DETROIT (AP) —The leader of the United Auto Workers said that a limited strike targeting plants in Missouri, Michigan and Ohio may be expanded if “serious progress” toward an new contract agreement isn't made by Friday at noon.

The UAW for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/auto-workers-strike-ford-gm-stellantis-78ff5706878c1308cb45d63c8db7e99b">first time in its history</a>&nbsp;is striking at all three Detroit automakers, but the 13,000 workers on the picket lines for a fifth day Tuesday are hitting only three facilities, one each at GM, Ford and Stellantis, in a novel strategy.

The union can stretch the funds it maintains for striking autoworkers if it limits picketing, but the targeted strikes can still ripple through integrated production systems.

In a video statement late Monday, UAW President Shawn Fain said more factories may be picketed if there is no significant progress in talks by the end of the week.

“We’re not messing around,” he said.

Stellantis resumed negotiations with the UAW this week and on Tuesday, the company's North American Chief Operating Officer Mart Stewart said common ground is still being sought to end the standoff.

“I hope that we're able to do that by Friday,” Stewart said on CNBC.

A spokesman for General Motors said representatives of the company and the United Auto Workers also were continuing to negotiate.

Fain said on NPR that there is “a long way to go,” and if significant progress is not made, "then we will escalate action.”

The union's strategy hinges on its ability to escalate the strike quickly, and the carmakers are warning of potential layoffs as the limited strike reduces the amount of material needed at plants that remain open.

GM said Monday that 2,000 UAW-represented workers at an assembly plant in Kansas City are “expected to be idled as soon as early this week" because of a shortage of supplies from a GM plant near St. Louis, where workers walked off the job Friday.

Workers at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gm.com/company/facilities/fairfax">Kansas City plant</a>&nbsp;build the Chevrolet Malibu and Cadillac XT4.

The strike could begin to affect suppliers and their employees too. CIE Newcor told Michigan officials that it expects a one-month closure of four plants in the state to start Oct. 2 and idle nearly 300 workers.

In a sign of concern of the strike's potential economic and political fallout, the Biden administration stepped up its response.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she is hoping for a quick resolution, while adding that is too soon to gauge the strike's impact.

“It's premature to be making forecasts about what it means for the economy. It would depend on how long the strike lasts and who would be affected by it,” she said on CNBC.

Strikes by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/writers-strike-hollywood-wga-926179281803e10b1d501dcab93e305d">Hollywood writers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/actors-strike-explained-2607dd29da6c16c0a406359a7e86d7fb">actors</a>, by workers at about 150 Starbucks locations and walkouts that were narrowly averted at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ups-teamsters-contract-union-voting-b104ca459ddb810f2018c68046d063ed">United Parcel Service</a>&nbsp;and West Coast ports — has been driven by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-unemployment-inflation-layoffs-economy-federal-reserve-9a0309b7644eb10f4069d9cab0d66687">strong labor market</a>&nbsp;and high demand for workers as well as living costs that have risen rapidly.

President Joe Biden is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-strike-automakers-uaw-gm-50d3fbb70714b2faff3b87b596fc0455">sending two top administration officials</a>&nbsp;to Detroit to meet with both sides. Biden has backed the UAW in brief public comments, saying that the automakers have not fairly shared their record profits with workers.

An administration official said Monday that acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and senior aide Gene Sperling will not serve as mediators — they won't be at the bargaining table — but are going to Detroit “to help support the negotiations in any way the parties feel is constructive.” The official was not authorized to discuss private discussions and spoke anonymously.

Fain said the Biden administration won't broker a deal

“This is our battle. Our members are out there manning the picket lines," he said Monday on MSNBC. “This battle is not about the president, it’s not about the former president” —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-debate-strike-f79e9f0db53694206805d0bd3ae6683a">a reference to reports</a>&nbsp;that former President Donald Trump plans to skip a debate for Republican presidential candidates next week to meet with striking autoworkers in Detroit.

And Fain came back to the issue early Tuesday, dismissing Trump's planned visit with striking workers.

“Every fiber of our union is being poured into fighting the billionaire class and an economy that enriches people like Donald Trump at the expense of workers," Fain said in a prepared statement. "We can’t keep electing billionaires and millionaires that don’t have any understanding what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck and struggle to get by and expecting them to solve the problems of the working class.”

Ford workers on a picket line outside a plant in the Detroit suburb of Wayne this week were joined by members of other unions and the occasional politician.

Tevita Uhatafe, an aircraft-maintenance worker from Arlington, Texas, showed his support and saw what it might look like if UAW members strike against a GM truck plant in his hometown.

“This is a fight that is most likely going to happen in our backyard,” Uhatafe said.

