FBI investigates apparent attempt to assassinate Trump; Ohio town rocked by false claims: Weekend Rundown

FBI is investigating apparent assassination attempt on Trump

The FBI is investigating an apparent second attempt to assassinate former President Donald Trump. A suspect concealed in bushes pointed an AR-style rifle with a scope into Trump’s West Palm Beach, Florida, golf course from outside the fence line, authorities said. The Secret Service spotted the person and opened fire. He fled in a black Nissan and was later arrested.

Trump was about 400 too 500 yards away, officials said. He was between the fifth and sixth holes on the golf course when the incident occurred, a source familiar with the matter said.

The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, also had a GoPro camera and a backpack with ceramic tiles when he was near the course.

Trump left the golf course in his motorcade a couple of hours after the incident, which occurred shortly before 2 p.m., and has arrived at Mar-a-Lago, sources say. 

Follow our live coverage here.

Inside the Ohio town at the center of false rumors about Haitian immigrants

Springfield, Ohio, was thrust into the national spotlight over baseless rumors of Haitian residents’ killing and eating wildlife and pets, echoed by former President Donald Trump at last week’s presidential debate.

The city has closed schools, City Hall and other municipal buildings because of bomb threats and safety fears. An event at the Haitian Community Help & Support Center on Saturday was moved online because of security concerns.

“It’s just so frustrating,” a resident told NBC News. “You can tell people the truth, ‘This is what’s going on,’ and unless it fits their narrative, they’re just, you know, they’re not going to listen to it.”

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, decried the claims as “garbage” but stopped short of directly condemning Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, for spreading them. Trump plans to visit the town “soon,” a source familiar with the planning said.

3 hostages were most likely mistakenly killed in airstrike, IDF says

An investigation into the deaths of three Israeli hostages found there was a “high probability” they were killed “as a result of a byproduct of an IDF airstrike” targeting a Hamas commander, the Israel Defense Forces said Sunday. The bodies of Nik Beizer, 19, Ron Sherman, 19, and Elia Toledano, 28, were found in a Hamas tunnel complex on Dec. 14.

“At the time of the strike, the IDF did not have information about the presence of hostages in the targeted compound,” the military said.

When he couldn’t pay for cancer treatment, the hospital sued

Terry Belk’s wife, Sandra, died in 2012 after a yearslong battle with breast cancer. He quit work to take care of her, and the bills for her treatment were more than he could pay, even with health insurance. Adding to his burden, Belk himself was diagnosed with prostate cancer that year.

He agreed to what’s known as a deed of trust, under which Atrium Health, the nonprofit hospital that treated him and his wife, will receive roughly $23,000 when he sells his home. But it didn’t end there, and the hospital sued Belk in 2022 for the roughly $6,000 he still owed for prostate cancer care.

Medical debt has been “like an albatross around my neck” every day, Belk told NBC News.

Medical expenses are a leading cause of bankruptcy in the U.S. Three of the top 10 U.S. counties with residents holding medical debt were in North Carolina, where the Belks live. In those counties, according to 2021 research from the Urban Institute, more than 40% of residents carried medical debt, compared with 13.9% nationwide.

Meet the Press

Donald Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance, said Sunday on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that he doesn’t like Trump ally Laura Loomer’s remarks about Vice President Kamala Harris.

Vance, whose wife is Indian American, said that he doesn’t “look at the internet for every single thing to get offended by” but that he didn’t agree with Loomer, who posted on social media that the White House “will smell like curry” and speeches “will be facilitated via a call center” if Harris wins the election.

Loomer’s post drew widespread condemnation from Republicans and Democrats alike. Trump allies have voiced concerns about Trump’s continued association with Loomer, who has been seen alongside him on the campaign trail.

“What Laura said about Kamala Harris is not what we should be focused on. We should be focused on the policy and on the issues,” Vance told moderator Kristen Welker.

You can watch the full interview here.

Politics in brief

Trump’s GOTV bet: Trump’s campaign thinks its new get-out-the-vote strategy will be a silver bullet to capture key battleground states. More than a half-dozen Republicans who spoke with NBC News were skeptical of the effort.

Sandy Hook’s first-time voters: Grace Fischer survived the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Then she spent the rest of her childhood watching dozens of similar shootings at other schools across the country. Now 18, Fischer will vote in her first presidential election.

“Tough on China” week: House members sought to portray themselves as tough on China last week with two dozen measures aimed at countering Beijing’s technological, political and economic influence.

Emmys: ‘Shōgun’ and ‘The Bear’ set for big wins

In the battle for glory at Sunday night’s 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, two leading contenders emerged: the powerful feudal lords of 17th century Japan and the beleaguered cooks of a modern-day Chicago restaurant.

“Shōgun” and “The Bear” cruise into the Emmys with a ton of momentum thanks to glowing reviews and loyal fandoms. They’re joined in the top award categories by a mix of freshman series (“Fallout,” “3 Body Problem”) and returning favorites (“Abbott Elementary,” “Hacks”).

“Shōgun” goes into Sunday with a commanding 25 nominations, the most of any series, while “The Bear” swings into the ceremony with 23. Here’s everything you need to know. 

Follow our live coverage here.

Why are killer whale attacks on the rise? These scientists set sail to find out

Orcas are known to be generally peaceful, especially toward humans. But lately, the highly intelligent animals have been attacking ships and sometimes sinking them. The encounters have become so frequent that Spanish authorities have issued an alert.

In a paper published this month, scientists argue that what humans see as attacks are actually older orcas training the younger ones in hunting methods needed to overcome their prey.

“They need to ram, they need to hit, they need to bite, to isolate this large tuna,” said Bruno Díaz López, a chief biologist. “So how do they reinforce this technique? Practicing.”

In case you missed it

• We’re marking Hispanic Heritage Month by focusing on 10 Americans who have received major recognition or seen their work and influence grow in 2024.
• Three Americans were convicted of taking part in a botched coup against the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and have been sentenced to death.
• The Florida police officer investigated over Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill’s traffic stop and detainment had been suspended six times before and received several written reprimands, according to his employee profile.

Follow our live NFL coverage here.