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ATF offers $5,000 reward for tips after Tesla hit by Molotov cocktails in Kansas

ATF offers $5,000 reward for tips after Tesla hit by Molotov cocktails in Kansas

CBS News15 hours ago

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is offering a $5,000 reward for information related to a Tesla firebombing in Kansas in April.
Security cameras captured a suspect throwing two lit Molotov cocktails at the back of a Tesla collision center in Lenexa, Kansas, around 1:05 a.m. on April 3, 2025, the ATF said in a news release. The suspect drove to and from the scene in a vehicle, the ATF said. The suspect has not been identified and the ATF did not describe the vehicle.
Investigators have labeled the incident an "intentional act of arson," the ATF said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and local police are also investigating.
"This was a calculated attack that could have caused significant harm," said ATF Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Bernard Hansen in the news release.
ATF Kansas City Field Division is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information related to the April 3, 2025, firebombing at a Tesla collision center in Lenexa. At about 1:05 a.m., a suspect exited a car, threw two Molotov cocktails at the collision center and left in a vehicle seen in the top left corner of the provided video. The fire was an intentional act of arson and investigators are seeking public assistance to identify the suspect and advance the investigation. 'This was a calculated attack that could have caused significant harm,' said ATF Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Bernard Hansen. 'We're working closely with our partners at the FBI and Lenexa Police to identify the individual responsible, and we need the public's help. If you saw something or know something—even if it seems minor—now is the time to speak up.' This case is being worked in conjunction with the FBI Kansas City Field Office and the Lenexa Police Department. Anyone with information is urged to contact FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324). Read more at https://www.atf.gov/news/reward-notices/atf-offers-5000-reward-lenexa-tesla-arson-case. Posted by ATF on Friday, June 6, 2025
Anyone with information about the attack is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. To be eligible for the ATF reward, a person's tip must lead to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the attack, the agency said. Tipsters looking to receive reward money must leave their name and contact information, the ATF said.
"If you saw something or know something—even if it seems minor—now is the time to speak up," Hansen said.
The incident is one of several attacks on Tesla vehicles and facilities since President Trump returned to office in January. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, served as a senior advisor to Trump and led the controversial Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE.
A man was charged with arson and other charges in connection with an attack that damaged multiple Teslas at a Las Vegas dealership in March 2025. Another man was arrested and charged in connection with an arson attack at a New Mexico Tesla facility in February. Tesla showrooms and facilities also became the site of protests in the early months of Trump's second term.

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After bizarre burqa stunt, Morris County mayor says no more public meetings
After bizarre burqa stunt, Morris County mayor says no more public meetings

