Report reveals Secret Service ‘failures’ before PA Trump assassination attempt
The Secret Service admitted to a major breach of protocol that happened before the attempted assassination attempt of Former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. In a new report released Friday, Sept. 20, agency officials say there was a severe lack of communication between the secret service and local authorities at the rally in July.
The findings revealed numerous gaps in planning, including an unclear chain of command.
As a result, the suspect, Thomas Crooks, had a clear line of sight to Trump from an unprotected rooftop about 150 yards away.
Following the release of the new report, Acting Director Ronald Rowe said, “The paradigm shift will be a driving force to move the Secret Service from a state of reaction to a state of readiness and the vision is for the Secret Service to be more agile with the ability to escalate protection to the highest levels for numerous protectees for undetermined periods of time.”
Rowe went on to say, “But in order to do this we need additional personnel, technical assets and equipment for the sustainment of immediate and future needs.”
An agent on Trump’s protective detail was walking a few hundred yards ahead of Trump at his golf course in West Palm Beach when the agent saw a rifle barrel poking out of a tree.
That’s when the agent opened fire at the suspect, Ryan Routh, who was arrested.
Since that latest incident, the House unanimously voted to boost Secret Service protection for all major presidential and vice presidential candidates to be on par with the sitting president.
Lawmaker wants Secret Service focused on guarding leaders, not financial crimes
Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., wants to relieve the Secret Service of its duty to investigate financial crimes and focus the agency solely on protecting political leaders. Torres introduced separate proposals that would not only narrow the agency’s responsibilities, but also expand its requirements for ensuring the safety of those it’s protecting.
The Secret Service was created in 1865 to investigate financial crimes under the Department of the Treasury. It was not tasked with protecting presidents full time until 1902.
To this day, the Secret Service has two missions. First, to provide protection and investigative services to ensure the safety and security of protectees, key locations and events of national significance. Second, to protect the integrity of U.S. currency and investigate crimes against the U.S. financial system.
Torres’ bill would put an end to that and require all financial crimes assets to be transferred to a different agency or department.
The lawmaker also introduced a separate bill that would create new requirements for setting up safety perimeters.
The bill states the director of the Secret Service shall be responsible for ensuring a minimum secured perimeter of 500 yards, or the firing range of firearms likely to be used in an assassination attempt. It would also require the director to ensure all elevated positions are secured.
The bill specifically states its the director’s job to ensure these perimeters meet the standards. That’s significant because it was revealed during congressional testimony that former Director Kimberly Cheatle did not review those plans.
Here is what Cheatle said during an exchange with Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, at a hearing in July.
Rep. Michael Cloud: Did you review the security plans for this event?
Former Director Kimberly Cheatle: I personally do not review security plans for events that take place across the country.
Rep. Michael Cloud: Any of them? Who’s the top level official who reviews the security plans?
Former Director Kimberly Cheatle: There’s a number of people that review security plans as they unfold.
Rep. Michael Cloud: Who is ultimately responsible for signing off on a security plan?
Former Director Kimberly Cheatle: It’s a conjunction of personnel. There are people on the ground, there are supervisors on the detail, there are people at headquarters.
Rep. Michael Cloud: So there’s not one person who says, “Okay, this is good, it’s copacetic. We’re going for it.”
Former Director Kimberly Cheatle: I think much in the way we build our security plans…
Rep. Michael Cloud: No doubt there’s teams working different aspects of it. But ultimately, isn’t there an individual who signs off on the the plan?
Former Director Kimberly Cheatle: Much like how we design our security plans, they’re multi layered.
Rep. Michael Cloud: So there’s no accountability.
Former Director Kimberly Cheatle: There is accountability.
If Torres’ bills pass, the changes would be implemented over the course of a couple months.
3 in 10 Americans trust Secret Service to protect candidates: Poll
Less than a month after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on Saturday, July 13, Americans expressed skepticism about the United States Secret Service’s ability to protect presidential candidates. According to a new poll published by AP-NORC on Friday, Aug. 2, only three of 10 U.S. adults have high confidence in the agency’s ability to keep presidential candidates safe.
