Threats to kill public officials lead to dangerous discovery in Tennessee

Threats to kill public officials lead to dangerous discovery in Tennessee

Officers found 14 improvised explosive devices in a Tennessee home while apprehending a man who had threatened to kill public officials and local law enforcement personnel, authorities said Aug. 2. Investigators and sheriff's deputies went to a residence on Aug. 1 in the community of Old Fort, located just north of the Tennessee-Georgia border, seeking to arrest Kevin Wade O'Neal on active warrants, according to thePolk County Sheriff's Office. O'Neal, 54, was accused of threatening to kill public officials and law enforcement personnel in the county. While taking him into custody, the sheriff's office said in astatementthat deputies noticed "something was smoldering" in the bedroom where the suspect was found. They observed what appeared to be an improvised explosive device, also known as IED. The deputies immediately evacuated the residence, and alerted the Chattanooga Police Department bomb squad and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), according to the sheriff's office. Officers and agents later discovered 14 IEDs inside the home. Further investigation revealed O'Neal had planned to detonate the devices as law enforcement arrived to arrest him, the sheriff's office said. The suspect faces 11 counts of attempted first-degree murder, 14 counts of prohibited weapons and one count of possession of explosive components. O'Neal is currently being held at the Polk County Jail and bond has yet to be determined, according to the sheriff's office. 'My laptop is a bomb':Passenger tells others, forces emergency landing IEDshave "remained a persistent threat" and attacks using the devices are a common security concern related to terrorism and violence in the United States, according to theDepartment of Homeland Security(DHS), andCybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency(CISA). IEDs, which are also referred to as "homemade" bombs, are easy to construct and can cause significant disruption and harm, the CISA says on its website. "Because they are improvised, IEDs can come in many forms, ranging from a small pipe bomb to a sophisticated device capable of causing massive damage and loss of life," according to the DHS. "IEDs can be carried or delivered in a vehicle; carried, placed, or thrown by a person; delivered in a package; or concealed on the roadside." Palm Springs fertility clinic bombing:Man charged with aiding bombing suspect dies in custody In recent months, several cases involving the use of IEDs have made national headlines. In July, aNew York manwas charged after he was accused of making and attempting to use multiple IEDs in parts of Manhattan. Homemade explosive devices were discoverednear a parkin April in Garland, a city located about 20 miles northeast of Dallas and part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Authorities secured the area where the devices were found and bomb technicians later disabled them. Earlier this year,USA TODAY reporteda Federal Bureau of Investigation raid of a Virginia home in December 2024 uncovered more than 150 homemade explosive devices. The FBI described it as the largest seizure of explosive devices in the agency's history. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Tennessee authorities discover 14 IEDs in man's home during arrest

byMario Satorik

in

August 03, 2025

Threats to kill public officials lead to dangerous discovery in Tennessee

Threats to kill public officials lead to dangerous discovery in Tennessee Officers found 14 improvised explosive devices in a Tennessee home...

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Texas Democratic legislators flee state to protest GOP's redistricting plan

