NEWS GLEAMS | Assassination Attempt on Former President Trump, President Biden Decries Violence; WA State Fire Ban

A roundup of news and announcements we don't want to get lost in the fast-churning news cycle.

by Vee Hua 華婷婷

Former President Trump Minorly Wounded in Potential Assassination Attempt, Attendees Killed and Injured; President Biden Decries Violence

On the campaign trail for his bid for the presidency, former President Donald Trump was minorly wounded in a potential assassination attempt during an evening rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 13. A bullet from a semi-automatic gun grazed and bloodied his right ear, killed one rally attendee, and left two other attendees in critical condition. About 13,000 Trump supporters attended the rally.

The shooter has been identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. Crooks was shot and killed by the Secret Service shortly after he fired multiple shots toward the rally stage. Crooks' motives are not yet known, and the case is under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as a potential case of domestic terrorism and assassination.

The Pennsylvania State Police have identified the man who was killed as 50-year-old Corey Comperatore of Sarver, Pennsylvania, a father of two who worked at a plastics manufacturing company and was a volunteer firefighter. The two people who were critically injured — but now in stable condition — have been identified as 57-year-old David Dutch of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and 74-year-old James Copenhaver of Moon Township, Pennsylvania.

Former President Trump and President Biden in the Immediate Aftermath

Trump ducked shortly after shots rang out and raised a fist to the crowd as he was escorted to his motorcade by the Secret Service. At 5:42 p.m. that evening, Trump posted a message on his social media network, Truth Social, that thanked the Secret Service and law enforcement for their speed and extended his condolences to the families of those who were killed and injured at the rally. He added, "I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening."

Not long after Trump was shot, President Joe Biden confirmed publicly that the two had spoken and had a positive conversation. The next day, Biden delivered a rare prime-time address from the Oval Office — only his third such message to the country during his term. He urged Americans that such violence was unacceptable and called for unity.

"All of us now face a time of testing as the election approaches. There is no place in America for this kind of violence — for any violence. Ever. Period. No exception. We can't allow this violence to be normalized," he said. Biden also called for an immediate investigation by the FBI and a review of security in advance of the Republican National Convention (RNC) from July 15 to 18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At the RNC, former Trump is expected to officially secure the Republican nomination for president and to name his running mate.

An analysis from The New York Times suggested the shooter had fired eight shots from an elevated position near the venue. Numerous audience members had seen Crooks prior to the start of Trump's speech and attempted to warn law enforcement, without success.

Crooks' father had purchased his AR-15-type semi-automatic gun legally, and the FBI has shared that it is unknown how Crooks obtained the weapon. He is believed to have acted alone, and no indication has yet been found about any potential mental health issues.

Washington State Enacts Fire Ban on State-Managed Land

In an attempt to curtail potential dry weather and an impending fire season, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has imposed a fire ban on all lands managed by the DNR. Affected lands include state forests, campgrounds, day-use areas, trailheads, and natural preserves. The ban covers over 5.6 million acres and will be in effect through September.

The DNR presently has designated the Puget Sound region as having a "High" fire risk, while parts of Central and Eastern Washington just east of the Cascades are designated as "Very High." The ban goes into effect as a number of wildfires are burning across Washington State.

In addition to lands managed by the DNR, Washington State Parks and Properties also have burn bans in effect at varying levels ranging from Burn Ban Level 1 to Burn Ban Level 4, as well as an even more strict designation of "No Fires at Any Time." Most camping parks are designated Burn Ban Level 1, which only allows fires in designated fire pits and grills, as well as propane and gas grills. Most day-use parks have the rule of no fires permitted at any time of year.

At Burn Ban Level 2, wood fires are restricted to designated fire pits, and gas or propane are allowed, but charcoal use is restricted. At Burn Ban Level 3, self-contained propane and gas camping stoves or portable gas and propane fire pits are allowed, but no charcoal or wood fires are allowed. At Burn Level 4, the only fires allowed are internal RV stoves; no smoking or open flames of any type are allowed, and trails or undeveloped areas may be closed to entry.

Find a full list of State Parks' burn bans, an interactive map of fire restrictions, and a national map of active wildfires on the DNR website.

Black Embodiments Studio Seeks Writers for Arts Writing Incubator

The Black Embodiment Studio (BES) is accepting applications for its annual 2024—2025 Arts Writing Incubator, which will convene a small cohort of five people from October 2024 to May 2025. The selected cohort will discuss arts writing and workshop their writing projects. The participants will be tasked with seeing "Black Art in their own locales on their own time," and are expected to maintain an ongoing writing project throughout the incubator. They are also expected to pitch and publish their work at least once during the session, with some writing to be collected in BES' annual journal, A Year in Black Art.

Each participant will receive a $1,000 stipend for their participation. They are expected to convene monthly via Zoom meetings, in sessions that will be hosted by "artists, writers, and culture workers who dive deeply into the forms, stakes, aesthetics, and ethics of writing about Black art." The program will culminate in a Spring 2025 in-person convening.

Apply or learn more about the Black Embodiments Studio Arts Writing Incubator on its website. Applications are due on Friday, Aug. 2.

📸 Featured Image: From left to right: Current President Joe Biden walking with supporters at a pre-Wing Ding march in Iowa in August 2019 (Photo is attributed to Gage Skidmore, under a CC BY-SA 2.0 license); former President Donald Trump's official portrait in October 2017 (Photo: Shealah Craighead, under the public domain).

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