EFTA00149640.pdf

From: To: Subject: u is airs ews rie mg ues ay, ugust 25, 2020 Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2020 10:27:27 +0000 Importan c Normal e: Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com. ; AIFBI News Briefing • TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2020 6:30 AM EDT TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • Wisconsin National Guard Called In After Violent Protests Sparked By Police Shooting. PROTESTS • FBI Finds Threat That Closed Portland Federal Buildings Was Unsubstantiated. • Morgan: Violence In Cities Due To Failure Of State And Local Leadership. • Chief: Detroit Police Prevented Protesters From Setting Up "Zone Of Lawlessness." • Appeals Court Pares Back Federal Anti-Riot Act. COUNTER-TERRORISM • More Than A Dozen Killed, 75 Wounded In ISIS-Linked Bombing In Philippines. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE • Chinese Researcher At Texas A&M Charged With Fraud And Conspiracy. • FBI FISA Requests Now Detail Whether Target Is Government Source. • Graham Says He Will Subpoena Priestap. • Federal Government Has Made Progress, But Not Implemented, 2016 Election Security Recommendations. • NRO To Launch Intelligence Satellite Wednesday. • German Doctors Say Navalny Was Poisoned. • Researchers Say Russian-Backed Organizations "Amplifying QAnon Conspiracy Theories." • Austria Expels Russian Diplomat, Spurring Reprisal. • Former CIA Official Among Whose Doubting Kim Jong-Un Coma Rumor. • Danes Suspend Defense Intelligence Chief Following Accusations Of Spying On Citizens. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • Federal Authorities Move Toward Resolution Of Probe Of George Floyd Killing. • Kentucky AG Mulls Charges In Breonna Taylor Probe. • Georgia Prisoner Sentenced For Mailing Threats To Federal Judges. • Arrest Made In RNC Security Violation. • Attorneys Say South Carolina Pastor Is Victim Of Extortion. • California Supreme Court Overturns Death Penalty For Scott Peterson. EFTA00149640 • Two Sentenced For Online Sex Crimes In Georgia. • Man Charged In Shootout With Border Agents In Arizona. • FBI Offers Reward For Information On New Jersey Gang Member. • Former Georgia Public Official Sentenced Over Misappropriation Of Taxes. • West Virginia Man Sentenced Over Drug Trafficking. • Washington State Individuals Charged Over Public Corruption. • Two Members Of Violent Florida Gang Sentenced On Drug, Shooting Charges. • Continuing Coverage: FBI Investigating Disappearance Of Georgia Woman In Florida. • FBI Investigating Cold Cases In Illinois. • Illinois Men Appear In Court Over Bank Robbery. • Continuing Coverage: FBI Sex Trafficking Sting Results In 12 Arrests In Maryland. • FBI Investigated Arson On Wisconsin Tribal Land. • Two More Sentenced In Georgia Child Sex Sting. • Texas Woman Pleads Not Guilty To Child Pornography Charges. • FBI: Missing New Jersey Girl Was Likely Kidnapped In Crime Of Opportunity. • FBI Searching For Kansas City, Missouri Armed Robbery Suspect. • FBI Probing Two Cleveland, Ohio Bank Robberies. • FBI Seeking Suspect In Colorado Bank Robbery. EMPLOYMENT • FBI Looks To Hire More Women. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS • Pandemic Spawning Scams More Than Any Recent Event. • FBI: $3M In Stolen Ventilators Recovered In Florida. • Jury Begins Deliberations In Northern Marianas Corruption Case. • FBI Warns Of Using Facebook Marketplace For Used Cars. • FBI Searching Massachusetts Storage Facility. CYBER DIVISION • Indian Citizen Pleads Guilty In Rhode Island To Tech Support Phone Scam. • FBI, CISA Warn Of Surge In Voice Call Phishing Scams. • Nakasone Details Newly Aggressive Cyber Effort. • TikTok Sues Trump Administration To Overturn Executive Order. • Zoom Experienced Outages During First Day Of School For Many. LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES • Interior Department Announces Increased Seizures Of Illegal Drugs. OTHER FBI NEWS • FBI Agent Charged In 2018 Texas Shooting. • Scheduled Execution Of Navajo Man Raises Sovereignty Concerns. • Woman Who Killed FBI Agent In 2008 Seeks Release From Prison After Contracting COVID-19. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • In Visit To North Carolina, Trump Praises Farmers For Pandemic Food Program. • Trump: Plasma Treatment Will Reduce Mortality "By At Least 35%." • Atlas: Prolonged Lockdowns Are Harmful To Country. • Meadows Says President, Congress Could Agree On Coronavirus Aid. • Wilkie Says There Are Only Four COVID Cases In VA Nursing Homes. • AstraZeneca Denies White House Fast-Tracking Its COVID Vaccine. • Experts Credit Restrictions With Decreasing Number Of Cases. EFTA00149641 • Missouri Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Proposes Mask Mandate. • WSJournal Praises Georgia's Pandemic Response. • Florida Judge Blocks State Order For Schools To Reopen. • New York City Schools To Have Outside Classes Option. • Northeastern Revokes Admissions For Those Who Said They Would Attend Or Host Parties. • New York AG Investigating Whether Trump Inflated Asset Values To Get Loans, Tax Benefits. • Vance Agrees To Hold Off Enforcing Subpoena For Trump's Tax Returns. • Cohen In Talks To Appear In Ads For Democratic PAC. • Morgan: President Has Delivered On Immigration Promises. • DHS Reviewing DACA With An Eye On Phasing It Out. • Volunteers Build Makeshift School In Mexico For Children Seeking US Asylum. • Trump To Order Federal Agencies To Move Offices To Opportunity Zones. • As Eviction Moratoriums End, Demand Increases For Legal Assistance. • DeJoy Tells House Panel He Is Not "Sabotaging The Election." • Politico Analysis: Schumer Has Shifted Leftward Along With His Party. • Laura Could Be Most Powerful Storm To Hit Gulf Coast Since Katrina, Rita. INTERNATIONAL NEWS • Researchers Document First COVID Reinfection Case. • US Military Delivers COVID Equipment To Honduras. • WHO Recommends Children Wear Masks In Some Circumstances. • Esper: US Prepared To Counter China. • Pompeo Urges Other Arab Countries To Follow