FBI arrests a man in New York linked to explosion at a California fertility clinic, officials say
Damage to a building is seen after an explosion in Palm Springs, Calif., on Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
NEW YORK — The FBI has made an arrest in New York in connection with last month's explosion of a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, three law enforcement officials said Wednesday. Federal prosecutors are expected to release details at a news conference in Los Angeles.
The arrest, first reported by NBC News, took place Tuesday evening at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, according to the officials. One official identified the suspect as Daniel Park, 32, of Kent, Washington.
Investigators believe the bomber died in the blast. It was not immediately clear what Park was charged with or how he was connected to the investigation.
The law enforcement officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss a criminal case that has not been publicly disclosed.
The FBI has identified Guy Edward Bartkus as the suspect in the apparent car bomb detonation, and investigators say he had nihilistic and 'anti-pro-life' writings. A body was found near a charred vehicle outside the clinic.
Officials said at the time they were investigating whether Bartkus had any help. He attempted to livestream the explosion and left behind writings that were still being examined to determine his state of mind, the FBI said.
The blast gutted the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic in Palms Springs and shattered the windows of nearby buildings along a palm tree-lined street. Witnesses described a loud boom followed by a chaotic scene, with people screaming in terror and glass strewn along the sidewalk and street.
A senior FBI official called the explosion possibly the 'largest bombing scene that we've had in Southern California.'
Eric Tucker And Jake Offenhartz, The Associated Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Globe and Mail
31 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
While Bitcoin Hits a New Price Record, Critics Still Have These Warnings for Crypto Investors
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) may have hit a new all-time high of $112,000 in May, but it's not out of the woods quite yet. Already, Bitcoin has retreated back down to the $105,000 level, and there are some critics warning about a further decline in price. While the long-term outlook for Bitcoin might be bullish, there could be quite a bit of uncertainty and volatility over the second half of 2025. Here are three key factors keeping the Bitcoin skeptics up at night. Tariff and trade uncertainty As long as tariffs continue to dominate the headlines, they will continue to have a direct impact on how investors view the crypto market. As a result, it's been a see-saw year for Bitcoin. After hitting an all-time high in January, Bitcoin dropped as low as $75,000 after President Donald Trump announced the new Liberation Day tariffs on April 2. Bitcoin has subsequently recovered, but every week seems to bring some new twist or turn in the tariff debate. The newest factor is the worsening state of the trade negotiations involving the U.S. and China. At one time, it looked like some kind of trade deal might be worked out by mid-summer. Now, it looks like the two sides are further apart than ever. So how will Bitcoin investors react? If they view Bitcoin as a safe haven asset, they might move even more money into Bitcoin, thereby boosting its price. However, if they view Bitcoin as a risky and volatile digital asset, then they might sell off, just as they did in April. Unfinished business in Washington When President Trump came into office in January, the future looked very bright indeed for Bitcoin. New crypto legislation looked like it would be ready to sign soon, and crypto enthusiasts were excited about upcoming Bitcoin initiatives from the Trump White House. However, five months into the presidency, and there's still a lot of unfinished business. Take the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, for example. Yes, Trump signed an executive order for its creation in March, but it delivered much less punch than many people expected. Most importantly, the executive order failed to outline how the government planned to buy Bitcoin in the future. As a result, investors are still waiting on some form of legislation, such as the BITCOIN Act proposed by Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), that will precisely outline a mechanism for buying more Bitcoin. On top of all that, there are now questions swirling around the Trump family's connections to Bitcoin. At the very least, there appear to be potential conflicts of interest. For example, Donald Trump's media company -- Trump Media & Technology Group -- recently divulged plans to buy $2.5 billion worth of Bitcoin. And members of the Trump family now have interests in a variety of Bitcoin-related projects. The four-year Bitcoin cycle Historically, Bitcoin has followed a fairly predictable pattern of boom and bust. The four-year Bitcoin cycle starts with a period of quiet accumulation, followed by a period of rapid growth. This leads to a Bitcoin bubble filled with hype and speculation. After that comes the crash. For example, the 2020-2021 rally that saw Bitcoin hit a (then) all-time high of $69,000 was quickly followed by a disastrous market crash that saw it lose 65% of its value in 2022. And the same pattern may be happening again. If history is any guide, then the final phase of the Bitcoin cycle could be arriving soon. Thus, even if Bitcoin soars to $150,000 this year, it might have a hard time holding on to those gains heading into 2026. If you'd have waited until now to buy Bitcoin, you might be buying at or close to the top of the market. By the end of 2025, it might already be too late. Only a 22% chance