A judge has rejected a bid by Mark Meadows, chief of staff to former President Donald Trump, to move his charges in Arizona's fake elector case to federal court, marking the second time he has failed in trying to get his charges out of state court. In a decision Monday, US District Judge John Tuchi said Meadows missed a deadline for asking for his charges to be moved to federal court and failed to show that the allegations against him related to his official duties as chief of staff to the president. Meadows faces charges in Arizona and Georgia in what authorities allege was an illegal scheme to overturn the 2020 election results in Trump's favour. He had unsuccessfully tried to move charges in the Georgia case last year. While not a fake elector in Arizona, prosecutors said Meadows worked with other Trump campaign members to submit names of fake electors from Arizona and other states to Congress in a bid to keep Trump in office despite his November 2020 defeat. Meadows has pleaded not guilty to the charges in Arizona and Georgia. In 2020, Democrat Joe Biden won Arizona by 10,457 votes. The decision sends Meadows' case back down to Maricopa County Superior Court. In both Arizona and Georgia, Meadows argued his charges should be moved to federal court because his actions were taken when he was a federal official working as Trump's chief of staff and that he has immunity under the supremacy clause of the US Constitution, which says federal law trumps state law. Arizona prosecutors said Meadows' electioneering efforts weren't part of his official duties at the White House. Meadows last year tried to get his Georgia charges moved but his request was rejected by a judge whose ruling was later affirmed by an appeals court. Meadows has since asked the US Supreme Court to review the ruling. The Arizona indictment says Meadows confided to a White House staff member in early November 2020 that Trump had lost the election. Prosecutors say Meadows also had arranged meetings and calls with state officials to discuss the fake elector conspiracy. Meadows and other defendants are seeking a dismissal of the Arizona case. Meadows' attorneys said nothing their client is alleged to have done in Arizona was criminal. They said the indictment consists of allegations that he received messages from people trying to get ideas in front of Trump ' or 'seeking to inform Mr. Meadows about the strategy and status of various legal efforts by the president's campaign.' In all, 18 Republicans were charged in late April in Arizona's fake electors case. The defendants include 11 Republicans who had submitted a document falsely claiming Trump had won Arizona, another Trump aide and five lawyers connected to the former president. In August, Trump's campaign attorney Jenna Ellis, who worked closely with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, signed a cooperation agreement with prosecutors that led to the dismissal of her charges. Republican activist Loraine Pellegrino became the first person to be convicted in the Arizona case when she pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge and was sentenced to probation. The remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty to the forgery, fraud and conspiracy charges in Arizona. Trump wasn't charged in Arizona, but the indictment refers to him as an unindicted coconspirator. The 11 people who were nominated to be Arizona's Republican electors met in Phoenix on Dec. 14, 2020, to sign a certificate saying they were 'duly elected and qualified' electors and claimed Trump had carried the state. A one-minute video of the signing ceremony was posted on social media by the Arizona Republican Party at the time. The document was later sent to Congress and the National Archives, where it was ignored. Prosecutors in Michigan, Nevada, Georgia and Wisconsin have also filed criminal charges related to the fake electors scheme. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 September,2024 01:32 PM IST | Phoenix | APSecretary of State Antony Blinken heads to Egypt on Tuesday for his 10th trip to the Middle East since the war in Gaza began nearly a year ago, this one aimed partly at refining a proposal to present to Israel and Hamas for a cease-fire deal and release of hostages. Unlike in recent mediating missions, America's top diplomat this time is travelling without optimistic projections from the Biden administration of an expected breakthrough in the troubled negotiations. Notably, Blinken has no public plans to go to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on this trip. The Israeli leader's fiery public statements ' like his declaration that Israel would accept only 'total victory' when Blinken was last in the region in June ' and some other unbudgeable