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Tyler Robinson prosecutors say Charlie Kirk shooting texts show confusion, not bias, to rebut conflict claim
Prosecutors are urging a judge to deny accused Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson’s bid to disqualify a prosecutor, arguing there is no conflict of interest.
In a sweeping 33-page filing, submitted under seal earlier this month and now released in redacted form, the state argues the deputy prosecutor at the center of Robinson’s motion has no personal conflict despite the fact that his 18-year-old child was in the crowd when Kirk was assassinated at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025.
Prosecutors say the child was one of "thousands of other witnesses" and had no personal knowledge of the actual murder, never saw the shooting, and never saw a weapon.
The filing includes text messages exchanged between the prosecutor and his child in the minutes after the shooting, which prosecutors argue underscore that lack of firsthand knowledge.
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In the messages, the child initially texts, "SOMEONE GOT SHOT," and reassures family members, "I’m okay, everyone is going inside." Only later, after hearing information from others, does the teenager text, "CHARLIE GOT SHOT," followed by messages relaying what "people were saying" about where Kirk was hit and where the shooter may have been positioned.
Prosecutors argue the texts reflect confusion and secondhand information — not emotional trauma or direct involvement that could improperly influence prosecutorial decision-making.
Read the filing here:
The filing further details that the child was roughly 85 feet away, had no line of sight to the shooter due to buildings blocking the view, and fled the area after hearing what sounded like a loud "pop."
In a sworn affidavit, the child described being scared in the moment but suffered no lasting trauma, required no counseling and quickly returned to normal school and work activities.
Robinson’s motion also points to the prosecution’s decision to seek the death penalty on the same day charges were filed, arguing it reflects bias or a rush to judgment.
Prosecutors reject that claim, saying the decision was based on the strength of the evidence, Utah law and a desire to curb speculation and misinformation in a case that immediately drew national and international attention.
Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot while answering a question during the outdoor forum attended by roughly 3,000 people. Robinson is charged with aggravated murder and faces the possibility of the death penalty if convicted.
Defense attorneys argue that while the trauma of the shooting is undeniable, it makes prosecutorial neutrality even more essential — not less. They contend the presence of a prosecutor’s family member at the event creates an unacceptable risk that decisions could be influenced by emotion rather than evidence.
A judge is scheduled to hear arguments on the motion Friday, Jan. 16. If the court grants Robinson’s request, the entire Utah County Attorney’s Office could be removed from the case, forcing the appointment of a special prosecutor and potentially delaying trial proceedings — including the state’s pursuit of the death penalty.
Fox News' Lee Ross and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
Jenny Lewis ‘married’ her dog to mark 50th birthday, wears wedding gown with veil
Rilo Kiley singer Jenny Lewis "married" her dog to celebrate her 50th birthday.
Over the weekend, Lewis took to social media and shared Polaroid photos of herself in a wedding gown, veil and a bouquet next to her cockapoo, Bobby Rhubarb.
"i married my dog for my 50th birthday… BLESS!" Lewis captioned the images she uploaded to X, formerly known as Twitter.
One of the Polaroid images showed two rainbow-striped cakes. One read, "JL50!" and the other said, "For BETTER or for WORSE I do!"
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According to the Independent, Lewis invited close friends and family to the wedding. The outlet reported that her Postal Service bandmate Ben Gibbard attended the ceremony and sang "Such Great Heights" with Lewis.
Lewis's friends, Morgan Nagler, Dave Scher, and Alex Greenwald were also reportedly in attendance.
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In 2023, Lewis opened up to Rolling Stone about her adoption story with Bobby Rhubarb.
"I was in a really rough spot," she said, explaining she adopted him in her 40s.
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"I'd been isolated for over a year, quarantining totally on my own, and I had to find things to get me out of the house. The truck provided that," Lewis said, referencing her 2021 song, "Puppy and a Truck."
"I don't have any kids, but this dog opened me up in so many ways — being responsible for a soul and caring for something outside of yourself. It's been a really important lesson for me," Lewis continued. "Kind of obvious, I guess, but I had no idea. I had fantasies of owning a white wolf. Instead, I ended up with a cockapoo."
