EFTA00149214.pdf

From: To: Subject: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Public Affairs News Briefing Friday, August 28, 2020 Date: Fri, 28 Aug 2020 10:27:03 +0000 Importan c Normal e: Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com. -FBI News Briefing TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2020 6:30 AM EDT TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • Kenosha's Police Chief Blames Deadly Shooting On Protesters Breaking Curfew. PROTESTS • Rioting Breaks Out In Minneapolis After False Rumor About Police Shooting. • Biden Accuses Trump Of "Rooting For More Violence." • Evers Deploys Guard, Asks Other States To Send Troops, Resources To Kenosha. • To Background Of Burning Building, CNN Chryon Refers To "Fiery But Mostly Peaceful Protests." • Wisconsin College Cancels Pence Commencement Speech In Wake Of Kenosha "Events." • NBA To Resume Play As Other Sports Leagues Cancel Games, Practices. • Wife Of Police Officer Killed In St. Louis Protests Endorses Trump. • Giuliani Says Democrats Turned Peaceful Protests Violent To Hurt Trump. • NYPD Union Leader Says Democrats Have Allowed "Public Safety Disaster." • Kushner Touts President's Policies To Combat Social Injustice, Inequality. • Conway Says President Trying To Help "Democratic-Led Cities." • Protests Lead To Fires And Vandalism In Oakland, California. • Officials Say President Ready To Help Cities Facing Violence. • Portland Mayor Slams Violent Protesters: "Enough Is Enough." • Virginia Senate Votes To Ease Sentences For Assaulting Police. • Thousands To March Against Police Brutality In DC Friday. • PBS' Alcindor: Cawthorn Lifting Self From Wheelchair "Direct Rebuke" To Protesters. OPERATION LEGEND • Trump Sent Federal Agents To Albuquerque In July To Help Police. • Three Charged After Kansas City Carjacking. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE • Tony Blinken Agrees To Voluntary Deposition In House Ukraine Probe. • Christopher Steele: FBI Did Not Pay For Dossier Research. • Rosen: Foreign Influence Fears Should Not Stop Voters. • Judge Orders Former CIA Officer Accused Of Spying For China Detained As Serious Flight Risk. EFTA00149214 • Judge Declines To Free Ex-Green Beret Accused Of Espionage. • US Officials Say China Poses Unprecedented Security Risk To US. • Hong Kong Denies Foreign Journalist Work Visa In "Blow To Press Freedom." • China Arrests Citizens Potentially Fleeing To Taiwan. • NSA's DevOps Security Lead "Lists Eight Factors To Success." • NGA Outlines Two New Technology Focus Areas. • Russia Detains Soldiers For Allegedly "Passing State Secrets To Ukraine." • German Doctors Treating Navalny Seek Information On Bulgarian Arms Dealer's Assassination Attempt. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • "Operation Not Forgotten" Rescues 39 Missing Children In Georgia. • FBI Probing Killing Of Arizona Officer. • Man Shot By Secret Service Officer Outside White House Held Comb, Not Gun. • Chicago Public Schools Official Charged With Lying To FBI In Contract Probe. • Air Force Officer Pleads Not Guilty In Second California Killing. • New Mexico Man Who Threatened Governor Is Sentenced To 14 Months In Prison. • Two Dead After Exchanging Gunfire With Kentucky Police. • Kansas Man Charged In 2003 Killing. • Five Arrested For Child Sex Trafficking In South Carolina. • Florida Man Charged With Vandalizing Church With Nazi Symbols. • "Justice League Dropout" Robber Robs Bank In Texas Walmart. • FBI Offering $10,000 Reward In Detroit Road Rage Murders. • FBI Helping Georgia Police Investigate Racist Letters. • New York Man Faces Attempted Child Enticement Charges. • Ohio Man Pleads Guilty To Posting Threats On Social Media. • Georgia Man Gets 20 Years For Multiple Bank Robberies. • Massachusetts Latin Kings Associate Pleads Guilty To Racketeering Charges. • Luchese Family Underboss Sentenced To Life In Prison. • FBI Asks Public For Help Identifying Suspect In Check Fraud Scheme. • Attorney: Dead Fort Hood Sergeant Reported Sexual Abuse. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS • Former UAW President Williams Charged In Corruption Probe. • US Charges Former Illinois Road Commissioner With Taking Kickbacks. • Former Ohio House Speaker Accused Of Campaign Violations. • Virginia Man Pleads Guilty To Defrauding Coronavirus PPP. • Maryland Man Charged With Plotting To Sell Fake COVID-19 Disinfectant. • Federal Prosecutors: Indiana Mayor, Wife Skimmed $225,000 From Campaign For Gambling Debts, Personal Expenses. • Former South Dakota Tribal Official Pleads Guilty To Federal Bribery Charge. • Par Funding Officials Will Not Fight SEC's Demand For Continued Receivership Operation. • Former Alabama City Official Sentenced For Theft, Money Laundering. CYBER DIVISION • DO) To Seize 280 Cryptocurrency Accounts "Tied To North Korean Hacks." • FBI Seeks Information On Man Accused Of Hacking New York Student's Snapchat Account. • Musk Confirms "Serious" Cyberattack On Nevada Tesla Factory. • New US Army Cyber Command Deputy Named. • DHS Election Security "War Room" May Run For More Than A Week In November. EFTA00149215 • Russian LinkedIn, Dropbox Hacker Argues Trial Was Flawed. • Britain's Cyberintelligence "Targeted By Lockdown Phishing Email." INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS • Canada Offers To Join Lebanon Blast Probe. OTHER FBI NEWS • Bethlehem, New York In Talks With FBI Over Proposed Training Facility. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • Kushner, Ross Praise Administration's Pandemic Response. • White House Announces $760M Deal To Provide 150M Rapid Tests. • CDC Clarifies Testing Guidelines Amid Outcry. • FDA Warns Some Manufacturers Packaging Hand Sanitizers In Food Or Drink Containers. • Senators Call For Investigation Of Hydroxychloroquine Use In Nursing Homes. • Scientists Say Parameters For Social Distancing, Time Of Exposure Are Not Certain. • Pelosi: If Biden Wins, Democrats Will Release Trump's Tax Returns. • US Detaining More Migrant Children In Hotels. • New Unemployment Claims Down Slightly To 1.006M. • Meadows, Pelosi Resume Talks, But Chances For Aid Deal Remain Slim. • Much Of $454B Congress Gave To Treasury For Coronavirus Relief Remains Unused. • WPost: Unemployed Americans "Furious" Congress Let $600 A Week Benefit Expire. • United Airlines Says It Will Furlough 2,850 Pilots Without More Federal Aid. • Trump To Visit Gulf Coast In Wake Of Hurricane Laura. • Law Professors Allege Pompeo Committed "Egregious Violation" Of Hatch Act. • WPost Style Column Considers Conway's Use Of "Excuse Me." • WPost: Trump Organization Has Been Paid More Than $900K By Government. • Study Suggests Dropping Old Missile Categories In Favor Of More Precise Descriptions. • WPost Report: USPS Delivering False Messages To Customers. • Rep. Collins May Have Violated Ethics Rules By Borrowing Official Website Language For Campaign. INTERNATIONAL NEWS • Putin Touts Russia's Vaccine As Safe And Effective. • Germany Pauses Reopening As Cases Rise. • France Calls For Local Action To Reduce Infections As Daily Cases Pass 5,000. • Poll Finds People In Most Wealthy Countries Think Their Government Handled Pandemic Well. • One-Third Of Schoolchildren Globally Lack Access To Remote Learning. • Tourist Spots Offering Remote-Work Visas. • Passenger Removed From Ryanair Flight After Testing Positive. • US Mulls Repercussions For Europeans Over Iran Policy. • Sources: Iranian Vessel Loads With Venezuelan Alumina. • US, Russia Trade Blame Over Skirmish In Syria. • US Embassy Defends Canada After Navarro Slams Country's Military Service In Afghanistan. • Kushner Touts Administration's Mideast Peace Strategy. • US, China Trade Jibes As Military Tensions Escalate. • Russian Prosecutors Do Not Plan To Investigate Navalny's Suspected Poisoning. • Putin Says Prepared To Help Lukashenko If Belarus Protests Turn Violent. • Citing Health, Abe Announces Resignation. • EU Leaders Divided Amid Rising Turkish, Greek Tensions. • Mali Coup Leaders Send President Home. • World Bank Halts Report On National Competitiveness Rankings. EFTA00149216 THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE • Today's Events In Washington. LEADING THE NEWS Kenosha's Police Chief Blames Deadly Shooting On Protesters Breaking Curfew. The New York Post (8/27, Brown, 4.57M) reports "Kenosha's police chief has blamed protesters for the deaths during riots in the Wisconsin city - saying the bloodbath only happened because they defied a state-of-emergency curfew." Chief Daniel Miskinis told reporters, "Everybody involved was out after the curfew. ... The point is, the curfew is in place to protect. Had persons not been out involved in violation of that, perhaps the situation that unfolded would not have happened. ... The result of it is two people dead." ABC World News TonightVi (8/27, story 2, 2:55, Alex Perez, 6.48M) showed a "graphic video capturing the chaos: A crowd appears to be chasing the armed man when he falls to the ground and starts firing. As police approach the scene, Rittenhouse can be seen with his hands up, but he's never taken into custody." ABC also reported it had just "learned the 17-year-old has been officially charged with two counts of homicide and one count of attempted homicide. That extradition hearing to bring him from Illinois back here to Wisconsin is set" for Friday morning. The Washington Post (8/27, Armus, 14.2M) reports that Rittenhouse "shadowed local law enforcement as a cadet and filled his social media feeds with posts declaring that 'Blue Lives Matter.' There were videos from the front row of a Trump rally, and photos of himself posing with guns." The AP (8/27, Ortutay, Snow) further recounts that there were "repeated calls for armed vigilantes to travel to Kenosha, Wisconsin, to protect businesses" on "social media in the hours before two people were shot to death and a third was wounded" on Tuesday night. The Washington Post (8/27, Armus, 14.2M) reports that "before he took his rifle to confront the unrest in Kenosha...on Tuesday, allegedly killing two people and injuring another," Rittenhouse "seemingly idolized one thing: the police. ... So much so that, when massive protests, looting and fires broke out in Kenosha following the police shooting of Jacob Blake on Sunday, he crossed state lines to offer his support to local policemen — at times, speaking as if their duties were his, too." Wisconsin Poll: Approval Of BLM Protests Dropped 13 Points Between June And Early August. The Washington Examiner (8/27, Colton, 448K) reports "a new poll out of Wisconsin shows support for Black Lives Matter protests dropped 13 percentage points between June and early August." The Examiner adds "forty-eight percent of Wisconsin residents support Black Lives Matter protests and 48% disapprove, according to a Marquette Law School poll conducted between Aug. 8 and Aug. 9." Marquette had "found 61% of residents approved of the movement's protests from June 14 to June 18, with 36% disapproving." Media Analyses: Protests "Peaceful"In Kenosha After Arrest Of 17-Year-Old In Shootings. NBC Nightly NewsVi (8/27, story 4, 1:55, Gabe Gutierrez, 5.69M) reported, "After days of unrest, now National Guard troops from Arizona, Michigan and Alabama are heading to Kenosha, Wisconsin, even though" Wednesday night's "protests here were peaceful." The CBS Evening NewsVi (8/27, story 3, 2:05, Mola Lenghi, 4.26M) similarly said that "here in Kenosha, you can hear a peaceful rally going on behind me, but the three nights of unrest here left many small businesses damaged or destroyed." CBS added that the mayor of Kenosha said "he's turning to state and federal officials to help get those business owners some financial relief." The AP (8/27, Groves, Bauer) reports that "protests in Kenosha...were mostly peaceful" on Wednesday and Thursday and "there were no groups patrolling with long guns as there were during previous nights of protests" and "protesters also stayed away from a courthouse that EFTA00149217 had been the site of standoffs with law enforcement." Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, of Antioch, Illinois, "was taken into custody on Wednesday." Reuters (8/27, McDermid, Maturen) says "relative calm returned to Kenosha...after multiple nights of looting and two deaths," and USA Today (8/27, Miller, Torres, Yancey-Bragg, 10.31M), among other news outlets, runs a similar analysis. Elderly Man Brutally Assaulted By Looters Monday Night. The Kenosha (WI) News (8/27, Tatge-Rozell, 63K) reported, "In a brutal assault, a 71-year-old Kenosha man who was trying to fend off looters in Uptown Monday night with a fire extinguisher was hit in the head with a plastic bottle filled with concrete, breaking his jaw in two places." The News adds that "in addition to breaking his jaw, the blow caused lacerations to" Robert Cobb's "head and split his nose." PROTESTS Rioting Breaks Out In Minneapolis After False Rumor About Police Shooting. The Minneapolis Star Tribune (8/27, Hyatt, Simon, Walsh, 1.04M) reports "residents and workers in downtown Minneapolis grappled with shattered peace, broken glass, looted shops and personal trepidation Thursday morning after a suicide of a homicide suspect on Nicollet Mall ignited waves of rioting." The Star Tribune adds "the destruction recalled the damage done in the wake of George Floyd's death," and that "fire officials are investigating the apparent torching of four retail outlets overnight that expanded the destruction well beyond the city's core." Moreover, "fire crews rescued two residents from above the China Wok restaurant, one off the roof and the other from a second-floor window using ladders." The Star Tribune also reports that "by the time calm was restored, dozens had been arrested." The Minneapolis Star Tribune (8/27, Sinner, 1.04M) also runs a "map of Minneapolis businesses damaged" or "looted after night of unrest," and explains the rioting took place "in response to a false rumor that a man who killed himself had been shot by police." Fox News (8/27, Casiano, 27.59M) reports on its website, "Videos posted to social media appeared to show people smashing windows and breaking into businesses to steal merchandise," and the Washington Free Beacon (8/27, Nester, 78K) that "another wave of rioting and looting" erupted "as misinformation spread that police had killed" a Black man. Governor: "Dangerous, Unlawful Behavior Will Not Be Tolerated." The Federalist (8/27, Justice, 126K) reports Gov. Tim Walz (D) "deployed more than 5,000 troops to restore public safety" and "condemned the rioting on Twitter." Said Walz, "Dangerous, unlawful behavior will not be tolerated. The State Patrol is headed to Minneapolis to help restore order. I remain in close contact with the city and every state resource stands ready to help bring peace." Biden Accuses Trump Of "Rooting For More Violence." Joe Biden was asked on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell ReportsVi (8/27, 1.25M) about Vice President Pence's claim that "you won't be safe in Joe Biden's America." Biden replied, "The problem we have right now is we're in Donald Trump's America. To quote Kellyanne Conway, she said, and I'm paraphrasing today, that they're looking for more violence and more destruction because it helps them politically. He views this as a political benefit to him, he's rooting for more violence, not less, and he's clear about that. What's he doing? He's pouring gasoline on the fire. ... I think he views it as a political benefit." Axios (8/27, Allassan, 521K) indicates "Biden pointed to comments made by...Conway, who told Fox News that 'the more chaos and anarchy and vandalism and violence reigns, the better it is for the very clear choice on who's best on public safety and law and order." The story was not covered on the major broadcast networks. Bloomberg (8/27, Epstein, 4.73M) reports "Biden on Thursday accused...Trump of wanting violence on the streets to help boost his re-election chances," and the AP (8/27, Weissert) that he "also said that, if he were EFTA00149218 president, he would travel to Wisconsin personally and that he had considered going anyway, but that he does not `want to be part of the problem." Largely echoing Biden's argument, the New York Times (8/27, Flegenheimer, Glueck, 18.61M) runs an analysis piece titled "Republicans Insist Only Trump Can Stop This Chaos. But He's In Charge Now." The Washington Examiner (8/27, Larsen, 448K) reports "Biden pushed back against arguments from Vice President Mike Pence, President Trump, and others speaking at this week's national convention who argue that a Biden presidency would lead to more riots and violence and asserted that right-wing, white supremacist hate groups are responsible for much of the violence in recent riots." CNBC (8/27, Breuninger, 3.62M) reports on its website, "Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh responded in a statement to CNBC that Biden's `desperation is showing,' adding that Trump has `repeatedly condemned the violence erupting in Democrat-led cities." Added Murtaugh, "This is election is a choice between President Trump's strong stance with law and order and Joe Biden's acquiescence to the anti-police left and siding with rioters." The White House, meanwhile, "declined to comment on Biden's remarks." The Hill (8/27, Samuels, 2.98M) reports "Trump allies have attempted to tie the more violent aspects of the protests to Biden, arguing that he would cut police funding and accusing him of failing to condemn the violence as part of a broader effort to convince suburban voters that their lifestyle may be jeopardized if Trump is not re-elected." Politico (8/27, Choi, 4.29M) quotes White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner as saying, "We're offering solutions with policy. ... The other side's doing a lot of complaining." The Washington Times (8/27, Sherfinski, 492K), the Washington Examiner (8/27, Simonson, 448K), Reuters (8/27, Hunnicutt), and Breitbart (8/27, Key, 673K), among other news outlets, also report the story. Despite Ferguson, Baltimore, Charlotte, Biden Says No Violent Riots During Obama Years. Biden also told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell ReportsVi (8/27, 1.25M) that for the last four years of the Obama Administration, "we weren't having riots, racial riots. ... When they occurred, we didn't have to call in the National Guard." Fox News (8/27, Blitzer, 27.59M) reports on its website that Biden "appeared to overlook multiple major events that took place during the Obama-Biden administration," including "in Ferguson, Mo., following the 2014 police shooting of Michael Brown. As violence overtook the St. Louis suburb, Gov. Jay Nixon did indeed call in the National Guard." Fox adds that "then in April 2015, the city of Baltimore experienced nights of rioting, looting and arson in the wake of the death of Freddie Gray, 25, in police custody. The Maryland National Guard was called up" too. In September 2016, "protests in Charlotte, N.C., over the death of Keith Lamont Scott, 43, turned violent," and "Gov. Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency and called in the National Guard." WTimes Analysis: Fearing Violence Lifting Trump, Democrats Rethink Riot Response. The Washington Times (8/27, Swoyer, 492K) reports, "Top Democrats scrambled to adopt a tougher approach this week to riots that have broken out in cities across the country, casting a worried eye at...Trump's rising poll numbers, which experts said were driven at least partly by his law-and-order message." The Times adds "Americans tell pollsters they are tiring of the clashes that have broken out on a nearly nightly basis in Portland for the last three months, and the riots that have seen a resurgence in the Midwest this week." The Federalist (8/27, Marcus, 126K), meanwhile, notes a story on Wednesday's New York Times "about how voters in Wisconsin are responding to the riots by switching their support to Donald Trump. This is a very strange thing to see in the progressive Gray Lady," and "anybody who follows the paper and its politics closely knows exactly what is happening here. It is a desperate plea to Democrats to change their tune on the violence sweeping across American cities." The Federalist adds "establishment Democrats and whoever approved the piece in the Times clearly see what is going on here and know they have to fix it fast, but there is no reason to believe that the progressive wing of the party with its outsized media presence will accept this shift to the center quietly." EFTA00149219  Meadows Calls On Biden To Condemn "Defund The Police." Chief of Staff Meadows said on WFYI-TVVi Indianapolis (8/27, 286K) that Biden "wants to reallocate. By definition, that means that you cut from one place, and you augment in another place, and so if he's so clear on it, why didn't he condemn all the people that are out there saying that we need to defund the police? Why didn't he condemn them? Not just state a policy position, but condemn their very activity." Meadows said on Fox News' The Story (8/27) that "I haven't heard a single condemnation from him or his running mate on all these people saying 'defund the police.' This President has spoken up loudly each and every time." Asked to respond to Biden's comments that the violence "goes back to the sort of chaotic reign of the last few years," Meadows said, "Joe Biden is continuing with the words that are not backed up by the facts. Joe Biden's the one who has applauded those who have protested, saying 'defund the police.' He's also the one that each and every time, where we start talking about restoring law and order, but more importantly, making our community safe, he's the one that first wants to blame the law enforcement officers, not the rioters or the looters." Evers Deploys Guard, Asks Other States To Send Troops, Resources To Kenosha. The Kenosha (WI) News (8/27, 63K) reports Gov. Tony Evers (D) "has requested other states, under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), to bring additional National Guard troops, equipment, and resources to Kenosha to support civil authorities there." National Guard troops from Arizona, Michigan and Alabama "will add to Wisconsin National Guard troops already on the ground supporting civil authorities in Kenosha under the EMAC." The AP (8/27, Groves, Bauer) also reports Evers "authorized the deployment of 500 members of the National Guard" and "said he is working with other states to bring in additional National Guard members and law officers." There was also a 7:00 p.m. curfew, "though protesters ignored it." Evers also asked demonstrators to "please do so peacefully and safely" and asked others "please stay home and let local first responders, law enforcement and members of the Wisconsin National Guard do their jobs." Kenosha News Criticizes Evers' Response. The Kenosha (WI) News (8/27, 63K) editorializes that "on Sunday Evers sent an outrageous statement that fueled the flames by taking sides in an explosive situation in Kenosha that should go through the courts and to a jury. ... You would think as he" did so "he would make sure the Wisconsin National Guard was on its way to Kenosha to deal with the inevitable protests and looting. But no, he did not do that." The Guard "was never ordered until 3 a.m. Monday, hours after looting and violence in Kenosha." Evers also "turned down an offer for federal help." To Background Of Burning Building, CNN Chryon Refers To "Fiery But Mostly Peaceful Protests." The Washington Times (8/27, Ernst, 492K) reports, "CNN left political observers stunned this week for its decision to pair a 'FIERY BUT MOSTLY PEACEFUL PROTESTS AFTER POLICE SHOOTING' chyron with reporting in front of an arson fire." The Times adds "correspondent Omar Jimenez's reporting from Kenosha in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake went viral, particularly in conservative media circles, with hundreds of thousands of views." The New York Post (8/27, Eustachewich, 4.57M) also reports "CNN is getting roasted for describing protests in Wisconsin as 'fiery but mostly peaceful' during a live broadcast - that showed a building fully engulfed in flames Wednesday night." Wisconsin College Cancels Pence Commencement Speech In Wake Of Kenosha "Events." The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (8/27, Shastri, Glauber, 