HARVEY COUNTY – On September 19, 2025, Trevon Cole, 20, of Salina,&nbsp; entered a guilty plea in Harvey County District Court to one count of Rape, according to the Harvey County District Attorney's office.

At the time of the offense, Cole was a student at Bethel College and the crime occurred in the dorms located on the Bethel College campus.

Sentencing is scheduled to take place before Chief Judge Marilyn Wilder on December 3, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. Cole remains out of custody on bond pending sentencing. 

He faces a potential prison sentence of 147 to 653 months in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections, followed by lifetime post-release supervision. He will also be subject to lifetime registration as a sex offender.

The successful prosecution of this case was made possible with the dedicated assistance of the North Newton Police Department. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758646833807.png" alt="Cole photo KBI Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Cole photo KBI Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>HARVEY COUNTY – On September 19, 2025, Trevon Cole, 20, of Salina,&nbsp; entered a guilty plea in Harvey County District Court to one count of Rape, according to the Harvey County District Attorney's office.At the time of the offense, Cole was a student at Bethel College and the crime occurred in the dorms located on the Bethel College campus.Sentencing is scheduled to take place before Chief Judge Marilyn Wilder on December 3, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. Cole remains out of custody on bond pending sentencing. He faces a potential prison sentence of 147 to 653 months in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections, followed by lifetime post-release supervision. He will also be subject to lifetime registration as a sex offender.The successful prosecution of this case was made possible with the dedicated assistance of the North Newton Police Department.

Former student admits to sex crime in Kan. college dorm

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A Missouri woman was sentenced Tuesday to more than four years in federal prison for scheming to defraud Elvis Presley’s family by trying to auction off his Graceland home and property before a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-sale-lawsuit-elvis-presley-bd864f24ff76205ce23885c182a56a66">halted the brazen foreclosure sale</a>.

U.S. District Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. sentenced Lisa Jeanine Findley in federal court in Memphis to four years and nine months behind bars, plus an additional three years of probation. Findley, 54, declined to speak on her own behalf during the hearing.

Findley&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-elvis-presley-fraud-foreclosure-sale-c1a821d32c64c06afbeef277f0a793d7">pleaded guilty in February</a>&nbsp;to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-elvis-presley-sale-fraudulent-d6431df76860570e5d31526e81974f7d">charge of mail fraud</a>&nbsp;related to the scheme. She also had been indicted on a charge of aggravated identity theft, but that charge was dropped as part of a plea agreement.

Findley, of Kimberling City, falsely claimed Presley’s daughter borrowed $3.8 million from a bogus private lender and had pledged Graceland as collateral for the loan before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lisa-marie-presley-dies-9fc02552f6f31e270647897a2e4104e9">her death in January 2023</a>, prosecutors said when Findley was charged in August 2024. She then threatened to sell Graceland to the highest bidder if Presley’s family didn’t pay a $2.85 million settlement, according to authorities.

Findley posed as three different people allegedly involved with the fake lender, fabricated loan documents and published a fraudulent foreclosure notice in a Memphis newspaper announcing the auction of Graceland in May 2024, prosecutors said. A judge stopped the sale after Presley’s granddaughter sued.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-elvis-presley-auction-lawsuit-riley-keough-4c5d2dda1c189997319d331794e8f8d0">Experts were baffled</a>&nbsp;by the attempt to sell off one of the most storied pieces of real estate in the country using names, emails and documents that were quickly suspected to be phony.

Graceland opened as a museum and tourist attraction in 1982 and draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. A large Presley-themed entertainment complex across the street from the museum is owned by Elvis Presley Enterprises. Presley died in August 1977 at the age of 42.

The public notice for the foreclosure sale of the 13-acre (5-hectare) estate said Promenade Trust, which controls the Graceland museum, owed $3.8 million after failing to repay a 2018 loan. Actor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/riley-keough">Riley Keough</a>, Presley’s granddaughter, inherited the trust and ownership of the home after the death of her mother,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lisa-marie-presley">Lisa Marie Presley</a>.

Keough filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-auction-elvis-presley-359098fd64877f2e826b7309dba2bbb3">a lawsuit claiming fraud,</a>&nbsp;and a judge halted the proposed auction with an injunction. Naussany Investments and Private Lending — the bogus lender authorities say Findley created — said Lisa Marie Presley had used Graceland as collateral for the loan, according to the foreclosure sale notice. Keough’s lawsuit alleged that Naussany presented fraudulent documents regarding the loan in September 2023 and that Lisa Marie Presley never borrowed money from Naussany.

Kimberly Philbrick, the notary whose name is listed on Naussany’s documents, indicated she never met Lisa Marie Presley nor notarized any documents for her, according to the estate’s lawsuit. The judge said the notary’s affidavit brought into question the authenticity of the signature.

In halting the foreclosure sale, the judge said Elvis Presley’s estate could be successful in arguing that a company’s attempt to auction Graceland was fraudulent.

A statement emailed to The Associated Press after the judge stopped the sale said Naussany would not proceed with the sale because a key document in the case and the loan were recorded and obtained in a different state, meaning “legal action would have to be filed in multiple states.” The statement, sent from an email address for Naussany listed in court documents, did not specify the other state.

After the scheme fell apart, Findley, who has a criminal history that includes attempts at passing bad checks, tried to make it look like the person responsible was a Nigerian identity thief, prosecutors said. An email sent May 25, 2024, to the AP from the same email as the earlier statement said in Spanish that the foreclosure sale attempt was made by a Nigerian fraud ring that targets old and dead people in the U.S. and uses the internet to steal money.

In arguing for a three-year sentence, defense attorney Tyrone Paylor noted that Presley's estate did not suffer any loss of money and countered the prosecution's stance that the scheme was executed in a sophisticated manner.

Fowlkes, the judge, said it would have been a “travesty of justice” if the sale had been completed.

“This was a highly sophisticated scheme to defraud,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740502725805.png" alt="Findley photo Greene Co." />
 <figcaption>Findley photo Greene Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A Missouri woman was sentenced Tuesday to more than four years in federal prison for scheming to defraud Elvis Presley’s family by trying to auction off his Graceland home and property before a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-sale-lawsuit-elvis-presley-bd864f24ff76205ce23885c182a56a66">halted the brazen foreclosure sale</a>.U.S. District Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. sentenced Lisa Jeanine Findley in federal court in Memphis to four years and nine months behind bars, plus an additional three years of probation. Findley, 54, declined to speak on her own behalf during the hearing.Findley&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-elvis-presley-fraud-foreclosure-sale-c1a821d32c64c06afbeef277f0a793d7">pleaded guilty in February</a>&nbsp;to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-elvis-presley-sale-fraudulent-d6431df76860570e5d31526e81974f7d">charge of mail fraud</a>&nbsp;related to the scheme. She also had been indicted on a charge of aggravated identity theft, but that charge was dropped as part of a plea agreement.Findley, of Kimberling City, falsely claimed Presley’s daughter borrowed $3.8 million from a bogus private lender and had pledged Graceland as collateral for the loan before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lisa-marie-presley-dies-9fc02552f6f31e270647897a2e4104e9">her death in January 2023</a>, prosecutors said when Findley was charged in August 2024. She then threatened to sell Graceland to the highest bidder if Presley’s family didn’t pay a $2.85 million settlement, according to authorities.Findley posed as three different people allegedly involved with the fake lender, fabricated loan documents and published a fraudulent foreclosure notice in a Memphis newspaper announcing the auction of Graceland in May 2024, prosecutors said. A judge stopped the sale after Presley’s granddaughter sued.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-elvis-presley-auction-lawsuit-riley-keough-4c5d2dda1c189997319d331794e8f8d0">Experts were baffled</a>&nbsp;by the attempt to sell off one of the most storied pieces of real estate in the country using names, emails and documents that were quickly suspected to be phony.Graceland opened as a museum and tourist attraction in 1982 and draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. A large Presley-themed entertainment complex across the street from the museum is owned by Elvis Presley Enterprises. Presley died in August 1977 at the age of 42.The public notice for the foreclosure sale of the 13-acre (5-hectare) estate said Promenade Trust, which controls the Graceland museum, owed $3.8 million after failing to repay a 2018 loan. Actor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/riley-keough">Riley Keough</a>, Presley’s granddaughter, inherited the trust and ownership of the home after the death of her mother,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lisa-marie-presley">Lisa Marie Presley</a>.Keough filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-auction-elvis-presley-359098fd64877f2e826b7309dba2bbb3">a lawsuit claiming fraud,</a>&nbsp;and a judge halted the proposed auction with an injunction. Naussany Investments and Private Lending — the bogus lender authorities say Findley created — said Lisa Marie Presley had used Graceland as collateral for the loan, according to the foreclosure sale notice. Keough’s lawsuit alleged that Naussany presented fraudulent documents regarding the loan in September 2023 and that Lisa Marie Presley never borrowed money from Naussany.Kimberly Philbrick, the notary whose name is listed on Naussany’s documents, indicated she never met Lisa Marie Presley nor notarized any documents for her, according to the estate’s lawsuit. The judge said the notary’s affidavit brought into question the authenticity of the signature.In halting the foreclosure sale, the judge said Elvis Presley’s estate could be successful in arguing that a company’s attempt to auction Graceland was fraudulent.A statement emailed to The Associated Press after the judge stopped the sale said Naussany would not proceed with the sale because a key document in the case and the loan were recorded and obtained in a different state, meaning “legal action would have to be filed in multiple states.” The statement, sent from an email address for Naussany listed in court documents, did not specify the other state.After the scheme fell apart, Findley, who has a criminal history that includes attempts at passing bad checks, tried to make it look like the person responsible was a Nigerian identity thief, prosecutors said. An email sent May 25, 2024, to the AP from the same email as the earlier statement said in Spanish that the foreclosure sale attempt was made by a Nigerian fraud ring that targets old and dead people in the U.S. and uses the internet to steal money.In arguing for a three-year sentence, defense attorney Tyrone Paylor noted that Presley's estate did not suffer any loss of money and countered the prosecution's stance that the scheme was executed in a sophisticated manner.Fowlkes, the judge, said it would have been a “travesty of justice” if the sale had been completed.“This was a highly sophisticated scheme to defraud,” he said.

