KIRO 7 Seattle city leaders throw support behind defunding SPD by 50% By Linzi Sheldon SEATTLE — The majority of Seattle City Council is now backing proposals to defund Seattle’s police department by 50%, despite concerns from the mayor’s office and Seattle’s police chief that council members are moving too quickly and without enough widespread community engagement.A coalition called Decriminalize Seattle presented a plan to the budget committee to redirect millions from the city budget to community organizations.“The status quo is no longer acceptable,” Council President Lorena Gonzalez said Thursday, adding that while she previously believed in police reform, she now believes in rebuilding. “We have to take away the things that no longer and should have never belonged to law enforcement in the first place,” she said. Full Story: https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/seattle-city-leaders-throw-support-behind-defunding-spd-by-50/SI3Q7B3TL5BONCWYRTRX6MDZLU/...

Politico A top terrorism fighter’s dire warningRussell Travers detailed his concerns to the intelligence community’s watchdog. Days later, he says, Richard Grenell fired him.By BETSY WOODRUFF SWANAmerica’s intelligence agencies risk slipping back into dangerous pre-9/11 habits, a recently departed top counterterrorism official is warning in his first public remarks on the matter.Russell Travers, the former head of the U.S. government’s hub for analysis of counterterrorism intelligence, was so alarmed that he shared his concerns with the intelligence community’s top internal watchdog in his final weeks on the job. “I think there are really important questions that need to be addressed, and I don’t think they have been thus far,” said Travers, who ran the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) until March of this year. “And that has me worried, because I do think we could very easily end up back where we were 20 years ago.”Travers detailed his concerns, much of...

2 Fire Depts. Closed, 4 Police Officers Quarantined After Firefighter Test Positive For CoronavirusCBS Pittsburgh By Ross Guidotti ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP (KDKA) — Allegheny Township in Westmoreland County has two fire departments, but neither will be answering any calls in the next few days.“The departments could be out of service for a week,” Allegheny Township Supervisor Greg Primm says.Primm says coronavirus concerns are shuttering both stations for the time being.“One of the volunteer firefighters tested positive,” Primm said. “The fire departments had an event on the Fourth of July; he was at that event.”It is unclear what, if any, social distancing or protective equipment rules were or were not being followed, but the party wasn’t just a handful of people. Read more: https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020/07/07/westmoreland-county-allegheny-township-volunteer-firefighter-coronavirus-positive/...

Reuters Pompeo Says US Seized Iranian Weapons On Way To Houthi Rebels In Yemen  WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Wednesday that U.S. and partner forces seized a boat in June carrying Iranian weapons to Houthi rebels in Yemen as he renewed his call for the U.N. Security Council to extend an arms embargo on Iran."The Security Council must extend the arms embargo on Iran to prevent further conflict in the region," Pompeo told a State Department news conference. "No serious person can possibly believe Iran will use any weapon it receives for peaceful ends."Pompeo is leading a U.S. drive to persuade the Security Council to extend the embargo due to expire in mid-October under the terms of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal from which the United States withdrew in 2018.He took his appeal directly to the council last week, with an address to its 15...

BBC News Burkina Faso: 180 Bodies Found In 'Killing Field' At least 180 bodies have been found in mass graves in northern Burkina Faso where soldiers are fighting jihadists, a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report says."Available evidence suggests government forces were involved in mass extrajudicial executions," HRW says.Over seven months, the bodies had been dumped near the town of Djibo in groups of up to 20, before being buried by local residents.Burkina Faso's defence minister suggested militants might be to blame."It is difficult for the population to distinguish between armed terrorist groups and the defence and security forces," Chérif Moumina Sy told the campaign group in response to the findings.But the minister said the government would investigate the allegations. Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53333366...

  Portland 911 calls hit 25-year record during riots EMS1.comOfficials said there were nearly 2,000 emergency calls, as well as more than 2,000 non-emergency calls, as civil unrest peaked on May 30by Maxine Bernstein - Jun 26, 2020The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.PORTLAND — On May 30, the city’s 911 system fielded a record number of emergency and non-emergency calls for a single day in at least 25 years.That was the morning Portland police declared a riot in downtown after some protesters set a fire inside the Justice Center and others broke into businesses, stole merchandise, tagged buildings with graffiti and set vehicles a blaze. There were 1,930 emergency calls and 2,115 non-emergency calls that day, according to Lisa St. Helen, operations manager of the Bureau of Emergency Communications.  “That’s a massive number,‘' said St. Helen, with nearly 25 years on the job. “It’s the highest I’ve ever seen.‘'While the city’s emergency...

Al Monitor Counter-Terrorism Forces Take Greater Role In Iraq Iraq’s US-trained Counter-Terrorism Services have taken on a more prominent role in operations in recent weeks under the new government. by Shelly KittlesonSince Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi was sworn in on May 7, the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Services (CTS) have taken part in several high-profile operations and seem ever more in the foreground of the country’s security efforts.Their June 26 arrests of over a dozen Kataib Hezbollah (KH) fighters in a Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) headquarters in southern Baghdad sparked concern that the CTS might, however, end up targeted by Iran-linked factions.This has not yet happened. The CTS have been widely praised as “heroes” since their key role in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) starting in 2014 and — though some Iran-linked factions say they are too close to the United States — for now the blame was placed squarely...

