TOPEKA—The FBI is investigating suspicious mail delivered to a state office building in Topeka. Just after 2:30 p.m. Monday, the Topeka Police Department’s&nbsp; bomb unit responded to a suspicious mail call at Memorial Hall 120 SW 10th Street in Topeka, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols. 

It was reported that several pieces of mail had an unknown substance on them. The Topeka Fire Department’s Hazmat team responded in addition to an ambulance from American Medical Response and the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

A field test found no hazardous materials. Further testing will be conducted.

TOPEKA —Fire and law enforcement officials are investigating the contents of two suspicious packages at a state office building in Topeka.

Just after 2 p.m. Monday, crews from the Topeka Fire Department (TFD) responded to a reported suspicious package at the Memorial Building located at 120 SW 10th Avenue, according to Fire Department spokesperson Rosie Nichols

 It was reported that two pieces of mail contained unknown substances. the Topeka Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials team, one engine company, the Office of the State Fire Marshal, and an American Medical Response ambulance responded. Crews located two packages with unknown substances in them. 

Several personnel in the Secretary of State and Attorney General’s offices were exposed and are being medically monitored.

TFD crews are currently on scene working to determine the substances. are.&nbsp;&nbsp;Since 2000, Memorial Hall has served as headquarters for the&nbsp;Kansas Attorney General&nbsp;and&nbsp;Kansas Secretary of State.

Check the Post for additional details as they are available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726521879166.png" alt="First responders on the scene Monday afternoon -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene Monday afternoon -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA—The FBI is investigating suspicious mail delivered to a state office building in Topeka. Just after 2:30 p.m. Monday, the Topeka Police Department’s&nbsp; bomb unit responded to a suspicious mail call at Memorial Hall 120 SW 10th Street in Topeka, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols. It was reported that several pieces of mail had an unknown substance on them. The Topeka Fire Department’s Hazmat team responded in addition to an ambulance from American Medical Response and the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.A field test found no hazardous materials. Further testing will be conducted.-------------TOPEKA —Fire and law enforcement officials are investigating the contents of two suspicious packages at a state office building in Topeka.Just after 2 p.m. Monday, crews from the Topeka Fire Department (TFD) responded to a reported suspicious package at the Memorial Building located at 120 SW 10th Avenue, according to Fire Department spokesperson Rosie Nichols It was reported that two pieces of mail contained unknown substances. the Topeka Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials team, one engine company, the Office of the State Fire Marshal, and an American Medical Response ambulance responded. Crews located two packages with unknown substances in them. Several personnel in the Secretary of State and Attorney General’s offices were exposed and are being medically monitored.TFD crews are currently on scene working to determine the substances. are.&nbsp;&nbsp;Since 2000, Memorial Hall has served as headquarters for the&nbsp;Kansas Attorney General&nbsp;and&nbsp;Kansas Secretary of State.Check the Post for additional details as they are available.

FBI checking on suspicious packages sent to government office in Topeka

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a registered sex offender on new allegations.

Just after 3:30p.m. Saturday, police arrested 23-year-old Jamichael Strahan of Junction City on a Riley County District Court warrant for probation violation, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

The original charge in this matter is for aggravated indecent solicitation of a child. 

His bond was set at $25,000. Strahan was out of custody early Monday, according to the RCPD. He has been registered as a sex offender since September of 2022 following convictions in Manhattan for&nbsp;Aggravated indecent solicitation of a child; Sex act with a child &lt;14 in 2020 and 2022, according to the KBI Offender registry.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726500702501.png" alt="Strahan photo KBI Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Strahan photo KBI Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a registered sex offender on new allegations.Just after 3:30p.m. Saturday, police arrested 23-year-old Jamichael Strahan of Junction City on a Riley County District Court warrant for probation violation, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.The original charge in this matter is for aggravated indecent solicitation of a child. His bond was set at $25,000. Strahan was out of custody early Monday, according to the RCPD. He has been registered as a sex offender since September of 2022 following convictions in Manhattan for&nbsp;Aggravated indecent solicitation of a child; Sex act with a child &lt;14 in 2020 and 2022, according to the KBI Offender registry.

Kansas sex offender out of jail after accused of new crime

WASHINGTON&nbsp;—&nbsp; In the wake of a&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14540.9298959.8127925.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fx.com%2fHawleyMO%2fstatus%2f1835429374792970292&amp;redir_log=343221794648289" target="_blank">second assassination attempt</a>&nbsp;against former President Donald J. Trump, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) unveiled&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14540.9298959.8127925.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2024%2f09%2fHawley-Whistleblower-Report-re-USSS-Failures-2024-09-16.pdf&amp;redir_log=255885719553759">a new, 22-page whistleblower report</a>&nbsp;detailing the failures of the United States Secret Service in connection with the July 13 attempted assassination of former President Trump.

The Hawley Report has been shared with the House Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump to supplement their investigation.

<a href="https://www.hawley.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Hawley-Whistleblower-Report-re-USSS-Failures-2024-09-16.pdf">CLICK HERE to read</a> the entire Hawley Report.&nbsp;

The Hawley Report’s findings are highly damaging to the credibility of the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). They reveal a compounding pattern of negligence, sloppiness, and gross incompetence that goes back years, all of which culminated in an assassination attempt that came inches from succeeding.

In addition to a comprehensive review of previous whistleblower allegations that Senator Hawley has uncovered, the Hawley Report includes&nbsp;new findings from whistleblowers that have not yet been reported, including:

To date, Secret Service and DHS have provided virtually no answers and there remain many outstanding questions, including:

The Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and Department of Homeland Security have all tried to evade real accountability. Their leaders have slow-walked congressional investigations, misled the American people, and shirked responsibility. DHS is now&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14540.9298959.8127925.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fx.com%2fHawleyMO%2fstatus%2f1834396709964628463&amp;redir_log=693803866273289" target="_blank">reportedly</a>&nbsp;pressuring the Secret Service not to comply with document requests by Congress about the Trump assassination attempt. The American people deserve answers.

As a member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Senator Hawley has been a leader in the investigation into the attempted assassination of former President Trump. He has&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14540.9298959.8127925.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fx.com%2fHawleyMO%2fstatus%2f1814657791774036032&amp;redir_log=363485896701288" target="_blank">personally surveyed&nbsp;</a>the Butler site and has publicized multiple whistleblower allegations. Previous allegations assert that agents were&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14540.9298959.8127925.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2foutreach.senate.gov%2fiqextranet%2fiqClickTrk.aspx%3f%26cid%3dSenHawley%26crop%3d14442.9285199.8119262.8019990%26report_id%3d%26redirect%3dhttps%253a%252f%252fwww.hawley.senate.gov%252fnew-whistleblower-allegation-secret-service-prevented-extra-security-assets-for-trump-rally%252f%26redir_log%3d380552127117865&amp;redir_log=516773093792034" target="_blank">discouraged</a>&nbsp;from requesting additional security and note&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14540.9298959.8127925.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2foutreach.senate.gov%2fiqextranet%2fiqClickTrk.aspx%3f%26cid%3dSenHawley%26crop%3d14442.9285199.8119262.8019990%26report_id%3d%26redirect%3dhttps%253a%252f%252foutreach.senate.gov%252fiqextranet%252fiqClickTrk.aspx%253f%2526cid%253dSenHawley%2526crop%253d14275.9278220.8114513.8019990%2526report_id%253d%2526redirect%253dhttps%25253a%25252f%25252fwww.hawley.senate.gov%25252fhawley-reveals-new-whistleblower-allegations-exposing-loose-security-ahead-of-trump-assassination-attempt%25252f%2526redir_log%253d182953689345966%26redir_log%3d688733780582138&amp;redir_log=721852135923331" target="_blank">loose security</a>&nbsp;at the Trump rally,&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14540.9298959.8127925.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fnew-whistleblower-allegations-hawley-reveals-law-enforcement-supposed-to-cover-roof-at-butler-pa-trump-rally%2f&amp;redir_log=901068615772977" target="_blank">abandoned posts</a>&nbsp;on the roof where the shooter was located, and&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14540.9298959.8127925.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fhawley-releases-new-whistleblower-claims-alleging-secret-service-directors-role-in-scaling-back-agencys-manpower-retaliating-against-agents-who-speak-out%2f&amp;redir_log=678420953921292" target="_blank">scaled-back security</a>&nbsp;due to the decisions of Acting Director Rowe.

