Memorial

HOLLY Hagan’s Geordie Shore pals have donated thousands to her late sister Darci’s memorial so her family can take time off work to grieve. 

Heartbroken Holly, 33, revealed last week that Darci had passed away aged 19. 

Now her famous friends have rallied around the family during the incredibly difficult time, The Sun can reveal. 

An insider said: “Holly Hagan’s famous pals have donated thousands of pounds to help pay for her tragic sister’s funeral and memorial, and allow them some breathing space from work. 

“Charlotte Crosby and her partner Jake Ankers have donated £2,000, Sophie Kasaei has given £1,000, Adam Frisby £1,000 and Gaz Beadle and Nathan Henry gave £500 each.”

In an emotional statement sharing the tragic news, Holly wrote: “It is with immeasurable grief and sadness that our baby girl, my baby sister Darci Rose passed away peacefully holding my hand surrounded by family and her best friends.

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“She was never in any pain.

“The last four days have been something I hope no family ever has to go through.

“We are traumatised in every sense of the word.

“One day we will share Darci’s story. But for now I please ask that you do respect our privacy and allow us to process what has happened.

“To the incredible ambulance crew, and everyone at Manchester Royal Infirmary A&E and ICU, thank you so much for giving my sister the absolute best chance.

“Because of you all we have had the opportunity to hold her hand, stroke her hair and feel her heart beating for the last time.

“We will forever be grateful for the way you have looked after her and us throughout this unimaginable process.”

Holly added: “Right now my job is to support my family in any way that I can to ensure they don’t have to worry about work/finances.

“Any posts you see this month are pre-recorded and scheduled ahead of time. I will be continuing to work, so they do not have to.”

The TV star then reflected on her late sister and recalled some of the fondest memories they shared together.

Holly continued: “Darci is so beautiful and she genuinely didn’t even realise it.

“I always told her she’d look better without the huge spider lashes but we all know what a hypocrite I was being since I wore nine pairs at her age!

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“She lived in Darci world, forgetting to turn lights off, didn’t know how to lock doors after coming in from a night out, leaving the freezer open so my mam came down to a puddle of defrosted food.

“She was the best aunty, Alpha-Jax adored her. She spent his whole birthday on the bouncy castle with AJ and Alba, and that’s a memory I’ll cherish forever.”

Tuesday, Oct. 14, would have been the 32nd birthday of Charlie Kirk, the right-wing political influencer murdered last summer. It is a birthday shared by George Floyd, Jr., asphyxiated by arresting police in 2020 and who would have been 52. The horror of these tragedies has roiled a divisive society, but must they now demand a political battleground of opposing memorials?/

The concept of a civic memorial has long and often been, in Western culture, the privilege of classical music. Music may be permitted to speak not of specifics but the essence of grief, a collective cherishing of existence.

There happens to be another anniversary, Tuesday, to acknowledge. Leonard Bernstein, a great gatherer of differences in his music, died Oct. 14, 1990, at 72. And all around us, as we approach the 35th anniversary of his death, are reminders of Bernstein as the megastar memorializer of the 35th president of the United States, and what those tributes to John F. Kennedy might mean for us today.

The must-see Los Angeles Opera production of “West Side Story,” which closes Sunday, is by Francesca Zambello, who heads Washington National Opera at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and where she is slated to mount her production of Bernstein’s classic musical in May. Saturday night at the Soraya in Northridge, Martha Graham Dance Company gave the world premiere of “En Masse,” which is based on Bernstein’s “MASS,” written to open the Kennedy Center, where “En Masse,” too, is headed in the spring.

Along with all that, Gustavo Dudamel caps his three fall weeks leading the Los Angeles Philharmonic this weekend with four performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Bernstein chose this epic score, known as the “Resurrection,” to memorialize Kennedy two days after his assassination in 1963. A large New York Philharmonic, vocal soloists and chorus assembled on a CBS sound stage for a live national television broadcast.

It was a Sunday and untold millions (there were no Nielsen ratings) gathered in their homes to watch a somber Bernstein begin Mahler’s symphony with gut-wrenching intensity and end it with an overwhelming sense of triumph 90 minutes later. As a legendary act of national healing, the broadcast riveted a shocked nation.

It still does. The following year, Bernstein channeled that Kennedy spirit into a famous performance of Mahler’s symphony at London’s Ely Cathedral that was televised in Britain and released on commercial video. It is that Mahler Second performance that Bradley Cooper chose as the musical centerpiece of his Bernstein 2023 biopic, “Maestro.”

Bernstein further memorialized JFK in the dedication of his Third Symphony, “Kaddish.” And then there was the Kennedy Center opening in 1971, with Bernstein doing the shocking. At the time and for the occasion, “MASS” seemed a bizarre mashup of pop, schlock, jazz, 12-tone, electronics, grand symphonic utterances, hippie currency, mysticism, traditional Catholic Mass, Jewish Sabbath service, anti-Mass climaxing with a psychotic and psychedelic breakdown of Mass’ celebrant and Vietnam War protest.

The general reaction to “MASS” was that of appall, no matter whether you worshipped Bernstein or couldn’t bear him, whatever your political or cultural orientation. President Nixon — who as vice president in the 1950s had attended a Bernstein festival of American music at the Hollywood Bowl and had accompanied Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic on a cultural tour to South America — stayed home.

In fact, “MASS,” after years of puzzled neglect, ultimately came to be heralded as a Bernstein masterpiece, a work that freed contemporary music of genre-fication. It gives permission not for anything goes but for anything goes together if you can find the right context. A slow awareness of the score’s genius has empowered a new generation, such as the conductor and composer Christopher Rountree, who made the new arrangement of parts of “MASS” for his genre-breaking orchestra, Wild Up.