The poll also found that when it comes to what’s to blame for the attempt on Trump’s life, Americans do not let the agency totally off the hook. More than 70% of those surveyed said that the Secret Service bears moderate responsibility for the attack.
However, not all blame is directed at the agency. More than three quarters of Americans blame political divisions in the country for the violence at the Trump rally last month. Additionally, nearly 60% said that both the availability of guns and the media were to blame for the attack.
Breaking it down further, half of those polled said that political divisions bear a “great deal” of responsibility for the attempted assassination of Trump. When it was broken down along political lines, 60% of Democrats pointed to gun accessibility for the attack, and half of Republicans faulted the Secret Service.
In the wake of the attempt on Trump’s life at the Pennsylvania rally, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned and admitted that the incident was the “most significant operational failure” for the agency in “decades.”
New Acting Director Ronald Rowe said that he was ashamed and called it “indefensible” that the roof used by the gunman was not secured, during testimony to U.S. Congress.
Meanwhile, the poll also revealed skepticism over the ongoing investigation into the shooting. Only one-third of Americans were extremely confident or very confident in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security conducting a full and fair investigation.
Acting Secret Service director to testify on Trump assassination attempt
The new acting director of the Secret Service is set to answer questions from lawmakers about the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. And McDonald’s reports its first sales decline in more than three years. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, July 30, 2024.
Secret Service acting director to testify on Trump assassination attempt
The new head of the Secret Service, Ronald Rowe, will be on Capitol Hill Tuesday, July 30, testifying over the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, as security questions remain to be answered. It comes one week after the former Director Kimberly Cheatle’s testimony that led her to step down from the position.
According to excerpts of Rowe’s testimony reviewed by news outlets in advance, the new acting director is expected to tell lawmakers what he saw in Butler, Pennsylvania made him “ashamed” and that he “cannot defend why the roof where the gunman opened fire was not secured.”
Tuesday’s hearing comes as newly released police text messages show that officers were aware of the gunman, Thomas Crooks, at least 105 minutes before he opened fire. That’s more than half an hour earlier than previously known.
The local SWAT team also said they never spoke to Secret Service until after the assassination attempt.
Trump will sit down with the FBI on Thursday, Aug. 1, for a victim interview where he will describe what he experienced.
It’s been 17 days since the Republican presidential nominee nearly lost his life at that rally. While Congress will look to learn about security lapses in Tuesday’s testimony, there are long-term efforts to obtain answers, as well, including the newly launched House panel which will also have subpoena power.
Arizona voters head to the polls Tuesday; Tennessee holds primary on Thursday
There are still some high-profile primary races taking place in several states. Voters in Arizona will head to the polls on Tuesday, July 30, and Tennessee will hold its primary on Thursday, Aug. 1.
Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who switched from being a Democrat to an independent earlier in 2024, is not running for re-election, so there are new candidates for that highly sought after open seat.
The top Democratic candidate is Rep. Ruben Gallego. That means his House seat is up for grabs, along with several other House seats.
On the Republican side of the Senate race, it’s former TV anchor Kari Lake leading over her opponent.
In Tennessee, controversial Republican Rep. Andy Ogles facing a challenge and potentially close race when voters head to the polls Thursday. Ogles secured a major endorsement from former President Trump ahead of the primary.
Biden proposes Supreme Court changes, end to presidential immunity
The ethics code proposal comes after a review of the justices’ undisclosed personal and business dealings, namely those of conservatives Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. It also comes in the wake of some controversial rulings, like the 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade and the ruling on presidential immunity.
President Biden is also suggesting a constitutional amendment to change that.
Biden gave his case for reform in a speech at the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, Texas on Monday, July 29.
