WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;said on Monday that it will consider whether people who regularly smoke marijuana can legally own guns, the latest firearm case to come before the court since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-decision-58d01ef8bd48e816d5f8761ffa84e3e8">its 2022 decision expanding gun rights</a>.

President Donald Trump’s administration asked the justices to revive a case against a Texas man charged with a felony because he allegedly had a gun in his home and acknowledged being a regular pot user. The Justice Department appealed after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gun-ban-drugs-federal-appeals-hunter-biden-f26f8b7488615785602003932efd881a">a lower court largely struck down</a>&nbsp;a law that bars people who use any illegal drugs from having guns.

Last year, a jury&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-gun-trial-federal-charges-delaware-5dd8a9380235c6360a1ddb691ef24a06">convicted Hunter Biden</a>&nbsp;of violating the law, among other charges. His father, then-President Joe Biden, later pardoned him.

Arguments probably will take place early in 2026, with a decision likely by early summer.

The Republican administration favors Second Amendment rights, but government attorneys argued that this ban is a justifiable restriction.

They asked the court to reinstate a case against Ali Danial Hemani. His lawyers got the felony charge tossed out after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the blanket ban is unconstitutional under the Supreme Court’s expanded view of gun rights. The appellate judges found it could still be used against people accused of being high and armed at the same time, though.

Hemani's attorneys argue the broadly written law puts millions of people at risk of technical violations since at least 20% of Americans have tried pot, according to government health data. About half of states legalized recreational marijuana, but it's still illegal under federal law.

The Justice Department argues the law is valid when used against regular drug users because they pose a serious public safety risk. The government said the FBI found Hemani's gun and cocaine in a search of his home as they probed travel and communications allegedly linked to Iran. The gun charge was the only one filed, however, and his lawyers said the other allegations were irrelevant and were mentioned only to make him seem more dangerous.

The case marks another flashpoint in the application of the Supreme Court's new test for firearm restrictions. The conservative majority found in 2022 that the Second Amendment generally gives people the right to carry guns in public for self-defense and any firearm restrictions must have a strong grounding in the nation’s history.

The landmark 2022 ruling led to a cascade of challenges to firearm laws around the country, though the justices have since upheld&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-domestic-violence-d63ee828e51911cc5e5a01780820f224">a different federal law</a>&nbsp;intended to protect victims of domestic violence by barring guns from people under restraining orders.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698531124512.png" alt="Photo by Rebecca Rivas" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Rebecca Rivas</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;said on Monday that it will consider whether people who regularly smoke marijuana can legally own guns, the latest firearm case to come before the court since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-decision-58d01ef8bd48e816d5f8761ffa84e3e8">its 2022 decision expanding gun rights</a>.President Donald Trump’s administration asked the justices to revive a case against a Texas man charged with a felony because he allegedly had a gun in his home and acknowledged being a regular pot user. The Justice Department appealed after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gun-ban-drugs-federal-appeals-hunter-biden-f26f8b7488615785602003932efd881a">a lower court largely struck down</a>&nbsp;a law that bars people who use any illegal drugs from having guns.Last year, a jury&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-gun-trial-federal-charges-delaware-5dd8a9380235c6360a1ddb691ef24a06">convicted Hunter Biden</a>&nbsp;of violating the law, among other charges. His father, then-President Joe Biden, later pardoned him.Arguments probably will take place early in 2026, with a decision likely by early summer.The Republican administration favors Second Amendment rights, but government attorneys argued that this ban is a justifiable restriction.They asked the court to reinstate a case against Ali Danial Hemani. His lawyers got the felony charge tossed out after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the blanket ban is unconstitutional under the Supreme Court’s expanded view of gun rights. The appellate judges found it could still be used against people accused of being high and armed at the same time, though.Hemani's attorneys argue the broadly written law puts millions of people at risk of technical violations since at least 20% of Americans have tried pot, according to government health data. About half of states legalized recreational marijuana, but it's still illegal under federal law.The Justice Department argues the law is valid when used against regular drug users because they pose a serious public safety risk. The government said the FBI found Hemani's gun and cocaine in a search of his home as they probed travel and communications allegedly linked to Iran. The gun charge was the only one filed, however, and his lawyers said the other allegations were irrelevant and were mentioned only to make him seem more dangerous.The case marks another flashpoint in the application of the Supreme Court's new test for firearm restrictions. The conservative majority found in 2022 that the Second Amendment generally gives people the right to carry guns in public for self-defense and any firearm restrictions must have a strong grounding in the nation’s history.The landmark 2022 ruling led to a cascade of challenges to firearm laws around the country, though the justices have since upheld&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-domestic-violence-d63ee828e51911cc5e5a01780820f224">a different federal law</a>&nbsp;intended to protect victims of domestic violence by barring guns from people under restraining orders.

Supreme Court to decide whether pot smokers can legally own guns

SEDGWICK COUNTY—An Oklahoma truck driver accused of intentionally backing over and killing a Georgia man in the parking lot of a Wichita truck stop will return to court Tuesday.

Travis Briscoe, 46, is scheduled to attend a preliminary hearing in Judge Rodger Woods courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. He is charged with 2nd degree murder for the death of 57-year-old Abdelmuttalib Mohammed.

On August 13, police responded to the Love's Travel Stop in the 1500 block of East 21st Street North for an injury crash, according to Officer Kris Gupilan. They found 57-year-old Abdelmuttalib Mohammed of Georgia, under a truck. Sedgwick County Emergency Medical Services pronounced him dead at 5:32 p.m.

Investigators with the Wichita Police Department determined Mohammed had been in a verbal altercation with Briscoe. The two men did not know each other, according to Gupilan. During the altercation, Briscoe began backing into a parking stall with his semitractor-trailer striking&nbsp; Mohammed.

Briscoe remains jailed on a $150,000 bond, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755126893221.png" alt="First responders at the scene of the fatal incident -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the scene of the fatal incident -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—An Oklahoma truck driver accused of intentionally backing over and killing a Georgia man in the parking lot of a Wichita truck stop will return to court Tuesday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755180791856.png" alt="Briscoe photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Briscoe photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Travis Briscoe, 46, is scheduled to attend a preliminary hearing in Judge Rodger Woods courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. He is charged with 2nd degree murder for the death of 57-year-old Abdelmuttalib Mohammed.On August 13, police responded to the Love's Travel Stop in the 1500 block of East 21st Street North for an injury crash, according to Officer Kris Gupilan. They found 57-year-old Abdelmuttalib Mohammed of Georgia, under a truck. Sedgwick County Emergency Medical Services pronounced him dead at 5:32 p.m.Investigators with the Wichita Police Department determined Mohammed had been in a verbal altercation with Briscoe. The two men did not know each other, according to Gupilan. During the altercation, Briscoe began backing into a parking stall with his semitractor-trailer striking&nbsp; Mohammed.Briscoe remains jailed on a $150,000 bond, according to online jail records.

Preliminary hearing: Driver backed over, killed man at Kan. truck stop

WASHINGTON (AP) —In this fourth week of the government shutdown, Senate Republicans including Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall are gathering at White House — not for urgent talks on how to end it, but for a display of unity with President Donald Trump as they refuse to negotiate on any Democratic demands.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called it a “pep rally” and said it’s “shameful” that House Speaker Mike Johnson has kept the House out of town during the shutdown. Schumer says his side wants to end the shutdown and fix the health care premium crisis that “looms over 20 million hardworking Americans.”

WASHINGTON (AP) —In this fourth week of the government shutdown, Senate Republicans including Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall are gathering at White House — not for urgent talks on how to end it, but for a display of unity with President Donald Trump as they refuse to negotiate on any Democratic demands.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Thank you, President Trump for your leadership and hospitality! Republicans are standing strong together — it’s time for Chuck Schumer to stop playing games and reopen the government. <a href="https://t.co/GEe7HD5DDh">pic.twitter.com/GEe7HD5DDh</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1980666177497276458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Senate Republicans at White House for Rose Garden lunch with President Trump. <a href="https://t.co/MipUP7469J">pic.twitter.com/MipUP7469J</a>&mdash; Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardMortman/status/1980670311248093460?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Senate Republicans at the White House for Rose Garden lunch with President Trump. <a href="https://t.co/rWGnnY72kl">pic.twitter.com/rWGnnY72kl</a>&mdash; Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardMortman/status/1980677135087071349?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called it a “pep rally” and said it’s “shameful” that House Speaker Mike Johnson has kept the House out of town during the shutdown. Schumer says his side wants to end the shutdown and fix the health care premium crisis that “looms over 20 million hardworking Americans.”

Kan. U.S. Senators at the Rose Garden for lunch with President Trump

NEW YORK (AP) — Disney+ and Hulu subscription cancellations rose during the month that ABC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-ae43c600bd0f2a4c7d3c12077e91b211">briefly cancelled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,</a>&nbsp;" according to data from subscription analytics company Antenna.

