PROVO, Utah (AP) — Tyler Robinson, the man accused of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk</a>&nbsp;at a Utah university, was charged on Tuesday with aggravated murder.

<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26098852-tyler-robinson-indictment/">Click here to read the full indictment&nbsp;</a>

The charge means Robinson could face the death penalty if convicted of killing Kirk last week at Utah Valley University in Orem, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City.

“The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy,” Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said in announcing the charges. He said Robinson's DNA was found on the trigger of the gun used to kill Kirk.

Kirk was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-suspect-things-to-know-dcde3f792f4d6636d44fb9f4fa53569c">gunned down</a>&nbsp;on Sept. 10 as he spoke with students and died soon after. Prosecutors allege Robinson shot Kirk in the neck with a bolt-action rifle from the roof of a nearby campus building.

A Utah Valley University police officer was watching the crowd from an “elevated position” and identified the roof of the Losee Center as a potential position for a shooter, Gray said. The officer found evidence on the roof immediately, he said, and spurred officers to direct their attention to surveillance video leading to the roof.

Robinson, 22, also was charged with felony discharge of a firearm, punishable by up to life in prison, and obstructing justice, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. He was scheduled to appear on camera for a virtual court hearing Tuesday afternoon.

It was unclear whether Robinson had an attorney who could speak on his behalf, and his family has declined to comment to The Associated Press.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-tyler-robinson-suspect-d893cc16fb0937d507283c710c551ef0">Robinson was arrested</a>&nbsp;late Thursday near St. George, the southern Utah community where he grew up.

Investigators have spoken to Robinson’s relatives and carried out a search warrant at his family’s home in Washington, Utah, about 240 miles (390 kilometers) southwest of where the shooting happened.

Kirk, a dominant figure in conservative politics, became&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-utah-university-republicans-8357c3d102de09e3320fde761258131a">a confidant of President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;after founding Arizona-based Turning Point USA, one of the nation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-turning-point-trump-cf2a68e4303c5628299ffe383d09c1e9">largest political organizations</a>. He brought young, conservative evangelical Christians into politics. His shooting raised fears about increasing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/political-violence-assassination-minnesota-trump-3c750cff0749633872ab6101bfa23b23">political violence in a deeply polarized United States</a>.

While authorities say Robinson hasn’t been cooperating with investigators, they say his family and friends have been talking.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/spencer-cox-unity-speech-kirk-political-violence-17a8c23ba06428cbbc413a673cd0f986">Utah Gov. Spencer Cox</a>&nbsp;said over the weekend that those who know Robinson say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-cox-robinson-assassination-aef9fe8dc82d218a36d078536717d95d">his politics shifted left</a>&nbsp;in recent years and he spent a lot of time in the “dark corners of the internet.”

FBI Director&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-patel-russia-epstein-c3e70633befef64b60613709c9919b0c">Kash Patel</a>&nbsp;said Monday on the Fox News Channel show “Fox &amp; Friends” that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-tyler-robinson-dna-fbi-patel-92a643a3f16bce587fd34896ca7f4f76">DNA evidence has linked Robinson</a>&nbsp;to a towel wrapped around a rifle found near the Utah Valley campus and a screwdriver recovered from the rooftop where the fatal shot was fired.

Before the shooting, Robinson wrote in a note that he had an opportunity to take out Kirk and was going to do it, according to Patel.

The FBI also is looking at “anyone and everyone” who was involved in a gaming chatroom on the social media platform Discord with Robinson, Patel said Tuesday during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patel-fbi-charlie-kirk-senate-hearing-048c7a7c575472b8a1a7d4ed6fb32b69">a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing</a>&nbsp;in Washington. The chatroom involved “a lot more” than 20 people, he said.

“We are investigating Charlie’s assassination fully and completely and running out every lead related to any allegation of broader violence,” Patel said in response to a question about whether the Kirk shooting was being treated as part of a broader trend of violence against religious groups.

Investigators are working on finding a motive for the attack, Utah’s governor said Sunday, adding that more information may come out once Robinson appears for his initial court hearing.

Cox said Robinson’s romantic partner was transgender, which some politicians have pointed to as a sign the suspect was targeting Kirk for his anti-transgender views. But authorities have not said whether that played a role. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings, gun violence and transgender people.

Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said Monday that Robinson’s partner has been cooperative. He said investigators believe Robinson acted alone during the shooting, but they also are looking at whether anyone knew of his plans beforehand.

In the days since Kirk’s assassination, Americans have found themselves&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-killing-america-divided-violence-politics-9b75c05301668fa033f9b4cc98b046c9">facing questions</a>&nbsp;about rising&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/political-violence-assassination-minnesota-trump-3c750cff0749633872ab6101bfa23b23">political violence</a>, the deep divisions that brought the nation here and whether anything can change.

Despite calls for greater civility, some who opposed Kirk’s provocative statements about gender, race and politics criticized him after his death. Many Republicans have led the push to punish anyone they believe dishonored him, causing both public and private workers to lose their jobs or face other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kirk-trump-cancel-culture-assassination-4d69649e382ea46d8dcf794150a1d3c9">consequences at work</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758046618970.png" alt="Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray announces the charges on Tuesday -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray announces the charges on Tuesday -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>PROVO, Utah (AP) — Tyler Robinson, the man accused of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk</a>&nbsp;at a Utah university, was charged on Tuesday with aggravated murder.<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26098852-tyler-robinson-indictment/">Click here to read the full indictment&nbsp;</a><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray announces charges filed against Tyler James Robinson in the death of Charlie Kirk including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm and obstruction of justice.&quot; He also announces his intent to seek the death penalty. <a href="https://t.co/LqlpmMMR7O">pic.twitter.com/LqlpmMMR7O</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1968018452431380491?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758049682220.png" alt="Text message between Tyler Robinson and his roommate and romantic partner, according to the Utah County Attorney" />
 <figcaption>Text message between Tyler Robinson and his roommate and romantic partner, according to the Utah County Attorney</figcaption>
 </figure>The charge means Robinson could face the death penalty if convicted of killing Kirk last week at Utah Valley University in Orem, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City.“The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy,” Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said in announcing the charges. He said Robinson's DNA was found on the trigger of the gun used to kill Kirk.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758049347660.png" alt="Page 1 of the indictment -Utah County Attorney's office" />
 <figcaption>Page 1 of the indictment -Utah County Attorney's office</figcaption>
 </figure>Kirk was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-suspect-things-to-know-dcde3f792f4d6636d44fb9f4fa53569c">gunned down</a>&nbsp;on Sept. 10 as he spoke with students and died soon after. Prosecutors allege Robinson shot Kirk in the neck with a bolt-action rifle from the roof of a nearby campus building.A Utah Valley University police officer was watching the crowd from an “elevated position” and identified the roof of the Losee Center as a potential position for a shooter, Gray said. The officer found evidence on the roof immediately, he said, and spurred officers to direct their attention to surveillance video leading to the roof.Robinson, 22, also was charged with felony discharge of a firearm, punishable by up to life in prison, and obstructing justice, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. He was scheduled to appear on camera for a virtual court hearing Tuesday afternoon.It was unclear whether Robinson had an attorney who could speak on his behalf, and his family has declined to comment to The Associated Press.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757689066912.png" alt="Robinson photo released by the Utah Governor's office" />
 <figcaption>Robinson photo released by the Utah Governor's office</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-tyler-robinson-suspect-d893cc16fb0937d507283c710c551ef0">Robinson was arrested</a>&nbsp;late Thursday near St. George, the southern Utah community where he grew up.Investigators have spoken to Robinson’s relatives and carried out a search warrant at his family’s home in Washington, Utah, about 240 miles (390 kilometers) southwest of where the shooting happened.Kirk, a dominant figure in conservative politics, became&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-utah-university-republicans-8357c3d102de09e3320fde761258131a">a confidant of President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;after founding Arizona-based Turning Point USA, one of the nation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-turning-point-trump-cf2a68e4303c5628299ffe383d09c1e9">largest political organizations</a>. He brought young, conservative evangelical Christians into politics. His shooting raised fears about increasing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/political-violence-assassination-minnesota-trump-3c750cff0749633872ab6101bfa23b23">political violence in a deeply polarized United States</a>.While authorities say Robinson hasn’t been cooperating with investigators, they say his family and friends have been talking.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/spencer-cox-unity-speech-kirk-political-violence-17a8c23ba06428cbbc413a673cd0f986">Utah Gov. Spencer Cox</a>&nbsp;said over the weekend that those who know Robinson say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-cox-robinson-assassination-aef9fe8dc82d218a36d078536717d95d">his politics shifted left</a>&nbsp;in recent years and he spent a lot of time in the “dark corners of the internet.”FBI Director&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-patel-russia-epstein-c3e70633befef64b60613709c9919b0c">Kash Patel</a>&nbsp;said Monday on the Fox News Channel show “Fox &amp; Friends” that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-tyler-robinson-dna-fbi-patel-92a643a3f16bce587fd34896ca7f4f76">DNA evidence has linked Robinson</a>&nbsp;to a towel wrapped around a rifle found near the Utah Valley campus and a screwdriver recovered from the rooftop where the fatal shot was fired.Before the shooting, Robinson wrote in a note that he had an opportunity to take out Kirk and was going to do it, according to Patel.The FBI also is looking at “anyone and everyone” who was involved in a gaming chatroom on the social media platform Discord with Robinson, Patel said Tuesday during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patel-fbi-charlie-kirk-senate-hearing-048c7a7c575472b8a1a7d4ed6fb32b69">a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing</a>&nbsp;in Washington. The chatroom involved “a lot more” than 20 people, he said.“We are investigating Charlie’s assassination fully and completely and running out every lead related to any allegation of broader violence,” Patel said in response to a question about whether the Kirk shooting was being treated as part of a broader trend of violence against religious groups.Investigators are working on finding a motive for the attack, Utah’s governor said Sunday, adding that more information may come out once Robinson appears for his initial court hearing.Cox said Robinson’s romantic partner was transgender, which some politicians have pointed to as a sign the suspect was targeting Kirk for his anti-transgender views. But authorities have not said whether that played a role. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings, gun violence and transgender people.Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said Monday that Robinson’s partner has been cooperative. He said investigators believe Robinson acted alone during the shooting, but they also are looking at whether anyone knew of his plans beforehand.In the days since Kirk’s assassination, Americans have found themselves&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-killing-america-divided-violence-politics-9b75c05301668fa033f9b4cc98b046c9">facing questions</a>&nbsp;about rising&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/political-violence-assassination-minnesota-trump-3c750cff0749633872ab6101bfa23b23">political violence</a>, the deep divisions that brought the nation here and whether anything can change.Despite calls for greater civility, some who opposed Kirk’s provocative statements about gender, race and politics criticized him after his death. Many Republicans have led the push to punish anyone they believe dishonored him, causing both public and private workers to lose their jobs or face other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kirk-trump-cancel-culture-assassination-4d69649e382ea46d8dcf794150a1d3c9">consequences at work</a>

