President Donald Trump gears up for his highly anticipated United Nations address, the administration warns pregnant women against using Tylenol, and Trump moves to stop companies from “shipping in cheap foreign labor.”
It’s Tuesday, September 23, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Foreign Policy Roundup</h2>
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Topline: Trump is scheduled to make a highly anticipated address to the United Nations on Tuesday.
What we’re tracking: Whether Trump will commit to more UN funding.
After taking office, Trump withdrew the United States from UN agencies like the Human Rights Council and World Health Organization, rescinded about a billion dollars in funding that Congress had already appropriated, and ordered a review of any future funds going to the UN, saying he wanted to ensure its mission “aligned with our national interests.”
As a result, the UN is facing a severe budget crunch — to save money, it has initiated plans to relocate its offices from New York and Geneva to lower-cost alternatives, such as Nairobi. It is also planning to cut thousands of jobs and consolidate several smaller agencies. 
Trump’s speech will reportedly touch on “his vision of how the United States is approaching the world” — the assembly is hoping that approach includes funding commitments for the UN.
The Waltz: Mike Waltz, a former Green Beret and Florida congressman, was confirmed by the Senate on Friday to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and hit the ground running.
The Push for “Palestine”: Trump’s speech will coincide with a separate conference on Palestinian statehood that’s being led by France and Saudi Arabia.
Canada, Britain, and Australia each offered recognition of a Palestinian state for the first time this weekend. They joined about 150 of 193 UN member states that have done so.
But while Trump has seemingly grown more frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he needs to “wrap up” the war in Gaza, he’s still expected to offer his support of Israel today. The State Department issued a statement calling the push for Palestinian Statehood a “publicity stunt” and “reward for terrorism”. 
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas will make the case for statehood to the UN General Assembly on Thursday. He’ll have to do it remotely after the Trump administration canceled his visa. 
Taking back Bagram: Last week, President Trump announced his intention to reclaim Bagram Air Base, which was abandoned and taken over by the Taliban following the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan under former President Joe Biden. 
When Trump was asked if he was willing to deploy American troops to retake the base, he refrained from giving a clear answer.
“We&#8217;re talking now to Afghanistan, and we want it back and we want it back soon, right away. And if they don&#8217;t do it &#8211; if they don&#8217;t do it, you&#8217;re going to find out what I&#8217;m gonna do,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1969552386076090849">said</a>.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Autism Report</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-975715" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Tylenol-Autism-Link-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Tylenol-Autism-Link-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Tylenol-Autism-Link-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Tylenol-Autism-Link-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Tylenol-Autism-Link-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Tylenol-Autism-Link.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: President Trump and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced significant findings on research concerning a spike in national autism rates. 
For weeks, there had been speculation about this, but Trump and Kennedy both linked one medication to a possible cause of autism and another to a possible treatment.
The cause: They said that the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy is tied to an increased risk of autism. Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in Tylenol and is one of the most widely used medications globally for pain relief and fever reduction. 
FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary: “We have an epidemic of autism that has increased 400% in the recent decades and we don&#8217;t have a known cause. Now this may be a cause, but when you have enough evidence to suggest an association and you have no other plausible cause, we have a duty to notify parents and doctors.”
The cure: The other major part of this announcement was that a drug called leucovorin, also known as folinic acid, can potentially help treat autism symptoms.
Makary: “We recognized that some kids with autism actually have an autoimmune disease. … And some doctors have actually started to test for this folate antibody, and they will then move on to treat some kids with this folinic acid or vitamin B12 that bypasses the receptor.”
Pharma’s view: Kirk Perry, the CEO of Kenvue, which makes Tylenol, reportedly had a “hastily scheduled meeting” with Secretary Kennedy last week over reports about this announcement. Perry argued in the private meeting that there is no causal link between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism. He told Kennedy that Tylenol is a safe option for pregnant women, especially if they spike a fever, and added that other options actually do have links to birth defects. 
Since early September, the Kenvue stock has <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/trump-admin-report-linking-tylenol-to-autism-sends-kenvue-stock-sliding/articleshow/124049521.cms?utm_source=chatgpt.com&amp;from=mdr">dropped</a> around 15%. 
<h2 style="text-align: center;">H-1B Visa Debate</h2>
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Topline: President Trump signed an executive order that the White House says will curb abuse of the H-1B system that’s freezing Americans out of good jobs. The order has sparked confusion, leaving many wondering how it works and who it affects.
H-1B visas allow companies to hire foreign workers for specialized jobs when companies can’t find a skilled American to fill the position. Critics of the program argue that it has been abused to undercut American wages.
According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, the order imposes a one-time $100,000 fee per employee on any company seeking a new H-1B visa. Leavitt said in an X post: “This is NOT an annual fee.” And it does not apply to any current H-1B holders who are outside the country or whose visas are currently up for renewal.
Divisive? Hardly: Some of the president’s supporters want the H-1B program massively reduced if not canceled entirely. But even among the president’s supporters in the tech sector, they’ll say that the system could use reform.
Back in December, Elon Musk, a strong supporter of the H-1B program, posted on <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1873191959441084531" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X</a> that it is “broken and needs major reform.” He said many complaints about abuse could be addressed by “raising the minimum salary significantly and adding a yearly cost for maintaining the H1B, making it materially more expensive to hire from overseas than domestically.”
Project Firewall: The Department of Labor <a href="https://x.com/USDOL/status/1969161021232148795">rolled out</a> Project Firewall on Friday.
“For too long, Washington politicians have stayed silent as employers abused H-1B visas under President Trump. This is coming to an end today. The Department of Labor is proud to launch Project Firewall,” the department said in a promo video released on X.
Project Firewall is intended to crack down on abuse in the H-1B program. <a href="https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/osec/osec20250919">According to</a> the department, it “will conduct investigations of employers through Project Firewall to maximize H-1B program compliance.” Violations could result in back wages for workers, civil fines, or even disbarment from the H-1B program for a specified period. The goal here is to “safeguard the rights, wages, and job opportunities of highly skilled American workers by ensuring employers prioritize qualified Americans when hiring.”

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Morning Brief: Trump At The UN, New Visa Price Tag & Autism Bombshell

