Conservatives are rallying around a message of ‘revival’ in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, with two commentators telling Fox News Digital that the right’s response to Kirk’s death stands in stark contrast to how the left reacted to the deaths of George Floyd, Michael Brown, and other high-profile cases involving police.

‘After Charlie’s assassination, we didn’t see violence. We didn’t see rioting,’ Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika told a packed arena gathered to celebrate her late husband’s life in Phoenix, Arizona on Sunday.

‘We didn’t see revolution. Instead, we saw what my husband always prayed he would see in this country,’ she continued. ‘We saw revival.’

In the wake of Kirk’s assassination, conservatives on social media have pointed out the contrast between the conservative response to the Kirk assassination and the response from Democrats in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death and other controversial political events. 

Floyd’s death in 2020 set off a chain reaction of violent protests causing at least hundreds of millions of dollars in damages in cities like Minneapolis, Portland, and Seattle, many of which were egged on by elected Democrats preaching a message of defunding the police. 

What was left after the violent 2020 summer was a massive increase in the number of murders, dealing a disproportionate blow to Black Americans, Fox News Digital previously reported. 

‘Let’s be blunt: when Charlie Kirk was assassinated, conservatives didn’t riot, loot, or torch cities,’ RNC surrogate and attorney Mehek Cooke told Fox News Digital. ‘As Erika said we gathered, we prayed, and we embraced revival. That’s the difference between the Right and the Left — and it’s clear as day. Conservatives don’t respond with destruction, because our movement is fueled by faith, not rage.’

‘Contrast that with the left’s response to George Floyd in 2020: riots tore through cities, billions in damage, businesses burned, and neighborhoods never recovered. From Baltimore to Portland, ‘justice’ is weaponized as a twisted justification for violence.’

Brilyn Hollyhand, a 19-year-old political commentator who was a friend of Kirk’s, told Fox News Digital that when he received the text that his mentor had been assassinated, ‘my first thought wasn’t to go burn down a Wendy’s or loot a CVS.’

‘My first thought was prayer. Prayer for his soul, his family, and his team,’ Hollyhand said. ‘Then, during the stages of grief, when I grew frustrated that my friend was murdered just for his political beliefs, I didn’t dye my hair blue, get a nose ring, and grab a bull horn – I wanted to do something effective with that frustration.’

Hollyhand says that going forward he will be partnering with TPUSA, the organization Kirk founded, to speak on 10 campuses this upcoming semester in an effort to ‘continue Charlie’s legacy of championing civil discourse.’

Cooke called it ‘profoundly significant’ that conservatives ‘chose peace in the face of tragedy’ and that ‘our actions spoke louder than their riots.’

Since Kirk’s death, conservatives have held vigils across the country and put up memorials, some of them vandalized by Kirk’s opponents, honoring the political commentator and rejecting calls for violence.

Over the past few years since the Floyd riots, liberal activists have taken to the streets on several occasions to oppose Republican policies, including earlier this year when violent protests erupted in Los Angeles in response to President Trump sending in federal resources to carry out his immigration agenda and deport illegal immigrants.

Those riots, which several elected Democrats referred to as ‘peaceful’, will cost taxpayers at least $32 million, Fox News Digital previously reported. 

Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old suspect charged in Charlie Kirk’s murder, was much like the other young men that her husband encountered, Erika Kirk said at the memorial service. 

Charlie Kirk ‘wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,’ she told the massive crowd at State Farm Stadium.

‘Our Savior said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ That young man… I forgive him,’ Erika Kirk said, drawing a standing ovation. ‘I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it’s what Charlie would do.’

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Joshua Q. Nelson contributed to this report

You pick up the phone and hear a stern voice claiming you owe money. Maybe it’s for a credit card you don’t recognize, a loan you never took out or some old bill you thought was long gone. Panic sets in, especially if the caller threatens arrest, wage garnishment or lawsuits.

Unfortunately, this scenario is becoming all too common. Scammers are posing as debt collectors, and retirees are among their favorite targets. Even legitimate debt collection companies have crossed the line. One such company was ordered to pay over $8 million for harassing people into paying fake debts.

The good news? With a little knowledge and some practical steps, you can spot these calls, protect yourself and stop them before they get too close for comfort.

Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide – free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter.

Why retirees are prime targets

Scammers don’t call at random. Retirees often make ideal marks because:

Less frequent monitoring: Many retirees check credit reports and bank accounts less often, making it easier for fraud to go unnoticed.
Accumulated assets: Retirement savings, pensions and home equity make seniors look ‘cash-rich’ to scammers.
Trust factor: Politeness and trust on the phone can be exploited.
Less tech-savvy: Some retirees feel less comfortable with online verification.