🎥 Read the charges announced against accused Charlie Kirk killer

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The 2025 Kansas State Fair drew 300,784 visitors over 10 days, a weather-affected total that trailed the 328,714 reported in 2024 and 330,044 in 2023, organizers said.

The Fair opened Sept. 5 under misty skies, followed by a strong weekend before heavy rain on Monday snarled parking. To keep the grounds accessible, officials rolled out shuttle service from Hutchinson Community College, the Hutchinson Uptown Mall and Bold 3PL.

“We are grateful to the Hutchinson community and our emergency response partners for helping us make these adjustments quickly and safely,” General Manager Bryan Schulz said. “Our staff, Fair Board, and countless supporters worked tirelessly to make this year’s Fair a success despite the weather.”

Grandstand highlights included Ludacris (6,600), Jeff Dunham (just under 6,000), Josiah Queen with Ben Fuller (5,700) and The Fray with Plain White T’s (4,400).

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The 2025 Kansas State Fair drew 300,784 visitors over 10 days, a weather-affected total that trailed the 328,714 reported in 2024 and 330,044 in 2023, organizers said.The Fair opened Sept. 5 under misty skies, followed by a strong weekend before heavy rain on Monday snarled parking. To keep the grounds accessible, officials rolled out shuttle service from Hutchinson Community College, the Hutchinson Uptown Mall and Bold 3PL.“We are grateful to the Hutchinson community and our emergency response partners for helping us make these adjustments quickly and safely,” General Manager Bryan Schulz said. “Our staff, Fair Board, and countless supporters worked tirelessly to make this year’s Fair a success despite the weather.”Grandstand highlights included Ludacris (6,600), Jeff Dunham (just under 6,000), Josiah Queen with Ben Fuller (5,700) and The Fray with Plain White T’s (4,400).

Kansas State Fair attendance down due to wet weather

By:<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/author/michelle/">Michelle Griffith</a> <a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/">Minnesota Reformer</a>

Gov. Tim Walz typically treats the Minnesota State Fair like his personal Super Bowl — trying new foods (this year the Uncrustaburger), touting one of his favorite rides (the Ye Old Mill) and making the rounds at TV and radio station booths for softball interviews.

Walz’s State Fair interviews this year centered around one question: Will you run for reelection? The governor was coy and reserved. He said he was taking his time assessing what was best for Minnesotans. Also, he said, the June death of his friend and close governing ally Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman weighed on him and delayed his reelection announcement.

“This one about broke me,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jks8AaxqbXY" target="_blank">Walz told WCCO</a>&nbsp;at the fair on Aug. 24, referring to Hortman’s death.

Nine days later, Walz was&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/09/02/walz-to-call-special-session-on-gun-control-propose-assault-weapons-ban/">speaking in front of Deerwood Elementary School</a>&nbsp;in Eagan. This time, he seemed more determined and animated, promising he was going to make Minnesota safer for children by pushing for gun control measures like a ban on so-called assault weapons.

What happened in those nine days? Yet another crisis that Walz had to manage, this time the killing of two children and wounding of 21 others in the&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/08/27/minnesota-gov-tim-walz-horrific-act-of-violence-at-south-minneapolis-school/">Church of the Annunciation mass shooting.</a>

The second-term DFL governor announced Tuesday that he’ll seek a third term, launching a campaign that will require him to convince Minnesotans that he’s been a steadying hand in the face of the multiple crises that have enveloped the state in recent years, including a once-in-a-century pandemic, civil unrest after the police murder of George Floyd, emerging fiscal instability and shocking political violence.

“We’re not done yet. And that’s why I’m running for reelection. I want to make Minnesota a place where everyone has a chance to succeed — in every corner of the state,” Walz said in his&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Tim_Walz/status/1967936393747063151" target="_blank">campaign launch video.</a>

Another crisis has been state government’s own making: A wave of fraud in public programs is sure to be a centerpiece of the Republican campaign against him.

He’ll also need to persuade skeptical Minnesotans that he has a vision for another four years — a June KSTP poll found that just 43% of Minnesotans surveyed say Walz should r<a href="https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/kstp-surveyusa-results-gov-walz-to-testify-before-congress/" target="_blank">un for a third term even though he remains broadly popular.</a>&nbsp;The last time Minnesota voters were faced with a governor seeking a third term, they rejected Iron Range Democrat Gov. Rudy Perpich in 1990.

West metro Republican Rep. Kristin Robbins, 2022 GOP nominee for governor Scott Jensen and Kendall Qualls, an army veteran and health care executive, are challenging Walz. If they can raise money and blanket the media, they’ll have plenty to work with to attack Walz’s nearly eight years in office, from flagging school test scores to fraud-riddled public programs.

“Minnesotans cannot afford four more years of higher taxes, failing schools, unsafe streets, fraud and policies that undermine fairness for women and girls,” said Minnesota Republican Party Chair Alex Plechash in a statement. “… Minnesota families are worse off under his leadership. It’s time for new leadership and a fresh direction. Minnesota deserves better.”

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who is leaving Walz’s side to run for U.S. Senate, said Walz has a strong record to run on — Minnesotans make better wages and live healthier, longer lives than other Midwesterners — and an energetic personality that’s repeatedly won over Minnesotans.

“He’s an incredible effective campaigner, and I think once he’s on the road, he’s unstoppable,” said Flanagan, who added that “of course” she’ll endorse him.&nbsp;

Running in a midterm election during President Donald Trump’s second term, Walz also has an ace: He can sell himself as a Democratic bulwark against an increasingly hostile federal government led by a president Minnesotans have rejected three times.

“Minnesotans trust that Tim Walz is ready to stand up for them, for their liberties and their constitutional rights and defend them from an authoritarian in the White House. People are going to look to Tim Walz for that leadership,” said DFL Chair Richard Carlbom, who’s worked for Walz off-and-on since 2007.

The governor was elected in 2018, campaigning under the slogan “One Minnesota.” Walz represented a purple district in Congress for more than a decade and when first elected he was seen as a centrist bridge-builder.

But he’s become a champion of progressive policies — in 2022 with Walz at the top of the ticket, Democrats swept control of state government and passed one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/08/07/heres-what-tim-walz-has-done-as-governor-of-minnesota/">most significant progressive agendas</a>&nbsp;in the nation’s recent history with just a single-seat Senate majority. Walz’s signature is on laws providing all students with free lunch, legalizing marijuana, codifying abortion rights, providing drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants, creating a paid leave program, mandating paid sick leave, restoring voting rights to people after they serve prison sentences, protecting warehouse and meat processing workers, creating a free college program for working class families and requiring universal background checks for gun purchases, among many others.

Republicans were aghast, both by his policies and also his management of several crises.

Like many Democratic governors in 2020, Walz put in place&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/08/07/heres-what-tim-walz-has-done-as-governor-of-minnesota/">a stay-at-home order</a>&nbsp;at the beginning of the pandemic, and later an indoor mask mandate and restrictions on schools and churches at the urging of public health authorities and institutions like the Mayo Clinic.

He required state workers to be vaccinated before they could return to the workplace.

The pandemic decisions were polarizing and at times faced legal challenges. By the time the worst of the pandemic was over, Minnesota had lower COVID-19 death rates than most other states.

The aftermath of the police murder of George Floyd in 2020 presented another political and governing challenge. The widespread destruction of the riots, which followed decades of police abuses, created a lasting liability for him.

In 2018, Walz, alongside Flanagan, won 21 of 87 counties. In 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.startribune.com/many-of-minnesotas-counties-shifted-right-why-that-wasnt-enough-for-jensen-to-beat-walz/600224371/?_gl=1*munmte*_gcl_au*MTc3MjY2NDMzNy4xNzUxMzk2NTUz*_ga*NzE2Nzk0MjEwLjE3Mjc3MjIxNDc.*_ga_SG3Y2YJFRQ*czE3NTgwMjQ3ODkkbzk0MiRnMSR0MTc1ODAyNDkwNyRqNDYkbDAkaDEwOTAyNDAy" target="_blank">Walz won 13.</a>&nbsp;

“‘One Minnesota’ means working together across lines of difference to get good work done for people,” Flanagan said, acknowledging that the country is more divided now than when the duo was first elected.

“We are in a time when people feel incredibly divided, which means this requires us to lean in even more, to listen to folks, to hear their concerns and take action whenever and wherever we can. And I think that is what Gov. Walz’s reelection will be grounded in,” Flanagan said.

