Charlie Kirk honored with massive display at university where he was assassinated
FBI Director Kash Patel did not rule out the possibility of others being involved in Charlie Kirk’s
assassination as suspect Tyler Robinson awaits formal charges.
During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., asked Patel if Kirk’s assassin acted alone.
“As I’ve said since the beginning, senator, it is very much an ongoing investigation, and I can’t speak to the state charges. That’s for the state to address on their own. But we are providing them with the same investigatory findings regarding the Department. And as I noted to Senator, I believe it was, Cornyn or Hawley, that there are a number of individuals that are currently being investigated and interrogated and a number yet to be investigated and interrogated, specific to that [Discord] chat room,” Patel said.
“So we are very much in our ongoing posture of investigation,” Patel added.
“So others could have been involved?” Kennedy asked him.
“Yes sir,” Patel replied.
Patel said earlier during the hearing that his agency is investigating “anyone and everyone involved” in a Discord chat with Robinson.
An Illinois television anchor resigned Monday after being suspended for airing what she called a “non-partisan tribute” to Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk following his assassination.
“My resignation is guided by values that are essential to who I am, which I refuse to set aside in order to keep a job. I choose my faith and love of country, and always will,” Beni Rae Harmony wrote on X.
Harmony was an anchor for WICS Newschannel 20, an ABC affiliate in Springfield, Illinois.
Harmony shared video of her on-air tribute to Kirk, telling viewers it was okay to feel sadness and grieve. She became emotional and noted that Kirk was her first boss. Her LinkedIn profile shows she worked at Turning Point USA from 2021 to 2022.
“There’s a lot going on in our world right now, and our country, but I want to say one thing. Lean on your neighbors, speak up for what you believe in, I don’t care what it is,” she said in the video.
“I want to share with you one of my favorite sayings that Charlie would always tell us at the office, he would yell it from the mountaintops, so please listen. ‘When conversations stop happening, when individuals become wordless, that’s when violence begins,'” Harmony added in her tribute.
It’s unclear if she ignored a directive by the station ahead of time not to give the tribute, or if the speech was a surprise.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Hanna Panreck
FBI Director Kash Patel revealed Tuesday that his agency is investigating “anyone and everyone involved” in a Discord chat with Charlie Kirk murder suspect Tyler Robinson.
Patel made the admission after Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., asked him, “how’s the FBI working to find other potential accomplices, folks who may have known about the shooter’s plans, folks who may have encouraged him?”
“So, in terms of what we do for an interrogation perspective, we go and reach out to the family and community immediately. And we’ve conducted those investigations and interrogations with local law enforcement, and we’re continuing to do that because those closest to the suspect are going to hopefully know the most about the suspect and his beliefs and his ideology,” Patel said. “On top of that, unfortunately, it has been leaked, that there was a Discord chat. And for those unfamiliar with it, it’s a gaming chat room online that the suspect participated in.”
“So what we’re doing – and we’ve already done — is serve legal process, not just on Discord, so that the information we gathered is sustained and held in a evidentiary posture that we could use in prosecution should it be decided to do so. And we’re also going to be investigating anyone and everyone involved in that Discord chat,” Patel continued.
“I see the public reports that the Discord thread had as many as 20 additional users. It sounds like you’re trying to run down all of that to see if that’s accurate, who else may have been on that thread, what they may have known? Is that fair to say?” Hawley then asked.
“It’s a lot more than that and we’re running them all down,” Patel declared.
Attacks on conservative activists on college campuses have made waves for years, and are resurfacing following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on Wednesday at Utah Valley University.
On Feb. 21, 2019, at the University of California, Berkeley, an individual tabling for TPUSA to recruit students for a new chapter was punched, resulting in a black eye, Business Insider reported.
“Yesterday, UCPD sent out a notice and request for information related to a reprehensible incident that occurred on Sproul Plaza earlier this week. According to the police, an unknown, unidentified assailant attacked a Berkeley student engaged in political advocacy,” the university said in a statement at the time.
On video, the individual can be seen striking Neumann with a metal bike lock.
In April, left-wing protesters caused chaos at a TPUSA “Prove Me Wrong” event with Brandon Tatum at University of California, Davis, in which protesters assaulted staff and tore apart equipment, Kirk wrote at the time.
Kirk’s assassination sent off shock waves in the political world, as there is currently a manhunt underway for the suspect who shot him in the neck.
Vigils were held around the country on Wednesday night, as President Donald Trump plans to award Kirk a posthumous Medal of Freedom. He leaves behind his wife, Erika Kirk, and two young children. A large celebration of life service is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 21, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, which the president is planning to attend.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Cameron Arcand
Orlando Magic big man Jonathan Isaac is releasing his new signature sneaker, the Judah 2, which will feature six Bible verses.
For Isaac, an outspoken Christian with many conservative views, the goal of the shoe is to not be afraid to voice your opinion. But suddenly, with the assassination of Charlie Kirk, that goal means that much more.
“It’s about free expression,” Isaac told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. “It’s about I’m a Christian guy, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord and king of the world and lord and savior of my life, and I want to wear these shoes as a tribute to Him. And anybody who wants to do the same, join me.
“If you disagree with me, I’ve always tried my best with whatever stances I’ve taken to be graceful about it and truly try to care and understand the person that’s on the other side of it. Maybe we agree to disagree, but I’m never the type to try to impose myself on anybody else.”
Isaac befriended Kirk over the years, appearing on his podcast and texting back and forth on occasion. Like many others, Isaac took the terrible news hard.
“It’s tough to put into words. … Really the only thing that I can say is just to speak to who Charlie was. Everybody will talk about what Charlie has said and his stances and stuff like that – Charlie had my respect,” Isaac said. “Not because I agreed with everything he had ever said or done. Some of the conversations we had was even me disagreeing with things he said. But we always had civil discourse, and he was always prepared to talk about why he thought what he thought. To me, that’s a respectable man.”
