WASHINGTON (AP) — Plunged into a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-chuck-schumer-20e54a0f5e4fee909d0f9ea2c07c15e1">government shutdown</a>, the U.S. is confronting a fresh cycle of uncertainty after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-senate-schumer-thune-trump-health-care-b85fe6cdd5d8cdc3e3aa1f4ae889474f">failed to strike an agreement</a>&nbsp;to keep government programs and services running by Wednesday’s deadline.

Roughly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9b62-d3e5-a399-ff7b4ce10000">750,000 federal workers</a>&nbsp;are expected to be furloughed, some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9c25-d394-abb9-bf2ff8a90000">potentially fired</a>&nbsp;by the Trump administration. Many&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/effects-of-government-shutdown-donald-trump-4a16fc477eb67b7cf7ac708e578146e3">offices will be shuttered</a>, perhaps permanently, as Trump vows to “do things that are irreversible, that are bad” as retribution. His&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=ap%2C+deportations&amp;rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1151US1151&amp;oq=ap%2C+deportations&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIICAEQABgWGB4yCAgCEAAYFhgeMggIAxAAGBYYHjIKCAQQABgKGBYYHjILCAUQABgWGB4YxwMyCwgGEAAYFhgeGMcDMgYIBxBFGEHSAQgzMzAxajBqN6gCCLACAfEFvyEijmQRltw&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">deportation agenda</a>&nbsp;is expected to run full speed ahead, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9ca5-d8db-af9f-bcbfbbfc0000">education</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9b5d-d3e5-a399-ff7d80870000">environmental</a>&nbsp;and other services sputter. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9ca8-d073-abdf-ddfdfb520000">economic fallout</a>&nbsp;is expected to ripple nationwide.

“We don’t want it to shut down,” Trump said at the White House before the midnight deadline.

But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-democrats-health-care-blame-ee852953197b7b59f3447aa3a2167ac0">the president</a>, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shutdown-government-chuck-schumer-8510b2fa4d40c4bbc058951c49c42468">met privately with congressional leadership</a>&nbsp;this week, appeared unable to negotiate any deal between Democrats and Republicans to prevent that outcome.

This is the third time Trump has presided over a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdowns-history-schumer-trump-f442ba1392fab3e7cab37756302e829c">federal funding lapse</a>, the first since his return to the White House this year, in a remarkable record that underscores the polarizing divide over budget priorities and a political climate that rewards hardline positions rather than more traditional compromises.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-health-care-subsidies-schumer-6b0d64fe442fc4fa8a8daf283a30ce76">Democrats picked this fight</a>, which was unusual for the party that prefers to keep government running, but their voters are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-congress-chuck-schumer-government-funding-shutdown-43d1acea20c34ad28d848edc08ad6375">eager to challenge</a>&nbsp;the president’s second-term agenda. Democrats are demanding funding for health care subsidies that are expiring for millions of people under the Affordable Care Act, spiking the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-tax-credits-obamacare-shutdown-f1ee636ddba7f65baa5234c55cb0c96e">costs of insurance premiums</a>&nbsp;nationwide.

Republicans have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-republicans-funding-schumer-congress-trump-0c1973b2d0aad76aa5a3ec3749965edd">refused to negotiate</a>&nbsp;for now and have encouraged Trump to steer clear of any talks. After the White House meeting, the president posted a cartoonish fake video mocking the Democratic leadership that was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9afd-d8db-af9f-baff3ed90000">widely viewed as unserious and racist</a>.

What neither side has devised is an easy offramp to prevent what could become a protracted closure. The ramifications are certain to spread beyond the political arena, upending the lives of Americans who rely on the government for benefit payments, work contracts and the various services being thrown into turmoil.

“What the government spends money on is a demonstration of our country’s priorities,” said Rachel Snyderman, a former White House budget official who is the managing director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank in Washington.

Shutdowns, she said, “only inflict economic cost, fear and confusion across the country.”

Economic fallout expected to ripple nationwide

An economic jolt could be felt in a matter of days. The government is expected Friday to produce its monthly jobs report, which may or may not be delivered.

While the financial markets have generally “shrugged” during past shutdowns, according to a Goldman Sachs analysis, this one could be different partly because there are no signs of broader negotiations.

“There are also few good analogies to this week’s potential shutdown,” the analysis said.

Across the government, preparations have been underway. Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, headed by Russ Vought, directed agencies to execute plans for not just furloughs, as are typical during a federal funding lapse, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-congress-government-shutdown-99d4cafe53209f6dc6ae5562c2ac79d2">mass firings</a>&nbsp;of federal workers. It’s part of the Trump administration’s mission, including its Department of Government Efficiency, to shrink the federal government.

The Medicare and Medicaid health care programs are expected to continue, though staffing shortages could mean delays for some services. The Pentagon would still function. And most employees will stay on the job at the Department of Homeland Security.

But Trump has warned that the administration could focus on programs that are important to Democrats, “cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.”

As agencies sort out which workers are essential, or not, Smithsonian museums are expected to stay open at least until Monday. A group of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-national-parks-burgum-superintendents-trash-b5109ba06f1cb3baef9370f585650136">former national park superintendents</a>&nbsp;urged the Trump administration to close the parks to visitors, arguing that poorly staffed parks in a shutdown are a danger to the public and put park resources at risk.

Ahead of Wednesday’s start of the fiscal year, House Republicans had approved a temporary funding bill, over opposition from Democrats, to keep government running into mid-November while broader negotiations continue.

But that bill has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-trump-funding-bill-republicans-shutdown-1fea0f79c85ec69b91d9789fbda00834">failed repeatedly</a>&nbsp;in the Senate, including late Tuesday. It takes a 60-vote threshold for approval, which requires cooperation between the two parties. A Democratic bill also failed. With a 53-47 GOP majority, Democrats are leveraging their votes to demand negotiation.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-thune-ap-interview-omb-memo-6b79cd64987b6173f1b3295dc3505994">Senate Majority Leader John Thune</a>&nbsp;has said Republicans are happy to discuss the health care issue with Democrats — but not as part of talks to keep the government open. More votes are expected Wednesday.

The standoff is a political test for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer</a>, who has drawn scorn from a restive base of left-flank voters pushing the party to hold firm in its demands for health care funding.

“Americans are hurting with higher costs,” Schumer said after the failed vote Tuesday.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">House Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;sent lawmakers home nearly two weeks ago after having passed the GOP bill, blaming Democrats for the shutdown.

“They want to fight Trump,” Johnson said Tuesday on CNBC. “A lot of good people are going to be hurt because of this.”

Trump, during his meeting with the congressional leaders, expressed surprise at the scope of the rising costs of health care, but Democrats left with no path toward talks.

During Trump’s first term, the nation endured its longest-ever shutdown, 35 days, over his demands for funds Congress refused to provide to build his promised U.S.-Mexico border wall.