Help Net Security Mirko Zorz, Editor in Chief, Help Net SecurityKey cybersecurity industry challenges in the next five yearsWhat key challenges will the cybersecurity industry be dealing with in the next five years? Pete Herzog, Managing Director at ISECOM, is so sure that artificial intelligence could be the biggest security problem to solve and the biggest answer to the privacy problem that he cofounded a company, Urvin.ai, with an eclectic group of coders and scientists to explore this.AI (and machine learning with it) is like a naive child that trusts what you tell it, and is therefore susceptible to fraud, abuse, and tricks, he says. However, it is also like that stubborn, no-bullshit friend who is always going to tell it to you straight.“From a privacy perspective, AI that controls your personal identity data and medical records will be sure to only give that information to who you tell it...

Words Of Hope For Our Law Enforcement    ...

Asharq Al-Awsat Iraq Finds Underground ISIS Training Camp Beirut - Asharq Al-AwsatThe Iraqi authorities announced Friday finding an underground ISIS training camp during the second day of the Tarmiyah operations north of Baghdad against the remnants of the terrorist organization.“The Tarmiyah operation has achieved enormous results that would reflect positively on the security of the region in the coming days,” said Ali Jabouri, a commanding officer.“The underground ISIS hideout included eight rooms and was used to hide terrorists and to train them on targeting Iraqi forces,” Jabouri explained.Tarmiyah operation was launched on Thursday with the participation of brigades 42, 43 and 12, a joint force from the Baghdad Operations Command, the rapid reaction forces and federal police with Iraqi air force support.It aims to target the remnants of ISIS, arrest wanted individuals, enhance security and stability, end security breaches, and protect the interests of citizens. Read more: https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2369766/iraq-finds-underground-isis-training-camp...

Military.com The Military's Coronavirus Cases: The Latest Rundown By Hope Hodge SeckAs COVID-19 continues to spread to communities across the country, the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs are providing daily updates on the number of confirmed and presumptive cases of the virus in the military community, as well as the number of tests administered to military members.Military Discount Active duty Military members could save more with GEICO. Get a quote today!As of July 6, officials said there have now been 21,493 total cases of COVID-19, also known as the novel coronavirus, within the DoD: 14,992 military, 1,997 dependents, 3,066 civilians and 1,438 Defense Department contractors. In addition, 6,502 military members, 970 dependents, 1,279 civilians and 565 contractors have recovered, and 49 DoD-connected personnel have died: three troops, five dependents, 22 civilians and 10 contractors.Of the cases, 713 have required hospitalization, officials said: 343 service members, 202...

Hindustan Times Myanmar Calls Out China For Arming Terror Groups, Asks World To Help by Shishir Gupta Hindustan Times, New Delhi Myanmar, China’s closest ally in southeast Asia, has pointed fingers at Beijing for arming insurgent groups with sophisticated weapons and sought international cooperation to suppress rebel groups. In a recent interview to Russian state-run TV channel Zvezda, Myanmar’s Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said terrorist organisations active in Myanmar are backed by ‘strong forces’ and sought international cooperation to suppress rebel groups.The reference to ‘strong forces’ was widely seen to be a reference to Myanmar’s neighbour in the north, China.Myanmar military spokesperson Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun later elaborated on the comment made by the Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar’s armed forces. The spokesperson said the army chief was referring to Arakan Army (AA) and Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), terrorist organisations active in the Rakhine State in western Myanmar that...

CBS Miami 9/11 First Responders, Others At Ground Zero, Among Those Most Vulnerable To COVID-19 By Frances Wang MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Seniors and people with underlying health conditions have been the most vulnerable to the coronavirus, and that includes the 9/11 first responders and the thousands of others whose health were impacted by breathing in the toxins at Ground Zero.Rose Yaruskkaya, a Parkland resident, was a college student at Pace University in lower Manhattan. She still remembers the small details.“Class was starting at 9:05,” said Yaruskkay. “[I was] actually stuck on the train on the station right under the Twin Towers.Yaruskkaya remembers the sirens, the commotions.“Everyone was running, everyone was looking up,” said Yaruskkaya. “I saw on of the Twin Towers on fire.” Americans have heard the heartbreaking stories of first responders during 9/11, like Ray Pfeiffer and Lou Alvarez, who spent the rest of their lives fighting for fellow...

Washington Examiner Shootings in New York City up 205% in weeks since disbandment of plainclothes unit compared to last year By Haley Victory SmithAfter making the decision to disband its plainclothes "anti-crime" unit, New York City has seen a 205% increase in shootings in comparison to the same time period last year.According to the New York Post, 116 shootings took place in the city since the officers were reassigned on June 15 to July 2, a 205% increase from the same period in 2019 when there were 38 shootings.New York City saw 205 shootings last month, making it the city's "bloodiest June in 24 years.""I feel like we are giving the streets back to the criminals," said the mother of one shooting victim, whose son was shot just days after the unit was disbanded. "Whatever the problem they have, address it. But don’t disband the unit. Many lives would have...