The Graham company based “En Messe” on a flimsy premise, the discovery of a page or two of sketches that Bernstein made for a proposed score he meant to write for Graham in 1988. The discovery is minor. Bernstein and Graham knew and admired each other, but she was a footnote in his career.

In the end, Rountree wrote a short series on variations on two themes he extracted from the sketches that serve as an epilogue to the “MASS” suite. The themes are hard to discern and don’t matter. Rather, Rountree makes a gripping case in his variations for a way forward from Bernsteiniana to today.

The intent of “En Messe” was meant to cap a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Graham company, the oldest dance company in America. Graham 100 began a year ago with a revival of “Appalachian Spring,” Graham’s most famous piece, which also gave us Aaron Copland’s iconic score (the popularity of which was greatly helped by Bernstein’s recording).

The company has also revived another of Graham’s most important (and severe) dances, “Night Journey,” based around the last moments of the life of Jocasta (the mother of Oedipus in the Greek tragedy). The revival with Anne Souder as an imposing Jocasta, Lloyd Knight, an enthralling Oedipus, and Ethan Palma, a haunted Tiresias (the seer), retained all the work’s stunning power. William Schuman’s mostly forgotten score received a revelatory performance by Rountree and Wild Up.

“En Messe,” itself, did not serve its purpose to cap a centennial closer to the work of a seminal choreographer. It accomplished something more important by heralding a path forward. The company can’t live forever reviving Graham’s work or doing showy new dances such as “We the People” (also on the program).

Instead, Hope Boykin’s choreography added a dark intensity to Bernstein’s brightness. The stage was dim. Each dance featured a soloist in seeming personal meditation with the music, its rhythms and its spirit, and with the company’s other dancers, who appear ghostly figures in the misty distance.

Movement didn’t match music but brought you into it, while the music seemed to demand movement. It began with the score’s hit, “A Simple Song,” Bernstein at his most tuneful, even saccharine. Jodie Landau didn’t buy into its surface simplicity but sang with a fresh, cool, contemporary edge that immediately told you we were headed into unknown territory. Every discovery that followed proved her right on.

“En Messe” will tour the country and beyond over the next year with, unfortunately, a recording of Wild Up, not live performance. If the company gets over its overamplification, which cheapens everything it presents, that need not disastrously lessen the impact.

Will “En Messe,” or “West Side Story,” actually reach the Kennedy Center, which the federal government is attempting to turn it into who-knows-what, this spring? Both Bernstein works are exactly what the new overseers say they want — more populist art, inspirational attempts to make American art great. But they are also works that make us look inside ourselves, discover what matters beyond self-interest. That’s become a hard sell.

MINNEAPOLIS — From the political elite to the working class, more than 20,000 people gathered here Tuesday night to remember Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.) as a man of principle and a true liberal “willing to fight the lonely fight.” The memorial service for Wellstone, who was running for a third term, came as state Democratic leaders prepared today to name former Vice President Walter F. Mondale to replace him as the party’s nominee on Tuesday’s ballot.

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) was the only politician who spoke, wrapping up the service with a speech that combined fond memories of his “best friend in the Senate” with rousing political remarks that had the audience on their feet, pumping their fists and cheering loudly.

“I believe that Paul was the soul of the Senate,” Harkin said. “Sometimes he cast votes that even some of his friends disagreed with, on war or on welfare. But when he did, he was the mirror in which we, his colleagues, looked at ourselves and searched our own hearts.”

At the service, which at times took on the aspects of a revival meeting, a rock concert and a political rally, people from every walk of life crowded into the University of Minnesota’s Williams Arena. Mourners began lining up three hours before the service. To accommodate the overflow crowds, the service was broadcast in an adjoining building and large video screens were set up outside.

“Help us win this election for Paul Wellstone,” said Rick Kahn, a friend and former student of Wellstone, a onetime political science professor, in his remarks to the crowd.

Former President Bill Clinton was there, as were former Vice Presidents Al Gore and Mondale and more than half of the Senate–Wellstone’s liberal allies as well as his conservative foes. Cheers rang out when Mondale, accompanied by his wife, Joan, entered the hall, and again at the end of the service when he waved to the crowd that included farmers, steelworkers and veterans, all part of Wellstone’s core political constituency.

People waited for hours to enter the arena, as long lines snaked around the block. Inside, they sat on the floor and on the steps in the aisles. Almost everyone wore green Wellstone campaign buttons. One Minnesotan wore an old “Mondale for President” button.

Charlie Kundinger, 56, a home renovator from St. Paul, arrived two hours early, only to find himself in the back of the arena without a seat. But he said it was important for him to attend.

“It’s a huge loss,” he said. “He was extremely well loved.”

The White House offered to send Vice President Dick Cheney. But Wellstone’s family declined, saying they were concerned about the security that would be required. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson represented the Bush administration.

Wellstone, along with his wife, his daughter, three staff members and two pilots, died in the crash of a small plane near Eveleth, Minn., on Friday. At the White House, Bush paused during a bill signing to observe a moment of silence for a “devoted public servant.”

“Paul Wellstone was a deeply principled and good-hearted man,” Bush said. “He’ll be missed by all who knew him.”

Harkin called Wellstone a true liberal who “constantly reminded those of us who are Democrats of the real center of gravity of our party, the progressive ground of our being: that everyone should have the chance to reach his or her potential in our society.”

