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.
Secret Service investigates Elon Musk’s controversial X post
The Secret Service launched an investigation into Elon Musk’s X post, which made a controversial comparison between assassination attempts on political figures. Musk wrote the post after a second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump Sunday, Sept. 15.
Musk posted in response to another user’s post that read: “Why they want to kill Donald Trump?”
Musk responded with: “And no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala,” alongside a “thinking face” emoji.
The tech mogul quickly deleted the comment and acknowledged his error, saying there were challenges with conveying humor without context in plain text.
The investigation raised questions about the interpretation of online speech, particularly when it involves high-profile individuals and references to political leaders.
A Secret Service spokesperson confirmed the agency is aware of Musk’s post, emphasizing its protocol to investigate all threats related to the people it protects.
The White House called the post irresponsible rhetoric. Musk, who endorsed Trump in the upcoming election, chalked it up to a joke.
Secret Service didn’t check vulnerabilities at Trump golf course: Whistleblower
A whistleblower said the Secret Service failed to follow standard protocols Sunday, Sept. 15, when there was a second assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump at a Florida golf course. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said he can’t identify the whistleblower to protect them, but he did say the whistleblower has previously protected Trump at the same course.
“There are known vulnerabilities at that course,” Hawley told reporters. “That is, areas where you can get a clear line of sight from off the course of people playing the course. So it has been Secret Service protocol to station agents at these known sites before Trump would play the course. That apparently didn’t happen. It sounds as if they didn’t even sweep the perimeter.”
Hawley said those failures are why the gunman was able to have access to the course for 12 hours before he was discovered.
“I now have former Secret Service agents and current Secret Service agents who are coming to me saying, ‘This was our protocol and it wasn’t followed with golf course.’ And you notice that Director Roe wouldn’t even answer whether or not they swept the golf course,” Hawley said.
On Wednesday, Sept. 18, the Senate Homeland Security Committee unanimously approved a bill that would require the Secret Service to hand over all evidence and documentation related to the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. The bill would still need approval from the full Senate, House and president to become law.
Senators on both sides of the aisle are frustrated with the Department of Homeland Security because they contend it has not turned over enough information about the attempted assassinations. This comes as senators consider whether to provide the agency with more funding for presidential level protection. Some lawmakers are apprehensive about that too.
“This issue is not about money. It’s about management,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said. “It’s about using resources productively and effectively, and the lapses and failures that will be documented in our report, I think, will go to the mismanagement that led to the abject failure to protect the president properly.”
Blumenthal is leading an investigation into the assassination attempt in Butler. He said the report will be released soon and that Americans will be appalled by its findings.
Security experts explain what it takes to protect Trump, presidential nominees
The acting director of the Secret Service informed former President Donald Trump that significant additional security arrangements and planning are necessary if he plans to continue playing golf safely, according to a report in The New York Times. The meeting came after the second assassination attempt against the Republican presidential nominee in two months.
Straight Arrow News political correspondent Ray Bogan talked to Jaime Lopera and Marcelo Perez, the CEO and managing partner of Elite Protection Solutions Corp based in Miami. They talked about protecting politicians and the challenges for the Secret Service.
The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Ray Bogan: Acting Director Ronald Rowe discussed the difficulties of securing sprawling golf courses near public roads and said that some of Mr. Trump’s courses were easier to protect than others. So what makes some golf courses easier to protect than others?
Marcelo Perez: It depends on location, obviously. And that particular golf course where former President Trump plays, there are a lot of roadways there and there are a lot of open areas. And it’s accessible not just to the ground, but also up above via drones, helicopters, or airplanes. So that’s a definite consideration when you’re trying to secure somebody, the area in and of itself. If it was a more isolated golf course where there’s less foot traffic or vehicles that are allowed, then it would be a lot easier to secure.
Bogan: We spoke the other day and you said protecting someone is about manpower and resources. Of course, resources require funding. So as business owners, when a client gives you a budget for a big project, what do you prioritize spending that budget on?
Jaime Lopera: The number one goal is to be able to plan and prevent anything from happening. We spend most of our resources and most of the money should go to planning and preventing. Because ultimately if you take care of that, then mitigating and responding should not take place. Most of our resources or the money should be allocated to the pre-phase. And this is where you’re planning. It’s your planning phase because the ultimate goal is to prevent any of these issues happening.
