cnbc--2020-05-16--NYSE owner declines comment on coronavirus stock probe as CEO's wife Sen. Loeffler gives documents t

NYSE owner declines comment on coronavirus stock probe as CEO's wife Sen. Loeffler gives documents to Justice Department

Sen. Kelly Loeffler , R-Ga. , her husband Jeffrey Sprecher participate in Loefflers swear-in reenactment for the cameras in the Capitol on Monday , Jan. 6 , 2020 .
Intercontinental Exchange , which owns the New York Stock Exchange , refused to say Friday whether it has given federal law enforcement agencies information related to stock sales by CEO and Chairman Jeff Sprecher and his wife , Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler .
Intercontinental Exchange formally declined to comment after a flurry of news about a probe into stock sales in trading accounts related to four senators .
That news included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and information to the Department of Justice , the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Senate Ethics Committee about the sales from accounts she had with Sprecher .
Those sales came in the weeks before financial markets plunged as the Covid-19 pandemic spread in the United States .
Intercontinental Exchange has not said in regulatory filings that either the company or Sprecher are the subject of criminal or civil probes or have turned over information to investigators about the CEO 's trades .
The FBI and Department of Justice appears to be eyeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as by Sens .
Richard Burr , R-N.C. , and Jim Inhofe , R-Okla. , and by the husband of Sen. Dianne Feinstein , D-Calif. Accounts connected to those senators cumulatively sold millions of dollars worth of stock in the weeks before financial markets crashed in late February as Covid-19 cases in the United States began spiking .
Starting on Jan. 24 , Loeffler and Sprecher sold stocks over the next three weeks that were valued at between $ 1.3 million and $ 3.1 million , according to disclosure reports filed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they did nothing wrong , and that the trades were not connected to non-public information they received .
That includes private briefings for lawmakers in January and early February by top federal health officials who warned senators about the potential impact of the coronavirus outbreak before the United States began seeing large numbers of officially reported cases .
Sprecher and Loeffler 's sales began on the same day that Loeffler attended a senators-only briefing on the coronavirus .


cnbc--2020-05-17--Mike Pompeo recommended Trump firing of State Department inspector general, White House says

Mike Pompeo , U.S. secretary of state , speaks during a Coronavirus Task Force news conference at the White House in Washington , D.C. , U.S. , on Wednesday , April 8 , 2020 .
President Donald Trump fired the State Department 's inspector general on the recommendation of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , a White House official said Saturday .
Trump fired State Department Inspector General Steve Linick Friday night , notifying Congress of the decision in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi .
Trump , who has targeted several government agency watchdogs in the past several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had full confidence in Linick , but did not provide an explanation as to why .
`` Secretary Pompeo recommended the move , and President Trump agreed , '' a White House official said .
Democratic lawmakers said the inspector general was investigating potential misconduct by Pompeo .
Sen. Bob Menendez , D-N.J. , and Rep. Eliot Engel , D-N.Y. , launched an investigation into Linick 's removal Saturday , claiming Pompeo wanted the inspector general removed because the secretary was under investigation .
Menendez and Engel have called for the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's firing .
`` Such an action , transparently designed to protect Secretary Pompeo from personal accountability , would undermine the foundation of our democratic institutions and may be an illegal act of retaliation , '' the lawmakers said in press release Saturday .
`` This concern is amplified by the fact that it came only hours after the House of Representatives passed the Heroes Act , which contains additional legal protections for inspectors general . ''
A Democratic aide told NBC News that Linick was scrutinizing Pompeo 's alleged misuse of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself and his wife , Susan .
The firing of Linick was also met with skepticism by some Republican lawmakers .
Sen. Chuck Grassley , R-Iowa , said Trump must provide details to Congress about why Linick was removed .
`` As I 've said before , Congress requires written reasons justifying an IG 's removal , '' said Grassley , who co-chairs the Whistleblower Protection Caucus `` A general lack of confidence simply is not sufficient detail to satisfy Congress . ''
Linick was appointed to the role by the Obama administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a former career foreign service officer with close ties to Vice President Mike Pence , according to the Associated Press .
Menendez and Engel are also requesting information regarding Akard as part of their investigation .
Linick is the latest inspector general to be fired by Trump .
In April , he removed Glenn Fine , who was appointed the watchdog of the $ 2 trillion coronavirus relief bill just days before Trump 's move .
Also in April , Trump fired the intelligence community 's inspector general , Michael Atkinson , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led to the president 's impeachment .
Earlier this month , Trump moved to replace Christi Grimm , the top watchdog at the Health and Human Services Department , a month after he criticized her for a report detailing `` severe shortages '' of coronavirus testing kits and other serious issues with the U.S. response to the pandemic .

Mike Pompeo, U.S. secretary of state, speaks during a Coronavirus Task Force news conference at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, April 8, 2020.
President Donald Trump fired the State Department's inspector general on the recommendation of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a White House official said Saturday.
Trump fired State Department Inspector General Steve Linick Friday night, notifying Congress of the decision in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Trump, who has targeted several government agency watchdogs in the past several weeks, told Congress he no longer had full confidence in Linick, but did not provide an explanation as to why.
"Secretary Pompeo recommended the move, and President Trump agreed," a White House official said.
Democratic lawmakers said the inspector general was investigating potential misconduct by Pompeo.
Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., launched an investigation into Linick's removal Saturday, claiming Pompeo wanted the inspector general removed because the secretary was under investigation. Menendez and Engel have called for the White House to turn over records related to Linick's firing.
"Such an action, transparently designed to protect Secretary Pompeo from personal accountability, would undermine the foundation of our democratic institutions and may be an illegal act of retaliation," the lawmakers said in press release Saturday. "This concern is amplified by the fact that it came only hours after the House of Representatives passed the Heroes Act, which contains additional legal protections for inspectors general."
Linick was looking into whether Pompeo made a staffer run personal errands, such as walking his dog and picking up his dry cleaning, two congressional officials told NBC News.
The firing of Linick was also met with skepticism by some Republican lawmakers. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said Trump must provide details to Congress about why Linick was removed.
"As I've said before, Congress requires written reasons justifying an IG's removal," said Grassley, who co-chairs the Whistleblower Protection Caucus "A general lack of confidence simply is not sufficient detail to satisfy Congress."
Linick was appointed to the role by the Obama administration and is being replaced by Stephen Akard, a former career foreign service officer with close ties to Vice President Mike Pence, according to the Associated Press.
Menendez and Engel are also requesting information regarding Akard as part of their investigation.
Linick is the latest inspector general to be fired by Trump.
In April, he removed Glenn Fine, who was appointed the watchdog of the $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill just days before Trump's move. Also in April, Trump fired the intelligence community's inspector general, Michael Atkinson, who had overseen the whistleblower complaint that led to the president's impeachment.
Earlier this month, Trump moved to replace Christi Grimm, the top watchdog at the Health and Human Services Department, a month after he criticized her for a report detailing "severe shortages" of coronavirus testing kits and other serious issues with the U.S. response to the pandemic.


cnbc--2020-05-16--Texas coronavirus cases tick higher as state forges ahead with reopening

Coronavirus cases are rising in Texas as the state plans more steps to restart its devastated economy during the pandemic .
After new reported cases rose by about 1,000 per day in mid-April , they started to climb in May , reaching a new single-day high of about 1,450 on Thursday .
While Texans moved more freely around the state after it allowed stores and restaurants to reopen on May 1 with capacity restrictions , the figures could reflect improving testing capacity .
Cases are `` definitely increasing but it 's not to the point where it 's overwhelming our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brian Reed , professor and chair of the department of clinical sciences at the University of Houston College of Medicine .
When Texas partially rebooted its economy at the start of the month , it became the most populous state to do so up to that point .
Along with the other largely Republican-led states that lifted restrictions designed to slow the pandemic in late April and early May , Texas looked to buoy a state economy wrecked after most businesses closed their doors .
Texas will next allow businesses such as gyms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The decision comes with immense risk .
Experts say more freedom of movement leads to expectations of increased infections — though people 's decisions to continue distancing and wear face coverings in public could limit the spread .
This week , National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci warned Congress that states could see `` little spikes that might turn into outbreaks '' if they restart their economies too soon .
In Texas , roughly 1.8 million people have filed for jobless benefits in the last seven weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of workers covered by the state 's unemployment program .
A combination of issues hit the Texas economy in the spring , said Robert Dye , senior vice president and chief economist at Comerica Bank .
While the pandemic takes its toll , U.S. benchmark WTI crude oil futures have fallen more than 50 % this year — a blow to the American energy capital of Texas .
The state also houses the headquarters of American Airlines and Southwest Airlines , two companies damaged by travel reductions , and has seen cross-border commerce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` significant decline '' in Texas GDP in the second quarter .
He also said that if coronavirus cases spike later this year , he would expect a `` major pullback in the economy '' immediately .
Dye added that the effects could manifest long-term in businesses reluctant to bring on staff as they worry about repeated shutdowns leading to a cycle of hiring and firing .
It could take until next month to know how reopening affects the number of new cases in Texas .
It can also take 10 days for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figures , and three-to-four weeks for data on deaths to do so , according to Lauren Ancel Meyers , director of the University of Texas at Austin Covid-19 modeling consortium .
She said tracking data show movement to places such as grocery stores has increased in recent weeks , though it is difficult to predict how much people are taking steps such as distancing and wearing face coverings .
`` Right now it 's hard to know the extent to which people are going out and taking those kinds of precautions , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas are highest in cities , rural Texas has taken a bigger hit on a per-capita basis , particularly in the northern and eastern parts of the state .
Reported cases in Texas now exceed 43,000 .

