[EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Daily News Briefing - September 14, 2023

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Table of Contents
IN THE NEWS
• Escaped Convict Cavalcante Captured After Weekslong Pennsylvania Manhunt

• Judge Appears to Reject Trump Bid to Talk Classified Info at Mar-A-Lago
  ⚫ FBI Agent Undercuts Claims of Political Interference in Hunter Biden Inquiry
  ⚫ Trump Waives Right to Speedy Trial as Georgia Prosecutor Seeks to Try Him With 18 Others Next Month
  COUNTERTERRORISM
  • Continued Reporting: Jury Urged to Convict Three in Last Trial Tied to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Kidnapping Plot
  • Bridge Reopens Following FBI Investigation into Bomb Threat
  • Antisemitism Is Rising in New Jersey and Across the U.S.
  ⚫ Disarm Hate: A Summary of Key Challenges and Solutions
  • Opinion: What Does America Owe the Victims of Racial Terrorism?
  COUNTERINTELLIGENCE
  ⚫ Ex-FBI Official in Trump-Russia Probe Who Admitted to Russian Oligarch Scheme Nearing Plea Deal in 2nd DC Case
• Spyware Is Found on Phone of Prominent Russian Journalist
  CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS
  ⚫ Defense Set to Begin in Impeachment Trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton
  • Former Alabama Department of Corrections Lieutenant Pleads Guilty to Federal Civil Rights and Obstruction Offenses
• Nashville Police, FBI Investigating Hoax Calls at Airport, Schools & Businesses
  • Extortion Trial Against Joran Van Der Sloot, Suspect in Natalee Holloway Disappearance, Is Delayed
  ⚫ Federal Grand Jury Indicts Illinois Postal Workers in COVID Relief Fraud Scheme
  • Woman Admits to Faking Car Trouble, Killing Florida College Student Who Stopped to Help Her
  • Idaho Murder Victims' Families Plea for Transparency in Courtroom
  ⚫ Pennsylvania Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking Charges
  ⚫ Delta Worker Accused of Stealing $258K in Bag From JFK
  • 'Cryptoqueen' Ruja Ignatova Remains a Fugitive as Her Partner in $4B Onecoin Fraud Gets 20 Years
• Rep. George Santos Denies Reports He's Working on a Plea Deal With Prosecutors
  • Maine Man Arrested for Racially-Motivated Death Threats Against Black Neighbor
  ⚫ Dethroned Pageant Queen Alleges She Was Raped, Forced Into Explicit Video in Lawsuit Against Pornhub
  ⚫ FEC Tosses Complaint Claiming Gaetz Used Campaign Funds for Trafficking Probe Defense
  • Parents Say American Airlines Flight Attendant Put Hidden Camera in Bathroom to Record Daughter
  CYBER DIVISION
  ⚫ MGM Resorts Breached by 'Scattered Spider' Hackers
  LABORATORY
  ⚫ U.S. Federal Agencies Urge Firms to Prepare for Deepfakes
  CAPITOL VIOLENCE NEWS
• Appeals Court Restricts DOJ Access to Rep. Scott Perry's Phone in 2020 Election Probe
• Trump, January 6 and a Conspiracy to Overturn the 2020 Election: The Federal Investigation, Explained
  ⚫ McConnell Didn't Reply to Romney's Text Warning About Jan. 6
  ⚫ FBI Investigating Threats Made Against Local Officials After Former Pres. Trump's Arrest
  • Infowars Host Wants Help From Supreme Court in Capitol Riot Case
  ⚫ Why the FBI Is Still Searching for Hundreds of Capitol Rioters
  • Illinois Woman, Recent U.S. Citizen Arrested by FBI for Allegedly Storming U.S. Capitol on January 6
