SHAWNEE COUNTY —Staff at the Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center are mourning the loss of a beloved elephant.

Cora, the Zoo’s 67-year-old Asian elephant was humanely euthanized following a recent and more rapid decline in her health, according to a statement from the zoo.

Her caregivers made this difficult but compassionate decision out of love and respect for her well-being. Cora passed peacefully, surrounded by her devoted zoo family. Cora was one of the oldest Asian elephants in human care in the United States, living far beyond the average life expectancy for her species. 

 Cora’s story is one of both extraordinary longevity and cultural legacy. Before calling Topeka home, Cora enjoyed a brush with Hollywood fame, starring as “Charlotte” in the 1980 hit film Smokey and the Bandit II, which became the eighth highest-grossing movie of that year. 

Her gentle personality and intelligence made her a natural performer, and she remained a fan favorite for decades. After her film career and traveling lifestyle, Cora joined the Topeka Zoo family in 2016, where she retired from the entertainment business and became an ambassador for her species and a cherished part of the community. 

“Cora will be deeply missed,” said Fawn Moser, Chief Operating Officer of the Topeka Zoo. “She lived a long and beautiful life, and her impact on everyone who knew her—keepers, guests, and fans around the world—will never be forgotten. Her story reminds us of the deep bonds we share with the animals in our care.”

Throughout the process, African elephant Tembo has remained at the forefront of the Zoo’s focus. Elephants form bonds &amp; can sometimes show signs of grieving. To allow her to process, Tembo was given time to view Cora after she had passed. While she has not shown any major change in behavior, we will closely monitor Tembo to ensure she has the support she needs now and in the future. 

At 55 years old, Tembo is geriatric and has been at the Topeka Zoo since the 70s, arriving when she was a 6-year-old juvenile. "Every day we have with her is a gift."

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759932378597.png" alt="Cora -photo courtesy Topeka Zoo" />
                        <figcaption>Cora -photo courtesy Topeka Zoo</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Staff at the Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center are mourning the loss of a beloved elephant.</p><p>Cora, the Zoo’s 67-year-old Asian elephant was humanely euthanized following a recent and more rapid decline in her health, according to a statement from the zoo.</p><p>Her caregivers made this difficult but compassionate decision out of love and respect for her well-being. Cora passed peacefully, surrounded by her devoted zoo family. Cora was one of the oldest Asian elephants in human care in the United States, living far beyond the average life expectancy for her species. </p><p> Cora’s story is one of both extraordinary longevity and cultural legacy. Before calling Topeka home, Cora enjoyed a brush with Hollywood fame, starring as “Charlotte” in the 1980 hit film Smokey and the Bandit II, which became the eighth highest-grossing movie of that year. </p><p>Her gentle personality and intelligence made her a natural performer, and she remained a fan favorite for decades. After her film career and traveling lifestyle, Cora joined the Topeka Zoo family in 2016, where she retired from the entertainment business and became an ambassador for her species and a cherished part of the community. </p><p>“Cora will be deeply missed,” said Fawn Moser, Chief Operating Officer of the Topeka Zoo. “She lived a long and beautiful life, and her impact on everyone who knew her—keepers, guests, and fans around the world—will never be forgotten. Her story reminds us of the deep bonds we share with the animals in our care.”</p><p>Throughout the process, African elephant Tembo has remained at the forefront of the Zoo’s focus. Elephants form bonds &amp; can sometimes show signs of grieving. To allow her to process, Tembo was given time to view Cora after she had passed. While she has not shown any major change in behavior, we will closely monitor Tembo to ensure she has the support she needs now and in the future. </p><p>At 55 years old, Tembo is geriatric and has been at the Topeka Zoo since the 70s, arriving when she was a 6-year-old juvenile. "Every day we have with her is a gift."</p>

Kansas zoo elephant, with Hollywood career, has died at 67

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/james-comey">James Comey</a>&nbsp;pleaded not guilty on Wednesday in a criminal case that has highlighted the Justice Department's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-weaponizing-government-second-term-54ab244ccb2328d116a498bbaeb680ef">efforts to target adversaries</a>&nbsp;of President Donald Trump, with lawyers for the former FBI director saying that they plan to argue the prosecution is politically motivated and should be dismissed.

The arraignment lasted less than half an hour. But it was nonetheless loaded with historical significance given that the case has amplified concerns&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pam-bondi-justice-department-congress-8674e9110d0d99b884ae9df530aa18bc">the Justice Department is being weaponized</a>&nbsp;in pursuit of Trump's political enemies and is operating at the behest of a White House determined to seek retribution for perceived wrongs against the Republican president.

Comey's not guilty plea to allegations that he lied to Congress five years ago kick-starts a process of legal wrangling at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside Washington. Defense lawyers said they intend to ask that the case be thrown out before trial on the grounds that it amounts to a vindictive prosecution and to challenge the appointment of the prosecutor who brought it after being hastily named to the post days earlier by Trump.

“It’s the honor of my life to represent Mr. Comey in this matter,” one of Comey's lawyers, Patrick Fitzgerald, a longtime friend who served with him in President George W. Bush's Justice Department, said in court on Wednesday.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/james-comey-charged-lying-congress-a2c72e1a5bb73d588f3af7fdb56caa82">The indictment</a>&nbsp;two weeks ago followed an extraordinary chain of events that saw Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-retribution-bondi-investigations-97207519e02dea460d6c68cc8b585c33">publicly implore</a>&nbsp;Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against Comey and other perceived adversaries. The president also replaced the veteran attorney who had been overseeing the investigation with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/letitia-james-eastern-district-of-virginia-trump-8c84bd8603a4b932f9cb2e451ef057a3">Lindsey Halligan</a>, a White House aide who had never previously served as a federal prosecutor but had been one of Trump's personal lawyers. Halligan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-james-comey-indictment-bondi-doj-cf18d2b6d411cd323d9a501c49f5b8a4">rushed to file charges</a>&nbsp;before a legal deadline lapsed despite warnings from other lawyers in the office that the evidence was insufficient for an indictment.

Halligan sat at the prosecution table but did not address&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/judge-michael-nachmanoff-james-comey-trump-b59d47e4fe18252c6afaf27af81b85bb">the judge</a>. The two prosecutors who have signed on to handle the case are both based in North Carolina.

The two-count indictment alleges that Comey made a false statement to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-donald-trump-confirmation-hearings-elections-judiciary-5fe42a7cbcc135c7e8f01bff3809e472">the Senate Judiciary Committee</a>&nbsp;on Sept. 30, 2020, by denying he had authorized an associate to serve as an anonymous source to the news media and that he obstructed a congressional proceeding. Comey has denied any wrongdoing and has said he's looking forward to a trial, which the judge set for Jan. 5, though that date will be subject to change. The indictment does not identify the associate or say what information may have been discussed with the media, making it challenging to assess the strength of the evidence or to even fully parse the allegations.

Though an indictment is typically just the start of a protracted court process, the Justice Department has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-comey-justice-department-james-schiff-309c573c2d9d16839afabb3af56ef2f8">trumpeted the development</a>&nbsp;itself as something of a win, regardless of the outcome. Trump administration officials are likely to point to any conviction as proof the case was well-justified, but an acquittal or even dismissal may also be held up as further support for their long-running contention the criminal justice system is stacked against them.

The judge randomly assigned to the case,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/judge-michael-nachmanoff-james-comey-trump-b59d47e4fe18252c6afaf27af81b85bb">Michael Nachmanoff</a>, was nominated to the bench by President Joe Biden's Democratic administration and is a former chief federal defender. Known for methodical preparation and a cool temperament, the judge and his background have already drawn Trump's attention, with the president deriding him as a “Crooked Joe Biden appointed Judge."

Besides Comey, the Justice Department is also investigating other foes of the president, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and Sen. Adam Schiff of California. Lawyers for James and Schiff, both Democrats, call the investigations meritless.

Several Comey family members arrived in court Wednesday morning ahead of his arraignment, including his daughter Maurene, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-maurene-comey-trump-23fb32ac0e4402873862d3ca6d31d18e">fired by the Justice Department</a>&nbsp;earlier this year from her position as a federal prosecutor in Manhattan, as well as Troy Edwards Jr., a son-in-law of Comey's who minutes after Comey was indicted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/comey-son-law-resign-doj-4051b95b5f532c914cfff14aacdc49e8">resigned his job</a>&nbsp;as a prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia — the office that filed the charges.

The indictment was the latest chapter in a long-broken relationship between Trump and Comey.

Trump arrived in office in January 2017 as Comey, appointed to the FBI director job by President Barack Obama four years earlier, was overseeing an investigation into ties between Russia and Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

The dynamic was fraught from the start, with Comey&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-united-states-congress-general-news-3517e85629dd4a05891badc536713aa3">briefing Trump weeks before he took office</a>&nbsp;on the existence of uncorroborated and sexually salacious gossip in a dossier of opposition research compiled by a former British spy.

In their first several private interactions, Comey would later reveal, Trump asked his FBI director to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-united-states-congress-6ad1d266ad894766af68f6ff9e883d2c">pledge his loyalty</a>&nbsp;to him and to drop an FBI investigation into his administration’s first national security adviser,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-pardon-michael-flynn-russia-aeef585b08ba6f2c763c8c37bfd678ed">Michael Flynn</a>. Comey said Trump also asked him to announce that Trump himself was not under investigation as part of the broader inquiry into Russian election interference, something Comey did not do.

Comey was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-4ff1ecb621884a728b25e62661257ef0">abruptly fired</a>&nbsp;in May 2017 while at an event in Los Angeles, with Trump later saying he was thinking about “this Russia thing” when he decided to terminate him. The firing was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-russia-48f9d5132d7a4e2d823edad8fc407979">investigated by Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller</a>&nbsp;as an act of potential obstruction of justice.

Comey in 2018 published a memoir, “A Higher Loyalty,” that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3e123c8153d6497c9e07ec77bdd24171">painted Trump in deeply unflattering ways</a>, likening him to a mafia don and characterizing him as unethical and “untethered to truth.”

