Feed aggregator

Tyler James Robinson has now been indicted for last week’s deadly shooting of conservative figure Charlie Kirk — a crime that could result in execution by firing squad if he is found guilty.

Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray, describing Kirk’s death as “an American tragedy,” laid out the charges at a press conference Tuesday, which include aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious injury, and obstruction of justice.

“The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy” Gray told reporters gathered at the Utah County Health & Justice Building in Provo.

He added, “Charlie Kirk was murdered while engaging in one of our most sacred and cherished American rights — the bedrock of our democratic republic — the free exchange of ideas in a search for truth, understanding and a more perfect union.”

Gray further characterized the killing as “an offense against the state and to the peace and enjoyment of the people of Utah and all of those who visit us here,” while explaining the seven charges filed against Robinson, which also include witness tampering and committing a violent act in the presence of children.

The obstruction charges stem from allegations that Robinson hid the rifle used in the attack and got rid of the clothes he had been wearing at the time.

According to authorities, Robinson also pressured his live-in boyfriend, a transgender man, telling him to erase text messages and remain quiet if approached by investigators, leading to two counts of witness tampering.

“After this press conference, I will be filing notice of intent to seek the death penalty. I do not make this decision lightly, and it’s one I’ve made as county attorney based solely on evidence and circumstances of the crime,” Gray announced.

Robinson was apprehended after a 33-hour search and was ultimately handed over to law enforcement by his father following the assassination of the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA.

Because of the aggravated murder charge, Robinson is eligible for capital punishment in Utah, where President Trump — a close friend of Kirk — has spoken in favor of the death penalty.

Utah is one of only five states that still allows execution by firing squad.

Kirk had been addressing roughly 3,000 people at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10 when a shot was fired as he responded to a question about mass shootings carried out by individuals who are transgender.

He was hit in the neck and succumbed to his wounds later that day, sparking a massive manhunt that ended with Robinson’s arrest on Sept. 12.

Although investigators have not confirmed a motive, emerging evidence suggests Robinson harbored a strong hatred toward Kirk and had become immersed in far-left politics over the past several years.

FBI Director Kash Patel disclosed on Fox News’ “Hannity” Monday that in a text message, Robinson “specifically stated that he had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and he was going to do that.”

Prosecutors allege that Robinson had embraced “leftist ideology” and was “radicalized” through online platforms in recent years, culminating in Kirk’s murder while he was speaking with students at UVU.

The Washington Post reported that Robinson admitted to the killing in messages shared on Discord. “Im surrendering through a sheriff friend in a few moments. thanks for all the good times and laughs, you’ve all been so amazing, thank you all for everything.”

Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, FBI Director Patel noted that the scope of the probe extends well beyond those 20 individuals in the Discord chat.

“We’re running them all down,” he vowed.

{Matzav.com}

KASH PATEL DESTROYS PATHOLOGICAL LIAR ADAM SCHIFF: “We have countlessly proven you to be a liar in Russiagate in January 6. You are the biggest fraud to ever sit in the United States Senate. You are a disgrace to this institution… You continue to lie from your perch and put on a show so you can go raise money for your charade. You are a political buffoon at best.”

Last Call to join! Registration deadline September 18! Just imagine… 18 months from now, you’ve completed a Master’s degree in accounting and passed the CPA with ease. The PCS recruiter working with you has a promising interview lined up. Now imagine this… 3 years from now, you’ve spent one year in an entry-level position and two years in a senior position in that same firm that you interviewed for at the end of the program. And this… 5 years from now, you’ve been snatched up by a corporate firm where you are working as an Audit Manager, enjoying the intellectually stimulating work, stability, and high salary. The PCS/ FDU Master’s in Accounting program opens the doors to diverse career opportunities in the public and private sectors. What the alumni say: “The PCS course really prepares you for everything… starting any job in any company, you’re going to move up the ladder. They’re putting out serious, professional, knowledgeable people- that tend to get them up the pay scale very fast. They’re going to climb the corporate ladder, moving their way up to CFOs, CEOs, the C-suite.”   Neal Granick| Tax Senior Manager, Deloitte Tax, NJ. “When I look around at the mark that PCS has had on our community and others, I see the number of graduates of the program who are now successful in their careers—leading companies, leading accounting departments, and earning respectable salaries in the field.” Mordechai Seidel | PCS-FDU Graduate | Controller, Inspired by Somerset Development, NJ. Ranked amongst Best Master’s in Accounting (Eduniversal 2025) Best Universities (Forbes 2025) The PCS Placement Advantage: 98% employment rate! Master’s in accounting earn 13% more annually than a Bachelor’s –US Bureau Labor Statics 2023 8 placement coordinators Decades of relationships with 100s of firms Alumni have landed jobs as controllers, CFOs, partners and opened successful businesses New York, New Jersey, and remote option New! Israel program New! Day time classes For more information: Men: Sara@nj.pcsjobs.org 732-905-9700 x 665 Women: Tova@nj.pcsjobs.org   732-367-1500 Visit our website: www.pcsnynj.org