Woman going to prison for trying to sell off Elvis Presley's Graceland

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;castigated the United Nations as a feckless institution in a speech to the world body on Tuesday, praising the turn America has taken under his leadership while warning Europe will be ruined if it doesn’t turn away from a “double-tailed monster” of ill-conceived migration and green energy policies.

His roughly hourlong speech before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations-general-assembly">U.N. General Assembly</a>&nbsp;was both grievance-filled and self-congratulatory as he used the platform to applaud his second-term achievements and lament that some of his fellow world leaders’ countries were “going to hell.”

The address was the latest reminder for U.S. allies and foes that the United States — after a four-year interim under the more internationalist President Joe Biden — has returned to an unapologetically “America First” posture with an antagonistic view toward the United Nations. Trump also sharply criticized the global body for inaction, saying it was filled with “empty words” that “don’t solve wars.”

“What is the purpose of the United Nations?” Trump said. “The U.N. has such tremendous potential. I’ve always said it. It has such tremendous, tremendous potential. But it’s not even coming close to living up to that potential.”

Afterward, Trump attempted to assuage fears from some diplomats by assuring the top U.N. leader that the U.S. remained “100%” supportive of the global body despite his earlier criticism.

“I may disagree with it sometimes, but I am so behind it because the potential for peace at this institution is great,” Trump told Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

It was another about-face after Trump offered a weave of jarring juxtapositions in his address to the assembly.

He trumpeted himself as a peacemaker and enumerated successes of his administration’s efforts in several hotspots around the globe. At the same time, Trump heralded his decisions to order the U.S. military to carry out strikes on Iran and more recently against alleged drug smugglers from Venezuela and argued that “globalists” are on the verge of destroying successful nations.

Warnings about ‘green scam’ and migration

Trump touted his administration’s policies allowing for expanded drilling for oil and natural gas in the United States, and aggressively cracking down on illegal immigration, implicitly suggesting more countries should follow suit.

He sharply warned that European nations that have more welcoming migration policies and commit to expensive energy projects aimed at reducing their carbon footprint were causing irreparable harm to their economies and cultures.

“I’m telling you that if you don’t get away from the ‘green energy’ scam, your country is going to fail,” Trump said. “If you don’t stop people that you’ve never seen before that you have nothing in common with, your country is going to fail.”

Trump added, “I love the people of Europe, and I hate to see it being devastated by energy and immigration. This double-tailed monster destroys everything in its wake, and they cannot let that happen any longer.”

Trump pokes at UN for escalator, teleprompter issues

Early in his speech, Trump broke from his prepared remarks to bemoan an inoperable escalator in U.N. headquarters that he happened upon as well as a defective teleprompter.

“These are the two things I got from the United Nations: a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter,” Trump poked, eliciting laughs from delegates and leaders.

A U.N. official said the United Nations understands that someone from the president’s party who ran ahead of him inadvertently triggered the stop mechanism on the escalator. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said the White House was operating the teleprompter for the president.

Trump holds one-on-one talks with world leaders

Trump touted “the renewal of American strength around the world” and his efforts to help end several wars. He peppered his speech with criticism of global institutions doing too little to end war and solve the world’s biggest problems.

General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday said that despite all the internal and external challenges facing the organization, it is not the time to walk away.

“Sometimes we could’ve done more, but we cannot let this dishearten us. If we stop doing the right things, evil will prevail,” Baerbock said in her opening remarks.

Trump also met Tuesday with the leaders of Ukraine, Argentina and the European Union. He will also hold a group meeting with officials from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

He’ll return to Washington after hosting a reception Tuesday night for world leaders.

Gaza and Ukraine cast shadow over Trump speech

Trump has struggled to deliver on his 2024 campaign promises to quickly end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Some longtime American allies are using this year’s General Assembly to spotlight the growing international campaign for recognition of a Palestinian state, a move that the U.S. and Israel vehemently oppose.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-israel-palestinians-france-saudi-recognition-two-states-88f3a87f7d79df02311f09b3e45560e9">France became the latest nation to recognize Palestinian statehood</a>&nbsp;on Monday at the start of a high-profile meeting at the U.N. aimed at galvanizing support for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unga-israel-palestinians-statehood-gaza-war-11edddc147d24c73d13316330ebae1d4">a two-state solution</a>&nbsp;to the Mideast conflict.

Trump sharply criticized the statehood recognition push.

“The rewards would be too great for Hamas terrorists,” Trump said. “This would be a reward for these horrible atrocities, including Oct. 7.”

Trump also addressed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia’s war in Ukraine</a>, saying that at the time of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 2022 invasion, everyone thought it would be a “quick little skirmish,” with Russia prevailing in a matter of days. Instead, the war has stretched on for over three years and counting.

The U.S. president on Tuesday once again threatened to hit Russia with “a very strong round of powerful tariffs” if Putin does not come to the table to end the war. He said that would “stop the bloodshed ... very quickly” but also suggested fighting will not end as long as China and European nations continue buying Russian energy.

Trump during his one-on-one meeting on Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered a more optimistic tone.

“The biggest progress is that the Russian economy is terrible right now, as you know,” Trump said. He also added that Russian forces were not looking “very distinguished” in their fight against a much smaller Ukrainian military.

The president again made clear that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-netanyahu-nobel-prize-peace-544b703c161c13d9e14f1529df8a2669">he wants to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize</a>, repeating his spurious claim that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-peace-wars-claim-fact-check-10128b26232e1d1eb9e68c5617320cf3">he’s “ended seven wars”</a>&nbsp;since he returned to office.

“Everyone says that I should get the Nobel Prize — but for me, the real prize will be the sons and daughters who live to grow up because millions of people are no longer being killed in endless wars,” Trump offered.

In the making, Trump regularly points to his administration’s efforts to end conflicts between Israel and Iran, India and Pakistan, Egypt and Sudan, and elsewhere.

“It’s too bad that I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them,” Trump said. “Sadly, in all cases, the United Nations did not even try to help in any of them.”

Although Trump helped mediate relations among many of these nations, experts say his impact isn’t as clear cut as he claims.

Associated Press writers Jamey Keaton in Geneva, Tracy Brown and Darlene Superville in Washington, Bill Barrow in Atlanta, and Edith M. Lederer contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758638236501.png" alt="Image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>UNITED NATIONS (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;castigated the United Nations as a feckless institution in a speech to the world body on Tuesday, praising the turn America has taken under his leadership while warning Europe will be ruined if it doesn’t turn away from a “double-tailed monster” of ill-conceived migration and green energy policies.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Watch in full: President Donald J. Trump&#39;s address to the 80th session of the United Nations Generally Assembly <a href="https://t.co/sJKI6GPkyk">pic.twitter.com/sJKI6GPkyk</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970525758855536854?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>His roughly hourlong speech before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations-general-assembly">U.N. General Assembly</a>&nbsp;was both grievance-filled and self-congratulatory as he used the platform to applaud his second-term achievements and lament that some of his fellow world leaders’ countries were “going to hell.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/UaxUrM2zCG">pic.twitter.com/UaxUrM2zCG</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970513791168208929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The address was the latest reminder for U.S. allies and foes that the United States — after a four-year interim under the more internationalist President Joe Biden — has returned to an unapologetically “America First” posture with an antagonistic view toward the United Nations. Trump also sharply criticized the global body for inaction, saying it was filled with “empty words” that “don’t solve wars.”“What is the purpose of the United Nations?” Trump said. “The U.N. has such tremendous potential. I’ve always said it. It has such tremendous, tremendous potential. But it’s not even coming close to living up to that potential.”Afterward, Trump attempted to assuage fears from some diplomats by assuring the top U.N. leader that the U.S. remained “100%” supportive of the global body despite his earlier criticism.“I may disagree with it sometimes, but I am so behind it because the potential for peace at this institution is great,” Trump told Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.It was another about-face after Trump offered a weave of jarring juxtapositions in his address to the assembly.He trumpeted himself as a peacemaker and enumerated successes of his administration’s efforts in several hotspots around the globe. At the same time, Trump heralded his decisions to order the U.S. military to carry out strikes on Iran and more recently against alleged drug smugglers from Venezuela and argued that “globalists” are on the verge of destroying successful nations.<h2>Warnings about ‘green scam’ and migration</h2>Trump touted his administration’s policies allowing for expanded drilling for oil and natural gas in the United States, and aggressively cracking down on illegal immigration, implicitly suggesting more countries should follow suit.He sharply warned that European nations that have more welcoming migration policies and commit to expensive energy projects aimed at reducing their carbon footprint were causing irreparable harm to their economies and cultures.“I’m telling you that if you don’t get away from the ‘green energy’ scam, your country is going to fail,” Trump said. “If you don’t stop people that you’ve never seen before that you have nothing in common with, your country is going to fail.”Trump added, “I love the people of Europe, and I hate to see it being devastated by energy and immigration. This double-tailed monster destroys everything in its wake, and they cannot let that happen any longer.”<h2>Trump pokes at UN for escalator, teleprompter issues</h2>Early in his speech, Trump broke from his prepared remarks to bemoan an inoperable escalator in U.N. headquarters that he happened upon as well as a defective teleprompter.“These are the two things I got from the United Nations: a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter,” Trump poked, eliciting laughs from delegates and leaders.A U.N. official said the United Nations understands that someone from the president’s party who ran ahead of him inadvertently triggered the stop mechanism on the escalator. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said the White House was operating the teleprompter for the president.<h2>Trump holds one-on-one talks with world leaders</h2>Trump touted “the renewal of American strength around the world” and his efforts to help end several wars. He peppered his speech with criticism of global institutions doing too little to end war and solve the world’s biggest problems.General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday said that despite all the internal and external challenges facing the organization, it is not the time to walk away.“Sometimes we could’ve done more, but we cannot let this dishearten us. If we stop doing the right things, evil will prevail,” Baerbock said in her opening remarks.Trump also met Tuesday with the leaders of Ukraine, Argentina and the European Union. He will also hold a group meeting with officials from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.He’ll return to Washington after hosting a reception Tuesday night for world leaders.<h2>Gaza and Ukraine cast shadow over Trump speech</h2>Trump has struggled to deliver on his 2024 campaign promises to quickly end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Some longtime American allies are using this year’s General Assembly to spotlight the growing international campaign for recognition of a Palestinian state, a move that the U.S. and Israel vehemently oppose.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-israel-palestinians-france-saudi-recognition-two-states-88f3a87f7d79df02311f09b3e45560e9">France became the latest nation to recognize Palestinian statehood</a>&nbsp;on Monday at the start of a high-profile meeting at the U.N. aimed at galvanizing support for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unga-israel-palestinians-statehood-gaza-war-11edddc147d24c73d13316330ebae1d4">a two-state solution</a>&nbsp;to the Mideast conflict.Trump sharply criticized the statehood recognition push.“The rewards would be too great for Hamas terrorists,” Trump said. “This would be a reward for these horrible atrocities, including Oct. 7.”Trump also addressed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia’s war in Ukraine</a>, saying that at the time of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 2022 invasion, everyone thought it would be a “quick little skirmish,” with Russia prevailing in a matter of days. Instead, the war has stretched on for over three years and counting.The U.S. president on Tuesday once again threatened to hit Russia with “a very strong round of powerful tariffs” if Putin does not come to the table to end the war. He said that would “stop the bloodshed ... very quickly” but also suggested fighting will not end as long as China and European nations continue buying Russian energy.Trump during his one-on-one meeting on Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered a more optimistic tone.“The biggest progress is that the Russian economy is terrible right now, as you know,” Trump said. He also added that Russian forces were not looking “very distinguished” in their fight against a much smaller Ukrainian military.<h2>Trump has Oslo dreams</h2>The president again made clear that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-netanyahu-nobel-prize-peace-544b703c161c13d9e14f1529df8a2669">he wants to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize</a>, repeating his spurious claim that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-peace-wars-claim-fact-check-10128b26232e1d1eb9e68c5617320cf3">he’s “ended seven wars”</a>&nbsp;since he returned to office.“Everyone says that I should get the Nobel Prize — but for me, the real prize will be the sons and daughters who live to grow up because millions of people are no longer being killed in endless wars,” Trump offered.In the making, Trump regularly points to his administration’s efforts to end conflicts between Israel and Iran, India and Pakistan, Egypt and Sudan, and elsewhere.“It’s too bad that I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them,” Trump said. “Sadly, in all cases, the United Nations did not even try to help in any of them.”Although Trump helped mediate relations among many of these nations, experts say his impact isn’t as clear cut as he claims.___Associated Press writers Jamey Keaton in Geneva, Tracy Brown and Darlene Superville in Washington, Bill Barrow in Atlanta, and Edith M. Lederer contributed to this report.

