Daily Digest: Attacks hit home
Good morning, and welcome to Monday. It was an unsettling weekend with attacks in St. Cloud and bombs in New York and New Jersey. Here's an update as part of today's Digest.
1. Federal authorities are treating the stabbing attack that injured nine people at a St. Cloud shopping mall Saturday night as an act of terrorism. The perpetrator has been identified by family members as a 22-year-old student from Africa who grew up in the United States. While the group calling itself the Islamic State took credit for the attack, the young man's father said he was unaware he had any ties to terrorist groups. (Star Tribune)
2. The police officer who shot and killed the St. Cloud attacker is being hailed as a hero. Jason Falconer, former police chief of Albany, Minn., was shopping when he confronted the suspect. St. Cloud Mayor David Kleis said he believes Falconer prevented additional injuries and loss of life. (MPR News)
3. In New York, officials were less quick to link a bombing Saturday night to global terrorism. As in St. Cloud, luckily no one was killed, although more than two dozen people were injured by the explosive in a dumpster in the Chelsea neighborhood. Police found another homemade explosive that did not detonate, and were looking for possible connections to a pipe bomb that exploded in New Jersey earlier Saturday. (New York Times)
4. More bombs were found in New Jersey overnight. One of them exploded as a police robot was trying to disarm it. (CBS News)
5. Donald Trump has gained support in Minnesota, but Hillary Clinton still has a lead, according to the latest poll from the Star Tribune. The poll shows at least right now voters think Clinton would do a better job handling the economy and foreign policy and in fighting terrorism. In general Trump is doing well in rural parts of the state while Clinton is strong in the core metro area. Trump leads among men, and Clinton leads among women. (Star Tribune)
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