csmonitor--2020-06-30--China just passed the Hong Kong security law. What happens now?

China approved a contentious national security law that will allow authorities to crack down on subversive and secessionist activity in Hong Kong , a move many see as Beijing 's boldest yet to erase the legal firewall between the semi-autonomous territory and the mainland 's authoritarian Communist Party system .
President Xi Jinping signed a presidential order promulgating the law after it was approved by the Standing Committee of the National People 's Congress , the official Xinhua News Agency said .
It will be added to the Basic Law , Hong Kong 's constitution .
`` We hope the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent people from stirring up trouble , '' said Tam Yiu-Chung , Hong Kong 's sole representative on the Standing Committee `` Do n't let Hong Kong be used as a tool to split the country . ''
He said punishments would not include the death penalty , but did not elaborate on further details .
Passage of the law came amid fears in Hong Kong and abroad that it would be used to curb opposition voices in the Asian financial hub .
The United States has already begun moves to end special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the former British colony was returned to China in 1997 .
The legislation is aimed at curbing subversive , secessionist , and terrorist activities , as well as foreign intervention in the city 's affairs .
It follows months of anti-government protests in Hong Kong last year that at times descended into violence .
Speaking in a video message to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva , Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said the law would `` only target an extremely small minority '' of lawbreakers , would not be retroactive , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have jurisdiction in `` rare , specified situations . ''
Critics say it is the most significant erosion to date of Hong Kong 's British-style rule of law and the high degree of autonomy that Beijing promised Hong Kong would enjoy at least through 2047 under a `` one country , two systems '' framework .
Hong Kong pro-democracy activists Joshua Wong , Agnes Chow , and Nathan Law issued statements on Facebook saying they would withdraw from their organization Demosisto , which then announced that it would disband with the loss of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` worrying about life and safety '' has become a real issue and nobody will be able to predict the repercussions of the law , whether it is being extradited to China or facing long jail terms .
More than a hundred protesters gathered at a luxury mall in Hong Kong 's Central business district , chanting slogans including `` Free Hong Kong , Revolution Now , '' with several holding up a flag representing an independent Hong Kong as well as posters condemning the law .
The law 's passage `` represents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city 's recent history , '' said the head of Amnesty International 's China Team , Joshua Rosenzweig .
`` The speed and secrecy with which China has pushed through this legislation intensifies the fear that Beijing has calculatingly created a weapon of repression to be used against government critics , including people who are merely expressing their views or protesting peacefully , '' Mr. Rosenzweig said in a statement .
Concerns were also expressed in Taiwan , which Beijing claims as its own territory to be brought under its control by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedom are shared universal values of Hong Kong and Taiwan , '' the island 's Mainland Affairs Council said , adding that China had betrayed its promises to Hong Kong .
The self-governing island recently said it would consider providing asylum for Hong Kong opposition figures who fear arrest .
Ahead of the law 's passage , the Trump administration said Monday it will bar defense exports to Hong Kong and will soon require licenses for the sale of items that have both civilian and military uses .
`` We can not risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the People 's Liberation Army , whose primary purpose is to uphold the dictatorship of the [ ruling Communist Party ] by any means necessary , '' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement .
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said his government was `` deeply concerned '' over reports of the law 's passage , saying that would be a `` grave step . ''
Britain has said it could offer residency and possible citizenship to around 3 million of Hong Kong 's 7.5 million people .
`` This issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and no foreign country has the right to interfere , '' Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Tuesday .
He said China would take necessary measures to protect its national interests in response to `` the wrong acts of the United States . ''
Under the law , Beijing will set up a national security office in Hong Kong to collect and analyze intelligence and deal with criminal cases related to national security .
Government critics fear Beijing will use the law to pursue political opponent .
Some have questioned the legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislation , saying it undermines the Basic Law .
An earlier attempt to pass a security law in 2003 was dropped after hundreds of thousands of people marched in Hong Kong 's streets against it .
China for years had put off another such effort , but citing a new urgency after last year 's protests , announced it would bypass the Hong Kong legislature and enact the law on its own .
Chinese officials have railed against what they claim is foreign interference in the territory that they blame for encouraging the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an attempt to permanently split Hong Kong away from China .
Drafting of the law took place amid intense secrecy , with even top Hong Kong officials reportedly not given advance notice of its specifics .
Questions linger over the effects on Hong Kong 's free press that has come under increasing political and financial pressure , as well as the operations of non-governmental organizations , particularly those with foreign connections .
The law 's passage comes after Hong Kong 's legislature in early June approved a contentious bill making it illegal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pro-China figures have also been pushing for more `` patriotic '' education to be introduced into the curriculum in hopes that will boost their identification with Beijing .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

China approved a contentious national security law that will allow authorities to crack down on subversive and secessionist activity in Hong Kong, a move many see as Beijing's boldest yet to erase the legal firewall between the semi-autonomous territory and the mainland's authoritarian Communist Party system.
President Xi Jinping signed a presidential order promulgating the law after it was approved by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the official Xinhua News Agency said. It will be added to the Basic Law, Hong Kong's constitution.
"We hope the law will serve as a deterrent to prevent people from stirring up trouble," said Tam Yiu-Chung, Hong Kong's sole representative on the Standing Committee "Don't let Hong Kong be used as a tool to split the country."
He said punishments would not include the death penalty, but did not elaborate on further details.
Passage of the law came amid fears in Hong Kong and abroad that it would be used to curb opposition voices in the Asian financial hub.
The United States has already begun moves to end special trade terms given to Hong Kong after the former British colony was returned to China in 1997.
The legislation is aimed at curbing subversive, secessionist, and terrorist activities, as well as foreign intervention in the city's affairs. It follows months of anti-government protests in Hong Kong last year that at times descended into violence.
Speaking in a video message to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said the law would "only target an extremely small minority" of lawbreakers, would not be retroactive, and that mainland legal bodies would only have jurisdiction in "rare, specified situations."
Critics say it is the most significant erosion to date of Hong Kong's British-style rule of law and the high degree of autonomy that Beijing promised Hong Kong would enjoy at least through 2047 under a "one country, two systems" framework.
Hong Kong pro-democracy activists Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow, and Nathan Law issued statements on Facebook saying they would withdraw from their organization Demosisto, which then announced that it would disband with the loss of its top members.
Mr. Wong said "worrying about life and safety" has become a real issue and nobody will be able to predict the repercussions of the law, whether it is being extradited to China or facing long jail terms.
More than a hundred protesters gathered at a luxury mall in Hong Kong's Central business district, chanting slogans including "Free Hong Kong, Revolution Now," with several holding up a flag representing an independent Hong Kong as well as posters condemning the law.
The law's passage "represents the greatest threat to human rights in the city's recent history," said the head of Amnesty International's China Team, Joshua Rosenzweig.
"The speed and secrecy with which China has pushed through this legislation intensifies the fear that Beijing has calculatingly created a weapon of repression to be used against government critics, including people who are merely expressing their views or protesting peacefully," Mr. Rosenzweig said in a statement.
Concerns were also expressed in Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory to be brought under its control by force if necessary.
"Democracy and freedom are shared universal values of Hong Kong and Taiwan," the island's Mainland Affairs Council said, adding that China had betrayed its promises to Hong Kong.
The self-governing island recently said it would consider providing asylum for Hong Kong opposition figures who fear arrest.
Ahead of the law's passage, the Trump administration said Monday it will bar defense exports to Hong Kong and will soon require licenses for the sale of items that have both civilian and military uses.
"We cannot risk these items falling into the hands of the People's Liberation Army, whose primary purpose is to uphold the dictatorship of the [ruling Communist Party] by any means necessary," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said his government was "deeply concerned" over reports of the law's passage, saying that would be a "grave step." Britain has said it could offer residency and possible citizenship to around 3 million of Hong Kong's 7.5 million people.
"This issue is purely China's internal affairs, and no foreign country has the right to interfere," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Tuesday.
He said China would take necessary measures to protect its national interests in response to "the wrong acts of the United States."
Under the law, Beijing will set up a national security office in Hong Kong to collect and analyze intelligence and deal with criminal cases related to national security.
Government critics fear Beijing will use the law to pursue political opponent. Some have questioned the legal basis on which China proceeded with the legislation, saying it undermines the Basic Law.
An earlier attempt to pass a security law in 2003 was dropped after hundreds of thousands of people marched in Hong Kong's streets against it.
China for years had put off another such effort, but citing a new urgency after last year's protests, announced it would bypass the Hong Kong legislature and enact the law on its own.
Chinese officials have railed against what they claim is foreign interference in the territory that they blame for encouraging the anti-government protests. Beijing condemned those protests as an attempt to permanently split Hong Kong away from China.
Drafting of the law took place amid intense secrecy, with even top Hong Kong officials reportedly not given advance notice of its specifics.
Questions linger over the effects on Hong Kong's free press that has come under increasing political and financial pressure, as well as the operations of non-governmental organizations, particularly those with foreign connections.
The law's passage comes after Hong Kong's legislature in early June approved a contentious bill making it illegal to insult the Chinese national anthem. Pro-China figures have also been pushing for more "patriotic" education to be introduced into the curriculum in hopes that will boost their identification with Beijing.
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This story was reported by The Associated Press.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-06-30--Iran journalist sentenced to death over 2017 protest work

