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

School board responds to public outcry in wake of Kansas Reflector story

COLDWATER — The Comanche County School District’s superintendent landed on paid administrative leave in the wake of a community uprising led by parents angry with how the school board&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/02/a-kansas-student-reported-her-coach-for-harassment-and-touching-school-leaders-kept-it-quiet/">initially responded to allegations</a>&nbsp;he sexually harassed a student.

More than 100 residents of the rural southwest Kansas school district — including some displaying raw, intense emotion — descended on the high school Wednesday night to demand ouster or suspension of superintendent Ty Theurer.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/f847ff9e-1975-4706-a9f7-899073ed1d50">Click here to read the earlier story</a>

“How in the world did we get here?” said Zach Ellis, a county commissioner who has children in the district. “Does this board not have a responsibility to the kids of this district to do the right thing? Kids don’t feel safe in this building. You have created a hostile and toxic learning environment as well as a toxic working environment.”

School board president Kelly Herd, who became aware of the student’s harassment complaint four months ago, had resisted punishment of Theurer beyond the warning placed in his personnel file. She had told fellow board members no additional sanction was necessary in response to an allegation that Theurer, while serving as golf coach, advised a female student to hold clubs like she were gripping a penis. The girl had also complained of unwanted touching by Theurer.

Theurer signed a summary of the student’s complaint months ago, which was viewed by the student’s parents as an admission of guilt.

Herd also sent emails to other board members saying Theurer “did not deny nor make excuses” and “has been written up.”

In front of an unusually large crowd, the seven-member board moved in and out of executive session several times before Herd sought a motion to relieve Theurer of administrative duties in the 300-student district. He wasn’t at work Wednesday and didn’t attend the school board meeting after&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 published an article</a>&nbsp;Tuesday detailing allegations against the superintendent and the school board’s tepid response.

The school board didn’t discuss publicly the reason for taking action against Theurer at this time. There was no board disclosure about who would temporarily lead the district or for how long.

The board adopted a vague motion to proceed with “next steps” that the board president said had been discussed in executive session. None of that information was shared with the audience.

“Horrible,” school board member Dean Yoder said in an interview after the meeting. “It was not handled in May. It’s still not being handled in the right manner.”

He said the school board should have fired Theurer in the spring, and no evidence has surfaced to dissuade him of that necessity.

After Herd adjourned the meeting, the audience hurled questions at the school board. In the back-and-forth, school board vice president Andy Uhl confirmed Theurer was placed on paid leave.

An investigator with the Kansas Association of School Boards has compiled a draft report regarding an inquiry into allegations against Theurer. The board met behind closed doors with a KASB attorney before voting to relieve the superintendent of all administrative responsibilities.

The regular public comment portion of the meeting was moved to the back of the agenda. When that moment arrived, the school board president said she would forbid any speaker from referring to district employees or students. She asserted, without offering a justification, that such public statements would violate privacy rights of individuals.

“The board appreciates patrons taking the time to talk to us about our policies and procedures,” Herd said. “Please, understand this is not an appropriate time or place for patrons to make comments of a personal nature about any district employee or student.”

Initially, Herd told the audience that she wanted to convince Ellis — the only person to fill out an application for permission to speak — to share his concerns with the school board in a closed executive session. Herd’s suggestion was widely opposed by people in the crowd, including Ellis.

“You don’t get to go into executive session just because you don’t want to hear what I’ve got to say,” Ellis shouted.

Another person in the room challenged this secretive approach: “He speaks for a lot of us.”

“Is that a unanimous board decision?” Ellis continued. “Because I bet it wasn’t.”

“I’m not finished,” Herd shot back. “I’m going to let you speak. You have five minutes. You can’t mention anybody by name. If it gets out of control, we will stop it.”

Ellis didn’t mention the superintendent’s name during his speech, but there was no doubt he was talking about Theurer. Ellis accused Herd of running school board meetings with an iron hand and of stifling dissent among her elected peers on the school board.

In terms of the sexual harassment allegation, Ellis said, “The people who are sworn to protect these people have failed.”

“If you think that this is or was an isolated incident,” he said, “you are nuttier than a pile of bull crap. It’s a pattern in what now seems to be a decade of abuse.”

When the timer hit 5 minutes, Herd told Ellis that his time was up.

“Hey, freedom of speech,” said a man at the back of the room.

Another person was adamant: “Let him speak.”

Herd ignored their pleas and asked for a motion to go into another executive session rather than hear more from Ellis. Briefly, Ellis and Herd were simultaneously addressing the audience.

There was a puzzled response from the crowd when Herd declared the board would proceed with “next steps” in terms of the district’s leadership structure. She didn’t articulate elements of that plan.

“No questions. No answers,” one crowd member said.

“What if it was your daughter?” a woman yelled.

Ellis said he was optimistic change would come to the Comanche County school system, given the number of disgruntled people present at the meeting.

“You have awoke a sleeping giant, and we are pissed off,” Ellis said.

<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 meeting in which the district’s superintendent was placed on paid leave 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 meeting in which the district’s superintendent was placed on paid leave 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/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a><h2>School board responds to public outcry in wake of Kansas Reflector story</h2>COLDWATER — The Comanche County School District’s superintendent landed on paid administrative leave in the wake of a community uprising led by parents angry with how the school board&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/02/a-kansas-student-reported-her-coach-for-harassment-and-touching-school-leaders-kept-it-quiet/">initially responded to allegations</a>&nbsp;he sexually harassed a student.More than 100 residents of the rural southwest Kansas school district — including some displaying raw, intense emotion — descended on the high school Wednesday night to demand ouster or suspension of superintendent Ty Theurer.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/f847ff9e-1975-4706-a9f7-899073ed1d50">Click here to read the earlier story</a>“How in the world did we get here?” said Zach Ellis, a county commissioner who has children in the district. “Does this board not have a responsibility to the kids of this district to do the right thing? Kids don’t feel safe in this building. You have created a hostile and toxic learning environment as well as a toxic working environment.”School board president Kelly Herd, who became aware of the student’s harassment complaint four months ago, had resisted punishment of Theurer beyond the warning placed in his personnel file. She had told fellow board members no additional sanction was necessary in response to an allegation that Theurer, while serving as golf coach, advised a female student to hold clubs like she were gripping a penis. The girl had also complained of unwanted touching by Theurer.Theurer signed a summary of the student’s complaint months ago, which was viewed by the student’s parents as an admission of guilt.Herd also sent emails to other board members saying Theurer “did not deny nor make excuses” and “has been written up.”In front of an unusually large crowd, the seven-member board moved in and out of executive session several times before Herd sought a motion to relieve Theurer of administrative duties in the 300-student district. He wasn’t at work Wednesday and didn’t attend the school board meeting after&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 published an article</a>&nbsp;Tuesday detailing allegations against the superintendent and the school board’s tepid response.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757008483030.png" alt="More than 100 people attended a Comanche County School District meeting Wednesday to press the school board to suspend or fire superintendent Ty Theurer, who has been accused of sexually harassing a student. The board voted to place him on paid administrative leave. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>More than 100 people attended a Comanche County School District meeting Wednesday to press the school board to suspend or fire superintendent Ty Theurer, who has been accused of sexually harassing a student. The board voted to place him on paid administrative leave. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>The school board didn’t discuss publicly the reason for taking action against Theurer at this time. There was no board disclosure about who would temporarily lead the district or for how long.The board adopted a vague motion to proceed with “next steps” that the board president said had been discussed in executive session. None of that information was shared with the audience.“Horrible,” school board member Dean Yoder said in an interview after the meeting. “It was not handled in May. It’s still not being handled in the right manner.”He said the school board should have fired Theurer in the spring, and no evidence has surfaced to dissuade him of that necessity.After Herd adjourned the meeting, the audience hurled questions at the school board. In the back-and-forth, school board vice president Andy Uhl confirmed Theurer was placed on paid leave.An investigator with the Kansas Association of School Boards has compiled a draft report regarding an inquiry into allegations against Theurer. The board met behind closed doors with a KASB attorney before voting to relieve the superintendent of all administrative responsibilities.The regular public comment portion of the meeting was moved to the back of the agenda. When that moment arrived, the school board president said she would forbid any speaker from referring to district employees or students. She asserted, without offering a justification, that such public statements would violate privacy rights of individuals.“The board appreciates patrons taking the time to talk to us about our policies and procedures,” Herd said. “Please, understand this is not an appropriate time or place for patrons to make comments of a personal nature about any district employee or student.”Initially, Herd told the audience that she wanted to convince Ellis — the only person to fill out an application for permission to speak — to share his concerns with the school board in a closed executive session. Herd’s suggestion was widely opposed by people in the crowd, including Ellis.“You don’t get to go into executive session just because you don’t want to hear what I’ve got to say,” Ellis shouted.Another person in the room challenged this secretive approach: “He speaks for a lot of us.”“Is that a unanimous board decision?” Ellis continued. “Because I bet it wasn’t.”“I’m not finished,” Herd shot back. “I’m going to let you speak. You have five minutes. You can’t mention anybody by name. If it gets out of control, we will stop it.”Ellis didn’t mention the superintendent’s name during his speech, but there was no doubt he was talking about Theurer. Ellis accused Herd of running school board meetings with an iron hand and of stifling dissent among her elected peers on the school board.In terms of the sexual harassment allegation, Ellis said, “The people who are sworn to protect these people have failed.”“If you think that this is or was an isolated incident,” he said, “you are nuttier than a pile of bull crap. It’s a pattern in what now seems to be a decade of abuse.”When the timer hit 5 minutes, Herd told Ellis that his time was up.“Hey, freedom of speech,” said a man at the back of the room.Another person was adamant: “Let him speak.”Herd ignored their pleas and asked for a motion to go into another executive session rather than hear more from Ellis. Briefly, Ellis and Herd were simultaneously addressing the audience.There was a puzzled response from the crowd when Herd declared the board would proceed with “next steps” in terms of the district’s leadership structure. She didn’t articulate elements of that plan.“No questions. No answers,” one crowd member said.“What if it was your daughter?” a woman yelled.Ellis said he was optimistic change would come to the Comanche County school system, given the number of disgruntled people present at the meeting.“You have awoke a sleeping giant, and we are pissed off,” Ellis said.

