It's 505 and welcome in to a Thursday edition of the Carolina Journal News Hour. News Talk 1110-993WBT. I'm Nick Craig. Good morning to you. Obviously, the huge national news unfolding over the last 15 hours or so.
Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, a father of two and a young husband, is dead after being assassinated during a camp campus event at Utah Valley University yesterday afternoon. President Donald Trump confirming Kirk's death in a truth social post after about an hour and a half after the shooting. A lot of commentary on social media on his current status. Unfortunately, President Donald Trump confirming that situation. Kirk died after he was taken to a hospital in critical condition after being shot at that.
Event in Utah, according to law enforcement videos. Video posted from the event appears to show Kirk being shot as he spoke to a crowd from under a white pop-ump tent after the shot. As you can imagine, the large crowd, more than 2,000 people estimated, dispersed with onlookers shouting run and students hitting the ground and running for their life. This morning, a manhunt remains ongoing for the assassination suspect. The FBI previously noting that they had a suspect in custody, but later announcing in a release that was not the case.
FBI Director Cash Patel saying, quote, the subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement. Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in the interest of transparency. Campus police on Wednesday afternoon asked students to call a hotline and be escorted off public transportation as the college campus there is one of the state's largest public universities in Utah with more than 44,000 students. Charlie Kirk, a very prominent conservative icon, very well known for his campus events, which he did all over the United States, bolstering free speech, giving individuals the opportunity to challenge him. He challenged them and allow free public discord to take place in literally the public square, which is exactly what he was doing yesterday when he was shot and gunned down at 31 years old in Utah at a college campus.
President Donald Trump releasing something similar to an address to the nation last night on social media, posting this on his X account describing the horrific situation in Utah. To my great fellow Americans, I am filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus in Utah. Charlie inspired millions and tonight all who knew him. and loved him are united in shock and horror. Charlie was a patriot.
who devoted his life to the cause of open debate and the country that he loves so much, the United States of America. He fought for liberty, democracy, justice, and the American people. He's a martyr for truth and freedom. and there has never been any one who was so respected by youth Charlie was also a man of deep, deep faith. And we take comfort in the knowledge that he is now at peace with God in heaven.
Our prayers are with his wife, Erica, the two Young, beloved children, and his entire family, who he loved more than anything in the world. We ask God to watch over them. In this terrible hour of heartache and pain, This is a dark moment for America. Charlie Kirk traveled the nation, Joyfully engaging with everyone interested in good faith debate. His mission was to bring young people into the political process, which he did better than anybody.
Ever. To share his love of country and to spread the simple words of common sense. On campuses nationwide, he championed his ideas with courage, logic, humor, and grace. It's long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree day after day, year after year, in the most hateful and despicable way possible. For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world's worst.
Mass murderers and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism. that we're seeing in our country today. and it must stop right now. My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it, as well as those who go after our judges, law enforcement officials, and everyone else who brings order to our country.
President Donald Trump commenting on the assassination of Charlie Kirk from the Oval Office posted on his social media last night. Other reaction coming in across North Carolina this morning. Governor Josh Stein immediately commenting on the situation saying, quote, my heart is heavy with sadness from the senseless murder that took place in Utah with Charlie Kirk. That reaction coming in from Democrat Governor Josh Stein.
Some other commentary coming in, including former Governor Roy Cooper saying, quote, I am praying for Charlie Kirk's family and loved ones. Violence must have no place in our community, and we should all remember our common humanity. The governor following up by saying, violence is unacceptable. I strongly condemn the attack on Charlie Kirk and political violence in all forms. Our two United States senators also jumping in on this as well.
U.S. Senator Ted Budd posting on social media yesterday afternoon, quote, Charlie Kirk challenged people to think differently and defend their beliefs, he was met with violence. This is the ugly face of the left's moral collapse, normalizing hate, applauding chaos and fueled by a media that profits off despair. Political violence has no place in America. May God grant eternal rest and reward to Charlie, and may God provide grace and comfort to his wife and two children as they deal with this unimaginable grief.
Our other U.S. Senator and Tom Tillis also commented in on this as well, putting a short statement on his social media yesterday afternoon as well, saying, quote, praying for Charlie Kirk, political violence has no place in our society. Again, this happened just after noon local time yesterday in Utah, where the Turning Point USA founder was hosting an event at Utah Valley University. The event had just started about 20, 25 minutes prior to the bullets ringing out and Charlie Kirk being shot in the neck. He was taking and doing exactly what he typically does at these college events, speaking to individuals in the crowd, having a back and forth conversation when his life was taken from him.
