Measles, the world’s most infectious disease once declared eliminated, has made a comeback in the United States, ravaging states such as South Carolina, Florida, Utah, Virginia and Texas.
Multiple outbreaks occurred over the past year across the United States, costing millions in taxpayer money. South Carolina <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/south-carolinas-measles-outbreak-is-over-after-sickening-nearly-1000-people">suffered</a> through 997 cases and 21 hospitalizations, costing the state $2.1 million.
Virginia has <a href="https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/measles/">reported</a> 177 confirmed cases and eight hospitalizations, and the Texas Department of State Health Services has <a href="https://www.dshs.texas.gov/vaccine-preventable-diseases/vaccine-preventable-disease-conditions/measles-rubeola/measles-rubeola/measles-rubeola-data">reported</a> a total of 182 cases as of July 15.
The airborne virus is notorious for spreading rapidly. Nine out of 10 people who come into close contact with a person infected with measles can come down with the illness if they are not protected, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/index.html">reports</a>. This makes the disease about five to six times more contagious than the common cold.
Three to four million Americans contracted the disease every year in the 1950s and 60s. However, Health officials declared measles eliminated in 2000 after 12 consecutive months without endemic transmission. 
However, resistance to taking vaccines has grown over the years. This is partly due to people refusing vaccines produced using cell lines originally derived from aborted fetal tissue obtained in the 1960s — <a href="https://www.chop.edu/vaccine-education-center/vaccine-safety/vaccine-ingredients/fetal-tissues">such as</a> the rubella vaccine in the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine. Additionally, <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10224336/">studies</a> have found that many parents remain concerned about a possible link between vaccines and autism.
As fewer people take the measles vaccine, more cases are popping up in the United States. Johns Hopkins University, which manages a <a href="https://publichealth.jhu.edu/ivac/resources/us-measles-tracker">tracker</a> for measles cases, reports that the number of cases for 2026 has reached 2,295 — the highest number of cases since 1991
“This is not simply the return of a childhood rash illness,” epidemiologist Dr. Syra Madad <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/22/health/us-hits-most-cases-of-worlds-most-contagious-disease-in-35-years/">told</a> the New York Post. “Measles can cause pneumonia, encephalitis, hospitalization and death, especially in young children and medically vulnerable people.”
Measles can also create the condition called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. This is a fatal neurological condition that causes inflammation and scarring of the brain, the National Institutes of Health <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560673/">reports</a>. This condition can take up to 20 years after a measles infection to develop. 
Prominent health officials in the Trump administration have called on all Americans to take the measles vaccine, especially after the 2025 measles outbreak.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, Trump’s administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/02/09/us-news/measles-outbreak-surges-in-us-as-dr-oz-begs-people-to-get-vaccinated/">told</a> Americans to “take the vaccine, please.”
“Not all illnesses are equally dangerous and not all people are equally susceptible to those illnesses,” Oz said on CNN&#8217;s “State of the Union.” “But measles is one you should get your vaccine [for].”
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is known for being skeptical about the benefit of modern vaccines rolled out by Big Pharma, has urged parents to consult their doctors about vaccinating their children.
“The measles outbreak in Texas is a call to action for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to public health,” Kennedy <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/robert-f-kennedy-jr-measles-outbreak-call-action-all-us?title=op-ed%20for%20Fox%20News">said</a> in an opinion piece last year. “By working together — parents, healthcare providers, community leaders, and government officials, we can prevent future outbreaks and protect the health of our nation.” 
“Vaccines not only protect individual children from measles, but also contribute to community immunity, protecting those who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons,” Kennedy added.

Screenshot 2026-07-22 at 2.35.02 PM

A Disease Once Thought Defeated Is Spreading Across America

The World’s Most Infectious Disease Is Making a Comeback in the United States

Florida

Measles

Mehmet Oz

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

South Carolina

Texas

Utah

Vaccines

Virginia

Leftist author Stephen King claimed Utah &#8220;banned&#8221; one of his books after it was removed from public school libraries under a state law governing sexually explicit material. 
“They banned DIFFERENT SEASONS in Utah. Contains STAND BY ME and THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, stories of friendship and courage. Readable by teens, too. What&#8217;s wrong with these people?” King <a href="https://x.com/StephenKing/status/2077115246246834270">wrote</a> on X. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
They banned DIFFERENT SEASONS in Utah. Contains STAND BY ME and THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, stories of friendship and courage. Readable by teens, too. What&#8217;s wrong with these people?
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) <a href="https://x.com/StephenKing/status/2077115246246834270?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Earlier this month, several school districts voted to take the book off school library shelves. Per <a href="https://le.utah.gov/~2024/bills/static/HB0029.html">Utah law</a>, if at least three public school districts or five charter schools ban a book due to “objective sensitive” or “pornographic” material, this means the restriction will apply to schools across the state.
While the collection inspired the films “Stand By Me” and “The Shawshank Redemption,” Utah officials said the decision was based on the book&#8217;s content rather than its literary reputation. 
Common Sense Media <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/different-seasons">notes</a> that the book contains “prison rape” and “concentration camp rape, with foreign objects.” It is also reported to have drinking, swearing, smoking, and “vivid atrocities (rape, stabbing, shooting, burning, dismemberment).” 
Many commenters pointed out that King’s book wasn’t “banned,” but was rather made unavailable to schoolchildren, which is not the same thing.
“A book is only ‘banned’ if it becomes illegal to print/own it,” one commenter <a href="https://x.com/Matt19457010/status/2077524511398740320">noted</a>. “A school choosing to not carry a book did not ban it. If I go to a bookstore and buy two books, I have not ‘banned’ the 10,000 other books there by choosing to not own them.” 
Utah&#8217;s law has also led to the removal of other books containing graphic sexual content, including &#8220;Gender Queer&#8221; and &#8220;Let&#8217;s Talk About It.&#8221;

