Stembridge News Digest

  • 'That's why he was shot': College students caught on camera destroying Charlie Kirk memorial Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:40:00 +0000


    Not even a week after Charlie Kirk was assassinated, leftist activists have come out of the woodwork to protest the show of support and religious awakening to which the tragedy has given rise. While many people face punitive measures for their awful reactions to Kirk's shooting, other awful reactions by leftists still abound across the country.

    In a viral video posted Tuesday afternoon, several activists at University of North Carolina Wilmington were recorded smearing paint over a Kirk memorial on a campus boulder.

    'You destroy things you don't agree with. That's why he was shot.'

    One of the major subjects of the video can be heard arguing with a gathering crowd: "Charlie Kirk is definitely not the morals I support or the religion I support where you're taught to love your neighbor."

    While it is not clear which religion the young woman thinks Charlie Kirk was a part of or what her religious views are, she insisted she was religious. She also argued with the crowd about "judging." "It's not my right to judge, but it is also not your right to judge," she said, pointing a paint-covered finger at the apparently peaceful onlookers.

    RELATED: Rubio puts visa holders who celebrated Charlie Kirk's death on high alert

    Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

    One of the members of the crowd, apparently concerned by the display, shot back, "If we were judging, we would be taking your paint can and dumping it on you. But we're not, are we?"

    Prior to the vandalism, the American flag, a portrait of Kirk, and a quote had been painted on the boulder. The quote read: "'If you believe in something, you need to have the courage to fight for those ideas — not run away from them or try to silence them.' Charlie Kirk 1993–2025."

    In the aftermath, the two visible faces of the boulder were almost entirely covered in sky-blue paint, effectively erasing the entire Kirk image. Perhaps ironically, the leftist vandalism left the words "or try to silence them" uncovered near the bottom of the boulder.

    "You destroy things you don't agree with. That's why he was shot," one person in the crowd saliently remarked.

    Blaze News contacted UNCW's Dean's Office by phone and was told that the situation is "under review." Blaze News did not immediately receive an official statement when we followed up by email, as directed.

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  • Charlie Kirk’s legacy will fuel a backlash against the spread of evil Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:30:00 +0000


    While Bill O’Reilly, like Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck, is devastated by the news of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, he does have a positive message to send America in the wake of such a tragedy.

    “Charlie Kirk was an interesting fellow because at a very young age, he was mature enough to understand that he wanted to take a stand in favor of traditional America and Judeo-Christian philosophy,” O’Reilly tells Glenn on “The Glenn Beck Program.”

    “He was light-years ahead of us,” he says.

    “Now, most good people, even if you disagree with what Mr. Kirk says on occasion, you admire that. That’s the spirit of America — that you have a belief system, that you go out and try to promote that belief system for the greater good of the country. That’s what it is. There’s nothing else to it,” he continues.


    “That’s what Charlie Kirk did. And he lost his life by doing it,” he adds.

    However, O’Reilly notes that many Americans are taking it as a “victory for evil.”

    “But it really isn’t. And this is the ongoing story. This is the most important story. ... Mao, Hitler, Ayatollah Khomeini ... they all destroy themselves. The evil always destroys itself, but it takes so many people with it,” he says.

    And the killer didn’t just take Charlie Kirk down.

    “He destroyed his own mother and father and his two brothers. That’s what this killer did in addition to the Kirk family. So evil spreads. Now, if Americans pay attention and come to the conclusion that I just stated, it will be much more difficult for evil to operate openly,” O’Reilly says.

    “And that’s what I think is going to happen. There’s going to be a ferocious backlash against the progressive left, in particular, to stop it. And I believe that is what Mr. Kirk’s legacy is going to be,” he adds.

    Want more from Glenn Beck?

    To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

  • The right message: Justice. The wrong messenger: Pam Bondi. Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:20:00 +0000


    The assassination of Charlie Kirk has created a critical moment in American history. The left has been allowed to operate with impunity for too long, stirring up hatred, dehumanizing conservatives, and even calling directly for violence. That culture of permission led to multiple attempts on President Trump’s life — and to the murder of Charlie Kirk.

    The situation calls for clarity and discipline. Vice President JD Vance and senior adviser Stephen Miller have delivered both. They’ve made the case that leftist terror must be crushed swiftly but lawfully, framing the crackdown as justice, not revenge. Pam Bondi managed to smash that framing with a single phrase: “hate speech.”

    The administration has both the legal authority and the political capital to act — but only if it stays focused. Bondi has already proven she cannot keep her footing.

    Unchecked political violence invites chaos. After the Trump shooting, the left paid no price for its demonization of conservatives. That failure emboldened extremists and left every conservative wondering if they too would be targeted. If the government once again shrinks from action, many will feel compelled to take matters into their own hands.