Trump, for his part, continued to angrily vent at Comey as the Russia investigation led by Mueller dominated headlines for the next two years and shadowed his first administration. On social media, he repeatedly claimed Comey should face charges for “treason” — an accusation Comey dismissed as “dumb lies” — and called him an “untruthful slime ball.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759946542778.png" alt="Protesters demonstrated outside the Eastern District of Virginia federal courthouse in Alexandria ahead of the arraignment of former FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)" />
                        <figcaption>Protesters demonstrated outside the Eastern District of Virginia federal courthouse in Alexandria ahead of the arraignment of former FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/james-comey">James Comey</a>&nbsp;pleaded not guilty on Wednesday in a criminal case that has highlighted the Justice Department's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-weaponizing-government-second-term-54ab244ccb2328d116a498bbaeb680ef">efforts to target adversaries</a>&nbsp;of President Donald Trump, with lawyers for the former FBI director saying that they plan to argue the prosecution is politically motivated and should be dismissed.</p><div><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPC1sFFD2iF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPC1sFFD2iF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; 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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPC1sFFD2iF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by James Comey (@comey)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div><p>The arraignment lasted less than half an hour. But it was nonetheless loaded with historical significance given that the case has amplified concerns&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pam-bondi-justice-department-congress-8674e9110d0d99b884ae9df530aa18bc">the Justice Department is being weaponized</a>&nbsp;in pursuit of Trump's political enemies and is operating at the behest of a White House determined to seek retribution for perceived wrongs against the Republican president.</p><p>Comey's not guilty plea to allegations that he lied to Congress five years ago kick-starts a process of legal wrangling at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside Washington. Defense lawyers said they intend to ask that the case be thrown out before trial on the grounds that it amounts to a vindictive prosecution and to challenge the appointment of the prosecutor who brought it after being hastily named to the post days earlier by Trump.</p><p>“It’s the honor of my life to represent Mr. Comey in this matter,” one of Comey's lawyers, Patrick Fitzgerald, a longtime friend who served with him in President George W. Bush's Justice Department, said in court on Wednesday.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/james-comey-charged-lying-congress-a2c72e1a5bb73d588f3af7fdb56caa82">The indictment</a>&nbsp;two weeks ago followed an extraordinary chain of events that saw Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-retribution-bondi-investigations-97207519e02dea460d6c68cc8b585c33">publicly implore</a>&nbsp;Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against Comey and other perceived adversaries. The president also replaced the veteran attorney who had been overseeing the investigation with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/letitia-james-eastern-district-of-virginia-trump-8c84bd8603a4b932f9cb2e451ef057a3">Lindsey Halligan</a>, a White House aide who had never previously served as a federal prosecutor but had been one of Trump's personal lawyers. Halligan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-james-comey-indictment-bondi-doj-cf18d2b6d411cd323d9a501c49f5b8a4">rushed to file charges</a>&nbsp;before a legal deadline lapsed despite warnings from other lawyers in the office that the evidence was insufficient for an indictment.</p><p>Halligan sat at the prosecution table but did not address&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/judge-michael-nachmanoff-james-comey-trump-b59d47e4fe18252c6afaf27af81b85bb">the judge</a>. The two prosecutors who have signed on to handle the case are both based in North Carolina.</p><h2>What the indictment says</h2><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758884974711.png" alt="<br>" />
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                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758885000026.png" alt="<br>" />
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                    </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">No one is above the law. Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case.</p>&mdash; Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/1971345371583611099?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The two-count indictment alleges that Comey made a false statement to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-donald-trump-confirmation-hearings-elections-judiciary-5fe42a7cbcc135c7e8f01bff3809e472">the Senate Judiciary Committee</a>&nbsp;on Sept. 30, 2020, by denying he had authorized an associate to serve as an anonymous source to the news media and that he obstructed a congressional proceeding. Comey has denied any wrongdoing and has said he's looking forward to a trial, which the judge set for Jan. 5, though that date will be subject to change. The indictment does not identify the associate or say what information may have been discussed with the media, making it challenging to assess the strength of the evidence or to even fully parse the allegations.</p><p>Though an indictment is typically just the start of a protracted court process, the Justice Department has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-comey-justice-department-james-schiff-309c573c2d9d16839afabb3af56ef2f8">trumpeted the development</a>&nbsp;itself as something of a win, regardless of the outcome. Trump administration officials are likely to point to any conviction as proof the case was well-justified, but an acquittal or even dismissal may also be held up as further support for their long-running contention the criminal justice system is stacked against them.</p><h2>The judge was nominated by Biden</h2><p>The judge randomly assigned to the case,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/judge-michael-nachmanoff-james-comey-trump-b59d47e4fe18252c6afaf27af81b85bb">Michael Nachmanoff</a>, was nominated to the bench by President Joe Biden's Democratic administration and is a former chief federal defender. Known for methodical preparation and a cool temperament, the judge and his background have already drawn Trump's attention, with the president deriding him as a “Crooked Joe Biden appointed Judge."</p><p>Besides Comey, the Justice Department is also investigating other foes of the president, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and Sen. Adam Schiff of California. Lawyers for James and Schiff, both Democrats, call the investigations meritless.</p><p>Several Comey family members arrived in court Wednesday morning ahead of his arraignment, including his daughter Maurene, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-maurene-comey-trump-23fb32ac0e4402873862d3ca6d31d18e">fired by the Justice Department</a>&nbsp;earlier this year from her position as a federal prosecutor in Manhattan, as well as Troy Edwards Jr., a son-in-law of Comey's who minutes after Comey was indicted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/comey-son-law-resign-doj-4051b95b5f532c914cfff14aacdc49e8">resigned his job</a>&nbsp;as a prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia — the office that filed the charges.</p><h2>Trump and Comey's fraught relationship</h2><p>The indictment was the latest chapter in a long-broken relationship between Trump and Comey.</p><p>Trump arrived in office in January 2017 as Comey, appointed to the FBI director job by President Barack Obama four years earlier, was overseeing an investigation into ties between Russia and Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.</p><p>The dynamic was fraught from the start, with Comey&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-united-states-congress-general-news-3517e85629dd4a05891badc536713aa3">briefing Trump weeks before he took office</a>&nbsp;on the existence of uncorroborated and sexually salacious gossip in a dossier of opposition research compiled by a former British spy.</p><p>In their first several private interactions, Comey would later reveal, Trump asked his FBI director to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-united-states-congress-6ad1d266ad894766af68f6ff9e883d2c">pledge his loyalty</a>&nbsp;to him and to drop an FBI investigation into his administration’s first national security adviser,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-pardon-michael-flynn-russia-aeef585b08ba6f2c763c8c37bfd678ed">Michael Flynn</a>. Comey said Trump also asked him to announce that Trump himself was not under investigation as part of the broader inquiry into Russian election interference, something Comey did not do.</p><p>Comey was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-4ff1ecb621884a728b25e62661257ef0">abruptly fired</a>&nbsp;in May 2017 while at an event in Los Angeles, with Trump later saying he was thinking about “this Russia thing” when he decided to terminate him. The firing was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-russia-48f9d5132d7a4e2d823edad8fc407979">investigated by Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller</a>&nbsp;as an act of potential obstruction of justice.</p><p>Comey in 2018 published a memoir, “A Higher Loyalty,” that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3e123c8153d6497c9e07ec77bdd24171">painted Trump in deeply unflattering ways</a>, likening him to a mafia don and characterizing him as unethical and “untethered to truth.”</p><p>Trump, for his part, continued to angrily vent at Comey as the Russia investigation led by Mueller dominated headlines for the next two years and shadowed his first administration. On social media, he repeatedly claimed Comey should face charges for “treason” — an accusation Comey dismissed as “dumb lies” — and called him an “untruthful slime ball.”</p><p>___</p>

Former FBI director faces a judge on federal charges of lying to Congress

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A 29-year-old man charged with sparking one of the most destructive blazes in California history likely used a lighter to start a fire on New Year’s Day that smoldered underground and reignited almost a week later, killing 12 people in wealthy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-los-angeles-wildfires-eaton-palisides-urban-area-a162c86589b9102a85c510246539ab72">Los Angeles-area neighborhoods</a>, authorities said Wednesday.

Federal law enforcement officials charged Jonathan Rinderknecht with lighting the Jan. 1 fire that was extinguished by fire crews only to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-wildfires-evacuation-alerts-69f10d320df14c6394fc2c646d1ff0ce">flare up days later</a>&nbsp;during high winds, acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said during a news conference.

Rinderknecht was arrested Tuesday in Florida and made his first court appearance Wednesday in Orlando on charges including malicious destruction by means of a fire, which carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison. Wearing shorts and a T-shirt while shackled at the ankles, he told a federal magistrate in a soft-spoken voice that he was not under the influence and did not have mental issues.

The judge set a hearing for Thursday to consider bond and extradition proceedings. Aisha Nash, the federal public defender assigned to represent Rinderknecht, did not respond to Associated Press requests for comment.

The Palisades Fire — one of two that broke out on Jan. 7, killing more than 30 people and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/world-news/california-los-angeles-area-wildfires-wildfires-general-news-domestic-news-0dfd72012e85c8c682a7a5dfa678274c">destroying more than 17,000 homes and buildings</a>&nbsp;while burning for days in Los Angeles County — ripped through hillside neighborhoods in Pacific Palisades and Malibu, destroying mansions with spectacular views of the ocean and downtown LA.

Suspect talked to authorities three weeks after the fire

Investigators said Wednesday that Rinderknecht had been working as an Uber driver, and after dropping off a passenger in Pacific Palisades, he parked and walked up a trail. He then used his iPhone to take videos at a nearby hilltop area and listened to a rap song with a music video that shows objects being lit on fire, prosecutors said.

He fled the scene after starting the fire, but returned to the same trail to watch it burn, Essayli said.

“He left as soon as he saw the fire trucks were headed to the location. He turned around and went back up there. And he took some video and, and watched them fight the fire,” Essayli said.

Uber said in a statement that it worked with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to determine the driver’s whereabouts around the time of the fire.

Rinderknecht also made several 911 calls to report the fire, according to a criminal complaint.

During an interview Jan. 24, Rinderknecht told investigators where the fire began, information not yet public and that he would not have known if he hadn’t witnessed it, the complaint said.

He lied about his location, claiming he was near the bottom of the hiking trail, Essayli said.

The suspect was visibly anxious during that interview, according to the complaint. His efforts to call 911 and his question to ChatGPT about a cigarette lighting a fire indicated he “wanted to preserve evidence of himself trying to assist in the suppression of the fire and he wanted to create evidence regarding a more innocent explanation for the cause of the fire,” the complaint said.

Investigators determined the Jan. 1 fire was intentionally lit, likely by a lighter taken to vegetation or paper, according to the criminal complaint. They excluded other possibilities, including fireworks, lightning and power lines. Authorities also looked into whether a cigarette may have caused the fire, but concluded that was not the cause, the complaint says.

Investigators found a “barbecue-style” lighter inside the glove compartment of Rinderknecht's car on Jan. 24. It appeared to be the same lighter as one that was in his apartment on Dec. 31, based on a photo on his phone. He admitted to bringing a lighter with him when he walked up the hill.

Second LA fire remains under investigation

Investigators still haven’t determined the cause of a second blaze called the Eaton Fire, which broke out the same day in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/drone-footage-reveals-devastated-altadena-neighborhood-following-eaton-wildfire-f823a1f0beee4315b98c811c5f21eda5">community of Altadena</a>&nbsp;and killed 19 people.

Both fires reduced block after block of entire neighborhoods to gray and black debris, destroying homes, schools, businesses and churches. While&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-wildfires-los-angeles-rebuild-home-construction-00b7bb360581616c2e6415f32db13e45">rebuilding is underway</a>&nbsp;in some neighborhoods, it will take years. Many homeowners will not be able to afford it, even those with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-wildfires-insurance-fair-plan-lawsuit-950c41726b47f58403a907d32ec5e742">insurance</a>.

An outside review released in September found that a lack of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eaton-fire-california-report-f053786a9670af06a0a90cd2ea7150f0">resources and outdated policies</a>&nbsp;for sending emergency alerts led to delayed evacuation warnings.

The report commissioned by Los Angeles County supervisors said a series of weaknesses, including “outdated policies, inconsistent practices and communications vulnerabilities,” hampered the county’s response.

Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press reporters Mike Schneider in Orlando, Florida; and Eric Tucker in Washington, D.C., contributed.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759939153486.png" alt="Palisades fire -photo FAA" />
                        <figcaption>Palisades fire -photo FAA</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>LOS ANGELES (AP) — A 29-year-old man charged with sparking one of the most destructive blazes in California history likely used a lighter to start a fire on New Year’s Day that smoldered underground and reignited almost a week later, killing 12 people in wealthy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-los-angeles-wildfires-eaton-palisides-urban-area-a162c86589b9102a85c510246539ab72">Los Angeles-area neighborhoods</a>, authorities said Wednesday.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759941697774.png" alt="Rinderknecht photo Department of Justice" />
                        <figcaption>Rinderknecht photo Department of Justice</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Federal law enforcement officials charged Jonathan Rinderknecht with lighting the Jan. 1 fire that was extinguished by fire crews only to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-wildfires-evacuation-alerts-69f10d320df14c6394fc2c646d1ff0ce">flare up days later</a>&nbsp;during high winds, acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said during a news conference.</p><p>Rinderknecht was arrested Tuesday in Florida and made his first court appearance Wednesday in Orlando on charges including malicious destruction by means of a fire, which carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison. Wearing shorts and a T-shirt while shackled at the ankles, he told a federal magistrate in a soft-spoken voice that he was not under the influence and did not have mental issues.</p><p>The judge set a hearing for Thursday to consider bond and extradition proceedings. Aisha Nash, the federal public defender assigned to represent Rinderknecht, did not respond to Associated Press requests for comment.</p><p>The Palisades Fire — one of two that broke out on Jan. 7, killing more than 30 people and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/world-news/california-los-angeles-area-wildfires-wildfires-general-news-domestic-news-0dfd72012e85c8c682a7a5dfa678274c">destroying more than 17,000 homes and buildings</a>&nbsp;while burning for days in Los Angeles County — ripped through hillside neighborhoods in Pacific Palisades and Malibu, destroying mansions with spectacular views of the ocean and downtown LA.</p><h2>Suspect talked to authorities three weeks after the fire</h2><p>Investigators said Wednesday that Rinderknecht had been working as an Uber driver, and after dropping off a passenger in Pacific Palisades, he parked and walked up a trail. He then used his iPhone to take videos at a nearby hilltop area and listened to a rap song with a music video that shows objects being lit on fire, prosecutors said.</p><p>He fled the scene after starting the fire, but returned to the same trail to watch it burn, Essayli said.</p><p>“He left as soon as he saw the fire trucks were headed to the location. He turned around and went back up there. And he took some video and, and watched them fight the fire,” Essayli said.</p><p>Uber said in a statement that it worked with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to determine the driver’s whereabouts around the time of the fire.</p><p>Rinderknecht also made several 911 calls to report the fire, according to a criminal complaint.</p><p>During an interview Jan. 24, Rinderknecht told investigators where the fire began, information not yet public and that he would not have known if he hadn’t witnessed it, the complaint said.</p><p>He lied about his location, claiming he was near the bottom of the hiking trail, Essayli said.</p><p>The suspect was visibly anxious during that interview, according to the complaint. His efforts to call 911 and his question to ChatGPT about a cigarette lighting a fire indicated he “wanted to preserve evidence of himself trying to assist in the suppression of the fire and he wanted to create evidence regarding a more innocent explanation for the cause of the fire,” the complaint said.</p><h2>Investigators say they found a lighter</h2><p>Investigators determined the Jan. 1 fire was intentionally lit, likely by a lighter taken to vegetation or paper, according to the criminal complaint. They excluded other possibilities, including fireworks, lightning and power lines. Authorities also looked into whether a cigarette may have caused the fire, but concluded that was not the cause, the complaint says.</p><p>Investigators found a “barbecue-style” lighter inside the glove compartment of Rinderknecht's car on Jan. 24. It appeared to be the same lighter as one that was in his apartment on Dec. 31, based on a photo on his phone. He admitted to bringing a lighter with him when he walked up the hill.</p><h2>Second LA fire remains under investigation</h2><p>Investigators still haven’t determined the cause of a second blaze called the Eaton Fire, which broke out the same day in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/drone-footage-reveals-devastated-altadena-neighborhood-following-eaton-wildfire-f823a1f0beee4315b98c811c5f21eda5">community of Altadena</a>&nbsp;and killed 19 people.</p><p>Both fires reduced block after block of entire neighborhoods to gray and black debris, destroying homes, schools, businesses and churches. While&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-wildfires-los-angeles-rebuild-home-construction-00b7bb360581616c2e6415f32db13e45">rebuilding is underway</a>&nbsp;in some neighborhoods, it will take years. Many homeowners will not be able to afford it, even those with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-wildfires-insurance-fair-plan-lawsuit-950c41726b47f58403a907d32ec5e742">insurance</a>.</p><p>An outside review released in September found that a lack of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eaton-fire-california-report-f053786a9670af06a0a90cd2ea7150f0">resources and outdated policies</a>&nbsp;for sending emergency alerts led to delayed evacuation warnings.</p><p>The report commissioned by Los Angeles County supervisors said a series of weaknesses, including “outdated policies, inconsistent practices and communications vulnerabilities,” hampered the county’s response.</p><p>___</p><p>Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press reporters Mike Schneider in Orlando, Florida; and Eric Tucker in Washington, D.C., contributed.</p><p>___</p>

Man arrested, accused of starting wildfire that leveled LA neighborhood

SUMNER COUNTY—Two people died in an accident just after 10a.m. Tuesday in Sumner County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Ford F150 driven by John Karlin&nbsp;Stoddard, 56, Belle Plaine, was eastbound in the 1100 Block of U.S. 160. The pickup traveled left of center and struck a westbound 2016 Peterbilt box-truck driven by Michael Anthony&nbsp;Windahl, 29, Harper.&nbsp;

After impact, both&nbsp;vehicles came to rest in the south ditch and caught on fire.

Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene and were transported to Cornejo Funeral Home. The KHP did not have seat belt usage details.

SUMNER COUNTY—The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash and fire that occurred just before 10a.m. Tuesday in Sumner County.

The Patrol reported an eastbound vehicle in the 1100 Block U.S. 160 traveled left of center and struck a westbound vehicle.&nbsp; After impact the vehicles traveled into a ditch and caught on fire.

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759920113656.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
                        <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SUMNER COUNTY—Two people died in an accident just after 10a.m. Tuesday in Sumner County.</p><p>The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Ford F150 driven by John Karlin&nbsp;Stoddard, 56, Belle Plaine, was eastbound in the 1100 Block of U.S. 160. The pickup traveled left of center and struck a westbound 2016 Peterbilt box-truck driven by Michael Anthony&nbsp;Windahl, 29, Harper.&nbsp;</p><p>After impact, both&nbsp;vehicles came to rest in the south ditch and caught on fire.</p><p>Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene and were transported to Cornejo Funeral Home. The KHP did not have seat belt usage details.</p><p>------------</p><p>SUMNER COUNTY—The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash and fire that occurred just before 10a.m. Tuesday in Sumner County.</p><p>The Patrol reported an eastbound vehicle in the 1100 Block U.S. 160 traveled left of center and struck a westbound vehicle.&nbsp; After impact the vehicles traveled into a ditch and caught on fire.</p><p>Check the Post for additional details as they become available.</p>

KHP IDs victims in fatal 2-vehicle crash and fire

Federal health officials this week&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/fsis-issues-public-health-alert-ready-eat-meals-containing-spinach-may-be">warned</a>&nbsp;people not to eat certain Hello Fresh subscription meal kits containing spinach that may be contaminated with listeria.

The U.S. Agriculture Department issued a public health alert for the meals, which were produced by FreshRealm, the San Clemente, California-based company linked to an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walmart-meatball-chicken-alfredo-listeria-70ffb419f0ac7dfc13d2a1b655c1578f">expanding listeria outbreak</a>&nbsp;tied to heat-and-eat pasta meals.

The products include 10.1-ounce containers of Hello Fresh Ready Made Meals Cheesy Pulled Pork Pepper Pasta and 10-ounce containers of Hello Fresh Ready Made Meals Unstuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey. Both were shipped directly to consumers.

The pork pepper pasta is identified with establishment number Est. 47718 and lot code 49107 or Est. 2937 and lot code 48840. The unstuffed peppers with ground turkey is identified with Est. P-47718 and lot codes 50069, 50073 or 50698.

The problem was discovered when FreshRealm notified the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service that the quick-frozen spinach used in the products tested positive for listeria. The spinach was provided by Sno Pac Foods of Caledonia, Minnesota, through their supplier, Del Mar Foods of Watsonville, California. The strain of listeria detected did not match any known outbreak and no illnesses have been reported, FreshRealm officials said in a statement.

Last month, FreshRealm said that tests confirmed that pasta used in linguine dishes sold at Walmart contained the same strain of listeria linked to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/listeria-chicken-fettucine-alfredo-kroger-walmart-1c3544d1802d7594ca47a7219ffbb111">an outbreak in June.</a>&nbsp;That outbreak, originally tied to chicken fettucine Alfredo, has killed at least four people and sickened 20, with the most recent illness reported Sept. 11.

FreshRealm officials said genetic testing found the outbreak strain of listeria in samples of pasta made and supplied by Nate's Fine Foods of Roseville, California.

Several additional companies including Kroger, Giant Eagle and Albertson's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts">have recalled</a>&nbsp;pasta salads and other dishes made with products from Nate's Fine Foods for potential listeria contamination.

Listeria infections can cause serious illness, particularly in older adults, people with weakened immune systems and those who are pregnant or their newborns. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions.

About 1,600 people get sick each year from listeria infections and about 260 die, the CDC says. Federal officials in December said they were revamping protocols to prevent listeria infections after several high-profile outbreaks, including one linked to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/listeria-boars-head-deli-meat-65c4016aea0fc9e8505350ebc7b41e39">Boar’s Head deli meats</a>&nbsp;that led to 10 deaths and more than 60 illnesses last year.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721435735887.png" alt="FILE - This 2002 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a Listeria monocytogenes bacterium, responsible for the food borne illness listeriosis. (Elizabeth White/CDC via AP, File)" />
                        <figcaption>FILE - This 2002 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a Listeria monocytogenes bacterium, responsible for the food borne illness listeriosis. (Elizabeth White/CDC via AP, File)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Federal health officials this week&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/fsis-issues-public-health-alert-ready-eat-meals-containing-spinach-may-be">warned</a>&nbsp;people not to eat certain Hello Fresh subscription meal kits containing spinach that may be contaminated with listeria.</p><p>The U.S. Agriculture Department issued a public health alert for the meals, which were produced by FreshRealm, the San Clemente, California-based company linked to an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walmart-meatball-chicken-alfredo-listeria-70ffb419f0ac7dfc13d2a1b655c1578f">expanding listeria outbreak</a>&nbsp;tied to heat-and-eat pasta meals.</p><p>The products include 10.1-ounce containers of Hello Fresh Ready Made Meals Cheesy Pulled Pork Pepper Pasta and 10-ounce containers of Hello Fresh Ready Made Meals Unstuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey. Both were shipped directly to consumers.</p><p>The pork pepper pasta is identified with establishment number Est. 47718 and lot code 49107 or Est. 2937 and lot code 48840. The unstuffed peppers with ground turkey is identified with Est. P-47718 and lot codes 50069, 50073 or 50698.</p><p>The problem was discovered when FreshRealm notified the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service that the quick-frozen spinach used in the products tested positive for listeria. The spinach was provided by Sno Pac Foods of Caledonia, Minnesota, through their supplier, Del Mar Foods of Watsonville, California. The strain of listeria detected did not match any known outbreak and no illnesses have been reported, FreshRealm officials said in a statement.</p><p>Last month, FreshRealm said that tests confirmed that pasta used in linguine dishes sold at Walmart contained the same strain of listeria linked to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/listeria-chicken-fettucine-alfredo-kroger-walmart-1c3544d1802d7594ca47a7219ffbb111">an outbreak in June.</a>&nbsp;That outbreak, originally tied to chicken fettucine Alfredo, has killed at least four people and sickened 20, with the most recent illness reported Sept. 11.</p><p>FreshRealm officials said genetic testing found the outbreak strain of listeria in samples of pasta made and supplied by Nate's Fine Foods of Roseville, California.</p><p>Several additional companies including Kroger, Giant Eagle and Albertson's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts">have recalled</a>&nbsp;pasta salads and other dishes made with products from Nate's Fine Foods for potential listeria contamination.</p><p>Listeria infections can cause serious illness, particularly in older adults, people with weakened immune systems and those who are pregnant or their newborns. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions.</p><p>About 1,600 people get sick each year from listeria infections and about 260 die, the CDC says. Federal officials in December said they were revamping protocols to prevent listeria infections after several high-profile outbreaks, including one linked to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/listeria-boars-head-deli-meat-65c4016aea0fc9e8505350ebc7b41e39">Boar’s Head deli meats</a>&nbsp;that led to 10 deaths and more than 60 illnesses last year.</p><p>___</p>

USDA warning: Hello Fresh meals may contain listeria-tainted spinach

BOSTON (AP) — Joan B. Kennedy, the former wife of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy who endured a troubled marriage marked by family tragedies, her husband’s infidelities and her own decades-long struggles with alcoholism and mental health, died on Wednesday. She was 89.

