New survey shows rise in problem gambling

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</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 Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas legislators are considering changes to the way the state taxes sports gambling after receiving less than a 1% cut on more than $2.7 billion in bets in the past fiscal year.

As the expiration dates for contracts between the state and sports wager operators draw nearer, Kansas is confronting an increasingly complex and more profitable gambling climate than when it first legalized sports betting in 2022.

During the 2025 session, the Legislature implemented&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/04/17/last-minute-moratorium-on-kansas-sports-betting-contract-negotiations-provokes-uncertainty/">a last-minute moratorium</a>&nbsp;on the state approving any contract renewals for online sportsbooks. A hearing Monday was the first public discussion of potential changes to Kansas’ sportsbook market since then.

Legislators toyed with the idea of rejiggering the formula that dictates the allocation of sports betting revenues at a Monday hearing in Topeka. Of the $2.7 billion in wagering revenue in fiscal year 2025, which began in July 2024 and ended in June, Kansas retained about $17 million, or 0.6%, according to state data.

Lawmakers also considered changing the way book operators reach customers.

John Pappas, the state advocacy director for iDevelopment and Economic Association, a national trade group for mobile sportsbook operators and technology providers, said during the hearing that Kansas’ model is a success story.

But Rep. Francis Awerkamp, a Republican from St. Marys, said he struggled to accept that notion.

“I guess we represent different people, right?” he said to Pappas. “ You have your clients. I have the people of my district. The people of Kansas.”

In ranking sports wagering tax revenue per $1 million wagered since inception, Kansas ranks 29 out of 33 states.

“This is absolute failure from my perspective,” Awerkamp said.

“What am I not seeing?” he added. “How can you say that this is a success story when we’re basically one of the worst states in the country?”

Pappas said the answer is simple. Success is based on the size of Kansas’ market. For a small population, Kansas’ sports betting revenues are disproportionately large. In Awerkamp’s eyes, the problem is that the revenues are only taxed at 10%.

Six states and Washington, D.C., set different tax rates for online and retail sports betting. Kansas is one of 11 states that tax online and retail sports betting at the same rate of 10% or less. New Hampshire, New York, Oregon and Rhode Island have the highest tax rates at 51%.

Kansans over the age of 21 can bet on more than 50 categories of live and virtual sports, from bull riding to baseball to chess. Casinos in Kansas are allowed to contract with sportsbook operators, of which there are currently six: BetMGM, Caesar’s, DraftKings, ESPNBet, FanDuel and Fanatics.

The 5-year contracts, which include retail and mobile betting, are set to expire around the same time in August 2027. Other states run their own books, or contract directly with book operators.

Existing sportsbook operators and Kansas casinos opposed a change to Kansas’ model. Some cautioned lawmakers about modifying business in Kansas while sportsbooks are expected to begin operating in neighboring states, including Missouri later this year.

Aaron Gomes, president of the parent company to Kansas Crossing Casino in Pittsburg, said in written testimony, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

The casino works with three book operators: Caesars, Fanatics and BetMGM.

“Untethering sports wagering from casinos would not only disrupt these partnerships — it would risk undermining the very institutions that have delivered economic value to Kansas,” said Gomes, who is the chief operating officer of the casino’s owner, Peninsula Pacific Entertainment.

Earlier in the hearing, in discussion with another casino representative, Awerkamp said the sole purpose of the Kansas Lottery is to generate revenue for the state to offset burdens on taxpayers.

“From my perspective, what’s happened is certain organizations have recognized a tremendous opportunity of essentially a constitutionally protected monopoly and tried to get in the process and take a cut,” he said.

The Kansas Lottery was established for the good of the people, Awerkamp said, not the good of the casinos.

Kansans’ attitudes toward gambling have evolved since the state legalized sports wagering, and problem gambling behaviors have escalated, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/committees/ctte_spc_2025_on_fed_and_st_aff_1/documents/testimony/20250922_12.pdf" target="_blank">2025 study</a>&nbsp;that surveyed more than 1,600 Kansas adults.

It was the first time the survey was conducted since 2017, and it recommended enhancing problem gambling messaging, improving state-funded treatment and gambling screening, regulating gambling advertising, and conducting statewide surveys more frequently.

Around 70% of survey respondents reported gambling, and 34% of respondents said they had gambled in the past month, an increase from 19% who reported gambling in 2017.

“The number of Kansans at moderate or high risk for problem gambling has more than tripled since 2017,” the survey found.

Almost everyone surveyed who was classified as high risk acknowledged they had a gambling problem. Many said gambling caused health, financial and relational problems. Substance use and mental health struggles were more likely for those in the high-risk category than those in the moderate and low-risk categories, the study said. Kansans are also less likely to use a gambling hotline than they were eight years ago.

More Kansans are citing their motivation for gambling as paying bills and escaping everyday problems. In 2017, 18% of survey respondents said they gamble to pay bills and 16% said they want to escape their problems. In 2025, those percentages rose to 38% and 35%. Still, between the two surveys, the top motivations remained entertainment and fun, to win money and excitement and challenge.

Around 37% of respondents reported placing a sports wager in 2025. Fewer than half of those surveyed viewed sports betting as entertainment that allows for reasonable gambling.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758822367620.png" alt="Photo Kansas Star Casino" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Star Casino</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>New survey shows rise in problem gambling</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</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 Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas legislators are considering changes to the way the state taxes sports gambling after receiving less than a 1% cut on more than $2.7 billion in bets in the past fiscal year.As the expiration dates for contracts between the state and sports wager operators draw nearer, Kansas is confronting an increasingly complex and more profitable gambling climate than when it first legalized sports betting in 2022.During the 2025 session, the Legislature implemented&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/04/17/last-minute-moratorium-on-kansas-sports-betting-contract-negotiations-provokes-uncertainty/">a last-minute moratorium</a>&nbsp;on the state approving any contract renewals for online sportsbooks. A hearing Monday was the first public discussion of potential changes to Kansas’ sportsbook market since then.Legislators toyed with the idea of rejiggering the formula that dictates the allocation of sports betting revenues at a Monday hearing in Topeka. Of the $2.7 billion in wagering revenue in fiscal year 2025, which began in July 2024 and ended in June, Kansas retained about $17 million, or 0.6%, according to state data.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758822343321.png" alt="Photo Boot Hill Casino" />
 <figcaption>Photo Boot Hill Casino</figcaption>
 </figure>Lawmakers also considered changing the way book operators reach customers.John Pappas, the state advocacy director for iDevelopment and Economic Association, a national trade group for mobile sportsbook operators and technology providers, said during the hearing that Kansas’ model is a success story.But Rep. Francis Awerkamp, a Republican from St. Marys, said he struggled to accept that notion.“I guess we represent different people, right?” he said to Pappas. “ You have your clients. I have the people of my district. The people of Kansas.”In ranking sports wagering tax revenue per $1 million wagered since inception, Kansas ranks 29 out of 33 states.“This is absolute failure from my perspective,” Awerkamp said.“What am I not seeing?” he added. “How can you say that this is a success story when we’re basically one of the worst states in the country?”Pappas said the answer is simple. Success is based on the size of Kansas’ market. For a small population, Kansas’ sports betting revenues are disproportionately large. In Awerkamp’s eyes, the problem is that the revenues are only taxed at 10%.Six states and Washington, D.C., set different tax rates for online and retail sports betting. Kansas is one of 11 states that tax online and retail sports betting at the same rate of 10% or less. New Hampshire, New York, Oregon and Rhode Island have the highest tax rates at 51%.Kansans over the age of 21 can bet on more than 50 categories of live and virtual sports, from bull riding to baseball to chess. Casinos in Kansas are allowed to contract with sportsbook operators, of which there are currently six: BetMGM, Caesar’s, DraftKings, ESPNBet, FanDuel and Fanatics.The 5-year contracts, which include retail and mobile betting, are set to expire around the same time in August 2027. Other states run their own books, or contract directly with book operators.Existing sportsbook operators and Kansas casinos opposed a change to Kansas’ model. Some cautioned lawmakers about modifying business in Kansas while sportsbooks are expected to begin operating in neighboring states, including Missouri later this year.Aaron Gomes, president of the parent company to Kansas Crossing Casino in Pittsburg, said in written testimony, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”The casino works with three book operators: Caesars, Fanatics and BetMGM.“Untethering sports wagering from casinos would not only disrupt these partnerships — it would risk undermining the very institutions that have delivered economic value to Kansas,” said Gomes, who is the chief operating officer of the casino’s owner, Peninsula Pacific Entertainment.Earlier in the hearing, in discussion with another casino representative, Awerkamp said the sole purpose of the Kansas Lottery is to generate revenue for the state to offset burdens on taxpayers.“From my perspective, what’s happened is certain organizations have recognized a tremendous opportunity of essentially a constitutionally protected monopoly and tried to get in the process and take a cut,” he said.The Kansas Lottery was established for the good of the people, Awerkamp said, not the good of the casinos.<h2>Raising the stakes</h2>Kansans’ attitudes toward gambling have evolved since the state legalized sports wagering, and problem gambling behaviors have escalated, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/committees/ctte_spc_2025_on_fed_and_st_aff_1/documents/testimony/20250922_12.pdf" target="_blank">2025 study</a>&nbsp;that surveyed more than 1,600 Kansas adults.It was the first time the survey was conducted since 2017, and it recommended enhancing problem gambling messaging, improving state-funded treatment and gambling screening, regulating gambling advertising, and conducting statewide surveys more frequently.Around 70% of survey respondents reported gambling, and 34% of respondents said they had gambled in the past month, an increase from 19% who reported gambling in 2017.“The number of Kansans at moderate or high risk for problem gambling has more than tripled since 2017,” the survey found.Almost everyone surveyed who was classified as high risk acknowledged they had a gambling problem. Many said gambling caused health, financial and relational problems. Substance use and mental health struggles were more likely for those in the high-risk category than those in the moderate and low-risk categories, the study said. Kansans are also less likely to use a gambling hotline than they were eight years ago.More Kansans are citing their motivation for gambling as paying bills and escaping everyday problems. In 2017, 18% of survey respondents said they gamble to pay bills and 16% said they want to escape their problems. In 2025, those percentages rose to 38% and 35%. Still, between the two surveys, the top motivations remained entertainment and fun, to win money and excitement and challenge.Around 37% of respondents reported placing a sports wager in 2025. Fewer than half of those surveyed viewed sports betting as entertainment that allows for reasonable gambling.