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Ryan Morik
The Utah County Attorney’s Office told Fox News they are “optimistic” that charges will be filed on Tuesday against Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old Utah native who was arrested last week for the suspected assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray is planning a noon MDT press conference on Tuesday at the Utah County Health & Justice Building in Provo, Utah – about a 15-minute drive from Utah Valley University’s campus, where Kirk was killed less than one week ago.
The press conference is scheduled as prosecutors approach the three-business-day deadline to issue formal charging documents against Robinson, who was arrested on Friday at his home in Washington, Utah, following a 33-hour manhunt after Kirk was killed Wednesday.
If the attorney’s office meets the noon deadline, charges will be announced at the press conference, and then Robinson will make his first court appearance at 3 p.m. MDT virtually from the Utah County Jail in Spanish Fork, Utah, where Robinson is being held under “special watch,” according to authorities.
If there is a delay announcing Robinson’s formal charges, the announcement would slide to Friday as the attorney’s office can extend the deadline up to three business days.
The remote hearing will be livestreamed. The likely brief hearing is intended to inform Robinson of the charges against him and provide him with an attorney if he has not already retained one, Gray shared in a statement to Fox News.
A large American flag was put on display at Utah Valley University above the site where Charlie Kirk was shot and killed last week.
The flag was unfurled over the side of a building at the campus in Orem, Utah.
Below where the flag now hangs, the Turning Point USA founder was struck by a single bullet on Sept. 10 while hosting a “Prove Me Wrong” table debate as part of his “American Comeback Tour.”
A Democrat running to be the top law enforcement official in the state of Ohio is facing backlash for a series of social media posts disparaging Charlie Kirk in the days after the conservative activist was assassinated.
“F*** Charlie Kirk,” Elliot Forhan, Ohio Democratic candidate for attorney general and former state representative, posted on Facebook on Monday, days after Kirk was gunned down while speaking to a large gathering of students at a Utah university.
“Charlie Kirk was a champion of tyranny, not democracy,” Forhan said in another post. “We should not pretend otherwise.”
In another Facebook entry, Forhan shared an article with the headline, “Charlie Kirk was a champion of tyranny, not democracy. We should not pretend otherwise.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Forhan campaign for comment.
Forhan’s social media posts have prompted significant pushback, both on the internet and from Republicans in the state, with many calling on him to withdraw from the race.
“No public servant should say that about any human being, much less somebody who was just assassinated,” Ohio’s current attorney general, Republican Dave Yost, told Fox News Digital. “He just proved himself to be a petulant and undisciplined child, ill-suited to public office.”
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, told Fox News Digital that Forhan’s posts are “probably demented publicity designed to get attention” and “score cheap political points.”
LaRose added that “this kind of rhetoric” is becoming more “mainstream” in today’s Democratic Party.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller
In true Charlie Kirk
fashion, a group of young people took matters into their own hands after a mural honoring the late conservative leader was defaced with vile messages.
With cans of spray paint in hand, the group added Bible verses and positive notes to what’s known as Graffiti Bridge in Pensacola, Florida – an ever-changing local landmark that often features art, declarations of love, tributes, encouragement, drawings, insignias and more.
“We just wanted to come out here and kind of show our support and make sure that the mural looks nice and pretty,” Hannah Alfredson said. “We just want to put some positive encouraging messages on there for Charlie Kirk.”
The original mural featured a smiling Kirk with the message “Rest in Peace Charlie Kirk.” Following a community vigil Sunday night, vandals struck.
Under the cover of darkness, vandals defaced the memorial, writing messages like “a good Nazi is a dead Nazi” and “womp womp.” The phrase “Free Palestine” was scrawled across Kirk’s face.
“It’s very disrespectful and so my goal when I came out was to, at bare minimum, cover it, and leave a blank canvas for hopefully less vulgar things,” Mason Vickers, who added several Bible verses to the covered mural, said.
Ben Uitzetter agreed. He said the defacing of the mural was “not okay.”
“People come by here, probably thousands of people with their kids. You have 5-year-olds, little kids seeing that kind of stuff. You know?” Uitzetter added.
Kirk, a husband and father of two, was assassinated while speaking at a campus event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. Kirk founded Turning Point USA and was a leading voice in the conservative Christian movement. He spoke openly and boldly about his faith in Jesus Christ – a message that resonated with Vickers.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Lorraine Taylor
FBI Director Kash Patel vowed that the bureau would continue on a quest for transparency during his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee as criticism of his handling of the Charlie Kirk assassination investigation lingers.
In his opening statement to the committee obtained by Fox News Digital, Patel listed a series of accomplishments the agency has made since President Donald Trump took office, including tens of thousands of arrests, a realignment of the agency and an emphasis on cracking down on illicit drugs.
Patel kicked off his testimony by offering an update on the FBI’s investigation into the “appalling assassination of Charlie Kirk.”
“It’s important that the FBI is as transparent as possible without jeopardizing our investigation,” Patel said.
The FBI chief listed off numerous findings and happenings in the case, including an “extensive review” of suspect Tyler Robinson’s accounts and devices, that over 100 interviews had been conducted since the shooting, that the FBI has received over 11,000 submissions through the National Threat Operations Center and over 16,000 submissions through the Digital Media Tipline.
“We are making a traditionally nontransparent agency, the most transparent it has ever been,” Patel said.
He lauded the public participation in the case, too, and noted that the tens of thousands of tips that poured in helped in identifying a suspect.
“Tyler Robinson is in custody today because of this partnership,” he said.
Fox News Digital’s Ashley Oliver contributed to this report.
Erika Kirk posted a video on Monday of her late husband, Turning Point USA founder and CEO Charlie Kirk, telling their daughter the story of how they met.
