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It’s Wednesday, September 17. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: How to show grace in the face of political violence. Stop being mean to millennials. Trump and Bibi’s good cop/bad cop routine. A livestream with Niall Ferguson and Tina Brown. And much more.
But first: What the heck is Pam Bondi talking about?
That’s the question we ask in our latest editorial. More than once over the last few days, the Attorney General of the United States has sounded like someone totally unfamiliar with the protections offered by the First Amendment.
She went on a podcast to announce that “There’s free speech and then there’s hate speech.” She added: “We will absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech.” She followed this up with a Fox News appearance where she insinuated that employers have “an obligation to get rid of” people who say abhorrent things about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
The awful irony of this is that Kirk was a true-blue believer in free speech and a steadfast opponent of censorship. “Hate speech does not exist legally in America,” Kirk said just last year. “There’s ugly speech. There’s gross speech. There’s evil speech. And ALL of it is protected by the First Amendment.”
Kirk was right, and he had a much better understanding of the First Amendment than our chief law enforcement officer. While Bondi has tried to walk back her comments, President Trump’s definition of hate speech appears to include anyone in the media who criticizes him. “She’ll probably go after people like you! Because you treat me so unfairly!” he told an ABC reporter Tuesday. “It’s hate! You have a lot of hate in your heart!”
This isn’t just a horrible disservice to Kirk and his memory. It’s also exceptionally divisive at a moment when unity is what our nation needs.
—The Editors
Tune In Today: Niall Ferguson and Tina Brown on the New Gilded Age
Tariffs, immigration restrictions, and the ultrarich flaunting their wealth: Are we living in a new gilded age? That’s the question our columnist Niall Ferguson tackled in a recent essay for The Free Press. It’s also the subject of today’s livestream. At 2 p.m. ET, Niall will be talking to old media legend turned Substack diarist Tina Brown. Click here to mark your calendars. This conversation is available to Free Press paid subscribers only. If you’re not already signed up, you can fix that here:
Subscribe now
Actor and director Robert Redford in Paris on February 22, 2019. (Bertrand Guay via Getty Images)The Utah County Attorney’s Office officially charged Tyler Robinson, the prime suspect in the killing of Charlie Kirk, with aggravated murder, and announced they will pursue the death penalty. “Charlie Kirk was murdered while engaging in one of our most sacred and cherished American rights, the bedrock of our democratic republic, the free exchange of ideas and a search for truth, understanding, and a more perfect union,” Utah County attorney Jeff Gray said at the press conference Tuesday.
Text messages between Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old suspect in Charlie Kirk’s assassination, and his roommate were released alongside charges filed by Utah officials. “I am still ok my love,” Robinson texted his roommate. “To be honest,” he continued, “I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you.” He appears to have also confessed to the murder in a Discord chat shortly before turning himself in to authorities. “Hey guys, I have bad news for you all. It was me at UVU yesterday. im sorry for all of this,” read the message.
Israel launched a ground offensive into Gaza City on Tuesday. The IDF did not offer a timeline for the operation, but said it was aimed at destroying Hamas military infrastructure in Gaza’s largest city. The Israeli government says there are between 2,000–3,000 Hamas militants hiding in the city, and urged civilian residents to evacuate.
Officials at the Federal Reserve will vote on interest rates later today. The meeting brings together Trump ally Stephen Miran—who was just approved to serve as a Fed Governor on Monday—and Trump target Lisa Cook. The central bank is expected to lower rates.
A federal appeals court denied President Trump’s attempt to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve on Monday night. In a 2–1 decision, the Washington, D.C., court decided that there was merit in Cook’s claim that she wasn’t given proper notice or opportunity to respond to her firing.
A New York State judge has thrown out the most serious charges against Luigi Mangione, dismissing the allegations of murder in the first degree in furtherance of an act of terrorism and murder in the second degree as a crime of terrorism. Mangione still faces 25 years to life, only now he will be eligible for parole if convicted.
According to a new poll from a progressive group, over half of likely Democratic voters prefer socialist-aligned figures like Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Zohran Mamdani to establishment politicians like Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi. The recent data comes just after Gallup reported that Democrats and independents are increasingly turning on capitalism. (If you’re wondering why, check out analysis in The Free Press from Tyler Cowen and Kyla Scanlon, plus River Page’s must-read essay on “How the Yuppies Became Socialists.”)
Robert Redford died Tuesday at the age of 89, at his home outside Provo, Utah. Redford, a legendary movie star and founder of the Sundance Film Festival, was best known for movies like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men.
