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BIPARTISAN QANON RESOLUTION: Reps. Denver RigglemanDenver RigglemanHillicon Valley: Lawmakers introduce resolution condemning QAnon | US Cyber Command leader vows to ‘defend forward’ in protecting nation from cyberattacks The Hill’s Convention Report: GOP convention heads into second night | How Night One was received | NRCC chair predicts GOP will flip the House GOP wants more vision, policy from Trump at convention MORE (R-Va.) and Tom MalinowskiThomas (Tom) MalinowskiHillicon Valley: Lawmakers introduce resolution condemning QAnon | US Cyber Command leader vows to ‘defend forward’ in protecting nation from cyberattacks The Hill’s Convention Report: GOP convention heads into second night | How Night One was received | NRCC chair predicts GOP will flip the House Bipartisan lawmakers introduce resolution condemning QAnon conspiracy theory MORE (D-N.J.) introduced a bipartisan resolution Tuesday condemning QAnon.

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The sprawling conspiracy theory centers around the baseless belief that President TrumpDonald John TrumpThe Memo: GOP seeks to detoxify Trump at convention Harris honors Women’s Equality Day in op-ed, calls for voting reform Trump breaks with precedent on second night of convention MORE and his allies are working with the military to expose a shadowy cabal of elites who control U.S. politics and run child trafficking rings.

But it also casts a wide net, bringing in people who believe, for example, that Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonKanye West makes it on the ballot in Minnesota Hillicon Valley: Lawmakers introduce resolution condemning QAnon | US Cyber Command leader vows to ‘defend forward’ in protecting nation from cyberattacks Trump revives 2016 playbook for Biden battle MORE engages in Satanic sacrifices or that John F. Kennedy Jr. is alive and in hiding. 

Malinowski warned that letting the theory fester without condemnation could prove dangerous.

“Conspiracy theories that falsely blame secret cabals and marginalized groups for the problems of society have long fueled prejudice, violence and terrorism,” he said in a statement. “It’s time for us to come together across party lines to say that QAnon has no place in our nation’s political discourse.”

Riggleman — who lost a primary for his seat earlier this year and is one of the most vocal opponents of the theory within the GOP — called QAnon “a danger and a threat that has no place in our country’s politics.”

“I think we’ve got to look at stopping sort of the fringes of the parties controlling any type of narrative when it comes to these types of theories,” he told The Hill in an interview. 

The resolution outlines several examples of criminal activity and violence tied to the supporters of the conspiracy theory, which has been labeled by the FBI a potential domestic terrorism threat.

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It also highlights the theory’s anti-Semitic undercurrents, a common thread between many of the conspiracies under QAnon’s tent.

Beyond condemning QAnon, the resolution calls for the FBI and federal law enforcement to dedicate more resources to countering conspiracy-driven extremism. 

Read more.

CYBER COMMAND STEPS UP: National Security Agency Director and U.S. Cyber Command Commander Paul Nakasone on Tuesday detailed how the U.S. is using a “defend forward” strategy against those attempting to interfere in U.S. elections or targeting the nation in other ways online. 

Nakasone described the more offensive strategy of Cyber Command in an op-ed for Foreign Affairs co-written with his senior advisor Michael Sulmeyer, pointing to efforts to counter foreign targeting of elections, COVID-19 research, and the online fight against ISIS. 

Nakasone described the new approach as “defending forward,” going toe-to-toe with adversaries seeking to do the U.S. harm in cyberspace. 

“Cyber Command implements this defend forward strategy through the doctrine of persistent engagement,” Nakasone wrote. “The idea behind persistent engagement is that so much of the corrosive effects of cyber attacks against the United States occur below the threshold of traditional armed conflict. Yet much of Cyber Command’s combat power had been devoted toward preparations in the event of future contingencies.”

“We realized that Cyber Command needs to do more than prepare for a crisis in the future; it must compete with adversaries today,” he added. 

According to Nakasone, a mission to Montenegro by Cyber Command personnel last year to assist in fighting back against Russian hacking efforts against Montenegrin government networks was one way in which the agency was able to prepare to defend the 2020 elections from interference. 