One year ago, Walz was thrust into the national spotlight after Vice President Kamala Harris picked&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/08/06/from-a-mankato-classroom-to-the-white-house-harris-names-walz-her-vice-presidential-nominee/">him as her running mate.</a>&nbsp;Harris had hoped that Walz’s rural background, Midwest demeanor and military, teaching and coaching resume would win over working-class voters.

Republicans and the national press during the accelerated campaign scrutinized Walz’s past and propensity to misspeak — what he called “knucklehead” misstatements.

After a resounding&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/11/06/weird-won-now-walz-comes-home/">defeat on the national stage,</a>&nbsp;Walz returned to a different Minnesota, one with a divided Legislature after Republicans won seats for shared control of the Minnesota House. The state was also facing a long-term deficit.

Walz spent weeks negotiating with legislative leaders of both parties to come to&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/06/06/gov-tim-walz-to-call-special-session-for-monday-legislature-aims-to-pass-14-bills-in-one-day/">a two-year budget agreement,</a>&nbsp;requiring him to acquiesce to the GOP’s top demand: Eliminate state-funded health insurance for undocumented adults. The progressive Democratic base was outraged.

Just days after the Legislature passed the two-year budget, a man&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/06/14/minnesota-house-democratic-leader-dead-after-targeted-shooting-democratic-senator-also-shot/">shot and killed Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark</a>&nbsp;in their Brooklyn Park home and shot Democratic Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. Walz oversaw the two-day manhunt to apprehend the shooter of his friend. Hortman’s assassination gave Walz pause about whether he wanted to continue to serve as governor.

This summer was bookended by tragedies after a shooter opened fire outside of Church of Annunciation last month. Walz again headed the response to the mass shooting and is now pushing lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/walz-says-he-will-call-special-session-one-way-or-another-on-gun-control/">to return for a special session</a>&nbsp;to get Republicans on the record regarding gun control.

In 2023, Walz&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/walzs-proposes-child-tax-credits-universal-free-lunch-boost-in-k-12-education-funding/">began the historic legislative session</a>&nbsp;under the DFL trifecta by saying that Minnesota was going to become “the best state in the country to raise a family.”

That year, the governor shepherded legislation that he frequently brags about to this day: the school meals program and a child tax credit that could slash childhood poverty by 33%.

But Walz’s lengthy record may fade into the background in the face of the second Trump earthquake and the administration’s aggressive incursions into state policies.

Attorney General Keith Ellison, who has sued the Trump administration some 30 times so far, said that Walz is the right person to stand up to Trump.

“(Walz) has been a real asset in my opinion, and he’s been a great partner,” Ellison said. “The governor’s office and the AG’s office historically have not always worked well together, but me and Gov. Walz work seamlessly, and I’m glad to keep him as a partner.”

Paradoxically, Trump is both a challenge but also a political gift to Walz — an easy foil.

Voters will go to the polls next year with Trump top of mind, said Jeff Blodgett, who was chief strategist for Sens. Paul Wellstone and Al Franken.

“This is going to be a much bigger election about how our state is faring in the midst of Donald Trump’s presidency,” Blodgett said. “It will be a contrast between Trump’s style and Tim Walz’s style and the fact that he’s ushered the state through many, many crises and come out on the other side stronger and better — I think that will only help him.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758034568019.jpeg" alt=" Gov. Tim Walz and First Lady Gwen Walz read to a class of preschoolers during a visit to Pine Bend Elementary School in Inver Grove Heights for a meeting of the Children’s Cabinet Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)" />
 <figcaption> Gov. Tim Walz and First Lady Gwen Walz read to a class of preschoolers during a visit to Pine Bend Elementary School in Inver Grove Heights for a meeting of the Children’s Cabinet Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/author/michelle/">Michelle Griffith</a> <a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/">Minnesota Reformer</a>Gov. Tim Walz typically treats the Minnesota State Fair like his personal Super Bowl — trying new foods (this year the Uncrustaburger), touting one of his favorite rides (the Ye Old Mill) and making the rounds at TV and radio station booths for softball interviews.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I’m running for reelection to continue serving as Governor of Minnesota. We’ve made historic progress in our state, but we’re not done yet. I’m staying in the fight — and I need you with me. <a href="https://t.co/NsVCXfq4M2">pic.twitter.com/NsVCXfq4M2</a>&mdash; Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Walz/status/1967936393747063151?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Walz’s State Fair interviews this year centered around one question: Will you run for reelection? The governor was coy and reserved. He said he was taking his time assessing what was best for Minnesotans. Also, he said, the June death of his friend and close governing ally Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman weighed on him and delayed his reelection announcement.“This one about broke me,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jks8AaxqbXY" target="_blank">Walz told WCCO</a>&nbsp;at the fair on Aug. 24, referring to Hortman’s death.Nine days later, Walz was&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/09/02/walz-to-call-special-session-on-gun-control-propose-assault-weapons-ban/">speaking in front of Deerwood Elementary School</a>&nbsp;in Eagan. This time, he seemed more determined and animated, promising he was going to make Minnesota safer for children by pushing for gun control measures like a ban on so-called assault weapons.What happened in those nine days? Yet another crisis that Walz had to manage, this time the killing of two children and wounding of 21 others in the&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/08/27/minnesota-gov-tim-walz-horrific-act-of-violence-at-south-minneapolis-school/">Church of the Annunciation mass shooting.</a>The second-term DFL governor announced Tuesday that he’ll seek a third term, launching a campaign that will require him to convince Minnesotans that he’s been a steadying hand in the face of the multiple crises that have enveloped the state in recent years, including a once-in-a-century pandemic, civil unrest after the police murder of George Floyd, emerging fiscal instability and shocking political violence.“We’re not done yet. And that’s why I’m running for reelection. I want to make Minnesota a place where everyone has a chance to succeed — in every corner of the state,” Walz said in his&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Tim_Walz/status/1967936393747063151" target="_blank">campaign launch video.</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724014226536.png" alt="Walz and VP Kamala Harris on the campaign trail-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Walz and VP Kamala Harris on the campaign trail-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Another crisis has been state government’s own making: A wave of fraud in public programs is sure to be a centerpiece of the Republican campaign against him.He’ll also need to persuade skeptical Minnesotans that he has a vision for another four years — a June KSTP poll found that just 43% of Minnesotans surveyed say Walz should r<a href="https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/kstp-surveyusa-results-gov-walz-to-testify-before-congress/" target="_blank">un for a third term even though he remains broadly popular.</a>&nbsp;The last time Minnesota voters were faced with a governor seeking a third term, they rejected Iron Range Democrat Gov. Rudy Perpich in 1990.West metro Republican Rep. Kristin Robbins, 2022 GOP nominee for governor Scott Jensen and Kendall Qualls, an army veteran and health care executive, are challenging Walz. If they can raise money and blanket the media, they’ll have plenty to work with to attack Walz’s nearly eight years in office, from flagging school test scores to fraud-riddled public programs.“Minnesotans cannot afford four more years of higher taxes, failing schools, unsafe streets, fraud and policies that undermine fairness for women and girls,” said Minnesota Republican Party Chair Alex Plechash in a statement. “… Minnesota families are worse off under his leadership. It’s time for new leadership and a fresh direction. Minnesota deserves better.”Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who is leaving Walz’s side to run for U.S. Senate, said Walz has a strong record to run on — Minnesotans make better wages and live healthier, longer lives than other Midwesterners — and an energetic personality that’s repeatedly won over Minnesotans.“He’s an incredible effective campaigner, and I think once he’s on the road, he’s unstoppable,” said Flanagan, who added that “of course” she’ll endorse him.&nbsp;Running in a midterm election during President Donald Trump’s second term, Walz also has an ace: He can sell himself as a Democratic bulwark against an increasingly hostile federal government led by a president Minnesotans have rejected three times.“Minnesotans trust that Tim Walz is ready to stand up for them, for their liberties and their constitutional rights and defend them from an authoritarian in the White House. People are going to look to Tim Walz for that leadership,” said DFL Chair Richard Carlbom, who’s worked for Walz off-and-on since 2007.<h2>A tenure defined by crises</h2>The governor was elected in 2018, campaigning under the slogan “One Minnesota.” Walz represented a purple district in Congress for more than a decade and when first elected he was seen as a centrist bridge-builder.But he’s become a champion of progressive policies — in 2022 with Walz at the top of the ticket, Democrats swept control of state government and passed one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/08/07/heres-what-tim-walz-has-done-as-governor-of-minnesota/">most significant progressive agendas</a>&nbsp;in the nation’s recent history with just a single-seat Senate majority. Walz’s signature is on laws providing all students with free lunch, legalizing marijuana, codifying abortion rights, providing drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants, creating a paid leave program, mandating paid sick leave, restoring voting rights to people after they serve prison sentences, protecting warehouse and meat processing workers, creating a free college program for working class families and requiring universal background checks for gun purchases, among many others.Republicans were aghast, both by his policies and also his management of several crises.Like many Democratic governors in 2020, Walz put in place&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/08/07/heres-what-tim-walz-has-done-as-governor-of-minnesota/">a stay-at-home order</a>&nbsp;at the beginning of the pandemic, and later an indoor mask mandate and restrictions on schools and churches at the urging of public health authorities and institutions like the Mayo Clinic.He required state workers to be vaccinated before they could return to the workplace.The pandemic decisions were polarizing and at times faced legal challenges. By the time the worst of the pandemic was over, Minnesota had lower COVID-19 death rates than most other states.The aftermath of the police murder of George Floyd in 2020 presented another political and governing challenge. The widespread destruction of the riots, which followed decades of police abuses, created a lasting liability for him.In 2018, Walz, alongside Flanagan, won 21 of 87 counties. In 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.startribune.com/many-of-minnesotas-counties-shifted-right-why-that-wasnt-enough-for-jensen-to-beat-walz/600224371/?_gl=1*munmte*_gcl_au*MTc3MjY2NDMzNy4xNzUxMzk2NTUz*_ga*NzE2Nzk0MjEwLjE3Mjc3MjIxNDc.*_ga_SG3Y2YJFRQ*czE3NTgwMjQ3ODkkbzk0MiRnMSR0MTc1ODAyNDkwNyRqNDYkbDAkaDEwOTAyNDAy" target="_blank">Walz won 13.</a>&nbsp;“‘One Minnesota’ means working together across lines of difference to get good work done for people,” Flanagan said, acknowledging that the country is more divided now than when the duo was first elected.“We are in a time when people feel incredibly divided, which means this requires us to lean in even more, to listen to folks, to hear their concerns and take action whenever and wherever we can. And I think that is what Gov. Walz’s reelection will be grounded in,” Flanagan said.One year ago, Walz was thrust into the national spotlight after Vice President Kamala Harris picked&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/08/06/from-a-mankato-classroom-to-the-white-house-harris-names-walz-her-vice-presidential-nominee/">him as her running mate.</a>&nbsp;Harris had hoped that Walz’s rural background, Midwest demeanor and military, teaching and coaching resume would win over working-class voters.Republicans and the national press during the accelerated campaign scrutinized Walz’s past and propensity to misspeak — what he called “knucklehead” misstatements.After a resounding&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/11/06/weird-won-now-walz-comes-home/">defeat on the national stage,</a>&nbsp;Walz returned to a different Minnesota, one with a divided Legislature after Republicans won seats for shared control of the Minnesota House. The state was also facing a long-term deficit.Walz spent weeks negotiating with legislative leaders of both parties to come to&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/06/06/gov-tim-walz-to-call-special-session-for-monday-legislature-aims-to-pass-14-bills-in-one-day/">a two-year budget agreement,</a>&nbsp;requiring him to acquiesce to the GOP’s top demand: Eliminate state-funded health insurance for undocumented adults. The progressive Democratic base was outraged.Just days after the Legislature passed the two-year budget, a man&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/06/14/minnesota-house-democratic-leader-dead-after-targeted-shooting-democratic-senator-also-shot/">shot and killed Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark</a>&nbsp;in their Brooklyn Park home and shot Democratic Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. Walz oversaw the two-day manhunt to apprehend the shooter of his friend. Hortman’s assassination gave Walz pause about whether he wanted to continue to serve as governor.This summer was bookended by tragedies after a shooter opened fire outside of Church of Annunciation last month. Walz again headed the response to the mass shooting and is now pushing lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/walz-says-he-will-call-special-session-one-way-or-another-on-gun-control/">to return for a special session</a>&nbsp;to get Republicans on the record regarding gun control.<h2>Walz’s vision for the next four years</h2>In 2023, Walz&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/walzs-proposes-child-tax-credits-universal-free-lunch-boost-in-k-12-education-funding/">began the historic legislative session</a>&nbsp;under the DFL trifecta by saying that Minnesota was going to become “the best state in the country to raise a family.”That year, the governor shepherded legislation that he frequently brags about to this day: the school meals program and a child tax credit that could slash childhood poverty by 33%.But Walz’s lengthy record may fade into the background in the face of the second Trump earthquake and the administration’s aggressive incursions into state policies.Attorney General Keith Ellison, who has sued the Trump administration some 30 times so far, said that Walz is the right person to stand up to Trump.“(Walz) has been a real asset in my opinion, and he’s been a great partner,” Ellison said. “The governor’s office and the AG’s office historically have not always worked well together, but me and Gov. Walz work seamlessly, and I’m glad to keep him as a partner.”Paradoxically, Trump is both a challenge but also a political gift to Walz — an easy foil.Voters will go to the polls next year with Trump top of mind, said Jeff Blodgett, who was chief strategist for Sens. Paul Wellstone and Al Franken.“This is going to be a much bigger election about how our state is faring in the midst of Donald Trump’s presidency,” Blodgett said. “It will be a contrast between Trump’s style and Tim Walz’s style and the fact that he’s ushered the state through many, many crises and come out on the other side stronger and better — I think that will only help him.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz launches reelection campaign for third term