In 2013, the government shut down for 16 days during the Obama presidency over GOP demands to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Other closures date back decades.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Plunged into a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-chuck-schumer-20e54a0f5e4fee909d0f9ea2c07c15e1">government shutdown</a>, the U.S. is confronting a fresh cycle of uncertainty after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-senate-schumer-thune-trump-health-care-b85fe6cdd5d8cdc3e3aa1f4ae889474f">failed to strike an agreement</a>&nbsp;to keep government programs and services running by Wednesday’s deadline.Roughly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9b62-d3e5-a399-ff7b4ce10000">750,000 federal workers</a>&nbsp;are expected to be furloughed, some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9c25-d394-abb9-bf2ff8a90000">potentially fired</a>&nbsp;by the Trump administration. Many&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/effects-of-government-shutdown-donald-trump-4a16fc477eb67b7cf7ac708e578146e3">offices will be shuttered</a>, perhaps permanently, as Trump vows to “do things that are irreversible, that are bad” as retribution. His&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=ap%2C+deportations&amp;rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1151US1151&amp;oq=ap%2C+deportations&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIICAEQABgWGB4yCAgCEAAYFhgeMggIAxAAGBYYHjIKCAQQABgKGBYYHjILCAUQABgWGB4YxwMyCwgGEAAYFhgeGMcDMgYIBxBFGEHSAQgzMzAxajBqN6gCCLACAfEFvyEijmQRltw&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">deportation agenda</a>&nbsp;is expected to run full speed ahead, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9ca5-d8db-af9f-bcbfbbfc0000">education</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9b5d-d3e5-a399-ff7d80870000">environmental</a>&nbsp;and other services sputter. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9ca8-d073-abdf-ddfdfb520000">economic fallout</a>&nbsp;is expected to ripple nationwide.“We don’t want it to shut down,” Trump said at the White House before the midnight deadline.But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-democrats-health-care-blame-ee852953197b7b59f3447aa3a2167ac0">the president</a>, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shutdown-government-chuck-schumer-8510b2fa4d40c4bbc058951c49c42468">met privately with congressional leadership</a>&nbsp;this week, appeared unable to negotiate any deal between Democrats and Republicans to prevent that outcome.This is the third time Trump has presided over a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdowns-history-schumer-trump-f442ba1392fab3e7cab37756302e829c">federal funding lapse</a>, the first since his return to the White House this year, in a remarkable record that underscores the polarizing divide over budget priorities and a political climate that rewards hardline positions rather than more traditional compromises.<h2>Plenty of blame being thrown around</h2>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-health-care-subsidies-schumer-6b0d64fe442fc4fa8a8daf283a30ce76">Democrats picked this fight</a>, which was unusual for the party that prefers to keep government running, but their voters are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-congress-chuck-schumer-government-funding-shutdown-43d1acea20c34ad28d848edc08ad6375">eager to challenge</a>&nbsp;the president’s second-term agenda. Democrats are demanding funding for health care subsidies that are expiring for millions of people under the Affordable Care Act, spiking the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-tax-credits-obamacare-shutdown-f1ee636ddba7f65baa5234c55cb0c96e">costs of insurance premiums</a>&nbsp;nationwide.Republicans have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-republicans-funding-schumer-congress-trump-0c1973b2d0aad76aa5a3ec3749965edd">refused to negotiate</a>&nbsp;for now and have encouraged Trump to steer clear of any talks. After the White House meeting, the president posted a cartoonish fake video mocking the Democratic leadership that was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9afd-d8db-af9f-baff3ed90000">widely viewed as unserious and racist</a>.What neither side has devised is an easy offramp to prevent what could become a protracted closure. The ramifications are certain to spread beyond the political arena, upending the lives of Americans who rely on the government for benefit payments, work contracts and the various services being thrown into turmoil.“What the government spends money on is a demonstration of our country’s priorities,” said Rachel Snyderman, a former White House budget official who is the managing director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank in Washington.Shutdowns, she said, “only inflict economic cost, fear and confusion across the country.”<h2>Economic fallout expected to ripple nationwide</h2>An economic jolt could be felt in a matter of days. The government is expected Friday to produce its monthly jobs report, which may or may not be delivered.While the financial markets have generally “shrugged” during past shutdowns, according to a Goldman Sachs analysis, this one could be different partly because there are no signs of broader negotiations.“There are also few good analogies to this week’s potential shutdown,” the analysis said.Across the government, preparations have been underway. Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, headed by Russ Vought, directed agencies to execute plans for not just furloughs, as are typical during a federal funding lapse, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-congress-government-shutdown-99d4cafe53209f6dc6ae5562c2ac79d2">mass firings</a>&nbsp;of federal workers. It’s part of the Trump administration’s mission, including its Department of Government Efficiency, to shrink the federal government.<h2>What’s staying open and shutting down</h2>The Medicare and Medicaid health care programs are expected to continue, though staffing shortages could mean delays for some services. The Pentagon would still function. And most employees will stay on the job at the Department of Homeland Security.But Trump has warned that the administration could focus on programs that are important to Democrats, “cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.”As agencies sort out which workers are essential, or not, Smithsonian museums are expected to stay open at least until Monday. A group of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-national-parks-burgum-superintendents-trash-b5109ba06f1cb3baef9370f585650136">former national park superintendents</a>&nbsp;urged the Trump administration to close the parks to visitors, arguing that poorly staffed parks in a shutdown are a danger to the public and put park resources at risk.<h2>No easy exit as health care costs soar</h2>Ahead of Wednesday’s start of the fiscal year, House Republicans had approved a temporary funding bill, over opposition from Democrats, to keep government running into mid-November while broader negotiations continue.But that bill has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-trump-funding-bill-republicans-shutdown-1fea0f79c85ec69b91d9789fbda00834">failed repeatedly</a>&nbsp;in the Senate, including late Tuesday. It takes a 60-vote threshold for approval, which requires cooperation between the two parties. A Democratic bill also failed. With a 53-47 GOP majority, Democrats are leveraging their votes to demand negotiation.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-thune-ap-interview-omb-memo-6b79cd64987b6173f1b3295dc3505994">Senate Majority Leader John Thune</a>&nbsp;has said Republicans are happy to discuss the health care issue with Democrats — but not as part of talks to keep the government open. More votes are expected Wednesday.The standoff is a political test for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer</a>, who has drawn scorn from a restive base of left-flank voters pushing the party to hold firm in its demands for health care funding.“Americans are hurting with higher costs,” Schumer said after the failed vote Tuesday.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">House Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;sent lawmakers home nearly two weeks ago after having passed the GOP bill, blaming Democrats for the shutdown.“They want to fight Trump,” Johnson said Tuesday on CNBC. “A lot of good people are going to be hurt because of this.”Trump, during his meeting with the congressional leaders, expressed surprise at the scope of the rising costs of health care, but Democrats left with no path toward talks.During Trump’s first term, the nation endured its longest-ever shutdown, 35 days, over his demands for funds Congress refused to provide to build his promised U.S.-Mexico border wall.In 2013, the government shut down for 16 days during the Obama presidency over GOP demands to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Other closures date back decades.___

First closure of US government since 2018 begins 

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Authorities are still investigating the cause of a fire that took the life of a 15-year-old, authorities reported on Tuesday.

Just before 6p.m. September 25, the Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department responded to the apartment fire on South 71st Street, according to a media release.

First responders observed smoke coming from the upper apartment windows and were told someone may still be inside. Firefighters found an unresponsive 15-year-old boy on the second floor of the unit.

He was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased abound 90 minutes later. A resident was transported to a hospital for treatment of lacerations from breaking a window to help another resident. That occupant was also taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.&nbsp;One firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Authorities are still investigating the cause of a fire that took the life of a 15-year-old, authorities reported on Tuesday.Just before 6p.m. September 25, the Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department responded to the apartment fire on South 71st Street, according to a media release.First responders observed smoke coming from the upper apartment windows and were told someone may still be inside. Firefighters found an unresponsive 15-year-old boy on the second floor of the unit.He was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased abound 90 minutes later. A resident was transported to a hospital for treatment of lacerations from breaking a window to help another resident. That occupant was also taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.&nbsp;One firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion.

15-year-old dies in Kansas apartment fire

MONTGMERY COUNTY— Two suspects injured in a crash during a police chase in Montgomery County are now in jail.

Four people were injured in the accident that occurred just after 4p.m. on September 26.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Jeep driven by Tenisha D.&nbsp;Mayberry, 38, Blue Springs, Mo., was northbound on Patterson Boulevard fleeing law enforcement. The driver failed to yield at a stop light at 8th Street in Coffeyville and struck the passenger side of eastbound Chevy Tahoe driven by Maia E, O'Connell, 17, Coffeyville.

After impact the Jeep traveled off the road and overturned. The Tahoe left the road and rolled onto its roof.

EMS transported Mayberry, a passenger in the Jeep Cortez J. Wasson, Jr. 19,&nbsp; Blue Springs, Missouri, O'Connell to Coffeyville Regional Hospital. EMS transported a passenger in the Tahoe Serafina L&nbsp; O'Connell, 15, Coffeyville, to&nbsp;St Francis Hospital in Tulsa. Wasson was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mayberry is being held on requested charges of felony interference with law enforcement, felony fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, Aggravated battery; Reckless deadly weapon cause great body harm/disfig/death, Possession of marijuana, according to online jail records.&nbsp; Wasson is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;felony interference with law enforcement, Aggravated battery; Reckless deadly weapon cause great body harm/disfig/death and possession of marijuana.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759094141027.png" alt="Wasson photo Montgomery County" />
 <figcaption>Wasson photo Montgomery County</figcaption>
 </figure>MONTGMERY COUNTY— Two suspects injured in a crash during a police chase in Montgomery County are now in jail.Four people were injured in the accident that occurred just after 4p.m. on September 26.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Jeep driven by Tenisha D.&nbsp;Mayberry, 38, Blue Springs, Mo., was northbound on Patterson Boulevard fleeing law enforcement. The driver failed to yield at a stop light at 8th Street in Coffeyville and struck the passenger side of eastbound Chevy Tahoe driven by Maia E, O'Connell, 17, Coffeyville.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759094019310.png" alt="Mayberry photo Montgomery County." />
 <figcaption>Mayberry photo Montgomery County.</figcaption>
 </figure>After impact the Jeep traveled off the road and overturned. The Tahoe left the road and rolled onto its roof.EMS transported Mayberry, a passenger in the Jeep Cortez J. Wasson, Jr. 19,&nbsp; Blue Springs, Missouri, O'Connell to Coffeyville Regional Hospital. EMS transported a passenger in the Tahoe Serafina L&nbsp; O'Connell, 15, Coffeyville, to&nbsp;St Francis Hospital in Tulsa. Wasson was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.&nbsp;&nbsp;Mayberry is being held on requested charges of felony interference with law enforcement, felony fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, Aggravated battery; Reckless deadly weapon cause great body harm/disfig/death, Possession of marijuana, according to online jail records.&nbsp; Wasson is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;felony interference with law enforcement, Aggravated battery; Reckless deadly weapon cause great body harm/disfig/death and possession of marijuana.

Suspects in KHP chase, crash moved from hospital to jail

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Des Moines public schools superintendent who has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ian-roberts-des-moines-schools-ice-arrest-510efff3950a1890a384e1b3e0c8b5a3">detained by immigration authorities</a>&nbsp;submitted his resignation Tuesday while he focuses on challenging his looming deportation, his lawyer said.

Ian Roberts had been under the impression from a prior attorney that his immigration case was “resolved successfully,” said attorney Alfredo Parrish. His law firm filed a request to stay Roberts’ deportation with an immigration court in Omaha, Nebraska, and was working on another motion to reopen the educator’s immigration proceedings.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-des-moines-superintendent-ian-roberts-b52a9ea28d002d27832c67513403368e">detained Roberts last week</a>, saying the Guyana native and former Olympic runner was living and working in the country illegally. A state board stripped Roberts’ license to be superintendent.

The Des Moines school board voted Monday to put Roberts on unpaid leave from his job leading the district, which has more than 30,000 students.

Roberts submitted a letter through his attorney announcing his immediate resignation Tuesday, saying he did not want to distract the district’s leaders and teachers from focusing on educating students.

Board chair Jackie Norris had given Roberts until noon Tuesday to provide documentation showing he can legally work in the U.S., or face dismissal proceedings. The board plans to hold a special meeting Tuesday night to consider whether to accept the resignation.

The backlash from the arrest was far from over.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced Tuesday that it would investigate whether the district has engaged in racial discrimination by favoring non-white applicants as part of a plan to “increase the number of teachers of color.” A district spokesperson said the matter was under review.

Roberts, 54, is being held at the Woodbury County Jail in Sioux City, Iowa, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Des Moines.

Parrish described Roberts as a “tremendous advocate to this community” who was an inspiration to students, and he thanked the public for an outpouring of support. Parrish said he and other lawyers spoke with Roberts for hours Tuesday and “his spirits are high.”

Parrish cautioned that it was a “very complex case” that will take time to investigate. He acknowledged Roberts could face deportation at any moment and it was uncertain whether his new appeals would be considered by the court.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is also investigating how Roberts obtained a handgun that was allegedly found in his district vehicle during last week’s arrest. That case could lead to federal charges.

The office of U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, a Republican who represents the Des Moines area, released a redacted excerpt of Roberts’ May 2024 removal order Tuesday after obtaining the document through a Freedom of Information Act request.

