Il n’est pas très grand – physiquement parlant – mais Daniel Auteuil est un géant du septième art. Même quand la glamourissime actrice Nicole Kidman le regarde (affectueusement!) de haut, la star de Jean de Florette garde tout son charisme. Il a tout notre soutien (de taille !)

C’est vrai, ça nous a fait sourire. De le voir là, sur le red carpet, aux marches du palais des festivals, si heureux, si souriant à côté de l’immense Nicole Kidman, c’était touchant. Et puis on s’est dit : erreur stratégique. Poser devant tant de photographes ravis d’immortaliser cet instant rare, bras dessus-hanche dessous avec la longiligne star de Moulin Rouge frôlait le ridicule. D’autant que l’actrice, non contente d’être immense, s’était perchée sur des (très) hauts talons griffés Dior et avait adopté une coupe de cheveux légèrement banane : effet girafe assuré!

Pas de ça chez nous ! Daniel, on l’adore. Alors on le soutient…

Voici cinq raisons de supporter Daniel Auteuil, notre juré chouchou, durant la quinzaine.

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– Parce que Cocorico! Il est le seul Français du jury. Un jury présidé par Steven Spielberg, s’il vous plait… Ce n’est quand même pas rien. Lui qui fut l’acteur le mieux payé du box-office hexagonal jusqu’à l’an dernier (il a depuis été supplanté par Dany Boon) représente le septième art à la française.

– Parce qu’il a été primé en 1996 pour le Huitième Jour. Il connaît donc parfaitement les rouages du festival. Le rythme projections, délibération, collation ne devait pas l’intimider. Vingt-quatre marches à monter tous les soirs, ça n’a l’air de rien mais une bonne connaissance du terrain est toujours un atout.

– Parce qu’à 63 ans, il a tout du jeune débutant… Son bonheur fait tellement plaisir à voir ! Si honoré de faire partie de ce prestigieux jury, Dany a vissé un sourire de premier communiant à son visage dès son arrivé sur la Croisette. Les paris sont lancés mais il devrait le garder jusqu’au 26 mai inclu.

– Parce qu’il est classe. Dans son costume parfaitement ajusté, l’acteur réalisateur rivalise d’élégance. Que Nicole le regarde un peu de haut n’a pas l’air de l’embarrasser. Flegmatique sans complexe. Et toc !

– Parce qu’il fait quand même 1,70 m. Certes, c’est dix centimètres de moins que la grande Nicole. Mais C’est quand même un de plus que Nicolas Sarkozy. Et cinq de plus que Roman Polanski. Quand le réalisateur de La Venus à la Fourrure foulera le tapis rouge –le 25 mai- au bras de sa longiligne épouse, Emmanuelle Seigner (1,72 m), rira bien qui rira le dernier…

La soupe à la grimace! Gérard Piqué a partagé sur son compte Twitter une photo de sa belle Shakira et de leur bout de chou en plein concours de singeries.

Gérard Piqué et Shakira, qui a balayé les rumeurs sur les supposées infidélités de son homme, se sont accordé un break de quelques semaines à l’occasion des fêtes de fin d’année, et comme à leur habitude, ils ont partagé avec leurs fans des photos d’eux et du petit Milan. L’une d’elles, publiée par Gerard, nous a beaucoup fait rire. On y découvre Shakira et l’adorable petit garçon en mode compétition de moues boudeuses voir dégoûtées La bomba latina, devenue complètement gaga de son petit chéri, né en janvier dernier, n’hésite pas à s’exposer le visage déformé.

Un autre cliché, pris en Espagne, dans la famille du footballeur dévoile le trio en train de s’essayer à une tradition catalane, le Caga tio. Au cours de ce rituel, l’enfant doit frapper une bûche avec un bâton tout en fredonnant des chansons. Visiblement, Milan s’est prêté au jeu pour le plus grand bonheur de ses parents qui ont immortalisé la scène. Après Noël, le couple a fait ses valises, direction la France.

La chanteuse colombienne de 36 ans et le footballeur espagnol se sont offert une petite virée dans la capitale. Visites culturelles, balades en amoureux, et même shopping. Milan a ainsi pu découvrir Paris. Espérons qu’ils aient pris le temps de se reposer, car l’agenda de la bomba latina pour 2014 est déjà bien rempli. Shakira doit reprendre son fauteuil dans l’émission The Voice, et retourner en studio pour préparer son nouvel album. Il se murmure qu’elle pourrait combler ses fans en enregistrant un duo avec Rihanna…

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“We respect the decision and we regret it.”

That’s how Brussels will respond Friday to Britain voting to leave the EU.

In a simple, two-line statement designed to avoid a “cacophony” of reactions, that will be the European institutions’ first response to a Brexit vote, according to one EU official. Reading between the lines, it means the EU wants an orderly process of separation to begin quickly, in order to avoid ambiguities that could rattle financial markets.

Although the official line for months in Brussels has been “there is no plan B,” it was clear from POLITICO’S conversations with two dozen EU politicians, officials, aides and regulators that they’ve long been preparing for what could be the biggest setback in the history of the European Union.

In Brussels and across Europe, meetings and phone calls have been penciled into leaders’ diaries for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday after the U.K. vote, and the following week.

The heads of the main EU institutions are set to meet at 10:30 a.m. on Friday in the Commission’s Berlaymont headquarters, whatever the result of the referendum. European Council President Donald Tusk, Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker and Parliament President Martin Schulz will join Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, whose country holds the Council’s rotating presidency.

While Brussels has been keen to avoid giving the impression that it is already planning for life without the U.K., it has also tried to avoid looking unprepared, especially with U.K. opinion polls too close to call in recent weeks.

“I can assure you we will be ready and also very precise,” Tusk said last week.

The leadership’s hope is to set the tone for the day’s responses, making it clear that while they regret the first ever departure of a member nation, their “respect” for the decision also means that — in the words of German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble — “in is in, and out is out.”

This notion of irreversibility, used by U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron and his Remain campaign, has been repeated by top EU officials, with Schulz saying in an interview “who leaves, leaves,” and the head of the European Parliament’s largest bloc, Manfred Weber of the European People’s Party, saying: “If it comes to Brexit, one thing is clear: Leave means leave.”

Others plan to steal their thunder, however. Guy Verhofstadt, the former Belgian prime minister who chairs the liberal ALDE group in the Parliament, has invited reporters to meet him Friday at 9.30 a.m. — an hour before the presidents meet, and after his own meeting, scheduled for very early Friday, of all the political groups in the Parliament.

Verhofstadt told POLITICO that his message will be: “Whatever happens, it is clear that we have to reform the EU.” And reform should be swift: “We should use this momentum to fundamentally change the EU and start a discussion about the future of the EU.” He even has a date in mind, proposing to launch a reform project with a new Convention on March 25 next year — on the 60th anniversary of the founding Treaty of Rome.

