The Supreme Court delivered a strong and necessary rebuke to judicial overreach this week, siding with the Trump administration in its battle to uphold fiscal responsibility during the government shutdown.
In a move that protected the separation of powers, the High Court temporarily blocked a lower court’s outrageous attempt to force the Trump administration to pay full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits despite the absence of appropriated funds.
This was not just a legal victory—it was a constitutional one. President Donald Trump’s administration correctly argued that it cannot spend what Congress has not authorized, and the Court agreed.
At issue was a Rhode Island judge’s demand that the administration raid limited contingency funds to provide full SNAP benefits in the middle of a government shutdown that Democrats have prolonged.
That judge’s order would have set a dangerous precedent: allowing the judiciary to force the executive branch to fund entitlements beyond what Congress appropriates. Trump’s team rightly challenged it.
The administration stood firm. It refused to play into Democrat theatrics and declared that SNAP would be funded based on what legally exists—not what progressive judges or left-wing activists wish for.
This is what real leadership looks like. Trump’s America First agenda does not bend the knee to judicial activism or budgetary blackmail.
Despite liberal outrage, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued an administrative stay on the lower court’s order—confirming that the administration has the right to appeal and pause unlawful mandates.
The Supreme Court’s move ensures that unelected judges cannot usurp Congress’s power of the purse by forcing emergency expenditures that have no basis in law.
For weeks, Democrats have weaponized government shutdown politics, using essential services like SNAP as political hostages to demand concessions on unrelated spending.
The Trump administration has offered commonsense solutions. Fund critical programs through proper channels, reopen government, and stop holding the American people hostage.
Instead, left-wing courts tried to shame the administration into unlawfully raiding contingency funds. That is not governance — that is economic sabotage.
This administration is protecting taxpayers, defending constitutional limits, and ensuring programs like SNAP are funded through legitimate appropriations — not judicial diktats.
President Trump has shown time and again that his administration won’t be bullied into lawlessness, even when Democrats and their judicial allies demand it.
Let’s not forget: this crisis was caused by congressional Democrats who refused to pass a clean funding bill. They chose shutdown over compromise.
Now, they want to blame Trump for their failure to govern? That’s not just dishonest — it’s disgraceful.
The USDA had already begun working to distribute partial SNAP payments using what limited resources were available, showing the administration’s commitment to support struggling families within the law.
But Democrats don’t want solutions. They want spectacles. They’d rather stir outrage than engage in serious governance.
States like Pennsylvania, Oregon, and California rushed to comply with the judge’s ruling — not because they had to, but because they wanted to score political points against the administration.
Yet Trump held the line. His administration’s appeal to the Supreme Court was not about denying aid — it was about defending the rule of law.
And once again, Trump was right. The Court understood that real leadership means respecting constitutional boundaries, not rewriting them from the bench.
Justice Jackson’s stay gives the administration breathing room to make its case, and protects the executive branch from being railroaded by a hyper-political lower court.
This moment highlights exactly why Trump’s judicial appointments mattered—because constitutional sanity must prevail when government overreach runs wild.
BREAKING: Anna Paulina Luna Claims The Biden DOJ DESTROYED…
Representative Anna Paulina Luna has leveled explosive information against the Biden Department of Justice, claiming that critical materials related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation have been deliberately destroyed.
This assertion, if proven true, would represent one of the most damning instances of governmental obstruction and cover-up in recent history.
Luna, who chairs a congressional task force focused on federal transparency, has stated unequivocally that she possesses evidence implicating high-ranking officials in the DOJ.
According to her, these officials not only failed to disclose materials related to Epstein but actively destroyed them to conceal the extent of powerful individuals’ involvement in Epstein’s criminal network.
She introduced legislation titled the SHRED Act, aimed at imposing severe penalties on government agents who destroy or conceal federal records. The proposed bill calls for 20 years to life in prison for anyone caught eliminating evidence in cases of national significance.
