Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 421

July 13, 2024

Disinformation swirls on social media after Trump rally shooting

Davey Alba | (TNS) Bloomberg News

Moments after former President Donald Trump was escorted off the stage after shots were fired at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, unfounded claims about the event swirled on major social media platforms.

The posts, including some written by U.S. politicians holding elected office, claimed without proof that President Joe Biden had ordered an apparent shooting at the rally. Others baselessly stated that the incident was staged, or circulated posts misidentifying the shooter.

In the aftermath of major news, the facts of an event are not always immediately clear. Law enforcement, including the Secret Service, the FBI, Pennsylvania state police and the Justice Department have said they are continuing to investigate the shooting, including the possibility it was an assassination attempt.

Experts urged caution before sharing unsubstantiated information.

“In any fast developing event, there is inevitably a high influx of false or unverified information, especially on social media,” said Graham Brookie, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab, which studies social media misinformation.

On X, several politicians accused Biden or his campaign of being “directly” behind the apparent shooting, without providing evidence.

Georgia Rep. Mike Collins posted simply, “Joe Biden sent the orders,” while Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, a top contender for Trump’s vice-presidential running mate, wrote on X that the Biden campaign’s rhetoric “led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”

Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson pointed to unnamed figures on the left whom he accused of being “directly responsible” for the events at Trump’s campaign rally.

Collins, Vance and Jackson did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Their posts on X altogether garnered more than 7.3 million views on Saturday evening, according to data from the social media platform.

As of late Saturday evening, the shooter’s name had not been released to the public though NBC News said authorities have tentatively identified the man as approximately 20 years old and from Pennsylvania.

Earlier posts on X, Telegram and Gab, forums favored by many on the far-right, misidentified the shooter as a man called Mark Violets, calling him a “known Antifa extremist” that refers to the loosely organized leftist movement. According to NBC News, the misidentified person circulated in posts that included a photo was Marco Violi, an Italian YouTuber who has denied any involvement in the shooting.

Immediately after the shooting, hundreds of thousands of posts reaching millions of views circulated on X claiming the shooting at the Pennsylvania rally was “staged,” according to data from the social media platform — without offering any evidence. Despite being quickly debunked, many of the posts remained live on the platform.

In the past year, content moderation efforts on major social media platforms have been weakened, as social media analysis tools have been shelved by Meta Platforms Inc. and others, and efforts from academic teams tracking misinformation, such as the Stanford Internet Observatory, have wound down.

(Daniel Zuidijk contributed to this report.)

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Published on July 13, 2024 22:40

How could a gunman get close enough to nearly assassinate a former president?

Seema Mehta | (TNS) Los Angeles Times

The attempt to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday raised questions about security protocols and how a gunman could open fire so close to the presumptive GOP nominee.

The shooting, which left a spectator dead and injured Trump and at least two others, stunned operatives of both political parties who have seen firsthand the level of precision, care and detail the Secret Service takes in safeguarding its charges. American presidents and former presidents are among the most protected politicians in the world, with multiple layers of security — some visible to the public and others covert.

Democrat Bill Burton saw the intricate level of protection while accompanying then-Sen. Barack Obama during his 2008 campaign and then as a member of his White House administration.

“In the political world, people often ignore the humanity on the other side, but ultimately, former President Trump came within an inch of losing his life today,” said Burton after watching the story unfold live on television monitors during a layover at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. “And regardless of what these next months and years hold, I don’t think any of us want to live in a country where that is a reality for our leaders.”

At campaign rallies and official White House events, the level of security for spectators is greater than at an airport checkpoint. Items as innocuous as umbrellas are often confiscated. For reporters and others in close proximity to the president or a prominent candidate, the security is even more in-depth, with background checks and trained dogs smelling bags and equipment.

In addition to such publicly visible efforts, agents are often perched on rooftops with long guns when a protectee appears in public. Motorcades are guarded by federal, state and local law enforcement. Buildings and event sites are screened and safeguarded in advance, and intelligence about potential threats is vetted.

The assassination attempt took place on the cusp of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, which starts Monday, with Trump expected to accept his party’s nomination on Thursday.

Security during such events is extraordinarily tight and is certain to grow stricter after what occurred on Saturday.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, said he and his staff are communicating with the agencies coordinating security for the event.

“We cannot be a country that accepts political violence of any kind — that is not who we are as Americans,” Evers said on the social media platform X.

As Trump addressed supporters on Saturday, shots rang out. The former president clapped his hand to the side of his face and ducked, with Secret Service agents quickly surrounding him and whisking him away as blood dripped near his right ear.

One spectator was killed and two were critically injured. The shooter, perched on a rooftop outside the event perimeter, was killed by Secret Service agents, according to the Associated Press and other media outlets.

“Quite frankly, I don’t know how he would have gotten to the location where he was, but he was outside the grounds,” Butler County District Attorney Richard A. Goldinger told CNN. “And I think that’s something that we’re gonna have to figure out how he got there.”

“We haven’t seen this since Reagan,” he added. “It’s mind blowing. You know, maybe we got a little lackadaisical about it, that this wouldn’t happen to a president or a former president. But it’s crazy. Sadly, maybe it’s just the state of our current political situation.”

