Morning Brief: Charlotte Train Murder, SCOTUS Upholds ICE Raids, Dems vs MAHA

The brutal murder of a Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte highlights the deadly consequences of “soft-on-crime” policies in Democrat-run cities. The Supreme Court gives the green light for Trump’s ICE raids in Los Angeles as the U.S. and its allies coordinate on a global immigration crackdown. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fires back at Democrats who are demanding his resignation, vowing to continue his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda.

It’s Tuesday, September 9, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.

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Charlotte Murder Highlights Failures of ‘Soft-on-Crime’ Policies

Topline: The brutal, unprovoked murder of a Ukrainian refugee on a light rail train has left the city of Charlotte in shock and anger, putting a national spotlight on the deadly consequences of Democrat-led “soft-on-crime” policies.

Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, was stabbed to death last month by DeCarlos Brown Jr., a homeless man with a lengthy and violent criminal record. The horrific attack took place in what was once a safe, trendy part of the city, but residents say rising crime and a growing homeless population have made them feel unsafe. Charlotte saw a 25% increase in its homicide rate last year, and robberies in the city center are up 54%.

The city’s Democratic mayor, Li Vyles, responded to the murder by calling for empathy for the perpetrator’s mental health issues, and did not mention the victim in her initial statement. Brown was on the streets despite at least 14 previous arrests for crimes, including armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. A judge gave him pre-trial release on his most recent arrest in January, and police had referred him “to resources” rather than jail after three other encounters in 2024. The policies that kept Brown out of jail were recommended by a “Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice,” which was created by North Carolina’s now-Governor, Democrat Josh Stein, in 2020.

Supreme Court Upholds Trump’s ICE Raids in Los Angeles

Topline: The Supreme Court handed the Trump administration a major victory on Monday, ruling that federal immigration officials can continue their sweeping raids in the Los Angeles area and can consider factors like ethnicity and accent when detaining suspected illegal immigrants.

The Court’s ruling overturns a lower court judge’s decision that had blocked the raids. Writing for the liberal minority, Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a dramatic dissent, claiming the court was subjecting people to the “indignities” of being handcuffed “simply because of their looks, their accents.”

Border Czar Tom Homan pushed back on that characterization, stating that ICE is focused on public safety. “Seventy percent of everybody ICE is arresting is a criminal,” Homan said. The raids have yielded significant results, with over 1,600 arrests in D.C. alone, many of whom are suspected gang members and other violent offenders.

The ruling comes as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem meets with the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance in London to coordinate a global crackdown on human smuggling. The U.K.’s new Home Secretary has signaled a tougher stance on immigration that is more aligned with the Trump administration’s policies.

RFK Fires Back as Democrats Demand His Resignation

Topline: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pushing back against a coordinated campaign by Democrats demanding his resignation, vowing to continue his “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda and restore integrity to public health.

At least a dozen Democratic senators, including Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, have signed a letter calling Kennedy’s agenda “dangerous” and “anti-science.” Former Republican Chris Christie also attacked Kennedy, calling him a “joke” and a “human middle finger to everybody who opposed” Trump.

Blue state governors are also pushing back against Kennedy’s reforms. New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order to override new FDA guidance on COVID shots, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation to ensure access to the abortion pill mifepristone, regardless of future FDA safety assessments.

Kennedy, who enjoys broad public support for his agenda, has fiercely defended his actions. He has accused major medical organizations of being compromised by their Big Pharma sponsors and has vowed to bring in “new blood” and people “who are committed to public health, and integrity, and gold-standard science.” His department has already reformed baby formula standards, required drug price transparency, and stopped federal funding for gender surgeries for minors, among other changes.