EFTA00150782.pdf

From: To: Subject: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Public Affairs News Briefing Tuesday, August 10, 2021 Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2021 10:28:59 +0000 Importan c Normal e: Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com. ; t2IFBI News Briefing TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021 6:30 AM EDT TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • DO) To Review 9/11 Records With Eye Toward Making More Public. • Schumer: Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill On A "Glide Path" For Passage Tuesday Morning. • Taliban Seize Control Of More Provincial Afghan Capitals. CAPITOL VIOLENCE NEWS • Judge Questions Why Capitol Rioters Not Ordered To Pay More Restitution. • Colorado Man Pleads Guilty To Role In Capitol Siege. • Virginia Capitol Siege Suspect Charged With Assaulting Relative. • Florida Man Charged With Helping Plan Capitol Siege. • Appeals Court Orders Release Of Man Charged With Assaulting Police During Capitol Siege. COUNTER-TERRORISM • Federal Prosecutors Say Accused Whitmer Kidnap Plotters Also Discussed Attacking Ohio Governor. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE • Continuing Coverage: Haines Led "Havana Syndrome" Meeting Friday. • Continuing Coverage: Officials Say IC Investigation Into COVID Origins Likely To Be Inconclusive. • State Department Fines Firm For Unauthorized Exports Of Sensitive Materials To China And Russia. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • New Hampshire Man Pleads Guilty To Threatening Lawmakers. • Colorado Man Accused Of Killing Wife Appears In Court. • FBI Offers Reward For Information On Killing Of Kentucky Deputy. • FBI Probing Death Of California Lottery Winner. • Reward Money Doubles For Information On California Soldier's Death. • Seven Arrested For Child Exploitation In Louisiana. • Three Puerto Rican Men Charged With Hate Crime After Allegedly Shooting Transgender Woman With Paintball Gun. • Man Arrested In Probe Of Robberies In Nebraska, Iowa. • Three Arrested In Probe Of Virginia Bank Robbery. • Panel Rejects Convictions Challenge In Drug Case Involving Two Former Police Officers. EFTA00150782 • Oregon Man Gets 70-Month Prison Sentence After Pleading Guilty In Drug Case. • Former Police Officer Pleads Guilty In Drug Case. • North Carolina Drug Investigation Leads To Prison Time For 14 People. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS • Fake COVID-19 Vaccination Cards Worry Authorities. • Federal Probe Of Alabama Virtual Schools Continues. • FBI Continues Probe Of Lordsburg, New Mexico Police Department. CYBER DIVISION • Unregulated Cryptocurrency Exchange To Pay $10M To Settle SEC Probe. • Senators Demand Explanation For Facebook's Reaction To Misinformation Researchers. • WPost: Users "Deserve To Better Understand" Social Media Algorithms, "More Control To Curate For Themselves." LABORATORY • DNA Identifies Suspected Killer In 1980 California Cold Case. LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES • Lawmakers Ask DO) To Stop Seeking Death Penalty. • Some Experts Questioning Law Enforcement Officer's Fentanyl Exposure Claim. • WPost Calls On US To Crack Down On Airplane Misbehavior. • Balko: Federal Review Of State Convictions Needed To Protect Rights Of Accused. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS • Prince Andrew Sued By Epstein Accuser Over Alleged Sexual Abuse. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • Austin To Mandate Vaccines For Military Personnel By Mid-September. • US Again Tops 100K COVID Cases As Delta Variant Surge Continues. • Fauci: Full FDA Approval Likely To Empower Local Governments To Mandate Vaccines. • Texas, Florida Districts Defy Governors' Order Against Mask Mandates. • HHS Whistleblower Settles With Federal Government. • Senate Democrats Unveil $3.5T Budget Resolution. • Warren To Propose 7% Tax On Corporate Earnings In Excess Of $100M. • Filing Claims Administration Violating Flores Settlement At Two Texas Shelters For Minors. • Cuomo Determined To Resist Pressure To Resign. • Federal Judge Suggests CDC's New Eviction Moratorium Amounts To Legal "Gamesmanship." • Dixie Fire Approaches 500K Acres With Containment Still Weeks Away. • Judge Temporarily Bars Texas From Arresting Democratic Legislators. • WSJournal Criticizes Lhamon's Nomination. INTERNATIONAL NEWS • Canada Opens Border To Fully Vaccinated Americans. • UN Panel Releases Climate Change Report. • Lopez Obrador, Harris Discuss Migration, COVID, Boosting Central American Economies • NYTimes Analysis: Biden's Tough Cuba Policy Reflects Sen. Menendez's Influence. • Sullivan Pressures Brazil To Avoid Using Huawei 5G Equipment. • Administration Urged To Maintain Anti-Corruption Pressure On Guatemala. • In Retaliation, Nicaragua Recalls Ambassadors From Four Regional Nations. • Blinken Criticizes China's Behavior In South China Sea. • US, South Korean Drills Starting Tuesday As Kim Yo Jong Decries Them. EFTA00150783 • Biden Under Pressure To Label Treatment Of Burma's Rohingya "Genocide." • WPost: No "Glorification" Of Chinese Regime At Beijing Olympics. • WSJournal: Chinese Buildup Highlights Need For US Nuclear Modernization. • US, UK Hit Belarus With New Sanctions On Anniversary Of Fraudulent Election. • Biden Taps Opponent Of Nord Stream 2 To Implement Deal Allowing Completion. • Axios Report: Burns In Israel For Talks Focused On Iran. • Bloomberg Report: Return To Iran Deal May No Longer Be "Feasible." • Three Lebanese Men Killed In Disputes Amid Fuel Shortage, Source Says. • Violence Prompts Concerns About Stability Of South Sudan's Coalition Government. THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE • Today's Events In Washington. LEADING THE NEWS DO) To Review 9/11 Records With Eye Toward Making More Public. The AP (8/9, Tucker) reports that the Justice Department "said Monday that it would work toward providing families of 9/11 victims with more information about the run-up to the attacks as part of a federal lawsuit that aims to hold the Saudi government accountable." The AP adds, "The disclosure in a two-page