OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A large&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/growler-pines-tiger-preserve-oklahoma-handler-killed-38aca16b13afd7e9a71fcca1923676b5">tiger fatally attacked</a>&nbsp;an animal handler as horrified onlookers watched during the end of a big cat show at a preserve in southeastern Oklahoma, officials said Monday.

Ryan Easley, 37, was dead when deputies arrived Saturday at the Growler Pines Tiger Preserve near Hugo, not far from the Texas border, just minutes after dispatchers received an emergency call, said Choctaw County Sheriff Terry Park.

Park said the tiger unexpectedly started to bite and then shake Easley while the two were inside of a large cage.

“It was a big tiger,” Park told The Associated Press. “This particular one, he’d had for quite some time.”

Park said Easley’s wife and young daughter were present when the attack occurred.

Messages left Monday with Growler Pines Tiger Preserve were not immediately returned.

“This tragedy is a painful reminder of both the beauty and unpredictability of the natural world,” the preserve said in a statement on its Facebook page. “Ryan understood those risks — not out of recklessness but out of love. The animals under his care were not just animals to him, but beings he formed a connection with — one rooted in respect, daily care and love.”

All tours have been canceled until further notice, the statement said.

The preserve is a private facility where visitors can book tours to view tigers and see demonstrations on how the animals are trained and cared for, according to its website.

Because the facility did not house animals native to Oklahoma, it would have been issued permits by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — rather than the state. That is according to Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation spokesperson Kelly Adams. Messages left Monday with both of those federal agencies were not immediately returned.

Two different animal rights organizations, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, and Humane World for Animals, said Easley’s death is a sad reminder of the dangers posed when wild animals like tigers are used in performances.

“It was really only a matter of time before these cats responded in way that is completely natural to them, which is to use aggression to respond to a stressor,” said Debbie Metzler, PETA Foundation’s senior director of captive wildlife.

A certificate of veterinary inspection provided to the AP by Humane World shows two 11-month-old tigers obtained by Easley in 2012 came from the G.W. Exotic Animal Park in Wynnewood, which was owned and operated by “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-exotic-tiger-king-sentence-murder-for-hire-812b9b2b759e8d84f2e3192766f1efec">Tiger King</a>&nbsp;” Joe Exotic. The document appears to be authentic, said Bryce Boyer, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, which received the certificate in 2012.

Joe Exotic, a mullet-wearing Oklahoma zookeeper whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f3d40f4a4134f4e903da8c5ed2a0878f">sentenced to federal prison</a>&nbsp;in a case documented in the Netflix series “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.

In a statement posted to Maldonado-Passage’s Instagram account, he says Easley once built a compound at his zoo in Wynnewood more than a decade ago to house Easley’s tigers during the winter.

“So with all my respect as a human R.I.P. Ryan Easley,” the statement said. “You died doing what you loved.”

It’s not the first time a tiger has attacked and killed its handler. In 1997, a 400-pound&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1997/may/08/tiger-kills-trainer-as-200-children-watch-in/" target="_blank">Bengal tiger killed its trainer</a>&nbsp;in front of a crowd of about 200 people at a circus in Pennsylvania.

In Las Vegas in 2003,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bf0c463f767d9e10f9ae44caa35f677b">Roy Horn of Siegfried &amp; Roy</a>&nbsp;was critically injured in an attack by one of the act’s famed white tigers during a show at the Mirage hotel-casino. Roy suffered severe neck injuries and underwent lengthy rehabilitation, and the attack effectively ended the long-running Las Vegas Strip production.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758581710959.png" alt="Courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A large&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/growler-pines-tiger-preserve-oklahoma-handler-killed-38aca16b13afd7e9a71fcca1923676b5">tiger fatally attacked</a>&nbsp;an animal handler as horrified onlookers watched during the end of a big cat show at a preserve in southeastern Oklahoma, officials said Monday.Ryan Easley, 37, was dead when deputies arrived Saturday at the Growler Pines Tiger Preserve near Hugo, not far from the Texas border, just minutes after dispatchers received an emergency call, said Choctaw County Sheriff Terry Park.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGrowlerPines%2Fposts%2Fpfbid036fGHuYB2NuHgcL1WCAvb7gNeSnPcopk19Bjo7nG4uzMAWoN36nvLAwcRDypBUzftl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="272" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Park said the tiger unexpectedly started to bite and then shake Easley while the two were inside of a large cage.“It was a big tiger,” Park told The Associated Press. “This particular one, he’d had for quite some time.”Park said Easley’s wife and young daughter were present when the attack occurred.Messages left Monday with Growler Pines Tiger Preserve were not immediately returned.“This tragedy is a painful reminder of both the beauty and unpredictability of the natural world,” the preserve said in a statement on its Facebook page. “Ryan understood those risks — not out of recklessness but out of love. The animals under his care were not just animals to him, but beings he formed a connection with — one rooted in respect, daily care and love.”All tours have been canceled until further notice, the statement said.The preserve is a private facility where visitors can book tours to view tigers and see demonstrations on how the animals are trained and cared for, according to its website.Because the facility did not house animals native to Oklahoma, it would have been issued permits by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — rather than the state. That is according to Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation spokesperson Kelly Adams. Messages left Monday with both of those federal agencies were not immediately returned.Two different animal rights organizations, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, and Humane World for Animals, said Easley’s death is a sad reminder of the dangers posed when wild animals like tigers are used in performances.“It was really only a matter of time before these cats responded in way that is completely natural to them, which is to use aggression to respond to a stressor,” said Debbie Metzler, PETA Foundation’s senior director of captive wildlife.A certificate of veterinary inspection provided to the AP by Humane World shows two 11-month-old tigers obtained by Easley in 2012 came from the G.W. Exotic Animal Park in Wynnewood, which was owned and operated by “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-exotic-tiger-king-sentence-murder-for-hire-812b9b2b759e8d84f2e3192766f1efec">Tiger King</a>&nbsp;” Joe Exotic. The document appears to be authentic, said Bryce Boyer, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, which received the certificate in 2012.Joe Exotic, a mullet-wearing Oklahoma zookeeper whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f3d40f4a4134f4e903da8c5ed2a0878f">sentenced to federal prison</a>&nbsp;in a case documented in the Netflix series “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.In a statement posted to Maldonado-Passage’s Instagram account, he says Easley once built a compound at his zoo in Wynnewood more than a decade ago to house Easley’s tigers during the winter.“So with all my respect as a human R.I.P. Ryan Easley,” the statement said. “You died doing what you loved.”It’s not the first time a tiger has attacked and killed its handler. In 1997, a 400-pound&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1997/may/08/tiger-kills-trainer-as-200-children-watch-in/" target="_blank">Bengal tiger killed its trainer</a>&nbsp;in front of a crowd of about 200 people at a circus in Pennsylvania.In Las Vegas in 2003,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bf0c463f767d9e10f9ae44caa35f677b">Roy Horn of Siegfried &amp; Roy</a>&nbsp;was critically injured in an attack by one of the act’s famed white tigers during a show at the Mirage hotel-casino. Roy suffered severe neck injuries and underwent lengthy rehabilitation, and the attack effectively ended the long-running Las Vegas Strip production.

Tiger fatally mauls handler during big cat show in Oklahoma

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement are investigating a shooting that occurred in the 1300 block of S. Topeka in Wichita and have made an arrest.

Just after 8:30 a.m. Sunday, a 62-year-old male victim from Wichita walked to Fire Station #2 with a gunshot wound to the leg, according to a media release from police. The victim was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries and is expected to survive.&nbsp;

Patrol officers responded rapidly and located the suspect, 43-year-old Anthony Irby of Wichita, according to Sedgwick County arrest records. Irby was nearby and attempted to flee on a bicycle. He was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.

The investigation revealed that the suspect and victim were involved in an argument over property when the shooting occurred. Irby is being held&nbsp; on requested charges of aggravated battery, criminal possession of a weapon and interference with law enforcement, according to online records.

This is another incident where someone chose violence to resolve a temporary conflict. The Wichita Police Department remains committed to identifying, apprehending, and holding accountable those individuals in our community who choose to commit acts of violence.&nbsp;

Anyone with additional information regarding this case is encouraged to contact WPD Investigations at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="tel:(316)%20268-4407">(316) 268-4407</a>. Those wishing to remain anonymous may submit a tip to Crime Stoppers by calling&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="tel:(316)%20267-2111">(316) 267-2111</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758548992573.png" alt="Irby photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Irby photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement are investigating a shooting that occurred in the 1300 block of S. Topeka in Wichita and have made an arrest.Just after 8:30 a.m. Sunday, a 62-year-old male victim from Wichita walked to Fire Station #2 with a gunshot wound to the leg, according to a media release from police. The victim was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries and is expected to survive.&nbsp;Patrol officers responded rapidly and located the suspect, 43-year-old Anthony Irby of Wichita, according to Sedgwick County arrest records. Irby was nearby and attempted to flee on a bicycle. He was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.The investigation revealed that the suspect and victim were involved in an argument over property when the shooting occurred. Irby is being held&nbsp; on requested charges of aggravated battery, criminal possession of a weapon and interference with law enforcement, according to online records.This is another incident where someone chose violence to resolve a temporary conflict. The Wichita Police Department remains committed to identifying, apprehending, and holding accountable those individuals in our community who choose to commit acts of violence.&nbsp;Anyone with additional information regarding this case is encouraged to contact WPD Investigations at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="tel:(316)%20268-4407">(316) 268-4407</a>. Those wishing to remain anonymous may submit a tip to Crime Stoppers by calling&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="tel:(316)%20267-2111">(316) 267-2111</a>.