demands have complicated earlier diplomacy. Blinken is going to Egypt for talks Wednesday with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and others, in a trip billed as focused both on American-Egyptian relations and Gaza consultations with Egypt. The tamped-down US approach to Mideast diplomacy follows months in which President Joe Biden and his officials publicly talked up an agreement to end the war in Gaza as being just within reach, hoping to build pressure on Netanyahu's far-right government and Hamas to seal a deal. The Biden administration now says it is working with fellow mediators Egypt and Qatar to come up with a revised final proposal to try to at least get Israel and Hamas into a six-week cease-fire that would free some of the hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Americans believe public attention on details of the talks now would only hurt that effort. American, Qatari and Egyptian officials still are consulting 'about what that proposal will contain, and .... we're trying to see that it's a proposal that can get the parties to an ultimate agreement,' State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Monday. The State Department pointed to Egypt's important role in Gaza peace efforts in announcing last week that the Biden administration planned to give the country its full USD 1.3 billion in military aid, overriding congressional requirements that the U.S. hold back some of the funding if Egypt fails to show adequate progress on human rights. Blinken told Congress that Egypt has made progress on human rights, including in freeing political prisoners. Blinken's trip comes amid the risk of a full-on new front in the Middle East, with Israel threatening increasing military action against the Hezbollah militant organization in Lebanon. Biden envoy Amos Hochstein was in Israel on Monday to try to calm tensions after a stop in Lebanon. Hezbollah has one of the strongest militaries in the Middle East, and like Hamas and smaller groups in Syria and Iraq it is allied with Iran. Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged strikes across Israel's northern border with Lebanon since the October 7 attack by Hamas started the war in Gaza. Hezbollah says it will ease those strikes ' which have uprooted tens of thousands of civilians on both sides of the border ' only when there's a cease-fire in Gaza. Hochstein told Netanyahu and other Israeli officials that intensifying the conflict with Hezbollah would not help get Israelis back in their homes, according to a US official. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private talks, said Hochstein stressed to Netanyahu that he risked sparking a broad and protracted regional conflict if he moved forward with a full-scale war in Lebanon. Hochstein also underscored to Israeli officials that the Biden administration remained committed to finding a diplomatic solution to the tensions on Israel's northern border in conjunction with a Gaza deal or on its own, the official said. Netanyahu told Hochstein that it would 'not be possible to return our residents without a fundamental change in the security situation in the north.' The prime minister said Israel 'appreciates and respects' U.S. support but 'will do what is necessary to maintain its security and return the residents of the north to their homes safely.' Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, meanwhile, warned in his meeting with Hochstein that 'the only way left to ensure the return of Israel's northern communities to their homes will be via military action,' his office said. In Gaza, the U.S. says Israel and Hamas have agreed to a deal in principle and that the biggest obstacles now include a disagreement on details of the hostage and prisoner swap and control over a buffer zone on the border between Gaza and Egypt. Netanyahu has demanded in recent weeks that the Israeli military be allowed to keep a presence in the Philadelphi corridor. Egypt and Hamas have rejected that demand. The Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel on October 7 killed about 1,200 people. Militants also abducted 250 people and are still holding around 100 hostages. About a third of the remaining hostages are believed to be dead. Israel's offensive in Gaza has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, said Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its count. The war has caused widespread destruction, displaced a majority of Gaza's people and created a humanitarian crisis. Netanyahu says he is working to bring home the hostages. His critics accuse him of slow-rolling a deal because it could bring down his hardline coalition government, which includes members opposed to a truce with the Palestinians. Asked earlier this month if Netanyahu was doing enough for a cease-fire deal, Biden said, simply, "no". But he added that he still believed a deal was close. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 September,2024 08:17 AM IST | Washington | APA pipeline explosion near Houston erupted in a towering flame over neighbourhoods for hours on Monday, forcing evacuations and shelter orders and melting playground equipment as firefighters struggled to keep nearby homes from burning. Operators shut off the flow of natural gas liquids, but so much remained in the 20-inch (51-centimeter) pipeline that firefighters could do nothing but watch and hose down adjacent homes until it burns itself out. That could take hours, perhaps into Tuesday, Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton Jr. said. 'The fire, it's very hot, so a lot of the house structures that are adjacent to that are still catching on fire even though we're putting a lot of water on them,' Mouton said. Local authorities would not speculate about the cause of the fire and what role a burned car near the source of the flame may have had. The pipeline's owner, Dallas-based Energy Transfer, said in a statement that it was 'aware of early reports' that a car had struck some valve equipment but did not offer more details, including the origin of those reports. One firefighter sustained a minor injury, the only one reported so far. Firefighters were dispatched at 9:55 am, after an explosion at a valve station in Deer Park and right next to La Porte rattled adjacent homes and businesses. Nearly 1,000 homes are in the evacuation area, said Lee Woodward, a spokesperson for La Porte. Geselle Melina Guerra said she and her boyfriend heard the explosion as they were having breakfast in their mobile home. 'All of a sudden we hear this loud bang and then I see something bright, like orange, coming from our back door that's outside,' said Guerra, who lives within the evacuation area. Her boyfriend woke up his brother and they ran to their car. 'I was just freaking out, pacing around the living room, not really knowing what to do or what was happening," Guerra said. 'I thought maybe it was an airplane that had crashed down by our house.' Students at several public schools were told to shelter in place as law enforcement blocked off a wide area. Some evacuees gathered at nearby San Jacinto College, which closed its campus after the explosion. They included Evan Wyman, who was reunited with her dog, Baxter, after officers went into her home. 'I just know that my dog is rescued,' Wyman said. Letting the fire burn out is better, from an environmental perspective, than trying to attack the flames with some kind of suppressing foam or liquid, said Ramanan Krishnamoorti, a petroleum engineering professor at the University of Houston. 'Otherwise it's going to release a lot of volatile organics into the environment,' he said. Still, there will undoubtedly be negative environmental consequences, including a release of soot, carbons and organic material, he said. Energy Transfer said air monitoring equipment was being set up near the plume of fire and smoke, which could be seen from at least 10 miles (16 kilometres) away. A statement from Harris County Pollution Control on Monday afternoon said no volatile organic compounds had been detected. The statement said particulate matter from the smoke was moderate and not an immediate risk to healthy people, although 'sensitive populations may want to take precautions.' Natural gas liquids are used primarily in the manufacturing of plastics and basic and intermediate chemicals, Krishnamoorti said. Houston, Texas' largest city, is the nation's petrochemical heartland and is home to a cluster of refineries and plants and thousands of miles of pipelines. Explosions and fires are a familiar sight in the area, including some that have been deadly, raising recurring questions about the adequacy of industry efforts to protect the public and the environment. Sanchez said they're used to evacuations because they live close to other plants near the highway, but he hadn't seen an explosion before in his 10 years living there. 'We just drove as far as we could because we didn't know what was happening,' Sanchez said from a parked car at a gas station near his college. The fire burned through nearby power lines, and the website PowerOutage.us said several thousand customers were without power at one point in Harris County. In addition to damage closest to the flame, the area's extensive pipeline infrastructure will also have to be closely inspected and monitored for damage, Krishnamoorti said. 'All of those are going to have to be checked and monitored,' he said, but 'in the grand scheme of things,' the fire 'won't be a major disrupter of supply chains'.