The last publicly known assassination attempt of a president or former president occurred in 1981 when Ronald Reagan was shot and seriously injured as he left a hotel in Washington, D.C.

An adviser to 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney said the danger grows exponentially at outdoor events, which he described as “the most difficult.”

“So many ways to get a weapon in. Could have been tossed over a fence. Dug into the ground and placed earlier. Who knows?” said the adviser, asking not to be identified to speak candidly about the situation.

Burton said that while the Secret Service offers “the best protection in the world … any security official would tell you that it is nearly impossible to stop a committed lone wolf who is willing to die for his cause.”

Obama received Secret Service protection earlier than any presidential candidate in history because of the level of threats against him.

“I was absolutely shocked and immediately saddened,” said Burton of Saturday’s violence.

The Secret Service was charged with protecting presidents in 1902 after the assassination of President William McKinley the previous year. Its duties — safeguarding the nation’s leaders and their families — have grown over the years, most significantly after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.

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Published on July 13, 2024 22:20

Plowden impresses as Warriors continue undefeated Summer League

LAS VEGAS — In team-building activities and at practice, with uplifting speeches and a “just us” huddle breakdown, Anthony Vereen has been trying to instill positivity and togetherness.

“We always talk about connection as one of our core principles,” Vereen said after a Summer League practice this week.

Whatever it is, he must be doing something right.

Last year, the Warriors went winless in the Summer League; under Vereen this time around, Golden State has won all four of its contests after Saturday’s 90-73 victory over Phoenix.

Daeqwon Plowden (19 points on 8-for-12 shooting) made a major impact, both inside and out, as he and Brandin Podziemski led the Warriors to their third blowout win in four Summer League games. Podziemski, the Summer League Warrior with the highest expectations, finished with 16 points six assists and seven rebounds while looking comfortable initiating the offense.

“He’s showing that he should be in the NBA,” Vereen said of Plowden. “The way he plays so hard, aggressively, on both ends, he doesn’t take a play off. It’s a pleasure as a coach to watch him put himself in a better position.”

The Warriors closed the first quarter on a 15-2 run behind a pair of 3-pointers by Podziemski and a swarming defense. That blitz earned the Warriors a 13-point lead.

The game before, in the California Classic finale, Golden State nearly choked away a 21-point lead over the Kings, but ended up surviving.

There was no concern of blowing a lead this time around. They wouldn’t let the Suns get within single digits again.

With Podziemski organizing and Plowden finishing, Golden State extended its lead to 20. The Warriors drained seven of their first 16 3-point attempts and limited Phoenix from behind the arc on the other end.

Like most Summer League games, the Suns and Warriors didn’t play especially clean basketball. In the first 20 minutes, they combined for 20 turnovers, several of which turned into fast breaks.

Phoenix cut the Warriors’ lead to 11 in the third, but back-to-back dunks from Plowden prevented a true run from materializing. The first came off excellent ball-handling from Podziemski against rookie Ryan Dunn’s pressure, and the second came on a fast break where he ran his lane hard. Another slam later was a put-back jam while he flew in from the weak-side corner.

Also in the period, off an Ethan Thompson block, Plowden canned a corner 3 in transition to push his points total to 19. At 6-foot-6, the 25-year-old free agent has the makeup of a real two-way force.

“Within the flow of the game,” Vereen said. “You’re going to be a role player at the next level, they’re not going to run plays for you. So to have a guy be so efficient and effective without a play being called for him, to do the dirty things and the small things, he’s showing us that he can play well in the NBA.”

A personal 6-0 run from Trayce Jackson-Davis sent the Warriors into the fourth quarter with a 19-point advantage. The rest of the way was more of the same.

Late in the fourth, with the game in hand, Plowden opted against taking an open 3 in the corner, instead touching an extra pass to Thompson for an even cleaner look from 3.

“I think it’s all flow,” Plowden said of the play. “We know Ethan’s a great player. Even though I had it going tonight, we all know Ethan can get going at any moment…It went from a good look to a great look.”

Since Summer League began, Vereen has been pushing a philosophy of fast pace, unselfishness and connectivity. Besides the second half of the Kings game, the Warriors have embraced everything he has tried to pass down to them.

Plowden’s embodying it.

NotableSecond-round pick Quinten Post didn’t dress for a fourth straight game as the Warriors await clearance from the performance staff. Post was a full participant in the team’s last two practices and has been ramping up from a minor leg injury. Roman Sorkin was also inactive.Chris Paul sat courtside in the Thomas & Mack Center with his new coach, Gregg Popovich and teammate, Harrison Barnes. The Spurs game was right before the Warriors’ contest, so Paul had time to catch up with scores of Warriors staffers and coaches on the court.Jonathan Kuminga, Gary Payton II, Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney sat courtside for the Warriors’ game. Kuminga sat with his agent and did a sideline interview with ESPN before signing a couple autographs for fans and greeting Mike Dunleavy Jr., who was doing a live hit at the broadcast booth.Summer League center Marques Bolden appeared to injure his lower left leg halfway through the second quarter. He couldn’t get up after going for a rebound and grabbed at his left heel or ankle before teammates helped him to the locker room.Bolden, a veteran free agent, has had a nice camp with the Warriors. Injuries have disrupted his NBA career, but he has talent as a rim protector and trail 3-point shooter.