“The Supreme Court established in Trump v. The United States a dangerous precedent,” Biden said. “They ruled, as you know, as the president of the United States has immunity from — for potential crimes he may have committed while in office. Immunity. This nation was founded on the principle there are no kings in America. Each of us is equal before the law. No one is above the law. And for all practical purposes, the court’s decision almost certainly means that a president can violate their oath, flout our laws and face no consequences.”
He added, “This decision is a total affront to the basic expectations we have for those who wield the power of this nation. That they are expected to be wholly accountable under the law.”
The amendment would face a difficult path to become a reality. It would first have to be passed by two-thirds of the House and Senate — which is unlikely, given the Republican majority — then ratified by three-quarters of U.S. states.
Park Fire now 6th largest in California’s history
California’s Park Fire has grown into the sixth largest wildfire in the state’s history. According to Cal Fire, it has now scorched more than 370,000 acres across four counties and is still only 12% contained.
It’s forced thousands to abandon their homes and contributed to poor air quality from coast to coast.
Authorities said the fire started when a man pushed a burning car into a dry ravine. He was officially indicted on arson charges Monday, July 29.
McDonald’s reports first sales slump since 2020
McDonald’s is reconsidering its pricing strategy after the fast-food giant reported its first sales slump since 2020 in the second quarter. Experts said budget-conscious Americans are eating at home more often due to higher prices at fast food chains.
This summer, McDonald’s released a $5 meal promotion to drive more foot traffic, though competitors have also launched similar deals.
The McDonald’s CEO said customers can expect more discounts in an effort to bring more people in and stop the sales decline.
Dragonflies swarm Rhode Island beach like “black cloud”
A swarm of dragonflies overtook a Rhode Island beach on Saturday, July 27, with video being posted online. Local media said the beachgoers reported the insects descending all of a sudden like a “black cloud,” forcing some to pack up and leave.
Experts said this is normal, as dragonflies are starting their annual migration south.
U.S. men’s gymnastics wins first Olympic team medal in 16 years
Olympic officials postponed Tuesday, July 30, morning’s men’s triathlon race after they said the Seine River remains contaminated. They said levels of E. coli are too high for the swimming portion of the competition. The event is now tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, July 31.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the big story for Team USA was not about gold medals, but bronze. The U.S. men’s gymnastics team earned the first Olympic team medal in the sport for America in 16 years.
Team USA’s Asher Hong, Paul Juda, Brody Malone, Stephen Nedoroscik and Frederick Richard topped Great Britain for the third spot on the podium. Japan took the gold and China won silver.
The last time the U.S. men’s gymnastics team won a team medal was at the 2008 Beijing games.
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.”
The footage shows moments where law enforcement officials were next to Crooks’ body on a rooftop, discussing prior sightings of Crooks acting suspiciously. It shows potential security missteps, including indications that local officials and the U.S. Secret Service might have been aware of Crooks’ presence before the attack.
NEW My office has obtained docs from law enforcement on July 13 assassination attempt of Pres Trump I’m writing Secret Service Acting Dir Rowe & DHS Scty Mayorkas AGAIN 2get badly needed answers/clarity pic.twitter.com/LyQMzYGCkD
In the footage, an officer is heard discussing how a sniper had previously spotted and sent photos of the suspect. Crooks was killed by counter-snipers after injuring Trump and killing a bystander.
Grassley stated that this new evidence indicates serious lapses in security protocols. In response to these failures and mounting political pressure, U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned Tuesday, taking responsibility for the oversight.
In related developments, Matthew Crooks, the father of Thomas Crooks, was seen in public on July 22 for the first time since the incident. When approached by reporters from Fox News Digital, he declined to comment.
“No comment,” Matthew Crooks said. “We’re going to release a statement when our legal counsel advises us to do so. Until then, we have no comment. We just want to try to take care of ourselves right now. Please, just give us our space.”
The Crooks family is reportedly cooperating with the FBI to help determine the motive for the shooting.
Hours before the attack, Crooks’ parents had contacted local police, concerned about their son’s whereabouts. It is unclear if they knew he had access to his father’s AR-15.