Iran sentenced a once-exiled journalist to death over his online work that helped inspire nationwide economic protests that began at the end of 2017 , authorities said Tuesday .
Ruhollah Zam 's website and a channel he created on the popular messaging app Telegram had spread the timings of the protests and embarrassing information about officials that directly challenged Iran 's Shiite theocracy .
Those demonstrations represented the biggest challenge to Iran since the 2009 Green Movement protests and set the stage for similar mass unrest last November .
The details of his arrest still remain unclear .
Though he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ somehow returned to Iran and found himself detained by intelligence officials .
A series of a televised confessions have aired in recent months over his work .
Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili announced Mr. Zam 's death sentence on Tuesday , saying he had been convicted of `` corruption on Earth , '' a charge often used in cases involving espionage or attempts to overthrow Iran 's government .
It was not immediately clear when the sentence was handed down .
Mr. Zam is able to appeal his sentence , issued by a Revolutionary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defender was n't immediately known .
Mr. Zam had run a website called AmadNews that posted embarrassing videos and information about Iranian officials .
He highlighted his work on a channel on Telegram , the secure messaging app that remains incredibly popular among Iranians .
The initial spark for the 2017 protests was a sudden jump in food prices .
Many believe that hard-line opponents of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani instigated the first demonstrations in the conservative city of Mashhad in eastern Iran , trying to direct public anger at the president .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ town , the backlash turned against the entire ruling class .
Soon , cries directly challenging Mr. Rouhani and even Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could be heard in online videos shared by Mr. Zam .
Mr. Zam 's channel also shared times and organizational details for the protests as well .
Telegram shut down the channel over Iranian government complaints it spread information about how to make gasoline bombs .
The channel later continued under a different name .
Mr. Zam , who has said he fled Iran after being falsely accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denied inciting violence on Telegram at the time .
The 2017 protests reportedly saw some 5,000 people detained and 25 killed .
Mr. Zam is the son of Shiite cleric Mohammad Ali Zam , a reformist who once served in a government policy position in the early 1980s .
The cleric wrote a letter published by Iranian media in July 2017 in which he said he would n't support his son over AmadNews ' reporting and messages on its Telegram channel .
Separately , the judiciary spokesman said an appeals court had upheld @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a prominent researcher with dual French-Iranian citizenship .
Mr. Esmaili said she got two separate sentences , a five and a one year prison terms on security charges and that under Iranian law , the longer sentence is the one a convict serves .
He said her time spent in jail will count toward the sentence .
Iranian officials disclosed last July that Ms. Adelkhah had been arrested on espionage charges .
Those charges were later dropped but security-related charges remained against her .
Ms. Adelkhah and her French fellow researcher , Roland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Evin Prison .
Authorities released Mr. Marchal in March in an apparent prisoner swap for Iranian Jalal Ruhollahnejad , who had been held in France .
Iran , which does not recognize dual nationality for its citizens , has a track record of detaining dual nationals or those with ties to the West .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai , United Arab Emirates , contributed to this report .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s free .

Iran sentenced a once-exiled journalist to death over his online work that helped inspire nationwide economic protests that began at the end of 2017, authorities said Tuesday.
Ruhollah Zam's website and a channel he created on the popular messaging app Telegram had spread the timings of the protests and embarrassing information about officials that directly challenged Iran's Shiite theocracy. Those demonstrations represented the biggest challenge to Iran since the 2009 Green Movement protests and set the stage for similar mass unrest last November.
The details of his arrest still remain unclear. Though he was based in Paris, Mr. Zam somehow returned to Iran and found himself detained by intelligence officials. A series of a televised confessions have aired in recent months over his work.
Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili announced Mr. Zam's death sentence on Tuesday, saying he had been convicted of "corruption on Earth," a charge often used in cases involving espionage or attempts to overthrow Iran's government. It was not immediately clear when the sentence was handed down.
Mr. Zam is able to appeal his sentence, issued by a Revolutionary Court. The name of his public defender wasn't immediately known.
Mr. Zam had run a website called AmadNews that posted embarrassing videos and information about Iranian officials. He highlighted his work on a channel on Telegram, the secure messaging app that remains incredibly popular among Iranians.
The initial spark for the 2017 protests was a sudden jump in food prices. Many believe that hard-line opponents of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani instigated the first demonstrations in the conservative city of Mashhad in eastern Iran, trying to direct public anger at the president. But as protests spread from town to town, the backlash turned against the entire ruling class.
Soon, cries directly challenging Mr. Rouhani and even Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could be heard in online videos shared by Mr. Zam. Mr. Zam's channel also shared times and organizational details for the protests as well.
Telegram shut down the channel over Iranian government complaints it spread information about how to make gasoline bombs. The channel later continued under a different name. Mr. Zam, who has said he fled Iran after being falsely accused of working with foreign intelligence services, denied inciting violence on Telegram at the time.
The 2017 protests reportedly saw some 5,000 people detained and 25 killed.
Mr. Zam is the son of Shiite cleric Mohammad Ali Zam, a reformist who once served in a government policy position in the early 1980s. The cleric wrote a letter published by Iranian media in July 2017 in which he said he wouldn't support his son over AmadNews' reporting and messages on its Telegram channel.
Separately, the judiciary spokesman said an appeals court had upheld a previous prison sentence for Fariba Adelkhah a prominent researcher with dual French-Iranian citizenship. Mr. Esmaili said she got two separate sentences, a five and a one year prison terms on security charges and that under Iranian law, the longer sentence is the one a convict serves. He said her time spent in jail will count toward the sentence.
Iranian officials disclosed last July that Ms. Adelkhah had been arrested on espionage charges. Those charges were later dropped but security-related charges remained against her.
Ms. Adelkhah and her French fellow researcher, Roland Marchal, were held in Iran's Evin Prison. Authorities released Mr. Marchal in March in an apparent prisoner swap for Iranian Jalal Ruhollahnejad, who had been held in France.
Iran, which does not recognize dual nationality for its citizens, has a track record of detaining dual nationals or those with ties to the West.
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This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-06-30--Summer 2020: Sweaters off, but masks on as virus cases surge

