The Interior Department took a shot at the Democratic chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee in a statement wishing him a speedy recovery from COVID-19.

“We wish Chairman [Raúl] Grijalva a speedy recovery. He’s paid a lot of money by the American people to be an elected official – a job he sought and was entrusted to uphold – and showing up for work like millions of other dedicated public servants, such as our law enforcement officers and firefighters, is true leadership,” Interior said in a statement.

Interior and Grijalva have repeatedly feuded, and the statement underscored the department’s insistence that hearings should be in person and not remotely, even during the pandemic.

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Grijalva announced over the weekend that he had tested positive for COVID-19.

He got the test after spending time last week with Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) during a hearing to examine Park Police’s response to protests over the death of George Floyd. Gohmert, who regularly did not wear a mask on Capitol Hill, said he had tested positive last week.

“While I cannot blame anyone directly for this, this week has shown that there are some Members of Congress who fail to take this crisis seriously,” Grijalva said in a statement over the weekend.

As Interior and Grijavla have sparred over Park Police actions clearing the streets of protesters near Lafayette Square on June 1, the agency has repeatedly called for in-person meetings while Grijalva has spent the majority of the pandemic in Arizona. 

The agency only agreed to show up for last week’s hearing if it was held in person. 

That also follows an agency invitation to Grijalva to meet in person with officers injured in the June 1 protests.

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“We can socially distance and have a great meeting. I had a great commercial flight from AZ to DC a few weeks ago. It’s an easy trip, so I look forward to visiting,” Interior Secretary David Bernhardt tweeted shortly after the protests.

The committee majority responded on Twitter asking why Bernhardt would want to meet with injured officers in person.

Much of the committee’s work before last week’s hearing had taken place virtually, with hearings broadcast online.

But that also turned into a point of contention, as committee Republicans opposed the Democrat-only roundtables.

Committee Republicans in mid-June called on Grijalva to cease the forums, calling them “deliberately misleading.”

“The ongoing use and operation of the committee’s broadcast systems is neither fair, nor bipartisan,” they wrote in a letter spearheaded by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.).

“These meetings, which have taken place without Minority involvement, are strictly partisan in nature. With titles such as ‘Behind the Curtain: The Trump Administration’s Fossil Fuel Agenda During the Pandemic,’ Minority members and staff have not been given the opportunity to participate in the planning or execution of these meetings, much less offer a witness or prepare members,” the letter continued.

Grijalva argued at the time that there is “nothing inappropriate or even unusual about the events we have held” and encouraged Republicans to arrange roundtable discussions of your own, which are authorized under current House and committee rules,” he said.

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The Florida teenager accused of being behind a major Twitter hack that resulted in several prominent accounts posting a bitcoin scam pleaded not guilty Tuesday on multiple counts of fraud, The Associated Press reported.

Graham Ivan Clark, 17, is facing 30 felony charges including organized fraud, communications fraud, identity theft and hacking, carrying potential penalties of more than $100,000. 

Tuesday’s hearing in Tampa reportedly took place via Zoom. Clark is scheduled for a bond hearing Wednesday, with bail set at $725,000.

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He was arrested Friday.

Two others — U.K. resident Mason Shepard, 19, and Orlando, Fla., resident Nima Fazeli, 22, who go by the hacking aliases “Chaewon” and “Rolex” respectively — were also charged in helping carry out the hack. Both were charged in California.

The intrusion affected a number of prominent Twitter accounts, including those of former President Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Authorities say the defendants were able to reap more than $100,000 in bitcoin by posting messages on the hacked accounts asking followers to send funds.

Twitter later said the hackers obtained employee credentials, allowing them to target 130 accounts, tweeting from 45, accessing direct message inboxes of 36 and downloading data from seven.

The platform has said it has “significantly limited access to internal tools and systems” as it continued to make improvements stemming from the hacking incident.

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Election security experts warned Tuesday that a major threat to elections this year is disinformation and misinformation around perceived threats from mail-in voting. 

The warnings came on the heels of sustained criticism of mail-in voting by President TrumpDonald John TrumpMark Kelly clinches Democratic Senate nod in Arizona Trump camp considering White House South Lawn for convention speech: reports Longtime Rep. Lacy Clay defeated in Missouri Democratic primary MORE, who last week suggested postponing the November general election due to concerns over the expected influx of mail-in voting, though Trump does not have the power to do so. He has also raised mostly unsubstantiated concerns that mail-in voting could cause an increase in voter fraud. 

“Regardless of how secure our elections are, many election experts and officials are concerned that some voters could dismiss November’s results as invalid or rigged because of mis- and/or disinformation,” David Levine, an elections integrity fellow at the Alliance for Securing Democracy within the German Marshall Fund, testified at a House Homeland Security Committee cybersecurity subcommittee election security hearing Tuesday.