Stephen King

Leftist Author Falsely Calls School Library Removal A ‘Ban’

banned books

Public Schools

Taxpayers may end up paying up to $10 million to defend the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk as the case drags out for months, according to a new report. 
Multiple lawyers told <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/14/us-news/taxpayers-could-end-up-shelling-out-more-than-10m-for-lawyers-to-defend-accused-charler-kirk-killer-tyler-robinson/">The New York Post</a> that 23-year-old Tyler Robinson’s defense team is challenging every aspect of the case with the goal of pressuring state prosecutors into offering a plea deal. Prosecutors have said they intend to seek the death penalty for Robinson, who is charged with gunning Kirk down during an event at Utah Valley University in September 2025. 
Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, told the Post that Robinson’s lawyers “are litigating anything and everything to try to bring the prosecution to the table to offer a life-without-the-possibility-of-parole deal.”
Robinson’s defense is being paid for by the county and the lawyers defending him have to be specially trained because it involves the death penalty. 
“So yeah, it is costing taxpayers,” Rahmani said. “But what do you expect the defense to do? They’re playing the hand that they’re dealt, right? And it’s not a good hand.”
Rahmani said if the case is prolonged enough then prosecutors may choose to secure life in prison through a plea deal and avoid the many appeals that come with the death penalty. 
“If the state offered a plea deal and a life sentence, the taxpayers would save millions and millions of dollars,” he said. 
Last week, Judge Tony Graf Jr. oversaw the preliminary hearing in the case where prosecutors presented the evidence they planned to use during the trial. Graf will rule in September whether there is enough evidence against Robinson to schedule a trial. 
“I think all the attention on the case, he doesn’t want to make a mistake or be overturned on appeal,” Rahmani said. “He’s very slow, he’s very thorough, and very deliberate.”
Rahmani said the longer the process takes, the more pressure there is on the prosecution. He pointed to the high-profile case of Bryan Kohberger, who avoided the death penalty by pleading guilty to murdering four University of Idaho students. 
“They’re trying to put pressure on the prosecution to offer a life deal. Like they did in Kohberger,” he said. 
Nathan Evershed, a former deputy district attorney for Salt Lake County, agreed the longer the case took the more likely a plea deal would be. 
“Usually what happens is that the longer a case can get delayed, the more of a chance there can be an off-ramp or a plea deal,” he told the Post. “And an off-ramp is harder to find when it’s raw and very, very fraught with emotions. Whereas it’s easier to find when it’s less raw and you’re able to come to the table.”
Evershed added that it would be quite expensive before the whole ordeal closed. 
“It’s going to cost quite a bit of money to get to that point,” he said. “And the only people that will be paying for that are the taxpayers.”

