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Pennsylvania officials dispute Rowe’s testimony blaming local law enforcement for not manning roof

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Pennsylvania officials dispute Rowe’s testimony blaming local law enforcement for not manning roof


Officials from Beaver County, Pennsylvania, disputed several portions of acting U.S. Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr.’s testimony before a Senate panel Tuesday. Rowe was quick to deflect blame to local law enforcement for allowing a man to attempt to assassinate former President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13.

Rowe and FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate appeared for a joint hearing with the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security committees. It was the first time a member of the Secret Service appeared before Congress since the resignation of former chief Kimberly Cheatle earlier this month.

Rowe testified that agents were unaware there was a man on the roof of the AGR building at the rally until it was too late. He also admitted the responsibility for the security breakdown at the former president’s rally ultimately rests with the Secret Service.

But when he was asked why Trump was allowed to take the stage at 6:02 p.m. despite security knowing there was a suspicious person spotted with a rangefinder, Rowe said he never received communication that there was a suspicious person with a weapon or with bad intentions.

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TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: NEW TEXTS SHOW LOCAL POLICE SCRAMBLE TO ASSIST WITH COVERING RALLY

Drone footage shows lawmakers climbing on top of the AGR building Thomas Crooks fired from July 13. (Fox News Digital)

Rowe also used exhibits of the site and pointed to the roof that would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks fired from, adding, “I will not, and I cannot understand why there was no better coverage or at least someone looking at that roofline when that’s where they were posted.”

The statement appeared to place blame on local snipers positioned inside the AGR building during the rally.

The commander of the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit, Patrick Young, and the Beaver County District Attorney, Nathan Bible, spoke to Fox News Tuesday, disputing accusations against the local officers.

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TRUMP SAYS HE WAS ‘SHOT WITH A BULLET’ IN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AT PENNSYLVANIA RALLY

The area surrounding the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pa., July 22, 2024. A bipartisan group of lawmakers visited the site of the attempted assassination of former President Trump that left one person dead and two injured at a campaign rally. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital )

Young said there were two snipers inside the AGR building. One was from the Butler County Emergency Services Unit, the other from the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit.

At some point during the evening, one of the snipers saw Crooks and took pictures of him “solely off the fact that he looked suspicious,” Young said, adding there was no indication he was a threat.

Young also said his unit was told where to go by Butler County ESU, which he assumed had approval from the Secret Service.

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POLICE UNION HEAD SAYS SECRET SERVICE TRYING TO POINT FINGERS FOR TRUMP SHOOTING; NO TROUBLE ‘ASSIGNING BLAME’

Former President Trump reacts as multiple shots rang out during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pa., July 13.  (Reuters/Brendan McDermid)

“They were in place by Butler County ESU, which I assume was with the approval of Secret Service. Their assignments that day (were) to be clearly defined and in no uncertain terms,” Young said. “Their areas included the entry control point, the area before and after the magneton monitor and then the area in front of the stage. Those are all within the interior and secure perimeter as defined by the Secret Service. That was their locations … and their priority.”

At about 5:34 p.m. that day, Young said, one of his officers saw Crooks with a rangefinder then checked into the “sniper text group” to get a picture out. He also said it was previously discussed by the Secret Service not to communicate through text, but he could not figure out any other way to share a picture via the radio.

Eventually, the Beaver County sniper saw Crooks pick up a backpack and disappear behind the edge of the building. The sniper then set out to the first floor to search for Crooks, interacted with the patrol and said the suspicious person was around back before returning to his post. At the same time, Young said, the Butler sniper remained at the window.

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DISCORD REVEALS DETAILS OF WOULD-BE TRUMP SHOOTER’S ACCOUNT ON PLATFORM

Acting U.S. Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. testifies before a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security and Government Affairs committees in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill Tuesday. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Shortly after returning, shots were fired, and the Butler sniper heard the shots, Young explained.

But the window the two snipers were keeping watch from did not have a clear view of the roof Crooks was on without having to lean outside.

Bible defended the snipers, saying their job was to be on the outside of the perimeter looking into the crowd, not looking outside the area, which is where the roof was.

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

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, questions U.S. Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe and FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate during a Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Senate Judiciary hearing Tuesday examining the security failures leading to the assassination attempt on former President Trump, the Republican presidential candidate. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

“Our guys were in a covert sniper position, you know. They’re set back a couple feet from the window,” the DA said. “So, you know, in order to see on that roof, they would have had to hang out, hang outside, and in doing so, give up their position.”

Bible added that if the Secret Service told local officials to station snipers on the roof, they would have, “absolutely.”

Bible said the team of law enforcement from Beaver County that helped out was not happy with how federal officials portrayed things, but he and Young could not be prouder of the team.

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“It’s less about them getting credit … for the amazing job they did that day,” Bible said. “But they’re certainly not going to take unnecessary blame. So, I do feel like … they are a little bit upset about the way that some of the information has been disseminated. But certainly … they have a job to do, and you know if they’re asked to do it again, I’m sure that they will.”

Fox News’ CB Cotton contributed to this report.



