Principals

1. Charlie Kirk’s legacy
2. Manhunt underway
3. Rising political violence
4. Shutdown fight heats up
5. New Russia sanctions push
6. Awaiting inflation report
7. Wright presses Europe

PDB: Senate Republicans defeat Schumer’s Epstein vote

Trump marks 9/11 … Qatar condemns Netanyahu’s military threats … Mandelson removed as UK ambassador to the US over Epstein ties

A transformative political figure

The slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, shot dead while speaking at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, was a transformative figure whose legacy will shape the Republican Party’s future. Kirk, 31, energized a generation of young conservatives through his political organizing skills and connection to new media, and his movement Turning Point USA was key to President Donald Trump’s success. Politico once described Kirk as “the most influential player outside the administration whose last name isn’t Trump or Musk,” referring to his close relationship with Vice President JD Vance and Donald Trump Jr. But his broadest influence may have been in creating a new culture on the right. “His style of debate and argument, and his unapologetic Christian faith, have created a new paradigm for conservatives,” Semafor’s David Weigel writes.

Manhunt underway for Kirk’s killer

An intense police manhunt is underway for the person who killed Kirk. As the brazen killing of the Trump ally sent shockwaves across America, authorities said they were seeking a new person of interest but that no one was currently in custody; two men were held in the immediate aftermath of the shooting but released after questioning, with FBI Director Kash Patel posting late Wednesday that “our investigation continues.” Kirk’s death sparked an outpouring of mourning and condemnation at the highest levels of US politics. Trump ordered flags lowered to half-staff and called the murder of the father of two “a dark moment for America,” vowing to find those responsible. On Capitol Hill, a moment of silence on the House floor briefly devolved into shouting between Republicans and Democrats, with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., telling Democrats angrily: “You all caused this.”

A new era of political violence

America’s leaders are waking up worried about the country’s safety — and their own. After the 2017 congressional baseball attack, Capitol Hill reporters asked “where this broader moment fits in American history, which past era it might resemble. Are we living in 1968, on the precipice of more violence, assassinations, disruption, unrest? Is it more like the 1970s? Or a different period, something new altogether?” By 2023, The Atlantic’s Adrienne LaFrance was warning that “by nearly every measure, political violence is seen as more acceptable today than it was five years ago.” The pace of high-profile incidents has accelerated since Trump’s shooting last July: The assassinations of a health care CEO in New York and a lawmaker in Minnesota, the arson attack on the governor of Pennsylvania, and now Kirk’s murder all make clear that Americans are living in a dangerous new era.

Odds of government shutdown spike

The odds of a government shutdown are spiking, after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer rejected Republicans’ funding proposals by saying they “can’t get our votes.” Republicans have proposed several short-term funding options running from November to January, but Democrats want Republicans to negotiate with them, especially on extending expiring health care subsidies. “If that’s his position, then he’s calling for a government shutdown,” Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins told Semafor of Schumer’s comments. “I personally support an extension in some form of those tax credits. But that doesn’t really have anything to do with the need to keep [the] government funded.” Still, Democrats might consider a very short stopgap bill as a bridge to a bigger bipartisan deal, said Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will convene a meeting with Schumer and other top Democrats this morning.

— Burgess Everett

Bid to punish Russia picks up in Senate

Russia’s incursion into Polish airspace is jolting momentum in the Senate to pass a bipartisan sanctions bill against Moscow. It can’t come soon enough for some Republicans. “I hear every week, it’s coming, it’s coming. I just think we ought to stop talking about it. There’s only one thing stopping us from passing those sanctions: The majority leader hasn’t put it on the floor,” said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La. Republican leaders said conversations were picking back up after losing steam over the August break. “I’m for it. And I’ve been texting back and forth with other senators,” said Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., planned to meet with Trump to again make his case for presidential support, which Trump has withheld while pursuing unilateral measures to punish Russia’s trading partners.

— Burgess Everett

Inflation report adds to economic jitters

Economists expect Thursday’s inflation report to show the fastest consumer price increases since January, but even an uptick is unlikely to deter the Federal Reserve from cutting interest rates at its meeting next week. The Fed can take some comfort in Wednesday’s data showing that producer prices — the cost of goods before they hit shelves — unexpectedly slowed, which should give companies the room they need to keep retail prices steady going forward. And policymakers have shifted their emphasis from battling inflation, which demands higher interest rates, to guarding against unemployment, which would justify a widely expected reduction of 0.25 percentage points to baseline borrowing rates, and another two cuts by the end of the year.

— Liz Hoffman

Wright pushes for EU to ease climate rules

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright will warn European leaders in Brussels today that the EU’s climate regulations put the region’s energy security at risk and will get in the way of a recent commitment to buy $750 billion in energy products from across the Atlantic. US gas producers are eager to sell more to Europe, but oppose regulations targeting methane emissions and ESG-related corporate reporting requirements: “We’re here to work on removing non-tariff barriers that are getting needlessly in the way of bringing more energy into Europe,” Wright said. Selling $750 billion in energy to Europe in the next three years is probably never going to happen no matter what, but Brussels needs to at least demonstrate some kind of progress toward making it happen, or risk inviting another escalation of tariffs.

— Tim McDonnell

Blindspot: Prayer and the FBI

Stories that are being largely ignored by either left-leaning or right-leaning outlets, curated with help from our partners at Ground News.

What the Left isn’t reading: The Department of Education will release guidance aimed at protecting prayer in public schools, President Trump announced earlier this week.

What the Right isn’t reading: A group of former FBI officials ousted by the Trump administration accused the White House in a new lawsuit of infringing on the bureau’s independence.

Sierra Leone Minister of Health Dr. Austin Demby will join the stage at The Next 3 Billion — the premier US summit focused on connecting the unconnected. Semafor editors will sit down with global executives and thought leaders to highlight the economic, social, and global impact of bringing the next three billion people online.

September 24, 2025 | New York City | Delegate Application →

Beltway Newsletters

Punchbowl News: Colin Allred has won the backing of Congressional Black Caucus leaders for his Senate campaign in Texas, after James Talarico entered the race.

Playbook: A new poll by a Democratic firm shows Republicans facing challenges in Pennsylvania, with 53% of likely voters in Bucks County saying they view President Trump unfavorably, compared with 42% who view him favorably.

WaPo: With her comments about Joe Biden in her new memoir, Kamala Harris is starting to “separate herself from what could become an albatross on her career: her association with Biden and everything that happened in 2024.”

Axios: Former Biden aides lashed out at Harris over excerpts in her book where she said the ex-president was “reckless” to run for reelection.

Congress

• Senate Republicans shut down a bid by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to force a vote on releasing the Justice Department’s files on Jeffrey Epstein after GOP Sens. Rand Paul, Ky., and Josh Hawley, Mo., broke ranks to support the push.
• The House voted to adopt a