Texas Democratic legislators flee state to protest GOP's redistricting plan

Democratic state legislators fled Texas on Sunday in an attempt to deny a quorum to Republicans hoping to vote on a new congressional map that heavily favors the GOP even more than current districts. "For two weeks, while families in the Hill Country mourned the loss of over 130 Texans in catastrophic floods, Democrats fought to make their relief the legislature's top priority. Instead, Governor Abbott and Republican leadership used the tragedy as political cover," Texas House Democrats said in a statement Sunday. "... Governor Abbott has turned the victims of a tragedy into political hostages in his submission to Donald Trump. We will not allow disaster relief to be held hostage to a Trump gerrymander. As of today, this corrupt special session is over," the statement said. Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said in a statement, "For too long, Donald Trump and Republicans have tried to get away with rigging the system, breaking the rules, and scheming to hold onto power. It's time to fight back." Republicansunveiled the new mapsearlier this week as part of a mid-decade redistricting in an attempt to protect the GOP's razor-thin U.S. House majority. President Trumpsaid in Julythat he believes Republicans could win five more seats in Texas with different districts. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott included redistricting to be addressed in a special legislative session, along with other high-profile topics like approving disaster relief for the deadly Texas floods and a THC ban. "For weeks, we've been warning that if Republicans in Texas want a showdown — if they want to delay flood relief to cravenly protect Donald Trump from an inevitable midterm meltdown — then we'd give them that showdown," Martin said. Both houses of the Texas legislature are controlled by Republicans, but if most Democratic lawmakers leave the state, they could deny the state House and Senate the two-thirds quorum that they need to vote on the new congressional maps. At least 51 Texas Democrats have fled the state forChicago. Politico was first to report the lawmakers had left the state. Republicans in Texas currently hold 25 of the state's 38 congressional seats. The party hopes the new maps could bring that number up to 30, and all of those new 30 seats were won by Mr. Trump in November by at least 10 points. The five seats come from redrawing Rio Grande Valley districts — where Mr. Trump has made gains in what were once Democratic strongholds — and combining Reps. Lloyd Doggett and Greg Cesar's districts in Austin. In North Texas, Rep. Julie Johnson's suburban 32nd District would be reshaped to stretch from the Dallas area to rural Republican strongholds, and Rep. Marc Veasey would be moved out of Tarrant County entirely, which would leave only a small portion of the county represented by a Democrat. All four Houston-area seats were redrawn, with Rep. Al Green's being the most dramatic. "They're turning our districts into crazy shapes to guarantee the outcome they want in the 2026 election," Democratic state Rep. James Talarico said in a messageposted to social media. "If this power grab succeeds, they will hang on to power without any accountability from the voters." Democrats havefought back against the new districts, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries traveling to Austin on Thursday to pledge national support. "We are not fighting for the Democratic Party, we are fighting for the democratic process, and the stakes could not be higher. We have to take a stand," Talarico added. Martinsaid in an appearance Sunday on MSNBC, "I'm proud of the Texas Dems for actually breaking quorum here. Our democracy is literally under assault by Donald Trump, Greg Abbott and the Republicans, who know that they are on a track to lose the House majority next year. So what do they do? They cheat. They rigged the system. That's all they have left." "We're certainly going to be standing with folks who will be litigating this in the courts," Martin added. "We will continue to organize on the ground in Texas, and we will continue to support the House Dems, as they have broke quorum right now." This is not the first time Democrats have left the state to deny Republicans a quorum — and not the first time they have done it to protest redistricting. During the landmark 2005 mid-decade redistricting, Texas Democrats fled during two separate special sessions to stop the redistricting. But the redistricting eventually did go through. And in 2023, Republicans passed legislation that levies a $500-a-day fine on lawmakers who leave the state. The last significant quorum break in the Texas House was in 2021, when Democrats fled the state to prevent a restrictive voting bill from passing. Last month, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtonthreatened to assist policein "hunting down and compelling the attendance" of any Democratic lawmakers who leave the state to block votes during the special session. "If Democrats ignore their duty to their constituents by breaking quorum, they should be found and arrested no matter where they go," said Paxton, who is also running for the GOP nomination in next year's Senate race. Black swimmers teach others amid history of aquatic segregation How safe is our Social Security safety net? In Gaza, hunger forces impossible choices as Hamas releases propaganda video of hostage

byMario Satorik

in

August 03, 2025

Texas Democratic legislators flee state to protest GOP's redistricting plan

Texas Democratic legislators flee state to protest GOP's redistricting plan Democratic state legislators fled Texas on Sunday in an atte...

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Dodgers snap 18-inning scoreless drought to beat Rays 3-0 and win the series