17 September,2024 08:12 AM IST | Texas | APThe death toll was rising in Central European countries on Sunday after days of heavy rains caused widespread flooding and forced evacuations. Several Central European nations have already been hit by severe flooding, including Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania. Slovakia and Hungary might come next as a result of a low pressure system from northern Italy dumping record rainfall in the region since Thursday. The floods have claimed six lives in Romania and one each in Austria and Poland. In the Czech Republic, four people who were swept away by waters were missing, police said. Most parts of the Czech Republic have been affected as authorities declared the highest flood warnings at around 100 places across the country. But the situation was worst in two northeastern regions that recorded the biggest rainfall in recent days, including the Jeseniky mountains near the Polish border. Typhoon Bebinca makes landfall in Shanghai The strongest typhoon to hit Shanghai since at least 1949 flooded roads with water and broken tree branches, knocked out power and injured at least one person as it swept over the financial hub Monday. More than 414,000 people had been evacuated ahead of the powerful winds and torrential rain. Schools were closed and people were advised to stay indoors. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 September,2024 07:20 AM IST | Prague | AgenciesPalestinian officials say Israeli airstrikes have killed 16 people in the Gaza Strip, including five women and three children. A strike early Monday flattened a home in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing at least 10 people, including four women and two children. The Awda Hospital, which received the bodies, confirmed the toll and said another 13 people were wounded. Hospital records show that the dead included a mother, her child and her five siblings. Another strike on a home in Gaza City killed six people, including a woman and two children, according to the Civil Defense, first responders who operate under the Hamas-run government. Israel says it only targets militants and accuses Hamas and other armed groups of endangering civilians by operating in residential areas. The military rarely comments on individual strikes, which often kill women and children. Houthis down another US drone Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed Monday that they shot down another American-made MQ-9 Reaper drone, with video circulating online showing what appeared to be a surface-to-air missile strike and flaming wreckage strewn across the ground The US military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 September,2024 07:18 AM IST | Khan Yunis | AgenciesHours after another failed assassination attempt, former US president Donald Trump on Monday said that he would never surrender and will continue fighting for the Americans, reported by PTI. "I am Donald J. Trump. FEAR NOT! I am safe and well, and no one was hurt. Thank God!," the Republican presidential candidate said on his campaign website. "There are people in this world who will do whatever it takes to stop us. I will not stop fighting for you. I will Never Surrender! I will always love you for supporting me. Through our UNITY we will Make America Great Again! I will Never Surrender!" Trump said. This was the second assassination attempt on Trump. The former president remains unharmed in the latest assassination attempt in Florida's West Palm Beach which comes two months after the assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Local authorities said the US Secret Service agents protecting Trump fired at a man pointing an AK-style rifle with a scope while the former president was golfing with donor Steve Witkoff when shots were fired at him, CNN quoted a source familiar with the development as saying. Local authorities said the shots were fired at the former president while he was golfing with donor Steve Witkoff. The US Secret Service agents protecting Trump fired at a man pointing an AK-style rifle with a scope, as reported by CNN. The Republican presidential candidate in his statement also thanked the US Secret Service and other law enforcement officials for their "outstanding" job after what the FBI said was an apparent assassination attempt while he was playing golf on one of his golf courses in Florida's West Palm Beach. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden and vice-president Kamala Harris were briefed and updated on the investigation, as per a PTI report, Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate and Trump's rival in the upcoming election, in a statement, said “violence has no place in America.” "I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former president Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America," Harris said on X. I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America. — Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) September 15, 2024 Biden, in his statement, adding that he had directed his team to ensure the Secret Service "has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former president's continued safety. Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), also commented about the attempt, questioning why no similar threats were being made against Biden or Harris.Musk's controversial remark came in response to a query from an X user who asked why Trump was being targeted. Several Prime Ministers and Presidents around the world reacted to the news: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, expressed shock after the apparent assassination attempt, says, “Sara and I were shocked by the second assassination attempt against [former] president Trump and were relieved to hear that it too failed. But we should not rely on luck." Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also expressed concern and said it is a good thing Trump is safe. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a post on X said he is glad to hear Trump is safe and unharmed. "This is our principle: the rule of law is paramount and political violence has no place anywhere in the world, Zelenskyy said. I am glad to hear that @realDonaldTrump is safe and unharmed. My best wishes to him and his family. It’s good that the suspect in the assassination attempt was apprehended quickly. This is our principle: the rule of law is paramount and political violence has no place anywhere in… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 16, 2024 Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a longtime Trump supporter, wrote on X: It is clear that [former] president Trump's life is in danger, until his victory. (with agency inputs)
