Mohamed El-Erian, chief economic adviser for the financial services company Allianz, said Sunday that all sectors of the economy may not recover quickly if there are still public health concerns over coronavirus outbreaks. 

Asked on CBS’s “Face the Nation” about Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s suggestion in a recent NPR interview that future job gains may be harder to revive with COVID-19 still active, El-Erian said he’s “absolutely right.” 

“The Federal Reserve chairman, Jerome Powell, in an interview with NPR said that, or suggested anyway, that the future job gains were in industries and sectors of the economy that might be harder to revive because with COVID still around, those industries are- they require people to participate in them and people just aren’t ready yet. How do you read that of what’s left out there to be gained on the economy?” CBS’s John Dickerson asked. 

ADVERTISEMENT

“He’s absolutely right,” El-Erian responded. 

“In order for us to engage in economic activity, I have to trust that you’re healthy. You have to trust that I’m healthy. And until we have a clear way of doing that, people are going to pull back. So we’re not going to see the quick recovery in all sectors,” El-Erian added. 

“And that comes at a time of increasing inequality, not just of income and wealth, but of opportunity. So, as I said earlier, it’s a long road ahead. The good news is we have the policies to accelerate it. The bad news is that the political system doesn’t enable that.”

Businesses have responded to varying degrees across the U.S. after mass shutdowns put in place to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. 

The virus has infected more than 6 million people in the U.S. and killed more than 188,000, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Click Here: camiseta rosario central

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 our cyber reporter, Maggie Miller (@magmill95), and tech reporter, Chris Mills Rodrigo (@chrisismills), for more coverage.

ELECTION INTERFERENCE REPORT WITHHELD: House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie ThompsonBennie Gordon ThompsonHillicon Valley: Democrats demand answers over Russian interference bulletin | Google Cloud wins defense contract for cancer research | Cyberattack disrupts virtual classes Democrats demand answers on report DHS withheld Russian election interference intelligence Hillicon Valley: Twitter flags Trump campaign tweet of Biden clip as manipulated media | Democrats demand in-person election security briefings resume | Proposed rules to protect power grid raise concerns MORE (D-Miss.) and Rep. Max RoseMax RoseHillicon Valley: Democrats demand answers over Russian interference bulletin | Google Cloud wins defense contract for cancer research | Cyberattack disrupts virtual classes Democrats demand answers on report DHS withheld Russian election interference intelligence House Democrats call on State Department for information on Uighur prisoner Ekpar Asat MORE (D-N.Y.) are demanding answers about a report that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) withheld information on Russian interference in the presidential election.

Click Here: camiseta rosario central

ADVERTISEMENT

ABC News reported Wednesday that DHS withheld the publication of a bulletin from the Office of Intelligence Analysis that found evidence that Russian actors were attempting to use “allegations over the poor mental health” of former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenKenosha mayor lifts curfew citing several ‘peaceful’ nights Conway says even more ‘hidden, undercover’ Trump voters will help him win reelection Disrupting the presidential debates MORE to sway the election.

According to ABC News, the analysis was scheduled to be distributed to federal, state and local law enforcement partners on July 9, but a senior DHS official intervened on July 7 and delayed the bulletin’s release. The analysis has still not been sent out, with DHS telling ABC News that it had failed to meet the agency’s standards for release. 

Thompson and Rose – who serves as chairman of the subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterrorism – wrote to Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad WolfChad WolfHillicon Valley: Democrats demand answers over Russian interference bulletin | Google Cloud wins defense contract for cancer research | Cyberattack disrupts virtual classes Democrats demand answers on report DHS withheld Russian election interference intelligence DHS withheld bulletin warning of Russian planned attack on Biden’s mental health: report MORE on Wednesday saying they viewed the decision to withhold the bulletin as an effort to “skew” the intelligence analysis process. 

“This is the latest in a series of actions that politically appointed Department leaders have taken to politicize the operations of the Department and skew the intelligence analysis that so many law enforcement officers across the country count on to keep Americans safe,” the Democrats wrote. “It also runs counter to the mission and integrity of any intelligence organization to have its products edited or held up for review by political advisers.”

The lawmakers asked Wolf to produce by Sept. 16 all documents related to the decision to delay the release of the bulletin, any intelligence products cited by the bulletin, and details on other publications that had been withheld or edited by the agency in the past. 

In a second letter to DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari, the House members urged him to review the ABC News report and consider updating a plan around an ongoing investigation into DHS and the Office of Intelligence and Analysis. 

Read more here.

ADVERTISEMENT

GOOGLE WINS MILITARY CLOUD CONTRACT: Google announced Wednesday that its cloud wing has received a contract from the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to develop artificial intelligence solutions for cancer screening at Department of Defense (DOD) facilities.

The project is aimed at helping analyze data collected when making diagnostic and treatment decisions to help lower the misdiagnosis rate.