Kansas legislators look for bigger payout from sportsbooks with contracts set to expire

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has summoned the military's top officers — hundreds of generals and admirals — to a base in northern Virginia for a sudden meeting next week, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The directive did not offer a reason for the gathering Tuesday of senior commanders of the one-star rank or higher and their top advisers at the Marine Corps base in Quantico. The people, who described the move as unusual, were not authorized to publicly discuss the sensitive plans and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Pentagon's top spokesman, Sean Parnell, confirmed that Hegseth "will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week.”

Across the military, there are 800 generals and admirals of all ranks. Many command thousands of service members and are stationed across the world in more than a dozen countries and time zones.

The meeting, first reported by The Washington Post, comes on the heels of several unusual and unexplained actions that Hegseth has taken involving military leaders.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-pentagon-cuts-dd2107dff617951b0edf6ca86074d836">In May, Hegseth ordered</a>&nbsp;that the military cut 20% of its four-star general officers, directed an additional 10% cut from all general and flag officers across the force, and told the National Guard to shed 20% of its top positions.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-brown-joint-chiefs-of-staff-firing-fa428cc1508a583b3bf5e7a5a58f6acf">In February, Hegseth fired</a>&nbsp;Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy's top officer, and Gen. James Slife, the Air Force's second highest officer, without explanation. He also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-hegseth-firing-chairman-lawyers-6bead3346b1210e45e77648e6cbc3599">relieved the military's top lawyers</a>.

Since then, Hegseth has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-hegseth-trump-dei-chatfield-nato-23df15b59766458d106567ba782d2f15">fired other military leaders</a>&nbsp;without saying why. Most recently it was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-dia-iran-intelligence-trump-kruse-5cb1fb89b8f12c3b517f139f6d840b48">a general</a>&nbsp;who led a military intelligence agency whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-program-military-strikes-trump-f0fc085a2605e7da3e2f47ff9ac0e01d">initial assessment</a>&nbsp;of U.S. damage to Iranian nuclear sites in American strikes angered President Donald Trump.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758823087918.png" alt="File Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth- photo CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth- photo CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has summoned the military's top officers — hundreds of generals and admirals — to a base in northern Virginia for a sudden meeting next week, according to two people familiar with the matter.The directive did not offer a reason for the gathering Tuesday of senior commanders of the one-star rank or higher and their top advisers at the Marine Corps base in Quantico. The people, who described the move as unusual, were not authorized to publicly discuss the sensitive plans and spoke on condition of anonymity.The Pentagon's top spokesman, Sean Parnell, confirmed that Hegseth "will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week.”Across the military, there are 800 generals and admirals of all ranks. Many command thousands of service members and are stationed across the world in more than a dozen countries and time zones.The meeting, first reported by The Washington Post, comes on the heels of several unusual and unexplained actions that Hegseth has taken involving military leaders.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-pentagon-cuts-dd2107dff617951b0edf6ca86074d836">In May, Hegseth ordered</a>&nbsp;that the military cut 20% of its four-star general officers, directed an additional 10% cut from all general and flag officers across the force, and told the National Guard to shed 20% of its top positions.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-brown-joint-chiefs-of-staff-firing-fa428cc1508a583b3bf5e7a5a58f6acf">In February, Hegseth fired</a>&nbsp;Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy's top officer, and Gen. James Slife, the Air Force's second highest officer, without explanation. He also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-hegseth-firing-chairman-lawyers-6bead3346b1210e45e77648e6cbc3599">relieved the military's top lawyers</a>.Since then, Hegseth has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-hegseth-trump-dei-chatfield-nato-23df15b59766458d106567ba782d2f15">fired other military leaders</a>&nbsp;without saying why. Most recently it was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-dia-iran-intelligence-trump-kruse-5cb1fb89b8f12c3b517f139f6d840b48">a general</a>&nbsp;who led a military intelligence agency whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-program-military-strikes-trump-f0fc085a2605e7da3e2f47ff9ac0e01d">initial assessment</a>&nbsp;of U.S. damage to Iranian nuclear sites in American strikes angered President Donald Trump.

Hegseth abruptly summons top military commanders to a meeting 

DENVER (AP) — A jury has awarded $205 million to the parents of a 6-year-old girl&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-caves-glenwood-springs-ff78e3ea77521d20115409f6eadb4cc1">who fell to her death</a>&nbsp;at a Colorado amusement park after she wasn't strapped in to a ride.

The verdict was reached Friday in Glenwood Springs, where Wongel Estifanos fell about 100 feet (30 meters) to her death on the Haunted Mine Drop ride at the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in 2021.

The floor drops out from underneath riders, who plunge down a mine shaft strapped to their seats.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-colorado-caves-d834535c3cb33dd02cbc8db6ff486772">State investigators found</a>&nbsp;Estifanos was sitting on top of two seat belts instead of wearing them across her lap, and two newly hired operators never noticed despite doing checks. Investigators also found that an alarm system warned of a problem, but one of the workers reset the system and started the ride because they weren’t trained well enough to know what to do about it.

Jurors found the amusement park, the maker of the ride and two operators should pay the verdict, with the park responsible for paying most of it, according to court documents.

In a statement to The Denver Post, Glenwood Caverns spokesperson Kimberly Marcum said the park worked with independent engineers to redesign the ride after Estifanos’ death. She also said the verdict puts the park's existence “at serious risk.”

Marcum did not immediately return a telephone call or email from The Associated Press on Wednesday asking whether the park planned to appeal the verdict.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758744769100.png" alt="Wongel Estifanos - courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Wongel Estifanos - courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — A jury has awarded $205 million to the parents of a 6-year-old girl&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-caves-glenwood-springs-ff78e3ea77521d20115409f6eadb4cc1">who fell to her death</a>&nbsp;at a Colorado amusement park after she wasn't strapped in to a ride.The verdict was reached Friday in Glenwood Springs, where Wongel Estifanos fell about 100 feet (30 meters) to her death on the Haunted Mine Drop ride at the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in 2021.The floor drops out from underneath riders, who plunge down a mine shaft strapped to their seats.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-colorado-caves-d834535c3cb33dd02cbc8db6ff486772">State investigators found</a>&nbsp;Estifanos was sitting on top of two seat belts instead of wearing them across her lap, and two newly hired operators never noticed despite doing checks. Investigators also found that an alarm system warned of a problem, but one of the workers reset the system and started the ride because they weren’t trained well enough to know what to do about it.Jurors found the amusement park, the maker of the ride and two operators should pay the verdict, with the park responsible for paying most of it, according to court documents.In a statement to The Denver Post, Glenwood Caverns spokesperson Kimberly Marcum said the park worked with independent engineers to redesign the ride after Estifanos’ death. She also said the verdict puts the park's existence “at serious risk.”Marcum did not immediately return a telephone call or email from The Associated Press on Wednesday asking whether the park planned to appeal the verdict.

Family awarded millions after girl fell to her death from theme park ride

Starbucks said Thursday it's closing hundreds of U.S. and Canadian stores and laying off 900 nonretail employees as it focuses more of its resources on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-third-quarter-earnings-protein-drink-533edb1a204c2048d649d794e38ad303">turnaround</a>.

The Seattle coffee giant said store closures would start immediately. The company wouldn't give a number of stores that are closing, but it said it expects to have 18,300 North American locations when its fiscal year ends on Sunday, which is 124 fewer than it had at the end of its 2024 fiscal year. As of June 29, the company had 18,734 locations.

Starbucks said workers in its stores will be offered transfers to other locations where possible and severance packages.

Starbucks said it will notify nonretail employees whose positions are being eliminated early Friday. Starbucks asked employees who can work from home to do so on Thursday and Friday.