Yahoo

time36 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

After bizarre burqa stunt, Morris County mayor says no more public meetings

Fed up after yet another Dover council meeting was disrupted by activists on May 27, Mayor James Dodd declared that he will bar the public from future meetings and instead present them only online. "We're gonna go virtual," Dodd said. The council later passed a resolution, drafted during the meeting, that said that "due to emergent circumstances ... future public meetings shall be held virtually until changed by the Town Council." The resolution passed 8-1, with council member Sandra Wittner casting the lone "no" vote and questioning the legality of the hastily authorized move. "To say that this is a safety risk is insulting to the hundreds of people who died in Dover" during COVID, said Wittner, who frequently clashes with the mayor. Town council meetings last went online during the pandemic lockdown, which, by contrast, was a "very real safety risk," she said. Dodd took his action after a bizarre confrontation during the meeting's public comment session, at which the council was addressed by a person dressed in a blue burqa covering their entire face and body. The speaker, claiming to be a Muslim woman, began to talk in an affected, falsetto voice. The encounter ground the meeting to a halt for about 40 minutes. Dodd identified the "woman" as Edward "Lefty" Grimes, a Bayonne resident and disability activist who has been a frequent critic of the mayor and council at recent meetings. Dressed in the burqa, Grimes appeared in a motorized wheelchair. Grimes has said he needs the chair after allegedly being injured by Dover police who were directed to remove him from a January meeting for using profanity. Officials advised Grimes there was a town policy against meeting attendees wearing full-face coverings. But Grimes continued his complaints about a smoking ordinance he felt would violate his rights as a medical cannabis user. He refused to unveil his face, citing "religious reasons." The meeting was adjourned and Grimes was approached by Dover police. They tried to escort the activist from council chambers before Grimes was finally called out by an angry Dodd. "There's a law against impersonating a religious belief, and that's exactly what you're doing, Ed Grimes!' Dodd shouted. "Your Jeep is outside. I took a picture of your license plate. I will now press charges against you." After Grimes finally left, Dodd resumed the proceedings and added the resolution to suspend in-person meetings to the agenda. Contacted on Friday, Grimes did not deny he was at the meeting, but added, "I'm not admitting to anything." He insisted the speaker wearing the burqa was a Muslim woman named Elram Pador. He said he witnessed the confrontation on a YouTube stream posted by Maria Chacon. The Dover resident has been streaming meetings since the town suspended the practice last year, citing the need for a new video system and a lack of money to pay for it. "We all know Dodd would not allow someone in a burqa to speak," Grimes said. "Elram proved it and exposed his Islamophobia, exposed his racism, exposed his ego, because all he had to do was let that woman speak for three minutes. But his ego would not allow it, and now he's got a [expletive] show on his hands. He's got issues now.' A burqa-clad "Elram Pador" has also spoken at public meetings in other New Jersey towns in recent months, including an appearance — without a wheelchair — in Edison on April 30. Grimes and other online activists have frequented Dover meetings over the past six months, typically taking aim at Dodd and Councilman Sergio Rodriguez, who retains the mayor's support despite facing multiple assault charges. One critic wore a football helmet to a meeting, claiming he expected to be attacked. "I'm not in a position to sit here and be ridiculed and humiliated," Dodd said at the May 27 meeting. "It's insanity. This has been going on for some time. Who knows if that guy has a shotgun under what he was wearing? And when somebody comes here and mocks a religious belief, and thinks it's OK, that's not acceptable. "These people are crazy," he continued. "I won't be part of that anymore and I don't think this town should be subject to that anymore, either." Wittner said Dodd directed town Attorney Ramon Rivera to draft the resolution while the session was adjourned to remove Grimes. Rivera cited provisions in the New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act, also known as the Sunshine Law, that would permit the suspension of in-person meetings due to security reasons and "emergent circumstances," as the resolution reads. The resolution said that council meetings "have been interrupted by unprecedented members of the public who violate the town's public-comment policies." Challenged by Wittner on the legality of the move, and questioned about the nature of the "emergent circumstances," Rivera said, "In my opinion, based on what I saw tonight, there is a safety concern." More: In tense meeting, Dover council backs, then opposes, limits on immigration raids "The town is prohibited from conducting business" due to the interruptions, he added. Rivera noted in the resolution that "many entities conduct their meetings virtually in compliance with the OPMA," although he did not specify whether any governing bodies were currently doing so. Virtual meetings were common during the COVID lockdown but most local governing bodies switched back to in-person proceedings years ago. Rivera did not return a call seeking follow-up information. At the meeting, Dodd said he did not expect the move to be permanent. It would last only until the council felt it could safely resume public gatherings, he said. He added the town would come up with a plan to stream meetings within 30 days. Dover suspended online streaming of meetings last year, saying the town needed a new camera system and did not have the estimated $80,000 it would cost. Dodd said at the January reorganization meeting that he hoped to find money in this year's budget to resume the streaming. The streamed meetings will allow for public participation in that format, the mayor said at the latest meeting. "I don't expect this to be forever," Dodd explained. "But we need to conduct business, and we will." Chacon can be heard in her streaming video confronting the mayor. "It's unbelievable to me that we haven't had any livestreaming," she commented. She blamed Dodd for "elevating" the "chaos" at the meeting. "And then to come back and punish the public, the taxpayers who have a right to be here, it's appalling," she said. "To punish us for one person who got under the mayor's skin." State Sen. Anthony Bucco, who represents Dover in Trenton, speculated in an interview that Dover may be vulnerable to a court challenge. Bucco, a Republican representing the 25th District, is a municipal attorney by profession. "It's definitely an unusual step, outside of something like COVID," Bucco said. "Even before COVID, there were instances where towns held remote meetings, but they never closed the meeting room off." "So it will be interesting, he continued. "I would guess it would probably be challenged, and I don't know how a judge would rule." But Bucco, the Senate minority leader, also shared his concerns about what he sees as a troubling increase across the state of deliberate interruptions at meetings by members of the public. "It's a shame," Bucco said. "It seems lately, people have become more and more disrespectful at council meetings. People who come to meetings and say things that aren't accurate, or hide their identity, it's just not right for good government. And once one person becomes disrespectful, it starts to spread, and then a governing body cannot conduct business properly." On May 30, Dodd released a statement about the meeting and the decision to "go virtual." "Over the past several weeks, our meetings have been marred by behavior that has no place in public service," the mayor wrote. "We have witnessed individuals wearing full facial coverings, altering their voices, and delivering crude, vulgar remarks including sexually explicit references and disturbing comments. These actions have turned our council chambers into a spectacle that undermines the dignity of public discourse." "This decision wasn't made lightly," he continued. "But we cannot allow a small group to hijack the democratic process and create a toxic atmosphere that discourages community participation. We are committed to transparency, accountability, and — above all — civility in government." This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Dover NJ cancels public meetings after bizarre burqa stunt

