EFTA00148620.pdf

From: To: Subject: u is airs ews rie mg on ay, uy , Date: Mon, 06 Jul 2020 10:29:41 +0000 Importanc Normal e: Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com. LeiFBI News Briefing TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: MONDAY, JULY 6, 2020 6:30 AM EDT TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • Media Reports Call Trump's Independence Day Speeches "Divisive," "Dark." PROTESTS • Authorities Arrest "Ringleader" Of Attempt To Take Down Jackson Statue. • One Dead, Another Person Injured After Man Drives Into Protest On 1-5 In Seattle. • Three Colorado Police Officers Fired After Reenacting Chokehold Used On McClain. • Trump: Democrats "Crazy" For Wanting To Defund Police. • Anti-Coronavirus Shutdown Facebook Groups Shift To Attacks On BLM. • State Of Emergency Declared In Portland After Protests Turn Violent. • Officer Charged In Floyd's Death Released On $750K Bond. • Massachusetts Police Detective Says She Was Fired Over Pro-BLM Instagram Post. • Protesters To Return To St. Louis Home Where Couple Brandished Guns. • Black Protesters March Through Confederate Memorial Park In Georgia. • Protesters In Baltimore Topple Columbus Statue. • Virginia Orders American Flag Removed From Richmond Construction Site. • Vandals Deface Frederick Douglass Statue In New York. • Current And Former Employees, Donors Say Planned Parenthood "Steeped In White Supremacy." • Differing Portraits Emerge Of Philadelphia Woman Charged With Torching Police Cars. • Man Accused Of Breaking Windows At Nevada Courthouse During Protest. • Woman Who Allegedly Tossed Molotov Cocktail At NYPD Officers Blamed Attack On Blacks. • FBI Seeking Several Individuals Who Looted Louisville, Kentucky Grocery. • Newspaper Cartoon Depicting Swastika-Wearing Trump Sparks Criticism In Florida. • Black South Carolina Police Chief Tries To Navigate The Divide Between His Department, Community. • Oklahoma Police Officers Charged With Murder After Using Stun Gun On Man More Than 50 Times. • NYTimes Al: A Month After George Floyd's Death, Minneapolis Still Struggles To Understand Violent Aftermath. • Kansas Police Officer Was Paid A $70,000 Severance After Killing Unarmed Teen Driver. • Dallas County, Texas May Be Indicative Of Cultural Shift In Police Killings Of Blacks. • Debate Swirls Around Whether Breonna Taylor Memes Bring Needed Attention Or Trivialize Her Death. EFTA00148620 • Michigan Couple Charged With Assault After Videos Show White Woman Pulling Gun On Black Woman. • Black Women's Claims Of Discrimination Belie Pinterest's Kinder, Gentler Reputation. • WYNC Employees Express Betrayal Over Editor-In-Chief Pick That Ignores Calls For Diversity. • NYTimes Al: Latino Activists Struggle With Entrenched Assumption That Racism Is A Black-And- White Issue. • Washington Redskins Open Review Into Changing Controversial Name. • Judge Who Delayed Removal Of Confederate Statue In Richmond Appears To Recuse Himself. • Push To Rename "Bloody Sunday" Bridge In Selma For John Lewis Faces Opposition. • Trump Orders Federal Government To Create Park Honoring "American Heroes." • Stone Mountain Sculpture May Outlast Other Confederate Monuments. • WPost Al Discusses How Trump Era Has Affected Political Discourse At Retirement Community Where Trump Supporter Yelled "White Power." COUNTER-TERRORISM • DO) Seeks To Block Release Of Terrorist Who Completed Sentence. • Judge Delays Trial For Minnesota Militia Leader Allegedly Behind Mosque Bombing. • Op-Ed: The Next American Terrorist. • Artificial Intelligence Linked To Bin Laden Raid Used To Identify Future Threats. • Ignatius: The Dazzling Rise And Tragic Fall Of Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Bin Nayef. • New Iraqi Leader Confronts Challenge of Containing Iran-backed Militias. • Duterte Signs Contentious Antiterrorism Legislation Despite Concerns About Human Rights Abuses. • Canadian Police: Armed Military Man Who Rammed Gates Outside Trudeau's Residence Acted Alone, Faces 22 Charges. • German Intelligence Officials Investigating Far-Right Infiltration Of Military, Police Forces. • Turkish Court Convicts Four Human Rights Activists On Terrorism Charges. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE • Intelligence Chiefs Brief "Gang Of Eight" On Russia Bounty Intelligence. • Grassley Seeks To Reduce Budget Of Think Tank That Awarded Contracts To Halper. • Officials Say It Is Hard For Intelligence Officials To Speak Honestly To Trump About National Security Dangers. • Swalwell Feels Trump Makes House Democrats "Look Like Geniuses Every Day For Impeaching Him." • Flynn Posts Video Of Himself Reciting Oath Of Office Using QAnon Slogan. • Senator Warns Against "Political Interference" Into Probe Of Private Firm That Spied On Environmental Groups. • Jankowicz: Anti-Trump Flash Mob Infiltrated By Russian Election Meddling. • Tennessee Professor Charged With Hiding Ties To China Wants Case Dismissed. • Op-Ed: Putin Still Plays By The Ruthless Rules Of The Cold War. • Russians Arrested In Austria Over Killing Of Chechen Dissident. • Southern Command Rebuilds Intelligence Relationship With Brazil Years After Snowden Damage. • Declassified Navy Videos Create Renewed Interest In UFOs From Congress. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • Epstein Associate Maxwell Charged With Trafficking Minors. • Family Says Remains Found In Texas Are Those Of Fort Hood Soldier. • Death Of Inmate At Metropolitan Detention Center In Los Angeles Ruled A Homicide. • Georgia Prosecutor In Ahmaud Arbery Death Feels Special Responsibility. • Mall Shootings Occur In Alabama, Massachusetts. • FBI Seeks Clues In 2002 Disappearance Of New Mexico Woman. EFTA00148621 • Florida Convict Pleads Guilty To Tennessee Rapes In 1980s. • FBI Supporting Hate Crime Investigation In Michigan. • FBI Investigating Racist Graffiti In Nebraska. • Drug Case Defendant Gets 20-Year Prison Sentence. • North Carolina Gang Leader Sentenced For Murder. • Continuing Coverage: FBI Investigating Disappearance Of Amish Girl. • Continuing Coverage: Georgia Man Pleads Guilty To Threatening Schools. • North Carolina Man Sentenced For Child Pornography. • Kentucky Man Charged With Enticement Of Minor. • Continuing Coverage: New Mexico Teenager Charged With Making Threats. • Ohio Man Pleads Guilty To Threatening Ohio State Football Team. • FBI Investigating California Bank Robbery. • FBI Civil Rights Unit Investigating Assault On Black Connecticut Hotel Clerk. • California Men Sentenced For Bank Robbery. • New York Man Arrested For Bank Robbery. • New Hampshire Police Captain Charged With Fraud. • Continuing Coverage: Kentucky Men Charged In Connection To Sex Trafficking. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS • Attorney Charged In Alleged Toledo, Ohio Bribery Scheme To Remain Free Until Trial. • Another Cohort Of Virginia Money-Launderer Pleads Guilty. • Utah Business Owner Pleads Guilty To Money Laundering. • Indiana Man Sentenced For Bank Fraud. • Former Colorado Judge Pleads Guilty To Obstruction. • Florida Family Arrested On Suspicion Of Kickback Scheme. CYBER DIVISION • Ransomware Attackers Pressure Knoxville, Tennessee By Posting City Data Online. • French Cyber Chief Says France Won't Ban Huawei. • CISA Releases Chapter 2 Of Cyber Essentials Toolkit. • Senators Push For Local Cybersecurity Support In Defense Bill. • CISA Stands To Gain Powers Under Both Versions Of The Defense Authorization Bill. • NSA Warns That VPNs Could Be Vulnerable To Cyberattacks. • Record Number Of Teens Enroll In Online NCSC CyberFirst Courses. • Cyber Experts Say Ransomware Gang Hacked Fort Worth Transportation Agency. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS • FBI Arrests Nigerian National For Cyber Fraud. LAWFUL ACCESS • Senate Panel Unanimously Backs End Of Legal Protections For Hosts Of Child Pornography. OTHER FBI NEWS • Berman To Testify In Closed-Door House Judiciary Hearing. • Donoghue Taking Over As Rosen's Top Deputy. • Man Whose Wrongful Conviction Revealed FBI Forensic Flaws Dies At 59. • Report: FBI Investigated Former Chicago Mayor Daley Over O'Hare Airport Bribery Allegations. • California City To Attempt Recovery Of "Illegal Profits" From Permit Expeditor. • FBI Discusses Election Fraud Threats In Texas. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • Seven-Day US Average Sets Record For 27th Straight Day. EFTA00148622 • In Response To Coronavirus, States And Cities Cancel, Limit Fourth Of July Celebrations. • Trump Again Blames Testing For Rising US COVID-19 Cases. • Trump To Hold Rally In New Hampshire This Weekend. • Hahn Declines To Discuss Trump Assertion Of "Harmless" Coronavirus Cases. • Hahn: "Too Early To Tell" If Jacksonville Can Safely Host GOP Convention. • Hahn Says US Will "Surge" Remdesivir To "Areas That Most Need It." • Some Coronavirus Vaccine Developers Trying New RNA-Based Technology. • Federal Data Show Massive Racial Disparities In COVID-19 Infections And Deaths. • Houston Hospitals Facing Similar Issues As New York Ones Previously Did. • Miami-Dade County Mayor: Demonstrations Contributed To Coronavirus Spike. • Kavanaugh Denies Application From Illinois GOP Contesting Ban On Sizable Political Gatherings. • Coronavirus Impacting West Texas, Where Some Have No Trust In Government. • Resort Communities Working To Bring Guests Back. • Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest Features Various Coronavirus Precautions. • Doctors Learning That COVID Can Take Months To Recover From. • WPost Analysis: CDC's Zika Response "Unheeded Prequel For How" Agency Stumbled In Face Of Coronavirus. • Politico Analysis: Kentucky Avoided Problems Experienced By Other Places That Have Held Elections Amid Pandemic. • More Pro Athletes Testing Positive For Coronavirus. • WSJournal Analysis Highlights How Caregivers Are Contributing To Fight Against COVID. • Kansas Newspaper Posts Cartoon Likening Mask Requirement To Holocaust. • NYTimes Al: Theaters Discovering Ways To Have Live Shows Amid Coronavirus. • Fauci, Other Epidemiologists Discuss Managing Coronavirus Risks In Daily Life. • Wilkie Highlights Efforts Of VA To Provide Medical Care Amid Pandemic. • FDA Authorizes Test To Differentiate Between Flu, COVID-19. • CBS Highlights Type Of Plasma Therapy Being Utilized On Some COVID-19 Patients. • New Study Says Hydroxychloroquine Reduced COVID Mortality Rate. • Coronavirus Prompts Cancellation Of MLB All-Star Game. • Number Of Coronavirus Cases Among Inmates Passes 50,000. • Several Democrats Renew Call To End Senate Filibuster To Pass Priority Legislation. • Migrant Workers Unable To Send Remittances Home Due To Pandemic. • Immigrant Workers Say Employer Cheated Them And Tricked Them Into Deportation. • Duckworth Holds Up Military Confirmations To Ensure Vindman Promotion Is Not Blocked. • Supreme Court Watchers On Both Sides Say Roberts' Recent Moves Were Political. • Cabinet Members Making Official Visits To Swing States. INTERNATIONAL NEWS • WHO: In New Record, 212,000 Daily Coronavirus Cases Reported Globally. • Scientists Call On WHO To Address Airborne Spread Of COVID-19. • Mexican Border Town Blocks Americans From Entering. • UK Begins Easing Lockdown Measures. • China Poised To Dominate Global Medical Supply Production Following Pandemic. • AP Analysis: France-Turkey Dispute Over Libyan Arms Exposes NATO's Limits. • Iran Says It Has Built Underground "Missile Cities" Along Gulf Coast. • Spokesman: Fire At Iran's Natanz Nuclear Facility Caused Significant Damage. • WSJournal: Iranian Military-Owned Conglomerate Opens In Venezuela. • Pearl's Killers Could Soon Be Free. • Men Of Color Say They Are Singled Out By French Police. EFTA00148623 • Two US Carriers In South China Sea For Drills. • Africans Outraged Over Killing Of George Floyd Call Attention To Abuses In Own Countries. • Analyst: Foreigners At Risk Under New Hong Kong Security Laws. • Guatemala Emerging As New Drug Route. THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE • Today's Events In Washington. LEADING THE NEWS Media Reports Call Trump's Independence Day Speeches "Divisive," "Dark." Media reports cast President Trump's speeches at