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House Appropriators Include Money for mRNA Vaccine Research in Spending Bill

The House Appropriations Committee has approved a spending bill for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that authorizes the department to spend up to $1.1 billion on research into messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology.

Lawmakers on Sept. 9 advanced the $184.5 billion package for HHS and several other agencies from the committee after hours of markups. The vote was 35 to 28.

Before amendments, the proposed bill stated that $1.1 billion would be available through Sept. 30, 2027, for “expenses necessary to support advanced research and development” pursuant to the Public Health Service Act.

An amendment offered by Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), chairman of the committee’s Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, added “including of mRNA vaccines” after the word “development.”

“Very briefly, this amendment includes language that’s been agreed upon by the majority and the minority for the report. And so, with agreement, I would recommend a yes vote,” Aderholt said.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the committee’s ranking member, said she supported the amendment. It was passed in a voice vote, with no members voicing opposition.

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Outrage erupts after Amazon sells book about Charlie Kirk’s assassination HOURS after the shooting

Outrage and online conspiracy theories spread after a book about Charlie Kirk’s assassination was listed for sale on Amazon.

On Wednesday, social media users shared images of a book available on Amazon titled ‘The Shooting of Charlie Kirk: A Comprehensive Account of the Utah Valley University Attack, the Aftermath, and America’s Response.’

However, many irate users on X pointed out that the publication date listed on the retail giant’s website showed ‘September 9, 2025,’ the day before Kirk was fatally shot during his college campus speaking tour. 

The existence of the book and the bizarre date immediately set off wild speculation that the assassination was an orchestrated plot against the conservative influencer.

Speaking with the Daily Mail, an Amazon spokesperson confirmed that the book was listed on September 10, noting that the publishing date was wrong due to a system error. 

‘The title in question is no longer available for sale. Due to a technical issue, the date of publication that had been displayed for this title, while it was briefly listed, was incorrect, and we apologize for any confusion this may have caused,’ the spokesperson said.

They added that the 81-page book was actually published ‘late in the afternoon’ on September 10, the day Kirk was killed in Orem, Utah. 

While the book was briefly available on Amazon, it was advertised as being written by Anastasia J Casey. However, the Daily Mail could not find any record of a published author by that name.

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Stephen King forced to apologize for Charlie Kirk remarks, threatened with lawsuit, ripped as ‘evil, twisted liar’

Best-selling author Stephen King was forced to walk back and apologize for troubling comments he made about Charlie Kirk just hours after the conservative juggernaut was gunned down in cold blood.

Kirk was assassinated on Wednesday at Utah Valley University while the Turning Point USA founder kicked off his college campus tour.

As Blaze News reported, numerous leftists made repugnant remarks regarding the murder of Kirk.

King wrote on the X social media platform, “The motivation of the man who shot Charlie Kirk isn’t clear (although he’s probably mentally unstable — duh). What is clear is it was another example of American gun violence.”

King — an outspoken liberal and donor to the Democratic Party — then stoked division by attacking Kirk after the conservative commentator died from being shot in the neck.

King claimed of Kirk, “He advocated stoning gays to death. Just sayin’.”

King’s scurrilous remarks about the deceased married father of two ignited a firestorm, including threats of a lawsuit.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) proposed, “Please share if you agree that the estate of Charlie Kirk should sue Stephen King for defamation over this heinously false accusation. He’s crossed a line. It will prove costly.”

Fox News host Laura Ingraham replied, “Stephen King is a sad, bitter man.”

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) declared, “You are a horrible, evil, twisted liar. No, he did not. Your party — which you shamelessly shilled for — sent $100 billion to the Ayatollah … who does routinely murder homosexuals. Why are you so dishonest & filled with hate?”

Conservative commentator Dave Rubin added, “Hey Stephen King, you are more monstrous than any of the characters you ever came up with. Charlie was never anything but kind to me and my husband. We broke bread many times, and he never treated us with anything other than respect. He even came to our house not too long ago, and plot twist, didn’t throw rocks at us. Write about that sometime, you hack.”

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FAA Unveils Pilot Program to Fast-Track Drone, Air Taxi Deployment

A new pilot program announced on Sept. 12 by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy could one day see Americans traveling short distances in unmanned aerial taxis.

The Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) has five components consisting of both piloted and unmanned aircraft, the Federal Aviation Administration said. They are Short-range air taxis; long-range fixed-wing flights; cargo services; new types of airlift methods for emergency management, medical transport, or offshore energy facilities; and enhanced safety and efficiencies in automation for advanced air mobility (AAM) operations.

The five pilot projects are expected to run for three years after the first one becomes operational, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a news release. The program will be a public-private partnership between state and local governments and private-sector industries working in conjunction to develop new methods and regulations for safe operations of drones and other types of AAM vehicles, Duffy said.

“The next great technological revolution in aviation is here,” he said.

“The United States will lead the way, and doing so will cement America’s status as a global leader in transportation innovation. By safely testing the deployment of these futuristic air taxis and other AAM vehicles, we can fundamentally improve how the traveling public and products move.”

The action follows a June 6 executive order by President Donald Trump to put America at the forefront of the nascent drone and unmanned aircraft industry, which is crucial to reshaping the future of aviation, the order stated. Emerging technologies—especially electric vertical takeoff and landing—have the potential to modernize the way cargo and passengers are transported, the order noted.

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Man admits to raping girl thousands of times and impregnating her — he has agreed to unbelievable plea deal

AConnecticut man who raped and impregnated a girl in his care agreed to take a plea deal and could only serve five years in prison.

Roger Barriault, 65, of Bristol raped the girl thousands of times beginning when she was 9 years old and impregnated her when she was 12 years old, according to police records. A DNA test of the girl’s daughter proved that he was the father.

Despite the horrific nature of the accusations, Barriault was given a plea deal for first-degree sexual assault. The charge carries a sentence of 25 years that can be suspended after 10 years. He must serve a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years in prison with 20 years of probation.

Barriault was arrested after the victim, who is now an adult, went to police in 2023. She said that the Connecticut Department of Children and Families had put her in the care of a person who introduced her to Barriault. She ended up in his care and faced daily sexual assault.

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US Official Warns Of New Deadly Synthetic Opioid From China

U.S. authorities are warning of a new synthetic opioid from China that can be up to 50 times more potent than fentanyl.

Nitazenes pose an emerging threat as they are more resistant to naloxone, a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses. They are often mixed with other drugs and delivered in the form of counterfeit pills mimicking drugs such as Xanax or Percocet, according to authorities.

Frank Tarentino, who heads the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New York Division, said that the presence of nitazenes coming from China has been increasingly prevalent on the illicit drug scene.

“Here in the United States, we have found it in heroin, methamphetamine, in some cases fentanyl, and more alarmingly, we have now seen it pressed into pills,” he said in a Sept. 10 interview with NTD, The Epoch Times’ sister media outlet.

“What we have seen is that these cartels, these transnational criminal organizations that are operating on a global scale, are intentionally lacing their drugs with fentanyl and now nitazenes to increase the high, to increase the addiction, to make more money.”

Tarantino said that traffickers are selling counterfeit prescription drugs such as oxycodone on the streets, online, or on social media. He warned that the only safe place to buy prescription drugs is through a legitimate pharmacy.

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Rep. Mace’s office bombarded with threats after Charlie Kirk’s assassination

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace reported Friday that her office was inundated with “hundreds of hateful and threatening phone calls” over the last two days following the assassination of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk.

Mace, a Republican who represents South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, said the surge of calls began within hours of Kirk’s killing and has continued. She attributed the threats to people upset about her political views and said her staff is documenting and reporting all of the calls to the U.S. Capitol Police.

“The hate pouring into our office from Democrats is vile, evil, and unhinged,” Mace said in a statement. “Instead of serving veterans, seniors, and families who need real help, our office is stuck listening to deranged rants from the party of hate. Every threat is being recorded, every threat is being reported, and no amount of rage from the left will silence us.”

The volume of threats has forced her office to send all incoming calls to voicemail, Mace said, which has limited [the] staff’s ability to return calls or process new casework requests for constituents needing federal services such as help with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the IRS, Social Security or Medicare.

“No staff member should have to sit in fear, wondering if the next call is a constituent needing help or another unhinged extremist making threats,” Mace’s office said in a statement. “This harassment isn’t just hurting the office; it’s hurting the people of the Lowcountry.”