    That path leads to civil war.

    The only way to stop the spiral is with decisive state action — action that may have seemed radical a decade ago but is now necessary. The government has the authority to dismantle leftist terror networks like Antifa and the NGOs that bankroll them. Those who openly call for violence must face penalties. And society must place crushing pressure on anyone who celebrates Kirk’s death or mocks his grieving family. All of it can and must be done under law.

    But presentation matters. Americans must understand this as justice, not revenge. It must look and feel like law, not a purge. That is why framing is crucial.

    Threading the needle

    JD Vance modeled this balance when he hosted Kirk’s show after the assassination. He honored his fallen friend by remembering his faith, his family, and his work — while also making clear that political terrorism is a left-wing problem that demands a response. He called for peace but promised justice. Strong measures would come, but they would come through the state, under law.

    Miller added his own testimony. He recounted how Kirk had confided fears of leftist violence and identified the NGOs funding extremist groups as the key target. Miller vowed to cut off that money and dismantle the networks. It was the perfect pairing: grief tempered by resolve, compassion paired with action. The administration projected strength and restraint in equal measure.

    Enter Pam Bondi

    Then, Bondi opened her mouth. On a podcast, asked whether the administration’s efforts might violate civil liberties, she answered: “There is free speech, and then there is hate speech,” and hate speech should not be allowed.

    That one remark shredded weeks of careful positioning. For years, conservatives have fought the left’s attempt to define “hate speech” as anything progressives dislike. With a few words, Bondi made Republicans look like hypocrites, validated the left’s narrative, and handed progressives a moral weapon to use against Trump’s administration.

    RELATED: When words became ‘violence,’ bloodshed was inevitable

    Photo by Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images

    The reaction was swift. Progressives flooded social media and cable news, crowing that the administration’s true aim was censorship. Bondi had handed them the very frame the White House had labored to avoid.

    Then, she dug in. Instead of walking back her comments, Bondi tweeted that “hate speech” meant calls for violence — which are already illegal. But that is not what the left means, and by using its terminology, she legitimized it. She then compounded the blunder by suggesting the Justice Department could force shop owners to print memorials for Kirk against their will — a direct echo of the “bake the cake” battles conservatives had fought on principle for a decade.

    Too high a price for incompetence

    This moment is too dangerous for sloppy messaging. The administration must dismantle a leftist terror network while preserving civil liberties. The margin for error is razor-thin. Bondi has already shown she is not up to the task.

    The solution is obvious: Replace her. Bondi was never Trump’s first choice. Matt Gaetz was blocked by Senate Republicans. The president could revisit that pick or turn to another proven operator like Ron DeSantis, who will soon be term-limited out of the Florida governorship. Whoever it is, the administration needs discipline, skill, and unwavering commitment.

    The stakes could not be higher. The nation mourns a conservative leader assassinated for his beliefs. The administration has both the legal authority and the political capital to act — but only if it stays focused. Bondi has already proven she cannot keep her footing. The country cannot afford her mistakes.

  • ‘Not welcome’: Muslim mayor calls Christian resident ‘racist,’ ‘Islamophobe’ during city council meeting Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:30:00 +0000


    A resident in Dearborn, Michigan, which became the country’s first Arab-majority city in 2023, was told he was “not welcome” in the community after he expressed concerns that officials named two intersections after a terrorist sympathizer.

    'They will fight with stones, others will fight with guns, others will fight with planes, drones, and rockets.'

    During a September 9 city council meeting, Ted Barham, a publicly active Christian resident, told members that he disapproved of signs placed on Warren Avenue named after Osama Siblani, the publisher of Arab American News.

    Barham, who repeatedly called for peace during his speech, stated that he understands Siblani has “done a lot of good things for the community,” but contended that he is “a promoter of Hezbollah and Hamas.”

    Barham was quickly interrupted by council members who explained that Wayne County installed the signs and that the issue was “not under control of the city.”

    Despite being encouraged to take his concerns to the county, Barham, who acknowledged that he understood this, noted that some “people in this room” attended the ceremony to put up the signs.

    Barham read several quotes from Siblani that he argued encouraged violence against Israel.

    RELATED: Muslim Detroit-area mayor promises to arrest Netanyahu, another Israeli official — on one condition

    Protest in Dearborn, Michigan, on May 18, 2021. Photo by SETH HERALD/AFP via Getty Images

    “He talks about how the blood of the martyrs … irrigates the land of Palestine,” Barham said. “He talks about how the terrorists should strike them with knives and with their bare hands … and he also encourages the use of rockets over there.”

    A council member again stopped Barham, claiming that Siblani “is not intending to incite violence anywhere in the world.” He accused Barham of sharing his own interpretation and opinions of Siblani’s comments.

    Barham read another quote from Siblani, stating, “Whether we are in Michigan and whether we are in Jenin, believe me, everyone should fight within his means. They will fight with stones, others will fight with guns, others will fight with planes, drones, and rockets. Others will fight with their voices, and others will fight with their hands and say, ‘Free, free Palestine.’”

    Barham argued that the street signs might as well read, “Hezbollah Street or Hamas Street.” He instead called for peace.

    RELATED: Dem Muslims hammer away at Biden-Harris for losing anti-Israel vote as Trump visits Muslim-majority city

    Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud. Photo by Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images

    Mayor Abdullah Hammoud (D) fired back at Barham by accusing him of being “hypocritical,” claiming he had posted videos on social media “standing in front of my mosque, saying the cruelest of things about Muslims, about the religion of Islam.”

    “You are a bigot, and you are a racist, and you are an Islamophobe,” Hammoud remarked. “Although you live here, I want you to know, as mayor, you are not welcome here. And the day you move out of this city will be the day that I launch a parade celebrating the fact that you moved out of the city.”

    “You are not somebody who believes in coexistence,” the mayor claimed. “You’re somebody who tries to preach it, but in fact, you do everything but that. So I just want to put that on the record.”

    Blaze News could not independently confirm the mayor's claims regarding social media videos of Barham making negative comments about Muslims.

    Siblani reacted to the exchange in a statement to WJBK.

    "It’s sad that we do not respect each other's differences. This is a great country, a nation of nations," Siblani stated. "I am an American from a Lebanese background, an Arab background. I’m very proud of my culture and heritage. But I also love this country and what it has done. Only in the United States can you come in 1976 with no money, a one-way ticket, $185 in your pocket, and 50 years later your name is on a street in America."

    The city council did not respond to a request for comment.

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  • Every NFL team that did not honor Charlie Kirk DID honor George Floyd Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:15:00 +0000


    NFL teams that were happy to go above and beyond to memorialize George Floyd after his death declined to honor Charlie Kirk after he was assassinated.

    As Blaze News previously reported, at least five NFL teams did not honor Kirk in home games over the weekend, while others held moments of silence or displayed his image on their in-stadium screens. Kirk was shot and killed on Sept. 10 during a campus tour stop in Utah, with countless memorials being erected in his honor.

    'Please do not mistake a lack of public commentary for indifference.'

    The five teams that did not honor Kirk, however, did honor Floyd after his 2020 death while he was in police custody.

    The Minnesota Vikings, for example, not only stood in unison to honor Floyd at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis (pictured below), but they hosted Floyd's family for the same game, their 2020 season opener against the Green Bay Packers. The team also pledged $5 million to "social justice," while planning a scholarship in Floyd's name.

    The Vikings have not made a public statement about Kirk and did not return Blaze News' request for comment.

    RELATED: Houston Texans hold moment of silence — but don't say Charlie Kirk's name

    MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 13, 2020: Members of the Minnesota Vikings stand with arms linked as the team pays tribute to George Floyd before the game against the Green Bay Packers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

    The Indianapolis Colts did not honor Kirk's death, but they did introduce measures to fight "racism and injustice" after Floyd died. The team also created a new staff position — director of diversity, equity, and inclusion — along with a scholarship fund.

    "In addition to the recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and others, I have heard stunning testimonials from our players and staff about their personal experiences with racism," owner and CEO Jim Irsay said at the time.

    In a comment to the Daily Mail, the Colts said the reason they did not honor Kirk was because they held a moment of silence for Forrest Lucas, the founder of Lucas Oil, who is the namesake of their stadium. The team said the honoring was planned last month when Mr. Lucas passed away.

    The Cincinnati Bengals, who also have not honored or seemingly made any public statements about Kirk, were quick to squash any claims in 2020 that they did not have an opinion on Floyd's death.

    The Bengals committed to "listening and action" and pledged $250,000 to "community initiatives."

    "Please do not mistake a lack of public commentary for indifference," the team said in a statement. "The Bengals organization believes that fighting prejudice and discrimination requires action but to do so we have to listen first."

    The Bengals did not return Blaze News' request for comment.

    RELATED: Here are the NFL teams that held a moment of silence to honor Charlie Kirk — and the ones that didn't

    INGLEWOOD, CA - AUGUST 27: George Floyd name displayed before the Los Angeles Chargers boycott scrimmage on August 27, 2020, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

    Additionally, the Baltimore Ravens held a moment of silence for Floyd in 2020 but not for Kirk in 2025. The team has not made any public statements about Kirk, either.

    At the same time, though, star quarterback Lamar Jackson shared a post on X from former Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith that said, "Celebrating the death of someone you don't share the same beliefs as is wild. Seeing it play out in real time is disgusting."

