For some Americans on the far right, Charlie Kirk died a “martyr” and any criticism of the hugely popular conservative activist must be punished.Online vitriol and grassroots persecution have exploded in the wake of the assassination of the 31-year-old who had been an electrifying presence on the US right, with the killing further deepening fraught political divisions in the country.Laura Sosh-Lightsy, assistant dean of students at a university in the southern state of Tennessee, found herself in hot water after posting on social media about Kirk’s death.”Hate begets hate. ZERO sympathy,” she said on Facebook after the killing, which happened Wednesday in front of a large crowd at a university in Utah.Republican US Senator Marsha Blackburn quickly called out the comment — and Sosh-Lightsy.”This person should be ashamed of her post. She should be removed from her position,” the Tennessee lawmaker said. Middle Tennessee State University’s president announced that same night an employee’s firing for a “callous” comment about Kirk.Kirk, who rallied his millions of followers to help President Donald Trump win a second White House term, was both revered and reviled for his pro-gun, anti-abortion and anti-immigrant rhetoric.Shooting suspect Tyler Robinson, who was arrested Thursday, is said to have engraved anti-fascist messages on his bullet casings. This has led to a large part of the American right labeling him a “far-left” killer.Some Kirk supporters have turned into online sleuths, searching out accounts that praised or celebrated Kirk’s murder.”If they have their picture on their profile, even without a name, download the picture and reverse image search it,” conservative influencer Joey Mannarino said.”Cross-reference it with their LinkedIn profile and find their place of employment. Call the place of employment, leave Google reviews.”These efforts have targeted teachers, firefighters and even military personnel, some of whom have lost their jobs.Kirk’s murder has been condemned by both sides of the political aisle. But Trump quickly blamed the country’s “radical left,” even as authorities were only just launching a manhunt for the killer.Online trackers have targeted an Oklahoma teacher, who posted on social media: “Charlie Kirk died the same way he lived: bringing out the worst in people.”That teacher has since been investigated by the state’s Department of Education, which described his comments as “abhorrent.”- Stadium memorial service -Trump, who praised Kirk as a “giant of his generation,” has led the US government in memorializing the activist, with high-ranking US officials working to weed out critics of Kirk and his legacy.Trump ordered flags lowered to half-staff in honor of his ally, and Kirk’s body was flown from Utah to his home in Phoenix, Arizona aboard Air Force Two, escorted by Vice President JD Vance.Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered members of the military to identify colleagues who mocked or celebrated Kirk’s death.US Under Secretary of State Christopher Landau declared that “foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country.””I have been disgusted to see some on social media praising, rationalizing, or making light of the event, and have directed our consular officials to undertake appropriate action,” he said in a post on X.”Please feel free to bring such comments by foreigners to my attention so the @statedept can protect the American people.”Laura Loomer, a far-right conspiracy theorist who has Trump’s ear, has been one of the most high-profile attackers of Kirk’s critics.She denounced an employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), who had expressed disgust on Instagram that flags would be lowered for “the literal racist homophobe misogynist.”Loomer shared the staffer’s LinkedIn profile and said: “These people hate us. They don’t belong near the levers of our National Power.”Following Loomer’s post, FEMA said the employee was placed on leave for making “revolting and unconscionable” comments.On Saturday, Kirk’s organization Turning Point USA announced a memorial service for its founder will be held on September 21 in a suburb of Phoenix.The chosen venue hints at the expected turnout: a stadium normally home to a professional football team, with a seating capacity of more than 63,000.

The US Federal Reserve is widely expected to make its first interest rate cut of the year at its policy meeting this week, spurred by a weakening jobs market — but political tension looms over the gathering.The Fed’s likely move would follow a monthslong push from President Donald Trump to slash rates, and comes amid growing concern about political pressure on the independent central bank.Since the bank’s last reduction in December, it has held interest rates at a range between 4.25 percent and 4.50 percent as policymakers monitor the effects of Trump’s sweeping tariffs on inflation.Analysts now broadly expect a 25 basis points rate cut at the end of its two-day meeting on Wednesday, as hiring slows.”What’s interesting is that it’s very clear what the Fed is going to do when they meet,” said Josh Lipsky, chair of international economics at the Atlantic Council.”Yet, despite that, there’s high drama around this meeting,” he added, referring to personnel issues on the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC).While Trump has dropped threats of ousting Fed Chair Jerome Powell over renovation costs at the central bank’s Washington headquarters, the president moved to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook in August over mortgage fraud allegations.Cook, who was appointed under former president Joe Biden and is the first Black woman to serve on the Fed’s board of governors, swiftly mounted a legal challenge against her removal.She has managed to remain in place while the lawsuit, which could have implications for similar moves against other Fed officials, plays out.Meanwhile, the early resignation in August of another Fed governor, Adriana Kugler, created a vacancy that Trump has rushed to fill with his chief economic adviser Stephen Miran.Miran chairs the White House Council of Economic Advisers but has drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers over his plans to take a leave of absence — rather than resign — from the Trump administration if confirmed.A panel has nonetheless advanced his nomination and if confirmed quickly by the Republican-majority Senate, he could join the Fed in its next rate meeting.- Recession risks -Come Wednesday, markets will be focused on signals surrounding the Fed’s future pace — and size — of rate cuts, Lipsky said.KPMG chief economist Diane Swonk expects this to mark the “start of an easing cycle that the Fed won’t want to commit to.”Traders will also monitor Powell’s remarks on whether he sees inflation risks abating, particularly as worries over price pressures previously held back rate reductions.”The inflation genie has not quite been put back into the bottle,” said Wells Fargo analysts in a recent note.Data released Thursday showed that the consumer price index, a key inflation gauge, ticked up to 2.9 percent in August — its highest pace since the start of the year.”The labor market is in a precarious position, with nearly stagnant job growth, deteriorating worker sentiment and an unemployment rate that has inched above many estimates of full employment,” Wells Fargo noted.”With so little positive momentum in the labor market, recession risks have ticked higher,” the report said.- Independence worries -With Miran’s potential arrival, markets will be monitoring how much division there is within the FOMC on whether it should make a 25 basis points rate cut, a 50 basis points reduction, or keep rates unchanged.”That’s not something we’re used to seeing from the Fed,” Lipsky said. “This is a group that votes almost in unison over decades.”Analysts also warn that broader changes to the Fed’s make-up could happen more swiftly than markets expect.Presidents of the 12 regional Fed banks come up for reappointment every five years, meaning the Fed board of governors could replace them — although this has not happened before.”The markets, I think, are underpricing some of the risks to central bank independence and what it would mean for monetary policy going forward,” Lipsky said.