Trump’s pick for head of FBI target of Iranian-backed cyberattack: US
U.S. intelligence revealed on Tuesday, Dec. 3, that an alleged Iranian-backed cyberattack targeted Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to head the FBI. The FBI reportedly told Patel the hackers attempted to infiltrate his communications.
Although Trump’s team didn’t specifically respond to the latest suspected cyberattack, Trump transition spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer told CBS News, “Kash Patel was a key part of the first Trump administration’s efforts against the terrorist Iranian regime and will implement President Trump’s policies to protect America from adversaries as the FBI director.”
Trump announced Patel as his pick to lead the FBI on Saturday, Nov. 30. Patel was Trump’s chief of staff to the secretary of defense during Trump’s first term in office.
Patel’s appointment will need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate when Trump returns to the White House on Jan. 20.
The latest revelation of alleged Iranian meddling in U.S. affairs comes after warnings from U.S. authorities of Iran-based cyber sabotage attempts on Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
US fugitive on the run for more than 2 decades arrested in Wales
A U.S. fugitive on the FBI’s “Most Wanted Terrorist” list has been caught in the United Kingdom after more than two decades on the run. Authorities in Wales reportedly arrested Daniel Andreas San Diego on Monday, Nov. 25, in an operation involving Britain’s national intelligence agencies and the FBI.
San Diego, who is considered a domestic terrorist by the FBI, now awaits extradition to the United States. He was federally indicted in 2004 on two counts of destroying or attempting to destroy property with explosives and two counts of using a destructive device in a crime of violence.
The FBI accuses San Diego of openly promoting violence in the name of animal rights. The charges San Diego faces are in connection with a bomb blast at biotechnology company Chiron Inc. near Oakland, California, in 2003.
Investigators found a second bomb that they deactivated and believed was to target first responders. Law enforcement also accuses San Diego of planting a third bomb at another California business a month later.
No one was injured in any of the incidents.
The group Revolutionary Cells claimed responsibility for the attacks on a pro-animal rights website, saying that it targeted the companies because of alleged connections to Huntingdon Life Sciences, which has been condemned by animal rights activists over its use of animal testing.
Huntingdon Life Science was part of a merger in 2015 to form what is now Inotiv.
FBI Director Christopher Wray praised the arrest on Tuesday, Nov. 26, vowing that “No matter how long it takes, the FBI will find you and hold you accountable.”
FBI thwarts alleged ‘white supremacist’ plot to bomb Nashville energy facility
Federal authorities thwarted an alleged terrorist plot to bomb an electric substation in Nashville, Tennessee, a plan that targeted a power grid operated by one of the nation’s largest public electric utilities. A 24-year-old man, Skyler Philippi, was arrested over the weekend of Nov. 2, accused of planning the attack that aimed to destabilize the energy sector in pursuit of extremist goals.
“As charged, Skyler Philippi believed he was moments away from launching an attack on a Nashville energy facility to further his violent white supremacist ideology – but the FBI had already compromised his plot,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “This case serves as yet another warning to those seeking to sow violence and chaos in the name of hatred by attacking our country’s critical infrastructure: the Justice Department will find you, we will disrupt your plot, and we will hold you accountable.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported that Philippi, a Tennessee resident, was detained on Saturday as he prepared to launch an explosive-laden drone at an electrical substation.
The FBI stated that Philippi’s actions were reportedly driven by a neo-Nazi and white supremacist ideology, with aspirations of triggering civil unrest and potentially inciting a civil war. If successful, the plot would have left thousands in the region without power.
“Driven by a racially motivated violent extremist ideology, the defendant allegedly planned to attack the power grid with a drone and explosives, leaving thousands of Americans and critical infrastructure like hospitals without power,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement. “The FBI’s swift work led to the detection and disruption of the defendant’s plot before he could cause any damage.”
According to officials, the FBI initially began monitoring the suspect in June after a confidential informant reported Philippi’s alleged intent to conduct a mass shooting at a YMCA near Columbia, Tennessee. Acting on this tip, FBI agents established undercover contact with Philippi and continued monitoring his activities.
In September, agents accompanied Philippi to an electric substation that he had reportedly gathered information on for the planned attack. During this phase of the investigation, Philippi allegedly sought to obtain explosives from the undercover agents, who then provided him with what he believed to be the equivalent of C-4 incendiary devices, though the bombs were actually inert and incapable of detonation.