Again, this morning, a manhunt does continue as a now national law enforcement presence is also on scene, not only the local and state police, but the FBI and other national officials on scene this morning trying to track down the individual that is responsible for these actions. We'll continue the coverage and the conversation this morning on the Carolina Journal News Hour. It's 5:20. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour. News Talk 1110-993WBT.
One of the other major stories that, of course, we have been following throughout the week, a big national news up until yesterday afternoon, was the brutal murder of Irina Zaruska on a Charlotte light rail back on August the 22nd. We've got some details, some new details today about some potential legislation here in North Carolina. Senate leader Phil Berger, the Republican out of Rockingham County, and House Speaker Destin Hall, the Republican out of Caldwell County, are set to hold a press conference in Raleigh today at noon to discuss legislative action from the state side following that brutal murder back on the 22nd. The invite for the event of the media advisor, I should say, notes that Senator Berger, Speaker Hall, and some special guests will be in attendance. Again, that will be happening.
At noon today, we will have a continuing coverage of the entire situation surrounding Arena Zaruska over on our website. We'll have that up this afternoon over at CarolinaJournal.com. And of course, the latest details coming up for you tomorrow morning right here on the Carolina Journal News Hour. Continuing our coverage this morning on the horrific and tragic murder of Charlie Kirk out in Utah yesterday, we continue that with Donna King, the editor-in-chief of CarolinaJournal.com. Donna, Charlie has become a cultural icon for younger individuals just getting into politics.
Assess the situation as you see it unfolding right now. Sure, sure. I am just like most of America, just horrified at this situation. His legacy, his impact on American politics, just kind of. Cannot be overstated.
He started Turning Point USA as a teenager, like 19, 18, 19 years old. It has grown to be such a powerful force in American politics. The last two, three election cycles were fundamentally changed and shifted because of the influence of Charlie Kirk. And it's not because he's a bully or he would shout or any of those things. He truly was a happy, Faithful, true believer kind of person who saw the degradation of critical thinking on America's college campuses and went into the town square, went onto the grass, visited universities, debated, discussed, prayed, listened to students from all walks of life on America's college campuses.
He did things that for generations, politicians, people in the political space, whether they were candidates or consultants or lobbyists or whatever, just didn't weren't willing to do, maybe even didn't think to do. He took that message to America's college campuses and we saw the impact of that in the last two election cycles. And what went on in Utah. Wednesday is he came out around twelve o'clock and um The very first question was about his faith, and he told the crowd that he believed that his savior was Jesus Christ. And he was very quick to say, I know I'm in Utah and I am not here to denigrate the Church of Latter-day Saints, which, of course, you know, being Utah, a lot of folks are members of that church.
And he wanted to speak openly about his own faith and encourage others to be on a faith journey. And, you know, not 15 minutes later, this attack happened, which is I say it's safe to call it political violence at this point. But his influence, even in my own family with my teenagers, he was tremendously influential in opening up their aperture of what they are aware of in American politics, when to question what your government does and how to question it, how to make sure your voice is heard in a public. positive way and he he modeled that for them and I'm I'm forever grateful.
Well, and it's interesting you bring up this concept of speaking out in the public square and questioning things. Donna, it's no surprise and it's no secret. There's been reports on it for the better part of five, ten years now about conservative speech on college campuses, primarily where Charlie Kirk and Turning Point USA went and toured, where conservatives felt like they couldn't speak up. They were afraid that they'd get a failing grade, that they would be singled out by their professors, singled out by the administration. Charlie Kirk, I would imagine, probably gave a lot of young conservatives, or not even conservatives, but young folks trying to figure out their political path in life the courage and the motivation to maybe allow their thoughts to be heard in a place where maybe it wasn't such a great thing for them to be able to do that.
I mean, I think that's exactly what his legacy is. And what an impact for one human being in this country to be able to say that they did that, to be able to step forward and look around and say, I gave top cover to those kids who weren't heard on America's campuses, who had to pretend to believe, to pretend to toe the line and not ask the tough questions, not exercise the critical thinking that their parents and that their perhaps high school teachers taught them to do. They had to walk into campus and toe the line, and he gave them permission not to. He gave them permission to ask the hard questions and to show up in the town square with him. One of the things that we're hearing from witnesses yesterday is that the vast majority, 99% of the folks who were there, were there because they love him and they were there to support him and to be excited to see him.
He's a celebrity in conservative politics, certainly, particularly among young people.
So when people would come out to see him, it wasn't to argue with him. It was because they admired him. Certainly, there were those who wanted to show up and be the one at the microphone to argue with Charlie Kirk. That was like a real badge of honor, I think, on college campuses. We saw it.