Police: Kansas shooting suspect attempting to flee on a bicycle

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after

Just afater 2p.m. Sunday, police&nbsp;responded to the 1000 block of NE Wabash in Topeka on a report of an individual pouring gasoline in an apartment, according to a media release.

Police evacuated the apartment complex, before entering the suspected unit. One individual, later identified from booking reports as 43-year-old Benjamin Gilbert Brown was taken into custody.

He is being held on requested charges of attempted aggravated arson, aggravated assault, and criminal threat.&nbsp; There were no injured reported&nbsp;and no fire was started. Topeka Fire investigators responded to assist police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758550182143.png" alt="Brown photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Brown photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations afterJust afater 2p.m. Sunday, police&nbsp;responded to the 1000 block of NE Wabash in Topeka on a report of an individual pouring gasoline in an apartment, according to a media release.Police evacuated the apartment complex, before entering the suspected unit. One individual, later identified from booking reports as 43-year-old Benjamin Gilbert Brown was taken into custody.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758491992243.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>He is being held on requested charges of attempted aggravated arson, aggravated assault, and criminal threat.&nbsp; There were no injured reported&nbsp;and no fire was started. Topeka Fire investigators responded to assist police.

Police: Complex evacuated after Kan. man poured gas in apartment

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday used the platform of the presidency to promote unproven ties between Tylenol, vaccines and autism without giving new evidence.

Speaking from the White House, Trump said women should not take acetaminophen, also known by the brand name Tylenol, “during the entire pregnancy.” He said the Food and Drug Administration would begin notifying doctors that the use of acetaminophen “can be associated” with an increased risk of autism, but did not immediately provide any medical evidence for the FDA's new recommendation.

Trump also raised unfounded concerns about vaccines contributing to rising rates of autism, which affects&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/autism-rates-us-rfk-diagnosis-cdc-cb3abd799edd591dc1ea6b63c69a2279">1 in 31 U.S. children</a>&nbsp;today, according to the CDC.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr">Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr</a>&nbsp;said that at Trump's urging he is launching an “all-agency” effort to identify all causes of autism, involving the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Scientists, doctors and researchers have attributed increased rates of autism to greater awareness of the disorder and the newer, wide-ranging “spectrum” used to issue diagnoses for people with milder expressions of autism. It’s hard to tell if there may be additional factors behind the increase.

The Trump administration has been under immense pressure from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr">Kennedy’s</a>&nbsp;diverse Make America Healthy Again movement to provide answers on the causes of the marked increase in autism cases in the U.S. in recent years.

Experts say the rise in cases is mainly due to a new definition for the disorder that now includes mild cases on a “spectrum” and better diagnoses. They say there is no single cause to the disorder and say the rhetoric appears to ignore and undermine decades of science into the genetic and environmental factors that can play a role.

The announcement is the latest step the administration, driven by Kennedy and his supporters, has taken to reshape America’s public health landscape.

Beyond&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-measles-rfk-maha-trump-d863f53a5d370413de8d165d5ab96e65">cutbacks at federal health agencies</a>, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-vaccine-recommendations-data-b4eeba69e03a8d4ed50fb0a12fbcec6e">roiled by disagreements</a>&nbsp;over Kennedy’s vaccine policies. An influential immunization panel stocked by Kennedy with figures who have been critical of vaccines last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-advisers-vaccines-hepatitis-b-covid19-a1fb61ef7e29d93d2828618d890cceb3">changed shot guidance</a>&nbsp;for COVID-19 and other diseases.

Trump on Sunday evening teased Monday’s announcement as a big one, telling reporters, “I think we found an answer to autism.” Experts say that oversells what would be possible from a presidential administration in its first year. They insist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/autism-kennedy-rfk-science-e4a5795275042c29e4a5721b2b163970">more research is needed</a>&nbsp;to conclusively identify whether and how environmental factors may play a role in the disorder.

Kennedy for years has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-trump-health-maha-pharma-autism-55db3f5c14a6e3a2aef2483d21ac679b">promoted debunked theories</a>&nbsp;that vaccines could be responsible for rising rates of autism, which affects&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/autism-rates-us-rfk-diagnosis-cdc-cb3abd799edd591dc1ea6b63c69a2279">1 in 31 U.S. children</a>&nbsp;today, according to the CDC. Scientists, doctors and researchers have attributed that increase instead to greater awareness of the disorder and the newer, wide-ranging “spectrum” used to issue diagnoses for people with milder expressions of autism. It’s hard to tell if there may be additional factors behind the increase.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday used the platform of the presidency to promote unproven ties between Tylenol, vaccines and autism without giving new evidence.Click below to watch the announcement<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President Trump Makes an Announcement on Medical and Scientific Findings for America&#39;s Children <a href="https://t.co/aTq90Js06I">https://t.co/aTq90Js06I</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1970228175528427672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump: &quot;Taking Tylenol is not good. Alright, I&#39;ll say it. It&#39;s not good. For this reason, they are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/x44PfHPOlA">pic.twitter.com/x44PfHPOlA</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1970237477349687456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;Just a few decades ago, 1 in 10,000 children had autism... now, it is 1 in 31... Since 2000, autism rates have surged by much more than 400%. Instead of attacking those who ask questions, everyone should be grateful for those trying to get the answers...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/uacGdsAARC">pic.twitter.com/uacGdsAARC</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970230022263972062?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Since 2000, autism rates have surged by 400%. <a href="https://t.co/83eHOWdDRL">pic.twitter.com/83eHOWdDRL</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970229029400911992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Donald J. Trump, <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecKennedy</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/DrOzCMS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrOzCMS</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/NIHDirector_Jay?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NIHDirector_Jay</a>, &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/DrMakaryFDA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrMakaryFDA</a> announce the Autism Action Plan. Make America Healthy Again. <a href="https://t.co/1inEvIecYU">pic.twitter.com/1inEvIecYU</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1970238866394099891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> announces that the FDA will be notifying physicians that the use of acetaminophen, also known as Tylenol, during pregnancy, can be associated with an increased risk of autism: &quot;They are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically… <a href="https://t.co/79tNwDW6Ly">pic.twitter.com/79tNwDW6Ly</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970231115194757454?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Statement from Andrea Baccarelli, M.D., Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: &quot;We found evidence of an association between exposure to acetaminophen during pregnancy and increased incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders in children...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/S6ufM03qzj">pic.twitter.com/S6ufM03qzj</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970231872715415784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Speaking from the White House, Trump said women should not take acetaminophen, also known by the brand name Tylenol, “during the entire pregnancy.” He said the Food and Drug Administration would begin notifying doctors that the use of acetaminophen “can be associated” with an increased risk of autism, but did not immediately provide any medical evidence for the FDA's new recommendation.Trump also raised unfounded concerns about vaccines contributing to rising rates of autism, which affects&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/autism-rates-us-rfk-diagnosis-cdc-cb3abd799edd591dc1ea6b63c69a2279">1 in 31 U.S. children</a>&nbsp;today, according to the CDC.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr">Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr</a>&nbsp;said that at Trump's urging he is launching an “all-agency” effort to identify all causes of autism, involving the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.Scientists, doctors and researchers have attributed increased rates of autism to greater awareness of the disorder and the newer, wide-ranging “spectrum” used to issue diagnoses for people with milder expressions of autism. It’s hard to tell if there may be additional factors behind the increase.The Trump administration has been under immense pressure from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr">Kennedy’s</a>&nbsp;diverse Make America Healthy Again movement to provide answers on the causes of the marked increase in autism cases in the U.S. in recent years.Experts say the rise in cases is mainly due to a new definition for the disorder that now includes mild cases on a “spectrum” and better diagnoses. They say there is no single cause to the disorder and say the rhetoric appears to ignore and undermine decades of science into the genetic and environmental factors that can play a role.The announcement is the latest step the administration, driven by Kennedy and his supporters, has taken to reshape America’s public health landscape.Beyond&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-measles-rfk-maha-trump-d863f53a5d370413de8d165d5ab96e65">cutbacks at federal health agencies</a>, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-vaccine-recommendations-data-b4eeba69e03a8d4ed50fb0a12fbcec6e">roiled by disagreements</a>&nbsp;over Kennedy’s vaccine policies. An influential immunization panel stocked by Kennedy with figures who have been critical of vaccines last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-advisers-vaccines-hepatitis-b-covid19-a1fb61ef7e29d93d2828618d890cceb3">changed shot guidance</a>&nbsp;for COVID-19 and other diseases.Trump on Sunday evening teased Monday’s announcement as a big one, telling reporters, “I think we found an answer to autism.” Experts say that oversells what would be possible from a presidential administration in its first year. They insist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/autism-kennedy-rfk-science-e4a5795275042c29e4a5721b2b163970">more research is needed</a>&nbsp;to conclusively identify whether and how environmental factors may play a role in the disorder.Kennedy for years has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-trump-health-maha-pharma-autism-55db3f5c14a6e3a2aef2483d21ac679b">promoted debunked theories</a>&nbsp;that vaccines could be responsible for rising rates of autism, which affects&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/autism-rates-us-rfk-diagnosis-cdc-cb3abd799edd591dc1ea6b63c69a2279">1 in 31 U.S. children</a>&nbsp;today, according to the CDC. Scientists, doctors and researchers have attributed that increase instead to greater awareness of the disorder and the newer, wide-ranging “spectrum” used to issue diagnoses for people with milder expressions of autism. It’s hard to tell if there may be additional factors behind the increase.