Outraged parents demand action as Kansas school board places superintendent on administrative leave

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating one of several homicides on Monday in Wichita have made another arrest.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, police arrested a 21-year-old man identified according to Sedgwick County booking records as Lafayette J. Washington for the shooting death of 23-year-old D’Andre Rubio of Wichita, according to a media release from Wichita Police.

The shooting occurred just after 1:34 a.m. in the 100 block of Rock Island. Officers arrived and found Rubio suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

Detectives have learned that a disturbance took place before the shooting. The circumstances that led to the incident remain under investigation.

Washinton has been booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on a requested charge of first-degree murder charge, theft of property or services and criminal possession of a weapon a felon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756982176005.png" alt="Washington photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Washington photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating one of several homicides on Monday in Wichita have made another arrest.&nbsp;On Wednesday, police arrested a 21-year-old man identified according to Sedgwick County booking records as Lafayette J. Washington for the shooting death of 23-year-old D’Andre Rubio of Wichita, according to a media release from Wichita Police.The shooting occurred just after 1:34 a.m. in the 100 block of Rock Island. Officers arrived and found Rubio suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.Detectives have learned that a disturbance took place before the shooting. The circumstances that led to the incident remain under investigation.Washinton has been booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on a requested charge of first-degree murder charge, theft of property or services and criminal possession of a weapon a felon.

Police: Kan. felon jailed for Labor Day robbery, killing 

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri have identified the victim as 15-year-old Isaiah Wilson, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

Just after 2:30p.m. Tuesday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to 100 NE St. Luke’s Boulevard on a reported shooting that is believed to have occurred near 88th Place and James A Reed, according to Gonzalez.

Upon arrival, officers were advised a boy later identified as Wilson arrived at the hospital suffering from a gunshot wound. Medical staff made every attempt to perform life saving measures before he was pronounced deceased.

Preliminary investigation indicates the boy was walking outside when he heard several sounds of shots and was struck by gunfire. He was able to call a friend for help and a private vehicle picked him up and transported him to the hospital.

Police do not have any suspect information and no one is currently in custody.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri have identified the victim as 15-year-old Isaiah Wilson, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.Just after 2:30p.m. Tuesday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to 100 NE St. Luke’s Boulevard on a reported shooting that is believed to have occurred near 88th Place and James A Reed, according to Gonzalez.Upon arrival, officers were advised a boy later identified as Wilson arrived at the hospital suffering from a gunshot wound. Medical staff made every attempt to perform life saving measures before he was pronounced deceased.Preliminary investigation indicates the boy was walking outside when he heard several sounds of shots and was struck by gunfire. He was able to call a friend for help and a private vehicle picked him up and transported him to the hospital.Police do not have any suspect information and no one is currently in custody.

Police ID Kansas City boy killed by random gunfire

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Artificial intelligence chatbot makers OpenAI and Meta say they are adjusting how their chatbots respond to teenagers and other users asking questions about suicide or showing signs of mental and emotional distress.

OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, said Tuesday it is preparing to&nbsp;<a href="https://openai.com/index/building-more-helpful-chatgpt-experiences-for-everyone/">roll out new controls</a>&nbsp;enabling parents to link their accounts to their teen's account.

Parents can choose which features to disable and “receive notifications when the system detects their teen is in a moment of acute distress,” according to a company blog post that says the changes will go into effect this fall.

Regardless of a user's age, the company says its chatbots will redirect the most distressing conversations to more capable AI models that can provide a better response.

EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.

The announcement comes a week after the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine sued OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, alleging that ChatGPT coached the California boy in planning and taking his own life earlier this year.

Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, also said it is now blocking its chatbots from talking with teens about self-harm, suicide, disordered eating and inappropriate romantic conversations, and instead directs them to expert resources. Meta already offers parental controls on teen accounts.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-chatbots-selfharm-chatgpt-claude-gemini-da00880b1e1577ac332ab1752e41225b">study published last week</a>&nbsp;in the medical journal Psychiatric Services found inconsistencies in how three popular artificial intelligence chatbots responded to queries about suicide.

The study by researchers at the RAND Corporation found a need for “further refinement” in ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude. The researchers did not study Meta's chatbots.

The study's lead author, Ryan McBain, said Tuesday that "it’s encouraging to see OpenAI and Meta introducing features like parental controls and routing sensitive conversations to more capable models, but these are incremental steps.”

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Artificial intelligence chatbot makers OpenAI and Meta say they are adjusting how their chatbots respond to teenagers and other users asking questions about suicide or showing signs of mental and emotional distress.OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, said Tuesday it is preparing to&nbsp;<a href="https://openai.com/index/building-more-helpful-chatgpt-experiences-for-everyone/">roll out new controls</a>&nbsp;enabling parents to link their accounts to their teen's account.Parents can choose which features to disable and “receive notifications when the system detects their teen is in a moment of acute distress,” according to a company blog post that says the changes will go into effect this fall.Regardless of a user's age, the company says its chatbots will redirect the most distressing conversations to more capable AI models that can provide a better response.EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.The announcement comes a week after the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine sued OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, alleging that ChatGPT coached the California boy in planning and taking his own life earlier this year.Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, also said it is now blocking its chatbots from talking with teens about self-harm, suicide, disordered eating and inappropriate romantic conversations, and instead directs them to expert resources. Meta already offers parental controls on teen accounts.A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-chatbots-selfharm-chatgpt-claude-gemini-da00880b1e1577ac332ab1752e41225b">study published last week</a>&nbsp;in the medical journal Psychiatric Services found inconsistencies in how three popular artificial intelligence chatbots responded to queries about suicide.The study by researchers at the RAND Corporation found a need for “further refinement” in ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude. The researchers did not study Meta's chatbots.The study's lead author, Ryan McBain, said Tuesday that "it’s encouraging to see OpenAI and Meta introducing features like parental controls and routing sensitive conversations to more capable models, but these are incremental steps.”