He was here about this time last year at East Carolina, and you couldn't get near the place. The line was. was all the way through campus to try and get in to see him and hear him. He had a brainwash tour. And now he was doing this, you know, he continually did this prove me wrong where people could come up and challenge and he could debate on just about anything.
And now he was doing America's comeback tour because he saw this groundswell of young people who were politically engaged and registering to vote and asking the tough questions and taking in information, not just following a party line because they thought that that's what they were supposed to be doing.
So this is a really interesting impact that he has. And he had far more supporters than he had detractors. Donna, let's zoom this out a little bit. You mentioned earlier, and what I'm sure is going through most people's minds this morning, the continued ratcheting pressure that is building in the political sphere, political violence over the last 12 months, of course, the assassination attempt on now current President Donald Trump's life. You've got a couple of lawmakers gunned down in Minnesota.
Now, the Charlie Kirk situation, there's been a lot of these examples over the last year or so, Donna. It's a very concerning trend. It's extremely concerning, you know, especially for folks who are speaking out and don't feel safe doing so. And that's the question: Do you tell your child to sit down and be quiet because you're concerned for their safety? This is a bad example.
You know, he went out into the town square, he prayed with people, he talked openly, he laughed, he enjoyed being with young people and sharing information and hearing from them. And this is what happens. It is a terrifying trend in the United States at this time. And I don't know where it's going. It feels like we are right on the edge of something.
And it could be that people on the fringe, on the far left of society, are spending way too much time by themselves and ruminating on social media and vilifying people they disagree with. I'm concerned for the future, certainly. We have some continuing coverage of this tragedy unfolding in Utah over on our website this morning, CarolinaJournal.com. We appreciate the details and the insight. The editor-in-chief of CarolinaJournal.com, Donna King, joins us on the Carolina Journal News Hour.
It's 5.35. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour, News Talk 1110, 99.3 WBT. A tough morning across the board on the Carolina Journal News Hour and across the nation as Americans today are also marking the 24th year since September the 11th, 2001, the 9-11 terror attacks that happened 24 years ago today. Many loved ones of the nearly 3,000 people killed will join dignitaries and politicians at commemorations today that will be happening all across the nation, but specifically highlighting the events in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania. At Ground Zero in Manhattan, the names of the attack of victims will be read aloud as they are each and every year by family and loved ones in a ceremony that will be attended by Vice President J.D.
Vance and his wife. Moments of silence will mark the exact times when hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center's iconic twin towers as well as when the skyscrapers crumbled to the ground. At the Pentagon in Virginia, the 184 service members and civilians killed when hijackers steered a jetliner into the headquarters of the U.S. military will be honored. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are set to attend that service before heading to the Bronx for a baseball game between the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers, where President Donald Trump will be in attendance later on today.
And in a rural field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, a similar ceremony, marked by moments of silence and reading of the names and laying of wreaths will honor the victims of Flight 93. The hijacked plane that crashed after crew members and passengers stormed the cockpit trying to take control of that airliner that was undoubtedly set its sight on creating more devastation and destruction back in 2001. That service is said to be attended by Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins. In all of the attacks by al-Qaeda militants, killed 2,977 people. Including many financial workers at the World Trade Center in New York City, as well as first responders, firefighters, police officers, and EMS officials who rushed into burning, crumbling buildings, trying to save as many lives as possible.
That anniversary does continue to take place again throughout the day today. Many ceremonies happening all across the United States. Hard to argue the most impactful one will be in New York City, where they will read the names of every single victim as America marks 24 years since the devastating terror attacks on September the 11th, 2001. And some other tough news this morning, recapping our big story this morning. Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, a 31-year-old father of two, is dead after being assassinated during a campus event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday afternoon, happening just after 12 o'clock local time, about 25 minutes into his very popular event that he does all across the United States on college campuses, allowing individuals to voice their opinion, challenge some of the beliefs, some of the things that Charlie Kirk and his team believe, and have an open and public debate and dialogue.
Kirk died after he was taken to a hospital in critical condition after being shot Wednesday at that Utah event, according to law enforcement. The official announcement being made by President Donald Trump, the chilling details this morning indicate that a manhunt is remaining on. Ongoing for the individual who is suspected in the political assassination of Charlie Kirk. The FBI and local law enforcement for a period of time last night said that they did, in fact, have a suspect in custody, but then later announced: the suspect in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement. Our investigation continues, and we will continue to release information in the interest of transparency.