Arizona 's Republican governor shut down bars , movie theaters , gyms , and water parks Monday and leaders in several states ordered residents to wear masks in public in a dramatic course reversal amid an alarming resurgence of coronavirus cases nationwide .
Among those implementing the face-covering orders is the city of Jacksonville , Florida , where mask-averse President Donald Trump plans to accept the Republican nomination in August .
Mr. Trump has refused to wear a mask during visits to states and businesses that require them .
Arizona Gov .
Doug Ducey 's order went into effect immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Ducey also ordered public schools to delay the start of classes until at least Aug. 17 .
Most Arizona bars and nightclubs opened after the governor 's stay-at-home and business closure orders were allowed to expire in mid-May .
Arizona health officials reported 3,858 more confirmed coronavirus cases Sunday , the most reported in a single day in the state so far and the seventh time in the past 10 days that daily cases surpassed the 3,000 mark .
Since the pandemic began , 74,500 cases and 1,588 deaths stemming from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Our expectation is that our numbers next week will be worse , '' Mr. Ducey said Monday .
The state is not alone in its reversal .
Places such as Texas , Florida , and California are backtracking , closing beaches and bars in some cases amid a resurgence of the virus .
In New Jersey , Gov .
Phil Murphy announced Monday that he 's postponing the restarting of indoor dining because people have not been wearing face masks or complying with recommendations for social distancing .
New Jersey has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shopping malls were cleared to start business again .
Democratic governors in Oregon and Kansas said Monday that they would require people to wear masks .
Oregon Gov .
Kate Brown 's order will require people to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces starting Wednesday .
Kansas Gov .
Laura Kelly said she will issue an executive order mandating the use of masks in stores and shops , restaurants , and in any situation where social distancing of 6 feet can not be maintained , including outside .
The order goes into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be clearer : Wearing a mask is not only safe , but it is necessary to avoid another shutdown , '' Ms. Kelly said .
Idaho is moving in a different direction , at least when it comes to the elections .
Despite the continuing spread of the virus , state elections officials said Monday that they would allow in-person voting – as well as mail-in ballots – for August primaries and the November general election , the Idaho Statesman reported .
Idaho 's May 19 primary was the first statewide election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had record voter turnout .
In Texas , a group of bar owners sued on Monday to try to overturn Republican Gov .
Greg Abbott 's order closing their businesses .
They contend Mr. Abbott does n't have the authority , and they complained that other businesses , such as nail salons and tattoo studios , remain open .
`` Governor Abbott continues to act like a king , '' said Jared Woodfill , attorney for the bar owners .
`` Abbott is unilaterally destroying our economy and trampling on our constitutional rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Andrew Cuomo said that Mr. Abbott is on the right path , and he added that Mr. Trump should order the wearing of masks .
`` States that were recalcitrant ... are doing a 180 , and you have the same states now wearing masks , '' Mr. Cuomo said .
`` Let the president have the same sense to do that as an executive order , and then let the president lead by example and let the president put a mask on it , because we know it works . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Utah Gov .
Gary Herbert , on a conference call with Vice President Mike Pence and members of the White House coronavirus task force , also asked Mr. Pence and Mr. Trump to issue a national call to wear masks .
Republican Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis has opposed a statewide mask requirement but said in response to Jacksonville 's action that he will support local authorities who are doing what they think is appropriate .
In recent weeks , the Republicans moved some of the convention pageantry to Jacksonville after Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ objected to the holding of a large gathering in Charlotte without social-distancing measures .
Less than a week after Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said there would be no mask requirement , city officials announced on Monday that coverings must be worn in `` situations where individuals can not socially distance . ''
White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany responded by saying the president 's advice is to `` do whatever your local jurisdiction requests of you . ''
Elsewhere around the world , Britain reimposed lockdown restrictions on the city of Leicester after a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of schools along with stores that do not sell essential goods .
The European Union is preparing a list of 15 countries whose citizens will be allowed to visit the bloc beginning Wednesday , Spain 's foreign minister , Arancha Gonzalez Laya , told the Cadena SER radio network .
Because of the resurgence in the U.S. , America may not be on that list .
`` This is not an exercise to be nice or unfriendly to other countries .
This is an exercise of self-responsibility , '' she said .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
AP reporters from around the world contributed to this report .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

Arizona's Republican governor shut down bars, movie theaters, gyms, and water parks Monday and leaders in several states ordered residents to wear masks in public in a dramatic course reversal amid an alarming resurgence of coronavirus cases nationwide.
Among those implementing the face-covering orders is the city of Jacksonville, Florida, where mask-averse President Donald Trump plans to accept the Republican nomination in August. Mr. Trump has refused to wear a mask during visits to states and businesses that require them.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey's order went into effect immediately and for at least 30 days. Mr. Ducey also ordered public schools to delay the start of classes until at least Aug. 17. Most Arizona bars and nightclubs opened after the governor's stay-at-home and business closure orders were allowed to expire in mid-May.
Arizona health officials reported 3,858 more confirmed coronavirus cases Sunday, the most reported in a single day in the state so far and the seventh time in the past 10 days that daily cases surpassed the 3,000 mark. Since the pandemic began, 74,500 cases and 1,588 deaths stemming from the virus have been reported in Arizona.
"Our expectation is that our numbers next week will be worse," Mr. Ducey said Monday.
The state is not alone in its reversal. Places such as Texas, Florida, and California are backtracking, closing beaches and bars in some cases amid a resurgence of the virus.
In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday that he's postponing the restarting of indoor dining because people have not been wearing face masks or complying with recommendations for social distancing. New Jersey has been slowly reopening, and on Monday indoor shopping malls were cleared to start business again.
Democratic governors in Oregon and Kansas said Monday that they would require people to wear masks. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown's order will require people to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces starting Wednesday. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said she will issue an executive order mandating the use of masks in stores and shops, restaurants, and in any situation where social distancing of 6 feet cannot be maintained, including outside. The order goes into effect Friday.
"The evidence could not be clearer: Wearing a mask is not only safe, but it is necessary to avoid another shutdown," Ms. Kelly said.
Idaho is moving in a different direction, at least when it comes to the elections. Despite the continuing spread of the virus, state elections officials said Monday that they would allow in-person voting – as well as mail-in ballots – for August primaries and the November general election, the Idaho Statesman reported. Idaho's May 19 primary was the first statewide election held by mail only. The primary had record voter turnout.
In Texas, a group of bar owners sued on Monday to try to overturn Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's order closing their businesses. They contend Mr. Abbott doesn't have the authority, and they complained that other businesses, such as nail salons and tattoo studios, remain open.
"Governor Abbott continues to act like a king," said Jared Woodfill, attorney for the bar owners. "Abbott is unilaterally destroying our economy and trampling on our constitutional rights."
But Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that Mr. Abbott is on the right path, and he added that Mr. Trump should order the wearing of masks.
"States that were recalcitrant ... are doing a 180, and you have the same states now wearing masks," Mr. Cuomo said. "Let the president have the same sense to do that as an executive order, and then let the president lead by example and let the president put a mask on it, because we know it works."
One of Mr. Cuomo's Republican counterparts, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, on a conference call with Vice President Mike Pence and members of the White House coronavirus task force, also asked Mr. Pence and Mr. Trump to issue a national call to wear masks.
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has opposed a statewide mask requirement but said in response to Jacksonville's action that he will support local authorities who are doing what they think is appropriate.
In recent weeks, the Republicans moved some of the convention pageantry to Jacksonville after Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina objected to the holding of a large gathering in Charlotte without social-distancing measures.
Less than a week after Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said there would be no mask requirement, city officials announced on Monday that coverings must be worn in "situations where individuals cannot socially distance."
White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany responded by saying the president's advice is to "do whatever your local jurisdiction requests of you."
Elsewhere around the world, Britain reimposed lockdown restrictions on the city of Leicester after a spike in cases, ordering the closing of schools along with stores that do not sell essential goods.
The European Union is preparing a list of 15 countries whose citizens will be allowed to visit the bloc beginning Wednesday, Spain's foreign minister, Arancha Gonzalez Laya, told the Cadena SER radio network. Because of the resurgence in the U.S., America may not be on that list.
"This is not an exercise to be nice or unfriendly to other countries. This is an exercise of self-responsibility," she said.
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP reporters from around the world contributed to this report.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-06-30--Why GOP lawmakers want action on Russian-Afghanistan intel now