Tyler Robinson Arrested In Utah For Shooting of Charlie Kirk

Tyler Robinson’s Defense Strategy That Could Cost Taxpayers Millions

assassination

Charlie Kirk

Crime

Tyler Robinson

The note investigators say reveals that 23-year-old Tyler Robinson confessed to the assassination of Charlie Kirk was inadvertently broadcast live in court on Thursday. 
Lance Twiggs, the trans-identifying former boyfriend of Robinson, told investigators that he received a text after Kirk was shot at Utah Valley University telling him to look under his keyboard. Under the keyboard was a handwritten confession note, Twiggs said. 
“If you are reading this per my text, then I am so sorry. I left the house this morning on a mission and sent an auto-text. I’m likely dead or facing a lengthy prison sentence,” Robinson allegedly wrote in the note. “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it. I don’t know if I will/have succeeded, but I had hoped to make it home to you.&#8221;
“I wish we could have lived in a world where this was not necessary,” the note added. “Please try and find joy in this life. I love you always, Tyler.”
&nbsp;
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1132295" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-10-at-8.34.17-AM.png" alt="" width="2092" height="1412" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-10-at-8.34.17-AM.png 2092w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-10-at-8.34.17-AM-300x202.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-10-at-8.34.17-AM-853x576.png 853w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-10-at-8.34.17-AM-768x518.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-10-at-8.34.17-AM-1536x1037.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-10-at-8.34.17-AM-2048x1382.png 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 2092px) 100vw, 2092px" /></div>
Images of the note had been prohibited from being broadcast before the trial officially began, Judge Tony Graf previously said. On Thursday during the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/thats-so-criminal-ep-23?elementPosition=1&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">preliminary hearing</a>, Graf stepped in and asked Utah County Attorney&#8217;s Office prosecutor Ryan McBride if the note was being broadcast after it appeared on the camera feed from the courtroom, the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/09/us-news/redacted-heartfelt-letter-from-tyler-robinson-to-trans-lover-accidentally-shown-in-court/">reported</a>. 
“Let me stop you, Mr. McBride. I’m not sure, is this being broadcast?” Graf said.
“Let’s take that down,” McBride answered back.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/thats-so-criminal-ep-23?elementPosition=1&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: Tyler Robinson Preliminary Hearing</a>
Other evidence prosecutors revealed Thursday included a recorded interview with Twiggs where he said that Robinson confessed to the killing. 
“[He] didn’t go into detail. I just asked him in person if what he said was true the night before and he said it was, starting crying a little bit, and he says he wishes he hadn’t done it,” Twiggs said. 
Robinson also confessed to the killing in text messages to Twiggs, according to investigators. 
“Shouldn’t be long until I can come home, but I gotta grab my rifle still. to be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you,” Robinson allegedly wrote.
“You werent the one who did it right????” Twiggs asked.
“I am, I’m sorry,” Robinson allegedly replied. 
On Friday, lawyers for Robinson are expected to present one more witness from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) before the case wraps for the day. After that, Graf told lawyers on both sides to craft legal briefs on whether enough evidence has been produced to bring Robinson to trial. Oral arguments on those briefs will be on September 1.

Note_Tyler_Robinson_Hearing

SEE IT: Court Accidentally Shows Tyler Robinson’s Confession Note To Trans Lover

During Wednesday&#8217;s hearing, the family of slain conservative Charlie Kirk pushed for greater transparency, urging the court to publicly release interviews in-full with the transgender romantic partner of Kirk&#8217;s accused killer.
Jeffrey Neiman, attorney for Kirk&#8217;s widow, Erika Kirk, asked Judge Tony Graf Jr. to allow the full audio of Lance Twiggs&#8217; interviews to be played in open court rather than a heavily redacted version. Twiggs, who was granted &#8220;use immunity,&#8221; is cooperating with prosecutors and is expected to be an important witness in the case. Prosecutors say Robinson admitted to murdering Kirk in text messages to Twiggs after the shooting and left behind a handwritten note expressing his intent to kill Kirk before the attack.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/thats-so-criminal-ep-21?contentProgram=That%27s%20So%20Criminal&amp;contentType=ShowEpisode&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;location=Home%20Tab&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Home%20Featured%20Carousel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LISTEN: The Trial of Tyler Robinson</a> &#8220;The Kirk family believes strongly that if the evidence is being admitted in this preliminary hearing, it should be made public for the world to see,&#8221; Neiman said to Judge Graf. &#8220;No redactions.&#8221;
&#8220;This court has tools at its disposal to make sure the defendant receives a fair trial,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;You&#8217;ll use them if you find that you need to.&#8221;
&#8220;To not be transparent here, to not be open, to not let the world see what happened, will create doubt and distrust in the judicial system, and that&#8217;s not what anybody wants,&#8221; Neiman added. &#8220;That&#8217;s not what any of us believe should happen here. And we&#8217;d ask the court to consider the position of the family in making its ultimate decision.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Full Statement from Kirk Family Representative, Jeffrey Neiman, regarding transparency around the Lance Twiggs interview recording:
&#8220;The Kirk family believes strongly that if the evidence is being admitted in this preliminary hearing, it should be made public for the world to… <a href="https://t.co/OkbHz0HJLz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://t.co/OkbHz0HJLz</a> <a href="https://t.co/y5C03suSFh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/y5C03suSFh</a>
— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) <a href="https://x.com/AndrewKolvet/status/2074983325731799456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">July 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
Graf ultimately ruled that portions of Twiggs&#8217; interviews would be redacted before being presented during the preliminary hearing, meaning the public will hear only portions of the interviews. The judge also said that he would personally review the complete, unredacted interviews when determining whether prosecutors have established probable cause to send Tyler Robinson to trial for Kirk&#8217;s murder.
Notably, the ruling currently applies only to the preliminary hearing and does not determine what evidence a jury may ultimately see or hear at trial. Twiggs could also testify in person at Robinson&#8217;s trial.
As highlighted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/key-piece-of-evidence-contained-dna-from-accused-kirk-assassin-and-his-trans-lover-fbi?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Key+Piece+Of+Evidence+Contained+DNA+From+Accused+Kirk+Assassin+And+His+Trans+Lover%3A+FBI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a>, the weapon believed to have been used to murder Kirk was wrapped in a towel that contained DNA from Robinson and Twiggs, according to the FBI. A screwdriver recovered from the rooftop where Robinson allegedly fired also contained DNA from both males, the state said at the hearing. Robinson was living with Twiggs at the time of Kirk’s assassination.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
DNA breakdown on towel and screwdriver where Lance Twiggs&#8217; and Tyler Robinson&#8217;s DNA was found from Amanda Bakker, DNA analyst:
Towel: Twiggs 5% Robinson 95%
Screwdriver: Twiggs 11% Robinson 89%
— Lynden Blake (@LyndenBlake) <a href="https://x.com/LyndenBlake/status/2074630147827773861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">July 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-never-before-seen-tyler-robinson-footage-haunting-his-defense?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=The+Never-Before-Seen+Tyler+Robinson+Footage+Haunting+His+Defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Never-Before-Seen Tyler Robinson Footage Haunting His Defense</a>