House Republicans unveiled Tuesday a stopgap spending bill that would keep federal agencies funded through Nov. 21, daring Democrats to block it knowing that the fallout would likely be a partial government shutdown that would begin Oct. 1, the start of the new budget year. The bill would generally fund agencies at current levels, with a few exceptions, including an extra $88 million to boost security for lawmakers and members of the Supreme Court and the executive branch. The proposed boost comes as lawmakers face an increasing number of personal threats, with their concerns heightened by last week’s assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The House is expected to vote on the measure by Friday. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he would prefer the Senate take it up this week as well. But any bill will need some Democratic support to advance through the Senate, and it’s unclear whether that will happen. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries have been asking their Republican counterparts for weeks for a meeting to negotiate on the bill, but they say that Republicans have refused. Any bill needs help from at least seven Democrats in the Senate to overcome procedural hurdles and advance to a final vote. “They can try and play the blame game, but their actions tell a different story,” Schumer said. “Their actions show they clearly want to shut things down because they don’t want to negotiate with Democrats.” Republicans say it’s Democrats who are playing politics by insisting on addressing health coverage concerns as part of any government funding bill. In past budget battles, it has been Republicans who’ve been willing to engage in shutdown threats as a way to focus attention on their priority demands. That was the situation during the nation’s longest shutdown, during the winter of 2018-19, when President Donald Trump was insisting on federal funds to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall. This time, however, Democrats are facing intense pressure from their base of supporters to stand up to Trump. They have particularly focused on the potential for skyrocketing health care premiums for millions of Americans if Congress fails to extend enhanced subsidies, which many people use to buy insurance on the Affordable Care Act exchange. Those subsidies were put in place during the COVID crisis, but are set to expire. Johnson called the debate over health insurance tax credits a December policy issue, not something that needs to be solved in September. “It’ll be a clean, short-term continuing resolution, end of story,” Johnson told reporters. “And it’s interesting to me that some of the same Democrats who decried government shutdowns under President Biden appear to have no heartache whatsoever at walking our nation off that cliff right now. I hope they don’t.” (AP)

The IDF spokesperson, Brigadier General Effie Defrin, addressed the public on Tuesday evening with an update about the ongoing campaign in Gaza City.

“Last night, the IDF expanded ground activity in Gaza City, marking the start of the new phase of the operation,” Gen. Defrin said. “Working together in coordinated and precise strikes, air, ground, and intelligence forces are targeting Hamas military targets that threaten Israel’s security.”

He emphasized the central role Gaza City plays in Hamas’ infrastructure. “Gaza City is the central hub of Hamas’ military and governing power – their main stronghold,” he declared. “Hamas has turned Gaza City into the largest human shield in history.”

Defrin described the underground systems that Hamas has established. He explained that “beneath the streets runs a vast network of tunnels, connecting command centers, rocket launchers, and weapons storage facilities – all deliberately hidden under civilians and civilian infrastructure.”

He also urged the local population to move away from the fighting. “We continue to urge civilians to distance themselves away from the combat zones in Gaza City so they can reach safer areas,” he added.

Defrin pointed out the steps Israel has taken to provide relief. “In recent weeks, the IDF expanded humanitarian efforts in Gaza, setting up a humanitarian area in the south. This area provides greater access to food, water, medical care, and shelter,” he said. “And while Israel works to open corridors for civilians to move south, such as the ‘Rashid’ corridor, Hamas is actively trying to block them – forcing families to turn back and remain in harm’s way – in order to shield Hamas fighters and preserve its power.”

The hostage situation, he stressed, remains a core concern. He noted: “Hamas continues to hold dozens of our hostages in inhumane conditions. Their safe return is at the forefront of our mission. They are the reason we continue our fight.”

Defrin closed his remarks by underlining the IDF’s commitment. “Our forces are acting with determination, guided by the clear moral duty to free our hostages and end Hamas’ rule of terror,” he concluded.