🎥Trump issues warning to Europe in UN General Assembly speech

Coldwater school district mired in conflict amid suspension of superintendent

By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Comanche County law enforcement officials Monday asked for the public’s help investigating an incident in which 10 bullets were fired into the unoccupied, parked vehicle of the local school board president.

President Kelly Herd, and other members of the school board in southwest Kansas, have been embroiled in controversy that led to the suspension of superintendent Ty Theurer pending an&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/02/a-kansas-student-reported-her-coach-for-harassment-and-touching-school-leaders-kept-it-quiet/">inquiry into allegations he sexually harassed and inappropriately touched a student</a>.

The student’s family filed a sexual harassment complaint and police report in the spring, but Herd worked for months to downplay substance of the allegations and to preserve Theurer’s administrative position.

The school board voted Sept. 3 to suspend Theurer with pay after&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/04/outraged-parents-demand-action-as-kansas-school-board-places-superintendent-on-administrative-leave/">more than 100 community members packed a school board meeting to demand disciplinary action</a>. Many in the audience loudly criticized the board’s handling of the students’ complaint. There was a law enforcement presence at that meeting, but outrage was confined to a series of outbursts by people in the crowd and by Herd.

At 8:30 p.m. Sunday night, the sheriff’s department said, a vehicle parked at a residence in the 500 block of East Cottonwood in Coldwater was struck by gunfire approximately 10 times. Herd has resided at a house in that block for decades.

Sheriff Jacob Bruckner confirmed the vehicle was owned by a USD 300 school board member. He said the Kansas Bureau of Investigation responded to help process the crime scene and assist with the investigation.

“The vehicle was unoccupied at the time and no injuries were reported,” Bruckner said. “The investigation is ongoing.”

In a social media post, the sheriff urged Coldwater residents to check home security systems for video of vehicles or people in the neighborhood around the time of the shooting.

Steve Prusa, a member of Comanche County’s school board, said he was notified of the incident at the board president’s home shortly after it occurred.

The reality of someone turning to firearms to make a point about leadership of a public school district was alarming, he said.

“It’s not just a vandalism,” Prusa said. “It’s definitely to a different level.”

He said members of the school board, who don’t receive a salary, had stepped forward to serve because they sought to be of benefit to the community and assume a role in the education of students. The Comanche County district enrolls about 300 students.

“I am devastated and heartbroken for our community. Violence cannot be an answer to anything,” Prusa said.

Comanche County school board member Dean Yoder said it was wrong to interject violence into debate about education.

“So glad her and her family are OK,” Yoder said. “There is never a need for violence. Ever.”

The Comanche County district serves a rural population that includes the communities of Protection, Wilmore, Buttermilk and Coldwater. The district’s South Center High School is located in Coldwater. The district’s middle school and elementary school are in Protection.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758650204627.png" alt="Comanche County law enforcement officials Monday confirmed the unoccupied vehicle of a local school board member in Coldwater was peppered with gunshots on Sunday evening. The vehicle owner is Comanche County school board president Kelly Herd, a member of the board since 2016. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Comanche County law enforcement officials Monday confirmed the unoccupied vehicle of a local school board member in Coldwater was peppered with gunshots on Sunday evening. The vehicle owner is Comanche County school board president Kelly Herd, a member of the board since 2016. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Coldwater school district mired in conflict amid suspension of superintendent</h2>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Comanche County law enforcement officials Monday asked for the public’s help investigating an incident in which 10 bullets were fired into the unoccupied, parked vehicle of the local school board president.President Kelly Herd, and other members of the school board in southwest Kansas, have been embroiled in controversy that led to the suspension of superintendent Ty Theurer pending an&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/02/a-kansas-student-reported-her-coach-for-harassment-and-touching-school-leaders-kept-it-quiet/">inquiry into allegations he sexually harassed and inappropriately touched a student</a>.The student’s family filed a sexual harassment complaint and police report in the spring, but Herd worked for months to downplay substance of the allegations and to preserve Theurer’s administrative position.The school board voted Sept. 3 to suspend Theurer with pay after&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/04/outraged-parents-demand-action-as-kansas-school-board-places-superintendent-on-administrative-leave/">more than 100 community members packed a school board meeting to demand disciplinary action</a>. Many in the audience loudly criticized the board’s handling of the students’ complaint. There was a law enforcement presence at that meeting, but outrage was confined to a series of outbursts by people in the crowd and by Herd.At 8:30 p.m. Sunday night, the sheriff’s department said, a vehicle parked at a residence in the 500 block of East Cottonwood in Coldwater was struck by gunfire approximately 10 times. Herd has resided at a house in that block for decades.Sheriff Jacob Bruckner confirmed the vehicle was owned by a USD 300 school board member. He said the Kansas Bureau of Investigation responded to help process the crime scene and assist with the investigation.“The vehicle was unoccupied at the time and no injuries were reported,” Bruckner said. “The investigation is ongoing.”In a social media post, the sheriff urged Coldwater residents to check home security systems for video of vehicles or people in the neighborhood around the time of the shooting.Steve Prusa, a member of Comanche County’s school board, said he was notified of the incident at the board president’s home shortly after it occurred.The reality of someone turning to firearms to make a point about leadership of a public school district was alarming, he said.“It’s not just a vandalism,” Prusa said. “It’s definitely to a different level.”He said members of the school board, who don’t receive a salary, had stepped forward to serve because they sought to be of benefit to the community and assume a role in the education of students. The Comanche County district enrolls about 300 students.“I am devastated and heartbroken for our community. Violence cannot be an answer to anything,” Prusa said.Comanche County school board member Dean Yoder said it was wrong to interject violence into debate about education.“So glad her and her family are OK,” Yoder said. “There is never a need for violence. Ever.”Herd declined to comment.The Comanche County district serves a rural population that includes the communities of Protection, Wilmore, Buttermilk and Coldwater. The district’s South Center High School is located in Coldwater. The district’s middle school and elementary school are in Protection.

SW Kan. school board president’s unoccupied vehicle struck by 10 gunshots

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — The man who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump at a Florida golf course last year tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen shortly after being found guilty of all counts on Tuesday.

Officers quickly swarmed him and dragged him out of the courtroom.

The jury of five men and seven women found Ryan Routh guilty on all counts that he was facing after about two hours of deliberation.

The jurors were on their way out of the courtroom after the verdict was announced when Routh grabbed a pen off a desk and tried to stab himself in the neck.

As marshals were dragging him from the courtroom, Routh's daughter Sara Routh began screaming, “Dad I love you, don’t do anything. I’ll get you out. He didn’t hurt anybody.”

She continued screaming as her father was taken from the courtroom, saying the case against him was rigged. She went outside the courthouse, where she waited by a guard gate for her father to be driven away.

Back inside the courtroom, Routh was brought back before the judge. He was no longer wearing a jacket and tie, and was shackled. There were no signs of blood on his shirt. The judge announced Routh will be sentenced on Dec. 18 at 9:30 a.m. He faces life in prison.

