Charlie Kirk killed in Utah; “Closest we have come to that nightmare scenario” in Poland as NATO shoots down Russian drones

Summary

Podcast Summary: Here's the Scoop (NBC News)

Episode: Charlie Kirk killed in Utah; “Closest we have come to that nightmare scenario” in Poland as NATO shoots down Russian drones
Date: September 10, 2025
Host: Morgan Chesky

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Overview

This episode of “Here’s the Scoop” covers two breaking international stories with immediate repercussions: the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah Valley University event, and a dramatic escalation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as Russian drones are shot down by NATO inside Poland’s airspace. The episode also includes updates on protests in France, a mass power outage in Cuba, and a lighter story about Peyton Manning’s attempt to book Pope Leo on his podcast.

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Main Stories & Key Discussion Points

1. The Assassination of Charlie Kirk in Utah (00:33–02:17)

• Event Details:

  • Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed during his “American Comeback Tour” event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
  • President Donald Trump announced Kirk’s death on Truth Social.
  • The attack took place about 20 minutes into Kirk’s talk.
  • According to eyewitness and university officials, the shot came from a nearby building.
  • Viral video footage shows the moment of the shooting: “you can see Kirk slump in his seat and blood flowing from his neck.”
  • Security present, but no metal detectors; large crowd, thousands in attendance.

• Eyewitness Testimony:

  • "There was someone who stepped up, ironically, coincidentally, who asked the question about mass shootings. And about 60 to 90 seconds in, we just saw, we heard a big loud shot. I saw a bunch of blood come out of, out of Charlie. I saw his body kind of kick back and go limp. It looked really bad." (Eyewitness, [01:41])

Notable Quote

"There was thousands of people there. Unfortunately, there was no metal detectors… anybody could have shown up with whatever, unfortunately." – Eyewitness ([01:41])

Host Wrap:

• Morgan emphasizes the ongoing investigation and refers listeners to NBCNews.com for updates.

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2. Escalation in the Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Russian Drones Shot Down by NATO in Poland (02:17–09:32)

• Incident Summary:

  • For the first time during the Russia-Ukraine war, Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace; 19 drones reported, with at least 7 brought down deep inside Polish territory.
  • Poland, with NATO's help, shot the drones down.
  • Polish Prime Minister invoked Article 4 of the NATO treaty, triggering consultations among members.
  • EU calls it “the most serious airspace violation since the war began.”
  • Russia denies intentionally targeting Poland, but provides ambiguous statements.

• In-Depth Analysis with Raf Sanchez (NBC Foreign Correspondent):

  • Significance: First instance of Russian drones being shot down over NATO territory since the war began.

    “This is definitely the closest we have come to that nightmare scenario.” – Raf Sanchez ([04:34])

  • Location of Downed Drones: While most were near the Ukraine/Belarus border, at least two were “deep, deep, deep into Polish territory.” ([05:07])
  • Russian Response: Official statements deny intent, claim drones don’t have the range, but offer to discuss—raising doubts and heightening suspicion.

    “That is not quite the same thing as, ‘we didn’t hit Poland. These weren’t our drones.’” – Raf Sanchez ([05:33])

  • NATO/West Response:
    • NATO Secretary General remains cautious—ongoing analysis.
    • Possibilities discussed: Was this an accident, or a deliberate provocation to test NATO response?

      “It is certainly also possible that this was a test, a prodding, a probing, a provocation by the Russians, just to see what happens when you send drones into Polish territory…” – Raf Sanchez ([06:25])

    • The US position is unclear at this stage.

• Political Implications:

  • President Trump’s Reaction:
    • Commented on Truth Social, interpreted as detached and non-committal by European observers.

      “He’s sort of musing on Truth Social. ‘What's with Russia violating Polish airspace with drones? Here we go.’” – Raf Sanchez ([06:56])

  • Uncertainty in Europe about what US response or policy might be.
  • Heightened concerns that escalation may become the “new normal.”