OpenAI say they're fixing AI chatbots to better respond to teens in distress

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>

WASHINGTON — Congress returned to Washington, D.C., this week following an uneventful August recess where little to no progress was made on government funding, even though lawmakers have just weeks left until their shutdown deadline.

Republican leaders will need the support of several Democratic senators to approve a stopgap spending bill before Oct. 1, since lawmakers have once again failed to complete the dozen full-year bills on time.&nbsp;

But what was once a routine bipartisan exercise has taken on heightened stakes, with Democrats and some Republicans increasingly frustrated by the Trump administration’s unilateral spending decisions.

The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office has issued&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-illegally-withheld-head-start-payments-government-watchdog-says" target="_blank">several</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-illegally-froze-1800-nih-medical-research-grants-congress-watchdog-says" target="_blank">reports</a>&nbsp;faulting the Trump administration for impounding, or refusing to spend funds approved by Congress, in violation of the law. And dozens of lawsuits&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justsecurity.org/107087/tracker-litigation-legal-challenges-trump-administration/" target="_blank">have been filed</a>, alleging the administration has acted to supersede Congress’ power of the purse.&nbsp;

The ongoing tension, combined with party leaders’ increasing focus on next year’s midterm elections, makes the possibility of a shutdown higher than it has been for years.&nbsp;

President Donald Trump said in mid-August he was open to meeting with Democratic leaders once they were back in town to negotiate a government funding deal but minimized the importance of talks.&nbsp;

“Well, I will, I guess, but it’s almost a waste of time to meet because they never approve anything,” Trump said.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries&nbsp;<a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/schumer_jeffries_letter_re_government_funding.pdf" target="_blank">released a letter</a>&nbsp;last week urging Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune to quickly begin negotiating a bipartisan stopgap bill.&nbsp;

“The government funding issue must be resolved in a bipartisan way,” they wrote. “That is the only viable path forward.”

Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, said last week that she wants to keep advancing the full-year spending bills, but that a short-term stopgap would be necessary to give lawmakers enough time.&nbsp;

“We need to avoid a government shutdown, which would be horrendous if that were to occur on October 1,” Collins said, according to remarks provided by her office. “And we also need to avoid having a continuing resolution, by that I mean a stopgap bill that just puts government on automatic pilot for the whole year.&nbsp;

“We’re going to have to have a short-term continuing resolution, but we’re making really good progress with overwhelming bipartisan support, and I hope that will continue.”

Congress is supposed to complete work on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-appropriations-status-table" target="_blank">the dozen annual appropriations bills</a>&nbsp;before the start of the new fiscal year but has failed to do so for decades. This year is no different.&nbsp;

The House and Senate are nowhere near finishing their work on the bills, which provide funding for dozens of departments, including Agriculture, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, State, Transportation and Veterans Affairs.

The bills, which make up about one-third of federal spending, also fund smaller agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Science Foundation and the National Weather Service.

The House has approved two of the dozen bills — Defense and Military Construction-VA. The Senate has passed its Agriculture, Legislative Branch and Military Construction-VA bills.

The House bills have only been supported by GOP lawmakers, while the Senate’s bills are broadly bipartisan, giving that chamber an upper hand if the two chambers begin conferencing full-year bills later this year.&nbsp;

Without a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on how much to spend on all of the bills, it’s highly unlikely Congress will be able to complete its work before the Oct. 1 deadline.

Leaders will instead need to reach agreement on a stopgap spending bill that essentially keeps government funding on autopilot until lawmakers can work out a final deal on the full-year bills.&nbsp;

The calendar doesn’t give Speaker Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader Thune, R-S.D., much time to find compromise with their Democratic counterparts.&nbsp;

Both chambers are in session for three weeks at the beginning of September before breaking for Rosh Hashanah. They’ll return to Capitol Hill on Sept. 29 with less than two days to fund the government or begin a partial shutdown.

Thune said in mid-August at the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce Inside Washington luncheon&nbsp;<a href="https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/08/12/thune-anticipates-big-fight-in-september-over-potential-government-shutdown/" target="_blank">that he expects lawmakers</a>&nbsp;will “have a big fight at the end of September.”

It’s been almost seven years since some federal departments and agencies had to navigate a shutdown, when Congress and the first Trump administration were unable to broker a funding deal before a deadline.

A shutdown this year would have substantially more impact than that 35-day debacle since, when that funding lapse began, Congress had approved the Defense, Energy-Water, Labor-HHS-Education, Legislative Branch and Military Construction-VA spending bills.

The departments and agencies funded by those laws, including Congress, weren’t affected by the shutdown.

Lawmakers have failed to send any of the full-year bills to Trump so far this year, so every department and agency would need to implement a shutdown plan if Congress doesn’t approve a stopgap spending bill before Oct. 1.

Federal employees who deal with the preservation of life and property as well as national security will likely be deemed exempt and work without pay until the shutdown ends.

Workers who are not considered essential to the federal government’s operations would be furloughed until Congress and the president broker some sort of funding deal.

Both categories of employees receive back pay once the lapse ends, though that doesn’t extend to federal contractors.

Congress regularly approves a stopgap spending bill in September to gain more time to complete negotiations on the full-year appropriations bills.

That continuing resolution, as it’s sometimes called, usually lasts until the last Friday in December when both chambers of Congress are scheduled to be in Washington, D.C.

So a September stopgap would likely last until Friday, Dec. 19, assuming the House and Senate can reach an agreement and hold floor votes in the weeks ahead.

Last year, in the lead-up to the presidential election,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/congress-poised-race-out-dc-after-dodging-shutdown" target="_blank">lawmakers approved a stopgap bill&nbsp;</a>in September that funded the government through mid-December.

Following the Republican sweep of the November elections, GOP leaders opted not to negotiate the full-year bills and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/congress-clears-bill-avert-government-shutdown-extend-farm-bill" target="_blank">used a second stopgap bill</a>&nbsp;to fund the government until March after a raucous 48 hours on Capitol Hill.

Speaker Johnson took a go-it-alone approach on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-signs-stopgap-spending-bill-law-following-us-senate-passage" target="_blank">a third stopgap spending bill</a>, leaving Democrats completely out of the negotiations and jamming the Senate with the legislation.

Schumer and several Democrats ultimately helped Republicans get past the 60-vote legislative filibuster, but most voted against actually passing the stopgap.