Mt. Rushmore on Friday and on the South Lawn of the White House in a generally negative light. The speeches are described as "divisive" and "dark" and Trump is portrayed as stoking division in order to motivate his base ahead of a difficult reelection battle. While the CBS Weekend NewsVi (7/5, story 2, 2:15, Garrett, 2.32M) focused its coverage on Trump's discussion of "his Administration's efforts to combat the coronavirus virus," other reports are much more critical. For example, ABC World News TonightVI (7/5, story 3, 2:15, Johnson, 4.78M) reported that the President used the July Fourth holiday "to go on the attack" in "a pair of divisive speeches comparing Nazis and fascists to his harshest critics and protesters demanding change." The Washington Post (7/5, Balz, 14.2M) says Trump "has turned the Fourth of July from a joyful and unifying patriotic celebration of America's founding values into a partisan political event," and "the damage could outlast his presidency." The Post says Trump "tried to write himself into the history of America as an implacable wartime president." But his enemy "is not the Nazis of the 20th century or terrorists of the 21st century," but "those in America who disagree with him - a caricatured blue America." Phil Mattingly said on CNN's Inside PoliticsVI (7/5, 731K) that at Mt. Rushmore, Trump delivered "an often dark speech, a clear base-driven speech from a President whose reelection effort is increasingly in jeopardy and sees a divisive culture war as a key to turning it around." The Wall Street Journal (7/5, Lucey, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that Trump has zeroed in on defending statues and monuments as a winning campaign issue. The Journal says Trump's exploitation of cultural divisions is a tactic he has used before. In a prerecorded interview with America This Week (7/5), Trump was asked about the Administration's push to increase federal penalties for taking down statues. Trump said, "It is not only that we are pushing. We already have it. I took out an old act. ... I took it out and we used it and you see the difference. We haven't seen any riots. You haven't seen people doing things lately and the reason is 10 years in prison." Trump added, "If I weren't here, all of Washington would have been knocked down. ... With somebody like a Biden, where there is no law, there is no order, everything would have been knocked down. But I am here." Trump Says CNN Manipulated "The Words And Meaning" Of His July Fourth Speech. In a tweet early Sunday morning, Trump wrote, "Wow. @CNN got caught cold manipulating the words and meaning of my 4th of July Speech. They were brazen, desperate. Watch what happens!" At Mount Rushmore, Trump Denounces "Merciless Campaign To Wipe Out Our History." President Trump on Friday traveled to South Dakota for a fireworks display ahead of the Fourth of July and pledged to resist the "merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children." Although the network newscasts that broadcast ahead of his 10 p.m. speech focused on the apparent lack of social distancing and masks among attendees, reporting in print and online after cast Trump's EFTA00148624 remarks as portraying Confederate leaders and racists among the American "heroes" while highlighting that Kimberly Guilfoyle, the girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr. and a top fundraiser for the President's reelection campaign, had tested positive for the coronavirus. However, conservative outlets provided far more favorable coverage. Typical of the tone of the reporting, an AP (7/3, Groves, Superville) article headlined "Trump Pushes Racial Division, Flouts Virus Rules At Rushmore" says that the President "made a direct appeal to disaffected white voters four months before Election Day, accusing protesters who have pushed for racial justice of engaging in a `merciless campaign to wipe out our history." The AP adds that as Trump "zeroed in on the desecration by some protesters of monuments and statues across the country that honor those who have benefited from slavery, including some past presidents," he "offer[ed] a discordant tone to an electorate battered by a pandemic and wounded by racial injustice following the high-profile killings of Black people." In a front-page article titled "Trump Delivers Divisive Culture War Message At Mount Rushmore," the New York Times (7/3, Al, Karni, 18.61M) says that the President "delivered a dark and divisive speech that cast his struggling effort to win a second term as a battle against a "new far-left fascism" seeking to wipe out the nation's values and history." The Times adds his remarks "amounted to a fiery reboot of his re-election effort, using the holiday and an official presidential address to mount a full-on culture war against a straw-man version of the left that he portrayed as inciting mayhem and moving the country toward totalitarianism." According to the limes, "Trump barely mentioned the pandemic, even as the country surpassed 53,000 new cases of the coronavirus and health officials across the country urged Americans to scale back their Fourth of July plans as the pandemic made a frightening resurgence." Similarly, CNN (7/3, Klein, 83.16M) reports on its website that the President "made an impassioned appeal to his base while in the shadow of Mount Rushmore instead of striking a unifying tone, railing against what he called a `merciless campaign' by his political foes to erase history by removing monuments some say are symbols of racial oppression." Per CNN, "Much of the speech centered on remembering the country's past and casting it in a glorious light, and Trump repeatedly decried attempts to examine the faults in that past." Fox News (7/3, McFall, 27.59M) reports that the President "declared the United States to be `the most just and exceptional nation ever to exist on Earth' and claim that `no nation has done more to advance the human condition than the United States of America and no people have done more to promote human progress than the CITIZENS [emphasis original] of our