Investigators discovered Crooks’ cellphone and a transmitter near where he was neutralized. According to the FBI, the devices were connected to explosives in the vehicle he drove to the event.
Authorities are currently examining Crooks’ phone and social media activity as part of the ongoing investigation, but findings have not yet been released.
President Biden to address the nation on his decision to end 2024 campaign
President Joe Biden is set to address the nation for the first time after dropping out of the 2024 presidential race. And the story of another American athlete heading to Paris hoping to bring their sport to the Olympics. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, July 24, 2024.
President Biden to address the nation on his decision to end 2024 campaign
President Joe Biden will address the nation on Wednesday, July 24, to explain why he ended his 2024 presidential campaign. He’s also set to lay out what he will focus on in the six months remaining in his presidency.
Biden arrived back in Washington from his home in Delaware on Tuesday, July 23, for the first time in six days since he was diagnosed with COVID-19. He answered only one question from reporters upon his return, saying he’s “feeling well” after now testing negative for the virus.
In Wednesday night’s address, President Biden is expected to also explain why he believes Vice President Kamala Harris is the best candidate to take on former President Donald Trump in November.
Harris held her first rally in Wisconsin Tuesday, July 23, and she’ll address a historically Black sorority convention in Indianapolis Wednesday. On Thursday, July 25, she’s set to address a teachers union that endorsed her on July 22.
Vice President Kamala Harris rallied Democrats on Tuesday in Wisconsin, vowing to defeat Donald Trump by attacking him as a prosecutor. Harris listed her campaign pledges, which included expanding abortion rights and building a strong middle class. https://t.co/9nF2OMLKDQpic.twitter.com/Au3BeuipG0
Trump will rally in North Carolina Wednesday and then he and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, will hold a joint rally in Minnesota on Saturday, July 27.
This comes as the first few polls conducted after Harris launched her presidential campaign have been released.
In a head-to-head matchup, an NPR poll found Trump at 46% and Harris with 45% of support among registered voters. However, a Reuters poll has Harris ahead with 44% compared to Trump’s 42%.
Trump’s campaign to hold indoor rallies in aftermath of assassination attempt
Former President Trump’s campaign will reportedly now stop holding outdoor rallies on the Secret Service’s advice after he was wounded in an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally. The campaign says current plans are to hold indoor events and maybe smaller outdoor ones, but only in more controlled settings.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle stepped down Tuesday, July 23, after calls for her resignation in the wake of the assassination attempt.
CAMPAIGN CA$H: "Kamala Harris is in the process of committing the largest campaign finance violation in American history." Why the Trump campaign says the Harris campaign is violating finance laws: https://t.co/DeWSsaDYtDpic.twitter.com/qE22Rnf98f
The Trump campaign has also filed a complaint with the FEC in an effort to block President Biden’s campaign from transferring $91 million to Vice President Harris’ campaign. Trump’s team says Harris improperly took over the cash after the Biden campaign account changed its name to “Harris for President.”
Harris’ campaign spokesperson has dismissed the filing.
Mass protest at U.S. Capitol ahead of Netanyahu speech
Dozens of demonstrators showed up to the U.S. Capitol Tuesday, July 23, to protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the U.S. The protest was organized by the group Jewish Voice for Peace.
Tuesday’s demonstration had a similar message as other high profile war protests, with demonstrators chanting “free Palestine,” “not in our name” and “stop genocide.” They protesters staged a sit-in at a congressional office building. Capitol police arrested more than 200 people.
The protest came as Netanyahu is in Washington meeting with U.S. lawmakers. Multiple other protests are already planned for Wednesday as Netanyahu is set to deliver a speech to Congress.
Netanyahu is expected to meet with President Joe Biden Thursday, July 25. He’ll also meet with Vice President Kamala Harris Thursday and former President Donald Trump on Friday, July 26, as he looks to lock in support for Israel from both candidates ahead of November’s election.