Bogan: The Secret Service is a government agency. Their budget is set by Congress and they have to make that money last for the entire year. Are there alternative ways of getting the job done for less? Let me give you an example. We know from the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania that the Secret Service uses drones for surveillance. What if there’s a scenario where they needed a drone but there wasn’t money in the budget for it — is there another way to get that same type of surveillance?
Lopera: I just read an article in the news the other day that they’re talking about Congress actually augmenting the resources and emergency funding just for this. Because again, remember, depending on the location and depending where you are, the resources that you’re talking about are massive, especially for a golf course. Just to give you an example, the key components to protecting somebody, you’re going to need an advance team. That’s somebody who goes in and has to physically and visually inspect the location. They have to do all the preplanning — making sure that they’re checking out all the entry points, they’re checking out all the personnel. So that’s just one aspect of it.
Then you’re going to have a protection team. That’s the team that’s actually just making the movements and making sure that the person is where they need to be. Or they need to evacuate him or shelter in place, put him in a place where they can secure them while somebody else can get to them.
Then you’re also going to need a reaction team. Because remember the protection team is taking them away from danger, so the reaction team is dealing with whatever threat they have in front of them.
And then on top of that, you’re to have a massive support team. That accounts for intelligence, your medical personnel, all that stuff. So when people think of this, the only thing that you see, or we see on the screens is just the couple bodyguards or the couple secret service people that are around the principal. We call them the principal that in this case it will be the president or the presidential nominee. So that’s all you see. But we don’t see the entire picture. The entire picture is a massive undertaking. And especially like Marcelo mentioned earlier for a place like a golf course, because now you’re in open space.
So now accounting for all that stuff, now you gotta account for possible intrusions, right? Helicopters, drones or planes or just mere objects being tossed over a wall. Just again, I think when we speak on this topic, one of the main things that we have to do is open up the scope and look at everything that needs to happen in order for someone like that to be protected.
Bogan: iNews in the U.K. reported that law enforcement sources on both sides of the Atlantic warned that aggressive social media rhetoric and the ease of buying firearms has created a threat for both presidential candidates too large for the Secret Service to deal with alone. If the Secret Service can’t do it alone, who’s qualified to help them?
Perez: They’re going to have to open up the scope and bring other resources. There are a lot of retired military personnel, law enforcement, retired law enforcement officers that are highly trained and highly skilled.
I’ve been doing this for 37 years. I have a vast array of retired detective, law enforcement personnel who are more than happy and more than capable of assisting. They’re going to have to allow the public, the private sector to come in and at least augment them when it comes to the outside perimeter. I’m not talking about absolutely close quarter protection for the president, but what I am saying, who’s going to guard the parking lot that’s a half a mile away? Who’s going to guard the fence that could be 1500 to 200 yards away? That’s where the public sector can come into play and be able to assist them because there’s no way that they’re going to be able to allocate three, four, or five hundred, law enforcement personnel, Secret Service personnel to guard the president while he’s playing golf. But he can get security companies, investigative companies like ours to assist and to augment them and it’s cost effective.
Bogan: It’s hard to protect against a lone wolf in part because they don’t communicate with collaborators. If someone hired you and said, have a potential threat detected from a lone wolf, what would you do to ensure their safety?
Lopera: Let’s talk about lone wolves. So if you look at the analysis, the data, most of these incidents are not just from a lone wolf. We just had a shooting in a school, right? And we learned that prior to that, the law enforcement knew about it. There were some issues. They talked to them. it’s you’re talking about the intelligence using the intelligence. Prior to these things happening. So I know we sensualize the word lone wolf. It does happen, but most of it, there’s already a history, there’s already a pattern. So we need to pay particular attention to that.
But to answer your question, if we have intel that there’s somebody that’s gonna harm our principle, right? The idea again is always to prevent. So if we know that they’re gonna be at a location, if at all possible, switch the location, go somewhere else, or how you make an entry. If the public gets in front of the building and you know that that’s more dangerous, that’s why you have an advance team to make sure that you have different routes, different locations, to make sure that you are able to provide the most coverage for your principal.
Bogan: What would you do if someone hired you and said were just attacked and now we’re concerned about a copycat?
Perez: Well, absolutely, you take that absolutely serious. And once again, budget plays a big part in this because the more personal you have, the easier it is to secure someone. So depending on the budget and the time you have to prepare, that’s what’s really going to determine and dictate how safe you can keep your principle.