Men receive haircuts as social distancing guidelines to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are relaxed at Doug’s Barber Shop in Houston, Texas, May 8, 2020. Callaghan O'Hare | Reuters
Coronavirus cases are rising in Texas as the state plans more steps to restart its devastated economy during the pandemic. After new reported cases rose by about 1,000 per day in mid-April, they started to climb in May, reaching a new single-day high of about 1,450 on Thursday. While Texans moved more freely around the state after it allowed stores and restaurants to reopen on May 1 with capacity restrictions, the figures could reflect improving testing capacity. Cases are "definitely increasing but it's not to the point where it's overwhelming our health care system," said Dr. Brian Reed, professor and chair of the department of clinical sciences at the University of Houston College of Medicine.
Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards
When Texas partially rebooted its economy at the start of the month, it became the most populous state to do so up to that point. Along with the other largely Republican-led states that lifted restrictions designed to slow the pandemic in late April and early May, Texas looked to buoy a state economy wrecked after most businesses closed their doors. Texas will next allow businesses such as gyms to open on Monday with capacity limits.
Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards
The decision comes with immense risk. Experts say more freedom of movement leads to expectations of increased infections — though people's decisions to continue distancing and wear face coverings in public could limit the spread. This week, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci warned Congress that states could see "little spikes that might turn into outbreaks" if they restart their economies too soon. In Texas, roughly 1.8 million people have filed for jobless benefits in the last seven weeks. That comes out to 9.2% of workers covered by the state's unemployment program.
Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards
A combination of issues hit the Texas economy in the spring, said Robert Dye, senior vice president and chief economist at Comerica Bank. While the pandemic takes its toll, U.S. benchmark WTI crude oil futures have fallen more than 50% this year — a blow to the American energy capital of Texas. The state also houses the headquarters of American Airlines and Southwest Airlines , two companies damaged by travel reductions, and has seen cross-border commerce with Mexico drop. Dye expects a "significant decline" in Texas GDP in the second quarter. He also said that if coronavirus cases spike later this year, he would expect a "major pullback in the economy" immediately. Dye added that the effects could manifest long-term in businesses reluctant to bring on staff as they worry about repeated shutdowns leading to a cycle of hiring and firing. It could take until next month to know how reopening affects the number of new cases in Texas. It can also take 10 days for hospitalization numbers to catch up with infection figures, and three-to-four weeks for data on deaths to do so, according to Lauren Ancel Meyers, director of the University of Texas at Austin Covid-19 modeling consortium. She said tracking data show movement to places such as grocery stores has increased in recent weeks, though it is difficult to predict how much people are taking steps such as distancing and wearing face coverings. "Right now it's hard to know the extent to which people are going out and taking those kinds of precautions," Meyers said. While total cases in Texas are highest in cities, rural Texas has taken a bigger hit on a per-capita basis, particularly in the northern and eastern parts of the state. Reported cases in Texas now exceed 43,000.


cnbc--2020-05-16--Sanitation workers battle higher waste levels in residential areas as coronavirus outbreak persists

Sanitation workers across the country are trying to adjust to unusually high waste levels in residential areas as the coronavirus pandemic shuts in much of the workforce at home .
Waste in residential areas has spiked by as much as 40 % in some parts of the country , according to one company 's tally .
To facilitate curbside pickup services , waste management companies are urging both their workers and clients to follow proper disposal protocols .
To deal with the onslaught , some sanitation workers , who pick up and haul garbage and other waste , have begun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trips they would make to residential neighborhoods under more normal circumstances .
Often taken for granted , sanitation workers have become part of the frontline workforce keeping the country going even as the pandemic persists .
And though they largely operate in the background of everyday life , they provide services that bolster comfortable living and cleanliness across the country .
`` You can go your whole life without ever calling upon a firefighter or a police officer , but you ca n't go more than a couple days without having a sanitation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belinda Mager , the director of communications at New York 's sanitation department .
`` They visit your block at least a couple days a week , and you may not even know it !
But you 'd know it if they were not there ! ''
Data collected in December from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that people who gather and dispose of waste and recyclable materials work the fifth most dangerous job in the United States .
The coronavirus has heightened that risk factor .
The pandemic adds to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of contracting the disease while handling waste with contaminated materials such as used tissues or face masks .
This story is based on conversations with people linked to six waste removal groups in New York , California , Texas , Florida and Arizona , five states that represent some of the greatest risk zones for sanitation workers .
In an effort to minimize employees ' risk of contracting the disease , several waste removal groups have been urging the public to dispose of their waste safely by `` putting all trash in closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said David Biderman , executive director and CEO of Solid Waste Association of North America , or SWANA , a nonprofit that advocates for efficient solid waste management .
`` We do n't want sanitation collection workers touching discarded tissues or other material from a home in which someone has tested positive to coronavirus , '' Biderman said .
Some companies , such as Florida-based Waste Pro USA , have issued guidance on how to handle waste .
The company created a flyer that educates `` customers on how to properly dispose of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and our crews that is available to download on our website '' said Ron Pecora , senior vice president of Waste Pro USA , which operates in 11 states .
Increased safety protocols have also extended to the companies themselves .
Sanitation workers have received gloves , masks , and disinfecting products from their employers to maximize their own safety .
And they 're encouraged to practice social distancing while collecting trash .
`` Traditionally everyone always wore gloves .
But now everyone wears a thinner latex glove on the inside , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside , '' said Josh Eisenstein , director of community outreach at Filco Carting , a Brooklyn , New York , waste management company .
Trucks are cleaned and disinfected frequently , said a spokesperson from Republic Services , an Arizona-based waste collection company operating in 41 states and Puerto Rico .
`` All of our facilities and equipment are on an enhanced cleaning schedule , with cleanings scheduled multiple times per day , '' the spokesperson said .
In Arizona , the new safety protocols have extended into processing centers , too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plastic protective barriers to help keep them safe . ''
SWANA estimates that nearly 1,000 sanitation workers have tested positive for the coronavirus around the country , `` the majority of them in the New York City metropolitan area , '' Biderman said .
But it 's likely that these workers contracted the virus because of `` community spread , not contact with the trash , '' he added .
Waste among residential homes has increased as most Americans stay at home under shelter-in-place orders .
`` Residential waste volume has increased between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the location , as Americans have been staying home and generating more trash and recyclables , '' Biderman said .
At Waste Management , headquartered in Texas , residential waste went up by 25 % , according to Janette Micelli , director of external affairs .
To keep up with the unexpected volume of waste , several sanitation companies have suspended bulk pick-up services , meaning that sanitation workers temporarily avoid picking up large materials like tossed-out furniture .
About 80 communities nationwide have reported temporary suspensions in curbside recycling or yard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SWANA .
`` This was because these communities ' sanitation departments have limited bandwidth and resources , and need to use their assets ( trucks , people ) to collect trash , '' Biderman explained .
Some communities have begun to resume these services .
In Southern California , sanitation workers have shut down some recycling facilities due to inability to keep adequate distance between workers , causing some curbside recyclables to end up in the landfill .
Meanwhile , some companies have altered their schedules to keep up with the increased need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused Americans to be `` thrown off their routine , '' said Pecora of Waste Pro USA , which has seen a 40 % increase in residential waste in some areas .
`` Rather than placing their materials out before going to work , they have been placing their materials out after our trucks have serviced their streets , resulting in a spike in calls concerning missed pickups , '' Pecora said .
Additionally , Waste Pro USA workers have been reporting higher numbers of `` bulk items , '' including old televisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an indication that many Americans are using the time at home to do some heavy-duty spring cleaning .
`` This huge volume has resulted in significant increased expense as trucks are filling up and have to dispose , and then go back to same routes to complete , '' Pecora said .
As residential waste rises , commercial waste is in a state of free fall , tumbling because of closures of nonessential businesses and stay-at-home guidelines .
The biggest blow to commercial waste occurred `` in major cities , '' according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Brooklyn has seen commercial waste drop by 50 % since the pandemic hit .
Commercial waste removal from places like restaurants and small businesses can only be handled by privately owned waste removal companies in New York .
Once New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo issued orders of statewide shutdowns , business at New York waste removal companies began to drop off .
`` Most private carters are operating with less trucks , as many customers are not operating , not producing waste and therefore less trucks are needed to collect the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Filco .
And businesses that have stayed open to offer essential services , like supermarkets , have reduced their waste , Eisenstein said , likely because fewer customers have been entering .
Some of these businesses `` requested reduction in their frequency of pickups .
Weeks ago when businesses were forced to close , many reached out to us to suspend service , '' he said .
There is no consensus on what the future holds in terms of when the coronavirus pandemic will die out or whether these changes will stick around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removal companies told CNBC they believe the country has already hit its peak , adding that they expect residential volumes to decrease and commercial volumes to rise going forward .
`` In the last couple of weeks , we 've begun to see customers reengage with us as they plan to reopen their businesses , '' a spokesperson for Republic Services said .
`` Assuming these trends continue , we believe the worst is behind us and volumes will sequentially improve from here . ''
For Eisenstein of Filco Carting , the worry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffer even as New York businesses open up .
He is anticipating a `` slow start '' once businesses resume operations because `` employees may not want to come back '' and `` no one wants to be confined right now even though we 're all usually like tuna fish in a can in the subway . ''
`` Just because they 're open , they may not be at full capacity and may not be producing as much waste , '' he said , predicting that commercial waste pickup might turn into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the months coming up .
Other waste removal companies are planning to institute more permanent changes based on the adjustments forced on by the pandemic .
Pecora of Waste Pro USA , for example , said the company will continue to keep stock of `` increased supplies of PPE and sanitizing equipment that will be readily available in a moment 's notice . ''
Additionally , it 's possible that some people like `` IT teams , HR and Communications '' might work from home more regularly in the future .
Still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hurricane season is approaching , and it 's unclear how it will play out along with the pandemic .
Pecora said Waste Pro USA anticipates `` a spike in yard waste collection '' once hurricane season comes around in Florida .
`` Thousands of our 11 state customers are preparing for hurricane season , which is forecasted to be severe this year , '' he said .

