShowVi (7/15), "In this culture that we live in, you are crowded out if you are Trump supporter, if you are a conservative, and it is a problem and that is why the President always talks about the silent majority of forgotten men and women. When you see him hit back from the podium...or when you see him speak out at rallies, or on Twitter, that's really who he is speaking up for, it is the people that he feels like have been threatened by this 'cancel culture' and not allowed to speak out about their viewpoints just because they happen to be different from whatever the mainstream media happens to be promoting." Joe Scarborough, meanwhile, writes in his Washington Post (7/15, 14.2M) column that "Americans should take their exceptionalism seriously and subject the country to an exceptional moral standard. The pursuit of that higher purpose was reignited after the killing of George Floyd. The journey can only end when every citizen is raised free of fear and filled with the same dream that so many of us take for granted." Dozens Face Felony Charges After Protesting Taylor's Death. The New York Times (7/15, Fortin, Waller, 18.61M) reports that "dozens of protesters were charged with a felony on Tuesday after they gathered on property owned by Kentucky's attorney general to demand charges against the police officers responsible for the shooting death of Breonna Taylor." Police said 87 demonstrators were arrested and charged with "intimidating a participant in a legal process - a felony - along with disorderly conduct and criminal trespass." Oklahoma Police Face Murder Charges After Tasing Man More Than 50 Times. EFTA00150112 ABC World News TonightVi (7/15, story 6, 1:40, Muir, 7.16M) reported on "newly released video of a deadly police encounter in Wilson, Oklahoma," during "an attempted arrest. Two police officers using a stun gun on a man allegedly more than 50 times as he laid on the ground begging for help. The man become unresponsive and died days later, and tonight, the officers are now facing murder charges." Chicago Police Superintendent Shakes Up Leadership Amid Increased Violence. The Chicago Tribune (7/15, Sweeney, 2.65M) reports Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown on Wednesday announced what it calls "significant department leadership changes, including the retirement of a second veteran member and naming his second-in-command." The announcements come as the department battles "a troubling uptick in violence" and as law enforcement "nationally is facing intense, sustained criticism in the wake of a series of high- profile excessive-force incidents." Said Brown in announcing the changes, "It is time for the next generation to cement its mark on history. This is a pivotal time for CPD and for law enforcement, no doubt. I am confident - confident - that this new group of leaders will bring us into the future." Berkeley Moves Toward Removing Police From Traffic Stops. The AP (7/15, Har) reports Berkeley, California, "is moving forward with a novel proposal to replace police with unarmed civilians during traffic stops in a bid to curtail racial profiling." The City Council voted Wednesday to approve "a police reform proposal that calls for a public committee to hash out details of a new Berkeley Police Department that would not respond to calls involving people experiencing homelessness or mental illness." The committee also would pursue creating "a separate department to handle transportation planning and enforcing parking and traffic laws." Anti-Police Protester Charged With Murdering Eight-Year-Old Atlanta Girl. The AP (7/15, Thanawala, Martin) reports that a "suspect has been charged with felony murder and aggravated assault in the shooting that killed an 8-year-old Atlanta girl near the site of an earlier police shooting." According to the AP, "Police issued warrants...for 19-year-old Julian Conley in the slaying of Secoriea Turner." Conley's attorney "said Conley was peacefully protesting and witnessed the shooting but did not open fire himself, though he was armed." North Carolina City Approves Reparations For Black Residents. In what USA Today (7/15, Burgess, 10.31M) calls "an extraordinary move," the Asheville City Council "apologized for the North Carolina city's historic role in slavery, discrimination and denial of basic liberties to Black residents and voted to provide reparations to them and their descendants." The "unanimously passed resolution does not mandate direct payments," but instead, the city "will make investments in areas where Black residents face disparities." Diversity Job Openings Increased In Wake Of BLM Protests. The Washington Post (7/15, McGregor, 14.2M) reports that "American companies cut back sharply on hiring for jobs related to diversity and inclusion when the coronavirus pandemic struck in mid-March, with openings falling twice as fast as for other listings, according to data from one of the country's biggest career sites." But as "corporate America offered new commitments to work for inclusion amid the national reckoning on racial injustice that erupted after the killing of George Floyd in police custody, the same category of job openings rebounded." For example, D&I postings "rose 50 percent in June on Glassdoor, the largest percentage increase over a four-week period since January 2016, though they are still well below their March peak." NYTimes: BLM Protests Highlight