16 September,2024 06:29 PM IST | Washington | mid-day online correspondentA 94-year-old woman was killed while 42 others were injured after Russia launched another series of attacks with a guided bomb striking a multi-storey building in Ukraine’s largest city, Kharkiv, ANI report stated citing Al Jazeera report. The woman’s was recovered from the ninth floor of the building, which caught fire after it was hit by the bomb, the prosecutors said. Firefighters recovered her body after the blaze engulfed at least four floors. Twelve other buildings were also damaged in the strike. According to an ANI report, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported that the bomb struck the 10th floor, injuring 42 people, including three children. Following the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy again urged the country's Western allies to provide weapons that could target areas deep inside Russia, Al Jazeera reported. "Every Russian strike of this nature, every instance of Russian terror, like today in Kharkiv...this proves that there must be long-range capability and it must be sufficient," Zelenskyy said. Zelenskyy said Russia had also struck the Sumy and Donetsk regions on Sunday with guided bombs, adding that Moscow has carried out "at least 100 such air attacks" daily. Notably, thousands of civilians have been killed in Ukraine since Russia started its "full-scale invasion" of the country in February 2022. However, Moscow denies intentionally targeting civilians, Al Jazeera reported. In another Russian attack on Kharkiv earlier this month, 47 people were injured in the missile strike. The strike, hit a shopping mall and a major sports centre in the Saltivskyi and Nemyshlianskyi districts, not far from the Russian border. Meanwhile, the Joe Biden administration said the US is getting ready to send a sizable aid package to Ukraine in the upcoming weeks. White House National Security Advisor - Jake Sullivan stated on Saturday that President Biden will meet with Zelenskyy, this month, and that Washington is preparing a "substantial" round of further help for Kyiv. "I do think we need a comprehensive strategy for success in this war, and that is what President Zelenskyy says he is bringing," Sullivan said.
16 September,2024 06:25 PM IST | Kharkiv | mid-day online correspondentFormer US President Donald Trump escaped uninjured from an attempted assassination at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday. This is the second attempt on his life in two months. The Donald Trump assassination bid occurred on Sunday when the Secret Services agent noticed a suspect with a firearm near the property fence aiming at the former President. The agents fired at the individual, who fled the area but was later apprehended. Trump, who was golfing at the time, was about 300-500 yards from the suspect. Steven Cheung, Trump's campaign communications director, confirmed the former president's safety and informed the public that no other information was available at the time. "President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity. No further details at this time," Cheung said per the Associated Press report. Trump turned to social media to reassure supporters, stating, "There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumours start spiralling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL! Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!" The Secret Service was praised for its quick response, and Trump thanked both them and local law enforcement for their efforts. "THE JOB DONE WAS ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING. I AM VERY PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!" Trump added. Donald Trump assassination bid: Suspect arrested Ryan Wesley Routh, a 58-year-old owner of a small construction company in Hawaii, was taken into custody in connection with Donald Trump assassination bid. He reportedly has criticised the former president multiple times. Routh, who has a lengthy criminal record in North Carolina, frequently posts about politics and has only donated to Democratic candidates and charities since 2019, according to the New York Post. In an April 22 post on X, he criticised Trump and stated that "DEMOCRACY is on the ballot and we cannot lose." In a 2023 interview with the New York Times, Routh also stated that he was looking for Ukrainian recruits among Afghan soldiers who had escaped the Taliban. He stated that he intended to relocate them, in some cases illegally, from Pakistan and Iran to Ukraine. He stated that dozens had expressed interest. The New York Times paraphrased him as adding, "We can probably purchase some passports through Pakistan because it's such a corrupt country."He has expressed pro-Ukraine views in public, prompting interviews with numerous news organisations, including The New York Times and Semafor in 2023. Donald Trump assassination bid: White House says Prez Biden, VP Kamala briefed The FBI initiated an investigation into the event, and the Trump campaign headquarters, which is located on the same grounds, has been put on lockdown, stated the PTI report. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been briefed on the situation and are relieved Donald Trump is safe, said the White House. "The President and Vice President have been briefed about the security incident at the Trump International Golf Course, where former President Trump was golfing. They are relieved to know that he is safe. They will be kept regularly updated by their team," the White House said per the PTI report. The two condemned the "political violence" following the second assassination bid on the former President. Joe Biden, according to the PTI report, said that he was briefed about the incident and that the federal probe underway in the matter. Donald Trump assassination bid: White House says Prez Biden, VP Kamala briefed Following the incident, Trump's running mate JD Vance also issued a statement on X wherein he said that he spoke to the former President before the news was public. Vance said that Trump "was, amazingly, in good spirits" and there is "still much we don't know".