Sitting in a place he calls Bill’s Burgers — presumably Bill’s Bar & Burger — with his toddler daughter on his lap, Kirk begins telling their story.
“Story time: We’re at Bill’s Burgers in New York City, and right near this very table was the first time Dada met Mama,” Kirk begins.
“And it started as a job interview. I was asking all these questions, asking all these questions: philosophy, religion, Jesus, and then I realized Mama was beautiful and smart and elegant and Christ-like, and so I said ‘forget this job interview, I want to date you.’ I said, ‘I have enough friends,’ and that’s where your journey started.”
Erika captioned the video, which garnered nearly 2.5 million likes in approximately 10 hours, “my favorite love story.”
Public figures including Brittany Aldean, Allie Beth Stuckey and Terrance K. Williams commented with support.
Charlie and Erika met at the restaurant in 2018. The TPUSA founder had previously told the story at an event, saying the two shared a “very long dinner” and that he knew “almost immediately” that Erika was the one for him.
The legacy media is slamming what many outlets have described as a “cancel culture” campaign from the right targeting those who’ve been fired for celebrating the assassination of conservative icon Charlie Kirk.
However, several outlets are downplaying the callousness of the social media posts in question.
“After Kirk’s killing[,] a growing chorus of conservatives wants his critics ostracized or fired,” a headline from The Associated Press read Sunday.
The AP wrote, “After years of complaints from the right about ‘cancel culture’ from the left, some conservatives are seeking to upend the lives and careers of those who disparaged Charlie Kirk after his death. They’re going after companies, educators, news outlets, political rivals and others they judge as promoting hate speech. As elected officials and conservative influencers lionize Kirk as a warrior for free expression who championed provocative opinions, they’re also weaponizing the tactics they saw being used to malign their movement — the calls for firings, the ostracism, the pressure to watch what you say.”
On Friday, The New York Times published a report about what it called “the widespread and fast-moving campaign of naming-and-shaming.”
“The killing of Mr. Kirk, a hugely popular activist closely aligned with President Trump, was immediately met on the right by a tidal wave of grief-stricken rage on Wednesday afternoon — one that quickly turned into a thirst for vengeance. Several online social media personalities, some with enormous followings, called almost in unison for ‘war’ to be waged against those on the left they perceive to be their enemies” the Times wrote.
The Gray Lady said that conservative online influencers “have taken it upon themselves to recruit ordinary Americans to turn in fellow citizens for making comments about Mr. Kirk that may be nasty or disparaging, but are likely protected by the First Amendment,” later adding, “The attention brought to those attacking Mr. Kirk has come not only from big social media accounts, but also from dozens of smaller ones that have joined in the effort with a kind of gleeful energy.”
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Joseph Wulfsohn.
A healthcare worker at Henry Ford Health in Detroit, Michigan, has been placed on leave after making controversial comments about Charlie Kirk’s death.
The intensive care nurse is one of a growing number of employees who have been terminated or suspended due to violence-supporting reactions to the fatal shooting of the conservative commentator on Wednesday, Sept. 10.
In response to a post about Kirk’s murder, the individual commented, “God he got the day he deserved.”
A spokesperson provided the following statement to Fox News Digital: “Henry Ford Health is aware of the social media comment, and the team member has been placed on leave while we internally investigate.”
“The views expressed by the individual do not reflect the values of Henry Ford Health. We strongly and unequivocally condemn violence in all its forms,” the statement continued.
A House Republican says she plans to file a resolution that aims to strip Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., of her committee assignments after the progressive “Squad” member made “disgraceful” remarks about Charlie Kirk following his assassination last week.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., on Monday posted images of a House resolution on X that calls for Omar’s removal from the Committee on Education and Workforce and the Committee on Budget.
“BREAKING: We’re filing a resolution to strip @Ilhan of her committee assignments after her disgraceful remarks on Charlie Kirk’s assassination,” Mace wrote in the post.
The resolution alleged Omar “smeared” Kirk and “implied he was to blame for his own murder” during an interview with progressive news outlet Zeteo. It further accused Omar of having reposted a video on X that “disparaged the character of Charlie Kirk and those mourning his death.”
Mace’s proposed resolution is the latest forceful response from Republicans who have criticized Democrats they view as taking Kirk’s death lightly or dismissing it as a product of his conservative activism.
The backlash against Omar began following her Zeteo interview, where she criticized Kirk’s past commentary and Republicans’ reaction to the shooting. She accused Republicans of taking her words out of context, however, and she called Kirk’s death “mortifying.”
She told the outlet days after Kirk’s assassination that he “was someone who was willing to debate and downplay the death of George Floyd,” and previously “downplayed slavery and what Black people have gone through in this country by saying Juneteenth shouldn’t exist.”
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Stephen Sorace
As questions swirl about FBI Director Kash Patel’s leadership of the agency, particularly in the immediate hours after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Senate Republicans appear ready to back him.
Patel is due before the Senate Judiciary Committee for an annual oversight hearing of the FBI on Tuesday morning, but the timing comes at a crucial moment for him as scrutiny mounts over a wave of firings at the agency and his handling of the investigation into Kirk’s alleged killer.
There is also a new face in FBI management — former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who was sworn in on Monday in a power-sharing role with FBI Deputy Director
Dan Bongino.
But Senate Republicans on the Judiciary Committee intend to look at Patel’s track record as a whole over the last nine months, and they signaled that they still have confidence in him.
Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told Fox News Digital that he just planned to talk about oversight of the FBI during the hearing.
When asked if he felt there should be increased scrutiny of Patel, Grassley said, “Well, that’s why we have an oversight hearing, we do it once a year.”
The top Democrat
on the panel, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., however, signaled that he would be going after Patel, particularly in the wake of a lawsuit from three former senior FBI officials last week, who alleged they were fired from the agency for political reasons, and Patel’s firing of former Salt Lake City FBI field office head Mehtab Syed.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Tuesday that, “Hate speech that crosses the line into threats of violence is NOT protected by the First Amendment.