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man accused in a fatal motel shooting will return to court Thursday.

Craig Steele, 34, will appear before Judge Roger Woods for a preliminary hearing, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. A hearing scheduled for last month was delayed.

In April, police asked the public for help to locate Steele in connection with death of Eric Lopez-Morales, which occurred on April 17, in the 1600 block of S. Broadway in Wichita.&nbsp; A few hours later, police reported they had Steele in custody for questioning regarding this case.&nbsp;

On the night of the shooting, police were in the area of Harry and Broadway on an unrelated call when they heard gunshots nearby, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford. Officers immediately responded to the area and located&nbsp;Lopez-Morale with a gunshot wound. He was in front of the Frontier Motel at 1623 S. Broadway.

Despite the life-saving efforts of first responders, he was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:04 p.m.

Preliminary investigations indicate that Lopez-Morales was involved in a physical altercation with unknown males in the parking lot of the motel before the shooting.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1745003725186.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man accused in a fatal motel shooting will return to court Thursday.Craig Steele, 34, will appear before Judge Roger Woods for a preliminary hearing, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. A hearing scheduled for last month was delayed.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1745333641854.png" alt="Steele photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Steele photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>In April, police asked the public for help to locate Steele in connection with death of Eric Lopez-Morales, which occurred on April 17, in the 1600 block of S. Broadway in Wichita.&nbsp; A few hours later, police reported they had Steele in custody for questioning regarding this case.&nbsp;On the night of the shooting, police were in the area of Harry and Broadway on an unrelated call when they heard gunshots nearby, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford. Officers immediately responded to the area and located&nbsp;Lopez-Morale with a gunshot wound. He was in front of the Frontier Motel at 1623 S. Broadway.Despite the life-saving efforts of first responders, he was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:04 p.m.Preliminary investigations indicate that Lopez-Morales was involved in a physical altercation with unknown males in the parking lot of the motel before the shooting.&nbsp;

Suspect in deadly Kan. motel killing is due back in court

MONTGOMERY COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 5a.m. Tuesday in Montgomery County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Chevy Silverado driven by&nbsp;: Cassandra L&nbsp;: Lukens, 41, Coffeyville, was northbound on County Road 4300 at County Road 2000 approximately one mile north of U.S. 166. The driver failed to yield at the stop sign. The Silverado struck a westbound 2001 Buick LeSabre driven by Brian R.&nbsp;Griswold, 65, Coffeyville.

Griswold was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to&nbsp;Frontier Forensics.&nbsp;Lukens was not injured.&nbsp; Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 5a.m. Tuesday in Montgomery County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Chevy Silverado driven by&nbsp;: Cassandra L&nbsp;: Lukens, 41, Coffeyville, was northbound on County Road 4300 at County Road 2000 approximately one mile north of U.S. 166. The driver failed to yield at the stop sign. The Silverado struck a westbound 2001 Buick LeSabre driven by Brian R.&nbsp;Griswold, 65, Coffeyville.Griswold was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to&nbsp;Frontier Forensics.&nbsp;Lukens was not injured.&nbsp; Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Kansas man killed in pickup, car crash

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

TOPEKA — Kansas lawmakers skewered the state agency that oversees nursing licenses, alleging it has contributed to the state’s nursing shortage and demanding action before the next legislative session.

At a Sept. 8 meeting of the House Select Committee on Government Oversight, legislators urged the Kansas State Board of Nursing to make substantial changes to policies, procedures and regulations that govern the state’s relicensing and disciplinary processes.

Legislators used words such as “perplexed,” “horrified,” and “egregious” to describe their feelings about the state nursing board and its leadership. They passed resolutions that are likely to guide future changes.

Rep. Sean Tarwater, a Stilwell Republican, hurled jabs at the board, which he described as having “no regard for human life.”

He accused the agency of being filled with “power-hungry individuals that are ruining people’s lives,” and he favored extracting some of the board’s $4 million budget to share with those he thinks have been wronged by the board.

Over months of hearings, the committee has listened to hours of testimony from health care professionals. The testimony detailed the nursing board’s delays in licensing, inadequate communication, leadership issues, dated technology, inconsistent fees for the same infractions, clerical errors, coercion, conflicts of interest, flawed investigations and an approach to discipline with “an attitude of guilty until proven innocent,” said Rep. Sandy Pickert, a Wichita Republican.

Pickert does not sit on the oversight committee. She is a nurse and has followed the committee’s hearings.

Brenda Sharpe, a board member, said the board agrees with some recommendations for change.

“This board would like more tools in its toolbox,” she said.

She also strongly encouraged the committee to consider facts and circumstances not available in an open forum, referencing the long list of testimony about individual disciplinary cases. She maintained the board has acted in good faith, taking into account facts and circumstances “that may appear one way to this group but, in fact, we believe are another.”

“I would never say we follow everything perfectly,” Sharpe said. “We’re human beings. The licensees are human beings. This is a human process. That’s where we’re at.”

Michael Schommer told the committee about his 23-year-old son, Connor, who is on the autism spectrum and was diagnosed with depression. Connor attempted suicide twice, Schommer said. It wasn’t until the family found a nurse, Ana Ahrens, and a therapist who discovered the perfect combination of medication and counseling that stabilized Connor, he said.

“You know, she has a unique, no-nonsense, stern yet compassionate method of getting his attention, and he would look her in the eye and respond to the questions she was asking him,” Schommer said. “She held him accountable for what he was doing and started to get through to him.”