“Even if they are conducting a criminal investigation, you should probably pick up the phone and call us,” Luna told Fox News. “We have been more than patient.”
These developments come amid growing conservative suspicion that the Biden administration has no interest in unmasking Epstein’s full network. The notion that key records could be gone forever only intensifies fears that justice is being buried under a bureaucratic rug.
Luna’s office has reportedly sent multiple requests to the Department of Justice demanding clarity on the handling of Epstein-related materials. So far, those inquiries have been met with either vague responses or complete silence.
The congresswoman did not mince words in her public statements, suggesting that the DOJ’s behavior constitutes a deliberate act of obstruction. If true, such actions could violate federal law and trigger an entirely new legal battle.
“The Biden DOJ has obstructed Congress, ignored subpoenas, and now appears to have destroyed critical evidence,” Luna said. “This is corruption at the highest level.”
Critics argue that this is yet another example of double standards in Washington. “Had this been a Republican-led DOJ accused of destroying documents in a child sex trafficking case, the media would be apoplectic,” one conservative commentator noted.
For years, the Epstein case has symbolized the deep rot within America’s elite circles. The financier’s suspicious death in prison and the subsequent lack of high-profile indictments have fueled accusations of a widespread cover-up.
Now, Luna’s allegations breathe new life into those concerns. If records were indeed destroyed, the implications are profound. It would mean that the DOJ, under Biden, actively shielded criminals from justice.
What’s more troubling is that these destroyed materials could have named prominent individuals—politicians, celebrities, and global financiers—who participated in or enabled Epstein’s crimes.
In this context, Luna’s SHRED Act isn’t just legislative symbolism. It is a clarion call for accountability in an era marked by elite impunity. Her bill seeks to ensure that future officials think twice before erasing truth from the historical record.
Despite Luna’s repeated calls for transparency, there has been no formal response from Attorney General Merrick Garland. The silence speaks volumes to many who believe the DOJ is stonewalling on purpose.
Meanwhile, conservative lawmakers have rallied behind Luna. A growing number of Republicans in the House and Senate are voicing support for investigations into the DOJ’s handling of Epstein evidence.
Some have even floated the idea of appointing a special counsel to probe the matter independently. Given the stakes, such a move may be the only path forward to restore public confidence.
This latest scandal further erodes the credibility of an already battered Department of Justice. From the Hunter Biden laptop fiasco to the political targeting of conservatives, the agency has been repeatedly accused of partisanship.
Now, with Epstein documents allegedly destroyed, the DOJ’s credibility is in tatters. Public trust, once broken, is hard to rebuild.
The American people deserve the truth. And if Luna’s allegations are accurate, they deserve justice, no matter how high the guilty parties sit.
GIVE ME BACK MY SON, HE’S ONLY 31
“GIVE ME BACK MY SON, HE’S ONLY 31” — Charlie Kirk’s Father Collapses at Makeshift Memorial, Viral Moment Captures a Nation’s Grief
In a scene of raw, unfiltered anguish, Mr. Kirk approached the growing makeshift memorial of flowers, flags, and handwritten notes. Overcome by the weight of an unimaginable loss, he dropped to his knees, his body wracked with sobs. His cry, a primal plea of paternal love and despair, cut through the silence: “Give me back my son! He’s only 31! Give him back to me!”
The devastating moment, captured on a bystander’s phone and shared across social media platforms, has been viewed millions of times, becoming the defining image of a family’s—and a movement’s—pain. The video shows fellow mourners hesitating, respecting his grief yet visibly shattered by the sight of a father’s broken heart on full display.
The impromptu vigil was held just a day after the September 10th assassination of the young political firebrand, whose voice and vision galvanized a generation. But in this moment, the political was entirely eclipsed by the personal: the simple, universal tragedy of a parent outliving their child.
Viewers and commentators alike have been captivated, noting that while Charle Kirk was a public figure and a political leader, to the man kneeling on the hot Phoenix pavement, he was simply a beloved son, gone far too soon. The clip has sparked a massive outpouring of support, with the comments flooded with prayers and messages of comfort for the Kirk family as they navigate this darkness.