Eight Republican lawmakers attended a White House briefing about explosive allegations that Russia secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing American troops in Afghanistan – intelligence the White House insisted the president himself had not been fully read in on .
Members of Congress in both parties called for additional information and consequences for Russia and its president , Vladimir Putin , and eight Democrats were to be briefed on the matter Tuesday morning , a day after the Republicans ' briefing .
Still , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany insisted Mr. Trump had not been briefed on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ verified .
The White House seemed to be setting an unusually high bar for bringing the information to Mr. Trump , since it is rare for intelligence to be confirmed without a shadow of doubt before it is presented to senior government decision-makers .
Ms. McEnany declined to say why a different standard of confidence in the intelligence applied to briefing lawmakers than bringing the information to the president .
Republicans who were in the briefing Monday expressed alarm about Russia 's activities in Afghanistan .
Rep. Michael McCaul , the ranking member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Rep. Adam Kinzinger were in the briefing led by Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe , White House chief of staff Mark Meadows , and national security adviser Robert O ’ Brien .
Mr. McCaul and Mr. Kinzinger said in a statement that lawmakers were told “ there is an ongoing review to determine the accuracy of these reports.
” “ If the intelligence review process verifies the reports , we strongly encourage the Administration to take swift and serious action to hold the Putin regime accountable , ” they said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas Rep. Mac Thornberry , the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee , said , “ After today ’ s briefing with senior White House officials , we remain concerned about Russian activity in Afghanistan , including reports that they have targeted U.S. forces.
” Senators reviewed classified documents related to the allegations Monday evening .
The information they received was not previously known , according to one aide who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity .
On CNN , House Speaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic briefing but said “ it ’ s no substitute for what they owe the Congress of the United States.
” She said that “ this is as serious as it gets.
” She speculated that Mr. Trump wasn ’ t briefed “ because they know it makes him very unhappy , and all roads for him , as you know , lead to Putin .
And would he tell Putin what they knew ?
” The intelligence assessments came amid Mr. Trump ’ s push to withdraw the U.S. from Afghanistan .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ militants as the United States and the Taliban held talks to end the long-running war .
The assessment was first reported by The New York Times , then confirmed to The Associated Press by American intelligence officials and two others with knowledge of the matter .
Republican Sen. John Cornyn told reporters Monday , “ I don ’ t think it ’ s should be a surprise to anybody that the Taliban ’ s been trying to kill Americans and that the Russians have been encouraging that , if not providing means to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Intelligence committees have been briefed on that for months .
So has Nancy Pelosi , so has [ Democratic Senate leader ] Chuck Schumer .
So , this is ... more leaks and partisanship.
” While Russian meddling in Afghanistan isn ’ t new , officials said Russian operatives became more aggressive in their desire to contract with the Taliban and members of the Haqqani network , a militant group aligned with the Taliban in Afghanistan and designated a foreign terrorist organization in 2012 .
The intelligence community has been investigating an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that killed three U.S. Marines after a car rigged with explosives detonated near their armored vehicles as they traveled back to Bagram Airfield , the largest U.S. military installation in Afghanistan , officials told the AP .
Three other U.S. service members were wounded in the attack , along with an Afghan contractor .
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter .
The officials the AP spoke to also said they were looking closely at insider attacks – sometimes called “ green-on-blue ” attacks – from 2019 to determine if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One official said the administration discussed several potential responses , but the White House has yet to authorize any step .
Intelligence officials told the AP that the White House first became aware of alleged Russian bounties in early 2019 – a year earlier than had been previously reported .
The assessments were included in one of Mr. Trump 's written daily briefings at the time , and then-national security adviser John Bolton told colleagues he had briefed Mr. Trump on the matter .
Mr. Bolton declined to comment , and the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the matter .
The intelligence officials and others with knowledge of the matter insisted on anonymity to discuss the highly sensitive matter .
The White House National Security Council would n't confirm the assessments but said the U.S. receives thousands of intelligence reports daily that are subject to strict scrutiny .
The revelations cast new doubt on the White House ’ s efforts to distance Mr. Trump from the Russian intelligence assessments .
The AP reported Sunday that concerns about Russian bounties also were in a second written presidential daily briefing this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ O ’ Brien had discussed the matter with Mr. Trump .
Mr. O ’ Brien denies doing that .
On Monday , Mr. O'Brien said that while the intelligence assessments regarding Russian bounties `` have not been verified , ” the administration has “ been preparing should the situation warrant action.
” Mr. Trump ’ s Democratic general election rival , former Vice President Joe Biden , used an online fundraiser Monday to hammer the president for a “ betrayal ” of American troops in favor of “ an embarrassing campaign of deferring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m disgusted , ” Mr. Biden told donors , as he recalled his late son Beau ’ s military service .
Families of service members , Mr. Biden said , “ should never , ever have to worry they ’ ll face a threat like this : the commander in chief turning a blind eye.
” Asked about the reports on the alleged bounties , Mr. Putin ’ s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday , “ These claims are lies.
” This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington ; Deepti Hajela in New York ; and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

Zeke Miller, James Laporta, and Mary Clare Jalonick

Eight Republican lawmakers attended a White House briefing about explosive allegations that Russia secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing American troops in Afghanistan – intelligence the White House insisted the president himself had not been fully read in on.
Members of Congress in both parties called for additional information and consequences for Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, and eight Democrats were to be briefed on the matter Tuesday morning, a day after the Republicans' briefing. Still, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany insisted Mr. Trump had not been briefed on the findings because they hadn't been verified.
The White House seemed to be setting an unusually high bar for bringing the information to Mr. Trump, since it is rare for intelligence to be confirmed without a shadow of doubt before it is presented to senior government decision-makers. Ms. McEnany declined to say why a different standard of confidence in the intelligence applied to briefing lawmakers than bringing the information to the president.
Republicans who were in the briefing Monday expressed alarm about Russia's activities in Afghanistan.
Rep. Michael McCaul, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Rep. Adam Kinzinger were in the briefing led by Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, and national security adviser Robert O’Brien. Mr. McCaul and Mr. Kinzinger said in a statement that lawmakers were told “there is an ongoing review to determine the accuracy of these reports.”
“If the intelligence review process verifies the reports, we strongly encourage the Administration to take swift and serious action to hold the Putin regime accountable,” they said.
Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and Texas Rep. Mac Thornberry, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, said, “After today’s briefing with senior White House officials, we remain concerned about Russian activity in Afghanistan, including reports that they have targeted U.S. forces.”
Senators reviewed classified documents related to the allegations Monday evening. The information they received was not previously known, according to one aide who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
On CNN, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed the timing of the Democratic briefing but said “it’s no substitute for what they owe the Congress of the United States.” She said that “this is as serious as it gets.”
She speculated that Mr. Trump wasn’t briefed “because they know it makes him very unhappy, and all roads for him, as you know, lead to Putin. And would he tell Putin what they knew?”
The intelligence assessments came amid Mr. Trump’s push to withdraw the U.S. from Afghanistan. They suggested Russia was making overtures to militants as the United States and the Taliban held talks to end the long-running war. The assessment was first reported by The New York Times, then confirmed to The Associated Press by American intelligence officials and two others with knowledge of the matter.
Republican Sen. John Cornyn told reporters Monday, “I don’t think it’s should be a surprise to anybody that the Taliban’s been trying to kill Americans and that the Russians have been encouraging that, if not providing means to make that happen.”
He added: “Intelligence committees have been briefed on that for months. So has Nancy Pelosi, so has [Democratic Senate leader] Chuck Schumer. So, this is ... more leaks and partisanship.”
While Russian meddling in Afghanistan isn’t new, officials said Russian operatives became more aggressive in their desire to contract with the Taliban and members of the Haqqani network, a militant group aligned with the Taliban in Afghanistan and designated a foreign terrorist organization in 2012.
The intelligence community has been investigating an April 2019 attack on an American convoy that killed three U.S. Marines after a car rigged with explosives detonated near their armored vehicles as they traveled back to Bagram Airfield, the largest U.S. military installation in Afghanistan, officials told the AP.
Three other U.S. service members were wounded in the attack, along with an Afghan contractor. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter. The officials the AP spoke to also said they were looking closely at insider attacks – sometimes called “green-on-blue” attacks – from 2019 to determine if they are also linked to Russian bounties.
One official said the administration discussed several potential responses, but the White House has yet to authorize any step.
Intelligence officials told the AP that the White House first became aware of alleged Russian bounties in early 2019 – a year earlier than had been previously reported. The assessments were included in one of Mr. Trump's written daily briefings at the time, and then-national security adviser John Bolton told colleagues he had briefed Mr. Trump on the matter. Mr. Bolton declined to comment, and the White House did not respond to questions on the matter.
The intelligence officials and others with knowledge of the matter insisted on anonymity to discuss the highly sensitive matter.
The White House National Security Council wouldn't confirm the assessments but said the U.S. receives thousands of intelligence reports daily that are subject to strict scrutiny.
The revelations cast new doubt on the White House’s efforts to distance Mr. Trump from the Russian intelligence assessments. The AP reported Sunday that concerns about Russian bounties also were in a second written presidential daily briefing this year and that current national security adviser Robert O’Brien had discussed the matter with Mr. Trump. Mr. O’Brien denies doing that.
On Monday, Mr. O'Brien said that while the intelligence assessments regarding Russian bounties "have not been verified,” the administration has “been preparing should the situation warrant action.”
Mr. Trump’s Democratic general election rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, used an online fundraiser Monday to hammer the president for a “betrayal” of American troops in favor of “an embarrassing campaign of deferring and debasing himself before Putin.”
“I’m disgusted,” Mr. Biden told donors, as he recalled his late son Beau’s military service. Families of service members, Mr. Biden said, “should never, ever have to worry they’ll face a threat like this: the commander in chief turning a blind eye.”
Asked about the reports on the alleged bounties, Mr. Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday, “These claims are lies.”
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This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writers James LaPorta; Deb Riechmann in Washington; Deepti Hajela in New York; and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-06-29--Why Congress failed to answer the national call for police bill