🎥 Trump, RFK, Jr. link Tylenol with autism, announce action plan

NEW YORK (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/financial-markets-nvidia-trump-xi-314e6fe58119aa66cad01d66cc819ee0">seemingly relentless rally</a>&nbsp;on Wall Street drove U.S. stocks to more records on Monday.

The S&amp;P 500 rose 0.4% after erasing a modest loss from the morning. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 66 points, or 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.7%. It's the third straight day where all three indexes set an all-time high.

“Every time the market seems to be running out of momentum, it fools most of us by pushing to higher heights,” said Jay Woods, chief market strategist at Freedom Capital Markets.

A familiar face was again the strongest force lifting the market, Nvidia. Wall Street’s most valuable company rose 3.9% after announcing a partnership to train and run OpenAI’s next generation of artificial-intelligence models. As part of the deal,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/openai-nvidia-investment-partnership-chatgpt-610d894d93f9be23c46762950997a67f">Nvidia will invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI</a>.

Oracle also pushed the market higher after climbing 6.3%. A senior official in President Donald Trump’s administration said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tiktok-china-d5d8a1d56b5185778536874d7fc1ee62">the tech giant will receive a copy</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tiktok-china-bytedance-deadline-05f273261a1dc947609c180bf876b589">TikTok’s algorithm</a>&nbsp;to operate for U.S. users, part of the deal to keep the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-trump-supreme-court-36c3c3b42f743a35c69e1c74341f1f30">popular platform</a>&nbsp;running in the country.

Oracle also named&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oracle-ceo-tiktok-magouyrk-sicilia-catz-ai-69ad588693f0c8de9fe6dcf4632037d3">Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia as its CEOs</a>, with current CEO Safra Catz becoming executive vice chair of the technology company’s board.

Some of the market’s sharpest action was among companies agreeing to buy one another.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pfizer-metsera-obesity-treatments-e85141f89b670b8d9a7520de3a2fd7c5">Pfizer said it would buy Metsera</a>&nbsp;and its pipeline of medicines to potentially treat obesity in a deal initially valuing it at $4.9 billion. The payout for Metsera investors could go up sharply if its candidates win approval from federal regulators and achieve other milestones.

Metsera’s stock jumped 60.7%, and Pfizer’s edged up by less than 0.1%.

ODP, which runs Office Depot and Office Max, leaped 32.9% after Atlas Holdings agreed to buy it in a deal valued at roughly $1 billion.

Anywhere Real Estate soared 45.5% after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/compass-anywhere-real-estate-merger-housing-b260cc3024f492b9ff374207bb3b24f7">Compass said it would buy the company behind the Coldwell Banker and Corcoran brands</a>&nbsp;in an all-stock deal. They said the combined company is expected to have a total enterprise value of roughly $10 billion, including debt. Compass shares sank 15.7%.

Also on the losing end of Wall Street was Coinbase Global, which fell 3.1% as stocks sank across the crypto industry following a pullback for cryptocurrency prices.

But Coinbase is still up 33.7% for the year so far thanks to interest in crypto, whose prices have soared to records recently on expectations for cuts to interest rates by the Federal Reserve.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 29.39 points to 6,693.75. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 66.27 to 46,381.54, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 157.50 to 22,788.98.

Stocks have surged since April on hopes that Trump’s tariffs won’t derail global trade and that the Fed will deliver several cuts to interest rates to boost the economy. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-inflation-trump-2d05401d7c9cb2393925f494aac71d89">Fed made its first cut</a>&nbsp;of the year last week, and officials indicated more could arrive through the end of this year and into next.

The U.S. stock market still faces challenges, though. Chief among them is if the Fed does not cut interest rates as many times as investors expect. The Fed is wary because lower rates can give inflation more fuel, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-trump-federal-reserve-fabecefa501709184895bf73b3dc698a">inflation has stubbornly remained</a>&nbsp;above its 2% target.

An update on Friday will show how much prices are rising for U.S. households based on the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, and economists expect it to show a slight acceleration for last month.

Plus, stocks already look too expensive to many professional investors after their prices surged so much.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe and Asia.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 1%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.8% for two of the world’s bigger moves.

NEW YORK (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/financial-markets-nvidia-trump-xi-314e6fe58119aa66cad01d66cc819ee0">seemingly relentless rally</a>&nbsp;on Wall Street drove U.S. stocks to more records on Monday.The S&amp;P 500 rose 0.4% after erasing a modest loss from the morning. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 66 points, or 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.7%. It's the third straight day where all three indexes set an all-time high.“Every time the market seems to be running out of momentum, it fools most of us by pushing to higher heights,” said Jay Woods, chief market strategist at Freedom Capital Markets.A familiar face was again the strongest force lifting the market, Nvidia. Wall Street’s most valuable company rose 3.9% after announcing a partnership to train and run OpenAI’s next generation of artificial-intelligence models. As part of the deal,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/openai-nvidia-investment-partnership-chatgpt-610d894d93f9be23c46762950997a67f">Nvidia will invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI</a>.Oracle also pushed the market higher after climbing 6.3%. A senior official in President Donald Trump’s administration said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tiktok-china-d5d8a1d56b5185778536874d7fc1ee62">the tech giant will receive a copy</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tiktok-china-bytedance-deadline-05f273261a1dc947609c180bf876b589">TikTok’s algorithm</a>&nbsp;to operate for U.S. users, part of the deal to keep the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-trump-supreme-court-36c3c3b42f743a35c69e1c74341f1f30">popular platform</a>&nbsp;running in the country.Oracle also named&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oracle-ceo-tiktok-magouyrk-sicilia-catz-ai-69ad588693f0c8de9fe6dcf4632037d3">Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia as its CEOs</a>, with current CEO Safra Catz becoming executive vice chair of the technology company’s board.Some of the market’s sharpest action was among companies agreeing to buy one another.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pfizer-metsera-obesity-treatments-e85141f89b670b8d9a7520de3a2fd7c5">Pfizer said it would buy Metsera</a>&nbsp;and its pipeline of medicines to potentially treat obesity in a deal initially valuing it at $4.9 billion. The payout for Metsera investors could go up sharply if its candidates win approval from federal regulators and achieve other milestones.Metsera’s stock jumped 60.7%, and Pfizer’s edged up by less than 0.1%.ODP, which runs Office Depot and Office Max, leaped 32.9% after Atlas Holdings agreed to buy it in a deal valued at roughly $1 billion.Anywhere Real Estate soared 45.5% after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/compass-anywhere-real-estate-merger-housing-b260cc3024f492b9ff374207bb3b24f7">Compass said it would buy the company behind the Coldwell Banker and Corcoran brands</a>&nbsp;in an all-stock deal. They said the combined company is expected to have a total enterprise value of roughly $10 billion, including debt. Compass shares sank 15.7%.Also on the losing end of Wall Street was Coinbase Global, which fell 3.1% as stocks sank across the crypto industry following a pullback for cryptocurrency prices.But Coinbase is still up 33.7% for the year so far thanks to interest in crypto, whose prices have soared to records recently on expectations for cuts to interest rates by the Federal Reserve.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 29.39 points to 6,693.75. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 66.27 to 46,381.54, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 157.50 to 22,788.98.Stocks have surged since April on hopes that Trump’s tariffs won’t derail global trade and that the Fed will deliver several cuts to interest rates to boost the economy. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-inflation-trump-2d05401d7c9cb2393925f494aac71d89">Fed made its first cut</a>&nbsp;of the year last week, and officials indicated more could arrive through the end of this year and into next.The U.S. stock market still faces challenges, though. Chief among them is if the Fed does not cut interest rates as many times as investors expect. The Fed is wary because lower rates can give inflation more fuel, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-trump-federal-reserve-fabecefa501709184895bf73b3dc698a">inflation has stubbornly remained</a>&nbsp;above its 2% target.An update on Friday will show how much prices are rising for U.S. households based on the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, and economists expect it to show a slight acceleration for last month.Plus, stocks already look too expensive to many professional investors after their prices surged so much.In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe and Asia.Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 1%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.8% for two of the world’s bigger moves.

US stocks set more records as Wall Street's rally keeps rolling

NEW YORK (AP) — ABC will reinstate Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show in the wake of criticism over his comments about the assassination of conservative&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-utah-university-republicans-8357c3d102de09e3320fde761258131a">activist Charlie Kirk</a>, officials with the network said Monday.

<a href="https://www.aclu.org/defend-free-speech-letter-kimmel">Click here to see the list </a>of celebrities who signed a petition to support Kimmel.

"We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday,” said a statement from the network.

ABC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-2c79d56fa53779014f2bb2ed9e47da1f">suspended</a>&nbsp;Kimmel indefinitely after comments he made about Kirk, who was killed Sept. 10, in a monologue. Kimmel said “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk” and that “the MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”

Kimmel has hosted “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC since 2003 and has been a fixture in television and comedy for even longer. He is also well known as a presenter, having hosted the Academy Awards four times.

Backlash to Kimmel’s comments about Kirk was swift.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abc-kimmel-affiliate-charlie-kirk-8eb9dca5dff2c717fd00a7083982c5c4">Nexstar and Sinclair,</a>&nbsp;two of ABC’s largest affiliate owners, said they would be pulling “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from their stations. Others, including several fellow&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspended-reaction-03c1ae9d16a4a47481e855de1668def3">comedians</a>, came to his defense.

There was no immediate comment from Nexstar and Sinclair in response to messages from The Associated Press.

President Donald Trump, one of Kimmel’s frequent targets, posted on social media that Kimmel’s suspension was “great news for America.” He also called for other late night hosts to be fired.