Your principal also has to be educated. You have to speak to the principal and let him or her know that under certain circumstances, you may not be able to give that speech, or that lecture, or go play golf because your life is at risk. And sometimes you have to make tough decisions for them. And as long as they’re willing to understand that, then yes, you can keep them safe because ultimately that is the goal to keep them safe.
Trump, Harris use assassination attempt to highlight policy proposals
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris commented on this past weekend’s apparent assassination attempt during campaign events on Tuesday, Sept. 17. Trump was back on the campaign trail, holding his first event since the incident at his golf club in Florida. During a town hall in Flint, Michigan, Trump told Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders the assassination attempts are proof his policy proposals are powerful.
“It’s a dangerous business however, being president,” Trump said. “It’s a little bit dangerous. It’s, you know, they think racecar driving is dangerous. No. They think bull-riding, that’s pretty scary, right? No, this is a dangerous business and we have to keep it safe.”
He later added, “You know, only consequential presidents get shot at.”
Trump also said both President Joe Biden and, his opponent in the 2024 presidential race, Vice President Kamala Harris called him after the assassination attempt, saying it was “very nice” and he appreciated it.
Harris was on the campaign trail Tuesday, as well. She touched on the assassination attempt during a National Association of Black Journalists panel in Philadelphia, highlighting the issues of gun violence, racism, and bigotry in America.
“Not everybody has Secret Service,” Harris said, “and there are far too many people in our country right now who are not feeling safe. I mean, I look at Project 2025 and I look at the ‘don’t say gay laws’ coming out of Florida. Members of the LGBTQ community don’t feel safe right now. Immigrants or people with an immigrant background don’t feel safe right now. Women don’t feel safe right now.”
Both candidates are focusing on swing areas that could decide the election, which is expected to be a close one.
Trump is set to campaign in New York, Washington, D.C., and North Carolina this week. Harris will also stop in Washington as well as Michigan and Wisconsin in the coming days.
Hezbollah blames Israel for deadly pager explosions
Hezbollah is blaming Israel after pagers used by the militant group exploded killing at least nine people and injuring thousands. And former President Donald Trump holds his first campaign event since the second apparent assassination attempt on his life. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024.
Hezbollah blames Israel for deadly pager explosions
Multiple explosions in Lebanon have killed at least nine people and left nearly 3,000 injured. Explosives inside pagers used by the militant group Hezbollah were set off Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 17.
The Iran-backed group blames Israel for the attack. Hezbollah said an 8-year-old was among those killed and Iran’s envoy to Beirut was among the injured.
Sources told Reuters Israel’s Mossad spy agency had planted the explosives inside 5,000 pagers. An American source and other officials confirmed to the New York Times that Israel was behind the operation.
The pagers appeared to be from Taiwan-based Gold Apollo. In a statement released Wednesday, Sept. 18, Gold Apollo said they were manufactured by another company based in Budapest that was authorized to use Gold Appollo’s brand.
Hezbollah fighters have been using pagers to bypass Israeli location-tracking following a warning by group leaders earlier this year saying cell phones were more dangerous than Israeli spies.
Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate against Israel.
Hezbollah and Israel began exchanging strikes shortly after Hamas’ deadly terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Tuesday’s blasts add to the growing concern over a larger war in the Middle East.
Secretary of State of Antony Blinken will be in Egypt Wednesday to work on securing a cease-fire agreement to put an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas and see the release of the hostages who remain in Gaza.
Trump, Harris both use assassination attempt to highlight policy proposals
Former President Donald Trump was back on the campaign trail Tuesday, holding his first event since the second apparent attempt on his life over the weekend. During a town hall in Flint, Michigan Trump told Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders the assassination attempts are proof his policy proposals are powerful.
“It’s a dangerous business however, being president,” Trump said. “It’s a little bit dangerous. It’s, you know, they think racecar driving is dangerous. No. They think bull-riding, that’s pretty scary, right? No, this is a dangerous business and we have to keep it safe.”
He later added, “You know, only consequential presidents get shot at.”
Trump also said both President Joe Biden and, his opponent in the 2024 presidential race, Vice President Kamala Harris called him after the assassination attempt, saying it was “very nice” and he appreciated it.