In a letter sent to employees Thursday, Starbucks Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol said a review of the company's stores identified locations where the company doesn't see a path to financial stability or isn't able to create the physical environment customers expect. Those stores are being closed.

“Each year, we open and close coffeehouses for a variety of reasons, from financial performance to lease expirations,” Niccol wrote. “This is a more significant action that we understand will impact partners and customers. Our coffeehouses are centers of the community, and closing any location is difficult.”

Starbucks said it expects to spend $1 billion on the restructuring, including $150 million on employee separation benefits and $850 million related to the physical store closing and the cost of exiting leases.

Starbucks shares were down less than 1% in morning trading Thursday.

It was not immediately clear how many of the stores that are closing are unionized. Workers at 650 company-owned U.S. Starbucks stores have voted to unionize since 2021, but they have yet to reach a contract agreement with the company.

Starbucks Workers United, the labor group organizing workers, said Thursday that the closures were made without input from Starbucks' baristas. The union said it intends to engage in bargaining at every union-represented store that is closing to ensure workers can be placed at another store they prefer.

“Fixing what’s broken at Starbucks isn’t possible without centering the people who engage with the company’s customers day in and day out,” the union said.

News of the store closures came just over a week after unionized employees in three states&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-dress-code-lawsuits-union-9d1eff89242d00f65d459d8a393f409a">sued Starbucks</a>&nbsp;over its new dress code, saying the company refused to reimburse workers who had to buy new clothes.

Starbucks said it used a consistent set of criteria to determine the stores that are closing and union representation wasn't a factor.

It’s rare for Starbucks to shrink its store count during a fiscal year.

Niccol said Starbucks plans to increase its North American store count in its next fiscal year. The company said it also plans to redesign more than 1,000 locations in the next 12 months to give them a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-ceo-niccol-coffee-b547ab2141e194b30675ad8d1caff90d">warmer, more welcoming feel</a>.

This is the second big round of layoffs at Starbucks this year. In February, Niccol&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-layoffs-corporate-ac4110200335139836c6b370d864313c">announced the layoffs</a>&nbsp;of 1,100 corporate employees globally and eliminated several hundred open positions. At the time, Niccol said Starbucks needed to operate more efficiently and increase accountability for decisions.

Niccol is a turnaround specialist who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-ceo-brian-niccol-f2b918d9862a329d7f0ba3373ebbc444">brought into Starbucks</a>&nbsp;a year ago this month to give the brand a jolt. Under Niccol's leadership, the struggling Chipotle chain, where Niccol was CEO for about 6 years, essentially doubled its revenue and its profit, and its stock price soared.

In July, Starbucks reported its sixth straight quarter of lower same-store sales, as weak U.S. traffic continued to be a drain on the company. Niccol is trying to turn that around by adding staff, making stores cozier and introducing software that helps prioritize orders and make sure customers can get their drink within four minutes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736805731004.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business WriterStarbucks said Thursday it's closing hundreds of U.S. and Canadian stores and laying off 900 nonretail employees as it focuses more of its resources on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-third-quarter-earnings-protein-drink-533edb1a204c2048d649d794e38ad303">turnaround</a>.The Seattle coffee giant said store closures would start immediately. The company wouldn't give a number of stores that are closing, but it said it expects to have 18,300 North American locations when its fiscal year ends on Sunday, which is 124 fewer than it had at the end of its 2024 fiscal year. As of June 29, the company had 18,734 locations.Starbucks said workers in its stores will be offered transfers to other locations where possible and severance packages.Starbucks said it will notify nonretail employees whose positions are being eliminated early Friday. Starbucks asked employees who can work from home to do so on Thursday and Friday.In a letter sent to employees Thursday, Starbucks Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol said a review of the company's stores identified locations where the company doesn't see a path to financial stability or isn't able to create the physical environment customers expect. Those stores are being closed.“Each year, we open and close coffeehouses for a variety of reasons, from financial performance to lease expirations,” Niccol wrote. “This is a more significant action that we understand will impact partners and customers. Our coffeehouses are centers of the community, and closing any location is difficult.”Starbucks said it expects to spend $1 billion on the restructuring, including $150 million on employee separation benefits and $850 million related to the physical store closing and the cost of exiting leases.Starbucks shares were down less than 1% in morning trading Thursday.It was not immediately clear how many of the stores that are closing are unionized. Workers at 650 company-owned U.S. Starbucks stores have voted to unionize since 2021, but they have yet to reach a contract agreement with the company.Starbucks Workers United, the labor group organizing workers, said Thursday that the closures were made without input from Starbucks' baristas. The union said it intends to engage in bargaining at every union-represented store that is closing to ensure workers can be placed at another store they prefer.“Fixing what’s broken at Starbucks isn’t possible without centering the people who engage with the company’s customers day in and day out,” the union said.News of the store closures came just over a week after unionized employees in three states&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-dress-code-lawsuits-union-9d1eff89242d00f65d459d8a393f409a">sued Starbucks</a>&nbsp;over its new dress code, saying the company refused to reimburse workers who had to buy new clothes.Starbucks said it used a consistent set of criteria to determine the stores that are closing and union representation wasn't a factor.It’s rare for Starbucks to shrink its store count during a fiscal year.Niccol said Starbucks plans to increase its North American store count in its next fiscal year. The company said it also plans to redesign more than 1,000 locations in the next 12 months to give them a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-ceo-niccol-coffee-b547ab2141e194b30675ad8d1caff90d">warmer, more welcoming feel</a>.This is the second big round of layoffs at Starbucks this year. In February, Niccol&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-layoffs-corporate-ac4110200335139836c6b370d864313c">announced the layoffs</a>&nbsp;of 1,100 corporate employees globally and eliminated several hundred open positions. At the time, Niccol said Starbucks needed to operate more efficiently and increase accountability for decisions.Niccol is a turnaround specialist who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-ceo-brian-niccol-f2b918d9862a329d7f0ba3373ebbc444">brought into Starbucks</a>&nbsp;a year ago this month to give the brand a jolt. Under Niccol's leadership, the struggling Chipotle chain, where Niccol was CEO for about 6 years, essentially doubled its revenue and its profit, and its stock price soared.In July, Starbucks reported its sixth straight quarter of lower same-store sales, as weak U.S. traffic continued to be a drain on the company. Niccol is trying to turn that around by adding staff, making stores cozier and introducing software that helps prioritize orders and make sure customers can get their drink within four minutes.

Starbucks to close hundreds of stores, lay off workers 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man injured in a fatal fight on July 4, will return to court on Thursday.

&nbsp;Eduardo Diaz-Yobal, 33, will face a preliminary hearing in Judge Christopher Magana's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick District Attorney's office. Diaz-Yobal is charged with first-degree murder in&nbsp;the death of 33-year-old Cesar Gonzalez.

Early on July 4, police responded to a report of an assault in the 3000 block of North Fairview in Wichita, according to a media release from Wichita Police. A caller reported witnessing a man attacking another man. The victim was later identified as Gonzalez of Wichita.&nbsp;

Before officers arrived, the suspect fled the scene. Officers found Gonzalez unresponsive in the parking lot. Sedgwick County EMS transported him to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased at 1:54 a.m.

Officers located the suspect identified as<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/inmatesearch/Details.aspx?Id=254855">&nbsp;Diaz-Yobal, 33, of Wichita,</a>&nbsp;in the 300 block of W. 29th Street and took him into custody without incident.

Diaz-Yobal had injuries consistent with the altercation and was admitted to an area hospital for treatment, released and then booked into the Sedgwick County Jail where he is being on bond of over&nbsp;&nbsp;$1,500,000.00, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751715135638.png" alt="DIAZ-YOBAL-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>DIAZ-YOBAL-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man injured in a fatal fight on July 4, will return to court on Thursday.&nbsp;Eduardo Diaz-Yobal, 33, will face a preliminary hearing in Judge Christopher Magana's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick District Attorney's office. Diaz-Yobal is charged with first-degree murder in&nbsp;the death of 33-year-old Cesar Gonzalez.Early on July 4, police responded to a report of an assault in the 3000 block of North Fairview in Wichita, according to a media release from Wichita Police. A caller reported witnessing a man attacking another man. The victim was later identified as Gonzalez of Wichita.&nbsp;Before officers arrived, the suspect fled the scene. Officers found Gonzalez unresponsive in the parking lot. Sedgwick County EMS transported him to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased at 1:54 a.m.Officers located the suspect identified as<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/inmatesearch/Details.aspx?Id=254855">&nbsp;Diaz-Yobal, 33, of Wichita,</a>&nbsp;in the 300 block of W. 29th Street and took him into custody without incident.Diaz-Yobal had injuries consistent with the altercation and was admitted to an area hospital for treatment, released and then booked into the Sedgwick County Jail where he is being on bond of over&nbsp;&nbsp;$1,500,000.00, according to online jail records.