U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., said she walked the picket line because the strike “is showcasing a modern movement for worker justice and worker fairness.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695120321769.png" alt="So far the strike is limited to about 13,000 workers at three factories — one each at GM, Ford and Stellantis, the successor to Fiat Chrysler.-photo UAW" />
 <figcaption>So far the strike is limited to about 13,000 workers at three factories — one each at GM, Ford and Stellantis, the successor to Fiat Chrysler.-photo UAW</figcaption>
 </figure>DETROIT (AP) —The leader of the United Auto Workers said that a limited strike targeting plants in Missouri, Michigan and Ohio may be expanded if “serious progress” toward an new contract agreement isn't made by Friday at noon.The UAW for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/auto-workers-strike-ford-gm-stellantis-78ff5706878c1308cb45d63c8db7e99b">first time in its history</a>&nbsp;is striking at all three Detroit automakers, but the 13,000 workers on the picket lines for a fifth day Tuesday are hitting only three facilities, one each at GM, Ford and Stellantis, in a novel strategy.The union can stretch the funds it maintains for striking autoworkers if it limits picketing, but the targeted strikes can still ripple through integrated production systems.In a video statement late Monday, UAW President Shawn Fain said more factories may be picketed if there is no significant progress in talks by the end of the week.“We’re not messing around,” he said.Stellantis resumed negotiations with the UAW this week and on Tuesday, the company's North American Chief Operating Officer Mart Stewart said common ground is still being sought to end the standoff.“I hope that we're able to do that by Friday,” Stewart said on CNBC.A spokesman for General Motors said representatives of the company and the United Auto Workers also were continuing to negotiate.Fain said on NPR that there is “a long way to go,” and if significant progress is not made, "then we will escalate action.”The union's strategy hinges on its ability to escalate the strike quickly, and the carmakers are warning of potential layoffs as the limited strike reduces the amount of material needed at plants that remain open.GM said Monday that 2,000 UAW-represented workers at an assembly plant in Kansas City are “expected to be idled as soon as early this week" because of a shortage of supplies from a GM plant near St. Louis, where workers walked off the job Friday.Workers at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gm.com/company/facilities/fairfax">Kansas City plant</a>&nbsp;build the Chevrolet Malibu and Cadillac XT4.The strike could begin to affect suppliers and their employees too. CIE Newcor told Michigan officials that it expects a one-month closure of four plants in the state to start Oct. 2 and idle nearly 300 workers.In a sign of concern of the strike's potential economic and political fallout, the Biden administration stepped up its response.Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she is hoping for a quick resolution, while adding that is too soon to gauge the strike's impact.“It's premature to be making forecasts about what it means for the economy. It would depend on how long the strike lasts and who would be affected by it,” she said on CNBC.Strikes by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/writers-strike-hollywood-wga-926179281803e10b1d501dcab93e305d">Hollywood writers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/actors-strike-explained-2607dd29da6c16c0a406359a7e86d7fb">actors</a>, by workers at about 150 Starbucks locations and walkouts that were narrowly averted at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ups-teamsters-contract-union-voting-b104ca459ddb810f2018c68046d063ed">United Parcel Service</a>&nbsp;and West Coast ports — has been driven by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-unemployment-inflation-layoffs-economy-federal-reserve-9a0309b7644eb10f4069d9cab0d66687">strong labor market</a>&nbsp;and high demand for workers as well as living costs that have risen rapidly.President Joe Biden is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-strike-automakers-uaw-gm-50d3fbb70714b2faff3b87b596fc0455">sending two top administration officials</a>&nbsp;to Detroit to meet with both sides. Biden has backed the UAW in brief public comments, saying that the automakers have not fairly shared their record profits with workers.An administration official said Monday that acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and senior aide Gene Sperling will not serve as mediators — they won't be at the bargaining table — but are going to Detroit “to help support the negotiations in any way the parties feel is constructive.” The official was not authorized to discuss private discussions and spoke anonymously.Fain said the Biden administration won't broker a deal“This is our battle. Our members are out there manning the picket lines," he said Monday on MSNBC. “This battle is not about the president, it’s not about the former president” —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-debate-strike-f79e9f0db53694206805d0bd3ae6683a">a reference to reports</a>&nbsp;that former President Donald Trump plans to skip a debate for Republican presidential candidates next week to meet with striking autoworkers in Detroit.And Fain came back to the issue early Tuesday, dismissing Trump's planned visit with striking workers.“Every fiber of our union is being poured into fighting the billionaire class and an economy that enriches people like Donald Trump at the expense of workers," Fain said in a prepared statement. "We can’t keep electing billionaires and millionaires that don’t have any understanding what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck and struggle to get by and expecting them to solve the problems of the working class.”Ford workers on a picket line outside a plant in the Detroit suburb of Wayne this week were joined by members of other unions and the occasional politician.Tevita Uhatafe, an aircraft-maintenance worker from Arlington, Texas, showed his support and saw what it might look like if UAW members strike against a GM truck plant in his hometown.“This is a fight that is most likely going to happen in our backyard,” Uhatafe said.U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., said she walked the picket line because the strike “is showcasing a modern movement for worker justice and worker fairness.”___

UAW sets deadline to expand strike if demands aren't met

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans detained for years in Iran arrived home Tuesday, tearfully hugged their loved ones and declared “Freedom!” after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-prisoner-swap-sanctions-assets-4e1fa477f8e6af45fb764acd259c2f1a">being let go as part of a politically risky deal</a>&nbsp;that saw President Joe Biden agree to the release of nearly $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets.

The prisoners landed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, with clapping and cheers heard in the predawn hours. Siamak Namazi, the first off the jet, paused for a moment, closed his eyes and took a deep breath before leaving the plane. Loved ones, some holding small American flags, enveloped them in hugs and exchanged greetings in English and Farsi, the main language of Iran.

“The nightmare is finally over,” Namazi’s brother, Babak, said at the airport.

“We haven’t had this moment is over eight years,” he added, his arm around his brother and his formerly detained father, Baquer, who had been earlier released by Iran. “It’s unbelievable.”

The former prisoners later posed for a group photograph with their families, calling out: “Freedom!”

The successful negotiations for the Americans' freedom brought Biden profuse thanks from their families but heat from Republican presidential rivals and other opponents for the monetary arrangement with one of America's top adversaries.

“Today, five innocent Americans who were imprisoned in Iran are finally coming home,” the Democratic president said in a statement released as the plane carrying the group from Tehran landed in Doha, Qatar, on Monday.

Iran’s hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi, on hand for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-general-assembly-2023-what-to-know-9f3f99a3c99594a2a36d83e11e206975">the United Nations General Assembly in New York</a>, suggested the exchange could be “a step in the direction of a humanitarian action between us and America.”

“It can definitely help in building trust,” Raisi told journalists.

However,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-tensions-prisoner-swap-analysis-e168c0bd2f15e794caa0079a0a97b251">tensions are almost certain to remain high</a>&nbsp;between the U.S. and Iran, which are locked in disputes over Tehran’s nuclear program and other matters. Iran says the program is peaceful, but it now enriches uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels.

The prisoner release unfolded amid a major American military buildup in the Persian Gulf, with the possibility of U.S. troops&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/persian-gulf-tensions-us-armed-guards-57295a81dc45c9e0755bd6a83ece86d9">boarding and guarding commercial ships</a>&nbsp;in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of all oil shipments pass.

After the plane slowed to a stop in Doha, three of the prisoners — Siamak Namazi, Emad Sharghi and Morad Tahbaz — emerged.

They hugged the U.S. ambassador to Qatar, Timmy Davis, and others. The three then threw their arms over one another's shoulders and walked off toward the airport.

In a statement issued on his behalf, Namazi said: “I would not be free today, if it wasn’t for all of you who didn’t allow the world to forget me.”

“Thank you for being my voice when I could not speak for myself and for making sure I was heard when I mustered the strength to scream from behind the impenetrable walls of Evin Prison,” he said.

The United States did not immediately identify the other two freed Americans. All were released in exchange for five Iranians in U.S. custody and for the deal over the frozen Iranian assets owed by South Korea. The Biden administration said the five freed Iranians pose no threat to U.S. national security.

Two of the imprisoned Americans' family members, Effie Namazi and Vida Tahbaz, who had been under travel bans in Iran, also were on the plane.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said two of the Iranian prisoners will stay in the U.S. Meanwhile, Nour News, a website believed to be close to Iran’s security apparatus, said two of the Iranian prisoners were in Doha for the swap.

Nour News identified the two in Doha as: Mehrdad Ansari, an Iranian sentenced by the U.S. to 63 months in prison in 2021 for obtaining equipment that could be used in missiles, electronic warfare, nuclear weapons and other military gear, and Reza Sarhangpour Kafrani, an Iranian charged in 2021 over allegedly unlawfully exporting laboratory equipment to Iran.

The $5.9 billion in cash released to Iran represents money South Korea owed Iran — but had not yet paid — for oil purchased before the U.S. imposed sanctions on such transactions in 2019.

The U.S. maintains that, once in Qatar, the money will be held in restricted accounts to be used only for humanitarian goods, such as medicine and food. Those transactions are currently allowed under American sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic over its advancing nuclear program.

Iranian government officials have largely concurred, though some hard-liners have insisted, without evidence, that there would be no restrictions on how Tehran spends the money.

