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The man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk was arrested Friday, ending a 33-hour manhunt. 

Who is the alleged shooter? 
The 22-year-old Utah native is a former student at Utah Valley University (the site of the shooting). He was described as a “squeaky clean” and “considerate” boy who excelled academically but had become “more political” in recent years.

Utah Governor Cox (R) says the suspect—who is currently being held without bail in the Utah County Jail—is “not cooperating” with authorities but “all the people around him are.” The alleged gunman’s father alerted authorities after his son “implied that he had committed” the murder; Cox says authorities were also helped by messages provided by the suspect’s “boyfriend, who is transitioning from male to female.”

The suspect is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, where he’ll face formal charges.

How are people responding?
Over the weekend, Erika Kirk released an episode of her late husband’s podcast, The Charlie Kirk Show. During the emotional podcast, she thanked first responders and pledged to continue Charlie’s work, including his campus tours and radio show. 

Vigils have sprung up across the country for people to pay tribute to the 31-year-old activist, while others—including an MSNBC analyst and two university employees—have been fired for making comments seeming to celebrate or minimize Kirk’s death. 

Some political leaders have upped their personal security or canceled appearances, and members of both parties have condemned political violence and called for peace.

What’s next?
VP Vance flew Kirk’s body home to Arizona on Air Force Two, where a memorial service has been scheduled for September 21 at State Farm Stadium.

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RADIATE HOPE
In the face of a violent world, Christians have hope. The servant of God, who Himself did no violence, suffered violence for us to heal our brokenness and guarantee our home in His peaceful presence forever. 

“Yet he himself bore our sicknesses, and he carried our pains; but we in turn regarded him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds.”  
Isaiah 53:4-5 (CSB) (read full passage)

A month after their D.C. deployment, the National Guard has a new assignment: Memphis.

President Trump said Friday that he’ll deploy the Guard to the Home of the Blues to address crime, noting that Memphis had the highest violent crime rate in America per 100,000 people, according to 2024 FBI data. Governor Lee (R) said he’s “grateful for the president's unwavering support”, but Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris (D) said Trump’s “incursion” will cause “confusion and fear.”

Louisiana is also getting a visit; the Pentagon drafted plans to deploy 1,000 troops to various cities.

Meanwhile, in Chicagoland, ICE officers were attempting to arrest an undocumented migrant with a history of reckless driving on Friday when the suspect drove his car into the agents, dragging one. The hit officer fatally shot the suspect and sustained “severe injuries” himself.

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
There may be good reasons to be worried about this day, month, or year. God does not promise good days; He promises a great eternity in His presence. Stay focused on Him; it changes everything.

“Therefore we do not give up... For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”  
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (CSB) (read full passage)

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At least five Historically Black Colleges and Universities locked down late last week due to threats directed at the campuses. The schools cancelled classes and weekend activities after university officials reported a string of fake emergency calls; the FBI said it has “no information to indicate a credible threat” and didn’t indicate whether the calls were connected or racially motivated. An investigation is ongoing.

Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced to over 27 years in prison for plotting a coup after losing reelection in 2022. A panel of Brazil’s Supreme Court justices voted 4-1 to convict and set the sentence, ruling Bolsonaro attempted to “violently abolish democracy.” U.S. President Trump said he was “very unhappy,” calling the case against Bolsonaro a “witch hunt.”

President Trump says he’s “ready” to sanction Russia… he’s just waiting on NATO to stop buying its oil. The condition echoes a statement by Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, who called on Europe to end all energy “deals” with Russia. The renewed push for sanctions comes as both Romania and Poland have reported Russian drones entering their airspace in the last week.

Television’s biggest stars gathered last night for the 77th Emmy Awards, clapping politely as Adolescence and The Studio won big (see all winners). Host Nate Bargatze attempted to keep things on schedule by pledging $100K to Boys and Girls Clubs— docking money for too-long acceptance speeches. At one point, the tracker was below -$40K, but Bargatze announced a $350K participation trophy donation anyway.

College football rankings are playing musical chairs. Texas A&M boot-scooted up six spots to #10 and Notre Dame slid 16 spots to #24, after the Aggies upset the Fighting Irish 41-40. Meanwhile, Clemson and South Carolina fell from the top 25 after both teams were upset on Saturday. Also unranked: UCLA, which has fired head coach Deshaun Foster after starting 0-3.

Mad juggling skillz…

How We’re Providing Hope
With Prison Fellowship*

What if you could show someone behind bars that God has a plan for their life—that their story has purpose, both in and out of prison? 

That’s the heart of Prison Fellowship’s Foundations Bible study. It equips incarcerated men and women to not only access God’s Word, but to understand and apply it for lasting transformation. 

When you give today, you put truth and hope directly into the hands of incarcerated people. We’re asking the TPO Community to step in and flood prisons with God’s Word and this study; we’re matching the first $2,000 given through our link.

How I'm Making Friends at the Pump
With Upside*

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Stephanie Wainwright | BFF-generating Proofreader