Recalling Wellstone’s self-deprecating humor, Harkin recounted one of his friend’s favorite stories. Wellstone had just finished speaking on the Senate floor when Sen. Ernest F. Hollings (D-S.C.) approached him and said, “Young man, you remind me of Hubert Humphrey.” Wellstone swelled with pride, and then Sen. Hollings added: “You talk too much.”

“He could partner with Ted Kennedy or Pete Domenici,” Harkin said. “He could fiercely oppose Jesse Helms’ view and become Jesse Helms’ friend.”

And he added: “No one ever wore the title of senator better or used it less. To the people of Minnesota, I say thank you for giving Paul to the rest of the nation.”

One of Wellstone’s sons, David, remembered his father as “organizing, always organizing. He had social justice in his bones.”

Wellstone’s son Mark said his father used to say, “Never separate the lives you live from the words you speak.”

“We will carry on the fight,” he said. Parked outside was the rickety old green bus that Wellstone used during his first Senate campaign in 1990 and that he brought out of mothballs to use again this year.

Wellstone’s death so close to the election cast a new measure of political drama and uncertainty over the national battle for control of the Senate. Democrats now hold a one-seat majority, and the outcome of the Minnesota race — one of a handful of tight contests around the county — could tip the Senate to the Republicans.

In a sign of Minnesota’s importance, Bush had been expected to campaign there Sunday for the GOP Senate nominee, Norm Coleman.

He still may, although White House spokesman Ari Fleischer declined Tuesday to confirm the president’s travel schedule or talk about the Minnesota race before the service for Wellstone.

Mondale, 74, has not been on the ballot since he was swamped by Ronald Reagan in the 1984 presidential election. He last represented Minnesota in the Senate 26 years ago, resigning his seat when he was elected Jimmy Carter’s vice president.

Mondale is expected to deliver a speech tonight at the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party meeting, visit the Wellstone campaign headquarters Thursday, then travel around the state starting later in the day or Friday.

“The message will be, ‘I didn’t seek this but someone needs to pick up the flag,’ ” said a Democratic Party source. “The speech will be very closely connecting himself with Paul and his legacy.”

Beth Elizabeth Popalisky, a teacher who attended the memorial service, worked on Wellstone’s three campaigns. Looking ahead, she called Mondale a “fine candidate.” But, she added, “Nobody is going to be Paul Wellstone.”

Coleman, a former mayor of St. Paul, has been forced to quickly rethink his campaign strategy and decide how he will run against Mondale, regarded by some in Minnesota as a political legend.

But Coleman campaign aides were encouraged by a GOP poll they said showed that their candidate would be competitive against Mondale. The survey gave Mondale just a 2-percentage-point advantage in the race.

Wellstone had been ahead by a slightly larger margin in polls right before his death.

Mondale is likely to agree to debate Coleman, as the Republicans have requested, a Democratic Party source said.

Coleman suspended campaigning after Wellstone’s death, but Tom Mason, a Coleman spokesman, said the Republican planned to get back on the stump today. His TV ads also will resume.

The campaign also took another twist as the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party filed a lawsuit over whether voters who already cast absentee ballots for Wellstone should be allowed to change them.

Voters who had cast absentee ballots can substitute Mondale’s name if they go to the polls Tuesday. But those who are unable to do so will have their votes counted for Wellstone, hurting Mondale’s chances.

*

Simon reported from Minnesota, Brownstein from Washington.

CHARLIE Kirk’s grieving widow has said she forgives the man who allegedly assassinated her husband in a heart-wrenching speech.

A distraught Erika Kirk broke down in tears as she took to the stage at her husband Charlie Kirk’s memorial in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday.

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Erika was visibly emotional as she addressed 100,000 people who packed the stadium – including President Donald Trump.

She stunned mourners during her emotional speech saying she forgave her late husband’s killer.

“I forgive him,” she told the crowd, breaking down in tears.

“I forgive him because it was what Christ did. And is what Charlie would do.

“The answer to hate is not hate, the answer we know from the gospel is love and always love.

“After Charlie’s assassination, we didn’t see violence, we didn’t see rioting, we didn’t see revolution.

“Instead, we saw what my husband always prayed he would see in this country. We saw revival [of Christian faith].”

Dressed in a white blazer and matching trousers, Erika thanked attendees for travelling from across the globe to celebrate her late husband.

She told mourners she was living through a “heartache I never knew existed” as she delivered her moving tribute.

Remembering the tragic day of her husband’s assassination, Erika said: “On the afternoon of September 10th, I arrived at a Utah hospital to do the unthinkable: To look directly at my husband’s murdered body.

“I saw the wound that ended his life.”

Erika added: “I will miss him so much.”

The heartbroken widow would end her emotional speech by speaking directly to her late husband in a touching moment.

She said: “I love you Charlie, baby. I will make you so proud.”

President Donald Trump, his Vice President JD Vance and billionaire Elon Musk were also at the huge memorial service at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona — home of the Arizona Cardinals American football team.

Musk told reporters: “Charlie was someone who believed in dialogue and open debate. He was a man of ideas. He spoke eloquently and basically never raised his voice. He was a man of peace and now he has been murdered in cold blood.

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“He was killed because his voice made a difference.

“He was showing people the Light and he was killed by the Dark.”

Vice President JD Vance described Kirk as having built a movement that has “changed the course of American history”.

He told Mr Kirk’s sea of supporters: “They tried to silence my friend Charlie Kirk but we are spreading his message loudly.”

Mr Vance, whose Catholicism has been central to his own political rise and mission, added: “We must remember that he is a hero to the United States of America — and he is a martyr for the Christian faith.”