Walt Disney Co. owns the streaming platforms and ABC. ABC pulled the show off the air for less than a week in September in the wake of criticism over his comments related the killing of conservative activist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-utah-university-republicans-8357c3d102de09e3320fde761258131a">Charlie Kirk</a>.

Antenna estimates total cancellations in September were 4.1 million for Hulu and 3 million for Disney+. The “churn rate,” or the percentage of customers that cancel their subscriptions in a specific month, jumped from 5% in August to 10% in September for Hulu. That figure jumped 4% in August to 8% in September for Disney+.

However, signups were higher in September for both Hulu and Disney+ than the prior five months.

Antenna is a subscription analytics company that tracks U.S. consumer data. The data excludes subscribers in bundle deals.

In its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/disney-iger-espn-hulu-610cc1164ad44976e79bc6d9c2357ca9">most recent earnings report</a>&nbsp;for the quarter ended June 28, Disney reported 183 million Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758149830141.png" alt="Image courtesy ABC" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy ABC</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Disney+ and Hulu subscription cancellations rose during the month that ABC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-ae43c600bd0f2a4c7d3c12077e91b211">briefly cancelled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,</a>&nbsp;" according to data from subscription analytics company Antenna.Walt Disney Co. owns the streaming platforms and ABC. ABC pulled the show off the air for less than a week in September in the wake of criticism over his comments related the killing of conservative activist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-utah-university-republicans-8357c3d102de09e3320fde761258131a">Charlie Kirk</a>.Antenna estimates total cancellations in September were 4.1 million for Hulu and 3 million for Disney+. The “churn rate,” or the percentage of customers that cancel their subscriptions in a specific month, jumped from 5% in August to 10% in September for Hulu. That figure jumped 4% in August to 8% in September for Disney+.However, signups were higher in September for both Hulu and Disney+ than the prior five months.Antenna is a subscription analytics company that tracks U.S. consumer data. The data excludes subscribers in bundle deals.In its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/disney-iger-espn-hulu-610cc1164ad44976e79bc6d9c2357ca9">most recent earnings report</a>&nbsp;for the quarter ended June 28, Disney reported 183 million Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions.Disney declined to comment.

Disney+ and Hulu cancellations spike following Kimmel suspension

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A suspect arrested in connection with a violent abduction shown on a doorbell video last week in Wichita made his first appearance in court Monday.&nbsp;

A judge charged 22-year-old Daniel T. Espitia Guevara with&nbsp;aggravated domestic battery and misdemeanor counts of domestic battery and&nbsp; criminal restraint, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. He is also on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold.

Last week, the Wichita Police Department asked for the community’s help in identifying and locating a woman in a doorbell video who was seen being taken by force on October 12, at approximately 2 AM., in the 1400 block of North Volutsia in Wichita.

Just after 3p.m. October 14, Wichita Police Investigators received a phone call, from a woman claiming to be the individual investigators were attempting to identify. Investigators immediately responded to her location, made contact, and transported her to City Hall so detectives could conduct a victim interview. Police confirmed the identity of the woman as a 35-year-old who lives in the area where the video was captured. Police believed this incident is a case of domestic violence where the woman was victimized by her boyfriend. The woman did not have any significant injuries.

Just after 7 p.m. October 14, officers with the Wichita Police Domestic Intervention and Violence Reduction team (DIVRT) located and arrested Guevara in relation to a doorbell surveillance case and booked him into jail.

He remains in custody on a $75,000 bond, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760555163921.png" alt="ESPITIA GUEVARA-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>ESPITIA GUEVARA-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A suspect arrested in connection with a violent abduction shown on a doorbell video last week in Wichita made his first appearance in court Monday.&nbsp;A judge charged 22-year-old Daniel T. Espitia Guevara with&nbsp;aggravated domestic battery and misdemeanor counts of domestic battery and&nbsp; criminal restraint, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. He is also on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760408562025.png" alt="Image from Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Image from Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Last week, the Wichita Police Department asked for the community’s help in identifying and locating a woman in a doorbell video who was seen being taken by force on October 12, at approximately 2 AM., in the 1400 block of North Volutsia in Wichita.Just after 3p.m. October 14, Wichita Police Investigators received a phone call, from a woman claiming to be the individual investigators were attempting to identify. Investigators immediately responded to her location, made contact, and transported her to City Hall so detectives could conduct a victim interview. Police confirmed the identity of the woman as a 35-year-old who lives in the area where the video was captured. Police believed this incident is a case of domestic violence where the woman was victimized by her boyfriend. The woman did not have any significant injuries.Just after 7 p.m. October 14, officers with the Wichita Police Domestic Intervention and Violence Reduction team (DIVRT) located and arrested Guevara in relation to a doorbell surveillance case and booked him into jail.He remains in custody on a $75,000 bond, according to the district attorney's office.

Suspect in Kansas doorbell camera abduction faces a judge

Girod described ‘productive’ dialogue on strategy to reshape colleges, universities

TOPEKA — The University of Kansas said Monday the chancellor privately shared insights about a proposed compact offering preferential treatment by the Trump administration in exchange for freezing tuition rates, limiting international student enrollment and restraining campus employees from expressing political views.

KU Chancellor Doug Girod, vice chair of the prestigious Association of American Universities, responded to a request Friday to provide feedback on President Donald Trump’s unprecedented plan to bring higher education institutions into line with his agenda.

Seven of nine universities originally offered the Trump deal have rejected the offer, which was denounced in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Statement-Compact-101725.pdf" target="_blank">statement by the American Council on Education</a>&nbsp;and dozens of other education associations. KU’s last-minute role in a virtual meeting was sought along with that of Washington University in St. Louis, as well as Arizona State University. It wasn’t clear if KU was asked to sign the deal with Trump.

“Chancellor Girod was invited to provide feedback to federal officials on the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education and related matters impacting universities,” said Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, director of media relations at KU. “The chancellor described the discussion as productive, and federal officials were interested in his perspective.”

After the meeting, Linda McMahon, secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, said on X that the gathering with Girod and others was “an important step toward defending a shared vision.”

“With continued federal investment and strong institutional leadership, the higher education sector can do more to enhance American leadership in the world and build tomorrow’s workforce,” she said. “A renewed commitment to the time-honored principles that helped make American universities great will strengthen the country and deepen public confidence in higher education.”

The White House convened the group ahead of Monday’s deadline for reaction and comment from nine private and public institutions — KU wasn’t on that list — initially contacted by the Trump administration. No institutions have signed the agreement.

On Saturday, Dartmouth President&nbsp;<a href="https://president.dartmouth.edu/news/2025/10/dartmouths-feedback-compact" target="_blank">Sian Beilock issued a statement</a>&nbsp;that said she shared on the call that “I do not believe that a compact — with any administration — is the right approach to achieve academic excellence, as it would compromise our academic freedom, our ability to govern ourselves and the principle that federal research funds should be awarded to the best, most promising ideas.”

Paul Mahoney, interim president of the&nbsp;<a href="https://news.virginia.edu/content/community-message-interim-president-paul-mahoney" target="_blank">University of Virginia, said a contract with the federal government</a>&nbsp;predicating assessment of students on anything other than merit would erode confidence in U.S. higher education and threatened to undermine lifesaving research.

In addition to Dartmouth and UVA, the answer was “no” from Brown University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California and University of Arizona. Vanderbilt University and University of Texas had yet to provide conclusive answers.

The Trump administration since taking office in January has blocked billions of dollars in research grants in an effort to compel operational changes at U.S. universities and colleges. Reasons for the budget cuts included alleged antisemitism on campus; policies ensuring LGBTQ+ equality; and programs tied to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Frustrated by pushback from higher education, the White House delivered letters Oct. 1 to select colleges and universities on the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education. The strategy was to invite voluntary compliance with changes the Trump administration could have difficult enforcing.

The Trump administration’s compact would mandate that schools freeze tuition for five years, limit international students to 15% of undergraduate enrollment, impose standardized tests for admission, abide by a ban on DEI programs and adopt a definition of gender that would block transgender individuals from using restrooms or participating in sports that aligned with their gender identity.

In addition, the arrangement would forbid participating colleges and universities from allowing employees to express political views on behalf of their institutions. Academic departments offering opinions counter to views held by conservatives would have to be closed. Students and employees would be polled on compact compliance and the results released publicly. There would be financial penalties for institutions that violated pledges included in the deal.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that other colleges or universities beyond those contacted so far could be signers of the deal.

The American Council on Education’s statement, with 35 other organizations in opposition to the compact, said Trump’s maneuvering raised concern about undermining qualities that made the U.S. educational system exceptional.