  • One Key Group Is Stopping the Push to Ban Trump From 2024 Ballot - Democrats
• Majority Call 'Harsh' Jan. 6 Sentences a Biden Warning to Foes
  • First Cases From Jan. 6 Capitol Riot Reach U.S. Supreme Court
  ⚫ UK Ex-Premier Theresa May Says Capitol Riot Was a Wake-Up Call for West
  OTHER FBI NEWS
  • Vivek Ramaswamy Proposes Mass Federal Layoffs as More GOP Hopefuls Look To Slash U.S. Government
  • Youngkin Set to Approve New Oversight Measure for State Prisons
• Liberty Safe Facing Investigation After Customer Code Sharing Backlash
  • Opinion: Missouri v. Biden and the Crossroads of Politics, Censorship and Free Speech
  INTERNATIONAL NEWS
  ⚫ Bodies 'Everywhere' in Libyan City After Floods; Thousands Still Missing
• Russian Navy Shipyard Targeted by Missile Strikes in Sevastopol; Two Vessels Hit
  • After Morocco Earthquake, Wiped-Out Villages Lose Hope of Rebuilding
  • Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin Meet at Russia's Main Spaceport
• Russia's Offensive to Reverse Ukraine's Gains Is Stalling
  ⚫ Russia Overcomes Sanctions to Expand Missile Production, Officials Say
  ⚫ Russia Ramps up Drone, Guided Bomb Attacks to Thwart Counteroffensive
  • Evan Gershkovich's Family, U.S. Official Demand WSJ Reporter's Release in U.N. Appeal
• China Denies Banning iPhones, but Cites Unspecified Security Concerns
• U.S. Deepens Security Pledge to Bahrain, an Adversary of Iran
  • El Chapo's Wife Released From US Custody After Completing 3-Year Prison Sentence
  • Mexican Congress Holds Hearing on UFOs Featuring Purported 'Alien' Bodies
  ⚫ EU Chief Calls for More Engagement With Africa
  • People-Smuggling Should Be Treated 'On a Par' With Terrorism, Starmer Says
  • Congress Heads to Wall Street to Urge Curbs on Investments in China
  OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS
  ⚫ Hunter Biden Sues Former Trump Aide Over Publication of Laptop Emails, Images
  ⚫ Sen. Mitt Romney Says He Won't Seek Re-Election
  • Facing Fire, McCarthy Lays Out Plan to Avoid Government Shutdown
  • Federal Judge Again Declares That DACA Is Illegal With Issue Likely to Be Decided by Supreme Court
• Few Specifics on Next Steps as GOP Moves Forward on Impeachment Inquiry
  ⚫ Biden Administration Will Track Civilian Deaths From U.S.-Supplied Arms
  • Husband of U.S. Lawmaker Dies in Plane Crash
  • NASA to Unveil UFO Report Thursday
  ⚫ Musk Warns Senators About Al Threat, While Gates Says the Technology Could Target World Hunger
  • U.S. Judge Freezes New Mexico Governor's Gun Ban
  BIG PICTURE
  • New York Times
  • Wall Street Journal
  • Washington Post
  ⚫ Financial Times
  ⚫ ABC News
  ⚫ CBS News
  ⚫ NBC News
  ⚫ Fox News
  WASHINGTON SCHEDULE
  White House
  President Biden
  • 10:00 AM: The President receives the Presidential Daily Briefing
  • 1:30 PM: The President departs the White House en route to Largo, Maryland
  • 2:10 PM: The President arrives in Largo, Maryland
  • 2:45 PM: The President delivers remarks on Bidenomics
  • 4:10 PM: The President arrives at the White House
  • 6:15 PM: The President participates in a call and delivers remarks with rabbis around the country to commemorate the Jewish High Holidays
  Vice President Harris
  • No events scheduled.
