West
California university lecturer reinstated after wishing Charlie Kirk was dead shortly after shooting
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A California university lecturer has returned to the classroom after being placed on paid administrative leave for saying she wished Charlie Kirk had been killed shortly after he was shot last year.
According to the Fresno Bee, Barri Brennan, a Fresno State University communication lecturer, was back in the classroom on Tuesday, the second day of instruction in the spring semester.
“My classes went well, and I look forward to the rest of the semester,” Brennan told the Bee.
Fresno State did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. The university confirmed to the Bee that Brennan was teaching this semester, but declined to comment further on her return to campus or any investigation into Brennan’s remarks.
Charlie Kirk was assassinated last September at the age of 31. (Alex Brandon/The Associated Press)
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Brennan was captured in a recording on Sept. 10 sharing her thoughts about Kirk’s health condition shortly after being shot and prior to confirmation of his death.
“You want to know what I think? It’s too bad he’s not dead,” Brennan said. “Gonna put my political views right out there. And that’s exactly what I thought. He’s just shot? I was like, he’s not dead? I don’t even know who he is. Just a description of him. Don’t care.”
The comments were reportedly made during an informal and private conversation.
Kirk was shot while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He was pronounced dead later that day.
One student in Brennan’s class, Lara Habib, told The Collegian that the incident “felt very uncomfortable” and that students reacted with awkward pauses and uncertainty.
A California lecturer, who was placed on leave for wishing Charlie Kirk was killed shortly after he was shot, has returned to the classroom.
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“Her comments, made after Kirk had been shot but before news of his death had been confirmed by authorities, were made during an informal, private conversation prior to the start of a class and were secretly recorded. Portions of the discussion were later posted to social media,” the Bee reported.
The university posted a statement on its website condemning the comments shortly afterward.
“Fresno State is aware of a video circulating online that appears to record a lecturer making a disturbing comment about the death of Charlie Kirk. The university has launched an immediate investigation into this incident,” the university said.
“We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, any language that celebrates or condones violence. Such remarks are antithetical to our values at Fresno State,” they added.
A tribute to Charlie Kirk is shown on the jumbotron before a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in Bristol, Tennessee. (Wade Payne/AP)
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Following the statement, Brennan was placed on leave. She is under contract through May 2027, according to the Bee. Upon returning to Fresno State, according to the report, she changed the course syllabus to disallow using electronic recording devices.
Brennan wrote about the incident last October for the Bee, saying she “never intended to mean anything beyond an opinion; however distasteful some might find it.” She spoke critically of the unnamed student who recorded her, saying it was illegal.
“What that student did by illegally recording me in class sullies the academic classroom experience for both students and faculty. I concede that my words did not represent my best self, but what that student did to the integrity of the classroom experience was far more nefarious,” she wrote.
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San Francisco, CA
Driver Arrested After Pedestrian Killed, Three Injured In Mission District Crash
One pedestrian died at the hospital and three others suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a driver struck them in SF’s Mission District earlier this week.
The San Francisco Police Department arrested a driver suspected of fatally striking four pedestrians in the area of 16th and Mission streets Monday morning, as KRON4 reports.
Officers responded to the scene at 12:13 am and found medics treating one pedestrian with life-threatening injuries. The person later died at a nearby hospital, and three other pedestrians sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver was reportedly detained soon after the collision. The department has not announced what charges they will receive.
“We hold the victim and their loved ones in our thoughts, and grieve this loss of life on San Francisco’s streets,” said Jodie Medeiros, executive director for Walk SF, in a release. “We all deserve to be able to get around safely in our city.”
This marks the ninth pedestrian death in San Francisco this year. It’s also the second such death in the Mission, following the tragic death of local musician Danielle Spillman at Mission Street and South Van Ness Avenue in April, as SFist reported previously.
Four pedestrians were killed throughout the month of March, including deaths in Chinatown, the Financial District, North Beach, and the Outer Mission. In late February, a two-year-old was run over in Mission Bay.