Charlie Kirk’s wife Erika speaks out after Tyler Robinson is ID'd as shooting suspect: ‘You have no idea what you just unleashed'
The suspect is believed to have acted alone, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said.
Charlie Kirk's wife Erika Kirk speaks on Turning Point USA's social media platforms in wake of her husband's death. (OLIVIER TOURON/AFP via Getty Images; Turning Point USA/YouTube)
Erika Kirk, widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, delivered an emotional address on Turning Point USA’s social media platforms following the arrest of Tyler Robinson, the suspect accused of fatally shooting her husband.
After thanking friends and political allies, including President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, Kirk turned her attention to “evildoers responsible for my husband's assassination.”
“If you thought that my husband's mission was powerful before — you have no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country and this world,” Kirk said. “The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.”
Charlie Kirk and the suspect, Tyler Robinson on the grounds of the campus after jumping off of a roof. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images, FBI via Reuters)
The suspect arrested in connection with the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Wednesday has been identified as Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old man from Utah.
"We got him," Utah Gov. Spencer Cox told reporters Friday morning as he announced the news. He said that a family member reached out to a family friend, who told authorities Robinson confessed or implied that he was responsible. The family member said Robinson had become increasingly political and had mentioned at a recent family dinner that Kirk would be speaking at Utah Valley University.
The suspected gunman is believed to have acted alone, Cox said.
Investigators described the extensive evidence they found, including social media posts, that tied the suspect to the shooting that unfolded on Wednesday. Kirk was speaking to a crowd of around 3,000 people when he was fatally shot.
The manhunt for the shooter that ensued took several twists and turns in the hours following the shooting. Two people were taken into custody on Wednesday, but both were later released.
On day two of the search, investigators said they had received thousands of tips related to the shooting, but that they needed more help from the public. The FBI had offered a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of the person.
Robinson is expected to be formally charged and make his first court appearance on Tuesday. He was arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a weapon causing serious bodily injury, and obstruction of justice, according to media reports. Aggravated murder carries the possibility of the death penalty in Utah.
Kirk's body was transported to Arizona, where Kirk lived with his family, on Air Force Two on Thursday afternoon. President Trump and Vice President JD Vance have both said they plan to attend Kirk's funeral, which is expected to be held next weekend.
Erika Kirk speaks out: 'If you thought that my husband's mission was powerful before, you have no idea'
On Friday night, Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk, appeared in front of her husband's desk in a video that was livestreamed across Turning Point USA's social media platforms.
Kirk started by thanking law enforcement, who "worked tirelessly to capture my husband's assassin so that he can be brought to justice," as well as the "first responders who struggled heroically" in their attempts to save Charlie's life. She also thanked the police who "acted bravely to make sure that there were no other victims on that terrible afternoon."
Kirk continued by expressing gratitude to Vice President JD Vance for bringing her husband’s remains back to their home in Arizona aboard Air Force Two, as well as Second Lady Usha Vance. She thanked President Trump and his "incredible family," who Charlie "loved."
Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, speaks out after her husband's death. (Turning Point USA/YouTube)
Then Kirk turned her attention to the person who shot and killed her husband, speaking directly to the camera.
"If you thought that my husband's mission was powerful before, you have no idea,” Kirk said. “You have no idea what you have just unleashed across this entire country and this world. You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife. The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.“
Kirk added that her husband’s current campus tour will continue without him, and that Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference will also go on as scheduled in December. Her husband’s podcast will continue as well, she added, though it's unclear who will host.
"The movement's not going anywhere, and it will only grow stronger when you join it," Kirk told listeners.
What we know so far about the suspect's views
The internet is rife with speculation — and misinformation — about the views of Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old man accused of shooting and killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk earlier this week.
But verified facts are harder to come by. Here's what we actually know.