632K) reports "Wisconsin Lutheran College said Vice President Mike Pence won't serve as the school's commencement speaker Thursday after 'careful consideration of the escalating events in Kenosha." The college, which is EFTA00149220 in Milwaukee, said it has chosen pastor Mark Jeske of St. Marcus Lutheran Church "as a substitute speaker for Saturday's event." The college "said the change was a joint decision," stating that "Pence understands and supports Wisconsin Lutheran College's decision to prioritize the safety and well-being of their students." The AP (8/27) recounts "more than 270 students and alumni [had] signed an open letter posted online objecting to the visit, which was announced prior to the violence in Kenosha." USA Today (8/27, Groppe, 10.31M) also reports that "even before the shooting of Jacob Blake on Sunday by Wisconsin police, the school's choice of Pence drew complaints from some students and alumni who said it would politicize the ceremony that falls two months before election day." NBA To Resume Play As Other Sports Leagues Cancel Games, Practices. The CBS Evening NewsVI (8/27, story 4, 2:20, O'Donnell, 4.26M) reported that "four big- league baseball games are postponed and at least nine NFL teams called off practice, all in response to the Jacob Blake shooting." NBA players, meanwhile, "voted...to get back on the court after a walk-off led by some of the league's biggest stars." ABC World News TonightVi (8/27, story 3, 2:05, Adrienne Bankert, 6.48M) also covered the "unprecedented action as players from all of the pro leagues walked off the court and the field," though "the NBA now vows playoff games will go on." NBC Nightly NewsVi (8/27, story 8, 1:40, Miguel Almaguer, 5.69M) reported on "players in the WNBA spelling out 'Jacob Blake' on their shirts with seven bullet holes in their backs," and added "soccer, tennis, hockey, and baseball games cancelled across the nation - different arenas with the same fight." Axios (8/27, Knutson, 521K) recounts, meanwhile, that "the Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans and Washington Football Team called off their respective practices on Thursday in response to the police shooting of...Blake." USA Today (8/27, Zillgitt, 10.31M) reports that when NBA "players met Thursday, there was focus on trying to put the season back on track while still ensuring their voices were not only heard but that they could help make a difference and enact social change." The Washington Post (8/27, Golliver, 14.2M) points out that "had the players chosen not to resume play, it would have likely have plunged the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association into a lengthy labor dispute." Reuters (8/27, Pingue, Tennery) reports Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) - "the first Black woman on a major-party ticket - praised the actions of the NBA players." Biden tweeted, "This moment demands moral leadership. And these players answered by standing up, speaking out, and using their platform for good." Trump: NBA Fast Becoming "A Political Organization." ABC World News TonightVI (8/27, story 3, 2:05, Adrienne Bankert, 6.48M) reported that "when asked, the President said he believes people are, quote, 'a little tired of the NBA." Trump was shown saying, "I know their ratings have been very bad. And that's unfortunate. They've become like a political organization. And that's not a good thing. I don't think that's a good thing for sports or for the country." The Washington Times (8/27, Howell, 492K) runs a story on Trump's comments, while the CNBC (8/27, Breuninger, 3.62M) website quotes White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner as saying, "Look, I think with the NBA, there's a lot of activism, and I think that they've put a lot of slogans out. But I think what we need to do is turn that from slogans and signals to actual action that's going to solve the problem." Chief of Staff Meadows said on WFYI-TVVi Indianapolis (8/27, 286K), "It is their right to protest, and if they want to boycott it and protest, that's why we have a Constitution and that's why we have those freedoms here that we enjoy. We enjoy them in America, and we are not a perfect country, but we're always striving to be a more perfect union." EFTA00149221  The AP (8/27, Madhani, Riechmann) reports, meanwhile, that Vice President Pence's Chief of Staff Marc Short "said Thursday that NBA protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, are 'absurd and silly' when compared with the league's relative silence about human rights violations in China, where U.S. pro basketball has a large audience." Said Short, "If they want to protest, I don't think we care." Obama Praises Bucks. The Washington Times (8/27, Munoz, 492K) reports, "Former President Barack Obama praised the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday night for 'standing up for what they believe in." Wife Of Police Officer Killed In St. Louis Protests Endorses Trump. The Washington Times (8/27, Swoyer, 492K) reports "Ann Dorn lost her husband, a police officer, earlier this year during the violent riots in St. Louis, Missouri, and said Thursday she backs President Trump for standing up for law enforcement." Dorn, "speaking at the Republican National Convention, said she hopes America wakes up to the violence they are witnessing in major cities because she relives the death of her husband, Officer David Dorn, every day." The Washington Examiner (8/27, Ortiz-Lytle, 448K) recounts "Dorn, 77, was killed in St. Louis in June when looting and rioting spread across the city. The retired police captain, a 38-year veteran of the St. Louis Police Department, was found on the sidewalk outside of a pawnshop owned by his friend." Breitbart (8/27, Binder, 673K) and Townhall (8/27, Vespa, 177K), among other news outlets, also report the story. Giuliani Says Democrats Turned Peaceful Protests Violent To Hurt Trump. USA Today (8/27, Behrmann, Santucci, 10.31M) reports Rudy Giuliani addressed the Republican National Convention "in a prime slot Thursday