He noted that the Trump administration was at the memorial not just because of their relationship with Kirk, but because “we wouldn’t be here without him”.

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Kirk was buried on Saturday at a private funeral in Arizona attended by friends and family.

Tearful fans queued up for 12 hours for the first-come, first-admitted service organised by Turning Point USA, the high school organisation set up by Kirk to help spread conservative politics on campuses.

Some wore black, others attended in flag-emblazoned T-shirts and Make America Great Again hats.

Sporting a Trump T-shirt, Aaron Knight, 28, from Houston, Texas, reckoned: “Charlie Kirk was a godly Christian man.

“He provided a sacrifice for this country and the fight for free speech. We are here in mourning but also celebration for the incredible man he was.”

Ashley January, 35, brought her seven-month-old baby Theodore from Kansas to “witness history”. She said she and husband Skylar “fell in love with Charlie after seeing him in Kansas.”

She added: “We want to raise our son to have the same morals as him. It’s going to be something Theo will read in his history books and he can say he was there.”

A man said he had camped out from 8pm the night before.
One woman even brought a buggy full of puppies with her.

The nearby Desert Diamond Arena served as overflow for an additional 19,000 people who watched the event on TV screens.

Kirk, 31, was shot dead while giving a speech at Utah Valley University earlier this month.

Tyler Robinson, 22, is charged with aggravated murder.
He is in custody and could face the death penalty if convicted.

Yesterday Mrs Kirk told the New York Times she could not say if he deserved to die as well.

She said: “I told our lawyer, I want the government to decide this. I do not want that man’s blood on my ledger.

“When I get to heaven, and Jesus is like, ‘Uh, eye for an eye? Is that how we do it?’.

“And that keeps me from being in heaven, from being with Charlie?”

Before the service started, photos of Kirk were projected on big screens accompanied by a playlist of praise and worship songs.

Among those paying respects and giving speeches were President Trump’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr, right-wing political commentator Tucker Carlson and homeland security adviser and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.

Kirk founded Turning Point USA — whose headquarters are in Phoenix — in 2012, at the age of 18.

Mrs Kirk has been unanimously elected to succeed her late husband as CEO of the organisation.

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EPA

‘I forgive him’

Reuters

GLENDALE, Ariz. — President Trump and prominent members of his Make America Great Again movement paid tribute Sunday to Charlie Kirk, praising the slain political conservative activist as a singular force whose work they must now advance.

The memorial service for Kirk, whom the president credits with playing a pivotal role in his 2024 election victory, drew tens of thousands of mourners, including Trump and Vice President JD Vance, other senior administration officials and young conservatives shaped by the 31-year-old firebrand.

Speakers highlighted Kirk’s profound faith and his strong belief that young conservatives need to get married, build families and pass on their values to keep building their movement. Those close to Kirk prayed and the floors shook from the bass of Christian rock bands as the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals took on the feel of a megachurch service.

“Charlie looked at politics as an onramp to Jesus,” said the Rev. Rob McCoy, Kirk’s pastor.

Kirk’s killing at a Sept. 10 appearance on a Utah college campus has become a singular moment for the modern-day conservative movement. It also has set off a fierce national debate about violence and free speech in an era of deepening political division.

The shooting has stirred concern among some Americans who say that Trump is harnessing outrage over the killing as justification to suppress the voices of his critics and target political opponents.

High security and a full stadium

People began lining up before dawn to secure a spot inside State Farm Stadium west of Phoenix, where Kirk’s Turning Point organization is based. Security was tight, similar to the Super Bowl and similar high-profile events.

The 63,400-seat stadium quickly filled with people dressed in red, white and blue, as organizers suggested.

“I think that this is going to change things, and I think he made such a difference,” said Crystal Herman, who traveled from Branson, Mo. “He deserves us to be here.”

Photos of Kirk at work or with his wife, Erika, were on easels throughout the concession areas of the main concourse level. Some people posed for photos next to them.

“We’re going to celebrate the life of a great man today,” Trump told reporters before heading to Arizona. He said he was bracing for a “tough day.”

Trump has blamed the “radical left” for Kirk’s death and threatened to go after liberal organizations and donors or others he deems to be maligning Kirk or celebrating his death.

Many people, including journalists, teachers and late-show host Jimmy Kimmel have faced suspensions or lost their jobs as prominent conservative activists and administration officials target comments about Kirk that they deem offensive. The retaliation has in turn ignited a debate over the 1st Amendment as the Republican administration promises retribution against those who air remarks to which it objects.

Kirk was a provocateur who at times made statements seen by many as racist, misogynistic, anti-immigrant and transphobic. That has drawn backlash from some conservatives who cast the criticism as cherry-picking a few select moments to insult the legacy of someone they see as an inspirational leader.

A 22-year-old Utah man, Tyler Robinson, has been charged with killing Kirk and faces the death penalty if convicted of the most serious charges. Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but prosecutors say Robinson wrote in a text to his partner after the shooting that he “had enough” of what he considered to be Kirk’s hatred.

Kirk’s legacy

Turning Point, the group Kirk founded to mobilize young Christian conservatives, became a multimillion-dollar operation under his leadership with enormous reach.

“Charlie’s having some serious heavenly FOMO right now,” Turning Point Chief Executive Tyler Bower said, likening the moment to bringing “the Holy Spirit into a Trump rally.”

The crowd was a testament to the massive influence Kirk accumulated in conservative America with his ability to mobilize young people.

“I think he spoke on more than just politics,” Michael Link, 29, said outside the stadium. “Now that he’s gone, it’s like, who’s gonna speak for us now?”