Department of Labor

Donald Trump

Israel

Karoline Leavitt

Media

Mike Waltz

Morning Wire

Politics

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

United Nations

People from all over pack Arizona’s State Farm Stadium to honor Charlie Kirk, Democrats resist a Kirk resolution, and several countries break with the United States and move to recognize a Palestinian state.
It’s Monday, September 22, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Kirk’s Historic Funeral</h2>
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Topline: President Donald Trump joined hundreds of thousands of Americans in Arizona on Sunday to celebrate the life of Charlie Kirk. 
An estimated 200,000 people descended on State Farm Stadium in Glendale, home of the Arizona Cardinals, for a final memorial service honoring the conservative activist. For a private citizen, drawing a crowd of that magnitude is nearly unprecedented.. It could be the largest funeral turnout since Martin Luther King Jr. back in 1968 — that event drew 300,000 people.
Mourners, who were encouraged by Turning Point USA to wear red, white, and blue, came from all over the world. Some camped out for 48 hours to get in.
The Lineup: The morning started with an extended time of worship led by Christian music stars Phil Wickham, Kari Jobe, Brandon Lake, and Chris Tomlin. 
Charlie’s pastor, Rob McCoy, then shared personal stories before offering a chance for attendees to put their faith in Jesus and become Christians. Hundreds of attendees stood up and proclaimed their new faith.
The speaker list included a who’s who from the Trump administration, including Vice President JD Vance, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and President Trump, whose family says viewed Charlie as another son.
Trump said of Kirk’s impact: “On that terrible day, September 10, 2025, our greatest evangelist for American liberty became immortal. He&#8217;s a martyr now for American freedom. I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie Kirk, and neither now will history.”
Erika Kirk’s forgiveness: Erika Kirk, Charlie&#8217;s wife, gave the penultimate speech honoring her husband before joining the president on stage for a final wave to the audience. Kirk, the newly chosen CEO of Turning Point USA, in front of the packed stadium, offered forgiveness to her husband’s suspected killer.
“My husband Charlie … he wanted to save young men just like the one who took his life … that young man … I forgive him,” she <a href="https://x.com/realDailyWire/status/1969893178393206823">said</a>. “I forgive him because it was what Christ did and is what Charlie would do.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Divisions Over Kirk And Kimmel</h2>
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Topline: The past week saw support for Charlie Kirk pour in nationwide, even as criticism from the Left and the fallout over Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension persisted—events that ultimately culminated in a shooting at an ABC station.
A U.S. House divided: On Friday, House Republicans proposed a resolution condemning the assassination of Kirk and honoring his life, saying he “engaged in respectful, civil discourse.” But 118 Democrats did not support the measure. 
The resolution was ultimately approved, but not in the unified way that has happened in the past. At the end of June, for example, Republicans unanimously joined Democrats in passing a similar resolution rejecting violence in the wake of the assassination of Melissa Hortman, a Democratic state representative from Minnesota.
Although Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) generally condemned political violence, on the House floor, she urged Democrats to vote against the Kirk resolution. Then, she turned the focus to ABC’s decision to suspend late-night host Jimmy Kimmel for his false remarks about Kirk’s killer.
“All in the name of Charlie Kirk, President Trump and the FCC are now cynically threatening to shut down ABC and any outlets who give airtime to the administration&#8217;s political critics. This is a disgusting attack on the American people and the very First Amendment rights that define us as a country,” Ocasio-Cortez <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/1969067634399629430">said</a> on the floor of the House.
ABC under fire: A few hours later, during a protest against Kimmel’s suspension, 64-year-old Anibal Hernandez Santana allegedly fired three shots into the lobby of a Sacramento ABC station while employees were still working inside. Hernandez is reportedly a former teachers union official whose social media accounts are filled with anti-Trump rants. He was initially taken into local custody and released on bail. But the FBI later rearrested him, so he is now in federal custody.
Dems stand for Kimmel: Democrats and the Left more broadly are more focused on Kimmel’s suspension than Kirk’s assassination. Conservatives have <a href="https://x.com/bonchieredstate/status/1969805326711914726">pointed out</a> that The Atlantic has now published more articles lamenting Kimmel being benched than Kirk being killed, for example. 
And Democrats&#8217; criticism of Kirk has not slowed. Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett, on CNN Sunday morning, lambasted her colleagues who voted for the Kirk resolution.
But there have been exceptions. Former Obama official and CNN contributor Van Jones shared that he received a note from Charlie Kirk that he did not find until after Kirk’s death. And it really revealed Kirk’s character.
“We were beefing. We were going at it online, on air, and then, after he died, after he was murdered, my team called and said, ‘Van, he was trying to reach you, man,’” <a href="https://x.com/TheChiefNerd/status/1969447671581622554/video/1">said</a> Jones. “This guy is reaching out to his mortal enemy, saying we need to be gentlemen, sit down together, and disagree agreeably.”
“He was not for censorship. He was not for civil war. He was not for violence. He was for dialogue, open debate, and dialogue, even with me,” he said.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Western Countries Recognize &#8216;The State Of Palestine&#8217;</h2>
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Topline: That was British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announcing Sunday that the UK is joining Canada and Australia in formally recognizing &#8220;Palestine&#8221; as a state. The move puts the countries at odds with the United States as the UN General Assembly is set to convene. 
Expert opines: Victoria Coates, vice president of the National Security and Foreign Policy Institute at The Heritage Foundation: “This is a recognition so far by Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia of a Palestinian entity. And it means absolutely nothing. It doesn&#8217;t have borders. It doesn&#8217;t have any of the trappings of a nation-state that we would understand in terms of civic institutions. This is simply an action taken in a multilateral body with no binding legal authority to make the respective prime ministers of those three countries, I guess, feel better about themselves because it&#8217;s certainly not doing anything to help the Palestinians.”
Coates on the timing: “They announced it now because the United Nations General Assembly is in session this month. President Trump will be addressing the body on Tuesday, but this is when all the world leaders come together and take these kinds of diplomatic theatrical actions, again, to try to look big on the world stage. But again, there is no binding authority here. This is meaningless.”
“It makes peace less likely because it encourages the Palestinian Arabs to think that they can have it all, that these countries are going to reject Israel and isolate Israel. And one of the things that&#8217;s striking to me is this does nothing to help any Palestinian in Gaza. No Palestinian in Gaza will eat because of this. No Israeli hostage will come home because of this. It will simply be, as I said, political theater to make these leaders pander to their very far left bases in all three countries.”

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Morning Brief: Kirk’s Historic Memorial, Democrat Defiance, & The Palestinian State Push

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Charlie Kirk

Jasmine Crockett

Jimmy Kimmel

The fallout continues over ABC’s indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel&#8217;s late-night show after his comments on Charlie Kirk, an exclusive Daily Wire investigation dives into the Socialist Rifle Association, and ICE ignites a fresh surge in deportations.
It’s Friday, September 19, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">ABC-Ya: Network Benches Kimmel Over Kirk Remarks</h2>
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Topline: ABC has suspended Jimmy Kimmel&#8217;s late-night show “indefinitely” for his remarks about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
The outrage: The Kimmel comments that really sparked outrage came on Monday night, five days after Kirk’s killing.
Despite reports that the suspected shooter held left-wing political views, Kimmel <a href="https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/1968476012871925903">said</a> this: “Hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
Utah Republican Governor Spencer Cox and the FBI have described the accused shooter as “deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology.” The suspect had described Charlie Kirk’s conservative views as “full of hate,” and he was in a romantic relationship with his male trans-identifying roommate.
Yet on Tuesday night, even after the backlash, Kimmel <a href="https://youtu.be/aHT7ICvMtlA">doubled down</a>: “Meanwhile, many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk …”
TL;DR: Kimmel made false statements that he certainly should have known were false in the immediate aftermath of Kirk’s death.
What ABC saw: The network acted after some heavy pressure from the major broadcasting companies that air Kimmel’s show on ABC affiliates. On Wednesday, Nexstar Media Group, which carries Kimmel on 23 ABC stations, announced it would pull episodes starting Wednesday.
Sinclair Broadcast Group, another major affiliate operator, demanded an apology to the Kirk family and a donation to Turning Point USA before it would put Kimmel back on the air. On Friday night, its ABC stations, along with those of Nexstar, will be airing a memorial for Kirk instead of Kimmel.
Behind the scenes, ABC reportedly tried to get that apology from Kimmel. But he refused, feeling he had nothing to apologize for. He also allegedly planned to take even further aim at Donald Trump supporters during his monologue on Wednesday night.
View from the FCC: As this played out, FCC Chair Brendan Carr pointed out that broadcast networks are different from print media or cable in that they require licenses from the federal government to operate. Knowingly making false, defamatory statements violates the FCC’s rules.
But that said, there is no evidence that Carr or the FCC has taken any formal action against ABC. And that’s a contrast with the Biden administration, which took formal action against conservative media.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">A Socialist Gun Club?</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-974501" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Socialist-Gun-Club-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Socialist-Gun-Club-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Socialist-Gun-Club-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Socialist-Gun-Club-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Socialist-Gun-Club-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Socialist-Gun-Club.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The Department of Justice under the Biden administration focused heavily on what it called right-wing “domestic terrorism,” and now President Trump is signaling it will focus on radical left-wing movements, such as &#8220;ANTIFA,&#8221; which Trump said he is designating a &#8220;major terrorist organization.&#8221;
Introducing the SRA: The Socialist Rifle Association was founded in 2019 and by the following year, counted 10,000 “comrades.”
It operates through state-based chapters across the country, and says it educates and trains leftists on the use of firearms to protect against “fascists.”
The group was founded by two transgender men, one of whom goes by “she/it.” According to an internal survey, one-third of members identify as anarchists, one-third as Marxist-Leninists, and one-third as LGBTQ. 
It issues membership cards featuring Karl Marx’s face. But perhaps more than anything, it’s wrapped up with transgender politics. Four of its 13 national leaders go by “they” pronouns. 
Links to political violence: A Daily Wire review of federal court records found that membership in the Socialist Rifle Association is a common link in four high-profile incidents of political violence.
A couple of months ago, nearly a dozen people, many of them who identify as transgender, were charged with committing an armed assault on an ICE facility in Alvarado, Texas. Benjamin Hanil Song, who was charged with shooting a police officer in the neck in that incident, was allegedly a Socialist Rifle Association member.
Two separate incidents of firebombing Tesla dealerships, one the day of President Trump’s inauguration, were committed by Socialist Rifle Association members, according to prosecutors.
Link to Kirk slaying?: The Socialist Rifle Association told The Daily Wire that Kirk’s suspected assassin is not a member. But it declined to say whether his boyfriend, Lance Twiggs, was, citing confidentiality. The group has a chapter in Utah, where the suspect is from.
Follow the money: It’s structured as a nonprofit incorporated in Kansas, but its federal tax-exempt status was revoked after it failed to file paperwork with the IRS for years. It’s still been operating, so that’s one avenue that perhaps the federal government will look at.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">The New Deporter-In-Chief</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-974503" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Reverse-Border-Surge-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Reverse-Border-Surge-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Reverse-Border-Surge-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Reverse-Border-Surge-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Reverse-Border-Surge-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Reverse-Border-Surge.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: According to a new report by The Daily Wire, the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign is surging – with nearly 400,000 illegal immigrants already removed from the country.
The Trump administration has set a lofty goal of one million deportations per year, a target that has never been achieved before. The pace stands at 389,000 illegal immigrants deported so far under this administration. While that&#8217;s not close to one million, it’s a huge advance compared to previous administrations. It even exceeds the record of former President Barack Obama, who was described as the “deporter-in-chief.” It also exceeds President Biden&#8217;s final year in office. 
The Trump administration has hired 10,000 new immigration agents to expedite the process. However, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons recently told The Daily Wire that efforts to encourage self-deportations will undoubtedly reach the goal of one million deportees. The administration has already seen, according to DHS, two million of those.