“It’s a crime. For far too long, we’ve watched the radical left normalize threats, call for assassinations, and cheer on political violence. That era is over,” she wrote in a post on X.
“Under 18 U.S.C. § 875(c), it is a federal crime to transmit ‘any communication containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of another.’ Likewise, 18 U.S.C. § 876 and 18 U.S.C. § 115 make it a felony to threaten public officials, members of Congress, or their families. You cannot call for someone’s murder. You cannot swat a Member of Congress. You cannot dox a conservative family and think it will be brushed off as ‘free speech.’ These acts are punishable crimes, and every single threat will be met with the full force of the law,” Bondi continued.
“Free speech protects ideas, debate, even dissent but it does NOT and will NEVER protect violence. It is clear this violent rhetoric is designed to silence others from voicing conservative ideals,” she added.
Bondi concluded her post by saying: “We will never be silenced. Not for our families, not for our freedoms, and never for Charlie. His legacy will not be erased by fear or intimidation.”
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford, R-Ark., reacted to news that Charlie Kirk’s suspected assassin confessed to the crime on the social media platform Discord on Tuesday.
Crawford said Discord is more “concerning” than other social media platforms, arguing the suspect, Tyler Robinson, achieved a sort of “hero status” in the 30-member server where he reportedly sent the message.
The lawmaker suggested Congress should “revisit” the idea that social media companies bear no culpability for the activity on their platforms.
Music legend Kid Rock, who played at former President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump’s inaugurations, criticized mainstream media as “nuthouses” for continuing to fuel division following Charlie Kirk’s assassination on “Jesse Watters Primetime” Monday.
“The mainstream media is fricking public enemy number one right now,” he argued.
Kid Rock’s comments come amid national debate over what drove Tyler Robinson, the suspect in Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s death, to allegedly want to kill the conservative activist. Investigators are examining evidence as they search for a motive.
While Democrats like Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett defended calling President Donald Trump a “wannabe Hitler,” Kid Rock said as a “very vocal Trump supporter,” that he relates to the media’s negative coverage of Kirk.
“They’ve called me a racist Nazi for years now,” Kid Rock said. “But other people start to echo this – just people who write dumb articles who think, you know, I’m trash, and I hate my music, and they say he’s just a racist Nazi.”
The songwriter, who is credited for arranging a White House dinner between ardent Trump foe Bill Maher and Trump in April, explained the factors he believes lead to one “big echo chamber.”
“We understand that everyone on the left is not sick, but there are enough people in the media and enough of these crazy liberals, too, that just create this big echo chamber,” he told host Jesse Watters.
While Kid Rock went on to say there is “a little bit of guilty on both sides” in the sharp political divide across the nation, he suggested that celebratory reactions following Kirk’s assassination are disproportionately coming from liberals.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Stephanie Samsel
The Utah County Attorney’s Office told Fox News that it’s “optimistic” charges will be filed Tuesday against Tyler Robinson, the suspect in the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Robinson, from Washington, Utah, was arrested and booked into the Utah County Jail last Friday, where he is being held without bail.
The 22-year-old was detained on suspicion of aggravated murder, obstruction of justice and felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury.
“Under Utah law, aggravated murder carries a penalty of either death, life in prison without the possibility of parole, or twenty-five years to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Obstruction of justice carries a penalty of one to fifteen years in prison. Felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury carries a penalty of five years to life in prison,” read a statement from Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray.
Gray said he anticipates filing formal charges against Robinson by 2 p.m. ET Tuesday.
“Given the very early stages of this investigation, and the fact that the investigation is ongoing, we cannot comment on the specific charges that we will file. However, we do anticipate that those charges will likely be consistent with the preliminary charges that supported Mr. Robinson’s booking into jail,” he added.
“Although we will make every effort to meet that schedule, we may need additional time to prepare the charges. By court rule, we may extend the time to file charges by up to three days, or until Friday, September 19,” Gray also said. “Our ability to file charges depends on how quickly we can gather and carefully review mountains of evidence. We will be thorough and deliberate at every stage of this case.”
If charges are filed Tuesday, prosecutors said they will hold a press conference at 2 p.m. ET to explain the charges and the next steps they are taking in the case, while Robinson would then make his first court appearance, virtually, at 5 p.m.
“As with so many others, we express our deepest concern for Mr. Charlie Kirk’s wife, his children, and his parents,” Gray said. “My office is committed to supporting and assisting them throughout this criminal case.”
Fox News’ Melissa Chrise contributed to this report.
The Pentagon is not backing down from its quest for consequences for those who celebrate Charlie Kirk’s killing, even as Democrats warn the move is “un-American” and violates free speech protections.
The controversy underscores a clash between military discipline and First Amendment rights, with top Pentagon officials arguing that celebrating the killing of an American political figure is unacceptable conduct for service members — while Democrats counter that the crackdown risks punishing constitutionally protected speech.
“Hunting down and prosecuting service members for their individual political beliefs is dangerous and un-American,” Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., a former Army Ranger, wrote on X.
“We must condemn political violence AND allow peaceful speech that doesn’t impact the chain of command.”
War Secretary Pete Hegseth and his team see it differently.
“We will not tolerate military or civilian personnel who celebrate or mock the assassination of a fellow American,” Sean Parnell, chief Pentagon spokesperson, told Fox News Digital in a statement.
“Every service member and civilian at the Department takes an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Those in our ranks who rejoice at an act of domestic terrorism are unfit to serve the American people at the Department of War.”
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Morgan Phillips
WICS ABC 20 Illinois reporter Beni Rae Harmony says she is resigning after being suspended over what she called a “non-partisan tribute” to Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
Harmony posted on X that she is quitting “effective immediately” after being punished for the segment. In the tribute, she expressed sympathy for viewers grieving Kirk’s death, spoke fondly of him as her first boss and mentor, and quoted one of his sayings about standing up for beliefs even when “your voice shakes.”