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“Montenegro has faced increased harassment from Russia since joining NATO in 2017, and the Cyber Command team was there to investigate signs that hackers had penetrated the Montenegrin government’s networks,” he wrote. “Working side by side with Montenegrin partners, the team saw an opportunity to improve American cyber defenses ahead of the 2020 election.”

Nakasone highlighted the efforts by Cyber Command and other federal agencies including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to secure U.S. elections, writing that a “concerted effort to undermine the midterm elections” was successfully disrupted in 2018 due to this partnership.

“Together with its partners, Cyber Command is doing all of this and more for the 2020 elections,” he noted. 

Read more here. 

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DEMS REQUEST CYBER BRIEFING: Reps. Josh GottheimerJoshua (Josh) GottheimerHillicon Valley: Lawmakers introduce resolution condemning QAnon | US Cyber Command leader vows to ‘defend forward’ in protecting nation from cyberattacks House Democrats request briefing on seizure of terrorist cryptocurrency assets House Democrats call on State Department for information on Uighur prisoner Ekpar Asat MORE (D-N.J.) and Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) asked the Trump administration on Monday to provide more details on the recent seizure of cryptocurrency assets of several major terrorist groups.

The request came two weeks after the Justice Department announced that the federal government had seized and dismantled cryptocurrency efforts of al Qaeda, ISIS and the al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing.

The cyber-enabled cryptocurrency schemes used social media to raise money for the groups that included using the COVID-19 pandemic to raise funds. 

Cleaver, the chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, International Development, and Monetary Policy, and Gottheimer, a member of the subcommittee, requested that Treasury Secretary Steven MnuchinSteven Terner MnuchinHillicon Valley: Lawmakers introduce resolution condemning QAnon | US Cyber Command leader vows to ‘defend forward’ in protecting nation from cyberattacks House Democrats request briefing on seizure of terrorist cryptocurrency assets House poised to approve B for Postal Service in rare Saturday vote MORE and Attorney General William BarrBill BarrHillicon Valley: Lawmakers introduce resolution condemning QAnon | US Cyber Command leader vows to ‘defend forward’ in protecting nation from cyberattacks House Democrats request briefing on seizure of terrorist cryptocurrency assets Trump to be briefed on police shooting of Jacob Blake MORE brief the subcommittee on the operation.

“It is vital that Members of the Subcommittee on National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy receive a briefing, at the appropriate classification level, on this action, the largest ever seizure of online terrorist financing, from the Department of Justice, the Department of the Treasury on this investigation,” Cleaver and Gottheimer wrote.

They also requested that the Treasury Department provide an “assessment” of its efforts to confront malicious actors targeting U.S. financial networks.  

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“This will further inform the Subcommittee on what legislative actions we should be undertaking to provide regulators and law enforcement the proper resources and tools to continue to address the illicit use of cryptocurrency and disrupt terrorist organizations’ financial networks,” the House Democrats wrote.

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VOTE OF CONFIDENCE: Sen. Tim ScottTimothy (Tim) Eugene ScottKentucky AG Daniel Cameron tells Biden he’s ‘not in chains,’ touts Trump Miami mayor: Need for affordable housing is ‘another pandemic’ Hillicon Valley: Lawmakers introduce resolution condemning QAnon | US Cyber Command leader vows to ‘defend forward’ in protecting nation from cyberattacks MORE (R-S.C.), who delivered the final speech of night one of the Republican National Convention, predicts mail-in ballots will work “just fine,” despite concerns raised by President Trump that mail-in balloting will open the door to election fraud.

Scott, in an interview with NBC News’s “Today,” said that in contrast to the president, he has “a lot of confidence in our electoral process.”

Scott told host Savannah Guthrie that he’s “confident that we will have fair elections across this country.”

“This process of mail-in ballots will work out just fine,” he said.

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Scott, who played a leading role in putting together a Senate Republican police reform bill earlier this year, has emerged as an increasingly influential figure within the GOP.

His comments on mail-in ballots undercut Trump’s repeated claims that Democrats are pushing for expanded voting by mail as an attempt to steal the election.

