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I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage.Let's get briefed.First up, we're examining a series of ballot box fires on the West Coast of the U.S.
Authorities are now labeling these incidents as acts of domestic terrorism after discovering arson devices marked with Free Gaza.
Then, a new report from the Financial Times reveals that officials in Moscow and Kyiv may be exploring a significant de-escalation, potentially pausing strikes on each other's energy infrastructure.
Well, frankly, that would be a bright bit of welcome news out of that conflict zone.But first, our afternoon spotlight.
In a series of what's believed to be connected incidents early Monday, incendiary devices emblazoned with political slogans were used to set ballot boxes ablaze in Oregon and Washington, igniting concerns, of course, about domestic terrorism and sparking investigations by local authorities as well as the FBI.
For background, Oregon and Washington conduct elections primarily by mail, making secure ballot boxes a vital part of the voting infrastructure.
Voters in these states can return their ballots by mail or at these designated drop boxes, underscoring, of course, the need for enhanced security. The first incident occurred around 3.30 a.m.
in Portland, Oregon, where police responded to a fire at a ballot box outside the Multnomah County Elections Division.Officers quickly extinguished the flames, ignited by an incendiary device marked, quote, Free Gaza.
And that's according to two sources close to the investigation speaking to ABC News.
County officials confirmed that three ballots were damaged, but a fire suppression system protected the remaining ballots, and the affected voters are being issued replacements.
Roughly 30 minutes later, a similar attack occurred in Vancouver, Washington.Police arrived to find another ballot box smoldering, with a suspicious device again marked with the same slogan, Free Gaza.
Although officers managed to put out the flames, initial assessments suggest that hundreds of ballots may have been damaged.
Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey noted that the fire suppression system and the Vancouver ballot box did not function effectively, but officials are working to replace the affected ballots.
Surveillance footage in Portland captured a potential suspect vehicle, a black Volvo sedan, near the ballot box shortly before the fire.
This evidence, along with the Free Gaza slogans, prompted officials to investigate potential connections to anarchist groups in the area.
The attack bore a resemblance to reports earlier this year when Antifa anarchists claimed responsibility for torching 15 Portland police training vehicles to support a pro-Palestinian encampment at a nearby university.Well, how very fascist of them.
Monday's incidents near the Oregon-Washington border echo a similar case on 8 October in Vancouver, Washington, where an incendiary device used in a ballot box fire bore the expressions, quote, free Gaza and free Palestine.
Local police departments and the FBI are collaborating to identify suspects and prevent further attacks on voting infrastructure.
Now, state leaders condemned the attacks, and that's nice, as Oregon Secretary of State Lavon Griffin-Villard denounced the arson, calling it a, quote, attack on our democracy, and reassured voters that the state's election system is safe.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotick echoed this sentiment in a post on X, stating, quote, voter intimidation or criminal interference with elections is un-American.
No offense, but I don't think the gormless morons of Antifa care whether they're seen as un-American or not.
Meanwhile, Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs went a step further, labeling the incidents as, quote, acts of terror intended to undermine democratic participation.These acts of arson and terror aren't exclusive to the Pacific Northwest.
Last week in Phoenix, Arizona, a similar incident occurred where a mailbox was set ablaze, damaging multiple ballots, and raising concerns about possible coordinated efforts to intimidate voters.
As investigations progress, local officials, along with federal support from the FBI, are taking measures to protect Dropbox sites and increase vigilance, of course, across both states in the lead-up to Election Day.
Coming up, a new report from the Financial Times hints at a potential de-escalation between Moscow and Kiev.I'll have the details after the break. Hey, Mike Baker here.
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Russia and Ukraine may be inching toward a temporary de-escalation, with both sides reportedly discussing a halt in attacks on each other's energy infrastructure.
According to the Financial Times, diplomats from Moscow and Kyiv have returned to Doha, Qatar for what sources are describing as preliminary discussions.
If an agreement is reached, well, this would be the most significant easing of hostilities since Russian leader Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
These talks are reportedly the latest in a series of attempts to find common ground, although previous negotiations did fall apart.
In August, the Washington Post reported that a similar potential agreement was derailed after Ukraine launched a military offensive into the Russian border region of Kursk.
It appears that despite these setbacks, both countries are still open to dialogue, at least to some degree.
According to a senior Ukrainian official, Moscow and Kyiv have already reduced the number of attacks on each other's energy systems in recent weeks, suggesting that a tentative agreement may already be in place between their intelligence agencies.
However, the same Ukrainian source added that Kyiv intends to keep targeting strategic sites, including oil refineries, to maintain pressure on Russia and push it toward more formal negotiations.
Predictably, the Kremlin has brushed off these reports, labeling them as, quote, fake news.Oh, that's a term they often use to dismiss stories that they find inconvenient or possibly which could cause them to lose face.
But behind the denials, there may be some truth to these early reports, as recent months have seen a relative lull in large scale strikes on energy infrastructure.
Now, we've covered extensively on the PDB how Russia's drone and missile campaigns have inflicted severe damage on Ukraine's energy grid.
Rolling blackouts have really plagued the country since the war began, with strikes over the summer taking out nearly half of Ukraine's power generation capacity.
Between March and August alone, Russian attacks reportedly destroyed every single thermal power plant and nearly all hydroelectric facilities across Ukraine, and that's according to the Kiev Independent.
This strategy has put Ukraine, of course, under intense pressure, particularly with winter on the horizon, as maintaining adequate power now becomes a life-or-death challenge for many civilians.
In response, Ukraine has ramped up its own strikes on Russia's oil processing facilities, impacting the fuel supply that powers the Russian war machine.
Though Ukraine rarely claims direct responsibility, these attacks have caused significant disruptions across Russian territory, stretching from the border to more critical infrastructure sites deep within the country.
And that, my friends, is the PDB Afternoon Bulletin for Wednesday, 30 October.If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb at thefirsttv.com.Now, if you're looking for an ad-free experience with the PDB, well, no problem.
Just become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by simply visiting pdbpremium.com.I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back tomorrow.Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.
Hey, it's Tucker Carlson.We did a live tour last month, one of the funnest things we've ever done, coast to coast, 16 different cities, speaking.Well, our grand finale, Halloween, October 31st, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona.
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