Kirk Family Pushes For Public Release Of Full Lance Twiggs Interviews

Court

Erika Kirk

The weapon believed to have been used in the murder of conservative Charlie Kirk was wrapped in a towel that contained DNA from Tyler Robinson and his trans lover, Lance Twiggs, according to the FBI.
Robinson was living with Twiggs at the time of Kirk&#8217;s assassination, and authorities viewed messages between the two romantic partners on the day of Kirk&#8217;s assassination that appear to implicate Robinson in the killing.
During a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, prosecutors presented a report from the FBI that indicated DNA from Robinson and Twiggs was found on the towel that was used in an attempt to hide a rifle near the scene of Kirk&#8217;s assassination, The New York Times reported. Authorities don&#8217;t believe Twiggs, who is cooperating with police, took part in planning or carrying out the assassination.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
DNA breakdown on towel and screwdriver where Lance Twiggs&#8217; and Tyler Robinson&#8217;s DNA was found from Amanda Bakker, DNA analyst:
Towel: Twiggs 5% Robinson 95% 
Screwdriver: Twiggs 11% Robinson 89%
— Lynden Blake (@LyndenBlake) <a href="https://x.com/LyndenBlake/status/2074630147827773861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/thats-so-criminal-ep-21?elementPosition=1&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">LISTEN: The Trial of Tyler Robinson: Making the Case Day 2</a>
Journalist Sarah Fields similarly <a href="https://x.com/LyndenBlake/status/2074630147827773861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">reported</a> that Utah Department of Public Safety Sgt. Jennifer Faumuina, the state&#8217;s third witness, &#8220;testified that FBI DNA testing identified DNA belonging to both Tyler Robinson and his roommate, Lance Twiggs, on the towel wrapped around the rifle, as well as on the screwdriver recovered from the sniper perch.&#8221;
A video stream of the hearing shows Amanda Bakker, a forensic analyst for the FBI&#8217;s DNA lab, confirming that Robinson was the major DNA contributor for the towel and a screwdriver found after the murder, which also contained a much smaller amount of Twiggs&#8217; DNA.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
To ALL the liars saying the opposite of the truth….you are scum of the earth!
Here is the TRUTH!
ON THE RECORD: Robinson Was 95% DNA Contributor On Evidence! <a href="https://t.co/D2rI2io1wA">pic.twitter.com/D2rI2io1wA</a>
— Graham Allen (@GrahamAllen) <a href="https://x.com/GrahamAllen/status/2074646906559701028?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Last year, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said Robinson&#8217;s DNA was found on the trigger and other parts of a rifle that was found near the crime scene. His DNA was also found on the fired cartridge casing and two of the three unfired cartridges, as well as the towel that the weapon had been wrapped in, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/live-updates/charlie-kirk-shooting-tyler-robinson-charges-court-hearing-utah/">reported</a>. Messages obtained by authorities reportedly show Robinson saying in a Discord chat that the rifle belonged to his grandfather.
The second day of the hearing also included <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/never-before-seen-footage-reveals-moments-before-and-after-kirk-assassination?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Never-Before-Seen+Footage+Reveals+Moments+Before+And+After+Kirk+Assassination">never-before-seen security footage</a> of who appeared to be Robinson walking on the Utah Valley University campus with what authorities described as a “limp” just minutes before the shooting.
Reports have previously indicated that Robinson appeared to walk with a stiff right leg before the shooting, or with an unusual gait, which some have suggested could indicate he was concealing a rifle under his clothing.
Robinson is facing the death penalty for the murder of Kirk.
<div class="nyp-slideshow-modal-image__wrapper">Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/never-before-seen-footage-reveals-moments-before-and-after-kirk-assassination?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Never-Before-Seen+Footage+Reveals+Moments+Before+And+After+Kirk+Assassination">Never-Before-Seen Footage Reveals Moments Before And After Kirk Assassination</a></div>

Key Piece Of Evidence Contained DNA From Accused Kirk Assassin And His Trans Lover: FBI

Towel Used To Wrap Rifle Contained DNA From Tyler Robinson, Trans Lover Lance Twiggs: FBI