“Not everybody has Secret Service,” Harris said, “and there are far too many people in our country right now who are not feeling safe. I mean, I look at Project 2025 and I look at the ‘don’t say gay laws’ coming out of Florida. Members of the LGBTQ community don’t feel safe right now. Immigrants or people with an immigrant background don’t feel safe right now. Women don’t feel safe right now.”
Both candidates are focusing on swing areas that could decide the election, which is expected to be a close one.
Trump is set to campaign in New York, Washington, D.C., and North Carolina this week. Harris will also stop in Washington as well as Michigan and Wisconsin in the coming days.
Speaker Johnson to bring spending bill up for vote
House Speaker Mike Johnson is expected to put his short-term spending plan up for a vote Wednesday, though there are signs it will not get the GOP support needed to pass.
Johnson previously pulled a stopgap bill that was coupled with the SAVE Act — which would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections — after it became clear it was unlikely to get enough Republican approval to pass. House Democrats also opposed the plan, though it would keep the government funded through most of March.
Congress has until the end of September to pass at least a temporary measure keeping the government open, otherwise a shutdown looms Oct. 1.
Federal Reserve expected to cut interest rates for first time since 2020
The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates for the first time since 2020. However, it’s not yet known by how much.
Straight Arrow News Business Correspondent Simone Del Rosario has a closer look here.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs denied bail in racketeering, sex trafficking case
Sean “Diddy” Combs has been denied bail and will remain in custody as he faces serious charges, including sex trafficking, racketeering, conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Authorities say Combs will be held by himself at a “special housing unit” in a detention center in Brooklyn.
In a federal courtroom in New York City on Tuesday, Combs pleaded not guilty to the charges he’s facing. Prosecutors allege that Combs used his business empire to force women into engaging in sexual acts with professional sex workers and himself.
Prosecutors allege that in late 2023, following public accusations of these crimes, Combs and his associates attempted to pressure victims into silence through bribery.
If convicted on all charges, Combs faces decades in prison.
Billie Jean King to make history as Congressional Gold Medal recipient
Tennis hall of famer Billie Jean King is being recognized with a prestigious Congressional Gold Medal for her efforts on and off the tennis court.
The measure had already passed the Senate and on Tuesday night, it passed the House, making Billie Jean King the first individual female athlete to ever receive the congressional honor.
🚨 History made! 🚨 The House just passed my bipartisan, bicameral bill to award my friend, @BillieJeanKing, legendary athlete, and ardent advocate, the Congressional Gold Medal, making her the first female athlete to ever receive this honor—yet another iconic trailblazing moment… pic.twitter.com/kbkkym0aVN
“Mister speaker, it is now time to enshrine Billie Jean King’s legacy as not only a champion of tennis, but a champion of equality whose impact will continue to inspire women and girls and people across America and across the world,” Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) said before the measure was passed.
After receiving the news that she would receive the Congressional Gold Medal, King took to X to say, “Thank you. I am deeply humbled and honored.”
Senate may subpoena DHS for ‘stonewalling’ Trump assassination probe
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said he’s “ready, willing and able” to subpoena the Department of Homeland Security if it fails to provide more information about the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Blumenthal is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Investigations which has been looking into the first attempt on Trump’s life in Pennsylvania.
“I think it’s tantamount to stonewalling in many respects,” Blumenthal said. “The Department of Homeland Security has to be more forthcoming, not only to me, but to the American people. And it has to do it quickly or it will fuel the conspiracy theories that are so dangerous to our democracy as well as undermining its own credibility.”
Blumenthal wants the information from DHS because it oversees the Secret Service. The senator said the agency is failing to provide documents, witnesses and other evidence.
“We have told them repeatedly about our frustration. I’m deeply dissatisfied and disappointed,” Blumenthal said. “I am reaching the point of total outrage.”
Blumenthal previously said a report summarizing the findings of Congress will be issued very soon. He believes Americans will be shocked and appalled by the lapses and failures in Pennsylvania.
The acting director of the Secret Service recently told Congress the budget is strained and they need more personnel. Meanwhile, President Biden said the Secret Service needs more help and former President Trump said they need more people on his detail.
Lawmakers are considering extra funding for the agency as they work to avoid a government shutdown. But many lawmakers think the agency is doing a poor job of using the resources it already has.
“We need answers more than the Secret Service needs money,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said.
“Are they too overworked? Do they have too many things to deal with given the workforce they have? Should they have more agents? The answer is yes,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said.