The document alleges that Roberts was provided notice to appear at a removal hearing but failed to show up or otherwise apply for other relief.

An immigration judge found the Department of Homeland Security had submitted evidence to support its allegations that Roberts was subject to removal. The judge ordered Roberts to make arrangements to voluntarily leave the U.S. or face deportation.

Parrish affirmed his client was born in Guyana but did not say whether he’d ever applied for U.S. citizenship or legal permanent residency, when his work authorization may have expired, and what happened during the removal proceedings last year.

However, he released a letter dated March 2025 that he said was from Roberts’ prior attorney in Texas informing her client the case had been closed in his favor.

“It has been my pleasure to represent you throughout this process, and I am pleased to report that your case has reached a successful resolution,” Texas attorney Jackeline Gonzalez wrote.

An aide to Gonzalez confirmed the law firm had represented Roberts but gave no immediate comment.

Norris, the school board chair, said the district had not been notified of the removal order until it received a copy Monday.

She said Roberts signed a form attesting that he was a U.S. citizen when he was hired in 2023, and submitted a Social Security card and a driver’s license as verification.

When Roberts was cited for traffic violations in the Des Moines area in 2023 and 2024, he presented a Maryland driver’s license in each case, the tickets show. But the licenses listed different addresses.

Roberts has been registered to vote at one of the addresses since at least 2017, according to a Maryland voter registration database. The Maryland Board of Elections said Roberts’ registration may have been unintentional, and a review “did not show any voting history.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758925503158.png" alt="Ian Roberts in February 2020.- photo ICE" />
 <figcaption>Ian Roberts in February 2020.- photo ICE</figcaption>
 </figure>DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Des Moines public schools superintendent who has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ian-roberts-des-moines-schools-ice-arrest-510efff3950a1890a384e1b3e0c8b5a3">detained by immigration authorities</a>&nbsp;submitted his resignation Tuesday while he focuses on challenging his looming deportation, his lawyer said.Ian Roberts had been under the impression from a prior attorney that his immigration case was “resolved successfully,” said attorney Alfredo Parrish. His law firm filed a request to stay Roberts’ deportation with an immigration court in Omaha, Nebraska, and was working on another motion to reopen the educator’s immigration proceedings.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759275598772.png" alt="Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts made remarks at the ribbon cutting ceremony for Lincoln High School’s new athletic complex Aug. 21, 2025 in Des Moines. (Photo courtesy of Des Moines Public Schools)" />
 <figcaption>Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts made remarks at the ribbon cutting ceremony for Lincoln High School’s new athletic complex Aug. 21, 2025 in Des Moines. (Photo courtesy of Des Moines Public Schools)</figcaption>
 </figure>U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-des-moines-superintendent-ian-roberts-b52a9ea28d002d27832c67513403368e">detained Roberts last week</a>, saying the Guyana native and former Olympic runner was living and working in the country illegally. A state board stripped Roberts’ license to be superintendent.The Des Moines school board voted Monday to put Roberts on unpaid leave from his job leading the district, which has more than 30,000 students.Roberts submitted a letter through his attorney announcing his immediate resignation Tuesday, saying he did not want to distract the district’s leaders and teachers from focusing on educating students.Board chair Jackie Norris had given Roberts until noon Tuesday to provide documentation showing he can legally work in the U.S., or face dismissal proceedings. The board plans to hold a special meeting Tuesday night to consider whether to accept the resignation.The backlash from the arrest was far from over.The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced Tuesday that it would investigate whether the district has engaged in racial discrimination by favoring non-white applicants as part of a plan to “increase the number of teachers of color.” A district spokesperson said the matter was under review.Roberts, 54, is being held at the Woodbury County Jail in Sioux City, Iowa, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Des Moines.Parrish described Roberts as a “tremendous advocate to this community” who was an inspiration to students, and he thanked the public for an outpouring of support. Parrish said he and other lawyers spoke with Roberts for hours Tuesday and “his spirits are high.”Parrish cautioned that it was a “very complex case” that will take time to investigate. He acknowledged Roberts could face deportation at any moment and it was uncertain whether his new appeals would be considered by the court.The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is also investigating how Roberts obtained a handgun that was allegedly found in his district vehicle during last week’s arrest. That case could lead to federal charges.The office of U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, a Republican who represents the Des Moines area, released a redacted excerpt of Roberts’ May 2024 removal order Tuesday after obtaining the document through a Freedom of Information Act request.The document alleges that Roberts was provided notice to appear at a removal hearing but failed to show up or otherwise apply for other relief.An immigration judge found the Department of Homeland Security had submitted evidence to support its allegations that Roberts was subject to removal. The judge ordered Roberts to make arrangements to voluntarily leave the U.S. or face deportation.Parrish affirmed his client was born in Guyana but did not say whether he’d ever applied for U.S. citizenship or legal permanent residency, when his work authorization may have expired, and what happened during the removal proceedings last year.However, he released a letter dated March 2025 that he said was from Roberts’ prior attorney in Texas informing her client the case had been closed in his favor.“It has been my pleasure to represent you throughout this process, and I am pleased to report that your case has reached a successful resolution,” Texas attorney Jackeline Gonzalez wrote.An aide to Gonzalez confirmed the law firm had represented Roberts but gave no immediate comment.Norris, the school board chair, said the district had not been notified of the removal order until it received a copy Monday.She said Roberts signed a form attesting that he was a U.S. citizen when he was hired in 2023, and submitted a Social Security card and a driver’s license as verification.When Roberts was cited for traffic violations in the Des Moines area in 2023 and 2024, he presented a Maryland driver’s license in each case, the tickets show. But the licenses listed different addresses.Roberts has been registered to vote at one of the addresses since at least 2017, according to a Maryland voter registration database. The Maryland Board of Elections said Roberts’ registration may have been unintentional, and a review “did not show any voting history.”___

Iowa school leader resigns while he challenges deportation order

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats have voted down a Republican bill to keep funding the government, putting it on a near certain path to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">shutdown</a>&nbsp;after midnight Wednesday for the first time in nearly seven years.

The Senate rejected the legislation as Democrats are making good on their threat to close the government if President Donald Trump and Republicans won’t accede to their health care demands. The 55-45 vote on a bill to extend federal funding for seven weeks fell short of the 60 needed to end a filibuster and pass the legislation.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Republicans are trying to “bully” Democrats by refusing to negotiate on an extension of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-tax-credits-obamacare-shutdown-f1ee636ddba7f65baa5234c55cb0c96e">expanded Affordable Care Act tax credits</a>&nbsp;that expire at the end of the year.

“We hope they sit down with us and talk," Schumer said after the vote. "Otherwise, it’s the Republicans will be driving us straight towards a shutdown tonight at midnight. The American people will blame them for bringing the federal government to a halt.”

The failure of Congress to keep the government open means that hundreds of thousands of federal workers could be furloughed or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-congress-government-shutdown-99d4cafe53209f6dc6ae5562c2ac79d2">laid off</a>. After the vote, the White House's Office of Management and Budget issued a memo saying “affected agencies should now execute their plans for an orderly shutdown.”

Threatening retribution to Democrats, Trump said Tuesday that a shutdown could include “cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.”

Trump and his fellow Republicans said they won’t entertain any changes to the legislation, arguing that it’s a stripped-down, “clean” bill that should be noncontroversial. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said “we can reopen it tomorrow” if enough Democrats break party lines.

The last shutdown was in Trump’s first term, from December 2018 to January 2019, when he demanded that Congress give him money for his U.S.-Mexico border wall. Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/30769167ab7a4ef9adf880d020b775dd">retreated after 35 days</a>&nbsp;— the longest shutdown ever — amid intensifying airport delays and missed paydays for federal workers.

Democrats take a stand against Trump, with exceptions

While partisan stalemates over government spending are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdowns-history-schumer-trump-f442ba1392fab3e7cab37756302e829c">a frequent occurrence in Washington</a>, the current impasse comes as Democrats see a rare opportunity to use their leverage to achieve policy goals and as their base voters are spoiling for a fight with Trump. Republicans who hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate needed at least eight votes from Democrats after Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky opposed the bill.

Democratic Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine voted with Republicans to keep the government open — giving Republicans hope that there might be five more who will eventually come around and help end a shutdown.

After the vote, King warned against “permanent damage” as Trump and his administration have threatened mass layoffs.

“Instead of fighting Trump we're actually empowering him, which is what finally drove my decision,” King said.

Thune predicted Democratic support for the GOP bill will increase "when they realize that this is playing a losing hand.”

The stakes are huge for federal workers across the country as the White House told agencies last week that they should consider “a reduction in force” for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/effects-of-government-shutdown-donald-trump-4a16fc477eb67b7cf7ac708e578146e3">many federal programs if the government shuts down</a>. That means that workers who are not deemed essential could be fired instead of just furloughed.

Either way, most would not get paid. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated in a letter to Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst on Tuesday that around 750,000 federal workers could be furloughed each day once a shutdown begins.

Federal agencies were already preparing. On the home page of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, a large pop up ad reads, “The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people.”

Democrats want to negotiate an extension of the health subsidies immediately as people are beginning to receive notices of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-tax-credits-obamacare-shutdown-f1ee636ddba7f65baa5234c55cb0c96e">premium increases</a>&nbsp;for the next year. Millions of people who purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act could face higher costs as expanded subsidies first put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic expire.

Democrats have also demanded that Republicans reverse the Medicaid cuts that were enacted as a part of Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” this summer and for the White House to promise it will not move to rescind spending passed by Congress.

“We are not going to support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the health care of everyday Americans,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said.

Thune pressed Democrats to vote for the funding bill and take up the debate on tax credits later. Some Republicans are open to extending the tax credits, but many are strongly opposed to it.

In rare, pointed back-and-forth with Schumer on the Senate floor Tuesday morning, Thune said Republicans “are happy to fix the ACA issue” and have offered to negotiate with Democrats — if they will vote to keep the government open until Nov. 21.

