NEW: ODNI NCSC Director William Evanina says they believe China prefers that Trump does not win reelection and Russia is trying to denigrate Biden, according to his update on covert and overt influence measures being used by those countries that ODNI has detected.
Evanina says, "many foreign actors have a preference for who wins the election, which they express through a range of overt and private statements; covert influence efforts are rarer. We are primarily concerned about the ongoing and potential activity by China, Russia, and Iran."
MORE: Evanina on Iran's preferences, "we assess that Iran seeks to undermine U.S. democratic institutions, President Trump, and to divide the country in advance of the 2020 elections."
MORE: On Russia Evanina says, "We assess that Russia is using a range of measures to primarily denigrate former Vice President Biden and what it sees as an anti-Russia “establishment.”
MORE: On China Evanina says, "We assess that China prefers that President Trump – whom Beijing sees as unpredictable – does not win reelection. "
More on Russia's efforts: "This is consistent with Moscow’s public criticism of him when he was Vice President for his role in the Obama Administration’s policies on Ukraine and its support for the anti-Putin opposition inside Russia."
RUSSIA CONT'D: "For example, pro-Russia Ukrainian parliamentarian Andriy Derkach is spreading claims about corruption – including through publicizing leaked phone calls – to undermine former Vice President Biden’s candidacy and the Democratic Party."
BREAKING | NBC News: The judge overseeing Donald Trump's criminal case in New York says it is his inclination not to sentence Trump to any jail time.
He intends to sentence Trump to an unconditional discharge.
Trump can appear in person or virtually on 1/10.
Judge Juan Merchan writes: "it seems proper at this juncture to make known the Court's inclination to not impose any sentence of incarceration, a sentence authorized by the conviction but one the People concede they no longer view as a practicable recommendation.”
He continues saying, "As such; in balancing the aforementioned considerations in conjunction with the underlying concerns of the Presidential immunity doctrine, a sentence of an unconditional discharge appears to be the most viable solution to ensure finality and allow Defendant to pursue his appellate options."
NBC News: A senior law enforcement official says one of those arrested at Hamilton Hall on Columbia University is James Carlson aka Cody Tarlow who was arrested during a G8 2005 protest in San Francisco for assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon and is a person of interest for burning an Israeli flag.
That official also says that another one of the people arrested, at the City College of New York, was Amelia Fuller who has been involved in other protests and was -- according to public reports -- fired from the New York Botanical Garden for saying she felt "proud" when asked about the 10/7 attack.
NEW: 19 year old Keith Melvin Moses is being charged with murder by authorities in Orange County, FL in connection with a homicide earlier today and is expected to be charged in the shooting death of a Spectrum News employee as well as other additional charges, says the Sheriff.
Keith Melvin Moses has a criminal history which includes gun charges, aggregated assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and grand theft, Sheriff John Mina says.
Authorities say in total two Spectrum News employees were shot included the one who is now deceased.
They were covering the homicide that occurred earlier in the day.
NBC News: Sen. Robert Menendez, the powerful democratic chair of the Senate foreign relations committee from New Jersey, is under federal criminal investigation according to two people familiar with the matter and an advisor to the Senator.
@jonathan4ny Menendez advisor Michael Soliman says, "he does not know the scope of the investigation.”
Soliman also says, “as always, should any official inquiries be made, the Senator is available to provide any assistance that is requested of him or his office."
@jonathan4ny News of a subpoena sent during the course of the investigation was first reported by the website Semafor.
NBC News: The FBI has made an arrest in connection with a hoax bomb threat against Boston Children's Hospital.
The charges are expected to be announced at approximately 4pm today.
It is not related to the incident at Northeastern University.
MORE: The FBI says they arrested a woman from Westfield, MA for calling in a threat a bomb threat allegedly saying "you better evacuate everyone you sickos."
She faces up to 5 years in prison for making a false telephonic bomb threat.
Catherine Leavy or Westfield, MA is charged with a single count of making a false telephonic bomb threat which carries up to 5 years in prison if convicted.
She allegedly told the hospital, “you better evacuate everyone you sickos.”