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Published on July 13, 2024 21:55

Pro soccer: Union play Tulsa to scoreless draw

SEASIDE — Missed opportunities left Monterey Bay F.C. and 4,000 plus fans numb in the fog Saturday at Cardinale Stadium.

While a point was produced, the Union could’ve and perhaps should have manufactured three points after playing FC Tulsa to a scoreless draw.

Monterey Bay F.C., who slipped to seventh place in the Western Conference’s United Soccer League Championship, outshot Tulsa 12-8, missing a penalty kick in the 90th minute to keep the game scoreless.

The Union, who have failed to score a goal in eight matches this season and have just 18 goals in 20 matches on the pitch –have 26 points in the standings, which would put them in the postseason for the first time if the season ended today.

Despite going 2-1-1 in their last four matches to improve to 7-8-5, a week off couldn’t be coming at a better time for Monterey Bay F.C., who has been riddled all season by injuries, with seven players out against Tulsa.

The Union did welcome back goalie and USL save leader Antony Siaha, who made two huge stops in the second half to keep Tulsa off the board in producing his fifth shutout of the season.

With Carlos Herrera — who started for an injured Siaha — registering a shutout last week between the pipes for Monterey Bay F.C., the team has not allowed a goal in its last 231 minutes.

The Union squandered a scoring opportunity in the 90th minute of the match when Ousseni Bouda’s penalty kick was stopped by Tulsa goalie Johan Penaranda.

Bouda, who is on loan from the San Jose Earthquakes, produced the game-winning goal last week in the Union’s 1-0 victory in Pittsburgh, snapping a five-game road losing streak.

With the tie, the Union are now 4-2-3 at home this year. Seven of their last 14 matches in the USL are at home. Ironically, the last time these franchises faced each other at Cardinale Stadium in 2023, it was a scoreless battle.

Fighting to get back in the postseason chase, Tulsa is 2-1-2 in its last five matches after a 2-5-4 start, sitting in the 11th spot with 18 points.

The Union will return to the pitch on July 27 at Louisville City FC.

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Published on July 13, 2024 21:39

Four US presidents were assassinated; others were targeted, as were presidential candidates

By Darlene Superville and Christina A. Cassidy, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Before Saturday’s apparent attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, there have been multiple instances of political violence targeting U.S. presidents, former presidents and major party presidential candidates.

A look at some of the assassinations and attempted assassinations that have occurred since the nation’s founding in 1776:

ABRAHAM LINCOLN, the 16th president

Lincoln was the first president to be assassinated, shot by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865, as he and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, attended a special performance of the comedy “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s Theatre in Washington.

FILE _ This April 1865 photo provided by the Library of Congress shows President Abraham Lincoln's box at Ford's Theater, the site of his assassination. (AP Photo/Library of Congress, File)

This April 1865 file photo provided by the Library of Congress shows President Abraham Lincoln’s box at Ford’s Theater, the site of his assassination. (AP Photo/Library of Congress, File)

Lincoln was taken to a house across the street from the theater for medical treatment after he was shot in the back of the head. He died the next morning. His support for Black rights has been cited as a motive behind his killing.

Two years before the assassination, during the Civil War, which was fought over slavery, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation granting freedom to slaves within the Confederacy.

Lincoln was succeeded by Vice President Andrew Johnson.

Booth was shot and killed on April 26, 1865, after he was found hiding in a barn near Bowling Green, Virginia.

JAMES GARFIELD, the 20th president

Garfield was the second president to be assassinated, six months after taking office. He was walking through a train station in Washington on July 2, 1881, to catch a train to New England when he was shot by Charles Guiteau.

Alexander Graham Bell, the telephone inventor, tried unsuccessfully to find the bullet lodged in Garfield’s chest using a device he designed specifically for the president. The mortally wounded president lay at the White House for several weeks but died in September after he was taken to the New Jersey shore. He had held office for six months.

Garfield was succeeded by Vice President Chester Arthur.

Guiteau was found guilty and executed in June 1882.

WILLIAM McKINLEY, the 25th president

McKinley was shot after giving a speech in Buffalo, New York, on Sept. 6, 1901. He was shaking hands with people passing through a receiving line when a man fired two shots into his chest at point-blank range. Doctors had expected McKinley to recover but gangrene then set in around the bullet wounds.

FILE – An undated photo of William McKinley, 25th President of the United States. He was inaugurated in 1897, and again in 1901 just prior to being assassinated on Sept. 6, 1901. (AP Photo, File)

McKinley died on Sept. 14, 1901, six months after opening his second term.

He was succeeded by Vice President Theodore Roosevelt.

Leon F. Czolgosz, an unemployed, 28-year-old Detroit resident, admitted to the shooting. Czolgosz was found guilty at trial and put to death in the electric chair on Oct. 29, 1901.

JOHN F. KENNEDY, the 35th president

Kennedy was fatally shot by a hidden assassin armed with a high-powered rifle as he visited Dallas in November 1963 with first lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Shots rang out as the president’s motorcade rolled through Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas.