The former Joan Bennett, one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-7a9e69a087baf9e69eff0ad345bf47e7">last remaining members of a family generation</a>&nbsp;that included President John F. Kennedy, was a model and classically-trained pianist when she married Ted Kennedy in 1958.

Their lives would change unimaginably&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/e418fe3d9b9044feb395cb3cbbced7a6">over the next decade</a>&nbsp;and a half. Brother-in-law John F. Kennedy was elected president in 1960 and assassinated three years later. Brother-in-law Robert F. Kennedy served as attorney general under JFK, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1964 and assassinated while seeking the presidency.

Her husband was elected to the U.S. Senate and became among the country’s most respected legislators despite initial misgivings that he was capitalizing on his family connections. But Ted Kennedy also lived through scandals of his own making. In 1969, the car he was driving plunged off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, killing his young female passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne.

Kennedy, who swam to safety and waited hours before alerting police, later pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident. Chappaquiddick shadowed him for the rest of his life, weighing against his own chances for the presidency.

Joan Kennedy had three children with her husband, but also had miscarriages, including one shortly after the Chappaquiddick accident. She stood by her husband through the scandal, but their estrangement was nearly impossible to hide by the time of his unsuccessful effort to defeat President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 Democratic primaries. They had been separated by then, and would later divorce. One bumper sticker from the campaign read “Vote for Jimmy Carter, Free Joan Kennedy.”

Her death comes about a year after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ethel-kennedy-dies-00eb88951db24e0cada9bd48b66ad8ea">Ethel Kennedy,</a>&nbsp;the wife of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, died at the age of 96, having raised their 11 children after he was assassinated, and remaining dedicated to social causes and the family’s legacy for decades thereafter.

Virginia Joan Bennett was born into a prominent Bronxville, N.Y., family and as a teen she worked as a model in TV ads. She was a classmate of Jean Kennedy, the future senator’s sister, at Manhattanville College, where her exceptional beauty caught Ted Kennedy’s eye when he visited the campus for a building dedication in 1957.

They married a year later, but Joan Kennedy struggled from the start to fit in to the high-powered family.

“Joan was shy and a really reserved person, and the Kennedys aren’t,” Adam Clymer, author of “Edward M. Kennedy: A Biography” said in an 2005 interview with the AP.

Her love of piano would be a trademark for much of her life. She was known for opening her husband's campaign rallies with a piano serenade and, after they divorced, touring with orchestras around the world. Her family said she would combine her masterful playing with a message about the transformational potential of the arts and the need for equitable arts education.

In a 1992 Associated Press interview, she recalled playing piano for brother-in-law Bobby when he ran for president in 1968. “He took me with him and encouraged me,” she said. “He had a theme, ‘This Land Is Your Land,’ the Woody Guthrie song. I’d play that on the piano and everybody would come in, feeling really great about everything.”

“It seems like a long time ago, but it’s part of my memories,” she said, while promoting a book she wrote, which was a guide to appreciating classical music.

She also talked in the interview about how music helped her get through some difficult times, including the deaths of Jack and Bobby Kennedy, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-ddcdb608829b468685eaa722a4a24361">her son Ted Jr.</a>&nbsp;lost his leg to cancer and her separation and divorce from Ted Kennedy.

“I do advise listening to music when you're in grief,” she said. “Music has give me a lot of courage to carry on.”

In a statement, former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-mental-health-spokane-patrick-kennedy-c3192a14ea12469c9e106f20c53b5be4">Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island</a>&nbsp;praised his mother for her courage and talent.

“Besides being a loving mother, talented musician, and instrumental partner to my father as he launched his successful political career, Mom was a power of example to millions of people with mental health conditions,” his statement said. “She will be missed not just by the entire Kennedy Family, but by the arts community in the City of Boston and the many people whose lives that she touched.”

She also became one of the first women to publicly acknowledge her struggles with alcoholism and depression.

“I will always admire my mother for the way that she faced up to her challenges with grace, courage, humility, and honesty,” Ted Kennedy Jr. said in a statement. “She taught me how to be more truthful with myself and how careful listening is a more powerful communication skill than public speaking.”

After Chappaquiddick, her drinking worsened. A series of drunken driving arrests led to stays in alcohol treatment programs. Then in 2005, a passerby found her passed out on a Boston sidewalk in the rain, and she was hospitalized with a concussion and broken shoulder. Her children intervened, with Ted Jr. obtaining a court-ordered guardianship for his mother’s care.

Maria Shriver praised her cousins for doing “a great job caring for her, respecting her privacy, and loving her.”

“She courageously shared what it was like to lose a child, get divorced from a famous man, and carry on. Her life was challenging, but she persevered,” the daughter of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver posted in a eulogy for her aunt. “As a young girl, I marveled at her grace, her beauty, her elegance. As a woman, I respected her grit, her resilience, her perseverance.”

Joan Kennedy is survived by her two sons, nine grandchildren, a great-grandchild and nearly 30 nieces and nephews. Her daughter, Kara, died in 2011.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759933811580.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>BOSTON (AP) — Joan B. Kennedy, the former wife of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy who endured a troubled marriage marked by family tragedies, her husband’s infidelities and her own decades-long struggles with alcoholism and mental health, died on Wednesday. She was 89.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">My beloved aunt Joan Bennett Kennedy, former wife of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), classical pianist, music teacher, and advocate for mental health and addiction services, passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home in Boston, Massachusetts yesterday at the age… <a href="https://t.co/a7B145a3Ay">pic.twitter.com/a7B145a3Ay</a></p>&mdash; Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1975982333166555553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The former Joan Bennett, one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-7a9e69a087baf9e69eff0ad345bf47e7">last remaining members of a family generation</a>&nbsp;that included President John F. Kennedy, was a model and classically-trained pianist when she married Ted Kennedy in 1958.</p><p>Their lives would change unimaginably&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/e418fe3d9b9044feb395cb3cbbced7a6">over the next decade</a>&nbsp;and a half. Brother-in-law John F. Kennedy was elected president in 1960 and assassinated three years later. Brother-in-law Robert F. Kennedy served as attorney general under JFK, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1964 and assassinated while seeking the presidency.</p><p>Her husband was elected to the U.S. Senate and became among the country’s most respected legislators despite initial misgivings that he was capitalizing on his family connections. But Ted Kennedy also lived through scandals of his own making. In 1969, the car he was driving plunged off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, killing his young female passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne.</p><p>Kennedy, who swam to safety and waited hours before alerting police, later pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident. Chappaquiddick shadowed him for the rest of his life, weighing against his own chances for the presidency.</p><p>Joan Kennedy had three children with her husband, but also had miscarriages, including one shortly after the Chappaquiddick accident. She stood by her husband through the scandal, but their estrangement was nearly impossible to hide by the time of his unsuccessful effort to defeat President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 Democratic primaries. They had been separated by then, and would later divorce. One bumper sticker from the campaign read “Vote for Jimmy Carter, Free Joan Kennedy.”</p><p>Her death comes about a year after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ethel-kennedy-dies-00eb88951db24e0cada9bd48b66ad8ea">Ethel Kennedy,</a>&nbsp;the wife of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, died at the age of 96, having raised their 11 children after he was assassinated, and remaining dedicated to social causes and the family’s legacy for decades thereafter.</p><p>Virginia Joan Bennett was born into a prominent Bronxville, N.Y., family and as a teen she worked as a model in TV ads. She was a classmate of Jean Kennedy, the future senator’s sister, at Manhattanville College, where her exceptional beauty caught Ted Kennedy’s eye when he visited the campus for a building dedication in 1957.</p><p>They married a year later, but Joan Kennedy struggled from the start to fit in to the high-powered family.</p><p>“Joan was shy and a really reserved person, and the Kennedys aren’t,” Adam Clymer, author of “Edward M. Kennedy: A Biography” said in an 2005 interview with the AP.</p><p>Her love of piano would be a trademark for much of her life. She was known for opening her husband's campaign rallies with a piano serenade and, after they divorced, touring with orchestras around the world. Her family said she would combine her masterful playing with a message about the transformational potential of the arts and the need for equitable arts education.</p><p>In a 1992 Associated Press interview, she recalled playing piano for brother-in-law Bobby when he ran for president in 1968. “He took me with him and encouraged me,” she said. “He had a theme, ‘This Land Is Your Land,’ the Woody Guthrie song. I’d play that on the piano and everybody would come in, feeling really great about everything.”</p><p>“It seems like a long time ago, but it’s part of my memories,” she said, while promoting a book she wrote, which was a guide to appreciating classical music.</p><p>She also talked in the interview about how music helped her get through some difficult times, including the deaths of Jack and Bobby Kennedy, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-ddcdb608829b468685eaa722a4a24361">her son Ted Jr.</a>&nbsp;lost his leg to cancer and her separation and divorce from Ted Kennedy.</p><p>“I do advise listening to music when you're in grief,” she said. “Music has give me a lot of courage to carry on.”</p><p>In a statement, former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-mental-health-spokane-patrick-kennedy-c3192a14ea12469c9e106f20c53b5be4">Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island</a>&nbsp;praised his mother for her courage and talent.</p><p>“Besides being a loving mother, talented musician, and instrumental partner to my father as he launched his successful political career, Mom was a power of example to millions of people with mental health conditions,” his statement said. “She will be missed not just by the entire Kennedy Family, but by the arts community in the City of Boston and the many people whose lives that she touched.”</p><p>She also became one of the first women to publicly acknowledge her struggles with alcoholism and depression.</p><p>“I will always admire my mother for the way that she faced up to her challenges with grace, courage, humility, and honesty,” Ted Kennedy Jr. said in a statement. “She taught me how to be more truthful with myself and how careful listening is a more powerful communication skill than public speaking.”</p><p>After Chappaquiddick, her drinking worsened. A series of drunken driving arrests led to stays in alcohol treatment programs. Then in 2005, a passerby found her passed out on a Boston sidewalk in the rain, and she was hospitalized with a concussion and broken shoulder. Her children intervened, with Ted Jr. obtaining a court-ordered guardianship for his mother’s care.</p><p>Maria Shriver praised her cousins for doing “a great job caring for her, respecting her privacy, and loving her.”</p><p>“She courageously shared what it was like to lose a child, get divorced from a famous man, and carry on. Her life was challenging, but she persevered,” the daughter of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver posted in a eulogy for her aunt. “As a young girl, I marveled at her grace, her beauty, her elegance. As a woman, I respected her grit, her resilience, her perseverance.”</p><p>Joan Kennedy is survived by her two sons, nine grandchildren, a great-grandchild and nearly 30 nieces and nephews. Her daughter, Kara, died in 2011.</p>

Joan Kennedy, first wife of Sen. Edward Kennedy, has died

Rep. Sharice Davids seeks extension of health tax credit used by 160K Kansans

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

TOPEKA — U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall diagnosed the ongoing shutdown of the federal government as a malignancy infecting Democratic lawmakers.