“The compact offers nothing less than government control of a university’s basic and necessary freedoms — the freedoms to decide who we teach, what we teach and who teaches,” the statement said. “The compact is just the kind of excessive federal overreach and regulation, to the detriment of state and local input and control, that this administration says it is against.”

The joint statement said the proposed compact would hamper ability of colleges and universities to innovate and make advancements that contributed to the nation’s economic well-being and security.

“It would hinder, not safeguard, freedom of expression for all points of view, and it will not assist in expanding social and economic mobility for all of our students,” the statement read.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761050638542.png" alt=" Doug Girod, chancellor at the University of Kansas, participated in a White House virtual meeting about President Donald Trump’s campaign to exchange special access to federal funding or grants when colleges and universities agree to freeze tuition, limit international student enrollment, ban DEI and transgender policies and restrain employees from sharing political views on behalf of a higher education institution. In this Oct. 17, 2025, image, Girod delivers the annual State of the University speech at KU. (Photo taken by Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Doug Girod, chancellor at the University of Kansas, participated in a White House virtual meeting about President Donald Trump’s campaign to exchange special access to federal funding or grants when colleges and universities agree to freeze tuition, limit international student enrollment, ban DEI and transgender policies and restrain employees from sharing political views on behalf of a higher education institution. In this Oct. 17, 2025, image, Girod delivers the annual State of the University speech at KU. (Photo taken by Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Girod described ‘productive’ dialogue on strategy to reshape colleges, universities</h2>TOPEKA — The University of Kansas said Monday the chancellor privately shared insights about a proposed compact offering preferential treatment by the Trump administration in exchange for freezing tuition rates, limiting international student enrollment and restraining campus employees from expressing political views.KU Chancellor Doug Girod, vice chair of the prestigious Association of American Universities, responded to a request Friday to provide feedback on President Donald Trump’s unprecedented plan to bring higher education institutions into line with his agenda.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I am grateful to the university presidents who joined White House and Agency officials for a positive and wide-ranging conversation about the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education. American universities power our economy, drive innovation, and prepare young people…&mdash; Secretary Linda McMahon (@EDSecMcMahon) <a href="https://twitter.com/EDSecMcMahon/status/1979323613548364278?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Seven of nine universities originally offered the Trump deal have rejected the offer, which was denounced in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Statement-Compact-101725.pdf" target="_blank">statement by the American Council on Education</a>&nbsp;and dozens of other education associations. KU’s last-minute role in a virtual meeting was sought along with that of Washington University in St. Louis, as well as Arizona State University. It wasn’t clear if KU was asked to sign the deal with Trump.“Chancellor Girod was invited to provide feedback to federal officials on the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education and related matters impacting universities,” said Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, director of media relations at KU. “The chancellor described the discussion as productive, and federal officials were interested in his perspective.”After the meeting, Linda McMahon, secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, said on X that the gathering with Girod and others was “an important step toward defending a shared vision.”“With continued federal investment and strong institutional leadership, the higher education sector can do more to enhance American leadership in the world and build tomorrow’s workforce,” she said. “A renewed commitment to the time-honored principles that helped make American universities great will strengthen the country and deepen public confidence in higher education.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761050707809.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The White House convened the group ahead of Monday’s deadline for reaction and comment from nine private and public institutions — KU wasn’t on that list — initially contacted by the Trump administration. No institutions have signed the agreement.On Saturday, Dartmouth President&nbsp;<a href="https://president.dartmouth.edu/news/2025/10/dartmouths-feedback-compact" target="_blank">Sian Beilock issued a statement</a>&nbsp;that said she shared on the call that “I do not believe that a compact — with any administration — is the right approach to achieve academic excellence, as it would compromise our academic freedom, our ability to govern ourselves and the principle that federal research funds should be awarded to the best, most promising ideas.”Paul Mahoney, interim president of the&nbsp;<a href="https://news.virginia.edu/content/community-message-interim-president-paul-mahoney" target="_blank">University of Virginia, said a contract with the federal government</a>&nbsp;predicating assessment of students on anything other than merit would erode confidence in U.S. higher education and threatened to undermine lifesaving research.In addition to Dartmouth and UVA, the answer was “no” from Brown University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California and University of Arizona. Vanderbilt University and University of Texas had yet to provide conclusive answers.The Trump administration since taking office in January has blocked billions of dollars in research grants in an effort to compel operational changes at U.S. universities and colleges. Reasons for the budget cuts included alleged antisemitism on campus; policies ensuring LGBTQ+ equality; and programs tied to diversity, equity and inclusion.Frustrated by pushback from higher education, the White House delivered letters Oct. 1 to select colleges and universities on the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education. The strategy was to invite voluntary compliance with changes the Trump administration could have difficult enforcing.The Trump administration’s compact would mandate that schools freeze tuition for five years, limit international students to 15% of undergraduate enrollment, impose standardized tests for admission, abide by a ban on DEI programs and adopt a definition of gender that would block transgender individuals from using restrooms or participating in sports that aligned with their gender identity.In addition, the arrangement would forbid participating colleges and universities from allowing employees to express political views on behalf of their institutions. Academic departments offering opinions counter to views held by conservatives would have to be closed. Students and employees would be polled on compact compliance and the results released publicly. There would be financial penalties for institutions that violated pledges included in the deal.Trump wrote on Truth Social that other colleges or universities beyond those contacted so far could be signers of the deal.The American Council on Education’s statement, with 35 other organizations in opposition to the compact, said Trump’s maneuvering raised concern about undermining qualities that made the U.S. educational system exceptional.“The compact offers nothing less than government control of a university’s basic and necessary freedoms — the freedoms to decide who we teach, what we teach and who teaches,” the statement said. “The compact is just the kind of excessive federal overreach and regulation, to the detriment of state and local input and control, that this administration says it is against.”The joint statement said the proposed compact would hamper ability of colleges and universities to innovate and make advancements that contributed to the nation’s economic well-being and security.“It would hinder, not safeguard, freedom of expression for all points of view, and it will not assist in expanding social and economic mobility for all of our students,” the statement read.

University of Kansas chancellor joins White House talks on Trump’s higher education deal

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating an officer-involved shooting in Kansas City.

Just after 9p.m. Monday Kansas City, Missouri, police dispatch was notified about a vehicle pursuit involving the Independence, Missouri Police Department.&nbsp; 

The pursuit entered Kansas and just after 9:30p.m. the vehicle reentered Missouri, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol became involved, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

At approximately 9:45p.m. the pursuit stopped in the 9200 block of Oakland Street in Kansas City, Missouri. Based on the information available now, there was an interaction between the suspect and the trooper that led to shots being fired by the troope at the suspect.

The suspect vehicle fled the scene and the pursuit continued as officers and Troopers pursued the vehicle. The vehicle pursuit concluded a short distance away in the 8100 block of East 91st Terrace.

Two suspects were taken into custody.&nbsp; The adult male driver was transported to a local hospital with an apparent gunshot wound. He is reported to be in non life threatening condition.

&nbsp;No Kansas City or Independence officers discharged their weapons. Kansas City, Missouri Police are in charged of the investigation, according to DiMartino.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating an officer-involved shooting in Kansas City.Just after 9p.m. Monday Kansas City, Missouri, police dispatch was notified about a vehicle pursuit involving the Independence, Missouri Police Department.&nbsp; The pursuit entered Kansas and just after 9:30p.m. the vehicle reentered Missouri, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol became involved, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.At approximately 9:45p.m. the pursuit stopped in the 9200 block of Oakland Street in Kansas City, Missouri. Based on the information available now, there was an interaction between the suspect and the trooper that led to shots being fired by the troope at the suspect.The suspect vehicle fled the scene and the pursuit continued as officers and Troopers pursued the vehicle. The vehicle pursuit concluded a short distance away in the 8100 block of East 91st Terrace.Two suspects were taken into custody.&nbsp; The adult male driver was transported to a local hospital with an apparent gunshot wound. He is reported to be in non life threatening condition.&nbsp;No Kansas City or Independence officers discharged their weapons. Kansas City, Missouri Police are in charged of the investigation, according to DiMartino.

2 in custody: Trooper fired shots after chase crossed state line

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man who&nbsp;admitted killing a Kansas woman who was reported missing is going to prison for the rest of his life. 

On Monday Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced 31-year-old Kyle Bearden to a life term for the murder of 30-year-old Mariana Christian, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. The earliest possibility of parole is 25 years and an additional 181 months in prison if parole is granted.

In August, Bearden entered a plea of guilty during an evidentiary hearing before Judge Goering.

The plea agreement called for the parties to jointly recommend a prison sentence of life with parole eligibility after 25 years, to be followed by an additional 15 years of imprisonment if parole is granted.

Around 10:30 a.m. on July 21, a friend of Mariana Christian filed a missing person report. The friend said Ms. Christian had a history of mental health challenges and often relied on them for transportation to work. That morning, Christian was not at her home in the 1200 block of S. Paige when the friend arrived to pick her up.

