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BREAKING: The FBI says it has tracked the Charlie Kirk shooter’s movements and obtained video footage, expressing confidence in identifying him. After the attack, the suspect jumped off the building and fled into a nearby neighborhood.

Qatar’s International Media Office denied an Axios report claiming Doha is reconsidering its security partnership with Washington, insisting the claim is “categorically false” and stressing that its defense ties with the U.S. are “stronger than ever and continuing to grow.”

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive at the Pentagon on the 24th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Yaki Dolf, the former commander of the West Bank division, is promoted to the rank of major general ahead of entering the role of chief of the Northern Corps.

President Trump on a phone call with CNBC this morning: “He’s devastated about Charlie Kirk — and said he thinks Charlie could’ve been President one day.”

A retired FBI official believes the killer who targeted Charlie Kirk selected a rooftop that offered both a clear shot and a quick escape route, allowing them to be “miles and miles away” not long after pulling the trigger.

Law enforcement reported that the shooter, who was still at large as of early Thursday, fired the lone deadly round from the top of the Losee Center Building at Utah Valley University. The building stood roughly 200 yards from where Kirk was sitting in a temporary tent addressing a crowd of 3,000.

“If you come off that roof — and I’ve seen the drone footage of this — there’s an open-air parking lot behind that building,” retired FBI supervising agent James Gagliano explained on “Fox and Friends.”

“So this is a big concern because this person, within three to five minutes of that shot going off, that person could have been in a vehicle on his way out and miles and miles away,” he said.

“Provo airport’s only about 45 minutes from there,” he added, noting that the assassin might have quickly fled the state as well.

Kirk, 31, a husband and father of two, was struck in the throat while speaking outdoors on Wednesday. The shot sent panicked students running and screaming as he collapsed to the ground bleeding.

Video captured right after the shot was fired seems to show a small, dark figure leaping and dashing across a rooftop in the distance while the audience ducked in fear.

Another recording, filmed earlier, depicts a dark form lying flat on the same rooftop where the sniper was later positioned, as bystanders below speculated about what they were seeing. Moments later, the shot was fired at Kirk.

“People are suggesting this was a professional hit. And yet from that distance, we’re talking a little over 500 feet, just short of 200 yards, that’s not a tough shot with a rifle, if this suspect had a scope,” Gagliano said.

“It’s a very easy shot.”

US Army Sergeant Nicholas Ranstad, a decorated sharpshooter, echoed that assessment, calling it an “easy shot” and saying there was no reason to assume the gunman was highly trained, making the case even harder to solve.

Ranstad, who once held the American record for the longest confirmed sniper kill in Afghanistan, criticized the lack of security at the university, describing it as “a buffet for someone who wanted to kill someone.”

“When you have events like that, you look at the security, if you push 250, 300 yards, it’s an easy shot,” he said.

“Not to mention out in the open, wind is low out in the country. It’s not like in the city, where a bullet flying past the buildings will move more,” Ranstad added.

According to UVU Police Chief Jeff Long, only six campus officers were assigned to the event, working in tandem with Kirk’s private security staff.

Kirk was transported to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries, leaving behind his wife and two young children.

In the immediate aftermath, investigators detained two people for questioning but later released both of them.

Even so, Gagliano expressed confidence that the manhunt would soon yield results, predicting authorities would have the shooter in custody before the end of the day Thursday.

{Matzav.com}

Federal and state authorities said Thursday they have recovered the rifle used in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, as a massive manhunt continues for the shooter. FBI Salt Lake City Special Agent-in-Charge Robert Bohls confirmed investigators located a high-powered bolt-action rifle in a wooded area near the Utah Valley University campus, where Kirk was fatally shot on Wednesday. The weapon is believed to have been abandoned by the gunman as he fled the scene. Officials also disclosed that they have obtained video images of the suspect and are analyzing extensive evidence, including palm prints and footprints found near the rifle. “We do have good video footage of this individual,” Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said. “We are not going to release that at this time.” Authorities described the suspect as appearing to be of “college-age.” Investigators believe he fired a single shot from a rooftop roughly 200 yards from Kirk’s speaking tent before leaping from the building and disappearing into the surrounding area. “We are exhausting every lead,” Bohls said, emphasizing that the investigation remains active and ongoing. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Kirk will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Speaking at the Pentagon during a 9/11 commemoration, Trump hailed Kirk as “a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty and an inspiration to millions and millions of people.” “I’m pleased to announce that I will soon be awarding Charlie Kirk posthumously the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” the president said. “Our prayers are with his wonderful wife Erika and his beautiful children.” Trump added that the date of the ceremony would be announced soon, promising, “I can only guarantee you one thing, that we will have a very big crowd. Very, very big.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

President Trump and Melania Trump depart the White House en route the Pentagon for a September 11th ceremony

Israel President Herzog: “We are fighting here to defend the free world.”