A New York City Department of Sanitation worker wearing a mask and gloves collects the trash amid the coronavirus pandemic on April 30, 2020. Alexi Rosenfeld | Getty Images
Sanitation workers across the country are trying to adjust to unusually high waste levels in residential areas as the coronavirus pandemic shuts in much of the workforce at home. Waste in residential areas has spiked by as much as 40% in some parts of the country, according to one company's tally. To facilitate curbside pickup services, waste management companies are urging both their workers and clients to follow proper disposal protocols. To deal with the onslaught, some sanitation workers, who pick up and haul garbage and other waste, have begun to double or triple the number of trips they would make to residential neighborhoods under more normal circumstances. Often taken for granted, sanitation workers have become part of the frontline workforce keeping the country going even as the pandemic persists. And though they largely operate in the background of everyday life, they provide services that bolster comfortable living and cleanliness across the country. "You can go your whole life without ever calling upon a firefighter or a police officer, but you can't go more than a couple days without having a sanitation worker in your life," said Belinda Mager, the director of communications at New York's sanitation department. "They visit your block at least a couple days a week, and you may not even know it! But you'd know it if they were not there!" Data collected in December from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that people who gather and dispose of waste and recyclable materials work the fifth most dangerous job in the United States. The coronavirus has heightened that risk factor. The pandemic adds to the inherent dangers of the job the risk of contracting the disease while handling waste with contaminated materials such as used tissues or face masks. This story is based on conversations with people linked to six waste removal groups in New York, California, Texas, Florida and Arizona, five states that represent some of the greatest risk zones for sanitation workers.
The risks
In an effort to minimize employees' risk of contracting the disease, several waste removal groups have been urging the public to dispose of their waste safely by "putting all trash in closed bags, carts or containers," said David Biderman, executive director and CEO of Solid Waste Association of North America, or SWANA, a nonprofit that advocates for efficient solid waste management. "We don't want sanitation collection workers touching discarded tissues or other material from a home in which someone has tested positive to coronavirus," Biderman said. Some companies, such as Florida-based Waste Pro USA, have issued guidance on how to handle waste. The company created a flyer that educates "customers on how to properly dispose of their trash and recycling to protect themselves and our crews that is available to download on our website" said Ron Pecora, senior vice president of Waste Pro USA, which operates in 11 states. Increased safety protocols have also extended to the companies themselves. Sanitation workers have received gloves, masks, and disinfecting products from their employers to maximize their own safety. And they're encouraged to practice social distancing while collecting trash. "Traditionally everyone always wore gloves. But now everyone wears a thinner latex glove on the inside, in addition to a thick glove on the outside," said Josh Eisenstein, director of community outreach at Filco Carting, a Brooklyn, New York, waste management company.
Sanitation workers clean and disinfect the streets of Skidrow during the coronavirus pandemic on April 20, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Tommaso Boddi | Getty Images
Trucks are cleaned and disinfected frequently, said a spokesperson from Republic Services , an Arizona-based waste collection company operating in 41 states and Puerto Rico. "All of our facilities and equipment are on an enhanced cleaning schedule, with cleanings scheduled multiple times per day," the spokesperson said. In Arizona, the new safety protocols have extended into processing centers, too, where employees are separated by "plastic protective barriers to help keep them safe." SWANA estimates that nearly 1,000 sanitation workers have tested positive for the coronavirus around the country, "the majority of them in the New York City metropolitan area," Biderman said. But it's likely that these workers contracted the virus because of "community spread, not contact with the trash," he added.
Spikes in residential waste
Waste among residential homes has increased as most Americans stay at home under shelter-in-place orders. "Residential waste volume has increased between 5% to 35%, depending on the location, as Americans have been staying home and generating more trash and recyclables," Biderman said. At Waste Management , headquartered in Texas, residential waste went up by 25%, according to Janette Micelli, director of external affairs. To keep up with the unexpected volume of waste, several sanitation companies have suspended bulk pick-up services, meaning that sanitation workers temporarily avoid picking up large materials like tossed-out furniture. About 80 communities nationwide have reported temporary suspensions in curbside recycling or yard waste collection, according to estimates from SWANA. "This was because these communities' sanitation departments have limited bandwidth and resources, and need to use their assets (trucks, people) to collect trash," Biderman explained. Some communities have begun to resume these services. In Southern California, sanitation workers have shut down some recycling facilities due to inability to keep adequate distance between workers, causing some curbside recyclables to end up in the landfill. Meanwhile, some companies have altered their schedules to keep up with the increased need for waste removal. Shelter-in-place guidelines have caused Americans to be "thrown off their routine," said Pecora of Waste Pro USA, which has seen a 40% increase in residential waste in some areas. "Rather than placing their materials out before going to work, they have been placing their materials out after our trucks have serviced their streets, resulting in a spike in calls concerning missed pickups," Pecora said. Additionally, Waste Pro USA workers have been reporting higher numbers of "bulk items," including old televisions and mattresses, in Florida. It is an indication that many Americans are using the time at home to do some heavy-duty spring cleaning. "This huge volume has resulted in significant increased expense as trucks are filling up and have to dispose, and then go back to same routes to complete," Pecora said.
Commercial waste falls
As residential waste rises, commercial waste is in a state of free fall, tumbling because of closures of nonessential businesses and stay-at-home guidelines. The biggest blow to commercial waste occurred "in major cities," according to SWANA's Biderman. Filco Carting in Brooklyn has seen commercial waste drop by 50% since the pandemic hit. Commercial waste removal from places like restaurants and small businesses can only be handled by privately owned waste removal companies in New York. Once New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued orders of statewide shutdowns, business at New York waste removal companies began to drop off. "Most private carters are operating with less trucks, as many customers are not operating, not producing waste and therefore less trucks are needed to collect the reduced waste," said Eisenstein of Filco. And businesses that have stayed open to offer essential services, like supermarkets, have reduced their waste, Eisenstein said, likely because fewer customers have been entering. Some of these businesses "requested reduction in their frequency of pickups. Weeks ago when businesses were forced to close, many reached out to us to suspend service," he said.
Going forward


cnbc--2020-05-18--Mike Pompeo refuses to say why he urged Trump to fire State Department IG, but denies it was because

Mike Pompeo refuses to say why he urged Trump to fire State Department IG, but denies it was because of investigations

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks about the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) during a media briefing at the State Department in Washington , May 6 , 2020 .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday that he was unaware the State Department 's inspector general was investigating him at the time he recommended that President Donald Trump fire the internal watchdog , a new report said .
But Pompeo , in a phone interview with The Washington Post , would not provide any specific reasons why Inspector General Steve Linick was being removed from his post .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or my recommendation rather , to the president rather , was based on any effort to retaliate for any investigation that was going on , or is currently going on , '' Pompeo told the Post .
`` Because I simply do n't know .
I 'm not briefed on it .
I usually see these investigations in final draft form 24 hours , 48 hours before the IG is prepared to release them , '' he said .
`` So it 's simply not possible for this to be an act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' When asked Monday about Linick 's firing , Trump told reporters , `` I do n't know the guy at all , I never even heard of him , but I was asked to by the State Department , by Mike . ''
`` I offered most of my people , almost all of them , I said , 'You know , these are [ former President Barack ] Obama appointees , if you 'd like to let them go I think you should let them go , but that 's up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Linick was appointed by Obama in 2013 .
`` They asked me to terminate him .
I have the absolute right as president to terminate , '' Trump added .
`` I do n't know what 's going on other than that but you 'd have to ask Mike Pompeo .
But they did ask me to do it and I did it . ''
Pompeo in his interview with the Post confirmed that he had recommended Linick 's removal to Trump .
`` I went to the president and made clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't performing a function in a way that we had tried to get him to , that was additive for the State Department , very consistent with what the statute says he 's supposed to be doing , '' he said .
`` The kinds of activities he 's supposed to undertake to make us better , to improve us . ''
Pompeo declined , however , to provide specific examples of Linick 's failings , the Post reported .
Trump fired Linick in a surprise move Friday night .
The president said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pelosi , D-Calif. , on Friday that he had lost confidence in Linick , without providing further explanation .
On Saturday , a Democratic aide told NBC News that Linick 's removal might have been in response to an investigation into Pompeo 's `` misuse of a political appointee at the Department to perform personal tasks for himself and Mrs .
Pompeo . ''
Those tasks included walking his dog , picking up his dry cleaning and making dinner reservations , according to NBC .
Pompeo also declined to tell the Post whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run his or his wife 's personal errands .
`` I 'm not going to answer the host of unsubstantiated allegations about any of that , '' he said , the newspaper reported .
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel , D-N.Y. , and Sen. Bob Menendez , D-N.J. , the Senate Foreign Relations Committee 's ranking member , have demanded that the Trump administration hand over all records related to Linick 's firing by Friday .
In a statement over the weekend , Engel and Menendez said that they understood Pompeo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Inspector General had opened an investigation into wrongdoing by Secretary Pompeo himself . ''
Some Republicans have also spoken out against Trump for firing Linick without providing a clear reason .
`` Congress 's intent is clear that an expression of lost confidence , without further explanation , is not sufficient to fulfill the requirements of the IG Reform Act , '' GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said in a letter to Trump on Monday .
`` As you work toward filling IG roles , it is absolutely imperative than any acting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unduly threaten the statutorily required independence of inspectors general . ''
NBC and other outlets reported Monday that Linick was also nearly done with another probe , this one dealing with Pompeo 's approval of a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Saudi Arabia .
The Trump administration had issued an emergency declaration to push the deal through without requiring congressional approval .
Resolutions to block the deal passed the Democrat-led House , but were vetoed by Trump .
A Senate attempt to override the veto failed .
At the time this story was published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview with Pompeo did not mention Linick 's probe of the administration 's arms deal .
Engel in a statement Monday told CNBC : `` I have learned that there may be another reason for Mr. Linick 's firing .
His office was investigating — at my request — Trump 's phony declaration of an emergency so he could send weapons to Saudi Arabia . ''
`` We do n't have the full picture yet , but it 's troubling that Secretary Pompeo wanted Mr. Linick pushed out before this work could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the full report from The Washington Post .