The deal has already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-hostage-state-department-51bb853cfd64bb824aed264038afe6d9">opened Biden to fresh criticism</a>&nbsp;from Republicans and others who say the administration is helping boost the Iranian economy at a time when Iran poses a growing threat to American troops and Mideast allies. That could have implications in his re-election campaign.

Former President Donald Trump, currently the lead Republican challenger in that race, called it an “absolutely ridiculous” deal on the Truth Social social media site. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell accused Biden of “rewarding and incentivizing Tehran's bad behavior.”

Biden held what the White House described as an emotional phone call with the families of the freed Americans after their release.

In his statement, Biden demanded more information on what happened to Bob Levinson, an American who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-levinson-iran-22c7a2b7b68fe693ff2ab49e16b732e6">went missing years ago.</a>&nbsp;The Biden administration also announced fresh sanctions on former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence.

The U.S. government, the prisoners’ families and activists have denounced the charges against the five Americans as baseless.

The Americans included Namazi, who was detained in 2015 and later sentenced to 10 years in prison on spying charges; Sharghi, a venture capitalist sentenced to 10 years; and Tahbaz, a British-American conservationist of Iranian descent who was arrested in 2018 and also received a 10-year sentence.

In a statement, Sharghi’s sister, Neda, said she “can’t wait to hug my brother and never let him go.”

“This is my brother, not an abstract policy," she added. "We are talking about human lives. There is nothing partisan about saving the lives of innocent Americans and today should be a moment of American unity as we welcome them home.”

Iran and the U.S. have a history of prisoner swaps dating back to the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover and hostage crisis following the Islamic Revolution.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695125209993.png" alt="Family members embrace freed American Emad Shargi after he and four fellow detainees were released in a prisoner swap deal between U.S and Iran, as he arrives at Davison Army Airfield, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023 at Fort Belvoir, Va. (Jonathan Ernst/Pool via AP)" />
 <figcaption>Family members embrace freed American Emad Shargi after he and four fellow detainees were released in a prisoner swap deal between U.S and Iran, as he arrives at Davison Army Airfield, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023 at Fort Belvoir, Va. (Jonathan Ernst/Pool via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans detained for years in Iran arrived home Tuesday, tearfully hugged their loved ones and declared “Freedom!” after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-prisoner-swap-sanctions-assets-4e1fa477f8e6af45fb764acd259c2f1a">being let go as part of a politically risky deal</a>&nbsp;that saw President Joe Biden agree to the release of nearly $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">American citizens imprisoned by Iran for years are welcomed by family and friends upon arrival in Fort Belvior, Virginia. <a href="https://t.co/7ocQ2FwIyN">pic.twitter.com/7ocQ2FwIyN</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1704135205831729594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The prisoners landed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, with clapping and cheers heard in the predawn hours. Siamak Namazi, the first off the jet, paused for a moment, closed his eyes and took a deep breath before leaving the plane. Loved ones, some holding small American flags, enveloped them in hugs and exchanged greetings in English and Farsi, the main language of Iran.“The nightmare is finally over,” Namazi’s brother, Babak, said at the airport.“We haven’t had this moment is over eight years,” he added, his arm around his brother and his formerly detained father, Baquer, who had been earlier released by Iran. “It’s unbelievable.”The former prisoners later posed for a group photograph with their families, calling out: “Freedom!”The successful negotiations for the Americans' freedom brought Biden profuse thanks from their families but heat from Republican presidential rivals and other opponents for the monetary arrangement with one of America's top adversaries.“Today, five innocent Americans who were imprisoned in Iran are finally coming home,” the Democratic president said in a statement released as the plane carrying the group from Tehran landed in Doha, Qatar, on Monday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Joe Biden releases 5 prisoners &amp; $6B to Iran, a leading state sponsor of terrorism. On the day we pay tribute &amp; remember the victims of 9/11, one of the most horrific attacks on American soil, the Biden Admin brokered a deal with terrorists who openly shout ‘Death to America.’ <a href="https://t.co/2AqTHG0Wso">https://t.co/2AqTHG0Wso</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1701355511201902602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Iran’s hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi, on hand for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-general-assembly-2023-what-to-know-9f3f99a3c99594a2a36d83e11e206975">the United Nations General Assembly in New York</a>, suggested the exchange could be “a step in the direction of a humanitarian action between us and America.”“It can definitely help in building trust,” Raisi told journalists.However,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-tensions-prisoner-swap-analysis-e168c0bd2f15e794caa0079a0a97b251">tensions are almost certain to remain high</a>&nbsp;between the U.S. and Iran, which are locked in disputes over Tehran’s nuclear program and other matters. Iran says the program is peaceful, but it now enriches uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels.The prisoner release unfolded amid a major American military buildup in the Persian Gulf, with the possibility of U.S. troops&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/persian-gulf-tensions-us-armed-guards-57295a81dc45c9e0755bd6a83ece86d9">boarding and guarding commercial ships</a>&nbsp;in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of all oil shipments pass.After the plane slowed to a stop in Doha, three of the prisoners — Siamak Namazi, Emad Sharghi and Morad Tahbaz — emerged.They hugged the U.S. ambassador to Qatar, Timmy Davis, and others. The three then threw their arms over one another's shoulders and walked off toward the airport.In a statement issued on his behalf, Namazi said: “I would not be free today, if it wasn’t for all of you who didn’t allow the world to forget me.”“Thank you for being my voice when I could not speak for myself and for making sure I was heard when I mustered the strength to scream from behind the impenetrable walls of Evin Prison,” he said.The United States did not immediately identify the other two freed Americans. All were released in exchange for five Iranians in U.S. custody and for the deal over the frozen Iranian assets owed by South Korea. The Biden administration said the five freed Iranians pose no threat to U.S. national security.Two of the imprisoned Americans' family members, Effie Namazi and Vida Tahbaz, who had been under travel bans in Iran, also were on the plane.Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said two of the Iranian prisoners will stay in the U.S. Meanwhile, Nour News, a website believed to be close to Iran’s security apparatus, said two of the Iranian prisoners were in Doha for the swap.Nour News identified the two in Doha as: Mehrdad Ansari, an Iranian sentenced by the U.S. to 63 months in prison in 2021 for obtaining equipment that could be used in missiles, electronic warfare, nuclear weapons and other military gear, and Reza Sarhangpour Kafrani, an Iranian charged in 2021 over allegedly unlawfully exporting laboratory equipment to Iran.The $5.9 billion in cash released to Iran represents money South Korea owed Iran — but had not yet paid — for oil purchased before the U.S. imposed sanctions on such transactions in 2019.The U.S. maintains that, once in Qatar, the money will be held in restricted accounts to be used only for humanitarian goods, such as medicine and food. Those transactions are currently allowed under American sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic over its advancing nuclear program.Iranian government officials have largely concurred, though some hard-liners have insisted, without evidence, that there would be no restrictions on how Tehran spends the money.The deal has already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-hostage-state-department-51bb853cfd64bb824aed264038afe6d9">opened Biden to fresh criticism</a>&nbsp;from Republicans and others who say the administration is helping boost the Iranian economy at a time when Iran poses a growing threat to American troops and Mideast allies. That could have implications in his re-election campaign.Former President Donald Trump, currently the lead Republican challenger in that race, called it an “absolutely ridiculous” deal on the Truth Social social media site. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell accused Biden of “rewarding and incentivizing Tehran's bad behavior.”Biden held what the White House described as an emotional phone call with the families of the freed Americans after their release.In his statement, Biden demanded more information on what happened to Bob Levinson, an American who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-levinson-iran-22c7a2b7b68fe693ff2ab49e16b732e6">went missing years ago.</a>&nbsp;The Biden administration also announced fresh sanctions on former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence.The U.S. government, the prisoners’ families and activists have denounced the charges against the five Americans as baseless.The Americans included Namazi, who was detained in 2015 and later sentenced to 10 years in prison on spying charges; Sharghi, a venture capitalist sentenced to 10 years; and Tahbaz, a British-American conservationist of Iranian descent who was arrested in 2018 and also received a 10-year sentence.In a statement, Sharghi’s sister, Neda, said she “can’t wait to hug my brother and never let him go.”“This is my brother, not an abstract policy," she added. "We are talking about human lives. There is nothing partisan about saving the lives of innocent Americans and today should be a moment of American unity as we welcome them home.”Iran and the U.S. have a history of prisoner swaps dating back to the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover and hostage crisis following the Islamic Revolution.