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Morning Brief: Kimmel Suspended, A Socialist Gun Club & Deportations Surge

Morning Brief: Kimmel Suspended, A Socialist Gun Club, And Deportations Surge

Chicago

Department of Homeland Security

Deportations

Guns

Illegal Immigation

Socialism

New documents suggest a Biden-era FBI investigation went way beyond the 2020 election, the Federal Reserve makes its interest rate decision, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio ends his trip in the Middle East as Israel moves into Gaza City.
It’s Thursday, September 18, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Biden FBI’s Secret Dragnet &amp; Fed Cuts Rates" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/16U2vTc-sLk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Biden FBI Targeted TPUSA, Other GOP Groups</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-973869" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Partisan-Probe-Uncovered-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Partisan-Probe-Uncovered-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Partisan-Probe-Uncovered-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Partisan-Probe-Uncovered-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Partisan-Probe-Uncovered-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Partisan-Probe-Uncovered.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: Whistleblower documents reveal that during the Biden administration, the FBI secretly targeted Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA and other conservative groups.
The investigation targeted not just President Trump, then candidate Trump, but a wide range of conservative groups – including TPUSA. Known as Arctic Frost, the FBI investigation began in April 2022 under the direction of then-Director Christopher Wray. It ensnared 92 Republican-linked entities, from the Republican National Committee to state attorneys general associations.
The aim: The stated objective was to examine what the FBI described as a &#8220;multifaceted conspiracy&#8221; to keep Donald Trump in power after the 2020 election. This included investigating false claims of election fraud and filing lawsuits to challenge the election results. Documents show that the probe also focused on financial aspects, including post-election fundraising that allegedly misled donors about overturning the election results, as well as ties to the January 6 Capitol riot.
But whistleblowers told Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) that the probe expanded far beyond the 2020 election. In November 2022, the probe was handed over to Special Counsel Jack Smith and involved coordination with not only the FBI and DOJ, but also the National Archives, the U.S. Postal Service, and other agencies.
The scale: More than 150 interviews conducted, more than 400 subpoenas issued – including 300 for witness records, 200 phone selectors, and 20 financial probes – plus search warrants for 10 phones, 20 devices, seven iCloud accounts, 28 emails, and even Trump&#8217;s Twitter.
But why? What’s not clear is the specifics of why TPUSA, or really any of these groups, were targeted. There has been no evidence to suggest that TPUSA was involved in a false elector scheme, any financial misconduct, or any other activity that should have put them in the crosshairs of federal investigators. More declassified releases are expected.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Fed Cuts Rates</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-973871" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Fed-Cuts-Rates-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Fed-Cuts-Rates-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Fed-Cuts-Rates-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Fed-Cuts-Rates-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Fed-Cuts-Rates-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Fed-Cuts-Rates.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: Amid President Trump’s ongoing push to reshape the Federal Reserve, Chairman Jerome Powell announced a cut in interest rates on Wednesday, offering a potential jolt to the Trump economy. 
Powell said the Federal Reserve will be lowering its benchmark interest rate by a quarter point — the first cut since last December. That means some minor, but tangible, relief for those buying a home or car, refinancing their student loans or credit card debt, and so on.
From the horse’s mouth: Powell on Wednesday said: “While the unemployment rate remains low, it has edged up. Job gains have slowed, and downside risks to employment have risen. At the same time, inflation has risen recently and remains somewhat elevated. In support of our goals and in light of this shift in the balance of risks, today the Federal market committee decided to lower our policy interest rate by a quarter percentage point.”
What’s next: Investors are confident this is just the first cut. They’re predicting similar quarter-point cuts in October and December. Many of those investors were clearly thrilled by the news — we saw both the DOW and S&amp;P 500 jump to record highs on Wednesday.
Trump makes moves: This month, Trump appointed and the Senate approved Stephen Miran, one of his top economic advisers, to the Fed’s powerful Board of Governors. That makes Miran one of 12 people voting on rate decisions — while the other 11 voted Wednesday for a quarter-point cut, he was the only one who voted for a larger, half-point cut.
Miran’s role as chair of the White House Economic Council makes him the first Governor in the Board’s 100-plus-year history who’s also technically an employee of the president — though he’ll take a leave of absence from his White House role. 
Democrats respond: Democrats in Congress introduced a bill Tuesday that would bar Federal Reserve officials from simultaneously holding another position appointed by the president. That bill is unlikely to pass the Senate, given the Republican majority, but it could be revived in the future, depending on the outcome of the midterms next year. 
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Rubio Visits The Middle East As Israel Moves On Gaza City</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-973873" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Gaza-City-Offensive-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Gaza-City-Offensive-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Gaza-City-Offensive-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Gaza-City-Offensive-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Gaza-City-Offensive-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Gaza-City-Offensive.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to the Middle East this week as Israel launched its long-awaited ground invasion of Gaza City, a major population center and one of the last strongholds of Hamas.
Expert opines: Victoria Coates, vice president of the National Security and Foreign Policy Institute at The Heritage Foundation, on the consequences of the invasion of Gaza City: “I think the region understands that this has to happen. It would be desirable to come up with a solution for the Palestinians of Gaza before this was necessary. But the fact of the matter is that Hamas won&#8217;t let them out. They&#8217;re the only population on the planet that aren&#8217;t being allowed to flee from a war zone. And part of that is Hamas. And part of that is the fact that the Egyptians won&#8217;t let them cross there. The Jordanians won&#8217;t let them come to Jordan. That also is telling.”
Israel recently targeted Hamas leaders staying in Doha, Qatar, with an airstrike that was immediately condemned by the Qatari government, which has served as one of the main Arab state mediators between Israel and the terror group Hamas. To the extent that the strike affects negotiations, Coates says it is possible that the impact will be beneficial, “because we weren&#8217;t getting anywhere with the old process.”
Coates: “This was a big step on the part of Israel to strike Hamas in Doha. At least one Hamas terrorist died. So I&#8217;m not going to be sorry about it. But at the same time, that was a potential world crisis between Israel and Qatar and potentially with the rest of the Gulf. Now, the good news is that the secretary flew directly from Tel Aviv to Doha … And so he was pretty much demonstrating through his travel that he&#8217;s going to go talk to both of them. There&#8217;s going to be a direct flight in between them. And … at the Arab summit meeting in Doha, the Abraham Accords countries did not withdraw from the accords. It happened to be the fifth anniversary of the accords on Monday, and that did not happen. They decided to stay in. And so that, to me, is the most powerful symbol that the accords will endure – and we can get back at some point to the business of increasing normalization.”