{Matzav.com}

BREAKING: Utah County DA Jeff Gray announced he will seek the death penalty for Tyler Robinson, who faces charges of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, two counts of obstruction of justice for moving a firearm and disposing of clothing, two counts of witness tampering for instructing a roommate to delete texts and remain silent, and committing a violent crime in the presence of children.

For the first time ever, ArtScroll’s Classic Hebrew/English Machzorim are available in a lightweight, easy-to-read midsize edition, with features that include an elegant faux leather cover, beautifully gilded pages and a convenient ribbon marker — all available in navy, white or grey at incredible prices! Ashkenaz Full 5-Volume Set – $197.99 Ashkenaz Rosh Hashana & Yom Kippur Set – $79.19 Sefard Full 5-Volume Set – $197.99 Sefard Rosh Hashana & Yom Kippur Set – $79.19   Special Offer: Enjoy free gold stamping personalization with code MACHZOR25. Shipping times vary by region. Please see options at checkout. Available now at ArtScroll.com and at your favorite bookstore.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu – unable to be menachem avel in person – sends a condolence letter to United Hatzolah founder Eli Beer following the petirah of his mother.

Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire donated $1 million to TPUSA during a live appearance on Charlie Kirk’s show.

U.S. ambassador Mike Huckabee: “The United States has allies and it has friends, but Israel is its only real partner.”

President Trump calls for Fulton County DA Fani Willis to face prison time: “Fani Willis is a criminal. She should be prosecuted for what she did to innocent people, patriots, that love our country.”

The Georgia Supreme Court officially blocks Fani Willis from prosecuting President Trump.

A massive American flag has been placed where Charlie Kirk was assassinated at Utah Valley University.

FBI Director Kash Patel: “We follow the money. Whether it’s terrorism or attacks based on ideology or attacks on institutions of faith or people of faith, someone is paying for it… We are reverse engineering to hold those accountable in our investigations to who funded them.”

India’s Prime Minister Modi and former President Trump held their first call in weeks, during which both leaders emphasized advancing the India-US partnership to “new heights,” with Modi expressing support for Trump’s vision for peace in Ukraine.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s new vaccine advisory panel will hold its first major meeting this week, where members are expected to vote on recommendations for shots against COVID-19, hepatitis B, and chickenpox, the AP reports.

The agenda for Thursday and Friday’s sessions in Atlanta offers little detail, and the Department of Health and Human Services has not clarified exactly what questions will be put to a vote. That lack of transparency has fueled concern among public health experts, who worry the discussions could introduce unnecessary doubts about vaccines in the minds of parents.

Even more troubling to some observers is the possibility that the committee could vote to restrict federal funding for certain vaccines, potentially preventing low-income families from accessing them. “I’m tightening my seat belt,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a vaccines specialist at Vanderbilt University.

Known as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the group provides guidance to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how approved vaccines should be used. Traditionally, CDC directors have followed ACIP’s recommendations closely, and those decisions shape doctors’ practices and national immunization programs.

Kennedy, once a high-profile critic of vaccines before assuming leadership at HHS, dismissed the 17-member panel earlier this year and replaced it with new members, some of whom have histories of skepticism toward vaccines.

Historically, ACIP has reaffirmed recommendations each June for shots against respiratory viruses ahead of the fall and winter season. But this past June, the committee recommended flu shots while avoiding any stance on COVID-19 vaccines.

Before that meeting, Kennedy announced he was removing COVID-19 vaccines from CDC recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women, sparking backlash from doctors’ groups and public health leaders. The American Academy of Pediatrics and others quickly filed a lawsuit in response.

The CDC later clarified that families could still access the 2024–2025 COVID-19 shots for children after consultation with their physicians, meaning they would remain eligible for coverage under the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. That program provides shots at no cost for children in families lacking adequate health insurance and accounts for about half of all pediatric immunizations in the country.

As with influenza vaccines, new COVID-19 formulations are produced annually to match circulating variants. The committee has yet to decide whether to recommend this year’s version or whether the shots will remain covered by the VFC program.

Complicating matters further, when the FDA authorized this season’s COVID-19 vaccines last month, the agency restricted their use for healthy younger children and adults. Without additional clarification from the CDC, that move could effectively block millions of children from coverage. “That would take away access for roughly half of America’s kids,” warned Dr. Sean O’Leary of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which has called for continued vaccination for all children ages six months to two years.