    The Ravens did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

    The Detroit Lions were the fifth team not to honor Kirk or give a public statement. However, in 2020, their statement about Floyd was adamant.

    "Right is right and wrong is wrong. What is happening is not acceptable. We recognize that the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery are only the most recent examples plaguing our communities," the franchise stated at the time.

    The team vowed to engage in "real action and conversation" as well as "continue to LISTEN."

    Blaze News was unable to reach the Lions for comment.

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  • Republicans pass 2 bills to strengthen law enforcement in DC — leaving Democrats horrified Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0000


    Republicans in the U.S. Congress passed two bills meant to strengthen law enforcement policies in Washington, D.C., while most Democrats voted against the provisions.

    One bill was called the D.C. Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe Act, or DC CRIMES Act, and restricts the ability of local officials to change sentencing laws. Also included was a provision that changed the threshold for easing punishments against young criminals from 25 to 18 years old.

    'We believe in investing in solutions that make people safer, not political stunts or short-term gimmicks or cheap tough talk.'

    The second bill allows for suspects as young as 14 years old to be charged as adults for certain crimes. That bill passed by a vote of 225 to 203, while the DC CRIMES Act passed by a vote of 240 to 179.

    Democrats excoriated the effort and claimed that Republicans were usurping the power of local residents to govern themselves.

    “People are rightly concerned about crime in D.C. and back home in their communities, and Democrats of course want safe streets. But we believe in investing in solutions that make people safer, not political stunts or short-term gimmicks or cheap tough talk," said Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California.

    “The over 700,000 D.C. residents, the majority of whom are black and brown, are capable and worthy of governing themselves," said District Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat.

    President Donald Trump has been criticizing the crime and lack of order in the district. He ordered military troops to patrol the district, leading to Democrats angrily denouncing what they saw an authoritarian takeover.

    RELATED: Liberals pounce to defend drug cartels after Trump reveals strike on drug-running gang members near Venezuela

    Many residents in the district have said that the troop presence has helped tamp down crime and they support the efforts. Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser admitted that carjackings had decreased after the troop deployment, though she was heavily criticized by other local Democratic figures for being honest about crime.

    "We know that when carjackings go down, when use of guns goes down, when homicide or robbery go down, neighborhoods feel safer and are safer," Bowser said. "So this surge has been important to us for that reason."

    Congress is scheduled to vote on other measures meant to help law enforcement combat crime in the district.

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  • Market soars after Fed finally cuts interest rate Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:58:38 +0000


    The Federal Reserve cut interest rates on Wednesday, sending at least one stock market soaring.

    On Wednesday, the Fed announced that it had decided to cut the federal funds rate by a quarter of a point, bringing the new rate range down to 4-4.25%. The committee made the decision to reduce the rate despite continued "uncertainty about the economic outlook."

  • DOJ no longer highlighting flawed study insinuating right-wing violence is on the rise Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:45:00 +0000


    As President Donald Trump explained in the wake of the political assassination of Charlie Kirk last week, many of the loudest voices in politics and media have consistently appealed to the rising danger of "far-right extremism." Some, including the president, have connected this rhetoric to a left-wing justification for violence, and the administration is cracking down on those who have contributed to the problem.

    404 Media reported that the DOJ quietly removed a flawed National Institute of Justice study entitled "What NIJ Research Tells Us About Domestic Terrorism." The removal was first noted by Daniel Malmer, a Ph.D. student studying online extremism at UNC-Chapel Hill.

    'My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it.'

    “For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world's worst mass murderers and criminals,” Trump said in a speech following Kirk’s death. “This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we're seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now. My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it.”

    RELATED: Media tries to protect Antifa with tired al-Qaeda talking points

    Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

    The study explains that "militant, nationalistic, white supremacist violent extremism has increased in the United States. In fact, the number of far-right attacks continues to outpace all other types of terrorism and domestic violent extremism."

    The study explains this "trend" in more detail: "Since 1990, far-right extremists have committed far more ideologically motivated homicides than far-left or radical Islamist extremists, including 227 events that took more than 520 lives. In this same period, far-left extremists committed 42 ideologically motivated attacks that took 78 lives."

    In 2023 congressional testimony, Heidi L. Beirich, co-founder and executive vice president of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, echoed the findings of the June 2024 study:

    Data on acts of political violence clearly shows that it is the far right that is driving terrorism in the U.S., including targeting and, in certain cases, murdering law enforcement. That is not to say there is no violence from far-left actors, it is just simply not on the scale or as deadly as what is coming from far-right actors.

    The Biden-era study is no longer available on the DOJ website, but Blaze News was able to locate the document off-site.

    Kyle Shideler, the director and senior analyst for homeland security and counterterrorism at the Center for Security Policy, told Blaze News, "This is typical of the countering violent extremism approach that has predominated the response to terrorist threats and also the Biden administration’s effort to make hate crimes and hate speech as equivalent to terrorism."

