--:-- Michelle Martin: Authorities are still searching for a motive behind the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
--:-- A Martinez: We're all drawing lots of conclusions on how someone like this could be radicalized.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Utah's governor says the suspect is not cooperating, but his family is.
--:-- A Martinez: I'm Michelle Martin with A. Martinez, and this is Up First from NPR News.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Israel's strike on Qatar's capital put the U.S. in a difficult position with one of its closest Middle East partners.
--:-- A Martinez: Qatar's been a very great ally. So Israel and everybody else, we have to be careful. When we attack people, we have to be careful.
--:-- Michelle Martin: So how does Washington balance support for Israel with its ties to Qatar?
--:-- A Martinez: Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Jerusalem trying to answer that.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And Hollywood handed out its biggest TV awards last night.
--:-- A Martinez: Adolescents swept the limited series category. And, a surprise, The Pit took best drama.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Stay with us. We'll give you Emmy highlights and the news you need to start your day.
--:-- [This message comes from Doctors Without Borders.]
--:-- Michelle Martin: People are living through a moment defined by unrelenting crises and need.
--:-- A Martinez: Civilians are caught in the crossfire of violence and war. Malnutrition threatens the lives of children.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Communities depend on life-saving humanitarian aid. Doctors Without Borders is meeting this moment of overwhelming need with action.
--:-- A Martinez: But they can't do it alone. Help provide life-saving care around the world. Learn how to donate today at doctorswithoutborders.org slash NPR.
--:-- [This message comes from BetterHelp.]
--:-- Michelle Martin: President Fernando Madeira describes how BetterHelp online therapy has helped him.
--:-- A Martinez: For me, sometimes I just need to go and talk to somebody that is not going to judge me, right? Is going to be there and going to listen to me.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And I can't start just saying, look, I'm not feeling right today. And it feels natural. I love it. It's been five days since conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot at a university campus in Utah.
--:-- A Martinez: And authorities still don't know, or at least haven't said, what they think motivated the 22-year-old they arrested.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Utah's Republican Governor Spencer Cox spoke on the Sunday talk shows about the suspected shooter Tyler Robinson.
--:-- A Martinez: He said Robinson is not cooperating, but authorities believe he had left-leaning political beliefs and disliked the conservative influencer.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Here's what Cox told NBC's Meet the Press, and he specifically warned about speculation.
--:-- A Martinez: We're all drawing lots of conclusions and how someone like this could be radicalized.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And I think that those are those are important questions for us to ask and important questions for us to answer.
--:-- A Martinez: We're joined now by KUER's Elaine Clark in Salt Lake City.
--:-- Elaine Clark: Well, the governor pointed to the suspect's online activities. In addition to that, leftist ideology he talked about.
--:-- Michelle Martin: He said Robinson had been spending a lot of time on the deep web.
--:-- A Martinez: And so by way of example, Cox pointed to writings on the shell casings of the rifle that was allegedly used in the shooting.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And he said that represented what he called the memification that is happening in our society today.
--:-- A Martinez: And one of the big new details he talked about on Sunday was about Robinson's romantic partner.
--:-- Elaine Clark: Yeah, so who was that person and were they involved at all?
--:-- Michelle Martin: So the governor said this person was not involved and that they were shocked by what happened.
--:-- A Martinez: Now he didn't name the person but he did say they were being very cooperative.
--:-- Elaine Clark: So this person who was called a roommate in the suspect's probable cause affidavit was also, quote, the governor here, a boyfriend who was transitioning from male to female.
--:-- Michelle Martin: We don't know any more than that right now or whether transgender rights had anything to do with Kirk's assassination.
--:-- A Martinez: We could get more information on that tomorrow, though. That's when the suspect is expected to be charged in state court.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Okay. So while we're waiting for more information on all that, what has Utah's governor been saying about social media and divisiveness?
--:-- Elaine Clark: Well, the governor is not shy about speaking out about social media.
--:-- A Martinez: He says it is fueling outrage and getting users addicted to outrage.