At the residence, the friend encountered an unidentified man later identified as Kyle Bearden who said he didn’t know Ms. Christian’s whereabouts.

He claimed Mariana Christian had left the apartment on Friday, July 18, in a truck with an unknown man and woman and hadn’t returned. He also expressed concern for her safety. Although not listed on the lease, the man appeared to be living in the apartment.

Although Ms. Christian was last seen on Friday, July 18, she wasn’t reported missing until Monday, July 21. After multiple failed attempts to reach her and finding her absence unusual, the friend contacted police. Officers issued an attempt-to-locate alert, and investigators took over the case.

WPD investigators identified Bearden as a person of interest. They followed leads to locate Ms. Christian, discovering evidence of her death and where her remains were left in Cottonwood Park near Armor and Bayley in Wichita.

Wichita Police officers responded to the area and located human remains. Investigators believe Bearden shot Ms. Christian.

Crime scene investigators processed Ms. Christian’s apartment and found evidence of foul play. On the morning of July 31, the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center positively identified the remains as those of Mariana Christian.

Kyle Bearden was arrested on July 30 and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753958410010.png" alt="Bearden photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Bearden photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man who&nbsp;admitted killing a Kansas woman who was reported missing is going to prison for the rest of his life. On Monday Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced 31-year-old Kyle Bearden to a life term for the murder of 30-year-old Mariana Christian, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. The earliest possibility of parole is 25 years and an additional 181 months in prison if parole is granted.In August, Bearden entered a plea of guilty during an evidentiary hearing before Judge Goering.The plea agreement called for the parties to jointly recommend a prison sentence of life with parole eligibility after 25 years, to be followed by an additional 15 years of imprisonment if parole is granted.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754062859608.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Around 10:30 a.m. on July 21, a friend of Mariana Christian filed a missing person report. The friend said Ms. Christian had a history of mental health challenges and often relied on them for transportation to work. That morning, Christian was not at her home in the 1200 block of S. Paige when the friend arrived to pick her up.At the residence, the friend encountered an unidentified man later identified as Kyle Bearden who said he didn’t know Ms. Christian’s whereabouts.He claimed Mariana Christian had left the apartment on Friday, July 18, in a truck with an unknown man and woman and hadn’t returned. He also expressed concern for her safety. Although not listed on the lease, the man appeared to be living in the apartment.Although Ms. Christian was last seen on Friday, July 18, she wasn’t reported missing until Monday, July 21. After multiple failed attempts to reach her and finding her absence unusual, the friend contacted police. Officers issued an attempt-to-locate alert, and investigators took over the case.WPD investigators identified Bearden as a person of interest. They followed leads to locate Ms. Christian, discovering evidence of her death and where her remains were left in Cottonwood Park near Armor and Bayley in Wichita.Wichita Police officers responded to the area and located human remains. Investigators believe Bearden shot Ms. Christian.Crime scene investigators processed Ms. Christian’s apartment and found evidence of foul play. On the morning of July 31, the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center positively identified the remains as those of Mariana Christian.Kyle Bearden was arrested on July 30 and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp;

Life in prison for killer found at missing Kan. woman's home

WASHINGTON — The&nbsp;federal government shutdown&nbsp;is moving into its third week with&nbsp;no end in sight. Most members of the House of Representatives are finally back in Washington after being out for over a month. Second District Kansas Congressman what he's doing after arriving back in the nation's capitol.

House Speaker Mike Johnson hinted he might call the House back into session if Senate passes bill to pay furloughed workers.&nbsp; That could happen this week.

WASHINGTON — The&nbsp;federal government shutdown&nbsp;is moving into its third week with&nbsp;no end in sight. Most members of the House of Representatives are finally back in Washington after being out for over a month. Second District Kansas Congressman what he's doing after arriving back in the nation's capitol.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Day 20 of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SchumerShutdown?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SchumerShutdown</a>. <a href="https://t.co/iFUZTistPq">pic.twitter.com/iFUZTistPq</a>&mdash; Rep. Derek Schmidt Press (@RepDerekSchmidt) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDerekSchmidt/status/1980295827429179669?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>House Speaker Mike Johnson hinted he might call the House back into session if Senate passes bill to pay furloughed workers.&nbsp; That could happen this week.

🎥Kansas Congressman: Government shutdown very frustrating

FINNEY COUNTY —First responders in southwest Kansas were called to an injury crash on Saturday evening, according to a media release from Garden City Police.

This crash was one of several recent collisions involving drivers failing to stop or yield at traffic signals or signs. At 6:45 p.m. Saturday, police, fire, and EMS units responded to the 1800 block of E. Kansas Avenue for a multi-vehicle collision. 

When they arrived, Officers found a Chevy Tahoe on its side and a GMC van with significant front-end damage. The investigation revealed that the van had been stopped at the intersection of Kansas Avenue and College Drive.&nbsp;

The driver failed to yield before proceeding southbound through the intersection. The van struck the eastbound Chevy Tahoe, causing it to roll onto its driver's side and collide with a traffic light pole. Several occupants of the Tahoe sustained minor injuries and were transported to the hospital by EMS. 

The driver of the van, a 78-year-old man, was cited for Failure to Yield at Stop or Yield Sign.

This incident is one of several recent crashes involving drivers running red lights or failing to stop or yield at stop signs - a growing concern in the community. Crashes like this remind us that every choice behind the wheel matters, and red lights and stop signs are not optional - they are safeguards designed to protect everyone on the road. Let's all do our part - stay alert, know and respect the rules of the road, and drive responsibly.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760978751226.png" alt="Photo Garden City Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Garden City Police</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —First responders in southwest Kansas were called to an injury crash on Saturday evening, according to a media release from Garden City Police.This crash was one of several recent collisions involving drivers failing to stop or yield at traffic signals or signs. At 6:45 p.m. Saturday, police, fire, and EMS units responded to the 1800 block of E. Kansas Avenue for a multi-vehicle collision. When they arrived, Officers found a Chevy Tahoe on its side and a GMC van with significant front-end damage. The investigation revealed that the van had been stopped at the intersection of Kansas Avenue and College Drive.&nbsp;The driver failed to yield before proceeding southbound through the intersection. The van struck the eastbound Chevy Tahoe, causing it to roll onto its driver's side and collide with a traffic light pole. Several occupants of the Tahoe sustained minor injuries and were transported to the hospital by EMS. The driver of the van, a 78-year-old man, was cited for Failure to Yield at Stop or Yield Sign.This incident is one of several recent crashes involving drivers running red lights or failing to stop or yield at stop signs - a growing concern in the community. Crashes like this remind us that every choice behind the wheel matters, and red lights and stop signs are not optional - they are safeguards designed to protect everyone on the road. Let's all do our part - stay alert, know and respect the rules of the road, and drive responsibly.

Police in SW Kan. report growing trend of drivers ignoring traffic signals

LONDON (AP) — Amazon says a massive outage of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-to-know-about-the-amazon-web-services-outage-0000019a02c5dea7a7ba2fcda5bc0000">cloud computing service</a>&nbsp;has been resolved as of Monday evening, after a problem disrupted internet use around the world, taking down a broad range of online services, including social media, gaming, food delivery, streaming and financial platforms.

The all-day disruption and the ensuing exasperation it caused served as the latest reminder that 21st century society is increasingly dependent on just a handful of companies for much of its internet technology, which seems to work reliably until it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-outage-crowdstrike-windows-big-tech-dependence-f314f7919e5ac2d0d40682f13df00778">suddenly breaks down</a>.

About three hours after the outage began early Monday morning, Amazon Web Services said it was&nbsp;<a href="https://health.aws.amazon.com/health/status">starting to recover</a>, but it wasn't until 6 p.m. Eastern that “services returned to normal operations,” Amazon said on its&nbsp;<a href="https://health.aws.amazon.com/health/status">AWS health</a>&nbsp;website, where it tracks outages.

AWS provides behind-the-scenes cloud computing infrastructure to some of the world’s biggest organizations. Its customers include government departments, universities and businesses, including The Associated Press.

Cybersecurity expert Mike Chapple said “a slow and bumpy recovery process” is “entirely normal.”

As engineers roll out fixes across the cloud computing infrastructure, the process could trigger smaller disruptions, he said.

“It’s similar to what happens after a large-scale power outage: While a city’s power is coming back online, neighborhoods may see intermittent glitches as crews finish the repairs,” said Chapple, an information technology professor at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business.

Amazon pinned the outage on issues related to its domain name system that converts web addresses into IP addresses, which are numeric designations that identify locations on the internet. Those addresses allow websites and apps to load on internet-connected devices.

DownDetector, a website that tracks online outages, said in a Facebook post that it received over 11 million user reports of problems at more than 2,500 companies. Users reported trouble with the social media site Snapchat, the Roblox and Fortnite video games, the online broker Robinhood and the McDonald’s app, as well as Netflix, Disney+ and many other services.

The cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase and the Signal chat app both said on X that they were experiencing trouble related to the outage.

Amazon's own services were also affected. Users of the company's Ring doorbell cameras and Alexa-powered smart speakers reported that they were not working, while others said they were unable to access the Amazon website or download books to their Kindle.

Many college and K-12 students were unable to submit or access their homework or course materials Monday because the AWS outage knocked out Canvas, a widely used educational platform.

“I currently can’t grade any online assignments, and my students can’t access their online materials” because of the outage’s effect on learning-management systems, said Damien P. Williams, a professor of philosophy and data science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

The exact number of schools impacted was not immediately known, but Canvas says on its website it is used by 50% of college and university students in North America, including all Ivy League schools in the U.S.

Ohio State University informed its 70,000 students at all six campuses by email Monday morning that online course materials might be inaccessible due to the outage and that “students should connect with their instructors for any alternative plans.” By late afternoon, the system was still down, said spokesman Benjamin Johnson.

This is not the first time issues with Amazon cloud services have caused widespread disruptions.

Many popular internet services were affected by a brief&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-outage-aws-cloud-services-be93bc744e4e69d04055683830a409c3">outage in 2023</a>. AWS’s longest outage in recent history occurred in late 2021, when a wide range of companies — from airlines and auto dealerships to payment apps and video streaming services — were affected for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-amazoncom-inc-web-services-3ba6c35f2c86245231c03a2dc7f0c995">more than five hours</a>. Outages also happened in 2020 and&nbsp;<a href="http://apnews.com/article/32dc4dceb18a4214b23b2930ebd1e05f">2017</a>.

The first signs of trouble emerged at around 3:11 a.m. Eastern time, when AWS reported on its “health dashboard” that it was “investigating increased error rates and latencies for multiple AWS services in the US-EAST-1 Region.” Later, the company reported that there were “significant error rates” and that engineers were “actively working” on the problem.

Around 6 a.m. Eastern time, the company reported seeing recovery across most of the affected services and said it was seeking a “full resolution." As of midday, AWS was still working to resolve the trouble.

Sixty-four internal AWS services were affected, the company said.

Just a few companies provide most internet infrastructure

Because much of the world now relies on three or four companies to provide the underlying infrastructure of the internet, “when there’s an issue like this, it can be really impactful” across many online services, said Patrick Burgess, a cybersecurity expert at U.K.-based BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.

“The world now runs on the cloud,” Burgess said.

And because so much of the online world’s plumbing is underpinned by so few companies, when something goes wrong, “it’s very difficult for users to pinpoint what is happening because we don’t see Amazon, we just see Snapchat or Roblox,” Burgess said.

“The good news is that this kind of issue is usually relatively fast" to resolve, and there’s no indication that it was caused by a cyberattack, Burgess said.

“This looks like a good old-fashioned technology issue. Something’s gone wrong, and it will be fixed by Amazon,” he said.

There are “well-established processes” to deal with outages at AWS, as well as rivals Google and Microsoft, Burgess said, adding that such outages are usually over in “hours rather than days.”

LONDON (AP) — Amazon says a massive outage of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-to-know-about-the-amazon-web-services-outage-0000019a02c5dea7a7ba2fcda5bc0000">cloud computing service</a>&nbsp;has been resolved as of Monday evening, after a problem disrupted internet use around the world, taking down a broad range of online services, including social media, gaming, food delivery, streaming and financial platforms.The all-day disruption and the ensuing exasperation it caused served as the latest reminder that 21st century society is increasingly dependent on just a handful of companies for much of its internet technology, which seems to work reliably until it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-outage-crowdstrike-windows-big-tech-dependence-f314f7919e5ac2d0d40682f13df00778">suddenly breaks down</a>.About three hours after the outage began early Monday morning, Amazon Web Services said it was&nbsp;<a href="https://health.aws.amazon.com/health/status">starting to recover</a>, but it wasn't until 6 p.m. Eastern that “services returned to normal operations,” Amazon said on its&nbsp;<a href="https://health.aws.amazon.com/health/status">AWS health</a>&nbsp;website, where it tracks outages.AWS provides behind-the-scenes cloud computing infrastructure to some of the world’s biggest organizations. Its customers include government departments, universities and businesses, including The Associated Press.Cybersecurity expert Mike Chapple said “a slow and bumpy recovery process” is “entirely normal.”As engineers roll out fixes across the cloud computing infrastructure, the process could trigger smaller disruptions, he said.“It’s similar to what happens after a large-scale power outage: While a city’s power is coming back online, neighborhoods may see intermittent glitches as crews finish the repairs,” said Chapple, an information technology professor at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business.<h2>Amazon blames domain name system</h2>Amazon pinned the outage on issues related to its domain name system that converts web addresses into IP addresses, which are numeric designations that identify locations on the internet. Those addresses allow websites and apps to load on internet-connected devices.DownDetector, a website that tracks online outages, said in a Facebook post that it received over 11 million user reports of problems at more than 2,500 companies. Users reported trouble with the social media site Snapchat, the Roblox and Fortnite video games, the online broker Robinhood and the McDonald’s app, as well as Netflix, Disney+ and many other services.The cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase and the Signal chat app both said on X that they were experiencing trouble related to the outage.Amazon's own services were also affected. Users of the company's Ring doorbell cameras and Alexa-powered smart speakers reported that they were not working, while others said they were unable to access the Amazon website or download books to their Kindle.Many college and K-12 students were unable to submit or access their homework or course materials Monday because the AWS outage knocked out Canvas, a widely used educational platform.“I currently can’t grade any online assignments, and my students can’t access their online materials” because of the outage’s effect on learning-management systems, said Damien P. Williams, a professor of philosophy and data science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.The exact number of schools impacted was not immediately known, but Canvas says on its website it is used by 50% of college and university students in North America, including all Ivy League schools in the U.S.Ohio State University informed its 70,000 students at all six campuses by email Monday morning that online course materials might be inaccessible due to the outage and that “students should connect with their instructors for any alternative plans.” By late afternoon, the system was still down, said spokesman Benjamin Johnson.<h2>Record of past outages</h2>This is not the first time issues with Amazon cloud services have caused widespread disruptions.Many popular internet services were affected by a brief&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-outage-aws-cloud-services-be93bc744e4e69d04055683830a409c3">outage in 2023</a>. AWS’s longest outage in recent history occurred in late 2021, when a wide range of companies — from airlines and auto dealerships to payment apps and video streaming services — were affected for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-amazoncom-inc-web-services-3ba6c35f2c86245231c03a2dc7f0c995">more than five hours</a>. Outages also happened in 2020 and&nbsp;<a href="http://apnews.com/article/32dc4dceb18a4214b23b2930ebd1e05f">2017</a>.The first signs of trouble emerged at around 3:11 a.m. Eastern time, when AWS reported on its “health dashboard” that it was “investigating increased error rates and latencies for multiple AWS services in the US-EAST-1 Region.” Later, the company reported that there were “significant error rates” and that engineers were “actively working” on the problem.Around 6 a.m. Eastern time, the company reported seeing recovery across most of the affected services and said it was seeking a “full resolution." As of midday, AWS was still working to resolve the trouble.Sixty-four internal AWS services were affected, the company said.<h2>Just a few companies provide most internet infrastructure</h2>Because much of the world now relies on three or four companies to provide the underlying infrastructure of the internet, “when there’s an issue like this, it can be really impactful” across many online services, said Patrick Burgess, a cybersecurity expert at U.K.-based BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.“The world now runs on the cloud,” Burgess said.And because so much of the online world’s plumbing is underpinned by so few companies, when something goes wrong, “it’s very difficult for users to pinpoint what is happening because we don’t see Amazon, we just see Snapchat or Roblox,” Burgess said.“The good news is that this kind of issue is usually relatively fast" to resolve, and there’s no indication that it was caused by a cyberattack, Burgess said.“This looks like a good old-fashioned technology issue. Something’s gone wrong, and it will be fixed by Amazon,” he said.There are “well-established processes” to deal with outages at AWS, as well as rivals Google and Microsoft, Burgess said, adding that such outages are usually over in “hours rather than days.”

Amazon Web Services recovering from outage that caused disruptions worldwide

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a fatality crash involving a single vehicle and a pedestrian that occurred just after 8:30p.m. Sunday.

Officers were dispatched to the crash&nbsp;involving a single vehicle and a pedestrian at Old 56 Highway and Chestnut Street, according to Olathe Police Officer Sean Wilkes.

First responders located a man who was critically injured. The victim was later identified as 36-year-old&nbsp; Aureliano Gonzalez-Sanchez.&nbsp; He was transported to a nearby hospital where he was later declared deceased.