The dilemma over forcing a shutdown or helping Republicans pass a stopgap bill will resurface for Schumer in the weeks ahead as he tries to navigate another shutdown deadline amid unified GOP control of Washington.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691086285875.jpeg" alt="U.S. Capitol (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Capitol (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>WASHINGTON — Congress returned to Washington, D.C., this week following an uneventful August recess where little to no progress was made on government funding, even though lawmakers have just weeks left until their shutdown deadline.Republican leaders will need the support of several Democratic senators to approve a stopgap spending bill before Oct. 1, since lawmakers have once again failed to complete the dozen full-year bills on time.&nbsp;But what was once a routine bipartisan exercise has taken on heightened stakes, with Democrats and some Republicans increasingly frustrated by the Trump administration’s unilateral spending decisions.The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office has issued&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-illegally-withheld-head-start-payments-government-watchdog-says" target="_blank">several</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-illegally-froze-1800-nih-medical-research-grants-congress-watchdog-says" target="_blank">reports</a>&nbsp;faulting the Trump administration for impounding, or refusing to spend funds approved by Congress, in violation of the law. And dozens of lawsuits&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justsecurity.org/107087/tracker-litigation-legal-challenges-trump-administration/" target="_blank">have been filed</a>, alleging the administration has acted to supersede Congress’ power of the purse.&nbsp;The ongoing tension, combined with party leaders’ increasing focus on next year’s midterm elections, makes the possibility of a shutdown higher than it has been for years.&nbsp;President Donald Trump said in mid-August he was open to meeting with Democratic leaders once they were back in town to negotiate a government funding deal but minimized the importance of talks.&nbsp;“Well, I will, I guess, but it’s almost a waste of time to meet because they never approve anything,” Trump said.Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries&nbsp;<a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/schumer_jeffries_letter_re_government_funding.pdf" target="_blank">released a letter</a>&nbsp;last week urging Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune to quickly begin negotiating a bipartisan stopgap bill.&nbsp;“The government funding issue must be resolved in a bipartisan way,” they wrote. “That is the only viable path forward.”Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, said last week that she wants to keep advancing the full-year spending bills, but that a short-term stopgap would be necessary to give lawmakers enough time.&nbsp;“We need to avoid a government shutdown, which would be horrendous if that were to occur on October 1,” Collins said, according to remarks provided by her office. “And we also need to avoid having a continuing resolution, by that I mean a stopgap bill that just puts government on automatic pilot for the whole year.&nbsp;“We’re going to have to have a short-term continuing resolution, but we’re making really good progress with overwhelming bipartisan support, and I hope that will continue.”<h2>Another failure</h2>Congress is supposed to complete work on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-appropriations-status-table" target="_blank">the dozen annual appropriations bills</a>&nbsp;before the start of the new fiscal year but has failed to do so for decades. This year is no different.&nbsp;The House and Senate are nowhere near finishing their work on the bills, which provide funding for dozens of departments, including Agriculture, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, State, Transportation and Veterans Affairs.The bills, which make up about one-third of federal spending, also fund smaller agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Science Foundation and the National Weather Service.The House has approved two of the dozen bills — Defense and Military Construction-VA. The Senate has passed its Agriculture, Legislative Branch and Military Construction-VA bills.The House bills have only been supported by GOP lawmakers, while the Senate’s bills are broadly bipartisan, giving that chamber an upper hand if the two chambers begin conferencing full-year bills later this year.&nbsp;Without a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on how much to spend on all of the bills, it’s highly unlikely Congress will be able to complete its work before the Oct. 1 deadline.Leaders will instead need to reach agreement on a stopgap spending bill that essentially keeps government funding on autopilot until lawmakers can work out a final deal on the full-year bills.&nbsp;The calendar doesn’t give Speaker Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader Thune, R-S.D., much time to find compromise with their Democratic counterparts.&nbsp;Both chambers are in session for three weeks at the beginning of September before breaking for Rosh Hashanah. They’ll return to Capitol Hill on Sept. 29 with less than two days to fund the government or begin a partial shutdown.Thune said in mid-August at the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce Inside Washington luncheon&nbsp;<a href="https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/08/12/thune-anticipates-big-fight-in-september-over-potential-government-shutdown/" target="_blank">that he expects lawmakers</a>&nbsp;will “have a big fight at the end of September.”<h2>Last shutdown stretched 35 days</h2>It’s been almost seven years since some federal departments and agencies had to navigate a shutdown, when Congress and the first Trump administration were unable to broker a funding deal before a deadline.A shutdown this year would have substantially more impact than that 35-day debacle since, when that funding lapse began, Congress had approved the Defense, Energy-Water, Labor-HHS-Education, Legislative Branch and Military Construction-VA spending bills.The departments and agencies funded by those laws, including Congress, weren’t affected by the shutdown.Lawmakers have failed to send any of the full-year bills to Trump so far this year, so every department and agency would need to implement a shutdown plan if Congress doesn’t approve a stopgap spending bill before Oct. 1.Federal employees who deal with the preservation of life and property as well as national security will likely be deemed exempt and work without pay until the shutdown ends.Workers who are not considered essential to the federal government’s operations would be furloughed until Congress and the president broker some sort of funding deal.Both categories of employees receive back pay once the lapse ends, though that doesn’t extend to federal contractors.<h2>On to the stopgap</h2>Congress regularly approves a stopgap spending bill in September to gain more time to complete negotiations on the full-year appropriations bills.That continuing resolution, as it’s sometimes called, usually lasts until the last Friday in December when both chambers of Congress are scheduled to be in Washington, D.C.So a September stopgap would likely last until Friday, Dec. 19, assuming the House and Senate can reach an agreement and hold floor votes in the weeks ahead.Last year, in the lead-up to the presidential election,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/congress-poised-race-out-dc-after-dodging-shutdown" target="_blank">lawmakers approved a stopgap bill&nbsp;</a>in September that funded the government through mid-December.Following the Republican sweep of the November elections, GOP leaders opted not to negotiate the full-year bills and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/congress-clears-bill-avert-government-shutdown-extend-farm-bill" target="_blank">used a second stopgap bill</a>&nbsp;to fund the government until March after a raucous 48 hours on Capitol Hill.Speaker Johnson took a go-it-alone approach on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-signs-stopgap-spending-bill-law-following-us-senate-passage" target="_blank">a third stopgap spending bill</a>, leaving Democrats completely out of the negotiations and jamming the Senate with the legislation.Schumer and several Democrats ultimately helped Republicans get past the 60-vote legislative filibuster, but most voted against actually passing the stopgap.The dilemma over forcing a shutdown or helping Republicans pass a stopgap bill will resurface for Schumer in the weeks ahead as he tries to navigate another shutdown deadline amid unified GOP control of Washington.

Every fall there’s a government shutdown warning. This time it could happen.

SEDGWICK COUNTY –Law enforcement investigating a fatal gunfight in Wichita have made an arrest.

Just after 2p.m. Monday, officers were called to a liquor store on North Broadway in Wichita, according to a media release. First responders found three men with gunshot wounds including&nbsp;19-year-old Mario Gustavo. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect and another man were taken to a hospital for treatment of critical injuries.

Investigators learned that&nbsp;a disturbance in the parking lot led to gunfire.

A retired Wichita police lieutenant saw a vehicle flee the scene and followed it. Officers stopped the car, driven by a woman, near the 800 block of North Main Street. A male passenger, identified as an associate of Gustavo, had a gunshot wound to the hand and was taken to a hospital in critical but stable condition. Investigators believe he was shot at the exact location as the other three men.

Police have not released the name of the suspect or what charges he will face.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756850370219.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY –Law enforcement investigating a fatal gunfight in Wichita have made an arrest.Just after 2p.m. Monday, officers were called to a liquor store on North Broadway in Wichita, according to a media release. First responders found three men with gunshot wounds including&nbsp;19-year-old Mario Gustavo. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect and another man were taken to a hospital for treatment of critical injuries.Investigators learned that&nbsp;a disturbance in the parking lot led to gunfire.A retired Wichita police lieutenant saw a vehicle flee the scene and followed it. Officers stopped the car, driven by a woman, near the 800 block of North Main Street. A male passenger, identified as an associate of Gustavo, had a gunshot wound to the hand and was taken to a hospital in critical but stable condition. Investigators believe he was shot at the exact location as the other three men.Police have not released the name of the suspect or what charges he will face.

Police arrest suspect in Kansas liquor store gunfight

BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA&nbsp; — New federal guidelines to wind and solar tax credits took effect Monday, but large solar projects planned by Evergy won’t be affected, a spokeswoman said.

The massive tax cut and spending law that Congress passed in July, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act,&nbsp; limited tax credits for green energy projects, such as the two solar farms Evergy&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/08/01/evergy-receives-missouri-approval-to-build-gas-plants-solar-farms-after-kansas-thumbs-up/">received regulatory approval</a>&nbsp;to build in Kansas and Missouri.