  US Senate
  • Hearings to examine the nomination of Admiral Lisa M. Franchetti USN for reappointment to the grade of admiral and to be Chief of Naval Operations Department of Defense. — 9:30 AM — Host: Armed Services Committee
  • Hearings to examine the crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh. — 10:00 AM — Host: Foreign Relations Committee
  • Hearings to examine governingAl through acquisition and procurement. — 10:00 AM — Host: Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
  US House of Representatives
  • Hearing: Member Day — 9:30 AM — Host: Committee on Ways and Means
  • Hearing: HearingEntitled: Implementing Basel III: What's the Fed's Endgame? — 10:00 AM — Host: Committee on Financial Services
  • Hearing: Terrorist Entry Through the Southwest Border — 10:00 AM — Host: Committee on the Judiciary
  • Hearing: Oversight of Federal Agencies Post-Pandemic Telework Policies — 10:00 AM — Host: Committee on Oversight and Accountability
  • Hearing: Oversight hearing titled "Examining Systemic Government Overreach at CEO." — 10:00 AM — Host: Committee on Natural Resources
  • Hearing: Oh Doctor Where Art Thou? Pandemic Erosion of the Doctor-Patient Relationship — 10:00 AM — Host: Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic
  • Hearing: VA Electronic Health Record Modernization: Get Well Soon? — 10:30 AM — Host: Committee on Veterans' Affairs
  • Hearing: Children are not for Sale Global Efforts to Address Child Trafficking — 12:00 PM — Host: Committee on Foreign Affairs
  • Hearing: How are Federal Agencies Harnessing Artificial Intelligence? — 1:00 PM — Host: Committee on Oversight and Accountability
  • Hearing: The Inflation Reduction Act: A Year in Review — 2:00 PM — Host: Committee on Oversight and Accountability
  • Hearing: HearingEntitled: Digital Dollar Dilemma: The Implications of a Central Bank Digital Currency and Private Sector Alternatives — 2:00 PM — Host: Committee on Financial Services
  Cabinet Members
  • Secretary of Defense Austin hosts an enhanced honor cordon and meeting welcoming Bahrain's Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa to the Pentagon at 11 a.m. EDT on the steps of the River Entrance.
  • Secretary of State Blinken hosts a dinner for German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at 7:00 PM.
  Visitors
  • Bahrain's Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa meets with Secretary Blinken at the Pentagon.
  • German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock meets with Secretary Blinken.
  General Events
  • Brookings Institution: Frontier Al regulation: Preparing for the future beyond ChatGPT — Thursday, September 14, 2023. Location: Online Event, 1:30 PM. A growing chorus of experts is concerned about the risks emanating from advanced Al systems. While policymakers around the world are still evaluating the opportunities and dangers arising from the current generation of Al systems like ChatGPT, leading technology companies are already working on the next generation of these systems that will push forward the frontier of Al capabilities—and risks. On September 14, the Center on Regulation and Markets will host a virtual event to evaluate these risks, discuss how to proactively regulate frontier Al systems, and examine the potential pitfalls of frontier Al regulation. The event will open with a discussion between Congressman Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) and Nonresident Fellow Anton Korinek of Brookings, followed by a panel of experts. This event is a part of the center's series on "The Economics and Regulation of Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies."
  • CSIS: Rising Coups in Africa: The Road Ahead — Thursday, September 14, 2023. Location: Online Event, 9:30 AM. Seven countries in Africa have experienced successful coups since 2020. Six of the countries that have experienced military takeovers in recent years - Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, and Sudan - run from coast to coast, forming what experts call a "coup belt." On August 30, Gabon became the seventh country to undergo a coup, when the Armed Forces of Gabon overthrew president Ali Bongo. Join the CSIS Africa Program for a discussion on the drivers of coups in Africa, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for citizens in these countries.
  • CSIS: Iran's Path Forward: Civil Society's Lessons Learned on the Anniversary of Mahsa Amini's Killing — Thursday, September 14, 2023. Location: CSIS, 1:00 PM. One year after the killing of Mahsa Amini, the Iranian regime appears emboldened, continuing its crackdown on dissent, and offering no meaningful concessions to millions of Iranians who have said no to the Islamic Republic. Iranian civil society groups and diaspora communities continue to advocate for change, but they have not yet succeeded in leveraging the revolutionary movement to achieve lasting change. Please join the CSIS Middle East Program for analytic reflections on the lessons civil society has learned in the year following Amini's death with Siamak Aram, Cameron Khansarinia, and Nilo Tabrizy, with introductory remarks from Jason Rezaian and moderated by Jon Alterman.
  • CSIS: Press Briefing: Previewing the High-Level Week of UNGA 78 — Thursday, September 14, 2023. Location: CSIS, 1:00 PM. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) will host a call-in press briefing on Thursday, September 14, at 1:00 p.m. EDT, to preview the high-level week at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 78), which will begin Tuesday, September 19. Experts from CSIS's Project on Prosperity and Development, Global Food and Water Security Program, Energy Security and Climate Change Program, and Human Rights Initiative will weigh in on key themes and context, as well as their expectations ahead of this high-level week of gatherings.