Never-before-seen security footage played Tuesday during a preliminary hearing in the murder case against Tyler Robinson appeared to show Robinson walking with what authorities described as a &#8220;limp&#8221; just minutes before the shooting.
&#8220;UVU prosecutors just presented this footage of Tyler Robinson arriving on campus for the third time, just minutes before the shooting,&#8221; Blake Neff, a producer of &#8220;The Charlie Kirk Show,&#8221; posted online. &#8220;Look at how he is walking, as if something is hindering his right leg.&#8221; (See footage above.)
Reports have previously indicated that Robinson appeared to walk with a stiff right leg before the shooting, or with an unusual gait, which some have suggested could indicate he was concealing a rifle under his clothing. Robinson is facing the death penalty for the fatal shooting of Turning Point USA founder and conservative leader Charlie Kirk.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/live-tyler-robinson-preliminary-hearing?contentProgram=Daily%20Wire%20News&amp;contentType=ShowEpisode&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;location=Home%20Tab&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Home%20Featured%20Carousel">WATCH LIVE: Tyler Robinson Preliminary Hearing</a>
Agent David Hull testified that Robinson was &#8220;walking with a gait or a limp.&#8221; As the video played in the courtroom, the agent said the suspect appeared to be having difficulty walking.
Reporters inside the courtroom said the prosecution used surveillance footage to establish that Robinson was on campus four separate times on September 10, 2025, the day Kirk was killed.
&#8220;The timeline prosecutors are building is strong. Surveillance placing Robinson on campus before, during, and after the shot. Roof access, sniper position in the gravel, that screwdriver left behind, every piece fits,&#8221; Jack Posobiec reported on Monday. &#8220;Defense is already grasping at procedural straws.&#8221;
In another video played for the court, a person believed to be Robinson was seen &#8220;&#8216;rolling&#8217; over the railing of the Losee Student Center and moving into a prone position just seconds before Kirk was shot,&#8221; Neff posted.
Security footage also appeared to show a person believed to be Robinson seconds after Kirk was fatally shot. The person was seen running along the top of a campus building &#8220;before dropping down onto the grass and heading away from campus on foot, carrying something,&#8221; The New York Times reported.
The hearing will determine whether prosecutors have presented enough evidence to establish probable cause for Robinson to stand trial for Kirk’s assassination.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-chilling-moment-judge-flinches-while-watching-charlie-kirk-assassination-footage?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=The+Chilling+Moment+Judge+Flinches+While+Watching+Charlie+Kirk+Assassination+Footage">The Chilling Moment Judge Flinches While Watching Charlie Kirk Assassination Footage</a>

Never-Before-Seen Footage Reveals Moments Before And After Kirk Assassination

JUST IN: New Footage Shows Tyler Robinson Just Minutes Before Kirk Assassination 

Ahead of the much-anticipated preliminary hearings for Charlie Kirk&#8217;s accused assassin Tyler Robinson, Kirk&#8217;s widow Erika Kirk, his parents, and his sister say the family will not be commenting during the judicial process.
Erika Kirk, alongside Charlie’s parents Kathy and Rob, will be in the courtroom together throughout the week, a source familiar with the situation told The Daily Wire. They say in a statement provided ahead of hearings that are expected to last all week that they will be there as spectators, and that the proceedings are a &#8220;painful reminder of his death.&#8221;
“Charlie was a beloved husband, son, brother, friend, and father. Every court proceeding serves as a painful reminder of his death and the loss that has irrevocably impacted our lives and the lives of his children,” the joint statement reads. “We remain deeply grateful for the support, prayers, and kindness we have received. This outpouring has sustained us during the darkest days of our lives. Out of respect for the judicial process, we will not be commenting further at this time. We ask for continued privacy as we navigate this process and immense grief.”
The Daily Wire is told this will be the only statement provided during the preliminary hearing that starts Monday in Provo, Utah.
The five-day hearing happens roughly 10 months after Charlie was murdered in front of thousands at a Turning Point USA college campus tour on Utah Valley University’s campus. Judge Tony Graf will decide whether the prosecution has enough evidence against Robinson, who faces an aggravated murder charge among other offenses, with the death penalty as a possible punishment. Robinson hasn’t entered a plea.
Utah is a &#8220;hearing&#8221; state, which is why this hearing takes place instead of the case going before a grand jury, which is typically what happens in federal felony cases before a trial can take place.
Starting on Monday the state will lay out evidence against the 23-year-old, who is accused of shooting the TPUSA founder on September 10, 2025. Robinson turned himself in after an intense manhunt.
The &#8220;world is going to see what the state has,&#8221; the source familiar with the proceedings told The Daily Wire.
Often called a &#8220;mini trial,&#8221; this week is the first time the public will see what evidence the prosecution plans to use to convict him of murder.
The state will call witnesses and present evidence and the defense will cross examine. The state is under no obligation to present all evidence, just as Robinson&#8217;s team isn’t required to present all of its findings to the judge.
The judge will look at the evidence through a lens favorable to the state, per law.
It’s expected the state will play a video of a recorded statement from Lance Twiggs, Robinson’s roommate and lover, during the hearing. It will be the first public statement from Twiggs, who was on the receiving end of Robinson&#8217;s confession through text messages and a hand-written letter, per authorities.
This hearing was originally scheduled for May, but the defense successfully delayed by filing pre-trial motions.
The legal back and forth leading up to Monday’s hearing mainly revolved around the argument of cameras in the courtroom. Judge Graf sided with the state and cameras will be allowed in the courtroom, but electronic devices won’t be permitted.