Long, hard look

There is less consensus at the top level of the EU about what form such reforms should take.

Tusk is taking a skeptical view of the classic European mantra of “ever closer union” — meaning deeper, faster integration of the remaining member countries — as the only way forward. Speaking this week in Portugal, he urged Britain to vote for continued membership but added: “We must take a long, hard look at the future of the Union.”

“We would be foolish to ignore such a warning signal as the U.K. referendum, and there are more signals of dissatisfaction coming from all over Europe,” said the Polish politician.

Even Juncker, who has been portrayed by Britain’s Leave campaigners as a diehard federalist who wants to create a “European superstate,” cautioned earlier this month against reacting with Aktionismus — a German term for empty gestures meant to give the impression of activity. A push for deeper integration, which would require treaty changes, “does not reflect the inclination of member states,” said the former prime minister of Luxembourg.

The middle path may well be mapped out by Germany’s Angela Merkel and France’s François Hollande. The chancellor and the president’s staff have prepared a joint declaration, according to sources involved. The Germans would also like to enlist Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo, whose cabinet was in Berlin on Wednesday for intergovernmental consultations.

Other member countries will also mobilize right after the results —  “Irrespective of the result, Friday morning, most capitals will have cabinet meetings, where the result will be discussed,” said Joseph Muscat, prime minister of Malta — but they won’t stray far from the Franco-German statement, which is likely to reaffirm that the rest of the EU will stick together: Brexit means one member leaving, not the club falling apart.

EU leaders will also focus on protecting the euro from post-Brexit turbulence. “If Brexit happens, it would be a difficulty for the eurozone. We would rather do without it,” said French Finance Minister Michel Sapin. “But every difficulty can be overcome, and you can overcome it quickly. The eurozone is solid and capable to react.”

What will this club look like in future? “That’s not for Friday to say,” said one official. It could be raised as early as Saturday, when foreign ministers from the EU’s six founding members hold their third meeting of the year in Berlin. But Germany’s European commissioner, Günther Oettinger, told POLITICO he wouldn’t expect the EU to get to work on developing “new dynamics” before national elections in France and Germany next year.

If Britons do vote to leave, David Cameron will feel a chill in the air as soon as next Tuesday, however, when EU leaders gather in Brussels for a summit which could well see the Tory prime minister excluded from top-table discussions. His country will be a competitor with the EU, said the EPP’s Weber, and should no longer expect special treatment.

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“Our criteria will be the interests of the rest of the European Union — 450 million people. So, frankly, we’ll be looking after the interests of Frankfurt, Paris and other financial capitals rather than the City of London,” said the German MEP.

Bjarke Smith-Meyer contributed to this article. 

Coca-Cola reported that the outbreak of coronavirus in China could affect its supply chain demands, leading to a shorter supply of goods that go into making the company’s diet beverages.

Exports of goods from China, such as artificial sweeteners used in the company’s zero-sugar drinks, have been delayed as a result of industrial stalls related to the spread of the virus, according to CNN on Tuesday.

“We have initiated contingency supply plans and do not foresee a short-term impact due to these delays,” Coca-Cola wrote in an annual report. “However, we may see tighter supplies of some of these ingredients in the longer term should production or export operations in China deteriorate.”

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In its report, the company listed sweeteners used in its beverages, including aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, saccharin, cyclamate, and steviol glycosides. Coca-Cola indicated that it considered sucralose, commonly known as Splenda, a “critical raw material” obtained from suppliers in China and the U.S., the report said.

Coca-Cola said it is taking precautionary measures with its employees in China to prevent further spread of the virus.

“The safety and health of the company’s associates remains a high priority,” according to the statement by the company.

Face masks, hand sanitizers and other installations such as health monitoring systems will reportedly be implemented in Coca-Cola factories in China.

The company did not indicate specific delayed supply chains, but estimated its case volume could diminish by 2 or 3 percentage points, organic revenue by 1 or 2 percentage points, and first-quarter earnings-per-share by 1 or 2 cents.

As of Thursday, Mainland China reported 78,500 cases of the coronavirus, with 2,641 deaths in the Hubei province where the virus originated, according to Johns Hopkins data.

Leaked TTIP documents reveal ‘irreconcilable’ differences

Greenpeace to publish 248 pages of leaked negotiating texts.

U.S. negotiators on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership want to keep details of the talks secret and may be less interested in the deal than their EU counterparts, according to leaked documents to be released by Greenpeace Monday.

The NGO said in a press release it had obtained 248 pages of confidential TTIP negotiating texts, which it plans to publish at 11 a.m. According to French newspaper Le Monde, the texts are from March and reflect the state of negotiations shortly after the 12th round of talks in Brussels.

The Guardian, which has also seen the leak, reports the talks are floundering, with “irreconcilable” differences between the EU and U.S., particularly on animal testing of cosmetics, drug safety testing and on the environment.

Greenpeace claims the leaked texts make no reference to climate protection, which it says raises the question of whether a TTIP deal would be compatible with the goal of the Paris climate summit to keep global average temperature increases below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Le Monde says the texts make no reference to the so-called “precautionary principle,” which allows the certification of new products, particularly drugs in the EU, only if the producer can prove that they do no harm. European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström has previously stated the precautionary principle would not be abolished under TTIP.

Hans von der Burchard contributed to this report.

Welcome to Hillicon Valley, The Hill’s newsletter detailing all you need to know about the tech and cyber news from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. If you don’t already, be sure to sign up for our newsletter with this LINK.

Welcome! Follow the cyber team, Maggie Miller (@magmill95), and the tech team, Emily Birnbaum (@birnbaum_e) and Chris Mills Rodrigo (@chrisismills)

TICKET MARKETPLACES UNDER FIRE: House lawmakers on Wednesday grilled executives at some of the country’s top online ticketing companies, including Ticketmaster and StubHub, over the industry’s practices.

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The members of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations sought answers on how the companies make decisions on setting prices and availability for tickets sold online.

“Unfortunately, the industry’s online financial success has often been at the expense of the consumer,” subcommittee Chairwoman Diana DeGetteDiana Louise DeGetteHillicon Valley: Dems cancel surveillance vote after pushback to amendments | Facebook to ban certain coronavirus ads | Lawmakers grill online ticketing execs | Hacker accessed facial recognition company’s database Trump names Pence to lead coronavirus response Hillicon Valley: Democrats cancel surveillance vote over pushback to amendments | Lawmakers grill Ticketmaster, StubHub execs over online ticketing | MORE (D-Colo.) said during her opening remarks.

“While it is certainly easier to buy tickets to live events today, online ticketing sales have led to anti-consumer practices across the industry,” she continued.

Wednesday’s hearing with executives from six major ticketing companies follows years of frustration among lawmakers and the general public with online ticketing, with complaints of high prices or fees and often scarce tickets to events.