But then Ahrens made an error while renewing her licenses online. The state nursing board revoked her prescribing privileges, and Ahrens couldn’t refill Connor Schommer’s medication.

Michael Schommer and his wife frantically tried to find another prescriber.

“It went about two weeks too far, unfortunately,” Schommer said. “And, I just — one day he got up and there he was walking through the house talking to the ceiling again for eight hours nonstop.”

That could have been prevented, Schommer said, expressing confusion about the nursing board’s procedures.

“Thank God we still have him today, and he’s doing much better,” Schommer said.

Schommer’s story was one of dozens, but its gravity struck legislators and underscored their crusade for change.

“He could’ve lost his son, and that’s serious,” said Rep. Barbara Ballard, a Lawrence Democrat.

The committee deliberated two resolutions that encouraged considering a grace period for nurses who are late to apply for relicensing, IT updates and regular digital notifications leading up to a nurse’s relicensing deadline. The committee also discussed changing the makeup of the state board, favoring a mix of legislative and gubernatorial appointments.

The resolutions allude to a bill for the 2026 session, but lawmakers urged the board to review its policies without legislative action. The committee also discussed the possibility of a future subcommittee that could provide further recommendations.

The nursing board is responsible for more than 70,000 Kansas nurses.

Maggie Ortiz, a nurse from Texas who advocates across the country for changing nursing regulations, said the issues Kansas is facing are not unique.

“The elephant in the room is the investigative process,” she said.

House lawmakers expressed frustration with the lack of oversight of the board. Complaints about the board are investigated by the board, leading to concerns about conflicts of interest.

Rep. Susan Humphries, a Wichita Republican, said disciplinary processes seem inconsistent, which many legislators on the committee find egregious.

Rep. Emil Bergquist, a Wichita Republican who was sitting on the committee Monday as a substitute, said he didn’t think nurses in Kansas are being protected. And disciplinary processes seem “like a knifepoint rather than a corrective point,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757962679630.png" alt=" Rep. Sandy Pickert, shown here at Gov. Laura Kelly's State of the State address on Jan. 15, 2025, used her experience as a nurse to advise a House oversight committee in September on changes to the Kansas State Board of Nursing. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Rep. Sandy Pickert, shown here at Gov. Laura Kelly's State of the State address on Jan. 15, 2025, used her experience as a nurse to advise a House oversight committee in September on changes to the Kansas State Board of Nursing. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas lawmakers skewered the state agency that oversees nursing licenses, alleging it has contributed to the state’s nursing shortage and demanding action before the next legislative session.At a Sept. 8 meeting of the House Select Committee on Government Oversight, legislators urged the Kansas State Board of Nursing to make substantial changes to policies, procedures and regulations that govern the state’s relicensing and disciplinary processes.Legislators used words such as “perplexed,” “horrified,” and “egregious” to describe their feelings about the state nursing board and its leadership. They passed resolutions that are likely to guide future changes.Rep. Sean Tarwater, a Stilwell Republican, hurled jabs at the board, which he described as having “no regard for human life.”He accused the agency of being filled with “power-hungry individuals that are ruining people’s lives,” and he favored extracting some of the board’s $4 million budget to share with those he thinks have been wronged by the board.Over months of hearings, the committee has listened to hours of testimony from health care professionals. The testimony detailed the nursing board’s delays in licensing, inadequate communication, leadership issues, dated technology, inconsistent fees for the same infractions, clerical errors, coercion, conflicts of interest, flawed investigations and an approach to discipline with “an attitude of guilty until proven innocent,” said Rep. Sandy Pickert, a Wichita Republican.Pickert does not sit on the oversight committee. She is a nurse and has followed the committee’s hearings.“Pandora’s box is open,” she said.Brenda Sharpe, a board member, said the board agrees with some recommendations for change.“This board would like more tools in its toolbox,” she said.She also strongly encouraged the committee to consider facts and circumstances not available in an open forum, referencing the long list of testimony about individual disciplinary cases. She maintained the board has acted in good faith, taking into account facts and circumstances “that may appear one way to this group but, in fact, we believe are another.”“I would never say we follow everything perfectly,” Sharpe said. “We’re human beings. The licensees are human beings. This is a human process. That’s where we’re at.”Michael Schommer told the committee about his 23-year-old son, Connor, who is on the autism spectrum and was diagnosed with depression. Connor attempted suicide twice, Schommer said. It wasn’t until the family found a nurse, Ana Ahrens, and a therapist who discovered the perfect combination of medication and counseling that stabilized Connor, he said.“You know, she has a unique, no-nonsense, stern yet compassionate method of getting his attention, and he would look her in the eye and respond to the questions she was asking him,” Schommer said. “She held him accountable for what he was doing and started to get through to him.”But then Ahrens made an error while renewing her licenses online. The state nursing board revoked her prescribing privileges, and Ahrens couldn’t refill Connor Schommer’s medication.Michael Schommer and his wife frantically tried to find another prescriber.“It went about two weeks too far, unfortunately,” Schommer said. “And, I just — one day he got up and there he was walking through the house talking to the ceiling again for eight hours nonstop.”That could have been prevented, Schommer said, expressing confusion about the nursing board’s procedures.“Thank God we still have him today, and he’s doing much better,” Schommer said.Schommer’s story was one of dozens, but its gravity struck legislators and underscored their crusade for change.“He could’ve lost his son, and that’s serious,” said Rep. Barbara Ballard, a Lawrence Democrat.The committee deliberated two resolutions that encouraged considering a grace period for nurses who are late to apply for relicensing, IT updates and regular digital notifications leading up to a nurse’s relicensing deadline. The committee also discussed changing the makeup of the state board, favoring a mix of legislative and gubernatorial appointments.The resolutions allude to a bill for the 2026 session, but lawmakers urged the board to review its policies without legislative action. The committee also discussed the possibility of a future subcommittee that could provide further recommendations.The nursing board is responsible for more than 70,000 Kansas nurses.Maggie Ortiz, a nurse from Texas who advocates across the country for changing nursing regulations, said the issues Kansas is facing are not unique.“The elephant in the room is the investigative process,” she said.House lawmakers expressed frustration with the lack of oversight of the board. Complaints about the board are investigated by the board, leading to concerns about conflicts of interest.Rep. Susan Humphries, a Wichita Republican, said disciplinary processes seem inconsistent, which many legislators on the committee find egregious.Rep. Emil Bergquist, a Wichita Republican who was sitting on the committee Monday as a substitute, said he didn’t think nurses in Kansas are being protected. And disciplinary processes seem “like a knifepoint rather than a corrective point,” he said.

Voicing outrage, Kansas lawmakers outline potential changes for state nursing board

MCPHERSON COUNTY—Law enforcement in McPherson are investigating a day care owner for alleged child abuse.

On September 11, Police arrested 50-year-old Kimberly Horn on requested charges of endangering a child, abuse of a child; knowingly cause great bodily harm/abuse head trauma and permit a dangerous animal to be at large, according to online jail records.

The following day, the Kansas Department of Health issued an <a href="https://khap.kdhe.ks.gov/OIDS/OIDS_ViewFacility.aspx?facilitysearch=gZHsN3Fp83scAM%2bpg20HPMfv8XtG9WEFWjhCJI44Hy9U%2b0Jc%2frJgLVsHKR%2fA2co4a8rwzYKVIwo%3d">emergency order of suspension</a> for&nbsp;Kimberly Kay Horn Day Care Home, 705 Hunter Court in McPherson, according to the KDHE website.

Just before 6p.m. on September 12 she met the requirement of bond and was released from jail and charged with child abuse involving a child, according to court documents.

Horn's preliminary hearing was scheduled for Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758018037806.png" alt="Horn photo McPherson County" />
 <figcaption>Horn photo McPherson County</figcaption>
 </figure>MCPHERSON COUNTY—Law enforcement in McPherson are investigating a day care owner for alleged child abuse.On September 11, Police arrested 50-year-old Kimberly Horn on requested charges of endangering a child, abuse of a child; knowingly cause great bodily harm/abuse head trauma and permit a dangerous animal to be at large, according to online jail records.The following day, the Kansas Department of Health issued an <a href="https://khap.kdhe.ks.gov/OIDS/OIDS_ViewFacility.aspx?facilitysearch=gZHsN3Fp83scAM%2bpg20HPMfv8XtG9WEFWjhCJI44Hy9U%2b0Jc%2frJgLVsHKR%2fA2co4a8rwzYKVIwo%3d">emergency order of suspension</a> for&nbsp;Kimberly Kay Horn Day Care Home, 705 Hunter Court in McPherson, according to the KDHE website.Just before 6p.m. on September 12 she met the requirement of bond and was released from jail and charged with child abuse involving a child, according to court documents.Horn's preliminary hearing was scheduled for Tuesday.

Police arrest Kansas daycare owner for alleged child abuse

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-redford">Robert Redford,</a>&nbsp;the Hollywood golden boy who became an Oscar-winning director, liberal activist and godfather for independent cinema under the name of one of his best-loved characters, died Tuesday at 89.

Redford died “at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah — the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved,” publicist Cindi Berger said in a statement. No cause of death was provided.

After rising to stardom in the 1960s, Redford was one of the biggest stars of the ’70s with such films as “The Candidate,” “All the President’s Men” and “The Way We Were,” capping that decade with the best director Oscar for 1980's “Ordinary People,” which also won best picture in 1980. His wavy blond hair and boyish grin made him the most desired of leading men, but he worked hard to transcend his looks — whether through his political advocacy, his willingness to take on unglamorous roles or his dedication to providing a platform for low-budget movies.