Google Cloud is planning to provide DIU with a prototype of an augmented reality microscope that provides doctors with real-time info while working.

The technology will first be available at a few Defense Health Agency and Veteran’s Affairs facilities.

“This is extraordinarily important to us because it is a very practical application of the work we have done as a pioneer in the [Artificial Intelligence] AI area,” Mike Daniels, a vice president at Google Cloud, told The Hill in an interview.

The contract is one of Google’s many efforts to turn its development of artificial intelligence into tangible products.

“This is about how we are taking our investments in artificial intelligence and applying them to practical problems utilizing government datasets to drive outcomes and efficiency; health just happens to be a tremendous area for us to be able to do so,” Daniels said. 

Read more.

SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE CROSSHAIRS: Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) announced late Tuesday that its virtual classroom systems had been hit by a cyberattack that temporarily disrupted online classes amid the pandemic.

In a statement, the district noted that its My School Online distance learning platform had been hit by a distributed denial of service, or DDoS attack, that negatively impacted the first two days of the 2020-2021 school year.

M-DCPS had initially concluded that the connectivity problems on the learning platform had resulted from a software malfunction, but were notified on Tuesday night by Comcast, which provides internet service for the district, that glitches on the platform were also caused by the DDoS attack. 

DDoS attacks involve an attacker attempting to take down a server by overwhelming it with traffic. 

“At no time were our firewalls compromised and no student or employee personal data was accessed,” M-DCPS wrote in a statement. “The cyber attacks did create a significant burden and caused massive disruption to all District web-based systems.”

In a separate statement released by M-DCPS on Wednesday, the district said that “multiple” cyberattacks had been targeted at the district “this morning,” but that “the District’s security and safeguard measures have been successful thus far.”

The district warned its 200,000 students who were using the virtual learning platform to stay logged on. 

Read more here.

OVERSEAS VOTING CONCERNS: A group of Senate Democrats on Wednesday raised concerns around the ability of overseas U.S. voters to cast a ballot in the upcoming general election due to mail delays and COVID-19 interruptions. 

Senate Rules Committee ranking member Amy KlobucharAmy KlobucharKaren Pence stumps for GOP SC congressional candidate Hillicon Valley: Democrats demand answers over Russian interference bulletin | Google Cloud wins defense contract for cancer research | Cyberattack disrupts virtual classes DHS cyber agency issues order boosting cybersecurity vulnerability reporting MORE (D-Minn.), Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Bob MenendezRobert (Bob) MenendezSenators ask for removal of tariffs on EU food, wine, spirits: report VOA visa decision could hobble Venezuela coverage Bottom line MORE (D-N.J.) and Sen. Tom CarperThomas (Tom) Richard CarperHillicon Valley: Democrats demand answers over Russian interference bulletin | Google Cloud wins defense contract for cancer research | Cyberattack disrupts virtual classes Senate Democrats raise concerns over ability of US overseas voters to cast ballots Tensions flare as senators grill postmaster general MORE (D-Del.), ranking member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, sent a letter to almost two dozen U.S. embassies raising concerns around the ability of overseas U.S. voters to participate in the November election.

ADVERTISEMENT

“In every election, postal delivery issues and strict state deadlines mean that ballots from some voters living abroad go uncounted,” the senators wrote. “Obstacles to voting coupled with concerns that their ballots will not count mean that many Americans living overseas will decide not to vote at all.”

According to the Department of Defense’s Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), there are around 3 million U.S. citizens eligible to vote living overseas, though according to the senators, only around 7 percent of these citizens successfully voted in the 2016 U.S. elections, a number the senators described as “unacceptable.”

“We are deeply concerned that delays and confusion resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic will make matters worse,” the senators wrote. “The United States Postal Service (USPS) has warned election officials across the U.S. that the delivery of election mail may be delayed, and the situation may be even worse for many voters living overseas.”

Read more here.

REPUBLICAN RAISES TWITTER CONCERNS: House Oversight and Reform Committee ranking member James ComerJames (Jamie) R. ComerHillicon Valley: Democrats demand answers over Russian interference bulletin | Google Cloud wins defense contract for cancer research | Cyberattack disrupts virtual classes Top Republican accuses Twitter of ‘mismanagement’ of security, employees Democratic chair subpoenas postmaster general for documents on reforms MORE (R-Ky.) on Wednesday sharply criticized Twitter for not taking enough steps to manage the security of the platform and the trustworthiness of employees. 

In a letter to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Comer pointed to security concerns from an incident in July that saw hackers target 130 verified Twitter accounts, including those of former Vice President Joe Biden and major tech CEOs, in criticizing Twitter for taking insufficient steps to shore up security. 

ADVERTISEMENT

“It has become increasingly clear that Twitter does not take security and oversight of its security practices seriously,” Comer wrote.

Comer also expressed strong concerns stemming from a Bloomberg report last month that two former Twitter employees accessed over 6,000 Twitter accounts in 2015 while working as spies for the Saudi Arabian government. According to the report, this information was used in some cases to track down, harass and abduct Saudi Arabian dissidents. 