UAE In Recognizing Israel. • US Envoy Meets With Belarusian Opposition Leader. • Bolsonaro's Popularity Rising Despite COVID Response. • Canada's Conservative Party Chooses O'Toole As New Leader. • Baker: Biden's Supporters Eager To Roll Back Trump's Foreign Policy. THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE • Today's Events In Washington. LEADING THE NEWS Wisconsin National Guard Called In After Violent Protests Sparked By Police Shooting. WFRV-TVVI Green Bay, WI (8/24, 11K) reported that Kenosha, Wisconsin "faced a night of intense protests after police appeared to shoot a Black man in the back." During the protests, "the county courthouse was damaged along with cars at a local dealership." WDJT-TVVI Milwaukee (8/24, 19K) recounted "protesters clashed with police," who "used tear gas to break- up the crowd." WDJT added "vehicles were set on fire, including a garbage truck and a car lot," and "businesses were damaged and looted." Says the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (8/24, Carson, Jones, 632K), "Among the damaged buildings: the public library, the Dinosaur Discovery Museum, the Harborside Academy charter school, a law firm, the USPS building and the county register of deeds." The Journal Sentinel adds "many who walked up said they couldn't believe the situation plaguing so many other American cities happened in Kenosha." In an online report, Fox News (8/24, Pagones, 27.59M) focuses on the Kenosha "car dealership...targeted by rioters," which "multiple reports identified...as belonging to Car Source, a pre-owned vehicle dealership located on Sheridan EFTA00149642 Avenue. ... Prior to the overnight destruction, Car Source had more than 140 vehicles available for sale, according to its website." Breitbart (8/24, Gwinn, 673K) reports the crowd of protesters included "at least two armed rioters," and "blocked a police armored car from proceeding down a street. After a standoff, the police began throwing tear gas canisters from the top of the vehicle to disperse the crowd," and "moments later, gunshots rang out after one of the protesters appeared to open fire." The AP (8/24, Webber, Gash) reports on Monday, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) "summoned the National Guard for fear of another round of violent protests Monday" in Kenosha following what the AP calls "the police shooting of a Black man under murky circumstances." Evers said the National Guard would be charged with "guarding infrastructure and making sure our firefighters and others involved are protected." WEAU-TVVI Eau Claire, WI (8/24, 11K) indicated Evers also said he "was calling a special session of the legislature on policing accountability and transparency on August 31." The AP (8/24, Webber, Gash) indicates that Evers was also "quick to condemn the bloodshed, saying that while not all details were known, 'what we know for certain is that he is not the first Black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country." The New York Times (8/24, Bosman, 18.61M) recounts that witness "Annie Hurst stepped outside the cream-colored house where she has lived for 53 years on Sunday afternoon and saw something that made her freeze in fear." An officer "was aiming his gun at Jacob Blake, her neighbor, as he tried to get into his car with three of his children in the back seat. The officer grabbed him by his shirt and fired several times, shooting him in the back." Reuters (8/24, Layne, Trotta) says that "after being rushed to a hospital, Blake was out of surgery and in stable condition, his father told news media on Monday." Noting the video of the incident, Reuters adds "it was unknown whether the officers saw something inside the vehicle that caused them to fire on Blake." Mola Lenghi of the CBS Evening NewsVi (8/24, story 10, 2:05, O'Donnell, 4.21M) recounted that "two of the officers involved in the shooting were placed on leave during the investigation," as "overnight, anger turned to vandalism. Some set city vehicles ablaze while officers and riot gear clashed with others." On ABC World News TonightVi (8/24, story 2, 2:05, Muir, 7.23M), Alex Perez reported on the "disturbing video throwing a city into turmoil," with the "community...preparing for possibly more destructive protests." ABC added that "much of the small downtown area now looks like this, completely boarded up." Gabe Gutierrez of NBC Nightly NewsVi (8/24, story 3, 2:25, Holt, 6.03M) also said "businesses...are boarded up, nervous about another potentially violent night." Lyna Postuchow, a "business owner," was shown saying, "It was horrifying. To sit there and see it, and know you couldn't do anything, you know. We literally put our entire lives into this business." The Washington Post (8/24, Peiser, Berman, 14.2M) reports "the Kenosha shooting made the lakefront city of about 100,000 residents the new epicenter of a movement that has roiled America this summer, ever since the video footage of [George] Floyd, pinned beneath a Minneapolis police officer's knee and pleading for air, circulated on Memorial Day." The Wall Street Journal (8/24, Ailworth, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), among other news outlets, also reports the story. County Officials Upset Guard Wasn't Sent In Earlier. The Kenosha (WI) News (8/24, Tatge-Rozell, 63K) recounts that "Kenosha County Emergency Management Director Lt. Horace Staples said the declaration of a State of Emergency at 11 p.m. Sunday started the process of activating the deployment." Kenosha County supervisors Terry Rose and Zach Rodriguez "said Monday they feel 'someone dropped the ball." Said Rodriguez, "Myself and other supervisors were knocking on the doors of other supervisors at 2 a.m. because the National Guard hadn't been sent to Kenosha." EFTA00149643  USA Today (8/24, Yancey-Bragg, Culver, 10.31M) indicates that "by late Sunday, multiple vehicles were set ablaze and windows were smashed along city thoroughfares as crowds faced off with law enforcement," as "officers in riot gear stood in lines