His roles ranged from Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward to a mountain man in “Jeremiah Johnson” to a double agent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and his co-stars included Jane Fonda, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise. But his most famous screen partner was his old friend and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/4df55845e1c7469e99fb92d5808dfd22">fellow activist and practical joker Paul Newman,</a>&nbsp;their films a variation of their warm, teasing relationship off screen. Redford played the wily outlaw opposite Newman in 1969’s “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” a box-office smash from which Redford's Sundance Institute and festival got its name. He also teamed with Newman on 1973’s best picture Oscar winner, “The Sting,” which earned Redford a best-actor nomination as a young con artist in 1930s Chicago.

Film roles after the ’70s became more sporadic as Redford concentrated on directing and producing, and his new role as patriarch of the independent-film movement in the 1980s and ’90s through his Sundance Institute. But he starred in 1985’s best picture champion “Out of Africa” and in 2013 received some of the best reviews of his career as a shipwrecked sailor in “All is Lost,” in which he was the film’s only performer. In 2018, he was praised again in what he called his farewell movie, “The Old Man and the Gun.”

“I just figure that I’ve had a long career that I’m very pleased with. It’s been so long, ever since I was 21,” he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/6ad1d531fd11493794306e96b0dd51e4">told The Associated Press shortly before the film came out.</a>&nbsp;“I figure now as I’m getting into my 80s, it’s maybe time to move toward retirement and spend more time with my wife and family.”

Redford had watched Hollywood grow more cautious and controlling during the 1970s and wanted to recapture the creative spirit of the early part of the decade. Sundance was created to nurture new talent away from the pressures of Hollywood, the institute providing a training ground and the festival, based in Park City, Utah, where Redford had purchased land with the initial hope of opening a ski resort. Instead, Park City became a place of discovery for such previously unknown filmmakers as Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Paul Thomas Anderson and Darren Aronofsky.

“For me, the word to be underscored is ‘independence,’” Redford told the AP in 2018. “I’ve always believed in that word. That’s what led to me eventually wanting to create a category that supported independent artists who weren’t given a chance to be heard.

“The industry was pretty well controlled by the mainstream, which I was a part of. But I saw other stories out there that weren’t having a chance to be told and I thought, ‘Well, maybe I can commit my energies to giving those people a chance.’ As I look back on it, I feel very good about that.”

Sundance was even criticized as buyers swarmed in looking for potential hits and celebrities overran the town each winter.

“We have never, ever changed our policies for how we program our festival. It’s always been built on diversity,” Redford told the AP in 2004. “The fact is that the diversity has become commercial. Because independent films have achieved their own success, Hollywood, being just a business, is going to grab them. So when Hollywood grabs your films, they go, ‘Oh, it’s gone Hollywood.’”

By 2025, the festival had become so prominent that organizers decided they had outgrown Park City and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sundance-film-festival-boulder-move-562a7b1b8081f0ca7a616b64c357d0ae">approved relocating to Boulder, Colorado,</a>&nbsp;starting in 2027. Redford, who had attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, issued a statement saying that “change is inevitable, we must always evolve and grow, which has been at the core of our survival.”

Redford was married twice, most recently to Sibylle Szaggars. He had four children, two of whom have died — Scott Anthony, who died in infancy, in 1959; and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/james-redford-liver-disease-death-7e3bebe274c92a9a5a0a73487f79fee4">James Redford,</a>&nbsp;an activist and filmmaker who died in 2020.

Robert Redford was born Charles Robert Redford Jr. on Aug. 18, 1937, in Santa Monica, a California boy whose blond good looks eased his way over an apprenticeship in television and live theater that eventually led to the big screen.

Redford attended college on a baseball scholarship and would later star as a middle-aged slugger in 1984’s “The Natural,” the adaptation of Bernard Malamud’s baseball novel. He had an early interest in drawing and painting, then went on to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, debuting on Broadway in the late 1950s and moving into television on such shows as “The Twilight Zone,” “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and “The Untouchables.”

After scoring a Broadway lead in “Sunday in New York,” Redford was cast by director Mike Nichols in a production of Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park,” later starring with Fonda in the film version. Redford did miss out on one of Nichols’ greatest successes, “The Graduate,” released in 1967. Nichols had considered casting Redford in the part eventually played by Dustin Hoffman, but Redford seemed unable to relate to the socially awkward young man who ends up having an affair with one of his parents’ friends.

“I said, ‘You can’t play it. You can never play a loser,’” Nichols said during a 2003 screening of the film in New York. “And Redford said, ‘What do you mean? Of course I can play a loser.’ And I said, ‘OK, have you ever struck out with a girl?’ and he said, ‘What do you mean?’ And he wasn’t joking.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758025933073.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By BOB THOMAS Associated Press<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-redford">Robert Redford,</a>&nbsp;the Hollywood golden boy who became an Oscar-winning director, liberal activist and godfather for independent cinema under the name of one of his best-loved characters, died Tuesday at 89.Redford died “at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah — the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved,” publicist Cindi Berger said in a statement. No cause of death was provided.After rising to stardom in the 1960s, Redford was one of the biggest stars of the ’70s with such films as “The Candidate,” “All the President’s Men” and “The Way We Were,” capping that decade with the best director Oscar for 1980's “Ordinary People,” which also won best picture in 1980. His wavy blond hair and boyish grin made him the most desired of leading men, but he worked hard to transcend his looks — whether through his political advocacy, his willingness to take on unglamorous roles or his dedication to providing a platform for low-budget movies.His roles ranged from Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward to a mountain man in “Jeremiah Johnson” to a double agent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and his co-stars included Jane Fonda, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise. But his most famous screen partner was his old friend and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/4df55845e1c7469e99fb92d5808dfd22">fellow activist and practical joker Paul Newman,</a>&nbsp;their films a variation of their warm, teasing relationship off screen. Redford played the wily outlaw opposite Newman in 1969’s “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” a box-office smash from which Redford's Sundance Institute and festival got its name. He also teamed with Newman on 1973’s best picture Oscar winner, “The Sting,” which earned Redford a best-actor nomination as a young con artist in 1930s Chicago.Film roles after the ’70s became more sporadic as Redford concentrated on directing and producing, and his new role as patriarch of the independent-film movement in the 1980s and ’90s through his Sundance Institute. But he starred in 1985’s best picture champion “Out of Africa” and in 2013 received some of the best reviews of his career as a shipwrecked sailor in “All is Lost,” in which he was the film’s only performer. In 2018, he was praised again in what he called his farewell movie, “The Old Man and the Gun.”“I just figure that I’ve had a long career that I’m very pleased with. It’s been so long, ever since I was 21,” he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/6ad1d531fd11493794306e96b0dd51e4">told The Associated Press shortly before the film came out.</a>&nbsp;“I figure now as I’m getting into my 80s, it’s maybe time to move toward retirement and spend more time with my wife and family.”<h2>Sundance is born</h2>Redford had watched Hollywood grow more cautious and controlling during the 1970s and wanted to recapture the creative spirit of the early part of the decade. Sundance was created to nurture new talent away from the pressures of Hollywood, the institute providing a training ground and the festival, based in Park City, Utah, where Redford had purchased land with the initial hope of opening a ski resort. Instead, Park City became a place of discovery for such previously unknown filmmakers as Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Paul Thomas Anderson and Darren Aronofsky.“For me, the word to be underscored is ‘independence,’” Redford told the AP in 2018. “I’ve always believed in that word. That’s what led to me eventually wanting to create a category that supported independent artists who weren’t given a chance to be heard.“The industry was pretty well controlled by the mainstream, which I was a part of. But I saw other stories out there that weren’t having a chance to be told and I thought, ‘Well, maybe I can commit my energies to giving those people a chance.’ As I look back on it, I feel very good about that.”Sundance was even criticized as buyers swarmed in looking for potential hits and celebrities overran the town each winter.“We have never, ever changed our policies for how we program our festival. It’s always been built on diversity,” Redford told the AP in 2004. “The fact is that the diversity has become commercial. Because independent films have achieved their own success, Hollywood, being just a business, is going to grab them. So when Hollywood grabs your films, they go, ‘Oh, it’s gone Hollywood.’”By 2025, the festival had become so prominent that organizers decided they had outgrown Park City and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sundance-film-festival-boulder-move-562a7b1b8081f0ca7a616b64c357d0ae">approved relocating to Boulder, Colorado,</a>&nbsp;starting in 2027. Redford, who had attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, issued a statement saying that “change is inevitable, we must always evolve and grow, which has been at the core of our survival.”Redford was married twice, most recently to Sibylle Szaggars. He had four children, two of whom have died — Scott Anthony, who died in infancy, in 1959; and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/james-redford-liver-disease-death-7e3bebe274c92a9a5a0a73487f79fee4">James Redford,</a>&nbsp;an activist and filmmaker who died in 2020.<h2>Redford's early life</h2>Robert Redford was born Charles Robert Redford Jr. on Aug. 18, 1937, in Santa Monica, a California boy whose blond good looks eased his way over an apprenticeship in television and live theater that eventually led to the big screen.Redford attended college on a baseball scholarship and would later star as a middle-aged slugger in 1984’s “The Natural,” the adaptation of Bernard Malamud’s baseball novel. He had an early interest in drawing and painting, then went on to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, debuting on Broadway in the late 1950s and moving into television on such shows as “The Twilight Zone,” “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and “The Untouchables.”After scoring a Broadway lead in “Sunday in New York,” Redford was cast by director Mike Nichols in a production of Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park,” later starring with Fonda in the film version. Redford did miss out on one of Nichols’ greatest successes, “The Graduate,” released in 1967. Nichols had considered casting Redford in the part eventually played by Dustin Hoffman, but Redford seemed unable to relate to the socially awkward young man who ends up having an affair with one of his parents’ friends.“I said, ‘You can’t play it. You can never play a loser,’” Nichols said during a 2003 screening of the film in New York. “And Redford said, ‘What do you mean? Of course I can play a loser.’ And I said, ‘OK, have you ever struck out with a girl?’ and he said, ‘What do you mean?’ And he wasn’t joking.”___

Robert Redford, Oscar-winning actor and director, dies at 89

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating a double homicide in Kansas City have released the name of one of the victims as 49-year-old Gande A. Salamed, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

Just after&nbsp;7a.m. Sunday, patrol officers were dispatched to the 6800 block of Longview Road on a reported shooting.

