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U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle RESIGNS Following Trump’s Assassination Attempt23/7/2024
According to reports, United States Secret Service Director, Kimberly Cheatle, has tendered her resignation amid intense scrutiny of security lapses related to the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on 13th July, 2024.
Investigations are moving forward into the Secret Service’s handling of Trump’s protection and how a gunman came close to the killing the 2024 Republican Presidential candidate at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month.
Cheatle said in her resignation letter that she made the “difficult” decision to leave the agency “with a heavy heart” and that she does not want her departure to distract Secret Service Agents from their mission. “In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that, I have made the difficult decision to step down as your Director,” Cheatle wrote. She acknowledged that on 13th July, 2024, the day of the shooting, the agency “fell short” of its mission to “to protect our nation’s leaders.”
In a statement following her announcement, President Joe Biden said he and First Lady Jill Biden are “grateful” for Cheatle’s decades of public service and will appoint a new Director “soon.” “As a leader, it takes honor, courage, and incredible integrity to take full responsibility for an organization tasked with one of the most challenging jobs in public service,” Biden said of Cheatle. She was appointed by Biden to lead the Secret Service in 2022. There have been bipartisan calls in Congress for Cheatle’s resignation and a push by Republican lawmakers to impeach her. Lawmakers were particularly incensed after her appearance in front of the House Oversight Committee on Monday (22nd July, 2024), where she was unwilling to answer many of the committee’s questions. During her House Oversight appearance, Cheatle acknowledged that there were “significant” and “colossal” problems with the security at the rally, but still rebuffed demands for her resignation. “I think I am the best person to lead the Secret Service at this time,” Cheatle said on Monday. In the initial wake of the shooting, Cheatle was emphatic that she would not step down.
In an interview with CNN last week, Cheatle said that the agency was “solely responsible” for the design and implementation of security at the Pennsylvania rally site, where the now-deceased gunman fired shots at Trump from an unsecured rooftop, just a few hundred feet from the rally stage.
A bullet hit Trump’s ear, and the incident left one rallygoer dead and others injured. More on this as it becomes available. [Source: CNN]
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UPDATE 3: Vice President Kamala Harris issued the following statement, confirming her intention to become the Democratic nominee: “On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country. I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination.” She added, “I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party — and unite our nation — to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda. If you’re with me, add a donation right now.”
UPDATE 2: Former President Donald Trump issued the following statement on his social network, Truth Social: “Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve — And never was! He only attained the position of President by lies, Fake News, and not leaving his Basement. All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasn’t capable of being President, and he wasn’t — And now, look what he’s done to our Country, with millions of people coming across our Border, totally unchecked and unvetted, many from prisons, mental institutions, and record numbers of terrorists. We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
UPDATE: President Biden said in a follow-up statement that he is endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic nominee. “My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
Current United States President, Joe Biden, 81, has just announced he will not be running for re-election in November 2024. The announcement comes weeks after constant calls for the President to drop out of the Presidential race, especially after his recent disastrous debate against former President Donald Trump. Biden, however, had previously dismissed all such calls and insisted he will run for re-election.
It is unclear now who the Democratic nominee will be to face Trump in November. In a statement issued just minutes ago this afternoon (Sunday 21st July, 2024), President Biden said, “My Fellow Americans, Over the past three and a half years, we have made great progress as a Nation. Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We've made historic investments in rebuilding our Nation, in lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and in expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans. We've provided critically needed care to a million veterans exposed to toxic substances. Passed the first gun safety law in 30 years. Appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court. And passed the most significant climate legislation in the history of the world. America has never been better positioned to lead than we are today.” Biden continued, “I know none of this could have been done without you, the American people. Together, we overcame a once in a century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We've protected and preserved our Democracy. And we've revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world. It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term. I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision.” The President concluded by saying, “For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me reelected. I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me. I believe today what I always have: that there is nothing America can't do when we do it together. We just have to remember we are the United States of America.” — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
Biden, who has faced criticism for his failing health, tested positive for COVID-19 days ago and has been in isolation.
More on this as it becomes available. This is a developing story - refresh this page for updates. UPDATE: In a social media post this afternoon, RBC confirmed it has been affected. In a notice to its clients, the bank said, “RBC, along with many other businesses, is experiencing varying degrees of the global I.T. outage impacting organizations around the world. We are actively investigating and solutions are being deployed. Clients may have difficulty accessing their account information and may experience delays in their transactions. Our teams are working diligently to restore access as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience and we apologize for the inconvenience.” According to reports, local branches of RBC may have also been affected by the global I.T. outage which has impacted several sectors from early this morning (Friday 19th July, 2024).