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks about the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) during a media briefing at the State Department in Washington, May 6, 2020.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday that he was unaware the State Department's inspector general was investigating him at the time he recommended that President Donald Trump fire the internal watchdog, a new report said.
But Pompeo, in a phone interview with The Washington Post, would not provide any specific reasons why Inspector General Steve Linick was being removed from his post.
"It is not possible that this decision, or my recommendation rather, to the president rather, was based on any effort to retaliate for any investigation that was going on, or is currently going on," Pompeo told the Post.
"Because I simply don't know. I'm not briefed on it. I usually see these investigations in final draft form 24 hours, 48 hours before the IG is prepared to release them," he said. "So it's simply not possible for this to be an act of retaliation. End of story."
When asked Monday about Linick's firing, Trump told reporters, "I don't know the guy at all, I never even heard of him, but I was asked to by the State Department, by Mike."
"I offered most of my people, almost all of them, I said, 'You know, these are [former President Barack] Obama appointees, if you'd like to let them go I think you should let them go, but that's up to you,'" Trump said.
Linick was appointed by Obama in 2013.
"They asked me to terminate him. I have the absolute right as president to terminate," Trump added. "I don't know what's going on other than that but you'd have to ask Mike Pompeo. But they did ask me to do it and I did it."
Pompeo in his interview with the Post confirmed that he had recommended Linick's removal to Trump.
"I went to the president and made clear to him that Inspector General Linick wasn't performing a function in a way that we had tried to get him to, that was additive for the State Department, very consistent with what the statute says he's supposed to be doing," he said. "The kinds of activities he's supposed to undertake to make us better, to improve us."
Pompeo declined, however, to provide specific examples of Linick's failings, the Post reported.
Trump fired Linick in a surprise move Friday night. The president said in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Friday that he had lost confidence in Linick, without providing further explanation.
On Saturday, a Democratic aide told NBC News that Linick's removal might have been in response to an investigation into Pompeo's "misuse of a political appointee at the Department to perform personal tasks for himself and Mrs. Pompeo." Those tasks included walking his dog, picking up his dry cleaning and making dinner reservations, according to NBC.
Pompeo also declined to tell the Post whether he had ever asked government employees to run his or his wife's personal errands. "I'm not going to answer the host of unsubstantiated allegations about any of that," he said, the newspaper reported.
State Department Undersecretary for Management Brian Bulatao said a "pattern of unauthorized disclosures, or leaks" to the media about early-stage investigations had cast a pall over Linick's role, the Post reported. Bulatao noted in the Post's report that officials had no evidence Linick was personally responsible for the leaks.
Bulatao also reportedly said Linick had ignored then-deputy secretary of state John Sullivan's direction to refer the leaks to an outside council so that another agency's inspector general could be appointed to look into it.
"Our understanding is he picked another fed agency on his own, to pick the person he wanted to grade his own homework, which sets up a whole apparent conflict of interest," Bulatao reportedly said.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's ranking member, have demanded that the Trump administration hand over all records related to Linick's firing by Friday.
In a statement over the weekend, Engel and Menendez said that they understood Pompeo recommended Linick be fired "because the Inspector General had opened an investigation into wrongdoing by Secretary Pompeo himself."
Some Republicans have also spoken out against Trump for firing Linick without providing a clear reason.
"Congress's intent is clear that an expression of lost confidence, without further explanation, is not sufficient to fulfill the requirements of the IG Reform Act," GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said in a letter to Trump on Monday. "As you work toward filling IG roles, it is absolutely imperative than any acting leadership do not create obvious conflicts that unduly threaten the statutorily required independence of inspectors general."
NBC and other outlets reported Monday that Linick was also nearly done with another probe, this one dealing with Pompeo's approval of a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Saudi Arabia.
The Trump administration had issued an emergency declaration to push the deal through without requiring congressional approval. Resolutions to block the deal passed the Democrat-led House, but were vetoed by Trump. A Senate attempt to override the veto failed.
At the time this story was published, the Post's report on its interview with Pompeo did not mention Linick's probe of the administration's arms deal.
Engel in a statement Monday told CNBC: "I have learned that there may be another reason for Mr. Linick's firing. His office was investigating — at my request — Trump's phony declaration of an emergency so he could send weapons to Saudi Arabia."
"We don't have the full picture yet, but it's troubling that Secretary Pompeo wanted Mr. Linick pushed out before this work could be completed," Engel said.
Read the full report from The Washington Post.


cnbc--2020-05-19--Trump says he takes hydroxychloroquine to prevent coronavirus infection even though it's an unproven

Trump says he takes hydroxychloroquine to prevent coronavirus infection even though it's an unproven treatment

President Donald Trump said Monday that he has been taking anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine for over a week to prevent coronavirus infection even though it is not yet a proven treatment .
`` I happen to be taking it , '' Trump said during a roundtable event at the White House .
`` A lot of good things have come out .
You 'd be surprised at how many people are taking it , especially the front-line workers .
Before you catch it .
The front-line workers , many , many are taking it . ''
He added : `` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , yeah .
Couple of weeks ago , I started taking it .
Cause I think it 's good , I 've heard a lot of good stories . ''
Trump also said that he is taking zinc , and that he has taken an initial dose of azithromycin , or Z-Pak .
White House physician Dr. Sean Conley released a memo Monday evening , which said that after discussing evidence for and against hydroxychloroquine with Trump , they concluded `` the potential benefit from treatment outweighed the relative risks . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported , a member of Trump 's staff had tested positive for coronavirus .
`` The president is in very good health and has remained symptom-free .
he receives regular COVID-19 testing , all negative to date , '' Conley said .
He added that he continues to monitor the different studies investigating potential Covid-19 therapies in consultation with subject matter experts across the country , and anticipates `` employing the same shared medical decision making based on the evidence in hand in the future . ''
Hydroxychloroquine , which has been repeatedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in fighting the coronavirus , is also often used by doctors to treat rheumatoid arthritis and lupus .
Numerous clinical trials are looking to see if it 's effective in fighting the coronavirus , but it is not a proven treatment yet .
Trump , meanwhile , refuses to wear a mask , which medical experts have advised as a way to limit the spread of the virus .
Trump 's comments come weeks after the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning about the drug , saying it became aware of reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in patients with the virus who were treated with the malaria drug , often in combination with antibiotic azithromycin .
It also comes as Trump has been criticized for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic , including from former President Barack Obama .
Hydroxychloroquine , which is available as a generic drug and is also produced under the brand name Plaquenil by French drugmaker Sanofi , can have serious side effects , including muscle weakness and heart arrhythmia .
A small study in Brazil was halted for safety reasons after coronavirus patients taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , developed arrhythmia , including some who died .
Last week , another study published in the JAMA Network found the drug appeared to not help Covid-19 patients and , instead , placed them at increased risk of cardiac arrest .
In March and early April , Trump frequently referenced hydroxychloroquine and other potential treatments for the disease .
He also discussed the drugs with influential figures including Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison and `` Dr. Oz '' talk-show host Mehmet Oz , a regular Fox News guest .
But by late April , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been halted and after an FDA warning , Trump was rarely mentioning the medicines unless asked about them .
Experts and political leaders alike say that the U.S. wo n't be able to recover from the pandemic until a vaccine is widely available .
Trump said Monday he asked his White House physician about the drug .
`` I asked him , 'What do you think ? '
He said , 'Well , if you 'd like it . '
I said , 'Yeah , I 'd like it .
I 'd like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though it has n't been approved to treat coronavirus , doctors can give the drug to patients in a common and legal practice known as `` off-label '' prescribing .
`` Off label '' means the drug is being used for an ailment not yet approved by the FDA .
Trump said Monday that if the drug was n't good he 'd `` tell you . ''
He said he 's gotten `` a lot of tremendously positive news on the hydroxy , and I say hey — you know the expression I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have to lose ? ''
`` I 'm not gon na get hurt by it .
It 's been around for 40 years , '' he said .
`` For malaria , for lupus , for other things .
I take it .
Front-line workers take it .
A lot of doctors take it — excuse me , a lot of doctors take it .
I take it . ''
He said he does n't own stock in the company that produces the drug , adding he wants `` the people of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I do n't want them feeling sick .
And there 's a very good chance that this has an impact , especially early on , '' he said .
`` I take a pill every day .
At some point I 'll stop .
What I 'd like to is I 'd like to have the cure and or the vaccine and that 'll happen I think very soon . ''
`` It seems to have an impact , and maybe it does , maybe it does n't , '' he continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you 're not going to get sick or die .
This is a pill that 's been used for a long time , for 30 , 40 years . ''

