Welcome back, Wake Up Right fam. Charlie Kirk’s memorial was held yesterday in Arizona – an event that was so massive that it was held in an NFL stadium.

Every single news network aired the event. The coward who tried to silence him failed. In death, Charlie’s voice carries farther than ever before.

• 🤡 Just 10% of Dems know Kirk assassin was left-wing

• 🎃 #1 pumpkin-producing state is Illinois, 485.1 million

• 👜 49.2% of U.S. spending comes from top 10% of earners

• 📊 24% of 'very liberal': Acceptable to be happy about assassinations

^{Sources: The Economist, Axios, Bloomberg, YouGov}

Conservatives unite to honor Charlie Kirk

Supporters from around the world came together this weekend to honor the life of Charlie Kirk – a day that fused his fierce political activism with devout Christian faith.

The details: The memorial service took place Sunday afternoon at State Farm Stadium in Arizona – home of the Arizona Cardinals football team. The event was put on by the organization he founded, Turning Point USA, which is now led by his widow, Erika Kirk.

Attendees included the most senior levels of government and cultural figures such as: President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Elon Musk, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Marco Rubio, Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth, Tucker Carlson, and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna.

• It also featured performances from Christian music stars Brandon Lake, Chris Tomlin, Phil Wickham, Cody Carnes, and Kari Jobe Carnes.

I forgive you: Charlie’s wife, Erika Kirk, stole the show, with a roughly 30-minute eulogy, honoring her late husband. In it, she found the strength and grace to forgive her husband’s killer. Her full, unedited quote is:

• "My husband, Charlie. He wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life. That young man. That young man on the cross. Our Savior said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they not know what they do.’ That man. That young man. I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did in his. What Charlie would do. The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the gospel is love and always love.”

The numbers: 200,000 people were estimated to have turned out for the event. The stadium has a capacity of roughly 73,000 people, so many were turned away. Roughly 10,000 were able to get into an overflow arena nearby to watch remotely together.

• Over 100 million viewed the event online.

For Charlie: After President Trump and Elon Musk fell out earlier this year, Charlie had said on more than one occasion that he’d hoped to see them reconcile. That hope became reality during the ceremony as the Tesla CEO greeted the President and the two spoke for a short while.

• According to a lip reader, Trump told Musk: “I’ve heard you wanted to chat. Let’s try and work out how to get back on track.”

• Both posted a photo together on social media with the caption: “For Charlie.”

Checking in on the left: There were some protestors outside, but it was a very small turnout that was kept at a distance by police.

Back up: On September 10, Kirk was tragically assassinated while speaking at Utah Valley University.

What happens next? Kirk will be laid to rest in his hometown, Phoenix.

The last word goes to President Trump, who told the crowd: “Charlie Kirk loved America with everything he had. And as we can see so clearly today, America loved Charlie Kirk.”

[Source: RSNB, Breitbart]

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Trump overhauls H-1B visa scam

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday imposing a one-time $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa petitions – a sweeping shift in U.S. immigration and tech policy designed to prioritize American workers and give him leverage in trade talks with key adversaries.

The details: The $100,000 fee will apply to new petitions in the next H-1B lottery round. The executive order does allow for waivers if the president deems it to be "in the national interest."

Clarification: On Friday, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik told reporters the fee would be applied annually. The White House clarified that the proclamation is "NOT an annual fee. It's a one-time fee" per petition.

America First: At the signing on Friday, Lutnik framed the order as a move to protect American workers:

• “If you're going to train somebody… Train Americans. Stop bringing in people to take out jobs."

What is the H-1B visa? It allows U.S. employers to hire foreign professionals in specialized fields temporarily.

The numbers: Nearly 400,000 H-1Bs were approved in 2024 under Joe Biden – a big jump from the roughly 178,000 approved in 2000.

Where are they coming from? Roughly 73% of the H-1Bs approved in 2023 were from India. 12% were from China.

Real talk from G: It’s no coincidence that President Trump announces this move as he’s in the middle of intense trade negotiations with… China and India. Remember, the order allows the president to create waivers to the $100,000 fee. This is the Art of the Deal in action.

[Source: Fox Business]

🤡 A Sacramento man with an unhinged anti-Trump online profile was arrested for shooting into a local ABC station lobby after the network fired Jimmy Kimmel. Read more.

🆘 A man yelling "Free Palestine" opened fire on a New Hampshire country club, killing one and injuring several others. Read more.

🏳️‍⚧️ The man who attempted to kill Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh identifies as a transgender woman and was deeply mentally ill and suicidal, according to court documents. Read more. More trans violence.

💩 Nearly 60 House Democrats – including AOC and the 'Squad' – voted against a resolution to honor Charlie Kirk. Read more. It passed, despite their opposition. Read more.

🇵🇸 The United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia on Sunday announced the recognition of the Palestinian state, despite protests from Israel. Read more.

📕 Kamala Harris’s new book excerpts drew pushback from Democrats, with Pete Buttigieg disputing her critique of him as a risky 2024 pick and Josh Shapiro’s team rejecting her account of their meeting, where he was overconfident. Read more.

💉 A U.S. vaccine panel led by RFK Jr. scrapped its blanket support for COVID shots, urging instead that all ages decide with their doctors. Read more.

🛩️ Lockheed Martin is developing a drone wingman for surveillance, electronic warfare, precision strikes, and aerial combat. Read more.

😡 President Donald Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with Attorney General Pam Bondi in a Truth Social post over her lack of action on several legal fronts. Read more.

🚔️ NYPD thwarted a potential school shooting after the FBI tipped off the department to a student posting threats online. Read more.

👑 The late Queen Elizabeth II “expressed warm encouragement” in the rise of conservative leader Charlie Kirk and his efforts to “bring younger people back to the Church." Read more.

🍟 McDonald’s USA announced this week that it’s pouring $200 million into regenerative farm practices – a move hailed as a win for the "Make America Healthy Again" movement. Read more.

🤼‍♂️ Raja Jackson, son of former UFC champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, was arrested on a felony assault charge following a brutal attack on a pro wrestler. Read more.

📱 President Trump and Chinese President Xi made progress on a TikTok deal and will meet face-to-face in South Korea in six weeks. Read more.

🎥 Erika Kirk forgives her husband's assassin. Watch.

🎥 President Trump and Elon Musk reunite at Charlie Kirk's memorial. Watch.

🎥 A demo of Lockheed Martin’s drone wingman. Watch.

🎥 CNN's Dana Bash actually confronts Rep. Jasmine Crockett. Watch.

🎥 Man fights a robot in the name of science. Watch.

🎥 Cardinal Dolan says Charlie Kirk was a "modern-day St. Paul." Watch.

📸 Renderings of next year's UFC event at the White House. See it.

🎥 Erika Kirk pays tribute to her husband with a beautiful, emotional speech. Watch.

🎥 Trump posted footage of his Department of War taking out another Venezuelan drug ship. Watch.

🎥 Go long: The full replay of Charlie Kirk’s memorial. Watch.

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