What we know about the 2nd apparent assassination attempt on Trump. And, how the gunman got so close

04:15 |

by Brittney Melton

September 16, 2024

Good morning. The five-day Polaris Dawn flight has returned to Earth after breaking several records including the first-ever commercial spacewalk using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule. Here’s the other news we’re covering today:

The FBI says former President Donald Trump was the target of what “appears to be an attempted assassination” yesterday while he was golfing in West Palm Beach, Fla. Police arrested the alleged gunman, Ryan Wesley Routh, as he fled in his vehicle. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said Routh was about 300 to 500 yards from Trump. The shooter left behind an AK-47 style rifle equipped with a scope, which Bradshaw says put him within range. Here's everything we know about the attempted assassination so far.

Alex Brandon/AP

🎧 NPR’s Greg Allen tells Up First that Trump International Golf Club is a difficult location for the Secret Service to provide security as it’s next to two busy roads with only fences and shrubbery in between. The Secret Service was able to spot the threat and deal with it quickly, opening fire at Routh. The sheriff’s department says if he were a sitting President, agents would have ringed the course, providing more security. It’s unsure how the alleged gunman knew Trump would be at the golf course, but this is a course he regularly plays, which could have been a factor in the gunman’s decision.

➡️ How did Routh get an AK-style rifle so close to Trump? NPR's Steve Inskeep asks that exact question of Bill Gage, a former Secret Service agent.

The Venezuelan government has accused the CIA of being behind an alleged plot to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro. Venezuela’s Interior Ministry announced over the weekend it had arrested three Americans, among other foreign nationals, claiming they were mercenaries. The U.S. State Department dismissed the claims as “categorically false.” The arrests could deepen Venezuela's already tense relations with the U.S. after the disputed presidential election that Maduro claimed victory over. The opposition, the U.S. and others say he lost.

🎧 The Venezuelan government says the person at the center of this plot is a Navy SEAL who was in the country to contact a gang and get guns to attack Maduro, NPR’s Manuel Rueda says. Maduro has shown signs of tightening his grip on the country. He has ordered the arrest of over 1,600 people who protested the election results, banned the social media platform X and increased censorship on the local press. To keep this up and continue to have the military on his side, he will need money, which could become scarce if the U.S. ramps up sanctions on Venezuela’s oil industry.

The Emmy Awards were handed out Sunday night. A few shows — The Bear, Baby Reindeer, and Shōgun — split most of the major categories, and hosts Eugene and Dan Levy tried to keep things moving in a show without too many surprises. Here are 5 takeaways from the evening:

1️⃣ Shōgun was the historical drama that swept the top categories. Historical epics are not as popular as they once were, and FX and Hulu were praised for being willing to support an expensive period piece that was largely in Japanese with subtitles.
2️⃣ It's hard to make an exciting awards show when it's too soon after the last show. The 2023 awards were delayed by the Hollywood strikes so it really felt like we had just done this a few months ago.
3️⃣ Baby Reindeer cleaned up, and its creator hopes it will prove a point. The show is in the midst of a lawsuit, but Richard Gadd pointed out it didn't have established intellectual property or established stars and became a hit anyway.
4️⃣ Hacks came up big, and The Bear may have run into a category problem. Though The Bear did well on the comedy side, receiving a number of acting awards and a prize for directing, Hacks took home the top prize for outstanding comedy series. Hosts Eugene and Dan Levy even joked about the widespread sense that The Bear doesn't belong in the comedy category.

5️⃣ The shtick between awards was ... fine? The evening featured a series of groups of actors who had some connection to each other: TV moms, TV dads, TV doctors, TV lawyers, TV coaches. These moments always seem to be somehow less than the sum of their parts.

— Linda Holmes, Pop Culture Happy Hour host

➡️ Check out photos of the stars' red carpet fashion and see the full list of winners.

Stay pop culture savvy by subscribing to the Pop Culture Happy Hour newsletter. Once a week, you'll get NPR's guide to TV, Books, music and more.

Newsletter continues after sponsor message

A woman in Kabul walks past a wall mural with a map of Afghanistan

Wakil Koshar/AFP via Getty Images

Afghan women are literally committing a crime by singing out in protest of a morality law that orders them to be quiet. The protest began after the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice issued in late August the more than 100-page law restricting public behavior. Rules include a ban on neckties for men and the representation of anyone in published material. But, the harshest rules are for women, who can no longer leave their homes unless it’s urgent and they're accompanied by a male guardian.

🎧 Listen to the song women are singing in protest and read about the meaning of the lyrics.

Stop sign with a spray painted letter H over the letter T in the word.

Oliver Munday for NPR

A popular social media experiment called the no-buy challenge encourages people to temporarily purchase fewer non-essential items. The goal: Save money, cut back on overconsumption and be more mindful of wasteful shopping habits. The challenge is harder than it seems. Do you think you could do it? These tips could help you get started:

🛒 To pinpoint what you overspend on, create a list of non-essential items that you’ll either stop or continue buying.
🛒 Set a timeline for yourself that works for you.
🛒 Unfollow social media accounts that might persuade you to spend money.
🛒 Unsubscribe from email lists of your favorite shopping brands. Daily and weekly updates about sales and price reductions aren’t helpful.

Here’s the complete guide to help you start a challenge of your own.

Match Active: Double Your Impact

The NPR Network is dedicated to bringing critical climate coverage to the forefront and digging into solutions. But we can’t do it alone.

As we wrap up Climate Solutions Week, we’re asking 100 donors to step up and power the independent journalism needed to make this possible. Right now, your support will be matched dollar for dollar when you donate to the NPR Network — doubling your impact. Can we count on you today?

Double Your Impact: Donate Now ➔

AirPods are displayed during an announcement of new products at Apple headquarters on Sept. 9 in Cupertino, Calif.

Juliana Yamada/AP

The FDA has approved Apple’s new “Hearing Aid Feature,” which will allow some AirPods to double as over-the-counter hearing aids. It will amplify sounds for people with perceived mild to moderate hearing impairment.

Sen. JD Vance blamed the media for not paying enough attention to Springfield, Ohio, and justified false claims about Haitian migrants eating pets in a CNN appearance.

A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo sentenced 37 people, including three U.S. citizens, to death for their role in a failed coup attempt in May.

Stream your local NPR station.

Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.

Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here.

Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Music, Politics, Health and more!

You received this message because you're subscribed to Up First emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002

Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy