TV News LIES

Maybe it is the gruesome suddenness of his death that has made so many people forget the realities of Charlie Kirk’s life. After the 31-year-old rightwing influencer was shot dead at a college campus appearance in Utah on Wednesday, many commentators rushed to condemn political violence, on the one hand, and to issue warm tributes to Kirk’s life, on the other.

The former of these is legitimate: that political policy should not be determined by force, or political disagreements settled through homicidal violence, is a baseline precondition of not just a democratic form of government, but of any functional society. The latter, perhaps, can be explained by the admirable human impulse towards gentleness and reconciliation. The horror and shock of Kirk’s assassination prompted some to offer their generosity, and their sympathy, to the dead man.

Perhaps it was these noble gestures toward generosity and sympathy that led some commentators to be more laudatory to Kirk’s memory than an honest recounting of his life would allow. In the days following Kirk’s death, several bewilderingly inaccurate postmortem hagiographies have appeared, including from prominent voices on the left and center, that seem to wish that the tragedy of Kirk’s death could retroactively have given him a more honorable life.

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The Trump administration is asking Congress to approve an additional $58m for security services to protect the members of the executive and judicial branches after the killing of Charlie Kirk, multiple outlets report. They also supported adding more money to protect members of Congress, but they deferred to the legislative branch on further steps.

News of the request comes as House Democrats prepare to hold a virtual security briefing on Sunday evening, following Kirk’s death. The briefing will be with the House sergeant at arms and the Capitol police chief.

Last week, rightwing activist and Trump ally Charlie Kirk was killed while speaking at an event at a university in Utah and a suspect was arrested. Despite the shooter’s motive still being unconfirmed, conservatives have expressed anger and concern, blaming liberals and leftwing activists for Kirk’s killing. The right has declared war on the left, leading prominent politicians to cancel events over safety concerns and threats.

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Authorities in Utah say two men have been arrested on suspicion of placing an incendiary device under a news media vehicle in Salt Lake City. The bomb didn’t go off.

Police and fire department bomb squads responded on Friday when a suspicious device was found under the vehicle parked near an occupied building.

Investigators determined the bomb “had been lit but failed to function as designed”, according to court records cited by CBS affiliate KUTV.

TFBI identified two suspects and served a search warrant at a home in Magna, west of the city’s downtown. Two men, aged 58 and 31, were arrested and could face charges related to weapons possession and threats of terrorism, ABC affiliate KTVX reported on Sunday.

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Tom Cruise has reportedly turned down the opportunity to be among one of the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors, which were to be given out by the United States President, Donald Trump.

The Hollywood icon was supposed to be a part of the ceremony taking place a few months from now on December 7th, but is apparently too busy to attend.

As per a report put out by The Washington Post, a number of former and current employees for the Kennedy Center have revealed that the Top Gun: Maverick actor has politely backed away.

The reason for Cruise’s absence is said to be “scheduling conflicts,” and although the 63-year-old has not confirmed or denied this as of yet, other honorees such as the band KISS have spoken out about their gratitude about being selected.

KISS, along with George Strait, Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor and Sylvester Stallone have been chosen by Trump, who has admitted to being “about 98 percent involved.”

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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral race on Sept. 14, saying on social media that the city "deserves a mayor who will stand up to Donald Trump and make life more affordable for New Yorkers."

The governor's endorsement was announced in a New York Times op-ed, in which Hochul — a moderate Democrat — detailed what led to her decision and her conversations with the state assemblyman. She is the latest high-profile Democrat to endorse Mamdani, 33, following his upset victory in the June Democratic primary.

Mamdani's shocking primary win against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo had sent shockwaves among New York's Democratic establishment. Hochul initially declined to endorse Mamdani, who has been working to get endorsements from party leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

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On the coastal road heading south from Gaza City, thousands of people have begun an arduous journey to what they hope will be relative safety. Israel has told them to flee as it prepares to take over the city.

It is a dangerous journey through stifling heat and battered landscapes. Those who own a car or can afford a taxi are at an advantage. They cram into beat-up vehicles, some of which are missing windows or windshields.

The cars are piled high with mattresses, suitcases and buckets. But many more people flee the city on foot, taking only what they can carry.

As they walk down the coastal road, some stop to watch the pillars of smoke rising from the city behind them. The booms of Israeli airstrikes are never far away.

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A series of Israeli airstrikes killed at least 32 people across Gaza City on Saturday as Israel expanded its offensive and urged Palestinians to leave the area, medical staff reported.

Among the dead were 12 children, according to the morgue at Shifa Hospital, where the bodies were brought.

In recent days, Israel has escalated strikes across Gaza City, destroying several high-rise buildings it accused Hamas of using for surveillance. On Saturday, the military said it targeted another tower used by Hamas in the city. It has ordered civilians to evacuate as part of an operation aimed at seizing control of Gaza’s largest urban center, which it says is the group’s last stronghold. Hundreds of thousands of residents remain in the city, many already facing famine conditions.

Overnight and into Saturday morning, one strike in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood killed 10 members of a single family, including a mother and three children, health officials said. The Palestinian Football Association confirmed that Mohammed Ramez Sultan, a player for Al-Helal Sporting Club, was killed along with 14 members of his family in the strikes. Images showed explosions followed by thick plumes of smoke.

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The University of California, Berkeley has given the Trump administration the names of 160 faculty members and students as part of an investigation into “alleged antisemitic incidents”, a move a targeted scholar likened to a “practice from the McCarthy era”.

UC Berkeley, a top-ranked public institution, sent a letter to affected members of campus last week disclosing that university lawyers had included their names in reports to the Department of Education’s office for civil rights (OCR). The education department has been targeting colleges across the country as part of Donald Trump’s aggressive crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism, international students and academic freedom.

Judith Butler, a prominent feminist philosopher and queer theorist, received the letter from David Robinson, UC Berkeley’s chief campus counsel, which said OCR was investigating “allegations of antisemitic harassment and discrimination” and “required production of comprehensive documents”.

Butler, a Jewish scholar who has been critical of Israel, said on Friday that they had questioned Robinson about the disclosures and said he provided no information on the specific allegations.

“We have a right to know the charges against us, to know who has made the charges and to review them and defend ourselves,” they said. “But none of that has happened, which is why we’re in Kafka-land … It is an enormous breach of trust.”

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