Two weeks ago the U.S. Treasury Department&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-25-42.pdf" target="_blank">published its interpretation of the bill</a>, outlining deadlines for beginning construction and clarifying when certain tax credits would go away. That allowed companies to determine the viability of planned projects.&nbsp;

“The solar power plants that have been approved by the Kansas and Missouri commissions will be generating electricity for customers in time to qualify for the existing tax credits,” said Gina Penzig, Evergy spokeswoman.&nbsp;

Joseph Astrab, consumer counsel at the Citizens’ Utility Ratepayer Board, said tax credits are taken into account when determining expected costs on green energy projects.&nbsp;

“It’s going to be hard to tell what the immediate impacts will be. It’s going to be a process,” he said. “The biggest importance of these tax credits was to help make renewable resources, such as wind or solar, more cost competitive with other types of resources, such as natural gas.”

Astrab said the integrated resource planning, which utility companies complete on a regular basis, will address the effects federal changes will have on how energy is distributed in Kansas. In that process, the companies are considering resources, needs in the generation system and making a future-looking plan, he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“From CURB’s perspective, we’re looking at both trying to balance affordability and reliability,” he said. “But clearly from the public hearings we’ve seen in the past and recently with different rate cases, a lot of people are concerned about affordability.”

“In the last few years, we’ve been able to compare solar and wind projects to thermal projects, including the offset of those tax credits to make it more economical,” Astrab added. “That analysis will change going forward.”

A lot depends on how Evergy will evaluate projects going forward, he said.&nbsp;

“Looking at Evergy’s 2025 (integrated resource plan), the question becomes whether or not Evergy is going to be shifting away from procuring more solar, renewable types of resources in a system, and falling back on — and I’m not saying it’s a sure thing — more readily accessible, economical natural gas resources and procuring more of those.”

Evergy&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/07/08/kansas-regulators-approve-evergy-natural-gas-plants-solar-plant-despite-rate-concerns/">received approval from the Kansas Corporation Commission</a>&nbsp;to build two new natural gas plants, as well as the Kansas solar field, to the tune of about $2 billion.&nbsp;

Penzig said Evergy develops a long-term outlook for expected electricity demand every three years and a plan to meet needs.

“We create a plan that will provide reliable electricity for the least expected cost,” she said. “Plans are updated annually between the triennial filings as factors change.”

The plans look at multiple factors that affect generation costs, Penzig said.&nbsp;

“Some of the most significant impacts include expected demand for electricity, construction costs including any related transmission expansion, fuel, plant maintenance, major plant upgrades, environmental regulation and state or federal policy treatment including tax benefits,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757001497748.png" alt=" Evergy's plans to build a solar farm in Kansas are not affected by changes to green energy tax credits at the federal level, a spokeswoman said. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Evergy's plans to build a solar farm in Kansas are not affected by changes to green energy tax credits at the federal level, a spokeswoman said. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA&nbsp; — New federal guidelines to wind and solar tax credits took effect Monday, but large solar projects planned by Evergy won’t be affected, a spokeswoman said.The massive tax cut and spending law that Congress passed in July, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act,&nbsp; limited tax credits for green energy projects, such as the two solar farms Evergy&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/08/01/evergy-receives-missouri-approval-to-build-gas-plants-solar-farms-after-kansas-thumbs-up/">received regulatory approval</a>&nbsp;to build in Kansas and Missouri.Two weeks ago the U.S. Treasury Department&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-25-42.pdf" target="_blank">published its interpretation of the bill</a>, outlining deadlines for beginning construction and clarifying when certain tax credits would go away. That allowed companies to determine the viability of planned projects.&nbsp;“The solar power plants that have been approved by the Kansas and Missouri commissions will be generating electricity for customers in time to qualify for the existing tax credits,” said Gina Penzig, Evergy spokeswoman.&nbsp;Joseph Astrab, consumer counsel at the Citizens’ Utility Ratepayer Board, said tax credits are taken into account when determining expected costs on green energy projects.&nbsp;“It’s going to be hard to tell what the immediate impacts will be. It’s going to be a process,” he said. “The biggest importance of these tax credits was to help make renewable resources, such as wind or solar, more cost competitive with other types of resources, such as natural gas.”Astrab said the integrated resource planning, which utility companies complete on a regular basis, will address the effects federal changes will have on how energy is distributed in Kansas. In that process, the companies are considering resources, needs in the generation system and making a future-looking plan, he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;“From CURB’s perspective, we’re looking at both trying to balance affordability and reliability,” he said. “But clearly from the public hearings we’ve seen in the past and recently with different rate cases, a lot of people are concerned about affordability.”“In the last few years, we’ve been able to compare solar and wind projects to thermal projects, including the offset of those tax credits to make it more economical,” Astrab added. “That analysis will change going forward.”A lot depends on how Evergy will evaluate projects going forward, he said.&nbsp;“Looking at Evergy’s 2025 (integrated resource plan), the question becomes whether or not Evergy is going to be shifting away from procuring more solar, renewable types of resources in a system, and falling back on — and I’m not saying it’s a sure thing — more readily accessible, economical natural gas resources and procuring more of those.”Evergy&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/07/08/kansas-regulators-approve-evergy-natural-gas-plants-solar-plant-despite-rate-concerns/">received approval from the Kansas Corporation Commission</a>&nbsp;to build two new natural gas plants, as well as the Kansas solar field, to the tune of about $2 billion.&nbsp;Penzig said Evergy develops a long-term outlook for expected electricity demand every three years and a plan to meet needs.“We create a plan that will provide reliable electricity for the least expected cost,” she said. “Plans are updated annually between the triennial filings as factors change.”The plans look at multiple factors that affect generation costs, Penzig said.&nbsp;“Some of the most significant impacts include expected demand for electricity, construction costs including any related transmission expansion, fuel, plant maintenance, major plant upgrades, environmental regulation and state or federal policy treatment including tax benefits,” she said.

Evergy says federal changes won’t affect planned solar projects in Kansas and Missouri

MILAN (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/giorgio-armani">Giorgio Armani</a>, the Italian designer who turned the concept of understated elegance into a multibillion-dollar fashion empire, has died, his fashion house confirmed. He was 91.

Armani died at home, the fashion house said. Armani, one of the most recognizable names and faces in the global fashion industry,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/italy-giorgio-armani-7e74a7edf4e9a23b13e05a0c5bbc8c1e">missed Milan Fashion Week</a>&nbsp;in June 2025 for the first time during the previews of Spring-Summer 2026 menswear to recover from an undisclosed condition. He was planning a major event to celebrate 50 years of his signature Giorgio Armani fashion house during Milan Fashion Week this month.

Starting with an unlined jacket, a simple pair of pants and an urban palette, Armani put Italian ready-to-wear style on the international fashion map in the late 1970s, creating an instantly recognizable relaxed silhouette that has propelled the fashion house for half a century.

From the executive office to the Hollywood screen, Armani dressed the rich and famous in classic tailored styles, fashioned in super-soft fabrics and muted tones. His handsome black tie outfits and glittering evening gowns often stole the show on award season red carpets.

At the time of his death, Armani had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giorgio-armani-90th-birthday-2b77a70478ff034c8c1baa19c5aa5c38">put together an empire</a>&nbsp;worth over $10 billion, which along with clothing included accessories, home furnishings, perfumes, cosmetics, books, flowers and even chocolates, ranking him in the world’s top 200 billionaires, according to Forbes.

The designer also owned several bars, clubs, restaurants and his own basketball team EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, better known as Olympia Milano. Armani opened more than than 20 restaurants from Milan to Tokyo since 1998, and two hotels, one in Dubai in 2009 and another in Milan, in 2010.

Armani himself was the foundation of his style

Armani style began with Giorgio Armani himself, from the penetrating blue eyes framed in a permanent tan and early-age shock of silver hair, to the trademark jeans and t-shirt work clothes and the minimalist decoration of his private homes.