Citing Utah state records, the Associated Press is reporting that while Robinson is a registered voter, he's not registered as a Republican or a Democrat (or a member of any other political party). Robinson is also listed as "inactive" on the Utah voter rolls, according to the AP, meaning he did not vote in the last two general elections (at least). His parents are both registered as Republicans.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said Friday morning that a family member told authorities Robinson "had become more political in recent years." Cox said that Robinson discussed Kirk's planned appearance at Utah Valley University with the same family member. "They talked about why they didn't like [Kirk] and the viewpoints that he had," Cox said. "The family member also stated Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate."
Beyond these basic facts, other claims circulating online — that Robinson was photographed in a Democratic Socialists of America shirt; that he donated to President Trump's 2020 campaign; that he was photographed in a Trump shirt; that he is registered as a Republican — have been debunked.
Yahoo News Photo Staff, Neia Balao
Kirk mourned at vigils in the U.S. and around the world
Vigils honoring Charlie Kirk's memory continued for the third consecutive day as mourners gathered to pay their respects to the late conservative activist.
Memorials were held in Orem, Utah, where the shooting took place, as well as outside the Arizona headquarters of Turning Point USA, the organization Kirk cofounded in 2012.
Several international vigils have also been held over the past three days, including one in central London on Friday afternoon.
People pay their respects to Charlie Kirk at a vigil in London. (Chris J Ratcliffe/AFP via Getty Images)
A makeshift memorial at Utah Valley University. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
Mourners outside of Turning Point USA headquarters in Phoenix. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
A balloon in memory of Charlie Kirk. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images)
A woman in Phoenix mourns the killing of Charlie Kirk. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
Andrew Romano
Report: Shooter said 'I would rather kill myself than turn myself in'
It was Tyler Robinson’s father who started to suspect his son was responsible for shooting and killing Charlie Kirk, according to CNN — and who eventually facilitated the younger Robinson’s arrest.
A law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told the network that Robinson’s father started to become “convinced” of his son’s involvement after recognizing him in photos released by authorities.
“Tyler, is this you?” he asked the 22-year-old. “This looks like you.”
Robinson’s father then persuaded his son to speak to a youth pastor who works with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshal’s Service. Tyler Robinson reportedly confessed to the crime during that conversation.
When the elder Robinson urged his son to surrender to the police, however, Robinson reportedly said, “I would rather kill myself than turn myself in,” according to CNN’s law enforcement source.
Robinson was taken into custody around 10 p.m. local time the same night.
Mike Bebernes
Kirk's books climb the bestseller list in the wake of his death
Charlie Kirk takes part in a town hall on March 17 in Oconomowoc, Wis. (Jeffrey Phelps/AP)
Four of Charlie Kirk's books had moved into the top 10 on Amazon's bestseller list as of Friday afternoon. That includes a book that hasn't been published. His forthcoming book, Stop, in the Name of God: Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Transform Your Life, which comes out in December, reached No. 2 on the list based on preorders.
His books The College Scam,Time for a Turning Point and Right Wing Revolution ranked fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively. A biography of Kirk written by Christina W. Randall ranked 12th. Signed copies of Right Wing Revolution were sold out on his publisher's website.
None of Kirk's books appeared on Amazon's list of top-selling nonfiction books when it was last updated on Sunday.
Suspect in Charlie Kirk murder in custody after 33-hour manhunt
A young Utah man suspected of killing the conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a university forum has been taken into custody, as U.S. leaders reacted with sorrow and frustration over the latest outbreak of political violence sweeping the country.
"We got him," Utah Governor Spencer Cox told reporters at a briefing on Friday, expressing relief after an intense manhunt by local and federal law enforcement that followed Kirk's murder on Wednesday by a sniper at Utah Valley University in Orem.
The suspect, identified as Tyler Robinson, 22, was taken into custody on Thursday night, about 33 hours after the shooting, FBI Director Kash Patel told reporters. The agency had received more than 11,000 tips as of Friday morning, the most since the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, he said.
Robinson was captured after a relative and a family friend alerted the local sheriff's office that he had confessed to them, or "implied that he had committed" the murder, the governor said.