great nation." Fox News adds Trump "castigated left-wing activists and practitioners of so- called `cancel culture' who have targeted statues and monuments of historical figures across America in recent weeks." The Washington Times (7/3, Munoz, 492K) reports the President "is attempting to crack down on those destroying statues, and signed an executive order last month protecting U.S. monuments and calling for prison terms of up to 10 years for damage to federal property." The Hill (7/3, Axelrod, 2.98M) quotes Trump as saying, "There is a new far-left fascism that demands absolute allegiance. If you do not speak its language, perform its rituals, recite its mantras and follow its commandments, then you will be censored, banished, blacklisted, persecuted and punished. Not going to happen to us." He added, "Make no mistake, this left- wing cultural revolution is designed to overthrow the American Revolution. In so doing, they would destroy the very civilization that rescued billions from poverty, disease, violence and hunger and that lifted humanity to new heights of achievement, discovery and progress." Trump continued, "To make this possible, they are determined to tear down every statue, symbol and memory of our national heritage." In another article, The Hill (7/3, Seipel, 2.98M) reports the President pledged Mount Rushmore "will never be desecrated. These heroes will never be disgraced. Their legacy will never, ever be destroyed. Their achievements will never be forgotten." He added, "Mount Rushmore will stand forever as an eternal tribute to our forefathers and our freedom." EFTA00148625  KELO-TV Sioux Falls, SD (7/3, 110K) reports the President "was joined by First Lady Melania Trump along with other family members," while Sens. John Thune (R-SC) and Mike Rounds (R-SC) "were among the politicians in the dignitary box." The Hill (7/3, Chalfant, Samuels, 2.98M) reports the President on Saturday will "deliver remarks from the White House on Saturday at the 2020 'Salute to America,' an event that will feature flyovers from the Air Force Thunderbirds and the Navy Blue Angels." Meanwhile, Rachel Scott reported on ABC World News TonightVI (7/3, story 3, 2:31, Llamas, 6.84M) that while face masks at the event were "optional, the Trump Administration, including Vice President Mike Pence, have recently been encouraging Americans to wear them." Pence: "We are all in this together. Washing your hands, wearing a mask when it's indicated, or when social distancing is not possible is how every single person can do their part." On NBC's TodayVi (7/3, 4:52, 3.01M), Surgeon General Jerome Adams said, "The most important thing I would say to people is if you do go out to a gathering or in public, please wear a face covering." On NBC Nightly NewsVI (7/3, story 3, 1:54, Melvin, 5.85M), Kristen Welker reported the President "has only been pictured wearing a mask once, fueling criticism he and his Administration are sending mixed signals as concerns mount about rising COVID cases across the country." However, Weijia Jiang said on the CBS Evening NewsVi (7/3, story 3, 2:14, Brennan, 4.19M) that Trump's speech in South Dakota followed "reports that eight Secret Service agents tested positive for the virus and forced...Pence to rearrange his trip to Arizona earlier this week." Jiang said that although the President attributed the latest spike in coronavirus cases to increased testing, Assistant HHS Secretary for Health Adm. Brett Giroir on Thursday "testified on Capitol Hill that's only partly true." Giroir: "There is no question that the more testing you get, the more you will uncover, but we do believe this is a real increase in cases because the percent positivities are going up." In addition, Reuters (7/3, Mason) reports the coronavirus "has even reached Trump's inner circle. Kimberly Guilfoyle, a senior campaign official and the girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr., tested positive in South Dakota before attending the Mount Rushmore event, according to a source familiar with the situation. Trump Jr. has tested negative, the source said." The New York Times (7/3, Haberman, 18.61M) reports Guilfoyle "traveled to South Dakota with Mr. Trump's son Donald Trump Jr., in anticipation of attending a huge fireworks display where the president was set to speak. They did not travel aboard Air Force One, according to the person familiar with her condition, and she was the only person in the group who tested positive." However, the limes highlights that Guilfoyle "is the third person in possible proximity to Mr. Trump known to have contracted the virus." The Washington Post (7/3, Nakamura, Parker, Itkowitz, Sacchetti, 14.2M) says that Guilfoyle's diagnosis and Trump Jr.'s negative result "came amid concerns from medical experts about the president's event before a crowd of several thousand supporters, most not wearing masks and seated close together, at the foot of the famous monument featuring the images of four U.S. president carved into granite. Some experts cautioned that the event could present conditions in which the coronavirus could spread, although it was taking place outdoors, where risks are mitigated to a degree." Swan: Carlson Monologues Provided The "Rhetorical Roots" Of Trump's Mt. Rushmore Speech. Jonathan Swan writes in an analysis on Axios (7/5, 521K) that Fox News host Tucker Carlson's monologues over the past six weeks provide "the rhetorical roots of Trump's Independence Day speech at Mount Rushmore." To Swan, Trump's speechwriter Stephen Miller "framed the president's opposition to the Black Lives Matter protest movement using the same imagery Carlson has been laying out night after night on Fox." Swan goes on to provide "grabs from Carlson monologues over the past month, followed by quotes from Trump's July 3 speech." Noem Denounces Calls To Remove Confederate Statues. The Hill (7/3, Axelrod, 2.98M) reports South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) on Friday "hammered activists calling for the EFTA00148626 removal of Confederate statues, saying they are