Guardian Media said it has seen an internal memorandum which was sent to RBC’s Caribbean banking division, stating: “Due to a global outage beyond our control, different business sectors worldwide, including RBC, have been affected. As a result, some of our Caribbean banking applications are currently down, which is impacting our operations, and the ability of our clients to transact via ATM, POS (Point of Sale) and digital banking.” The memo notes that “a fix has been deployed” but it may take some time before all systems are fully operational again. More on this as it becomes available. [Source: CNC3] The Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) is advising customers that a brief disruption to its online payment platforms, due to the current global I.T. outage, has been resolved.
Customers can therefore resume payments via Quick Pay and Customer Web Access (CWA). Payments at Service Centres via card and cash are also being processed as normal. Please be guided accordingly. UPDATE: George Kurtz, President and CEO of CrowdStrike, said the problems could persist for some time yet. “It could be some time for some systems that just automatically won’t recover,” he told NBC’s “TODAY” show this morning. Kurtz said the company was “deeply sorry for the impact that we’ve caused to customers, to travelers, to anyone affected by this,” adding the issue has been fixed on their end. “Many of the customers are rebooting the system, and it’s coming up, and it’ll be operational because we fixed it on our end,” he said. “We’re just trying to sort out where the negative interaction was,” he said of the faulty update that affected Windows PCs. Microsoft Windows outages are being reported across the globe this morning (Friday 19th July, 2024), resulting from an issue with U.S. cybersecurity company, CrowdStrike. The outages appear to be global, and massive. “CrowdStrike is aware of reports of crashes on Windows hosts related to the Falcon Sensor,” the company said in an alert confirming the outage at 1:30 AM ET this morning.
CrowdStrike's Falcon Sensor is software designed to prevent computer systems from cyberattacks. “Symptoms include experiencing a bugcheck\blue screen error related to the Falcon Sensor,” CrowdStrike's alert continued. “Our Engineering teams are actively working to resolve this issue and there is no need to open a support ticket.” Though the CrowdStrike issue is specifically causing Windows to crash, the problem seems to be having further-reaching implications as well. Considering that Windows is an incredibly popular operating system and CrowdStrike an incredibly popular cybersecurity company, multiple companies and services also appear to be experiencing outages due to their computers being down. Microsoft acknowledged the issue as well. “We're aware of an issue affecting Windows devices due to an update from a third-party software platform. We anticipate a resolution is forthcoming,” a Microsoft Spokesperson said. Reports of outages have rolled in from several countries around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan, and the U.K. DownDetector is indicating a spike in issues across a slew of platforms and businesses in the U.S. as well, including Amazon Web Services, Instagram, eBay, Visa, ADT, and PlentyOfFish. Several U.S. airlines such as American, Delta, and United Airlines have been grounded due to communications issues, seemingly also the result of the outage. UK's Ryanair announced that their booking and check-in system is currently down. The Federal Aviation Administration said on X it was “closely monitoring a technical issue impacting IT systems at U.S. airlines,” with updates available at fly.faa.gov. Supermarkets, banks, airlines, telecommunications companies, and TV broadcasters are among the businesses impacted, with shoppers in Australia reportedly unable to pay for groceries due to electronic payment systems being down. CrowdStrike has since announced at 2:30 AM ET that it has identified the update causing the issue and rolled it back. The company also offered a workaround for anyone having problems:
Having to do this for every single computer in multiple companies across the globe is still likely to take some time. Meanwhile, CrowdStrike stock is plummeting — down more than 21% in pre-market trading on Friday. By this metric, the company's market cap has shrunk by $16 billion. More on this as it becomes available. This is a developing story - refresh this page for updates. [Source: Mashable] Shannen Doherty, who starred on ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ and ‘Charmed,’ lost her long battle with breast cancer on Saturday (13th July, 2024). She was only fifty-three (53). Doherty also appeared on ‘Little House on the Prairie’ and starred in ‘Heathers’ and ‘Mallrats’ before cancer took its toll. Her publicist, Leslie Sloane, said in a statement to People, “It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease. The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie. The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace.” Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2015; after treatment and several surgeries, she announced in April 2017 that she was in remission. In February 2020, she tearfully revealed on Good Morning America, “I'm stage 4 — my cancer came back,” then said in June 2023 that cancer had spread to her brain. “I definitely have days where I say, 'Why me?' And then I go, 'Well, why not me? Who else? Who else besides me deserves this?' None of us do," she said. After holding down regular roles on the NBC shows ‘Little House on the Prairie’ and ‘Our House’ and starring in the critically acclaimed ‘Heathers’ in 1988, Doherty was hired in 1990 to play Brenda Walsh on ‘Beverly Hills, 90210,’ created by Darren Star. Her character and twin brother, Brandon (Jason Priestley), move with their dad from Minnesota to Southern California, and they try to fit in at West Beverly High. Doherty, however, was dismissed from the show after the fourth season concluded in May 1994, amid reported clashes with her co-stars and producers. She did not do herself any favors when, halfway through shooting the season finale, she cut her hair, which made continuity on the episode difficult.