Trump made the argument again Monday during a surprise appearance at the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., where he spoke for an hour after being officially nominated for reelection.

Read more here. 

UBER’S POLL SUPPORTS UBER’S PLAN (DUH): Ride-hailing giant Uber released a poll showing their drivers “overwhelmingly support” being classified as independent contractors.

The survey, first obtained by Axios, found 82 percent of drivers support their independent contractor status. Only 15 percent said they would prefer a traditional employment status.

“Drivers and Voters overwhelmingly support Uber’s new Independent Contractor (IC) plan … that allows Drivers to continue to work as Independent Contractors, maintaining the flexibility and freedom of working independently, but gives them access to benefits that today are only available to employees under existing labor laws,” according to the firms that conducted the poll — Benenson Strategy Group and GS Strategy Group.

Ride-hailing apps like Uber contract drivers who use their own vehicles and work on their own terms. Though some may work as many hours as a full-time employee, they are not entitled to a health insurance or other benefits.

Uber has started discussing a flexible benefits plan for drivers that would allow them to keep their independent status. The new poll found 89 percent of drivers support the plan.

Read more.

 

Lighter click: Should provide some backcourt depth 

An op-ed to chew on: Contact tracing can stop COVID-19 — only if Americans allow government access to personal data

NOTABLE LINKS FROM AROUND THE WEB:

After sending content moderators home, YouTube doubled its video removals (Protocol / Issie Lapowsky)

Epic judge will protect Unreal Engine – but not Fortnite (Verge / Russell Brandom, Sean Hollister, and Jay Peters)

Burnout, splinter factions and deleted posts: Unpaid online moderators struggle to manage divided communities ( Washington Post / Heather Kelly)

Unsealed Google court docs raise concerns on geofence warrants, location tracking (CNET / Alfred Ng)

South Korea is imposing tight COVID-19 pandemic measures nationwide as cases rise throughout the southern peninsula.

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The government is banning large gatherings, shutting down nightclubs and churches, closing beaches, and removing fans from professional sporting events to curb the spread of the virus, The Associated Press reported.

Health Minister Park Neung-hoo announced the new measures following a notice from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting 332 new cases.

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The report marks the ninth straight day of triple-digit case increases.

“We are now in a very dangerous situation that could trigger a massive nationwide spread of COVID-19,” Park said.

While most cases were concentrated in Seoul, new infections have spiked in every major city and town.

The national COVID-19 caseload is now at 17,002, with 309 fatalities.

Church gatherings are reportedly the biggest source of the spread, but authorities in Seoul also shut down buffet restaurants, karaoke bars and computer gaming cafes.

According to the AP, nearly 800 of the country’s cases were linked to a church in Seoul led by a vocal critic of South Korea’s president, Moon Jae-in.

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The measures will apply nationwide from Sunday, although Park said some local governments would be allotted some flexibility, such as advising businesses to shut down rather than forcing them to close.

The measures will be imposed until the government has reviewed the effect of the restrictions on case numbers, said Yoon Taeho, a senior Health Ministry official.

He added that stricter measures could be imposed if case numbers continue to spike.

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday issued new guidance for coronavirus testing, days after a quiet change sparked protests from the scientific and medical communities.

In a statement, Director Robert Redfield said those who come into contact with confirmed or probable COVID-19 patients could be tested themselves, even if they do not show symptoms of the virus.

“Testing is meant to drive actions and achieve specific public health objectives. Everyone who needs a COVID-19 test, can get a test. Everyone who wants a test does not necessarily need a test; the key is to engage the needed public health community in the decision with the appropriate follow-up action,” Redfield said.

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The CDC revised its testing guidance earlier this week, limiting tests to those who show symptoms. That change prompted backlash among public health experts who pointed to the role asymptomatic people play in spreading the virus, and concern that the revision had been dictated by political appointees outside of CDC.

Redfield said the guidelines issued on Monday had been coordinated with the White House coronavirus task force. The new guidance comes as the number of coronavirus tests across the United States has fallen in recent weeks.