Looking forward to seeing Bibi Netanyahu on Friday, and even more forward to achieving Peace in the Middle East! DJT@realDonaldTrump Donald Trump Truth Social 10:06 PM EST 07/23/24 pic.twitter.com/duBKAOiFyD
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) July 24, 2024
The law originally passed last year but was then placed on hold. In June, Iowa’s Supreme Court ruled there was no constitutional right to an abortion in the state, lifting the hold.
🚨 BREAKING: Iowa’s extreme 6-week abortion ban will go into effect on Monday, July 29 at 8 a.m.
Iowans will lose the ability to make private medical decisions even though most of us believe abortion should remain legal. We will never stop fighting for reproductive freedom.
Previously, abortion in Iowa was legal for up to 20 weeks of pregnancy. Iowa will now join three other states that ban abortions after about six weeks.
Menendez resigning from Senate after federal bribery conviction
New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, D, will be resigning. He’s stepping down after his conviction earlier this month on 16 counts. The charges include including bribery, extortion, wire fraud, obstruction of justice and acting as a foreign agent.
Menendez’s resignation will take effect Aug. 20, giving his staffers time to find new jobs. The New Jersey lawmaker was facing mounting pressure to step down or face being expelled from the Senate.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, D, is expected to appoint a replacement to fill the remainder of Menendez’s term, which ends on Jan. 3.
Tesla earnings down amid weak electric vehicle sales
Tesla’s profit is down more than 40% for the second quarter of this year and that can mostly be attributed to weak auto sales. From April to June, the company’s revenue from its electric vehicles is down more than $1.3 billion compared to the same time last year.
Experts say Tesla is facing a double whammy of more competition from big automakers and an overall decline in EV sales.
However, Tesla owner Elon Musk is focused on the company’s future. He announced this week Tesla will have its humanoid robots “in production to be used within the company next year.”
Tesla has been working up robot models for several years as part of its efforts to expand into robots and artificial intelligence.
U.S. athletes hope showcase launches beach handball into Olympics
This is the third installment in our weeklong series taking a closer look at Team USA members and their sports ahead of the start of the Paris Olympics.
When the Olympic Games open on Friday, July 26, in Paris, viewers be able to watch beach volleyball at the Eiffel Tower Stadium.
But for USA’s Christine Mansour, Ebiye Udo-Udoma and Drew Donlin, their attention will be on another beach sport 15 miles away — beach handball.
“It’s a dream come true,” Udo-Udoma told Straight Arrow News. “There are still some preparations. I don’t think the magnitude of playing in Paris has hit me because I’m still focused on training.”
Mansour, fresh off getting her MBA, means business when it comes to giving beach handball its due.
“I always view it as a startup sport,” Mansour said. “Not that many people know about it, especially in the States. It’s so interesting because once I explain this sport to people and show them a clip, the interest is immediately piqued.”
Just like the sport itself, Udo-Udoma is better known outside the U.S., often referred to internationally by his nickname “Handball Ninja.”
“I remember shaking hands with an opponent,” Udo-Udoma said. “I said, ‘My name’s Ebiye.’ He said ‘Ninja, you don’t have to introduce yourself, we all know who you are.’ I just chuckled.”
Unlike the indoor version, beach handball is not yet an official part of the Olympics. But this year in Paris, beach handball is an exhibition sport played alongside the Olympic Games.
Mansour and Udo-Udoma are among 64 of the world’s best athletes from 18 different countries playing in a showcase with hopes for the sport to be granted a permanent spot.
“It’s very important to me that you have these mediums in life like sport where you can transcend barriers whether they are political, social or geographical,” Udo-Udoma said. “It’s nice to have something to connect you to other human beings independent of superficial restrictions.”
After playing Division 1 basketball at Harvard, Mansour found beach handball while living in California and excelled — becoming the top scorer in the 2022 World Championship, moving to the Netherlands and creating a dual-nation team. Now she is being named the only female player from North America for the showcase.