Both former employees were charged last year by the Justice Department for allegedly working as Saudi Arabian spies.

The July security incident involved hackers using employee credentials to target 130 verified accounts and tweet messages from 45 of these accounts asking followers to donate money as part of a cryptocurrency scam that ultimately raised over $100,000. The hackers also accessed direct messages of 36 accounts, and downloaded data from seven accounts, according to Twitter.

Read more here.

Lara TrumpLara Lea TrumpHillicon Valley: Democrats demand answers over Russian interference bulletin | Google Cloud wins defense contract for cancer research | Cyberattack disrupts virtual classes Lara Trump campaigns with far-right activist candidate Laura Loomer in Florida Sunday shows – Democrats target Trump as violence flares MORE CAMPAIGNS FOR LAURA LOOMER: Lara Trump recently joined GOP congressional candidate Laura Loomer at a campaign event in Florida, throwing the support of the Trump name behind the far-right activist and self-described Islamophobe who has been banned by major tech platforms.

President TrumpDonald John TrumpKenosha mayor lifts curfew citing several ‘peaceful’ nights MSNBC’s Joy Reid concedes ‘framing’ of Muslim comments ‘didn’t work’ Conway says even more ‘hidden, undercover’ Trump voters will help him win reelection MORE‘s daughter-in-law and campaign adviser was photographed with Loomer, the GOP nominee to challenge Rep. Lois FrankelLois Jane FrankelHillicon Valley: Democrats demand answers over Russian interference bulletin | Google Cloud wins defense contract for cancer research | Cyberattack disrupts virtual classes Lara Trump campaigns with far-right activist candidate Laura Loomer in Florida Loomer win creates bigger problem for House GOP MORE (D-Fla.) in a reliably blue district, at a campaign event with some pictures showing a lack of face masks and social distancing.

Loomer’s primary victory last month has already caused headaches for congressional Republicans, who are grappling with her history of wildly offensive remarks as they face an uphill battle to try to win back the majority in the House. A self-described “proud Islamophobe,” Loomer has been banned from several social media platforms for violating policies around hate speech.

In 2017, she tweeted “how many more people need to die before everyone agrees that Islam is cancer & we should never let another Muslim into the civilized world?” That same year she was banned from Uber and Lyft after she tweeted that “someone needs to create a non Islamic form of @uber or @lyft.”

Read more.

SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING: The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Wednesday issued a final directive requiring all federal agencies to develop and publish cyber vulnerability disclosure policies. 

The directive, which is the finalized version of a draft order published by CISA in November, is intended to make it easier for the public to disclose cybersecurity vulnerabilities to federal agencies and what types of communication to expect after reporting the issue.  

“Cybersecurity is strongest when the public is given the ability to contribute, and a key component to receiving cybersecurity help from the public is to establish a formal policy that describes how to find and report vulnerabilities legally,” Bryan Ware, assistant director for Cybersecurity at CISA, said in a statement. 

In a separate blog post, Ware compared vulnerability disclosure to alerting authorities to a house fire or another emergency. 

“Imagine visiting a government web application – say, website.gov – on a balmy evening and noticing an open redirect on the site,” Ware wrote, referencing a type of cyber vulnerability. “You click around. Nothing on the site hints at how to report this. What do you do? If you’re into cybersecurity, you might send a short email to security@website.gov, pulse some contacts when it bounces, and tweet something spicy about website.gov.”

“It doesn’t have to be this way,” he added. 

Read more here. 

MICROSOFT TACKLES MANIPULATED MEDIA: Microsoft on Tuesday rolled out two new technologies aimed at identifying and combatting the influence of manipulated media.

One, the Microsoft Video Authenticator, can analyze photos and videos and give a percentage chance that they have been artificially changed, the company said in a blog post.

The other includes technology helping creators add digital hashes and certificates to content made in Microsoft as well as a reader that can check those hashes and certificates.

Ideally, those two pieces would help users know the creator of content and be able to verify it has not been changed.

Read more here.

TWITTER VS. TRUMP, TAKE 1,000: Twitter removed a video from a mid-August tweet by President Trump that featured Eddy Grant‘s hit song “Electric Avenue” after the musician sued the president’s reelection campaign on Tuesday, claiming copyright infringement.

The tweet from Aug. 12 depicted Democratic candidate Joe Biden pushing a hand-powered cart down a railway while a train featuring the Trump campaign’s logo speeds away into the distance. Grant’s song played during the ad in the background.

As of Tuesday evening, the captionless tweet showed only an image indicating that the video had been removed. A Twitter spokesperson confirmed to The Hill that the video had been removed over Grant’s copyright claim.

Read more here.

Lighter click: The prevalence of bots is frequently overhyped, but

An op-ed to chew on: Would the United States military intervene in election results? 