Larry Ellison briefly overtook Elon Musk as the world’s richest man Wednesday after Oracle stock skyrocketed more than 30% on the back of blockbuster AI deals with OpenAI, Meta, Nvidia, and Musk’s own xAI. Ellison’s net worth jumped by $100 billion in under an hour, lifting him above Musk — though Tesla’s founder reclaimed the top spot by the end of the day as Oracle gave back some gains. Oracle said its cloud business will surge 77% this year, with revenue projected to hit $144 billion within four years, as demand for AI computing explodes. Musk’s wealth has been hit by a 14% drop in Tesla’s stock this year, alongside weak car sales in Europe and the U.S. as investors grow skeptical of his turnaround promises.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has dismissed Ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson after newly published emails revealed he defended Jeffrey Epstein during his 2008 conviction. Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty said the messages showed Mandelson’s ties to Epstein were far deeper than previously disclosed. Mandelson expressed “deep regret” but admitted writing that Epstein’s conviction was “wrongful” and urging him to seek early release. James Roscoe, deputy head of mission in Washington, will serve as interim ambassador ahead of President Trump’s state visit to the UK next week.

EU Parliament split after attempt to hold a moment of silence for Charlie Kirk is blocked.

Investigators revealed Thursday morning that the person who killed Charlie Kirk was a young adult who appeared to fit in with college students before climbing to a rooftop and firing a single round with a bolt-action rifle.

According to Beau Mason of the Utah Department of Public Safety, the shooter reached the Utah Valley University campus at 11:52 a.m. on Wednesday, less than thirty minutes before taking the fatal shot at the Turning Point USA event that ended Kirk’s life.

Officials confirmed they are in possession of surveillance recordings showing the suspect, though they stressed the footage will not be made public at this stage.

Robert Bohls, the FBI’s Special Agent in Charge, stated that the firearm used in the attack was located in a wooded area near the school. He also noted that the Bureau has already received upwards of 130 leads connected to the case.

Mexican investigators were working to determine the cause of a crash in which a tanker truck carrying more than 13,000 gallons (49,500 liters) of gas exploded on a major highway in the capital, killing at least four people and injuring 90. The fiery crash Wednesday that burned more than two-dozen vehicles created a gruesome scene of badly burned survivors staggering in the street in tattered clothing as first responders rushed to the scene. The injured suffered second- and third-degree burns. The tragedy drew renewed attention to the thousands of trucks that rumble through Mexico daily carrying liquid propane, which most homes and businesses rely on for cooking and heating water. Regulators said a preliminary review revealed the truck did not have up-to-date insurance allowing it to transport gas. While Wednesday’s accident involved a large tanker, rather than the smaller ones that make residential deliveries, both have been involved in deadly crashes over the past decade. In 2020, a double tanker carrying liquid propane flipped on a highway in the western state of Nayarit and killed 13 people when the fire spread to other vehicles. In 2015, a leak on a smaller propane truck making a delivery at a Mexico City maternity hospital allowed gas to leak into the building and blow most of it up, killing five and injuring dozens. “This is a horrible accident,” Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada said at the site of the explosion Wednesday night. Lists of the injured showed that some suffered burns over 100% of their bodies. Among those injured were a baby and a 2-year-old child. As emergency vehicles sped by and medics attended to the injured, groups of neighbors ran helped pull burn victims from the fire and get them to safety. The crash occurred on the highway connecting Mexico City with Puebla and in the capital’s most populous borough Iztapalapa. The gas tanker laying on its side had the logo of the energy business Silza on its side, but in a call with The Associated Press a company official who did not want to be identified denied it was their vehicle. The company did not immediately respond to an email requesting for comment or more details. Later Wednesday, the federal agency charged with regulating industrial safety in the hydrocarbon sector said in a statement that Silza didn’t have updated insurance paperwork required to transport gas. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her condolences to families of those who died in a post on X and thanked emergency teams for their work. (AP)