On July 30, Senator Hawley&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14540.9298959.8127925.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fno-one-has-been-fired-hawley-pushes-for-accountability-from-secret-service-on-trump-assassination-attempt%2f&amp;redir_log=504810180305961" target="_blank">questioned</a>&nbsp;Acting Director Rowe in a Senate hearing. The Acting Director&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14540.9298959.8127925.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fnew-whistleblower-allegations-hawley-reveals-secret-service-declined-drone-usage-day-of-trump-butler-rally%2f&amp;redir_log=303746225621962" target="_blank">confirmed</a>&nbsp;that the Secret Service did, in fact, refuse drones from local law enforcement—a detail brought to light by a whistleblower in contact with Senator Hawley’s office.&nbsp;Whistleblowers with information are encouraged to contact Senator Hawley’s office&nbsp;by email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:tips@hawley.senate.gov">tips@hawley.senate.gov</a>&nbsp;or by phone at (202) 224-6154. Whistleblower identities will be protected against disclosure. Tips from federal employees are protected by the Whistleblower Protection Act, 5 U.S.C. § 2302, which prohibits the federal government from taking any personnel action on the basis of a disclosure of evidence of gross mismanagement, gross waste of funds, abuse of authority, or illegal activity.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720975879185.jpeg" alt="Former President Donald Trump gestures while surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents as he is helped off the stage at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., Saturday, July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)" />
 <figcaption>Former President Donald Trump gestures while surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents as he is helped off the stage at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., Saturday, July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON&nbsp;—&nbsp; In the wake of a&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14540.9298959.8127925.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fx.com%2fHawleyMO%2fstatus%2f1835429374792970292&amp;redir_log=343221794648289" target="_blank">second assassination attempt</a>&nbsp;against former President Donald J. Trump, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) unveiled&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14540.9298959.8127925.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2024%2f09%2fHawley-Whistleblower-Report-re-USSS-Failures-2024-09-16.pdf&amp;redir_log=255885719553759">a new, 22-page whistleblower report</a>&nbsp;detailing the failures of the United States Secret Service in connection with the July 13 attempted assassination of former President Trump. The Hawley Report has been shared with the House Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump to supplement their investigation.<a href="https://www.hawley.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Hawley-Whistleblower-Report-re-USSS-Failures-2024-09-16.pdf">CLICK HERE to read</a> the entire Hawley Report.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726517941485.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Hawley Report’s findings are highly damaging to the credibility of the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). They reveal a compounding pattern of negligence, sloppiness, and gross incompetence that goes back years, all of which culminated in an assassination attempt that came inches from succeeding.In addition to a comprehensive review of previous whistleblower allegations that Senator Hawley has uncovered, the Hawley Report includes&nbsp;new findings from whistleblowers that have not yet been reported, including:<ul>
 <li>Secret&nbsp;Service intelligence units—teams of Secret Service agents paired with state and local law enforcement to handle reports of suspicious persons—were absent from the Butler rally.</li><li>The&nbsp;hospital site where former President Trump received treatment after the shooting was poorly secured, and the hospital site agent could not answer basic questions about site security.</li>
 </ul>To date, Secret Service and DHS have provided virtually no answers and there remain many outstanding questions, including:<ul>
 <li>Who,&nbsp;within the Secret Service or DHS, made the decision to deny counter sniper coverage to the rooftop from which Thomas Crooks shot former President Trump on July 13?</li><li>When&nbsp;will Secret Service or DHS publicly name the lead site agent for the rally and the lead agent for the Butler visit?</li><li>Did&nbsp;the Acting Secret Service Director ever deny resources to the Trump campaign, or USSS sniper teams, as has been reported in the press?</li>
 </ul>The Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and Department of Homeland Security have all tried to evade real accountability. Their leaders have slow-walked congressional investigations, misled the American people, and shirked responsibility. DHS is now&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14540.9298959.8127925.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fx.com%2fHawleyMO%2fstatus%2f1834396709964628463&amp;redir_log=693803866273289" target="_blank">reportedly</a>&nbsp;pressuring the Secret Service not to comply with document requests by Congress about the Trump assassination attempt. The American people deserve answers.As a member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Senator Hawley has been a leader in the investigation into the attempted assassination of former President Trump. He has&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14540.9298959.8127925.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fx.com%2fHawleyMO%2fstatus%2f1814657791774036032&amp;redir_log=363485896701288" target="_blank">personally surveyed&nbsp;</a>the Butler site and has publicized multiple whistleblower allegations. Previous allegations assert that agents were&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14540.9298959.8127925.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2foutreach.senate.gov%2fiqextranet%2fiqClickTrk.aspx%3f%26cid%3dSenHawley%26crop%3d14442.9285199.8119262.8019990%26report_id%3d%26redirect%3dhttps%253a%252f%252fwww.hawley.senate.gov%252fnew-whistleblower-allegation-secret-service-prevented-extra-security-assets-for-trump-rally%252f%26redir_log%3d380552127117865&amp;redir_log=516773093792034" target="_blank">discouraged</a>&nbsp;from requesting additional security and note&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14540.9298959.8127925.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2foutreach.senate.gov%2fiqextranet%2fiqClickTrk.aspx%3f%26cid%3dSenHawley%26crop%3d14442.9285199.8119262.8019990%26report_id%3d%26redirect%3dhttps%253a%252f%252foutreach.senate.gov%252fiqextranet%252fiqClickTrk.aspx%253f%2526cid%253dSenHawley%2526crop%253d14275.9278220.8114513.8019990%2526report_id%253d%2526redirect%253dhttps%25253a%25252f%25252fwww.hawley.senate.gov%25252fhawley-reveals-new-whistleblower-allegations-exposing-loose-security-ahead-of-trump-assassination-attempt%25252f%2526redir_log%253d182953689345966%26redir_log%3d688733780582138&amp;redir_log=721852135923331" target="_blank">loose security</a>&nbsp;at the Trump rally,&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14540.9298959.8127925.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fnew-whistleblower-allegations-hawley-reveals-law-enforcement-supposed-to-cover-roof-at-butler-pa-trump-rally%2f&amp;redir_log=901068615772977" target="_blank">abandoned posts</a>&nbsp;on the roof where the shooter was located, and&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14540.9298959.8127925.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fhawley-releases-new-whistleblower-claims-alleging-secret-service-directors-role-in-scaling-back-agencys-manpower-retaliating-against-agents-who-speak-out%2f&amp;redir_log=678420953921292" target="_blank">scaled-back security</a>&nbsp;due to the decisions of Acting Director Rowe. On July 30, Senator Hawley&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14540.9298959.8127925.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fno-one-has-been-fired-hawley-pushes-for-accountability-from-secret-service-on-trump-assassination-attempt%2f&amp;redir_log=504810180305961" target="_blank">questioned</a>&nbsp;Acting Director Rowe in a Senate hearing. The Acting Director&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14540.9298959.8127925.8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fnew-whistleblower-allegations-hawley-reveals-secret-service-declined-drone-usage-day-of-trump-butler-rally%2f&amp;redir_log=303746225621962" target="_blank">confirmed</a>&nbsp;that the Secret Service did, in fact, refuse drones from local law enforcement—a detail brought to light by a whistleblower in contact with Senator Hawley’s office.&nbsp;Whistleblowers with information are encouraged to contact Senator Hawley’s office&nbsp;by email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:tips@hawley.senate.gov">tips@hawley.senate.gov</a>&nbsp;or by phone at (202) 224-6154. Whistleblower identities will be protected against disclosure. Tips from federal employees are protected by the Whistleblower Protection Act, 5 U.S.C. § 2302, which prohibits the federal government from taking any personnel action on the basis of a disclosure of evidence of gross mismanagement, gross waste of funds, abuse of authority, or illegal activity.

Read Senator's new whistleblower report on 1st Trump assassination attempt 

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Christian pastor from California has been freed from China after nearly 20 years behind bars and is back home in the U.S., the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-state">State Department</a>&nbsp;said Monday.

David Lin, 68, was detained after he entered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/china">China</a>&nbsp;in 2006, later convicted of contract fraud and sentenced to life in prison, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and advocacy groups.

“Praise God! We got the call late last night!!! Dad is free and over Alaska now,” the pastor’s daughter, Alice Lin, said by text message Sunday to Bob Fu, a longtime supporter and the founder of China Aid, an U.S.-based advocacy group for persecuted activists in China. Fu shared with The Associated Press a screenshot of the text sent before the Lins reunited.

The Biden administration has been working on David Lin's case and those of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-hostages-wrongfully-detained-joe-biden-0fb40f42130f59dadb783e8a9823d3e1">other wrongly detained Americans</a>&nbsp;in China for years and have raised them at every meeting with senior Chinese officials, including Secretary of State Antony&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-china-blinken-83a98c83af72335e3f321a375ea26a3c">Blinken’s meeting this summer with Chinese Foreign Minister</a>&nbsp;Wang Yi in Laos. Such meetings aim to keep communication open between Washington and Beijing despite escalating tensions.

“We welcome David Lin's release from prison in the People’s Republic of China. He has returned to the United States and reunited with his family for the first time in nearly 20 years,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

“We’ll continue to push the release of other Americans," he said. “It’s something that we continue to work on. It’s an important step forward, and we’re going to continue to push for the release of other Americans."

Lin frequently traveled to China in the 1990s to spread the gospel, according to China Aid, which says Lin sought a license from the Chinese government to carry out Christian ministry. It’s unlikely he was granted permission, and he was detained in 2006 when assisting a church not authorized by Chinese officials, the group said.

Lin was formally arrested in 2009 on suspicion of contract fraud and, after a court review, was sentenced to life in prison, China Aid said.

The charge is frequently used against leaders of churches that operate outside state-sponsored faith groups, and it is a crime that Lin denied, according to the Dui Hua Foundation, a humanitarian group that advocates for prisoners in China. The commission on religious freedom says those leading and taking part in churches not sanctioned by the Chinese government “often face intimidation, harassment, arrest and harsh sentences.”

In China, all Christian churches must pledge loyalty to the ruling Communist Party and register with the government. Any unregistered congregation is considered an underground church whose activities are illegal in China. Beijing has always&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/newsom-china-visit-xi-jinping-22316290e39e078f0bb695a250e8658e">cracked down</a>&nbsp;on “unlawful preaching,” and efforts have only intensified in the past decade.