Donald Trump Reacts to 'Epstein Files' Claim by Elon Musk
Donald Trump Reacts to 'Epstein Files' Claim by Elon Musk

Newsweek

time43 minutes ago

  • Newsweek

Donald Trump Reacts to 'Epstein Files' Claim by Elon Musk

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Donald Trump has reacted after Tesla CEO Elon Musk claimed the president's name appears in the files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender. Musk wrote in a post Thursday on X, formerly Twitter: "Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!" He added: "Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out." Why It Matters There has been a high-profile fallout between Trump and Musk, who have engaged in a bitter public dispute. The feud began when Musk expressed criticism of Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, labeling it "outrageous" and "pork-filled." Trump later said he was "disappointed" in Musk's negativity toward the budget reconciliation bill, which now sits with the Senate. Since then, the feud has escalated, with Musk claiming Trump is named in the Epstein files. Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, has called the CEO's claim "an unfortunate episode." From left: Donald Trump attends a meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., June 5, 2025; and Elon Musk looks on in the Oval Office there, May 30, 2025. From left: Donald Trump attends a meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., June 5, 2025; and Elon Musk looks on in the Oval Office there, May 30, 2025. AP What To Know On Friday, Trump shared a post on Truth Social written by Epstein's former lawyer David Schoen on X, which claimed that his client "had no information to hurt President Trump." "I was hired to lead Jeffrey Epstein's defense as his criminal lawyer 9 days before he died. He sought my advice for months before that. I can say authoritatively, unequivocally, and definitively that he had no information to hurt President Trump. I specifically asked him!" Schoen wrote. He briefly represented Epstein shortly before the financier's death in 2019. Thousands of pages of records that named people with ties to Epstein, who died while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges in 2019, have been released over the years. But there is no evidence to suggest Trump is mentioned in any unreleased files related to Epstein. And while the president is mentioned in some of the previously released court documents on Epstein, he has not been accused of wrongdoing. Meanwhile, Musk's claim taps into suspicions among conspiracy theorists and online sleuths that incriminating and sensitive files that the government possesses about Epstein's case have yet to be released. Trump has promised to release more government files related to Epstein, a move that gained attention after Attorney General Pam Bondi teased new disclosures earlier this year—though most released materials were already public. Trump and Epstein were previously acquaintances, with the Republican once calling the financier a "terrific guy." However, Trump later said the pair had a falling out about 15 years before Epstein's 2019 arrest. The president's name appears in flight logs for the disgraced man's private jet, mostly documenting trips in the 1990s between Palm Beach and New York. Epstein's former pilot testified that Trump and other public figures flew on the plane, but said he never witnessed any sexual misconduct on board. Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking. One Epstein accuser, Johanna Sjoberg, mentioned being with Epstein at Trump's Atlantic City casino in 2016 testimony, but did not say she met Trump or allege misconduct. A Trump spokesperson told Newsweek in January 2024 that claims about Trump's connection to Epstein had been "thoroughly debunked" by the release of related documents. What People Are Saying White House press secretary Karolina Leavitt told Newsweek on Thursday: "This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted. The President is focused on passing this historic piece of legislation and making our country great again." President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Thursday: "Elon was 'wearing thin,' I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!" The Democrats account on X wrote in a post alongside a picture of Trump with Epstein: "What is Trump hiding? Release the Epstein files." What Happens Next The Trump administration is expected to face growing pressure over the delayed release of additional files related to Epstein. After releasing an initial batch of documents in February, the administration pledged that more would follow. Bondi addressed concerns about the delay, saying the FBI is still reviewing a substantial volume of evidence. Democratic Representatives Stephen Lynch and Robert Garcia have demanded answers. In a letter first reported by Axios, they urged Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to "immediately clarify" whether recent claims made by Elon Musk about the case are accurate. Lynch and Garcia are also seeking a detailed timeline for the Justice Department's declassification and public release of all remaining Epstein documents. The lawmakers asked for an explanation of why no new records have been released since February, what role Trump is playing in the review process, and a list of personnel involved. They also requested clarification on why previously released documents contained "significant redactions."