Credit: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Erika Kirk And Charlie Kirk’s Parents Say Assassination Hearing Is ‘Painful Reminder Of His Death’

News

The internet has been up in arms about one of the biggest Lego scandals in human history, involving a record-breaking Lego set and accusations of corporate greed, content farming, and police irresponsibility. 
 
Eric Mansell, along with his son Bryan, reportedly <a href="https://bricksandminifigs.com/blog/blog/2026/05/28/bricks-minifigs-salem-oregon-clarity-and-resolution/">collected</a> a Lego Star Wars collection consisting of 780 boxed Lego sets and 1,200 rare figures as an investment for his grandchildren. The collection was reportedly priced between $60,000 to $200,000. 
 
The family gave the collection to Bricks and Minifigs, an after-market Lego reseller, to sell on consignment. But when the store changed hands, the new owner refused Mansell access to the collection and denied even having it. 
 
“All you have to do is let me in back. We can go that route or we can go to court,” Mansell said he told the store owner, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wscQpkcwgNU">adding,</a> “And the guy there just looks at me, crosses his arms and goes, ‘Let me tell you what’s going to happen. If we go to court, we’re going to drag this thing out so long and you’re going to end up spending so much more money than your collection is ever worth or what you ever would have gotten out of it, then it ain’t worth it, man.’”
Bricks and Minifigs denied &#8220;knowingly&#8221; stealing the Lego collection, stating, “The actual origin of this dispute lies in an unauthorized, local consignment arrangement between an independent former franchisee of the Salem store and the Mansell family.” The company stated that the collection was not even in the store when Johnson and Brandon Best took it over, as the collection was moved to an &#8220;offsite secure location.&#8221; 
Bricks and Minifigs stated that it found between $2,000 and $5,000 worth of the sets in the store that could possibly belong to the Mansell family. It stated, “We offered to return these items to the Mansell family though BAM had no legal obligation to do so, but it was refused.”
“Neither corporate nor the incoming owners (Josh Johnson and Best) ever took, sold, or concealed this collection,” the company added, claiming that inventory logs show the collection was already missing at the time of the takeover of the franchise.
Ben Schneider, who is known on YouTube as Reckless Ben, brought the case to the public&#8217;s attention after he sought to help the family get compensation for the massive Lego set. Schneider even went to the Bricks and Minifigs store to look into the case, but the police were called and he was ordered to stay off the property after being <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wscQpkcwgNU">accused</a> of harassment. Schneider was also accused of trespassing after he attempted to go to the office of Ammon McNeff, the CEO of Bricks and Minifigs.
After Schneider reportedly tried all forms of discussion with Best and his business associate Joshua Johnson, he managed to win a default judgement in a small claims court against them for the Legos. However, Best and Johnson closed the Bricks and Minifigs store shortly after the controversy erupted.
Schneider then tried to personally sue Johnson and Best to recover the money, but said he had difficulty having a good faith conversation and serving the court papers required to personally sue. 
Schneider said he waited outside Johnson’s house away from his property so he could talk with him about the lawsuit while not being accused of trespassing. Johnson reportedly <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxZPfj8AlmY">refused</a> to leave his property and called the cops multiple times on Schneider, one time allegedly accusing him of having heroin in his car, which turned out to be false. 
After Schneider was released on bail, the police later raided the house where Schneider and his friends were staying. The police arrested them all, and Schneider accused officers of dislocating his arm in the process.
Schneider and his friends were interrogated, and the police tried to keep Schneider in jail with no bail, but a judge allowed him to go. When Schneider was reportedly notified that there was another bail out for his arrest on the pretext that he was a physical threat to Johnson, he fled to Mexico to wait until things were sorted out.
In response to the ongoing problem with Schneider, Mansell, Johnson, and Best, Bricks and Minifigs filed a lawsuit against Schneider for conducting a harassment and extortion campaign against Bricks and Minifigs in Utah and Oregon. The company also <a href="https://bricksandminifigs.com/blog/blog/2026/05/28/bricks-minifigs-salem-oregon-clarity-and-resolution/">released</a> an official statement defending their side of the story.
The Bricks and Minifigs website has called Schneider and his content creator friends “zealous online profiteers” who have been engaged in “viral mischaracterizations” and &#8220;sensationalization&#8221; of their actions, and the actions of Johnson and Best.
Bricks and Minifigs also denied receiving verifiable copies of the signed contract, receipts of payment to the Mansell family, and a true listing of the inventory. It also said the store was closed “because our staff — including local teenagers — faced severe real-world safety hazards, targeted in-person stalking, and explicit bomb threats driven by viral videos.”
The American Fork Police Department posted a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcVmSQpIPRY">video</a> detailing its perspective on the events, including previous claims about harassment, stalking, forging of signatures, and theft of Legos. The police department also stated it wanted to stop Schneider&#8217;s attempt to contact Johnson about the Legos because Johnson &#8220;reported that he was going to shoot someone as a result of the ongoing harassment.&#8221;
Schneider has also issued a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YEzhDn0jY8">response</a> to the police video, stating that the police raided &#8220;my house for stealing the Legos when there&#8217;s an overwhelming amount of evidence that Josh stole the Legos&#8221; and that the police &#8220;redacted everything&#8221; that supported Schneider in the body cam footage, saying that the reason was &#8220;to protect the victims.&#8221;
Schneider also started a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-bryan-recover-his-lego-collection">GoFundMe</a> to help the Mansell family recover the cost of their collections and to pay for legal fees as he is considering suing Best, Johnson, and the police department.
Most recently, Bricks and Minifigs released a statement <a href="https://bricksandminifigs.com/blog/blog/2026/06/04/bricks-and-minifigs-salem-joshua-johnson-brandon-best-resignation/">declaring</a> that it was permanently closing their Salem location, parting ways with Johnson and Best, and &#8220;personally reached out to Bryan Mansell and family to meet, to review documentation revealed in the investigation, and to come to a mutual and positive resolution.&#8221;