For a moment , Congress had a chance to act on a policing overhaul , mobilized by a national trauma and overwhelming public support .
Those efforts have stalled now and seem unlikely to be revived in an election year .
It 's the latest example of how partisanship and polarization on Capitol Hill have hamstrung Congress ' ability to meet the moment and respond meaningfully to public opinion .
Major changes in policing policy appear likely to join gun control and immigration as social issues where even with Americans ' overwhelming support , their elected representatives are unable or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump is indifferent or opposed .
`` In this moment , as it was with gun violence and immigration reform , we do n't know where the president really is , '' said Democrat Sen. Chris Coons , who weeks ago was expressing skepticism weeks ago about a breakthrough .
`` If this were the first time we were in this situation , I 'd be more hopeful , '' he said then .
The bipartisan outcry over the deaths of George Floyd and other Black Americans appeared to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Polls showed nearly all Americans in a favor of some measure of change to the criminal justice system , and both chambers moved quickly to draft legislation .
There were common elements in the House Democratic proposal and the Senate Republican bill , including a national database of use-of-force incidents by law enforcement and restrictions on police chokeholds .
But efforts to bridge the divides bogged down in a predictable fight over process and exposed again how little trust there is between the Senate 's leaders , Republican Mitch McConnell and Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refused to take him at his word that he was willing to negotiate over the final bill , and he pitched a supposedly fair and freewheeling floor debate .
Mr. Schumer and other Democrats saw little that was genuine in Mr. McConnell 's overtures , noting that during his tenure as GOP leader , the sharp-elbowed Kentucky Republican has permitted almost no open floor debate on legislation .
The swift rise and fall of prospects for the police bill showed how lawmakers are often driven more by the views of their parties ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The incentive structure is misaligned for compromise .
That 's the reality of it .
Members are more likely to be rewarded electorally for representing their base primary voters than for reaching out to voters in the middle , '' said Michael Steel , who was a top aide to former House Speaker John Boehner , R-Ohio .
`` The giants of yesteryear are remembered as such because voters rewarded them for successfully legislating .
And that just seems to be less and less the case . ''
Public support for some kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death is overwhelming .
An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll shows 29 % of Americans say the criminal justice system needs a complete overhaul , 40 % say it needs major changes , and 25 % say it needs minor changes .
There are other high-profile examples where public support has been unable to overcome partisanship in Congress – most notably on gun control .
An AP-NORC survey from March 2019 found 83 % of Americans in favor of a federal law requiring background checks on all potential gun buyers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea .
But gun control legislation has gone nowhere in Washington .
The parties have also failed to make progress in overhauling immigration laws , despite broad public support .
The most overwhelmingly popular measure – granting legal protections to young people brought to the United States illegally as children – has gotten caught in the fray , with hundreds of thousands of such `` Dreamer '' immigrants caught in legal limbo .
This gridlock has been exacerbated by Mr. Trump 's reputation on Capitol Hill as an unreliable negotiating partner on major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generally about supporting legislation but exerted little political capital when the process hit a roadblock .
`` To do really hard things you always need a president leaning in and engaged , '' said Brendan Buck , a top aide to former Speaker Paul Ryan , R-Wis. , during Mr. Trump 's first two years in office .
`` And on the really hard things he has not shown a willingness to get engaged . ''
The police debate also suffered from the realities of the political calendar .
With the Congressional Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights community all calling the Republican bill too weak to be salvaged , some Democrats saw little incentive to give ground now when they might be able to get more if their party has sweeping successes in the November elections , now just over four months away .
`` Why cut a bad deal now when you could potentially be in the driver 's seat to write a real bill that effects real change in just a few months ? ''
said Matt House , a former Schumer aide .
Some veteran lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partisanship on Capitol Hill .
GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander , chairman of the Senate Health , Education , Labor , and Pensions Committee , and the committee 's top Democrat , Patty Murray of Washington , have shepherded a major education policy rewrite and legislation to combat opioids through a McConnell-led Senate .
They did so by building sweeping consensus among lawmakers in both parties before committee or floor action .
Mr. Murray said in an interview that there was little attempt to do that kind of behind-the-scenes work on policing .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt to get something done , '' Mr. Murray said .
`` The feeling that you want to accomplish something , that you want to get something done ... is a very different feeling than we saw with policing reform . ''
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP Director of Public Opinion Research Emily Swanson contributed to this report .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

For a moment, Congress had a chance to act on a policing overhaul, mobilized by a national trauma and overwhelming public support. Those efforts have stalled now and seem unlikely to be revived in an election year.
It's the latest example of how partisanship and polarization on Capitol Hill have hamstrung Congress' ability to meet the moment and respond meaningfully to public opinion.
Major changes in policing policy appear likely to join gun control and immigration as social issues where even with Americans' overwhelming support, their elected representatives are unable or unwilling to go along, especially when President Donald Trump is indifferent or opposed.
"In this moment, as it was with gun violence and immigration reform, we don't know where the president really is," said Democrat Sen. Chris Coons, who weeks ago was expressing skepticism weeks ago about a breakthrough. "If this were the first time we were in this situation, I'd be more hopeful," he said then.
The bipartisan outcry over the deaths of George Floyd and other Black Americans appeared to be a chance for Congress to reshape its reputation. Polls showed nearly all Americans in a favor of some measure of change to the criminal justice system, and both chambers moved quickly to draft legislation.
There were common elements in the House Democratic proposal and the Senate Republican bill, including a national database of use-of-force incidents by law enforcement and restrictions on police chokeholds. But efforts to bridge the divides bogged down in a predictable fight over process and exposed again how little trust there is between the Senate's leaders, Republican Mitch McConnell and Democrat Chuck Schumer.
Mr. McConnell said Democrats refused to take him at his word that he was willing to negotiate over the final bill, and he pitched a supposedly fair and freewheeling floor debate. Mr. Schumer and other Democrats saw little that was genuine in Mr. McConnell's overtures, noting that during his tenure as GOP leader, the sharp-elbowed Kentucky Republican has permitted almost no open floor debate on legislation.
The swift rise and fall of prospects for the police bill showed how lawmakers are often driven more by the views of their parties' hard-liners than overall public opinion.
"The incentive structure is misaligned for compromise. That's the reality of it. Members are more likely to be rewarded electorally for representing their base primary voters than for reaching out to voters in the middle," said Michael Steel, who was a top aide to former House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. "The giants of yesteryear are remembered as such because voters rewarded them for successfully legislating. And that just seems to be less and less the case."
Public support for some kind of policing overhaul after Mr. Floyd's death is overwhelming. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll shows 29% of Americans say the criminal justice system needs a complete overhaul, 40% say it needs major changes, and 25% say it needs minor changes.
There are other high-profile examples where public support has been unable to overcome partisanship in Congress – most notably on gun control. An AP-NORC survey from March 2019 found 83% of Americans in favor of a federal law requiring background checks on all potential gun buyers. Mr. Trump has also supported the idea.
But gun control legislation has gone nowhere in Washington.
The parties have also failed to make progress in overhauling immigration laws, despite broad public support. The most overwhelmingly popular measure – granting legal protections to young people brought to the United States illegally as children – has gotten caught in the fray, with hundreds of thousands of such "Dreamer" immigrants caught in legal limbo.
This gridlock has been exacerbated by Mr. Trump's reputation on Capitol Hill as an unreliable negotiating partner on major issues. On policing, he spoke generally about supporting legislation but exerted little political capital when the process hit a roadblock.
"To do really hard things you always need a president leaning in and engaged," said Brendan Buck, a top aide to former Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., during Mr. Trump's first two years in office. "And on the really hard things he has not shown a willingness to get engaged."
The police debate also suffered from the realities of the political calendar. With the Congressional Black Caucus, progressive activists and the civil rights community all calling the Republican bill too weak to be salvaged, some Democrats saw little incentive to give ground now when they might be able to get more if their party has sweeping successes in the November elections, now just over four months away.
"Why cut a bad deal now when you could potentially be in the driver's seat to write a real bill that effects real change in just a few months?" said Matt House, a former Schumer aide.
Some veteran lawmakers have found ways to navigate the fierce partisanship on Capitol Hill.
GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and the committee's top Democrat, Patty Murray of Washington, have shepherded a major education policy rewrite and legislation to combat opioids through a McConnell-led Senate. They did so by building sweeping consensus among lawmakers in both parties before committee or floor action.
Mr. Murray said in an interview that there was little attempt to do that kind of behind-the-scenes work on policing.
"This didn't even smell like an attempt to get something done," Mr. Murray said. "The feeling that you want to accomplish something, that you want to get something done ... is a very different feeling than we saw with policing reform."
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP Director of Public Opinion Research Emily Swanson contributed to this report.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-07-01--Lack of US consensus on Russia? Bounty report poses sharper question.

