(NEW YORK) — Author Salman Rushdie was attacked at an event in New York state on Friday, according to witness accounts and law enforcement reports.
Rushdie was scheduled to give a lecture at the education center Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, in southwestern New York, Friday morning.
At around 11 a.m., a man “ran up onto the stage and attacked Rushdie and an interviewer,” according to New York State Police.
Rushdie suffered an apparent stab wound to the neck and was transported by helicopter to the hospital, police said. His condition is unclear.
The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Department also confirmed to ABC News there was a stabbing at the event where Rushdie was speaking.
The suspect was taken into custody by a state trooper, police said.
In the aftermath of the attack, Rushdie, 75, was seen being tended to while on the stage.
The interviewer suffered a minor head injury during the attack, police said.
The Chautauqua Institution said it is “currently coordinating with law enforcement and emergency officials on a public response” following the attack on its stage and will provide more details at a later time.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called the attack “horrific,” and said she has directed state police to “further assist however needed in the investigation.”
“Here is an individual who has spent decades speaking truth to power, someone who has been out there, unafraid, despite the threats that have followed him through his entire adult life,” Hochul remarked during a press briefing on an unrelated matter on Friday.
Police have not commented on a possible motive in the assault, and the suspect has not been identified.
The British-Indian writer faced years of death threats after his novel, The Satanic Verses, was published in 1988.
The late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini accused the author of blasphemy over the book and in 1989 issued a fatwa against Rushdie, calling for his death.
Rushdie spent years in hiding, which he chronicled in his 2012 memoir, Joseph Anton. The book was nominated for the United Kingdom’s top nonfiction award, the Samuel Johnson prize.
In 2018, the Iranian foreign minister said that the country no longer supported the fatwa against Rushdie, though a bounty for his death continues to be offered by an Iranian religious foundation. In 2012, the group increased the bounty from $2.8 million to $3.3 million.
Others have been attacked in connection with “The Satanic Verses,” which was banned in several countries following its publication. Among them, Hitoshi Igarashi, who translated the book into Japanese, was stabbed to death in 1991 on the campus where he taught literature.
(WASHINGTON) — The FBI executed an unprecedented raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Monday, in search of evidence that sources tell ABC News is tied to his alleged mishandling of classified documents.
It’s believed to be the first search by the federal agency of the residence of a current or former U.S. president. Trump and other Republicans have sharply criticized the raid as a partisan attack and have demanded an explanation.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Aug 12, 12:43 PM EDT
House Republicans attack integrity of DOJ and FBI
Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee defended former President Donald Trump while attacking the integrity of the Department of Justice and the FBI during a press conference on Capitol Hill Friday.
“President Donald Trump is Joe Biden’s most likeliest political opponent in 2024 and this is less than 100 days from critical midterm elections,” Rep. Elise Stefanik, the No. 3 House Republican, said. “The FBI raid of President Trump is a complete abuse and overreach of its authority.”
Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Michael Turner, R-Ohio, told reporters that Republicans on the committee are “glad” the Department of Justice has begun the process of releasing “some” of the information about the raid to the public, but called for more. Turner said committee Republicans want access to the affidavit outlining the “imminent security threat” justifying the raid.
“Our request remains that the director of the FBI and the attorney general disclose to this committee the imminent national security threat upon which they based their decision to order a raid on the president’s home, again underscoring that there were many other options available to them,” Turner claimed. “We believe after the release today that these questions will remain unanswered.”
“The real story will be with the release of the affidavit itself,” Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., added. “The bureau and the attorney general and the DOJ obviously made the decision that this extreme measure was necessary. We will await their rationale for why that extreme measure was justified and not some lesser intrusive means.”
Turner did not call for the public disclosure of the underlying affidavit, which is expected to remain under seal, but did say that members of the intelligence committee and other committees of jurisdiction should have access. He called on committee Democrats to support a subpoena for this affidavit if there is non-compliance.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy dodged ABC News’ questions about whether he supports the release of the warrant authorizing the raid, instead saying he’d like to see the subpoena against Trump.
Trump received a subpoena in the spring for documents that he did not return to the National Archives, ABC News has reported. It’s unclear to what extent, if at all, he complied. The Justice Department has not publicly confirmed the existence of a subpoena.
Stefanik promised a “fulsome investigation” if Republicans retake the gavel in November.
“House Republicans are committed to immediate oversight, accountability and a fulsome investigation to provide needed transparency and answers to the American people,” Stefanik said.
The group also emphasized that they’re in “full support” of those who serve in the FBI and law enforcement agencies and condemned any violence against agents, while also repeatedly calling into question the credibility of law enforcement.
Aug 12, 12:28 PM EDT
Pelosi slams GOP for rhetoric following raid
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is blasting Republicans for their rhetoric following the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago.
Asked by ABC News about concerns over possibly increasing levels of violence against law enforcement and public officials after recent rhetoric from the GOP, Pelosi said Friday that she knows “very well how vicious” some of those threats can be, and said they’ve been “exacerbated” by former President Donald Trump.
