Northeast
Trump assassination attempt: Grassley demands Secret Service answer explosive claims in bodycam footage
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is calling on the Secret Service to explain a Butler police officer’s claims that the agency met local law enforcement days before the attempted assassination attempt on former President Trump. The officer says in newly released bodycam footage that he had told the Secret Service to secure the building where shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks got off his shots.
Grassley is also demanding that the agency address assertions Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe made at a recent Senate hearing about the line-of-sight local counter-snipers had on the day. Local police are disputing the line-of-sight evidence Rowe claims they had that day.
The lawmaker made the demands in a letter he wrote to Rowe on Friday as part of his ongoing investigation into the assassination attempt of Trump and the killing of local firefighter Corey Comperatore at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13.
FUMING POLICE OFFICER SAYS HE TOLD SECRET SERVICE TO SECURE TRUMP SHOOTER BUILDING DAYS BEFORE RALLY: BODYCAM
An alleged view of the position of counter-sniper teams at a Trump rally. The image contains a yellow marker depicting where Crooks was positioned and indicates that the local counter-snipers had a clear view of him.
“Were you aware of this body camera footage before your July 30 congressional testimony? If not, why not?” Grassley writes.
In the letter, Grassley calls on Rowe to “describe in detail the ‘Tuesday meeting’ that occurred with [the] Secret Service? If so, did you review it in advance of your testimony?”
“In addition, list all local, state, and federal personnel present at that meeting, provide all records and precisely answer whether the statement from the Butler Township officer is an accurate representation of events,” the letter states.
In the bodycam footage, the local officer can be heard saying to a colleague: “I f—ing told them they need to post the f—ing guys over here … the Secret Service,” the officer says. “I told them that f—ing Tuesday. I told them to f—ing post guys over here.”
Grassley writes that as of Aug. 9, Beaver County ESU claim that the Secret Service had not met with them to discuss the events of July 13.
“This type of meeting should be standard, even more so before you are sworn in and provide testimony to Congress,” the letter reads. “Unfortunately, this further points to the communications issues that are in part to blame for that day, that seemingly continue to plague the Secret Service.”
TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: PENNSYLVANIA POLICE RELEASE BODYCAM FROM DEADLY BUTLER RALLY
The image depicts the position of local law enforcement’s counter-sniper team inside the AGR building. (Sen. Chuck Grassley)
In Rowe’s July 30 testimony before the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security committees, he provided an image of the purported line of sight from where local counter-snipers were positioned. The image contains a yellow marker depicting where Crooks was positioned and indicates that the counter-snipers had a clear view of him.
However, Grassley writes that as part of his investigation, local law enforcement disputes the angle of the picture, stating to him that “the picture you provided neither accurately depicts their line of sight and coverage area from their position in the building nor their physical placement within the building.”
Grassley, in the letter, provides an image of what local law enforcement claim is “their true physical location” with two second floor windows circled. Other images show the local snipers line of sight and the rooftop where Crooks was stationed is not visible.
A Beaver or Butler County sniper position is in place at the rally for former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024. The former president was shot at in an assassination attempt at the rally, resulting in the death of one of the rally goers. (Provided by Senator Chuck Grassley )
Grassley goes on in the letter to list a number of demands from Rowe, including calling on him to provide a site diagram where all local and federal law enforcement counter snipers were positioned as well as their assigned coverage areas, along with the shooter’s positions throughout the day.
He asks if such photographs and diagrams conflict with Secret Service records regarding how local snipers were supposed to be positioned and how the AGR building was supposed to be covered.
Grassley also wants Rowe to explain and provide records of what meetings took place before the rally and if the agency walked through the AGR building in advance of the event. He is also seeking to know if any federal law enforcement personnel at the event saw a person on the roof prior to Crooks opening fire.
A Beaver or Butler County sniper position is in place at the rally for former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024. The former president was shot at in an assassination attempt at the rally, resulting in the death of one of the rally goers. (Provided by Senator Chuck Grassley )
Grassley has also written to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas about Asif Merchant, a Pakistani man with ties to the Iranian government, who is alleged to have sought to carry assassinate former President Trump, a case that was investigated weeks before the July 13 rally.