🎥 $6 billion deal: Americans released by Iran arrive home, declare Freedom!

FINNEY COUNTY —A woman accused in the death of a southwest Kansas man has been extradited to Kansas.

Just after 3p.m. Sunday, 32-year-old Samantha Smith was booked into the Finney County jail in requested charges of&nbsp; Murder in the 1st degree. In the commission of a felony and Aggravated robbery, according to online jail records.

In September 2019, Ernie Ortiz was found shot outside of his family restaurant in Garden City and he later died at the hospital. It is believed Ortiz was shot during a robbery after he closed the business for the night.

On September 6, U.S. Marshals arrested Smith in connection with the&nbsp;homicide&nbsp; in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

In June 2023, the Garden City Police Department obtained an arrest warrant for First-Degree Murder and Aggravated Robbery against Smith in connection with the case. 

In January, Crime Stoppers in southwest Kansas offered a&nbsp;$21,500 reward for information in the&nbsp;shooting death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695074941566.png" alt="Smith photo Finney Co." />
 <figcaption>Smith photo Finney Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —A woman accused in the death of a southwest Kansas man has been extradited to Kansas.Just after 3p.m. Sunday, 32-year-old Samantha Smith was booked into the Finney County jail in requested charges of&nbsp; Murder in the 1st degree. In the commission of a felony and Aggravated robbery, according to online jail records.In September 2019, Ernie Ortiz was found shot outside of his family restaurant in Garden City and he later died at the hospital. It is believed Ortiz was shot during a robbery after he closed the business for the night.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673628423977.png" alt="Ernie Ortiz died during a robbery in Sept. of 2019- photo Garden City Police" />
 <figcaption>Ernie Ortiz died during a robbery in Sept. of 2019- photo Garden City Police</figcaption>
 </figure>On September 6, U.S. Marshals arrested Smith in connection with the&nbsp;homicide&nbsp; in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694046768318.png" alt="Smith-photo Horry County, South Carolina Jail" />
 <figcaption>Smith-photo Horry County, South Carolina Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>In June 2023, the Garden City Police Department obtained an arrest warrant for First-Degree Murder and Aggravated Robbery against Smith in connection with the case. In January, Crime Stoppers in southwest Kansas offered a&nbsp;$21,500 reward for information in the&nbsp;shooting death.

Suspect in 4-year-old murder case is back in a Kansas jail

TOPEKA —Former U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland is recovering from surgery&nbsp; to remove a lesion found on his brain. His team provided an update on social media Monday.

Woodland, a four-time PGA Tour winner, announced last month that&nbsp;he was diagnosed with the lesion a few months ago and has been trying to treat the symptoms with medication.

“After consulting with multiple specialists and discussing with his family, they made the decision that surgery to remove the lesion was the best course of action,” Woodland wrote. 

Woodland, 39, failed to reach the PGA Tour postseason for the first time since 2012, finishing at No. 94 in the FedEx Cup in a year when only the top 70 advanced.

Woodland, a three-sport star growing up in Kansas, won the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in 2019 by holding off Brooks Koepka in the final round.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695088356940.png" alt="Gary Woodland photo <a href="https://www.cobragolf.com/pages/cobra-tour-staff">courtesy Cobra Golf</a>" />
 <figcaption>Gary Woodland photo <a href="https://www.cobragolf.com/pages/cobra-tour-staff">courtesy Cobra Golf</a></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —Former U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland is recovering from surgery&nbsp; to remove a lesion found on his brain. His team provided an update on social media Monday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/p54pQBDj6W">pic.twitter.com/p54pQBDj6W</a>&mdash; Gary Woodland (@GaryWoodland) <a href="https://twitter.com/GaryWoodland/status/1703899453906628713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Woodland, a four-time PGA Tour winner, announced last month that&nbsp;he was diagnosed with the lesion a few months ago and has been trying to treat the symptoms with medication.“After consulting with multiple specialists and discussing with his family, they made the decision that surgery to remove the lesion was the best course of action,” Woodland wrote. <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Thank you for your support during this time. GW <a href="https://t.co/QSDlQqXFd0">pic.twitter.com/QSDlQqXFd0</a>&mdash; Gary Woodland (@GaryWoodland) <a href="https://twitter.com/GaryWoodland/status/1696889462817431606?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Woodland, 39, failed to reach the PGA Tour postseason for the first time since 2012, finishing at No. 94 in the FedEx Cup in a year when only the top 70 advanced.Woodland, a three-sport star growing up in Kansas, won the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in 2019 by holding off Brooks Koepka in the final round.

Kan. native, former U.S. Open champ recovering from brain surgery 

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal&nbsp; weekend crash have identified the victim as 74-year-old William Ennis Jr. of Tonganoxie, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Department spokesman George Diepenbrock.

Just before 5:30p.m. Saturday, a westbound 2015 Ford Fusion driven by Ennis, Jr. and an eastbound 2014 Toyota Sienna driven by Priscilla Franks, 47, collided head-on in the eastbound lane of U.S. Highway 24-40 between 1600 and E 1675 Roads.

Ennis Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;Franks suffered serious injuries and was taken to an area hospital, as was a 15-year-old passenger who suffered physical injuries believed to be minor, according to Diepenbrock.

Douglas County was under a severe storm warning at the time of the crash.&nbsp;

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Collison Investigation Unit responded and examined the crash scene on Saturday and will submit its findings in a completed crash report.

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal crash that occurred just before 5:30p.m. Saturday in Douglas County.

The crash shut down U.S. Highway 24-40 between E 1600 and E 1675 Road after a 2-vehicle crash. Douglas County was under a severe storm warning at the time of the crash.&nbsp;

Authorities released no additional details late Saturday.