DeGette cited reports from the New York state attorney general and the Government Accountability Office (GAO), both from prior years. The New York attorney general report from 2016 found several cases of ticket brokers making massive profits by buying and reselling coveted tickets to big events. The 2018 GAO report, meanwhile, found that more than 25 percent of ticket prices online are frequently not visible until consumers are late in the buying process.

DeGette highlighted five issues in the industry: high hidden fees, restrictions on transferring tickets, the lack of transparency on how many tickets are available, fraudulent “white label” websites and speculative ticket sales.

Amy Howe, the chief operating officer of ticketing giant Ticketmaster, said she shared those concerns, but told lawmakers her company is intent on addressing them. Howe also shifted some of the blame to bad actors and what she called a difficult market, where many consumers were chasing too few tickets.

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Read more about the hearing.

 

SURVEILLANCE VOTE CANCELLED: The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday canceled a planned vote to reauthorize a set of controversial government surveillance programs over concerns that a slew of privacy-focused amendments from Rep. Zoe LofgrenZoe Ellen LofgrenHillicon Valley: Dems cancel surveillance vote after pushback to amendments | Facebook to ban certain coronavirus ads | Lawmakers grill online ticketing execs | Hacker accessed facial recognition company’s database Hillicon Valley: Democrats cancel surveillance vote over pushback to amendments | Lawmakers grill Ticketmaster, StubHub execs over online ticketing | Democrats cancel surveillance vote over pushback to amendments MORE (D-Calif.) would tank the bill in the House, sources confirmed to The Hill. 

The eleventh-hour switch up comes after staff with the Judiciary Committee negotiated with the House Intelligence Committee for months to produce a bill that reformed several expiring surveillance provisions originally spelled out in the Patriot Act. The provisions are set to sunset on March 15.

Ultimately, the reforms in the reauthorization bill offered by Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold NadlerJerrold (Jerry) Lewis NadlerThis week: House to vote on legislation to make lynching a federal hate crime Congress set for clash over surveillance reforms Trump adviser presses House investigators to make Bezos testify MORE (D-N.Y.) and Intelligence Chairman Adam SchiffAdam Bennett SchiffHillicon Valley: Dems cancel surveillance vote after pushback to amendments | Facebook to ban certain coronavirus ads | Lawmakers grill online ticketing execs | Hacker accessed facial recognition company’s database Hillicon Valley: Democrats cancel surveillance vote over pushback to amendments | Lawmakers grill Ticketmaster, StubHub execs over online ticketing | Democrats cancel surveillance vote over pushback to amendments MORE (D-Calif.) did not go far enough to satisfy key civil liberties advocates and privacy hawks in Congress, who were hoping for more sweeping changes to the government’s spying authorities. 

Lofgren, a longtime proponent of overhauling the country’s intelligence-gathering efforts to better protect privacy, told the Judiciary Committee staff on Tuesday that she would offer amendments to reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance, or FISA, court, which has come under bipartisan scrutiny over its role in the FBI’s surveillance of a Trump campaign associate.  

Lofgren originally planned to introduce seven amendments, but cut those down to five after negotiations, a Democratic aide told The Hill.

Read more about the last minute change.

 

FACEBOOK TIGHTENS AD RULES: Facebook has increased restrictions on advertisements on its platform that reference the coronavirus in an effort to limit the spread of misinformation about the virus.

The social media giant said Wednesday it will ban ads that reference alleged cures or create a sense of urgency around the situation.

“We recently implemented a policy to prohibit ads that refer to the coronavirus and create a sense of urgency, like implying a limited supply, or guaranteeing a cure or prevention,” a company spokesperson told Business Insider.

“We also have policies for surfaces like Marketplace that prohibit similar behavior.”

The Hill has reached out to Facebook for further details on the policy change.

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As of Wednesday, the total number of coronavirus cases around the world had reached about 81,000, with more than 2,700 deaths reported.

As the disease has spread, social media companies have faced increasing pressure to stem misinformation about the virus.

Read more.

 

CLEARVIEW HACKED: Clearview AI, a tech startup that has compiled billions of photos for facial recognition software, announced Wednesday that it had lost its entire client list to a data breach.

The Daily Beast obtained a statement that the startup sent to its customers which said that someone had “gained unauthorized access” to its customer database.

Clearview AI has contracts with numerous law enforcement agencies and police departments.

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“Security is Clearview’s top priority,” Tor Ekeland, a company attorney, told The Daily Beast.

“Unfortunately, data breaches are part of life in the 21st century. Our servers were never accessed. We patched the flaw, and continue to work to strengthen our security,” he added.

The firm saw significant criticism in January when The New York Times reported on the company’s contracts with law enforcements. According to the Times, Clearview AI has mined more than 3 billions photos from the internet, including from popular social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. These photos reportedly stay within the company’s database even after they’ve been deleted by the original user. 

Read more.

 

DEMOCRATS SUGGEST HUAWEI OPPOSITION: Three candidates in Tuesday’s Democratic presidential primary debate in Charleston, S.C., said they would not allow Chinese companies to build critical infrastructure in the U.S.

Former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenBiden looks to shore up lead in S.C. Hillicon Valley: Dems cancel surveillance vote after pushback to amendments | Facebook to ban certain coronavirus ads | Lawmakers grill online ticketing execs | Hacker accessed facial recognition company’s database Vulnerable Democrats brace for Sanders atop ticket MORE, former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth Ann WarrenBiden looks to shore up lead in S.C. Hillicon Valley: Dems cancel surveillance vote after pushback to amendments | Facebook to ban certain coronavirus ads | Lawmakers grill online ticketing execs | Hacker accessed facial recognition company’s database Push for national popular vote movement gets boost from conservatives MORE (Mass.) all said yes when they were asked by the CBS News moderators if they would bar Chinese companies from building critical infrastructure, although the discussion moved quickly into releasing tax returns.

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Sixteen infrastructure sectors are classified as critical by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act of 2018, including energy, financial services and communications.

Although the Democratic White House hopefuls didn’t highlight a specific sector, Congress and the White House have been actively debating how to deal with Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei.

The company, which is the world’s largest producer of telecom equipment, is heavily involved in the worldwide move to fifth generation (5G) wireless technologies.

Read more.

 

USDA SNAFU: A group of bipartisan senators is urging the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to open up its rural broadband funding program to more states suffering from a lack of Internet connectivity. 