night, lamenting current protests against social and racial injustice as 'vicious, brutal riots.' Giuliani acknowledged 'the unforgivable police killing of George Floyd" but then "blamed Democrats for hijacking 'a few brief shining moments' of peaceful demonstrations as being 'very dangerous to the left." Giuliani said, "They had a President to beat and a country to destroy, and although an agreement on action against police brutality would be very valuable for the country, it would also make President Trump appear to be an effective leader." The New York Times (8/27, Leibovich, 18.61M) says Giuliani "has been ubiquitous as ever" during the convention, hosting his radio show from the Trump International Hotel. The New York Post (8/27, Nelson, 4.57M) and the Washington Examiner (8/27, Simonson, 448K) also cover Giuliani's speech. NYPD Union Leader Says Democrats Have Allowed "Public Safety Disaster." The New York Post (8/27, Bowden, Feis, 4.57M) reports President Patrick Lynch of the Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York "accused New York's Democratic leaders of walking away from the city and letting violence rein in a scorching 2020 Republican National Convention speech." Lynch said, "We are staring down the barrel of a public safety disaster. More than 1,000 people have been shot in New York City so far this year, almost 300 have been killed. These are not just numbers, these are real people." The Post says Lynch, "a late addition to the RNC speaking roster, threw the heft of the 24,000-member PBA behind Trump earlier this month." Kushner Touts President's Policies To Combat Social Injustice, Inequality. CNBC's Squawk BoxVi (8/27, 245K) interviewed White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner, who said, "If you look at President Trump's record, people are talking about social injustice - he passed criminal justice reform. They talk about wealth and equality he passed opportunity zones to bring more access to capital in the Black and minority community. We talk about education. He's fighting for school choice so people in the inner cities and failing schools can go to better schools. And he's also granted long-term funding to the Historically Black Colleges and EFTA00149222 Universities. President Trump has been strong to say we don't want violence in these cities but we just have to take this conversation from an emotional one to a constructive one and say what are the policies that we can agree on." Conway Says President Trying To Help "Democratic-Led Cities." Fox News (8/27, 27.59M) interviewed Kellyanne Conway and asked her about the situation in America's cities. Conway said, "We know that these are Democratic-led cities and most with Democratic governors. I think all that we are talking about, why is that important? Because the Republican President Donald Trump doesn't look at this as partisan issue, he's trying to send federal reinforcements in and you have governors saying oh, no, you are putting pride and politics ahead of safety and that makes no sense to everyday Americans who want law and order and want public safety." Protests Lead To Fires And Vandalism In Oakland, California. The AP (8/27) reports, "Protests in Oakland, California, over the shooting of a Black man in Wisconsin turned violent late Wednesday night." The "protests" involved 600 to 700 people according to Oakland police and "numerous fires (were) set, dozens of windows broken, (and) multiple businesses vandalized." Officials Say President Ready To Help Cities Facing Violence. In an interview with Fox News (8/27, 27.59M), Acting DHS Secretary Wolf said, "The President has been very clear from the onset which is we need to address the violent activity, so, again, peaceful protesting, First Amendment rights, I think everyone is very much in support of that. When it crosses the line into violence, the President has been very clear that state and local authorities need to do their job and when they can't, then if they want to call the federal government, the President is willing to send in assets as we've done in Wisconsin, we will continue to do that" elsewhere "as well. I would say this stands in contrast to what we continue to see in Portland. Over three months we saw violence again last night." Acting Deputy DHS Secretary Ken Cuccinelli said on WFLA-AMVi Tampa Bay, FL (8/27, 8K) that "the President has spoken vehemently about his desire for peace in all these communities and willingness to move people in. This is the peace through strength plan in the civilian environment." White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner said on Politico Playbook (8/27, 4.31M) that "peaceful protest has a place and it has importance," but "what we need to do right now is take the anger that people have and we have to move from slogans to constructive solutions." He added, "If you look at President Trump's track record for the last four years, people complained about the criminal justice system and the racial inequalities that existed. Well, he took on that issue and he brought a solution, right, he got the historic criminal justice reform passed, which was bipartisan. He unified people and brought people together around that." Portland Mayor Slams Violent Protesters: "Enough Is Enough." The Washington Times (8/27, Dinan, 492K) reports "Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler took aim Wednesday at what he called 'a few dozen individuals engaged in violence' who he said have allowed the Oregon city to be wrongly portrayed as a 'dark dystopia' by President Trump and others." Wheeler "took some of the blame himself, saying he and other leaders have allowed the city's reputation for protest to be hijacked by rioters bent on violence, swamping what should have been a thoughtful conversation on racial justice and policing." Said Wheeler, "They're intent on creating mayhem and attacking and harming people, not just property. ... That's a line that we can't allow our community to cross. Not anymore. Enough is enough." The Times adds "the final straw [for the mayor[ appears to have