    Shideler continued, "The problem with these kinds of studies is they rely on slanted or biased databases which poorly categoriz[e] or refus[e] to categorize or underreport[] far-left extremism. This has even included things like coding black supremacists as white supremacists, counting drug deals gone wrong as hate crimes, and the like."

    "The Trump administration recently canceled funding for one such database," Shideler added, referring to the government's July revocation of funding for the University of Maryland’s National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism program.

    "We don’t live in 1975. We don’t live in 1995. We don’t live in 2001, or even 2015," National Journalism Center Director Geoff Ingersoll explained in an X thread about a similar study out of the libertarian-left Cato Institute. The researcher, he wrote: "cooked the books and muddied the water. Any suggestion that the problem we face RIGHT NOW is something other than political violence on the left is being dangerously dishonest. More than a quarter of college students believe violence is justified to silence a speaker. Self identified 'very liberals' think political violence is justified at 6x the rate of 'very conservatives.'"

    A significant section of the study explores extremism tied to "white supremacist" groups. A footnote says: "The project included three human rights groups (Anti Defamation League, Simon Wiesenthal Center, and Southern Poverty Law Center) and Life After Hate, an organization that assists white supremacists in exiting the movement."

    This marks another of the Trump administration's decisive steps toward quelling the justification for left-wing violence since these flawed studies are used to back up their arguments. This is also an opportunity for the government to continue investigating the federal funding of these studies and institutes.

    The Department of Justice and Steven Chermak, one of the co-authors of the study, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

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  • 'Ignorant leftist' caught on video ripping down Trump banner, allegedly opening fire on business owner Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:30:00 +0000


    Chilling video shows the moment a man ripped down a pro-Trump banner and then reportedly fired a gun at a business owner in North Carolina.

    The Swain County Sheriff's Office said in a statement, "On 6 September 2025 at approximately 5:52 PM, the Swain County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to the area of ... the Nantahala Gorge for a report of gunshots."

    'I let him know that somebody's watching him and didn't appreciate it.'

    The responding deputy did not see anything suspicious.

    Three days after the alleged incident, the Swain County Sheriff's Office became aware of a video of the purported occurrence.

    The video shows a Jeep Grand Cherokee stopping in the middle of a road and then pulling over to the shoulder.

    The driver exits the vehicle, walks across the road, and examines a large "Trump 2024" banner that was displayed roadside. Surveillance video shows the man ripping down the banner supporting President Donald Trump and tossing it to the ground. He then walks back to his SUV and enters the vehicle.

    Mark Thomas — owner of Paddle Inn Rafting Company, where the sign had been displayed — said he was shocked over the alleged incident.

    Thomas told WHNS-TV, "He walked up to the sign. When he stood up at the sign, I thought, 'I can't believe this.' I watched him until he reached up and pulled the sign down. It's just a shock."

    Thomas noted that the Trump banner belongs to his mother and has been displayed for a "long time."

    Thomas said he went outside and fired his rifle in the air with two warning shots. "I let him know that somebody's watching him and didn't appreciate it," Thomas explained.

    Video shows the suspect opening the sunroof of his SUV, pointing the gun out, and allegedly firing gunshots in the direction of Thomas.

    According to the Daily Mail, Thomas said, "He looked up, obviously saw the gun pointing straight up, he rolled back his sunroof, stuck his gun out, fired two rounds, then took off in my direction."

    Thomas said one of the bullets "hit something solid near me."

    "He drove back by here in another loop four minutes later," Thomas noted. Thomas said he was "ready to take him out on this second trip" and made himself "plenty visible with my rifle."

    Thomas said the suspect fired another five or six rounds before driving away.

    The Daily Mail reported, "The business owner said he believes the suspect was trying to kill him, and slammed him as an 'ignorant leftist.'"

    RELATED: Florida woman allegedly attacks 72-year-old Trump supporter wearing MAGA hat, batters cop

    The suspect reportedly had his license plate covered at the time of the alleged incident.

    Swain County Sheriff Brian Kirkland told Blaze News, "We have identified the vehicle. We are currently working with out-of-state agencies on the investigative part of identifying the suspect."

    Sheriff Kirkland said it is an ongoing investigation and authorities currently couldn't release more details "without jeopardizing this case."

    Law enforcement is urging anyone with information on this case to contact the Swain County Sheriff's Office at 828-488-0159 or Swain County Dispatch at 828-488-2196.

    Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) told WHNS-TV, "We're at a point right now where we've seen so much political rhetoric from so many different folks — both sides of the aisle, quite frankly — that have ignited fears, anger, and emotion inside of folks, and in many cases caused them to do things that they may not have done otherwise."