Olympic champion Jim Hartung dead at 65
Jim Hartung, a former U.S. Olympic gymnast who won gold in 1984 and was a member of the Nebraska Cornhuskers national championship teams, has died, the school said. He was 65.
Nebraska announced Hartung’s death on Monday. He was an assistant gymnastics coach for the Big Ten school for the last 19 seasons.
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"The Nebraska Athletic Department is deeply saddened to announce the passing of assistant men’s gymnastics coach Jim Hartung on Saturday night," Nebraska athletics said. "Our condolences go out to Jim’s family, friends, and everyone he has impacted during his remarkable life in gymnastics from a national champion athlete at Nebraska to an Olympic gold medalist to a successful coach.
"Jim is a true Husker legend and his impact on the sport of gymnastics will carry on for decades to come. Our department will provide all available resources and support for our men’s gymnastics student-athletes and coaching staff during this very difficult time."
The cause of death was not announced.
Hartung won seven individual NCAA titles during his time with the Cornhuskers. He won two all-around titles in 1981 and 1982 before he graduated. Nebraska won four national championships from 1979 to 1982.
He made more history when he appeared for the red, white and blue at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles after boycotting the Games in 1980, which took place in Moscow. He was a part of Team USA’s only team gold medal in men’s gymnastics.
Hartung has four children.
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Ex-congressional IT aide accused of stealing 240 government phones and selling them at pawn shop
A former congressional IT aide is accused of abusing his trusted access to steal roughly 240 taxpayer-funded cellphones worth more than $150,000, shipping them to his Maryland home and selling most of them at a pawn shop, federal prosecutors say.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Monday that Christopher Southerland, 43, of Glen Burnie, Md., was arrested and charged in a federal indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court, accusing him of stealing about 240 government-issued cellphones from the U.S. House of Representatives.
According to evidence reviewed by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and her office, Southerland worked from about April 2020 through July 2023 as a system administrator for the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
In that role, Southerland was authorized to order mobile devices for committee staff, prosecutors said, giving him direct access to the internal system used to procure government-issued phones.
From January 2023 through May 2023, Southerland allegedly used that authority to order roughly 240 new cellphones and have them shipped directly to his home, despite the committee having only about 80 staff members at the time.
Prosecutors say Southerland later sold more than 200 of the phones to a nearby pawn shop, converting the government property into personal cash.
As part of the alleged scheme, Southerland instructed a pawn shop employee to sell the devices "in parts," investigators say, a move designed to bypass the House’s mobile device management software, which allows officials to remotely monitor and secure government phones.
The scheme began to unravel when one of the stolen phones was sold intact rather than dismantled, according to prosecutors.
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That device ultimately ended up listed on eBay and was purchased by an uninvolved buyer. When the buyer powered on the phone for the first time, a contact number for the House of Representatives Technology Service Desk appeared on the screen, the DOJ said.
The buyer called the number, prompting House officials to investigate and discover that multiple phones ordered under Southerland’s account were unaccounted for, prosecutors said.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police and the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake Green for the District of Columbia, with assistance from other federal prosecutors.
Washington Post urges Supreme Court to 'save women’s sports' ahead of major trans athlete case
The Washington Post published an opinion piece supporting women’s sports ahead of a Supreme Court hearing on transgender athletes' participation in school sports.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments on the Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J. cases, which both address the constitutional rights of states to bar biological males from competing in women's sports.
Days before the high-profile hearing, The Washington Post editorial board wrote that "neither science nor the American public" is on the side of transgender athletes and that a decision could finally put the debate to rest.
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"The Supreme Court has the chance this week to save women’s sports, allowing states to restore a level playing field for girls by excluding biological men and thereby correcting one of the worst excesses of America’s cultural revolution," the editorial board wrote Sunday.
The Washington Post denounced efforts by people to "disbelieve their lying eyes" on facts surrounding biological males' physical advantages over women, saying that their efforts failed both in policy and politics.
"It’s a policy failure because activist groups pushed for policies that were far outside the mainstream," The Washington Post argued. "About 7 in 10 U.S. adults believe athletic participation should be determined by biological sex, not gender identity. It’s a political failure because those groups never really tried to make a compelling case for their agenda. Instead, they attacked those who disagreed as transphobic and sought to shut down debate. Is there evidence that males are better athletes than females? Yes, scads."