Kimmel was asked in an interview with Variety this past summer if he was worried that the administration would come after comedians. He expressed concern that a crackdown could be on the way.

“Well, you’d have to be naive not to worry a little bit,” he said. “But that can’t change what you’re doing.”

Kimmel’s suspension arrived in a time when Trump and his administration have pursued threats, lawsuits and federal government pressure to try to exert more control over the media industry. Trump has reached settlements with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abc-trump-lawsuit-defamation-stephanopoulos-04aea8663310af39ae2a85f4c1a56d68">ABC</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-media-harris-minutes-paramount-6415042fe910ae60b432dd8c73ef61b2">CBS</a>&nbsp;over their coverage.

Trump has also filed defamation lawsuits against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-wall-street-journal-b006f3ef25e6b4ab910cc3b41c865227">The Wall Street Journal</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-lawsuit-new-york-times-b2a615192ebe2dcec859eb883368dfbb">The New York Times</a>. Republicans in Congress stripped federal funding from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/npr-pbs-public-broadcasting-trump-cuts-73de8fadf32655aa74752690d22a3758">NPR and PBS</a>.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brendan-carr-fcc-chairman-jimmy-kimmel-f1c635a8b2184ccf50ed53d1c8d76518">Brendan Carr</a>, the head of the Federal Communications Commission, issued a warning prior to Kimmel’s suspension that criticized Kimmel’s remarks about the Kirk assassination.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. “These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

Carr denied on Monday that he threatened to revoke ABC's local station licenses because of Kimmel's remarks.

“Jimmy Kimmel is in the situation he’s in because of his ratings. Not because of anything that’s happened at the federal government level,” Carr said at the Concordia Annual Summit.

The suspension also happened at a time when the late night landscape is shifting. CBS announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-colbert-late-show-cbs-end-8bad9f16f076df62c0ffc50e9c8adbab">the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s show</a>&nbsp;over the summer

Kimmel’s contract with The Walt Disney Co.-owned network had been set to expire in May 2026.

Word of the reinstatement came as hundreds of Hollywood and Broadway stars — including Robert De Niro, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Selena Gomez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep — urged Americans “fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights” in the wake of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspended-charlie-kirk-business-interests-fcc-f18546e00ba03980c03b4cda4c576aa8">Jimmy Kimmel's suspension.</a>

More than 430 movie, TV and stage stars as well as comedians, directors and writers added their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclu.org/defend-free-speech-letter-kimmel">names to an open letter</a>&nbsp;Monday from the American Civil Liberties Union that argues it is “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.”

Also Monday, ABC's “The View” weighed in on the controversy after not raising it for two episodes after Kimmel was suspended. Co-host Whoopi Goldberg opened the show saying: “No one silences us” and she and her fellow hosts condemned Disney's decision.

Associated Press Media Writer David Bauder and writers Patrick Whittle and James Pollard contributed to this report.

<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) — ABC will reinstate Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show in the wake of criticism over his comments about the assassination of conservative&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-utah-university-republicans-8357c3d102de09e3320fde761258131a">activist Charlie Kirk</a>, officials with the network said Monday.<a href="https://www.aclu.org/defend-free-speech-letter-kimmel">Click here to see the list </a>of celebrities who signed a petition to support Kimmel."We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday,” said a statement from the network.ABC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-2c79d56fa53779014f2bb2ed9e47da1f">suspended</a>&nbsp;Kimmel indefinitely after comments he made about Kirk, who was killed Sept. 10, in a monologue. Kimmel said “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk” and that “the MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”Kimmel has hosted “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC since 2003 and has been a fixture in television and comedy for even longer. He is also well known as a presenter, having hosted the Academy Awards four times.Backlash to Kimmel’s comments about Kirk was swift.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abc-kimmel-affiliate-charlie-kirk-8eb9dca5dff2c717fd00a7083982c5c4">Nexstar and Sinclair,</a>&nbsp;two of ABC’s largest affiliate owners, said they would be pulling “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from their stations. Others, including several fellow&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspended-reaction-03c1ae9d16a4a47481e855de1668def3">comedians</a>, came to his defense.There was no immediate comment from Nexstar and Sinclair in response to messages from The Associated Press.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ABC</a> for finally having the courage to do what had to be done...&quot; - President Donald J. Trump <a href="https://t.co/Vhj6DQSssu">pic.twitter.com/Vhj6DQSssu</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1968468758533451910?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>President Donald Trump, one of Kimmel’s frequent targets, posted on social media that Kimmel’s suspension was “great news for America.” He also called for other late night hosts to be fired.Kimmel was asked in an interview with Variety this past summer if he was worried that the administration would come after comedians. He expressed concern that a crackdown could be on the way.“Well, you’d have to be naive not to worry a little bit,” he said. “But that can’t change what you’re doing.”Kimmel’s suspension arrived in a time when Trump and his administration have pursued threats, lawsuits and federal government pressure to try to exert more control over the media industry. Trump has reached settlements with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abc-trump-lawsuit-defamation-stephanopoulos-04aea8663310af39ae2a85f4c1a56d68">ABC</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-media-harris-minutes-paramount-6415042fe910ae60b432dd8c73ef61b2">CBS</a>&nbsp;over their coverage.Trump has also filed defamation lawsuits against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-wall-street-journal-b006f3ef25e6b4ab910cc3b41c865227">The Wall Street Journal</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-lawsuit-new-york-times-b2a615192ebe2dcec859eb883368dfbb">The New York Times</a>. Republicans in Congress stripped federal funding from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/npr-pbs-public-broadcasting-trump-cuts-73de8fadf32655aa74752690d22a3758">NPR and PBS</a>.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brendan-carr-fcc-chairman-jimmy-kimmel-f1c635a8b2184ccf50ed53d1c8d76518">Brendan Carr</a>, the head of the Federal Communications Commission, issued a warning prior to Kimmel’s suspension that criticized Kimmel’s remarks about the Kirk assassination.“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. “These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”Carr denied on Monday that he threatened to revoke ABC's local station licenses because of Kimmel's remarks.“Jimmy Kimmel is in the situation he’s in because of his ratings. Not because of anything that’s happened at the federal government level,” Carr said at the Concordia Annual Summit.The suspension also happened at a time when the late night landscape is shifting. CBS announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-colbert-late-show-cbs-end-8bad9f16f076df62c0ffc50e9c8adbab">the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s show</a>&nbsp;over the summerKimmel’s contract with The Walt Disney Co.-owned network had been set to expire in May 2026.Word of the reinstatement came as hundreds of Hollywood and Broadway stars — including Robert De Niro, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Selena Gomez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep — urged Americans “fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights” in the wake of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspended-charlie-kirk-business-interests-fcc-f18546e00ba03980c03b4cda4c576aa8">Jimmy Kimmel's suspension.</a>More than 430 movie, TV and stage stars as well as comedians, directors and writers added their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclu.org/defend-free-speech-letter-kimmel">names to an open letter</a>&nbsp;Monday from the American Civil Liberties Union that argues it is “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.”Also Monday, ABC's “The View” weighed in on the controversy after not raising it for two episodes after Kimmel was suspended. Co-host Whoopi Goldberg opened the show saying: “No one silences us” and she and her fellow hosts condemned Disney's decision.___Associated Press Media Writer David Bauder and writers Patrick Whittle and James Pollard contributed to this report.

ABC ends Jimmy Kimmel's suspension, show returns this week

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hoping that mortgage rates will keep dropping following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-inflation-trump-2d05401d7c9cb2393925f494aac71d89">the Federal Reserve’s first rate cut</a>&nbsp;since last year? Don’t bank on it.

As expected, the central bank delivered a quarter-point cut and projected it would lower its benchmark rate twice more this year, reflecting growing concern over the U.S. job market.

Here’s a look at factors that determine mortgage rates and what the Fed’s latest move means for the housing market:

Mortgage rates have been mostly falling since late July on expectations of a Fed rate cut. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage was at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mortgage-rates-housing-interest-financing-home-0006ffb29d80352c87da5b2b5b08e8fa">6.35% last week</a>, its lowest level in nearly a year, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac.

A similar pullback in mortgage rates happened around this time last year in the weeks leading up to the Fed’s first rate cut in more than four years. Back then, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage got down to a 2-year low of 6.08% one week after the central bank cut rates.

But it hasn’t come close to that since.

Mortgage rates didn’t keep falling last year, even as the Fed cut its main rate two more times. Instead, mortgage rates rose and kept climbing until the average rate on a 30-year home loan reached just over 7% by mid-January.

Like last year, the Fed’s rate cut doesn’t necessarily mean mortgage rates will keep declining, even as the central bank signals more cuts ahead.

“Rates could come down further, as the Fed has signaled the potential for two more rate cuts this year,” said Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist at Bright MLS. “However, there are still risks of a reversal in mortgage rates. Inflation heated up in August and if the September inflation report shows another bump in consumer prices, it’s possible we could see rates rise.”

The Fed doesn’t directly set mortgage rates. Instead, they’re influenced by several factors, from the Fed’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation.

Mortgage rates generally follow the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.

That’s because mortgages are typically bundled into mortgage-backed securities that are sold to investors. To keep mortgage-backed securities attractive to investors, their yield — or annual return -- is adjusted to be competitive with the yield offered by the U.S. on its 10-year government bonds. When those bond yields rise, they tend to push up mortgage rates, and vice-versa.

The 10-year Treasury yield has been mostly easing since mid-July as growing signs that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-economy-revisions-labor-department-f4a29a2b948f7bce0d6558824ffe0fd5">the job market has been weakening</a>&nbsp;fueled expectations of a Fed rate cut this month.