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“When I look at the risk that we have to the voting process, today I think that the potential for mis and disinformation having an impact on the voting is greater in many regards than the potential of cyber threats,” John Gilligan, the president and CEO of the Center for Internet Security, testified at the same hearing. 

Amber McReynolds, the CEO of the National Vote at Home Institute and the former Colorado elections director, testified that due to officials “casting doubt without evidence” on mail-in voting, “combatting disinformation and misinformation is a critical aspect of election officials’ work.” 

Both Levine and McReynolds pointed to an assessment on the potential security risks of mail-in voting released by the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) late last week. 

The assessment found that while “all forms of voting” present some level of risk from interference, the risks stemming from mail-in voting can be “managed through various policies, procedures, and controls.”

CISA noted, however, that due to “partisan political voices” weighing in on mail-in voting, and because of potential delays in election results from an influx of mail-in ballots due to the pandemic, this form of voting could become a tempting target of disinformation and misinformation campaigns for those seeking to interfere in elections.

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“Disinformation risk to mail-in voting infrastructure and processes is similar to that of in-person voting while utilizing different content,” CISA wrote in the assessment. “Threat actors may leverage limited understanding regarding mail-in voting processes to mislead and confuse the public.”

Rep. Cedric RichmondCedric Levon RichmondExperts warn mail-in voting misinformation could threaten elections One way we can honor John Lewis’ legacy: Amend the 13th Amendment Lawmakers, public bid farewell to John Lewis MORE (D-La,), the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee’s cybersecurity subcommittee, pointed to the assessment in warning of the dangers of misinformation around mail in voting. He criticized Trump’s pushback against the process, noting it “softens the turf for foreign influence campaigns.”

“I am not aware of any intelligence assessment indicating that foreign actors have expressed interest or capability to successfully interfere with vote-by-mail processes,” Richmond said. 

Experts argued during the hearing that in order to combat disinformation, states should prioritize voter education outreach efforts. In order to address this issue and many other election challenges states are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic, witnesses pushed Congress to send states more election funds, an issue that has become tied up in the negotiations over the next coronavirus stimulus package. 

“What is important as we speak about elections going forward is not to be thinking about defensive procedures, but offensive,” Sylvia Albert, the director of voting and elections for Common Cause, testified to the subcommittee, specifically citing Trump’s critical comments around mail-in voting.

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“We need to engage our community in the civic education and inoculation that would protect them from being affected by this misinformation,” she emphasized.

Misinformation and disinformation are not new forms of election interference, with Russian agents most notably launching a sweeping campaign across social media platforms designed to favor Trump in the lead-up to the 2016 elections.

The effort was part of a wider interference campaign that also included targeting election infrastructure in all 50 states and hacking into the networks of the Democratic National Committee. 

House Democrats last week raised serious concerns around security of elections, with several emerging from a classified briefing with intelligence leaders raising concerns that the Trump administration was concealing foreign threats to U.S. elections. 

The briefing came after Democratic leaders raised concerns that members of Congress were being targeted by a foreign interference campaign, and after a top intelligence leader warned that Russia, China, and Iran were attempting to interfere in the election. 

Gilligan noted Tuesday that while states have made leaps and bounds in addressing cyber risks to elections since 2016, elections could easily be undermined by misleading information. 

“As we all know, it wasn’t just that the vote was cast and counted properly, it’s what’s the confidence level that the American public has in the system,” Gilligan said. 

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Virgin Atlantic Airways filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. on Tuesday as it suffers a financial toll during the coronavirus pandemic.

The airline filed its petition in the Southern District of New York under Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection, which allows foreign companies with assets in the U.S. to shield themselves against claims as they work on a plan to rejigger their finances.

The move came after the airline told a London court it is expecting to run out of cash in September unless a $1.2 billion rescue package is approved.

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“Following the UK hearing held earlier today, ancillary proceedings in support of the solvent recapitalisation were also filed in the US under their Chapter 15 process. These ancillary US proceedings have been commenced under provisions that allow US courts to recognise foreign restructuring processes,” a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said in a statement.

“In the case of Virgin Atlantic, the process we have asked to be recognised is a solvent restructuring of an English company under Part 26A of the English Companies Act 2006.”

The company said it plans to operate as it restructures itself and that it is confident it will ultimately secure the funds it needs under the rescue deal it reached with shareholders and creditors in July. 

“With support already secured from the majority of stakeholders, it’s expected that the Restructuring Plan and recapitalisation will come into effect in September. We remain confident in the plan,” the spokesperson said.

The airline, which is owned by Virgin Group and Delta Airlines, has suffered a heavy financial toll since the coronavirus pandemic began, shuttering its base in Gatwick, England and cutting more than 3,500 jobs.

It is just one of several airlines that has had to cut jobs and flights, among other steps, as demand for air travel plummets in the midst of the pandemic.

