Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Tuesday.
Man accused of killing Charlie Kirk faces the death penaltyThe 22-year-old man who was arrested last week and accused of assassinating the prominent right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk in Utah was formally charged today with aggravated murder. Prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty. You can read the charges here. Just before this newsletter arrived in your inbox, the suspect, Tyler Robinson, appeared in court to hear the charges against him. He nodded when the judge address him, and said his name when asked, but otherwise did not react. Follow along for the latest updates. Court documents filed along with the charges shed more light on Robinson’s possible motive. In a series of messages exchanged with his romantic partner after the shooting, he said he had killed Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred.” After the shooting, Robinson texted his partner with instructions to look under his keyboard, according to the court documents. There, his partner found a note that said, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.” The key break in the investigation appeared to come from the suspect’s own mother. A day after the shooting, she saw a photograph of the gunman on the news, thought it resembled her son, and showed the photo to her husband. They called him and persuaded him to head home before he turned himself in. Robinson’s mother told the police that her son had moved to the left politically over the last year, specifically on gay and transgender rights, according to court documents.
Israeli troops pushed into Gaza CityThe Israeli military announced today that it had launched its much-anticipated ground offensive to take control of Gaza City, which it calls a Hamas stronghold. Palestinians trying to flee clogged the roads heading south. Here’s the latest. Locals described scenes of panic as Israeli strikes pounded the area. The ground operation and intensifying Israeli bombardment were deepening the humanitarian disaster. “We are all terrified,” said Montaser Bahja, a former schoolteacher sheltering in Gaza City. “Death would be more merciful than what we’re living through.” In related news, a U.N. commission investigating the war said that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza. Look from above: Satellite images showed Israel’s buildup around Gaza City.
Trump left a tense America for a brief retreat to BritainThe president and his wife, Melania Trump, arrived this afternoon in Britain for a state visit hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla. Trump is the only elected leader to be accorded a second British state visit, showing the lengths to which Britain is willing to go to stay on Trump’s good side. In the video above, Mark Landler, our London bureau chief, describes what Britain hopes to get in return. Here’s what else to know. In other Trump administration news:
What exactly are A.I. companies building?Just a handful of tech giants — Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Meta and OpenAI — plan to spend at least $325 billion by the end of the year in a race to develop advanced artificial intelligence. That’s an unfathomable amount of money, and it’s not always clear what exactly the companies are aiming for. So, our A.I. reporters Cade Metz and Karen Weise came up with a guide to help you understand the frenzy. For more: Wall Street’s A.I. bets are driving interest in parking lots. More top news
Remembering Robert RedfordRobert Redford, who died today at 89, was one of Hollywood’s preferred leading men for decades, a sun-kissed matinee idol who took risks in films about grief and political corruption. He went on to direct hit movies that often helped America make sense of itself. Away from Hollywood, Redford championed environmental causes and created the Sundance independent film festival, which nurtured the dreams of filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Ryan Coogler and Ava DuVernay. For more: Here are some memorable snapshots from Redford’s life and career, and 15 movies that will help you remember the star as he was.
The mystery man behind a jazz masterpieceMore than 50 years ago, a saxophonist named Shamek Farrah released his debut album, “First Impressions.” Its rough-hewed, exploratory sound was overlooked at the time, but it is now considered by many to be an underappreciated spiritual jazz classic. Still, even Farrah’s most ardent admirers know little about him. It turns out that he is living in Kingsland, Ga., a few miles from the Florida border, where he is known as the Rev. Anthony Domacase. In a rare interview, he told his story.
Dinner table topics
Cook: As fall arrives, find time to enjoy these apple cider doughnuts. Read: In “The Wilderness,” Angela Flournoy inhabits a quartet of shifting perspectives with wit. |