The Kansas Republican, who was a physician in an obstetrics practice before elected to Congress, said Democrats at the Capitol were infected with “Trump derangement syndrome.”

“They have a hatred for President Trump that I’ve never seen,” Marshall said on a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate.

Marshall, who was among lawmakers skeptical of President Joe Biden’s victory over Trump in 2020, said an underlying issue was Democrats had yet to accept outcome of 2024 elections that placed Republicans in control of the House, Senate and White House.

“If you want to continue your liberal socialist policies, Democrats, win an election,” Marshall said.

He accused Democrats of using the shutdown that began Oct. 1 to play hypocritical games with U.S. health care policy. The most “failed system” and “biggest waste of money” is the Medicaid system that has enrolled about 400,000 Kansans, he said. The senator said Democrats were complicit in creating financial challenges that threaten rural hospitals in Kansas and other states.

The six-person Kansas congressional delegation — five Republicans, one Democrat — have shared views on the weeklong shutdown tied to failure to pass a short-term funding bill to finance government operations. Democrats conditioned support for a bill on extension of health subsidies that lowered the consumer cost of Affordable Care Act plans. Republicans say the shutdown must end before working on the tax credits for health insurance.

The House adopted a temporary funding bill, but the Senate hasn’t voted for a comparable bill allowing the government to function until Nov. 21.

“This is not a shutdown that makes any sense at all,” said U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas. “The American people — Kansans — deserve something different from the U.S. Senate. Every city council or commission, every school board, every local government office in my state passes a budget and then lives within that budget every year. Every local unit of government can figure this out, and the U.S. Senate is failing one more time.”

Moran, who has voted with Marshall to break the Senate’s deadlock, said the federal government shutdown “means uncertainty. A shutdown means dysfunction.”

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, the lone Democrat in the delegation, said Democrats in Congress were fighting to extend availability of ACA tax credits to keep health care affordable. More than 160,000 Kansans relied last year on tax credits the 3rd District representative said should be made permanent.

“Because congressional Republicans have refused to extend them, premiums could rise by $700 next year, putting thousands of Kansans at risk of paying more or losing coverage,” Davids said.

She said the shutdown would harm hardworking Kansans and the moment called for Republicans and Democrats to work together on a solution.

U.S. Rep. Derek Schmidt, a Republican serving the 2nd District in eastern Kansas, said the Senate ought to get behind the House-passed bipartisan bill. The approach would get the wheels of government moving and create time for the House and Senate to work on full-year appropriations bills, he said.

“Regrettably,” Schmidt said, “Senate Democrats are insisting on the inclusion of a $1.5 trillion wish list of additional reckless spending instead of passing the House’s continuing resolution. This shutdown is entirely the result of those unreasonable demands.”

U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann, a Republican in the mostly rural 1st District, said the shutdown was triggered by Democrats who wanted taxpayers to “pay for health care for illegal immigrants and authorize trillions of new dollars in federal spending.”

He complained Democrats would rather see Trump fail than work in a bipartisan manner to operate government.

“I understand that some in Washington prefer to grandstand and try to score political points rather than do what’s best for the country, but it is time to stop the political theater and work together to get our fiscal house in order,” Mann said.

U.S. Rep. Ron Estes, the 4th District congressman serving the Wichita area, said he had his congressional pay withheld due to the shutdown. He blamed U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, and his allies for the impasse.

“Republicans have done our job,” Estes said. “I hope my Democrat colleagues will put Americans first and end this shutdown soon.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759235271107.png" alt="U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, says Democrats interrupted federal government operations due to a "derangement syndrome" tied to opposition of President Donald Trump.&nbsp;Marshall referred to the weeklong shutdown as a "cynical political" effort to comply with "radical left-wing extremists." (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector" />
                        <figcaption>U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, says Democrats interrupted federal government operations due to a "derangement syndrome" tied to opposition of President Donald Trump.&nbsp;Marshall referred to the weeklong shutdown as a "cynical political" effort to comply with "radical left-wing extremists." (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector</figcaption>
                    </figure><h2>Rep. Sharice Davids seeks extension of health tax credit used by 160K Kansans</h2><p><b>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a><br></b><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/"><i>Kansas Reflector</i></a></p><p>TOPEKA — U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall diagnosed the ongoing shutdown of the federal government as a malignancy infecting Democratic lawmakers.</p><p>The Kansas Republican, who was a physician in an obstetrics practice before elected to Congress, said Democrats at the Capitol were infected with “Trump derangement syndrome.”</p><p>“They have a hatred for President Trump that I’ve never seen,” Marshall said on a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate.</p><p>Marshall, who was among lawmakers skeptical of President Joe Biden’s victory over Trump in 2020, said an underlying issue was Democrats had yet to accept outcome of 2024 elections that placed Republicans in control of the House, Senate and White House.</p><p>“If you want to continue your liberal socialist policies, Democrats, win an election,” Marshall said.</p><p>He accused Democrats of using the shutdown that began Oct. 1 to play hypocritical games with U.S. health care policy. The most “failed system” and “biggest waste of money” is the Medicaid system that has enrolled about 400,000 Kansans, he said. The senator said Democrats were complicit in creating financial challenges that threaten rural hospitals in Kansas and other states.</p><p>The six-person Kansas congressional delegation — five Republicans, one Democrat — have shared views on the weeklong shutdown tied to failure to pass a short-term funding bill to finance government operations. Democrats conditioned support for a bill on extension of health subsidies that lowered the consumer cost of Affordable Care Act plans. Republicans say the shutdown must end before working on the tax credits for health insurance.</p><p>The House adopted a temporary funding bill, but the Senate hasn’t voted for a comparable bill allowing the government to function until Nov. 21.</p><p>“This is not a shutdown that makes any sense at all,” said U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas. “The American people — Kansans — deserve something different from the U.S. Senate. Every city council or commission, every school board, every local government office in my state passes a budget and then lives within that budget every year. Every local unit of government can figure this out, and the U.S. Senate is failing one more time.”</p><p>Moran, who has voted with Marshall to break the Senate’s deadlock, said the federal government shutdown “means uncertainty. A shutdown means dysfunction.”</p><p>U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, the lone Democrat in the delegation, said Democrats in Congress were fighting to extend availability of ACA tax credits to keep health care affordable. More than 160,000 Kansans relied last year on tax credits the 3rd District representative said should be made permanent.</p><p>“Because congressional Republicans have refused to extend them, premiums could rise by $700 next year, putting thousands of Kansans at risk of paying more or losing coverage,” Davids said.</p><p>She said the shutdown would harm hardworking Kansans and the moment called for Republicans and Democrats to work together on a solution.</p><p>U.S. Rep. Derek Schmidt, a Republican serving the 2nd District in eastern Kansas, said the Senate ought to get behind the House-passed bipartisan bill. The approach would get the wheels of government moving and create time for the House and Senate to work on full-year appropriations bills, he said.</p><p>“Regrettably,” Schmidt said, “Senate Democrats are insisting on the inclusion of a $1.5 trillion wish list of additional reckless spending instead of passing the House’s continuing resolution. This shutdown is entirely the result of those unreasonable demands.”</p><p>U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann, a Republican in the mostly rural 1st District, said the shutdown was triggered by Democrats who wanted taxpayers to “pay for health care for illegal immigrants and authorize trillions of new dollars in federal spending.”</p><p>He complained Democrats would rather see Trump fail than work in a bipartisan manner to operate government.</p><p>“I understand that some in Washington prefer to grandstand and try to score political points rather than do what’s best for the country, but it is time to stop the political theater and work together to get our fiscal house in order,” Mann said.</p><p>U.S. Rep. Ron Estes, the 4th District congressman serving the Wichita area, said he had his congressional pay withheld due to the shutdown. He blamed U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, and his allies for the impasse.</p><p>“Republicans have done our job,” Estes said. “I hope my Democrat colleagues will put Americans first and end this shutdown soon.”</p>

U.S. Senator Marshall points to ‘Trump derangement syndrome’ as culprit in shutdown

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement on Tuesday released the name of the suspect in the homicide investigation involving a missing Kansas woman.

WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;– This is an update to the September 28th media release regarding the homicide investigation of 43-year-old Rachel Johnson of Wichita.

The suspect in this case has been identified as 39-year-old Brentton Walker of Wichita, according to a statement from Wichita Police.

&nbsp;Walker was located with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased on the scene. Preliminary investigation revealed that Walker and Rachel Johnson had a prior dating relationship.&nbsp;

On Sept. 28, investigators were directed to a residence in the 1800 block of South Longford Circle. There, officers located a reported missing Ford Fusion and found Johnson deceased inside the vehicle. Officers then entered the home and located Walker in the basement. He was pronounced deceased.

“This is a heartbreaking tragedy. A mother has lost her life to a senseless and cowardly act, leaving a family devastated and a community grieving.&nbsp; October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. We are reminded that domestic violence continues to impact countless lives, often in silence and behind closed doors. If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, call 911 immediately. If it’s not safe to call right away, reach out when you can to trusted local resources such as Harbor House or the Wichita Family Crisis Center.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759140655197.png" alt="Rachel Johnson photo Wichita Police" />
                        <figcaption>Rachel Johnson photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement on Tuesday released the name of the suspect in the homicide investigation involving a missing Kansas woman.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Wichita Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance in locating 43-year-old Rachel Johnson, who was reported missing on Saturday, September 27. <a href="https://t.co/VmhQ5G6zKP">pic.twitter.com/VmhQ5G6zKP</a></p>&mdash; Wichita Police (@WichitaPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/WichitaPolice/status/1972316873602781605?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>WICHITA, Kan.&nbsp;– This is an update to the September 28th media release regarding the homicide investigation of 43-year-old Rachel Johnson of Wichita.</p><p>The suspect in this case has been identified as 39-year-old Brentton Walker of Wichita, according to a statement from Wichita Police.</p><p>&nbsp;Walker was located with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased on the scene. Preliminary investigation revealed that Walker and Rachel Johnson had a prior dating relationship.&nbsp;</p><p>On Sept. 28, investigators were directed to a residence in the 1800 block of South Longford Circle. There, officers located a reported missing Ford Fusion and found Johnson deceased inside the vehicle. Officers then entered the home and located Walker in the basement. He was pronounced deceased.</p><p>Statement from Chief Joe Sullivan:</p><p>“This is a heartbreaking tragedy. A mother has lost her life to a senseless and cowardly act, leaving a family devastated and a community grieving.&nbsp; October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. We are reminded that domestic violence continues to impact countless lives, often in silence and behind closed doors. If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, call 911 immediately. If it’s not safe to call right away, reach out when you can to trusted local resources such as Harbor House or the Wichita Family Crisis Center.</p><p>--------------</p>

Police release name of suspect in murder of missing Kan. woman

KANSAS CITY — The Missouri State Highway Patrol released additional details on a crash that injured a State Trooper just after 11:30a.m. Tuesday in Clay County.

According to the Patrol, the crash occurred as a 2023 Dodge Charge driven by the 30-year-old Trooper from Lees Summit was eastbound on MO 21- just east of Route EE. The vehicle crossed the center line and struck the trailer of a westbound 2024 Kenworth semi driven by a 61-year-old Marissa, Illinois man.&nbsp;&nbsp;

EMS transported the Trooper to North Kansas City Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The semi driver was not injured.&nbsp; The Patrol released no additional details.