and SWAT vehicles remained on the streets to move people away from city buildings despite the declaration of an overnight curfew." Police Union Urges Public To Withhold Judgment, Slams Evers' "Irresponsible" Statement. The Kenosha (WI) News (8/24, 63K) reports "Pete Deates, president of the Kenosha Professional Police Association," issued a statement saying, "Anytime deadly force is used, our hearts go out to those affected by it. We assure you an independent investigation is being conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation." Until its completion, "we ask that you withhold prejudgment about the incident and please the let process take place. Governor Evers' statement on the incident was wholly irresponsible and not reflective of the hardworking members of the law enforcement community, not to mention the citizens of the City of Kenosha." Moreover, added Deates, "the video currently circulating does not capture all the intricacies of a highly dynamic incident." NBC Nightly NewsVi (8/24, story 3, 2:25, Holt, 6.03M) showed Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes (D) saying, "This was not an accident. This wasn't bad police work. This felt like some sort of vendetta being taken out on a member of our community." Biden Calls For Police Accountability And Denounces "Systemic Racism," Doesn't Condemn Riots. Axios (8/24, Allassan, 521K) reports "Joe Biden on Monday called for 'an immediate, full and transparent investigation" into the shooting of Blake. Biden said on Facebook, "Mills morning, the nation wakes up yet again with grief and outrage that yet another Black American is a victim of excessive force. This calls for an immediate, full and transparent investigation and the officers must be held accountable. ... Equal justice has not been real for Black Americans and so many others. We are at an inflection point. We must dismantle systemic racism. It is the urgent task before us." The CNBC (8/24, Pramuk, 3.62M) website and the New York Post (8/24, Fitz-Gibbon, 4.57M), among other news outlets, also carry Biden's statement. Breitbart (8/24, Pollak, 673K) reports, meanwhile, that Biden "failed to condemn the rioting, looting, and arson that followed throughout the working-class city." WPost Calls Wisconsin Shooting A "Sickening Deja Vu." The Washington Post (8/24, 14.2M) asks in an editorial, "Shouldn't police by now be on notice to stop using unwarranted - and too often deadly - force against Black men and women?" To the Post, "there is a sickening deja vu...to watching the 20-second clip of video footage of Sunday's incident in" Kenosha, WI. The Post concludes that "neither noncompliance with a police order nor unconnected past crimes justifies a death sentence, and it is unacceptable to try to use those excuses. Enough is enough." PROTESTS FBI Finds Threat That Closed Portland Federal Buildings Was Unsubstantiated. The Oregonian (8/24, Ryan, 1M) reports, "A threat that closed all the federal buildings in Portland last week has been declared unsubstantiated." According to the Oregonian, "The threat, which came in Thursday, prompted an FBI investigation and the closure of Portland's Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse and other federal buildings. The courthouse and at least one other federal building were back open Monday. It wasn't immediately clear if all federal buildings had reopened." KPTV-TV Portland, OR (8/24, 177K) reports, "On Friday, the FBI confirmed an investigation into a threat. No specific details were released about the threat. As a result, federal buildings were closed, some businesses shut down for the day and the city of Portland advised employees to leave the downtown area Friday 'out of an abundance of caution." On EFTA00149644 Monday, the FBI "reported that investigators had not developed information that the reported threat against federal buildings was credible. The FBI investigation took place as continuing protests have taken place in Portland, many near the Justice Center downtown, with numerous demonstrations being declared riots by law enforcement." Portland Police Use Tear Gas To Disperse Protesters. The AP (8/24) reports, "Police in Portland used tear gas early Monday to scatter demonstrators who marched on a precinct station in another night of violence - hurling rocks, bottles, commercial-grade fireworks at officers and setting fires in the streets." Police arrested 23 people. The AP adds that "the protests have gripped Oregon's largest city for months since the police killing of George Floyd" and on Sunday night, "demonstrators in Portland...chanted the name Jacob Blake." Portland Police: Protests Preventing Them From Answering Calls For Help. The Daily Caller (8/24, Lyman, 716K), meanwhile, reports, "35 officers in Portland were pulled away from patrol duty after a riot was declared Sunday evening, leaving some 80 other emergency calls on hold, according to Portland Police Bureau (PPB)." In a statement, the PPB said, "The event forced the assistance of about 35 officers from patrol, severely limiting call response. As the riot was ending, there were 80 calls holding in the city, ranging from shots fired, car crashes, welfare checks, priority threats, missing persons, and more." Morgan: Violence In Cities Due To Failure Of State And Local Leadership. In an interview with Fox BusinessVi (8/24, 50K), Acting CBP Commissioner Morgan said of ongoing protests around the country, "Violence is not the answer to go and burn and destroy your own city. In the reaction to something like this is not the way." About protests in Portland, Morgan said, "These are anarchist criminal opportunists. These are thugs. What you're seeing in Portland for 90 days Maria we've talked about this. This is a complete failure of local and state leadership. They could end this if they chose to do so and they have refused. ... Oregon state police came down for a little while you saw a drop in violence they left, and now the violence increases." Asked what the federal government should do, Morgan