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Secret Service Stops 2nd Trump Assassination Attempt

Secret Service Stops 2nd Trump Assassination Attempt

Your unbiased daily news brief

James Kratch
September 16, 2024

Good Monday morning. Let's tackle an important question: Does popcorn ever go bad? Have a great day!

In Today’s Brief

Arizona: Abortion law repeal
Iran: Cozying up to Kremlin
Pope Francis: Election thoughts
TikTok: Court showdown
Hacks: Big upset

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Alarming reoccurrence

A suspect is in custody after allegedly attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump.

What happened: Secret Service spotted a rifle sticking through a fence at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, while Trump was on the golf course. An agent engaged the suspect, who took off on foot. Shots were fired at the alleged gunman before he was apprehended; an AK-47 rifle and scope and GoPro camera were recovered in bushes near the incident. Trump was about 300-500 yards away but unharmed; no shots were fired at him.
The suspect: Ryan Wesley Routh is reportedly in custody. The 58-year-old man has a lengthy criminal background and at least one weapons conviction. He has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine, volunteering to fight in its foreign legion, and appears to have both a voting record and social media history reflecting support for Democrats and liberal causes.
The reaction: Vice President Kamala Harris was among those who condemned the alleged attempt and political violence. The FBI said it is investigating the incident as an assassination attempt. Trump said "nothing will slow me down" after the incident. The USSS was praised for its response after the breakdown at the Pennsylvania rally that led to the first attempt on Trump's life, but this incident will raise questions about how safe the former president can be kept on the golf course — another wide-open space similar to the outdoor rallies he has moved away from.

2) City blues

A case that could eventually send the professional soccer world into upheaval kicks off today.

The news: Manchester City will finally face over 100 allegations of Premier League financial rules violations. An independent hearing will start at an undisclosed location and is expected to last several months, focusing on whether a four-year probe into the powerhouse club provded it gave inaccurate financial information over a nine-year period.
At issue: City has become the PL's top side since the Abu Dhabi United Group's takeover in 2008. The club has won eight league titles, including the last four seasons, as well as the Champions League and several cup competitions. The club maintains it is innocent, said it has irrefutable evidence to support its claims and alleges the investigation was based on emails that were illegally hacked.
Big picture: An unprecedented case could, if City is found guilty of significant rule-breaking, bring an unprecedented punishment. There is speculation the team -- which currently sits atop the PL -- could receive a table points penalty severe enough to force relegation. There is also the possibility the club could be kicked out of the PL entirely.

3) Coup convictions

Three Americans are among several dozen people sentenced to death for attempting to overthrow the leadership of Democratic Republic of Congo.

Look back: Opposition politician Christian Malanga, who was based in the U.S., attempted to overthrow President Felix Tshisekedi in May. The presidential palace and the home of a Tshisekedi ally were attacked. The operation failed; six people, including Malanga, were killed.
Fast forward: Marcel Malanga, Tyler Thompson Jr. and Benjamin Zalman-Polun are the three U.S. citizens facing death. They are among the 37 convicted of charges ranging from murder to terrorism to criminal association. Marcel Malanga alleges his father forced his participation under threat of death; there are also Canadian, Belgian and British nationals facing execution.
Big picture: The State Department said it was denied access to the Americans during their trial. Congo only reinstated the death penalty earlier this year. The convicted still have appeals and there have reportedly been no executions yet.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

Arizona officially repealed a 19th-century abortion ban upheld by the state's supreme court in April. Gov. Katie Hobbs and the legislature almost immediately addressed the law, but there was a 90-day waiting period before the repeal took effect (More)
New York Mayor Eric Adams' top legal adviser resigned amid federal investigations into his political machine. Lisa Zornberg, who was not Adams' personal attorney, said she could "no longer effectively serve in my position" (More)
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine defended Haitian immigrants in Springfield amid national controversy and a wave of lockdowns and violence threats in the city. The Republican said the migrants are in the country legally and praised their work ethic while denying unfounded claims of animal cruelty (More)

World News

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will attend a summit in Russia next month as the nations forge stronger ties. Pezeshkian is expected to be at the BRICS conference for emerging economies on Oct. 22-24 in Kazan (More)
China freed a U.S. citizen after nearly 20 years in prison. David Lin, a pastor, had been incarcerated since 2006 on contract fraud charges; the State Department considered him one of three Americans unlawfully detained by the Chinese (More)
Nigerian troops rescued 13 hostages held by an extremist group, killing several kidnappers. Almost 300 inmates escaped from a prison in the African nation after heavy flooding collapsed the facility's walls (More | More)

Campaign News

Pope Francis said Catholics in the U.S. should vote for who they believe is "the lesser evil." The pontiff criticized Vice President Harris for her support of abortion and condemned former President Trump's migration stances (More)
Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance walked back his pledge that Trump would veto a national abortion ban. The Republican running mate said that, "I've learned my lesson on speaking for the president before he and I have actually talked about an issue" (More)
Harris has narrowed Trump's polling lead in Iowa to four points, 47% to 43%, according to a Des Moines Register survey. Trump previously lead President Biden by 18 points in the state; former independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. polled at 6% (More)

Business & Markets

Major indexes closed higher on Friday. The Federal Reserve's monthly meeting starts tomorrow; it is expected to cut interest rates for the first time since 2020 (Dow +0.72%, Nasdaq +0.65%, S&P 500 +0.54%).
TikTok will begin its formal effort to push back on a potential U.S. ban. Chinese parent company ByteDance must divest or the social media platform will be prohibited; arguments before a federal appeals court panel begin today (More)
Federal mediators said Boeing and union negotiators would return to the bargaining table this week. About 33K workers went on strike last week after they rejected a tentative deal between the aerospace giant and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (More)

Entertainment & Sports

Hacks scored an upset Best Comedy win over The Bear at the 46th Emmy Awards while star Jean Smart won Best Actress in a Comedy Series. Baby Reindeer, Shogun and The Bear all notched four award wins (More)
Jon Rahm won the season-ending LIV Golf event in Chicago to clinch the season individual points title. The two-time major tournament winner received an $18M bonus (More)
Tim Meadows will start in DMV, a new single-camera sitcom greenlit by CBS. The Saturday Night Live veteran will play a former high school teacher who becomes a driving examiner; it is one of three new comedies the network has in development (More)

Quick Hitters

Feel Good: When a staff member at a historic United Kingdom church found himself alone with his dogs, he asked permission to bring them to work. Eric and Florence are now part of the team and even have name badges.
Take Note: Over 100K people are currently on the national waiting list for an organ transplant. These debunked myths may hold back potential donors.
Go Deep: Artificial intelligence may be able to talk people out of buying into conspiracy theories. Recent studies found believers are more open to hearing facts from chatbots.
Be Well: Did you spend too much time in the sun this summer? Here are some helpful tips for rejuvenating and repairing your skin.
Travel Hack: Skiplagging can help you secure cheaper airfare by manipulating long layovers. But airlines are pushing back and the practice carries significant risks.

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