“We’re all entrepreneurs in the sense,” Mansour said. “We’re all doing our part to build this community and build this sport, build awareness, so we can continue to reach higher levels and with that the ultimate goal is reaching the Olympics.”
Mansour said one of the big differentiators setting this sport apart from others is the points for spectacular goals, including the alley oops and the spin shots.
It was those moves that first caught the attention of the future “Handball Ninja.” Udo-Udoma played at Oregon State University and joined the national team a decade ago.
“For really a couple decades worth of work to culminate into something like getting the opportunity to play under the rings, the flood of emotion that initially hit me was immense,” Udo-Udoma said.
Olympic gold is not the goal this year for these Americans. They are just out to prove beach handball belongs at the Olympics and they’re not going to miss their shot —spinning or not — to showcase that.
“So to have this opportunity as we shoot to get it on the program for Los Angeles 2028, Brisbane 2032, and to be an integral part of the history of something; that’s something that has even more value on top of what I accomplish as an individual athlete or as a competitor — to be part of something bigger than me,” Udo-Udoma said.
“For me to be part of an Olympic showcase of a sport that I’m obsessed with, that I love, and I wish the whole world knew about is the greatest honor,” Mansour added.
Cheatle made false statements about FBI’s assassination investigation: Green
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., said former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle made false statements to him about the FBI’s investigation into the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. According to Green, Cheatle told him the FBI was prohibiting her from talking to her own people because of the ongoing investigation. When he asked the FBI, it said that was not true.
“She said that the FBI had constrained her from, you know, talking to her own people because it was an active investigation. I talked to the deputy director of the FBI and he said that wasn’t true,” Green said.
Green did not say Cheatle lied, he said she made a false statement according to the FBI.
This type of discrepancy is exactly what House leadership wants to clear up with a new bipartisan task force. Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced the chamber will vote to approve an investigative panel during the week of July 21.
However, Green said his committee should be the one taking the lead because it has jurisdiction over the Secret Service. He added there’s no reason for there to be a task force because it could be duplicative with his committee.
“We’re the authorizers for Secret Service. We know everything about it,” Green said.
Green said his committee will look into other angles of the incident even if the task force is approved.
The task force will be comprised of seven Republicans and six Democrats, and it will have subpoena power. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., said he applied to be a member.
“We need a committee solely focused on what the specific failures were and how we fix them,” Moskowitz said. “After the shooting in my hometown in Parkland, at my high school, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, we established the Marjory Stoneman Douglas School Safety Commission to find out what failed that day. There were obvious failures, but behind the scenes, what failed that day. How did that happen? We need to do the same thing here.”
Cheatle resigned Tuesday morning after bipartisan calls for her to do so. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill said they agreed with her decision and wished her the best in her future endeavors.
Secret Service Director Cheatle resigns after testimony on assassination attempt
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle announced she is stepping down from her job in an email on Tuesday, July 23. Cheatle testified in front of Congress on Monday about the Secret Service’s response to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
Cheatle’s testimony led to frustration from both sides of the aisle, where she was often unable or unwilling to answer House representatives’ questions.
“I’m unable to answer details of exactly how the individual accessed the roof at this time,” Cheatle said.
Before her testimony, many had already been calling for Cheatle to step down. Following her appearance in front of Congress, more lawmakers began to express that sentiment.
“If you have an assassination attempt on a president, a former president or a candidate, you need to resign,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said.
“It is my firm belief, Director Cheatle, that you should resign,” Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said.
Cheatle was first appointed by President Joe Biden in 2022. Originally, Cheatle was adamant that she would not step down from her position as director following the assassination attempt.
“I think that I am the best person to lead the Secret Service at this time,” she told lawmakers.
“In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director,” the email read. “The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders and financial infrastructure. On July 13, we fell short on that mission.”
It has been disclosed that officials at the Secret Service had denied requests from Trump’s campaign for increased protection in the two years leading up to the shooting. However, before the shooting, protection for Trump was increased due to an alleged assassination threat from an Iranian group.
During the shooting, Trump and two people were injured and one person was killed.