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal&nbsp; weekend crash have identified the victim as 74-year-old William Ennis Jr. of Tonganoxie, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Department spokesman George Diepenbrock.Just before 5:30p.m. Saturday, a westbound 2015 Ford Fusion driven by Ennis, Jr. and an eastbound 2014 Toyota Sienna driven by Priscilla Franks, 47, collided head-on in the eastbound lane of U.S. Highway 24-40 between 1600 and E 1675 Roads.Ennis Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;Franks suffered serious injuries and was taken to an area hospital, as was a 15-year-old passenger who suffered physical injuries believed to be minor, according to Diepenbrock.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Douglas County is under a severe thunderstorm warning until 5:45 pm. Northern parts of the county including Lawrence could be impacted by large hail and wind gusts up to 60mph. 9/16/23 5:20p EM5 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kswx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kswx</a>&mdash; Douglas Co. EM (@dgcoem) <a href="https://twitter.com/dgcoem/status/1703171793215803485?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Douglas County was under a severe storm warning at the time of the crash.&nbsp;The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Collison Investigation Unit responded and examined the crash scene on Saturday and will submit its findings in a completed crash report.-------------DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal crash that occurred just before 5:30p.m. Saturday in Douglas County.The crash shut down U.S. Highway 24-40 between E 1600 and E 1675 Road after a 2-vehicle crash. Douglas County was under a severe storm warning at the time of the crash.&nbsp;Authorities released no additional details late Saturday.

Sheriff IDs Kan. man who died in head-on crash during storm warning

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A relative of a slain Black 14-year-old is calling for a white Kansas teen to be tried on federal hate crime charges in the shooting death, noting recent testimony about threatening racial slurs.

Michael Berry, a cousin of Kamarjay Shaw, called for federal involvement in a letter to the U.S. attorney for Kansas, Kate Brubacher, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.ljworld.com/news/public-safety/2023/sep/15/relative-of-slain-14-year-old-calls-for-fbi-to-investigate-lawrence-shooting-as-a-federal-hate-crime/">Lawrence Journal-World reported</a>.

Derrick Del Reed was 17 when Shaw was killed in March but is charged as an adult with first-degree murder. The trial is set to start on Nov. 27, and the now-18-year-old is jailed on $500,000 bond.

During the preliminary hearing in August, a detective testified Reed used threatening racial slurs in Snapchat messages sent the morning of the shooting. Reed said in the messages he was tired of fighting with Shaw and his friends and was ready to start shooting, the detective testified.

The hearing ended with the judge finding enough evidence for the case to proceed to trial.

Reed’s defense attorney didn't immediately return a phone message from The Associated Press on Saturday inquiring about the request.

The defense previously tried to gain immunity from prosecution via a self-defense claim, but that was denied. Testimony showed the shooting happened after a teenage girl called one of the boys hanging out with Shaw via Snapchat and told Shaw to come outside because Reed wanted to fight him.

Shaw was at least half a football field away from Reed’s front door when gunfire erupted, witness testimony showed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679241544157.png" alt="Del Reed-photo Lawrence Police" />
 <figcaption>Del Reed-photo Lawrence Police</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A relative of a slain Black 14-year-old is calling for a white Kansas teen to be tried on federal hate crime charges in the shooting death, noting recent testimony about threatening racial slurs.Michael Berry, a cousin of Kamarjay Shaw, called for federal involvement in a letter to the U.S. attorney for Kansas, Kate Brubacher, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.ljworld.com/news/public-safety/2023/sep/15/relative-of-slain-14-year-old-calls-for-fbi-to-investigate-lawrence-shooting-as-a-federal-hate-crime/">Lawrence Journal-World reported</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We&#39;re looking for the suspect in the shooting death of a local teen. Be on the lookout for 17-year-old Derrick Del Reed and his car with KS tag 369REG. You can make an anonymous tip with Douglas County Crime Stoppers: 785-843-TIPS or if you encounter the suspect, call 911. <a href="https://t.co/ky1itBhL4a">pic.twitter.com/ky1itBhL4a</a>&mdash; Lawrence Police (@LawrenceKS_PD) <a href="https://twitter.com/LawrenceKS_PD/status/1637503401142493184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Derrick Del Reed was 17 when Shaw was killed in March but is charged as an adult with first-degree murder. The trial is set to start on Nov. 27, and the now-18-year-old is jailed on $500,000 bond.During the preliminary hearing in August, a detective testified Reed used threatening racial slurs in Snapchat messages sent the morning of the shooting. Reed said in the messages he was tired of fighting with Shaw and his friends and was ready to start shooting, the detective testified.The hearing ended with the judge finding enough evidence for the case to proceed to trial.Reed’s defense attorney didn't immediately return a phone message from The Associated Press on Saturday inquiring about the request.The defense previously tried to gain immunity from prosecution via a self-defense claim, but that was denied. Testimony showed the shooting happened after a teenage girl called one of the boys hanging out with Shaw via Snapchat and told Shaw to come outside because Reed wanted to fight him.Shaw was at least half a football field away from Reed’s front door when gunfire erupted, witness testimony showed.

Relative of slain Black teen calls for white Kan. teen to face federal hate crime charges

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a Monday morning homicide in Kansas City.

Just after 9:00am police responded to report of a shooting in 3900 block of South Benton, according to Sheriff&nbsp;Darryl Forte'.

First responders found a man located inside the front entrance of a residence. He was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; Police took a subject of interest&nbsp; into custody. Police released no additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695054290166.png" alt="Photo Sheriff&nbsp;Darryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff&nbsp;Darryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a Monday morning homicide in Kansas City.Just after 9:00am police responded to report of a shooting in 3900 block of South Benton, according to Sheriff&nbsp;Darryl Forte'.First responders found a man located inside the front entrance of a residence. He was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; Police took a subject of interest&nbsp; into custody. Police released no additional details.

Suspect in deadly Kansas City shooting is in custody

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just after 12:30a.m. Monday in Sedgwick County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Jeep Wrangler driven by Jason W.&nbsp;Sutcliffe, 44, Valley Center, was northbound on Interstate 135 at the Interstate 235-Kansas 96 interchange in the left lane. 

The jeep left the roadway to the left, struck a KDOT construction sign, a guardrail and overturned.

Sutcliffe was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Sedgwick County Forensics Center. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just after 12:30a.m. Monday in Sedgwick County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Jeep Wrangler driven by Jason W.&nbsp;Sutcliffe, 44, Valley Center, was northbound on Interstate 135 at the Interstate 235-Kansas 96 interchange in the left lane. The jeep left the roadway to the left, struck a KDOT construction sign, a guardrail and overturned.Sutcliffe was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Sedgwick County Forensics Center. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after jeep strikes KDOT sign, overturns

KANSAS CITY (AP)—The auto workers' strike against Detroit's Big Three went into its fourth day with no signs of an early breakthrough and against the threat that the walkout could soon spread.

A spokesman for General Motors said that representatives of the company and the United Auto Workers were continuing to negotiate on Monday.