Dodgers snap 18-inning scoreless drought to beat Rays 3-0 and win the series

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Freddie Freeman scored one run and drove in another to snap Los Angeles' 18-inning scoreless drought and lead the Dodgers over the Tampa Bay Rays 3-0 on Sunday. Andy Pages singled off Mason Englert (0-1) in the sixth to drive in Freddie Freeman, who extended his on-base streak to 18 games with a first-inning single and added another RBI single in the seventh to make it 2-0. He had three hits on the day and seven RBIs in the series, which the Dodgers won two games to one. Shohei Ohtani doubled and scored on Mookie Betts' sacrifice fly in the ninth. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (10-7) held the Rays scoreless over 5 2/3 innings, scattering five hits and striking out six. Ben Casparius earned his second big-league save, coming in with the bases loaded in the ninth to get Yandy Diaz out. Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman left the game in the fifth with a right ankle sprain. Tampa Bay starter Joe Boyle held the Dodgers scoreless for five innings, working around three hits and two walks. He struck out two. Key moment Ohtani beat out a chopper for a single in the seventh and then stole second and third to be in position to score on Freeman's RBI single. Key stat 0-for-16. Mookie Betts went hitless in the series and is now hitless in four straight games. He was dropped out of the leadoff spot. Up next Monday night in Los Angeles, the Dodgers send Tyler Glasnow (1-1, 3.98 ERA) to the mound against the Cardinals. The Rays will debut Adrian Houser (6-2, 2.10) against the Angels. ___ AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

byMario Satorik

in

August 03, 2025

Dodgers snap 18-inning scoreless drought to beat Rays 3-0 and win the series

Dodgers snap 18-inning scoreless drought to beat Rays 3-0 and win the series TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Freddie Freeman scored one run and drove in ...

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Summer McIntosh caps swimming world championships with fourth gold

Summer McIntosh caps swimming world championships with fourth gold

Summer McIntosh captured her fourth gold medal at the world swimming championships by winning the 400-meter individual medley on Sunday in Singapore. McIntosh, an 18-year-old from Toronto, finished the race in 4 minutes, 25.78 seconds, nearly 7.5 seconds better than Australia's Jenna Forrester and Japan's Mio Narita. McIntosh also secured gold in the 200-meter butterfly, 200-meter medley and 400-meter freestyle as well as the bronze in the 800-meter freestyle. She joined American star Katie Ledecky as the only other female swimmer to claim four individual golds at a world championships, with the latter winning the 200-, 400-, 800- and 1,500-meter freestyle in 2015. Also Sunday, the United States' women's 4x100 medley team of Regan Smith, Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske broke their own record by finishing the event in 3:49.34, That was 0.29 better than the previous mark. "This is the best way to end the meet," Walsh said. "And I feel like we have such a good opportunity when you have this stacked group of women closing it out on a relay like this. "We're going to leave Singapore with a smile on our faces." From a team perspective, the Americans recorded nine gold medals -- one better than Australia. France finished third followed by Canada, which saw McIntosh win all of its golds. --Field Level Media

byMario Satorik

in

August 03, 2025

Summer McIntosh caps swimming world championships with fourth gold

Summer McIntosh caps swimming world championships with fourth gold Summer McIntosh captured her fourth gold medal at the world swimming cham...

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'They're trying to rig the system': Sen. Padilla says Dems should fight fire with fire

'They're trying to rig the system': Sen. Padilla says Dems should fight fire with fire