16 September,2024 03:22 PM IST | Washington | mid-day online correspondentA 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck off the northern Pacific Coast of the Canadian province of British Columbia on Sunday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The USGS said the quake was located off the tip of Haida Gwaii, an archipelago located about 1,720 kilometres (1,069 miles) north of Vancouver. It occurred at a depth of 33 kilometers (20 miles) beneath the surface. The US Tsunami Warning Center reported that there was no threat of a tsunami from this earthquake. There were no immediate reports of major damage. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
16 September,2024 11:11 AM IST | Vancouver (British Columbia) | AP | PTIUS Vice President Kamala Harris is 'glad' that former US President Donald Trump is safe after reported gunshots near his Florida golf course on Sunday. The shooting, notably, took place at Trump's golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. After the news of the incident broke out, Harris, sharing a post on social media, said that there is no place for violence in America. "I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe," the US Vice President wrote on X. "Violence has no place in America," she added. According to the White House, Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden have both been informed about the security issue involving the former president when he was golfing earlier on Sunday and are both "relieved to know" that Donald Trump is safe, reported CNN. "The President and Vice President have been briefed about the security incident at the Trump International Golf Course, where former President Trump was golfing. They are relieved to know that he is safe. They will be kept regularly updated by their team," according to a statement from the White House. Meanwhile, a suspect, who, according to the officials, is connected to Sunday's shooting incident at Trump's Florida Golf Course, has been taken into custody, CNN reported, citing a Facebook post from the Martin County Sheriff's Office in Florida. The sheriff's office "has stopped a vehicle and taken a suspect into custody," the post said. According to the office, a portion of Interstate 95 close to State Route 714 in Martin County is closed. "We will update this information as it becomes available," the post read. Trump is "safe following gunshots in his vicinity," the Trump Campaign said in a statement on Sunday, according to CNN. The former president was playing golf at West Palm Beach's Trump International Golf Club. As per a reliable source, the course was immediately secured following gunshots in the vicinity. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
16 September,2024 11:09 AM IST | Washington | ANIFormer President Donald Trump is safe following what the FBI says "appears to be an attempted assassination” while playing golf two months after another attempt on his life at a rally in Pennsylvania. Local authorities said the U.S. Secret Service agents protecting Trump fired at a man pointing an AK-style rifle with a scope as Trump was playing on one of his Florida golf courses in West Palm Beach. Here are four things to know about what happened Sunday to the Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump: Donald Trump assassination bid: Who is the suspect? Law enforcement officials said the man who pointed the rifle and was arrested was Ryan Wesley Routh. The officials identified the suspect to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation. Records show Routh, 58, lived in North Carolina for most of his life before moving in 2018 to Kaaawa, Hawaii, where he and his son operated a company building sheds, according to an archived version of the webpage for the business. Routh frequently posted about the war in Ukraine on social media and had a website where he sought to raise money and recruit volunteers to go to Kyiv to join the fight against the Russian invasion. In June 2020, he made a post on X directed at then-President Trump to say he would win reelection if he issued an executive order for the Justice Department to prosecute police misconduct. That year, he also posted in support of the Democratic presidential campaign of then-U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who has since left the party and endorsed Trump. However, in recent years, his posts suggest he soured on Trump, and he expressed support for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. In July, following the assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania, Routh