02 U.S. Politics

Takeaways from House Oversight’s interview with Barr on Epstein – www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

Takeaways from House Oversight’s interview with Barr on Epstein – www.washingtonexaminer.com
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The House Oversight Committee released a transcript from its first closed-door interview with former Attorney General Bill Barr in which he acknowledged the mishandling of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s detainment and pointed to other possible files.

Barr, who twice served as attorney general and led the Justice Department during President Donald Trump’s first term, was subpoenaed by Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) last month. His appearance marked the first interview in a sweeping inquiry that also sought sitdowns with former President Bill Clinton, former Attorney General Eric Holder, and former FBI Director James Comey.

Barr was attorney general when Epstein was found dead in his prison cell in 2019, a death that was later deemed a suicide. Barr became directly involved in the aftermath, reviewing 11 hours of surveillance footage from Epstein’s cell block. He later concluded the video showed no evidence of foul play and backed the medical examiner’s finding of suicide.

Last week, the committee received a slew of documents from Epstein’s estate, including the 2003 “Birthday Book” that is alleged to have President Donald Trump’s signature in it.

Earlier this month, House Oversight released 33,000 pages of DOJ files on Epstein, just after Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), along with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), introduced his discharge petition to try and force a vote for the full release of the Epstein files.

House passes two bills overhauling DC sentencing policies– thehill.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

House passes two bills overhauling DC sentencing policies– thehill.com
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The House passed two bills on Tuesday to assert congressional control over the District of Columbia’s sentencing policies, the first portion of a slate of legislation coming to a vote this week aimed at overhauling Washington, D.C.’s criminal justice system.

The first bill is the D.C. Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe Act, or DC CRIMES Act, which would prohibit the District’s local officials from changing sentencing laws and restrict the ability of local judges to be more lenient with younger criminals.

And the second bill, H.R. 5140, lowers the age for which youth offenders can be tried as an adult for certain criminal offenses, changing the threshold to 14 years of age.

The DC CRIMES Act passed 240-179, while H.R. 5140 passed 225-203.

Republicans are set to vote on several other bills relating to D.C. crime later this week as they carry on Trump’s crusade against crime in the nation’s capital after his 30-day takeover of the city’s police force expired.

The DC CRIMES Act amends the D.C. Home Rule Act to prohibit the council from enacting any changes to sentencing laws, as well as changing a provision that allows for lighter sentences for some convicts younger than 25 — lowering the threshold to 18.

Schumer And Jeffries Flat Out Reject Mike Johnson’s Partisan CR– www.politicususa.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

Schumer And Jeffries Flat Out Reject Mike Johnson’s Partisan CR– www.politicususa.com
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House Republicans offered up a seven-week CR that would keep the government open until November 21 and contains some funding for additional security for lawmakers, but did nothing to restore Obamacare subsidies or replace planned Medicaid cuts.

Johnson is planning a vote in the House on Friday on his CR.

The lack of anything in the CR to address healthcare meant that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer outright rejected it.

Schumer and Jeffries said in a joint statement:

The House Republican-only spending bill fails to meet the needs of the American people and does nothing to stop the looming healthcare crisis. At a time when families are already being squeezed by higher costs, Republicans refuse to stop Americans from facing double-digit hikes in their health insurance premiums.

By refusing to work with Democrats, Republicans are steering our country straight toward a shutdown. President Trump called the play last week when he told Congressional Republicans to jam a partisan spending bill down the throats of the American people without Democratic support.

Instead of governing, Republicans are once again taking orders from Donald Trump, hurting the American people and recklessly marching our nation to the brink of a shutdown.

Senate Unanimously Passes Resolution Condemning Kirk Assassination– www.breitbart.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

Senate Unanimously Passes Resolution Condemning Kirk Assassination– www.breitbart.com
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The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution condemning the assassination of conservative commentator and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, and praising Kirk’s legacy.

“The United States Senate has unanimously passed my resolution condemning the assassination of Charlie Kirk and praising his outstanding legacy,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) said in a post on X. “This is just a flag, planted on a hill. What matters is where we carry it next.”

The text of the resolution, according to photos included in Lee’s post, says:

Whereas Charlie Kirk was horrifically assassinated on September 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University while speaking to a large group of college students;

Whereas Charlie Kirk was a devoted husband, father, and Christian;

Whereas, in 2012, Charlie Kirk founded Turning Point USA, a conservative campus advocacy group that quickly became one of the fastest growing college campus chapter organizations in the country; and

Whereas Charlie Kirk frequently engaged college students of all political backgrounds in open debates and discussion, encouraging civil discourse on college campuses and among college students: Now, therefore be it

Trump thinks RFK Jr is the key to win the midterms – all by getting MAHA moms on their side– www.independent.co.uk

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

Trump thinks RFK Jr is the key to win the midterms – all by getting MAHA moms on their side– www.independent.co.uk
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Charlie Kirk suspect confessed in note to roommate, prosecutors allege– www.bbc.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

Charlie Kirk suspect confessed in note to roommate, prosecutors allege– www.bbc.com
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Watch: Tyler Robinson appears in court via video link

The man accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk confessed to killing the right-wing activist in a message to his roommate, prosecutors have alleged, as they announced seven charges against him.