View all episodes
By Bari WeissIt’s Wednesday, September 17. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: How to show grace in the face of political violence. Stop being mean to millennials. Trump and Bibi’s good cop/bad cop routine. A livestream with Niall Ferguson and Tina Brown. And much more.
But first: What the heck is Pam Bondi talking about?
That’s the question we ask in our latest editorial. More than once over the last few days, the Attorney General of the United States has sounded like someone totally unfamiliar with the protections offered by the First Amendment.
She went on a podcast to announce that “There’s free speech and then there’s hate speech.” She added: “We will absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech.” She followed this up with a Fox News appearance where she insinuated that employers have “an obligation to get rid of” people who say abhorrent things about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
The awful irony of this is that Kirk was a true-blue believer in free speech and a steadfast opponent of censorship. “Hate speech does not exist legally in America,” Kirk said just last year. “There’s ugly speech. There’s gross speech. There’s evil speech. And ALL of it is protected by the First Amendment.”
Kirk was right, and he had a much better understanding of the First Amendment than our chief law enforcement officer. While Bondi has tried to walk back her comments, President Trump’s definition of hate speech appears to include anyone in the media who criticizes him. “She’ll probably go after people like you! Because you treat me so unfairly!” he told an ABC reporter Tuesday. “It’s hate! You have a lot of hate in your heart!”
This isn’t just a horrible disservice to Kirk and his memory. It’s also exceptionally divisive at a moment when unity is what our nation needs.
—The Editors
Tune In Today: Niall Ferguson and Tina Brown on the New Gilded Age
Tariffs, immigration restrictions, and the ultrarich flaunting their wealth: Are we living in a new gilded age? That’s the question our columnist Niall Ferguson tackled in a recent essay for The Free Press. It’s also the subject of today’s livestream. At 2 p.m. ET, Niall will be talking to old media legend turned Substack diarist Tina Brown. Click here to mark your calendars. This conversation is available to Free Press paid subscribers only. If you’re not already signed up, you can fix that here:
Subscribe now
Actor and director Robert Redford in Paris on February 22, 2019. (Bertrand Guay via Getty Images)The Utah County Attorney’s Office officially charged Tyler Robinson, the prime suspect in the killing of Charlie Kirk, with aggravated murder, and announced they will pursue the death penalty. “Charlie Kirk was murdered while engaging in one of our most sacred and cherished American rights, the bedrock of our democratic republic, the free exchange of ideas and a search for truth, understanding, and a more perfect union,” Utah County attorney Jeff Gray said at the press conference Tuesday.
Text messages between Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old suspect in Charlie Kirk’s assassination, and his roommate were released alongside charges filed by Utah officials. “I am still ok my love,” Robinson texted his roommate. “To be honest,” he continued, “I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you.” He appears to have also confessed to the murder in a Discord chat shortly before turning himself in to authorities. “Hey guys, I have bad news for you all. It was me at UVU yesterday. im sorry for all of this,” read the message.
Israel launched a ground offensive into Gaza City on Tuesday. The IDF did not offer a timeline for the operation, but said it was aimed at destroying Hamas military infrastructure in Gaza’s largest city. The Israeli government says there are between 2,000–3,000 Hamas militants hiding in the city, and urged civilian residents to evacuate.
Officials at the Federal Reserve will vote on interest rates later today. The meeting brings together Trump ally Stephen Miran—who was just approved to serve as a Fed Governor on Monday—and Trump target Lisa Cook. The central bank is expected to lower rates.
A federal appeals court denied President Trump’s attempt to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve on Monday night. In a 2–1 decision, the Washington, D.C., court decided that there was merit in Cook’s claim that she wasn’t given proper notice or opportunity to respond to her firing.
A New York State judge has thrown out the most serious charges against Luigi Mangione, dismissing the allegations of murder in the first degree in furtherance of an act of terrorism and murder in the second degree as a crime of terrorism. Mangione still faces 25 years to life, only now he will be eligible for parole if convicted.
According to a new poll from a progressive group, over half of likely Democratic voters prefer socialist-aligned figures like Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Zohran Mamdani to establishment politicians like Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi. The recent data comes just after Gallup reported that Democrats and independents are increasingly turning on capitalism. (If you’re wondering why, check out analysis in The Free Press from Tyler Cowen and Kyla Scanlon, plus River Page’s must-read essay on “How the Yuppies Became Socialists.”)
Robert Redford died Tuesday at the age of 89, at his home outside Provo, Utah. Redford, a legendary movie star and founder of the Sundance Film Festival, was best known for movies like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men.