A lack of consensus across intelligence agencies “ was never a reason to not tell the president something of this magnitude , ” she says .
“ I really wonder about what motivated people [ in the White House ] not to prioritize this with the president.
” The absence of White House action on the suspected bounty program or even engagement on it with Russia at any level is troubling to some .
Katrina Mulligan , a former official in the National Security Council , questions why such explosive information about Russian activity would have been kept from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a debilitating lack of U.S. consensus over Russia , allowing its longtime ideological and geopolitical adversary to exploit those divisions to achieve its goals .
Others say a consensus is , in fact , in place across the U.S. government – everywhere but at the very top .
President Donald Trump has had very little to say about reports Russia was paying a bounty to the Taliban to kill U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan , other than that he was never briefed on the issue .
White House officials do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Office , but say it was not confirmed and so was not discussed directly with the president .
In early May a classified CIA update for officers across U.S. intelligence agencies and others with security clearance reportedly cited evidence of a Russian program suspected of paying Taliban-linked militias to kill American and coalition troops in Afghanistan .
The military and intelligence agencies were investigating whether the bounty program might have played a part in an April 2019 roadside bombing near Bagram Air Base in which three Marine reservists were killed .
The United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a half-million dollars in cash found in a Seal Team 6 raid of a Taliban hideout – that bounties had already been paid .
And intelligence from captured Taliban fighters spurred the U.S. to investigate a funding channel connecting money handlers in Afghanistan with sources in Russia .
Information on the alleged Russian bounty program had already been included in a President ’ s Daily Brief , or PDB , in late February , according to reporting this week in The New York Times .
But the inclusion of Russia ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the CIA update , called the Wire , is raising questions among some former intelligence officers and national security experts : Was it just bureaucratic issues that caused the delay ?
Did new and better sourcing materialize over those two months to warrant the broader dissemination ?
And why was the CIA , which compiles the Wire , acting at that point to disseminate something of such gravity to a broader audience ?
Moreover , the wider dissemination of information on the bounty program along with the hints of sharp differences over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the intelligence community reflect what some say is a debilitating lack of consensus in the U.S. government on Russia .
As the U.S. squabbles over how to handle relations with America ’ s longtime ideological and geopolitical adversary , these voices caution , Vladimir Putin is cannily exploiting the divisions to further his goals vis-a-vis the U.S. Those include weakening America ’ s democratic system and exacerbating social divisions .
For Mr. Putin , who aims to reassert Russia as a global power , damaging U.S. standing in and commitment to regions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eastern Europe , Central Asia , the Middle East , and Afghanistan – remains a top priority .
But others say that a broad consensus on Russia that goes back to the Cold War is , in fact , still in place – everywhere but at the very top .
“ There is actually a fairly large consensus about the challenge Russia poses and the way the U.S. should respond , and I would say that consensus stretches from the intelligence community and many national security officials to much of Congress , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia in the National Intelligence Council .
“ And then there ’ s a huge gap , ” she adds , “ between that consensus and the person at the very top.
” It is that gap , a feature of President Donald Trump ’ s tenure from the beginning – the intelligence community finding substantial evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 elections , and the president dismissing such conclusions as a “ hoax ” – that appears to be on display once again in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mr. Trump has had very little to say about the Russian plan , other than that he was never briefed on the issue .
White House officials do not deny that the intelligence reached the Oval Office , but say it was not confirmed and so was not discussed directly with the president .
Still , the absence of White House action on the suspected bounty program or even engagement on it with Russia at any level confirms what some see as a pattern of unwillingness to take to the president any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. “ I do not see that this story is so much about intelligence as it is really about the administration failing to deal with Russia offering to pay the Taliban to kill U.S. troops , ” says Katrina Mulligan , a former official in the National Security Council and Office of the Director of National Intelligence who served under both the Obama and Trump administrations .
For Ms. Mulligan , that failure reflects in part the “ dysfunction ” in the White House national security apparatus , which she notes has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four directors of national intelligence over Mr. Trump ’ s tenure .
But she also questions why such explosive information about Russian activity , even if not fully confirmed , would have been kept from the president .
Noting that in her time in government a lack of consensus across intelligence agencies “ was never a reason to not tell the president something of this magnitude , ” she says , “ I really wonder about what motivated people [ in the White House ] not to prioritize this with the president.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preparing the PDB agree , finding it unfathomable that such information involving force protection and vulnerability would not have reached the commander-in-chief .
“ This [ intelligence ] reporting is so inflammatory and so egregious , it is incomprehensible to me that senior people wouldn ’ t bring this to the attention of the president , ” says Robert Cardillo , a former deputy director of National Intelligence for Intelligence Integration and a PDB briefer to President Obama .
“ It ’ s even more incomprehensible , ” he adds , “ that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response.
” Some of the House Republicans who were invited to the White House Monday to be briefed on the Russian bounty program intelligence suggested they were not fully satisfied with the explanations they received .
They also hinted at a higher degree of alarm over Russian activities , specifically in Afghanistan , than what they have seen emanating from the administration .
“ It has been clear for some time that Russia does not wish us well in Afghanistan , ” two of those Republicans – Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a joint statement following the briefing .
“ We believe it is important to vigorously pursue any information related to Russia or any other country targeting our forces.
” The two prominent hawks said they “ remain concerned about Russian activity in Afghanistan , including reports that they have targeted U.S. forces , ” and said they expect the administration to promptly provide Congress with additional information on the alleged Russian program .
Some Democrats and national security analysts more critical of the administration note that over recent months during which the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bounty plan , President Trump has not only refrained from challenging Russia over its activities but has gone out of his way in the other direction .
He is known to have had at least four phone conversations with Mr. Putin since late February .
Over that time Mr. Trump has pushed ( ultimately unsuccessfully ) for the G7 group of most advanced economies to readmit Russia to the elite club .
He has also taken everyone by surprise , including Germany , by announcing an imminent reduction in U.S. troops stationed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the suspected bounty program , but officials have seized on the fact that the U.S. never raised it with them to cast the reporting ’ s veracity in doubt .
Dmitry Peskov , a spokesman for Mr. Putin , told NBC News Monday that not only were the reports incorrect , but that “ none of the American representatives have ever raised this question ” with their Russian counterparts .
The White House is doubling down on the fact that there was not unanimity on the bounty program ’ s existence across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not taken up directly with the president .
“ There was not a consensus among the intelligence community , ” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Monday .
“ And , in fact , there were dissenting opinions within the intelligence community , and it would not be elevated to the president until it was verified.
” This left Representative Thornberry stupefied and irate that something “ with even a hint of veracity ” concerning the security of U.S. troops would not be taken to the president .
Indeed former officials with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dissenting opinions ” would not be a reason to keep information from the president , though the existence of varying assessments would be shared .
“ Dissent has a proud tradition in the intelligence community , and it is protected , ” says Mr. Cardillo .
If he were presenting the president with intelligence that another agency wanted to dissent from , that dissent would be presented to the president , he says .
“ The president ’ s staff has to make decisions with or without perfect information , ” says Ms. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” particularly when the lives of U.S. service members are involved , she adds , is not an option .