This combination creates a perfect storm for fake debt collection scams.

Red flags of fake debt collector calls

Recognizing the signs can stop scammers in their tracks.

Immediate threats or pressure: Real collectors cannot threaten arrest or use abusive language under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).
Unusual payment methods: Gift cards, wire transfers and cryptocurrency are red flags. Legitimate collectors use checks, debit or bank payments.
Refusal to verify debt: If they won’t send written proof, hang up.
Mismatch with public records: Fake companies often use official-sounding names that don’t exist.

Collectors don’t need your Social Security number or bank logins.

How to safely verify debt collector calls

Even if a call raises red flags, it’s essential to verify the information before taking action. Here’s how:

1) Request written verification

Under the FDCPA, you have the right to ask for a debt validation letter. This document should include:

The creditor’s name
Original amount owed
Verification that the collector is legally authorized to collect the debt.

Ask for this before paying or sharing any personal info.

2 Look up the collector

Check with state attorneys general offices or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Verify that the company exists and is licensed to collect in your state.

3) Contact the original creditor

If you recognize the debt or think it may be legitimate, call the creditor directly using a verified phone number. Do not rely on the caller’s number; scammers often spoof official-looking numbers.

4) Use trusted resources

The FTC offers a ‘Debt Collection’ section on its website with tips and complaint forms. If you suspect fraud, filing a report can help stop the scammers from targeting others.

Pro tip: Extra step to protect your personal information

Fraudsters rely on personal data to make calls sound convincing. Reducing the amount of information available about you online lowers your risk. Data brokers collect and sell details like your name, phone, address and even past debts. A data removal service can automatically remove your data from hundreds of broker sites, making it harder for scammers to find and target you.

While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice.  They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.

When and where to report a scam

If you’ve encountered a fake debt collector, report them right away:

FTC: File at FTC.gov
State Attorney General: Use the consumer complaint division in your state
CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau): Submit a complaint online at consumerfinance.gov/complaint/or by phone

Reporting helps protect other retirees from falling victim.

Kurt’s key takeaways

Protecting your retirement isn’t just about managing your savings; it’s about defending your personal information, too. Scammers thrive on fear, urgency and trust, but you now have the knowledge to push back. By spotting red flags, verifying calls and reducing what’s available about you online, you can stop fake debt collectors in their tracks.

If a scammer called you tomorrow, would you be ready to spot the lies and protect your hard-earned savings? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide – free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter.

Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved.

While Israel’s war in Gaza and Russia’s war in Ukraine are dominating headlines at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), quiet but urgent concerns about North Korea and its nuclear program are being discussed behind closed doors. 

It’s an issue that is being ‘continuously brought up,’ according to a senior State Department official. It was a particular concern in Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s meetings with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts and in President Donald Trump’s recent meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung.

And while the lead-up to two Trump-Kim summits dominated the president’s first term, no such meeting is on the books for his second term, according to the official. Trump will travel to South Korea in October, but he currently has no plans to stop at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

‘Our policy remains a complete denuclearization of North Korea,’ the official said. Kim has said he’s only open to talks if the U.S. drops the denuclearization demand. 

‘If the United States drops the absurd obsession with denuclearizing us and accepts reality, and wants genuine peaceful coexistence, there is no reason for us not to sit down with the United States,’ Kim was quoted as saying by state news agency KCNA.

Trump has also signaled an intent to sit down with Russian and Chinese leaders to come to an agreement on scaling back nuclear weapons arsenals. It’s a top priority for the administration, according to the official, but the ball is in China’s court to start being honest about its nuclear arsenal. 

‘The first thing that would need to happen is for the Chinese to acknowledge and be more transparent about its own programs, in order to understand what direction within the discussion, what objectives, could be obtained.’

The Defense Department has assessed that China has around 600 nuclear warheads as of mid-2024, but is rapidly increasing its supplies and may have over 1,000 by 2030. 

Open source estimates place North Korea’s arsenal at about 50 warheads, with fissile material for 70–90 warheads total. 

The official also confirmed that reviews of the AUKUS (Australia-United Kingdom-U.S.) submarine pact are under way across all partner governments, with updates expected this fall. Those talks, along with the October summits President Trump plans to attend in Asia, are expected to set the tone for the next phase of U.S. engagement in the region.

With North Korea showing no sign of returning to talks and China stonewalling on transparency, U.S. officials say the administration is leaning on allies and doubling down on deterrence. 

A federal judge rejected former FBI agent Peter Strzok’s claims that his termination from the federal law enforcement agency ran afoul of the U.S. Constitution.