been when rioters brought their violence to his doorstep," as "protesters marched on Portland's city hall Tuesday night, breaking in and scrawling graffiti." EFTA00149223 Virginia Senate Votes To Ease Sentences For Assaulting Police. The AP (8/27, Lavoie) reports that "the Virginia Senate on Wednesday approved legislation that would eliminate a six-month mandatory minimum sentence for assaulting a police officer, despite strenuous objections from Republicans who said the bill disrespects police at a time when they have come under attack during nationwide protests." The Federalist (8/27, Justice, 126K) indicates the bill would allow "judges discretion to diminish charges from a felony to a misdemeanor," and the Washington Free Beacon (8/27, Beyrer, 78K) says "the new legislation follows Virginia governor Ralph Northam's (D) administration's recent decisions to grant parole to convicted murderers, including Vincent Martin, who was serving a life sentence for murdering a police officer" The Daily Caller (8/27, Lancaster, 716K), among other news outlets, also reports the story. Thousands To March Against Police Brutality In DC Friday. The Wall Street Journal (8/27, Jamerson, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that thousands of people are expected to march in Washington on Friday to protest police brutality against Black Americans. The Journal says the event, which is being organized by Al Sharpton and his National Action Network, was planned following the George Floyd's death, but it is taken on new urgency in the wake of Jacob Blake's shooting. The Washington Post (8/27, Lang, 14.2M) reports that before the Blake shooting, "a group of Milwaukee activists set off on a protest march calling for an end to racist policing and injustice that would wind through mountains and cross state lines. ... They were heading to the 2020 March on Washington the old fashioned way: by putting one foot in front of the other." The group "began its trek in a Milwaukee parking lot on Aug. 4. Twenty-five days later...the group plans to arrive early Friday in the nation's capital." PBS' Alcindor: Cawthorn Lifting Self From Wheelchair "Direct Rebuke" To Protesters. The Washington Times (8/27, Chasmar, 492K) reports "PBS White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor felt the wrath of the Twitter ratio Wednesday night after she chose to politicize the inspiring moment Madison Cawthorn lifted himself from his wheelchair to stand on the Republican National Committee stage." Cawthorn, "the 25-year-old Republican nominee" in NC11, "was paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident at age 18," and "during his speech Wednesday night, he called on Americans to stand up for their country." As "he lifted himself into a standing position," Cawthome said, "Be a radical for liberty. Be a radical for our republic for which I stand." Alcindor, "who live-tweeted the event, said Mr. Cawthorn's gesture was a `direct rebuke' to people protesting against police brutality." OPERATION LEGEND Trump Sent Federal Agents To Albuquerque In July To Help Police. The AP (8/27, Contreras, Bryan) reports on Albuquerque, which is "10th in the nation for violent crime, ranks No. 2 for car thefts and has experienced a spike in homicides." President Trump "included Albuquerque earlier this summer among the Democrat-led cities where he has dispatched more federal law enforcement agents to beef up local policing efforts." Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller "insists the city is making progress" and "Keller and fellow New Mexico Democrat politicians bristled at Trump's July move to send agents to Albuquerque," though US Attorney John Anderson of New Mexico "defended the deployment." The federal agents "are working with local police officers, sheriff's deputies and prosecutors to investigate cases and serve search warrants." Three Charged After Kansas City Carjacking. EFTA00149224 KCTV-TV Kansas City, MO (8/27, Brown, 133K) reports from Kansas City, Missouri, "Three young Kansas City, Missouri, men have been charged in federal court as part of Operation LeGend. The charges come after an armed carjacking on Monday night that led to a high-speed chase and a crash that killed another driver." KCTV-TV adds, "The three charged are 19-year-old Derrell 'Derrelle' M. Wade, 18-year-old Curtis R. Daniels, and 18-year-old Michael A. Brown. Each has been charged with participating in the carjacking. Wade is also charged with brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence." COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE Tony Blinken Agrees To Voluntary Deposition In House Ukraine Probe. Politico (8/27, Bertrand, 4.29M) reports Tony Blinken, former deputy national security adviser and deputy secretary of state and a top foreign policy adviser "to Joe Biden's presidential campaign has agreed to a voluntary deposition before a GOP-led Senate committee probing the former vice president's relationship with Ukraine, according to a congressional source and two other people familiar with the matter." Blinken sent a letter to "Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee chairman Ron Johnson (R-WI) earlier this week agreeing to the interview." The panel also has "secured a voluntary interview with Amos Hochstein, a former special envoy for international energy in the Obama administration who also served as a close Biden adviser, ending speculation that Johnson would compel his and Blinken's testimony." The interviews are expected "to take place in early September." Democratic lawmakers have "raised concerns, including in a letter last month to the FBI, that Johnson's probe has become a vehicle for 'laundering' a foreign influence campaign to damage Biden." Christopher Steele: FBI Did Not Pay For Dossier Research. The Washington Times (8/27, Scarborough, 492K) reports Christopher Steele testified at a "defamation trial in London that the FBI stiffed him out of payments he was due for travel in his anti-Trump investigation." Steele's testimony came as part of a "lawsuit brought by Russian