Authorities apprehended Philippi during a final drone test flight on Saturday, which he conducted in preparation for an attack scheduled for that evening. Philippi is currently in custody awaiting a preliminary hearing scheduled for Nov. 13. He faces multiple charges, and if convicted, could receive a maximum sentence of life in prison.
US cybersecurity threatened by Chinese-linked ‘Salt Typhoon’ attack
U.S. officials revealed that hackers with ties to the Chinese government compromised several American internet providers in a large-scale cybersecurity breach. The attack, known as “Salt Typhoon,” is part of an ongoing effort by state-sponsored groups in Beijing to infiltrate critical U.S. infrastructure.
The Salt Typhoon operation specifically targeted broadband networks, seeking to access sensitive information from users and databases, officials said. This breach is the latest in a series of Chinese hacking campaigns that carry the “Typhoon” moniker.
Reuters
Authorities also disclosed the recent disruption of a network consisting of more than 200,000 internet-connected devices, including routers and cameras. This network was being exploited by another Chinese-linked hacking group, known as “Flax Typhoon.” These actions follow earlier cyber efforts by a group identified as “Volt Typhoon.”
Chinese state-sponsored hackers previously compromised critical services in the U.S., including water treatment facilities and oil and gas pipelines, sparking concerns about national security and public safety.
The Biden administration has warned that these hacking operations could threaten American lives and disrupt U.S. support for Taiwan, amid growing tensions in the region.
China has denied the allegations, but cybersecurity experts and U.S. officials remain concerned about the impact of these ongoing cyber exploits.
Feds announce crackdown on Russian disinformation campaign in 2024 election
The Biden administration is taking action against Russian disinformation efforts in the 2024 presidential election. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Wednesday, Sept. 4, the filing of criminal charges, the seizure of more than two dozen Moscow-linked internet domains and sanctions on a Russian-run media company.
“The Justice Department’s message is clear,” Garland said. “We have no tolerance for attempts by authoritarian regimes to exploit our democratic system of government.”
Garland expanded on the efforts by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) during a meeting of the Election Threats Task Force, announcing the indictment of a pair of Russia-based employees at a state-run media outlet.
“This morning, we unsealed an indictment in the Southern District of New York of Constantine Kalashnikov and Elena [Afanasyeva], two Russian-based employees at RT, a Russian state-controlled media outlet,” Garland said. “They are charged with conspiring to commit money laundering and to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act.”
Garland said the RT’s employees , otherwise known as Russia Today, had a $10 million plan to funnel money into a Tennessee-based company to publish and spread pro-Russian propaganda, with the goal of sowing divisions in the U.S. and pushing anti-Ukrainian narratives.
The U.S. Treasury Department also imposed sanctions and visa restrictions against RT’s editor-in-chief, Margarita Simonovna Simonyan, and others affiliated with the network, including visa restrictions.
Garland also said the DOJ seized 32 internet domains used by the Kremlin and pro-Russian agents in a “covert campaign” to influence the 2024 election.
Federal investigators say that Russian companies have used domains, some impersonating legitimate publications like the Washington Post and Fox News, to secretly spread false information since at least 2022.
The U.S. attorney general said the plots show the lengths Russia is willing to reach in order to sow distrust in U.S. elections but also warned that it is not the only foreign adversary doing so.
“Unfortunately, we know that Russia is not the only foreign power seeking to interfere in our elections,” Garland said. “As the U.S intelligence community noted two weeks ago, we have observed increasingly aggressive Iranian activity during this election cycle. That includes recently reported activities by Iran to compromise Former President Trump’s campaign.
“Three things are certain in life: death, taxes and RT’s interference in the US elections,” the RT told Reuters.
The media outlet reportedly shuttered operations in the United States after Russia invaded Ukraine.
A Russian lawmaker claimed the accusations by the DOJ were “pure rubbish” and said Russia does not think it matters whether Former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris wins the election on Nov. 5.
“The only winner of the U.S. election is the U.S. private military industrial complex,” State Duma deputy Maria Butina told Reuters.
FBI reveals details and gun photos in attempted assassination of Trump
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced new details about the investigation into the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. The FBI also released photos, including a picture of the gun used in the attack.
The agency also released photos of the AR-style rifle used in the attack. Another photo showed the rifle disassembled. FBI Director Christopher Wray told lawmakers in July that Crooks had a collapsible stock, which could explain why rallygoers likely didn’t see him with it.
A third photo showed “improvised explosive devices” found in the trunk of Crooks’ car. The agency said the receiver Crooks would have used to detonate the device remotely was turned off and had “several problems in the way it was constructed.”