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The publication also warned that broad transgender inclusion in women's sports could effectively end female athlete participation entirely, rolling back decades of progress made by the feminist movement.
"Rather than unlawful discrimination on the basis of sex, the laws being challenged are reasonable concessions to immutable reality," the Post concluded.
Director of Independent Women's Law Center, May Mailman, expressed surprise at The Washington Post's stance, claiming it would have been "unthinkable" until recently. However, she added that the Post's stance is largely catching up with "the side of reality."
"I don’t actually think this article reflects a shift in public opinion — the public was always on the side of reality. It reflects the defeat of the elites. The elites, like university professors and liberal lawyers, forced this lie down our throats, they’ve been called out for it, and now they are pretending like they’re discovering reality anew," Mailman told Fox News Digital.
Nearly 30 states currently have laws preventing transgender athletes from taking part in female sports at public schools and college. It remains unclear when the Supreme Court will issue decisions in Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J.
Senate advances $174B package as Minnesota ICE shooting fuels DHS funding fight
The Senate took its first step toward averting a government shutdown, but there’s still a long way to go on an increasingly shorter path to keep the lights on in Washington, D.C.
Lawmakers advanced a $174 billion, three-bill package through its first procedural hurdle on Monday evening with an 81-14 vote, teeing up a vote to send the tranche of funding bills, known as a minibus, to President Donald Trump’s desk later this week.
The package, which easily sailed through the House last week, similarly cruised through the key test vote on a wave of bipartisan support — a sign that neither party wants to thrust the government into another shutdown just months after the longest closure in history.
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., noted that Senate Democrats weren’t looking for another shutdown last week and said that "Democrats want to fund the appropriations, the spending bills, all the way through 2026."
"We want to work in a bicameral, bipartisan way to do it and the good news is our Republican appropriators are working with us," Schumer told ABC Sunday morning.
While the successful procedural vote acted as a good sign for final passage of the package, it doesn’t mean that lawmakers are completely out of the woods when it comes to preventing another shutdown.
They have until Jan. 30 to fund the rest of the government, and some in the Senate believe that they won’t have time to finish their work before the deadline. That means another continuing resolution (CR) will likely be in the cards.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said a short-term funding bill is inevitable.
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He noted that, so far, the Senate has only passed three funding bills. If the latest package is successful, that would put lawmakers at the halfway mark of the dozen bills needed to avert a shutdown.
"Of course there's gonna be a short-term CR," Kennedy said. "There's gonna be a CR, it's just a question of how big is the CR going to be?"
There is another, smaller funding package that could soon make its way through the House. But the $77 billion two-bill bundle that includes funding legislation for Financial Services and National Security still won’t be enough to prevent a shutdown.
Notably, the package lacks the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations bill, which was supposed to be included. That bill is a perennial headache for lawmakers and often acts as a lightning rod for political enmity.
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"The DHS bill is always one of the most difficult ones," Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said. "And creates more, seems like more of a kind of a political conflict of all the appropriations bills."
Following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minnesota last week, that political division reached another level.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Committee, argued that what happened to Good "has crystallized for the American people the real danger that exists out there in the way that ICE and [Customs and Border Protection] are operating."
Murphy suggested that he would want to see constraints built into the DHS bill that deal with CBP, such as beefed up training for officers.
"I understand we have to get Republican votes," Murphy said. "So I'm not proposing we fix this overnight, but I think it should be clear to Republicans that if they want Democratic votes for a DHS appropriations bill, they're going to have to work with us on our concerns. That's how the Senate works."
Jeffries says DHS Secretary Noem 'should be run out of town' amid ICE shooting backlash
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., directed some heated remarks at a Trump administration Cabinet official whose department has been dominating headlines in recent weeks.
"What is clear is that Kristi Noem is completely and totally unqualified. She should have never been confirmed by Senate Republicans," Jeffries said of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary during a Monday press conference. "It's disgraceful that she's there. She should be run out of town as soon as possible."