His impact on modern-day conservatism went beyond U.S. shores.

Kirk “was very effective because he was convinced of his views and knew how to argue them,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said at a political rally Sunday in Rome. “But he never stopped smiling, never stopped respecting his interlocutor and anyone who challenged him.”

Kirk was a MAGA celebrity with a loyal following that turned out to support or argue with him as he traveled the country for the events like the one at Utah Valley University, where he was shot. Kirk expanded the organization, in large part through the force of his personality and debating chops.

Arizona is the adopted home state of Kirk, who grew up outside Chicago and founded Turning Point there before moving the organization to Phoenix. Vance has said Kirk’s advocacy was a big reason Trump picked him as his vice presidential running mate last year.

Scheduled speakers at the service included Trump, Vance, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Donald Trump Jr., right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson and White House aides Stephen Miller and Sergio Gor also were set to speak.

Also scheduled to speak was Kirk’s widow, who has been named Turning Point’s new leader and has pledged that “the movement my husband built will not die.”

Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, whose official residence was set ablaze by a suspected arsonist in April while the governor was celebrating Passover with his family and friends inside, said in a television interview broadcast Sunday that Americans must now come together to find “our better angels.”

“We’ve got to universally condemn political violence no matter where it is,” Shapiro said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Cooper, Garcia and Madhani write for the Associated Press. Cooper and Garcia reported from Glendale, Madhani from Washington. AP writers Tiffany Stanley in Washington, Silvia Stellacci in Rome and Terry Tang contributed to this report.

US President Donald Trump to address Arizona service for assassinated ally.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend a memorial service in Arizona for Charlie Kirk, the right-wing United States activist and founder of Turning Point USA who was shot dead this month.

The event will take place on Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, which seats more than 63,000 people. Organisers said additional space has been arranged nearby to accommodate overflow crowds.

President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and several other Republicans will address the gathering, which Turning Point USA has called Building a Legacy: Remembering Charlie Kirk. Kirk’s widow, Erika, who recently became the organisation’s chief executive, is also expected to speak.

The Department of Homeland Security has classified the service as an event of “the highest national significance”, a designation usually reserved for occasions such as the Super Bowl. Officials said tight security measures are in place due to Trump’s attendance and the political tension surrounding Kirk’s killing.

Kirk, 31, was killed on September 10 during a university event in Utah. Police charged a 22-year-old suspect with murder, saying he carried out the attack alone and killed Kirk because he had “enough of his hate”.

Kirk was a polarising figure who called for the use of tear gas, rubber bullets and whips against immigrants at the US-Mexico border; suggested Islam is a danger to American society; and claimed there was “no factual data to back up global warming”.

The US right-wing viewed Kirk as a major figure in the Trump movement who played a pivotal role in building support for the US president and conservative causes among young people.

Trump has been accused of exploiting Kirk’s murder for political gain by linking the killing to what he calls “left-wing extremism” despite law enforcement dismissing claims of a wider alleged assassination plot. His remarks have drawn criticism from opponents who accused him of inflaming political divisions.

Kirk established Turning Point USA in 2012 at the age of 18. The organisation has grown into one of the largest right-wing groups in the US with influence across high schools, universities and social media platforms.

Sept. 20 (UPI) — Authorities detained an armed man who was pretending to be affiliated with law enforcement at the location of Sunday’s planned memorial for conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The man has not been identified or officially arrested but was armed when local and U.S. Secret Service agents detained him overnight at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., officials confirmed on Saturday.

Officials said the man was “exhibiting suspicious behavior” when he was detained and told police and the Secret Service he was affiliated with law enforcement.

Police confirmed he is not a member of any law enforcement agency and are looking into why he was at that location.

The memorial for Kirk is scheduled to take place Sunday at the stadium, which can hold more than 63,000 people.

President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance are expected to speak at the memorial for Kirk, who was shot and killed earlier this month while on stage at a speaking event in Utah.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has given the event a Special Event Assessment Rating Level 1 designation.

DHS and several other federal agencies are warning of possible security threats at the event from “violent extremists and unaffiliated lone offenders,” according to an unclassified assessment obtained by the Arizona Mirror.

The event begins at 11 a.m. MST.

Possible security threats “may view the memorial service or related events as attractive attack targets due to the attendance of these individuals, other senior US government officials, state and local government officials, and political activists, and due to major international media attention,” the assessment reads.

THIS is the moment a man is dragged to the ground by enraged onlookers after he appears to destroy a Charlie Kirk memorial.

Footage caught the individual stamping on flowers, balloons and US flags before he was pulled away and pinned up against a wall by cops.

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Police in Phoenix arrested the young man and charged him with criminal damage and disorderly conduct.

He was later identified as 19-year-old Ryder Corral.

Hundreds of Kirk’s fans had helped put together a memorial for the late conservative heavyweight outside the Turning Point headquarters in Arizona.

Kirk, a father-of-two who had been raising his family in the state, was the co-founder of Turning Point USA.

The shocking footage shows a man dressed in a black t-shirt and blue jeans walking across the vast memorial site.

He managed to make it about 15 yards across the rows of touching tributes laid in honour of Kirk before an onlooker stepped in to stop him.

An older man in a white cap, light blue top and shorts ran across to Corral as the pair appeared to exchange some words.

Seconds later, the clearly enraged gentleman grabs Corral with both hands close to his neck and throws him to the ground.

Corral is sent tumbling over as several other people step in.

Both men and women surround the downed protester and lead him over to waiting police officers who had been on hand to watch over the memorial site.