--:-- Michelle Martin: He also accused big social media companies of doing it just to make money.
--:-- A Martinez: And here's what Cox suggested on Sunday.
--:-- Elaine Clark: We have to turn it off. We have to get back to community, caring about our neighbors, the things that make America great.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Cox called social media a cancer.
--:-- A Martinez: He mentioned community. So how are people responding to all this?
--:-- Elaine Clark: Well, there was an NPR producer at a church service on Sunday in Orem.
--:-- Michelle Martin: That's the city where the shooting happened Wednesday at Utah Valley University.
--:-- A Martinez: This is an evangelical church. It's called Center Point, literally within walking distance from campus.
--:-- Elaine Clark: People at the service were filled with emotions. There were tears, there were hugs.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Let's listen to Pastor Mike Smith as he talked to the very large crowd.
--:-- [Audio clip of Pastor Mike Smith]
--:-- Elaine Clark: Whatever you walked in here with, whatever difficult emotions you carried been with you. It's okay. It's okay to be not okay today.
--:-- Michelle Martin: We get it, and we're grieving with you. We're hurting with you, and we're here for you.
--:-- A Martinez: In addition to the sermon, there was a table set up that provided counseling resources, and the church had a uniformed police officer at this service.
--:-- Elaine Clark: That's something the pastor said they had never had before.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Wow, that's KUER News Director Elaine Clark in Salt Lake City.
--:-- A Martinez: Elaine, thank you.
--:-- Elaine Clark: Thank you.
--:-- Michelle Martin: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Jerusalem today holding talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nearly one week after Israel struck Doha, the capital of Qatar, in an attack against senior Hamas leaders.
--:-- A Martinez: The attack killed at least six people, none of whom was a senior Hamas leader, and has put the U.S. in a difficult position between its strong support of Israel and a key ally in the Gulf.
--:-- Michelle Martin: President Trump appeared to address that balancing act in comments yesterday with a warning to Israel.
--:-- A Martinez: Qatar's been a very great ally. So Israel and everybody else, we have to be careful. When we attack people, we have to be careful.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Rubio's visit also comes as Israel has intensified its offensive into Gaza City and is gearing up to occupy it.
--:-- A Martinez: Joining us now is NPR's Kerry Kahn from Tel Aviv.
--:-- Kerry Kahn: Well, today he's holding talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu and with other officials.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Yesterday he toured the Jewish holy site, the Western Wall.
--:-- A Martinez: There Netanyahu referenced what he said was the strength of the U.S. and Israeli alliance, quote, as strong and durable as the stones of the wall.
--:-- Kerry Kahn: Before arriving in Israel, Rubio said he would be talking about releasing the hostages, ending the war, and rebuilding Gaza once the war ends.
--:-- Michelle Martin: I did speak to some Israelis at the wall yesterday about his visit.
--:-- A Martinez: Here's 72-year-old Eli Benlulu, who said he's concerned about international criticism growing against Israel, and he wants to make sure U.S. support is solid.
--:-- Kerry Kahn: He says even the Americans I love them but one day they could change.
--:-- Michelle Martin: He supports Israel airstrike in Qatar and added everyone has to look out for themselves.
--:-- A Martinez: And what is Qatar saying about the attack And maybe any possible retaliation against Israel?
--:-- Kerry Kahn: Today in Doha, Qatar, they've convened an emergency regional summit with Arab and Muslim heads of state to discuss a response, which Qatar says must be strong and decisive.
--:-- Michelle Martin: In remarks yesterday, ahead of the meeting, Qatar's prime minister called on the international community to quote, abandon double standards and punish Israel for its crimes.
--:-- A Martinez: He also added that Qatar's efforts in mediating an end to the war in Gaza will continue.
--:-- Kerry Kahn: But this past week, he also said that those talks have completely stopped now, and it cannot host Israeli negotiators if it's being hit by Israeli warplanes.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And analysts aren't expecting a significant retaliation from the countries.