In a letter to USDA Secretary Sonny PerdueGeorge (Sonny) Ervin PerdueHillicon Valley: Dems cancel surveillance vote after pushback to amendments | Facebook to ban certain coronavirus ads | Lawmakers grill online ticketing execs | Hacker accessed facial recognition company’s database Hillicon Valley: Democrats cancel surveillance vote over pushback to amendments | Lawmakers grill Ticketmaster, StubHub execs over online ticketing | Senators urge USDA to open up rural broadband funding MORE on Wednesday, the senators, led by Sen. Ron WydenRonald (Ron) Lee WydenHillicon Valley: Dems cancel surveillance vote after pushback to amendments | Facebook to ban certain coronavirus ads | Lawmakers grill online ticketing execs | Hacker accessed facial recognition company’s database On The Money: Coronavirus complicates Fed decision on rates | Schumer wants .5B in emergency virus funding | Dems offer bill to reverse Trump on military money for wall Hillicon Valley: Democrats cancel surveillance vote over pushback to amendments | Lawmakers grill Ticketmaster, StubHub execs over online ticketing | MORE (D-Ore.), accused the agriculture agency of placing arbitrary limitations around which rural areas are eligible to receive some of the USDA’s $500 million rural broadband fund, called ReConnect. 

As it stands, the USDA program says certain rural areas cannot qualify for the fund if they previously received money from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for satellite service. But the senators say satellite service is not enough to fix the issue of the “digital divide,” and the USDA’s funds could have life-saving impacts for areas that do not have good Internet access. 

“USDA can, and should, fix this,” the senators, including Sens. John Barasso (R-Wyo.) and Tammy BaldwinTammy Suzanne BaldwinHillicon Valley: Dems cancel surveillance vote after pushback to amendments | Facebook to ban certain coronavirus ads | Lawmakers grill online ticketing execs | Hacker accessed facial recognition company’s database Hillicon Valley: Democrats cancel surveillance vote over pushback to amendments | Lawmakers grill Ticketmaster, StubHub execs over online ticketing | Senators urge USDA to open up rural broadband funding MORE (D-Wisc.), wrote. “USDA is neither statutorily required to eliminate FCC grant recipients from ReConnect eligibility.” 

Congress established the USDA’s ReConnect Program, which furnishes loans and grants to improve broadband services in rural areas, in 2018. The senators pointed out that the USDA’s restrictions are “not required by law.”

USDA did not respond to The Hill’s request for comment.

Read more here. 

 

Lighter click: Jeff, please

 

An op-ed to chew on: How to save America with artificial intelligence

 

NOTABLE LINKS FROM AROUND THE WEB:

ICE has run facial-recognition searches on millions of Maryland drivers (Washington Post / Drew Harwell and Erin Cox)

Everyone hates California’s self-driving car reports (Verge / Andrew Hawkins)

How Delivery Apps Are Eating Up Your Budget (New York Times / Brian Chen)

Apple, Facebook, and Google stocks are falling after surge in coronavirus cases (Recode / Shirin Ghaffary and Rani Molla)

Welcome to Hillicon Valley, The Hill’s newsletter detailing all you need to know about the tech and cyber news from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. If you don’t already, be sure to sign up for our newsletter with this LINK.

Welcome! Follow the cyber team, Maggie Miller (@magmill95), and the tech team, Emily Birnbaum (@birnbaum_e) and Chris Mills Rodrigo (@chrisismills).

 

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FCC FINES TOP MOBILE CARRIERS: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is proposing more than $200 million in fines against the country’s top mobile carriers after a lengthy investigation concluded T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint and Verizon improperly sold access to their customers’ precise location information. 

The agency is alleging the companies broke the law by failing to protect information about the geolocation of their hundreds of millions of customers. 

“The FCC has long had clear rules on the books requiring all phone companies to protect their customers’ personal information,” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai (R) said. “And since 2007, these companies have been on notice that they must take reasonable precautions to safeguard this data and that the FCC will take strong enforcement action if they don’t.”

“Today, we do just that,” Pai said.

The proposed fines — which Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint are now allowed to contest — are some of the largest the FCC has proposed in decades. But since reports began emerging about the fines on Thursday night, consumer advocates and privacy hawks in Congress have accused the regulatory agency of holding back and letting the telecom companies off the hook with fines that amount to a “rounding error” compared to their significant bottom lines.

Sen. Ron WydenRonald (Ron) Lee WydenHillicon Valley — Presented by Facebook — FCC fines mobile carriers 0M for selling user data | Twitter verified fake 2020 candidate | Dems press DHS to complete election security report | Reddit chief calls TikTok spyware FCC proposes over 0 million in fines against top mobile carriers FCC to hit mobile carriers with fines over location sharing: report MORE (D-Ore.), who was one of the first to shed light on the companies’ unlawful information sharing, released a statement accusing Pai of going easy on the companies.

“It seems clear Chairman Pai has failed to protect American consumers at every stage of the game – this issue only came to light after my office and dedicated journalists discovered how wireless companies shared Americans’ locations willy nilly,” Wyden said. “He only investigated after public pressure mounted.”

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“And now his response is a set of comically inadequate fines that won’t stop phone companies from abusing Americans’ privacy the next time they can make a quick buck,” Wyden said.

Verizon, for instance, boasted a total revenue of $31.4 billion in 2019 and is facing a fine of $48 million.

The FCC is proposing a fine of $91 million for T-Mobile, $57 million for AT&T, $48 million for Verizon and $12 million for Sprint.  

T-Mobile, which is facing the largest fine by far, said in a statement Friday that it intends to dispute the FCC’s conclusions.

“We take the privacy and security of our customers’ data very seriously,” T-Mobile said. “While we strongly support the FCC’s commitment to consumer protection, we fully intend to dispute the conclusions of this NAL and the associated fine.” 

Public Knowledge, a consumer rights group, said the FCC’s fines indicate the chairman is enforcing the law “to the barest degree possible.” 

Read more on the fines here.

 

SPONSORED CONTENT — FACEBOOK

Elections have changed and so has Facebook

Facebook has made large investments to protect elections, including tripling the size of the teams working on safety and security to more than 35,000. But the work doesn’t stop there.

See how Facebook has prepared for 2020.

 

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TURN IT IN: House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie ThompsonBennie Gordon ThompsonHillicon Valley — Presented by Facebook — FCC fines mobile carriers 0M for selling user data | Twitter verified fake 2020 candidate | Dems press DHS to complete election security report | Reddit chief calls TikTok spyware Key House Democrat criticizes DHS for not submitting election security report on time House approves bill banning flavored tobacco products MORE (D-Miss.) on Friday raised concerns around the Department of Homeland Security’s failure to submit a congressionally mandated election security report on time. 

DHS was required under the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act to submit a report to Congress on successful and attempted cyberattacks on U.S. election infrastructure during the 2016 elections, along with any future cyberattacks on elections that DHS anticipates. 

The agency was required by the NDAA to submit the report within 60 days of the bill being signed into law. President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump endorses former White House physician Ronny Jackson for Congress Newly released emails reveal officials’ panic over loss of credibility after Trump’s Dorian claims Lindsey Graham thanks Trump, bemoans ‘never-ending bull—-‘ at South Carolina rally  MORE signed the NDAA on Dec. 20, with Feb. 18 marking the deadline for the report to be submitted to appropriate congressional committees. 