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Morning Brief: Biden Targeted TPUSA, Fed Finally Lowers Rates & Israel Pushes Into Gaza City

Morning Brief: Biden Targeted TPUSA, The Fed Cuts Rates, and Israel Moves On Gaza City

Department of Justice

Federal Reserve

Gaza

Hamas

Joe Biden

Marco Rubio

Turning Point USA

Charlie Kirk&#8217;s assassination stands before a judge, President Donald Trump hit the New York Times with a hefty defamation suit, and he continues his big city crime crackdown in a new destination.
It’s Wednesday, September 17, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Kirk Investigation Expands &amp; Operation Viper Greenlit" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H9oow-_736U?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Prosecutors Seeking Death Penalty For Suspected Kirk killer</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-973217 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirks-alleged-killer-charged-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirks-alleged-killer-charged-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirks-alleged-killer-charged-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirks-alleged-killer-charged-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirks-alleged-killer-charged-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirks-alleged-killer-charged.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></div>
Topline: 22-year-old Tyler Robinson appeared in a Utah court on Tuesday, where he was formally charged with seven counts, including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice.
Utah County District Attorney Jeff Gray determined that Robinson targeted conservative activist Charlie Kirk for his political beliefs and announced that he would seek the death penalty.
“I do not take this decision lightly, and it is a decision I have made independently as county attorney based solely on the available evidence and circumstances and nature of the crime,” <a href="https://x.com/realDailyWire/status/1968018720820981764">said</a> Gray.
The evidence: Prosecutors released chilling <a href="https://x.com/Breaking911/status/1968026479037747546">text messages </a>between Robinson and his trans-identifying boyfriend from the hours after the shooting. When asked why he shot Kirk, Robinson allegedly responded: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.” 
Robinson also appears to have confessed to the crime on Discord, an online messaging platform. Robinson allegedly wrote two hours before he was taken into custody: “Hey gurobinys, I have bad news for you all&#8230;It was me at UVU yesterday. I&#8217;m sorry for all of this.”
Stolen villainy: 71-year-old George Zinn was taken away in handcuffs immediately after the shooting. Reports circulated that he was the one responsible for shooting Kirk, but police later clarified that he was not the shooter and was being held on obstruction of justice charges.
Zinn, a well-known left-wing activist in Utah, prompted his own arrest by claiming to an officer on scene: “I shot him, now shoot me.” Only after arriving at the police station did Zinn confess he was not the shooter and was only trying to “draw attention from the real shooter.”
FBI agents who interviewed Zinn also discovered child sex abuse material on his phone, so he is now facing four additional charges.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump Sues The New York Times</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-973219 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-sues-the-Times-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-sues-the-Times-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-sues-the-Times-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-sues-the-Times-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-sues-the-Times-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-sues-the-Times.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></div>
Topline: President Trump on Monday filed a $15 billion defamation and libel lawsuit against The New York Times. He has accused the newspaper of a years-long campaign to destroy his reputation and undermine his political success.
Trump filed the suit Monday in a U.S. District Court in Florida. The complaint targets four of the Times’ most prominent journalists — Susanne Craig, Russ Buettner, Michael Schmidt, and Peter Baker. It also names Penguin Random House, which published a book based on the Times’ reporting.
The evidence: An investigative series and book titled “Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success,” alleges that Trump committed tax fraud in inheriting his father&#8217;s real estate empire and built his wealth on deceptive practices. That series was written by Craig and Buettner, and Penguin Random House released it just before the 2024 election.
The suit also targets an interview by Schmidt with retired Gen. John F. Kelly, Trump&#8217;s former chief of staff, who said that the president met the definition of a fascist and posed a dictatorial threat.
Trump’s view: The president calls these claims &#8220;repugnant distortions and fabrications.” He also says the Times&#8217; reporting deliberately minimized his contributions to the success of his television show, &#8220;The Apprentice,&#8221; and instead solely credited producer Mark Burnett.
Trump argues that all these examples meet the legal definition of defamation because the paper&#8217;s coverage was engineered to inflict “enormous economic losses” on his businesses and personal brand.
The Gray Lady fights back: A spokesman for The New York Times said the lawsuit “lacks any legitimate legal claims and is an attempt to stifle and discourage independent reporting.” Penguin-Random House similarly called it meritless, arguing that the lawsuit is part of a broader effort to intimidate media organizations criticizing Trump.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump’s Crime Crackdown Moves South</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-973221" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Operation-Viper-Strikes-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Operation-Viper-Strikes-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Operation-Viper-Strikes-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Operation-Viper-Strikes-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Operation-Viper-Strikes-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Operation-Viper-Strikes.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: President Trump has officially directed a crackdown on crime in Memphis, Tennessee, using a strategy similar to the one deployed in Washington, D.C.
Trump signed a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/restoring-law-and-order-in-memphis/">memo</a> Monday that establishes the Memphis Safe Task Force, whose objective is to “end street and violent crime in Memphis to the greatest possible extent” through hypervigilant policing, aggressive prosecution, and other efforts. Federal agencies such as the ATF, DOJ, HHS, HUD, and the Department of War will be involved and coordinate with local and state law enforcement. This will supplement “Operation Viper,” an FBI-led mission already working in Memphis to target violent offenders.
According to Trump, the situation in Memphis is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDIptQsoA48">dire</a>: “In 2024, Memphis had the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/12/trump-deploy-national-guard-memphis-crime-rate?utm_source=chatgpt.com">highest crime rate</a>, the highest property crime rate, and the third-highest murder rate of any city in the nation – other than that, they are doing quite well, thank you. A person is 4 times more likely to be murdered in Memphis, Tennessee, today than in Mexico City. There were 249 murders, 429 rapes, 5,616 burglaries, and 12,522 violent assaults in just the last little while in 2024 and pieces of 2025.”
Room for negotiation: Memphis Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat, said he doesn&#8217;t want the National Guard in his city, but understands that it’s not his call and will be working with authorities on this matter.
Other local Democrats have also expressed opposition to this intervention. That said, there appears to be considerable support as well. CBS spoke to some business owners in the area and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p22syVrpYOw">reported</a> that they welcome the National Guard and are excited to see some changes.
What’s next: Trump said on Tuesday that Chicago is “probably next” to get the D.C. treatment. He said it’s a “great city” and will be “great again.&#8221; He made these comments despite opposition from both Illinois Democratic Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Morning Brief: Death Penalty In Kirk Killing, Trump Sues NYT & Memphis Gets The Trump Treatment