Strzok was fired during President Donald Trump’s first term.

He sent anti-Trump text messages while leading the Crossfire Hurricane investigation into Trump’s campaign and Russia.

‘At this point, only two issues remain to be resolved: did plaintiff’s termination violate the First Amendment, and did his termination violate the Fifth Amendment guarantee against the deprivation of property without due process of law?’ an order signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson explained.

Jackson was nominated to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by President Barack Obama.

The court found that Strzok’s ‘interest in expressing his opinions about political candidates on his FBI phone at that time was outweighed by the FBI’s interest in avoiding the appearance of bias in its ongoing investigations of those very people, and in protecting against the disruption of its law enforcement operations under then-Director Wray’s leadership.’

‘As to Count Two, the due process claim is predicated on a misrepresentation of the facts and distortion of the chronology,’ the document declares. 

‘Once one gets past the rhetoric and considers the undisputed factual record, it becomes clear that there is no evidence to support a finding that plaintiff entered into a contract … that gave him a property interest in his tenure before the Deputy Director exercised his authority to terminate him, or that plaintiff lacked notice and an opportunity to be heard before his fate was decided,’ the document notes.

‘The full Memorandum Opinion has been docketed under seal,’ the order notes, adding that in the court’s perspective, ‘nothing in the Memorandum Opinion needs to remain sealed, and therefore, the parties must inform the Court by September 30, 2025 of whether they have any objection to the Court’s unsealing the Memorandum Opinion in its entirety, and if so, specifying what portions they believe should remain under seal and why.’

When President Donald Trump took the stage at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the teleprompter didn’t work. But no matter — he was about to deliver a series of points he knew well, and one that shattered the typical U.N. script.

At times, world leaders shifted uncomfortably in their seats, particularly when he charged that the U.N. had failed to help the U.S. end wars and joked that all he ever got from the institution was being stuck on an escalator and a broken teleprompter. Yet in his trademark style, Trump also drew laughter from the room, managing to be both affable and scolding at the same time.

‘What is the purpose of the United Nations?’ Trump asked, after recounting how he — not the U.N. — had ended seven wars. 

From there, he launched into a wide-ranging address that touched on every one of the U.N.’s modern priorities — climate change, Ukraine, refugee resettlement and Palestinian statehood—and rejected each of them outright, unsettling many in attendance.

Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže told Fox News Digital world leaders took note of Trump’s blunt style and sweeping agenda. She emphasized that his remarks spanned ‘a whole set of international issues,’ from Ukraine to Gaza. She highlighted his criticism of Russia, saying it was clear he wanted the war to end and was openly disappointed in President Vladimir Putin.

Former U.S. diplomat Hugh Dugan noted that while Trump hammered the U.N., he did not press the case for reform as forcefully as expected. 

‘As for U.N. reform and criticizing and guiding it through financial crises and endemic dysfunctionality, surprisingly he left a vacuum instead of a narrative,’ Dugan said. ‘He neither validated nor criticized the U.N. as expected, except pointing out the obvious views of its administrative and diplomatic passivity shared widely.’

Climate change

For the U.N., climate change is an existential threat requiring global action. Trump mocked the entire concept as ‘the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world,’ deriding green energy as ‘all bankrupt’ and declaring the carbon footprint ‘a hoax.’ Dismissing decades of climate change work at the U.N., he said: ‘No more global warming, no more global cooling, whatever the hell happens, it’s climate change.’

Braže noted that European nations still see the U.N. as the central forum for tackling global problems, even if reforms are overdue. ‘We might differ in our opinion where we still think the U.N. is a valuable organization and the U.N. charter is a basis of [the] international system,’ she said, adding: ‘Of course it needs change… stepping up efficiencies.’

Ukraine

Trump and the international body are largely aligned on wanting the war in Ukraine to come to an end, but Trump criticized its European members sharply for continued reliance on Russian oil.

Trump argued the war ‘would never have started if I were president’ and accused NATO allies of hypocrisy and said some NATO allies were ‘funding the war against themselves’ by buying Russian oil.

‘They’re buying oil and gas from Russia while they’re fighting Russia. It’s embarrassing to them… they have to immediately, immediately cease all energy purchases from Russia.’

He threatened tariffs unless Europe cut off energy purchases from Moscow, but blamed India and China as the ‘primary funders of the war’ through Russian fuel purchases. The president also once again promised a ‘very strong round of powerful tariffs’ if Russia refuses peace.