So far the strike is limited to about 13,000 workers at three factories — one each at GM, Ford and Stellantis.&nbsp; The GM plant in Kansas City, Kansas and the Ford Plant in Claycomo wefre not included in the initial UAW walkout.

On Monday, GM warned that 2,000 UAW-represented workers at their assembly plant in Kansas City are “expected to be idled as soon as early this week" because of a shortage of supplies from a GM plant near St. Louis, where workers walked off the job Friday.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she is hoping for a quick resolution, and that it is too soon to gauge the impact of the strike.

Yellen said labor activism this year — strikes by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/writers-strike-hollywood-wga-926179281803e10b1d501dcab93e305d">Hollywood writers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/actors-strike-explained-2607dd29da6c16c0a406359a7e86d7fb">actors</a>, by workers at about 150 Starbucks locations and walkouts that were narrowly averted at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ups-teamsters-contract-union-voting-b104ca459ddb810f2018c68046d063ed">United Parcel Service</a>&nbsp;and West Coast ports — has been driven by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-unemployment-inflation-layoffs-economy-federal-reserve-9a0309b7644eb10f4069d9cab0d66687">strong labor market</a>&nbsp;and high demand for workers.

In a sign of the potential economic and political of a long strike, President Joe Biden is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-strike-automakers-uaw-gm-50d3fbb70714b2faff3b87b596fc0455">sending two top administration officials</a>&nbsp;to Detroit this week to meet with both sides. Biden has sided with the UAW in brief public comments, saying that the automakers have not fairly shared their record profits with workers.

UAW President Shawn Fain said Monday that the Biden administration won't broker a deal.

“This is our battle. Our members are out there manning the picket lines," Fain said on MSNBC. "This battle is not about the president, it’s not about the former president.”

The UAW is seeking wage increases of 36% over four years, while the companies have offered about 20%. The union is also demanding a 32-hour work week for 40 hours of pay, and other changes.

Rather than launching an all-out strike of its 146,000 members, the union opted to target three factories a plan that could make the union's $825 million strike fund last longer. Workers walked out of a GM plant in Wentzville, Missouri, a Ford plant near Detroit, and a Stellantis factory in Toledo, Ohio, that produces Jeeps.

A key feature of the UAW strategy is the threat of escalating the strike if the union is unhappy with the pace of bargaining. On Friday, Fain said more factories could be targeted: “It could be in a day, it could be in a week.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695067603080.png" alt="#UAW&nbsp;Local 2250 holding strong in Wentzville, Missouri on Monday afternoon-photo courtesy UAW" />
 <figcaption>#UAW&nbsp;Local 2250 holding strong in Wentzville, Missouri on Monday afternoon-photo courtesy UAW</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP)—The auto workers' strike against Detroit's Big Three went into its fourth day with no signs of an early breakthrough and against the threat that the walkout could soon spread.A spokesman for General Motors said that representatives of the company and the United Auto Workers were continuing to negotiate on Monday.So far the strike is limited to about 13,000 workers at three factories — one each at GM, Ford and Stellantis.&nbsp; The GM plant in Kansas City, Kansas and the Ford Plant in Claycomo wefre not included in the initial UAW walkout.On Monday, GM warned that 2,000 UAW-represented workers at their assembly plant in Kansas City are “expected to be idled as soon as early this week" because of a shortage of supplies from a GM plant near St. Louis, where workers walked off the job Friday.Workers at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gm.com/company/facilities/fairfax">Kansas City plant</a>&nbsp;build the Chevrolet Malibu and Cadillac XT4.Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she is hoping for a quick resolution, and that it is too soon to gauge the impact of the strike.“It's premature to be making forecasts about what it means for the economy. It would depend on how long the strike lasts and who would be affected by it,” she said on CNBC.Yellen said labor activism this year — strikes by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/writers-strike-hollywood-wga-926179281803e10b1d501dcab93e305d">Hollywood writers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/actors-strike-explained-2607dd29da6c16c0a406359a7e86d7fb">actors</a>, by workers at about 150 Starbucks locations and walkouts that were narrowly averted at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ups-teamsters-contract-union-voting-b104ca459ddb810f2018c68046d063ed">United Parcel Service</a>&nbsp;and West Coast ports — has been driven by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-unemployment-inflation-layoffs-economy-federal-reserve-9a0309b7644eb10f4069d9cab0d66687">strong labor market</a>&nbsp;and high demand for workers.In a sign of the potential economic and political of a long strike, President Joe Biden is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-strike-automakers-uaw-gm-50d3fbb70714b2faff3b87b596fc0455">sending two top administration officials</a>&nbsp;to Detroit this week to meet with both sides. Biden has sided with the UAW in brief public comments, saying that the automakers have not fairly shared their record profits with workers.An administration official said Monday that acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and senior aide Gene Sperling will not serve as mediators — they won't be at the bargaining table — but are going to Detroit “to help support the negotiations in any way the parties feel is constructive.” The official was not authorized to discuss private discussions and spoke anonymously.UAW President Shawn Fain said Monday that the Biden administration won't broker a deal.“This is our battle. Our members are out there manning the picket lines," Fain said on MSNBC. "This battle is not about the president, it’s not about the former president.”The UAW is seeking wage increases of 36% over four years, while the companies have offered about 20%. The union is also demanding a 32-hour work week for 40 hours of pay, and other changes.Rather than launching an all-out strike of its 146,000 members, the union opted to target three factories a plan that could make the union's $825 million strike fund last longer. Workers walked out of a GM plant in Wentzville, Missouri, a Ford plant near Detroit, and a Stellantis factory in Toledo, Ohio, that produces Jeeps.A key feature of the UAW strategy is the threat of escalating the strike if the union is unhappy with the pace of bargaining. On Friday, Fain said more factories could be targeted: “It could be in a day, it could be in a week.”

GM: Auto workers in Kansas City could join strike this week

GRAY COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 10a.m. Monday in Gray County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Dodge pickup driven by Tyson E. Good, 38, Montezuma, was southbound on 15 Road at County Road DD a mile and one half south of U.S. 56.

A 2004 Cadillac SUV driven by James G.&nbsp;Brucker, 74, Syracuse, was eastbound on County Road DD. The vehicles collided in the middle of the intersection.

EMS transported Brucker to St. Catherine's Hospital in Garden City where he was pronounced deceased. Good and a passenger in the pickup were not injured. The KHP had incomplete seat belt usage information.

GRAY COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 10a.m. Monday in Gray County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Dodge pickup driven by Tyson E. Good, 38, Montezuma, was southbound on 15 Road at County Road DD a mile and one half south of U.S. 56.A 2004 Cadillac SUV driven by James G.&nbsp;Brucker, 74, Syracuse, was eastbound on County Road DD. The vehicles collided in the middle of the intersection.EMS transported Brucker to St. Catherine's Hospital in Garden City where he was pronounced deceased. Good and a passenger in the pickup were not injured. The KHP had incomplete seat belt usage information.

SW Kansas man dies after pickup, SUV crash

By BECKY GOFF,&nbsp;Little Apple Post

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man in connection with a violent attack and for alleged arson.