--:-- A Martinez: They too are balancing this relationship with the U.S. and Trump's strong support of Israel.
--:-- Kerry Kahn: You mentioned Gaza. What's the situation there now, considering that Israel is moving ahead with plans to take over Gaza City?
--:-- Michelle Martin: Yeah, the weekend has been deadly.
--:-- A Martinez: According to health and hospital officials in Gaza, more than 70 people were killed by Israeli airstrikes and attacks.
--:-- Kerry Kahn: Yesterday, just in Gaza City alone, 35 people were killed.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Evacuations for the city, which is nearly a million people, continue.
--:-- A Martinez: The military is telling people to get out and move south to what they say are humanitarian zones or empty spaces.
--:-- Kerry Kahn: And they say there is water and services available there.
--:-- Michelle Martin: The problem with that is that first people don't have money or transportation to move out.
--:-- A Martinez: They are exhausted. They've been displaced multiple times already.
--:-- Kerry Kahn: And zones in the south are already severely overcrowded without enough basic services, according to UN agencies.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Most of those sites, too, have been attacked by Israel.
--:-- A Martinez: And airstrikes in Gaza City are intensifying, and Israel has been leveling tall buildings in the city, about a dozen in little more than a week.
--:-- Kerry Kahn: Israel says Hamas uses the high-rises, but they've yet to provide any evidence of that.
--:-- Michelle Martin: All right, that's NPR's Carrie Kahn in Tel Aviv.
--:-- A Martinez: Carrie, thank you.
--:-- Kerry Kahn: You're welcome.
--:-- Michelle Martin: The comedy series The Studio and the drama The Pit were big winners at last night's Emmy Awards.
--:-- A Martinez: Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder also picked up awards for the comedy series Hacks.
--:-- Michelle Martin: NPR's Manalit del Barco is on the red carpet and backstage at the ceremony in Los Angeles.
--:-- Manalit del Barco: Well, it was a big night for Seth Rogen and his creative partner, Evan Goldberg.
--:-- Michelle Martin: They created the studio, a satire of Hollywood, and it set a record for a comedy show by winning 13 Emmys in all, including one for Seth Rogen as lead actor in a comedy.
--:-- Manalit del Barco: He plays the head of a movie studio, and after winning, Rogan walked into the media room with his castmates and he was carrying a handful of Emmy Awards.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Someone asked him if this might inspire future storylines in the studio.
--:-- Manalit del Barco: This is like far too good a thing to happen on our show, unfortunately.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Our show is generally based on stress and disappointment, and right now we're all very happy.
--:-- A Martinez: And so I don't know if this would comedically work for the show, but it's very encouraging and it's so nice and it's very surreal for all of us, I think.
--:-- Michelle Martin: But, you know, one of the big surprises of the night was for the five Emmys won by the medical drama The Pit.
--:-- A Martinez: It won for Outstanding Drama Series against popular shows including Severance and The White Lotus.
--:-- Manalit del Barco: Executive producer Noel Wiley won his first Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama.
--:-- Michelle Martin: He plays an ER doctor more than three decades after he first played one on the show ER.
--:-- Manalit del Barco: On stage, he said the show is dedicated to first responders.
--:-- Michelle Martin: To anybody who's going on shift tonight or coming off shift tonight, thank you for being in that job.
--:-- A Martinez: This is for you.
--:-- Manalit del Barco: All right now another show that seemed to come out of nowhere last March to become kind of a cultural touchstone was Adolescence.
--:-- Michelle Martin: How did Adolescence perform last night?
--:-- Manalit del Barco: Yeah Adolescence was a huge hit.
--:-- A Martinez: The Netflix limited series picked up six awards.
--:-- Manalit del Barco: Owen Cooper the British 15 newcomer became the youngest male actor to win an Emmy.
--:-- Michelle Martin: He played a 13-year-old accused of murdering a classmate.
--:-- A Martinez: And in the show, his father was played by Stephen Graham, who also won an acting Emmy.