“There was definitely a time that I did not want to be there. I was unhappy,” she told Entertainment Weekly in 2005. “It sounds odd to say that I was on a hit show making a lot of money and I was unhappy, because it makes me sound unappreciative — I wasn't. It's just that the sacrifice at the time seemed too large to me. The sacrifice of a camera pointed in my face 24 hours a day while I was desperately trying to grow up, to figure out my spirituality, to figure out my boyfriends. I mean, I was a teenager.” RIP. More on this as it becomes available. [Source: The Hollywood Reporter] Breaking: Former U.S. President Donald Trump INJURED As Gunshots Heard At Pennsylvania Rally13/7/2024
UPDATE (3:20 AM): The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) named 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the suspect in what they described as the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Crooks, who was killed by a Secret Service Agent, used an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle to carry out the attack, a U.S. Official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the early stages of the investigation. The attack at the Butler, Pennsylvania rally left one (1) spectator dead and critically injured two (2) others.
UPDATE (1:30 AM): Several world leaders swiftly condemned the shooting at former President Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, characterizing the incident as an act of political violence and a threat to the democratic process:
UPDATE (9:10 PM): The suspected shooter used a rifle to carry out the attack, Law Enforcement Officials said. The gunman fired from an elevated position outside of the rally, killing a spectator before being fatally shot by a Secret Service Agent, an Agency Spokesman said. Two (2) other audience members were critically injured.
UPDATE (9:00 PM): Federal authorities are investigating the shooting as an assassination attempt on Trump, according to a Law Enforcement Official.
UPDATE (8:50 PM): Former President Donald Trump has confirmed he was “shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear” when gunfire erupted at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, this afternoon.
In a post on his social media network, Truth Social, Trump said, “I want to thank The United States Secret Service, and all of Law Enforcement, for their rapid response on the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania. Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the Rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured. It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead. I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
UPDATE (8:15 PM): Former U.S. Presidents, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, posted statements on X expressing thanks that former President Donald Trump was not badly wounded and decrying violence in politics. “Although we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn’t seriously hurt, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics,” Obama said.
Meanwhile, Clinton said, “Violence has no place in America, especially in our political process. Hillary and I are thankful that President Trump is safe, heartbroken for all those affected by the attack at today’s rally in Pennsylvania, and grateful for the swift action of the U.S. Secret Service.”
Former United States President, Donald Trump, was reportedly injured a short while ago this afternoon (Saturday 13th July, 2024) after loud bangs were heard at approximately 6:15 PM, during his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
According to reports, Trump fell to the ground after the bangs rang out. Before collapsing, Trump reached for what appeared to be his ear or neck as Secret Service members jumped to the stage and surrounded him. His security personnel stood him back up and he was seen with blood on his face. He was yelling back to the crowd and throwing fist bumps in the air. He was then whisked away to his SUV. Speaking to CNN, a Senior Trump Adviser in Milwaukee said they are working to gather information on the condition of the former President. “We don’t know his condition,” the Adviser said. “We pray he is OK.” A Spokesman later said Trump is “fine and being checked out at a local medical facility.” U.S. Secret Service Spokesman, Anthony Guglielmi, posted on X that the Secret Service has “implemented protective measures and the former President is safe.” The incident is now an active Secret Service investigation, Guglielmi said.
Investigations are continuing.
More on this as it becomes available. This is a developing story - refresh this page for updates. [Source: CNN] In a major breakthrough, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) said it executed an intelligence-led operation on Tuesday (9th July, 2024), resulting in the seizure of over $4.5 million worth of cocaine and the arrest of a key suspect.