NOTABLE LINKS FROM AROUND THE WEB:

What Are Geofence Warrants? (The Markup / Leila Barghouty)

Anarchist Activists Say Facebook Banned Them to Placate the Right (MotherJones / Ali Breland)

Meet the Major Players in Google’s Antitrust Battle (AdWeek / Scott Nover)

Trump’s TikTok deal has hit a serious roadblock (The Verge / Russell Brandom)

House Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiTrump on collision course with Congress over bases with Confederate names Black lawmakers unveil bill to remove Confederate statues from Capitol Pelosi: Georgia primary ‘disgrace’ could preview an election debacle in November MORE (D-Calif.) on Thursday said she had “no criticism” of former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenHillicon Valley: Biden calls on Facebook to change political speech rules | Dems demand hearings after Georgia election chaos | Microsoft stops selling facial recognition tech to police Trump finalizing executive order calling on police to use ‘force with compassion’ The Hill’s Campaign Report: Biden campaign goes on offensive against Facebook MORE invoking his past working relationships with two segregationist senators as an example of “civility.”

“What I think is most important for all the candidates is authenticity, they are who they are, they’ve lived a life and they have grown from their experiences, and I think that’s what he’s trying to tell us,” Pelosi told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell. 

“I have no criticism of what he believes is his story to tell the American people, that he will work with anyone to get a good result for the American people.” 

WATCH: Speaker Pelosi talks to @mitchellreports about Joe Biden’s comments on working with segregationists, President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE’s campaign kickoff, her advice for other presidential candidates, and Hope HicksHope Charlotte HicksCuomo turned down Trump invitation to participate in April press briefing: report Trump shakes up White House communications team Meadows joins White House facing reelection challenges MORE’ congressional testimony. pic.twitter.com/OzFB9HRZ6R

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) June 20, 2019

Biden has faced mounting criticism over the last two days after invoking former Sens. James Eastland (D-Miss.) and Herman Talmadge (D-Ga.) during a speech at a fundraiser Tuesday night.

ADVERTISEMENT

The former Delaware senator cited his ability to work with the segregationists as an example of “civility” that no longer exists in Congress, pointing out that Eastland never called him “boy.”

Several of Biden’s fellow White House hopefuls, including Sens. Cory BookerCory Anthony BookerRand Paul introduces bill to end no-knock warrants Black lawmakers unveil bill to remove Confederate statues from Capitol Harris grapples with defund the police movement amid veep talk MORE (D-N.J.) and 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.), demanded Biden apologize for the comment. 

“You don’t joke about calling black men ‘boys,’” Booker, who is black, said in a statement. “Men like James O. Eastland used words like that, and the racist policies that accompanied them, to perpetuate white supremacy and strip black Americans of our very humanity.”

Other Democratic leaders, including House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.), defended Biden’s comments.

Biden rejected calls to apologize Thursday night, saying he doesn’t have “a racist bone” in his body.

Click Here: Bape Kid 1st Camo Ape Head rompers

His campaign has pushed back fiercely against the criticism he’s received over the comments. 

“[Biden] did not praise a segregationist. That is a disingenuous take. He basically said sometimes in Congress, one has to work with terrible or down right racist folks to get things done. And then went on to say when you can’t work with them, work around them,” Symone Sanders, a senior adviser for the Biden campaign, tweeted.

Treasury Secretary Steven MnuchinSteven Terner MnuchinOn The Money: Mnuchin, Pelosi reach informal deal to avoid government shutdown | Trump eviction ban tests limits of CDC authority | Initial jobless claims hit 881,000; unadjusted claims tick up Hillicon Valley: Russia ‘amplifying’ concerns around mail-in voting to undermine election | Facebook and Twitter take steps to limit Trump remarks on voting | Facebook to block political ads ahead of election Mnuchin, Pelosi reach informal deal to avoid government shutdown MORE and Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiOn The Money: Mnuchin, Pelosi reach informal deal to avoid government shutdown | Trump eviction ban tests limits of CDC authority | Initial jobless claims hit 881,000; unadjusted claims tick up Mnuchin, Pelosi reach informal deal to avoid government shutdown Ending counterproductive, counterintuitive regulation MORE (D-Calif.) have informally agreed to pursue a clean, short-term stopgap measure to avert a government shutdown at the end of the month, sources in both parties confirmed Thursday.

That means the continuing resolution (CR) needed to keep the government open past Sept. 30 would be free of controversial policy riders that have bogged down previous funding bills, significantly lowering the odds of a shutdown leading up to the crucial Nov. 3 elections.

The tentative deal also means the government funding bill and a new coronavirus relief package being negotiated between Pelosi and Mnuchin would not be part of the same talks.

ADVERTISEMENT

Both Mnuchin and Pelosi, who spoke Tuesday, agreed to “work to avoid a shutdown and keep the government open, and that the best way to do that is a clean CR,” said a source familiar with the talks.