A lack of consensus across intelligence agencies “was never a reason to not tell the president something of this magnitude,” she says. “I really wonder about what motivated people [in the White House] not to prioritize this with the president.”
The absence of White House action on the suspected bounty program or even engagement on it with Russia at any level is troubling to some. Katrina Mulligan, a former official in the National Security Council, questions why such explosive information about Russian activity would have been kept from the president.
There is little doubt the nation’s decision-makers need the best and latest information. Much of the furor over the alleged Russian bounty program is focusing on lines of communication in the Trump White House.
Some say the episode points to a debilitating lack of U.S. consensus over Russia, allowing its longtime ideological and geopolitical adversary to exploit those divisions to achieve its goals. Others say a consensus is, in fact, in place across the U.S. government – everywhere but at the very top.
President Donald Trump has had very little to say about reports Russia was paying a bounty to the Taliban to kill U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan, other than that he was never briefed on the issue. White House officials do not deny that the intelligence reached the Oval Office, but say it was not confirmed and so was not discussed directly with the president.
In early May a classified CIA update for officers across U.S. intelligence agencies and others with security clearance reportedly cited evidence of a Russian program suspected of paying Taliban-linked militias to kill American and coalition troops in Afghanistan.
The military and intelligence agencies were investigating whether the bounty program might have played a part in an April 2019 roadside bombing near Bagram Air Base in which three Marine reservists were killed. The United States had evidence – in the form of a half-million dollars in cash found in a Seal Team 6 raid of a Taliban hideout – that bounties had already been paid.
And intelligence from captured Taliban fighters spurred the U.S. to investigate a funding channel connecting money handlers in Afghanistan with sources in Russia.
Why We Wrote This There is little doubt the nation’s decision-makers need the best and latest information. Much of the furor over the alleged Russian bounty program is focusing on lines of communication in the Trump White House.
Information on the alleged Russian bounty program had already been included in a President’s Daily Brief, or PDB, in late February, according to reporting this week in The New York Times.
But the inclusion of Russia’s bounty plan more than two months later in the CIA update, called the Wire, is raising questions among some former intelligence officers and national security experts: Was it just bureaucratic issues that caused the delay? Did new and better sourcing materialize over those two months to warrant the broader dissemination?
And why was the CIA, which compiles the Wire, acting at that point to disseminate something of such gravity to a broader audience?
Question of consensus
Moreover, the wider dissemination of information on the bounty program along with the hints of sharp differences over it between the Trump administration and parts of the intelligence community reflect what some say is a debilitating lack of consensus in the U.S. government on Russia.
As the U.S. squabbles over how to handle relations with America’s longtime ideological and geopolitical adversary, these voices caution, Vladimir Putin is cannily exploiting the divisions to further his goals vis-a-vis the U.S. Those include weakening America’s democratic system and exacerbating social divisions. For Mr. Putin, who aims to reassert Russia as a global power, damaging U.S. standing in and commitment to regions where American and Russian interests collide – Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Afghanistan – remains a top priority.
But others say that a broad consensus on Russia that goes back to the Cold War is, in fact, still in place – everywhere but at the very top.
“There is actually a fairly large consensus about the challenge Russia poses and the way the U.S. should respond, and I would say that consensus stretches from the intelligence community and many national security officials to much of Congress,” says Andrea Kendall-Taylor, a former deputy national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia in the National Intelligence Council.
“And then there’s a huge gap,” she adds, “between that consensus and the person at the very top.”
Tom Brenner/Reuters/File View caption Hide caption President Donald Trump delivers remarks to U.S. troops during an unannounced visit to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, November 28, 2019.
It is that gap, a feature of President Donald Trump’s tenure from the beginning – the intelligence community finding substantial evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 elections, and the president dismissing such conclusions as a “hoax” – that appears to be on display once again in the uproar over the suspected Russian bounty program.
Mr. Trump has had very little to say about the Russian plan, other than that he was never briefed on the issue. White House officials do not deny that the intelligence reached the Oval Office, but say it was not confirmed and so was not discussed directly with the president.
A pattern concerning Russia
Still, the absence of White House action on the suspected bounty program or even engagement on it with Russia at any level confirms what some see as a pattern of unwillingness to take to the president any evidence of nefarious Russian activity toward the U.S.
“I do not see that this story is so much about intelligence as it is really about the administration failing to deal with Russia offering to pay the Taliban to kill U.S. troops,” says Katrina Mulligan, a former official in the National Security Council and Office of the Director of National Intelligence who served under both the Obama and Trump administrations.
For Ms. Mulligan, that failure reflects in part the “dysfunction” in the White House national security apparatus, which she notes has been led by six national security advisers and four directors of national intelligence over Mr. Trump’s tenure.
But she also questions why such explosive information about Russian activity, even if not fully confirmed, would have been kept from the president. Noting that in her time in government a lack of consensus across intelligence agencies “was never a reason to not tell the president something of this magnitude,” she says, “I really wonder about what motivated people [in the White House] not to prioritize this with the president.”
Others who have been directly involved in preparing the PDB agree, finding it unfathomable that such information involving force protection and vulnerability would not have reached the commander-in-chief.
“This [intelligence] reporting is so inflammatory and so egregious, it is incomprehensible to me that senior people wouldn’t bring this to the attention of the president,” says Robert Cardillo, a former deputy director of National Intelligence for Intelligence Integration and a PDB briefer to President Obama.
“It’s even more incomprehensible,” he adds, “that no action would have been taken in response.”
Susan Walsh/AP/File View caption Hide caption President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin walk to participate in a group photo at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, June 28, 2019. The administration has careered between President Trump's attempts to curry favor and friendship with Mr. Putin and longstanding deep-seated concerns over his intentions.
Some of the House Republicans who were invited to the White House Monday to be briefed on the Russian bounty program intelligence suggested they were not fully satisfied with the explanations they received. They also hinted at a higher degree of alarm over Russian activities, specifically in Afghanistan, than what they have seen emanating from the administration.
“It has been clear for some time that Russia does not wish us well in Afghanistan,” two of those Republicans – Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Mac Thornberry of Texas – said in a joint statement following the briefing. “We believe it is important to vigorously pursue any information related to Russia or any other country targeting our forces.”
The two prominent hawks said they “remain concerned about Russian activity in Afghanistan, including reports that they have targeted U.S. forces,” and said they expect the administration to promptly provide Congress with additional information on the alleged Russian program.
Trump-Putin phone calls
Some Democrats and national security analysts more critical of the administration note that over recent months during which the White House has known about the suspected Russian bounty plan, President Trump has not only refrained from challenging Russia over its activities but has gone out of his way in the other direction. He is known to have had at least four phone conversations with Mr. Putin since late February.
Over that time Mr. Trump has pushed (ultimately unsuccessfully) for the G7 group of most advanced economies to readmit Russia to the elite club. He has also taken everyone by surprise, including Germany, by announcing an imminent reduction in U.S. troops stationed in Germany.
Russia has said very little about the suspected bounty program, but officials have seized on the fact that the U.S. never raised it with them to cast the reporting’s veracity in doubt. Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Mr. Putin, told NBC News Monday that not only were the reports incorrect, but that “none of the American representatives have ever raised this question” with their Russian counterparts.
The White House is doubling down on the fact that there was not unanimity on the bounty program’s existence across intelligence agencies to explain why it was not taken up directly with the president.
“There was not a consensus among the intelligence community,” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Monday. “And, in fact, there were dissenting opinions within the intelligence community, and it would not be elevated to the president until it was verified.”
This left Representative Thornberry stupefied and irate that something “with even a hint of veracity” concerning the security of U.S. troops would not be taken to the president.
Indeed former officials with experience in highest-level intelligence briefings say “dissenting opinions” would not be a reason to keep information from the president, though the existence of varying assessments would be shared.
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“Dissent has a proud tradition in the intelligence community, and it is protected,” says Mr. Cardillo. If he were presenting the president with intelligence that another agency wanted to dissent from, that dissent would be presented to the president, he says.
“The president’s staff has to make decisions with or without perfect information,” says Ms. Mulligan. Waiting for “consensus,” particularly when the lives of U.S. service members are involved, she adds, is not an option.