Until now, the Fed had kept its main interest rate on hold this year because it was more worried about inflation potentially worsening due to the Trump administration’s tariffs than about the job market.

At the same time,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-trump-federal-reserve-fabecefa501709184895bf73b3dc698a">inflation has so far refused</a>&nbsp;to go back below the Fed’s 2% target.

When the Fed cuts rates that can give the job market and overall economy a boost, but it can also fuel inflation. That, in turn, could push up mortgage rates.

“It’s not just about what the Fed is doing today, it’s about what they’re expected to do in the future, and that’s determined by things like economic growth, what’s going to happen in the labor market and what do we think inflation is going to be like over the next year or so,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com.

“If the Fed keeps lowering rates, it doesn’t necessarily mean mortgages will go down,” said Stephen Kates, financial analyst at Bankrate. “It means that they probably could go down more, and they may trend in that direction, even if they don’t move in lockstep.”

Ahead of the Fed’s rate cut, the futures market had priced in expectations that the central bank would cut its key interest rate at upcoming policy meetings this year and into 2026. But the Fed’s latest projections show a less aggressive path of rate cuts than the market has been expecting.

“This ongoing gap between market and Fed expectations means that some risk of upward pressure on mortgage rates remains,” said Hale, adding that the decline in mortgage rates “is likely to continue at least through this week.”

Hale recently forecast that the average rate on a 30-year mortgage will be between 6.3% and 6.4% by the end of this year. That’s in line with recent projections by other economists who also don’t expect the average rate to drop below 6% this year.

The late-summer pullback in mortgage rates has been a welcome trend for the housing market, which has been in a slump since 2022, when mortgage rates began climbing from historic lows.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-b7645724538b7a860c1d739e8b05380d">Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes sank last year</a>&nbsp;to their lowest level in nearly 30 years and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-64769d50ce9c16dee9ffb90c01735071">have remained sluggish so far this year</a>.

While lower rates give home shoppers more purchasing power, mortgage rates remain too high for many Americans to afford to buy a home. That’s mostly because home prices, while rising more slowly than in years past, are still up by roughly 50% nationally since the start of this decade.

“While lower rates will bring some buyers and sellers into the market, today’s cut will not be enough to break up the housing market logjam,” said Sturtevant. “We will need to see further drops in mortgage rates and much slower home price growth, or even home price declines, to make a dent in affordability.”

If mortgage rates continue to ease, home shoppers will benefit from more affordable financing. But lower mortgage rates could also bring in more buyers, making the market more competitive at a time when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/real-estate-housing-market-home-prices-6a2ae673d0c93e98b69d3c6b99925124">sellers across the country are having a tougher time driving a hard bargain.</a>

Predicting when mortgage rates will decline and by how much is daunting because so many variables can influence their trajectory from one week to the next.

Home shoppers who can afford to buy at current rates may be better off buying now if they find a property that fits their needs, rather than attempt to time the market, said Kates.

Many homeowners looking to refinance have already seized on the decline in rates, sending applications for refinance loans sharply higher in recent weeks.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hoping that mortgage rates will keep dropping following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-inflation-trump-2d05401d7c9cb2393925f494aac71d89">the Federal Reserve’s first rate cut</a>&nbsp;since last year? Don’t bank on it.As expected, the central bank delivered a quarter-point cut and projected it would lower its benchmark rate twice more this year, reflecting growing concern over the U.S. job market.Here’s a look at factors that determine mortgage rates and what the Fed’s latest move means for the housing market:<h2>How rate cuts affect mortgage rates</h2>Mortgage rates have been mostly falling since late July on expectations of a Fed rate cut. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage was at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mortgage-rates-housing-interest-financing-home-0006ffb29d80352c87da5b2b5b08e8fa">6.35% last week</a>, its lowest level in nearly a year, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac.A similar pullback in mortgage rates happened around this time last year in the weeks leading up to the Fed’s first rate cut in more than four years. Back then, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage got down to a 2-year low of 6.08% one week after the central bank cut rates.But it hasn’t come close to that since.Mortgage rates didn’t keep falling last year, even as the Fed cut its main rate two more times. Instead, mortgage rates rose and kept climbing until the average rate on a 30-year home loan reached just over 7% by mid-January.Like last year, the Fed’s rate cut doesn’t necessarily mean mortgage rates will keep declining, even as the central bank signals more cuts ahead.“Rates could come down further, as the Fed has signaled the potential for two more rate cuts this year,” said Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist at Bright MLS. “However, there are still risks of a reversal in mortgage rates. Inflation heated up in August and if the September inflation report shows another bump in consumer prices, it’s possible we could see rates rise.”<h2>How mortgage rates are set</h2>The Fed doesn’t directly set mortgage rates. Instead, they’re influenced by several factors, from the Fed’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation.Mortgage rates generally follow the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.That’s because mortgages are typically bundled into mortgage-backed securities that are sold to investors. To keep mortgage-backed securities attractive to investors, their yield — or annual return -- is adjusted to be competitive with the yield offered by the U.S. on its 10-year government bonds. When those bond yields rise, they tend to push up mortgage rates, and vice-versa.The 10-year Treasury yield has been mostly easing since mid-July as growing signs that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-economy-revisions-labor-department-f4a29a2b948f7bce0d6558824ffe0fd5">the job market has been weakening</a>&nbsp;fueled expectations of a Fed rate cut this month.Until now, the Fed had kept its main interest rate on hold this year because it was more worried about inflation potentially worsening due to the Trump administration’s tariffs than about the job market.At the same time,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-trump-federal-reserve-fabecefa501709184895bf73b3dc698a">inflation has so far refused</a>&nbsp;to go back below the Fed’s 2% target.When the Fed cuts rates that can give the job market and overall economy a boost, but it can also fuel inflation. That, in turn, could push up mortgage rates.“It’s not just about what the Fed is doing today, it’s about what they’re expected to do in the future, and that’s determined by things like economic growth, what’s going to happen in the labor market and what do we think inflation is going to be like over the next year or so,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com.<h2>What to expect for mortgage rates</h2>“If the Fed keeps lowering rates, it doesn’t necessarily mean mortgages will go down,” said Stephen Kates, financial analyst at Bankrate. “It means that they probably could go down more, and they may trend in that direction, even if they don’t move in lockstep.”Ahead of the Fed’s rate cut, the futures market had priced in expectations that the central bank would cut its key interest rate at upcoming policy meetings this year and into 2026. But the Fed’s latest projections show a less aggressive path of rate cuts than the market has been expecting.“This ongoing gap between market and Fed expectations means that some risk of upward pressure on mortgage rates remains,” said Hale, adding that the decline in mortgage rates “is likely to continue at least through this week.”Hale recently forecast that the average rate on a 30-year mortgage will be between 6.3% and 6.4% by the end of this year. That’s in line with recent projections by other economists who also don’t expect the average rate to drop below 6% this year.<h2>Overall impact on the housing market</h2>The late-summer pullback in mortgage rates has been a welcome trend for the housing market, which has been in a slump since 2022, when mortgage rates began climbing from historic lows.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-b7645724538b7a860c1d739e8b05380d">Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes sank last year</a>&nbsp;to their lowest level in nearly 30 years and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-64769d50ce9c16dee9ffb90c01735071">have remained sluggish so far this year</a>.While lower rates give home shoppers more purchasing power, mortgage rates remain too high for many Americans to afford to buy a home. That’s mostly because home prices, while rising more slowly than in years past, are still up by roughly 50% nationally since the start of this decade.“While lower rates will bring some buyers and sellers into the market, today’s cut will not be enough to break up the housing market logjam,” said Sturtevant. “We will need to see further drops in mortgage rates and much slower home price growth, or even home price declines, to make a dent in affordability.”If mortgage rates continue to ease, home shoppers will benefit from more affordable financing. But lower mortgage rates could also bring in more buyers, making the market more competitive at a time when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/real-estate-housing-market-home-prices-6a2ae673d0c93e98b69d3c6b99925124">sellers across the country are having a tougher time driving a hard bargain.</a><h2>The options for home shoppers and buyers</h2>Predicting when mortgage rates will decline and by how much is daunting because so many variables can influence their trajectory from one week to the next.Home shoppers who can afford to buy at current rates may be better off buying now if they find a property that fits their needs, rather than attempt to time the market, said Kates.Many homeowners looking to refinance have already seized on the decline in rates, sending applications for refinance loans sharply higher in recent weeks.

How the Fed's rate cut impacts mortgage rates

A Nebraska lawmaker sheds tears, vows action after visiting jailed migrants in North Platte

By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/cindygonzalez/">Cindy Gonzalez</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — After three months in ICE detention, legal fees mounting and no release in sight, Nuri Garibo Chona did what she called unimaginable. She left behind four daughters to return to the birthplace where she hadn’t lived for decades. The Omaha mom was here illegally. Her kids are all U.S. citizens, and younger ones now are in the care of her oldest daughter, who is 27.&nbsp;

Another woman ensnared in the Glenn Valley Foods immigration raid in Omaha also was removed to Mexico last week without her two children, who remained in Omaha with their dad. On her way out, Leydy Solis Factor said she still was confused about why the work permit she got through proper channels was no longer good

Meanwhile, one of the men still held from the raid in the Lincoln County Jail has hired a local lawyer to replace an out-of-state firm and prays he hasn’t lost a shot at being released on bond. He has a wife and children in Omaha and fears for their safety if he is forced back to Guatemala.