Armani’s fashion vision was that of easygoing elegance where attention to detail made the difference.

“I design for real people. There is no virtue whatsoever in creating clothes and accessories that are not practical,” he liked to say when asked to identify his clientele.

In conversation, the designer’s disarming smile and exquisitely mild manners belied the tough businessman underneath, who was able to turn creative talent into a fashion empire worth over $10 billion. Never a merger nor a sale, Re Giorgio (King George) as the Italians call him, was always his own boss.

Born July 11, 1934, in Piacenza, a small town south of Milan, Armani dreamed of becoming a doctor before a part-time job as a window decorator in a Milan department store opened his eyes to the world of fashion.

In 1975, Armani and his partner Sergio Galeotti sold their Volkswagen for $10,000 to start up their own menswear ready-to-wear label. Womenswear followed a year later.

The symbol of his new style was the liningless sports jacket, which was launched in the late 1970s and became an instant success from Hollywood to Wall Street. The designer paired the jacket with a simple t-shirt, an item of clothing he termed “the alpha and omega of the fashion alphabet.”

The Armani suit soon became a must in the closet of the well-heeled man. And for women, the introduction of the pantsuit in the executive workroom was all but revolutionary. Dubbed the “power suit” with its shoulder-padded jacket and man-tailored trousers, it became the trademark of the rising class of businesswomen in the 1980s.

Over the years Armani would soften the look with delicate detailing, luxurious fabrics and brighter shades for his basic beige and gray palette. His insistence on pants and jackets led some critics to label his fashion “androgynous.”

The 1980 film classic “American Gigolo” launched both Armani and actor Richard Gere on their Hollywood careers. Dressed in Armani, Gere became America’s new favorite heart throb, and “Geeorgeeo” as they called him, the glam set’s most popular designer.

The Hollywood connection earned him wardrobe film credits in over 200 films, and in 2003 a place on Rodeo Drive’s “Walk of Fame.”

Oscar night always sparkled, with smart suiting for the men, and glittering gowns for the ladies. The 2009 best actor winner Sean Penn picked up his statue in a black-on-black Armani outfit, while best actress nominee Anne Hathaway walked the red carpet in a shimmering white strapless evening gown from Armani’s latest Prive couture collection.

Other longtime devotees included Jodie Foster, George Clooney, Sofia Loren and Brad Pitt. David and Victoria Beckham were the “face” of his 2009 underwear ad campaign.

So significant was the impact of Armani style, not only on how people dressed but how they approached fashion, that in 2000 New York’s Guggenheim museum presented a retrospective of Armani’s first 25 years in fashion.

“I love things that age well, things that don’t date and become living examples of the absolute best,” Armani said of his efforts.

Today, the Armani empire has an army of more than 9,000 employees, with women comprising half of the executive suite, along with seven industrial hubs and over 600 stores worldwide, according to figures released in 2023. Along with clothes and accessories, the company produces perfumes, cosmetics and home furnishings, as well as selling its own candy, flowers and even books. The designer opened his fifth multi-brand store on New York’s fashionable Fifth Avenue in February 2009.

In the realm of fashion hobbies, Armani owned several bars, restaurants and clubs, as well as the basketball team. Recreation time was spent in getaways in Broni in the countryside near Milan, the isle of Pantelleria off Sicily and St. Tropez on the French Riviera. Each home bore the trademark of Armani design: bare walls, important pieces, few knickknacks.

Like many of his colleagues, Armani tried to give back some of the fame and fortune he amassed during the heyday of the “moda Milanese” which put Italian ready-to-wear at the center of the world’s fashion map at the turn of the millennium. Personally involved in several charity organizations devoted to children and a staunch supporter of the battle against AIDS, in 2002 Armani was named a U.N. goodwill ambassador for refugees.

Galeotti died in 1985. Armani had no children but was very close to his niece Roberta, daughter of his late brother Sergio. She abandoned a budding film career to become his director of public relations, and often represented her uncle, who wasn’t much of a party-goer, at social events. In later years she was a key go-between with the celebrity world.

In 2006, she orchestrated the top-billed wedding of actors Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes in a medieval castle outside Rome, while Uncle Giorgio designed the attire for both bride and groom.

Armani had indicated that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-gardening-lifestyle-entertainment-arts-and-entertainment-e57fffa4edf0ebcded543d379f912236">as he considered succession</a>&nbsp;he was looking toward his longtime head of menswear Leo Dell’Orco and his niece Silvana Armani, who fills the same role for womenswear.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756992441041.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>MILAN (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/giorgio-armani">Giorgio Armani</a>, the Italian designer who turned the concept of understated elegance into a multibillion-dollar fashion empire, has died, his fashion house confirmed. He was 91.Armani died at home, the fashion house said. Armani, one of the most recognizable names and faces in the global fashion industry,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/italy-giorgio-armani-7e74a7edf4e9a23b13e05a0c5bbc8c1e">missed Milan Fashion Week</a>&nbsp;in June 2025 for the first time during the previews of Spring-Summer 2026 menswear to recover from an undisclosed condition. He was planning a major event to celebrate 50 years of his signature Giorgio Armani fashion house during Milan Fashion Week this month.Starting with an unlined jacket, a simple pair of pants and an urban palette, Armani put Italian ready-to-wear style on the international fashion map in the late 1970s, creating an instantly recognizable relaxed silhouette that has propelled the fashion house for half a century.From the executive office to the Hollywood screen, Armani dressed the rich and famous in classic tailored styles, fashioned in super-soft fabrics and muted tones. His handsome black tie outfits and glittering evening gowns often stole the show on award season red carpets.At the time of his death, Armani had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giorgio-armani-90th-birthday-2b77a70478ff034c8c1baa19c5aa5c38">put together an empire</a>&nbsp;worth over $10 billion, which along with clothing included accessories, home furnishings, perfumes, cosmetics, books, flowers and even chocolates, ranking him in the world’s top 200 billionaires, according to Forbes.The designer also owned several bars, clubs, restaurants and his own basketball team EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, better known as Olympia Milano. Armani opened more than than 20 restaurants from Milan to Tokyo since 1998, and two hotels, one in Dubai in 2009 and another in Milan, in 2010.<h2>Armani himself was the foundation of his style</h2>Armani style began with Giorgio Armani himself, from the penetrating blue eyes framed in a permanent tan and early-age shock of silver hair, to the trademark jeans and t-shirt work clothes and the minimalist decoration of his private homes.Armani’s fashion vision was that of easygoing elegance where attention to detail made the difference.“I design for real people. There is no virtue whatsoever in creating clothes and accessories that are not practical,” he liked to say when asked to identify his clientele.In conversation, the designer’s disarming smile and exquisitely mild manners belied the tough businessman underneath, who was able to turn creative talent into a fashion empire worth over $10 billion. Never a merger nor a sale, Re Giorgio (King George) as the Italians call him, was always his own boss.Born July 11, 1934, in Piacenza, a small town south of Milan, Armani dreamed of becoming a doctor before a part-time job as a window decorator in a Milan department store opened his eyes to the world of fashion.In 1975, Armani and his partner Sergio Galeotti sold their Volkswagen for $10,000 to start up their own menswear ready-to-wear label. Womenswear followed a year later.The symbol of his new style was the liningless sports jacket, which was launched in the late 1970s and became an instant success from Hollywood to Wall Street. The designer paired the jacket with a simple t-shirt, an item of clothing he termed “the alpha and omega of the fashion alphabet.”The Armani suit soon became a must in the closet of the well-heeled man. And for women, the introduction of the pantsuit in the executive workroom was all but revolutionary. Dubbed the “power suit” with its shoulder-padded jacket and man-tailored trousers, it became the trademark of the rising class of businesswomen in the 1980s.Over the years Armani would soften the look with delicate detailing, luxurious fabrics and brighter shades for his basic beige and gray palette. His insistence on pants and jackets led some critics to label his fashion “androgynous.”<h2>Armani hits Hollywood</h2>The 1980 film classic “American Gigolo” launched both Armani and actor Richard Gere on their Hollywood careers. Dressed in Armani, Gere became America’s new favorite heart throb, and “Geeorgeeo” as they called him, the glam set’s most popular designer.The Hollywood connection earned him wardrobe film credits in over 200 films, and in 2003 a place on Rodeo Drive’s “Walk of Fame.”Oscar night always sparkled, with smart suiting for the men, and glittering gowns for the ladies. The 2009 best actor winner Sean Penn picked up his statue in a black-on-black Armani outfit, while best actress nominee Anne Hathaway walked the red carpet in a shimmering white strapless evening gown from Armani’s latest Prive couture collection.Other longtime devotees included Jodie Foster, George Clooney, Sofia Loren and Brad Pitt. David and Victoria Beckham were the “face” of his 2009 underwear ad campaign.So significant was the impact of Armani style, not only on how people dressed but how they approached fashion, that in 2000 New York’s Guggenheim museum presented a retrospective of Armani’s first 25 years in fashion.“I love things that age well, things that don’t date and become living examples of the absolute best,” Armani said of his efforts.<h2>Armani has gone well beyond fashion</h2>Today, the Armani empire has an army of more than 9,000 employees, with women comprising half of the executive suite, along with seven industrial hubs and over 600 stores worldwide, according to figures released in 2023. Along with clothes and accessories, the company produces perfumes, cosmetics and home furnishings, as well as selling its own candy, flowers and even books. The designer opened his fifth multi-brand store on New York’s fashionable Fifth Avenue in February 2009.In the realm of fashion hobbies, Armani owned several bars, restaurants and clubs, as well as the basketball team. Recreation time was spent in getaways in Broni in the countryside near Milan, the isle of Pantelleria off Sicily and St. Tropez on the French Riviera. Each home bore the trademark of Armani design: bare walls, important pieces, few knickknacks.Like many of his colleagues, Armani tried to give back some of the fame and fortune he amassed during the heyday of the “moda Milanese” which put Italian ready-to-wear at the center of the world’s fashion map at the turn of the millennium. Personally involved in several charity organizations devoted to children and a staunch supporter of the battle against AIDS, in 2002 Armani was named a U.N. goodwill ambassador for refugees.Galeotti died in 1985. Armani had no children but was very close to his niece Roberta, daughter of his late brother Sergio. She abandoned a budding film career to become his director of public relations, and often represented her uncle, who wasn’t much of a party-goer, at social events. In later years she was a key go-between with the celebrity world.In 2006, she orchestrated the top-billed wedding of actors Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes in a medieval castle outside Rome, while Uncle Giorgio designed the attire for both bride and groom.Armani had indicated that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-gardening-lifestyle-entertainment-arts-and-entertainment-e57fffa4edf0ebcded543d379f912236">as he considered succession</a>&nbsp;he was looking toward his longtime head of menswear Leo Dell’Orco and his niece Silvana Armani, who fills the same role for womenswear.