Hepatitis B, another focus of the meeting, is a virus that causes severe liver infections. In adults it spreads through sexual contact or sharing contaminated needles, but it can also pass from mother to child at birth. Up to 90% of infants infected this way develop chronic disease.

The hepatitis B vaccine was introduced in the U.S. in 1981, and in 1991, ACIP recommended newborns receive a dose within 24 hours of birth. The early shots are particularly important for babies whose mothers are infected or not tested, with studies showing an 85–95% effectiveness in preventing chronic disease.

The practice of vaccinating newborns has been considered a major public health success, with no credible safety concerns identified in decades of research. Nonetheless, Kennedy’s newly appointed ACIP members indicated in June they want to revisit the policy. Schaffner pointed out that screening mothers alone once proved inadequate. “There were lots of failures,” he said. “And so there were continuing transmissions from mother to child.”

Chickenpox, once a nearly universal childhood illness, also remains on the agenda. The virus causes an itchy rash and fever, and though usually mild, it can sometimes lead to serious complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, and skin infections. Adults and teens who contract it for the first time are more likely to face severe illness. The virus can also reactivate later in life as shingles.

The government first endorsed universal chickenpox vaccination for children in 1995, leading to steep declines in both cases and deaths. In 2006, the MMRV combination shot—covering measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella—was approved, and initially recommended over separate doses.

But later studies showed that young children receiving the combined MMRV shot were more likely to experience rash, fever, and rare post-vaccine seizures than those who received the shots separately. In 2009, ACIP revised its guidance to say either approach was acceptable.

Today, many pediatricians recommend separate shots for the first dose while using the combined vaccine for the second, striking a balance between effectiveness and safety.

{Matzav.com}

Putin appears in military uniform at the “Zapad-2025” war games in Belarus.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “I am here at the command center in the Kirya, together with the Defense Minister, IDF Deputy Chief-of-Staff, the Director of the National Security Council and senior IDF commanders. Our forces are operating in several sectors.

For the first time ever, ArtScroll’s Classic Hebrew/English Machzorim are available in a lightweight, easy-to-read midsize edition, with features that include an elegant faux leather cover, beautifully gilded pages and a convenient ribbon marker — all available in navy, white or grey at incredible prices!

• Ashkenaz Full 5-Volume Set – $197.99
• Ashkenaz Rosh Hashana & Yom Kippur Set – $79.19
• Sefard Full 5-Volume Set – $197.99
• Sefard Rosh Hashana & Yom Kippur Set – $79.19

Special Offer: Enjoy free gold stamping personalization with code MACHZOR25.

Shipping times vary by region. Please see options at checkout.

Available now at ArtScroll.com and at your favorite bookstore.

{Matzav.com}

Car safety regulators opened an investigation Tuesday into possible defects in Tesla doors that have reportedly left parents with children trapped in the back seat and forced to break windows to get them out. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that the preliminary probe is focused on 2021 Tesla Model Ys after receiving nine reports of electronic door handles becoming inoperative possibly due to low battery voltage. The company run by billionaire Elon Musk has installed manual door releases inside the vehicles but NHTSA noted that a child may not be able to reach or know how to operate the releases. In four cases, the parents had to break the windows to get inside. The investigation into Tesla’s most popular model comes after numerous reported incidents in recent years of other problems with opening Tesla doors, sometime trapping drivers in a burning vehicle after accidents and a loss of power. In April, a college basketball recruit said he was “fighting time” trying to get out of his Tesla Cybertruck that had caught fire after he had crashed into a tree and was unable to get the doors open. The University of Southern California player, Alijah Arenas, who was induced into a temporary coma after the accident, said he stayed alive by dousing himself with a water bottle as smoke filled the vehicle. NHTSA said the investigation is only focusing on the operability of the electronic door locks from outside of the vehicle, not inside, as that’s the only instance in which there is no manual way to open the door. But it also said it will continue to monitor reports of people stuck on the inside — what it calls “entrapment” — and will take further action as needed. The current agency investigation covers approximately 174,300 of the midsize SUVs. The agency said the incidents appear to occur when the electronic door locks receive insufficient voltage from the vehicle. It said that available repair invoices indicate that batteries were replaced after such incidents took place. Of those who reported incidents, none saw a low voltage battery warning before the exterior door handles became inoperative. NHTSA said that its preliminary evaluation will look at the scope and severity of the condition, including the risks that come from the conditions that have been reported to them. The agency’s investigation will also assess the approach used by Tesla to supply power to the door locks and the reliability of the applicable power supplies. (AP)