Kansas man faces hearing for deadly 4th of July fight

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/seung-min-kim">SEUNG MIN KIM</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is telling agencies to prepare large-scale firings of federal workers if the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-trump-funding-bill-republicans-shutdown-1fea0f79c85ec69b91d9789fbda00834">government shuts down</a>&nbsp;next week.

In a memo released Wednesday night, the Office of Management and Budget said agencies should consider a reduction in force for federal programs whose funding would lapse next week, is not otherwise funded and is “not consistent with the President’s priorities.” That would be a much more aggressive step than in previous shutdowns, when federal workers not deemed essential were furloughed but returned to their jobs once Congress approved government spending.

A reduction in force would not only lay off employees but eliminate their positions, which would trigger yet another massive upheaval in a federal workforce that has already faced major rounds of cuts this year due to efforts from the Department of Government Efficiency and elsewhere in the Trump administration.

Once any potential government shutdown ends, agencies are asked to revise their reduction in force plans “as needed to retain the minimal number of employees necessary to carry out statutory functions,” according to the memo, which was first reported by Politico.

This move from OMB significantly increases the consequences of a potential government shutdown next week and escalates pressure on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-government-shutdown-schumer-jeffries-meeting-8b1726435066403bf6b9fe4e4fffc029">Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries</a>. The two leaders have kept nearly all of their Democratic lawmakers united against a clean funding bill pushed by President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans that would keep the federal government operating for seven more weeks, demanding immediate improvements to health care in exchange for their votes.

In statements issued shortly after the memo was released, the two Democrats showed no signs of budging.

“We will not be intimidated by your threat to engage in mass firings,” Jeffries wrote in a post on X. “Get lost.”

Jeffries called Russ Vought, the head of OMB, a “malignant political hack.”

Schumer said in a statement that the OMB memo is an “attempt at intimidation” and predicted the “unnecessary firings will either be overturned in court or the administration will end up hiring the workers back.”

OMB noted that it held its first planning call with other federal agencies earlier this week to plan for a shutdown. The budget office plays point in managing federal government shutdowns, particularly planning for them ahead of time. Past budget offices have also posted shutdown contingency plans — which would outline which agency workers would stay on the job during a government shutdown and which would be furloughed — on its website, but&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/information-resources/guidance/agency-contingency-plans/" target="_blank">this one has not</a>.

The memo noted that congressional Democrats are refusing to support a clean government funding bill “due to their partisan demands,” which include an extension of enhanced health insurance subsidies set to expire at the end of the year, plus a reversal of Medicaid cuts that were included in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-republican-trump-tax-bill-f65be44e1050431a601320197322551b">Republicans’ big tax and spending cuts law.</a>

“As such, it has never been more important for the Administration to be prepared for a shutdown if the Democrats choose to pursue one,” the memo reads, which also notes that the GOP’s signature law, a major tax and border spending package, gives “ample resources to ensure that many core Trump Administration priorities will continue uninterrupted.”

OMB noted that it had asked all agencies to submit their plans in case of a government shutdown by Aug. 1.

“OMB has received many, but not all, of your submissions,” it added. “Please send us your updated lapse plans ASAP.”

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/seung-min-kim">SEUNG MIN KIM</a>WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is telling agencies to prepare large-scale firings of federal workers if the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-trump-funding-bill-republicans-shutdown-1fea0f79c85ec69b91d9789fbda00834">government shuts down</a>&nbsp;next week.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758805389171.png" alt="Image OMB" />
 <figcaption>Image OMB</figcaption>
 </figure>In a memo released Wednesday night, the Office of Management and Budget said agencies should consider a reduction in force for federal programs whose funding would lapse next week, is not otherwise funded and is “not consistent with the President’s priorities.” That would be a much more aggressive step than in previous shutdowns, when federal workers not deemed essential were furloughed but returned to their jobs once Congress approved government spending.A reduction in force would not only lay off employees but eliminate their positions, which would trigger yet another massive upheaval in a federal workforce that has already faced major rounds of cuts this year due to efforts from the Department of Government Efficiency and elsewhere in the Trump administration.Once any potential government shutdown ends, agencies are asked to revise their reduction in force plans “as needed to retain the minimal number of employees necessary to carry out statutory functions,” according to the memo, which was first reported by Politico.This move from OMB significantly increases the consequences of a potential government shutdown next week and escalates pressure on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-government-shutdown-schumer-jeffries-meeting-8b1726435066403bf6b9fe4e4fffc029">Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries</a>. The two leaders have kept nearly all of their Democratic lawmakers united against a clean funding bill pushed by President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans that would keep the federal government operating for seven more weeks, demanding immediate improvements to health care in exchange for their votes.In statements issued shortly after the memo was released, the two Democrats showed no signs of budging.“We will not be intimidated by your threat to engage in mass firings,” Jeffries wrote in a post on X. “Get lost.”Jeffries called Russ Vought, the head of OMB, a “malignant political hack.”Schumer said in a statement that the OMB memo is an “attempt at intimidation” and predicted the “unnecessary firings will either be overturned in court or the administration will end up hiring the workers back.”OMB noted that it held its first planning call with other federal agencies earlier this week to plan for a shutdown. The budget office plays point in managing federal government shutdowns, particularly planning for them ahead of time. Past budget offices have also posted shutdown contingency plans — which would outline which agency workers would stay on the job during a government shutdown and which would be furloughed — on its website, but&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/information-resources/guidance/agency-contingency-plans/" target="_blank">this one has not</a>.The memo noted that congressional Democrats are refusing to support a clean government funding bill “due to their partisan demands,” which include an extension of enhanced health insurance subsidies set to expire at the end of the year, plus a reversal of Medicaid cuts that were included in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-republican-trump-tax-bill-f65be44e1050431a601320197322551b">Republicans’ big tax and spending cuts law.</a>“As such, it has never been more important for the Administration to be prepared for a shutdown if the Democrats choose to pursue one,” the memo reads, which also notes that the GOP’s signature law, a major tax and border spending package, gives “ample resources to ensure that many core Trump Administration priorities will continue uninterrupted.”OMB noted that it had asked all agencies to submit their plans in case of a government shutdown by Aug. 1.“OMB has received many, but not all, of your submissions,” it added. “Please send us your updated lapse plans ASAP.”

Read the memo: OMB threatens mass firings if government shutdown hits

KANSAS CITY —Homicide detectives investigating a fatal fire in Kansas City have released the name of the victim as 44-year-old Robert Hill, according to KCPD Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez.

Just before 1a.m. September 19, the Kansas City Fire Department was dispatched to an apartment fire in the 4400 Block of Independence in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.

Crews discovered a victim, later identified as Hill and removed him from the apartment. He was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;

Fire crews notified Kansas City, Missouri police of the death. Detectives from Violent Crimes Division and Bomb and Arson then responded to the scene for a death investigation, according to KCPD Sergeant Jake Becchina.

&nbsp;Based on some of the evidence located at the scene the, medical examiner and detectives determined that Hill's death may not have been the result of natural causes or fire.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758311035022.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Homicide detectives investigating a fatal fire in Kansas City have released the name of the victim as 44-year-old Robert Hill, according to KCPD Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez.Just before 1a.m. September 19, the Kansas City Fire Department was dispatched to an apartment fire in the 4400 Block of Independence in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.Crews discovered a victim, later identified as Hill and removed him from the apartment. He was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;Fire crews notified Kansas City, Missouri police of the death. Detectives from Violent Crimes Division and Bomb and Arson then responded to the scene for a death investigation, according to KCPD Sergeant Jake Becchina.&nbsp;Based on some of the evidence located at the scene the, medical examiner and detectives determined that Hill's death may not have been the result of natural causes or fire.

Homicide: KCPD releases name of victim found in apartment fire

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A man accused in a fatal hit-and-run made his first court appearane this week.&nbsp;

Blaine L. Hughes, 21, Wichita, is charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just after 9 p.m. September 17, police were dispatched to the scene of a reported hit-and-run at the intersection of Murdock and Broadway in Wichita, according to a media release.&nbsp; First responders found 57-year-old Daniel Forshey lying in the roadway. Sedgwick County EMS arrived shortly after and pronounced Forshey dead at 9:11 p.m.

The Wichita Police Accident Follow-Up Unit interviewed witnesses and obtained video footage of the suspect vehicle. Initial investigations indicate that Forshey was riding his bicycle eastbound on Murdock when he was struck by a white 2006 Dodge Ram 1500.

After hitting Forshey, the suspect, later identified in the county booking report as Hughes drove into a Jump Start parking lot before fleeing southbound on Topeka.

In the early morning hours of September 18, patrol officers from the east bureau located the Hughes' truck and took him into custody without incident.