But even his Thursday statement falls short of previous guidance, in which the CDC recommended contacts of those infected with the virus be tested specifically because of the threat of asymptomatic or presymptomatic transmission.

After reaching a peak of nearly a million new tests a month ago, the number of tests conducted on a daily basis has declined to fewer than 700,000 over the last four days, according to data maintained by the COVID Tracking Project, an independent group of researchers.

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Sen. Tom CottonTom Bryant CottonTom Cotton rips Biden on foreign policy in convention speech The Hill’s Convention Report: Trump to attack Biden at final night of convention | Speech comes amid hurricane, racial justice protests | Biden accuses Trump of ‘rooting’ for violence Trump to attack Biden’s record in convention address MORE (R-Ark.) on Thursday evening ripped former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenThe Memo: Trump reaches for optimism as weapon against Biden Five takeaways on GOP’s norm-breaking convention CNN uses new chyron to fact-check Trump’s convention speech MORE’s record, invoking former Obama Defense Secretary Robert Gates’s claim that Biden has been “wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.”

Speaking on the final night of the GOP convention, Cotton argued that Biden “slashed defense spending again and again” and President TrumpDonald John TrumpThe Memo: Trump reaches for optimism as weapon against Biden Five takeaways on GOP’s norm-breaking convention Trump taunts Democrats in White House speech: ‘We’re here and they’re not’ MORE “rebuilt our military and added the Space Force.”

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“Joe Biden opposed the mission to kill Osama bin Laden, President Trump avenged the murder of hundreds of Americans by killing Iran’s terrorist mastermind, Qassem Soleimani,” Cotton said.

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Leon Panetta, director of the CIA during the Obama administration, wrote in his 2014 memoir that Biden had argued U.S. forces did not yet have enough intelligence to prove that bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda, was in the Pakistani compound where he was later found and killed in 2011.

Cotton, a 43-year-old combat veteran, also accused Biden of sending “pallets of cash to the ayatollahs,” referencing an airlift by the Obama administration of $400 million of cash to Iran in 2016 to coincide with the release of four Americans detained in Iran.

“Joe Biden treated Israel like a nuisance, President Trump moved our embassy to Jerusalem and brokered peace deals in the Middle East,” Cotton said, referring to a recent deal to normalize relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel.

Biden in 2010 criticized Israel’s decision to build new Israeli homes in East Jerusalem, a disputed territory, during his visit to the region.

Cotton, an outspoken China hawk whose name has been floated as a potential 2024 presidential candidate, also slammed Biden for not taking a stronger position against the emerging global power and military rival.

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“Joe Biden aided and abetted China’s rise for 50 years with terrible trade deals that closed our factories and laid off our workers. President Trump stands up to China’s cheating, stealing and lying,” he said, while accusing the Obama administration of not doing more to interdict Chinese-made fentanyl from flowing into the country and becoming part of the nation’s opioid crisis.

He said Chinese leaders would prefer Biden win the election, a possible reference to the recent claim by a senior intelligence official, William Evanina, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, that China doesn’t want to see Trump win a second term. Evanina also said Russia was seeking to “denigrate” Biden.

“Joe Biden would be as wrong over the next four years as he has been for the last 50. We need a president who stands up for America, not one who takes a knee,” Cotton said.

The Arkansas senator argued that “weakness is provocative” and Trump’s “strength has kept us out of war.”

The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Friday announced contempt proceedings against Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoOVERNIGHT ENERGY:Trump says he will tour damage from Hurricane Laura | Park Service under fire for role in GOP convention | US officially joins global trillion tree planting initiative Biden knocks Trump for using White House as ‘prop’ for convention Second night of GOP convention outdraws Democrats’ event with 19.4 million viewers MORE, saying America’s top diplomat has ignored the committee’s request to investigate his conduct.

Committee Chairman Eliot EngelEliot Lance EngelOutgoing Democratic chairman faces time crunch with Pompeo probe Biden unites Democrats — for now House Foreign Affairs chair: US media agency chief ‘has much to answer for’ MORE (D-N.Y.) said the panel will begin drafting a resolution following Pompeo’s refusal to provide subpoenaed documents related to the committee’s multiple investigations into whether the secretary has misused department resources. 

