Charlie Kirk Assassinated
“If you disagree with me, please come to the front of the line.”
Charlie Kirk, notable for being outspoken about his Christian faith, founded Turning Point USA at the age of 18, growing it over the last 13 years into a powerhouse with over 850 campus chapters promoting conservative American cultural values. At college campuses across the country, he became famous for taking hard questions and debate from students while sitting behind a table in front of a banner that said “Prove Me Wrong.” No topics were off limits, and his respectful and thoughtful, yet sharp and sometimes witty, answers would often convince them.
His conservative political activism among young people was unmatched, but his faith came before his politics, not the other way around. Charlie was a 6.5-foot-tall lanky giant of faith in Jesus. He lived consistent with that faith, and he wanted that faith to change those around him. “We want to transform the culture,” he told The New York Times Magazine in February.
On Wednesday, at the impossibly young age of 31, Charlie was assassinated with a sniper’s bullet while speaking to a crowd of students at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. His wife and two adoring children, ages three and one, were at the event and witnessed the shooting.
A. Z. Adams wrote a farewell lament for Charlie, and you can read it here. It’s beautiful.
Multiple mistaken arrests have been made in connection to the shooting, but authorities say they now have the suspect in custody. This part of the story is still developing, and we will write further next week, once more details are released.
The political community lost an incredibly effective organizer, and the faith community suffered an even greater blow in losing an extraordinary example and champion of cultural change. But Erika Kirk and her two children have suffered the greatest: the loss of a loving husband and father. Please pray for them.
Domestic News
🚨 Ukranian Woman Stabbed to Death on North Carolina Train: Gruesome CCTV footage shows suspect Decarlos Brown, Jr. fatally stabbing Iryna Zarutska in cold blood while riding on a city train in Charlotte, NC. Brown was charged with first-degree murder, and he has an extensive criminal history, including armed robbery and felony larceny, having been arrested 14 times since 2007, and was free on cashless bail after a magistrate released him with just a “written promise” to show up for court — despite a nearly two-decade history of violence and mental illness. The Department of Justice filed federal charges that could make Brown eligible for the death penalty. In case a reminder is needed of the level of bias in the media (both in omission and commission), the stabbing occurred on August 22, 2025, and only two mainstream outlets even mentioned it until the second week of September, when new CCTV footage made it impossible to ignore. While no one on the train moved to help Iryna, remember that when Daniel Penny restrained a threatening man on a NYC subway, he was prosecuted and breathlessly labeled by the media as racist (the same media that was silent when the race of the victim was reversed).
📉 Jobs Data Revised Down: The Bureau of Labor Statistics further revised jobs data, revealing the economy likely added close to a million fewer jobs in 2024 and early 2025 than previously reported.
🚗 Tesla Market Share Drops: Tesla's U.S. market share fell below 40% for the first time since 2017 as its electric vehicle lineup faces increased competition from GM, Ford, and Hyundai.
International News
🇮🇱 Israel Strikes Hamas Leaders in Qatar: President Trump was dismayed that Israel conducted an airstrike on Hamas leaders in Qatar without notifying him until missiles were already airborne. While limiting his remarks about it publicly, Trump demanded Netanyahu not to strike Qatar again.
🇷🇺 NATO Shoots Down Russian Drones: NATO warplanes shot down Russian drones over Poland for the first time, marking the alliance's first direct engagement with Russian aircraft over member territory. Poland called the incursions an "act of aggression."
🇧🇷 Bolsonaro Sentenced: Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced former President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for allegedly plotting a coup to overturn the 2022 election results. The charges have been called a “witch hunt” by some.
🇫🇷 French Government Collapses Again: France's government collapsed for the second time in less than a year after the prime minister lost a confidence vote over proposed austerity measures (lesson: don’t try to shave public holidays off the calendar to save money…). President Macron is expected to appoint a successor amid ongoing financial turmoil.
🇳🇵Nepal in Crisis: Nepal's prime minister resigned during violent protests sparked by the government’s decision to ban 26 social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, for failing to meet a deadline to register with Nepal's ministry of communication and information technology. Demonstrators set fire to government buildings and Parliament, and at least 19 people died as authorities fired into crowds before a military-imposed curfew was instated.
Other News
🤳 First Millennial Saint: Pope Leo XIV canonized 15-year-old computer whiz Carlo Acutis, making him the Catholic Church's first millennial saint. Known as "God's influencer," Acutis created a website documenting Eucharistic miracles before dying of leukemia in 2006.
👦👧 Childhood Obesity Milestone: For the first time globally, the number of children suffering from obesity is greater than the number suffering from undernutrition, according to UNICEF data. In other words, “malnutrition” now more often than not means being overweight instead of starving.
🛝 Lighter News: Virginia Beach now boasts the longest steel slide in the U.S. — 171 feet tall. The spiraling "Whorl" at Owl Creek Landing requires climbers to trek a third of a mile up before sliding down in a specially made sack. Move over, Homestead Weekly Market…