A critical, and unusual, vote for Democrats

Democrats are in an uncomfortable position for a party that has long denounced shutdowns as pointless and destructive, and it’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-health-care-subsidies-schumer-6b0d64fe442fc4fa8a8daf283a30ce76">unclear how or when a shutdown will end</a>. But party activists and lawmakers have argued that Democrats need to do something to stand up to Trump.

“The level of appeasement that Trump demands never ends,” said Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt. “We’ve seen that with universities, with law firms, with prosecutors. So is there a point where you just have to stand up to him? I think there is.”

Some groups&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-congress-chuck-schumer-government-funding-shutdown-43d1acea20c34ad28d848edc08ad6375">called for Schumer’s resignation</a>&nbsp;in March after he and nine other Democrats voted to break a filibuster and allow a Republican-led funding bill to advance to a final vote.

Schumer said then that he voted to keep the government open because a shutdown would have made things worse as Trump’s administration was slashing government jobs. He says things have now changed, including the passage this summer of the massive GOP tax cut bill that reduced Medicaid.

A bipartisan meeting at the White House on Monday was Trump’s first with all four leaders in Congress since retaking the White House for his second term. Schumer said the group “had candid, frank discussions” about health care.

But Trump did not appear to be ready for serious talks. Hours later, he posted a fake video of Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries taken from footage of their real press conference outside of the White House after the meeting. In the altered video, a voiceover that sounds like Schumer’s voice makes fun of Democrats and Jeffries stands beside him with a cartoon sombrero and mustache. Mexican music plays in the background.

At a news conference on the Capitol steps Tuesday morning, Jeffries said it was a “racist and fake AI video."

Schumer said that less than a day before a shutdown, Trump was trolling on the internet “like a 10-year-old.”

“It’s only the president who can do this," Schumer said. "We know he runs the show here.”

Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim, Kevin Freking, Matthew Brown, Darlene Superville and Joey Cappelletti in Washington contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759275091442.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran on the floor of the Senate Tuesday evening -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran on the floor of the Senate Tuesday evening -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats have voted down a Republican bill to keep funding the government, putting it on a near certain path to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">shutdown</a>&nbsp;after midnight Wednesday for the first time in nearly seven years.The Senate rejected the legislation as Democrats are making good on their threat to close the government if President Donald Trump and Republicans won’t accede to their health care demands. The 55-45 vote on a bill to extend federal funding for seven weeks fell short of the 60 needed to end a filibuster and pass the legislation.Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Republicans are trying to “bully” Democrats by refusing to negotiate on an extension of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-tax-credits-obamacare-shutdown-f1ee636ddba7f65baa5234c55cb0c96e">expanded Affordable Care Act tax credits</a>&nbsp;that expire at the end of the year.“We hope they sit down with us and talk," Schumer said after the vote. "Otherwise, it’s the Republicans will be driving us straight towards a shutdown tonight at midnight. The American people will blame them for bringing the federal government to a halt.”The failure of Congress to keep the government open means that hundreds of thousands of federal workers could be furloughed or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-congress-government-shutdown-99d4cafe53209f6dc6ae5562c2ac79d2">laid off</a>. After the vote, the White House's Office of Management and Budget issued a memo saying “affected agencies should now execute their plans for an orderly shutdown.”Threatening retribution to Democrats, Trump said Tuesday that a shutdown could include “cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.”Trump and his fellow Republicans said they won’t entertain any changes to the legislation, arguing that it’s a stripped-down, “clean” bill that should be noncontroversial. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said “we can reopen it tomorrow” if enough Democrats break party lines.The last shutdown was in Trump’s first term, from December 2018 to January 2019, when he demanded that Congress give him money for his U.S.-Mexico border wall. Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/30769167ab7a4ef9adf880d020b775dd">retreated after 35 days</a>&nbsp;— the longest shutdown ever — amid intensifying airport delays and missed paydays for federal workers.<h2>Democrats take a stand against Trump, with exceptions</h2>While partisan stalemates over government spending are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdowns-history-schumer-trump-f442ba1392fab3e7cab37756302e829c">a frequent occurrence in Washington</a>, the current impasse comes as Democrats see a rare opportunity to use their leverage to achieve policy goals and as their base voters are spoiling for a fight with Trump. Republicans who hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate needed at least eight votes from Democrats after Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky opposed the bill.Democratic Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine voted with Republicans to keep the government open — giving Republicans hope that there might be five more who will eventually come around and help end a shutdown.After the vote, King warned against “permanent damage” as Trump and his administration have threatened mass layoffs.“Instead of fighting Trump we're actually empowering him, which is what finally drove my decision,” King said.Thune predicted Democratic support for the GOP bill will increase "when they realize that this is playing a losing hand.”<h2>Shutdown preparations begin</h2>The stakes are huge for federal workers across the country as the White House told agencies last week that they should consider “a reduction in force” for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/effects-of-government-shutdown-donald-trump-4a16fc477eb67b7cf7ac708e578146e3">many federal programs if the government shuts down</a>. That means that workers who are not deemed essential could be fired instead of just furloughed.Either way, most would not get paid. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated in a letter to Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst on Tuesday that around 750,000 federal workers could be furloughed each day once a shutdown begins.Federal agencies were already preparing. On the home page of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, a large pop up ad reads, “The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people.”<h2>Democrats’ health care asks</h2>Democrats want to negotiate an extension of the health subsidies immediately as people are beginning to receive notices of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-tax-credits-obamacare-shutdown-f1ee636ddba7f65baa5234c55cb0c96e">premium increases</a>&nbsp;for the next year. Millions of people who purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act could face higher costs as expanded subsidies first put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic expire.Democrats have also demanded that Republicans reverse the Medicaid cuts that were enacted as a part of Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” this summer and for the White House to promise it will not move to rescind spending passed by Congress.“We are not going to support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the health care of everyday Americans,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said.Thune pressed Democrats to vote for the funding bill and take up the debate on tax credits later. Some Republicans are open to extending the tax credits, but many are strongly opposed to it.In rare, pointed back-and-forth with Schumer on the Senate floor Tuesday morning, Thune said Republicans “are happy to fix the ACA issue” and have offered to negotiate with Democrats — if they will vote to keep the government open until Nov. 21.<h2>A critical, and unusual, vote for Democrats</h2>Democrats are in an uncomfortable position for a party that has long denounced shutdowns as pointless and destructive, and it’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-health-care-subsidies-schumer-6b0d64fe442fc4fa8a8daf283a30ce76">unclear how or when a shutdown will end</a>. But party activists and lawmakers have argued that Democrats need to do something to stand up to Trump.“The level of appeasement that Trump demands never ends,” said Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt. “We’ve seen that with universities, with law firms, with prosecutors. So is there a point where you just have to stand up to him? I think there is.”Some groups&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-congress-chuck-schumer-government-funding-shutdown-43d1acea20c34ad28d848edc08ad6375">called for Schumer’s resignation</a>&nbsp;in March after he and nine other Democrats voted to break a filibuster and allow a Republican-led funding bill to advance to a final vote.Schumer said then that he voted to keep the government open because a shutdown would have made things worse as Trump’s administration was slashing government jobs. He says things have now changed, including the passage this summer of the massive GOP tax cut bill that reduced Medicaid.<h2>Trump's role in negotiations</h2>A bipartisan meeting at the White House on Monday was Trump’s first with all four leaders in Congress since retaking the White House for his second term. Schumer said the group “had candid, frank discussions” about health care.But Trump did not appear to be ready for serious talks. Hours later, he posted a fake video of Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries taken from footage of their real press conference outside of the White House after the meeting. In the altered video, a voiceover that sounds like Schumer’s voice makes fun of Democrats and Jeffries stands beside him with a cartoon sombrero and mustache. Mexican music plays in the background.At a news conference on the Capitol steps Tuesday morning, Jeffries said it was a “racist and fake AI video."Schumer said that less than a day before a shutdown, Trump was trolling on the internet “like a 10-year-old.”“It’s only the president who can do this," Schumer said. "We know he runs the show here.”___Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim, Kevin Freking, Matthew Brown, Darlene Superville and Joey Cappelletti in Washington contributed to this report.

Government on path to shutdown as Dems vote down GOP funding bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — Drugmaker Pfizer has agreed to lower drug costs under a deal struck with the Trump administration, President Donald Trump said Tuesday, as he promised similar deals will be struck with other drugmakers facing a threat of tariffs.

The announcement, which Trump made with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla at the White House, came as the Republican president has for months sought to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-prescription-drugs-prices-most-favored-nation-4c620a32ccd193b793ba1558f3fe93e0">lower drug costs</a>. It also came as Washington faced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-senate-schumer-thune-trump-health-care-b85fe6cdd5d8cdc3e3aa1f4ae889474f">a federal government shutdown</a>&nbsp;at midnight amid a standoff between Democrats and Republicans over health care and its costs.

Under the agreement,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pfizer-raised-forecast-eliquis-comirnaty-c4f40da16f6376576fe21bec7a06805b">New York-based Pfizer</a>&nbsp;will charge most-favored-nation pricing to Medicaid and guarantee that pricing on newly launched drugs, Trump said. That involves matching the lowest price offered in other developed nations.

“I can’t tell you how big this is," the president said.&nbsp;“I think," Bourla said, “today we are turning the tide and we are reversing an unfair situation.”

Trump has been talking for months about the need to lower drug prices. In May, he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-prescription-drugs-prices-most-favored-nation-4c620a32ccd193b793ba1558f3fe93e0">issued an executive order</a>&nbsp;that gave drugmakers 30 days to electively lower prices or face new limits on what the government will pay.

To persuade them to strike deals, Trump said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-taxes-furniture-imports-trucks-cabinets-30e0ca1409747e92f374b436e9fef64d">he threatened to impose tariffs</a>&nbsp;— a favorite tool of his to use as leverage across all areas of government — but that move could raise drug prices.

It’s unclear how the new policy will affect patients in Medicaid, the state and federally funded program for people with low incomes. They often pay a nominal co-payment of a few dollars to fill their prescriptions, but lower prices could help state budgets that fund the programs.

Lower drug prices also will help patients who have no insurance coverage and little leverage to negotiate better deals on what they pay.

“This is something that most people said was not doable,” Trump said Tuesday.