Kennedy was rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where he died soon after.

He was succeeded by Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, who was sworn into office in a conference room aboard Air Force One. He is the only president to take the oath of office on an airplane.

Hours after the assassination, police arrested Lee Harvey Oswald after finding a sniper’s perch in a nearby building, the Texas School Book Depository.

Two days later, Oswald was being taken from police headquarters to the county jail when Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby rushed forward and fatally shot Oswald.

GERALD FORD, the 38th president

Ford faced two assassination attempts within weeks in 1975 and was not hurt in either incident.

In the first attempt, Ford was on his way to a meeting with California’s governor in Sacramento when Charles Manson disciple Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme pushed through a crowd on the street, drew a semi-automatic pistol and pointed it at Ford. The gun wasn’t fired.

FILE – President Ford ducks behind his limousine and is hustled into the vehicle after a shot was fired as he left the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, Sept. 22, 1975. The President was rushed to the airport to return to Washington. (AP Photo, File)

Fromme was sentenced to prison and released in 2009.

It was 17 days later when another woman, Sara Jane Moore, confronted Ford outside a hotel in San Francisco. Moore fired one shot and missed. A bystander grabbed her arm as a second shot was attempted.

Moore was sent to prison and released in 2007.

RONALD REAGAN, the 40th president

Reagan was leaving a speech in Washington, D.C., and walking to his motorcade when he was shot by John Hinckley Jr., who was in the crowd.

Reagan recovered from the March 1981 shooting. Three other people were shot, including his press secretary, James Brady, who was partially paralyzed as a result.

FILE – In this Monday, March 30, 1981 combination file photos, President Reagan waves, then looks up before being shoved into Presidential limousine by Secret Service agents after being shot outside a Washington hotel. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds, File)

Hinckley was arrested and confined to a mental hospital after a jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity in shooting Reagan. In 2022, Hinckley was freed from court oversight after a judge determined he was “no longer a danger to himself or others.”

GEORGE W. BUSH, the 43rd president

Bush was attending a rally in Tbilisi in 2005 with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili when a hand grenade was thrown toward him.

Both men were behind a bulletproof barrier when the grenade, wrapped in cloth, landed about 100 feet away. The grenade did not explode, and no one was hurt.

Vladimir Arutyunian was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

ROBERT F. KENNEDY, presidential candidate

Kennedy was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination when he was killed at a Los Angeles hotel — moments after giving his victory speech for winning the 1968 California primary.

Kennedy was a U.S. senator from New York and the brother of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated five years earlier.

FILE – In this June 5, 1968 file photo, Hotel busboy Juan Romero, right, comes to the aid of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, as he lies on the floor of the Ambassador hotel in Los Angeles moments after he was shot. Romero was a teenage busboy in June 1968 when Kennedy walked through the Ambassador Hotel kitchen after his victory in the California presidential primary and an assassin shot him in the head. He held the mortally wounded Kennedy as he lay on the ground, struggling to keep the senator’s bleeding head from hitting the floor. (Richard Drew/Pasadena Star News via AP, File)

Five other people were wounded in the shooting.

Sirhan Sirhan was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. That was commuted to life in prison, where Sirhan remains after his latest petition for release was denied last year.

GEORGE C. WALLACE, presidential candidate

Wallace was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination when he was shot during a campaign stop in Maryland in 1972, an incident that left him paralyzed from the waist down.

Wallace, the governor of Alabama, was known for his segregationist views, which he later renounced.

Arthur Bremer was convicted in the shooting and sentenced to prison. He was released in 2007.

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Published on July 13, 2024 19:40

Twins’ upheld home run off Taylor Rogers sends SF Giants to 4-2 loss

SAN FRANCISCO — Video replay upheld one of the Twins’ two would-be home runs against Taylor Rogers in the top of the sixth Saturday afternoon at Oracle Park, which was enough to send the Giants to a 4-2 defeat and even their series at a game apiece.

The score was tied at 2 when Carlos Santana hooked a home run around the left-field foul pole that, upon lengthy video review, was determined to have stayed fair. They went through the same motions a batter later, when Max Kepler sent a ball into McCovey Cove that was ruled and later confirmed to be foul, but that decision proved inconsequential as the Giants mustered only two runs on eight hits against Simeon Woods Richardson and the Twins’ bullpen.

“The ball typically comes back here to both lines with the wind, so it was kind of odd,” manager Bob Melvin said of the sequence. “I guess it hit the foul pole, the one down the left-field line, obviously that was a big run at the time.”

Patrick Bailey launched a two-out fly ball in the eighth that traveled farther than either of the would-be home runs, but he was left stranded on third base as the potential tying run after Matt Chapman popped out to end the inning. Bailey’s 417-foot triple would have been a home run in all 29 other ballparks, according to Statcast.

The Twins padded their lead with a run in the top of the ninth against Sean Hjelle, who allowed the first three batters to reach base.

The loss was the Giants’ 50th of the season, ensuring they will enter the All-Star break no better than three games below .500. They must win Sunday’s finale to avoid ending the first half with their third consecutive series loss.

