Welcome to this week’s Intelligence Brief… in recent days, more confusion has erupted in the aftermath of an announcement by President Joseph Biden on Sunday, where he revealed that he would not seek reelection in the 2024 presidential race. In our analysis of events, we’ll be looking at 1) what the outgoing President said, and did not say, during an official address from the Oval Office this week, 2) the storm surrounding the U.S. Secret Service that led to its Director’s resignation, and 3) why the FBI Director says his bureau is uncertain what the object was that injured former President Donald Trump during an attempted assassination at a Pennsylvania event.
Quote of the Week
“There is some question about whether or not it was a bullet or shrapnel that hit [Donald Trump’s] ear.”
– FBI Director Chris Wray
Latest News: In recent articles at The Debrief, a patented new form of solid-state battery that researchers are terming a ‘super battery’ has been developed, and scientists have discovered metallic minerals on the deep ocean floor that produce “dark oxygen”. As always, you’ll find links to all of our recent stories at the end of this week’s newsletter.
Podcasts: In podcasts this week, on The Micah Hanks Program I take a deep dive into the Manhattan Project, U.S. Cold War secrets, and strange things that were afoot in the post-war American Southwest. Meanwhile, as The Debrief Weekly Report takes a brief summer vacation, you can catch up on past episodes over on The Debrief’s Podcasts Page.
Video News: Recently on Rebelliously Curious, Chrissy Newton was joined by Michael Raduga, Founder of REMspace, to discuss how he and researchers from the startup REMspace are testing technology that allows people to control devices in their ‘smart home’ while in a lucid dreaming state. Be sure to check out other great content from The Debrief on our official YouTube Channel.
With all the housekeeping out of the way, it’s time we shift our attention over to the historic developments of the last several days, and what their potential implications are.
Biden Makes an Unprecedented Exit
Over the weekend, U.S. President Joe Biden announced that he would not seek reelection in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Race, in a sudden departure where he endorsed his Vice President, Kamala Harris.
“I revere this office, but I love my country more,” Biden said on Wednesday during a rare address from the Oval Office, marking the first time he addressed his decision since it was revealed on Sunday. “It’s been the honor of my life to serve as your president. But in the defense of democracy, which is at stake, I think it’s more important than any title.”
“I draw strength and find joy in working for the American people. But this sacred task of perfecting our union is not about me, it’s about you. Your families, your futures.”
Notably absent from the President’s address had been any clear stated reason for his choice to drop out of the current election. However, Biden’s decision followed increased pressure from members of his own party who had privately urged him to step down, following a disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump, who recently accepted the official nomination from his party.
“In recent weeks, it has become clear to me that I need to unite my party in this critical endeavor,” Biden said on Wednesday. “I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America’s future, all merited a second term. But nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition.”
“So I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. It’s the best way to unite our nation,” Biden said.”
Secret Service Chief Kim Cheatle Resigns
While Biden’s official statement on his resignation was arguably the focal point of the historic events occurring this week, pressure building over lingering concerns about the efficacy of the U.S. Secret Service following an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump came to a head on Monday, when now former Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle appeared before lawmakers.
“The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders,” Cheatle told the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on Monday. “On July 13th, we failed.”
Cheatle was lambasted by members of the committee, many of whom had called for her resignation. Following Monday’s hearing, Cheatle announced she would be stepping down from the position.
In a statement issued by the White House, the outgoing President was less critical of Cheatle, thanking her for her service while acknowledging that the U.S. Secret Service cannot allow such significant failures in the future.
“We all know what happened that day can never happen again,” Biden said in a written statement. “As we move forward, I wish Kim all the best, and I will plan to appoint a new Director soon.”
FBI Director: Bullet, or Shrapnel?
In another odd turn of events this week, FBI Director Chris Wray revealed this week that the Bureau was uncertain whether a bullet had actually been what struck former President Donald Trump during an assassination attempt that occurred at a recent outdoor rally in Pennsylvania.
During a session before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, Wray said the FBI is currently still investigating the incident, and that among the remaining questions is a degree of uncertainty about the identity of the object that struck Trump’s right ear.
“There is some question about whether or not it was a bullet or shrapnel that hit his ear, so it is conceivable, as I sit here right now, I don’t know whether that bullet, in addition to causing the grazing, could have also landed somewhere else,” Wray told lawmakers. The FBI director offered no additional information on what the source of the possible shrapnel might have been, nor what led the FBI to draw this conclusion.
Following the odd revelation, former President Trump called for Wray’s resignation on social media over unrelated statements the FBI Director made during the hearing regarding his past “uneventful and unremarkable” interactions with President Biden.
None of the lawmakers present during the hearing with Wray asked for additional clarity on the FBI Director’s uncertainty over what the object that struck the former President’s ear may have been.
That concludes this week’s installment of The Intelligence Brief. You can read past editions of The Intelligence Brief at our website, or if you found this installment online, don’t forget to subscribe and get future email editions from us here. Also, if you have a tip or other information you’d like to send along directly to me, you can email me at micah [@] thedebrief [dot] org, or Tweet at me @MicahHanks.
