OUR PICKSThe Horrifying Assassination of Charlie Kirk | White House Exerts Enormous Influence Over F.B.I., Lawsuit Says | You Might Have Already Fallen for MAHA’s Conspiracy Theories, and more

Charlie Kirk, Charismatic Right-Wing Activist, Fatally Shot in Utah  (Michael Levenson and Robert Draper, New York Times)
Kirk, 31, a close ally of President Trump, was killed while speaking in front of a large crowd at Utah Valley University. A university official said no suspect was in custody.

The Horrifying Assassination of Charlie Kirk  (David A. Graham, The Atlantic)
The shooting of the conservative activist is the latest act of political violence in the United States.

Boat Suspected of Smuggling Drugs Is Said to Have Turned Before U.S. Attacked It  (Charlie Savage and Helene Cooper, New York Times)
The Trump administration has argued that the summary killing of 11 people it accused of running drugs was legal under the laws of war.

National Guard Documents Show Public “Fear,” Veterans’ “Shame” Over D.C. Presence  (Alex Horton, Washington Post)
Internal documents reviewed by The Post show how domestic missions rooted in politics risk damaging Americans’ trust in the military.

White House Exerts Enormous Influence Over F.B.I., Lawsuit Says  (Alan Feuer and Glenn Thrush, New York Times)
A sprawling suit by three fired F.B.I. officials provides a disturbing account of efforts by top Trump aides to strip the bureau of its independence.

FBI Leaders Allege in Lawsuit They Were Unlawfully Fired Over Political Loyalty  (Perry Stein, Washington Post)
The former acting director says a Trump administration official asked a series of questions, including “Who did you vote for?”

You Might Have Already Fallen for MAHA’s Conspiracy Theories  (Alexander Stockton and Derek Beres, New York Times)
How does someone become an anti-vaxxer or come to believe that chemotherapy is more dangerous than cancer? It can begin with what seems like a harmless health tip: Cut seed oils or artificial food dyes from your diet. From there, the road can get treacherous. It’s paved with good intentions, surrounded by misinformation and filled with influencers who say they just want to make you, and America, healthy again.
Using artificial intelligence to identify narrative patterns across nearly 12,000 videos and podcasts from the world of wellness, New York Times Opinion Video reconstructed the MAHA conspiracy theory rabbit hole. In the video above, hear from people who found themselves sucked to the bottom of it. They developed an extreme distrust of the health care system, with tragic consequences. All the while, the people peddling anti-health-care content — people now empowered by and working in the Trump administration — have raked in their share of the $460 billion wellness industry, profiting from the paranoia they fueled.
Does that mean it’s game over for evidence-based medicine? As former followers of these MAHA influencers will tell you, there’s a path out of the rabbit hole, too.

The Sinister Brilliance of Donald Trump’s Security Theatre  (Economist)
How the president presents himself as America’s protector.