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The Daily Briefing

YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP

Wed Sep 17 2025

Nicole Fallert | Newsletter Writer

@nicolefallert

Good morning!🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert. Conrad is headed to Paris 😍

Quick look at Wednesday's news:

•	The British King and Queen are set to formally welcome Trump in the U.K.
•	Charlie Kirk's killer had been planning an attack for a week.
•	Actor Robert Redford has died at 89.

Trump is across the pond. Why?

President Donald Trump begins a three-day visit to England, where he will mix the pageantry of a state visit with policy efforts to expand nuclear energy and invest in new technology.

Why Trump's second U.K. state visit matters: Experts told USA TODAY the "whole point" of inviting Trump for a second state visit appears to be aimed at keeping an unpredictable ally "sweet."

•	The sweetness tactic may have worked for now. The White House said the U.S. and Britain would sign off on billions of dollars in new investment deals during the visit.
•	Trump is genuinely fond of Britain and Britishness. The Trumps plan to have lunch with the king and queen in Windsor Castle's state dining room Wednesday. Afterward, the first couple will privately lay a wreath at the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II.
•	It won't be all bows and curtsies. British police said they have planned for "just about every foreseeable eventuality" ahead of Trump's visit, but protests are expected, and the British media is full of reports about how the "ghost of Epstein" will hang over proceedings.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive in London for a state visit on Sept. 16, 2025.

Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

New revelations in Charlie Kirk murder case

The suspect had been planning an attack for a week. He used a weapon he described as "grandpa's rifle." And after shooting and killing conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, 22-year-old Utah man Tyler Robinson messaged his roommate, with whom he was in a romantic relationship, according to court documents. Those were among the details released by Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray, who held a news conference after he charged Robinson with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, obstruction of justice and witness-tampering for instructing his roommate not to cooperate in Kirk's death. Here's the evidence police revealed.

•	Gray said he would seek the death penalty, calling Kirk's slaying "an American tragedy."
•	FBI Director Kash Patel is set to face more questions Wednesday about his handling of the Kirk investigation.

More news to know now

•	Luigi Mangione state terrorism charges were dismissed.
•	A Black student's body was found hanging from a tree.
•	What can Americans expect if the Surpreme Court strikes down Trump's tariffs?
•	Memphis residents react to Trump's National Guard deployment.

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

Interest rate cuts could be here

The central bank's decision on interest rates is set to be announced Wednesday, following months of Trump pushing Fed Chair Jerome Powell for lower rates. While Trump's name-calling failed to sway the Fed, a string of disappointing job market reports may have been enough to finally do the trick. When the labor market is weak, cutting interest rates can make borrowing costs cheaper for businesses and consumers, which can juice the economy and promote hiring. But what remains unknown are how many rate cuts will follow.

Is the government about to shut down?

Not so fast. Congressional Republicans introduced a short-term funding measure Tuesday to keep the government open until just before Thanksgiving. In hopes of avoiding a seemingly inevitable shutdown, the bill would largely maintain current funding levels until Nov. 21. It also would add nearly $90 million to shore up security for members of Congress, Supreme Court justices and executive branch officials in the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk's Sept. 10 assassination. But the bill would do nothing to address Democrats' concerns over what they're calling a "looming health care crisis."

Today's talkers

•	Is whole milk still the enemy?
•	Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone set a new American 400-meter record at the World Championships.
•	That's a wrap on NYFW.
•	Did Cillian Murphy just discover the cure for FOMO?

Remembering Robert Redford

Robert Redford, the legendary leading man with boyish good looks and charm who used his star power to advocate for independent filmmaking, environmentalism and LGBTQ rights, has died at age 89. Redford died Tuesday at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah, "the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved." his rep Cindi Berger told USA TODAY. During an acting career lasting more than 60 years, Redford became a Hollywood icon with an uncanny knack for finding the perfect scene partner. Look back at his career.

•	Barbra Streisand has a special message for Redford.
•	From "The Sting" to "The Natural," these are Redford's iconic movie roles.
•	Redford founded Sundance Film Festival. What happens now?

Redford at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival day one press conference on Jan. 24, 2019, in Park City, Utah.

Dia Dipasupil, Getty Images

Photo of the day: Revisionist history?

A haunting photo of a formerly enslaved man whose back is heavily scarred by whippings has become a new flashpoint in Trump's efforts to alter how American history is presented. The National Park Service has been ordered to stop using the photo in displays.

In late March 1863, an enslaved man identified in contemporary accounts as "Peter," made a bold bid for freedom and was later used to raise awareness about the horrors of slavery.

Mathew Brady Studio via National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here . Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.