trying to 'discredit' America's founding fathers." Noem said, "Across America these last several weeks, we have been witnessing a very troubling situation unfold. In real time, we are watching an organized, coordinated campaign to remove and eliminate all references to our nation's founding and many other points in our history." Noem added, "The approach focuses exclusively on our forefathers' flaws, but it fails to capitalize on the opportunity to learn from their virtues." She continued, "Make no mistake, this is being done deliberately to discredit America's founding principles by discrediting the individuals who formed them, so that America can be remade into a different political image." Local Police, National Guard Pepper Spray Protesters Blocking Road To Mount Rushmore. The Sioux Falls (SD) Argus Leader (7/3, Bormett, 179K) reports protests over the President's visit to Mount Rushmore "were met with resistance from law enforcement, pepper sprayed and arrested after they blocked a highway to the monument with vans for nearly three hours Friday." The Washington Times (7/3, Munoz, 492K) says local reports estimated "about 150 demonstrators" had "removed wheels from their vehicles to make it harder to remove them. Local authorities and National Guard were called on to clear the vehicles and start to disperse the protesters." Meanwhile, Politico (7/3, Kumar, 4.29M) says Trump's visit to Mount Rushmore fueled "strife and contention," given the national landmark was "built on land stolen from Native Americans at the same time the country is reassessing the offensiveness of such monuments." According to Politico, "Tribal leaders have criticized the president for what they describe as harmful policies, delayed and watered-down measures to help their community and his offensive language." Politico adds that although the White House and Trump campaign "offered a list of policies the president has pushed that they say have benefited Native Americans: the first proclamation recognizing missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives; a task force on protecting Native American children; a reactivated White House Council on Native American Affairs; and collaborating on rural broadband efforts," tribal leaders "tell a different story." Liberal Group To Stage Fourth Of July Protests Against Trump In 13 Cities. The Washington Times (7/3, Swoyer, 492K) reports the progressive group Refuse Fascism on Thursday announced it has "organized protests on Saturday in Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Honolulu, Detroit, Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, Houston, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Seattle" to "oppose President Trump's 'battle to save a heritage and history of slavery:" Media Analyses: Trump Takes Aim At "Radical Left" During 2020 "Salute To America." In a speech from the White House, President Trump on Saturday delivered his annual "Salute to America" and declared that his Administration is "in the process of defeating the radical left - the Marxists, the anarchists, the agitators, the looters." While media coverage of the President's address was limited, reporting characterized Trump's remarks as an update from his "American carnage" comments made during his inaugural address. To the New York Times (7/4, Karni, Haberman, 18.61M), the President "used the spotlight of the Fourth of July weekend to sow national divide during a national crisis, denying his failings in containing the worsening coronavirus pandemic while delivering a harsh diatribe against what he branded the 'new far-left fascism." The Times adds that Trump "promoted a version of the 'American carnage' vision for the country that he laid out during his inaugural address - updated to include an ominous depiction of the recent protests over racial justice." The AP (7/4, Berry, Madhani) reports that rather than dedicate the day to "unity and celebration," Trump "vowed to 'safeguard our values' from enemies within - leftists, looters, agitators, he said - in a Fourth of July speech packed with all the grievances and combativeness of his political rallies." The AP adds that while the President "watched paratroopers float to the ground in a tribute to America, greeted his audience of front-line medical workers and others central in responding to the coronavirus pandemic, and opened up on those who "slander" him and disrespect the country's past," he "did not mention the dead from the pandemic" and USA EFTA00148627 Today (7/4, Jackson, 10.31M) reports Trump "claimed progress is being made - `we've learned how to put out the flame' - even though new U.S. cases are on a record pace, including more than 50,000 in the last three days." Meanwhile, Kelly O'Donnell said on NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/4, story 3, 1:47, Alexander, 3.61M) that the event on the White House South Lawn was "the largest...since the pandemic," and "attempts" were made "social distancing," though the White House said masks were "not required." O'Donnell added the President was "insistent on spectacle, starting with the show in the sky over Mount Rushmore Friday night. The nation's birthday is usually a unifying event but...Trump was on the attack." On ABC World News TonightVi (7/4, story 3, 1:55, Johnson, 4.56M), Rachel Scott similarly said the President at Mount Rushmore "delivered a divisive speech, railing against the toppling of controversial monuments." Bloomberg (7/4, Sink, Satter, 4.73M) also reports Trump "reprised themes from a speech he delivered in South Dakota the day before, by lashing out at those protesting statues of certain historical figures and other symbols they say celebrate racial injustice," while The Hill (7/4, Moreno, 2.98M) reports the President "took aggressive swipes at the `radical left' and news media." The Hill adds that Trump "said U.S. media outlets `slander' him and his allies by calling them or their actions racist" and "described news coverage regarding the toppling and removal of Confederate monuments as disrespectful of the U.S. armed