California's DemocraticSen. Alex Padillasaid his party should be willing tofight fire with fire, in light of Texas'potential, controversial gerrymanderingplans. "If Republicans were confident on their policy agenda, they'd be eager to defend it with the people and to defend it at the ballot box next November," Padilla said in an Aug. 3 interview on NBC's "Meet the Press." "But they know they're in trouble," he continued. "And so they're trying to rig the system to hold on to power." The California senator was referencing Texas Republicans' proposed new map of their state's congressional districts, following PresidentDonald Trump'surging that the GOP find a way to flip as many as five seats in next year's midterm elections. "Just a very simple redrawing, we pick up five seats," Trump told reporters on July 15. Padilla likened Trump's ask of Texas Republicans to his request during his first term in office that a top Georgia official "find 11,780 votes" to put him over the top in the Electoral College for the 2020 election. Redistricting in the middle of the decade, rather than every ten years after new census data is collected, is rare. And thepushback from Democratsacross the country has been widespread. Blue state leaders have threatened tit-for-tat responses, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has suggested redrawing his state's map to counteract Texas' efforts. (Newsom faces the challenge of a bipartisan redistricting commission, which oversees California's maps, unlike Texas, where lawmakers dictate the boundaries.) Some California Democratsare wary, warning that a redistricting arms race could spiral and erode trust with voters. In response to those concerns, Padilla told NBC he believes it's appropriate for the Democrat-controlled state to evaluate its options. "The ideal scenario," he said, "is for Texas to stand down. They don't have to do this; they shouldn't do this. But if they were to go forward and deliver Trump his five additional Republicans ... the stakes are simply too high" for Democrats not to respond. Padilla also addressed recent comments from his fellow Democrats about the state of politics and American democracy, includingSen. Cory Booker's callfor his party to "have a backbone." "It's time for us to fight. It's time for us to draw lines," Booker said from the Senate floor on July 29. Asked whether Booker's defiant approach was the appropriate stance for Democrats under the Trump administration, Padilla said, "Look, I think the extreme way in which this administration is conducting itself calls for higher and higher profile ways of pushing back." After announcing that she wouldnot be running for California governorin 2026, former Vice PresidentKamala Harrisappeared onCBS's "The Late Show"with Stephen Colbert. In her interview on July 31, Harris told Colbert, "Recently, I made the decision that, for now, I don't want to go back into the system. I think it's broken." Padilla agreed, in part, with Harris' take, saying, "I think the system is under duress." "Democrats are doing our part to try to stand up and push back," he added. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Alex Padilla backs California redistricting against Texas Republicans

byMario Satorik

in

August 03, 2025

'They're trying to rig the system': Sen. Padilla says Dems should fight fire with fire

'They're trying to rig the system': Sen. Padilla says Dems should fight fire with fire California's DemocraticSen. Alex Padi...

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Larry Summers says Trump's accusations of manipulated jobs numbers are ‘preposterous’

Larry Summers says Trump's accusations of manipulated jobs numbers are 'preposterous'

Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers called President Donald Trump's accusation without providing evidence that the top Bureau of Labor Statistics official manipulated jobs report numbers "a preposterous charge" on Sunday. Speaking with "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos, Summers said that one official would not be able to change the numbers. "These numbers are put together by teams of literally hundreds of people following detailed procedures that are in manuals. There's no conceivable way that the head of the BLS could have manipulated this number," Summers said. MORE: Trump fires BLS commissioner after weak jobs report and baseless claim of 'faked' stats He added, "The numbers are in line with what we're seeing from all kinds of private sector sources. This is the stuff of democracies giving way to authoritarianism. It — firing statisticians goes with threatening the heads of newspapers. It goes with launching assaults on universities. It goes with launching assaults on law firms that defend clients that the elected boss finds uncongenial. This is really scary stuff." Trump blasted Erika McEntarfer, the now-former commissioner of Labor Statistics, after the release of some disappointing jobs numbers on Friday and the revision downward of previous months' reports andsaid he had fired herfor manipulating the figures for political purposes, but provided no evidence to support his claim. "This is the same Bureau of Labor Statistics that overstated the Jobs Growth in March 2024 by approximately 818,000 and, then again, right before the 2024 Presidential Election, in August and September, by 112,000. These were Records -- No one can be that wrong? We need accurate Jobs Numbers," Trump posted to his social media platform. Stephanopoulos asked Summers, "I guess this firing of the BLS commissioner goes in the category of shocking but not surprising?" "This is way beyond anything Richard Nixon ever did," Summers said of Trump's firing McEntarfer. "I'm surprised that other officials have not responded by resigning themselves, as took place when Richard Nixon fired people lawlessly." MORE: Trump's long history of bashing jobs report numbers dates back to 2016: ANALYSIS Here are more highlights from Summers' interview Stephanopoulos:Adding to that uncertainty is the president's campaign against Jerome Powell, the head of the Federal Reserve, saying he's been a 'moron,' I think was the word the president used for not lowering interest rates so far. What's the impact of that? Summers:Look, I think that this kind of political Fed-bashing is a fool's game. The Fed doesn't listen. So, short-term interest rates aren't going to be different because of it. The market does listen. So, longer-term interest rates are going to be higher, which is going to make it more expensive to buy a house. This is hurting the economy, not helping. I think the president understands that. And what the president is doing is recognizing that for all kinds of reasons, of which his policies are very important ones, the economy's got a lot of risk, and he's looking to set up a scapegoat if the economy performs badly. That's what this attacking Chairman Powell is really about. It's not really about trying to change policy. There's no chance that that's going to happen to any substantial degree. Stephanopoulos:The jobs report on Friday probably does increase the chances that the Fed will cut interest rates in -- in September. What's your take on what that report told us? Summers:I think it told us that the economy is closer to stall speed than we thought that it was. The July number was weak. The big deal is the downwards revision for the two months before that. And that means there's a real possibility that we're in a stall speed kind of economy, which means we could tip over into recession. That wouldn't be my prediction right now, but the risk is greater certainly than it was before. And it's a risk we don't need to be taking, but it's a risk that's made more serious by these tariffs. What your viewers should understand is that these tariffs are not job creators. When you raise tariffs on steel, for example -- yeah, there's some people who work in the steel industry, but there are 50 times as many who work in industries like the automobile industry who are now going to be much less competitive when they try to compete all over the world. So, this is a immense gift that we are giving to our country's adversaries. By alienating our allies like Canada, like Europe, we are making it much easier for China to grow and flourish in the global economy. And I just don't understand why we would want to do that, especially when what we're getting out of it is an increase of more than $2,000 in the bills that typical middle-class families are going to have to pay. Stephanopoulos:You know, the markets have been pretty complacent about the tariffs so far. Are we seeing their impact in this underlying jobs report? Summers:I think that that is an element in it. I think both the direct effects of the tariffs, but probably more importantly, this sense of uncertainty that anything could happen, and who knows what business is going to be attacked next? Who knows what the rules are going to be? In an environment like that, what should a business do? It should sit and it should wait. Wait in terms of hiring people, wait in terms of new factory construction. What's keeping the economy going in significant part is not anything actually that's coming out of the president's policies.