Diversity In Small-Town America. A New York Times (7/15, Robertson, 18.61M) analysis says that while "Black Lives Matter could be EFTA00150113 responsible for the largest protest movement in US history" in the wake of George Floyd's death, another "significant consequence of recent weeks could be the realization for many Americans in small towns that their neighbors are more multiracial and less willing to be quiet about things than most people had assumed." Smithsonian's National Museum Of African Art Accused Of Racism. The Washington Post (7/15, McGlone, 14.2M) reports that a group of "former employees and board members of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art have written a letter charging the museum with promoting a culture of racism and saying formal reports about racial bias and attacks have been ignored." In a letter sent last week to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, the "unidentified individuals say that more than 10 former and current black employees of the museum dedicated to African art and culture have experienced 'incidents of racial bias, hostile verbal attacks, retaliation, terminations, microaggressions and degrading comments' that date back at least five years." Statue Of Black Protester Raised In Place Of Bristol Slave Trader. The New York Times (7/15, Landler, 18.61M) reports Jen Reid "had never marched in a Black Lives Matter protest before she took to the streets of Bristol, England, on June 7," but "by the end of that angry day, she had clambered up to stand in the place of a 17th-century slave trader, whose bronze statue had been pulled down and dumped in the city's harbor." The image of Reid, "her fist clenched, her right arm thrust upward in a gesture of defiance, spread widely on social media," and "for many, it seemed the perfect replacement for the notorious merchant, Edward Colston." On Wednesday, a sculpture of Reid by prominent British sculptor Marc Quinn was installed. COUNTER-TERRORISM Trump Touts Terrorism Charges Against MS-13. The AP (7/15, Mustian) reports that federal authorities announced terrorism charges Wednesday against "a leader of MS-13, continuing a nationwide crackdown against a notorious street gang" that President Trump described as "vile and evil." An indictment unsealed against Melgar Diaz "marked the first time the Justice Department has brought terrorism charges against a member of MS-13." Attorney General Barr described Diaz as "the person who would green-light assassinations" for the gang in the US. Speaking to reporters at the White House, President Trump hailed the move saying, "We believe the monsters who murder children should be put to death. There's never been any move like this before." The Washington Times (7/15, Dinan, 492K) calls the charges "groundbreaking," and quotes the President as saying, "We're using 'terrorism,' which gives us extra strength." On Twitter Wednesday, the President shared a post by the White House, which wrote, "The Trump Administration is fighting for safety, security, and rule of law. In the last three years, @ICEgov has deported over 16,000 gang members and arrested over 2,000 members of MS-13." Newsday (NY). (7/15, Kessler, Fuller, Hernandez, 932K) reports that Trump and Barr "announced Wednesday a nationwide federal attack on the MS-13 street gang, and their intention to seek the death penalty for the leader of Brentwood clique of the gang for the alleged killings of two Brentwood High School teenage girls and five other slayings on Long Island." Newsday adds, "The intention to seek the death penalty for Alexi Saenz, 25, of Central Islip, known by the gang nicknames of 'Blasty,' or 'Big Homie,' if carried out after conviction at a trial, would be the first federal execution involving a murder in New York since 1954." Barr "described Long Island as 'one of the hotbeds of MS-13 activity, or at least it was." Reuters (7/15, Hosenball) reports, "The department also said it was bringing terrorism- related charges against a MS-13 member for the first time, as well as charges against alleged EFTA00150114 leaders of gang cells known as the `Hollywood Locos' and `Los Angeles Program." Reuters adds, "In an indictment unsealed on Tuesday, federal prosecutors in Alexandria, Virginia, charged alleged MS-13 leader Armando Eliu Melgar Diaz with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, as well as drug trafficking and racketeering. The Justice Department said this was the first time an MS-13 member has been charged with terrorism-related offenses. Court records indicate a warrant was been issued for Dial arrest in May." The Washington Post (7/15, Weiner, 14.2M) reports, "Armando Eliu Melgar Diaz, 30, oversaw 20 gang cliques in 13 states, including New York, California, Maryland and Virginia, according to prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia. He lived on and off in Virginia starting in 2003 but has stayed in El Salvador since 2016, according to prosecutors. Melgar Diaz is in custody facing criminal charges in El Salvador, with no indication he will soon be extradited. But the Justice Department simultaneously announced 21 arrests in New York and Nevada involving MS-13 and the decision to seek the death penalty against an alleged leader in the gang who was arrested in 2017." WBTW-TV Florence-Myrtle Beach, SC (7/15, Hensley, 91K) reports, "Two MS-13 gang members accused in connection