forces." Washington Post (7/4, Nakamura, 14.2M) White House reporter David Nakamura says that while Trump's inaugural address "sketched the picture of `American carnage' - a nation ransacked by marauders from abroad who breached U.S. borders in pursuit of jobs and crime, lured its companies offshore and bogged down its military in faraway conflicts," his "dark and divisive" remarks this weekend reveal the President believes "the carnage is still underway but this time the enemy is closer to home - other Americans whose racial identity and cultural beliefs are toppling the nation's heritage and founding ideals." Nakamura adds Trump "made clear that he will do little to try to heal or unify the country ahead of the November presidential election but rather aims to drive a deeper wedge into the country's fractures." In an analysis, CNN (7/4, 83.16M) national political reporter Maeve Reston describes the President as "attempting to drag America backward - stirring fear of cultural change while flouting the most basic scientific evidence about disease transmission." However, in more favorable coverage, the Washington Times (7/4, Howell, Boyer, 492K) reports the President "used the second edition of his `Salute to America' to defend everyone from Christopher Columbus to law enforcement officers who've faced assaults from `very bad people' amid protests over racial injustice that have ranged from peaceful to fiery and violent." The Times says Trump "proposed a statue garden for America's heroes, from George Washington to Amelia Earhart, scolded those who question the country's forefathers and claimed 99% of coronavirus cases are `totally harmless' in a July 4 speech to a packed White House lawn - even as many Americans hunkered in their homes or forfeited holiday revelry." The Wall Street Journal (7/4, Lucey, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) quotes the President as saying, "We are now in the process of defeating the radical left, the marxists, the anarchists, the agitators, the looters, and people who in many instances have absolutely no idea what they are doing." He added, "Our past is not a burden to be cast away. It is not a miraculous foundation that will lift us to the next great summit of human endeavor. This incredible story of American progress is the story of each generation picking up where the last finished." Trump Touts July 4th Air Show, Speech. The President on Saturday tweeted, "Big 4th of July Air Show soon coming down the East Coast. Get ready to look up to the sky. Check local listings!" He added, "Will be speaking at 7:00 P.M. Thank you for all of the nice comments on the Mount Rushmore speech last night!!!" Bernhardt Touts Mount Rushmore July Fourth Celebrations. KNBN-TV Rapid City, SD (7/3) provided coverage of the July Fourth celebration held at Mount Rushmore. During the event, Secretary of the Interior Bernhardt spoke and touted the efforts of President Trump, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R), and park service employees to put on the event. Moreover, EFTA00148628 Bernhardt highlighted the efforts of the Department of the Interior to preserve national parks and monuments in the US. Speaking to KOTA-TV Rapid City, SD (7/3), Bernhardt said, "Mount Rushmore is a monument who will be here 'til the end of time. Our job at the Department of the Interior is to be the guardian and the steward for these great monuments to ensure that they are here." Biden Draws Contrast To Trump In Fourth Of July Message. The Washington Post (7/4, Linskey, 14.2M) reports Joe Biden on Saturday "offered a counterpoint to the dark and defiant Fourth of July message President Trump delivered at Mount Rushmore, striking notes of unity in a video and op-ed released on the nation's 244th birthday." The Post says that in a "stark contrast with Trump," Biden "noted that the Founding Fathers were flawed, pointing out that President Thomas Jefferson owned slaves and that women were not granted the full rights of citizenship until 1920. But he said their ideas still offer hope." According to the Post, "The dueling Independence Day messages highlight the vastly different ways Biden and Trump have responded to the country's racial reckoning in the wake of George Floyd's killing in Minneapolis police custody." Meanwhile, Nikole Killion said on CBS Weekend NewsVi (7/4, story 3, 1:21, Garrett, 2.42M) that Biden's address "made no mention of [Trump's speech at Mount Rushmore), but his campaign called the President 'negligent and divisive." "Far-Left Protesters" Burn American Flag Outside White House. Reuters (7/4, Johnson) reports that "just steps from where Trump spoke, peaceful protesters marched down blocked-off streets around the White House, Black Lives Matter Plaza and the Lincoln Memorial." While Reuters adds they "were confronted by counter-protesters chanting, 'USA! USA!" and "there were no reports of violence," The Hill (7/4, Seipel, 2.98M) says that "far-left protesters burned an American flag near the White House" just after the President finished his speech. The Hill adds the activists "can be heard chanting: 'One, two, three, four, slavery, genocide and war. Five, six, seven, eight, America was never great." USA Today (7/4, Hauck, 10.31M) reports protesters "held rallies, marches and sit-ins Saturday in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and more than a dozen other U.S. cities and towns." USA Today adds "several demonstrations" were held in DC despite "the 90-degree heat. Dozens of veterans marched in support of Black lives near the National Mall. Some organizers camped out in tents along Black Lives Matter Plaza." Turnout For DC Fireworks Was "Markedly Thinner" Than Normal. The Washington Post (7/4, Al, Davies, Boorstein, Jouvenal, Balingit, Trent, 14.2M) reports on its front page that Americans "converged on the Mall on Saturday for the Fourth of July during a season of protests over racial injustice, bringing with them clashing notions of what freedom means." According to the Post, "The crowds that typically flow into the District on Independence