Hughes remains jailed on a $100,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758208031431.png" alt="Hughes photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Hughes photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A man accused in a fatal hit-and-run made his first court appearane this week.&nbsp;Blaine L. Hughes, 21, Wichita, is charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Just after 9 p.m. September 17, police were dispatched to the scene of a reported hit-and-run at the intersection of Murdock and Broadway in Wichita, according to a media release.&nbsp; First responders found 57-year-old Daniel Forshey lying in the roadway. Sedgwick County EMS arrived shortly after and pronounced Forshey dead at 9:11 p.m.The Wichita Police Accident Follow-Up Unit interviewed witnesses and obtained video footage of the suspect vehicle. Initial investigations indicate that Forshey was riding his bicycle eastbound on Murdock when he was struck by a white 2006 Dodge Ram 1500.After hitting Forshey, the suspect, later identified in the county booking report as Hughes drove into a Jump Start parking lot before fleeing southbound on Topeka.In the early morning hours of September 18, patrol officers from the east bureau located the Hughes' truck and took him into custody without incident.Hughes remains jailed on a $100,000 bond.

Suspect in crash that killed Kansas bicyclist faced a judge

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jimmy-kimmel">Jimmy Kimmel</a>&nbsp;is back on his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-career-e5d12c1f9512266753b52873db0dd62a">ABC late-night show</a>, but it's still a mystery when — or if — viewers in cities such as Washington, Seattle and St. Louis will be able to see him again on their televisions.

ABC stations owned by the Nexstar and Sinclair corporations took Kimmel off the air last week on the same day the network&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-a2bfa904429c318fe52e7d3493c6883d">suspended him</a>&nbsp;for comments that angered supporters of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk</a>. Those stations kept him off the air Tuesday, when ABC lifted the suspension. The unusual dispute attracted the attention of U.S. senators, who said they wanted to investigate the relationship between the affiliates and President Donald Trump's administration.

Kimmel returned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-returns-suspension-charlie-kirk-d6421f17ebef4735753495b4f4997c8f">with no apologies</a>, but in an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-monologue-key-moments-2ad8513693aef095dd4cc998afc0cfaa">emotional monologue</a>&nbsp;where he appeared close to tears, the host said that he was not trying to joke about the assassination. He also paid tribute to Kirk's widow.

And it got a large audience, with ABC reporting nearly 6.3 million people tuned in to the broadcast alone, despite the blackouts in many cities. As is often the case with late-night hosts' monologues, there was a larger audience online, with more than 15 million people watching Kimmel's opening remarks on YouTube by Wednesday evening. ABC says more than 26 million people watched Kimmel's return on social media, including YouTube.

Typically, he gets about 1.8 million viewers each night on television. The numbers released by ABC do not include viewership from streaming services.

A spokesman for Nexstar said Wednesday that Kimmel will continue to be preempted from its stations while the company evaluates his show. Together, the Nexstar and Sinclair groups account for about a quarter of ABC's affiliates, many in smaller cities such as Nashville, Tennessee; Lubbock, Texas; or Topeka, Kansas.

“We are engaged in productive discussions with executives at the (ABC parent) Walt Disney Co., with a focus on ensuring the program reflects and respects the diverse interests of the communities we serve,” Nexstar said.

Dispute highlights relationship between networks and local stations

The dispute focused attention on the business relationships between television networks and the local stations that carry their programming. In the past, local stations occasionally balked at airing a network show, but it was usually an individual market or two worried about pushing boundaries in language or sexual content, said Ted Harbert, a former top executive at ABC and CBS.

What's different this time is groups that have gobbled up multiple stations acting collectively on content for largely political reasons.

“This is how much the country's political divisions have seeped their way into something that has been, for the last 50 or 75 years, a relatively orderly business,” Harbert said.

Leadership of ownership groups is generally more conservative than the media and entertainment figures on the stations they broadcast, said Ken Basin, author of “The Business of Television.” Both Sinclair, with conservative political content, and Nexstar have reason to curry favor with the Trump administration, he said. Nexstar is seeking regulatory approval for the purchase of a rival, he said.

“I worry that this is not going to be the only dispute of this nature in the years ahead,” Basin said.

It's possible that Disney could play hardball if negotiations on Kimmel's return drag on, such as threatening to withhold other ABC programming — even the “nuclear option” of football games. Its unclear how the affiliate agreements are worded.

But Matt Dolgin, senior equity analyst at Morningstar Research Service, said he doubts the dispute reaches that point. The station groups have a far less diversified business portfolio than Disney, and the expiration of affiliate agreements next year looms as a deadline, he said. They have few good options if they lose ABC programming.

“From a business perspective, the best course on this issue (for Disney) is to stay above the fray,” Dolgin said. “The dollars associated with this show are very low.”

As they climb, the stunning number of YouTube views of Kimmel's monologue serve to make television broadcasting less important, hurting the negotiating position of the stations.

For the station groups, the biggest goal should be to negotiate their way out of this — while finding a way to save face, he said. Sinclair initially took a strong stance, saying Kimmel would not return to its stations without apologizing to Kirk's widow and donating money to Kirk's political organization. That's not likely to happen.

Kimmel was at risk of losing show entirely

Last week, Kimmel seemed to be in real danger of losing his show entirely until advocates for free speech protested, including many who canceled subscriptions for Disney services.

“The backlash was stronger than they expected, stronger than I expected,” Basin said. “There was a sense of despair within the industry that this was a ‘canary in a coal mine’ moment.”

Four Democratic senators said late Tuesday that they wanted to look into what happened with the station groups.

“If Nexstar or Sinclair traded the censorship of a critic of the administration for official acts by the Trump administration, your companies are not only complicit in an alarming trampling of free speech but also risk running afoul of anti-corruption law,” Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey, Ron Wyden and Chris Van Hollen wrote to the companies.

On Wednesday, another group of senators led by California Democrat Adam Schiff said they wanted to question FCC Chairman Brendan Carr about “implicit threats” made to Disney over Kimmel.

In his monologue Tuesday, Kimmel tried to thread the needle between both sides in a raw political moment, and seemed to realize its difficulty.

“I don’t think what I’m going to say is going to make much of a difference,” he said. “If you like me, you like me. If you don’t, you don’t. I have no illusions about changing anyone’s mind.”

Within hours, many proved his point. Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, the organization that Kirk founded that is now headed by his widow, posted on X that Kimmel’s monologue was “not good enough.”

In another corner of social media, comic Ben Stiller posted that it was a “brilliant monologue.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758149830141.png" alt="Image courtesy ABC" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy ABC</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jimmy-kimmel">Jimmy Kimmel</a>&nbsp;is back on his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-career-e5d12c1f9512266753b52873db0dd62a">ABC late-night show</a>, but it's still a mystery when — or if — viewers in cities such as Washington, Seattle and St. Louis will be able to see him again on their televisions.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming. Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return. <a href="https://t.co/beGC6VID2x">pic.twitter.com/beGC6VID2x</a>&mdash; Sinclair, Inc. (@WeAreSinclair) <a href="https://twitter.com/WeAreSinclair/status/1970266039532306593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>ABC stations owned by the Nexstar and Sinclair corporations took Kimmel off the air last week on the same day the network&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-a2bfa904429c318fe52e7d3493c6883d">suspended him</a>&nbsp;for comments that angered supporters of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk</a>. Those stations kept him off the air Tuesday, when ABC lifted the suspension. The unusual dispute attracted the attention of U.S. senators, who said they wanted to investigate the relationship between the affiliates and President Donald Trump's administration.Kimmel returned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-returns-suspension-charlie-kirk-d6421f17ebef4735753495b4f4997c8f">with no apologies</a>, but in an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-monologue-key-moments-2ad8513693aef095dd4cc998afc0cfaa">emotional monologue</a>&nbsp;where he appeared close to tears, the host said that he was not trying to joke about the assassination. He also paid tribute to Kirk's widow.And it got a large audience, with ABC reporting nearly 6.3 million people tuned in to the broadcast alone, despite the blackouts in many cities. As is often the case with late-night hosts' monologues, there was a larger audience online, with more than 15 million people watching Kimmel's opening remarks on YouTube by Wednesday evening. ABC says more than 26 million people watched Kimmel's return on social media, including YouTube.Typically, he gets about 1.8 million viewers each night on television. The numbers released by ABC do not include viewership from streaming services.A spokesman for Nexstar said Wednesday that Kimmel will continue to be preempted from its stations while the company evaluates his show. Together, the Nexstar and Sinclair groups account for about a quarter of ABC's affiliates, many in smaller cities such as Nashville, Tennessee; Lubbock, Texas; or Topeka, Kansas.“We are engaged in productive discussions with executives at the (ABC parent) Walt Disney Co., with a focus on ensuring the program reflects and respects the diverse interests of the communities we serve,” Nexstar said.<h2>Dispute highlights relationship between networks and local stations</h2>The dispute focused attention on the business relationships between television networks and the local stations that carry their programming. In the past, local stations occasionally balked at airing a network show, but it was usually an individual market or two worried about pushing boundaries in language or sexual content, said Ted Harbert, a former top executive at ABC and CBS.What's different this time is groups that have gobbled up multiple stations acting collectively on content for largely political reasons.“This is how much the country's political divisions have seeped their way into something that has been, for the last 50 or 75 years, a relatively orderly business,” Harbert said.Leadership of ownership groups is generally more conservative than the media and entertainment figures on the stations they broadcast, said Ken Basin, author of “The Business of Television.” Both Sinclair, with conservative political content, and Nexstar have reason to curry favor with the Trump administration, he said. Nexstar is seeking regulatory approval for the purchase of a rival, he said.“I worry that this is not going to be the only dispute of this nature in the years ahead,” Basin said.It's possible that Disney could play hardball if negotiations on Kimmel's return drag on, such as threatening to withhold other ABC programming — even the “nuclear option” of football games. Its unclear how the affiliate agreements are worded.But Matt Dolgin, senior equity analyst at Morningstar Research Service, said he doubts the dispute reaches that point. The station groups have a far less diversified business portfolio than Disney, and the expiration of affiliate agreements next year looms as a deadline, he said. They have few good options if they lose ABC programming.“From a business perspective, the best course on this issue (for Disney) is to stay above the fray,” Dolgin said. “The dollars associated with this show are very low.”As they climb, the stunning number of YouTube views of Kimmel's monologue serve to make television broadcasting less important, hurting the negotiating position of the stations.For the station groups, the biggest goal should be to negotiate their way out of this — while finding a way to save face, he said. Sinclair initially took a strong stance, saying Kimmel would not return to its stations without apologizing to Kirk's widow and donating money to Kirk's political organization. That's not likely to happen.<h2>Kimmel was at risk of losing show entirely</h2>Last week, Kimmel seemed to be in real danger of losing his show entirely until advocates for free speech protested, including many who canceled subscriptions for Disney services.“The backlash was stronger than they expected, stronger than I expected,” Basin said. “There was a sense of despair within the industry that this was a ‘canary in a coal mine’ moment.”Four Democratic senators said late Tuesday that they wanted to look into what happened with the station groups.“If Nexstar or Sinclair traded the censorship of a critic of the administration for official acts by the Trump administration, your companies are not only complicit in an alarming trampling of free speech but also risk running afoul of anti-corruption law,” Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey, Ron Wyden and Chris Van Hollen wrote to the companies.On Wednesday, another group of senators led by California Democrat Adam Schiff said they wanted to question FCC Chairman Brendan Carr about “implicit threats” made to Disney over Kimmel.In his monologue Tuesday, Kimmel tried to thread the needle between both sides in a raw political moment, and seemed to realize its difficulty.“I don’t think what I’m going to say is going to make much of a difference,” he said. “If you like me, you like me. If you don’t, you don’t. I have no illusions about changing anyone’s mind.”Within hours, many proved his point. Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, the organization that Kirk founded that is now headed by his widow, posted on X that Kimmel’s monologue was “not good enough.”In another corner of social media, comic Ben Stiller posted that it was a “brilliant monologue.”___