The FBI also said Crooks made online searches pertaining to explosive devices, which included a “detonating cord” and “how to make a bomb from fertilizer” as early as 2019.
The FBI said it has not identified a motive nor any co-conspirators or associates of Crooks with advance knowledge of the attack. Investigators have also not seen any indication to suggest Crooks was directed by a foreign entity to conduct the attack.
Pakistani national with ties to Iran charged in alleged Trump assassination plot
A Pakistani national with ties to the Iranian government was arrested in July in connection with an alleged plot to kill American politicians and officials, according to the Department of Justice on Tuesday, Aug. 6. Multiple sources said one of the main targets was former President Donald Trump.
Asif Merchant, 46, is charged with murder for hire after DOJ officials said he flew from Pakistan to the U.S. to recruit hitmen for the plot. They said one of the so-called “hitmen” he contacted was a confidential informant for the FBI.
“For years, the Justice Department has been working aggressively to counter Iran’s brazen and unrelenting efforts to retaliate against American public officials for the killing of Iranian General Soleimani,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said. “The Justice Department will spare no resource to disrupt and hold accountable those who would seek to carry out Iran’s lethal plotting against American citizens, and will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to target American public officials and endanger America’s national security.”
Trump’s security was increased in June after authorities learned of an Iranian plot to kill him. This was before the assassination attempt at a Butler, Pennsylvania rally and is not related to those events, according to the FBI.
“This dangerous murder-for-hire plot exposed in today’s charges allegedly was orchestrated by a Pakistani national with close ties to Iran and is straight out of the Iranian playbook,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said. “A foreign-directed plot to kill a public official, or any U.S. citizen, is a threat to our national security and will be met with the full might and resources of the FBI.”
Merchant was arrested on July 12 — one day before Trump was shot at that rally.
Texts say police knew of would-be Trump assassin 100 minutes before shooting
Newly released text messages reveal former President Donald Trump’s would-be assassin, Thomas Crooks, was on authorities’ radar nearly 100 minutes before he fired at Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. The New York Times received the text messages from the office of Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and verified them.
The first text was sent from a local police counter sniper at 4:26 p.m. that day. That counter sniper was leaving after his shift ended and he texted other counter snipers saying he had noticed someone had “snuck in” and parked by law enforcement’s vehicles.
“I’m just letting you know because you see me go out with my rifle and put it in my car so he knows you guys are up there,” the text read. “He’s sitting to the direct right on a picnic table about 50 yards from the exit.”
That counter sniper confirmed the man he spotted was later identified as Crooks.
Forty-four minutes later, at 5:10 p.m., Crooks was no longer at the picnic table. One of the counter snipers who was upstairs in the AGR International warehouse took pictures of Crooks, who was below the counter snipers, outside the building.
At 5:38 p.m., those pictures were shared in a group chat among officers.
“Kid lurking around building we are in. AGR I believe it is,” the text said. “I did see him with a rangefinder looking towards stage. FYI. If you wanna notify SS snipers to look out. I lost sight of him. Also a bike with a backpack sitting next to it in rear of building that was not seen earlier… call it into command and have a uniform check it out.”
At 6:11 p.m., shots rang out from atop the AGR International warehouse, where Crooks was able to position himself about 400 feet away from Trump and have a clear line of sight to the former president.
Several bullets flew past Trump’s head with one clipping him in the right ear. One person was killed and two others were critically wounded.
A Secret Service sniper team fired at Crooks, killing him just seconds after he opened fire.
Testimony from FBI Director Christopher Wray and former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle also helps fill in some of the blanks, including that Crooks did research on President John F. Kennedy’s 1963 assassination.
“On July 6, he did a Google search for quote ‘how far away was Oswald from Kennedy?’” Director Wray said.
According to Wray’s testimony, on July 5, Crooks traveled about an hour from his home in Bethel Park to Butler, Pennsylvania, to scope out the site of Trump’s rally.
He also drove to the Butler site the morning of the rally and left after approximately an hour. Crooks then bought 50 rounds of ammunition from a sports store before returning to the rally site just before 4 p.m.
During testimony, Wray said Crooks had purchased a 5-foot ladder the morning of the shooting. The ladder was not found at the shooting site and it was unclear how Crooks got onto the roof of the warehouse with a rifle.
