In today’s newsletter: FBI Director Kash Patel is criticized for dining at an exclusive restaurant the night of Charlie Kirk’s shooting. RFK Jr.’s targeting of a vaccine court could drive drug companies to stop making vaccines entirely. And Gov. Kathy Hochul endorses NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani despite previous disagreements.
Here’s what to know today.
FBI Director Kash Patel criticized for actions during Charlie Kirk shooting investigation
From Charlie Kirk’s shooting Wednesday to a suspect’s arrest Friday, FBI Director Kash Patel took steps that gave pause to some federal and local officials and raised questions about his judgment, sources told NBC News.
Patel’s decisions to dine at an exclusive restaurant hours after Kirk’s assassination and to criticize Utah officials has come under fire from current and former officials.
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Christopher O’Leary, a senior former FBI counterterrorism official, said Patel’s handling of the investigation showed that “he’s got zero leadership experience and capabilities.” A current law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the “horrific event” of Kirk’s killing showcased Patel’s “public inability to meet the moment as a leader.”
“He has heard concerns about how this looks,” an administration official said in a statement. “There are a lot of shaking heads.”
A White House official defended Patel’s performance, saying in a statement that the FBI director “is working night and day” on the case.
Read the full story on concerns about Patel’s performance
Related news:
- The Trump administration is asking Congress to approve an additional $58 million for security to protect the executive and judicial branches following the assassination.
- After Kirk’s killing, employees of airlines, schools and hospitals have faced firings and discipline over online posts mocking or celebrating his death.
- Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that he viewed the killing of Charlie Kirk as “an attack on a political movement.”
RFK Jr.’s latest health target could threaten vaccine production in the U.S.
Health secretary RFK Jr. has set his sights on the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, ramping up attacks on social media and TV. The program, created by Congress in 1986, protects vaccine makers from liability and creates a special court to award financial damages for vaccine-related injuries.
Kennedy — who has long cast vaccine manufacturers as the enemy — has disparaged the VICP as “broken” and vowed to “fix it.” But experts warn eliminating or undermining the program could have disastrous consequences in the form of a vaccine shortage.
“If you want to destroy vaccines in this country, if your goal is to eliminate vaccine manufacturing in this country, the best way to do that is through attacking the VICP,” said Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Read more about the consequences and how families could be affected.
Gov. Kathy Hochul backs NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has backed fellow Democrat Zohran Mamdani in the New York mayor’s election, sharing her endorsement in a New York Times opinion essay.
“In the past few months, I’ve had frank conversations with him,” Hochul said in the essay. “We’ve had our disagreements. But in our conversations, I heard a leader who shares my commitment to a New York where children can grow up safe in their neighborhoods and where opportunity is within reach for every family.”
The endorsement comes just days after Mamdani, a state assemblymember, vowed to apologize for a statement he made on Twitter in 2020 calling the NYPD racist. Hochul said at a news conference last week that an apology was in order.
‘Adolescence,’ ‘The Pitt’ and ‘The Studio’ win big at the Emmys
Television royalty gathered for the 77th Emmy Awards, hosted in Los Angeles by comedian Nate Bargatze.
It was a big night for Seth Rogan’s “The Studio,” which broke the record for most Primetime Emmys won by a comedy series in a single year. The show snagged 13 awards between the Creative Arts Emmys and last night’s show.
The ceremony was defined by several firsts:
🏆 Tramell Tillman, nominated for “Severance,” made history as the first Black man to win for supporting drama actor.
👦 At age 15, Owen Cooper became the youngest male Emmy winner for his role in “Adolescence.”
🩺 Noah Wyle won his first award for “The Pitt,” years after garnering several nominations for playing another beloved TV doctor on “ER.”
🌘 “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” won the Emmy for outstanding talk series for the first time.
Political messages were also shared throughout the evening. “Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder ended her acceptance speech with criticism of ICE and calls to free Palestine. And Cris Abrego, the chairman of the Television Academy, drew applause when he blasted lawmakers for cuts to PBS and NPR.
We recapped all the best moments here.
‘Sunday Night Football’ Week 2: Falcons vs. Vikings
The Atlanta Falcons scored only one touchdown during their game against the Minnesota Vikings. It didn’t matter — their barrage of field goals was more than enough for a 22-6 victory.
Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy struggled to pass the ball and was hounded by opponents, who sacked him six times. When he did throw, McCarthy was rarely able to find star wideout Justin Jefferson amid Atlanta’s coverage.
The Falcons’ most effective offensive weapon was their brand-new kicker, Parker Romo, who had been elevated to the active roster only this week — he was so new he didn’t know teammate Leonard Floyd’s name, Romo admitted afterward. With five field goals, he tied for the second-most ever made in an NFL debut.
We covered all the action here.
More football:
- Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was helped off the field with a left toe injury during the first half of the game against the Jaguars.
- Russell Wilson was proving his critics wrong. Then a bad pass changed everything.
Read All About It
- Jury selection is set to begin in the second Utah rape trial for a man accused of faking his death and fleeing the U.S.
- Klarna has more than 26 million users in the United States, and now it wants to be known for more than just buy now, pay later, including through launching a new card and getting involved in mobile phone plans.
- Country singers Zach Bryan and Gavin Adcock appeared to get into a heated altercation at an Oklahoma music festival.
- Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar, a popular two-term Republican credited with guiding the state into a period of greater financial stability in the 1990s, has died at 79.
- A new analysis of underwater videos shows octopuses are “incredible multitaskers.”
Staff Pick: As Bad Bunny closes a historic residency, fans praise its massive boost to Puerto Rico
You may have seen the videos and images of all the celebrities — from Jon Hamm to LeBron James to Penelope Cruz — who were among the thousands of people swaying along to Bad Bunny’s reggaeton beats during his much-publicized concert series in Puerto Rico.
The megastar’s historic residency is estimated to have brought about $200 million dollars to the U.S. territory. But as young concertgoers and small vendors told NBC News during one of his last concerts, what’s drawn the most praise is how the superstar made sure the concerts were accessible to so many — and focused on his homeland’s rich culture, music and people. Bad Bunny, said a young concertgoer, put Puerto Rico “on the map.”
— Sandra Lilley, Editorial Director, NBC Latino
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