    "I believe that we all need to cool our jets. We need to figure out how to have open dialogue about our differences," Edwards continued. "There are differences, clearly."

    Thomas stated, "Society in general is really, really disappointing. I know what this country could be. I know how we could all be together."

    "See something, say something, do something. Become part of a respectable community and make it known that we will NOT stand for this stuff," Thomas added.

    RELATED: Trump supporter assaulted at grocery store for wearing 'Trump 2024' hat: Police

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  • Ted Cruz goes scorched-earth on CNN over wild claims about Charlie Kirk assassin Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:15:00 +0000


    Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and CNN’s Kaitlan Collins got into a contentious exchange while discussing a recent House Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday night. The discussion began with a reaction to the hearing, during which Cruz called on President Trump to designate Antifa — a left-wing extremist group — as a terrorist organization.

    While speaking on CNN, Cruz emphasized the importance of cracking down on left-wing terrorism, urging Trump and the Department of Justice to “follow the money. Much of this violence that we’ve seen, it’s not organic. There is real money that is funding it.”

    Cruz went on to point to Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk, as a clear example of someone radicalized and inspired by left-wing extremism to the point of becoming violent, as evidenced by the slogans on his rifle and bullet casings and various discussions in left-wing groups online.

    Things got heated when Collins pushed back, claiming, “We don’t have a motive yet, we don’t know yet.” Cruz immediately retorted, “We don’t have a motive yet? Really? That’s CNN’s position? He just happened to fire the gun in celebration?”

    RELATED: Punk college student blatantly mocks Charlie Kirk assassination during campus vigil for slain TPUSA founder. Big mistake. | Blaze Media

    Photo by the Salt Lake Tribune / Contributor via Getty Images

    The dispute went on, with Collins claiming that law enforcement has yet to officially attach a specific motive in a legal document and Cruz attacking the distinction as a willful distraction from the fact that Robinson is “a left-wing activist who hated Charlie Kirk.”

    In attacking Collins' argument as misleading, Cruz pointed to a poll showing that 41% of Democrats believed that Charlie Kirk’s killer was a Republican. He pointed to CNN engaging in “misinformation” as part of the reason for this attitude.

    When asked if she had seen the poll, Collins did not answer, choosing instead to ask Cruz if he believed that right-wing groups online should be subjected to the same DOJ investigations as left-wing groups.

    Cruz responded by saying that “anyone engaged in acts of violence should be prosecuted and go to jail.” He then rebuked CNN for engaging in “both sides-ism,” pointing out that “it is the left that overwhelmingly celebrates this.”

  • Tears and tributes: Glenn Beck hosts “The Charlie Kirk Show” with Rush Limbaugh’s golden microphone Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:12:52 +0000


    Since Charlie Kirk’s tragic passing, Turning Point USA and the show’s producers have been organizing a series of guest hosts to continue broadcasting “The Charlie Kirk Show” as a tribute to his legacy. Notable voices stepping in have included Vice President JD Vance, Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro, and Human Events senior editor Jack Posobiec. Today, Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck, a longtime friend and mentor of Charlie’s, was honored to be the next voice that pays tribute to his enduring impact on the nation.

    “To sit in [Charlie’s] studio right next to his chair is more difficult than I imagined,” Glenn says through tears.

    He reflects on first meeting Charlie when he was just 17-years-old. “He was amazing. He was so well read, so smart, so clear,” Glenn says.

    Charlie told Glenn back then that he wanted to be just like him some day — one of the great voices in radio history.

    As part of his tribute to Charlie, who indeed became one the most celebrated broadcasters of his generation, Glenn pulls out Rush Limbaugh’s golden Excellence in Broadcasting microphone — a gift he was given by Rush’s wife after his death in 2021 — and sets it in front of Charlie’s microphone.

    Glenn mourns the fact that he never got the chance to tell Charlie that he was “thinking too small” by wishing to become a great broadcaster. “Charlie was a broadcaster and a narrowcaster. Charlie was a pastor and a priest, and listening to the way he could argue and think differently, he was a rabbi as well — and one of the best. He was a political organizer; he was a political think tank himself. He was a compassionate friend,” Glenn says.

    “He surpassed Rush Limbaugh by miles.”

    Glenn is then joined by Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of “The Charlie Kirk Show” and Turning Point USA spokesperson, who says he and Charlie regularly fantasized about Rush Limbaugh’s golden EIB microphone.

    He notes that as a high school student, Charlie watched Glenn Beck’s 2010 speech at the Restoring Honor rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C, where Glenn famously said, “Somewhere in this crowd is the next George Washington. I know it. You know it. We are here together, and the next great leader is here. They may not know it yet, but they will rise, and they will lead us to a better tomorrow.”