Tyler Robinson, 22, left a note under a keyboard for his roommate to discover, said Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray. He added that the roommate was Mr Robinson’s romantic partner.

According to Mr Gray, the note said: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I’m going to take it.”

The prosecutor also shared text messages between the roommates, including one in which the defendant allegedly said he shot Kirk because he had “had enough of his hatred”.

The suspect is being held without bail in a special housing unit at the Utah County Jail. He made his first court appearance on Tuesday, appearing remotely as prosecutors read the seven charges against him.

The charges are aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering, and committing a violent crime when children are present.

Instagram/charliekirk1776
Charlie Kirk, his wife, Erika, and their two children

Texas Tech student arrested for alleged assault of man mourning Charlie Kirk’s murder– www.thecollegefix.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

Texas Tech student arrested for alleged assault of man mourning Charlie Kirk’s murder– www.thecollegefix.com
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A Texas Tech student who was caught mocking conservative leader Charlie Kirk’s murder in a viral video has been arrested on an assault charge, according to court documents.

The public research university confirmed this week that Camryn Booker, 18, also is no longer a student there, KCBD/Gray News reports.

The incident took place Friday during a vigil on campus for Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA who was shot and killed last week during a Utah Valley University event, Fox News reports.

During the vigil, a police officer reported seeing Booker hit a man holding a “Rest in peace Charlie Kirk” sign, according to KCBD. Court records indicate Booker was arrested and charged with a Class C misdemeanor assault.

“The Texas Tech Police Department arrested a student for simple assault, which occurred on the west side of the Student Union Building (free speech area),” the Texas Tech Police Department told Fox News in a statement.

“The student was transported to the Lubbock County Jail,” and later released, according to police.

She is no longer a student at the university, Texas Tech stated Monday.

Sen. John Fetterman Calls Out Democrat Party Over Violent Rhetoric– wltreport.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

Sen. John Fetterman Calls Out Democrat Party Over Violent Rhetoric– wltreport.com
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Democrat Sen. John Fetterman is calling out his own party for spewing out hateful propaganda that incites violence.

During an appearance with Fox News‘s Bret Baier and Republican Sen. Dave McCormick, Fetterman took aim at the radical left’s dangerous rhetoric.

“Do not ever, ever, ever compare anyone to Hitler,” Fetterman warned.

He went on, “If you do, then you will incite somebody to say, well, now I feel like I have to stop, to stop that and take them out.”

Watch:

Transcript from RealClearPolitics:

BRET BAIER: Well tonight, in our Common Ground segment, a conversation on bringing the nation together, or trying to, to restore civility in politics. Joining me, Pennsylvania Senators Dave McCormick and John Fetterman. Pennsylvania, by the way, is one of only three states with a Democrat and Republican split in the U.S. Senate. Senators, thanks for being here. You all called me. Usually we reach out. You wanted to do this together. Why?

SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA): Well, I mean, we thought it was just a great idea. I think it’s an important idea right now. I mean, the trauma after the Charlie Kirk assassination, and now, as things continue now, it’s like, I feel like it’s important that people can witness, you know, a Democrat and a Republican having a conversation after this. It’s absolutely horrific, and it’s entirely necessary to allow people to grieve for that. I mean, everyone’s seen the video.

SEN. DAVE MCCORMICK (R-PA): Yeah, it’s just the, the heartbreak, you feel for Charlie Kirk’s family, Eric and their children, and all the students across the country, the people across the country that were huge followers. And I think the Senator and I agreed that, and we, we do agree that there, there’s just no place in this country, for political violence. It, it’s absolutely something, it runs counter to the very idea of free, free speech and freedom, and that when you see, dangerous rhetoric, like fascist and Nazism and authoritarianism, that’s a, and, and the end of democracy, that’s a, that’s a permission. That takes us down a path where the inevitable next step is, is violence, and, and that’s what we see.

BRET BAIER: And Senator Fetterman, you’ve talked about that recently, calling somebody Hitler, calling somebody Nazis.

SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA): Exactly, this idea, it’s like, do not ever, ever, ever compare anyone to Hitler. If not, go online and you can read up on exactly what he’s responsible for, you know, 75 to 80 million lives lost in World War II, and you don’t compare him to anyone. And if you do, then you will incite somebody to say, well, now I feel like I have to stop, to stop that and take them out.