Anyone with information may contact the SFPD at 415-575-4444 or text “TIP411,” beginning with “SFPD.”
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Image: Google Maps
Denver, CO
Von Miller lobbying Broncos to bring him back (here’s the latest update)
Von Miller has made it abundantly clear that he would like to return to the Denver Broncos and finish his career where it started. Miller has made that fact known at every possible opportunity, including a Von’s Vision charity event on Wednesday.
“I would love to bring back those Super Bowl 50 vibes, love to assist, to be the vice president to Bo Nix, to Courtland Sutton,” Miller said. “I’ve been the guy and also I’ve been the vice president as well. I would love to contribute to us getting back to the glory land, to holding up that trophy.”
Miller went on to note that he has lobbied coach Sean Payton to sign him (Payton coached Miller at a flag football tournament earlier this year).
Unfortunately for Miller, it sounds like there are no plans for a potential reunion with his old club. The Denver Post‘s Luca Evans reported that “as of last week,” there have been no talks between the Broncos and Miller’s representatives about a potential contract.
With a crowded outside linebacker room, Denver seems unlikely to re-sign Miller, but the 37-year-old pass rusher said he will “for sure” play in 2026. After totaling nine sacks with the Washington Commanders last fall, Miller will probably be able to find a home as a rotational pass rusher, but it might not be with the Broncos.
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Seattle, WA
Seattle travel alert: Massive road closures, light rail shutdowns this weekend
SEATTLE – Transportation officials are warning travelers to prepare for heavy traffic congestion and significant delays as massive construction closures hit highways across the region and light rail lines this weekend.
Major highway closures this weekend
What we know:
The Washington State Department of Transportation said major construction projects are taking over several regional corridors from Friday, May 29, until the morning of Monday, June 1.
Crews are squeezing a large amount of work into a short spring window so they can pause construction during Seattle’s “summer of soccer.”
This means drivers will face concentrated traffic impacts now rather than disruptions spread throughout the summer season.
Here’s what is scheduled for this weekend:
- Kirkland (Southbound I-405): All southbound lanes will be closed from Northeast 124th Street to Northeast 70th Place from 11 p.m. Friday until 4 a.m. Monday for fish barrier correction work. Miles-long backups are expected.
- Seattle (Northbound I-5): Two northbound lanes will remain closed across the Ship Canal Bridge, further restricting traffic inside the city.
- Seattle (Eastbound SR 520): Eastbound lanes and all connecting ramps between I-5 and Montlake Boulevard will close from 11 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday. Crews are preparing for a traffic switch on the Montlake off-ramp. Only transit and HOV 3+ vehicles will be allowed to use the Montlake Boulevard direct access ramps to eastbound SR 520 across Lake Washington.
- Issaquah/Snoqualmie (Westbound I-90): The eastbound SR 18/Snoqualmie Parkway on-ramp to westbound I-90, along with the westbound I-90 off-ramp to westbound SR 18, will close for paving from 9 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday.
Timeline:
The closures start Friday evening, with I-90 ramp closures beginning at 9 p.m., followed by the full I-405 and SR 520 closures at 11 p.m. All highways are scheduled to fully reopen to regular traffic by 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. on Monday, June 1.
WSDOT also said much of the work is weather-dependent and may be rescheduled if it rains.
Light rail disruptions
In addition to the highway gridlock, Sound Transit passengers will face major service disruptions on Saturday, May 30, and Sunday, May 31.
Maintenance crews are shutting down parts of the region’s light rail network to complete rail replacement through downtown Seattle stations and perform work on the Crosslake Connection.
During the weekend shutdown, the 1 Line will completely close between the Capitol Hill and Stadium stations. Simultaneously, the 2 Line will be closed between Lynnwood City Center and South Bellevue stations.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Washington State Department of Transportation and Sound Transit.
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