The number of Glenn Valley workers detained in this North Platte jail, which is paid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain migrants, has dwindled since the high-profile worksite raid executed June 10 by more than 80 federal and local agents.&nbsp;

Shortly after the Nebraska Examiner visited the facility last week, Garibo Chona and Solis Factor were removed from the country, and three other women were released on bond, leaving six from the Glenn Valley raid among those in custody there.&nbsp;

ICE officials did not provide specifics when asked this week for an update, but of the original group of roughly 80 arrested, a spokesperson previously said about a dozen were released early and 63 were sent to North Platte. Several of the detainees agreed to voluntarily deport themselves, and many have been released on bond as their lawyers build cases to prevent forced removal.

To State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha, their journeys and circumstances have become even more relevant as the state prepares to repurpose a state prison into a&nbsp; 300-bed ICE detention center in McCook, a town of about 7,200 residents about an hour from North Platte.

Last week she became the first state lawmaker to sit down with Glenn Valley detainees. The discussion ranged from medical, legal and interpreter services to how their children were faring. After meeting with men and women garbed in black and white stripes, Juarez stepped into a nearby hall and cried.&nbsp;

She said she’s on a mission to ensure that federal ICE detainees in Nebraska have access to the same services offered to state inmates in state prisons.

“It was really difficult to see the reality, the human faces,” said Juarez, whose South Omaha district includes the Glenn Valley plant and other meatpackers that traditionally have attracted immigrant workers.

&nbsp;“These are people locked up away from family,” she said. “We have jailed innocent working people.”

The federal government has a different viewpoint.&nbsp;

Representatives of ICE and its Homeland Security Investigations arm have repeatedly referred to the Glenn Valley case as a targeted, federal criminal investigation aimed at stopping the widespread use of stolen identifications by foreign-born workers to gain jobs.

“These so-called ‘honest workers’ have caused an immeasurable amount of financial and emotional hardship for innocent Americans,” HSI’s Mark Zito has said. “If pretending to be someone you aren’t in order to steal their lives isn’t blatant criminal dishonesty, I don’t know what is.”

Court documents track the Omaha raid&nbsp; —&nbsp;the largest immigration enforcement action in Nebraska since 2018 —&nbsp;back to a March subpoena that sought company employment records tying 107 of 177 employees to fraudulent IDs or documents that didn’t authorize them to work in the country.

At least one defrauded U.S. citizen already had lodged identity theft complaints with the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration. During the raid, agents questioned a worker whose job application matched the name of that complainant — leading to the arrest of Guadalupe Cabrera Mejia.

To date, available federal court records show Cabrera Mejia as the only Glenn Valley employee criminally charged for the alleged use of a stolen ID. Asked how that reconciled with “widespread” criminal activity alleged earlier, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Nebraska said ICE determines whether to pursue felony criminal charges.&nbsp;

With regard to the Glenn Valley probe, she said, ICE elected “overwhelmingly” to pursue administrative charges in immigration court, a venue and process independent of federal prosecutors.

ICE has said an administrative charge is often a more expedient option, a faster path to deportation. The raid came as federal agencies are under pressure from the Trump administration’s goal of making 3,000 related arrests per day and pursuing mass deportations.&nbsp;

In Nebraska, Gov. Jim Pillen, backed by many legislative Republicans, has pledged resources to help President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda. Among state offerings: turning the McCook-based Work Ethic Camp into a Midwestern ICE detention center that federal officials dubbed the “Cornhusker Clink.”&nbsp;

That conversion plan requires the relocation of 186 state inmates elsewhere in a Nebraska correctional system already ranked as&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/Agencies/Inspector_General_of_the_Nebraska_Correctional_System/600_20250915-155923.pdf" target="_blank">the most crowded</a>&nbsp;in the country, when measured by operational capacity. The decision to offer ICE state assistance sparked protests at the Governor’s Mansion and a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/09/12/conversion-of-mccook-facility-into-ice-detention-hub-draws-overflow-hearing-statewide-concerns/">four-hour public hearing</a>&nbsp;that drew dozens of opponent speakers and no proponents.

Scant details shared about the project is partly what Juarez said spurred her to make the trek west to the jail in North Platte and prison in McCook.&nbsp;

“This isn’t going away,” she said. “They’re amping up enforcement, and I really wanted to see and hear from these families for myself.”

On a day last week, Lincoln County Sheriff Jerome Kramer accompanied Juarez into separate cell blocs for men and women. The Examiner was allowed as well.

Women set aside Bibles and art materials and huddled around the silver table where the lawmaker sat. An interpreter from a local advocacy group called Hope Esperanza helped bridge any language gaps.

Kramer praised the nonprofit’s founder, North Platte native TinaMaria Fernandez, for having eased stress that came with the sudden swell of inmates whose first language was different from that of his staff.&nbsp;

The arrival of the Glenn Valley group increased the jail population by about 50% at a time the facility was short-staffed, Kramer said. He said the federal government pays the county $74 a day for each ICE detainee and covers transportation and medical expenses.

“If I remember it right, they called to see if we could take them and said they’d be here in three hours,” Kramer said.&nbsp;

Juarez viewed as a positive sign the rapport between Hope Esperanza, Kramer and his team and detainees. She wondered out loud if McCook has a similar community organization able to assist in that town’s future ICE detention operation.

Fernandez said that while McCook is about an hour’s drive away, she didn’t see her team being able to provide similar humanitarian outreach at that facility, since the oversight would be federal versus local county officials.

Most of the women, in response to Juarez’s queries, said they hadn’t visited with family members face-to-face but had been able to communicate via video conferencing.&nbsp;

Jail staff have been respectful and responsive, several said. Another added: “It’s ugly. We’re locked up.”&nbsp;

Isabel Ponce, a 34-year-old mother of three kids who are with their father in Omaha, said anxiety was “pushing my limits.”&nbsp;

For some, legal relief has been grinding or nonexistent.

In Garibo Chona’s case, for example, an immigration judge ordered her removal from the country. She was torn about appealing and leaving her daughters but said the judge told her he would not change his mind if her case came before him six months later. She was removed from the country last week.

Solis Factor said she had a government-issued permit to work while awaiting a court hearing, so she at first was not concerned she’d be detained. But many immigration programs and rules have changed since Trump took office for the second time in January. And a judge ordered her removal.

“I want my children to stay and continue their education and learning English,” she said of her kids, ages 5 and 10.

Indeed, the swiftly-evolving immigration landscape has been playing out in an Omaha courtroom.

U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Bataillon at least nine times has rejected attempts by the federal government to deny the release of Glenn Valley workers on bonds already granted by an immigration court judge.

The three most recent cases were decided Sept. 11 and involved women who had met with Juarez. Among them was Yurenia Genchi Palma, a single mother of three U.S. citizen children who had been in the country more than 20 years.&nbsp;

Though an immigration judge in mid-July granted Genchi Palma’s release on a $7,000 bond, federal attorneys blocked it by filing an “automatic stay.” The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, which represents her, called that a new practice driven by the “interim guidance” leaked in a July 8 internal memo from the Trump administration.&nbsp;

The new approach seeks to make nearly all detained immigrants facing removal proceedings ineligible for release on bond, with an aim of making more of them more likely to self deport, experts say.&nbsp;

ICE has said the changed direction “closes a loophole to our nation’s security” that the Biden administration and others had based on “inaccurate interpretation” of federal law. Such measures are needed, says Trump and other supporters of stepped-up immigration enforcement, to reverse past patterns.

Bataillon ruled the automatic stay provision and prolonged detention unconstitutional despite a Sept. 6 decision days before by the Board of Immigration Appeals, which had affirmed the “interim guidance.”&nbsp;

As a federal court judge, Bataillon is not required to follow the decision of the BIA, an administrative body in the executive branch. He questioned the legal rationale behind the analysis but said that wasn’t his concern.&nbsp;

He said his ruling was based only on the lawfulness of the automatic stay.&nbsp;

Grant Friedman of ACLU Nebraska foresees continued legal challenges and noted that the ICE no-bond practice already is being challenged in a separate national class action lawsuit. He said ACLU and other advocates are on heightened alert.

“The immigration landscape is rapidly changing,” Friedman said. “We are doing everything we can to make sure people are being treated fairly, that they have their rights respected.”

Anne Wurth, associate legal director of the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement, which has assisted many Glenn Valley workers, called the current landscape “absolute chaos.”

&nbsp;“We have a system that is punishing individuals we rely on in our workforce and who are just humans who deserve to live their life with freedom,” she said.

Juarez said dealing with immigration-related matters was not something she expected as a state officeholder. She’s the first Latina in the Nebraska Legislature and is serving her first year as a state lawmaker.

A Democrat in the officially nonpartisan Legislature, she recently clashed over immigration policy in an email exchange with former Nebraska governor and now U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Nebraska, and plans to urge the state’s all-GOP congressional delegation to push for immigration reform. She toured the&nbsp; McCook jail after leaving North Platte, and vows to monitor the conversion and amplify related budget discussions.&nbsp;

“There’s no doubt I’m going to stand up,” said Juarez. “My community expects that.”

ICE told the Examiner politicians should focus on encouraging their constituents to comply with federal law. It said all migrant detainees are treated humanely and given access to essential services and that any concerns regarding detainee care are taken seriously.

For Ramirez Jacinto, each day in detention brings worry. Is his daughter able to sleep yet? Are the house bills paid? Will his family in Omaha go with him if he’s deported? How will they escape the violence?