said, "Someone is going to die in that city because of the failure of local and state leadership." Chief: Detroit Police Prevented Protesters From Setting Up "Zone Of Lawlessness." The Detroit News (8/24, Hunter, 825K) reports, "Officers used force to prevent protesters from setting up a 'Seattle zone of lawlessness' during demonstrations that turned violent Saturday, the city's police chief said Monday." Detroit police chief James Craig "made the comment while there are multiple internal investigations to determine whether any officers acted improperly during the skirmishes." Said Craig, "I am not going to let any group set up a Seattle zone of lawlessness here in the city of Detroit. That is non-negotiable." The Detroit Free Press (8/24, 1.52M) reports that a "top Detroit police official who once took a knee in solidarity with protesters outside public safety headquarters delivered a harsh message Monday to the group that has led nightly protests all summer: 'To Detroit Will Breathe: You're not welcome. Go." Craig "also criticized the protesters as manipulative and claiming police brutality while ignoring the actions of their supporters, who he says have thrown objects at police and damaged police vehicles." Appeals Court Pares Back Federal Anti-Riot Ad. Politico (8/24, Gerstein, 4.29M) reports a federal appeals court has "narrowed an anti-riot law the Trump administration is wielding to bring federal charges against individuals accused of fueling civil unrest following the death of George Floyd." However, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals "upheld the use of the federal statute against two California men convicted of spurring violence in connection with the white supremacist Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va. in August 2017, Michael Miselis and Benjamin Daley." The three-judge appeals court panel "unanimously concluded that language in the Anti-Riot Act that makes it a crime to 'encourage,' EFTA00149645 'promote' or urge a riot is unconstitutionally overbroad because it encompasses speech protected by the First Amendment." COUNTER-TERRORISM More Than A Dozen Killed, 75 Wounded In ISIS-Linked Bombing In Philippines. The AP (8/24, Gomez) reports militants allied with ISIS "set off a powerful motorcycle explosive followed by a suicide bombing that together killed 14 people on Monday, many of them soldiers, in the worst extremist attack in the Philippines this year, military officials said." At least 75 were wounded in the bombings in Jolo town in southern Sulu province. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, "but the military blamed an Abu Sayyaf militant commander, Mundi Sawadjaan, who has been linked to suicide bombings in recent years in Sulu." COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE Chinese Researcher At Texas A&M Charged With Fraud And Conspiracy. The Washington Times (8/24, Dinan, 492K) reports Zhengdong Cheng, a researcher at Texas A&M on a NASA-funded contract, "has been charged with fraud and conspiracy" for "working as a Chinese researcher at the same time he was taking U.S. government money." Cheng was "part of China's Thousands Talents Program that seeks to illicitly siphon U.S. research." His research at Texas A&M included "access to International Space Station resources," according to FBI Special Agent Benjamin Harper. The Houston Chronicle (8/24, Ketterer, 730K) reports Cheng led a research team where "he willfully took steps to obscure his affiliations and collaboration with a Chinese University and at least one Chinese-owned company," according to the Justice Department. The AP (8/24, Tucker) reports, "Cheng faces charges of wire fraud, conspiracy and false statements, according to a criminal complaint released by the Justice Department on Monday. He was arrested Sunday." According to the AP, "The case against Cheng is part of a pattern of Justice Department prosecutions against researchers at American universities who are accused of concealing their professional relationships with Chinese universities. The Trump administration has been particularly concerned that professors could exploit their ties to China, and their participation in talent recruitment programs, to steal intellectual property for Beijing's economic benefit." The Dallas Morning News (8/24, Benning, 946K) reports, "According to the complaint, Cheng is not allowed to participate, collaborate or coordinate not only with China, but with any Chinese university or Chinese-owned company, under the terms of his grant. According to the criminal complaint, which was unsealed Monday, Cheng attempted to obscure his personal affiliations with a Chinese university and at least one Chinese company for several years." The Morning News adds, "Special Agent in Charge, Mark Zielinksi, said NASA's funding restrictions are put in place to protect taxpayer-financed research dollars and intellectual property. Zieliknski, who is also the NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) — Eastern Field Office, said that the government will continue to pursue anybody who attempts to cover up affiliations with Chinese institutions. 