The Watches: 09.17.25

Charges for Charlie Kirk killer, "hate speech" and America gets to church

“Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” ~ Colossians 4

First Watch:

• Church Attendance Surge – Social media is filled with posts about people going to church following the assassination of Charlie Kirk. (Not the Bee)

• Senate Rule Change – Senate Republicans voted to change confirmation rules for Senate-appointed positions, accusing Democrats of slow-walking the process. With around 250 Trump nominees still unconfirmed, non-cabinet positions will now be voted in batches. (WNG)

• TikTok Framework – U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said a framework has been agreed with Beijing for TikTok to divest from its Chinese owner, ByteDance. President Trump has continued to postpone banning the app by executive order, despite Congress voting to do so last year. (BBC)

• Terror Charges Dropped – A New York judge dismissed terror charges against Luigi Mangione, accused of killing health CEO Brian Thomson last year. Judge Gregory Carro said that although Mangione showed animus toward health insurers, “it does not follow that his goal was to intimidate and coerce a civilian population.” (Hot Air)

• Bloody Sunday Trial – The first trial of a former British soldier accused of murder over the Bloody Sunday massacre has begun in Belfast. A 1972 inquiry following the killings, in which British soldiers opened fire on protestors, cleared the soldiers of wrongdoing. (Irish Times)

• Taliban Prisoner Talks – The Taliban said it has agreed with U.S. envoys to exchange American prisoners still held in Afghanistan. The White House declined comment. (ABC News)

Second Watch:

Kirk Suspect Charged – The man accused of killing Charlie Kirk has been charged in Utah County with seven felonies, including firearms charges and committing a violent offense in the presence of children. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Utah governor, Spencer Cox confirmed that Robinson was in a relationship with his roommate, a trans-identified man. Robinson reportedly confessed in a Discord chat that he had shot Kirk, while the FBI is widening its investigation into online platforms where posts suggest some in transgender chat rooms knew it was planned. In related news, two men were arrested for placing an explosive device under a Fox News van in Utah, where outlets were covering Kirk’s assassination. (Washington Examiner, Not the Bee, Twitchy, Washington Free Beacon)

Bondi stumbles on “Hate Speech” – U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi drew criticism from free speech advocates all across the political spectrum after suggesting the Justice Department would come after anyone using “hate speech.” She later said she was referring to “speech that crosses the line into threats of violence.” A number of conservative podcasters pointed out that violent threats are already illegal and lamented that using rhetoric of “hate speech” discredits conservative commitment to free speech. Steve Deace said we should be smashing progressive “shibboleths” not “rebranding them.” (Reclaim the Net, Steve Deace Show via YouTube)

Poll: Men vs Women Priorities – A new poll shows stark contrasts between the priorities of young men and women. Conservative men ranked marriage and children as their highest priority out of 13 options, while liberal women placed it at the bottom. Commentators note this may reflect decades of feminist messaging that framed “motherhood as drudgery.” The culture has shaped the gender war, now the gender war is shaping our culture. (The Spectator Australia)

Russian Drone in Romania – Romania says a Russian drone has breached its airspace, the second NATO country to report such an incursion. President Trump said he is “ready” to sanction Russia more heavily but is waiting for NATO to stop buying its oil and gas. (BBC)

Third Watch:

🫕 Things from a 70s kitchen that are no more

📌 The Geo Guessr championships are wild

🎩 Why people stopped wearing hats

🌭 The skinny on Hot Dog University

And..

Media outlets are reporting that Britain’s Unite the Kingdom march was attended by 100,000 to 150,000 people. The media says a lot of things… Suffice it to say, a lot of Brits turned out to protest mass immigration and display their national pride. We should pray that the powerful would truly care for those under them or that Jesus would raise up better men to take their place.

Let us pray. Let Your merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of your humble servants; and that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please You; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

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