csmonitor--2020-07-01--How George Floyd’s death united Africans and African-Americans

Her body was found just days after George Floyd was laid to rest .
Nineteen-year-old Oluwatoyin Salau had made a name for herself in Tallahassee , Florida , where she was active in the Black Lives Matter movement and became a prominent voice during protests following Mr. Floyd ’ s death .
Police have arrested Aaron Glee Jr. , who according to court documents confessed to kidnapping and murdering both Ms. Salau and fellow activist Victoria Sims .
But when Ms. Salau ’ s friends and family gathered in her memory on Saturday , they focused not on the tragedy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faith and convictions that informed her life .
Those convictions brought her to the forefront of Tallahassee BLM protests , where she espoused an inclusive view of the movement.. “ We are doing this for our brothers and our sisters who got shot , ” she told fellow protesters mourning the killing of Tony McDade , a Black transgender man , in a video widely circulated on social media , “ but we are doing this for every black person.
” Her inclusive view of the Black Lives Matter movement has drawn attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Among many Black communities in the United States , there ’ s a sense that African-Americans whose forebears were enslaved in the U.S. , tolerate new generations of African immigrants to the country .
Differences in attitude or lifestyle , at times , has put a wedge in their relationships , leading to suspicion , accusations , and a general sense of incompatibility .
But from Minneapolis and Houston to Boston and New York , generations of African immigrants have begun to raise their voices in unison with their African-American neighbors .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Massachusetts , the outrage that he feels when he sees a fellow man killed by police knows no nationality .
He joined protests in Boston and Worcester because “ loss of life of a human by the knee should be protested against as a basic principle of humanity , '' he says .
After six years living in the U.S. , he understands why many African immigrants do not demonstrate , citing `` immigration myths , responsibility burdens , and a way of life for Africans and most immigrants in the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part . ''
For some African immigrants , the freedom to speak their mind still does not feel theirs to hold .
One woman from East Africa who was interviewed for this story had been made to feel so unwelcome here that she did not feel safe giving her name .
`` I have been a victim of great injustice since arriving in the USA , ” she says , “ from being spat at and told to return to Africa while the train is in motion , to being subjected to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an `` anti-African '' type of hate-crime against me.
” Hillary Taylor Seguya , a Ugandan graduate student studying international relations at Harvard University , says he joined peaceful protests because “ I wanted to also send a strong message to the world that we are all born free and equal regardless of our skin color . ''
He described the demonstrations as `` multi-racial and multi-generational '' and embraces that diversity as a strength .
`` I saw many people from Africa participating in Black Lives Matter protests because they face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I never felt out of place during the protests because all of us came for a common cause determined to demand for an equal destiny and build a better future free from racism . ''
He does not view racism as an exclusively American problem .
Uganda , he says , `` has a bad history of racism dating back to 1972 when dictator Idi Amin Dada expelled Asians '' from the country , issuing them a 90 days ultimatum to leave .
Violent police tactics have also been a point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ainebyona .
In fact , the death of Mr. Floyd resonated with residents of many African nations , who held their own solidarity marches .
Emamsy Mbossa Ngossoh , a native of the Republic of Congo who recently graduated from Columbia University in New York , says he has a hard time seeing the kind of change currently called for here finding many footholds on the African continent .
“ Unfortunately , African police have excelled in bad practices of beating and hurting helpless people including teenagers and elderly people , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be hard to implement simply because it ’ s linked to the bad governance with corrupted leadership who only seek their interests . ''
In that sense , the Black Lives Matter movement , described by many observers as the most racially diverse protest movement in living memory , has transcended the trials of the African-American experience and the United States .
Albert Usumanu , a Cameroonian born lawyer who has lived in the U.S. since 1985 , hopes that the reach and unified purpose of the movement can be instructive for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our African-American brethren finally believe we all are in the same boat , seeing the reaction of Africans from Ghana [ where a ceremony was organized in honor of Floyd ] and across the continent as well as Africans right here in America , ” he says .
“ We all feel a knee on our neck . ''

Her body was found just days after George Floyd was laid to rest. Nineteen-year-old Oluwatoyin Salau had made a name for herself in Tallahassee, Florida, where she was active in the Black Lives Matter movement and became a prominent voice during protests following Mr. Floyd’s death.
Police have arrested Aaron Glee Jr., who according to court documents confessed to kidnapping and murdering both Ms. Salau and fellow activist Victoria Sims. But when Ms. Salau’s friends and family gathered in her memory on Saturday, they focused not on the tragedy of her death, but rather the faith and convictions that informed her life.
Those convictions brought her to the forefront of Tallahassee BLM protests, where she espoused an inclusive view of the movement.. “We are doing this for our brothers and our sisters who got shot,” she told fellow protesters mourning the killing of Tony McDade, a Black transgender man, in a video widely circulated on social media, “but we are doing this for every black person.”
Her inclusive view of the Black Lives Matter movement has drawn attention, as has her Nigerian descent. Among many Black communities in the United States, there’s a sense that African-Americans whose forebears were enslaved in the U.S., tolerate new generations of African immigrants to the country. Differences in attitude or lifestyle, at times, has put a wedge in their relationships, leading to suspicion, accusations, and a general sense of incompatibility.
But from Minneapolis and Houston to Boston and New York, generations of African immigrants have begun to raise their voices in unison with their African-American neighbors.
For Herman Ainebyona, a Ugandan living in Massachusetts, the outrage that he feels when he sees a fellow man killed by police knows no nationality. He joined protests in Boston and Worcester because “loss of life of a human by the knee should be protested against as a basic principle of humanity," he says.
After six years living in the U.S., he understands why many African immigrants do not demonstrate, citing "immigration myths, responsibility burdens, and a way of life for Africans and most immigrants in the United States which make it almost impossible to take part."
For some African immigrants, the freedom to speak their mind still does not feel theirs to hold.
One woman from East Africa who was interviewed for this story had been made to feel so unwelcome here that she did not feel safe giving her name.
"I have been a victim of great injustice since arriving in the USA,” she says, “from being spat at and told to return to Africa while the train is in motion, to being subjected to the most heinous hate-motivated violence that police classified as an "anti-African" type of hate-crime against me.”
Hillary Taylor Seguya, a Ugandan graduate student studying international relations at Harvard University, says he joined peaceful protests because “I wanted to also send a strong message to the world that we are all born free and equal regardless of our skin color."
He described the demonstrations as "multi-racial and multi-generational" and embraces that diversity as a strength. "I saw many people from Africa participating in Black Lives Matter protests because they face racism too," says Mr. Seguya. "I never felt out of place during the protests because all of us came for a common cause determined to demand for an equal destiny and build a better future free from racism."
He does not view racism as an exclusively American problem. Uganda, he says, "has a bad history of racism dating back to 1972 when dictator Idi Amin Dada expelled Asians" from the country, issuing them a 90 days ultimatum to leave.
Violent police tactics have also been a point of concern in Uganda, adds Mr. Ainebyona. In fact, the death of Mr. Floyd resonated with residents of many African nations, who held their own solidarity marches.
Emamsy Mbossa Ngossoh, a native of the Republic of Congo who recently graduated from Columbia University in New York, says he has a hard time seeing the kind of change currently called for here finding many footholds on the African continent.
“Unfortunately, African police have excelled in bad practices of beating and hurting helpless people including teenagers and elderly people,” he says. “Honestly, police reform will be hard to implement simply because it’s linked to the bad governance with corrupted leadership who only seek their interests."
In that sense, the Black Lives Matter movement, described by many observers as the most racially diverse protest movement in living memory, has transcended the trials of the African-American experience and the United States. Albert Usumanu, a Cameroonian born lawyer who has lived in the U.S. since 1985, hopes that the reach and unified purpose of the movement can be instructive for Africa – and African Americans.
"Our African-American brethren finally believe we all are in the same boat, seeing the reaction of Africans from Ghana [where a ceremony was organized in honor of Floyd] and across the continent as well as Africans right here in America,” he says. “We all feel a knee on our neck."