letter filed in federal court in Manhattan follows longstanding criticism from relatives of those killed that the U.S. government was withholding crucial details from them in the name of national security." According to the AP, "Nearly 1,800 families, victims and first responders objected in a letter last week to President Joe Biden's attendance at Sept. 11 memorial events as long as key documents remained classified. Monday's move failed to placate at least some victims' relatives, who said the FBI and Justice Department have already had years to review the documents." The Washington Post (8/9, Sonmez, Wang, 10.52M) reports, "An advocate for some of the families responded by criticizing the move as insufficient and calling for the Biden administration to 'provide the information the 9/11 community has waited to receive for 20 years, so we can stand together with the president at Ground Zero on 9/11.'" The Post adds, "The developments come days after the families sent a letter to the White House declaring that President Biden is not welcome at this year's memorial events marking the 20th anniversary of the attacks unless he declassifies investigative evidence uncovered by the bipartisan 9/11 Commission that they say implicates Saudi Arabian government officials in supporting the attacks." Reuters (8/9, Hosenball) reports, "James Kreindler, a lawyer for some families, said he and his clients hoped the FBI and Justice Department moves indicated 'we will be getting documents we have been seeking for years.' He said such documents include reports on the investigation of the attacks as well as documents related to Operation Encore, a review by the FBI of its Sept. 11 probe conducted in 2016." The New York Times (8/9, Rogers, Murphy, Savage, 20.6M) reports, "In a court filing in long-running litigation brought by the victims' families against Saudi Arabia, the Justice Department said that the F.B.I. 'recently' closed a portion of its investigation into the terrorist attacks and was beginning a review of documents that it had previously said must remain secret with an eye toward disclosing more of them. 'The F.B.I. has decided to review its prior privilege assertions to identify additional information appropriate for disclosure,' the department said in a letter to two federal judges in Manhattan overseeing the case. 'The F.B.I. will disclose such information on a rolling basis as expeditiously as possible.' The terse letter provided no EFTA00150784 further details about what additional information might become public, or when disclosures would begin." CNBC (8/9, Constantino, 7.34M) reports, "Biden welcomed the Justice Department's decision. 'As I promised during my campaign, my Administration is committed to ensuring the maximum degree of transparency under the law, and to adhering to the rigorous guidance issued during the Obama-Biden Administration on the invocation of the state secrets privilege,' Biden said in a statement. 'In this vein, I welcome the Department of Justice's filing today." Schumer: Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill On A "Glide Path" For Passage Tuesday Morning. Politico (8/9, Snyder, 6.73M) reports the Senate "appears to be headed toward greenlighting its bipartisan infrastructure bill by Tuesday morning." Senate Majority Leader Schumer said Monday that bill is on a "glide path for passage tomorrow morning." While the Senate's procedural clock technically "won't allow a final vote until 4 a.m. Tuesday," senators "are working on an agreement that would instead allow the vote to come later Tuesday, during more normal business hours." Reuters (8/9) reports Senate Minority Whip Thune "told reporters that the vote on the infrastructure bill could come at a 'normal' time on Tuesday, rather than the middle of the night." Said Thune, "I think that gets done at a normal time. That has to, because that cloture ripens and it can get pushed from 4 a.m. in the morning, probably to mid-morning tomorrow." The AP (8/9, Mascaro) says "some 70 senators appear poised to carry the bipartisan package to passage, a potentially robust tally of lawmakers eager to tap the billions in new spending for their states and to show voters back home they can deliver." Schumer said it's "the first time the Senate has come together around such a package in decades." ABC World News TonightVi (8/9, 6:42 p.m. EST, story 5, 1:00, Muir, 6.23M) reported the President is "a major step closer now to passage of his $1.1 trillion infrastructure plan." The New York Times (8/9, Cochrane, 20.6M) says that "as soon as the bipartisan bill clears the Senate, Democratic leaders plan to turn attention to their $3.5 trillion budget plan, which would unlock a second expansive legislative package that includes health care, child care and education provisions." According to the Times, "Liberal Democrats in the House have said they will not support the bipartisan bill without passage of that far larger package." But, at the same time, "half a dozen moderate Democrats, including Representatives Jared Golden of Maine and Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, circulated a letter over the weekend calling" on House Speaker Pelosi "to ensure a swift vote on the bipartisan deal." Transportation Secretary Buttigieg said on CNBCVi (8/9, 175K), "It looks like it's going to happen. We don't know exactly what hour, but we know that we're within hours of seeing this through in the Senate and then onto the House and the sooner it can get to the President's desk for his signature, the better. My department is ready the moment this bill becomes law to start deploying these resources and getting them out to communities." Hagerty Used Procedural Maneuver To Slow Infrastructure Bill. In a separate story, the AP (8/9, Slodysko) reports Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) "spent the weekend using a procedural maneuver to essentially grind the chamber to a halt." While "the legislation will almost certainly pass despite Hagerty's protest," his effort "could raise the profile of a one-time Trump administration official eager to align himself with the former president, who has stepped up efforts to derail the package." Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) said, "I think he's doing Trump's bidding. I don't think there's any doubt about it. ... I think they want to try to draw this out as long as they possibly can and hope and pray that Congress fails." But, Hagerty argues that "his reasoning for taking a stand has less to do with Trump and more about the measure increasing the federal deficit by about $256 billion over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office." Bipartisan Agreement On Cryptocurrency Tax Reporting Fails. The Washington Post (8/9, Stein, 10.52M) reports a "last-minute push to limit new cryptocurrency tax-reporting EFTA00150785 requirements" in the package failed Monday "despite a bipartisan agreement and a frenzied lobbying push." In late July, the Administration and Sen. Rob Portman (D-OR) agreed "to increase tax-reporting requirements for cryptocurrency brokers...as a way to pay for the infrastructure deal," but "the effort faced blowback in recent days from cryptocurrency investors who joined Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.) and Cynthia M. Lummis (R- Wyo.) in arguing that it could effectively cripple the burgeoning industry." Following "a weekend of frenzied negotiations, the two sides came together on a bipartisan agreement announced Monday to specifically exempt other cryptocurrency participants, including miners and software developers, from the new requirements." But, Roll Call (8/9, Weiss, 130K) says "dueling objections on procedural grounds scuttled hopes" for the bipartisan agreement. Toomey "sought unanimous consent for a compromise amendment negotiated with lead negotiators on the underlying infrastructure bill as well as the Treasury Department to be added to the broader package." But, Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) "then sought consent for his own unrelated amendment, which would add $50 billion in defense spending to the infrastructure bill. Toomey was ready to accept that, but Democrats were not, and Budget Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., objected to that arrangement." Politico (8/9, Faler, 6.73M) reports, "The upshot is the Senate is likely to approve infrastructure legislation with the original cryptocurrency provisions intact, despite the compromise winning support from across the political spectrum." Taliban Seize Control Of More Provincial Afghan Capitals. On CBS This MorningVi (8/9, 2.3M), Jericka Duncan reported that the Taliban "have seized some of the largest areas yet just weeks before the final withdrawal of US troops" from Afghanistan. According to Duncan, "Taliban fighters overran three major cities, including the strategic city of Kunduz in the north. ... A local lawmaker in Kunduz says the Taliban took over key office buildings after heavy fighting and planted their flag in the main square." The New York Times (8/9, Hassan, 20.6M) says, "Since the Taliban emerged in the 1990s, Afghanistan's north has been the heart of resistance to the insurgents - predominantly ethnic Pashtun and from the south - and a bulwark against a complete takeover. But as the insurgents have carried out their sweeping military offensive this summer, they have pushed deep into northern Afghanistan." The AP (8/9, Faiez) reports that on Monday, the Taliban "took control of another provincial capital in Afghanistan" amid a "weekslong, relentless Taliban offensive as American and NATO forces finalize their pullout from the war-torn country." Citing "the council chief of northern Sar- e Pul province," the AP says the Taliban "overran the provincial capital after over a week of resistance by the Afghan security forces, after which the city of Sar-e Pul collapsed." According to the AP, "The city of Sar-e Pul joins three other provincial capitals now fully under Taliban control: Zaranj, the capital of western Nimroz province, the city of Shibirghan, the capital of northern Zawzjan province, and Taleqan, the capital of another northern province with the same name." The AP says the Taliban are "also fighting on for control of the city of Kunduz, the capital of northern Kunduz province." Reuters (8/9) reports that also on Monday, the Taliban "took Aybak, capital of the northern province of Samangan." The New York Times (8/9, Gibbons-Neff, Rahim, Hassan, 20.6M) reports that Aybak "sits on the main highway that connects Kabul...to Afghanistan's northern provinces," and says its "fall means that the Taliban have effectively placed a stranglehold on much of Balkh Province and its immensely important capital, Mazar-i-Sharif." According to the Times, "Contributing to the collapse of the city on Monday was the defection of a former member of Parliament and prominent militia commander who joined the Taliban, bringing hundreds of fighters with him." The Times reports that the defections "spread panic in the ranks of the Afghan forces as Taliban fighters closed in." The New York Times (8/9, Gibbons-Neff, Abed, Huylebroek, 20.6M) says that "since the U.S. withdrawal began in May, the Taliban have captured more than half of Afghanistan's 400- EFTA00150786 odd districts. And for the past month, Kandahar, the second largest city in Afghanistan, has been under siege by Taliban fighters in what may be the most important fight for the country's future so far." The Times says the Taliban is "desperate to capture Kandahar," and the government is "desperate to defend Kandahar, a symbol of the state's reach and an economic hub essential for trade to and from Pakistan through its checkpoints, bridges and highways." According to Reuters (8/9), the Taliban's string of victories "have sparked recriminations over the withdrawal of foreign forces. British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told the Daily Mail that the accord struck last year between the United States and the Taliban was a 'rotten deal." Wallace "said his government had asked some NATO allies to keep their troops in Afghanistan once the U.S. troops departed, but failed to garner enough support. 