Upon arrival officers were directed to the front of a grocery store where they located Salamed suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers began to render aid as KCFD Medics simultaneously arrived. He was pronounced deceased on scene.

Other officers arriving were directed to the north side of the grocery store parking lot where they located an additional male victim, also suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital by ambulance, with life threatening injuries. Just before 9 a.m., investigators were notified that he died of his injuries at the hospital. Police have not released his name.

&nbsp;Preliminary information indicates there was an interaction outside of the grocery store between multiple individuals just prior to the shots being fired.&nbsp;This is being investigated as a homicide, and no one is in custody.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757900925738.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating a double homicide in Kansas City have released the name of one of the victims as 49-year-old Gande A. Salamed, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.Just after&nbsp;7a.m. Sunday, patrol officers were dispatched to the 6800 block of Longview Road on a reported shooting.Upon arrival officers were directed to the front of a grocery store where they located Salamed suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers began to render aid as KCFD Medics simultaneously arrived. He was pronounced deceased on scene.Other officers arriving were directed to the north side of the grocery store parking lot where they located an additional male victim, also suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital by ambulance, with life threatening injuries. Just before 9 a.m., investigators were notified that he died of his injuries at the hospital. Police have not released his name.&nbsp;Preliminary information indicates there was an interaction outside of the grocery store between multiple individuals just prior to the shots being fired.&nbsp;This is being investigated as a homicide, and no one is in custody.

Police ID victim in KC grocery store parking lot gunfight

WASHINGTON (AP) —Vice President JD Vance on Monday jumped onto the conservative movement&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kirk-trump-cancel-culture-assassination-4d69649e382ea46d8dcf794150a1d3c9">demanding consequences</a>&nbsp;for those who have cheered Charlie Kirk's killing, calling on the public to turn in anyone who says distasteful things about the assassination of his friend and political ally.

“When you see someone celebrating Charlie’s murder, call them out,” Vance urged listeners on the slain activist’s podcast Monday. “And hell, call their employer.”

Vance's call also included a vow to target some of the biggest funders of liberal causes as conservatives stepped up their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-workplace-speech-firing-29717a8612ccedebabc7cba29e7ef627">targeting of private individuals</a>&nbsp;for their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dowd-msnbc-kirk-comments-e08f349022c9d69171cd575664141075">comments about the killing</a>. It marked an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dowd-msnbc-kirk-comments-e08f349022c9d69171cd575664141075">escalation in a campaign</a>&nbsp;that some warned invoked some of the darkest chapters of American history.

“The government involvement in this does inch this closer to looking like McCarthyism,” said Adam Goldstein of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, referring to the 1950s campaign to root out communists that led to false allegations and ruined careers. “It was not a shining moment for free expression.”

Campaign broadens to those who quote Kirk critically

Republican-controlled states such as Florida, Oklahoma and Texas have launched investigations of teachers accused of inappropriate statements after last week’s assassination. The U.S. military has invited members of the public to report those who “celebrate or mock” the killing and said some troops have already been removed for their comments.

At the same time, the Trump administration has vowed to target what it contends is a “vast” liberal network that inspired the shooter, even as authorities maintain it appears he acted alone and the investigation is ongoing.

The campaign has broadened to include even those whose statements were critical of Kirk without celebrating his assassination.

The Washington Post fired Karen Attiah, an opinion columnist, for posts on the day of the shooting that lamented how “white America” was not ready to solve gun violence and that quoted Kirk denigrating the intelligence of prominent Black women such as Michelle Obama.

PEN America, a press freedom group, warned in a statement that firings like Attiah's “risk creating a chilling effect.”

Goldstein worried there were many cases of people targeted for simply quoting Kirk or failing to mourn his passing adequately. “That’s one of the key symptoms of cancel culture,” he said. “Trying to paint everyone with the same brush.”

Conservatives coined the term cancel culture for what they claimed was persecution of those on the right for their views, especially related to the COVID-19 pandemic and Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, leading to campaigns to get regular people fired.

It was a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-free-speech-first-amendment-columbia-student-3d4c835a673a24b793b2b045405231e6">significant cause for President Donald Trum</a>&nbsp;p, who pledged to end it during his campaign last year. But after the Kirk killing, he and his administration have instead&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-free-speech-first-amendment-columbia-student-3d4c835a673a24b793b2b045405231e6">leaned into it from the right</a>.

A hero to conservatives, a provocateur to many Democrats

A father of two and a Christian conservative, Kirk was a hero to many Trump Republicans for his fiery warnings about the dangers of Democrats and ability to organize young voters. But Kirk also was a provocateur and supporter of Trump’s attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss who left a long record of partisan quips that enraged many on the left.

“According to Kirk, empathy is a made-up new-age term, so keep the jokes coming. It’s what he would have wanted,” read one post on X that Melvin Villaver Jr., a Clemson University music professor, re-posted the day of the killing, according to a screenshot circulated by college Republicans demanding his firing. Clemson eventually fired one staffer and suspended Villaver and another professor after intense pressure from elected South Carolina Republican officials.

Other targeted posters, such as Army Lt. Col. Christopher Ladnier, simply quoted Kirk on the day of his assassination. This included Kirk calling the Civil Rights Act a “beast” that “has now turned into an anti-white weapon," his criticism of Martin Luther King Jr. and his statement that some gun deaths are the cost of a robust Second Amendment.

Ladnier, who has been targeted by conservative activists online, said in a Facebook message to The Associated Press that he would respond “when/if” his chain of command takes action.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott approvingly posted a video of a Texas Tech University student who was arrested Friday after a confrontation at a campus vigil for Kirk, writing: “This is what happened to the person who was mocking Charlie Kirk’s assassination at Texas Tech."

Some people targeted have been victims of mistaken identity.

A school district in rural Elkhorn, Wisconsin, reported receiving more than 800 messages after one conservative influencer mistakenly identified an associate principal at an elementary school as celebrating Kirk's death.

Top Republicans vow to go after ‘domestic terrorist network’

Authorities say Kirk was shot by 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who grew up in a conservative household in southern Utah but was enmeshed in “leftist ideology,” according to the state's Republican governor, Spencer Cox.

Cox said investigators may reveal more about what motivated the attack after Robinson's initial court appearance, scheduled for Tuesday. The governor said the suspect, who allegedly carved memes onto his bullet casings, appeared radicalized by the “dark corners of the internet.”

On Monday, Vance was joined on Kirk’s podcast by Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, who vowed to crack down on what he called the “vast domestic terrorist network” he blamed for Kirk’s death.

Alluding to free speech concerns, Vance said: “You have the crazies on the far left that say, ’Oh, Stephen Miller and JD Vance, they’re going to go after constitutionally protected speech.'”

But he added: “No no no! We’re going to go after the NGO network that foments, facilitates and engages in violence,” — a reference to non-governmental organizations.

The White House did not immediately return a request seeking clarity on the remarks, including which groups might be targeted.

The idea of a retribution campaign against individuals or groups for expressing a particular viewpoint has alarmed many.

“Just having that ideology, just believing differently than some other American is not illegal,” Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma said on CNN on Sunday.

Instead, he said any groups that have been involved in illegal or violent acts should be targeted.

Killing as a pretext to go after political rivals

On Kirk’s show, Vance talked about the need for unity after the assassination, but then dismissed it as impossible given what he described as the left’s embrace of political violence. Naming two foundations that fund a wide range of liberal causes, Vance said: "There is no unity with the people who fund these articles, who pay the salaries of these terrorist sympathizers.”

Democratic officials have roundly condemned Kirk’s murder. Democrats also have been victims of political violence recently, including the June assassination of a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband, and the 2022 beating of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband in their San Francisco home.

Caitlin Legacki of Stop Government Censorship, formed to fight the Trump administration’s use of government against its political rivals, said it was one thing for people making abhorrent statements to face consequences.

“When we get concerned is when there appears to be a concerted effort in the government to use this tragedy to punish political opponents,” she said.