“House Democrats support a clean continuing resolution,” added Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters Thursday: “We do believe that we’ll be able to get funding to avoid a shutdown.”

Click Here: essendon bombers guernsey 2019

The duration of the CR is not clear at this point, but the most likely option is that the government will be funded until December, when Congress would need to return for a lame-duck session to pass another short-term bill to fund the government into 2021.

The sources familiar with the talks said it’s possible any coronavirus relief deal reached this month could still hitch a ride on the CR but emphasized the items would run on separate tracks.

Updated 10:06 p.m.

Happy Wednesday and welcome to Overnight Defense. I’m Rebecca Kheel, 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 Trump administration stepped up its campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday, slapping sanctions on its chief prosecutor amid her ongoing investigation into alleged U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan.

Calling the ICC a “thoroughly broken and corrupted institution,” Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoOvernight Defense: US sanctions ICC prosecutor amid probe of alleged US war crimes in Afghanistan | Senators urge Pentagon to keep Stars and Stripes running Pompeo: State Department review found GOP convention speech lawful Senate Democrats raise concerns over ability of US overseas voters to cast ballots MORE announced sanctions against chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda.

Sanctions are also being levied against Phakiso Mochochoko, the court’s head of jurisdiction, for “having materially assisted” Bensouda, Pompeo said.

“The United States has never ratified the Rome Statute that created the court, and we will not tolerate its illegitimate attempts to subject Americans to its jurisdiction,” Pompeo said at a news conference.

Court’s response: The ICC condemned Wednesday’s sanctions as “another attempt to interfere with the court’s judicial and prosecutorial independence.”

“These coercive acts, directed at an international judicial institution and its civil servants, are unprecedented and constitute serious attacks against the court, the Rome Statute system of international criminal justice and the rule of law more generally,” the court said in a statement.

Background: In 2017, Bensouda requested permission from the court to open a formal investigation into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, including allegations against U.S. troops, after having conducted a preliminary investigation since 2006. The court authorized her investigation in March.

In response, the Trump administration revoked Bensouda’s visa last year.

Earlier this year, President TrumpDonald John TrumpKenosha mayor lifts curfew citing several ‘peaceful’ nights MSNBC’s Joy Reid concedes ‘framing’ of Muslim comments ‘didn’t work’ Conway says even more ‘hidden, undercover’ Trump voters will help him win reelection MORE also signed an executive order authorizing sanctions against ICC officials involved in the Afghanistan investigation. The sanctions announced Wednesday were imposed pursuant to that order.

The Trump administration has also railed against the ICC for its ongoing preliminary investigation into alleged war crimes in the Palestinian territories, including Israel’s settlement policy.

SENATORS BACK STARS AND STRIPES FUNDING: A bipartisan group of senators is calling on the Defense Department to reinstate funding for Stars and Stripes, the editorially independent military newspaper whose future was put in doubt earlier this year after the Pentagon proposed shifting money away from the outlet.

In a letter sent to Defense Secretary Mark EsperMark EsperOvernight Defense: US sanctions ICC prosecutor amid probe of alleged US war crimes in Afghanistan | Senators urge Pentagon to keep Stars and Stripes running Senators call on Pentagon to reinstate funding for Stars and Stripes newspaper Overnight Defense: China aims to double nuclear arsenal | Fort Hood commander removed after string of deaths MORE on Wednesday, the senators argued that funding for the newspaper represented a tiny fraction of the department’s annual budget and that cutting it could have a “significantly negative impact on military families.”

“We understand that DoD plans to cease publication of Stars and Stripes on September 30, 2020 and completely dissolve the organization by January 31, 2021 as a result of the proposed termination of funding in the fiscal year 2021 President’s budget,” the letter said.

The letter was organized by Sen. Dianne FeinsteinDianne Emiel FeinsteinOvernight Defense: US sanctions ICC prosecutor amid probe of alleged US war crimes in Afghanistan | Senators urge Pentagon to keep Stars and Stripes running Senators call on Pentagon to reinstate funding for Stars and Stripes newspaper Hillicon Valley: Twitter flags Trump campaign tweet of Biden clip as manipulated media | Democrats demand in-person election security briefings resume | Proposed rules to protect power grid raise concerns MORE (D-Calif.) and co-signed by a bipartisan group of 14 other senators. 

The Pentagon and Stars and Stripes did not immediately return requests for comment from The Hill. 

Context: The Pentagon’s proposed fiscal year 2021 budget called for eliminating the $15.5 million in federal funding that goes to Stars and Stripes.

But Congress, as they say, is the one that has the power of the purse.

The House’s fiscal 2021 defense spending bill includes funding for Stars and Stripes. The Senate has yet to release its fiscal 2021 defense spending bill (or any other spending bills for that matter), but nine of the letter’s signatories are on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Congress is instead expected to pass a stopgap spending measure known as a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open after the fiscal year ends. And, as the senators note in their letter, CRs typically prohibit any changes in programs, including ending them.