InHomelandSecurity.com China Has ‘First-Strike’ Capability To Melt U.S. Power Grid With Electromagnetic Pulse Weapon Last week, the Department of Homeland Security issued a scary report on China’s ability to conduct an Electromagnetic Pulse attack on the United States. The key takeaway, according to Dr. Peter Pry, executive director of the department’s EMP task force, is that China now has super-EMP weapons, knows how to protect itself against an EMP attack, and has developed protocols to conduct a first-strike attack, even as they deny they would ever do so.According to the Center for Strategic International Studies, China has the most active ballistic missile development program in the world, so this is doubly troubling. China used stolen U.S. technology to develop at least three types of high-tech weapons to attack the electric grid and key technologies that could cause a surprise “Pearl Harbor” attack that could produce a deadly blackout to the...

WIRED by Lily Hay Newman Schools Already Struggled With Cybersecurity. Then Came Covid-19 "The coronavirus pandemic has had major cybersecurity implications around the world. Tailored phishing attacks and contact-tracing scams prey on fear and uncertainty. Fraudsters are targeting economic relief and unemployment payments. The stakes are higher than ever for ransomware attacks that target health care providers and other critical infrastructure. For businesses, the transition to remote work has created new exposures and magnified existing ones.School districts in the United States already had significant cybersecurity shortcomings. They often lack dedicated funding and skilled personnel to continuously vet and improve cybersecurity defenses. As a result, many schools make basic system setup errors or leave old vulnerabilities unpatched—essentially propping a door open for hackers and scammers. Schools and students also face potential exposure from third-party education technology firms that fail to adequately secure data in their platforms.The pandemic amplified these risks, as...

The New York Times Two Wealth Sri Lankan Brothers Became Suicide Bombers. But Why? By Samanth SubramanianT here’s a video of the exact moment Inshaf Ibrahim decided to abandon his life as a rich young man and turn into a mass murderer. In one sense, he had made up his mind weeks earlier, which was why he was loitering in the Cinnamon Grand hotel’s breakfast buffet on Easter Sunday last year in Colombo, strapped into a knapsack of explosives. Once he arrived, though, he appeared to dither. Later, investigators picked him out of CCTV footage, standing near a vacant table, wearing a baseball cap and a T-shirt, his back to the camera. In the footage, he moves like a perplexed penguin. Two steps forward, half a step back, a turn, another turn: a choreography of hesitation. Perhaps he is reconsidering? But no, the investigators concluded; he is waiting for more...

More than 30 arrested as Seattle cops clear CHOP zoneQ13 FOX SEATTLE - Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan issued an emergency order Wednesday morning directing protesters to leave the area of the CHOP, Capitol Hill Organized Protest, and Cal Anderson Park area. More than 30 protesters were arrested, police said.Officers in riot gear moved into the area at 5:00 a.m. and issued a dispersal order over the loudspeaker.  Police said on Twitter at 9:25 a.m. that at least 31 people were arrested for failure to disperse, obstruction, resisting arrest, and assault. "One of the arrestees, a 29-year-old man, was in possession of a large metal pipe and kitchen knife when he was taken into custody," police said. Read more: https://www.q13fox.com/news/more-than-30-arrested-as-seattle-cops-clear-chop-zone...

Daily Nation Kenya: Nyanza, Western, New Breeding Ground For Terrorists, Survey Shows By Rushdie OudiaKisumu, Siaya and Vihiga counties are the new breeding grounds for terrorist groups, a baseline survey conducted in 10 counties of Western Kenya has revealed.The new study shows how terrorist groups such as the Al-Shabaab are changing tactics and recruiting from new regions as opposed to the usual Coast, North Eastern and Nairobi areas.The survey revealed that apart from the three counties, Bungoma and Kakamega have for a while remained active recruitment grounds in Western Region having had some members in the past who were recruited to the terrorist group Al Shabaab prior to the Dusit attack. The survey was carried out by Dr Tom Mboya, a lecturer of Political Science at Maseno University, and Mr Jeremiah Owiti between November 2019 and February 2020 for Champions of Peace, National Counter Terrorism Centre with the support from...

AllAfrica.com Dalsan Radio Somalia: Fierce Battle As Alshabaab Attacks Somalia Military Base In Hiran Al-Shabab militants attacked a Somalia National Army base Baladweyne of Hiran region on Monday night, prompting a fierce battle.Residents told Radio Dalsan both sides exchanged heavy and small weaponry that could be heard from remote distances during the confrontation.There are casualties although the casualty figure on both warring sides are not established.The latest clashes came barely less than a week after special trained Danab forces liberated Jaana-Abdale, Helishid, Mayonde and Garascebe villages in Lower Jubba.On Friday the military killed four militants killed including senior Nepalese trainer in Lower Jubba of southern Somalia. Read more: https://allafrica.com/stories/202006300669.html...