Braže said Latvia welcomed Trump’s commitment to ending the war, even as she underscored Europe’s reliance on the U.N. system. ‘He also explained, of course, his efforts to achieve peace in various regions which we welcome,’ she said.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna echoed Trump’s point that Russia’s war effort is not unstoppable. ‘As for the president’s speech, it was good to hear that Trump is dedicated to peace in Ukraine, and he also hinted that Russia is defeatable. We believe that as well,’ Tsahkna said. ‘Estonia has long said that Russia’s energy exports are its main source of revenue, and the engine behind its war in Ukraine. That’s why we must do more to cut off this funding.’

Migration

Where the U.N. sees migration as a shared humanitarian challenge, Trump painted it as an ‘invasion.’ He accused the U.N. of bankrolling illegal immigration into the U.S., citing U.N. cash and food assistance for migrants, and warned that uncontrolled migration was ‘ruining’ Europe.

‘The U.N. is supposed to stop invasions, not create them and not finance them,’ Trump said. ‘Your countries are being ruined. Europe is in serious trouble. They’ve been invaded by a force of illegal aliens like nobody’s ever seen before.’

He claimed migrants in London want to impose ‘Sharia law.’

‘I look at London where you have a terrible mayor, terrible, terrible mayor. And it’s been so changed, so changed. Now they want to go to Sharia law, but you’re in a different country. You can’t do that.’

Braže said the Baltic States share skepticism about uncontrolled migration, rooted in their history under Soviet rule. ‘In some European countries, political correctness overcame the need to limit immigration. For us in the Baltics, immigration has always been something that we are quite skeptical about,’ she said. ‘That is due to the fact when the Soviet Union occupied us for 50 years we were not able to define our own rules… so today we are very clear that our borders are our borders, we control them.’

Palestinian statehood

While the U.N. pushes for recognition of Palestinian statehood as part of a two-state solution, Trump blasted such efforts as ‘a reward for Hamas.’ He argued it would encourage terrorism and instead demanded the immediate release of Israeli hostages — and made calls for peace. 

Dugan said the White House calculated carefully how to handle the Palestinian issue. ‘He denied added publicity for the Palestinian statehood matter, while robbing his critics of a snarky quotable they depend upon. His team would say that they opted not to throw more gas on that fire, I suppose.’

‘We have to stop the war in Gaza immediately. We have to immediately negotiate peace,’ Trump said.

But French President Emmanuel Macron said that if Trump really wants peace, he has to put pressure on Israel to end the war. 

‘There is one person who can do something about it, and that is the U.S. president. And the reason he can do more than us, is because we do not supply weapons that allow the war in Gaza to be waged. We do not supply equipment that allows war to be waged in Gaza. The United States of America does,’ Macron told France’s BFM TV after the speech. 

Macron went on: ‘I see an American president who is involved, who reiterated this morning from the podium: ‘I want peace. I have resolved seven conflicts’, who wants the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Peace Prize is only possible if you stop this conflict.’

Behnam Taleblu of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said Trump’s handling of Iran, where the president touted the U.S.’s offensive strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, in particular stood out. ‘The calmness and even casualness with which President Trump spoke about the elimination of the Islamic Republic’s military leaders at the UNGA today shows an understanding and willingness to embrace America’s superpower status against its adversaries not often seen,’ Taleblu said.

The broader UN message

Beyond individual issues, Trump’s message was that the U.N. itself was failing. He ridiculed its reliance on ‘strongly worded letters’ and its expensive renovation projects, portraying the body as corrupt and ineffective.

‘I’ve attended UNGA a few times. Never have I heard a speech like this. Trump was right on one thing: the UN is paralyzed,’ Tobias Ellwood, a former British member of Parliament, shared on X. But he warned major conflict is ‘likely to follow’ if the UN dissolves like the League of Nations did.

But Dugan suggested Trump stopped short of offering a roadmap. ‘He went to tier-2 topics (immigration and green energy) because they are tier-1 with MAGA,’ he said. ‘Given the teleprompter and the escalator, he seems resigned to the fact that the place is not teachable when it comes to organization turnaround — certainly not while [Secretary General Antonio] Guterres continues.’

Trump launched a review of the U.N. six months ago, and Dugan said he’d hoped to hear more about its findings in the speech. It’s ‘not evident’ that the review was ‘deep, good or even completed.’ 

Looking ahead, Dugan warned that Trump’s silence on deeper U.N. reform left space for rivals. ‘Next: let’s see if China is editing its speech now to swoop down to fill the missing narrative vacuum,’ he said.

Behnam Taleblu of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said Trump was also making a point about the U.N.’s lack of engagement. ‘The President also foot-stomped the fact that he has received relative silence from the U.N. system and its leaders in the face of numerous ceasefires and deconfliction agreements he helped broker in warzones around the world. For an organization aimed at stemming or resolving conflict, the silence is deafening.’