Just after 11a.m. Monday, Riley County Fire District #1 was called out to the report of a possible structure fire in the 900 block of S. Collins Lane, south of Manhattan.

When firefighters arrived on scene they found a fire had engulfed a trailer near a house and had spread to a neighboring trailer and the yard.

The Riley County Police Department Public Information Officer, Aaron Wintermote, says RCPD officers also responded to the scene on the report of alleged aggravated battery and arson.

RCPD says a man was transported by Riley County EMS to Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan for treatment after it was reported a 39-year-old man hit the victim in the head multiple times with a pan.

According to RCPD, the suspect who reportedly hit the victim with the pan, then threw the victim's electronics into the bonfire, which&nbsp; had spread to a neighboring trailer, damaging it as well.

RCFD #1 Deputy Chief Doug Russell says the fire melted siding on the house, burned trailers, the yard and neighboring grass, totaling about 3 acres of property damaged by fire.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Riley County Police Department Crime Scene Investigators and the Kansas Fire Marshal have been called to investigate the scene.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695062401867.jpeg" alt="Riley County Fire and Manhattan Fire respond to fire on S. Collins Lane; photo by Becky Goff" />
 <figcaption>Riley County Fire and Manhattan Fire respond to fire on S. Collins Lane; photo by Becky Goff</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY GOFF,&nbsp;Little Apple PostRILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man in connection with a violent attack and for alleged arson.Just after 11a.m. Monday, Riley County Fire District #1 was called out to the report of a possible structure fire in the 900 block of S. Collins Lane, south of Manhattan.When firefighters arrived on scene they found a fire had engulfed a trailer near a house and had spread to a neighboring trailer and the yard.The Riley County Police Department Public Information Officer, Aaron Wintermote, says RCPD officers also responded to the scene on the report of alleged aggravated battery and arson.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695063883425.jpeg" alt="MFD and RCFD #1 on scene at S. Collins Lane fire, photo by Becky Goff" />
 <figcaption>MFD and RCFD #1 on scene at S. Collins Lane fire, photo by Becky Goff</figcaption>
 </figure>RCPD says a man was transported by Riley County EMS to Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan for treatment after it was reported a 39-year-old man hit the victim in the head multiple times with a pan.According to RCPD, the suspect who reportedly hit the victim with the pan, then threw the victim's electronics into the bonfire, which&nbsp; had spread to a neighboring trailer, damaging it as well.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695063785176.jpeg" alt="RCPD CSI arrive on scene, photo by Becky Goff" />
 <figcaption>RCPD CSI arrive on scene, photo by Becky Goff</figcaption>
 </figure>RCFD #1 Deputy Chief Doug Russell says the fire melted siding on the house, burned trailers, the yard and neighboring grass, totaling about 3 acres of property damaged by fire.The cause of the fire is under investigation. Riley County Police Department Crime Scene Investigators and the Kansas Fire Marshal have been called to investigate the scene.

Police: Kan. man attacked victim with a pan, started fire

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/robinopsahl/">ROBIN OPSAHL</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/jaywaagemeester/">JAY WAAGEMEESTER</a>

Republican presidential candidates emphasized their support for abortion restrictions, parental rights and Israel while working Saturday night to win over evangelical Iowa caucusgoers.

More than 1,000 people gathered in Des Moines for the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition annual fall banquet. The conservative Christian organization has played an influential role in the Republican presidential race in Iowa, bringing candidates together for events and asking them about issues related to “religious liberties.”

The nine candidates who addressed the crowd all spoke of the importance of faith in their life and politics and said they would bring those values to the Oval Office if elected.

But there were areas where candidates differed: Ralph Reed, the founder and chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, asked former Vice President Mike Pence and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley to defend their comments at the first Republican presidential debate on the feasibility of a federal abortion ban.

Reed said Christian conservatives are going to play an important role in the 2024 election, and said the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s goal was to “get out the biggest Christian vote that has happened in modern American history.”

“We’re going to create a margin so big they can’t even steal it if they try,” he said.

Not all 2024 presidential candidates attended. Most notably, former President Donald Trump skipped the event. Trump, who led in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/08/21/reynolds-says-iowans-expect-trump-to-stay-on-caucus-trail-despite-poll-lead/">August Des Moines Register/Mediacom/NBC News Iowa Poll,</a>&nbsp;has avoided many of the traditional stops on the Iowa caucus trail, but has visited the state in September. He came to the Iowa-Iowa State football game earlier in the month and has a rally planned in Dubuque on Wednesday.

Cleon Babcock of Des Moines, said he liked what candidates like Haley and Ramaswamy had to say at the coalition event, but that Trump was still his top pick for nominee.

“Right now, (my choice) would be Trump, because he has a better chance,” Babcock said. “But I’m never close-minded. I mean, I learned some things tonight as I listened, that’s what it’s all about.”

Here are some highlights from the candidates’ remarks:

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley had more time on the stage than other candidates at the event. Reed asked about her decision as governor to relocate the Confederate flag atop the South Carolina Capitol after a shooter used it as a manifesto during a shooting in the state.

Haley complimented South Carolina’s response to the tragedy and said, “I was able to see South Carolina through in a way that she showed real strength and greatness. We didn’t have riots. We had vigils. We didn’t have protests, we had hugs.”

Haley also defended her remarks about abortion that she made on the Republican debate stage in August. She said she was “unapologetically pro-life” but said a respectful approach to the topic is necessary.

“I’m going to fight on the side of life every chance I get, but I’m not going to demonize people in the process,” she said.

As she did during the first debate, Haley said said abortion bans from a federal level are unrealistic. “No Republican president can anymore ban abortions than a Democrat president can ban their state laws. So my goal is how do we save as many babies as possible and support as many moms as possible.”

The only way to pass abortion bans is to humanize the issue, according to Haley.

“If you go and you put these restrictions that make people demonize each other,” she said, “I’m not going to be a part of the demonize and we have to humanize this issue if we’re ever going to pass it and do more.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he would be open to “pro-life” federal abortion legislation.

The Republican candidate signed a law&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.flgov.com/2023/04/13/governor-ron-desantis-signs-heartbeat-protection-act/#:~:text=%E2%80%94%20Today%2C%20Governor%20Ron%20DeSantis%20signed,%2C%E2%80%9D%20said%20Governor%20Ron%20DeSantis.">in April</a>&nbsp;that bans most abortions after six weeks. When asked by Reed if he sees the future of abortion law in the hands of states or the federal government, DeSantis praised states like Florida and Iowa for enacting abortion restrictions after the fall of Roe v. Wade.

“I think the states have done a better job thus far, Congress has really struggled to make a meaningful impact over the years,” DeSantis said. “As president, I’m going to welcome pro-life policies across the board, you know, at both levels.”

Additionally, the candidate said he supports U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2023/09/troops-reject-abortion-travel-policy-fueling-tuberville-blockade-00116276">blockade stopping hundreds of military promotions</a>&nbsp;over a policy allowing troops and their dependents to take paid leave and travel reimbursements for abortion procedures.

He said he supported Tuberville calling out the Defense Department for “violating the law by funding abortion tourism with tax dollars.”