Lin's sentence had been reduced and he had been due for release in April 2030. The commission on religious freedom noted in 2019 that there were reports Lin was in declining health and faced possible threats to his safety in prison.

The Chinese foreign ministry didn't immediately respond to requests for comment about Lin's release.

Other Americans known to remain detained in China include Kai Li, a businessman who is being held on espionage-related charges that his family says are bogus, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-china-diplomacy-jake-sullivan-wang-yi-118132affe809b4fd99c627cb22f8878">Mark Swidan</a>, who was sentenced on drug charges. The State Department’s office of the special presidential envoy on hostage affairs has designated the two as “wrongful detainees,” a label given to Americans jailed in foreign countries for what the U.S. government considers legally specious allegations or for improper motivations.

Nelson Wells Jr. and Dawn Michelle Hunt also are incarcerated in China over drug-related charges, and their families, along with Li's son, will be among those speaking at a congressional hearing Wednesday about Americans held in China.

Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/michael-mccaul">Michael McCaul</a>, the Texas Republican who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he was “extremely glad” Lin was released after 17 years behind bars and called for Li and Swidan to be freed immediately.

Lin's “capture, like so many others, marks a rising trend of hostage diplomacy by authoritarians around the world,” McCaul&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/HouseForeignGOP/status/1835429989803758016">said</a>&nbsp;on the social platform X.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726516946080.png" alt="David Lin photo courtesy Hostage Aid Worldwide" />
 <figcaption>David Lin photo courtesy Hostage Aid Worldwide</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A Christian pastor from California has been freed from China after nearly 20 years behind bars and is back home in the U.S., the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-state">State Department</a>&nbsp;said Monday.David Lin, 68, was detained after he entered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/china">China</a>&nbsp;in 2006, later convicted of contract fraud and sentenced to life in prison, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and advocacy groups.“Praise God! We got the call late last night!!! Dad is free and over Alaska now,” the pastor’s daughter, Alice Lin, said by text message Sunday to Bob Fu, a longtime supporter and the founder of China Aid, an U.S.-based advocacy group for persecuted activists in China. Fu shared with The Associated Press a screenshot of the text sent before the Lins reunited.The Biden administration has been working on David Lin's case and those of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-hostages-wrongfully-detained-joe-biden-0fb40f42130f59dadb783e8a9823d3e1">other wrongly detained Americans</a>&nbsp;in China for years and have raised them at every meeting with senior Chinese officials, including Secretary of State Antony&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-china-blinken-83a98c83af72335e3f321a375ea26a3c">Blinken’s meeting this summer with Chinese Foreign Minister</a>&nbsp;Wang Yi in Laos. Such meetings aim to keep communication open between Washington and Beijing despite escalating tensions.“We welcome David Lin's release from prison in the People’s Republic of China. He has returned to the United States and reunited with his family for the first time in nearly 20 years,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.“We’ll continue to push the release of other Americans," he said. “It’s something that we continue to work on. It’s an important step forward, and we’re going to continue to push for the release of other Americans."Lin frequently traveled to China in the 1990s to spread the gospel, according to China Aid, which says Lin sought a license from the Chinese government to carry out Christian ministry. It’s unlikely he was granted permission, and he was detained in 2006 when assisting a church not authorized by Chinese officials, the group said.Lin was formally arrested in 2009 on suspicion of contract fraud and, after a court review, was sentenced to life in prison, China Aid said.The charge is frequently used against leaders of churches that operate outside state-sponsored faith groups, and it is a crime that Lin denied, according to the Dui Hua Foundation, a humanitarian group that advocates for prisoners in China. The commission on religious freedom says those leading and taking part in churches not sanctioned by the Chinese government “often face intimidation, harassment, arrest and harsh sentences.”In China, all Christian churches must pledge loyalty to the ruling Communist Party and register with the government. Any unregistered congregation is considered an underground church whose activities are illegal in China. Beijing has always&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/newsom-china-visit-xi-jinping-22316290e39e078f0bb695a250e8658e">cracked down</a>&nbsp;on “unlawful preaching,” and efforts have only intensified in the past decade.Lin's sentence had been reduced and he had been due for release in April 2030. The commission on religious freedom noted in 2019 that there were reports Lin was in declining health and faced possible threats to his safety in prison.The Chinese foreign ministry didn't immediately respond to requests for comment about Lin's release.Other Americans known to remain detained in China include Kai Li, a businessman who is being held on espionage-related charges that his family says are bogus, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-china-diplomacy-jake-sullivan-wang-yi-118132affe809b4fd99c627cb22f8878">Mark Swidan</a>, who was sentenced on drug charges. The State Department’s office of the special presidential envoy on hostage affairs has designated the two as “wrongful detainees,” a label given to Americans jailed in foreign countries for what the U.S. government considers legally specious allegations or for improper motivations.Nelson Wells Jr. and Dawn Michelle Hunt also are incarcerated in China over drug-related charges, and their families, along with Li's son, will be among those speaking at a congressional hearing Wednesday about Americans held in China.Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/michael-mccaul">Michael McCaul</a>, the Texas Republican who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he was “extremely glad” Lin was released after 17 years behind bars and called for Li and Swidan to be freed immediately.Lin's “capture, like so many others, marks a rising trend of hostage diplomacy by authoritarians around the world,” McCaul&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/HouseForeignGOP/status/1835429989803758016">said</a>&nbsp;on the social platform X.

China releases U.S. pastor after nearly 20 years in prison

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Joe Biden on Monday again decried the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump and said America must work to stop the scourge of political violence.

“America has suffered too many times the tragedy of an assassin’s bullet,” Biden said at the start of an address to the National HBCU Week Conference in Philadelphia. “It solves nothing. It just tears the country apart. We must do everything we can to prevent it and never give it any oxygen.”

The president’s comments came after Trump said, without evidence, that Biden and Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;inspired&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-gunshots-florida-f62f8378d3a8ce7b2e99d6a8fb40aba9">another apparent attempt on his life</a>, deriding their criticism of him as a threat to democracy despite his own long history of inflammatory campaign rhetoric and advocacy for jailing or prosecuting his political enemies.

“Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at, when I am the one who is going to save the country and they are the ones that are destroying the country — both from the inside and out,” Trump said in comments to Fox News Digital.

Biden in his speech added that Acting Director Secret Service Ronald Rowe, Jr. was in Florida “assessing what happened and determining whether any further adjustments need to be made to ensure” Trump’s safety.

Justice Department to ‘bring every available resource’ to investigation of apparent assassination attempt, Garland says

Attorney General Merrick Garland says the Justice Department will “work tirelessly to ensure accountability” in the apparent assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump.

Garland said in an emailed statement that the Justice Department will “bring every available resource to bear in this investigation.”

“We are grateful that the former President is safe,” Garland said.

Trump was 'courageous', his golf partner says

Steve Witkoff, Trump’s golf partner on Sunday, says the former president’s reaction to the apparent assassination attempt was “courageous and stoic.”

The real estate investor said Monday in a post on the social platform X that Trump, his “very close friend,” was “concerned about his friends first before thinking of himself,” something Witkoff said exemplified “the truest example of leadership.”

Fox News host Sean Hannity, a close friend of the former president’s, said on air Sunday that he had spoken with Trump and Witkoff, who told him that Secret Service agents “pounced on” Trump and “covered him” to protect him.

Body camera footage shows Routh’s arrest

Body camera footage posted on Facebook Monday shows the arrest of the man suspected in the apparent assassination attempt.

The video posted by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office shows Ryan Routh walking backward with his hands over his head on the side of a road before being handcuffed and led away by law enforcement.

Law enforcement block and search Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach

Local law enforcement was still blocking the palm tree-lined road south of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, as a group of FBI agents were searching Monday near the hedge surrounding the property.

Other investigators were also in the area walking back and forth from their vehicles to the hedge.

Journalists had set up cameras near a gas station facing the property as temperatures were nearing 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

‘There’s no quick fix,’ retired agent says of adding more personnel to the Secret Service

Retired supervisory Secret Service agent Bobby McDonald, now a criminal justice lecturer at the University of New Haven, said Monday that he hopes the agency will analyze the Sunday’s events and take ownership of what went right and what went wrong — and use it to improve as it moves into the home stretch of election season.

He noted that it’s a “very busy time” for the Secret Service with the election going on, more candidates now needing protection and with preparations underway for the United Nations General Assembly. The Secret Service currently has 40 people it’s responsible for protecting fulltime. In addition to Trump and Biden, that list also includes Harris, vice presidential candidates, other former presidents and their families and others.

McDonald cautioned that it can take nine to 18 months to bring on a Secret Service staffer. The service may want to transfer more personnel from the investigative work the agency does to its protective side, McDonald said.

“There is no quick fix,” he said, noting that temporarily bringing in people from outside the agency to help can come with its own challenges because they don’t regularly do protective work.

Former Secret Service agent says there’s an obvious need for more protection for Trump

Anthony Cangelosi, a former Secret Service agent, said the events Sunday show that there’s an obvious need for more personnel assigned to protect former President Trump.

“They could have been utilized to secure the perimeter,” he said.

He said it’s understandable that former presidents like Trump do not have the same level of protection as a sitting president. But, he said, Trump also isn’t like former presidents Obama or Clinton for example. He’s both a former president and a current nominee hoping to return to the White House.