The driver of the vehicle remained on scene and is cooperating with the investigation.&nbsp;

This case remains under investigation by the&nbsp;Olathe&nbsp;Police Department.&nbsp;

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a fatality crash involving a single vehicle and a pedestrian that occurred just after 8:30p.m. Sunday.Officers were dispatched to the crash&nbsp;involving a single vehicle and a pedestrian at Old 56 Highway and Chestnut Street, according to Olathe Police Officer Sean Wilkes.First responders located a man who was critically injured. The victim was later identified as 36-year-old&nbsp; Aureliano Gonzalez-Sanchez.&nbsp; He was transported to a nearby hospital where he was later declared deceased.The driver of the vehicle remained on scene and is cooperating with the investigation.&nbsp;This case remains under investigation by the&nbsp;Olathe&nbsp;Police Department.&nbsp;

Police ID victim struck and killed by car on Kansas roadway

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man found guilty of charges in a fatal hit-and-run that killed 43-year-old bicyclist Thomas Doyle learn his fate on Tuesday.

&nbsp;Judge Quentin Pittman sentenced 23-year-old Christopher Johnson to 19 months and prison&nbsp;for failure to stop at an accident resulting in death and an additional six months in jail for driving under the influence, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man found guilty of charges in a fatal hit-and-run that killed 43-year-old bicyclist Thomas Doyle will learn his fate today in Judge Quentin Pittman's courtroom.

In June,  Johnson plead not guilty to a charge of felony hit-and-run, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. In September, he entered a no contest plea to avod a jury trial, according to the district attorney's office.  &nbsp;&nbsp;

In August of 2024, police responded to a traffic collision involving a vehicle and an electric bicycle at 2400 N. Hoover in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

First responders found 43-year-old Thomas Doyle of Wichita who was riding the bike unresponsive. Doyle was later pronounced deceased at the scene by Sedgwick County EMS.

Investigators determined Doyle was northbound on Hoover Street when he was struck by a vehicle driven by Johnson who then continued driving north.

On August 22, police arrested Johnson.&nbsp; He bonded out of jail the following day.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724409391079.png" alt="Johnson photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Johnson photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man found guilty of charges in a fatal hit-and-run that killed 43-year-old bicyclist Thomas Doyle learn his fate on Tuesday.&nbsp;Judge Quentin Pittman sentenced 23-year-old Christopher Johnson to 19 months and prison&nbsp;for failure to stop at an accident resulting in death and an additional six months in jail for driving under the influence, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.---------------------SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man found guilty of charges in a fatal hit-and-run that killed 43-year-old bicyclist Thomas Doyle will learn his fate today in Judge Quentin Pittman's courtroom.In June, Johnson plead not guilty to a charge of felony hit-and-run, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. In September, he entered a no contest plea to avod a jury trial, according to the district attorney's office. &nbsp;&nbsp;In August of 2024, police responded to a traffic collision involving a vehicle and an electric bicycle at 2400 N. Hoover in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.First responders found 43-year-old Thomas Doyle of Wichita who was riding the bike unresponsive. Doyle was later pronounced deceased at the scene by Sedgwick County EMS.Investigators determined Doyle was northbound on Hoover Street when he was struck by a vehicle driven by Johnson who then continued driving north.On August 22, police arrested Johnson.&nbsp; He bonded out of jail the following day.

Sentencing Day for Kansas hit-and-run that killed bicyclist

LYON COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating an alleged arson fire have made an arrest.

Just before 5:30a.m.&nbsp;October 18,&nbsp;the Emporia Fire Department responded to a reported vehicle fire in the area of&nbsp;West South Avenue and Neosho Street&nbsp;in Emporia, according to a media release.

Fire crews located the vehicle at&nbsp;10 South Neosho Street, where the fire was quickly extinguished. Following the initial response,&nbsp;Emporia Fire Department Fire Investigators&nbsp;determined the fire was intentionally set.

Police arrested 53-year-old Miguel Solorio Renterio, 53, of Emporia on requested charges of arson&nbsp;in connection with the incident. He has previous convictions for attempted battery on a law enforcement officer and criminal possession of a weapon, according to online records.

The case has been referred to the Lyon County Attorney’s Office&nbsp;for formal charges.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760968599933.png" alt="Renterio photo Lyon County" />
 <figcaption>Renterio photo Lyon County</figcaption>
 </figure>LYON COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating an alleged arson fire have made an arrest.Just before 5:30a.m.&nbsp;October 18,&nbsp;the Emporia Fire Department responded to a reported vehicle fire in the area of&nbsp;West South Avenue and Neosho Street&nbsp;in Emporia, according to a media release.Fire crews located the vehicle at&nbsp;10 South Neosho Street, where the fire was quickly extinguished. Following the initial response,&nbsp;Emporia Fire Department Fire Investigators&nbsp;determined the fire was intentionally set.Police arrested 53-year-old Miguel Solorio Renterio, 53, of Emporia on requested charges of arson&nbsp;in connection with the incident. He has previous convictions for attempted battery on a law enforcement officer and criminal possession of a weapon, according to online records.The case has been referred to the Lyon County Attorney’s Office&nbsp;for formal charges.

Kansas felon back in jail for alleged arson fire

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Monday started tearing down part of the East Wing, the traditional base of operations for the first lady, to build President Donald&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-trump-ballroom-ea5c645a45e8f8846ebc98d5b2976678">Trump's $250 million ballroom</a>&nbsp;despite lacking approval for construction from the federal agency that oversees such projects.

Dramatic photos of the demolition work showed construction equipment tearing into the East Wing façade and windows and other building parts in tatters on the ground. Some reporters watched from a park near the Treasury Department, which is next to the East Wing.

Trump announced the start of construction in a social media post and referenced the work while hosting 2025 college baseball champs Louisiana State University and LSU-Shreveport in the East Room. He noted the work was happening “right behind us.”

“We have a lot of construction going on, which you might hear periodically,” he said, adding, “It just started today.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ballroom-national-planning-commission-approval-f537fa373705d560a9842b6250aee9ef">White House has moved ahead with the massive construction project</a>&nbsp;despite not yet having sign-off from the National Capital Planning Commission, which approves construction work and major renovations to government buildings in the Washington area.

Its chairman, Will Scharf, who is also the White House staff secretary and one of Trump's top aides, said at the commission's September meeting that agency does not have jurisdiction over demolition or site preparation work for buildings on federal property.

“What we deal with is essentially construction, vertical build,” Scharf said last month.

It was unclear whether the White House had submitted the ballroom plans for the agency's review and approval. The White House did not respond to a request for comment and the commission's offices are closed because of the government shutdown.

The Republican president had said in July when the project was announced that the ballroom would not interfere with the mansion itself.

“It’ll be near it but not touching it and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of,” he said of the White House.

The East Wing houses several offices, including those of the first lady. It was built in 1902 and and has been renovated over the years, with a second story added in 1942, according to the White House.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said those East Wing offices will be temporarily relocated during construction and that wing of the building will be modernized and renovated.

“Nothing will be torn down,” Leavitt said when she announced the project in July.

Trump insists that presidents have desired such a ballroom for 150 years and that he's adding the massive 90,000-square-foot, glass-walled space because the East Room, which is the largest room in the White House with an approximately 200-person capacity, is too small. He also has said he does not like the idea of hosting kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers in pavilions on the South Lawn.

Trump said in the social media announcement that the project would be completed “with zero cost to the American Taxpayer! The White House Ballroom is being privately funded by many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly.”

The ballroom will be the biggest structural change to the Executive Mansion since the addition in 1948 of the Truman Balcony overlooking the South Lawn, even dwarfing the residence itself.

At a dinner he hosted last week for some of the wealthy business executives who are donating money toward the $250 million construction cost, Trump said the project had grown in size and now will accommodate 999 people. The capacity was 650 seated people at the July announcement.

The White House has said it will disclose information on who has contributed money to build the ballroom, but has yet to do so.