Cops take Corral over to a wall behind the now dozens of watching bystanders and place him in handcuffs.

He was then taken to the local station and booked.

It was later reported that he was wearing the same top as Kirk’s suspected assassin at the time of the murder.

Kirk was tragically shot in the neck as he launched his “American Comeback” campus tour in Utah.

The 31-year-old was rushed to hospital but died shortly after as a hunt for his killer ensued.

Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old main suspect has since been arrested but is now refusing to cooperate with cops.

The FBI had shared images taken minutes after Kirk’s death which showed the gunman walking away from the university campus.

He was wearing a National Disabled Veterans Foundation T-shirt emblazoned with an eagle soaring in front of the Stars and Stripes.

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Chilling details around Robinson’s life have been released by cops in recent days as they continue to question him over Kirk’s murder.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox revealed the latest details on the investigation on Sunday.

He confirmed that Robinson has a transgender partner who has been helping the FBI.

The boyfriend is currently transitioning from male to female and had been living with Robinson.

The Sun revealed on Saturday that Robinson had been seen kissing his transgender partner two weeks before the shooting.

His family are also helping cops build their case against him after Robinson’s dad turned him in, bringing an end to the desperate manhunt.

He had confessed to his dad that he carried out the shooting, who then told a family friend, who called law enforcement to the scene on Thursday night, Cox previously said.

Charges are set to be formally filed against Robinson on Tuesday.

A motive for the assassination has not yet been uncovered, though Cox previously said the suspect, who’s parents are registered Republicans, was “deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology”.

These claims were made by Robinson’s family and close acquaintances, Cox said, but added that the charging documents will detail much more information.

The Governor has also confirmed reports that Robinson had spoken with others on Discord following the shooting, claiming he was the gunman.

“All we can confirm is that those conversations definitely were happening, and they did not believe it was actually him,” Cox said.

“It was all joking until, until he, you know, until he admitted that it actually was him.”

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He had reportedly joked that a “doppelganger” was trying to get him in trouble, in reference to the initial suspect pictures released by the FBI.

Meanwhile, Robinson is said to be under “special watch” after he allegedly told his dad “he’d rather die than hand himself in”.

He is being housed in the Utah County jail’s Special Housing Unit – where he is monitored around the clock to ensure he doesn’t harm himself or others, according to TMZ.

Utah County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Raymond Ormond said Robinson is under evaluation by mental health professionals to determine whether he is suicidal.

On Saturday, Kirk’s wife Erika spoke for the first time since his murder, vowing to continue his legacy, turning her “widow’s tears into a battle cry”.

She was pictured weeping over his coffin and revealed that she told their three-year-old daughter, “Daddy is on a work trip with Jesus” after she returned home to their two young children without Kirk.

His funeral will take place on September 21 and will be attended by the President.

June 24 (UPI) — The international architecture firm Foster + Partners was announced as the winner of a multi-million-dollar competition to design a national memorial to the late Queen Elizabeth II in London.

Norman Foster‘s firm beat out five other finalists with its pitch for a new cast-glass bridge inspired by Elizabeth’s wedding tiara as part of a commemorative garden in St. James’ Park, with spaces for visitors for quiet reflection.

The proposals also feature a statue of Elizabeth on horseback and a cast of her and her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, who died in 2021, at a new Prince Philip Gate.

“We showed them together and, in a way, there was this inseparable quality which we sought to convey,” Foster said.

“Our design reflects Her Majesty’s love of history and tradition, while introducing a gentle, unifying intervention that respects the park’s nature and legacy.”

Foster added that the concept also recalled the informality the queen was known for in her interactions with people.

He stressed that the project would have minimal impact on the nature and biodiversity of the park and that the work would be conducted in phases, allowing the public to continue enjoying the existing amenities.

The new memorial will be built close to the statues of Elizabeth’s mother and father, the Queen Mother and King George VI, and not far from the statue of Queen Victoria in front of Buckingham Palace.

“Foster + Partners’ ambitious and thoughtful masterplan will allow us and future generations to appreciate Queen Elizabeth’s life of service as she balanced continuity and change with strong values, common sense and optimism throughout her long reign,” said Lord Robin Janvrin, head of the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee Chair.

The project is expected to open to the public in April in what would have been Elizabeth’s hundredth year. She died in September 2022 at the age of 96.

Famous and iconic designs of Norman Foster around the world include the Reichstag building in Berlin, “The Gherkin” building in the City of London, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank building on Hong Kong Island and the Hearst Building on Eighth Avenue in Manhattan.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Hundreds of people, some clutching candles or carrying flowers to lay in front of a memorial, gathered outside Minnesota’s Capitol on Wednesday evening for a vigil to remember a prominent state lawmaker and her husband who were gunned down at their home.

As a brass quintet from the Minnesota Orchestra played, Gov. Tim Walz wiped away tears and comforted attendees at the gathering for former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, who were killed early Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs.

Colin Hortman, the Hortmans’ son, embraced Walz and lay a photo of his parents on the memorial.

The memorial, which sprang up outside the Capitol after the killings, features flowers, American flags, photos and sticky notes with such messages as, “Thank you for always believing in me and in Minnesota” and “We got this from here. Thank you for everything.”

Wednesday’s vigil also included a Native American drum circle, a string quartet and the crowd singing “Amazing Grace.”

Around the gathering, there was a heavy police presence, with law enforcement blocking off streets leading up to the Capitol and state troopers standing guard.

The event didn’t include a speaking program and attendees were instructed not to bring signs of any kind.