Memphis

Tennessee

The New York Times

Utah

The FBI broadens its investigation into Charlie Kirk’s assassination, New York mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani scores a major endorsement, and the White House threatens Brazil after its Supreme Court sentences the “Trump of the Tropics.”
It’s Tuesday, September 16, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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<h2 style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;">FBI Probes Larger Plot In Kirk Assassination</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-972675 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirk-Probe-Widens-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirk-Probe-Widens-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirk-Probe-Widens-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirk-Probe-Widens-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirk-Probe-Widens-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirk-Probe-Widens.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></div>
Topline: As conservatives rally following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the FBI says it’s investigating radical left-wing groups for potential ties to the killer. 
Among those being investigated is the far-left pro-transgender group Armed Queers Salt Lake City. It deleted its Instagram account shortly after the shooting, but a membership form online listed its core principles, which included “the armed and militant protection of queer and trans communities,” “trans liberation,” and an “organized revolutionary movement.”
The Bureau is also investigating a number of social media accounts that seemingly displayed foreknowledge of the assassination. In one instance, a leftist X user wrote a week before Kirk’s killing: “it’d be funny if someone like Charlie Kirk got shot on September 10th.” According to FBI Director Kash Patel, suspected assassin Tyler Robinson told at least one person beforehand what he planned on doing.
What they’re saying: White House Deputy Chief Stephen Miller vowed to channel his “righteous anger” to go after “networks” of leftists in a special edition of The Charlie Kirk Show hosted by Vice President JD Vance on Monday.
“It is a vast domestic terror movement, and with God as my witness, we are going to use every resource we have&#8230; throughout this government to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and destroy these networks&#8230; and we will do it in Charlie’s name,” Miller <a href="https://x.com/avaricum777/status/1967627688711250054">said</a>.
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Establishment Dems Begin To Fall In Line With Mamdani</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-972677 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Hochul-Backs-Mamdani-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Hochul-Backs-Mamdani-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Hochul-Backs-Mamdani-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Hochul-Backs-Mamdani-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Hochul-Backs-Mamdani-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Hochul-Backs-Mamdani.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></div>
Topline: New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul has endorsed far-left NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, a sign that the Democratic Party establishment is moving behind the 33-year-old radical.
Hochul notably kept her distance from him during the New York City mayoral primary – Mamdani is an open democratic socialist and has some extremely far-left ideas, including the establishment of <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/05/us-news/socialist-nyc-mayoral-candidates-city-run-supermarket-plan-under-fire/">government-run grocery stores</a>. But Hochul’s flip could draw other prominent Democratic leaders into Mamdani’s camp.
Hochul said in an <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/opinion/hochul-endorsement-mamdani.html">op-ed</a> in The New York Times that she’s backing Mamdani because of his focus on “affordability” and resisting President Donald Trump.
Step back: Mamdani is favored to be New York City’s next mayor, barring some major shakeup – so Hochul will likely have to work with him. She is also running for re-election in 2026, but is so disliked by folks in the NYC suburbs and most of upstate New York that some politicos <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/09/14/us-news/ny-gov-kathy-hochul-expected-to-endorse-zohran-mamdani-this-week-sources/">believe</a> she’s trying to lean harder on the urban vote, where Mamdani has strong support.
Trump weighs in: On the heels of Hochul’s endorsement, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115207991871277413">labeled</a> Mamdani the “‘Liddle’ Communist” and described his frontrunner status as a “rather shocking development, and a very bad one for New York City.”
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Lengthy Prison Sentence For Jair Bolsonaro Strains U.S.-Brazil Relations</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-972679 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-Of-The-Tropics-Convicted-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-Of-The-Tropics-Convicted-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-Of-The-Tropics-Convicted-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-Of-The-Tropics-Convicted-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-Of-The-Tropics-Convicted-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-Of-The-Tropics-Convicted.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></div>
Topline: After a two-week public trial, Brazil’s five Supreme Court justices sentenced former President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison after he was found guilty of an attempted coup. The Trump administration is now threatening severe consequences.
Expert opines: Andres Martinez-Fernandez, senior policy analyst for Latin America at The Heritage Foundation: “This is a case which has a lot of question marks around it, and particularly with this sentencing, which is dramatic, over 25 years, for this person who just a few years ago was occupying the top office in Brazil, is very controversial at the moment. So a lot of Congress in Brazil and others are exploring very actively the need to take action to bypass this sentencing.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in response to the ruling that the United States would “respond accordingly to this witch hunt.”
Martinez-Fernandez: “There&#8217;s a disconnect, I think, that a lot of people see, and this administration certainly sees, between the pursuit of justice and the political priorities that we see the supreme court in Brazil pursuing … and that’s what the administration is really seeking to counter, leveraging the United States&#8217; economic heft and influence in that country. But, it&#8217;s clearly going to be a very significant challenge here.”

Morning Brief: Kirk Probe Expands, Hochul Backs Socialist Mamdani & U.S. Rips Bolsonaro Sentence

Morning Brief: FBI’s Kirk Probe Widens, Hochul Backs Mamdani, U.S. Rips Bolsonaro Prison Sentence

Brazil

Jair Bolsonaro

Kathy Hochul

New York City

United States

Zohran Mamdani

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated on Wednesday at a speaking event in Utah. As the nation mourns, we look back at the remarkable legacy of a man who helped reshape American politics.
It’s Thursday, September 11, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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<h2>Charlie Kirk Assassinated at 31</h2>
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Topline: Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA and a profoundly influential voice in the conservative movement, was assassinated on Wednesday afternoon during a campus speaking event at Utah Valley University. He was 31 years old.
The attack occurred approximately 20 minutes into one of Kirk&#8217;s signature &#8220;Prove Me Wrong&#8221; open-mic debates. As Kirk was engaging with a student, a single shot rang out, striking him in the neck. Security footage appears to show a figure on the roof of an adjacent building, about 200 yards away, at the time of the shooting. Kirk was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after. He leaves behind his wife, Erika, and two young children, ages one and three.
A massive manhunt is underway for the shooter, who remains at large. Authorities initially arrested a man in the chaos following the attack, but announced hours later that he was not involved. Another &#8220;person of interest&#8221; was later taken into custody by the FBI but has since been released. The FBI has established a special digital tipline for any information regarding the suspect.
Utah DPS Commissioner Beau Mason said at a press conference on Thursday morning that the suspected assassin jumped off the roof after shooting Charlie Kirk and fled into a neighborhood off campus.
Law enforcement is working to speak with any witnesses who may have seen the suspect and to obtain footage from doorbell cameras in the neighborhood.
Authorities said they have &#8220;good video footage&#8221; of the suspected assassin. Mason said that authorities are holding off on releasing the video footage as they &#8220;work through some technologies and ways to identify this individual.&#8221;
&#8220;If we are unsuccessful, we will reach out to you as the media and we will push that publicly, but we are confident in our abilities right now.&#8221;
Mason said that the suspected assassin &#8220;appears to be of college age.&#8221;
Law enforcement recovered what they believe to be the assassin&#8217;s weapon, according to Robert Bohls, the special agent in charge of the FBI&#8217;s Salt Lake City field office.
Bohls said that &#8220;a high-powered bolt-action rifle&#8221; was recovered &#8220;in a wooded area where the shooter had fled.&#8221; Investigators are currently analyzing the rifle. The FBI is also analyzing a footwear impression, a palm print, and forearm imprints.
The assassination of one of the conservative movement&#8217;s brightest stars has sent shockwaves across the nation, drawing an outpouring of grief, prayers, and condemnation from political leaders and cultural figures.
President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/honoring-the-memory-of-charlie-kirk/">ordered</a> all flags to be flown at half-staff for five days, issuing a statement that read:
<blockquote>“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie…Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”</blockquote>
Utah Republican Governor Spencer Cox called the attack a &#8220;political assassination&#8221; and delivered a stern warning:
<blockquote>“Charlie believed in the power of free speech and debate to shape ideas and persuade people…When someone takes the life of a person because of their ideas or ideals, that very constitutional foundation is threatened…And I just want to remind people that we still have the death penalty here in the state of Utah.”</blockquote>
Congressman Mike Kennedy (R-UT) added:
<blockquote>“Violence will not silence the people of the United States of America. Charlie Kirk, he spoke his mind, and under threats, he continued to speak his mind and I find that to be admirable.”</blockquote>
Tributes have poured in from across the conservative world, including from many at The Daily Wire who knew and worked with Kirk.
Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro said:
<blockquote>“Charlie will dwell in the house of the Lord. Charlie belongs to history.”</blockquote>
Daily Wire host Michael Knowles remembered him, saying:
<blockquote>“Charlie Kirk would&#8217;ve been president. His friends knew it, his many, many admirers knew it. And his enemies &#8211; to whom he was always so gracious &#8211; they knew it too. Everybody knew it. I remember from, actually, I think even before I first met Charlie, so now we&#8217;re talking many, many years ago, people would joke, they&#8217;d say, well, we&#8217;re all gonna be working for Charlie Kirk someday.”</blockquote>
Morning Wire Senior Editor Cabot Phillips, a longtime friend of Kirk&#8217;s, shared a personal reflection:
<blockquote>“He was a good man who sacrificed his time and energy and ultimately his life to engage in civil dialogue with anyone who wanted to talk with him. He was a devoted father and husband, and Christian. I wanna read one of his final tweets this week — it reads ‘Jesus defeated death so you can live.’ I believe that’s true, and I believe that Charlie is more alive right now than he’s ever been.”</blockquote>
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<h2>The Legacy of Charlie Kirk</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-971171" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.11.25-Thu-SH2-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.11.25-Thu-SH2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.11.25-Thu-SH2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.11.25-Thu-SH2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.11.25-Thu-SH2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.11.25-Thu-SH2.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: In a tragically short life, Charlie Kirk transformed the American political landscape, building a conservative grassroots juggernaut that energized a new generation and played a pivotal role in President Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
At just 18 years old, Kirk founded Turning Point USA (TPUSA) with a $10,000 investment and grew it into a political powerhouse with chapters on more than 3,500 high school and college campuses and annual revenues exceeding $92 million. His powerful persuasion and high-quality events drew millions of young people to his cause. He is widely credited with energizing young male voters, a historically apathetic demographic that proved crucial to President Trump&#8217;s victory in 2024. As Kirk himself said at a recent TPUSA event:
<blockquote>“This movement is not about Republican or Democrat&#8230; this movement is about the citizens versus the oligarchs. This movement is about we, the people versus the ruling class.”</blockquote>
In recent years, Kirk’s focus evolved, showing his growth as not just a political figure but also as a leading moral voice. His Christian faith became central to his message, culminating in the launch of TPUSA Faith. He was adamant that a political transformation in the United States was impossible without a spiritual one, and he used his platform to encourage Christians to bring their biblical values into the public square.
Charlie’s pastor and the co-chair of TPUSA Faith, Rob McCoy, shared a message with The Daily Wire after learning of his friend’s death:
<blockquote>“My friend Charlie Kirk was murdered today by a coward. Charlie’s life will be remembered for many wonderful things. He built it all with the power of the spoken word. He never used violence but was threatened every day with violence by those who couldn’t contend with logic and truth… Charlie did not die however but instead he has begun to truly live. His life was secured eternally by His Savior Jesus Christ. This truth allowed Charlie to face every threat with courage because he didn’t fear death. All evil knows is death and they derive power from death. Charlie lived for life and will be remembered for this…Evil has not prevailed and it will not win. Charlie called me his pastor but I prefer to be known as his friend and greatest fan.”</blockquote>
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MRN 9.11.25 Thumbnail V2