VIGIL FOR CHARLIE KIRK HELD IN ALLEGED GUNMAN’S UTAH HOMETOWN DRAWS HUNDREDS OF MOURNERS
She added that her resignation was “guided by values that are essential to who I am, which I refuse to set aside in order to keep a job. I choose my faith and love of country, and always will.”
Harmony’s decision has drawn attention on social media, where supporters praised her stand while critics questioned the station’s handling. Kirk was murdered Sept. 10 during a campus event in Utah. His memorial is scheduled for Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, posted a touching video of her late husband on Instagram Monday night.
In the video, Charlie Kirk was seen telling his young daughter about how he met Erika.
“Right near this very table was the first time Dada met Mama, and it started as a job interview,” Kirk said.
“And I was asking all these questions, asking all of these questions. Philosophy, religion, Jesus.”
“And then I realized Mama was beautiful and smart and elegant and Christ-like,” Kirk added. “So I said, forget this job interview. I want to date you. I said, I have enough friends. And that’s where your journey started.”
Kash Patel, director of the FBI, revealed new information about the prosecution against Tyler Robinson on Monday night.
On Fox News Channel’s “Hannity”, Patel said that authorities are going through Robinson’s digital footprint and the people he communicated with leading up to Charlie Kirk’s murder.
“We are going to be interviewing scores of people, on not just these chats on Discord, but any communications that this individual had,” Patel said.
“We’ve seized multiple electronic devices from the home of the suspect and his romantic partner. We’ve got computers, we’ve got laptops, gaming systems…cell phones,” he added.
Patel also said that Robinson referenced “hatred” while planning the assassination, and said that the suspect admitted to the crime.
“The evidence and information will come out, I won’t stylize the evidence.. but I will say what was found in terms of information [was] a text message exchange where he, the suspect, specifically stated that he had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and he was going to do that.”
“And when he was asked why, he said some hatred cannot be negotiated with.”
Suspected CEO assassin scores win in court amid heightened security concerns
A New York judge has tossed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s terrorism charges against suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO assassin Luigi Mangione.
The suspected killer appeared court Tuesday morning shortly after the NYPD warned that business leaders and political figures may be at an increased risk less than a week after a sniper shot and killed Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk during a public event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
Mangione faces a slew of state and federal charges after police allege he stalked and ambushed Brian Thompson, the health insurer’s chief executive and a married father of two from Minnesota who was visiting New York City for an investor conference.
“There was no evidence presented of a desire to terrorize the public, inspire widespread fear, engage in a broader campaign of violence, or to conspire with organized terrorist groups,” Judge Gregory Carro found in a 12-page written decision. “Here, the crime – the heinous, but targeted and discrete killing of one person — is very different from the examples of terrorism set forth in the statute.”
CHARLIE KIRK WARNED OF LEFT-WING ‘ASSASSINATION CULTURE’ MONTHS BEFORE HIS MURDER
The judge declined to rule on other pending motions, including whether Mangione is facing double jeopardy or on the legality of a controversial subpoena to his health insurance provider, Aetna. He’s due back in court on Dec. 1.
The reduced charge means Mangione no longer faces a maximum punishment of life imprisonment without parole if convicted. He would face life with the possibility of parole.
There are concerns that Mangione’s alleged actions have inspired copycats. He allegedly wrote messages on shell casings found at the scene. The suspected Kirk assassin also allegedly etched memes and anti-fascist rhetoric onto cartridges found in the alleged murder weapon.
Kirk had warned of a rise in “assassination culture” before his murder, which came as he was discussing politicized mass shootings with someone in the audience last Wednesday. Researchers are now also echoing his concern.
Read Judge Carro’s decision:
The NYPD’s Counterterrorism and Intelligence Bureau is reportedly warning businesses, political groups and other public figures that the risk of more assassinations remains elevated, ABC News reported Tuesday, citing an internal threat assessment.
“These individuals likely remain vulnerable at open-air speaking engagements and public events, which have been targeted by malicious actors seeking to advance political or ideological agendas and/or draw attention to unique personal grievances through violence,” the assessment reads, as quoted by the outlet.
LUIGI MANGIONE DEFENSE SHARED SAME RECORDS THEY CLAIMED CONSTITUTED PRIVACY VIOLATION: PROSECUTORS
Around Manhattan, increased security measures were visible Tuesday. At the Blackstone building, where a gunman burst in and killed four people in July, more than a dozen security guards were seen outside the front door.
Mangione, an Ivy League-educated scion of a wealthy Maryland family, has pleaded not guilty to nine state-level charges in New York, including murder as an act of terrorism.
He faces stalking and other charges at the federal level as well as firearms and forgery charges in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested.
Despite the allegations against him, he has received an alarming amount of support online, and supporters have been seen rallying outside his court appearances dressed up like the character Luigi from “Super Mario Bros.”
They carried anti-fascist signs as well as signs call for him to be freed and for “jury nullification.” Supporters cheered outside when they heard news of the judge’s decision to drop the terror charge.
At an earlier hearing, court officers seized a note addressed to him written on heart-shaped paper, smuggled into the building in a pair of socks sent with civilian clothes he had been allowed to wear instead of a jailhouse jumpsuit.
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His attorneys arrived at Manhattan’s criminal courthouse a few minutes before his 9 a.m. hearing.
Thompson, 50, spent 20 years working for UnitedHealth Group and became CEO of the UnitedHealthcare subsidiary in April 2021, according to his online bio. He had two children.
Singer loses 30,000 Instagram followers after comments on Charlie Kirk killing
Forrest Frank has lost nearly 30,000 of his millions of Instagram followers since sharing his views on Charlie Kirk’s assassination, but the Christian singer isn’t bothered by it.