Criticism against Noem, DHS, and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has intensified on the left in the wake of a deadly ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis last week.
An ICE agent shot and killed a U.S. citizen, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, who allegedly presented a threat to ICE agents as they attempted to conduct enforcement operations. Partisan fissures have since erupted over which side was acting improperly when the deadly incident occurred.
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"Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security and ICE, they're totally out of control. And the American people want these extremists to be reined in," Jeffries said on Monday.
He said Good "should be alive today" and accused both Noem and the ICE agent who shot Good of a "depraved indifference toward human life."
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Video of last week's incident appears to show Good's car making contact with the ICE agent who shot her before he opened fire. Arguments have since raged over whether she was deliberately getting in the way or even weaponizing her car, or whether she was trying to drive away.
Federal officials like Noem have defended the agent as acting in self-defense while accusing Good of trying to actively impede ICE activity in the Democrat-controlled city.
Democrats, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have accused ICE and Republican officials of stoking fear and tension in the city while demanding the federal government cease current operations there immediately.
Now Democrats in Congress have been threatening to withhold support from funding DHS unless significant reforms are made — a threat Jeffries alluded to during his press conference.
"What's in front of us right now is a spending bill that will go either one of two ways. Either Republicans will continue their my-way-or-the-highway approach as it relates to the Homeland Security bill — and if that happens, then it's going to be on them to figure out a path forward," Jeffries began.
"Alternatively, particularly in the face of the tragedy…there's some commonsense measures that need to be put in place so that ICE can conduct itself in a manner that is at least consistent with every other law enforcement agency in the United States of America, at the state, local and federal level."
The deadline to finish federal funding and avert a partial government shutdown is at the end of day on Jan. 30.
Fox News Digital reached out to DHS for a response.
George Clooney speaks French at Golden Globes after Trump mocked him
George Clooney showed off his French-speaking skills during the 83rd annual Golden Globes, just weeks after President Donald Trump celebrated the actor's French citizenship.
While presenting the award for best motion picture – drama, Clooney — who was also nominated for his performance in "Jay Kelly," shared a message in French.
"Bonsoir, mes amis," he said. "C'est un honneur d’être ici." The greeting loosely translates to "good evening, my friends, it's an honor to be here."
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The nod to his citizenship comes just two weeks after Trump publicly celebrated Clooney and his wife Amal's decision to become French citizens.
"Good News! George and Amal Clooney, two of the worst political prognosticators of all time, have officially become citizens of France which is, sadly, in the midst of a major crime problem because of their absolutely horrendous handling of immigration, much like we had under Sleepy Joe Biden," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Dec. 31. "Clooney got more publicity for politics than he did for his very few, and totally mediocre, movies."
After online chatter pointed to Clooney's subtle jab at Trump, a representative for the White House told Fox News Digital, "Nobody cares."
The couple and their 8-year-old twins, Ella and Alexander, were granted citizenship, according to a naturalization decree.
The Clooneys have been living in France with their children after uprooting the family to get away from the culture of Hollywood, the Academy Award-winning actor and director said in October.
In an interview with Esquire, Clooney, 64, opened up about his life in France and explained why they chose to move to the countryside.
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"You know, we live on a farm in France. A good portion of my life growing up was on a farm, and as a kid I hated the whole idea of it. But now, for them, it’s like – they’re not on their iPads, you know? They have dinner with grown-ups and have to take their dishes in. They have a much better life."
"I was worried about raising our kids in L.A., in the culture of Hollywood. I felt like they were never going to get a fair shake at life," he continued.
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The couple has homes around the world, including Italy, England and a property near Clooney's family in Kentucky.
During an interview with The New York Times earlier this year, Clooney got candid about embracing the quieter life outside the city.
"Growing up in Kentucky, all I wanted to do was get away from a farm, get away from that life," he told the outlet. "Now I find myself back in that life. I drive a tractor and all those things."
In July, Amal detailed how she protects her family's privacy while constantly being in the spotlight.
"Creating private moments and spaces is becoming increasingly difficult," Amal told Glamour. "But that’s also why we entertain a lot at home. I now have a phone basket that I use to take everyone’s phones away!"