According to the TTPS, the operation stems from credible intelligence developed by the TTPS in 2023, which uncovered the operations of a sophisticated drug trafficking network based in South Trinidad. This network allegedly imported illegal narcotics from South America, concealed them within legitimate cargo, and exported them to various international destinations using local courier services. Following multiple arrests and significant seizures over the past year, the TTPS intelligence unit recently received information about an impending narcotics shipment. Acting on this intelligence, Officers identified a vehicle linked to the drug trafficking network. On Tuesday (9th July, 2024), during a surveillance operation, the vehicle was spotted travelling along roads in the North Eastern Division. With operational support from the Northern Division Police, the Officers intercepted the vehicle as it traveled Eastward along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway, near the Grand Bazaar shopping centre. Upon searching the vehicle, Officers discovered several containers of hair cream, which, upon field testing, revealed the presence of cocaine. The Officers seized a total of 3.25 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $4,530,240. The driver, a man from Point Fortin, was arrested and taken to the San Raphael Police Station for further inquiries. Commissioner of Police, Erla Harewood-Christopher, stated, “Intelligence gathering is the cornerstone of effective Policing. It allows us to anticipate and disrupt criminal activities before they can inflict harm on our communities. The success of this operation underscores how critical intelligence is in our fight against crime.”
The Steelpan is now legally Trinidad and Tobago’s national instrument. Senator the Honourable Randall Mitchell, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts, piloted the debate on The National Musical Instrument Bill, 2024 in the House of Representatives on Wednesday (3rd July, 2024).
This Bill provides for the designation of the Steelpan as the National Musical Instrument of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. After being read a third time, it was passed in the House of Representatives.
Minister Mitchell said this decision marks a significant milestone for the Steelpan movement and the nation as a whole as it solidifies the Steelpan's cultural importance in Trinidad and Tobago. He said the Steelpan serves as an important thread in this country's cultural tapestry.
[Source: TTT Live Online]
The U.S. Embassy’s Diplomatic Security Service (DS) facilitated the arrests on Tuesday (2nd July, 2024) and Wednesday (3rd July, 2024) by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) Fraud Squad of four (4) Trinidad and Tobago nationals for Visa fraud.
In a Media Release on Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy in Port-of-Spain said one of the accused, a 24-year-old woman, was arrested at the Embassy’s Marli Street building, and two (2) other suspects, a 63-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman, were arrested at their homes on Tuesday (2nd July, 2024). The fourth accused, a 34-year-old woman, was arrested at her home on Wednesday. The U.S. Embassy said all will be charged with providing fraudulent documentation in support of Visa applications and falsely claiming to be TTPS Police Officers when they submitted documentation to U.S. Embassy Port-of-Spain Consular Officials. The suspects will appear before a Port-of-Spain Magistrate to answer the charges. U.S. Ambassador Candace Bond said, “The arrests are a demonstration of the unique teamwork between the TTPS and the U.S. Embassy’s Federal Agents with the Diplomatic Security Service. The arrests send a message to anyone intending to falsify documents or misrepresent themselves to obtain a U.S. Visa through deceit that U.S. Federal Agents will work alongside local law enforcement to arrest and prosecute them. Committing fraud when applying for a U.S. Visa will result in the perpetrator being permanently ineligible for a Tourist Visa.” Meanwhile, in a Media Release today (Thursday 4th July, 2024), the TTPS identified the three (3) women as Ornella Tricia Holder of Belmont, Keisha Candice Fernandez of Sangre Grande and Selena Carol Ann George of Santa Cruz. The fourth male suspect was not identified. Holder and Fernandez were charged by PC Ramkisssoon, while George was charged by Cpl. (Ag.) Lazarus of the Fraud Squad. The applicants allegedly submitted job letters indicating employment as Police Officers, along with bank letters detailing their account balances. While these documents were initially accepted as legitimate, the TTPS said they were later found to be fraudulent. The three (3) women are expected to appear before a Master of the Court today. The investigation, led by Senior Superintendent Arlet Groome, Superintendent Arnold Lutchman, Inspector Tricia Smith, and Inspector Gonzales, in collaboration with the United States Embassy, resulted in the arrest of the alleged offenders. The TTPS notes that further inquiries into similar reports are ongoing.
The photo above shows a TTPS Fraud Squad Officer arresting a 24-year-old woman on Visa fraud charges at the U.S. Embassy on Marli Street, Port-of-Spain.
The U.S. Embassy is reminding members of the public applying for Visas to visit legitimate websites — https://tt.usembassy.gov and https://travel.state.gov/content/travel.html — for details on the Visa application process. The Embassy advises the public not to pay people who promise to help obtain a U.S. Visa. Only U.S. Embassy Consular Officers can adjudicate Visa applications. More on this as it becomes available. [Source: U.S. Embassy Trinidad & Tobago] |
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