    At just 31 years old, Charlie was well on his way to becoming the man Glenn predicted 15 years ago. “I saw him young, and I saw his desires and how he builds and everything that he did. ... Charlie would have been president ... a great president,” he says. “He surpassed all of us. I don’t know if there’s another person in history on our side, at least in the last 150 years, that was like Charlie.”

    To replace someone like Charlie, he says, we’d need a bare minimum of “six people at the top of their craft to cover everything that he has done.”

    Kolvet recounts all the times he witnessed people begging Charlie to run for president. “Charlie would always say, ‘No, no, no, I’m happy doing what I’m doing,’” he says, noting that Charlie was rooting for JD Vance as the next in line.

    Even still, “Charlie was in so many ways being honed and sharpened for such a job,” he says.

    “People need to understand that, yes, Charlie was a brilliant communicator. Yes, he was an autodidact who kept studying the classics .... and he was deeply, deeply sincere in his faith. But he was also so skilled at the quiet things — the behind-the-scenes things — and he would honor people. He was trusted. ... His goal was to keep people together.”

    Just a few weeks before his death, Charlie sent Kolvet a Greek hierarchy of the highest virtues and callings. “He said to me, ‘Andrew, we are not the actors and the entertainers at the bottom. ... We need to strive to be statesmen and philosophers up at the top,” he recalls.

    “[Charlie] knew that God had put him in a position that he could keep people together.”

    To see the full show, watch the episode above.

    Want more from Glenn Beck?

    To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

  • Jimmy Kimmel claims Charlie Kirk shooter is 'MAGA' during wildly unfunny monologue Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:00:00 +0000


    Jimmy Kimmel lashed out at Republicans and President Donald Trump in his monologue on Monday.

    Charlie Kirk was assassinated on September 10, murdered at a university speaking event in Utah. On the September 15 episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" the host went against the apparent preponderance of evidence and claimed Kirk was killed by a man who shared similar beliefs.

  • How a butt-dialed voicemail may have exposed chilling cover-up of missing flight attendant's murder Wed, 17 Sep 2025 17:45:00 +0000


    An American Airlines flight attendant went missing, and her body has yet to be found. However, authorities say a Texas woman may have implicated herself and her friend after an accidental butt-dial phone call left behind a damning voicemail.

    Rana Nofal Soluri — a 47-year-old flight attendant from Fort Worth — was reported missing on June 11.

    'It's been torture.'

    Soluri had been out of work since late March while recovering from minor surgery, the New York Post reported. Her co-workers at Envoy Air — an American Airlines subsidiary — reported Soluri missing after they purportedly were unable to contact her.

    During a June 10 welfare check, police questioned 66-year-old Dennis William Day — Soluri’s roommate. According to the Post, Day told investigators that Soluri had been a longtime friend and had been living with him in Fort Worth but added he had not seen her for three months.

    On June 23, police conducted a search of Day's property and interviewed him again.

    Citing an affidavit, NBC News reported that investigators also looked at surveillance video from the property.

    Police said the surveillance video shows Day dragging "what appears to be a lifeless body from the home into the backyard" on March 21.

    Coincidentally, detectives secured a search warrant for Soluri's cell phone records, which reportedly show that the last call she made was on March 21, according to People magazine.

    Day was arrested and booked into the Tarrant County Jail on June 26, according to jail records. Day was charged with murder and is being detained on a $200,000 bond.

    On Aug. 26, police arrested a second suspect — 62-year-old Joni Thomas. She was charged with tampering with evidence. She has since been released on bond.

    RELATED: 'Monster' learns his fate for killing 2-year-old girl; officials say he 'completely severed' toddler's spine

    According to a criminal complaint obtained by KXAS-TV, Day convinced Thomas to let him use her pickup truck to transport Soluri's body, and Thomas assisted Day in throwing the corpse off a bridge.

    Thomas initially told investigators that she didn't allow Day to use her truck, according to police. However, Thomas allegedly changed her story later.

    Citing the arrest warrant, KXAS reported that investigators said Thomas later said Day did use her truck and that she was with him but didn't know what was going on. In addition, it's alleged that Thomas said she thought Day had stopped on the bridge to urinate, and then she fell asleep in the passenger seat, waking up in Day's driveway.

    However, Day allegedly admitted to authorities that he borrowed Thomas' truck to dispose of a body.

    According to the arrest warrant, police say cell phone records show Thomas drove to Day's house after he allegedly killed Soluri, and both Thomas and Day left their phones at his house before driving to Bowie.

    "This is a clear effort by both [Day] and [Thomas] to deceive law enforcement and make it appear like they never left [Day’s] house in Fort Worth, Texas, when they were dumping [Nofal’s] body in Bowie, TX," police said in the warrant, according to KXAS.

    Then, investigators discovered an accidental voicemail that could incriminate Day and spell trouble for Thomas.