Last week, Frank took to Instagram and shared a video of Kirk speaking about him and praising him for creating Christian music. Frank became emotional in the video and started to cry while explaining that he didn’t feel comfortable continuing on and posting his music without first addressing the conservative activist’s assassination.
Frank’s video garnered over 1 million likes and nearly 20,000 comments before he shared another video on Sept. 14 to say that he lost tens of thousands of followers for speaking out about the tragic events that took place at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10.
CHARLIE KIRK’S LAST 24 HOURS BEFORE HIS UTAH ASSASSINATION: MESSAGES OF FAITH, JUSTICE
“30,000 people unfollowed me because I posted about Charlie Kirk and I said Jesus Christ is Lord. Good. I don’t want you to follow me,” Frank stated at the beginning of his video.
Frank went on to say that he didn’t want people following him, streaming his music or coming to his shows if they didn’t follow Jesus.
“I don’t know if you can feel it too. There’s a heaviness, something shifted and I don’t care. I just want you to know that Jesus Christ is here and he loves you,” Frank said.
Frank elaborated further in the caption of his video, which read, “i don’t care if you follow me, but i do care if you follow Jesus. i have nothing else to share but this one message and i repent for ways i’ve allowed my platform to be a lukewarm highlight real. From here on out i’m using as much energy as i can to let people know about the only thing that matters.”
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Fans flooded Frank’s comment section, commending him for the video he made.
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“GO FORREST GO!!!!!! THIS MADE ME SMILE,” one user wrote.
Another added, “Wow. I got even more respect for you. Wrong is wrong and you got to stand for whats right even when they hate you for it. If you getting hate you doing something right.”
“Thank you for speaking up!” another user wrote.
Kirk was hosting a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10 when he was assassinated. Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily harm and obstruction of justice charges, according to a court affidavit. A judge ordered that he be held without bail. Formal charges are expected Tuesday.
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Portnoy reveals whether Barstool would fire employees amid Charlie Kirk slander
FIRST ON FOX: Barstool Sports founder and owner Dave Portnoy said that Barstool would determine whether they would fire an employee who slandered Charlie Kirk on a “case by case” basis, but did not rule out the possibility during an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.
Portnoy, who has been outspoken about Charlie Kirk’s assassination on social media, spoke with Fox at his third annual Pizza Fest event in New York City, making it clear Barstool has fired employees amid controversy before.
“We did have someone in a Philly bar who said what I would say are insensitive comments, and we fired them right away,” Portnoy told Fox. “People are going to express whatever they want, it’s a free country.”
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“Those expressions can have repercussions,” Portnoy added.
The founder of the Barstool was quick to condemn the assassination of Charlie Kirk last week, posting to X that “it doesn’t matter what your opinion is of Charlie or his politics. If you don’t view this as one of the darkest days in American history, then you are part of the problem.”
Barstool would not be the first company to fire an employee as many across the country have already taken action against staff who mocked Kirk’s assassination.
NJ DOCTOR RESIGNS AFTER NURSE SAID HE ‘CHEERED’ CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH
The Carolina Panthers fired a communications staffer, Charlie Rock, after he posted on social media appearing to question why people were mourning Charlie Kirk’s death.
MSNBC fired one of the network’s political analysts, Matthew Dowd, who said “hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions” and that Kirk “is constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech or sort of aimed at certain groups.”
Last Friday, Nasdaq fired an employee for posting on social media with “commentary that condones or celebrates violence.”
CHARLIE KIRK’S ALLEGED ASSASSIN ‘TAKEN OVER’ BY LEFTIST IDEOLOGY WHILE FBI PROBES WIDER PLOT: BONGINO
The federal government has also taken action against employees for public comments surrounding Kirk’s assassination.
The Pentagon suspended Army Col. Scott Stephens for celebrating Kirk’s death after the officer published insensitive posts on Kirk, with one saying that “we can take comfort in the fact that Charlie was doing what he loved best — spreading hate, racism, homophobia, misogyny, and transphobia on college campuses.”
The Department of Homeland Security placed FEMA data analyst Gavin Sylvia on administrative leave after the employee criticized President Donald Trump for ordering flags at half-mast for Kirk’s assassination, referring to Kirk as “the literal racist homophobe misogynist” on social media.
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Amid the firings, Portnoy said “it’s a case-by-case” but implied Barstool would consider it if comments were made that would justify administrative action.
Trump’s red line triggered secret bomber prep before Iran strike, general reveals
When President Donald Trump drew a red line on Iran’s nuclear program, U.S. bombers immediately began preparing to enforce it, according to the general who commanded June’s strike mission.
And, Maj. Gen. Jason Armagost told Fox News Digital, the operation proved decisive: “We reestablished deterrence, and all of our adversaries watched that.”
In the spring, Trump wrote a letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei demanding “progress” in nuclear talks and offering a 60-day deadline.
When he learned Trump gave the two-month ultimatum, Armagost, commander of the 8th Air Force and all bomber forces, immediately began setting a plan in motion to present the president with strike options.
PENTAGON FLEXES US MILITARY’S DECOYS AND STRATEGIC DECEPTION THAT TOOK IRAN AND WORLD BY SURPRISE
White House envoy Steve Witkoff met with Iranian representatives in Oman, but negotiations reportedly stalled out over Iranian demands for what they called a civil nuclear enrichment capacity.
“Two months ago, I gave Iran a 60-day ultimatum to ‘make a deal.’ They should have done it! Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!” Trump wrote after the strikes.
“When I heard that [60-day warning], immediately in my head I said, OK, we’ve got 60 days… we knew we would be a military option at the expiration of that,” Armagost said.
Mission planning was “far more expansive” than the single round of strikes that B-2 bomber crews ended up executing.