Morning Brief: Charlie Kirk Assassinated, Authorities Have ‘Good Video Footage’ Of Suspected Killer

The Trump administration conducts the largest single-site immigration raid in U.S. history as the president threatens to send the &#8220;Department of War&#8221; to Chicago. A new DOJ report alleges a &#8220;systematic pattern&#8221; of anti-Christian bias across the federal government during the Biden administration. Key gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey and a chaotic mayoral race in New York City are shaping up to be major tests ahead of the 2026 midterms.
It’s Monday, September 8, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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<h3>Trump Ramps Up Law &amp; Order Push</h3>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-969489 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.8.25-Mon-SH1-V2-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.8.25-Mon-SH1-V2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.8.25-Mon-SH1-V2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.8.25-Mon-SH1-V2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.8.25-Mon-SH1-V2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.8.25-Mon-SH1-V2.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: The Trump administration conducted the largest single-site immigration raid in U.S. history at a Georgia manufacturing plant, as the president ramps up his rhetoric against crime-ridden Democrat-run cities.
On Thursday, some 500 federal and state law enforcement officers raided a Hyundai manufacturing plant outside Savannah, arresting 475 people in the largest single-site enforcement action in the history of Homeland Security Investigations. The raid is part of the administration&#8217;s broader push to deport one million people per year.
It comes as a gruesome, deadly stabbing in Charlotte, North Carolina, has put another spotlight on soft-on-crime policies. A Ukrainian refugee was brutally killed on a light rail train in an apparently unprovoked attack. The suspect is a homeless man with a lengthy rap sheet who had been released from jail without bond earlier this year.
The incident has fueled President Trump’s rhetoric against Democrat-run cities. Over the weekend, he posted a meme spoofing the film &#8220;Apocalypse Now&#8221; — titled &#8220;Chipocalypse Now&#8221; — and wrote that Chicago is &#8220;about to find out why it’s called the Department of War.&#8221; The post drew outrage from Democrats, with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker accusing Trump of &#8220;threatening to go to war with an American city.&#8221;
<h3>DOJ Report Alleges Anti-Christian Bias Under Biden</h3>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-969491 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.8.25-Mon-SH2-V3-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.8.25-Mon-SH2-V3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.8.25-Mon-SH2-V3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.8.25-Mon-SH2-V3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.8.25-Mon-SH2-V3-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.8.25-Mon-SH2-V3.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: A new Department of Justice task force report alleges that the Biden administration engaged in &#8220;widespread anti-Christian bias&#8221; and a &#8220;systematic pattern of discrimination&#8221; across multiple federal agencies.
The report, commissioned by Attorney General Pam Bondi in April, claims that various departments &#8220;weaponized the full weight of the federal government&#8221; against Christians. The report alleges:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The Department of Defense and EEOC denied religious exemptions for COVID vaccine mandates to Christians while approving them for other faiths.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The Department of Education attempted to impose record-breaking fines on Christian colleges, such as Liberty University and Grand Canyon University.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The DOJ and FBI used the FACE Act to arrest pro-lifers for praying outside abortion clinics while failing to enforce the law when churches were attacked. An FBI memo also categorized “radical-traditionalist” Catholics as domestic terrorism threats.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The Treasury Department allegedly &#8220;debanked&#8221; pro-Christian groups.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The State Department imposed &#8220;radical LGBTQ gender ideology on foreign governments and State employees,&#8221; including forcing them to use preferred pronouns and fly rainbow flags in violation of their religious beliefs.</li>
</ul>
The task force will continue its work and issue a final report in February.
<h3>Key Fall Elections to Test Political Landscape</h3>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-969493 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.8.25-Mon-SH3-V2-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.8.25-Mon-SH3-V2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.8.25-Mon-SH3-V2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.8.25-Mon-SH3-V2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.8.25-Mon-SH3-V2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.8.25-Mon-SH3-V2.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: Closely watched elections in Virginia, New Jersey, and New York City this fall will provide the first major insights into the political landscape ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
In Virginia, Republicans are fighting to hold the governor&#8217;s mansion in a race that is being framed as a referendum on President Trump’s performance so far. Polls show Democrat Abigail Spanberger with a 6-point lead over Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears, who is vying to become the first black female governor in U.S. history.
In New Jersey, another gubernatorial race is heating up. While the state is reliably blue in presidential years, Trump’s strong performance there in 2024 has given Republicans hope. Polls show Democrat Mikey Sherrill with a 7-point lead over Republican Jack Ciattarelli, but the GOP has matched the Democrats in fundraising, and the outgoing Democratic governor is increasingly unpopular.
Perhaps the most-watched race is for the mayor of New York City. Avowed socialist Zohran Mamdani is currently leading in the polls, largely due to a crowded field that is splitting the anti-Mamdani vote between incumbent Eric Adams, Republican Curtis Sliwa, and former Governor Andrew Cuomo. According to reports, the White House has privately discussed offering administration jobs to Adams and Sliwa in an effort to convince them to drop out and create a one-on-one showdown between Mamdani and Cuomo.

MRN 9.08.25 Thumbnail V1

Morning Brief: Trump’s Crime Crusade, Biden Anti-Christian Bias Exposed, Fall Elections To Watch