    According to the arrest warrant, a male and female can be heard speaking in the voicemail left on Thomas' cell phone. The pair reportedly were talking about lifting something heavy.

    A male can be heard saying, "Hey ... help me," "Make sure the lid's on," and "I'm sorry I got you messed up in this."

    Citing the arrest warrant, the New York Post reported that Day confessed to getting into an argument with Soluri after she allegedly recorded video of him acting irate and threatened to call 911. Day claimed he "snapped" and reacted by strangling his roommate with his bare hands, according to police.

    The New York Post reported that police said he confessed to stuffing Soluri's body into a black trash bin and dumping it off a bridge in the town of Bowie — roughly 70 miles north of Fort Worth.

    The Post added that despite searches at multiple bridges in Bowie, Soluri’s body has not been recovered — and officials fear flooding may have pushed the body downstream.

    Soluri’s sister, Nez, told KXAS that her family has been heartbroken: “It’s been torture. Every other day, I keep dreaming or wishing ... maybe she bumped her head, had amnesia — something.”

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  • Florida man accused of threatening to 'personally' assure all conservatives are 'systematically erased' Wed, 17 Sep 2025 17:30:00 +0000


    A Florida man was arrested after the Federal Bureau of Investigation received a tip from the man's high school friend about alarming threats posted to social media.

    When police confronted Michael Whitehead at his apartment in Fort Myers about the threatening messages, the 27-year-old allegedly admitted that the account belonged to him and he wrote the threatening messages.

    'I personally will do everything I can to democide republicans.'

    "All American conservatives will be systematically erased, I personally will do everything I can to democide republicans," one alleged post read.

    Democide refers to the killing of citizens by the government.

    "Her oppressors will suffer by my hand I promise," another alleged message read.

    The woman who tipped off the FBI had taken screenshots of the threats.

    Whitehouse was arrested on Sept. 10 by the Fort Myers Police Department and released on bond the next day with restrictions that included surrendering his firearm and wearing a GPS monitor.

    His attorney, Michael Hornung, told Gulf Coast News that the incident was simply a misunderstanding arising from poor judgment.

    "What can be misconstrued, especially with politics nowadays, I can understand the fever that's out there," he said.

    Hornung said that Whitehead had never previously been in trouble with the law and that none of the threats specifically singled out any politician or person.

    RELATED: Wife and son helped father dismember man's body with a chainsaw after a lethal poker game, police say

    Jim Rosinus, the chair of the Democratic Party of Lee County, rejected the comments vehemently in a statement to GCN.

    "Political violence of any kind is unacceptable. It is not acceptable on the left, it is not acceptable on the right, it is not the way to run a democracy."

    Whitehead was charged with making a written or electronic threat.

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  • Glenn Beck goes live on 'The Charlie Kirk Show' after bomb squad rushes to Turning Point USA HQ Wed, 17 Sep 2025 17:03:22 +0000


    Phoenix police rushed to the Turning Point USA's Arizona headquarters just prior to Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck going live as the guest host of "The Charlie Kirk Show" on Wednesday after a suspicious bag was left on the premises.

    The Phoenix Police Department indicated that in "the abundance of caution and for the safety of those in the area, this location has been cleared and the PPD Bomb Squad has responded."

    KMYA-TV footage shows multiple bomb robots deployed at the scene.

    RELATED: Plans for first Charlie Kirk statue revealed by formerly woke institution

    Additional footage shared to X by Newsmax's John Huddy shows an officer dressed in a explosive ordnance disposal suit scrutinizing the bag at the scene.

    While the discovery of the suspicious bag prompted a delay, Beck ultimately went live, paying tribute to his fallen friend and discussing with counterterrorism expert Ryan Mauro the new report from Capital Research Center detailing how George Soros' Open Society Foundations has poured tens of millions of dollars into U.S.-based organizations that are allegedly engaged in activities the FBI has defined as domestic terrorism as well as into foreign outfits allegedly linked to designated foreign terrorist organizations.

    Police later deemed the bag safe and lifted the restrictions.

    Rikki Ratliff-Fellman, Beck's executive producer, noted on X, "Was not fun telling my husband and family this. I'm in the control room now getting this live show to air but when it's over I'm going to scream in a pillow."

    Beck noted on Tuesday, "It's going to be really hard, really hard tomorrow."

    "I'm so proud of him," Beck said of Kirk, "and everything he accomplished."

    Ratliff-Fellman told Blaze News the day before the broadcast, "We are not just honored, we are humbled that Turning Point USA would ask Glenn Beck to fill in on 'The Charlie Kirk Show' this week."

    This is a developing story.

    Editor's note: This article was updated after publication to incorporate Rikki Ratliff-Fellman's remarks on X about the incident.

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