“The Secretary’s ongoing defiance of two duly authorized subpoenas on matters directly linked to American foreign policy toward Ukraine has left the Committee no further option but to begin drafting a resolution finding Secretary Pompeo in contempt of Congress,” Engel said in a statement.

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“He seems to think the office he holds, the Department he runs, the personnel he oversees, and the taxpayer dollars that pay for all of it are there for his personal and political benefit,” the New York Democrat added.

Engel pointed to how Pompeo was willing to work with the GOP-led investigation in the Senate as they seek to, as he claimed, “amplify [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s debunked conspiracy theories” about President TrumpDonald John TrumpThe Memo: Trump reaches for optimism as weapon against Biden Five takeaways on GOP’s norm-breaking convention Trump taunts Democrats in White House speech: ‘We’re here and they’re not’ MORE’s political foes, while refusing to provide the same information to his panel, which is led by Democrats.

Engel argued that Pompeo is helping both the Senate and Russia’s agenda to sow discord in the 2020 election by spreading unsubstantiated claims about former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenThe Memo: Trump reaches for optimism as weapon against Biden Five takeaways on GOP’s norm-breaking convention CNN uses new chyron to fact-check Trump’s convention speech MORE, the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee, and his son Hunter’s involvement in Ukraine.

Updated at 11:43 a.m.

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Democratic presidential candidate Pete ButtigiegPete ButtigiegScaled-back Pride Month poses challenges for fundraising, outreach Biden hopes to pick VP by Aug. 1 It’s as if a Trump operative infiltrated the Democratic primary process MORE said Tuesday night that he does not believe his consulting work at a health insurance company led to layoffs after he left.

“I doubt it,” Buttigieg told MSNBC’s Rachel MaddowRachel Anne MaddowWebb: The modern age of dissent versus riot Cable news audience numbers jump amid coronavirus, protests Demings: ‘America is on fire’ and Trump ‘is walking around with gasoline’ MORE when asked if there was a correlation between his work at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan in 2007 and layoffs two years later.

“I don’t know what happened in the time after I left. That was in 2007, when they decided to shrink in 2009.”

Pete Buttigieg says he “doubts” his cost management work for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan during his time at McKinsey & Company contributed to major company layoffs. pic.twitter.com/tymL5guZyC

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) December 10, 2019

A spokesperson for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan also played down Buttigieg’s work for the company, saying that “for a brief time” he was “part of a larger McKinsey team we engaged back in 2007 to consult with our company during a corporate-wide reorganization.”

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“He was not involved as a leader on that team, but rather as part of the larger consultant group,” the spokesperson said, according to The Associated Press.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan was Buttigieg’s first client at McKinsey, according to a list of his consulting clients released by his campaign on Tuesday.

The project lasted approximately three months and “looked at overhead expenditures such as rent, utilities, and company travel,” his campaign said.

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“The project he was assigned to did not involve policies, premiums, or benefits,” according to his campaign. “Because this was his first client study, it largely involved on-the-job training to develop skills in the use of spreadsheets and presentation software.” 

Buttigieg, now the mayor of South Bend, Ind., and a top-tier candidate in the 2020 Democratic primary, has faced scrutiny in recent days over his three-year stint working at the global consulting powerhouse.

The attention over his work there ramped up in recent weeks as activists criticized McKinsey’s work for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and his primary opponents pushed him to increase transparency over his work at the firm. 

Buttigieg said he was initially barred from disclosing his past clients due to a nondisclosure agreement but was ultimately released from the arrangement.

A timeline of his three-year tenure at McKinsey showed that Buttigieg worked on at least seven projects between 2007 and 2010 and worked with clients including Best Buy, Canadian supermarket chain Loblaws, the U.S. Postal Service, the Energy Foundation, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, along with several utility companies and other environmental groups. 

Buttigieg said in a statement on Tuesday that the timeline provided evidence that his work at McKinsey focused primarily on “research and analysis.”