of failure? The good news is that most Bitcoin investors are remarkably bullish these days. According to online prediction markets, Bitcoin only has a 22% chance of falling below the $70,000 price level, and only a 16% chance of falling below the $60,000 price level. Long gone are the days when people regularly prognosticated that Bitcoin could fall all the way to zero. That being said, investors still need to be aware of the risks of investing in Bitcoin. The price of Bitcoin never goes straight up. It is highly volatile, filled with many peaks and valleys. If you don't have firm convictions about Bitcoin, it's remarkably easy to buy high and sell low. When it comes to Bitcoin, it's best to keep a long-term perspective. Bitcoin has never been a tariff-proof, inflation-proof, or recession-proof asset. But over a long enough time horizon, it continues to be the top-performing asset in the world. The only catch is that you have to be willing to hold on to it, through good times and bad. Should you invest $1,000 in Bitcoin right now? Before you buy stock in Bitcoin, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Bitcoin wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $668,538!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $869,841!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is789% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to172%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 2, 2025
National Post
41 minutes ago
- National Post
White belt student awarded $56M after being paralyzed by jiu-jitsu instructor
A beginner jiu-jitsu student in California was awarded $56 million ($77 million CDN) after being paralyzed by his black belt instructor during a sparring session. Article content Jack Greener, 30, a white belt, had been sparring with Francisco Iturralde, 33, during a Brazilian jiu-jitsu session in Del Mar, California, when he suffered the devastating spinal cord injury, KNSD reported. Article content Article content Article content The incident took place on Nov. 29, 2018, at Del Mar Jiu-Jitsu Club, when the two men were paired up. Article content Iturralde, a second-degree black belt, put his entire weight on Greener in a position that crushed the student's cervical vertebrae, rendering him a paraplegic. Article content Greener was hospitalized for several months and suffered multiple strokes among a series of other ailments, according to his attorneys. Article content The injured man was weeks away from graduating from college and was set to start a career as a professional surf instructor when he was paralyzed. Article content In 2023, a San Diego jury awarded him $46 million US, but with post-judgment interest, it now exceeds $56 million US. Article content The studio appealed the decision to the California Supreme Court, which declined to overturn the judgment this week. Article content Article content The verdict was also affirmed by a state appellate panel late last year, according to the outlet. Article content Greener sued the jiu-jitsu club for the injuries he suffered, blaming Iturralde, who is known on one website as 'Sinistro,' or 'Sinister,' for his 'dynamic, aggressive grappling style,' according to the New York Post. Article content 'When it occurred, the first thought that came to mind was, 'I'm going to be okay,' and then the second thought was, 'Oh s—, I can't move.'' Article content View this post on Instagram A post shared by CHASE VIKEN (@wavechase) Article content
CTV News
44 minutes ago
- CTV News
Trump once opened the door to the LGBTQ2S+ community. Now activists say he's their top threat
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a summer soiree on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, June 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) WASHINGTON — When he first ran for office, Donald Trump appeared to be a new kind of Republican when it came to gay rights. Years earlier, he overturned the rules of his own Miss Universe pageant to allow a transgender contestant to compete. He said Caitlyn Jenner could use any bathroom at Trump Tower that she wanted. And he was the first president to name an openly gay person to a Cabinet-level position. But since returning to office this year, Trump has engaged in what activists say is an unprecedented assault on the LGBTQ2S+ community. The threat from the White House contrasts with World Pride celebrations taking place just blocks away in Washington, including a parade and rally this weekend. 'We are in the darkest period right now since the height of the AIDS crisis,' said Kevin Jennings, who leads Lambda Legal, a longtime advocacy organization. 'I am deeply concerned that we're going to see it all be taken away in the next four years.' Trump's defenders insist the president has not acted in a discriminatory way, and they point to public polling that shows widespread support for policies like restrictions on transgender athletes. 'He's working to establish common sense once again,' said Ed Williams, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, which represents LGBT conservatives. Harrison Fields, the principal deputy press secretary at the White House, said, 'the overall MAGA movement is a big tent welcome for all and home to a large swath of the American people.' 'The president continues to foster a national pride that should be celebrated daily, and he is honored to serve all Americans,' Fields said. Presidential actions were widely expected Trump made anti-transgender attacks a central plank of his campaign reelection message as he called on Congress to pass a bill stating there are 'only two genders' and pledged to ban hormonal and surgical intervention for transgender minors. He signed an executive order doing so in January. His rally speeches featured a spoof video mocking transgender people and their place in the U.S. military. Trump has since banned them outright from serving. And although June is recognized nationally as Pride month, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters this week that Trump has 'no plans for a proclamation.' 