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Brooklyn resident Maria Tripp, age 47, was killed while crossing Atlantic Avenue late Thursday afternoon. Authorities tell NBC New York that Ms. Tripp was attempting to cross at the intersection of Atlantic and Ralph when she was struck by a westbound Chevrolet Impala driven by a Secret Service agent. Ms. Tripp was taken to Interfaith Hospital where she died from injuries to her head and body.

Ms. Tripp's brother, Alan Taylor, told NY1 News that his sister was hit by "a speeder" and that "a car came by speeding." Ms. Tripp "didn't know which way to move," said Mr. Taylor.

Mr. Taylor also said his sister was accompanied by a man and two children who the man pulled out of harm's way when the incident occurred.

The as yet unnamed Secret Service agent stayed at the scene and was reportedly cooperating with investigators.

Sarah Palin

In a revelation that surely won't be pure red meat for political commentators for the next 48 hours, the Associated Press reports a fired Secret Service supervisor joked on Facebook about scoping out former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. David Randall Chaney, forced to retire by the agency earlier this week in connection with an ongoing probe into a prostitution scandal, was part of Mrs. Palin's Secret Service detail during the 2008 presidential campaign. In January 2009, Mr. Chaney, age 48, wrote the following in a comment on a Facebook photo of him accompanying Mrs. Palin: "I was really checking her out, if you know what i mean?"

Informed by Fox News of the comment, the former Alaska governor said, "Well check this out, buddy--you're fired." Mrs. Palin also termed the Secret Service/Colombian prostitution scandal as being symptomatic of "government run amok."

The Washington Post, which first reported Mr. Chaney's comment, also  noted a colorful detail outside Mr. Chaney's residence that had no relation to the former agent's Facebook comment save possibly indicating his own political sentiments:

Attempts to reach both men were unsuccessful. Calls made to Chaney's home and cellphone and to Stokes's home were not returned. No one answered the door when a reporter visited Chaney's home in Northern Virginia. Parked outside was a silver Ford pickup truck, bearing stickers with a colorful outline of Texas, Chaney's home state, and the mantra "SECEDE."

The Post went further in-depth on the embarrassing Facebook thread, relating banter between Mr. Chaney and a friend who jokingly asked if Mrs. Palin was wearing a button bearing Mr. Chaney's likeness. In response, Mr. Chaney wrote, "well if it was could you blame her, anything to satisfy a stalker."

The Colombian prostitution scandal, which occurred during President Obama's recent weekend trip to a summit in Cartagena, has embroiled members of the Secret Service and the military. So far 3 Secret Service staff have either quit, gone into forced retirement or been fired. There will likely be more firings to come.

Mitt Romney (Getty)

Peter Smith, a 20-year-old student at the University of Colorado, could face 6 months in prison for attempting to throw a glitter "missile" at presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Mr. Smith, who told Reuters he was protesting Romney's "general political philosophy" as much as the candidate's position on gay marriage, has been charged with several misdemeanors. They include creating a disturbance, committing an "unlawful act" on school property and in legal terms, throwing a missile.

Mr. Smith was in the crowd following the former Massachusetts governor's speech last Tuesday and allegedly threw the glitter as Mr. Romney worked the crowd. Mr. Romney's new Secret Service detail quickly hustled the candidate away and Mr. Smith was removed from the auditorium.

Peter Smith was an unpaid intern for the Democratic Colorado State Senate as part of a University program at the time of the incident. Senate leaders were alerted to his arrest and he was let go from the program. In spite of facing a $1000 fine in addition to jail time if he is convicted, Mr. Smith has said he has no regrets, even though video makes it clear that he completely missed Mr. Romney anyway.

[msnbc.com]

Secret Service Apprehend Man At Romney Event - YouTube.

Mitt Romney (Getty)

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who just won the Florida primary, will receive Secret Service protection. ABC News reports Mr. Romney will have protection by Thursday. There are no known threats to the candidate; unnamed sources told reporters that the decision was based on the increasing sizes of crowds encountered on the campaign trail.

Mitt Romney isn't the first candidate to receive protection in this election season; Herman Cain briefly had Service protection before he dropped out of the race in December.

It remains to be seen as to what kind of cool code name the White House Communications Agency (WHCA), which provides the names for the Service, will provide Mr. Romney. President Barack Obama is called "Renegade" and First Lady Michelle Obama is "Renaissance." Mr. Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, was "Trailblazer." Senator John McCain, the 2008 Republican nominee, was called "Phoenix." His running mate, then-Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, was dubbed "Denali." We would suggest "Seamus," but it is unlikely the WHCA takes suggestions.

[ABC News]

Since Gawker came calling Atlanta Jewish Times owner and publisher Andrew Adler's no-good very bad week has only gotten worse. Now the Secret Service is interested in his writing. Adler published an incendiary column on January 13 in which he suggested options Israel could pursue to combat an increasingly aggressive Iran. Unfortunately, this was one of his suggestions:

Give the go-ahead for U.S. based Mossad agents to take out a president deemed unfriendly to Israel in order for the current vice president to take his place and forcefully dictate that the United States' policy includes its helping the Jewish state obliterate its enemies.

Whoops. Adler apparently wasn't aware that the U.S. Secret Service tends to frown on anyone suggesting such an option in a public forum, even as a thought experiment. And it didn't take long for the Secret Service to develop an interest in Adler's rhetoric. Spokesman George Ogilvie told CNN that they "are taking the appropriate investigative steps."

The Secret Service investigation comes on top of everyone else's reactions to Adler's column. A quick sampling of the outrage:

• ADL Director Abe Foxman: Adler showed "lack of judgment as a publisher, editor and columnist" and may not be "fit to run a newspaper."
• Rabbi Abraham Cooper, an associate dean at the Simon Wiesenthal Center: Adler's words should be "condemned by Jewish leaders across the ideological and political spectrum."
• Chemi Shalev, writing for Haaretz.com: Andrew Adler "has stained American Jews by appearing to supposedly represent their twisted way of thinking."

Adler, for his part, seemed gobsmacked by responses to his column and issued an apology, saying "I very much regret it, I wish I hadn't made reference to it at all."

Probably a little late for that now.

[CNN.com/Adler's Column, uploaded by Gawker's John Cook]

Liu and other elected officials were asked about it at a press conference about the city’s food stamp policy on the steps of City Hall this afternoon.