Trump shooting exposes Secret Service failings

+ 7 tips to avoid spreading misinformation online US Edition - Today's top story: Trump assassination attempt reveals a major security breakdown – but doesn't necessarily heighten the risk for political violence, a former FBI official explains [View in browser]( US Edition | 16 July 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [The complex legacy of nutritional labels]( - [Why checks are now out at the checkout]( - [How to protect your home from wildfires]( Lead story It isn’t yet clear how the attempted assassination of Donald Trump will influence the presidential election. It could also take some time before there’s a clear understanding of how security officials failed to detect or prevent Matthew Thomas Crooks from climbing onto a roof with an AR-15 and shooting at Trump during a campaign event in Pennsylvania. What is immediately apparent, however, is that the shooting is an “obvious security failure,” explains former FBI and Department of Homeland Security analyst Javed Ali, a scholar at the University of Michigan. The attack on Trump [fits within a broader pattern of violence in America](, in terms of both targeting presidents and presidential candidates. It’s also common that shooters like Crooks – who carry out their attacks in public spaces – tend to be acting alone, without a formal network or a criminal record, allowing them to pass undetected by the FBI and police. “This lone wolf phenomenon of domestic extremism is the most acute threat facing the country – and is also the hardest kind of threat to preemptively stop. You are dealing with a single individual who is flying under the radar and is likely not an FBI suspect,” Ali explains in today's lead story. [ [Sign up for our weekly Global Economy & Business newsletter, with interesting perspectives from experts around the world](. ] Amy Lieberman Politics + Society Editor Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign event on July 13, 2024. Associated Press [Trump assassination attempt reveals a major security breakdown – but doesn’t necessarily heighten the risk for political violence, a former FBI official explains]( Javed Ali, University of Michigan Lone wolf attackers like Matthew Thomas Crooks pose the greatest security threats in the country – and are hardest to prevent. Politics + Society - [Social media and political violence – how to break the cycle]( Richard Forno, University of Maryland, Baltimore County When political discourse is devoid of facts and high on demonization, it’s no surprise that political violence is the result. There is a way out, but it’s slow and will take effort. - [Trump-appointed federal judge rules Trump’s classified document case is unconstitutional – here’s how special counsels have been authorized before]( Joshua Holzer, Westminster College In 1988, the US Supreme Court ruled that independent counsels were constitutional. - [7 ways to avoid becoming a misinformation superspreader when the news is shocking]( H. Colleen Sinclair, Louisiana State University A social psychologist explains how to avoid being misled, and how to prevent yourself – and others – from spreading inaccurate information. - [Elevation, color – and the American flag. Here’s what makes Evan Vucci’s Trump photograph so powerful]( Sara Oscar, University of Technology Sydney Evan Vucci’s Trump photograph is powerful for its composition and its nod to history – and how it could shape our history of the future. Economy + Business - [Target just became the latest US retailer to stop accepting payment by checks. Why have so many stores given up on them?]( Jay L. Zagorsky, Boston University Next time you go shopping, leave your checkbook at home. Health + Medicine - [Nutrition Facts labels have a complicated legacy – a historian explains the science and politics of translating food into information]( Xaq Frohlich, Auburn University The process of converting food into nutritional information is more than just a scientific process. It involves many political and technical compromises that continue to shape the food industry today. - [New research suggests estrogen and progesterone could play role in opioid addiction and relapse]( Jessica Loweth, Rowan University; Daniel Manvich, Rowan University Why are some individuals at greater risk for developing opioid dependence and addiction? Two neuroscientists at Rowan University discuss their latest findings. Environment + Energy - [How to protect your home from wildfires – here’s what fire prevention experts say is most important]( Bryce Young, University of Montana; Chris Moran, University of Montana Roofs, windows and siding all affect how vulnerable a home is and how likely it is to survive a wildfire. So does what’s around it in the ‘home ignition zone.’ Science + Technology - [Lions in a Uganda park make a perilous journey across a 1.5km stretch of water: study suggests the drive is to find mates]( Alexander Richard Braczkowski, Griffith University; Christopher J. O'Bryan, Maastricht University; Duan Biggs, Northern Arizona University; Robynne Kotze, University of Oxford Male lions are making the risky swims, braving crocodiles and hippos, so as to find females. 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