KANSAS CITY —A Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper was injured in an accident that occurred just after 11:30a.m. Tuesday in Clay County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported the Trooper was eastbound on MO 210 near Stillhouse Road. The&nbsp; Trooper's vehicle crossed the center line and collided with the trailer of a westbound semi.&nbsp;

EMS transported the Trooper to an area hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The semi driver was not injured.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Major Crash Investigation Unit is investigating in charge of the investigation.&nbsp; Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759886123534.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
                        <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>KANSAS CITY — The Missouri State Highway Patrol released additional details on a crash that injured a State Trooper just after 11:30a.m. Tuesday in Clay County.</p><p>According to the Patrol, the crash occurred as a 2023 Dodge Charge driven by the 30-year-old Trooper from Lees Summit was eastbound on MO 21- just east of Route EE. The vehicle crossed the center line and struck the trailer of a westbound 2024 Kenworth semi driven by a 61-year-old Marissa, Illinois man.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>EMS transported the Trooper to North Kansas City Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The semi driver was not injured.&nbsp; The Patrol released no additional details.</p><p>------------------------&nbsp;</p><p>KANSAS CITY —A Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper was injured in an accident that occurred just after 11:30a.m. Tuesday in Clay County.</p><p>The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported the Trooper was eastbound on MO 210 near Stillhouse Road. The&nbsp; Trooper's vehicle crossed the center line and collided with the trailer of a westbound semi.&nbsp;</p><p>EMS transported the Trooper to an area hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The semi driver was not injured.</p><p>The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Major Crash Investigation Unit is investigating in charge of the investigation.&nbsp; Check the Post for additional details as they become available.</p>

State Trooper injured in crash with a semi near Kansas City

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pam-bondi">Attorney General Pam Bondi</a>&nbsp;repeatedly deflected questions as she sought during a combative congressional hearing on Tuesday to defend herself against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-justice-department-trump-bondi-bove-adams-a003af9d9aebe89cd289361a65c9401b">growing criticism</a>&nbsp;that she's turning the law enforcement agency into a weapon to seek vengeance against President Donald Trump’s political opponents.

Democrats sought to use the hearing, coming on the heels of the indictment of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/james-comey-charged-lying-congress-a2c72e1a5bb73d588f3af7fdb56caa82">former FBI Director James Comey</a>, to warn of what they view as the politicization of a department that has long prided itself on remaining independent from the White House.

Bondi brushed aside with seeming disdain questions about her tumultuous tenure, flatly refusing to answer time and again as Democrats pressed her on politically charged investigations, the firings of career prosecutors and other matters. Her refusal to engage on the questions meant little if any fresh insight was offered about her actions and decisions, with Bondi instead opting to respond to Democrats' attacks by echoing conservative claims that President Joe Biden's Justice Department — which brought two criminal cases against Trump — was the one that had been weaponized.

“They were playing politics with law enforcement powers and will go down as a historic betrayal of public trust,” Bondi said of the Biden Justice Department. “This is the kind of conduct that shatters the American people’s faith in our law enforcement system. We will work to earn that back every single day.”

The hearing split early along deeply partisan lines, with Republicans repeatedly leaping to her defense to highlight the criminal cases against the president that they say show the institution she inherited was deeply politicized. They pointed to revelations from a day earlier that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-january-6-senate-grassley-26dcd37c3b9e84c0173e63799baf3fa4">the FBI had analyzed phone records</a>&nbsp;of several Republican lawmakers as part of an investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden, a Democrat.

“This is an outrage, an unconstitutional breach and ought to be immediately addressed by you and Director Patel,” Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Republican chairman of the committee, told Bondi, referring to FBI Director Kash Patel.

Democrats, meanwhile, accused Bondi of destroying the department's credibility and eroding its longstanding independence from the White House as the Republican president publicly calls for the prosecution of his political foes.

“What has taken place since January 20th, 2025, would make even President Nixon recoil,” Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the top Democrat on the committee, said of the president who resigned to avoid being impeached in connection with the Watergate scandal. “This is your legacy, Attorney General Bondi. In eight short months, you fundamentally transformed the Justice Department and left an enormous stain in American history. It will take decades to recover.”

Democrats press Bondi on her pledge not to play politics

The hearing marked Bondi's first before the panel since her confirmation hearing last January, when she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-bondi-garland-01edf039f8102271943da4fb85d56fa7">pledged to not play politics</a>&nbsp;with the Justice Department — a promise Democrats pounced on as they pressed the attorney general on whether she can withstand political pressure from the White House.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, reminded Bondi of that commitment and asked her if she thought she had upheld it. Bondi replied that she believed she absolutely had.

“I pledged that I would end the weaponization also of the Justice Department and that America would once again have a one tier system of justice for all,” Bondi said. “And that is what we are doing.”

Bondi set the tone for the hearing at the outset, repeatedly snapping with a raised voice at Durbin and deflecting questions from him by pointing to the murder rate in Chicago and asserting that lawmakers from his party were responsible for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-health-care-subsidies-obamacare-congress-10b2ae9648bc5252fc2bd485ddc83493">shutting the government down</a>.

“You’re sitting here grilling me, and they’re on their way to Chicago to keep your state safe,” Bondi said, referring to Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

“Madam Attorney General,” Durbin replied, “it’s my job to grill you.”

Bondi refuses to answer questions about Comey and other matters

She refused repeatedly to discuss matters, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tom-homan-bribery-investigation-justice-department-461cc66955e2ba25445a9bf931250580">a bribery investigation</a>&nbsp;into Trump border czar Tom Homan that was shuttered under the Trump administration. That drew the ire of Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, who accused Bondi of responding with “far-right internet talking points.”

She also declined to say whether she talked to the president about the case against Comey, who was charged last month with lying to the Senate Judiciary Committee when he said he had not authorized anyone else at the FBI to be an anonymous source in news reports about a particular investigation. His indictment came just days after Trump appeared to publicly implore her on social media to take that action against him and other perceived political enemies.

“This is supposed to be an oversight hearing in which members of Congress can get serious answer to serious questions about the coverup of corruption, about the prosecution of the president’s enemies," Sen. Adam Schiff of California, a Democrat from California, said as Bondi repeatedly interrupted him. "And when will be that the members of this committee on a bipartisan basis demand answers to those questions and refuse to accept personal slander as an answer to those questions?”

Comey is set to make his first court appearance on Wednesday in the case, which was brought despite career prosecutors' reservations about the strength of evidence, after the Trump administration raced install a new prosecutor to secure the charges following the resignation under pressure of the experienced leader of that office.

The Justice Department under Bondi has opened criminal investigations into other vocal critics of the president, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-james-attorney-general-justice-department-subpoena-9dec45248df0e06b1d99ff9944e6d327">Schiff</a>&nbsp;on accusations of mortgage fraud, New York Attorney General&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-letitia-james-siebert-trump-9ec1a96c05fa77d8acc558bd803622a2">Letitia James</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuomo-mamdani-jewish-nyc-mayor-a046d4a050dac37d61014062f60a5f31">Andrew Cuomo</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/andrew-cuomo-justice-department-coronavirus-pam-bondi-40dcf2947f457c5b3d7be8fedab2a592">former New York governor and current mayoral candidate</a>. They have all denied wrongdoing, as has Comey, and have slammed the investigations as politically motivated.