“We seek your written assurance that the Department will comply with this obligation and avoid steps that would preempt the funding prerogatives of Congress,” the senators wrote.

REPATRIATED ISIS FIGHTER PLEADS GUILTY: A 23-year-old Dallas man pleaded guilty to a terrorism charge after allegedly spending five years handling communications for ISIS, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

Omer Kuzu admitted that he left Texas with his brother, Yusuf, for Turkey in 2014 and was then picked up by an “ISIS taxi,” according to court documents. They then stayed in several “waiting houses” before ending up in Mosul, Iraq.

There, he and 40 others allegedly underwent five days of physical and weapons training led by ISIS instructors.

Kuzu was one of 1,500 suspected ISIS fighters that were captured in March 2019 by Syrian Democratic Forces. He was handed over to the FBI and was charged with conspiring to provide material support material to ISIS.

His sentencing is set for January 2021. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison. 

ON TAP FOR TOMORROW

David Stilwell, assistant secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific affairs, will speak at a U.S. Institute of Peace event previewing the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum at 9 a.m. https://bit.ly/32RwItR

Lee Soo-hyuck, South Korea’s ambassador to the United States, will participate in the Institute for Korean Studies at The George Washington University’s Korea Policy Forum at 10 a.m. https://bit.ly/2QKCtnE

Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. John Nowell Jr. will speak at a virtual U.S. Navy Memorial SITREP Speaker Series event at 1 p.m. https://bit.ly/2YZyeco

ICYMI

— The Hill: White House calls poisoning of Putin critic ‘completely reprehensible’

— The Hill: Pompeo announces restrictions on Chinese diplomats in US

— The Hill: Senate Democrats raise concerns over ability of US overseas voters to cast ballots

— Associated Press: Soldier to receive Medal of Honor for Iraq hostage rescue

— Bloomberg: Oracle loses appeal in $10 billion Pentagon contract fight

— USA Today: Where are the Black officers? US Army shows diversity in its ranks but few promotions to the top

Click Here: essendon bombers guernsey 2019

Detroit’s police chief dismissed a judge’s ruling banning the department from using several tactics and equipment on “peaceful protesters” for two weeks, saying essentially “nothing has changed.”

U.S. District Judge Laurie Michelson issued a temporary restraining order on Friday barring Detroit police from employing certain tactics, The Detroit News reported.

The ruling comes after advocacy group Detroit Will Breathe filed a federal lawsuit alleging the city’s officers used “unnecessary, unreasonable and excessive force” and violated members’ constitutional rights. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Detroit Police Chief James Craig, however, said the officers don’t need to change what they’ve been doing since the judge’s order bars action against “peaceful protesters.”

“The judge’s order is no different than what we’ve always done,” Craig said. “Every time we’ve had to use less-than-lethal force, it’s been to address violence by protesters, resisting arrest, or when they’ve tried to take over an intersection in violation of the law. Technically, nothing has changed.”

The chief told the outlet that he agrees with the judge’s ruling because it “reinforces” the department’s policy.

“We don’t use force against peaceful protesters. In fact, we’ve allowed them to take over all lanes of streets, when technically, we didn’t have to do that, because they didn’t have permits,” Craig said. “But we want them to be able to express themselves, so we allowed it.”

Detroit Will Breathe, however, alleged in the lawsuit that peaceful protesters have been “tear-gassed, pepper-sprayed, beaten and otherwise subjected to unconstitutional excessive force, shot with rubber bullets … put in chokeholds … and arrested en masse without probable cause.”

The ruling from Michelson, an Obama appointee, puts a 14-day moratorium on police using striking weapons like batons and shields, rubber bullets or chemical agents like tear gas and pepper spray on any individual peacefully engaging in protest or demonstrations who does not pose a physical threat to the safety of the public or police.

The order also temporarily prohibits police from arresting any demonstrators en masse without probable cause or tightening zip ties or handcuff restraints to the point where it could result in injury.

The ruling also states that police cannot place anyone in a chokehold or ram protesters with a vehicle.

Craig said his officers haven’t used chokeholds and asked why many of the tactics were prohibited in the order “since they’re already banned in Detroit, except in life-or-death situations.”

The chief said officers are still able to arrest protesters who don’t comply with orders to disperse when they’re blocking intersections and the judge’s order also doesn’t prohibit use of force against those resisting arrest.

“If someone is resisting arrest, or trying to attack our officers, we will use the force that’s both reasonable and necessary to overcome the resistance,” he told The Detroit News. “We don’t want the protesters injured, and we don’t want officers injured, either.”

Still, Detroit Will Breathe members erupted into applause when news of the order was announced, the local newspaper reported.

ADVERTISEMENT

The group has been protesting for 99 days, since late May, when demonstrations against racism and police brutality erupted across the country following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis policy custody.

Amanda Ghannam, an attorney representing Detroit Will Breathe, said the group is relieved by the order. However, they will seek a permanent injunction when the temporary restraining order expires in 14 days.