Merchant was arrested on July 12 while preparing to leave the U.S., authorities said, after Merchant allegedly tried to hire undercover FBI agents as assassins.
Grassley is asking Mayorkas for Merchant’s immigration records, including of he was granted significant public benefit parole before or after being placed on the terrorist watchlist.
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Boston, MA
Jaylen Brown says Celtics showed ‘lack of respect’ after trade to 76ers – The Boston Globe
Amid several reports that said Brown didn’t request a trade and that Boston actually thought Derrick White was the best player on the 2025-26 roster, an already motivated Brown now has an even larger chip on his shoulder after the Celtics dealt him away.
“The message was received,” Brown said. “I wasn’t thrilled with the amount of respect that was shown throughout this process. I think there was a bit of a lack of respect. I think it was fine at one point, then out of nowhere, things just went left. I think Brad [Stevens] is getting a lot of the criticism. I wasn’t thrilled with the way he facilitated some of the conversations.”
After the Celtics fell short in their pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo — Brown was the centerpiece of Boston’s trade package — Stevens was noncommittal when asked about Brown’s future in Boston.
“Jaylen Brown is a big part of us,” Stevens said. “I’m never going to predict the future, but every indication, everything that I think about over the past few years has been building around those guys, right? So obviously, you never know. But at the same time, the one thing I want to make very clear is how valued he’s always been.”
“He’s been amazing. He’s been an amazing teammate, a great person to be around. And whether that run ends 10 years from now when he retires, or before, there’s a lot to celebrate. We have a great relationship, an open relationship where we talk about everything. But I don’t want to predict the future. I look at it as, this is our team.”
Stevens traded Brown to the 76ers on Wednesday in exchange for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks. The deal was widely criticized.
For Brown, the most puzzling aspect was the lack of an explanation.
“I definitely think there’s more to it,” Brown said. “I just wish that more to it could’ve been explained to me. Because I think if more to it was explained, I would’ve understood. I thought I earned the respect to get that explanation. But hey, obviously, I was wrong. That’s life. You move on.”
Brown will now join a 76ers team that, with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and V. J. Edgecombe already in place, could be poised to leapfrog Boston in the Eastern Conference.
“I don’t want [any] special treatment, I don’t need no handouts … I plan on earning my respect one day at a time by putting in the work,” Brown said of playing for Philadelphia. “I’m looking forward to getting in the gym, the whole process.”
“The hard part is, the last 10 years, I’ve been programmed to hate Philadelphia. The history of the rivalry, the playoff battles … I’ve been programmed to think like, ‘[Expletive] The Process’. It’s funny, now I’ve got to reverse-engineer it. But I’ll be ready to go by the time the season starts.”
Conor Ryan can be reached at conor.ryan@globe.com.
Pittsburg, PA
Fireworks Near Me: July 4th Events Around USC, Pittsburgh For 2026
The 90-foot tall Ferris wheel will run from July 1 through July 5 on the North Shore. Tickets are on sale now and 50% of all proceeds will be donated to the Veterans Leadership Program. Tickets can be purchased at: pittsburghpa.gov/july4.
The BNY Main Stage at Point State Park will have entertainment starting at 4 p.m. Headlining the performances will be Grammy- and Tony-Award nominated national pop rock band the Plain White T’s. Shows are free,
As part of the National Flag Foundation’s Light to Unite, the city’s skyscrapers will be illuminated in red, white and blue across Downtown at 9 p.m.
The city’s fireworks spectacular is set to be the city’s largest fireworks display in decades. For the first time, there will be a drone performance immediately before the fireworks start.
The fireworks show will utilize six barges on all three rivers – and some rooftops. Fireworks will begin at 9:35 PM on July 4.
Connecticut
Motorcyclist seriously injured after crashing into parked, unoccupied vehicle in Meriden
MERIDEN, Conn. (WTNH) — A motorcyclist has serious injuries after a crash early Friday morning in Meriden, according to police.
The crash happened just after 3:00 a.m. in the area of Lincoln Street. The motorcyclist was navigating a turn when they struck a parked, unoccupied vehicle, police said.
The motorcyclist was taken to an area trauma center, according to police.
A section of Lincoln Street is blocked for the investigation, police said.
Meriden’s accident investigation team responded to the scene.
Additional information was not immediately available.
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