    “Could it be that the new normal is that Russian drones enter Polish territory, enter Lithuanian territory, enter Estonian territory? … if the Russians don't think that there is a major consequence for that, that they will be tempted to do so.” – Raf Sanchez ([08:43])

Notable Quotes

“This is definitely the closest we have come to that nightmare scenario.” – Raf Sanchez ([04:34])
“One of Putin's big goals is to try to create an information landscape where nothing can ever really be said to be true… Does it at all trouble him to see European leaders a little unsure, a little off on the back foot?” – Raf Sanchez ([07:41])

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3. Headlines Recap: France, Cuba, and Peyton Manning (10:46–13:54)

France: Massive Protests & Political Upheaval (10:46–12:14)

• Huge demonstrations, barricades, and confrontations with police across France.
• Over 80,000 police deployed; hundreds of arrests.
• Sparked by ousting of Prime Minister Francois Beru in a no-confidence vote; quickly replaced by President Macron’s pick, Sebastian Lecournu.
• Protesters demand Macron’s resignation, feeling detached from leadership.

  “They want Emmanuel Macron, the president, to resign. He is deeply unpopular and they feel that he's completely disconnected from the daily struggles of everyday people here.” – Danielle Hamamjin ([11:36])

Cuba: National Blackout (12:14–13:00)

• Entire power grid failure; fourth nationwide blackout in less than a year.
• Attributed to technical and infrastructural issues, ongoing shortages, and storm damage.
• Reliability of the grid is an ongoing concern for Cubans.

Lighter Moment: Peyton Manning Tries to Book Pope Leo (13:00–13:54)

• Peyton Manning handwrote a letter inviting Pope Leo to appear on “Manningcast.”
• Pope Leo, a well-known Chicago Bears fan, declined the appearance.
• Eli Manning jokes: “I couldn't close the Pope, but I made the effort, Eli. That's the kind of effort we make here at ESPN too.” ([13:45])
• Host Morgan Chesky wraps the segment, calling the trio a “holy trinity.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Charlie Kirk Assassination Details: 00:33–02:17
• Interview: Raf Sanchez on Poland Drone Incident: 03:40–09:32
• France Protests: 10:46–12:14
• Cuba Blackouts: 12:14–13:00
• Peyton Manning/Pope Leo Segment: 13:00–13:54

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “This is definitely the closest we have come to that nightmare scenario.” – Raf Sanchez ([04:34])
• “You can see Kirk slump in his seat and blood flowing from his neck.” – Morgan Chesky ([00:56])
• “They want Emmanuel Macron, the president, to resign. He is deeply unpopular and they feel that he's completely disconnected from the daily struggles of everyday people here.” – Danielle Hamamjin ([11:36])
• “I couldn't close the Pope, but I made the effort, Eli. That's the kind of effort we make here at ESPN too.” – Eli Manning, as Peyton ([13:45])

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Tone and Style

The episode blends breaking news urgency with clear, succinct explanations and on-the-ground perspectives. The language is direct but empathetic, especially when transitioning from hard news to lighter, humanizing stories. The inclusion of firsthand accounts and expert interviews maintains engagement and credibility.

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Final Takeaway

This “Here’s the Scoop” episode delivers a concise yet detailed look at two crises—one domestic, one global—with major implications for US, European, and world politics, while also keeping listeners up-to-date on significant developments across the globe. The reporting underscores the elevated risk of wider military conflict in Europe and the volatility of domestic US politics, all in NBC’s accessible, brisk style.

Transcript

[A]

Julio.

[B]

I'm Julio Vaqueiro, anchor of Noticias Telemundo. You can watch Dateline, the hit true crime series on Telemundo. And now you can listen to DATELINE as a podcast. Stories of love and betrayal, of secrets revealed of the men and women who stand between evil and justice. Every twist and turn can now be heard in Spanish with new mysteries arriving every week. Just search Dateline en Espanol wherever you get your podcasts and start listening.

[C]

Welcome to here's the scoop from NBC News. Morgan Chesky here. And we begin today with breaking news out of Utah Valley University where right wing activist Charlie Kirk has been shot and killed. President Donald Trump announced his death on Truth Social and the two did have a close relationship. Now you may know Kirk is the founder of Turning Point usa. This is a nonprofit organization that advocates for conservative politics, specifically on school campuses. Kirk was at this university in Orem, this is about 45 miles south of Salt Lake City, for part of his American comeback tour where he was discussing transgender shooters. Kirk was about 20 minutes into this presentation at the event when a shot was fired from a nearby building. And this is all according to a spokesperson for the university who spoke to NBC News. Now, videos that you may have already seen circulating online show the moment a shot is heard in the crowd and, and then after the gunshots heard, you can see Kirk slump in his seat and blood flowing from his neck. Kirk was removed from the location by his security team. Here's how an eyewitness described the scene.