The standby defense attorneys for Routh did not have a comment following the verdict.

Routh had been charged with attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer, possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges and defended himself in court.

Prosecutors said Routh spent weeks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-gunshots-florida-f62f8378d3a8ce7b2e99d6a8fb40aba9">plotting to kill Trump</a>&nbsp;before aiming a rifle through shrubbery as the Republican played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club.

Routh told jurors in his closing argument that he didn’t intend to kill anyone that day.

“It’s hard for me to believe that a crime occurred if the trigger was never pulled,” Routh said. He pointed out that he could see Trump as he was on the path toward the sixth-hole green at the golf course and noted that he also could have shot a Secret Service agent who confronted him if he had intended to harm anyone.

Routh, 59, exercised his constitutional right not to testify in his own defense. He rested his case Monday morning after questioning just three witnesses — a firearms expert and two characters witnesses — for a total of about three hours. In contrast, prosecutors spent seven days questioning 38 witnesses.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X that the guilty verdict “illustrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to punishing those who engage in political violence.”

“This attempted assassination was not only an attack on our President, but an affront to our very nation,” Bondi said.

“This verdict sends a clear message. An attempt to assassinate a presidential candidate is an attack on our Republic and on the rights of every citizen,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “The Department of Justice will relentlessly pursue those who try to silence political voices, and no enemy, foreign or domestic, will ever silence the will of the American people.”

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon signed off on Routh’s request to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-attempt-florida-644c71bc607e4ebad5115f2a490b314c">represent himself</a>&nbsp;following two hearings in July. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that criminal defendants have a right to represent themselves in court proceedings, as long as they can show a judge they are competent to waive their right to be defended by an attorney. Routh’s former defense attorneys have served as standby counsel since he took over his own defense and have been present during trial the past two weeks.

Recounting what happened at the golf course, a Secret Service agent testified earlier in the trial that he spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot, the agent said.

Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who testified that he saw a person fleeing the area after hearing gunshots. The witness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested, and the witness said he confirmed it was the person he had seen.

Just nine weeks earlier, Trump had survived&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-butler-assassination-attempt-anniversary-crooks-d18804b0e1382003bbb91449638c721c">an attempt</a>&nbsp;on his life while campaigning in Butler, Pennsylvania. That gunman had fired eight shots, with one bullet grazing Trump’s ear. The gunman was then fatally shot by a Secret Service counter sniper.

Routh was a North Carolina construction worker who in recent years had moved to Hawaii. A self-styled mercenary leader, Routh spoke out to anyone who would listen about his dangerous and sometimes violent plans to insert himself into conflicts around the world, witnesses have told The Associated Press.

In the early days of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ukraine">Russia's war in Ukraine</a>, Routh tried to recruit soldiers from Afghanistan, Moldova and Taiwan to fight the Russians. In his native Greensboro, North Carolina, he was arrested in 2002 for eluding a traffic stop and barricading himself from officers with a fully automatic machine gun and a “weapon of mass destruction,” which turned out to be an explosive with a 10-inch (25-centimeter) fuse, police said.

In 2010, police searched a warehouse Routh owned and found more than 100 stolen items, from power tools and building supplies to kayaks and spa tubs. In both felony cases, judges gave Routh either probation or a suspended sentence.

Besides the federal charges, Routh also has pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726536262473.png" alt="-Routh photo Palm Beach County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>-Routh photo Palm Beach County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — The man who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump at a Florida golf course last year tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen shortly after being found guilty of all counts on Tuesday.Officers quickly swarmed him and dragged him out of the courtroom.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741357051491.png" alt="-Routh photo Palm Beach County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>-Routh photo Palm Beach County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>The jury of five men and seven women found Ryan Routh guilty on all counts that he was facing after about two hours of deliberation.The jurors were on their way out of the courtroom after the verdict was announced when Routh grabbed a pen off a desk and tried to stab himself in the neck.As marshals were dragging him from the courtroom, Routh's daughter Sara Routh began screaming, “Dad I love you, don’t do anything. I’ll get you out. He didn’t hurt anybody.”She continued screaming as her father was taken from the courtroom, saying the case against him was rigged. She went outside the courthouse, where she waited by a guard gate for her father to be driven away.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/etEVWek7gr">pic.twitter.com/etEVWek7gr</a>&mdash; Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1970562014419317049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Back inside the courtroom, Routh was brought back before the judge. He was no longer wearing a jacket and tie, and was shackled. There were no signs of blood on his shirt. The judge announced Routh will be sentenced on Dec. 18 at 9:30 a.m. He faces life in prison.The standby defense attorneys for Routh did not have a comment following the verdict.Routh had been charged with attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer, possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges and defended himself in court.Prosecutors said Routh spent weeks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-gunshots-florida-f62f8378d3a8ce7b2e99d6a8fb40aba9">plotting to kill Trump</a>&nbsp;before aiming a rifle through shrubbery as the Republican played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club.Routh told jurors in his closing argument that he didn’t intend to kill anyone that day.“It’s hard for me to believe that a crime occurred if the trigger was never pulled,” Routh said. He pointed out that he could see Trump as he was on the path toward the sixth-hole green at the golf course and noted that he also could have shot a Secret Service agent who confronted him if he had intended to harm anyone.Routh, 59, exercised his constitutional right not to testify in his own defense. He rested his case Monday morning after questioning just three witnesses — a firearms expert and two characters witnesses — for a total of about three hours. In contrast, prosecutors spent seven days questioning 38 witnesses.Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X that the guilty verdict “illustrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to punishing those who engage in political violence.”“This attempted assassination was not only an attack on our President, but an affront to our very nation,” Bondi said.“This verdict sends a clear message. An attempt to assassinate a presidential candidate is an attack on our Republic and on the rights of every citizen,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “The Department of Justice will relentlessly pursue those who try to silence political voices, and no enemy, foreign or domestic, will ever silence the will of the American people.”U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon signed off on Routh’s request to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-attempt-florida-644c71bc607e4ebad5115f2a490b314c">represent himself</a>&nbsp;following two hearings in July. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that criminal defendants have a right to represent themselves in court proceedings, as long as they can show a judge they are competent to waive their right to be defended by an attorney. Routh’s former defense attorneys have served as standby counsel since he took over his own defense and have been present during trial the past two weeks.Recounting what happened at the golf course, a Secret Service agent testified earlier in the trial that he spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot, the agent said.Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who testified that he saw a person fleeing the area after hearing gunshots. The witness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested, and the witness said he confirmed it was the person he had seen.Just nine weeks earlier, Trump had survived&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-butler-assassination-attempt-anniversary-crooks-d18804b0e1382003bbb91449638c721c">an attempt</a>&nbsp;on his life while campaigning in Butler, Pennsylvania. That gunman had fired eight shots, with one bullet grazing Trump’s ear. The gunman was then fatally shot by a Secret Service counter sniper.Routh was a North Carolina construction worker who in recent years had moved to Hawaii. A self-styled mercenary leader, Routh spoke out to anyone who would listen about his dangerous and sometimes violent plans to insert himself into conflicts around the world, witnesses have told The Associated Press.In the early days of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ukraine">Russia's war in Ukraine</a>, Routh tried to recruit soldiers from Afghanistan, Moldova and Taiwan to fight the Russians. In his native Greensboro, North Carolina, he was arrested in 2002 for eluding a traffic stop and barricading himself from officers with a fully automatic machine gun and a “weapon of mass destruction,” which turned out to be an explosive with a 10-inch (25-centimeter) fuse, police said.In 2010, police searched a warehouse Routh owned and found more than 100 stolen items, from power tools and building supplies to kayaks and spa tubs. In both felony cases, judges gave Routh either probation or a suspended sentence.Besides the federal charges, Routh also has pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.___

Trump would-be assassin tried to kill himself after guilty verdict 

JOHNSON COUNTY —Authorities are investigating the cause of an apartment fire in in Overland Park.

Early Tuesday, crews quickly extinguished a fire in a first floor apartment at the Aspen Lodge Apartments at 81st Terrace and Switzer in Overland Park, according to a social media report from Overland Park Fire.

No injuries are reported. 6 adults &amp; 2 dogs from 4 units are being assisted by the Red Cross. Lenexa Fire, Overland Park Police and Johnson County Med-Act assisted.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758630178944.png" alt="Image from Overland Park Fire video" />
 <figcaption>Image from Overland Park Fire video</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Authorities are investigating the cause of an apartment fire in in Overland Park. Early Tuesday, crews quickly extinguished a fire in a first floor apartment at the Aspen Lodge Apartments at 81st Terrace and Switzer in Overland Park, according to a social media report from Overland Park Fire.No injuries are reported. 6 adults &amp; 2 dogs from 4 units are being assisted by the Red Cross. Lenexa Fire, Overland Park Police and Johnson County Med-Act assisted.

6 adults, 2 dogs displaced after Kansas apartment fire

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-23-2025">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has abruptly canceled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shutdown-congress-democrats-health-care-ce86b9021837ad2a6b32f7f484207714">this week's planned meeting</a>&nbsp;with congressional Democratic leaders, refusing to negotiate over their demands to shore up health care funds as part of a deal to prevent a potential looming&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">federal government shutdown</a>.

In a lengthy Tuesday social media post, Trump rejected the sit-down the White House had agreed to the day before. It would have been the first time the Republican president met with the Democratic Party's leaders,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Sen. Chuck Schumer</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hakeem-jeffries">Rep. Hakeem Jeffries</a>, since his return to the White House.

“I have decided that no meeting with their Congressional Leaders could possibly be productive,” Trump wrote in the post.

The president complained the Democrats “are threatening to shut down the Government of the United States" unless the Republicans agree to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-government-shutdown-trump-schumer-health-care-55d72ec2cdfd6b0c9f6dcc61696dbbc6">more funding on health care</a>&nbsp;for various groups of people he has criticized. Trump did not close the door on a future sit-down with the Democratic leaders, but he warned of a “long and brutal slog” ahead unless Democrats dropped their demands to salvage health care funds.

