(EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Public Affairs News Briefing Tuesday, December 08, 2020

Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com.

TO : THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE : TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2020 6 : 30 AM ES

TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS

LEADING THE NEWS

• Georgia Recertifies Election Results As Trump Legal Efforts Continue Elsewhere.

PROTESTS

• Activists: Some Georgia-Related Federal Prosecutions Aim To Blunt Future Protests.
• Growing Number Of Prosecutors Join Effort To Revisit Lengthy Prison Sentences.
• Northam Signs Virginia No-Knock Search Warrant Ban.

COUNTER-TERRORISM

• FBI Spoke To IS Fighter About Australian Terrorist.
• Opinion: Al-Qaeda Persists Despite Shifting US Priorities, Is Poised For "Comeback."
• New Zealand Commission: "No Plausible Way" Mosque Attacker's Plans Could Have Been Detected.

COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE

• Senate GOP Set To Link Durham Appointment To Confirmation Of Next AG.
• Appeals Court Denies Request For NSA Leaker To Leave Prison Early.
• Ratcliffe: "No Greater Threat" To US Than China.
• Report Concludes Directed Pulse Microwave Energy Likely Responsible For Diplomats' Illnesses.
• NDAA Would Alter Reporting Structure Of JAIC.
• DISA Planning "Grey Network" To Support Classified Remote Programs.
• Reports: Iran's Supreme Leader May Have Transferred Power To Son.

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS

• Sentencing Hearing In Nebraska Murder Rescheduled Over COVID Concerns.
• Marijuana Subpoena May Have Been Linked To Missouri FBI Probe.
• FBI, BIA Probing Discovery Of Body On Montana Reservation.
• FBI Joins Search For Missing Florida Teacher.
• Ohio Firefighter Arrested On Child Pandering Charges.
• Attorneys Seek Bail For Ghislaine Maxwell.
• FBI Seizes 40 Pounds Of Meth, Two Pounds Of Heroin In New Mexico.
• Resident Of State Of New York Sentenced To Decade In Prison For Selling Crack.
• Two Florida Men Charged In Ohio "Grandparent Scam."
• Pennsylvania Man Gets Long Prison Sentence For Conspiring To Distribute Heroin.
• Three Indicted For Selling Fentanyl In Connecticut.
• Army Expected To Take Action Against "Significant Number" Of Servicemembers At Fort Hood.
• Death Of Green Beret, Army Veteran At Fort Bragg Under Investigation.
• Connecticut Sailor Pleads Guilty To Sexually Assaulting Children, Producing Child Pornography.

FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS

• New Jersey Lab At Center Of FBI COVID-19 Test Warning Only Recently Opened.
• Former Los Angeles Councilman Pleads Not Guilty To Corruption Charges.
• Bribery Trial Of Cincinnati Councilman Delayed.
• Cincinnati Councilman Accepts Suspension After Bribery Arrest.
• US Charges Maryland Attorney In Alleged Scheme To Obtain Somali Government Assets.
• US Charges Ohio Developer With Embezzlement.
• Georgia Man Sentenced In Pennsylvania Check-Cashing Scam.
• Dish Network To Pay $210M To Settle Allegations Of Telemarketing Violations.
• FTC Warns Of Robocall Scammers Posing As Amazon, Apple.

CYBER DIVISION

• FBI Warns Of Hackers Finding Their Way Into School Zoom Classrooms.
• UK Man Who Hacked Webcams In 39 Countries Avoids Extradition To US.
• Canadian Police Officer Says He Was FBI's Point Of Contact During Huawei CFO Arrest.
• NSA Warns Russia-Backed Hackers Are Exploiting VMware Products.
• Chinese Telecom Giants Scramble To Meet New Requirements Abroad.
• Trump Signs Bill Requiring Minimum Cybersecurity Requirements For Feds.
• Companies Attempting To Lure In Hackers With "Honey Pots."
• Opinion: Public Schools Could Offer Practical Cybersecurity Aid.
• Report: Global Losses From Cybercrime Expected To Be Just Under $1T For 2020.

LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES

• Child Sex Exploitation Prosecutions Triple In Frederick, Maryland Area.
• Five More Federal Inmates Set To Be Executed Before Inauguration Day.
• FBI Agent Discusses Common Themes In Minnesota Bank Robberies, ATM Burglaries.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

• US Charges Man Living In Romania With Puppy Fraud Scheme.
• US Charged Head Of Canadian Police Agency's Intelligence Following Gambling Operation.

LAWFUL ACCESS

• UK Watchdog: Encrypted Messaging Puts Children At Risk Of Abuse.

OTHER FBI NEWS

• Wray Taps Dugan As New Norfolk, Virginia SAC.

OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS

• US Expected To Surpass 200K New COVID Cases Per Day This Week.
• Azar Says Administration Ready To Distribute Vaccines.
• Giroir, Collins Defend FDA Vaccine Approval Process.
• Pfizer, Moderna Will Not Attend White House Vaccine Summit Where Trump Will Sign "America First" Executive Order.
• Giuliani Diagnosis Prompts Concern For Legislators With Whom He Interacted.
• Johnson To Highlight Vaccine Skeptic, Mask Critic At Hearing.
• IBM, Clear Rolling Out New Vaccine Apps.
• Physicians Working To Boost COVID Vaccine Confidence Among African Americans.
• US Sees Increase In Underage Migrants Testing Positive For Coronavirus.
• Administration Officials Divided Over Wisdom Of California Lockdown.
• New York Orders Hospitals To Expand Capacity, May Slash Indoor Dining.
• Pritzker Says Illinois Facing "Most Crucial Month Of This Entire Pandemic."
• DeWine To Extend Ohio Curfew.
• Whitmer Extends Michigan's COVID Restrictions For Another 12 Days.
• Nevada Hospitalizations Up 230% Over Past Month.
• Staffing Shortages Especially Afflicting Rural Hospitals.
• Florida State Police Raid Home Of Data Scientist Behind COVID Dashboard.
• South Dakota's Noem Lauds Her Response To Coronavirus.
• Liability Protections, State And Local Aid Stall COVID Relief Negotiations.
• Lawmakers To Vote On Short-Term Spending Bill As Dual Negotiations Continue.
• Axios Report: Trump Discussing Pardons "Like Christmas Gifts."
• DHS Says It Has Fully Restored DACA For Now.
• TPS Extended For Nine Months.
• Border Wall Contractors Accused Of "Smuggling Armed Mexican Security Teams" Into US.
• Office Of Special Counsel Says Navarro Repeatedly Violated Hatch Act.
• NYTimes Analysis: Scrutiny Of Spending At Trump Properties Did Not Result In Limits.
• McConnell Says Senate Will Take Up And Pass NDAA.
• Supreme Court Declines To Take Up Appeal On Transgender Student's Rights.
• Supreme Court Considers US Role In Holocaust Survivors' Cases Against Germany And Hungary.
• Biden Has Reportedly Decided On Austin For Defense Secretary.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• Britain Beginning Vaccination Campaign.
• Canada Prepares To Begin Distributing Pfizer Vaccine This Month.
• NYTimes Profiles Scandal-Plagued Executive For Chinese Vaccine Manufacturer.
• US Economic Sanctions On Iran Could Impede Access To Coronavirus Vaccines, Analysts Say.
• Lack Of Trust Said To Be Impacting Russia's COVID Vaccine Rollout.
• Sao Paulo Governor Mandates Residents Get COVID Vaccine.
• Iran Says Nuclear Official Was Killed By "Satellite-Controlled Smart System."
• Duckworth Calls On State Department To Prioritize Return Of US Contractor Taken In Afghanistan.
• With Brexit Talks At An Impasse, Johnson To Travel To Brussels This Week.
• Maduro Alliance Claims Victory In Venezuelan Congressional Elections.
• Romanian Prime Minister Resigns Following Unexpected Election Defeat.
• NYTimes Analysis: Abortion Protests Shifting Gender Balance Of Power In Poland.
• Ghanaians Go To Polls In Presidential Election.
• Researchers Say Last Month Was Hottest November On Record.

THE BIG PICTURE

• Headlines From Today's Front Pages.

WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE

• Today's Events In Washington.

[Full news briefing content follows, including detailed summaries of each headline.]

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