Giorgio Armani, legendary Italian fashion designer, dead at 91

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas woman accused in the death of a 7-year-old boy returned to court on Thursday.

Tasha Diane Dillard, 25, Wichita, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and aggravated child endangerment in Judge William Woolley's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; She had been scheduled to face a trial starting on September 15.

Dillard had originally been charged with 1st degree murder and 7 counts of aggravated endangering a child, according to the District Attorney's office.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas woman accused in the death of a 7-year-old boy is due back in court Thursday.&nbsp;

Tasha Diane Dillard, 25, Wichita, will attend a plea hearing in Judge William Woolley's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; She had been scheduled to face a trial starting on September 15.

Dillard has been charged with 1st degree murder and 7 counts of aggravated endangering a child, according to the District Attorney's office.

On March 16, police responded to a call of a shooting at an apartment in the 3700 block of E Ross Parkway, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses. The caller reported that someone had been shot and that a child was bleeding.

When officers arrived, they found 7-year-old Davion Gunter suffering from a gunshot wound to his torso. Davion was transported to a local hospital, where he was&nbsp; pronounced deceased.

At the scene, officers found seven other children and multiple adults. Wichita Police homicide investigators and the Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit responded immediately, conducting interviews and gathered evidence.

Police took Dillard into custody and the children were placed in protective care. Dillard remains jailed on bonds totaling over $500,000, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742206494454.png" alt="Dillard photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Dillard photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas woman accused in the death of a 7-year-old boy returned to court on Thursday.Tasha Diane Dillard, 25, Wichita, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and aggravated child endangerment in Judge William Woolley's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; She had been scheduled to face a trial starting on September 15.Dillard had originally been charged with 1st degree murder and 7 counts of aggravated endangering a child, according to the District Attorney's office.---------SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas woman accused in the death of a 7-year-old boy is due back in court Thursday.&nbsp;Tasha Diane Dillard, 25, Wichita, will attend a plea hearing in Judge William Woolley's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; She had been scheduled to face a trial starting on September 15.Dillard has been charged with 1st degree murder and 7 counts of aggravated endangering a child, according to the District Attorney's office.On March 16, police responded to a call of a shooting at an apartment in the 3700 block of E Ross Parkway, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses. The caller reported that someone had been shot and that a child was bleeding.When officers arrived, they found 7-year-old Davion Gunter suffering from a gunshot wound to his torso. Davion was transported to a local hospital, where he was&nbsp; pronounced deceased.At the scene, officers found seven other children and multiple adults. Wichita Police homicide investigators and the Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit responded immediately, conducting interviews and gathered evidence.Police took Dillard into custody and the children were placed in protective care. Dillard remains jailed on bonds totaling over $500,000, according to online jail records.

Plea hearing for Kansas woman in death of 7-year-old boy

The Kansas Highway Patrol on Wednesday responded to reports of confusion over a personal social media post by a State Trooper. The KHP wrote, "The KHP is aware of a social media post by an employee who appears to be either soliciting or accepting donations in furtherance of personal travel."

On his private social media page Monday, KHP Trooper Ben Gardner wrote that he was driving his Jeep back and forth to Michigan and using a lot of gas. He wrote, "folks had already reached out, so he shared ways that others could help."

Not everyone believed the post was actually from beloved Trooper Ben.

The Kansas Highway Patrol responded, "Because the employee's private posts are often difficult to distinguish from their professional posts, the messages can be confusing and are neither approved by nor associated with KHP business."

The Kansas Highway Patrol on Wednesday responded to reports of confusion over a personal social media post by a State Trooper. The KHP wrote, "The KHP is aware of a social media post by an employee who appears to be either soliciting or accepting donations in furtherance of personal travel."On his private social media page Monday, KHP Trooper Ben Gardner wrote that he was driving his Jeep back and forth to Michigan and using a lot of gas. He wrote, "folks had already reached out, so he shared ways that others could help."<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FTrooperBenKS%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02nBTzcurRD3DytfPsNhT5Yh5sSqSqv8EYqtYbJtBB2McqwxaEQkTRinUuctd6FBN6l&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="698" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Not everyone believed the post was actually from beloved Trooper Ben.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756989004553.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Highway Patrol responded, "Because the employee's private posts are often difficult to distinguish from their professional posts, the messages can be confusing and are neither approved by nor associated with KHP business."<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FTrooperBenKS%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02K9KPVZySupyerHHWof5rEEGXfajoz3t8zGkpVSrUtpGtACevpWNNVFZ93AvqsfNjl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="737" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>

KHP responds after confusion over personal post by State Trooper

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating another mass shooting in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just before 9p.m. Wednesday, emergency crews&nbsp;responded to reports of a shooting in the area of Harrison Street and Armour Boulevard, according to KC Fire Department Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.