“He’s not your typical former president,” he said.

Cangelosi, who’s currently a lecturer at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, questioned whether a request had been made by anyone in the Secret Service for more personnel and if so what happened to that request? And if no requests have been made for more personnel, why not?

Without the resources to secure the entire perimeter, Cangelosi said the Secret Service did the next best thing, which was to have agents going ahead of the president to scout the next locations. He commended the work they did to spot the muzzle of the gun and open fire, saying they were vigilant. But he said there’s always a chance that they could have missed the muzzle. Extra coverage could include roving uniformed personnel outside the perimeter, for example, he said. The goal is to create a presence that serves as a deterrence.

He said the Secret Service doesn’t have the extra personnel but they can be pulled from other agencies.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726517249192.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —President Joe Biden on Monday again decried the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump and said America must work to stop the scourge of political violence.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">From earlier today, President Biden on former President Trump: “Thank God the president is ok...the Service needs more help and I think the Congress should respond to their needs.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/scmdJTqrmi">pic.twitter.com/scmdJTqrmi</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1835734379047338024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“America has suffered too many times the tragedy of an assassin’s bullet,” Biden said at the start of an address to the National HBCU Week Conference in Philadelphia. “It solves nothing. It just tears the country apart. We must do everything we can to prevent it and never give it any oxygen.”The president’s comments came after Trump said, without evidence, that Biden and Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;inspired&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-gunshots-florida-f62f8378d3a8ce7b2e99d6a8fb40aba9">another apparent attempt on his life</a>, deriding their criticism of him as a threat to democracy despite his own long history of inflammatory campaign rhetoric and advocacy for jailing or prosecuting his political enemies.“Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at, when I am the one who is going to save the country and they are the ones that are destroying the country — both from the inside and out,” Trump said in comments to Fox News Digital.Biden in his speech added that Acting Director Secret Service Ronald Rowe, Jr. was in Florida “assessing what happened and determining whether any further adjustments need to be made to ensure” Trump’s safety.<h2>Justice Department to ‘bring every available resource’ to investigation of apparent assassination attempt, Garland says</h2>Attorney General Merrick Garland says the Justice Department will “work tirelessly to ensure accountability” in the apparent assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump.Garland said in an emailed statement that the Justice Department will “bring every available resource to bear in this investigation.”“We are grateful that the former President is safe,” Garland said.<h2>Trump was 'courageous', his golf partner says</h2>Steve Witkoff, Trump’s golf partner on Sunday, says the former president’s reaction to the apparent assassination attempt was “courageous and stoic.”The real estate investor said Monday in a post on the social platform X that Trump, his “very close friend,” was “concerned about his friends first before thinking of himself,” something Witkoff said exemplified “the truest example of leadership.”Fox News host Sean Hannity, a close friend of the former president’s, said on air Sunday that he had spoken with Trump and Witkoff, who told him that Secret Service agents “pounced on” Trump and “covered him” to protect him.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726480816341.png" alt="Ryan Wesley Routh takes part in a rally in central Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, April 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)" />
 <figcaption>Ryan Wesley Routh takes part in a rally in central Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, April 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Body camera footage shows Routh’s arrest</h2>Body camera footage posted on Facebook Monday shows the arrest of the man suspected in the apparent assassination attempt.The video posted by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office shows Ryan Routh walking backward with his hands over his head on the side of a road before being handcuffed and led away by law enforcement.<h2>Law enforcement block and search Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach</h2>Local law enforcement was still blocking the palm tree-lined road south of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, as a group of FBI agents were searching Monday near the hedge surrounding the property.Other investigators were also in the area walking back and forth from their vehicles to the hedge.Journalists had set up cameras near a gas station facing the property as temperatures were nearing 90 degrees Fahrenheit.<h2>‘There’s no quick fix,’ retired agent says of adding more personnel to the Secret Service</h2>Retired supervisory Secret Service agent Bobby McDonald, now a criminal justice lecturer at the University of New Haven, said Monday that he hopes the agency will analyze the Sunday’s events and take ownership of what went right and what went wrong — and use it to improve as it moves into the home stretch of election season.He noted that it’s a “very busy time” for the Secret Service with the election going on, more candidates now needing protection and with preparations underway for the United Nations General Assembly. The Secret Service currently has 40 people it’s responsible for protecting fulltime. In addition to Trump and Biden, that list also includes Harris, vice presidential candidates, other former presidents and their families and others.McDonald cautioned that it can take nine to 18 months to bring on a Secret Service staffer. The service may want to transfer more personnel from the investigative work the agency does to its protective side, McDonald said.“There is no quick fix,” he said, noting that temporarily bringing in people from outside the agency to help can come with its own challenges because they don’t regularly do protective work.<h2>Former Secret Service agent says there’s an obvious need for more protection for Trump</h2>Anthony Cangelosi, a former Secret Service agent, said the events Sunday show that there’s an obvious need for more personnel assigned to protect former President Trump.“They could have been utilized to secure the perimeter,” he said.He said it’s understandable that former presidents like Trump do not have the same level of protection as a sitting president. But, he said, Trump also isn’t like former presidents Obama or Clinton for example. He’s both a former president and a current nominee hoping to return to the White House.“He’s not your typical former president,” he said.Cangelosi, who’s currently a lecturer at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, questioned whether a request had been made by anyone in the Secret Service for more personnel and if so what happened to that request? And if no requests have been made for more personnel, why not?Without the resources to secure the entire perimeter, Cangelosi said the Secret Service did the next best thing, which was to have agents going ahead of the president to scout the next locations. He commended the work they did to spot the muzzle of the gun and open fire, saying they were vigilant. But he said there’s always a chance that they could have missed the muzzle. Extra coverage could include roving uniformed personnel outside the perimeter, for example, he said. The goal is to create a presence that serves as a deterrence.He said the Secret Service doesn’t have the extra personnel but they can be pulled from other agencies.

🎥President decries 2nd assassination attempt against Trump

JEFFERSON COUNTY—Four people were injured in an accident involving a school bus just after 7a.m. Monday in Jefferson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Volvo S80 driven by Linn&nbsp;Cote, 15, Ozawkie, was eastbound up a hill in the 12,000 Block of Kansas 92 just east of McCarter Drive.&nbsp; 

The sun was in the driver's eyes and he was unable to see a school bus driven by John Norman, 73,&nbsp;Oskaloosa,&nbsp;stopped picking up passengers. The car rear-ended the school bus.

EMS transported Cote and three passengers on the bus identified as 3-year-old Landry&nbsp;Milner, 5-year-old Serenity&nbsp;Eastridge and 10-year-old Annsley&nbsp;Eastridge, all of Oskaloosa, to Stormont Vail in Topeka.&nbsp; Norman and sixteen other passengers on the bus were not injured.&nbsp; Cote was properly restrained, according to the KHP.&nbsp; The KHP did not have details on the school or district involved.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636545715782.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>JEFFERSON COUNTY—Four people were injured in an accident involving a school bus just after 7a.m. Monday in Jefferson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Volvo S80 driven by Linn&nbsp;Cote, 15, Ozawkie, was eastbound up a hill in the 12,000 Block of Kansas 92 just east of McCarter Drive.&nbsp; The sun was in the driver's eyes and he was unable to see a school bus driven by John Norman, 73,&nbsp;Oskaloosa,&nbsp;stopped picking up passengers. The car rear-ended the school bus.EMS transported Cote and three passengers on the bus identified as 3-year-old Landry&nbsp;Milner, 5-year-old Serenity&nbsp;Eastridge and 10-year-old Annsley&nbsp;Eastridge, all of Oskaloosa, to Stormont Vail in Topeka.&nbsp; Norman and sixteen other passengers on the bus were not injured.&nbsp; Cote was properly restrained, according to the KHP.&nbsp; The KHP did not have details on the school or district involved.

3 children, Kan. teen driver hospitalized after car, school bus accident

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A federal judge in North Dakota has temporarily blocked a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/methane-leaks-limits-fees-biden-climate-change-34217e0d7cda1f2ebf75a9eb032f2dc5">new Biden administration rule</a>&nbsp;aimed at reducing the venting and flaring of natural gas at oil wells.

“At this preliminary stage, the plaintiffs have shown they are likely to succeed on the merits of their claim the 2024 Rule is arbitrary and capricious,” U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor ruled Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-regional/north-dakota-judge-blocks-blm-rule-legal-challenge-plays-out/article_ba81bc4a-71e6-11ef-873c-731f7d3970b4.html#tracking-source=home-top-story">the Bismarck Tribune reported.</a>

North Dakota, along with Montana, Texas, Wyoming and Utah, challenged the rule in federal court earlier this year, arguing that it would hinder oil and gas production and that the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management is overstepping its regulatory authority on non-federal minerals and air pollution.

The bureau says the rule is intended to reduce the waste of gas and that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-gas-drilling-public-lands-climate-wells-ceb61d62aecf09d9ba4cb72d0d7f39f4">royalty owners</a>&nbsp;would see over $50 million in additional payments if it was enforced.

But Traynor wrote that the rules "add nothing more than a layer of federal regulation on top of existing federal regulation.”

When pumping for oil, natural gas often comes up as a byproduct. Gas isn't as profitable as oil, so it is vented or flared unless the right equipment is in place to capture.

