Kash Patel Spars on the Hill, New Crooks Files, Nick Reiner Won't Face Death Penalty: AM Update 9/16

What you'll learn

• 1 (00:32) **Episode Open & Headlines** - Megyn Kelly opens the AM update for Wednesday, September 16, 2026, and teases the day's top stories: the contentious FBI oversight hearing, new files on Thomas Crooks, and the death penalty decision for Nick Reiner.
• 2 (02:34) **FBI Director Kash Patel's Senate Grilling** - Nearly five hours of testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, marked by personal attacks and bizarre exchanges over hiring policies and election monitoring.
• 3 (04:36) **FBI Hiring Standards and the Bestiality Debate** - Ranking Democrat Dick Durbin argues the Bureau lowered standards, while Patel insists the change protects trafficking victims and was badly mischaracterized.
• 4 (06:55) **Election Day Role and Explosive Exchange** - The hearing shifts to the FBI's election day plans, triggering one of the most heated confrontations of the day.
• 5 (09:29) **New FBI Files on Thomas Crooks** - A new release of FBI records reveals previously undisclosed details about the gunman's contacts and the early investigation, including a possible sighting with two unidentified men.
• 6 (13:08) **Attorney General Todd Blanche's White House Briefing** - AG Blanche addresses the White House press corps, focusing on the DOJ's role in AI regulation and the fentanyl crisis.
• 7 (17:03) **Death Penalty Ruled Out for Nick Reiner** - Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hockman announces the state will not seek the death penalty for Nick Reiner, who is charged with murdering his parents, Rob and Michelle Reiner.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app