Earlier Tuesday, Schumer and Jeffries had issued a joint statement saying that after “weeks of Republican stonewalling” the president had agreed to meet in the Oval Office. But after the Republican president canceled the meeting, the Democratic leaders accused him of throwing a tantrum and running away. Jeffries posted on X that “Trump Always Chickens Out.”

“Donald Trump just cancelled a high stakes meeting in the Oval Office with myself and Leader Schumer,” Jeffries wrote on X. “The extremists want to shut down the government because they are unwilling to address the Republican healthcare crisis that is devastating America.”

In a post on X directed at Trump, Schumer said Democrats will sit down and discuss health care “when you’re finished ranting.”

Schumer said Trump “is running away from the negotiating table before he even gets there” and would “rather throw a tantrum than do his job.”

With Congress at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-republicans-funding-schumer-congress-trump-0c1973b2d0aad76aa5a3ec3749965edd">a stalemate</a>, the government is headed toward a federal shutdown next week, Oct. 1, if the House and the Senate are unable to approve the legislation needed to fund offices and services into the new fiscal year. Lawmakers left town amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-trump-funding-bill-republicans-shutdown-1fea0f79c85ec69b91d9789fbda00834">the logjam</a>, and they are not due back until Sept. 29.

Trump has been unafraid of shutting down the government and, during his first term, was president over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/30769167ab7a4ef9adf880d020b775dd">the nation's longest federal closure</a>, during the 2018-19 holiday season, when he was pushing Congress to provide funds for his long-promised U.S.-Mexico border wall.

The president insisted over the weekend that essential services, including for veterans, would remain open.

Republicans, who have the majority in both the House and the Senate, have been trying to avoid a shutdown.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">House Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;led passage late last week of a temporary funding measure, which would have kept government offices running into November while talks get underway.

That's the typical way to buy time during funding fights, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-trump-funding-bill-republicans-shutdown-1fea0f79c85ec69b91d9789fbda00834">the measure failed</a>&nbsp;in the Senate. Democrats refused to support the stopgap bill because it did not include their priorities of health care funds. A Democratic proposal, with the health care money restored, was defeated by Senate Republicans.

Schumer and Jeffries have demanded a meeting with Trump to work out a compromise, but the Republican president has been reluctant to enter talks and instructed GOP leaders on Capitol Hill not to negotiate with the Democrats.

Thursday's scheduled meeting would have potentially set up a showdown at the White House, reminiscent of the 2018 funding fight when Trump led&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaIX_SI7sgw">an explosive public session</a>&nbsp;with Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

Democrats are working to protect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-republicans-funding-schumer-congress-trump-0c1973b2d0aad76aa5a3ec3749965edd">health care programs</a>. The Democratic proposal would extend enhanced health insurance subsidies set to expire at the end of the year, plus reverse Medicaid cuts that were included in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-republican-trump-tax-bill-f65be44e1050431a601320197322551b">Republicans’ big tax breaks and spending cuts bill</a>&nbsp;enacted earlier this year.

Republicans have said the Democrats’ demands to reverse the Medicaid changes are a nonstarter, but they have also said there is time to address the health insurance subsidy issue in the months ahead.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758638266766.png" alt="President Trump and the First Lady arrive at the UN on Tuesday-image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Trump and the First Lady arrive at the UN on Tuesday-image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-23-2025">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has abruptly canceled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shutdown-congress-democrats-health-care-ce86b9021837ad2a6b32f7f484207714">this week's planned meeting</a>&nbsp;with congressional Democratic leaders, refusing to negotiate over their demands to shore up health care funds as part of a deal to prevent a potential looming&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">federal government shutdown</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Trump Always Chickens Out. Donald Trump just cancelled a high stakes meeting in the Oval Office with myself and Leader Schumer. The extremists want to shut down the government because they are unwilling to address the Republican healthcare crisis that is devastating America.&mdash; Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJeffries/status/1970496724260028910?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/f7uLA1c7tC">pic.twitter.com/f7uLA1c7tC</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970484487625547886?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In a lengthy Tuesday social media post, Trump rejected the sit-down the White House had agreed to the day before. It would have been the first time the Republican president met with the Democratic Party's leaders,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Sen. Chuck Schumer</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hakeem-jeffries">Rep. Hakeem Jeffries</a>, since his return to the White House.“I have decided that no meeting with their Congressional Leaders could possibly be productive,” Trump wrote in the post.The president complained the Democrats “are threatening to shut down the Government of the United States" unless the Republicans agree to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-government-shutdown-trump-schumer-health-care-55d72ec2cdfd6b0c9f6dcc61696dbbc6">more funding on health care</a>&nbsp;for various groups of people he has criticized. Trump did not close the door on a future sit-down with the Democratic leaders, but he warned of a “long and brutal slog” ahead unless Democrats dropped their demands to salvage health care funds.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Donald Trump has never used my name during his presidency. Now he is afraid to meet to discuss the Republican healthcare crisis and pending government shutdown. Why is that? Sincerely, Hakeem Sekou Jeffries&mdash; Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJeffries/status/1970521433794023490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Earlier Tuesday, Schumer and Jeffries had issued a joint statement saying that after “weeks of Republican stonewalling” the president had agreed to meet in the Oval Office. But after the Republican president canceled the meeting, the Democratic leaders accused him of throwing a tantrum and running away. Jeffries posted on X that “Trump Always Chickens Out.”“Donald Trump just cancelled a high stakes meeting in the Oval Office with myself and Leader Schumer,” Jeffries wrote on X. “The extremists want to shut down the government because they are unwilling to address the Republican healthcare crisis that is devastating America.”In a post on X directed at Trump, Schumer said Democrats will sit down and discuss health care “when you’re finished ranting.”Schumer said Trump “is running away from the negotiating table before he even gets there” and would “rather throw a tantrum than do his job.”With Congress at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-republicans-funding-schumer-congress-trump-0c1973b2d0aad76aa5a3ec3749965edd">a stalemate</a>, the government is headed toward a federal shutdown next week, Oct. 1, if the House and the Senate are unable to approve the legislation needed to fund offices and services into the new fiscal year. Lawmakers left town amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-trump-funding-bill-republicans-shutdown-1fea0f79c85ec69b91d9789fbda00834">the logjam</a>, and they are not due back until Sept. 29.Trump has been unafraid of shutting down the government and, during his first term, was president over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/30769167ab7a4ef9adf880d020b775dd">the nation's longest federal closure</a>, during the 2018-19 holiday season, when he was pushing Congress to provide funds for his long-promised U.S.-Mexico border wall.The president insisted over the weekend that essential services, including for veterans, would remain open.Republicans, who have the majority in both the House and the Senate, have been trying to avoid a shutdown.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">House Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;led passage late last week of a temporary funding measure, which would have kept government offices running into November while talks get underway.That's the typical way to buy time during funding fights, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-trump-funding-bill-republicans-shutdown-1fea0f79c85ec69b91d9789fbda00834">the measure failed</a>&nbsp;in the Senate. Democrats refused to support the stopgap bill because it did not include their priorities of health care funds. A Democratic proposal, with the health care money restored, was defeated by Senate Republicans.Schumer and Jeffries have demanded a meeting with Trump to work out a compromise, but the Republican president has been reluctant to enter talks and instructed GOP leaders on Capitol Hill not to negotiate with the Democrats.Thursday's scheduled meeting would have potentially set up a showdown at the White House, reminiscent of the 2018 funding fight when Trump led&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaIX_SI7sgw">an explosive public session</a>&nbsp;with Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi.Democrats are working to protect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-republicans-funding-schumer-congress-trump-0c1973b2d0aad76aa5a3ec3749965edd">health care programs</a>. The Democratic proposal would extend enhanced health insurance subsidies set to expire at the end of the year, plus reverse Medicaid cuts that were included in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-republican-trump-tax-bill-f65be44e1050431a601320197322551b">Republicans’ big tax breaks and spending cuts bill</a>&nbsp;enacted earlier this year.Republicans have said the Democrats’ demands to reverse the Medicaid changes are a nonstarter, but they have also said there is time to address the health insurance subsidy issue in the months ahead.

House Democrat leader: Trump always chickens out

NEW YORK (AP) — Jimmy Kimmel is set to return to late-night television Tuesday after a nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-a2bfa904429c318fe52e7d3493c6883d">weeklong suspension</a>&nbsp;that triggered a national discussion about freedom of speech and President Donald Trump's ability to police the words of journalists, commentators&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-free-speech-comedy-censorship-0a1525424a5cf66d7236a39b853c4680">and even comics</a>.

But two groups of ABC affiliates that denounced Kimmel last week said they would not carry his return. Nexstar Media Group said it would continue to preempt the show, “pending assurances that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve.” Sinclair Broadcast Group said it would also keep Kimmel off its stations. The two corporations collectively control about a quarter of ABC affiliates.

ABC, which suspended Kimmel's show last Wednesday following criticism of his comments about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk,</a>&nbsp;announced Monday that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” would return after the network had “thoughtful conversations” with the host.

“Our long national late nightmare is over,” Stephen Colbert joked on his CBS show in response to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspension-supporters-94b79634a19b2c4ce70a2b4195ef1175">Kimmel's reinstatement</a>.

ABC suspended&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-2c79d56fa53779014f2bb2ed9e47da1f"></a>Kimmel indefinitely after comments he made in a monologue last week. Kimmel suggested that many Trump supporters were trying to capitalize on Kirk’s death and were "desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”

Trump-appointed Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr last week said it appeared that Kimmel was trying to “directly mislead the American public” with his remarks about Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old Utah man charged with Kirk's killing, and his motives. Those&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-tyler-robinson-court-death-penalty-f541df08a936e06497ee2342296bc398">motives remain unclear</a>. Authorities say Robinson grew up in a conservative family, but his mother told investigators his son had turned left politically in the last year.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said before ABC announced the suspension. “These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

Those remarks set a backlash in motion, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-republicans-charlie-kirk-speech-kimmel-806cfa39cc19060541f3834a0597ff09">Republican Sen. Ted Cruz saying that Carr</a>&nbsp;acted like “a mafioso.” Hundreds of entertainment luminaries, including Tom Hanks, Barbra Streisand and Jennifer Aniston, signed a letter circulated by the American Civil Liberties Union that called ABC's move “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.”