'Some said they were keen, but their parliaments weren't. It became apparent pretty quickly that without the United States as the framework nation it had been, these options were closed off,' Wallace said." Reuters (8/9) reports that German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer "rejected on Monday calls for its soldiers to return to Afghanistan after Taliban insurgents took Kunduz city where German troops were deployed for a decade." According to Reuters, Germany "had the second largest military contingent in Afghanistan after the United States, losing more troops in combat in Kunduz than anywhere else since World War Two. ... 'The reports from Kunduz and from all over Afghanistan are bitter and hurt a lot'...Kramp-Karrenbauer said on Twitter." However, Kramp-Karrenbauer added: "Are society and parliament prepared to send the armed forces into a war and remain there with lots of troops for at least a generation? If we are not, then the joint withdrawal with the partners remains the right decision." Reuters (8/9) also reports that UNICEF announced on Monday that "at least 27 children have been killed and 136 injured across three provinces of Afghanistan over the past three days." ABC News Report: Biden Prepared To Allow Taliban To Regain Control Of Afghanistan. Stephanie Ramos, on ABC's Good Morning AmericaVi (8/9, 2.81M), said, "This devastating blow to the Afghan government comes just three weeks before the US is set to end its combat mission in the country," and "despite the surge of violence, American forces are speeding ahead with the draw down ordered by President Biden. ... Ninety-five percent of US troops and equipment have withdrawn." Ramos added, "While the US is providing air support, it's possible it may not be enough to stop the Taliban." George Stephanopoulos interjected: "We still don't see President Biden rethinking his strategy in any way, right?" Ramos replied, "Exactly. ... It seems as though the President is prepared to stay the course, even if it means losing all of Afghanistan to the Taliban." According to the New York Times (8/9, Goldbaum, Rahim, Gibbons-Neff, Huylebroek, 20.6M), the Biden Administration "has made it clear that America's 20-year war in Afghanistan is over. But the scale of the humanitarian crisis is likely to grow in the coming days and weeks, especially as the Taliban extend their reach over more territory." The Times goes on to report that the Afghan government is "still trying to promote the impression that it has the upper hand against the Taliban," and "has been relatively silent on the enormous losses suffered across the country in recent days." Some Foreign Contractors Who Helped The US In Afghanistan Are Stranded In Dubai. According to the AP (8/9, DeBre), "Some of the foreign contractors who powered the logistics of America's 'forever war' in Afghanistan now find themselves stranded on an unending layover in Dubai without a way to get home." The AP adds, "In the rushed evacuation, scores of these foreign workers trying to get home to the Philippines and other countries that restricted international travel because of the pandemic have become stuck in limbo at hotels across Dubai." Media Analyses: Situation In Afghanistan Continues To Deteriorate, Government Situation Growing Desperate. NBC Nightly NewsVi (8/9, 6:43 p.m. EST, story 7, 1:30, Holt, 4.92M) reported, "With the US mission in Afghanistan ending this month, the Taliban [is] moving very quickly to take control. The Pentagon saying today the security situation is not EFTA00150787 going in the right direction." NBC (Cobiella) added, "There are reports again tonight of heavy fighting, though still more than 100 miles from Kabul and across a mountain range. The capital for now remains firmly in government control." The CBS Evening NewsVi (8/9, 6:42 p.m. EST, story 6, 1:45, Garrett, 3.6M) reported "provincial capitals are falling as the Taliban speeds up its weeks long offensive. This as the US military and NATO forces exit." CBS (D'Agata) added, "As Taliban militants raise their flag in Kunduz, Afghans can only brace for more cities to follow and wonder how long before Kabul itself is in their sights. The Taliban have already proven the capital is within reach, stepping up targeted assassinations." The AP (8/9, Faiez) reports the Taliban "took control of two more provincial capitals in Afghanistan on Monday, officials said. Their fall marked the latest development in a weekslong, relentless Taliban offensive." The Taliban "have also not heeded appeals to return to the negotiating table and continue long-stalled peace talks with the Afghan government." The New York Times (8/9, Gibbons-Neff, Rahim, Hassan, 20.6M) reports the Taliban seized control of Aybak, the capital of Samangan Province, over the course of Monday "and most government forces had fled." A local businessman told the Times, "The Taliban entered without a gunshot." CNN (8/9, Khadder, Walsh, Yeung, 89.21M) reports on its website the Taliban have seized the city of Taloquan, the capital of Takhar Province, "in northeastern Afghanistan, marking the fifth provincial capital to fall under their control in just a matter of days, a local journalist confirmed to CNN on Monday." The New York Times (8/9, Hassan, 20.6M) reports Afghanistan's north "has been the heart of resistance to the insurgents — predominantly ethnic Pashtun and from the south — and a bulwark against a complete takeover. But as the insurgents have carried out their sweeping military offensive this summer, they have pushed deep into northern Afghanistan." Experts "fear that if government forces are unable to stop their advances in the north, Afghanistan's capital is more vulnerable than ever." In another piece, the New York Times (8/9, Goldbaum, Gibbons-Neff, Hassan, Rahim, 20.6M) reports experts "warn that if the insurgents are able to conquer the north — squashing the country's best hope for a grass roots resistance strong enough to take on the Taliban — the country could fall in their hands completely." Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal (8/9, Trofimov, Cullison, Amiri, Subscription Publication, 8.41M) reports that the series of rapid battlefield defeats has resulted in calls for President Ashraf Ghani to change his governing style or step aside. Pentagon: Responsibility To Defend Afghanistan Belongs To Afghans. Despite the Taliban's gains, Reuters (8/9) reports the US "said it was up to Afghan security forces to defend the country." Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said, "These are their military forces, these are their provincial capitals, their people to defend and it's really going to come down to the leadership that they're willing to exude here at this particular moment." US officials, "speaking on condition of anonymity, said that while the military had warned Biden earlier this year that provincial capitals would fall with a withdrawal of troops, they were still surprised at how quickly some of them were being taken by the Taliban." ABC World News TonightVi (8/9, 6:46 p.m. EST, story 8, 1:30, Muir, 6.23M) reported the Pentagon is "acknowledging Afghanistan is clearly not headed in the right direction." Kirby was shown saying, "The Secretary continues to believe that the Afghan forces have the capability, they have the capacity to make a big difference on the battlefield." ABC (Ramos) added, "the Afghan Government clearly struggling to make that difference." The Hill (8/9, Kheel, 5.69M) reports the "rapidly deteriorating security situation" in Afghanistan is "putting pressure on President Biden as he sticks to his plan to pull America out of its longest war." Administration officials "briefed senators on the situation behind closed doors Monday and faced what Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) described as 'tough' questions." Battle For Kandahar Emerging As Key To Conflict. Looking at the situation in Kandahar, the New York Times (8/9, Gibbons-Neff, Abed, Huylebroek, 20.6M) reports the Taliban "are desperate to capture Kandahar, as the Taliban first took root in its neighboring EFTA00150788 districts in the 1990s before seizing the city itself and announcing their emirate." The government is "desperate" to defend the city, "a symbol of the state's reach and an economic hub essential for trade to and from Pakistan through its checkpoints, bridges and highways." Similarly, CNN (8/6, Swails, Smith-Spark, 89.21M) reports the city "of close to half a million people is almost entirely cut off from the rest of the country. Kandahari MP Gul Ahmad Kamin, hunkered down in a villa on the city's eastern outskirts, told CNN the situation had deteriorated badly over the past four weeks, with the Taliban pushing in on all sides." Germans Will Not Send Troops Back. Reuters (8/9) reports German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer on Monday rejected calls for its soldiers to return to Afghanistan to stem the Taliban advance. Reuters adds, "Some within her own conservative party want German troops to participate in an intervention against the Taliban, but Kramp-Karrenbauer said defeating them would require a long and hard campaign." Some Former US Contractors Still Stuck In UAE. The AP (8/9, DeBre) reports that some foreign contractors who provided logistic support to the US in Afghanistan are now stranded in the UAE. The AP says that the contractors, such as those from the Philippines, have not been able to return home due to pandemic-related restrictions. CAPITOL VIOLENCE NEWS Judge Questions Why Capitol Rioters Not Ordered To Pay More Restitution. The Washington Post (8/9, Hsu, 10.52M) reports a federal judge on Monday "questioned why US prosecutors are asking Capitol riot defendants to pay only $1.5 million in restitution while American taxpayers are paying more than $500 million to cover the costs of the Jan. 6 attack by a pro-Trump mob." Chief US District Judge Beryl A. Howell's comments came during a "plea hearing for a Colorado Springs man who admitted to one of four nonviolent misdemeanor counts of picketing in the US Capitol." Howell "pressed the U.S. attorney's office in Washington on why it was seeking to require only $2,000 in each felony case and $500 in each misdemeanor case," saying he was "accustomed to the government being fairly aggressive in terms of fraud when there have been damages that accrue from a criminal act for the restitution amount." Politico (8/9, Gerstein, 6.73M) reports that Judge Howell's comments "signaled she had broader concerns about prosecutors' approach than just the way they handled Croy's fairly typical case. Croy initially agreed with Howell that his actions on Jan. 6 were taken with what the judge called 'the purpose of stopping Congress from certifying the electoral vote from the 2020 presidential election," but "a short time later his defense attorney, Kira Anne West, added that there was no agreement with prosecutors that was Croy's intent that day. In fact, West said, his client said he had 'no intention of stopping any vote' and didn't actually know that the Electoral College votes were scheduled to be tallied at the time the historic building was stormed. Those claims didn't appear to sit well with Howell. 'This is the puzzle for this petty offense charge. ... It's to parading, demonstrating or picketing. ... That is typically for an end,' the judge said. 'Demonstrating is typically about something. It's parading about something." Colorado Man Pleads Guilty To Role In Capitol Siege. The AP (8/9) reports from Colorado Springs, Colorado, "A Colorado man has pleaded guilty to his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol building that disrupted the certification of the presidential election." Glenn Wes Lee Croy, of Colorado Springs, "pleaded guilty Monday to demonstrating inside the Capitol. He reportedly bragged on social media that he had been at the Capitol on Jan. 6 and sent someone a photo of himself as proof. The person sent the photo to the FBI, according to court documents. The photo shows Croy and another man posing with a bust of Abraham Lincoln located around the Small House Rotunda in the Capitol's south wing." EFTA00150789  The Denver Post (8/9, Schmelzer, 660K) reports, "Croy is one of 10 Colorado residents charged with crimes in connection