The clearing of trees on the south grounds and other site preparation work started in September. Plans call for the ballroom to be ready before Trump's term ends in January 2029.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Monday started tearing down part of the East Wing, the traditional base of operations for the first lady, to build President Donald&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-trump-ballroom-ea5c645a45e8f8846ebc98d5b2976678">Trump's $250 million ballroom</a>&nbsp;despite lacking approval for construction from the federal agency that oversees such projects.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;I am pleased to announce that ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom... The White House Ballroom is being privately funded by many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly.&quot; - President Trump <a href="https://t.co/GibeLevvFP">pic.twitter.com/GibeLevvFP</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1980385123037270023?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A lot of FAKE OUTRAGE over construction of the big, beautiful (and privately funded) White House Ballroom. FACT: Presidents have been renovating and expanding the White House for more than 100 years. In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt built the West Wing . In 1909,… <a href="https://t.co/p7opxjsNAm">pic.twitter.com/p7opxjsNAm</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1980411112307700146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Dramatic photos of the demolition work showed construction equipment tearing into the East Wing façade and windows and other building parts in tatters on the ground. Some reporters watched from a park near the Treasury Department, which is next to the East Wing.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Construction has always been a part of the evolution of the White House. Losers who are quick to criticize need to stop their pearl clutching and understand the building needs to be modernized. Otherwise you’re just living in the past. <a href="https://t.co/OpINUW2ofA">pic.twitter.com/OpINUW2ofA</a>&mdash; Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) <a href="https://twitter.com/StevenCheung47/status/1980406883690389560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump announced the start of construction in a social media post and referenced the work while hosting 2025 college baseball champs Louisiana State University and LSU-Shreveport in the East Room. He noted the work was happening “right behind us.”“We have a lot of construction going on, which you might hear periodically,” he said, adding, “It just started today.”The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ballroom-national-planning-commission-approval-f537fa373705d560a9842b6250aee9ef">White House has moved ahead with the massive construction project</a>&nbsp;despite not yet having sign-off from the National Capital Planning Commission, which approves construction work and major renovations to government buildings in the Washington area.Its chairman, Will Scharf, who is also the White House staff secretary and one of Trump's top aides, said at the commission's September meeting that agency does not have jurisdiction over demolition or site preparation work for buildings on federal property.“What we deal with is essentially construction, vertical build,” Scharf said last month.It was unclear whether the White House had submitted the ballroom plans for the agency's review and approval. The White House did not respond to a request for comment and the commission's offices are closed because of the government shutdown.The Republican president had said in July when the project was announced that the ballroom would not interfere with the mansion itself.“It’ll be near it but not touching it and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of,” he said of the White House.The East Wing houses several offices, including those of the first lady. It was built in 1902 and and has been renovated over the years, with a second story added in 1942, according to the White House.Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said those East Wing offices will be temporarily relocated during construction and that wing of the building will be modernized and renovated.“Nothing will be torn down,” Leavitt said when she announced the project in July.Trump insists that presidents have desired such a ballroom for 150 years and that he's adding the massive 90,000-square-foot, glass-walled space because the East Room, which is the largest room in the White House with an approximately 200-person capacity, is too small. He also has said he does not like the idea of hosting kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers in pavilions on the South Lawn.Trump said in the social media announcement that the project would be completed “with zero cost to the American Taxpayer! The White House Ballroom is being privately funded by many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly.”The ballroom will be the biggest structural change to the Executive Mansion since the addition in 1948 of the Truman Balcony overlooking the South Lawn, even dwarfing the residence itself.At a dinner he hosted last week for some of the wealthy business executives who are donating money toward the $250 million construction cost, Trump said the project had grown in size and now will accommodate 999 people. The capacity was 650 seated people at the July announcement.The White House has said it will disclose information on who has contributed money to build the ballroom, but has yet to do so.The clearing of trees on the south grounds and other site preparation work started in September. Plans call for the ballroom to be ready before Trump's term ends in January 2029.

Part of White House demolished for Trump ballroom construction

SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations including throwing a beer can at police.

Just after 7:30p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to home in north Salina after a woman called regarding a man who refused to leave her home, according to a media release.

After the woman asked the man to leave, she locked herself inside the garage, because she did not feel safe. Police determined both the man and woman were acquainted.

According to police, the man threw a full beer can at the woman, missing her and hitting two officers at the scene.

Officers then arrested Tyler Wolf, 33 and booked him into the Saline County Jail on requested charges of Battery on Law Enforcement, Assault and Criminal Trespass.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760995621872.png" alt="Wolf photo Saline County" />
 <figcaption>Wolf photo Saline County</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations including throwing a beer can at police.Just after 7:30p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to home in north Salina after a woman called regarding a man who refused to leave her home, according to a media release.After the woman asked the man to leave, she locked herself inside the garage, because she did not feel safe. Police determined both the man and woman were acquainted.According to police, the man threw a full beer can at the woman, missing her and hitting two officers at the scene.Officers then arrested Tyler Wolf, 33 and booked him into the Saline County Jail on requested charges of Battery on Law Enforcement, Assault and Criminal Trespass.

Police: Kan. man threw a full can of beer and hit officers

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/claire-rush">CLAIRE RUSH</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/gene-johnson">GENE JOHNSON</a>

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An appeals court on Monday put on hold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-oregon-california-trump-newsom-3b8e12f8d2d39f195dda73dda31f1681">a lower court ruling</a>&nbsp;that kept President Donald Trump from taking command of 200 Oregon National Guard troops. However, Trump is still barred from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-hegseth-deploy-portland-chicago-trump-c618d8e59e1136cc0c2c3286d9c41d79">actually deploying</a>&nbsp;those troops, at least for now.

U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut issued two temporary restraining orders early this month — one that prohibited Trump from calling up the troops so he could send them to Portland, and another that prohibited him from sending any National Guard members to Oregon at all, after the president tried to evade the first order by deploying California troops instead.

The Justice Department appealed the first order, and in a 2-1 ruling Monday, a panel from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the administration. The majority said the president was likely to succeed on his claim that he had the authority to federalize the troops based on a determination he was unable to enforce the laws without them.

However, Immergut’s second order remains in effect, so no troops may immediately be deployed.

The administration has said that because the legal reasoning underpinning both temporary restraining orders was the same, it will now ask Immergut to dissolve her second order and allow Trump to deploy troops to Portland. The Justice Department argued that it is not the role of the courts to second-guess the president’s determination about when to deploy troops.

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, a Democrat, said he would ask for a broader panel of the appeals to reconsider the decision.

<a href="https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7Tv2j59PwNEyqGCi1y" target="_blank">▶ Stay up to date with the latest U.S. news by signing up to our WhatsApp channel.</a>

“Today’s ruling, if allowed to stand, would give the president unilateral power to put Oregon soldiers on our streets with almost no justification,” Rayfield said. “We are on a dangerous path in America.”

The Justice Department did not immediately return an email seeking comment.

Trump’s efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-guard-legal-clash-presidential-power-1ed22e89bcdebc8d3e5bd9238373dc45">deploy National Guard troops</a>&nbsp;in Democratic-led cities have been mired in legal challenges. A judge in California ruled that his deployment of thousands of National Guard troops in Los Angeles violated the Posse Comitatus Act, a longstanding law that generally prohibits the use of the military for civilian policing, and the administration on Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-national-guard-trump-913ecce44b6bcc5d0cba1b252dfd34ce">asked the U.S. Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;to allow the deployment of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-troops-memphis-chicago-trump-96d489ab1b325c90da6f75a23efcf479">National Guard</a>&nbsp;troops in the Chicago area,

Mostly small nightly protests, limited to a single block, have been occurring since June outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland. Larger crowds, including counter-protesters and live-streamers, have shown up at times, and federal agents have used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.

The administration has said the troops are needed to protect federal property from protesters, and that having to send extra Department of Homeland Security agents to help guard the property meant they were not enforcing immigration laws elsewhere.

Immergut previously rejected the administration’s arguments, saying the president’s claims about Portland being war-torn are “simply untethered to the facts.” But the appeals court majority — Ryan Nelson and Bridget Bade, both Trump appointees — said the president’s decision was owed more deference.

Bade wrote that the facts appeared to support Trump’s decision “even if the President may exaggerate the extent of the problem on social media.”

Judge Susan Graber, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton appointee, dissented. She urged her colleagues on the 9th Circuit to “to vacate the majority’s order before the illegal deployment of troops under false pretenses can occur.”