Thompson, whose committee is among those that DHS is required to submit the report to, said Friday that the failure of DHS to submit the report “further obstructs Congress’ abilities to conduct proper oversight,” and noted this was “in direct violation of the law.”

“The threat to our democracy from foreign governments is real, and the Administration’s pattern of denial must stop,” Thompson added. “With President Trump in office, the American people cannot expect our elections to be secure and free from foreign interference or cyber-attacks with status quo measures in place.”

Read more here.

 

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‘WALZ’-ING AROUND: Twitter earlier this month verified an account for a fake 2020 congressional candidate created by a teenager.

The account was for a fictional Republican congressional candidate from Rhode Island named Andrew Walz.

His Twitter bio claimed that Walz was a “proven business leader” and a “passionate advocate for students,” CNN Business first reported.

The owner of the account was a 17-year-old high schooler from upstate New York who, according to the network, made the account over the holidays because he was “bored.”

“During Christmas break I was kind of bored and I learned a lot from history class, but also on the news they were talking more about misinformation,” the high school student told CNN Business.

The teen said it took him about 20 minutes to make the website for his candidate and then another five minutes to create the Twitter account.

He got his profile picture from a website called This Person Does Not Exist, which computer generates realistic photos of fake people.

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Then, he filled out a short survey with information about his fake candidate on Ballotpedia, the nonprofit “Encyclopedia for American Politics.” Twitter announced in December that it would be partnering with the nonprofit in an attempt to verify more congressional candidates. 

However, according to the student, neither Twitter or Ballotpedia asked for any further kind of identification to confirm that Walz was, in fact, genuine.

The social media platform has received flak from candidates who say it has been slow to verify them.

Read more on the incident here.

 

REDDIT DINGS TIKTOK: TikTok is under scrutiny from Reddit CEO and co-founder Steve Huffman for practices he calls “fundamentally parasitic,” referring to serious privacy concerns surrounding the app.

The app is a video-sharing social networking service owned by ByteDance, a Beijing-based company established in 2012 by Zhang Yiming. TikTok launched in 2017 for iOS and Android in markets outside of China.

Huffman said one of the suspicious practices the company partakes in is fingerprinting, a method of tracking devices for each unique visitor, according to The Verge.

“Maybe I’m going to regret this, but I can’t even get to that level of thinking with [TikTok],” Huffman said at the Social 2030 venture capital conference. “I look at that app as so fundamentally parasitic, that it’s always listening, the fingerprinting technology they use is truly terrifying, and I could not bring myself to install an app like that on my phone.”

Research by data protection expert Matthias Eberl highlights the fingerprinting Huffman refers to as an aggregate of audio and browser tracking, allowing the company to know the types of content each user is following. TikTok parent company ByteDance claims the fingerprinting methods are for recognizing malicious browser behavior, but Eberl offers his skepticism, as the platform seemingly works fine without the scripts enabled.

“I actively tell people, ‘Don’t install that spyware on your phone,’ ” Huffman said of TikTok’s software.

Read more here.

 

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SCHEMING: Advocates are sounding the alarm over online scams that leave senior citizens particularly vulnerable, urging lawmakers and administration officials to take more steps to protect unsuspecting Americans.

Experts say that threat is heightened during tax season as online options for filing have grown in popularly, opening the door to more scams aimed at obtaining sensitive information or money from victims.

“Consumers should be especially vigilant as we approach tax season,” said Bill Versen, chief product officer at Transaction Network Services, a data services provider.

While there are a slew of scams at tax filing season, experts say that the elderly face a higher risk of being ensnared and experiencing financial hardship.

The most common kinds of tax scams are phishing and calls where a scammer impersonates an IRS official, according to Monique Becenti, a product specialist at cybersecurity firm SiteLock.

Phishing is a tactic used by hackers to get access to private information using fake emails, text messages and social media posts.

These communications are designed to bait unaware users, often the elderly, into giving up their personal information or clicking on links that can download dangerous malware onto computers and phones alike.

But the most common scam between 2014 and 2018 was fraudulent IRS calls, according to a yearly report released by the Senate Committee on Aging.

In those calls, the scammer impersonates an IRS official, demanding payment or sensitive information. In some cases, scammers have been known to threaten to suspend licenses, close businesses or even arrest individuals if they fail to pay fake bills.

“The overall goal is cyber criminals trying to file taxes on behalf of that person,” Becenti told The Hill. And once an individual falls victim, scammers can run further schemes. “Ultimately, they have their Social Security number. … Now they have the ability to open up fraudulent accounts on behalf of that individual.”

Read more here.

 

CHANGE OF PACE: Facebook sued a marketing company Thursday, alleging in federal court that the firm “improperly” collected data from users of the social media platform.

The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District Court of California, claimed oneAudience paid developers to use a malicious software development kit, or SDK, in their apps.

SDKs are tools that let developers make apps more quickly.

OneAudience’s SDK collected data in an improper fashion from Facebook users who opted to log in to certain apps, the lawsuit alleged.

Facebook claimed the data included names, email addresses and gender, in limited cases.

Facebook said it sent a cease-and-desist letter to oneAudience in November, but claimed the company did not cooperate with a requested audit.

OneAudience did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a blog post, Jessica Romero, Facebook’s director of platform enforcement and litigation, wrote that the lawsuit was filed to protect the platform’s users.

“This is the latest in our efforts to protect people and increase accountability of those who abuse the technology industry and users,” she wrote. “Through these lawsuits, we will continue sending a message to people trying to abuse our services that Facebook is serious about enforcing our policies.”

Read more here.

 

CAMEO: Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) joined an app where people can pay for personalized video messages after President Trump commuted his sentence on corruption charges earlier this month. 

Blagojevich is on the app Cameo offering personal messages for $100. 

“Hey it’s Rob Blagojevich. I’m very excited to connect with you on Cameo. If you want a birthday greeting, an anniversary greeting, motivation or any other kind of shoutout, I can’t wait to hear from you,” the former lawmaker said on his account. 

The app features a variety of celebrities and personalities that offer personalized messages for fans upon request. 

Former Trump White House press secretary Sean SpicerSean Michael SpicerHillicon Valley — Presented by Facebook — FCC fines mobile carriers 0M for selling user data | Twitter verified fake 2020 candidate | Dems press DHS to complete election security report | Reddit chief calls TikTok spyware Rod Blagojevich joins app where people can pay for personalized video message Press: It’s time to bring back White House briefings MORE also has an account on the app, as does former Trump administration communications director Anthony ScaramucciAnthony ScaramucciHillicon Valley — Presented by Facebook — FCC fines mobile carriers 0M for selling user data | Twitter verified fake 2020 candidate | Dems press DHS to complete election security report | Reddit chief calls TikTok spyware Rod Blagojevich joins app where people can pay for personalized video message Scaramucci thanks John Kelly for speaking up against Trump MORE, former Trump aide Omarosa Manigault and former Trump campaign manager Corey LewandowskiCorey R. LewandowskiHillicon Valley — Presented by Facebook — FCC fines mobile carriers 0M for selling user data | Twitter verified fake 2020 candidate | Dems press DHS to complete election security report | Reddit chief calls TikTok spyware Rod Blagojevich joins app where people can pay for personalized video message The Hill’s Morning Report – Sanders repeats with NH primary win, but with narrower victory MORE. 