'I can tell you this president is very proud to be a president for all Americans, regardless of race, religion or creed,' she added, making no mention of sexual orientation or gender identity. Williams described Pride activities as a progressive catch-all rather than a civil rights campaign. 'If you're not in the mood to protest or resist the Trump administration,' he said, 'Pride is not for you.' Trump declined to issue Pride Month proclamations in his first term, but did recognize the celebration in 2019 as he publicized a global campaign to decriminalize homosexuality headed by Richard Grenell, then the U.S. Ambassador to Germany and the highest-profile openly gay person in the administration. (Grenell now serves as envoy for special missions.) 'As we celebrate LGBT Pride Month and recognize the outstanding contributions LGBT people have made to our great Nation, let us also stand in solidarity with the many LGBT people who live in dozens of countries worldwide that punish, imprison, or even execute individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation,' Trump posted on social media. Times have changed where Trump is concerned This time, there is no celebrating. The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which Trump named himself chairman of after firing members of the board of trustees, canceled a week's worth of events celebrating LGBTQ2S+ rights for this summer's World Pride festival in Washington, D.C., at one of the nation's premier cultural institutions. Trump, who indicated when he took up the position that he would be dictating programming, had specifically said he would end events featuring performers in drag. The exterior lights that once lit the venue on the Potomac River in the colors of the rainbow were quickly replaced with red, white and blue. Multiple artists and producers involved in the center's Tapestry of Pride schedule, which had been planned for June 5 to 8, told The Associated Press that their events had been quietly canceled or moved to other venues. Inside the White House, there's little second-guessing about the president's stances. Trump aides have pointed to their decision to seize on culture wars surrounding transgender rights during the 2024 campaign as key to their win. They poured money into ads aimed at young men — especially young Hispanic men — attacking Democratic nominee Kamala Harris for supporting 'taxpayer-funded sex changes for prisoners,' including one spot aired during football games. 'Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you,' the narrator said. Jennings flatly rejected assertions that the administration hasn't been discriminatory. 'Are you kidding me? You're throwing trans people out of the military. That's example No. 1.' He points to the cancellation of scientific grants and funding for HIV/AIDS organizations, along with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's 'petty and mean' order to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, which commemorates the gay rights activist and Navy veteran. Jennings also said it doesn't help that Trump has appointed openly gay men like Grenell and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to high-profile positions: 'I would call it window dressing.' Less tolerance for the issues as time passes Craig Konnoth, a University of Virginia professor of civil rights, compared the U.S.' trajectory to that of Russia, which has seen a crackdown on gay and lesbian rights after a long stretch of more progressive policies. In 2023, Russia's Supreme Court effectively outlawed LGBTQ2S+ activism. Williams said Trump has made the Republican Party more accepting of gay people. First lady Melania Trump, he noted, has hosted fundraisers for his organization. 'On the whole, we think he's the best president ever for our community. He's managed to support us in ways that we have never been supported by any administration,' Williams said. 'We are vastly accepted within our party now.' Trump's approach to LGBTQ2S+ rights comes amid a broader shift among Republicans, who have grown less tolerant in recent years. While overall support for same-sex marriage has been stable, according to Gallup, the percentage of Republicans who think marriages between same-sex couples should be recognized as valid with the same rights as traditional marriage dropped to 41 per cent this year. That's the lowest point since 2016, a year after the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right, and a substantial decline from a high of 55 per cent in 2021. There's been a similar drop in the share of Republicans who say that gay and lesbian relations are morally acceptable, which has dropped from 56 per cent in 2022 to 38 per cent this year. Democrats, meanwhile, continue to overwhelmingly support same-sex marriage and say that same-sex relations are morally acceptable. An AP-NORC poll from May also found that Trump's approach to handling transgender issues has been a point of relative strength for the president. About half (52 per cent) of U.S. adults said they approve of how he's handling transgender issues — a figure higher than his overall job approval (41 per cent). Douglas Page, who studies politics and gender at Gettysburg College, said that 'trans rights are less popular than gay rights, with a minority of Republicans in favor of trans rights. This provides incentives for Republicans to speak to the conservative side of that issue.' 'Gay people are less controversial to Republicans compared to trans people,' he said in an email, 'so gay appointees like Secretary Bessent probably won't ruffle many feathers.' Colvin reported from New York. Linley Sanders and Fatima Hussein contributed to this report. Chris Megerian And Jill Colvin, The Associated Press