"I want to thank the family members of Tyler Robinson who did the right thing in this case and were able to bring him into law enforcement," Cox said. "Through some process, the family came to know that this had happened."
Security camera images, some previously released to the public, and evidence gathered from the suspect's profile on the chat and streaming platform Discord also helped investigators link him to the crime, the governor said.
Kirk, 31, a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump who helped build Republican support among young voters in 2024, was killed by a single gunshot fired from a rooftop as he spoke onstage during an outdoor campus event attended by 3,000 people. Trump called the shooting a "heinous assassination."
A bolt-action rifle believed to be the murder weapon was later found nearby, officials said.
The killing has stirred outrage among Kirk's supporters and denunciations of political violence from Democrats, Republicans and foreign governments.
"It is an attack on all of us," Utah's governor said, calling Kirk's murder a "watershed in American history" and comparing it to the rash of U.S. political assassinations of the 1960s. "It is an attack on the American experiment. It is an attack on our ideals."In her first public comments since her spouse was gunned down, Erika Kirk vowed in a tearful but defiant livestreamed message on Friday evening that "the movement built by my husband will not die," and that his radio-podcast show would continue.
She also thanked the ranks of law enforcement "who worked tirelessly to capture my husband's assassin."
The United States has been experiencing its most sustained period of political violence in decades. Reuters has documented more than 300 cases of politically motivated violent acts across the ideological spectrum since supporters of Trump attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Trump himself has survived two attempts on his life, one that left him with a grazed ear during a campaign event in July 2024 and another two months later foiled by federal agents.
SUSPECT'S PROFILE EMERGES
The governor declined to discuss possible motives for the killing. But in describing inscriptions investigators found on ammunition recovered from the scene, Cox said one of the casings bore the message: "Here fascist! CATCH," adding in response to reporters' questions, "I think that speaks for itself."
Details about Robinson's life were just beginning to emerge on Friday. Cox said the suspect had lived for a long time with his family in Washington County in the southwest corner of Utah, near the Arizona and Nevada borders.
The suspect did not appear to have any criminal history, according to state records. He was a registered voter but was not affiliated with a political party, according to voter records.
At the time of the shooting, he was a third-year student in the electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College, part of Utah's public university system. He previously had earned a four-year scholarship to Utah State University in Logan, but left after one semester.
A neighbor, Steven Green, said he knew the family from attending the same Mormon church.
A family member interviewed by investigators said Robinson had become more political in recent years and had said to another relative that he disliked Kirk and his viewpoints, Cox said.
He was arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious injury and obstruction of justice, according to an affidavit filed by investigators. Detained in the Utah County jail, he was expected to be formally charged early next week, Cox said.
TRIBUTES FROM FBI CHIEF AND WIDOW
Kirk, a well-connected activist, author and co-founder of the influential conservative student group Turning Point USA, was friends with Vice President JD Vance, Trump's family and others at the highest echelons of the U.S. government.
Patel, the FBI director, also offered a personal tribute at the press conference: "Rest now brother, we have the watch. I'll see you in Valhalla," he said in closing his remarks, referring to the heavenly reward for warriors in Norse mythology.
Speaking hours later on YouTube from the studio of his radio-podcast series "The Charlie Kirk Show," Erika Kirk urged young people to join Turning Point, and exalted her husband as a fallen hero who "now and for all eternity will stand at his savior's side wearing the glorious crown of a martyr."
Kirk appeared at Utah Valley on Wednesday as part of a planned 15-event "American Comeback Tour" of college campuses, having just returned to the U.S. from a speaking tour in South Korea and Japan.
Known for his often-provocative discourse on race, gender, immigration and gun rights, Kirk would use such events to invite members of the crowd to debate him and was frequently challenged by both people on the left and the far right.
"We will never be able to solve all the other problems, including the violence problems that people are worried about if we can't have a clash of ideas, safely and securely," the governor said on Friday. "That's why this matters so much."