One thing that is not doable, however, was Trump’s repeated claim that it would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-trump-prescription-drug-prices-drop-b3e5bf8a98310de45e39d3911d112979">cut drug prices by more than 100%</a>, “14, 15, 1,600% reductions in some cases,” he said.

A 100% reduction would make the drugs free. Cuts greater than that would essentially mean people are paid to take the drugs.

Trump said he’s making deals with other drugmakers, and “they’re all coming in over the next week.”

Besides committing to lowering costs, Trump said, Pfizer agreed to spend $70 billion in domestic manufacturing facilities, becoming the latest in a string of major drugmakers to announce plans to build production in the United States.

The White House did not immediately release details about the investment, but Trump for months has spoken of a need to boost U.S. drug manufacturing.

Pfizer Inc. is one of the largest U.S. drugmakers. It produces the COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paxlovid-cost-covid19-f03f3732e14fbbcb0fe33220db67c9f1">the treatment Paxlovid</a>. Its products also include several cancer drugs, the blood thinner Eliquis and the pneumonia vaccine Prevnar.

Trump sent letters in late July to executives at 17 pharmaceutical companies about changes he would like to see. Copies of the letters posted on social media note that U.S. prices for brand-name drugs can be up to three times higher than averages elsewhere.

The letters called for drugmakers to commit by Monday to offering what Pfizer agreed to: most-favored-nation pricing to Medicaid and new medications.

Trump also asked drugmakers to offer the lower pricing levels for drugs sold directly to consumers and businesses.

Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-trump-drug-prices-subsidize-healthcare-a7a41cf2dbfb34fb39ecc38ea728c473">has claimed</a>&nbsp;that the U.S., with its higher drug prices, subsidizes care in other countries.

Drugmakers in the past couple of years have started launching websites to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eli-lilly-website-zepbound-34e7b1fe394f8c61107cff7b4af6f477">connect customers directly with some products</a>&nbsp;like Lilly’s obesity treatment Zepbound or the blood thinner Eliquis from Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb. That comes as patients have grown more comfortable with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/telemedicine-keys-limits-pandemic-eb70627d08ef0428118698c27d223bb7">receiving care virtually</a>&nbsp;after the practice exploded in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic.

Drug prices for patients in the U.S. can depend on a number of factors, including the competition a treatment faces and insurance coverage. Most people have coverage through work, the individual insurance market or government programs like Medicaid and Medicare that shields them from much of the cost.

While Trump was focusing on drug costs on Tuesday, Democrats were focused on reversing Medicaid cuts in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-bill-medicaid-cuts-snap-ed0d2c7c20b43c54265dbc9cb215b647">the sweeping law</a>&nbsp;he signed this summer.

They were pushing for that reversal to be included in a measure to fund the government in the short term, along with an extension of tax cuts that make health insurance premiums more affordable for people who purchase coverage through Affordable Care Act marketplaces.

Republicans have said they won't negotiate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759249113526.png" alt="Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, President Trump, RFK, Jr. and Dr. Oz enjoy a laugh in the Oval Office during the announcement -image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, President Trump, RFK, Jr. and Dr. Oz enjoy a laugh in the Oval Office during the announcement -image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Drugmaker Pfizer has agreed to lower drug costs under a deal struck with the Trump administration, President Donald Trump said Tuesday, as he promised similar deals will be struck with other drugmakers facing a threat of tariffs.The announcement, which Trump made with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla at the White House, came as the Republican president has for months sought to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-prescription-drugs-prices-most-favored-nation-4c620a32ccd193b793ba1558f3fe93e0">lower drug costs</a>. It also came as Washington faced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-senate-schumer-thune-trump-health-care-b85fe6cdd5d8cdc3e3aa1f4ae889474f">a federal government shutdown</a>&nbsp;at midnight amid a standoff between Democrats and Republicans over health care and its costs.Under the agreement,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pfizer-raised-forecast-eliquis-comirnaty-c4f40da16f6376576fe21bec7a06805b">New York-based Pfizer</a>&nbsp;will charge most-favored-nation pricing to Medicaid and guarantee that pricing on newly launched drugs, Trump said. That involves matching the lowest price offered in other developed nations.“I can’t tell you how big this is," the president said.&nbsp;“I think," Bourla said, “today we are turning the tide and we are reversing an unfair situation.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;For many years, Americans have paid the highest prices anywhere in the world for prescription drugs... a major reason is that American consumers have been subsidizing Research and Development costs for the entire planet... it&#39;s being changed as of today.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/T22cIT16Ws">pic.twitter.com/T22cIT16Ws</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1973054472046727434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> announces that <a href="https://twitter.com/pfizer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pfizer</a> will provide some of their most popular medications to all Americans at heavily discounted prices of between 50%-100% off — and all new medications introduced to the U.S. market will be sold at the reduced Most Favored Nation cost 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/YC0f8hzdAQ">pic.twitter.com/YC0f8hzdAQ</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1973055859233034542?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/pfizer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Pfizer</a> CEO <a href="https://twitter.com/AlbertBourla?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AlbertBourla</a>: The big winner of this deal clearly will be the American patient — there&#39;s no doubt about it. They are the ones that will see significant impact in their ability to buy medicines... We are ready to UNLEASH our investment portfolio in this country. 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/SDmcFItFKf">https://t.co/SDmcFItFKf</a> <a href="https://t.co/G9V32nxZOD">pic.twitter.com/G9V32nxZOD</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1973062219211354327?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT. <a href="https://t.co/lWu3MGc9fh">https://t.co/lWu3MGc9fh</a> <a href="https://t.co/X0C3sitmDN">pic.twitter.com/X0C3sitmDN</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1973072382324625602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecKennedy</a>: *Sneezes in the Oval Office*<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;God bless you Bobby. I hope I didn&#39;t catch COVID just there.&quot; &quot;Give me a Paxlovid immediately,&quot; he says to the CEO of Pfizer. 🤣 <a href="https://t.co/IbsJy9x3Gr">pic.twitter.com/IbsJy9x3Gr</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1973065585773674946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/DrMakaryFDA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrMakaryFDA</a>: &quot;Today marks the the beginning of the end of the great American rip off, and it also marks the beginning of the end of a great American tragedy; something I’ve seen as a physician at the bedside — patients getting spun up into a financial rage... to try to get… <a href="https://t.co/SD0iKsZR2B">pic.twitter.com/SD0iKsZR2B</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1973063636395373048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT: President Trump Delivers LOWER DRUG PRICES for Americans <a href="https://t.co/nA4tPrmcXt">pic.twitter.com/nA4tPrmcXt</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1973062430591692829?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;Pfizer is committing to offer all of their prescription medications to Medicaid and it will be at the Most Favored Nation prices. It&#39;s going to have a huge impact on bringing Medicaid prices down.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ftq4ElmZEY">pic.twitter.com/ftq4ElmZEY</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1973056170777616593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecKennedy</a>: &quot;For the mother trying to help her child get better, for the grandmother at the pharmacy counter, and for millions of Americans who want to restore their health — today is about another promise made by <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and another promise KEPT by <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/SDmcFItFKf">https://t.co/SDmcFItFKf</a> <a href="https://t.co/n3w6sQY44W">pic.twitter.com/n3w6sQY44W</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1973057794178691448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/DrOzCMS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrOzCMS</a>: &quot;We’re going to finally deliver on the fair drug prices that President Trump has been speaking about for two terms. We’re going to celebrate this historic day—I predict... in the medical field, for generations to come.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ojlFZOC2pm">pic.twitter.com/ojlFZOC2pm</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1973059658400022829?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump has been talking for months about the need to lower drug prices. In May, he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-prescription-drugs-prices-most-favored-nation-4c620a32ccd193b793ba1558f3fe93e0">issued an executive order</a>&nbsp;that gave drugmakers 30 days to electively lower prices or face new limits on what the government will pay.To persuade them to strike deals, Trump said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-taxes-furniture-imports-trucks-cabinets-30e0ca1409747e92f374b436e9fef64d">he threatened to impose tariffs</a>&nbsp;— a favorite tool of his to use as leverage across all areas of government — but that move could raise drug prices.It’s unclear how the new policy will affect patients in Medicaid, the state and federally funded program for people with low incomes. They often pay a nominal co-payment of a few dollars to fill their prescriptions, but lower prices could help state budgets that fund the programs.Lower drug prices also will help patients who have no insurance coverage and little leverage to negotiate better deals on what they pay.“This is something that most people said was not doable,” Trump said Tuesday.One thing that is not doable, however, was Trump’s repeated claim that it would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-trump-prescription-drug-prices-drop-b3e5bf8a98310de45e39d3911d112979">cut drug prices by more than 100%</a>, “14, 15, 1,600% reductions in some cases,” he said.A 100% reduction would make the drugs free. Cuts greater than that would essentially mean people are paid to take the drugs.Trump said he’s making deals with other drugmakers, and “they’re all coming in over the next week.”Besides committing to lowering costs, Trump said, Pfizer agreed to spend $70 billion in domestic manufacturing facilities, becoming the latest in a string of major drugmakers to announce plans to build production in the United States.The White House did not immediately release details about the investment, but Trump for months has spoken of a need to boost U.S. drug manufacturing.Pfizer Inc. is one of the largest U.S. drugmakers. It produces the COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paxlovid-cost-covid19-f03f3732e14fbbcb0fe33220db67c9f1">the treatment Paxlovid</a>. Its products also include several cancer drugs, the blood thinner Eliquis and the pneumonia vaccine Prevnar.Trump sent letters in late July to executives at 17 pharmaceutical companies about changes he would like to see. Copies of the letters posted on social media note that U.S. prices for brand-name drugs can be up to three times higher than averages elsewhere.The letters called for drugmakers to commit by Monday to offering what Pfizer agreed to: most-favored-nation pricing to Medicaid and new medications.Trump also asked drugmakers to offer the lower pricing levels for drugs sold directly to consumers and businesses.Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-trump-drug-prices-subsidize-healthcare-a7a41cf2dbfb34fb39ecc38ea728c473">has claimed</a>&nbsp;that the U.S., with its higher drug prices, subsidizes care in other countries.Drugmakers in the past couple of years have started launching websites to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eli-lilly-website-zepbound-34e7b1fe394f8c61107cff7b4af6f477">connect customers directly with some products</a>&nbsp;like Lilly’s obesity treatment Zepbound or the blood thinner Eliquis from Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb. That comes as patients have grown more comfortable with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/telemedicine-keys-limits-pandemic-eb70627d08ef0428118698c27d223bb7">receiving care virtually</a>&nbsp;after the practice exploded in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic.Drug prices for patients in the U.S. can depend on a number of factors, including the competition a treatment faces and insurance coverage. Most people have coverage through work, the individual insurance market or government programs like Medicaid and Medicare that shields them from much of the cost.While Trump was focusing on drug costs on Tuesday, Democrats were focused on reversing Medicaid cuts in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-bill-medicaid-cuts-snap-ed0d2c7c20b43c54265dbc9cb215b647">the sweeping law</a>&nbsp;he signed this summer.They were pushing for that reversal to be included in a measure to fund the government in the short term, along with an extension of tax cuts that make health insurance premiums more affordable for people who purchase coverage through Affordable Care Act marketplaces.Republicans have said they won't negotiate.