Emergency crews encountered 4 gunshot victims.&nbsp;All four patients were transported to area hospitals. 3 of the patients were in critical condition and 1 was in stable condition, according to Riley.

Police have not released ages of those injured or additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756983477251.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating another mass shooting in Kansas City, Missouri.Just before 9p.m. Wednesday, emergency crews&nbsp;responded to reports of a shooting in the area of Harrison Street and Armour Boulevard, according to KC Fire Department Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.Emergency crews encountered 4 gunshot victims.&nbsp;All four patients were transported to area hospitals. 3 of the patients were in critical condition and 1 was in stable condition, according to Riley.Police have not released ages of those injured or additional details.

Police investigating another mass shooting in Kansas City

MCPHERSON COUNTY —A dangerous storm with very large hail up to baseball size and damaging winds up 70mph moved through portions of central and southeastern Kansas Wednesday evening.

Baseball size hail was reported in portions of Saline County northwest of Smolan; Marion County near Lost Springs; McPherson County near Moundridge; Harvy County near Halstead and in portions of Wichita, according to the National Weather Service.

&nbsp;Elyria Christian School in McPherson is closed Thursday due to the storm damage and some of the sports activities were postponed. On social media the school wrote, 'while there is damage, we are so thankful for the many hands that showed up to help clean up the outside."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756980514589.png" alt="Clean up after Wednesday night storm -photo courtesy Elyria Christian School&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Clean up after Wednesday night storm -photo courtesy Elyria Christian School&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>MCPHERSON COUNTY —A dangerous storm with very large hail up to baseball size and damaging winds up 70mph moved through portions of central and southeastern Kansas Wednesday evening.Baseball size hail was reported in portions of Saline County northwest of Smolan; Marion County near Lost Springs; McPherson County near Moundridge; Harvy County near Halstead and in portions of Wichita, according to the National Weather Service.&nbsp;Elyria Christian School in McPherson is closed Thursday due to the storm damage and some of the sports activities were postponed. On social media the school wrote, 'while there is damage, we are so thankful for the many hands that showed up to help clean up the outside."

Late summer storm brought large hail to portions of Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration took the fight over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-court-ruling-trade-1c5a02ad38597c3629eff5977490813a">tariffs</a>&nbsp;to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, asking the justices to rule quickly that the president has the power to impose sweeping import taxes under federal law.

The government called on the court to reverse an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-appeals-court-b714cfc8dff51289b1d5291f46d71f3f">appeals court ruling</a>&nbsp;that found most of President Donald Trump’s tariffs are an illegal use of an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R45618">emergency powers law</a>.

It's the latest in a series of Trump administration appeals to a Supreme Court he helped shape, and one that is expected to put a centerpiece of the president's trade policy before the justices.

<a href="https://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/opinions-orders/25-1812.OPINION.8-29-2025_2566151.pdf">The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit</a>&nbsp;left the tariffs in place for now, but the administration nevertheless called on the high court to intervene quickly in a petition filed electronically late Wednesday and provided to The Associated Press. It was expected to be formally docketed on Thursday.

Solicitor General D. John Sauer asked the justices to take up the case and hear arguments in early November.

“That decision casts a pall of uncertainty upon ongoing foreign negotiations that the President has been pursuing through tariffs over the past five months, jeopardizing both already negotiated framework deals and ongoing negotiations,” he wrote. “The stakes in this case could not be higher.”

But the stakes are also high for small businesses battered by tariffs and uncertainty, said Jeffrey Schwab, senior counsel and director of litigation at the Liberty Justice Center.

“These unlawful tariffs are inflicting serious harm on small businesses and jeopardizing their survival. We hope for a prompt resolution of this case for our clients,” he said.

The businesses have twice prevailed, once at a federal court focused on trade and again with the appeals court's 7-4 ruling.

Their lawsuit is one of several challenging the tariffs and erratic rollout that have shaken global markets, alienated U.S. trading partners and allies and raised fears of higher prices and slower economic growth.

But Trump has also used the levies to pressure the European Union, Japan and other countries into accepting new trade deals. Revenue from tariffs totaled $159 billion by late August, more than double what it was at the same point the year before.

Most judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit found the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, did not let Trump usurp congressional power to set tariffs. The dissenters, though, said the law does allow the president to regulate importation during emergencies without explicit limitations.

The ruling involves two sets of import taxes, both of which Trump justified by declaring a national emergency:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-liberation-day-2a031b3c16120a5672a6ddd01da09933">the tariffs first announced in April</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-trade-china-mexico-canada-inflation-753a09d56cd318f2eb1d2efe3c43b7d4">ones from February</a>&nbsp;on imports from Canada, China and Mexico.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743626000304.png" alt="file&nbsp; President Trump announced this tariff plan -photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>file&nbsp; President Trump announced this tariff plan -photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration took the fight over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-court-ruling-trade-1c5a02ad38597c3629eff5977490813a">tariffs</a>&nbsp;to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, asking the justices to rule quickly that the president has the power to impose sweeping import taxes under federal law.The government called on the court to reverse an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-appeals-court-b714cfc8dff51289b1d5291f46d71f3f">appeals court ruling</a>&nbsp;that found most of President Donald Trump’s tariffs are an illegal use of an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R45618">emergency powers law</a>.It's the latest in a series of Trump administration appeals to a Supreme Court he helped shape, and one that is expected to put a centerpiece of the president's trade policy before the justices.<a href="https://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/opinions-orders/25-1812.OPINION.8-29-2025_2566151.pdf">The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit</a>&nbsp;left the tariffs in place for now, but the administration nevertheless called on the high court to intervene quickly in a petition filed electronically late Wednesday and provided to The Associated Press. It was expected to be formally docketed on Thursday.Solicitor General D. John Sauer asked the justices to take up the case and hear arguments in early November.“That decision casts a pall of uncertainty upon ongoing foreign negotiations that the President has been pursuing through tariffs over the past five months, jeopardizing both already negotiated framework deals and ongoing negotiations,” he wrote. “The stakes in this case could not be higher.”But the stakes are also high for small businesses battered by tariffs and uncertainty, said Jeffrey Schwab, senior counsel and director of litigation at the Liberty Justice Center.“These unlawful tariffs are inflicting serious harm on small businesses and jeopardizing their survival. We hope for a prompt resolution of this case for our clients,” he said.The businesses have twice prevailed, once at a federal court focused on trade and again with the appeals court's 7-4 ruling.Their lawsuit is one of several challenging the tariffs and erratic rollout that have shaken global markets, alienated U.S. trading partners and allies and raised fears of higher prices and slower economic growth.But Trump has also used the levies to pressure the European Union, Japan and other countries into accepting new trade deals. Revenue from tariffs totaled $159 billion by late August, more than double what it was at the same point the year before.Most judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit found the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, did not let Trump usurp congressional power to set tariffs. The dissenters, though, said the law does allow the president to regulate importation during emergencies without explicit limitations.The ruling involves two sets of import taxes, both of which Trump justified by declaring a national emergency:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-liberation-day-2a031b3c16120a5672a6ddd01da09933">the tariffs first announced in April</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-trade-china-mexico-canada-inflation-753a09d56cd318f2eb1d2efe3c43b7d4">ones from February</a>&nbsp;on imports from Canada, China and Mexico.The Constitution gives Congress the power to impose taxes, including tariffs. But over the decades, lawmakers have ceded authority to the president, and Trump has made the most of the power vacuum.Some Trump tariffs, including levies on foreign steel, aluminum and autos, weren’t covered by the appeals court ruling. It also does not include tariffs Trump imposed on China in his first term that were kept by Democratic President Joe Biden.Trump can impose tariffs under other laws, but those have more limitations on the speed and severity with which he could act.The government has argued that if the tariffs are struck down, it might have to refund some of the import taxes that it’s collected, delivering a financial blow to the U.S. Treasury.