Authorities in Utah plan to hold a news conference at 9 a.m. ET on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem today, September 11th, 2025, to provide updates on the assassination of Charlie Kirk. The press conference, featuring the Utah Department of Public Safety commissioner and the FBI special agent in charge, will be streamed on the department's Instagram page. The assassination of the 31-year-old conservative figure, a close ally of President Donald Trump, occurred on September 10th, 2025, near the university. The news conference comes as the investigation into Kirk's death continues, with previous reports indicating the assailant may have used the rooftop of the Losee Center Building for escape. White House officials, many of whom had close friendships with Kirk, reacted to his death with profound shock, with one describing the atmosphere as "crushed." The political climate, marked by increasing threats and violence against public figures, is a significant backdrop to the ongoing investigation. In related developments, the South Park episode that mocked Charlie Kirk prior to his assassination is reportedly under pressure to be removed. Meanwhile, cruel comments are reportedly being left on Charlie Kirk's wife Erika's social media posts. Speaker Mike Johnson stated last week that the U.S. Capitol Police have tracked 14,000 threats against members of Congress this year, a 55% increase from the previous year, highlighting the pervasive issue of political violence. Commentary on Kirk's death has also emerged, with some, like Ezra Klein, describing Kirk as a practitioner of politics who engaged in persuasion by visiting campuses and discussing issues with students, noting that "a taste for disagreement is a virtue in a democracy." The FBI had previously detained and released George Zinn and Zachariah Qureshi in connection with the shooting, stating they have no current ties to the incident. The FBI launched a digital media tip line on September 10th between 10:30 PM and 10:45 PM UTC to solicit information. Utah Valley University's campus remains closed until September 15th. In separate news, former Biden aides have expressed outrage over an excerpt from Kamala Harris' upcoming book, which reportedly criticizes her role in the administration. The UK government also recently fired British Ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson due to his associations with Jeffrey Epstein. President Trump is scheduled to attend a New York Yankees game today for pregame ceremonies honoring 9/11 victims and heroes, and previously ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-mast until Sunday evening.
