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22 Sep, 5 tweets, 2 min read
SCOOP: Federal law enforcement agencies are purchasing surveillance drones from a Chinese company the Pentagon has deemed a potential national security threat, Axios has learned.

trib.al/Wk9pJ1V
The U.S. Secret Service is the latest to purchase surveillance drones from the Shenzhen-based company DJI, which dominates the commercial drone market in the U.S. and abroad.

axios.com/federal-law-en…
In 2017, the DHS stated that DJI was "providing U.S. critical infrastructure and law enforcement data to the Chinese government."

In 2019, the Interior Department grounded its non-emergency drone fleet because of concerns over Chinese interference.

axios.com/federal-law-en…
Some experts who spoke with Axios noted the possibility that the agencies purchased DJI drones to study the devices or develop countermeasures.

But language in the FBI and Secret Service contracts casts doubt on that explanation.

axios.com/federal-law-en…
The Secret Service wrote its DJI drones will "supplement the agency’s existing fleet of small unmanned aircraft and improved [sic] mission support through the use of the most up-to-date equipment nd [sic] software."

axios.com/federal-law-en…

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More from @axios

Axios Profile picture
23 Sep
WATCH: @danprimack and @NialaBoodhoo explore how alternative energy investments toward climate solutions function in the private and public sector today, feat. Sen. @RonWyden and @GalvanizeLLC co-founder @TomSteyer.

trib.al/9IgisPI
@danprimack @NialaBoodhoo @RonWyden @GalvanizeLLC @TomSteyer .@RonWyden on proposed levies for ETFs: "One of the little secrets about the tax code is that many billionaires pay little or no income taxes...I don't think that's right." Image
.@RonWyden: "I also think when we talk about paying for these investments, whether it's paid leave or child care or home and community-based services, we ought to say everybody should pay their fair share." Image
Read 5 tweets
Axios Profile picture
22 Sep
WATCH: @mikeallen & @Ben_Geman discuss the bold commitments being made to combat climate change in conversations with White House national climate adviser @ginamccarthy46 & @EnvDefenseFund President @FredKrupp.

twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
@mikeallen @Ben_Geman @ginamccarthy46 @EnvDefenseFund @FredKrupp .@ginamccarthy46:"I think everybody’s beginning to understand as the president tours sites of wildfires and flooding and other really big challenges like drought, there’s this silent killer for climate change that’s called excess heat, that really doesn’t get enough attention." Image
@mikeallen @Ben_Geman @ginamccarthy46 @EnvDefenseFund @FredKrupp .@ginamccarthy46 on budgets for clean energy: "That's what we're doing with industry. We're not punishing them. We're looking at opportunities for investments in our industry so we can take back some of the supply chains we've lost." Image
Read 6 tweets
Axios Profile picture
20 Sep
New photos show Border Patrol agents whipping at and charging their horses at Haitian migrants attempting to get to an international bridge in Del Rio, where thousands have sought refuge trying to seek asylum.

📸: Paul Ratje/AFP via Getty trib.al/tEidNxq
We deleted a previous tweet after this piece was corrected to show the mounted agents were whipping at the migrants — not necessarily using whips.
NEW:

Dept. of Homeland Security spokesperson in a statement to Axios:

"[DHS] does not tolerate the abuse of migrants in our custody and we take these allegations very seriously.”

axios.com/del-rio-migran…
Read 4 tweets
Axios Profile picture
19 Sep
Three NYC tourists were arrested after allegedly assaulting a restaurant hostess when she asked for proof of their vaccination status before they could be seated indoors.

New York City currently has a vaccine mandate for indoor activities.

trib.al/QuLlZXE
We deleted a previous tweet that used "allegedly" incorrectly.
UPDATE: Lawyers for the restaurant and the 3 women revealed that the tourists had in fact shown proof of vaccination and been allowed in.

They were then joined by 3 men, only 1 of whom showed a vaccine card. The group then left and the fight broke out.

axios.com/3-nyc-tourists…
Read 4 tweets
Axios Profile picture
17 Sep
WATCH: @ben_geman & @afreedma spotlight the latest updates to the infrastructure bill and discuss what building a fair economy with quality clean energy jobs could look like with @SenAlexPadilla & @BGAlliance Executive Director Jason Walsh.
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
@Ben_Geman @afreedma @SenAlexPadilla @BGAlliance .@SenAlexPadilla: "We don’t want to just invest in renewable energy sources, but try to bring a lot of the investment and job creation opportunity here.”
.@SenAlexPadilla on getting Sens. Manchin and Sinema on board with the infrastructure package: "I do believe we're going to get to yes at the end of the day and that end of the day is going to be in the weeks ahead, not the months ahead."
Read 5 tweets
Axios Profile picture
15 Sep
McKayla Maroney, Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols are testifying before Congress about the FBI's mishandlings of sexual abuse allegations against Larry Nassar.

Follow along here: trib.al/Z3c02nR
McKayla Maroney: The FBI chose to "protect a serial child molester" and "sat idly by while dozens of girls continued to be molested by Larry Nassar."

trib.al/Z3c02nR
Aly Raisman: "I cannot tell you how horrifying it is to meet young girls who look up to me ... and tell me that they went to see Larry Nassar because of me."

It "takes everything I have to work on not taking the blame for that because it is horrific." trib.al/Z3c02nR
Read 7 tweets

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