“Now, voters can see for themselves that my work amounted to mostly research and analysis,” he said. “They can also see that I value both transparency and keeping my word. Neither of these qualities are something we see coming out of Washington, especially from this White House. It’s time for that to change,” he said.

Buttigieg went on offense Tuesday night, defending his work with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan with a veiled swipe at Sens. Bernie SandersBernie SandersThe Hill’s 12:30 Report: Milley apologizes for church photo-op Harris grapples with defund the police movement amid veep talk Biden courts younger voters — who have been a weakness MORE (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth WarrenWarren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Joint Chiefs chairman says he regrets participating in Trump photo-op | GOP senators back Joint Chiefs chairman who voiced regret over Trump photo-op | Senate panel approves 0B defense policy bill Trump on collision course with Congress over bases with Confederate names MORE (D-Mass.), the top two progressives in the primary race who have proposed health care reform plans that would ultimately lead to the elimination of private insurance.

“What I do know is that there are some voices in the Democratic primary right now who are calling for a policy that would eliminate the job of every single American working at every single insurance company in the country,” he said.

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The body of the missing Fort Hood soldier was found in Temple, Texas, on Tuesday evening after he was reported missing more than a week ago, the family’s attorney announced in a statement.

Natalie Khawam, the family’s attorney, said in a statement that their “worst nightmare” about Sgt. Elder Fernandes “has happened.”

“One of our own, Sergeant Elder Fernandes has been found dead today,” she said on Twitter. “We are sickened by this tragedy that has happened one too many times. We are heartbroken for Elder Fernandes’s family.”

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The Temple Police Department said in a release that it received a call about a male “observed near the railroad tracks” at 5:36 p.m.

“Upon officers’ arrival, it was determined that the subject had been deceased for some period of time,” the department said in its statement, adding that there was “no indication of foul play.”

Police said identification at the scene indicated the man “may be” Fernandes but “no forensic confirmation has been made at this time.” They said “next of kin” were notified of the discovery. 

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Fernandes, a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear specialist assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade, was last reported seen on Aug. 17 at his home in Killeen, Texas. 

Khawam, the family lawyer, told local newspaper The Enterprise that the family learned of the body late Tuesday night, adding it was found hanging in a tree. 

“We will not stop until we find out what happened to Elder,” she posted on Twitter. “We demand a Congressional Investigation of Ft. Hood. We must protect our soldiers! We demand Justice for Elder!”

Fernandes was the third Fort Hood soldier to go missing in the last year.

Spc. Vanessa Guillen, 20, went missing in April before her body was discovered months later in July. Army officials suspect another soldier, Aaron David Robinson, was involved in her disappearance before he killed himself. 

Pfc. Gregory Morales, 24, went missing exactly one year before Fernandes. His remains were discovered in June in Killeen, and his death remains under investigation. 

Officials said there was an “open investigation of abusive sexual contact” involving Fernandes and he was moved to another unit after reporting sexual abuse, The Enterprise reported.

A senior FBI official told reporters Wednesday that the agency had not seen any “coordinated” mail-in voter fraud effort in advance of November, undercutting President TrumpDonald John TrumpThe Memo: Trump uses convention to target key states Conway hails Trump as ‘champion’ of women Former ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ star Trace Adkins sings at GOP convention MORE’s repeatedly voiced concerns around vote by mail. 

The official told reporters during a press briefing that while the FBI is aware the coronavirus pandemic would likely cause a surge in mail-in ballots this year, “we have not seen to date a coordinated national voter fraud effort.”

“It would be extraordinarily difficult to change an election through this effort alone,” they added.

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For weeks, Trump has criticized the practice of voting by mail and repeated unsubstantiated claims that it could lead to an increase in voter fraud, suggesting in one tweet that the November elections be delayed. 

“With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history,” Trump tweeted last month. “It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???”

Earlier this week, Twitter added a label to another tweet from Trump raising unfounded concerns around mail-in voting, noting that the tweet “violated Twitter Rules about civic and election integrity.”

Many states have taken steps to allow increased mail-in voting for voters concerned about the spread of COVID-19 at the polls, while others such as Oregon, Washington, Utah and Colorado were already voting almost entirely by mail. 