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pam-bondi">Attorney General Pam Bondi</a>&nbsp;repeatedly deflected questions as she sought during a combative congressional hearing on Tuesday to defend herself against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-justice-department-trump-bondi-bove-adams-a003af9d9aebe89cd289361a65c9401b">growing criticism</a>&nbsp;that she's turning the law enforcement agency into a weapon to seek vengeance against President Donald Trump’s political opponents.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AGPamBondi</a>&#39;s opening remarks before the Senate Judiciary Committee:<br><br>&quot;We learned the former FBI secretly investigated you and your colleagues... this is the kind of conduct that shatters the American people&#39;s faith in our law enforcement system. We will work to earn that back… <a href="https://t.co/Y5ZiXCTCPD">pic.twitter.com/Y5ZiXCTCPD</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1975563351452246212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 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"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING: Pam Bondi just DEMOLISHED Senator Blumenthal after he ACCUSED her of impropriety:<br><br>&quot;I CANNOT BELIEVE that you would ACCUSE ME of impropriety when YOU LIED about your MILITARY SERVICE.&quot;<br><br>&quot;You LIED to be elected a US Senator.&quot;<br><br>&quot;Don&#39;t YOU EVER challenge MY integrity. I… <a href="https://t.co/Fx0reJH5J7">pic.twitter.com/Fx0reJH5J7</a></p>&mdash; Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) <a href="https://twitter.com/GuntherEagleman/status/1975587653442502949?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pam Bondi is incapable of answering simple questions. <a href="https://t.co/VtD3KIYxx9">pic.twitter.com/VtD3KIYxx9</a></p>&mdash; Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenWhitehouse/status/1975617275567759701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;Your city has a murder rate five times higher than New. York&#39;s — 571 homicides last year,&quot; says <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AGPamBondi</a> to the insufferable <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorDurbin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorDurbin</a> on the National Guard in Chicago.<br><br>&quot;We&#39;re there to help make America safe and Illinois safe — whether or not you want to.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/qgbZIryITP">pic.twitter.com/qgbZIryITP</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1975568173291515944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sen. SCHIFF: You’ve refused to answer questions about ethics, the Qatari plane, the Epstein files, Tom Homan’s alleged bribery, political prosecutions, military authorization…<br><br>Bondi: *tries interrupting*<br><br>Schiff: Excuse me. This is an oversight hearing. We demand answers. <a href="https://t.co/GSeAoMtcf4">pic.twitter.com/GSeAoMtcf4</a></p>&mdash; Senate Judiciary Democrats 🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryDems) <a href="https://twitter.com/JudiciaryDems/status/1975669931955134611?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AGPamBondi</a> cooks <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorDurbin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorDurbin</a>: &quot;I wish you loved Chicago as much as you hate President Trump — and currently, the National Guard are on the way to Chicago. If you&#39;re not going to protect your citizens, President Trump will.&quot; 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/4CoNdH5w4p">pic.twitter.com/4CoNdH5w4p</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1975561272919015731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sen. DURBIN: Why was the FBI directed to flag Donald Trump’s name in the Epstein files?<br><br>Bondi: I&#39;m not going to discuss anything related to these files.<br><br>Durbin: Eventually, you&#39;re going to have to answer. <a href="https://t.co/OEUJEaReeM">pic.twitter.com/OEUJEaReeM</a></p>&mdash; Senate Judiciary Democrats 🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryDems) <a href="https://twitter.com/JudiciaryDems/status/1975621594841305544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sen. KLOBUCHAR: Do you support raising the age to 21 to purchase assault weapons?<br><br>Bondi: I won’t discuss pending litigation.<br><br>Sen. KLOBUCHAR: Your views are not pending litigation. <a href="https://t.co/RpCItcSjf5">pic.twitter.com/RpCItcSjf5</a></p>&mdash; Senate Judiciary Democrats 🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryDems) <a href="https://twitter.com/JudiciaryDems/status/1975625224537378969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Democrats sought to use the hearing, coming on the heels of the indictment of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/james-comey-charged-lying-congress-a2c72e1a5bb73d588f3af7fdb56caa82">former FBI Director James Comey</a>, to warn of what they view as the politicization of a department that has long prided itself on remaining independent from the White House.</p><p>Bondi brushed aside with seeming disdain questions about her tumultuous tenure, flatly refusing to answer time and again as Democrats pressed her on politically charged investigations, the firings of career prosecutors and other matters. Her refusal to engage on the questions meant little if any fresh insight was offered about her actions and decisions, with Bondi instead opting to respond to Democrats' attacks by echoing conservative claims that President Joe Biden's Justice Department — which brought two criminal cases against Trump — was the one that had been weaponized.</p><p>“They were playing politics with law enforcement powers and will go down as a historic betrayal of public trust,” Bondi said of the Biden Justice Department. “This is the kind of conduct that shatters the American people’s faith in our law enforcement system. We will work to earn that back every single day.”</p><p>The hearing split early along deeply partisan lines, with Republicans repeatedly leaping to her defense to highlight the criminal cases against the president that they say show the institution she inherited was deeply politicized. They pointed to revelations from a day earlier that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-january-6-senate-grassley-26dcd37c3b9e84c0173e63799baf3fa4">the FBI had analyzed phone records</a>&nbsp;of several Republican lawmakers as part of an investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden, a Democrat.</p><p>“This is an outrage, an unconstitutional breach and ought to be immediately addressed by you and Director Patel,” Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Republican chairman of the committee, told Bondi, referring to FBI Director Kash Patel.</p><p>Democrats, meanwhile, accused Bondi of destroying the department's credibility and eroding its longstanding independence from the White House as the Republican president publicly calls for the prosecution of his political foes.</p><p>“What has taken place since January 20th, 2025, would make even President Nixon recoil,” Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the top Democrat on the committee, said of the president who resigned to avoid being impeached in connection with the Watergate scandal. “This is your legacy, Attorney General Bondi. In eight short months, you fundamentally transformed the Justice Department and left an enormous stain in American history. It will take decades to recover.”</p><h2>Democrats press Bondi on her pledge not to play politics</h2><p>The hearing marked Bondi's first before the panel since her confirmation hearing last January, when she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-bondi-garland-01edf039f8102271943da4fb85d56fa7">pledged to not play politics</a>&nbsp;with the Justice Department — a promise Democrats pounced on as they pressed the attorney general on whether she can withstand political pressure from the White House.</p><p>Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, reminded Bondi of that commitment and asked her if she thought she had upheld it. Bondi replied that she believed she absolutely had.</p><p>“I pledged that I would end the weaponization also of the Justice Department and that America would once again have a one tier system of justice for all,” Bondi said. “And that is what we are doing.”</p><p>Bondi set the tone for the hearing at the outset, repeatedly snapping with a raised voice at Durbin and deflecting questions from him by pointing to the murder rate in Chicago and asserting that lawmakers from his party were responsible for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-health-care-subsidies-obamacare-congress-10b2ae9648bc5252fc2bd485ddc83493">shutting the government down</a>.</p><p>“You’re sitting here grilling me, and they’re on their way to Chicago to keep your state safe,” Bondi said, referring to Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.</p><p>“Madam Attorney General,” Durbin replied, “it’s my job to grill you.”</p><h2>Bondi refuses to answer questions about Comey and other matters</h2><p>She refused repeatedly to discuss matters, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tom-homan-bribery-investigation-justice-department-461cc66955e2ba25445a9bf931250580">a bribery investigation</a>&nbsp;into Trump border czar Tom Homan that was shuttered under the Trump administration. That drew the ire of Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, who accused Bondi of responding with “far-right internet talking points.”</p><p>She also declined to say whether she talked to the president about the case against Comey, who was charged last month with lying to the Senate Judiciary Committee when he said he had not authorized anyone else at the FBI to be an anonymous source in news reports about a particular investigation. His indictment came just days after Trump appeared to publicly implore her on social media to take that action against him and other perceived political enemies.</p><p>“This is supposed to be an oversight hearing in which members of Congress can get serious answer to serious questions about the coverup of corruption, about the prosecution of the president’s enemies," Sen. Adam Schiff of California, a Democrat from California, said as Bondi repeatedly interrupted him. "And when will be that the members of this committee on a bipartisan basis demand answers to those questions and refuse to accept personal slander as an answer to those questions?”</p><p>Comey is set to make his first court appearance on Wednesday in the case, which was brought despite career prosecutors' reservations about the strength of evidence, after the Trump administration raced install a new prosecutor to secure the charges following the resignation under pressure of the experienced leader of that office.</p><p>The Justice Department under Bondi has opened criminal investigations into other vocal critics of the president, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-james-attorney-general-justice-department-subpoena-9dec45248df0e06b1d99ff9944e6d327">Schiff</a>&nbsp;on accusations of mortgage fraud, New York Attorney General&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-letitia-james-siebert-trump-9ec1a96c05fa77d8acc558bd803622a2">Letitia James</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuomo-mamdani-jewish-nyc-mayor-a046d4a050dac37d61014062f60a5f31">Andrew Cuomo</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/andrew-cuomo-justice-department-coronavirus-pam-bondi-40dcf2947f457c5b3d7be8fedab2a592">former New York governor and current mayoral candidate</a>. They have all denied wrongdoing, as has Comey, and have slammed the investigations as politically motivated.</p><p>___</p>

🎥Some highlights of AG Pam Bondi's fiery Senate hearing

KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just before 4p.m. Tuesday in Kansas City.

A gold Ford F150 was eastbound on 31st Street, according to KCPD Sergeant Jake Becchina.&nbsp; Just east of Mersington Street, an adult male pedestrian ran into the roadway from the grassy area located next to the parking lot of the Family Dollar Store.

The pickup struck the pedestrian who was thrown to the pavement. The driver of the pickup stopped immediately, remained at the scene, cooperated fully with the investigation, and was not impaired. 

KCFD EMS transported the pedestrian to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. The pedestrian was subsequently pronounced deceased by hospital staff shortly after arrival. This is fatality #52 compared to #73 at this time last year, according to Becchina.

<p>KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just before 4p.m. Tuesday in Kansas City.</p><p>A gold Ford F150 was eastbound on 31st Street, according to KCPD Sergeant Jake Becchina.&nbsp; Just east of Mersington Street, an adult male pedestrian ran into the roadway from the grassy area located next to the parking lot of the Family Dollar Store.</p><p>The pickup struck the pedestrian who was thrown to the pavement. The driver of the pickup stopped immediately, remained at the scene, cooperated fully with the investigation, and was not impaired. </p><p>KCFD EMS transported the pedestrian to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. The pedestrian was subsequently pronounced deceased by hospital staff shortly after arrival. This is fatality #52 compared to #73 at this time last year, according to Becchina.</p>

Man killed running into street from KC store parking area

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/maria-sherman">MARIA SHERMAN</a>

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/taylor-swift">Taylor Swift</a>&nbsp;says she did not turn down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/super-bowl">the 2026 Super Bowl</a>&nbsp;halftime show, which will be headlined by Bad Bunny.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-life-showgirl-music-review-d2681b9f07592d96f336ef7e8438ef74">“The Life of a Showgirl”</a>&nbsp;singer paid a visit to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jimmy-fallon">“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”</a>&nbsp;on Monday and dispelled a few rumors. Most notably, she shared she did not turn down the NFL’s biggest stage because she wouldn’t be allowed to own the performance footage, as claimed in a popular internet rumor.

The Super Bowl halftime show is produced by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nfl">NFL,</a>&nbsp;Apple Music and Roc Nation — the latter founded by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jay-z">music mogul Jay-Z.</a>

“Jay-Z has always been very good to me. Our teams are really close. Like, they sometimes will call and say, ‘How does she feel about the Super Bowl?’ And that’s not like an official offer or, like, an official conference room conversation,” Swift told Fallon. “We’re always able to tell him the truth, which is that, like, I am in love with a guy who does that sport on that actual field,” she continued, referring to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-engaged-d585627eb98b69428ce206a2c8a9cb7d">fiance Travis Kelce</a>&nbsp;— a star tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs and a Super Bowl champion.

“Like, that is violent chess. That is gladiators without swords. That is dangerous. The whole season I am locked in on what that man is doing on the field,” she said.

“Can you imagine if he’s out there every single week, like putting his life on the line, doing this very dangerous, very high pressure, high intensity sport and I’m like, ‘I wonder what my choreo(graphy) should be?,’” Swift joked.

“‘I think we should do two verses of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/behind-call-kelce-rodgers-2f0725e098511f88ba36a25faa760503">‘Shake It Off’</a>&nbsp;into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2cfa913cd14e4476898ec1005acfc23c">‘Blank Space’</a>&nbsp;into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/songs-of-summer-2025-1c13d538460ec3473d88f5196abff6fb">‘Cruel Summer’</a>&nbsp;would be great.’ And this is nothing to do with Travis, he would love for me to do it, I’m just too locked in.”

Last month, it was announced that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bad-bunny">global superstar Bad Bunny</a>&nbsp;will bring his Latin trap, reggaeton swagger and Puerto Rican pride&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2026-super-bowl-halftime-show-bad-bunny-8d39f256c8ff8922871f1d613ba51c3d">to the Super Bowl</a>&nbsp;live from Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, California.

It’s an ideal casting: Bad Bunny is fresh off a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/puerto-rico-bad-bunny-concert-46e33b429e8ea4a08f52b0ae53b42d30">historic Puerto Rico residency</a>&nbsp;that drew more than half a million fans and is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/latin-grammy-nominations-bad-bunny-edgar-barrera-ac48d641b071870b351f1a195a14fab5">leading all nominees at the Latin Grammys</a>&nbsp;in November.

“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself,” Bad Bunny said in a statement. “It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown… this is for my people, my culture, and our history.”

On Saturday, Bad Bunny&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snl-premiere-bad-bunny-doja-cat-108cbe04aa05205f7c04ff29c6d60d0f">hosted the season 51 premiere</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/saturday-night-live">“Saturday Night Live”</a>&nbsp;with a few jokes about his forthcoming Super Bowl halftime show.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733776996717.png" alt="Rile Taylor Swift performs during "The Eras Tour" on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)" />
                        <figcaption>Rile Taylor Swift performs during "The Eras Tour" on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/maria-sherman">MARIA SHERMAN</a></p><p>NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/taylor-swift">Taylor Swift</a>&nbsp;says she did not turn down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/super-bowl">the 2026 Super Bowl</a>&nbsp;halftime show, which will be headlined by Bad Bunny.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-life-showgirl-music-review-d2681b9f07592d96f336ef7e8438ef74">“The Life of a Showgirl”</a>&nbsp;singer paid a visit to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jimmy-fallon">“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”</a>&nbsp;on Monday and dispelled a few rumors. Most notably, she shared she did not turn down the NFL’s biggest stage because she wouldn’t be allowed to own the performance footage, as claimed in a popular internet rumor.</p><p>“No, no, no,” Swift said.</p><p>The Super Bowl halftime show is produced by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nfl">NFL,</a>&nbsp;Apple Music and Roc Nation — the latter founded by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jay-z">music mogul Jay-Z.</a></p><p>“Jay-Z has always been very good to me. Our teams are really close. Like, they sometimes will call and say, ‘How does she feel about the Super Bowl?’ And that’s not like an official offer or, like, an official conference room conversation,” Swift told Fallon. “We’re always able to tell him the truth, which is that, like, I am in love with a guy who does that sport on that actual field,” she continued, referring to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-engaged-d585627eb98b69428ce206a2c8a9cb7d">fiance Travis Kelce</a>&nbsp;— a star tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs and a Super Bowl champion.</p><p>“Like, that is violent chess. That is gladiators without swords. That is dangerous. The whole season I am locked in on what that man is doing on the field,” she said.</p><p>“Can you imagine if he’s out there every single week, like putting his life on the line, doing this very dangerous, very high pressure, high intensity sport and I’m like, ‘I wonder what my choreo(graphy) should be?,’” Swift joked.</p><p>“‘I think we should do two verses of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/behind-call-kelce-rodgers-2f0725e098511f88ba36a25faa760503">‘Shake It Off’</a>&nbsp;into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2cfa913cd14e4476898ec1005acfc23c">‘Blank Space’</a>&nbsp;into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/songs-of-summer-2025-1c13d538460ec3473d88f5196abff6fb">‘Cruel Summer’</a>&nbsp;would be great.’ And this is nothing to do with Travis, he would love for me to do it, I’m just too locked in.”</p><p>Last month, it was announced that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bad-bunny">global superstar Bad Bunny</a>&nbsp;will bring his Latin trap, reggaeton swagger and Puerto Rican pride&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2026-super-bowl-halftime-show-bad-bunny-8d39f256c8ff8922871f1d613ba51c3d">to the Super Bowl</a>&nbsp;live from Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, California.</p><p>It’s an ideal casting: Bad Bunny is fresh off a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/puerto-rico-bad-bunny-concert-46e33b429e8ea4a08f52b0ae53b42d30">historic Puerto Rico residency</a>&nbsp;that drew more than half a million fans and is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/latin-grammy-nominations-bad-bunny-edgar-barrera-ac48d641b071870b351f1a195a14fab5">leading all nominees at the Latin Grammys</a>&nbsp;in November.</p><p>“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself,” Bad Bunny said in a statement. “It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown… this is for my people, my culture, and our history.”</p><p>On Saturday, Bad Bunny&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snl-premiere-bad-bunny-doja-cat-108cbe04aa05205f7c04ff29c6d60d0f">hosted the season 51 premiere</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/saturday-night-live">“Saturday Night Live”</a>&nbsp;with a few jokes about his forthcoming Super Bowl halftime show.</p>