China hosts Russia and North Korea for a massive military parade, flexing its muscles and showcasing new advanced weaponry. European speech laws come under scrutiny in a U.S. House hearing after an Irish comedian is arrested in London for X posts made in America. President Trump weighs sending federal forces to New Orleans at the governor&#8217;s request, while blue city leaders resist his help despite rampant crime.
It’s Thursday, September 4, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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<h2>China Flexes Military Muscle in Massive Parade</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-968445" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.4.25-Thu-SH1-UPDATE-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.4.25-Thu-SH1-UPDATE-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.4.25-Thu-SH1-UPDATE-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.4.25-Thu-SH1-UPDATE-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.4.25-Thu-SH1-UPDATE-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.4.25-Thu-SH1-UPDATE.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: China hosted a record-setting military parade in Beijing on Wednesday, showcasing new advanced weaponry and deepening its ties with American adversaries like Russia and North Korea. 
The parade, held on the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II, featured tens of thousands of troops marching through Tiananmen Square. China flaunted new hypersonic missiles, long-range drones, and stealth fighters for the first time. The event was attended by the leaders of 26 countries, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. 
In a speech, Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke of the “rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” a phrase the CCP often uses when discussing a potential takeover of Taiwan. President Trump responded from the White House, reminding Xi of the &#8220;massive amount of support and blood that the United States gave to China in order to help it secure its freedom.&#8221; 
In a bizarre hot mic moment, Putin and Xi were overheard discussing human immortality, with Putin suggesting biotechnology could allow people to &#8220;live younger and younger,&#8221; to which Xi replied that there is a &#8220;chance of living to 150&#8221; this century. 
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<h2>European Speech Laws Under Fire After Comedian’s Arrest</h2>
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Topline: The recent arrest of an Irish comedian in London over X posts he made in the United States has thrust Europe’s draconian speech laws into the spotlight, with U.S. lawmakers now warning of a “censorship regime” that threatens Americans.
Laws like the E.U.&#8217;s Digital Services Act and the U.K.&#8217;s Online Safety Act hold tech companies accountable for &#8220;hate speech&#8221; and &#8220;disinformation&#8221; with the threat of massive fines, effectively forcing American companies to export European censorship rules globally. 
The issue came to a head this week with the arrest of Irish comedian Graham Linehan at Heathrow airport for posts critical of the transgender movement that he had made while in the United States. In a U.S. House hearing on Wednesday, Nigel Farage warned, &#8220;This could happen to any American man or woman that goes to Heathrow that has said things online that the British government and British police don&#8217;t like.&#8221; Other examples of prosecutions under these laws include a Finnish member of parliament for posting a Bible verse and a British army veteran for praying silently in his head. 
The Trump administration is taking action in response. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is lobbying E.U. nations for the repeal of the Digital Services Act, and President Trump is reportedly weighing sanctions on E.U. officials who enforce the speech laws. 
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<h2>Trump Weighs Crime Crackdown in New Orleans</h2>
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Topline: President Trump is now considering sending federal forces to New Orleans to fight crime at the request of Louisiana&#8217;s Republican governor, even as blue city leaders continue to resist his help despite rampant violence. 
After touting the success of his D.C. crime crackdown, President Trump said he is weighing where to go next. &#8220;Do we go to Chicago or do we go to a place like New Orleans where we have a great governor, Jeff Landry, who wants us to come in,&#8221; Trump said Wednesday, adding he could &#8220;straighten that out in about 2 weeks.&#8221; 
The offer comes as leaders in Illinois continue to claim there is no crisis in Chicago. &#8220;The president&#8217;s absurd characterizations do not match what is happening on the ground here,&#8221; said Governor JB Pritzker. His comments came after a Labor Day weekend in Chicago that saw nine people killed and 52 wounded in shootings. 
President Trump’s ability to intervene in blue cities was dealt a blow this week when a Clinton-appointed federal judge in San Francisco ruled against his use of the National Guard to protect ICE agents from rioters in Los Angeles.

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Morning Brief: China Hosts US Foes At Military Parade, EU Censorship, New Orleans Crime Crackdown

A trans-identified shooter kills two children and injures 17 others in a horrific attack on a Catholic school in Minneapolis. The Department of Justice finalizes settlements with ten FBI whistleblowers who were punished by the Biden administration for exposing political weaponization. A patriotic &#8220;flagging&#8221; movement sweeps the U.K. as public backlash grows against the government&#8217;s mass migration policies and a surge in migrant crime.
It’s Thursday, August 28, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2>Trans-Identified Gunman Murders Two Children at Catholic School</h2>
Topline: Two children are dead and 17 others are injured after a 23-year-old trans-identified gunman opened fire on a Catholic K-8 school in Minneapolis during its opening Mass on Wednesday.
The gunman, identified by police as Robin Westman, began firing a semi-automatic rifle through the church’s windows as students were gathered for Mass. Two children, aged 8 and 10, were killed as they sat in the pews. Another 14 children were among the 17 injured, four of whom are in critical condition. The shooter was later found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The gunman&#8217;s mother reportedly worked at the school from 2016 to 2021.
The FBI is investigating the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics. Prior to the attack, the shooter uploaded a video to YouTube displaying firearms scrawled with anti-Christian, anti-conservative, and antisemitic language. One rifle magazine had the words “Where is your God?” Others said, “Kill Donald Trump,” and “6 million wasn’t enough.”
The tragedy comes after Catholic school leaders in Minnesota pleaded with Governor Tim Walz for additional security following the 2023 mass shooting at Covenant Christian School, which was also carried out by a trans-identified shooter. One of the letter&#8217;s authors told The Daily Wire that Walz did not provide any additional security, despite the state having an $18 billion budget surplus that year. Instead, Walz signed legislation making Minnesota a &#8220;transgender refuge state.&#8221;
<h2>Trump DOJ Settles With FBI Whistleblowers</h2>
Topline: The Department of Justice has finalized settlements with ten FBI whistleblowers who faced retaliation from the Biden administration after they sounded the alarm on the political weaponization of the agency.
The settlements include payments for damages, full backpay and benefits, and reinstatement for at least three of the agents. Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, who advocated for the whistleblowers, praised the Trump DOJ for prioritizing &#8220;accountability&#8221; and bringing &#8220;closure&#8221; to the cases.
The whistleblowers were punished for speaking out against the previous administration&#8217;s politically motivated actions. Special Agent Stephen Friend was suspended without pay after he objected to using a SWAT team to arrest a J6 defendant for a misdemeanor charge. Special Agent Garret O’Boyle was also suspended after raising concerns about politicized investigations into parents at school board meetings and pro-life activists.
The settlements are part of President Trump’s broader effort to end government weaponization, which includes his pardons of J6 defendants and his DOJ’s narrowing of FACE Act enforcement. A new AP-NORC poll shows strong public support for the president&#8217;s law and order agenda, with 53% of Americans—including about half of independents—approving of his methods for taking on crime.
<h2>‘Flagging’ Movement Sweeps U.K. Amid Migrant Backlash</h2>
Topline: A new patriotic movement known as “flagging” is sweeping the United Kingdom, as public anger grows over the government&#8217;s mass migration policies and a surge in violent crime committed by migrants.
The organic movement involves citizens raising the Union Jack and the St. George’s Cross flags on lampposts across the country. It grew out of protests against the government&#8217;s practice of housing illegal immigrants in local hotels, which has led to a number of rapes and assaults on local people.
Critics have labeled the movement &#8220;xenophobic,&#8221; but supporters point to a double standard, as local councils that have been quick to take down British flags have been afraid to remove Palestinian flags from heavily Muslim areas.
The backlash comes as government data shows a surge in crimes committed by foreign nationals. According to the Centre for Migration Control, convictions of foreign nationals for sexual offenses increased by a &#8220;staggering 62%&#8221; between 2021 and 2024. A recent viral video from Scotland shows a 14-year-old girl brandishing an axe and a machete to defend herself and her 12-year-old sister from a man with a foreign accent who was harassing them. The girl has since been charged by police with possession of a knife.
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Morning Brief: Shooter Targets Catholic School, DOJ Settles With FBI Whistleblowers, Flags Sweep UK

