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Members of the U.S. Secret Service Counter Sniper team stand guard near Air Force One at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., July 15, 2024.
DHS to probe Secret Service over Trump shooting
On Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general announced it was investigating the Secret Service’s handling of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. The office did not say precisely when it opened the investigation, which will run parallel to the independent review ordered by President Joe Biden.
The probe will focus on how the Secret Service failed to prevent the gunman from climbing onto a nearby roof with a clear shot at the former president. While there is no known connection between Iran and the shooter — whose motive remains murky — Saturday’s attack occurred at a time when the White House, Secret Service, and Trump campaign were reportedly aware of an alleged Iranian plot to kill Trump.
The security failure has drawn intense scrutiny, particularly from Republicans. House Speaker Mike Johnsonurged Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle to resign, and the House Oversight Committee said it would subpoena her if she failed to appear voluntarily for a hearing next Monday. Meanwhile, just 20% of Americans polled say they are “very confident” the Service can do its most important job.
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez gives a statement to annonunce he will stay on as Prime Minister after weighing his exit from the Spanish government, at Moncloa palace in Madrid, Spain April 29, 2024.
Spain’s prime minister isn’t going anywhere
After nearly a week of uncertainty, Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish prime minister, announced he would remain the country’s leader. Last Wednesday, he threatened to leave the position because of what he termed a “harassment and bullying operation” being waged against him and his wife by political and media enemies.
The move came hours after a Madrid court opened an investigation into his wife, Begoña Gómez, for influence peddling and corruption. The trial was brought by Manos Limpias, a self-styled trade union with far-right links, who accused Gómez of using her influence to secure sponsors for a university master’s degree course she runs. Madrid's public prosecutor asked Thursday that the case against her be closed.
Sánchez’s threat to resign spurred demonstrations around Spain over the weekend calling for him to stay put. More than 10,000 people gathered in front of the Socialist Party’s headquarters in Madrid in a show of support.
Sánchez attributed his decision to stay to this weekend’s mobilizations, and he has called for Spaniards to rise above “the global reactionary movement that wants to impose its retrograde agenda through defamation and falsehoods.”
File photo dated May 16, 2023 shows Samuel Altman, CEO, OpenAI, offers his opening statement during a Senate Committee hearing
OpenAI’s Altman incident under investigation
Two investigations may soon shed light on one of the biggest mysteries in Silicon Valley: Why was Sam Altman fired from OpenAI?
To recap, the OpenAI board fired Altman in November, saying he was not “consistently candid in his communications,” but it failed to provide specifics (the big mystery). OpenAI’s staff and lead investor, Microsoft, immediately protested the ouster and successfully campaigned for Altman’s reinstatement – and for fresh faces on the nonprofit board.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission is now investigating whether OpenAI misled its investors in firing Altman. Meanwhile, the law firm WilmerHale is conducting an internal investigation of the Altman firing and will soon present its findings to the current board of directors, which commissioned the review.
Altman’s alleged deceit may have something to do with his plans to raise trillions of dollars for a chip venture, something that’s come to light in the months since this debacle. We have our ear to the ground for where the investigations are headed, and what it could mean for the giant of genAI.