Pope tells new US ambassador he is praying for Charlie Kirk and his family– abcnews.go.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

Pope tells new US ambassador he is praying for Charlie Kirk and his family– abcnews.go.com
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Pope Leo XIV has told the new U.S. ambassador to the Vatican that he was praying for Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist assassinated in Utah last week, as well as his wife and children

ROME — Pope Leo XIV told the new U.S. ambassador to the Holy See that he is praying for Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist assassinated in Utah last week, as well as his wife and children, the Vatican spokesman said Tuesday.

Leo also “expressed concern about political violence and spoke of the need to refrain from rhetoric and exploitation that lead to polarization rather than dialogue,” spokesman Matteo Bruni said in comments reported by Vatican News.

The pope made the comments on Saturday when he received Ambassador Brian Burch in an audience to receive his credentials. The protocol visit marked their first meeting.

“The pope confirmed that he is praying for Charlie Kirk,” Bruni said.

Speaker Johnson Defends Free Speech, Backs Firings, Warns Leaders Not to Demonize Opponents– townhall.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

Speaker Johnson Defends Free Speech, Backs Firings, Warns Leaders Not to Demonize Opponents– townhall.com
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Earlier today, AG Pam Bondi clarified her comments about “hate speech” after receiving criticism from conservatives.

Now Speaker Mike Johnson is responding to questions about Bondi’s comments.

Speaker Johnson said:

In America, it’s a very important part of our tradition that we do not censor and silence disfavored viewpoints. People in America are allowed to say crazy things. That said, if I’m an employer or a government agency and I have someone online who is online celebrating the heinous murder of an innocent young husband and father, I can make the decision that they don’t deserve to work for me. They shouldn’t represent my company or my agency. And I have every right to do that and I think that’s appropriate. That’s personal behavior and decorum and you have a right to enforce that.

Former Prosecutor Worries That ‘Pre-Trial Publicity’ Creates ‘Issues’ For Prosecution In Charlie Kirk Case– dailycaller.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

Former Prosecutor Worries That ‘Pre-Trial Publicity’ Creates ‘Issues’ For Prosecution In Charlie Kirk Case– dailycaller.com
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Former federal prosecutor Jim Trusty warned Tuesday that the prosecution of Tyler Robinson for the Sept. 10 assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk could be difficult due to media coverage.

Utah County District Attorney Jeffrey Gray announced Robinson was charged with aggravated murder, committing a violent offense in the presence of a child, obstruction of justice and witness tampering on Tuesday in relation to Kirk’s assassination during an event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. Trusty said that the “remarkable amount of detail” in the probable cause statement might cause problems.

WATCH:

“You can summarize and still have enough for probable cause so he has the best of both worlds,” Trusty told “The Story” guest host Bill Hemmer. “I’m afraid in the long run we will see a motion to change venue, which is almost automatic in death penalty cases of high-profile, but he probably fueled that fire. I am talking about how he gave all of these vivid details, and you point to the case of the Boston marathon bomber, whose death penalty recently got reversed by the court of appeals because of the pretrial publicity problem in picking a jury.”

Signs Demanding Violence Against Republicans Posted In DC– thefederalist.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

Signs Demanding Violence Against Republicans Posted In DC– thefederalist.com
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The nation’s capital is a crossroads where elected officials meet with their constituents or special interest groups, where hecklers and protesters are a fact of everyday life, and where visible efforts to maintain law and order contrast starkly with numerous signs calling for left-wing violence.

“Call the exterminator. The White House is full of vermin!” is a new sign that appeared to show up Monday morning, ostensibly calling for the extermination of not just President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, but every cabinet secretary on down to the lowest-level political staffer who works there. It seems to have been posted just days after the country witnessed the political assassination of Charlie Kirk, in the wake of years of similar left-wing rhetoric that has fueled such political violence.

With left-wing political violence at a fever pitch and their acts of domestic terrorism growing closer and closer together, it is time for the U.S. Capitol Police, the D.C. Metropolitan Police (MPD), and other authorities to take apparent threats more seriously.

Man Who Claimed to Have Shot Charlie Kirk Hit with Multiple Child Sexual Exploitation Charges– www.westernjournal.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

Man Who Claimed to Have Shot Charlie Kirk Hit with Multiple Child Sexual Exploitation Charges– www.westernjournal.com
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The man who was taken into custody at Utah Valley University last week after falsely claiming that he had shot Charlie Kirk has now been charged with possessing graphic sexual photos of children as well as felony obstruction of justice.

The Utah Valley Sheriff’s Office said in a Tuesday news release that shortly after Kirk’s assassination, George Zinn, 71, approached officers, saying he was the shooter.

UVU police took him into custody and took him to the police office on campus. While there, he complained of chest pains and was transported to a local hospital, where he confessed he had not shot Kirk, but was trying to create a distraction to give the real assassin time to flee.