Rogers entered a tied ballgame after the Giants’ starter, Hayden Birdsong, surrendered two runs (one earned) over five innings, allowing only two hits but harmed by three walks. Both of the Twins’ runs against Birdsong scored in the fourth after he hit the leadoff batter and Mike Yastrzemski misplayed Matt Wallner’s double to right field.

In four starts, the 22-year-old right-hander has a 3.72 ERA, 18 strikeouts and 10 walks over 19⅓ innings, but the Giants’ rotation is about to become a crowded place with the looming returns of Robbie Ray and Alex Cobb after the break.

Birdsong, the Giants’ No. 6 prospect, made only two starts at Triple-A before he was called up to perform emergency duties, and Melvin said more seasoning in Sacramento could be an option but that “it just depends on when we get guys back.

“He seems more and more comfortable every time he goes out there,” Melvin continued. “He’s pitched well. There was a need for us. He only had a couple starts in Triple-A and he’s come up here and performed pretty well. We have big expectations for him down the road. We’ll see how it works out when we start getting some guys back.”

Yastrzemski earned quick redemption for his fourth-inning error in the bottom half by legging out an infield single that scored Michael Conforto from third after a ground-rule double from Wilmer Flores gave them runners at second and third. Adding a single in his first at-bat, Yastrzemski and Bailey were the only Giants to reach base multiple times.

Extending his hitting streak to nine games, Heliot Ramos singled home Jorge Soler to even the score at 2 in the fifth after Soler led off the inning with his 13th double since the start of June, second only to the Reds’ Jonathan India in that span.

Rogers’ worst outing in two months — and the first home run he surrendered since April 27 — so happened to come against the team where he spent the bulk of his career, which gave him a pregame tribute when the Giants visited Target Field last season.

The 33-year-old left-hander had lowered his ERA to 1.98 entering his 40th appearance of the year, limiting opponents over 21 games since May 13 to one run. But after retiring Wallner on four pitches for the first out of the sixth, Rogers fell behind 3-1 to Santana and then threw a sweeper that caught too much of the plate.

The ball landed in the stands in foul territory, but the replay room at MLB’s New York headquarters determined its trajectory carried it fair.

“What’s he got, a 2.00 ERA now?” Melvin said. “He gave up a run. Sometimes it happens.”

The “Core Four” — Jeremy Affeldt, Santiago Casilla, Javier López and Sergio Romo — were inducted into the team’s Wall of Fame in a pregame ceremony.

Bryce Eldridge, the 19-year-old first baseman the Giants selected 16th overall in last year’s amateur draft, took part in the Future’s Game at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, to kick off All-Star week, going 1-for-2 and scoring a run in the National League’s 6-1 win.

Up next

In their final game before the All-Star break, LHP Blake Snell (0-3, 7.85) battles RHP Chris Paddack (5-3, 3.18) and looks to build on his longest start with the Giants the last time he took the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.

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Published on July 13, 2024 19:09

Condemnation of Trump rally shooting crosses party lines, and blame game and calls for probe begin

By Gary Fields, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican and Democratic leaders, as well as some international friends and foes, expressed shock and relief Saturday night after an apparent assassination attempt at a Donald Trump campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Lawmakers from both parties promised hearings and a comprehensive investigation into the attack.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said there would be hearings to investigate what happened. “We will have Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and other appropriate officials from (the Department of Homeland Security) and the FBI appear for a hearing before our committees ASAP,” Johnson said.

House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said in a statement that there were many questions to be answered. “I have already contacted the Secret Service for a briefing and am also calling on Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to appear for a hearing. The Oversight Committee will send a formal invitation soon.”

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., suggested on X that the Senate might hold similar hearings. “It’s a wonder Donald Trump is alive. Let’s call this what it was. An assassination attempt with at least one innocent bystander murdered. The nation needs to know who did this. And why. And we need a full, public investigation by Congress into HOW it happened,” Hawley posted.

Notable officials, including former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, praised the fast action of the Secret Service and expressed gratitude that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee appeared to be OK.

“As one whose family has been the victim of political violence, I know firsthand that political violence of any kind has no place in our society. I thank God that former President Trump is safe,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement. “As we learn more details about this horrifying incident, let us pray that all those in attendance at the former President’s rally today are unharmed.”

Pelosi’s husband was bludgeoned with a hammer in 2022 by a man who broke into their home.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is helped off the stage at a campaign event in Butler, Pa., on Saturday, July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

The crowd reacts after shots were fired at republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump’s rally on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

A campaign rally site for Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is empty and littered with debris Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is rushed offstage during a rally on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is covered by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

People take cover as U.S. Secret Service agents surround Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump on stage at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surround by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – JULY 13: People watch television news at a bar in Milwaukee displaying images from a campaign rally for former U.S. President Donald Trump where he was apparently injured on July 13, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Details are unclear, but Secret Service quickly ushered Trump away while speaking at the Pennsylvania rally. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is rushed offstage during a rally on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is covered by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is covered by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is rushed offstage during a rally on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., said he had spoken to his father on the phone and “he is in great spirits.” “He will never stop fighting to save America, no matter what the radical left throws at him,” Trump Jr. said in a statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on X: “Sara and I were shocked by the apparent attack on President Trump. We pray for his safety and speedy recovery.”