The man charged in federal and state court with killing the Hortmans, Vance Boelter, is also accused of shooting another Democratic lawmaker, Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, at their home a few miles away in Champlin. They survived and are recovering. Federal prosecutors have declined to speculate about a motive.

Boelter’s attorneys have declined to comment on the charges.

Hortman had served as the top House Democratic leader since 2017, and six years as speaker, starting in 2019. Under a power-sharing deal after the 2024 election left the House tied, her title became speaker emerita and Republican Rep. Lisa Demuth became speaker.

Walz has described Hortman as his closest political ally and “the most consequential Speaker in state history.”

The Hortmans were alumni of the University of Minnesota, which held a midday memorial gathering on the Minneapolis campus.

Rebecca Cunningham, the university’s president, spoke during the event about the grief and outrage people are grappling with along with questions about how things got to this point.

“I don’t have the answers to these questions but I know that finding answers starts with the coming together in community as we are today,” she said.

Funeral information for the Hortmans has not been announced.

Vancleave and Golden write for the Associated Press. Golden reported from Seattle. AP writer Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

World number one Scottie Scheffler continued his stunning form with a four-shot victory at the Memorial Tournament in Columbus, Ohio.

The American shot a two-under-par 70 to beat compatriot Ben Griffin, whose challenge faded on the back nine.

After bogeys on the 12th and 13th, Griffin eagled the 15th and birdied the 16th to move to within a stroke of Scheffler.

But he double-bogeyed the 17th to ease the pressure on his rival, who went on seal his third win from his previous four tournaments.

The victory follows his triumph in the PGA Championship in May, Scheffler’s third major win.

He dropped just one shot in his final round when he bogeyed the 10th hole, but made birdies on the seventh, 11th and 15th.

Scheffler’s victory makes him just the second player to win the Memorial in consecutive years, following Tiger Woods’ victories in 1999, 2000 and 2001.

Canadian Nick Taylor shot an impressive four-under-par round of 68 to take a share of the lead at the Memorial Tournament in Columbus, Ohio.

The 37-year-old made four birdies during his second round as he joined overnight leader Ben Griffin, who carded an even-par 72, at the top of the leaderboard.

Griffin’s fellow American Akshay Bhatia is a further two shots behind the pair in third at five under.

World number one Scott Scheffler is within striking distance after he finished the day at four under following back-to-back rounds of 70 at the Muirfield Village Golf Club.

Ireland’s Shane Lowry is the heading the European challenge a further shot back, four off the lead.

McIlroy joined 18-time major champion Nicklaus as part of an elite group of six players who have completed a career grand slam of all four major tournaments by winning The Masters at Augusta in April.

The world number two subsequently tied for 47th place at the US PGA Championship at Quail Hollow and is set to return to competitive action at the Canadian Open on 5 June as he prepares for the season’s third major, the US Open at Oakmont in Pennsylvania, from 12-15 June.

The PGA Tour’s final signature event of the season, the Travelers Championship, will be staged in Connecticut the following week.

“I know he likes to play so many in a row. He likes to play the week before a US Open. And so that’s what he’s doing. So, you know, I really don’t have a comment on it,” added Nicklaus.

“It’s very difficult, very difficult. I mean, I’m a big Rory fan, I always have been. I’m sure that I will remain that way. I just, I was a little surprised, yes.”

May 26 (UPI) — A 13-year-old boy is dead after he fell from a float during a Memorial Day parade in northeastern Ohio, authorities said.

The teenager sustained critical injuries Monday when he fell off the front of a trailer being pulled by a pickup truck during the City of Green’s Memorial Day Parade, according to the city’s fire department, which is located about 50 miles south of Cleveland.

The Summit County Sheriff’s Office, which described the incident as a “tragic accident,” said in a statement that the boy was struck by the dual tires of the trailer in the fall.

He was transported to Akron Children’s Hospital where he was later pronounced dead, the sheriff’s office said.

The incident happened at about 11:23 a.m. EDT, it said.

The name of the child has not been released to the public.

“The incident remains under investigation by the Summit County Sheriff’s Office,” according to the sheriff’s office.

A chaotic blue alien and the high-flying escapades of Tom Cruise propelled the Memorial Day weekend box office to record heights, giving relief to theater owners still struggling from a post-pandemic malaise among moviegoers.

Walt Disney Co.’s live-action film “Lilo & Stitch” hauled in $183 million in its opening weekend in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates, placing it in first place. It’s the biggest Memorial Day weekend opener ever, not adjusting for inflation, topping “Top Gun: Maverick,” which debuted with $160.5 million in 2022.

Paramount Pictures and Skydance Media’s “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” brought in $77 million domestically for second place. “Final Destination Bloodlines,” “Thunderbolts*” and “Sinners” rounded out the top five this weekend.

The two new studio blockbusters were big overseas, too. Globally, “Lilo & Stitch” collected $341.7 million including domestic ticket sales. The worldwide tally for “Mission: Impossible,” the eighth in the series, was $190 million.

Aria Clark fills up her Lilo and Stitch cup with slushy before going into the movie with her mom, Lexi, and brother Leo at AMC Century City.

Historically, the holiday has been one of the biggest moviegoing weekends of the year, serving as a springboard for the busy summer months. But since the 2020 pandemic and the dual writers’ and actors’ strikes in 2023, it has become a less reliable indicator of the theatrical business.

“The calendar thinned out a little bit, particularly post-pandemic,” said Eric Handler, media and entertainment analyst at Roth Capital. “You just didn’t have the depth that you used to have. But it’s good to see that there’s two big event movies this year.”