Kimmel is back on ABC, but many affiliates still refuse to air his show

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a hit-and-run accident in Kansas City.

Just after 3a.m. Wednesday, the Kansas City, Missouri fire department&nbsp;responded to a reported car into a building at 4601 Independence Avenue, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

First responders&nbsp; found that a pickup truck had struck the business that house a dental practice. The occupants of the truck fled the scene. 

KCFD remained on the scene until a board up crew could arrive and secure the building due to a large hole in the front of the building. No injuries were reported.&nbsp; Law enforcement reported no additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758741525524.png" alt="Photo KCFD" />
 <figcaption>Photo KCFD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a hit-and-run accident in Kansas City.Just after 3a.m. Wednesday, the Kansas City, Missouri fire department&nbsp;responded to a reported car into a building at 4601 Independence Avenue, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.First responders&nbsp; found that a pickup truck had struck the business that house a dental practice. The occupants of the truck fled the scene. KCFD remained on the scene until a board up crew could arrive and secure the building due to a large hole in the front of the building. No injuries were reported.&nbsp; Law enforcement reported no additional details.

Hit-and-run: Pickup struck dental office in Kansas City

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/autism-tylenol-pregnancy-mothers-trump-fact-check-6e03fb199acf0c5ce313536c53424788">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said Wednesday that he was the victim of “three very sinister events” during his time at the United Nations on Tuesday and that the Secret Service will be looking into the issues.

The president was attending&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-unga-trump-global-feb243ecb979d53317dfb1cad9968038">the U.N. General Assembly</a>, where he gave a speech excoriating the institution for having squandered its potential. He also criticized U.S. allies in Europe for their handling of the Russian war in Ukraine and their acceptance of immigrants as he told fellow world leaders that their nations were “going to hell.”

On his social media website, Trump indicated that he was in a sour mood at the U.N. because of a trio of mishaps that he suggested was part of a conspiracy against him.

First, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-unga-trump-global-feb243ecb979d53317dfb1cad9968038">escalator came to a “screeching halt”</a>&nbsp;with Trump and his entourage on it, an event that Trump called “absolutely sabotage.”

Stephane Dujarric, the U.N. spokesman, said a videographer from the U.S. delegation who ran ahead of Trump may have “inadvertently” triggered the stop mechanism at the top of the escalator.

“The people that did it should be arrested,” Trump said on Truth Social.

Second, Trump said his teleprompter went “stone cold dark” during his address to the U.N. The problem with that accusation is the White House was responsible for operating the teleprompter for the president, according to a U.N. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Third, Trump said that the sound was off at the U.N. as he spoke and that people could only hear his remarks if they had interpreters speaking into earpieces. Trump said his wife, Melania, told him she couldn’t hear what he said.

“This wasn’t a coincidence, this was triple sabotage,” said Trump, who is seeking an investigation of the matter.

Trump told the U.N. to save its security tapes regarding the escalator stoppage as the Secret Service will be involved in the inquiry.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758639253110.png" alt="Image from CSPAN video" />
 <figcaption>Image from CSPAN video</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/autism-tylenol-pregnancy-mothers-trump-fact-check-6e03fb199acf0c5ce313536c53424788">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said Wednesday that he was the victim of “three very sinister events” during his time at the United Nations on Tuesday and that the Secret Service will be looking into the issues.The president was attending&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-unga-trump-global-feb243ecb979d53317dfb1cad9968038">the U.N. General Assembly</a>, where he gave a speech excoriating the institution for having squandered its potential. He also criticized U.S. allies in Europe for their handling of the Russian war in Ukraine and their acceptance of immigrants as he told fellow world leaders that their nations were “going to hell.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/Ug37t0pp2r">pic.twitter.com/Ug37t0pp2r</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970968867141976464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">CLIP: &quot;Bad escalator&quot; President Trump referred to during his address to the U.N. General Assembly. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNGA80?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UNGA80</a> <a href="https://t.co/S1w9kUOq1l">https://t.co/S1w9kUOq1l</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ja1JRyfF7m">pic.twitter.com/Ja1JRyfF7m</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1970544863130399037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">NOW - Escalator at UN headquarters immediately stops as Trump and Melania step on it shortly after arriving. <a href="https://t.co/8nlUkDoQxm">pic.twitter.com/8nlUkDoQxm</a>&mdash; Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) <a href="https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1970488216470859859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump begins <a href="https://twitter.com/UN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UN</a> General Assembly Address: &quot;I don&#39;t mind making this speech without a teleprompter, because the teleprompter is not working…Whoever&#39;s operating this teleprompter is in big trouble.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/01t80AL9de">pic.twitter.com/01t80AL9de</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1970492091034734761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>On his social media website, Trump indicated that he was in a sour mood at the U.N. because of a trio of mishaps that he suggested was part of a conspiracy against him.First, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-unga-trump-global-feb243ecb979d53317dfb1cad9968038">escalator came to a “screeching halt”</a>&nbsp;with Trump and his entourage on it, an event that Trump called “absolutely sabotage.”Stephane Dujarric, the U.N. spokesman, said a videographer from the U.S. delegation who ran ahead of Trump may have “inadvertently” triggered the stop mechanism at the top of the escalator.“The people that did it should be arrested,” Trump said on Truth Social.Second, Trump said his teleprompter went “stone cold dark” during his address to the U.N. The problem with that accusation is the White House was responsible for operating the teleprompter for the president, according to a U.N. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.Third, Trump said that the sound was off at the U.N. as he spoke and that people could only hear his remarks if they had interpreters speaking into earpieces. Trump said his wife, Melania, told him she couldn’t hear what he said.“This wasn’t a coincidence, this was triple sabotage,” said Trump, who is seeking an investigation of the matter.Trump told the U.N. to save its security tapes regarding the escalator stoppage as the Secret Service will be involved in the inquiry.

Secret Service investigates ‘triple sabotage’ of Trump at UN 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is preparing to ask a grand jury as soon as Thursday to indict&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/james-comey">former FBI Director James Comey</a>&nbsp;on allegations that he lied to Congress as prosecutors approach a legal deadline for bringing charges, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Officials are hoping to file the case in the Eastern District of Virginia days after President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-retribution-bondi-investigations-97207519e02dea460d6c68cc8b585c33">appealed to his attorney general to charge Comey</a>&nbsp;and other perceived political adversaries, and following Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-letitia-james-siebert-trump-9ec1a96c05fa77d8acc558bd803622a2">replacement last week of the office’s top prosecutor</a>&nbsp;with a White House aide who had served as one of his personal lawyers.

