North Carolina governor vetoes another set of bills, including one on guns in private schools
Stein topped off his veto total at 14 for this year's legislative session. One of the vetoes prolongs the extensive battle between the governor's office and GOP-controlled legislature over gun laws — an issue Republican lawmakers prioritized when they came to Raleigh.
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Vancouver Sun
31 minutes ago
- Vancouver Sun
Trump calls for MAGA base to end 'Epstein Files' obsession
Washington (AFP) — President Donald Trump urged his political base on Saturday to stop attacking his administration over files related to notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a case that has become an obsession for conspiracy theorists. Trump's Department of Justice and the FBI said in a memo made public last week that there was no evidence that the disgraced financier kept a 'client list' or was blackmailing powerful figures. They also dismissed the claim that Epstein was murdered in jail, confirming his death by suicide at a New York prison in 2019, and said they would not be releasing any more information on the probe. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The move was met with incredulity by some on the US far-right — many of whom have backed Trump for years — and strident criticism of Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel. 'What's going on with my 'boys' and, in some cases, 'gals?' They're all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!' Trump said Saturday in a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform. 'We're on one Team, MAGA, and I don't like what's happening. We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and 'selfish people' are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein,' he added, referring to his 'Make America Great Again' movement. Many among the MAGA faithful have long contended that so-called 'Deep State' actors were hiding information on Epstein's elite associates. 'Next the DOJ will say 'Actually, Jeffrey Epstein never even existed,'' furious pro-Trump conspiracy theorist Alex Jones tweeted after last week's move. 'This is over the top sickening.' Far-right influencer Laura Loomer called for Trump to fire Bondi over the issue, labelling her 'an embarrassment.' But on Saturday, Trump came to the defence of his attorney general, suggesting that the so-called 'Epstein Files' were a hoax perpetrated by the Democratic Party for political gain, without specifying what benefits they hoped to attain. On Saturday, Trump struck an exasperated tone in his admonishment of his supporters. 'For years, it's Epstein, over and over again,' he said. 'Let's…not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.' The U.S. president called for Patel and Bondi to instead focus on what he terms 'The Rigged and Stolen Election of 2020,' which Trump lost to Joe Biden. The Republican has repeatedly perpetuated unfounded conspiracy theories about his loss being due to fraud. He called for the FBI to be allowed to focus on that investigation 'instead of spending month after month looking at nothing but the same old, Radical Left inspired Documents on Jeffrey Epstein. LET PAM BONDI DO HER JOB — SHE'S GREAT!' Trump, who appears in at least one decades-old video alongside Epstein at a party, has denied allegations that he was named in the files or had any direct connection to the financier. 'The conspiracy theories just aren't true, never have been,' said FBI Director Patel on Saturday, hours before Trump's social media post. Not everyone, however, seemed to be on the same page. U.S. media reported that Dan Bongino — an influential right-wing podcast host whom Trump appointed FBI deputy director — had threatened to resign over the administration's handling of the issue.
Toronto Sun
an hour ago
- Toronto Sun
One year after Trump assassination attempt, changes at Secret Service but questions remain
Published Jul 13, 2025 • 5 minute read Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. Photo by Evan Vucci, File / AP Photo WASHINGTON — In many ways, the assassination attempt against Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania campaign stop was a perfect storm of failings coming together that allowed 20-year-old Michael Thomas Crooks to climb on top of a nearby building and take eight shots at the once and future president. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account One attendee was killed, two others wounded and a bullet grazed Trump's ear before a Secret Service counter sniper opened fire on Crooks and killed him. That day jolted an already chaotic race for the White House and solidified Trump's iconic status in his party and beyond. It also became a turning point for the agency tasked with protecting the president. As more details emerged about what went wrong, questions multiplied: What happened to the Secret Service's planning? Why was a rooftop with a clear line of sight to Trump left unguarded? What motivated the shooter? Another incident in September where a gunman camped in the shrubbery outside one of Trump's golf courses before being spotted and shot at by a Secret Service agent also raised questions about the agency's performance. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A year after Butler, multiple investigations have detailed the breakdowns that day. Under a new leader hired by Trump, the agency has been pushing to address those problems but key questions remain. 'This was a wake-up call for the Secret Service,' said retired supervisory agent Bobby McDonald, who's now a criminal justice lecturer at the University of New Haven. Here's a look at what went wrong, what's been done to address problems and the questions still unanswered. How'd he get on that roof? Who was talking to who? All the investigations zeroed in on a few specific problems. The building with a clear sight line to the stage where the president was speaking only 135 metres (157 yards) away was left unguarded. Crooks eventually boosted himself up there and fired eight shots with an AR-style rifle. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Secret Service's investigation into its own agency's conduct said that it wasn't that the line-of-sight risks weren't known about ahead of time. It was that multiple personnel assessed them as 'acceptable.' Supervisors had expected large pieces of farm equipment would be situated to block the view from the building. Those ultimately weren't placed, and staffers who visited the site before the rally didn't tell their supervisors that the line-of-sight concerns hadn't been addressed, the report said. Another glaring problem: fragmented communications between the Secret Service and the local law enforcement that the agency regularly relies on to secure events. Instead of having one unified command post with representatives from every agency providing security in the same room, there were two command posts at the rally. One investigation described a 'chaotic mixture' of radio, cell phone, text, and email used to communicate that day. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Secret Service issued a report Thursday about what it has done to address problems laid bare at Butler. 'Since President Trump appointed me as director of the United States Secret Service, I have kept my experience on July 13 top of mind, and the agency has taken many steps to ensure such an event can never be repeated in the future,' said Sean Curran, whom Trump tasked with leading the agency. Curran was one of the agents standing next to Trump as he was hustled off the stage after the shooting. The agency said it had implemented 21 of the 46 recommendations made by Congressional oversight bodies. The rest were either in progress or not up to the agency to implement. Some of what they've done involves new equipment and a greater emphasis on addressing threats from above. They've created a new Aviation Division to oversee aerial operations like drones. The agency said it has two armored ATVs for use on golf courses and is producing another three. And they're purchasing mobile command vehicles that will be pre-positioned around the country. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But much of what the agency says it has done is about changing policies and procedures to address those July 13 lapses _ things like revising their manual to 'advance procedures and communication practices' when it comes to coordinating with local law enforcement or clarifying who's responsible for events where protectees are appearing. They've updated their procedures about documenting line-of-sight concerns and how those concerns are going to be addressed. So far it doesn't appear that anyone has been or will be fired, although the agency's director at the time, Kim Cheatle, swiftly resigned. The agency said Thursday that six staffers have been disciplined with suspensions ranging from 10 to 42 days without pay; the six were placed on restricted duty or nonoperational positions. Their identities and positions were not released. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In many ways Crooks and his motivations are still a mystery. He was killed by a Secret Service countersniper and did not leave much information about why he did what he did. Investigators say they believe he acted alone and they didn't find any threatening comments or ideological positions on social media that shed light on his thinking. And while it's clear what went wrong in Butler, questions linger about how things that were so clearly problematic — like that open roof — weren't addressed ahead of time. Anthony Cangelosi, a former Secret Service agent who is now a lecturer at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said that without being able to read the interviews with the agents involved in the Butler planning it's hard to know exactly why they did what they did. A year later, he still struggles with how so many things went wrong. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I can't understand how many errors were made on that site that day,' he said. 'If they agreed to leave that roof unoccupied, I can't … understand it for the life of me.' The widow of Corey Comperatore, who died during the Butler assassination attempt, echoed some of that sentiment during an interview with Fox News this week. 'Why was that such a failure? Why weren't they paying attention? Why did they think that that roof didn't need covered? I want to sit down and talk to them,' Helen Comperatore said. Cangelosi said he still questions whether the agency asked for additional personnel to cover a busy election year and if they did, whether those requests were granted. He thinks the Secret Service needs better pay to retain agents tempted to leave the agency for other federal government jobs. McDonald said he suspects part of the problem ahead of the Butler rally was that the Secret Service might have had a hard time understanding that the type of protection Trump needed wasn't the same as for other former presidents. He said it 'boggles the mind' how Crooks was able to get on that roof and said that 'communication' and 'complacency' are the two issues that he thinks really went wrong in Butler. But he also said that he feels the agency is moving in the right direction. 'A lot of good people doing a lot good work there,' he said, 'and I hope they continue to move in the right direction.' Golf NHL Toronto & GTA World Toronto & GTA
Toronto Star
an hour ago
- Toronto Star
Israeli strikes kill at least 30 in Gaza as Palestinian war deaths top 58,000
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 30 people on Sunday, including six children at a water collection point, while the Palestinian death toll passed 58,000 after 21 months of war, local health officials said. Israel and Hamas appeared no closer to a breakthrough in indirect talks meant to pause the war and free some Israeli hostages after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Washington visit last week. A new sticking point has emerged over Israeli troops ' deployment during a ceasefire.