“The weapon had a collapsible stock, which could explain why it might have been less easy for people to observe,” Director Wray testified. “Because one of the things we’re finding is that people have observed him. The first people to observe him with the weapon is when he was already on the roof, and we haven’t yet found anybody with firsthand observation of him with the weapon walking around beforehand. So that doesn’t mean he wasn’t, obviously, but the collapsible stock is potentially a significant feature.”
The local SWAT team out of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, who were stationed in the AGR building, also told ABC News they had zero communication with the Secret Service snipers the day of the shooting.
“We were supposed to get a face-to-face briefing with the Secret Service snipers whenever they arrived, and that never happened,” Jason Woods, lead sharpshooter for the Beaver County SWAT team, said.
Former Secret Service Director Cheatle told a congressional panel she was unaware which agency had jurisdiction over the AGR warehouse building.
Cheatle resigned on July 23, one day after testifying on Capitol Hill.
The FBI is still investigating the assassination attempt against former President Trump.
Netanyahu to meet with Biden following his speech to Congress
A day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a speech to Congress and President Joe Biden gave a primetime address on exiting the 2024 race, the two are set to meet in Washington, D.C. on July 25. And more details on what you need to know about breaking, the newest sport at the Olympic games. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, July 25, 2024.
Netanyahu to meet with Biden following his speech to Congress
Biden is expected to press Netanyahu in getting a hostage and ceasefire deal solidified. U.S. officials said it’s a critical moment in negotiations over the deal — something Biden said will be a priority with the time he has left in office.
Israeli negotiators were expected to travel to Qatar Thursday, but Netanyahu ordered them not to, saying he wanted to wait until after he meets with Biden before Israel goes back to the negotiating table.
After meeting with Biden, Netanyahu is expected to meet with Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. He’s set to meet with Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump on Friday, July 26.
In his address to Congress, Netanyahu thanked the U.S. for backing Israel’s war against Hamas with weapons support.
“The vast majority of Americans have not fallen for this Hamas propaganda,” Netanyahu said. “They continue to support Israel. And I want to say thank you America and thank you senators and House members who continue to support us, continue to support Israel, continue to support the truth and see through the lies.”
His speech was met with protests in and outside the Capitol building. Thousands of protesters gathered nearby, some burning an American flag and an effigy of Netanyahu.
Dozens of congressional Democrats also boycotted the address. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., held a sign reading “war criminal” while Netanyahu spoke on Wednesday, July 24.
President Biden addresses nation on decision to drop out of 2024 race
“The idea of America lies in voters’ hands,” Biden said about the 2024 election. “Nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition. So, I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. It’s the best way to unite our nation.”
For the remaining six months of his term, Biden said he plans to focus on the job of the presidency, including plans to continue lowering costs for families.
In his address, President Biden also reiterated his support for Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place at the top of the ticket.
“I made my choice,” Biden said. “I’ve made my views known. I’d like to thank our great vice president, Kamala Harris. She’s experienced. She’s tough. She’s capable. She’s been an incredible partner to me and a leader for our country.”
Harris is reportedly vetting around a dozen possible running mates, including governors, members of Congress, current cabinet secretaries and some people who don’t currently hold public office. Her pick is expected to be made public sometime before Aug. 7.
FBI: Gunman Googled JFK shooting a week before Trump assassination attempt
Alarming new information has surfaced about the assassination attempt on former President Trump. FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before Congress on Wednesday, July 24, and revealed that a week before opening fire, Thomas Crooks, the gunman, looked up the shooting distance in the killing of President John F. Kennedy on the internet.
Specifically, Wray said Thomas Crooks Googled, “How far away was Oswald from Kennedy?”
The FBI director said these words are significant in terms of the shooter’s state of mind. An FBI analysis of Crooks’ laptop found he did the search on the same day he registered for Trump’s rally.
Wray also told lawmakers about a shocking security lapse in the sky. He said the gunman scoped out the ally site with a drone — possibly even live-streaming — just two hours before the former president took the stage.
A CBS News analysis found Crooks fired eight bullets in less than six seconds before being shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper.
House lawmakers have voted to create a new congressional task force in hopes of answering more questions about the events leading up to Trump’s near assassination. The legislation to approve the investigation passed by a vote of 416-0.
NORAD intercepts Russian and Chinese bombers off Alaska coast
NORAD detected, tracked, and intercepted two Russian TU-95 and two PRC H-6 military aircraft operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on July 24, 2024. NORAD fighter jets from the United States and Canada conducted the intercept.https://t.co/EKg3G30lmW
— North American Aerospace Defense Command (@NORADCommand) July 24, 2024
Officials said the bombers did not enter U.S. airspace but did get close enough that the U.S. and Canada sent fighter jets to intercept them. According to NORAD, the incident was “not seen as a threat.”