BREAKING: Utah Authorities Announce Seven Charges Against Charlie Kirk Assassin Tyler Robinson, Will Seek Death Penalty– conservativeroof.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

BREAKING: Utah Authorities Announce Seven Charges Against Charlie Kirk Assassin Tyler Robinson, Will Seek Death Penalty– conservativeroof.com
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Utah authorities announced on Tuesday that Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson faces seven charges and that they will be seeking the death penalty.

Tyler Robinson, 22, was taken into custody last Friday for assassinating TPUSA founder and conservative activist Charlie Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University.

Robinson will be held without bail as authorities prepare for trial. “I am filing a notice of intent to seek the death penalty. I do not take this decision lightly, and it is a decision I have made… based solely on the available evidence and circumstances and nature of the crime,” Utah County District Attorney Jeff Gray said during a press conference.

Robinson was charged with:

– Count 1: Aggravated murder (capital offense);
– Count 2: Felony reckless discharge of a firearm causing bodily injury;
– Count 3: Felony obstruction of justice for hiding the firearm;
– Count 4: Felony obstruction of justice for discarding the clothing he wore during the shooting;
– Count 5: Witness tampering for asking roommate to delete incriminating messages;
– Count 6: Witness tampering for demanding trans roommate stay silent, and not speak to police;
– Count 7: Commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child.

Tyler Robinson’s Chilling Last Messages With ‘Lover’ Revealed– trendingpoliticsnews.com

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Tyler Robinson’s Chilling Last Messages With ‘Lover’ Revealed– trendingpoliticsnews.com
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Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah man who has been accused of murdering conservative activist Charlie Kirk, has been formally charged with a slew of offenses, including aggravated murder. When formally announcing the charges, prosecutors confirmed that they intend to seek the death penalty and shared a number of new pieces of evidence in the case.

Robinson, 22, has also been charged with felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray announced on Tuesday. Gray described the Kirk murder as an “American strategy” and stressed that pursuing the death penalty is not a decision that was taken lightly.

“Robinson’s father reported that when his wife showed him the surveillance image of the suspected shooter in the news, he agreed it looked like their son,” according to the charging documents. When Robinson’s father saw photos of the weapon recovered by the FBI, he noticed that it looked like a rifle that was given to Tyler as a gift and asked his son to send a photo of the weapon.

First Man Arrested in Charlie Kirk’s Murder Hit With Child Porn Charges – RedState– redstate.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

First Man Arrested in Charlie Kirk’s Murder Hit With Child Porn Charges – RedState– redstate.com
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Remember George Zinn, that… person, who tried to distract cops, to mislead them away from Charlie Kirk’s murderer? He’s a real piece of work, it turns out (he’s a piece of something else, too, but this is a family-friendly site). Last Wednesday, after he attempted to distract the cops – thankfully, in the end, he was unsuccessful –  he was briefly detained and then released.

It’s uncertain, as yet, as to whether or not he will face any federal charges of being an accessory after the fact. We covered that possibility earlier on Tuesday:

Well, later on Tuesday, we learned that George Zinn is in trouble again. Now he’s being hit with child pornography charges.

The elderly rabble-rouser who allegedly hindered Utah authorities’ response after Charlie Kirk was fatally shot is now accused of keeping “graphic” sexual photos of children on his phone, according to law enforcement.

George Zinn, 71, was charged with four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor Monday after investigators found more than 20 images of kids as young as 5 years old, at least partially naked and “posing” in a “sexual” way, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Tuesday.

“Zinn admitted … that he gets sexual gratification from viewing and sharing [child sexual abuse material] images with others, and that his preferred victim age is 5 to 12 years old,” the agency alleged.

Trump’s lowered 15% tariff on cars from Japan to take effect Tuesday– japantoday.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

Trump’s lowered 15% tariff on cars from Japan to take effect Tuesday– japantoday.com
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U.S. President Donald Trump’s lowered tariff of 15 percent on automobiles from Japan will take effect Tuesday, the Commerce Department said, about four months after his aggressive trade agenda started damaging the industrial backbone of one of Washington’s key allies.

The department announced the timing of the adjustment on Monday. The U.S. tariff rate for foreign-origin cars rose to 27.5 percent after Trump imposed in April an additional auto tariff on national security grounds, squeezing the margins of Japanese automakers and other manufacturers.

The reduced tariff is part of a trade deal the Trump administration struck on July 22 with Japan, which in return has committed to investing heavily in the United States and increasing imports of American agricultural products during the president’s nonconsecutive second term.

Trump signed an executive order on Sept. 4 formally implementing the trade agreement, which also granted Japan special treatment on what he calls “reciprocal” tariffs.

The department’s notice to be published Tuesday said that as agreed by the two countries, Trump’s additional 25 percent tariff imposed in May on major auto parts, including engines and transmissions, will also be cut to 15 percent for those coming from Japan.