It’s Wednesday, July 8. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: Can Rahm Emanuel thread the needle on Israel? Kat Rosenfield on how the Graham Platner scandal became a turning point for progressives. Suzy Weiss on what the “Jackass” films mean for a generation of risk-averse young men. And much more.
But first, Douglas Murray asks: Will the truth win out at Tyler Robinson’s trial?
The assassination of Charlie Kirk was a grave national tragedy: a prominent political figure killed while exercising the First Amendment rights on which American freedom depends.
What has happened since Kirk’s killing may not be as shocking as the shooting itself, but it is just as disturbing. Over the last 10 months, some of the most prominent podcasters and influencers on the internet—including people who were once Kirk’s friends—have peddled deranged conspiracies about who killed him. This week, the baseless theorizing of Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, and others finally collided with reality in a Utah courtroom. That’s where the main suspect in the case, Tyler Robinson, will stand trial once a judge rules that the evidence against him is strong enough for the case to proceed.
At a hearing on Monday, Kirk’s family, including his widow Erika, came face to face with Robinson for the first time. It’s also where these noxious conspiracy theories will be met again and again with actual evidence. The stakes could not be higher, which is why we asked Douglas Murray to tackle this important case in his latest column.
—The Editors
Today, 2028 Democratic presidential hopeful Rahm Emanuel will give a speech in Israel premised upon a familiar threat: America’s support of the Jewish state is no longer unconditional. But the speech isn’t for Israelis, writes Peter Savodnik. It’s for Democrats in the United States—to show them that Emanuel can pass the party’s litmus test without betraying his Jewish identity. Attempting this balancing act is one thing—pulling it off will be another.
The real Graham Platner story, Kat Rosenfield writes, is something deeper than the sum total of the Maine Senate candidate’s misdeeds: “It’s about members of the progressive elite wanting to shed the unflattering image of themselves as the perpetually offended HR department of politics in favor of something rougher, tougher, and more relatable”—and the depravity they embraced to make their wish come true.
Before men complained that a few glasses of wine made it harder to podcast, they did stupid, dangerous stuff and pointed a camera at it. These were the men of “Jackass,” and the glorious era that began in 1998 is now coming to an end. Today, Suzy Weiss reviews the latest and final “Jackass” film—and reflects on what the series’ conclusion means at a time when young men are becoming more and more risk-averse.
MORE FROM THE FREE PRESS
THE NEWS
Iran is the prime suspect in recent strikes that hit three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, which prompted the United States on Tuesday to revoke a license authorizing the sale of Iranian oil. The Islamic Republic did not claim responsibility for any of the attacks.
President Donald Trump hinted at the possibility of allowing Turkey to purchase American fighter jets at a NATO summit in Ankara on Tuesday. The move would go against the wishes of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who on Friday asked Trump not to sell modern air force technology to Turkey, citing escalating anti-Israel rhetoric from Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Marine Le Pen announced on Tuesday that she will run for president of France in 2027. The announcement came after a French appeals court ruling that upheld Le Pen’s embezzlement conviction, but reduced her sentence to one year of house arrest and lifted an immediate ban on her running for office.
Prince Harry has lost a long legal battle against the publisher of the Daily Mail over claims that the tabloid unlawfully gathered information about him through phone tapping and impersonation, according to CBS News. While a UK high court dismissed the prince’s latest claims, the publisher of The Sun in 2025 settled a similar snooping suit with Harry, paying him “substantial damages.”
Nokia is no longer making cell phones—the company is now manufacturing critical data center infrastructure, and has seen its stock price surge 90 percent this year. The Finnish corporation is “basking in the glow of the AI halo,” according to one analyst, selling software and equipment to route data traffic between servers.
Argentina made one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup history with its defeat of Egypt on Tuesday. Trailing 2–0 with time running out, Argentina scored three goals in 14 minutes, won 3–2, and advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals. The reigning World Cup champion’s next opponent will be Switzerland, who defeated Colombia on penalty kicks.
Ah, Charlie "The Blacks are stealing pets and eating them" Kirk.
THE PROBLEM I HAVE WITH THE KIRK MURDER AND TRIAL:
Who loved Kirk more? You ask. Why would you need to ask such a question? I hear you. But I am speaking as parent. A PARENT.
Why is it that the widow/er is always held out to be the first line of grief? THE ONE WHO IS AGGRIEVED THE MOST.
Why is there such focus on the spouse? MEDIA Theatre?
Who nurtured him? Who would have forever been supportive, and who would have LOVED HIM NO MATTER WHAT? HIS PARENTS.
My feelings are not the norm. I realize. BUT WE RARELY HEAR ABOUT HOW HIS PARENTS ARE DOING.
Why focus on the spouse INSTEAD OF THE ORIGINAL PAIR THAT BROUGHT HIM INTO THE WORLD AND WOULD HAVE LOVED HIM NO MATTER WHAT (when we all know that wives and husbands come and go). This has always been problematic for me. And in this case, the spouse has garnered far too much attention, in my estimation.
PARENTS ARE THERE FOR THE LONG-TERM ………..FOREVER.
So, my hope is that HIS PARENTS, HIS MOTHER WHO CARRIED HIM FOR 9 MONTHS, WHO BORE HIM, WILL BE FRONT AND CENTER IN ALL MEDIA, rather than the spouse who could have been eschewed had he lived.
Tough yes. You cannot eschew your parents.
Saoirse Mates