Day to line the streets for a parade or to get a prime spot on the Mall to see the fireworks were markedly thinner this year." The Post adds that while "warnings" from health officials "and fear of the novel coronavirus dampened enthusiasm for the nation's signature Fourth of July event, those who ventured out - most masked, some without - represented a kaleidoscope of Americans. Some were there simply to catch a break and celebrate, in red, white and blue garb and waving flags as they chatted amiably and spread out in the shade to await the show." However, the Washington Post (7/4, Hedgpeth, 14.2M) reports a 33-year-old man died in Washington, DC "after he ignited a firework and held it over his head, according to fire officials." The Post adds, "The death is the second tragic incident involving fireworks in the past few days in the city." WPost Al: Republicans "Unnerved" By Trump's Desire To Preserve "Legacy Of White Domination." In a nearly 2,400-word front-page article, the Washington Post (7/4, Al, Costa, Rucker, 14.2M) says the President's "unyielding push to preserve Confederate symbols and the legacy of white domination, crystallized by his harsh denunciation of the racial justice movement Friday night at Mount Rushmore, has unnerved Republicans who have long enabled him but now fear losing power and forever associating their party with his racial EFTA00148629 animus." According to the Post, "Trump has left little doubt through his utterances the past few weeks that he sees himself not only as the Republican standard-bearer but as leader of a modern grievance movement animated by civic strife and marked by calls for 'white power,' the phrase chanted by one of his supporters in a video the president shared last weekend on Twitter. He later deleted the video but did not disavow its message." However, White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Matthews "rejected the suggestion that the president has amplified racism." Americans Remain Optimistic About Country. In a nearly 2,200-word piece, Washington Post (7/4, 14.2M) Senior Editor Marc Fisher says the 244th birthday of the US was "a muted celebration by people who are frustrated and strained, yet intriguingly, persistently hopeful about the future." According to Fisher, "A triple whammy of deadly disease, wholesale economic paralysis and a searing reckoning with racial inequality has largely canceled the nation's birthday bash. But despite depression-level unemployment and pervasive sadness, polling and interviews across the country reveal an enduring - even renewed - reservoir of optimism, a sense that despite the coronavirus and perhaps as a result of protests in big cities and small towns alike, the United States can still right itself." PROTESTS Authorities Arrest "Ringleader" Of Attempt To Take Down Jackson Statue. Fox News (7/2, Gibson, 27.59M) reports on its website, "Federal law enforcement officials on Thursday arrested a man in Washington they call a 'ringleader' in the recent attempt to destroy the Andrew Jackson statue in Lafayette Square near the White House." Law enforcement sources said that Jason Charter has "connections to Antifa and was in a leadership role on the night of June 22 when a large group of protesters tried to pull down the statue." Charter was reportedly "arrested at his residence Thursday morning, without incident, and charged with destruction of federal property." The New York Post (7/2, Bowden, 4.57M) reports, "The suspect was also seen on local TV news footage pouring flammable liquid on a toppled statue of Albert Pike in downtown DC and is alleged to have assaulted someone at another demonstration calling for the removal of a statue honoring Abraham Lincoln in Washington's Lincoln Park." Townhall (7/2, Pavlich, 177K) reports, "Last weekend the Department of Justice announced four individuals involved in the situation were arrested and charged for attempting to tear down the statue." Fox News (7/2, Re, 27.59M) reports that Charter "was also allegedly involved in the destruction of the Albert Pike Historical Statue in Washington on June 20 - and even lit a cigarette in the flames engulfing that monument. That's according to court documents that underscore federal authorities' ongoing efforts to unmask and punish individuals who deface national monuments." Fox News adds, "In Charter's case, the FBI's charging documents make clear that open-source surveillance footage and interagency cooperations were again critical to making an arrest. One of the many head-turning revelations in the documents, for example, is that a Washington, D.C. police officer who had given Charter a ride in the past was able to confirm his identity, along with social media commenters." Law Enforcement Searching For Individuals That Vandalized Statue Of Andrew Jackson, Brought Down Sculpture Of Confederate General. The Washington Post (7/3, Lang, 14.2M) reports, "For the third time in as many weeks, federal law enforcement agencies have sought to enlist the public in identifying individuals police say are responsible for vandalizing a statue of President Andrew Jackson and tearing down a sculpture of Confederate Gen. Albert Pike during June protests in Washington." US Park Police and the FBI "released 34 posters Friday featuring photos of demonstrators - several of whom were depicted in a previous batch of images the agencies released last week - and asked community members to contact law enforcement with identifying information." The Post adds that "federal officials and EFTA00148630 protesters have for weeks been at odds over several statues in the nation's capital." A total of 6 people "have been arrested and charged with destroying federal property in connection with efforts to bring down statues in the District - a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison." One Dead, Another Person Injured After Man Drives Into Protest On I-5 In Seattle. The Seattle Times (7/4, Bazzaz, Fields, Lacitis, 935K) reports, "One person was killed and another was seriously injured after a driver plowed into a