[A]

There was thousands of people there. Unfortunately, there was no metal detectors. There was no, I mean, there was security by Charlie, but, you know, anybody could have shown up with whatever, unfortunately. And I, I happened to kind of maneuver my way down close on the side. There was someone who stepped up, ironically, coincidentally, who asked the question about mass shootings. And about 60 to 90 seconds in, we just saw, we heard a big loud shot. I saw a bunch of blood come out of, out of Charlie. I saw his body kind of kick back and go limp. It looked really bad.

[C]

As you can imagine, we're keeping a very close eye on the story. You can head to nbcnews.com for the very latest. Alright, want to move on now to an overseas story. Poland says that Russian drones crossed into their airspace overnight during an attack on Ukraine. Now, with NATO's help, Poland was able to shoot those drones down. And this is the first time something like this has happened throughout the Russia, Ukraine war. The EU in fact, is calling it the most serious airspace violation since the War even began. And Poland's prime minister has invoked Article 4 of NATO's treaty in response. That's the clause that forces members to huddle and figure out their next move. And it's only the eighth time NATO has used it since 1949. Moscow insists that these accusations are groundless and says it has no intention of targeting Poland. But world leaders are worried that Vladimir Putin is growing even bolder here. Of course, this is all coming just about a month after his summit with President Trump with no progress on peace talks in Ukraine. Instead, Russia has ramped up its attacks. And Putin, he just got back from China where he stood shoulder to shoulder with Xi Jinping, India's Prime Minister Modi, and North Korea's Kim Jong Un, reminding all of us, the world, that he definitely still has allies. NBC News foreign correspondent Raf Sanchez joins us now. Raf, thanks for being here.

[D]

Thanks for having me.

[C]

What do we know so far about what's actually happened in Poland?

[D]

So this happened in the early hours of the morning local time in Poland. Russia was carrying out what are now basically nightly massive aerial attacks on Ukraine. They tend to involve hundreds of drones, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles. But some of those drones, the poles are saying 19 of them, crossed over the border into Polish airspace. They are saying it looks like they have found the debris of seven of these drones inside Polish territory that were shot down by these Polish and NATO forces. And this is a first because we have never before seen in the three years of this conflict, Russian drones shot down over NATO territory. And you know, Morgan, when this first began in February 2022, the full scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the deep, deep fear has been the fighting in Ukraine would spill over the border. And you could potentially see NATO in direct conflict with Russia. The United States, which is committ under Article 5 of NATO to the defense of its European allies, could be dragged into a war with Russia. And this is definitely the closest we have come to that nightmare scenario.

[C]

When I looked at the marks, this was not along the border. Some of these were hundreds of miles inland.

[D]

So the Polish is saying they found seven of these drones. Most of them do appear to be kind of near the border with Ukraine, with Belarus. But at least two of them, as you say, are deep, deep, deep into Polish territory. When you ask the Russians what they have to say about all this, there's kind of a carefully worded answer from the Russian Defense Ministry. They say, one, we were not targeting Poland. Two, the drones that we were using in the operation against Ukraine don't have the range to reach Poland, but that we are happy to sit down with the Poles and discuss it. That is not quite the same thing as we didn't hit Poland. These weren't our drones. And when they say these drones don't have the range to reach Poland, that is very hard to square with these drones not only getting inside Polish territory, but, as you say, getting deep inside Polish territory.

[C]

Is anyone with NATO, Is any European leader actually buying that this was an accident?

[D]

You know, the NATO secretary general is being a little more measured. They are saying that they are analyzing the situation. It is possible when you are firing a huge swarm of drones at Ukraine, maybe some of them don't go where they're supposed to. We have seen Russian drones entering Polish airspace in the past, but it is certainly also possible that this was a test, a prodding, a probing, a provocation by the Russians, just to see what happens when you send drones into Polish territory, into NATO territory. See what the NATO response looks like. See if maybe they could go a little further next time. We're also waiting to see what the assessment is of the United States at this point about whether or not Russia intended to do this.

[C]

President Trump weighed in on Truth Social, acknowledging what took place.

[D]

It's been interesting. We've seen at various points the president, who is, of course the most powerful man in the world, in some ways almost acting like a bystander when it comes to these international events. He's sort of musing on Truth Social. What's with Russia violating Polish airspace with drones? Here we go. And the question being asked all over Europe is, well, what does that mean? Here we go. Is he going to move ahead with the he is long threatened but not delivered sanctions on Russia? Is there going to be some kind of bolstering of US Presence in military presence in Eastern Europe? A lot of people here have a lot of questions, and they don't have a lot of answers at this point.

