Today's Headlines: Kirk Killing Suspect Faces Aggravated Murder Charge, and Death Penalty

September 17, 2025, 4:10 a.m. Eastern time

Top News

Kirk Killing Suspect Faces Aggravated Murder Charge, and Death Penalty

In the charging documents, prosecutors said the suspect sent text messages confessing to the shooting and saying of Charlie Kirk, “I had enough of his hatred.” The 22-year-old suspect made a virtual appearance in court in Utah.

Robert Redford, Screen Idol Turned Director and Activist, Dies at 89

He made serious topics like grief and political corruption resonate with the masses, in no small part because of his own star power.

Israeli Ground Forces Move Into Gaza City, Sowing Chaos

The long-anticipated military assault is aimed, the Israelis said, at routing the militants of Hamas, but it deepened the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

Editors’ Picks

The Commerce Secretary, a Gilded Hotel and Claims of a Secret Plan

Some residents of the Pierre claim that Howard Lutnick, who owns the penthouse, was part of a plot to sell off this symbol of Manhattan glamour and wealth.

Opinion | We Are Going to Have to Live Here With One Another

Ben Shapiro and I discuss the state — and stakes — of political disagreement in America.

1 HR 55 MIN LISTEN

World

Trump’s Laissez-Faire Stance Gives Netanyahu Free Pass for Gaza Escalation

As Israel mounts a major Gaza offensive, President Trump has neither urged restraint nor endorsed the action, which Israel’s leader has taken as an implicit green light to proceed.

Israel Is Committing Genocide in Gaza, U.N. Inquiry Says

In earlier reports, the commission found that Israel had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in its conflict with Hamas, but stopped short of calling it genocide. Israel denounced the accusation as “fake.”

He Fled Putin’s War. The U.S. Deported Him to a Russian Jail.

Antiwar Russians are being sent back as part of President Trump’s immigration crackdown, despite facing imprisonment and other dangers.

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U.S.

California’s Environmental Past Confronts Economic Worries of the Present

Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic state lawmakers have focused on pocketbook concerns this year, seeing their party’s national losses as a reckoning.

Fani Willis Loses Bid to Continue Prosecuting Georgia Trump Case

The 4-3 ruling means that the criminal case against President Trump, related to his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, will not move forward anytime soon, if ever.

Judge Rejects Bid by Menendez Brothers for New Trial

Erik and Lyle Menendez, who were recently denied parole, have now been blocked from another once-promising path to freedom.

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Politics

Patel Plays the Familiar Role of Pugilist at a Senate Hearing

The F.B.I. director has come under withering attack in recent days, but with Republicans backing him, the proceedings fell into a familiar partisan groove that appeared to play to his strengths.

G.O.P. Again Cedes Power on Tariffs to Avoid Crossing Trump

House Republicans extended a maneuver they engineered earlier in the year that effectively strips Congress of the power to disapprove of President Trump’s tariffs.

Former C.D.C. Director to Tell Lawmakers She Was ‘Fired for Holding the Line’

Susan Monarez is set to provide her first detailed account of her ouster in testimony before the Senate Health Committee on Wednesday.

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Business

Fed Meeting Brings Together Trump Ally With Targets of President’s Ire

Stephen Miran and Lisa Cook will both cast votes at the central bank’s meeting on Wednesday, where policymakers are expected to lower interest rates.

How China Is Weathering the Trade War With Trump

Tariffs triggered a plunge in China’s exports to the United States, but its global trade surplus is larger because sales to other regions are surging.

Trump Sues The New York Times for Articles Questioning His Success

The lawsuit, filed by the president in federal court in Florida, claims The Times defamed him and sought to undermine his campaign in the 2024 election.

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Technology

Social Platforms Duck Blame for Inflaming Divisions Before Charlie Kirk’s Death

After authorities said Mr. Kirk’s suspected shooter had been “radicalized” online, Meta, Reddit, TikTok and other platforms have stayed quiet — though not Elon Musk, who owns X.

What Exactly Are A.I. Companies Trying to Build? Here’s a Guide.

Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Meta and OpenAI plan to spend at least $325 billion by the end of the year in pursuit of A.I. We explain why they’re doing it.

How Wall Street’s Big Bets on A.I. Are Driving Interest in Huge Parking Lots

J.P. Morgan, Blackstone and other financial giants are buying “industrial outdoor storage,” sites vital to logistics, trade and the construction of data centers.

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Arts

Meryl Streep, Barbra Streisand and Others Mourn Robert Redford

Redford “stood for an America we have to keep fighting for,” his frequent collaborator Jane Fonda said after his death was announced on Tuesday.

He Created a Spiritual Jazz Masterpiece. He’s Still a Mystery.

Shamek Farrah’s 1974 debut is a highly sought-after rarity, but even his most ardent admirers know little about him. In a rare interview, he tells his story.