MOTHER JONES – Politics | Politics & Government

When Utah authorities announced on Friday morning that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson had been apprehended in connection with the killing of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, they quelled a storm of rumors and inaccurate reporting about the gender identity and motivations of Kirk’s shooter. Almost immediately after Kirk was shot on Wednesday, right-wing social media accounts began speculating that his killer was transgender. The next morning, unvetted claims spread by right-wing political commentator Steven Crowder were quickly followed by a Wall Street Journal article claiming—based on an unquoted bulletin “circulated widely” by law enforcement officials—that expressions of “transgender ideology” were engraved on the shooter’s ammo. An hour later, Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican who frequently promotes anti-trans legislation, was hurling slurs on camera. For years, if not decades, voices demanding gun reform have been accused of “politicizing” violence—and of casting blame “too soon” in the wake of tragedy. When… ...[TheTopNews] Read More.

On September 25, the left-wing Twitch streamer and political commentator Hasan Piker was supposed to debate Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk. But one hour into an eight-hour stream on Wednesday, Piker’s chat started posting that Kirk got shot. “Oh my God, he definitely got shot in the neck,” Piker said, his hand covering his mouth as he watched the footage (which was not on the livestream). “Oh, fuck.” After a few moments of silence, Piker told his audience not to watch the clip. “There’s very little chance that he will survive that.” Piker was immediately clear that what happened to Kirk was reprehensible, telling his viewers not to joke about the killing—and that what followed likely would be, too. “The reverberation of people seeking out vengeance in the aftermath of this violent, abhorrent incident is going to be genuinely worrisome,” he said. We reached out… ...[TheTopNews] Read More.

After the shocking murder of MAGA influencer Charlie Kirk on Wednesday afternoon, tributes and expressions of grief poured in from conservative politicians and activists, along with expressions of sympathy and denunciations of political violence from both sides of the aisle. Now, however, numerous government and elected officials are taking their protection of Kirk’s legacy a step further, indicating they’ll use the power of their offices to discourage, punish, or, in some cases, fire anyone who speaks ill of him.  Several Trump administration officials and members of Congress have said they’re tracking statements that appear to impugn Kirk. A partial list of those threatening retribution include: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and one of his assistants, Sean Parnell; Navy Secretary John Phelan; Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau; and members of Congress like Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) and Clay Higgins (R-Louisiana). In some cases, people accused of disparaging Kirk or refusing to… ...[TheTopNews] Read More.

“Good afternoon,” is how Magistrate Judge Heide Herrmann welcomed detainees into DC Superior Court room C-10 when it was their turn to stand in front of the bench on Monday. But at 8:37 p.m., it was hardly “afternoon” anymore. Nor was it a good day for most of the inmates. They had been brought over from DC’s central cellblock, where accommodations consist of metal “beds” without mattresses. Some of the detainees were still in the pajamas they were wearing when they were first arrested. All were shackled at the wrists and ankles.  “MPD knows how to do this. The other law enforcement mentioned who are out making arrests apparently do not.” Judge Herrmann was responsible for deciding whether they would continue to be held or released on the promise to appear at their next court date. The constitution requires defendants see a judge within 48 hours of arrest, but… ...[TheTopNews] Read More.

Last week, organizers for the “European Conference of Health and Human Rights” announced a change: Their keynote speaker, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., had withdrawn after Estonian politicians reportedly called Kennedy a “quack” and “cuckoo.” It was the end of an odd saga. A month earlier, organizers announced Kennedy was set to appear remotely as the keynote speaker at the conference hosted by the Estonian chapter of the World Council for Health (WCH), a group that promotes vaccine skepticism and bogus claims about the effectiveness of both ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid. Kennedy had featured prominently in promotion and in social media posts for the event, which began on Thursday. But, earlier this month, the conference ran into trouble. According to a report from Estonian Public Broadcasting, the World Council for Health Estonia event was organized to be held at the Riigikogu, Estonia’s… ...[TheTopNews] Read More.