Legoworlds in the Bomann-Museum Celle

GRAND THEFT LEGO: How One Man’s ‘Star Wars’ Collection Set The Internet Ablaze

Corporate America

Corporations

Corruption

Gen Z

Internet

Lego

Oregon

Star Wars

A Utah judge on Monday rejected a request from Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, to keep key court proceedings and evidence out of the public eye. 
Judge Tony Graf’s ruling means the media — and the public — will have access to Robinson’s preliminary hearing and evidence exhibits, scheduled for early July. At the hearing, prosecutors are expected to present evidence to establish probable cause for the case to proceed to trial.
In his ruling, Judge Graf said concerns about negative publicity did not outweigh the public’s right to an open judicial process, according to the New York Times. 
It’s the latest setback for Robinson&#8217;s defense team, which has failed to convince the judge to restrict media access and keep critical evidence under wraps. 
In May, Judge Graf also rejected a defense request to bar cameras, microphones, and still photographers from Robinson&#8217;s murder trial. The defense argued that allowing cameras would jeopardize Robinson’s “fair trial rights,” telling the judge that restrictions were necessary “to ensure Mr. Robinson’s rights to due process, to a fair and impartial jury, to counsel, to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures, and to be free from cruel and unusual punishment.”
The prosecution pushed back, arguing that transparency builds public trust in the judicial process.
“Mischief lurks in the dark or in secret,” Deputy Utah County Attorney Chad Grunander said. “Conspiracy theories abound, and the antidote is the actual, real proceedings… Let’s shine a light on these proceedings, a bright light, so the public can have confidence in what happens in this courtroom.”
New court documents filed in April shed light on Robinson’s state of mind before he allegedly killed Kirk at Utah Valley University.
Robinson allegedly sent his boyfriend, whom he referred to as “Luna,” a message on the day of the shooting that read, “drop what you are doing, look under my keyboard,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-the-twisted-confession-tyler-robinson-is-accused-of-making-to-his-boyfriend">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported. 
“Luna, if you are reading this per my text, then I am so sorry. I left the house this morning on a mission, and sent an auto text. I am likely dead or facing a lengthy prison sentence. I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it,” the letter states, according to KSL.
“I don’t know if I will/have succeeded, but I had hoped to make it home to you. I wish we could have lived in a world where this did not feel necessary. I wish I could have stayed for you and lived our lives together. I lack the words to express how much I love you, and how very much you mean to me. Please try to find joy in this life. I love you, always, -Tyler,” <a href="https://www.ksl.com/article/51481672/tyler-killed-charlie-search-warrants-detail-messages-allegedly-sent-after-kirk-killing">the letter reviewed by KSL said</a>.
Robinson’s mother <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-the-disturbing-texts-between-tyler-robinson-and-his-trans-love-after-charlie-kirk-assassination">previously told investigators</a> that her son became more political and left-leaning over the past year, adopting pro-gay and pro-transgender views.
It remains unclear when the trial against Robinson will begin. If convicted, he faces the death penalty.

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Judge Rules On Tyler Robinson’s Fight To Shield Key Evidence From Public