to several murders that took place in New York were arrested in the Charlotte area, the FBI says." Jose Moises Blanco, 30, "who is also known as `Cuervo,' was arrested in Salisbury Tuesday morning. Another suspect, 28-year-old Oseas Gonzalez, who also goes by `Cordero,' was also taken into custody in Charlotte. They are facing charges in connection to six murders, two attempted murders, a kidnapping conspiracy and narcotics trafficking conspiracies, as well as related charges including assault in aid of racketeering and firearms offenses." The FBI "says Blanco and Gonzalez operated in MS-13 subdivisions on Long Island, the `Sailors' and `Hollywood." William F. Sweeney Jr., assistant director in charge of the FBI's New York Field Office, "says the groups took part in vicious crimes in Long Island. `Victims were hacked with machetes, one shot numerous times and another decapitated,' Sweeney said." Among news outlets also reporting are the Commack (NY Patch (7/15, Costello, 1.03M), WNBC-TV New York (7/15, 344K), the Daily Caller (7/15, 716K), and the New York Daily News (7/15, Crane-Newman, 2.52M). White House senior adviser Stephen Miller said on Fox Business' Lou Dobbs Tonight (7/15, 49K), "[Wednesday] was a historic day. One of the largest and most successful MS-13 operations in American history was carried out, and the soulless barbarian that hacked to death two girls in New York is now going to be facing the death penalty and for the first time ever, one of these barbarians is being charged with terrorism. ... What you are seeing is a contrast. You have this President taking out criminal gangs and terrorists at record speed and with record force and focus and then you have the radical left, the liberal mayors, the crazy socialists unleashing violence and mayhem upon our cities. That's the choice that every American faces. Public safety under this President or lawless mayhem under the radical left." US, Gulf Allies Blacklist ISIS Financial Network. The Wall Street Journal (7/15, McBride, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports the Treasury Department announced Wednesday that the US has joined six other Gulf nations in sanctioning a financial network linked to ISIS and its affiliates. The joint sanctions target financial-services companies al Haram Exchange, Tawasul Company and a third that, according to the Treasury Department, "have played a vital role in transferring funds to support Syria-based ISIS fighters and have provided hundreds of thousands of dollars of liquidity to ISIS leadership." US Africa Command Says Russian Mercenaries Planted Land Mines In Libya. The AP (7/15, Magdy) reports the US military on Wednesday "accused Russian mercenaries fighting on the side of eastern Libya forces of planting land mines and improvised explosive devices in and around the Libyan capital, Tripoli." The US Africa Command, or AFRICOM, "said verified photographic evidence shows `indiscriminately placed booby traps and minefields' EFTA00150115 around the outskirts of Tripoli and all the way east toward the strategic coastal city of Sirte since mid-June." Moscow has repeatedly "denied playing any role on Libya's battlefields." AFRICOM "said it assessed that a Kremlin-backed company introduced the weapons into Libya." It "posted photos of improvised explosive devices and a concealed anti-personnel mine, allegedly found in a residential area in Tripoli." AFRICOM's director of intelligence Rear Adm. Heidi Berg said, "Imagery and intelligence assessments show how Russia continues to interfere in Libyan affairs. Wagner Group's reckless use of landmines and booby traps are harming innocent civilians." UN Frees Up "Expense" Money For Several Declared Terrorists. The AP (7/15, Gannon) reports the UN has "freed up 'expense' money for several men designated as terrorists at the request of the Pakistani government, including one with a $10 million US bounty on his head." Pakistan's Foreign Ministry "said in a statement Wednesday the money will cover basic expenses and doesn't involve any restoration or unfreezing of bank accounts." The statement said, "These exemptions are being enforced and monitored as per law." Pakistani officials didn't "reveal how many designated terrorists were on the list sent to the UN or how much money was released or the nature of the expenses for which the outlawed individuals required the money." 7O11.1INTFR-INTEL L TGFNC5 Graham Wants To Declassify Document Related To Steele Dossier. The Washington Examiner (7/15, Dunleavy, 448K) reports Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham "wants to declassify a key Russia investigation document related to the FBI interview of one of British ex-spy Christopher Steele's sources," which he believes "casts `grave doubt' on the credibility of Steele's anti-Trump dossier." Graham said on a Fox News podcast that he "has seen the memo and wants more information from DO) Inspector General Michael Horowitz's December report on the Russia investigation to be made public." Trump Says He Would Consider Giving Flynn Job At White House. Politico (7/15, Cohen, 4.29M) reports that in an interview with Catherine Herridge of CBS News on Tuesday, President Trump "said...that he would welcome retired Gen. Michael Flynn back into his administration now that the former national security adviser's legal troubles are on the verge of receding." Trump is quoted as saying, "He's