“We’re building readiness to be ready to do numerous options that would support, potentially, a campaign, right? This was a strategic attack, but we look at all the time, at, OK, what is the next thing that has to happen? Or might we be asked to do?”
Luckily, the Iranian nuclear sites were in remote areas, so planners did not have to account for civilian casualty rates. But still, they got to planning every detail, down to who would be in the facilities at the time of impact.
Then, 14 B-2 pilots flying seven stealth bombers prepared for the 30-hour journey from Whiteman, Missouri, to Iran and back. They dropped 14 massive ordnance penetrators (MOPs) on Iran’s nuclear sites deep underground.
“Global operations are hard,” said Armagost. “You go through different weather, you go through daylight cycles that are abnormal because you’re flying eastbound and then westbound… intellectually, it’s demanding.”
Aerial refueling tankers made the marathon mission possible. Clouds, weather shifts and even the failure of a single refueling jet could have jeopardized the strike, Armagost said. But meticulous planning and backup tracks kept the B-2s airborne.
“That’s really what makes us arguably a superpower,” he said. “Russia’s and China’s bomber forces are regional, not global.”
The general said the public should not measure success simply by the precision of the strike, but by the deterrent effect it produced.
A FULL BREAKDOWN OF OPERATION MIDNIGHT HAMMER, THE ‘LARGEST B-2 OPERATIONAL STRIKE IN US HISTORY’
“About 30 hours after the attack, there was a ceasefire,” Armagost said. “Clearly the Iranians saw that, and saw the path forward had changed dramatically. All of our adversaries watch that, and they will make different choices as a result.”
Khamenei warned after the strikes: “Americans should expect greater damage and blows than ever before.” The regime struck a U.S. airbase in Qatar, al-Udeid, but damage was minimal and no one was injured.
Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire days later on June 24.
Armagost also acknowledged the strain on America’s bomber force. At the height of the Cold War, the U.S. had around 770 long-range bombers across 36 wings. Today, that number has dwindled to about 140 bombers in total.
Now, the Air Force looks to the B-21, the next-generation stealth bomber and successor of the B-2. That plane is expected to be easier to update with new technologies and cost less than half the price: around $800 million instead of $2 billion.
The Air Force plans to acquire around 100 B-21s, though discussions are underway if the service branch may need more.
“It’s a national-level discussion,” said Armagost. “We have to decide as a country or with our partners and allies, what kind of ability we need to have to project force around the world facing multiple or multiple adversaries, who in some cases will, will, coordinate and act together to disrupt us.”
Armagost compared Operation Midnight Hammer to another historic mission of the 509th Bomb Wing, which dropped bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki 80 years ago, killing 200,000 and ending a world war.
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“There’s about six weeks’ difference,” Armagost said. “Both were strategic attacks that changed history.”
“Nobody wants to see Iran with nuclear weapons. This was about reestablishing deterrence against a regime that everyone knows would be destabilizing with that capability.”
FBI was aware of Colorado high school shooter’s troubling online posts before attack
A 16-year-old Colorado high school student, accused of shooting two classmates before taking his own life, had shown an interest in past mass shootings like Columbine and shared neo-Nazi views online, according to reports.
The FBI was tipped off about Desmond Holly’s online activity in July, the agency confirmed to Fox News Digital, although his identity was not known at the time.
“We continued to work this assessment investigation to identify the name and location of the user up and until September 10, 2025,” an FBI statement said. “During the assessment investigation, the identity of the account user remained unknown, and thus there was no probable cause for arrest or additional law enforcement action at the federal level.”
The Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Center on Extremism said it looked into Holly’s online activity.
COLORADO SCHOOL SHOOTER RADICALIZED BY ‘EXTREMIST NETWORK,’ LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REVEAL
“Holly had an account on the gore forum WatchPeopleDie, where he had commented on posts about shootings in Parkland (2018), Buffalo (2022) and at a Quebec City mosque (2017),” the ADL said in a report on Friday.
The ADL report accuses the teen of collecting tactical gear and adorning it “with extremist symbols,” as well as posting “content emulating former shooters such as Rupnow and the 1999 Columbine High School shooters.”
Holly shot himself following Wednesday’s shooting at Evergreen High School in Jefferson County. It is still unclear how he selected his victims. The county was also the scene of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre that left 14 people dead.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office previously said Holly was radicalized by an unspecified “extremist network” but released no details, according to The Associated Press.
WHAT LEADS SOMEONE TO COMMIT A MASS SHOOTING? TRUMP ADMIN, RFK JR PLAN TO FIND OUT
“Holly’s TikTok accounts were filled with white supremacist symbolism,” the ADL said. The name of his most recent account included a reference to a popular White supremacist slogan. The account was unavailable Friday. TikTok told the AP the accounts associated with Holly had been banned.
On Sunday, Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told CBS’ “Face the Nation” that the internet was “driving extremism in our country” following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
“Young people can readily access extremist content and visual depictions of graphic violence that are celebrated by users of the platform, potentially desensitizing them to such content and increasing the risk of ideologically-motivated violence,” the ADL said.
St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, Colorado, did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital inquiry about the condition of the two victims who were last said to be undergoing treatment there. It is not yet clear if Holly targeted the victims or if they were shot at random, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jacki Kelley said during a news conference.
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FBI Director Kash Patel said on Thursday that the Denver field office was continuing to coordinate with partner agencies to investigate the shooting. The agency did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital inquiry.
Robert Redford, actor who brought rugged charm to Hollywood, dead at 89
Legendary actor Robert Redford has died. He was 89.
“Robert Redford passed away on September 16, 2025, at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah – the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved,” his representative told Fox News Digital. “He will be missed greatly. The family requests privacy.”
The Hollywood icon was best known for classics like “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “The Sting.”
STARS WE LOST IN 2025
Before he became the rugged screen icon of the 1970s, Redford grew up in Santa Monica, California.