Prosecutors have been evaluating whether Comey lied to lawmakers during his Sept. 30, 2020, testimony related to the investigation into ties&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-russia-48f9d5132d7a4e2d823edad8fc407979">between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign</a>. The five-year statute of limitations for bringing a case would be next Tuesday, but the Justice Department is expected to seek an indictment before a grand jury before then, said the two people, who were not authorized to discuss an investigation by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.

The push to move forward comes even as prosecutors detailed in a memo concerns about proceeding with seeking an indictment, one of the people said.

Comey’s lawyer declined to comment Wednesday and said he had not heard any updates from the Justice Department.

If prosecutors are successful in obtaining an indictment, Comey would become the first former senior government official to face prosecution in connection with one of the president’s chief grievances — the long-concluded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-russia-48f9d5132d7a4e2d823edad8fc407979">investigation into Russia’s election interference</a>&nbsp;that Trump and his supporters have long derided as a “hoax” and “witch hunt” despite multiple government reviews showing Moscow meddled on his campaign’s behalf in 2016.

Any criminal case would almost certainly deepen concerns that the Justice Department under the leadership of Attorney General&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pam-bondi">Pam Bondi</a>, a Trump loyalist, is being weaponized as it pursues investigations of public figures the president regards as his adversaries.

Comey,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-4ff1ecb621884a728b25e62661257ef0">who was fired as FBI director by Trump</a>&nbsp;months into his first administration, has long been a top target for Trump supporters seeking retribution. Comey was singled out by name in a social media post Saturday night in which Trump complained directly to Bondi that she had not yet brought charges against him,

The White House has moved in recent months to exert control in unprecedented ways over a Justice Department that has historically enjoyed independence in prosecutorial decision-making. The office investigating Comey was thrown into turmoil last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-letitia-james-siebert-trump-9ec1a96c05fa77d8acc558bd803622a2">following the resignation</a>&nbsp;of its U.S. Attorney, Erik Siebert, amid Trump administration pressure to bring charges against another of the president’s foes, New York Attorney General Letitia James,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-investigation-letitia-james-07452728c0bf2677ca095b7cf14db2c6">in a mortgage fraud investigation</a>.

Trump replaced Siebert with Lindsey Halligan, a White House aide who earlier represented Trump in the investigation into his retention of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida but who lacks the federal criminal experience that historically accompanies the job of running one of the Justice Department’s most elite prosecution offices.

A grand jury would have to approve any indictment, and though that’s generally a low bar in the criminal justice system, the Trump Justice Department has encountered repeated setbacks in recent months,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/Trump%E2%80%99s%20law%20enforcement%20intervention%20in%20Washington,%20D.C." target="_blank">particularly in pursuing charges</a>&nbsp;related to Trump’s law enforcement intervention in Washington, D.C.

It was not clear what statements to Congress prosecutors might be zeroing in on, and the strength of any case prosecutors might seek to bring is also unclear.

The government’s handling of the Trump-Russia investigation is among the most studied chapters of modern American history, with multiple reviews and reports dedicated to it, and yet prosecutors have not pursued cases against senior FBI officials.

Prosecutors in the first Trump Justice Department declined to prosecute Comey following an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ee2870cb0c9148e08161d851b26092e9">inspector general review</a>&nbsp;into his handling of memos documenting his conversations with Trump in the weeks before he was fired. He also was not charged by a special counsel, John Durham, who scrutinized the FBI’s handling of the Trump-Russia investigation and was conducting his inquiry at the time Comey gave his testimony.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758754380508.png" alt="File James Comey image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File James Comey image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is preparing to ask a grand jury as soon as Thursday to indict&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/james-comey">former FBI Director James Comey</a>&nbsp;on allegations that he lied to Congress as prosecutors approach a legal deadline for bringing charges, according to two people familiar with the matter.Officials are hoping to file the case in the Eastern District of Virginia days after President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-retribution-bondi-investigations-97207519e02dea460d6c68cc8b585c33">appealed to his attorney general to charge Comey</a>&nbsp;and other perceived political adversaries, and following Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-letitia-james-siebert-trump-9ec1a96c05fa77d8acc558bd803622a2">replacement last week of the office’s top prosecutor</a>&nbsp;with a White House aide who had served as one of his personal lawyers.Prosecutors have been evaluating whether Comey lied to lawmakers during his Sept. 30, 2020, testimony related to the investigation into ties&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-russia-48f9d5132d7a4e2d823edad8fc407979">between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign</a>. The five-year statute of limitations for bringing a case would be next Tuesday, but the Justice Department is expected to seek an indictment before a grand jury before then, said the two people, who were not authorized to discuss an investigation by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.The push to move forward comes even as prosecutors detailed in a memo concerns about proceeding with seeking an indictment, one of the people said.Comey’s lawyer declined to comment Wednesday and said he had not heard any updates from the Justice Department.If prosecutors are successful in obtaining an indictment, Comey would become the first former senior government official to face prosecution in connection with one of the president’s chief grievances — the long-concluded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-russia-48f9d5132d7a4e2d823edad8fc407979">investigation into Russia’s election interference</a>&nbsp;that Trump and his supporters have long derided as a “hoax” and “witch hunt” despite multiple government reviews showing Moscow meddled on his campaign’s behalf in 2016.Any criminal case would almost certainly deepen concerns that the Justice Department under the leadership of Attorney General&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pam-bondi">Pam Bondi</a>, a Trump loyalist, is being weaponized as it pursues investigations of public figures the president regards as his adversaries.Comey,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-4ff1ecb621884a728b25e62661257ef0">who was fired as FBI director by Trump</a>&nbsp;months into his first administration, has long been a top target for Trump supporters seeking retribution. Comey was singled out by name in a social media post Saturday night in which Trump complained directly to Bondi that she had not yet brought charges against him,The White House has moved in recent months to exert control in unprecedented ways over a Justice Department that has historically enjoyed independence in prosecutorial decision-making. The office investigating Comey was thrown into turmoil last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-letitia-james-siebert-trump-9ec1a96c05fa77d8acc558bd803622a2">following the resignation</a>&nbsp;of its U.S. Attorney, Erik Siebert, amid Trump administration pressure to bring charges against another of the president’s foes, New York Attorney General Letitia James,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-investigation-letitia-james-07452728c0bf2677ca095b7cf14db2c6">in a mortgage fraud investigation</a>.Trump replaced Siebert with Lindsey Halligan, a White House aide who earlier represented Trump in the investigation into his retention of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida but who lacks the federal criminal experience that historically accompanies the job of running one of the Justice Department’s most elite prosecution offices.A grand jury would have to approve any indictment, and though that’s generally a low bar in the criminal justice system, the Trump Justice Department has encountered repeated setbacks in recent months,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/Trump%E2%80%99s%20law%20enforcement%20intervention%20in%20Washington,%20D.C." target="_blank">particularly in pursuing charges</a>&nbsp;related to Trump’s law enforcement intervention in Washington, D.C.It was not clear what statements to Congress prosecutors might be zeroing in on, and the strength of any case prosecutors might seek to bring is also unclear.The government’s handling of the Trump-Russia investigation is among the most studied chapters of modern American history, with multiple reviews and reports dedicated to it, and yet prosecutors have not pursued cases against senior FBI officials.Prosecutors in the first Trump Justice Department declined to prosecute Comey following an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ee2870cb0c9148e08161d851b26092e9">inspector general review</a>&nbsp;into his handling of memos documenting his conversations with Trump in the weeks before he was fired. He also was not charged by a special counsel, John Durham, who scrutinized the FBI’s handling of the Trump-Russia investigation and was conducting his inquiry at the time Comey gave his testimony.___

Former FBI Director James Comey faces possible indictment

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect in connection with a home invasion burglary.

Just before 11:30a.m. on Tuesday police responded to a burglary in progress call at a residence in the 1500 block North 7th Street in Atchison, according to&nbsp; Police Chief Mike Wilson. A suspect identified as 50-year-old Jody Erickson, had allegedly forced entry into his 64-year old neighbor's residence.&nbsp; Erickson then allegedly&nbsp;threatened the victim with a knife.

 Officers arrived on the scene as Erickson was exiting the residence still holding onto the knife. Officers took him into custody after a brief struggle.

He is being held on requested charges of aggravated burglary, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, battery on a law enforcement officer, criminal restraint and inference with law enforcement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758723170937.png" alt="Erickson-photo Atchison County" />
 <figcaption>Erickson-photo Atchison County</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect in connection with a home invasion burglary.Just before 11:30a.m. on Tuesday police responded to a burglary in progress call at a residence in the 1500 block North 7th Street in Atchison, according to&nbsp; Police Chief Mike Wilson. A suspect identified as 50-year-old Jody Erickson, had allegedly forced entry into his 64-year old neighbor's residence.&nbsp; Erickson then allegedly&nbsp;threatened the victim with a knife. Officers arrived on the scene as Erickson was exiting the residence still holding onto the knife. Officers took him into custody after a brief struggle.He is being held on requested charges of aggravated burglary, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, battery on a law enforcement officer, criminal restraint and inference with law enforcement.