byMario Satorik

in

August 03, 2025

Larry Summers says Trump's accusations of manipulated jobs numbers are ‘preposterous’

Larry Summers says Trump's accusations of manipulated jobs numbers are 'preposterous' Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers ca...

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Rahaman Ali, boxer and brother of boxing legend Muhammad Ali dies at 82

Rahaman Ali, boxer and brother of boxing legend Muhammad Ali dies at 82

The brother of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali,Rahaman Ali, has died. The Muhammad Ali Centerconfirmed the passing of Rahaman Ali, who died on Friday, Aug. 1 at the age of 82. There was no cause of death mentioned in the news release. "You can't tell Muhammad's story without mentioning Rahaman," President and CEO of the Muhammad Ali CenterDeVone Holt said in a statement."He was one of the most constant sources of support for Muhammad during this career and their relationship was a true example of what it means to be 'my brother's keeper.'" The Louisville Courier-Journal,part of the USA TODAY Network, mentioned that Rahaman Ali, whose birth name is Rudolph Arnett Clay, went into the hospital on July 19 andremained in hospice careat Norton Audubon in Louisville, Kentucky. Statement from the Muhammad Ali Center on the passing of Rahaman Ali, who died at the age of 82 on August 1, 2025:pic.twitter.com/KtTXpGXraB — Muhammad Ali Center (@AliCenter)August 2, 2025 Noted in the Muhammad Ali Center's news release,Rahaman Ali followed in his older brother's footsteps and had a professional boxing career of his own, which spanned from 1964 to 1972. At the time of his retirement, Rahaman Ali compiled a record of 14-3-1. "When you saw people walk through the door and they saw Rahaman you would see their eyes light up almost as if they had already seen Muhammad himself,"Holt told WDRB,a local Fox affiliate in Louisville, about Rahaman Ali and his presence at the Muhammad Ali Center. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Rahaman Ali death: Boxer and brother of Muhammad Ali dies at 82

byMario Satorik

in

August 03, 2025

Rahaman Ali, boxer and brother of boxing legend Muhammad Ali dies at 82

Rahaman Ali, boxer and brother of boxing legend Muhammad Ali dies at 82 The brother of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali,Rahaman Ali, has died. T...

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