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Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro has $30 million for his reelection bid, a new state record

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Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro has  million for his reelection bid, a new state record


Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro set another campaign finance record for Pennsylvania with $30 million on hand as he seeks a second term this fall, his campaign said Tuesday. Pennsylvania has emerged as the nation’s premier presidential battleground state, and Shapiro’s strong showing in the 2022 governor’s race elevated his profile within the Democratic Party, where he’s viewed as a potential 2028 White House contender. In the general election, Shapiro, 52, is expected to face Stacy Garrity, the twice-elected state treasurer who has been endorsed by the state Republican Party.



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3 winning scratch-off lotto tickets totaling $7.5M sold in Pennsylvania

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3 winning scratch-off lotto tickets totaling .5M sold in Pennsylvania


RADNOR TWP., Pa. (WPVI) — Three winning scratch-off tickets totaling $7.5 million were sold in Pennsylvania, lottery officials announced on Monday.

One winning “MONOPOLY Own It All” ticket worth $5 million was sold in Delaware County at the GIANT on the 500 block of East Lancaster Avenue. The grocery store will receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

“MONOPOLY Own It All” is a $50 game that offers top prizes of $5 million.

In Erie County, a $1.5 million-winning “Cash Spectacular” scratch-off was purchased at a Sheetz on Perry Highway. “Cash Spectacular” is a $30 game that offers top prizes of $1.5 million.

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And in Luzerne County, a $1 million-winning “Millionaire Loading” scratch-off was sold at Schiel’s Family Market in Wilkes-Barre. “Millionaire Loading” is a $20 game that offers top prizes of $1 million.

Scratch-off prizes expire one year from the game’s end-sale date posted at palottery.com.

Winners should immediately sign the back of their ticket and call the Pennsylvania Lottery at 1-800-692-7481.

Copyright © 2026 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.



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Where did people move to in 2025? Here’s what U-Haul says and how Pennsylvania ranks

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Where did people move to in 2025? Here’s what U-Haul says and how Pennsylvania ranks


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A new report from U-Haul shows where Pennsylvania residents are leaving to and where new residents are coming from in 2025. Here’s what to know about U-Haul’s top 10 states with the most and least growth numbers.

Eight warm weather states made U-Haul’s top 10 growth list for 2025, while eight states in the colder Northeast and Midwest filled out the bottom 10, including Pennsylvania and neighboring New York, New Jersey, and Ohio. Delaware ranked 21 out of 50 states in growth for 2025.

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U-Haul also noted besides geography, that seven of the 10 states with the most growth featured Republican governors, nine of which went red in the last presidential election, and 9 out of 10 in the bottom growth states featured Democrat governors, seven of which went blue in the last presidential election.

“We continue to find that life circumstances — marriage, children, a death in the family, college, jobs and other events — dictate the need for most moves,” said John “J.T.” Taylor, U-Haul International president in press release. Adding, “But other factors can be important to people who are looking to change their surroundings. In-migration states are often appealing to those customers.”

U-Haul ranks states growth based on their one-way customer transactions that rented trucks, trailers or moving containers in one state and dropped it off in another state. Their growth index included over 2.5 million annual one-way transactions across the United States and Canada.

Texas holds the number one U-Haul growth state for the seventh time in the last 10 years while California ranked last for the sixth year in a how.

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Pennsylvania’s growth rank for 2025 remained at a low 46 out of 50 states, same as 2024, and compared relatively similar to its growth numbers over the last 10 years, according to U-Haul’s data, with the exception during 2022-2023 when its highest growth numbers hit 24 out of 50 in 2022 and 38 out of 50 in 2023.

Oregon, Mississippi, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Louisiana and Montana were among the biggest year-over-year gainers in 2025 compared to U-Haul’s 2024 rankings, while Ohio, Virginia, Indiana, Iowa, Delaware and Nebraska saw the biggest drops.

While the national average rent in the U.S. sits at approximately $1,623 per month (0.4% higher than this time last year) the Keystone State boasts a lower rent average at approximately $1,526 per month (1.9% higher than last year), according to Apartments.com. It is ranked 34th least expensive rent by state.

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Here’s what to know about Pennsylvania and what states saw the most and least growth in 2025 according to U-Haul.

Top 10 U-Haul growth states of 2025

In 2025 Pennsylvania ranked 46 out of 50 states on growth as reported by U-Haul.

  1. Texas
  2. Florida
  3. North Carolina
  4. Tennessee
  5. South Carolina
  6. Washington
  7. Arizona
  8. Idaho
  9. Alabama
  10. Georgia

U-Haul reported the 10 states with the lowest growth numbers were lead by California, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Connecticut, and Michigan.

Where are Pennsylvania residents moving to and from?

According to the company’s semiannual U.S. migration trends report, based on the one-way rental data after the summer’s high moving season, it revealed that while Pennsylvania remains a top destination, Pennsylvanians are also packing up and heading out. Here’s where they moved to:

  • New York
  • Maryland
  • North Carolina
  • Massachusettes
  • Ohio
  • Michigan
  • Florida
  • California
  • Washington D.C.

According to this report, here’s what states new residents came from:

  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Maryland
  • Florida
  • Virginia
  • North Carolina
  • Delaware
  • Massachusetts
  • Ohio
  • Texas
  • West Virginia
  • Michigan



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