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The Marine Corps has found the amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) that sunk off the coast of Southern California last week, killing nine service members, the service said Tuesday.

The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, I Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) and the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group found the AAV on Monday, according to a I MEF news release.

The Navy’s Undersea Rescue Command also found human remains on board by using an underwater remotely operated video system from a merchant ship, the release added.

The AAV, which is used for amphibious troop transports, sunk Thursday after taking on water during a training exercise off the coast of San Clemente Island.

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The vehicle sunk to a depth of about 385 feet, Tuesday’s release said.

One Marine, identified as 20-year-old Lance Cpl. Guillermo Perez, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Seven other Marines and a Navy sailor were reported missing after the accident. Officials announced Sunday they are presumed dead.

Those presumed dead were identified as Pfc. Bryan Baltierra, 19; Lance Cpl. Marco Barranco, 21; Pfc. Evan Bath, 19; U.S. Navy Hospitalman Christopher Gnem, 22; Pfc. Jack Ryan Ostrovsky, 21; Cpl. Wesley Rodd, 23; Lance Cpl. Chase Sweetwood, 19; and Cpl. Cesar Villanueva, 21.

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The Navy is expediting sending equipment to recover the remains and bring up the AAV, with the equipment expected to be in place by the end of the week, the news release said. 

Two other Marines were injured in the accident. Sixteen service members were on board the vehicle at the time of the incident.

The cause of the incident is under investigation.

President TrumpDonald John TrumpMark Kelly clinches Democratic Senate nod in Arizona Trump camp considering White House South Lawn for convention speech: reports Longtime Rep. Lacy Clay defeated in Missouri Democratic primary MORE offered his condolences in a tweet Tuesday.

“I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss of eight Marines and one Sailor during a training exercise off the coast of California,” he tweeted. “Our prayers are with their families. I thank them for the brave service their loved ones gave to our Nation. #SemperFidelis”

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The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) issued a 36-page document on Monday detailing a range of fixes and training Boeing needs to implement before the 737 Max can return to commercial service.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the document, which contained few provisions that were reportedly surprising to Boeing executives, has been in the works since before the planes were grounded in spring of 2019 following two deadly crashes within a six-month period.

“While we still have a lot of work in front of us, this is an important milestone in the certification process,” a spokesperson for Boeing told the Journal.

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While the document only applies to planes flying out of U.S. airports, the changes are expected to be adopted by aviation authorities around the world, according to the Journal. Among the reported changes are fixes to hazardous wiring deemed at-risk of short circuiting and a requirement that both in-flight computers be operating at the same time.

All 737 Max jets operating in the U.S. will undergo “an operational readiness flight prior to returning each airplane to service,” the document continues.

Two deadly crashes involving 737 Max jets operated by Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines caused nearly 350 deaths and led to the grounding of the Max jets in March 2019. Boeing has struggled for months to win approval for the planes to fly again, and in January said that it hoped to have them approved for commercial flights by mid-2020.

The company has entered legal settlements with several major airlines over losses as a result from the grounded planes, and CEO Dennis Muilenberg resigned last December as the company halted production of the planes.

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A federal judge on Monday upheld an arbitration win for Uber Technologies after a customer asked the judge to overturn the ruling in the price-fixing case.

According to Reuters, the customer said that the arbitrator, Les Weinstein, ruled in favor of Uber because he was scared. 

U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan said, however, that the claim lacked merit, adding Weinstein was simply joking when he said he dismissed the lawsuit in February out of fear.

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“After carefully reviewing the full record, the court finds that the arbitrator’s concluding remarks, rather than a sincere confession of fear, were simply an attempt at humor – one of many made by the arbitrator throughout the hearing,” Rakoff wrote on Monday.

The class action over Uber’s “surge” pricing model was initiated in 2015. The lawsuit sought a nationwide ban against “surge” pricing, during which Uber takes a higher portion of driver’s earnings.

Uber has argued that drivers are independent contractors, not employees, and that they simply provide a platform for them to connect with riders. 

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Former WWE Tag Team Champion Fred Ottman (Tugboat, The Shockmaster) was hospitalized on Tuesday morning in St. Petersburg, Florida, according to his wife Sheila on Facebook.
Sheila wrote later that evening that Fred was very sick and that the infection he had was very scary. She then noted early Wednesday morning that Fred was alert and talking. The latest update came on Wednesday afternoon as Sheila wrote that Fred was still very weak and sick but is expected to be better in a few days. Fans who want to drop Tugboat a letter or card can mail it to:
St. Anthony’s Hospital
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c/o Fred Ottman
145 5th Avenue North
St. Petersburg, FL 33701

As noted earlier in the week, Ottman is one of the rumored names for the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame class with the late John Tenta (Earthquake). The two held the WWE Tag Team Titles together as The Natural Disasters.
Follow Marc on Twitter at @this_is_marc. Send any news, tips or corrections to us by clicking here.
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