That's from FBI Director Cash Patel. As the manhunt does continue, as you can imagine, with the high-profile murder of Kirk yesterday, not only local police working the scene, but federal authorities swooping in as well to try and find the individual that is responsible for what can only be described as, again, a horrific act of political violence at Utah Valley University, the college campus there yesterday. Charlie Kirk, a very well-known political Icon was in North Carolina late last year as part of his college campus tour, the tour in which he was at East Carolina University at the You're Being Brainwashed tour, packing a facility over at ECU ahead of the 2024 presidential election, in which many, including President Donald Trump, credit to some success of Charlie Kirk and his turning point USA group for activating countless amounts of young voters across the United States. Reaction also coming in this morning from political figures across North Carolina. U.S.
Senator Ted Budd releasing a statement saying, Charlie Kirk challenged people to think differently and defend their beliefs. He was met with violence. This is the ugly face of the left's moral collapse. Normalizing hate, applauding chaos, and fueled by a media that profits off despair. Political violence has no place in America.
May God grant eternal rest and reward to Charlie, and may God provide grace and comfort to his wife and two children as they deal with their unimaginable grief. Former Governor turned Senate candidate Roy Cooper also commenting on it, saying, I am praying for Charlie Kirk's family and loved ones. Violence must have no place in our country, and we should all remember our common humanity. The governor following that up, saying, Violence is unacceptable. I strongly condemn the attacks on Charlie Kirk and political violence in all forms.
Governor Josh Stein also commenting on this, highlighting the senseless murder of Charlie Kirk, saying, We are grappling with a series of devastating tragedies, one after another. I urge everyone to spend time with loved ones tonight. This was last night when he posted this. Hold them close and then come back tomorrow, ready to fight for the soul of the nation. We cannot, we will not give up on America.
I will note some odd word choice there from Democrat Governor Josh Stein talking about fighting. Fighting for the soul of our nation, and this governor getting some pretty negative response to that post on social media yesterday due to his choice of words. Not exactly sure why he would. Choose to put that in his statement.
However, he did so and tweeted out from the official at NC Governor account on X. We've got additional and continued coverage of this tragedy this morning over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com. The headline story there unfortunately reads: Charlie Kirk dies after being shot at campus event in Utah. We've got that additional coverage at CarolinaJournal.com. It's now 5:42.
You're listening to the Carolina Journal News Hour. A group known as NC Innovation has been in our spotlight over at CarolinaJournal.com over the last year or so. We've got some new updates on them this morning. To walk us through that, DonnaKingCarolinaJournal.com joins us on the news hour. Donna, we talked about NC Innovation about a month ago.
There's been some board meetings where things have gotten rather controversial between certain board members over some financial stuff and ongoing problems. The GA is talking about taking some of their money back. It's a really fluid situation over there. What's the latest that you're tracking this morning? Sure, sure.
So, the latest that's happened just this week is the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations. The short term, we call it GovOps.
So, GovOps has sent a formal demand letter to the NC Innovation Board of Directors. It's signed by their investigative counsel and their deputy counsel for the speaker, for the North Carolina House Speaker. And it's ordering the release of documents related to an internal investigation that they've had going on NC Innovation.
Now, just as a quick recap, NC Innovation got $500 million in taxpayer money as an endowment in the 2023 state budget. And with that, they were to be using that investment to start turning university research into commercial ventures and helping these researchers, you know. Bridge what they call the valley of death, where work comes out of the universities and doesn't get a commercial application.
So, this the idea of NCI NC Innovation was to help those researchers bridge that gap, make the connection between the commercial world and the university research world. And they wanted, originally, they wanted about $1.2 billion to do it, ending with about $500 million.
Well, ever since they got that check, got that money from North Carolina taxpayers, there are lots of strings and oversight attached to it. And that's something we've been tracking pretty closely at Carolina Journal and how that process goes. The latest is this letter. The letter from lawmakers says that it outlines, first of all, it outlines the state law saying that NC Innovation, once they had taxpayer money, they were required to be fully transparent with legislators. And that was something that they wanted to say.
That this demand letter says that their request for these documents has been denied by NC Innovation, saying. That they have refused, this is what the letter says: that their outside counsel has refused to release reports citing attorney claims. Client privilege. That's what these attorneys for the North Carolina General Assembly GovOps Committee say. And they say, nope, the House rejects, House Counsel rejects that theory that NC Innovation would be allowed to retain outside attorneys for the purpose of shielding itself from legislative oversight.
