Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Wednesday, July 24, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas, we have some pressing stories to share with you today, and here’s what’s going on.
The U.S. Secret Service director has resigned; the man who shot former President Donald Trump carried a rifle and a lot more; and for the first time in nearly a week, President Joe Biden will address the nation. Also, an Ohio judge is blocking portions of an election law, and the Senate majority leader hopes to pass bills this week meant to protect kids online.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle Resigns
Kimberly Cheatle, who was sworn in as U.S. Secret Service director in 2022, informed the agency’s staff by email yesterday that she was stepping down from her position in light of recent events. Her resignation comes less than two weeks after the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.The former president was shot in the ear during a Pennsylvania rally on July 13 by Thomas Crooks who was on top of a nearby building. Mr. Crooks also killed one man and injured two others during that shooting.
Earlier this week, Ms. Cheatle was questioned by lawmakers during a congressional hearing, which at times became quite contentious. She also acknowledged during the hearing that before the rally began, the Secret Service was made aware of the shooter, but said that he was not deemed a threat until moments before the shots were fired.
The former director also said that the reason Secret Service agents were not on the roof is because it is sloped.
Ms. Cheatle told lawmakers on Monday that the attempt on former President Trump’s life was the agency’s “most significant operational failure” in decades, but at that point, maintained that she was the right person to lead the Secret Service.
By the way, during that hearing, she also repeatedly refused to discuss specifics of what went wrong during the rally and would not commit to firing anyone when the agency’s internal probe wraps up, which she expected would take 60 days.
Interesting to note that both Democrats and Republicans asked Ms. Cheatle to resign in a rare demonstration of bipartisanship, and her resignation came just one day after that congressional hearing.
Trump Shooter Had Detonation Device on Him: Police Official
Col. Christopher Paris, the commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police, testified before members of Congress yesterday, saying that 20-year-old Thomas Crooks had a detonation device with him and bombs in his car when he tried to kill former President Trump.Col. Paris said they were aware of that very early on and that it was a serious tactical consideration in the aftermath as they worked the crime scene on July 13 and the days after.
He went on to say that eight bullet casings were recovered from the roof of the building near the Butler County rally where the shooter fired from, adding that Mr. Crooks “should never have been allowed to get on top of that building.” To reiterate, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle had told lawmakers that the roof’s slope prompted safety concerns, which is why there were no Secret Service personnel stationed there.
Col. Paris told congressional members that the Pennsylvania State Police is conducting a joint investigation into the shooting at the rally with the FBI and that, so far, investigators have conducted more than 100 interviews and gathered more than 1,000 pieces of evidence.
By the way, the Secret Service says it’s also conducting its own investigation in order to assess what went wrong.
Biden to Address Nation for First Time Since Ending Candidacy
President Biden will appear on camera from the Oval Office, for the first time since ending his run for a second term and just a week after testing positive for COVID-19. His televised appearance will be at 8 p.m. ET.The president has not been seen publicly since July 17 while he was campaigning in Las Vegas, saying he self-isolated in his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, after he tested positive for COVID.
As you know, President Biden surprised everyone on Sunday when he posted a letter on X stating that he was pulling out of the presidential race. A short time later, he issued a second statement endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor.
Ms. Harris accepted and just one day later, secured support from more than 2,500 delegates, according to an Epoch Times tally, which is more than the majority of delegates she’ll need to win on a first ballot at the Democratic National Convention.
You should know that delegates will not cast their official nomination until the convention next month, leaving a chance for new candidates to come forward and challenge Ms. Harris, but so far, none have.
President Biden returned to the White House yesterday, in advance of his speech. His physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, says that the president’s pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and temperature remain normal and that President Biden continues to perform all of his presidential duties.
By the way, the president also issued a statement wishing former Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle all the best, following her resignation, and he says he’ll appoint a new director in the near future.
