EXCLUSIVE 'Dave became too ill to speak. Losing his hair made him feel repellent. We both knew what was coming and I had to make a decision...' With extraordinary bravery, Hairy Bikers widow LILI MYERS reveals the story of his cancer battle for first time
It's early morning and I'm taking my dog for a walk. The spring sun is beginning to rise and the air is crisp, bringing my senses back to life after another broken night's sleep.
The night times are the most difficult. It's been three months since my husband Dave Myers died and, while the days are busy enough for me to push my thoughts and feelings aside, at night I'm alone, with nowhere to hide.
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The Guardian
32 minutes ago
- The Guardian
The attacks on Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota: what we know
Early Saturday morning, Minnesota woke to the news of two targeted attacks on its lawmakers. A gunman killed the top Democratic state legislator, Melissa Hortman, and her husband, Mark, and injured another state legislator, John Hoffman, and his wife Yvette in the Minneapolis area. The suspect, Vance Boelter, remains at large. Here's what we know about the violent incidents. Amid rising threats of political violence in the US, Democratic governor Tim Walz was quick to identify the shootings as politically motivated. The fact that both targeted state politicians, and that police soon found a 'manifesto' in the shooter's car, seemed to support that definition. The gunman targeted the two lawmakers in their homes in Brooklyn Park (Hortman) and Champlin (Hoffman). Vance Boelter, police say, impersonated a police officer to approach Hortman and Hoffman's homes, where he shot the legislators and their spouses. Brooklyn Park's police chief, Mark Bruley, said at a press conference that the suspect drove a vehicle that looked identical to an SUV police squad car. The FBI is currently offering a $50,000 reward in the search for Boelter, who has not been seen since this morning. Boelter was appointed by numerous Minnesota governors to the workforce development board, which is tasked with improving business development in the state. John Hoffman also served on the board, though it is unclear if they knew each other. Boelter is married, and runs a private security company with his wife, according to his LinkedIn page and the company website. In documents, Boelter listed his political affiliation as 'none or other', according to the New York Times, and later as 'no party preference'. He had a list of around 70 other targets, including lawmakers such as US senator Tina Smith, a Democrat, as well as community leaders, doctors and Planned Parenthood sites. His roommate and best friend David Carlson told media outlets that Boelter was a devout Christian and staunchly anti-abortion. He said Boelter texted him that he would be dead shortly. He claimed Boelter was a strong supporter of Donald Trump. While some Minneapolis demonstrations were cancelled after the violent incidents, others continued and were well attended, with signs showing support for Hortman and Hoffman. Minnesota's house of representatives was evenly split between Republicans and Democrats before Hortman died. Democrats have a one-vote majority in the state senate. The Brooklyn Park police department lifted a shelter in place order on Saturday afternoon and said Boelter was no longer thought to be in the area. The hunt for him remains under way.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Trump news at a glance: mass protests against administration amid military parade and deadly violence
As tanks and soldiers paraded through the streets of Washington on Saturday, millions of people in more than 2,000 locations across the US took to the streets to protest against the excesses of Donald Trump and his administration. The 'No Kings' protests drew over 200,000 in New York and over 100,000 in Philadelphia, while in Los Angeles, where Trump has deployed military force over the past week, protesters gathered outside city hall with many wrapping themselves in American flags. The day was also marked by political violence. There were two early morning shootings of two Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota, one of whom was killed along with her husband, in what local officials called a politically motivated attack. Tens of thousands of people around the country are turning out in their communities to speak out against the excesses of Donald Trump's administration in what's expected to be the biggest day of protest since his second term began. The protests, dubbed 'No Kings', are taking place at about 2,000 sites nationwide, from big cities to small towns. A coalition of more than 100 groups have joined to plan the protests, which are committed to a principle of nonviolence. Read the full story Thousands of troops accompanied by dozens of tanks and aircraft marched through the National Mall in Washington DC for a military parade billed as celebrating the US army's 250th birthday on Saturday – which also happened to be the day Donald Trump turns 79. Read the full story A prominent Democratic state lawmaker in Minnesota and her husband have been killed, and another Democratic state lawmaker and his wife were shot, in the early hours of Saturday. State representative Melissa Hortman has