Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Wednesday.
Charlie Kirk, a close Trump ally, was shot dead in UtahCharlie Kirk, the leader of the nation’s pre-eminent right-wing youth activist organization, was fatally shot today while speaking at a campus event at Utah Valley University. Local, state and federal law enforcement officials are still looking for the shooter, according to a university spokeswoman. “There is no suspect in custody,” she said. “It is an active investigation.” Follow here for the latest updates. The spokeswoman said that Kirk, 31, was killed about 20 minutes after he began speaking on the university’s campus in Orem, Utah, by a shooter who fired from more than 100 yards away. The university originally said the shooter had been taken into custody, but officials later determined that the person who was detained was not the gunman. Videos from the event showed people running away after a gunshot rang out. One video showed Kirk’s head jerking back as blood poured from his neck, where he was shot. As the head of Turning Point USA, which he founded when he was 18, Kirk had become one of the most influential young conservatives in the country. Even though he was not part of the Trump administration, his sway in the White House was significant. After Kirk’s death was reported, President Trump said: “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me.” For more: The Times Magazine profiled Kirk in February. Read his obituary.
NATO forces knocked out Russian drones over PolandAfter more than a dozen Russian drones entered Polish airspace overnight, NATO forces scrambled to send up fighter jets and shoot them down. It was the first time in the history of the alliance that its fighters had engaged enemy targets in NATO airspace. The drones crossed into Poland during a large Russian air attack on Ukraine; whether Moscow intentionally sought to expand the conflict was unclear. Russia has violated the airspace of countries near Ukraine in the past, including Poland. But the scale of the incursion and the response were a startling reminder that the war could escalate into direct confrontation between Russia and NATO.
Venezuelan boat is said to have turned before U.S. attacked itAfter the U.S. military last week destroyed a Venezuelan boat that Trump has claimed was smuggling drugs, the White House defended the attack as a legal use of violence. But officials told The Times that the boat had altered its course and appeared to have turned around before the attack started. Legal specialists said the revelations further undercut the administration’s claim that the killing of suspected low-level smugglers was legal. “If someone is retreating, where’s the ‘imminent threat’ then?” said a retired top judge advocate general for the Navy. In other Trump administration news:
Should Harris have told Biden not to run? ‘Perhaps,’ she said.In an excerpt from her forthcoming book, “107 Days,” Kamala Harris said it was a mistake not to question Joe Biden’s insistence on running for re-election last year despite his advanced age. It was “recklessness,” she wrote, that led her and other Democrats to cede the choice “to an individual’s ego.” Harris also wrote about feeling undermined by unspecified members of Biden’s team, lamenting that they did not defend her against right-wing attacks about her competence. “And when the stories were unfair or inaccurate, the president’s inner circle seemed fine with it,” she wrote. More top news
Bad Bunny’s concert series is a house partyDuring Bad Bunny’s ongoing concert series celebrating his latest album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” the V.I.P.s don’t stand backstage. They hang out on the porch of a pink and yellow house. The house, called La Casita, doesn’t just offer the best view of the concert. It is also a cultural emblem representing the construction style in the archipelago where Bad Bunny comes from. “It’s a space that a lot of people would consider part of Puerto Rico’s cultural legacy,” one conservator said.
Exploring Egypt’s desertsJust a day’s drive away from the bustle of Cairo are scenes that look otherworldly: overwhelming sandstorms, strange rock formations and vast expanses with no signs of modern human life. The photojournalist Claire Thomas embarked on a three-day, two-night excursion that took her deep into the White and Black Deserts, Egypt’s lesser-known wonders. The trip, she said, offered perspective, serenity, clarity and adventure. Here’s what she saw.
Dinner table topics
Cook: This roast chicken was inspired by Jane Austen. Read: These eight great fantasy novels have unlikely heroes. Listen: On Wirecutter’s latest podcast, my colleagues offer a guide to shopping at Trader Joe’s. See: “The Wild Duck” is one of more than a dozen Off Broadway shows worth watching. Consider: We pulled together 10 great work bags at 10 different budgets. Plan: Check out seven of Europe’s most delectable fall festivals. Play: Here are today’s Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here.
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