Methane, the main component of natural gas, is a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/methane-fee-epa-climate-biden-oil-gas-aed2fca450a4f29235083fc9dfcf8c42">climate “super pollutant”</a>&nbsp;that is many times more potent in the short term than carbon dioxide.

Well operators have reduced flaring rates in North Dakota significantly over the past few years, but they still hover around 5%, the Tribune reported. Reductions require infrastructure to capture, transport and use that gas.

North Dakota politicians praised the ruling.

“The Biden-Harris administration continuously attempts to overregulate and ultimately debilitate North Dakota’s energy production capabilities,” state Attorney General Drew Wrigley said in a statement.

The Bureau of Land Management declined comment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574099609456.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A federal judge in North Dakota has temporarily blocked a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/methane-leaks-limits-fees-biden-climate-change-34217e0d7cda1f2ebf75a9eb032f2dc5">new Biden administration rule</a>&nbsp;aimed at reducing the venting and flaring of natural gas at oil wells.“At this preliminary stage, the plaintiffs have shown they are likely to succeed on the merits of their claim the 2024 Rule is arbitrary and capricious,” U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor ruled Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-regional/north-dakota-judge-blocks-blm-rule-legal-challenge-plays-out/article_ba81bc4a-71e6-11ef-873c-731f7d3970b4.html#tracking-source=home-top-story">the Bismarck Tribune reported.</a>North Dakota, along with Montana, Texas, Wyoming and Utah, challenged the rule in federal court earlier this year, arguing that it would hinder oil and gas production and that the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management is overstepping its regulatory authority on non-federal minerals and air pollution.The bureau says the rule is intended to reduce the waste of gas and that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-gas-drilling-public-lands-climate-wells-ceb61d62aecf09d9ba4cb72d0d7f39f4">royalty owners</a>&nbsp;would see over $50 million in additional payments if it was enforced.But Traynor wrote that the rules "add nothing more than a layer of federal regulation on top of existing federal regulation.”When pumping for oil, natural gas often comes up as a byproduct. Gas isn't as profitable as oil, so it is vented or flared unless the right equipment is in place to capture.Methane, the main component of natural gas, is a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/methane-fee-epa-climate-biden-oil-gas-aed2fca450a4f29235083fc9dfcf8c42">climate “super pollutant”</a>&nbsp;that is many times more potent in the short term than carbon dioxide.Well operators have reduced flaring rates in North Dakota significantly over the past few years, but they still hover around 5%, the Tribune reported. Reductions require infrastructure to capture, transport and use that gas.North Dakota politicians praised the ruling.“The Biden-Harris administration continuously attempts to overregulate and ultimately debilitate North Dakota’s energy production capabilities,” state Attorney General Drew Wrigley said in a statement.The Bureau of Land Management declined comment.

Judge blocks Biden administration rule to limit flaring of gas at oil wells

SALINE COUNTY —A Mulvane man was arrested on Friday night after a physical altercation with police and security personnel at Salina Central Stadium following the Salina South vs. Maize South football game.&nbsp;

Just after 9:30 p.m., a school resource officer and a security guard were called to remove an adult spectator from the game due to disruptive behavior, according to Salina Police Department (SPD) Captain James Feldman.

A Salina South High School resource officer was approached by Salina South High staff wanting an adult fan from from Maize South removed from the game due to his behavior in the stands,&nbsp; according to Feldman&nbsp;

The suspect, later identified as Jonathan Cordova, 43, of Mulvane, initially complied with the request to leave the stadium but refused to vacate the property entirely, stating he needed to wait for someone.

Feldman could not provide details on the specific behavior that led to Cordova's removal from the stadium.

The officer told Cordova again to leave, and then he refused and proceeded to take steps towards the school resource officer.

The school resource then attempt to apprehend the suspect.

Cordova struck the 38-year-old resource officer multiple times in the head and also punched the 63-year-old security guard. The resource officer sustained a contusion above her left eye and the security guard suffered a head injury.

Attempts to subdue Cordova with a taser were initially unsuccessful, but after a second deployment, the taser was effective and he was taken into custody.

Cordova was booked into the Saline County Jail on requested charges of battery on a law enforcement officer, battery on a security guard, criminal trespass, and disorderly conduct, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726408012123.png" alt="Cordova photo Saline County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Cordova photo Saline County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —A Mulvane man was arrested on Friday night after a physical altercation with police and security personnel at Salina Central Stadium following the Salina South vs. Maize South football game.&nbsp;Just after 9:30 p.m., a school resource officer and a security guard were called to remove an adult spectator from the game due to disruptive behavior, according to Salina Police Department (SPD) Captain James Feldman.A Salina South High School resource officer was approached by Salina South High staff wanting an adult fan from from Maize South removed from the game due to his behavior in the stands,&nbsp; according to Feldman&nbsp;The suspect, later identified as Jonathan Cordova, 43, of Mulvane, initially complied with the request to leave the stadium but refused to vacate the property entirely, stating he needed to wait for someone.Feldman could not provide details on the specific behavior that led to Cordova's removal from the stadium.The officer told Cordova again to leave, and then he refused and proceeded to take steps towards the school resource officer.The school resource then attempt to apprehend the suspect.Cordova struck the 38-year-old resource officer multiple times in the head and also punched the 63-year-old security guard. The resource officer sustained a contusion above her left eye and the security guard suffered a head injury.Attempts to subdue Cordova with a taser were initially unsuccessful, but after a second deployment, the taser was effective and he was taken into custody.Cordova was booked into the Saline County Jail on requested charges of battery on a law enforcement officer, battery on a security guard, criminal trespass, and disorderly conduct, according to online jail records.

Kan. school resource officer injured during incident at football game

PALM BEACH, FL (AP) —Ryan Wesley Routh has had his first appearance in federal court.

During an eight-minute hearing, prosecutors levied two charges against him: possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

Officials said Routh could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted on the first charge, and a possible five-year sentence on the second charge.

A bond hearing has been schedule for Sept. 23, and a probable cause hearing or arraignment has been set for Sept. 30, depending on whether the government secures an indictment on the charges.

During the hearing, Routh gave routine information to court officials as to his work status and income. Speaking in a soft voice, he said that he was working and making around $3,000 a month, but has zero savings.

Routh said that he has no real estate or assets, aside from two trucks worth about $1,000, both located in Hawaii.

Routh also said that he has a 25-year-old son, whom he sometimes supports.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is blaming his political rivals’ rhetoric for Sunday’s apparent attempt on his life.

Trump said Monday in an interview with Fox News Digital that the accused gunman “believed the rhetoric of Biden and Harris, and he acted on it.”

The former president went on to say, “Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at, when I am the one who is going to save the country, and they are the ones that are destroying the country — both from the inside and out.”

The tone was different than the one Trump adopted immediately after the Pennsylvania assassination attempt in July, when he called for unity and a cooling of the campaign’s tenor, including during his speech at the Republican National Convention.

“They use highly inflammatory language,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “I can use it too — far better than they can — but I don’t.”

Routh had expressed support for Trump online in as recently as 2020, but in recent years, his posts suggest he soured on him, expressing support for Biden and Harris.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726480816341.png" alt="Ryan Wesley Routh takes part in a rally in central Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, April 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)" />
 <figcaption>Ryan Wesley Routh takes part in a rally in central Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, April 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)</figcaption>
 </figure>PALM BEACH, FL (AP) —Ryan Wesley Routh has had his first appearance in federal court.During an eight-minute hearing, prosecutors levied two charges against him: possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.Officials said Routh could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted on the first charge, and a possible five-year sentence on the second charge.A bond hearing has been schedule for Sept. 23, and a probable cause hearing or arraignment has been set for Sept. 30, depending on whether the government secures an indictment on the charges.During the hearing, Routh gave routine information to court officials as to his work status and income. Speaking in a soft voice, he said that he was working and making around $3,000 a month, but has zero savings.Routh said that he has no real estate or assets, aside from two trucks worth about $1,000, both located in Hawaii.Routh also said that he has a 25-year-old son, whom he sometimes supports.Meanwhile, Donald Trump is blaming his political rivals’ rhetoric for Sunday’s apparent attempt on his life.Trump said Monday in an interview with Fox News Digital that the accused gunman “believed the rhetoric of Biden and Harris, and he acted on it.”The former president went on to say, “Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at, when I am the one who is going to save the country, and they are the ones that are destroying the country — both from the inside and out.”The tone was different than the one Trump adopted immediately after the Pennsylvania assassination attempt in July, when he called for unity and a cooling of the campaign’s tenor, including during his speech at the Republican National Convention.“They use highly inflammatory language,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “I can use it too — far better than they can — but I don’t.”Routh had expressed support for Trump online in as recently as 2020, but in recent years, his posts suggest he soured on him, expressing support for Biden and Harris.

Suspect in 2nd assassination attempt of Donald Trump appears in court

GEARY COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in connection with a fatal crash in March that killed a police officer on his way home from work has been arrested.

On August, 19-year-old Gage Kaiser was charged with involuntary manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and aggravated battery, according to the&nbsp;the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.&nbsp;

The accident occurred just before 3:30a.m. March 16, when a passenger vehicle driven by 26-year-old Scott Hollingsworth was southbound on U.S. 81 at 119th Street, according to Sumner County Sheriff's Lt. Mike Friday. A westbound pickup struck the vehicle driven by Hollingsworth.&nbsp;

Hollingsworth was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; EMS transported three passengers in the pickup to an area hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The pickup driver, later identified as Kaiser, was not injured.