Associated Press writers Collin Binkley and Chris Megerian in Washington; Meg Kinnard in Chapin, South Carolina; Juan Lozano in Houston, and Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757541376269.png" alt="Charley Kirk photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Charley Kirk photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Vice President JD Vance on Monday jumped onto the conservative movement&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kirk-trump-cancel-culture-assassination-4d69649e382ea46d8dcf794150a1d3c9">demanding consequences</a>&nbsp;for those who have cheered Charlie Kirk's killing, calling on the public to turn in anyone who says distasteful things about the assassination of his friend and political ally.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">MUST WATCH: <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> powerfully delivers some hard truths on political violence in America. &quot;While our side of the aisle certainly has its crazies, it is a statistical FACT that most of the lunatics in American politics today are proud members of the Far Left.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/mYnkCZhuXU">pic.twitter.com/mYnkCZhuXU</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1967652535679721576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“When you see someone celebrating Charlie’s murder, call them out,” Vance urged listeners on the slain activist’s podcast Monday. “And hell, call their employer.”Vance's call also included a vow to target some of the biggest funders of liberal causes as conservatives stepped up their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-workplace-speech-firing-29717a8612ccedebabc7cba29e7ef627">targeting of private individuals</a>&nbsp;for their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dowd-msnbc-kirk-comments-e08f349022c9d69171cd575664141075">comments about the killing</a>. It marked an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dowd-msnbc-kirk-comments-e08f349022c9d69171cd575664141075">escalation in a campaign</a>&nbsp;that some warned invoked some of the darkest chapters of American history.“The government involvement in this does inch this closer to looking like McCarthyism,” said Adam Goldstein of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, referring to the 1950s campaign to root out communists that led to false allegations and ruined careers. “It was not a shining moment for free expression.”<h2>Campaign broadens to those who quote Kirk critically</h2>Republican-controlled states such as Florida, Oklahoma and Texas have launched investigations of teachers accused of inappropriate statements after last week’s assassination. The U.S. military has invited members of the public to report those who “celebrate or mock” the killing and said some troops have already been removed for their comments.At the same time, the Trump administration has vowed to target what it contends is a “vast” liberal network that inspired the shooter, even as authorities maintain it appears he acted alone and the investigation is ongoing.The campaign has broadened to include even those whose statements were critical of Kirk without celebrating his assassination.The Washington Post fired Karen Attiah, an opinion columnist, for posts on the day of the shooting that lamented how “white America” was not ready to solve gun violence and that quoted Kirk denigrating the intelligence of prominent Black women such as Michelle Obama.PEN America, a press freedom group, warned in a statement that firings like Attiah's “risk creating a chilling effect.”Goldstein worried there were many cases of people targeted for simply quoting Kirk or failing to mourn his passing adequately. “That’s one of the key symptoms of cancel culture,” he said. “Trying to paint everyone with the same brush.”Conservatives coined the term cancel culture for what they claimed was persecution of those on the right for their views, especially related to the COVID-19 pandemic and Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, leading to campaigns to get regular people fired.It was a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-free-speech-first-amendment-columbia-student-3d4c835a673a24b793b2b045405231e6">significant cause for President Donald Trum</a>&nbsp;p, who pledged to end it during his campaign last year. But after the Kirk killing, he and his administration have instead&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-free-speech-first-amendment-columbia-student-3d4c835a673a24b793b2b045405231e6">leaned into it from the right</a>.<h2>A hero to conservatives, a provocateur to many Democrats</h2>A father of two and a Christian conservative, Kirk was a hero to many Trump Republicans for his fiery warnings about the dangers of Democrats and ability to organize young voters. But Kirk also was a provocateur and supporter of Trump’s attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss who left a long record of partisan quips that enraged many on the left.“According to Kirk, empathy is a made-up new-age term, so keep the jokes coming. It’s what he would have wanted,” read one post on X that Melvin Villaver Jr., a Clemson University music professor, re-posted the day of the killing, according to a screenshot circulated by college Republicans demanding his firing. Clemson eventually fired one staffer and suspended Villaver and another professor after intense pressure from elected South Carolina Republican officials.Other targeted posters, such as Army Lt. Col. Christopher Ladnier, simply quoted Kirk on the day of his assassination. This included Kirk calling the Civil Rights Act a “beast” that “has now turned into an anti-white weapon," his criticism of Martin Luther King Jr. and his statement that some gun deaths are the cost of a robust Second Amendment.Ladnier, who has been targeted by conservative activists online, said in a Facebook message to The Associated Press that he would respond “when/if” his chain of command takes action.Texas Gov. Greg Abbott approvingly posted a video of a Texas Tech University student who was arrested Friday after a confrontation at a campus vigil for Kirk, writing: “This is what happened to the person who was mocking Charlie Kirk’s assassination at Texas Tech."Some people targeted have been victims of mistaken identity.A school district in rural Elkhorn, Wisconsin, reported receiving more than 800 messages after one conservative influencer mistakenly identified an associate principal at an elementary school as celebrating Kirk's death.<h2>Top Republicans vow to go after ‘domestic terrorist network’</h2>Authorities say Kirk was shot by 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who grew up in a conservative household in southern Utah but was enmeshed in “leftist ideology,” according to the state's Republican governor, Spencer Cox.Cox said investigators may reveal more about what motivated the attack after Robinson's initial court appearance, scheduled for Tuesday. The governor said the suspect, who allegedly carved memes onto his bullet casings, appeared radicalized by the “dark corners of the internet.”On Monday, Vance was joined on Kirk’s podcast by Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, who vowed to crack down on what he called the “vast domestic terrorist network” he blamed for Kirk’s death.Alluding to free speech concerns, Vance said: “You have the crazies on the far left that say, ’Oh, Stephen Miller and JD Vance, they’re going to go after constitutionally protected speech.'”But he added: “No no no! We’re going to go after the NGO network that foments, facilitates and engages in violence,” — a reference to non-governmental organizations.The White House did not immediately return a request seeking clarity on the remarks, including which groups might be targeted.The idea of a retribution campaign against individuals or groups for expressing a particular viewpoint has alarmed many.“Just having that ideology, just believing differently than some other American is not illegal,” Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma said on CNN on Sunday.Instead, he said any groups that have been involved in illegal or violent acts should be targeted.<h2>Killing as a pretext to go after political rivals</h2>On Kirk’s show, Vance talked about the need for unity after the assassination, but then dismissed it as impossible given what he described as the left’s embrace of political violence. Naming two foundations that fund a wide range of liberal causes, Vance said: "There is no unity with the people who fund these articles, who pay the salaries of these terrorist sympathizers.”Democratic officials have roundly condemned Kirk’s murder. Democrats also have been victims of political violence recently, including the June assassination of a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband, and the 2022 beating of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband in their San Francisco home.Caitlin Legacki of Stop Government Censorship, formed to fight the Trump administration’s use of government against its political rivals, said it was one thing for people making abhorrent statements to face consequences.“When we get concerned is when there appears to be a concerted effort in the government to use this tragedy to punish political opponents,” she said.___Associated Press writers Collin Binkley and Chris Megerian in Washington; Meg Kinnard in Chapin, South Carolina; Juan Lozano in Houston, and Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.

Trump admin. joins GOP campaign to police speech in reaction to Kirk's murder

OSAGE COUNTY — A woman is recovering from injuries after a crash involving a train and a multi-agency effort to find her.

Just after 7:30a.m. Monday, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting collision involving a train and a vehicle near K-276 Highway and South Lewelling Road, near Olivet, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

Deputies from the Osage County Sheriff’s Office, along with Osage County EMS and Fire District #3, responded immediately. While the scene was located, no individuals were found with the vehicle, prompting a full-scale search of the surrounding area.

A multi-agency effort was launched, covering an estimated 2–3-mile radius. This included ground crews, aerial support, and numerous community volunteers who stepped forward to assist in the search.

At approximately 3:15 p.m., the missing individual — an 82-year-old woman — was located alive in a heavily wooded area near the railroad tracks. She was transported to a Topeka hospital for treatment.

The Osage County Sheriff’s Office thanked the volunteers and assisting agencies for their efforts, time, and care shown during the&nbsp; search. The successful outcome was made possible through the combined efforts of trained responders and the supportive Osage County community.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758019675130.png" alt="Rail line near Olivet, Kansas -google image" />
 <figcaption>Rail line near Olivet, Kansas -google image</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY — A woman is recovering from injuries after a crash involving a train and a multi-agency effort to find her.Just after 7:30a.m. Monday, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting collision involving a train and a vehicle near K-276 Highway and South Lewelling Road, near Olivet, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.Deputies from the Osage County Sheriff’s Office, along with Osage County EMS and Fire District #3, responded immediately. While the scene was located, no individuals were found with the vehicle, prompting a full-scale search of the surrounding area.A multi-agency effort was launched, covering an estimated 2–3-mile radius. This included ground crews, aerial support, and numerous community volunteers who stepped forward to assist in the search.At approximately 3:15 p.m., the missing individual — an 82-year-old woman — was located alive in a heavily wooded area near the railroad tracks. She was transported to a Topeka hospital for treatment.The Osage County Sheriff’s Office thanked the volunteers and assisting agencies for their efforts, time, and care shown during the&nbsp; search. The successful outcome was made possible through the combined efforts of trained responders and the supportive Osage County community.

Deputies searched for Kan. woman injured after crash with a train

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two Kansas woman who police believe came to Lawrence&nbsp;on a retail crime spree, but were stopped by an alert officer. 

On Sunday, police were called to Dick’s Sporting Goods, 2727 Iowa Street after an employee said the two women walked out with a full cart then sped off. 

 The employee provided a description of the vehicle and an officer spotted it in the nearby Walmart parking lot. 

 The officer approached the women, later identified as from Topeka, and ultimately learned they also had likely stolen items from Dillon’s. 

The total value of the recovered items is at least $1,800, making the alleged crime a felony.  The driver also didn’t have a valid license. Just after 7p.m., officers transported the women to the Douglas County Correctional Facility. Police did not release their names or possible charges they face.

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two Kansas woman who police believe came to Lawrence&nbsp;on a retail crime spree, but were stopped by an alert officer. On Sunday, police were called to Dick’s Sporting Goods, 2727 Iowa Street after an employee said the two women walked out with a full cart then sped off. The employee provided a description of the vehicle and an officer spotted it in the nearby Walmart parking lot. The officer approached the women, later identified as from Topeka, and ultimately learned they also had likely stolen items from Dillon’s. The total value of the recovered items is at least $1,800, making the alleged crime a felony. The driver also didn’t have a valid license. Just after 7p.m., officers transported the women to the Douglas County Correctional Facility. Police did not release their names or possible charges they face.