AP’s exclusive reporting on ICE officer in Maine shooting with history of violent behavior, Trump’s primetime speech, romance scams
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In the news today: AP’s exclusive reporting on the ICE officer in the Maine killing reveals his history of violent behavior, according to family and records; Trump uses a primetime address to raise doubts about U.S. elections ahead of the midterms; and go deep inside scams to find out how to protect yourself from getting sucked in. Also, tips on how to avoid hand pain from smartphone use.
Mourners place flowers and candles in Biddeford, Maine, Wednesday, July 15 2026, near the blood-stained pavement where Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero was pulled from his car on Monday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Mourners place flowers and candles in Biddeford, Maine, Wednesday, July 15 2026, near the blood-stained pavement where Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero was pulled from his car on Monday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
AP Exclusive: ICE officer in Maine shooting has history of violent behavior, family and records say
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who shot a Colombian man in Maine this week is an Army veteran who has struggled with serious mental health issues since early childhood and never should have been given a badge and gun to patrol American streets, several of his close relatives told The Associated Press. Read more.
Why this matters:
- David Brouillette has a history of terrifying and violent behavior, according to those relatives. They accuse him of attacking women in his life over the years, and one shared a voicemail with the AP from last winter in which he told her that he thought someone should slit her throat.
- Brouillette’s troubling past further challenges how thoroughly the Department of Homeland Security has vetted recruits as it went on a hiring spree to help carry out President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
- ICE spokesperson Lauren Bis said in a statement that the agency will not confirm or deny “attempts to dox” its officers. “The ICE officer in question has nearly a decade of federal law enforcement experience with required training including use of force training,” Bis said. Brouillette didn’t respond to text messages or an email seeking comment. Three relatives who said they had spoken to him since the shooting, including an ex-wife and daughter, said he told them he acted in self-defense.
Related coverage →
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Trump uses primetime address to raise doubts about US elections ahead of midterms
President Donald Trump used a primetime address to the nation Thursday to elevate his yearslong push to raise doubts about the legitimacy of U.S. elections and dispute his 2020 loss in an appeal for more restrictive voting laws ahead of the midterms. Read more.
Why this matters:
- Trump’s speech presented allegations of interference and influence in ways that lacked key context, while failing to produce evidence that votes had been manipulated or the election outcome had been altered. Trump used the remarks to justify his push to pass a strict voter ID bill in Congress that has not advanced because it lacks enough support from Republicans.
- Election security experts say the decentralized U.S. voting system, with the power over elections residing with the states instead of the federal government, is a strength. Americans vote in more than 10,000 different jurisdictions with different rules, making the nations’ elections extraordinarily complicated but safe from widespread fraud. No credible intelligence has emerged showing the vote count in 2020 was manipulated by foreign actors. Repeated audits and reviews, many run by Republicans including Trump’s then-attorney general, have found no significant fraud occurred in 2020.
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‘I’m at war with myself’: One woman’s struggle to break out of a romance scam
Romance scams are on the rise across the United States. Last year, more than 49,000 Americans reported losing a collective $1.3 billion to romance scams, according to available FTC data shared with The Associated Press. Read more.
Why this matters:
- The growth in romance scams comes in part from acute social isolation ushered in by the COVID-19 epidemic and lockdowns. In a first-of-its-kind study in 2025, the World Health Organization found that years after the world opened up again, people continue to suffer from loneliness. Estimates for people globally who report loneliness range from 1 in 6 to 1 in 2.
Related coverage →
Take a look inside real scams so you can learn how to protect yourself
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One Tech Tip: How to soothe thumb pain when texting and scrolling
Do your hands hurt when you use your phone? All that texting and scrolling might be stressing out your fingers. Take a look at tips we gathered from experts, including limiting phone use and varying how you use your devices. And have a nice weekend.
This is our flagship newsletter Morning Wire. You can subscribe here and we’ll email it to you daily.