Conley added that he continues to monitor the different studies investigating potential Covid-19 therapies in consultation with subject matter experts across the country, and anticipates "employing the same shared medical decision making based on the evidence in hand in the future."
Conley's memo said that as previously reported, a member of Trump's staff had tested positive for coronavirus. "The president is in very good health and has remained symptom-free. He receives regular COVID-19 testing, all negative to date," Conley said.
White House physician Dr. Sean Conley released a memo Monday evening, which said that after discussing evidence for and against hydroxychloroquine with Trump, they concluded "the potential benefit from treatment outweighed the relative risks."
Trump also said that he is taking zinc, and that he has taken an initial dose of azithromycin, or Z-Pak.
He added: "I'm taking it, hydroxychloroquine. Right now, yeah. Couple of weeks ago, I started taking it. Cause I think it's good, I've heard a lot of good stories."
"I happen to be taking it," Trump said during a roundtable event at the White House. "A lot of good things have come out. You'd be surprised at how many people are taking it, especially the front-line workers. Before you catch it. The front-line workers, many, many are taking it."
President Donald Trump said Monday that he has been taking anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine daily for over a week to prevent coronavirus infection even though it is not yet a proven treatment .
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with restaurant executives in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, May 18, 2020. Trump said he is currently taking hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malaria drug he has promoted as a treatment to combat coronavirus infection.
Hydroxychloroquine, which has been repeatedly touted by Trump as a potential game changer in fighting the coronavirus, is also often used by doctors to treat rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Numerous clinical trials are looking to see if it's effective in fighting the coronavirus, but it is not a proven treatment.
Trump refuses to wear a mask, which medical experts have advised as a way to limit the spread of the virus.
Trump's comments come weeks after the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning about the drug, saying it became aware of reports of "serious heart rhythm problems" in patients with the virus who were treated with the malaria drug, often in combination with antibiotic azithromycin. It also comes as Trump has been criticized for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, including from former President Barack Obama.
Hydroxychloroquine, which is available as a generic drug and is also produced under the brand name Plaquenil by French drugmaker Sanofi , can have serious side effects, including muscle weakness and heart arrhythmia. A small study in Brazil was halted for safety reasons after coronavirus patients taking chloroquine, which hydroxychloroquine is derived from, developed arrhythmia, including some who died.
Last week, another study published in the JAMA Network found the drug appeared to not help Covid-19 patients and, instead, placed them at increased risk of cardiac arrest.
In March and early April, Trump frequently referenced hydroxychloroquine and other potential treatments for the disease. He also discussed the drugs with influential figures including Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison and "Dr. Oz" talk-show host Mehmet Oz, a regular Fox News guest.
But by late April, after multiple studies on the drug had been halted and after an FDA warning, Trump was rarely mentioning the medicines unless asked about them.
Experts and political leaders alike say that the U.S. won't be able to recover from the pandemic until a vaccine is widely available.
Trump said Monday he asked his White House physician about the drug. "I asked him, 'What do you think?' He said, 'Well, if you'd like it.' I said, 'Yeah, I'd like it. I'd like to take it.'"
Even though it hasn't been approved to treat coronavirus, doctors can give the drug to patients in a common and legal practice known as "off-label" prescribing. "Off label" means the drug is being used for an ailment not yet approved by the FDA.
Trump said Monday that if the drug wasn't good he'd "tell you." He said he's gotten "a lot of tremendously positive news on the hydroxy, and I say hey — you know the expression I've used, John? What do you have to lose?"
"I'm not going to get hurt by it. It's been around for 40 years," he said. "For malaria, for lupus, for other things. I take it. Front-line workers take it. A lot of doctors take it — excuse me, a lot of doctors take it. I take it."
He said he doesn't own stock in the company that produces the drug, adding he wants "the people of this nation to feel good."
"I don't want them feeling sick. And there's a very good chance that this has an impact, especially early on," he said. "I take a pill every day. At some point I'll stop. What I'd like to is I'd like to have the cure and or the vaccine and that'll happen I think very soon."
"It seems to have an impact, and maybe it does, maybe it doesn't," he continued. "But if it doesn't, you're not going to get sick or die. This is a pill that's been used for a long time, for 30, 40 years."


cnbc--2020-05-18--Trump accuses Barr of double standard for saying it's unlikely DOJ will prosecute Obama, Biden

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump accused Attorney General William Barr on Monday of following a `` double standard '' by not following through with a criminal investigation into former President Barack Obama or Vice President Joe Biden .
`` I have no doubt that they [ Obama and Biden ] were involved in this hoax , '' Trump said during a White House event with restaurant industry executives .
Earlier Monday , Barr said he did n't expect that Obama or Biden would face charges stemming from a probe into the origins of the Russia investigation .
`` I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ double standard .
I 'm surprised by it , '' Trump said , referring to Barr 's remarks .
He did , however , stress that he entered the event with restaurant owners around the time Barr was making the statement , and he praised the attorney general as `` honorable . ''
Trump , without evidence , has accused the Obama administration of framing top officials in order to derail his presidency .
He has called for the prosecution of those involved in the `` biggest political crime and scandal '' in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ term `` Obamagate '' to reference the matter .
A Justice Department spokeswoman did not immediately comment when asked about Trump 's remark .
Trump 's comments came hours after Barr said he would not let U.S. Attorney John Durham 's review of the Russian probe , be used as a weapon to `` drum up '' illegitimate investigations .
`` The legal tactic has been to gin up allegations of criminality by one 's political opponents , based on the flimsiest of legal theories , '' Barr told reporters Monday during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Naval Air Station Pensacola .
`` I have a general idea of how Mr. Durham 's investigation is going , and as I have indicated some aspects of the matter are being examined as potential crimes , '' Barr explained .
`` Now , as to President Obama and Vice President Biden , whatever their level of involvement , based on the information I have today , I do n't expect Mr. Durham 's work will lead to a criminal investigation of either man , '' he said .

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump accused Attorney General William Barr on Monday of following a "double standard" by not following through with a criminal investigation into former President Barack Obama or Vice President Joe Biden.
"I have no doubt that they [Obama and Biden] were involved in this hoax," Trump said during a White House event with restaurant industry executives. Earlier Monday, Barr said he didn't expect that Obama or Biden would face charges stemming from a probe into the origins of the Russia investigation.
"I think it's just a continuation of a double standard. I'm surprised by it," Trump said, referring to Barr's remarks. He did, however, stress that he entered the event with restaurant owners around the time Barr was making the statement, and he praised the attorney general as "honorable."
Trump, without evidence, has accused the Obama administration of framing top officials in order to derail his presidency. He has called for the prosecution of those involved in the "biggest political crime and scandal" in U.S. history. Trump often uses the term "Obamagate" to reference the matter.
A Justice Department spokeswoman did not immediately comment when asked about Trump's remark.
Trump's comments came hours after Barr said he would not let U.S. Attorney John Durham's review of the Russian probe, be used as a weapon to "drum up" illegitimate investigations.
"The legal tactic has been to gin up allegations of criminality by one's political opponents, based on the flimsiest of legal theories," Barr told reporters Monday during a news conference focused on the 2019 shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola.
"I have a general idea of how Mr. Durham's investigation is going, and as I have indicated some aspects of the matter are being examined as potential crimes," Barr explained. "Now, as to President Obama and Vice President Biden, whatever their level of involvement, based on the information I have today, I don't expect Mr. Durham's work will lead to a criminal investigation of either man," he said.


cnbc--2020-05-18--Prosecutor under fire for court filings benefiting Trump allies Roger Stone and Michael Flynn will b

Prosecutor under fire for court filings benefiting Trump allies Roger Stone and Michael Flynn will become DEA chief, report says

Former U.S. National Security Adviser Michael Flynn departs U.S. District Court , where he was expected to plead guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia 's ambassador to the United States , in Washington , U.S. , December 1 , 2017 .
The top federal prosecutor in Washington , D.C. — who recently signed court filings that benefited felons who are allies of President Donald Trump — will become acting boss of the Drug Enforcement Administration , according to an NBC News report that cited senior law enforcement officials .
Tim Shea , the interim U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is set to be replaced by Justin Herdman , the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio , according to an announcement Monday by Trump of Herdman 's planned nomination .
The president did not say whether Shea would be taking the DEA job .
However , according to senior law enforcement officials who spoke to NBC News , Shea will replace acting DEA Administrator Uttam Dhillon .
Dhillon will take a high-level Justice Department post , the officials also told NBC .
Dhillon has served as the DEA 's acting administrator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declined to comment on NBC 's report .
A Justice Department spokeswoman did n't immediately respond to a request for comment .
The U.S. Attorney 's Office for the District of Columbia is one of the most prominent federal prosecutor posts in the United States .
The office often handles politically sensitive cases and other high-profile matters because of its jurisdiction , which is home to the seats of the federal government .
Shea is a former top advisor to Attorney General William Barr .
He has been in the interim D.C. prosecutor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Less than two weeks after taking that post , Shea sparked controversy by overruling prosecutors in the case of Trump friend Roger Stone .
Shea , in a court filing , recommended a lower criminal sentence for the longtime Republican operative Stone than the one that had been first suggested by the case 's trial prosecutors , who had asked that he be sent to prison for up to nine years .
Shea 's reversal of the recommendation , which was highly unusual , if not unprecedented , came after Trump criticized the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stone .