Judge Blocks Ohio Election Law That Limited Who Could Return Disabled Voters’ Absentee Ballots
A federal judge in Ohio has struck down an election law that made it illegal for nearly anyone other than a specific group of relatives to return an absentee ballot for someone with a disability.Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan, who sits on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, blocked enforcement of a section of Ohio’s House Bill 458. This section made it a felony for anyone who is not an election official or mail carrier to possess or return the absentee ballot of a voter with a disability unless that individual helping the disabled voter is listed as an authorized relative.
This particular law in Ohio had limited the authorized relatives of the disabled voter to the spouse, parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews.
Prior to the judge’s ruling, any “facilitators” who were not on that list and were not election officials or mail carriers could be charged with a felony for mailing an absentee ballot or returning the ballot to the board of elections.
Ohio’s Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who was named as one of the defendants in the lawsuit, disagreed with the judge’s ruling, labeling it an act of judicial overreach, and says they’re consulting with attorneys on their next steps.
In the meantime, the ruling was celebrated by the ACLU and the League of Women Voters of Ohio, who had challenged the law. Ohio’s ACLU director called it a win for democracy and said it’s the correct reading of the Voting Rights Act.
The executive director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio said the ruling will allow grandkids, roommates, and other common-sense helpers to help their loved ones cast a ballot without the fear of committing a felony.
You should know that 35 states explicitly allow someone other than the voter to return a voter ballot, with many of these states limiting it to a family member or caregiver.
Schumer Announces Senate Floor Vote on Bills Protecting Children Online
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) says that he’ll bring two bills related to children’s online safety and privacy to a floor vote this week.One of the bills, known as the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), requires social media companies to take action in order to prevent the spread of harmful content related to suicide, eating disorders, bullying, and drugs.
KOSA would also require tech companies to allow minors to limit the category of recommendations or opt out of personalized recommendation systems that allow for infinite scrolling.
The other bill, Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) 2.0, prevents social media platforms from collecting personal information without consent from users who are 13 to 16 years old and bans advertising aimed at children and teens. COPPA also requires tech companies to enable parents and their children to erase a child’s content or personal information.
Maurine Molak, a mother who lost her 16-year-old son to suicide after he experienced cyberbullying, is the co-founder of David’s Legacy Foundation and Parents for Safe Online Spaces. She has met with Mr. Schumer twice this year, saying that her group hopes KOSA passes quickly without any amendments and moves through the House with the urgency that it deserves.
So you know, both bills already passed the Senate Commerce Committee last year, but the House Energy and Commerce Committee still needs to advance the KOSA bill in the lower chamber.
These are bills dealing with issues that have many of us very concerned, and we all want what’s best for our nation’s youth.
As you know, we are smack dab in the middle of summer and some parts of the country are brutally hot, so just a brief summertime reminder that is meant to keep you healthy and happy.
Our friends at the American Red Cross tell us that hot cars can be deadly. Never leave children or pets in your vehicle. The inside temperature of a car can quickly reach 120 degrees. They also tell us to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids and avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol—there’s nothing better than water on a hot day.
Today’s high temperature in Death Valley, California, is expected to hit 121 degrees. Bad day for a hike.
And now, looks like our time is just about up for today, so we’re going to call it a wrap for the Wednesday edition of The Epoch Times News Brief.
If you have some free time today, it would sure mean a great deal to us if you could tell some folks you know about our program, and that’s because we’re always trying to grow the News Brief family—and in our family, there’s always room for one more.
*(Don’t forget the News Brief Motto): We’re portable, affordable, and always on-demand.
And finally, as we do each and every day on this program, we wrap everything up with a very notable quote.
This one comes to us from the great Austrian chef Wolfgang Puck, who said: “Cooking is like painting or writing a song. Just as there are only so many notes or colors, there are only so many flavors—it’s how you combine them that sets you apart.”
The chef is famous for many incredible dishes including his now legendary smoked salmon pizza.
For all of us here at The Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas.
Thank you for making us your one-stop source for a concise, accurate, and unbiased daily synopsis of many of the news stories you need to know about.
Enjoy the remainder of your Wednesday, and we’ll see you right back here tomorrow for the Thursday edition of The Epoch Times News Brief. Have a superb day today, please eat healthy, let’s all continue to watch out for one another, and bye for now.