A U.S. defense official said this was the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together.
NBA signs 11-year deal with Disney, NBC and Amazon
The NBA has confirmed where viewers will be seeing its games next season. After rejecting a $1.8 billion offer to keep airing games with Warner Bros. Discovery, the NBA signed an 11-year agreement with Disney, NBC and Amazon.
The deal is reportedly worth an estimated $76 billion. However, the agreement is likely to bring a legal showdown between the NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery. The media company said it believes the NBA can’t reject its offer and said it will take “appropriate action.”
For anyone doubting breaking being a sport, USA Breakin’s Ricardo Fernandez Jr. told Straight Arrow News there’s no reason to question. Fernandez is credited with creating the blueprint for competitive breaking competitions and can talk about its rich history dating back to its origins in the Bronx in the 1970s.
“We were breaking to the break of the record, so now you see where the name comes from, the record has a break and that break is the percussion drum part that was longated by the DJ,” Fernandez said.
Fernandez said breaking comes down to discipline and athleticism.
Some of the most athletic people in the world are Breakers. And in 2024 breakin’ culture will make its official debut as a sport at the Summer Olympic games in Paris, France. pic.twitter.com/wzWZ2K7xlj
“You take the athleticism and you put two individuals or a group to compete against each other constantly, you are already creating the atmosphere for it to become marketable,” he said. “Breaking, you have to be athletic to achieve what you see now.”
Team USA will be represented by four athletes called breakers: Jeffrey “B-Boy Jeffro” Louis, who wrote a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to get breaking to be part of the games just a few years ago; Logan Edra, who started breaking at age 7, was given the nickname “Logistix” by her father; Sunny Choi who picked up the sport while a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania; and Victor Montalvo, the first American to qualify, whose father and uncle were breaking pioneers.
Fernandez, known in the breaking world as B-boy Speedy Legs, has seen the sport evolve from his days of teaching it to kids in 1980s Miami to showing off his power moves in New York in the 1990s.
“I dedicated my life to breaking, in every aspect, in the art form, in the athleticism, in the competitiveness and also helped create the platform that would take it to the Olympics,” Fernandez said.
Fernandez started the B-Boy Masters Pro-Am, one of the first breaking competitions, as he tried to grow the sport and everything that comes with it. That includes the moves like top rock, the music from the DJ and the overall hip-hop culture that inspires the art form.
“I put together the first elements of how to judge it cause it was really hard to judge breaking because if I talked to some of the guys with whom I was down with in the beginning I know that they thought I was probably corny about implementing something like that,” Fernandez said.
Fernandez created a 5-element judging system, one he said is very similar to how the breakers will be judged at the Olympics. In Paris, breakers will be judged on musicality, vocabulary, originality, technique and execution.
Though Fernandez said some heated politics between organizations emerged during breaking’s path to the Olympics, he knows his sport’s place on the world’s biggest stage will help it grow even more.
“I believe when it gets exposure in the next two to three weeks, it’s going to be phenomenal,” Fernandez said. “I believe it’s going to create more opportunities not only for the first four athletes from the United States to make history, but also to create new outlets for the youth.”
Congress wants the names of all officers present at Trump’s Butler rally
Congress is ramping up its investigation into the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee on Monday, July 22.
“The United States Secret Service has a no-fail mission, yet it failed on Saturday when a madman attempted to assassinate President Trump, killed an innocent victim, and harmed others,” Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said in a statement.
Before Cheatle arrives, the committee wants to collect documents, communications, videos and audio that could shed light on how the shooter got on the roof and pulled the trigger before a Secret Service sniper was able to neutralize him.
A complete list of all law enforcement officers present at Trump’s July 13 rally, including federal, state and local.
All audio and video recordings in Secret Service’s possession related to Trump’s campaign rally.
Any memorandum or notice issued by the director to Secret Service personnel regarding the assassination attempt.
In addition, the committee wants the following by July 29:
All documents and communications, including text messages and emails, between the Secret Service, DHS, and local law enforcement regarding the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally.
All maps, aerial views, diagrams, and assessments the Secret Service has in its possession.
All remote surveillance data, including drones, listening devices, remote cameras, and satellites.
The Homeland Security Committee is also inviting Cheatle, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray to a hearing on Tuesday, July 23.
Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., is demanding Mayorkas hand over the plan to secure the perimeter at Trump’s Butler rally.