"It’s important to get that balance where you have time alone with your family and with your friends, where people feel like you can have a safe and frank exchange," she explained.
New Jersey man fractures girl's skull by allegedly throwing rock through school bus window, arrest made
A New Jersey man suspected in a series of rock-throwing incidents seriously injured a young girl riding a school bus when she was struck with one, authorities said.
Hernando Garciamorales, 40, of Palisades Park, was arrested on Saturday in connection with the Jan. 7 motor vehicle incident on the northbound New Jersey Turnpike, the New Jersey State Police said.
The girl was injured, with a fracture to her skull.
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"The girl will be OK. She did have surgery Thursday for a fractured skull, and she is recovering," Teaneck Mayor Mark J. Schwartz told The New York Post.
Garciamorales was arrested at a campsite in Old Croaker County Park in Bergen County and was being held in Bergen County Jail pending a court appearance.
He is charged with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, endangering the welfare of a child, criminal mischief, resisting arrest by flight, and hindering.
The third-grade children were traveling back to Yeshivat Noam Jewish day school in Paramus after a class trip to the Liberty Science Center when a large rock smashed through the bus window, the school told Fox News Digital.
Authorities informed the school that Garciamorales confessed to that specific incident, as well as several additional rock-throwing incidents in the area, the school said. Law enforcement has stated there is no evidence that the incident was bias-related.
"We are deeply grateful for the swift, coordinated response and outstanding communication among all law enforcement agencies, elected officials, and community organizations involved," said Rabbi Chaim Hagler, Head of School at Yeshivat Noam. "Their collaboration underscores the importance of strong partnerships between schools, community leaders, and public safety officials. Our primary focus remains the safety of our children, and we are heartened to see justice being served so efficiently."
Fox News Digital has reached out to the state police.
Paramount's ‘Landman’ tackles woke roommate culture and safe-space politics
The latest episode of the hit series "Landman" took aim at "safe-space" culture with a character finding out their college roommate uses they/them pronouns.
The Paramount+ hit series created by Taylor Sheridan, and Christian Wallace, follows Tommy Norris, played by Billy Bob Thornton, as he makes risky deals in the West Texas oil industry while juggling power, money, and family. In the Jan. 11 episode, Tommy's daughter Ainsley, played by Michelle Randolph, is off to cheer camp at Texas Christian University, where she will be attending college the upcoming fall semester, and receives a surprise in her dorm.
Ainsley has a sports medicine major roommate with short red hair named "Paigyn" who goes by they/them pronouns.
"I always wondered why they/them? Because there’s just one of you and those are plural pronouns," Ainsley asked. "I just never really understood the hoopla with pronouns. My name’s Ainsley and I just can’t really come up with a reason why you would address me in third person in a conversation that I’m a part of. So if you do, I’m probably not there so I wouldn’t really know what pronouns you are using anyways. So why would it matter?"
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The roommate also revealed a pet ferret and dismissed Ainsley's idea of having an air freshener in the room because it would mean inhaling "toxic airborne petrochemicals."
Paigyn also informed Ainsley to not eat meat products, play music, and to avoid using triggering words like "penetrate" in the room.
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"This is my safe space, and I need my environment crafted to support my mental health," Paigyn said.
After going into the room during Paigyn's meditation time and the roommate's requests for the lights to be off, Ainsley goes to the university to request a change.
Her college advisor refuses to help her find a new roommate. Upset about this, Ainsley calls her mom Angela, played by Ali Larter.
Angela returns to TCU, and heads right into the advisor's office, determined to find a fix for her daughter. Upset that the advisor will not give her another housing option, Angela demands a waiver for Ainsley to live off-campus, citing "allergies" when told she needs a medical reason. The advisor quickly agrees to draw up paperwork, and Ainsley heads with her mom to a nearby luxury hotel for the remainder of cheer camp.
This isn't the first time the series has poked fun at progressives.
An episode back in December had the character Tommy described the female hosts of ABC's talk show "The View" as a bunch of "pissed-off millionaires."
"A bunch of pissed-off millionaires b----ing about how much they hate millionaires and Trump and men and you and me and everybody else they got a bee up their a-- about," he said.