  • CSIS: Integration of the U.S. Missile Defense Enterprise — Thursday, September 14, 2023. Location: CSIS, 1:30 PM. Please join the CSIS Missile Defense Project for a conversation on missile defense missions, roles and responsibilities across the U.S. Department of Defense, and recommendations for improving the enterprise. The conversation will feature Dr. William Greenwalt and Mr. Roger Kodat, respectively panel chair and project director of a recent National Academy of Public Administration report, Missile Defense Integration. The event will be moderated by Dr. Tom Karako.
  • Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Carnegie Connects: The Ukrainian Counteroffensive: Implications for U.S. Policy — Thursday, September 14, 2023. Location: Online Event, 1:00 PM. Ukraine's ongoing counteroffensive has perhaps unfairly left some Western policy circles disappointed. Nonetheless, the war continues seemingly with no end in sight. What are the most realistic options for Kyiv to make
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  headway against Russia? Has the Biden administration been too risk averse in its provision of military assistance, and what kind of advanced weapons systems supplied to Ukraine might make a significant difference on the battlefield? What have the past several months taught us about Ukranian and Russian strategy? And do the core tenets of Western strategy toward Russia's war on Ukraine require rethinking? Join Aaron David Miller as he hosts leading military analysts Dara Massicot, formerly of the RAND Corporation and soon to join Carnegie, and Carnegie's own Michael Kofman for a discussion of these and other issues.
  • CATO Institute: All the Kingdoms of the World: On Radical Religious Alternatives to Liberalism — Thursday, September 14, 2023. Location: CATO Institute, 12:00 PM. In the past few years, a new intellectual trend has appeared among America's Christian conservatives: "post-liberalism." Its pioneers include a handful of Catholic scholars called "integralists"—who want to integrate the state and religion—and other public figures known as "national conservatives." These post-liberals blame some social ills and social change that they see as problematic on the classical liberal tradition that constitutes the very founding principles of the United States: individual liberty, religious freedom, free markets, and separation of church and state. Kevin Vallier will critique post-liberals using insights partly drawn from Catholic theology and explain why a reintegration of state and religion is good for neither the state, nor religion, nor liberty. Mustafa Akyol and Mark Tooley will share their thoughts on liberalism from Islamic and Protestant perspectives.
  • CATO Institute: Expanding Methadone Access — Thursday, September 14, 2023. Location: CATO Institute, 1:00 PM. The National Center for Health Statistics reported that more than 107,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2021. More than three-quarters of overdose deaths involved opioids. Recent research estimates the number of adults living with opioid use disorder (OUD) ranges from 6.7 million to 7.6 million. These estimates suggest that 1-2 of every 100 U.S. residents has OUD. In the United States, federal and state laws require people with OUD who seek treatment with methadone to travel to government-approved opioid treatment programs, which limits access to methadone treatment. Increasing access to OUD treatment would reduce the number of people who seek drugs in the dangerous black market and, in turn, reduce the risk and incidence of overdose deaths. Please join us at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 14, in the Russell Senate Office Building, Room SR-188, as Dr. Jeffrey A. Singer, senior fellow at the Cato Institute, shares his new policy analysis on expanding methadone access.
  • CAP: The Time Tax: Better Access to Benefits by Reducing Administrative Burden — Thursday, September 14, 2023. Location: Online Event, 10:30 AM. Burdens such as excessive paperwork, difficult reenrollment procedures, and complicated applications can prevent otherwise eligible people from obtaining the benefits they need. These types of burdens can be particularly challenging to those from underserved communities. States, practitioners, and the federal government have all turned their attention to the complex systems and "time taxes" that individuals, families, and even small businesses navigate as they try to access the programs and services that can grow the middle class. Please join a discussion with the Center for American Progress, the associate administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the White House Office of Management and Budget, and a panel of experts on best practices for reducing administrative burden and increasing access to the services and programs individuals and their families need.
