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Trump shooter Thomas Crooks' family had 14 guns in home, father legally sold gun to son: FBI Director Wray

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Trump shooter Thomas Crooks' family had 14 guns in home, father legally sold gun to son: FBI Director Wray

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BETHEL PARK, Pa. — FBI Director Christopher Wray revealed on Wednesday that Thomas Crooks’ family had more than a dozen firearms in their Pennsylvania home and that father Matthew Crooks legally sold his son the weapon that the 20-year-old would use in his assassination attempt on former President Trump.

“We located a number of firearms associated with the shooter and his family,” Wray told the House Judiciary Committee. “I think it was a total of … 14 in the house.”

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“The weapon that he used for the attempted assassination was an AR-style rifle that was purchased legally,” Wray said. “We believe, based on what we’ve seen, that his father, after purchasing the gun, legally sold the gun to his son.”

This revelation came on the same day that Mary Crooks, the mother of the would-be Trump assassin, was pictured outside for the first time since her son opened fire at the rally in Butler.

The gunman’s mother, who is blind, was guided by her husband from their blue Toyota Tacoma into their Bethel Park home around 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Matthew Crooks opened her car door for her and held her hand as they entered the house.

TRUMP SHOOTING: TIMELINE OF ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW GUNMAN EVADED SECURITY

The younger Crooks was a “fairly avid shooting enthusiast,” Wray said during Wednesday’s testimony.

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In addition to the AR-15 and magazines for the rifle, a bulletproof vest and “crude” explosive devices that could be detonated remotely were found in Crooks’ car after he was shot dead by a Secret Service sniper, Wray said.

The FBI director said the agency is still searching for a manifesto or other clues that could determine the 20-year-old Crooks’ motive for the attack that nearly killed Trump, injured two rallygoers and killed retired volunteer fire chief Corey Comperatore on July 13. He added that the bureau’s behavioral analysis unit was assembling a profile of the shooter.

DETAILS ABOUT HOW TRUMP SHOOTER SCALED BUTLER RALLY ROOF EMERGE IN FBI DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHER WRAY’S TESTIMONY

Thomas Matthew Crooks (Handout via AFP)

TRUMP SHOOTER WAS NOT ONLY SUSPICIOUS PERSON AT BUTLER RALLY: PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE COMMISSIONER

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The FBI has conducted more than 400 interviews in their investigation of the shooting. Typically, the FBI does not discuss ongoing investigations, but Wray said on Tuesday that “the attempted assassination of the former president was an attack on our democracy” and that he “recognize[d] the congressional and public interest in this case.”

The gunman’s father told reporters this week that his family was not ready to comment on their son’s actions.

Matthew Crooks leaves a supermarket in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, on July 22, 2024. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)

“We’re going to release a statement when our legal counsel advises us to do so. Until then, we have no comment,” he told Fox News Digital before beginning to load groceries into his vehicle outside a Shop ‘n Save near the family’s home. “We just want to try to take care of ourselves right now. Please, just give us our space.”

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Boston, MA

Boston City Council starts new term with turbulence

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Boston City Council starts new term with turbulence


A chaotic carousel is turning at Boston City Hall.

One week has passed since City Councilor Liz Breadon, who represents District 9, was elected president following a last-minute candidacy.

“It’s been a very rock start,” said District 2 City Councilor Ed Flynn.

“It’s really important, today, that we move forward,” said City Councilor Sharon Durkan of District 8.

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Breadon claiming the gavel was aided by a late-night meeting from Durkan and District 5 City Councilor Enrique Pepén, who came to Breadon’s home hours before the vote asking her to be a compromise candidate.

In November, District 1 City Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata claimed to have the votes needed to become council president, but she faced a challenge from City Councilor Brian Worrell of District 4.

Coletta Zapata bowed out of the race the night before the vote.

“This city council election for presidency divided the council,” said Flynn. “Many people thought of all the 13 city councilors, the most talented and well-respected was Brian Worrell.”

“You actually saw it all play out in real time on the council floor,” said Durkan. “A lot’s been made about the visit that I made to Councilor Braden’s house. It really, I just thought she would make a good president, and when I was unable to reach her on the phone, I just thought, ‘Why not.’”

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Questions have also swirled about whether Boston Mayor Michelle Wu played a role in Breadon’s candidacy.

“My choice for president has always been about what I think is good for the city, but it’s true, what’s good for the city council and what’s good for the mayor is good for the city,” said Durkan.

That back-and-forth spilled into the weekend. On Friday, Breadon told NBC10 Boston’s @Issue that she would choose Coletta Zapata as her vice president. But on Saturday, she said Coletta Zapata wanted to be chair of government operations instead, and that Worrell would be vice president.

Sunday night, Worrell said he would decline the role, and on Monday, Coletta Zapata said she had accepted it.

“I look forward to a city council that’s ready to work, together, for our city,” Coletta Zapata said via text message.

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Breadon echoed those sentiments on @Issue.

“It behooves me to really engage with my colleagues and try and heal the wounds and move forward as a solid body,” she said.

The Boston City Council does not have a scheduled meeting until Jan. 28 as committee assignments for the term are finalized.