nightly protest on a closed stretch of Interstate 5 in Seattle early Saturday." According to Harborview Medical Center spokeswoman Susan Gregg, 24-year-old Summer Taylor died Saturday at the facility. The Times adds that meanwhile, 32-year-old Diaz Love "was in serious condition in the intensive-care unit Saturday night." Washington State Patrol indicated that the driver was 27-year-old Dawit Kelete, who "was booked into King County Jail Saturday morning on investigation of felony vehicular assault." The Times adds, "Troopers don't believe impairment was a factor and said Kelete drove the wrong way on an off-ramp to enter the interstate, which had been partially shut down in response to protesters." On ABC World News TonightVi (7/4, story 6, 1:29, Johnson, 4.56M), correspondent Zohreen Shah reported, "The motive for the alleged crime [is] unknown." Three Colorado Police Officers Fired After Reenacting Chokehold Used On McClain. The AP (7/3, Nieberg, Slevin) reports Aurora Interim Police Chief Vanessa Wilson on Friday fired three officers "over photos showing police reenact a chokehold used on Elijah McClain, a 23- year-old Black man who died last year after police stopped him on the street in a Denver suburb." On ABC World News TonightVi (7/3, story 5, 1:57, Llamas, 6.84M), Clayton Sandell reported police "say McClain tried to grab an officer's gun. They used a carotid chokehold to subdue him, as he pleaded for his life." Sandell added McClain "was given a heavy sedative and died three days after a caller reported a man in a ski mask. McClain's family says he wore it because of a blood condition that made him feel cold." On the CBS Evening NewsVi (7/3, story 2, 1:22, Brennan, 4.19M), Jamie Yuccas reported McClain "was not accused of any crime when officers used a chokehold on him." According to the Washington Post (7/3, Miroff, 14.2M), "McClain's death has been a focus of the street protests in Colorado that erupted after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis." The Post adds, "The renewed attention on the case in the wake of Floyd's death has prompted Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) to appoint a special prosecutor to reopen the investigation into McClain's killing. The U.S. Department of Justice announced this week it would review the case as a possible civil rights violation." On the lead NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/3, lead story, 2:20, Melvin, 5.85M) broadcast, Gabe Gutierrez reported two officers were "fired for conduct unbecoming. A third would have been fired but resigned first. A fourth was also let go after getting the photos in a group text and responding, 'haha.' That fourth officer, Jason Rosenblatt, had also been involved in the initial encounter with McClain." However, Gutierrez said the Aurora Police Union on Friday "released a statement calling the internal investigation a rush to judgment, and saying that the Aurora Police Chief was unfit for her position." Demonstrators Call For Justice For McClain. On ABC World News TonightVi (7/4, story 7, 1:31, Johnson, 4.56M), correspondent Stephanie Ramos reported protesters in Colorado on Saturday night were calling for justice for Elijah McClain. Ramos added, "Protesters fac[ed] off with police outside the station in Aurora. Outrage boiling over, amid a new scandal rocking the department. Officers Erica Marrero and Kyle Dittrich, both fired, and officer Jaron Jones resigning, over" selfies in which they're "smiling and simulating the chokehold used on McClain, taken two months after the massage therapist's death." McClain "was walking home last August after buying iced tea at a convenience store when someone called 911 to report him EFTA00148631 as suspicious. Officers later putting him in a chokehold as he begged for his life. ... McClain died days later at the hospital." Trump: Democrats "Crazy" For Wanting To Defund Police. The President tweeted Sunday, "Democrats want to Defund & Abolish Police. This despite poor crime numbers in cities that they run. CRAZY!" In a second tweet, Trump wrote, "Chicago and New York City crime numbers are way up. 67 people shot in Chicago, 13 killed. Shootings up significantly in NYC where people are demanding that @NYGovCuomo & @NYCMayor act now. Federal Government ready, willing and able to help, if asked!" Citing the tweet, the New York Post (7/5, Lapin, 4.57M) reports Trump on Sunday "said the federal government was 'ready, willing and able' to intervene over the surge of shootings in New York City and Chicago." Trump said in a prerecorded interview with America This Week (7/5) that Joe Biden "wants to defund and abolish police because that's what he's being told to do. He is not making his own decisions. The radical left is...telling him what to do. He wants to defund and abolish the police." More Than 14 Killed In Weekend Violence. The Fox News (7/5, Fedschun, 27.59M) website reports the "Fourth of July holiday weekend across the U.S. was marred by violence as more than 14 were killed and dozens were injured in shootings." In Chicago, "more than 67 people were shot over the holiday weekend and at least 13 were killed, including a 7-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy." The Chicago Sun-Times (7/5, 875K) reports that "nine of the weekend's victims were minors." The Chicago Tribune (7/5, Fry, Gorner, Sherry, 2.65M) and New York Times (7/5, MacFarquhar, Chiarito, 18.61M), among other media outlets, also report the shootings, while the Washington Examiner (7/5, Colton, 448K) reports that "an uptick in violence has also been seen in New York City in recent weeks." ABC World News TonightVI (7/5, story 7, 1:30, Johnson, 4.78M) reported "a manhunt under way in South Carolina for suspects involved in a nightclub shooting that killed two. ... And it doesn't stop there. Memphis, Cleveland, Baton Rouge, and Omaha all reported multiple shootings, several ending in deaths and many people hurt." Shootings In New York City Up 205% Since Disbandment Of Plainclothes Unit. The Washington Examiner (7/5, Smith, 448K) reports that "a