gone through hell. He's been destroyed, but he'll make a comeback." Politico reports that "when asked if he would take Flynn back at the White House, Trump replied, 'I would." The Hill (7/15, Samuels, 2.98M) reports the president has "declined to say whether he will intervene in Flynn's case, noting that it is still playing out." Trump told CBS, "I don't think he's going to need a pardon because he's been proven to be innocent. I don't think he's going to need a pardon." CBS News (7/15, Farhi, 3.68M) reports Trump has long "claimed that Flynn was the victim of rogue federal agents conducting a politically motivated investigation." A second Justice Department investigation "examining the origins of the Mueller probe is underway but has yielded no known indictments." Trump "said he is letting that investigation, led by US Attorney John Durham, proceed without intervening." He said, "I've totally taken myself out of it." Schiff Worried "More Serious Abuse" Of Law Enforcement Is Looming With Durham Probe. The Washington Examiner (7/15, Chaitin, 448K) reports that how Attorney General William Barr "may yet unleash the power of the Justice Department has House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) unnerved." Schiff invoked US Attorney John Durham, "who is conducting a criminal inquiry of the federal Russia investigation, as he discussed his dread that EFTA00150116 'more serious abuse' of federal law enforcement will happen in the coming days." Schiff said in a recent episode of the Talking Feds podcast, "One of the concerns I have with Bill Barr is that the worst is yet to come. I mean, he's got a terrible, destructive track record as it is, and it may get worse in the coming days. But what we have seen largely is Barr's intervention to protect the president." As examples, Schiff "mentioned Barr's rollout of special counsel Robert Mueller's report and 'intervention' in cases spun off from the Russia investigation to 'help Trump cronies." Pompeo "Confident" Foreign Countries Will Attempt To Interfere In Upcoming Elections. The Washington Times (7/15, Blake, 492K) reports Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "said Wednesday he is 'confident' that several countries will attempt to have an impact on the US electoral process this November." Pompeo said about the presidential race, "Foreign efforts to interfere in American elections is something we constantly must contend with, and we'll contend with that here." Pompeo "said the US did a good job at defending the midterm elections from Russian interference and credited the work done by the Homeland Security and State departments." He said, "I think the American people should rest assured that whether it's threats of Chinese interference, Iranian interference, Russian interference or North Korean interference, any country, or even non-state actors who now have capabilities to try to meddle in our elections, know that this administration takes seriously its responsibility to make sure every American's vote is counted, counted properly and that foreign influence is minimized." DCSA Reports Nearly Half Of Those With Security Clearances Enrolled In Continuous Evaluation Program. ClearanceJobs (7/15, 6K) reports the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) continues "to make progress on security clearance processing times and enrolling new applicants into its Continuous Evaluation (CE) program." In numbers released for the National Industrial Security Program Policy Advisory Committee (NISPPAC), DCSA "shows 2.2 million total security clearance holders enrolled in CE - that's nearly half of the total security cleared population, and over two-thirds of the DOD clearance population, based on the most recently released figures (the ODNI has not made a version of its annual report on security clearance determinations releasable since FY2017)." With today's CE enrollment figures "at 2.2 million, that means the CE rollout is well underway." Of those enrolled in CE currently, 69% "are Secret clearance holders, and 31% are TS or TS/SCI security clearance holders." NNSA Administrator Says She Is Confident US Will Resume Plutonium Production By 2030. The AP (7/15) reports the 2030 deadline set by the US government "to resume and ramp up production of the plutonium cores used in the nation's nuclear arsenal is nothing short of challenging, but the head of the National Nuclear Security Administration said Wednesday she's confident her agency can do it." Administrator Lisa Gordon-Hagerty "said much has been learned since 1945 but the fortitude of the agency's workforce remains as pressure mounts to finish multibillion-dollar construction projects in New Mexico and South Carolina necessary for the plutonium production mission along with extensive training for technicians and other workers." She said, "That 2030 deadline is a big deal. In 2030, we need to be manufacturing 80 pits per year. If we don't make that, that only means the requirement for more pits will grow and it will cost more money." NRO Launches "Revolutionary" Satellites From Virginia. C4ISR & Networks (7/15, Strout) reports NRO successfully launched "four classified payloads into orbit July 15 from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility - the agency's first dedicated launch from the Virginia facility." The agency's director "noted that the four payloads will demonstrate revolutionary