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Pittsburg, PA

Pittsburgh Steelers release inactive list for Texans playoff game, including two young players

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Pittsburgh Steelers release inactive list for Texans playoff game, including two young players


PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers have released their inactive list for the Houston Texans, and it has no surprises on it with the team fully healthy.

Running back Kaleb Johnson and wide receiver Roman Wilson remain inactive. The Steelers gave both chances to prove what they could do, but they have been inactive for the last few weeks after the team shortened its rotation.

Meanwhile, offensive lineman Jack Driscoll remains inactive. Driscoll is the ninth offensive linemen on the roster, and the team is fully healthy at that position, meaning that he will not play.

Quarterback Will Howard remains the emergency third quarterback. Since returning from injured reserve earlier this season, Howard has remained in that spot behind Mason Rudolph and Aaron Rodgers.

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Cornerback Tre Flowers was elevated off the practice squad but is inactive. The Steelers did the same thing last year when wide receivers Scotty Miller and Jamal Agnew.

Flowers played in one game for the Steelers this year before being released and re-signed to the practice squad.

Lastly, the have made outside linebacker Jeremiah Moon and interior defensive lineman Logan Lee inactive. Moon was signed off the Panthers practice squad once T.J. Watt was injured. Lee had been active over the last few weeks when the Steelers faced run heavy teams.



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Connecticut

Wells Fargo workers at Connecticut branch reject union

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Wells Fargo workers at Connecticut branch reject union


  • Key insight: The failed effort to unionize a Wells Fargo branch in Wallingford, Connecticut, comes one month after six workers at the branch listed their grievances in a letter to CEO Charlie Scharf.
  • Supporting data: Union organizers have notched wins in elections at 28 Wells Fargo branches nationwide. Following the Connecticut vote, the bank has beaten back unionization pushes at three branches.
  • Forward look: Bargaining talks are under way at 21 Wells Fargo branches, with negotiations at a 22nd branch scheduled to begin next month.

Wells Fargo employees at a branch in Connecticut have voted against forming a union — a win for the megabank amid a slew of branch-level elections that have gone in favor of union organizers.

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In December, six workers at Wells Fargo’s North Colony branch in Wallingford, Connecticut, sent a letter to CEO Charlie Scharf, informing him of the timing of the election, and expressing concern over what they characterized as understaffing and a lack of compensation.

But when the vote was held on Jan. 7, the tally was 6-2 against unionization, according to the National Labor Relations Board.

“We’re pleased with the outcome of the election,” a Wells spokesperson said in an email. “We believe that the decision by employees at our North Colony branch reflects their trust in our continued commitment to fostering a workplace where employees feel supported and valued.”

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Union organizers provided a statement from Max Saldanha, an associate personal banker at Wells Fargo who worked to organize the North Colony branch.

“While the results are disappointing, it is without a doubt that Wells Fargo workers are continuing to organize for a better workplace at one of the nation’s largest banks,” Saldanha said in the written statement. “Alongside nearly 30 organized branches across the country representing over 160 workers, we will continue to fight for better pay, better benefits, and a culture of dignity and respect.”

The Connecticut election is the third instance of Wells Fargo branch workers voting against unionization. The two previous “no” votes happened at branches in Belleview, Florida, and Atwater, California. Union organizers subsequently filed an unfair labor practices charge in connection with the Atwater election.

Since late 2023, union organizers have notched victories in elections at 28 Wells Fargo branches nationwide, though a unionized branch in New Jersey was subsequently closed. The company has more than 4,000 branches altogether.

One nonbanch unit at the bank has also voted to unionize.

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So far, none of the bargaining units have reached a contract with Wells Fargo, and the process has been marked by acrimony.

Union officials have filed more than 35 unfair labor practice charges against the bank. The allegations of bad behavior, which Wells has denied, range from the surreptitious use of virtual meeting software to laying off employees who were involved in union organizing.

Wells has said that it respects the right of its employees to unionize, but believes they are best served by working directly with the company’s leadership.

Contract negotiations are now under way at 21 Wells branches, and the bank says talks at an additional location are scheduled to start next month. Wells said that its representatives have spent more than 90 days at the bargaining table to reach acceptable terms for its employees.

Both sides of the talks have focused much of their efforts on a branch in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which in December 2023 became the first Wells branch to vote in favor of a union. Union organizers have designated the Albuquerque bargaining unit as their national lead.

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The 90 days that the bank has spent at the bargaining table are spread across more than 20 branches, noted Nick Weiner, an organizer at the union-backed Committee for Better Banks, which is leading the unionization push at Wells Fargo.

“We regret that Wells Fargo continues to insist that we bargain each branch separately,” Weiner told American Banker, adding that the bank’s decentralized approach is dragging out the process.

“We are making progress, and our bargaining teams are energized to get to a first contract. And we think we can get there, but Wells Fargo isn’t making it easy, and that’s why we think bargaining a national contract makes the most sense,” Weiner said. “And that’s what the workers want.”

In response to the argument that Wells Fargo should bargain a national contract, Wells spokesperson Tim Wetzel noted that each of the more than two dozen unionized Wells branches was organized separately.

“So we’re just following NLRB process,” Wetzel said.

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