While DeSantis emphasized his pro-life positions, he said it’s important also to remember the women who “need our support” in these positions. Many abortions are driven by financial considerations, DeSantis said, and pointed to Florida policies like eliminating taxes on infant products to help expectant mothers. He also pointed to “Hope Florida,” a program spearheaded by his wife, Casey DeSantis, that focuses on connecting people in need with non-government organizations like charities, churches and businesses, that can offer support.

“A lot of these women have no support,” he said. “The fathers are nowhere to be found. And so they look at it, and they say how can I actually make this work? … We’ve got to do better. So what I did in Florida said, ‘OK, I want to make sure that this is doable.’”

Karen Fesler from Coralville said her favorite candidate is DeSantis. Although Fesler said she likes Trump, she said one thing that puts DeSantis above Trump for her is that DeSantis has an opportunity to serve two terms, whereas Trump is a lame duck on inauguration day.

“It’s not that I don’t like him or I don’t support his policies,” Fesler said. “I do. I think it’s going to be incredibly hard for him to focus on a campaign. And then if he would have been elected, focus on being president.”

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson faced questions about “Bidenomics,” immigration and abortion and said he would support any deal made by Congress to limit abortion as president.

“If our members of Congress can reach a consensus and pass a pro-life bill that has reasonable exceptions to it, that we all agree upon, I will sign that as a pro-life president,“ Hutchinson said.

He acknowledged a criticism Trump made on Hutchinson’s stance on abortion: “There is another candidate that I respect but is not here tonight, that told NBC News that I’m going to make both sides happy on this issue.”

Hutchinson said that both sides will not like him, and “this is going to be a fight for life.”

Hutchinson also supported the U.S. House Republicans’&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/09/12/u-s-house-speaker-mccarthy-tells-committees-to-launch-biden-impeachment-probe/">impeachment inquiry</a>&nbsp;on Biden. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy directed committees earlier this month to open an inquiry into unproven allegations that as vice president, Biden profited from his son’s business dealings.

“I haven’t seen enough evidence yet, but there’s certainly enough evidence to do an inquiry and I applaud the House for investigating this matter, getting to the bottom of it because President Biden has not sufficiently answered those questions.”

On the topic of the economy, the former governor said the first step to “reversing Bidenomics” is to produce energy domestically, and he said “I want the private sector of the economy to grow faster than the government sector.”

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott had an important life update for Iowans: He’s in a relationship.

“Can we just pray together for me?” he joked, kneeling on the stage in front of the crowd. Scott has faced media questions about his unmarried status.

The South Carolina Republican&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.advocate.com/politics/tim-scott-sexual-orientation-gop#:~:text=Brian%20Kilmeade%20asked%20Scott.,with%20a%20smart%20Christian%20woman.%E2%80%9D">announced earlier</a>&nbsp;in September that he had a girlfriend – his first public relationship since entering office.

Scott also went over his support for anti-abortion and “school choice” laws, both at the state and federal levels. He praised Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ private school scholarship program, passed earlier this year and kicked off for the 2023-2024 school year, which allows families to use state funding for private school tuition and associated costs.

“I would take the model of Gov. Kim Reynolds in this great state and make it a nationwide model,” Scott said.

He said he would take Title I money in a “proverbial backpack” and allow the federal funding to leave the public school system if a parent decides to send their child to a private school. He also said he would support changes to 529 savings plans for homeschool expenses.

“Actually, if you think about it, you’re paying taxes for someone else’s kid to go to school, and then you’re punished because you can’t get a tax credit for educating your own kid,” Scott said. “That’s just wrong.”

The candidate also railed against states that chose to continue remote learning in public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was immoral, what happened then,” Scott said. “No mandates: If your kid can’t go to the school where they’re supposed to go, under my legislation I’ll sign as president, they can go to any other school that’s open. Catholic school, public school, private school, homeschool, virtual school – all kinds of schools.”

While discussing Roe v. Wade,&nbsp; former California gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder said abortion is not up to the federal government.

“One of the reasons I believe we did so poorly in the midterms is because the pro-abortion side was able to say to people, this now means that there’ll be a law passed at the federal level to outlaw abortion or put time limits on abortion.”

Elder said he believes life begins at conception and said he believes conservatives have “walked the walk” when it comes to taking care of pregnant women.

“People who are so-called in crisis pregnancies, as they say, have all sorts of options, and we are talking the talk and walking the walk,” Elder said.

Elder also spoke on policing and George Floyd, a Black man killed by Minneapolis police in May 2020, sparking protests around the country. “This defund the police, assault on a police movement, is an outrage and it is getting people killed,” he said.

He said 35 people were killed during protests, 2,000 police officers were wounded and there was more about $2 billion in property damage, “all because of an assumption that what happened to George Floyd, however you feel about it, happened because of his race.”

U.S. Rep. Will Hurd said the U.S. needs to hold fast in supporting Israel, especially while considering potential conflicts with other countries like Iran in the Middle East.

Hurd, a former CIA agent, criticized President Joe Biden’s administration for issuing a waiver allowing international banks to allow the transfer of $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue currently blocked by U.S. sanctions. The exchange was to carry out a prisoner exchange with Iran – in addition to freeing five Iranians held in the U.S. for five Americans in Iranian detention, according to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/biden-administration-takes-steps-to-free-up-6-billion-in-iranian-funds-in-prisoner-swap-deal-56f2b7b9">State Department document.</a>

He said the prison exchange was just one of the “crazy foreign policy” decisions made by the Biden administration, pointing also to the military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the “lack of engagement” with Latin America on southern border security.

He said giving Iran money in this situation was a poor decision.

“They are destabilizing the region, the broader Middle East,” Hurd said. “You cannot trust the Iranians, you should never trust the Iranians. You shouldn’t be giving them $6 billion and you have nothing to show for it.”

He also said the country’s relations in the Middle East have been made worse by Biden’s “lack of support” for Israel. He also criticized former President Barack Obama, when Biden served as vice president, for not providing sufficient support to Israel.

“We should be supporting Israel,” Hurd said. “And those that are running for the highest office in the land need to recognize who are our friends who are enemies. Israel is a friend, and we should be supporting them.”

Entrepreneur Perry Johnson did not mention his 2-cents plan until his last sentences, and instead spoke on family values, abortion and judge selection.

The Michigander said school choice is a right for parents and received a round of applause when he said he wanted to get rid of the federal Department of Education.

“We’re going to make sure that the family unit is core that freedom is now here, and we’re not going to have the government tell us how to teach our kids, what to teach our kids anymore,” Johnson said.

On abortion, Johnson said he believes that life begins at conception, and as he teared up, said, “The greatest joy in my life are my kids. I mean, when you think of the greatest joys you’ve had in all your life, doesn’t it boil down to your kids and your family?”

Johnson did not share a legislative or executive plan to handle abortion during his time on stage, though he did say Republicans have a winning case to fight late-term abortions.

Texas businessman and pastor Ryan Binkley said he felt called by God to run for president in the 2024 election to restore faith in the United States.