Bloomberg Businessweek | Police Hunt for Killer of Conservative Activist Charlie Kirk

Date: September 11, 2025
Hosts: Carol Massar & Tim Stenovec

Episode Overview

This episode of Bloomberg Businessweek takes place on the 24th anniversary of 9/11, contextualizing today’s threats—both domestic and international—against a backdrop of heightened political violence in the US, notably the recent killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Hosts Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec are joined by political, security, and market experts to discuss:

• The state of political violence and discourse in the US
• Geopolitical tensions facing NATO, Poland, and Russia
• US national security post-9/11 and evolving defense strategies
• The future of US energy policy, with a focus on offshore wind
• Market and M&A news, specifically the Paramount Skydance/Warner Brothers Discovery development
• Economic outlooks and investment strategy with BlackRock’s Christy Coolian

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Remembering 9/11 and Addressing Political Violence

Guest: Congressman Gabe Amo (D-RI)
Timestamp: [02:03]–[05:58]

• Reflecting on 9/11:
  Congressman Amo opened by honoring those lost and the brave first responders, noting the somber tone set by the recent murder of Charlie Kirk.

• Condemning Political Violence

  • “We should not disagree and be disagreeable to the extent of taking people's lives away. ...Murder is never, never acceptable.”
    — Rep. Gabe Amo [03:05]
  • The Congressman called for renewed civility and denounced the increasing violence tied to political disagreements.

• Turning Down the Temperature:

  • Importance of treating each other as neighbors and shared citizens.
  • Appeals for leaders of all stripes to “recommit to moving forward with rhetoric that isn’t going to inspire action like violence in our communities.”
    — Rep. Gabe Amo [04:24]

• Challenges in Modern Discourse:
  The hosts and Amo recognized that democratic debate increasingly gives way to polarization, with the Congressman maintaining:

  • “We have to do better. ...But I'll tell you what isn't and will never be acceptable. And that is violence.”
    — Rep. Gabe Amo [05:58]

2. NATO, Poland, and Russia: Heightened Geopolitical Tensions

Guest: Congressman Gabe Amo
Timestamp: [06:24]–[08:21]

• Poland-Russia-NATO Standoff:

  • A drone incursion into Poland by Russia prompted consultation requests to NATO.
  • Amo characterized President Putin as “testing our resolve and commitment to NATO and our European allies.”
    — Rep. Gabe Amo [06:49]

• US & Allied Response:

  • Stronger military and rhetorical support for Ukraine needed; inconsistent signals from the US, Amo argued, embolden Russian provocation.
  • “When you have rhetoric that is uncertain about our commitments to NATO, that helps to fuel Vladimir Putin's test.”
    — Rep. Gabe Amo [07:38]

3. US Energy Independence: The Role of Offshore Wind

Guest: Congressman Gabe Amo
Timestamp: [08:21]–[11:47]

• Offshore Wind’s Importance:
  Rhode Island’s Revolution Wind was “80% complete ...and you’re sending people home. That’s the president's actions, not creating jobs, taking them away.”
  — Rep. Gabe Amo [08:48]

• Tough Choices & Political Tradeoffs:

  • Governors consider easing resistance to natural gas to win back wind approval; Amo voices long-term support for renewables but acknowledges “very tough decisions.” [10:07]

• Federal Engagement:

  • Ongoing talks between the administration and state governors; Amo urges federal commitment to wind as “a linchpin to growing the industry across the Eastern seaboard.” [11:08]

4. Media Industry M&A: Paramount Skydance Eyes Warner Brothers Discovery

Guest: Caroline Hyde (Bloomberg Technology co-host)
Timestamp: [14:16]–[20:29]

• Breaking News:

  • Paramount Skydance preparing a bid for Warner Brothers Discovery, sparking a surge in Warner’s stock (+30%).

• Strategic Rationale:

  • Industry consolidation is viewed as inevitable and desirable for survival against tech and streaming platform competition.
  • “The competitor to TV now is YouTube. The competitor to streaming platforms is TikTok. ...For them to sustain themselves going forward, you've got to allow M&A, otherwise they just start to die out.”
    — Caroline Hyde [17:57]

• Consumer Implications:

  • Anticipate more bundling: “Before we wanted everything to split off, now we want it once again back in our bundle.”
    — Caroline Hyde [19:56]
  • "You’re seeing even deals done across the aisle with Amazon... We will just generally want one go-to button that we can click and suddenly voila, we can get all of them." [20:21]

5. Market Trends & Investment Strategy

Guest: Christy Coolian (BlackRock, Head of Investment Strategy for the Americas)
Timestamp: [21:18]–[27:53]

• Economic Outlook:

  • Sticky inflation but a weakening jobs market; “good enough” CPI data.
  • “We’re still constructive [on equities] ...but we prefer the more quality end of the spectrum.”
    — Christy Coolian [22:26]

• Interest Rate Expectations:

  • BlackRock expects a 25bps cut from the Fed, preferable to “leave themselves more optionality.” [22:26]

• Cash vs. Equities:

  • Despite high cash allocations, BlackRock advocates investing now—fixed income (intermediate curve) sees more opportunity than duration play.
  • “We still think it makes sense to get and stay invested even though rates are coming down.”
    — Christy Coolian [23:47]

• Risk & Returns:

  • Growth concentrated in large cap/technology; “so much of the growth is coming from the top and so much of it is coming from the AI trade, that we think it’s really hard to sit out.”
    — Christy Coolian [26:41]

6. US National Security: Lessons from 9/11 and the Kirk Shooting

Guest: Mark Cancian (Ret. Colonel, Senior Advisor at CSIS)
Timestamp: [30:13]–[41:14]

• Personal Reflections on 9/11:

  • “It was an overwhelming experience to be in the middle of it. ...We could see part of the building was burning and evacuated our offices. But it was a long time before we knew exactly what had happened.”
    — Mark Cancian [31:03]

• Greater Public Safety Today, But...

  • General public is safer from terrorism post-9/11 due to improved security measures, even as inconvenience has grown.
  • “There hasn’t been [another] hijacking in the United States. There have been very few terrorist incidents.”
    — Mark Cancian [32:36]
  • Political figures face new domestic threats: “We have seen this terrible incident with the assassination of Charlie Kirk. ...That is politically inspired murder, which unfortunately is increasing.” [33:56]

• From Counterinsurgency to Great-Power Rivalry:

  • US shifted from fighting insurgents post-9/11 to deterring Russia and China post-2014 (after Crimea, ISIS, aggressive moves in South China Sea):
    • “There was a break at that point ...and they started focusing on great power conflict, recognizing that Russia and China were going to be threats in the future.”
      — Mark Cancian [35:13]

• New DoD Focus and Rhetoric:

  • Under Trump, Department of Defense rebranded as Department of War, “about maximum, maximum lethality, not tepid legality, violent effect, not politically correct. We're going to raise up warriors, not just defenders.”
    — Host paraphrasing Sec. Pete Hegseth [39:19]
  • Ensuring force readiness vs. balancing with homeland security duties remains an unresolved “tension.” [39:19]

• Recruitment and Force Readiness:

  • So far, recruitment and retention “has been very good” despite concerns about recent policies and rhetoric.
    — Mark Cancian [40:48]

Notable & Memorable Quotes

“We should not disagree and be disagreeable to the extent of taking people's lives away. ...Murder is never, never acceptable.”
— Rep. Gabe Amo [03:05]

“Vladimir Putin is testing limits. He is testing our resolve and our commitment to NATO and to our European allies.”
— Rep. Gabe Amo [06:49]

“That’s the president's actions, not creating jobs, taking them away.”
— Rep. Gabe Amo (on offshore wind project halt) [08:48]

“For them to sustain themselves going forward, you've got to allow M&A, otherwise they just start to die out.”
— Caroline Hyde [17:57]

“So much of the growth is coming from the top and so much of it is coming from the AI trade, that we think it’s really hard to sit out.”
— Christy Coolian [26:41]

“People forget that at one point ...the Pentagon was an open building. ...Now, after 9/11, they put in really severe security measures, but were required given the new environment.”
— Mark Cancian [32:36]

“We have seen, of course, this terrible incident with the assassination of Charlie Kirk. ...That is politically inspired murder, which unfortunately is increasing.”
— Mark Cancian [33:56]

Segment Timestamps

• [02:03]–[05:58] : Congressman Gabe Amo on 9/11 and political violence
• [06:24]–[11:47]: Congressman Amo on geopolitics and energy policy
• [14:16]–[20:29]: Caroline Hyde on media consolidation and Paramount/Warner deal
• [21:18]–[27:53]: Christy Coolian on market trends and investment strategy
• [30:13]–[41:14]: Mark Cancian on US security post-9/11, Kirk shooting, and military strategy

Tone and Language

• The tone throughout is somber but resolute, with guests and hosts alike acknowledging both threats and opportunities facing the US.
• Guests speak candidly about deeply partisan issues, yet the discussion aims for constructive, forward-looking insights—emphasizing unity, practical policy, and vigilance.

This summary captures the episode’s multi-layered exploration of modern US dangers—both from foreign actors and domestic sources—while linking those realities to political, economic, and even technological trends shaping America today.