☕ Kirk's unknown killer

Good morning,

A large manhunt continues for the primary suspect in Charlie Kirk’s fatal shooting, after the 31-year-old conservative commentator was killed while speaking at a large college event in Utah.

Video circulating online shows an individual who appears to be stationed on a rooftop about 150 yards from Kirk’s position on a small stage.

Meanwhile, it is the 24th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. We’re expecting President Trump to attend a ceremony at the Pentagon to mark the solemn day in the country’s history.

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Some headlines from this morning:

• British Prime Minister Keir Starmer fired U.S. Ambassador Peter Mandelson on Thursday after emails revealed extensive ties between the diplomat and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The correspondence, released this week, showed the depth of communication between Mandelson and Epstein during the financier's lifetime. Starmer had defended Mandelson on Wednesday despite the revelations, with a state visit by President Donald Trump scheduled for next week. The dismissal comes as Starmer faces declining poll numbers and mounting political pressure over various policy setbacks.

• President Donald Trump posted "Here we go!" on Truth Social on Wednesday after Polish forces shot down more than a dozen Russian drones that violated NATO airspace. The incursion prompted fears of a direct clash between Russia and NATO allies, which leaders have warned against since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Trump spoke with Polish President Karol Nawrocki on Wednesday, with the Polish leader confirming, "Today's talks confirmed allied unity." The breach comes despite ongoing U.S. sanctions on Russia and its trading partners, including recent measures targeting India.

• Israeli forces struck multiple targets in Houthi-controlled Yemen on Wednesday, killing 35 people and injuring more than 131, according to Houthi officials. The Israeli military said the attacks were retaliation for Houthi strikes that have targeted Israeli forces since the October 7 Hamas attacks. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes responded in part to Houthi attacks that shut down an Israeli airport earlier this week. The strikes follow Israeli attacks on targets in Qatar this week, which drew international condemnation.

• Six Democratic senators have called on Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to explain delays in expanding coverage for 9/11-related illnesses through the federal World Trade Center Health Program. The senators said in a letter obtained by NBC News that the program has failed to evaluate whether additional health conditions should be covered beyond current treatments for cancer and chronic coughs. The program faces funding shortages and staffing cuts that have created monthslong wait times for survivors seeking medical appointments. The delays can postpone critical diagnoses and life-saving treatment for those affected by the September 11 attacks.

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Larry Ellison briefly became the world's richest man this week, unseating Tesla owner Elon Musk for the first time in over a year after his company, Oracle, posted massive AI-driven growth. Here's what you need to know.

A big week

Oracle's stock price jumped nearly 40% following an earnings call where the data storage company reported explosive growth in its cloud computing business, driven by artificial intelligence deals.

Ellison told investors that Oracle's "MultiCloud database revenue from Amazon, Google, and Microsoft grew at the incredible rate of 1,529%" in the first quarter of fiscal 2026. The surge was powered by companies rushing to store and process AI data through Oracle's cloud services.

Oracle also announced a $300 billion cloud computing deal with OpenAI and launched a new product allowing AI developers direct access to its databases.

By day's end, Oracle's stock had settled and Ellison's fortune dropped to $384 billion—$1 billion below Musk's $385 billion.

Larry Ellison

Ellison co-founded Oracle over 40 years ago and serves as chairman and Chief Technology Officer of the company that provides businesses with data management software and cloud services.

The 80-year-old billionaire is a close friend of President Trump and was present at his inauguration. Ellison has been suggested as a potential buyer of TikTok and recently added $6 billion to an $8 billion takeover bid for Paramount Global.

The rich list

The billionaire rankings remain tight, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos also trailing close behind. Tesla recently announced a $1 trillion pay package for Musk tied to performance targets this year.

Oracle's AI boom reflects the broader rush by companies to build cloud infrastructure for artificial intelligence applications.

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Federal authorities are searching for the person who shot conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah university yesterday.

The attack took place at an outdoor event where Kirk was addressing a crowd of more than 3,000 people. The 31-year-old was shot in the neck, and confirmed dead at a nearby hospital.

Authorities have described the incident as a “political assassination”.

Charlie Kirk

Kirk was considered an influential figure in conservative politics and a close ally of President Trump.

He was a podcaster and the founder of Turning Point USA, an organisation aimed at promoting conservative politics to young people. Kirk had given talks at thousands of high schools and universities across the U.S.

Over the years, he amassed a large following on social media, with more than five million Twitter followers.

Kirk had previously supported the Constitution’s Second Amendment. In the moments before he was shot, Kirk was answering a question about gun violence.

He is survived by his wife and two children.

The shooting

Kirk was shot in the neck and transported to a nearby hospital, where he was confirmed dead.

The stage where Kirk was speaking was in the centre of the Utah Valley University campus, surrounded by buildings. Authorities believe the attack was “a long-distance shot from a roof.”

Plain-clothed police officers and Kirk’s private security team were among the first responders as crowds of people fled the scene.

Suspects

Yesterday, police interrogated two people. One was arrested and released, while another remains in custody on charges related to “obstruction of justice.” Authorities said there was “one shot fired, and one victim.”

Reactions

In a statement to social media, Turning Point USA asked supporters to “keep [Kirk’s] family and loved ones in [their] prayers.”

In a video statement, President Trump said he was “filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination“.

“An assassin tried to silence him with a bullet, but he failed because together we will ensure that his voice, his message, and his legacy will live on for countless generations to come,” Trump said.

Utah Valley University says it is continuing to work with authorities investigating the “unspeakable attack”.

The university announced that it will increase its police presence on campus to ensure community safety and provide mental health support for students.

The FBI has established a tip line, urging the public to provide any information that could lead to an arrest.

Gun violence

Kirk’s murder was the second shooting on a school campus on the same day, following an attack that wounded two high school students in Colorado.

It is also the latest in a series of political attacks, including two assassination attempts against Trump.

In June, a 57-year-old man was charged with the murder of state Democrat Melissa Hortman and her husband in their Minnesota home, and the non-fatal shooting of state Senator John Hoffman and his wife, also a Democrat.

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