entrepreneur Aleksej Gubarev." Mr. Steele's dossier accused Gubarve "of being the culprit who hacked into Democratic Party computers in 2016." Following the release of the dossier, the FBI concluded the hacking "was done by Russian military intelligence units in Moscow, not Mr. Gubarev." According to transcripts "obtained by The Washington Times, Mr. Steele testified that he became unhappy with the lack of public disclosure and FBI follow-through on his investigation." As result, he conducted a Skype interview with David Corn of "Mother Jones," after which Steele says the FBI refused to pay agreed sums and expenses. Washington Examiner: Senate Report Raises "Further Questions" About Steele's Relationship With Deripaska. The Washington Examiner (8/27, Dunleavy, 448K) reports a recently released Senate Intelligence Committee "report detailed the business relationship that Christopher Steele" had with Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska, "raising further questions about the British ex-spy's discredited dossier." The Examiner says the Senate panel "sought to understand the reasons for apparent omissions in the dossier." Investigators said "one explanation was 'that Steele was compartmenting his work between clients,' though that was 'partially refuted' by Steele's October 2016 FBI interview where he 'presented some information as stemming from his past work' targeting Manafort." Rosen: Foreign Influence Fears Should Not Stop Voters. MeriTalk (8/27, Weingarten) reports Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen urged Americans this week "to participate fully in the democratic process and realize that the fear of 'malign influence' on elections are as old as the country itself." Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Rosen said, "Every American can control who they vote for" and explained the "distinction between voting infrastructure and the somewhat more elusive malign EFTA00149225 influence activities." He "said the former, which includes polling places and printed ballots, has been well protected historically, and even more so through increased security efforts over the past few years." Similarly, The Washington Times (8/27, Lovelace, 492K) reports Rosen on Thursday "accused left-leaning news organizations of deliberately spreading 'disinformation' about the Trump administration's views of the dangers from mail-in voting and foreign influence in the 2020 elections." The resulting confusion has "helped create an opening for America's adversaries like Russia and China to exploit, Mr. Rosen told The Washington Times." Rosen "said new efforts by the Justice Department, FBI, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and other federal agencies have overhauled how the government addresses foreign influence efforts and what it makes public." Judge Orders Former CIA Officer Accused Of Spying For China Detained As Serious Flight Risk. The AP (8/27, Kelleher) reports from Honolulu that a former CIA officer "and contract linguist for the FBI accused of selling U.S. secrets to China must remain locked up because he's a 'serious flight risk' in a case involving 'espionage over many, many years,' a federal judge ruled Thursday." Alexander Yuk Ching Ma faces "life in prison or possibly a death sentence if convicted of a rarely used charge involving an intent to hurt the United States or aid a foreign power, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson said during a detention hearing where Ma participated by telephone from the Honolulu Federal Detention Center." Prosecutors have "video and audio proving he provided classified information including CIA sources and methods, communication systems and secret writing, Sorenson said." Ma violated security oaths to the CIA and to the FBI, Sorenson, and "betrayed that trust for money." Judge Declines To Free Ex-Green Beret Accused Of Espionage. The AP (8/27) reports a federal magistrate judge in Virginia "refused Thursday to free a former Army Green Beret who was arrested last week on a charge that he divulged U.S. military secrets to Russian intelligence agents." US Magistrate Judge John Anderson agreed "with federal prosecutors that Peter Rafael Dzibinski Debbins, 45, poses a risk to flee if he is released from custody before trial." Anderson also "said Justice Department prosecutor Thomas Traxler adequately explained why more than a year elapsed between the start of the investigation and Debbins' arrest last Friday." Traxler "said investigators had to corroborate details of a confession that he said Debbins gave when FBI agents questioned him last year." Debbins mistakenly thought "he could talk his way out of trouble and has a far greater incentive to flee now that he faces a maximum life sentence if he is convicted, the prosecutor said." The Washington Post (8/27, Weiner, 14.2M) reports of former Army Green Beret accused of "conspiring to spy for Russia admitted to contacts with Russian intelligence agents in a written statement in the past year, federal prosecutors said Thursday." Debbins confessed "collaboration with a very sophisticated foreign intelligence agency, the GRU," Traxler said. Authorities say that the "alleged conspiracy occurred between 1996 and 2011." A resume released "by prosecutors shows Debbins worked for the defense contractors CACI, Booz Allen Hamilton and Cosolutions on Russia and cybersecurity." US Officials Say China Poses Unprecedented Security Risk To US. Current and former US officials told Newsweek (8/27, O'Connor, Jamali, 1.53M) that China is the "top counterintelligence risk to the United States, posing a unique and unprecedented threat spanning far beyond interference in the upcoming election, including the mass infiltration of the private communications networks of U.S. businesses and organizations that are not protected by governmental security networks." In a statement, the FBI said, "There is no country that presents a broader and more comprehensive threat to our ideas, innovation, and economic security than China," adding, "The threat takes many different forms, and it is the