--:-- Manalit del Barco: Graham also wrote and produced Adolescence.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And here are Graham and Cooper accepting their awards.
--:-- Manalit del Barco: This kind of thing doesn't normally happen to a kid like me.
--:-- Michelle Martin: I'm just a mixed-race kid from a block of flats in a place called Kirby.
--:-- A Martinez: I was nothing about three years ago.
--:-- Manalit del Barco: I'm here now.
--:-- Michelle Martin: So I think if you're listening, you're focusing, you just step out of your comfort zone a little bit.
--:-- A Martinez: Who cares if you get embarrassed, you know?
--:-- Manalit del Barco: Now, Manalita, the Emmys are on CBS.
--:-- Michelle Martin: The Late Show at Stephen Colbert is also on CBS and CBS recently cancelled his show.
--:-- A Martinez: So when his show won for Outstanding Talk Series, what did Colbert have to say?
--:-- Manalit del Barco: Well, you know, Stephen Colbert had been the favorite going into the ceremony.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And even his fellow nominees, Jon Stewart and Jimmy Kimmel, were rooting for him.
--:-- A Martinez: You know, on his show, Colbert regularly skewers President Donald Trump.
--:-- Manalit del Barco: And some people in the industry thought his show getting canceled was politically calculated, though the network said it was purely financial.
--:-- Michelle Martin: But in his acceptance speech, Colbert thanked CBS.
--:-- A Martinez: And he said this.
--:-- Manalit del Barco: My friends, I have never loved my country more desperately.
--:-- Michelle Martin: God bless America.
--:-- A Martinez: Stay strong, be brave, and if the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy and punch a higher floor.
--:-- Manalit del Barco: Colbert told reporters that the tradition of comedy variety show, which stretches back to Jack Benny and Bodville, will continue.
--:-- Michelle Martin: All right, that's NPR's Bandalit del Barco.
--:-- A Martinez: Thanks a lot.
--:-- Manalit del Barco: Thank you.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And that's Up First for Monday, September 15th.
--:-- A Martinez: I'm E. Martinez.
--:-- Michelle Martin: And I, Michelle Martin.
--:-- A Martinez: Make your next listen consider this.
--:-- Michelle Martin: The team behind NPR's All Things Considered goes deep into a single news story in just 15 minutes.
--:-- A Martinez: Listen now on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Today's episode of Up First was edited by Russell Lewis, Kevin Drew, Mateen McCalla, Mohamed Elbardisi, and Olivia Hamden.
--:-- A Martinez: It was produced by Zia Butch, Mia Dumas, and Christopher Thomas.
--:-- Michelle Martin: We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott, and our technical director is Carly Strange.
--:-- A Martinez: Join us again tomorrow.
--:-- Michelle Martin: This message comes from NetSuite.
--:-- A Martinez: What does the future hold for business? Can someone invent a crystal ball?
--:-- Michelle Martin: Until then, over 42,000 businesses have future-proofed their business with NetSuite by Oracle, the number one AI cloud ERP, bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, and HR into one platform.
--:-- A Martinez: With real-time insights and forecasting, you're able to peer into the future and seize new opportunities.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning for free at netsuite.com slash story.
--:-- A Martinez: This message comes from Paka.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Everyone's got that one hoodie they practically live in, but the Paka hoodie, it's on another level.
--:-- A Martinez: Softer than cashmere, warmer than wool, and still breathable, this alpaca fiber hoodie goes from airport to mountain trail to couch without missing a beat.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Right now, grab a Paka hoodie and score a free pair of alpaca cruise socks.
--:-- A Martinez: Moisture-wicking, odor-resistant, and guaranteed for life.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Level up your hoodie game at go.pakaapparel.com slash NPR, code NPR.
--:-- A Martinez: This message comes from Squarespace.
--:-- Michelle Martin: Squarespace allows you to inspire people to support your cause by fundraising directly on your website.
--:-- A Martinez: Go to squarespace.com slash NPR for 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.