“You would think there would be an adult in the Republican room that would say, ‘Just calm down. See what the facts are and let’s go for that.’ Instead of … instigating assaults on law enforcement,” Pelosi said.
When asked if she wants Congress to open more investigations into the material that Trump allegedly took, Pelosi said she’s not currently making plans for that and is going to let the investigation unfold.
Pelosi said she was not briefed on any aspect of the FBI raid or what classified information was being held.
She said she only knows “what’s in the public domain,” but she added, “if the nature of these documents is what appears to be, this is very serious.”
Aug 12, 8:44 AM EDT
Washington Post: Nuclear documents sought at Mar-a-Lago
The Washington Post is reporting that classified documents related to nuclear weapons were among the items agents sought by federal agents at Mar-a-Lago.
Multiple sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News that the Justice Department and the FBI believed Trump continued to keep sensitive classified documents that had national security implications and that in recent weeks additional information came in suggesting that Trump was not complying with requests to provide the information the Justice Department believed he had in his possession.
Aug 12, 8:00 AM EDT
DOJ believes Trump held onto sensitive classified documents and associates questioned, sources say
Multiple sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News that the Department of Justice and the FBI believed former President Donald Trump continued to keep sensitive classified documents that had national security implications, and that in recent weeks additional information came in suggesting Trump was not complying with requests to provide the information the Justice Department believed he had in his possession.
The information was sensitive enough that authorities wanted to take it back into possession immediately.
-ABC News’ Pierre Thomas, Alexander Mallin, Luke Barr, Katherine Faulders, and John Santucci
Aug 12, 7:07 AM EDT
Trump calls for ‘immediate release’ of search warrant
Former President Donald Trump is calling for “the immediate release” of the warrant that allowed FBI agents to search his Mar-a-Lago estate on Monday.
“Not only will I not oppose the release of documents related to the unAmerican, unwarranted, and unnecessary raid and break-in of my home in Palm Beach, Florida, Mar-a-Lago, I am going a step further by ENCOURAGING the immediate release of those documents, even though they have been drawn up by radical left Democrats and possible future political opponents, who have a strong and powerful vested interest in attacking me much as they have done for the last 6 years,” Trump said late Thursday in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social.
“This unprecedented political weaponization of law enforcement is inappropriate and highly unethical,” he added. “The world is watching as our Country is being brought to a new low, not only on our border, crime, economy, energy, national security, and so much more, but also with respect to our sacred elections!”
(NOTE CONTENT) Nicki Minaj is a “Super Freaky Girl.” Don’t believe it? Then listen to her new song of the same name.
The track, which dropped Friday, hears the star spit racy lyrics over a sample of Rick James‘ 1981 hit “Super Freak.”
“You can smack it, you can grip it, you can go down and kiss it,” Nicki raps. “And every time he leave me ‘lone, he always tell me he miss it.”
Nicki previously teased “Super Freaky Girl,” sharing a snippet of the single on TikTok and previewing it during her set at this year’s OVO Fest. The full song is now available on streaming services.
In other Nicki news, the rapper officially launched another season of her Queen Radio show on Amp, Amazon’s new live radio app. She is set to receive the Video Vanguard Award at the 2022 VMAs later this month.
The movie captures the veteran rockers performing in July 1993 at the Coca-Cola Star Lake Amphitheater in the Pittsburgh suburb of Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, during the band’s tour in support of its chart-topping, hit-packed ’93 studio album, Get a Grip.
The show features renditions of “Eat the Rich,” “Love in an Elevator” and “Cryin’,” as well as older classics like “Walk This Way,” “Back in the Saddle,” “Rag Doll,” “Janie’s Got a Gun,” “Dude (Looks Like a Lady),” “Dream On” and “Sweet Emotion.”
The film, which has been remastered in HD from the original master tapes, will be viewable for one week after its premiere.
As previously reported, the five-part series, which kicked off two weeks ago, is offering new archival “official bootleg” concert films featuring never-before-seen footage debuting weekly. Each flick captures Aerosmith during a different decade.
One day after each film premieres, highlight clips from the respective movies will be added to Aerosmith’s YouTube channel.
Here’s the complete remaining schedule of the 50 Years Live!: From the Aerosmith Vaults series:
8/12 — Live from the Coca-Cola Star Lake Amphitheatre, Pittsburgh, PA, 1993 (Get a Grip Tour)
8/19 — Live from Comerica Park, Detroit, MI, 2003 (Rocksimus Maximus Tour)
8/26 — Live from Arena Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico City, 2016 (Rock ‘n’ Roll Rumble Tour)
The 20th Century Films-release Prey bagged a trophy of its own, topping all new streaming titles for the week of August 4 through August 10, according to the latest rankings of streaming service aggregator app Reelgood.
The well-reviewed action film, which is available on Hulu, topped Netflix’s much hyped comic adaptation The Sandman and also AMC+’s Better Call Saul, which, as the series winds up, ended up in third place on the weekly chart.
Apple TV+’s Black Bird, starring the late Ray Liotta, hung strong in fourth place, while a new release, the Ron Howard-directed Thai cave drama Thirteen Lives, debuted in fifth on Prime Video.