Some consumers punished&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspended-charlie-kirk-business-interests-fcc-f18546e00ba03980c03b4cda4c576aa8">ABC parent Disney</a>&nbsp;by canceling subscriptions to its streaming services.

Trump had hailed Kimmel's suspension, even inaccurately saying the show had been canceled. Kimmel has been a relentless Trump critic in his comedy.

Trump's administration has used threats, lawsuits and federal government pressure to try to exert more control over the media industry. Trump sued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abc-trump-lawsuit-defamation-stephanopoulos-04aea8663310af39ae2a85f4c1a56d68">ABC</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-media-harris-minutes-paramount-6415042fe910ae60b432dd8c73ef61b2">CBS</a>&nbsp;over news coverage, which the companies settled. Trump has also filed defamation lawsuits against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-wall-street-journal-b006f3ef25e6b4ab910cc3b41c865227">The Wall Street Journal</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-lawsuit-new-york-times-b2a615192ebe2dcec859eb883368dfbb">The New York Times</a>, and successfully urged Congress to strip federal funding from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/npr-pbs-public-broadcasting-trump-cuts-73de8fadf32655aa74752690d22a3758">NPR and PBS</a>.

How — or even whether — Kimmel would address the controversy on his first show back remained a mystery. Millions of people are likely to watch.

Disney and ABC executives reportedly negotiated the return for several days before announcing the resolution. The ABC statement said the suspension happened because some of Kimmel's comments were “ill-timed and thus insensitive,” but it did not call them misleading.

Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, the organization founded by Kirk and now headed by his widow, posted on X that “Disney and ABC caving and allowing Kimmel back on the air is not surprising, but it’s their mistake to make.”

The suspension happened at a time when the late-night landscape is shifting. Shows are losing viewers, in part because many watch highlights the next day online. CBS announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-colbert-late-show-cbs-end-8bad9f16f076df62c0ffc50e9c8adbab">the cancellation of Colbert’s show</a>&nbsp;over the summer. Kimmel's contract with ABC reportedly lasts through May.

Colbert, in his opening monologue Monday, grabbed his recently won Emmy Award for outstanding talk series, saying, “Once more, I am the only martyr on late night!”

Associated Press writers Mark Kennedy and James Pollard in New York and Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.

NEW YORK (AP) — ABC will reinstate Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show in the wake of criticism over his comments about the assassination of conservative&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-utah-university-republicans-8357c3d102de09e3320fde761258131a">activist Charlie Kirk</a>, officials with the network said Monday.

"We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday,” ABC said a statement.

ABC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-2c79d56fa53779014f2bb2ed9e47da1f">suspended</a>&nbsp;Kimmel indefinitely on Wednesday after comments he made about Kirk, who was killed Sept. 10, in a monologue. Kimmel said “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk” and that “the MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”

Kimmel has hosted “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC since 2003 and has been a fixture in television and comedy for even longer. He is also well known as a presenter, having hosted the Academy Awards four times.

Backlash to Kimmel’s comments was swift.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abc-kimmel-affiliate-charlie-kirk-8eb9dca5dff2c717fd00a7083982c5c4">Nexstar and Sinclair,</a>&nbsp;two of ABC’s largest affiliate owners, said they would be pulling “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from their stations. Others, including several fellow&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspended-reaction-03c1ae9d16a4a47481e855de1668def3">comedians</a>, came to his defense.

Sinclair said Monday that it would not air Kimmel's show Tuesday and would broadcast news programming instead. “Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show's potential return,” the company said. There was no immediate comment from Nexstar on its plans for Kimmel's return.

Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, the organization founded by Kirk and now headed by his widow, posted on X about Kimmel's reinstatement: “Disney and ABC caving and allowing Kimmel back on the air is not surprising, but it's their mistake to make. Nexstar and Sinclair do not have to make the same choice.”

Stephen Colbert joyfully reacted to the news during the opening of his “Late Show,” telling his audience that “our long national, late nightmare is over.”

Colbert, whose late show is being canceled by CBS after this season, said he was happy for his friend and the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” staff. Grabbing his recently-won Emmy Award for outstanding talk series, the comedian could hardly contain his glee. He added, “Once more, I am the only martyr on late night!”

President Donald Trump, one of Kimmel’s frequent targets, posted on social media that Kimmel’s suspension was “great news for America.” He also called for other late night hosts to be fired. He has yet to comment on Kimmel's reinstatement.

Kimmel’s suspension arrived in a time when Trump and his administration have pursued threats, lawsuits and federal government pressure to try to exert more control over the media industry. Trump has reached settlements with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abc-trump-lawsuit-defamation-stephanopoulos-04aea8663310af39ae2a85f4c1a56d68">ABC</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-media-harris-minutes-paramount-6415042fe910ae60b432dd8c73ef61b2">CBS</a>&nbsp;over their coverage.

Trump has also filed defamation lawsuits against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-wall-street-journal-b006f3ef25e6b4ab910cc3b41c865227">The Wall Street Journal</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-lawsuit-new-york-times-b2a615192ebe2dcec859eb883368dfbb">The New York Times</a>. Republicans in Congress stripped federal funding from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/npr-pbs-public-broadcasting-trump-cuts-73de8fadf32655aa74752690d22a3758">NPR and PBS</a>.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brendan-carr-fcc-chairman-jimmy-kimmel-f1c635a8b2184ccf50ed53d1c8d76518">Brendan Carr</a>, the head of the Federal Communications Commission, issued a warning prior to Kimmel’s suspension that criticized Kimmel’s remarks about the Kirk assassination.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. “These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

Carr denied on Monday that he threatened to revoke ABC's local station licenses because of Kimmel's remarks.

“Jimmy Kimmel is in the situation he’s in because of his ratings. Not because of anything that’s happened at the federal government level,” Carr said at the Concordia Annual Summit.

Kimmel’s suspension has cast a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspended-charlie-kirk-business-interests-fcc-f18546e00ba03980c03b4cda4c576aa8">spotlight on the web of business interests</a>&nbsp;that require approval from the U.S. government. Disney, for instance, needs approval from the Trump administration for ESPN to complete its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-media-espn-a801cc6d355ddbcb98a8700125eed18b">acquisition of the NFL Network</a>, while Nexstar needs the administration’s approval to complete its $6.2 billion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nexstar-tegna-newsnation-cw-trump-c1743d55103a809ea31c5c7c7c4c0c87">purchase of broadcast rival Tegna</a>. Sinclair has petitioned the FCC to relax rules limiting broadcaster ownership of stations.

The suspension also happened at a time when the late night landscape is shifting. CBS announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-colbert-late-show-cbs-end-8bad9f16f076df62c0ffc50e9c8adbab">the cancellation of Colbert’s show</a>&nbsp;over the summer.

Kimmel’s contract with The Walt Disney Co.-owned network had been set to expire in May 2026. His representative did not return a message seeking comment Monday.

Word of the reinstatement came as hundreds of Hollywood and Broadway stars — including Robert De Niro, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Selena Gomez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep — urged Americans “fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights” in the wake of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspended-charlie-kirk-business-interests-fcc-f18546e00ba03980c03b4cda4c576aa8">Jimmy Kimmel's suspension.</a>

More than 430 movie, TV and stage stars as well as comedians, directors and writers added their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclu.org/defend-free-speech-letter-kimmel">names to an open letter</a>&nbsp;Monday from the American Civil Liberties Union that argues it is “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.”

Also Monday, ABC's “The View” weighed in on the controversy after not raising it for two episodes after Kimmel was suspended. Co-host Whoopi Goldberg opened the show saying: “No one silences us” and she and her fellow hosts condemned Disney's decision.

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani said Monday evening he’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zohran-mamdani-kimmel-nyc-mayor-bdb4033e7d60d6c81a80d16c8499bfed">willing to appear at a town hall</a>&nbsp;hosted by a local ABC station after earlier canceling his appearance due to Kimmel's suspension.