Born Charles Robert Redford Jr. on Aug. 18, 1936, the all-American heartthrob started out studying art and chasing a future as a painter before turning to acting—eventually landing at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
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Redford made early appearances on “The Twilight Zone,” “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and “The Untouchables” in the late 1950s and early ’60s.
As for his Broadway career, Redford landed a breakout role in Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park,” first on stage and then on screen alongside Jane Fonda.
During his illustrious career that spanned five decades of film, Redford became an Oscar-winning director as well as an activist.
After skyrocketing to fame in the ’60s, Redford dominated the ’70s box office with back-to-back hits like “The Candidate,” “The Way We Were” and “All the President’s Men.” He capped off the decade with an Oscar win for best director in 1980 for “Ordinary People,” which also took home best picture.
Behind the camera, Redford elevated independent film. He took on gritty roles and built the Sundance Film Festival from the ground up.
What began as a training ground for undiscovered filmmakers in the mountains of Park City, Utah – where Redford initially planned to open a ski resort – quickly transformed into the most important independent film festival in the world.
“For me, the word to be underscored is ‘independence,’” Redford told the Associated Press in 2018. “I’ve always believed in that word. That’s what led to me eventually wanting to create a category that supported independent artists who weren’t given a chance to be heard.
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“The industry was pretty well controlled by the mainstream, which I was a part of. But I saw other stories out there that weren’t having a chance to be told and I thought, ‘Well, maybe I can commit my energies to giving those people a chance.’ As I look back on it, I feel very good about that.”
By 2025, the festival had grown so large that organizers announced they would be relocating out of Park City.
Redford didn’t just play the leading man — he additionally took on politics with the kind of boldness that became his Hollywood signature.
In 1972, Redford took on an American political role in “The Candidate,” playing an idealistic U.S. Senate hopeful whose idealism crumbled by the final scene. He delivered one of the most iconic final lines in political cinema, “What do we do now?”
Four years later, Redford starred as real-life Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward in “All the President’s Men,” diving headfirst into the Watergate scandal.
Meanwhile, during Redford’s acting career, he shared the screen with Hollywood icons including Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise and Paul Newman.
While Redford pulled back from acting in the ’80s and ’90s to focus on directing and building the indie film scene, he still starred in several popular films. He acted opposite Streep in the 1985 drama “Out of Africa,” and nearly 30 years later stunned critics in the survival film “All Is Lost” in 2013.
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His other directing efforts included “The Horse Whisperer,” “The Milagro Beanfield War” and 1994’s “Quiz Show,” the last of which also earned best picture and director Oscar nominations. In 2002, Redford received an honorary Oscar, with academy organizers citing him as “actor, director, producer, creator of Sundance, inspiration to independent and innovative filmmakers everywhere.”
Redford was married twice, most recently to Sibylle Szaggars. He had four children, two of whom have died – Scott Anthony, who died in infancy in 1959, and James Redford, an activist and filmmaker who died in 2020.
Fed expected to take first major step this year on interest rates after pressure from Trump
The Federal Reserve is expected to announce its first interest rate cut this year on Wednesday despite signs of tariffs pushing inflation higher amid rising concerns about the labor market.
Policymakers on the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) are expected to cut the benchmark federal funds rate by 25 basis points, the first since December 2024, which would lower the target range to 4% to 4.25%.
Markets have priced in a cut, with the CME FedWatch tool showing a 96% chance of a 25-basis-point cut and a 4% probability of a larger 50-basis-point cut.
Fed policymakers have been monitoring economic data as they consider adjusting monetary policy in support of their dual mandate to promote maximum employment as well as stable prices in line with the Fed’s longer-run 2% inflation target. The September meeting comes as both of those goals are under pressure.
INFLATION REMAINED STUBBORNLY HIGH IN AUGUST AS FED WEIGHS RATE CUTS
The latest jobs reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics have shown weakening job creation, with the most recent release showing just 22,000 jobs added in August, with a slight upward revision leaving July’s figures at 79,000 and a downward revision to June showing the economy shed 13,000 jobs that month.
The Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index, has trended further away from the Fed’s 2% target since this spring. Since PCE inflation fell to 2.2% year-over-year in April, when core PCE also declined to 2.6%, both figures have trended higher as headline PCE rose to 2.6% in July while core PCE inflation rose to 2.9%.
Another popular inflation metric, the consumer price index (CPI), rose in August to 2.9% from the previous year, with core CPI inflation up 3.1%.
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With both sides of the dual mandate showing signs of weakness, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has said that in such situations, policymakers would assess whether the labor market or inflation is further away from target and focus on whichever element is in worse shape.
That dynamic, coupled with weaker than expected labor market data, has led to expectations of a rate cut despite signs of inflation rising.
The Fed’s anticipated first interest rate cut of the year comes amid an intense pressure campaign by the Trump administration aimed at pushing the central bank to lower rates in a bid to boost the economy and potentially lower interest rates on the national debt.
AMERICANS HIT RECORD LOW CONFIDENCE IN FINDING NEW JOBS SINCE TRACKING BEGAN IN 2013
Fed policymakers have debated whether President Donald Trump’s tariffs will ignite persistent inflation or will instead represent a one-time shift in the price level.
During a panel discussion on monetary policy earlier this summer, Powell was asked whether the Fed would have cut interest rates more by now if it weren’t for the tariffs spurring inflation concerns.
“I think that’s right,” Powell said. “In effect, we went on hold when we saw the size of the tariffs and where, essentially, all inflation forecasts for the United States went up materially as a consequence of the tariffs.”
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Two FOMC members dissented from the Fed’s decision in July to hold interest rates steady. Fed Governors Michelle Bowman and Christopher Waller each authored dissents calling for 25-basis-point cuts at that meeting, marking the first time since 1993 that two Fed policymakers have dissented in favor of rate cuts.