Clearwater PD said Hollingsworth had served the department for a year.

On Sept. 10, Geary County deputies arrested Kaiser. He&nbsp;remains in the Geary County Detention Facility on a $200,000 bond.

Hollingsworth's survivors included his wife, Hadley, daughter, Claire, parents, Greg and Nataly, and siblings, Jordan and Sydney.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726259901569.png" alt="Kaiser photo Geary Co." />
 <figcaption>Kaiser photo Geary Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>GEARY COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in connection with a fatal crash in March that killed a police officer on his way home from work has been arrested.On August, 19-year-old Gage Kaiser was charged with involuntary manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and aggravated battery, according to the&nbsp;the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710681634704.png" alt="Officer Scott Hollingsworth-photo city of Clearwater" />
 <figcaption>Officer Scott Hollingsworth-photo city of Clearwater</figcaption>
 </figure>The accident occurred just before 3:30a.m. March 16, when a passenger vehicle driven by 26-year-old Scott Hollingsworth was southbound on U.S. 81 at 119th Street, according to Sumner County Sheriff's Lt. Mike Friday. A westbound pickup struck the vehicle driven by Hollingsworth.&nbsp;Hollingsworth was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; EMS transported three passengers in the pickup to an area hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The pickup driver, later identified as Kaiser, was not injured.Clearwater PD said Hollingsworth had served the department for a year.On Sept. 10, Geary County deputies arrested Kaiser. He&nbsp;remains in the Geary County Detention Facility on a $200,000 bond.Hollingsworth's survivors included his wife, Hadley, daughter, Claire, parents, Greg and Nataly, and siblings, Jordan and Sydney.&nbsp;

Kansas man charged in crash that killed police officer

By NICK GOSNELL Hutch Post

Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas wants those who are interested in going elsewhere for the holidays to work on those plans.

"It's definitely time to start looking at Thanksgiving and year-end holidays and making your plans now," Steward said. "Book those flights, book those rental cars, hotels, cruises, whatever you might have in mind for holiday travel."

AAA advises booking as soon as the decision is made to travel, increasing the opportunity for a positive, stress-free experience.

"We've had a record breaking travel summer," Steward said. "We don't anticipate there being much of a drop off, if not any at all. Almost every aspect of travel is in high demand right now. Cruises are selling out. Air travel has been at record levels this past summer. Since May, the Transportation Security Administration has recorded its ten busiest days in the agency's history."

The latest findings from the Family Travel Association indicate a continued, strong desire for family travel and certainly Thanksgiving and the year-end holiday period will be no exception.

"Family travel is fun," Steward said. "It certainly requires some logistics planning. AAA has developed a website called <a href="https://familytravelpassport.com/">Family Travel Passport</a>, which helps parents and kids work together to explore options, figure out what they like and help them plan destinations that they may be interested in, not only for the end of this year, but in the future."

AAA reminds anyone planning to travel domestically over Thanksgiving or the year-end holidays that the benefits of Membership travel with the person, not the vehicle, so you are covered for Emergency Roadside Service whether you are driving your own car, someone else’s car or a rental.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726229596822.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostShawn Steward with AAA Kansas wants those who are interested in going elsewhere for the holidays to work on those plans."It's definitely time to start looking at Thanksgiving and year-end holidays and making your plans now," Steward said. "Book those flights, book those rental cars, hotels, cruises, whatever you might have in mind for holiday travel."AAA advises booking as soon as the decision is made to travel, increasing the opportunity for a positive, stress-free experience."We've had a record breaking travel summer," Steward said. "We don't anticipate there being much of a drop off, if not any at all. Almost every aspect of travel is in high demand right now. Cruises are selling out. Air travel has been at record levels this past summer. Since May, the Transportation Security Administration has recorded its ten busiest days in the agency's history."The latest findings from the Family Travel Association indicate a continued, strong desire for family travel and certainly Thanksgiving and the year-end holiday period will be no exception."Family travel is fun," Steward said. "It certainly requires some logistics planning. AAA has developed a website called <a href="https://familytravelpassport.com/">Family Travel Passport</a>, which helps parents and kids work together to explore options, figure out what they like and help them plan destinations that they may be interested in, not only for the end of this year, but in the future."AAA reminds anyone planning to travel domestically over Thanksgiving or the year-end holidays that the benefits of Membership travel with the person, not the vehicle, so you are covered for Emergency Roadside Service whether you are driving your own car, someone else’s car or a rental.

AAA: Make holiday travel plans now

Sternberg Museum snapping turtle dies

WASHINGTON (AP)—The U.S. government and TikTok will go head-to-head in federal court on Monday as oral arguments begin in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-3b4c1fa44c89d4568d26f1c7caf303ec">consequential legal case</a>&nbsp;that will determine if – or how — a popular social media platform used by nearly half of all Americans will continue to operate in the country.

Attorneys for the two sides will appear before a panel of judges at the federal appeals court in Washington. TikTok and its China-based parent company, ByteDance, are challenging a U.S. law that requires them to break ties or face a ban in the U.S. by mid-January. The legal battle is expected to reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, was a culmination of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-timeline-ban-biden-india-d3219a32de913f8083612e71ecf1f428">years-long saga in Washington</a>&nbsp;over the short-form video-sharing app, which the government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-bytedance-shou-zi-chew-8d8a6a9694357040d484670b7f4833be">sees as a national security threat</a>&nbsp;due to its connections to China. But TikTok argues the law&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-bytedance-ban-sell-china-e2d927825f1539c787c4b15b74b0919a">runs afoul of the First Amendment</a>&nbsp;while other opponents claim it mirrors crackdowns sometimes seen in authoritarian countries abroad.

In court documents submitted over the summer, the Justice Department emphasized the government’s two primary concerns. First, TikTok collects vast swaths of user data, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-bytedance-censorship-us-data-240e11d9bb6212b0c9b1adab821e5005">sensitive information on viewing habits</a>, that could fall into the hands of the Chinese government through coercion. Second, the U.S. says the proprietary algorithm that fuels what users see on the app is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to shape content on the platform in a way that’s difficult to detect.

TikTok has repeatedly said it does not share U.S. user data with the Chinese government and that concerns the government has raised have never been substantiated. In court documents, attorneys for both TikTok and its parent company have argued that members of Congress sought to punish the platform based on propaganda they perceived to be on TikTok. The companies also claimed divestment is not possible and that the app would have to shut down by Jan. 19 if the courts don’t step in to block the law.

“Even if divestiture were feasible, TikTok in the United States would still be reduced to a shell of its former self, stripped of the innovative and expressive technology that tailors content to each user,” the companies said in a legal brief filed in June. “It would also become an island, preventing Americans from exchanging views with the global TikTok community.”

Opponents of the law stress a ban would also cause disruptions in the world of marketing, retail and in the lives of many different content creators, some of whom&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-creators-sue-ban-bytedance-3324b0fee4473f6e05c5c51ae5ff6946">also sued the government</a>&nbsp;in May. TikTok is covering the legal costs for that lawsuit, which the court has consolidated with the company’s complaint and another filed on behalf of conservative creators who work with a nonprofit called BASED Politics Inc.

Though the government’s primary reasoning for the law is public, significant portions of its court filings include classified information that has been redacted and hidden from public view. The companies have asked the court to reject the secret filings or appoint a district judge who can ferret through the material, which the government has opposed because it will cause a delay in the case. If admitted into the court, legal experts say those secret filings could make it nearly impossible to know some of the factors that could play a part in the eventual ruling.

In one of the redacted statements submitted in late July, the Justice Department claimed TikTok took direction from the Chinese government about content on its platform, without disclosing additional details about when or why those incidents occurred. Casey Blackburn, a senior U.S. intelligence official, wrote in a legal statement that ByteDance and TikTok “have taken action in response” to Chinese government demands “to censor content outside of China.” Though the intelligence community had “no information” that this has happened on the platform operated by TikTok in the U.S., Blackburn said there is a risk it “may” occur.

In a separate document submitted to court, the DOJ said the U.S. is “not required to wait until its foreign adversary takes specific detrimental actions before responding to such a threat.”

The companies, however, argue the government could have taken a more tailored approach to resolve its concerns.

During high-stakes negotiations with the Biden administration more than two years ago, TikTok presented the government with a draft 90-page agreement that allows a third party to monitor the platform’s algorithm, content moderation practices and other programming. TikTok says it has spent more than $2 billion to voluntarily implement some of these measures, which include storing U.S. user data on servers controlled by the tech giant Oracle. But it said a deal was not reached because government officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-bytedance-lawsuit-ban-5fc3bb029141b314c1f9d54b2ea47e61">essentially walked away</a>&nbsp;from the negotiating table in August 2022.

Justice officials have argued complying with the draft agreement is impossible, or would require extensive resources, due to the size and the technical complexity of TikTok. The Justice Department also said the only thing that would resolve the government’s concerns is severing the ties between TikTok and ByteDance given the porous relationship between the Chinese government and Chinese companies.

But some observers have wondered whether such a move would accelerate the so-called “decoupling” between the U.S. and its strategic rival at a time when other China-founded companies, such as Shein and Temu, are also making a big splash in the West. Last week, the Biden administration proposed rules that would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-china-tariffs-temu-sheinde-minimis-8dc53cf600ce03e54dcdb0877fded11e">crack down on duty-free products</a>&nbsp;being shipped directly from China.