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who has an adversarial relationship with Trump, said during a campaign event broadcast on state television that he wished Trump a speedy recovery: “May God bless the people of the United States and give them peace and tranquility. We have been adversaries, but I wish President Trump health and long life, and I repudiate that attack.”

Obama, Trump’s immediate predecessor in the White House, shared the views of others who have held the presidency, writing on social media: “There is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy. Although we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn’t seriously hurt, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics. Michelle and I are wishing him a quick recovery.”

President Joe Biden said: “There’s no place in America for this type of violence. It’s sick. It’s sick.”

Bush praised the Secret Service for their “speedy response” to the violence. “Laura and I are grateful that President Trump is safe following the cowardly attack on his life,” Bush wrote on X.

The messages of concern and relief were mixed with accusations that Biden was responsible and at least one call that the criminal cases against Trump be stopped.

Trump was convicted in New York in May on 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex. He is awaiting trials in federal courts in Washington, D.C., and state court in Georgia on allegations of plotting to overturn a lost election, and a federal case in Florida that accuses him of illegally stowing classified documents at his Florida estate.

Posting on X, Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee called for “President Biden to immediately order that all federal criminal charges against President Trump be dropped, and to ask the governors of New York and Georgia to do the same.”

Republican House member, Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia, laid the blame on Biden, saying, “The Republican District Attorney in Butler County, PA, should immediately file charges against Joseph R. Biden for inciting an assassination.” Collins, a freshman member of Congress from a district east of Atlanta, has a history of provocative social media statements.

Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, who has been identified as a potential vice presidential running mate for Trump, said on X that the violence was “not just some isolated incident. The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”

Associated Press writers Bill Barrow, Nicholas Riccardi, Hannah Schoenbaum, Stefanie Dazio, Jeff Amy, Jill Colvin, Yuri Kateyama, Farnoush Amiri and Jorge Rueda contributed to this report.

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Published on July 13, 2024 18:24

Horoscopes July 13, 2024: Ken Jeong, make a difference

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Ken Jeong, 55; Cheech Marin, 78; Harrison Ford, 82; Patrick Stewart, 84.

Happy Birthday: Choose your words wisely and make your intentions clear. Look at situations through the eyes of others before you make demands. Compromise, compassion and caring enough to put others at ease will be your passages to success this year. Put your energy, effort and efficiency to the test, and be the one to make a difference. Where there’s a will, there’s a way to improve life. Your numbers are 6, 14, 21, 29, 36, 41, 45.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Participate, make positive changes that highlight your attributes, and challenge yourself to be and do your best. Express your intentions with passion and sincerity. You will make progress by taking a stance and believing in yourself and what you can do. Make personal improvements to your quest. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Someone will scrutinize you for your actions and words. Think before you proceed, and save yourself from being forced into a defensive position. Work quietly behind the scenes where you can accomplish the most with the least amount of interference. Declutter your space. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Take a walk down memory lane; it will remind you of someone or something you want to revisit. An opportunity to attend a reunion or to travel to a place that offers clarity and peace of mind will change your perspective regarding what’s possible. Romance is favored. 5 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Stop an emotional situation from escalating. Listen, and offer only constructive, positive thoughts. If someone challenges you, walk away; your time is precious and put to best use if it extracts positive lifestyle changes from whatever situation you encounter. Choose to be the best version of yourself. 2 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Care and share with friends and family. Put your best foot forward, and let kindness and understanding help you gain interest in the changes you want to enforce. Participating in events or activities will bring you in contact with someone who has something of interest to offer. 4 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Get together with friends, travel and find a podcast that can enlighten you about something that can improve your life, health or financial well-being. Pay attention to detail, and you’ll discover something you enjoy doing that can generate revenue. Don’t deny yourself what makes you happy. 3 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Your curiosity will send you on a learning expedition that leads to interesting thoughts and ideas. Enjoy the journey, and explore the possibilities that point you toward home improvement and making your life convenient and cost-efficient. Attend a function that allows you to shine and make interesting connections. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Delve into something you’ve never done. Consider how you can utilize what you see or learn in your everyday routine. Network, socialize and embrace what’s trending, and it will change your outlook regarding how you broach what you do with what you want to pursue. 3 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Hesitate before offering anyone too much personal information. Focus on where your money goes and how your investments are doing, and opt out of any joint venture that might compromise your integrity or emotional well-being. Look for opportunities that are dependent on you, not someone else. 4 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): An emotional situation will catch you off guard if you give someone too much authority. Rethink any changes you are making in your domestic life. Get quotes in writing, or someone will mess with you when it comes time to pay up. 2 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Stick close to home, and pay attention to your overhead and unexpected expenditures. Concentrate on your health and appearance, and create a routine that challenges you to look and do your best. A little affection will go a long way when dealing with a love interest. 5 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Recap what you’ve done and consider where you are heading, and you’ll discover your best course of action. Strategic planning will lead to smooth sailing and the success you desire. Talking to experts and being careful in all aspects of life will pay off. 3 stars

Birthday Baby: You are dedicated, sensitive and understanding. You are proactive and open-minded.