“The Secret Service has a management issue in the use of its money and manpower. Until it does better in accountability and management, it will continue to be short on resources,” Blumenthal said.
Congress gave the Secret Service $3.1 billion for the current fiscal year. Senate leadership said if the service requests more for next year, they will provide it.
Suspect in second attempt on Trump’s life urged Iran to kill Trump in book
Ryan Routh, the suspect in the apparent second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, encouraged Iran to kill Trump in his self-published book titled “Ukraine’s Unwinnable War.” Routh made several statements, including “You are free to assassinate Trump,” in his book.
Routh’s social media activity, which included over 500 posts on X, showed support for various political figures across the spectrum, including President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, Tulsi Gabbard, Nikki Haley and initially, Donald Trump.
“Democracy is on the ballot and we cannot lose,” Routh wrote in a post to Biden on X in April.
Routh’s book demonstrates his dramatic shift from being a Trump supporter to vehement critic, referring to the former president as a “fool” and “buffoon” for actions related to the Capitol riot and pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal.
Despite his strong political statements, Routh expressed frustration with political labels.
“I get so tired of people asking me if I am a Democrat or Republican as I refuse to be put in a category,” Routh wrote.
Police arrested the 58-year-old on Sunday, Sept. 15, for allegedly attempting to assassinate Trump at his Florida golf club. He was armed with an AK-47-style rifle and had been in the vicinity for approximately 12 hours, cellphone data shows.
According to court documents, a Secret Service agent saw the barrel of the rifle sticking out from the fence and fired shots, causing Routh to abandon his weapon and flee. Local officials apprehended Routh while he drove away on I-95.
Following the incident, Trump issued a statement confirming his safety, saying “I am safe and well!”
Suspect in Trump apparent assassination attempt went undetected for 12 hours
New details emerge on the suspect in the second apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump, including how long he went undetected near the former president’s golf club. And Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been arrested on federal charges. We have the latest on what’s ahead for the hip hop mogul. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024.
Suspect in apparent assassination attempt went undetected for 12 hours
Authorities said the suspect in this past weekend’s apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump went undetected near Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida for 12 hours before being noticed by a Secret Service agent. The suspect was caught pointing a rifle through the bushes.
The agent fired at the suspect, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, who fled the scene only to be taken into custody a short time later. A local sheriff’s office released body camera video showing his arrest.
Routh was charged Monday, Sept. 16, with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He did not enter a plea during an appearance in a federal courtroom.
In a Monday afternoon press conference, Secret Service Acting Director Ron Rowe, Jr. said Routh did not fire any shots at the agent and never had Trump in his line of sight.
Rowe and the FBI agent in charge, Jeffrey Veltri, said so far, there is no evidence showing the suspect knew Trump would be golfing that day. Veltri went into detail about the suspect’s criminal past.
“In 2002, as the United States attorney mentioned, the subject was charged and convicted in North Carolina for possession of a weapon of mass destruction,” Veltri said. “Law enforcement checks also revealed that from 1997 to 2010, the subject had numerous felony charges for stolen goods. I can also share with you that he was the subject of a previously closed 2019 tip to the FBI where it was alleged he was a felon in possession of a firearm.”
Veltri said the FBI passed along that information to authorities in Hawaii, where Routh lived. Rowe told reporters Trump’s plans to play golf on Sunday were “off-the-record” – meaning it was not part of the former president’s official schedule.
As new questions emerge about the Secret Service’s effectiveness following the second assassination attempt in just over two months, Rowe defended his agents, saying they were “rising for this moment.”
“Yesterday afternoon, this country was reminded of the heightened and dynamic threat environment that the United States Secret Service and its protectees face on a daily basis,” Rowe said. “Immediately following the assassination attempt of former President Donald J. Trump on July 13th, the Secret Service moved to increase assets to an already enhanced security posture for the former president.”
Rowe said the “highest levels of protection” were in place for the former president – as directed by President Joe Biden – including “counter-sniper team elements.”
Speaking to reporters on his way to an event in Philadelphia Monday, Biden said the Secret Service “needs more help.” A White House official said President Biden spoke to Trump on the phone Monday, conveying his relief that the former president was safe.
During an appearance on the social media site X Monday night, Trump spoke about hearing the gunshots fired by the Secret Service. He said the agent did a “fantastic job” and joked that he “would have liked to have sank that last putt.”