'These alleged actions came to light through the tireless work of the FBI- Bryan Resident Agency and NASA-OIG investigative teams,' said Perrye K. Turner, FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge." Courthouse News (8/24, Langford, 2K) , KBTX-TV College Station, TX (8/24, DeMoss, 91K) , and the Washington Examiner (8/24, Dunleavy, 448K) also report. Dozens Of American Universities Hosting Confucius Institute Despite Scrutiny. The Washington Free Beacon (8/24, Kakutani, 78K) reports, "Dozens of universities, including Columbia and Stanford, are hosting the Chinese government-funded Confucius Institute despite increasing scrutiny from the federal government." The universities "appear to be unfazed by the EFTA00149646 Trump administration's decision last week to designate" the Confucius Institute as a "foreign mission." Despite the move, "nearly 50 colleges and universities will continue their partnership with Confucius Institute programs." FBI FISA Requests Now Detail Whether Target Is Government Source. The Washington Examiner (8/24, Dunleavy, 448K) reports a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act reform "undertaken by the FBI is implementing more stringent requirements for asking whether a possible target has been a source for the US government." The change was revealed "following a related guilty plea in U.S. Attorney John Durham's inquiry into the Russia investigation." FBI Acting General Counsel Dawn Browning submitted a "declaration to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that was made public Monday." The filing "said that updated FISA request forms, specifically related to requests for business records and the use of pen register and trap and trace devices, 'include a number of improvements,' including 'questions about whether the target or subject of the request was previously interviewed by, or served as a confidential human source, asset, or operational contact of, the FBI, any other government agency, or a foreign government." Graham Says He Will Subpoena Priestap. The Washington Examiner (8/24, Dunleavy, 448K) reports Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsay Graham "said he plans to subpoena Bill Priestap, a key leader in the FBI's Trump-Russia investigation, after pushback from the former bureau official's lawyer." Graham told Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures "that he is escalating his effort to interview the FBI's former head of counterintelligence." Graham "said he believes Priestap gave misleading information to the Senate Intelligence Committee in 2018 about the reliability of British ex-spy Christopher Steele's discredited dossier." Graham said, "I don't know what Mr. Priestap did or didn't do, but I know the briefing given to the Intel Committee was an absolute lie about the reliability of the subsource. ... It does sound to me like there was an effort to mislead the Senate Intel Committee." Federal Government Has Made Progress, But Not Implemented, 2016 Election Security Recommendations. Politico (8/24, Starks, 4.29M) reports the federal government has "largely implemented the election security recommendations that the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and NIST" issued in 2016, a "reflection of slow but steady progress that has nonetheless left room for improvement." The agencies advised "designating elections as critical infrastructure" and "suggested that DHS work with NIST and the Election Assistance Commission to incorporate the latest cybersecurity best practices into a new version of the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines." Many of the recommendations have been implemented, however, Politico says there are still some gaps including "no information-sharing alliance for U.S. political parties, nor is there a formal Election Infrastructure Cyber Response Plan." At the same time, "the growing problem of disinformation underscores the fact that some of the biggest election security threats target minds, not machines, and cannot be solved by security scans or threat indicator sharing." NRO To Launch Intelligence Satellite Wednesday. C4ISR & Networks (8/24, Strout) reports the National Reconnaissance Office is "set to launch a new intelligence payload into orbit in the early hours of the morning on Aug. 26." The NROL-44 mission has been cleared for liftoff "at 2:16 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida." The classified payload arrived "in Florida in late July and was integrated with the rocket in early August." The launch will use a "United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket." The mission will be NRO's fourth this year. EFTA00149647 German Doctors Say Navalny Was Poisoned. The Washington Post (8/24, Glucroft, Khurshudyan, 14.2M) reports Russian opposition leader Alexsei Navalny "was poisoned, Berlin's Charite hospital said in a statement Monday, citing clinical results that contradicted Russian doctors and corroborated claims that an attempt had been made on the Kremlin critic's life." Although the exact substance "that poisoned Navalny is not yet known, it is believed to be a cholinesterase inhibitor, Charite's statement said, adding that the effect of the toxin - blocking cholinesterase, an enzyme needed for the proper functioning of the nervous system - was confirmed several times by independent laboratories." The hospital said that "another broad analysis has been initiated" and that Navalny remains in a medically induced coma but "there is no acute danger to his life." He is being given "atropine, a medication used to treat certain types of nerve agent and pesticide poisonings." The New York Times (8/24, Eddy, Kramer, 18.61M) reports Navalny, who became ill "on a domestic flight in Russia, was under round-the-clock guard at the Berlin hospital where his family transferred him Saturday after what now appears to be yet another attack signaling Russia's status as an outlaw nation." While used medically to "treat Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, in some forms they are also found in chemical weapons and pesticides." The Russian health ministry is "challenging the German findings," but a doctor at the "Siberian hospital where the dissident was initially taken said after the German announcement that the patient had been given an antidote often used against nerve agents." The German doctors "said that they expected Mr. Navalny to survive. but that it was too early to gauge the long-term effects of the attack." The Wall Street Journal (8/24, Boston, Grove, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports following the doctors' determination, German Chancellor Angela Merkel asked Russia to investigate the attack. In a joint statement, Merkel and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said, "Those responsible must be identified and brought to justice." Earlier in the day, Merkel's spokesman suggested that