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He May Have Pulled The Trigger, But Charlie Kirk’s Suspected Killer Didn’t ‘Act Alone’

fter an intensive, multi-day manhunt, law enforcement officials on Friday said they had taken into custody conservative icon Charlie Kirk’s killer. Police assert 22-year-old Tyler Robinson “acted alone” in assassinating the Turning Point USA founder. 

But did he? 

Authorities said Robinson’s roommate shared with investigators the alleged cold-blooded killer’s communications on messaging app Discord. In them, the suspect discusses “a need to retrieve a rifle from a drop point, leaving the rifle in a bush, messages related to visually watching the area where a rifle was left, and a message referring to having left the rifle wrapped in a towel.”

At a press conference Friday morning, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said investigators found a Mauser Model 98 .30-06 caliber, bolt-action rifle with a mounted scope in a wooded area on the Utah university campus where Kirk was fatally shot. Cox said the inscription on the fired casing read, “Notices bulges OwO What’s This?” That is apparently a reference to online memes tied to animated videos and “furry culture,” a fetish.  

Two unfired casings found next to the rifle wrapped in a dark towel included separate inscriptions, Cox said: “Oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao,” and “Hey fascist! Catch!” next to arrows pointing up, right, down, down, and down. According to multiple reports, the arrows represent an input code for an airstrike in a multi-person violent video game known as “Helldivers 2.” The code, too, has been used in memes “to signify a devastating reaction to something that should be destroyed,” USA Today reported. 

“Bella Ciao” is an Italian antifascist song. 

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NASA Bans Chinese Nationals From Working on Agency Programs

NASA has barred Chinese nationals holding U.S. visas from its facilities and networks, the latest move by Washington to safeguard the space agency as its space race with Beijing intensifies.

Chinese nationals, who until now could work at NASA as contractors or contribute to its research, were informed on Sept. 5 that their access to the agency’s systems and facilities had been revoked. Bloomberg first reported that many suddenly found themselves locked out of NASA data systems and excluded from both in-person and virtual meetings related to their work.

NASA press secretary Bethany Stevens confirmed the decision, stating that the agency had taken “internal action pertaining to Chinese nationals—including restricting physical and cybersecurity access to our facilities, materials, and network to ensure the security of our work.”

The move comes amid heightened scrutiny of Chinese nationals working in sensitive U.S. technology sectors, as in recent years, a growing number of individuals have been accused of conducting espionage on behalf of the Chinese communist regime. In August, the Department of War—then called the Department of Defense—ordered Microsoft to stop using China-based engineers to support the military agency’s cloud computing systems.

It remains unclear if a specific incident triggered NASA’s action. In response to a request for comment, the agency’s press office referred The Epoch Times to a post on X featuring acting administrator Sean Duffy’s appearance on Fox Business.

In that interview, Duffy said the United States must lead what he described as a “second space race,” warning that the Chinese regime is not advancing its lunar agenda “with good intentions.”

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Multiple people fired or on leave over social media posts related to Charlie Kirk assassination

Multiple employees, from teachers to firefighters, have lost their jobs or are on leave due to statements about the death of Turning Point USA President Charlie Kirk. 

School employees in Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Mississippi and Pennsylvania are currently under investigation for what they wrote on social media regarding Kirk’s death. 

One teacher in South Carolina was fired for a post that read, “Thoughts and prayers to his children but IMHO America became greater today. There I said it,” according to The Hill newspaper.

A teacher in Oregon wrote that Kirk’s assassination “brightened” up his day. 

Kirk was killed at a rally at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

Kirk had become one of the most influential voices on the right in recent years, notably founding Turning Point USA, with chapters at universities across the country and hosting speakers’ summits for young conservatives.

The U.S. Secret Service put an agent on leave after he posted on social media that Kirk “spewed hate and racism on his show.”

“Let me be clear, politically motivated attacks in our nation are increasing — seemingly every day,” Secret Service Director Sean Curran said in a statement, according to CBS News. “The men and women of the Secret Service must be focused on being the solution, not adding to the problem.” 

Tennessee GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn called for the agent, Anthony Pough, to be terminated from his position. 

“As our nation mourns the devastating loss of Charlie Kirk, a rogue @SecretService agent posted on Facebook suggesting that he deserved to be murdered,” Blackburn wrote on X. “I am calling for this agent’s immediate termination. It’s time to root out the rot in the Secret Service.”

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