  • CAP: ImplementingAmerica's Clean Energy Future: LeveragingFederal Investments To Support State and Local Climate Leadership — Thursday, September 14, 2023. Location: Online Event, 1:00 PM. In August, we celebrated the one-year anniversary of Congress passing, and President Joe Biden signing into law, the nation's greatest investment to confront climate change and build a more just, equitable, and prosperous American clean energy economy. Through the Inflation Reduction Act and the previously enacted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the federal government is poised to deploy hundreds of billions of dollars in public investments in clean energy and climate solutions over the coming decade. Realizing the full promise of these laws—in reducing greenhouse gas pollution and advancing equity, good jobs, and growth in new and strategic economic sectors—still depends in large measure on the actions of the federal, state, and local government agencies tasked with their implementation. State and local leadership will play a critical role in whether or not the United States fulfills or falls short of its climate commitments in this decade. Please join the State-Federal Climate Initiative at the Center for American Progress to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing states and local governments as they look to implement these historic
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  levels of federal climate funding. This moderated panel discussion will amplify state, local, and community experiences of implementation in the Inflation Reduction Act era.
  . American Enterprise Institute: The Continued Conundrum of DrugPricing — Thursday, September 14, 2023. Location: AEI, 1:30 PM. Over the past century, pharmaceutical product innovation has changed the course of human disease. The growth of small molecule products transformed cardiovascular disease into a chronic condition, while biologics innovation provided patients with disabling chronic diseases such as ulcerative colitis or rheumatoid arthritis the ability to live normal and productive lives. During this time, crucial questions around cost and access emerged. The Inflation Reduction Act transformed drug pricing by introducing variations in administrative pricing, frequently blending Food and Drug Administration regulation with payment policy. This panel will explore alternatives that would balance innovation with fiscal prudence while deploying the principles of managed care. The panel will feature individuals with experience in pharmaceutical product development and payment policy and a physician who worked as a former regulator.
  . Atlantic Council: President Irfaan Ali on Guyana's emerging role as a global leader — Thursday, September 14, 2023. Location: Atlantic Council, 10:15 AM. Please join the Caribbean Initiative at the Atlantic Council on Thursday, September 14, 2023, at 10:15 a.m. ET for an ItACFrontPage conversation with Guyanese President khan Ali. Guyana is rapidly emerging as a regional and global leader. The country's growing energy sector, track record of protecting its environment, and role in strengthening food security for the Caribbean have catapulted Guyana into spotlight. With this growing international platform, opportunities exist to shape global decision making and outcomes from world events. Ali will discuss plans to expand Guyana's leadership and influence worldwide, in the hopes of cementing a place for itself and other Small Island Developing States on the global stage.
  • Wilson Center: China's Clean Energy Partnerships in the Global South — Thursday, September 14, 2023. Location: Wilson Center, 10:30 AM. Energy partnerships between China and the Global South over the past decade have been heavy on fossil fuel infrastructure and critical mineral mining, both highly polluting. Since 2021, the Chinese government has started a pivot towards a greener Belt and Road Initiative (SRI), emphasizing clean energy investments and projects. The Xi administration banned coal-fired power plant construction along the Belt and Road in 2021and issued new regulations and standards for improving environmental performance of overseas projects. To take the pulse on this move to green the BRI, this meeting, in partnership with the Heinrich BM Foundation, will feature conversations on low- and high-carbon energy projects China has been building in the Global South. Expert panelists Jacqueline Musiitwa (USAID), Kate Logan (Asia Society Policy Institute), and Juliana Gonzalez Jauregui (Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences, Argentina) will offer insights on energy partnerships and their impact in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, respectively.
  • Wilson Center: Homelands: A Personal History of Europe — Thursday, September 14, 2023. Location: Online Event, 4:00 PM. In Homelands: A Personal History of Europe, Timothy Garton Ash offers a unique account of the history of Europe since 1945, and especially over the last 50 years. This is an unusual genre: history illustrated by memoir and reportage. Garton Ash draws on his extensive notes of events witnessed, places visited and historymakers encountered (from Margaret Thatcher and Mikhail Gorbachev to Vaclav Havel and Vladimir Putin) to make a larger argument about the rise and then faltering of the project of building 'Europe whole and free'. He identifies 2008 as the beginning of what he calls the 'downward turn'; and argues that the post-war period famously analyzed by Tony Judt segued into what he calls the post-Wall period, which began on 9 November 1989, with the fall of the Berlin Wall, and ended on 24 February 2022, with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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