“I’d like my family to stay, but who would work?” said Ramirez Jacinto. “I’m the worker.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758481465874.png" alt=" State Sen. Margo Juarez of South Omaha visits with Glenn Valley Foods workers who were detained during a June 10 immigration raid in Omaha and held in the Lincoln County Jail in North Platte. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> State Sen. Margo Juarez of South Omaha visits with Glenn Valley Foods workers who were detained during a June 10 immigration raid in Omaha and held in the Lincoln County Jail in North Platte. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>A Nebraska lawmaker sheds tears, vows action after visiting jailed migrants in North Platte</h2>By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/cindygonzalez/">Cindy Gonzalez</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a>NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — After three months in ICE detention, legal fees mounting and no release in sight, Nuri Garibo Chona did what she called unimaginable. She left behind four daughters to return to the birthplace where she hadn’t lived for decades. The Omaha mom was here illegally. Her kids are all U.S. citizens, and younger ones now are in the care of her oldest daughter, who is 27.&nbsp;Another woman ensnared in the Glenn Valley Foods immigration raid in Omaha also was removed to Mexico last week without her two children, who remained in Omaha with their dad. On her way out, Leydy Solis Factor said she still was confused about why the work permit she got through proper channels was no longer goodMeanwhile, one of the men still held from the raid in the Lincoln County Jail has hired a local lawyer to replace an out-of-state firm and prays he hasn’t lost a shot at being released on bond. He has a wife and children in Omaha and fears for their safety if he is forced back to Guatemala.The number of Glenn Valley workers detained in this North Platte jail, which is paid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain migrants, has dwindled since the high-profile worksite raid executed June 10 by more than 80 federal and local agents.&nbsp;Shortly after the Nebraska Examiner visited the facility last week, Garibo Chona and Solis Factor were removed from the country, and three other women were released on bond, leaving six from the Glenn Valley raid among those in custody there.&nbsp;ICE officials did not provide specifics when asked this week for an update, but of the original group of roughly 80 arrested, a spokesperson previously said about a dozen were released early and 63 were sent to North Platte. Several of the detainees agreed to voluntarily deport themselves, and many have been released on bond as their lawyers build cases to prevent forced removal.To State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha, their journeys and circumstances have become even more relevant as the state prepares to repurpose a state prison into a&nbsp; 300-bed ICE detention center in McCook, a town of about 7,200 residents about an hour from North Platte.Last week she became the first state lawmaker to sit down with Glenn Valley detainees. The discussion ranged from medical, legal and interpreter services to how their children were faring. After meeting with men and women garbed in black and white stripes, Juarez stepped into a nearby hall and cried.&nbsp;She said she’s on a mission to ensure that federal ICE detainees in Nebraska have access to the same services offered to state inmates in state prisons.“It was really difficult to see the reality, the human faces,” said Juarez, whose South Omaha district includes the Glenn Valley plant and other meatpackers that traditionally have attracted immigrant workers.&nbsp;“These are people locked up away from family,” she said. “We have jailed innocent working people.”* * *&nbsp;The federal government has a different viewpoint.&nbsp;Representatives of ICE and its Homeland Security Investigations arm have repeatedly referred to the Glenn Valley case as a targeted, federal criminal investigation aimed at stopping the widespread use of stolen identifications by foreign-born workers to gain jobs.“These so-called ‘honest workers’ have caused an immeasurable amount of financial and emotional hardship for innocent Americans,” HSI’s Mark Zito has said. “If pretending to be someone you aren’t in order to steal their lives isn’t blatant criminal dishonesty, I don’t know what is.”Court documents track the Omaha raid&nbsp; —&nbsp;the largest immigration enforcement action in Nebraska since 2018 —&nbsp;back to a March subpoena that sought company employment records tying 107 of 177 employees to fraudulent IDs or documents that didn’t authorize them to work in the country.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758481173388.png" alt="A worker gets apprehended at Glenn Valley Foods during the largest Nebraska immigration raid since President Donald Trump took office. (Courtesy of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)" />
 <figcaption>A worker gets apprehended at Glenn Valley Foods during the largest Nebraska immigration raid since President Donald Trump took office. (Courtesy of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)</figcaption>
 </figure>At least one defrauded U.S. citizen already had lodged identity theft complaints with the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration. During the raid, agents questioned a worker whose job application matched the name of that complainant — leading to the arrest of Guadalupe Cabrera Mejia.To date, available federal court records show Cabrera Mejia as the only Glenn Valley employee criminally charged for the alleged use of a stolen ID. Asked how that reconciled with “widespread” criminal activity alleged earlier, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Nebraska said ICE determines whether to pursue felony criminal charges.&nbsp;With regard to the Glenn Valley probe, she said, ICE elected “overwhelmingly” to pursue administrative charges in immigration court, a venue and process independent of federal prosecutors.ICE has said an administrative charge is often a more expedient option, a faster path to deportation. The raid came as federal agencies are under pressure from the Trump administration’s goal of making 3,000 related arrests per day and pursuing mass deportations.&nbsp;In Nebraska, Gov. Jim Pillen, backed by many legislative Republicans, has pledged resources to help President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda. Among state offerings: turning the McCook-based Work Ethic Camp into a Midwestern ICE detention center that federal officials dubbed the “Cornhusker Clink.”&nbsp;That conversion plan requires the relocation of 186 state inmates elsewhere in a Nebraska correctional system already ranked as&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/Agencies/Inspector_General_of_the_Nebraska_Correctional_System/600_20250915-155923.pdf" target="_blank">the most crowded</a>&nbsp;in the country, when measured by operational capacity. The decision to offer ICE state assistance sparked protests at the Governor’s Mansion and a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/09/12/conversion-of-mccook-facility-into-ice-detention-hub-draws-overflow-hearing-statewide-concerns/">four-hour public hearing</a>&nbsp;that drew dozens of opponent speakers and no proponents.Scant details shared about the project is partly what Juarez said spurred her to make the trek west to the jail in North Platte and prison in McCook.&nbsp;“This isn’t going away,” she said. “They’re amping up enforcement, and I really wanted to see and hear from these families for myself.”* * *&nbsp;On a day last week, Lincoln County Sheriff Jerome Kramer accompanied Juarez into separate cell blocs for men and women. The Examiner was allowed as well.Women set aside Bibles and art materials and huddled around the silver table where the lawmaker sat. An interpreter from a local advocacy group called Hope Esperanza helped bridge any language gaps.Kramer praised the nonprofit’s founder, North Platte native TinaMaria Fernandez, for having eased stress that came with the sudden swell of inmates whose first language was different from that of his staff.&nbsp;The arrival of the Glenn Valley group increased the jail population by about 50% at a time the facility was short-staffed, Kramer said. He said the federal government pays the county $74 a day for each ICE detainee and covers transportation and medical expenses.“If I remember it right, they called to see if we could take them and said they’d be here in three hours,” Kramer said.&nbsp;Juarez viewed as a positive sign the rapport between Hope Esperanza, Kramer and his team and detainees. She wondered out loud if McCook has a similar community organization able to assist in that town’s future ICE detention operation.Fernandez said that while McCook is about an hour’s drive away, she didn’t see her team being able to provide similar humanitarian outreach at that facility, since the oversight would be federal versus local county officials.Most of the women, in response to Juarez’s queries, said they hadn’t visited with family members face-to-face but had been able to communicate via video conferencing.&nbsp;Jail staff have been respectful and responsive, several said. Another added: “It’s ugly. We’re locked up.”&nbsp;Isabel Ponce, a 34-year-old mother of three kids who are with their father in Omaha, said anxiety was “pushing my limits.”&nbsp;For some, legal relief has been grinding or nonexistent.In Garibo Chona’s case, for example, an immigration judge ordered her removal from the country. She was torn about appealing and leaving her daughters but said the judge told her he would not change his mind if her case came before him six months later. She was removed from the country last week.Solis Factor said she had a government-issued permit to work while awaiting a court hearing, so she at first was not concerned she’d be detained. But many immigration programs and rules have changed since Trump took office for the second time in January. And a judge ordered her removal.“I want my children to stay and continue their education and learning English,” she said of her kids, ages 5 and 10.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758481326422.png" alt="State Sen. Margo Juarez of South Omaha visits with Glenn Valley Foods workers who were detained during a June 10 immigration raid in Omaha and held in the Lincoln County Jail in North Platte. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Margo Juarez of South Omaha visits with Glenn Valley Foods workers who were detained during a June 10 immigration raid in Omaha and held in the Lincoln County Jail in North Platte. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Indeed, the swiftly-evolving immigration landscape has been playing out in an Omaha courtroom.U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Bataillon at least nine times has rejected attempts by the federal government to deny the release of Glenn Valley workers on bonds already granted by an immigration court judge.The three most recent cases were decided Sept. 11 and involved women who had met with Juarez. Among them was Yurenia Genchi Palma, a single mother of three U.S. citizen children who had been in the country more than 20 years.&nbsp;Though an immigration judge in mid-July granted Genchi Palma’s release on a $7,000 bond, federal attorneys blocked it by filing an “automatic stay.” The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, which represents her, called that a new practice driven by the “interim guidance” leaked in a July 8 internal memo from the Trump administration.&nbsp;The new approach seeks to make nearly all detained immigrants facing removal proceedings ineligible for release on bond, with an aim of making more of them more likely to self deport, experts say.&nbsp;ICE has said the changed direction “closes a loophole to our nation’s security” that the Biden administration and others had based on “inaccurate interpretation” of federal law. Such measures are needed, says Trump and other supporters of stepped-up immigration enforcement, to reverse past patterns.Bataillon ruled the automatic stay provision and prolonged detention unconstitutional despite a Sept. 6 decision days before by the Board of Immigration Appeals, which had affirmed the “interim guidance.”&nbsp;As a federal court judge, Bataillon is not required to follow the decision of the BIA, an administrative body in the executive branch. He questioned the legal rationale behind the analysis but said that wasn’t his concern.&nbsp;He said his ruling was based only on the lawfulness of the automatic stay.&nbsp;Grant Friedman of ACLU Nebraska foresees continued legal challenges and noted that the ICE no-bond practice already is being challenged in a separate national class action lawsuit. He said ACLU and other advocates are on heightened alert.“The immigration landscape is rapidly changing,” Friedman said. “We are doing everything we can to make sure people are being treated fairly, that they have their rights respected.”Anne Wurth, associate legal director of the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement, which has assisted many Glenn Valley workers, called the current landscape “absolute chaos.”&nbsp;“We have a system that is punishing individuals we rely on in our workforce and who are just humans who deserve to live their life with freedom,” she said.* * *&nbsp;Juarez said dealing with immigration-related matters was not something she expected as a state officeholder. She’s the first Latina in the Nebraska Legislature and is serving her first year as a state lawmaker.A Democrat in the officially nonpartisan Legislature, she recently clashed over immigration policy in an email exchange with former Nebraska governor and now U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Nebraska, and plans to urge the state’s all-GOP congressional delegation to push for immigration reform. She toured the&nbsp; McCook jail after leaving North Platte, and vows to monitor the conversion and amplify related budget discussions.&nbsp;“There’s no doubt I’m going to stand up,” said Juarez. “My community expects that.”ICE told the Examiner politicians should focus on encouraging their constituents to comply with federal law. It said all migrant detainees are treated humanely and given access to essential services and that any concerns regarding detainee care are taken seriously.For Ramirez Jacinto, each day in detention brings worry. Is his daughter able to sleep yet? Are the house bills paid? Will his family in Omaha go with him if he’s deported? How will they escape the violence?“I’d like my family to stay, but who would work?” said Ramirez Jacinto. “I’m the worker.”