This story has been updated to correct that last name of Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758149830141.png" alt="Image courtesy ABC" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy ABC</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Jimmy Kimmel is set to return to late-night television Tuesday after a nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-a2bfa904429c318fe52e7d3493c6883d">weeklong suspension</a>&nbsp;that triggered a national discussion about freedom of speech and President Donald Trump's ability to police the words of journalists, commentators&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-free-speech-comedy-censorship-0a1525424a5cf66d7236a39b853c4680">and even comics</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming. Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return. <a href="https://t.co/beGC6VID2x">pic.twitter.com/beGC6VID2x</a>&mdash; Sinclair, Inc. (@WeAreSinclair) <a href="https://twitter.com/WeAreSinclair/status/1970266039532306593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But two groups of ABC affiliates that denounced Kimmel last week said they would not carry his return. Nexstar Media Group said it would continue to preempt the show, “pending assurances that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve.” Sinclair Broadcast Group said it would also keep Kimmel off its stations. The two corporations collectively control about a quarter of ABC affiliates.ABC, which suspended Kimmel's show last Wednesday following criticism of his comments about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk,</a>&nbsp;announced Monday that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” would return after the network had “thoughtful conversations” with the host.“Our long national late nightmare is over,” Stephen Colbert joked on his CBS show in response to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspension-supporters-94b79634a19b2c4ce70a2b4195ef1175">Kimmel's reinstatement</a>.ABC suspended&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-2c79d56fa53779014f2bb2ed9e47da1f"></a>Kimmel indefinitely after comments he made in a monologue last week. Kimmel suggested that many Trump supporters were trying to capitalize on Kirk’s death and were "desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”Trump-appointed Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr last week said it appeared that Kimmel was trying to “directly mislead the American public” with his remarks about Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old Utah man charged with Kirk's killing, and his motives. Those&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-tyler-robinson-court-death-penalty-f541df08a936e06497ee2342296bc398">motives remain unclear</a>. Authorities say Robinson grew up in a conservative family, but his mother told investigators his son had turned left politically in the last year.“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said before ABC announced the suspension. “These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”Those remarks set a backlash in motion, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-republicans-charlie-kirk-speech-kimmel-806cfa39cc19060541f3834a0597ff09">Republican Sen. Ted Cruz saying that Carr</a>&nbsp;acted like “a mafioso.” Hundreds of entertainment luminaries, including Tom Hanks, Barbra Streisand and Jennifer Aniston, signed a letter circulated by the American Civil Liberties Union that called ABC's move “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.”Some consumers punished&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspended-charlie-kirk-business-interests-fcc-f18546e00ba03980c03b4cda4c576aa8">ABC parent Disney</a>&nbsp;by canceling subscriptions to its streaming services.Trump had hailed Kimmel's suspension, even inaccurately saying the show had been canceled. Kimmel has been a relentless Trump critic in his comedy.Trump's administration has used threats, lawsuits and federal government pressure to try to exert more control over the media industry. Trump sued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abc-trump-lawsuit-defamation-stephanopoulos-04aea8663310af39ae2a85f4c1a56d68">ABC</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-media-harris-minutes-paramount-6415042fe910ae60b432dd8c73ef61b2">CBS</a>&nbsp;over news coverage, which the companies settled. Trump has also filed defamation lawsuits against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-wall-street-journal-b006f3ef25e6b4ab910cc3b41c865227">The Wall Street Journal</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-lawsuit-new-york-times-b2a615192ebe2dcec859eb883368dfbb">The New York Times</a>, and successfully urged Congress to strip federal funding from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/npr-pbs-public-broadcasting-trump-cuts-73de8fadf32655aa74752690d22a3758">NPR and PBS</a>.How — or even whether — Kimmel would address the controversy on his first show back remained a mystery. Millions of people are likely to watch.Disney and ABC executives reportedly negotiated the return for several days before announcing the resolution. The ABC statement said the suspension happened because some of Kimmel's comments were “ill-timed and thus insensitive,” but it did not call them misleading.Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, the organization founded by Kirk and now headed by his widow, posted on X that “Disney and ABC caving and allowing Kimmel back on the air is not surprising, but it’s their mistake to make.”The suspension happened at a time when the late-night landscape is shifting. Shows are losing viewers, in part because many watch highlights the next day online. CBS announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-colbert-late-show-cbs-end-8bad9f16f076df62c0ffc50e9c8adbab">the cancellation of Colbert’s show</a>&nbsp;over the summer. Kimmel's contract with ABC reportedly lasts through May.Colbert, in his opening monologue Monday, grabbed his recently won Emmy Award for outstanding talk series, saying, “Once more, I am the only martyr on late night!”___Associated Press writers Mark Kennedy and James Pollard in New York and Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.---------------------------------NEW YORK (AP) — ABC will reinstate Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show in the wake of criticism over his comments about the assassination of conservative&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-utah-university-republicans-8357c3d102de09e3320fde761258131a">activist Charlie Kirk</a>, officials with the network said Monday."We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday,” ABC said a statement.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming. Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return. <a href="https://t.co/beGC6VID2x">pic.twitter.com/beGC6VID2x</a>&mdash; Sinclair, Inc. (@WeAreSinclair) <a href="https://twitter.com/WeAreSinclair/status/1970266039532306593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>ABC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-2c79d56fa53779014f2bb2ed9e47da1f">suspended</a>&nbsp;Kimmel indefinitely on Wednesday after comments he made about Kirk, who was killed Sept. 10, in a monologue. Kimmel said “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk” and that “the MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”Kimmel has hosted “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC since 2003 and has been a fixture in television and comedy for even longer. He is also well known as a presenter, having hosted the Academy Awards four times.Backlash to Kimmel’s comments was swift.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abc-kimmel-affiliate-charlie-kirk-8eb9dca5dff2c717fd00a7083982c5c4">Nexstar and Sinclair,</a>&nbsp;two of ABC’s largest affiliate owners, said they would be pulling “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from their stations. Others, including several fellow&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspended-reaction-03c1ae9d16a4a47481e855de1668def3">comedians</a>, came to his defense.Sinclair said Monday that it would not air Kimmel's show Tuesday and would broadcast news programming instead. “Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show's potential return,” the company said. There was no immediate comment from Nexstar on its plans for Kimmel's return.Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, the organization founded by Kirk and now headed by his widow, posted on X about Kimmel's reinstatement: “Disney and ABC caving and allowing Kimmel back on the air is not surprising, but it's their mistake to make. Nexstar and Sinclair do not have to make the same choice.”Stephen Colbert joyfully reacted to the news during the opening of his “Late Show,” telling his audience that “our long national, late nightmare is over.”Colbert, whose late show is being canceled by CBS after this season, said he was happy for his friend and the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” staff. Grabbing his recently-won Emmy Award for outstanding talk series, the comedian could hardly contain his glee. He added, “Once more, I am the only martyr on late night!”President Donald Trump, one of Kimmel’s frequent targets, posted on social media that Kimmel’s suspension was “great news for America.” He also called for other late night hosts to be fired. He has yet to comment on Kimmel's reinstatement.Kimmel’s suspension arrived in a time when Trump and his administration have pursued threats, lawsuits and federal government pressure to try to exert more control over the media industry. Trump has reached settlements with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abc-trump-lawsuit-defamation-stephanopoulos-04aea8663310af39ae2a85f4c1a56d68">ABC</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-media-harris-minutes-paramount-6415042fe910ae60b432dd8c73ef61b2">CBS</a>&nbsp;over their coverage.Trump has also filed defamation lawsuits against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-wall-street-journal-b006f3ef25e6b4ab910cc3b41c865227">The Wall Street Journal</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-lawsuit-new-york-times-b2a615192ebe2dcec859eb883368dfbb">The New York Times</a>. Republicans in Congress stripped federal funding from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/npr-pbs-public-broadcasting-trump-cuts-73de8fadf32655aa74752690d22a3758">NPR and PBS</a>.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brendan-carr-fcc-chairman-jimmy-kimmel-f1c635a8b2184ccf50ed53d1c8d76518">Brendan Carr</a>, the head of the Federal Communications Commission, issued a warning prior to Kimmel’s suspension that criticized Kimmel’s remarks about the Kirk assassination.“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. “These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”Carr denied on Monday that he threatened to revoke ABC's local station licenses because of Kimmel's remarks.“Jimmy Kimmel is in the situation he’s in because of his ratings. Not because of anything that’s happened at the federal government level,” Carr said at the Concordia Annual Summit.Kimmel’s suspension has cast a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspended-charlie-kirk-business-interests-fcc-f18546e00ba03980c03b4cda4c576aa8">spotlight on the web of business interests</a>&nbsp;that require approval from the U.S. government. Disney, for instance, needs approval from the Trump administration for ESPN to complete its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-media-espn-a801cc6d355ddbcb98a8700125eed18b">acquisition of the NFL Network</a>, while Nexstar needs the administration’s approval to complete its $6.2 billion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nexstar-tegna-newsnation-cw-trump-c1743d55103a809ea31c5c7c7c4c0c87">purchase of broadcast rival Tegna</a>. Sinclair has petitioned the FCC to relax rules limiting broadcaster ownership of stations.The suspension also happened at a time when the late night landscape is shifting. CBS announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-colbert-late-show-cbs-end-8bad9f16f076df62c0ffc50e9c8adbab">the cancellation of Colbert’s show</a>&nbsp;over the summer.Kimmel’s contract with The Walt Disney Co.-owned network had been set to expire in May 2026. His representative did not return a message seeking comment Monday.Word of the reinstatement came as hundreds of Hollywood and Broadway stars — including Robert De Niro, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Selena Gomez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep — urged Americans “fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights” in the wake of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspended-charlie-kirk-business-interests-fcc-f18546e00ba03980c03b4cda4c576aa8">Jimmy Kimmel's suspension.</a>More than 430 movie, TV and stage stars as well as comedians, directors and writers added their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclu.org/defend-free-speech-letter-kimmel">names to an open letter</a>&nbsp;Monday from the American Civil Liberties Union that argues it is “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.”Also Monday, ABC's “The View” weighed in on the controversy after not raising it for two episodes after Kimmel was suspended. Co-host Whoopi Goldberg opened the show saying: “No one silences us” and she and her fellow hosts condemned Disney's decision.New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani said Monday evening he’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zohran-mamdani-kimmel-nyc-mayor-bdb4033e7d60d6c81a80d16c8499bfed">willing to appear at a town hall</a>&nbsp;hosted by a local ABC station after earlier canceling his appearance due to Kimmel's suspension.___This story has been updated to correct that last name of Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet.

More ABC affiliates refuse to show Jimmy Kimmel's return to TV

President Donald Trump returned to the United Nations to deliver a speech on Tuesday morning.&nbsp;

As the President and the first lady arrived, they encountered challenges. First, the building's escalator stopped working just they stepped on it. They were forced to climb the steps.&nbsp; 

A few moments later, the teleprompter President Trump was going to use for his speech was not working. The President gave his speech without it, "that way you speak more from the heart," he said.&nbsp; &nbsp;And he also said, "whoever is running the teleprompter is in big trouble.” The teleprompter did finally begin to work.&nbsp;"I ended seven wars and never even received a phone all from the UN. These are the two things I got from the UN, a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter." Trump said.