Loved ones honor officer killed in Baldwin Park shooting
Loved ones honor officer killed in Baldwin Park shooting

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Loved ones honor officer killed in Baldwin Park shooting

A vigil was held to honor the life of Samuel Riveros, 35, a Baldwin Park police officer who was killed in the line of duty. Over 1,000 people gathered outside Baldwin Park City Hall on Friday night, where a large memorial filled with flowers, candles and mementos continues growing. A speaker at the memorial described Riveros as a 'man of character, thoughtfulness and courage.' On May 31, officers responded to a home on the 4200 block of Filhurst Avenue, on reports of a man firing a rifle in the street around 7:15 a.m. When they arrived, they located a victim, Darius Wong, 43, suffering from a gunshot wound to his upper body. He was transported to the hospital and later pronounced dead. The officers were met by gunfire from the rifle-wielding suspect. Riveros began running toward the shots to help his colleagues when he was shot by the suspect. Riveros was airlifted to the hospital where he died from his injuries. The second officer, who was also injured, was hospitalized in stable condition. The suspect, Eduardo Roberto Medina-Berumen, 22, was also struck by gunfire and was hospitalized in stable condition. Authorities said Wong, a father of two young daughters, had just parked his car and was walking to a family party when he was shot. Riveros was a nine-year veteran of the Baldwin Park Police Department. His colleagues remembered him as a dedicated officer and friend who loved serving his community. 'He had a care for this community and he had care for the department,' said Joseph Valencia, a colleague. 'Everything that he did was to make the patch look good and to make his brothers and sisters look good and most importantly, to protect the city.' 'He really is my little brother, but he was my crutch and he didn't know that,' said Sunny Kim, Riveros' police partner. 'I looked to him for that.' 'There is no way for us to convey to you the emptiness and heartache we feel at the loss of our beloved Sammy,' Riveros' sister said at the candlelight vigil on Friday night. On June 3, the suspect, Medina-Berumen, was charged with two counts of murder, along with other charges, the L.A. County District Attorney's Office announced. The charges include special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and the murder of a peace officer. These special circumstances could make Medina-Berumen eligible for the death penalty if he is convicted. L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said his office will decide at a later date whether to pursue capital punishment. Friends remembered Riveros as a snowboarder and an avid Dodgers fan. Riveros became a law enforcement officer after studying criminology, law and society at UC Irvine. He is survived by his mother, sister and two brothers. His family said funeral arrangements are still in the planning stages and no date has been set. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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