urged Biden and Harris to visit those wounded in the shooting at the hospital and to attend the funeral of a former fire chief killed at the rally. Voter records show he registered as an unaffiliated voter in North Carolina in 2012, most recently voting in person during the state's Democratic Party primary in March 2024. Federal campaign finance records show Routh made 19 small political donations totalling $140 since 2019 using his Hawaii address to ActBlue, a political action committee that supports Democratic candidates. Records show that while living in Greensboro, North Carolina, Routh had multiple run-ins with law enforcement. He was convicted in 2002 of possessing a weapon of mass destruction, according to online North Carolina Department of Adult Correction records. The records do not provide details about the case. But a News & Record story from 2002 says a man with the same name was arrested after a three-hour standoff with police. The story says he was pulled over during a traffic stop, put his hand on a gun and barricaded himself inside a roofing business. He owned the roofing company, according to state incorporation filings. Donald Trump assassination bid: How did this happen? Local authorities said the gunman was about 400 yards to 500 yards away from Trump and hiding in shrubbery while the former president was playing a round of golf at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. Ric Bradshaw, sheriff of Palm Beach County, said that when people get into the shrubbery around the course, “they're pretty much out of sight.” Bradshaw said the entire golf course would have been lined with law enforcement if Trump were the sitting president, but because he's not, “security is limited to the areas the Secret Service deems possible.” Trump's protective detail has been higher than some of his peers because of his high visibility and his campaign to seek the White House again. His security was bolstered days before the July assassination attempt in Pennsylvania because of a threat on Trump's life from Iran, U.S. officials said. Donald Trump assassination bid: What has Trump said since the attempt? In an email to supporters, Trump said: “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!” His running mate, JD Vance, and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said they spoke with Trump after the incident, and both said he was in “good spirits.” Trump also checked in with several Fox News hosts. Fox News host Sean Hannity, a close friend of the former president's, said on air that he spoke with Trump and his golf partner, Steve Witkoff, afterward. They told Hannity they had been on the fifth hole when they heard a “pop pop, pop pop.” Within seconds, he said Witkoff recounted, Secret Service agents “pounced on” Trump and “covered him” to protect him. Moments later, Witkoff said, a “fast cart” with steel reinforcement and other protection was able to whisk Trump away. Hannity said Trump's reaction after this happened — and when it was clear that everyone, including Witkoff, was safe — was to quip that he was sad he hadn't been able to finish the hole since he “was even and had a birdie putt.” What is Vice President Kamala Harris saying? Harris, Trump's Democratic opponent in the presidential election, posted on X that she had been briefed on the reports of gunshots fired. “I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.” The White House said President Joe Biden and Harris would be kept updated on the investigation. The White House added it was “relieved” to know Trump is safe. Donald Trump assassination bid: What's next? Trump has not announced any changes to his schedule and is set to speak live on X on Monday night from his Mar-a-Lago resort to launch his sons' crypto platform. Meanwhile, the leaders of a congressional bipartisan task force investigating the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump said they have requested a briefing by the Secret Service. “We are thankful that the former President was not harmed, but remain deeply concerned about political violence and condemn it in all of its forms,” Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., and Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., said in a statement. They said the task force will share updates. U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Florida Democrat who is part of the task force, said he “will seek answers about what happened today and then.” This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
16 September,2024 09:54 AM IST | Fort Lauderdale | PTIADVERTISEMENT
