Part commemoration, part megachurch meeting, largely political rally—the memorial service for Charlie Kirk revealed much about how the Trump administration intends to respond to his killing. Sunlight may have got a worse rap than it deserves; we examine the evidence of its benefits. And why today’s pop songstresses sing less about men’s evil deeds and more about their mediocrity.
Here’s cautionary tale for you, out of China, about a young woman who says she fell in love with an artificial intelligence chatbot. There have been well-publicized instances of people seeking companionship from chatbots and it leading to tragedy. In this instance, it caused heartbreak. The story involves the Chinese AI firm Deepseek which, earlier this year, launched a chatbot that's almost as good as its American rivals. Soon after the launch, a young woman began a conversation with that chatbot. Marketplace’s China correspondent Jennifer Pak takes the story from there.
Conservatives from around the country flocked to Arizona on Sunday to memorialize the activist Charlie Kirk. The service included leaders from the highest levels of the U.S. government, including Vice President JD Vance and President Trump.
Two clear strands emerged during the memorial addresses: a message of Christian unity, and a vow to fight political enemies on the left.
Robert Draper, who covers domestic politics for The Times, explains how the collision of those two messages makes this a crucial moment for the MAGA movement.
Guest: Robert Draper, a Washington, D.C.-based journalist for The New York Times, who writes about domestic politics.
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President Trump and top officials turned Charlie Kirk’s memorial into both a tribute and a political rally, with Trump calling him a martyr and vowing to continue his fight. The president is also pressuring Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue prosecutions of his political enemies, while forcing out a U.S. attorney who resisted. And several countries just recognized Palestine as a sovereign state, but in the West Bank many Palestinians say recognition without change on the ground means little.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Krishnadev Calamur, Kevin Drew, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Ana Perez and Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
President Trump replaces a handpicked federal prosecutor who declined to bring charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James. Family and fans gather to remember Charlie Kirk. And Oktoberfest venues raise the price of beer, angering local customers.
The public has gone through several phases of evolution on what the shooter's motive was. At first, it was assumed he was a leftwing terrorist. Then it seemed clear he was on the right. Or maybe nihilist. Then, the charging documents were released. These contained some selected texts with Robinson's transgender roommate who he seems to have been in a romantic relationship with. They are... weird. But what is going on here? What can we actually reasonably conclude at this time?
At the Contains Strong Language Festival in Bradford, Tom Sutcliffe and guests explore the history and culture of the city, and nation, through its poetry and stories. From battlefields and royal courts, coalmines to curry houses Start the Week looks at the language and rhythms that have captured the country.
The historian Catherine Clarke is retelling the story of the past in a new way in ‘A History of England in 25 Poems’. From the 8th century to today these verses illuminate the experiences, emotions and imaginations of those who lived through it.
As the 2025 City of Culture, Bradford gets an imaginative re-making in ‘The Book of Bradford: A City in Short Fiction’, a collection filled with rich diversity and youthful energy. Its editor Saima Mir, who grew up in the city, says the stories don’t avoid the scars of past challenges, but there’s pride in a city that has overcome differences and is looking ahead.
Moving on from the past is also reflected in Andrew McMillan’s debut novel, ‘Pity’, which follows three generations of a Yorkshire mining family, exploring themes of masculinity and post-industrial decline. As a prize-winning poet, McMillan will also be performing at the Contains Strong Language Festival in Bradford.