The following is a portion of an edited transcript from a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-250824-member-exclusive?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+Show+Episodes+Carousel">Weekend Edition of Morning Wire</a> where Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley sat down with Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for Responsible Federal Budget.
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JOHN: Joining us now is Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for Responsible Federal Budget. Maya, thanks so much for coming on. First, tell us, what exactly is the <a href="https://www.crfb.org/">Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget</a>?
MAYA: Thanks for having me. Other than a mouthful of a name, it&#8217;s a bipartisan nonprofit watchdog group. Basically, we&#8217;re very concerned about fiscal policy, meaning how big our debt and deficits are and we don&#8217;t have a political agenda at all. I&#8217;m a political independent. Our board and our staff are from across the political spectrum. But we are deeply concerned that our political environment now focuses on borrowing when we shouldn&#8217;t be because of the political benefits of not actually dealing with trade-offs. And that concern has been growing over time.
JOHN: I wanted to ask you exactly about that. You&#8217;ve been warning about borrowing. Why is the growing debt so dangerous for the U.S. economy? What specific ways will it actually impact Americans?
MAYA: I think that&#8217;s one of the biggest challenges about this whole issue. It&#8217;s really not something that feels directly related to us as individuals, but it&#8217;s directly related to everything we care about. The fiscal health of the country is really the underpinning of both our economic and our national security strength. So, if your debt is too high — and ours without question is — every warning sign that there is is blinking bright, bright red right now. But if your debt is too high, it actually means that the government borrows so much money, it squeezes out the investment possibility and the private sector. It slows growth and slows productivity, it pushes up inflation, pushes up interest rates, all sorts of things that slow economic growth, which translates into lower wages, lower standard of living, and less job security. Nothing good on the economic front. That&#8217;s one. 
Two, it means that our budget has huge pressure because interest payments start to absorb more and more of our resources. Whether you want huge tax cuts or huge growth in spending, we can fight about those things, but interest payments get the first claim on the dollar in the budget. Right now it&#8217;s our second largest item in the budget and the single fastest growing item. It also means that when we have national emergencies where you should be borrowing, it&#8217;s more difficult to do so. And it means that, if you&#8217;re trying to fight a recession or a pandemic or a national emergency, you may have high pressure on upward interest rates when you&#8217;re trying to borrow. Whereas, if your debt&#8217;s lower, that doesn&#8217;t happen. 
But it&#8217;s also expanded now where it&#8217;s not just an economic issue, it is a national security issue. We are borrowing from countries with whom we are not aligned. We are not able to make our own national security decisions just from a strategic and security perspective, we have to think about budget resources and you don&#8217;t want to be in that position. So it weakens our ability to respond to emergencies, take advantage of opportunities. But bottom line, we can do fewer things and we become poor as a nation.
And finally, for those people who worry about the next generation, it&#8217;s really, really [hosing] a generation that&#8217;s already facing so many challenges. They are facing a much more difficult, fast-paced, changing world and we have tied up their budget with interest payments and promises to seniors. They don&#8217;t have the fiscal flexibility to respond and they owe a whole lot of debt because of the borrowing we took on.
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JOHN: Like you said, it&#8217;s insidious because you don&#8217;t feel a lot of the effects. There are a lot of things that we can&#8217;t do now, things that we could have done if we had more money available. And then, kicking the can down the road. We&#8217;re not feeling it now – but our kids will feel it, and their kids will feel it. Is there any progress on this in Washington? Anyone paying attention to this?
MAYA: Yes, it&#8217;s so discouraging, honestly, because the situation is getting worse. Our debt to GDP is getting worse. Our annual deficits are getting worse, and this is outside of emergencies. And, frankly, our political environment and willingness to talk about this is much, much worse. We&#8217;re so polarized. You have both parties basically fighting with each other by giving away more things. &#8220;I&#8217;ll give you tax cuts, no taxes on this.&#8221; &#8220;Well, I&#8217;ll give you bigger tax cuts, and I&#8217;ll increase the spending.&#8221; &#8220;I&#8217;ll also increase the spending.&#8221; It used to be that you thought of Republicans as wanting tax cuts and Democrats as wanting spending increases. It&#8217;s literally both now. So, they fight for these huge giveaways. 
So, no, the situation is frankly very troubling both from an economic, national security, but also a political perspective. And internally, because it&#8217;s frustrating to work on an issue where you know we&#8217;re not going to have the big debt deal that we really need to have this year, for instance, a lot of times the best we can do and sort of why we&#8217;re able to pat ourselves on the back for some work is when things would have been worse without the kind of fiscal pressure we put on. But it&#8217;s really frustrating to say, &#8220;Well, we borrowed a trillion dollars, but we might have borrowed a trillion and a half if it weren&#8217;t for our pushing against this issue.&#8221; We&#8217;ve got to do better than that. We&#8217;ve got to start actually turning the ship around and bringing the debt as a share of GDP trajectory down instead of continuing to grow it&#8230;
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<h3><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/debt-deficits-disaster-can-washington-change-course/id1576594336?i=1000723297012">Catch the full interview with Maya MacGuineas on Morning Wire.</a></h3>

National Debt

‘Blinking Bright, Bright Red’: Maya MacGuineas On America’s Debt, Deficits, And Disaster

'Blinking Bright, Bright Red': Maya MacGuineas On America’s Debt, Deficits, And Disaster

Budget

Congress

Federal Government

finance

Spending Bill

U.S. House of Representatives

Following a dramatic drop in crime in Washington, D.C., President Trump signals he may launch similar federal crackdowns in other crime-ridden cities like Chicago. Moscow pushes back on a swift timeline for a trilateral peace summit as the White House remains confident in President Trump&#8217;s diplomatic efforts. Spain&#8217;s pro-immigration policies make it a European outlier, but growing public backlash and government corruption scandals suggest a rightward shift is coming.
It’s Monday, August 25, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2>Trump Eyes Chicago for Next Crime Crackdown</h2>
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Topline: After a successful federal takeover of Washington, D.C., has led to a dramatic drop in crime, President Trump is now signaling he may use the city as a blueprint for similar crackdowns in other crime-ridden cities.
It has been nearly two weeks since the federal government took control of the D.C. police force, and the results have been stark. Carjackings are down over 80%, robberies have plummeted by over 40%, and there has not been a single homicide in the city for the last ten days. The White House reported Sunday that nearly 1,000 arrests have been made. &#8220;Washington, D.C. is SAFE AGAIN!&#8221; Trump posted on social media.
The president now says he may expand the crackdown nationwide. &#8220;Chicago&#8217;s a mess,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;We&#8217;ll straighten that one out probably next … and then we’ll help with New York.” The threat has prompted furious backlash from Democrats. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called it “an authoritarian power grab,” while Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said his city would &#8220;rise up against tyranny.&#8221;
The administration&#8217;s law and order push also saw the FBI raid the home of former National Security Advisor and vocal Trump critic John Bolton on Friday. The DOJ is reportedly investigating whether Bolton illegally shared classified documents using a private email server. &#8220;No one is above the law,&#8221; said FBI Director Kash Patel.
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<h2>Russia Pushes Back on Swift Peace Summit</h2>
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Topline: Moscow is tamping down expectations for an imminent trilateral peace summit, even as the White House expresses confidence that President Trump’s diplomatic efforts are bringing the war in Ukraine closer to an end.
While President Trump has pushed for an immediate meeting between himself, Vladimir Putin, and Volodymyr Zelensky, Moscow says the talks have not progressed enough. &#8220;Putin is ready to meet with Zelensky when the agenda would be ready for&#8230; a summit,&#8221; Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with NBC News. &#8220;And&#8230; this agenda is not ready at all.&#8221;
Despite the apparent slowdown, the White House remains confident. &#8220;We&#8217;re going to eventually be successful or we&#8217;ll hit a brick wall,&#8221; Vice President JD Vance said Sunday. &#8220;And if we hit a brick wall, then we&#8217;re going to continue this process of negotiation of applying leverage. This is the energetic diplomacy that&#8217;s going to bring this war to a close.&#8221;
To avoid derailing the sensitive negotiations, the U.S. appears to be keeping its strategy close to the vest. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Pentagon has blocked Ukraine from using long-range missiles to strike inside Russian territory for the past month. According to CBS News, DNI Tulsi Gabbard has also ordered that information on the talks be withheld from the &#8220;Five Eyes&#8221; intelligence-sharing alliance. DNI Spokeswoman Olivia Coleman has <a href="https://x.com/DNIspox/status/1959003071373074728">called</a> CBS&#8217;s reporting &#8220;Completely false&#8221; and added that &#8220;relationships with our allies have never been stronger.&#8221;
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<h2>Spain’s Pro-Immigration Stance Sparks Backlash</h2>
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Topline: While much of Europe cracks down on immigration, Spain’s left-wing government is making it easier for migrants to gain residency, but growing public backlash and corruption scandals suggest the country’s outlier status may not last.
Spain&#8217;s socialist government has pursued a pro-immigration policy, particularly for migrants from Latin America who share a common language and culture and can apply for citizenship after just two years. While this has provided an economic boost, nearly 20% of the country&#8217;s population is now foreign-born, leading to growing social tensions.
Recent flashpoints include riots in the town of Torre Pacheco after a Moroccan immigrant beat a local pensioner, and a vote in the town of Jumilla to ban public Islamic religious festivities to &#8220;defend the Christian character of Spain.&#8221;
The socialist government is also dropping in the polls as it faces a raft of corruption scandals that reach all the way to the Prime Minister&#8217;s wife. With the populist right Vox party polling well, Spain is predicted to shift to the right in its next election, likely aligning its immigration policies with the more restrictionist trend seen across the rest of Europe.

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Morning Brief: Trump Plots Chicago Crackdown, Russia Stalls Peace Talks, Spain Invites Migrants

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