Routh’s next court appearance is set for Sept. 23 for a pre-detention hearing. His arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 30. Routh remains in custody as authorities continue their investigation.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs arrested on federal charges in New York
Hip hop mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was arrested on federal charges on Monday night. Sources close to the matter tell media outlets Diddy was not expecting the arrest.
Homeland Security took him into custody at the Park Hyatt Hotel on 57th Street in Manhattan.
It’s not yet clear what federal charges he’s facing. The indictment is expected to be unsealed Tuesday, Sept. 17, at his arraignment.
Combs is facing multiple sexual assault lawsuits and has been the subject of a federal human trafficking probe in the last year, which is why Homeland Security is involved. His lawyers said he has been cooperating with investigators.
Former lead engineer felt pressure to get ‘Titan’ ready
Tuesday is day two of the Coast Guard’s hearing into the Titan submersible implosion that killed all five people on board.
Monday, we learned one of the last messages sent from the doomed vessel, indicated there were no concerns. It read “all good here.” That text message was shown during a recreation of the submersible’s trip to the Titanic wreckage at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean in June 2023.
It came not long before the watercraft imploded, leaving all five people on board dead, including Stockton Rush — the co-founder of OceanGate, the company that owned the Titan.
The lead engineer for the vessel testified at Monday’s hearing saying he felt pressured by Rush to get it ready for the trip.
Former OceanGate Engineering Director Tony Nissen testified he stopped the submersible from going to the Titanic in 2019, telling Rush it was “not working like we thought it would.” Nissen was fired that year.
OceanGate’s co-founder, former operations director, and former scientific director are also supposed to testify in the hearing, which is expected to last about two weeks.
Meta bans Russian state media over ‘foreign interference activity’
Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta has banned Russian state media broadcaster RT, along with several other Kremlin-controlled outlets. Meta accuses them of using deceptive tactics to covertly influence operations online.
Before it was banned on Monday, RT had 7.2 followers on Facebook and one million on Instagram.
Meta’s move comes days after the Justice Department announced charges against two RT employees for funneling nearly $10 million into a U.S. company to create and promote content aligning with Russian interests.
Amazon ending remote work starting next year
Almost five years after the COVID-19 pandemic swept and ravaged the nation, as well as the world, and led to many people working from their homes, Amazon is ending remote work. Starting next year, corporate employees will be required to be back in the office five days a week.
This is the latest update to Amazon’s rules regarding remote work. Last year, the company changed its policy to mandate employees come back to the office at least three days a week.
Amazon has supposedly been marred by an inability to get things done with lots of meetings and layers of approval. CEO Andy Jassy called out that culture in a note to workers saying there are “pre-meetings for the pre-meetings for the decision meetings, a longer line of managers feeling like they need to review a topic before it moves forward.”
Jordan Chiles files appeal after being stripped of bronze medal
Chiles’ first individual Olympic medal was rescinded after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that her coach filed an inquiry during the floor exercises, which propelled Chiles to third place. But it was a few seconds too late.
Chiles has now appealed her case to the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland.
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee supports Chiles and said they are determined to see she gets the recognition she deserves.
Suspect in second Trump assassination attempt charged with gun crimes
The suspect in the second apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life appeared in court on the morning of Monday, Sept. 16. Ryan Routh, 58, is charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
When Routh appeared in court, he “laughed and smiled ahead of his first court appearance,” Fox News reported.
Routh is accused of pointing a rifle, from where he was hiding in shrubbery, at Trump while Trump was engaged in a round of golf at his International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
According to court documents, a Secret Service agent saw the barrel of a rifle “poking out of the tree line” along the golf course and “the agent fired his/her service weapon in the direction of the rifle.”
The incident occurred approximately 400 yards from the former president’s location, highlighting potential vulnerabilities even in seemingly secure environments.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced plans to demand increased Secret Service protection for Trump, emphasizing the need for heightened attention to his security.
Routh is no stranger to law enforcement and has a criminal record dating back to 1991, including for writing bad checks and tax delinquencies. In 2002, he was convicted of possessing a fully automatic machine gun in Greensboro, North Carolina. Court filings referred to the weapon as a “weapon of mass destruction.”
The former president attributed the incident to the rhetoric of his political opponents, claiming that the accused gunman was influenced by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Biden and Harris swiftly condemned the attack, with Harris stating, “I am glad he is safe.”