By Rabbis Moshe & Yitzchok Fingerer Astoundingly, in the heart of Flatbush, in the vicinity of Avenue I and Bedford Avenue, is a school with hundreds of Jewish teens. It isn’t a Yeshiva or Beis Yaakov. It is a public school called Midwood High School. The shocking reality is that this is not the only such high school that has hundreds of our Jewish children enrolled. Murrow and Madison have just as many of our kids, if not more.  These kids, practically next door to so many of us, are totally deprived of Torah and Yiddishkeit. A crying shame! That’s where BJX steps in. Look at the photo from this week and see students from Midwood, now attending Brooklyn, Baruch and LIU colleges immersed in learning Torah! Our neighborhood. Our kinderlach. Our sacred Achrayus.  If we don’t act to save these Yiddishe Neshamos, they may be lost forever. It’s almost like we are pulling them off the cattle cars as they head to spiritual extinction and assimilation. The analogy may seem severe and jarring but it is true.  There are Jews living in very close proximity to us who may not look or seem Jewish to us. However, they are just as Jewish as you and I. These unaffiliated Jews share the same ancestors as us and have the same entitlement to Torah. They should feel our love and respect. It isn’t their fault that they were deprived of a Jewish upbringing. Many of you, especially those families who immigrated to America prior to or after World War I, can relate to this vividly as you have cousins and relatives who due to assimilation are no longer observant. Can you imagine if there was a BJX that was poised and ready to save them before it was too late?   On a recent Shabbos, a less observant family made BJX into their second home. We welcomed them this past Shabbos and celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of their son. They said that they felt an instant connection with everyone in the BJX Beis HaMedrash and felt right at home. That is precisely what we aim and strive for. They should feel comfortable because they are surrounded by family. They should feel at home because they are home. This is where they belong. It is their birthright just as much as it is ours. Welcome home.  BJX needs your help! Support Hatzalas Neshamos and the life-saving work of BJX. Act today. Save a life. Change generations. EIN 47-2389703. Donate now: HelpBJX.com| 646-397-1544. One more Jew is waiting – help us reach them now. With decades of experience and proven success, Rabbis Fingerer have guided hundreds of families, teens, and young adults from the Frum community back to a meaningful, fulfilled life rooted in Yiddishkeit. Don’t wait for a crisis—address challenges early and see lasting results. Call 646-397-1544 to schedule your confidential appointment.

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Join an Elul Teleconference: The Secret of Renewal, The Secret of Teshuva

An exclusive teleconference with Rebbetzin T. Tukachinsky will be held on Monday, September 15th (22nd of Elul) at 10:00 AM EST.

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At the MEAD conference in Washington on Wednesday, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said the prospect of a two-state arrangement is off the table for at least the next decade in the aftermath of the October 7 massacre. He stressed that the responsibility now lies with the Palestinians to show that their aim is not Israel’s destruction.

During a live conversation with New York Times columnist Bret Stephens, Lapid cautioned that Israel’s diplomatic influence takes a hit whenever it is perceived as being out of step with Washington. “Some of Israel’s strength comes from the fact that we are fully coordinated with the president, the administration, and the United States,” he said. “When they see that we are not, it harms our power and influence in the region.”

Turning to global criticism directed at Israel, Lapid said that genuine allies may at times raise objections, but charged that much of the world has embraced “a terror organization’s narrative.” He pointed out that Jews make up only a fraction of the global population, yet Israel is disproportionately singled out. “There were half a million people killed in Syria, in Sudan, in Myanmar,” he said. “Why? There is only one possible answer: it is because of the Jews.”

Lapid called on detractors to focus on facts, acknowledging the humanitarian problems in Gaza but putting blame squarely on Hamas. He mentioned the “700–800 trucks” lined up at Kerem Shalom waiting to deliver aid and asked why international outrage consistently overlooks other humanitarian disasters. “When you talk about this, it is worth talking about who is responsible,” he said.

Discussing long-term outcomes, Lapid argued that the October 7 attacks deeply altered the way Israelis view the conflict. “There will not be a two-state solution in the next decade because of what happened after October 7, including celebrations in Ramallah on the morning of the massacre,” he said. “The burden of proof moved from us to the Palestinians. Right now, what we learned on October 7 is that we must defend ourselves from people who want to kill us, and they must prove to us they do not, before we start talking about more optimistic versions of the future.”

Now in its third year, the MEAD Summit convened this week in Washington with high-level participants from the U.S., Israel, and moderate Arab nations. Discussions centered on issues such as security, intelligence, finance, energy, technology, and governance, all aimed at reinforcing America’s role in the region and encouraging greater regional cooperation.

