Secret Service agents could be fired after Trump shooting, acting director says

Source: NBC

The acting director of the Secret Service testified Tuesday that he was “ashamed” at the security gaps that led to the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and pledged to discipline any agents who failed to do their jobs.

During a rare joint Senate committee hearing, acting Director Ronald Rowe Jr. said he could not understand or defend why the roof where the 20-year-old shooter fired from on July 13 was not better secured.

He said the Secret Service was investigating whether any employees broke any rules that day. Those employees, Rowe said, would be held accountable through the agency’s disciplinary process and face penalties that could include termination.

“That roof should have had better coverage,” he said, “and we will get to the bottom of if there were any policy violations.”

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/secret-service-director-ashamed-trump-assassination-attempt-security-l-rcna164253

Josh Shapiro, Tim Walz or Pete Buttigieg? Here is Kamala Harris' best pick for VP, campaign expert says

Updated: Jul. 30, 2024, 10:30 a.m.|Published: Jul. 30, 2024, 8:03 a.m.

By Kevin Manahan | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Republican political consultant Mike Murphy chuckled when he watched a clip of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro delivering a rousing speech for Vice President Kamala Harris during a rally in his home state on Monday.

“Now, I don’t think Shapiro would be a bad choice, but I think he’s overrated. The conventional wisdom is a myth that, frankly, isn’t that true in the world of campaigns anymore.”

...

Murphy says Harris should pick the young, gay and politically brilliant Buttigieg — the Secretary of Transportation, former naval officer and ex-mayor of South Bend, Ind. Buttigieg is 42.

“I think the smart choice is [Pete] Buttigieg, because of two reasons,” Murphy said. “It doubles down on what the election should be about if Kamala Harris wants to win, which is generational change, vs. somebody whose ideas are locked in 1955. And second, Buttigieg is by far the best political athlete in the Democratic Party, and that’s a weapon I’d want to deploy.”

https://www.nj.com/politics/2024/07/josh-shapiro-tim-waltz-or-pete-buttigieg-here-is-kamala-harris-best-pick-for-vp-campaign-expert-says.html

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For whatever it's worth

He has nailed nearly every presidential race. Here's his prediction for Trump-Harris

By Matt Arco | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Updated: Jul. 30, 2024, 8:46 a.m.|Published: Jul. 30, 2024, 8:35 a.m.

Joe Biden’s out and Kamala Harris is in against Donald Trump this November.

Enter Allan Lichtman, the man who predicted Trump would win in 2016 when most national polls showed Hillary Clinton far ahead. Litchman correctly predicted nine of the last 10 presidential elections, so what does he think of Harris’ chances now that the election has dramatically shifted?

“It’s possible but a lot would have to go wrong for Harris to lose,” he said during a recent interview.

Lichtman was heavily leaning toward Biden by using his 13 true/false model that’s worked 90% of the time.

https://www.nj.com/politics/2024/07/he-has-nailed-nearly-every-presidential-race-heres-his-prediction-for-trump-harris.html

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JD's dream couch

Venezuelans head for presidential palace to protest against election result

Source: BBC

Thousands of Venezuelans are heading towards the presidential palace in Caracas to protest against President Nicolás Maduro's claim of victory in the country's disputed election.

Others posted pictures of the crowds on social media with captions including “knock down the dictator” and “everyone to Miraflores” - where the palace is located.

The BBC has seen an armed military convoy travelling to the presidential palace, with soldiers in balaclavas standing on the back of the cars carrying large rifles.

Tear gas was fired by police as protests erupted in the Venezuelan capital the day after Mr Maduro claimed he had won.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cw5yze5k500o

At least one child dead, seven others injured in stabbing attack in U.K.

Source: NBC

At least one child is dead and seven others are injured in a stabbing attack in northwest England Monday morning. A 17-year-old male was later arrested in connection with the violence.

The knife attack unfolded in Southport, a seaside town in Merseyside, which is north of Liverpool, Merseyside Police said.

Authorities were called to a property on Hart Street at 11:50 a.m. (6:50 a.m. ET) on reports of a stabbing.

...snip...

Merseyside Police said in an update later on Monday that a 17-year-old male from Banks, a nearby village, had been arrested. He remains in custody and will be questioned regarding the incident.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/stabbing-southport-england-children-merseyside-rcna164090

Trump gunman spotted 90 minutes before shooting, say police texts

Source: BBC

The gunman who opened fire at former President Donald Trump at a rally was spotted by a local Swat team more than 90 minutes before the shooting, text messages reveal.

Thomas Matthew Crooks was seen sitting at a picnic table by a local Swat team sniper who alerted colleagues - a sighting much earlier than previously thought.

The messages, obtained by the New York Times and ABC News, will add to the list of security failures that preceded what authorities say was an assassination attempt.

One man was killed and three injured in the Pennsylvania attack, including the former president who was shot in the ear.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6p2kr9033go

FDA approves new blood test to screen for colon cancer

Source: NBC

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved Guardant Health’s blood test, called Shield, to screen for colon cancer. The test isn't meant to replace colonoscopies, but is generating enthusiasm among doctors who say it has the potential to boost the dismal rate of screenings for the second-highest cause of cancer death in the United States.

Shield has previously been available to doctors as a screening tool, at an out-of-pocket cost of $895. With the FDA approval, Medicare and private insurance companies are much more likely to cover the cost of the blood test, making it more widely accessible for patients.

... snip ...

The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 53,000 people will die of colorectal cancer this year.

Research published in March showed Shield was 83% effective in finding colorectal cancers. It works by detecting the DNA that cancerous tumors release into the bloodstream.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/colon-cancer-blood-test-shield-screening-fda-approved-rcna163630

Complex life on Earth may be much older than thought - BBC

A group of scientists say they have found new evidence to back up their theory that complex life on Earth may have begun 1.5bn years earlier than thought.

The team, working in Gabon, say they discovered evidence deep within rocks showing environmental conditions for animal life 2.1bn years ago.

But they say the organisms were restricted to an inland sea, did not spread globally and eventually died out.

The ideas are a big departure from conventional thinking and not all scientists agree. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3geyvpxpeyo

JD Vance's disastrous polling problem

By Matt Arco | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Donald Trump’s pick for his vice president, JD Vance, has a polling problem.

Only 29% of voters surveyed by AtlasIntel polling have a favorable opinion of Trump’s pick compared to 42% unfavorable. Twenty-nine percent said they were unsure.

Vance ranks slightly higher than Hillary Clinton, who has a 25% favorable rating. Trump and Kamala Harris both have a 48% favorable. Trump has a 49% unfavorable and Harris has a 51% unfavorable, per AtlasIntel.

snip

Polls show Vance is the least liked non-incumbent vice presidential pick since 1980 and the first to have a net negative favorable rating. The underwater status is a stark contrast to the average 19-point approval VP picks have had since 2000.

https://www.nj.com/politics/2024/07/jd-vances-disastrous-polling-problem.html
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