International
Failures of Secret Service mount as senators demand accountability
From The Center Square
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The failures of the Secret Service around the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump are mounting but members of Congress say there’s not been enough accountability.
Trump suffered a wound to the ear, a spectator was killed and two others were critically wounded when a sniper opened fire in Butler, Pennsylvania, at a campaign rally on July 13. Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned last week after a U.S. House hearing failed to get answers.
On Tuesday in a U.S. Senate hearing, Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe told U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, those on the ground making decisions that day have not been fired.
“Is it not prima facie somebody has failed? A former president was shot,” Hawley said.
“Sir, this could have been our Texas Schoolbook Depository,” Rowe said, referencing the sniper’s outpost in the 1963 assassination of President John Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. “I have lost sleep over that for the last 17 days, just like you have.”
“Then fire somebody, to hold them accountable,” Hawley said.
U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, Acting U.S. Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe, and U.S. Sens. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma and Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, during Tuesday’s joint hearing on the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
Hawley was asking why the people who made the decision to not have someone on the roof where the sniper was ultimately killed, who managed radio communications or who failed to keep the president from taking the stage that day have not been fired.
Tuesday’s joint hearing was with the U.S. Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security committees. Senators reviewed the lapses in communications, placement of the parameter in Butler and where the buck stops for the failures.
Discussed was how the shooter was known minutes before the shooting to be suspicious with a rangefinder before being seen with a gun. The shooter even sent up a drone hours before the event. Rowe said they didn’t have their anti-drone systems in place until later in the day.
“It appears that there was an offer by a state or local agency to fly a drone on our behalf and I’m getting to the bottom of why we turned that down,” Rowe said.
The motive of the shooter, who was shot and killed, is still being investigated.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, confirmed from the Secret Service and the FBI that they are updating their security posture after the lessons of July 13 ahead of next month’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
“Tens of thousands of people will be there including some of the highest ranking politicians in the United States,” Durbin said.
From LifeSiteNews
Regeneron said it will act ethically when it acquires data on 15 million Americans from 23andMe.
A Big Pharma company will acquire genetic data on 15 million people after purchasing DNA testing company 23andMe in a bankruptcy auction.
“Drugmaker Regeneron Pharmaceuticals will buy genetic testing firm 23andMe for $256 million through a bankruptcy auction,” CNN reported.
“Regeneron said it will comply with 23andMe’s privacy policies and applicable laws with respect to the use of customer data and that it is ready to detail its intended use of the data to a court-appointed overseer,” the news outlet reported.
23andMe already suffered a privacy breach of its sensitive genetic information.
While Regeneron said it will protect data, many people may still have concerns.
Users wishing to delete their genetic data can do so, according to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who issued a “consumer alert” when 23andMe first filed for bankruptcy in March. He explained how people can log into their account and delete their data.
Quick Hit:
President Trump on Friday threatened Apple with a 25% tariff if iPhones sold in the U.S. are not manufactured domestically. In a post to Truth Social, Trump said Apple must stop producing iPhones in India or China and bring manufacturing back to the United States.
Key Details:
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In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote: “I expect their iPhone’s that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else. If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S.”
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Apple’s stock reportedly dropped around 3% in premarket trading following Trump’s announcement.
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Trump’s demand follows a broader push to penalize companies that manufacture overseas. He also floated a 50% tariff on European Union imports.
Diving Deeper:
President Donald Trump on Friday issued a fresh warning to Apple, demanding the tech giant bring iPhone manufacturing back to the United States or face a stiff tariff. In a Truth Social post, Trump directly addressed Apple CEO Tim Cook, declaring that iPhones sold in the U.S. must no longer be produced in India or any other country abroad.
“I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone’s that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else,” Trump wrote. “If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S.”
The statement rattled markets early Friday, with Apple shares falling about 3% in premarket trading.
While Apple has historically relied on China for the bulk of its iPhone production, it has recently begun shifting some operations to India—moves largely aimed at diversifying its supply chain amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and pandemic-era disruptions. Trump’s post signals that even this shift away from China may not be sufficient to satisfy his America-first trade vision.
According to a recent Politico report, Trump and Cook met Tuesday at the White House. Though Cook has made overtures toward Trump in the past—including attending his inauguration and pledging a $1 million donation—Apple has continued its offshore production strategy, frustrating Trump’s push for domestic job creation.
Despite this, Apple has committed to a $500 billion investment in the U.S., including development of AI server infrastructure in Houston, Texas. Whether that’s enough to blunt Trump’s tariff threat remains to be seen.
In a separate post Friday, Trump also advocated for a sweeping 50% tariff on goods imported from the European Union, signaling a renewed appetite for aggressive trade measures should he return to office.
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