U.S. and world news for Sept. 11

(COVER PHOTO of Twin Towers by and (c) Peter Katz)

Assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk

A manhunt is underway to try to find the person who assassinated Charlie Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Point USA and an ally of President Donald Trump. Kirk was fatally shot on Wednesday at an event at Utah Valley University. The shooter is believed to have fired once from a nearby roof in a “targeted attack,” according to the Utah Department of Public Safety, which is leading the investigation along with the FBI. Donald Trump expressed his “grief and anger” about the killing and blamed rhetoric from the “radical left” in video the White House recorded in the Oval Office. Kirk, 31, was an influential young voice in the MAGA universe. He was known for making regular appearances on conservative media and hosting debates on college campuses.

9/11 anniversary

Today marks 24 years since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, which forever changed the world as we knew it. Nearly 3,000 people were killed in New York City, Washington, DC, and outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after 19 al Qaeda terrorists hijacked four US commercial airplanes bound for West Coast destinations. It remains the deadliest attack on American soil. More than two decades later, people across the nation will pause today to honor the victims and reflect on the courage and sacrifice that emerged in the aftermath. President Trump is scheduled to attend a memorial service at the Pentagon.

Republicans block attempt to force release of Epstein files

Senate Republicans have for now blocked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s attempt to compel the release of the Jeffrey Epstein case files. The Senate voted 51-49 to block Schumer’s proposal, with GOP Sens. Josh Hawley and Rand Paul joining with Democrats in support of it. Schumer’s office says that the text is identical to Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna’s resolution in the House, and if passed, it would require the Justice Department to release all of the Epstein files within 30 days of passage. “The bottom line is the American people need to see this,” Schumer said of the Epstein files. “The American people, Democrats, independents, Republicans are demanding it be made public, and it should be.”

Colorado school shooting

At least two students were injured Wednesday in a shooting at a Denver-area high school, officials said. The gunman opened fire at Evergreen High School in Colorado, prompting more than 100 law enforcement officers to swarm the campus. Authorities were in contact with the shooter within five minutes of the first 911 call reporting gunfire. The suspect — a male student at the school — was taken to the hospital with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and later died. The incident marks the 47th school shooting in the U.S. this year.

Georgia ICE raid

More than 300 South Korean workers who were detained by U.S. immigration authorities in Georgia last week were due to be flown home today. They were to depart on a flight from Atlanta and arrive in South Korea on Friday, according to a Korean government official. The workers were taken into custody last week during a sweeping ICE raid at Hyundai’s battery plant in Ellabell, a quiet town about 25 miles west of Savannah. News of the detentions — including images released by ICE of workers being lined up and restrained with long chains — has sparked widespread frustration and an outcry in South Korea, a longstanding U.S. ally that earlier this year pledged to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the American economy.

Gas truck explosion

At least four people were killed and 90 others injured when a gas truck exploded in Mexico City on Wednesday. The massive blast generated a “shock wave” that damaged 32 nearby vehicles, the Mexico City Prosecutor’s Office said. The explosion occurred after the tanker truck carrying 49,500 liters of gas — known in Mexico as “pipas” — overturned by a highway in the Puente de la Concordia area. Authorities are working to determine the cause of the incident. The driver’s condition is also being investigated.