[C]

Does Putin care about the consequences? If so, to what degree?

[D]

Here, you know, Vladimir Putin operates in world of gray, right? He is a former KGB operative. One of his big goals is to try to create an information landscape where nothing can ever really be said to be true, where everyone is just as bad as each other, where there's real moral relativism. And so does Putin care about sparking a war with NATO? He definitely does. That is not something that he is in any rush to do. But does it at all trouble him to see European leaders a little unsure, a little off on the back foot about whether this was intentional? And if so, what the right way to respond is. I don't think that bothers him him at all, especially given this kind of ambiguity coming from Washington about the way forward here.

[C]

President Trump speaking with the Polish president today. As you look in the days ahead, what's going to be what you're most keying in on?

[D]

I think the biggest question is, is this just the first, could we see this happening? More and more, we have seen Russia massively stepping up its aerial attacks on Ukraine in the month or so since President Trump and Vladimir Putin met. That was seen as a big provocation when it first started, and now it's seen as kind of the new normal. We basically take it for granted that the Russian president can sit down with the American president, be asked to commit to a ceasefire, and instead he escalates. Could it be that the new normal is that Russian drones enter Polish territory, enter Lithuanian territory, enter Estonian territory? And it may very well be that if the Russians don't think that there is a major consequence for that, that they will be tempted to do so.

[C]

Raf Sanchez, always a pleasure.

[D]

Thank you.

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[C]

And we're back with here's the scoop from NBC News. All right, let's hit some headlines. France is on fire. And I say that in a literal and a political sense here. All across the country, there have been massive protests. We are talking about demonstrators clashing with police, torching barricades, and in some cases temporarily blocking entire highways. So far, there have been hundreds of arrests and some 80,000 police officers have been deployed Nationwide, the spark, the cause behind all of this is a big political shakeup in Paris. Prime Minister Francois Beru was ousted in a no confidence vote, only to be replaced almost instantly by President Emmanuel Macron's pick. Sebastian Lecournu, NBC News international correspondent Danielle Hamamjin is right in the middle of it all.

[F]

Well, we've spent the day walking through the streets of Paris trying to catch up with protesters, and it's been difficult because the locations are being shared on encrypted messaging apps. It's not an official strike or a protest. Right now they're at Place de la Republique and there are thousands of people here, many of them students. What do they want? They want Emmanuel Macron, the president, to resign. He is deeply unpopular and they feel that he's completely disconnected from the daily struggles of everyday people here. The fact that this is not an organized protest makes it harder to predict. But as we know, although this is quite peaceful right now, things can turn.

[C]

Quite quickly from the streets of Paris. Given us some great perspective. Danielle, thanks so much. Meanwhile, in Cuba today, the lights went out yet again. The entire power grid collapsed this morning and it marks the island's fourth nationwide blackout in less than a year. Officials say that the country's biggest power plant suddenly failed. And to be clear, this is not happening in a vacuum. Cuba's energy system is shaky at best. After years of fuel shortages, poor maintenance and storm damage, crews are working to restore the power. But as you may already know, for many Cubans, rolling blackouts are kind of becoming the norm. Alright, finally, before we let you go, tongue twister. Incoming. Peyton Manning proposed a polite invitation to pull Pope Leo as a potential guest on his podcast. Whew. My fourth grade teacher would have been very proud of that alliteration. But you did hear it, right? Eli Manning revealed his older brother Peyton handwrote a letter to Pope Leo to get him on their ESPN2 show, Manningcast. Pope Leo is well known for supporting Chicago sports teams like the Chicago Bears. And who wouldn't want to discuss their football parlays with the one and only His Holiness? Unfortunately, though, it does look like Peyton's attempt didn't quite work out. Is it true that you failed the book? Chicago native Pope Leo the 14th?

[A]

Yeah, kind of like I failed to recruit Randy Moss to Tennessee. I couldn't close the Pope, but I made the effort, Eli. That's the kind of effort we make here at ESPN too.

[C]

There is still time. And I mean, come on. The Pope, Peyton and a podcast some would call that a holy trinity in its own right. All right, that's going to do it for us. And here's the scoop from NBC News. Thanks for listening. And hey, if you like what you hear, we would absolutely love it if you would follow, rate and review us in your podcast app. Signing off for now, I'm Morgan Chesky.

[G]

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