The FBI official’s comments came during a press briefing that also included officials from the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. 

The officials emphasized that while adversaries are “scanning” election infrastructure for IT vulnerabilities and that Russia, China, and Iran continue to pose a threat to U.S. elections, coordination between federal, state and local officials to face these threats is strong. 

“We didn’t have near the visibility or awareness in 2016 that we have now,” a senior CISA official said. “We are way ahead of where we were.”

Facebook is investigating activity on its platform after the shooting of three protesters in Kenosha, Wis., a spokesperson for the platform told The Hill on Wednesday.

A group called “Kenosha Guard” and an event promoted by the page called “Armed Citizens to Protect our Lives” have both been taken down.

The Kenosha Guard page was removed for violating the platform’s policy against militia organizations.

The page had more than 3,000 members before being taken down, according to The Verge, which first reported on both the page and the event.

Thousands have joined protests in Kenosha since the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, in the back seven times on Sunday. Blake’s family says he is currently paralyzed from the waist down.

On Tuesday night, two people were shot dead and another was injured during a Black Lives Matter protest.

Illinois police on Wednesday arrested Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, in connection to the Kenosha shooting.

The violent escalation followed calls from militias to “protect” Kenosha from protests, a refrain that has been deployed frequently by armed groups in response to the hundreds of demonstrations against police brutality that have taken place since the police killing of George Floyd.

The Kenosha Guard page explicitly encouraged an armed response.

“Any patriots willing to take up arms and defend our city tonight from the evil thugs?” it said in a post Tuesday, according to The Verge. “No doubt they are currently planning on the next part of the city to burn tonight.”

The Facebook spokesperson told The Hill that the shooting has been designated as a “mass murder” and that the alleged shooter’s accounts have been removed from the platform and Instagram.

“At this time, we have not found evidence on Facebook that suggests the shooter followed the Kenosha Guard Page or that he was invited on the Event Page they organized,” they said.

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In a statement Wednesday morning, the Kenosha Guard said it did not know whether the shooter of the protesters had any connection to its actions.

“We are unaware if the armed citizen was answering the Kenosha Guard Militia’s call to arms,” they said on their page, according to The Verge. “Just like with the shooting of Jacob Blake, we need all the facts and evidence to come out before we make a judgement.”

—Updated at 5:52 p.m.

 

One in every five small businesses say they will not be able to stay open if economic conditions don’t improve in the next six months, and a similar number say they can only last a year.

The survey from the National Federation of Independent Business, a trade group for small businesses, found that while many businesses expected to stay afloat, the pandemic was hitting significant numbers in devastating ways.

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“The health crisis is not impacting small businesses equally,” said Holly Wade, NFIB director of research and policy analysis.

The pandemic, she said, was forcing small businesses to adapt to abrupt shifts in consumer behavior, ever-changing information on health and safety and new rules and regulations from varying levels of government.

But just being able to cover their bills remains the central concern. About half of the businesses surveyed had seen a decline of over 25 percent in sales since the pandemic began, and about a fifth have seen sales drop by over 50 percent.

“Many of them still need more financial assistance just to keep their doors open and staff on payroll,” said Wade.

Of the businesses that had taken a Paycheck Protection Program loan — the program offering forgivable emergency loans to help small businesses keep their workers on the books — 84 percent had already used the entirety of the loan.

Almost half, 47 percent, said they would need more help in the coming year, and 44 percent said they would want to apply for a second PPP loan.

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The program, however, expired at the end of July, and Congress has failed to agree on a relief package that would extend the program for potential return loans.

Another key controversy in the deadlocked negotiations is the level of unemployment insurance. Republicans want to reduce the $600 in additional weekly benefits that ran from April through July, arguing that it makes returning to work less attractive.

Some 32 percent of the survey respondents agreed, saying the benefit had made it harder to hire or re-hire workers, though 9 percent noted that their customers had more money to spend as a result.

Just over half said they had moderate or serious concerns over legal action related to the pandemic. The GOP has made COVID-related liability a central demand in the negotiations.

The survey, which was conducted from August 17 and 18, included 561 responses and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.