President Donald Trump stated that Chicago is "worse than Afghanistan" in remarks made sometime between 12:32 PM and 12:46 PM UTC on September 12th. During the same period, Republican leaders expressed confidence that Stephen Miran will secure Senate confirmation for his Federal Reserve nomination, which advanced out of the Senate Banking Committee earlier this week. Separately, California lawmakers passed a ban on ICE officers wearing masks, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. Trump's comments on Chicago come amidst his assertion of increased presidential authority in Washington D.C., where he claimed, "We have actually more power in DC. I can change the mayor if I want. I can do whatever I want." This follows the previous morning's announcement that authorities had apprehended the assassin of Charlie Kirk, who was shot on September 10th in Orem, Utah. The President had announced the arrest during a Fox News appearance. In legislative news, California's new ban on ICE officers wearing masks was highlighted by a tweet from Joe Garofoli. On the economic front, the advancement of Stephen Miran's nomination signals a key step towards potential changes in the Federal Reserve's composition, with markets anticipating rate adjustments. Previous reports indicated that the manhunt for Kirk's assassin had been ongoing for three days, with a reward for information increased by Bill Ackman. Authorities had previously recovered the shooter's weapon and ammunition near Utah Valley University.