For its part, ByteDance has publicly said TikTok is not up for sale. But that has not stopped some investors, including former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and billionaire Frank McCourt, from announcing bids to purchase the platform. However, even if such a sale would occur, it would most likely be devoid of TikTok's coveted algorithm, leaving a big question mark on whether the platform would be capable of serving up the type of personally tailored videos that users have come to expect.

The political alignments on the issue are playing out in unconventional ways.

The law, which passed with bipartisan approval in Congress, had encountered resistance from some progressive and Republican lawmakers who voiced concerns about giving the government the power to ban a platform used by 170 million Americans. Former President Donald Trump, who tried to ban TikTok while in office, is now opposing a ban because that would help its rival, Facebook, a platform Trump continues to criticize over his 2020 election loss.

In court, free speech and social justice groups have submitted amicus briefs in support of TikTok, arguing it restricts the First Amendment rights of users and suppresses the speech of minority communities by disrupting a tool many of them use to advocate for causes online. Some libertarian groups with ties to ByteDance investor Jeff Yass have also filed briefs supporting the company.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration has received the backing of more than 20 Republican attorneys general, former national security officials and China-focused human rights groups who are asking the court to uphold the law.

WASHINGTON (AP)—The U.S. government and TikTok will go head-to-head in federal court on Monday as oral arguments begin in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-3b4c1fa44c89d4568d26f1c7caf303ec">consequential legal case</a>&nbsp;that will determine if – or how — a popular social media platform used by nearly half of all Americans will continue to operate in the country.Attorneys for the two sides will appear before a panel of judges at the federal appeals court in Washington. TikTok and its China-based parent company, ByteDance, are challenging a U.S. law that requires them to break ties or face a ban in the U.S. by mid-January. The legal battle is expected to reach the U.S. Supreme Court.The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, was a culmination of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-timeline-ban-biden-india-d3219a32de913f8083612e71ecf1f428">years-long saga in Washington</a>&nbsp;over the short-form video-sharing app, which the government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-bytedance-shou-zi-chew-8d8a6a9694357040d484670b7f4833be">sees as a national security threat</a>&nbsp;due to its connections to China. But TikTok argues the law&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-bytedance-ban-sell-china-e2d927825f1539c787c4b15b74b0919a">runs afoul of the First Amendment</a>&nbsp;while other opponents claim it mirrors crackdowns sometimes seen in authoritarian countries abroad.In court documents submitted over the summer, the Justice Department emphasized the government’s two primary concerns. First, TikTok collects vast swaths of user data, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-bytedance-censorship-us-data-240e11d9bb6212b0c9b1adab821e5005">sensitive information on viewing habits</a>, that could fall into the hands of the Chinese government through coercion. Second, the U.S. says the proprietary algorithm that fuels what users see on the app is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to shape content on the platform in a way that’s difficult to detect.TikTok has repeatedly said it does not share U.S. user data with the Chinese government and that concerns the government has raised have never been substantiated. In court documents, attorneys for both TikTok and its parent company have argued that members of Congress sought to punish the platform based on propaganda they perceived to be on TikTok. The companies also claimed divestment is not possible and that the app would have to shut down by Jan. 19 if the courts don’t step in to block the law.“Even if divestiture were feasible, TikTok in the United States would still be reduced to a shell of its former self, stripped of the innovative and expressive technology that tailors content to each user,” the companies said in a legal brief filed in June. “It would also become an island, preventing Americans from exchanging views with the global TikTok community.”Opponents of the law stress a ban would also cause disruptions in the world of marketing, retail and in the lives of many different content creators, some of whom&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-creators-sue-ban-bytedance-3324b0fee4473f6e05c5c51ae5ff6946">also sued the government</a>&nbsp;in May. TikTok is covering the legal costs for that lawsuit, which the court has consolidated with the company’s complaint and another filed on behalf of conservative creators who work with a nonprofit called BASED Politics Inc.Though the government’s primary reasoning for the law is public, significant portions of its court filings include classified information that has been redacted and hidden from public view. The companies have asked the court to reject the secret filings or appoint a district judge who can ferret through the material, which the government has opposed because it will cause a delay in the case. If admitted into the court, legal experts say those secret filings could make it nearly impossible to know some of the factors that could play a part in the eventual ruling.In one of the redacted statements submitted in late July, the Justice Department claimed TikTok took direction from the Chinese government about content on its platform, without disclosing additional details about when or why those incidents occurred. Casey Blackburn, a senior U.S. intelligence official, wrote in a legal statement that ByteDance and TikTok “have taken action in response” to Chinese government demands “to censor content outside of China.” Though the intelligence community had “no information” that this has happened on the platform operated by TikTok in the U.S., Blackburn said there is a risk it “may” occur.In a separate document submitted to court, the DOJ said the U.S. is “not required to wait until its foreign adversary takes specific detrimental actions before responding to such a threat.”The companies, however, argue the government could have taken a more tailored approach to resolve its concerns.During high-stakes negotiations with the Biden administration more than two years ago, TikTok presented the government with a draft 90-page agreement that allows a third party to monitor the platform’s algorithm, content moderation practices and other programming. TikTok says it has spent more than $2 billion to voluntarily implement some of these measures, which include storing U.S. user data on servers controlled by the tech giant Oracle. But it said a deal was not reached because government officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-bytedance-lawsuit-ban-5fc3bb029141b314c1f9d54b2ea47e61">essentially walked away</a>&nbsp;from the negotiating table in August 2022.Justice officials have argued complying with the draft agreement is impossible, or would require extensive resources, due to the size and the technical complexity of TikTok. The Justice Department also said the only thing that would resolve the government’s concerns is severing the ties between TikTok and ByteDance given the porous relationship between the Chinese government and Chinese companies.But some observers have wondered whether such a move would accelerate the so-called “decoupling” between the U.S. and its strategic rival at a time when other China-founded companies, such as Shein and Temu, are also making a big splash in the West. Last week, the Biden administration proposed rules that would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-china-tariffs-temu-sheinde-minimis-8dc53cf600ce03e54dcdb0877fded11e">crack down on duty-free products</a>&nbsp;being shipped directly from China.For its part, ByteDance has publicly said TikTok is not up for sale. But that has not stopped some investors, including former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and billionaire Frank McCourt, from announcing bids to purchase the platform. However, even if such a sale would occur, it would most likely be devoid of TikTok's coveted algorithm, leaving a big question mark on whether the platform would be capable of serving up the type of personally tailored videos that users have come to expect.The political alignments on the issue are playing out in unconventional ways.The law, which passed with bipartisan approval in Congress, had encountered resistance from some progressive and Republican lawmakers who voiced concerns about giving the government the power to ban a platform used by 170 million Americans. Former President Donald Trump, who tried to ban TikTok while in office, is now opposing a ban because that would help its rival, Facebook, a platform Trump continues to criticize over his 2020 election loss.In court, free speech and social justice groups have submitted amicus briefs in support of TikTok, arguing it restricts the First Amendment rights of users and suppresses the speech of minority communities by disrupting a tool many of them use to advocate for causes online. Some libertarian groups with ties to ByteDance investor Jeff Yass have also filed briefs supporting the company.Meanwhile, the Biden administration has received the backing of more than 20 Republican attorneys general, former national security officials and China-focused human rights groups who are asking the court to uphold the law.

TikTok crucial court hearing over US law that could lead to a ban

NEOSHO COUNTY —Several schools in southeast Kansas received threats last week, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Chanute Police Department and USD 413, with the assistance of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Wilson County Sheriff’s Office, Allen County Sheriff’s Office took a juvenile suspect into custody in connection with a social media threat made against the schools in Chanute, according to a statement from the police department.

 Upon completion of the investigation reports will be forwarded to Neosho County Attorney’s Office for review and consideration of charges being filed.&nbsp;

Police reminded, "If you see or hear a threat, or have any school safety concern, please don’t hesitate to report it to law enforcement."

"Threats against schools, even false threats, are not a joke. They are crimes that can have severe consequences."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697128767642.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEOSHO COUNTY —Several schools in southeast Kansas received threats last week, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Chanute Police Department and USD 413, with the assistance of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Wilson County Sheriff’s Office, Allen County Sheriff’s Office took a juvenile suspect into custody in connection with a social media threat made against the schools in Chanute, according to a statement from the police department. Upon completion of the investigation reports will be forwarded to Neosho County Attorney’s Office for review and consideration of charges being filed.&nbsp;Police reminded, "If you see or hear a threat, or have any school safety concern, please don’t hesitate to report it to law enforcement.""Threats against schools, even false threats, are not a joke. They are crimes that can have severe consequences."

Kan. juvenile suspect accused of online threat against schools

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is safe following what the FBI says&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-gunshots-florida-f62f8378d3a8ce7b2e99d6a8fb40aba9">"appears to be an attempted assassination”</a>&nbsp;while playing golf two months after another attempt on his life at a rally in Pennsylvania.

Members of the Kansas congressional delegation made comments on the assassination attempt on social media.

Local authorities said the U.S. Secret Service agents protecting Trump fired at a man pointing an AK-style rifle with a scope as Trump was playing on one of his Florida golf courses in West Palm Beach.

Here are five things to know about what happened Sunday to the Republican presidential nominee.