to the Jan. 6 riots. Croy, 46, was arrested Croy on Feb. 17. Croy told someone on Facebook that he was in the Capitol the day of the riots and sent the person a photo and video from inside the building, Croy's arrest affidavit states. The recipient of the photo and videos then sent the information to the FBI. The person told agents that Croy had a Twitter account with posts about traveling to Washington. The FBI found Croy's Twitter account, which has since been deleted. On it, he had responded to a tweet from GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert that asked `Who is going to be in DC on January 6th to stand with President Donald Trump?' with `fellow Coloradan we will be there; the affidavit states. FBI agents were also able to access records that showed Croy's phone was in the Capitol on the day of the riot, the affidavit states." Virginia Capitol Siege Suspect Charged With Assaulting Relative. The AP (8/9) reports, "A Virginia man charged in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting a relative, prompting federal prosecutors to seek his pretrial detention in the riot case." According to the AP, "Prosecutors are asking a federal judge in Washington, D.C., to keep Joshua Dillon Haynes jailed while he awaits trial on charges that he damaged journalists' video camera equipment outside the Capitol during the siege. A video later captured Haynes inside the Capitol, the FBI said." Haynes, 39, of Covington, Virginia, "was being held in the Allegheny Regional Jail on charges of malicious wounding, strangulation and multiple misdemeanor charges of assaulting a family member." Florida Man Charged With Helping Plan Capitol Siege. The South Tamp(FL) Patch (8/9, White, 1.44M) reports, "A Florida man has been indicted for conspiring with the Oath Keepers to plan the siege on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6." David Moerschel, 43, of Tampa "(the FBI previously listed him as being from Punta Gorda), along with Brian Ulrich, 43, of Guyton, Georgia, were indicted Monday on charges of conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding, and entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds. Moerschel is additionally charged with destruction of government property and aiding and abetting." Ulrich and Moerschel "are the latest of 18 defendants to be charged with planning and participating in the siege. Moerschel, a self-proclaimed member of the Oath Keepers, was originally arrested and charged with conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding on July 6. The Oath Keepers are a far-right anti-government militia group that the FBI describes as 'loosely organized.' Appeals Court Orders Release Of Man Charged With Assaulting Police During Capitol Siege. The Hill (8/9, Choi, 5.69M) reports, "A U.S. appeals court on Monday ordered the release of a man accused of macing a police officer at the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and attacking Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick who died in the wake of the attack." According to The Hill, "The three- judge panel determined that the district court had 'clearly erred' when it determined that George Pierre Tanios could not be released into the community without risk to safety." The Hill adds, "According to an FBI affidavit, Tanios was seen in video with Julian Elie Khater 'working together to assault law enforcement officers with an unknown chemical substance by spraying officers directly in the face and eyes.' A West Virginia judge ordered that Tanios be detained in March pending his trial. Tanios was indicted in Washington, D.C. that same month." The Washington Post (8/9, Hsu, 10.52M) reports that the three-judge panel of the Circuit Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit said in an order filed Monday night, "The record reflects that Tanios has no past felony convictions, no ties to any extremist organizations, and no post- January 6 criminal behavior that would otherwise show him to pose a danger to the community within the meaning of the Bail Reform Act." The court "gave prosecutors seven days to appeal or seek rehearing before the full appeals court. The ruling came two weeks after a different EFTA00150790 three-judge panel of the same appeals court upheld the continuing detention of Tanios's co- defendant, Julian Khater. Both men, who have pleaded not guilty, have been jailed since their arrest in March, when they were arrested on nine counts, including in the assaults on Sicknick, a fellow Capitol Police officer and a D.C. officer." COUNTER-TERRORISM Federal Prosecutors Say Accused Whitmer Kidnap Plotters Also Discussed Attacking Ohio Governor. The Detroit News (8/9, Snell, 1.16M) reports, "FBI agents did not entrap five men accused of plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer because the defendants were predisposed to commit the crime and attack other politicians, including Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, federal prosecutors said Monday." According to the News, "The DeWine connection to a high-profile federal criminal case involving alleged violent extremism has not been previously disclosed and reveals accused plotters discussed a broader, bipartisan attack on politicians from several states. Prosecutors leveled the new allegation in a court filing Monday while fighting what has emerged as a central defense strategy that involves accusing the FBI of entrapment." The News adds, "The government was responding four weeks after defense lawyers leveled a broad attack on the government case built with help from at least one dozen informants and undercover FBI agents." COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE Continuing Coverage: Haines Led "Havana Syndrome" Meeting Friday. CNN (8/9, Bertrand, Williams, 89.21M) reports top national security and "intelligence officials met on Friday to assess the progress of investigations into the mysterious illness that has impacted dozens of US spies and diplomats in the last few years - but they still don't have an answer as to what is causing the incidents." The meeting of the "Joint Intelligence