Now, that is a quote from the letter. You can read the letter on CarolinaJournal.com, and that letter says that they have until September 15th. to turn over the documents that lawmakers want for this investigation. And, Donna, it's interesting because this group, as I mentioned in the open, as we've talked about over the last couple of months, there's been some talks in the General Assembly, various budget proposals, looking at clawing back, if not all, some of the money from NC Innovation. You would imagine that this group would try and stay in the good graces of lawmakers to maybe hold on to at least some of that money.
Yet, it looks like, at least according to this letter from GovOps, that they're almost stonewalling the General Assembly. I can't imagine that's going to buy them any favor or good grace with lawmakers.
Well, that's what these attorneys seem to be alluding to in this letter from DovOps, saying, Look, you can't withhold documents from us because we are the oversight. In the bill, the 2023 budget, the legislature has eight of the 13 board positions as appointees.
So there are eight. Appointees on the 13-member board of directors that are supposed to be providing oversight for the North Carolina General Assembly as stewards of your and I, of our tax money, of our tax dollars. And that's what lawmakers in or the council in this letter are saying: that they have until the 15th to get these, turn these documents over. This letter was sent on the 9th.
So, you know, but there's been moves before. uh for this that The lawmakers have already advanced proposals to try and claw some of this money back. There was a House Bill 154 that was introduced earlier this year. It would dissolve the state's partnership with NCI and redirect that money to the general fund. But then also we have the budget process, right?
So in the House budget, lawmakers included clawing back all the money and reallocating that $500 million to Helene recovery, disaster relief. And then the Senate budget, on the other hand, claws back about $400 million of it for a new children's hospital around the Triangle area and gives NCI $25 million a year for the next four years as kind of a short runway to gear up and become self-sustaining, privately funded.
So this effort has been coming for a while. This letter isn't completely out of nowhere, but it certainly is an indicator of a major development and lots more scrutiny. As you mentioned, Donna, folks, can not only go and read this letter from Government Ops, but some of our continuing coverage on NC Innovation over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com. We appreciate the update this morning. Donna King joins us on the Carolina Journal News Hour.
It's 5:54. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour, News Talk 11:10-99-3 WBT. It has been a very busy and sad week here on the Carolina Journal News Hour. Turning our attention back to some North Carolina news this morning and some potential legislative action, as so much national attention has been spent on the state of North Carolina this week after the brutal and senseless murder of a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee by the name of Irina Zaruska back on August the 22nd. Senate leader Phil Berger, the Republican out of Rockingham County, and House Speaker Destin Hall, the Republican out of Caldwell County, are set to hold a special press conference at noon today in Raleigh at the North Carolina General Assembly to discuss legislation actions following that brutal murder on a Charlotte light rail.
Car back on the 22nd of August. The media advisory indicates a burger and Hall will both be there, and it does note some other guests as well, but it just says special guests. Not immediately clear who is going to be there.
However, it is happening at noon today in Raleigh. We will be running and watching the details on that. We'll have the breaking news coverage as it is relevant over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com. And of course, have any audio, video, and news for you coming up tomorrow morning right here on the Carolina Journal News Hour.
Well, a manhunt does continue in Utah this morning as we recap our big breaking news story. Conservative activist and political icon Charlie Kirk murdered, assassinated in front of more than 3,000 people at a college campus known as Utah Valley University yesterday afternoon as his group, Turning Point USA, was doing what they do best. Go to college campuses across the nation, challenge individuals. On their beliefs and allow open discourse and dialogue to take place. It was just about 25 minutes into the event at Utah Valley University yesterday when bullets rang out from video posted, and I'll note a great deal.
Graphic, horrific video posted on social media shows a bullet hitting Kirk square in the neck. It was just about an hour and a half, two hours after that, that President Donald Trump made the official announcement on Truth Social that the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, father of two and young husband Had been brutally assassinated, shot, and killed at that event in Utah. The scary information this morning is that local law enforcement, alongside federal authorities, the FBI, and others, are continuing a statewide manhunt in Utah to try and track down the individual that is responsible for firing the shot that killed Kirk in a crowd of, again, about 3,000 people at Utah Valley University. Kirk, just late last year, less than a year ago, was at East Carolina University as he brought his very popular college tours all over the United States. We've got some additional coverage of that, including some reaction from lawmakers across the state of North Carolina over on our website this morning, CarolinaJournal.com.
It has been a very busy and sad news week. You can keep up to date with all of our coverage again over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com. That's going to do it for a Thursday edition of the Carolina Journal News Hour. WBT News is next, followed by Good Morning BT. We're back with you tomorrow morning, 5 to 6, right here on News Talk 1110 and 99.3 WBT.