1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. 2 stars: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others. 3 stars: Focus and you’ll reach your goals. 4 stars: Aim high; start new projects. 5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.

Want a link to your daily horoscope delivered directly to your inbox each weekday morning? Sign up for our free Coffee Break newsletter at mercurynews.com/newsletters or eastbaytimes.com/newsletters.

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Published on July 13, 2024 03:01

July 12, 2024

Kyle Harrison outpitches fellow Bay Area native as SF Giants defeat Twins

SAN FRANCISCO — With Twins on second and third, Kyle Harrison craned his neck toward the Giants dugout after recording the first out of the sixth inning and let out a sigh. He directed his gaze toward the sky when he saw manager Bob Melvin making his way toward the mound.

Harrison had escaped one jam an inning earlier, but the Giants’ skipper wouldn’t give him the leeway to navigate another high-wire act.

Rebounding from difficult first start back from a sprained ankle, the young left-hander did more than enough over five-plus innings Friday night to put the Giants in position to start their final series before the All-Star break on a positive note, with a 7-1 win over the Minnesota Twins.

Reliever Ryan Walker allowed one of the two inherited runners to score in the sixth, but otherwise Harrison held the American League playoff hopefuls scoreless through the game’s first five innings, striking out only three but exhausting just 83 pitches when Melvin emerged from the dugout with one out in the sixth.

“Anytime you get out of those jams, it’s huge. Got the adrenaline going a little,” Harrison said. “Really wanted to get out of that sixth, but trusted the guys behind me. Walker did a great job coming in and only allowing one. We’ll take that. Anytime you’re up four runs, you’ll take that.”

It was a far more efficient and effective effort than Harrison’s first foray back into the starting rotation after he sprained his ankle in the weight room last month, when the Guardians jumped on him for four runs over 3⅓ innings in a 5-4 loss. Back on the winning side Friday, the Giants improved to 11-5 with Harrison on the mound, their best mark behind a rookie starter since the team went 10-4 in Noah Lowry’s starts in 2004.

“I felt great,” Harrison said, compared to his last start. “I was able to slow down and really settle in. I was happy with my offspeed for the most part. Changeup’s still getting there, but I was really happy with the slider. Didn’t do too well on first-pitch strikes, but I was able to battle my way back.”

The performance came against a team in the Twins that leads the major leagues with their .802 OPS against left-handed pitching. It sends the rookie left-hander into his first All-Star break sporting a 4.08 ERA with a 5-4 record in 16 starts and 73 strikeouts to 27 walks over 86 innings.

“That’s a team that really hits left-handed pitching, and that’s a tough group to navigate through,” Melvin said. “To give us five-plus … Really it was his fastball quality at the top of the zone and mixing his changeup and breaking ball in and throwing some for strikes, too.”

Harrison, a graduate of De La Salle, got the best of San Anselmo’s Joe Ryan in a matchup of Bay Area high school products.

Ryan, among the American League leaders in ERA and strikeouts, had a large cheering section behind the first-base dugout, who watched the Sir Francis Drake graduate put his team in an early hole and eventually lose his command, allowing five runs on six hits while walking three over 5⅓ innings.

While Harrison said he never crossed paths with Ryan on the prep circuit, “I’ve always watched him. I know he’s got good stuff. I know he loves to pitch with that heater, too.”

The seven total runs scored by the Giants were their most in a game this month, and they came one hit shy of reaching double-digits for the first time in July. Having lost four of their past five games, the Giants had just six hits in their past 35 chances with runners in scoring position but went 4-for-9 in those situations Friday night.

Ryan put the first two batters of the sixth inning on base via free passes, and after manager Rocco Baldelli called on left-hander Caleb Thielbar, Brett Wisely doubled home Matt Chapman to extend the Giants’ lead to 5-0.

Tripling and scoring in his previous at-bat, Wisely matched his season-high with three hits and finished a home run shy of the cycle. Coming up against another lefty, Kody Funderburk, with a chance at the record books in the ninth inning, Wisely worked a leadoff walk to reach base for his fourth time.

“Not only has he done pretty well since he’s been here, he’s also hit left-handed pitching really well, so it’s one of the reasons why we leave him in,” Melvin said. “Playing the position, he made some nice plays again today. But you always pull for that last one.”

The terrific play from the 25-year-old shortstop helped blunt any lingering resentment in Carlos Correa’s first game in San Francisco since his free-agent megadeal fell apart two winters ago. Downplaying the stakes beforehand, Correa went 1-for-4 and scored the Twins’ only run.

“That guy’s an unbelievable talent,” Wisely said. “If he was here, I would gladly play a different spot.”

The boos from the first time he stepped to the plate had dissipated by the time he came up to lead off the sixth inning. Correa laced a single, and Carlos Santana followed with a well-struck double into the left-center field alleyway, putting runners at second and third with nobody out.

Harrison worked his way out of a similarly sticky situation in the fifth, allowing the first two runners to reach base but inducing an infield fly and generating a pair of swinging strikeouts to leave them stranded, and got the first out of the inning when Wisely left his feet to snag a line drive off the bat of Byron Buxton.