{Matzav.com}

Inflation rose last month as the price of gas, groceries, hotel rooms and airfares rose, along with the cost of clothes and used cars. Consumer prices increased 2.9% in August from a year earlier, the Labor Department said Tuesday, up from 2.7% the previous month and the biggest increase since January. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose 3.1%, the same as in July. Both figures are above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. The reading is the last the Fed will receive before its key meeting next week, when policymakers are widely expected to cut their short-term rate to about 4.1% from 4.3%. Still, the new inflation data underscores the challenges the Fed is facing as it experiences relentless pressure from President Donald Trump to cut rates. Inflation remains stubborn while the job market is weakening, diverging trends that would require polar reactions from Federal Reserve policymakers to address. Hiring has slowed sharply in recent months and was lower than previously estimated last year. The unemployment rate ticked up in August to a still-low 4.3%. And weekly unemployment claims rose sharply last week, the government also reported Thursday, a sign layoffs may be picking up. Typically the Fed would cut its key rate when unemployment rose to spur more spending and growth. Yet it would do the opposite and raise rates — or at least keep them unchanged — in the face of rising inflation. Last month, Chair Jerome Powell signaled that Fed officials are increasingly concerned about jobs. Yet stubbornly high inflation could keep the Fed from cutting very quickly. On a monthly basis, overall inflation accelerated, as prices rose 0.4% from July to August, faster than the 0.2% pace the previous month. Core prices rose 0.3% for the second straight month. Gas prices jumped 1.9% just from July to August, the biggest monthly increase since a 4% rise in December. Grocery prices climbed 0.6%, pushed higher by more expensive tomatoes, apples, and beef. The cost of travel soared, with air fares rising 5.9% just from July to August and hotel room prices rising 2.3%. Rental costs also increased, rising 0.4%, faster than the previous month. The impact of tariffs appeared to be mixed, with many imported goods rising in price but modestly. Clothing costs rose 0.5% just last month, though they are still just slightly more expensive than a year ago. Furniture costs rose 0.3% and are 4.7% higher than a year earlier. Appliance costs also rose from July to August, after falling the previous month. The inflation data arrives at the same time that Trump has sought to fire Fed governor Lisa Cook as part of an effort to assert more control over the Fed. Yet late Tuesday, a court said the firing was illegal and ruled that Cook could keep her job while the dispute played out in the courts. (AP)

Watch live as FBI Special Agent in Charge and DPS Commissioner hold a press conference to provide update on Charlie Kirk, conservative activist and close ally of President Donald Trump who was shot and killed at a Utah college event.

WATCH:

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani delivered sharp criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday after Israel carried out an airstrike in Doha that targeted Hamas figures.

In an interview with CNN, Al Thani blasted the move as “barbaric” and accused Israel of committing “state terror,” arguing that the attack destroyed any hope of securing the release of hostages still being held in Gaza.

“We were thinking that we are dealing with civilized people,” Al Thani said. “And the action that (Netanyahu) took – I cannot describe it, but it’s a barbaric action.”

The Qatari leader said the strike disrupted Qatar’s ongoing mediation efforts and destabilized the situation across the region. He disclosed that a 22-year-old Qatari security officer had been killed and warned that other citizens remain at risk. As for Hamas negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya, Al Thani said his condition is unclear, noting there has been “no official declaration.”

He also vented his dissatisfaction with Netanyahu’s behavior in the ceasefire process, remarking, “He wasn’t serious about anything,” while dismissing recent talks as “meaningless.” According to Al Thani, Doha is now “reassessing everything” about its role in negotiations and has entered “very detailed conversation” with Washington.

Even so, Al Thani maintained that Qatar would not abandon its role as a mediator, though he cautioned that both Israel and Hamas are “going to run out of chances” to reach an agreement.

Following Tuesday’s strike, Al Thani denounced it as an act of “state terrorism” and declared that Qatar “reserves the right” to take action against Israel.

Speaking the same day, US President Donald Trump acknowledged to reporters that he was “not thrilled” with Israel’s decision to strike Hamas officials in Doha.

“I’m not thrilled about it. I’m not thrilled about the whole situation. It’s not… not a good situation,” Trump said when pressed on the issue.

“But I will say this: We want the hostages back. But we are not thrilled about the way that went down today,” he added.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted during her briefing that Washington had provided advance notice of the strike to Qatar. Al Thani, however, contradicted that account, saying the US only alerted Doha ten minutes after the operation had already begun.

{Matzav.com}