Community Council, confirmed to CNN by an administration official, was led by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and attended by other senior officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, CIA Director Bill Burns and FBI Director Chris Wray." DNI Haines "convened the meeting late Friday, according to a press release." According to the release, the meeting included briefings from "a wide range of experts." Meeting participants "made clear that they will support those affected by AHI to ensure they are believed, heard, and respected, and will work together, including through the sharing of relevant information and by following agreed upon, standardized medical protocols," according to the release. CBS News (8/9, Gazis, 5.39M) reports that the Cabinet-level meeting "is the latest in a series of government engagements on the issue, which achieved new prominence in recent months as former U.S. officials who have suffered symptoms shared more details about their experiences and, in some cases, their difficulty obtaining proper medical care." Even after "months of intensified effort by multiple government agencies, evidence pinpointing the origin of the illness remains inconclusive, U.S. officials familiar with the matter said." Officials familiar with the "intelligence being evaluated say the origin of the incidents is an area of 'active inquiry' and that several hypotheses - including that it is the work of Russian operatives using directed- energy technology to collect information from electronic devices - are still being investigated." AFP (8/9) also reports. Ranking Republican On Foreign Affairs Committee Seeks Sanctions For "Havana Syndrome" Attacks. The Hill (8/9, Beitsch, 5.69M) reports the top Republican on the "House Foreign Affairs Committee is calling on the Biden administration to sanction those responsible for the mysterious 'Havana Syndrome' attacks against U.S. officials across the globe." Legislation introduced by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) would require President Biden to impose EFTA00150791 such sanctions "within 60 days after receiving persuasive information that a foreign government is responsible for such attacks." Continuing Coverage: Officials Say IC Investigation Into COVID Origins Likely To Be Inconclusive. McClatchy (8/9, Wilner, 29K) reports a 90-day intelligence review "into the origins of COVID-19 ordered by President Joe Biden is expected to end largely where it began, without high confidence in how the coronavirus first emerged, government officials told McClatchy." Biden will receive a classified briefing "in the last week of August on the findings of the report," but when the review began, "intelligence agencies did not expect it to end with a 'high confidence assessment." The 17 intelligence agencies "conducting the review, coordinated by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), are unlikely to come to dramatically different conclusions than they had in May, although progress has been made over the past seven weeks, several officials familiar with the review said." All of the intelligence agencies "agree there are two main possibilities: that COVID-19 was the result of a lab accident in Wuhan, China, or that it spread from animal to human." State Department Fines Firm For Unauthorized Exports Of Sensitive Materials To China And Russia. On Monday, the Wall Street Journal (8/9, Subscription Publication, 8.41M) reports, the State Department fined Keysight Technologies, a technology testing company, $6.6 million for exporting sensitive software and equipment to China, Russia and 15 other countries. The State Department said in a statement, "The settlement demonstrates the Department's role in strengthening U.S. industry by protecting technical data from unauthorized exports." CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS New Hampshire Man Pleads Guilty To Threatening Lawmakers. The Boston Herald (8/9, Tiernan, 327K) reports, "A New Hampshire man pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from threats to hang and kill members of Congress if they didn't 'get behind' former President Donald Trump." Ryder Winegar, 34, of Amherst, New Hampshire, "entered guilty pleas Friday to six counts of threatening members of Congress and one count of transmitting threatening communications across state lines, the U.S. attorney's office for the state of New Hampshire said Monday. Winegar was accused of leaving phone messages in the early-morning hours of Dec. 16 where he threatened to hang lawmakers if they didn't support Trump. In some messages, he identified himself by name or left his telephone number, officials said. 'I got some advice for you. Here's the advice, Donald Trump is your president. If you don't get behind him, we're going to hang you until you die,' Winegar said in one message." WFXT-TV Boston (8/9) reports, "According to court documents and statements, in the early morning of December 16, 2020, Winegar left voicemails at the offices of six members of Congress. Within these messages, Winegar identified himself by name and identified his phone number. After his arrest on January 11, 2021, investigators learned of an email threatening a member of the New Hampshire State House of Representatives sent on December 14, 2020, that also listed aggressive, violent acts. 