“Our clients simply seek to exercise their First Amendment right to protest, as countless others have done before them,” Ghannam told the outlet. “Whether you agree or disagree with the movement’s message, their conduct is protected by the Constitution. The decision today affirms that we are on the right side of both the law and history.”

Teachers unions are waging court fights across the country aimed at unwinding what they say are unsafe and politically motivated timetables for reopening schools that risk exposing personnel to the coronavirus pandemic.

State officials eager to ramp up brick-and-mortar operations are facing lawsuits from Florida to Texas to Iowa over reopening plans as well as access to the COVID-19 infection data needed to monitor the rate of spread within school communities. 

At the same time, lawsuits are flying from the opposition direction: Parents in several states, including New York, Massachusetts and Oregon, dissatisfied with web-based teaching alternatives, are suing to force state officials to reopen physical schools sooner as courts are increasingly called upon to referee the fight over education in the age of coronavirus. 

ADVERTISEMENT

“A legal storm is brewing as safety and social distancing requirements for a physical return to school begin to take shape around the country,” Maria Ferguson, executive director of the Center on Education Policy at George Washington University, wrote on the education website The 74.

As millions of students prepare for the first day of school — whether in-person, remote or a hybrid of the two — the fight over the reopening physical school buildings is likely to intensify.

The debate over in-person K-12 instruction planning is inseparably tied to the issues of child care needs and parents’ ability to return to the workforce to help revive the struggling economy, all of which is playing out against the backdrop of a fast-approaching November election in a country that has seen nearly 6 million cases and more than 181,000 deaths from COVID-19.

Perhaps the highest-profile legal battle is taking place in the courts of Florida, where Republican Gov. Ron DeSantisRon DeSantisFlorida Supreme Court says governor overstepped authority in naming new justice Political divide looms over sending kids to school: poll The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – On day one, Trump’s convention seeks to rev up base MORE signed off last month on an emergency order over school reopenings.

Under the order, most Florida school districts would be required to hold in-person classes five days a week by the end of August or risk losing funding. President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump to visit Kenosha on Tuesday amid unrest Warner calls Intelligence chief’s decision to scale down congressional election security briefings ‘outrageous’ Katyusha rocket lands in Baghdad ‘Green Zone’: report MORE, who counts DeSantis as a close ally, has also threatened to cut off federal funding for schools if they do not resume in-person learning this fall.

The Florida policy prompted a lawsuit from the Florida Education Association (FEA), a statewide teachers union, and several other plaintiffs in favor of a more cautious return to in-person teaching.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Public schools are not designed for COVID safety, and indeed, the government has recognized that they are high-contact environments,” said Kendall Coffey, the lead plaintiff’s attorney in the Florida case, who likened prematurely opened schools to “disease factories” and called the Florida policy “financial bullying.”

“There are any number of issues, in terms of hallway sizes, the flow of students in and out of classrooms, ventilation, even how many students go into the bathroom,” he told The Hill. “There are many elements that are virtually impossible to guarantee when you’re dealing with children in large amounts.”

On Aug. 24, a Florida judge ruled in favor of the union and temporarily halted the statewide order. In his decision, Judge Charles Dodson struck down the order’s unconstitutional provisions and blasted DeSantis for having “essentially ignored” the state’s constitutional requirement that schools be operated safely.

“The districts have no meaningful alternative,” wrote Dodson, of Leon County. “If an individual school district chooses safety, that is, delaying the start of schools until it individually determines it is safe to do so for its county, it risks losing state funding, even though every student is being taught.”

A Florida appeals court agreed to temporarily halt Judge Dodson’s order from taking effect while DeSantis appeals.

The state contends that the benefit of in-person instruction outweighs the health risks associated with reopening brick-and-mortar schools. Some Florida school officials have also declined to disclose incidents of positive COVID-19 cases to school communities, citing the need for patient privacy. 

Attorneys for Florida have also argued in hearings that courts should not substitute their judgment for that of policymakers who have balanced all the equities and decided a prompt in-person reopening is the best policy.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), one of the largest teachers unions in the country, said Florida has its priorities backward.

“What their arguments show is that they don’t care about human life,” Weingarten told The Hill.

According to Weingarten, internal AFT polling in June showed that about 3 in 4 teachers said they would be comfortable returning to the classroom if guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were implemented in schools.

But she predicts that attitudes among teachers have shifted dramatically in past months as the Trump administration has failed to adequately manage the virus to ensure schools can be reopened safely.

“We’re polling right now,” she said. “And my hunch is that just like the public polls, it’s totally flipped.”

ADVERTISEMENT

The AFT is backing lawsuits in Florida, New Mexico and Texas. Before schools can reopen safely — for what Weingarten calls “the biggest move indoors that the nation has done since March” — the group says local positivity rates should be below 3 percent and schools should have visibility into daily transmission rates. 