A disturbing police video released this week shows a transgender-identifying man admitting to the murder of his parents because his mom wanted to stop him from having gender surgery. 
Video <a href="https://kutv.com/news/local/mia-bailey-details-how-she-killed-her-parents-in-interrogation-video">obtained</a> by KUTV shows a 28-year-old Collin Troy Bailey confessing to murdering his parents, Joseph and Gail, in Washington County, Utah, after police arrested him back in June 2024. Bailey, who claims to be a woman and goes by “Mia,” was convicted in November 2025 and sentenced to two 25-year life sentences for the murders. 
&#8220;I told them I was going to kill myself so many times,&#8221; Bailey told police. &#8220;Mental health declining, that’s why I needed that surgery.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Mia Bailey details how she killed her parents in interrogation video" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MMFUfRsMirE?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>
He told investigators his mom attempted to stop him from having transgender surgery. 
“She was trying to sabotage it. She always had boundary issues,&#8221; Bailey said. &#8220;I had one thing going on, and she took that away from me. [&#8230;] She can&#8217;t say sorry to save her life, apparently. And I gave her so many chances throughout my life.&#8221;
The footage shows Bailey flippantly referring to blindly shooting through a door, not caring if he injured his brother, saying, “If I did, so what?” 
Bailey said he had no regrets about murdering his parents. 
&#8220;So much for family,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I spent years trying to fix that broken ass family. Eventually, I had to get out, either going to kill myself or kill.&#8221;
Bailey told police that the public should be more supportive of people who want to become transgender. 
Police <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-catch-transgender-suspect-accused-of-double-murder-hiding-in-weeds">tracked</a> Bailey down and found him in the woods after he carried out the murders with a gun he bought from a pawn shop. Bailey had planned to kill himself, but was detained by police without incident after a manhunt. 
&#8220;I went to my parents to do the deed. Kill them,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It was spur-of-the-moment. I don’t regret it. I hate them. That was the last straw.&#8221;
Bailey <a href="https://corrections.utah.gov/inmate-services/offender-search/">appears</a> to currently be <a href="https://corrections.utah.gov/about-us/correctional-facilties/utah-state-correctional-facility">housed</a> in Utah State Correctional Facility’s Antelope unit, a maximum security male facility. 
There have been growing concerns about violence motivated by transgender ideology after the last several years have seen multiple deadly school shootings targeting Christian schools carried out by gender-confused assailants. 
The White House released a new Counter Terrorism Strategy earlier this month, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-counterterrorism-plan-vows-to-identify-and-neutralize-trans-terrorists?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=White+House+Vows+To+Identify+And+Neutralize+Trans+Terrorists">promising</a> “rapid identification and neutralization of violent secular political groups,” including those subscribing to transgender ideology.

MixCollage-14-May-2026-09-29-AM-4267

WATCH: Trans-Identifying Man Confesses Gender Surgery Drove Him To Execute Parents

WATCH: Trans-Identifying Man Shrugs Off Murder Of Parents

Murder

Transgender

transgender surgery

Kouri Richins, the Utah woman who wrote a children&#8217;s book on processing grief after her husband&#8217;s death, went on a 40-minute rant as she was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing him with fentanyl. 
In March, a jury found the 35-year-old guilty of aggravated murder for lacing her husband Eric Richins’ drink with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl, poisoning him with what&#8217;s known as a Moscow Mule cocktail,<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kouri-richins-murder-trial-sentencing-fa8c4b159827eef080cfa104a316454c"> according to the Associated Press.</a> Jurors also convicted the mother of three on four additional felonies, including insurance fraud, forgery, and attempted murder for giving her husband a fentanyl-laced sandwich on Valentine&#8217;s Day. 
Judge Richard Mrazik imposed the maximum sentence, rejecting the possibility of parole.
“A person convicted of those things is simply too dangerous to ever be free,” Mrazik said. 
Eric Richins, 39, was found dead in bed on March 4, 2022, at the couple&#8217;s Park City home. An <a href="https://abcnews.com/US/utah-mom-kouri-richins-set-sentenced-fatally-poisoning/story?id=132889104&amp;cid=social_twitter_abcn">autopsy report</a> determined he died from fentanyl intoxication. The sentencing coincided with what would have been his 44th birthday.
According to the Associated Press, Kouri Richins, a real estate agent who operated a house-flipping business, was millions of dollars in debt and romantically involved with another man. She had taken out multiple life insurance policies on her husband without his knowledge, believing she would inherit more than $4 million after his death.
The victim&#8217;s father, Eugene Richins, urged the court to impose the maximum penalty to protect his grandchildren from their mother. 
“This sentence is important so Eric’s three sons never have to live with the fear that the person responsible for taking their father could ever harm them again,” he said during the sentencing hearing,<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kouri-richins-murder-trial-sentencing-fa8c4b159827eef080cfa104a316454c"> according to the Associated Press. </a>
Speaking to her young children at the sentencing, Richins broke into a 40-minute rant where she insisted she was innocent while admitting that she is &#8220;not perfect.&#8221; 
&#8220;I know that today you don&#8217;t want to speak to me, have a relationship with me,&#8221;<a href="https://abcnews.com/US/utah-mom-kouri-richins-set-sentenced-fatally-poisoning/story?id=132889104&amp;cid=social_twitter_abcn"> she said, according to ABC.</a> &#8220;You may think you hate me, and that&#8217;s okay. I will never be angry at you for your feelings. When the day comes that you&#8217;re ready, I will be here for you, waiting for you, and loving you.&#8221;
&#8220;I have succeeded and I have failed as a person, as a wife, as a parent &#8212; we all do,&#8221; she added.
Richins&#8217; arrest drew national attention, in part due to the children&#8217;s book she published. Released a year after her husband’s death, “Are You With Me?” aimed to help her boys process the loss of their father. The book, which has fewer than two stars in reviews, drew a wave of outraged responses.
&#8220;This is horrifying, writing a book about grief to then be the one who murdered your husband? How can you do that to someone?&#8221; one social media user said.
&#8220;What an absolute psychopath!&#8221; another person said.

Husband Killer And Children’s Grief Author Breaks Into 40-Minute Monologue

Courts

Fentanyl

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