“Lilo & Stitch” and “Mission: Impossible” also largely catered to different audiences, lowering the risk that audiences would pick and choose between similar films. Box office grosses have typically done better with more genres in theaters.

The reported budget for “Lilo & Stitch” was $100 million, while “Mission: Impossible” reportedly cost $300 million to $400 million to produce, placing it among the most expensive movies ever.

Movie goers attend showings of “Lilo & Stitch” at AMC Century City.

The strong showing on Memorial Day weekend adds to a solid spring at the box office. Powered by films including Warner Bros. Pictures’ “A Minecraft Movie” and Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” domestic theatrical revenue for April totaled $875 million, close to the pre-pandemic average of $886 million for the same month from 2015-19, Handler said.

Then in May came Disney and Marvel Studios’ “Thunderbolts*” and Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Final Destination Bloodlines,” which have kept up steady business at theaters.

“This spring has been so good for the box office, it usually means the summer is going to be strong,” said Kimberly Owczarski, associate professor in the department of film, television and digital media at Texas Christian University. “Last year, we didn’t have those big tentpoles in April and early May that usually start the season. Because we’ve had that, people are in the moviegoing mood.”

Last year, the holiday weekend grossed just $132 million, making it the worst Memorial Day weekend box office in nearly 30 years. Films like “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and “The Garfield Movie” brought in about $30 million each that weekend, a distinct difference from the mega-hauls that blockbusters traditionally gross during Memorial Day weekend.

KK McDermott attends a showing of “Mission: Impossible” at AMC Century City.

The slow start last year to the all-important summer movie season made distributors and exhibitors anxious. It wasn’t until Disney-Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” debuted in mid-June that the box office started to turn around.

This year, however, a seemingly strong lineup of familiar blockbusters for most of the summer has given industry insiders optimism.

Sony Pictures’ “Karate Kid: Legends” comes out at the end of the month, followed by Lionsgate’s “John Wick” spin-off “Ballerina” in early June. Other anticipated releases include Universal Pictures’ live action “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Jurassic World Rebirth,” Disney-Pixar’s original animated film “Elio,” Warner Bros.’ “Superman” and Disney and Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”

That’s boosted hopes for a stronger overall theatrical business this year.

Analysts say the 2025 domestic box office could gross an estimated $9.2 billion to $9.5 billion, which would be an improvement on last year’s $8.7 billion. More importantly, it’s higher than the 2023 box office total of $9 billion, which would indicate continued growth and a “true recovery,” Handler said.

However, those numbers still pale in comparison with pre-pandemic box office totals, including $11.4 billion in 2019 and $11.9 billion in 2018.

Moviegoers head to showings of “Lilo & Stitch,” one of this Memorial Day weekend’s biggest films at AMC Century City.

Even before the pandemic, theaters were starting to see declines in attendance, a trend that accelerated during COVID-19 when people got used to staying at home and watching movies on streaming platforms. As the pandemic and the strikes decreased the number of movies in theaters, and the length of time between a movie’s theatrical debut and its availability for home viewing shortened, theaters lost more of the crucial business of the casual moviegoer.

“When the content is good, people show up,” Handler said. “The content cycle is favorable right now, and hopefully we’ll see that continue through the next two years.”

Along with vacation necessities such as sunblock and a toothbrush, Southern Californians hoping to get away for Memorial Day weekend will also need to bring a hefty supply of patience to freeways and airports.

A record-breaking number of people across the country are opting to travel rather than stay in for the long weekend— the official kickoff to summer, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California, or AAA.

In Southern California, about 3.6 million are expected hit the road or hop on a plane, the third consecutive year of record-breaking travel for Memorial Day weekend.

“Consumers continue to prioritize travel with family and friends after the pandemic,” Jena Miller, vice president of travel products for AAA, said in a statement.

Most people will be behind the wheel for their weekend getaways, according to AAA. Roughly 2.9 million people in Southern California are expected to hit the road starting Thursday, about 3.6% more than last year.

About 45.1 million people across the country will be traveling for the long weekend and most of them — about 39.4 million — will be driving, AAA estimates.

The automobile club said drivers will also be paying less with car rental costs expected to be about 8% lower than last year, and gas prices about 50 to 60 cents cheaper than last May.

More drivers means more potential gridlock, but the midmorning traveler has a better chance of being rewarded with a speedier commute. Experts say before noon is the best time for people to get on the road this weekend.

“Thursday, May 22 and Friday, May 23 are expected to be the busiest travel day,” Gianella Ghiglino, a spokesperson for AAA, said in a statement. “So if you are leaving those days, you want to make sure you avoid that morning rush hour and you still leave before noon.”

In Southern California, the busiest stretch of freeway is expected to be the 5 Freeway from Los Angeles to Bakersfield, where the typical 90-minute drive could take up to three hours during the worst times, according to AAA.

Vacationers looking to hop on a flight this weekend should be prepared for packed airports.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, nearly 54,000 flights are scheduled Thursday, the busiest day of air travel for the weekend and one of the busiest days of the year so far at airports across the country.

That increase will come despite the fact that domestic flights cost about 2% more this year compared with 2024, according to AAA.

The Transportation Security Administration is bracing for the rush of travelers. The agency expects to screen about 18 million passengers and crew members between Thursday and Wednesday.

“TSA is ready for the additional passenger volume, and we look forward to welcoming families traveling during this peak period,” Ha McNeill, TSA acting administrator, said in a statement.

Officials are encouraging air passengers to ensure bags are compliant with TSA regulations and to bring a Real ID or other acceptable identification such as a passport.