the attack could be linked to the Kremlin. Navalny has been guarded by officers from Germany's BKA, the country's equivalent to the FBI. The Guardian (UK) (8/24, Harding, 4.19M) reports chemical and biological counter- terrorism expert Hamish de De Bretton-Gordon "said it was unclear how the poison may have been delivered, but he said nerve agents could be put in liquid such as tea or absorbed via the skin." Bretton-Gordon also "said it was also possible that Navalny had been poisoned with an organophosphate or pesticide." The Hill (8/24, Wise, 2.98M) also reports. Bloomberg: US Needs "Realistic Russia Strategy." In an editorial published in Yahoo! News/Bloomberg Opinion (8/24, 12.82M), Bloomberg says the poisoning of Alexei Navalny "underscores the dangers Russians face for speaking out against President Vladimir Putin" and is a "warning to those currently protesting for democratic change in neighboring Belarus." They argue, "So long as Putin remains at the helm, Russia will continue to pose a serious threat to democratic values, in its periphery and beyond." The editorial concludes that "consistent messaging, tougher deterrence measures and resolute support for allies are essential to a successful strategy." Opinion: "Time For President Trump" To Confront Putin. In an op-ed for The Washington Examiner (8/24, 448K), Tom Rogan writes, "It's time for President Trump to raise the dissident's fate with Russian President Vladimir Putin." Researchers Say Russian-Backed Organizations "Amplifying QAnon Conspiracy Theories." Reuters (8/24, Menn) reports Russian government-supported organizations are "playing a small but increasing role amplifying conspiracy theories promoted by QAnon, raising concerns of interference in the November US election." QAnon has been "named by the FBI as a potential instigator of domestic terrorism, and followers have been charged with making a terror threat, murder and other crimes." Alethea Group disinformation expert Cindy Otis, "a former CIA EFTA00149648 analyst, said RT, Sputnik and other Kremlin-backed media have been writing more about QAnon, using it to fit into" a broader narrative of US decline. The Daily Beast (8/24, Davis, 1.39M) also reports. Austria Expels Russian Diplomat, Spurring Reprisal. Reuters (8/24, Murphy) reports from Vienna that Austria is expelling a Russian diplomat "for breaching the Vienna Convention governing diplomats' privileges and immunities, an Austrian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Monday in what a tabloid newspaper reported as an economic espionage case." The spokesman said, "His behaviour is not in accordance with the Vienna Convention." The AP (8/24) reports Russia's Foreign Ministry summoned "Austrian Ambassador Johannes Aigner later Monday and said that in response to Vienna's move it had declared an unidentified Austrian diplomat persona non grata in Russia." Austrian daily newspaper Kronen Zeitung "reported that the Russian diplomat has until Sept. 1 to leave and said, without citing sources, that he allegedly had been engaged for years in economic espionage at a technology firm with the help of an Austrian citizen." In a statement posted on its website, the Russian Embassy said it was "appalled by the unfounded decision of the Austrian authorities, which is damaging to constructive Russian-Austrian relations." Former CIA Official Among Whose Doubting Kim Jong-Un Coma Rumor. The Washington Times (8/24, Taylor, 492K) reports a former high-level CIA official "and other North Korea analysts downplayed reports Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is in a coma, asserting the reclusive young dictator is likely keeping a low profile amid the North's recent C0VID-19 outbreak and a delicate and difficult time in denuclearization talks." According to former CIA Korea Deputy Division Chief Bruce Klingner, referencing recent reports that Kim is serious ill and in a coma, and that his "increasingly high-profile sister, Kim Yo Jong," is assuming leadership, said, "Long-time Korea watchers are the most skeptical of rumors of a North Korean leader's incapacitation or death, having endured countless false reports." Alexandre Mansourov, a "longtime North Korea expert who teaches at Georgetown University's Center for Security Studies," and David Maxwell, a "former US Special Forces officer and North Korea expert with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies," have also expressed doubts about the rumor. LATimes: North Korean Threat Has Worsened Under Trump Administration. The Los Angeles Times (8/24, Bierman, 4.64M) reports that as President Trump "faces the prospect of possibly turning over the presidency to Joe Biden," there is "little evidence the danger" of a nuclear North Korea "has been reduced, despite the most sustained and aggressive diplomacy of Trump's tenure." The Times writes "if anything, North Korea poses a greater threat, according to Korea specialists: The country has tested and developed more weapons; its leader, Kim Jong Un, has become less isolated; and international resolve to confront North Korea has weakened after Trump's three meetings with Kim." According to Jun Pak, who "helped with transition efforts at the CIA when Trump took office and is now an informal advisor to Biden," orth Korea wants to be "like an India or Pakistan," and, "Everybody just looks the other way." Korean Barter Program "Hits Sanctions Hurdle." Reuters (8/24, Cha, Smith) reports a South Korean farming cooperative's "150 million won ($127,000) plan to barter sugar for North Korean liquor and food products may be in trouble before it even starts, a South Korean lawmaker said on Monday." The deal, brokered by "a Chinese company, was signed in June with five North Korean trading firms, though it still needs approval from Seoul's Unification Ministry, which oversees inter-Korean affairs." According to a South Korean lawmaker "briefed by the ministry at an intelligence committee hearing on Monday, at least one of the North Korean companies involved may be under