“In the two weeks leading up to the President’s September 27 social media post, there had not been a single incident of protesters’ disrupting the execution of the laws,” Graber wrote. “It is hard to understand how a tiny protest causing no disruptions could possibly satisfy the standard that the President is unable to execute the laws.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750413132016.jpeg" alt="File photo California National Guard stand in formation guarding the federal building in downtown Los Angeles on June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)" />
 <figcaption>File photo California National Guard stand in formation guarding the federal building in downtown Los Angeles on June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/claire-rush">CLAIRE RUSH</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/gene-johnson">GENE JOHNSON</a>PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An appeals court on Monday put on hold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-oregon-california-trump-newsom-3b8e12f8d2d39f195dda73dda31f1681">a lower court ruling</a>&nbsp;that kept President Donald Trump from taking command of 200 Oregon National Guard troops. However, Trump is still barred from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-hegseth-deploy-portland-chicago-trump-c618d8e59e1136cc0c2c3286d9c41d79">actually deploying</a>&nbsp;those troops, at least for now.U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut issued two temporary restraining orders early this month — one that prohibited Trump from calling up the troops so he could send them to Portland, and another that prohibited him from sending any National Guard members to Oregon at all, after the president tried to evade the first order by deploying California troops instead.The Justice Department appealed the first order, and in a 2-1 ruling Monday, a panel from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the administration. The majority said the president was likely to succeed on his claim that he had the authority to federalize the troops based on a determination he was unable to enforce the laws without them.However, Immergut’s second order remains in effect, so no troops may immediately be deployed.The administration has said that because the legal reasoning underpinning both temporary restraining orders was the same, it will now ask Immergut to dissolve her second order and allow Trump to deploy troops to Portland. The Justice Department argued that it is not the role of the courts to second-guess the president’s determination about when to deploy troops.Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, a Democrat, said he would ask for a broader panel of the appeals to reconsider the decision.<a href="https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7Tv2j59PwNEyqGCi1y" target="_blank">▶ Stay up to date with the latest U.S. news by signing up to our WhatsApp channel.</a>“Today’s ruling, if allowed to stand, would give the president unilateral power to put Oregon soldiers on our streets with almost no justification,” Rayfield said. “We are on a dangerous path in America.”The Justice Department did not immediately return an email seeking comment.Trump’s efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-guard-legal-clash-presidential-power-1ed22e89bcdebc8d3e5bd9238373dc45">deploy National Guard troops</a>&nbsp;in Democratic-led cities have been mired in legal challenges. A judge in California ruled that his deployment of thousands of National Guard troops in Los Angeles violated the Posse Comitatus Act, a longstanding law that generally prohibits the use of the military for civilian policing, and the administration on Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-national-guard-trump-913ecce44b6bcc5d0cba1b252dfd34ce">asked the U.S. Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;to allow the deployment of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-troops-memphis-chicago-trump-96d489ab1b325c90da6f75a23efcf479">National Guard</a>&nbsp;troops in the Chicago area,Mostly small nightly protests, limited to a single block, have been occurring since June outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland. Larger crowds, including counter-protesters and live-streamers, have shown up at times, and federal agents have used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.The administration has said the troops are needed to protect federal property from protesters, and that having to send extra Department of Homeland Security agents to help guard the property meant they were not enforcing immigration laws elsewhere.Immergut previously rejected the administration’s arguments, saying the president’s claims about Portland being war-torn are “simply untethered to the facts.” But the appeals court majority — Ryan Nelson and Bridget Bade, both Trump appointees — said the president’s decision was owed more deference.Bade wrote that the facts appeared to support Trump’s decision “even if the President may exaggerate the extent of the problem on social media.”Judge Susan Graber, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton appointee, dissented. She urged her colleagues on the 9th Circuit to “to vacate the majority’s order before the illegal deployment of troops under false pretenses can occur.”“In the two weeks leading up to the President’s September 27 social media post, there had not been a single incident of protesters’ disrupting the execution of the laws,” Graber wrote. “It is hard to understand how a tiny protest causing no disruptions could possibly satisfy the standard that the President is unable to execute the laws.”___

Court gives Trump a win on National Guard deployment in Portland

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

The Fort Hays State University assistant professor says FHSU's review into her is still ongoing as she is discussing options with a legal team in case her First Amendment rights have been violated.

Nuchelle Chance of the psychology department has raised more than $1,600 through her&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/fighting-black-against-academic-censorship-retaliation?attribution_id=sl:01768fb0-d256-45cd-a8e4-5803dbcdd611&amp;lang=en_US&amp;ts=1760971046&amp;utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&amp;utm_content=amp17_te&amp;utm_medium=customer&amp;utm_source=facebook">GoFundMe</a>. She said her main concern is the double standard she believes exists at the university.

"How can some of my other FHSU colleagues say some of the most truly egregious and bigoted things on social media or even on campus and face little to no repercussion," she said.

"I can't help but think [correlationally] that if I was white, no one would have targeted me. The irony of being the only Black American woman on the faculty doing applied social justice work in rural Kansas isn't lost on me."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760979457005.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostThe Fort Hays State University assistant professor says FHSU's review into her is still ongoing as she is discussing options with a legal team in case her First Amendment rights have been violated.Nuchelle Chance of the psychology department has raised more than $1,600 through her&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/fighting-black-against-academic-censorship-retaliation?attribution_id=sl:01768fb0-d256-45cd-a8e4-5803dbcdd611&amp;lang=en_US&amp;ts=1760971046&amp;utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&amp;utm_content=amp17_te&amp;utm_medium=customer&amp;utm_source=facebook">GoFundMe</a>. She said her main concern is the double standard she believes exists at the university."How can some of my other FHSU colleagues say some of the most truly egregious and bigoted things on social media or even on campus and face little to no repercussion," she said."I can't help but think [correlationally] that if I was white, no one would have targeted me. The irony of being the only Black American woman on the faculty doing applied social justice work in rural Kansas isn't lost on me."Hays Post reached out to&nbsp;Scott Cason, FHSU’s chief communications officer, and said he is not aware of other faculty making these comments.Chance is seeking to raise $50,000, according to the fundraiser’s description, to cover legal fees and help with living expenses while she is without a paycheck.Cason said FHSU is handling the situation as a confidential personnel matter but is aware of Chance’s social media posts about her employment status and her stated intentions as she moves through the process.On Sept. 10, the day Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during a debate at Utah Valley University, Chance posted the following:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760994414442.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Since then, Chance said she has been doxxed and received threats severe enough that she felt compelled to move her children out of Hays for their safety."I'm overwhelmed and disgusted. My health has been suffering, but as a millennial, I find that the moments of humor are keeping me grounded," Chance said.Chance said she has also received an outpouring of support from colleagues, friends, students and community members.In a recent social media post, Chance said she has been receiving support from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aaup.org/">American Association of University Professors</a>, an organization that helps uphold academic freedom standards in higher education.On Sept. 29, Cason said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/news/2025/09/fort-hays-state-university-statement-regarding-recent-social-media-post-about-race-and-violence#gsc.tab=0">press release</a>&nbsp;that the university is aware of content on the X account Libs of TikTok, a right-wing social media account on X with 4.4 million followers, linking a faculty member to social media posts about Charlie Kirk.&nbsp;"Individuals who post commentaries to their personal social media accounts do not speak for the University, nor does their commentary reflect the views or values of this university," Cason said in a past statement from the university.Cason said FHSU is reviewing the situation as a confidential personnel matter and asks for patience as they address it."I make no apologies as nothing I stated was inaccurate, libelous, slanderous, immoral, etc.," Chance said in response to Hays Post. "I speak truth. Is it controversial and even sometimes inflammatory? It can be, but if it offends then my message is to do better."Chance initially defended her Facebook posts about the assassination of Kirk in a TikTok video.<div><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@drchancespeaks/video/7555678574372490527" data-video-id="7555678574372490527" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;" > <section> <a target="_blank" title="@drchancespeaks" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@drchancespeaks?refer=embed">@drchancespeaks</a> When <a title="maga" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/maga?refer=embed">#MAGA</a> attacks.... your <a title="academicfreedom" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/academicfreedom?refer=embed">#academicfreedom</a> and <a title="firstamendment" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/firstamendment?refer=embed">#firstamendment</a> rights are discarded. <a title="charliekirk" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/charliekirk?refer=embed">#CharlieKirk</a> sympathizers think they can break me..... but my resolve is different. Thanks @xx_shotgunmary_xx <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - dr.chance_speaks" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7555678616902798111?refer=embed">♬ original sound - dr.chance_speaks</a> </section> </blockquote> <script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script></div>"In my post, I just stated that there's karma," Chance said in the TikTok video. "There's irony associated with that, and that's by no means to celebrate someone's death."Chance also made the following post that resulted in Libs of TikTok to further draw attention to her and bring them to FHSU’s awareness:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760994527373.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760994901627.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The university also shared its press release on its X page, where Libs of TikTok responded with criticism."Sorry, but I don't have 'patience' for professors who call white Americans 'dangerous animals' and mock the murder of a young father. This statement says absolutely nothing," the X post said.On Oct. 14, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/14/private-chat-among-young-gop-club-members-00592146?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR4rh1vKo0TPjSl8iLS0zXiVJTMfHMaGjXdVYALFYQT5TAgjYkVhpcOm3vtb4w_aem_Xu_8IK_zmXb9J8eshdaMGA">Politico article</a>&nbsp;revealed&nbsp;Kansas Young Republicans chairman Alex Dwyer and vice chair William Hendrix took part in a Telegram group chat, which included references to white supremacy and suppression of the Jeffrey Epstein files.Chance made a social media post saying, "This scandal exposes real racism, real violence and real threats coming from individuals with political power and proximity to our institutions.""If we can swiftly condemn encrypted hate speech from political operatives, we must also protect educators who face retaliation for public scholarship rooted in data, ethics and lived experience."The FHSU College Republicans issued a statement condemning Kansas Young Republicans for sending texts with violent, racist and antisemtic rhetroic.