Former U.S. National Security Adviser Michael Flynn departs U.S. District Court, where he was expected to plead guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia's ambassador to the United States, in Washington, U.S., December 1, 2017.
The top federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C. — who recently signed court filings that benefited felons who are allies of President Donald Trump — will become acting boss of the Drug Enforcement Administration, according to an NBC News report that cited senior law enforcement officials.
Tim Shea, the interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, is set to be replaced by Justin Herdman, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, according to an announcement Monday by Trump of Herdman's planned nomination.
The president did not say whether Shea would be taking the DEA job.
However, according to senior law enforcement officials who spoke to NBC News, Shea will replace acting DEA Administrator Uttam Dhillon. Dhillon will take a high-level Justice Department post, the officials also told NBC. Dhillon has served as the DEA's acting administrator since July 2018.
The White House declined to comment on NBC's report. A Justice Department spokeswoman didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia is one of the most prominent federal prosecutor posts in the United States. The office often handles politically sensitive cases and other high-profile matters because of its jurisdiction, which is home to the seats of the federal government.
Shea is a former top advisor to Attorney General William Barr. He has been in the interim D.C. prosecutor's job only since late January. Less than two weeks after taking that post, Shea sparked controversy by overruling prosecutors in the case of Trump friend Roger Stone.
Shea, in a court filing, recommended a lower criminal sentence for the longtime Republican operative Stone than the one that had been first suggested by the case's trial prosecutors, who had asked that he be sent to prison for up to nine years. Shea's reversal of the recommendation, which was highly unusual, if not unprecedented, came after Trump criticized the call for a stiff prison sentence for Stone.


cnbc--2020-05-18--Marco Rubio tapped as acting chairman of Senate intel panel, replacing Richard Burr amid stock inves

Marco Rubio tapped as acting chairman of Senate intel panel, replacing Richard Burr amid stock investigation

Sen. Marco Rubio , R-Fla. , will lead the influential Senate Intelligence Committee as its acting chairman , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement on Monday .
Rubio is replacing Sen. Richard Burr , the North Carolina Republican , who stepped down on Thursday amid a federal probe of stock trades he made in the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic .
`` The senior senator for Florida is a talented and experienced Senate leader with expertise in foreign affairs and national security matters , '' McConnell said in a statement , calling the position a `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ran for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016 and has been considered a rising star in Republican politics .
He is the chairman of the Senate 's small business and entrepreneurship committee .
Burr has denied wrongdoing and said he is cooperating with FBI investigators who are examining stock sales that he made in mid-February .
Burr sold shares worth between $ 630,000 and $ 1.7 million on Feb. 13 after receiving a number of briefings on Covid-19 and shortly before stocks sank on fears of a global slowdown .
Federal agents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of a criminal investigation into those sales , according to NBC News .
FBI agents had previously served a warrant on Apple to get information from Burr 's iCloud account , according to The Los Angeles Times , which first reported on the investigative steps .
Burr has said the sales were inspired by public reporting out of Asia , including by CNBC .
`` I relied solely on public news reports to guide my decision regarding the sale of stocks , '' the senator said in a March statement .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily health and science reporting out of its Asia bureaus at the time . ''
Burr 's brother-in-law , Gerald Fauth , also sold tens of thousands of dollars worth of shares that day , ProPublica reported .
Burr 's attorney Alice Fisher said that the two did not coordinate the sales .
On Thursday , when Burr stepped down as intelligence committee chairman , he said the investigation was `` a distraction to the hard work of the committee , and the members and I think that the security of the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The intelligence committee , which is co-chaired by Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia , is currently finishing the final report on its investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election .
In a statement , Rubio said he was grateful to McConnell `` for his confidence in me to lead the Senate Intelligence Committee during Senator Burr 's absence from the Chairmanship . ''
`` The Committee has long been one that conducts its work seriously , and I look forward to continuing that tradition , '' he said @

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., will lead the influential Senate Intelligence Committee as its acting chairman, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement on Monday.
Rubio is replacing Sen. Richard Burr, the North Carolina Republican, who stepped down on Thursday amid a federal probe of stock trades he made in the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic.
"The senior senator for Florida is a talented and experienced Senate leader with expertise in foreign affairs and national security matters," McConnell said in a statement, calling the position a "temporary assignment."
Rubio, 48, ran for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016 and has been considered a rising star in Republican politics. He is the chairman of the Senate's small business and entrepreneurship committee.
Burr has denied wrongdoing and said he is cooperating with FBI investigators who are examining stock sales that he made in mid-February.
Burr sold shares worth between $630,000 and $1.7 million on Feb. 13 after receiving a number of briefings on Covid-19 and shortly before stocks sank on fears of a global slowdown.
Federal agents seized Burr's phone on Wednesday as part of a criminal investigation into those sales, according to NBC News.
FBI agents had previously served a warrant on Apple to get information from Burr's iCloud account, according to The Los Angeles Times, which first reported on the investigative steps.
Burr has said the sales were inspired by public reporting out of Asia, including by CNBC.
"I relied solely on public news reports to guide my decision regarding the sale of stocks," the senator said in a March statement. "Specifically, I closely followed CNBC's daily health and science reporting out of its Asia bureaus at the time."
Burr's brother-in-law, Gerald Fauth, also sold tens of thousands of dollars worth of shares that day, ProPublica reported. Burr's attorney Alice Fisher said that the two did not coordinate the sales.
On Thursday, when Burr stepped down as intelligence committee chairman, he said the investigation was "a distraction to the hard work of the committee, and the members and I think that the security of the country is too important to have a distraction."
The intelligence committee, which is co-chaired by Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, is currently finishing the final report on its investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
In a statement, Rubio said he was grateful to McConnell "for his confidence in me to lead the Senate Intelligence Committee during Senator Burr's absence from the Chairmanship."
"The Committee has long been one that conducts its work seriously, and I look forward to continuing that tradition," he said.


cnbc--2020-05-18--State Department IG fired by Trump was investigating Saudi arms sale that bypassed Congress

The State Department internal watchdog who was fired by President Donald Trump had nearly completed an investigation into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo 's approval of a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Saudi Arabia , NBC News reported Monday .
Investigators in Congress believe that probe contributed to Trump 's decision – on Pompeo 's recommendation – to remove State Department Inspector General Steve Linick from his post , two congressional officials told NBC .
Pompeo confirmed Monday that he asked Trump to fire Linick because his work was `` undermining '' the department 's mission , but did not elaborate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's top diplomat said in a telephone interview with The Washington Post that Linick 's dismissal was not retaliation by the administration .
`` I went to the president and made clear to him that Inspector General Linick was n't performing a function in a way that we had tried to get him to , that was additive for the State Department , very consistent with what the statute says he 's supposed to be doing , '' Pompeo said , adding that he did not know Linick was investigating him .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pompeo did not mention Linick 's probe of the administration 's arms deal .
The Trump administration in mid-2019 issued an emergency declaration to push through an $ 8 billion-plus arms deal with the Saudi kingdom and the United Arab Emirates without congressional approval .
The Democrat-led House voted , mostly along party lines , to block the weapons sale .
Trump vetoed the resolutions last July , and the GOP-held Senate failed in an attempt to override the veto .
Much of the opposition stemmed from the 2018 slaying in a Saudi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi , as well as Saudi Arabia 's military endeavors in Yemen .
News outlets reported in late 2018 that the CIA found that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman himself had ordered the assassination of Khashoggi , citing people familiar with the matter .
The crown prince has denied ordering the killing .
Trump 's firing of Linick came in a surprise move Friday night .
The president said in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday that he had lost confidence in Linick , without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Democratic aide told NBC that Linick 's removal might have been in response to an investigation into Pompeo 's `` misuse of a political appointee at the Department to perform personal tasks for himself and Mrs .
Pompeo . ''
Those tasks included walking his dog and picking up his dry cleaning , according to NBC .
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel , D-N.Y. , said Monday in a statement to CNBC : `` I have learned that there may be another reason for Mr. Linick 's firing .
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declaration of an emergency so he could send weapons to Saudi Arabia . ''
`` We do n't have the full picture yet , but it 's troubling that Secretary Pompeo wanted Mr. Linick pushed out before this work could be completed , '' Engel said .
Pompeo said in an interview with The Washington Post on Monday that Linick was fired because he `` was n't performing a function in a way that we had tried to get him to '' and that he was `` trying to undermine what it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
Linick did not immediately respond to an email .
The Friday night firing was promptly condemned by Democrats , as well as some Republicans .
Engel , and Sen. Bob Menendez , the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , have demanded that the Trump administration hand over all records related to Linick 's firing by Friday .
In a statement over the weekend , Engel and Menendez said that they understood Pompeo recommended Linick be fired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an investigation into wrongdoing by Secretary Pompeo himself . ''
But Menendez told MSNBC 's Andrea Mitchell on Sunday that he believed Linick was looking into the emergency declaration used for the arms sale .
`` He was also looking into two political retribution cases that I specifically sent to the inspector general .
And I believe that his report was just issued or is coming , '' the New Jersey Democrat said .
`` If we constantly have inspector generals massacred on Friday night , then there will be no independence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the American people will be ill-served . ''

