FBI Daily News Briefing - July 23, 2025

FBINewsBriefing

Federal Bureau of Investigation - July 23, 2025

Seal	Federal Bureau of Investigation
Daily News Briefing
(In coordination with the Office of Public Affairs)

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Table of Contents

IN THE NEWS

Donald Trump Accuses Barack Obama of 'Treason' Over 2016 Election Claims
Continued Reporting: Dal Seeks Meeting With Ghislaine Maxwell Amid Epstein Outrage Across City
Manhattan Bomb Plot Foiled as Feds Charge NY Man With Building, Stashing IEDs
U.S. Files Forfeiture Action Against $2 Million in Digital Currency Involved in Hamas Illegal Fundraising Television Show
Five Defendants Sentenced in Connection With Operating One of the Largest Streaming Services in the U.S.

COUNTERTERRORISM

Increasing Drone Incidents Near U.S. Airports, Stadiums Prompt Alarm, Officials Say
Isle of Wight Bomb Suspect Pleads Guilty to Two Felonies
Illinois Man Arrested in Possible Bomb-Making Scheme

COUNTERINTELLIGENCE

U.S. Lawmakers Demand FBI Reconsider Certifying Biometric Scanners From China
Continued Reporting: Ex-Engineer Admits Guilt in L.A. Espionage Drama
Analysis: How Russia Uses Organized Crime for Espionage

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS

Fed Building in Chicago Locked Down for Hours; Negotiations Underway With Armed Man
Across-the-Board Convictions in Final Highs RICO Trial of 2025
Costco Murder Suspect Apprehended in Kenya, Extradited to Seattle
Continued Reporting: 21 Arrested in Metro Atlanta Drug Trafficking Investigation, FBI Says
California Man Gets 28 Years for Trafficking Drugs to Georgia
Federal Judge Sends Kai James to Prison in Multi-State Drug Operation
Missouri Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Meth and Gun Charges
FBI Drops Probe of Kraken Founder, Returns Dozens of Seized Devices
Continued Reporting: California Financial Advisor Charged With Allegedly Operating Long-Running $9.5 Million Ponzi Scheme
FBI Columbia Warns of Government Impersonation Scams
FBI Investigates Vandalism Incident at Pennsylvania Catholic Church
Continued Reporting: Former FBI Agent Convicted of Rape Committed 'Dastardly Evil' Crimes
Continued Reporting: Burglars Use Explosive to Get Into ATM at Target in California

CYBER DIVISION

Continued Reporting: Microsoft and FBI Respond to Widespread Cyber Assault
FBI Urges Vigilance Against Interlock Ransomware Group Behind Recent Healthcare Attacks
FBI Warns to Not Install These Apps

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Fugitive Arrested by FBI in U.S, Punjab Cops Eye His Return

OTHER FBI NEWS

Continued Reporting: Extent of FBI Surveillance Revealed for MLK Files
Continued Reporting: FBI Allegedly Botched Probe Into Hillary Clinton's Emails
FBI Spied on Catholic Priest for Not Divulging Info on Parishioner

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Trump Secures Historic $550B Trade Deal With Japan: 'Never Been Anything Like It'
9-Year-Old Canadian Girl Whose Father Was Charged With Her Murder Was Drowned, Authorities Say
Inside Syria's Sectarian Cauldron: A Kidnapping Triggers a Cascade of Violence
Trump's Fixation With Greenland Has Ended Denmark's Love Affair With the U.S.
Food Aid Becomes Main Sticking Point in Gaza Cease-Fire Talks
UN Body Says Israeli Forces Have Killed Over 1,000 Aid-Seekers in Gaza Since May, as Hunger Worsens
Thousands Gather to Protest as Zelenskyy Signs Bill Weakening Anti-Corruption Agencies
U.S. Government Employee Banned From Leaving China
U.S.-Philippines Trade Talks Yield Modest Tariff Shift After Trump-Marcos Meeting
Syrian Committee Reports 1,426 Killed in March Violence, Says Commanders Did Not Order It

OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS

Trump Administration Fights to Keep Ex-Trump Lawyer Alina Habba as New Jersey Federal Prosecutor
Federal Grand Juror Charged With Leaking Information Appears in Court
U.S. Ends a Mail Fraud Case, 32 Years Late
Ex-Elections Clerk Tina Peters Asks for Unprecedented Release Amid Appeal
Idaho Victims' Families to Address Killer Directly at Kohberger Sentencing
Morgan Stanley's Screening of Wealth-Management Clients Draws More Scrutiny
Masked ICE Agents Detain Former Afghan Interpreter Who Helped U.S. Military
Dem Fundraising Giant Actblue Hit With Subpoena by Top House Committees
Dems Seek Retaliation Over GOP Cuts as Thune Calls for 'Cooperation' on Funding Vote
Federal Judge Greenlights Push to Hold Trump Admin in Contempt
CCP Weaponizes U.S. Courts to Silence Critics, Harm American Interests, Congress Hears

WASHINGTON SCHEDULE

White House

President Trump
- 9:00 AM: In-Town Pool Call Time
- 1:00 PM: Press Briefing by the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt
- 4:35 PM: The President departs The White House en route Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium
- 5:00 PM: The President delivers remarks and signs Executive Orders at Al Summit
- 5:55 PM: The President arrives The White House
Vice President Vance
- No official presidential schedule released or announced.

US Senate

Hearings to examine challenges to meeting increased electricity demand. — 10:00 AM — Host: Energy and Natural Resources
Business meeting to consider pending calendar nominations• to be immediately followed by a hearing to examine dismantling transnational criminal organizations in the Americas. — 10:00 AM — Host: Foreign Relations
Hearings to examine the nominations of Katherine Scarlett of Ohio to be a Member of the Council on Environmental Quality and Jeffrey Hall of Virginia to be an Assistant Administrator both of the Environmental Protection Agency. — 10:00 AM — Host: Environment and Public Works
Hearings to examine the nominations of Seval Oz of California and Michael Rutherford of Florida both to be an Assistant Secretary and Gregory Zerzan of Texas to be General Counsel all of the Department of Transportation. — 10:00 AM — Host: Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Business meeting to consider the nominations of Benjamin DeMarzo, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary, and Craig Trainor, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary, both of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Jovan Jovanovic, of Pennsylvania, to be President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States for a term expiring January 20, 2029, Francis Brooke, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, and David Peters, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce. - 10:30 AM - Host: Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Hearings to examine choice and literacy focusing on empowering families for better educational results. — 2:00 PM — Host: Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Hearings to examine ending illegal discrimination and preferences focusing on enforcing our civil rights laws. — 2:30 PM — Host: Judiciary
Hearings to examine United States diplomatic strategies for a dynamic Middle East. — 2:30 PM — Host: Foreign Relations
Hearings to examine innovation in the crosshairs focusing on countering China's industrial espionage. — 2:00 PM — Host: Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Hearings to examine the road ahead focusing on proposals to improve America's transportation infrastructure. — 3:00 PM — Host: Environment and Public Works
Hearings to examine the nomination of Richard Fordyce of Missouri to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm Production and Conservation. — 3:00 PM — Host: Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Hearings to examine the nominations of John Bartrum of Indiana to be Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs and Jeremiah Workman of Ohio to be Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans' Employment and Training. — 4:00 PM — Host: Veterans' Affairs