The union is also pushing for protocols that involve testing, contact tracing and isolation and implement best practices from the CDC for things such as ventilation, cleaning, physical distancing, mask-wearing and other safeguards.

As teachers unions make their case in court, parents in at least five states have filed lawsuits of their own to accelerate school reopenings.

A nonprofit litigation group called the Center for American Liberty, co-founded by lawyer and GOP official Harmeet Dhillon, is backing one such suit in California. Democratic Gov. Gavin NewsomGavin NewsomCalifornia launches plan to reopen in slower phases after surge in coronavirus cases Latino Victory to boost Alex Padilla to fill Harris’s potential Senate seat Our country is on fire — will political leaders help? MORE’s restrictions on in-person school openings in the Golden State will affect an estimated 80 percent of K-12 students.

“The effects of this ham-handed policy are as predictable as they are tragic,” the lawsuit filed in a federal court in California states. “Hundreds of thousands of students will essentially drop out of school, whether because they lack the technological resources to engage with ‘online learning’ or because their parents cannot assist them.”

The litigation raises concerns about everything from school closures exacerbating the achievement gap and disproportionately harming special needs students and those without convenient internet access to challenges over the constitutional validity of government health orders.

Weingarten, of AFT, said it’s important to remember that despite seemingly irreconcilable differences over the policy details, all parties want to see schools reopen as soon as it’s safe to do so.

“None of us believes that remote is a substitute,” she said. “It’s a supplement.”

President TrumpDonald John TrumpDHS to label white supremacists as the ‘most persistent and lethal threat’ to the US: report Buttigieg slams Trump over comments on fallen soldiers: ‘He must think we’re all suckers’ White House tells federal agencies to cancel ‘divisive’ racial sensitivity training: report MORE on Saturday lashed out at the journalist behind this week’s explosive report that claimed he had disparaged slain American soldiers buried in France, calling the reporter a “slimeball.”

Trump suggested in a pair of tweets that the author of the report, The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, may have been working with “disgruntled people” intent on seeing him lose reelection. He compared the magazine story to the controversial dossier compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele in 2016, which alleged that Russia had compromising material on Trump.

“You work so hard for the military, from completely rebuilding a depleted mess that was left by OBiden, to fixing a broken V.A. and fighting for large scale military pay raises, and then a slimeball reporter, maybe working with disgruntled people, makes up such a horrible charge,” Trump tweeted without mentioning Goldberg by name.

ADVERTISEMENT

“This reminds me of the Dirty Dossier, which was pushed hard by John McCainJohn Sidney McCainButtigieg slams Trump over comments on fallen soldiers: ‘He must think we’re all suckers’ Overnight Defense: Critics continue to swipe at Trump over his alleged comments on fallen troops l Trump says he won’t cut funding for Stars and Stripes Ex-DHS official says Trump tried to rescind order for half-staff flags for John McCain MORE, & then with a thud turned out to be a total fraud. So many other scams also. The Radical Far Left is VICIOUS, they will do or say anything to win. But they won’t, we will WIN, & have four great years!”

Trump separately went after a Fox News reporter on Saturday morning, calling for her to be fired after she reported that former officials had confirmed key details of The Atlantic’s story to her.

ADVERTISEMENT

Goldberg serves as editor-in-chief of The Atlantic and the magazine has stood by its story since it was published on Thursday.

Trump’s latest broadside comes as the White House plays defense over the report, which alleged that Trump had called slain American soldiers buried at a French cemetery “losers” and “suckers.”

Goldberg reported that Trump decided to not go to a ceremony at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in France in 2018 because he was worried that rain would dishevel his hair.

“Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers,” Trump reportedly told aides.

Multiple news outlets have confirmed certain details of the initial report.

ADVERTISEMENT

The story also said that the president made disparaging remarks about the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and opposed lowering flags to half-staff following his death in 2018.

The president has vehemently denied the report, but he has continued to face intense criticism over it, with Democrats saying the story is further proof that he is not fit to serve as commander in chief.

“If what is written in The Atlantic is true, it’s disgusting,” Democratic presidential nominee Joe BidenJoe BidenOvernight Defense: Critics continue to swipe at Trump over his alleged comments on fallen troops l Trump says he won’t cut funding for Stars and Stripes Trump rips media for soft treatment of Biden: Questions ‘meant for a child’ Poll: 2 in 3 voters say it’s ‘likely’ that people lie when taking political surveys MORE said Friday. “It affirms what most of us believe to be true, that Donald Trump is not fit to be the commander in chief.”

Several White House aides have come out to deny The Atlantic article, and Vice President Pence on Friday also dismissed it as an “anonymous smear job.”

“If they really exist, if people really exist that would have said that, they’re low lifes and they’re liars,” Trump told reporters on Thursday evening. “And I would be willing to swear on anything that I never said that about our fallen heroes. There is nobody that respects them more.”

Click Here: cd universidad catolica