🎥Pfizer agrees to lower prescription drug costs in a deal with Trump

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks coasted to the finish of their latest winning month on Tuesday, as Wall Street yawned at the potential&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-senate-schumer-thune-trump-health-care-b85fe6cdd5d8cdc3e3aa1f4ae889474f">shutdown of the U.S. federal government</a>&nbsp;that’s looming.

The S&amp;P 500 rose 0.4% to close out its fifth straight winning month after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-interest-rates-inflation-1b2f59b28860658af42d0ce003226cf7">setting a record last week</a>. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 81 points, or 0.2%, to set its own all-time high, and the Nasdaq composite ticked 0.3% higher.

The quiet trading came as a midnight deadline approached, when the U.S. government could shut down because of Washington’s latest political impasse. That’s because history has shown that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdowns-history-schumer-trump-f442ba1392fab3e7cab37756302e829c">past shutdowns</a>&nbsp;have had limited impact on the economy and stock market, and many economists and professional investors expect something similar this time around.

The S&amp;P 500 has climbed an average of 4.4% during past shutdowns and is positive over the last five, according to Monica Guerra, head of U.S. policy at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.

What could make this shutdown different, though, is that the White House may push&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-congress-government-shutdown-99d4cafe53209f6dc6ae5562c2ac79d2">for large-scale firings of federal workers</a>.

The broad stock market has been on a nearly relentless run since hitting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-china-trump-b686ef0259c2f4894f9fcd1f3649a956">a low in April</a>&nbsp;on expectations that President Donald Trump’s tariffs won’t derail global trade and that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-jobs-inflation-powell-bccc5ad2114d0f9a19e0f6db4aeadf82">the Federal Reserve will cut</a>&nbsp;interest rates several times to boost&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-economy-revisions-labor-department-f4a29a2b948f7bce0d6558824ffe0fd5">the slowing job market</a>.

Treasury yields wavered in the bond market but ultimately held relatively steady following mixed reports on the U.S. economy. One said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-confidence-conference-board-economy-jobs-591ce213dd6da917fd3ec0e1b2b053bf">consumers are feeling less confident</a>&nbsp;than economists expected, with many respondents in the Conference Board’s survey pointing to the job market and to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-inflation-trump-tariffs-prices-consumer-0a10b8f245eb90115c84026d7061d2b0">inflation that has remained higher</a>&nbsp;than anyone would like.

A second report suggested the job market may be remaining in its “low-hire, low-fire” state.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jobs-openings-unemployment-inflation-federal-reserve-60b8f481cdbc56f96829817a2992e508">U.S. employers were advertising roughly the same number of job openings</a>&nbsp;at the end of August as the month before. The hope on Wall Street had been for a number that’s neither too high nor too low, one balanced enough to keep the Fed on track to continue cutting interest rates.

The Fed just delivered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-inflation-trump-2d05401d7c9cb2393925f494aac71d89">its first cut of the year</a>, and officials have penciled in more to give the job market a boost. But too-strong data on jobs could make the Fed less willing to cut rates, which would strengthen criticism that the U.S. stock market has become too expensive after prices ran so high. Too-weak numbers, meanwhile, could signal a coming recession, which would also hurt stock prices.

When Wall Street will get the next data reports on the job market is uncertain, though. A shutdown of the federal government would cause delays for several important reports, including Friday’s on how many jobs U.S. employers created and destroyed in September.

That could make Wall Street more twitchy when investors are already nervous about the state of the economy and what that means for the potential for cuts to rates. The Department of Labor has already said that the Bureau of Labor Statistics will completely cease operations if there’s a lapse.

On Wall Street, CoreWeave jumped 11.7% after saying Meta Platforms will pay up to $14.2 billion for a new order for cloud computing power made under its existing service agreement, with the potential for more.

Lamb Weston climbed 4.3% after the supplier of frozen French fries and other potato products reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

On the losing end of Wall Street was Spotify Technology, which sank 4.2%. The Stockholm-based streaming giant said its founder,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/spotify-music-streaming-ceo-9a798d91c9aad8e8e8cb09f232339369">Daniel Ek, is stepping down as CEO</a>&nbsp;to become the executive chairman. Two of his lieutenants will replace him as co-CEOs: Chief Product and Technology Officer Gustav Söderström and Chief Business Officer Alex Norström.

Oil-related companies weighed on the market as the price of crude fell again as traders see too much oil washing around the world. Baker Hughes sank 3.6%, and Schlumberger fell 2.1%.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 27.25 points to 6,688.46. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 81.82 to 46,397.89, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 68.86 to 22,660.01.

In stock markets abroad, indexes ticked higher in Europe following a mixed finish in Asia.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury held steady at 4.15%, where it was late Monday.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks coasted to the finish of their latest winning month on Tuesday, as Wall Street yawned at the potential&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-senate-schumer-thune-trump-health-care-b85fe6cdd5d8cdc3e3aa1f4ae889474f">shutdown of the U.S. federal government</a>&nbsp;that’s looming.The S&amp;P 500 rose 0.4% to close out its fifth straight winning month after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-interest-rates-inflation-1b2f59b28860658af42d0ce003226cf7">setting a record last week</a>. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 81 points, or 0.2%, to set its own all-time high, and the Nasdaq composite ticked 0.3% higher.The quiet trading came as a midnight deadline approached, when the U.S. government could shut down because of Washington’s latest political impasse. That’s because history has shown that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdowns-history-schumer-trump-f442ba1392fab3e7cab37756302e829c">past shutdowns</a>&nbsp;have had limited impact on the economy and stock market, and many economists and professional investors expect something similar this time around.The S&amp;P 500 has climbed an average of 4.4% during past shutdowns and is positive over the last five, according to Monica Guerra, head of U.S. policy at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.What could make this shutdown different, though, is that the White House may push&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-congress-government-shutdown-99d4cafe53209f6dc6ae5562c2ac79d2">for large-scale firings of federal workers</a>.The broad stock market has been on a nearly relentless run since hitting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-china-trump-b686ef0259c2f4894f9fcd1f3649a956">a low in April</a>&nbsp;on expectations that President Donald Trump’s tariffs won’t derail global trade and that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-jobs-inflation-powell-bccc5ad2114d0f9a19e0f6db4aeadf82">the Federal Reserve will cut</a>&nbsp;interest rates several times to boost&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-economy-revisions-labor-department-f4a29a2b948f7bce0d6558824ffe0fd5">the slowing job market</a>.Treasury yields wavered in the bond market but ultimately held relatively steady following mixed reports on the U.S. economy. One said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-confidence-conference-board-economy-jobs-591ce213dd6da917fd3ec0e1b2b053bf">consumers are feeling less confident</a>&nbsp;than economists expected, with many respondents in the Conference Board’s survey pointing to the job market and to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-inflation-trump-tariffs-prices-consumer-0a10b8f245eb90115c84026d7061d2b0">inflation that has remained higher</a>&nbsp;than anyone would like.A second report suggested the job market may be remaining in its “low-hire, low-fire” state.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jobs-openings-unemployment-inflation-federal-reserve-60b8f481cdbc56f96829817a2992e508">U.S. employers were advertising roughly the same number of job openings</a>&nbsp;at the end of August as the month before. The hope on Wall Street had been for a number that’s neither too high nor too low, one balanced enough to keep the Fed on track to continue cutting interest rates.The Fed just delivered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-inflation-trump-2d05401d7c9cb2393925f494aac71d89">its first cut of the year</a>, and officials have penciled in more to give the job market a boost. But too-strong data on jobs could make the Fed less willing to cut rates, which would strengthen criticism that the U.S. stock market has become too expensive after prices ran so high. Too-weak numbers, meanwhile, could signal a coming recession, which would also hurt stock prices.When Wall Street will get the next data reports on the job market is uncertain, though. A shutdown of the federal government would cause delays for several important reports, including Friday’s on how many jobs U.S. employers created and destroyed in September.That could make Wall Street more twitchy when investors are already nervous about the state of the economy and what that means for the potential for cuts to rates. The Department of Labor has already said that the Bureau of Labor Statistics will completely cease operations if there’s a lapse.On Wall Street, CoreWeave jumped 11.7% after saying Meta Platforms will pay up to $14.2 billion for a new order for cloud computing power made under its existing service agreement, with the potential for more.Lamb Weston climbed 4.3% after the supplier of frozen French fries and other potato products reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected.On the losing end of Wall Street was Spotify Technology, which sank 4.2%. The Stockholm-based streaming giant said its founder,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/spotify-music-streaming-ceo-9a798d91c9aad8e8e8cb09f232339369">Daniel Ek, is stepping down as CEO</a>&nbsp;to become the executive chairman. Two of his lieutenants will replace him as co-CEOs: Chief Product and Technology Officer Gustav Söderström and Chief Business Officer Alex Norström.Oil-related companies weighed on the market as the price of crude fell again as traders see too much oil washing around the world. Baker Hughes sank 3.6%, and Schlumberger fell 2.1%.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 27.25 points to 6,688.46. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 81.82 to 46,397.89, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 68.86 to 22,660.01.In stock markets abroad, indexes ticked higher in Europe following a mixed finish in Asia.In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury held steady at 4.15%, where it was late Monday.