Two other new releases hit streaming over the past week, with the Tom Holland blockbuster Uncharted debuting on Netflix in sixth place, and the Disney/Pixar film Lightyear opening with a ninth-place finish in its first week on Disney+, according to data from Reelgood’s 5 million users.
(WASHINGTON) — An Oklahoma man admitted Wednesday to cyberstalking Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., and threatening Hern and his wife, federal prosecutors announced.
Keith Charles Eisenberger, 39, of Bartlesville, pleaded guilty to three federal charges, including cyberstalking; threatening to kidnap and assault a member of Congress; and threatening to kidnap and assault the spouse of a member of Congress, the Justice Department said in a statement.
He was first charged in May.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate online threats of violence meant to intimidate elected officials or members of our community. Keith Eisenberger now understands there are legal repercussions to committing these criminal acts,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
According to the Justice Department, Eisenberger admitted to prosecutors that he threatened and harassed Hern online from Nov. 27, 2018, to May 11, 2022, and ultimately threatened to assault and kidnap Hern to interfere with his official duties. He later threatened to kidnap and assault Hern’s wife.
Prosecutors said the concerning comments started in 2018 when Hern first assumed office and became increasingly violent as time went on. The threats were made during visits to Hern’s office in Washington and over the phone and social media.
During one visit to Hern’s office in 2019, Eisenberger told Capitol Police that he was angry because he thought Hern had been appointed to the seat without Eisenberger being considered for it, prosecutors said.
In a plea agreement, prosecutors and an attorney for Eisenberger agreed that sentencing guidelines call for 36 months in prison, the Justice Department said. He will then undergo 36 months of supervised release, according to the agreement.
Eisenberger’s guilty plea comes at a time of what law enforcement has called heightened concern over political violence.
A Seattle man was recently charged with felony stalking after allegedly yelling racial epithets outside the home of Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.
Another man was arrested in June for allegedly threatening to kill Brett Kavanaugh while outside the Supreme Court justice’s home.
And in Ohio on Thursday, a suspected “domestic violent extremist” was fatally shot after attempting to break into an FBI office there, leading to an hours-long standoff.
(NEW YORK) — Ever wondered what cereal would taste like if it was spicy?
Thanks to Cinnamon Toast Crunch you don’t have to wonder any more.
The classic cereal brand is giving their sweet cinnamon taste a spicy twist and a new name: CinnaFuego Toast Crunch.
According to the brand, the new cereal looks the same as the original with “the added hot sensation of a spicy pepper.” You heard that right.
“CTC is always looking to give our fans the most absurd and exciting experiences,” Mindy Murray, General Mills’ senior marketing communications manager, said in a press release.
CinnaFuego Toast Crunch is sold in a new resealable pouch so consumers can enjoy the new spicy cereal as a snack.
“We can’t wait for CTC lovers to try CinnaFuego, and if they dare, eat it with some milk for breakfast,” Murray added.
Shop the new spicy cereal for $5.48 while supplies last.
The 1975 will headline the U.K.’s Reading & Leeds festivals in place of Rage Against the Machine.
As previously reported, the reunited “Killing in the Name” outfit dropped off the Reading & Leeds bill when they canceled their upcoming U.K. and European tour dates “per medical guidance” related to an injury frontman Zack de la Rocha suffered earlier this month during a show in Chicago. As a result of the injury, de la Rocha has been performing while seated throughout Rage’s U.S. tour.
“The flights, travel time, and rigorous schedule in the U.K. and Europe are simply too much of a risk for a complete recovery,” Rage said in a statement.
Rage still plans to finish the current leg of the band’s U.S. tour, which concludes this Sunday with a fifth straight show at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. The tour, which was originally scheduled for 2020 before being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, marks the first live Rage shows since 2011.
The 1975, meanwhile, joins the Reading & Leeds lineup alongside Arctic Monkeys, Glass Animals, Bring Me the Horizon, Wolf Alice, Halsey, Bastille and All Time Low. The bill had also included Måneskin, but they canceled their set earlier this week due “unforeseen scheduling conflicts.”
Reading & Leeds, which consists of two twin festivals taking place over the same weekend with the same lineup, will be held this year August 26-28.
The hit singer has announced that her sophomore album, Bell Bottom Country, will be released October 28. Described as a blend of country, ’70s rock, soul and funk, the album features current single “Heart Like a Truck” and newly released track “Watermelon Moonshine.”
She also penned a tribute to her father, Brian, with “Those Boots (Deddy’s Song).” The singer has shared on social media that her father has recently been experiencing some health issues.
“I’ve lived quite a bit of life the past few years, and I have a lot more to say. Sure, I love a good pair of bell bottoms, but Bell Bottom Country to me has always been about the flare and what makes someone unique — I have really embraced mine, and I hope y’all can hear that across this project,” Lainey says in a statement.
Bell Bottom Country follows her 2021 debut album, Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin,’ that included her first #1 hit, “Things a Man Oughta Know.”