Law enforcement officials said the man who pointed the rifle and was arrested is Ryan Wesley Routh. The officials identified the suspect to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.

The suspect dropped the weapon and fled in an SUV and was later taken into custody in a neighboring county, authorities said. A motive is unclear. Local authorities said the gunman had two backpacks hanging on a fence and a GoPro camera.

Routh was convicted in 2002 of possessing a weapon of mass destruction, according to North Carolina Department of Adult Correction online records.

The records do not provide details about the case. But a&nbsp;<a href="https://greensboro.com/article_3006b4f9-9370-5b08-a54e-46c87faf6cbe.html">News &amp; Record</a>&nbsp;story from 2002 says a man with the same name was arrested after a three-hour standoff with police. The story says he was pulled over during a traffic stop, put his hand on a gun and barricaded himself inside a roofing business. Routh was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and possessing a weapon of mass destruction, “referring to a fully automatic machine gun,” according to the News &amp; Record.

Local authorities said the gunman was about 400 yards to 500 yards away from Trump and hiding in shrubbery while the former president was playing a round of golf at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.

Ric Bradshaw, sheriff of Palm Beach County, said that when people get into the shrubbery around the course, “they’re pretty much out of sight.” Bradshaw said the entire golf course would have been lined with law enforcement if Trump were the sitting president, but because he’s not, “security is limited to the areas the Secret Service deems possible.”

Trump’s protective detail has been higher than some of his peers because of his high visibility and his campaign to seek the White House again. His security was bolstered days before the July assassination attempt in Pennsylvania because of a threat on Trump’s life from Iran, U.S. officials said.

In an email to supporters, Trump said: “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!”

His running mate,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jd-vance">JD Vance</a>, and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said they spoke with Trump after the incident, and both said he was in “good spirits.” Trump also checked in with several Fox News hosts.

Fox News host Sean Hannity, a close friend of the former president's, said on air that he spoke with Trump and his golf partner, Steve Witkoff, afterward. They told Hannity they had been on the fifth hole when they heard a “pop pop, pop pop.” Within seconds, he said Witkoff recounted, Secret Service agents “pounced on” Trump and “covered him” to protect him.

Moments later, Witkoff said, a “fast cart” with steel reinforcement and other protection was able to whisk Trump away.

Hannity said Trump’s reaction after this happened — and when it was clear that everyone, including Witkoff, was safe — was to quip that he was sad he hadn’t been able to finish the hole since he “was even and had a birdie putt.”

What is Vice President Kamala Harris saying?

Harris, Trump's Democratic opponent in the presidential election, posted on X that she had been briefed on the reports of gunshots fired.

“I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.”

The White House said President Joe Biden and Harris would be kept updated on the investigation. The White House added it was “relieved” to know Trump is safe.

Trump has not announced any changes to his schedule and is set to speak live on X on Monday night from his Mar-a-Lago resort to launch his sons’ crypto platform.

Meanwhile, the leaders of a congressional bipartisan task force investigating the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump said they have requested a briefing by the Secret Service.

“We are thankful that the former President was not harmed, but remain deeply concerned about political violence and condemn it in all of its forms,” Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., and Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., said in a statement. They said the task force will share updates.

U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Florida Democrat who is part of the task force, said he “will seek answers about what happened today and then.”

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is safe following what the FBI says&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-gunshots-florida-f62f8378d3a8ce7b2e99d6a8fb40aba9">"appears to be an attempted assassination”</a>&nbsp;while playing golf two months after another attempt on his life at a rally in Pennsylvania.Members of the Kansas congressional delegation made comments on the assassination attempt on social media.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Glad to hear President Trump is safe. Thank you to our law enforcement officers for acting quickly to ensure safety.&mdash; Senator Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran/status/1835451226890326425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I am grateful that President Trump is safe and that no one was harmed in today’s shooting. May God bless President Trump and continue to watch over him and his family.&mdash; Tracey Mann (@RepMann) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMann/status/1835418308700467215?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I&#39;m grateful that President Trump has survived yet another apparent assassination attempt. This shouldn&#39;t be happening in the United States of America – we make our voices heard at the ballot box. Our constitutional republic works through voting, not through violence.&mdash; Rep. Ron Estes (@RepRonEstes) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRonEstes/status/1835463185127645599?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I am glad to hear President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> is safe. Continuing our prayers for him, his family, and everyone involved. <a href="https://t.co/BjGmcutxQ8">https://t.co/BjGmcutxQ8</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1835409165382021208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I thank God that President Trump is safe following yesterday’s assassination attempt in Florida. Thank you to the law enforcement officers who acted swiftly and apprehended the suspect. 1/2&mdash; Rep. Jake LaTurner (@RepLaTurner) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLaTurner/status/1835704324229382341?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Local authorities said the U.S. Secret Service agents protecting Trump fired at a man pointing an AK-style rifle with a scope as Trump was playing on one of his Florida golf courses in West Palm Beach.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Statement from President Biden <a href="https://t.co/F3qMyF2qdX">pic.twitter.com/F3qMyF2qdX</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1835479688099119569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Here are five things to know about what happened Sunday to the Republican presidential nominee.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726480816341.png" alt="Ryan Wesley Routh takes part in a rally in central Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, April 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)" />
 <figcaption>Ryan Wesley Routh takes part in a rally in central Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, April 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Who is the suspect?</h2>Law enforcement officials said the man who pointed the rifle and was arrested is Ryan Wesley Routh. The officials identified the suspect to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726432346578.png" alt="Sheriff's Deputies stop the suspect-photo Martin County Florida Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Sheriff's Deputies stop the suspect-photo Martin County Florida Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>The suspect dropped the weapon and fled in an SUV and was later taken into custody in a neighboring county, authorities said. A motive is unclear. Local authorities said the gunman had two backpacks hanging on a fence and a GoPro camera.Routh was convicted in 2002 of possessing a weapon of mass destruction, according to North Carolina Department of Adult Correction online records.The records do not provide details about the case. But a&nbsp;<a href="https://greensboro.com/article_3006b4f9-9370-5b08-a54e-46c87faf6cbe.html">News &amp; Record</a>&nbsp;story from 2002 says a man with the same name was arrested after a three-hour standoff with police. The story says he was pulled over during a traffic stop, put his hand on a gun and barricaded himself inside a roofing business. Routh was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and possessing a weapon of mass destruction, “referring to a fully automatic machine gun,” according to the News &amp; Record.<h2>How did this happen?</h2>Local authorities said the gunman was about 400 yards to 500 yards away from Trump and hiding in shrubbery while the former president was playing a round of golf at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726442796445.png" alt="Photos of the AK-47 rifle, a backpack and a Go-Pro camera on a fence outside Trump International Golf Club taken after an apparent assassination attempt on the former President Donald Trump, are displayed by West Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw during a news conference at the Palm Beach County Main Library.-image West Palm Beach Police" />
 <figcaption>Photos of the AK-47 rifle, a backpack and a Go-Pro camera on a fence outside Trump International Golf Club taken after an apparent assassination attempt on the former President Donald Trump, are displayed by West Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw during a news conference at the Palm Beach County Main Library.-image West Palm Beach Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Ric Bradshaw, sheriff of Palm Beach County, said that when people get into the shrubbery around the course, “they’re pretty much out of sight.” Bradshaw said the entire golf course would have been lined with law enforcement if Trump were the sitting president, but because he’s not, “security is limited to the areas the Secret Service deems possible.”Trump’s protective detail has been higher than some of his peers because of his high visibility and his campaign to seek the White House again. His security was bolstered days before the July assassination attempt in Pennsylvania because of a threat on Trump’s life from Iran, U.S. officials said.<h2>What has Trump said since the attempt?</h2>In an email to supporters, Trump said: “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!”His running mate,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jd-vance">JD Vance</a>, and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said they spoke with Trump after the incident, and both said he was in “good spirits.” Trump also checked in with several Fox News hosts.Fox News host Sean Hannity, a close friend of the former president's, said on air that he spoke with Trump and his golf partner, Steve Witkoff, afterward. They told Hannity they had been on the fifth hole when they heard a “pop pop, pop pop.” Within seconds, he said Witkoff recounted, Secret Service agents “pounced on” Trump and “covered him” to protect him.Moments later, Witkoff said, a “fast cart” with steel reinforcement and other protection was able to whisk Trump away.Hannity said Trump’s reaction after this happened — and when it was clear that everyone, including Witkoff, was safe — was to quip that he was sad he hadn’t been able to finish the hole since he “was even and had a birdie putt.”<h2>What is Vice President Kamala Harris saying?</h2>Harris, Trump's Democratic opponent in the presidential election, posted on X that she had been briefed on the reports of gunshots fired.“I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.”The White House said President Joe Biden and Harris would be kept updated on the investigation. The White House added it was “relieved” to know Trump is safe.<h2>What’s next?</h2>Trump has not announced any changes to his schedule and is set to speak live on X on Monday night from his Mar-a-Lago resort to launch his sons’ crypto platform.Meanwhile, the leaders of a congressional bipartisan task force investigating the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump said they have requested a briefing by the Secret Service.“We are thankful that the former President was not harmed, but remain deeply concerned about political violence and condemn it in all of its forms,” Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., and Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., said in a statement. They said the task force will share updates.U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Florida Democrat who is part of the task force, said he “will seek answers about what happened today and then.”