international sanctions, potentially jeopardizing the deal." In a statement, the Unification Ministry "said it had not yet made a final decision on the proposed deal, and that the company was only one of several involved." The plan comes as EFTA00149649 South Korea "pushes to restart inter-Korean cooperation without breaching international sanctions banning financial transactions and economic joint ventures with North Korea, imposed over its nuclear and missile programmes." Danes Suspend Defense Intelligence Chief Following Accusations Of Spying On Citizens. The AP (8/24) reports that the Danish government said that Lars Findsen, the head of the Danish Defense Intelligence Service, has been "relieved of duty for the time being," along with a pair of other employees. The AP adds that in a brief statement on Monday, Defense Minister Trine Bramsen "gave no reason as to why the three employees were suspended." However, the Telegraph (UK) (8/24, Orange, 956K) reports that the "suspension came just an hour and a half before Denmark's intelligence watchdog dropped the bombshell conclusions of its ten-month investigation into material passed to it by one of more whistleblowers." BBC World News (UK) (8/24, 3.28M) reports that the DDIS "is said to have been spying on Danish citizens over the past six years. ... According to local media, the Defence Intelligence Service is accused of failing to investigate allegations of espionage in the armed services. It has also been accused of obtaining and passing on information about Danish citizens." CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS Federal Authorities Move Toward Resolution Of Probe Of George Floyd Killing. The Minneapolis Star Tribune (8/24, Montemayor, 1.04M) reports, "Spurred by intense public scrutiny and political pressure, federal authorities are moving faster in their investigation of possible criminal civil rights crimes in the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody than what has been customary in recent decades." The Star Tribune adds, "Less than three months after the Justice Department opened its own investigation into the four officers involved in Floyd's killing, a charging decision is likely to be handed up soon by a federal grand jury in Minnesota, according to sources with knowledge of the case. Should charges result, the timing of any federal indictment would be highly unusual in that such cases - which are exceedingly rare - are not typically filed until a state case concludes." Kentucky AG Mulls Charges In Breonna Taylor Probe. The AP (8/24, Schreiner, Lovan) reports from Louisville, Kentucky that Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R) "says he remains committed to `doing the responsible thing' in the investigation into Breonna Taylor's death. He just has to figure out what that is." Cameron, "the state's first African American attorney general, must decide whether three Louisville police officers will be criminally charged for their actions in the March shooting death of Taylor. The 26-year-old Black emergency medical technician was killed when officers entered her apartment with a no-knock warrant during a drug investigation. No drugs were found, and Taylor's family has questioned the legitimacy of the warrant." The case "landed in Cameron's lap in mid-May after a local prosecutor recused himself, just as public impatience intensified for the officers to be charged." Cameron "revealed earlier this month that he's waiting for information on ballistics tests being conducted by the FBI." Georgia Prisoner Sentenced For Mailing Threats To Federal Judges. AllOnGeorgia (8/24) reports, "A man who sent threatening letters to U.S. District Court Judges in Georgia will now serve a hefty prison sentence for his misdeeds." AllOnGeorgia adds, "Earlier this month, Daniel Eric Cobble, age 45, was sentenced to a term of 20 years of federal imprisonment for mailing threatening letters to United States District Court Judges of the Middle District of Georgia, according to Louis V. Franklin, Sr., United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama." According to AllOnGeorgie, "The trial evidence showed that, in EFTA00149650 March and July 2013 and again in March 2014, Cobble mailed threatening letters to two United States District Court Judges of the Middle District of Georgia who were presiding over two different matters in which Cobble was a party." Arrest Made In RNC Security Violation. The Charlotte (NC) Observer (8/24, Price, 470K) reports, "An arrest was made shortly after 10 a.m. Monday involving a man who violated the security perimeter surrounding the Republication National Convention in uptown." The Observer adds, "RNC Security, the Twitter account for the Joint Information Center led by the FBI, Secret Service and Charlotte- Mecklenburg Police, said the person jumped a four-foot fence adjacent to the light rail station on East Stonewall Street near the convention center. The fence, which was preexisting, is part of an outer security area being monitored by law enforcement officers, RNC Security said in a tweet. 'The individual did not enter an area where delegates are present for the RNC or impact any planned events,' the RNC Security tweet said. 