President Donald Trump returned to the United Nations to deliver a speech on Tuesday morning.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">CLIP: &quot;Bad escalator&quot; President Trump referred to during his address to the U.N. General Assembly. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNGA80?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UNGA80</a> <a href="https://t.co/S1w9kUOq1l">https://t.co/S1w9kUOq1l</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ja1JRyfF7m">pic.twitter.com/Ja1JRyfF7m</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1970544863130399037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">NOW - Escalator at UN headquarters immediately stops as Trump and Melania step on it shortly after arriving. <a href="https://t.co/8nlUkDoQxm">pic.twitter.com/8nlUkDoQxm</a>&mdash; Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) <a href="https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1970488216470859859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>As the President and the first lady arrived, they encountered challenges. First, the building's escalator stopped working just they stepped on it. They were forced to climb the steps.&nbsp; <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump begins <a href="https://twitter.com/UN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UN</a> General Assembly Address: &quot;I don&#39;t mind making this speech without a teleprompter, because the teleprompter is not working…Whoever&#39;s operating this teleprompter is in big trouble.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/01t80AL9de">pic.twitter.com/01t80AL9de</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1970492091034734761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>A few moments later, the teleprompter President Trump was going to use for his speech was not working. The President gave his speech without it, "that way you speak more from the heart," he said.&nbsp; &nbsp;And he also said, "whoever is running the teleprompter is in big trouble.” The teleprompter did finally begin to work.&nbsp;"I ended seven wars and never even received a phone all from the UN. These are the two things I got from the UN, a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter." Trump said.

President Trump handles technical problems with humor at UN

NEW YORK –&nbsp;The U.S. Secret Service dismantled a network of electronic devices located throughout the New York tristate area that were used to conduct multiple telecommunications-related threats directed towards senior U.S. government officials, which represented an imminent threat to the agency’s protective operations, according to a media release from the agency.

This protective intelligence investigation led to the discovery of more than 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards across multiple sites.

In addition to carrying out anonymous telephonic threats, these devices could be used to conduct a wide range of telecommunications attacks. This includes disabling cell phone towers, enabling denial of services attacks and facilitating anonymous, encrypted communication between potential threat actors and criminal enterprises.

While forensic examination of these devices is ongoing, early analysis indicates cellular communications between nation-state threat actors and individuals that are known to federal law enforcement.

“The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated,” said U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran. “The U.S. Secret Service’s protective mission is all about prevention, and this investigation makes it clear to potential bad actors that imminent threats to our protectees will be immediately investigated, tracked down and dismantled.”

These devices were concentrated within 35 miles of the global meeting of the United Nations General Assembly now underway in New York City. Given the timing, location and potential for significant disruption to New York telecommunications posed by these devices, the agency moved quickly to disrupt this network. The U.S. Secret Service’s Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit, a new section of the agency dedicated to disrupting the most significant and imminent threats to our protectees, is conducting this investigation. This investigation is currently ongoing.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the NYPD, as well as other state and local law enforcement partners, provided valuable technical advice and assistance in support of this investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758634316959.png" alt="Sim boxes-photo U.S. Secret Service" />
 <figcaption>Sim boxes-photo U.S. Secret Service</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK –&nbsp;The U.S. Secret Service dismantled a network of electronic devices located throughout the New York tristate area that were used to conduct multiple telecommunications-related threats directed towards senior U.S. government officials, which represented an imminent threat to the agency’s protective operations, according to a media release from the agency.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758637728470.png" alt="Photo Secret Service" />
 <figcaption>Photo Secret Service</figcaption>
 </figure>This protective intelligence investigation led to the discovery of more than 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards across multiple sites.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758634294809.png" alt="Photo Secret Service" />
 <figcaption>Photo Secret Service</figcaption>
 </figure>In addition to carrying out anonymous telephonic threats, these devices could be used to conduct a wide range of telecommunications attacks. This includes disabling cell phone towers, enabling denial of services attacks and facilitating anonymous, encrypted communication between potential threat actors and criminal enterprises.While forensic examination of these devices is ongoing, early analysis indicates cellular communications between nation-state threat actors and individuals that are known to federal law enforcement.“The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated,” said U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran. “The U.S. Secret Service’s protective mission is all about prevention, and this investigation makes it clear to potential bad actors that imminent threats to our protectees will be immediately investigated, tracked down and dismantled.”These devices were concentrated within 35 miles of the global meeting of the United Nations General Assembly now underway in New York City. Given the timing, location and potential for significant disruption to New York telecommunications posed by these devices, the agency moved quickly to disrupt this network. The U.S. Secret Service’s Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit, a new section of the agency dedicated to disrupting the most significant and imminent threats to our protectees, is conducting this investigation. This investigation is currently ongoing.The Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the NYPD, as well as other state and local law enforcement partners, provided valuable technical advice and assistance in support of this investigation.

Secret Service finds network of devices capable of crashing phone network

BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The federal government’s plan to withhold $10 million from a Kansas food assistance program won’t affect recipients and will be delayed while the state files an appeal, the Kansas governor’s chief of staff said Monday.

The governor’s office provided clarity on the issue after Attorney General Kris Kobach declared the state had lost millions in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program because “Gov. Laura Kelly refused to provide basic information about SNAP recipients to the USDA.”

Kelly’s administration has refused federal demands for SNAP data because it isn’t clear how Kansans’ personal information will be used.

“The governor seems to be blinded by her political ideology. She is flagrantly violating Kansas law, and she is hurting needy Kansans in the process,” Kobach said in a news release.&nbsp;

<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/08/kansas-lawsuit-seeks-to-force-gov-laura-kelly-to-divulge-details-about-snap-recipients/">Kobach sued Kelly</a>&nbsp;and Department for Children and Families secretary Laura Howard on Sept. 8 for failing to turn over personal data of SNAP applicants and recipients, as they were repeatedly asked to do by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Patrick Penn, a former Kansas legislator who now is U.S. undersecretary for the Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services program at USDA, in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/home/showdocument?id=24632&amp;t=638929448810904955" target="_blank">Aug. 20 letter to Kelly</a>&nbsp;threatened to withhold $10.4 million every three months until his agency receives the data.

Penn said the data is needed to look for fraud within the program,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/08/26/kansas-official-defends-refusal-to-turn-over-private-food-program-data-in-face-of-political-attacks/">which Howard has previously said</a>&nbsp;is a function already completed through a fraud detection program in place as part of the state’s contract with FNS.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758629932559.png" alt=" Gov. Laura Kelly’s office said $10.4 million the federal government is threatening to withhold from a food assistance program won’t have an immediate effect as the state plans to appeal the decision. (Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Gov. Laura Kelly’s office said $10.4 million the federal government is threatening to withhold from a food assistance program won’t have an immediate effect as the state plans to appeal the decision. (Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The federal government’s plan to withhold $10 million from a Kansas food assistance program won’t affect recipients and will be delayed while the state files an appeal, the Kansas governor’s chief of staff said Monday.The governor’s office provided clarity on the issue after Attorney General Kris Kobach declared the state had lost millions in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program because “Gov. Laura Kelly refused to provide basic information about SNAP recipients to the USDA.”Kelly’s administration has refused federal demands for SNAP data because it isn’t clear how Kansans’ personal information will be used.“The governor seems to be blinded by her political ideology. She is flagrantly violating Kansas law, and she is hurting needy Kansans in the process,” Kobach said in a news release.&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/08/kansas-lawsuit-seeks-to-force-gov-laura-kelly-to-divulge-details-about-snap-recipients/">Kobach sued Kelly</a>&nbsp;and Department for Children and Families secretary Laura Howard on Sept. 8 for failing to turn over personal data of SNAP applicants and recipients, as they were repeatedly asked to do by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.Patrick Penn, a former Kansas legislator who now is U.S. undersecretary for the Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services program at USDA, in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/home/showdocument?id=24632&amp;t=638929448810904955" target="_blank">Aug. 20 letter to Kelly</a>&nbsp;threatened to withhold $10.4 million every three months until his agency receives the data.Penn said the data is needed to look for fraud within the program,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/08/26/kansas-official-defends-refusal-to-turn-over-private-food-program-data-in-face-of-political-attacks/">which Howard has previously said</a>&nbsp;is a function already completed through a fraud detection program in place as part of the state’s contract with FNS.Penn said that is not the case.“In the absence of data, FNS lacks key information necessary to ensure effective stewardship of taxpayer dollars,” Penn’s letter said. “FNS has already discovered from states that are complying with this statutory data sharing requirement that fraud or duplication in state distribution of federal funds has gone unreported and needs remediation.”Kelly’s chief of staff, Will Lawrence, said the state will file an appeal of the decision to withhold funding.“The attorney general continues to have a complicated relationship with the facts and the truth in an effort to score political points by misleading thousands of Kansans,” Lawrence said of Kobach’s press release.&nbsp;“We will, of course, appeal the decision and continue to protect the security of Kansans’ private data,” Lawrence said. “The filing of an appeal will automatically stay the disallowance of funds, meaning the SNAP program will continue to operate normally as the appeals process unfolds.”Howard has said previously that DCF and the state are awaiting the ruling of a lawsuit brought by California and joined by other states asking the courts to stay the USDA’s request for SNAP data. A temporary injunction to stop the release of data to the USDA is in effect, according to a filing in that case.Kobach’s office has not responded to Kansas Reflector questions about whether he believes that injunction applies to Kansas.“We warned that this would happen when we filed the lawsuit on behalf of all Kansans against the governor. She is required by Kansas law to provide this basic information to the USDA,” Kobach said in the press release. “Now low-income Kansas families won’t be able to put food on the table because of her political defiance.”If the funding were lost, it would affect the Kansas budget because it pays for administrative costs associated with SNAP. The funds are not part of the aid that is paid to SNAP recipients.&nbsp;U.S. Reps. Ron Estes and Tracey Mann&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/home/showdocument?id=24634&amp;t=638929449101644374" target="_blank">sent a letter</a>, which Kobach included in his press release, to Kelly on Sept. 3 demanding the data be released so the state can correct its SNAP error rate.Earlier this month, Howard explained the SNAP error rate is determined by the fraud detection process already in place.