In today’s Quickcast:
FBI Director Christopher Wray is testifying Wednesday at a hearing on the investigation into the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, and he is revealing new details about the gunman’s actions in the lead-up to the July 13 shooting in Pennsylvania.
Wray told members of the House Judiciary Committee that the gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, flew a drone near the site of the rally roughly two hours before he opened fire. Wray said investigators recovered the drone in Crooks’ vehicle, and the bureau believes he was watching video streamed from the device to scout the area.
The FBI chief also said agents recovered a total of three "relatively crude" explosive devices: two from Crooks’ vehicle and one from his residence. Crooks had a transmitter that would have allowed him to detonate the devices in his car remotely, but the receivers on the bombs were turned off, Wray said.
Eight cartridges from spent bullets were found on the roof where Crooks opened fire, Wray confirmed. The gunman killed one attendee and wounded Trump and two others.
Investigators have managed to gain access to Crooks’ phone, which Wray said was a "significant technical challenge." He said agents discovered Crooks was using encrypted messaging apps to communicate.
The FBI, which is investigating the shooting as a potential act of domestic terrorism, does not yet have "a clear picture" of the gunman’s motive, Wray said. But investigators did find that Crooks seemed to become "very focused on" Trump and the rally on July 6. An examination of his laptop revealed that he searched "how far away was Oswald from Kennedy?" on that day, when he also registered to attend the rally.
When President Biden suddenly ended his reelection campaign over the weekend and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, numerous Democrats were quick to point out that former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, had previously supported Harris.
Tweets circulated with an image of a check from 2011 showing that Trump had donated $5,000 to the campaign of then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris. One Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Jared Moskowitz, of Florida, posted the picture of the check with the caption: "Wise investment."
Campaign finance records show Donald Trump donated twice to reelect Kamala Harris as the attorney general of California. Records show Trump made a $5,000 donation in 2011, months after she was first sworn in, and another $1,000 donation in 2013, one year before she was reelected for a second term.
The Harris campaign told CBS News that she later donated those funds to a nonprofit group advocating for civil rights and human rights for Central Americans, which was first reported by the Sacramento Bee. The paper noted that her donation came in 2015, as she was launching her campaign for the U.S. Senate.
Records also show that Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, made a $2,000 donation to Harris’ campaign for attorney general in 2014.
The remaining residents of a condominium community deemed unsafe in Pembroke Pines have been given roughly a month to leave.
Last year, unsafe structure notices were issued for seven buildings within the Heron Pond Condominium community, 8400 SW 1st Street, that have since been fully evacuated. Additionally, specific units in the seven other buildings were also evacuated. Those ordered to leave did not know if or when they would be allowed to return. Each owner was required to continue paying all bills and fees, according to the property manager.
On Wednesday, the city said an unsafe structure notice had been issued for all remaining units.
The city said that they were informed by the Engineer of Record, ACG Engineering Services Inc., that the remaining structures within the community must be evacuated. In compliance with building and safety codes, the city issued an order to evacuate by August 29, 2024.
"Should the area be placed under a tropical storm weather advisory, units must be evacuated immediately," according to a statement from the city.
Catch the Quickcast with Najahe Sherman weekdays at 4PM ET streaming on the CBS Miami app and CBSMiami.com
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