died, as has her husband, Mark, the state's governor, Tim Walz, confirmed at a press conference on Saturday. He said the shooting 'appears to be a politically motivated assassination'. Read the full story The Trump administration deportation campaign is reportedly shifting its focus away from raids on the agricultural and hospitality sectors after Donald Trump conceded this week that his immigration policies are hurting the farming and hotel industries. Read the full story Ice has exponentially increased the arrest and detention of immigrants without any criminal history since the second Trump administration took office, a data analysis by the Guardian shows. Experts fear for the US's preparedness for the next pandemic and worry that other vaccines will be targeted after top health officials turn against some mRNA vaccines. The Trump administration dropped up to $4m in potential fines against the private prison operator Geo Group over its use of a toxic disinfectant in a detention center that allegedly put employees' and detainees' health at risk. Catching up? Here's what happened on 13 June 2025.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Leaked Homeland Security memo warned of attacks eerily similar to Minnesota political assassin
A leaked 'confidential' memo from 2024 reportedly detailed that wannabe attackers against high-level government officials are focusing attention on their targets' residences, eerily resembling the assassination and attempted assassination attempts in Minnesota. The resurfaced report comes as State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed in their home on Saturday morning in what Governor Tim Walz said appeared to be 'politically motivated.' Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were also shot and underwent surgery. Walz told reporters that doctors were 'cautiously optimistic' that the couple would survive the assassination attempt. The shocking events may seem unpredictable, but a confidential memo, obtained by ABC News in March 2024, detailed a 'recent uptick' in personal residences targeted by public officials. The memo said that the attacks on homes left public servants and their families 'vulnerable to attack.' The attackers referenced in the memo have moved from targeting public spaces and known buildings to home addresses, which often lack security measures. The federal intelligence bulletin cited increased online messaging promoting attacks on homes as the reason for the recent uptick in planned attacks. 'Recent attacks at private residences have occurred during a period of overall increased political polarization, target hardening of more traditional attack locations, and the prevalence of conspiracy theories targeting industry and government officials,' the memo stated. The bulletin added that increased security measures in public spaces and government buildings have potentially driven attackers to 'prioritize private residences.' The memo also stated, 'While targeting private residences is not a new tactic, 7 of 10 known attacks or disrupted plots against high-profile officials since 2018 occurred in the last two years.' Analysts at the Department of Homeland Security also noted that attackers are motivated by ideological and personal grievances. The federal intelligence bulletin warned that the enhanced technology and the ability to find people's addresses online have increased the potential of attacks on personal residences. Although attacks on people's homes aren't new practices, the rise of violence against public officials in their residences has become increasingly alarming. In October 2022, a man named David DePape broke into former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's home. DePape invaded Pelosi's home with a hammer and attacked her husband, Paul, while repeatedly asking for the former speaker. Now, in 2025, the threat has become even more real as federal officials investigate the shocking assassinations in Minnesota. The information noted in the leaked memo last year foreshadowed the disturbing events that transpired on Saturday morning. As the federal intelligence bulletin warned, the personal residences of Hortman and Hoffman presented an opportunity for the attacker to invade with fewer obstacles than a government building or public event. The first shooting occurred just after 2am at Hoffman's home before the attacker arrived at Hortman's residence at 4am. Law enforcement named Vance Boelter, 57, as the suspect, who remains at large after the vicious attacks. Boelter is an employee at a security company where he works as the director of security patrols. Investigators believe Boelter has attempted to flee the state as a nail-biting manhunt has ensued. Law enforcement also found a 'manifesto' with almost 70 names inside his vehicle along with flyers for the anti-Trump 'NO KINGS' nationwide rallies. Police have issued new terrifying images of the suspect in a Halloween-style mask during the shootings. There is a $50,000 reward for information leading to his whereabouts. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security didn't respond to a request for comment on the leaked memo, but referred to a statement from Secretary Kristi Noem. 'DHS is monitoring the horrific shooting of two Minnesota legislators in Brooklyn Park and Champlin,' the statement read.