No, Taylor Swift did not turn down the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show

KANSAS CITY—A Kansas City area man faces felony charges for the stabbing and attempted robbery of a man hired to clean a city-owned park.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2740/Lewis-Austin-Complaint-Packet_Redacted">Austin R. Lewis</a>, 30, is charged with 1st Degree Attempted Robbery, two counts of Armed Criminal Action, and 1st Degree Assault, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

On October 5, Kansas City police were dispatched to an area near the National WWI Museum and Memorial regarding a reported cutting, a<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2739/Austin-Lewis-Statement-of-Probable-Cause_Redacted">ccording to court records</a>. Based on witness reports, detectives determined that Lewis approached the victim, a worker cleaning the sidewalks, and asked for a dollar. When the victim, who did not speak English, did not respond, Lewis stabbed him with a knife in full view of witnesses before fleeing the scene.&nbsp;

The victim is alive and in stable condition.&nbsp;

Officers located Lewis a few minutes after responding to the scene and took him into custody. He declined to speak with detectives.&nbsp;

Lewis is being held on a $100,000 cash-only bond.&nbsp;

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759845288270.png" alt="Lewis photo Jackson Co." />
                        <figcaption>Lewis photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>KANSAS CITY—A Kansas City area man faces felony charges for the stabbing and attempted robbery of a man hired to clean a city-owned park.</p><p><a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2740/Lewis-Austin-Complaint-Packet_Redacted">Austin R. Lewis</a>, 30, is charged with 1st Degree Attempted Robbery, two counts of Armed Criminal Action, and 1st Degree Assault, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.</p><p>On October 5, Kansas City police were dispatched to an area near the National WWI Museum and Memorial regarding a reported cutting, a<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2739/Austin-Lewis-Statement-of-Probable-Cause_Redacted">ccording to court records</a>. Based on witness reports, detectives determined that Lewis approached the victim, a worker cleaning the sidewalks, and asked for a dollar. When the victim, who did not speak English, did not respond, Lewis stabbed him with a knife in full view of witnesses before fleeing the scene.&nbsp;</p><p>The victim is alive and in stable condition.&nbsp;</p><p>Officers located Lewis a few minutes after responding to the scene and took him into custody. He declined to speak with detectives.&nbsp;</p><p>Lewis is being held on a $100,000 cash-only bond.&nbsp;</p>

Police: Man attacked worker hired to clean KC owned park

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations.&nbsp;

Just after 12:30p.m.&nbsp;October 5, a K-9 Unit with the Shawnee County Sheriff's office conducted a traffic stop on a gray Dodge Durango with a stolen license plate in the 2000 block of SE California Avenue, according to Sheriff's Deputy Abigail Christian.

During the investigation, illegal narcotics and multiple stolen items were located.

Deputies arrested 47-year-old Tashara D. Yeargin-Charles of Topeka and she was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of&nbsp; identity theft, Possession of an opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant, Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into the human body, Possession of stolen property, Vehicles; display plate not assigned, Vehicle liability insurance and Operate a motor vehicle without a valid license.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759850096982.png" alt="Yeargin-Charles photo Shawnee County" />
                        <figcaption>Yeargin-Charles photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations.&nbsp;</p><p>Just after 12:30p.m.&nbsp;October 5, a K-9 Unit with the Shawnee County Sheriff's office conducted a traffic stop on a gray Dodge Durango with a stolen license plate in the 2000 block of SE California Avenue, according to Sheriff's Deputy Abigail Christian.</p><p>During the investigation, illegal narcotics and multiple stolen items were located.</p><p>Deputies arrested 47-year-old Tashara D. Yeargin-Charles of Topeka and she was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of&nbsp; identity theft, Possession of an opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant, Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into the human body, Possession of stolen property, Vehicles; display plate not assigned, Vehicle liability insurance and Operate a motor vehicle without a valid license.</p>

Sheriff: Kansas woman jailed for alleged ID theft

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">A majority of Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;justices on Tuesday seemed likely to side with a Christian counselor challenging bans on LGBTQ+ “conversion therapy” for kids as a violation of her First Amendment rights.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/24-539">Click here to listen</a> to a replay of the oral argument

Kaley Chiles, with support from President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-health-care-subsidies-obamacare-congress-10b2ae9648bc5252fc2bd485ddc83493">Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;administration,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-transgender-athletes-title-ix-schools-3871f87d332fb229c07ad16aa3d3cca8">argues the laws passed in Colorado</a>&nbsp;and about half of U.S. states wrongly bar her from offering voluntary, faith-based therapy for kids.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1745333128428.png" alt="File A pride flag is seen in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)" />
                        <figcaption>File A pride flag is seen in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">A majority of Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;justices on Tuesday seemed likely to side with a Christian counselor challenging bans on LGBTQ+ “conversion therapy” for kids as a violation of her First Amendment rights.</p><p><a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/24-539">Click here to listen</a> to a replay of the oral argument</p><p>Kaley Chiles, with support from President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-health-care-subsidies-obamacare-congress-10b2ae9648bc5252fc2bd485ddc83493">Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;administration,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-transgender-athletes-title-ix-schools-3871f87d332fb229c07ad16aa3d3cca8">argues the laws passed in Colorado</a>&nbsp;and about half of U.S. states wrongly bar her from offering voluntary, faith-based therapy for kids.</p><p>Colorado, on the other hand, says its measure simply regulates licensed therapists by barring a practice that’s been scientifically discredited and linked to serious harm.</p><p>But the court's conservative majority didn't seem convinced that states can restrict talk therapy aimed at changing feelings or behavior while allowing counseling that affirms kids identifying as gay or transgender. Justice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alito-supreme-court-deport-trump-venezuelans-dissent-300f6ca71758f05d7518b69af58ad418">Samuel Alito</a>&nbsp;said the law “looks like blatant viewpoint discrimination.”</p><p>The case blends two trends in the recent decisions of a court that's backed several claims of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-lgbtq-books-religion-maryland-schools-c0b0fb4b96531636fcb98b08aabc3cf9">religious discrimination</a>&nbsp;and taken a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-transgender-health-care-trump-79fc6f3bbdab2e92d6f0184201a468a9">more skeptical view</a>&nbsp;in LGBTQ rights cases.</p><h2>State says therapy is health care and subject to</h2><h2>regulation</h2><p>Colorado has not sanctioned anyone under the 2019 law, which exempts religious ministries, and argues the measure still allows for wide-ranging faith-based conversations. State attorneys say that therapy is health care, and that Colorado can regulate it to make sure therapists are upholding high standards of care.</p><p>“Providers have a duty to act in their patients’ best interest and according to their professional standards. The First Amendment affords no exception,” Colorado Solicitor General Shannon Stevenson said.</p><p>Justice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-justice-gorsuch-book-over-ruled-3bdd27fe9dd50e39bffd6eef030ad24f">Neil Gorsuch</a>, though, questioned whether their argument could have been used to restrict pro-LGBTQ therapy in previous decades, when the mainstream medical view was different. “What if a state back then might have passed a law prohibiting talk therapy that affirmed homosexuality?”</p><p>Chiles contends her approach is different from the kind of conversion therapy once associated with practices like shock therapy decades ago. She said she believes “people flourish when they live consistently with God’s design, including their biological sex,” and she argues evidence of harm from her approach is lacking.</p><p>Her attorneys argue the bans make it difficult for parents of kids who think they might be transgender to find a therapist willing to work on gender identity unless the counseling affirms transition.</p><p>“Ms. Chiles is being silenced, and the kids and families who want her help are unable to access it,” said attorney James Campbell. Violating the law carries potential fines of $5,000 and license suspension or even revocation.</p><p>The Republican administration argued the Colorado law suppresses therapists' speech, and should be subject to the higher legal standard of strict scrutiny, one that few measures pass.</p><p>Justice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-barrett-book-abortion-trump-138235228eb4b164fe2061a4a39a2f0a">Amy Coney Barrett</a>&nbsp;suggested that malpractice suits could address claims of harm linked to “conversion therapy."</p><p>Families who have spoken publicly in favor of restrictions include Linda Robertson, a Christian mom of four from Washington state whose&nbsp;<a href="https://justbecausehebreathes.com/">son Ryan</a>&nbsp;underwent therapy that promised to change his sexual orientation after he came out to her at age 12. The techniques led him to blame himself when it didn’t work, leaving him ashamed and depressed, she said. He died in 2009, after multiple suicide attempts and a drug overdose at age 20.</p><p>“What happened in conversion therapy, it devastated Ryan’s bond with me and my husband,” she said. “And it absolutely destroyed his confidence he could ever be loved or accepted by God.”</p><h2>Similar laws also face court challenges</h2><p>Chiles is represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal organization that has appeared frequently at the court in recent years. The group also represented a Christian website designer who doesn’t want to work with same-sex couples and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-gay-rights-website-designer-aa529361bc939c837ec2ece216b296d5">successfully challenged</a>&nbsp;a Colorado anti-discrimination law in 2023.</p><p>The group's argument in the conversion therapy case also builds on another victory from a 2018 Supreme Court decision, which found that California could not force state-licensed anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers to provide information about abortion. Chiles should also be free from that kind of state regulation, the group argued.</p><p>The high court agreed to hear the case after the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver upheld the law. Another Atlanta based appeals court, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, has struck down similar bans in Florida.</p><p>Legal wrangling has continued elsewhere as well.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-conversion-therapy-supreme-court-5417fcaf451d31730a65a7387117b32e">In Wisconsin</a>, the state's highest court recently cleared the way for the state to enforce its ban. Virginia officials, by contrast, have agreed to scale back the enforcement of its law as part of an agreement with a faith-based conservative group that sued.</p>