capabilities." NRO Director Chris Scolese said, "NROL-129 represents a EFTA00150117 collaboration between the NRO and our industry partners to design, build, launch and operate a system of satellites that will demonstrate revolutionary capabilities of value to the nation and our allies. Despite facing challenges in 2020, we have found new and better ways to collaborate with our partners from a distance, relentlessly pursuing our mission and denying sanctuary to our adversaries." The Delmarva (MD) Daily Times (7/15, 28K) reports NRO Director Chris Scolese "said in a statement that he mission, named NROL-129, represents a collaboration between the NRO and its industry partners to design, build, launch and operate a system of satellites that 'will demonstrate revolutionary capabilities of value to the nation and our allies." Spaceflight Now (7/15, Clark, 2K) reports a solid-fueled Northrop Grumman Minotaur 4 rocket "vaulted into orbit Wednesday from Virginia's Eastern Shore and deployed four top secret spacecraft for the NRO, extending the program's success record ahead of three more Minotaur missions planned in 2021." The 78-foot-tall (23.8-meter) launcher "fired away from pad 0B at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Virginia at 9:46 a.m. EDT (1346 GMT) Wednesday after a 46-minute delay to wait for fishing boats to clear a hazard area near the launch site." The Minotaur 4 "darted into a mostly sunny sky at breathtaking speed and broke the sound barrier just 17 seconds after liftoff." Also reporting on the story is U.S. News & World Report (7/15). Airbus Targets NRO Imagery Sales With New US Corporate Entity. Breaking Defense (7/15, Hitchens) reports Airbus is "angling for a bigger share of the US space and intelligence market with a reorganization of its US operations and an independent board of directors - with its eye squarely on NRO's upcoming contest for commercial remote sensing providers." The new entity, called Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, "is based near the Pentagon in Rosslyn, Virginia." It brings "all of Airbus's US operations under one corporate hat." While Chris Emerson, the newly appointed CEO Emerson "said the firm's primary focus is commercial users hungry for imagery, he said the firm also intends to respond to the NRO's request for proposals (RFP) to expand its pool of commercial suppliers of imagery, including advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) that has been traditionally supplied by the NRO's own highly-classified satellites." Op-Ed: Trump's Call For CIA To Cooperate With Russia Was A Disaster. In an op-ed in the Washington Post (7/15, Sipher, Hall, Wise, Polymeropoulos, 14.2M), former CIA station chief John Sipher, retired CIA officer Steven L. Hall, former DIA deputy director Douglas H. Wise, and retired CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos write, "There has been justifiable outrage after news reports surfaced about Russian intelligence services paying the Taliban 'bounties' to kill US soldiers in Afghanistan. It is especially galling given the Trump Administration's directives to the IC upon taking office in January 2017 to cooperate with Russia on counterterrorism." They contend, "Each attempt failed. ... Each effort has failed for the same reason: Putin's Kremlin is not interested in a constructive relationship with the US. Instead, Putin sees himself in a political war with us. And he benefits domestically by blaming the US for all his ills." They conclude, "The periodic desire to work with the Russians on terrorism is akin to someone who buys a baboon as a pet, only to be surprised to have their face ripped off. Then, after recovering, he goes out and buys another baboon." Former CIA Officer Peterson Discusses The Tiananmen Crisis And Training CIA Analysts. CBS News (7/15, 3.68M) reports that, "in this episode of 'Intelligence Matters DECLASSIFIED: Spy Stories from the Officers Who Were There,' host Michael Morell interviews Martin Petersen, former senior CIA intelligence officer and Asia expert who spent over three decades at the agency." Petersen "recounts the agency's early assessments of unrest that led to the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests in China." Morell and Petersen "discuss the training CIA analysts receive and Petersen shares the remarks he would make to all entering analyst classes." EFTA00150118 "Intelligence Matters DECLASSIFIED" is a "new series dedicated to featuring first-hand accounts from former intelligence officers." Relatives Of Woman Poisoned By Novichok Wait For Judges' Inquest Ruling. The Belfast (UK) Telegraph (7/16, Farmer) reports relatives of a woman "who died after being poisoned by the nerve agent Novichok are waiting for a ruling after taking High Court action in a bid to get `key questions' asked about Russian state involvement." Members of Dawn Sturgess's family "say a coroner wrongly decided to limit what issues will be considered at an inquest." A barrister representing them "said the question of who was responsible for the use of Novichok was a matter of `almost-unparalleled public concern." Michael Mansfield QC on Wednesday "told two judges an act of `state terrorism' could not be `artificially truncated." Lawyers representing Mr Ridley and Home Secretary Priti Patel "disagree and say the challenge should be dismissed." Lord Justice Bean and Mr Justice Lew