Trump commuted Blagojevich’s sentence earlier this month. He called Blagojevich’s 14-year sentence “ridiculous” 

“He served eight years in jail, a long time. He seems like a very nice person — don’t know him,” Trump said.

Read more here.

 

A LIGHTER CLICK: Hope y’all are happy

 

AN OP-ED TO CHEW ON: Indictment of Chinese hackers is wake-up call for better public-private cooperation

 

NOTABLE LINKS FROM AROUND THE WEB:

Vatican joins IBM, Microsoft to call for facial recognition regulation (Reuters / Philip Pullella, Jeffrey Dastin) 

The World Health Organization has joined TikTok to fight coronavirus misinformation (Verge / Makena Kelly)

Walmart is quietly working on an Amazon Prime competitor called Walmart+ (Recode / Jason Del Rey)

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The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday canceled a planned vote to reauthorize a set of controversial government surveillance programs over concerns that a slew of privacy-focused amendments from Rep. Zoe LofgrenZoe Ellen LofgrenHillicon Valley: Dems cancel surveillance vote after pushback to amendments | Facebook to ban certain coronavirus ads | Lawmakers grill online ticketing execs | Hacker accessed facial recognition company’s database Hillicon Valley: Democrats cancel surveillance vote over pushback to amendments | Lawmakers grill Ticketmaster, StubHub execs over online ticketing | Democrats cancel surveillance vote over pushback to amendments MORE (D-Calif.) would tank the bill in the House, sources confirmed to The Hill. 

The eleventh-hour switch-up comes after staff with the Judiciary Committee negotiated with the House Intelligence Committee for months to produce a bill that reformed several expiring surveillance provisions originally spelled out in the Patriot Act. The provisions are set to sunset on March 15.

Ultimately, the reforms in the reauthorization bill offered by Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold NadlerJerrold (Jerry) Lewis NadlerThis week: House to vote on legislation to make lynching a federal hate crime Congress set for clash over surveillance reforms Trump adviser presses House investigators to make Bezos testify MORE (D-N.Y.) and Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam SchiffAdam Bennett SchiffHillicon Valley: Dems cancel surveillance vote after pushback to amendments | Facebook to ban certain coronavirus ads | Lawmakers grill online ticketing execs | Hacker accessed facial recognition company’s database Hillicon Valley: Democrats cancel surveillance vote over pushback to amendments | Lawmakers grill Ticketmaster, StubHub execs over online ticketing | Democrats cancel surveillance vote over pushback to amendments MORE (D-Calif.) did not go far enough to satisfy key civil liberties advocates and privacy hawks in Congress, who were hoping for more sweeping changes to the government’s spying authorities. 

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Lofgren, a longtime proponent of overhauling the country’s intelligence-gathering efforts to better protect privacy, told the Judiciary Committee staff on Tuesday that she would offer amendments to reform the court created by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which has faced bipartisan scrutiny over its role in the FBI’s surveillance of a Trump campaign associate.  

Lofgren originally planned to introduce seven amendments but cut them down to five after negotiations, a Democratic aide told The Hill.

Multiple civil liberties groups were expected to support the bill only after Lofgren’s amendments. 

But another Democratic aide called the amendments a “poison pill” that could undermine months of tenuous negotiations between the Judiciary and Intelligence committees and ultimately kill the bill’s ability to get through the House. 

An Intelligence Committee official said the two panels have “worked collaboratively with each other and outside stakeholders to reauthorize necessary FISA provisions that are crucial to national security and make significant reforms to enhance civil liberties and privacy protections.” 

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“The draft bill does both, implementing a variety of progressive reforms while ensuring we can continue to protect our national security,” the official said. “We’re going to continue to work with all parties towards that goal.” 

It’s unclear what will happen to the bill next, but the clock is ticking toward next month’s deadline.

Rep. Pramila JayapalPramila JayapalDemocrats cancel surveillance vote over pushback to amendments 22 studies agree: ‘Medicare for All’ saves money Band Portugal. The Man to join Sanders at campaign event in Tacoma MORE (D-Wash.), a progressive leader who has previously called for significant reforms to the USA Freedom Act, told The Hill on Wednesday that she’s continuing to work with the committee leaders to encourage them to include more privacy reforms in the bill. 

“We have been trying to get a set of reforms in and trying to get to that place where we can have these tools for the intelligence community but also have some very strong protections,” said Jayapal, who was planning to vote for Lofgren’s amendments.  

Nadler and Schiff’s bill would have extended all of the expiring counterintelligence investigation powers until 2023. But it also would have ended the government’s authority to gain information about Americans’ phone calls, which was enabled under a provision called Section 215. 

Section 215 enables the government to collect business records without a warrant and surveil targets across multiple communications devices during terrorism investigations.

The National Security Agency shuttered the phone records program, but the Trump administration is pushing for Congress to reauthorize its ability to reopen it at any point. 

Olivia Beavers contributed.

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The Department of Veterans Affairs’s internal watchdog is investigating claims that Secretary Robert WilkieRobert Leon WilkieOvernight Defense: Watchdog investigating VA chief | Allegations claim Wilkie tried to discredit aide who reported sexual assault | Dem chair working to restore Pentagon funding taken for wall | Navy chief says loss of shipbuilding funds ‘not helpful’ VA watchdog investigating allegations Wilkie sought to discredit aide who reported sexual assault VA could lead way for nation on lower drug pricing MORE attempted to discredit an aide to a top Democrat after she reported she was sexually assaulted at the agency’s hospital.

The department’s Inspector General Michael J. Missal told representatives in a letter Thursday that he plans to open a full probe into Wilkie. 

“This matter is a high priority for our office,” he wrote in a letter to lawmakers obtained by The Hill.

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The secretary denies he asked people to look up dirt on the woman, Andrea Goldstein. Goldstein is a senior policy adviser on female veterans issue on Rep. Mark TakanoMark Allan TakanoOvernight Defense: Watchdog investigating VA chief | Allegations claim Wilkie tried to discredit aide who reported sexual assault | Dem chair working to restore Pentagon funding taken for wall | Navy chief says loss of shipbuilding funds ‘not helpful’ VA watchdog investigating allegations Wilkie sought to discredit aide who reported sexual assault California lawmakers mark Day of Remembrance for Japanese internment MORE’s (D-Calif.) team.  

A senior VA official claimed Wilkie told members of his staff to discredit Goldstein’s credibility after she said a man groped and propositioned her in the agency’s D.C. Medical Center, The Washington Post reported. 