Wall Street yawns at DC's looming shutdown as the Dow sets another record

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflecto</a>r

TOPEKA — Ty Theurer resigned Monday as superintendent of Comanche County schools amid public outrage over allegations he sexually harassed and inappropriately touched a student.

School board member Dean Yoder confirmed the board accepted Theurer’s resignation at a special meeting and named Michael Baldwin as the interim superintendent.

Baldwin previously served as superintendent and was given a two-year deal, Yoder said.

“Everyone’s familiar with him, and it just kind of a calming aspect to maybe put everyone at a little bit of ease now and move forward,” Yoder said.

Earlier this month,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/02/a-kansas-student-reported-her-coach-for-harassment-and-touching-school-leaders-kept-it-quiet/">Kansas Reflector reported</a>&nbsp;on Theurer’s behavior during the spring semester in his capacity as the South Central High School golf coach. Theurer admitted in a signed statement, obtained by Kansas Reflector, that he told a girl to grip a club like a penis and that he had held the back of her thigh, hips, waist and shoulder — purportedly to improve her golf posture.

Theurer, who faced additional allegations from other students, stepped down as golf coach but remained as district superintendent. School board president Kelly Herd and others tried to protect Theurer, despite law enforcement and Title IX investigations.

Kansas Reflector reported that Herd tried to quash community backlash by refusing to let a parent speak about the allegations at a school board meeting and by instructing other board members that they should stay quiet on the subject. Yoder was an outlier among board members in voicing his concerns.

On Sept. 3, a day after Kansas Reflector published its investigative report, more than 100 community members&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/04/outraged-parents-demand-action-as-kansas-school-board-places-superintendent-on-administrative-leave/">packed a school board meeting</a>&nbsp;in the small, southwest Kansas town of Coldwater and loudly criticized the board’s handling of the students’ complaints. The board placed Theurer on paid administrative leave during that meeting.

Several weeks later, on Sept. 21,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/22/southwest-kansas-school-board-presidents-unoccupied-vehicle-struck-by-10-gunshots/">10 bullets were fired</a>&nbsp;into Herd’s unoccupied vehicle while it was parked in front of her home.

Yoder said 10-15 people attended the school board’s special meeting Monday night. He wouldn’t talk about the details of Theurer’s resignation, which the board discussed during a closed session.

“Healing,” Yoder said. “We try and earn the community’s trust back. I’m not sure we can do it, but we’re trying to get their trust back.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757008524945.jpeg" alt="Comanche County school board president Kelly Herd addresses board members during a Sept. 3, 2025, meeting in which the district’s superintendent was placed on paid leave&nbsp; pending an investigation into his alleged sexual harassment of a student. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Comanche County school board president Kelly Herd addresses board members during a Sept. 3, 2025, meeting in which the district’s superintendent was placed on paid leave&nbsp; pending an investigation into his alleged sexual harassment of a student. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflecto</a>rTOPEKA — Ty Theurer resigned Monday as superintendent of Comanche County schools amid public outrage over allegations he sexually harassed and inappropriately touched a student.School board member Dean Yoder confirmed the board accepted Theurer’s resignation at a special meeting and named Michael Baldwin as the interim superintendent.Baldwin previously served as superintendent and was given a two-year deal, Yoder said.“Everyone’s familiar with him, and it just kind of a calming aspect to maybe put everyone at a little bit of ease now and move forward,” Yoder said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756845981827.png" alt="Comanche County School District Superintendent Ty Theurer, photographed with the 2019 graduating class at South Central High School in Coldwater, is under investigation for alleged sexual harassment of a student. He was serving as golf coach this spring, according to the student’s complaint, when he told her to hold golf clubs as if she was grasping a penis. (Comanche County School District)" />
 <figcaption>Comanche County School District Superintendent Ty Theurer, photographed with the 2019 graduating class at South Central High School in Coldwater, is under investigation for alleged sexual harassment of a student. He was serving as golf coach this spring, according to the student’s complaint, when he told her to hold golf clubs as if she was grasping a penis. (Comanche County School District)</figcaption>
 </figure>Earlier this month,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/02/a-kansas-student-reported-her-coach-for-harassment-and-touching-school-leaders-kept-it-quiet/">Kansas Reflector reported</a>&nbsp;on Theurer’s behavior during the spring semester in his capacity as the South Central High School golf coach. Theurer admitted in a signed statement, obtained by Kansas Reflector, that he told a girl to grip a club like a penis and that he had held the back of her thigh, hips, waist and shoulder — purportedly to improve her golf posture.Theurer, who faced additional allegations from other students, stepped down as golf coach but remained as district superintendent. School board president Kelly Herd and others tried to protect Theurer, despite law enforcement and Title IX investigations.Kansas Reflector reported that Herd tried to quash community backlash by refusing to let a parent speak about the allegations at a school board meeting and by instructing other board members that they should stay quiet on the subject. Yoder was an outlier among board members in voicing his concerns.On Sept. 3, a day after Kansas Reflector published its investigative report, more than 100 community members&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/04/outraged-parents-demand-action-as-kansas-school-board-places-superintendent-on-administrative-leave/">packed a school board meeting</a>&nbsp;in the small, southwest Kansas town of Coldwater and loudly criticized the board’s handling of the students’ complaints. The board placed Theurer on paid administrative leave during that meeting.Several weeks later, on Sept. 21,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/22/southwest-kansas-school-board-presidents-unoccupied-vehicle-struck-by-10-gunshots/">10 bullets were fired</a>&nbsp;into Herd’s unoccupied vehicle while it was parked in front of her home.Yoder said 10-15 people attended the school board’s special meeting Monday night. He wouldn’t talk about the details of Theurer’s resignation, which the board discussed during a closed session.What happens next?“Healing,” Yoder said. “We try and earn the community’s trust back. I’m not sure we can do it, but we’re trying to get their trust back.”

Superintendent resigns from Kan. school district after allegations of sexual harassment, touching

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nicole-kidman">Nicole Kidman</a>&nbsp;has filed for divorce from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/keith-urban">Keith Urban</a>&nbsp;after 19 years of marriage, bringing a surprising end to a long and seemingly successful union that brought together two superstars from the worlds of movies and music.

The 58-year-old Oscar-winning actor petitioned on Tuesday to end her marriage to the 57-year-old Grammy winning country singer in a Nashville court. The documents state the couple has undergone “marital difficulties and irreconcilable differences.”

Kidman and Urban, two of the biggest stars to come out of Australia in recent decades, have been red carpet fixtures throughout their two-decade relationship, with Urban joining his wife at the Oscars and Kidman attending music events like the Academy of Country Music Awards.

The filings include a marriage dissolution and childcare plan agreed on by the couple and submitted for a judge's approval.

“The mother and father will behave with each other and each child so as to provide a loving, stable, consistent and nurturing relationship with the child even though they are divorced,” says the permanent parenting plan, using language common in the state's divorces. “They will not speak badly of each other or the members of the family of the other parent. They will encourage each child to continue to love the other parent and be comfortable in both families.”

The plan asks that Kidman be the primary residential parent to the couple's two daughters, ages 17 and 14, having them for 306 days per year with Urban taking them for the other 59.

The girls have lived in Nashville all their lives, and the documents give no indication that will change.

The filing states that each parent earns more than $100,000 per month and neither will need childcare or spousal support.

The marriage dissolution plan lays out a roughly equal division of joint assets, with each keeping all the assets that are in their own name, including the copyrights and royalties for their artistic work.

The detailed agreements suggests that the divorce had been in the works for well over a month at the least. Urban signed the parenting plan on Aug. 29, Kidman on Sept. 6.

It will take at least 90 days for the divorce to become final under Tennessee law.

Representatives for Kidman and Urban did not respond to emailed requests for comment on Tuesday.

Both raised in Australia, Kidman and Urban met in 2005 at a Los Angeles event honoring Australians and were married in Sydney the following year.

The marriage was the first for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/keith-urban-high-album-57d69f7f303c6043123bc24da7e980ad">Urban</a>&nbsp;and the second for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/nicole-kidman-talks-supporting-women-behind-the-camera-feb07d0b30c24472b207e0556e57a44d">Kidman</a>, who was married to Tom Cruise from 1990 to 2001. Kidman also has two older children with Cruise.

The couple had publicly but lovingly described some marital difficulties, but there were still few if any signs they were headed for divorce. Media reports of their separation came just a day before the divorce filing.

Last year at the premiere of the Netflix series&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/nicole-kidman-television-london-eve-hewson-jack-reynor-8e786be525b64dd68c5cf9b8c511696a">“The Perfect Couple,” Kidman</a>&nbsp;told The Associated Press the term didn’t apply to her and Urban.

“You’re heading for trouble if you consider yourselves the perfect couple,” she said. “I’m not a believer in perfect.”

A few months earlier,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nicole-kidman-afi-award-meryl-reese-witherspoon-31c5ea6dd66ba4d14b17deda3559b031">Urban paid tribute to Kidman</a>, and brought her to tears, when she received the AFI Life Achievement Award.

Urban said she showed him “what love in action really looks like” when his substance abuse problems emerged almost immediately after they wed in 2006.

“Four months into our marriage, I’m in rehab for three months,” Urban said. “Nic pushed through every negative voice, I’m sure even some of her own, and she chose love. And here we are 18 years later.”

Kidman’s film roles have included “Days of Thunder,” “Eyes Wide Shut,” “Moulin Rouge” and “The Hours,” for which she won an Academy Award for playing author Virginia Woolf. She has more recently worked in television, including the series “Nine Perfect Strangers” and “Big Little Lies,” for which she won Emmys as both actor and producer.