'The individual has been arrested by CMPD.'" Attorneys Say South Carolina Pastor Is Victim Of Extortion. The Greenville (SC) News (8/24, Gross, 188K) reports, "A Greenville-based law firm representing Rev. John Gray says the Relentless Church pastor is being blackmailed and extorted based on new allegations of an inappropriate relationship." The News adds, "The allegations of an extramarital relationship first spread on social media and entertainment news websites on Friday when a woman who claimed to have been communicating with Gray was featured on a live video stream on YouTube. Attorneys Devon Puriefoy and Kimberly Thomason told The Greenville News on Monday that the allegations are based solely on phone calls, not physical contact." Puriefoy "said evidence of extortion will be handed to the Greenville County Solicitor's Office and the Greenville office of the FBI to request investigations." California Supreme Court Overturns Death Penalty For Scott Peterson. The CBS Evening NewsVI (8/24, story 16, 0:20, O'Donnell, 4.32M) reported that Monday, California's Supreme Court "overturned the death penalty for Scott Peterson who was convicted of murdering his wife. Laci Peterson was 8 months pregnant when Scott killed her on Christmas Eve in 2002, then dumped her body into the San Francisco Bay. The court upheld the Peterson's conviction but said the trial judge made significant errors in the sentencing phase." NBC Nightly NewsVi (8/24, story 10, 0:20, Holt, 6.03M) reported, "One of the nation's most infamous murder cases has been overturned. Scott Peterson was convicted of 2002 murder of his wife Laci and their unborn son. Today, the California supreme court found errors were made by the trial judge during jury selection. Peterson's convictions were, however, upheld." ABC World News TonightVi (8/24, story 10, 0:20, Muir, 7.23M) reported, "Convicted killer Scott Peterson's death sentence was overturned today. Peterson behind bars for murdering his wife Laci and their unborn son on Christmas Eve, 2002. The California supreme court finding the trial judge made errors in jury selection. Prosecutors can refile. The guilty verdict stands." Two Sentenced For Online Sex Crimes In Georgia. KPVI-TV Idaho Falls, ID (8/24) reports from Athens, Georgia, "United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia Charles Peeler announced recently that two defendants arrested during 'Operation End Game,' a multi-agency effort targeting and arresting adult perpetrators in the Athens area seeking sex with children, were sentenced to prison last week for their crimes." US District Judge C. Ashley Royal "sentenced Joseph Daniel Kelly, 45, of Monroe, to 57 months in prison and 10 years supervised release and Fredrick Lamar Smith, 29, of Royston to 46 months in prison and 10 years supervised release after both previously pleaded guilty to one count of use of facilities in interstate and foreign commerce to transmit information about a EFTA00149651 minor." "Operation End Game" was "a three-day proactive effort centered in Athens in July 2019 to arrest adults communicating with children online and then traveling to meet them for the purpose of having sex." Man Charged In Shootout With Border Agents In Arizona. The Arizona Republic (8/24, Carranza, 869K) reports from Tucson, Arizona, "The U.S. Border Patrol said the man who led agents on a chase in central Arizona last week was trying to smuggle two undocumented migrants through several checkpoints but sped off and ended up shooting at agents, according to court records filed in Phoenix." The Republic adds, "The chase and shooting happened Aug. 20 near the Border Patrol checkpoint on Federal Route 15, south of Casa Grande. The complaint identified the man as Alejandro Stalter, 29, a U.S. citizen. The court records include information about the chase and shooting from the two migrants in the vehicle, a silver Dodge Charger with Arizona license plates. They talked to Border Patrol and FBI agents after their arrests." Stalter "is in federal custody and faces one count of assault on a federal agent with a deadly weapon and a second count of harboring the two undocumented immigrants." FBI Offers Reward For Information On New Jersey Gang Member. The South Passaic (NJ) Daily Voice (8/24, DeMarco) reports, "The FBI posted a reward for information leading to the capture of an armed and dangerous ex-con from Paterson." Cesar David Valerio, "a 28-year-old Dominican national, is wanted on several federal weapons violations, a bureau spokeswoman said Monday. A reputed gang member, he has ties to New York and Pennsylvania." A federal judge in Newark, New Jersey "issued a warrant for Valerio's arrest last week after federal authorities charged him with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to his arrest - while warning that Valerio should be considered armed and dangerous." Former Georgia Public Official Sentenced Over Misappropriation Of Taxes. The Brunswick (GA) News (8/25, Jackson, 45K) reports former director of the Camden County Public Service Authority William Brunson "was sentenced Monday to serve 32 months in federal prison for misappropriating employees' federal payroll taxes." U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood "issued the sentence after Brunson pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion," and he "was also ordered to pay $677,768.40 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term." The FBI supported the investigation. West Virginia Man Sentenced Over Drug Trafficking. WOAY-TV Bluefield, WV (8/24, Rodriguez) reports Christopher Redden "was sentenced to 87 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine and for being an unlawful user in possession of a firearm." He was arrested as part of Operation Shutdown Corner, which "was a joint investigative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office, the Beckley Police Department and the West Virginia State Police." Washington State Individuals Charged Over Public Corruption. KING-TV Seattle (8/25, 225K) reports Darrell N. Winston, Drainage District No. 5 commissioner, Allan Thomas, and JoAnn Thomas have "been charged in a scheme to defraud taxpayers in south King County, more than a year after the KING 5 Investigators first exposed the alleged wrongdoing in Drainage District No. 5 in Enumclaw." The FBI "says Darrell N. Winston of Renton lied to agents when he accepted approximately $50,000 in payments to clear and maintain some of the 18 miles of drainage trenches that form the publicly-funded drainage district." The EFTA00149652 Thomas'"were charged last year with diverting $470,000 in tax money collected for district maintenance to their own, private bank accounts." Two Members Of Violent Florida Gang Sentenced On Drug, Shooting Charges. The South Tampa (FL) Patch (8/24, White, 1.03M)