The secretary allegedly told his staff that Goldstein, who also serves as an intelligence officer in the Navy reserve, filed many complaints of sexual misconduct while serving in the Navy, three current or former senior VA officials told the Post. The sources said Wilkie would share information with his senior staff on at least six occasions. 

Goldstein counters that she filed one formal complaint against a Navy department head, who she said sexually assaulted her multiple times and was removed from his position. 

Takano and six other senators are calling for the investigation.

“Secretary Wilkie’s decision to cast doubt, paint the individual as dishonest, and discredit her traumatic experience demonstrates VA’s continued inability to ensure women veterans are welcomed and supported by the country they have served,” the senators wrote in a letter dated Monday.

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High-profile lawyer Mark Zaid, who represents the whistleblower, is now representing Goldstein, he announced in tweets, directing one at Wilkie, saying “We intend to ensure @DeptVetAffairs takes her concerns, & those of other assault victims, seriously.”

Three sources close to the situation told Axios that the White House was disappointed in the department and Wilkie’s handling of the situation.

VA Department press secretary Christina Mandreucci said in a statement that the department will “cooperate fully, just as the department did with the initial investigation.”

“To be clear, the only investigation into Ms. Goldstein’s allegations was that of the independent inspector general and U.S. Attorney – an investigation Sec. Wilkie requested immediately upon learning of the allegations,” she said.

“That investigation was closed with no charges filed, and neither the independent inspector general nor the U.S. attorney has recommended any corrective or personnel actions, or general suggestions for improvement to VA.”

Mandreucci also cited “significant process” the agency has made in supporting women veterans. 

The secretary fired his deputy secretary James Byrne earlier this month, saying he didn’t “gel” with other agency leaders. Wilkie has committed to serving through the election, a senior administration official told the Post.

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Happy Thursday and welcome to Overnight Defense. I’m Ellen Mitchell, and here’s your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. CLICK HERE to subscribe to the newsletter.

 

THE TOPLINE: The Department of Veterans Affairs’s internal watchdog is investigating Secretary Robert WilkieRobert Leon WilkieOvernight Defense: Watchdog investigating VA chief | Allegations claim Wilkie tried to discredit aide who reported sexual assault | Dem chair working to restore Pentagon funding taken for wall | Navy chief says loss of shipbuilding funds ‘not helpful’ VA watchdog investigating allegations Wilkie sought to discredit aide who reported sexual assault VA could lead way for nation on lower drug pricing MORE over allegations that he attempted to discredit an aide to a top Democrat after she reported she was sexually assaulted at the agency’s hospital.

The department’s Inspector General Michael J. Missal told representatives in a letter Thursday that he plans to open a full probe into Wilkie. 

“This matter is a high priority for our office,” he wrote in a letter to lawmakers obtained by The Hill.

The secretary denies he asked people to look up dirt on the woman, Andrea Goldstein. Goldstein is a senior policy adviser on female veterans issue on Rep. Mark TakanoMark Allan TakanoOvernight Defense: Watchdog investigating VA chief | Allegations claim Wilkie tried to discredit aide who reported sexual assault | Dem chair working to restore Pentagon funding taken for wall | Navy chief says loss of shipbuilding funds ‘not helpful’ VA watchdog investigating allegations Wilkie sought to discredit aide who reported sexual assault California lawmakers mark Day of Remembrance for Japanese internment MORE‘s (D-Calif.) team.  

The claim against Wilkie: A senior VA official claimed Wilkie told members of his staff to discredit Goldstein’s credibility after she said a man groped and propositioned her in the agency’s D.C. Medical Center, The Washington Post reported. 

The secretary allegedly told his staff that Goldstein, who also serves as an intelligence officer in the Navy reserve, filed many complaints of sexual misconduct while serving in the Navy, three current or former senior VA officials told the Post. The sources said Wilkie would share information with his senior staff on at least six occasions. 

Goldstein counters that she filed one formal complaint against a Navy department head, who she said sexually assaulted her multiple times and was removed from his position. 

Who called for an investigation: Takano was joined by six senators on the Senate’s Veteran Affairs Committee, in calling for the investigation.

“Secretary Wilkie’s decision to cast doubt, paint the individual as dishonest, and discredit her traumatic experience demonstrates VA’s continued inability to ensure women veterans are welcomed and supported by the country they have served,” the senators wrote in a letter dated Monday.

High-profile lawyer Mark Zaid, who represents the Ukraine whistleblower, is now representing Goldstein, he announced in tweets. In one tweet directed at Wilkie, he said “We intend to ensure @DeptVetAffairs takes her concerns, & those of other assault victims, seriously.”

 

NAVY CHIEF: CUTTING SHIPBUILDING FOR NUKES, BORDER WALL ‘NOT HELPFUL’: Diverting money from the Navy’s shipbuilding budget to a nuclear agency and to fund President TrumpDonald John TrumpThe Memo: Biden seeks revival in South Carolina Congress eyes billion to billion to combat coronavirus Sanders makes the case against Biden ahead of SC primary MORE‘s border wall is “not helpful,” the Navy’s top civilian told lawmakers Thursday.

“To be frank, it’s not helpful because it takes a ship out of a plan we’re driving toward,” acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly told the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday.

“It particularly is harmful in the sense that it takes a ship out of a category of ship for which we’re going to have a hard time getting to anyway,” Modly added in an apparent reference to the Virginia-class submarine.

The Navy plans to have 355 ships in 10 years.

Ship cuts anger lawmakers: Lawmakers in both parties have been fuming that the Pentagon’s budget request for fiscal 2021 would cut the Navy’s shipbuilding by $4.1 billion from this year to fund just eight new ships. Lawmakers are upset that the budget would fund one Virginia-class submarine, not two as had been previously planned.

Earlier this month, the Pentagon told Congress it was transferring $3.8 billion from various weapons programs to its counter-drug fund in order to build Trump’s southern border wall.

Budget requests lay out an administration’s priorities for the coming fiscal year, but are not binding, as Congress has the power to set spending levels. Lawmakers have indicated they are unlikely to follow the request for shipbuilding.

The second Virginia-class submarine was cut amid pressure from other lawmakers to increase funding at the National Nuclear Security Administration, which would get a nearly 20 percent boost in funding to $19.8 billion under the administration’s budget request.

Navy leaders kept out of loop: Adm. Michael Gilday, chief of naval operations, told the committee the shipbuilding cut “happened at budget endgame very quickly,” adding that Navy officials “were informed after the decision was made.”

Even before the cut, Modly said, the Navy was projecting it would take 10 years to get 49 to 50 of the 66 attack submarines it believes it needs.

Modly, Gilday and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger told the committee Thursday they were not consulted before the final decision on the $3.8 billion transfer, though Modly added that “we knew that they were looking at a variety of different options, and then at the end those options were presented to us.”