The State Department internal watchdog who was fired by President Donald Trump had nearly completed an investigation into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's approval of a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Saudi Arabia, NBC News reported Monday.
Investigators in Congress believe that probe contributed to Trump's decision – on Pompeo's recommendation – to remove State Department Inspector General Steve Linick from his post, two congressional officials told NBC.
Pompeo confirmed Monday that he asked Trump to fire Linick because his work was "undermining" the department's mission, but did not elaborate on any specific details. The nation's top diplomat said in a telephone interview with The Washington Post that Linick's dismissal was not retaliation by the administration.
"I went to the president and made clear to him that Inspector General Linick wasn't performing a function in a way that we had tried to get him to, that was additive for the State Department, very consistent with what the statute says he's supposed to be doing," Pompeo said, adding that he did not know Linick was investigating him.
The Post's report on its interview with Pompeo did not mention Linick's probe of the administration's arms deal.
The Trump administration in mid-2019 issued an emergency declaration to push through an $8 billion-plus arms deal with the Saudi kingdom and the United Arab Emirates without congressional approval.
The Democrat-led House voted, mostly along party lines, to block the weapons sale. Trump vetoed the resolutions last July, and the GOP-held Senate failed in an attempt to override the veto.
Much of the opposition stemmed from the 2018 slaying in a Saudi Consulate in Turkey of Washington Post columnist and U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi, as well as Saudi Arabia's military endeavors in Yemen. News outlets reported in late 2018 that the CIA found that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman himself had ordered the assassination of Khashoggi, citing people familiar with the matter. The crown prince has denied ordering the killing.
Trump's firing of Linick came in a surprise move Friday night. The president said in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday that he had lost confidence in Linick, without providing further explanation.
On Saturday, a Democratic aide told NBC that Linick's removal might have been in response to an investigation into Pompeo's "misuse of a political appointee at the Department to perform personal tasks for himself and Mrs. Pompeo." Those tasks included walking his dog and picking up his dry cleaning, according to NBC.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., said Monday in a statement to CNBC: "I have learned that there may be another reason for Mr. Linick's firing. His office was investigating—at my request—Trump's phony declaration of an emergency so he could send weapons to Saudi Arabia."
"We don't have the full picture yet, but it's troubling that Secretary Pompeo wanted Mr. Linick pushed out before this work could be completed," Engel said.
Pompeo said in an interview with The Washington Post on Monday that Linick was fired because he "wasn't performing a function in a way that we had tried to get him to" and that he was "trying to undermine what it was that we were trying to do."
TWEET
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Linick did not immediately respond to an email.
The Friday night firing was promptly condemned by Democrats, as well as some Republicans.
Engel, and Sen. Bob Menendez, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, have demanded that the Trump administration hand over all records related to Linick's firing by Friday.
In a statement over the weekend, Engel and Menendez said that they understood Pompeo recommended Linick be fired "because the Inspector General had opened an investigation into wrongdoing by Secretary Pompeo himself."
But Menendez told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell on Sunday that he believed Linick was looking into the emergency declaration used for the arms sale.
"He was also looking into two political retribution cases that I specifically sent to the inspector general. And I believe that his report was just issued or is coming," the New Jersey Democrat said. "If we constantly have inspector generals massacred on Friday night, then there will be no independence, there will be no checks and balances and the American people will be ill-served."


cnbc--2020-05-18--Biden, DNC raise fundraising objective for bundlers – now seeking up to $2.5 million each

Former Vice President Joe Biden , 2020 Democratic presidential candidate , speaks during a virtual press briefing on a laptop computer in this arranged photograph in Arlington , Virginia , U.S. , on Wednesday , March 25 , 2020 .
Joe Biden and Democratic Party leaders are calling on their top bundlers to start raising over $ 2 million each as they gear up for a general election fight against President Donald Trump .
Biden 's team and Democratic National Committee officials spoke with some of their lead fundraisers over the weekend to discuss their goals going into the final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the fundraisers that the new tiers for raising money start at $ 1 million and go up to $ 2.5 million , according to people with direct knowledge of the discussion .
These people declined to be named as the discussions were in private .
These donations would go to Biden 's joint fundraising committee with the DNC , the Biden Victory Fund .
The decision represents a massive jump in fundraising objectives for Biden 's top donors , who originally were called upon to help raise up to $ 100,000 at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One of the people noted that since then , the most recent top fundraising goal was $ 500,000 .
These goals might be easier to reach now that the campaign has kicked into another gear .
The Washington Post reported that donors can now give as much as $ 620,600 to the joint fundraising committee .
Financiers were originally allowed to give $ 360,600 to the organization .
The move comes as Biden and the DNC are ramping up their general election operations , while the coronavirus has forced campaigns to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a four-year head start and has amassed a war chest that includes two joint fundraising committees with the Republican National Committee .
Biden and the DNC combined to raise $ 60.5 million in April , while Trump and the RNC brought in just over $ 61 million .
The Republican-led effort , however , has $ 255 million on hand .
Biden and the DNC have $ 103 million on hand .
Biden 's team told reporters last week that they plan to hire at least 600 field staffers who will target @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though , when the apparent Democratic nominee will leave his home to get back out on the campaign trail .
Biden 's campaign plans to target key states that went Trump 's way in the 2016 election , including Wisconsin , Michigan , Pennsylvania and Florida .
It is also looking to expand into Republican strongholds such as Texas , Georgia and Arizona .
The RNC responded on Monday with an eight-figure hiring spree of its own .
It plans to bring in 300 more Trump Victory staffers to its targeted states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,000 .
Representatives for Biden and the DNC did not respond to requests for comment .

Former Vice President Joe Biden, 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, speaks during a virtual press briefing on a laptop computer in this arranged photograph in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., on Wednesday, March 25, 2020.
Joe Biden and Democratic Party leaders are calling on their top bundlers to start raising over $2 million each as they gear up for a general election fight against President Donald Trump.
Biden's team and Democratic National Committee officials spoke with some of their lead fundraisers over the weekend to discuss their goals going into the final six months of the election. They told the fundraisers that the new tiers for raising money start at $1 million and go up to $2.5 million, according to people with direct knowledge of the discussion. These people declined to be named as the discussions were in private.
These donations would go to Biden's joint fundraising committee with the DNC, the Biden Victory Fund. The decision represents a massive jump in fundraising objectives for Biden's top donors, who originally were called upon to help raise up to $100,000 at the start of his campaign last year. One of the people noted that since then, the most recent top fundraising goal was $500,000.
These goals might be easier to reach now that the campaign has kicked into another gear. The Washington Post reported that donors can now give as much as $620,600 to the joint fundraising committee. Financiers were originally allowed to give $360,600 to the organization.
The move comes as Biden and the DNC are ramping up their general election operations, while the coronavirus has forced campaigns to go fully virtual. Trump's campaign already has a four-year head start and has amassed a war chest that includes two joint fundraising committees with the Republican National Committee. Biden and the DNC combined to raise $60.5 million in April, while Trump and the RNC brought in just over $61 million. The Republican-led effort, however, has $255 million on hand. Biden and the DNC have $103 million on hand.
Biden's team told reporters last week that they plan to hire at least 600 field staffers who will target key battleground states. It remains unclear, though, when the apparent Democratic nominee will leave his home to get back out on the campaign trail.
Biden's campaign plans to target key states that went Trump's way in the 2016 election, including Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Florida. It is also looking to expand into Republican strongholds such as Texas, Georgia and Arizona.
The RNC responded on Monday with an eight-figure hiring spree of its own. It plans to bring in 300 more Trump Victory staffers to its targeted states, bringing its field staff to over 1,000.
Representatives for Biden and the DNC did not respond to requests for comment.


cnbc--2020-05-18--FBI, DOJ slam Apple for lack of help as they detail al-Qaida link to Pensacola shooter

