Charlie Kirk dies  —  This is a breaking news story and will be updated.  —  Conservative activist Charlie Kirk is dead and SWAT teams are searching for his killer after Kirk was shot in the neck on Wednesday during a rally at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

Boat Suspected of Smuggling Drugs Is Said to Have Turned Before U.S. Attacked It  —  The Trump administration has argued that the summary killing of 11 people it accused of running drugs was legal under the laws of war.  —  A Venezuelan boat that the U.S. military destroyed in the Caribbean …

Schumer moves to force vote on Epstein files release in brazen breach of Senate protocol  —  Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer moved on Wednesday to force a vote on releasing documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, putting the contentious issue front-and-center in the chamber.

2 students injured in Evergreen High School shooting; suspect also hospitalized  —  EVERGREEN — At least 3 teens, including a suspected shooter, were in critical condition Wednesday afternoon at a Denver-area hospital following a shooting at Evergreen High School in the Jefferson County foothills, officials said.

Poland is at its closest to open conflict since World War Two, PM says  —  Poland is the closest it has been to open conflict since World War Two, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday after the NATO member state shot down Russian drones over its territory.

MAGA Melts Down at Secret Service Over Trump's Humiliating Dinner  —  CRABBY  —  Rowdy protesters called Trump “Hitler” during his first dinner out in D.C. as president.  —  Prominent MAGA figures expressed fury at the Secret Service for a major security failure after a protest group heckled Donald Trump …

The Constant Battle  —  The first excerpt from 107 Days … The first stop on the day's calendar had been planned months earlier.  At a meeting in the Oval Office discussing her work uplifting Black executives and entrepreneurs, Dr. Stacie NC Grant had invited me to address the annual gathering …

White House Exerts Enormous Influence Over F.B.I., Lawsuit Says  —  A sprawling suit by three fired F.B.I. officials provides a disturbing account of efforts by top Trump aides to strip the bureau of its independence.  —  The White House has exerted extraordinary influence over decisions at the F.B.I. …

National Guard documents show public ‘fear,’ veterans' ‘shame’ over D.C. presence  —  Internal documents reviewed by The Post show how domestic missions rooted in politics risk damaging Americans' trust in the military.  —  The National Guard, in measuring public sentiment …

Knifeman accused of stabbing Ukrainian refugee to death gives chilling reason for the attack... as he speaks for the first time from jail on the murder that shocked America  —  The knifeman who allegedly killed Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska has spoken for the first time from jail in a harrowing phone call recorded by his sister.

Disgruntled NYT journalist to ‘anti-woke’ power grab: how far can Bari Weiss go?  —  After leaving the New York Times, she turned her Substack into a unshakeable pro-Israel voice.  Now as Paramount eyes acquisition of her company, Weiss is poised to become Trump's ally among media elites

Hey, Donald: The Red Carpet Didn't Work  —  Lots of Epstein news yesterday—the White House's ridiculous denials that Trump wrote Epstein a birthday letter, and the media's bizarre failure to hold their feet to the fire about those denials—but Andrew got it all out of his system already in videos with Sarah and JVL.

Anti-Islamic US biker gang members run security at deadly Gaza aid sites  —  The firm guarding sites where aid is distributed in Gaza has been using members of a US biker gang with a history of hostility to Islam to run its armed security, a BBC investigation has found.

Ellison Tops Musk as World's Richest Man After $101 Billion Gain  —  Larry Ellison has become the world's richest person for the first time, ending Elon Musk's nearly year-long reign in the top spot.  —  Ellison's fortune soared $101 billion as of 10:10 a.m. in New York …

Trump's Own Tweet Backfires on Him as Judge Delivers Harsh Loss on Fed  —  It has eluded many observers, but President Donald Trump has suffered mounting legal losses lately on some of his biggest-ticket initiatives, and now comes a new ruling blocking another biggie: his firing of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.

The climate of fear is self-imposed  —  I am not generally in the habit of criticizing the editorial decisions of The Washington Post, my employer for 11 years and an institution that continues to do good, important work in covering the unwinding of American democracy.

GENERAL (RET.) MARK A. WELSH III  —  I am reaching out today to follow up on a statement I distributed through social media yesterday regarding an ongoing issue with one of our 16,000 course sections.  I directed the Provost to remove the College of Arts and Sciences Dean and English Department Head from their administrative positions.