Months after Nebraska raid: One ICE detention chapter winds down, another heats up

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — Ryan Routh texted his three adult children and his fiancée separately to tell them he loved them, according to cell phone records, shortly before authorities say he was spotted by a U.S. Secret Service agent, who identified Routh as the man who tried to assassinate President Donald Trump at his Florida golf course.

Later that same day, Routh called his fiancée from the Palm Beach County jail to tell her about his arrest, but she already knew. “Everybody knows, it’s been hours,” the woman can be heard saying on a recording of the call. “The whole world knows.”

Routh is representing himself in federal court after being charged with trying kill Trump and is set to present his defense Monday, calling just three witnesses.

Seasoned prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida rested their case Friday afternoon after spending seven days questioning 38 witnesses in an attempt to make sure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ryan-wesley-routh">Routh</a>&nbsp;spends the rest of his life in prison.

Prosecutors have said Routh spent weeks plotting to kill Trump before aiming a rifle through shrubbery as Trump played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club.

Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-assassination-attempt-indictment-b4c956e1a126e4acfb3c4eae0c06ddb1">attempting to assassinate</a>&nbsp;a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations.

He told U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon on Friday that he only needs half a day or so to present his defense. He has indicated that he plans to call a firearms expert and two character witnesses. He hasn’t said whether he plans to testify himself.

Cannon signed off on Routh’s request to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-attempt-florida-644c71bc607e4ebad5115f2a490b314c">represent himself</a>&nbsp;following two hearings in July. Routh told the judge that his court-appointed federal public defenders were diligent, but they didn’t listen to him and were afraid of him.

“How are they supposed to represent me and say I’m not a dangerous person when they don’t believe that?” Routh said in July.

The U.S. Supreme Court has held that criminal defendants have a right to represent themselves in court proceedings, as long as they can show a judge they are competent to waive their right to be defended by an attorney. Routh’s former defense attorneys have served as standby counsel since Routh took over his own defense and have been present during trial the past two weeks.

Cannon said attorneys should be prepared to deliver their closing arguments Tuesday, giving each side one hour and 45 minutes. Jurors will begin deliberating after that. Cannon had initially blocked off more than three weeks for the trial at the Fort Pierce federal courthouse, but Routh’s relatively short cross-examinations have led to a quicker pace than anticipated.

Recounting the alleged attack at the golf course, a Secret Service agent testified last week that he spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot, the agent said.

Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who testified that he saw a person fleeing the area after hearing gunshots. The witness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested, and the witness said he confirmed it was the person he had seen.

Just nine weeks earlier, Trump had survived&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-butler-assassination-attempt-anniversary-crooks-d18804b0e1382003bbb91449638c721c">an attempt</a>&nbsp;on his life while campaigning in Pennsylvania. That gunman had fired eight shots, with one bullet grazing Trump’s ear. The gunman was then fatally shot by a Secret Service counter sniper.

Routh was a North Carolina construction worker who in recent years had moved to Hawaii. A self-styled mercenary leader, Routh spoke out to anyone who would listen about his dangerous, sometimes violent plans to insert himself into conflicts around the world, witnesses have told The Associated Press.

In the early days of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ukraine">war in Ukraine</a>, Routh tried to recruit soldiers from Afghanistan, Moldova and Taiwan to fight the Russians. In his native Greensboro, North Carolina, he was arrested in 2002 for eluding a traffic stop and barricading himself from officers with a fully automatic machine gun and a “weapon of mass destruction,” which turned out to be an explosive with a 10-inch (25-centimeter) fuse, police said.

In 2010, police searched a warehouse Routh owned and found more than 100 stolen items, from power tools and building supplies to kayaks and spa tubs. In both felony cases, judges gave Routh either probation or a suspended sentence.

In addition to the federal charges, Routh also has pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726536262473.png" alt="Routh photo Palm Beach County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Routh photo Palm Beach County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — Ryan Routh texted his three adult children and his fiancée separately to tell them he loved them, according to cell phone records, shortly before authorities say he was spotted by a U.S. Secret Service agent, who identified Routh as the man who tried to assassinate President Donald Trump at his Florida golf course.Later that same day, Routh called his fiancée from the Palm Beach County jail to tell her about his arrest, but she already knew. “Everybody knows, it’s been hours,” the woman can be heard saying on a recording of the call. “The whole world knows.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741357051491.png" alt="-Routh photo Palm Beach County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>-Routh photo Palm Beach County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Routh is representing himself in federal court after being charged with trying kill Trump and is set to present his defense Monday, calling just three witnesses.Seasoned prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida rested their case Friday afternoon after spending seven days questioning 38 witnesses in an attempt to make sure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ryan-wesley-routh">Routh</a>&nbsp;spends the rest of his life in prison.Prosecutors have said Routh spent weeks plotting to kill Trump before aiming a rifle through shrubbery as Trump played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club.Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-assassination-attempt-indictment-b4c956e1a126e4acfb3c4eae0c06ddb1">attempting to assassinate</a>&nbsp;a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations.He told U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon on Friday that he only needs half a day or so to present his defense. He has indicated that he plans to call a firearms expert and two character witnesses. He hasn’t said whether he plans to testify himself.Cannon signed off on Routh’s request to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-attempt-florida-644c71bc607e4ebad5115f2a490b314c">represent himself</a>&nbsp;following two hearings in July. Routh told the judge that his court-appointed federal public defenders were diligent, but they didn’t listen to him and were afraid of him.“How are they supposed to represent me and say I’m not a dangerous person when they don’t believe that?” Routh said in July.The U.S. Supreme Court has held that criminal defendants have a right to represent themselves in court proceedings, as long as they can show a judge they are competent to waive their right to be defended by an attorney. Routh’s former defense attorneys have served as standby counsel since Routh took over his own defense and have been present during trial the past two weeks.Cannon said attorneys should be prepared to deliver their closing arguments Tuesday, giving each side one hour and 45 minutes. Jurors will begin deliberating after that. Cannon had initially blocked off more than three weeks for the trial at the Fort Pierce federal courthouse, but Routh’s relatively short cross-examinations have led to a quicker pace than anticipated.Recounting the alleged attack at the golf course, a Secret Service agent testified last week that he spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot, the agent said.Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who testified that he saw a person fleeing the area after hearing gunshots. The witness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested, and the witness said he confirmed it was the person he had seen.Just nine weeks earlier, Trump had survived&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-butler-assassination-attempt-anniversary-crooks-d18804b0e1382003bbb91449638c721c">an attempt</a>&nbsp;on his life while campaigning in Pennsylvania. That gunman had fired eight shots, with one bullet grazing Trump’s ear. The gunman was then fatally shot by a Secret Service counter sniper.Routh was a North Carolina construction worker who in recent years had moved to Hawaii. A self-styled mercenary leader, Routh spoke out to anyone who would listen about his dangerous, sometimes violent plans to insert himself into conflicts around the world, witnesses have told The Associated Press.In the early days of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ukraine">war in Ukraine</a>, Routh tried to recruit soldiers from Afghanistan, Moldova and Taiwan to fight the Russians. In his native Greensboro, North Carolina, he was arrested in 2002 for eluding a traffic stop and barricading himself from officers with a fully automatic machine gun and a “weapon of mass destruction,” which turned out to be an explosive with a 10-inch (25-centimeter) fuse, police said.In 2010, police searched a warehouse Routh owned and found more than 100 stolen items, from power tools and building supplies to kayaks and spa tubs. In both felony cases, judges gave Routh either probation or a suspended sentence.In addition to the federal charges, Routh also has pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.