'Ryder Winegar crossed a line when he threatened to hang six members of Congress and a New Hampshire State lawmaker if they didn't conform to his beliefs. His actions, to which he admitted to today, are crimes, not protected speech,' said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division." Colorado Man Accused Of Killing Wife Appears In Court. The AP (8/9, Tucker) reports from Salida, Colorado, "Investigators on Monday provided glimpses of a troubled marriage between a Colorado woman who vanished on Mother's Day EFTA00150792 2020 and her husband, who is charged in her death after pleading on social media for her safe return." The AP adds, "Before she was reported missing by a neighbor after failing to return from a bicycle ride, Suzanne Morphew used a 'spy pen,' a device that looks like a pen and can automatically record conversations when sound is detected, because she feared her husband Barry Morphew was having an affair, Chaffee County Sheriff's Commander Alex Walker said. The testimony came at the start of a hearing in the mountain community of Salida to determine whether Barry Morphew, 53, will stand trial in his wife's death." The Daily Beast (8/9, Melendez, 933K) reports that Suzanne Morphew "had a prolonged affair before her disappearance, investigators revealed in court on Monday. The shocking revelation came during the start of a two-day preliminary hearing for the trial of her husband, Barry, who is accused of killing the 49-year-old on May 10, 2020. According to Dru Nielsen, Morphew's defense attorney, Suzanne was 'spying' on her husband because she believed he was having an affair. In reality, Chaffee County Sheriff's Commander Alex Walker said during cross-examination, the mother of two was having a two-year affair with a man named Jeff Libler, with whom she had attended high school in Indiana. FBI Special Agent Ken Harris also attested to the affair on the stand on Monday, stating that he heard two recordings that were made on a 'spy pen' investigators believed belonged to Suzanne." FBI Offers Reward For Information On Killing Of Kentucky Deputy. The Louisville (KY) Courier-Journal (8/9, Goodman, Tobin, 554K) reports, "Federal and local law enforcement officials pleaded with Louisville residents Monday morning to come forth with any information on who killed Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Deputy Brandon Shirley." Shirley, 26, "was shot and killed early Thursday while working an off-duty security job at Rockford Lane Auto Sales in Shively. Officials have described the shooting as an 'ambush.' Besides the ATF, representatives of the sheriff's office, Louisville Metro Police and the FBI issued the call for community help in the case at a press conference Monday at LMPD headquarters in downtown Louisville. The Louisville field offices of the FBI and ATF announced a reward Friday of up to $50,000 for 'information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the individual(s) responsible' for killing Shirley." FBI Probing Death Of California Lottery Winner. SFGate (CA) (8/9, Robertson, 1.9M) reports, "A woman who won more than $2 million in the California Lottery last year has been murdered in Oklahoma along with her 1-year-old daughter, according to multiple reports." The FBI "is investigating the suspected murder of Tiffani Hill, 31, and her daughter, Leanne. Hill was found dead in her Calera, Oklahoma home along with her husband, 42-year-old John Donato, who reportedly turned the gun on himself after allegedly shooting Hill and her daughter, according to local news reports. An FBI spokesperson confirmed that the agency is investigating the deaths. The FBI does not release names of victims or causes of death during ongoing investigations, the spokesperson said. The FBI, rather than local police, is investigating the murders because they occurred on tribal land. Hill was a registered member of the Choctaw Nation, the spokesperson said." Reward Money Doubles For Information On California Soldier's Death. The Chino (CA) Champion (8/9, Thompson) reports, "The reward money for information on the May 2020 murder of U.S. Army Spec. Enrique Roman-Martinez of Chino has doubled to $50,000 after hundreds of interviews, 100 warrants and subpoenas and extensive searches have not turned up any answers." The Champion adds, "U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command special agents, the FBI and the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit has conducted more than 400 interviews and have returned to the North Carolina island seven times trying to find additional evidence on how the Chino man was killed. An autopsy last year showed the soldier was a victim of a homicide." EFTA00150793 Seven Arrested For Child Exploitation In Louisiana. The Baton Rouge (LA) Advocate (8/9, Nicholson, 255K) reports, "Eight men have been arrested following a three-day operation including federal, state and local law enforcement to find individuals soliciting sex from minors, Attorney General Jeff Landry announced Monday." The Advocate adds, "The operation, named Operation Home School, included members of the FBI; Louisiana Bureau of Investigations; Louisiana State Police; the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office and several other local law enforcement agencies. The Louisiana Bureau of Investigations conducted the majority of arrests for the operation, along with the FBI and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office." KNOE-TV Monroe, LA (8/9) and WVLA-TV Baton Rouge, LA (8/9) also report. Three Puerto Rican Men Charged With Hate Crime After Allegedly Shooting Transgender Woman With Paintball Gun. The Washington Examiner (8/9, 888K) reports, "Three Puerto Rican men were charged with a hate crime after allegedly committing assault with a paintball gun." The Examiner adds, "Jordany Rafael Laboy Garcia, Christian Yamaurie Rivera Otero, and Anthony Steven Lobos Ruiz were allegedly driving in Toa Baja on Feb. 24, 2020, when they saw the victim, a biological male who identifies as a woman, walking on the side of the road. They recognized her from a social media post identifying her as a man who tried to enter the women's bathroom at a nearby restaurant, according to the indictment. The three men began to harass her verbally, then obtained a paintball gun to shoot at her, according to a Department of Justice press release. They allegedly accosted her again and began shooting paintballs at her and recorded their actions on video using their phone." Man Arrested In Probe Of Robberies In Nebraska, Iowa. WOWT-TV Omaha, NE (8/9, 59K) reports from Council Bluffs, Iowa, "A 21-year-old was arrested after being identified in multiple July robberies in Omaha and Iowa." Mario Quiroga "was arrested for a fugitive from justice on an Omaha warrant and a robbery charge in Council Bluffs. After being identified in two Omaha robberies that happened last month