Affected programs: The total transfer for the wall includes $911 million from shipbuilding programs, including the landing helicopter assault ship replacement program and the expeditionary fast transport program.

Navy aircraft were also hit by the reprogramming, including the F-35 fighter jet, the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft and the Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol plane.

Navy still committed to goal: Modly insisted the Navy remains committed to its goal of a 355-ship fleet despite the cuts.

“While this budget does slow our trajectory to a force of 355 ships or more, it does not arrest it,” Modly said. “You have my personal assurance that we are so deeply committed to building that larger, more capable, more distributed naval force within what I consider a strategically relevant time frame of no more than 10 years.”

But committee chair pessimistic: Committee Chairman Adam SmithDavid (Adam) Adam SmithOvernight Defense: Watchdog investigating VA chief | Allegations claim Wilkie tried to discredit aide who reported sexual assault | Dem chair working to restore Pentagon funding taken for wall | Navy chief says loss of shipbuilding funds ‘not helpful’ House Armed Services chairman working on bill to restore Pentagon funding taken for border wall Navy head: Cutting shipbuilding for nukes, Trump border wall ‘not helpful’ MORE (D-Wash.) said the 355 ship goal is “almost meaningless at this point” since it could take decades to achieve.

“It is great to have goals, I suppose, and we can aspire toward that number, but at this point, it seems like just that; an aspiration doesn’t translate necessarily into a strategy,” Smith said.

 

SMITH WORKING ON BILL TO RESTORE PENTAGON FUNDING: The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee is working on a bill to “claw back” the $3.8 billion the Pentagon is redirecting from weapons programs to President Trump’s border wall, he said Thursday.

“I think we can absolutely pass a bill that says we appropriated this money for these purposes in the FY20 bill, you have taken it out of all these purposes and put it here, put it back,” Chairman Adam Smith (D-Wash.) told reporters.

“Time is of the essence, and I am right now working with leadership and others to try to get a piece of legislation to the floor as quickly as is possible,” Smith added. “They robbed the bank, and they are now running away with the money. We need to stop them before they get too far.”

On the Senate side: On Wednesday, Senate Democrats introduced their own bill to reverse the Pentagon’s shifting of funds to the wall.

The issue: Earlier this month, the Pentagon notified Congress it was taking $3.8 billion from several programs and putting the money in its counter-drug fund to be used for Trump’s wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Among the programs that are losing money to the wall are the F-35 fighter jet, MQ-9 reaper drone, the P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol plane, the C-130J transport plane, the landing helicopter assault ship replacement, the expeditionary fast transport ship and unspecified equipment for the National Guard and reserves.

Separate from NDAA: Smith said the bill he is working on would be separate from the annual defense policy bill, which he said would be “too late.” Lawmakers are expected to consider the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in the spring.

Smith said it’s “possible” Republicans could support a bill to force the Pentagon to put the money back, but that he “wouldn’t bet the mortgage on it.”

Specifically, Smith said he’s talking over bill language with the staff of Rep. Mac ThornberryWilliam (Mac) McClellan ThornberryOvernight Defense: Watchdog investigating VA chief | Allegations claim Wilkie tried to discredit aide who reported sexual assault | Dem chair working to restore Pentagon funding taken for wall | Navy chief says loss of shipbuilding funds ‘not helpful’ House Armed Services chairman working on bill to restore Pentagon funding taken for border wall Overnight Defense: Lawmakers tear into Pentagon over .8B for border wall | Dems offer bill to reverse Trump on wall funding | Senators urge UN to restore Iran sanctions MORE (R-Texas), the ranking member on the Armed Services Committee.

On Wednesday, at a hearing with Defense Secretary Mark EsperMark EsperOvernight Defense: Watchdog investigating VA chief | Allegations claim Wilkie tried to discredit aide who reported sexual assault | Dem chair working to restore Pentagon funding taken for wall | Navy chief says loss of shipbuilding funds ‘not helpful’ House Armed Services chairman working on bill to restore Pentagon funding taken for border wall Bipartisan senators say Pentagon’s effort to improve military housing falls short MORE and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, Thornberry blasted the Trump administration for “substituting the judgment of the administration for the judgment of Congress.”

 

MARINE COMMANDANT ORDERS REMOVAL OF CONFEDERATE PARAPHERNALIA AT BASES: The Marine Corps is calling for all paraphernalia related to the Confederacy to be removed from its bases around the world. 

Commandant Gen. David Berger made the directive in a memo to senior staff that included a list of initiatives that he is “prioritizing for immediate execution,” according to a copy obtained by Military.com. It is unclear if there is a deadline for removing paraphernalia containing Confederate symbols.

“Last week, the Commandant of the Marine Corps directed specific tasks be reviewed or addressed by Headquarters Marine Corps staff,” Capt. Christopher Harrison, a spokesman, told The Hill. “Many of the tasks were published on Twitter Friday. Other tasks not published previously are mostly administrative matters.” 

“Any official policy decisions, changes or implementation plans will be published via appropriate orders and messages,” he added. 

A fierce debate: The move comes as the presence of Confederate memorials and statues continues to spark fierce debate in the U.S. The military has also been at the center of that discussion — 10 Army bases are named after military leaders of Confederate states.

In addition, Military.com noted that the directive came just a week after a congressional hearing focused on a rise in extremism in the military. 

More than a third of all active-duty troops say they have personally witnessed an example of white nationalism or ideologically driven racism from another person within their ranks in recent months, according to survey conducted by The Military Times.

Berger’s memo also called for finding additional ways to move more women into combat roles and instructed officials to review the potential of yearlong maternity leave for female Marines. It also called for parental leave policies to be extended to same-sex partners.

 

ON TAP FOR TOMORROW

Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for acquisition Will Roper, Space and Missile Systems Center head Lt. Gen. John Thompson and Elon MuskElon Reeve MuskOvernight Defense: Watchdog investigating VA chief | Allegations claim Wilkie tried to discredit aide who reported sexual assault | Dem chair working to restore Pentagon funding taken for wall | Navy chief says loss of shipbuilding funds ‘not helpful’ Space Adventures proposes an orbital cruise on the SpaceX Dragon The real reason SpaceX hired former top NASA official MORE will speak at the Air Force Association 2020 Air Warfare Symposium beginning at 8 a.m. in Orlando, Fla. 

Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly will speak at a Brookings Institution discussion on “How a Modernized Navy will Compete with China and Russia,” at 9 a.m. in Washington, D.C.

 

ICYMI

— The Hill: Bipartisan senators say Pentagon’s effort to improve military housing falls short

— The Hill: US, South Korea delay military exercises as virus spreads

— The Hill: Majority of troops in survey support transgender service members in ranks

— The Hill: Saudi military students resume US flight training: report

— The Hill: Former impeachment managers clash over surveillance bill

— The Hill: Opinion: To deter war with China, US must commit to defend Taiwan