US House of Representatives

Markup: H.R. 1319 the "Modern Worker Empowerment Act"• H.R. 1320 the "Modern Worker Security Act"• H.R. 4366 the "Save Local Business Act"• H.R. 4312 the "Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements SCORE Act"• H.R. 4307 the "Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act". — 9:30 AM — Host: Committee on Education and Workforce
Hearing: "Fixing Emergency Management: Examining Improvements to FEMA's Disaster Response" — 10:00 AM — Host: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Hearing: United We Stand: Strategies to Counter PRC Economic Coercion Against Democracies. — 10:00 AM — Host: Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party
Markup: SST Full Committee Markup. — 10:00 AM — Host: Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
Hearing: FY26 State Department Posture: Bureau of Political Affairs — 10:00 AM — Host: Committee on Foreign Affairs
Markup: FC Markup on: H.R. 178 Rep. McClintock To require the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out activities to suppress wildfires and for other purposes. H.R. 179 Rep. McClintock Proven Forest Management Post-Disaster Act of 2025 Reforestation H.R. 345 Rep. and Harder Restoration Fire Department Act of 2025H.R. Repayment 839 Rep. Act Arrington of 2025H.R. To prohibit 528 Rep. the Pettersen implementation of a Land Protection Plan for Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge. - 10:00 AM — Host: Committee on Natural Resources
Markup: Fiscal Year 2026 National Security Department of State and Related Programs Bill. — 10:00 AM — Host: Committee on Appropriations
Hearing: Reforming Defense Acquisition to Deliver Capability at the Speed of Relevance. — 10:00 AM — Host: Committee on Armed Services
Markup: Markup of Two Bills. — 10:00 AM — Host: Committee on Energy and Commerce
Markup: Markup on: H.R. 740 Veterans Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Servicemembers Act of 2025• H.R. 1663 Veterans Scam And Fraud Evasion Act of 2025• H. R. 3400 the Territorial Response and Access to Veterans Essential Lifecare Act• H. R. 3726 Fisher House Availability Act of 2025• H. R. 3767 Health Professionals Scholarship Program Improvement Act of 2025• H.R. 2605 Service Dogs Assisting Veterans Act• H.R. 2137 Review Every Veterans Claim Act of 2025• H. R. 3123 Ernest Pe. — 10:15 AM — Host: Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Hearing: Bureau of Counterterrorism FY26 Budget Posture Hearing. — 2:00 PM — Host: Committee on Foreign Affairs
Hearing: Catch and Release Lose and Forget: Addressing the Crisis of Unaccompanied Alien Children Part I. — 12:00 PM — Host: Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Hearing: An Update on Mail Theft and Crime — 2:00 PM — Host: Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Cabinet Members

Secretary of State Rubio meets with Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi at the Department of State at 4:30 PM.

Visitors

No events scheduled.

General Events

Brookings: 14th annual Municipal Finance Conference — Wednesday, July 23, 2025. Location: Online event, 8:45 AM. The annual Municipal Finance Conference brings together academics, practitioners, issuers, and regulators to discuss recent research on municipal capital markets and state and local fiscal issues. The conference is a joint venture of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at the Brookings Institution, the Rosenberg Institute of Global Finance at Brandeis International Business School, the Mitch Daniels School of Business at Purdue University, the Harris School of Public Policy at University of Chicago, and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at University of Texas at Austin. The 2025 conference will primarily be held in person, with livestream options for remote viewers, on July 22 and 23 at 1777 F St. NW.
CSIS: Rising India and the Prospects for India—U.S. Economic Ties — Wednesday, July 23, 2025. Location: Online event, 11:00 AM. Please join the Chair on India and Emerging Asia Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) for a public event featuring Dr. Arvind Panagariya, Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission of India, on July 23, 2025, at 11:00 am ET.
CATO Institute: Presidential Tariff Authorities and the Need for Reform— Wednesday, July 23, 2025. Location: Online event, 3:00 PM. Article I, Section 8 of the US Constitution grants Congress the sole power to "lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises" and to regulate commerce with foreign countries. Today, however, Congress has broadly delegated its tariff powers to the executive branch via several laws that give the president vast, discretionary authority to impose sweeping trade restrictions with little, if any, input or oversight by the other branches of government, US trading partners, or the American public. Recent tariffs increasingly call such delegations into question.
Atlantic Council: An inside look at Russian abuses against Ukraine's frontline communities— Wednesday, July 23, 2025. Location: Online event, 10:0M. The Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center releases its new short documentary, "Being near: Faith in the frontline city of Kherson," and hosts an accompanying panel discussion on Russian abuses in frontline territories in Ukraine.
Hudson Institute: Postponed I Designating the Polisario Front: A Conversation with Rep. Joe Wilson— Wednesday, July 23, 2025. Location: Hudson Institute, 80:0M. Michael Doran, director of Hudson's Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East, will host Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) for a discussion on the strategic benefits of designating the Polisario Front as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO).
Hudson Institute: Postponed I The State of Republican Foreign Policy with Congressman Jake Ellzey — Wednesday, July 23, 2025. Location: Hudson Institute, 3:00 PM. Six months into his second administration, President Donald Trump has reshaped the United States' foreign policy. His administration has recalibrated trade relationships with allies and adversaries, begun efforts to reshore advanced manufacturing and industrial power, forged partnerships in artificial intelligence, secured the southern border, and conducted military strikes against Iran's nuclear program. But questions remain about ending the Russia-Ukraine War, shaping the future of the Middle East, and sustaining a tenuous economic and military balance with Beijing.

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