But with Willi Castro, a first-time All-Star with better numbers against lefties than righties, due up for a third time, Melvin decided Harrison had given them enough. He called on Walker, who got Castro to roll over and coaxed a soft fly ball to get out of the inning.

“Walk was up and loose and they were starting to square him up a little bit,” Melvin said. “That team against left-handed pitching, especially the third time through the middle of the order, it just felt like it was time.”

The Giants recorded multiple triples for the first time since June 9, 2022.

In addition to Wisely’s, Jorge Soler led off the bottom of the first with his first three-bagger since 2019 — only the fourth of his career — when Matt Walner misplayed his line drive to right field, allowing the ball to sneak past his glove and all the way to the wall as the designated hitter lumbered into third base.

Soler scored, opening a 1-0 lead, when the next batter, LaMonte Wade Jr., lifted a sacrifice fly to left field.

Up next

RHP Hayden Birdsong (1-0, 4.40) vs. RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (3-1, 3.48) in the second game of the series. First pitch is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. on FOX.

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Published on July 12, 2024 21:41

On Twins’ visit to San Francisco, Carlos Correa addresses free-agent fiasco with Giants

SAN FRANCISCO — Standing at his locker in the visitor’s clubhouse at Oracle Park, Carlos Correa was asked if he had contemplated what it might have looked like had his megadeal two winters ago came to fruition and this had become his home ballpark for the next 13 years.

“Twelve now,” he said, cracking a smile.

The Twins’ visit this weekend to close the first half is also the first time Correa has been back in San Francisco since his agent, Scott Boras, called him into his hotel room and informed him that he had failed his physical and that his press conference scheduled for the next morning at Oracle Park was off.

Recently named an All-Star for the third time in his career, the 29-year-old shortstop was greeted with boos the first time he stepped to the plate Friday night but appeared at peace with how the process played out.

“Whatever happened that year happened,” he said. “I’ve moved on. I’m very happy where I’m at right now.”

Now in the second season of his new deal with the Twins, his third overall in Minnesota, Correa has returned to the form that made him one of the most sought-after players available two offseasons ago and, the Giants believed, a viable backup plan to acquire a superstar when their pursuit of Aaron Judge went awry.

While the Giants’ middling first half has, according to president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, “been a real source of dissatisfaction,” the Twins are firmly in playoff position, 13 games above .500, and Correa has been no small part of their success.

He batted .230 with a .711 OPS (94 OPS+) while battling injuries last season (though, no issues with his surgically repaired right ankle, the body part Giants doctors flagged) but has improved those figures to .310 and .905 (154 OPS+) and is already only five home runs away from matching his total of 18 last year, a career-low over a full season. His 3.6 Wins Above Replacement have made him the fifth-most valuable shortstop in the majors this season, according to FanGraphs.

The parallel universe where none of that takes place and Correa becomes the successor to Brandon Crawford isn’t so far away. Just how close was that alternate reality?

“A press conference away,” Correa said, looking up from tying his cleats to offer a smirk.

Minnesota Twins’ Carlos Correa, left, warms up before a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Friday, July 12, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Correa’s agreed-upon deal in San Francisco would have paid him $350 million over 13 years. It fell apart when a doctor raised concerns about Correa’s ankle, which had been surgically repaired in the minor leagues. When the Giants backed out, Correa had another deal lined up with the New York Mets worth a reported $315 million over 12 years, but upon examining Correa’s medicals, they reneged, too.

“It was obviously an emotional night for the family,” Correa said. “I remember Scott calling the room. I remember when I signed the first deal here in Minnesota (before the 2022 season), he was like, ‘It’s done.’ Super simple. This time he said, ‘Come to the room, we need to talk.’ That’s when I knew something had to be wrong. He gave me the news, and the ordeal happened. I flew out the next day.”

Correa ended up signing a six-year, $200 million agreement with Minnesota, which also gives him the ability to opt out and become a free agent again this winter.

He was asked what it felt like to lose $150 million.

“Well, I never had it,” Correa said. “So I never lost it.”

The Giants have since cycled through nine players at shortstop — Brandon Crawford, Brett Wisely, Casey Schmitt, Johan Camargo, Marco Luciano, Nick Ahmed, Paul DeJong, Thairo Estrada and Tyler Fitzgerald — and, after designating Ahmed for assignment this week, appear comfortable handing the reins to Wisely, 25, and Fitzgerald, 26, while Luciano, their top prospect and presumed successor, remains at Triple-A Sacramento.

Comparatively, the Giants’ combination of shortstops this season has been worth 1.4 Wins Above Replacement, according to FanGraphs, while batting a combined .266/.312/.395 (103 wRC+). While they reallocated much of the money earmarked for Correa and Judge to a $300-plus million investment this past offseason, they are still seeking the franchise cornerstone they momentarily believed they had secured.

Correa made it clear that the three-game series in San Francisco didn’t elicit any added emotions, but he took the opportunity to reflect on the process.

“I was excited to explore the city. I was looking for housing and all that, so it was exciting,” Correa said. “But once it fell through, it was time to move on.”

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Published on July 12, 2024 18:14

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