Police: Kan. man jailed for burglary at neighbor's home

CHICAGO (AP) —Longtime chaplain for Loyola Chicago's men's basketball team, Sister Jean, has retired at 106 because of health concerns. The school's student newspaper,&nbsp;<a href="https://loyolaphoenix.com/2025/09/health-is-more-important-sister-jean-106-retires-from-official-campus-duties/">The Loyola Phoenix</a>, announced her retirement earlier this month.

Sister Jean rose to the spotlight during Loyola Chicago's trip to the Final Four in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. She was spotted cheering courtside throughout the Ramblers' improbable run.

She published a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-parasports-jean-dolores-schmidt-chicago-06b8d438408e8e6abe08b395e3cd13d7">memoir</a>&nbsp;in 2023, "Wake Up with Purpose! What I’ve Learned in My First 100 Years," sharing lessons she'd learned throughout her life and offering spiritual advice. Sister Jean turned 106 on Aug. 21.

Sister Jean served as the team's chaplain for 30 years, providing players with support, mentorship and encouragement. She became a beloved figure at the university and a local celebrity in the community.

CHICAGO (AP) —Longtime chaplain for Loyola Chicago's men's basketball team, Sister Jean, has retired at 106 because of health concerns. The school's student newspaper,&nbsp;<a href="https://loyolaphoenix.com/2025/09/health-is-more-important-sister-jean-106-retires-from-official-campus-duties/">The Loyola Phoenix</a>, announced her retirement earlier this month.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">💛🐺🏀 <a href="https://t.co/Xz1qu0VsdD">pic.twitter.com/Xz1qu0VsdD</a>&mdash; Loyola Men&#39;s Basketball (@RamblersMBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/RamblersMBB/status/1970954805641449550?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Sister Jean rose to the spotlight during Loyola Chicago's trip to the Final Four in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. She was spotted cheering courtside throughout the Ramblers' improbable run.She published a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-parasports-jean-dolores-schmidt-chicago-06b8d438408e8e6abe08b395e3cd13d7">memoir</a>&nbsp;in 2023, "Wake Up with Purpose! What I’ve Learned in My First 100 Years," sharing lessons she'd learned throughout her life and offering spiritual advice. Sister Jean turned 106 on Aug. 21.Sister Jean served as the team's chaplain for 30 years, providing players with support, mentorship and encouragement. She became a beloved figure at the university and a local celebrity in the community.___

Sister Jean, iconic March Madness figure, retires at 106

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City area man faced charges following a major drug trafficking investigation led by the Jackson County Drug Task Force.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2726/Clarke-Redacted-Complaint-1">Dewayne C. Clarke</a>, 47,&nbsp;faces one count of 2nd Degree Trafficking Drugs, five counts of Delivering a Controlled Substance Except 35 Grams or Less of Marijuana or Synthetic Cannabinoid, and one count of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, according to Jackson County Attorney Melesa Johnson.

 If convicted on the trafficking charge, he could serve up to 15 years in prison. The other charges carry up to 10 years each.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2727/CLarkeRedacted-Probable-Cause-2">According to court records</a>, the Jackson County Drug Task Force became aware of Clarke, a major distributor, who distributes crack-cocaine in large quantities. During the investigation, the Task Force was able to obtain a search warrant for the defendant’s residence and located multiple firearms, about 1,650 grams of cocaine, Methamphetamine, and more than $60,000 in cash.&nbsp;

The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are anticipated.

The defendant is being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond.&nbsp;

The Jackson County Drug Task Force brings together detectives from multiple county police departments and sheriff’s offices with federal, state, and local agencies to target drug dealers across the metro.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758656175455.png" alt="Clarke photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Clarke photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City area man faced charges following a major drug trafficking investigation led by the Jackson County Drug Task Force.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2726/Clarke-Redacted-Complaint-1">Dewayne C. Clarke</a>, 47,&nbsp;faces one count of 2nd Degree Trafficking Drugs, five counts of Delivering a Controlled Substance Except 35 Grams or Less of Marijuana or Synthetic Cannabinoid, and one count of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, according to Jackson County Attorney Melesa Johnson. If convicted on the trafficking charge, he could serve up to 15 years in prison. The other charges carry up to 10 years each.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2727/CLarkeRedacted-Probable-Cause-2">According to court records</a>, the Jackson County Drug Task Force became aware of Clarke, a major distributor, who distributes crack-cocaine in large quantities. During the investigation, the Task Force was able to obtain a search warrant for the defendant’s residence and located multiple firearms, about 1,650 grams of cocaine, Methamphetamine, and more than $60,000 in cash.&nbsp;The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are anticipated.The defendant is being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond.&nbsp;The Jackson County Drug Task Force brings together detectives from multiple county police departments and sheriff’s offices with federal, state, and local agencies to target drug dealers across the metro.

Task force captures major Kansas City area cocaine dealer 

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-white-house-rose-garden-club-e862eba55133195f0297c3595ba4122f">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has added a Presidential Walk of Fame to the exterior of the White House, featuring portraits of each of the previous commanders-in-chief — except for one.

Instead of a headshot of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>, the Republican incumbent instead hung a photo of an autopen signing the Democrat’s name — a reference to Trump’s frequent allegation that the former president was addled by the end of his term in office and not really the one making decisions.

The snub amounts to the latest attempt by Trump to delegitimize a predecessor he routinely belittles, including in front of more than 100 world leaders on Tuesday at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-general-assembly-opens-fb91931e273432bc8725e9e9860f9844">United Nations General Assembly</a>&nbsp;gathering. Trump has never acknowledged his own defeat to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-special-prosecutor-2020-biden-election-194b3d49f49b0345f77873fc34b4dcc5">Biden in the 2020 election</a>, instead falsely chalking up the outcome to voter fraud.

Trump had previously signaled he would represent Biden with an autopen on the Presidential Walk of Fame. Trump has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-autopen-investigation-pardons-9095684acf3c31189f03295a9e9de7e1">alleged</a>&nbsp;without evidence that Biden administration officials might have forged their boss’s signature by using the autopen and taken broad actions he wasn’t aware of.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758735968499.png" alt="Image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-white-house-rose-garden-club-e862eba55133195f0297c3595ba4122f">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has added a Presidential Walk of Fame to the exterior of the White House, featuring portraits of each of the previous commanders-in-chief — except for one.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🤣🤣🤣 <a href="https://t.co/MSERUFrlyH">https://t.co/MSERUFrlyH</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970899696227942480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 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://t.co/jE2Vm7UdjL">https://t.co/jE2Vm7UdjL</a> <a href="https://t.co/CJ3yQBtPGQ">pic.twitter.com/CJ3yQBtPGQ</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1970902690474647786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Instead of a headshot of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>, the Republican incumbent instead hung a photo of an autopen signing the Democrat’s name — a reference to Trump’s frequent allegation that the former president was addled by the end of his term in office and not really the one making decisions.The snub amounts to the latest attempt by Trump to delegitimize a predecessor he routinely belittles, including in front of more than 100 world leaders on Tuesday at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-general-assembly-opens-fb91931e273432bc8725e9e9860f9844">United Nations General Assembly</a>&nbsp;gathering. Trump has never acknowledged his own defeat to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-special-prosecutor-2020-biden-election-194b3d49f49b0345f77873fc34b4dcc5">Biden in the 2020 election</a>, instead falsely chalking up the outcome to voter fraud.Trump had previously signaled he would represent Biden with an autopen on the Presidential Walk of Fame. Trump has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-autopen-investigation-pardons-9095684acf3c31189f03295a9e9de7e1">alleged</a>&nbsp;without evidence that Biden administration officials might have forged their boss’s signature by using the autopen and taken broad actions he wasn’t aware of.He’s also cast doubt on the validity of pardons and other documents that Biden signed with an autopen, even though other presidents before him have also relied on the device to sign key papers. A key Republican-led House committee also is investigating the Biden administration’s autopen use.White House staff sent out a burst of social media posts Wednesday afternoon gleefully promoting the finished project. The media may get its first in-person glimpse of the Walk of Fame when Trump hosts a dinner Wednesday night on the new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-white-house-rose-garden-club-e862eba55133195f0297c3595ba4122f">Rose Garden patio</a>&nbsp;that sits adjacent to the West Wing Collonad on which the portraits hang.The addition of the Walk of Fame is the latest in a series of design changes he’s made at the White House since resuming office. He’s also added gold flourishes to the Oval Office walls, installed massive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-flagpoles-a0928efcdcb6d1362a0e1827e96d0344">new flagpoles</a>&nbsp;on both lawns,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/trump-rose-garden-paved-over-photo-gallery-732b9521b69c10c12ce448f12e27401c">replaced the grass in the Rose Garden</a>&nbsp;with patio stone and started construction on a massive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-trump-ballroom-ea5c645a45e8f8846ebc98d5b2976678">new ballroom</a>.