Attorney General William Barr ( left ) and FBI Director Christopher Ray ( right ) stand together at an announcement of a Crime Reduction Initiative designed to reduce crime in Detroit on December 18 , 2019 in Detroit , Michigan .
WASHINGTON — Federal law enforcement authorities ripped Apple for being uncooperative Monday as they detailed a link between an al-Qaida operative and the gunman in a deadly attack at a military base last December .
Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray held a news conference to announce developments in the shooting at the Pensacola Naval Air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Air Force 2nd Lt. Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani killed three U.S. sailors and injured eight others at Pensacola Naval Air Station .
The 21-year-old gunman was also killed during the attack .
The Justice Department had previously asked Apple to help extract data from two iPhones that belonged to the gunman , including one that authorities say Alshamrani damaged with a bullet after being confronted by law enforcement .
`` We received , effectively , no help from Apple , '' Wray said Monday .
`` The crucial evidence on the killer 's phones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all that investigating , not knowing what we do know now , valuable intelligence about what to ask , what to look for , '' he added alongside Barr .
`` I 've seen no sign that Apple has moved the needle or is willing to try to move the needle , '' Barr said , adding that Apple 's decision could set a dangerous precedent in the criminal justice system .
`` For some reason , there are some tech companies who feel that they 're above that and that they unilaterally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest and regardless of the dangers posed to the public and we can not let that happen , '' he added .
In a statement Monday , Apple dismissed the accusations saying that the company has worked `` around-the-clock with the FBI and other investigators who keep Americans safe and bring criminals to justice . ''
`` As a proud American company , we consider supporting law enforcement 's important work our responsibility .
The false claims made about our company are an excuse to weaken encryption and other security measures that protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' the statement added .
Apple has previously said it `` produced a wide variety of information associated with the investigation '' and provided `` gigabytes of information '' including `` iCloud backups , account information and transactional data for multiple accounts . ''
`` We have always maintained there is no such thing as a backdoor just for the good guys , '' the company said in a statement in January .
`` Backdoors can also be exploited by those who threaten our national security and the data security of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The contacts between the shooter and the al-Qaida operative were discovered on the shooter 's phone .
Separately , al-Qaida 's branch in Yemen , released a video claiming the attack .
The branch , al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula , or AQAP , has long been considered the global network 's most dangerous branch and has attempted to carry out attacks on the U.S. mainland .
Law enforcement officials left no doubt that Alshamrani was motivated by jihadist ideology , saying he visited a New York City memorial to the attacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and posted anti-American and anti-Israeli messages on social media just two hours before the shooting .
`` This was an act of terrorism , '' Barr said during a news conference in January .
`` The evidence showed that the shooter was motivated by jihadist ideology .
During the course of the investigation , we learned that the shooter posted a message on Sept. 11 of this year stating , 'The countdown has begun . ''
' Saudi Arabia provided `` complete and total support '' to the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In January , U.S. officials announced that they were sending home 21 Saudi military students after an investigation revealed that they had had jihadist or anti-American sentiments on social media pages or had `` contact with child pornography . ''
Barr said at the time that Saudi Arabia had agreed to review the conduct of all 21 to see if they should face military discipline and to send back anyone the U.S. later determines should face charges .
The Associated Press contributed to this report .

Attorney General William Barr (left) and FBI Director Christopher Ray (right) stand together at an announcement of a Crime Reduction Initiative designed to reduce crime in Detroit on December 18, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan.
WASHINGTON — Federal law enforcement authorities ripped Apple for being uncooperative Monday as they detailed a link between an al-Qaida operative and the gunman in a deadly attack at a military base last December.
Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray held a news conference to announce developments in the shooting at the Pensacola Naval Air Station. On Dec. 6, Saudi Air Force 2nd Lt. Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani killed three U.S. sailors and injured eight others at Pensacola Naval Air Station. The 21-year-old gunman was also killed during the attack.
The Justice Department had previously asked Apple to help extract data from two iPhones that belonged to the gunman, including one that authorities say Alshamrani damaged with a bullet after being confronted by law enforcement.
"We received, effectively, no help from Apple," Wray said Monday. "The crucial evidence on the killer's phones was kept from us, we did all that investigating, not knowing what we do know now, valuable intelligence about what to ask, what to look for," he added alongside Barr.
"I've seen no sign that Apple has moved the needle or is willing to try to move the needle," Barr said, adding that Apple's decision could set a dangerous precedent in the criminal justice system.
"For some reason, there are some tech companies who feel that they're above that and that they unilaterally can make decisions based on their business interest and regardless of the dangers posed to the public and we cannot let that happen," he added.
In a statement Monday, Apple dismissed the accusations saying that the company has worked "around-the-clock with the FBI and other investigators who keep Americans safe and bring criminals to justice."
"As a proud American company, we consider supporting law enforcement's important work our responsibility. The false claims made about our company are an excuse to weaken encryption and other security measures that protect millions of users and our national security," the statement added.
Apple has previously said it "produced a wide variety of information associated with the investigation" and provided "gigabytes of information" including "iCloud backups, account information and transactional data for multiple accounts."
"We have always maintained there is no such thing as a backdoor just for the good guys," the company said in a statement in January. "Backdoors can also be exploited by those who threaten our national security and the data security of our customers," the tech giant added.
Read more: Apple refuses government's request to unlock Pensacola shooting suspect's iPhones
The contacts between the shooter and the al-Qaida operative were discovered on the shooter's phone. Separately, al-Qaida's branch in Yemen, released a video claiming the attack. The branch, al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, has long been considered the global network's most dangerous branch and has attempted to carry out attacks on the U.S. mainland.
Law enforcement officials left no doubt that Alshamrani was motivated by jihadist ideology, saying he visited a New York City memorial to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and posted anti-American and anti-Israeli messages on social media just two hours before the shooting.
"This was an act of terrorism," Barr said during a news conference in January. "The evidence showed that the shooter was motivated by jihadist ideology. During the course of the investigation, we learned that the shooter posted a message on Sept. 11 of this year stating, 'The countdown has begun."'
Saudi Arabia provided "complete and total support" to the American investigation of the incident, Barr added.
In January, U.S. officials announced that they were sending home 21 Saudi military students after an investigation revealed that they had had jihadist or anti-American sentiments on social media pages or had "contact with child pornography."
Barr said at the time that Saudi Arabia had agreed to review the conduct of all 21 to see if they should face military discipline and to send back anyone the U.S. later determines should face charges.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


cnbc--2020-05-18--Federal government should help states, cities and hospitals recover from coronavirus, Gary Cohn says

The federal government should help cities , states and hospitals recover some of the money lost amid the coronavirus pandemic , President Donald Trump 's former economic advisor Gary Cohn said Monday .
`` I 'm not trying to help cities and states get back to a solvent financial position , [ but ] I would like to get hospitals and states back to a financial position they were in 60 days ago , '' Cohn , a former Goldman Sachs executive , said on CNBC 's `` Squawk Box . ''
Cohn spoke as the stock market appeared poised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with investors ' hopes pinned to positive results from an early stage human trial for a Covid-19 vaccine being developed by U.S. drugmaker Moderna .
But Cohn said that the prospect of a vaccine should n't stop the federal government from providing assistance to parts of the country that have been hobbled by the economic shutdown .
`` A vaccine is sort of the holy grail here .
That said , there 's been damage done , '' Cohn said .
`` Think about what our actions have done so far .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ place actions to support unemployed workers , justifiably .
We put in actions to support small and medium-sized businesses and large businesses , '' Cohn said .
`` The part of the equation we have not helped , we have not helped cities and states , and hospitals , which is almost more important . ''
Cohn said those groups should be returned to the financial state they were in two months earlier – around the time many regions began to implement harsh social distancing measures to try to slow the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 cases and nearly 90,000 deaths have been confirmed in the U.S. , according to data from Johns Hopkins University .
State leaders , particularly Gov .
Andrew Cuomo of New York , the epicenter of the crisis in the U.S. , have for weeks demanded that any additional federal coronavirus legislation should include significant funding for states .
But Republicans , including Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , have shown resistance toward sending money to states .
Trump said earlier this month that giving recovery cash to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` because all the states that need help — they 're run by Democrats in every case . ''
Cohn served as Trump 's National Economic Council director until March 2018 .
He was succeeded by Larry Kudlow .
`` The last point is , we have to get money back to our hospital system .
I do n't care if you 're a large major metropolitan hospital , or a small rural hospital , '' Cohn told CNBC .
`` Our hospital system is losing an enormous amount of money . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of massive coronavirus relief legislation , which would send nearly $ 1 trillion to cash-strapped state and local governments , among a bevy of other provisions .
Republicans say the bill is dead on arrival in the Senate .
Cohn said that political leaders need to decide whether their goal at this point in the crisis should be to continue flattening the `` curve '' of coronavirus infection , or to focus on recovery efforts .
`` Those are completely different pieces of legislation , '' he said .
`` I 'm sort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decide we 're solving for the recovery , a lot of the actions that can be taken to help solve for recovery again can fall on the states and the cities , '' Cohn said , `` and it may mean getting money to states and cities . ''

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The federal government should help cities, states and hospitals recover some of the money lost amid the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump's former economic advisor Gary Cohn said Monday. "I'm not trying to help cities and states get back to a solvent financial position, [but] I would like to get hospitals and states back to a financial position they were in 60 days ago," Cohn, a former Goldman Sachs executive, said on CNBC's "Squawk Box." Cohn spoke as the stock market appeared poised for a sharp rebound from last week, with investors' hopes pinned to positive results from an early stage human trial for a Covid-19 vaccine being developed by U.S. drugmaker Moderna. But Cohn said that the prospect of a vaccine shouldn't stop the federal government from providing assistance to parts of the country that have been hobbled by the economic shutdown. "A vaccine is sort of the holy grail here. That said, there's been damage done," Cohn said.
Gary Cohn, adviser to Springcoin Inc. and former director of the U.S. National Economic Council, speaks during the Context Summits Leadership Day in Miami, Florida, U.S., on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. Scott McIntyre | Bloomberg | Getty Images
"Think about what our actions have done so far. So far, we've put in place actions to support unemployed workers, justifiably. We put in actions to support small and medium-sized businesses and large businesses," Cohn said. "The part of the equation we have not helped, we have not helped cities and states, and hospitals, which is almost more important." Cohn said those groups should be returned to the financial state they were in two months earlier – around the time many regions began to implement harsh social distancing measures to try to slow the spread of the virus. More than 1.4 million Covid-19 cases and nearly 90,000 deaths have been confirmed in the U.S., according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Partisan fight over relief