Here are the top stories we’re covering right now…
- Effort to Harness Gamma Rays Using Quantum Theory Aims to Create the World’s Most Powerful Laser
Researchers working to control high energy gamma-rays hope their work will help produce the most powerful laser ever built.
- Psilocybin Creates a Temporary Loss of Self by Dissolving Brain Networks, New Study Finds
New research reveals a heavy dose of psilocybin can alter a person’s perception and sense of self by reducing coordination between various regions of the brain.
- Tesla to Manufacture Humanoid Robots That Could be Available by Next Year, Elon Musk Says
Elon Musk says Tesla is moving forward with plans to begin producing human-like robots called ‘Optimus’ as soon as next year.
- NASA’s Curiosity Rover Just Smashed Open a Martian Stone, Revealing an Unusual Red Planet Discovery
NASA’s Curiosity rover has made a colorful discovery on the Red Planet: a stone filled with sulfur crystals.
- Sleeping While Awake? AI Helps Scientists Reveal the New Science of Micro-Sleep States
New research into sleep and wakefulness radically undermines a century of thought, as the two states are shown not to be as distinct as scientists previously believed.
- Morpheus Space Launching First-Ever Mass Production Facility for Field Emission Electric Propulsion Systems
Morpheus Space has opened its ‘Reloaded’ production facility to scale up production of its GO-2 field emission electric propulsion system.
- Trees Are Now Moving Due to Climate Change, But It’s Not the First Time
Trees in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest are moving in response to climate change, according to new studies into an ancient phenomenon.
- Patented ‘Super Battery’ Made from Rocks Could Power Future Electric Vehicles
A patented new form of solid-state battery that researchers are terming a ‘super battery’ is made out of ordinary rocks.
- ‘Dark Oxygen’ Discovered on the Ocean Floor, Challenging Ideas on Life’s Origins
Scientists have discovered metallic minerals on the deep ocean floor that produce “dark oxygen,” according to findings presented in a new study.
- 34-Million-Year-Old Remains Unearthed in Wyoming Challenge Our Ideas on Reptile Evolution
The recent discovery of 34-million-year-old reptile remains in Wyoming are presenting new insights into the evolution of one of nature’s most fascinating slithering species.
- Pentagon Chief Speaks Out on President Joe Biden’s Unprecedented Exit from 2024 Election
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin praised President Joe Biden following his announcement that he would not seek reelection.
- Real Life Tractor Beams? Game-Changing New Technology Could Lead to Non-Invasive Medical Procedures
Tractor beams, a technology once relegated to science fiction, could soon become a practical reality with the help of recent advancements in metasurface research.
- World’s Most Powerful Supercollider Ever Takes Huge Leap Forward Following Muon Beam Breakthrough
Researchers have announced a major breakthrough in muon-marshalling that could lead to the world’s most powerful supercollider ever.
- How Would Humans React to Contact with Extraterrestrials? UK Researchers Seek Answers in New Survey
A new survey looks at how humans might react to eventual contact with extraterrestrials, or whether some form of contact might have already occurred.
- Researchers Have Made an Oceanic Discovery That Could Shift Our Understanding of Earth’s Carbon Cycle
A new study could potentially change our understanding of the relationship between ocean diatoms and Earth’s carbon cycle.
- NASA Scientist Says Patented ‘Exodus Effect’ Propellantless Propulsion Drive that Defies Physics is Ready to go to Space
The inventor of a propellantless propulsion drive, which he claims uses an unknown force called the ‘Exodus Effect,’ is ready to go to space.
- NASA Just Transmitted a Hip Hop Song by Missy Elliot to Venus
Rapper Missy Elliot’s popular 1997 song, “The Rain” (Supa Dupa Fly), has been transmitted from the DSN’s Goldstone complex to Venus.
- Officials Search for Answers in Wake of Recent Presidential Assassination Attempt
This week we examine the recent assassination attempt on the life of a former U.S. President, as intelligence officials continue to search for clues about the would-be assassin.
- The Roswell Material: Case Closed?
This week, we look at AARO and Oak Ridge National Lab’s revealing findings involving material allegedly collected from the Roswell UFO incident in 1947.
- 10-Billion-Year-Old View of Mysterious Glowing ‘Einstein Ring’ Reveals Rare Discovery, Challenging Current Theories
Astronomers have observed a hyper-luminous infrared galaxy (HyLIRG) displaying a highly organized rotation, which is revealed in new observations as it would have appeared close to 10 billion years ago.
- Titan’s Liquid Landscapes Decoded in New Findings from Cassini-Huygens
The latest data analysis from the Cassini-Huygens space probe has further illuminated the mysterious seas of Titan, Saturn’s largest moon.
- Study Finds Mindfulness Training May Induce Altered States of Consciousness
A recent study by researchers from the University of Cambridge found that mindfulness training can lead to participants experiencing “disembodiment and unity” and altered states of consciousness.