Urban has been a major country star since the 1990s, with hits including “Somebody Like You” and “Blue Ain’t Your Color.” He has won four Grammy Awards and more than a dozen ACM Awards.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759268322475.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nicole-kidman">Nicole Kidman</a>&nbsp;has filed for divorce from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/keith-urban">Keith Urban</a>&nbsp;after 19 years of marriage, bringing a surprising end to a long and seemingly successful union that brought together two superstars from the worlds of movies and music.The 58-year-old Oscar-winning actor petitioned on Tuesday to end her marriage to the 57-year-old Grammy winning country singer in a Nashville court. The documents state the couple has undergone “marital difficulties and irreconcilable differences.”Kidman and Urban, two of the biggest stars to come out of Australia in recent decades, have been red carpet fixtures throughout their two-decade relationship, with Urban joining his wife at the Oscars and Kidman attending music events like the Academy of Country Music Awards.The filings include a marriage dissolution and childcare plan agreed on by the couple and submitted for a judge's approval.“The mother and father will behave with each other and each child so as to provide a loving, stable, consistent and nurturing relationship with the child even though they are divorced,” says the permanent parenting plan, using language common in the state's divorces. “They will not speak badly of each other or the members of the family of the other parent. They will encourage each child to continue to love the other parent and be comfortable in both families.”The plan asks that Kidman be the primary residential parent to the couple's two daughters, ages 17 and 14, having them for 306 days per year with Urban taking them for the other 59.The girls have lived in Nashville all their lives, and the documents give no indication that will change.The filing states that each parent earns more than $100,000 per month and neither will need childcare or spousal support.The marriage dissolution plan lays out a roughly equal division of joint assets, with each keeping all the assets that are in their own name, including the copyrights and royalties for their artistic work.The detailed agreements suggests that the divorce had been in the works for well over a month at the least. Urban signed the parenting plan on Aug. 29, Kidman on Sept. 6.It will take at least 90 days for the divorce to become final under Tennessee law.Representatives for Kidman and Urban did not respond to emailed requests for comment on Tuesday.Both raised in Australia, Kidman and Urban met in 2005 at a Los Angeles event honoring Australians and were married in Sydney the following year.The marriage was the first for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/keith-urban-high-album-57d69f7f303c6043123bc24da7e980ad">Urban</a>&nbsp;and the second for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/nicole-kidman-talks-supporting-women-behind-the-camera-feb07d0b30c24472b207e0556e57a44d">Kidman</a>, who was married to Tom Cruise from 1990 to 2001. Kidman also has two older children with Cruise.The couple had publicly but lovingly described some marital difficulties, but there were still few if any signs they were headed for divorce. Media reports of their separation came just a day before the divorce filing.Last year at the premiere of the Netflix series&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/nicole-kidman-television-london-eve-hewson-jack-reynor-8e786be525b64dd68c5cf9b8c511696a">“The Perfect Couple,” Kidman</a>&nbsp;told The Associated Press the term didn’t apply to her and Urban.“You’re heading for trouble if you consider yourselves the perfect couple,” she said. “I’m not a believer in perfect.”A few months earlier,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nicole-kidman-afi-award-meryl-reese-witherspoon-31c5ea6dd66ba4d14b17deda3559b031">Urban paid tribute to Kidman</a>, and brought her to tears, when she received the AFI Life Achievement Award.Urban said she showed him “what love in action really looks like” when his substance abuse problems emerged almost immediately after they wed in 2006.“Four months into our marriage, I’m in rehab for three months,” Urban said. “Nic pushed through every negative voice, I’m sure even some of her own, and she chose love. And here we are 18 years later.”Kidman’s film roles have included “Days of Thunder,” “Eyes Wide Shut,” “Moulin Rouge” and “The Hours,” for which she won an Academy Award for playing author Virginia Woolf. She has more recently worked in television, including the series “Nine Perfect Strangers” and “Big Little Lies,” for which she won Emmys as both actor and producer.Urban has been a major country star since the 1990s, with hits including “Somebody Like You” and “Blue Ain’t Your Color.” He has won four Grammy Awards and more than a dozen ACM Awards.Their split was first reported by TMZ.

Nicole Kidman files for divorce from Keith Urban after 19 years of marriage

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson High School,&nbsp;810 E 13th Avenue in Hutchinson, was placed on lockdown Tuesday after police received a threat that investigators later determined was not credible.

Just after 11:30a.m., Hutchinson Police received a call about the threat, according to a media release. Officers and sheriff’s deputies responded to the school, setting up a perimeter while administrators initiated lockdown protocols.

As a precaution, Graber Elementary,&nbsp;1600 N Cleveland Street and the Transitional Learning Center, 700, East 13th Avenue also went into secure mode and kept students indoors.

Police said a sweep of the high school found no credible threat, and the lockdown was lifted with classes resuming later in the day.

Investigators believe the incident was a case of swatting, where a false report is made to provoke a police response. No students were found to be involved.

“Hutchinson Police Department and Hutchinson Public Schools take all threats seriously and appreciate the cooperation during this incident,” the agencies said in a joint statement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759254461391.jpeg" alt="Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston" />
 <figcaption>Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson High School,&nbsp;810 E 13th Avenue in Hutchinson, was placed on lockdown Tuesday after police received a threat that investigators later determined was not credible.Just after 11:30a.m., Hutchinson Police received a call about the threat, according to a media release. Officers and sheriff’s deputies responded to the school, setting up a perimeter while administrators initiated lockdown protocols.As a precaution, Graber Elementary,&nbsp;1600 N Cleveland Street and the Transitional Learning Center, 700, East 13th Avenue also went into secure mode and kept students indoors.Police said a sweep of the high school found no credible threat, and the lockdown was lifted with classes resuming later in the day.Investigators believe the incident was a case of swatting, where a false report is made to provoke a police response. No students were found to be involved.“Hutchinson Police Department and Hutchinson Public Schools take all threats seriously and appreciate the cooperation during this incident,” the agencies said in a joint statement.

Police: Hutchinson High School threat was a swatting incident

SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a burglary at the VFW 1432&nbsp; in Salina have released a security camera image of the suspect.

Around 1:00 am on Monday a suspect broke into VFW Post,&nbsp; 1108 West Crawford in Salina. The suspect reportedly broke into 3 gaming machines, an electronic dart machine and stole a safe. He also attempted to break into an ATM machine, according to Salina. Police. The suspect stole a total of over $5,000 in cash.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759245189653.jpeg" alt="Surveillance footage of a suspect at VFW Post 1432 on approximately 2:17 am on Monday, September 29-image Salina Police" />
 <figcaption>Surveillance footage of a suspect at VFW Post 1432 on approximately 2:17 am on Monday, September 29-image Salina Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a burglary at the VFW 1432&nbsp; in Salina have released a security camera image of the suspect.Around 1:00 am on Monday a suspect broke into VFW Post,&nbsp; 1108 West Crawford in Salina. The suspect reportedly broke into 3 gaming machines, an electronic dart machine and stole a safe. He also attempted to break into an ATM machine, according to Salina. Police. The suspect stole a total of over $5,000 in cash.

Burglary suspect took $5,000 in cash from VFW in Salina

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostThe Fort Hays State University assistant professor defended her Facebook posts about the assassination of Charlie Kirk.Nuchelle Chance of the psychology department posted a TikTok video Monday saying she is being targeted online by Libs of TikTok, an X account with 4.4 million followers, and other online accounts.<div><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@drchancespeaks/video/7555678574372490527" data-video-id="7555678574372490527" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;" > <section> <a target="_blank" title="@drchancespeaks" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@drchancespeaks?refer=embed">@drchancespeaks</a> When <a title="maga" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/maga?refer=embed">#MAGA</a> attacks.... your <a title="academicfreedom" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/academicfreedom?refer=embed">#academicfreedom</a> and <a title="firstamendment" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/firstamendment?refer=embed">#firstamendment</a> rights are discarded. <a title="charliekirk" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/charliekirk?refer=embed">#CharlieKirk</a> sympathizers think they can break me..... but my resolve is different. Thanks @xx_shotgunmary_xx <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - dr.chance_speaks" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7555678616902798111?refer=embed">♬ original sound - dr.chance_speaks</a> </section> </blockquote> <script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script></div>On Sept. 10, the day Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during a debate at Utah Valley University, Chance posted the following the same day:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759177549706.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>"In my post, I just stated that there's karma," Chance said in the TikTok video. "There's irony associated with that, and that's by no means to celebrate someone's death."Chance added when she thinks of karma and irony, she thinks of it in a scientific sense rather than a mythical one. Chance compared the death of Kirk to Newton's laws of physics, saying that energy is not destroyed.&nbsp;"I believe that it's passed and transferred. The energy that one puts out, one receives," Chance said.Chance also made the following post on her social media:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759177637900.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>In her video response, she pointed out FBI statistics about the demographics of mass shooters.&nbsp;"Not that I conclude that every single white American man is a terrorist or potentially violent. I mean, I come from a white home. I'm actually biracial, and I'm half white myself," Chance said.Chance said that events like 9/11 and the Virginia Tech shooting have shaped her views on gun control and that they should not impact her work."Who I am as a person outside of my professional spaces should never be put under attack," she said. "The institution that I am an employee at has been put in a hard place. I'm black in America. I get hard places."Scott Cason, FHSU’s chief communications officer, said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/news/2025/09/fort-hays-state-university-statement-regarding-recent-social-media-post-about-race-and-violence#gsc.tab=0">press release</a>&nbsp;the university is aware of content on the X account Libs of TikTok linking a faculty member to social media posts about Charlie Kirk.&nbsp;&nbsp;"Individuals who post commentaries to their personal social media accounts do not speak for the University, nor does their commentary reflect the views or values of this university," Cason said.Cason said FHSU is reviewing the situation as a confidential personnel matter and asks for patience as they address it.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/67bf5501-02df-472c-a43a-a4ff11ff5305">SEE RELATED STORY: FHSU assistant professor under review for posts about Charlie Kirk</a>"Although I am mentally exhausted, I realized that no one's going to speak up for you but yourself. You have to be your own advocate," Chance said. "I refuse to be anyone's victim."Libs of TikTok, a right-wing social media account that curates and reposts videos designed to provoke outrage among conservative followers, posted the following Sunday and tagged the FHSU X page.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759182814757.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The university also shared its press release on its X page, where Libs of TikTok responded with criticism."Sorry, but I don't have 'patience' for professors who call white Americans 'dangerous animals' and mock the murder of a young father. This statement says absolutely nothing," the X post said.